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Option XYfi mobile hotspot tours the FCC, HSUPA in tow

Andrew Munchbach — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 09:19:00 EST

What you're looking at above is a render of Option Wireless' XYfi mobile broadband hotspot; currently being reviewed by the folks over at the FCC. Dawning the model number GI0643, the XYfi packs quad-band 2G and tri-band 3G GSM radios -- complete with UMTS, HSDPA and HSUPA goodness. The filing doesn't clue us in on which network (if any) will be carrying the XYfi, but it does indicate that your WiFi-enabled peripherals will be able to connect via 802.11b/g/n. The request letter was submitted this past July, but now that it's in the public's view, it ought not be too long before you find the unit gracing a store shelf. One burning question remains: who let Motorola Mobility's marketing team name this thing?

Option XYfi mobile hotspot tours the FCC, HSUPA in tow originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 24 Dec 2011 09:19:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Motorola Pro+ 4G rides into Canada November 7th, will kick off shoes and stay a while

Brad Molen — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 06:49:00 EST

We knew it was planning to grace Europe and Asia with its presence this month, but now we're hearing the Motorola Pro+ 4G is ready to make its North American debut at Bell Canada. We're not seeing any large differences here compared to the overseas model, though the addition of "4G" to the title is an obvious exception. The device offers a 1GHz CPU, 512MB of RAM, Android 2.3, a 5MP camera, 3.1-inch VGA (640 x 480) display with Gorilla Glass, HSPA 14.4 (hence the "4G" name) and a lot of Enterprise-friendly security features. We know it'll be hitting shelves on November 7th, but no price has been announced so far. To find out the full shebang, head south for the press release.

Update: We've confirmed with an inside source that it'll sell for $349.95, but there's no word on whether subsidies will apply for long-term contracts.

Continue reading Motorola Pro+ 4G rides into Canada November 7th, will kick off shoes and stay a while

Motorola Pro+ 4G rides into Canada November 7th, will kick off shoes and stay a while originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 27 Oct 2011 06:49:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Amazon Wireless reduces Inspire 4G to $30, makes AT&T look downright miserly

Zachary Lutz — Mon, 16 May 2011 16:35:00 EST

If your desire for unibody enclosures is limited by a reluctance to pony up for premium designs, then you might grin knowing that Amazon Wireless is selling the HTC Inspire 4G for $30. Yes, this massive 4.3-inch slab can be the pride of your pocket without simultaneously emptying your wallet -- that's before you start piling on the accessories, anyway. While the Inspire 4G's reputation was initially sullied by an indictment in HSUPA-gate, it was later cleared of all charges thanks to AT&T's promised update. Now that users can upload with abandon, this might be a fine opportunity to recommit with Ma Bell while pocketing an easy $70. We know, it's a good find -- but don't start laughing too maniacally or your co-workers will get suspicious.

Amazon Wireless reduces Inspire 4G to $30, makes AT&T look downright miserly originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 16 May 2011 16:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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AT&T brings HSUPA to Atrix 4G and Inspire 4G, one requires WiFi to download update

Sean Hollister — Sat, 30 Apr 2011 12:33:00 EST

If you're the somewhat-proud-but-feeling-throttled owner of a Motorola Atrix 4G or HTC Inspire 4G, your days of terribly slow uploads are nearly through -- following some preliminary tests, AT&T is rolling out updates that provide "increased potential data speed" to both HSPA+ handsets right on cue. The Inspire 4G's patch will also "make the email set up process much easier," while the Atrix 4G will actually get a pair of updates which will allegedly bring better Bluetooth headset compatibility, fingerprint reader performance and battery life (which is always a plus) as well as the questionable utility of turning the Atrix into an EDGE hotspot, and a bump to Android 2.2.2 to hopefully fix any lingering SMS routing bugs. Word of warning though, you'll need to throw your Atrix up on a WiFi network to obtain these goodies -- all the Gs in the world won't help you.

AT&T brings HSUPA to Atrix 4G and Inspire 4G, one requires WiFi to download update originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 30 Apr 2011 12:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Motorola tests update for Atrix 4G, includes HSUPA support

Brad Molen — Thu, 28 Apr 2011 09:08:00 EST

Sure, AT&T set a self-imposed deadline for HSUPA support on the Atrix 4G, but it's waited until the last possible moment to turn in the completed assignment. Soon after hearing that a hack can flip the upload switch to "speedy", we learned that beta testers have been handed an over-the-air update to version 4.1.83. Motorola's site lists the changelog and vaguely mentions that the update brings "increased speed at which data can travel on the network." While such a statement implies the update will crank the HSUPA knob to 11, reports from testers are backing up the theory left, right, and center. Aside from the elephant in the room, the new update should bump the Atrix 4G to Android 2.2.2 and bring improvements to Wi-Fi, Skype, and email, along with a fix for the occasional frozen display bug. Of course without AT&T making this update widespread, and with only three days left in the month, it looks like we might have to dock points for tardiness. Follow the source link for all the nitty gritty details.

