EE rolls out 4G LTE Cat 9 in UK
UK carrier EE has launched a new layer of extra capacity for its 4G network to help high-end smartphones use their full potential, which will make smartphones "faster on EE than any other UK network".
EE has also said that it will make Cat 9 devices faster. Cat 9, or Category 9 4G, is capable of supporting 450Mbps download speeds, and devices such as HTC M10 or the Samsung Galaxy S7 are capable of achieving these speeds.
Verizon switches on LTE Advanced in 461 cities -- is your phone compatible?
Verizon Wireless is what I consider to be the best cellphone carrier in the USA. Yes, it is expensive comparatively, but you get what you pay for. Both coverage and speed is top notch across the country, meaning you should have a solid experience in many places where you travel.
Today, the carrier announces that its LTE is getting much faster. In 461 cities across the USA, it switches on the speedier "LTE Advanced" (LTE-A). Best of all, many existing devices are compatible. Wondering if your phone, tablet, or hotspot can take advantage? Read on for the list.
ASUS ZenPad Z8 tablet for Verizon has six-core CPU, dual front speakers, USB-C, and Android M
Android tablets are rather boring and uneventful nowadays. While the Nexus 9 was great, the 2013 Nexus 7 remains the best such tablet ever. This is a very sad state of affairs for the Android community. Google and manufacturers have just never been able to produce the elusive "iPad killer". Apple's line of tablets remain the best after all these years.
Today, ASUS announces a tablet that actually has me excited. Seriously, I haven't felt this way about an Android tablet in a while. The 7.9 inch LTE-enabled ZenPad Z8 -- which is a Verizon exclusive -- has a hexacore processor, USB Type-C, expandable storage, and Android M. While it may not be the Android tablet that "kills" Apple's tablet, the specs are quite impressive, and the price is amazingly low.
T-Mobile introduces Tourist Plan for visitors to the US
Before traveling to a different country you should think about how much it will cost to use your smartphone there. Chances are you will be sharing photos with your friends, checking out places to visit, getting directions, talking to the family, and so on -- and those things are typically not included or covered entirely in your plan. So, what can you do?
Roaming is the comfortable option, but it can be a very expensive affair. Ideally, you would find an affordable local plan that gives you enough minutes and data traffic, and swap out your SIM as soon as you arrive. If you plan on visiting the US anytime soon, T-Mobile has introduced a plan that might just offer what you need to enjoy your trip.
EE plans to cover the whole of the UK with 4G
Mobile operator EE said it will cover the entire UK (well, 95 percent of it, at least) with 4G connectivity by 2020. It also said it will shut down its customer call centers in India and create 600 new jobs in the UK and Ireland.
The announcement comes after EE landed a contract with the Government, under which it will replace the Airwave radio network and eliminate blinds spots, or 'not-spots' in connectivity, The Telegraph reported recently.
There are now over 1 billion 4G LTE users
LTE networks are growing in popularity, a new report by 4G-Reports suggests. Not only has the number of users surpassed one billion, but the number of networks also seems to be growing, while prices are declining, quite rapidly.
According to the Global LTE Pricing Tariff Tracker for Q4 2015, total number of users reached 1.05 billion. Unsurprisingly China, the US and Japan account for almost two-thirds of all subscribers.
Samsung Connect Auto turns your dumb car into a smart car
It's not just brand new vehicles that can be considered smart cars. Today Samsung launches Samsung Connect Auto, a plug-in module that can transform any car with an OBD II port in a smart car, connected into the Internet of Things.
Powered by Tizen, Samsung Connect Auto is a small dongle that features a GPS receiver, LTE modem, and a Wi-Fi hotspot. It has been designed to provide drivers with real-time feedback so they can adjust their driving style and improve fuel efficiency. More than this, the dongle also gives the car and its occupants with a Wi-Fi connection, and could provide information to insurers about driving style and frequency to help drive down insurance costs.
Samsung bringing Gear S2 classic 3G/4G smartwatch to Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile
Modern smartwatches are hardly must-have devices. Most are simply extensions of smartphones, serving as nothing more than expensive accessories. In other words, many smartwatches aren't very useful on their own.
Some of these watches, however, have cellular radios, making them useful as a standalone experience. Heck, they could even replace smartphones for those with limited needs. Today, Samsung announces that it is bringing its standalone-ready Gear S2 classic 3G/4G smartwatch to Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile.
