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iPhone 5 swings through first round of Chinese approvals, may already have China Telecom onboard
Wireless device certifications can sometimes give away a little more of a company's game plan than intended. Case in point: a China Compulsory Certification for the iPhone 5. The expected A1429 variant has been given initial clearance on its way to China Unicom, but there's also a previously unseen, CDMA2000-based A1442 iPhone with a similar rubber stamp. With the iPhone 4S already on the market for a CDMA-only China Telecom, it doesn't take much to suggest that the A1442 represents Apple's taller, faster smartphone already prepared for the same carrier. Neither edition of the iPhone 5 is imminent without the equally important network and radio clearances. Getting the ball rolling on multiple variants so soon after the initial launch, however, raises the chance that we'll see the iPhone 5 on more than one Chinese provider faster than the iPhone 4S took to arrive the last time around.
Next-gen Xiaomi Phone outed by certifications ahead of launch, will again come in three variants (updated)
Having seen the next-gen Xiaomi Phone's more colorful yet rejected designs, we're rather baffled by these dull-looking certification images of the real deal. According to a filing from the good old TENAA, this new device from Xiaomi goes by the codename "2012051" and packs WCDMA radio, but that's pretty much it in terms of specs. Eagle-eyed readers may have already spotted the striking resemblance to the original Xiaomi Phone (aka MI-One Plus), but it appears to be getting an extra front-facing camera and, for some reason, a smaller speaker grill on the back. But wait, there's more! We dug up two additional models in the China Compulsory Certificate database: there's the "2012052" also with WCDMA radio, plus the "2012053" with CDMA2000/WCDMA dual radio. Bearing in mind that the current Xiaomi Phone has three variants, our guess is that its successor will follow a similar pattern: the WCDMA flavor may again have a 1.5GHz version followed by a slower and cheaper version (much like what the Youth Edition aka MI-One is to the MI-One Plus); and depending on Xiaomi's arrangements with China Unicom and China Telecom, the CDMA flavor for the latter may or may not be launched alongside its WCDMA cousin. Let's hope for the best when this alleged quad-core phone gets announced next Thursday. Update: Another possibility is that the design pictured above only applies to the lower-end model, which may just pack a dual-core chip (hopefully a Snapdragon S4). We shall see.
iPhone reportedly ready for China Telecom's CDMA2000 network
The iPhone 4S is set to launch in China a few days from now via China Unicom, a GSM-based provider that has been the sole iPhone-compatible Chinese carrier thus far. According to AllThingsD, China may be getting ready to add a second carrier to the mix: CDMA-based wireless carrier China Telecom. Apple has reportedly received regulatory approval for a device compatible with China Telecom's CDMA2000 network, and with the iPhone 4S being a true world phone featuring compatibility with both GSM and CDMA networks, it seems it's only a matter of time before China Telecom starts offering the iPhone to its 123 million customers. Apple has to clear a couple more regulatory hurdles before sales can begin through China Telecom, but in the meantime, the iPhone 4S will go on sale in China via Unicom on January 13. If iPhone 4S sales are as brisk in China as they have been everywhere else, it's going to be a good day for Apple.
Chinese Motorola XT928 gets hands-on: less RAZR, more double-edged sword
China's own Motorola RAZRs have arrived, and have plenty to differentiate themselves from the Verizon-coated version available in the US. Thankfully, our colleagues over at Engadget Chinese have managed to get some intimate hands-on time with the dual-SIM capable XT928. Whether it's the upgraded 13 megapixel camera, or the 4.5-inch HD display crammed inside, this Motorola mobile arrives slightly chunkier than the RAZR we're used to. In fact, it looks more like a distant cousin than a simple variant. A not-particularly tapered backing is now removable, giving access to the two SIM card slots. Ports and buttons have also been rejigged, although the main difference is certainly the carrier's decision to opt for network flexibility over the wafer-thin styling and Kevlar credentials of its fellow Moto countryman, China Mobile's MT917. See how they both measure up against the Droid RAZR in an awkward family portrait after the break or check the full gallery (and some hands-on footage) at the link below.
