If you were looking to get your enormous hands on a Galaxy Note in the U.S. but have no interest in switching to AT&T’s network, you may be in luck. AT&T’s “phablet” was previously limited to EDGE speeds on T-Mobile’s network, making the device a much less appealing option. XDA-Developers forum members have managed to figure out a way to enable HSPA+ support for AWS bands, however. After performing a SIM unlock, a user can flash one of three radio files that will allow the phone to access T-Mobile’s network with the proper SIM card. There are obvious risks involved, but T-Mobile subscribers in search of a supersized smartphone now have access to the king of the crop.

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China Mobile, the largest mobile carrier in the world, still does not have an agreement with Apple to sell the company’s iPhone its 655 million customers. Despite that, the company has announced that it has surpassed 15 million iPhone users on China Mobile’s network, Sina Tech reported on Monday. The carrier has added more than five million users since October, a rate of more than 35,000 users per day. Those customers can use text, voice and only 2G data, however China Mobile has built out a nationwide Wi-Fi network to make up for its 3G shortcomings. Apple’s exclusive deal with China Unicom is coming to an end as the nation’s third largest operator, China Telecom, will begin selling the iPhone 4S on Friday. Analysts at Morgan Stanley predicted earlier this year that if a deal with China Mobile were reached, the carrier could sell an additional 60 million devices by the end of 2013.

[Via TheNextWeb]

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Verizon, AT&T and any other LTE providers currently rely on 3G networks to carry voice phone calls. In the future, carriers hope to use voice-over-LTE (VoLTE) technology, and Qualcomm recently reached an important milestone on the road to making VoLTE a reality. Qualcomm announced on Thursday that the company had successfully completed the “first voice call handover from an LTE mobile network to a WCDMA network using Single Radio Voice Call Continuity (SRVCC).” The company, while working with Ericsson, used its own MSM8960 Snapdragon S4 chipset to power the test hardware, and the technology will be demonstrated live at this month’s Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. Read on for Qualcomm’s press release.

Qualcomm Chipset Powers First Successful VoIP-over-LTE Call with Single Radio Voice Call Continuity Successful Completion of a Voice Call Handover from LTE to WCDMA Network Marks Key Milestone in Development of VoLTE

SAN DIEGO – February 02, 2012 – Qualcomm Incorporated (NASDAQ: QCOM) today announced that the Company, working with Ericsson, has successfully completed the first voice call handover from an LTE mobile network to a WCDMA network using Single Radio Voice Call Continuity (SRVCC). An important technology required for voice-over-LTE (VoLTE) support, SRVCC is a 3GPP specified feature that enables continuity of service by seamlessly switching to a WCDMA network when a consumer on a VoLTE call leaves the LTE network’s coverage area. This milestone occurred on December 23, 2011 with an Ericsson network using a handset which incorporated Qualcomm’s Snapdragonâ„¢ S4 MSM8960 3G/LTE multimode processor. A demonstration will be available at Qualcomm’s booth at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain February 27 – March 1, 2012.

“As LTE networks are deployed alongside 3G networks, the ability for multimode 3G/LTE mobile devices to connect to different network technologies will be an important part of providing the best possible mobile voice and data experience to consumers,” said Cristiano Amon, senior vice president of product management, Qualcomm. “Qualcomm is committed to the successful deployment of LTE networks worldwide in conjunction with 3G networks, and the milestone we’ve achieved with Ericsson is another step towards making VoLTE technology a commercial reality.”

