A “Wireless Streaming Device” from Google passed through the FCC on Thursday, which many have taken to mean a new Chromecast is on the way, but that doesn’t seem to be the case.
FCC Stories August 6
FCC Stories August 23, 2020
For a few months now, we’ve been slowly learning more about Google’s next streaming device, which will be powered by Android TV instead of being a simple Chromecast. Today, two new Google devices have shown up at the FCC, which we believe to be the first-party Android TV and its remote.
FCC Stories July 8, 2020
A new piece of Google hardware passed through the Federal Communications Commission this evening. There are not too many details to glean from the filing, but it’s possibly the rumored “sabrina” Android TV-powered dongle or Google’s next “prince” speaker.
FCC Stories June 19, 2019
The Fossil Group is responsible for the vast number of Wear OS devices, especially those from fashion brands. Sharing the same underlying hardware across different case designs, the next generation Fossil Wear OS watches have popped up at the FCC today.
FCC Stories June 11, 2019
Just yesterday, a possible Nest Cam Indoor successor passed through the FCC. A Google “wireless device” with only Bluetooth connectivity is now up for certification at the regulatory agency.
FCC Stories May 31, 2019
With Google I/O’s hardware launches now weeks behind us, it’s time to look ahead to the next Made by Google products. This morning, another Google device has passed through the FCC, and it appears to likely be a Google Nest product.
FCC Stories February 25, 2019
Six Google-made devices — both identifying as a “smartphone” — have just passed through the FCC this morning. These models line up with a previous leak about the Pixel 3 Lite and Pixel 3 XL Lite.
FCC Stories February 20, 2019
Before products can be sold to consumers, most countries require that electronic devices get approved by the national regulatory agency. Late this evening, A4R-1701AA1 passed through the FCC as a possible new Google Wifi router.
FCC Stories January 1, 2019
The Advanced Technology and Projects (ATAP) group is responsible for experimental initiatives inside Google. With Project Soli, the company set out to create a radar-based input method that provides the tactile feedback of interacting with your fingers. The FCC on Monday approved a waiver for Soli’s higher-than-normal frequencies, thus permitting certification and allowing Google to continue Soli as intended.
FCC Stories September 20, 2018
As October’s Made by Google event nears, more and more devices are hitting the FCC for regulatory approval ahead of retail availability. Following this week’s leak, a Home device that is likely the Google Home Hub has arrived.
FCC Stories August 31, 2018
Ahead of a rumored October event, the FCC today revealed certification of two smartphones from Google. The technical reports and E-label do not offer much in the way of new information, but does reveal model numbers for the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL.
FCC Stories August 17, 2018
Back in May, the FCC revealed that Google was working on an updated Chromecast that would bear similarities with the current 2nd-generation model. The new device was revealed to add Bluetooth, while an amended regulatory filing today details Wi-Fi improvements.
FCC Stories July 13, 2018
Google Fiber set out to disrupt the ISP industry eight years ago, but has since scaled down its ambitions. Among other factors, physically deploying fiber served as a big obstacle to Google’s plans. The FCC is now set to approve a system that could increase high-speed broadband deployment across the United States.
FCC Stories June 21, 2018
Wear OS has already seen a number of changes this year from a rebrand to the Android P Developer Preview. Google’s wearable platform is still set for more upgrades with new Qualcomm chipsets coming this fall and the rumor of Made by Google watches. Till then, the FCC today revealed that Fossil’s next generation wearables include NFC.
FCC Stories May 4, 2018
A new filing with the FCC this afternoon reveals that Google is updating the second-generation Chromecast launched in 2015 with Bluetooth functionality. Carrying a new FCC ID, it’s currently unclear what Bluetooth will be used for, while one document explicitly states that existing Chromecasts will not receive these capabilities due to regulatory reasons.
FCC Stories January 19, 2018
FCC blocks two cheapskate tactics Internet service providers wanted to use
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has blocked two tactics Internet service providers had hoped to use to reduce the expense needed to meet their broadband service obligations …
FCC Stories November 13, 2017
The Google Home Mini passed through the FCC weeks before its official October 4th launch, but its larger and more premium Assistant speaker sibling only today hit the regulatory agency. The new filing reveals several tidbits about the Google Home Max set to launch next month.