Motorola tests update for Atrix 4G, includes HSUPA support originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 28 Apr 2011 09:08:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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XDA Developers trump AT&T, release HSUPA support for Motorola's Atrix

Zachary Lutz — Wed, 27 Apr 2011 21:21:00 EST

We've known AT&T intends to enable HSUPA support for its mighty Atrix soon, but if you want it now (and we mean now), two restless XDA contributors are delivering some instant gratification for your upload woes. Today, dew.man and NFHimself released a modified radio file that allows Atrix owners to send data properly -- a feat iPhone users simply take for granted. This mod requires that your device be rooted, but reactions in the forum are ranging from ecstatic to elated (and everywhere in between). Of course, you could wait for AT&T's official release, but where's the fun in that? Hey, it's your phone, so take ownership already! Everything you need to know is in the source link below.

XDA Developers trump AT&T, release HSUPA support for Motorola's Atrix originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 27 Apr 2011 21:21:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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AT&T affirms: Windows Phone 7 NoDo rollouts start today for Focus and Quantum owners

Darren Murph — Tue, 19 Apr 2011 14:15:00 EST

What's this, a rollout hitting as planned? Believe it or not, the leaked memo we spotted a few days back has now proven true, with Microsoft's long-awaited NoDo update (complete with copy-and-paste) being pushed out today for select LG Quantum and Samsung Focus users. The update itself has been looping around for some time, but this marks the first launch of it on AT&T's airwaves. We've confirmed with the carrier that the folks in Redmond are indeed pushing it out as we speak, but there's no word yet on how long it'll take for everyone to get served. Let us know how the new build's treating you in comments below... should you be lucky enough to get it, that is.

[Thanks, Sean]

Update: Microsoft also confirms this rollout, and says that the update is currently being tested on the HTC Surround. Thanks, Jeff G.!

Update 2: In case the upload speed is restricted on your updated Focus, wpcentral has published an easy how-to on reactivating HSUPA. Thanks, zblack!

AT&T affirms: Windows Phone 7 NoDo rollouts start today for Focus and Quantum owners originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 19 Apr 2011 14:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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AT&T says Atrix 4G, Inspire 4G will have HSUPA enabled in April

Donald Melanson — Fri, 25 Mar 2011 20:35:00 EST

We've already seen some hints that something was coming soon courtesy of the FCC, and now AT&T has confirmed to CNET that both the HTC Inspire 4G and Motorola Atrix 4G will have their HSUPA capabilities enabled sometime in April via a software update. That should dramatically increase upload speeds on the phones (up to 5.76 Mbps), and make them more "4G" than ever before, but still not quite as "4G" as some other "4G." Incidentally, the Samsung Infuse 4G has also been confirmed to be shipping with HSUPA enabled, although it's still not clear exactly when it will ship.

AT&T says Atrix 4G, Inspire 4G will have HSUPA enabled in April originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 25 Mar 2011 20:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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AT&T's HTC Inspire 4G gets FCC permission to enable HSUPA

Chris Ziegler — Fri, 25 Mar 2011 11:36:00 EST

AT&T's teased that some of its existing models will eventually have HSUPA enabled, which should help mitigate the flack they've been taking over branding a network with glacial uplink speeds "4G." The recently-launched HTC Inspire 4G is among the models with disabled HSUPA out of the box, but the good news is that it shouldn't be disabled for much longer: an FCC Class II Permissive Change -- which gets generated when a device's RF characteristics are modified -- has just hit, clearly stating that "HTC Corporation will enable HSUPA function of this product." There's no time frame for the switch, but at least we know it's going to happen at some point; just try not to turn your Inspire into an FTP server in the meantime, alright?

AT&T's HTC Inspire 4G gets FCC permission to enable HSUPA originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 25 Mar 2011 11:36:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Bell's Motorola Atrix also has HSUPA disabled, Canadians frown upon 400kbps uploads

Richard Lai — Fri, 18 Mar 2011 06:34:00 EST

If you happen to reside just north of the American border, you might have heard that Canadian carrier Bell is now offering the Motorola Atrix from $169.95 on a three year commitment, all the way up to $599.95 sans contract. While this groovy smartphone is a welcomed addition for local Android fanatics, the early adopters have learned that -- much like its AT&T counterpart -- it lacks HSUPA. This is confirmed by xda-developers members who see a mere 400kpbs upload speed on their maple syrup-flavored Atrix, which is bad news for YouTube celebrities and the likes on Bell Mobility. Alas, we've yet to hear from the carrier regarding this issue, but let's just hope that the Atrix will be set free before Bell's headquarters gets taken over by furious green robots.

[Thanks, Steve and @Shift3r]

Bell's Motorola Atrix also has HSUPA disabled, Canadians frown upon 400kbps uploads originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 18 Mar 2011 06:34:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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AT&T says it's testing HSUPA on Atrix 4G, will turn it on eventually

Chris Ziegler — Fri, 11 Mar 2011 17:04:00 EST

A communique from a "Customer Appeals Manager" at AT&T in response to a Better Business Bureau complaint regarding slow uploads on the Atrix 4G has surfaced over on xda-developers, and it looks to more or less confirm what we've suspected: the hardware's totally capable of pushing HSUPA speeds, it's just being held back for the moment. The rep says that the carrier's currently "performing the testing and preparations necessary to ensure that, when [they] turn this feature on, you will continue to have a world class experience," which would suggest that there might be some lingering network concerns. AT&T's in the midst of a backhaul upgrade as part of its HSPA+ based "4G" network, so it might merely be a matter of waiting for that to go through before flipping the switch.

