Leap finally gets LTE, rollout starts next week

DNP Leap finally gets LTE, rollout starts next week

Leap customers, go ahead and jump for joy. The CDMA-based carrier is finally rolling out its first LTE market next week after about a year of testing it in Tucson, Arizona. (The first official market has yet to be named, however.) With its spectrum swaps finally complete, Leap hopes to spread LTE to around 21 million POPs by the end of this year and to around two-thirds of its current network by the end of 2015. Its only LTE offering is a Huawei Boltz mobile hotspot, but it promises LTE-capable smartphones soon. Curiously, the carrier does offer the LTE-capable iPhone 5, but there's no word if Leap's LTE network will support it. The only nationwide carrier without LTE at this point is T-Mobile, though it has promised rollouts starting next year; here's hoping that merger with MetroPCS (which already has LTE) will hurry that along.

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Leap finally gets LTE, rollout starts next week originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 10 Oct 2012 16:16:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Wilson Electronics releases three 4G multi-band signal boosters, no soup for Sprint

DNP Wilson Electronics releases three 4G multiband signal boosters, none for Sprint

Even if you live in an area with 4G coverage, you might not get the best service inside certain buildings, and that's where companies like Wilson Electronics come in -- just take a peek at its Sleek 4G-V, for example. At MobileCon 2012, the antenna maker added three more to its lineup. They are the Tri-band 4G-V, the Tri-band 4G-A, and the Tri-band 4G-C, and are meant for Verizon's 4G LTE, AT&T's 4G LTE, and T-Mobile's "faux-G" network -- the latter of which is also recommended for use throughout Canada. The antennas are designed to boost the signal of older legacy networks too, so no worries if you don't live in an area blessed with 4G. No pricing and availability just yet, and we don't see any sign of a Sprint antenna either. To get more details, catch the full PR after the break.

Continue reading Wilson Electronics releases three 4G multi-band signal boosters, no soup for Sprint

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Wilson Electronics releases three 4G multi-band signal boosters, no soup for Sprint originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 10 Oct 2012 08:56:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sprint adds LG Mach, Optimus G, Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 and tri-mode USB dongle to fall LTE lineup

Sprint adds two LG phones, the Galaxy Tablet 2 101 and a USB dongle to its LTE lineup

If simple vanity trinkets don't excite you, Sprint has something else to tempt you in -- four new LTE devices. The new line-up includes two phones, a tablet and a USB dongle, so hopefully something for everyone. The phones? The 13-megapixel toutin' Optimus G (as we suspected) and Mach (a cheaper, 1.2GHz dual-core, 4-inch, 1080p capable QWERTY ICS phone), both by LG. If you need a little more screen real-estate, Samsung's Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 will be joining the other Koreans with its 1.5GHz dual-cores and 1,200 x 800-screened ICS on the good ship Sprint too. Happy with your notebook, and just want the service? Sprint's adding a Plug-in-Connect USB dongle to the menu also. No deets on cost and dates we're afraid, with "fall" being all the info we've got right now. Feel free to delve into the PR after the break, in the meantime though.

Continue reading Sprint adds LG Mach, Optimus G, Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 and tri-mode USB dongle to fall LTE lineup

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Sprint adds LG Mach, Optimus G, Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 and tri-mode USB dongle to fall LTE lineup originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 09 Oct 2012 12:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Likely HTC Windows Phone 8X with AT&T-friendly LTE surfaces at the FCC, just in time

HTC Windows Phone 8X with AT&Tfriendly LTE surfaces at the FCC just in time

Isn't that convenient. With only weeks left to go before the official Windows Phone 8 launch event, what's likely a version of the HTC Windows Phone 8X with North American LTE support has stopped by the FCC for approval. The PM23300 variant we see here (the international 8X is the PM23200) supports both the needed 700MHz LTE band for its eventual appearance at AT&T as well as AWS for wider AT&T coverage and the big three Canadian carriers. All are good signs that HTC is just about ready, although T-Mobile and Verizon subscribers might not want to get overly excited just yet -- there's no AWS 3G, CDMA or Verizon-ready 700MHz LTE to be found on this 8X, which shows that any US launch will still demand multiple editions. The others won't be far behind in the FCC race with that November release window already locked in.

