When it comes to the term “4g”, many consumers automatically assume that means the next iteration of their current 3g smartphone. It would only take a little digging up to find out that not only would their assumption be totally misguided, it would lead to them to the underlying truth of this “4g” movement. Consumers are being lied to. In every possible sense of word. Very few consumers fail to realize that here in the states, carriers literally bleed us dry when it comes to our contractual agreement to them. In many other places in the world, carriers are the consumers best friend. Providing multiple different plans and discounts to account for the overwhelming push of mobile innovation. This article will shed a little light on the deceptive tactics used by carriers in the states to take as much money out of your pockets as “legally” possible.

Sprint

The first 4g phone ever released in the US was Sprint’s HTC Evo 4g back in 2010. It utilized the technology of WiMax in order to receive its supposed broadband like speeds. Just to in case you didn’t know, WiMax is a wireless communications standard designed to provide 30 to 40 megabit-per-second data rates at a time. Sprints actual 4g network coverage was abysmal at the time of launch. The only true reason why they were pushing this technology out so suddenly was for the sole purpose of being able to say they were the first to do it. This decision has come back to bite them in the ass in so many ways it’s almost comical. Now Sprint is converting their entire 4g WiMax network over to the far more superior LTE technology. To make matters even worse, Sprint is currently releasing their version of the Galaxy Nexus with an LTE chipset. That would be great news if only Sprint HAD an ACTUAL LTE network up and running. Sprint’s own incompetence and poor financial investments have led them to not only playing catch up with other carriers, but clear and utter desperation. It boggles my mind how Sprint is even able to legally market a network that doesn’t exist in their portfolio. I’d advise any consumer looking for a 4g phone to look anywhere but Sprint at this stage in the game.

T-Mobile

When it comes to 4g and T-mobile in the same breath, you can only tip your hat to the nation’s 4th largest carrier. Let me start off by saying that T-Mobile has no 4g network. None what’s so ever. Their currently not even building one. As a consumer reading this, you may be thinking I’m a complete idiot. You may bring up claims like “What do you mean T-mobile doesn’t have a 4g network, their commercials say they do” or even “T-mobile has the nation’s largest 4g network, they couldn’t lie about that, could they ?”. Sadly they can and are doing that very thing. I couldn’t tell you how they’re able to do it. My major in college is Marketing, not Paralegal. All I can tell you is that T-mobile is proclaiming their HSPA+ network as their 4g counterpart. HSPA+ in layman’s terms can being explained as “3.5g”. It’s an upgrade to their current 3g network that actually does enhance data speeds to a theoretical 42mps. But alas, this isn’t 4g. Carriers such as At&t have this technology already implemented into their 3g network. It’s hard to actually bash their HSPA + network because brushing all the lies aside, it’s quite fast. T-Mobile’s coverage is also just as impressive. So if you’re looking for a fake 4g smartphone, T-Mobile is that place.

AT&T

As an AT&T customer, I should be telling you that my carrier has the only true REAL 4g network in the country. AT&T does have an LTE network. They’re coverage isn’t complete but it’s getting there. Speed test also show that its quite a bit faster than Verizon’s very own LTE network as well.However, just as T-mobile has done with their HSPA+ network, At&t labels their upgraded 3g network as 4g and their LTE as LTE 4g. This is the greatest form of trickery I’ve ever seen. In order to compete with Verizon’s LTE network rollout, AT&T took the “if you can’t beat them, trick them approach”, and magically turned their HSPA+ network to a 4g icon. These simple changes gives consumers a false sense of security. It makes them think their device and network is next generation, when in reality its last generation tech. AT&T is continuously expanding and improving their LTE network. Lets hope that when 5g comes around, AT&T shows some morality.

Verizon

Out of all the carriers previously mentioned, Verizon is surprisingly the most honest. Verizon knew where the future of mobile was headed and prepared their network for the task. While the other carriers were stagnant in innovation, Verizon was building its true LTE 4g network behind the scenes. As a result, Verizon now has more than six times the geographic coverage of the nearest competitors 4G LTE network. It blankets more than two thirds of the country while consistently providing data speeds in the 15mps range. Just for good measure, Verizon has also made it mandatory that all future smartphones on its network HAVE to be 4g LTE capable. This could be a double edged sword for many consumers as this means higher contract prices for their next smartphone. But this is nothing but genius as it futures proofs Verizon’s network in terms of quality and quantity of high tier devices. Don’t get me wrong, Verizon is the most expensive service of the bunch, but at least you can be rest assured every penny you give to them is being used to propel innovation and integrity.

