Security hole found in all GSM networks by hacker

During a hacking convention in Berlin conducted by Germany’s Security Research Labs, a hacker discovered a security hole within the GSM mobile network. In Mr. Karsten Nohl’s own words:

We can do it to hundreds of thousands of phones in a short timeframe. None of the networks protects users very well. Mobile network is by far the weakest part of the mobile ecosystem, even when compared to a lot attacked Android or iOS devices.

This is quite disappointing. Though many of us choose to have a tier of texting or data – nearly 100% of us have some sort of voice plan incorporated. In case you don’t know which carriers use GSM networking technology, they include AT&T, T-Mobile, the select states with Cellular One, and many others: Yes this means you guys on Big Red and The Now Network are in the clear!
To make matters worse, compromised phones would be completely under the hacker’s control. Text messages or phone calls can be carried out easily and at any time. And until GSM carriers patch the security vulnerability, subscribers are all at risk. Fortunately, it will only take some updating of outdated software. There is no timeframe advertised to the public, but I’m sure it will be first on their “To-Do” lists (if not done already). We should all thank Mr. Nohl and those at the conference for discovering this vulnerability and restoring security to the airwaves.

Read more »

AT&T purchases 700MHz LTE spectrum from Qualcomm for $1.9 Billion

While we can always use some comfort food for a pick-me-up after a bad day or event, AT&T just goes shopping for LTE frequencies; and who can blame them – after the T-Mobile merger failed they lost a pretty penny. Qualcomm will sell their 700MHz spectrum for $1.9 Billion, and the purchase should be finalized by the end of the year.

For the deal to go through, the FCC states that AT&T will not only have to meet FCC enforced interference requirements, but they may have to offer up a percentage of the spectrum for data roaming on other carriers. And currently, that includes Verizon Wireless as that had acquired most of the FCC’s 700 MHz C Block spectrum some time back.
These newly acquired airwaves should help to boost up their 4G LTE network for many new markets in the near future. And in early 2012 we’ll find out if they’ll actually be required to offer their newly acquired spectrum to other carriers. That would be quite interesting. When roaming on a 4G network, imagine how quickly the data charges will add up!
[via Electronista]

Read more »

AT&T and T-Mobile call it quits — wont be merging after all

AT&T has just issued a statement today outlining what many probably already saw coming. And that is that they have decided to call it quits and end the bid for a T-Mobile buyout. This was by far one of the biggest corporate deals this year, especially in the mobile industry but at the moment it appears to be dead in the water — and for good. More details and the official statement are below.

Earlier this year AT&T proposed a $39 billion dollar buyout of T-Mobile USA and since the announcement it has been under a heavy amount of scrutiny. This came from all angles by Sprint, and even the US Government. I had a feeling things wouldn’t be ending on a good note and today it appears that is exactly what is happening. Don’t worry though because they still get a big piece of cash at the end of the day. We’ve covered this story so much in the recent past that I had almost stopped reporting the small updates — although today’s new is a bit more important.
Here’s the official statement from AT&T earlier today:

The actions by the Federal Communications Commission and the Department of Justice to block this transaction do not change the realities of the U.S. wireless industry. It is one of the most fiercely competitive industries in the world, with a mounting need for more spectrum that has not diminished and must be addressed immediately. The AT&T and T-Mobile USA combination would have offered an interim solution to this spectrum shortage. In the absence of such steps, customers will be harmed and needed investment will be stifled.”

T-Mobile will still cash in on the breakup fee that was discussed earlier this year (around $4-6 billion), but this isn’t good news for either party. AT&T has stated they’ve already set aside the 4 billion they’ll owe T-Mobile USA but we are still slowly getting the details as this entire story is just breaking. Feel free to read up on all the details on this merger from our timeline below. We should be hearing more from both parties sometime soon.

Read more »

HTC Elite flagship phone rumored for AT&T in April

If you’re still drooling over early leaks for the HTC Edge and HTC Ville, prepare to shift your desire to another device entirely. BGR quotes anonymous insiders saying that the HTC Elite, an EVO/Titan-style flagship device for the company, will launch in April of 2012 on AT&T. “Elite” may be a codename for the device, with “HTC Congressional” serving as the final release name. The senator from Taiwan has the floor.

