From the Mobilize conference:
T-Mobile’s network is 75% smartphones and 90% of those are Android. That means more than 2/3rds of the devices sold by T-Mobile are Android. That is a big number. Remember T-Mobile has a million iPhones on its network but those weren’t sold by T-Mobile.
Is it game over for everyone else?
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Trying to get in before the October 4th flood perhaps, today AT&T announced their Galaxy S II varient would hit shelves on October 2nd. We’ve talked extensively about the Galaxy SII here (read). As a refresher, AT&T’s is closest to the international version with the same 4.3 inch display – contrasted with the 4.5 variety that T-Mobile and Sprint are carrying. Interestingly, it will also have NFC, which Sprint’s surprisingly doesn’t. Sprint is a partner in Google’s NFC-based Wallet initiative.
This is an amazing phone but it is interesting that AT&T is squeaking it in before the iPhone announcement. On the other hand, it says something that AT&T is going with the Galaxy SII moniker rather than something like “Captivate 2”. It seems like Samsung’s Galalxy S line can stand on its own. T-Mobile called its 4G Vibrant model the Galaxy S earlier this year so it appears to be a trend.
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According to a report from Bloomberg, three of the largest mobile carriers in the US are getting ready to make a $100 million investment in NFC enabled payment system ‘Isis’. This is seen as a move to take some of the $240 billion a year (according to Juniper Research) mobile payment market from Google and, specifically, Google Wallet.
While Isis won’t begin testing the technology until next year, they have already signed up Visa, MasterCard, American Express, and Discover. Google Wallet has been up and running on Android devices since May but is only available through MasterCard and Citibank with MasterCard Paypass. Having support from Visa, the “world’s largest credit card network”, will certainly give Isis an advantage in the U.S. market.
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Due to weather conditions, Samsung is pushing back their Galaxy S II event from Monday, to Tuesday. Currently, Hurricane Irene is barreling its way to New York, where the event is going to take place. Thanks Samsung for making a good decision, to keep all of us bloggers safe. You bet we’ll have full coverage Tuesday, but in the mean time stay dry — will ya?
Pocketnow has leaked an exclusive shot of all of Samsung’s Galaxy S II variants on Sprint, AT&T, and T-Mobile. You’ll notice both the T-mobile and Sprint versions are rounded, while the AT&T version is square. Besides the shape we don’t see any noticeable differences between the devices (besides the branding of course). You might be thinking, where’s the Verizon version? This week we reported that Verizon wouldn’t be carrying a Galaxy S II variant for the time being, and it was later confirmed by the WSJ.
The Galaxy S II is going to be announced next Monday, maybe along with a few more devices. At any rate you bet we’ll be there to cover the event.. if the weather doesn’t stop us.
Earlier this week we reported the beloved Galaxy S II wouldn’t be launching on Verizon, after it is announced next Monday. A new report from the Wall Street Journal backs up or claim stating the Galaxy S II will launch on Sprint, T-Mobile, and AT&T — but not Verizon. Verizon confirmed WSJ’s report to TechCrunch, saying the Galaxy S II won’t be available for the time being.
At an event Monday at New York’s Time Warner Center, Samsung will announce it is selling the device starting in September on AT&T Inc., Sprint Nextel Corp. and T-Mobile USA’s networks, according to people familiar with the plans, but Verizon Wireless said it won’t offer the device.
The Galaxy S II has seen much success in Europe, and it should certainly do well in the U.S. Do well enough in fact that it might be the best contendor to the rumored launch of Apple’s iPhone 5 this October. We look forward to covering the event Monday, so check back to hear more.
According to SprintFeed, the Sprint Samsung Galaxy S2, dubbed Epic Touch 4G phone will be announced by Samsung on Auguust 29th and released by Sprint two weeks later on September 9th. But that’s not all…
Here’s what we’ve heard about the August 29th US launch:
Verizon will be a no show. There are likely still some kinks to be worked out in the LTE version of the Galaxy S 2 which will be announced at a later date.
Sprint’s phone called the Epic Touch 4G or the will be WiMAX and slightly thicker than the others with a grated plastic backing. 4.5 inch screen 480×800
T-Mobile’s version will also be 4.5 inch screen 480×800 and be the first phone to run on its (theoretical) 42Mb radio network. It will require a Qualcomm dual-core CPU unlike the other devices which will use Samsung’s own dual core processors.
