EVO 4G shortages may hurt 4G adoption, Sprint gives customers in seven new cities the chance to be disappointed

It looks like Sprint’s head start in the 4G service race may not be quite as big as the carrier would like. According to the Wall Street Journal, HTC EVO 4G handset shortages are mitigating whatever advantage the company should have, being first out of the gate with the technology. “The early move to 4G has benefited Sprint from a marketing perspective, but it hasn’t really proven out in a major way in subscriber growth,” said Dan Hays, an analyst for PRTM. Good news, perhaps, for both AT&T and Verizon, who looks to take its first, tentative steps into some markets later this year. In other news, Sprint has announced a handful of 4G rollouts, including such far-flung locales as Rochester and Syracuse, New York; Merced and Visalia, California; Eugene, Oregon; Tri-Cities and Yakima, Washington. Hopefully HTC can start providing the necessary handsets! PR after the break.

[Thanks, Vaha]

Continue reading EVO 4G shortages may hurt 4G adoption, Sprint gives customers in seven new cities the chance to be disappointed

EVO 4G shortages may hurt 4G adoption, Sprint gives customers in seven new cities the chance to be disappointed originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 12 Jul 2010 12:57:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Best Buy Unveils Best Buy Connect Mobile Broadband Service

best buy connect logo.JPG

Best Buy has released details about its Best Buy Connect mobile broadband service, which will provide 5GB of data usage for about $60 per month.

Users can install the program on their laptops or netbooks and access 3G coverage in 18,900 cities and 1,855 airports throughout the U.S., Best Buy said; much like consumers would connect to the Web on their mobile phone. The company has posted a coverage map on its Web site.

Sprint will provide the underlying 3G network, the company confirmed.

Pricing varies depending on your data usage and contract status.

Sprint Samsung Intercept Available Soon for $99

Samsung Intercept.jpg
The newest Android device from Sprint is the Samsung Intercept. It features a 3.2-inch touch display and has a physical QWERTY keyboard slider located underneath the screen. An optical joystick offers enhanced navigation. The 3.2-megapixel camera captures still photos and video, and offers one-touch uploads to social networking sites. The included microSD card slot supports memory expansion cards up to 32GB in capacity. The phone also has an integrated GPS, Wi-Fi wireless networking, and stereo Bluetooth.
The device is powered by Android 2.1 and includes all of the Google Mobile services such as GMail, Google Maps, Google Search, and YouTube. Additional apps can be downloaded from the Android Market. NASCAR Sprint Cup Mobile, Sprint Football Live, and Sprint TV are also included, as well as a Microsoft Office document viewer and an MP3 player.
The Samsung Intecept will be available directly from Sprint on July 11 for $99 after a $100 mail-in rebate, with a new two-year service agreement. The phone comes in a choice of two colors: Gray Steel and Satin Pink.

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

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.

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Samsung Intercept for Sprint now totally official: July 11 for $100

Well, that didn’t take long, did it? Just earlier today we were talking about how the Intercept was starting to make its way into bits and pieces of Sprint’s system, but now, the announcement’s here and it’s the real deal. Most notably, the Android-powered landscape QWERTY slider will go to market for under $100 (by a penny, anyway) on contract after rebate, making it a value-oriented alternative for the monsters like the EVO 4G and Epic 4G that Sprint is pushing on the high end. Of course, if you pay a midrange price, you’re going to get midrange features; the 3.2 megapixel cam with video capture, isn’t going to blow anyone away, and amazingly, Sammy has gone with an EV-DO Rev. 0 radio (as opposed to Rev. A) which means you’ll be limping along with slower data speeds than you’d expect from your average modern CDMA smartphone. Look for it to hit Sprint’s site and stores starting this Sunday, July 11. Follow the break for the full press release.

