Verizon not only announced the availability of the BlackBerry Cure 9370 but they are also announcing their newest 4G LTE Android Device the Spectrum by LG. This device is a 4.5-inch Android Phone with a 1.5GHz dual processor. Although the Spectrum by LG will ship with Android 2.3.5 Gingerbread, it will be upgradeable to Ice Cream Sandwich.

Here is the Spectrum by LG Press Release

Spectrum™ by LG Now Available on America’s Fastest, Most Reliable 4G Network

 

01/19/2012

Verizon Wireless 4G LTE, a 4.5-inch True HD display and ESPN™ ScoreCenter application with exclusive HD video all come together in one device, the Spectrum™ by LG. Starting today, the Spectrum is available in Verizon Wireless Communications Stores and online at www.verizonwireless.com for $199.99 with a new two-year customer agreement. The Spectrum features a Qualcomm® 1.5 GHz dual-core processor combined with 4G LTE connectivity for robust power, multitasking and download speeds. Verizon Wireless leads the way in 4G with the fastest and most reliable 4G network in the United States, covering more than 200 million people in 195 markets.

Additional features:

· Powered by Android™ 2.3.5 Gingerbread, upgradable to Android™ 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich

· 8-megapixel rear-facing camera with autofocus and LED flash to snap beautiful pictures and 1080p video capture

· Front-facing 1.3-megapixel camera for video chat

· SmartMovie HD app — create and edit HD videos right on the Spectrum

· Mobile Hotspot capability — share 4G LTE connection with up to ten Wi-Fi-enabled devices

· Supports Dolby® Digital Plus so customers can maximize their HD multimedia experience and stream up to 7.1 channels of surround sound through home entertainment systems

Customers that purchase a Spectrum by LG will need to subscribe to a Verizon Wireless Nationwide Talk plan beginning at $39.99 monthly access and a smartphone data package starting at $30 monthly access for 2 GB of data. For more information on Verizon Wireless products and services, visit a Verizon Wireless Communications Store, call 1-800-2 JOIN IN or go to www.verizonwireless.com.

Verizon is still supporting the BlackBerry platform as they have announced the availability of the BlackBerry Curve 9370. The newest Curve will be $99.99 after a $50 mail-in rebate. Travelling fans of BlackBerry devices will be happy to know that his new device is a world phone.

Here is the BlackBerry Curve 9370 Press Release:

BlackBerry® Curve™ 9370 Now Available on the Verizon Wireless Network

 

01/19/2012

The slim and stylish BlackBerry® Curve™ 9370 smartphone is now available in Verizon Wireless Communications Stores and online at www.verizonwireless.com for $99.99 after a $50 mail-in rebate with a new two-year customer agreement. Running on the Verizon Wireless 3G network and powered by the new BlackBerry® 7 operating system, the BlackBerry Curve 9370 is designed with a comfortable and iconic keyboard for fast, accurate typing and an optical trackpad for easy, one-handed navigation. The BlackBerry Curve 9370 delivers the ultimate mobile communications and social experiences with a highly refined and integrated suite of phone, email, messaging and social applications to keep users connected and productive throughout the day.

Additional features:

·Global Ready™ – Quad-band with support for GSM, GPRS and EDGE, allowing customers to enjoy wireless voice and data service in more than 200 countries

·Support for near-field communication (NFC), enables many capabilities, including the ability to pair accessories or read SmartPoster tags with a simple tap of the smartphone

·5-megapixel camera with flash

·2.44-inch display

·Wi-Fi b/g/n

·Bluetooth® 2.1

Customers will receive the rebate in the form of a debit card; upon receipt, customers may use the card as cash anywhere debit cards are accepted. Customers that purchase a BlackBerry Curve 9370 will need to subscribe to a Verizon Wireless Nationwide Talk plan beginning at $39.99 monthly access and a smartphone data package starting at $30 monthly access for 2 GB of data. For more information on Verizon Wireless products and services, visit a Verizon Wireless Communications Store, call 1-800-2 JOIN IN or go to www.verizonwireless.com.

