Android and Me

AT&T customers lash out over capped upload speeds on 4G Android phones, 5x slower than the 3G iPhone 4
Motorola Atrix 4G hacks enable webtop without dock and working hotspot without tethering plan
Foursquare 3.0 for Android launching tonight, focuses on exploring cities
Virgin Mobile goes crazy on Android, no-contract unlimited data and text for only $25 per month
Verizon working on Thunderbolt issues, should arrive in stores by the end of Q2
Oh Danny Boy, the Angry Birds are calling
HTC EVO View 4G trademark application filed by HTC

AT&T customers lash out over capped upload speeds on 4G Android phones, 5x slower than the 3G iPhone 4

Posted: 08 Mar 2011 06:40 PM PST

Why is a 3G phone getting faster mobile broadband speeds than a brand new 4G phone on the same network?

Concerned AT&T customers who purchased the HTC Inspire 4G or Motorola Atrix 4G have begun to notice that their upload speeds are being capped and they have started making noise to see if the carrier will address it.

This past month AT&T launched their first pair of 4G phones which operate on the carrier’s 4G HSPA+ network. Even though AT&T has upgraded their entire 3G network to HSPA+, only the markets with enhanced backhaul are experiencing the faster 4G speeds.

So just how fast is AT&T 4G? On the company website it claims 4G network speeds are up to approximately 6 Mbps, but makes no specific mention of upload speeds.

We know that AT&T customers with the iPhone 4 regularly see upload speeds of up to 1.5 Mbps, but it appears that all 4G Android phones are capped at a measly 300 kbps. Upload speeds are not critical to every user, but they do have a direct relation with the quality of video calls. AT&T touts smoother-streaming video as a reason to buy a 4G phone now, so it is troubling that Android customers are being treated different than iPhone users.

Research shows that the Inspire 4G and Atrix 4G both have modems that support High-Speed Uplink Packet Access (HSUPA) with speeds up to 5.7 Mbps. We don’t expect to see these full upload speeds on an actual device, but at least we know the hardware supports faster speeds than what is currently available.

I’ve done my own personal testing with an Atrix 4G all over Texas and I can confirm that upload speeds never surpassed 300 kbps. Download speeds were average (2-3 Mbps), but I’m not sure if the enhanced backhaul has been turned on in my state.

Other users who have tested the Atrix 4G and Inspire 4G against the iPhone 4 have found similar results. Alex Colon of PCMag tested the devices in six different locations and found the iPhone 4 generally reported upload speeds of over 1.5 Mbps, while the Android phones were capped at 300 kbps.

YouTuber xEchoRelay also compared the Atrix to the iPhone and shared his results.

PCMag reached out to AT&T to see if they would comment on the capped upload speeds and they received an evasive answer. AT&T did not deny any of the claims and only said, “As you noticed, we have a number of HSUPA devices today and we will have more HSUPA-enabled devices in the future—new devices and updates to existing models.”

By failing to address the claims of PCMag, it appears that AT&T has silently confirmed they are capping the upload speeds on their 4G Android phones.

Upset customers have taken their concerns for the forums with some of them threatening to return their devices if AT&T does not address the issue. The complaints are beginning to grow with a nine page thread on the AT&T forums, a ten page on the Motorola forums, and a 14 page thread on xda-developers where hackers are trying to defeat the cap.

If you want to look on the bright side, at least these capped upload speeds can be fixed with a simple over-the-air software update. AT&T could be protecting their network by limiting upload speeds until their enhanced backhaul is complete.

Unfortunately, some AT&T customers might be waiting awhile to experience true 4G speeds. The company’s answer center says that 2/3 of their mobile traffic will be delivered over their enhanced backhaul by the end of 2011. AT&T’s coverage map doesn’t exactly specify which areas have enhanced backhaul, so it’s kind of a guessing game as to what areas can access 4G speeds right now.

