It looks similar to HTC only got a go-ahead for a 4G smartphone from which good predictor of marketplace preparedness, the FCC — as well as all signs indicate to Thunderbolt. PG05100, as it’s so lovingly referred to, operates upon Verizon’s 700MHz LTE as well as the CDMA / EVDO bands, as well as is set up for SVDO and SVLTE (or simultaneous CDMA voice as well as LTE interpretation — really in gripping with Verizon’s intentions. Unsurprisingly, HTC’s slapped the common confidentiality ask on this one, asking that any revelation photos sojourn under wraps until March 31st. Considering what we’ve heard about a behind Valentine’s Day debut, could this mean an April Fools’ launch for Verizon’s first 4G LTE smartphone? Our heart tells us to doubt it, though if PG05100 turns out to be a real deal, Thunderbolt should strike a US sometime soon. Not shortly sufficient, mind you, though you locate a deposit.

[Thanks, Shane]

Via Engadget

Though it assumingly doesn’t have any intentions in place to close its existing 140 stores around a country, The Wall Street Journal is stating this evening that network operator Clearwire is crude its approach retail strategy to concentrate on offered the make use of of the airwaves to alternative providers — providers such as Sprint as well as Comcast, for example, both of which make use of Clearwire’s WiMAX network for their own 4G services. The pierce doesn’t come as most of the warn since a association voiced hapless numbers back in November of last year — numbers that forced it to scale behind its headcount as well as the dreams of launching Clear-branded handsets in the nearby term — and WSJ says that the pierce may have Sprint more gentle investing more cash in the company given they’ll no longer be giving off the appearance which they’re competing head-to-head on a client level. Investment is just what Clearwire needs to tarry right now, as well as whether it comes from Sprint or an additional national carrier that’s in the marketplace for 4G spectrum, you know what they say: income is income.

Via Engadget

Verizon has only announced that it has finished the first voice over LTE (VoLTE) call upon a commercial network anywhere in a universe today, a 33-second dialogue between employees upon LG Revolutions in the company’s domicile in Basking Ridge, New Jersey, following it up with a series of alternative calls where staffers were able to speak and make use of interpretation services simultaneously — interjection in no small partial to a fact that LTE treats voice just as it treats any other sort of interpretation. We’d initially gotten a sense yesterday that Verizon would be starting to roll out voice over LTE (VoLTE) with a Revolution in mid-2011, though a company’s press release today is saying that they’ll be operative to “enhance” a VoLTE experience in 2011 with commercially accessibility right away expected next year. High-fidelity calls have been approaching to be partial of that experience, so it’ll be harder than ever to reason the call when you’ve got the bad cold. Remember a twist grip lozenges, alright? Follow a mangle for a full press release.

Show full PR textVERIZON WIRELESS ANNOUNCES WORLD’S INITIAL SUCCESSFUL VOICE OVER LTE CALL UPON A BLURB LTE NETWORK

BASKING RIDGE, N.J. – Verizon Chief Technology Officer Tony Melone has reliable which a company’s technologists placed the live, IMS-based VoLTE (Voice over LTE) call over the blurb network on Wednesday sunrise. This takes VoLTE calling from a lab surroundings to the blurb network for the first time anywhere upon the globe.

The primary call was placed at 9:54 a.m. ET Tuesday, Feb. 8, 2011 by Balaji Raghavachari, manager of technology for Verizon Wireless, using the LG Revolution 4G smartphone. The call originated during Verizon domicile in Basking Ridge, N.J. as well as was received by Sanyogita Shamsunder, executive of technology for Verizon Wireless, who was also on a LG Revolution 4G smartphone in Basking Ridge. The initial call was 33 seconds in duration. During additional calls done which morning, a technologists were means to crop the Web as well as make use of alternative data services whilst participating in voice calls.

Melone pronounced, “Today is an additional explanation indicate which a LTE ecosystem is alive, healthy as well as thriving. VoLTE will fast become a global customary for delivering voice over LTE networks.”

“The GSMA launched a voice over LTE beginning the year ago with the target of moving a singular, industry-wide solution for voice as well as messaging services via IP,” pronounced Alex Sinclair, chief record officer during a GSMA. “We commend Verizon Wireless for helping to have this a being by conducting the world’s first voice call over the blurb LTE network. The swell done by a GSMA, the members, and in sold Verizon Wireless, to enable this functionality will play the consequential role in moving clever movement as well as immeasurable economies of scale for LTE all over the universe.”

Subsequent test calls lasted more than 10 mins. Technologists browsed the Web, participated in chats as well as downloaded applications from the Android Market™ while upon the voice call. The LG Revolution smartphones were running upon a Android 2.2 height.

Verizon Wireless plans to enhance VoLTE with rich communications services as well as optimize performance upon its blurb 4G LTE network during 2011. Commercial services are approaching to be available in 2012.

Verizon will showcase IMS-based VoLTE calls over the demonstration network in its counter (Hall 8, case 8C55) during GSMA Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain, subsequent week. For some-more information about LTE, visit www.verizonwireless.com/LTE.