FCC Stories August 4, 2017
Google products passing through the FCC are relatively rare occurrences, with months sometimes going by before new filings. Last week, a June filing was finally unredacted and revealed documents for a “Bluetooth(LE) Device.”
FCC Stories July 21, 2016
Android TV has been pretty quiet over the past few months, but that all changed at Google I/O 2016 when Google not only announced big updates to the OS, but also a new device. The new Xiaomi Mi Box, previously released in China with its own OS, was announced to be coming to the United States with Android TV on board. A release window wasn’t provided at the announcement, but thanks to the FCC we now know it’s not too far off.
FCC Stories January 29, 2016
It’s two-and-a-half years since Google first shared details of Project Loon, a series of high-altitude balloons designed to provide wireless Internet access to developing countries where infrastructure is scarce. As testing expands, and we’ve learned more about the project’s progress, the FCC has started to receive objections from those concerned that the long-range microwave transmissions might pose health risks or interfere with other wireless operations.
Google has this week written to the FCC to argue that the balloons are both safe and legal …
FCC Stories January 28, 2016
Google’s self-driving car project first came to Austin, Texas in July of last year, marking its first expansion outside of Google’s hometown of Mountain View, California. It was a logical next step, considering Austin’s forward-thinking political culture and unique environmental challenges (“pedicabs, pickup trucks, and everything in between,” Google said). Now, it appears—thanks to some recently-published FCC documents (via Mark Harris)—that Google has plans to bring the self-driving car program to four more mysterious cities…
FCC Stories December 28, 2015
Earlier this year, we told you across several exclusive reports that new Google Glass hardware was on the way, namely a device Google has been working on for more than a year aimed at the workplace. Now, several months later (and with many interesting reports about Google’s mysterious Project Aura having surfaced since), we have our first look at the device in the flesh…
FCC Stories October 28, 2015
Xiaomi has reiterated what feels like a half dozen times that the United States is in its long-term view, so that shouldn’t come as much surprise to those who have payed close attention to the words of VP of International Hugo Barra, and more recently, reports from The Wall Street Journal. But interestingly, we now have tangible evidence that the company might be doing just a bit more than just “thinking” about coming to the US. If new documents (via Lilliputing) are to be believed, the company is already seeking FCC approval to bring one of its phones, the Xiaomi Redmi 2 Pro, to the United States… expand full story
FCC Stories October 7, 2015
FCC filing reveals Samsung Galaxy View will be almost half meter wide, heading to AT&T
Samsung’s gigantic upcoming tablet has cropped up online more than once in recent times. The most recent rumor indicated that the device, code-named ‘Tahoe’, will be released as the Samsung Galaxy View and sport whopping 18.4-inch display. An FCC filing reveals more about the as-yet-unreleased tablet from Samsung, including its dimensions, some previously unknown features and which carrier it’s likely heading to…
FCC Stories October 5, 2015
GCF, the Global Certification Forum has preemptively congratulated HTC on having its as-yet announced One A9 pass through certification. It’s the first time we’ve seen the name officially listed.
It’s expected HTC will release several different models of the A9 to suit various markets. The device linked to by GCF supports LTE Cat 6 on bands 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 20 and 28, suggesting this is the device primed for launch in Africa, Asia and Europe…
FCC Stories August 25, 2015
Nest, the Alphabet company focused on building Internet of Things (IoT) products for the home that was acquired last year by Google for $3.2 billion, looks to be close to introducing an updated Nest Thermostat. That comes from an FCC regulatory filing first spotted yesterday by Business Insider.
FCC Stories July 29, 2015
AT&T doesn’t want to be throttled for throttling customers
It seems AT&T thinks throttling the data speeds of customers without telling them about it isn’t such a big deal. The Federal Trade Commission sued AT&T back in 2014 for “deceptive and unfair data throttling” after the company imposed caps on unlimited data contracts, beyond which it reduced their data speeds by almost 90%. The Federal Communications Commission joined the party last month, fining AT&T $100 million – and The Hill reports that the carrier now wants that fine reduced to just $16,000.