Thankfully AT&T doesn’t charge any extra data fees for their 4G handsets, but it still puts them in a weird position that some of their 3G phones offer faster broadband speeds than their new 4G lineup (up to 5x faster in some cases).

Finally, in case you were wondering AT&T still claims that third-party drive test data show they continue to have the nation's fastest mobile broadband network. My experiences would tell me otherwise, but I’m just a blogger so what do I know.

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Motorola Atrix 4G hacks enable webtop without dock and working hotspot without tethering plan

Posted: 08 Mar 2011 05:33 PM PST

We knew the Atrix 4G would be shipping without some features enabled (like 1080p video capture), but there were a few surprise omissions like the lack of HSUPA speeds and the inability to access webtop without an official dock. Most of these features should be available with a future software update, but the more adventurous Atrix owners can unlock them with a few simple hacks.

Webtop over HDMI

Webtop can now be accessed without an expensive dock.

First we have webtop via HDMI without a dock thanks for xda-developers member Fenny. This hack requires root access and allows your Atrix 4G to launch Motorola’s webtop mode when connected to any HDMI display. Users can then connect a bluetooth mouse and keyboard for a full desktop experience.

I had assumed that Motorola would let you run webtop over HDMI out of the box, but instead they limited it to their $500 lapdock accessory or the $80 multimedia dock. Thanks to the desktop Firefox browser found in webtop, you can now access the full web on your HDTV with this hack.

Hopefully AT&T allows Motorola to enable this feature in a newer software version and stops forcing us to buy a dock.

Working hotspot without tethering plan

Next we have a hack that allows working hotspot without tethering by richhed. The Motorola Atrix 4G ships with an application for wireless hotspot, but AT&T forces you to buy their $20 tethering plan with 2 GB of data in order to access it. This modification requires root access, but it will allow you to tether with a normal data plan and unlock some other cool features.

Motorola’s lapdock and webtop application require the tethering plan if you wish to use them over a mobile network, but they can still be used free of cost over WiFi. If you combine this hotspot hack with the webtop hack above, you can now use webtop without a dock on your mobile connection or use webtop over 3G without the tethering plan.

Atrix bootloader still locked

Unlike the Motorola Xoom which features a bootloader than can be unlocked and enables developers to access hardware for development, the Atrix includes a locked bootloader that hackers have been unable to crack so far. This will slow the development of custom ROMs and other hacks, but both devices share similar Tegra 2 platforms so hopefully that will help the Atrix bootloader to eventually be defeated.

Overall I’m glad to see that some hackers have embraced the Atrix 4G and I hope they one day fully unlock this phone. The Atrix 4G offers best-in-class hardware and I’d love to see what developers could do with the software when they have the ability to flash custom ROMs.

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Foursquare 3.0 for Android launching tonight, focuses on exploring cities

Posted: 08 Mar 2011 04:05 PM PST

Foursquare launched back in 2009 at Austin’s SXSW festival with the idea of “making cities easier to use” and the mobile company will stick with their yearly cadence by releasing Version 3.0 later tonight. The social check-in service now boasts nearly 7.5 million users and witnessed almost 500,000,000 check-ins during the last year.

As Foursquare has continued to grow, they have continued to add new features that take advantage of all their growing database of location and social info. In a new blog post, company founder Dennis Crowley details Foursquare’s journey and their future.

Dennis explained the importance of every check-in and how context matters by saying, “We knew that while check-ins were interesting in the present tense ("Hey, Alex is at Ace Bar!") they were most interesting when viewed in aggregate, as a history of the places you've been and people you've overlapped with. The world becomes so much more fun, social, and interesting when you have that context.”

The major addition to Foursquare 3.0 is the new Explore tab which is powered by their recommendation engine for the real world. This feature takes all the check-ins and tips from the larger Foursquare community into turns it into personalized recommendations based on your location.

