Radio Shack had fairly the time showing off the exclusive they have on Sprint&rsquos HTC EVO 3D but for us Android enthusiasts who excrete little excitement for an alternate color of a device that&rsquos already released, a phone named the &ldquoLG Marquee&rdquo stole the show. Our friends at Android Central point out that it looks a lot like the LG Optimus Black And if you don&rsquot bear in mind, Sprint was rumored to be launching that phone after one &ldquoOptimus B&rdquo created a quick cameo in Sprint&rsquos &ldquoEmployee Packs&rdquo section for Sprint ID. We&rsquore glad to see Sprint hasn&rsquot given up on that one because we had been absolutely in enjoy with the display on that thing when we last saw it. Let&rsquos hope they get this one on store shelves sooner than soon. 14 second mark in the video above.
Even though Verizon has had a non-camera version accessible given that launch, Sprint will now be releasing their non-camera version of the BlackBerry Bold 9930 on September 9th. While many folks can make use of the camera equipped versions, there is nonetheless somewhat of a demand in the enterprise sector for devices without cameras. Some employers just do not permit the use of camera equipped phones. Fewer and fewer device manufacturers are catering to this user base, rather relying on computer software locks and IT policies to block camera access. RIM could do that as nicely by means of the BES infrastructure but it is still nice to see separate devices getting made available.
Personally, if I by no means employed the camera on my device — I believe I’d opt for a non-camera version just for the cleaner appearance of it. No cost distinction is found in between the two versions but if you’re in need of a non-camera equipped BlackBerry and Sprint is your carrier you can get the BlackBerry Bold 9930 for $ 249 from Sprint beginning September 9th.
It is good to see the carriers come together for a very good cause each now and then. If you haven’t watched the news lately, Hurricane Irene is set to hit the southeastern component of the States, namely in South and North Carolina, and Virginia. We’ve already learned that T-Mobile is performing their part, as they’ve sent crisis resources and teams to the places that might be affected. FEMA has also released a preparedness app, and now it appears that Sprint wants to help as properly. They’ve deployed teams up and down the eastern seaboard, to prepare for energy outages, flooding, and other disasters. As the saying goes, “greater safe than sorry.”
So are any of our readers residing in the eastern location? What precautions are you taking for the hurricane? Leave a comment below!
We had a chance to get our hands on a new Samsung Conquer 4G on Sprint, and we would like to share it with you. The phone is regarded as an entry level device, even though we here at TalkAndroid are giving it the thumbs up to be referred to as mid-range. With a 1GHz CPU and the overall snappiness of the device, this phone deserves a small more “oomph” than “entry level”. The overall feel of the telephone is great, and the reality that it comes with stock Vanilla Android as the UI excites the heck out of this writer.
If you’re wanting the full rundown of the device, hit the break for both the unboxing and evaluation videos, and be positive to let us know what you feel in the comments.
The report cautioned that no final decision on funding Clearwire has been created. One source told the Journal that the precise size and timing of the investment will depend on how rapidly Clearwire can restructure its operations. The funding would support Clearwire into 2013. Sprint is expected to detail far more of its 4G technique at an investor meeting Oct. 7.
Sprint, which owns about half of Clearwire, is paying Clearwire $ 1 billion through the finish of 2012 for use of their spectrum.
Clearwire’s announcement of LTE-Advanced indicated the firm would apparently use the identical 30 MHz of spectrum it presently uses for WiMAX – just partioned differently. Rather of using distinct 10 MHz frequencies on each and every sector, the new program would reuse the exact same frequency on all sectors. One 10 Mhz chunk would be dedicated for WiMAX and a 20 MHz chunk would dedicated for LTE-Advanced. All 3 sectors would share those frequencies.
Sprint-Nextel might soon supply wholesale LTE service to other operators using Clearwire’s LTE-Advanced spectrum. Sprint plans to support Mobile Virtual Network Operators. MVNOs offers mobile phone services but do not have their own spectrum.
LightSquared claims five buyers may possibly use their terrestrial LTE capacity, which includes Leap Wireless, Cellular South, SI Wireless and Open Range Communications. Truly? They’re going to have to deliver service first.
