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Alcatel-Lucent deploys UMTS 900; world's handset makers cry uncle
We're still bellyaching over T-Mobile's unfortunate (but necessary) addition of 1700MHz to the world's WCDMA spectrum, but it seems four bands of UMTS -- 850, 1700, 1900, and 2100MHz -- wasn't enough to satisfy everyone's needs. Or the Isle of Man's, at least. The British territory is the first landmass in the world to get a trial UMTS / WCDMA deployment on the 900MHz band, thanks to Alcatel-Lucent and O2's Manx Telecom. Though there's already a 2100MHz 3G network alive and well in those parts, the companies are touting 900's advantages -- chiefly its increased building penetration and enhanced range, letting carriers get 3G to more places with fewer cells. Though the trial has run for a full six months, there appear to be no plans to make it live and accessible to customers at the moment; that's probably just as well, seeing how there's no retail equipment to take advantage.
Nokia E90 with American 3G? Not looking good
So we've been sitting on this whole E90 controversy for a few days here, trying to separate the wheat from the chaff. Fact is, a part of us is hoping that we can will an HSDPA 850 / 1700 / 1900-sporting Nokia E90 into existence, but we shouldn't have to; the need for firms like Nokia and Sony Ericsson to wake up and spend the extra few bucks to shove global 3G radios into every last one of their phones is painfully obvious. Anyway, numerous readers have pointed out that the document in the E90's FCC filing referencing WCDMA on the 850, 1700, and 1900MHz bands is merely pointing out (for no good reason, may we add) the FCC's own radiation limits on those bands, and is probably not indicative of what bands are present within any particular device. We personally wouldn't think the FCC needs to be reminded of those limits in a test report, but perhaps we'll let the technicians be technicians here and we'll stick to our writin' gig. If y'all hear any good news about Nokia coming to its senses on this one, please be pals and pass on the good news -- but in the meantime, we'll go back to our 3G bellyaching.[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Nokia E90 hits FCC with lots of 3G bands -- destination T-Mobile?
Wait up just a second, let us get this straight: after years of teasing Americans with 3G smartphone after sweet 3G smartphone -- none of which packed even a lick of compatibility on US bands -- Nokia's going to rock its newest undisputed king of the hill, the E90, with every band we could possibly hope for? Of course, we don't want to count our chickens 'fore they're hatched lest we get fooled again, but the presence of Nokia's latest QWERTY-based Communicator device in the FCC's trusted hands sporting WCDMA on the 850, 1700, and 1900MHz bands is a very promising sign, indeed. As a refresher, T-Mobile will be launching its WCDMA network this year -- the last of the four national carriers to go 3G -- on the freshly-minted 1700MHz band, leaving future users without much of a handset selection from which to choose (as in, zero devices so far and few on the roadmap). But hey, with phones like this seemingly sitting in T-Mobile's pipeline, that's just fine by us.
3G iPhone on track for early '08?
It seems that a common theme in dialogue regarding the iPhone has become, "I'll wait for version 2, thank you very much." The sentiment makes sense in some ways; after all, the first-gen model lacks key goodness (3G radio, open platform, removeable battery), not to mention the fact that companies frequently fail to get the first version of anything perfectly spot-on. Problem with waiting for version 2, of course, is that whole "waiting" part -- but it maybe be a bit more painless than anyone had thought. AppleInsider is reporting that a Swedish carrier is reassuring a large client that the first 3G iPhone will be on shelves as soon as January of next year, silencing one of the largest criticisms -- EDGE data -- of the June '07 model. That said, there's no guarantee the 3G version will hop the Atlantic (or any other body of water, for that matter) in the same time frame; Apple might instead choose to starve North America of UMTS handsets the same way many manufacturers have. Furthermore, the model might be identical to its 2.5G equivalent in every other respect, leaving the battery and platform issues unaddressed. Still, the purely theoretical thought of over-the-air iTunes clipping along at HSDPA speeds is a tantalizing one, is it not?
Ericsson offers home GSM with WiFi access point
Ericsson (yes, sans Sony) unveiled what it calls the Femto Cell Solution this weekend, a wireless access point for the home that broadcasts GSM, WCDMA, and WiFi wireless standards. Yes, you read that correctly: a wireless access point with GSM, designed for the home. By routing voice calls over a broadband internet connection to a backend VoIP system, the Femto can both boost cellphone signals for use in the home, and provide an easy way of letting network operators offer services tuned to the needs of customers that have abandoned their phone lines (hopefully meaning cheaper bundles.) Once it's all setup, cellphone users should simply have to walk within range to take advantage of the better signal emanating from the "world's smallest GSM radio base station." The only downside that we can see to all this is the potential for more health scares, seeing as this combines two of the wireless standards that have drawn the most publicity in this area (no matter how illogical some of it seems.) Still, if you can bear the thought of introducing yet another radio transmitter to your humble abode, then look for the Femto through select network operators around the middle of this year. Remember, you can always rely on your old friend, Mr. Tin Foil.