The DROID RAZR Maxx is an Android device announced at CES however, there was no talk to the release date. On Motorola’s website, a mistake was made and the date of 1/26 was printed, which would be a good indicator of a release date. If you go to the site now it says coming soon but I would expect January 26 to be a solid date.

The DROID RAZR Maxx is very similar to the DROID RAZR released a few months ago with longer battery life. All current 4G phones have a tough time keeping the battery charged but it seems Motorola is really trying to change this. We will have to see just how much better the Maxx is on a high usage day.

Here are some of the specs for the DROID RAZR Maxx

4G

4G LTE

ANDROID™ PLATFORM

Android 2.3.5 (Gingerbread)
Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) upgradeable

MULTIPLE NETWORKS

CDMA800, CDMA1900, LTE B13 700

TALK TIME (CONTINUOUS)²

up to 21.5 hrs.

BATTERY TYPE

3300 mAh Li Ion

STANDBY TIME³

up to 380 hrs.

{ source droid-life }

If you have been wondering what is the difference between 3G and 4G and even what are the differences between Verizon’s 4G LTE and what AT&T T-Mobile, and Spring are calling 4G this video will help you out. Craig Mathias who is a Principal with Farpoint Group, which is an advisory and systems-integration firm based specializing in wireless networking, mobile computing, and other things, created this 7 minute video to explain it all. He actually speaks in terms that you can understand so it is easy to listen too.

It took a 4 day business trip to blow past my data cap on my Samsung 4G LTE Mobile Hotspot data cap. I logged in to my Verizon Wireless account and to my utter shock in 1 week I used 9.1GB of in 4 days. I cannot deny that I am a heavy data user but this usage was from sharing my internet connection with work colleagues.

Here is the kicker. When I originally got the LTE modem I setup notification to avoid the exact situation. It appears I setup notification on the account and not this individual device there for I was never alerted.  Needless to say I upgraded to the 10 GB LTE plan and off we go. On a downside my LTE modem will remain powered off for the next 25 days until I start a new billing cycle.

There have been many dates tossed around about the official launch date for the HTC Trophy, Verizon’s CDMA Windows Phone 7 device. It seems like now we have an official launch date of May 26. The cost of the Trophy will be $149.99 via a $50 dollar mail in rebate. The rebate will be in the form of a debit card that can be used anywhere they are accepted.

The specs on the HTC Trophy are:

•  
  • 1 GHz Snapdragon® processor
  • WVGA 3.8-inch touchscreen
  • Surround sound through SRS WOW HD™
  • 5-megapixel camera with autofocus and LED flash
  • 720p HD video capture
  • 16 GB on-board storage
  • Wi-Fi connectivity: 802.11 b/g/n
  • Global ready – allowing customers to enjoy wireless voice and data service in more than 200 countries, with more than 125 with 3G speeds
  • HTC Hub-customization through downloadable applications that offer even more entertainment and productivity

Finally, all major carriers in the US will have a Windows Phone 7 device but it does not make much difference if the employees are not trained up on selling them.

Here is the full press release

HTC Trophy™ Brings Windows Phone 7 To Verizon Wireless

Combine Business and Play with a Smartphone That Lets Customers Do What They Love

BASKING RIDGE, NJ — HTC Trophy™ is the first Windows Phone 7 device to come to Verizon Wireless, bringing a new dimension of gaming and entertainment to the nation’s most reliable 3G network.

Windows Phone is the only phone that lets you play games with Xbox LIVE. Customers can sync directly with Xbox LIVE mobile to access their avatar, profile and gamer score to keep track of their wins. HTC Trophy also allows consumers to play by themselves or challenge friends in turn-based games. In addition to the many mobile gaming features, customers who buy an HTC Trophy before July 15 get a free Xbox 360 console game. Game enthusiasts can choose from Halo: Reach, Kinect Sports and Lode Runner – up to $60 value.