[Thanks, Shift3r]

AT&T says it's testing HSUPA on Atrix 4G, will turn it on eventually originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 11 Mar 2011 17:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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AT&T says 'new devices and updates to existing models' will be HSUPA-ready

Chris Ziegler — Wed, 09 Mar 2011 16:24:00 EST

Our digging revealed that the Inspire 4G and other devices in AT&T's current stable are more than capable at the hardware level of using HSUPA for high-speed upstream connections, but for whatever reason, the carrier seems to currently require that most handsets handshake with the network using an old protocol stack that doesn't include HSUPA. The result? Glacial uploads, which especially suck when you're trying to tether. Though there's no resolution yet, AT&T's now circulating a mildly hopeful statement: "...we have a number of HSUPA devices today and we will have more HSUPA-enabled devices in the future-new devices and updates to existing models." We're hoping that means we'll see a bunch of firmware updates in the next few months that flip the switch on HSUPA, especially for owners of phones like the Inspire and the Atrix, both of which have a shaky "4G" tacked on to the ends of their names.

AT&T says 'new devices and updates to existing models' will be HSUPA-ready originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 09 Mar 2011 16:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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AT&T's brewing HSUPA-gate: the inside story

Chris Ziegler — Wed, 23 Feb 2011 14:28:00 EST

Though it really came to a head with the recently-launched Inspire 4G, users have noticed that there really aren't many phones in AT&T's stable that deliver stellar upload speeds -- the Atrix 4G is suffering the same sub-megabit performance, as are older devices that should seemingly support HSUPA like the Samsung Captivate.

We've chatted in the past few days with a source who offers an interesting explanation: AT&T currently requires that all handsets that it sells "handshake" with the network as 3GPP Release 5 devices, the last official set of 3G specifications that lacked support for HSUPA. That feature -- also known as EDCH, or FDD Enhanced Uplink -- was added in Release 6. Though AT&T is apparently working on permitting the bulk of its handsets to handshake Release 6, presently only the iPhone 4 (and presumably all of its recent data devices like USB modems, which may also use Release 7) are allowed. Neither we, nor our source, know why this is. Our source believes that the Release 6 certification may happen within a "month or two," which would explain why some AT&T sales reps in live HSPA+ areas are telling customers that the "4G network" isn't live yet.

You can form your own conclusions as to why AT&T might be imposing this arbitrary limitation, but we do know that "enhanced" backhaul figures prominently into the company's 4G story; there may be concerns that flipping on HSUPA for everyone right now would overwhelm its legacy infrastructure. At any rate, it sounds like this could all be solved soon through a combination of network changes and possibly firmware updates for individual devices, so let's keep our fingers crossed.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

AT&T's brewing HSUPA-gate: the inside story originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 23 Feb 2011 14:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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AT&T's HTC Inspire 4G can do HSUPA, has it disabled for some mysterious reason

Chris Ziegler — Mon, 21 Feb 2011 13:40:00 EST

There's a story going around the past couple days that HTC's Inspire 4G for AT&T -- a phone that you would assume to be wicked fast on both uploads and downloads in light of the name -- doesn't support HSUPA, a critical element to offering reasonable uplink speeds. Turns out it's not quite that simple. Here's what we're hearing from trusted sources:

Contrary to AT&T's official line -- which is flatly that the Inspire's specs don't include HSUPA -- the hardware most certainly does support it.
For some reason, HSUPA has been disabled in the current firmware, but could be easily enabled in a future update if HTC and AT&T were to agree to do so. For what it's worth, we're not even aware of an HSPA+ chipset that lacks support for HSUPA, so that definitely sounds right.
We've also been told that AT&T's network may simply have HSUPA disabled in 4G areas. That doesn't necessarily make sense since other HSUPA-compliant devices on AT&T (like the iPhone 4, to name an obvious example) can regularly hit HSUPA uplink speeds, but we suppose it's possible that there's some specific incompatibility between the infrastructure and the chipset used by the Inspire. An eerily-similar incident has happened in the past, after all.

We'll keep our ear to the ground as we get more on this situation, but the bottom line is that hope is not lost for heavy uploaders with Inspires -- we just need to find out what it's going to take to get HTC to push an update.

AT&T's HTC Inspire 4G can do HSUPA, has it disabled for some mysterious reason originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 21 Feb 2011 13:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Vodafone R201 mobile WiFi hotspot review

Richard Lai — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 12:03:00 EST

Mobile broadband has come a long way since the early (and expensive) attempts at integrating 3G modules into laptops; today, cubicle dwellers are liberated by cheaper mobile data, along with the abundance of 3G dongles and the emerging mobile WiFi (ergo "MiFi") hotspot devices. It's no secret that Huawei's been flirting with both Three and Vodafone for some time, but it was only recently that the manufacturer also made a MiFi -- the R201 -- for Vodafone (the carrier's lesser-known MiFI 2352 in Spain is from Novatel). The question is: does this new HSPA MiFi have enough meat to steal the limelight from Three? Read on to find out.

Gallery: Vodafone R201 mobile WiFi hotspot review

Continue reading Vodafone R201 mobile WiFi hotspot review

Vodafone R201 mobile WiFi hotspot review originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 03 Sep 2010 12:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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AT&T deploying software fix for slow upload speeds over next few weeks

Nilay Patel — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 17:44:00 EST

Looks like AT&T and Alcatel-Lucent have finally sorted out the software glitch that's resulted in slow HSPA upload speeds in certain markets -- we were just told on the record that a patch is being rolled out and the update will be completed over the next two to three weeks. That should mean iPhone 4 and laptop data modem customers should start to see their upload speeds creep back to higher levels after being capped at UMTS rates for the past few weeks, so that's good news -- let us know if things are getting better for you, yeah?

