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Froyo-based LG Thrive becomes AT&T's first prepaid smartphone, ships April 17th alongside Phoenix
A G2x they ain't, but AT&T's newest duo from LG should certainly satisfy the cravings of less-demanding Android loyalists. Along with every other carrier in the world, Ma Bell has decided to pick up a couple of Optimus One variants, with the LG Thrive being christened as the operator's first prepaid (GoPhone) smartphone. Aside from a tweak in hue, the postpaid Phoenix is the exact same handset, with both offering a totally familiar 600MHz processor, 3.2-inch (480 x 320) touchpanel, Android 2.2, a 3.2 megapixel camera and unlimited WiFi usage on the entire national AT&T WiFi Hot Spot network. Those opting for a contract-free affair can select the Thrive for $179.99, while the dark blue Phoenix will run $49.99 and demand two years of your cellular soul. In related news, AT&T is introducing a new prepaid data package with the LG Thrive, offering 500 MB of data for $25, with the fully skinny detailed just after the break.
T-Mobile 4G Mobile Hotspot hitting stores tomorrow, just as expected
Don't ya just love it when a plan comes together? As expected, T-Mobile has confirmed that its 4G Mobile Hotspot will be hitting stores tomorrow. The ZTE-sourced sliver of plastic and OLED will be T-Mo's first such device and, with its HSPA+ radio, clocks in at 21Mbps, while an SD card slot means it can provide up to 32GB of wireless storage. You can read more about it from our hands-on, or just go get your own tomorrow for $79.99 -- after the requisite rebate and contract negotiations, of course.
T-Mobile's 4G Mobile Hotspot going on sale April 13?
Well, well. Android Central got a hold of a leaked document revealing that T-Mobile's 4G Mobile Hotspot, the first of its kind for the carrier, is slated to go on sale April 13th. We're inclined to believe it, since T-Mo just confirmed that the LG G2x, also named in the doc, will indeed go on sale April 15th. Alas, if you've been waiting for more info about the pricey, Honeycomb-powered T-Mobile LG G-Slate, you can keep holding your breath: all we know is that it's coming "soon."
Sprint launches Novatel MiFi 3G / 4G mobile hotspot
This one's been floating around since way back in December, but Novatel's new 3G / 4G MiFi is now finally available from Sprint -- albeit only via direct ship, Sprint retail channels will get it on April 17th. It will run you $79.99 on a two-year contract, and comes packing Novatel's rather novel MiFi OS, which is actually a stripped-down version of Linux that lets you take advantage of various widgets and applications. It's also GPS enabled, and has a microSD card slot that allows for up to 32GB of shared storage. Full press release is after the break, and you can check out a few early reviews of the device at the more coverage links below.
Verizon launches 4G mobile hotspot
Customers can now order the new Samsung 4G LTE Mobile Hotspot online or in Verizon Stores, Samsung and Verizon announced on Tuesday. The new mobile hotspot, which allows up to five Wi-Fi-enabled devices to connect to Verizon's 4G Long Term Evolution (LTE) network at the same time, will begin shipping on March 31. Samsung's new device, which is about the size of a small stack of credit cards, promises to connect users to Verizon's next generation mobile network with download speeds of 5 to 12 Mbps and upload speeds of 2 to 5 Mbps. That's about 10 times faster than a typical 3G connection and up to 2.5 times faster than the average home broadband service in the United States. Today, Verizon offers 4G LTE service to 39 cities in the US and has announced plans to expand this coverage to 98 cities by the end of 2011. In areas without 4G coverage, the Samsung 4G LTE Mobile Hotspot is backward-compatible with Verizon's existing 3G network. If you need a high-speed mobile hotspot in your pocket, the Samsung device and associated data services will put a small dent in your wallet. The device itself costs US$99.00 after mail-in rebate with a two-year contract or $269.99 without a contract. For service, Verizon charges a $50 monthly access fee for 5 GB of data or $80 per month for 10 GB. Customers who exceed their monthly rations can expect to pay an additional $10 per extra GB. Disappointingly, Verizon doesn't appear to offer an unlimited data package at any price. With its rapidly growing family of 4G devices and services, Verizon is quickly becoming the carrier to beat in the next generation wireless market. Verizon launched its 4G services with only modems for PCs last December and introduced its first 4G-compatible phone, the HTC Thunderbolt, earlier this month. In the second quarter of this year, the Motorola Xoom will receive a hardware upgrade that will allow Verizon to add the tablet to its 4G family. The Samsung 4G LTE Mobile Hotspot completes the starting lineup, enabling any Wi-Fi device -- like a Mac or an iPad -- to enjoy Verizon's speedy LTE services. The Samsung 4G LTE Mobile Hotspot is available to order through Verizon's website.
