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AT&T completes acquisition of Qualcomm's FLO TV spectrum

Dante Cesa — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 14:49:00 EST

It's only been five days since it's gotten the official go ahead, but AT&T's wasted no time in completing its acquisition of a swath of 700MHz spectrum from Qualcomm. Those airwaves, which formerly powered FLO TV, were purchased for a cool $1.9 billion and will now be repurposed to bolster Ma Bell's LTE network. It might not have been everything the carrier had hoped for, but some additional spectrum is better than none, right? Possibly the shortest press release you'll ever see awaits after the break.

Continue reading AT&T completes acquisition of Qualcomm's FLO TV spectrum

AT&T completes acquisition of Qualcomm's FLO TV spectrum originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 27 Dec 2011 14:49:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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FCC approves AT&T's $1.9b purchase of Qualcomm's 700MHz spectrum (update)

Zachary Lutz — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 21:20:00 EST

Christmas has come early to the execs at AT&T, who are likely celebrating the FCC's 3-1 approval to purchase Qualcomm's block of the 700MHz spectrum for $1.9 billion. The news comes as a bittersweet victory for Ma Bell, whose efforts to acquire T-Mobile turned sour earlier this year. Qualcomm's block of the airwaves, once used to facilitate FLO TV, now sits unused. Once the acquisition is complete, AT&T will use the new share of spectrum to increase download capacity for its burgeoning LTE network.

For the FCC's part, it has approved the deal with only a few stipulations: AT&T will be required to satisfy interference requirements and must offer data roaming to its competitors on the spectrum. That's not to suggest everyone's pleased, however. Rural cellular providers asked that, as part of the deal, AT&T must ensure that its LTE network is interoperable with the bands used by smaller networks. Sadly, the FCC has denied this request, ostensibly limiting the little guy from receiving Ma Bell's hand-me-downs.

Update: AT&T has gone ahead and released a wee bit of celebratory PR, which we're including after the break. Most importantly, it expects to wrap up the finer details in the next few days.

Continue reading FCC approves AT&T's $1.9b purchase of Qualcomm's 700MHz spectrum (update)

FCC approves AT&T's $1.9b purchase of Qualcomm's 700MHz spectrum (update) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 22 Dec 2011 21:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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AT&T buys Qualcomm's FLO TV spectrum for a cool $1.9b, promises 4G awesomeness

Vlad Savov — Mon, 20 Dec 2010 08:01:00 EST

Qualcomm and AT&T are no longer talking about a deal, they've agreed to one: pending regulatory checks and other closing conditions, the wireless spectrum that was once dedicated to FLO TV will now be transferred into AT&T's ownership in a $1.925 billion deal. Located in the lower 700MHz range, this bit of wireless space is said to cover more than 300 million people nationwide and AT&T expects it to play an important role in its future 4G network rollout and development. All that due diligence housekeeping will take the two companies a little while, with the deal expected to be finalized in the latter half of 2011, but at least we can rest assured that AT&T's serious about not being left behind.

Continue reading AT&T buys Qualcomm's FLO TV spectrum for a cool $1.9b, promises 4G awesomeness

AT&T buys Qualcomm's FLO TV spectrum for a cool $1.9b, promises 4G awesomeness originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 20 Dec 2010 08:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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FLO TV rebates for devices and service are now live

Darren Murph — Thu, 09 Dec 2010 18:53:00 EST

FLO TV said that it would be refunding the eight folks who actually bought into its services once it made the tough decision to shut things down on March 27, 2011, and lo and behold, it's a promise kept. What we weren't expecting, however, was any sort of monetary compensation for hardware, but it looks as if FLO TV will be providing some sort of rebate amount to those who purchased a FLO TV Personal Television, Audiovox Portable DVD Player with FLO TV or FLO TV Auto Entertainment center. It's unclear how much you'll be getting back -- you'll need to go through the entire rebate process to find out -- but you will be reimbursed for any prepaid FLO TV services that you're no longer interested in using (or won't be able to use due to the March 2011 cutoff). Hit the source link to file your claim, but be aware that your service will be cut within 72 hours of submitting it. Beyond the break, you'll find the full email that FLO TV is sending to its customers.

