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MetroPCS intros the Samsung Admire to usher the young'uns back into school
Who needs clothes when you can ring in the new school year with a phone? That's the vision MetroPCS is aiming to instill in the hearts of parents everywhere, as the carrier has officially introduced the Samsung Admire as part of its Back to School promo. It packs some quality midrange specs, such as an 800MHz CPU, 3.5-inch HVGA display, 3.2 megapixel camera and Android 2.3 preloaded without a trace of TouchWiz UI. Hunting for the next superphone? Move along, nothing to see here -- first-time smartphone users and students are more likely to find the budget-friendly device right up their alley. No release date or pricing has been announced, though it's expected to hit shelves sometime next month in red and gray. Just remember, kids -- make sure it's put away when the teacher is looking, okay?
MetroPCS will begin transition to VoLTE early next year
US carriers were quick to acknowledge their allegiance to Voice over LTE (VoLTE), a 4G VoIP-related technology first demonstrated in February. Ever since that time, however, talk of deployment plans have been replaced by crickets. MetroPCS was the first to break the silence, as CEO Roger Linquist announced at this morning's quarterly earnings call that his company's "planning to begin introducing VoLTE-capable handsets early next year to move voice as well as data traffic to [its] LTE network." The outfit's wasting no time making the full transition to 4G, as it's already begun migrating its SMS and MMS services to this service. An increasing sense of urgency is likely hitting the company hard, as implementing VoLTE will ease some of the burden of its limited spectrum by devoting more bandwidth to 4G. What's better, the anticipated timeframe may even allow MetroPCS to beat Verizon to market -- which has also targeted 2012 as a launch date for its equivalent service -- as well as AT&T, currently aiming for a 2013 takeoff. No matter what, we're ecstatic to soon be flooded with more HD-clarity calls than we care to take.
Mobile Miscellany: week of July 18, 2011
Here's some of the other stuff that happened in the wide world of wireless for the week of July 18, 2011: Images of the Samsung Admire for MetroPCS leaked. Also known as the SCH-R720, it may be the first device with Gingerbread on the prepaid carrier. It features a 3.5-inch HVGA display, 3G, 800MHz CPU, and 3.2 megapixel camera. [via UnwiredView] Rogers introduced the HTC EVO 3D and LG Optimus 3D to its lineup, to be available sometime this summer. (thx Luke) Speaking of Rogers, the Samsung Galaxy S Infuse 4G should be available on the Canadian carrier within the next few days, and will reportedly be yours for $150 with a three-year commitment. [via UnwiredView] Spy shots of an unannounced Samsung Android device with Verizon branding, and full QWERTY keyboard were dug up (see the above image). Specs include Android 2.3.4 onboard and built-in 4G LTE connectivity. (thx Fayez) [via AndroidCentral] The Nokia N900 was hacked, allowing you to boot up your choice of four operating systems: Maemo, Meego, NITDroid, and Kubuntu Mobile. [via LoveMyNokia] The LG Optimus 3D appears to be popping up everywhere; it's currently available on Three UK. [via AndroidCentral] A mystery device known as the HTC Hero 4G passed DLNA certification this week, causing speculation that this is the long-evasive and much-awaited HTC Kingdom. The phone's already passed through the FCC, which means we could see it show up on Sprint at any time. [via PhoneArena and PocketNow] The Motorola Defy+ is rumored to be a mild refresh of the Defy, a popular Android device that came out last year. The new version would get a few minor boosts in specs and come in HSPA bands compatible with AT&T. [via TIMN]
Verizon LTE: no roaming, even if you want to
Several companies are hopping on the LTE bandwagon, but it's turning out to be more isolating an experience than we hoped. According to PCMag, a Verizon spokesperson confirmed that its fourth-generation broadband network won't be compatible with other carriers in the US. As it turns out, Big Red and AT&T each own a separate block of 700MHz spectrum with only a fraction of overlap, leaving little room for phones on both networks to mingle with one another. There's not much hope for roaming on MetroPCS or LightSquared, either, as their waves of LTE run at 1700MHz and 1500MHz, respectively. This smattering of frequencies means it'll be near impossible to get roam on other companies' 4G networks nationally. What's worse, the ITU has approved twelve bands for LTE use around the world, so don't count on a wide selection of global devices -- and you thought sorting through international 3G was bad, didn't you? We're still a long way from learning our LTE roaming fate, but it appears the largest carrier in the US won't make the journey any easier on us.
