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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.
Apple iPhone 4S pre-orders exceed one million in first 24 hours (updated)
Last year's iPhone 4 launch brought more than 600,000 pre-orders within the first 24 hours. This year, that number nearly doubled, topping one million within one day of the device's pre-order availability through AT&T, Sprint and Verizon. Those that haven't pre-ordered the iPhone 4S can line up at Apple stores beginning at 8 a.m. on October 14th, or you can try your luck at pre-ordering now, though you may need to wait an extra week or two to get your hands on Apple's new iOS smartphone. Jump past the break for Apple's PR. Update: Maybe not a huge surprise considering the numbers Apple announced earlier today, but Sprint has just let us know that it has sold out of the 16GB iPhone 4S in both black and white for pre-orders, and that it's not taking backorders. 32GB and 64GB models are still available in both colors, however, as is the 8GB iPhone 4.
iPhone 4S officially announced: lands October 14th starting at $199 in sizes up to 64GB, coming to Sprint
What's this? The second coming of the iPhone 4? Sure enough, Tim Cook just pulled the covers off of the hotly-anticipated iPhone 4S here in Cupertino, making 2011 the first year in the company's current stint in the smartphone business that it chose to launch three new handsets (Verizon's CDMA iPhone 4 included, of course). On the outside the 4S looks exactly like its predecessor, but on the inside it's "all new." Apple has jammed a dual-core A5 CPU inside alongside a new dual-core GPU that supposedly boosts graphics performance by up to 7x. Up front is the same 3.5-inch Retina display we've all come to know and love, and around back is a glass plate. Those antennae around the sides (which caused many users so much trouble) have been revamped and iOS will intelligently switch between two different sets on the fly to avoid dropping calls no matter how you hold it. Those antennae are connected to a dual-mode GSM and CDMA radio that will let Apple's handset roam the globe while enjoying either 14.4Mbps HSPA+ or EV-DO Rev. A. %Gallery-135683% %Gallery-135727% %Gallery-135711%
Aircell releases GoGo tech roadmap: EV-DO Rev B in 2012, global satellite coverage by 2015
Aircell started putting its air-to-ground (ATG) mobile broadband technology in planes about three years ago, and its GoGo in-flight internet's reach has grown ever since -- all the way up to the home of mavericks and mama bears. Presently, the company's ambit is limited to the continental US, but that's about to change with the addition of Ka-band satellite coverage that will blanket the US in 2013 and the globe by 2015. Yes, dear readers, that means you'll be able to poke, tweet, and blog your way over international waters. Not only that, next year a new ATG-4 network using EV-DO Rev B promises four times the capacity of its trusty Rev A service we've come to know and love. The company says both upgrades are cheap and easy for carriers -- if only they were rapid as well. PR's after the break.
Sprint invites Dell Inspiron Mini 1012 and Inspiron 11z into the dual-mode 3G / WiMAX league
It's been a good long while since a Dell Mini 10 with WiMAX crossed the FCC, but it's finally headed to Sprint next month, and its big brother the 11.6-inch Dell Inspiron 11z is along for the ride as well. Both sport Intel Centrino Advanced-N + WiMAX 6250 chips to serve up Sprint 4G and 802.11n WiFi, plus EV-DO Rev. A for 3G speeds on an unspecified secondary card of some sort. The Mini 10's mostly your standard 10-inch Atom N450 netbook, but we're happy to say this one comes with a six-cell battery, and the Inspiron 11z got a modern 1.2GHz Core i3-330UM processor under the hood, which should contribute favorably to both longevity and speed. The Mini 10 is free on two-year contract, while the 11z will set you back $150; find both at Sprint stores starting November 14th. PR after the break.
