Wednesday, March 23, 2011

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Sprint To Fight The AT&T/T-Mobile Merger

Posted: 22 Mar 2011 03:28 PM PDT

Want to know something crazy? If you put AT&T and T-Mobile together — as would happen if AT&T’s acquisition of T-Mo goes through as planned — the new, shiny, two-headed super-carrier that emerges would account for 42% (130 million) of the US’ wireless market share. Nearly half of the country’s wireless subscribers, all under the same subscriber. With Verizon in second, the top two carriers in the US would account for 79% of the market share. That’s nuts.

So nuts, in fact, that Sprint plans on trying to fight it. According to Bloomberg, Sprint CEO Dan Hesse has expressed his intensions to file a complaint to Congress. Why? It’ll “stifle innovation”.

The fact that it would more or less permanently cap Sprint in their current third place spot probably doesn’t help, either.

[Via Phonescoop]

No-Touch, Hands-Off Gallery: The Samsung Infuse For AT&T

Posted: 22 Mar 2011 02:34 PM PDT

Hey! Look! It’s AT&T’s upcoming Android superphone, the Samsung Infuse 4G, with its absolutely massive 4.5″ screen, 1.2 GHZ Snapdragon CPU, 8 megapixel camera, etc. Awesome!

The not so awesome part: We couldn’t touch it. There it was, just inches away… in a display case.

Normally, this is where we’d share some impressions. We couldn’t touch it nor see it in action, so I can’t say much in that regard. It’s uh, really great at floating in the air inside of a plastic display case.

Infuse Front Infuse Jack Infuse Left Infuse Rear Infuse Right


Hands-on with the Sprint HTC EVO 3D [with Video!]

Posted: 22 Mar 2011 12:25 PM PDT

  • While I’m not too big of a fan of this whole glasses-free 3D trend, I am a fan of big ol’ megafast superphones — and, silly 3D screen aside, that’s exactly what the just announced EVO 3D is.

    Take a glance at our quick hands-off demo video above, and join us behind the jump for our hands-on impressions and photos.

      Impressions:

    • That 3D screen? Meh. Admittedly, I’m not a big fan of 3D media in general, but 3D on this screen isn’t particularly great. The “sweet spot” (the viewing angle where the 3D effect works) seems pretty small. I might be crazy, but I remember the sweet spot/overall 3D effect on the Optimus 3D being a bit better than this.
    • It feels great in the hand. It’s a hair thinner than the original EVO while being a biiiit taller, which makes it feel just a tad less brick-like.
    • The back of the handset has a slight texture to it (see the photo below), which, while subtle, somehow makes the back of the handset feel less cheap in the palm.
    • The software on this hardware was super early and thus pretty dang crashtastic — but they’ve still got plenty of time to brush that up before the summer launch.
    • When the software is workin’, it’s fast. The video above doesn’t necessarily show this particularly well, but things were smooth as butter in our hands-on time after the fact.
    • The build of HTC Sense running here has a few subtle, but welcome, changes over HTC Senses past. There’s a fancy new lock screen that lets you jump straight into a 4 customizable tasks (phone, mail, camera, and messaging, amongst others), and new fullscreen weather animations.
    • Sense also features a new, roulette-wheel-esque swipe mechanism on the home screen which lets you zoom past multiple screens with one quick brush of the finger. It’s a bit too sensitive for me (I’d probably turn it off, actually), but I imagine some folks will love it.

      • EVO 1 EVO 2 EVO 3 EVO 4 EVO 5 EVO! 3D! EVO 3D! EVO 7 EVO 8 EVO 9 EVO 10


    • Verizon Announces More 4G LTE Markets To Come In 2011

    Posted: 22 Mar 2011 11:58 AM PDT

    In case you were wondering if your city is getting 4G from Verizon this year, scroll down and check out the extensive list. Today, Verizon announced an additional 59 markets that will get 4G LTE by the end of the year. This is in addition to the 39 initial markets and the 49 announced at CES. This brings total 4G LTE coverage to 147 US cities by the end of 2011.


