Tag: 4G LTE

Verizon 4G LTE Launching In More Cities This Month

Who has the better 4G LTE coverage – Verizon or AT&T? Both companies will tell you a different story and sling mud at their competitors. At the end of the day, it all comes down to the fact that a lot of the nation is still on plain ol’ 4G, or even worse 3G. Verizon is adding more cities to its arsenal of 4G LTE enabled areas come this month to perhaps gain more of a lead over AT&T.

Verizon has announced that its bringing 4G LTE to more cities over the coming weeks while expanding its current offerings in states that are already enjoying the increased speeds. From the sheer number of cities alone, it’s a massive undertaking on the part of Verizon.

South Carolina was the latest state to be announced with the cities of Greenwood and Anderson both getting 4G LTE on June 21. Wyoming is getting some love as well with the city of Gillette getting faster wireless speeds. The cities of Jacksonville, Burlington and New Bern, North Carolina can expect a launch on June 21 as well. Bedford and Sharon, Pennsylvania will be getting 4G LTE as well. Billerica, Massachusetts and Lake of The Ozarks, Missouri round out the list.

Verizon is also expanding its current coverage in the following states: Florida, Idaho, Oregon, Indiana, Pennsylvania, Colorado and Missouri. Most states can expect it to be a proper expansion with numerous communities and cities throughout the state getting faster mobile speeds.

4G LTE is great and all, but recent studies have shown that people just aren’t using mobile data as much anymore. Consumers agree that wi-fi is the way to go. While I applaud Verizon on bringing 4G LTE to more markets, they should also be focusing on bringing Wi-Fi to more public places. A recent collaboration between ISPs is looking to bring free Wi-Fi to all of their customers. Unfortunately, Verizon wasn’t on that list, but it’s never too late to bring free Wi-Fi to your customers, right?

June 8, 2012
Verizon Wants to Put 4G in Your Car

With 4G coverage growing throughout the U.S., it makes sense that carriers are now pushing harder than ever for subscribers. The problem is, smartphones still remain the major source of subscriptions to 4G networks. Sure, there are tablets and a handful of other devices that U.S. carriers offer data packages for, but smartphones are the major source of suscriptions.

Seeing how limited it is by the lack of 4G enabled devices, Verizon has taken the initiative and brought together a group of automotive companies to look at creating data-enabled cars. This week the company formed the 4G Venture Forum for Connected Cars to push through innovation in car design. BMW, Honda, Hyundai, Kia, and Toyota are all on-board. According to Verizon, the group will explore ways to make cars of all types connected and discuss ways to accelerate deployment of 4G LTE technology in the automotive industry.

“There are many challenges to designing next generation telematics and infotainment solutions, including supporting safe and responsible driving, advancing vehicle-to-vehicle solutions and improving sustainability, among others,” said Tami Erwin, chief marketing officer for Verizon Wireless. ”As an innovator in the technology industry, Verizon is a natural impetus for this collaboration, which we all expect will include other companies and spur results that will benefit not only the industry, but millions of consumers around the world.”

It is easy to see the benefits of having a high speed data connection on the road. Navigation, weather reports, and messaging features are the basic uses that come to mind. Also, in-car apps for Pandora and similar streaming radio services would be the end of satellite radio. Combined with Google’s self-driving cars, a 4G data connection would mean a mobile living room.

The only question left is why no U.S. car companies are part of Verizon’s new forum. The answer for Ford could be that the company is already far ahead of other car companies with its SYNC technology, and is perhaps already working on implementing data in its cars. Chrysler and GM could use a place at the table with Verizon if they hope to catch up, as car technology is rapidly shifting focus to Silicon Valley rather than Detroit.

June 8, 2012
Verizon Ending Unlimited Data Plans

Around the time Verizon began to carry the Apple iPhone last year, instead of incorporating tiered data plans, the provider stated that it would merely expand its network to accomodate the bump in data use:

Verizon Wireless has been beefing up its network and believes it will have no problem handling iPhone-type loads, a claim that could be put to the test this year if the carrier signs up millions of subscribers using the Apple Inc. device. Verizon Wireless, the country’s largest wireless carrier, is confident enough in its network that it will offer unlimited data-use plans when it starts selling the iPhone around the end of this month, a person familiar with the matter said. Such plans would provide a key means of distinguishing its service from rival AT&T Inc., which limits how much Internet data such as videos and photos its customers may use each month.

