WSJ: 2012 iPhone to support global 4G LTE

Now we’re intrigued. It’s a common (if unconfirmed) belief that the next iPhone will support LTE-based 4G, but the Wall Street Journal now understands through the ever-present “people familiar with the matter” that Apple is taking 4G worldwide. Where the current iPad only supports two LTE frequencies and drops to HSPA+ outside of the US and Canada, the new iPhone will supposedly cover parts of Asia and Europe as well. The exact countries haven’t been outlined, although it’s easy to imagine Apple going for those countries where 4G speeds matter the most: there’s been rumblings of talks with KT and SK Telecom in South Korea, but we could also see France, Germany, Japan and Scandiavian countries in the mix. The rumor hasn’t been confirmed, of course. That said, the iPhone was already purported to be using a new cellular chipset — and a number of carriers, most often in the US, have long said they won’t carry new smartphones unless LTE is part of the package. We’ll know the full scoop on Wednesday.

Wall Street Journal

HTC Droid Incredible 4G LTE Leaked By Verizon Website

We have already seen some leaked photos and specifications on the new HTC Droid Incredible 4G LTE for Verizon Wireless, and now Verizon has leaked the details on their own Droid Does website.

Verizon have now removed the details from their website, you can see what they posted in the screenshot below, and the device will be available for $299.99 when you sign up to a new two year contract with the carrier.

The Droid Incredible 4G LTE will feature a 4 inch qHD Super LCD display with a resolution of 540 x 960 pixels, processing is provided by a dual core 1.2GHz processor and the device also feature 1GB of RAM.

Other specifications on the handset include 8GB of built in storage, plus a microSD card slot for additional storage, that can accept up to 32GB microSD cards.

The Incredible 4G LTE will also feature an 8 megapixel camera with an LED flash, plus a front facing VGA camera, and the device will come with Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, plus the latest version of HTC’s custom UI, HTC Sense 4.0.

There are n0 details as yet on when the new HTC Droid Incredible 4G LTE will be available from Verizon Wireless, but considering they posted the details on their website we suspect we will have some sort of official announcement over the next few days.

Source Slashgear, Wired

LG Spectrum hands-on (video)

We got our first glimpse of Verizon’s latest LTE family member, the LG Spectrum, yesterday at the manufacturer’s event. At the time, however, we weren’t given an opportunity to get our own smudge marks on the glossy black device. That’s all changed now, as we’ve spent time on the showroom floor getting know this Android handset — a veritable twinner of the LG Nitro HD. So click on past the break as we parse through our first impressions.

HTC Rezound render resoundingly revealed

Hark! The first renders of the HTC Rezound have appeared online, thanks to some of the device’s cases going up for pre-order. You can see that, like the Sensation XE, the phone has red-glowing soft keys — a bit of a departure from HTC’s traditionally conservative design language. If you recall, the phone formerly called Vigor is said to have a 4.3-inch screen, a dual-core 1.5GHz processor, 1GB RAM, Beats Audio and an 8MP rear camera. Now that you know what the Verizon 4G cellular telephone will look like, you’ll be able to pick one out of a lineup when it’s available, which should be on November 10th for $300 on contract.

HTCpedia, Droid Life

HTCpedia Shop

Motorola Droid RAZR hands-on (video)

To everyone who rocked a Motorola RAZR in the ’00s, it’s time to get excited again. The line — or at least the name — has been reborn, and not without good reason. This is a thin device — extremely thin. The Droid RAZR by Motorola is 7.1mm thin, in fact, and holding it up next to the iPhone 4 makes Apple’s phone look downright beefy by comparison. At 127 grams, it’s also incredibly light, a fact that’s quite apparent the first time you hold thing — we were honestly a bit surprised when it was first dropped in our hands. The company has clearly come a long way from the first generation Droid.

Of course, as noted, Motorola didn’t skimp on the specs here. The RAZR’s got a TI OMAP 4430 1.2GHz dual-core processor and 1GB RAM inside, and it does zip through apps with ease. The handset is rocking Android 2.3.5 Gingerbread — or at least was during our hands-on. No word on Ice Cream Sandwich — though we’ll no doubt be hearing more about that OS at tonight’s event. The 4.3 inch qHD Super AMOLED display is quite bright, and should do wonders on those Netflix HD videos.

Also of note is the phone’s relative ruggedness, thanks to its Kevlar backing, diamond cut aluminum and Gorilla Glass, but in spite of these facts, it really doesn’t feel or particularly look like a rugged device in your hands, just a big, surprisingly light handset. It’s a slick, fast, thin phone, that certainly seems worthy of the RAZR name we’ve all know and love.

Motorola Droid RAZR hands-on

Motorola Droid RAZR unveiled: LTE, 4.3-inch qHD Super AMOLED display, available November for $299

As far as secrets go, this one was not well kept. After a series of leaks that treated us to early images of the device, Motorola finally spilled the LTE beans with a teaser page reveal just yesterday. Now, we have official confirmation that the itsy bitsy 4G Spyder’s on its Big Red way.

