The list of enhanced areas for coverage across the United States begins with New York, of course, working in The Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens, and Staten Island – and that’ll about catch em all. Next they’ve got areas throughout Newark, Boston and Cambridge, Mass., Springfield, Mass., Providence Rhode Island, Detroit and Warren, Michigan, Dallas, Fort Worth, Austin, San Antonio, and Tampa. Up top, to the right, to the left, and down to the bottom, that is.

This expansion has a $4 billion dollar plan attached to it (announced earlier this year) that’s growing the network at a high rate. This plan was announced earlier this year with only 10 months between its initial reveal and enhanced coverage for over 100 million T-Mobile users. As for the iPhone users out there in the USA, T-Mobile isn’t about to forget about you!

T-Mobile’s announcements this week include assurance that all of the metro areas listed above are able to work with the unlocked AT&T smartphones (not just the iPhone, any unlocked AT&T phone) to their pink network for “a significant speed boost … with most devices, while also saving up to $50/month compared to AT&T.” Of course AT&T will have something to say about that, but for now, T-Mobile claims the following:

“*Internal tests of unlocked iPhone 4S devices running over 4G (HSPA+) on our 1900 network recorded on average 70% faster download speeds than iPhone 4S devices on AT&T’s network. Savings based on comparison of T-Mobile $69.99/month Unlimited Talk, Text and Data plan against AT&T Unlimited Talk, Text, and 3GB Smartphone Data plan. Does not include taxes, fees or promotional offers. Plan features and limitations vary.” – Neville Ray, Chief Technology Officer for T-Mobile USA

Sound about accurate to you? Let us know if you’ve joined T-Mobile with your unlocked iPhone and if changing over has been a positive experience for you! Also have a peek at the timeline below to see more information on the possibility of a T-Mobile-carried iPhone in the mix for 2013!

The update brings with it several small fixes that are relatively minor in nature. Perhaps the most notorious change is that of adding the month of December back to the people app, something they forgot to include the first time around. Also fixed are some issues with Bluetooth and wireless Internet connectivity.

While it is a minor update, users are reporting massive speed improvements on their Nexus 7 devices over at Android Community. Presumably, those using one of the other Nexus devices will also see speed improvements. One user also reports that screen rotation seems faster, and that audio “choppiness” experienced when streaming music via Bluetooth has been reduced substantially.

The easiest way to get the update, obviously, is to wait for the over-the-air notification to arrive. If you’re feeling impatient, however, you can download the updates via the links below, or, perhaps a bit easier, you can manually check for updates via Settings. Have you updated your Nexus device? Let us know what you think in the comments!

Download: Android 4.2.1 for Nexus 7
Download: Android 4.2.1 for Galaxy Nexus

[via Android Community]

The most expensive Nexus 7, the HSPA+ model supports pentaband 3G (850, 900, 1700, 1900, 2100 MHz) for use across most of the European 3G networks, and comes without a SIM or data plan. Instead, buyers are left to shop for their own plan of choice, whether that be a cheap pay-as-you-go deal for intermittent use, or a more sizable bundle for heavier users.

While not quite as speedy to sell out as the Nexus 4 smartphone, Google’s limited supplies of the 3G variant of the Nexus 7 didn’t hold up to prolonged interest, and the slate has been unavailable for the past week or so. That’s in no small part because of its affordability: it’s £130 less than the cheapest iPad mini WiFi + Cellular, though Apple’s tablet does support 4G on select networks.

As for the Nexus 4, Google’s smartphone still has no estimated availability date for UK shoppers from the Play store. That leaves either patience or a comparatively expensive carrier deal the only two options.

That brings the total number of new markets to five, with Kansas City and Las Vegas already on the list. T-Mobile says it will be equipping several more metro areas before the end of the year, as it transitions old 2G service on the 1900MHz band over to HSPA+ use.

It’s a long process, though for T-Mobile it could be a valuable one if it can coax over iPhone users in those areas to its all-you-can-eat unlimited plans. Subscribers with Apple devices are known to drive significant monthly per-user revenues for AT&T, Verizon, and other carriers, and that’s a pie T-Mobile would desperately like a piece of.

Of course, step outside of the fledgling 1900MHz coverage, and the speed situation gets a whole lot more miserable. The full list of new areas is as follows:

• Washington D.C.: Alexandria, VA; Arlington, VA; Chevy Chase, MD; Falls Church, VA; Laurel, MD; McLean, VA; and Silver Spring, MD.
• Baltimore: Glen Burnie and Towson, MD
• Houston: Cypress, Jersey Village, Humble, Kingwood, and The Woodlands.

Google isn’t apparently working with any one specific carrier with the 3G version of the Nexus 7. Instead, it’s offering it as a SIM-free, unlocked device – just as the Nexus 4 will be sold - for users across the world to slot a SIM into. In fact, Google says, it should work with more than 200 carriers.

Otherwise the specifications are the same, so NVIDIA’s Tegra 3 chipset, a front-facing camera for video calls (but not camera on the back), and 1GB of RAM. It’ll be loaded with Android 4.2 Jelly Bean, the latest version, too, just like the Nexus 10.