So in summary I hope that you get a real understand of what the cell phone carriers claim is 4G in the U.S. So when they say they have "America’s Largest 4G Network" or "America’s Fastest 4G Network" or "The Most Reliable 4G Network" or even “The Now Network” you’ll really know what their network is really about.

Image Source: Recombu

Fresh off of it announcement this morning the HTC DROID Incredible 4G LTE gets a nice hands on video. This is the 3rd DROID Incredible in the series and it rocks a 4 inch Super LCD qHD display, 1.2 GHz Snapdragon S4 Processor, 8 megapixel rear facing camera with zero shutter lag, Beats Audio, 4G LTE and Android 4.0 with Sense 4 UI. Check out the pictures and hands on video below.

There is a new DROID coming to Verizon and it’s the HTC DROID Incredible 4G LTE. The 3rd installment in the DROID Incredible series comes with 4 inch Super LCD qHD display, 1.2 Ghz dual-core Snapdragon S4 processor, 8 megapixel rear facing camera, 1,700 mAh battery, Beats Audio and will run Android 4.0 with Sense 4 on top. Check the press release for more info.

Press Release:

HTC AND VERIZON WIRELESS REVEAL

DROID INCREDIBLE 4G LTE

New DROID INCREDIBLE Offers Advanced Camera Capabilities, Beats Audio and 4G LTE Speeds from Verizon Wireless

NEW ORLEANS and BASKING RIDGE, N.J. – From International CTIA Wireless^® 2012, Verizon Wireless and HTC today announced the new and exclusive DROID INCREDIBLE 4G LTE by HTC.  The new DROID INCREDIBLE 4G LTE enhances the customer experience by offering high-quality photo and audio capabilities, combined with the power of 4G LTE speeds.  Running the latest version of HTC Sense^™ 4.0, HTC’s branded user experience integrated with Google’s^™ mobile operating system, Android^™ 4.0, Ice Cream Sandwich, the new DROID INCREDIBLE 4G LTE brings a sophisticated, pocket-friendly device to America’s fastest 4G LTE network.

DROID INCREDIBLE 4G LTE by HTC features Beats Audio^™ which is enabled across the entire experience for a rich and authentic sound whether customers watch a YouTube^™ video, play a game, or stream music over 4G LTE.  Beats Audio allows customers to listen to music the way the artist intended with thundering bass, soaring midrange and crisp highs.

The DROID INCREDIBLE 4G LTE captures life’s special moments with an advanced 8-megapixel camera with quick activation from the home screen so customers never miss that perfect shot.  Additionally, there’s no longer a need to choose between shooting video or taking photos, HTC Video Pic^™ allows users to shoot HD video and capture photos at the same time.  With 4G LTE speeds, sharing photos and video via email, uploading to the cloud or posting to social networking sites is a breeze.

DROID INCREDIBLE 4G LTE is packed with features to make life easier and customizable.  Customers can personalize and use lock screen shortcuts to quickly access their four favorite apps.  Folders can easily be created on any home screen for additional customization and organization.  A Read Later feature allows people short on time the ability to save browser content like news articles and websites that can be viewed later, even while offline.  The smartphone is also NFC capable so customers can take advantage of Android Beam^™ to quickly share Web pages, apps, contacts and YouTube^™ videos with friends by simply tapping two compatible phones together.

The Verizon Wireless 4G LTE network is available in 230 markets across the Unites States.  In real-world, fully loaded network environments, 4G LTE users should experience average data rates of 5 to 12 megabits per second (Mbps) on the downlink and 2 to 5 Mbps on the uplink. When customers travel outside of 4G LTE coverage areas, devices automatically connect to Verizon Wireless’ 3G network, where available, enabling customers to stay connected from coast to coast.

Additional features:      

• 4-inch super LCD qHD display
• 8 megapixel rear-facing camera with autofocus, LED flash, BSI, f/2.2 and 28 mm lens
• Front-facing camera for video chatting with friends and family
• 1.2 GHz dual-core Qualcomm® Snapdragon^™ S4 processor
• Mobile Hotspot capable to share 4G LTE connection with up to 10 Wi-Fi-enabled devices
• Support for up to 32 GB microSD^™ memory card
• 1,700 mAh lithium ion removable battery

 

The new DROID INCREDIBLE 4G LTE by HTC will be available in Verizon Wireless Communications Stores and online at www.verizonwireless.com in the coming weeks.

