B&H offers the Unlocked LG G4 32GB Smartphone in Black Leather for $349.99 shipped. That’s $100 off the original list price, $69 less than Amazon’s current listing and the lowest we can currently find. It has a 5.5-inch IPS LCD multi-touch display, Android 5.1 Lollipop, Dual-Core Processor, and a 16 megapixel camera. Amazon shoppers gave it 4.4/5 stars.
T-Mobile has announced that it’s going to seriously clamp down on any users using unauthorized methods to get around its tethering cap. Those caught using more data than they should be on the highest tier, unlimited Simple Choice plan will be warned to stop, before being moved down to the entry-level plan. This move is aimed specifically at smartphone users who deliberately break T-Mo’s terms and conditions using workarounds to conceal their tethering usage.
The magenta carrier published an updated FAQ page on its support site stating that some customers have been blowing way past the 7GB tethering limit on the highest Simple Choice plan. Some using as much as 2TB (2000GB) of data on their mobile plan. Its biggest concern is the experience created for others. With people using the network so heavily, it can ruin the network performance for everyone else. The carrier has developed a software to detect those using workarounds and will initially warn users. If they carry on abusing the network, then they get moved on to a plan with just 1GB data (including tethering).
We’re first warning these customers that they’re illegally using more data than they bought. We hope folks will stop on their own so they can keep their current plan. These customers are on an unlimited 4G LTE smartphone plan that includes a set amount of Smartphone Mobile HotSpot data, but they’re using workarounds to make their tethering look like smartphone usage which helps them use significantly more 4G LTE tethering than their plan includes.
Once they’re on a plan with a set amount of 4G LTE data, it won’t matter what method they use for Smartphone Mobile HotSpot. Once they use their 4G LTE data bucket, they’ll continue to be able to use data at reduced speeds and still never worry about overages.
T-Mobile will start communicating these changes with its customers from today and notes that only a very small percentage of its customers have been discovered to be concealing their tethering. Despite it being a very small fraction of the customer base, it has a “disproportionately negative impact” on the experience for everyone else.
National carriers across the US have been adding features that make it easier to use their service in Mexico and Canada as a growing trend, and today AT&T has announced enhancements to its pre-paid GoPhone plans to include 4GB of high speed data use in Canada and Mexico as well as the United States. The new AT&T GoPhone feature goes into effect on August 21st and is supported on the carrier’s $60 pre-paid plan without making any changes.
In addition to 4GB of data for use across North America, the GoPhone plans include unlimited talk and text in the US, Canada, and Mexico as well. AT&T’s $60 GoPhone plan is reduced to $55/month for customers using the carrier’s Auto Refill automatic payment feature. Important to note, though, is that AT&T’s GoPhone plans specifically mean data speeds up to 3G, not faster 4G LTE speeds, when mentioning high speed data.
For post-paid subscribers, AT&T supports international calling and texting to Mexico, Canada, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands on its 15GB and 20GB Mobile Share Value plans that it simplified over the weekend. More similarly, T-Mobile enhanced its own plans last month to support 4G LTE data use in addition to text and calls in Canada and Mexico without international roaming fees.
Smartphone manufacturers are climbing over each other to take full advantage of the rapidly expanding market opportunities in India. Chief among them is Chinese smartphone manufacturer, Xiaomi, which has just announced its first smartphone assembled in India, for the Indian market only. The Redmi 2 Prime still predominantly uses parts from China, but is assembled in Sri City.
As for the device itself, the Redmi 2 Prime offers a considerable memory and storage upgrade on the regular Redmi 2 without costing a whole lot more. For just under 7,000 Rupees ($110 USD) you get a device packing 2GB RAM and 16GB storage, that’s double the memory and capacity of the Redmi 2 which costs just under 6,000 Rupees ($94 USD). Both devices make use of Qualcomm’s 64-bit Snapdragon 410 processor and host 4.7-inch IPS HD (1280×720) displays and an 8MP camera on the back. What’s more, they’re dual SIM and can cope with LTE speeds up to 150Mbps.
Xiaomi plans to bring more of its manufacturing process to India, eventually producing more of its components and packaging within Indian borders. Hugo Barra, Xiaomi’s chief stated “this is like the typical chicken and egg story. Unless there is any smartphone manufacturing happening in the country, you cannot expect to get components locally.” So this is very much just the first step in its journey to cracking the Indian market.
Indian consumers can purchase the new Redmi 2 Prime direct from mi.com from today.
T-Mobile’s Uncarrier Amped moves are still going strong. Just days after announcing its cross-border ‘Mobile Without Borders’ plan, the magenta carrier has unveiled a brand new family plan.
With the new plan, two customers can get 10GB per line for $100 per month. Each additional line is then $20 per person, each with 10GB data allowance. As a special offer, T-Mobile is also giving customers a fourth line for free. Between now and Labor day, customers will be able to sign up to four lines with 10GB data on each, for $120 per month.
AT&T today announced that it will soon begin selling the budget AT&T Trek HD 4G LTE (let’s just call it the Trek HD), the nationwide carrier’s first company-branded tablet. In its press release, the company says the tablet will be available to purchase on their website starting May 12th and in AT&T stores starting May 15th, and notes right in the first sentence, and on multiple other occasions, that it will run Android Lollipop…
T-Mobile announced Data Stash back in December, giving postpaid customers 10GB of LTE data free of charge and the ability to roll over their unused data month-to-month for up to a year. As of Sunday March 22nd, prepaid customers will now get to enjoy the same deal.
This month, we’re taking Data Stash even further. I’m happy to announce that, starting Sunday March 22nd, Data Stash will start rolling out to Simple Choice prepaid customers. Every single one of our prepaid voice customers with a qualifying Simple Choice plan will start out with a Starter Stash with up to 10 GB of 4G LTE data. And when that’s all used up, they’ll start rolling forward their unused data for use up to a full year. Automatically… and at no extra charge.