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]
Qualcomm adding the kitchen sink to Gobi, including EV-DO Rev. A, dual-carrier HSPA+, and LTE
The whole point of Gobi is that you can buy one device and use it with multiple network technologies or carriers, but apparently Qualcomm isn't kidding around about the idea. It just announced a slew of data chipsets (voice still isn't part of the picture) with all sorts of new goodies. New technologies supported include EV-DO Rev. A and Rev. B (the five people on earth using Rev. B will be thrilled), HSPA+, dual-carrier HSPA+ (which looks to be the evolutionary end of HSPA), and LTE. The mother of all these chipsets is the MDM9600, which can do LTE up to 100 Mbps, dual-carrier HSPA+ up to 42Mbps, HSPA+ up to 28Mbps, and EV-DO Rev. A / Rev. B. Qualcomm also says it's moving Gobi beyond just laptops, with USB modems, e-readers, and "gaming devices" now in the cards. No word on when they'll start showing up, but much of it will have to do with carrier rollout as much as Qualcomm's ability to ship these out the door.
Some HTC Hero units shipping sans EV-DO Rev. A on Sprint? (update: nope!)
Ruh roh. Without claiming that there's some sort of high-speed conspiracy going on at Sprint (read: there's not), we'd like to point out that quite a few early adopters are claiming that their Hero refuses to hop on the carrier's EV-DO Rev. A network. We took a peek back at the company's press release for this very phone, and sure enough, the Rev. A experience is promised. We're guessing that a simple firmware update will be all it takes to remedy the issue (if there's truly an issue at all), but 'til then, there's always WiFi! Right, guys?[Via Examiner, thanks Tracknod] Update: We just heard directly from HTC about this snafu, and as it turns out, the message that Sprint Hero users are seeing is merely a mislabeling. If you're within an EV-DO Rev. A area, you'll get Rev. A speeds -- despite that fact that your phone says it's only on Rev. 0. We're also told that a future maintenance release will address the message. Check the full quote after the break.
Sprint temporarily loses its mind, wants $250 for Samsung Instinct HD
And you thought T-Mobile and Sprint were sniffing the good stuff when they demanded $350 for the HTC Touch Pro2. Shortly after Instinct HD boxes began showing up at select Sprint stores, the flagging carrier has finally come forward with an official ship date (9/27) and price. Try as we may, we still can't figure out why exactly "HD" is tacked on the end of this thing; the 480 x 320 display is decidedly average, it can't play back high-def content on the device itself, and the "HD" video output is a feature that approximately 3.8 Earthlings will ever use (on a phone like this, anyway). Compounding the problem is the remarkable lack of detail in the specifications -- Sprint simply swears that its 5 megapixel camera and video record mode are HD, but it fails to provide any elaboration whatsoever. Other specs include WiFi, EV-DO Rev A support, Opera Mobile 9.7, an ambient light sensor, haptic feedback and an accelerometer, but even those can't help justify the $249.99 (after a $100 mail-in rebate and a two-year agreement) asking price. Hey Sprint -- we thought you guys were actually looking to gain subscribers. Right?
Novatel's MiFi 2200 portable EV-DO router comes to Sprint
What one CDMA carrier can do, another can do better, right? Eh, not quite, but they can stare each other down holding the exact same weapon, just daring each other to make the next move. Just a week after Verizon Wireless launched the MiFi 2200 portable EV-DO router, Sprint has decided to offer up the exact same product for use on its network. The battery-powered box, engineered by Novatel Wireless, enables users to connect up to five WiFi-enabled devices to Sprint's EV-DO Rev. A network, and it'll be marketed in stores as the Sprint Mobile Hotspot. According to the carrier, its unit will be the first in the US to support MiFi's GPS capabilities, allowing users to take advantage of select location and mapping applications. It should be noted, however, that Sprint's service plans differ quite significantly from those offered up by VZW. The up front cost is the same at $99 after a $50 mail-in rebate (on a two-year agreement), though the only two options for getting it connected are as follows: $59.99 per month mobile broadband only plan (excluding taxes and surcharges) $149.99 per month Simply Everything Plan + Mobile Broadband (phone plus device connectivity -- excluding taxes and surcharges) Both plans include up to 5 GB per month and 5 cents per megabyte overage for the MiFi 2200. [Ugh, disgusting.] Available in early June. [Via phoneArena]
Sprint debuts 2-in-1 AirCard 402 mobile broadband card
It's not exactly for everybody, but we have a sneaking suspicion that Sprint's new Sierra Wireless AirCard 402 mobile broadband card -- first spotted last month -- will make at least a few multiple laptop owners out there very, very happy. As you can see above, this one can function happily as an ExpressCard one moment and a PC Card the next, with each providing the same dual-band CDMA connectivity and support for EV-DO 1xRTT, Rev. 0, and Rev. A, along with all the other standard features and software you'd expect from a mobile broadband card. Perhaps the best news, however, is the price, which at $99.99 (after $180 instant savings and a $50 mail-in rebate), is pretty much in line with Sprint's other plan old ExpressCard options.