SRVCC is the next logical step in the 4G LTE voice roadmap following the commercial launch of circuit-switched fallback technology (CSFB) on smartphones in 2011. CSFB allows a single radio in the handset to dynamically switch from an LTE data connection to a 3G connection when the user needs to make or receive a call. Similarly, SRVCC support enables a single radio in the handset to execute a seamless handover of a voice call from an LTE network to a 3G network. Furthermore, SRVCC and CSFB allow both LTE and 3G network connections to be supported on a single chip, eliminating the need for smartphones to use separate LTE and 3G radios and modems. This allows OEMs to design handsets with lower power consumption and component costs and a smaller size. Given that 3G networks will continue to be deployed in conjunction with LTE networks for quite some time, SRVCC and CSFB are essential to provide a seamless voice experience to customers using LTE multimode handsets once VoLTE is commercially deployed. Qualcomm is committed to ensuring the best voice performance to users in LTE networks through industry-leading CSFB and SRVCC technologies.

If you use a non-T-Mobile network to connect your T-Mobile device to the Internet, you'll want to start looking into alternatives—like now. Documents leaked to TmoNews show the carrier will cap off-network connections after as little as 50MB of data come April. More »

If you use a non-T-Mobile network to connect your T-Mobile device to the Internet, you'll want to start looking into alternatives—like now. Documents leaked to TmoNews show the carrier will cap off-network connections after as little as 50MB of data come April. More »

Class action lawsuits have been filed against Samsung, HTC and Carrier IQ. Carrier IQ has been in the spotlight after a security expert revealed that its software is installed on millions of smartphones and may be spying on users. Sprint and AT&T have both admitted to using the application, and other carriers likely use similar services, but both carriers have denied taking advantage of the software’s ability to spy on customers. The class action lawsuits are seeking hundreds of millions of dollars on behalf of all U.S. residents, paidContent said Friday. Read on for more.

HTC, Samsung and Carrier IQ have been accused of violating the Federal Wiretap Act which “protects
 the
 privacy
 of
 wire,
 oral,
 and
 electronic
 communications” of all Americans. A St. Louis lawsuit against HTC states the following:

Plaintiff, Erin Janek owns an HTC Android phone using the Sprint network. At all relevant times Plaintiff used her phone to electronically send over her cell phone network various types of private data. This data was not readily accessible to the general public. She did not know that Defendants were surreptitiously monitoring and collecting this data, nor did she give them permission to do so.

HTC said in a recent statement that it is “not a customer or partner of Carrier IQ and does not receive data from the application, the company, or carriers that partner with Carrier IQ” but that a number of U.S. wireless carriers use the service. Carrier IQ has denied that it provides tracking tools and says its “software is designed to help mobile network providers diagnose critical issues that lead to problems such as dropped calls and battery drain.”

On Thursday, Senator Al Franken sent a formal letter to Carrier IQ forcing the company to answer 11 questions regarding its practices. Senator Franken gave Carrier IQ until December 14th to respond.

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Usage of Google’s mobile platform across the Millennial network doubled iOS in the third quarter according to new data just released by Millennial Media. After representing 54% of impressions served by the mobile ad network in August, Android finished strong to account for 56% of impressions in the September quarter. That figure doubled iOS in the No. 2 spot with 28% during the quarter, and it dwarfed RIM’s 13% share. Symbian accounted for just 1% of impressions and Microsoft’s Windows Mobile and Windows Phone platforms combined to also account for 1% of impressions. The iPad dominated tablets, having grown a whopping 456% between the third quarter in 2010 and this past quarter, and impressions across iOS grew 60% over the same period. Apple was the top manufacturer on Millennial’s network in the third quarter with a 23.09% share followed by Samsung (16.48%), HTC (15.5%), RIM (11.05%) and Motorola (10.7%). Apple’s iPhones were also the top handset line with a 12.55% share, more than double the No. 2 device line, LG’s Optimus phones, which accounted for 6.3% of impressions served. RIM’s BlackBerry Curve line was next with 4.7% followed by Motorola DROID phones with 4.35% and the HTC desire with 4.01%. Additional charts from Millennial’s third-quarter Mobile Mix report follow below.