The 16GB Nexus 7 is priced at $199, while the 32GB version comes in at $249. As for the HSPA+ version, there’s a single 32GB model with 3G inside, priced at $299 and offered unlocked.

Google will be offering the WiFi-only tablet via Google Play in the US, UK, Australia, France, Germany, Spain, Canada, and Japan, in addition to in-store sales at Gamestop, Office Depot, Office Max, Staples, and Walmart in the US. The 3G version will be sold in the US, UK, Australia, France, Germany, Spain, and Canada, online through Google Play from November 13.

This device will have 4G – but not 4G LTE mind you – with AT&T – that’s HSPA+ and still certainly worth a tap. It’s got a 4.8-inch HD Super Clear LCD on the back, a 21x optical zoom lens up front, and works with a 16 megapixel BSI CMOS sensor inside. Inside you’ve got a quad-core Exynos processor from Samsung itself – just as we’ve seen with the international Samsung Galaxy S III and the Galaxy Note 10.1. This device works with Smart Pro Mode technology for pre-set options configured for professional-level images – so sayeth Samsung.

Chris Penrose, senior vice president of AT&T Emerging Devices, notes that this is going to change everything for the video and photo sharing universe.

“Wirelessly enabling Samsung’s Galaxy Camera will create a significant shift in how consumers share and communicate with photos and videos. By posting instantly to social networking sites or sending directly to another device, the person behind the lens is essentially offering family and friends the opportunity to share in the moments as they are actually experiencing them.” – Penrose

It’s with AT&T’s HSPA+ 4G network that you’ll be connecting, and with Samsung’s advanced technology in both the Android-wielding device universe and photography environment that you’ll be taking full advantage of. You’ve got AllShare Play, Share Shot, and Buddy Photo Share working on the device for more sharing than you’ll ever know what to do with, too. Have a peek at our hands-on with these features on the Galaxy S III to see what it’s all about – and note that the Galaxy Camera has not been priced, but AT&T has said that it will be in stores “in the coming weeks.”

Now T-Mobile states just iPhone, and that is because the flood of users upgrading to the iPhone 5 will be selling their iPhone 4 and 4S smartphones, and T-Mobile is looking to lure some of those buyers to their network. With talk of an enhanced and refarmed 1900 Mhz 4G HSPA+ spectrum, T-Mobile is promising the fastest speeds for the iPhone — not counting LTE.

This is a huge part of T-Mobiles $4 billion dollar plan to increase and refarm their network across the US, and one thing many aren’t remembering is this is for more than just the iPhone. All those unlocked international devices — and those from AT&T — will all work on this new and improved option from T-Mobile with more than just 3G speeds. You’ll have full blazing fast 4G HSPA+ speeds that are quite speedy while T-Mobile works to launch 4G LTE early next year.

T-Mobile is claiming this restructuring and improvement to their network is going to make it much much faster, stronger, and more dependable. The folks down in Sin City (like me) in Las Vegas will be one of the first to enjoy this complete overhaul, with T-Mobile already updating more than 75% of the cities coverage. They plan to continue this over the next few weeks and months to include Seattle, Washington D.C., Los Angeles, the New York metro area and more soon. With T-Mobile’s “Unlocked and Unlimited” plans they offer the iPhone 4, 4S, and 5 something no others do.

T-Mobile stores are ready to move your new or used iPhone over to their network, and even have iPhone 5 nano-SIM cards in-store to do the same with the latest smartphone from Cupertino.

[via T-Mobile Blog]

Verizon later confirmed to him that their version of the iPhone is GSM unlocked, which in theory means that you could pick up a micro SIM from AT&T or T-Mobile and take advantage of their networks. That’s going to take a bit of work though, as it sounds like Benjamin had something of a rough time getting that AT&T micro SIM to fit into his Verizon iPhone 5.

What’s even more exciting is that Verizon is giving these phones to people who are on contact. Benjamin says that he attempted this micro SIM switcheroo on the same day that he picked up his iPhone 5 from Verizon (today), which also happened to be the day that he signed up as a Verizon customer for the first time. This, obviously, is good news for travelers, as it means that they can potentially switch between networks if they need to while on the road, despite signing a two-year commitment to Verizon.

The fact that the iPhone 5 comes in three different models that support various LTE bands has proven to be a headache for some consumers, and we’ve been talking about how it highlights a broader LTE problem since the different models were revealed. After all, this LTE issue isn’t only limited to the iPhone 5, but thankfully Verizon has at least done something that helps with it a bit. What do you think? Does this help sway you more toward Verizon as your iPhone 5 carrier of choice?

It’s also the latest SAFE-certified Samsung, the company’s scheme to push enterprise-ready devices with features like 256-bit AES encryption, extra Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync support, and boosted VPN abilities. There’s WiFi Calling and mobile hotspot for up to five WiFi-tethered devices, too.

On the back, there’s a 5-megapixel camera for stills and HD video recording, and Samsung preloads its Mobile TV app for streaming entertainment. As the specs might suggest, this isn’t the shiniest, most powerful device we’ve seen from Samsung of late, though the physical ‘board may well distinguish it to those who still aren’t up to speed with touchscreen QWERTY.

