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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.
Telus, Sierra Wireless carrying EV-DO Rev A to Canada
If the Canucks out there have been getting a bit jealous at all the Rev A love going around down south, your resentment ends now -- well, sometime this year, anyway. Thanks to Telus and Sierra Wireless, EV-DO Rev A connectvitiy is headed to Canada in the coming months, as interested users will be able to pop the AirCard 595 into their laptop's PCMCIA slot and reportedly reach peak speeds of up to 3.1Mbps downstream and 1.8Mbps upstream. Of course, it is noted that typical speeds will range between 300 to 400Kbps whilst uploading, and 450 to 800Kbps on the downward slope, but you Canadians will probably take what you can get, eh? Unfortunately, there's no set dates for the future rollouts, and "select markets" is all we have to go on for availability, but we do know that Telus will be charging $349.99 for the AirCard 595 sans a contract, or you can lock yourself in for a whopping three years if you've only got $99.99 to spare.
Novatel's Merlin EX720 launches on Sprint's Rev A network
Hot on the heels of Novatel giving a bit of Rev A love to Verizon with the USB720 comes the company's tailored-for-Sprint version of the adapter, the Merlin EX720 ExpressCard. Nothing too special here, aside from its ability to hit up Sprint's Rev A EV-DO network for average upload speeds of 300 to 500Kbps and download rates topping out around 1.4Mbps. Interestingly, it does tout Assisted GPS (A-GPS) location-based capabilities, which should allow users to locate nearby "restaurants, gas stations, banks, etc." without having to input their current address. The card itself will play nice with Windows 2000, XP, and Vista, and even Mac OS X users won't have a problem utilizing the Merlin on their shiny MacBook Pro, and if all goes as planned, you should see these cards popping up in Sprint retail channels in just a few weeks.[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Samsung preparing new PTT phone for Verizon?
Please take this information with a grain of salt -- It it looks like our pals over at Samsung are getting ready to launch a new PTT (Push to Talk) phone with The Network sometime soon. We thought Big Red had given up on walkie-talkie style communication until we heard that a relaunch was forth-coming with the introduction of Rev. A networks. Other than the picture here, it's pretty much WYSIWYG, so if anyone would like to share the details, please drop us a line. [Thanks, anonymous tipster]
Verizon and Novatel launching USB720 Rev A modem tomorrow
Again, Verizon isn't really all about the surprises today, with an inconspicuous Rev A launch, and now the release of this USB720 Rev A modem from Novatel more or less right on target, but there ain't nothing wrong with that. Sure, they're playing catch-up to Sprint on this front as well, but everybody's gotta start somewhere, and Verizon has picked tomorrow to start handing out these USB modem dongles. And by "handing out" we of course mean charging $150 to people who sign up for a new two-year customer agreement, and $200 to the one-year types. Plus you'll need to pick up an unlimited data plan for all those gigabytes you'll be pulling, which will run you $60 a month on top of an existing $40 voice plan, or $80 a month all by its lonesome. Not cheap by a long shot, but just think of all those neat things Verizon wants you to do with that bandwidth, like blaze through torrents, make p2p Skype calls, share your connection with friends and email your mom! The modem will be available immediately on line and in B2B channels, to be followed by a retail launch on the 20th.
Verizon launches EV-DO Rev A network
It wasn't much of a secret, we saw last week that Verizon's USB720 EV-DO Rev A dongle was slated for a February 1st release, and it makes sense that Verizon would be launching a network to feed the fat wireless pipes to it on the same day, but all the same we're quite relieved to hear Verizon Wireless is finally doing the Rev A thing all official-like -- after being all sneaksy about it up until now. The locations look to be the same ones we were rumoring earlier, at least for the most part: Massachusetts, including Boston and its suburbs; Richmond and Hampton Roads, Virginia; Chicago and its suburbs; Gary Indiana; Salt Lake City along with other cities in Utah; and Florida throughout Verizon's existing broadband network. There are already websites that have been tracking Verizon's subtle spread of Rev A across the country, and it seems like Verizon, while maybe not in a position to challenge the 66 million people currently covered by Sprint's Rev A network, wanted to wait until it got dang close to launch. Verizon expects your connection speeds -- for those of you lucky enough to live in Florida or one of the other metro areas -- to be about six times faster, with average download speeds of 450-800kbs, and upload speeds of 300-400kbps. The word on the street is that that download speed estimate is a tad conservative, while the upload speed mark is fairly optimistic, but we're sure you get the idea.[Via Mobiledia]
Verizon's USB720 EV-DO Rev A dongle plays catch-up to Sprint
Sprint's been pushing its Novatel U720 Rev A USB modem for a couple months now, but we suppose it's not too terribly late for Verizon to join in with its own rebadged unit, the USB720. Not a lot of surprises here, the two units are fairly identical, straight down to the USB y-cable to boost reception. Verizon does win some points for including Mac support out of the box, whereas Sprint just got that a couple of weeks ago, but the $130 post-rebate pricetag (Sprint's U720 goes for $50 after rebate) isn't helping the USB720 out, especially considering those hefty Verizon data rates. Of course, none of this is official yet -- we're going off of what look to be leaked internal documents -- so perhaps Verizon will loosen up a bit on the pricetag before it starts selling these for reals. Purported launch dates are February 1st for B2B, and February 15th for retail.