AT&T deploying software fix for slow upload speeds over next few weeks originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 26 Jul 2010 17:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Olive Pad VT100 brings a voice-capable, 7-inch Android tablet to India's airwaves

Darren Murph — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 10:25:00 EST

Ha, and you thought Dell's Streak was pushing the boundaries of what's acceptable to hold to one's ear. In a bid to make even the xpPhone look diminutive, Olive Telecom has just announced India's first 3.5G Android (2.1 for now) tablet in the Olive Pad VT100. This 7-inch slate is said to boast an 800 x 480 resolution on a capacitive touchpanel, not to mention Bluetooth, WiFi, an SD card slot, 512MB of internal memory (plus 512MB ROM), a 3.5mm audio jack, 3 megapixel camera, mini USB socket and a 3,240mAh battery. There's also a mysterious front facing camera for video calls, and sure enough, this thing actually supports voice, which may very well make it the largest smartphone to launch in 2010. If all goes well, it'll seep out in India next month, with a price of around Rs.20000 to Rs.25000, or $425 to $530 in terms of Greenbacks. We wouldn't get our hopes up for an immediate launch in North America, but word on the street has it that Russia and Europe could see this bad boy in the not-too-distant future.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Continue reading Olive Pad VT100 brings a voice-capable, 7-inch Android tablet to India's airwaves

Olive Pad VT100 brings a voice-capable, 7-inch Android tablet to India's airwaves originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 22 Jul 2010 10:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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AT&T identifies Alcatel-Lucent as slow upload culprit, fix in the works

Chris Ziegler — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 12:01:00 EST

As we'd suspected, AT&T isn't intentionally limiting upload speeds on iPhone 4s in some markets where things suddenly got slow over the weekend. Or that's the company's claim, anyhow -- and seeing how they're actually calling out a supplier in the process, we tend to buy it. Specifically, AT&T says that some Alcatel-Lucent equipment (which isn't used in all markets) is causing uploads to fall back to non-HSUPA UMTS speeds "under certain conditions" affecting "less than two percent" of the company's customers, and that they're working on developing a fix. "Less than two percent" seems a bit optimistic, but regardless, at least it shouldn't be a permanent condition for anyone. Here's the full statement:

"AT&T and Alcatel-Lucent jointly identified a software defect -- triggered under certain conditions - that impacted uplink performance for Laptop Connect and smartphone customers using 3G HSUPA-capable wireless devices in markets with Alcatel-Lucent equipment. This impacts less than two percent of our wireless customer base. While Alcatel-Lucent develops the appropriate software fix, we are providing normal 3G uplink speeds and consistent performance for affected customers with HSUPA-capable devices."

AT&T identifies Alcatel-Lucent as slow upload culprit, fix in the works originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 07 Jul 2010 12:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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AT&T having HSPA upload speed problems in some markets

Chris Ziegler — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 14:07:00 EST

There's now a rather meaty thread on Mac Rumors' forums detailing problems that iPhone 4 users have had with miserably slow upload speeds in HSPA-equipped AT&T markets -- speeds that had in some cases been well over 1Mbps before the holiday weekend but have since fallen to 100kbps or lower. A popular theory is that AT&T decided to cap speeds in light of the iPhone 4's success and the danger it poses to network oversaturation, but we're not buying it -- 100kbps is ridiculously slow for an HSUPA-enabled network, even a heavily-used one, and there are huge markets (LA, for example) that seemingly aren't affected. We don't know what's going on, but we've reached out to AT&T for comment and we'll let you know what's up as soon as we do.

Update: AT&T's identified an infrastructure supplier as the culprit and says a fix is in the works.

AT&T having HSPA upload speed problems in some markets originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 06 Jul 2010 14:07:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nokia E72 in stores now, somewhere

Thomas Ricker — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 07:33:00 EST

Amazon's US pre-order site hasn't heard the news yet nor has Nokia USA's on-line store. Nevertheless, Nokia assures us that the E72 is "in stores now" and should cost €350 (as announced) before taxes and carrier subsidies are applied. Remember, this S60-powered followup to the much loved E71 sports a new 5 megapixel autofocus camera, 3.5-mm headphone jack, microSD slot (4GB included in the box), A-GPS and integrated compass, 10.2Mbps HSDPA, and new optical navigation pad right where a thumb would like it. The E72 also packs the latest version of Ovi Maps and Nokia Messaging with homescreen access to your IM accounts. Now scram buster and let us know if your pre-orders have been filled -- this baby's not going to unbox itself.

Filed under: Handsets, Nokia, Symbian, EDGE, HSDPA, UMTS, HSUPA

Nokia E72 in stores now, somewhere originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 16 Nov 2009 07:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Motorola Motus gets FCC approval, Sholes Tablet looking legit

Chris Ziegler — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 18:11:00 EST

Whenever a Moto with triband HSPA hits the FCC, we're naturally going to end up scouring the documentation -- what can we say, it's in our blood -- and today we've found a model claiming to be the rumored Motus. As a refresher, this is a device we'd heard would rock the Android midrange with a 5 megapixel AF cam, 3.1-inch QVGA display, and HSPA for a Q1 '10 release, so it's not much more than a tweaked CLIQ as far as we're concerned -- but the big news here might actually be that the Motus filing adds legitimacy to the leaked roadmap where we'd originally heard of it. That document made mention of a "Sholes Tablet" that takes the already-high-end DROID / MILESTONE further upmarket with an 8 megapixel cam and xenon flash, and as you can imagine, we'll be listening to our friends at the FCC pretty intently over the next few weeks to see if we can catch that one sliding through.

