WiMAX

mobile
July 29, 2011
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Motorola PHOTON 4G review

By on July 29, 2011 at 9:00 AM.

Motorola PHOTON 4G review

The Motorola PHOTON 4G is the company’s first 4G handset on Sprint, and even more, it is the first high-end Motorola device set to launch on Sprint’s network in a very long time. It’s packed to the brim on paper — specifically, with features such as a 1GHz dual-core NVIDIA Tegra 2  processor, 1GB of RAM, a 4.3-inch qHD display, an 8-megapixel camera with dual-LED flash and a VGA front-facing camera, 16GB of built-in storage, plus global-roaming and 4G WiMAX connectivity. In short, it’s probably the most feature-packed phone to ever launch from Sprint. I have been using the Motorola PHOTON 4G for a few days now and the question I really wanted to answer was: is this Sprint’s best smartphone? Hit the break to find out.

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mobile
July 27, 2011
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Sprint’s Samsung Galaxy S II with 4G WiMAX passes through FCC

By on July 27, 2011 at 9:11 PM.

Sprint’s Samsung Galaxy S II with 4G WiMAX passes through FCC

Yesterday we brought you exclusive images of AT&T’s Samsung Galaxy S II slider and today we’re getting some info surrounding Sprint’s version of the phone. The Samsung SPH-D710 Galaxy S II recently passed through the FCC complete with a 4G WiMAX radio, which suggests that we could be hearing an announcement from Sprint in the coming weeks. Earlier leaks suggested that the carrier will call it the “Galaxy Within,” although that name still is not confirmed. We’re expecting the phone to pack the same internals as the European Galaxy S II, which means it should be equipped with a dual-core processor, plenty of on board memory, a brand new TouchWiz user interface, and of course Samsung’s stunning Super AMOLED Plus display. More →

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mobile
July 15, 2011
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Sprint’s Nexus S 4G now just $99.99

By on July 15, 2011 at 5:10 PM.

Sprint’s Nexus S 4G now just $99.99

Sprint dropped the price of its Nexus S 4G smartphone to $99.99 on Friday. The Google-branded smartphone originally made its debut on Sprint on May 8th for $199.99. The Nexus S 4G offers a “pure Google” experience and runs the latest Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) operating system. It also sports a 4-inch AMOLED display, a 1GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, 16GB of internal memory and support for Sprint’s 4G WiMAX network. If you’re looking for a solid device that’s going to be constantly updated with the freshest OS builds from Google, the Nexus S 4G is a good bet — and its new $99.99 price point just makes it a bit sweeter. More →

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mobile
July 13, 2011
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‘Confusion and skepticism’ could turn users away from 4G, study says

By on July 13, 2011 at 7:00 PM.

‘Confusion and skepticism’ could turn users away from 4G, study says

According to a new report from Retrevo, consumer “confusion and skepticism” could impede the adoption of 4G devices. We’re not surprised. The labeling on 4G devices is apparently so confusing that 34% of iPhone 4 owners and 24% of BlackBerry users actually believe they have a 4G-capable device, but neither RIM nor Apple currently offer a phone capable of running on any 4G networks. 30% of those polled said data plans currently cost too much for them to upgrade to 4G, and 19% said they didn’t know enough about the new technology. The study also found that less than 25% of the respondents had plans to jump to using a new 4G device or network in the near future. Retrevo’s report came from an online survey of more than 1,000 people across the United States. More →

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mobile
July 13, 2011
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Sprint’s Motorola Photon 4G landing July 31st for $199.99

By on July 13, 2011 at 4:30 PM.

Sprint’s Motorola Photon 4G landing July 31st for $199.99

Sprint just announced that the Motorola Photon 4G, which was originally revealed during a press event on June 9th, will be available starting July 31st for $199.99 on contract. The Photon 4G seemed very fast during our initial hands on. It packs a 1GHz dual-core NVIDIA Tegra 2 processor, support for Sprint’s WiMAX network, a 4.3-inch qHD display, 16GB of storage, an 8-megapixel camera and an Android 2.3 (Gingerbread). It also supports GSM networks for global roaming. Sprint Premier customers will have a chance to purchase the phone a few days early on July 28th, and the carrier is also offering a range of accessories including an HD dock, a wireless keyboard and more. Read on for the full press release. More →

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mobile
July 13, 2011
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Sprint, Clearwire, Time Warner Cable boost New York City’s 4G WiMAX footprint by 21%

By on July 13, 2011 at 5:01 AM.

Sprint, Clearwire, Time Warner Cable boost New York City’s 4G WiMAX footprint by 21%

Sprint, Clearwire and Time Warner Cable announced on Tuesday that the current 4G WiMAX footprint in New York City has been expanded by 21%. The network now covers an additional 91,363 people across the New York metropolitan area in Alpine, Bayonne, Elizabeth, Fair Lawn, Newark, Paramus, Secaucus and Union, New Jersey; and Hartsdale, New Rochelle, New York, Rockville Centre and Yonkers, New York. Clearwire’s 4G network currently covers more than 130 million U.S. residents, including a total of 11,927,000 people in the New York City area. Read on for the full press release. More →

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Featured
June 28, 2011
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When will Verizon’s blistering 4G LTE slow down?

By on June 28, 2011 at 1:15 PM.

When will Verizon’s blistering 4G LTE slow down?