    Press Release

    VERIZON WIRELESS BRINGS 4G LTE TO MORE THAN 145 MARKETS BY THE END OF 2011

    BASKING RIDGE, N.J. – Today, Verizon Wireless unveiled an additional 59 markets that will benefit from the world’s first large-scale 4G Long Term Evolution (LTE) network by the end of this year. These newly named areas, added to the 39 initial markets launched in December 2010 and 49 markets announced at the Consumer Electronics Show in January, mean that consumers and businesses in at least 147 U.S. cities will have access to the fastest, most advanced 4G mobile network in America.

    David Small, chief technical officer for Verizon Wireless, said, “Aggressively expanding this powerful network beyond major metro areas reflects the reality that the 4G LTE ecosystem is growing quickly. Our commitment to reach deep into medium-sized cities and smaller communities by the end of 2011 means the power of 4G LTE can be harnessed and provide advanced services to law enforcement, healthcare workers, educators, and other professionals, as well as to individual consumers, sooner than many thought possible. So whether you spend time in New York and San Francisco, or Harrisburg, Penn., Saginaw/Bay City, Mich., Huntsville, Ala. and Las Cruces, New Mexico, you can connect to the most advanced 4G network in the country.”

    (EDITORS NOTE: A list of new 4G LTE markets launching in 2011 follows this news release.)

    The HTC ThunderBolt™, launched Thursday, March 17, is the first in a suite of consumer-oriented smartphones, tablets, hotspots and notebooks that will run on Verizon Wireless’ 4G LTE network by the middle of this year. The new consumer devices join two USB modems from Pantech and LG which have been providing laptop users with speeds up to 10 times faster than the company’s 3G network. In real-world, fully-loaded network environments, 4G LTE users should experience average data rates of 5 to 12 megabits per second (Mbps) on the downlink and 2 to 5 Mbps on the uplink.

    Verizon Wireless is building its 4G LTE network with the same commitment to performance and reliability for which it has long been recognized. Verizon Wireless’ consistent focus on reliability is based on rigid engineering standards and a disciplined deployment approach year after year. The company’s 700 MHz spectrum gives Verizon Wireless specific advantages with 4G, including a contiguous, nationwide network license.

    Verizon Wireless is also working with rural communications companies to collaboratively build and operate a 4G network in those areas using the tower and backhaul assets of the rural company and Verizon Wireless’ core 4G LTE equipment and premium 700 MHz spectrum. Already, six rural companies have signed on to leverage Verizon Wireless’ scale for infrastructure while keeping their customers on the cutting edge of technology.

    Since 2007, when Verizon Wireless jump-started the global 4G LTE ecosystem with its selection of LTE for its 4G technology, the company has developed deep partnerships to spearhead a broad LTE ecosystem, including the LTE Innovation Center in Waltham, Mass., and an LTE Applications Center, slated to open in San Francisco this fall.

    Verizon Wireless’ 4G LTE network already reaches 110 million people, more than one-third of all Americans, and is available today in the following metropolitan areas:

    · Phoenix, Ariz.
    · Los Angeles, Calif.
    · Oakland, Calif.
    · San Diego, Calif.
    · San Francisco, Calif.
    · San Jose, Calif.
    · Denver, Colo.
    · Washington, D.C.
    · Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.
    · Jacksonville, Fla.
    · Miami, Fla.
    · Orlando, Fla.
    · Tampa, Fla.
    · West Palm Beach, Fla.
    · Athens, Ga.
    · Atlanta, Ga.
    · Chicago, Ill.
    · West Lafayette, Ind.
    · New Orleans, La.
    · Baltimore, Md.
    · Boston, Mass.
    · Detroit, Mich.
    · Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minn.
    · St. Louis, Mo.
    · Las Vegas, Nev.
    · New York, N.Y.
    · Rochester, N.Y.
    · Charlotte, N.C.
    · Akron, Ohio
    · Cincinnati, Ohio
    · Cleveland, Ohio
    · Columbus, Ohio
    · Oklahoma City, Okla.
    · Philadelphia, Pa.
    · Pittsburgh, Pa.
    · Nashville, Tenn.
    · Dallas-Ft. Worth, Texas
    · Houston, Texas
    · San Antonio, Texas
    · Seattle/Tacoma, Wash.

