Latest Gear Live Videos
AT&T pick up WCS spectrum for LTE expansion
Posted by John Kilhefner Categories: Broadband, Smartphones, Corporate News, Wireless / WiFi,
The airwaves are running out, and you may've noticed it from the data diet your phone company has probably went on, or from the inability to send texts from busy areas in the city.
The FCC has approved the transfer of 608 spectrum licenses to AT&T that cover about 82 percent of the US population. Don't start streaming those 1080p movies from your data plan just yet, as the new spectrum isn't going in effect any time soon. It'll be years before any of us can take advantage of it, we're afraid.
Click to continue reading AT&T pick up WCS spectrum for LTE expansion
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| FCC
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Unboxing Live 103: LG Optimus G
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Cell Phones, Features, Videocasts,
In this episode we open up the Sprint LG Optimus G smartphone, which runs on Sprint's new 4G LTE network. LG's Optimus G device has a great display, is super-thin, and runs Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich at launch. You also might recognize the back of the device, as this is the phone that the Google Nexus 4 was based off of. The Sprint model sports an impressive 13 megapixel camera, allowing you to take super-high quality shots, which pairs up nicely with its stunning display.
Big thank you to GoToMeeting for sponsoring the show - be sure to check them out! GoToMeeting with HDFaces provides rich, super-simple collaborative virtual meetings.
iPad mini LTE pre-orders are now being delivered
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Handhelds,
If you placed an early pre-order for the iPad mini Wi-Fi + Cellular, be on the lookout for FedEx, because deliveries are starting today. Even if your tracking information shows that tomorrow will be your delivery date, many are getting their Apple tablets a day early. We've got an image of a white iPad mini with LTE unboxed after the break. Let us know if yours arrived today in the comments, along with your thoughts on your new gadget! You can order the iPad mini from Apple.
Click to continue reading iPad mini LTE pre-orders are now being delivered
AT&T expands 4G LTE coverage in Seattle, launches in Tacoma
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Broadband, Smartphones, Wireless / WiFi,
After launching its new 4G LTE service in Seattle days before the iPhone 5 launch, AT&T is now launching its faster data service in Tacoma, Washington, as well as Federal Way, Lakewood, Puyallup, and Auburn. Additionally, LTE expansion upgrades are now live in Seattle, Bothell, Bellevue, Kirkland, Edmonds, Lynnwood, Renton, Redmond, Tukwila, and Woodinville. AT&T plans to officially announce the enhancements tomorrow. Of course, you'll need an LTE-compatable AT&T device to take advantage of the faster speeds.
HTC Droid DNA: The best smartphone display ever for $199 on Verizon
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Smartphones, Google, Handhelds,
If having a smartphone that has the best specs on paper is your thing, you're gonna wanna sit up and pay attention to the HTC Droid DNA smartphone. The Droid DNA will launch on November 21st on Verizon Wireless, and pre-orders start today. What makes the Droid DNA the undisputed champion of the spec race? Well, for starters, it has what is unquestionably the best display ever seen on a smartphone to date. It's a 1080p 1280 x 1080 display, packing the same number of pixels into it's 5-inch LCD panel that you'd find on your HDTV at home. That equates to 440 pixels-per-inch, blowing away Apple's 326ppi found on its iPhone Retina display.
The Droid DNA will run Android 4.1 Jelly Bean when it launches in ten days, and will be powered by a 1.5GHz quad-core Snapdragon S4 Pro processor and 2GB RAM. Naturally, being part of Verizon's flagship Droid line, it'll be a 4G LTE smartphone. Beats Audio with HTC Sense 4+, wireless charging, and a new Super LCD 3 panel round things out here. You can pre-order your Droid DNA today while we work on getting a review unit in-house.
