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US Appeals court sez Qualcomm infringed on two Broadcom patents
We could start off by telling you just how much this decision will hurt Qualcomm and just how celebratory the mood must be at Broadcom, but instead, we'll key you in on this quote: "The appeals court also rejected Qualcomm's request for a new trial." At long last, we may have actually heard the end of what has seemed like a never-ending battle between the aforementioned parties. Today, a US Appeals court upheld an earlier ruling that Qualcomm had indeed infringed upon two Broadcom patents while ruling that a third patent in question was invalid. The ruling is obviously a huge win for Broadcom, who will soon be bathing in Benjamins as Qualcomm is forced to pay mandatory royalties for the chips it sells during the "sunset period" ending January 31, 2009.[Via Reuters]
European 3G users break 100 million, 2G laughs maniacally
As much fuss as we make about 3G, the impact it has on the mobile experience, and the death of old-school GSM as a viable technology, deployed WCDMA networks in their various forms are still just a drop in the bucket when compared to the GSM subscriber pool as a whole -- even in 3G-rich Europe. A new report from market research firm Informa Telecoms and Media reveals that European 3G users now number 101.5 million, which works out to about 11.1 percent of the some 910.8 million wireless users in the continent. Norway, Sweden, and Italy all individually broke 25 percent 3G penetration, but even so, that paints a very interesting picture of the overwhelming importance of the legacy infrastructure. With EDGE Evolution on the way, it could continue to play a majority role well into the next decade, too.
Nokia E66 S60 slider goes official
Nokia's bringing some new, unsurprising, E series hotness to the States in the form of the new E66 slider. Featuring GSM, EDGE, WCDMA and HSDPA bands galore, the phone is slated for a Q3 release this year. Features include a 3.2 megapixel auto-focus camera, along with a front-facing cam for video calls, WiFi, A-GPS, 3.6mbps web browsing and a 2.4-inch QVGA screen. What really sets it apart from its E series forebears is the 13.6mm thickness, and some rather sexy new styling. Nokia's also worked in a sort of business / pleasure switch to change profile from your work email and documents to your personal accounts and such -- you can also swap to landscape mode by turning the device. Battery life is certainly no slouch, with 14 days of standby, and 7.5 hours of talk on GSM, or 3.5 hours of talk on 3G. There's only 110MB of internal memory, but you can supplement that with an 8GB microSD card. The phone comes in "grey steel" or "white steel" (what, no blue steel?), but brace yourself for the pricepoint: Nokia's quoting this at "under $500," and probably won't have any carriers Stateside subsidizing it in the short term. Quite a hefty price for a QVGA phone with little built-in storage, but some Nokia fanboy is certainly going to get a kick out of it.%Gallery-25221%
Telstra kills off CDMA, completes migration to GSM
Oh, come on, Qualcomm, show a little emotion; shed a tear or something! After some two years of planning and urging legacy customers to migrate, Australia's Telstra has flipped a big, red, scary-looking switch somewhere, sending its CDMA network into darkness, never to return. The move effectively obsoletes roughly 3,500 CDMA sites around the country along with what the carrier bills as "redundant equipment" -- a nice little cost savings, no doubt, not to mention the freeing of significant chunks of spectrum for more advanced services. As you might have guessed, Telstra is jumping through these hoops to get customers onto its Next G-branded UMTS network, mirroring a widespread trend away from CDMA-based technologies and toward the GSM roadmap. Globally, it seems like CDMA2000 has years of life left -- but without a shred of major carrier support for the 4G path, its glory days may be numbered.[Via Pocket PC Thoughts]
Nokia Siemens Networks unveils LTE solution for North America
Make no mistake, LTE is quite likely the buzzword at CTIA 2008. That being the case, Nokia Siemens Networks is making sure it's part of the in-crowd by introducing a "LTE solution for radio and core networks [that] will enable operators to deploy WCDMA / HSPA and LTE in all major frequency bands, including the 700MHz and 1.7 / 2.1GHz bands that are of particular importance in North America." Apparently the outfit is assuming that winners of the recent spectrum auction will be champing at the bit to deploy new networks / services, and while we can only hope it's correct, the equipment to make it happen is seemingly ready to roll.[Via PhoneScoop]
Samsung's 3G SGH-T639 being sold by T-Mobile
This summer, we all got our hopes up when Samsung's (apparently 3G-enabled) SGH-T639 found its way into the FCC, and now that the handset is reportedly on sale in New York City, it'd be a great time to work yourself into a tizzy once more. According to PhoneScoop, the 3G-capable T369 is indeed "the first phone to be compatible with T-Mobile's 3G network, even though the network is not yet up and running." Oddly enough, Samsung managed to conceal this dirty little secret just yesterday, but now that the truth is out there, all that's left to do is hope that this release means that T-Mobile's 3G launch is coming sooner rather than later.