AT&T’s will be the most similar to the international version at 4.3 inches.
All of them will have the Netflix app ready on launch – only some will have it pre-installed however.
Even these incredible phones pale in comparison to the rumors of a 720P Ice Cream Sandwich phone on the horizon however.
The sickest of them all has to be the I9250 superphone. Probably your next handset, it rocks a monstrous 4.65-inch SuperAMOLED display with native 720p resolution (1280-by-720 pixels), the obligatory five megapixel camera (what, no eight-megapixels?) and Android Ice Cream, the latest and greatest version of Android due for release in the fourth quarter of 2011.
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[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GbP7wQBJ35E&feature=player_embedded]
Debating which carrier to sign up with for that new Android-powered handset you’re thinking about? Virgin Mobile is about to launch a new advertising campaign directly taking on T-Mobile and detailing exactly why it’s the better choice for Android smartphone users.
Virgin Mobile USA’s president of Marketing Bob Stohrer explains:
“T-Mobile has anointed itself as the value leader in wireless, yet they’ve conveniently left Virgin Mobile out of their comparison set, so we’re crashing their party. No matter how you dress their plans up, they’re no match for Virgin Mobile’s no-contract, Unlimited Data offering at $35/month coupled with Android-powered phones like the new Motorola Triumph.”
The commercials set to launch today and run through September feature a faux hollywood couple known as Sparah, a fake T-Mobile spokesperson, and portray a party-like atmosphere and lifestyle in contrast to their competitors’s run-of-the-mill offerings. In the spot, the fake T-Mobile spokesperson also takes a stab at AT&T by noting, “imagine us being taken over by AT&T, who’s last in customer satisfaction.”
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.
This feels more like the Google Phone that was promised a year and a half ago – which was supposed to hit all carriers. The carriers would then have to fight on prices and quality of service.
As of today, the Samsung Nexus S is now at Best Buy free with a two year plan on 3 of the 4 big US Networks. Get your Sprint, T-Mobile or AT&T Nexus S here.
Now, it almost feels like a new superphone running Ice Cream Sandwich is in the works.
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Motorola’s Xoom will get the promised 4G LTE modem upgrade in September, per corporate communication from Verizon Wireless sent to registered users, published by the Droid Life blog. The free of charge update promises a tenfold increase in network speeds, available to more than 110 million people in select markets where the carrier rolled out its 4G LTE network, with “coverage expanding every day”. The email notice reads:
Be on the lookout at the end of summer for an email with information about how to upgrade your Motorola XOOM to speeds up to 10X faster than 3G. In the meantime, learn more about what you can do to prepare for the 4G LTE upgrade to your Motorola XOOM by backing up data, encrypting, or resetting your Motorola Xoom tablet.
On a somewhat related note, T-Mobile and Sony Ericsson also began rolling out Gingerbread updates to the Xperia X10 and G2x
This is my next is reporting an upgraded Defy, dubbed Defy+, is on its way to AT&T. The Defy is currently over at T-Mobile and is a very compact Android device, which can suffer punishment like being dropped and dunked in water. So obviously, a Defy+ excites us. What doesn’t excite us? That heaping serving of Motoblur
The Defy+ is sporting 850 / 1900 / 2100 HSPA bands which would make it appropriate for AT&T and Canadian carriers. The device’s specs are pretty similar to the original Defy’s, but the Defy+ features Android 2.3.3 and a 1GHz OMAP 3620 upgraded processor. Being dubbed with the ‘+’, we assume this device will be improved in some way. There’s no information on pricing or availability.
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The HTC Evo 3D has passed through the FCC’s desk packing AWS bands, reports TmoNews. Interestingly, these AWS bands point to T-Mobile’s 4G network. But as we have experienced before, something going through the FCC doesn’t necessarily mean its coming out anytime soon.
The EVO series has been exclusive with Sprint since the EVO’s release. This FCC filing definitely points to this device going to T-Mobile, breaking Sprint exclusivity. We’ll keep you updated if this phone actually hits or not, but in the mean time read our review of the device.
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[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=97REawPREH4]
We got a chance to take a look at the new MyTouch Slide last week and came away both impressed and yet slightly let down.
