They said it wouldn't last. And they -- pundits, analysts, bloggers, GSM fanatics -- were right. WiMAX, that flavor of 4G found in the 2500MHz band, has proven to be more of a hindrance then help during Sprint's transition from underdog to reinvigorated titan. Then there are the kerfuffles it's endured standing on the sidelines -- namely, watching one-time LTE partner LightSquared squander its regulatory good graces. Beleaguered would be putting it mildly; Sprint faces a treacherous climb uphill to the mobile Olympus where Verizon, AT&T and now-spectrum-rich T-Mobile sit -- after all, it's hard to change the tide of public perception, overcome the limitations of a dreadful 3G CDMA network and move away from weak third-party 4G signals. Yet, with all of those negatives working against it, a planned rollover to LTE technology might just be the panacea Sprint has so badly needed.

Right now, at least, a wish and a hope are all Sprint can dole out to existing subscribers toying with the idea of switching carriers. Its nascent LTE network, currently in testing across six US cities, hasn't been cleared for launch, which makes its first 4G handset, the Viper 4G LTE, a dress rehearsal of sorts. And what a low-key affair it is: no cutting-edge aesthetics or kickstand here, just mid-range specs and a humble design made from recycled materials. But for anyone itching to surf those faster waves, LG's dual-core, NFC-enabled workhorse could be a tempting buy when it goes on sale Sunday for $100 (with a two-year contract). So will the dangling carrot of faster 4G persuade consumers to choose this over all those other mid-tier Android phones? Let's find out.

Continue reading LG Viper 4G LTE review

LG Viper 4G LTE review originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 20 Apr 2012 16:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

While so far the Ultra High Speed Class 1 memory card designation has been reserved for SDXC and SDHC cards, Samsung just announced new microSD cards that support the faster interface as well. Currently being produced in 16GB sizes, they have maximum sequential read speeds of up to 80 MB/s, four times that of the high speed cards it introduced last year. There's no word on the write speeds but Samsung is already busy calling its next shot, planning to offer cards with even more storage in the future. Of course, you'll need compatible devices to make these new cards worth it, we wonder what kind of Advanced LTE smartphones might be in store from Samsung soon...

Continue reading Samsung rolls out Ultra High Speed microSD cards destined for LTE phones and tablets

Samsung rolls out Ultra High Speed microSD cards destined for LTE phones and tablets originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 05 Apr 2012 01:33:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

UKers hoping for a hasty rollout of Everything Everywhere's 4G LTE network are apt to be sorely disappointed, as regulation entity Ofcom has shoved back the final decision on its proposal. We're told that the ruling will be moved from April 17th to May 8th, with the decision made to give stakeholders more time to respond. With the additional weeks, folks like O2 and Vodafone are expected to voice their own thoughts (read: objections) on the matter, likely pointing out that its proposal would give Everything Everywhere the lion's share of spectrum in the 1,800MHz range. For now, we'll have to wait and see what kind of rebuttals are cooked up, and if history is any guide, we're guessing one or two more delays will be making themselves known before we get a definite answer one way or the other.

Ofcom delays decision on Everything Everywhere's 4G proposal originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 28 Mar 2012 19:58:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink The Verge  |  Ofcom, PCPro  | Email this | Comments

After missing its year-end 2011 target date, C Spire is once again set to get its LTE network up and running -- this time with a more realistic fall launch. The regional carrier announced plans for that initial rollout today, aiming to blanket 20 markets in Mississippi this September. Bear in mind, this particular flavor of 4G is more akin to the brisk, though not blistering performance achieved by HSPA+, given average downlink speeds should range between 4Mbps to 12Mbps and uplink at 1Mbps to 5Mbps. Considering this may be the first taste of non-3G for some denizens of the Magnolia State, it's not a bad start. For the sake of our southern brethren, we just hope the carrier can actually fulfill on its grandiose, next-gen promises this time 'round. Check out the official presser after the break.