Yu Yunique launches in India, offers 4G LTE for Rs 4999 ($75)
Yu Televentures, an online subsidiary of Micromax, today launches its third smartphone. Targeting the growing affordable smartphone market, the company introduces Yu Yunique. The 4G capable handset packs in an impressive set of specifications for just Rs 4,999 ($75).
The Yu Yunique sports a 4.7-inch HD (1,280 x 7,20 pixels) display and is powered by a 64-bit capable Snapdragon 410 quad-core SoC clocked at 1.2GHz with Adreno 306 GPU. It has 1GB of RAM, and 8GB of internal storage, with support for a microSD card should you need more storage. On the software front, the handset runs Android 5.1 Lollipop.
T-Mobile going after unlimited data 'violators'
T-Mobile just announced that a small number of its customers has been abusing its unlimited data plan, circumventing limitations imposed on tethering to steal data. The "violators", as they are referred to by T-Mobile, have allegedly used various methods to use as much as 2 TB of 4G LTE data in a month, without paying for the extra traffic.
Customers who opt for the unlimited data plan have the option to use the Smartphone Mobile HotSpot feature, which includes 7 GB of 4G LTE data that they can use for tethering, free of charge. Those who exceed this limit have to pay to continue to take advantage of tethering at 4G LTE speeds for the excess data, otherwise transfers "slow down".
Opera Max can now compress Netflix and YouTube videos, lowering data consumption
Video streaming is one of the quickest ways to max out a data plan. This is especially true for high-definition videos, which are the commonplace on websites like Netflix and YouTube and, understandably, the obvious quality choice for many mobile viewers. Since not everyone can afford or have the option to use an unlimited data plan, we often have to sacrifice how much content we watch to not pass the traffic limit.
However, an update to Opera Max for Android promises to let us watch more videos without sacrificing much in terms of quality. The app can achieve such results through compression, and the feature is now enabled for Netflix and YouTube.
Microsoft Surface 3 4G LTE comes to AT&T on July 24th -- free upgrade to Windows 10
The Surface line of computers are amazing machines. Whether you choose the less-powerful (yet more compact) Surface 3 or more powerful and larger Surface Pro 3, you are sure to be happy with your decision. They are truly the best way to experience Windows on the go.
Unfortunately, they require Wi-Fi for internet connectivity. While some people can share their smartphone's connection with the Surface, not everyone has that ability. Plus, tethering can quickly drain the phone's battery too. An LTE- enabled model would be ideal. Well, that is soon to become a reality. The long-promised Surface 3 LTE is coming to AT&T on July 24th. In just a few days you can buy the portable machine of your dreams.
Microsoft releases firmware update to make select Windows Phone handsets 4G capable in India
As 4G LTE network starts to gain traction in India, Microsoft is looking to make the most out of it. The company announces today that it is pushing out a firmware update to select existing Windows Phone handsets in the country to enable 4G connectivity option in them.
The handsets that are eligible to get the update are as follows: the Lumia 1520, the Lumia 1320, the Lumia 1020, the Lumia 930, the Lumia 925, the Lumia 920, the Lumia 830, and the Lumia 625. A Microsoft spokesperson tells me that these handsets always had the 4G radio in them, but back at the time of their launch -- due to the unavailability of LTE networks -- the company had disabled this connectivity option.
Microsoft details 4G LTE Surface 3 availability
While the Wi-Fi version of Surface 3 has been available to consumers and businesses for nearly two months now, the same cannot be said about the 4G LTE counterpart. It only went on sale two weeks ago, and only in Japan, and is not yet available in any other markets where the slate is offered.
This is about to change as Microsoft today announces that this week the 4G LTE version of Surface 3 will also be available to prospective business customers in Germany and UK. Consumers will have to wait a bit longer, however.
Samsung unveils a better Galaxy Note 4 -- faster download speeds in tow
Samsung has unveiled a new version of its Galaxy Note 4, featuring support for LTE Advanced Tri-Band Carrier Aggregation and Category 9 cellular networks. Dubbed Galaxy Note 4 LTE-A, it promises much faster download speeds over 4G LTE compared to the regular models, which the South Korean maker announced in early-September.
Galaxy Note 4 LTE-A is capable of offering download speeds of up to 450 Mbps. To put things into perspective, that is 50 percent faster than the Qualcomm Snapdragon 805-equipped Galaxy Note 4 -- which is no slouch to begin with -- and a whopping 200 percent faster than the Exynos-powered model.
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