Verizon's Samsung LTE Mobile Hotspot goes on sale: $100 on contract
We'd heard March 31st for this thing, but hey -- are we about to complain when it goes on sale early? That would be a definitive "no," and we're happy to report that Samsung's SCH-LC11 Mobile Hotspot with 1x, EV-DO Rev. A, and LTE compatibility on Verizon's network is now being offered on the carrier's website for $99.99 on contract after a $50 instant discount. That makes it the cheapest way to get five devices attached to some of the fastest wireless broadband around -- sure, you can do it with a Thunderbolt, but it'll run you a little more upfront and you need a voice plan. Who's in? [Thanks, Nick R.]
Verizon's Samsung 4G LTE Mobile Hotspot launches March 31st
Though it won't be the first Verizon LTE device to share its white-hot connection over WiFi (that honor goes to the recently-launched Thunderbolt), Samsung's SCH-LC11 -- announced back at CES -- is shaping up to be the network's first dedicated hotspot to hit retail. We've just been dropped the carrier's internal equipment guide showing a launch date in all channels (stores, telesales, and online) this coming Thursday, March 31st; pricing is an open question, but carriers tend to price these modems pretty aggressively on contract since they know they're going to eat you alive with the data plan for the next two years. Of course, in this case, we're more than willing to get eaten alive if it means we've got a 20Mbps WiFi connection in our pocket at all times. [Thanks, anonymous tipster]
T-Mobile 4G Mobile Hotspot hands-on
We were wandering the show floor at CTIA like a pack of hungry wolves when we came across the T-Mobile 4G Mobile Hotspot which we'd discovered a while back and which was officially announced yesterday. The ZTE-sourced device is T-Mobile's first ever mobile hotspot, and features an AWS-compatible HSPA+ radio capable of speeds up to 21Mbps. Sadly, the unit we handled was missing a SIM and we were politely asked not to insert our own, so we just snapped some pictures. Until we find out more about pricing and availability, feast your eyes on our gallery below.
Is your Thunderbolt having LTE mobile hotspot problems?
We'd been excited to use our HTC Thunderbolts as integral parts of our show setup here at CTIA this week -- only thing is, the mobile hotspot capability is kind of important if we're going to make that happen. On one occasion while reviewing the device last week, we noticed that the phone's radio was cycling between LTE and CDMA-only coverage, dropping the data connection to the tethered devices altogether each and every time, effectively rendering the hotspot capability useless -- thing is, we only saw it happen once. Well, this week at the show, we've got two Thunderbolts on hand and they're both exhibiting exactly the same behavior... and they're doing it consistently, which sadly means there'll be no LTE for us at this week's festivities. A quick check of Verizon's official support forums confirms that other users are seeing the same behavior, so it seems to be a real problem; we'll let you know when we hear more. In the meantime, follow the break for a video demo of the issue.
Samsung, Novatel LTE mobile hotspots said to be hitting Verizon any day now
We haven't heard much about these since Verizon first showed them off way back at CES, but Phone Arena is reporting that a launch of Samsung and Novatel's new LTE mobile hotspots is now finally "imminent." That includes Novatel's USB551L LTE dongle in addition to the 4510L MiFi, both of which will be Mac-compatible out of the box (unlike Verizon's first pair of LTE modems), although that functionality has yet to be confirmed for Samsung's SCH-L11 hotspot. Still no word on pricing for any of them either, but Phone Arena says all three will be receiving a $50 rebate, so a price in line with Verizon's current, similarly-discounted $99 modems seems likely. [Thanks, Valentin]
AT&T tells customers using unauthorized tethering methods to pay up or stop (update)
Been using an app like MyWi to enable tethering on your jailbroken iPhone? Then there's a good chance you've already received a message like the one above from AT&T, or perhaps an email like the one after the break. By all accounts, the carrier is now cracking down on all unauthorized tethering, and it's asking folks engaged in such behavior to either pay up for a proper tethering plan or simply stop tethering altogether -- if it doesn't hear anything back for you after sending the message, AT&T says it will automatically enroll you in a DataPro 4GB tethering plan (at a rate of $45 a month). We should note that all the reports we've seen so far are from iPhone users, although that certainly doesn't mean Android users will simply be allowed to slip by unnoticed. Exactly how AT&T is identifying users isn't clear, however, and we could well just be seeing the beginning of a cat and mouse game as folks try to discover workarounds to go undetected. More on this one as we get it. Update: AT&T reached out to us and, yes, this is pretty much all there is to the tale: the "small number of smartphone customers who use their devices for tethering but aren't on our required tethering plan," are being contacted to either cease and desist or prepare to start paying for the service. No word yet on how many customers have been contacted, but it does seem that they're all using iPhones. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Sprint announces Overdrive Pro 3G / 4G mobile hotspot router, available on March 20th