New mobilized entrants may possibly be searching for wholesale LTE spectrum to deliver a package of services. They could consist of Amazon, Apple, Google, Microsoft, Facebook, Time Inc, USA Today, Fox, as properly as telecom companies like Lightsquared and Dish Networks. Cable operators like Comcast and Time Warner Cable could provide both voice and data on two.6 GHz spectrum.
Even if Dish Networks partners with Verizon for 40MHz in the two GHz band, Sprint would effortlessly have double Verizon’s LTE bandwidth and the very same goes for AT&T.
According to info inadvertently released in an FCC document, AT&T plans to upgrade 44,000 nodes to LTE over the subsequent two years, including 8,000 nodes this year, 16,000 nodes next year and 20,000 nodes in 2013. Expanding its LTE network into areas left out of its prior strategy will involve 18,000 cell web sites. AT&T’s 1st LTE plan covered just 80 percent of the U.S. population, but the business says it will expand the network to 97 percent of Americans if the T-Mobile deal is approved.
With this agreement, LightSquared can total its 4G-LTE deployment a lot more than one year ahead of the FCC mandate to cover 260 million Americans by 2015, and Lightsquared won’t have to build and run the network. That’s Sprint’s job.
A 3G nationwide roaming agreement with Sprint will enable LightSquared’s wholesale consumers to offer combined 4G/3G data services as soon as LightSquared launches its first 4G markets in 2012.
Sprint receives approximately $ 4.5 billion in 4G-LTE and satellite purchase credits from LightSquared offering Sprint with a price-successful alternative for LTE services, if Sprint chooses to incorporate L-Band into their 4G offering.
The 4G-LTE network will now be deployed very first in major U.S. markets in 2H 2012 and early 2013 giving LightSquared’s wholesale clients considerable selling opportunities in the largest markets for wireless broadband services.
LightSquared is also executing plans to make LTE services available in underserved rural markets via announced offers with Open Range, Cellular South and SI Wireless.
LightSquared says they now have all of the components in place to operate an integrated 4G-LTE wireless broadband and satellite network.
LightSquared has come under fire for possible GPS interference troubles, and mentioned it would launch 4G LTE services “only when there is a comprehensive solution in location.”
LightSquared has now moved their 1.6 GHz service to a 10 MHz slice of spectrum further from GPS. They’re making use of frequencies they acquired from a joint agreement from Inmarsat. Lightsquared says it resolves the GPS interference issue for 99.5% of all commercial GPS devices. But Inmarsat might have current users on that spectrum, so when that spectrum slice can in fact be used has still not been created quite clear by either Inmarsat or Lightsquared. Not to mention the FCC.
Sprint made no mention of the Clear network. Sprint owns about half of the nationwide WiMAX network, which now covers about 130 million individuals. Sprint, an early supporter of WiMax, might now have an LTE selection on 1.6 GHz. Most observers think Sprint will soon drop the other shoe and announce LTE on their two.6 GHz spectrum, as well.
Sprint has already pledged $ five billion to upgrade its network over the next 3 to five years. Sprint’s Network Vision brings together Nextel’s 800 MHz service, Sprint’s 1.9 MHz PCS cellular service, and Clearwire’s two.6GHz 4G service on 1 tower. Lightsquared would likely be a portion of this “Network Vision” as nicely. It ought to lower Sprint’s operational costs, particularly when Nextel’s 800 MHz iDEN service moves to Sprint’s push-to-speak CDMA. Sprint’s tower density is pretty high since it relies on PCS frequencies.
An LTE switchout has often been an selection for partner Clearwire given that its inception. The incremental price for an LTE swapout isn’t considerably and dual mode (WiMAX/LTE) client support is now offered.
Venture Beat says the deal suggests Sprint will likely move broadband customers to LightSquared 4G from its current Clearwire-backed WiMax 4G. But that wouldn’t make sense. Lightsquared’s narrow 10 MHz of LTE spectrum is still in dispute over availability and interference issues and their spectrum is restricted.
Charlie Ergen’s two GHz satellite phone networks, TerreStar and ICO/DBSD, could also be a tenant for terrestrial LTE service. Ergen’s two GHz band wouldn’t have the interference issues.