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Likely HTC Windows Phone 8X with AT&T-friendly LTE surfaces at the FCC, just in time originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 05 Oct 2012 13:18:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Alcatel-Lucent flies Parrot AR.Drone 2.0 over 3,280 feet using LTE: reach out and buzz someone (video)

AlcatelLucent flies Parrot ARDrone 20 over 3,280 feet with LTE reach out and buzz someone video

The Parrot AR.Drone 2.0 is many good things, but "long-ranged" isn't what comes to mind with a 165-foot maximum distance between pilot and quadrocopter. Not to be daunted, Alcatel-Lucent has conducted a test with an ad hoc LTE network, a USB modem and a smartphone to see just how far the remote-controlled aircraft could go on 4G. In practice, quite far: thanks in part to the inherently wide coverage of the 800MHz band in France, the team flew the AR.Drone more than 3,280 feet (one kilometer), all while streaming 720p video of the farmland below. Besides giving us ideas for a North by Northwest remake, the flight emphasized the possibilities that come when we have access to a long-distance wireless link with high bandwidth, such as monitoring crops or some very literal field journalism. The challenge will be convincing Alcatel-Lucent to share its trick and let us pester our not-so-next-door neighbors.

[Thanks, Vincent]

Continue reading Alcatel-Lucent flies Parrot AR.Drone 2.0 over 3,280 feet using LTE: reach out and buzz someone (video)

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Alcatel-Lucent flies Parrot AR.Drone 2.0 over 3,280 feet using LTE: reach out and buzz someone (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 04 Oct 2012 22:23:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Samsung Galaxy Note II for AT&T hands-on: an S-Pen phablet with 4G LTE (update: video)

Samsung Galaxy Note II for AT&T handson an SPen phablet with 4G LTE

AT&T's still keeping us in the dark about a hard date for the Galaxy Note II's release, but at least we know it's real and on the way. Confirmed to ship sometime this holiday season, this variant of Samsung's phablet refresh sports a 5.5-inch 1,280 x 720 HD Super AMOLED display, 1.6GHz quad-core Exynos processor, 8-megapixel rear camera capable of 1080p video capture, beefy 3,100mAh battery and, of course, a refined S-Pen. It's nigh unchanged from both the global and Sprint models we'd gotten hands-on with previously; a trend the OEM sparked off with the release of the GS III earlier this year. And in a move that augurs well for those of you averse to branding, there's no superfluous carrier logo blemishing its smooth white back.

If you thought the original Note was big and unwieldy, prepare to stretch your thumb even further up the display. Samsung added 0.2-inches to this update, while incorporating elements of its "famed" inspired by nature design that conspire to lend this handset a reassuring in-hand fit. On the lower right-hand side, you'll find a convenient slot for the S-Pen which, when removed, triggers an action menu that can be customized to launch selected apps. A large physical home button rests just below the expansive 16:9 screen and is flanked by capacitive buttons for menu and back, while the front-facing camera resides up above and hardware keys for volume and power are placed on the left and right edges, respectively.

On the software front, you're still looking at a TouchWizzed version of Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, as well as some carrier-specific apps that come pre-loaded, like My AT&T, CodeScanner, FamilyMap, Navigator and Ready2Go. As you might expect from its quad-core Exynos, performance was smooth... almost buttery smooth, but we'd be remiss if we didn't mention a slight hesitancy between pulling out the S-Pen and the launch of that Smart Actions menu. Bear in mind, this is a pre-production model, so most of those kinks should be worked out by the time it launches this holiday season. Check out the video after the break.

Continue reading Samsung Galaxy Note II for AT&T hands-on: an S-Pen phablet with 4G LTE (update: video)

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Samsung Galaxy Note II for AT&T hands-on: an S-Pen phablet with 4G LTE (update: video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 04 Oct 2012 17:40:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nokia Lumia 920 and 820 land stateside on AT&T’s 4G LTE network this November

Nokia Lumia 920 and 820 land stateside as AT&T exclusives

Surprise, surprise -- well, not really. Nokia's Lumia 920 and 820 will be making a splash stateside on AT&T's lineup with the former as an exclusive. Like most of the carrier's other announcements as of late, there's no concrete ship date set for the devices outside of a November bow. As a refresher, the Lumia 920 is the undoubted Windows Phone 8 flagship here, bearing a 4.5-inch Pure Motion HD+ 1,280 x 768 display, 1.5GHz dual-core S4 CPU, 8-megapixel PureView camera with OIS and a 2,000mAH battery. While the line's mid-ranger, the 820, reps the same chipset as it elder sibling, a 4.3-inch 800 x 480 ClearBlack OLED display and 8-megapixel Carl Zeiss camera. Both are set to launch with LTE radios in tow, with the 920 available in red, white, black, yellow and cyan and the 820 in a lone black hue. Stay tuned for official word on pricing and release. In the meantime, check out the PR below.