The Commission’s findings that consumers and competition were harmed are devoid of factual support and wholly implausible,” the company wrote in its filing. “Its ‘moderate’ forfeiture penalty of $100 million is plucked out of thin air, and the injunctive sanctions it proposes are beyond the Commission’s authority.”
The FTC had stated that it could legally have imposed fines of $16,000 per affected consumer, but that would have resulted in an “astronomic” fine, so chose to limit the total penalty to one large enough to deter future violations. AT&T had originally claimed that it was doing nothing wrong, but Ars Technica notes that the company amended its policy in May so that throttling was applied only when the network was congested.
AT&T has not offered unlimited data plans to new customers for some years, but has a small-ish group of customers who remain on grandfathered plans which remain valid for as long as the customer retains the plan.
Photo: Re/code
FCC Stories July 24, 2015
AT&T and DirecTV’s $48.5 billion merger has been approved today following more than a year of regulatory review. The merger will see AT&T become the biggest pay-TV company, passing up cable company Comcast. AT&T says it will serve more than 26 million U.S. customers and 19 million users in Latin America.
FCC Stories July 8, 2015
Google Glass Explorer Edition
Google Glass Explorer Edition
We told you last week that Google is internally referring to its next iteration of Google Glass as “Enterprise Edition” or “EE,” and now we’ve uncovered information about the soon-to-be-launched device’s hardware. According to several sources familiar with advanced prototypes of the device, the Enterprise Edition includes a larger prism display, as well as an Intel Atom processor that brings better performance and moderately improved battery life… expand full story
FCC Stories July 3, 2015
We told you yesterday about a new device that passed through the FCC—codenamed GG1—and many have speculated that it’s the next generation of the Google Glass hardware. While it’s often suggested that the device is soon going to get some iterative Explorer Edition overhaul and see its first official consumer launch, it’s much more probable that Google is first going to push this hardware toward the one place it has seen success: the enterprise market.
As we reported earlier this year, there are many different prototypes of a future Glass hardware revision being tested within some Glass for Work startups. We’ve come to learn from people familiar with the matter that the next hardware is being referred to by Google internally as “Enterprise Edition” or “Google Glass EE” (If you remember, Explorer Edition was referred to as “Google Glass XE”)… expand full story
FCC Stories July 2, 2015
A mysterious Google device appears to have passed through the FCC yesterday. First noticed by Droid-Life, the product was filed under the FCC ID A4R-GG1 and the filing is incredibly vague when it comes to specific features of the device. While it could be the new Chromecast that is reportedly coming later this year, many of the hints throughout the filling lend credibility the potential of it being a new version of Google Glass.
FCC Stories May 13, 2015
Galaxy S6 Active gets closer as it passes through FCC following leak
Following yesterday’s leak of images of an AT&T Samsung Galaxy S6 Active, Samsung’s ruggedized variant of its flagship Galaxy S line of smartphones, it looks like the device has received the FCC’s stamp of approval.
The model number SM-G890A was originally leaked by @upleaks and is highly suspected to be that of the Galaxy S6 Active, as AT&T’s Galaxy S5 Active had a model number of SM-G870A, and because @upleaks has a strong track record in the hardware-leaks department.
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Samsung has offered a ruggedized variant to its flagship line of smartphones for several years now, and it looks like that will continue.
FCC Stories November 28, 2014
Rumored Samsung Galaxy A7 smartphone passes through the FCC
A new Samsung smartphone recently made its way through the FCC with a model number of SM-A700FD. Rumored to be called the Galaxy A7, this unannounced handset is believed to be part of the Korean electronics manufacturer’s A series. The phone’s FCC documents don’t give up a large amount of information, however they confirm support for LTE and NFC connectivity.
