Sprint just announced it is adding three new Android-powered devices to its 4G LTE lineup, as well as expanding its 4G mobile broadband portfolio with a new USB dongle.
The Android devices include:
The Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 features a 10.1-inch 1,280-by-800 display, front-facing VGA camera, and rear-facing 3-megapixel on the back, while the inside touts a 1.5GHz dual-core processor, 1GB RAM, 8GB of storage, and a 7,000 mAh battery. The Ice Cream Sandwich-powered tablet also comes with Sprint LTE connectivity and mobile hotspot support for up to 10 devices.
The LG Optimus G offers a 4.7-inch 1,280-by-768 True HD IPS Plus display, 1.5GHz quad-core Snapdragon S4 Pro processor, 13-megapixel rear-facing camera, 1.3-megapixel front-facing camera, 32GB ROM, 2GB RAM, and a 2,100 mAh battery. It also touts Ice Cream Sandwich OS, but it further includes LG software like QSlide and QuickMemo.
Sprint 4G LTE
LG Optimus G (AT&T)
Galaxy Tab 2 10.1
The LG Mach boasts a QWERTY and slide-out physical keyboard with only a .48-inch thick body. The Ice Cream Sandwich-powered, 4-inch smartphone also packs a 1.2GHz dual-core processor, 8GB ROM, 1GB RAM, microSD slot, and a 1,700 mAh battery.
As for the USB dongle: Sprint’s Plug-in-Connect Tri-Mode USB will support 3G, 4G WiMAX and 4G LTE connectivity. The stick even houses a foldaway USB connector, LED service indicator, and it is both Windows- and Mac-compatible.
Sprint said pricing and availability for each new addition will surface “at a later date,” but further specs and details are available in the press release below.
A widespread network outage on Sprint’s network started at 7:30 a.m. PST today and hit Portland, Ore., Seattle and Tacoma Wash., Minneapolis, Minn., and San Francisco and Sacramento, Calif. Sprint just confirmed it is working diligently to fix the issue.
Sprint’s statement to 9to5Mac:
“Earlier this morning, an accidental dual fibercut occurred on Sprint’s network causing a disruption in data and voice services for some Sprint customers in parts of Portland, Oregon; Seattle and Tacoma Washington; Minneapolis, Minnesota; and San Francisco and Sacramento, California. Sprint network technicians are working aggressively to resolve this issue and we hope to have service restored soon.”
Samsung has website with a straightforward list of its U.S. devices that have received or are expected to get an Android 4.1 Jelly Bean update. The handy resource will refresh with current data “as updates are confirmed or released.”
Above is the full Google I/O session for Google Wallet Cloud APIs, and perhaps the most notable announcement comes at 9:45 seconds of the video when Google introduces a new “Save to Wallet” API that will initially roll out to select partners. Coming to offers and payment cards first, the new feature will allow consumers to save coupons and deals or load a payment cards directly from a merchant’s website to Google Wallet. Check out the video for all the details.
JK Shin, head of Samsung’s mobile division, told reporters today (via Reuters) that the company expects to sell over 10 million units of the recently launched Galaxy S III during July. Despite concerns of component shortages for the flagship device, the company is expecting higher earnings for its current quarter compared to the $3.6 billion profit generated from January to March:
Samsung kicked off global sales of its Galaxy S III on May 29, but shipments have been affected by the tight supply of parts such as the handset casing for the pebble-blue model… In the United States, where sales were launched last Thursday, major carriers including Sprint Nextel Corp, T-Mobile and AT&T have not been able to offer the Galaxy with 32 gigabytes of memory, partly due to tight supply… “Due to overwhelming demand for the Galaxy S III worldwide, Samsung has informed us they will not be able to deliver enough inventory of Galaxy S III for Sprint to begin selling the device on June 21.”
Shin assured reporters that the company is not worried about the shortages affecting second quarter results. Shin noted “supply simply can’t meet soaring demand,” but he claimed, “things will get better from next week”:
Wirefly listed Samsung’s new Galaxy S III with 4G LTE to new and existing Sprint customers for just $149.99 on its website, which is currently one of the lowest price tags available.