    Additional areas to be covered by Verizon Wireless’ 4G LTE network in 2011 include:
    · Decatur, Ala.
    · Huntsville, Ala.*
    · Mobile, Ala.*
    · Montgomery, Ala.*
    · Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, Ark.
    · Fort Smith, Ark.
    · Little Rock, Ark.*
    · Tucson, Ariz.
    · Bakersfield, Calif.
    · Fresno, Calif.
    · Modesto, Calif.
    · Sacramento, Calif.
    · Salinas-Monterey, Calif.
    · San Luis Obispo, Calif.
    · Santa Barbara, Calif.
    · Stockton, Calif.
    · Colorado Springs, Colo.*
    · Fort Collins, Colo.
    · Fairfield, Conn.
    · Hartford, Conn.
    · New Haven, Conn.
    · Daytona Beach, Fla.
    · Fort Myers, Fla.
    · Gainesville, Fla.*
    · Lakeland-Winter Haven, Fla.*
    · Pensacola, Fla.*
    · Sarasota-Bradenton, Fla.*
    · Tallahassee, Fla.*
    · Augusta, Ga.*
    · Hilo, Hawaii
    · Honolulu, Hawaii*
    · Kahului-Wailuku, Hawaii*
    · Lahaina, Hawaii*
    · Davenport, Iowa
    · Iowa City, Iowa
    · Boise-Nampa, Idaho*
    · Bloomington/Normal, Ill.
    · Carbondale, Ill.*
    · Champaign, Ill.
    · Rockford, Ill.
    · Springfield, Ill.
    · Fort Wayne, Ind.
    · Indianapolis, Ind.
    · Lafayette, Ind.
    · Wichita, Kan.*
    · Louisville, Ky.
    · Baton Rouge, La.*
    · Hammond, La.*
    · Springfield, Mass.
    · Worcester, Mass.
    · Hagerstown, Md.
    · Flint, Mich.*
    · Grand Rapids, Mich.
    · Lansing, Mich.
    · Saginaw-Bay City, Mich.
    · Starkville, Miss.
    · Asheville-Henderson, N.C.
    · Fayetteville-Lumberton, N.C.*
    · Greensboro-Winston Salem-High Point, N.C.*
    · Raleigh-Durham, N.C.*
    · Wilmington, N.C.*
    · Fargo, N.D.
    · Omaha, Neb.
    · Albuquerque, N.M.
    · Las Cruces, N.M.
    · Santa Fe, N.M.
    · Reno, Nev.
    · Albany, N.Y.
    · Ithaca, N.Y.
    · Syracuse, N.Y.
    · Dayton-Springfield, Ohio*
    · Lima, Ohio
    · Toledo, Ohio
    · Tulsa, Okla.*
    · Portland, Ore.
    · Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, Pa.
    · Erie, Pa.*
    · Harrisburg, Pa.
    · Johnstown, Pa.
    · Scranton/Wilkes Barre, Pa.
    · State College, Pa.*
    · Charleston, S.C.*
    · Columbia, S.C.*
    · Greenville-Spartanburg, S.C.*
    · Hilton Head, S.C.*
    · Sioux Falls, S.D.*
    · Chattanooga, Tenn.*
    · Clarksville, Tenn.*
    · Cleveland, Tenn.*
    · Dyersburg-Union City, Tenn.
    · Jackson, Tenn.
    · Kingsport-Johnson City, Tenn.-Bristol, Va.*
    · Knoxville, Tenn.*
    · Memphis, Tenn.*
    · Beaumont-Port Arthur, Texas*
    · Bryan-College Station, Texas*
    · El Paso, Texas
    · Temple-Killeen, Texas
    · Provo-Orem, Utah*
    · Salt Lake City-Ogden, Utah*
    · Olympia, Wash.*
    · Centralia, Wash.*
    · Spokane, Wash.
    · Charleston, W.Va.*
    · Madison, Wis.*
    · Milwaukee, Wis.*
    * Indicates a metro area previously announced in 2011

    Visit www.verizonwireless.com/lte for more information about Verizon Wireless’ 4G LTE network.

