The Samsung Galaxy Note was one among the popular devices to be shown off at CES 2012. The device turned out to be quite a head turner with its 5.3 inch HD Super AMOLED display and dual-core CPU, and is also 4G LTE enabled. But many were disappointed as the device was announced only for AT&T. But now, according to a new rumor, the device appears to be headed to other carriers as well.

The Galaxy Note will hit both Verizon and Sprint during the first half of 2012, and will possibly be called the Samsung Galaxy Journal. That’s according to Industry Analyst Paul Mueller who spoke with the Examiner.

It will definitely be great if the device arrives on two more carriers, but so far we haven’t got any confirmation whether it will actually happen. But that does not mean it will not happen. We hope its coming as we found it to be an awesome device from our hands-on experience.

Back in July last year, the same Paul Mueller indicated that Verizon would be the first carrier in the US to launch the Samsung Galaxy S II (as the Samsung Function). But that rumor turned out to be very wrong. So we better take the current rumor with a pinch of salt.

Just to let you know, a CDMA version of the Galaxy Note does not exist anywhere on the planet. But it is possible to make one and it will be a great experience to use that on Verizon’s extremely fast network.

We will keep you updated on the matter. So stay tuned.

Although Republic Wireless’ announcement of their $19 per month unlimited plan last month made everyone jump through the roof with joy at first, the rest of the deal seemed to be a downfall. But now, the upstart carrier has made another announcement which will allow you to fix your roof once again. From now on, the promised unlimited will be truly unlimited.

Just to refresh your memory, Republic Wireless came out last month and announced their $19 per month plan that promised unlimited talk, text, and data. The deal required a customer to buy the $199 LG Optimus S handset.

But the problem was that the handset was tweaked by the carrier in such a way that it uses Wi-Fi whenever possible for data and calls.

Access to 3G via the Sprint network was available but 3G usage had to be kept to a minimum. If a customer crossed the 3G usage limits the carrier could terminate the service. Therefore a customer could enjoy unlimited stuff, provided the bulk of it was via Wi-Fi.

But all that is changing now with the carrier’s announcement that they are eliminating all usage thresholds.

This is what Republic Wireless has to say:

“Rather than revising our fair use policy, we’ve decided not to have one at all. There will simply be no thresholds, and no risk of losing service. We’re doing away with all of that to keep all of the focus instead on where it really belongs: Creating a new wireless future together. A future that is simple to understand, unfettered to use, and an amazing value for all. That’s what we started down this path to do. That’s where the power of this vibrant community, dynamic Wi-Fi ecosystem and revolutionary technology should be invested. We’re all-in”.

This new move is certainly a big surprise, especially since the service is still in beta. But the phone will still be trying to use Wi-Fi whenever possible. But we don’t think there will be any problem with that. VoIP calls can be done quite well via Wi-Fi, and you will get 3G service for the incredibly low price.

Head here to check out the carrier’s full announcement.

This crazy plan is now live and it does not appear to be a promotional price to lock you into their fold. That $19 price point sticks with you for however long you stick with Republic Wireless. If it sounds too good to be true, well, you have to understand a couple of catches.

First, you’re not really allowed to bring your own phone. Instead, you have to use a special phone with special hardware geared specifically toward Republic Wireless. For now, the only handset available is the LG Optimus with Android 2.3 ($199 outright, $99 with coupon code “welcome19″), but they’ll surely add more in the future.

The service is designed so that you use Wi-Fi for most of your needs and it only falls back onto 3G (Republic uses the Sprint network) as necessary. This includes both data requirements, as well as voice. This “hybrid technology” is not unlike the UMA service from T-Mobile. Texts can be sent over Wi-Fi too.

The other catch? While the plan is “unlimited” in name, there are some soft caps. If your Cellular Usage Index (CUI) is too high, meaning you do too much on 3G (and not enough on Wi-Fi), Republic Wireless will show you the door. The “soft caps” appear to be set at 550 minutes, 150 texts, and 300MB of data. Remember that these are only over 3G and you can be as unlimited as you want over Wi-Fi.

