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HTC PD29110 Windows Phone 7 device hits the FCC, sports T-Mobile frequencies
Sometimes FCC filings contain reams of glorious details, but there's very few here -- just the alphanumeric designation for a HTC Windows Phone 7 handset with 802.11 b/g/n WiFi, Bluetooth + EDR, and a set of cellular frequencies (including AWS) that all but peg the phone for a T-Mobile launch. Pay no attention to that "Camera-2nd" listed above, as it's not proof there's a front-facing camera on this device -- rather, the "Sample 2" line indicates that the labs tested a pair of these phones, each with their own photo module. If there does happen to be a second camera on a Windows Phone 7 launch device, however, you'll be the first to know -- we'll be on the lookout for this and other hot new phones at Microsoft's Monday launch.
Vidéotron launches mobile service in Canada, lots of smartphones in tow; iPhone in the cards?
Canada's Quebecor has launched mobile service through its Vidéotron brand today, adding another start-up to an increasingly confusing array of new players challenging the country's legacy wireless giants, Rogers, Bell, and Telus. Like Mobilicity, Public Mobile, and WIND Mobile, Vidéotron uses AWS spectrum to offer 3G service, and the selection of devices at launch is surprisingly decent: you've got access to the Nexus One, Motorola XT720, Garmin A50, and BlackBerry Bold 9700, alongside a bunch of lower-end offerings and a data card. Though the carrier's network is restricted to Quebec, roaming deals are in place that should allow them to offer service "almost 95 percent of the country." Perhaps the juiciest thing to come out of the launch today, though, happened during the Q&A session of the launch press conference, where one of the company's executive vice presidents apparently noted that Apple is in the process of manufacturing an AWS-compliant iPhone and that we should "expect an announcement in the coming months" regarding Vidéotron's launch. That certainly lends credence to recent rumors that T-Mobile USA is preparing to offer the iPhone -- like Vidéotron, it uses AWS 3G -- but just as with the perpetual Verizon rumors, we're going to hold off on calling this one gold until we see the units on a store shelf. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
New AWS-equipped HTC in FCC -- is it the T-Mobile G2, the Glacier, or something else?
So we've collected enough circumstantial evidence recently to safely say that T-Mobile's getting at least two potentially ultra-awesome Android phones in the next few months: the G2 (aka Vision, aka Desire Z), and the multi-core Glacier. We don't know which, but we're thinking that one of those bad boys has just garnered FCC approval thanks to a filing today for a model code PC10100 that features support for AWS 3G -- the frequency pair T-Mobile USA uses -- along with 802.11n WiFi. Notably, the filing also points out that HSPA+ is in the cards, which is a feature T-Mobile has been quick to trumpet in its G2 advertising thus far. Given that the G2 seems closer to retail than the Glacier, we'll go ahead and surmise this is almost certainly the G2 here -- but then again, crazier things have happened.
Motorola Motoroi getting Android 2.1, bound for UK?
There's no word yet on when the Motorola Motoroi will make it to T-Mobile (in the industry we call that "the T-Motoroiola rumor") but there has definitely been a good deal of chatter concerning this handset. The latest has Pocket-lint confirming a UK release with Moto itself. Offering similarities to Taipei's HSPA-lovin' XT701, users in Ol' Blighty (and the rest of the UK) can look forward to an 8-megapixel camera (with a Xenon flash), support for 720p video, mini HDMI, and an unspecified processor boost. In addition, Android 2.1 is likely to be part of the deal. We have neither a timeline nor a price, and the veracity of this rumor is yet to be established (although it does seem like a no-brainer), but if this all goes down as Pocket-lint says it will you can color us Yanks mighty jealous.