Verizon’s LTE service at 700MHz utilizes two 10 MHz channels and gives much better coverage, and AT&T is piecing together a 700 MHz LTE network employing two adjoining spectrum bands to generate comparable bandwidth. Verizon’s 4G network now reaches 160 million possible consumers, pulling ahead of Clearwire’s 130 million. Clearwire reported 4.86 million total wholesale subs in the very first quarter.
The deal is not about quick speed. Lightsquared’s LTE service – if it is approved – will likely be restrained with restricted spectrum, coverage and GPS interference issues.
The service could be useful, nonetheless, for initial responders and public service agencies. Like the still-born AT&T/TerreStar phone (above), a Lightsquared/Sprint phone could provide (inexpensive) cellular service in urban areas and switch to satellite service when out of service locations.
LightSquared says it will support existing Push To Speak kit, which utilizes the 2 GHz TerreStar 1 satellite, from TerreStar (now owned by Charlie Ergen) until at least 2014, but will replace all the customer kit “at no cost”, with devices using its new bird, SkyTerra 1 on Lightsquared’s 1.6 GHz service.
Lightsquared’s terrestrial 1.6 GHz service might have more range then Sprint’s 2.6 GHz service, but not if Lightsquared has to lower its energy. Lightsquared’s LTE service seems unlikely to offer quicker speeds or less expensive rates than AT&T or Verizon.
In an effort to make satellite telephone businesses far more solvent, the FCC allowed Lightsquared to use their frequencies terrestrially. This spurred LightSquared backer Harbinger Partners to propose a nationwide terrestrial LTE network employing their “free” frequencies. Despite the fact that Lightsquared didn’t have to obtain their spectrum, they still had to create a terrestrial network.
Verizon spent nearly $ 10 billion on their 700 MHz spectrum — excluding the costs to build their network. Lightsquared’s space segment cost some thing like $ 1 billion for two high capacity satellites with ground controllers, but developing and operating a terrestrial network from scratch can cost well over $ 10 billion. At 1.6 GHz, that’s a lot of towers. Sprint already had them in location. Sprint also supplies Virtual Network Operator services for organizations like Virgin Mobile. A Sprint/Lightsquared deal seems to offer you some thing for each parties.
Sprint nonetheless owns half of Clearwire. Sprint has about twice the spectrum in the two.6GHz band then AT&T and Verizon currently use in total. Sprint is widely expected to partition off part some of that spectrum and provide LTE. But what flavor of LTE?
Clearwire’s “LTE 2X” trials in Phoenix use paired, 20×20 MHz blocks, twice the size Verizon’s LTE. But the economies of scale developing about TD-LTE might be compelling for Sprint. Operators going with TD-LTE include China Mobile, Vivid Wireless in Australia, Yota, in Russia, Global Mobile in Taiwan and Packet 1 in Malaysia. India and China will most likely be dominated by TD-LTE, so equipment will soon be commoditized.
Separately, Sprint reported a second quarter loss of $ 847 million, or 28 cents a share, on revenue of $ 8.three billion. Sprint added 1.1 million net wireless subscribers, but the bulk of them were prepaid. Sprint ended the quarter with 52 million consumers. Overall, Sprint still wound up losing 101,000 net postpaid subscribers. Sprint shares had been down roughly 18% to $ 4.25, reports Marketplace Watch. The stock has lost a lot more than 1-quarter of its value over the past two months.
The Lightsquared satellite was often some thing of a Trojan Horse for Harbinger. Neither Sprint’s two.6 GHz LTE/WiMAX method nor TerreStar’s anticipated two GHz LTE method pose any GPS interference difficulty. But without terrestrial use of 1.6 GHz, Lightsquared’s $ 300 million satellite platform looks like a white elephant.
Ancillary Terrestrial Component tied the entire thing together. Without FCC authorization for ATC, the suitcase of money Lightsquared promised Sprint might be an illusion.
As of nowadays the Samsung Replenish is accessible in Onyx Black and Arctic Blue. Now for all you who like a much more flashy appear to your Android device, on July 24th you’ll be able to pick up the eco-friendly phone in a brightly colored, Raspberry Pink.