FCC Stories November 25, 2014
T-Mobile customers on throttled data plans will soon receive accurate speed test results
The U.S. Federal Communications Commission this week reached an agreement with T-Mobile to ensure that customers receive proper information about the speed of their wireless internet connection, even if the user has a capped data plan. The carrier has 60 days to implement the changes outlined in the agreement.
FCC Stories November 4, 2014
The Nexus 9 just recently became available in its WiFi-only model, with Google promising an LTE variant sometime this year. Yesterday, however, an HTC-made tablet passed through the FCC carrying the ID NM80P82300 and support for LTE connectivity. Given that the Nexus 9 is manufactured by HTC, it seems more than likely that this device is indeed the LTE-capable Nexus 9.
FCC Stories October 28, 2014
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The U.S. Federal Trade Commission has announced that it is suing AT&T for “deceptive and unfair data throttling”. The FTC’s announcement seems to target AT&T’s practice of lowering data transfer speeds for customers with unlimited data plans versus customers with tiered data plans now offered. From the FTC’s press release:
“AT&T promised its customers ‘unlimited’ data, and in many instances, it has failed to deliver on that promise,” said FTC Chairwoman Edith Ramirez. “The issue here is simple: ‘unlimited’ means unlimited.”
AT&T has called the FTC’s allegations baseless adding that the carrier has been “completely transparent” with its subscribers.
FCC Stories October 27, 2014
Google announced the Nexus 6 almost two weeks ago and recently the company’s new flagship smartphone made its way through the FCC. While we’re already familiar with the device’s hardware and software, this is a required approval in order for Mountain View and its retail partners to start accepting pre-orders for the search giant’s next handset.
FCC Stories October 20, 2014
About as quick as Google added its Nexus Player to Google Play, the company quickly pulled its new media player from its online store due to issues with the FCC. However, over the weekend, documents for the upcoming Android TV set-top box were spotted in an FCC database and today the search giant has restored Google Play pre-orders.
FCC Stories October 17, 2014
Shoppers hoping to get one of Google’s recently-unveiled Nexus Players may need to wait a little longer. A change to the product listing on the Play Store (via Android Police) now lists the device as being out of stock. A notice hidden in the fine print on the Player website points out that the Android TV box has not yet been approved for sale by the FCC.
Until the FCC gives Google the greenlight, the device won’t be able to be sold in the United States, though international markets will have different criteria that may or may not already be met. Understandably, Google hasn’t been able to give a time frame for when this approval might come, as the entire process operates on the FCC’s schedule.
FCC Stories October 16, 2014
Google’s first Android TV device is on its way, however the company’s current TV companion recently turned a year old and could soon be due for a replacement. A new Chromecast dongle with the model number H2G2-42 recently hit the FCC and while this doesn’t guarantee an immediate product release, it’s a clear sign that something is in the works.
FCC Stories October 8, 2014
Thanks to various leaks over the past few weeks, HTC’s Nexus 9 tablet has been all but confirmed. This morning, though, HTC’s president of North Asia Jack Tong reportedly told members of the press that the Nexus 9 is the company’s “commitment” to returning to the tablet market. This is significant because, despite all of the leaks, HTC has yet to formally acknowledge the existence of the tablet.
FCC Stories October 7, 2014
We already know that Motorola is working on Google’s next Nexus smartphone under the codename Shamu and now it looks like the device just hit the FCC. Outlined as a 6-inch phone with support for AT&T and T-Mobile’s LTE bands, this whale of a handset is a little bit closer to breaching. Our sources have told us that the next Nexus phone will feature a 2,560 x 1,440, a Snapdragon 805 processor, 3GB of RAM, a 13-megapixel rear-facing camera, a 3,200mAh battery and Android L.
FCC Stories October 6, 2014
Just this weekend the Nexus 9 walted its way through the FCC and now the HTC-built Nexus tablet is making the leaked image rounds. Interestingly, the back material looks similar to that of the rubber on the Samsung-built Nexus 10 which is now 2 years old.