Mobile data card growth slows dramatically in Q4 2008
Who woulda thunk it? A global recession leads to belt tightening, and belt tightening leads to fewer mobile data card sales. According to a new report from ComScore, that's exactly what happened at the tail end of last year, where WWAN card growth slowed to just 5 percent compared to 28 percent in Q4 2007. Still, carriers can't grumble too loudly -- after all, at least it grew. In fact, PC data card adoption rose 63 percent overall in 2008, and if any of these 4G services can see rollouts of significance, we suspect 2009 will show equally positive numbers. The reality is that mobile data is still priced far too high for the average Joe or Jane to stomach; most mobile broadband plans run upwards of $50 per month and require a two-year contract to get a free or cheap card, and unless one is planning to be on the road an awful lot, buying in just doesn't make sense when times are tough. In other words, cut us a break on these mobile data rates, operators -- it's what Uncle Sam would want.[Via mocoNews]
Sony bringing Gobi WWAN module to VAIO Z, TT and P
Hey, you! VAIO P modder! Hold up on that HSDPA hack just a minute -- er, on second thought, you should probably proceed, 'cause Sony isn't about to take back your current machine when this Gobi-equipped model ships. Quite curiously, Sony has announced here in Barcelona that its VAIO Z, VAIO TT and VAIO P laptops will soon be embedded with Qualcomm's Gobi, which provides both EV-DO Rev. A and HSDPA support on a single module. As it stands, Sony's US model VAIO P only supports Verizon Wireless' mobile broadband network, which should leave a pretty bitter taste in the mouths of early adopters. There's no mention at all of when Sony plans to start shipping these oh-so-connected machines (nor if they'll be coming to US shores), but we're hoping it's sooner rather than later.Update: In order to address some understandable confusion with this release, Sony has provided the following response: "All of the P Series shipped to date come equipped with Gobi mobile broadband technology and the instant-mode option, but certain feature deployment varies region by region. As such, the mobile broadband feature is exclusively supported by the Verizon Wireless network for all US customers." In other words, all existing VAIO P units (even US models) have the Gobi chip -- it's up to you to hack away that Verizon lock and get down to business, though.
Verizon XV6900 update leaks, brings WinMo 6.1 and Opera Mobile
Still clutching your trusty XV6900, are you? Not heading out in a few hours to secure yourself a Storm? If you're the mettlesome type, you can surf on over to PhoneNews and suck down the latest and greatest (and unofficial) software update for the Verizon-branded HTC Touch. Version 3.14.605.1 reportedly takes your Windows Mobile to 6.1 and adds in gpsOne, VZ Navigator and Opera Mobile. Don't forget to backup your smooth jazz and whatnot before diving into the unknown, though.[Via jkOnTheRun]
Sprint Mogul getting the EV-DO Rev. A treatment, as promised
Here's a treat from HTC and Sprint to lighten those Monday blues: the Sprint Mogul, built by HTC, is getting a software update to bump the phone's data connection up to EV-DO Rev. A, roughly doubling current download speeds, and really boosting uploads. This makes the Mogul the first phone in the States to hit Rev. A speeds, and should make the $199 phone quite the attractive option for modem usage when an ExpressCard would be just too darn convenient. Only problem is that when Sprint and HTC promised this update in back November, they also said GPS would be a part of the package -- and just such a ROM was leaked in January. We're not sure what happened to that feature, but we'll try not to look a gift horse in the mouth for the time being. Update: Turns out GPS is indeed included in this update, as confirmed by Sprint. [Thanks, Joel P.]