T-Mobile says that the ability to roll over data from month to month has been one of the most requested changes, with 27% of postpaid customers having already dipped into their data stash.
The full text of the press release can be found below. Expand
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Remember the Nexus 6 launch waaaay back before the holiday shopping season last year? That’s when everyone except Verizon started carrying the Nexus 6 in the US. Shamefully, today, they are officially launching the phone almost 6 months after it launched on its competitors. It will be available to buy (After lots of rumors and delays) starting tomorrow and in Verizon Stores on March 19th for $250 on a 2 year Verizon plan or$27.08/month x24 on Verizon Edge (ouch – comparatively the $650 iPhone 6 is $199 subsidized).
A small bonus, it will ship with Android 5.1 and will come with 6 months of Google Play All Access – which will expire right about the time the next Nexus phone is launched. Verizon clearly has some catching up to do in the area of keeping modern and playing fair.
People have purchased the Nexus 6 from Google Play or other venues for $650 have had no issues putting in a Verizon SIM and at a $250 subsidized price, there is no reason to stop now. There is certainly some very bad blood between Google and Verizon – perhaps related to the latter’s MVNO ambitions. Verizon and Motorola continue to be good partners on their Droid lineup.
Press release follows: Expand
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T-Mobile has announced that it will be unveiling its latest contract-free deal in a livestreamed ‘fireside chat’ tomorrow, Un-carrier 8.0.
Un-carrier 8.0 is ready to roll, and you’re invited to join us for the unveiling of one of our biggest and boldest moves yet! This one is so big we had to keep it a surprise.
Join John Legere, CEO of T-Mobile, as he unveils the news during a live fireside chat with David Pogue of Yahoo! News. David will be taking questions for John from Twitter through @JohnLegere and @Pogue and the #Uncarrier8 hashtag.
The company hasn’t hinted at any of the details, but we’ll of course let you know … Expand
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If you’re a Sprint customer holding on to an old WiMAX smartphone or tablet, the end is nigh. The carrier is officially shutting down its retro 4G network on November 6th 2015. Sprint stopped producing WiMAX phones several years ago after making the jump to LTE like the rest of the world, but agreed to support the devices for an extended period of time.
From 9to5Toys.com:
Today’s Amazon Gold Box Deal of the Day is the HP Chromebook 14 in Red or Turquoise refurb for $199.99 with free shipping. That’s $129.01 off the list price and the lowest we’ve ever seen this Chromebook which includes 200MB of free 4G wireless for life thru T-Mobile with the ability to get more data at T-Mobile’s rates. The 4-lb machine features 14-inch/1366 x 768 display, 4GB RAM/16GB Storage amd 1.4GHz Haswell processor.
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Google is trying to right a wrong plaguing customers who purchased the LTE version of its Chromebook Pixel. Released last year, this network connected edition of Mountain View’s uber-Chromebook originally shipped with a free 100MB of monthly 4G data from Verizon for a period of two years. However, for one reason or another, Big Red has stopped honoring this promotion, with its customer service reps telling Pixel owners that they’re unfamiliar with this service offer.
Update: Best Buy is already listing the new model online for $379 (via Liliputing).
Reuters is reporting a claim by Israel’s Altair Semiconductor that HP will be launching a LTE-only Chromebook 11, with connectivity provided by the company’s chips.
“Our solution equips the Chromebook with a dependable and incredibly fast Internet connection,” said Eran Eshed, vice president of marketing and business development at Altair. “By focusing on 100 percent LTE and eliminating costly 3G components, we were able to help our partners lower the cost of this critical LTE connectivity feature” …
Google’s high end Chromebook Pixel is also LTE-only but the move for a more bargain-centric product has some folks scratching their heads…. Expand
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T-Mobile unveiled a new offering that will provide global data coverage allowing users to access their data plan in over 100 countries at no extra charge (via Engadget). CEO John Legere has been hinting at the announcement on his Twitter account in recent days: “Today is the day! The day we change the way the world uses their phones!”
This new plan will allow Simple Choice customers to get unlimited 2G data and texting in supported Simple Global countries. Voice calls on the plan cost $.20 per minute for in-country calls. There are no extra fees for this service, as it is included in all Simple Choice plans automatically.
The “un-carrier” also announced a few other changes to its plans, including a new international talk and text option from the US to all other Simple Global countries. That will cost an additional $10/month and include $.20/minute voice calls and unlimited texting. Adding this option to your plan will also enable unlimited calling to landlines in over 70 Simple Global countries for free.
Finally, T-Mobile announced that its 4G LTE network is available nationwide and reaches over 200 million potential customers.
Normally available for around $600 unsubsidized, Republic Wireless announced today that it will soon begin offering the Moto for just $299. That’s the carrier’s no contract price and just $100 more than most carriers are charging for the device on the usual two-year contract:
The Moto X will retail at $299 (plus taxes and surcharges) from the Republic Wireless store. That’s right – we took the hot, new Moto X, added Republic’s great Hybrid service and priced it at $299 with no contract required. That’s a price that’s, like, impossible to match anywhere in the industry. How did we do it? The phone is $299 because we are footing the bill. Period. This is NOT a $299 phone. Take a quick look around the web and look at “no contract” pricing for the Moto X.
The device will be available on two of the carrier unlimited plans that start at just $5 a month, but customers will have the following plans to choose from: Expand
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Photo: forbes.com
AT&T, which claims to have the fastest and most reliable LTE service, is planning to expand its coverage to 50 more parts of the USA by the end of the year. This is expected to boost access from 225M people at present to 270M by the end of 2013.