On one hand this is a rocket fast phone with a 1.2GHz dual-core Qualcomm processor that is in both the Sensation and the EVO 3D but in a much smaller package. The screen size and resolution have also been pared down to more traditional standards (3.7-inch and 480×800 pixels) but it is still a great display with great angles. Being a ‘Slide’, it has a slide-out keyboard which is very nice to the touch – but only 4 rows. The phone is awfully thin for a slider and perhaps the thinnest slide keyboard device out there.
The show stopper however is the shooter. The Slide has the “most advanced” 8-Megapixel camera on the market with its hard (0 lag) shutter, f/2.2 lens, backside-illuminated CMOS sensor which can record 1080P video. It also has three new technologies:
• SweepShot™: for capturing panoramic shots by sweeping across an entire scene in a single
motion
• ClearShot™ HDR: for capturing objects in bright settings so your photos are not affected by
high-contrast lighting
• BurstShot™: for capturing multiple photos in a quick burst so you don’t miss the perfect
photo
This phone is on par with a mid-range point and shoot camera, yet it has all of the GPS/social/internet features fo a smartphone. Both video and still were as good as any phone I’ve seen. While pictures and movies look amazing on the little 3.7-inch screen, it will be interesting to see how those pictures translate to the bigger screen (TVs) and paper.
If your smartphone wishlist starts with best camera out there, this is your phone.
There’s just one thing…
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PocketLint today published pictures of an Android device slider from LG which houses a small screen between keys on the keyboard below the full screen keyboard. It reminds of the Kyocera Echo meets Nintendo DS a bit with its extra screen but that big screen on top isn’t really hitting the edges – which is where they should be pushing the screens.
When this hits the streets, it ill be interesting to see what, if any, applications have been modified for this screen.
T-Mobile USA has an event/Android launch next week btw. We’ll soon find out if this is the device on tap. Another shot after the break.
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From 9to5toys.com:
The original G1 Android phone just hit Heights via Ebay for $137.95 new in the box without a contract. While Google and T-Mobile have long left the G1 off their update lists, the folks in the mod community have it running Gingerbread with many of the fixings.
The T-Mobile G1 weighs 5.6-oz. and features a 480×320 touchscreen LCD, 3.2-megapixel digital camera, QWERTY-style keyboard, 3G support, Wi-Fi, One-Touch Google Search, Bluetooth 1.2, microSD slot, USB connectivity, and Android OS.
A new G1 in the box could also make a keepsake for the nostalgic Android fan.
T-Mobile’s G2 with Google, a successor to the wildly popular G1, an inaugural Android smartphone, has been discontinued after short eight months on the market. TmoNews spotted a change in T-Mobile’s inventory system which lists the device as “discontinued” – that is, no longer available for replenishment – since June 6. Released in October of 2010, the G2 featured stock Android experience, a slide-out QWERTY keyboard and HSPA+ modem enabling T-Mobile USA to market the phone as 4G-capable.
According to All Things D, T-Mobile USA is partnering with games service WildTangent on Android game rentals costing 25 cents per day. The game service draws from WildTangent’s service for PCs which has 25 million active users. Due later this year, it will come preloaded on select Android device and support carrier billing. T-Mobile USA is even attended the E3 show in Los Angeles this week, a first-ever for the company, to promote the initiative.
The idea here is to try games before you buy them, similar to the Android Market’s 15-minute refund policy and Google’s try-before-you-buy system. If you later buy the game, the 25-cent charge is applied against your purchase. The system is designed around the WildCoins virtual currency costing between four to ten bucks a month. Purchased WildCoins can be then used to pay for game rentals and in-game micropayments.
From 9to5toys.com:
If you want a solid, unlocked Android phone that is sure to get the latest updates, Ebay has a deal for you today. Heights Deals is offering a new in the box Nexus One with Radios for 3G on T-Mobile and EDGE on AT&T for just $260 without a plan and free shipping. The Nexus One was the original Google phone and is still among the first to get the latest builds from Google. This one comes with 4GB of internal storage (Expandable+32GB via MicroSD), 3.7-inch AMOLED display at 480x800px and a 5-megapixel camera.
Since it is new in the box, it comes with Android 2.1 but is immediately upgradable to Android 2.3.3 Gingerbread.
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