UTStarcom to release PC5750 for Verizon
Verizon sure has tricks up its sleeves, especially when it comes to the Rev A network that it's been holding back from us. The Network is getting all its ducks in a row to have the UTS PC5750 release in February with the device priced at $269.99 full retail, $199.99 on a one year and $149.99 on a two year indentured contract. The device is a Type II PC Card (no luck if you need an ExpressCard) and UTS has increased the memory capacity of the device to 64MB Flash / 32MB RAM, making it the most well-endowed UTStarcom data card to date. [Thanks, HTC Kid]
Sprint / Sierra Wireless extends EV-DO Rev. A support to Mac users
While the Wintel crowd has been enjoying that Rev. A speediness for some time now (in certain locales, at least), the Mac faithful have been fairly well shut out up until now. Thanks to Sprint and Sierra Wireless, all that changes today, as the Seirra AirCard 595 PC Card now works in OS X 10.4 or later. The free Watcher Lite 1.0 software is currently available from Sierra's website, but before you go dashing out to pick up a card, you will still need a Windows-based machine to activate the device or have it pre-activated before heading into your Mac. Furthermore, don't plan on utilizing that ExpressCard slot either, as the only supported card thus far rocks a PCMCIA interface. Nah, Macworld hasn't hit full swing just yet, but this news is a real fine way to get things rolling.
Verizon's LG VX9400 caught in the wild
There has been countless hype built around Verizon Wireless' much anticipated Rev. A network, the handsets that will be available, and the services that will go along with it; and quite frankly, we're eager to get our hands on it than most. Thanks to an anonymous tipster, we get a quick glimpse of what is the LG VX9400. Yes, it's the same one that appeared on the FCC's website a few months back and that's gonna support their Mobile TV service. With a device this interesting, we're sure there will be more details shortly.[Thanks, Mike] Watch
Verizon Wireless to launch Mobile TV soon?
With rumors flying like hotcakes about Verizon Wireless, their much anticipated Rev. A network's launch date, and MediaFLO, we thought it would only be fair to add more fuel to the fire. According to a post from Howard Forums, it shows the big V planning on releasing Mobile TV on January 30th in correspondence with a flurry of hints given by Qualcomm regarding their release of MediaFLO. Our guess is that in the coming weeks before and during CES you'll see announcements regarding handset availability and channel lineups. [Thanks, TheStone41]
Verizon's EV-DO Rev. A network launches Friday?
Sprint may have beaten big ol' Red this time around, but Verizon's not about to let a little friendly rivalry get them down. Rumor has it that the nation's largest CDMA carrier begins rolling out its EV-DO Revision A network this Friday, starting with ten cities (Sacramento and Salt Lake City among them) and a little data card we like to call the Sierra Wireless AirCard 595. Like Sprint's Rev. A launch, Verizon customers lucky enough to get their hands on the requisite equipment should see a substantial improvement in upstream speeds (we're guessing 300-400kbps) with a more incremental boost in the opposite direction. Pricing for the AirCard 595 should start at $150 on a two year agreement, topping out at $270 commitment-free.[Thanks, htckid]Update: GigaOM now reports a Verizon official as stating that it already has a handful of markets running EV-DO Revision A as is, and while they intend to launch a Rev. A-capable card in the near future (almost certainly the previously mentioned AirCard 595), it will not be announcing the launch of the network in an official capacity until it takes a significant number of additional markets live. Of course, official announcement or no, customers might be able to take advantage of some turbocharged wireless data in the near term just as soon as that AirCard starts shipping.
Novatel's U720 Rev A USB modem gets official for Sprint
It's all good that Sprint's Rev A network is starting to light up, but what good are hundreds of glorious downstream kilobits per second without the requisite hardware to match? Don't get us wrong -- PC Cards are all good, but we all know that a certain segment of the populace requires something a little... shall we say, different. Mercifully, Sprint has also officially announced the U720 USB modem from Novatel Wireless today that we saw breeze through the FCC not long ago. The device offers the same hot Rev A speeds as its larger, flatter stablemates, but plugs into any ol' USB port if you're willing to part with $250 (or $50 on a two year contract after rebates) starting in early November.