Sierra Wireless intros Compass 597 EV-DO USB modem
Truth be told, there's nothing extraordinary about Sierra Wireless' latest EV-DO USB modem. It plays nice with Rev. A networks, includes a microSD slot, and comes with TRU-Install to simplify the setup procedure. Granted, it is "the only product in its class to include a connector for an external antenna (saywha?)," and it is remarkably small, so it's still worth a look if you're currently doing without. As expected, you'll reach downlink speeds of up to 3.1Mbps and upload speeds of up to 1.8Mbps, and the built-in GPS antenna is a nice bonus, too. Unfortunately, we've no idea how costly this one will be, but be on the lookout for a Q2 launch. [Via MobileBurn]
Verizon launches Kyocera KPC680 EV-DO Rev. A ExpressCard
Still waiting around to hop on the Rev. A highway? Although last week would've been a swell time to do so, now's not too bad either, and Verizon Wireless customers have yet another option at their fingertips. The Kyocera KPC680 ExpressCard is available now for anyone interested, and enables BroadbandAccess users to reach average download speeds of 600kbps to 1.4Mbps and upload speeds that range from 500kbps to 800kbps when situated in a Rev. A area. Additionally, this thing sports a "breakthrough" (ahem) antenna design that "moves the antenna away from the device as it is opened, providing greater sensitivity, dual external antenna ports for signal flexibility and a compact form factor." Get yours now for just $49.99 after a mail-in rebate and throwing your John Hancock on a two-year agreement.
FlipStart handtop now shipping; Sprint EV-DO Rev. A available
It's been in the oven for almost four years now, but Paul Allen and team Vulcan have finally deemed the Flipstart handtop / UMPC well-done and ready to serve. You should already know most of the specs from our several posts about the device (not counting the older ones where we mock it as vaporware) -- 1.1GHz Pentium M ULV CPU, 512MB DDR RAM (just enough to run Vista!), 5.6-inch SVGA screen, three wireless radios -- but what's been kept under wraps until now is that the starting-at-$2,000 machine rocks EV-DO Rev A courtesy of Sprint for getting your mobile broadband on. Now this sub-sub-notebook is certainly not for everyone -- not to mention the fact that it faces stiff competition from OQO, Sony, and Samsung, among others -- but if you have a few extra bucks laying around, there are worse things you could do with your money than pick up this gadget lover's dream. [Thanks, Thomas L.]
Sierra Wireless' AirCard 595U EV-DO Rev A USB modem coming in April
It wouldn't be a solid wireless trade show without some hot 3G modem announcements, and sure enough, Sierra Wireless is kicking off CTIA with pricing and release info for its AirCard 595U EV-DO Rev A USB modem. Better late than never -- we were expecting this zippy peripheral sometime late last year -- the 595U will be available from Sprint next month for "as low as $49.99," which means that you'll be signing a two-year contract and mailing in some rebates. Sure going USB isn't quite as convenient as built-in 3G or ExpressCard / PCMCIA models, but our lone slot is already filled with a MoGo Mouse, and we wouldn't give up that convenience for anything.
Verizon announces Novatel V740 EV-DO Rev. A ExpressCard
We heard tell of this little guy last month when Apple let the model number out amongst newly supported WWAN products -- so what's this Verizon V740 card got going for it other than explicit Mac support? Well, EV-DO Rev. A, of course. Built by Novatel, the V740 is here to replace the V640 in ExpressCard/34 duties for Verizon, with beefier bandwidth and a dearth of aesthetic changes. The card will be hitting retail on March 30th, and looks to be going for $110 with two years of service -- cheaper than Sprint's EX720 offering, but Verizon will get you in the end with those hefty data charges.
