Tag Archives: HSPA PLUS

Marvell PXA988, PXA986 chips support 3G for China, the world without reinventing the wheel (or phone)

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Marvell PXA988, PXA986 chips support 3G for China, the world without reinventing the wheel or phone

Whenever we see a smartphone optimized for China Mobile's TD-SCDMA 3G, it usually represents one of two things: it's either a China-specific variant of a phone we already know, or it's a local-only model that's unlikely to ever travel abroad. Marvell has just unveiled a new mobile processor platform that could allow for a lot more globetrotting with those basic designs. The PXA988 is limited to China Mobile's technology for data, but its PXA986 doppelganger can fit the same slot to offer regular HSPA+ 3G without forcing phone makers back to the drawing board. Both run on a dual-core, 1.2GHz ARM Cortex-A9 at their heart -- nothing exciting in mid-2012, although they're well-enough equipped to capture 1080p video and tout extras like NFC. Only test samples exist today, but there's a chance we'll soon see phone designs that are just as much at home in Berlin as they are in Beijing.

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Marvell PXA988, PXA986 chips support 3G for China, the world without reinventing the wheel (or phone) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 14 Aug 2012 14:20:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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T-Mobile myTouch and myTouch Q review: two budget-friendly phones, one aging OS

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DNP TMobile myTouch and myTouch Q review a wellbuilt and walletfriendly Gingerbread duo

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Gone are the days when $50 got you a flip phone that could make calls, send texts and shoot super-low-quality thumbnails. T-Mobile's myTouch offerings aim to provide all the functionality of a top-tier smartphone, coupled with the kind of hardware and software top-tier handsets were offering a year or two ago.

After letting HTC and LG have a go at the myTouch series, T-Mobile tapped Huawei to design its latest devices, the myTouch and myTouch Q, a garden-variety slab and a full QWERTY slider, respectively. This time around, the carrier chose phones with more expansive 4-inch, 800 x 480 displays, among other improvements to the design and internals. Unfortunately, software wasn't considered in the upgrade: both of these run the aging Android 2.3 OS. Suffice to say, skinned Gingerbread is likely to turn off some shoppers, but it's still worth asking if people on a budget might appreciate these devices when they go on sale Wednesday for $50, post-rebate. So are there any redeeming qualities to speak of, if not the software experience? Read on to find out.

Gallery: T-Mobile myTouch and myTouch Q review

Continue reading T-Mobile myTouch and myTouch Q review: two budget-friendly phones, one aging OS

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T-Mobile myTouch and myTouch Q review: two budget-friendly phones, one aging OS originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 07 Aug 2012 15:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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US 3G and 4G networks face off once more, Verizon just squeaks out win over AT&T

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US 3G and 4G networks face off once more, Verizon just squeaks out an edge over AT&T

Competition for the US cellular speed crown is certainly fiercer than it was last year, when Verizon's 4G LTE let it walk over the competition unimpeded. With AT&T's LTE in the running, though, have the ranks changed? No, but only just barely: as PCMag discovered in its annual countrywide testing, Verizon mostly trumped its fellow telecom giant in upload speeds and reliability. AT&T could once more claim to be best in a category with the fastest downloads, although it's counterbalanced by having a considerably smaller LTE network. For everyone outside of T-Mobile and its still very respectable HSPA+ network, it's better luck next year. We'll be most intrigued then, quite frankly -- in addition to 2013 giving us a genuinely functional Sprint LTE network, that's when we could see a blistering-fast T-Mobile LTE-Advanced produce an upset victory.

US 3G and 4G networks face off once more, Verizon just squeaks out win over AT&T originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 18 Jun 2012 23:56:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sprint’s early 4G LTE network tested in controlled conditions, hangs with the big boys

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HTC EVO 4G LTE review wrap-up

Sprint doesn't have much time to meet its goals and get its 4G LTE network up and running by mid-2012. The Now Network is definitely getting closer, though, and just gave PCMag the chance to test its fledgling LTE in Atlanta. Average speeds on the downlink sit squarely in between AT&T and Verizon, at 9 to 13Mbps, despite Sprint having to use 5MHz channels half as large as what AT&T can muster in some cities. Just don't expect to upload 4K videos from your phone anytime soon: the 2.2Mbps average upload rate is certainly faster than on WiMAX or T-Mobile's HSPA+ network, but it doesn't hold a candle to the 4Mbps or even 6Mbps of Sprint's bigger rivals. We'd likewise take the results with a large grain of salt. Even though Sprint is promising to focus on consistently good speed rather than bragging rights, the tests are in controlled conditions on a mostly unpopulated network. Our hope for now is just that the network goes live and that our EVO 4G LTEs live up to their potential.