Via Engadget

We don’t have any central cinema yet, though there’s right away a placeholder entry for the so-called SCH-R910 Galaxy Indulge from Samsung upon MetroPCS’ official site, in all likelihood which device we’d formerly seen leaked a integrate times as a Forte. This would be a initial LTE smartphone upon MetroPCS since a previously-released Craft is the dumbphone — as well as depending on a recover date, they could potentially beat HTC’s Thunderbolt for Verizon to turn the initial LTE smartphone offering on any conduit in the US. Besides LTE await, specs look to include a 1GHz processor (Hummingbird, we’re guessing) along with WiFi as well as the 3.5-inch HVGA display all running atop Froyo. Pricing? $399, which seems expensive until you recollect that these guys don’t do contracts. We’re assuming we’ll be conference more about this bad boy soon, so keep an ear to a belligerent as well as we’ll do a same.

[Thanks, Danny]

Via Engadget

Verizon (like most operators) has thus far been decorous about the plans for rolling out voice job services upon the LTE network, in partial since voice isn’t the core assistance of LTE — everything is simply treated as data, which means carriers have needed to coddle their options as well as confirm how (and when) to add voice into the brew. We’d gotten a deceptive sense from Verizon’s LTE launch event late final year that 4G voice wasn’t in the company’s 2011 intentions, though it turns out that’s not true: they’ve now come out to contend that the LG Revolution — announced during CES final month — will be Verizon’s initial VoLTE device when it launches mid-year. Naturally, it’ll tumble back to CDMA voice when you’re out of LTE operation, but the pierce will represent a carrier’s initial baby step into the 4G voice area; it’ll suggest higher tune peculiarity than you’re used to with traditional mobile as well as landline calls (akin to HD Voice, we suppose which will be one of the selling points when it launches. Every indication is that this will be the glacially delayed transition — it’ll take years for handsets to support the standard upon the wide scale and LTE footprints to enhance nationally, never thoughts inter-carrier call harmony — but it’s a large move nonetheless. Look for more news on this at MWC next week.

[Thanks, Ravi]

Via Engadget

Third-party mobile tradesman Wirefly has only expelled a seven-minute video detailing a HTC Thunderbolt’s unboxing procedure in glorious item, something that’s only liable to have the wait for prospective buyers even some-more agonizing. Speaking of waiting, word on the street is which a phone competence be delayed from its previously-rumored Valentine’s Day launch; an ominous screen shot over on Droid Life says there’s “no ETA during this time,” a fact advanced by Amazon’s dismissal of the launch date upon its Thunderbolt product page. What’s some-more, in announcing the unboxing, Wirefly usually says that it’ll “begin offered a Thunderbolt shortly” without charity a date — so yeah, all signs are indicating to an open-ended delay here. Let’s goal it stays within a short bounds of February, eh? Follow a break for the full video.

Via Engadget

Don’t ever contend Ma Bell lacks cahones. On a same day that existent Verizon customers began pre-ordering a CDMA’d iPhone 4, AT&T has come purify with what’s next upon America’s largest GSM network. While announced during CES 2011, pricing as well as release information had eluded the luscious Atrix 4G… until right away, that is. AT&T will proceed pre-sales for a Froyo-powered Motorola Atrix 4G Android superphone upon February 13th, with a customary $199.99 + two-year contract ($50 more than we were led to believe, thoughts you) removing a single into your grubby mitts. We’re told to design general availability upon March 6th “or earlier,” putting it only about in line with the date we’d heard rumored. Moreover, those looking to buy will should have the formidable time laying off of the Laptop Dock bundle, that nets you an Atrix 4G as well as the $499.99 wharf for a grand sum of $499.99 on contract. You listened right — those who opt to buy the dock during the after time will be asked to bombard out 5 Benjamins, since which same tally on day a single will additionally embody the phone. It should be remarkable, however, which a gold usually relates if you also pointer your name to the Data Pro plan as well as tethering add-on, so be certain you’re down for that monthly strike prior to committing in haste. Oh, as well as only in box you simply can’t stop spending, a carrier is additionally offering an Entertainment Access Kit for Atrix 4G customers that includes the Motorola HD Multimedia Dock, the Bluetooth keyboard and rodent, as well as the remote carry out for $189.99. Show full PR textAT&T Announces a World’s Most Powerful Smartphone, a Motorola ATRIX 4G, Will Be Available for Preorder upon Feb. 13

Unique line of Accessories, Including a Motorola Laptop Dock, Available with Bundled Pricing

DALLAS, Feb. 3, 2011 /PRNewswire/ —

Key Facts

* AT&T* begins pre-sales for Motorola ATRIX™ 4G upon Feb. 13
* Motorola ATRIX 4G, powered by a Android 2.2 height, accessible to one side for AT&T customers for $199.99 with a two-year service agreement.
* Motorola ATRIX 4G is approaching to be available from AT&T and name sell channels for customers by March 6 or earlier.
* AT&T will offer bundled pricing for a Motorola ATRIX 4G and a Motorola Laptop Dock.