When visiting the Explore tab, users can quickly explore suggestions for several pre-defined categories like food, coffee, nightlife, and shops or they can search for anything. The suggestions are based on all kinds of signals including “the places you've been, the places your friends have visited, your loyalty to your favorite places, the categories and types of places you gravitate towards, what's popular with other users, the day of the week, places with great tips, the time of day, and so on.”

The new update also tries to encourage activity by tweaking the leaderboards with a new sliding 7-day barometer of your activity. Check-ins now trigger points for dozens of actions including “discovering new places, trying new types of restaurants, visiting new cities, getting groups together, hanging out with old friends, and a few things you might not expect.”

Finally, Foursquare has implemented new loyalty rewards with their Specials program. Businesses can offer six types of rewards to swarms, groups of friends, regulars, newbies, Mayors, or simply to everyone. The Places tab now includes a link to display specials nearby, so it’s easier than ever to find businesses that reward Foursquare users.

Overall it looks like another solid release for Foursquare. I’m glad to see they are releasing the new Android and iPhone versions on the same day and I’m excited to see how it performs this weekend in Austin at SXSW. I like the focus on discovery, encouragement, and loyalty and it will be interesting to see how local businesses embrace the new Specials program.

Foursquare 3.0 will land on the Android Market sometime later tonight, so keep an eye on the official Market listing for it to go live.

Gallery

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Virgin Mobile goes crazy on Android, no-contract unlimited data and text for only $25 per month

Posted: 08 Mar 2011 02:48 PM PST

I’ve never given Virgin Mobile much attention, but their creepy Go Crazy on Android ads caught my attention and they have begun to earn my respect. This no-contract carrier, who is owned and operated by Sprint, began selling their first Android phone last year and recently started to offer the LG Optimus V.

Virgin Mobile’s most appealing attraction is their Beyond Talk Plans, which offer unlimited data and text and start as low as $25 per month.

Virgin Mobile's Beyond Talk Plans.

Every one of these plans is pay-as-you-go and offers unlimited text, email, data, and web. Anytime minutes are tiered and allow you to choose from 300 for $25, 1200 for $40, or unlimited for $60.

Virgin Mobile operates on Sprint’s 3G nationwide network, which covers more than 277 million people. It appears that their “unlimited data” might begin to be throttled at 2.5 GB, but no other carrier can beat these prices for mobile Android data.

A comparison chart on the carrier’s site emphasizes the value that Virgin Mobile offers over the competition.

Virgin Mobile offers the lowest prices for Android fans.

Customers who purchase a LG Optimus V and go with the $25 per month plan would only pay $749 over the course of two years. This results in a savings of $1200 to $1400 when compared with the big post-paid carriers and around $700 when compared to other no-contract carriers. Sprint is mysteriously missing from the chart, but you would also save around $1200 when going with Virgin Mobile.

Of course there is no contract for Virgin Mobile, so you could leave at any time and your total commitment would be as low as the phone ($149) and a couple months of service ($25 per).

I really dislike the 24-month contracts and all the games that the big carriers play on you, so I am beginning to find a new love for pre-paid phones and plans. The only disadvantages of pre-paids right now is the limited selection of Android phones and the lack of 4G support, but that should begin to change later this year.

The LG Optimus V is the best value-priced Android phone that is available, but I would like to see Virgin Mobile step their game up and offer some more mid-range Android phones and even some high-end devices (like tablets). Anything with a decent 1 GHz processor and 4-inch display for around $300 off-contract would be mighty appealing.

Not everyone needs a high-end superphone like the Motorola Atrix 4G, so if you are fully satisfied with a mid-range Android phone and 3G speeds then a pre-paid carrier makes the most sense right now. Why would anyone want to sign a 2-year commitment when they could go grab a quality Android phone (for as low as $129) and only pay $25 per month to use it?

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Verizon working on Thunderbolt issues, should arrive in stores by the end of Q2

Posted: 08 Mar 2011 11:44 AM PST

Verizon had hoped their first 4G handset, the HTC Thunderbolt, would be in stores by now but it appears that several issues have held up the release so far. The phone was unveiled at CES back in January and Best Buy began advertising a pre-order campaign the first week of February, but recent comments from Tony Melone, Verizon's CTO, suggest we might be waiting several more months.