Sprint offers the base model of the Galaxy Nexus successor on its website for $199.99, but it previously revealed that “overwhelming demand and limited supply” could cause the smartphone to ship late.
Meanwhile, T-Mobile sells its version for more bread than the main carriers: the 16GB model costs $279.99 after a $50 rebate. AT&T and Verizon Wireless now list pre-order prices for the 16GB Samsung Galaxy S III at $199.99.
Another third-party retailer, Amazon, offers the 16 GB Ice Cream Sandwich-powered smartphone for $189.99 to new AT&T customers, where as those eligible to upgrade only need to cough up $149.99. The deal comes with free two-day shipping.
Original EVO 4G, left, new, less 4G EVO ONE, right
When the original HTC EVO launched on Sprint two years ago, it was a game-changer of a phone. It was the first Android device with a 4.3-inch display, 1GHz Processor, 4G WiMAX, and a host of other new technologies including something important that is often jokingly overlooked: a kickstand.
Consider this: Nokia’s current flagship Windows Phone 7 device carries the same 4.3-inch 800-by-480-pixel resolution and single core processor with 512MB of RAM. This is two years later, mind you. And, there are still lots of other phones that lag behind the original EVO. In fact, in one important way, today’s review-ee, the HTC EVO One, also lacks the original EVO’s ability to do 4G data. (Oh, and what perfect two-year contract renewal timing otherwise!)
Sprint finds itself in the middle of a debilitating transition from WiMAX to LTE on its mobile network. I will not go into the details, because it is water under the bridge, but the long story short is that Sprint is migrating to LTE from its previous 4G technology called “WiMAX.” Sprint has a host of phones running WiMAX now and needs to keep the lights on those devices until 2015 (including offloading some bandwidth to its pre-paid customers). At the same time, it has to eek out some spectrum for a new type of 4G service and still keep those 3Gers happy.
The One Family: Evo One(Sprint), One X (AT&T) and One S (T-Mobile)
Unfortunately, Sprint is only now ramping up its LTE offering as AT&T and Verizon already have many major cities covered. When the EVO One is released today (after a longer than expected layover in customs thanks to Apple), it will not be able to use LTE 4G anywhere. Worse yet, it does not have WiMAX radios, so it is basically on the same level as the iPhone for Sprint customers network-wise.
The original EVO launched at the same time that Sprint’s 4G was rolling out, so you might be saying, “Big deal? The EVO had to wait for 4G and was a success.”
Things have changed immensely over the last two years. If you are buying a superphone in the U.S. now, you expect a super network. The EVO ONE will have to wait a long time to even access a two-year-old-type of 4G speed. Sprint is rolling out its LTE in Dallas, Atlanta, Houston, and San Antonio with some mystery markets, but it should have only 10 markets covered by July. That means only a small percentage of the U.S. is going to be able to really use this phone.
(As an aside, this is Sprint not learning from its WiMAX rollout. Sprint was ahead in its 4G techby a year,but it chose to roll it out in markets like Baltimore and Portland. By the time it got around to major tech/news hubs like New York and San Francisco, Verizon had already announced LTE rollouts and swallowed Sprint’s tech lead.)
If I am a Sprint user (and I am), there is no way I am going to trade a WiMAX smartphone for a non-working LTE one until more of the network is rolled out. WiMAX works great in New York and San Francisco. In fact, I still use my original EVO as a hotspot, because the network is often better than the other carriers’ 4G in the area. There are no current plans for Sprint LTE in my area (New York City).
If HTC/Sprint could have built a phone with dual WiMAX/LTE radios, I would be all over this phone in a heartbeat. However, as it stands, and until Sprint’s LTE gets more mature, it is hard to recommend.
Virgin Mobile, a wholly-own subsidiary of Sprint, announced this morning that it would begin rolling out Google Wallet on its Android phones beginning with the recently announced LG Optimus Elite.
The Elite is a small iPhone-ish sized Android device running Android 2.3. It hit Virgin last week and follows the Optimus V and Slider as popular low-cost Android devices on Virgin Mobile.