In time Verizon did indeed follow suit with AT&T, adopting tiered data last July. Customers who had already been paying for the $30 a month unlimited plans were able to maintain this contract, though now Verizon plans to migrate all of the older, ‘grandfathered’ data plans to its new 4G LTE network within the year. Verizon CFO Fran Shammo states, “Everyone will be on data share,” and old customers will have to buy into the provider’s new tiered plans. No word on how much this will cost.

Still, the new plans facilitates shared plans for multiple devices, in which Shammo states, “If I can add as many devices as I want, that is more efficient from a family perspective and a small business perspective.” Verizon had been mentioning the move toward shared data plans for some time, and now it looks like the company will finally be moving forth with the change.

Though many users will likely be a bit irate, all unlimited data plans must come to an end. There is likely no way Verizon would be able to support the infrastructure needed to support all of the iOS devices on its network at the grandfathered price point on a technical level, and if it wishes to realistically compete with AT&T, the change in necessary.

In related news, below is an SNL spoof of a Verizon 4G LTE commercial:

May 16, 2012
Apple Rebrands 4G iPad As “iPad WiFi + Cellular”

You may recall that back in March, not long after the new iPad hit stores around the world, Apple found themselves in a spot of trouble in companies like Australia, where their branding of the iPad as a 4G-capable device was seen as false advertising. You see, one of Australia’s mobile carriers does have a 4G LTE network, but the new iPad happens not to be compatible with it, a fact that Apple wasn’t troubling itself to make terribly clear to Australian consumers.

Apple initially began issuing refunds to Australian consumers who felt they’d been misled. At the same time they entered talks with the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) about rebranding the iPad. Despite Apple taking some steps to make the incompatibility more clear, Apple declined to stop calling it the “iPad 4G” in Australia and other countries with incompatible 4G networks, and the talks broke down.

Now, Apple has officially rebranded the iPad in its online stores. Here’s a screenshot of the iPad selection screen from Apple’s online store in Australia:

But that’s not all. Apple didn’t only make the change in countries where the 4G branding had gotten them in trouble – e.g., Australia, Britain, and Sweden. In fact, they appear to have made the change virtually everywhere. Here in the U.S., not only was the 4G branding not a problem, it was one of the main selling points. All the same, check out the same selection screen from the U.S. Apple store:

So it looks like Apple has decided to be a little extra careful with the new iPad’s branding. It makes sense, really. For one thing, the iPad is only compatible with 4G LTE networks in the U.S. and Canada. For another thing, even those networks do not cover the entire country. That means that a huge portion of those who buy the new iPad, even in the U.S. and Canada, are not going to be able to make use of its 4G capabilities. They will have to just keep settling for their local carriers’ 3G networks. That being the case, it doesn’t necessarily make sense to brand the iPad based on its compatibility with a network the majority of its owners will not be able to use.

May 14, 2012
Sprint’s LTE Network To Be Slower But More Consistent Than Verizon, AT&T

As you may have noticed, LTE is all the rage these days. Everyone, it seems, is in the process of building a 4G LTE cell phone network. Verizon already has a fairly sizable one up and running, and AT&T isn’t all that far behind. Sprint is set to roll out their network later this year, and even T-Mobile is getting in on the game. LTE is the next evolution in wireless data technology. And I mean that literally: the LTE stands for Long Term Evolution.

At the same time that the carriers are rolling out these zippy new networks, the handset manufacturers are cranking out 4G-capable devices (and you can bet the iPhone will be one of those when it launches later this year). And of course, every phone manufacturer is going to tell you that their phone is better, and some certainly are, but the networks are pretty much all the same, right? After all, 4G LTE is 4G LTE, isn’t it?

Well, it turns out that that’s not exactly the case. Not all 4G networks are created equal, as Sprint executives revealed today at the CTIA conference in New Orleans. Sprint’s new 4G LTE network, it seems, will not be as fast as the competition. Whereas Verizon and AT&T use 10 MHz channels for their network, Sprint will only be using 5 MHz channels at the beginning. That means that Sprint’s network will be a bit slower than the competition.

