Hasta La Gadget!

Now that Verizon’s gone official with its LTE pricing for an initial launch in some 38 markets this Sunday, we wanted to take a quick look at how it compares to the other players in the laptop data market — after all, how much you’re paying month to month can be just as big of a determining factor (if not a bigger one) in choosing a carrier than the speeds you’re seeing. So how do Sprint, T-Mobile, AT&T, Clear, and Rover stack up? Let’s break it down.

Continue reading Laptop data plans: comparing LTE, WiMAX, and HSPA+ by speed, price, and value

Laptop data plans: comparing LTE, WiMAX, and HSPA+ by speed, price, and value originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 01 Dec 2010 15:55:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Been feeling blue this holiday season? Finding all the special offer WP7 phones a little too little? Fear not, T-Mobile and Microsoft are ready to give you a pair of HD7s for the price of one next time you drop into one of the Magenta stores asking about Windows Phone 7 devices. You’ll need to commit to the usual two-year contract and whatnot, but it’s a straight up BOGO on what’s probably the most desirable handset sporting Microsoft’s new OS on the American market. Then again, even with this discount, you still might be able to find the HD7 cheaper at online retailers, so as per usual on Black Fridays, we’d advise doing your due diligence before letting your dead presidents out for a walk. And please, try not to think of how sweet a day this could have been if Dell’s Venue Pro had actually been released on schedule.

[Thanks, David]

HTC HD7 greets Black Friday with a Buy One Get One Free offer from T-Mobile originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 24 Nov 2010 18:28:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Orange has just dropped a rather enigmatic note in our inbox letting us know that it plans to offer Apple’s 3G iPad on “one of [its] great new plans” in the UK, resulting in what the company promises will be “more affordable prices.” Current rumors making the rounds place that expenditure at the £200 ($320) mark, should you be willing to commit to a two-year data plan to go with your 10-inch tablet. It’s also expected that Orange’s new dance partner, T-Mobile, will be making a similar announcement soon, complete with a matching price. We’ll keep digging until we know for sure. Full PR after the break.

Update: Sure enough, T-Mobile is now also listing the iPad as “coming soon.” Thanks, Dilwar!

Continue reading Orange and T-Mobile set to offer 3G iPad on contract in UK, £200 price rumored

Orange and T-Mobile set to offer 3G iPad on contract in UK, £200 price rumored originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 22 Nov 2010 08:27:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Samsung’s Galaxy Tab. You know our thoughts on the device, so let’s assume you’ve passed the “should I buy it?” question and onto the more specific, “whom should I sign on with?” You’re certainly not bereft of choices: by the end of November, five of the six largest US carriers (sorry, MetroPCS) will offer the Android slate — but not all pricing schemes were made equal. Carrier-agnostics, we’re here to help!

While we’ve already bemoaned the $50 premium on AT&T’s model, we have confirmed there is no activation fee, which narrows the price between it and Verizon’s offering to just $15 (and Ma Bell, along with Sprint, seem to be the only two offering a $50 Media Hub voucher). On paper, US Cellular has the lowest two-year cost with $760 on contract, but $15 monthly for 200MB is pretty ridiculous when just $20 gets you an entire gig on Verizon’s network, or $30 for 2GB on Sprint. T-Mobile wins the award for the most insane disparity in data offerings: $25 for 200MB, or 25 times the data allotment (5GB) for just $15 more. ‘Twas the best of deals, ’twas the worst of deals.

If you ask us, there isn’t really a clear-cut winner, but we’d definitely contend Big Magenta’s got the most alluring on-contract value if 5GB is in the range of your data usage; the equivalent plan costs $60 on Sprint and $50 on Verizon, with the latter offering no discount for making a two-year commitment. Then again, if you’re the kind who prefers to be unrestrained and plan to spend $600 regardless, it’s Verizon with the most competitive data plans overall. And of course, your decision will undoubtedly be influenced by network performance in your area. Consider yourself informed.

Samsung Galaxy Tab price wars: US carriers face off originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 17 Nov 2010 17:03:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The $14.99 monthly unlimited tethering / mobile WiFi hotspot add-on for your phone that T-Mobile promised in time for the holidays will be getting real this weekend, hitting on Sunday, November 14th. Of course, owners of myTouch 4Gs, G2s with the latest firmware update, and a couple other models in the T-Mobile stable have already been enjoying the option, gratis, for a couple weeks — so it’ll be interesting to see how many subscribers they convert for the $15 upcharge. Certainly makes those roots seem a little more appealing, doesn’t it? Available at the same time will be the new 200MB data option for $10, though it won’t be available (smartly) in combination with tethering.

On a related note, Big Magenta will be rolling out two promotional Even More plans on the same date: a 1,500 anytime minute individual package for $79.99 and a 3,000 minute family plan for $149.99, both including unlimited text and web. Both require re-upping your contract and will be available “for a limited time,” though the carrier isn’t saying just how long that “limited time” may be. Follow the break for the release.

Continue reading T-Mobile’s $15 tethering option, tiered data available this Sunday

T-Mobile’s $15 tethering option, tiered data available this Sunday originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 12 Nov 2010 12:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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