Dell Mini 5 gets FCC approval again, this time with T-Mobile flavoring
Whether it's branded the Mini 5, the Streak, the Streak 5, or something else entirely, we can say with certainty that Dell's going to be hitting the Android market hard in 2010 -- but we didn't realize it'd be hitting this hard. It looks like the company might be taking a tack similar to Google's with the Nexus One, because a second variant of product code M01M just garnered FCC approval -- this time featuring WCDMA Band IV in place of Bands II and V, which means it'll work on T-Mobile's airwaves instead of AT&T's. In lieu of a carrier deal, could Dell be looking to blow this out on as many carriers as it possibly can? We hope so -- as long as our wallets can stomach the unsubsidized hit.
Look out, WIND: Mobilicity next fresh carrier to launch in Canada
The carrier formerly known as DAVE Wireless -- one of the big winners in Canada's AWS auction a year and a half ago -- has adopted an official, consumer-friendly name on its way to availability later this year: Mobilicity, which is apparently supposed to evoke "the mobile carrier's focus on simplicity for city-based customers." They've also announced that the first market to go live will be Toronto in Spring followed by Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary and Ottawa later in the year, closely mirroring the strategy being employed by its nearest rival, WIND, which just launched recently in the same spectrum. Both operators face an uphill battle against the well-entrenched big boys -- Rogers, Bell, and Telus -- but it'll be a fun fight to watch, won't it?
Cox trials voice calls, streaming HD video over new LTE network
Cox Communications is just now kicking off slivers of its CDMA network in Virginia, California, and Nebraska, but it's already got its sights firmly fixed on 4G services, too, having announced today the "successful completion" of LTE trials in Phoenix and San Diego supported by infrastructure from Alcatel-Lucent and Huawei. Notably, both voice calling (a hot topic in 4G right now, since there aren't any commercial handsets in the field yet) and HD video streaming were tested -- a nice little tie-in with Cox's cable biz. Airspace for all of this newfound interest in the wireless space comes from Cox's recent spectrum acquisitions in the 700MHz and AWS ranges; granted, even in a best-case scenario these guys would have to negotiated a bunch of serious roaming deals to take their service national, but in the meantime, anyone lucky enough to be within range of a Cox tower might very well be in the first wave of Americans to enjoy the spoils LTE has to offer. Follow the break for Cox's full press release.
Motorola MOTOROI almost certainly bound for T-Mobile (thanks, FCC!)
We needed to independently connect and verify a few dots before sounding the alarm here, but sure enough, it looks like Cell Phone Signal has unearthed the best smoking gun yet suggesting Motorola's MOTOROI -- the phone formerly known as the Sholes Tablet -- is destined for T-Mobile USA. The evidence comes in the form of an FCC filing, a Motorola device with ID IHDP56KC6, that's certified for quadband EDGE plus T-Mobile-friendly 1700 / 2100MHz HSPA humming at a peak of 10.2Mbps down and 5.6Mbps up (not too shabby) with Bluetooth, WiFi, GPS, and magnetic compass. By and large, Moto managed to paint over revealing portions of spectrum analyzer screen shots that contained the product's codename, but there are a couple they forgot to touch -- and sure enough, the part they didn't want you to see reads in part "SHOLES." So why are we so sure this is the keyboardless MOTOROI as opposed to an AWS-compliant form of the Droid / Milestone, which shared the Sholes name internally? The answer lies in the SAR report, which didn't test the phone's radiated power in both "slider up" and "slider down" configurations like we saw in the Droid's documentation -- there's just one set of figures here. That, of course, means no slider, which in turn means no QWERTY, which ultimately means MOTOROI. Now if you'll excuse us, we need to close fourteen sets of FCC filings, restart our computer, and grab a quick drink -- but in the meantime, T-Mobile folks, take comfort in knowing that your Moto rollercoaster doesn't start and end with the CLIQ. Don't suppose this would be a March release, would it?
Garmin-Asus working on an AWS smartphone, but what is it?
