AT&T’s 4G LTE plan: what you need to know

Despite its claims to “4G” prowess, AT&T’s Long Term Evolution network only covers five cities in the United States so far, and no AT&T phones operate with LTE radios. PC Mag got a rare response to their inquiries on the full nationwide rollout, and there’s some juicy information for AT&T Android users in the pipe. The first AT&T LTE phone will be released this year, though the carrier didn’t say from which manufacturer or which operating system it would use.

Unless you live in Houston, San Antonio, Dallas, Chicago or Atlanta, AT&T “4G” means HSPA+, an upgrade to existing 3G networks that’s speedy but not technically 4G. The company will only be advertising “4G LTE” in the markets that are currently receiving it, and presumably they’ll do some pre-marketing as new areas are added. Verizon already has true LTE 4G deployed in over a hundred markets, with more being added all the time.
Currently AT&T places the same data caps on LTE users as it does on mobile broadband and smartphone users on 3G networks, despite the extra bandwidth. The company dodged a question about whether it would raise or remove caps as phones and markets are added to the network – you can probably take that as a polite “no.” AT&T also refused to respond with a concrete answer on whether or not they’ll be offering roaming with Verizon LTE. This seams more plausible, but as you know in the ever-contentious wireless market, there are no guarantees.
AT&T is sticking to its guns with the proposed purchase of T-Mobile, despite the Justice Department’s objections. The company maintains that purchasing the smaller competitor outright will allow it to deploy more 3G and 4G spectrum efficiently, in a way that couldn’t be achieved by simply building new cell towers. It remains to be seen what AT&T will do if the merger is completely blocked.
AT&T was mum on its first smartphone LTE offerings, saying only that it would be selling its first LTE phone later this year. Since iOS is right out (no hardware updates will be coming until next summer at the very least), that leaves Android, Windows Phone 7, and Blackberry in a long third. We’ve already seen at least one possibility on that front, namely the HTC Holiday/Raider. The HTC Jetstream is the first tablet to work with the AT&T LTE network. While it didn’t announce any hardware plans, AT&T claimed in a previous statement that their LTE phones would be thinner and more battery-efficient than competitors – a definite shot at the somewhat chunky and short-lived Verizon phones like the HTC Thunderbolt and Motorola DROID BIONIC.
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Angry Birds themed tablet

So we know that the Angry Birds game is popular, so much so that there have been so many spin-offs based on the game, both in the official and unofficial capacity. For example you will be able to find Angry Bird apparel, soft toys, figurines, speakers, phone covers, and even an amusement park based on the game! Now it looks like there’s even an Angry Birds tablet available.
The tablet is actually based off the Wopad V7 tablet, which houses a Cortex A8 CPU with the ability to playback 1080p HD videos. What makes this Wopad V7 an Angry Birds tablet is that the 4GB of memory it comes with has been installed with a variety of Angry Birds digital media. It ranges from applications like the different Seasons variations of the game, along with wallpapers too.
We’re not sure how big a fan you must be to buy this tablet, but apart from those features we mentioned, users can also expect a 7” 800×480 display with 512MB of RAM, a front-facing camera with Android’s Gingerbread 2.3 loaded on board. It does not appear to be on sale in the US.

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Panasonic unveils new BizPad Android tablets

In Japan, Panasonic has officially announced the launch of two new BizPad Android tablets. Designed for heavy duty work, these Android tablets are said to be shock resistant, dust resistant and water resistant, with an easily replaced battery pack – for those times when you just need a fully charged battery to use out of the office.
Other features include: a card reader/writer, NFC, security features, and optional 3G. The tablet will be available in two sizes: the 7″ JT-580VT Series and the 10.1″ JT-581VT Series. Both tablets will run on Android 3.2 Honeycomb. No word on pricing, but the JT-580VT will be available in late December, and the JT-581VT in mid-January next year.
[Press Release]

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HTC Amaze 4G now available from T-Mobile

HTC's latest Android powerhouse, the Amaze 4G, is now available for purchase from T-Mobile USA. The Android 2.3 Gingerbread smartphone features a 4.3-inch, qHD (540 x 960 pixel) display and a dual-core, 1.5GHz Qualcomm processor. It has HTC's Sense 3.0 interface and supports T-Mobiles 42Mpbs HSPA+ network. Its real claim to fame, though, is its camera, as it features an 8 megapixel unit with a 28mm, f/2.2 lens and backside illuminated sensor. It can also record 1080p HD (1920 x 1080 pixel) video. Interested buyers can pick up the Amaze 4G for $259.99 with a new two-year contract.
source: T-Mobile

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Samsung Galaxy S II now available in T-Mobile USA stores

The T-Mobile version of the Samsung Galaxy S II smartphone can now be had in the carrier's stores across the country. Early buyers have been able to order the phone online since Monday, but now anyone can walk into a T-Mobile store and purchase it. The T-Mobile version of the Galaxy S II is the third edition to be released by American carriers. It features a 4.52-inch Super AMOLED Plus display and a 1.5GHz dual-core Qualcomm processor that is different from other Galaxy S II phones. It also has support for T-Mobile's 42Mbps HSPA+ network. Buyers will have to part with $229.99 and sign up for a new two-year contract should they decide the Galaxy S II is the right phone for them.
source: T-Mobile

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Final Google TV add-on is ready for Android SDK

While the loyal users of Google’s much-neglected Google TV platform wait patiently for Honeycomb, developers can finally begin work on apps in earnest. The finished version of the Google TV add-on for the Android SDK is available now, so that Android app makers can port their applications to Google TV. You can download the plug-in here.