The new areas are:
1. Fairbanks, AK
2. Dothan, AL
3. Selma, AL
4. Redding, CA
5. Durango, CO
6. Pueblo, CO
7. Tifton, GA
8. Waycross, GA
9. Kauai, HI
10. The Big Island, HI
11. Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA
12. Twin Falls, ID
13. Lewiston, ID-WA
14. Decatur, IL
15. Kankakee-Bradley, IL
16. Peoria, IL
17. Paducah, KY-IL
18. Alexandria, LA
19. Lake Charles, LA
20. Lewiston-Auburn, ME
21. Battle Creek, MI
22. Jackson, MI
23. Joplin, MO
24. Poplar Bluff, MO
25. Rolla, MO
26. Brookhaven, MS
27. McComb, MS
28. Natchez, MS-LA
29. Kalispell, MT
30. Greenville, NC
31. Jacksonville, NC
32. Fargo, ND-MN
33. Elmira, NY
34. Utica-Rome, NY
35. Portsmouth, OH
36. Sandusky, OH
37. East Stroudsburg, PA
38. Pottsville, PA
39. Abilene, TX
40. Amarillo, TX
41. Longview, TX
42. Marshall, TX
43. San Angelo, TX
44. Tyler, TX
45. Port Angeles, WA
46. Appleton, WI
47. Fond du Lac, WI
48. Oshkosh-Neenah, WI
49. Gillette, WY
50. Sheridan, WY
Over the past five years, AT&T invested nearly $98 billion into operations, and claims to have invested more into the U.S. economy than any other corporation, getting top-ranking in the Progressive Policy Institute’s list of U.S. Investment Heroes.
Samsung just announced live on stage during its Premiere 2013 event in London the much rumored Galaxy NX Android camera. We already heard reports about the device leading up to the event, but the company has finally made things official on stage today. Samsung says its the “World’s first interchangeable lens Android camera with 4G LTE.”
Some specs it shared for the device: Android 4.2.2, a 4.8″ HD TFT LCD display, a 1.6GHz quad core processor with separate image signalling processor, hybrid autofocus, and a 20.3mp sensor. There will also be 13 interchangeable lenses initially (those from the NX series), including a brand new 10mm fish eye lens. Samsung showed off its UX running on top of Android on the device, which includes 30 smart modes similar to those included in Galaxy Camera and its other NX cameras.
The device will also include an interchangeable 4000mAh battery, microSD, HDMI out, MicroUSB, and HDMI out, an external microphone port.
The company didn’t share any information on pricing or availability for the device, but below is one of the first hands-on reviews popping up: Expand
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From 9to5Toys.com:
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If you are a student (or have access to a .edu email address), Amazon is having a special New Years Day deal on the Kindle HD 8.9. The online retailing giant is offering $50 off the price of an 8.9-inch Kindle Fire that yields a $249 price.
Exclusive Discount on Kindle Fire 8.9″
Special pricing available only to Amazon Student Members with an active Prime account (free six-month or $39/year plan). Join Amazon Student or start your [$39/year] discounted Prime membership to take advantage of this sale. The promo codes below will become available 24 hours after activation of your account, through January 30. New members, don’t forget to check your .edu email and verify your account.How to Redeem This Deal
Place a Kindle Fire HD 8.9″ or a Kindle Fire HD 8.9″ 4G LTE Wireless in your cart. At checkout, enter the promo code KNDL4STU. If you are an Amazon Student member in a free or paid Prime plan, the discount will be applied to the items in your cart. This promo code may be redeemed once per customer. offer good only while supplies last. Expand
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Samsung just confirmed the Galaxy Camera will come to Verizon’s 4G LTE network starting Dec. 13 for $549.99. The Android 4.1-powered camera will land on the carrier in two colors, including the white model we’ve seen before and Cobalt Black exclusive to Verizon. Samsung also noted “users will be able to add the Samsung Galaxy Camera to their Share Everything account for the promotional price of $5 per month.” The device will initially be available online through Verizon.
The full press release is below:
Sprint is offering up to $150 in savings starting Thanksgiving Day that will allow you to get either the Galaxy S II for $49 on contract, as well as the Galaxy Nexus and Galaxy Victory 4G for free. The offer will continue on Black Friday and through Nov. 25. Details below:
All Sprint smartphones require activation on one of the Sprint Everything Data plans starting at just $79.99 per month (surcharges and taxes excluded) with Truly Unlimited data, text and calling to any mobile. No throttling, no metering and no overages, all while on the Sprint network. With Sprint’s Everything Data and other plans that include Truly Unlimited data, Sprint is continuing its history of data leadership by making it easy for its customers to use data in all the ways that are useful to them, such as news, email, music, and GPS navigation, without worrying about data overages on their monthly bill.
Just in time for the holidays, Sprint smartphone customers4 can add a 3G/4G tablet to their account with a specially discounted rate plan that includes 1GB of 3G/4G on-network data for only $15 per month or as little as $10 per month for 100MB of data on the Sprint network (surcharges and taxes excluded). For customers who only want a 3G/4G LTE-enabled tablet, Sprint offers a monthly plan for $14.99 with 300MB of 3G/4G LTE on-network data. Sprint’s $14.99 rate plan offers customers 20 percent more data than AT&T for the same price5. For a limited time, Sprint is waiving the activation fee on all 3G/4G LTE tablets.
Samsung Galaxy Tab® 2 10.1 is the latest Samsung tablet to join Sprint’s 4G LTE lineup and brings to life the data capabilities of the Sprint 4G LTE Network6 on a large beautiful display, making it the ideal device to watch a video, listen to music, check email or surf the Web. Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 is currently available for $549.992.
1The regular price of Samsung Galaxy S III (16GB) is $199.99 with a two-year service agreement.
2Device pricing excludes taxes and surcharges customers must purchase with a new line or eligible upgrade and two-year service agreement.
