NetZero strikes deals to use Sprint LTE and Verizon 3G

Posted on 04/08/2013 by Jon Fingas

We like the idea of NetZero's budget-friendly mobile broadband -- just not its use of Clearwire's small, aging WiMAX network. The provider should soon take care of that problem through new MVNO agreements with Sprint and Verizon. The five-year Sprint pact gives NetZero both LTE and EV-DO; the Verizon deal serves more as a safety net, supplying EV-DO alone for three years. Both agreements only take effect in the second quarter of 2014, but they should finally give the NetZero broad coverage and higher peak speeds that it needs to compete with more expensive rivals.

Filed under: Wireless, Networking, Mobile, Verizon, Sprint

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Via: FierceBroadband Wireless

Source: United Online, Seeking Alpha

iPhone 5, updated iPod touch and iPod nano models reach the FCC right on cue

Posted on 12/09/2012 by Jon Fingas

Apple has a tradition of timing FCC filings for new wireless mobile devices so that they appear just as soon as they've been announced, and it's not about to let up now. We've got a trifecta of approvals on the way for 2012 that start with the iPhone 5. What's hard to miss is the absurd number of cellular bands at work: as Apple had to make separate iPhone 5 models to cover every LTE carrier it supports, on top of the usual alphabet soups for CDMA and GSM, the filing combining the two devices is one of the largest we've seen to date. The addition of 5GHz WiFi support only compounds the situation.

A pair of iPods also made their appearances today, and they've been given the regulatory once-over as well. The iPod touch has the 5GHz WiFi band included and isn't special by itself, but the new iPod nano is noteworthy simply for showing up at all -- the inclusion of Bluetooth means a spin past the testing facility in addition to some wireless audio. We're still digging to see if the iPhone or new iPods have any surprises, although you can have a first-hand look through the source links.

Brad Molen contributed to this report.

Filed under: Cellphones, Portable Audio/Video, Mobile

iPhone 5, updated iPod touch and iPod nano models reach the FCC right on cue originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 12 Sep 2012 17:39:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Motorola Photon Q 4G LTE review: the best full QWERTY phone on Sprint’s network

Posted on 21/08/2012 by Brad Molen

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The future of Motorola post-acquisition may still be a mystery, but the manufacturer has managed to stay quite active over the last few weeks: it unveiled the Atrix HD, its first smartphone with an HD display and native ICS build, and there's already much anticipation around Verizon's Droid RAZR HD ahead of the holiday season. For the here and now, however, it's Sprint's turn to soak in the Moto love with the Photon Q 4G LTE. (Say it five times fast.)

Naturally, the name of the phone doesn't leave a whole lot to the imagination. As you'd expect, it's a follow-up to last year's Photon 4G that trades WiMAX for LTE and adds a full-sized QWERTY keyboard. What the name doesn't tell you, though, is that this phone costs a lofty $200 on contract, and features a qHD ColorBoost display (not to be confused with the Atrix's 720p screen, which uses the same branding). In other words, it's gotta be pretty good to have any success at that price point. How does the latest Googorola device hold up against the rest of Sprint's LTE lineup? Is it worth the premium? Follow us southward to find out.

Gallery: Motorola Photon 4G LTE review

Continue reading Motorola Photon Q 4G LTE review: the best full QWERTY phone on Sprint's network

Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless

Motorola Photon Q 4G LTE review: the best full QWERTY phone on Sprint's network originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 21 Aug 2012 14:48:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Verizon may cut what’s left of Alltel data starting January 10th, 2013

Posted on 31/07/2012 by Jon Fingas

Alltel customers brought under the Verizon umbrella have been getting more and more signals that it's time to let go of that legacy phone. The latest red flag is a letter that Droid-Life understands is making its way to holdout customers. According to one copy, Verizon will start shutting down the remnants of Alltel's data service on or near January 10th, 2013. Alltel's mobile data should be completely inert after April that year -- and those still clinging to the past will be down to basic phone calls and SMS until they get Verizon-blessed devices. At least corporate customers are getting incentives to cross the divide, so you can't accuse Verizon of forgetting to use the carrot along with the stick. We'll admit that we aren't exactly mourning the eventual loss ourselves: customers by that point will have had four years to make the leap, which in this era can feel like an eternity.

Filed under: Cellphones

Verizon may cut what's left of Alltel data starting January 10th, 2013 originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 31 Jul 2012 04:49:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Samsung Galaxy S III review shootout: AT&T vs. Sprint

Posted on 20/06/2012 by Brad Molen

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Each summer the world celebrates a time of warmth, fun and relaxation. For the tech community, however, it's traditionally the season in which Samsung unleashes the latest version of its Galaxy S flagship. But the now time-honored tradition is actually more of a one-two punch: first the unlocked international model is revealed, and later it's followed up by a litany of worldwide variants. US carriers intent on offering the "value" of differentiation to their customers have been the worst offenders in modifying Sammy's magic formula, ranging from motley form factors to egregious bloatware to clumsy naming schemes (Galaxy S II Epic 4G Touch quickly comes to mind).

But Samsung's brand cache has grown year over year, so much so that the company is starting to wield more power over carriers. No weird names, no exclusive agreements and no changes to the form factor. That's right, six carriers have signed up to carry the Galaxy S III so far, and every single one of these devices looks exactly the way Samsung intended, with the only major exceptions being the processor and memory allotment. So far we've had the opportunity to play with two of the six: AT&T's and Sprint's. How close to the original GS III (also known as the GT-I9300) do these devices come? What advantages and disadvantages does each bring to the table? Can you expect comparable performance? Stay with us as we break it all down.

Gallery: Samsung Galaxy S III (AT&T, Sprint) overview

Continue reading Samsung Galaxy S III review shootout: AT&T vs. Sprint

Samsung Galaxy S III review shootout: AT&T vs. Sprint originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 20 Jun 2012 00:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sprint Galaxy Nexus review

Posted on 10/05/2012 by Terrence O'Brien

Third time's a charm...
Three's a crowd...
She's once, twice, three times a ~~lady~~ Nexus...
Three's a magic number...
Good things come in threes... or is that sneezes?
Okay, so maybe there isn't anything clever we can say to get you hooked, but do we really need to lure you in at this point? The Galaxy Nexus is, arguably, not only one of the best Android phones on the market, but one of the best phones, period. So, there's no reason to expect the Sprint variant ($199 on contract) would be anything short of incredible. Still, there's only one way to find out. Follow along after the break as we put the newest member of the Nexus family through its paces and see how it stacks up against its Verizon and unlocked siblings.

Gallery: Samsung Galaxy Nexus for Sprint review