The source didn’t have any specification information for the Elite, though they did mention a 4.7-inch LTE Window Phone for AT&T set to debut in February. If the Elite is indeed a flagship, it would have a large 720p screen, possibly Super AMOLED, and either a dual-core or quad-core processor of at least 1.2Ghz. Beats Audio is almost a given for a high-end HTC Android phone, and the Elite would probably be the first phone in the US to receive HTC Sense UI 4, the comapny’s Ice Cream Sandwich version of its Android customized build. If it’s coming to AT&T at a high price point, LTE seems probable.
All this is speculation at the moment, but HTC’s business trends indicate a Sensation-style headline platform is due for 2012, and this could be it. The Elite may find its way to other markets under similar branding – indeed, the HTC Edge could be the very same device, since AT&T has a habit of renaming phones for their network to give the illusion of exclusivity (see the LG Nitro HD, AKA the Optimus LTE). BGR also reports that HTC will be releasing fewer total phones in 2012, focusing on better individual products in the wake of some depressing earnings reports and bleak Q1 2012 forecasts.

Read more »

AT&T reportedly having difficulties selling T-Mobile assets

According to sources reporting to the Wall Street Journal, AT&T has hit yet another snag in its efforts to acquire T-Mobile, as it is now having difficulty selling T-Mobile assets to other carriers. This selling of assets, also known as divesting, is crucial for AT&T, as it may be the only way for it to gain regulatory approval for the purchase.
Earlier reports had said that AT&T was in talks with Leap Wireless, owner of Cricket, to sell some portion of the spectrum and other assets acquired from the purchase of T-Mobile to Leap. Other reports had said that Dish Communications or MetroPCS were also likely suitors for T-Mobile's assets.
Apparently, at this point, all of those negotiations have collapsed, and those involved say that the deals would not have been significant enough to sway the Justice Department's opposition to the purchase.
The Justice Department and AT&T have put their legal fight on hold until next month, in order to give time for AT&T to figure out its next move as to whether or not it will continue pursuing the acquisition. It has also been rumored that AT&T and T-Mobile could form a joint venture should the outright purchase not gain approval from the government.
[Via: Mobile Burn]

Read more »

Samsung Galaxy Note for AT&T Said to be On Its Way With LTE, Without Exynos

Rumor has it that AT&T’s gearing up to offer the Samsung Galaxy Note early next year and, as you might expect, 4G LTE will be in tow. One thing we didn’t imagine, however, is the lack of Samsung’s dual-core Exynos processor. 1Instead there’ll apparently be a 1.5GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor inside. Apparently Exynos might not support LTE radios yet. It’s not unlike the reason why T-Mobile’s Galaxy S II didn’t get Exynos – it didn’t support HSPA+ 42. In any case, a CES announcement is expected so be sure to check back in about a month’s time. [PocketNow]

Read more »

AT&T’s Galaxy S II Gets Maintenance Upgrade to Android 2.3.6

AT&T is issuing an upgrade to Android 2.3.6 for owners of the Galaxy S II (not the Skyrocket, the original). There’s not much more to add than that since this was simple bug-fixing upgrade so be sure to grab it with no delay and, as always, don’t panic if you don’t get it right away. Get to Settings > Software update > Check for updates to get started. [Samsung via AC]

Read more »

Huawei MediaPad clears the FCC en route to AT&T

The Huawei MediaPad isn’t anything new. It was spotted back in June on video and was quickly announced as a 7″ Android 3.2 Honeycomb tablet rocking a 1.2 GHz Qualcomm processor and some 3G/4G radios inside. We’ve seen it at the FCC a few times in the recent past on its way to T-Mobile but today’s sighting showed the slate rocking AT&T US bands.