Samsung's two-faced SCH-W999 Android plays the dual core, dual SIM game
Remember Samsung's second-gen dual-screen Android clamshell we spotted about a month ago? Well, here it is at last: announced in partnership with China Telecom, this SCH-W999 flip phone packs two 3.5-inch 480 x 800 Super AMOLED panels back to back, along with a 1.2GHz dual-core Qualcomm MSM8660, Android 2.3 with TouchWiz, HyperSkin back cover (as featured on the Galaxy Nexus for grip plus anti-smear), five megapixel camera, Bluetooth 3.0, WiFi and WAPI (China's not-so-successful take on WiFi, basically). Like many phones on China Telecom, the W999 comes with dual SIM slots and dual-mode connectivity (GSM and CDMA2000, with the latter offering EV-DO 3G), but with the additional support for penta-band radio for globetrotters. Want to nab one? We're looking at a 2012 launch, though there's no word on prices just yet -- well, just so you know, the predecessor W899 starts from ¥8990 ($1,410), so good luck with your garage sale. We got you some pictures from the China launch event after the break, courtesy of Samsung Mobile. %Gallery-140983%
Qualcomm gobs off about Gobi 4000: the buy once, use anywhere mobile chipset
Qualcomm is polishing the chrome on a new Gobi chipset with the power to connect to every wireless connection imaginable. The 4000 series comes in LTE/HSPA+ or LTE/EV-DO variants for customers to use when they've been evicted from Starbucks. The chipset's compatible with CDMA2000, 1xEV-DO Rev A and B, HSPA+, Dual-Carrier HSPA+ and LTE. You'll find the kit tucked inside forthcoming Dell and Lenovo laptops as well as inside Novatel Wireless and Sierra Wireless' mobile hotspots. The hardware is built to play nicely with Qualcomm's Snapdragon gear, Windows and Android in all its many flavors. If you're interested in learning more about what'll probably power your next portable internet device, jog on down past the break to find a press release stuffed full of model numbers.
Droid RAZR's CDMA2000 and TD-SCDMA variants teased in China, the latter with 720p display
Chinese mobile customers face a similar dilemma as their American counterparts: they have to choose either China Unicom's WCDMA network, China Telecom's CDMA2000 network or China Mobile's more obscure TD-SCDMA offering. Needless to say, this can be a real headache for phone fanatics stuck on a carrier that doesn't support their desired devices, unless they don't mind surfing the web on 2G radio (if compatible at all). Luckily, nowadays Motorola tends to take good care of all potential Chinese customers whenever it rolls out a new Android phone, including the Droid RAZR (aka XT910, pictured right) in this case. Read on to find out what these two new phones are about. %Gallery-139260%
Samsung's SCH-i929 and SCH-W999 dual-screen clamshell get certified in China
Ready for a heavy dose of Android this morning? Then enjoy this Samsung double whammy freshly delivered from China. On the left we have the China Telecom-branded SCH-i929, a 9.7mm-thick handset featuring a Snapdragon MSM8660 chip (likely clocked at 1.5GHz), 4.5-inch 480 x 800 AMOLED display, eight-megapixel camera and GSM plus CDMA2000 connectivity. All of this makes the i929 a near-identical cousin of the Galaxy S II LTE -- same processor, same chassis, but obviously with different network compatibility. Of course, the real star of the show is the SCH-W999, a follow-up to the SCH-W899 of the same dual-screen clamshell form factor. As you can see on the right, on the outside this phone features a 3.5-inch 480 x 800 AMOLED display along with three touch buttons, while on the inside it packs a similar screen plus a physical keypad. Like the i929 above, this funky flip phone is also powered by a MSM8660 chip and supports both GSM and CDMA2000 on China Telecom, though its camera is limited to five megapixels instead. Anyhow, we'd certainly love to get hold of a world-friendly version of this 204 gram beast, so what do you say, Won-Pyo Hong? %Gallery-137682%
Rep. Eshoo intros 4G disclosure act, hopes to turn consumers into techies
