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Need a boost? Signal boosters for 4G phones will debut at CES

At least two new cell phone signal boosters for Verizon 4G users will be announced at CES.

Lynn La Senior Editor / Reviews - Phones
Lynn La covers mobile reviews and news. She previously wrote for The Sacramento Bee, Macworld and The Global Post.
Lynn La
2 min read

You might have already read that we're anticipating 4G phones and products dominating this year's CES.

That's why it comes as no surprise that companies are banking on some users wanting even more of a boost on their 4G network.

So far, at least two new cell phone signal boosters will be announced at CES 2012.

Wi-Ex's zBoost 4G-V.

The first is from Wilson Electronics, which you may remember debuted its Sleek Cell Phone Signal Booster at last year's CES. The company also released a signal booster for the iPhone in 2009 called the iBooster.

This year, the company is announcing the Sleek 4G-V, made especially for 4G Verizon Wireless phones. The device will also boost the signals of 3G and 2G cell phones operating on 700MHz, 800MHz, and 1,900MHz frequency bands.

Although the product is designed to be used alongside a hands-free headset (like Bluetooth) in your car, you can also buy an accessory kit that will enable you to use the Sleek 4G-V indoors.

The booster is going for $150, and will be available to retailers in the spring of 2012. Wilson Electronics promises that the device will improve data transfer rates, battery life, and cellular signal.

Although Wilson Electronics boasts that its Sleek is the world's first 4G mobile-signal booster, Wi-Ex is also releasing a signal booster for Verizon LTE users, called the zBoost 4G-V. We don't know much yet, but the zBoost 4G-V claims it can beef up gaming, music-downloading, picture-uploading, and video-streaming speeds on 4G devices.

Aside from the zBoost 4G-V, the company plans to announce two other signal booster products at CES. Past zBoost products that we've reviewed include the zBoost YX300 and zBoost YX510-PCS-CEL.

Be sure to check back with us next week during our CES coverage in case we get our hands on either the Sleek 4G-V or the zBoost 4G-V.