Road warriors riding the Sprint WiMAX truck will be pleased to know that there's a new mobile hotspot device in the house. Dubbed the Overdrive Pro 3G / 4G, users can now simultaneously connect up to eight devices -- as opposed to just five previously -- to the mobile web via this little 802.11n router from Sierra Wireless. Better yet, Sprint has halved the price for this new model to $49.99 after a $50 rebate with a two year $50 service agreement, yet you still get the usual goodies like microSD expansion and built-in GPS support to boot. You can pick one up at Sprint stores starting on March 20th, but of course, the previous Overdrive is probably sufficient for most humble uses, anyway. [Thanks, r0fl]
AT&T Mobile Hotspot for iPhone 4 limited to just three WiFi devices (update: it's an iOS 4.3 thing)
Say it ain't so! According to this here slide, which details a bit of insidery AT&T information about the impending release of iOS 4.3, Ma Bell's iPhone 4 will have its Personal Hotspot restricted to use with just three devices. Just about every MiFi / mobile hotspot device we've ever seen -- including Verizon's iPhone 4 -- has supported five WiFi devices, but unless AT&T pulls a 180 here, it'll be limiting its iPhone to just three connections. What's wild is that we've found AT&T to actually have superior 3G speeds when you can actually get a signal (and thus, be more conducive to tethering five devices at once), and since you'd be on a data cap anyway, it's not like AT&T risks losing millions from five P2P servers being ran over one's iPhone. Granted, it's possible that some unicorn crafted this piece of paperwork to throw us all off, but we've reached out to AT&T and are awaiting comment. You know, just in case. Update: Based on Apple's iOS 4.3 page, only three WiFi devices are supported through the Personal Hotspot connection. If you'd like to tether five total devices, the other two will need to be over Bluetooth / USB. Don't go blaming AT&T here -- we're guessing Verizon's model will be set up the same way. Thanks, Christian! [Thanks, Anonymous]
AT&T to offer mobile hotspot on iPhone 4 starting March 11th, requires usual $45 data plan
Though it was kind of implied during the iPad 2 event yesterday when we learned that the GSM (that is, non-Verizon) version of the iPhone 4 would be getting iOS 4.3 with mobile hotspot capability on March 11th, we've doubly confirmed with AT&T today that the carrier will be offering the feature right out of the gate -- a departure from the tethering delay of days gone by. Naturally, you'll need the tethering feature added to your account, a $20 surcharge over the standard 2GB DataPro plan for a grand total of $45 with a 4GB bucket. Makes the extra coin a little easier to swallow over cabled and Bluetooth tethering alone, we suppose.
Sierra Wireless intros dual-carrier HSPA+ / LTE AirCard 753S and 754S, with 319U and 320U in tow
Thanks to Verizon's blowout at CES, we've already been treated to a couple of LTE-friendly mobile hotspots from the likes of Samsung and Novatel Wireless, but Sierra Wireless is joining the crowd here at Mobile World Congress. The outfit has just revealed its two newest mobile hotpots, the AirCard 754S and 753S. The former supports dual-carrier LTE, while the latter handles dual-carrier HSPA+, enabling up to five WiFi devices to surf on either of the fastest two mobile superhighways. We're told that the 753S can hit downlink rates as high as 42Mbps (and upload rates near 5.76Mbps) on a DC-HSPA+ network, while the 754S can reach 100Mbps (down) / 50Mbps (up) while operating on an LTE network. Both of these are right around the size of a deck of cards, and no software installation is required to get 'em working. There's also an integrated LCD that provides a look at WiFi access information, battery life, network signal strength, and the number of devices connected, with audible alerts and a web admin interface available as well. The duo is expected to ship at some point during 2011's second quarter, but there's no news yet on which (if any) carriers will be picking them up. Moving right along, Canada's own Telus will be offering yet another new one from Sierra Wireless this March: the AirCard 319U USB modem, a device we recently spotted in the FCC's database. This one promises download speeds of up to 42Mbps and upload speeds approaching 5.76Mbps, with a swiveling design that allows the body of the modem to be tucked up against the side of the notebook and protects it from being damaged by accidental bumps. The LTE-friendly AirCard 320U is the USB version of the 754S hotspot shown above, with an articulating and pivoting hinge that works with the widest possible variety of USB port placements, and if all goes well, it'll ship during Q2 2011 for an undisclosed rate. Sierra plans on having Mac and PC support for the whole lot, and we'll be digging for details surrounding price and availability. %Gallery-116575%
T-Mobile's upcoming HSPA+ WWAN offerings get leaked, comical codenames revealed
It's been a hot minute since the folks at T-Mobile have introduced a new USB WWAN modem, but if the document above is to be believed, that could be changing in short order. As the Jet ages, it looks like a few others -- codenamed Kitty Hawk, Washington and Wayne -- could be swooping in to take things from here. The former is rumored to hit shelves in March, offering HSPA+ speeds of 21Mbps and the ability to solve most of the world's problems. As for Washington? That'll be T-Mob's first USB modem to offer HSPA+ speeds approaching 42Mbps, and if all goes well, this guy will also splash down next month. Moving on, there's a pair of Waynes that'll serve as the carrier's first mobile hotspots, enabling five WiFi-enabled devices to mooch off of a 21Mbps (Lil' Wayne) or 42Mbps (Big Wayne) connection. Here's hoping T-Mobile does the smart thing and sticks with the codenames -- the marketing exec in us just knows it's the right thing to do.
