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
Google officially announced via Twitter that its Wallet service is now available for the Sprint variations of the Galaxy S 4 and HTC One smartphones, as well as the Sprint and U.S. Cellular variations of the Galaxy Note II smartphone as well. This means that all owners of those phones will need to do is simply visit the Play Store and grab the latest update in order to get in on the awesome payment action. Naturally, it would be nice for more devices to take advantage of the great service, but at least Sprint as usual, is ensuring its customers can take advantage of the awesome service.
Hit the link below to grab the latest update.
A new filing with the Bluetooth Special Interest Group for a new LG device may point the way to the successor to the LG Optimus G. The new device carries the model name LS980, which seems to be consistent with LG devices headed for the Sprint network. Some digging on the Sprint site yielded a build.prop info page for the LS980 indicating the device will run Android 4.2.2 and has a Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 MSM8974 chipset. The Snapdragon 800 is not scheduled to be available until later this year, so the release of this device may be timed to hit the holiday shopping season.
The Sprint page also reveals the LS980 will have a 1920×1080 screen, so it will likely be capable of displaying full 1080p HD video. The device will have 2GB of RAM and carries 32GB of onboard memory. However, it does not look like it will support an external microSD card for additional memory. A rear-facing camera is listed at 13MP and capable of recording full 1080p HD video. All of these specs are consistent with earlier information discovered in some AnTuTu benchmark scores for a new LG device.
source: Bluetooth SIG, Sprint
via: Android Police
Well I guess Samsung didn’t have all their ducks in a row like they thought they did. Back in March, analysts were concerned that Samsung could have production issues that would cause a loss of sales during the first month after launch. Last year’s issue with the Galaxy S III was from a defect, but we are not sure what is going on this year. It seems to be delayed all over and now it appears that customers who pre-ordered the Sprint version at Best Buy are going to have to wait another 2 to 3 weeks. Below is an email sent to customers:
Kantar released their U.S. smartphone market share numbers for the 1st quarter 2013, and other than Android’s continued domination, there was some interesting news regarding carriers. It’s no surprise that the majority of smartphones are either on Verizon or AT&T. Verizon’s share is at 37.2%, while AT&T was at 27.9%. That’s a combined total of 65.1%. Sprint came in third at 12.3%, but the biggest news is T-Mobile’s decline of 3.2% down to 9.5%. In fact, T-Mobile was the only carrier to show a decline.
T-Mobile recently launched their UnCarrier plans that probably won’t change things for them since it doesn’t deliver what they are promising. The prices themselves are fine for those that bring their own phone, but the promise of buying phones off contract is simply not true. All they did was spread out the payments of the full retail price which you are obligated to pay, and is just another form of the traditional subsidized contracts that Verizon, AT&T, and Sprint offer.
source: Kantar
Sprint and AT&T customers can now get their hands on the “Next Big Thing”, i.e. the Samsung Galaxy S 4. Sprint Customers can pick one up for $249.99 with an eligible upgrade, and if you are a new customer willing to bring your number to Sprint, then you too can grab it for $149.99. If you just want to pony up $599.99 you can own the phone outright without a two year contract. The website does say in-store availability is limited, so I would take that as a hint to buy online for a better chance at getting one.
Current AT&T customers and prospective customers can pick up the phone for $199 with a two year contract, or $639.99 off contract. Both offer the Samsung Galaxy S 4 in Black Mist and White Frost. For those of you thinking about grabbing the Samsung Galaxy S 4, we have guides to help you get setup.
It looks like AT&T isn’t going to be the only one to have the smooth HTC One smartphone in sexy black clothing. Sprint went ahead and listed that variant of the flagship device on its website as available for purchase now. The little puppy will run potential customers $550 outright— or there of course the option of taking advantage of additional savings which would bring the total cost to a hair under 100 bucks. There’s no exact word on how long it will take the black One to ship to customers’ front doors, but we’d imagine lucky recipients would receive them soon… very soon.
Hit the source link to check out the black version for yourself. Or if black doesn’t tickle your fancy, you can always grab the original silver version for the same price too.
source: Sprint HTC One Black | Silver
Well, looks like HTC isn’t the only one who is going to experience supply problems with their flagship device this year. According to some emails sent out this morning, Sprint will not carry the Galaxy S 4 in retail stores this Saturday like originally planned, due to “unexpected inventory challenges from Samsung.” The silver lining is that Sprint still expects to offer the device via online orders and phone sales, but if you were planning on waiting outside your local Sprint store when it opens, you’re out of luck.
And when it rains, it pours, of course, as T-Mobile has said they’ll have to push back their online availability of the device as well. Online availability is expected Monday, April 29th, with select stores to receive the handsets on May 8th and full retail availability by May 15th. Even with all of these delays, Sprint and T-Mobile will still likely have the S 4 on shelves before Verizon, though.
Well that didn’t take long at all. If you’re looking for a very simple and quick way to unlock and root your AT&T or Sprint HTC One, you can do it now thanks to hasoon2000 over at XDA. He already posted a toolkit for the international version a month ago, so this is very similar. This desktop application will install HTC Drivers, unlock the bootloader, and flash your own recovery. You want to make sure you grab the correct download that matches the carrier version of your phone so hit the appropriate source link below for instructions.
sources: XDA - Sprint version / XDA - AT&T version / XDA – International version
Sprint announced today the availability of 4G LTE service in 21 more markets. Some of the locations that Sprint highlights in their announcement include Los Angeles, Charlotte and Memphis. Sprint indicates they are offering a $100 discount through May 9th for new customers switching their number to Sprint when buying a new smartphone on a two-year agreement and a qualifying plan. It does not appear that the special offer is limited to the areas where the new 4G LTE service is now available. The new, official locations with 4G LTE service include: » Read the rest