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AT&T validates NVIDIA Icera 410 LTE modem for use on its network
NVIDIA, likely feeling the sting of not having an LTE presence on some of the biggest carriers in the US, announced this morning that the Icera 410 modem has been validated for use on AT&T's network. This particular chipset utilizes the carrier's particular brand of Long-Term Evolution -- in addition to HSPA+, UMTS and 2G -- which means that we should see Icera-powered 4G devices on AT&T's lineup sometime this year. NVIDIA has promised we'll see Tegra 3 LTE utilizing "partners' baseband processors" before we ring in 2013, so we're hoping this bit of news can help the company live up to its word. The press release is all yours to read after the break.
Marvell debuts first single-chip LTE world modem for smartphones, tablets and more
There are LTE modems and there are LTE modems. Marvell's latest is of the latter sort -- the kind you don't see (or lose in your bag) but are glad to have inside your device. It's also a first, packing connectivity for FDD-LTE, TDD-LTE, HSPA+, TD-SCDMA, and EDGE networks into a single-chip design that promises to lower the cost of manufacturing said devices. If Marvell has its way, you'll also be seeing this particular modem in more than just phones and tablets -- the company also sees it being used in everything from cars to TVs and set-top boxes. Full press release is after the break.
Novatel's USB551L 4G LTE modem hits Verizon March 31st
Samsung's new LTE mobile hotspot may have managed to sneak out a bit early, but it looks like those opting for Novatel's USB551L LTE modem instead will still have to wait a few days. Verizon has just confirmed today that the modem will be available on March 31st for $99.99 after a $50 mail-in rebate (on a two-year contract). As expected, the modem packs both Windows and Mac support out of the box, and promises download speeds up to 12 Mbps and upload speeds of up to 5 Mbps. Still no word on Novatel's 4510L MiFi, though we presume it will be following shortly. Full press release is after the break.
Samsung, Novatel LTE mobile hotspots said to be hitting Verizon any day now
We haven't heard much about these since Verizon first showed them off way back at CES, but Phone Arena is reporting that a launch of Samsung and Novatel's new LTE mobile hotspots is now finally "imminent." That includes Novatel's USB551L LTE dongle in addition to the 4510L MiFi, both of which will be Mac-compatible out of the box (unlike Verizon's first pair of LTE modems), although that functionality has yet to be confirmed for Samsung's SCH-L11 hotspot. Still no word on pricing for any of them either, but Phone Arena says all three will be receiving a $50 rebate, so a price in line with Verizon's current, similarly-discounted $99 modems seems likely. [Thanks, Valentin]
Motorola will upgrade your Xoom to 4G LTE -- even if you've rooted it
Happy news for Android tinkerers everywhere -- Motorola has officially confirmed it will attempt to perform its 4G upgrade on all Verizon Wireless-riding Xoom tablets it receives from users, whether they've been rooted, repainted, or accessorized with fluffy dice. Naturally, the company can't guarantee successful software updates on devices that have had their OS tweaked, so it asks users to be kind and rewind to the original firmware state. For those unwilling to stretch that far back, Moto will still give it a shot and says that it'll install the 4G LTE modem at a minimum. What a refreshingly open-minded attitude. Now if Moto could give us an open-minded bootloader on its phones as well, we'd be all set.
Verizon 4G LG modem now Mac compatible, too
There you go, Verizon LG VL600 modem owners who use Mac OS X 10.4 through 10.6, you didn't have to wait too long, at all! Your Verizon 4G LTE LG modem is now compatible with your Mac computer. All you need to do is download the latest Verizon Access Manager for Mac software (version 7.2.5) for your LG modem and you'll be ready to go, fast. Verizon released the Mac compatible drivers for its other 4G modem, the Pantech UML 290 just over a week ago. You can download the drivers by accessing Verizon's Access Manager website, here. [Via MacRumors]
Verizon 4G Pantech modem now Mac compatible
Mac OS X (10.4 through to 10.6) users who have Verizon's Pantech UML290 4G LTE modem, you're in luck. Your modem is now compatible with your beautiful Mac computer for super-fast mobile cruising of the internet. About 13 hours ago (at writing of this post), Verizon announced -- via a VZWNetwork tweet -- the latest Verizon Access Manager for Mac software (version 7.2.4) as available for download. Unfortunately, if you've got the LG VL600 Verizon 4G LTE dongle, we're afraid you're still out of luck. However, this dongle is still expected to become Mac compatible at some point later in February.