This Samsung model, branded by Sprint was initially produced to promote commitment to environmental awareness, in portion by becoming made out of 80 percent recycled material. This touch QWERTY device, offers the initial (sold separately) solar charging battery cover. You can pick this up at the various retailers and Sprint for $ 50 w/new 2yr contract.
Note: I attempted to upgrade 1 of my five lines to the original Onyx Black Replenish, considering that of course this Raspberry version is not but out. I am able to upgrade 1 of my additional lines if I pick to for the price of zero dollars. So If you’re due for an upgrade, and are savvy about the environment, this may possibly be for you.
Sprint could support LTE the same way other CDMA carriers support LTE. Not too much mystery there.
Carrying terrestrial satellite signals would be yet another likely technique. Dish Networks lately purchesed both ICO and TerreStar, the two bankrupt two GHz satellite phone providers. If Lightsquared’s 1.6 GHz launch becomes problematic due to GPS interference, then they may well utilize Charlie’s 2GHz spectrum — on Sprint towers.
Dish doesn’t want to be a cellular operator. Dish tipped their hand when it told the FCC it was opposed to AT&T’s proposed merger with T-Mobile USA. It stated it “would harm competition and buyers by, amongst other issues, potentially discouraging Dish Network from entering the market to present mobile broadband.”
Sprint could be the operating organization of choice for both Dish Networks and Lightsquared.
Would Dish Network grow to be a partner with LightSquared? Why not. LightSquared is now proposing to use just a 10-MHz swathe of its spectrum to prevent interference with GPS signals (though the GPS community remains unconvinced). That doesn’t seem like a very good organization model. Dish, on the other hand, has 20 MHz of nationwide satphone frequencies. One company (Sprint) could operate them both.
On the 2.6 GHz band, Sprint may well go with TD-LTE. Dividing the Clearwire spectrum is less difficult making use of unpaired channels. The Chinese and Indian mobile markets – committed to TD-LTE – will guarantee commodity pricing for infrastructure and handsets. Sprint would be all set for 20 MHz-wide channels using LTE-Advanced. And they still have Nextel’s 800 MHz frequencies in their pocket.
Sprint could supply a telephone like China Mobile’s TD-LTE iPhone — with unlimited LTE service. It doesn’t seem like rocket science.
Why didn’t a Sprint/T-Mobile deal take place? Cash. Estimates then placed T-Mobile’s value at among $ 15 billion and $ 20 billion. But just a couple of weeks right after talks with Sprint, AT&T blew away any deal. It made an offer you Deutsche Telekom couldn’t refuse: $ 39 billion. Sprint, with its marketplace cap of just $ 16 billion and its heavy debt load of $ 18 billion, simply didn’t have the money to compete with AT&T.
Verizon’s LTE network has now past Sprint’s Wimax network with more markets. T-Mobile USA has covered nearly its entire footprint with an upgraded hspa+ network it also calls 4G, while AT&T and only announced 4 LTE cities.
Sprint’s Network Vision infrastructure upgrade allows it to run different wireless technologies, including CDMA, or LTE and WiMax. Sprint is widely rumored to be working on a deal with LightSquared, but the two companies haven’t announced anything officially. LightSquared plans to run an LTE network in the 1600Mhz band, but it has been under heavy fire for having its network interfere with GPS signals.
Hesse, meanwhile, said it was “an issue of economics” as to why Sprint doesn’t take over Clearwire and handle the rollout of the network itself. Sprint doesn’t want Clearwire’s debt-and-cash burn to hurt its own balance sheet, and has preferred to keep it a separate company.
Dare I say there are probably a good number of Sprint customers that have been waiting for some decent confirmation as to when this new top end device would be release? The Samsung Galaxy S II will be coming to Sprint one day, possible sometime this month. I’m urgently waiting for some information on release dates myself. This Android device (possibly running 2.3.4) will be the up there on the top shelf with the HTC Evo 3D. Read More…
The Goolge Nexus S is available in the U.S. via T-Mobile, but it sadly only supports 3G. Sprint aimed to fix that by offering the Nexus S 4G, which runs on their WiMax 4G network. It was officially launched in May for $ 199.99 with 2 -yr contract. Well, if you didn’t buy it because you were waiting for a price drop, then today is your lucky day. Sprint is now offering the Nexus S 4G for only $ 99.99 with a two-year contract. Most third party retailers, such as Best Buy, offer these phones at a low price, but this one is directly from the carrier.