Now, before you give up on Sprint altogether, the slower speed doesn’t mean that their network will necessarily be worse. For one thing, as PC Mag is reporting, the network is being designed with consistency in mind. Verizon’s 4G speeds can be a bit varied, and the network has distinct difficulties when a user passes from a 4G coverage area to a 3G area. Sprint is working to make sure that their network suffers from neither of those problems.

Sprint is also planning to make several other network improvements, according to today’s report. For one thing, they will be moving voice calls to the spectrum that will be freed up when they shut down the Nextel network. That should take some of the load off the company’s current 3G network, which should improve its data performance.

Of course, it also bears remembering that of the three largest carriers, only Sprint still offers an unlimited data plan. Verizon and AT&T have long since abandoned unlimited data in favor of a tiered system. Those data plans – and their caps – remain unchanged on the much faster 4G networks. Sprint, on the other hand, insists that they will keep their unlimited data plans even after the switch to 4G LTE.

So, for all that Sprint’s 4G network will be a bit slower than the competition, you have the option of unlimited data as a tradeoff. Considering how easy it is to burn through those data caps on any 4G network, unlimited data is nothing to sneeze at.

What do you think? Is it a problem that Sprint’s 4G LTE network will be a little slower than the competition? Does the promise of unlimited data change how much you care about network speed? Let us know in the comments.

May 9, 2012
Socialcam Grabs 4 Million New Users

Socialcam, a social video app for iPhone and Android that has been spreading like wildfire, has added a new feature, in attempts to keep hold of it’s 4 million new users garnered over the past weekend. Justin Kan, the co-founder of Justin.tv helped to develop Socialcam, which is a sort of Instagram for video, and investors are presently all over it. And the creators are scrambling to keep up:

Still, Socialcam’s 3-man team has been able to crank out updates, including one from yesterday adding the ability to instantly play videos that are in a users main feed when selected, instead of loading a new page to watch. This functionality streamlines the interface, making it more intuitive. Socialcam CEO Michael Siebel had recently stated, “We’re not just looking for distribution. We want the app to be better for everyone, to make sure that we take all the pain out of both making and watching videos – My goal is to make the process of taking and watching videos as easy as it is for photos.”

With Instagram going to Facebook for $1 billion, a sort of video version of the app is in high demand. While Viddy has been gaining a lot of users as of late, Socialcam’s apparent bump of 4 million within a couple of days blows the former out of the water. It will be interesting to see how video content advances in line with expanding 4G LTE network capabilities.

Hat tip to TechCrunch.

April 26, 2012
iPhone 5 Getting In-Cell Touchscreen, Coming In October [RUMOR]

We’ve got a couple of new iPhone rumors for you this morning. First off, the much-debated release date. While some have been expecting Apple to return to a summer release schedule for the next iPhone, others claim that the iPhone 4S’s October launch set up a new autumn release schedule.

Gene Munster, analyst with Piper Jaffray and usually pretty accurate on Apple-related matters, has weighed in on the issue. In a note to investors yesterday, Munster said that “the iPhone 5 launch is likely to follow the new typical pattern established with the iPhone 4S of an October launch.” He also said that recent statements by Qualcomm concerning their supply issues support an October rollout, rather than a June or July launch.

Munster also predicted some new features for Apple’s next iPhone. He affirmed rumors that the iPhone will be 4G LTE-capable (with a 4G iPad just released, how could it not?), and said that it will feature “a revolutionary newly designed body.” That the next iPhone is due for a redesign is widely agreed, but nobody is quite sure what that redesign is going to look like. One wonders if what Munster means by “revolutionary” could have anything to do with recent rumors that the next iPhone’s casing will be made of liquidmetal.