3The American Express Prepaid Reward Card (“Card”) provided in connection with this Rebate offer is a prepaid Card that is usable at U.S. merchants that accept American Express Card. Some limitations apply. The Card is not redeemable for cash (except where required by law) and does not provide ATM access. Use of Card constitutes acknowledgement that it is given as a reward and no consideration, value, or money has been paid by the holder to American Express in exchange for this Card. USE OF CARD IS SUBJECT TO THE CARDHOLDER AGREEMENT. SUBJECT TO APPLICABLE LAW, A $3.00 MONTHLY FEE WILL BE ASSESED AGAINST CARD BALANCE, STARTING SIX MONTHS AFTER CARD ISSUANCE, UNLESS FUNDS ARE EARLIER DEPLETED. For BALANCE, customer service and Cardholder Agreement, visit americanexpress.com/sprint or call 1-866-608-3756. Card issued by American Express Prepaid Card Management Corporation.
4Qualifying smartphone plans include: Simply Everything, Simply Everything Share, Everything Business, Everything Data, Everything Data Share, Business Advantage Messaging & Data, Business Share Plus with Pro Pack Plus.
520 percent more data claim applies to Sprint plan priced at $14.99. Plans also include off-network data allowance of 25MB, 100MB or 300MB depending on selection. For National Offers: Additional on-network data usage is $0.05/MB and additional off-network usage above allowance is $0.25/MB.
6Sprint’s 4G LTE Network is available in limited markets. For more information please visit sprint.com/4G LTE.
Samsung, Galaxy, Galaxy S, Victory and Galaxy Tab are all trademarks of Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. Nexus is a trademark of Google Inc. Other company names, product names and marks mentioned herein are the property of their respective owners and may be trademarks or registered trademarks. 4G LTE when used in connection with Samsung devices refers to the fact that the devices can operate on Sprint’s 4G LTE network.
AT&T just revealed its 4G LTE now blankets over 150 million people across the United States, more than doubling where it stood at the end of 2011 in terms of people covered, and now it plans to push full steam ahead by expanding to 103 markets total, with more expected by the end of 2012.
The carrier further noted its 4G LTE coverage is “part of the nation’s largest 4G network” that services 3,000 more 4G areas than Verizon currently does (although much of that is slower HSPA 4G).
Moreover, as AT&T’s 4G LTE coverage continues to widen, customers can access 4G speeds “outside of 4G LTE areas on the nation’s largest 4G network, unlike competitors, whose smartphone customers fall back to slower 3G technologies when outside of LTE coverage.”
4G LTE expansions announced today:
Today’s expansion notice comes just two days after the carrier also announced its 4G LTE network would light up in Daytona Beach, Fla. Denver, Colo., Louisville, K.Y., Milwaukee, Wis., Provo-Orem, Utah, Tacoma, Wash., York, Pa., and Washington D.C.
This article is cross-posted on 9to5Mac.
Get the full press release below.
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Verizon held its Q3 2012 earnings call this morning and —aside from announcing $29 billion in total operating revenue— revealed Android smartphones were 79 percent of its total smartphone activations for the quarter.
The nation’s second-largest carrier also said operating revenue experienced a 3.9-percent gain over last year, while noting a third consecutive quarter of “double-digit percentage growth.” As for mobile device activations, 4G LTE smartphone penetration increased from “just below 50 percent last quarter to more than 53 percent.”
The company further disclosed that it activated 6.8 million smartphone in Q3, and 3.4 million of those activations were Android-powered devices. Three million were also specifically 4G LTE Android. In terms of iPhone activations, for comparison’s sake, Verizon activated 3.1 million with only 21 percent of the iPhones supporting 4G LTE.
The carrier then gave more information on its aggressive LTE rollout across the United States (via Yahoo Finance | Earnings Call Transcript):
[sic] In terms of 4G LTE coverage we are by far the market leader. Our 4G LTE service is currently available in 419 markets covering more than 250 million tops roughly 80% of the U.S. population. As our TV commercial say, we have more 4G LTE coverage than all of our competitors networks combined. We will continue expanding our 4G LTE network with a goal of having a nationwide foot print similar to our 3G network next year.
Visit Verizon’s Investor Relations page for more specifics.
The press release is below.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c0F0V8F8yqk&feature=plcp]
Motorola just published a new television commercial for the Droid Razr M on its YouTube channel. The 30-second ad depicts everything from the animated film “Rango” to Google Maps projected onto everyday hands just to show how Verizon’s 4G LTE Droid Razr M has a “big screen that’s fit for your hand.” It is pretty cute, actually. Check it out above.
Sprint just announced it is adding three new Android-powered devices to its 4G LTE lineup, as well as expanding its 4G mobile broadband portfolio with a new USB dongle.
The Android devices include:
The Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 features a 10.1-inch 1,280-by-800 display, front-facing VGA camera, and rear-facing 3-megapixel on the back, while the inside touts a 1.5GHz dual-core processor, 1GB RAM, 8GB of storage, and a 7,000 mAh battery. The Ice Cream Sandwich-powered tablet also comes with Sprint LTE connectivity and mobile hotspot support for up to 10 devices.
The LG Optimus G offers a 4.7-inch 1,280-by-768 True HD IPS Plus display, 1.5GHz quad-core Snapdragon S4 Pro processor, 13-megapixel rear-facing camera, 1.3-megapixel front-facing camera, 32GB ROM, 2GB RAM, and a 2,100 mAh battery. It also touts Ice Cream Sandwich OS, but it further includes LG software like QSlide and QuickMemo.
The LG Mach boasts a QWERTY and slide-out physical keyboard with only a .48-inch thick body. The Ice Cream Sandwich-powered, 4-inch smartphone also packs a 1.2GHz dual-core processor, 8GB ROM, 1GB RAM, microSD slot, and a 1,700 mAh battery.
