Sprint has recently announced three mobile broadband devices for those now in the vicinity of Sprint’s ongoing LTE rollout. The three devices include Novatel’s MiFi 500 LTE, the Netgear Zing Mobile Hotspot, and 341U USB dongle— they are expected to be available by the summer. Sprint also hinted at tri-band LTE phones from Samsung and LG to follow. Hit the break for the full press release. » Read the rest
NVIDIA has really stepped up and made some great innovations for Android as a whole, and they’re not showing any signs of slowing down. The latest from the graphics chip maker is a demo of their Tegra 4i, which is the version of the Tegra 4 designed to be run in smartphones, complete with LTE modem. When the chip was first debuted, it was capable of reaching 100 mbps download speeds, which is considered CAT 3 speeds. (Most ethernet cables you probably use in your homes are CAT 5 cables, for reference)
Well, fast forward a few months, and NVIDIA has introduced a software update for the 4i that bumps up the down speeds of the modem to reach 150 mbps, which is considered CAT 4. The impressive thing here is that no new hardware was introduced; NVIDIA software-defined radio tech is running the show here. So not only can this processor’s modem reach speeds higher than what’s even available in the world today, but it can be made faster through software tweaks instead of adding hardware and is only 40% of the size of other LTE modems in use today. Watch out, Qualcomm.
source: NVIDIA Blogs
LG has been releasing devices for a while now that have generated a decent amount of buzz, and it looks like the LS720 Optimus F3 is going to be added to that list. This phone will be a budget-friendly LTE handset, with a 4-inch WVGA screen and a dual-core processor. It will ship with Android Jelly Bean 4.1.2 and a strong 2,460mAh battery. Expect the phone to hit the shelves within the next few weeks, priced aggressively on contract.
Source: Phone Arena
In an effort to keep its devices up-to-date and current, it appears that T-Mobile has a few new bad boys the way for its customers. First off the bat, the gang at TmoNews got some information on the imminent Galaxy S III LTE variant that is on the way. According to the leak, T-Mo plans on updating its Galaxy S III supplies with the LTE variant and plans on unveiling the device to its customers on June 5th. Of course we new that this special version of the device was in the works for some time now, but hey— the release is better late than never, right? » Read the rest
Pre-paid carriers are getting more and more high-end phones every day, and StraightTalk is no different now that they offer the Samsung Galaxy S III. A user on HowardForums posted a photo of the Galaxy S III’s StraightTalk retail packaging, and as of now you can purchase it directly from StraighTalk’s website. The phone is unbranded and comes at the very reasonable price of $439.99. Aside from StraightTalk’s website, the S III should be available at Wal-Mart soon. » Read the rest
Just last week we let you guys know that AT&T was expanding LTE coverage in 9 regions and adding 17 new regions. It looks like AT&T is at it again, as they activated towers in the last few days, adding a total of 16 new markets. With the new market additions, they’re on pace with their plan to reach 250 million Americans with LTE coverage by the end of the year. They’re currently at 200 million. » Read the rest
AT&T is about to ramp up the competition to become the most widely-covered LTE network in the country. The company recently announced that it has added 17 new regions for LTE coverage and is expanding coverage in 9 regions. AT&T’s stated goal of having 300 million LTE points of presence by the end of the year is certainly getting closer to becoming very doable and its new coverage additions clearly help their case.
AT&T currently features 207 regions with their LTE coverage. The 17 added regions include: Cullman, AL, Decatur, AL, Huntsville, AL; Mountain Home, AR; Lake City, FL, Ocala, FL; Shreveport-Bossier City, LA; Lansing, MI; Biloxi-Gulfport, MS; Henderson, NC; Chattanooga, TN; Athens, TX, Corsicana, TX, Huntsville, TX, Lufkin-Nacogdoches, TX, Paris, TX; and Centralia, WA.
Could Google and LG be working on a 32GB Nexus 4 running Android 5.0, and sporting LTE and CDMA radios for Google I/O? According to SIDHTECH, this may well very be the case. They go on to speculate that a Nexus 5 at I/O is probably unlikely because the Nexus 4 was released last fall. However an updated Nexus 4 is more likely.
If this new rumor is true, this version of the Nexus 4 could work on Sprint and Verizon’s networks, it would have LTE , and more storage. I know a lot of readers were down on the Nexus 4 for a lack of some or all of these features. It also is reported to be launching with the Android 5.0, which is rumored to be called Key Lime Pie. Maybe this is Google’s and LG’s way of correcting a bad mistake in not offering these things from the beginning. If so, let’s hope they do a better job with the supply issue this time.
Source: SIDHTECH
Via: TechnoBuffalo
AT&T has rolled out LTE to 14 new markets which now marks a total of 175 markets with LTE coverage. Eight locations are in the south with Florida taking the top spot. Here they are:
Source: AT&T
While those of us in the U.S. will just get the Galaxy S 4 with a quad-core Snapdragon processor, other countries are fortunate enough to get the Exynos 5 Octa on-board. If you are able to get your hands on the S 4 or future Samsung device with an Octa processor, there is some good news when it comes to LTE support. According to the official Samsung Exynos Twitter page, the Exynos 5 Octa will support all 20 LTE bands allowing fast data speeds worldwide. As far as what modem it will be paired with and how many bands will be supported on a single device, Samsung has yet to release more information.