Continue reading Nokia Lumia 920 and 820 land stateside on AT&T's 4G LTE network this November

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Nokia Lumia 920 and 820 land stateside on AT&T's 4G LTE network this November originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 04 Oct 2012 09:55:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Huawei Ascend P1 LTE takes a tour through the FCC with AT&T-capable 4G and beyond

Huawei Ascend P1 LTE takes a tour through the FCC with AT&Tcapable 4G

Huawei hinted last week that the Ascend P1 LTE would travel beyond British shores; it just didn't say where. Based on a new FCC filing, North America is sounding like a good (if very broad) destination. The regulator has cleared a version of the Android 4.0 hardware packing AT&T-friendly 700MHz LTE frequencies as well as AWS support that could suit it to Canadian LTE providers and future T-Mobile deployments. We've likewise noticed AWS-based 3G join the usual 850MHz and 1,900MHz approvals for North American HSPA providers. With such broad coverage, it's difficult to narrow down just the exact carriers that could embrace the Ascend P1 LTE if it launches on this side of the Atlantic. Whatever the choices, it's clear that Huawei is hedging its bets.

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Huawei Ascend P1 LTE takes a tour through the FCC with AT&T-capable 4G and beyond originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 03 Oct 2012 16:40:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Samsung P500 and i915 tablets for Sprint and Verizon, Galaxy Note II for Sprint reach the FCC (update: Note II for US Cellular as well)

Samsung P500 and i915tablets for Sprint and Verizon, Sprint Galaxy Note II reach the FCC

When it rains, it pours. As if to clear the decks, Samsung has passed three devices through the FCC's scrutiny at the same time. Two, the SPH-P500 and SCH-i915, are LTE-equipped tablets respectively headed to Sprint and Verizon with a dash of mystery; their label images imply a pair of Galaxy Tab 2 variants, but both have previously been spotted in as yet unverified benchmarks that allude to much faster Snapdragon S4 processors instead of the Tab 2's TI chips. The SPH-L900's dimensions and dual-mode support make for a safer bet, pointing to what's likely the Galaxy Note II for Sprint. We're less concerned with the hardware details so much as when everything ships -- although we may get a clearer picture of the Sprint Galaxy Note II's fate around October 24th, the tablets aren't linked to any kind of public schedule, official or otherwise.

Update: Not long after Sprint's Galaxy Note sequel arrived in the FCC, US Cellular's flavor -- the SCH-R950 -- also made it through the federal approval process.

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Samsung P500 and i915 tablets for Sprint and Verizon, Galaxy Note II for Sprint reach the FCC (update: Note II for US Cellular as well) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 02 Oct 2012 20:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rogers LTE hits 18 new regions, delivers speedy data in Saskatoon

Rogers LTE hits 18 new regions, delivers speedy data in Saskatoon

Rogers promised that October 1st would be a grand day for its LTE expansion plans, and we're now learning that it might have been underpromising to overdeliver later. The carrier just flicked the 4G switch for 18 cities and regions, or eight more territories than it had promised just two weeks ago. Most of the coverage still focuses on the southern tip of Ontario, including London, the Oshawa area and RIM's hometown of Waterloo, but there's a much more trans-Canada bent to the official deployment. Western cities like Saskatoon and Victoria now fit into Rogers' LTE map beyond a previously announced Edmonton, while the Quebec rollout is going past Quebec City to include Sherbrooke and Trois-Rivières. All told, the one day of growth is enough to supply Rogers LTE to almost 60 percent of Canada's population -- a convenient figure when one of the year's more important LTE smartphones just became available less than two weeks prior.

[Thanks, Jon]

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Rogers LTE hits 18 new regions, delivers speedy data in Saskatoon originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 02 Oct 2012 02:33:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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