Just to refresh your memory, the Nexus S 4G is running Gingerbread (2.3.4), with a 4-inch curved display that’s packing a 480 x 800 resolution. The device is also has a 1GHz Hummingbird processor under the hood, along with 16GB of internal storage, a 5MP camera, and a VGA front-facing camera for video chatting and such.
So, are you planning to grab one from Sprint now or you are waiting for the next Google device? Why do you think Sprint cut the price of the Nexus S 4G in half? Tell us in the comments below or on our Facebook Wall!
Sprint Nextel will confirm its network-sharing agreement with LightSquared in conjunction with its earnings announcement on July 28, reports C/Net.
The agreement, in which Sprint’s network will be used as the infrastructure backbone to LightSquared’s upcoming 4G Long-Term Evolution network, will shed some light on where Sprint wants to head with its own 4G ambitions.
Perhaps that will mean the July 28th announcement will be more of a strategic plan for Sprint’s own LTE network — on the 2.6 GHz spectrum.
Sprint and Clearwire bet early on WiMax, which paid off with a strong turnaround in customer growth for Sprint, notes C/Net. But Clearwire’s network rollout has stalled due to financing issues, and despite a head start, only has 71 markets, covering some 130 million people. Last week, Clearwire, Time Warner Cable, and Sprint announced an expansion in the greater New York City metro area. The regional CLEAR, Time Warner Cable Mobile Internet and Sprint 4G service area have added coverage for an additional 91,363 people. According to Sprint, now some 12 million people in the New York City area will have access to Clearwire’s WiMAX network.
With the wireless industry increasingly moving to LTE as a unified standard, Sprint has been looking in that direction as well for more direct roaming. Sprint’s Network Vision plan allows it to use multiple wireless technologies at once. The company is spending $ 4 billion to $ 5 billion over the next three to five years on the upgrade, and is expected to save between $ 10 billion and $ 11 billion over a seven-year period. The work is slated to begin in the second half of the year.
Would Sprint go with TD-LTE? It seems unlikely. But they could announce a TD-LTE strategy for their 2.6 GHz spectrum.
Sprint’s potential strategy shift comes as its competitors all step up their game. Verizon Wireless will have surpassed 100 markets with its 4G LTE by next week. AT&T and T-Mobile have been rapidly expanding their HSPA+ wireless networks, which they argue is faster than WiMax in some places. In addition, AT&T plans to launch its LTE network in five markets this summer.
The original Samsung Galaxy Tab might not have the hardware to stack up against the newly released Galaxy Tab 10.1, but thanks to an update rolling out today at least one carrier-branded version of the 7-inch slate will get a fresher build of Android that might restore some of its appeal. It isn’t the tablet-specific Honeycomb, but the Android 2.3 update should breath some new life into Samsung’s first Android tablet.
Maintenance release EF17 is now going out to Sprint users, with the update expected to reach all owners of their Galaxy Tab within four days. Anyone out there receive their piece of Gingerbread yet?
The original Samsung Galaxy Tab might not have the hardware to stack up against the newly released Galaxy Tab 10.1, but thanks to an update rolling out today at least one carrier-branded version of the 7-inch slate will get a fresher build of Android that might restore some of its appeal. It isn’t the tablet-specific Honeycomb, but the Android 2.3 update should breath some new life into Samsung’s first Android tablet.
Maintenance release EF17 is now going out to Sprint users, with the update expected to reach all owners of their Galaxy Tab within four days. Anyone out there receive their piece of Gingerbread yet?
Motorola and Sprint recently released the XPRT, but it looks like they are working on another portrait QWERTY Android phone. This one is more curvier and will include Android 2.3 Gingerbread out of the box. You will also notice that the keyboard has more of a “smile pattern” as compared to the XPRT’s “ruler pattern.”
The only other information that was given is that it might include 4G WiMax.
Sprint’s Q3 roadmap has leaked and it reveals the Samsung Epic 2. It will come with a 4-inch display, a 1.2GHz single-core Hummingbird processor, and a 8MP camera. The current Epic (1) 4G has a 1GHz Hummingbird and a 5MP camera. Not an impressive upgrade so I think we should just called it an “update.”
