T-Mobile Gets Nokia's XpressMusic 5310
by Chris Ziegler, posted May 21st 2008 at 1:54PM
Posts with tag tmobile
Limited Edition Tony Hawk Sidekick LX On the Way?
by Darren Murph, posted May 2nd 2008 at 11:31AM
AT&T Warms Up to Google's Android For Mobile Phones
Well, they're a little late to the party, but AT&T is finally warming up to Google's phone OS, Android. T-Mobile and Sprint and members of the Open Handset Alliance, which champions Google's new Linux-based platform, and Verizon has promised to make its network open to any device, a move that likely had Android devices specifically in mind.
At the CTIA wireless show in Vegas AT&T Mobility chief, Ralph de la Vega said,
"I like it a lot more than I did before... It's something we would want in our portfolio."
His conversion on Android came after Google executives showed him that AT&T would be able to load its own applications on any Android handset it sold. Previously, the company had been fearful the handset would be geared too much towards the Google brand. Too be fair, however, AT&T's tepid response would not have prevented Android devices from getting on its network. AT&T's network has long been open to any device that operates on the right frequency, is GSM based (as opposed to Verizon's CDMA cellular technology), and can accept a SIM card.
Regardless, this means it looks like most of the major carriers are on board with Android, which means we may see a more open system for creating user--friendly (i.e. Google-like) cell phone applications that work on all phones (with Android, of course).
From the Los Angeles Times
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T-Mobile Finally Getting High-Speed 3G?
According the Inquirer, there will be a major announcement regarding the oft-rumored and much-needed 3G upgrade for T-Mobile in the United States. The announcement is supposedly set for December 6th, just over a week away. This would mean that T-Mobile users might one day finally be able to get the near-broadband speeds for Web surfing and music and video downloading on their phones that people with Sprint, Verizon, and AT&T accounts have had for months and even years.
T-Mobile has been sitting on 3G capable spectrum since 2006, and even launched its first 3G capable phone, the Samsung T639, back in October, but still no mention of a network has been forthcoming.
Don't get too excited, though. Even if T-Mobile does unveil its new high -peed data network next Thursday, it is likely going to be a long time before there is widespread availability. Networks take a while to build out and it is unlikely that a company as high profile as T-Mobile could build it up in complete secrecy.
From The Inquirer
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T-Mobile Selling $1,500 Unlocked iPhone in Germany
T-Mobile has responded by deciding to sell the phone unlocked for €999, roughly $1,478. It is the first officially sanctioned unlocked iPhone available, but at such an absurd price, it won't be flying off the shelves (we don't think).
T-Mobile's disingenuous attempt to appease Vodafone and the German government sure isn't going to win any fans. Don't be shocked if this tale gets even uglier.
From Engadget
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T-Mobile Launches First 3G Phone
The U.S. arm of T-Mobile is joining the rest of America's cell-phone carriers in the 21st-century by preparing to deploy its high-speed 3G wireless data network... or so we assume/hope.
The carrier began selling the Samsung T639 handset, the first T-Mobile device to be capable of running on a 3G network. The new phone carries a radio that allows it to work on a WCDMA network at 1700 Mhz, the same band of wireless real estate that T-Mobile licensed in 2006, presumably to build out its 3G network.
T-Mobile is quite behind in the wireless data speed race though. Sprint and Verizon have had high-speed EV-DO networks since 2005, and Cingular joined the party with its HSDPA network in 2006, which means that subscribers to any of those carriers have been able to surf the Web or download songs and videos on their phones at near-broadband speeds anywhere there's a cell phone signal. All three networks have pretty good coverage and Sprint and Verizon are already talking up their 4G networks intended to make EV-DO look quaint.
We're psyched about this news because T-Mobile has some pretty cool phones (first out of the gate with the BlackBerry Pearl, new Sidekicks) and fun, money-saving features (like MyFavs).
From BetaNews
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MySpace Coming to T-Mobile Sidekick
Starting this week, T-Mobile will roll out an upgrade to all Sidekick 3's and Sidekick ID's with a custom MySpace app. The app will let you do all the normal MySpace things (change your profile, send messages, comments, etc.) shrunk down to a format more appropriate for the tiny Sidekick screen.
