LTE

Sprint Nextel doesn't yet have its own 4G LTE network up and running, but that hasn't stopped it from already talking up plans for the next iteration of LTE.

The wireless provider said it plans to deploy LTE-Advanced technology after rolling out its LTE network next year, according to Fierce Wireless. Speaking at the 4G World conference in Chicago today, Iyad Tarazi, Sprint's vice president of network development and engineering, said it would occur in the first half of 2013.

LTE-Advanced is a faster version of LTE and what the International Telecommunications Union originally deemed a true … Read more

In advance of tomorrow's Motorola press conference in New York, more information is leaking out about the expected Droid Razr for Verizon Wireless.

Just this morning, Droid Life managed to grab glamor shots of the handset from Motorola's teaser site. What's more, Mobile Burn showed off its goody box about the event with items that represent the "Faster, Thinner, Smarter, Stronger" theme.

As product announcements go that's quite a few pieces of the puzzle already. But as we wait for the additional details, let's take a quick peek at what might be on tap for the big unveiling. … Read more

Clearwire released decent preliminary third-quarter results in an effort to show it still has some fight left in it.

Clearwire was likely under pressure to show something positive as it has been fighting the perception that its largest wholesale customer and shareholder, Sprint Nextel, was abandoning it. Clearwire's stock has been taken a beating since Friday, when Sprint unveiled its own 4G path, in which Clearwire played a minor role. Clearwire currently supplies Sprint with its 4G WiMax network.

"We view the announcement as favorable and believe the results should assuage near-term bankruptcy concerns for the company," … Read more

SAN DIEGO--It could cost the the GPS industry as much as $400 million for gear to protect its precision devices from interference caused by LightSquared's planned wireless network, although the company believes the figure will be ultimately be lower.

LightSquared Chief Marketing Officer Frank Boulben told CNET on Wednesday that there are roughly 500,000 commercial precision GPS devices in the U.S. He said his partner Javed GNSS has developed a device that costs between $300 and $800 and will protect GPS devices from such disruptions.

Boulben said Thursday that the cost could be dramatically lower, noting that … Read more

SAN DIEGO--AT&T's lineup of 4G LTE smartphones will be thinner and more power-efficient than current devices on the market, Ralph de la Vega, chief executive of AT&T's wireless and consumer unit, told CNET today.

The company's first 4G LTE smartphones, which will launch in the fourth quarter, will use a new technology that allows for phones with a slimmer profile that last longer without a recharge. The availability of the technology drove the timing of the phones' release.

"We had to wait longer, but we think it's worth the wait," de la Vega said in an interview. … Read more

Verizon got a jump on CTIA today by announicng that the Android-powered Samsung Stratosphere. Arriving on October 13th, the Stratopshere will be Big Red's first 4G LTE handset with a QWERTY keyboard. Other details include Android 2.3 Gingerbread, a 4-inch Super AMOLED display, a 1GHz processor, a 5-megapixel rear-facing camera, and 5-row QWERTY keyboard.

Looking nearly identical to Sprint's Epic 4G from 2010, the Stratosphere provides a spacious typing experience with a dedicated number row. Additional specifications include a front-facing 1.3-megapixel camera, a microSD expansion slot, Wi-Fi (802.11 b/g/n), DLNA connectivity, Bluetooth 3.… Read more

The number of 4G smartphones being shipped annually is expected to hit 245 million in 2016, compared with just 4.6 million last year, according to data out today from ABI Research.

Though tablets and other mobile gadgets will increasingly hop onto the 4G bandwagon, smartphones are likely to remain the dominant player as their shipments will far surpass those of other devices. As such, smartphones will pave the way for the design and technology choices of companies looking to provide 4G products and services, says ABI.

The battle for 4G supremacy also appears to be slowly winding down, with … Read more

Hurtling a couple of digs against Apple and Android, Windows Phone chief Andy Lees is naturally playing up the ripeness of Microsoft's Mango with a variety of phones expected for the holiday season.

Speaking with The Seattle Times yesterday, Lees, president of Microsoft's Windows Phone division, said he believes Apple missed an opportunity with the iPhone 4S. Comparing the new iPhone with Mango-enabled Windows Phone devices, Lees expressed surprise that Apple didn't give consumers more choice in terms of the hardware.

Those consumers apparently don't see eye-to-eye with Lees. This morning, Apple announced that it logged … Read more

In the face of disappointing sales of Windows smartphones, Microsoft plans to release dual-core and LTE phones.

Windows Phone President Andy Lees told AllThingsD in a story posted yesterday that dual-core phones are coming, though he wouldn't offer specifics. Lees also said the current collection of single-core Windows phones holds up well compared with dual-core Android phones.

"They're all single core, but I suspect that they will be faster in usage than any dual-core phone that you put against it, and that's the point," Lees said.

He also said LTE phones are coming but did … Read more