The Samsung Galaxy S Relay 4G will hit T-Mobile “in the coming weeks,” though the company is yet to confirm pricing for the smartphone.

There’ll also be multiple color options. The Lumia 920 will be offered in yellow, red, grey, white, and black, while the Nokia Lumia 820 will come in red, yellow, grey, cyan, purple, white, and black. The latter will also be offered with various shells, some of which will work with the wireless charging system.

The absence of a specific launch date, or indeed pricing, will leave consumers and the market unimpressed. Nokia needed to come out strong with both devices, and while the hardware of the Lumia 920 and Lumia 820 are capable enough – particularly the special PureView technology on the Lumia 920 – it’s difficult to muster too much excitement when you don’t know how much it is.

If you’ve got a Value voice and text plan, the unlimited 4G data will cost $20 monthly. Those adding it to a Classic voice and text plan will pay $30 per month for the unlimited 4G data.

Meanwhile, T-Mobile USA is also offering a sale on “select 4G smartphones” to mark the launch. The HTC One S, for instance, is free (after a $50 mail-in rebate) with a new, two year agreement. The option wasn’t available through T-Mobile’s webstore at time of writing, but should be popping up sometime today; alternatively, you can head to your nearest brick & mortar store to grab the same deal.

It’s worth remembering that, for the moment at least, T-Mobile USA’s interpretation of “4G” is HSPA+ – the carrier lacks an LTE network, unlike AT&T or Verizon. Still, speeds of up to 42Mbps downloads are possible, theoretically at least.

This device will be coming with a surprise engine: the Qualcomm Snapdragon S3 dual-core processor at 1.5GHz. While we may have expected Samsung to have upgraded to the same Snapdragon S4 that their Galaxy S III lineup is coming fresh with this season, it’s also quite clear that the Galaxy Note is running swift as it needs to with only the pre-S4 under the hood.

T-Mobile’s own lineup of apps includes everything they’d normally drop inside as far as data and content handlers plus gems such as Square, Dropbox, Evernote, and CamScanner. The last app on that list, CamScanner, is an app quick uses your device’s camera to snap photos that are then converted into PDFs. This can be extremely useful with the Galaxy Note’s newfound ability to interact with PDFs in its “Premium Suite” upgrade which we got our hands on just this past week.

Have a peek below at the video of the Premium Suite working on the AT&T version of this device:

And get pumped for the T-Mobile version with such fabulous carrier additions as Wi-fi phone calls for this device coming up quick!

Otherwise this is pretty much the same phone as you already know and love. T-Mobile’s version won’t feature LTE connectivity, however, instead settling for HSPA+ speeds of up to 42Mbit/s. Even then, the phone will feature the same Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 dual-core 1.5Ghz processor that everyone else is getting. If you want quad-core goodness on a HSPA+ network, you’ll have to import the international model.

A 32GB model will also be made available, and of course there’s a microSD card slot for support up to 64GB cards – storage is one thing you won’t be lacking. The specs and design of the T-Mobile Galaxy S III are otherwise identical to the other US carriers. Head on over to T-Mobile’s site to sign up to receiving more information when it’s made available.

In fact, over 10m calls have been made on Bobsled since April 2011. Interestingly, 80-percent of calls originate from outside of the US – suggesting international users or US users traveling – and 95-percent of the total user-base for Bobsled are non-T-Mobile subscribers. As for Bobsled Messaging, users of the IM service are “predominantly” US based, T-Mobile says, with 95-percent of messages sent domestically within the US.

Next up for networks is HSPA+ 1900MHz service in select markets by the end of 2012, promising up to a third increase in data rates and better in-building service. “Rolling out 4G HSPA+ services in the 1900 MHz band will also provide customers with the ability to use a broader range of devices,” the carrier points out, “including the iPhone, on T-Mobile’s 4G network.”

Currently, T-Mobile says its HSPA+ network caters to over 220 million people in 229 markets. The carrier will be the first in North America to use Ericsson’s AIR (Antenna Integrated Radio) technology, which promises easier and faster installation and lower operating costs.

The 32GB and 64GB models are also on offer, with the 32GB starting at £169 ($265) and the 64GB at £249 ($390). Three will also be offering month-to-month data plans, either at £7.50 ($12) for 1GB of data or £15 ($24) for 10GB, for use with unsubsidized new iPads.

Signing up for an agreement does tie you into data, but if you think you’ll be using it every month then Three’s plans actually work out reasonably cost effective. For instance, the 64GB new iPad on the £25 plan costs £899 over the course of the contract: if you bought an iPad upfront, the same model would be £659, leaving you £240 over two years – or £10 per month – for data service, which won’t get anywhere near 15GB.

Three currently offers 21Mbps HSPA+ – for real-world speeds in the region of 10Mbps, the carrier claims – but will be upgrading to 42Mbps DC-HSPA capacity over the summer.

The new iPad goes on sale in Three stores – as well as in Apple Stores – in the UK on Friday morning. More details in our Apple Hub.

This device (or both versions of the device, rather), has been leaked previously via a RIM roadmap which noted the device to be scheduled for mid-2012. With the company still promoting this device with such items as trades for Android apps and inclusion in brand new Porsche concept cars, it appears that RIM wont be letting go of this device any time soon. Will RIM bring out the big guns for a re-release or upgrade for the summer season?