We're gonna shoot from the hip here -- wireless carriers have gotten a little out-of-hand with their 4G marketing. Even industry standard setter, the ITU, can't figure out a way to keep the story straight. This consumer disinformation loop is exactly what Rep. Anna Eshoo plans to undo with her "Next Generation Wireless Disclosure Act." Like its title says, the bill would force carriers to be absolutely, unfalteringly crystal clear on minimum data speeds, network reliability, accessible coverage maps, and, of course, the technology being used. Think the T-Mobile girl can handle that in thirty seconds? We didn't think so, either. Retailers tried a similar consumer hand-holding effort during the DTV transition, although that came without a regulatory shove. Hit the source for legalese in all its undisturbed glory, and while you wait for Uncle Sam to act, you can clear up any lingering confusion by diving into our primer. [Image credit via Going WiMax]
2G, 3G, 4G, and everything in between: an Engadget wireless primer
It's hard to believe nowadays, but in a simpler time, cellphones really were called "cell phones," not dumbphones, smartphones, feature phones, or superphones. They bulged in your pocket -- if they fit in your pocket at all, that is -- and they made calls. That's it. None of this social networking, messaging, browsing, Instagramming, Flash 10.1 nonsense. They didn't upload 5 megapixel photos to Flickr, and they most certainly didn't turn into wireless hotspots. Of course, those bleak days are mercifully behind us now -- but as carriers around the world start to light up a promising new generation of high-speed wireless networks, things are beginning to get a little confusing. Just what is "4G," anyway? It's one higher than 3G, sure, but does that necessarily mean it's better? Why are all four national carriers in the US suddenly calling their networks 4G? Is it all the same thing? Answering those questions requires that we take a take a little walk through wireless past, present, and future... but we think it's a walk you'll enjoy.
Sprint's ZTE Peel embracing your iPod touch sans contract on November 14th?
Still clinging on to your iPod touch in the hope that Sprint will one day launch an iPhone? Well, it's rather early to make a call, but news has it that we may get the next best thing very soon. According to our buddies over at BGR, the ZTE Peel that we saw a little while back is apparently hitting Sprint on November 14th, which is merely a week from today. Sadly, no one knows yet how much this 3G router case (read: no phone functionality) will cost, but both BGR and our own sources have confirmed that it'll be available on a contract-free 1GB data plan for $29.99 per month. Meanwhile, you may consider the Apple Peel 520 that can actually turn your jailbroken iPod touch into a phone, or grab yourself an Overdrive and duct tape for some hot WiMAX Skype action. [Thanks, Delon H.]
Sprint lays out strategy for iDEN sunset, refreshed CDMA network
CDMA2000 isn't getting any younger -- but it's a spring chicken compared to iDEN, a network that has remained the de facto standard for push-to-talk fanatics against all odds, surviving occasional challenges to the throne and Boost Mobile's desire to dip its toes in the CDMA waters from time to time over the past couple years. It can't live on forever, though, and Sprint's senior VP of networks has dropped some new knowledge this week on how it plans to address the issue. The crux of the strategy -- which spans seven to ten years on Sprint's roadmap -- involves deploying new base station equipment that will be considerably more flexible, capable of running anything from CDMA to WiMAX to LTE with little more than a software tweak, and increasing the power output on those base stations which will allow the company to reduce the total number of towers it operates and overcome some of the reduced building penetration seen in the higher frequencies. Somewhere along the way it'd like to move its iDEN customer base to a CDMA-based PTT solution -- something it already tried (and failed) with QChat -- and refresh its CDMA footprint with 1X Advanced, which is considerably more efficient for voice and should allow the company to generally make better use of its spectrum. With Sprint's relationship with Clearwire in a somewhat strange place right now, a robust network strategy that can survive on its own two feet if necessary seems like a wise idea -- and freeing up iDEN spectrum for more modern technologies is probably a good place to start.