[Thanks, T.J.]

Continue reading FLO TV rebates for devices and service are now live

FLO TV rebates for devices and service are now live originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 09 Dec 2010 18:53:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Qualcomm talking to AT&T, other carriers over MediaFLO spectrum sale?

Chris Ziegler — Thu, 18 Nov 2010 16:10:00 EST

Seems Qualcomm wasn't kidding when it said selling off MediaFLO's spectrum was a possibility now that it's cutting off direct-to-consumer mobile TV services. BusinessWeek is reporting that the company has sat down recently with "several carriers" -- though only AT&T is being called out by name -- presumably with the goal of fleshing out just how much dinero it could land for offing the spectrum MediaFLO uses to deliver programming. Qualcomm paid close to $700 million for the spectrum over the course of the last decade, and it lies in the 700MHz block -- a block both AT&T and Verizon will be using extensively as they build out their next-gen networks -- so it stands to reason they'd both love to buy in, likely at a healthy premium over what Qualcomm originally paid. There was a time that we loved the idea of multicast mobile TV programming, but at this point, doesn't it seem like everything should be going to beef up wireless broadband?

Qualcomm talking to AT&T, other carriers over MediaFLO spectrum sale? originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 18 Nov 2010 16:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Qualcomm says all options are on the table for FLO TV, including sale of spectrum

Donald Melanson — Mon, 08 Nov 2010 07:09:00 EST

FLO TV may be dead as we know it, but it's still a significant asset for Qualcomm, and it looks like the company is keeping all options on the table for what to do with it. As CEO Paul Jacobs himself laid out during a recent analysts' conference call, that includes a possible restructuring of FLO TV's wholesale business model, a joint venture with a third party, or a complete shutdown of the service and sale of its sure-to-be-valuable 700MHz spectrum. On that latter possibility, there's apparently been some "strong interest" from various parties looking to use he FLO TV network or spectrum for one purpose or another, although specifics beyond that are obviously still being kept under wraps.

Qualcomm says all options are on the table for FLO TV, including sale of spectrum originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 08 Nov 2010 07:09:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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FLO TV killing direct-to-consumer programming in spring 2011, will make necessary refunds

Darren Murph — Tue, 05 Oct 2010 18:25:00 EST

Don't say we never gave you a heads-up on anything. 24 hours (give or take a few minutes) after we punched the final nail into FLO TV's direct-to-consumer coffin, Qualcomm itself has issued a brief but pointed statement regarding the tragically doomed service. The major line is this: "We are suspending our direct to consumer sales of new devices." If you just so happen to already own one, you can look forward to service continuing through the Spring of 2011, after which you'll be up a certain creek without any sort of steering apparatus. In the event of a discontinuance of service, FLO TV will make appropriate refunds, but the details surrounding that won't be communicated until that fateful day draws nearer. We're also told that MediaFLO service (provided to handsets via carrier partnerships) will continue on unaffected, and it sounds as if the company has plans to attach its service to tablets in the future. The worst news of all? Qualcomm's working to redeploy impacted employees, but it does "anticipate that there will be some layoffs." The statement can be seen in its entirety after the break.

Continue reading FLO TV killing direct-to-consumer programming in spring 2011, will make necessary refunds

FLO TV killing direct-to-consumer programming in spring 2011, will make necessary refunds originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 05 Oct 2010 18:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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FLO TV killed by Qualcomm, its four users look shocked and saddened

Darren Murph — Mon, 04 Oct 2010 16:53:00 EST

We'd heard from a couple of internal sources on Friday that Qualcomm was pulling the plug on the ill-fated FLO TV direct-to-consumer service, and now we've reason to believe that the deed is in fact done. Despite the company's best attempts at playing up the idea of carrying around a mobile TV and paying yet another content subscription bill, it seems as if the public's wishes are finally being recognized. According to our sources, Qualcomm is informing partner retailers to stop selling FLO TV products immediately, and sure enough, a glance over at Best Buy's website reveals that only a couple of accessories remain in stock. We're guessing that Wally World is hoping to rid itself of as much stock as possible before the news goes mainstream, but in all likelihood, those units will too vanish into the night in short order. It's bruited that Qualcomm is still in discussions with AT&T and Verizon on the future of its wholesale MediaFLO service, and we've reached out for comment on the future of service for those who already sprung for a FLO TV Personal Television. We'll let you know what else we hear, but for now, be sure to stay away from a product you were never, ever interested in to begin with. It'll be a challenge, we know.

