According to a report from AllThingsD, Verizon Wireless will soon change the way it charges customers for cellular/data plans in a major way. Rather than charging customers for phones calls or messages sent, the report claimed Verizon would charge “almost exclusively based on how much data” is consumed. The new “Share Everything” plans will also be the first in the United States that allows users to share their data with up to 10 devices through a single account:
The plans, known as “Share Everything,” allow users an unlimited number of calls and texts and also allow data usage to be pooled among up to 10 devices on one account. With the move, Verizon becomes the first U.S. carrier to offer the ability for customers to share a bucket of data across multiple devices.
AllThingsD noted that AT&T also has plans for shared data options, but it did not provide more details. As for Verizon’s new plans, which will apparently kick-in June 28, the report explained the cost of the data plan and pricing metrics based on a per-device fee. In other words, you will have to pay roughly $40 per smartphone ($10 per tablet), and then opt for either a $50 1GB data plan or a $100 10GB plan. While the report claimed the new pricing should not impact the cost of plans for users who continue consuming the same amount of data, it is clear that those signing a new plan for a single smartphone are getting a bit less for their money:
This red version above is a NewGeekGuide rendering.
AT&T just announced that its customers can begin placing preorders for the Samsung Galaxy S III on June 6 in both company-owned stores and online.
The company made sure to clarify in the official press release that only its 4G LTE-powered version is able to access “the nation’s largest 4G network.” Moreover, AT&T customers are privy to an exclusive red Galaxy S III that is due to launch this summer, where as the other U.S. carriers are limited to the standard pebble blue and white flavors.
The smartphone’s price tag starts at $199.99 for the 16 GB model after a two-year service agreement.
Qualcomm seems to have the lock on U.S. processors for high-end phones. Just like the HTC Ones before it, Samsung also uses the dual-core Qualcomm S4 processors in its U.S. versions of the Galaxy S3 phones—trading out its own Exynos quad-core processor. Qualcomm dual-core S4 processors have the LTE and 42MB HSPA+ speeds that U.S. smartphone owners expect while keeping up with quad-core processors.
There are no other real surprises in the announcement. Samsung said S3s would deliver starting at $199 later this month on Verizon, Sprint, AT&T, T-Mobile, and US Cellular. Capacities will vary between 16GB to 32GB of expandable storage, a whopping 2GB of RAM, and a 2100mAh battery. Each will also have that lovely 4.8-inch 720P Super AMOLED display.
Original EVO 4G, left, new, less 4G EVO ONE, right
When the original HTC EVO launched on Sprint two years ago, it was a game-changer of a phone. It was the first Android device with a 4.3-inch display, 1GHz Processor, 4G WiMAX, and a host of other new technologies including something important that is often jokingly overlooked: a kickstand.
Consider this: Nokia’s current flagship Windows Phone 7 device carries the same 4.3-inch 800-by-480-pixel resolution and single core processor with 512MB of RAM. This is two years later, mind you. And, there are still lots of other phones that lag behind the original EVO. In fact, in one important way, today’s review-ee, the HTC EVO One, also lacks the original EVO’s ability to do 4G data. (Oh, and what perfect two-year contract renewal timing otherwise!)
Sprint finds itself in the middle of a debilitating transition from WiMAX to LTE on its mobile network. I will not go into the details, because it is water under the bridge, but the long story short is that Sprint is migrating to LTE from its previous 4G technology called “WiMAX.” Sprint has a host of phones running WiMAX now and needs to keep the lights on those devices until 2015 (including offloading some bandwidth to its pre-paid customers). At the same time, it has to eek out some spectrum for a new type of 4G service and still keep those 3Gers happy.
The One Family: Evo One(Sprint), One X (AT&T) and One S (T-Mobile)
Unfortunately, Sprint is only now ramping up its LTE offering as AT&T and Verizon already have many major cities covered. When the EVO One is released today (after a longer than expected layover in customs thanks to Apple), it will not be able to use LTE 4G anywhere. Worse yet, it does not have WiMAX radios, so it is basically on the same level as the iPhone for Sprint customers network-wise.
