Verizon just keeps the LTE train chugging, new and expanded markets coming on August 18th

Verizon LTE

We can’t remember a single new WiMAX market being lit up in 2011, meanwhile Verizon just keeps lighting LTE fires all across the country. We’ve actually given up trying to keep a tally of how many new markets Big Red has launched this year — there are only so many fingers and toes between the Engadget staff. The carrier just flipped the switch on 28 new markets last week, and now it’s announced plans to add at least 15 more on August 18th. In addition to finally blessing the folks in Albany, NY and Tuscon, AZ with a little 4G love, it will also be expanding coverage in in areas including Boston and Salt Lake City. It’s the perfect mid-summer gift to go along with a brand new Galaxy S II or Droid Bionic. Check out the full list of upcoming LTE meccas just after the break.

Continue reading Verizon just keeps the LTE train chugging, new and expanded markets coming on August 18th

Verizon just keeps the LTE train chugging, new and expanded markets coming on August 18th originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 27 Jul 2011 16:41:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Verizon’s version of the Samsung Galaxy S II will support LTE (update: still unconfirmed)

The jury’s still out on when Verizon will get around to releasing the Samsung Function — its own version of the highly covetable Galaxy S II — but that hasn’t stopped Big Red from whetting our appetite. The country’s largest carrier has taken to the Twitterverse to confirm that its upcoming pride and joy will include an LTE radio, answering quite possibly the most perplexing mystery concerning Verizon’s take on the device. We’re still yearning for pricing, availability, and even images of the device to show up, but this little nugget alone may be enough to keep our impatience at ease for a while longer.

Update: VZWSupport just tweeted some disappointing news: “Clarification — I am speaking of the new Samsung Galaxy tab 10.1 that is 4G.” Tomato, tomahto, tablets, smartphones, are we right?

Verizon’s version of the Samsung Galaxy S II will support LTE (update: still unconfirmed) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 27 Jul 2011 13:11:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Leaked memo slates Xoom 4G upgrade for September, early adopters weep (updated)

To say we’ve been patiently waiting for the Xoom’s promised 4G upgrade would certainly be an understatement. It looks like those of you counting on blistering speeds this summer are flat out of luck, as the LTE overhaul apparently won’t begin until fall. Droid-Life‘s got a snap of a seemingly official Verizon memo, which alleges that the FCC-espied gratis upgrade will apparently land sometime in September. Also mentioned are links to Big Red’s website on how to backup and package one’s slate for its eventual voyage back to Moto’s mothership. Hop on over to the source to see the full communiqué, and peep the more coverage links if you enjoy being prepared entirely too far in advance.

Update: A tipster has kindly sent us a copy of Verizon’s email. It’s looking pretty official, folks.

Continue reading Leaked memo slates Xoom 4G upgrade for September, early adopters weep (updated)

Leaked memo slates Xoom 4G upgrade for September, early adopters weep (updated) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 26 Jul 2011 15:42:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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HTC Puccini tablet shots leak out with AT&T branding, may sport stylus functionality

Is this the fabled HTC Puccini tab we recently saw fly through the FCC’s embrace? Only time will tell for sure, but BGR has some leaked shots that show the purported tab cozying up to a Flyer-like stylus, in addition to its AT&T branding. A glimpse of this Honeycomb-based 10-incher’s backside also reveals an 8 megapixel rear-mounted camera accompanied by what looks like a dual-LED flash. There’s also that dual speaker set-up we peeped in the tablet’s prior filing. Of course, what lies beneath this LTE slate is still up for speculation, but a rumored dual-core 1.5GHz processor and 1280 x 800 display aren’t beyond the realm of today’s future specs. Hit the source for an extra shot.

HTC Puccini tablet shots leak out with AT&T branding, may sport stylus functionality originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 26 Jul 2011 13:26:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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HP’s AMD-powered Pavilion dm1-3010nr arrives at Verizon with LTE, $600 price tag

It’s Verizon Wireless’ first LTE-powered laptop, but is it really anything to write home about? The familiar HP Pavilion dm1 — which emerged last year on Big Red’s 3G network — has undergone a minor revision, this time surfacing with a 4G radio and a far more respectable processor. The dm1-3010nr is expected to ship two days from now (you know, alongside that grotesquely overpriced Galaxy Tab 10.1 LTE), with an 11.6-inch (1366 x 768) LED display, 1.6GHz AMD Zacate E-350 APU, 320GB hard drive, 2GB of DDR3 memory, 802.11b/g/n WiFi, a VGA webcam, multi-format card reader and a 64-bit copy of Windows 7 Home Premium. It measures in at 1.2-inches thick and weighs 3.52 pounds, and so far as we can tell, the $599.99 asking price doesn’t require a constricting two-year data agreement. We’re awaiting specific word from VZW to confirm, but as of now, it looks as if you can get 5GB per month for $50, or 10GB for $80. Looking for that $30 / 2GB plan? Tough luck, bub — she ain’t available here.

Update: We’ve confirmed with VZW that no two-year contract is required with that price. You buy it outright, and then pay month-to-month for data.