FLO TV killed by Qualcomm, its four users look shocked and saddened originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 04 Oct 2010 16:53:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Japan chooses ISDB-Tmm over MediaFLO for new mobile TV network, KDDI pouts

Chris Ziegler — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 11:19:00 EST

Well, that wasn't much of a delay at all! Japanese regulators have apparently gone ahead and selected NTT DoCoMo's proposal for Japan's next-gen mobile TV network scheduled to go live in 2012 -- ISDB-Tmm, an evolution of the country's existing one-seg technology -- over the MediaFLO-based solution floated by competitor KDDI. Considering that KDDI is tied up in CDMA / EV-DO, it's little wonder they were pushing MediaFLO, a product of CDMA patron saint Qualcomm -- but it's a moot point now that the license is going to DoCoMo's broadcasting consortium. For what it's worth, KDDI -- understandably none too pleased by the decision -- has said that it will refuse to offer programming for the new network, which likely means that its 30 million-plus subscribers won't have access. Great to see these guys can work together so well, isn't it?

Japan chooses ISDB-Tmm over MediaFLO for new mobile TV network, KDDI pouts originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 09 Sep 2010 11:19:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Samsung Flight II and Eternity II official for AT&T

Chris Ziegler — Mon, 09 Aug 2010 13:20:00 EST

At AT&T, it's not just about the Xperia X10 today -- at least, not if Samsung has anything to say about it. Sammy's introduced a pair of sequels in the last few hours, the Flight II (pictured left) and the Eternity II (pictured right), both previously-rumored devices that re-up the company's media-centric dumbphone strategy both with and without physical QWERTY keyboards. Choice is good, isn't it? In the case of the Flight II, you get a 2 megapixel camera, memory expansion to 16GB, a full HTML browser, a switch from the original Flight's portrait QWERTY to landscape, and support for AT&T's questionably-useful Video Share service; the Eternity II takes away the keyboard but lets you scale up to 32GB of additional storage, includes "smart gestures" for the touchscreen display, and carries over the original Eternity's support for AT&T's FLO-based Mobile TV. The Flight II's available right now as a RadioShack exclusive for $50 on a two-year deal, while the Eternity II swings into AT&T stores on the 15th of the month for an unannounced price. Follow the break for the full release.

Continue reading Samsung Flight II and Eternity II official for AT&T

Samsung Flight II and Eternity II official for AT&T originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 09 Aug 2010 13:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Audiovox rolls out FLO TV-equipped DFL01 portable DVD player

Donald Melanson — Sat, 07 Aug 2010 19:07:00 EST

FLO TV may not be the runaway success that Qualcomm hoped it would be, but it's been pushing into one new area after the next as of late, and you can now add portable DVD players to that list -- Audiovox has just rolled out the first such device with its DFL01 player. It was actually announced way back at CES in January, but is now available to order for $199, which will get you a 7-inch widescreen display, three months of free FLO TV service (it'll run you $14.99 a month after that) and, of course, a built-in DVD player. Somewhat curiously, it seems that HSN is the only retailer actually shipping the device right now, but it's said to be "coming soon" to Best Buy as well.

Audiovox rolls out FLO TV-equipped DFL01 portable DVD player originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 07 Aug 2010 19:07:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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FLO TV losing money, Qualcomm looking for an out?