Sprint's early 4G LTE network tested in controlled conditions, hangs with the big boys originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 18 Jun 2012 17:21:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Engadget Giveaway: win an HTC One S, courtesy of Bell Canada

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Engadget Giveaway win an HTC One S, courtesy of Bell Canada

The HTC One S has been making a splash across carriers in Canada, so it's only fitting that we ride the wave and give one away to a reader in the true north strong and free. The example we're giving out is Bell Canada's model, which mates the dual-core 1.5GHz Snapdragon S4 and Android 4.0 with Bell-specific extras like Mobile TV. Should you live in the land of the red and white, fire off an entry according to the rules and you might just get HTC's super-skinny smartphone for yourself.

  • Leave a comment below. Any comment will do. Duplicate entries will be filtered out and discarded, so adding additional comments won't increase your likelihood of winning.
  • Contest is open to all residents of Canada (excluding Quebec), 18 or older! Sorry, we don't make this rule (we hate excluding anyone), so be mad at our lawyers and contest laws if you have to be mad.
  • Winners will be chosen randomly. One winner will receive one Bell Canada HTC One S.
  • If you are chosen, you will be notified by email. Winners must respond within three days of being contacted. If you do not respond within that period, another winner will be chosen.
  • This unit is purely for promotional giveaway. Bell Canada service will NOT be included. Also, HTC, Bell and Engadget are not held liable to honor warranties or customer service.
  • The full list of rules, in all its legalese glory, can be found here.
  • Entries can be submitted until June 3, 2012 at 11:59PM ET. Good luck!

Engadget Giveaway: win an HTC One S, courtesy of Bell Canada originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 02 Jun 2012 11:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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ASUS Transformer Pad TF300TL hits the FCC with AT&T-friendly LTE

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ImageASUS isn't known for offering its tablets to North American carriers with 3G or 4G; an FCC filing for a cellular-capable Transformer Pad TF300 could be a clue at a break in the WiFi-only trend. Along with the usual wireless, a TF300TL variant of the Android 4.0 slate has stopped by the agency with the 850MHz and 1,900MHz frequencies needed for HSPA 3G as well as, best of all, 700MHz and 1,700MHz support for LTE-based 4G. All four are what we'd look for in an AT&T-oriented tablet, so don't be surprised if Ma Bell carries a 4G Transformer Pad before long. All but the 700MHz band would be handy for Canadian networks as well. There's no surefire evidence of when the tablet might make a more formal appearance, nor hints of whether or not it will keep the quad-core Tegra 3, although the slight spin on the regular TF300 formula could keep the wait short.

ASUS Transformer Pad TF300TL hits the FCC with AT&T-friendly LTE originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 24 May 2012 20:51:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Amazon puts Samsung Galaxy S III up for US pre-orders, offers a slice of quad-core, unlocked utopia

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Sufficiently enamored with Samsung's Galaxy S III that you've got to have one in the US before anyone else, and you don't want it sullied by carrier customizations in the trip across the Pacific? Amazon has your back with pre-orders for 16GB versions in both Marble White and Pebble Blue. Either will keep the speedy Exynos 4 Quad and will stay unlocked, so you can hop networks to your heart's content. Do expect to pay a steep premium for being the first kid on your block: at $800, you're spending a lot to get an HSPA+ model on June 1st when the LTE-toting, cheaper (if carrier-locked and possibly part-swapped) editions should reach the US days later.

Amazon puts Samsung Galaxy S III up for US pre-orders, offers a slice of quad-core, unlocked utopia originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 21 May 2012 18:33:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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