At CES in January, GM announced that it is releasing an SDK so that developers can create apps specifically for its vehicles. In fact, there is going to be a 4G-supported app store built into that in-dash screen, allowing you to browse and buy apps from right behind the steering wheel. Of course, they don’t recommend you do this while driving, but you know that inevitably some people will try.

The goal isn’t so much to extend existing apps into the cars as much as it is to build apps that are specific for cars. It’s not about having Angry Birds on there. As Phil Abram, GM Chief Infotainment Officer said, “GM may approve applications that stem from vehicle ownership. For example, customers can choose to download applications that assist them in driving more safely or in a more fuel efficient manner, possibly decreasing the costs of vehicle ownership.” Of course, we can expect the usual suite of weather, music, news and navigation apps too.

The built-in 4G also ensures that you can keep downloading and using these apps even when you’re not tethering off your phone or in the presence of a Wi-Fi hotspot. They have a deal with AT&T for this purpose.

[Source]

The post GM Launching App Store Inside Your Car’s Dashboard appeared first on Mobile Magazine.

Let’s start out with some of the basics. According to the rumors circulating around the Internet, the Galaxy S4 Mini will follow in the footsteps of the S3 Mini that came before it. The idea is that it’ll take many of the design cues and features from its larger 5-inch Galaxy S 4 cousin and shrink them down to a 4.3-inch Super AMOLED form factor. It’s not the same resolution, of course, getting bumped down to just 540 x 960 pixels. It’ll have either a dual core or a quad core processor and will ship with Android 4.2.2.

The main thing that will determine whether it has dual core or quad core is likely the presence of LTE. And that’s where the four versions will come into play. There will be an LTE model of the Galaxy S4 Mini that’ll likely get the dual core chip. Then, there’s an HSPA+ model that probably gets the quad core chip. Third, there’s a version designed specifically for the Chinese market and the fourth will be a dual-sim model.

The expectation is that the Galaxy S4 Mini, possibly in all four of its incarnations, will be launching in June or July of this year.

[Source]

The post Four Versions of Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini Due This Summer? appeared first on Mobile Magazine.

There are a couple of pretty huge differences, though. First, instead of the tiny Photon 4G, you’ll need to invest in the $89 Hub Burst, a unit that combines a router and modem in one. It plugs into the wall like how most routers would, but you don’t need to run a cable into it. Instead, the Hub Burst connects to the same WiMAX network as its mobile counterpart. In this way, you are best advised to put the Hub Burst as close to a window as possible.

Second, while the mobile plans provide you with 500MB of free data each month, the home plan will give you 1GB of free data for free. That’s a nice little top-up, but realize that 1GB won’t go that far with your regular home web traffic unless you’re really light with your usage. Thankfully, they offer pretty great upgrade plans too, starting at $10 a month for a 10GB cap. You can also pay for faster speeds, bumping up from the complimentary 1.5Mbps to get a much better 8Mbps at $19 a month.

Check the FreedomPop home Internet page to see if you have service in your area. They’re not going to have LTE up and running until at least Q3, so it’s still worthwhile to consider this unit in the meantime. You can always upgrade, after all.

[Source]

The post Free Home Internet from FreedomPop Officially Launches appeared first on Mobile Magazine.

You may be able to connect with your car in a lot of ways such as making hands-free calls, and many cars out there are able to connect with their manufacturers wirelessly when there is a need, but AT&T and GM want to take connectivity to a new level. The two companies have announced a partnership that will bring the AT&T LTE network to the Chevrolet, Buick, GMC and Cadillac car models meant to go on sale in 2014 in the US and Canada.

As you might know, GM already provides customers with the service of OnStar for security alerts, directions and much more. The future LTE cars will have all those abilities along with more high tech features.

AT&T’s connectivity will be used for a variety of services including diagnostics, infotainment, and their main focus will be safety. We can think about a thousand things such as advanced voice recognition tech for better hands free abilities, or content streaming from services like Netflix, or maybe better communications between cars to avoid accidents, and so on.

All these new features will certainly help sell more cars which is good for GM. Just in case you are thinking about what’s in it for the wireless carrier, AT&T needs to spread their services beyond handsets for growing on the market where most people already own smartphones.

So, are you looking forward to an AT&T connected car? Or do you think that GM should have made a deal with Verizon or another carrier instead?

[Source]

The post AT&T And GM Coming Together To Give You LTE Cars appeared first on Mobile Magazine.

Sprint has also started to roll out more 4G LTE coverage in other cities across the United States too, including New York City and Washington, DC, as well as some parts of the state of New York, plus select cities in Florida like Jacksonville, Miami and Tampa. The San Francisco coverage has been spotty at best, so hopefully this added rollout will help. That said, Sprint isn’t ready for a full commercial launch until they can get “a density of sites to indicate that our customers should consistently have a great 4G LTE experience,” according to company spokesperson Kelly Schlageter.

You can check the Sprint website directly for coverage maps to see if you’ve got any 4G LTE happening in your area. As this coverage expands, the secondary hope is that FreedomPop–which uses the Sprint network–can make the leap from WiMAX to LTE too. Sprint has indicated that it is slightly behind its original goal of “near nationwide” LTE by the end of 2013, but they should have coverage for 250 million Americans by early next year.