How many phones does Garmin-Asus sell on T-Mobile? If you guessed zero, you'd be absolutely correct, so we're buzzing about this FCC filing that popped up in the last few hours detailing a "PDA Phone" with AWS 3G frequency compliance. To be fair, this could be a device for Canada's WIND Mobile, too, now that it's sharing T-Mobile's spectrum space -- but either way, we've got to wonder what kind of phone we're looking at here. It seems a little late in the game to be re-releasing either the nuvifone G60 or M20 with new bands, so we're hoping this is legitimately new hardware in the mix; if so, it'll be interesting to see if the nuvifone franchise still has a chance to redeem itself after the G60 became one of the most catastrophically delayed launches in mobile history. Nothing a little Android can't fix, right?
Motorola prepping 3G module with support for AT&T and T-Mobile USA alike
T-Mobile's oddball 3G network makes creating a device that simply supports all forms of North American HSPA a challenge for a very simple reason: even triband HSPA radios are still a bit of a novelty, and to support everything we've got going on over here, you effectively need to go quadband since AWS splits its duties between 1700 and 2100MHz. Happily, Motorola is coming to bat here, not with an actual phone but with an 850 / 1900 / AWS radio module that's intended for integration by other OEMs. We're not sure what kinds of devices this particular unit might find duty in, but if nothing else, it gives us confidence that Moto's now able to create phones that effectively straddle the T-Mobile / AT&T fence -- assuming it's got a business case to do so.
Motorola Quantico gets rugged for AWS CDMA
Verizon, AT&T, and Sprint (well, Direct Connect anyway) have all gotten their fair shares of ruggedized Motorola love, but what about the regionals like MetroPCS? The answer to that might very well lie in the Quantico flip that was announced today, bearing support for 1700MHz CDMA in addition to 800 / 1900 with EV-DO. Besides mil-spec 810F compliance for resistance to environmental evils like water dunks, heat, and dust, the Quantico offers up a 1.3 megapixel camera (a little meager, if you ask us), stereo Bluetooth, and microSD expansion. Moto's putting nearly all of its weight behind Android right now, but alas, no Android here -- speaking of, whatever happened to the non-touch version of the platform? Anyhow, look for the phone to hit markets in this quarter; carrier partners have yet to be announced. Update: Turns out US Cellular is already selling the Quantico despite Motorola's vague statement on availability. Thanks, everyone!
BlackBerry Bold 9700 gains FCC clearance in T-Mobile trim
You can't make heads or tails of what carrier might be getting this version of the Bold 9700 just by looking at the wireframe diagram buried in the ID label documentation, but here's an important clue: it got tested for WCDMA Band IV, also known as AWS -- so yeah, that would be a pretty solid indicator that this puppy is T-Mobile USA's version. You could spend literally hours thumbing through the hundreds of pages of RF test results here, so curl up on a cushy futon and geek out -- just do us a favor and don't actually print it out, okay?
LG gets mysterious AWS LTE device through FCC
If this strange, rather unhelpful FCC label diagram looks vaguely familiar, that'd be because it's in the same product family as another LTE-compatible device submitted by LG to the FCC not long ago: the M13 with EV-DO compatibility. In fact, we'd venture to guess that this newly-passed M4 is basically the same thing as the M13, merely swapping 700MHz LTE and EV-DO for AWS LTE alone, which is the spectrum range that MetroPCS -- which has aggressively committed to rolling out LTE as soon as next year -- will need. LG's been meticulous about making sure it doesn't say anything specific enough in the FCC documentation to let us lay folk nail down exactly what it is, but there are brief mentions of connectivity via USB, so it's conceivable were looking at some sort of data modem here. Either that, or... you know, it's a piece of base station or test equipment that we'll never even come close to seeing in the flesh.