Oh, and in case you’re curious, Republic Wireless is a venture by Bandwidth.com, which also happens to be the parent company of such companies as Skype, LivingSocial, and Pandora. So, yes, they know what they’re doing when it comes to consumer-geared online services.

The iPhone 4S being announced just a day before creator of iPhone, Steve Jobs’ passing away was just far too intense. AT&T released their numbers that the preorder session for Apple’s iPhone 4S was the most successful iPhone launch to date. They received over 200,000 preorders during the first twelve hours the new phone model was put on sale.

In a statement issued by a company spokesperson, “AT & T has seen extraordinary demand for iPhone 4S with more than 200,000 preorders in the first 12 hours alone, the most successful iPhone launch we’ve ever had.” WSJ is reporting that the total volume of iPhone 4S pre-orders have topped the 1,000,000 mark.

Despite a rough start for AT & T because of problems in processing customer eligibility on their sales site and some minor rubs on Apple’s online store, preorders started flooding the site after midnight Pacific time.

The iPhone 4 which was launched last year had 600,000 preorders on its first day and this had set record for Apple and carrier partners. Previously launched exclusively on AT & T in the United States, the iPhone 4S is now also available for preorder from multiple carriers ahead of the scheduled simultaneous launches in Canada, France, Australia, Japan, Germany, and United Kingdom next Friday.

The reported data by AT & T just shows how well Apple’s upcoming iPhone model is selling. Although some people registered their disappointment because the new iPhone did not receive a full overhaul, this did not quell the interest of many mobile users who want to get their hands on the device. As of press time, Apple has not yet unveiled its own data of total preorder volume from all of its carrier partners.

Additional pieces of information reveal that AT & Tis in the process of releasing LTE for its HSPA+ network to be branded as “4G”. The network’s branding effort shows no signs of stopping or slowing down. As a matter of fact, it is working with Apple to change the indicator in the iPhone 4S to show “4G” in the phone’s status bar.

At this point we’ll have to endure a whole new set of accessories which are essentially the same as the iPhone 4 accessories, now just branded to coincide with the iPhone 4S.

According to the news, WiMAX will continue to expand through 2012, so if you already have something like the HTC EVO 4G, you’re still good for another couple of years. By the end of 2012, Sprint’s WiMAX coverage will be able to provide service to about 120 million people across the country. However, they won’t be expanding any further beyond that and, presumably, they’ll start to scale back on support in the enusing years.

Right around that same time frame, Sprint will start rolling out its 4G LTE coverage. The deployment will start around the middle of next year and will be “largely completed” by 2013. Sprint plans on picking up some more spectrum to supplement the existing 1900MHz spectrum, like some 1600MHz spectrum through the LightSquared deal. They’ll also use Clearwire’s 2500MHz spectrum if it needs it too. By the end of 2012, Sprint expects to have LTE covered for 123 million and that grows to 250 million by the end of 2013.

As if the WiMAX and LTE transitions weren’t enough, Sprint looks like it’s going to phase out iDEN in favor of CDMA PTT instead, completing the migration by 2013. The push tech could also be used for push-to-text, push-to-Facebook, and so on, since they’re calling the push-to-talk Android app a “gamechanger.”

So, the long and the short of it is that while WiMAX will be fine and dandy for another couple of years, you should realize that LTE is just around the corner for Sprint. In any case, the iPhone 4S supports neither, but at least Sprint gives you $10 unlimited data on that.

A handy guide has been put together that compares both the voice and data plans for the iPhone 4S across AT&T, Sprint, and Verizon. You can refer to the chart below for some specifics, because it really depends on your individual needs. Some people might be perfectly happy with 2GB of data, whereas others are willing to pay the premium for 12GB or more.

The biggest number that should stick out from this chart is also the smallest. Of the three, Sprint is the only one that is offering unlimited data and it’s offering it at $10 to boot. Compare this to the $125 you’d be spending each month at AT&T to get 12GB. Data pricing starts at $30 (for 2GB) at Verizon. Not surprisingly, when they calculated out the total cost over the life of a two year contract, the Sprint deal worked out to be the cheapest.