Alcatel-Lucent fights back, says it still has big share of AT&T's 3G buildout
Who knew there could be so much drama behind the scenes of the telecom infrastructure biz? The value of AT&T's original 3G buildout contracts totaled a staggering $2 billion, split three ways among the industry's heavyweights: $900 million to Ericsson, $700 million to Alcatel (now Alcatel-Lucent), and $400 million to Siemens (now Nokia Siemens). Obviously, it's a lucrative contract -- a contract that none of the signed parties would like to lose. A recent Financial Times report alleged that Ericsson had somehow managed to elbow its way past 50 percent of the total contract value, though, leaving the other two to fight over the scraps. The news left Alcatel-Lucent stock in the lurch -- a stock that has lost well over 30 percent since the start of the year -- so the company's fighting back, saying that it continues "to be a critical W-CDMA supplier to AT&T." Notice the lack of a quantifiable rebuttal there? It goes on to spout off about the fact that its "market share" has remained stable, even though that's really neither here nor there in the discussion about AT&T's contract specifically. We don't blame you for trying to save face, guys, but stay on point, will ya?
Nokia launches business-minded E51 handset
While Nokia didn't exactly choose the quietest day to launch its latest handset, the E51 is getting official, regardless. This candybar-styled device was designed with the suits in mind, as Nokia even touts its ability to "integrate tightly with corporate telephony systems (PBX) through Nokia Mobile Unified Communications solutions." Specs wise, you'll find a two-inch 320 x 240 resolution screen, two-megapixel camera, video streaming / playback with support for H.264 and Real codecs, video calling capability, integrated 802.11g, Bluetooth 2.0+EDR, FM tuner, miniUSB, IrDA, GPRS / EGPRS and HSDPA compatibility, up to 130MB of memory, a microSD expansion slot, quad-band GSM and WCDMA 850/2100 support, and up to 4.4-hours of talk time (or 13 days in standby). The E51 is slated to ship globally in Q4 for €350 ($485) sans a contract, and if you're craving more pics, just hit up the gallery below.[Thanks, Nokie and James B.]%Gallery-7549%
Toshiba's Tecra M9 laptop to get HSDPA?
Granted, nothing looks to be set in stone just yet, but if FCC documentation leads to results, Toshiba's Tecra M9 could be getting HSDPA. Apparently, the FCC has tested a version of the lappie with a WWAN module built right in, and more specifically, the test reports show that a module manufactured by Tyco Electronics is the culprit. The "CDMA Cell-PCS Module" reportedly supports GSM 850/1900, GPRS, EGPRS, WCDMA 850/1900, and WCDMA+HSDPA, and while we've no idea when these newly-equipped machines will be launching, it ought not be long now.[Via PCJoint]
Australia gets HTC P3600i, complete with Windows Mobile 6
Looks like those that call Down Under home have been blessed with yet another option in the smartphone department, as HTC has apparently launched the P3600i in your neck of the woods. Deemed an "HTC P3600 with a faster CPU and more ROM," this Windows Mobile 6 device looks to be an Asia-Pacific exclusive for now, and touts quad-band GSM, 802.11g, a two-megapixel camera, Bluetooth 2.0, 160MB of internal memory, a miniSD expansion slot, and UMTS / HSDPA to boot. Best of all, it's available right now on 3.[Via UnwiredView]
HTC's P5500 'Nike' slated for September launch?