The original EVO launched at the same time that Sprint’s 4G was rolling out, so you might be saying, “Big deal? The EVO had to wait for 4G and was a success.”
Things have changed immensely over the last two years. If you are buying a superphone in the U.S. now, you expect a super network. The EVO ONE will have to wait a long time to even access a two-year-old-type of 4G speed. Sprint is rolling out its LTE in Dallas, Atlanta, Houston, and San Antonio with some mystery markets, but it should have only 10 markets covered by July. That means only a small percentage of the U.S. is going to be able to really use this phone.
(As an aside, this is Sprint not learning from its WiMAX rollout. Sprint was ahead in its 4G techby a year,but it chose to roll it out in markets like Baltimore and Portland. By the time it got around to major tech/news hubs like New York and San Francisco, Verizon had already announced LTE rollouts and swallowed Sprint’s tech lead.)
If I am a Sprint user (and I am), there is no way I am going to trade a WiMAX smartphone for a non-working LTE one until more of the network is rolled out. WiMAX works great in New York and San Francisco. In fact, I still use my original EVO as a hotspot, because the network is often better than the other carriers’ 4G in the area. There are no current plans for Sprint LTE in my area (New York City).
If HTC/Sprint could have built a phone with dual WiMAX/LTE radios, I would be all over this phone in a heartbeat. However, as it stands, and until Sprint’s LTE gets more mature, it is hard to recommend.
Samsung’s shares dipped more than 6 percent yesterday, erasing $10 billion from the manufacturer’s market value, due to a rumor that claimed Apple ordered large amounts of chips with rebounding Japanese chipmaker Elpida.
According to Reuters, Taiwan tech website DigiTimes reported that the Cupertino, Calif.-based Company requested huge orders for dynamic random access memory chips with Elpida’s Hiroshima, Japan plant. Unnamed industry sources said the order fastened about 50 percent of the factory’s total chip production.
Samsung is the world’s foremost DRAM manufacturer, but its shares subsequently fell 6.2-percent to around $1,100 USD after the piping hot rumor circulated the blogosphere. The abrupt plunge is the stock’s 9-week low and sharpest daily fall in almost four years. SK Hynix is the second-largest memory chipmaker after Samsung, and its shares closed at 9 percent, which is a 20-week low and steepest slump in nine months.
Verizon is expanding its LTE rollout by giving the green light on May 17 for many northeast cities in the United States.
PC World tested 3G and 4G wireless data transfer speeds last month for the top four carriers —both indoors and outside with multiple devices across 13 major cities in 130 testing locations— and discovered some surprising results: AT&T won the 4G crown. It clocked the fastest speeds in all but four cities when compared to other 4G network providers. With that said, AT&T may soon lose its place as Verizon vastly continues to increase LTE presence in the country.
Check out Verizon’s full rollout list with each presser linked below:
Like us, Google appears to be confused by last night’s report—where AT&T’s CEO Randall Stephenson told a questioner that the fault of Android smartphones not receiving updates is Google’s.
Stephenson blamed Google, claiming, “Google determines what platform gets the newest releases and when. A lot of times, that’s a negotiated arrangement and that’s something we work at hard. We know that’s important to our customers. That’s kind of an ambiguous answer because I can’t give you a direct answer in this setting.”
Google refuted that point of view tonight, telling us:
“Mr. Stephenson’s carefully worded quote caught our attention and frankly we don’t understand what he is referring to. Google does not have any agreements in place that require a negotiation before a handset launches. Google has always made the latest release of Android available as open source at source.android.comas soon as the first device based on it has launched. This way, we know the software runs error-free on hardware that has been accepted and approved by manufacturers, operators and regulatory agencies such as the FCC. We then release it to the world.”
Is it possible that the former CFO Stephenson does not know the technicalities of what is happening at his own company? It would appear so. Expand Expanding Close
His statements are confusing, because we have been— up to this point—lead to believe that there is a straightforward way this works:
Google open sources the Android OS.
After that, manufacturers get the OS working on their devices with drivers and (gawdforsaken) overlays.
Finally, the carriers certify the OS on those devices (and add a bunch of crapware).
