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Pixel 4 will be available through every major US carrier (updated)
You no longer have to subscribe to Verizon (Engadget's parent company) if you want to buy a Pixel phone directly from a US carrier. Google has announced that the Pixel 4 series will be available through all major US networks, and then some. In addition to Big Red and Google Fi, you can also expect AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, US Cellular, C Spire, Cellcom, Spectrum Mobile, Visible and Xfinity Mobile to carry the Android flagships.
C Spire kicks off pre-registration for its Mississippi gigabit fiber service
C Spire, the regional wireless carrier with gigabit-sized dreams, has just announced that residents in nine Mississippi cities can now pre-register for its home fiber program. The southern US-based company recently revealed its plans to join Google, AT&T and others by taking a similar tack to Mountain View: making municipalities convince them they needed it. Candidates will need to put down a $10 deposit for the service, which C Spire says will run $80 for internet only and up to $160 for internet, home phone and cable TV services. During the ramp up, denizens of the candidate "fiberhoods" will be able to view progress maps, which will turn green when pre-registration rates hit 35-45 percent. Once a critical number of the 80 neighborhoods are on board, construction will begin. If you're in one of the finalist cities you can check your eligibility and sign up if you feel the need for speed -- otherwise, count on some neighborly peer-pressure.
Regional carriers announce plans to carry iPad Air
For the first time, Apple's LTE-capable iPad will be available on regional carriers. Specifically, both C Spire Wireless and Bluegrass Cellular will begin selling the iPad Air sometime in the next few weeks. C Spire Wireless is based out of Mississippi with coverage that encompasses a number of Southern states such as Mississippi, Alabama and Florida. Bluegrass Cellular, meanwhile, is based out of Kentucky. Details as to pricing and specific launch dates haven't yet been made available, but we'll keep you posted when more details emerge. The iPad Air will officially go on sale on November 1, with Apple retail stores set to open one hour early to accommodate interested buyers, and perhaps, to make things a little bit less chaotic overall. Notably, the iPad Air will launch in 42 countries on November 1, making it the most extensive iPad launch to date. There are a pair of other regional carriers getting in on the iPad Air party as well. We received word late on Friday that US Cellular will also be carrying the iPad Air beginning on November 8. In addition, GCI, a regional carrier based out of Alaska, will also be carrying the iPad Air "in the coming weeks."
iPhone 5s and 5c shipping to regional carriers on October 1st, but not to US Cellular
When your name is on a Major League Baseball stadium, and you're a mobile operator, you carry the iPhone. Unless you're US Cellular, that is. For reasons that cannot be comprehended by mere mortals, one of the United States' largest regional carriers still isn't offering the iPhone in any variant, despite promising back in May to carry Apple products before the year's end. In fact, things have gotten so bad over at USCC that its Facebook page has gone dead silent since September 13th, with customers far and wide ranting in the comments section about the carrier's inability to get the one phone they all want. Making matters worse for USCC is the fact that Appalachian Wireless, C Spire, Bluegrass Cellular, Cellcom, GCI, MTA, Nex-Tech Wireless, Ntelos and Strata are all lined up to start selling both the iPhone 5c and iPhone 5s on October 1st. We suppose even more could be added as time rolls on and the supply / demand balance rights itself, but it's probably high time for US Cellular holdouts to head on over to a rival. Patience only gets you so far, you know?
Samsung Galaxy S 4 arrives on C Spire's LTE network for $199
Looks like Samsung's on a mission to make the Galaxy S 4 available on as many carriers as possible, and C Spire is one of its latest destinations. Samsung's prolific flagship device joins the iPhone 5 and the HTC One on the company's list of smartphone offerings for its LTE network. The phone is available (in both black and white) through the carrier's website and retail locations for $199 with a two-year contract. If C Spire doesn't offer its services in your area, you still have other regional carrier options, including US Cellular, Cricket, and Ting.
