Sprint plans to shutter its old Nextel iDEN systems for good next summer, but before it can do so it needs to migrate millions of customers still using the network. In January, Sprint will start charing a $10 monthly fee to Nextel iDEN customers. Read more »
About that Nexus 4 with no LTE. Turns out it has LTE, but only on a single band. Android owners got a Skype update this week and can expect to see more AirPlay-like features in the future from Google for media and apps. Read more »
The demand for mobile data continues to rise: Doubling in the past 12 months according to a new report for Ericsson. Smartphones are obviously part of the equation, but so too are tablets; particularly video consumption, which accounts for 40 percent of data use on tablets. Read more »
Some AT&T iPhone customers with older unlimited data plans report that they have access to FaceTime over cellular. This would be yet another step in the evolution of its stance, since the service was supposed to be available only to shared and tiered plan customers. Read more »
Japanese youth are choosing LTE over fiber to the home connections, which has forced NTT to drop prices for its wireline service. Will the possibility of that kind of cost cutting inspire applications developers to build must-have services for wireline too? Read more »
Samsung’s newest Galaxy Note 10.1 tablet features an LTE radio inside. That alone isn’t unique — Apple’s iPad offers an LTE option, for example — but this Samsung slate supports VoLTE, or Voice over LTE. Don’t get too excited; this model is launching in Korea for now. Read more »
According to the WSJ, Dish Network and Google have been in talks about launching an LTE network. Google would bring cash, while Dish would bring spectrum, but neither company has the infrastructure or expertise to run a mobile carrier. Maybe that’s why Google is interested. Read more »
Two new LTE handsets running Windows Phone 8 are heading to Verizon with pre-orders beginning tomorrow. The Nokia Lumia 822, a mid-range handset, will cost $99.99 after rebate while HTC’s Windows Phone 8X is $199.99. Both handset prices are with a new two-year agreement. Read more »
According to Instagram CEO Kevin Systrom, increasing speeds of the mobile app experience immediately encourages people to use the apps more. When mobile broadband speeds inhibit speed, app makers have to speed things up on their end. Read more »
AT&T is going all-in on IP – the Internet Protocol, and cutting the cord with its past. Instead, it will push newer, faster broadband via a hybrid of fiber-and-copper technologies. And what that means is end of the line for classic DSL. Nothing wrong with it. Read more »
Live in Washington, DC; Baltimore or Houston? If so, you have something common with folks in Kansas City and Las Vegas: Your unlocked iPhone or other AT&T smartphone can now run on T-Mobile’s HSPA+ network instead of the carriers old 2G network. Read more »
AT&T will invest $14 billion in its networks as it tries to maximize the use of LTE in combination with small cells. By the end of 2014, the carrier expects to blanket 300 million people with this approach, which includes more than 1,000 distributed antenna systems. Read more »
Windows Phone 8 sales begin in earnest this week at AT&T, which is offering the Lumia 920, Lumia 820 and HTC Windows Phone 8X. Prices range across the line-up, but the best deal appears to be the flagship 920 for $99 with contract. Read more »
As Windows computers morph into tablets, expect more such devices to be found in network operator stores. Case in point: AT&T will sell Samsung’s Smart PC with mobile broadband radio for $799 without contract. Is the price too high for what you’re getting? Read more »
The EU already allows 2G spectrum to be reused for 3G and 4G services, but now member states will also have to allow 3G spectrum to be ‘refarmed’ in the same way. The effects will take years to manifest themselves, though. Read more »
Will there be a day when we shall see commercial planes connecting to the Internet at LTE speeds? A recent test by Ericsson gives hope to the possibility, though it is more likely that superfast trains are more likely to see LTE speeds. Read more »
Following an investor call where it reported another loss on $8.7 billion in revenues, Sprint announced a special-offer on smaller tablet plans to help retain customers. New 100 MB and 1 GB tablet plan start next month for $10 and $15 respectively, with no activation fee. Read more »
AT&T’s version of the 5.5-inch Samsung Galaxy Note 2 arrives in stores on November 8 with pre-orders expected to begin this week. The phone will use Samsung’s 1.6 GHz quad-core chip, promising speedy performance on the device, supplemented with AT&T’s LTE network for fast mobile broadband. Read more »
Apple stole the spotlight in the third quarter with the release of its iPhone 5, Amazon pursued the tablet market aggressively with a new line of tablets, and Microsoft prepped to launch Windows 8 and the highly anticipated Surface tablet. Read more at GigaOM Pro »
Samsung’s 5.5-inch Galaxy Note 2 smartphone arrives on the Sprint network Oct. 25 for $299 with contract. The phone supports unlimited data on Sprint’s LTE network and will ship with Android 4.1.1 plus Samsung’s own software that takes advantage of the included digital S-Pen. Read more »