As for the USB dongle: Sprint’s Plug-in-Connect Tri-Mode USB will support 3G, 4G WiMAX and 4G LTE connectivity. The stick even houses a foldaway USB connector, LED service indicator, and it is both Windows- and Mac-compatible.
Sprint said pricing and availability for each new addition will surface “at a later date,” but further specs and details are available in the press release below.
Google subsidiary Motorola Mobility unveiled its new line of Droid Razr smartphones just last week, and now the Droid Razr M is officially available at Verizon Wireless for $99 on a two-year contract.
Check it out: Verizon Wireless
We recently reviewed the device and dubbed it our “favorite little Droid.” It packs a Super Amoled Advanced 4.3-inch display with 40 percent more screen real estate and a 40 percent more powerful battery than the Apple iPhone 4S. It also notably features a Corning Gorilla Glass display, DuPont Kevlar fiber and a splash-guard coating on the outside, while the software on the inside comes equipped with Android 4.0.4 Ice Cream Sandwich (with an upgrade to Jelly Bean by “the holidays”) and access to Google Play. It also touts Chrome for Android, Google Maps, Voice Actions for Android, Google, YouTube, and an easy-to-use tutorial for interactive help with customization
Additional premium specs include 4G LTE and NFC capability, a 1.5 GHz dual-core processor, 1 GB RAM, 8-megapixel camera with LED flash and 1080p HD recording, front-facing camera for video chatting, mobile Hotspot and a microSD card slot with support for up to 32 GB. The Droid Razr M comes in either “sleek black” or “stand out white.”
The new Razr M commercial:
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s3mdkqOiuyg&feature=plcp]
In related news, Motorola also released a new Razr Maxx HD commercial (below):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y8pdaEgXENE&feature=youtu.be
Oh, and Virgin is having a sale on its selection of Androids: $35 a month is probably less than you are paying now. (and it offers the iPhone for an industry low $30/month unlimited data plan) Expand
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Verizon Wireless’ 4G LTE network will blanket more than 75 percent of the United States population after it lights up 34 new markets and expands 38 other markets, bringing the carrier’s total U.S. LTE markets to 371, on Aug. 16.
The new markets include (via Verizon Wireless):
Hot Springs, Ark.; Redding, Calif.; Valdosta and Waycross, Ga.; Centralia and Danville, Ill.; Parsons, Salina and Topeka, Kan.; Alexandria and Monroe, La.; Pittsfield, Mass.; Battle Creek and Muskegon, Mich.; Mankato and Worthington, Minn.; Joplin and Sedalia, Mo.; Bismarck, Grand Forks and Minot, N.D.; Chillicothe, Ohio; Reading, Pa.; Aberdeen, S.D.; Laredo, Odessa and Texarkana, Texas; Brattleboro and White River Junction, Vt.; Charlottesville, Va.; Longview, Wash.; and Eau Claire, La Crosse and Manitowoc, Wis.
The expanded areas include (via Verizon Wireless):
Los Angeles and Santa Barbara/Santa Maria, Calif.; Orlando, Fla.; Macon/Warner Robins, Ga.; Bloomington, Champaign/Urbana, Decatur/Effingham and Springfield, Ill.; Elkhart, Ind.; Des Moines, Iowa City and Sioux City, Iowa; Dodge City, Garden City and Great Bend, Kan.; Lexington and Louisville, Ky.; New Orleans, La.; Boston, Mass.; Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minn.; Missoula, Mont.; Las Vegas, Nev.; Manchester/Nashua, N.H.; Las Cruces, N.M.; New York, N.Y.; Cincinnati, Ohio; Greenville/Spartanburg, S.C.; Sioux Falls, S.D.; Chattanooga, Tenn.; and Salt Lake City/Ogden, Utah; Roanoke, Va.; Charleston, W.Va.; and Green Bay, Wis. Additional areas include: Little Rock, Ark., expanding into Batesville, Ark.; Tallahassee, Fla., expanding into Thomasville, Ga.; Burley, Idaho, expanding into Twin Falls, Idaho; Chicago, Ill., expanding into DeKalb, Ill.; and Cedar City, Utah, expanding into St. George, Utah.
“Our 4G LTE network is currently in more markets than all other U.S. wireless providers combined, and our team is continuing to expand the network so that more customers across the nation can take advantage of 4G LTE speed and capabilities,” said Verizon Wireless’ Chief Technical Officer Nicola Palmer. “We are ahead of schedule with our 4G LTE market roll out and will provide 4G LTE network coverage to more than 400 markets in the near future.”
It looks like folks only in the most rural of areas will lack LTE after tomorrow’s massive rollout.
Read all the individual pressers at Verizon Wireless.
[tweet https://twitter.com/VZWnews/status/220229199443668992]
After beginning to accept preorders for the device in early June, Verizon Wireless confirmed today that Samsung’s Galaxy S III would officially launch on July 10 at $199 for the 16GB model and $249 for the 32GB model with both on the usual two-year contract. Verizon’s full press release is below.
BASKING RIDGE, NJ and DALLAS — Verizon Wireless and Samsung Telecommunications America (Samsung Mobile) today announced that the 4G LTE-powered Samsung Galaxy S® III will be available in Verizon Wireless Communications Stores and online at www.verizonwireless.com/galaxys3 starting July 10. Galaxy S III customers will have access to the Verizon Wireless 4G LTE network which is available in 304 markets across the United States. Verizon Wireless 4G LTE will be in 400 markets covering 260 million people by the end of this year.