Filed under: Handsets, Motorola, GSM, EDGE, HSDPA, UMTS, HSUPA, Android

Motorola Motus gets FCC approval, Sholes Tablet looking legit originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 09 Nov 2009 18:11:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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AT&T intros USBConnect Lightning for 7.2Mbps service

Chris Ziegler — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 12:54:00 EST

When you're rolling out a new 7.2Mbps upgrade to your network, it naturally helps if you've got some compliant hardware in the stable -- so to that end, AT&T has announced its USBConnect Lightning from Sierra Wireless today. Apart from 7.2Mbps downlink capability, the new model's little more than a run-of-the-mill USB stick so there's not a lot to say about it, though it features a trick swiveling USB connector that should make the thing more likely to work with unusual (and unusually tight) port configurations. It'll be available on November 22 for free after rebate on contract, just in time for service launches in Charlotte, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles and Miami expected by the end of the year.

Filed under: Peripherals, Others, ATT, GSM, EDGE, HSDPA, UMTS, HSUPA

AT&T intros USBConnect Lightning for 7.2Mbps service originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 09 Nov 2009 12:54:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Bell confirms HSPA launch on November 4

Chris Ziegler — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 16:01:00 EST

One-half of the worst-kept secret in all of Canada over much of the last year -- the HSPA networks being prepped by Bell and Telus -- is finally launching in just two short days' time. Bell has announced that its shiny new 21Mbps airwaves will be available to the public at large starting November 4, along with a host of devices ready to take full advantage of it; perhaps most impressive, though, is that they'll be covering fully 93 percent of the country's population out of the gate, which should make the new network a viable option immediately for would-be switchers. Your move, Rogers.

[Thanks, Shawny]

Filed under: Bell Mobility, HSDPA, UMTS, HSUPA

Bell confirms HSPA launch on November 4 originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 02 Nov 2009 16:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Samsung Omnia II coming to Bell this month

Chris Ziegler — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 12:40:00 EST

Bell and Telus are both making quick work of forgetting their legacy CDMA networks and bringing gobs of sexy, high-profile devices to their new HSPA digs -- presumably in an effort to get folks switched over as quickly as possible and steal Rogers customers posthaste -- and the latest is Samsung's Omnia II, which will be coming to Bell in GSM form (despite the fact that Verizon is bringing a CDMA version to market). Featuring a 3.7-inch WVGA AMOLED display, 5 megapixel cam, WinMo 6.5, and 16GB of storage on board, the phone definitely rests at or near the top of the current WinMo crop -- but the real news here is the fact that the phone has just been selected as the Official Mobile Device of the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympic Games, which we suppose means you can use it with pride while bobsledding, lugeing, curling, slaloming, or whatever other arctic sports you enjoy. Pricing hasn't been announced, but the phone will be available this month; let's just hope that Olympic endorsement doesn't drive up the MSRP, eh?

Filed under: Handsets, Samsung, Bell Mobility, Windows Mobile, GSM, EDGE, HSDPA, UMTS, HSUPA

Samsung Omnia II coming to Bell this month originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 02 Nov 2009 12:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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GSM DROID with multitouch pinch-to-zoom demoed on video hating America

Thomas Ricker — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 04:34:00 EST

The GSM flavor of Motorola's DROID, or Milestone as it will be known in Europe, has multitouch built-in to the UI. For reasons we can only assume have something to do with an unspoken intellectual property agreement between Google and Apple, the US version of the user interface lacks multi-touch features like pinch-to-zoom even though the underlying 2.0 OS supports multitouch events. However, the video of a GSM DROID headed to Europe clearly shows this feature at the 3 minute mark. No really, see for yourselves after the break.

[Via SlashGear]

Continue reading GSM DROID with multitouch pinch-to-zoom demoed on video hating America

Filed under: Handsets, Motorola, O2, Vodafone, GSM, HSDPA, HSUPA, Android

GSM DROID with multitouch pinch-to-zoom demoed on video hating America originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 02 Nov 2009 04:34:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Bell announces HSPA+ Turbo Stick, MiFi for shiny new network

Chris Ziegler — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 12:12:00 EST

What good is a brand new 21Mbps beast of a network without some hardcore data devices ready to take advantage of it? Not much good at all, which is why Canada's Bell Mobility is Johnny-on-the-spot this week with a couple hardware announcements. First up, there'll be an aptly named HSPA+ Turbo Stick, which -- you guessed it -- is a USB stick capable of blazing along at HSPA+ speeds. Next up, lucky customers will be getting the MiFi 2372 from Novatel, the North American 3G version that we'd all love for AT&T to launch at some point. Both devices will be swinging by in November, just in time to christen the brand new towers on a high note.