AT&T is launching a new smartphone powerhouse on Nov. 2: The Optimus G pairs a quad-core chip with 2 GB of memory and a high-resolution IPS display sized a 4.7-inches. Of course, the new Optimus supports AT&T’s LTE network as well. Pre-orders start tomorrow. Read more »
A deal between T-Mobile and MetroPCS combines 42.5 million customers, which keeps T-Mobile behind Sprint in terms of subscribers, but it creates two opportunities: A wider, faster rollout of LTE services with more spectrum and a chance for Deutsche Telekom to eventually leave the U.S. Read more »
Mobile data will grow 18 times over the next five years. To successfully address the shift from voice-to data-centric usage models, operators need to act on multiple fronts, because no single solution will be sufficient in isolation. Read more at GigaOM Pro »
The next generation MiFi device from Novatel Wireless doesn’t just create a 4G hotspot for 10 devices for a few hours; it provides 11 hours of continuous use, has a touchscreen for configuration and doubles as a media server for smart televisions and other DLNA devices. Read more »
Whether it’s the iPhone 5, the importance of LTE, or BYOD trends disrupting the enterprise, there are always technologies, trends, and companies changing the way we define mobile. Here are some noteworthy segments to watch in the coming months, from location-based shopping to apps to wireless networks. Read more at GigaOM Pro »
Six rural carriers will have launched LTE networks by the end of 2012 thanks to Verizon’s LTE in Rural America program. That will give Verizon customers 4G service in small towns well beyond its 400 market footprint. But the Verizon’s rural partners benefit plenty as well. Read more »
Carriers are struggling to match the demand for data with pricing plans that keep their profits up. Over the top services like Viber and WhatsApp are causing even more pain, but 3 Hong Kong may have found a solution that would work for everyone. Read more »
Apple’s yearly iPhone event is always a big deal. This year’s differs a bit because, for the famously secretive Apple, the expected iPhone 5 is one of the worst-kept Apple secrets ever. Thanks to an inordinate number of leaks, here’s what we can expect on Wednesday. Read more »
Sprint’s timetable is vague, but Monday it listed the 100 cities that will soon have LTE service. The carrier had an early 4G advantage if you count WiMAX in 2008, but has been lapped since then. Unlimited data is nice, but customers want more speed. Read more »
Having passed on the popular 5.3-inch Samsung Galaxy Note, Verizon Wireless will sell the Intuition by LG later this week: A 5-inch Android 4.0 handset that blurs the lines between smartphone and tablet. Will consumers like the 4:3 aspect ratio or will it be a turn-off? Read more »
Verizon must believe in the Internet of Things because it has pre-certified LTE chips from Altair Semiconductor. The action means that companies can build sensors and devices containing Altair’s chip and then avoid the lengthy testing process in order to get their gadgets on Verizon’s network. Read more »
Qualcomm has made another buy. This time in the emerging small cell market by purchasing Israeli chip company DesignArt. Qualcomm is clearly serious about expanding its chip prowess beyond devices — goring ever deeper into the cell network and the home. Read more »
After selling 500,000 units of its Optimus Vu, LG is reportedly partnering with Verizon to bring the 5-inch smartphone to the U.S. The timing is odd, as is the phone’s 4 : 3 aspect ratio, given the success of the Galaxy Note and its coming soon successor. Read more »
Network operators selling tablets in the past faced a significant hurdle: the monthly cost of data. With the Galaxy Tab 2 7.0, Verizon is ready to take advantage of its new Share Everything plans that let you use the tablet on 4G for $10 per month. Read more »
Two Korean iPhone carriers are reportedly in talks with Apple to include LTE radios in the next iPhone. LTE is booming in Korea and the carriers want to be able to add to those subscriber numbers instead of investing in older networks. Read more »
Motorola’s newest Android 4.0 smartphone, the Photon Q 4G LTE could help Sprint limit subscriber losses thanks to some innovative software and the five-row hardware keyboard. SmartActions make the smartphone smarter thanks to both customized and canned phone options that are triggered by specific events. Read more »
Despite its current decline, RIM is a different firm today than it was in 2007, with new management, a full awareness of its shaky position, an upcoming OS release and a number of lingering advantages that can still be leveraged. Here’s how it just might survive. Read more at GigaOM Pro »
Last week it was Android tablets, this week was about Android smartphones. Sprint announced a QWERTY keyboard version of the Photon Q with LTE, while Samsung’s Galaxy S III continues to set sales records. Can the leaked HTC One X+ slow Samsung’s momentum? Read more »
Clearwire lost subscribers for the first time in the second quarter as a result of Sprint discontinuing new contract WiMAX device sales. Sprint has tied its star to LTE, and Clearwire would like to follow, but if the 4G carrier may have already reached its apex. Read more »
Sprint’s strategy to curb subscriber losses by converting Nextel customers is working but what will help the operator’s cause more is the addition of hot smartphones. With the Photon Q 4G LTE, Sprint is gambling that people still want physical keyboards on their handset. Read more »