Customers can take advantage of 4G LTE-optimized apps like Color to share live video broadcasts of life’s special moments with their Facebook® friends. Sharing live video with audio is an exclusive feature of the Color app on Verizon Wireless’ 4G LTE network. Customers can broadcast real-time footage of a newborn’s first step with family members who are miles away or share a beautiful view of a vacation spot to make friends at home jealous. Combining America’s largest 4G LTE network with the Galaxy S III’s 4.8-inch HD Super AMOLED™ display creates the perfect duo to watch movies, television shows and other video content with apps like viewdini. Viewdini brings the power of Verizon Wireless’ 4G LTE network to the screen by streamlining access to videos from a wide range of content providers, including cable operators, websites and other popular video sources. The viewdini app can be downloaded from Verizon Apps and Google Play.
Additional features:
The Samsung Galaxy S III is available in 16 GB and 32 GB models for $199.99 and $249.99 respectively with a new two-year customer agreement. The 16 GB model will be available in stores and online starting July 10 and the 32 GB model will be available online starting July 10 and will be in stores in the coming weeks. Customers will also have the choice of the Galaxy S III in two colors: Marble White or Pebble Blue. Customers can visit www.verizonwireless.com/galaxys3 for more information on the Samsung Galaxy S III for Verizon Wireless
Verizon Wireless’ Share Everything plans go live today.
Current Verizon customers can upgrade, but new customers must choose a Share Everything plan. Verizon is scrapping the family plans and individual tiered plans for incoming subscribers, because the new options provide unlimited talk, unlimited text, and shareable data with pricing based on how much data is consumed.
Unlimited plans are not profitable for Verizon, which stopped offering unlimited data last year, due to growing smartphone usage clogging the carrier’s pipelines. The new standard is quickly becoming 4G LTE, so Verizon is likely trying to capitalize on every bit of data funneled through its network.
Verizon’s new strategy is the first of its kind in the U.S. It notably allows users to share data with up to 10 devices through a single account, but users can also fly solo with plans starting at $30 for 2 GB of data.
Visit the Share Everything website for all the details, or check out the full price sheet at Verizon’s Share Everything Calculator page.
This aside is cross-posted on 9to5Mac.
William Blair analyst Anil Doradla (via Barron’s) wrote in his notes today that the iPhone is still the best-selling smartphone across the United States, but it is coming “under pressure, particularly at Verizon” due to the carrier’s aggressive marketing of 4G-capable devices. Citing his checks of sales for the current quarter as of June, Doradla claimed the Motorola Droid RAZR MAXX outsold the iPhone on Verizon:
Since Apple’s iPhone launch in North America, we believe this was the first quarter where the iPhone was not the best‐selling smartphone at a North American mobile operator (where it was available). While Apple continued to maintain its top position at AT&T and Sprint, Motorola’s Droid RAZR MAXX was the best‐ selling smartphone at Verizon. Our checks also indicate that at this stage consumers are not pausing in front of the iPhone launch as it is not influencing their purchasing decisions (but we expect it to start impacting over the next couple of months).
While the RAZR MAXX took the top spot, Samsung’s Galaxy Nexus grabbed third position behind the iPhone, according to Doradla. He backed his “outperform” rating on Apple by saying he is “not worried” given the next generation iPhone, which is likely due in October, is expected to include 4G LTE capabilities:
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According to a report from AllThingsD, Verizon Wireless will soon change the way it charges customers for cellular/data plans in a major way. Rather than charging customers for phones calls or messages sent, the report claimed Verizon would charge “almost exclusively based on how much data” is consumed. The new “Share Everything” plans will also be the first in the United States that allows users to share their data with up to 10 devices through a single account:
The plans, known as “Share Everything,” allow users an unlimited number of calls and texts and also allow data usage to be pooled among up to 10 devices on one account. With the move, Verizon becomes the first U.S. carrier to offer the ability for customers to share a bucket of data across multiple devices.
AllThingsD noted that AT&T also has plans for shared data options, but it did not provide more details. As for Verizon’s new plans, which will apparently kick-in June 28, the report explained the cost of the data plan and pricing metrics based on a per-device fee. In other words, you will have to pay roughly $40 per smartphone ($10 per tablet), and then opt for either a $50 1GB data plan or a $100 10GB plan. While the report claimed the new pricing should not impact the cost of plans for users who continue consuming the same amount of data, it is clear that those signing a new plan for a single smartphone are getting a bit less for their money:
A couple Motorola Droid Razr HD pictures just hit the Web.
Droid-Life posted the leaks (above), mentioned the smartphone’s upcoming arrival to Verizon’s 4G LTE network, and detailed its visualized design and rumored specs:
While it maintains a bit of the RAZR look of last year, the back plate is now full kevlar without the extra rim of plastic around it. The camera (likely 13MP) has been centered in the middle with flash and speaker on each side. From the picture below, you can see that there isn’t much of a hump left and that is thought to be because of the 3300mAh battery that Moto has included inside. Our source claims that the screen is “amazing” and that the phone also has the expected on-screen navigation keys. They were not able to confirm the processor, which is thought to be Qualcomm’s 1.5GHz dual-core Snapdragon S4, but we would be surprised if it was something else. What’s interesting is the move from Motorola to put the micro HDMI and USB ports on the bottom side of the device again, similarly to what we saw from multiple devices like the Bionic and DROID X/X2.
There are no official details on a release date for the newest Razr offering, but rumors indicate a late summer launch.
Qualcomm seems to have the lock on U.S. processors for high-end phones. Just like the HTC Ones before it, Samsung also uses the dual-core Qualcomm S4 processors in its U.S. versions of the Galaxy S3 phones—trading out its own Exynos quad-core processor. Qualcomm dual-core S4 processors have the LTE and 42MB HSPA+ speeds that U.S. smartphone owners expect while keeping up with quad-core processors.
There are no other real surprises in the announcement. Samsung said S3s would deliver starting at $199 later this month on Verizon, Sprint, AT&T, T-Mobile, and US Cellular. Capacities will vary between 16GB to 32GB of expandable storage, a whopping 2GB of RAM, and a 2100mAh battery. Each will also have that lovely 4.8-inch 720P Super AMOLED display.