Joseph L. Flatley — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 14:22:00 EST

So it seems that founding and operating a broadcast mobile TV business is no mean feat: as mocoNews points out, there is spectrum to be purchased and transmission towers to be networked -- all before you can sell electronics manufacturers on carrying your chipset in their devices. Unfortunately for Qualcomm, it looks like FLO TV has been something less than profitable, a reality that CEO Paul Jacobs owned up to in the company's Q3 conference call. What is there to be done, then? Jacobs been decidedly tight-lipped, only saying that there have been "a lot of interesting discussions" and that it (whatever "it" is) will go down "in the next year." As the AP points out, there are a few possibilities: the business could be sold to a third party, for which Qualcomm would supply the chipsets. Qualcomm could acquire a company that already supplies mobile services (GPS or satellite radio, for instance) that wants to add mobile TV. Or, with spectrum being at such a premium, they could just shut down the network and use the spectrum for something else. It'll be interesting to see what happens, although we're pretty sure what won't happen: we probably won't be buying a Personal Television any time soon.

FLO TV losing money, Qualcomm looking for an out? originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 22 Jul 2010 14:22:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sharp keeps going with the Sidekick look, intros FX for AT&T

Chris Ziegler — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 14:25:00 EST

Sharp, you see, hasn't had much luck with its North American phone efforts as of late -- they've made almost all of the now-dead Sidekick series, and the Kin... well, you know how that ended up working out. So on that note, we seriously wish these guys the very best of luck with their first non-Sidekick, non-Kin entry in the US market in as long as we can remember: the FX for AT&T (which looks curiously like a Sidekick, actually). This puppy pairs a touchscreen with a QWERTY slide and just a 2 megapixel camera -- not particularly high-end -- but interestingly also features support for AT&T's FLO TV-based Mobile TV service, making it a nice upgrade for Quickfire users. It'll be available next Sunday, July 25 for $99.99 on contract after $50 mail-in rebate; in the meantime, follow the break for the full press release.

Continue reading Sharp keeps going with the Sidekick look, intros FX for AT&T

Sharp keeps going with the Sidekick look, intros FX for AT&T originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 19 Jul 2010 14:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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LG Vu Plus coming to AT&T on June 6 for $150

Chris Ziegler — Mon, 24 May 2010 10:04:00 EST

So that Vu Plus we'd tipped for a June 6 release has just gone official, and needless to say, it's not your daddy's Vu. The most notable change is the addition of a landscape slider QWERTY keyboard, but one of the Vu's hallmark's -- support for AT&T's FLO-based Mobile TV service -- carries over for $9.99 a month with a free 7-day trial subscription. It's got a 3-inch capacitive touchscreen, 7.2Mbps HSDPA, a 3 megapixel autofocus cam with video recording, AT&T Video Share compatibility, and microSD expansion if the phone's internal 50MB just aren't cutting it. Look for it to hit shelves for $149.99 after a $50 mail-in rebate. Follow the break for the full release.

Continue reading LG Vu Plus coming to AT&T on June 6 for $150

LG Vu Plus coming to AT&T on June 6 for $150 originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 24 May 2010 10:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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FLO TV to offer time-shifted viewing, pay-as-you-go, web-based content later this year

Joseph L. Flatley — Tue, 13 Apr 2010 17:02:00 EST

It looks like FLO TV is about to get a little more interesting. Alongside your automobile and your various smartphones, you'll soon be able to turn to your smartbooks, e-readers, and tablets to access your mobile TV service. The diabolical plot begins when the company launches "new applications that integrate video with web-based content" for distributing "live mobile TV and rich mobile media services to a range of new devices." What does all this mean, exactly? Aside from some additional interactivity for advertisers, the service is planning on announcing pay-as-you-go and pay-per-view billing, as well as time-shifted viewing (you know, like a DVR). We don't know what existing hardware will be able to take advantage of this, but we're sure that a combination of pausing shows and pay-as-you-go would make new devices much more attractive to the casual user. Look for things to start happening the second half of this year. PR after the break.