More information and a full set of teardown pictures are available from the FCC filing. If the tablet looks familiar it’s because the Huawei MediaPad is actually available now in the US as the T-Mobile Springboard.
According to the FCC filing and our friends from Wireless Goodness the MediaPad has just been cleared with AT&T bands, giving it the green light to possibly land on shelves this holiday season. Do note these are HSPA+ speeds and not AT&T’s new 4G LTE. The hardware looks identical for the most part and rocks a 7″ 1280 x 800 display, Android 3.2 Honeycomb, a dual-core 1.2 GHz Qualcomm processor with 1GB of RAM and 16GB of internal storage.
The tablet has front and rear facing cameras and all the usual specs like micro-USB, and even a micro-SD slot for extra storage. This could be an awesome budget Honeycomb tablet to go along nicely with the hefty price of the HTC Jetstream from AT&T. We’ll report back when we hear more but for now expect to see this land on AT&T here soon.

Read more »

Pantech P4100 LTE tablet hits FCC and bound toward AT&T

Pantech recently had released the Breakout to Verizon earlier this year, and headed toward AT&T seems to be a tablet to run on their newly found 4G LTE network. The P4100 is only the model number of the device, but in due time we’ll find out its proper name. AT&T hasn’t advertised the P4100 officially, and if you hadn’t carefully been paying attention to the news then you wouldn’t know it existed.

All we’ve seen of the P4100 so far are a couple of NenaMark benchmark tests. The device scored ~42.6 FPS, with a 1024×720 pixel density and 1.5GHz dual-core Qualcomm Adreno 220 CPU. It also sports a 7″ display, but as of now – that’s all we’ve got. However, we do know it will probably ship with Android 3.2 (Honeycomb) onboard; yet, there’s always that chance we may see it with Android 4.0.
AT&T’s LTE network has proved to be right on par with Verizon’s, so this tablet will at least have that on its side. It will accompany the HTC Jetstream as the only other 4G LTE tablet on AT&T’s lineup, so it will be nice to have another 4G option. It will most likely not hit until 2012, but Pantech could go ahead and rush it out before Christmas if the hardware is ready.
[via Wireless Goodness]

Read more »

Samsung Galaxy Note with AT&T radios gain FCC approval

Back in September, the Samsung Galaxy Note was spotted at the FCC, and for those who have been meaning to get their hands on it, the good news is that the phone/tablet hybrid has recently gotten its stamp of approval from the FCC which means that it is primed for release, although when that is remains a mystery for now.
The hybrid was spotted with AT&T’s radios, which could also suggest that it would be compatible with our neighbors in Canada, although many have speculated that it could indeed arrive on AT&T’s network, but until we see it for ourselves, we’ll take that piece of information with a grain of salt for now.
The Samsung Galaxy Note will feature a 1.4GHz dual-core processor, a 5.3” HD Super AMOLED display, an 8MP/2MP rear/front-facing camera, an S Pen interface and stylus, a 2,500mAh battery on board with Android’s Gingerbread 2.3 on board, although no word if Samsung has plans to bump it up to Android 4.0 in the future. Check back with us again to see if the device will indeed be launched on AT&T’s network in the future.

Read more »

AT&T Galaxy Note Appears at the FCC

It looks like the Galaxy Note could be poised for an American (or North American) launch after all. The 5 inch slate meant for note takers and sketchers has shown up at the FCC with AT&T radios in tow, though these could easily be meant for Canadian carriers. Either way, someone in North America above the Mexican border will soon be able to own one of these. Now to play the waiting game. Head to the FCC to check it out. [Engadget]

Read more »

New Carrier IQ Class Action Lawsuit Sues More OEMs, Carriers

As accusations of fouplay within Carrier IQ have turned up due to research work done by Trevor Eckhart – who exposed the company for collecting user information that may be violating the Federal Wiretap Act – some lawsuits shortly followed.
One early class action lawsuit targeted HTC, Samsung and Carrier IQ. A new one filed by three lawfirms in a joint effort is targeted at HTC, Samsung, Apple, Motorola, Sprint, AT&T and T-Mobile. Strangely enough, Carrier IQ itself isn’t being sued in this particular instance.

Carrier IQ has not been hit with a formal federal investigation yet but these lawsuits and pressure from government bodies all add nicely to a hopeful investigation sometime in the future.
Carrier IQ has admitted that their application may appear to be logging information that should be kept private, but they say it’s a byproduct of trying to send information to carriers and OEMs that is actually useful to helping them improve wireless service.
Saying it is one thing and proving it is another, though. Hopefully more of these lawsuits turn up and a big, bright spotlight will be put on the carriers and OEMs who use this service in order to put immense pressure on Carrier IQ to fully and accurately show what information really is or isn’t being transmitted from our phones.