Continue reading Samsung Intercept for Sprint now totally official: July 11 for $100

Samsung Intercept for Sprint now totally official: July 11 for $100 originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 07 Jul 2010 17:28:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Samsung Intercept is up for pre-order, might launch this weekend

Sure, the Epic 4G seems awesome — but that doesn’t mean Sprint can (or should) abandon the midrange Android market, right? On that note, the previously-leaked Samsung Intercept is now up for pre-order on Sprint’s so-called EVP site for business discount customers where it’s selling for $99.99 on a two-year contract after rebate (though we imagine regular customers coming into corporate retail stores might have to pay more than that). Feature-wise, you’re looking at a 3.2 megapixel cam with some sort of video capture, slide-out QWERTY keyboard (this is likely a Moment successor, after all), and your choice of Gray Steel or Satin Pink finishes. Word is that we might see an official launch this weekend — just don’t mistake it for an Epic when you see it in the store, alright?

[Thanks, anonymous tipster]

Update: Best Buy accidentally sold one for $100 already, so it’s possible this is going to be the asking price for everyone — and considering the specs, it really shouldn’t go for a penny more. Thanks, A Mathur!

Samsung Intercept is up for pre-order, might launch this weekend originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 07 Jul 2010 13:33:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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

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.

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Time Warner Cable Debuts Clearwire 4G Hotspot

IntelliGo_2.jpgTime Warner Cable said Tuesday that it launched a new dual-mode mobile hotspot device, known as the IntelliGo, which will be compatible with the Time Warner Cable
4G mobile network from Clearwire and Sprint’s 3G network.

The IntelliGo (also known as the Sierra Wireless AirCard W801 Mobile Hotspot) serves as a mobile hotspot, with the ability to either plug it in or run it off batteries for up to four hours; it can also be charged via USB.

The IntelliGo includes an LCD screen that can display battery life and Internet connection settings, plus a MicroSD slot that can hold up to 16 Gbyte cards for shared local storage. Wi-Fi range is about 150 feet, and the hotspot can connect up to five devices.

Time Warner Cable 4G Network featuring Road Runner Mobile is
available
in Dallas, San Antonio, and Austin, Texas; Charlotte, Raleigh and
Greensboro, N.C.; Honolulu and Maui, Hawaii; and Kansas City, MO.
Road
Runner Mobile customers will also be able to access the 4G network
in
additional cities outside the Time Warner Cable footprint
including
Atlanta, Baltimore, Chicago, Houston, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, and

Seattle. Additional 4G networks planned for launch in 2010 include
New
York, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Boston, Washington, D.C., San
Francisco and
Los Angeles.

“The device costs $49.99 after a $50 mail-in rebate with a two-year contract,” a TWC spokesman said in an email. “The Road Runner Mobile service pricing varies slightly by region, but on average it costs $55 per month for unlimited 4G and 3G access to current Time Warner Cable subscribers. “

White HTC EVO 4G lands early in Best Buy stores (update: unboxing!)

Good news, EVO 4G lovers! The striking white version of Sprint’s most gargantuan (by diagonal screen size, anyway) smartphone has started to splash down into Best Buy stores across the nation a full five days early. If you’ll recall, the white EVO 4G wasn’t supposed to land in the hands of those who pre-ordered until July 11th, but we’ve received two independent confirmations that they are indeed arriving early in select locales. Stay close to your current phone — you may be getting a pick-up call in the not-too-distant future.

Update: A tipster has just sent in a gallery’s worth of unboxing shots — looks like these are indeed being handed out early! Huzzah!

[Thanks, Anonymous and Justin]

White HTC EVO 4G lands early in Best Buy stores (update: unboxing!) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 06 Jul 2010 13:45:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Latest EVO 4G root uses Flash Lite exploit to do its deed

The cat-and-mouse struggle between Android users, carriers, and manufacturers to gain, patch, and re-gain root is one that shows no signs of slowing down, but the EVO 4G’s latest recommended root method is particularly creative. Made necessary after the most recent over-the-air firmware update patched the old way of doing it, you’ve now got to visit a page on Adobe’s site for tweaking local Flash settings, at which point a script works some magic and apparently takes advantage of a vulnerability in the EVO’s Flash Lite build. Of course, that’s just one of twelve harrowing steps in the whole process — but regardless, it’s not often we’re thanking our lucky stars for a security issue.

Latest EVO 4G root uses Flash Lite exploit to do its deed originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 06 Jul 2010 13:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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