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For the ninth consecutive month, Android topped the charts in Millennial Media’s “Mobile Mix” mobile device usage share report. Based on traffic to its mobile ad network, Millennial found that Android’s share of the mobile OS market slid in at 54% for the month of August, almost double the next closest platform. Apple’s iOS climbed to 28% in the No. 2 spot, followed by RIM’s BlackBerry OS at 13%. Android’s usage share was 61% and iOS held a 21% share in July, but the big swing in August is a bit misleading. Millennial’s August report combines smartphone and tablet traffic for the first time, so historical comparisons are rendered somewhat irrelevant. Apple remained the top manufacturer by usage in August with a 23.19% share, and HTC reclaimed its No. 2 position with 16.33%. Samsung held the No. 3 spot with 14.55%, Motorola followed with 11.37% and RIM slid into the No. 5 position with 11.06%. Additional charts from Millennial’s August report follow below.

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The Radar's arrival in this world was overshadowed by the massive Titan released on the same day. But if a batch of spy shots sent to TmoNews is to be believed, then this mid-specced 3.8-inch Windows Phone could be about to get some much needed 4G pep on T-Mobile's network. The photos also reveal plenty of magenta branding, Tango video calling and of course Mango running under the hood. Further corroboration probably won't come til we detect an HSPA+ Radar at the FCC, but with some decent 6/7Mbps real-world download speeds and hopefully some mobile hotspot action this could well be a device worth having.

4G variant of HTC's Radar spotted in the wild, flying a magenta flag originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 22 Sep 2011 06:03:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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If we're going to spend $599 on a phone for our phone, it needs to offer unparalleled audio quality, absolutely seamless device integration, and a drop-dead gorgeous design. Invoxia, a new entrant to the world of VoIP telephony, claims to have created just that, with its NVX 610. The desktop unit uses an iPhone (or iPod touch or iPad) app as its control interface -- the hardware itself includes only touch-sensitive volume, mute, speakerphone, and voicemail keys. With the exception of accessing your iOS device's address book, however, all of the phone's hardware is self-contained. Calls are processed using the built-in ARM Cortex-A8 processor, and can be made via Skype or any third-party SIP. You can also take incoming iPhone calls using the handset or speakerphone, but all outgoing calls are processed using VoIP, not your iPhone's mobile network. We took a peek at the NVX 610 at IFA, and definitely liked what we saw. Jump past the break for our initial impressions, and a (somewhat noisy) intro video from Invoxia CEO Serge Renouard.

Continue reading Invoxia NVX 610 desktop VoIP phone for iPhone and iPad hands-on (video)

Invoxia NVX 610 desktop VoIP phone for iPhone and iPad hands-on (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 01 Sep 2011 13:43:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Why is this phone staring at the ground in dismay? Because it can't believe that it's been 30 years since it made history. On this day three decades ago, this 14 kilogram beast was used to place the very first call on Australia's very first mobile network -- the Public Automatic Telephone System, operated by Telstra (or Telecom, as it was known at the time). Back then, the network could only support 1,000 users at once and provide coverage for the greater Melbourne area (things have since changed for the better). The device, meanwhile, was known simply as The Mobile Phone and, in retrospect, wasn't all that mobile; the carphone system included a 45 centimeter handset, a transceiver and rooftop antenna -- all for a little over $5,000. It could also store a whopping 16 phone numbers and would notify users of incoming calls by sounding the car's horn and flashing its headlights. The Mobile Phone's Australian reign, however, would be relatively short-lived, with the DynaTAC 8000x ushering in a new handheld era, just two years after Telstra's inaugural call. Dial past the break for a Wagnerian commercial that'll tell you everything you always wanted to know about antiquity, but were too afraid to ask.

