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Qualcomm's Snapdragon 820 packs 600Mbps LTE and smarter charging
Qualcomm's Snapdragon 820 hype train is getting to be a bit much (just ship the thing, already!), but you might want to take notice of the latest news if you're big on data speeds -- or simply want to charge your phone in a hurry. The company has revealed that its future system-on-a-chip will include the first processor to support super-fast 600Mbps LTE-Advanced, blowing past the 450Mbps record from before. It'll upload at a brisk 150Mbps, too, and this chip is the first to support unlicensed LTE (aka LTE-U). Oh, and did we mention that it'll allow for multi-gigabit 802.11ad WiFi? You probably won't get to use much of this technology in the near term, but it's good to have a ton of futureproofing.
AT&T Mobility head: Let's cool it with the 5G hype
Hoping to splash a bit of cold water on Verizon's 5G testing news, AT&T Mobility chief Glenn Lurie is promoting a "wait and see" approach for the next generation of wireless technology. "We're not at a point to be making promises or commitments to customers as to what 5G is," Lurie told CNET at the CTIA trade show last week. "We as an industry have been really good at overpromising and underdelivering when it comes to new technology." While it may just sound like damage control from AT&T, Lurie does have a point. Verizon's announcement that it would begin testing 5G next year, with the possibility of beginning its 5G rollout in 2017, seems premature when we don't even know what that technology will ultimately look like. Lurie's comments also feel like a repeat of history: Verizon (which owns Engadget and AOL) started testing 4G LTE before AT&T back in 2008, at which point AT&T also promoted caution around the new tech.
Smartphones become the most popular device for keeping Brits connected
It was only a matter of time, but smartphones are now officially the UK's most popular internet-connected device. For the first time, more people are choosing smartphones to get online than laptops, according to stats published today in Ofcom's annual Communications Market Report. Smartphones are now considered the most important way of staying connected by 33 percent of Brits, with 30 percent preferring their laptops. That's a significant change from last year, when laptops were favoured by 40 percent of people and smartphones by only 22 percent. This coincides with smartphones also becoming the most widely owned web-connected device, with a presence in 66 percent of households compared with a 65 percent figure for laptops. Shipments of PCs have been declining for many years as mobile devices have become increasingly popular windows onto the web, and in the UK, tablet ownership is growing faster than anything else. In another first, Ofcom notes that over half of UK households (54 percent, to be exact) now have at least slate for the family to poke at.
Surface 3 tablet with LTE reaches AT&T on July 24th
Microsoft promised that there would be a version of its entry-level Surface 3 tablet with LTE data, and it's finally here... well, almost. AT&T has announced that the cellular-equipped Windows slate will launch on July 24th for $30 per month on a 20-month Next plan ($600 total), or $400 if you buy one alongside a Lumia smartphone. This is the basic version of the Surface 3 with 64GB of storage, but that always-available internet connection will help a lot if you're just looking to check email or stream music before you get to the coffee shop. Just be prepared to perform a lengthy software upgrade after you get it -- although the Surface 3 LTE arrives mere days before the Windows 10 launch, it's still shipping with Windows 8.1.
EE's Rook is a £49 4G smartphone for pay-as-you-go punters
It seems like we can't get through a single month these days without one UK carrier or another launching an own-brand device. And, since the last device bearing a network provider's name came from Vodafone, it's only fitting that its own-brand nemesis EE gets to make the next announcement. So, without further ado, let's take a gander at the EE Rook, the carrier's newest home-grown handset aimed specifically at pay-as-you-go (PAYG) punters. Launched today for £49 for new customers and £39 for existing ones, EE calls it "the UK's lowest priced 4G smartphone." Technically, that epithet's correct, though it's only a lone pound cheaper than Vodafone's Smart 4 Turbo on PAYG. As EE's Harrier Mini is available for free on the provider's lowest-price contracts, it makes sense that the Rook be a PAYG-only affair, but what exactly do you get for that kind of money?
EE's own-brand action cam livestreams over 4G
With own-brand smartphones, tablets, MiFis and portable chargers, you would think EE's starting to run out of relevant products to stamp its logo on. After showing a recent interest in remote livestreaming by funding the Skeegle app, however, the carrier has today announced it's branching out into cameras. The 4GEE Action Cam, as it's inventively named, is a GoPro-style camera with the ability to broadcast directly over LTE without a smartphone conduit. The Action Cam can record 1080p video at 30fps, 720p clips at 30 or 60fps, and takes stills at up to 13MP (with an 8fps burst capture mode). Livestreaming over 4G is limited to 720p/30fps, though actual quality will depend on connection strength, and no points for guessing that Skeegle is where you'll find Action Cam broadcasts (settings and features are controlled through a separate companion app). The camera sports 2.5GB of internal storage, with a microSD slot to increase space by up to 64GB, and a 2,260mAh battery that's said to be good for three hours of streaming.