T-Mobile's press release mentions nothing about a charge for the application. We mention that because AT&T has a similar application for MySpace, but charges $2.99 a month on top of any charges you incur for data usage.
We do wonder how pleasant the MySpace experience could possibly be on the GPRS-equipped Sidekick ID, as GPRS is even slower than the iPone's molasses-like EDGE data rates.
From Gizmodo
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Cell Phone Industry Turns 20
September 7th, 1987 was the day that the mobile phone industry as we know it was born. 20 years ago, 15 companies signed a pact agreeing to build networks based upon a set of standards known as GSM. GSM is the underlying technology for AT&T, T-Mobile, and most overseas operators around the world, including O2, Vodaphone, and Orange. According to the GSM Association, there are over 2.5 billion subscribers in 218 countries with more than 700 network operators. GSM technologies make up 85 percent of the world's mobile communications market, meaning that it's your only option for true globe trotting communications freedom.
That said, the competing technology, CDMA, is used in much of the world as well, including Korea, New Zealand, and the United States (where it handles the calls and data of Verizon Wireless and Sprint PCS). But CDMA only got its start a year later, in 1988. Regardless, GSM wasn't the first on the block, either, since analog forms of cell technology first emerged in the early 1980s.
The adoption of GSM standards shows no sign of slowing as more countries come online and existing companies expand their networks. Robert Conway, head of the GSM Association, says that adoption of GSM has outpaced expectations and he fully expects the technology to expand into other outlets. He also hopes to see it used in the medical field and even be integrated into clothing.
From BBC News
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Kill a Land Phone, Win a Wi-Fi Phone
(WARNING! Explicit lyrics in the above video.)
Crunch Gear is running a contest, and a fun one at that. All you have to do is send in a video, via e-mail, YouTube or any other video-sharing service of you going medieval on your land line phone. Take a bat, a crowbar, a 20 pound sledge -- it doesn't matter -- and destroy that vestige of land line-based communication. The best entry wins a prize package including:
"A HotSpot-enabled phone (Nokia 6086 or Samsung t409), T-Mobile HotSpot @Home Wi-Fi router (D-Link or Linksys brands) and one year of free T-Mobile HotSpot @Home service that includes (per month) unlimited calls to your myFaves contacts, 2,000 nationwide WHENEVER Minutes®, unlimited T-Mobile-to-T-Mobile domestic calling, 1,500 messages sent, 1,000 messages received, and access to t-zones."
Contest details here. Happy smashing!
From Crunch Gear
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Crunch Gear is running a contest, and a fun one at that. All you have to do is send in a video, via e-mail, YouTube or any other video-sharing service of you going medieval on your land line phone. Take a bat, a crowbar, a 20 pound sledge -- it doesn't matter -- and destroy that vestige of land line-based communication. The best entry wins a prize package including:
"A HotSpot-enabled phone (Nokia 6086 or Samsung t409), T-Mobile HotSpot @Home Wi-Fi router (D-Link or Linksys brands) and one year of free T-Mobile HotSpot @Home service that includes (per month) unlimited calls to your myFaves contacts, 2,000 nationwide WHENEVER Minutes®, unlimited T-Mobile-to-T-Mobile domestic calling, 1,500 messages sent, 1,000 messages received, and access to t-zones."
Contest details here. Happy smashing!
From Crunch Gear
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Make Cell Calls Over Wi-Fi & Save Minutes
T-Mobile provides you with a Linksys router, but if you already have a Wi-Fi router (and you should) you can simply use yours by entering the network ID and key. Hot-Spot @ Home also comes packaged with free access to all of T-Mobile's hot spots around the country, like those at airports and a certain ubiquitous coffee chain. Seems like a pretty good deal for only $10 a month.
The Engadget folks were pretty pleased with the service -- though it wasn't with out its quirks. Switching from GSM to Wi-Fi wasn't exactly seamless. There was usually a delay of a second or more, and they experienced a few dropped calls. Also, all data is transfered over T-Mobile's cellular network, even when the phone is connected to Wi-Fi.
T-Mobile's Hot Spot @ Home will initially be available with either the Nokia 8086 or Samsung's SGH-T409. Both are pretty standard flip phones (Bluetooth, cameras etc.) with Wi-Fi built in.
Check out the complete review and a hands on gallery at Engadget.
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