Hasta La Gadget!

You’d better be darn sure AT&T’s data service is solid in your neck of the woods before making the leap, but if you’ve managed to survive this long sans a USB WWAN dongle… well, here’s your chance to grow that much more connected to your inbox. Ma Bell has just issued its latest USB modem, the USBConnect Force 4G. Priced at a downright delicious $0.00 with a two-year contract (or $89.99 straight-up), the Huawei-built stick supports the carrier’s “4G” (read: HSPA+) services and offers a microSD slot for good measure. Interestingly, AT&T’s allowing users to buy this with post-paid and prepaid options, and of course, data roaming’s available in over 200 nations for those insane enough to pay for it. If you’re going post-paid, you’ll get 5GB of data for $50 / month, while prepaid buyers can select 100MB for $15 (day package), 300MB for $30 (weekly package) or 1GB for $50 (month package). It’ll operate with both Mac and PC platforms, and should be on store shelves by July 17th.

Continue reading AT&T launches USBConnect Force 4G USB modem, offers it for zilch on contract

AT&T launches USBConnect Force 4G USB modem, offers it for zilch on contract originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 08 Jul 2011 13:48:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We’re gonna shoot from the hip here — wireless carriers have gotten a little out-of-hand with their 4G marketing. Even industry standard setter, the ITU, can’t figure out a way to keep the story straight. This consumer disinformation loop is exactly what Rep. Anna Eshoo plans to undo with her “Next Generation Wireless Disclosure Act.” Like its title says, the bill would force carriers to be absolutely, unfalteringly crystal clear on minimum data speeds, network reliability, accessible coverage maps, and, of course, the technology being used. Think the T-Mobile girl can handle that in thirty seconds? We didn’t think so, either. Retailers tried a similar consumer hand-holding effort during the DTV transition, although that came without a regulatory shove. Hit the source for legalese in all its undisturbed glory, and while you wait for Uncle Sam to act, you can clear up any lingering confusion by diving into our primer.

[Image courtesy Going WiMax]

Rep. Eshoo intros 4G disclosure act, hopes to turn consumers into techies originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 22 Jun 2011 17:39:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We’ve heard rumblings that Samsung’s Exhibit 4G would be making its way to T-Mob on June 8, but now the carrier has confirmed that the Gingerbread smartphone will be available sometime in June. The Exhibit will join Samsung’s Gravity Smart, both featuring grounded sub-$100 price tags (after $50 rebate) when they hit stores. T-Mob is displaying the Exhibit with violet and black finishes, and says you’ll see “theoretical” peak download speeds of 21Mbps on the HSPA + handset. As for the Smart, the carrier’s first Android-powered Gravity smartphone will launch with 2.2 Froyo, and includes a slide-out QWERTY keyboard, so you’ll be sending Group Texts to 50 of your closest friends with four rows of hardware keys. Both phones include 3 megapixel rear-facing cameras with flashes, while the Exhibit adds a front-facing cam as well, so that myTouch 4G girl may be hawking a new smartphone on your TV later this month.

Continue reading T-Mobile announces June availability for Samsung Exhibit 4G and Gravity Smart

T-Mobile announces June availability for Samsung Exhibit 4G and Gravity Smart originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 02 Jun 2011 11:41:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Unlocked 3G modems aren’t something you see everyday. Sure, Zoom has been hawking the dongles for some time, but they’re primarily of the tri-band variety — Nova Media’s iCON 461 does those one better by going quad-band and throwing in GPS for good measure. The globe-trotting “3G surfstick” supports 7.2Mbps HSPA on the 850, 900,1900, and 2100 bands (that would include AT&T here in the ol’ US of A) and can handle EDGE at 850, 900, 1800, and 1900MHz (hello, T-Mo). In addition to a slot for your GSM SIM there’s also a place to stick a microSD card, in case you need someplace to store that leaked copy of David Comes to Life. The iCON 461 comes in two versions: Mac-compatible with launch2net Premium for €179 (about $248), and Windows-friendly with uCan Connect for €149 (roughly $215).

Nova Media’s iCON 461 USB modem is unlocked for globe-trotting commitmentphobes originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 31 May 2011 15:57:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Fellow road warriors, we bring you good news: starting today, T-Mobile customers across 55 markets — including Chicago, Detroit, Honolulu, Pittsburgh, Miami, and many more — will have immediate access to a faster HSPA+ “4G” network. This means anyone with compatible devices can achieve theoretical download speeds of up to a whopping 42Mbps, as opposed to just 21Mbps from the good ol’ days. But of course, only time will tell whether this upgrade will deliver its promise — you may recall that even AT&T’s LTE demo last week delivered “realistic” download speeds of up to just 28.9Mbps, when in theory it should be capable of hitting up to 100Mbps.

Anyhow, if you want to soldier on and be a guinea pig an early adopter, then help yourself to ZTE’s Rocket 3.0 USB modem stick starting tomorrow — the entry price is $99.99 after a $50 mail in rebate, but tied to a two-year broadband plan of 2GB or higher; or you can opt for the contract-free price of $199.99. Hit the press release after the break for the full list of activated markets.

Continue reading T-Mobile flips on 42Mbps HSPA+ across 55 markets, launching Rocket 3.0 modem stick tomorrow

T-Mobile flips on 42Mbps HSPA+ across 55 markets, launching Rocket 3.0 modem stick tomorrow originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 24 May 2011 00:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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