The press release follows:
T-Mobile announced new “worry-free No Annual Contracts” today for its mobile broadband service that is expected to launch through T-Mobile retail stores and online May 20. The plans start at $15 per one-week pass capped at 300MB and $25 per one-moth pass capped at 1.5GB. The carrier is also offering 3.5GB and 5GB one-month passes at $35 and $50, respectively.
T-Mobile’s website currently lists no-annual contract broadband plans at $100 for a 100MB week pass, $30 for a 1 GB month pass, or $50 for a 3GB month pass. We are assuming the new plans will replace the old ones on May 20.
Starting at just $15, T-Mobile’s lineup of No Annual Contract mobile broadband passes delivers a pay-in-advance, overage-free solution that offers an allotment of mobile data, making it possible for customers to choose a pass that best fits their data needs without committing to a two-year contract.
The full press release from T-Mobile is below:
Virgin Mobile just announced the LG Optimus Elite, a 3.5-inch Android 2.3 device featuring a 5-megapixel camera and 800 MHz processor, as its first device with NFC and Google Wallet. The device will officially go on sale on May 15 for $250 and is already available for pre-order (here).
Google confirmed Google Wallet was headed to Virgin late last month with the LG Optimus Elite, which is also available through Sprint alongside the Google Wallet-enabled Galaxy Nexus and LG Viper 4G.
The full press release from Virgin is below:
The yet-to-be released HTC Droid Incredible 4G LTE just received more verification about its pending existence due to two accessories that suddenly appeared on retail website HTCPedia.
The HTC 2150 mAh Extended Battery for HTC Incredible 4G LTE and HTC Extended Battery Door for HTC Incredible 4G LTE for $34.99 and $19.99, respectively, are further indications that this highly-anticipated smartphone is on the way.
Earlier this week, the Droid Incredible 4G accidentally—and temporarily—popped up on Verizon’s “Droid Does” website, and images of the device even surfaced around the Web at the beginning of April. These leaks verify rumors that the latest Droid will pack a 1.2GHz dual-core processor, 4-inch display, LTE bands, and Android 4.0 with HTC’s custom Sense 4 on top. Presumably, the device will also feature an 8-megapixel shooter.
(via Android Community)
In addition to the announcement of an unlocked Galaxy Nexus being made available to purchase directly from Google Play, the company confirmed on the official Google Commerce Blog today that Google Wallet is now available through three devices on Sprint: Galaxy Nexus, LG Viper 4G LTE, and LG Optimus Elite. It also confirmed that Wallet would come to the LG Optimus Elite on Virgin Mobile. Google is continuing to offer all new users a $10 credit for their Google Prepaid Card when accessing the service for the first time.
Following the launch of its new Alter Ego ad campaign yesterday, T-Mobile just made its new “Test Drive” tool available for comparing the speed of “American’s Largest 4G Network” to other guys— Sprint, AT&T, and Verizon. Unfortunately, as pointed out by TMONews, the carrier is comparing 4G LTE Android handsets, such as the Galaxy S II, to the 3G speeds of the iPhone 4S. This is obviously not a fair comparison of LTE network speeds…
T-Mobile’s TestDrive website is now live and I will say at first glance, I’m disappointed. I’ll just get right to it — T-Mobile, I’m really puzzled by this. The idea that you claim “America’s largest 4G network” and design a new commercial campaign around speed and then compare your “4G” network against “3G” smartphones is a questionable act. Speed should no longer be the focus of T-Mobile’s marketing campaign, Value and Technology should. Speed should be a secondary thought. If you can’t win on speed, highlight where you can, Value, Value, Value.
PC World tested 3G and 4G wireless data transfer speeds for the top four carriers —both indoors and outside with multiple devices across 13 major cities in 130 testing locations— and discovered some surprising results.
During average wireless speed tests for 3G networks with the smartphones pictured above, T-Mobile took home the fastest download and upload speed prize at 3.84 Mbps and 1.44 Mbps, respectively. AT&T landed the No. 2 spot with its 2.62 Mbps download speed and 0.85-Mbps upload speed.
The slower 3G network provider reclaimed its pride and rose to fame with its 4G wireless speeds, however. AT&T garnered 9.56 Mbps while downloading and 5.15 Mbps for uploads. Verizon debuted at second with its 7.35 Mbps download speed and 5.86 Mbps upload speed.
The overall winners are named below.
Verizon put out dozens of press releases today announcing expansions and additions to its 4G LTE network. The majority of the additions and expansions will kick-in April 19.
Additions:
LaGrange, Georgia, Macon, Georgia, Brunswick, Georgia, Cattaraugus-Allegany Counties (New York), Dodge City, Kansas, Great Bend, Kansas, Garden City, Kansas, Hays, Kansas, Pierre, South Dakota, Ocala, Florida, Provo-Orem, Utah.
Expansions:
Southern Illinois, East and Southeast of Des Moines, Iowa, Wichita, Kansas, St. Louis, Missouri, Southwest Missouri, Columbus, Ohio, Cleveland, Ohio, Boise-Nampa, Idaho, Ft. Collins-Loveland, Colorado, Salt Lake City-Ogden, Utah.
Cross-posted on 9to5Mac.com
If you really liked the Droid Charge’s look and feel, with its fast LTE speeds and physical buttons, but did not want to jump on Verizon Wireless, U.S. Cellular has a phone with a similar experience. The Samsung Galaxy S Aviator sticks out with the following features:
I am surprisingly a big fan of real buttons, because you can feel them for navigation, and sometimes capacitance gets all out of whack.
Otherwise, the Charge is a solid phone on Verizon, and now U.S. Cellular owners will have a nice option too.