Google Wallet has had a rough time with United States carriers. Verizon, with the Galaxy Nexus, blocked it late last year, and AT&T and T-Mobile both have refused to subsidize the Galaxy Nexus GSM version that is available off-plan for $399 through Google’s new Play Store. All three carriers are members of the rival ISIS mobile payments platform, and it is obvious that there is some anti-competitive pressure.
Virgin parent Sprint is a Google Wallet Partner, so it would make sense to see Wallet passed to more Virgin phones and perhaps even Sprint’s other pre-paid subsidiary, Boost Mobile.
Virgin Mobile just announced the LG Optimus Elite, a 3.5-inch Android 2.3 device featuring a 5-megapixel camera and 800 MHz processor, as its first device with NFC and Google Wallet. The device will officially go on sale on May 15 for $250 and is already available for pre-order (here).
Google confirmed Google Wallet was headed to Virgin late last month with the LG Optimus Elite, which is also available through Sprint alongside the Google Wallet-enabled Galaxy Nexus and LG Viper 4G.
In addition to the announcement of an unlocked Galaxy Nexus being made available to purchase directly from Google Play, the company confirmed on the official Google Commerce Blog today that Google Wallet is now available through three devices on Sprint: Galaxy Nexus, LG Viper 4G LTE, and LG Optimus Elite. It also confirmed that Wallet would come to the LG Optimus Elite on Virgin Mobile. Google is continuing to offer all new users a $10 credit for their Google Prepaid Card when accessing the service for the first time.
The carrier’s internal MAP documents from last week suggested a new asking price was coming sooner rather than later, and it seems Verizon was quick to match Sprint’s newly announced price tag for the device. The attractive savings also levels the flagship Ice Cream Sandwich smartphone with Verizon’s other high-end handsets such as the Droid 4 and LG Spectrum. However, Verizon’s off-contract price for the Galaxy Nexus is still fixed at $649.99.
For those unaware, the LTE-capable Galaxy Nexus also packs a 4.65-inch HD Super AMOLED contoured display, dual-core 1.2GHz processor and 1GB Ram, and a 5-megapixel camera coupled with a 1.3-megapixel front shooter.
Following the launch of its new Alter Ego ad campaign yesterday, T-Mobile just made its new “Test Drive” tool available for comparing the speed of “American’s Largest 4G Network” to other guys— Sprint, AT&T, and Verizon. Unfortunately, as pointed out by TMONews, the carrier is comparing 4G LTE Android handsets, such as the Galaxy S II, to the 3G speeds of the iPhone 4S. This is obviously not a fair comparison of LTE network speeds…
T-Mobile’s TestDrive website is now live and I will say at first glance, I’m disappointed. I’ll just get right to it — T-Mobile, I’m really puzzled by this. The idea that you claim “America’s largest 4G network” and design a new commercial campaign around speed and then compare your “4G” network against “3G” smartphones is a questionable act. Speed should no longer be the focus of T-Mobile’s marketing campaign, Value and Technology should. Speed should be a secondary thought. If you can’t win on speed, highlight where you can, Value, Value, Value.
It looks like Google and Sprint finally got around to updating the NExus S 4G to Ice Cream Sandwich. The update, certainly expected for awhile, is detailled below.
As we noted in our live event coverage, the Sprint EVO One features HD Audio, which should allow users to hear the other side of the conversation much more vividly. Perhaps to illustrate the feature, the HTC promo video brings back the famous 80’s commercial Pin drop.
– Narrator introduction: Sprint was the first carrier with nationwide 4G, first with 3G, and it unveiled the first 3D phone.
Sprint CEO Dan Hesse takes the presentation stage floor:
– He talks about Sprint’s successful partnership with HTC and Evo.
– Showcases network vision, which is an initiative designed to give customers a better network coverage and experience.
– He mentions that Evo is an HD voice- capable phone. Mobile voice quality is crystal clear. Enhanced voice quality for Sprint stems back to fiber optic network days of Sprint’s heritage.
