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AT&T's Ralph de la Vega: LTE phones to be leaner, retain charge longer
Could this turn out to be a wireless case of the tortoise and the hare? According to Ralph de la Vega, that answer is a resounding yes. In his keynote address at CTIA, the AT&T Mobility CEO announced plans to bring a line of thinner, less power-intensive smartphones to its recently launched, true 4G network. How's that possible? Utilizing a technology described as "circuit switch fallback," phones running on the operator's network will make use of a single radio to ride along the LTE waves, and default to a "circuit switch-based 3G" signal when out of range. If these claims pan out, it'd give the slow-to-market, second place operator a leg up on industry rivals Verizon and Sprint, which incorporate separately powered 3G / 4G radios in their next-gen handsets. We'll know whether or not to call de la Vega's bluff later this year when the first batch of LTE phones are destined for consumer release. Until then, it's just executive grandstanding at its best. Handsets or it didn't happen, Ralph.
More sweet chocolate from LG: the "Black Label II"
LG just unveiled the next generation of its popular "Chocolate" phone at the recent Expo Comm Wireless Korea 2006, and it seems to maintain the same features and minimalist elegance as its predecessor in a slightly thicker package (16.5-millimeters versus the original's 15.3). Also called the "Black Label II" or by its model number, KV6000, this handset is primarily targeted at the fashion-conscious crowd who also want to snap a pic or rock out to tunes once in awhile, letting them load the 512MB of memory with up to 120 MP3 tracks. Starting price for this newest bit of Chocolate is around $530, but it will probably only be seen on the streets of Seoul for the time being.Update: You guys are the best. Reader Jay saw this post and directed to us a slew of great BLII pics at Korean site Cetizen, including one which shows that the camera is a very respectable 1.3 megapixels. Keep reading for a few more shots...