Continue reading FLO TV to offer time-shifted viewing, pay-as-you-go, web-based content later this year

FLO TV to offer time-shifted viewing, pay-as-you-go, web-based content later this year originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 13 Apr 2010 17:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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LG Arena officially lands on AT&T for $199

Nilay Patel — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 11:53:00 EST

No surprise the LG Arena has finally arrived on AT&T after we saw those spyshots earlier this year -- although it is packing AT&T Mobile TV, so that's a nice touch. Everything else is as predicted: 3-inch WVGA screen, 5 megapixel camera with autofocus, GPS, and WiFi. Of course, you will be spending $199 on a two-year contract for a poorly-reviewed year-old featurephone when this hits on February 26, so that's probably a mistake, but at least the gratuitous spinny-cube effects of LG's S-Class UI will keep you distracted as you wander aimlessly through the wreckage of our once-proud civilization. There is also a web browser.

LG Arena officially lands on AT&T for $199 originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 19 Feb 2010 11:53:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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FLO TV storms automotive lots, FLO-EV gets launched and FLO smartbook apps surface

Darren Murph — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 10:29:00 EST

FLO TV may not have had the best Super Bowl commercial (not by a long shot, actually), but the fledgling mobile programming service is doing its darnedest to make some waves over in Barcelona. The biggest news is that Qualcomm will be on hand at MWC in order to showcase a FLO-enabled smartbook, a device that will purportedly bring together live television and live social networking updates -- something that would come in handy while watching the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics, for example. In other, more international news, FLO-EV is being introduced, with Qualcomm describing it as the "next evolution of the FLO air interface." Finally, Audiovox has announced that an in-vehicle system based on FLO TV is now sweeping the nation, with Advent-branded solutions hitting up showroom accessory departments en masse. Now, if only these guys and gals could convince people to care about TV on-the-go...

Continue reading FLO TV storms automotive lots, FLO-EV gets launched and FLO smartbook apps surface

FLO TV storms automotive lots, FLO-EV gets launched and FLO smartbook apps surface originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 15 Feb 2010 10:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mophie juice pack TV hands-on

Vlad Savov — Sat, 09 Jan 2010 15:57:00 EST

You won't know it by the product's official name, but this is the FLO TV appendage for the iPhone that's been teased since November last year. Combining a mobile TV receiver with Mophie's juice pack, this is 2mm thicker and noticeably heavier than the normal external battery pack. You can see comparison shots in the gallery below -- the red and black units are samples of the new peripherals while the white one is the standard Mophie hardware. Alas, no working FLO TV demos were available, but we were told the iPhone UI should be one different from what the company offers at present. Reps kept mum on pricing, but they confirmed the juice pack TV should be arriving in the first half of 2010.

Gallery: Mophie juice pack TV hands-on

Mophie juice pack TV hands-on originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 09 Jan 2010 15:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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FLO TV and Mophie team up to bring mobile TV to your iPhone

Vlad Savov — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 14:36:00 EST

If you'll recall, FLO TV showed off a proof-of-concept for getting its mobile TV service onto the iPhone back in November of last year. At the time, it required a somewhat unwieldy attachment, which has now melted away with the inclusion of Mophie into the deal, who will integrate the FLO TV hardware into its popular Juice Pack. Both companies are pretty psyched about the synergy of having one device both receiving mobile TV and doing the consequently necessary battery life extension. You'll find their collective announcement after the break, and products can be expected in the first half of the year.

Continue reading FLO TV and Mophie team up to bring mobile TV to your iPhone

FLO TV and Mophie team up to bring mobile TV to your iPhone originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 06 Jan 2010 14:36:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Switched On: The TV is personal again

Ross Rubin — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 19:30:00 EST

Ross Rubin (@rossrubin) contributes Switched On, a column about consumer technology.

The short history of digital content includes several examples of on-the-go services like Audible and Slacker that were started out on own devices before expanding to others, But FLO TV, which started its service on handsets from Verizon and then AT&T, has gone the other way. After being stalled by the digital TV transition delay that held up spectrum it needed to launch and expand service in several markets, FLO TV has launched a dedicated $250 device, the HTC-branded Personal Television, even as it seeks to expand the number of handsets supporting its receiver.

Like a Kindle, iPod nano, or Flip camcorder, the pocketable Personal TV has a straightforward, optimized purpose. And for technophiles who live in a world of Hulu, TV-on-DVDs and Apple TV, it recalls a simpler time when TV content and device were an integrated pair. Turn on the device, press a GPS-style safety disclaimer, and you're watching TV. Apart from power and volume/mute controls, it has only a single front-mounted button brings up the electronic programming guide, which can be navigated by touching and swiping its 3.5-inch touchscreen. A laptop battery-style power status button lights up a series of LEDs to let you know how much charge is left in the device.