Although the most recent hunch about a handset release did indeed prove true, we're not so sure about these HTC claims. DigiTimes has it that High Tech Computer is "expected to launch its second touchscreen-controlled smartphone supporting a 3.5G standard perhaps as soon as September," and while it didn't confirm, the site did insinuate that the mobile in question is the P5500 "Nike." Additionally, the rumors suggested that the phone will be "built using a CPU from Samsung and chipsets from Qualcomm," while also supporting W-CDMA. Of note, these same "sources" claimed that a device codenamed Vogue would be hitting North, Central, and South American shores, and we certainly can't find any room to argue with that.[Via TheUnwired]
Nokia exits chip development, licensing out modem technology
Not too long after Nokia delved deeper into media sharing, the firm is now pulling out of the 3G chip development realm and licensing out its modem technology in order to better utilized R&D resources. Reportedly, STMicroelectronics will grab the reigns to develop 3G chips based on Nokia technology, and while the company "will continue to develop its own modems, the decision to license out the technology will bring in additional revenue and allow new players to enter the technically difficult market." Granted, the move isn't entirely surprising considering that mobile companies are shifting further away from anything that's not a core competency, but 200 Nokia employees will be transferred over to STMicro in Q4 as a part of the move.
ATT, NTT DoCoMo partner up on 3G rollout for Hawaii
As more and more companies join in the fight to nix international roaming charges, it's not too shocking to find NTT DoCoMo taking the shortest route to the US and hooking up with AT&T on a 3G rollout. More specifically, DoCoMo has apparently agreed to provide "technical assistance" and shell out "up to $24 million" in financial support for the deployment of AT&T's 3G network in the state of Hawaii. Under the deal, AT&T will launch a 3G network based on W-CDMA technology, and from what we can tell, DoCoMo customers vacationing in Hawaii won't be faced with those pesky roaming rates. Sadly, no hard timeline was laid out, but the island of Oahu should be lit by the year's end, while the rest of the state will get served "in early 2008."
FCC approves Samsung SGH-T639, T-Mobile's first 3G phone?
Well, what have we here? The oh-so-informative depths of the FCC have seemingly disclosed what appears to be the "first 3G handset approved for T-Mobile." Judging by the tested bands and the obvious model number, it looks like the SGH-T639 (Alltel flavor pictured) may be a sign of things to come (and hopefully soon) for T-Mobile. Of course, we did see a similar coincidence earlier this year when Nokia's N90 got its own shiny approval sticker, but there's no harm in hoping. The clamshell device supports quad-band connectivity and Bluetooth, but until T-Mobile or Samsung fess up to exactly what's going on here, speculation is still all we've got in regard to T-Mobile's forthcoming 3G rollout.[Via Phonescoop]
Nokia pushes the 6121, 6267, 3500 out in the middle of the road
Get ready for a life more ordinary: Nokia just loosed three mid-range phones for all your middle management dreams. The 6267 (€240/$322) clamshell features dedicated music keys, a 2 megapixel camera with flash, 3G data, and up to 4GB of storage expansion you'll have to locate yourself. The 6121 classic (€260/$349) on the left goes quadband GSM and WCDMA 2100 and "900" (we presume is a Nokia typo meaning 1900) with HSDPA data and packs in a couple of cameras topping out at 2 megapixels. Bringing up the tail is the budget 3500 classic (€135/$181) candybar which ships with an FM radio, 2 megapixel camera, and about 3 hours of talk time or 12 days of standby. All are expected to ship by Q3 in quiet fulfillment of your prosaic ambitions.Update: Oh lord, the spec sheet is up and sure enough the 6121 goes WCDMA at 900MHz. That makes it one of, if not the first production caliber phone to do so. The lower frequency is meant to complement 2100MHz deployments by extending UMTS coverage in Europe.%Gallery-4060%
Nokia fires off another patent suit in Qualcomm's direction