In a response to the questioner, Stephenson blamed Google, saying, “Google determines what platform gets the newest releases and when. A lot of times, that’s a negotiated arrangement and that’s something we work at hard. We know that’s important to our customers. That’s kind of an ambiguous answer because I can’t give you a direct answer in this setting.”
He then goes on to explain how great Windows is and how he has been using it for a month. He also said Android needs to work on security.
While the questioner is speaking in the broader sense about getting his older Android device updated, it is possible that he is referring to the recent Galaxy Nexus that hit Verizon first in December. The GSM version of the Galaxy Nexus was available on AT&T before the release on Verizon (I was an early user) if you bought the phone without a plan. Expand Expanding Close
For quite a while, Android users on many carriers in a handful of countries have had access to direct carrier billing for apps. Google is rolling out the option today to all content available through Google Play including music, movies, and books to certain carriers in the United States and Japan. While direct carrier billing is available to AT&T, Sprint, and T-Mobile (everyone but Verizon who operates its own Android store), Google’s announcement seems to indicate the expanded service will launch first on T-Mobile in the United States with Sprint coming soon. It will also roll out to Softbank, DoCoMo, and KDDI customers in Japan. You can check out a full list of countries and carriers that support direct billing here.
I’ve had my HTC One S review unit for a week and can say that what I found before still stands. Without a doubt (O.K., one little one), this is the phone to get if you are on T-Mobile. In fact, there are few phones available from any carriers that can stand with this device. Here’s why:
The screen is beautiful. The not too big, not too small, 4.3-inch diagonally 540-by-960 display is not the monster that most high-end Androids tout today, but it is well big enough for just about anything you could throw at it. It is bright, vibrant and stands its ground to direct sunlight. Pixels are not discernable in normal use.
The phone is thin, light, and strong. At under 8mm thin, you will not find a thinner phone anywhere. At the same time, it has a beautiful unibody aluminum construction. It feels great in the hand and is relatively unnoticeable in the pocket.
Sense 4.0, while still an overlay, is an improvement from HTC. I really liked the camera software, as well as the some of the little weather, Stock, Sense Widgets, etc. I also like T-MobileTV, which broadcasts some good live and other content over the mobile network or Wi-Fi.
The experience is polished all around. Fast processor, ample battery time and great Beats sound.
T-Mobile’s launch of the HTC One S should be seen as the first real phone benchmark for 2012. That is good because 2011 was a bad year for both T-Mobile and HTC.
We have a bold new generation of devices from a beaten up manufacturer on a carrier that is just now emerging from the AT&T merger/breakup.
Without even turning the One S on, you will immediately marvel at the hardware. It is an incredible 7.8mm thin, which is significantly thinner than the thinnest Galaxy S2 or iPhone 4S. It is also 118g light, yet it is a metallic solid, owing to its unibody aluminum construction. With angular/rounded corners, it feels great in the hand and the dark Gorilla Glass on metal look is as nice of a design as you will find on any device. It has three capacitive buttons on the bottom, which we owe to the new Ice Cream Sandwich user-interface.
It is hard for me to imagine someone going into a T-Mobile store and coming out with anything else but this phone. Sure, the new Galaxies have slightly bigger screens, but this feels much more solid and has the same resolution. Moreover, last year’s HTC Sensation and Amaze feel like a grenades compared to the svelte HTC One S.
AT&T just announced the HTC One X would be available for pre-order April 22 with availability May 6. The LTE flagship HTC device will have Sense 4.0, Beats by Dre Audio, and “long-lasting battery performance to accommodate heavy mobile use.” We have long talked about the focus that HTC has put on its One line, especially because the camera and screen are best in their class. The hard decision? Gray or white. Click below for larger images.