Straight Talk gives customers who bring their own phones more data
Straight Talk has a nice weekend surprise for both old and new Bring Your Own Phone customers. The prepaid carrier has just upped its $45-per-month plan's data allowance from 3GB to 5GB for anyone who didn't purchase their phone straight from the company. New customers only need to register a compatible device and order a SIM to take advantage of the promo, while old faithfuls won't have to do anything at all: they'll get access to 5GB their next refill. Hopefully, the virtual network operator has cleaned up its act since the FTC fined it for throttling customers' connections too much, so people can actually enjoy the higher data cap. [Image credit: Mike Mozart]
AT&T won't always throttle your unlimited LTE data
While AT&T has limited its throttling for unlimited 3G data to clogged-up networks, it hasn't been so kind to the LTE crowd. Go past 5GB of usage in a month and your high-speed connection would always slow down, no matter how empty the cell towers might be. The carrier is finally taking a softer stance, however. It recently updated its policy statements to say that it now throttles unlimited LTE data past the 5GB mark only if you're on a congested network. AT&T tells us that it had revealed plans to do this last year -- it just flicked the switch on the policy this week.
EE adds two own-brand smartphones to its low-cost Android flock
Besides offering the flagship smartphones from Apple, Samsung and HTC, UK mobile operator EE also offers a range of own-brand 4G devices. The carrier's avian-themed lineup already includes the Kestrel smartphone, Eagle tablet and a number of WiFi dongles, but today it's rolling out two new LTE phones for those with an eye on affordability. First up is the Harrier, a 5.2-inch 1080p handset that features a 1.5 GHz octa-core Snapdragon processor, 13-megapixel rear camera, 2,500mAh battery and runs Android 5.0 Lollipop. It'll also join the latest iPhones and Samsung's Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge in supporting EE's new WiFi Calling service later this summer.
Three's launching Voice over LTE support this autumn
Three's hellbent on continually improving network reliability and coverage, and as part of that, the carrier has today announced it's gearing up to add Voice over LTE (VoLTE) support to its network this autumn. The provider is currently on track to switch its VoLTE service on in September, facilitated by tagging additional 800MHz spectrum onto its existing 1800MHz network. This new slice of bandwidth is expected to significantly improve coverage in problem areas, particularly inside buildings, where 800MHz airwaves can penetrate more easily than other frequencies. Three expects roughly 1 million of its 8.5 million customers to be reaping the benefits of VoLTE by the end of the year, taking calls in places 2G and 3G signals can't reach. The only catch is you're going to need a VoLTE-compatible handset, such as the iPhone 6 or Galaxy S6. Any relatively new handset should do, though.
Google's 'balloon-powered internet for all' is almost ready
In case you wanted another behind-the-scenes look at how Google's internet-by-balloon service is doing, now is your chance. The Project Loon team posted a new video showing everything from how it manages its balloon fleet, the balloon creation process, their partnership with local LTE network providers abroad and a few other aspects of the initiative as well. For example, the team is keeping the airborne-internet vessels afloat for up to 100 days at a time now, can build balloons in hours instead of days, and can launch many dozens of balloon every day instead of just a single one. Nearly two years after the project's launch, it's gone from "will it work?" to being presented as something that will work. With thousands of balloons aloft, it can push signal into areas that can't easily get internet service in other ways. As is typical with these status updates, it's slickly produced and has a handful of whimsical animations and music to boot -- check it out after the break.
EE to launch its seamless WiFi calling feature on April 10th
EE's been talking about adding WiFi calling to its list of customer conveniences since last summer, and though slightly delayed, the feature is now ready for prime time. Well, almost, as WiFi calling will officially launch on April 10th, coinciding with the release of Samsung's Galaxy S6 and S6 edge. These flagships, alongside Microsoft's Lumia 640, will be the first phones capable of using the feature, though it'll become available to a slew of compatible handsets "in the coming weeks." You may be wondering why so few devices are supported at launch, and the answer lies in how EE has implemented WiFi calling on its network. Where O2 and Three have created smartphone apps that let their customers make calls over WiFi, EE's solution is completely seamless. No intermediary app is needed, meaning you'll be able to make and receive calls and texts over WiFi as you would normally, using your phone's regular dialer and messaging app. Provided you're a pay-monthly customer, that is, since the feature's not available to pay-as-you-goers.
BT gets back into mobile with a trio of SIM-only 4G plans
It's already been quite the week for the UK's mobile battleground, with Three UK's owner Hutchison Whampoa announcing its plan to acquire O2 for a cool £10 billion. And today, confirming recent rumours, BT is ready to re-enter mobile ten years after offloading its shares in O2 and getting out of the game. BT is pursuing its own, mammoth acquisition of EE, of course, but while it waits on regulatory approval, it's tapping EE's network under an MVNO agreement penned way back in 2013. BT is now part of the quad-play club, and like fellow members Virgin Media and TalkTalk, it's going after the price-conscious consumer with a trio of SIM-only plans.