Continue reading Switched On: The TV is personal again

Switched On: The TV is personal again originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 03 Dec 2009 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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FLO TV for iPhone proof-of-concept caught in the wild

Joseph L. Flatley — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 12:57:00 EST

We don't know if watching TV on a 3.5-inch display is your bag, as it were, but it looks like Qualcomm is moving onward and upward with its plans for FLO TV on the iPhone. Not too many details at the moment, just some pics that Electricpig snapped of a handset running a proof-of-concept app that relies on an external device for reception, streaming re-runs of Mayberry R.F.D. to your handset via WiFi. No word yet on the when this device might actually go "prime time," but with any luck the five pocket TV enthusiasts out there may someday be freed from the tyranny of the FLO TV Personal Television. Get a closer look after the break.

Continue reading FLO TV for iPhone proof-of-concept caught in the wild

FLO TV for iPhone proof-of-concept caught in the wild originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 20 Nov 2009 12:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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FLO TV Personal Television now on sale for $250, should be in cereal boxes soon

Darren Murph — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 10:19:00 EST

Look, we fully understand that someone, somewhere put a lot of time and effort into designing a $250 handheld that does nothing but watch pixelated mobile TV for a lofty per-month price, but seriously, there has to be better uses of one's time. The 3.5-inch FLO TV Personal Television is on sale today at Amazon, Best Buy and RadioShack, though we suspect that the $249.99 up front price will probably keep most potential buyers at bay. Six months of service are included, but afterwards you'll be paying at least $8.99 per month (and a rate that low requires a three-year contract) to keep the signals flowing. If we're being honest, this thing is still more useful than Celio's REDFLY, but that sure ain't sayin' much.

Filed under: Displays, Handhelds

FLO TV Personal Television now on sale for $250, should be in cereal boxes soon originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 13 Nov 2009 10:19:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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FLO TV Personal Television hands-on (video)

Paul Miller — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 10:12:00 EST

After a few years of marketing FLO TV through Verizon and AT&T, Qualcomm has struck out on its own to sell a standalone FLO TV, this here FLO TV Personal Television. It seems like a bit of an odd choice in the current media consumption climate, and the price is certainly steep at $250, along with the $9+ monthly subscription fee, but Qualcomm naturally has its reasons. Basically, if people want a second screen to watch FLO TV on, or already have a non-FLO phone that they're happy with, this gives them the option, and then there's the all-important family car ride where you might hand this device to your kid, but wouldn't be so likely to toss them your own phone. Unfortunately, the lack of a hefty carrier subsidy means the $250 pricetag doesn't seem too in line with the quality of this device -- particularly the screen, which pales in comparison to those found on the similarly priced Zune and iPod touch (at least on the prototype device we played with). The touchscreen interface is pretty simple and reasonably quick, though touch detection isn't exactly first-tier, but basically this whole device is as straightforward and no-frills as it looks. Check out a quick hands-on video after the break.

Continue reading FLO TV Personal Television hands-on (video)

FLO TV Personal Television hands-on (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 07 Oct 2009 10:12:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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FLO TV Personal Television gets official: $250 plus a monthly fee you'll never pay

Darren Murph — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 23:52:00 EST

You know, considering just how unappreciated FLO TV's mobile television services are here in the US of A, you'd think the company would do its best to keep the losses at bay. For whatever reason, suits at the outfit have it in mind that the answer to their woes isn't to throw in mobile TV gratis and find revenue streams from other sources, but to produce a dedicated TV that will only appeal to those looking to actually carry more portable devices with them. Brilliant, no? The oft-rumored FLO TV Personal Television finally got official tonight, with an aim to bring live and time-shifted content directly to the 3.5-inch capacitive touchscreen for up to five straight hours on a single charge. To its credit, it weighs just 5 ounces and features an integrated kickstand and stereo speakers, but with a $249.99 price tag and a required $8.99 monthly plan (or more, if you're not a fan of locking yourself into an absurd 3-year contract), we can't exactly see this thing selling well. Or at all, really.

