CtiaWireless2012
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ZTE V96 hands-on (video)
One of ZTE's latest tablets, the V96, was announced at Barcelona for MWC but never made any official appearances at the show. Fortunately we found the new device hiding in the manufacturer's booth at CTIA. The Ice Cream Sandwich device runs a Qualcomm 1.7GHz MSM8960 dual-core Krait processor with 1GB of RAM and sports tri-band 42Mbps HSPA+ and quad-band LTE. ZTE mentioned that it is compatible with four LTE bands (!), including AT&T's flavors -- Verizon's band of next-gen connectivity, unfortunately, was not included on the list. Interestingly enough, we discovered that there was not one but two models being showcased: the first, seen in the video below, has a textured back and is flanked by soft-touch plastic at both ends. Its fraternal twin, however, opted for a smooth aluminum construct on the back. We were torn in which one we liked more -- we loved the lighter and more grippy material provided by the first, yet we enjoyed the silver look of the second. When we inquired as to whether these two versions are destined for different regions, ZTE reps were tight-lipped; availability and pricing are still completely unknown at this time. Head below for a full gallery, video and a few more impressions.
Nokia announces string of new Lumia app partnerships at CTIA
CTIA is gaining momentum, and Nokia has just announced a slew of new app partnerships for its Lumia line at the show. Sports fans can look forward to PGA Tour, a dedicated app to cover the golfing action, while the ESPN sports hub will get a series of updates, plus an exclusive Lumia-only Fantasy Football app in autumn. Gamers will get new treats from EA -- including FIFA, NBA Jam and more -- and Rovio, which is creating a dedicated development team to create titles for Nokia Windows phones. Other notable names on the list to either get a new app or an update include Groupon, PayPal, Time, NewsWeek and more. Be sure to poke the source link for the full list.
Live from CTIA with FCC chairman Julius Genachowski
The first keynote of the week is a doozy. We've got Gary Flood from MasterCard, Patrick Riordan president of Cellcom and Joe Kennedy the CEO of Pandora. Not too shabby. But, the big fish in this four person pond is clearly FCC chairman Julius Genachowski. The chief regulator of the wireless industry here in the US will be taking to the stage to talk... well, we're not entirely sure. But, if the topic of spectrum doesn't come up, we'll be quite surprised. May 7, 2012 10:30 AM EDT
Kyocera Rise hands-on (video)
Kyocera is looking to regain a foothold in the US smartphone market, and curiously enough, it's doing so by catering to niche audiences. First we saw the Hydro, a waterproof handset, and alongside it is the Rise, which features a sliding QWERTY keyboard. Both phones are built for CDMA networks, although Kyocera has yet to announce carrier availability for either. We wouldn't be surprised in the least to see it going to Sprint or any of its prepaid brands, but this is just speculation for now. Spec-wise, the Rise is very similar to the Hydro, and this extends to the OS. In our brief time with the phone, we were treated to a largely vanilla interpretation of Ice Cream Sandwich, which makes the Rise a bit of a rare breed in the QWERTY world -- hopefully its future carrier doesn't dictate huge alterations. The phone features a Qualcomm MSM8655 SoC with a 1GHz CPU, a 3.5-inch, 480 x 320 IPS LCD display, a 3.2-megapixel camera with LED flash and a 1,500 mAh battery. When compared to other QWERTY sliders, the handset itself is rather compact and fit nicely in our hand. We were similarly quite fond of the sliding mechanism on the Rise, which felt natural and provided just enough resistance. The four-row keyboard is altogether forgettable, but it should serve those who insist upon physical keys just fine. Our biggest gripe about the Rise, however, is its low-res display, which seems like quite a misstep -- even for a budget device. In terms of storage, you'll find 512MB of RAM, 2GB built-in and a 2GB microSD card. The Rise also features 802.11n (WiFi), Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR and EV-DO Rev. A. It's safe to say that Kyocera is targeting budget audiences with the Rise, but the strategy may work to its advantage if other carriers fail to keep their QWERTY sliders up-to-date with the latest version of Android. No pricing was announced at the show, but we imagine it will be strongly tied to whichever carriers choose to sell it. You'll find our hands-on video after the break.