Filed under: Others, Bell Mobility, GSM, EDGE, HSDPA, UMTS, HSUPA

Bell announces HSPA+ Turbo Stick, MiFi for shiny new network originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 27 Oct 2009 12:12:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Vodafone puts BlackBerry Storm2 up for 26 October preorder

Thomas Ricker — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 04:34:00 EST

And it's out. The BlackBerry Storm2 just made its first official carrier appearance with Vodafone. The promising followup to the much maligned BlackBerry Storm will be free on pay-monthly contracts from £35 on up. Specs include a 3.25-inch 360 x 480 pixel capacitive SurePress (new and improved) touchscreen display, 802.11b/g WiFi and 2100MHz UMTS/HSPA data, 256MB of flash memory (double that of the original Storm), 2GB of onboard memory with microSDHC expansion, 3.5-mm standard headset jack, 3.2 megapixel camera with video recording, built-in GPS, Bluetooth 2.1, and 1400mAh battery giving about 6 hours of 3G talk. BlackBerry OS 5 too, of course, when it lands on October 15th in the UK, Ireland, Germany, The Netherlands, and Spain -- France, Italy, and South Africa in time for Christmas.

Update: Now on official RIM page too with a detailed comparison against the original Storm.

Gallery: Vodafone and RIM introduce the BlackBerry Storm2 Smartphone

[Thanks, James]

Read -- Press Release
Read -- Pre-order

Filed under: Handsets, RIM, Vodafone, GSM, HSDPA, UMTS, HSUPA, BlackBerry OS

Vodafone puts BlackBerry Storm2 up for 26 October preorder originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 15 Oct 2009 04:34:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sony Ericsson Satio, HTC Tattoo, and LG GM750 now on offer at Vodafone

Chris Ziegler — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 10:19:00 EST

Hey, Britons: about a nice three-pack of "wow!" to start your week off right? We'd like to direct your attention over to Vodafone, where three particularly notable handsets that we've been following in recent months are now in stock and ready for delivery. The HTC Tattoo represents the new low end in Android fare, bringing a resistive QVGA display and a 3.2 megapixel cam to the table -- it'll go out the door for free on a £25 monthly plan. Heading over to the Windows Mobile side of the trailer park, the GM750 is a Voda exclusive loaded to the hilt with that newfangled WinMo 6.5 everyone's been talking about these days; it comes loaded up with a 5 megapixel camera and, like the Tattoo, can be yours for nary a penny on a £25 plan. Finally -- get ready -- the Symbian-powered Satio from Sony Ericsson is ready for your consumption, all 12.1 megapixels of it, for just another 10 quid a month. We'll take all three, thanks.

[Via Electronista]

Read - Sony Ericsson Satio
Read - HTC Tattoo
Read - LG GM750

Filed under: Handsets, HTC, LG, Sony Ericsson, Vodafone, Symbian, Windows Mobile, GSM, EDGE, HSDPA, UMTS, HSUPA, Android

Sony Ericsson Satio, HTC Tattoo, and LG GM750 now on offer at Vodafone originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 13 Oct 2009 10:19:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Deutsche Telekom CFO on T-Mobile USA: 'we lost customers because many... couldn't get 3G'

Chris Ziegler — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 23:58:00 EST

Sometimes, properly taking your lumps is the best way to learn a lesson and move forward, and Deutsche Telekom -- T-Mobile USA's corporate parent -- isn't pulling any punches about the mess it's gotten itself into in recent years. CFO Timotheus Hoettges has gone on the record in Germany this week saying that there's "no question that [they] lost customers because many of [their] customers couldn't get 3G," a painful acknowledgment that T-Mobile's old attitude toward high-speed data -- rely on EDGE supplemented by an extensive WiFi hotspot network -- as its larger competitors built out large swaths of genuine 3G coverage has ultimately hit the company in the pocketbook. For what it's worth, they seem to be making up for lost ground with a mega-rapid HSPA+ rollout (which Hoettges says will command some €3.5 billion -- about $5.2 billion -- of DT's investment cash this year), and there's still this whole Project Dark mystery to occupy our collective imagination, so the depth of the company's commitment to its American subsidiary seems genuine. Interestingly, Hoettges went on to say that they still haven't decided on a 4G strategy with "all options" still on the table. Ultimately, "all options" is going to mean either WiMAX, LTE, or capitulation, so we'll just have to sit back and wait to see how this develops.

[Via mocoNews]

Filed under: T-Mobile, HSDPA, UMTS, HSUPA, LTE, WiMAX

Deutsche Telekom CFO on T-Mobile USA: 'we lost customers because many... couldn't get 3G' originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 12 Oct 2009 23:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Bell nabs iPhone deal in Canada, ends Rogers' reign of terror

Thomas Ricker — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 08:25:00 EST

It's official, Bell and Apple have agreed to sell the iPhone 3G and 3GS in Canada starting November. The move ends the Rogers exclusive in while christening Bell's new 3G network with Apple's darling. Hmm, first O2 lost it exclusivity then Rogers, we're sensing a trend.

[Thanks, Sean]

Filed under: Handsets, Bell Mobility, GSM, HSDPA, UMTS, HSUPA, Apple, iPhone OS

Bell nabs iPhone deal in Canada, ends Rogers' reign of terror originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 06 Oct 2009 08:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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HTC Pure and Tilt 2 bring Windows Mobile 6.5 to AT&T

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

Long-rumored versions of HTC's ubiquitous Touch Diamond2 and Touch Pro2 have finally been made official for AT&T -- but perhaps more notably, they mark AT&T's very first forays into the WinMo 6.5 arena as Microsoft officially unleashes the latest version of its mobile platform on the world this week. The Pure (pictured left) is a particularly heavy rework of the Diamond2's industrial design, shedding the square metal-adorned shell for a glossy black plastic one while carrying over the 3.2-inch WVGA display and 5 megapixel autofocus camera. Meanwhile, the Tilt 2 resurrects the Tilt name -- dormant since AT&T's version of the TyTN II made way for the Fuze last year -- bringing a 3.6-inch WVGA display, full QWERTY keyboard with tilt-up display (hence the name), full duplex speakerphone, and a 3.2 megapixel cam. The Pure will be the first on shelves, available already (ahead of Microsoft's official release on Tuesday, interestingly) for $149.99 on contract after a $50 rebate; the Tilt2 comes "in the following weeks" for $299.99 after $50 rebate.