Verizon 4G dongles to gain Mac compatibility in February
If you've got an LG VL600 Verizon 4G LTE dongle, and you've been climbing up the walls waiting to use it with your Mac, you're going to have to wait just a little bit longer. At present, there are no drivers available to support the 4G dongles on Mac computers, but we understand that Verizon engineers have been hard at work rectifying this. And, it seems, the fruits of their labor will be revealed shortly. According to PhoneScoop, LG VL600 4G LTE dongles will become Mac compatible at some point in February. So, there you have it! Soon your Mac will be able to cruise the 'net at (Verizon) LTE speed. [Via Engadget]
Verizon: LTE modem handoff has two-minute delay, fix (and Mac compatibility) on the way
Though we found Verizon's new LTE network pleasantly speedy in early testing, there are a few rough edges to the tech -- Verizon's USB modem have difficulty handing off connected users from an EVDO network to an LTE one, and of course, they don't yet work on Mac. However, Verizon's since admitted to both these issues and pledged to remedy the twain. "Hand-offs can take up to a couple minutes, but that was expected and a fix is in the works," it told Computerworld earlier today. "Mac is not yet supported, and we've been working on drivers for Mac OS for weeks, and expect to update relatively soon," a representative added. Now let's see the company bring some sense to the wild, wild west we call the 4G market.
Verizon LTE / 4G preview with the LG VL600 modem
We've just gotten our hands on the less-insane version of Verizon's LTE modems, the LG VL600. The company timed the shipment of these puppies to coincide with today's announcement of the coming 4G onslaught, set to begin December 5th -- which based on what we've seen thus far is going to be beyond awesome. Unless you're on a Mac (more on that after the break). In case you haven't seen the device in question, it's a rather large (we mean seriously large) USB dongle, which thankfully comes with a clip and extra cable. Like all LTE devices, it uses a SIM which will look familiar to those in GSM devices, but is -- again -- almost comically large. %Gallery-108608% We haven't spent a load of time with the modem, but in the few short hours we've had to play with the device, the down- and upstream speeds we're getting are nothing short of phenomenal. In Brooklyn, which we're not even sure is really heavily covered by the LTE blanket (and was being battered by rain and wind at the time of testing), we saw consistent speeds which peaked at 7 Mbps down, and over 1 Mbps up. Overall, speeds held steady around 5 to 6 Mbps down and 1 Mbps up. By comparison, we saw around 4 Mbps down and less than 1 Mbps up when we did some testing with Sprint's WiMAX Overdrive 4G, and roughly 6.5 Mbps down and 1 Mbps up with Clear's iSpot. Overall, browsing on our computer felt nearly identical to our home broadband, and even HD video playback on YouTube was snappy and responsive over the network. And did we mention we were only getting two out of four bars on our connection? Update: We've added a link to SlashGear's hands-on of the modem below. As you can see, speeds vary by area, and SG was pulling 12 Mbps downstream and more than 5 Mbps up -- impressively matching Verizon's claimed numbers. Update 2: With a little more testing, we're seeing speeds closer to Verizon's estimates. We've added a second image after the break, and as you can see, we're nabbing over 10 Mbps downstream and nearly 4 Mbps up.