Continue reading C Spire restarts LTE rollout, aims for September launch in Mississippi

C Spire restarts LTE rollout, aims for September launch in Mississippi originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 08 Mar 2012 14:29:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

Samsung's Exhilarate $50 AT&T LTE phone hits the FCC originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 27 Feb 2012 07:45:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  FCC  | Email this | Comments

Let's just get this out of the way, shall we? If the LG Spectrum looks familiar, you're not imagining things. It may have been a highlight at the company's CES press event last month, but the handset bears more than a passing resemblance to its older, more excitingly-named sibling, the LG Nitro HD -- and, by extension, the globe-trotting Optimus LTE. Beneath their 4.5-inch IPS displays, you'll find virtually identical guts, including a 1.5GHz dual-core processor, 1,830mAh battery and 4GB of internal storage, coupled with a 16GB microSD. There are some important distinctions here, of course -- namely, changes to the phone's shell and, of course, a shift from AT&T to Verizon. So, how does world-weary Optimus fare from its jump to Big Red? Find the answer past the break.

Continue reading LG Spectrum review

LG Spectrum review originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 01 Feb 2012 16:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

These two Big Red bedfellows couldn't be further apart on the smartphone range. LG's 4G-capable Spectrum (a Nitro HD in smooth, plastic coating) and the budget-friendly BlackBerry Curve 9370 are hitting retail shelves in tandem today, bringing users across Verizon's sub base the option to aim Android high or swing their wallets low. LG's repackaged, dual-core beast offers the same stunning 4.5-inch 720p HD display available on its AT&T counterpart and ships with Gingerbread 2.3.5 out of the box, although an upgrade to ICS is on deck. If you've been toying with the idea of an LTE phone, this might be the one for you, as its $199 pricing (with two-year contract) comes in well below other similarly equipped, high-end handsets. And lest we forget RIM's QWERTY for the masses, the Curve 9370 blends NFC, a 5 megapixel camera and handy GSM radios for the globe-hopping set. At $99 on contract, this device is poised to ding your bank account the least, but that's what you get with mid-range specs. Feel free to peruse the PR after break while you contemplate your place on the mobile spectrum.

Continue reading LG Spectrum, BlackBerry Curve 9370 available now on Verizon

LG Spectrum, BlackBerry Curve 9370 available now on Verizon originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 19 Jan 2012 14:48:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

The question of the day: is a 16GB microSD card worth $100? Verizon Wireless said it will sell the Droid RAZR for $200 with a two-year contract -- a $100 discount off the original price, but one that forces you to give up that complimentary 16GB microSD card. Otherwise, you'll find the same 'ol spes, including a 1.2GHz TI OMAP 4430 CPU, 16GB of internal storage, a 4.3-inch AMOLED display and LTE connectivity. The microSD slot itself will be perfectly operational and accept up to 32GB in storage, provided you bring your own card. Expect this price to go into effect next week on January 23rd. Or, you know, spend $300 after all, but on that other RAZR with 32GB of storage and 21 hours of talk time.

Verizon to sell $200 Droid RAZR, 16GB microSD card not included this time originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 17 Jan 2012 18:15:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Verizon Wireless  |  MobileBurn  | Email this | Comments

We got our first glimpse of Verizon's latest LTE family member, the LG Spectrum, yesterday at the manufacturer's event. At the time, however, we weren't given an opportunity to get our own smudge marks on the glossy black device. That's all changed now, as we've spent time on the showroom floor getting know this Android handset -- a veritable twinner of the LG Nitro HD. So click on past the break as we parse through our first impressions.

Continue reading LG Spectrum hands-on (video)

LG Spectrum hands-on (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 10 Jan 2012 18:10:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

During the 4G World 2011 event, held in Chicago, Samsung made a few demonstrations of its smart solutions Smart LTE and Voice over LTE, which take full advantage of the 4G technology.