If you can’t wait until tomorrow for the official preorders, it seems that Sprint has gotten a little trigger happy and has started accepting preorders on the iPhone 4 today. Note that’s the iPhone 4 without the S, so it’s probably in your best interest to wait just one more day. You do want Siri, don’t you?

We also have to wonder if the SIM slots in the iPhone 4S world phone sold through CDMA providers will be unlocked right out of the box. I guess we’ll find out in about a week when the iPhone 4S actually gets into our hands on October 14.

Well, it depends on your situation. Wilson Rothman has a decent guide put together on Gadget Box that breaks it down. For example, he’s saying that current iPhone 4 owners can probably skip this update. Yes, you can’t have Siri on your iPhone 4 and you’ll need to make do with a 5MP camera and A4 processor, but the 4S really isn’t that much better than the 4. It’s worth waiting for a true iPhone 5 if you really want the upgrade.

On the other hand, current owners of the iPhone 3G and 3GS could probably stand to get the upgrade. You get a “new” form factor and plenty of more horsepower than what you currently have. Similarly, Sprint customers would probably like the 4S, since they haven’t had an iPhone before. It’s also no saying that WiMAX will be supported in the next iPhone anyhow.

The camp where I belong is that of the Android smartphone and superphone. I only have a Samsung Galaxy S, but especially people with an Atrix, SGSII, or something similar, they probably wouldn’t want the iPhone 4S quite as much. You could make the jump from Android to iOS, but spec for spec, the current crop of dual core-touting Android superphones are on par or better than the 4S.

But that’s just a general idea. What about you? Are you getting the iPhone 4S or are you waiting for the iPhone 5? Maybe you’re waiting to see the Nexus Prime instead?

Sprint customers had the choice to renew their contracts for a one year term along with a $75 discount on a new handset, but after the designated date, the options will be these: pay a full retail price on a new cell phone or sign a 2-year contract in order to subsidize the price of a new device. According to the wireless telecommunications company, they have decided to take this step because the customers largely prefer the 2-year contract option over the 1-year option. Earlier this year, Verizon Wireless also ended its 1-year contract option so I guess Sprint is just following the footsteps of this company.

A mil-spec smartphone model from Motorola is set to be released into the market soon. Sprint has not yet given any information about the forthcoming Motorola Admiral phone but the company has uploaded the video of the device and then pulled it shortly after.

The Motorola Admiral smart phone uses the Android 2.3 operating system which is powered by a 1.2 GHz Qualcomm MSM8655 CPU and is single-core. It also has a QWERTY keyboard and a 3.1 inch display. A five megapixel camera is situated at the back of the gadget while camera and mute buttons can be found on the side of the phone’s body. And a 720 HD video recorder. The Direct Connect button is located on the side because this is Sprint’s newest addition to the Direct Connect line of devices.

It’s kind of hard to believe that they’ve already come along this far. With the pending release of the Samsung Conquer 4G, Sprint is on the cusp of releasing its 25th device capable of using its speedy 4G network. That’s a milestone on its own. It also helps that the Conquer 4G is pretty affordable.

In fact, it’s the first 4G smartphone to launch with Sprint at a sub-$100 price point. Of course, to get at the $99.99 price point, you’ll need to put your John Hancock on a new two-year service agreement. They’re also a $50 mail-in rebate via reward card. The Android 2.3 device comes with a 1GHz processor, 3.5-inch touchscreen, dual-mode 3G/4G connectivity, dual cameras, GPS, WiFi-b/g/n, hotspot capabilities, stereo Bluetooth, microSD slot, and Sprint ID.

It’s a bit of a shame that the main camera is merely 3.2-megapixels, but you still get the rest of the Android goodness that you’ve come to love, along with the speeds of 4G that you’ve come to desire. But hey, at $100, it’s not a bad deal at all. Let’s just hope that the battery life is up to snuff.