PSA: iPhone 5 available in 22 more countries, on Cricket and US regional carriers galore
Disappointed that your country or favorite carrier missed the initial cut for the iPhone 5 launch? Odds are that you're all good now. Worldwide, 22 more countries have joined the mix as of today, including wide swaths of Europe as well as New Zealand; you'll find the full list in the release here. Americans also don't have to turn to the big carriers, as they can now opt for prepaid carrier Cricket in addition to a slew of extra providers that include C Spire as well as regionals like GCI and nTelos. In some cases, you'll even snag a discount by going with one of the smaller networks. If you bagged an iPhone in Barcelona, or caught one on Cellcom, let others know how it's going in the comments. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Mobile Miscellany: week of September 10th, 2012
Not all mobile news is destined for the front page, but if you're like us and really want to know what's going on, then you've come to the right place. This past week, C Spire Wireless activated its first LTE networks and we discovered strong indication that Isis will leverage the GSMA's SIM-based NFC standard for its mobile payments system. These stories and more await after the break. So buy the ticket and take the ride as we explore the "best of the rest" for this week of September 10th, 2012.
Daily Update for September 13, 2012
It's the TUAW Daily Update, your source for Apple news in a convenient audio format. You'll get all the top Apple stories of the day in three to five minutes for a quick review of what's happening in the Apple world. You can listen to today's Apple stories by clicking the inline player (requires Flash) or the non-Flash link below. To subscribe to the podcast for daily listening through iTunes, click here. No Flash? Click here to listen. Subscribe via RSS Note: Because of technical difficulties with Castfire, the Sept. 12 Daily Update wasn't published until a few hours ago. You can listen to our recap of the iPhone 5 announcement here.
iPhone 5 to launch on US carriers Cricket and C Spire Sept. 28
A week after the big three wireless carriers in the US offer the iPhone 5, Cricket and C Spire will begin carrying Apple's latest iteration of the iPhone. If you're a customer of either, mark September 28 on your calendar.
C Spire, regional carriers join the iPhone 5 deluge on September 28th
Don't worry about Cricket hogging the spotlight during the second wave of the iPhone 5's US launch. C Spire, Appalachian Wireless and Alaska's GCI have also promised to carry Apple's taller smartphone on the same September 28th date. Details of the arrival will have to wait, although they're not likely to veer sharply from the prices and rates that carriers were setting back in the iPhone 4S days. There are a few gaps in the narrative versus the earlier releases: we have yet to see news from GCI's Alaskan neighbors as well as Cellcom or nTelos, for example. The plan is nonetheless a sign that Apple wants to blanket the American landscape with new iPhones as quickly as possible. [Thanks, Colby] Update: Not surprisingly, nTelos has also confirmed (PDF) that it's hopping aboard the September 28th iPhone 5 train.
Engadget's smartphone buyer's guide: summer 2012 edition
Despite the sweltering heat waves, our spirits are high at Engadget, and for good reason: it's time for our summer edition of the smartphone buyer's guide. Here, you'll find our top recommendations for the best smartphones across several US carriers, along with the best QWERTY and budget alternatives. In many ways, it's now easier than ever to find a world-class smartphone, but unless you've developed a strong brand preference, choosing one is likely more difficult than ever before. It's no secret that the HTC One X and Samsung Galaxy S III have firmly cemented themselves as the premier smartphones of the day, but if you're torn between the two, we'll reveal our preference in this latest installment. Summertime also brought a bit of a shock, as Microsoft revealed that Windows Phone 8 apps won't be compatible with the current generation of Windows Phone hardware. For this reason, we've excluded all Windows Phone handsets from consideration in the latest buyer's guide. While the future of Microsoft's mobile platform looks incredibly bright, a purchase now would guarantee obsolescence in the short-term. Instead, all prospective Windows Phone purchasers must wait for the next generation of handsets to become available -- you'll regret it otherwise. Naturally, there is no shortage of rumors surrounding the next Apple iPhone, and given the handset's current lack of LTE connectivity, the iPhone 4S is certainly showing its age. While cautious purchasers may choose to bide their time, the iPhone remains top-notch in many other respects, and its arrival at a number of prepaid carriers brought a breath of fresh air to an otherwise stagnant environment. If you're curious to see how it all unfolded -- and we know you are -- join us after the break, where we round up the very best smartphones of the season.
