4G

The rumors surrounding the release date of the HTC EVO 4G from Sprint are starting to pick up.

According to reports received over at Engadget Mobile, two possible dates gaining some traction are June 6 and June 13. With both of those dates falling on a Sunday, these line up with previous launches for Sprint, since the carrier has a reputation for releasing handsets on Sundays.

Engadget Mobile is also reporting that the 4G hot spot service will available as a $10 to $20 add-on (for those of you who aren't familiar with this feature, the EVO 4G can … Read more

CNET's resident cell phone expert Bonnie Cha is back from CTIA 2010, and we're all anxious to hear about the new smartphones coming out this year. But the main dish is Sprint's new HTC Evo 4G, the first handheld to use Sprint's WiMax network that promises faster speeds than traditional Wi-Fi (when it's finally deployed).

Before we get too deep, Bonnie tells us what we should know about Sprint's 4G network, the difference between WiMax and LTE, and what we can expect in terms of speed from the Evo. Bonnie's description of her firsthand experience with the phone at CTIA gets us even more excited about its upcoming release.

The phone features a 4.3-inch multitouch display, the new 1GHz Snapdragon processor (dual-core processors in phones coming soon?), forward- and rear-facing cameras, a built-in HDMI port for streaming high-def video, and the ultimate kicker: a KICKSTAND! This is not a drill; the HTC Evo actually does have a little foot on the back that stands the phone at an angle for hands-free Sprint TV viewing.

We're also spinning our wheels about what this Thursday's Apple announcement will have in store for the iPhone. Fresh off the recent release of the iPad, we're crossing our fingers that Apple's new iPhone OS 4.0 finally lets you multitask. Rest assured that Wilson and the rest of the CNET TV crew will be working around the clock to keep you up-to-date as we find out more.

Finally, don't forget that The Audiophillie Music Awards for Excellence in Recorded Sound, hosted by our own Steve Guttenberg, is still in full effect! It's not too late to record a band (could be your own!) for a chance to win a set of either Monster Turbine Pro Gold ($299) or Pro Copper ($399) headphones.

Lo-fi submissions are welcome, but to enter this contest you need to download, print, and complete the contest entry form (PDF). We already have a few submissions and the deadline is April 12, so record quickly and good luck!

Rumors that the iPhone is coming to Verizon have been buzzing around the Web over the last day or so. So what should Verizon iPhone users expect when the device finally comes to the nation's largest wireless network?

First, rumors of the Verizon iPhone are just that. There has been no confirmation from Apple or Verizon about the launch of this device. That said, there was never a question that AT&T's exclusivity deal with Apple would end one day. The big question has simply been when. And considering that Verizon is the largest wireless operator in … Read more

Verizon Communications is nearly finished building its Fios fiber-to-the-home network. And now it will concentrate on expanding its customer base, say executives.

Verizon, which began building its all-fiber network nearly six years ago, is quickly approaching its goal of passing 18 million homes in about 70 percent of its original customer footprint by the end of this year.

Verizon took a bold risk when it decided to build the Fios fiber network. Its telecommunications counterpart SBC Communications, which is now AT&T, decided to invest substantially less capital to extend fiber to the node or to the neighborhood. AT&… Read more

It might be thirty years since you've even thought about Pong, the earliest video arcade game, but believe it or not, the ancient two-dimensional tennis sports game is making a comeback in 2010.

On today's episode of The 404 Podcast, we discuss the future of video games and how students at the Imperial College in London are developing a pair of special glasses that allows players to control paddle movement using their eye movements! The new technology holds particular promise for people with physical disabilities that might soon get the chance to join the gaming community. The glasses are fitted with infrared light sensors and a webcam that links a laptop to the player's eyes, and although the hardware only costs $35 to make, the eye movement system itself costs around $36,000, so don't expect to control Modern Warfare with your eyes anytime soon.

The big news of CTIA 2010 is Sprint announcing the HTC Evo 4g, the first available handset to run 4G in the US. Its list of accolades is impressive and blows away the competition: 4.3-inch display, micro-USB port, 8.3-megapixel rear facing camera in addition to a VGA lens on the front for video calls, and perhaps the most impressive--a kickstand! So far Sprint has rolled out its 4g network in 27 cities and plans to expand to NYC, Boston, D.C., SF, and more by the end of the year. The HTC Evo 4g certainly grabs our interests, but Jeff is shaking at the prospect of a phone worthy of replacing his 8th Palm Pre. Could this be the one? We'll get CNET's Cell Phone Editor Bonnie Cha in the studio soon to get the inside scoop.

Both of those stories plus an family-sized Calls From The Public on today's episode of The 404 Podcast!

… Read more

Houston is the latest city to get Clearwire's 4G WiMax service, the company announced Monday.

Both Clearwire and its partner, Sprint Nextel, will be offering 4G wireless service in Houston. Clearwire, which is backed by Sprint, cable giants Comcast and Time Warner Cable, as well as Intel and Google, has been building its nationwide 4G wireless network for over a year. Houston marks the 28th city to get the service. Most of the markets that already have 4G WiMax are in Texas along with some major cities, such as Las Vegas, Atlanta, and Baltimore.

Previously, Clearwire had announced it … Read more

Sprint Nextel is using Wi-Fi to sell its 4G WiMax wireless broadband service.

The nation's third largest wireless carrier has at least a year-and-a-half head start over its closest competitor, Verizon Wireless, when it comes to 4G. But to capitalize on that lead, the company has to win as many subscribers for its service as quickly as it can. Verizon plans to launch its 4G network later this year.

In its race against the clock, Sprint is leveraging a tried-and-true technology, Wi-Fi, to help entice consumers to sign up for its service. The reason is simple. There are millions … Read more

Another CTIA has come to an end, so it's time for CNET to pass out our Best of CTIA awards. We had to make a tough choice this year and break away from our traditional categories; because most of the major handset announcements in Las Vegas this year were smartphones (you can blame Android for that) we consolidated the traditional Best Phone and Best Smartphone categories into a category for Best Phone, plus a runner-up. We also couldn't find a worthy nominee for Best Software/Service so we did away with that category completely. So now, on to … Read more

One thing we've been hearing a lot about at CTIA this week--whether we like it or not--is the coming of 4G.

The United States' CDMA carriers, Verizon Wireless and Sprint, are pressing the notion that they have 4G networks ready while their GSM counterparts--AT&T and T-Mobile--are struggling to keep their 3G networks turned on or even installed.

But does anybody care? For many people, their 3G connection is fast enough, and people are confused enough by the different standards. 4G, for some, will only be more confusing, even to those who think they need … Read more