Gallery: FLO TV Personal Television gets official: $250 plus a monthly fee you'll never pay

Filed under: Displays, Portable Video

FLO TV Personal Television gets official: $250 plus a monthly fee you'll never pay originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 06 Oct 2009 23:52:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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AT&T touts Opera-powered full web browsing with new phones from Samsung and Pantech

Chris Ziegler — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 00:01:00 EST

AT&T wants you to know that you don't need a smartphone just to get a rich, full web experience from your handset -- theoretically, anyway -- with the introduction of four new models from longtime partners Samsung and Pantech alongside a new featurephone browser. First up from Samsung comes the Flight (pictured left), billed as a "next-generation messaging device" on account of its full QWERTY portrait slide paired with a full touchscreen up top; it'll be available next month for $99.99 on contract after rebate -- that is, if you didn't buy it on Craigslist already. That silvery slate in the middle that's more likely to be catching your eye is the Mythic, rocking TouchWiz on a 3.3-inch display along with AT&T Mobile TV, making it a fitting successor to the Eternity and big brother to the Solstice; like the Flight, it swings onto retail next month, but you'll be paying a stiffer $199.99 on contract after $50 rebate.

Turning our attention to the Pantech side of the table, we've got the Reveal (pictured right) that lets you have it both ways with a numeric keypad up top twined with a QWERTY slider underneath. It's 3G-capable, AT&T Navigator-equipped, and available for your enjoyment on October 18 in red and blue. Finally, the Impact (not pictured) has an OLED touchscreen up front, but when the texting gets hot and heavy, the phone opens up to reveal a second display along with a QWERTY keyboard. It'll be available in pink and blue, though neither pricing nor availability are being announced just yet.

Gluing everything together is AT&T's new mobile browser, described as "a rich hybrid experience that gives you a HTML experience similar to your PC browser at home" that "works really well on a feature phone." Additionally, users visiting att.net from their PCs will be able to send bookmarks to their phones' mobile portals -- kind of a neat trick, especially when you're trying to minimize the number of URLs you have to mash out on an on-screen keyboard. Of course, featurephone browsers have a reputation for generally sucking, so considering that AT&T bills its new line of devices as "full web browsing phones," it'll be interesting to see how close they actually come to delivering on the claim; it's said the phones use "advanced data compression from Opera Software," which we're thinking is very likely some variation of Opera Turbo -- not a bad start.

Gallery: AT&T touts full HTML browsing with new phones from Samsung and Pantech

Filed under: Cellphones

AT&T touts Opera-powered full web browsing with new phones from Samsung and Pantech originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 05 Oct 2009 00:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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AT&T touts Opera-powered full web browsing with new phones from Samsung and Pantech

Chris Ziegler — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 00:01:00 EST

Gallery: AT&T touts full HTML browsing with new phones from Samsung and Pantech

Filed under: Handsets, Pantech, Samsung, ATT, GSM, EDGE, HSDPA, UMTS

AT&T touts Opera-powered full web browsing with new phones from Samsung and Pantech originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 05 Oct 2009 00:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Qualcomm's FLO TV device caught in the wild with a cup of joe

Tim Stevens — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 07:57:00 EST

If you're on AT&T or Verizon you may have watched an episode of something or another wirelessly via FLO TV, and while the service has hardly taken the nation by storm, it's probably the closest thing to DMB we Americans are going to get for awhile. Qualcomm was rumored to be working on a dedicated device for the service also called the FLO TV, a television-tuning gizmo with a capacitive touchscreen, and now here it is, captured sitting precariously close to the edge of the table, looking set to tumble onto what's surely a greasy, dingy floor below. The device also doubles as a PMP, and while only 4GB of storage means it won't be a particularly good one, with any luck there's a microSD slot in there somewhere. It's all very hush-hush at this point so we don't have any idea about pricing or availability, but perhaps the loose lips at the FCC will give us an answer to that second question soon.