Following the launch of its new Alter Ego ad campaign yesterday, T-Mobile just made its new “Test Drive” tool available for comparing the speed of “American’s Largest 4G Network” to other guys— Sprint, AT&T, and Verizon. Unfortunately, as pointed out by TMONews, the carrier is comparing 4G LTE Android handsets, such as the Galaxy S II, to the 3G speeds of the iPhone 4S. This is obviously not a fair comparison of LTE network speeds…
T-Mobile’s TestDrive website is now live and I will say at first glance, I’m disappointed. I’ll just get right to it — T-Mobile, I’m really puzzled by this. The idea that you claim “America’s largest 4G network” and design a new commercial campaign around speed and then compare your “4G” network against “3G” smartphones is a questionable act. Speed should no longer be the focus of T-Mobile’s marketing campaign, Value and Technology should. Speed should be a secondary thought. If you can’t win on speed, highlight where you can, Value, Value, Value.
PC World tested 3G and 4G wireless data transfer speeds for the top four carriers —both indoors and outside with multiple devices across 13 major cities in 130 testing locations— and discovered some surprising results.
During average wireless speed tests for 3G networks with the smartphones pictured above, T-Mobile took home the fastest download and upload speed prize at 3.84 Mbps and 1.44 Mbps, respectively. AT&T landed the No. 2 spot with its 2.62 Mbps download speed and 0.85-Mbps upload speed.
The slower 3G network provider reclaimed its pride and rose to fame with its 4G wireless speeds, however. AT&T garnered 9.56 Mbps while downloading and 5.15 Mbps for uploads. Verizon debuted at second with its 7.35 Mbps download speed and 5.86 Mbps upload speed.
Google today revealed that it purchased mobile payments company TxVia for an undisclosed sum of money.
we’ve acquired payments technology company TxVia to complement our payments capabilities and accelerate innovation towards our full Google Wallet vision. TxVia is a technology pioneer that offers a fast, flexible and highly reliable payments platform—which we believe is one of the best in the world.
Since 2008, TxVia has supported the management of more than 100 million accounts. They’ve partnered with the industry’s best known brands, and their leadership team has played an instrumental role in defining the fast-growing prepaid card segment of emerging payments. In this time, TxVia has also certified and directly connected to the major payment networks, which establishes a solid foundation for Google Wallet and our partners to drive innovation on a global scale and in a partner friendly way.
Google Wallet has been somewhat slow in adoption due in no small part to the competing Verizon-AT&T-T-Mobile ISIS consortium. Google’s Payments team has also undergone some strife…
Getting your Android smartphones upgraded to the latest version is an important factor in considering which carrier to go with, because some carriers push updates quickly while others let things fall by the wayside.
This time around, AT&T is the first carrier to upgrade one of its phones to Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. Besides the Galaxy Nexus devices, and anything running a hacked version or Cyanogen Mod, Vivid owners will be the first U.S. device owners running ICS.
A version of ICS briefly hit Vivid owners earlier this week, but it was pulled. At the moment, we are not able to do the update, but we are told it is rolling out now.
According to HTC’s Twitter account, the Vivid will also get Beats by Dre audio functionality as well.
Google’s mobile payment system, known as Google Wallet,” has not received the kind of warm welcome that the company might have hoped. First, there were issues with Verizon blocking the service on the new Galaxy Nexus as the carrier prepped its own rival service, known as “ISIS.” Wallet then had a few roadblocks with security concerns related to prepaid cards, which the company apologized for with complimentary $5 deposits to Google wallet users. Today, a report fromBloomberg citing “people with knowledge of the project” claimed, despite being “enthusiastic” about progress, Google is considering sharing revenue with carriers to get them to support the technology:
Samsung and AT&T announced a new dustproof, water-resistant smartphone today designed specifically to withstand harsh elements. Other than some pretty decent specs for an entry-level price point, the Rugby Smart is submergible for up to 30 minutes in up to 1m of water, and it is “built to mil-std 81 0f military spec standards… for Dust, Humidity, Rain, Shock and Temperature.”
The Samsung Rugby Smart will land on AT&T for $99 on a two-year commitment and packs a 3.7-inch Super AMOLED display, 4GB onboard memory, 5-megapixel main camera (1.3MP front camera), and a 1650 mAh Lilon Poly battery for up to 8 hours talk time and 16 days standby. Expect Android 2.3 out of the box when it becomes available next month. The full press release is after the break.
It is very easy to make a snap judgment on the 5.3-inch-screened Samsung Galaxy Note. Yes, it is significantly bigger than the smartphone you use now. It even makes the Galaxy Nexus seem petite in comparison.