Here we have two flagship phones for their respective carrier. The HTC EVO 4G LTE for Sprint and the Samsung Galaxy Nexus for Verizon. Their both Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich smartphones with big bright displays and fast data speeds. In this video we do a hardware comparison between them.

HTC EVO 4G LTE

The EVO 4G LTE is the new kid on the block with a 4.7 inch Super LCD display, 1.5 Ghz Snapdragon S4 dual-core processor, 1 GB of RAM, 16 GB of storage, 2000 mAh battery, 4G LTE, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, GPS, HD Voice, Beats Audio, 1.3 megapixel front-facing camera and a 8 megapixel rear-facing camera with a f2.0, 1080p HD video capture and 5 stage LED flash. The camera takes advantage of having HTC’s ImageChip camera processor and HTC’s ImageSense software. While the EVO 4G LTE has Android 4.0 it use Sense 4 UI on top. HTC is trying to recapture the essence of the original HTC EVO 4G and take it to the next level here.

Samsung Galaxy Nexus (Verizon)

The Galaxy Nexus is not only the flagship phone for Verizon it’s the flagship phone for Google’s Android 4.0 ICS operating system.  This third integration in the Google Nexus series features a 4.65 inch HD Super AMOLED display, 1.2 GHZ TI-OMAP dual-core processor, 1 GB of RAM, 32 GB of storage, 1850 mAh battery, 4G LTE, NFC, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, GPS, 1.3 megapixel front facing camera and a 5 megapixel camera with LED flash plus 1080p HD video capture . There are no skins on top of Android 4.0 here as its mean to be the most pure Google Android experience you can get. The Galaxy Nexus is geared to step the game up for all android devices with a refined OS and solid baseline specs.

Check out our hardware comparison video below and stay tuned for more coverage.

Today Verizon announced the LG Lucid aimed for the first-time smartphone users. The Lucid key features are a 4-inch touchscreen display, 1.2 Ghz dual-core processor with 1 GB of Ram and 5 megapixel camera with 1080p HD video capture.  It ships with Android 2.3 Gingerbread and is the first budget-friendly dual-core LTE phone on Verizon and will go for $79.99 after a $50 mail-in-rebate and will be available on March 29th.

Press Release:

03/27/2012

BASKING RIDGE, NJ —

Verizon Wireless and LG Mobile today announced Lucid™ by LG, exclusively for Verizon Wireless, will be available starting March 29 in Verizon Wireless Communications Stores and online atwww.verizonwireless.com.

Lucid by LG is designed to create an easy-to-learn, easy-to-use experience for first-time smartphone users. The slim and compact design features a stunning 4-inch touchscreen display protected by Corning® Gorilla® Glass that gives customers superb brightness, enhanced clarity and readability, even while outdoors. Powered by America’s fastest 4G network, Lucid by LG customers have access to 4G LTE coverage in over 200 markets covering more than 200 million people.

Lucid by LG is packed with features to make the smartphone experience easy, while also increasing productivity. Customers can use the lock screen shortcuts to instantly access the phone, messaging, voicemail and camera application from the lock screen. Customers also no longer have to stop what they’re doing to reply to texts by using the Quick Reply feature, as text message notifications pop up on the screen and allow customers to reply directly from the Quick Reply notification. The Quick Dialer widget lets customers make calls directly from a home screen panel without having to open the phone application. Additionally, Lucid by LG has Guided Tours right on the device, which provides step-by-step tutorials for customers who want to learn more about their new phone.

Business professionals can take advantage of the Polaris Office app on Lucid by LG which allows customers to easily open, create and edit Microsoft® Office documents, including Word, PowerPoint® and Excel®. Verizon Wireless’ 4G LTE network takes Lucid by LG to the next level, loading websites 10 times faster than 3G, making it that much easier for a professional to stay up to speed on recent news and keep in touch with colleagues. The mobile hotspot feature lets professionals connect to up to 10 Wi-Fi-enabled devices to the Verizon Wireless 4G LTE network, making it easy for teams to work from a remote location.