[Thanks, Vincent]

Continue reading Australia's first mobile network celebrates 30th birthday with a quiet night in

Australia's first mobile network celebrates 30th birthday with a quiet night in originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 10 Aug 2011 07:11:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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T-Mobile announced on its Twitter account that it will offer the Samsung Sidekick 4G and T-Mobile G2 for free on its website tonight from 9:00 p.m. to 3:00 a.m. PST. Customers will need to sign up for a new two-year T-Mobile USA contract to take advantage of the deal and, presumably because T-Mobile sales reps didn’t feel like making it a late night, this is an online-only deal. If you’re looking for one of the best keyboards on an Android phone (Sidekick 4G), or a pure vanilla Android experience (G2), and access  to T-Mobile’s 4G network, this is a deal you’ll want to take advantage of.

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Via Twitter, T-Mobile has announced the addition of three cities to its 21Mbps, HSPA+ portfolio. Fort Myers, FL; Pueblo, CO and Wilkes Barre-Scranton, PA are the latest cities to be bestowed with the company’s high-speed data network. T-Mobile’s 21Mbps HSPA+ network is now available in 170 U.S. markets.

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Verizon Wireless on Tuesday announced the addition of 59 new markets that will be covered by the carrier’s 4G LTE service in 2011. These new regions are in addition to the 88 markets Verizon Wireless already announced, bringing the total number of projected markets that will receive LTE coverage from Verizon this year to 147. “Aggressively expanding this powerful network beyond major metro areas reflects the reality that the 4G LTE ecosystem is growing quickly, ” Verizon Wireless CTO David Small said in a statement. “Our commitment to reach deep into medium-sized cities and smaller communities by the end of 2011 means the power of 4G LTE can be harnessed and provide advanced services to law enforcement, healthcare workers, educators, and other professionals, as well as to individual consumers, sooner than many thought possible.” Verizon Wireless launched its first 4G LTE-enabled smartphone, the HTC ThunderBolt, last week, and the carrier currently offers a variety of LTE modems. Hit the break for the full press release.

VERIZON WIRELESS BRINGS 4G LTE TO MORE THAN 145 MARKETS BY THE END OF 2011

BASKING RIDGE, N.J. – Today, Verizon Wireless unveiled an additional 59 markets that will benefit from the world’s first large-scale 4G Long Term Evolution (LTE) network by the end of this year.  These newly named areas, added to the 39 initial markets launched in December 2010 and 49 markets announced at the Consumer Electronics Show in January, mean that consumers and businesses in at least 147 U.S. cities will have access to the fastest, most advanced 4G mobile network in America.

David Small, chief technical officer for Verizon Wireless, said, “Aggressively expanding this powerful network beyond major metro areas reflects the reality that the 4G LTE ecosystem is growing quickly.  Our commitment to reach deep into medium-sized cities and smaller communities by the end of 2011 means the power of 4G LTE can be harnessed and provide advanced services to law enforcement, healthcare workers, educators, and other professionals, as well as to individual consumers, sooner than many thought possible.  So whether you spend time in New York and San Francisco, or Harrisburg, Penn., Saginaw/Bay City, Mich., Huntsville, Ala. and Las Cruces, New Mexico, you can connect to the most advanced 4G network in the country.�

The HTC ThunderBolt™, launched Thursday, March 17, is the first in a suite of consumer-oriented smartphones, tablets, hotspots and notebooks that will run on Verizon Wireless’ 4G LTE network by the middle of this year.  The new consumer devices join two USB modems from Pantech and LG which have been providing laptop users with speeds up to 10 times faster than the company’s 3G network.  In real-world, fully-loaded network environments, 4G LTE users should experience average data rates of 5 to 12 megabits per second (Mbps) on the downlink and 2 to 5 Mbps on the uplink.

Verizon Wireless is building its 4G LTE network with the same commitment to performance and reliability for which it has long been recognized.  Verizon Wireless’ consistent focus on reliability is based on rigid engineering standards and a disciplined deployment approach year after year.  The company’s 700 MHz spectrum gives Verizon Wireless specific advantages with 4G, including a contiguous, nationwide network license.