There is also a “full touch 4G” device from Samsung. There are no other details, but it is probably a safe assumption that this will the the Samsung Galaxy S II. We know it will eventually hit all the US carriers. A month ago we reported that the Sprint version might be called the Within.
There are also a couple of BlackBerry phones, the Bold Touch and Monaco. These names are expected to change and will be capable of GSM global roaming.
Will Sprint go with TD-LTE in the United States? They own most of the 2.5-2.6 GHz band in the United States and don’t have to conform to any artificial FCC ghetto for unpaired frequencies. TD-LTE is better suited for asymmetrical data use, it’s a world standard, and supported by China and India. That’s reason enough.
Sprint doesn’t have 700 MHz FD-LTE spectrum like Verizon and AT&T, so conforming to them just for easier roaming is not an option, anyway. In addition, TD-LTE equipment will be available in volume as China and India ramp up in the next few years.
Perhaps Sprint’s “delay” in announcing an LTE commitment may be tied to getting all the TD-LTE ducks in a row. TD-LTE also makes sense for carriers like MetroPCS and Cricket Wireless who have limited LTE spectrum. Voice over LTE is expected to eliminate the need to fallback to older CDMA networks for voice, further enhancing its viability.
Here are some advantages / disadvantages of Time Division Duplex and Frequency Division Duplex in LTE networks.
Parameter
LTE-TDD
LTE-FDD
Paired spectrum
Does not require paired spectrum as both transmit and receive occur on the same channel
Requires paired spectrum with sufficient frequency separation to allow simultaneous transmission and reception
Hardware cost
Lower cost as no diplexer is needed to isolate the transmitter and receiver. As cost of the UEs is of major importance because of the vast numbers that are produced, this is a key aspect.
Diplexer is needed and cost is higher.
Channel reciprocity
Channel propagation is the same in both directions which enables transmit and receive to use on set of parameters
Channel characteristics different in both directions as a result of the use of different frequencies
UL / DL asymmetry
It is possible to dynamically change the UL and DL capacity ratio to match demand
UL / DL capacity determined by frequency allocation set out by the regulatory authorities. It is therefore not possible to make dynamic changes to match capacity. Regulatory changes would normally be required and capacity is normally allocated so that it is the same in either direction.
Guard period / guard band
Guard period required to ensure uplink and downlink transmissions do not clash. Large guard period will limit capacity. Larger guard period normally required if distances are increased to accommodate larger propagation times.
Guard band required to provide sufficient isolation between uplink and downlink. Large guard band does not impact capacity.
Discontinuous transmission
Discontinuous transmission is required to allow both uplink and downlink transmissions. This can degrade the performance of the RF power amplifier in the transmitter.
Continuous transmission is required.
Cross slot interference
Base stations need to be synchronised with respect to the uplink and downlink transmission times. If neighbouring base stations use different uplink and downlink assignments and share the same channel, then interference may occur between cells.
Realistically, any TD-LTE phone support probably wouldn’t happen until 2012 at the earliest. TD-LTE commercial availability is reportedly about a year behind FD-LTE.
Sprint continues with their line of EVO products today with the release of the EVO 3D handset and EVO View 4G tablet. Both are available online and at stores around the country are opening early to get these into your hands as soon as possible. In fact, we imagine that some of you may have already stopped by and picked yours up.
The EVO 3D runs $ 199.99 but that’s only if you aren’t looking close enough. Plenty of places such as Radio Shack and Target are offering deals, especially if you are trading in an old smart phone or EVO 4G. The specs on the 3D include Android 2.3 Gingerbread, a 4.3-inch, qHD 3D display, 1.2GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon dual-core processor, and dual 5-megapixel cameras for the 3D stuff.
The EVO View 4G tablet will set ya back $ 399.99 but Sprint is tossing in the HTC Scribe pen for an undetermined length of time. Hardware includes a 7-inch touchscreen, 1.5GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, a 5-megapixel camera, and support for Sprint’s 4G network.
The EVO View 4G runs Android 2.3 with a custom version of Sense UI that has been optimized for tablets. HTC promises to issue a Honeycomb update in the future, opening the door to a new world of applications and games.