C-Spire debuts pre-paid tablet and hotspot plans
As far as regional carriers go, C-Spire is a pretty big deal. Which makes it all the more surprising that the company hasn't offered standalone pre-paid data plans until now. The southern cellphone network now has three tiers of pre-paid access for your tablet or Mi-Fi, beginning with a $15 100MB package that expires after a week. $30 nets you 300MB over two weeks, while the top tier grants you a whole month's access and 1GB of data -- but will set you back a rather steep $50. Of course, there's always post-paid solutions for the more demanding, that start at $20 for 1GB per-month and go up to $50 for 5GB. For more, check out the PR after the break.
Samsung Galaxy S III coming to C Spire 'later this year'
And then there were six. With US Cellular breaking the barrier of regional carriers getting a flagship device at the same time as its national rivals, C Spire (formerly Cellular South) wants to join the cause by announcing that it will carry the Samsung Galaxy S III -- and we doubt it will be the last to hop on board, given that MetroPCS was listed on the US sign-up page alongside these other six carriers. The company wasn't so keen on providing exact details of pricing or availability, so all we know is that it's on track for a release "later this year" and we'll get more information in the coming weeks. If we were the gambling sort, we'd bet that C Spire is aiming to push this as its inaugural LTE device when the network is deployed this coming September. Judging by the picture alone, we're not expecting any major surprises with this particular flavor, but that shouldn't come as a shocker to anyone who has been following the GS3 news on the US front. Welcome to the party, pal. [Thanks, Fred]
Refresh Roundup: week of May 14th, 2012
Your smartphone and / or tablet is just begging for an update. From time to time, these mobile devices are blessed with maintenance refreshes, bug fixes, custom ROMs and anything in between, and so many of them are floating around that it's easy for a sizable chunk to get lost in the mix. To make sure they don't escape without notice, we've gathered every possible update, hack, and other miscellaneous tomfoolery we could find during the last week and crammed them into one convenient roundup. If you find something available for your device, please give us a shout at tips at engadget dawt com and let us know. Enjoy!
iPhone waltzes into top spot of US phone satisfaction index, small carriers trump the giants
We know almost too well how smartphones perform in US market share; what we don't usually see is how happy customers are once the shrink wrap's off. Going by a newly-expanded American Customer Satisfaction Index, it's the iPhone that most scratches the itch at a score of 83. Despite having just been added, Apple was noticeably ahead of a three-way tie between HTC, LG and Nokia at 75. You might not want to look if you're a freshly-minted RIM executive: the BlackBerry made its freshman debut on the charts at the bottom, or 69. Big carriers have their own reasons to wince, too, knowing that smaller carriers like US Cellular and TracFone scored higher on the happiness meter than incumbents hiking service fees. While there's definitely some wiggle room for your own experience to have been better or worse, if you were an iPhone owner on a regional carrier in the past few months, you were statistically the most likely to be on Cloud Nine.
Samsung Galaxy S III US sign-up page goes live
So enthused with the Galaxy S III that you want to know exactly when in the summer Americans can buy one? You can follow us, of course, but Samsung has you covered with a sign-up page that will take your vitals with promises that you'll "get the latest on the Next Galaxy." We wouldn't read too much into seeing AT&T, Sprint, Verizon and others in the list of carriers to choose from, though. Samsung has run identical sign-up campaigns in the US before, and it focused the initial Galaxy S II launch on three major carriers rather than carpet bombing every network at once. [Thanks, Michael]
C Spire restarts LTE rollout, aims for September launch in Mississippi
After missing its year-end 2011 target date, C Spire is once again set to get its LTE network up and running -- this time with a more realistic fall launch. The regional carrier announced plans for that initial rollout today, aiming to blanket 20 markets in Mississippi this September. Bear in mind, this particular flavor of 4G is more akin to the brisk, though not blistering performance achieved by HSPA+, given average downlink speeds should range between 4Mbps to 12Mbps and uplink at 1Mbps to 5Mbps. Considering this may be the first taste of non-3G for some denizens of the Magnolia State, it's not a bad start. For the sake of our southern brethren, we just hope the carrier can actually fulfill on its grandiose, next-gen promises this time 'round. Check out the official presser after the break.
