LG’s first VoLTE Bluetooth headset revealed: Tone + packs ‘high-quality’ audio codec

LG's first VoLTE Bluetooth headset revealed Tone adds

LG isn't short of a few Voice over LTE handsets, but this neck-hugging Bluetooth handset promises to offer similarly crisp voice calls, if the feature's available, without the need to fumble around in your pockets . The Tone + headset totes a pair of in-ear buds, is available in both white and black and will even vibrate in Battle Royale terror style when you receive a call. LG has built in a "professional grade audio codec", the aptX, to improve audio performance alongside that VoLTE compatibility. The headphones can event pair to two devices (even two smartphones) and read out your received SMS messages. You can expect the micro-USB rechargeable Tone+ to last around 15 hours of talk-time, or 500 hours on standby. Pricing is yet to be confirmed, but LG promise to launch the device in the US, Korea and China by the end of the month.

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LG's first VoLTE Bluetooth headset revealed: Tone + packs 'high-quality' audio codec originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 24 Sep 2012 03:27:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sprint confirms its HD Voice is incompatible with the iPhone 5

Sprint confirms its HD Voice is incompatible with the iPhone 5

The new, lighter iPhone 5 has a bigger screen, punchier processor, LTE and dual-band WiFi, but if you plan to pick one up for Sprint's network, you can't have it all. Carrier spokesperson Michelle Leff Mermelstein told Phone Scoop that its version of HD Voice will not work on Apple's new wünderphone. While most carriers use WCDMA networks to achieve the greater definition, Sprint uses CDMA 1X Advanced, which unfortunately isn't compatible with the handset. Knowing the feature will be missing prior to launch isn't ideal, but when you're calling your friends to boast about that day-one purchase, a slight drop in clarity isn't likely to kill your geek buzz.

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Sprint confirms its HD Voice is incompatible with the iPhone 5 originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 13 Sep 2012 06:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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SK Telecom deploys HD Voice over LTE, claims title of world’s first

SK Telecom deploys HD Voice over LTE, claims title of world's first

The little blue marble we call Earth is no stranger to HD Voice -- it's been around commercially since Orange debuted the service over its 3G network in Moldova nearly three years ago -- but the technology still hasn't been officially deployed over an LTE network. That is, until SK Telecom launches the service later today. Doing so will allow the South Korean carrier to snag the crown for world's first before Sprint, which recently announced that its network won't have it until later this year. It's a win-win scenario for the company: HD Voice over LTE is meant to vastly improve call quality and reduce latency for the customers, while lessening network strain and offering new revenue-making opportunities for SK Telecom. What about devices? It hasn't announced any brand new smartphones that can take advantage of the service, but the company's ready to pre-load the Samsung Galaxy S III with software that enables HD Voice capability, and is planning to push an update to current owners of the flagship device. If you're the type of person that still makes the occasional call, this kind of progress should come as pleasant news.

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SK Telecom deploys HD Voice over LTE, claims title of world's first originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 07 Aug 2012 10:44:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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SK Telecom deploys HD Voice over LTE, claims title of world’s first

SK Telecom deploys HD Voice over LTE, claims title of world's first

The little blue marble we call Earth is no stranger to HD Voice -- it's been around commercially since Orange debuted the service over its 3G network in Moldova nearly three years ago -- but the technology still hasn't been officially deployed over an LTE network. That is, until SK Telecom launches the service later today. Doing so will allow the South Korean carrier to snag the crown for world's first before Sprint, which recently announced that its network won't have it until later this year. It's a win-win scenario for the company: HD Voice over LTE is meant to vastly improve call quality and reduce latency for the customers, while lessening network strain and offering new revenue-making opportunities for SK Telecom. What about devices? It hasn't announced any brand new smartphones that can take advantage of the service, but the company's ready to pre-load the Samsung Galaxy S III with software that enables HD Voice capability, and is planning to push an update to current owners of the flagship device. If you're the type of person that still makes the occasional call, this kind of progress should come as pleasant news.

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SK Telecom deploys HD Voice over LTE, claims title of world's first originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 07 Aug 2012 10:44:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Clearer calls with HD Voice on Sprint expected before the year’s out

Clearer calls with HD Voice on Sprint expected before the year's out

We were pretty impressed with our demo of HD Voice on the HTC EVO 4G LTE earlier in the year, but are still waiting for the feature's launch to test it in real situations. We may not have to wait much longer, though, because according to Phone Scoop, Sprint is aiming to roll out the service by the end of 2012. The carrier's Network Vision architecture upgrade is progressing nicely, a necessity for implementing clearer conversations, although coverage is still patchy. We might see an official launch this year, but HD Voice is unlikely to be widely available on the network or on other devices until well into 2013 and 2014. However, if you happen to be a Sprint customer, HTC EVO 4G LTE owner, connected to the right tower and calling someone that's ticking exactly the same boxes, listen out for that bump in quality as the New Year approaches.

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Clearer calls with HD Voice on Sprint expected before the year's out originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 07 Aug 2012 07:21:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ears-on with HD Voice on the Sprint HTC EVO 4G LTE

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So this definitely isn't your ordinary hands-on -- there's really no way to accurately capture audio coming through the earpiece in a mobile phone -- so, well, we'll just have to use our words. Sprint's just-announced HTC EVO 4G LTE is the first device to feature what the carrier has coined "HD Voice." The smartphone uses dual microphones, along with encoders and decoders to capture and transmit your voice from one equipped device to another -- that's right, for now, you and another caller will both need to be using this specific handset, paired with compatible network access points, which Sprint will begin rolling out shortly as part of its "Network Vision." We know what you're thinking: I don't use my phone as a phone. Sprint claims otherwise, however, saying that the network will handle 500 billion voice minutes this year alone. If you happen to account for any of those calls, there's certainly no harm in sharing your spoken word in 'HD.'

We hopped into a steamy sound booth at Sprint's NYC launch event today, speaking to an employee using HD Voice on the LTE EVO. The difference was clear, especially once he turned up the "background noise" on a demo music track, which we couldn't hear at all until the handset was moved within an inch or two of the speaker -- we can only imagine how this will play out on the audibly cluttered streets of New York City, which are definitely suited more for text than voice. The HD Voice experience was the same without any background noise at all, and just as impressive. You'll of course still be susceptible to ambient noise on the listening end -- after all, we needed to be in a near-silent booth to block out the sound around. Stay tuned for more detailed impressions in our full review closer to the device's May 7th pre-order date -- we patiently await an opportunity to listen more closely.

Ears-on with HD Voice on the Sprint HTC EVO 4G LTE originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 04 Apr 2012 18:32:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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