4G Portfolio

AT&T is the personality in smartphones, as well as expects to dilate which lead in 2011. In January, AT&T committed to an industry-leading Android portfolio in the U.S. in 2011 and pronounced it intentions to offer dual 4G smartphones in the first quarter. An attention first, the Motorola ATRIX 4G is a heading edge of more than 20 modernized, 4G inclination AT&T intentions to broach in 2011. AT&T has completed the deployment of HSPA+ to virtually 100 percent of the mobile broadband network, that enables 4G speeds when combined with enhanced backhaul.

Motorola ATRIX™ 4G

The Motorola ATRIX™ 4G Android 2.2 smartphone will be offered exclusively by AT&T as well as is the world’s most absolute smartphone. Featuring a 2×1 GHz dual-core processor for a sum of 2 GHz of estimate energy, a singular webtop application, a world’s first qHD display, as well as Adobe flash player, the, ATRIX 4G delivers a conspicuous multiple of application estimate energy with 4G speed capacity and a high-resolution qHD monitor, a first for the attention.

It will be complemented by breakthrough accessories which include the revolutionary, super-thin Motorola Laptop Dock — for that ATRIX 4G is a “engine” — as well as a Motorola HD Multimedia Dock which uses ATRIX 4G’s HDMI video outlay capabilities and estimate energy to enable the revolutionary browsing, application and media experience.

AT&T will suggest two special packages for customers who select to purchase ATRIX 4G in addition to these singular accessories. The first combines ATRIX 4G and the Motorola Laptop Dock for the promotional cost of $499.99 after the two-year assistance stipulate as well as $100 mail-in-rebate after subscription to Data Pro smartphone data devise and tethering supplement upon. Customers who select to squeeze the Motorola Laptop Dock alone compensate $499.99. AT&T is additionally charity an Entertainment Access Kit for ATRIX clientele which includes a Motorola HD Multimedia Dock, the Bluetooth® set of keys as well as rodent, as well as a remote carry out for $189.99.

Motorola ATRIX 4G will also embody AT&T Mobile Hotspot assistance built into a smartphone, allowing users to connect additional Wi-Fi-enabled inclination.

AT&T U-verse® TV clientele will be means to conduct their DVR recordings – and U-verse clientele with the subordinate TV devise can download as well as watch hit TV shows – right from their ATRIX 4G handset using a U-verse Mobile application. In further, any ATRIX 4G user, whether or not they have U-verse TV during home, can still suffer the accumulation of video options – including live TV – with a new U-verse Live TV application, preloaded as well as accessible for $9.99 the month.

For more report, revisit www.att.com/atrix4G. For photos as well as more information about presales for ATRIX 4G, revisit www.att.com/mobilephones-news.

Via Engadget

The mobile gossip indent has been abuzz about Verizon’s intensity move divided from unlimited data intentions for a long time now, but we’re not putting a rumors to rest. In fact, we’re only fanning the flames — according to the folks at Droid Life, Big Red’s $30 total data plan could be entrance to 4G LTE. The site’s sources indicate out which this might meant $30 and $15 for 4G interpretation, and that pricing structures have been likely to shift as a LTE Juggernaut powers ahead. Considering a first Verizon 4G phones haven’t even done it to marketplace yet, total data competence be around for sometime to come … then again, it might not — don’t you only love conjecture?

Via Engadget

Though it was predated by a usable hack, a Pantech UML290 USB modem — one of only dual devices launched so far for Verizon’s LTE network — has eventually been sanctified with an official Mac OS driver. What does this meant? Well, technically, it means which this is the really first time Mac users have been getting any LTE love in a US whatsoever — yet with which Samsung-sourced mobile hotspot on the setting, USB modems might be the difficult sale during this indicate. On the bright note, the accessibility of the driver today means which Verizon beat the own guess of February; a UML290′s reflection from LG, the VL600, is still Windows-only, though we suppose that’ll be attack soon as well.

[Thanks to everybody who sent this in]

Via Engadget

We won’t lie: we’ve been pretty skeptical of the rumors so far that the HTC Thunderbolt would have await for simultaneous voice as well as interpretation over EV-DO — SVDO, as it’s well known — incited upon. Perhaps more than any other US conduit, Verizon has the reputation for contrast a vital daylights out of devices and locking out hardware that doesn’t encounter its reliability standards, and so we were a small leery of some supposedly leaked inner information exchange not prolonged ago letting reps know that nonetheless it’ll be enabled, it shouldn’t be discussed because it doesn’t suggest an “knowledge… consistent with [their] mark.” Well, we’ve just been fed the second request that facilities a same diction, so it looks similar to this might be genuine after all — and what’s more, it’s got updated wordiness stating that mobile hotspot capacity will be accessible at launch, contrary to other leaks floating around today. This particular request is dated currently, so we’re feeling good that the report is current — as well as if anything, it should get intensity Thunderbolt buyers some-more excited than ever.

[Thanks, David]

Via Engadget