And speaking of the new iPhone’s design, DigiTimes has published a report this morning making some interesting claims about the touchscreen technology Apple will use. Citing “sources in Apple’s supply chain,” the report claims that Apple will be going with in-cell touch panels with the new iPhone. These new panels, made by Sharp and Toshiba Mobile Display, will allow for a thinner, lighter phone. Whereas existing iPhone touchscreens are in two parts – a touch-sensitive glass panel with an LCD display underneath it – in-cell touchscreen technology effectively blends those two layers into one display. That means Apple will either be able to make the phones thinner, or leave them the same thickness but pack extra components – like 4G LTE radios and a bigger/better battery – inside the case.

Of course, DigiTimes’s record is… spotty, to say the least, so this may all be just a rumor. On the other hand, Apple has consistently gone thinner and lighter with its devices where possible, and this kind of technology would let them do that with the next iPhone. Of course, if Munster’s prediction of an October release date is correct (and it almost certainly is), then we’ve still got several months left to wait before we know anything for sure.

[Concept Image Credit: Ciccarese Design]

April 20, 2012
Apple, Australian Consumer Agency Mediation Breaks Down

Shortly after the launch of the new iPad last month we brought you news that Apple had drawn the ire of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission for its marketing of the tablet’s 4G capabilities in Australia. While the new iPad is compatible with 4G LTE networks currently in use in the U.S. and Canada, it does not work on Australia’s one 4G network, which is owned by Telstra, and operates on a different band than those run by American and Canadian carriers.

In order to stave off a lawsuit, Apple changed its marketing of the new iPad in Australia, and began issuing refunds to those who felt they’d been misled by the advertising. The company also entered into mediation with the ACCC in hopes of reaching an out-of-court settlement.

Now, however, it looks like the case will be proceeding to court. According to a report this morning from the Sydney Morning Herald, the mediation session concluded after about two hours with no agreement reached between the two parties. According to the report, one of the ACCC’s requirements was that Apple change the name of the device, which is still listed as the iPad Wi-Fi + 4G on Apple’s website (despite a disclaimer stating the iPad’s incompatibility with Telstra’s network):

A court hearing later in the day was set to determine the next step in the case.

What do you think? Should Apple be required to take “4G” off the iPad’s name in Australia? Let us know in the comments.

April 16, 2012
Sprint Unveils New LG Viper, Promises Unlimited 4G LTE Data Plans

Sprint has announced the latest addition to their small-but-growing lineup of 4G LTE capable smartphones. The LG Viper 4G LTE will be available for pre-order from Sprint’s website beginning Thursday, April 12th. The LG Viper is the second 4G LTE-capable smartphone Sprint will offer, after the popular Galaxy Nexus.

The LG Viper features a respectable feature set. It comes with a 1.2 GHz processor, 1GB of RAM, and 4GB of on-board memory with a microSD card expansion slot. It also sports a 4-inch display made with Gorilla Glass, a 5 megapixel rear camera with LED flash, and a VGA front camera. It runs on Android 2.3 Gingerpread. It also includes mobile hotspot capabilities. As previously noted, the LG Viper will be compatible with Sprint’s 4G LTE network when it begins to roll out later this year.

In addition to the phone itself, though, Sprint slipped in a very interesting detail about their data plans once the switch to 4G LTE is made. It seems that Sprint intends to offer unlimited 4G LTE data plans. With AT&T and Verizon having abandoned the practice some time ago, Sprint is currently the only U.S. carrier to offer smartphone users unlimited data mobile data plans. There had been some speculation as to wether they would continue the practice once they began upgrading to 4G LTE. It seems that they will.

This has interesting implications for owners of both iOS and Android smartphones. AT&T and Verizon currently offer tiered data plans that restrict the amount of data a user can download in a given month. Once that cap is hit, the user has to pay a hefty fee to get more data. While those data caps are often not terribly onerous for users with 3G phones, it can be a lot easier to hit your limit on a 4G device (as owners of the new iPad have discovered to their frustration). What it boils down to is, just as a 2GB or 3GB data plan means a lot less on a 4G device than a 3G device, an unlimited plan means considerably more.

What’s more, unlimited data plans may have an impact on the launch of the next iPhone. There have been rumors that Sprint will be getting the iPhone at launch this time around. What’s more, it’s pretty much a given that the next iPhone will be a 4G device. That means that when the next iPhone launches in September or October (probably), prospective buyers will have a 4G carrier that gives them back the chance to have an unlimited data plan. Sprint is no doubt hoping that will make some loyal AT&T and Verizon customers think twice about going back to their old carrier.

