Tag: lte

The iPhone 8 has a gigabit LTE modem (updated)

At first blush, iFixit’s tech autopsy on the iPhone 8 didn’t reveal anything particularly notable, besides some different screws and a way to remove the glass backing. So far, so meh. But then when it came to the laundry list of chips and modems all crammed inside Apple’s latest smartphones, we noticed something. It looks like the company has made its first gigabit LTE phone , capable of substantially faster download speeds. Or at least, the iPhone 8 could have, if it had everything else. (Update : As some readers have pointed out, the iPhone 8 (according to iFixit’s teardown) doesn’t appear to have the antennas necessary to harness gigabit LTE. We’ve updated this post to reflect that. Apologies for the mistake.) The latest iPhones do offer support for more LTE bands and networks ( depending on your model ) than ever before, but its rivals appear to be ahead when it comes to gigabit LTE. Samsung’s Galaxy S8, Note 8 phones and even the Essential phone all pack gigabit LTE modems, ready to go. It’ll be a mainstay of nearly all new phones going forward, and Apple’s new phone, available today, starts behind its biggest competitor. Phone carriers haven’t initiated the roll-out of this next-generation LTE. However, all the major US phone networks are all promising to launch gigabit LTE services by the end of 2017. So why didn’t Apple add gigabit LTE to its latest phones? Sources suggest that Apple tapped both Qualcomm and Intel for modems for this year’s iPhones. Because of this, Bloomberg sources back in June , suggested that any gigabit LTE functionality would be disabled, as some phones would be compatible, those with Qualcomm modems, while others (with Intel modems) wouldn’t. Intel does have a gigabit LTE modem in the works — it apparently wasn’t ready for this round of iPhones. There’s also some corporate politics here. In the middle of several of legal scuffles, Qualcomm has alleged that Apple would prevent Qualcomm-equipped iPhones from performing at full capacity so they would work just like Intel versions. For now, your new iPhone 8 can handle all the current LTE services you’re using. It may not, however, be ready for the next wave of upgraded networks at a time when rivals are primed and ready. Source: iFixit

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The iPhone 8 has a gigabit LTE modem (updated)

Compared To the Rest of the World, US 4G (Unsurprisingly) Sucks

We’re always being told the U.S. is now lagging behind other, more industrious nations in science and technology and basically anything that isn’t spending on the military. How much are we lagging? Here is a depressing graph to help quantify that. Read more…

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Compared To the Rest of the World, US 4G (Unsurprisingly) Sucks

T-Mobile to acquire 10MHz of LTE spectrum from US Cellular in $308 million deal

LTE spectrum is a hot commodity, and if you’re hurting for cash, it might not be a bad time to let some go. US Cellular just inked a deal to unload 10MHz of Advanced Wireless Services (AWS) spectrum , padding its pocketbook with a whopping $308 million in cash. Pending FCC approval, that wireless load will be making its way over to T-Mobile , which would then own the vast majority of AWS. It’s good news for T-Mobile customers, no doubt, especially those in the Southeast — according to a press release, the spectrum T-Mob just snatched up covers 32 million people in cities like St. Louis, Memphis, Little Rock and New Orleans. Filed under: Wireless , T-Mobile Comments Via: The Next Web Source: T-Mobile

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T-Mobile to acquire 10MHz of LTE spectrum from US Cellular in $308 million deal

Huawei Claims It Has the World’s Fastest 4G Phone—But Who Really Cares?

Huawei could add a waffle-maker to its Ascend P2, and I doubt even that would be enough to pull people over to its side of the phone stores. Unlike the Ascend D2 unveiled at CES, there’s no 3,000mAh battery lurking here (you’ll have to “make do” with a 2420 one), but there’s a CAT 4LTE chipset, meaning 4G speeds can reach 150Mbps (the iPhone 5 and S3 LTE only have CAT 3, FYI). More »

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Huawei Claims It Has the World’s Fastest 4G Phone—But Who Really Cares?

Google announces Chromebook Pixel: 1.8GHz Core i5, 2,560 x 1,700 touchscreen, with LTE option; pre-order now, ships in April