MetroPCS officially intros Huawei M835 Android for $80 sans contract
If you've been vehemently opposed to purchasing a smartphone due to their high cost, you're running out of excuses. MetroPCS officially launched its latest Android device, the Huawei M835, for a promotional price of $80 without a contract (it'll normally retail for $130). The M835 -- also known as the Ideos -- is a petite handset that uses a 2.8-inch QVGA display, runs on Froyo and has a 3.2 megapixel camera with video capture. It also offers room for a 32GB microSD card, if needed. Obviously, we're not expecting the greatest performance here, but it's a viable option for first-time buyers and anyone who doesn't hunger for the latest and greatest phone specs. Between this and the Ascend II coming out this week, it's looking like the prepaid march is gaining serious steam.
LG MS910 (Bryce) clears the FCC with MetroPCS in sight
MetroPCS is talkin' 'bout a Revolution of its own, and now -- thanks to FCC approval -- the LTE-wielding handset is clear for takeoff with the scrappy regional provider. Unlike Big Red's version, the MS910 (aka Bryce) features only 4GB of internal storage, but it's said to include a 1GHz Snapdragon CPU, 4.3-inch WVGA display, and micro-HDMI port, along with the same 5 megapixel rear (and 1.3MP front-facing) cameras that are found on the Revolution. Additionally, users should expect Android 2.3.4 -- good thing, because while there's no official release date, early estimates suggest an October arrival. Of course, this also suggests the Bryce must contend with the same 512MB of RAM and middling battery life found on the Verizon model, but it's a welcome alternative to the network's current top banana.
Verizon dominates 'Fastest Mobile Networks' testing, considers calling AT&T to brag
Not all wireless carriers are created equal, nor for that matter is all 4G -- anyone who's ever swapped networks or done any sort of traveling across the country can tell you that. And while it seems like we have fewer and fewer choices as the days go by, our increasing reliance on mobile devices makes the efficiency of our data delivery all the more important. PCMag invested some serious man / woman-hours for its annual "Fastest Mobile Networks" story, gathering mobile data in 21 cities -- running more than 140,000 tests in all. According to the results, Verizon's LTE rules supreme in pretty much every area tested, save for those "in-between" rural locations, where AT&T nabbed the top spot. Perhaps it's time to take old "Test Man" out of retirement for celebratory victory lap?
Smartphone buyer's guide: the best phones for Verizon, AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, and more!
The world of smartphones changes mighty quickly, and if you blink, you're bound to miss the latest and most delectable devices. That's where we come in, to provide timely roundups of everything your friends expect you to know, along with the insight that you crave. To bring you up to speed, in our December buyer's guide, at first blush you might have thought we were doing an overview of the best Android phones on the market. That's because of our 16 highly-esteemed handsets, a whopping 13 of them had Google's operating system at the core. As you'll see, the landscape has changed somewhat, and these new contenders that have come out swinging. We've broken down this buyer's guide by mobile carrier, each including the best handset money can buy, our favorite QWERTY alternative, and the most well-rounded budget phone available (with $79 as the absolute ceiling). For smaller US providers, we're providing a single selection, though we're confident it's a good one. You'll definitely be presented with some difficult choices, but that's merely a testament to the abundance of stellar phones that aggressively compete for your dollar. With that said, let's dive in -- it's roundup time.