    The New Xperia Play Commercial Is Cute (Video)

    Posted: 22 Mar 2011 11:15 AM PDT

    There’s just something about Kristen Schaal’s quirkiness I find cute. They got her to compare gaming on the Xperia Play to the iPhone in a sort of Apple-esque manner (solid colored background, three point lighting, two people standing on screen comparing something). Either way, the Xperia offers some pretty good gameplay. Check it out.

    [via Gizmodo]

    Sprint Brings The HTC Flyer Tablet Stateside As The EVO View 4G

    Posted: 22 Mar 2011 10:53 AM PDT

    Remember the HTC Flyer, that 7″ tablet that HTC debuted at Mobile World Congress last month? Have you been hopin’ and prayin’ that it would come stateside? Well, friend your wildest dreams have just come true.

    We’re at Sprint’s press conference, where ol’ yeller has just announced that they’re bringing the Flyer stateside as the EVO View 4G. If you want a tablet, but don’t want an iPad or a Xoom, and don’t mind running Android 2.2 rather than 3.0 for the next few weeks — that’s getting pretty niche, isn’t it? — this is the tablet for you.

    The Specs:

    • HTC Sense
    • 7 Inch Display running at 1024×600
    • 1.5 Ghz Snapdragon CPU
    • 8-megapixel rear camera
    • 1.3-megapixel front camera
    • 15 oz
    • Plus it comes with a fancy stylus!

    Be sure to check out our full hands-on of the HTC Flyer right over here.

    Sprint Announces the HTC EVO 3D; Dual-Core 1.2 Ghz CPU and 4.3″ Glasses-free 3D display

    Posted: 22 Mar 2011 10:51 AM PDT

    Oy vey. Love it or hate it, glasses-free 3D is here to stay.

    Just yesterday, AT&T announced that they’d be snatching up LG’s Optimus 3D and bringin’ it stateside as the “Thrill 4G” — and today at CTIA, Sprint’s following up with the announcement of the second 3D smartphone in the US, the EVO 3D.

    Even if 3D isn’t your thing, though, the specs on this thing definitely make it worth lookin’ at. Follow us behind the jump for the details.

    Here’s what we know:

    • Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) with HTC Sense
    • Dual-Core 1.2 GHZ CPU
    • 4.3 inch, glasses-free 3D display running at 960×540
    • Not one, not two, but three cameras: two 5 megapixel cameras on the back (for 3D stereoscopic images), and a 1.3 megapixel camera on the front
    • Weight: 6.0 oz
    • Sprint 4G support
    • Wireless Hotspot service can support up to 8 devices simultaneously

    Look for this one to launch sometime in summer.

    Be sure to check out our hands-on of the EVO 3D back in its original form, the Optimus 3D.

    Sprint To Launch Anti-Texting-While-Driving Service For Android

    Posted: 22 Mar 2011 10:02 AM PDT

    Back in January, T-Mobile launched DriveSmart, an Android app which automatically disables the ability to text whenever it detects that you’re driving (or, really, just moving at a certain speed. If you’re just bein’ a passenger, you can override it — but make sure you’re really just a passenger. It sends a text to your ‘rents [or whoever set it up] letting them know its been overridden).

    That launch, it seems, has started a trend.

    Sprint’s now getting in on the anti-texting fun, announcing plans to launch a similar (or identical, really; it’s made by the same people) service called “Drive First” in Q3 of this year. Like T-Mobile’s offering, this one’ll be for Android only. Also like T-Mobile’s service, it won’t be free — but at $2 a month, it’s less than half of the $4.99 that T-Mobile is charging
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