The dimensions of the Note put it somewhere between the biggest smartphones you ever saw and the 7-inch tablet form factor made popular by Amazon, BlackBerry, Motorola, Samsung, and pretty much everyone else except Apple.
However, the Note makes and receives phone calls, so it is a phone and it should be judged as such, right? End of story?
That is where you are mistaken. The phone functionality on the Note is a tertiary function at best. I see it as more like a reason to not carry a phone as well as the Note in your pocket. With that said, for a growing number of people, myself included, the actual “phone part” of a smartphone is very low on my list for what I want to do with the device in my pocket.
I make or receive only a few calls per day, and most of those are while I am at home/office with Google Voice and a headset or home phone. Therefore, other things rank higher on what I want to do with a device like this:
Maps are becoming the most used and most important feature on my phone, except for secondary review websites like Yelp, TripAdvisor, etc. I get all of my travel lookups from the Maps.app. I do almost all of my turn-by-turn navigation and lookups on this device much more efficiently with its huge display and fast network connection.
The Web Browser is the most important app outside of Maps. I would love the Note to somehow get the Chrome Browser before Samsung gets around to upgrading it to ICS. Alas, the stock browser is still unbelievably fast/crisp.
Gmail/Calendar/Contacts. You know…work.
AIM, GoogleTalk, GoogleVoice, and other instant messaging.
Social: Twitter, Google Plus Facebook, etc.
Netflix, Pandora, YouTube, and other Music and Videos.
Various other apps, such as my bank’s check cashing app, WordPress, Kayak, and a bunch of Angry Birds-type games.
Without exception, I can do any of the above better on a 5.3-inch 720P display than on a typical smartphone display. The one caveat: (As you can see from the gallery) moving my mid-sized thumb from one side of the portrait screen to the other is a bit of a stretch when using it one-handed. This does not turn out to be a problem very often, though, perhaps only 5 percent of my time. This is not a one-handed device.
Therefore, the Note is about tradeoffs: Amazing, huge display = better experience vs. portability. In my particular use-case, I am happy to make the trade. Here are the details:
AT&T announced the Galaxy Note will be available on its network at CES 2012, and we learned last week it will launchFeb. 19 in-store for $299. Today, you can finally pre-order this “phablet” in both carbon blue and ceramic white colors. Better yet, if you pre-order the device today, it will be shipped to you on Feb. 17, just two days before it is available in-stores on Feb. 19.
Just as a reminder: the Galaxy Note sports a huge 5.3-inch touchscreen, dual-core 1.5 GHz Snapdragon S3 processor, 1 GB of RAM, and Samsung’s advanced S-Pen. It will also be available on AT&T’s 4G network.
The pre-order launched today to compliment Samsung’s advertisement in the fourth quarter of today’s Super Bowl. Are any of you pre-ordering?
AT&T announced through a press release that it would get the already announced Huawei MediaPad on its 4G network tomorrow. The carrier would not give any specific details on pricing, only that it will be available for “varying price points.” As a refresher, the MediaPad boasts a 7-inch multi-touch display, Android 3.2, 1.2 GHz dual-core processor, 5-megapixel rear-camera, 1.3-megapixel front-camera, and Wi-Fi. The device should also be updated to Ice Cream Sandwich, soon. The full press release is available after the break.
Reports flew yesterday that Samsung’s 5.3-inch Galaxy Note would make its United States debut sometime in early 2012. The rumors came from accessory maker Anymode who sent out the CES Media Alert below confirming the device would be “available in the United States in early 2012 through AT&T.” While Anymode later retracted its statement, we have heard separately that Samsung and AT&T will officially announce the U.S. Galaxy Note at CES 2012 set to kick off Jan. 10.
Anymode provided the following retraction since issuing the media alert (via Engadget):
Anymode Introduces First Accessories for Samsung Galaxy Note” contained inaccurate information pertaining to AT&T and the release of the Samsung Galaxy Note. The information was not provided by Anymode, AT&T or Samsung , nor did Anymode, AT&T or Samsung approve it. The issuing party apologizes for the publishing of the inaccurate information and any inconvenience it may have caused.