Verizon and MetroPCS objections to FCC net neutrality rules dismissed in case of premature litigation
The FCC wants to put new rules in place ensuring access to the web is, like justice, blind to where a person is coming from and indifferent to where on the web he is going to. Verizon's first reaction to these new directives was to publicly decry them as overreaching, and its second was to file a lawsuit, one that was swiftly echoed by MetroPCS. Only problem with their plans? The rules haven't yet been published in the Federal Register, which renders the legal challenges from the two eager mobile carriers "incurably" premature. Such was the determination of the US Court of Appeals, which refused to make a substantive ruling and just threw the cases out due to the technicality. Verizon isn't discouraged, however, and promises to bide its time until all the dominoes have fallen into place before launching another legal attack. Hey, whatever keeps those lawyers in their fancy suits.
MetroPCS lays the TapouT smackdown on Huawei's Ascend... gently
Is it really, truly possible to market a Froyo-based smartphone -- let alone one from 2010 -- to a demographic obsessed with Cauliflower ear? MetroPCS seems to think so, and its version of the Huawei Ascend just so happens to be "sanctioned" by TapouT. Hailed as the first brand to represent MMA, TapouT's roots are plastered all about the innards of the phone, with this Special Edition handset shipping with ten virtual training center videos, a dozen static wallpapers, six live wallpapers and a host of presumably violent Android applications. You'll also get a pair of interchangeable backs, a 2GB microSD card and support for the company's contract-free $50 / $60 smartphone plans. As for the cost of the phone itself? Free after a suplex + sleeper hold combo on the dude working the desk.
Galaxy Indulge microSDHC card regularly reports back to MetroPCS (but hey, you get Iron Man 2 for free!)
If you're the kind of person who buys phones based on Hollywood tie-in deals (and for your sake, we hope you're not) you'll be pleased to know that the Samsung Galaxy Indulge comes pre-loaded with Iron Man 2. That's right, a sequel to a movie you only ever saw half of, once, while it was on the TV over the bar at Armand's on Liberty Ave. (assuming that you're a certain Engadget editor, and for your sake we hope you're not) is coming pre-loaded on the world's first Android-packing, LTE smartphone. And if that wasn't enough, the SanDisk microSDHC card that the movie is stored on regularly reports back to MetroPCS with usage statistics: This intelligent SanDisk mobile memory card provides specific, real-time network data to MetroPCS to measure customer interest in digital content. Details of aggregated, anonymous consumer usage will allow MetroPCS to determine the impact of its movie offering, which in turn allows them to provide customers with more customized content and services in the future. We're sure everything is on the up-and-up here, but for some reason we don't think most consumers will be comfortable with storage that reports regularly to a carrier -- for any reason. Still, things could be much worse: you could be stuck with the pre-loaded Iron Man app on an LG Ally.
Snoop Dogggg goes 4G to celebrate launch of Samsung Galaxy Indulge, was probably paid more than 4Gs to do it
You laugh, but D-O-Quadruple-G does have a certain ring to it. In fact, it sounds a little like the ringing of Samsung's Galaxy Indulge, which is tucked inside the pocket of MetroPCS' CEO right about now. You see, the aforesaid carrier has presumably paid Snoop Dogg (or Snoop Dogggg, as he'll be known until he scurries outside of a 4G coverage area) to change his name in order to celebrate the commercial launch of the world's first LTE Android smartphone. The Froyo-based phone is just barely beating out LG's Revolution and HTC's Thunderbolt, and you can bet that MetroPCS is doing everything it can to let the world know about it. Taking things one step further too far, Snoop's also appearing in a new series dubbed "The G-Connection," and you can peek the first episode just after the brizzle. For rizzle, homedizzle. %Gallery-117476%
HTC prepping VoLTE-enabled smartphone for MetroPCS
Hot on the heels of Verizon's completion of a test call using voice over LTE on its LG Revolution, the word on the street is that MetroPCS is hooking up with none other than HTC for its own VoLTE-capable phone -- though it's not MetroPCS making the announcement: instead, the GSM Association's technology director broke the news, which was followed by a swift "no comment" from the carrier itself. As PCMag points out, there's a sense of urgency for MetroPCS to deploy VoLTE in short order because it's using AWS bandwidth for its LTE services -- the same bandwidth it uses for CDMA -- whereas Verizon has LTE deployed down by its lonesome in the newish 700MHz space, which means MetroPCS could open up 4G bandwidth by migrating away from CDMA voice as quickly as possible. No word on when we might see this mysterious HTC device surface just yet.
