Hasta La Gadget!

Consumers are flocking to prepaid about as fast as children to an ice cream truck, and T-Mobile is welcoming them with open arms. Pushing out a competitive and timely response to Verizon’s Unleashed plans is vital — especially given T-Mobile’s paltry first-quarter results — and the company will be ready to match wits with the country’s number-one carrier on May 22. The official site is already saying as much, proclaiming to its prepaid customers that their monthly packages will become even tastier at that time. What it’s missing, though, is a name, and TmoNews has uncovered evidence suggesting ‘T-Mobile Monthly 4G’ will be the re-branded title. So what will these new enhancements bring to customers?

Monthly rates will stay exactly the same as before, with additional 4G data supplying an extra oomph to the offerings. The top-of-the-line plan goes for $70 and will offer unlimited minutes, text, and web (a jump up from the 2GB currently in use); the $50 choice is identical in minutes and text, but will only allow 100MB before data gets throttled. This idea of cutting down internet use is a definite upgrade to the current plan, since at present time it gives out the same 100MB but cuts data use completely off as soon as that point is reached. We’re also noticing that international and BlackBerry services are available a la carte for an extra $10, as well as a noteworthy day pass that bestows 24 hours of unlimited 4G data for $1.49. Color us impressed; all of the latest revamps to T-Mobile’s prepaid options are a refreshing contrast to its competitors mandating more and more restrictions to their monthly data plans.

Continue reading T-Mobile baking fresh prepaid plans May 22, adds more 4G data for flavor

T-Mobile baking fresh prepaid plans May 22, adds more 4G data for flavor originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 14 May 2011 00:53:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  TmoNews  | Email this | Comments

It’s a term (and a technology) that has been bandied about for around four years now, but after waiting far too long for the next next best thing, the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers has just given its oh-so-coveted stamp of approval to 802.16m. For those unfamiliar with such a term, that’s the standard for next generation WiMAX, which may end up being capable of handling downstream rates of over 300Mbps. ‘Course, those that were around during CEATEC last year know that Samsung already hit that in testing, but we’re starting to feel as if that 1Gbps theoretical maximum that we were teased with in 2007 (and again last year) won’t ever breach reality. It’s tough to say what this approval means on the consumer front — over the past four years, a tremendous amount of carriers have switched their allegiance to LTE, and even if WiMAX 2.0 finds itself ready for public consumption in the near future, it’ll take a serious operator commitment before you’ll ever enjoy the spoils. So Sprint, you feeling froggy?

Continue reading IEEE approves next generation WiMAX standard, invites you to meet 802.16m

IEEE approves next generation WiMAX standard, invites you to meet 802.16m originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 01 Apr 2011 11:46:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink ComputerWorld  |   | Email this | Comments

By now you’ve probably watched iFixit’s recent iPad 2 teardown video several times while drooling profusely, but we just know you’re itching to find out what’s different with the innards of the WiFi-only, GSM, and CDMA versions. Well once again, iFixit’s got you covered — via an “exceptionally cool” user-contributed post, this time. A grand total of three iPad 2s were sacrificed in this round, revealing variations in case design, antenna count, WWAN board layout, radio chipset choices, and headphone jack assemblies. Besides clearly visible changes like the black antenna window on the 3G models and the microSIM slot on the GSM version, it’s interesting to note that Apple made the same design choices with the iPad 2 and the iPhone 4. The CDMA model features an additional antenna over its GSM sibling, and uses a Qualcomm Gobi dual-mode radio which supports both CDMA and GSM — the latter being unused — along with an integrated GPS receiver, just like the iPhone 4 for Verizon. The GSM version, meanwhile, uses an Infineon chipset for GSM and a separate Broadcom module for GPS, just like the global iPhone 4. Follow the source link below for more sordid details plus high-resolution pictures.

iPad 2 sliced up again, this time in the name of radio science originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 30 Mar 2011 03:37:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  iFixit  | Email this | Comments

Ringo and co. said it best, and now Beeline, Megafon, MTS and Rostelekom are getting a little help from their friends. Er, friend. Or maybe it’s the other way around? At any rate, the first four have just signed a deal with Yota to build out a nationwide LTE network that’ll work across the board. Rather than forcing each operator to do their own thing, the four in question will now have the option to buy 25 percent stakes in Yota; according to Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, this unified effort will enable Russia’s economy to reap the benefits of a widespread 4G network while other nations (ahem, America) fight to see whether it’ll be WiMAX or LTE taking the lead. If you’ll recall, Yota was actually one of the first carriers on the planet to serve up commercial 4G, but last year it decided to make the switch from WiMAX to the suddenly popular LTE. The goal here is to have LTE in 180 cities with a total population of more than 70 million citizens by 2014, and we’re told that those situated on Little Diomede may actually be the first to get LTE in Alaska. Kidding. Maybe.

Continue reading Russia’s major mobile operators join hands for unified LTE rollout

Russia’s major mobile operators join hands for unified LTE rollout originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 05 Mar 2011 01:27:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  Yota, Reuters  | Email this | Comments

Thanks to Verizon’s blowout at CES, we’ve already been treated to a couple of LTE-friendly mobile hotspots from the likes of Samsung and Novatel Wireless, but Sierra Wireless is joining the crowd here at Mobile World Congress. The outfit has just revealed its two newest mobile hotpots, the AirCard 754S and 753S. The former supports dual-carrier LTE, while the latter handles dual-carrier HSPA+, enabling up to five WiFi devices to surf on either of the fastest two mobile superhighways. We’re told that the 753S can hit downlink rates as high as 42Mbps (and upload rates near 5.76Mbps) on a DC-HSPA+ network, while the 754S can reach 100Mbps (down) / 50Mbps (up) while operating on an LTE network. Both of these are right around the size of a deck of cards, and no software installation is required to get ’em working. There’s also an integrated LCD that provides a look at WiFi access information, battery life, network signal strength, and the number of devices connected, with audible alerts and a web admin interface available as well. The duo is expected to ship at some point during 2011’s second quarter, but there’s no news yet on which (if any) carriers will be picking them up.

Moving right along, Canada’s own Telus will be offering yet another new one from Sierra Wireless this March: the AirCard 319U USB modem, a device we recently spotted in the FCC’s database. This one promises download speeds of up to 42Mbps and upload speeds approaching 5.76Mbps, with a swiveling design that allows the body of the modem to be tucked up against the side of the notebook and protects it from being damaged by accidental bumps. The LTE-friendly AirCard 320U is the USB version of the 754S hotspot shown above, with an articulating and pivoting hinge that works with the widest possible variety of USB port placements, and if all goes well, it’ll ship during Q2 2011 for an undisclosed rate. Sierra plans on having Mac and PC support for the whole lot, and we’ll be digging for details surrounding price and availability.

Sierra Wireless intros dual-carrier HSPA+ / LTE AirCard 753S and 754S, with 319U and 320U in tow originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 14 Feb 2011 13:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  Sierra Wireless (1), (2), (3)  | Email this | Comments