Verizon Wireless is also working with rural communications companies to collaboratively build and operate a 4G network in those areas using the tower and backhaul assets of the rural company and Verizon Wireless’ core 4G LTE equipment and premium 700 MHz spectrum.  Already, six rural companies have signed on to leverage Verizon Wireless’ scale for infrastructure while keeping their customers on the cutting edge of technology.

Since 2007, when Verizon Wireless jump-started the global 4G LTE ecosystem with its selection of LTE for its 4G technology, the company has developed deep partnerships to spearhead a broad LTE ecosystem, including the LTE Innovation Center in Waltham, Mass., and an LTE Applications Center, slated to open in San Francisco this fall.

Verizon Wireless’ 4G LTE network already reaches 110 million people, more than one-third of all Americans, and is available today in the following metropolitan areas:

·                Phoenix, Ariz.

·                Los Angeles, Calif.

·                Oakland, Calif.

·                San Diego, Calif.

·                San Francisco, Calif.

·                San Jose, Calif.

·                Denver, Colo.

·                Washington, D.C.

·                Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.

·                Jacksonville, Fla.

·                Miami, Fla.

·                Orlando, Fla.

·                Tampa, Fla.

·                West Palm Beach, Fla.

·                Athens, Ga.

·                Atlanta, Ga.

·                Chicago, Ill.

·                West Lafayette, Ind.

·                New Orleans, La.

·                Baltimore, Md.

·                Boston, Mass.

·                Detroit, Mich.

·                Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minn.

·                St. Louis, Mo.

·                Las Vegas, Nev.

·                New York, N.Y.

·                Rochester, N.Y.

·                Charlotte, N.C.

·                Akron, Ohio

·                Cincinnati, Ohio

·                Cleveland, Ohio

·                Columbus, Ohio

·                Oklahoma City, Okla.

·                Philadelphia, Pa.

·                Pittsburgh, Pa.

·                Nashville, Tenn.

·                Dallas-Ft. Worth, Texas

·                Houston, Texas

·                San Antonio, Texas

·                Seattle/Tacoma, Wash.

Additional areas to be covered by Verizon Wireless’ 4G LTE network in 2011 include:

·                Decatur, Ala.

·                Huntsville, Ala.*

·                Mobile, Ala.*

·                Montgomery, Ala.*

·                Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, Ark.

·                Fort Smith, Ark.

·                Little Rock, Ark.*

·                Tucson, Ariz.

·                Bakersfield, Calif.

·                Fresno, Calif.

·                Modesto, Calif.

·                Sacramento, Calif.

·                Salinas-Monterey, Calif.

·                San Luis Obispo, Calif.

·                Santa Barbara, Calif.

·                Stockton, Calif.

·                Colorado Springs, Colo.*

·                Fort Collins, Colo.

·                Fairfield, Conn.

·                Hartford, Conn.

·                New Haven, Conn.

·                Daytona Beach, Fla.

·                Fort Myers, Fla.

·                Gainesville, Fla.*

·                Lakeland-Winter Haven, Fla.*

·                Pensacola, Fla.*

·                Sarasota-Bradenton, Fla.*

·                Tallahassee, Fla.*

·                Augusta, Ga.*

·                Hilo, Hawaii

·                Honolulu, Hawaii*

·                Kahului-Wailuku, Hawaii*

·                Lahaina, Hawaii*

·                Davenport, Iowa

·                Iowa City, Iowa

·                Boise-Nampa, Idaho*

·                Bloomington/Normal, Ill.

·                Carbondale, Ill.*

·                Champaign, Ill.

·                Rockford, Ill.

·                Springfield, Ill.

·                Fort Wayne, Ind.

·                Indianapolis, Ind.

·                Lafayette, Ind.

·                Wichita, Kan.*

·                Louisville, Ky.

·                Baton Rouge, La.*

·                Hammond, La.*

·                Springfield, Mass.

·                Worcester, Mass.

·                Hagerstown, Md.

·                Flint, Mich.*

·                Grand Rapids, Mich.

