Hasta La Gadget!

Sprint and Motorola have a little special something up their sleeves, and are rolling them up to show off their latest “collaborations” at a press luncheon on June 9th. Since big bosses CEO Dan Hesse and Sanjay Jha will be in attendance, and the event will be held during Apple’s WWDC, we have a feeling this is going to be something big. Whatever this project is, it’s been kept under the radar very well — until now. We’re hearing buzz about a Tegra 2-powered device planned for a launch next month; different reports have come out over the last few days claiming Sprint will finally take a turn sporting a Tegra 2 Android — the yin to the EVO 3D’s yang, we suppose — sometime next month.

The device may be called the Motorola Photon 4G, a name that first appeared in a WiFi certification form (seen after the break) a month ago. According to the rumors, Sprint was ready to launch its own version of the Atrix 4G back in March, but stalled the phone’s release in order to make a few design changes. Some of these changes supposedly include a 4.3-inch display, Gingerbread pre-installed, and a look that closely resembles the EVO 4G (it would even come with a kickstand). The Photon 4G is a probability for the event, but note that the invite mentions “collaborations,” implying there will be more than one product to showcase. This could mean a Xoom with WiMAX is just about ready for primetime — or perhaps it’s something else magical and unexpected. No matter what’s hiding in Hesse’s pocket on June 9th, we’ll be there to tell you all about it.

Continue reading Sprint teams up with Motorola for June 9 event, finally launching a Tegra 2 device?

Sprint teams up with Motorola for June 9 event, finally launching a Tegra 2 device? originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 25 May 2011 15:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Oh, sure — Samsung’s Galaxy S II should be hitting American airwaves quicker than you can say “Where’d my weekend go?,” but we’re living in the here and now, aren’t we? Now that you’ve survived whatever scare was scheduled for today, it’s time to get back to what matters most: answering fictional questions. This week’s episode of HWYC involves the T-Mobile variant of Samsung’s heralded Galaxy S. Yeah, this one’s been around the block on other carriers before, but that makes our prodding all the more pertinent. If you had the power to overhaul T-Mob’s Galaxy S 4G, would you? And if so, how? Upgrade the battery? Change the construction material? Toss a fresher copy of Android on there? Feel free to let us know in comments below — you’ve managed to live another day. Won’t you do something worthwhile?

How would you change Samsung’s Galaxy S 4G? originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 21 May 2011 22:17:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Now that Clearwire definitely isn’t producing its own smartphone, the company has apparently decided to focus its efforts on maintaining its WiMAX network — with the help of Ericsson. Yesterday, the 4G operator announced that it had struck a seven-year deal with the Swedish telecom firm, just a few months after fighting a brief trademark lawsuit filed by Sony Ericsson. Under the arrangement, Ericsson will assume all network engineering, operations, and maintenance responsibilities, allowing Clearwire to concentrate on cutting costs and increasing efficiency. Clearwire will retain ownership over its technology and will still handle all customer relations, but about 700 of its employees will be transferred to Ericsson. The Kirkland-based company says its decision was at least partially influenced by new best friend Sprint, which forged a similar partnership with Ericsson back in 2009. Financial details on the new deal remain fuzzy, though Clearwire says it expects to see a major reduction in operating costs — which sounds like the right prescription. Full presser after the break.

Continue reading Ericsson to manage Clearwire’s 4G network as part of cost-cutting deal

Ericsson to manage Clearwire’s 4G network as part of cost-cutting deal originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 19 May 2011 09:40:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We thought Clearwire might have had a chance at legal victory against Sony Ericsson, but the wireless carrier has apparently dropped out of the ring. Clearwire told a federal court it no longer plans to produce a smartphone — which basically nullified Sony Ericsson’s worry that upcoming Clearwire handsets would oh-so-similar swirling orb logo. As a result, Sony Ericsson’s reporting today that it’s dropped the trademark infringement lawsuit, which sounds good for all involved, except it leaves Clearwire not producing much of anything now.

Clearwire ditches plans to produce phones, satisfied Sony Ericsson drops logo lawsuit originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 14 May 2011 18:03:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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You know you’re having a wacky quarter when it involves a resigning CEO, lawsuits, and rumors that one of your wholesale partners is courting your potential replacement. But can you still come out on top? Clearwire answered this question during yesterday’s Q1 2011 earnings report to investors, and the answer is just as intriguing as the quarter itself. Though it posted a substantial revenue of $242 million, the company was also inflicted with a net loss of $227 million. Don’t worry, it gets crazier — Clearwire experienced record subscriber growth, seeing an increase of 533 percent year-over-year from Q1 2010. Sounds like a contradiction, right? A few factors led to the loss, such as higher costs from network expansion and writing off the “abandonment of projects that no longer fit within management’s strategic network plans.” A loss is a loss, but at least the future looks brighter; Clearwire predicts it will end the year with nearly a million more subs than originally forecasted (9.5 million, up from 8.8). Saving the best news for last, CEO John Stanton announced his company is no longer feeling the pressure to sell off some of its spectrum, primarily due to its recent $1 billion deal with Sprint. The deal will add enough cash flow to sustain network operations for the next year, so Clearwire just needs to make sure it uses some of the extra cash to buy us all something pretty. The full press release can be found after the break.

Continue reading Clearwire posts Q1 loss amid record subscribers, decides not to sell spectrum after all

Clearwire posts Q1 loss amid record subscribers, decides not to sell spectrum after all originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 05 May 2011 07:20:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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