Hasta La Gadget!

Sure, Verizon’s holding a press conference tomorrow, but unless they’ve got a secret LTE smartphone or tablet (we can only hope) we’ve got a fairly good idea what the company will say. We’re hearing Verizon will flip the switch on its LTE network on December 5th, unveil a pair of hot new USB modems to take advantage of those supposedly stellar speeds, and launch the SIM cards required to make LTE function in the first place. The gadgets include the LG VL600 thumbstick we’ve seen before, but also this marvelous-looking Pantech UML290 key, which has not only a slick swiveling case but also a dual-jointed USB port beneath. We doubt we’re going to have any trouble getting this one plugged into even the slimmest of port-abhorring slimline computing machines. See where one of the SIM cards goes in the gallery below.

Update: The populace has spoken, and “sexy” is no more. Shall we call them “transforming” modems, then? They most certainly are.

[Thanks, Anonymous and JT]

Verizon launching LTE on December 5th, two transforming 4G USB modems hitch a wild ride originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 30 Nov 2010 20:32:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Verizon’s been talking details on LTE deployment for some time now, but even at CTIA earlier in the year, the carrier insisted that it would be the first half of 2011 before the next-gen network was active in the US of A. Now, it looks as if the engineers have been working triple-time in order to get Long Term Evolution live in the States under Big Red’s branding, as a new VZW commercial (embedded after the break) has affirmed that the first LTE waves will go public here in December 2010. Yeah, next month. Granted, there’s no information beyond the date, but at least we shouldn’t have to ponder long which devices will be first out of the gate. Here’s hoping Santa’s wish list has room for one more thing.

Continue reading Verizon launching LTE network in December 2010 (video)

Verizon launching LTE network in December 2010 (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 22 Nov 2010 09:44:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Looks like Microsoft took Big Red’s challenge and decided to respond in kind, as the official Windows Phone Twitter feed claims that Windows Phone 7 devices are finally headed to Verizon. They’ll allegedly arrive this holiday season, a good bit earlier than we were told, but we doubt you’re exactly dismayed to get your hands on CDMA WP7 phones ahead of schedule. You know how we hate to mince words, but “devices” does suggest more than one phone, and those of you warily eying your local retailer’s selection of Christmas lights could even argue that “this holiday season” has already begun. So when, exactly, will we get these handsets… and which ones?

Update: The original entry hasn’t been pulled, but there’s a brand-new tweet now, reading “Verizon is a valued partner and we look forward to seeing Windows Phone 7 devices in their stores in 2011,” which doesn’t quite refute the idea of seeing devices in time for Yuletide too. Needless to say, we’ve pinged Verizon and hope to clear up this matter soon.

[Thanks, Jay and Jonathan D.]

Windows Phone 7 hitting Verizon stores ‘this holiday season,’ according to Microsoft tweet (update) originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 20 Nov 2010 19:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Never ends, does it? The top four carriers in the US love slinging mud, but the trash-talking between Verizon and AT&T is always particularly vicious — and it’s showing no signs of ebbing. As you might expect, Verizon intends to use its new LTE network as a weapon in the fight, and like both Sprint and T-Mobile, Verizon will be very loudly labeling it “4G” to the ITU’s chagrin. The latest promotional posters compare maps of Verizon’s combined 3G / LTE network with AT&T’s 3G-only network, but considering how limited Big Red’s initial LTE launch is, there really isn’t much difference with what they’ve shown in the past. The posters also proudly proclaim Verizon as having “the fastest 4G network in America,” which is false on at least one level — LTE isn’t really 4G, as we said — and remains to be seen on another. At any rate, as always, it’ll be interesting to see how AT&T responds. Nerd fight!

[Thanks, Kal]

Verizon launching ‘4G’ smack talk campaign against AT&T originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 18 Nov 2010 18:12:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Paying for data overage is the new hotness in the wireless biz, and Verizon was the latest to dive head-first into the nasty world of usage-based pricing for its wireless data plans just a few weeks ago. But how about paying for speed instead? Seems both outgoing Verizon CEO Ivan Seidenberg and CFO Fran Shammo commented today that the company’s shiny new LTE network could support charging different rates depending on the speed subscribers select — just like in the landline internet business — though they wouldn’t commit to implementing such a system just yet. Speaking of LTE, Seidenberg also mentioned that he “expects” Verizon’s first LTE phone to launch in February (likely the LG we saw or HTC’s Mecha, if we had to guess), coming in on the early side of its 1H 2011 plan — and what’s more, he’s saying more LTE-equipped devices will launch than originally anticipated. We certainly won’t complain about that.

On the undying topic of the iPhone, Seidenberg’s basically holding the same line he’s maintained for some time, which is that the companies’ “interests are coming together” and that the phone will come when “Apple thinks it’s time.” The gem, though, is that Seidenberg specifically says that Verizon’s adoption of LTE has attracted Apple’s attention and helped it score the iPad — and seeing how Verizon’s cobbled-together iPad / MiFi bundle doesn’t support LTE, we can only assume it was a peace offering to help the two companies come together and prepare to work together more closely down the road. Question is, just how soon would Apple like to play the LTE card?

Verizon execs propose speed-based pricing for LTE data plans, say LTE has ‘drawn the interest of Apple’ originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 17 Nov 2010 20:56:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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