MetroPCS LTE Samsung Galaxy Indulge available this week, we go hands-on
As you may have gleaned from the small leak last night, Samsung's MetroPCS LTE phone isn't called the Forte as we may have previously thought, but the rest of the information we've been hearing about the phone for the last few weeks (thank you, FCC and Flickr!) was pretty dead on. Officially called the Galaxy Indulge, the 3.5-inch, Android 2.2 smartphone isn't quite as well spec'd as the rest of the Galaxy S line up -- most notably it doesn't have that stunning 4-inch AMOLED screen (TFT LCD here, folks) -- but it packs a 1GHz Samsung Hummingbird processor, 3 megapixel camera, 1500mAH battery, and some fast LTE speeds. As for the latter, the slider will naturally be backwards compatible with MetroPCS' CDMA network and the carrier will be offering two monthly plans, both of which include unlimited talk and texting -- the $50 plan buys you 1GB of data and the $60 version all the gigabytes you can eat. Combine one of those with the $399 sans-contract-price of the phone itself and it's not a bad deal. That said, compared to the other LTE or just general 4G phones we've seen of late, the Indulge feels rather cheap. Don't be fooled by its rather Epic 4G looks -- the .6-inch thick phone just feels overly plastic in hand (it makes those plastic squeaking noises) and the keyboard just can't compare to Epic's slightly raised keys. However, what it lacks in rigidity it makes up for in speed -- we consistently got 3.1Mbps down and 3.3Mbps in our Manhattan apartment and saw it loading sites and apps faster than our Droid 2 Global. On the software end, there aren't many surprises -- it runs Samsung's TouchWiz 3.0 and comes with a few of MetroPCS' preloaded apps, including an Iron Man 2 app that actually includes the whole movie. We're not sure you'd want to watch the entire thing on the low-contrast HVGA screen, but it's always an option if you decide to, you know, indulge. (Sorry, we had to!) The handset will be hitting shelves (or websites) later this week making it the first available LTE smartphone in the US -- but in the meantime, hit the break for the full press release and a short hands-on video. %Gallery-115995%
Samsung Galaxy Indulge shows up on MetroPCS: LTE, Android 2.2, 1GHz processor
We don't have any official pictures yet, but there's now a placeholder entry for a so-called SCH-R910 Galaxy Indulge from Samsung on MetroPCS' official site, in all likelihood that device we'd previously seen leaked a couple times as the Forte. This would be the first LTE smartphone on MetroPCS since the previously-released Craft is a dumbphone -- and depending on the release date, they could potentially beat HTC's Thunderbolt for Verizon to become the first LTE smartphone offered on any carrier in the US. Besides LTE support, specs look to include a 1GHz processor (Hummingbird, we're guessing) along with WiFi and a 3.5-inch HVGA display all running atop Froyo. Pricing? $399, which seems expensive until you remember that these guys don't do contracts. We're assuming we'll be hearing more about this bad boy soon, so keep an ear to the ground and we'll do the same. [Thanks, Danny]
Samsung SCH-R910 Forte takes its TouchWiz and LTE show to the FCC
MetroPCS is getting ever closer to its first LTE handset. The SCH-R910 Forte, which we last saw courtesy of Mr. Blurrycam a few weeks ago, has just had its FCC test results posted for the world to see. If you've missed prior reports, we're told it will sport a 1GHz processor and five megapixel camera, but none of that is confirmed just yet. Sadly no test photos were released, so we'll have to keep waiting for glamour shots, but we do now know where the FCC label can be found: inside the battery cover. That's one less mystery to ponder today.