Filed under: Handsets, HTC, ATT, Windows Mobile, GSM, EDGE, HSDPA, UMTS, HSUPA

HTC Pure and Tilt 2 bring Windows Mobile 6.5 to AT&T 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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Rogers' Rocket Hub disguises 3G data and voice as mild-mannered home modem

Ross Miller — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 07:10:00 EST

Good news for Canadians who can't seem to get a decent internet plan for home. Rogers has unveiled a 3G station for residential use dubbed the Rocket Hub, and with it a number of jet propulsion-related puns that we'll be taking painstaking measures to avoid. It boasts 7.2Mbps HSPA, WiFi and ethernet out, and voice calls over UMTS. Makes sense since it's riding an Ericsson W3x core. Upfront cost of hardware hasn't been disclosed yet, but plans start at $35 Canadian. Launch date (okay, we couldn't resist) is sometime later this month.

Filed under: Rogers Wireless, HSDPA, UMTS, HSUPA

Rogers' Rocket Hub disguises 3G data and voice as mild-mannered home modem originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 03 Oct 2009 07:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nokia E72 NAM up for $469 preorder on Amazon

Chris Ziegler — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 17:28:00 EST

It's not hard to find Nokia users that believe the E71 is the finest S60 device (if not the finest device, period) that the company has ever made, so expectations for the E72 are at a stratospheric high. Impatience for a retail release is also at a stratospheric high, coincidentally, so Americans will be pleased to see that Amazon now has the unlocked North American version of the "zodium black" phone listed for $469 -- without a release date, unfortunately, so it's still a guessing game as to when these will actually be shipping out. All things considered, it's not a bad price for an unbranded phone of the E72's capabilities, but when you figure how easy it's been to find awesome deals on North American Nokias around the interwebs this year, it still might give some potential buyers pause -- just imagine if it were $299?

[Thanks, Ani]

Filed under: Handsets, Nokia, Symbian, GSM, EDGE, HSDPA, UMTS, HSUPA

Nokia E72 NAM up for $469 preorder on Amazon originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 02 Oct 2009 17:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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HTC Leo looking confirmed for O2 UK debut, will be free on the right plan

Chris Ziegler — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 15:59:00 EST

If you needed another reason to frown upon the state of the North American wireless industry, allow us to go ahead and turn your attention to Exhibit A here. What you're looking at is some promotional material backing up earlier rumors that the HD2 / Leo is en route to O2 in the UK, but what's especially upsetting (though not terribly surprising) is the knowledge that customers will be able to scoop up HTC's new ultra-high-end WinMo beast for zilch on an O2 1200 tariff -- a plan that runs something like £45 (about $72) a month. Oh, and that's on an 18-month contract, not 24. Meanwhile, we'll be lucky to ever see the Leo land in its natural, original, HTC-approved state on a carrier at any price in the US, but hey, at least we've still got some more Touch Pro2 launches to look forward to, right?

[Thanks, anonymous tipster]

Filed under: Handsets, HTC, O2, Windows Mobile, GSM, EDGE, HSDPA, UMTS, HSUPA

HTC Leo looking confirmed for O2 UK debut, will be free on the right plan originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 25 Sep 2009 15:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Vodafone nabbing Sony Ericsson X2 in November, Samsung Corby as 'Genio'

Chris Ziegler — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 07:16:00 EST

Vodafone UK never seems to have a shortage of exciting new models in the pipeline; right now they've got no fewer than eight biggies listed on their Coming Soon page, and while we wouldn't necessarily categorize every last one as "exciting," there are a couple doozies in there. Besides the HTC Tattoo that we mentioned earlier, the Sony Ericsson XPERIA X2 is following on a month later in November holding down Windows Mobile 6.5 with its positively mind-bending customized home screen. Also notable is the Samsung "Genio," known globally as the recently-announced Corby -- Samsung intended it as an entry-level full-touch phone for the younger crowd, and to that end, Voda looks to be selling it on prepaid. It's gotta be a tough call deciding what to buy next for subscribers, but if you ask us, that's a positively awesome problem to have.

[Via CoolSmartPhone]

Filed under: Handsets, HTC, Samsung, Sony Ericsson, Vodafone, Windows Mobile, GSM, EDGE, HSDPA, UMTS, HSUPA, Android

Vodafone nabbing Sony Ericsson X2 in November, Samsung Corby as 'Genio' originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 23 Sep 2009 07:16:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Huawei set to launch 56Mbps HSPA+ service in 2010

Donald Melanson — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 13:14:00 EST

Remember last week? When 21Mbps HSPA+ was something to stand up and cheer about, and you were even happy to settle for HSPA 7.2 if you could? Well, it's time trade in those good feelings for some jealousy and bitterness once again, buckaroo, 'cause Hauwei has now announced that it's set to more than double HSPA+ speeds to a jaw-dropping 56Mbps. That impressive feat has reportedly already been demonstrated by the company in Beijing, and Huawei will apparently begin a full rollout sometime next year. What's more, Huawei says that its carrier partners will be able to upgrade to the increased bandwidth via a simple software upgrade, which should both lower the cost and speed up the rollout -- just not around here.