Kyocera Hydro hands-on (video)
It's been a while since we've seen a Kyocera smartphone for the US market, and if you'll recall, its previous two attempts -- the Milano and Echo -- didn't manage to sway many consumers. Today, the company is adding two new Android handsets to the deck: the Hydro and Rise. True to its name, the Hydro plays off of Kyocera's experience in the waterproof segment, and while it's not mil-spec, the phone's able to withstand submersion at depths of up to one meter for a half-hour. The Hydro is a CDMA handset, although Kyocera is keeping the carrier affiliations -- and pricing -- close to its chest. As with the Rise, we'd expect to see it arrive on Sprint or one of its prepaid brands in the near future. The Hydro will ship with Ice Cream Sandwich, and we're pleased to report that the interface is largely unmolested, save for Kyocera's app to conserve battery life -- whether the carrier dictates future changes remains to be seen. Beyond the OS and the waterproof aspect, however, it's rather humdrum in the spec department. It features a Qualcomm MSM8655 SoC with a 1GHz CPU, a 3.5-inch, 480 x 320 display, a 3.2-megapixel camera with LED flash and a 1,500 mAh battery. Because the screen is an IPS LCD, the quality is definitely a step-above your run-of-the-mill TFT-LCD mainstays, although it's hard to ignore the low-res image quality. The Hydro also offers 512MB of RAM, 2GB of built-in storage and a 2GB microSD card. In terms of connectivity, you'll find 802.11n (WiFi), Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR and EV-DO Rev. A. The handset itself is comfortable to hold, though its plasticky build materials reinforce the fact that it's a low-end handset. While the Hydro doesn't blaze any new trails, it may very well be suitable for those on a budget who'd like a phone that can handle life's accidents. Follow the break for our hands-on video.
Samsung, Qualcomm start up Alliance for Wireless Power to take on Qi
Wireless power has until now been closely associated with the Wireless Power Consortium's Qi standard. There's now a second proposed common ground in the Alliance for Wireless Power, or A4WP. Samsung and Qualcomm, along with some help from Powermat, SK Telecom, Ever Win Industries, Gill Industries and Peiker Acustic, are making an alternative that allows for "spatial freedom" between your gadget and the charging source, although whether or not that's better than the 1.6-inch distance of the updated Qi spec is left to the imagination. The strategy doesn't just let your device avoid French kissing the charger: it lets you power up through a material besides a metal plate, and it reduces the cost by eliminating repeaters. A4WP should power everything from low-power headsets through to smartphones and tablets, although with partnership talk just getting started at CTIA Wireless 2012, we wouldn't hold off on buying wired-power gadgets in the near future.
T-Mobile expands HSPA+ 42, picks LTE vendors and notches 1 million VoIP users
With CTIA 2012 getting under way, T-Mobile is the latest company to check in with an announcement, proudly informing the world of the latest developments in its 4G expansion efforts and Bobsled VoIP service. On the 4G (not faux G) front, it's selected "Release 10" hardware from Ericsson and Nokia Siemens Networks to support the $4 billion LTE rollout the company is undertaking (using AWS spectrum acquired from AT&T) starting this year and will continue through 2013. While nationwide LTE should be reality next year, right now T-Mobile is delivering HSPA+ to new markets, with HSPA+ 42 live today in Fayetteville and Little Rock AR, Lake Charles LA and Springfield, MO. Due later in the year, as expected, is 4G HSPA+ on the 1900 MHz band that should bring faster speeds, better building penetration and 4G access for the iPhone. While we're still not sure how the free Bobsled VoIP service figures into the company's plans, the company announced it has already broken through one million users. According to its stats, 95 percent are not T-Mobile wireless customers and 80 percent of calls originate from outside the country, however 90 percent of text messages sent are domestic. All the numbers and locations are in the press releases after the break, if you want to hunt down some high speed data action for yourself.