In a statement provided to ZDNet, Tony Melone said, “First half of the year is what we promised, first half of the year is still on track. So we don't believe there are any new or surprising issues. I think what we're facing is what you would expect, and that is a new technology, you are working through issues. And we anticipated that, and we are pleased at how we are working through issues. And as I said, you are going to see LTE smartphones on the network as promised, before the first half — before the second half of the year, by the end of the second quarter.”

The Thunderbolt has had so many rumored release dates, that it has been hard to keep up with them all. First we thought it might launch February 14th, followed February 24th, and then March 4th. The phone missed every rumored launch date and Verizon pulled down their promotional videos from YouTube, so we have no idea how long it will be before it actually arrive in stores.

When asked to detail the Thunderbolt issues that Verizon was working on Melone said, “I'm not sure I would say there are any key issues. I would say all the issues are being worked.”

From what we have gathered, there are three rumored issues that have held up the release. Our friends at Android Community report that Verizon has a problem with the switch between 3G and 4G networks and the transfer was not as "seamless" as they truly desired. Next we had Engadget reporting that the Thunderbolt suffered from terrible battery life, but a newer firmware update is said to address that issue.

Finally several site like ZDNet have reported that pricing issues could be delaying the release. Fran Shammo, Verizon's CFO, said the Thunderbolt will usher in a new “tiered pricing structure”, but we have yet to discover the official details on these plans.

The Thunderbolt has also been rumored at several different prices including $249-299 on contract and $699-749 off contract, which would make it one of the most expensive Android phones.

If are wanting to pick up the Thunderbolt when it launches, your best bet right now is to visit Verizon’s Thunder Tracker and sign up to be notified of its release. For an overview of the Thunderbolt and complete specs, visit the official HTC product page.

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Oh Danny Boy, the Angry Birds are calling

Posted: 08 Mar 2011 07:45 AM PST

Faith and Begorrah! Rovio is adding some more holiday themed levels to its massively popular Angry Birds application, just in time for the holiday that marks my favorite day to enjoy a Guinness.

Sometime in the next few days, we should expect to see the Saint Patrick's Day addition to the Angry Birds Seasons application hit the Android Market. No word yet on how many levels will be added, but if the Valentine's Day addition is any indication, chances are we'll see another 15-20 or so with the Saint Patrick’s Day update.

Stay tuned to Rovio's twitter account and/or Android and Me for the latest and greatest info on when these new levels become available. Meanwhile, check out Rovio’s teaser video below.

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HTC EVO View 4G trademark application filed by HTC

Posted: 08 Mar 2011 06:50 AM PST

We're still a ways away from confirming all the leaked details for Sprint's CTIA announcement, but HTC's latest trademark application does confirm that at least one of the three products Sprint is expected to unveil in a few weeks. According to a new file listed by the U.S. Patent Office, HTC is looking to trademark the name "HTC EVO View 4G" which pretty much confirms that Sprint is planing on launching an Android tablet with WiMax support.

The assumption is that the HTC EVO View 4G is simply a CDMA and WiMax enabled HTC Flyer running on Android 2.3 with a 1.5 GHz Snapdragon processor from Qualcomm. But Sprint and HTC may deliver something even better. Since we have no real details to go off of, we could just as easily assume that the HTC EVO View 4G is the HTC Verdi, an Adroid tablet which will feature a larger 10-inch display, Honeycomb and may possibly be powered by a dual-core Snapdragon processor. For now, it's simply a guessing game. We'll have to wait for more details to leak out before we can call it either way.

There are a lot of factors to take into consideration when buying an Android tablet; but would you rather have the HTC Flyer with Android 2.3 and a 7-inch display or the HTC Verdi with a 10-inch display running on Android 3.0?

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