Together with the Nexus 6/X, which is also making the rumor rounds including our own exclusives and some new Benchmarks, we’re expecting a launch event in the next week or so. Stay tuned. expand full story
FCC Stories September 26, 2014
LG appears to be working on a new smartwatch, according to a set of recently discovered FCC documents. While it’s unclear if this device will run Google’s Android Wear operating system, the filing revealed that it will feature support for CMDA 3G network connectivity, meaning that it won’t necessarily need to be tethered to a smartphone for a data connection, however 3G isn’t exactly blazing fast.
FCC Stories September 12, 2014
Verizon-bound Motorola ‘Quark’ passes through the FCC
Another Motorola-made smartphone is heading to Verizon according to a set of FCC documents uncovered by the folks at Droid-Life. Believed to be a device codenamed “Quark,” this mysterious handset is rumored to feature a QHD display, a 2.65GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 805 processor, an Adreno 420 GPU, 3GB RAM and Android 4.4.4 KitKat.
FCC Stories August 29, 2014
Motorola’s next-gen Moto X for AT&T appears in FCC filing ahead of launch?
Droid-Life points us to a new FCC filing for a mysterious Motorola device that is likely the rumoured Moto X+1 headed for AT&T.
The report notes that the device supports AT&T connectivity and also shares some details on size that would line up with leaks of a 5.2-inch display expected for the next-gen Moto X: The FCC measurements indicate that this Motorola phone is 140×72.6mm – the Galaxy S5 is 142×72.5mm. The new Moto X is expected to sport a 5.2-inch display, with much less bezel than the GS5, which would certainly put them around the same size, even with a slightly larger display on the new Moto.
We’ve seen several leaks of the next-gen Moto X that many are referring to as the Moto X+1. That latest leak came earlier this month when press renders from Verizon appeared online giving us a clear look at the yet to be announced device.
FCC Stories August 21, 2014
The Sony Xperia Z3 passed through TENAA today, and as a result, we’ve finally got our hands on some high-resolution press photos and specs that can tell us more about the device. This isn’t the devices first leak, but with its expected reveal next month, it seems like it’s getting more difficult for Sony to keep the device under wraps.
According to the report, the device is expected to feature a 5.3″ display at full 1080P resolution, a 20.7MP rear shooter, a Snapdragon 801, 3GB of RAM and 16GB of storage. While the press photos of the device look awfully similar to the Z2, previous reports point to the phone being thiner and lighter than its predecessor.
Sony is expected to reveal the Z3 at IFA in Berlin during their scheduled press event.
You can view the full gallery of the device in both black and white below.
FCC Stories July 28, 2014
Cable companies say we’ve got it wrong on net neutrality: Google could be the real villain
We thought we understood the net neutrality argument: the need to ensure that ISPs like the big cable companies don’t extort cash from services like Netflix to provide them with greater bandwidth than companies who don’t pay the toll.
But no, according to Time Warner, we’ve got this backward: it’s popular websites like Google who could do the extorting, reports National Journal.
In a filing to the FCC, Time Warner Cable claimed that the controversy over Internet providers potentially charging websites for access to special “fast lanes” is a “red herring.” The real danger, the cable company claimed, is that Google or Netflix could demand payments from Internet providers. Customers expect access to the most popular websites, and an Internet provider may have little choice but to pay up.
The National Cable and Telecommunications Association, a trade association representing all the major cable companies, backed this view, saying that it’s companies like “Google, Netflix, Microsoft, Apple, Amazon, and Facebook” that we should be concerned about. It is, of course, merely coincidence that these are the mostly the same companies who wrote a joint letter to the FCC in support of net neutrality.
Google is on record as saying that there is no conflict between co-location – which enables faster delivery of content to consumers – and net neutrality.
We give companies like Netflix and Akamai free access to space and power in our facilities and they provide their own content servers. We don’t make money from peering or colocation; since people usually only stream one video at a time, video traffic doesn’t bog down or change the way we manage our network in any meaningful way — so why not help enable it?
The FCC has, understandably, rejected Time Warner’s claim, stating that “such conduct is beyond the scope of this proceeding.”