HTC President Jason Mackenzie takes the stage to unveil new Evo One:
– It has only been two years since both companies originally launched the HTC Evo flagship device.
– It was the first 4G smartphone to launch in the United States. This year represents a turning point for HTC, because it is delivering true hero products with beautiful designs, amazing cameras, and an authentic sound.
– HTC is not just all about specs; it believes experience is key.
– Evo One’s Sense 4 is faster, cleaner, and more intuitive than ever before for delivering a premium experience.
– Evo One boasts an amazing camera and awesome sound experience.
-Design is something HTC has always been serious about, and it is doubling down this year so phones look and feel great.
HTC Lead Designer Jonah Becker takes the stage to discuss the Evo One’s design:
– The Evo name stands for the very best. It features authentic material with meticulous attention to detail.
– The Evo One is crafted from aluminum, first given a black finish, and then the edge’s surface is cleaned of edge to bring a highlight to the device’s look.
– Design process discussed next (video demo): Red kickstand gives the Evo One an HTC look, but it also serves a purpose.
– The Evo One has a soft touch finish and blasted aluminum for texture, and then it undergoes a chemical etching process to create something new to industry without painting or coating.
– About 100 different machine cutters are used to create all the features and geometry needed in the HTC Evo One—and people notice. A much-better designed product. “It’s what I want in my pocket.”
– New Evo is also a high-end camera like an SLR, and the red ring around lens mimics high-end cameras, while the red band on the back reinforces the HTC brand.
– The aluminum gives the Evo One a precise feel, and an actual camera button gives it a real feel.
– It is also a multimedia powerhouse; hardware is just a passage to content.
– Crisp, rectangular phone mimics TV, and its kickstand lets you go hands free.
Sprint Product Chief Fared Adib takes stage to talk about camera features:
– The camera: True digital SLR in phone.
– The Evo One sports HTC image sense technology and dedicated imaging chip, with super fast camera startup and auto focus to allow four frames per second in a continuous shooting mode.
– Image sense f/2.4 lens with HDR and smart flash makes sure every picture is perfect, i.e., not too dark or too light.
– The Evo One takes videos and photos simultaneously without switching between modes. While shooting video, just click shutter button to snap a picture.
Sprint CEO and HTC President are back on stage to conclude presentation:
– The HTC Evo One has a focus on sound: Rich, authentic sound with Beats Audio by Dr. Dre.
– Evo One has a media manager to get sound from computer to phone, but the music hub also gives access to a user’s music in apps and all other places. Streaming options to car and TV are also available.
– HTC voice: In 2012, Sprint will serve 500 million voice minutes. Sprint’s beloved HD voice is the future of phone calls. It is possible through a combination of dual microphones, decoders, encoders, and networks for a richer sound.
– Demo video depicts reduced background sound very well. “Hearing is believing.”
– Key features: 2,000 mAh batter, 4.7-inch HD screen, and Snapdragon dual core processor, Beats Audio by Dr. Dre, Ice Cream Sandwich OS with Sense 4.0, and a 8-megapixel shooter and 1.3-megapixel camera.
The HTC Evo One will be available in the second quarter for $199.99. Pre-sale starts May 7.
Demonstration area opens:
– I played with the phone. It looks cool—feels sturdy and valuable, yet the screen is huge. I had trouble handling it, because I am use to the smaller iPhone. Snapping photos while recording video was excellent. The fast startup and auto focus was also impressive. Camera features are cool too: built-in vignette, panorama, HDR, face detection for group shots, and more. The HD voice demo was amazing, as well. It highlighted absolutely no background sound despite the noisy area. I think the HTC Evo One is a quality phone. There is nothing that stands out when it comes to the user interface, though, as it looks like a typical Android smartphone.
The first HTC Evo One reviews are starting to flood the gate before its official launch tonight and initial impressions indicate the device has both good and bad points.
An.droid-life.com said the smartphone is bulky, yet it boasts stellar-quality Beats Audio by Dr. Dre, Ice Cream Sandwich OS with Sense 4.0, and a 8-megapixel shooter and 1.3-megapixel camera worth drooling over.
