Hasta La Gadget!

Verizon (like most operators) has thus far been coy about its plans for rolling out voice calling services on its LTE network, in part because voice isn’t a core service of LTE — everything is simply treated as data, which means carriers have needed to mull their options and decide how (and when) to add voice into the mix. We’d gotten the vague impression from Verizon’s LTE launch event late last year that 4G voice wasn’t in the company’s 2011 plans, but it turns out that’s not true: they’ve now come out to say that the LG Revolution — announced at CES last month — will be Verizon’s first VoLTE device when it launches mid-year. Naturally, it’ll fall back to CDMA voice when you’re out of LTE range, but the move will represent the carrier’s first baby step into the 4G voice realm; it’ll offer higher sound quality than you’re used to with traditional cellular and landline calls (akin to HD Voice, we imagine) which will be one of its selling points when it launches. Every indication is that this will be a glacially slow transition — it’ll take years for handsets to support the standard on a wide scale and LTE footprints to expand nationally, never mind inter-carrier call compatibility — but it’s a big move nonetheless. Look for more news on this at MWC next week.

[Thanks, Ravi]

Verizon’s LG Revolution to support voice over LTE mid-year originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 08 Feb 2011 13:36:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Call us crazy, but we’re having a hard time interpreting this line of fine print in any other way:

“To activate WiFi functionality on this device, a minimum of one month data subscription is required.”

That’s listed under Best Buy’s most recent ad highlighting the world’s first Android 3.0 tablet, and it most certainly sounds both ominous and ridiculous. Hardcore Verizon followers may remember the days of Big Red crippling Bluetooth radios in phones in order to “coerce” users to purchase ringtones and such from them rather than snagging one on the subway from Tom, Dick and / Jane, so we definitely wouldn’t put something like this by the company. It’s hard to say how this will be implemented once the $800 Xoom hits retail shelves, but it’s certainly hard to believe that this is a Best Buy policy (and not a Verizon mandate). We’ll be digging for more details (after all, this could all be some strange, terrible dream), but we’ll be straight with you — we don’t like the potential implications here.

Update: We’re hearing from some Best Buy Mobile employees that these simply won’t be able to be sold without being first activated on Verizon’s network, so even though you could theoretically cancel the same day, you’ll still likely get hit with a one-time activation fee (and possibly one month of data). Then again, there appears to be typos on the flyer, so you may want to wait for Verizon’s official word before getting up in arms.

[Thanks, Michael]

Verizon locking WiFi on Motorola Xoom until you buy one month of data service? originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 06 Feb 2011 19:35:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The mobile rumor mill has been abuzz about Verizon’s potential move away from unlimited data plans for a long time now, but we’re not putting the rumors to rest. In fact, we’re just fanning the flames — according to the folks at Droid Life, Big Red’s $30 unlimited data plan could be coming to 4G LTE. The site’s sources point out that this might mean $30 plus $15 for 4G data, and that pricing structures are likely to change as the LTE Juggernaut powers ahead. Considering the first Verizon 4G phones haven’t even made it to market yet, unlimited data might be around for sometime to come … then again, it might not — don’t you just love speculation?

Verizon 4G LTE might offer $30 unlimited data plan, if you’re lucky originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 03 Feb 2011 19:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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AT&T is dying for you to try out its newly branded 4G network,  and you’ll finally be able to with a new phone.

AT&T announced its HTC Inspire 4G on Tuesday, the first smartphone able to access the company’s HSPA+ 4G network. The phone will be available beginning Feb. 13, retailing for $100 with a two-year contract.

The phone comes with the list of standard features we’ve been seeing in 2011 smartphone debuts: a 1-GHz Snapdragon processor, 4GB of internal storage and microSD card storage expandable up to 32GB.

It’s also got the obligatory back facing 8-megapixel camera for glamor shots, front facing camera for video chat and general vanity purposes, and a fat 4.3-inch super AMOLED screen to admire all of those photos you’ve taken. (Welcome, everyone, to the age of Narcissus.)

The Inspire also has mobile hotspot capability, the first AT&T smartphone to include it. It will also be running Android, of course, though it’ll be version 2.2 (Froyo) rather than 2.3 (Gingerbread), the most recently released Android update for smartphones.

Since AT&T rolled out its 4G network earlier this year, the company has made big plans for 4G releases in 2011. AT&T expects to debut 20 different 4G devices over the next year, twice the number of upcoming 4G products from competitor Verizon. While Verizon currently offers LTE network technology to 4G subscribers in a limited capacity (38 metropolitan areas over 22 states, as of today), AT&T’s network currently consists of backhauled HSPA+ technology. AT&T is installing its own LTE network, however, to be rolled-out mid-2011 with full deployment estimated by 2013.

As the Inspire is the first AT&T 4G (or “3.5G,” or whatever you want to call it) handset to debut in 2011, we’re anxious to get our hands on one for road testing. When we do, we’ll let you know if the carrier’s 4G branding lives up to its name.

Photo: HTC Inspire/Courtesy of AT&T

See Also:

• Hands-On With HTC’s 4G Thunderbolt Smartphone
• Inspire
• Sprint’s HTC Evo Shift Hits the Shelves on January 9th
• Android Phones Fuel HTC Growth; More Planned for 2011
• Sprint, HTC Unveil First 4G Android Phone
• Hands-On With HTC’s 4G Thunderbolt Smartphone
• Wired Video: HTC Evo 4G Dissected

Though it was predated by a usable hack, the Pantech UML290 USB modem — one of just two devices launched so far for Verizon’s LTE network — has finally been blessed with an official Mac OS driver. What does this mean? Well, technically, it means that this is the very first time Mac users are getting any LTE love in the US whatsoever — though with that Samsung-sourced mobile hotspot on the horizon, USB modems might be a tough sale at this point. On a bright note, the availability of the driver today means that Verizon beat its own estimate of February; the UML290’s counterpart from LG, the VL600, is still Windows-only, though we imagine that’ll be hitting soon as well.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Pantech’s UML290 LTE modem for Verizon gets official Mac support originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 31 Jan 2011 14:11:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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