·                Lansing, Mich.

·                Saginaw-Bay City, Mich.

·                Starkville, Miss.

·                Asheville-Henderson, N.C.

·                Fayetteville-Lumberton, N.C.*

·                Greensboro-Winston Salem-High Point, N.C.*

·                Raleigh-Durham, N.C.*

·                Wilmington, N.C.*

·                Fargo, N.D.

·                Omaha, Neb.

·                Albuquerque, N.M.

·                Las Cruces, N.M.

·                Santa Fe, N.M.

·                Reno, Nev.

·                Albany, N.Y.

·                Ithaca, N.Y.

·                Syracuse, N.Y.

·                Dayton-Springfield, Ohio*

·                Lima, Ohio

·                Toledo, Ohio

·                Tulsa, Okla.*

·                Portland, Ore.

·                Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, Pa.

·                Erie, Pa.*

·                Harrisburg, Pa.

·                Johnstown, Pa.

·                Scranton/Wilkes Barre, Pa.

·                State College, Pa.*

·                Charleston, S.C.*

·                Columbia, S.C.*

·                Greenville-Spartanburg, S.C.*

·                Hilton Head, S.C.*

·                Sioux Falls, S.D.*

·                Chattanooga, Tenn.*

·                Clarksville, Tenn.*

·                Cleveland, Tenn.*

·                Dyersburg-Union City, Tenn.

·                Jackson, Tenn.

·                Kingsport-Johnson City, Tenn.-Bristol, Va.*

·                Knoxville, Tenn.*

·                Memphis, Tenn.*

·                Beaumont-Port Arthur, Texas*

·                Bryan-College Station, Texas*

·                El Paso, Texas

·                Temple-Killeen, Texas

·                Provo-Orem, Utah*

·                Salt Lake City-Ogden, Utah*

·                Olympia, Wash.*

·                Centralia, Wash.*

·                Spokane, Wash.

·                Charleston, W.Va.*

·                Madison, Wis.*

·                Milwaukee, Wis.*

* Indicates a metro area previously announced in 2011

Visit www.verizonwireless.com/lte for more information about Verizon Wireless’ 4G LTE network.

Well, here ya go! T-Mobile has finally decided to come clean with the pricing on its 8.9-inch, 3D-capable LG G-Slate, and well, it isn't cheap. The Honeycomb, Tegra 2-powered tablet will set you back $529.99 after an $100 mail-in-rebate and that's only if you agree to a two-year contract. Of course, this thing can record 3D video, connect to T-Mobile's "4G" HSPA+ network, and output 1080p video, but that still seems like quite a bit of money when you consider you're also locked into paying at least $20 in data every month. Ready to grace us the WiFi version, LG? Hit the break for the short press statement.

Continue reading T-Mobile's LG G-Slate priced at $529.99 with a two-year contract

T-Mobile's LG G-Slate priced at $529.99 with a two-year contract originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 22 Mar 2011 00:50:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Samsung's just made the Galaxy S 4G official, though they're offering curiously few details. It's coming to T-Mobile's HSPA+ network, it'll have a Super AMOLED display, and it'll run Android 2.2 Froyo, but that's all they're saying for now. [Samsung] More »

We are moving towards a more wireless world and Ericsson, the world’s largest manufacturer of mobile network equipment, has reaffirmed that fact with some cold, hard statistics.

“During the course of 2010, a significant milestone in terms of mobile broadband subscriptions was reached as their number surpassed the half-a-billion mark globally,” said Ericsson.

The company goes on to note that this number will double before the close of 2011, pushing the total number of mobile broadband users over 1 billion. Asia is expected to spearhead the spike in users, followed closely by North America and Europe. By 2015, Ericsson estimates that 3.8 billion broadband subscriptions will be up for grabs. It’s no wonder carriers are jostling for mobile broadband market share. 3,800,000,000 users all paying, on average, $30 a month is a lot of loot.

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