Apple's legal spat with Qualcomm might seem like background noise easily tuned out by iPhone users, but it could have a big impact on how well the iPhone 8 performs. The two companies are currently embroiled in a patent argument over cellular radio standards, with Apple threatening to withhold royalty payments that it claims are extortionate. Now, the new iPhone might end up less capable on next-generation networks as a result.
At first glance, Microsoft has knocked the new Surface Pro out of the park. Coming hot on the heels of the Surface Laptop, the tablet-that's-a-notebook (and which mustn't be called the Surface Pro 5, oh no) could've been overshadowed by its Alcantara-clad clamshell sibling. Instead, Microsoft has gone down the wishlist of existing owners and ticked all the boxes. Well, all apart from one.
With all the focus on the high-end, premium smartphones, it’s almost too easy to take for granted that not everyone in the world needs or can even afford such devices. In some markets, smartphones are still a luxury. At the same time, however, Internet access is fast becoming a staple of modern life, even in those markets where non-smart “feature” phones are still more common than smart ones. To give them a fighting chance, Qualcomm has unveiled the Snapdragon 205 platform, not processor, that brings LTE Category 4 capabilities to feature phones.
If you could get better-than-fiber speeds from your LTE smartphone, would you bother with a fixed home internet connection? That's the question Qualcomm expects web-addicts to face with the launch of the Snapdragon X20 LTE modem, its second-generation Gigabit LTE chip which promises Cat 18 downloads. That means, on the right network, up to 1.2 Gbps downloads.
No matter how strong your 4G LTE connection is, there will come a time, or a place, where the signal degrades to near uselessness. Sometimes, those times and places are found inside our very own homes, where structures and materials hinder the spread of cellular signals throughout the building. Making sure its customers won't be bereft of that much needed Internet connection, Verizon has teamed up again with Samsung to launch a 4G LTE Network Extender that practically gives homes and offices a mini LTE tower of their own.
GM is cutting the cost of its OnStar 4G LTE data plans, halving the price of data for its WiFi hotspot and connected apps services. The automaker began installing LTE modems in almost every car it sells in the US in 2014, and it's been a well-received move: Chevrolet, for instance, has sold more than 2.1 million such vehicles in the past two years.
AT&T Labs announce reaching 10 Gbps in 5G trials as they make their team-up with Nokia an official hardware partner. Testing has exceeded 10 Gbps speeds - this will "pave the way toward future international 5G standards and allow us to deliver these fast 5G speeds and network performance across the U.S.," so says AT&T. The company has begun speaking about latency trials as well - imperative for the next generation of connected devices, and vehicles.
Social media like Twitter has meant emergencies and security incidents now play out in real-time, but there's nothing like a first-person view for the full story. Wearable cameras are becoming more common on the uniforms of police and other first-responders, but Liquid Image's Ego LS 800 promises something new: the ability to remotely connect and see exactly what the cop sees.
T-Mobile is doing its Uncarrier thing again and this time it's unlimited streaming video that's on offer, but your eyes may not thank you. Binge On follows in the footsteps of the carrier's unlimited streaming music perk, this time around offering video from services like Netflix and Hulu, but there's a resolution price to pay in return.
It's a project two years in the making. Probably even more if you consider R&D and preliminary contracts. February last year, Philips and Ericsson revealed that they were workting together on the streetlight of the future, combining two of the things most delectable to city folk need or love or both: bright night lights and pervasive Internet access. Now that idea will finally be put to the real world test. Philips has just revealed that Los Angeles will be the first every city in the world to deploy its SmartPole street lights with 4G LTE connectivity.
It can be a challenge handing a kid a normal tablet and letting them roam around the web. Adult content and other inappropriate material is as close away as a web search. Many parents seek out tablets that are specifically aimed at children and want parental controls to keep kids away from inappropriate items online. EE has launched a new kids tablet called the Robin that fits this bill nicely.
The first UK network to offer VoLTE has gone live with its voice-over-data service, with Three lighting up what it's calling 4G Super-Voice. Kicking off today in London, Edinburgh, Exeter, and Birmingham - where Three says it has more than three quarters of the population covered - 4G Super-Voice also boasts better indoor calling performance.