Escort SmartRadar hands-on
Escort has long enabled heavy-footed -- but ticket-shy -- drivers a little more freedom with just how quickly they're able to complete the daily commute. Escort's SmartRadar is set to extend that fun and cut the cord by including Bluetooth connectivity in the detector itself and enabling users to have a mostly out-of-sight installation -- as your handset becomes the interface to the radar. The SmartRadar integrates with Escort's Live ticket protection app which shares other users of the system's radar / laser hits and updates them in real time on your phone's display. Check the gallery for some pics of it installed behind the rearview mirror and a simulated laser notification. Joseph Volpe contributed to this report.
Clarion Next Gate hands-on (video)
CTIA, while focused on mobile technology, often gives us the chance to peek at other devices that bridge into our beloved mobile world. Clarion's Next Gate is one such device, running on a 7-inch WVGA display and interfacing with your iPhone via the dock connector. Once you're hooked up -- which should be straightforward as it only needs plugging in -- the Next Gate allows control of apps on your device. First off, we like the idea that your iPhone is controlled by the Next Gate -- in fact when firing up an app in the demo you can see it cycle open on the iPhone display -- but its lower resolution screen, hung adjacent to an iPad, made us immediately yearn for an upgraded panel. The selection of usable apps includes such niceties as Twitter, Facebook, streaming radio and of course navigation. All the apps we saw seemed to perform quite well, though we weren't on the open road in bright sunlight with the top down and the quadruplets screaming bloody murder in the back seat, thankfully. If you're jonesing for one of these distraction-inducing gizmos, it can be all yours beginning June 1st for $270. Have a peek at the video and gallery below for a tour of the interface and some of its functionality.
Kyocera teases tissue conduction audio technology for mobile phones at CTIA
Can you hear me now? It's a common phrase in the mobile industry, but if Kyocera has its way, the saying could quickly become a thing of the past, thanks to tissue conduction technology that it plans to integrate into future handsets. Rather than operating with a traditional earpiece, we were told the display itself vibrates to create sound waves. The end result is an aural experience that can be perceived with your facial tissues and bones, and it's said to dramatically improves perceived audio quality within noisy environments. Bone conduction technology was initially created for those with hearing difficulty, and while Kyocera isn't the first to reveal a novel implementation within mobile phones (a distinction that belongs to KDDI), the technology is Kyocera's own. During our brief hands-on demo, we were rather impressed by the noticeable difference created by tissue conduction in comparison to a traditional handset -- this applies to both quiet and noisy environments. In case you're curious, no, the vibrations aren't jarring, and yes, we'd genuinely like to see the technology take to the mainstream.
Edgewater WiFi3 hands-on
Edgewater may not be a familiar name for even the most tech savvy, but its WiFi3 chipset is poised to propel the wireless industry beyond the limits of traditional access point tech. Aiming to leap past the low power solutions provided by the likes of Cisco, the company's developed a proprietary standard that delivers multiple channels per radio -- three channels over 2.4GHz in the showfloor demo -- versus the typical single channel currently employed. The chipset's not necessarily an end consumer product as it's intended for use by carriers, enterprise and ISPs, but it does stand to clear up the clutter when network congestion gets unwieldy. Check out our galleries below for a closer look at the outfit's next step in wireless infrastructure. Sean Cooper contributed to this report.
SuperTooth Disco2 hands-on
Move over Jambox, there's a new portable audio contender entering the market. The Disco2, shown off at this week's CTIA 2012, is SuperTooth's smaller, more compact sequel to its O.G. 28 watt powerhouse of the same name and a direct threat to the niche market occupied by Jawbone. Housed in a colorful hourglass-shaped design that should please the style-minded, this rechargeable speaker connects over Bluetooth to your device of choice, outputting 16 watts of 360 degree sound through two speakers and a subwoofer. It's set to hit the market mid-month priced at $99, but for consumers that want a bit more of an aural punch, an additional unit can actually be paired up to deliver a fuller stereo effect. Judging from its powerful performance on the noisy showroom floor, however, you'd probably be fine with just the one. Click on below to take a better look at the company's curvy offering. Sean Cooper contributed to this report.