Continue reading HP’s AMD-powered Pavilion dm1-3010nr arrives at Verizon with LTE, $600 price tag

HP’s AMD-powered Pavilion dm1-3010nr arrives at Verizon with LTE, $600 price tag originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 26 Jul 2011 10:36:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Samsung’s LTE-equipped Galaxy Tab 10.1 comes to Verizon on July 28th

It’s a Galaxy Tab 10.1, but with 4G. No, not that 4G. Not even that 4G. This 4G. You know, the LTE variety, being spread around like Christmas ham by the folks at Verizon Wireless. Cosmetically, the slate offered up by Big Red is no different than the WiFi-only model that we peeked earlier in the year, but the LTE radio tucked within obviously makes it the one to get if you’re looking for top-tier speeds on the go. VZW will actually hawk two separate models LTE Tab 10.1 models (in white or grey), both of which are priced outrageously with two-year agreements: $529.99 for the 16GB model and $629.99 for the 32GB model. That’s a pretty penny (to say the least!) given the albatross that is a 24-month contract, and those who’d rather provide their own connectivity can opt for the WWAN-less Metallic Grey edition for $499.99 (16GB). Access plans start at $30 per month for 2GB, with $50 per period getting you 5GB, or $80 getting you 10GB (no mention of tethering, unfortunately). Your pickup date? Two days from now, or July 28th for the calendar-challenged.

Continue reading Samsung’s LTE-equipped Galaxy Tab 10.1 comes to Verizon on July 28th

Samsung’s LTE-equipped Galaxy Tab 10.1 comes to Verizon on July 28th originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 26 Jul 2011 08:42:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Clearwire announces $99 Clear Spot 4G Apollo hotspot

We just spotted it at the FCC earlier this month, and Clear customers will now soon be able to get their hands on the company’s new Clear Spot 4G Apollo mobile hotspot. Clearwire announced today that the device will be available for $99 (or leased for $6 a month) in “late July,” which should mean any day now unless our calendars are off. Built by Gemtek, the hotspot allows for up to eight simultaneous connections, and promises up to six hours of continuous use from its built-in rechargeable battery — plans to go along with it start $35 a month, with unlimited mobile data running you $45/month (with no long-term contract, of course). Press release is after the break.

Continue reading Clearwire announces $99 Clear Spot 4G Apollo hotspot

Clearwire announces $99 Clear Spot 4G Apollo hotspot originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 25 Jul 2011 20:17:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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AT&T confirms LG Thrill 4G pricing, release ‘in the coming weeks’


Pricing for the LG Thrill 4G popped up on Radio Shack’s corporate systems a few days ago, at $80 with a two-year contract. AT&T just shared its official Thrill pricing, however, with the glasses-free 3D smartphone commanding a healthy $99 at the company’s retails stores when it ships “in the coming weeks.” That timeframe meshes nicely with the August 7th launch date that a pair of Radio Shack insiders shared with us last week, though until we receive confirmation otherwise, it’s within reason to expect that devices will begin to ship before or even after that date. Either way, it doesn’t look like you’ll need to hold out much longer for your Thrill, with only a few more days of tranquility to go before the excitement begins.

AT&T confirms LG Thrill 4G pricing, release ‘in the coming weeks’ originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 25 Jul 2011 11:40:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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LG Thrill 4G up for pre-order today at Radio Shack, ahead of August 7th launch?

The LG Thrill 4G was announced at CTIA four months ago , but wasn’t given its rightful time in the sun due to a much larger elephant in the room. Now the phone’s launch is quickly approaching, however, and the AT&T-branded Optimus 3D is ready to get some glory. We were sent not one, but two separate emails this morning from Radio Shack insiders with a few details about the retail chain’s rollout of the device. As it turns out, visitors to The Shack can be offered the opportunity to reserve a Thrill — supposedly gearing up for an August 7th launch — starting today with the purchase of a $50 gift card. According to the screenshots sent to us, the Thrill can be all yours for $80 with a two-year contract ($550 if you exhibit a fear of commitment). We’re hesitant to declare August 7th the official launch date, since history has shown that resellers don’t always get handsets at the same time as corporate outlets do. If you find any success reserving one today, however, we’ll be thrilled elated to hear about it.

[Thanks, Anonymous]

Continue reading LG Thrill 4G up for pre-order today at Radio Shack, ahead of August 7th launch?

LG Thrill 4G up for pre-order today at Radio Shack, ahead of August 7th launch? originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 22 Jul 2011 16:04:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sprint readies Nexus S 4G update with improved WiMAX performance, we go hands-on (video)

How would you feel about a little Android 2.3.5 (!) action on that Nexus S 4G of yours? What about some WiMAX performance improvements? You should be getting all that plus WiFi connectivity and speakerphone quality tweaks, along with TTY support on Monday July 25th, which is when Sprint is expected to begin rolling out an OTA update for Samsung’s pure Gingerbread handset. We were given an exclusive first look at the new software, and while it’s still being finalized, we tested it side-by-side with the original, and our results show a welcome increase in 4G speeds across the board. As you may remember, we observed repeatable WiMAX performance issues with the old software, so this update is excellent news indeed. The amount of improvement will likely depend on your locale, but even in signal-challenged San Francisco and New York we noticed the difference right away — so kudos to Google, Samsung, and Sprint for addressing this. We also experienced performance in-line with our Epic 4G — the benchmark device used for our initial testing with the previous firmware version. Take a look at our gallery below, and peek at our hands-on video after the break.

Zach Honig contributed to this report.

Continue reading Sprint readies Nexus S 4G update with improved WiMAX performance, we go hands-on (video)

Sprint readies Nexus S 4G update with improved WiMAX performance, we go hands-on (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 22 Jul 2011 13:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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