What do you think? Would you consider switching to Sprint for an unlimited 4G data plan? Why or why not? Let us know in the comments.

April 4, 2012
Sprint to Sell Upcoming iPhone 4G at Launch [Report]

Apple’s tentative iPhone 5 is widely expected to support 4G LTE networking, in line with the new iPad, and it’s been speculated that Sprint will be able to sell the LTE phones at launch.

AT&T and Verizon are expected to be selling the 4G LTE device from the start, but Sprint, still relatively new in its partnership with Apple, has a fairly small LTE network. The company plans to install LTE in only 6 cities by mid year – which is likely the reason Apple opted not to offer the iPad on Sprint’s network. AT&T and Verizon currently sell the new iPad LTE.

Still, comments from Joe Euteneuer, CFO at Sprint, explain that the company with carry the iPhone 5 at launch, regardless of LTE network coverage.

Dow Jones reports:

Nonetheless, Euteneuer said Tuesday at an investor conference that Sprint’s Apple contract is similar to those of rivals AT&T Inc. and Verizon Wireless, and that the carrier isn’t being held to any 4G LTE coverage requirements. In comparison, the other two carriers have rolled out 4G LTE to large swaths of the country.

“If you make the assumption that they launch a device at a similar time that they did last year, you’re basically done with the major markets” on Sprint’s 4G LTE buildout, Euteneuer said, noting the carrier plans to initially cover around 100 million Americans. “So I don’t think we are really disadvantaged at all.”

Sprint took a risk in its partnership with Apple, committed to about $20 billion worth of iPhones during the life of the contract, and won’t see any profits until at least 2015. And even though the release of the iPhone 4S set Sprint’s single-day launch record, the company never saw a huge bump in new customers due to the device. And, if Sprint can’t bolster its LTE grid for the launch of the iPhone 5, the company will likely see major losses.

Sprint forecasts that its LTE network will support 250 million users in the U.S. by 2013. This would put it up there with AT&T and Verizon. Sprint appears to bank on the release date of the new iPhone.

March 28, 2012
Analyst Estimate Manufacturers To Ship 67 Million 4G LTE Phones In 2012

Everybody is excited about the new 4G LTE networks that are available in an increasing number of areas, but how many of us have the technology to take advantage of them? While I can’t exactly answer that question I can tell you that corporation are banking heavily on the notion that consumers are going to buy the equipment.

Shoppers purchased almost seven million LTE smartphones in 2011, but analyst estimates for 2012 are at 67 million! At least that’s how many they say manufacturers plan to ship. How will they sell all of these phones? According to experts in the technology sector, the trend will make it difficult for manufacturers to keep up with the demand.

So we can expect everyone to be jumping on the bandwagon with 4G technology. There are already rumors that Apple will deliver 4G in the iPhone later this year, as you may already be aware the new iPad has the capability. Supposedly new offerings are also on the way from LG, Nokia, Motorola, Fujitsu, and Pantech, but Samsung and HTC will most likely be at the forefront of the 4G movement.

Now these devices aren’t going to be cheap, so service providers are going to have to do something to entice buyers, especially if they just upgraded their technology last year. Then there’s the cost of extra data from 4G. I don’t know exactly what this will look like, but it might be a stretch to ask customers to pay for more.

I’ll be watching this trend to see if these industry analysts are correct in their predictions. I don’t know if I believe the demand will be as great as they think. Sure, faster is better, but does it outweigh cheaper, especially in this economy? It could be good news though, if they build a whole bunch of these devices and nobody can foot the bill, there will be huge discounts offered; then we will all profit.

March 23, 2012
New iPad 4G Users Hitting Data Caps Much Faster Than Before

One of the biggest new features of Apple’s new iPad is its ability to connect to 4G LTE data networks. Often nearly as fast as your average in-home wi-fi, 4G LTE is a dramatic improvement over 3G. Per Apple’s own description, a 4G LTE iPad lets you “browse the web, stream content, or download a movie at blazing-fast speeds.”