MetroPCS takes a cue from Verizon, appeals FCC's net neutrality code
It's not just Big Red taking issue with the FCC's final stance on net neutrality, which shouldn't come as much of a surprise -- landline and wireless operators tend to do a pretty good job harmonizing their opinions on regulatory issues, and net neutrality is about as big of a regulatory issue as you're going to get. Next up to drop the legal hammer is MetroPCS, filing this week with the Washington, D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals and saying that it wants to make sure "the concerns of competitive wireless carriers, like MetroPCS, are addressed." Interestingly, the company specifically calls out net neutrality complaints against its new 4G plans -- which stratify non-browser data usage as a separate category with its own bucket -- as one of the reasons it's filing the appeal; separately, the carrier says that it's going to formally respond to those complaints next month, so it's clearly not ready to back down and rethink its LTE strategy. It'll be interesting to see how this all plays out.
Samsung Forte is the SCH-R910, brings TouchWiz LTE action to MetroPCS (video)
Look familiar? You've actually seen it twice before, once as a QWERTY slider and once as an unidentified LTE smartphone. Well, it just so happens that a new batch of eighteen pictures have surfaced, and the two phones are actually one -- this is the Samsung Forte for MetroPCS, which is presently running a recent build of Android 2.2.1. While we still don't know if it's got the 1GHz processor and 5 megapixel camera that lovingly accompanied the original rumor, it appears to have Samsung's custom TouchWiz UI on board, lending extra credence to the possibility that the handset might receive Galaxy S branding when it materializes in stores. We've got just one last note here, and that's this whole reveal feels rather... planted to us. Watch the video after the break to see what we mean, and find plenty more pictures at the link below.
Samsung Forte Android phone with LTE for MetroPCS leaked? (update: more pics)
Things look to finally start to get interesting with hardware selection on MetroPCS' LTE network -- a network that still offers nothing more than the Samsung Craft dumbphone to tame those wild 4G speeds several months after the commercial launch. The latest leak here is for a device allegedly called the Forte -- also from Samsung, naturally -- that features a sliding landscape keyboard along with a 1GHz Hummingbird processor, 5 megapixel camera, and Android 2.2 at launch, all specs that would suggest this might be a Galaxy S-branded device. What we don't know is whether the Forte is the same as the SCH-R910 that was leaked for MetroPCS a few days ago; Samsung Hub's tipster claims there are two LTE devices in the pipeline here, so they could be different (perhaps one with a keyboard, one without) even though the tops are identical at a glance. Update: Another couple shots of the alleged Forte have shown up on Samsung Hub, prominently showing off a "4G" logo planted back and center; rumor now has it we're looking at a February 11th launch, though it's still not clear whether this is the same device as the SCH-R910.
MetroPCS alleged to be violating net neutrality rules with new LTE plans
Well, it looks like the fine print in MetroPCS' new LTE pricing plans is causing more than just some confusion among MetroPCS customers -- as CNET reports, it's now also drawn the ire of several public interest groups, who allege that the carrier is violating the FCC's new net neutrality rules. For those not familiar with the new plans, they include a $40 plan for unlimited web browsing plus YouTube, and a $50 plan that adds 1GB of "additional data access" that covers things not considered to be "web browsing" by MetoPCS -- Netflix, Skype, etc. That, in effect, creates two different types of "data," and leaves MetroPCS as the only voice deciding what gets included in one plan and not the other. For its part, MetroPCS insists that its "new rate plans comply with the FCC's new rules on mobile open Internet," and that it is simply offering "increased consumer choice" by offering different rate plans.