Filed under: Portable Audio, Portable Video, Wireless

Qualcomm's FLO TV device caught in the wild with a cup of joe originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 24 Sep 2009 07:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Qualcomm FLO TV handheld in the works?

Joseph L. Flatley — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 11:33:00 EST

According to gdgt, Qualcomm -- which usually sticks to research, design, and the fabless chip game -- is fixin' to produce something called the Personal Television, for use with its FLO TV network. The handheld device is alleged to feature a capacitive touchscreen, a swipe and gesture-driven UI, 4GB of memory, built-in stereo speakers, and enough juice for five hours of video, fifteen hours of music, or three hundred stand-by hours. Currently, FLO TV is only available on a limited number of phones, from the likes of AT&T and Verizon in the States, although the company has said that they're planning on bringing it to other phones (via add-on peripherals) including the iPhone and WinMo devices. Can we offer one word of advice? You might want to go with a name besides "Personal Television." Really, it sounds so very 2006.

Filed under: Portable Audio, Portable Video

Qualcomm FLO TV handheld in the works? originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 26 Aug 2009 11:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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FLO TV to add 39 markets following DTV transition

Chris Ziegler — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 19:02:00 EST

If we're using availability across AT&T's and Verizon's lineups as a benchmark, we'd venture to guess that FLO isn't doing terribly well -- but be that as it may, the Qualcomm subsidiary is rearing to expand its coverage just as soon as the remainder of the nation's analog television stations go dark on June 12. In fact, they're really, really serious about it: 15 new markets will go live the moment the analog signals turn off, adding Boston, Houston, Miami, and others, while another 24 will tack on by the end of the year. Existing live markets like Chicago and New York will enjoy expanded coverage, too, but the question remains -- where's FLO's meal ticket? More hardware helps, but it might ultimately take a transition to free services before mobile TV takes off.

Filed under: Multimedia

FLO TV to add 39 markets following DTV transition originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 10 Jun 2009 19:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Qualcomm developing FLO TV accessories for iPhone OS 3.0, other smartphones

Ross Miller — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 17:21:00 EST

Qualcomm's fledgling FLO TV service might be on to something this time. President Bill Stone's announced plans to offer mobile broadcast to phones via add-on peripherals, including an iPhone 3.0-compatible antenna /chip accessory that's currently in the works, although without an estimated release window (Business Insider suggests it'll be ready sometime next year). The company's also looking into accessorizing Windows Mobile phones, either with a plug-in or some device that connects over Wi-Fi / Bluetooth. Seeing as the latest comScore statistics say less than one percent of all phone users watch mobile broadcast TV, which at the moment has to come built-in, this could prove to be a boon for the service -- assuming Q or the carriers can do something about those excessive pricing plans or fierce competition from Sling.

[Via Electronista]

Filed under: Handsets, Multimedia, Windows Mobile, iPhone OS

Qualcomm developing FLO TV accessories for iPhone OS 3.0, other smartphones originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 09 Apr 2009 17:21:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Qualcomm developing FLO TV accessories for iPhone OS 3.0, other smartphones

Ross Miller — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 17:21:00 EST

Filed under: Cellphones, Portable Video

Qualcomm developing FLO TV accessories for iPhone OS 3.0, other smartphones originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 09 Apr 2009 17:21:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Qualcomm taps former Amp'd chief Bill Stone to head FLO TV

Donald Melanson — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 17:50:00 EST

Bill Stone has already had one tough job thrust upon him when he was named CEO of the troubled Amp'd Mobile, and Qualcomm seems to think that he's the guy to handle another pretty difficult task, with the company recently naming him president of FLO TV, not to mention senior vice president of Qualcomm. Stone, who's currently the CEO of mobile software firm Handango, will be replacing Gina Lombardi, who had been heading up Qualcomm's mobile TV initiatives for the past three years, and will apparently be staying on with Qualcomm in some other, unspecified capacity. No word on what the move means for Handango, but Stone will officially be taking the reins at FLO TV on February 2nd.

Filed under: Multimedia

Qualcomm taps former Amp'd chief Bill Stone to head FLO TV originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 28 Jan 2009 17:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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