Now, however, it looks like all that speed may come with a price. According to a report today in the Wall Street Journal, people using 4G LTE on their new iPads are starting to hit the caps on their data plans in a fraction of the time it took them to do so before. According to the journal, Brandon Wells got his new iPad on Friday (when it released), and thanks to about two hours of streaming March Madness basketball games, he had hit the limit of his 2GB Verizon data plan. That left him the option of either turning wireless data off on his new iPad, or coughing up another $10 for every gigabyte of data used for the rest of the month.

The issue raises an important question about the data plans AT&T and Verizon currently offer their customers: should the limits stay the same as technology advances? The current plan limits are unchanged from those offered for the 3G-capable iPad 2 and original iPad, despite the fact that the new iPad’s 4G connectivity allows for much higher data traffic.

Of course, it’s entirely possible that the carriers want it this way. If a 4G connection makes users burn through their lower-end data plans quickly, they will be forced to either pay the overage for the increased data usage, or upgrade to a (more expensive) plan with a higher limit. In the carriers’ eyes, no doubt, anything that prompts users to upgrade to a more expensive product is bound to be a good thing.

Neither AT&T nor Verizon have yet responded to requests for comment.

This new information sheds some light on previous details about the new iPad, as well. The day before the iPad hit stores, we reported that FaceTime would remain a wi-fi only feature. Users with the new iPad would not be able to use their 4G connection to make FaceTime calls. While such a move seemed puzzling at the time, now it makes a little more sense. FaceTime calls are fairly data-intensive, and over a 4G connection they are likely to burn through users’ data allotments quickly.

Of course, this does not affect all iPad users. A significant percentage (Apple hasn’t said exactly how many) of the new iPads sold are the wi-fi only version, and won’t connect to 4G networks. Also, a happy few are still hanging on to the old unlimited data plans they got with the original iPad back in 2010. Fortunately for them, AT&T has said that they get to keep those plans, though there is no word yet on whether or not they will face the same kind of throttling that those with “unlimited” 3G iPhone plans face.

Have you hit your data limit with your new iPad? If so, how did you do it? Should the carriers raise the data limits in light of the increased speeds that come with 4G LTE? Tell us what you think in the comments.

March 21, 2012
iPad 4G Users Can Keep Their Old Unlimited Data Plans

When Apple unveiled the original iPad all the way back in 2010, it was only available on one network – AT&T – and the 3G-capable version only had two data plan options: $14.99 for 250MB of data, or $29.99 for unlimited. For some users 250MB of data was enough. Others, however, wondered why they should pay $15 for 250MB of data when for only $30 they could have all of it. Those users chose the unlimited plan.

Within a month of the iPad’s launch, AT&T had dropped the unlimited data plan as an option. Those who had it were allowed to keep it, but new users had to choose from one of AT&T’s new tiered plans. Unlimited data was no more.

Fast forward two years to the launch of the new iPad. Since nixing the unlimited plan, AT&T has allowed customers who signed up for it to keep it through all their upgrades (in fact, I’m still sporting the unlimited iPhone data plan that came with my iPhone 3G in 2008). But the new iPad is different: it’s a 4G device, and the unlimited data plans were 3G plans. That raises a big question: can those happy few who have managed to hang on to their unlimited data plan for two years keep it when they switch to 4G?

According to AT&T, the answer is yes. There is little information on just how many people still have the old unlimited iPad data plan, but those that do get to keep it even when they make the jump to 4G. AT&T will not take it away from them.

Well, AT&T won’t offficially take it away, anyway. AT&T has had a somewhat rocky relationship with unlimited data customers in recent months. Last fall they started throttling the connection speed of users with unlimited data plans after they hit around 2GB of data in a month. This, they argued, was to protect the overall 3G network from the “top 5%” of customers who were supposedly hogging all the bandwidth for everyone else. Despite losing a small claims lawsuit in late February over the practice, AT&T officially announced at the beginning of this month that unlimited data plan users who go over 3GB of data in a month (which, coincidentally, is the highest tiered plan AT&T offers) could expect to have their connection speed throttled.