HTC's dual-mode CDMA / GSM Android slider hits the FCC, decked out in shades of Verizon
Remember that big, honking red-and-black HTC slider that dwarfed an EVO 4G? It's back sporting Verizon colors just as we were told, and with a few more confirmed specifications thanks to the ever-reliable FCC. The HTC "PD42100" is still missing a proper internal codename, but test reports confirm it's ready for at least CDMA 2000 and GSM 850 plus EV-DO Rev. A, Bluetooth and 802.11b/g/n WiFi at 2.4GHz frequencies. There's no word on that 1.2GHz processor or 4-inch display, but it's clear we're looking at some chunky chiclet keys and there's definitely a removable battery. We can't wait to get our hands on what surely looks like the new king of Droids. %Gallery-101407% Update: As it turns out, the size of the screen has been staring us in the face for hours -- we just had to think back to high school geometry class, specifically the Pythagorean Theorem. Starting with the FCC's handy-dandy picture of the phone's rear next to a square ruler, we had only to superimpose an image of the front on top, then calculate the diagonal (after translating to inches, of course) to discover it was a 4-inch display all along. Oh, and the phone has EV-DO Rev. A for data. [Thanks, Mark]
Motorola Ming A1680, MT810, and XT806 begin their Android mercy mission in China
Motorola's venerable MING handset revisions were just made official in three Android-toting varieties for China Unicom (model A1680 pictured above left), China Mobile (MT810, pictured center), and China Telecom (XT806, on the right). The TD-SCDMA riding MT810 ships with the Android derived OPhone 2.0 operating system and two touchscreen displays: a 3.2-inch stylus-friendly resistive touchscreen and a second transparent capacitive cover that provides a finger-friendly experience when closed. Other specs include 720 x 480 video capture, 720p video playback, and support for China's CMMB mobile television spec. China Telecom's XT806 is built on Android 2.1 with GPS, 720p video capture, and support for both CDMA EVDO and GSM for global wanderings. Finally, China Unicom's A1680 packs a 3.1-inch AMOLED touchscreen, Chinese WAPI WiFi, 5 megapixel camera, GPS, and Motorola's sixth-generation SoftStylus handwriting system.
Motorola XT806 Android flip phone strikes a pose on Chinese website
You'd think Motorola would be done for the summer after pushing out the much anticipated Droid 2, but no -- apparently it has yet more Android handsets to deliver before it could head to the beach. Spotted on a Chinese regulatory website is this XT806 flip phone, which is destined for China Telecom's CDMA2000 network. Like the other MING handsets, the main selling point here is the Chinese handwriting input on the 3.6-inch 854 x 480 LCD screen -- no word on touchscreen type, but we'd be surprised if it isn't resistive. The phone -- powered by a 600MHz TI OMAP3430 chip -- also comes with microSD explansion, FM radio, Bluetooth, WLAN of some sort, and a 5 megapixel camera that does 720p video. As for which version of Android, no idea, but we'd still pick the MT810 over this newbie any day.
ZTE Peel for Sprint outed by FCC, another 3G-equipped iPod touch case
What is it about the word peel that screams "throw on the back of an iPod touch and grant it the power of mobile internet?" We spotted Yosion's Apple Peel 520 just this morning bound for Chinese markets, and now the FCC has unveiled ZTE's own Peel 3G router. Although the user manual and external photos don't explicitly state it, one look at the (slightly enhanced) image above removes all doubt that this is made to fit snugly around a certain finger-friendly iDevice with a headset jack on the bottom right. Additionally, the user manual's setup screens are all sketched out in what appears to be a more mobile Safari-friendly size. The Qualcomm-powered CDMA2000 case is brandishing Sprint logos on the front and back, which frankly wouldn't be the first (or even second) time the carrier's targeted the Apple faithful. Only this time, there's no WiMAX -- bummer. Crafty, wacky, zany? We're sure Mr. Hesse is chortling, but perhaps he can catch a breath or two and disseminate out some proper release details post-haste. %Gallery-98419% [Thanks, The Kaiser]
China Telecom mulling huge EV-DO Rev. B rollout?