C Spire drops iPhone 4S price to $150, asks you for two years of commitment
If you've wanted to cozy up to Siri, only holding back in your search for a price break on Apple's current iPhone 4S, then your latest opportunity has arrived. C Spire Wireless is now offering the device at the starting price of $150 for the 16GB model in return for signing a two-year commitment. Naturally, $250 snags you 32GB of storage, while the 64GB variant will run you $350. All in all, these iDevices at about $50 dollars less than you'd normally find 'em for on carrier subsidies -- unless you happen to reside in Puerto Rico, that is. Best of all, it appears that this isn't merely a limited-time offer. Don't take our word for it, hit up the source link below for all the details.
AT&T and Verizon lobby for less FCC spectrum control, Sprint and other carriers respond
Since 1993, the FCC has held the ability to restrict bidders' participation in spectrum auctions based on their current spectrum holdings, needs and dominance in the marketplace. Given that wireless spectrum is a public resource, the current law tasks the FCC with the responsibility to ensure competition in the marketplace and prevent monopolies and duopolies from forming. A new proposal contained within the JOBS Act, H.R. 3630 -- a sweeping bill that primarily addresses the extension of unemployment benefits -- threatens to strip the FCC of this authority and return spectrum auctions to the freewheeling wild west era. The bill is so controversial that former FCC chairman, Reed Hundt, recently called this proposal "the single worst telecom bill" he'd ever seen, and, "a repudiation of the smartest auction theorists in the world." Today, the CEOs from many of the US's smaller telecoms -- which include Sprint, T-Mobile, Cricket, C Spire and Bluegrass Cellular (among others) -- officially lodged their objections to this proposed bill based on the notion that, left unrestricted, AT&T and Verizon Wireless could start bullying smaller carriers in the race to acquire more spectrum.While the majority of the bill deals with making additional spectrum available, Section 4105 of Title V -- the controversial bit in question -- is ostensibly the work of lobbying efforts on behalf of AT&T and Verizon. Are the nation's top two carriers legitimately concerned that the FCC will limit their ability to participate in future auctions? Sprint contends that the current law has worked rather well for both top dogs, which together control approximately 73 percent of the spectrum under 1GHz. There's no doubt that spectrum is the bread and butter of the wireless industry, but as a public resource, it deserves to be allocated in a way that promotes competition and best serves the citizens. Regardless of your gut reaction, it seems that the topic deserves some legitimate debate. If the proposed bill hits the Congressional floor and is mired down amongst discussions of unemployment benefits and flood insurance reform, just how much of this important discussion will fall on deaf ears?[Tower photo via Shutterstock]
C Spire's LTE rollout appears stalled, GPS interference doesn't help matters
Target dates come and go, and other times, they're merely brushed aside. That seems to be the case for C Spire Wireless, which (back in its days as Cellular South) announced that it would have a live LTE network by the close of 2011. At the time, the regional provider had linked arms with Samsung to build up the necessary infrastructure, although now, all the carrier can muster is, "We did not launch 4G LTE at the end of 2011. We have no further comment beyond that." Its homegrown ambitions for LTE aren't the only front that's stalled, either. If you'll remember, the network had previously inked a deal with LightSquared to provide additional LTE coverage, although without regulatory approval, it seems that C Spire will be forced to find a new game plan if it cares to match speed with the big boys.