If you've been a bit disappointed by Nokia's offerings of late, it's probably because the firm is shifting out of the cellphone industry and into the legal environment. Okay, so maybe it hasn't called it quits in the handset game just yet, but this ongoing battle with Qualcomm is beyond ridiculous. Before Qualcomm even had time to swallow the previous counter-suit filed against it, Nokia is firing away again, and this time it's claiming that its opponent "has illegally used six of its technology patents in its Brew smartphone and MediaFlo mobile TV chipset products." Additionally, Nokia's CTO got vocal by stating that this case was just "another example where Qualcomm has effectively copied Nokia's innovations." While we're sure it's getting difficult to decipher which counter-lawsuit belongs to which original grievance, this particular one apparently links to an April 2nd filing where Qualcomm "claimed that Nokia had infringed three patents." C'mon folks, why not settle this like they do in the Alabama State Senate? [Warning: Read link requires subscription][Via Yahoo]
Samsung's HSDPA-enabled SPH-W2400 does DMB TV
Samsung's SPH-W2400, which we spotted a month or so ago thanks to the FCC, finally has a face and a few more details to boot. The snazzy Anycall-built slider sports a unique rotating screen, DMB TV tuner, a two-megapixel camera, MP3 player, Bluetooth, microSD slot, TV out, language translation software, and HSDPA connectivity. Best of all, it appears that this phone will basically work in every corner of the modern world, but sadly, we've no idea where you'll actually find one for sale nor how much you'll be asked to cough up for it once you do.
Meet LG's KS10: their S60 HSDPA slider with Google
Looks like the first of LG's phones with Google -- not Google Phones -- just peaked out from under the velvet cloth. Meet the LG-KS10, a WCDMA/HSDPA slider bringing a full-blown Symbian OS. We're talking 2.4-inch LCD, 2 megapixel camera, stereo Bluetooth, and multimedia playback when this pup hits Italy in April and the rest of Europe and South East Asia before the year is up. Come to think of it, this is the same "Joy" S60 slider we saw back in October sporting a full xHTML browser and microSD expansion. Mmm, mmm... good cracker. Check the gallery for more hot Symbian-on-LG action.%Gallery-2757%[Via AVING]
Nokia's 6120 Classic: thin HSDPA is (finally) in
Great googlie mooglie, what's this? Can it really be a 15-millimeter thin candybar from Nokia, the makers of those chunky multimedia computers? Ok, it's not as thin as their N76 but let's give 'em some credit here for trying. Having fermented in the rumor mill for a few weeks, we now have ourselves a fully mature Nokia 6120 Classic running S60 3rd Edition, Feature Pack 1 over quad-band GSM and WCDMA/HSDPA 850/2100. The handset packs a 2-inch QVGA display, A2DP stereo Bluetooth 2.0 + EDR, a 2 megapixel camera with flash, and MicroSD slot to store your media. A pre-tax, pre-contract price of €260/$352 will get you up close and personal when these hit sometime before June lets out. Check all the pics in the gallery below. Sorry, only a tiny backside pic for now; Nokia's being a bit shy 'bout their junk. Nokia's 6120 Classic: thin HSDPA is (finally) in [Via Ring Nokia]
ASUS: the rest of the bunch at CeBIT
We've gotta say, Asus made a pretty decent showing at CeBIT this year. We covered the new releases and rocked 'em for you yesterday -- now here's the best of the rest. The Z801 is a high-end tri-band device that has been given the super-style treatment by Asus. The screen is sapphire crystal, the handset is lovingly accented with leather, and a dash of chrome is thrown in for good measure. Features include Bluetooth (A2DP and AVRCP lovingly included), a 2 megapixel cam, and a gee-whiz Karaoke feature that allows you to wail along with your favorite songs while seeing your speech converted to text on the screen. We also bumped into the C1000 3.5G HSDPA data card -- this thing is sick (and that's saying something for a fricking data card) thanks to quad-band GSM, triple-band WCDMA, and phone call / SMS / MMS management. No word on pricing for the C1000, but it sounds like something we could use, like, right away. Check the shots on the following page. Asus at CeBIT