HTC Droid Incredible 4G LTE for Verizon hands-on at CTIA 2012 (update: video)
This handset didn't surprise anyone when it was officially announced at CTIA Wireless 2012, but we're still happy to spend time with the HTC Droid Incredible 4G LTE for Verizon Wireless regardless. After catching enough glimpses of the smartphone over the past few months, we already had a good idea of what to expect: Big Red's latest LTE device will have Ice Cream Sandwich dressed in Sense 4, a 4-inch Super LCD qHD panel, a 1.2GHz dual-core Snapdragon S4 (Krait), 1,700mAh user-removable battery, microSD support and an 8MP BSI camera with a 28mm f/2.2 lens. If you're familiar with either the OG HTC Droid Incredible or its sequel, you'll instantly recognize the trusty hump on the back of the third iteration -- Verizon and HTC haven't strayed too far from the design formula here. Aside from the Sense 4 firmware hiding inside the phone, the Incredible 4G LTE has little in common with its cousins, the One X and One S. Frankly, we're still left pondering if the carrier will come out with a version of its own, since we've seen the other three national powers get a high-profile device from the Taiwanese manufacturer. We had a very similar feeling when holding the new Incredible, one easily related to how we felt with its predecessors. It's quite light, and it actually feels thinner than it really is. All in all, the phone is very comfortable to hold, and from our few minutes of using it, it seemed to be rather smooth. Naturally, as we expected, Verizon reps warned us that it's running on preliminary firmware at the moment, so we don't take a lot of stock in its performance, good or bad. All in all, it's exactly how we thought it would be -- a refreshed version of the Incredible 2, with a much better processor and a few other notable bumps in specs. Head below to check out a few images of Verizon's newest darling. Update: Our hands-on video is now live after the break.
The Engadget interview: AT&T's Glenn Lurie talks Digital Life at CTIA 2012 (video)
We had the opportunity to sit down and chat with Glenn Lurie -- AT&T's President of Emerging Enterprises and Partnerships -- about the company's Digital Life product which was announced back in February and launched today at CTIA 2012 here in New Orleans. Our takeaway? AT&T wants to tag everything in your home with an IP address and tie it all together seamlessly in a blaze of wireless glory. Don't believe us? Watch our video interview and judge for yourself. Brad Molen contributed to this report.
MasterCard introduces PayPass Wallet Services, Online and API at CTIA 2012
MasterCard's PayPass is certainly one of the bigger players in the contactless payment scene. But, simply putting a few thousand branded payment terminals in stores across the nation isn't enough. The next step is expanding that empire, not only in terms of locations and handsets, but by turning the phone into just an accessory in a larger ecosystem. PayPass Wallet Services is a new umbrella product that includes an online payment system, a branded service and an API that allows developers to integrate PayPass into their own proprietary offerings. Simply put, PayPass is no longer a product, but a platform. The service remembers not only credit cards, but shipping addresses and other identifying info that streamlines the shopping process, while the API means that others can build value added offerings around PayPass. There's even a dedicated Android app. The company is hoping to have the system ready for a broad roll out by the third quarter of the year. When that time comes, a pile of partners have pledged to support it in various ways. The names on that list should ring at least a few bells: Intel, Barnes & Noble, Newegg, MLB and American Airlines. It all seems pretty impressive (though, we'll reserve judgement till we get to try it out). Your move, Google. Zachary Lutz contributed to this report
Join us for the CTIA keynote with the CEOs of the big four US carriers, tomorrow at 5:30PM ET!
