Archive for the ‘WiMAX’ Category

Well look what the Android Community turned up.  This pic allegedly shows the Samsung Galaxy S Pro in the wild.  Like the EVO 4G, the Samsung Galaxy S Pro runs Android, offers support for Sprint’s 4G WiMAX network, and features a front facing camera.  The Galaxy S Pro also boasts a landscape QWERTY keypad.

The device was originally rumored to have a June 2010 release date, although this seems unlikely at this point.  We’ll keep you updated as we hear more.

Dell unveiled its Latitude 2110 netbook earlier this month, and today the device showed up on the FCC thanks to a filing by Intel.  FCC photos show the device with an Intel Centrino Advanced-N + WiMAX 6250 card, as well as a pretty hefty battery, below.  Other specs for the Latitude 2110 include a 10” screen, Intel Aton N470 processor, up to 10 hours of battery life, and a funky rubberized cover, below.

Pricing for the Latitude 2100 series will start at $419.  Unlike the rest of the Latitude line, which is targeted at business, Dell is targeting the Latitude 2110 at the education market.

FCC filings by Intel today reveal that Lenovo has a WiMAX version of its ThinkPad X100e in the works.  Pictured above, the device relies on Intel’s 622ANXHMW card for WLAN, WiMAX and Bluetooth connectivity.

A closeup of markings on the X100e, below, reveal that the device is manufactured by Lenovo’s OEM partner Quanta Computer Inc. – no surprise there.  Interestingly, Lenovo’s ThinkPad Mini Series is also identified next to ThinkPad X100 series notebooks, suggesting that these devices are essentially based on the same platform.

The ThinkPad Mini series has already made an appearance on the FCC back in December of 2009, and the Mini 10 later showed up in Australia.  Given that these devices are listed under “Lenovo (Japan) Limited,” Mini 10 and Mini 11 devices may just be regional variations of the X100 platform.

We don’t have any word on pricing or a release date yet, but we’ll keep you posted.

Franklin Wireless unveiled its U600 3G/4G USB modem at this year’s CTIA conference, and today the device showed up on the FCC.  The U600 supports both CDMA/EVDO 850 and 1900 bands, as well as WiMAX, enabling the device to switch back and forth between 3G and 4G networks, as coverage permits.  This is a valuable feature in the United States, since 4G WiMAX coverage is still spotty.

Franklin had previously announced that the U600 will be released in April 2010, but today’s FCC filing suggests that the U600’s release date has been pushed back.  We don’t have pricing or carrier info yet, but we’ll keep you updated as we learn more.

The round USB modem from Sierra Wireless, pictured above, passed through the FCC today.  Although it doesn’t look like much, this device provides 4G WiMAX connectivity, along with CDMA/EVDO 850/1900 wireless data support.

According to label pictures, below, this device is known as the Sierra Wireless AirCard 250U.  And with WiMAX and CDMA support we’re guessing that the 250U will be coming to Sprint in the United States.

It appears that the 250U is a USB modem only – no hotspot capabilities are mentioned in FCC filings.  That’s a shame, since Sprint’s speedy 4G network is ideal for sharing with others.

There’s no indication of when the 250U will be released, but we’ll keep you updated as we learn more.

Sprint unveiled the Sprint EVO 4G yesterday at CTIA.  The device, formerly known as the HTC Supersonic, is the company’s first 4G phone.  And, well, it looks spectacular.

Powered by a 1 GHz Snapdragon (QSD8650), the device rocks a 4.3” 480 x 800 TFT LCD screen, 8 MP still and video camera with flash, a 1.3 MP front facing camera, 802.11 b/g WiFi and Bluetooth.  The device runs on Sprint’s growing 4G WiMAX network, where available, as well as Sprint’s CDMA/EVDO network.

Want to use the EVO 4G to watch video?  Not a problem.  The device has an HDMI out jack (although this requires an adapter) for 720P video.  That feature will come in handy since the device can record 720P video, as well.

The EVO 4G’s most valuable video feature is arguably the device’s kickstand.  Yup, that means on long flights you don’t need to hold the device while watching video – you can just prop it up on its side.

Another feature that we love is the EVO 4G’s ability to act as a WiFi hotspot.  The device can share its Internet connection with up to 8 users concurrently, a key differentiator to AT&T’s iPhone, which doesn’t even support tethering to a single device.

The EVO 4G runs on Android 2.1 with HTC’s Sense UI.  While this may turn off some potential customers due to Android’s inability to store apps on external storage, the EVO 4G has 1 GB of internal storage for apps, along with 512 MB of RAM.  The EVO 4G also accepts MicroSD cards up to 32 GB.

Overall, it’s hard not to be impressed with the EVO 4G.  Videos of the device outputting 720P video are incredible.  We also like the performance of the device’s camera.  Note the lack of shutter lag in this video, as well as the EVO 4G’s ability to auto white balance and selectively auto focus.

Want one?  The device will be available this Summer, according to Sprint.  No word on pricing, but the device will likely cost at least as much as the HTC HD2, which runs for $650 unlocked, or $200 with a T-Mobile 2 year contract.

With WiMAX coverage in the US improving gradually, we wanted to take a closer look at CLEAR, the leading WiMAX service provider in the States.  CLEAR was formed by Sprint Nextel and Clearwire, although Sprint also offers its own WiMAX services called 4G.

One of the benefits of WiMAX is that the technology can be used as an alternative to cable or DSL Internet.  The CLEAR WIXB-175 Series G modem, pictured above, connects to the CLEAR network wirelessly and, just like a DSL or cable modem, can be used as an Internet connection for a computer, IP phone or wireless router.

After the jump, we take a closer look at the innards of the CLEAR WIXB-175, thanks to internal photo goodness from the FCC.

Read the rest of this entry »

Last month we spotted a Dell Inspiron Mini 1012 with an Intel WiMAX card, and today a Lenovo U150 showed up on the FCC with Intel WiMAX goodness.  According to label photos, the U150 will rock an Intel WiMAX/WiFi Link 5150 card, enabling 802.11 b/g/n along with WiMAX.

Over the past two years WiMAX coverage in the US has slowly improved.  And things are only getting better – last month we learned that Sprint will finally be brining WiMAX to Silicon Valley.  These new WiMAX deployments and WiMAX enabled computers like the Lenovo U150 will hopefully drive expansions in WiMAX coverage.

No word if the Lenovo U150 will be subsidized by a WiMAX carrier, but ideally a carrier will knock a couple hundred bucks off the U150’s price in exchange for a service contract.

Dell unveiled their Inspiron Mini 1012 netbook earlier this year.  The device rocks a 10.1” screen, Intel N450 Atom processor, and integrated Intel GMA graphics.  But today the Inspiron Mini 1012 made another appearance on the FCC, this time with Intel’s 6250 WiMAX chipset.

As you can see above, the Inspiron Mini 1012 with the Intel 6250 chipset is described as a preproduction model.  The model number for this netbook is clearly identified in other RF reports in the filing (left).

It’s good to see Dell adding WiMAX to its netbooks – sure, coverage isn’t great at this point, but WiMAX is pretty speedy when you have a strong signal.  We’re not sure if Dell is partnering with a service provider, but we wouldn’t be surprised to see CLEAR in the mix.

Motorola has been active on the WiMAX front, and today the company passed a new USB WiMAX dongle through the FCC.  The device is known as the USBw25200, and it offers support for WiMAX frequencies 2.5- 2.7 GHz.

There’s no indication of when the USBw25200 will be released, although we suspect the device will be offered by Clearwire’s CLEAR service.