We’ve had our own look at the original release of the BlackBerry PlayBook many moons ago, and since then the tablet has had its fair share of mishaps and price reductions. If the PlayBook were re-released for $200 with a dual-core processor and full access to the Android Market, would you purchase one? How about if RIM touted LTE and HSPA+ with a reduced price for data?

[via Engadget]

The eight new cities to get T-Mobile’s 4G HSPA+ coverage include: Abilene, Amarillo, Odesa, and Victoria, Texas; Bakersfield, California; Eau Claire, Wisconsin; Joplin and St. Joseph, Missouri. Additionally, Ray said that customers in Abilene, Amarillo, Bakersfield, Odessa, Port St. Lucie, and Victoria will get access to T-Mobile’s HSPA+ 42Mbps network, which will be supported by the Samsung Galaxy S Blaze 4G and the HTC One S.

The carrier is still evaluating whether it will implement an HSPA+ 84Mbps network or continue toward LTE. Ray says that he would like to see both technologies advanced, but that the main priority right now is to launch LTE in 2013. The new AWS spectrum gain from AT&T’s failed acquisition will help with the transition, allowing T-Mobile to refarm some of its 1900MHz specturm for HSPA+ while freeing up more AWS spectrum for LTE.

AT&T’s unlimited data throttling policy was instituted back in October of the last year, but the company never did reveal in detail what the data cap would be for throttling, merely stating that only its top 5 percent of heaviest data users would be affected. Early last month, the company came under fire when some customers discovered that their unlimited data plans were being throttled after reaching only 2GB of data use, despite the plans costing the same as a current tiered 3GB plan.

It looks like enough pressure was applied that AT&T is now responding by raising the data cap and being more transparent about exactly where those thresholds sit. The caps are now 3GB for HSPA+ subscribers and 5GB for LTE subscribers, which is certainly a welcome boost up from the 2GB cap that appeared to be in force regardless of whether a customer was on an HSPA+ or LTE unlimited data plan. Users can check their monthly data usage by dialing “*data#” on their mobile phones.

[via AT&T]

We’ve already seen at least one DC-HSPA device at Mobile World Congress this week, in the shape of the Nokia Lumia 900 international edition. The tech uses a pair of upload and download channels, relying on two signals simultaneously to improve throughput.

Three says that its DC-HSPA will offer up to twice the real-world speed of its current HSPA+ network. That’s theoretically capable of 21Mbps but users see around 10Mbps at best, which suggests DC-HSPA will offer something in the region of 20Mbps. It’s expected to be rolled out nationwide later this summer.

However, the LTE well isn’t necessarily dry. Three plans to roll out an LTE trial in the next few months, ahead of the UK spectrum opening up to actually deliver it nationwide. Still, that’s not expected to be the case for another twelve months or so – a timescale other carriers generally agree with – so we won’t knock DC-HSPA in the meantime.

LTE rollouts are no easy matter – Verizon’s is the largest in the country, but even they can’t seem to get outside city limits in most cases. AT&T’s LTE network is still in its infancy, and though they’re adding new devices and markets all the time, they’ve still got a lot of work to do. The lower half of America’s “big four” is stuck playing catch up, and in T-Mobile’s case, a year spent on the sidelines waiting for a merger that never happened didn’t help in the slightest.

That said, it’s good to see that all four major networks – plus a few regional carriers like US Cellular – are adopting the LTE standard. Not only does that mean faster data speeds for everyone (eventually) it also means that they’ll be more compatible with carriers worldwide, making roaming and moving between devices less of a hassle. That’s not much compfort to T-Mobile customers in the meantime but it does mean that they’re planning to be around for a while – which is more than you could say for them a few months ago.

[via The Verge]

The Sony Tablet P features a folding design with two 5.5-inch displays that can either combine as one larger display or function separately. For instance, you may be able to check email on one screen while you use the keyboard on the other screen. Therefore, Sony has its own interface running on top of Android 3.2 Honeycomb.

The tablet uses an NVIDIA 1GHz Tegra 2 dual-core processor, 1GB of RAM, and 4GB of onboard storage expandable with microSD. It also has a 0.3-megapixel front-facing camera, a 5-megapixel rear-facing camera, microUSB, and Bluetooth. Battery life is rated for up to 7 hours. For more details, make sure to check out our hands-on.

AT&T will be selling the Tablet P at $399.99 with a new two-year service agreement. There are two post-paid data plan options for the device, which include the DataConnect 3GB plan for $35 per month, or a 5GB plan for $50 per month.

The device will cost $549.99 if you opt for AT&T’s prepaid plans that do not require a contract. These plans include DataConnect 250MB for $14.99, 3GB for $30, and 5GB for $50.

[via MarketWatch]

You still get the 8MP camera with 720p HD video capture, along with WiFi b/g/n, Bluetooth and a fixed 1800 mAh battery. You can check out more on the original Lumia 900 in our full hands-on with the LTE model.

Meanwhile, the existing LTE version of the Lumia 900 will go on sale in April in Canada, on carrier Rogers. No word on pricing at this stage.

