Mobile Miscellany: week of April 1st, 2013
If you didn't get enough mobile news during the week, not to worry, because we've opened the firehose for the truly hardcore. This week, Samsung introduced a new crop of smartphones for China and India, the Lumia 520 hit store shelves and Verizon introduced an LTE router... of all things. These stories and more await after the break. So buy the ticket and take the ride as we explore all that's happening in the mobile world for this week of April 1st, 2013.
Nokia Lumia 520 hits stores in the UK
Nokia delivered some good news to value seekers in the UK this week, as the Lumia 520 is now available for purchase through Carphone Warehouse and O2. The Lumia 520 is positioned as Nokia's most affordable Windows Phone to date, which is available for £120 outright. Given its price point, there's certainly a lot to like about the phone, which includes a 4-inch WVGA (800 x 480) IPS display, a 1GHz dual-core Snapdragon CPU, a 5MP camera and Windows Phone 8. For those looking to set their sights a bit higher, there's also the Lumia 720, which also made its debut this week. [WPCentral]
Samsung debuts new smartphones for China and India
As proof that Samsung can crank out new smartphones like no other, this week it introduced the Galaxy Trend II and Galaxy Infinite within China, along with the Galaxy Pocket Neo and the Galaxy Star within India. The Trend II (also available as a dual-SIM Trend Duos II) features a 4-inch WVGA (800 x 480) display, a 1.2GHz dual-core CPU, a 3MP camera and Android 4.1. Meanwhile, the Galaxy Infinite is very similar to the Trend II, but adds support for both CDMA and GSM networks. Meanwhile in India, the Pocket Neo and Star each feature a 3-inch HVGA (400 x 320) display, a 2-megapixel camera and Android 4.1, but as a distinguishing factor, the Neo will come equipped with a 1GHz CPU, whereas the Star's processor clocks in at a mere 850MHz. Just hit up the gallery to see all the new models. [SammyHub, iTech News, FoneArena]
HTC Desire Q unveiled as Taiwan exclusive
Maybe you caught the news of the HTC Desire P, which was launched earlier this week in Taiwan as an exclusive for Chunghwa Telecom. Well, that was only half the story, as HTC quickly followed on this release with the Desire Q as an exclusive for FarEasTone. The latest arrival turns the excitement down a notch with a 4-inch WVGA (800 x 480) display and 1GHz single-core CPU, but retains the same 5MP camera and Android 4.0. The Desire Q is available now and costs NT$6,990 ($233). If you'd like to see more, just check the hands-on video from our partners at Engadget Chinese. [Engadget Chinese 1, 2]
Verizon introduces a dedicated LTE router
Whether your home lacks conventional broadband internet or your small business simply needs a bit of redundancy, Verizon's new 4G LTE Router may be the ticket you've been searching for. As you'd hope, it offers both Ethernet and WiFi connectivity, which is far more suitable for dedicated use than a mobile hotspot. The surprisingly pricey unit costs $150 (before a $50 rebate) on a two-year contract, and can be added as part of a share plan for an additional $20 per month. [Verizon Wireless]
Other random tidbits
Verizon Wireless completed the purchase of Mohave Wireless and will acquire the carrier's spectrum licenses and infrastructure within northwest Arizona. Alongside the purchase, Verizon promised a deployment of LTE service to the region in the near future. [Verizon Wireless]
AT&T requested FCC approval for its acquisition of Corr Wireless, which is a subsidiary of C Spire that currently serves 21,000 customers within northeastern Alabama. [FierceWireless]
AT&T activated its LTE network in 14 new locations within Arkansas, California, Florida, Illinois, Louisiana, Missouri, New Mexico, New York, Texas and Washington. [Android Central]
Verizon Wireless put out 10 different press releases to announce incrementally better LTE coverage in New York. Maybe it seemed like a better idea at the time. [Verizon Wireless 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10]