In what seems to be turning into an annual tradition, the CEOs of the largest mobile operators in the US will be matching wits with Jim Cramer -- and each other -- in tomorrow afternoon's CTIA keynote. This year, however, we'll get to hear from T-Mobile chief Phillip Humm in addition to the usual trifecta of Dan Mead, Dan Hesse and Ralph de la Vega. We'll be liveblogging the show to soak in all of the latest news, quotes and groaners that may come out as a result. Join us! And while you wait, stay caught up on the happenings in New Orleans by checking out our event hub. May 8, 2012 5:30 PM EDT
Samsung Focus 2 for AT&T hands-on at CTIA 2012 (update: video)
It's the first night of action at CTIA Wireless 2012, and we're not wasting any time finding the best of what New Orleans has to offer. To start things off properly, we got some time with the Samsung Focus 2, announced by AT&T earlier this morning as the latest addition to the network's healthy Windows Phone lineup. Of course, the phone's no stranger to being in front of the cameras -- this is just the first time it's occurred without any shroud of secrecy surrounding it. So what kind of specs come with the Focus 2? The $50 handset, due out on May 20th, offers a 4-inch Super AMOLED WVGA display, a 1.4GHz CPU with unspecified RAM, 5MP rear-facing camera capable of recording 720p HD video, a VGA cam on the front and LTE connectivity. The Focus 2, without a doubt, feels completely tiny in our hands when compared to Nokia and HTC's latest Windows Phone entries. And at 4.3 ounces, it's incredibly light as well -- sadly, the device's 11.98mm thickness was a slight disappointment for us. Aside from the inclusion of LTE and a 1,750mAh user-removable battery, we're not quite sure the reasoning behind it. With that said, anything with a display smaller than 4.3 inches these days seems immensely easy to grip, regardless. When handling the phone, we couldn't help but think of the similarly designed Galaxy Blaze 4G, as the two devices appear to have come from the same mold. Overall, this isn't a device meant for power users, and it faces some heavy competition against the Nokia Lumia 900 in price point (though the Focus 2 is slightly less expensive than the Lumia's normal subsidized cost). But for anyone who enjoys a Windows Phone with a smaller display and was disappointed in the lack of LTE connectivity on the Focus Flash, this will be the ideal handset for you. If your curiosity is getting the best of you, go below to see the full gallery. Update: Hit the break for our hands-on video.
802.11-2012 WiFi freshens up spec with 3.7GHz bands, mesh networking
It's hard to believe that 802.11 WiFi has only had three major revisions since it was started up 15 years ago. The IEEE must be equally surprised, as it's introducing a new 802.11-2012 standard that unites 10 technologies from various amended WiFi versions under one big tent. Among the picks are new support for 3.65 and 3.7GHz bands, to avoid clashing with 2.4GHz or 5GHz networks, as well as better support for direct linking, faster cellular hand-offs, in-car networks, roaming and mesh networking. You can pay $5 to have a peek at the 2012 WiFi spec today, although we'd brace for a significant wait before smartphones and routers ship with the new 802.11 format -- we know how long it can take for a WiFi standard to become a practical reality.
Join us for FCC chairman Julius Genachowski's CTIA keynote tomorrow at 10:30AM ET
Ain't no party like a Genachowski party, cause a Genachowski party don't stop. So long as you've got the spectrum and bandwidth to keep your your Niki and the Dove Pandora station bumpin'. The festivities here at CTIA Wireless 2012 in New Orleans are already underway, unofficially, but the true fun really kicks off tomorrow with a keynote from FCC chairman Julius Genachowski. The event will also feature appearances from Gary Flood of MasterCard, Joe Kennedy (the president of Pandora) and Cellcom CEO Patrick Riordan. What's the topic du jour? You'll just have to check back here at the time listed below to find out. May 8, 2012 10:30 AM EDT
We're live from CTIA 2012!
The International CTIA Wireless show is a magnificent showcase of the best in the mobile industry every spring, and we've got a full team of editors ready to scour the show floor in the hopes of finding some precious gems. Unlike last year, we won't expect the show to be mired by news of major acquisitions, but we're still anxious to see what goodies await us here in New Orleans. Are you as excited as us? Stay tuned right here for the latest and greatest! Tip: check out our CTIA Wireless 2012 event hub and our CTIAwireless2012 tag for all of the action. Sean Cooper contributed to this report.