HTC Trophy features the Music + Video Hub, giving customers quick access to music and movies on their device. Customers can stream or download millions of songs with a Zune Pass subscription and access over 15,000 quality apps and games in Windows Phone Marketplace through the Marketplace Hub.

Additional features:

1 GHz Snapdragon® processor

WVGA 3.8-inch touchscreen

Surround sound through SRS WOW HD™

5-megapixel camera with autofocus and LED flash

720p HD video capture

16 GB on-board storage

Wi-Fi connectivity: 802.11 b/g/n

Global ready – allowing customers to enjoy wireless voice and data service in more than 200 countries, with more than 125 with 3G speeds

HTC Hub-customization through downloadable applications that offer even more entertainment and productivity

View and edit Microsoft Office® documents, including Excel®, Word® and PowerPoint® with the Office Hub and data access on SharePoint® servers

Pricing and availability:

HTC Trophy will be available online at www.verizonwireless.com on May 26, and in Verizon Wireless Communication Stores on June 2 for $149.99 after a $50 mail-in rebate with a new two-year customer agreement. Customers will receive the rebate in the form of a debit card; upon receipt, customers may use the card as cash anywhere debit cards are accepted.

HTC Trophy customers will need to subscribe to a Verizon Wireless Nationwide Talk plan and a smartphone data package. Nationwide Talk plans begin at $39.99 for monthly access and an unlimited smartphone data plan is $29.99 for monthly access.

Verizon Wireless customers traveling outside of the United States should contact Verizon Wireless’ global customer support team at 1-800-922-0204 before embarking on their trip to ensure their phones have the right features for global usage.

For more information about Windows Phone, visit www.windowsphone.com. For additional information on Verizon Wireless products and services, visit a Verizon Wireless Communications Store, call 1-800-2 JOIN IN or go to www.verizonwireless.com.

About Verizon Wireless

Verizon Wireless operates the nation’s fastest, most advanced 4G network and largest, most reliable 3G network. The company serves 104 million total wireless connections, including more than 88 million retail customers. Headquartered in Basking Ridge, N.J., with 85,000 employees nationwide, Verizon Wireless is a joint venture of Verizon Communications (NYSE, NASDAQ: VZ) and Vodafone (LSE, NASDAQ: VOD). For more information, visit www.verizonwireless.com. To preview and request broadcast-quality video footage and high-resolution stills of Verizon Wireless operations, log on to the Verizon Wireless Multimedia Library at www.verizonwireless.com/multimedia.

About HTC

HTC Corporation (HTC) is one of the fastest growing companies in the mobile phone industry. By putting people at the center of everything it does, HTC creates innovative wireless devices that better serve the lives and needs of individuals. The company is listed on the Taiwan Stock Exchange under ticker 2498. For more information about HTC, please visit www.htc.com.

The Novatel LTE MiFi devices is officially available at Verizon. Similar to the other WiFi Mobile hotspot Verizon released several weeks ago the MiFi is $100 on contract. Verizon has a rather agressive LTE rollout in North America so if your city does not have LTE today keep checking for updates. Plans start at $50 for 5 GB on 3G or 4G. The MiFi is not available on Amazon like the Samsung SCH-LC11 4G WI-FI hotspot but it should be in the coming days.

Press Release

The MiFi® 4510L 4G LTE Mobile Hotspot Available on the Verizon Wireless 4G LTE Network Beginning April 18

BASKING RIDGE, N.J., April 18, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — Verizon Wireless and Novatel Wireless (NASDAQ: NVTL) today announced that the award winning MiFi® 4510L 4G LTE Mobile Hotspot that runs on the Verizon Wireless 4G LTE Mobile Broadband network is available online today at www.verizonwireless.com. The MiFi 4510L 4G LTE Mobile Hotspot is the next-generation of the Novatel Wireless MiFi Intelligent Mobile Hotspot, building on innovation and design, proven performance and industry-leading user experience.