Filed under: HSDPA, Misc, HSUPA

Huawei set to launch 56Mbps HSPA+ service in 2010 originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 21 Sep 2009 13:14:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Constellation F to be Vertu's first clamshell?

Chris Ziegler — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 05:56:00 EST

So far, Vertu's stuck to a tried-and-true candybar formula for hawking bejeweled, leather-bound handsets to the extraordinarily rich, but they may be shifting focus just a tad for their next release. mobil.cz seems to have scored a fuzzy little shot and a few specs of what's being billed as the "Constellation F" -- that's "F" as in "fold," which lines up with parent Nokia's off-kilter parlance -- with a 2.4-inch HVGA primary display, global GSM / EDGE and HSPA, 3 megapixel cam with dual LED flash, 8GB of storage, and in all likelihood, more ostrich skin finish options than any phone you've ever owned. The presence of HSPA 850 / 1900 combined with the clamshell form factor would seem to be a very material recognition on Vertu's part that it's selling a good percentage of its four- and five-figure handsets stateside -- flips are historically more popular there than in Europe -- and at $10,000 or more a pop, it shouldn't take too many to make the R&D expense worth their while.

Filed under: Handsets, Vertu, GSM, EDGE, HSDPA, UMTS, HSUPA

Constellation F to be Vertu's first clamshell? originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 21 Sep 2009 05:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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T-Mobile starts 21Mbps HSPA+ rollout in Philadelphia, nationwide in 2010

Chris Ziegler — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 15:34:00 EST

T-Mobile USA's really kicking things into high gear, coming from behind (way behind, actually) on its 3G launch to become the first to bring 21Mbps HSPA+ here -- and possibly the only one to do it, considering that its closest GSM rival is leapfrogging from 7.2Mbps HSPA to LTE. Speaking at 4G World in Chicago, T-Mobile's Neville Ray has gone on record saying that its 3G footprint will be blanketed by HSPA+ next year and is actually already up and running in parts of Philadelphia; amusingly, he was apparently a little weirded out by AT&T's earlier comments at the show that it'd have 90 percent of its 3G coverage upgraded to 7.2Mbps by the end of 2011, suggesting that was slow (we'd agree, but then again, considering how far behind T-Mobile still lags in raw 3G coverage, we're not sure they've got room to talk just yet). If we had to guess, this huge push for mega-fast data has to do with investor discontent on the Deutsche Telekom side of things, so you can bet there are some crossed fingers out in Bellevue as this stuff lights up; now, just give us the world-class phone selection to match and we'll be good to go.

[Via Phone Scoop]

Filed under: T-Mobile, HSDPA, HSUPA

T-Mobile starts 21Mbps HSPA+ rollout in Philadelphia, nationwide in 2010 originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 18 Sep 2009 15:34:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Samsung doesn't know when to stop, spits out Millionaire Pack II

Chris Ziegler — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 06:52:00 EST

We don't have a good sense for how many cultured old-money socialites have Omnia IIs in their Fendi handbags -- and we're not sure Samsung does either, but they're trying to move that number up a couple notches with a sequel to its original Omnia-themed Millionaire Pack of last year. Like the last one, the Millionaire Pack II is clearly designed to appeal either to wealthy tightwads or common folk who want to pretend like they've got some serious cash to throw around -- but either way, the €649 ($957) retail price is just a bit more than an unlocked Omnia II would run you straight up. For that price of entry, you get the phone, a leather case, a copy of some magazine for rich people, and that's about it -- so if you pop open the package expecting a solid gold phone covered in jewels, you're in for a nasty surprise.

Filed under: Handsets, Samsung, Windows Mobile, GSM, EDGE, HSDPA, UMTS, HSUPA

Samsung doesn't know when to stop, spits out Millionaire Pack II originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 18 Sep 2009 06:52:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rogers expands 21Mbps footprint to more towns, HSPA+ Rocket modem available this month

Chris Ziegler — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 15:50:00 EST

Residents of some of Canada's biggest cities are now sitting on near-LTE speeds thanks to Rogers' continued rollout of 21Mbps HSPA+, a technology it proudly boasts is "replacing 3.5G" and stands a fighting chance of offering real-life double-digit speeds. That's pretty amazing when you consider that a lot of people are still using 768kbps or 1.5Mbps DSL lines in their homes -- ten years ago, we doubt anyone would've predicted that practical wireless speeds would be running neck-and-neck with some of the fastest wireline broadband ISPs have to offer -- but we're certainly not complaining. In addition to Toronto, service is now available in Calgary, Vancouver, Ottawa, and Montreal, with a new modem cutely named HSPA+ Rocket coming to take advantage of those speeds on the 28th of the month. Interested parties can preorder now, though: $199.99 or $74.99 on a two-year data contract.

[Via Howard Chui]

Filed under: Rogers Wireless, HSDPA, HSUPA

Rogers expands 21Mbps footprint to more towns, HSPA+ Rocket modem available this month originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 17 Sep 2009 15:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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