Ericsson chose the Swedish city of Kista to demonstrate the next stage of development of the LTE communications technology, called LTE Advanced, which can provide data transfer speeds over 10 times higher than those currently available of the LTE users.

Verizon Wireless and Apple have just announced that the iPhone 4 will be available on the Verizon network beginning on Thursday, February 10. Verizon customers will be given the opportunity to pre-order CDMA iPhone 4 online on February 3, ahead of general availability.

Samsung Mobile and MetroPCS have just announced the commercial launch of the world's first 4G LTE-enabled, multi-mode, CDMA handset, the Samsung Craft (SCH-r900). Samsung Mobile also supplied the LTE infrastructure for MetroPCS' commercial launch of 4G LTE service in Las Vegas, the first in the United States.

Nokia Siemens and Motorola jointly announced that the companies have entered into an agreement under which Nokia Siemens will acquire the majority of Motorola's wireless network infrastructure assets for US $1.2 billion in cash. The companies expect to complete closing activities by the end of 2010.

Verizon has just informed that, “in order to provide access to this 4G LTE network to more of the U.S. population living in rural areas,” they plan to work with rural companies to collaboratively build and operate a 4G network in those areas using the tower and backhaul assets of the rural company and Verizon Wireless’ core LTE equipment and 700MHz spectrum.

Deployment of HSPA+, set to save operators from costly CAPEX investment, deliver five times current network performance and open up new pricing models, says AIRCOM.

ABI Research has been tracking cities and population coverage for 4G for the past year. The research group reports that at the end of 2009 there were more than 170 802.16e carriers across 65 countries, covering 480 million people. That number is projected to cross the 1 billion mark by 4Q-2012.

Motorola has successfully deployed the world’s first indoor over-the-air (OTA) TD-LTE showcase network at the Expo Center at the World Expo 2010 in Shanghai. Together with China Mobile, Motorola is demonstrating end-to-end TD-LTE solutions at the Information and Communication Pavilion at the Shanghai Expo.

AT&T announced the selection of Alcatel-Lucent and Ericsson as equipment suppliers for the planned deployment of its LTE mobile broadband network. The company is planning a first field trials of LTE later this year. Commercial deployment is scheduled to begin in 2011.

LTE, the next-generation mobile broadband standard, is the clear choice for the next leap in wireless technology, reports In-Stat. The analysts claim that while WiMax appeared to be a competitor for 4G early on, that battle is now largely resolved.

Cox announced the successful completion of voice calling and high definition video streaming over wireless networks using LTE technology. Cox's 4G technology and service trials utilize the AWS and 700 MHz spectrum.

As 4G network deployments gather momentum, a substantial 22% of device subscription revenues will come from suites of operator-branded premium services.

Total 4G mobile consumer service revenue – including mobile internet services - will grow rapidly to exceed $70 billion worldwide in 2014, says ABI Research.

Today, as the first operator in the world, TeliaSonera launched 4G services commercially to customers in Stockholm, Sweden and Oslo, Norway.

The two pioneering 4G city networks cover the central city areas and will be used for mobile data.

The Stockholm 4G network is supplied by Ericsson and the Oslo’s by Huawei. The modems at launch come from Samsung.

Larger-scale mobile WiMAX network deployments are finally becoming a reality, according to recent ABI Research report.

The research shows Clearwire in the United States has already declared 173,000 subscribers, Yota in Russia has been growing at a decent rate reaching 100,000 subscribers in August and 200,000 in October, and PacketOne in Malaysia has reached 130,000 subscribers.

AIRCOM International, the network planning and optimisation consultancy, revealed the economic reality of LTE migration facing mobile operators around the world - as much as US$1.78 billion for a tier one US operator in the first year.

As the economic downturn puts pressure on credit markets, and mobile operators attempt to limit significant CAPEX commitments, AIRCOM says they believe that innovative approaches to LTE network roll out, network sharing for example, will be essential in ensuring the profitable delivery of future mobile services.