“Our 4G network will be compatible with a broader range of devices, including the iPhone” Ray said, though did not clarify whether it was the current HSPA+ iPhone 4S he was referring to, or the much-speculated iPhone 5 with LTE support. Still, it seems likely that the reference was to T-Mobile USA shifting to offer HSPA+ on the 1900MHz band, increasing compatibility with HSPA+ devices used on AT&T’s network.

According to Ray, T-Mobile USA’s LTE on the 10MHz spectrum will support up to 72Mbps, at least theoretically. The carrier is also pushing the envelope in base station design, using antennas that are integrated with radios in their towers. As well as leaving room for LTE, the shifting use of spectrum will mean that 1900MHz HSPA+ will jump in power by around 16-percent.

Whether T-Mobile will be able to sufficiently court Apple with the promise of HSPA+ compatibility remains to be seen. At present, unlocked iPhones deliver a mere EDGE experience on the carrier’s network, and T-Mobile blamed defections for the iPhone 4S in Q4 2011 for its underwhelming financial results.

“We want to be known for delivering the best value in wireless because of the advanced technology we deliver at an affordable price” Philipp Humm, CEO and President of T-Mobile USA, said in a statement today. “Over the next two years, we’re prioritizing and investing in initiatives designed to get T-Mobile back to growth in the years ahead — beginning with the transformation of our network.”

That network has long used the 4G nomenclature for a service that experts might not call 4G at all. Like AT&T, T-Mobile branded HSPA+ as 4G so that it could market itself as competitive with LTE from Verizon and others. Now, with the chunk of AWS spectrum AT&T was forced to hand over after the collapse of its acquisition plans, T-Mobile finally has the room to build out LTE of its own.

That won’t happen until 2013, however, with HSPA+ still seeing significant investment before then. 37,000 cell sites will get new hardware to improve HSPA+ bandwidth, with a total of $1.4bn in network investment over the next two years. LTE, though, will be provided in the “vast majority” of the top 50 markets, with 20MHz service for 75-percent of the top 25 markets. There’ll need to be some spectrum juggling first, though, T-Mobile retiring some 2G coverage so that it can “refarm” to accommodate LTE.

“As data usage and smartphone adoption accelerate, fewer customers are utilizing 2G services. This enables T-Mobile to refarm existing spectrum holdings, reducing the amount of 1900 MHz PCS spectrum being used for GSM; to deploy HSPA+ 4G services in the PCS band; and to make room in the AWS band for LTE. In addition to creating capacity for LTE in AWS spectrum, deploying HSPA+ in the PCS band will harmonize T-Mobile’s spectrum bands with the U.S. market and international carriers. As the company refarms spectrum, T-Mobile will continue to support its 2G customers” T-Mobile USA

Whether 2013 and T-Mobile USA’s coverage plans will be sufficient remains to be seen. The carrier will be several years behind its big-name rivals, and is seeing valuable income it needs to fund the LTE deployment reduced by pushing its Value plans to distract from the iPhone 4S.

The company is already running one LTE trial, begun in Cornwall last September and scheduled to operate until July this year, to test the 800MHz band, but Everything Everywhere expects 1800MHz to be more useful in urban and suburban areas. In contrast, 800MHz provided solid speeds and broad coverage in more rural settings.

As for the network sharing – which Everything Everywhere calls “Smart Signal Share” – that continues the roll-out of integration of the two carriers brought under the same brand begun in 2010. 3G sharing on smartphones was introduced in October 2011, having previously been 2G only for calls and texts.

Assuming LTE gets UK regulatory approval, Everything Everywhere says it plans to roll out 4G before the end of 2012. Although full LTE development isn’t likely for some time after the trials, HSPA+ coverage is expected to improve as well, for 50-percent faster mobile broadband than current 3.5G service.

Earlier today, T-Mobile USA announced its own plans to launch a 4G LTE network in the US, with development expected to begin in 2013.

ZTE is a growing name in the mobile space, hammering the low- and mid-tier ends of the market with affordable phones and tablets; the company is believed to be one of the reasons Nokia’s Symbian business is shrinking more rapidly than the Finns envisaged. Still, the Mimosa X is attracting attention that far outweighs its more obvious merits.

NVIDIA had a great year in Android phones and tablets in 2011, its Tegra 2 chipset powering the majority of dual-core slates and a significant number of dual-core handsets. The company was also ahead of the game for quadcore too, its Tegra 3 already in coveted devices like the Transformer Prime. Where NVIDIA was falling short was in wireless: neither Tegra 2 nor Tegra 3 have any onboard wireless capabilities, either WiFi or cellular, meaning manufacturers were still needing to look to the NVIDIA’s rivals to satisfy that element of phones and tablets.

Icera addresses that gap. The company’s modem tech had been quietly shuffling along in numerous USB modems and data cards, while Icera worked on developing its IceClear “interference-aware” technology that promises to triple data rates and boost efficiency, until NVIDIA acquired it in May 2011.

The Mimosa X uses NVIDIA’s Icera 450, an HSPA+ modem for up to 21Mbps (category 14) downloads; the IceClear system will, NVIDIA reckons, mean you’re more likely to see higher speeds at the fringes of coverage. It’s a separate chipset from the Tegra 2 driving the ZTE’s apps and graphics, and NVIDIA says it won’t have wireless integration with the core SoC until sometime in 2013.

