hspa

Where to unload your old iPhone for top dollar (Ask Maggie)

Apple's next iteration of the ever-popular iPhone is expected to be announced today. And eager fans are already asking questions in anticipation of buying the new device.

Where is the best place to sell old iPhones to fund the purchase of a new one? And will an AT&T version of the device that's expected to support the faster network technology HSPA+ really offer a noticeable performance boost over 3G versions of the same phone from Verizon Wireless and Sprint Nextel?

These are just two questions I tackle in this installment of the Ask Maggie column. Look … Read more

New rumors say iPhone 5 to get larger screen, HSPA+

A new pair of reports suggest that changes are headed to Apple's next iPhone in the form of a bigger screen and a considerably faster data connection.

The first comes from Japanese outlet PC Watch, (via Mac blog Macotakara), which reported on a slide shown by carrier China Unicom at this week's Macworld Asia, suggesting that the iPhone 5 will add support for HSPA+ technology. HSPA+ is the standard that has a theoretical download speed of 21Mbps, up from the 7.2Mbps HSDPA/HSUPA 3G hardware that ships in the iPhone 4. In the United States, both AT&… Read more

More than a third of Android phones are 4G-enabled

Android phones seem to have cornered the market on 4G, according to a report out yesterday from Localytics.

Gazing at the smartphone landscape, the mobile analytics firm found that 37 percent of all Android phones are now 4G-enabled. That percentage is likely to surge even further as this year alone the number of 4G Android phones have jumped by more than 50 percent.

Of course, 4G is a fuzzy term that's often used loosely to describe any type of high-speed mobile access. For the purposes of its study, Localytics defines a 4G device as one that taps into LTE, … Read more

T-Mobile's 4G phone family

While T-Mobile doesn't quite have the spectrum required to build a true 4G LTE network, it's putting all of its chips behind HSPA+, which is technically a faster version of 3G. It first debuted this technology with the T-Mobile G2 late last year, with several more "4G" phones to follow, like the MyTouch 4G, the G2X, the HTC Sensation 4G, and more. Even though it's technically 3G, we were impressed with its speeds that put it on par (marketing-wise) with current 4G technology like LTE and WiMax.

This is even more so with T-Mobile's recent announcements of the Samsung Galaxy S II and the HTC Amaze. … Read more

More on T-Mobile's 4G hardware announcements

SAN FRANCISCO--Cole Brodman, chief marketing officer for T-Mobile, took the opportunity to reveal a couple of new devices at GigaOM's Mobilize conference in San Francisco: the Samsung Galaxy S II and the HTC Amaze. Both handsets are slated to run on T-Mobile's upgraded HSPA+ 42 network, which promises 4G-like speeds that are faster than most home Internet speeds.

We've seen the Galaxy S II before at a Samsung press event last month, but T-Mobile has spruced it up with HSPA+42 speeds. To take advantage of this speed, T-Mobile has bundled the phone with Netflix, Samsung Media Hub, and T-Mobile TV. The Galaxy S II has a 4.52-inch Super AMOLED Plus display, which is the largest phone display in T-Mobile's stable. The hardware specs are otherwise similar to the unlocked version of the Galaxy S II.… Read more

Which flavor of AT&T 4G do I have? (Ask Maggie)

AT&T is the latest carrier to announce a 4G wireless broadband service, but what does this mean for its customers who already thought they were getting 4G service?

When AT&T began marketing its HSPA+ network as 4G, I predicted it might confuse some customers when it finally launched its "true" 4G service, which uses the faster LTE technology. And it looks like I was correct. In this week's Ask Maggie I explain to a reader why his AT&T 4G smartphone won't work on the newly announced 4G LTE wireless network … Read more

A beginner's guide to telecom jargon

The mobile world moves at a breakneck pace, and it's difficult to keep up--even without the technical jargon most industry insiders throw around. And they do love to toss those terms about.

Whether it's the difference between CDMA and GSM, the importance of backhaul to the speed of your connection, or what metering means, it's easy to have information blow over your head when reading about this field.

So for some light Saturday reading, we thought it would be nice to explain what exactly telecom experts are talking about when they use these terms they assume everyone … Read more

T-Mobile doubles 4G speeds in 50 markets

Back at CES 2011, T-Mobile outlined its plans to double the speed of its 4G HSPA+ network and said it expected to roll out its upgraded network to 25 metro markets by mid-year. However, it looks like the carrier is actually ahead of schedule.

Today, T-Mobile announced it is launching its enhanced 4G network in more than 50 new markets, including Atlanta, Chicago, Denver, Dallas, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, Phoenix, and San Francisco. The additions brings the total to 55 markets, where customers can enjoy theoretical download speeds of up to 42Mbps (previously, the max was 21Mbps).

Of course, … Read more

Handling T-Mobile's 4G laptop sticks

Orlando, Fla.--T-Mobile had more than the LG G2X and Sidekick 4G to show at CTIA 2011. And no, we're not talking about a plan as to how customers will be affected form the planned merger with AT&T.

No, T-Mobile also introduced four products for its HSPA+ network: a portable W-Fi hot-spot and three USB laptop sticks. The devices are optimized for the carrier's "4G" network--we know T-Mobile's definition of 4G is a little fuzzy--but they're compatible with the carrier's 3G and EDGE networks when you're not in a HSPA+ … Read more