Let’s face it… not all 4G is created equal. When Verizon Wireless’ LTE launched in its first few markets last year, bloggers and media saw blazing fast data speeds in their tests that put other 4G networks to shame. So did we. In fact, on numerous occasions and in numerous device reviews, we called Verizon’s LTE the fastest cellular data service we had ever tested. But a common sentiment rang throughout the Internet: Verizon’s 4G LTE is fast now, but that’s because the network is empty. And Verizon Wireless’ competition mirrored the opinion, of course. In a private conversation about the discrepancy in performance between Sprint’s 4G WiMAX and Verizon’s 4G LTE, a Sprint executive told me that Verizon’s network was so fast because it was empty. “Wait until it fills up,” the exec chuckled. “Then we’ll see if the ThunderBolt still deserves its name.”
(continued below) More →

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3D
June 24, 2011
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Sprint’s HTC EVO 3D and EVO View 4G tablet now available

By on June 24, 2011 at 9:02 PM.

Sprint’s HTC EVO 3D and EVO View 4G tablet now available

The wait is over — Sprint’s brand new EVO 3D Android smartphone and EVO View 4G tablet are now available to all customers. The EVO 3D, which offers a glasses-free 4.3-inch 3D display, 4G WiMAX connectivity, a 1.2GHz processor, and the ability to record 1080p video, is available for $199.99 with a new two-year Sprint contract. We ran our review earlier this month and called it our “favorite Sprint phone, hands down.” The EVO View 4G, which we also recently reviewed, is powered by a 1.5GHz processor, has a 7-inch display, 4G WiMAX connectivity, and runs Android 2.3 Gingerbread. It’s available for $400 with the Scribe pen for a limited time. Hit the jump for the full press release from Sprint. More →

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mobile
June 23, 2011
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HTC EVO 4G + gets official (in South Korea) [video]

By on June 23, 2011 at 7:01 AM.

HTC EVO 4G + gets official (in South Korea) [video]

Sprint’s flagship EVO 3D hasn’t even made its way out of the womb yet and its successor is already official. HTC on Thursday unveiled the EVO 4G + in South Korea — odd, since “EVO” is a Sprint brand. The new superphone is essentially a Sensation in EVO’s clothing, and it features a 4.3-inch display, an 8-megapixel camera, HTC’s latest Sense UI and, of course, 4G WiBRO connectivity for the South Korean market. Expect that BRO to be MAX’d when the 4G + makes its way to U.S. shores, which might not be for a while unless Sprint doesn’t mind the EVO 3D sharing the spotlight with a 3D-less device. Of course the massively popular EVO 4G is getting a little gray up top these day, so a next-generation 4G + model would be more than welcome for those not interested in a third dimension on their smartphones. Hit the break for a third-party video of the EVO 4G + in action. More →

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Services
June 22, 2011
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New bill could force carriers to tell the truth about 4G

By on June 22, 2011 at 2:40 PM.

New bill could force carriers to tell the truth about 4G

4G is barely in its infancy and it has already been through so much. First it was fake, and then some solid lobbying on carriers’ parts convinced the International Telecommunication Union to sing a new tune that would allow telcos to call LTE, WiMAX and even certain 3G technologies “4G” without blatantly lying. Though 4G’s definition is now anything but clear, carrier marketing soon could be — new legislation currently in hands of the U.S. House of Representatives could potentially require U.S. wireless service providers to define guaranteed minimum data speeds that customers can expect of their networks. Since two tin cans and a piece of string can basically be called a 4G network according to the ITU’s loose guidelines, this bill — dubbed the Next Generation Wireless Disclosure Act — would be a big step toward weaving through marketing tomfoolery and letting customers know just how 4G their 4G network really is. While the benefits to subscribers are fairly obvious, whether or not the proposition might become law depends largely on how much lobbying carriers are prepared to do. More →

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mobile
June 21, 2011
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Sprint to offer Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 on June 24th for $499

By on June 21, 2011 at 10:56 PM.

Sprint to offer Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 on June 24th for $499

Sprint announced on Tuesday that it will offer the Wi-Fi version of Samsung’s new Galaxy Tab 10.1 tablet for $499 beginning June 24th. The Galaxy Tab 10.1 runs Android 3.1 (Honeycomb) and sports a 10.1-inch display, a 1GHz dual-core NVIDIA Tegra 2 processor, 1GB of RAM, 16GB of storage, a 3-megapixel camera, and a front-facing 2-megapixel camera for video chats. We recently reviewed the Galaxy Tab 10.1 developer edition, loaded with Android 3.0, and while it had some faults we still noted that it’s the “thinnest, sexiest Android tablet available today.” Read on for the full press release. More →

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Breaking
June 16, 2011
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4G PlayBook launches delayed until fall

By on June 16, 2011 at 5:32 PM.

4G PlayBook launches delayed until fall

Research In Motion Co-CEO Mike Lazaridis on Thursday revealed that the 4G versions of RIM’s PlayBook tablets will not launch this summer, as the company had previously announced. The delays were mentioned in passing as Lazaridis mentioned how excited he was to be launching 4G PlayBook models this fall. RIM had previously stated that three 4G versions of its PlayBook — an LTE model for Verizon Wireless, a WiMAX model for Sprint, and an HSPA+ model for AT&T — would launch this summer. RIM also noted that the new BlackBerry Bold 9900 / 9930 would be delayed until the end of August. Like the 4G PlayBooks, RIM has said previously that the new Bold would launch this summer.

34 Comments
mobile
June 10, 2011
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BlackBerry PlayBook rolling out to 16 new countries soon

By on June 10, 2011 at 9:41 AM.

BlackBerry PlayBook rolling out to 16 new countries soon

RIM has announced that the company’s first BlackBerry tablet will go on sale in sixteen new countries over the next month, including Australia, France, Germany, India, the United Arab Emirates, and the United Kingdom. Its unclear if RIM has any carrier partners lined up or how much the device will retail for abroad. In the United States, Sprint most recently announced that it will begin selling the Wi-Fi PlayBook, and it also has plans to sell a 4G WiMAX version of the tablet this summer.  More →

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