That separation is unlikely to present too great an issue at the moment: after all, NVIDIA only needed to deliver a single-manufacturer option to clients already clamoring for Tegra. The Icera 410 is also sampling, with LTE support as well as fall-back HSPA+. NVIDIA is refusing to share the mobile processor market, and 2012 looks to be another interesting year for the phone and tablet power/flexibility/connectivity balance.

There are several signs that this is a budget model, targeting the entry-level in Samsung’s expansive tablet line-up. For a start, the main camera is fixed-focus, and has no LED flash; the front-facing camera, meanwhile, is VGA resolution rather than the more typical 1.3-megapixel or above. It’s also 10.5mm thick, not vast in the grand scheme of things, but still chubbier than other recent slates Samsung has produced.

That comparative heft is used to accommodate WiFi, Bluetooth 3.0, A-GPS and – likely optional – HSPA+ connectivity. There’s also either 16GB or 32GB of internal storage, plus a microSD card slot for augmenting that. A 4,000 mAh battery rounds things out, though Samsung isn’t saying how long that should last for.

Software, meanwhile, is Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich – the first Samsung slate to come preloaded with ICS, it seems – with TouchWiz modifications, the various content hubs, ChatON IM app, KIES Air and DLNA support. Pricing is unconfirmed, as is availability, though we’re assuming the Galaxy Tab 2 will be cheaper than the Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus.

[via SammyHub - thanks Kote!]

Hardware

While the key components of the Web Cube may be the same as your average, pocket-sized mobile hotspot, the device as a whole is much bigger. Almost a 10cm cube (it’s 9.5cm high) it’s a distinctive addition to your desktop, with white base and top plates sandwiching a frosted midsection that reveals a fluted inner pillar. An array of blue LEDs cause the whole thing to glow when a device is connected via WiFi.

Physical controls are limited to a single button on the top, which doubles as a WPS pairing key and, with a longer press, a power button to shut the Web Cube down. Three of the top edges have tiny hatches, one sliding out for the SIM card, another hiding a reset button and external antenna port, and the last a microUSB port used for firmware updates. Unfortunately you can’t plug an external drive into the USB connection and share its data across the network.

Inside the Huawei-made device there’s a HSPA+ radio supporting up to 21.6 Mbit/s downloads and up to 5.76 Mbit/s uploads, network depending, along with a WiFi b/g/n router supporting up to five WiFi connections at any one time. 3G signal strength is shown via blue LEDs on the top panel.

Setup

Three is aiming for plug and play simplicity with the Web Cube, and the most confusing part is probably going to be loading the SIM. The quick-start guide shows where to slot it in, though hopefully in-store sales staff will do that for most users; then it’s just a case of plugging in the mains power lead and watching the Web Cube load up automatically.

Both the SSID and WPA2 encryption key are preconfigured, each printed on the base of the Web Cube as well as on the back of the quick-start guide. We were connected and surfing in sixty seconds from plugging the modem in, in fact.

As with most routers, there’s a browser-based control panel for checking status and accessing more complex settings. The home view shows data connection, upload/download speeds and a data counter, along with icons for signal status and how many WiFi clients are connected; you can also turn off the main body light. There’s also text message support, including incoming and outgoing messages; it’s worth noting that any WiFi user can access this and send SMS billed to your account. While you can’t turn off text messaging or lock it down with a passport, you can put in an incorrect service center number and block the functionality that way.

Log into the admin pages, and the Web Cube’s true router abilities become visible. It may look toylike but there’s most of the advanced settings and options that you’d expect from any wireless hardware: a DHCP server, static routing, MAC filtering and optional WiFi bridging, a firewall (sensibly on by default) and IP filtering, virtual server support and a DMZ. If you want to lock down the Web Cube to only support visiting certain sites, you can do it.

Performance

Mobile broadband download speeds are obviously dependent on carrier coverage, and the Web Cube’s 110cm cable doesn’t give you a huge amount of flexibility to move the modem around. Still, the integrated signal strength meter does make positioning easier, though we’d recommend doing some online speed tests just to see where the best results can be had.

Shifting the Web Cube one meter closer to the window saw download rates double (to 4.06 Mbps) and upload rates more than quintuple (to 1.72 Mbps), for instance, so there are significant benefits to be had in experimenting. At least, unlike most wired home broadband connections, you can take your pick of locations, as long as they’re near enough to a power socket. Moving to the other side of the building saw download rates jump to 5.89 Mbps and upload rates to 2.74 Mbps.

As for WiFi strength, we had no problems keeping a connection even with three walls (one external brick) and solid wooden doors between us and the Web Cube. In fact, our test computer was still showing full signal strength at the time. This could be the Web Cube’s biggest advantage over traditional mobile hotspots, which generally suffer from relatively short range WiFi radios.

Pricing

Three offers two options for Web Cube data packages. If you’re willing to commit, you can get 15GB of data per month on a two year £15.99 agreement, and pay nothing upfront for the modem itself. Those feeling more flighty can opt for a £15 month-to-month package, getting them 10GB of data instead; they’ll also have to pay £59.99 for the Web Cube.