iPhone 4 to get AT&T mobile hotspot capabilities on February 13th?
So you might have noticed a few reviews of Verizon's iPhone 4 crop up last night, nothing unusual about that, but a couple of its reviewers have had something to say about AT&T's version of the phone as well. Walt Mossberg and David Pogue (who has since stricken the date from his review) both pinpoint February 13th as the date when they expect AT&T to turn on the Personal Hotspot capability that Verizon's iPhone will have from launch. That's expected to happen with an update to iOS 4.3, which recently went out to developers in its third beta iteration, suggesting the software's nearly mature enough for public consumption and seemingly fitting right into this timeline. Mind you, this is still not concrete information, as Mossberg could conceivably have been talking of AT&T's Mobile Hotspot app which is launching on the same day on devices like the Inspire 4G, and Pogue could have deleted the date for similar reasons, but we're somehow disinclined to believe that two gentlemen in a position to have insider(ish) intel would both make such a mistake at the same time.
AT&T adding an extra 2GB to phone tethering plans, launching Mobile Hotspot app February 13th
What, 2GB of monthly data isn't enough for your laptoppin' needs? Yeah, us either -- fortunately, AT&T's tweaking its phone tethering plan a bit with an extra 2GB that can be shared among all devices for a grand total of 4GB. As before, you'll need to start off with the $25 DataPro plan and tack on an extra $20 for tethering, bringing the total to $45 a month. In conjunction with the move, AT&T has announced that it'll begin rolling out a Mobile Hotspot app starting with the HTC Inspire 4G at its launch on February 13th, which means these guys are finally coming around and embracing the data revolution that's been taking hold the last year or two across the industry -- a trend that began with its first launch of a MiFi a few months back. Existing DataPro tethering customers will get the extra 2GB automatically added to their accounts, so there shouldn't be anything you need to do; obviously, we would've preferred something closer to unlimited, but something tells us that ship has sailed. Follow the break for the press release.
HTC Thunderbolt might be getting simultaneous voice and data on 3G after all
We won't lie: we've been pretty skeptical of the rumors so far that the HTC Thunderbolt would have support for simultaneous voice and data over EV-DO -- SVDO, as it's known -- turned on. Perhaps more than any other US carrier, Verizon has a reputation for testing the living daylights out of devices and locking out hardware that doesn't meet its reliability standards, and so we were a little leery of some supposedly leaked internal communication not long ago letting reps know that although it'll be enabled, it shouldn't be discussed because it doesn't offer an "experience... consistent with [their] brand." Well, we've just been fed a second document that features the same wording, so it looks like this might be real after all -- and what's more, it's got updated verbiage stating that mobile hotspot capability will be available at launch, contrary to other leaks floating around today. This particular document is dated today, so we're feeling good that the information is current -- and if anything, it should get potential Thunderbolt buyers more excited than ever. [Thanks, David]
HTC Thunderbolt rumored to be hitting Best Buy February 14th, sans mobile hotspot or Skype video?
The HTC Thunderbolt may have been officially announced way back at CES, but there's still quite a bit we don't know about the phone -- namely, a price or a release date. We now at least have what looks to be a fairly solid hint of the latter, however, courtesy of the above shot of a Best Buy inventory screen that lists an in stock date of February 14th. You'll note that the screen doesn't actually mention the HTC Thunderbolt anywhere, but some sleuthing by the folks at Android Central reveals that the product code matches one found on a Thunderbolt box that turned up in a recent hands-on video. Joining that rumor is a separate one from Droid Life, which has obtained some supposedly authentic Verizon materials that suggest the Thunderbolt won't be shipping with mobile hotspot functionality enabled at launch, and that Skype video chat won't be enabled initially either. No word on a reason for the delay (if there actually is one), but both features will seemingly be enabled at some point, and there will apparently be a placeholder icon in the case of Skype that will display a "coming soon" message if it's launched.