Verizon launching LTE on December 5th, two transforming 4G USB modems hitch a wild ride
Sure, Verizon's holding a press conference tomorrow, but unless they've got a secret LTE smartphone or tablet (we can only hope) we've got a fairly good idea what the company will say. We're hearing Verizon will flip the switch on its LTE network on December 5th, unveil a pair of hot new USB modems to take advantage of those supposedly stellar speeds, and launch the SIM cards required to make LTE function in the first place. The gadgets include the LG VL600 thumbstick we've seen before, but also this marvelous-looking Pantech UML290 key, which has not only a slick swiveling case but also a dual-jointed USB port beneath. We doubt we're going to have any trouble getting this one plugged into even the slimmest of port-abhorring slimline computing machines. See where one of the SIM cards goes in the gallery below. Update: The populace has spoken, and "sexy" is no more. Shall we call them "transforming" modems, then? They most certainly are. %Gallery-108552% [Thanks, Anonymous and JT]
Beceem's BCS500 4G modem splices WiMAX and LTE into one chip, sampling later this year
When we were told market research pointed to WiMAX and LTE standards for 4G connectivity coexisting, we didn't expect they'd do it quite so closely. Beceem, the maker of the WiMAX chips inside "every device in Clearwire's network," is working on a 4G modem that can handle both WiMAX and LTE, with the added extra of being able to move seamlessly between the two networks in order to find the best signal possible. The mashup of the two standards makes sense in light of all the equivocation from Clearwire and Sprint on the subject of which one they'd prefer, and would be a more than welcome simplification of our collective 4G future. Anyhow, the latest development is that Beceem and Motorola are working to pair the BCS500 to the latter's WiMAX 4G infrastructure, with the first dual-mode chips set to start sampling "later this year" and hit mass production in early 2011.
LG M13 LTE modem hands-on
We've just busted through LG's glass wall that protected its M13 LTE modem, but alas we're still no closer to deciphering how good or portable this little 4G connect-a-gadget is. The first thing to note is that although it looks like a big stand with an embedded LG mobile handset, that's all for looks and in fact it's just a big chunky modem -- make of that "styling" what you will. Gallery below gives you some closer shots of the device, which was a plastic prototype glued to the table, as well as LG's Vd13 USB dongle. Go enjoy! %Gallery-82014%
LG to demo LTE USB modem and phones, show much love to video-streaming addicts
It's not the first time that LG's shown its commitment to bringing LTE to us mere mortals -- after all, it does hold the title for the world's first LTE chip back in December 2008. This time round they're demoing an LTE USB modem and a few handsets at CES, gunning for the theoretical maximum speeds (100Mbps down and 50Mbps up) and promising to let us "download an entire movie to your mobile phone in only one minute." That said, until we've seen the real stats or even the products in the shops, we'll just hang tight to see what the other party's got to offer.
Samsung and TeliaSonera bringing LTE to vikings in 2010
Scandinavian folks tend to be a pretty cheerful bunch during the summer, and now Swedes and Norwegians will have reason to smile through the cold dark winters as well, with Samsung announcing an agreement to provide TeliaSonera with "mobile broadband devices for commercial service next year." This agreement relates to Sammy's Kalmia 4G USB modem and adds to the Swedish operator's LTE push, which already counts Ericsson and Huawei among the contracted hardware providers. So that's 100Mbps mobile broadband, coming to a snow-covered nation near you within the next dozen months or so. All we would ask of our viking friends now is that they remember their world-conquering ways of the past and start spreading that goodness globally. Come on, it's our right! Full press release after the break.
Samsung boasts of first commercial LTE modem for cellphones
We can't say that we're absolutely certain that Samsung's not fibbing a little with its latest claim, particularly since NXP rolled out a multi-mode LTE / HSPA / etc. cellular modem way back in June of last year. Whatever the case, we're just stoked to see yet another big player drinking the LTE Kool-Aid, with Sammy developing what it calls the "first LTE modem that complies with the latest standards of the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP)." The modem, which is being labeled the Kalmia for now, supports download rates of up to 100Mbps and upload speeds around 50Mbps within the 20MHz frequency band. In other words, if your future handset is equipped with this chipset, you could theoretically stream four HD movies with no buffering. Now, if only Samsung would announce a new mobile to go along with this, we'd really have reason to carouse.