On May 26th, Google/ Sprint will be enabling NFC (near field communication) in 5 cities, New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Washington D.C. The only unfortunate part is that the only device that will work in these new locations is the Sprint Nexus S 4G. If you unfamiliar with NFC, it’s essentially a way to pay and receive coupons straight from your phone. Not like online buying, you take your phone and wave it over a NFC sensor and that replaces your credit/debit card. This technology is great but seems a bit ahead of our products. Some people won’t even use a computer for online banking, let alone have their phone hooked directly to their bank account. We want to hear your thoughts on Sunday – leave a comment below or on our Facebook wall.
Sure, we may not have a confirmed date for the Evo 3D to be released, but what’s to stop Radio Shack from giving us the 411 on the deals it has lined up. The image above explains it all, which originated in an emailing that was sent from Radio Shack, and passed along to the rest of us.
The price of this new device isn’t bad at all at $ 199 with contract. Now take a look at The Shacks incentive via its ‘Trade & Save Program’. Take your Evo 4G or Evo Shift in to trade and get $ 100 cash toward the purchase of the Evo 3D. Now this does sound like a pretty enticing deal. They’ve even thrown in a URL – www.radioshack.com/EVO3D – It isn’t live yet, but we’ll just bookmark it and keep checking back.
Either way this could be a good deal for someone. If you received this same email we’d love to hear from you and get your thoughts in the comments below.
The first time I heard about NFC (Near Field Communications) was when Google announced they were going to be packing the chip inside Samsung’s Nexus S smartphone. NFC allows customers to make transactions in the real world using nothing more than their favorite NFC equipped smartphone.
Verizon, AT&T and T-Mobile are in line to support a mobile billing system named Isis. This will allow customers to make charges via carrier billing but wont see a release until sometime in 2012. Sprint has been testing NFC since 2007 and it looks as though their research has paid off. Bloomberg reports their NFC-based system will be releasing sometime this year and will allow charges directly to a customer’s credit card.
This news trails the launch of Samsung’s Nexus S 4G the announcement of Google Voice integration and the Evo 3D. Sprint seems to be pulling all the right punches this year.
A Sprint decision on whether to jump to LTE is likely in four to six months, reports Fierce Wireless. But it’s still a case of “if” rather then “when” it may move to LTE for its 4G service, reports Light Reading.
Sprint Senior VP of Networks, Bob Azzi, along with representatives from Alcatel-Lucent, Ericsson and Samsung provided a some additional details on Sprint’s Network Vision thing, the $4 billion to $5 billion network modernization project that Sprint is undertaking over the next three to five years.
LTE shares about 70 percent of its technology with WiMax, so it would be relatively easy for Sprint’s Network Vision partner to convert a future network upgrade to run both WiMax and LTE.
Sprint’s cellular service uses the 1900 MHz PCS band, and the carrier has a wholesale deal with Clearwire to use WiMAX in the 2.5 GHz band. But Sprint owns an iDEN network in the 800 MHz band and will begin phasing out the iDEN (Nextel) service in 2013.
Regarding iDEN, Azzi said that Sprint will deploy a CDMA-based PTT solution from Qualcomm which is an upgrade to the existing QChat product that Sprint deployed a few years ago. Azzi said that the original QChat did not work as well as iDEN and customer adoption rates were “short of what we had hoped for.” Part of the problem, according to Azzi, was that coverage was not as comprehensive as iDEN.
The upgrade project includes the deployment of CDMA 1x Advanced, which Azzi said will reduce the per-minute costs and provide an estimated 20 percent to 40 percent improvement in capacity and performance.
A Sprint decision on whether to jump to LTE is likely in four to six months, reports Fierce Wireless. But it’s still a case of “if” rather then “when” it may move to LTE for its 4G service, reports Light Reading.
Sprint Senior VP of Networks, Bob Azzi, along with representatives from Alcatel-Lucent, Ericsson and Samsung provided a some additional details on Sprint’s Network Vision thing, the $4 billion to $5 billion network modernization project that Sprint is undertaking over the next three to five years.
LTE shares about 70 percent of its technology with WiMax, so it would be relatively easy for Sprint’s Network Vision partner to convert a future network upgrade to run both WiMax and LTE.
