Samsung T709 slider reveals upcoming T-Mobile router?

The eagle-eyed guys at PhoneScoop got some playtime with Samsung's upcoming T709 slider (since we're sure you read every word of our CES coverage, you no doubt remember that this GSM model sports a 1.3-megapixel camera with shutter speed and metering adjustment, EDGE, speakerphone, training-free voice command, and a little feature known as WiFi) and stumbled across an in-phone reference to a "T-Mobile wireless router." This would seem to indicate that: 1. This phone will be available through T-Mobile (duh), 2. T-Mobile is planning to release a wireless router (double duh), and 3. The T709 rocks UMA tech for seamless WLAN to WAN voice handoffs. Such handoffs allow homeowners with dead spots in their cellular coverage (dead spots? with T-Mobile? Never!) to fill in the gaps with numerous WLAN extender options like the intriguing AuraGrid.

[Jordan @ May 1st 2006 6:07AM]

Alright so I believe at one time when I was employed with TMo I made a post telling you guys about the UMA. Tmobile is planning to release UMA and use it. We didn't have too much on the plans etc but it is something they will be rolling out and using to support their handsets. Tmo's policy has always been to roll out the devices that support this then implement the product later...ie EDGE but the point remains this is something that Tmobile USA will be doing and will eventually be giving to us abroad here in the nation. I know my Market (Albuquerque NM) is or was one of the beta test markets and I'm just sad I left the company before I got to test that :-( oh well there is some onfo for you guys hope it helps.

[nial @ Jan 9th 2006 8:17PM]

What part of the information you just gave suggests UMA? You really think T-Mobile is going to jump on that when they've been dragging their feet on everything else? Is UMA even a viable concept from the consumer point of view (and not ideally, but what we actually can expect)?

[chuck @ Jan 9th 2006 8:40PM]

Yes, T-Mobile is definitely getting UMA. They've actually been improving their service a lot lately, it's just difficult to do so with such little spectrum. T-Mobile is currently testing UMA phones from samsung, nokia, and motorola and will be launching uma in the second quarter of this year. This is an especially good idea for T-Mobile since they already have wifi in many areas with their hotspot service- so it wouldn't just improve coverage in your home, but at many starbucks, borders, kinkos, hotels, etc. :)

[Dan @ Jan 9th 2006 8:44PM]

According to tmobile, it should launch second quarter of 2006.



http://web.danboy.com/tmoathome.png

http://web.danboy.com/060109_dotson_robert_tmobile_usa.pdf

[TJ @ Jan 9th 2006 8:45PM]

T-Mobile has been planning on using UMA. They already have a few phones coming soon to support it, like the Samsung T709, Motorola A910 and some others to come.



http://www.umatechnology.org/technology/index.htm

http://www.umatechnology.org/participants/index.htm



Just because T-Mobile isn't up to par with Cingular and the other carriers in terms of coverage, they are still putting up a fight. Cingular can't touch T-Mobile is certain areas of the wireless industry, and they are still LARGER than Cingular and has more customers than Cingular in terms of T-Mobile as a whole company.

[Wry Cooter @ Jan 9th 2006 10:43PM]

I would not have interpreted that info as a new product being announced. What I would have thought the "T-Mobile Wireless Router" dialog as referring to, is already existing T-Mobile hot spots.



It is only natural if a carrier puts WiFi in a phone, they are going to try to bundle it to work with pre-existing business; that is, if T-Mobile is selling the phone, that can do some WiFi, it is going to be set up to work more easily with T-Mobile hot spots, than with a competitors Hot Spots; such as SBC being a similar partner for Cingular.

[maokh @ Jan 9th 2006 11:43PM]

its actually...no joke...a TMobile pink branded Linksys WRT54. Ive seen some pictures of some test units at tmobile.

[[e-mail] @ Jan 10th 2006 1:52AM]

So true....Once you get home, you wil be able to connect via VoIP to the T-Mobile Network. The above poster is correct that the router is indeed a Linksys.

[E71 @ Jan 10th 2006 6:52AM]

Why do people get so excited over these new phones? Is it purely because of the new design? ... Because there are plenty of new phones out there that host way more features than these recently released phones.

[badonkadonk @ Jan 10th 2006 8:54AM]

Tmo is using UMA as a replacement to rolling out EDGE or UMTS - they figure the average user isn't going to need fast data access outside of areas lacking WiFi coverage.

And call handoff isn't an easy thing to do - TMo will have to install some serious infrastructure to support all those VoIP calls and the handoff between them. This is still cheaper than upgrading every cell tower, however. And commenting on "maokh" - that makes a lot of sense given the other reason to support UMA - less people sitting at home connected (or not, as the case may be) to the WAN infrastructure. If you're going to buy a UMA handset, I can see them bundling an AP for those who don't have wireless in the home. likely it is running different firmware (OpenWRT anyone?) to support the VoIP routing as well.

[Dan Reimer @ Jan 26th 2006 1:54PM]

6, 7 The router is either a D-Link, or a T-Mobile branded Linksys. Not pink, just a T-Mobile on it.

9 T-Mobile has already rolled out EDGE on most of thier network. Where have you been? If you have read anything about UMA the handoff is in the handset, so it's up to the handset manufacturers to get that right.

Also, BT is already doing something similar using BlueTooth in the UK. Use your favorite search engine to look that up too...