So, the moral of the story is this: if you’re still rocking a vintage 2010 unlimited iPad data plan, you do get to keep it. But if you actually try to make good on the “unlimited” part, AT&T is likely to throttle your connection. In effect, “unlimited” doesn’t actually mean “unlimited.” It means “about 3GB.”

Do you still have an unlimited data plan? Will you carry it over to your new iPad, or go for a different plan? Let us know what in the comments.

March 16, 2012
T-Mobile Officially Discontinues Sidekick 4G

T-Mobile has officially discontinued its Sidekick 4G, the Samsung SGH-T839.

Upon its debut last April, the Sidekick 4G was more than a mere re-imagining of the aging T-Mobile brand – some said it was one of the best mid-range Android phones around. Still, T-Mobile has discontinued the handset – but this doesn’t mean the end to all Sidekicks. T-Mobile continues to update and expand upon its 4G product line, which might lead to another iteration of the popular device down the line.

As of now, one can still buy a full physical QWERTY Sidekick 4G, with a 3.5″ screen from T-Mobile’s site for $329.99, or get one for free with a contact agreement.

T-Mobile CTO Neville Ray has recently announced that the company plans to launch 4G LTE in 2013, which will make it compatible with a number of new devices, including the Apple iPhone.

March 16, 2012
Verizon Expecting 4G IPhone, Plans Massive Network Upgrade

There’s no doubt at this point that 4G LTE is the wave of the cellular data future. All the latest and greatest smartphones are 4G-capable. Even Apple’s new iPad has 4G. While the networks to support these super-fast new devices are still small, they’re growing rapidly. AT&T just announced that their 4G LTE network would be expanding to eleven new markets, and now Verizon looks set to top them.

Speaking yesterday to Dow Jones Newswires, Verizon Wireless chief technical officer David Small said that Verizon was planning to double the size of its 4G LTE network by the end of 2012. Whereas there are currently about 200 markets covered by Verizon’s 4G network, they are planning to cover 400 markets by year’s end.

That’s not all, though. Small also said that every new phone coming to Verizon’s network for the remainder of 2012 would be a 4G-capable phone. Think about that for a second: every phone. That includes, presumably, Apple’s next iPhone (which, like the iPad, will probably just be “the new iPhone“). Now, rumors of a 4G iPhone have persisted for a couple of years now, but Small’s statement here seems to confirm that this year will finally see the iPhone make the jump to 4G.

Of course, one could argue that Apple itself has already confirmed a 4G iPhone. After all, we’ve got a 4G iPad due to hit store shelves in just two days. It’s pretty much unthinkable that Apple would launch a new iPad with 4G and a new iPhone without it.

What do you think? Is a 4G iPhone a certainty? With a 4G iPhone in your hands, would network size impact your choice of carrier? Let us know in the comments.

March 14, 2012
AT&T Bringing 4G LTE To Eleven More Markets Soon

AT&T has announce plans to expand its 4G LTE wireless network into eleven more markets over the next few months, the company announced today. The rollouts are scheduled to take begin in April and continue into early summer.

With their 4G LTE network AT&T promises customers faster data transfer speeds and more efficient use of wireless spectrum. The expanded 4G network will also allow customers to take better advantage of their 4G-capable smartphones and tablets, including the HTC One X Samsung’s Galaxy Note smartphone/tablet hybrid, and Apple’s new iPad.

Though newer and smaller than Verizon’s 4G LTE network, AT&T’s network takes a unique approach to 4G connectivity. AT&T employs a dual-layer technology with an HSPA+ (i.e., enhanced 3G) network deployed alongside the 4G LTE network. The HSPA+ network covers a larger area, alleviating the sudden drop in data transfer speed when a user travels from the 4G coverage area to a 3G coverage area. The dual-layering also allows users whose phones are compatible with HSPA+ but not 4G LTE (like the iPhone 4S) to take partial advantage of the upgraded network.

Here’s the full list of new 4G LTE markets:
Naples, Florida
Lafayette, Indiana
Muncie, Indiana
Bryan-College Station, Texas
Akron, Ohio
Bloomington, Indiana
Staten Island, New York
Canton, Ohio
Cleveland, Ohio
St. Louis, Missouri
New Orleans, Louisiana
Baton Rouge, Louisiana