FaceTime coming to AT&T cellular tiered data plans in 8-10 weeks
Posted by Jason Diaz Categories: Apple, Smartphones, Corporate News, Wireless / WiFi,
AT&T has announced on its public policy blog that FaceTime over cellular will be available to iPhone and iPad users with several caveats. Users must have LTE versions of iPads and iPhones and must be on a tiered plan. Previously FaceTime on AT&T was only available for customers on mobile shared plans. However, the rollout is not immediate. AT&T expects it to take 8-10 weeks, which is unusually slow. The decision has come after much pressure from customers, public advocacy groups, and the media.
Still, AT&T's policy change is a half-hearted attempt as it doesn't fully cave in to demands. It omits a larger group of customer that are not on LTE from using FaceTime over cellular on 3G and "4G." Also, it continues its hostility toward customers of grandfathered unlimited data plans on any cellular mode. The FCC has warned that discriminatory practices on citizen owned spectrums will not be tolerated in accordance with net neutrality regulations. AT&T is cherry picking customers based on monetary gains and not necessarily reasons of management of network congestion.
Public advocacy groups, like Public Knowledge and Free Press, have made statements regarding the changes.
Click to continue reading FaceTime coming to AT&T cellular tiered data plans in 8-10 weeks
Read More | AT&T
Nokia Lumia 920 coming exclusively to AT&T
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Smartphones, Corporate News, Handhelds, Microsoft,
Oh man--looks like the Nokia Lumia 920 is set to drop in November, and it's going to be an AT&T exclusive. That's unfortunate, since it's the new hotness from Nokia that Microsoft may just be hanging it's hat on as it pertains to Windows Phone 8, so it's a little odd that the 4G LTE smartphone won't be available on Verizon, the company that has the largest LTE network by far. The Lumia 820 should launch alongside the 920, but that is more of a mid-range phone rather than a top-of-the-line model, and that one should make an appearance on multiple carriers. That said, if you're interested in one of the colorful (yellow, black, cyan, red, white) 920 models, you're gonna have to go with AT&T come this November. No word yet on pricing.
Be sure to check out the top 5 features of Lumia 920.
iPhone 5 review: This is the iPhone we’ve been waiting for
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Smartphones, Features, Handhelds, Product Reviews,
Apple unveiled the iPhone 5 to the world on September 12th, and just 9 days later, the smartphone launched. Pre-sales hit over 2 million in the first 24 hours alone, showing that there was massive demand for the newly redesigned iPhone. According to Apple, it's the best iPhone it's ever made, but does it live up to the hype? More importantly, os it worth your hard-earned cash? We've had a few days to use the iPhone 5 (as well as its built-in operating system, iOS 6,) and we’re ready to break it all down in our iPhone 5 review.
Click to continue reading iPhone 5 review: This is the iPhone we’ve been waiting for
AT&T launches LTE in Seattle, Portland right before iPhone 5 launch
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Smartphones, Corporate News, Wireless / WiFi,
If there's one feature to sway AT&T iPhone customers over to Verizon, it's the fact that Big Red has launched LTE in a ton of markets while AT&T plays catch-up. Tonight, AT&T closed the gap a bit with the launch of its LTE network in both Seattle and Portland, two major metropolitan areas that may have otherwise seen a hefty exodus when the iPhone 5 launches this Friday. Being that Gear Live is based here in the Seattle area, we started getting reports from a bunch of readers that their Lumia 900 devices were all of a sudden showing LTE connectivity. Sure enough, we confirmed it with our own unit, and AT&T followed up with a press release letting everyone know that LTE was now live in both Seattle and Portland areas. Readers are seeing speeds as high as 22Mbps down and 12Mbps up.
We've reached out to AT&T for information on just how large the LTE deployment is in these two metropolitan areas, as Verizon definitely has the entire greater region in each area covered in LTE.
Read More | The Verge
Apple introduces the iPhone 5 (video!)
Posted by Jason Diaz Categories: Apple, Smartphones, Handhelds, Videos,
Today's long-awaited Apple iPhone 5 event has come and gone, and with it we received the full rundown of what the new iPhone 5 is capable of. Apple has also released one of its customary videos that highlights all of the new hotness. Check it out above, and be sure to catch all the news that came out of our iPhone 5 event live coverage.
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