A single Google balloon delivered internet from Chile to Australia
It's been interesting watching Google's Project Loon progress, and the latest test run for the balloon-based internet service is perhaps the most impressive. A single balloon recently launched from New Zealand and traveled some 5,500 miles (9,000 kilometers) across the Pacific Ocean to Chile where Google started putting it through its paces. Once in the South American country's airspace, Project Loon members issued a command for the balloon to change altitude and hit a wind pattern that caused it to cut its 80 KPH (almost 50 MPH) speed by a quarter. That gave the ground team a chance to use smartphones to test the airborne LTE network's mettle.
Motorola's best budget smartphone just got even better
It's no surprise that the Moto G is the bestselling smartphone in Motorola's history -- it's always had solid specs and featured a class-leading display. Perhaps the only complaint is that the first- and second-generation handsets haven't launched with 4G support. That isn't to say Motorola isn't including it; it's just that it takes a while to get there. Now, finally, the company has decided to make the best budget phone you can buy even faster.
EE kicks off 400 Mbps 4G trials at Wembley Stadium
EE was the first 4G network operator in the UK, and it's now hell-bent on staying the fastest. After launching its LTE-A network (aka 4G+) in central London last October, it's trialling new spectrum configurations that could boost speeds even further. If you haven't been keeping up with all the network developments, here's a quick primer: standard 4G can offer theoretical download speeds of up to 150 Mbps, while LTE-A doubles that hypothetical maximum to 300 Mbps. To achieve this, EE added an extra 20MHz of 2.6GHz spectrum on top of its existing 1800MHz band, and now the carrier's testing a three-band approach that leverages another 15MHz, boosting top download speeds to 400 Mbps.
LG's premium smartwatch now comes with LTE and mobile payments
Believe it or not, LG already has an upgraded version of its luxurious Watch Urbane: meet the Watch Urbane LTE, a souped-up version that focuses on speedy mobile data. The timepiece (which isn't using Android Wear) isn't as substantial a phone replacement as Samsung's Gear S, but it will let you leave your handset at home sometimes. You can make LTE phone calls, share your GPS location, translate foreign speech and hold walkie talkie-style voice chats. LG has also upgraded the battery from 410mAh to a hefty 700mAh, so your cellular wristwear shouldn't conk out prematurely.
Virgin's small-cell networks to improve 4G coverage in the UK's biggest cities
The UK government has been pretty vocal about carriers needing to improve network coverage in rural areas, but that's not to say everything's hunky-dory in some of the UK's biggest cities. That's why Virgin Media Business -- the part of Branson's empire that deals with broadband infrastructure and the like -- is combining its fibre network with wireless expert Arqiva's knowhow to improve 4G coverage in cities including London, Birmingham, Manchester, Leeds, Bradford and Southampton. To do this, the pair will install small-cell technology (which, incidentally, EE is using to bring coverage to underserved rural regions) in "street assets" such as lampposts and CCTV cameras. These mini-masts will increase network capacity and improve 4G coverage in areas where buildings can get in the way of the signal. When the small-cell systems are up and running, the idea is carriers will pay Virgin and Arqiva to access them. That should be an easy sell, however, since they can immediately improve 4G services for their customers, no new infrastructure investment required.
Samsung will broadcast public safety announcements over LTE this year
Samsung's got strong LTE (and LTE-A, and... whatever's next) bones and now it's looking to shift the commercial tech into the emergency services. Public safety announcements has been a project of the 3GPP for a while. What's that, you say? It's a ragtag gang of superheroes telecoms groups and organizations that hammers out the crucially important (but typically very dry) standards and technical specifications -- these have formed the basis for the likes of 3G and LTE in the past. Samsung's public safety LTE (PS-LTE) is apparently geared for first responders and use during "emergency situations". Importantly the option of a new kind of public safety announcement network will take the drag off existing networks, as well as offer the data heft of LTE network, hopefully ensuring communication remains possible in even the most dire situations.
Chicago's subways are getting speedy LTE data
Just because you have cellular service in the subway doesn't mean you have good service -- in many cases, your data goes in the dumps when your train ventures underground. That won't be a problem in Chicago for much longer, though. The city has reached a deal with AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile and Verizon that will have the carriers paying to bring LTE data to Chi-town's subway tunnels. When the upgrade is complete sometime later this year, you should have fast internet access all the way from O'Hare Airport to the Blue and Red Lines downtown. This upgrade was ultimately necessary given that wireless networks are preparing for a future where everything goes through LTE, but it's good to know that you'll soon have an easy time streaming music on the way home from a Cubs game. [Image credit: Chris Smith, Flickr]