The press release follows:
If you are considering picking up the Galaxy Nexus on Verizon anytime soon, Samsung is giving you a decent incentive to do so directly through its website. For a limited time, the company is offering a free Galaxy Nexus i515 Battery Bundle Kit with the purchase of a Galaxy Nexus on the usual two-year Verizon contract. The kit, usually worth $50 through Samsung, provides a back casing compatible with the included 21 mAh extended battery. Unfortunately, many report the battery only provides approximately 10 percent extra battery life, but it is definitely worth getting it free before the promotion ends on May 10.
Qualcomm has just issued a press release announcing the commercial availability of their Gobi 4000 chips for 4G LTE and HSPA+ capable devices, variants of which could very well land in any number of forthcoming dual and quad-core LTE Android devices. Qualcomm is already working with OEMs to include the Gobi 4000 platform, which comes in both LTE/HSPA+ and LTE/EV-DO designs, in devices including Lenovo’s ThinkPad laptops, and Dell’s Latitude E6420 laptops, in addition to other Android and Windows powered mobile devices. Qualcomm explains:
Qualcomm’s latest Gobi-enabled 4G platform features the Gobi Application Programming Interface (API) with LTE extensions and is compatible with leading connectivity standards, including CDMA2000® 1xEV-DO Rev. A and B, HSPA+, dual-carrier HSPA+, and LTE with integrated backwards compatibility to HSPA and EV-DO. The Gobi 4000 platform also includes software enhancements for select MDM™ chipsets that enable a common software interface to help connect, locate and manage 3G/4G devices regardless of wireless interface and operating system.
The new chips, now shipping to OEMs through Novatel Wireless and Sierra Wireless, are based on Qualcomm’s MDM9600 and MDM 9200 3G/4G wireless modems, and as the company notes, have been specially designed for deployment in Android devices utilizing Snapdragon dual-core and quad-core processors. In addition to HSPA+, dual-carrier HSPA+, and LTE support, the Gobi 4000 platform is also backwards compatible with HSPA and EV-DO. You can expect the chip to land in a number of LTE-capable Android devices in the months to come.
Qualcomm’s senior vice president of produdct management for CDMA Technologies, Cristiano Amon, had this to say about the announcement:
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Sprint has announced the fifth device in their EVO lineup this morning: the EVO Design 4G. The EVO Design 4G is a world-phone available for $99 October 23rd, and actually has a pretty nice spec list under its belt. Specs for the device include Android 2.3 (Gingerbread), HTC Sense, 1.2 GHz processor, 4-inch qHD display, 5-megapixel rear-camera, 1.3-megapixel front-camera, Wi-Fi, and World Phone capabilities. Pretty cheap for a nice device.
A Localytics study issued today helps understand why Verizon Wireless recently sided with Samsung in the ongoing Apple vs. Samsung legal saga. Per Localytics’ data, 4G is one of Android’s key differentiators: More than one in three Android phones in the United States take advantage of fourth-generation cellular networks. In the third quarter of this year, some 36.6 percent of Android handsets in the United States were 4G-ready, a notable increase over the 22.6 percent in the first quarter of 2011.
This number is increasing rapidly – since the beginning of the year, the percentage of Android devices that are 4G-capable has grown by over 50 percent, culminating at a full third of the Android ecosystem. It will be interesting to see whether the iPhone 5 supports any type of 4G network. The drawbacks – bulkier antenna and a much shorter battery life – may outweigh the benefits in speed. Regardless, with the growth in 4G-capable handsets Android has seen, it appears that smartphone users are buying into the value of speed. We’ll see how this continues.
The nation’s most popular 4G handsets in the third quarter were the HTC Thunderbolt (Verizon), the HTC Evo 4G (Sprint), the Samsung Epic 4G (Sprint), the Samsung Droid Charge (Verizon), the myTouch 4G (T-Mobile USA) and the Motorola Atrix (AT&T). A few caveats and the full list of most popular 4G devices in the country right below the fold…
After Samsung this morning announced they have sold 10 million Galaxy S II’s into retail channels, T-Mobile has made their own variant official with an October 10th pre-order date and $229 price tag.
While the majority of the specs on the device mirror other Galaxy S II variations, the real story here is support for T-Mobile’s 4G HSPA+ 42 Mbps network thanks to the switch from Samsung’s Exnos processor to a 1.5GHz Qualcom dual-core Snapdragon chip.
Other features are similar to the Epic 4G and other variants including a 4.52-inch Super AMOLED display, 8-megapixel main camera, NFC capabilities, 16GB internal storage, and Android 2.3.4.
The device will officially hit retail stores on October 12th. The $229 price point will of course require the usual two-year agreement in addition to a $50 rebate.
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Verizon has just announced the Pantech Breakout 4G LTE, which is available available right now. The Breakout is available for $99 on two-year contract, making for the first low-cost 4G LTE to hit the market. The specs are nothing spectacular, but pretty good for $99 combined with LTE. The phone features a 1 GHz processor, 512 MB of RAM, microSD support with an 8 GB card included, a 4-inch 480×800 display, Gingerbread, 5-megapixel rear-shooter, and VGA front-facing shooter.
Of course the elephant in the room is that you can get just about any high end Android LTE phone at Amazon for almost free with a two year plan.
A couple more shots after the break:
AT&T’s first 4G LTE/HSPA+ tablet isn’t going to be cheap. In fact, the company just announced the Honeycomb-powered HTC Jetstream will run you $699.99 with a new two-year commitment when it becomes available September 4th. We think the price tag is going to make this one a hard sell, especially if its competition releases a new iteration anytime before the Jetstream sees a significant price cut.
We told you about the Jetstream’s rumored specs a few weeks back, which for the most part seem to jive with the official specs from AT&T’s press release (below):
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