Nokia 3710a, some Motorola (Morrison, perhaps?) get FCC approval for T-Mobile
For T-Mobile USA customers, the FCC slid a couple particularly interesting batches of docs into its vast library in the past week: the Nokia 3710a and a mysterious Motorola. First, the 3710a (pictured) is simply an Americanized version of the 3710 flip introduced a couple months back, offering a 3.2 megapixel cam, Series 40, and a concealed external display in addition to that all-important dose of 3G on T-Mobile's AWS band. The more interesting item, though, might be this Motorola -- as usual Moto has done a terrific job of concealing virtually all useful bits of information about this phone, but we have reason to believe that it could be the Android-powered Morrison since it's got WiFi on board in addition to 3G, Bluetooth, and the usual RF suspects. With Moto's big announcement just around the corner, we wouldn't be surprised. [Via Unwired View] Read - Motorola device Read - Nokia 3710a
ZTE C90, FCC, AWS CDMA, QWERTY, LOL, OMG
We normally associate AWS spectrum with T-Mobile's 3G efforts, but let's not forget that it also plays a big role in recent buildouts of the CDMA regionals; MetroPCS and Leap Wireless' Cricket brand both use 1700MHz bandwidth in a number of markets, and you'll find plenty of AWS support across their lineups to prove it. An interesting new QWERTY slider from ZTE bearing triband CDMA support (AWS included) just passed FCC testing, and if we had to guess, MetroPCS is the likely candidate to get it; the companies have been in bed for quite some time now, and it's no secret that they're collaborating on LTE gear going forward. It's not the best looking phone we've ever seen -- nor the best looking QWERTY slider -- but hey, we'll bet it's cheaper than the $249 Motorola Hint, especially since it steps down from a 2 megapixel cam to 1.3. No word on when we might see an announcement. [Via Phone Scoop]
T-Mobile webConnect available today, carrier's first 3G modem
"T-Mobile USA" and "3G modem" aren't two things you frequently heard uttered in the same sentence -- but now that the number four carrier's got a budding HSPA network that's all dressed up with no place to go, it's time to start rolling out some serious hardware (G1 aside) to take advantage. On that note, T-Mobile's finally getting serious about laptop data, launching its rumored webConnect USB stick today with an integrated microSDHC slot, HSDPA 1900 / 2100 / AWS for compatibility in the US and abroad, and triband EDGE for those times -- and there will be many at first -- when you're out of 3G coverage. The webConnect launches today for $49.99 on a two-year contract after rebate or $249.99 contract-free.
Cricket rolls out Samsung r211 candybar
The "ultra-simple CDMA set with AWS support" category is getting pretty well-stocked the past few months courtesy of carriers like MetroPCS, and Samsung's helping to fill the shelves with another one on Cricket today. The SCH-r211 offers little more than what you can gather from the product shot -- it'll do data sans 3G, and that 128 x 128 display isn't helping matters either -- but more importantly, it runs just $89.99 contract-free, and it's available this very second.
T-Mobile says it'll cover 200M pops in 3G by end of year
Shoehorned in with its Samsung Memoir announcement today, T-Mobile has announced that it plans on covering 200 million Americans with its AWS 3G network by the end of 2009. That's up from "more than 100 million people" at the end of 2008, so even if you consider "more than 100 million" to be as high as 150 million, that's still a nice boost in HSPA coverage year over year. And considering that we're expecting a barrage of new G series (or at least one or two of 'em) to launch on T-Mob in '09, we'll take just as much 3G as we can get.
Huawei's UMG181 USB modem for T-Mobile in the wild
Huawei's UMG181 holds a special place in the hearts of loyal T-Mobile users -- after all, it's not everyday that you see a USB modem with AWS 3G support. The cool cats over at CellPhone signal managed to get their hands around one, and while it looks about exactly like we thought it would, we're told that the general public should be able to find one as early as next month. Got enough patience to make it?
Huawei's UMG181 USB modem headed for T-Mobile (thanks, FCC!)
Ready for a little AWS 3G action via USB stick? Oh, yeah? Then have a look at what just landed in the FCC's database: Huawei's UMG181. The USB mobile broadband modem should operate just fine on T-Mobile's US network, pulling down gigabyte after gigabyte onto your laptop and / or desktop. Outside of that, details are remarkably scant, but we reckon it won't be long before it's up for sale on the carrier's own site.