Read more »

AT&T Has Original Motorola Lapdock for Atrix on Sale at $50

Though most agreed that Motorola’s Webtop technology was one of the cooler things to emerge out of last year’s CES, the high price of accessories such as a Lapdock priced close to $500 kept many consumers from buying in. With an expanded lineup of Webtop-enabled phones and a new Lapdock range and adapted pricing on the way from Motorola, the original has seen a steep discount to a reasonable $50 when purchased through AT&T. That is a price more in line with what everyone had expected when the Lapdock concept was first announced. The site lists only the Atrix as compatible with the older model, though it might be worth further investigation to see if the device will also work with other handsets such as the Photon 4G on Sprint.
[AT&T via AndroidForums]

Read more »

LG Nitro HD 4G LTE goes on sale today at AT&T

The LG Nitro HD joins the white Skyrocket SGS 2 as the second LTE-capable phone that releases today on AT&T. The Nitro HD packs quite the punch with a 1.5GHz dual-core processor, 1GB of RAM, 8MP rear HD camera, 4G LTE radios, 20GB of internal storage, 4.5-inch HD 1280 x 720 display and a 1830 mAh battery. If you’re not too impressed with the Samsung Galaxy line, you should definitely consider getting this LG phone. Get ready to shed between $149.99 to $249.99, depending on where you live, with a two year contract.
Let us know if you’re planning to grab a Nitro HD.
via AT&T

Read more »

AT&T 4G LTE now live in New York, Phoenix; tests show blistering speeds up to 40Mbps

GoAndroid noted during our hands-on look at the LG Nitro HD that AT&T’s next-generation 4G LTE network has gone live in New York ahead of launch, and it looks like another market has gone live as well: Phoenix, Arizona. Our speed tests Thursday night on AT&T’s fledgling 4G LTE network were nothing to scoff at — we saw nearly 7Mbps down and about 9Mbps up — but AT&T subscribers in Phoenix will be excited to learn that early speed test results reveal blistering download speeds up to 40Mbps and upload speeds in excess of 10Mbps. Read on for more.

The screenshot above, supplied to GoAndroid by a reader, was captured Thursday night outside Phoenix on a Samsung Galaxy S II Skyrocket. The same reader also confirmed that speed tests performed on his Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9 tablet reached download speeds of 40Mbps. These speeds, while impressive, may not be an accurate indication of network performance one 4G LTE service from AT&T launches in Phoenix.
AT&T has yet to confirm official launch dates for its 4G LTE networks in New York or in the Phoenix area.
Thanks, Scott

Read more »

Samsung Galaxy Nexus cruises through FCC with AT&T bands

With Verizon having exclusivity on the Samsung Galaxy Nexus, many AT&T customers have been wondering when their favorite carrier will launch it. According to FCC filings, a Samsung G-Nex with model number GT-i9250T has just cruised though FCC with AT&T’s GSM 850, GSM 1900, WCDMA II and IV bands.
As you all know, AT&T has been quiet about their plans to release their very own variant of the Galaxy Nexus. Maybe the fact that they asked their Google+ followers if they want the phone on their network was an indication that they’re already planning to launch it. And if they do, we have no idea when it will release. After all, Verizon hasn’t even announced when they’ll release the Galaxy Nexus.
Can we say that there will be a multi-carrier Galaxy Nexus release at this point?
Source FCC
via Wireless Goodness

Read more »

AT&T Samsung Galaxy S II Skyrocket comes in white December 4th

There’s only three phones that use AT&T’s 4G LTE network so far: the upcoming LG Nitro HD, the HTC Vivid, and the Samsung Galaxy S II Skyrocket. You can get any of them in any color you want, so long as you want black. But come December 4th, you’ll have at least one more choice, as the Skyrocket follows its Galaxy S II predecessors in offering an arctic white option.

