Hasta La Gadget!

Does this outline of a really awesome phone ring a bell for you? No? Well, let us toss you a hint: it’s from Samsung, and it’s got WiMAX. That’s right — what you’re looking at is a Sammy bearing model number SPH-D700, which we believe to be the phone you know better as the Epic 4G for Sprint. The test report identifies the D700 as a “Cellular/PCS CDMA/EvDO Phone with Bluetooth, WLAN, and WiMAX,” so unless Samsung’s got another 4G phone for Sprint waiting in the wings, that sounds like pretty damning evidence to us — especially considering that the ID label document’s outline basically matches up with the real device. Interestingly, Sprint has yet to commit to a release date for the Epic, which leads us to wonder whether it was waiting for this to happen… let’s hope.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Samsung’s Epic 4G for Sprint looks to score FCC approval originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 20 Jul 2010 19:59:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  FCC  | Email this | Comments

It’s still baking our noodles to think about a Verizon device using a SIM on American soil — but sure enough, those cards allegedly set up in Big Red’s systems are floating around in the wild. What you’re looking at here is a SIM that will slot into Verizon’s LTE-enabled 4G devices when they launch later this year (hence the big “4G” logo on there), and yes, they look just like the SIMs you’ve been using for the last two decades on carriers around the world. The more things change, the more they stay the same, it seems.

[Thanks, RWN]

Verizon’s 4G LTE SIM in the wild originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 19 Jul 2010 01:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

Sprint’s riffed about the possibility of migrating to LTE in the past — as has its 4G partner, Clearwire — so it’s no big surprise to hear CEO Dan Hesse tell the Financial Times today that he’s still open to the idea down the road, possibly side-by-side with the company’s existing WiMAX deployment thanks to its deep spectrum holdings. What’s far more interesting, though, is his concession that there’s “logic” to exploring a merger with T-Mobile USA in the event that they both move to LTE for their next-gen networks. For its part, T-Mobile hasn’t announced its 4G plans yet, but it’s an open secret than Deutsche Telekom has explored the idea of selling off its US outpost in the past. Combined, it seems that Sprint and T-Mobile — neither of whom have the firepower to compete with giants AT&T or Verizon on every level — would create a strong third-place carrier capable of nipping at their heels. FT says that the idea of a Sprint deal was rejected back in 2008 on grounds that the two have incompatible networks, so who knows… if that restriction were removed, there might yet be love in the air.

Sprint’s Hesse: there’s ‘logic’ to a T-Mobile merger — if they both move to LTE originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 13 Jul 2010 10:46:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink GSMA Mobile Business Briefing  |  Financial Times  | Email this | Comments

It’s not like you couldn’t snag an Overdrive from Sprint or an IntelliGo from Time Warner Cable, but if you’re dead-set on nabbing your WiMAX gear directly from Clearwire, we’ve good splendiferous news to share. The 4G-only Spot 4G and 3G / 4G Spot 4G+ (which is just a rebadged Overdrive, shown here) were up for pre-order prior to today, but now both are available in-store and online nationwide. In case the prices have slipped your mind, the Spot 4G will run you $99.99 (or $4.99 per month on a lease) with service plans starting at $40/month, while the Spot 4G+ goes for $224.99 (or $5.99 per month on a lease) with service plans starting at $55/month. Surf on, surfers.

Continue reading Clearwire ships Spot 4G and Spot 4G+ WiMAX portable hotspots

Clearwire ships Spot 4G and Spot 4G+ WiMAX portable hotspots originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 07 Jul 2010 22:25:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

And then, there were three. Three ways to snag an Overdrive, that is. Months after Sprint issued the original 3G / 4G mobile hotspot, Clear came along and introduced a rebadged version of the same thing. Now, Time Warner Cable (who is also in cahoots with Sprint and Clear) is following suit by tossing its logo on the all-too-familiar device and christening it the IntelliGo. Functionally, it’s the same as ever — there’s a built-in battery that’ll provide 3G / 4G mobile internet to a smattering (read: five) of nearby devices via WiFi, a microSD slot and USB connectivity. The difference here, though, is that it’ll run you $49.99 on a two-year contract, and the fee will “vary by region.” Speaking of regions, it’ll be available wherever Road Runner Mobile is offered, which means Texas, North Carolina, Hawaii and Kansas City for now.

Continue reading TWC rebadges Sprint Overdrive, offers it as IntelliGo mobile 3G / 4G hotspot

TWC rebadges Sprint Overdrive, offers it as IntelliGo mobile 3G / 4G hotspot originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 07 Jul 2010 09:14:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  untangled  | Email this | Comments