AT&T

The U.S. wireless industry: so good for AT&T and Verizon, yet so bad for everyone else. In some respects, it's the world's leading market. Its LTE rollout has been aggressive and expansive, and it gets the hottest devices first. For customers, though, things aren't always so rosy. The two carriers' virtual duopoly keeps prices high and new policies unfair. The sole hope for increased competition may lie with Sprint. For US$20.1 billion, Japan's SoftBank today acquired a 70 percent stake in the carrier. Though the move could be seen as a sign of desperation for the (distant) third-place Sprint, it could also ultimately invigorate competition and swing some of the power back to customers.  Read More

Many drivers would be lost – quite literally – without their in-car navigation systems. When installed in vehicles that some people would say are already overcrowded with instrumentation, however, could such systems be just one visual distraction too many? Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University and AT&T Labs are addressing that concern, by experimenting with a system that conveys navigational cues through vibrations in the steering wheel.  Read More

Having already launched in many world markets, Samsung has now unveiled the Samsung Galaxy S II models that are destined for U.S. carriers from September. The company’s flagship smartphone will come in three slightly different flavors through Sprint, AT&T and T-Mobile, with all running Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) with Samsung’s TouchWiz 4.0 UI and packing a 1.2 GHz dual-core processor, 1GB of RAM, and Super AMOLED Plus touch screen display in a slim form factor. Although Samsung has revealed an LTE version is on the way, the three phones initially on offer will use HSPA+ (AT&T and T-Mobile) and WiMAX (Sprint) for 4G connectivity.  Read More

Starting September 4th, AT&T customers will be able to purchase the new HTC Jetstream Tablet in stores and online. The device is AT&T's first 4G LTE/HSPA+ tablet, plus it's the first HTC tablet to use the Android 3.1 (Honeycomb) operating system.  Read More

HP has announced that the first connected version of its webOS tablet is to launch exclusively on AT&T's Mobile Broadband Network. Aimed at a mobile workforce and consumers who want multitasking on the move, the new HP TouchPad 4G will be treated to a processor boost, integrated GPS and come with 32GB of internal storage.  Read More

Given his recent health-related leave of absence, it was refreshing to see that Steve Jobs took the stage at today's Apple event to announce the forthcoming arrival of the iPad 2. It's lighter and thinner than the original, but packs in more features and more processing power. New additions include rear and front-facing cameras, an iOS update, smart covers, and a built-in gyroscope. Sadly, the only advancement on the connectivity front was the addition of HDMI via an optional adapter, and the carbon-fiber housing rumor looks to have been just that, a rumor.  Read More

At a press conference in New York City this Tuesday, Apple and Verizon Wireless announced that the iPhone 4 will be available on the Verizon Wireless network beginning on Thursday, February 10. Qualified Verizon customers will have the chance to pre-order that company's version of the device online on February 3, however, before general availability. Depending on what users want, it will be either better or worse than the existing AT&T version.  Read More

As powerful and multi-functional as smartphones have become, Motorola is looking to go one step further with its ATRIX 4G. Powered by a Tegra dual-core processor with each core running at 1 GHz to deliver up to 2 GHz of processing power and 1 GB of RAM, the device is designed to act as the brains of a computer that can be taken with you. In addition to being what Motorola calls the “world’s most powerful smartphone,” the ATRIX 4G is also designed to slot into external docks that turn the device into the engine for a desktop or laptop PC.  Read More

The theory that the Galaxy Tab could become the first genuine challenger to Apple's iPad in the media tablet marketplace is about to be put to the test with Samsung's 7-inch offering going on sale in the U.S. this week. At the same time the possibility of a Super AMOLED screen on the next-gen Galaxy Tab has also surfaced with Samsung Mobile Display showing a 7-inch AMOLED screen at the International Flat Panel Display forum in Japan.  Read More