Additional features:

• Android™ 2.3 Gingerbread, upgradable to Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich
• 5-megapixel rear-facing autofocus camera with flash and full HD (1080p) video capture
• Front facing camera for video chatting with friends and family
• Video Producer – create and edit HD videos right on Lucid by LG
• 1.2 GHz dual-core processor and 1 GB of RAM for fast Web browsing and multitasking
• Virtual QWERTY keyboard with Swype® technology
• SmartShare – share media with friends and colleagues wirelessly to DLNA®-enabled devices

Pricing and availability:

• Lucid by LG will be available starting March 29 in Verizon Wireless Communications Stores and online atwww.verizonwireless.com for $79.99 after a $50 mail-in rebate with a new two-year customer agreement. Customers will receive the rebate in the form of a debit card; upon receipt, customers may use the card as cash anywhere debit cards are accepted.
• Customers who purchase a Lucid by LG will need to subscribe to a Verizon Wireless Nationwide Talk plan beginning at $39.99 monthly access and a smartphone data package starting at $30 monthly access for 2 GB of data.

For more information on Verizon Wireless products and services, visit a Verizon Wireless Communications Store, call 1-800-2 JOIN IN or go to www.verizonwireless.com. Follow @VZWnews on Twitter for the latest news on Verizon Wireless.

Verizon Wireless release today a list of 12 devices that will received Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich updates in the near future. There isn’t a solid date on when these devices will be update but if you own any of these devices you at least know that it will get an update to the latest version of Android which début last year with the Galaxy Nexus by Samsung. Here is the list below split into smartphone and android tablets. Getting a list is at least a good sign that these update should be rolling out soon even though there isn’t any set release date for them here. Check out the list and press release below.

Verizon Smartphones To Get Android 4.0

• HTC ThunderBolt
• DROID Incredible 2 by HTC
• HTC Rhyme
• HTC Rezound

• DROID BIONIC
• DROID RAZR
• DROID RAZR MAXX
• DROID 4
• LG Spectrum

Verizon Tablets To Get Android 4.0

• Motorola XOOM
• DROID XYBOARD 8.2
• DROID XYBOARD 10.1
• Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 4G LTE
• Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7 4G LTE

Press Release:

 

Ice Cream Sandwich Coming to Many Verizon Wireless Smartphones

By: Albert Aydin

03/06/2012

Verizon Wireless will deliver a tasty treat to many smartphone and tablet customers this year – Android™ 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich (ICS).

It’s a frozen snack that many in the Android community have been eager to try since ICS launched in December 2011 on the Galaxy™ Nexus™ by Samsung. The redesigned user interface includes many cool enhancements, including upgraded multitasking capabilities, notifications and Web browsing.

Wondering if your device will receive Ice Cream Sandwich? Here’s a list of Verizon Wireless 4G LTE devices currently scheduled to be upgraded.

HTC:

• HTC ThunderBolt™
• DROID Incredible 2 by HTC
• HTC Rhyme™
• HTC Rezound™

Motorola:

• Motorola XOOM
• DROID BIONIC™
• DROID RAZR™
• DROID RAZR™ MAXX™ DROID 4 DROID XYBOARD 8.2
• DROID XYBOARD 10.1

Samsung:

• Samsung Galaxy Tab™ 10.1
• Samsung Galaxy Tab™ 7.7

LG:

• Spectrum™ by LG

We will continue to update this list as additional details become available throughout the year. Also, follow @VZWNews on Twitter for additional upgrade announcements.

 

We have on hand Samsung’s newest tablet for Verizon the Galaxy Tab 7.7 LTE. We first say this tablet back at CES 2012 and it was just announced this week that it will be available March 4th. Samsung’s goal is to find the perfect size device for everyone and the Galaxy Tab 7.7 LTE may be the device for you.The new tablet comes with a  7.7 inch Super AMOLED HD display, 1.4 GHz dual-core processor,16 GB of storage, 3.0 megapixel rear facing camera with LED flash and 720p HD video capture, front facing 2.0 megapixel camera for video chat. It ships with Android 3.2 Honeycomb but will be upgradable to Android 4.0 ICS in the future. Check out our unboxing below and stay tuned for our review coming soon.

Samsung’s new Galaxy Tab 7.7 LTE we saw at CES 2012 will be available starting Sunday, March 4th for $499. For that price you will get a 7.7 inch Super AMOLED HD display, 1.4 GHz dual-core processor,16 GB of storage,  3.0 megapixel rear facing camera with LED flash and 720p HD video capture, front facing 2.0 megapixel camera for video chat. The software will be android 3.2 Gingerbread with Samsung’s Touch Wiz UI on top of it. Check out the video from CES 2012 f or more info and check out the press release.