Samsung outdoes itself with Ultra Smart F700
Eek! Must restore... cardiac function... ahh, there we go. Samsung's Ultra Editions seem to get classier, glossier, and more far-fetched with every subsequent iteration -- and if they haven't already jumped the shark, they have now with the rather breathtaking Ultra Smart F700. The candybar with a slide-out QWERTY 'board makes do with 7.2Mbps (yes, we said "seven point two") HSDPA plus EDGE for those occasions when 3G towers are out of reach, a 2.78 inch touchscreen sporting no fewer than 440 x 240 pixels, microSD expansion, full HTML browsing, Bluetooth, and a whopping 5 megapixels of snapping power on the backside. Per protocol, America is left squarely out of the equation with GSM 850 and WCDMA 850 / 1900 all coming up missing, but at least folks in the greater Barcelona area should get a shot at it next week when it bows all official-like at 3GSM.%Gallery-1519%
3G Motorola KRZR in the flesh?
Moto sorta got the GSM variant of its KRZR -- the K1 -- off on a bad foot by failing to imbue it with the same manner of broadband data enjoyed by its K1m CDMA sibling. Of course, given everything we know about Motorola, the milking of the KRZR platform has only just begun, and the KRZR-like handset getting shown around over at MotoX Forum certainly seems to exhibit all the telltale signs of a re-upped K1. Details are virtually non-existent, but the presence of a front-facing cam on the lower right of the screen speaks volumes about the internals (read: UMTS). So Motorola, Cingular, if you folks are out there: we implore you to have a look-see at bringing this one stateside, y'hear?[Thanks, Ishay]
Cingular to demo video calls at CES
It's been a long time in coming -- and even its latest upcoming equipment doesn't seem to support it -- but Cingular (or should we say AT&T?) wants everyone to know that video calling is still very much on its agenda. Demos of the feature, made possible by WCDMA's capability to rock voice and data simultaneously, will be taking place at AT&T's CES booth next week. We don't know the full lineup of handsets Cingular will be using for the exhibition or whether said equipment will make it into Cingular's lineup down the road, but one device we know will be shown is the LG CU500v, a video call-capable update to the venerable CU500. Yeah, that's right -- that six month old, HSDPA capable CU500 is obsolete. Some of us haven't even worn the new phone smell off our 8525s and BlackJacks yet, but we doubt they're updatable; no front-facing cam, after all.
Ericsson gives HSDPA a Latin flair
HSDPA rollouts seem to be progressing at a solid clip across Europe, Asia, and North America -- and before too long, we might be able to add Latin America to that list. Ericsson takes the honors for providing the infrastructure to light up the continent's first HSDPA network, which will find its home with Chile's ENTEL PCS. Technically, Ericsson is calling the network simply "HSPA," a generalization of HSDPA / HSUPA that leaves open the possibility of going big with upstream speeds down the road. For now, Ericsson is speaking in theoretical terms, saying only that it'll go "up to 14.4Mbps" down to the handsets, but a more realistic goal in the near term is the several hundred kilobits to a couple megabits per second most carriers around the world are currently providing. ¡Viva WCDMA![Thanks, Daydalaus]
SK Telecom gets with European operators for 3G roaming
Roaming agreements for the world's WCDMA networks aren't nearly as comprehensive as they are for their 2G / 2.5G equivalents, occasionally leaving 3G customers in the lurch when traveling abroad (we're having difficulty working up any tears here, but we're doing our best; please pardon our bitterness). Case in point: handsets on SK Telecom's WCDMA network could not be used in many European countries, despite the fact that Europe is flush with the 3G goodness. That's about to change, thanks to a new agreement between SK, Vodafone, and Denmark's Hi3G that will allow the Korean carrier's handsets to be used in as many as 12 European countries' UMTS networks, including video calls. Yeah, video calls. Are those crickets we hear?