Sprint launches first EV-DO Rev. A network
Sticking to its word, Sprint has lit up its first EV-DO Revision A mobile broadband network today, covering San Diego to start with 20 additional markets set to launch before year's end. The upgraded Sprint Power Vision network boosts real-life upload speeds to the 300-400 kbps level, kicking the current 50-70 kbps transfer rates back to 1995 where they belong. Observed download speeds also get a shot in the arm, albeit a more modest jump to 450–800 kbps, up from 400-700 kbps. While San Diegans get all the bragging rights for the time being, folks in New York, Los Angeles, Washington, D.C., and seventeen other markets can rest easy knowing that they'll be able to bask in some Rev. A goodness by the end of the year -- check the link below for the complete list. And if you're not on that list, Sprint says it should have its network completely upgraded by the third quarter of 2007.
Novatel breaking out their Rev A EV-DO products in Q3 '06
Good news for EV-DO junkies out there looking for a USB and/or Rev A fix: Novatel's lineup of Rev A products are now official, and are coming to an OEM or carrier near you this fall (we're thinking Sprint would be a fairly safe guess under the "carrier" category). The lineup includes that MCD3000 USB modem we saw hit the FCC the other day as the U720, which is apparently "about the size of a small cell phone," the Merlin M720 PC card -- which is already out for Sprint as the S720 -- and the Expedite E720 PCI Express Mini card. The latter is for laptop manufacturers to pop into their own products, so we probably won't see a retail release, and an ExpressCard version is notably absent. The good news is that all three of these pack EV-DO Rev A for 3.1Mbps speeds, along with the traditional GPS support, Rev 0 and CDMA compatibilities. According to Novatel, they're "currently ramping shipments at major carrier or OEM customers," and like we said, those S720 cards are already out, so these really should be right around the corner.[Via Laptoping]
Sprint adds two cards to Rev. A stable
Before we get you too excited, fair warning: there's not an ExpressCard to be found in the bunch. Instead, Sprint's decided to add another two PC Cards to the previously launched Novatel S720, giving them a grand total of three EV-DO Revision A-compliant data cards ahead of their network rollout -- it's just a shame all three devices fit in the same kind of slot. At any rate, we were always told not to look a gift horse in the mouth, so we're going to put a sock in it and thank Sprint for giving us options: first up is the value of the bunch, Pantech's PX-500, which'll clock in for a nice, round $0 on two-year contract. Next, the AirCard 595 from Sierra Wireless will match the S720's pricing, going out the door for $100 after signing on the dotted line. Expect both cards to drop before the end of the year, but until someone can show that the Pantech is demonstrably worse than its stablemates, we're really liking the sound of "free."
Sierra Wireless announces AirCard 597E EV-DO Rev. A ExpressCard
Wouldn't you know it, we just pick our damn selves up a Verizon V640 EV-DO ExpressCard device and Sierra goes and announces the next gen Rev. A version we are gonna just have to plunk down for. Unfortunately Sierra didn't release a photo of their AirCard 597E (so what else is new -- pictured is their current AirCard 595), but there's not a whole lot to be seen; it's all in the specs. The interesting thing will be the ExpressCard34-to-PCMCIA adapter that should come bundled with the device, but we're less worried about how to get it into our boxes and more concerned with getting that full 3.1Mbps / 1.8Mbps of throughput while we're out and about.[Via Slashgear]
Sierra Wireless to offer HSDPA, EV-DO Rev A via USB
Not a day's passed after we caught word of Sprint's launch of Novatel's S720 PC Card do we hear that Sierra Wireless has a proverbial one-two punch of WWAN modems up its sleeve, this time of the USB variety. First up in Q4 of this year will be the 595U, an EV-DO Revision A device topping out at a purely-theoretical 3.1Mbps downstream, followed by the quad-band GSM, tri-band HSDPA 875U humming along at 3.6Mbps in Q1 2007. Both USB modems look to be coming in sleek little packages with internal antennas and matching cradles, support location-based services, and have upgradeable firmware. If these things really look as slick as the press shots make them out to be, we may not be whining for a Rev A ExpressCard after all -- if the ship dates hold up, that is.[Via Macworld]
Sprint first US carrier with EV-DO Rev A hardware
Their EV-DO Revision A network might not be ready for prime time until Q4 at the earliest, but no one can fault Sprint for not having modems in the pipeline when they do eventually flip the switch. The just-launched S720 from Novatel Wireless offers glorious downstream speeds of up to 850Kbps in a PC Card form factor -- sad news for MacBook Pro users needing an ExpressCard, but we have to believe Sprint will have you guys covered before too terribly long. Look for the S720 at your friendly local Sprint retailer for $99.99 on a 2-year contract, though without much live Rev A infrastructure, there's no rush to upgrade from your trusty Rev 0 equipment just yet.[Via phoneArena]