Press Release:

World’s Thinnest 4G LTE Tablet on America’s Fastest, Most Reliable 4G Network

 

BASKING RIDGE, N.J. – Announced at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show (CES), the Samsung Galaxy Tab^™ 7.7 will be available in Verizon Wireless Communications Stores and online at www.verizonwireless.com starting March 1.  Movies, pictures and games come to life in high-definition with the Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7’s Super AMOLED^™ Plus touchscreen display.  Customers can quickly access the Web, stream music and more at blazingly fast speeds using the Verizon Wireless 4G LTE network combined with a 1.4 GHz dual-core processor and HTML 5 Web browser.

The Tab 7.7 is a multimedia expert allowing customers to use their tablet as the center of their home entertainment system.  The Peel Smart Remote feature eliminates the need for multiple remote controls for televisions, audio players and other home entertainment systems.  Customers can make their Tab 7.7 the master controller to find and watch their favorite TV shows, create a favorites list, set program reminders and more.  Customers also have the ability to stream media to their compatible TV using the multimedia dock with a built-in HDMI port or the HDTV Adapter (sold separately).  The Samsung Media Hub offers a large selection of media to rent or purchase and watch while traveling or plug into a TV to share at a party.

Additional features:

·7.7-inch Super AMOLED Plus display (1280×800)

· Android^™ 3.2 Honeycomb – supports Google^™ Mobile Services, including Gmail^™, YouTube^™, Google Talk^™ with video chat, Google Search^™, Google Maps^™, as well as access to Google Books^™, movie rentals and more than 400,000 apps on Android Market^™

·3.2-megapixel rear-facing camera with LED flash, full 720p recording and 1080p playback (1080p playback through HDMI dock or adapter)

·Front-facing 2-megapixel camera for video chat

·16 GB on-board storage (actual formatted capacity is less)

· Support for up to 32 GB  microSD^™ card

 

Business solutions

 

Business professionals can feel secure when working on their Tab 7.7 knowing that it is Samsung Approved for Enterprise (SAFE^™).  The SAFE certification signifies that the Tab 7.7 is equipped with an exclusive suite of security features that deliver enterprise-friendly capabilities to help safeguard sensitive data and communications, including Mobile Device Management (MDM), on-device Encryption, Virtual Private Network (VPN) and push synchronization of corporate email, calendar and contacts.

The Galaxy Tab 7.7 provides the ideal balance of portability and productivity so business professionals can get the job done.  Pair the Tab 7.7 with a keyboard dock and maximize productivity with the QuickOffice^® Pro HD application.  Customers won’t even notice they left their laptops behind with the ability to create and edit Microsoft^® Office documents.

Even traveling business teams can stay connected and productive in remote meeting locations, such as airports, with the 4G LTE Mobile Hotspot capability.  The Tab 7.7 lets customers share their 4G LTE connection with up to 10 Wi-Fi-enabled devices simultaneously, enabling leaders to become the team’s Wi-Fi hotspot to rapidly download large presentations and blueprints to review before boarding a flight.

Pricing and availability:

· Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7 will be available March 1 in Verizon Wireless Communications Stores and online at www.verizonwireless.com for $499.99 with a new two-year customer agreement.

·Customers that purchase a Tab 7.7 will need to subscribe to a 4G LTE mobile broadband data package starting at $30 monthly access for 2 GB of data.

 

For more information on Verizon Wireless products and services, visit a Verizon Wireless Communications Store, call 1-800-2 JOIN IN or go to www.verizonwireless.com.  Follow @VZWnews on Twitter for the latest news on Verizon Wireless.

Nvidia is really pushing the boundaries on gaming on a tablet. They want to give people as close to a PC/Console graphics experience as possible while also giving them lag free gaming on the go. In this demo the Nvidia Tergra 3 tablet is running on Verizon’ 4G LTE with zero lag and plays like you are using a landline connection.

With the speed of Verizon 4G LTE retails business can take advantage creating POS systems away from main storefront using Verizon 4G LTE In this video you’ll see how you can set up a virtual store front a distance away from your main store and create a digital shopping experience with full inventory and even on-demand assistant from a live sales person right there either located in the store or across the country. Check the full video to see what it’s all about.