Sprint’s cellular service uses the 1900 MHz PCS band, and the carrier has a wholesale deal with Clearwire to use WiMAX in the 2.5 GHz band. But Sprint owns an iDEN network in the 800 MHz band and will begin phasing out the iDEN (Nextel) service in 2013.
Regarding iDEN, Azzi said that Sprint will deploy a CDMA-based PTT solution from Qualcomm which is an upgrade to the existing QChat product that Sprint deployed a few years ago. Azzi said that the original QChat did not work as well as iDEN and customer adoption rates were “short of what we had hoped for.” Part of the problem, according to Azzi, was that coverage was not as comprehensive as iDEN.
The upgrade project includes the deployment of CDMA 1x Advanced, which Azzi said will reduce the per-minute costs and provide an estimated 20 percent to 40 percent improvement in capacity and performance.
David Blaine and Sprint just unveiled the Kyocera Echo, a dual-screened Android Device that sounds rather awesome based on initial details. Sprint just issued a press release providing more information, so let’s dig into some of the meat- just what is the Kyocera Echo all about?
Here is the general concept:
The Kyocera Echo has 2-screens, each screen being 3.5-inches and 800 x 480 pixel resolution
When closed, the Echo appears to be a regular phone
Unhinge/swivel the echo and can see BOTH screens at the SAME TIME
You can either run different applications on each screen (single screen mode) or you can “combine” the screens and run one application on both with an effective 4.7-inch screen size
I can picture a pretty enjoyable experience of watching YouTube on the top screen while browsing videos on the bottom, perhaps pressing a full-screen button to make the video expand across both screens:
I can think of a lot of great uses for the Echo’s dual-screen display, and to be honest, I’m surprised we haven’t seen something similar already. I’ve been suggesting this in articles and podcasts for the better half of two years.
Now I know you’ve probably got two key questions:
Is the processor powerful enough to run two screens at once?
Even if it can, will the battery last more than 27 minutes?
The Kyocera Echo runs on a 1GHz Snapdragon processor which isn’t dual-core but is pretty darn good, so we’re optimistic it can/will hold up. Kyocera realizes battery life could be a concern, so they’ve packaged in an external battery charger and a secondary battery- very smart move.
Kyocera has optimized several dual-screen experiences that include:
VueQue – YouTube where video is in the top screen and browsing videos is in the bottom
E-Mail Messaging – View/Compose messages in the top and type in the Full QWERTY on the bottom!
Browser: view 2 websites simultaneously
Gallery: picture on top, thumbnails for browsing on bottom
Some other key specs you’ll want to keep in mind:
Android 2.2
5-megapixel camera with flash, autofocus and digital zoom
720p HD camcorder
3.5mm headset jack
Wi-Fi with hot-spot feature
Exchange ActiveSynce, POP & IMAP e-mail
Stereo Bluetooth 2.1 (+ EDR)
1GHz Snapdragon processor
1GB internal memory
MicroSD slot with 8GB microSD pre-packaged
1340 mAh spare battery
Wondering if the device is big and bulky? It’s not – only .67 inches thick. The original Droid and iPhone are about half-an-inch thick so it does have a bit extra heft, but that’s to be expected.
My once concern is regarding how the Echo will play with Android apps on the market. Will it have compatability issues? Sprint has already opened a developer program for the device that will include an SDK allowing devs to optimize their apps and games for the dual screen interface, but how about those who haven’t optimized… will there be any complications or problems? Let’s hope not because the Echo is a cool idea.
Kyocera has a mini-site open at EchoByKyocera.com where you can see more details including a video.
But if you’re looking for more info… why not head over to the Kyocera Echo Forum at AndroidForums? Got a great idea for a dual-screen integration? Share it!
The Goolge Nexus S is available in the U.S. via T-Mobile, but it sadly only supports 3G. Sprint aimed to fix that by offering the Nexus S 4G, which runs on their WiMax 4G network. It was 
David Blaine and Sprint just unveiled the Kyocera Echo, a dual-screened Android Device that sounds rather awesome based on initial details. Sprint just issued a press release providing more information, so let’s dig into some of the meat- just what is the Kyocera Echo all about?
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