Despite the praise, the reviewer noted the device “just feels like HTC’s same old thing.” The trimmed Sense and usual ICS experience seemed a bit ho-hum, but then he added that his time spent with the smartphone was limited so complete details are not possible at this time.
We knew it was coming since January when Google confirmed the Galaxy Nexus would launch on Sprint after first releasing exclusively on Verizon. According to a document sent to The Verge from an anonymous Walmart employee, the device will launch April 22 at Sam’s Club. There will not be many surprises when it finally does launch, as leaked ads in January revealed a 1.5GHz processor, opposed to the 1.2GHz packed in Verizon’s variant. Other than that, we will likely see a device that is identical to Verizon’s Galaxy Nexus, but Sprint—unlike Verizon—will support Google Wallet. Expand Expanding Close
Up until now, only Android users on Sprint had the luxury of integrating Google Voice into their main cell service. Due to a partnership with Google last year, users can enable Google Voice on their existing Sprint number providing them with access to better rates on international calling, visual online voicemail, personalized greetings, and the ability to use one number across all devices. According to a report from Cnet, Google’s Group Product Manager for Google Voice Vincent Paquet confirmed the company is in talks with other carriers about integrating the service:
“We are having discussions with other carriers about this.. Sprint integration has worked really well.. We have, since Day One, had a steady stream of people signing up for it.“
Google Wallet’s Vice President Osama Bedier said United States carrier Sprint Nextel would receive 10 additional phones with Google Wallet support this year.
Bedier spoke at “Mobile World Congress 2012” show in Barcelona this week during the “Mobile Money: Delivering Innovative Mobile Payment Services” panel. He said Google Wallet support is expanding to the upcoming LG Viper this spring with roll outs slated for a suite of additional smartphones soon after…
Attention Nexus S 4G users: The moment you have been waiting for is finally hitting tomorrow. Android Police reported that the Nexus S 4G would receive the long-awaited Ice Cream Sandwich update tomorrow, according to a screenshot of Sprint’s internal systems (seen after the break). The over-the-air update should hit any time now, so get ready. Let’s hope nothing goes wrong in the process.
The Sprint version of the Galaxy Nexus is the only variant to officially see Google Wallet. However, a new report from Droid-Life said the GSM Galaxy Nexus with an AT&T SIM card can download and access Google Wallet from the Android Market, which is a sigh of relief for many users. As you can see in the screenshot above, courtesy of Droid-Life, there are not any hoops–just a simple download.
Google Wallet gives users the ability to use the built-in NFC chip to pay for goods. Google Wallet was first introduced on the Sprint Galaxy S, and it saw a quick rollout to many retail outlets.
Last year, we broke news that Verizon Wireless was blocking the use of Google Wallet on its version of the Galaxy Nexus to later push its own payment platform. It was not clear if Sprint and AT&T would do the same. We now know that the Sprint version will come with it officially paired, and it can at least be downloaded on the GSM AT&T variant.
After leaked advertisements and many rumors, Google finally announced on Jan. 9 that Sprint would be the second carrier to host the Galaxy Nexus. Roughly close to a month has passed, and we have not heard anything out of Sprint or Google in terms of launch. However, finally this weekend, Google posted the official sign-up website for those looking to order the Galaxy Nexus on the Now Network.
The Sprint version of the Galaxy Nexus is unlike the Verizon version due to it Google’s Wallet technology and a faster processor. Last month, we exclusively told you that Verizon would not have Wallet because of its own wallet-like technology in development.
As some background, the Galaxy Nexus should be the first LTE device on the Now Network. It will rock 32GB of storage, along with a 4.65-inch 720P HD screen, 5-megapixel camera, 1GB of RAM, and Android 4.0. There is no word on a launch date, but if you are interested—we suggest going ahead and signing up. (via Android Central)
After waiting for months, Sprint customers were finally graced with the white Galaxy S II. Samsung announced the news in a press release today (available after the break), and said the device will be available online and in-stores Jan. 8. The white variant will be priced the same as the black for $199 on a two-year contract. Man, she is gorgeous…