Google TV is technically based on Android, but until now it still required its own specialized development tools. Once the Honeycomb update rolls out, general Android apps will run on Google TV with minimal modification to their code. Some apps will work right away, while others will require a little tweaking – that’s where the add-on for the Android SDK comes in. Apps will be able to use API calls for various TV-related activities, like displaying the channel guide. At this time a full-on emulator for Google TV (like the Android emulator that’s included in the full SDK) only works on Linux, but Windows and OS X support is coming in the future.
Users will be able to browse the Android Market for new apps once the Honeycomb update is pushed out, though it won’t be the same one we’re used to seeing. Google says that touchscreens will not be supported, so apps that require touchscreen interaction (i.e. 99.8% of them) won’t be displayed to Google TV users. Instead they’ll be shown only the apps that are verified to work with Google TV, either through developer tagging or Google’s direct featured apps list.
There’s still no word on when Honeycomb and the Android Market will make its way to end users.

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Motorola and Verizon push out DROID X2 OTA maintenance update

For the most part the DROID X2 is a welcome update to Motorola’s original 4.3-inch slate phone, but the Gingerbread update it received this summer is not without its issues. Users have reported iffy keyboard detection, camera issues and random shutdowns. Hopefully those problems will be gone, or at least diminished, when the latest over-the-air update is applied. It’s available now – go to the “System Updates” section of the Android settings menu to download it.

The DROID X2 was favorably reviewed back in May, with highlights including an improved 960 x 540 screen and the new dual-core processor. The phone lacks 4G LTE bands and so isn’t quite in the same class as more recent devices like the HTC Thunderbolt and Motorola DROID BIONIC, but as an original DROID X owner who lives in a 3G-only area, I can tell you it’s still a pretty solid phone. The Gingerbread update came in late July to a grateful userbase.
Other fixes in the “1.3.380.MB870.Verizon.en.US” update include skipping in the included MP3 and YouTube apps, improved functionality with the official desktop dock, a more secure Mobile Hotspot app and better 720p video recording. You can head on over to Verizon’s official page to see the full list of changes. Users who don’t initiate an update manually should see an install message pop up on their phone sometime this week.

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Android Market avaiable in China once again

In the latest in a long line of infighting between the east’s greatest political power and the west’s technology supergiant, the Android Market web site and Android’s native Gmail app went silent on Sunday for most of China. The blackout seems to be over now, and access has been restored for Chinese Android users. No explanation has been given by Chinese authorities.

Chinese Android users don’t have access to an app-based Market like the rest of the world – they’re restricted to a web-based Android Market similar to Android.com. Google’s services are heavily regulated and censored in the authoritarian nation, though not for lack of trying. Hacks into Chinese dissidents’ Gmail accounts by persons unknown (wink) are common, and according to web service Great Firewall of China, the webmail service is still blocked in all of mainland China.
Assuming that the outage was initiated by the Chinese government, there are some very pointed reasons why they’d restrict access to the Android Market. First of all it’s yet another vector for non-sanctioned information to get into the hands of the Chinese public. Nearly all web traffic in China is monitored and censored, and while the Chinese version of the Android Market must conform to these rules as well, there’s nothing stopping the government from simply shutting it down on a whim. Some are speculating that the outage was a political move in response to Google’s support of Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama, who took a “virtual trip” to South Africa with Google’s help this weekend.
Relationships between Google and the Chinese government have been strained (to say the least) for the last 18 months, ever since Google announced a major hack into its servers emanating from China. Google withdrew its search service from the mainland in response to avoid their search results being censored, and now directs Chinese Internet surfers to google.com.hk, where searches are currently not being censored. While Google continues to provide service to Chinese Internet and Android users, it’s tenuous at best – there’s nothing stopping the Chinese government from literally flipping the switch on its services.

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Mugen Power battery crams 237% more power into Mytouch 4G Slide

Late last month Mugen power unveiled a new expanded capacity battery for the HTC Sensation 4G that doubled the battery life. Mugen Power is back with another extended life battery for Android fans and this time the battery is for the HTC Mytouch 4G Slide. The new extended life battery that MP offers is called the HLI-PG59100XL and it includes the battery door you need to install the battery into the smartphone.

The MP battery has 3600mAH of power inside compared to the standard Mytouch 4G Slide battery packing in 1520mAH. The company says that the battery is also CE approved. Using its battery the company claims that the moderate user will only need to recharge their phone every four days.
The battery kit is going to sell for $98.95 with the battery door and free shipping. With the higher capacity battery and the new battery door the phone grows to 21.5mm thick. That extra thickness and extra weight are the only downsides. The battery will ship on October 28.

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