12/30, 9:00pm
Samsung S8300 handset
A new, high-content sliding candybar handset from Samsung, the S8300, has been spotted on Monday. Despite its small footprint and ultra-svelte 12.8mm thickness (just over half an inch), the handset packs a 2.8-inch AMOLED touchscreen with WQVGA resolution and an 8-megapixel camera with autoflash, which is currently tops in the industry. The S8300's also has an integrated GPS sensor and supports the high-speed 7.2Mbps HSDPA mobile data network.
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11/03, 9:20am
3G-enabled MacBooks?
Apple's next move in terms of MacBooks will be to add built-in 3G connectivity, says analyst Neil Mawston of Strategy Analytics. Mawston contends it is a "logical next step" for Apple, and that the technology could be added to the Pro, Air, and/or regular notebooks. The incentive would be not so much outstanding demand, as the ability of carriers in the US and Europe to sell Macs to people who have already been lured to a phone network by the iPhone.
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09/03, 12:35pm
iPhone data outages
(Updated with new AT&T information) iPhone owners on the east coast of the US are experiencing severe problems with AT&T's network, according to scattered accounts. In some areas customers are complaining of a complete lack of cellular data functions, including e-mail and web browsing, over either EDGE or HSDPA (3G). The problems appear to be widespread, affecting areas like New York, Missouri, Massachusetts and North Carolina, and typified by phones misreporting excellent coverage.
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07/01, 4:00pm
T-Mobile intros HSUPA
T-Mobile UK is set to allow access to an HSUPA data network today that will let users upload content to the Internet via their cellular phones, becoming the UK's first wireless provider to do so across the country. HSUPA, or High Speed Uplink Packet Access, is the equivalent of the commonly-available HSDPA 3G data network except for its uploading abilities.
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05/28, 9:45pm
T-Mobile MDA devices
T-Mobile on Wednesday unveiled three new HTC phones at an international press conference: the MDA Compact IV, MDA Vario IV, and the Ameo 16GB. The MDA Compact IV – what appears to be a variant of the HTC Touch Diamond – offers users a 3D interface shown on a high-resolution 640 by 480 screen, and is the second device to use Windows Mobile 6.1. The device is HSDPA-enabled, supporting 7.2 Mbit/s downstream, and 1.4Mbit up, and boasts a 3.2 Megapixel camera with 4GB of internal flash storage.
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04/23, 3:30pm
nova media HSUPA modem
nova media has launched the GlobeSurfer ICON HSUPA, a USB cellular modem for notebooks. As its name implies, the modem is compatible with both HSUPA and HSDPA networks; it has a maximum download speed of 7.2Mbps, and can upload at 1.4Mbps. It also supports generic 3G UMTS networks, and can fall back to EDGE or GPRS as necessary, which caps speeds at 200Kbps down and 80Kbps up.
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04/20, 9:25pm
Samsung launches "Soul"
Samsung Electronics on Sunday announced the launch of the previously announced 'Soul' mobile phone, calling it the company's flagship product in the first half 2008. Beginning later this month (and next), the "Soul" will be available in France, UK, and Germany through major European mobile operators and in most of GSM supporting open markets. The tri-band phone features a 5-megapixel camera with a 4x digital zoom, face detection, image stabilizer and Wide Dynamic Range (WDR) as well as 7.2Mbps HSDPA data access for advanced 3G network support. Soul is available in three different colors: 'Sterling Steel,' 'Soul Gray' and 'Platinum Silver" for €400.
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04/08, 11:15pm
SDK leaks iPhone plans
The next iteration of the iPhone is likely to use the Infineon S-Gold3H processor in its 3G incarnation, an examination of the latest SDK beta suggests. According to ZiPhone.org, code in the SDK beta implies that the next generation iPhone will see "3.5G" HSDPA functionality, with a connection speed of 7.2 Megabits per second, as well as several other advanced features. No official word has been given on the status of a "3.5G" iPhone.
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03/18, 3:50pm
Rogers 7.2Mbps ExpressCard
Canada's Rogers Wireless will be the first carrier in carrier in the world with a new ExpressCard modem, Novatel has announced. The Merlin X950D is a quad-band GSM/EDGE and tri-band HSPA modem, able to fit into both 34 and 54 ExpressCard slots. Notable however is that the modem supports not only 2.1Mbps HSUPA, but 7.2Mbps HSDPA, twice as fast as most 3G networks worldwide. Rogers has yet to launch 7.2Mbps speeds, but is rumored to be testing the technology in limited fashion.
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03/10, 12:15pm
Ericsson on Wi-Fi hotspots
The end for Wi-Fi hotspots may already be in sight, claims the chief marketing officer of telecom multinational Ericsson. Speaking today at the European Computer Audit, Control and Security Conference in Stockholm, Sweden, Johan Bergendahl commented that at least in Europe, cellular broadband is growing so rapidly that it is surpassing any rate ever achieved by either mobile or fixed voice networks. "In Austria," says Bergendahl, "they are saying that mobile broadband will pass fixed broadband this year."
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03/03, 11:20am
Wozniak criticizes iPhone
The iPhone is still a flawed device in spite of achievements, according to Steve Wozniak. The Apple co-founder made his comments at the Broadband and Beyond conference in Sydney, Australia, where he specifically took his former company to task for not incorporating 3G broadband into the iPhone at launch. The device instead uses EDGE technology, often described as "2.5G" or "2.75G," and even by Apple CEO Steve Jobs as too slow.
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02/28, 4:40pm
Gigabyte 3.5G/GPS modem
Umbrella technology company Gigabyte has offered a brief peak at a new cellular modem, the MD800. Buyers will have the option of three different interfaces -- ExpressCard, mini-USB or PCMCIA -- and gain access to 3.5G-level broadband, likely some form of HSPA. The card should also be the first to combine this with both GPS and assisted GPS abilities, expanding the functions of phones and/or computers.
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02/28, 11:45am
3G iPhone in mid-year?
The 3G iPhone is coming in the middle of 2008 with technology supplied by Infineon, says an analyst with the investment bank UBS. Nicolas Gaudois claims his statement is based on various checks, and particularly an HSDPA design win by Infineon set to ramp up during the second quarter of the year. This might not be of concern except that Infineon is said to also be ramping down EDGE chip production for the current 2.5G iPhone, with the intention of clearing out inventory.
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01/10, 2:25pm
Vodafone Stick 7.2
Vodafone UK today supplied frequent travelers subscribed to its cellular service with a new USB adapter to bring most any computer or UMPC online. Nicknamed the Stick, the white and red device provides Internet access on the most recent incarnation of HSDPA which just went live on the carrier's network. In peak conditions, the modem can download as quickly as 7.2Mbps and upload at 1.44Mbps, or more than 20 times faster than the company's original third-generation network from just three years ago. The entire device is also shorter than many past modems and more easily fits in a bag.
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