There’s no unlimited data option, however, and Three tells us the target audience wouldn’t really want it, though we’re not so sure that’s actually the case.

Wrap-Up

It’s easy to be dismissive of the Web Cube, at least at first glance. Three’s HSPA+ can deliver reasonably speedy burst rates but still lags behind top-tier wired broadband connections, while you also miss out on the battery-powered portability of a traditional mobile hotspot. Unlike the carrier’s own WiFi Hub – which shares a USB modem’s connection over WiFi – you don’t get wired ethernet either, and the Web Cube is even larger.

Where the Web Cube begins to show merit is in its ease of setup and WiFi performance. Ignore the advanced settings – as most users will – and you can be up and running moments after plugging in. It’s portable enough that you can take it on holiday with you, and the data plans, while missing an unlimited option, are probably enough for casual users. The dramatically stronger WiFi range than a battery-powered hotspot singles the Web Cube out for semi-fixed usage too.

Definitely a niche gadget, then, but if you fit the target demographic then there’s plenty of appeal. We can see the Web Cube being ideal for broadband-shy grandparents or catering to a temporary office; it’d make a good backup option if your home broadband goes down. More advanced users will undoubtedly be able to find cheaper ways to share out a 3G connection, but if simplicity is your guiding star then the Web Cube will take some beating.

The Huawei MediaPad features a 7-inch IPS multitouch display with 1280 x 800 pixel resolution, a 1.2GHz dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, 1.3-megapixel front-facing camera, and 5-megapixel rear-facing camera. The rear camera is capable of 4X zoom, AF, and 1080p Full HD video capture. The tablet also sports HDMI output and has a 4,100mAh battery for a six-hour battery life.

Although Huawei is set to launch MediaPads with the latest Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich on board, this MediaPad for AT&T will not. Instead, it will running Android 3.2 Honeycomb with the ICS update likely to come over-the-air sometime this first quarter of 2012. It’s not clear if AT&T will be releasing a more consumer-targeted version in addition to this enterprise offering.

[via PRNewswire]

A WiFi SSID and encryption password are preset, and once you plug the Web Cube into the mains it automatically starts sharing its HSPA+ connection. Up to five wireless clients can be connected at any one time, and the range is around 30 feet.

Three says 2-5Mbps download speeds should be typical, though suggests peaks of up to 10Mbps could be achieved. Two packages will be offered, a month-to-month option at £15 with a £59.99 upfront hardware charge and 10GB of data, and a 24-month agreement for £15.99 per month with no upfront charge and 15GB of data.

The carrier is targeting students, renters, those who frequently move and people who don’t want the hassle of a landline for traditional wired broadband, though we can see the data cap being a potential issue if the Web Cube is your sole connection. Three intends to trial the modem in Leeds, Glasgow and Edinburgh before a broader roll-out across the UK this year.

What you’ll see here is that T-Mobile will not be getting a whole solid nation-wide map of pink but rather a selection of key cities that’ll bump them up in the minds of consumers. The midwest is mostly empty except for the coolest places in Minnesota (your humble narrator’s home stomping grounds) and essentially the whole southeast is forgotten about, but the western half of the states is pretty well covered. San Francisco, San Jose, Salt Lake City, and all the way back over to Washington DC, each of them will have a jump up in connectivity for T-Mobile customers in the very near future.

T-Mobile will have between 60 MHz and 80 MHz of combined AWS and PCS airwaves in the cities it’s picked up in this transaction. This will allow T-Mobile to make its HSPA+ 42 Mbps footprint an equitable one in this ever-growing market, and those of you with the pink carrier will find yourselves amping up just so long as you live in one of these areas. Meanwhile AT&T will continue to jam out their relatively new LTE network in states that they did not give over to T-Mobile as well as the one’s they did. Make no mistake, AT&T hasn’t sacrificed any location they can’t continue to cover otherwise – because that would just be silly.

[via GigaOM]

The Aspire A0722 packs a 1GHz AMD Fusion C-50 dual-core processor with Radeon HD 6250 graphics, 2GB of RAM, and a 320GB hard drive. It’s six-cell battery offers a long battery life, although the specific rating was not listed. It also comes with a webcam, three USB ports, VGA, Ethernet, and HDMI.

The A0722 is available now via www.att.com for $449.99 without an annual contract. But with a two-year service agreement that requires a 3GB monthly data plan, the netbook can be had for $39.99.

[via AT&T]

As for specs, you’ll find a 1.5GHz dual-core processor, 32GB of internal storage, HDMI out, NFC (Near Field Communication), and support for 1080p HD video. The 4.3 inch display has a stunning 1280 x 720 HD resolution that looked great. It also sports a 12MP rear facing camera and 1.3MP front shooter.

It’s too bad the XPERIA S isn’t launching in the US, I would almost rather see it than the Ion LTE. Both phones were running Android 2.3.7 (Gingerbread) and have the latest version of their ‘Timescape’ UI. It is also said both should see Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) sometime in Q2. Also, don’t forget to check out our hands-on with the Ion LTE from earlier.