[Source]

The post Sprint 4G LTE Coverage Expands in SF, New York, DC and Florida appeared first on Mobile Magazine.

The LG Nexus 4 is now starting to receive an update to Android 4.2.2, after first being spotted on the Galaxy Nexus, Nexus 10 and Nexus 7. The latest version addresses the bug issues with Bluetooth audio streaming and provides small UI tweaks, but at the same time it also kills off LTE.

That’s right, if you were one of the lucky few that lived in an area that supported the limited LTE frequencies given off by the Nexus 4, you will be disappointed (though probably not surprised) to know that the latest update patches that capability up.

If you really want to keep your Nexus 4 LTE going, you will likely have to wait around for third party ROMs that re-add LTE to later versions of Android like 4.2.2. Still, for most Nexus 4 users, this probably isn’t a real concern. For those that own the Nexus 4, does the LTE “fix” affect you or not?

[ source ]

The post LG Nexus 4 Starts to Receive Android 4.2.2, Removes Unofficial LTE Support appeared first on Mobile Magazine.

When ZTE initially announced the Grand S at CES, they only mentioned details of the phone arriving in China. Now after some careful prying, ZTE Head of North American Business, Lixin Cheng has confirmed the 5-inch phone will make an appearance in the U.S. as well.

Cheng didn’t go in to details about when the Grand S will go on sale, or how much it will cost, but he did mention that the overall impression from carriers has been very positive.

The ZTE Grand S launched at CES earlier this week as the world’s thinnest 5-inch, 1080 quad-core phone, and features a Qualcomm S4 pro CPU, 2GB RAM, 13 mega-pixel rear camera and 5-inch 1080 Full High-Definition screen.

What do you think, would you be interested in the Grand S if it hits North America at a reasonable price point?

[ Source ]

The post ZTE Grand S Headed to the U.S appeared first on Mobile Magazine.

4G LTE: It’s fast, it’s reliable, and it’s hitting the world by storm. However, this doesn’t mean anything to a potential new 4G user when competing mobile networks are touting their complicated 4G data plans that stand upon precarious usage policies. Because of this, finding a valuable 4G service has so far not been so easy.

MetroPCS hopes to change this, and have since brought out a range of simpler 4G plans, and what’s more is that the prices are relativity low without any strange usage limits or barriers stopping 4G data usage.

The first of the range offers full unlimited 4G data, texts and calls for just $60 a month, and nothing more. In the mid-range MetroPCS is offering unlimited everything with the first 2.5GB at 4G speeds for just $50, and at only $40, the same is being offered but with a 500MB 4G limit.

This does seem to sound a lot easier to understand than a few deals out there, but would you choose it over your current provider?

[Source]

The post A simpler outlook on 4G LTE from MetroPCS appeared first on Mobile Magazine.

Christmas comes early for 29 new Verizon markets that now have LTE services turned on in their area. Adding the new markets to the list, Verizon now covers 470 markets with 4G LTE technology. To put that into perspective, the next biggest competitor is AT&T with just 146 LTE markets.

While this latest LTE push has been in the pipeline for a while now, it is exciting to finally see the new LTE markets go live.

Here’s the full list of newly added markets:

• Hastings, Neb
• Kearney, Neb
• McCook, Neb
• Oskaloosa, Iowa
• Mason City and Charles City, Iowa
• Marshalltown, Iowa
• Clarksburg, West Virginia
• Farmington, NM
• Gallup, NM
• Prewitt, NM
• Flagstaff and Williams, AZ
• Casa Grande, AZ
• Prescott and Prescott Valley, AZ
• Saddlebrook, AZ
• Payson, AZ
• Ruidoso, AZ
• Mayer, AZ
• Sedona and the Village of Oak Creek, AZ
• Cottonwood, AZ
• Lamar, CO
• LaJunta, CO
• Price, UT
• Richfield, UT
• Klamath Falls, OR
• Roseburg, OR
• Sutherlin, OR
• Kennewick, WA
• Pasco, WA
• Richland, WA
• Port Angeles, WA
• Sequim, WA
• Port Townsend, WA

Do you live on one of the markets in the list, if so do you plan to rush out and get a 4G LTE-equipped device in time for Christmas, or not?

[ source ]

The post Verizon Launches 4G LTE In 29 New Markets, Just in Time for the Holidays appeared first on Mobile Magazine.

In the recent months, MetroPCS has released a couple of very affordable phones for consumers.  They’ve done it again today releasing the ZTE Avid 4G.

The phone gives you a huge amount of bang for your buck, cooming it at only $149. As far as power is concerned? The ZTE Avid features a 1.2 GHz dual Core CPU running on Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich.

While it only has a 4 inch 800 x 480 display, the rest of its features make up for that, including 4G LTE support.  Avid 4G also sports a 5MP rear facing camera and a VGA front facing camera.  For a slight monthly fee, you will also have the ability to turn your phone into a mobile hotspot.

This handset is great option for those looking to get a great phone for not a lot of money.  You can order it directly from the MetroPCS site or in-store.  So if you have some gifts to buy for the holidays or just want to reward yourself, log on or head in and get yours today!

[ source ]

The post ZTE Avid 4G Drops Today for MetroPCS appeared first on Mobile Magazine.