That’s not to say that the Vivid is without its charms, but the Skyrocket’s brighter screen, better battery life and screaming 1.5Ghz dual-core processor make it one of the best phones available for AT&T right now. That might change when the LG Nitro HD lands, also on December 4th, sporing a gorgeous 720p IPS display – we’ll see.
The white version of the Galaxy S II Skyrocket is otherwise identical to its more somber progenitor, and will come in at the same $249.99 price tag. Don’t need LTE? You can save a few bucks on T-Mobile with a white version of the original Galaxy S II.

Read more »

AT&T and T-Mobile withdraw FCC merger application

AT&T and T-Mobile have withdrawn their application to the FCC for their planned merger. Following the FCC’s decision to conduct a hearing on the validity of the proposed merger, the two companies have switched their focus to gaining approval from the Department of Justice. AT&T has also indicated it expects to book a pretax $4 billion charge in the fourth quarter for a break-up fee to T-Mobile should the deal fall through.

"This formal step today is being undertaken by both companies to consolidate their strength and to focus their continuing efforts on obtaining antitrust clearance for the transaction from the Department of Justice," the two companies said in a prepared statement.

The Department of Justice sued to block the merger in August as it believed that the deal posed may violate antitrust laws. The companies believe that they can convince the DOJ that the concessions that they are prepared to offer to make the deal happen will not adversely affect consumers.

Both the DOJ and FCC have contended that the merger is inherently anti-competitive, knocking out a major carrier, and that no amount of concession is likely to change the reduced amount of choice.

Read more »

FCC calls for hearing on AT&T’s T-Mobile purchase

The road is only getting rockier for AT&T’s proposed purchase of T-Mobile. In addition to a Justice Department lawsuit attempting to block the merger entirely, the Federal Communications Commission (you know, that standardizing body that gives us so many juicy leaks) is calling for a hearing into the matter. The last time that the FCC called for a hearing was the proposed merger between DirecTV and Echostar, and that deal never went through.

While most thought that the merger between two of the four major United States cell phone carriers would be rubber-stamped through the approval process, it looks like the United States government is preparing for a rare denial. With two major agencies and seven states apparently opposed to the $39 billion deal, it would take a miracle for the merger to happen at all, and the earliest it might even be possible is now well into 2012. Numerous consumer advocacy groups have also come out against the merger.
What does this mean for Android? Not a lot – it’s a continuation of the status quo. Without the additional towers and customers from T-Mobile, AT&T will be forced to improve its network on its own to remain competitive to Verizon. T-Mobile is still far behind in terms of actual subscribers, so they’ll almost certainly continue to rely on cheaper plans and devices in general. Nothing is set in stone, of course – the success or failure of AT&T’s plan will likely depend on the DOJ’s ruling.
[via SlashGear]

Read more »

Galaxy Tab 8.9 with 4G LTE available now from AT&T, gets torn down at FCC

In case anyone missed it AT&T is now offering the Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9 with 4G LTE — and it’s available right now. It was officially announced last week and went up for sale just a few days ago on November 20th. For those wanting a portable and powerful tablet the Tab 8.9 with AT&T 4G LTE would be a good place to look.

Samsung announced the Tab 8.9 was coming in October then we finally saw it hit the FCC with AT&T bands late last month but we didn’t get any actual product pictures. Today the Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9 has revisited the FCC and they’ve released a slew of teardown pictures showing the internals and that large 6,100 mAh battery and 1.5 GHz dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon processor. Yup the AT&T version will not be 1.2 GHz and instead is powered by Qualcomm’s 1.5 GHz Snapdragon chip.
A few of the teardown pictures can be seen in the gallery below and the full set are available via the source link at the bottom of the page. The Galaxy Tab 8.9 with AT&T 4G LTE is $479 with a new 2-year contract but that gets you 4G LTE speeds for ultimate portability. If that price is a little hard to swallow AT&T is also giving away either of their two top tier 4G LTE smartphones for free with purchase. The HTC Vivid and Galaxy S II Skyrocket are both available free when purchasing the 8.9″ slate. Head to AT&T today and get your own or just click here.
We will be reviewing the Galaxy Tab 8.9 LTE within the next few days so stick around and give that a look once available.

Read more »