Samsung recently announced it shipped over 1 million Galaxy Notes worldwide since the device first launched abroad in November. NewGeekGuide will be bringing you live updates from the floor at CES 2012 Jan. 10 to Jan. 13 in Las Vegas.
AT&T started rolling out LTE in California’s San Francisco market earlier this month, and now the company is moving south to Los Angeles. The Samsung Skyrocket with LTE capabilities that I am testing (great phone, by the way) started detecting LTE connection around the Los Angeles Airport (LAX) area. The speeds in this instance are not as fast as they are (yet) in other markets, but they are in line with the LTE speeds seen in San Francisco last week. In addition, they certainly beat HSPA+.
The speeds I am seeing in L.A. are around what is shown in the image above: 18mb/s up, 5mb/s down.
An AT&T spokesperson told 9to5Mac:
We’re continuing to expand our 4G LTE coverage nationwide. As part of our rollout, we’re regularly testing and turning up parts of our network, including in additional markets, so some customers with LTE devices may already see faster speeds.
Therefore, LTE in L.A. has not officially been announced, but now we know it is definitely in testing around the areas of L.A. This testing likely means an official rollout soon. As testing progresses, we should see LTE in more areas of L.A.
Let us know if you spot any LTE connection in unannounced regions.
The biggest difference philisophically is demonstrated in the logos above. No longer a Google phone, the Verizon Galaxy Nexus is a Verizon LTE phone – for all that is worth.
After 24 hours with the Verizon Galaxy Nexus, I am not going to say something that hasn’t already been guessed, so refer to the previous Galaxy Nexus Review for most of my original thoughts. However, here’s what is different:
The Verizon GN is slightly thicker to house the LTE Radios/antenna and the larger battery required. It’s also slightly heavier, but you will not notice or care about the size difference. Five people, who I’ve given blind tests to, could hardly determine one from the other. Battery life differences will matter more, though, as I have not run through my initial full charge on Verizon. So, that’s a good sign for the LTE version, but I still believe people will be able to go longer on HSPA+. By perhaps saving a little bit of space, Verizon/Samsung opted for an LTE Micro-SIM rather than a full sized one. This is interesting, especially when the International version is a full sized GSM variant.
Bigger also means 32 GB on Verizon’s LTE vs. 16 GB on HSPA+
LTE is faaaast (shocker!) and adds to an already lightning quick phone. Browsing is silly fast here: You have the fastest browser, coupled with one of the fastest processors, and an LTE connection to boot. We’re talking about desktop speeds here folks. Honestly, when I’m on a good LTE connection, it is as fast as Wifi on a Cable broadband connection… almost indistinguishable.
GPS is still a bit laggy compared to other manufacturers; however, since GPS is often tied to the Baseband, I was hoping for improvement. Both versions are the same.
They feel the same processor/GPU wise. There might be some differences, but real world – you won’t notice much.
Verizon Backup Assistant and My Verizon Mobile come on the device. You can delete these from Manage apps, and I’m sure many will.
For $149 on a Verizon LTE plan vs. purchasing the International version for $700+ and getting on an HSPA+ plan from T-Mobile or AT&T, I am going to wager that it is going to sell much faster than the international/unsubsidized (and the lines seem to bear this out). Whatever Verizon did to get the exclusive here was worth it (for them, not for us Google/Samsung customers).
While there are no VCast Apps or navigation apps, it would appear that Google relented in putting its Wallet on the Verizon device. Verizon’s line needs more testing. I anticipate it will be allowed on the device around the time Verizon’s ISIS service arrives in 2012, if ever.
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Bottom line: If you are cool with Verizon and their 4G plans, missing out on Google Wallet and battery life isn’t the dominating factor in choosing a phone, so go grab one of these now. This is by far the best Android device on the market (by the way, Verizon is offering a bigger battery pack for $25).
However, if you want to roam internationally, hope to use Google Wallet or want some carrier/plan freedom or need to be on AT&T/T-Mobile, you are going to want the International version. So, pick up another device or wait it out.
Anyway…we’ll have a more in-depth look at this device when we’ve had more time to play.