Huawei intros HSDPA USB modem
Huawei showed off what they're claiming is the world's smallest and fastest HSDPA USB modem, the E220, at CommunicAsia in Singapore last week. We don't know how long that claim will stand but it is, in fact, quite small (3.5 inches long) and fast (3.6 Mbps) -- and, while Huawei seems to mostly be playing up the HSDPA support, it also packs EDGE and GPRS compatibility, plus a nifty mini USB connector. No word on pricing or availability, as far as well can tell -- not that we're ever likely to actually get our hands on one anyway.
Qualcomm suit kindly asks Nokia to halt US GSM sales
Prior to the BlackBerry / NTP proceedings, we wouldn't have taken these sensational lawsuits very seriously, but it looks like Qualcomm has every intention of getting Nokia to take notice in their ongoing patent dispute. We recently reported that Qualcomm had asked for a halt to sales of Nokia's GSM models in Great Britain; now they're doing the same in the US, filing a lawsuit with the US International Trade Commission to that effect. The suit covers six CDMA patents in total that affect GSM, GPRS, and EDGE; we're guessing that number includes the two patents named in the UK lawsuit, which Nokia claims are covered under a licensing agreement currently in effect between the companies. Meanwhile, a veritable who's-who of the wireless world -- Nokia, Ericsson, TI and others -- are ganging up on Qualcomm in Europe, alleging unfair licensing practices on its WCDMA property. Normally we'd expect a quagmire like this to be tied up in the world's legal systems for years, but the pressure might be on to resolve this one with all haste as Nokia's licensing agreement with Qualcomm expires early next year anyway.
HTC Hermes becomes "XDA trion" for O2 Germany
It appears that one of the year's more hotly-anticipated Windows Mobile devices is getting ready to roll on O2 -- in Deutschland, that is. We've already seen the HTC Hermes all dolled up in O2 livery, and now it's gone live on O2 Germany's website as the "O2 XDA trion." While the T-Mobile variant's Samsung processor brings 300MHz to the table, O2 seems to be feeding the hungry masses with a bonus 100MHz and a pair of extra buttons around the d-pad, both welcome additions. The device takes 3G baby steps for now by launching with UMTS, but an upgrade to HSDPA is promised. Expected to drop sometime in July. [Via the::unwired]
SK Telecom launches HSDPA network with new Samsung SCH-W200
South Korean consumers looking for some serious mobile bandwidth need not wait until June to pick up one of LG's SH100 handsets that we brought you earlier today, because SK Telecom has just announced that their HSDPA network is live in 25 cities as of today, and that a new model from Samsung is available for the rollout. Besides 2G, 3G, and 3.5G data support, the new Samsung SCH-W200 -- which is the first of five impending HSDPA phones, including the SH100, that will available by year's end -- offers both a two megapixel as well as a VGA camera, S-DMB TV capabilities, MP3/AAC playback, text-to-speech, and perhaps most importantly with all these features, multitasking. Although theoretically capable of 12Mbps downstream traffic, SKT's HSDPA network will currently only deliver a relatively pokey 1.8Mbps to the W200 -- with 3.6Mbps promised for later this year -- but claims to be the only WCDMA network in the world to offer guaranteed video conferencing performance through circuit, and not packet, switching. Read- HSDPA rollout Read- HSDPA speeds (subscription required)Read- Samsung SCH-W200
Nokia (finally) gets E61 out the door
A whole six months after Nokia announced their E61 QWERTY S60 smartphone to the world, they're finally "shipping" the phone, and say it is gradually becoming available across the globe. No word on when exactly we'll get to hunker down with a retail version of the device in the US, but Nokia did mention that the E70 will follow later this month. We're sure you've heard plenty of the WCDMA 3G data, WiFi, QVGA screen, and miniSD this device includes, but it sounds so much sweeter with the knowledge that the phone is on its way... to somebody.
LG's CU500 3G clam with quad-band GSM/EDGE and HSDPA
HowardForums has some pics of that new slim LG CU500 clamshell coming to Cingular. This dual-mode phone is said to go quad-band GSM/EDGE, support WCDMA 850/1900 (and possibly 2100 making this a global 3G phone), and will operate on Cingular's HSDPA (1.8Mbps) network. What's more, that swiveling 1.3 megapixel cam eliminates the need for that second, bulky cam found on many 3G phones. It supports MicroSD expansion, looks crazy-thin for all the features it packs, and according to HoFo peeps, throws down an internal 2-inch, QCIF TFT LCD to view content on Cingular's Video service. Apparently, the CU500 is already FCC approved meaning it could drop anytime. More pics after the break. [Via PhoneArena]