Both new Ascend models were running the same version of Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) and had the same bugs. It lagged at times, and you could really tell it wasn’t fit to ship quite yet. The P1 is very thin at 7.69mm and has a full-body plastic casing. It was no where near the build quality of the P LTE.

Other specs include a 1.5GHz dual-core processor, 1GB RAM, 4GB internal storage, and a microSD slot capable of holding 64GB. It also has an 8MP rear camera and dual LED flash. No front facing camera included. And unlike the P LTE’s 2000mAh battery, this phone comes with a 1650mAh. For such a decently sized screen, a larger battery would have been expected.

In fact, Verizon reckons you can use the Jetpack in over 205 countries, more than 125 of which will deliver 3G speeds. The display is a low-power OLED panel and the buttons are touch-sensitive, while the WiFi is b/g/n with WEP/WPA/WPA2 and VPN pass-through support.

The whole thing measures in at a bag-friendly 3.49 x 3.49 x 0.70 inches and 4.7 ounces, and receives data allowance updates via SMS message that are then shown on the display. Verizon isn’t saying how long the battery will last, however, which gives us some pause for thought: most mobile hotspot devices average out at around two hours, but LTE does have a reputation for guzzling through power.

We’ll know more when Verizon confirms pricing, full specs and availability over the next few weeks.

Alternatively, you can grab the HSPA+ Nexus for CA$649.99, if you want to use a SIM you already have. It’s a pentaband model – supporting the 850/900/1700/1900/2100 UMTS/WCDMA bands – so if you decide to take a quick trip up from the US to grab one in Canada, you’ll then be able to use it on T-Mobile USA or AT&T when you get home.

Fellow Canadian carrier Rogers Wireless has already confirmed it will be offering the Galaxy Nexus from January 2012, meanwhile. That leaves us waiting on the LTE model for Verizon in the US, which earlier rumors tipped as arriving tomorrow, December 9, but more recent leaks indicate has been pushed back perhaps into next week.

More on the Galaxy Nexus in our full review.

[via Android Community]

As well as the Exynos processor – paired with 1GB of RAM and 16GB of storage – there’s a 4-inch 960 x 640 ASV display and an 8-megapixel f/2.2 backside-illuminated camera with LED flash, all in a phone 10.3mm thick. Connectivity includes pentaband 3G with HSPA+ support – Meizu uses a Micro SIM, just like the iPhone 4S – together with MHL-HDMI and USB Host, and there’s a pair of microphones for noise cancellation and a 1,600mAh battery.

Android 2.3.5 will initially ship with Meizu’s own customized Flyme OS, though the company has promised an update to Ice Cream Sandwich sometime next year. The MX will be priced from ¥2,999 ($470) when it goes on sale at the beginning of 2012. Any SlashGear readers in China looking to get the Meizu MX when it comes out?

[via Engadget]

The Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus features a 7-inch display with a 1024 x 600 resolution touchscreen, 1.2 GHz dual-core processor, 1GB of RAM, a 3-megapixel rear-facing camera, and a 2-megapixel front-facing camera. It also runs Samsung’s proprietary TouchWiz UI on to of Android 3.2 Honeycomb and comes in either a 16GB or 32GB model.

For more details on the Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus WiFi version be sure to check out a full review here. The version passing through the FCC today shouldn’t see much change in specs except for the addition of an HSPA+ radio and support for 850MHz and 1900MHz GSM bands. Since these are compatible with AT&T’s network it’s safe to assume that’s where it’ll be heading.

This week T-Mobile will be expanding their 4G network in the following cities: Bend, Medford and Corvallis, Oregon, Benton Harbor, Michigan, Bloomington, Champaign–Urbana and Springfield, Illinois, Columbus, Georgia, Hagerstown, Maryland, Montgomery, Alabama and Yuba City, California. If you live in one of these cities and want the T-Mobile 4G speed for yourself, make sure you ask your local T-Mobile representative which devices precisely will be capable of reaching them. We’ve reviewed more than a couple of the devices that will be running on this network, complete with all the information you could possibly want on them to boot!

Have a look at the T-Mobile Springboard tablet if you want to go large and would like to experience a new piece of hardware from a company making their way into the USA on the mobile front piece by piece: Huawei. If you’d like to join the Galaxy train with Samsung, I’d recommend the Samsung Galaxy S II which is one of a line of best-selling smartphones for a reason – it’s sweet! Then there’s the HTC Amaze 4G, the most advanced HTC device on the T-Mobile network, working with no less than a sleek metal-intensive design and HTC’s Sense interface. Pick one!

Dell and Lenovo will use the Gobi 4000 series in their notebooks, meanwhile. The Dell Latitude E6420 already had LTE as an option, but will soon get the updated modem, while Lenovo will slot the Gobi into various models from its range. Novatel Wireless and Sierra Wireless, meanwhile, will use the new 3G/4G radios in their embedded modem products, though we wouldn’t be surprised to see them also show up in mobile hotspots too.

The new versions will go on sale alongside the 3G-only Gobi 3000 series. Qualcomm is also pushing the enhanced compatibility with its Snapdragon processors, including the upcoming S4 dual- and quad-core chips.

Update: Novatel Wireless tells us it will be first to market with devices using the Gobi 4000.