Only yesterday we were being teased with the idea of a touchscreen Chromebook . Well, good news for people who hate waiting — it’s here, it’s called the Pixel, and you can pre-order today. The all-Google laptop is aimed at those who live in the cloud, but want a little more from their machine. Built from the ground up for the web, the 12.85-inch 3:2 ratio display claims to offer 18 percent more vertical space than 16:9 does. The screen the Pixel has is — as you can imagine — one of its proudest features, sporting a 2,560 x 1,700 resolution, giving a PPI of 239, and offers a brightness of 400nit. Oh, and of course, it’s touch-enabled so whatever your input preference, you’re covered. On the inside, there’s a dual-core 1.8Ghz Core i5 processor, 4GB of RAM and two SSD options — 32GB or 64GB. If that’s not enough, Google’s ahead of you, and is throwing in 1TB of Drive storage with every Pixel for three years — what it expects the life of the machine to be. You won’t be basing your choice just on storage though, as the smaller capacity model is WiFi only, while the 64GB comes with Verizon LTE baked right in, and a choice of plans. As for the rest of the features, the Pixel also has a triple-microphone configuration — with one under the keyboard — which helps improve noise cancellation, including the rattle of your typing during excited hangouts. This is also where the speakers are hidden, so it will be interesting to see how those play nice together. Other features include an “HD” camera, a custom keyboard action for less finger-fatigue, and an enhanced smooth glass trackpad. As for ins and outs, there are two USB ports, a mini displayport, a mic / headphone jack and an SD card reader — notably, no Ethernet. Wirelessly, you have WiFi a thru n and Bluetooth (plus that LTE if you opt in). Wondering what effect that display might have on the (59Wh) battery? Well Google claims its open-source test (available for criticism online) has rated the Pixel at five hours. If you want to get yourself some touchscreen Pixel action, you can order starting today from the Play store, or Best Buy starting tomorrow. The WiFi-only model will cost you $1,299, rising to $1,449 if you want some LTE (currently US / Verizon only). Not enough info for you right there? Why not head over to our minty-fresh hands-on . Filed under: Laptops , Google Comments

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Google announces Chromebook Pixel: 1.8GHz Core i5, 2,560 x 1,700 touchscreen, with LTE option; pre-order now, ships in April

Sprint offers $2.1 billion to acquire the rest of Clearwire

As most observers  expected , Sprint has finally made a formal offer to acquire the rest of Clearwire. On Thursday, Sprint said it would pay $2.1 billion for the remaining 49.7 percent of Clearwire that it does not currently control. As we reported yesterday , the move is widely seen as a play for Sprint to acquire Clearwire’s valuable 2.5 GHz spectrum, which it would use to offer LTE and strengthen its position against Verizon and AT&T. The bid works out to $2.90 per share—higher than the company’s closing price on Wednesday—but analysts say the offer may not be good enough. Read 2 remaining paragraphs | Comments

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Sprint offers $2.1 billion to acquire the rest of Clearwire

LTE: fast, global, silenced by a $650 radio jammer

Oh gosh, we haven’t been so panicked since our phones were hypothetically possessed by demons . And come to think of it, this is theoretically far, far worse. A research group at Virginia Tech is claiming that, due to the particular way 4G data is transmitted, an LTE base station can be sabotaged using lightweight equipment that costs as little as $650. Such a thing is possible because, unlike 2G and 3G, LTE depends on control instructions that occupy only a tiny fraction of the total signal — and details of those specific frequencies have been openly published. According to the research group’s director, Jeff Reed, a single malicious operative with a hot briefcase and a bit of know-how could take down “miles of LTE signals.” If the attacker splashed out on an amplifier, they could cut off reception for thousands of people across a whole city or region. Reed stresses that there are no known instances of this happening yet, but also warns that he can see no “mitigation strategies” that can “cover it all.” Let us pray that humanity’s characteristic inability to agree on anything — including a universal LTE standard — will be our salvation. Filed under: Cellphones , Wireless , Science , Mobile LTE: fast, global, silenced by a $650 radio jammer originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 15 Nov 2012 07:32:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink    |  Technology Review  |  Email this  |  Comments

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LTE: fast, global, silenced by a $650 radio jammer

AT&T to spend $14 billion over the next three years on broadband, wireless infrastructure

AT&T has announced that it will be dropping a cool $14 billion over the next three years or so to beef up its wireless and wireline broadband networks. Project Velocity IP (VIP) will see the company boost its 4G LTE network to 300 million users by year-end 2014 and expand its wired IP broadband base to 75 percent of customer locations by the end of 2015. In addition, the operator intends to have fiber deployed to a million business locations and plans to expand U-verse by 8.5 million users to 33 million customer locations. It predicts that 99 percent of customers will get broadband services either through terrestrial IP or wireless 4G LTE when it’s all said and done. $8 billion will go toward wireless projects, while $6 billion will help goose up wired broadband — so, nobody can say the telecom giant is hoarding all those profits . Check the PR after the jump for a full breakdown. Continue reading AT&T to spend $14 billion over the next three years on broadband, wireless infrastructure Filed under: Wireless , Internet , AT&T AT&T to spend $14 billion over the next three years on broadband, wireless infrastructure originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 07 Nov 2012 09:25:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink    |  AT&T  |  Email this  |  Comments

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AT&T to spend $14 billion over the next three years on broadband, wireless infrastructure

New PlayStation 3 Hack May Be One That Sony Can’t Stop

The PlayStation 3 has been around since 2006, and since roughly 2006 hackers have been trying to have their way with it. The system has proven a relatively tough nut to crack, though not an impossible one. The last major rooting incident was back in 2011 . More »

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New PlayStation 3 Hack May Be One That Sony Can’t Stop