The MiFi 4510L allows businesses and consumers to create a personal Wi-Fi cloud capable of sharing the high-speed Internet connectivity of the Verizon Wireless 4G LTE and 3G Mobile Broadband with up to five Wi-Fi-enabled devices simultaneously. The 4G LTE MiFi 4510L includes new features, such as an intuitive status display on the device showing signal strength, battery level, roaming and number of connected devices.

Key features:

4G LTE – customers can expect download speeds of 5 to 12 Mbps and upload speeds of 2 to 5 Mbps in 4G Mobile Broadband coverage areas

Backward compatible with the Verizon Wireless 3G network

Simple one-touch connectivity

Intuitive eInk® display with status indicators

Security: WEP/WPA/WPA2 and VPN pass-through support

Supports Windows, Macintosh and Linux operating systems

Advanced integrated antenna technology

Battery: up to 5 hours usage

Wi Fi connectivity: 802.11b/g/n

Dimensions: 3.74″(H) x 2.36″(W) x 0.53″(D)

Pricing and availability:

The 4G LTE MiFi 4510L is available today online at www.verizonwireless.com and will be in Verizon Wireless Communications Stores on April 21 for $99.99 after a $50 mail-in rebate with a new two-year customer agreement on a 4G Mobile Broadband plan.

4G LTE Mobile Broadband plans begin at $50 monthly access for 5GB. Customers will receive the rebate in the form of a debit card; upon receipt, customers may use the card as cash anywhere debit cards are accepted. Data usage can be tracked by logging on to My Verizon online at www.verizonwireless.com/myverizon.

The Verizon Wireless 4G LTE Mobile Broadband network, launched in December 2010, is the fastest, most advanced 4G network in the United States, providing speeds up to 10 times faster than Verizon Wireless’ 3G network. Verizon Wireless’ 4G LTE Mobile Broadband network currently reaches one-third of all Americans, with plans to expand the network to the company’s entire 3G coverage area over the next three years.

For more information on the MiFi 4510L 4G LTE Mobile Hotspot or other Verizon Wireless products and services, visit a Verizon Wireless Communications Store, call 1-800-2 JOIN IN or go to www.verizonwireless.com.

The difference between 3G and 4G is not just 1G rather the feel of broadband vs. mobile broadband. I performed 3 speed tests first at 9 PM on my iPhone 3G connection; at 6 AM on the hotel Wi-Fi; and at 10 PM on the Samsung SCH-LC11 LTE Modem. Hands down the Verizon LTE network was faster which is not a shock however 10.32 mbps down and 5.28 Mbps up is fast regardless of the connection type.

To verify the speed was sustained vs peak downloads I streamed Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time from Netflix for 30 minutes and never saw the player pause for buffering. I had a similar experience with Stripes from Amazon VOD and streaming the L.A. Lakers vs. Dallas Mavericks over SlingBox Pro HD. I could be lucky that I am in the heart of a 4G LTE network area and the network is not saturated with data hungry users yet but my early makes me happy to be an early adopter.

Here at SMR we are very big fans of the Verizon MIFI and use them a lot. Unfortunately, my MIFI was met with an untimely demise where it went flying off the roof of my truck. When Verizon announced that the new 4G MIFI was releasing I did not waste any time ordering one. The Samsung 4G LTE Mobile Hotspot has just arrived at more doorsteps and I am ready to test. Unfortunately, I am just outside of the 4G range but it is a quick jump to be able to catch the signal. Later on, we will post our impressions of the new MIFI. For now check out some of the early shots of the new Verizon Mobile Hotspot.

Look at the goodness inside!

Here are all the accessories

Still pretty light although much thicker than the first MIFI. Here it is beside my Samsung Focus.

Check back later for our impressions on the Samsung LTE 4G MIFI

Microsoft has always said that they would pay100% for their employees Windows Phone 7 devices however a new carrot offered by Verizon is sweetening the pot. Verizon Wireless is offering a $100 bill credit for workers who renew their current agreements. These employees will also receive an accessory bundle, which includes a leather case and car charger. Of course you have to renew a two year agreement but it still worth it to me.

{via wpcentral.com }