You might think that the EV-DO technology path has seen better days, what with carriers like Bell and Telus defecting for HSPA and others prepping to pull the plug altogether -- but really, it might take nothing more than one massive, eight-figure subscriber deployment of a next-gen EV-DO network to get things up and running again. Indeed, EV-DO Rev. B is still very much alive and well, and a rumored deployment by China's number three carrier China Telecom -- which counts over 70 million mobile users to its name -- could definitely light some fires. Telecom has already been running trials of the standard, which can keep pace with the world's HSPA+ networks, using equipment from a number of suppliers; needless to say, we're sure any of them would be happy to fill a huge order regardless of LTE's wider appeal worldwide. Interestingly, Telecom's ultimate plan is still to migrate to LTE -- but considering its rather massive footprint and subscriber count, there's method in the madness of supporting an interim ultra high-speed standard like Rev. B in light of the carrier's CDMA roots. And hey, to be honest, we'll take our 10Mbps downlink speeds any way we can get them.
Sony VAIO P model PCG-11111L hits FCC with EVDO
What does that look like to you? We're thinking an updated VAIO P given that stretched form factor. The previously unheard of VAIO model PCG-11111L is definitely a Sony of some sort complete with CDMA850 and CDMA1900 courtesy of Qualcomm's Gobi silicon. Just don't get your hopes up that it'll be sporting Qualcomm's latest chipsets with HSPA+ and LTE coverage as it looks like those frequencies will be locked out with the help of some rather unhelpful firmware at launch. It'll also be packing 802.11b/g/n WiFi and Bluetooth 2.0 + EDR whenever it does make its first appearance, which, by the looks of a very specific confidentiality request, will be on around May 13th at a Sprint or Verizon retail store. Check the radio bill of materials and CDMA2000 declaration after the break if that's what turns you on... really, that's cool, we're not going to judge. Update: Looks like PCG-11112L has joined the party, but its only claim to fame is "acting as slave and operating on 2.4GHz band." Sorry, no EVDO for this one.
Rumor: Smaller iPhone on tap for Verizon in Q3 2010?
If you're tired of dropped calls and dead zones, and pondering the merits of turning in your iPhone for a DROID... hold on there, champ. AppleInsider says it's received a copy of a report by OTR Global, claiming that Apple has signed contracts to produce a UMTS / CDMA hybrid iPhone to be released in the third quarter of 2010. The hybrid handset, built around a dual-system chip from Qualcomm, would allow the iPhone to run on virtually any GSM/UTMS cellular network worldwide -- and also on the CDMA2000 networks of US carriers like Verizon and Sprint. In particular, Verizon is cited in the report as the target carrier for the new devices. The report states that Foxconn, the Taiwan-based sole-source provider of iPhone hardware at this time, will not build the new device. Instead, a subsidiary of Asustek known as Pegatron has been selected to kick off manufacturing. It's also rumored that the hybrid device uses a 2.8" screen, making the handset smaller than the current model which uses a 3.5" display. Photos of the smaller display were first featured on iLounge in June of 2008 (see photo at right), sparking widespread rumors at the time that an "iPhone nano" was on the way. Over a year later, neither the smaller iPhone nor a Verizon model are available. However, if the leaked report is any indication, 2010 could be yet another year of incredible growth for the iPhone economy.
New lease on life: 3GPP2 publishes CDMA2000 1X Advanced spec
All the next-gen focus seems to be on HSPA+, WiMAX, and LTE these days, but make no mistake, CDMA's alive and well -- and even for the world's present-day CDMA carriers planning to migrate to LTE, legacy cells will be critical assets for years (if not decades) to come. To that end, the CDMA Development Group has announced that the 3GPP2 has published official specifications for CDMA2000 1X Advanced, which bundles a whole bunch of tweaks and enhancements geared toward significantly increasing voice capacity on 1X airwaves (up to four times current capacity, theoretically). This'll give LTE carriers a technology path that should easily carry CDMA through the end of its life without oversaturation, and as an added bonus, it frees up space for more EV-DO spectrum. Perhaps more interestingly, the CDG is talking up simultaneous 1X Voice and EV-DO data -- SVDO -- which should finally close a big gap that EV-DO suffers against its UMTS / HSPA counterparts and deliver on a promise originally intended to be delivered by Qualcomm's EV-DV tech back in the day. 1X Advanced upgrades are expected to be available to carriers in the second half of 2010, and SVDO is anticipated to hit around the same time. [Via Phone Scoop]