This newest addition to Verizon’s Droid lineup boasts a Gorilla Glass coated, 4.3-inch qHD Super AMOLED display — a first for any mobile handset — atop a dual-core 1.2GHz TI OMAP4430 processor. Although the RAZR may look like a Kevlar-wrapped, slightly warped Droid X with its 7.1mm skinny silhouette and familiar topside hump, the insides tell a different tale. Joining the list of well-heeled specs, are an 8 megapixel rear camera capable of 1080p HD video, 1GB RAM, 16GB of onboard storage with 16GB additional on the microSD card and an 1,800mAh battery. Moto’s also included Lapdock 100 and 500 Pro compatibility, converting this latest red-eyed beastie into a power user’s best friend.

To help you squeeze the most productivity out of its 21st century RAZR, Moto’s also thrown in what it’s calling SmartActions software to manage your phone’s battery life. These user-determined settings can be programmed to shut off Bluetooth when you return home or slow down the processor speed while you’re on the phone — whatever your energy needs, the company’s intent you make the most of this handset. A new personal cloud feature comes bundled with the device, dubbed MotoCast. Video, photos, documents and music can be streamed from your laptop straight to the handheld. And for the IT departments of the world, the RAZR comes business ready with Citrix Receiver, Motorola Webtop and videoconferencing abilities.

Of course, there are a slew of accessories you can pair up with that new Droid: two lapdocks, wireless keyboard options, HD docks and Bluetooth headsets. You can snatch up all the extra goods and, of course, that aluminum-accented smartphone on October 27th when Verizon begins accepting pre-orders. As for that hard street date, the network’s being coy with a global release slated for November.

Update: Motorola has also confirmed that the phone will be exclusive to Rogers in Canada, where it will simply be known as the Motorola RAZR. Still no word on an exact release date, but the phone is now available for pre-order at $150 on a three-year contract, and Motorola says it will launch “in time for the holidays.” Unfortunately, Canadians will have to make do without LTE, as Rogers’ version will only do HSPA up to 14.4Mbps.

Motorola Droid RAZR unveiled

LightSquared faces Congressional hearing over proposed 4G network, submits revised plan

The LightSquared Express rolled in to Washington yesterday, where the House Committee on Science, Space and Technology held a hearing on the company’s proposed 4G LTE network and its potential impact on GPS systems. According to some, the ramifications could be disastrous. David Applegate, associate director of natural hazards at the US Geological Survey, told legislators that interference with GPS mechanisms would make it more difficult for authorities to predict floods, landslides and volcanic eruptions, with a representative from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration adding that LightSquared’s ground-based mobile network would pose challenges to weather forecasters, as well. The Department of Transportation also chimed in, telling the committee that the network would likely have an effect on systems used to prevent train collisions and, like other administration witnesses, called for further testing.LightSquared Executive Vice President Jeffrey Carlisle, meanwhile, defended his company’s proposal, pointing to an amended version submitted to the FCC on Wednesday. In the revised document, LightSquared offered to reduce the network’s power levels further, while providing a stable signal for GPS augmentation services to use at higher frequencies. “This is not a zero-sum game,” Carlisle said, adding that only 500,000 to 750,000 high-end GPS services would be affected by LightSquared’s low-frequency alternative (which, the company claims, will cost an additional $100 million to implement). Any interference issues, he continued, stem from pre-existing receiver problems that the GPS industry should’ve addressed by now. Most of the lawmakers sitting on the panel acknowledged the need to establish broader wireless coverage, but stressed the importance of doing so without jeopardizing critical transit and emergency response systems, with some calling for additional testing. Carlisle countered that previous tests have provided sufficient feedback, but ultimate approval lies in the hands of the FCC, which has not yet offered a timetable for its decision. Hit up the source link to read LightSquared’s revised proposal, in its entirety.

PC World, Broadcasting and Cable

FCC

HTC Thunderbolt now available to buy: $250 from Verizon, $180 at Amazon

Another saga put to rest. The question of just when Verizon will release its first 4G LTE handset was answered yesterday with the word “tomorrow,” which makes today that day! Verizon Wireless is now taking online orders for HTC’s 4.3-inch Thunderbolt, pricing the LTE lubber at $250 on a two-year contract. It comes with Android 2.2 as the OS underlying the HTC Sense 2.0 UI, an 8 megapixel camera with HD video recording, 768MB of RAM, and a 1GHz Qualcomm MSM8655 chip that will have to do its best to keep up with those crazy 4G download speeds. If Verizon’s own pricing feels a bit rich to you, shop around — we’ve found the Thunderbolt as low as $180 at Amazon, although the online retailer has it on back order for the moment.

 

Verizon offers unlimited LTE data plan for HTC Thunderbolt, don't expect it to stick around

Verizon execs have been clear as crystal that unlimited smartphone data will follow the dodo — perhaps as soon as summer of this year — but in the meanwhile you can drink your fill of the best as the HTC Thunderbolt will launch this Thursday with an unlimited LTE data plan. While we’ve no guarantees how long it will last, or whether you can grandfather the $30 monthly option into bigger and better devices down the road, it does open up a whole new avenue of opportunity for the Thunderbolt. Considering that Verizon’s 4G USB modems top out at 10GB of LTE data for $80 a month, the HTC handset just became the most powerful, affordable MiFi you could possibly own. Assuming battery life is decent, of course. Find the full PR below.