Despite the promise of LTE right on the horizon, a slew of some of the best Android phones available, the iPhone 4S and some pretty cheap plans, Sprint isn’t doing so well. Their numbers have been slipping for quite some time now, with potential and former customers flocking to Verizon and AT&T in droves. Do [...]]]>

Despite the promise of LTE right on the horizon, a slew of some of the best Android phones available, the iPhone 4S and some pretty cheap plans, Sprint isn’t doing so well. Their numbers have been slipping for quite some time now, with potential and former customers flocking to Verizon and AT&T in droves. Do Hesse and company have a long term plan in order to turn things around? Maybe, but we’re not seeing yet. For now, their best bet is bribery.

In order to keep customers from switching carriers, particularly those who are at a high risk of leaving, Sprint will be issuing $25, $50 and $100 discounts on handset upgrades with a two-year contract. The exact discount depends on the model. The promotion runs from February 5th to March 18th, and customers who are eligible for the discount will be notified via email or snail mail.

While this doesn’t fix the recent spike in network problems Sprint customers have been faced with, at least Sprint isn’t sitting back, digging their grave already. Although I have a feeling that if anyone is seriously ready to switch carriers, a $100 discount will do little to dissuade them. If you were looking to jump ship, would a discount on your next phone purchase get you to sign another two-year contract?

Today Sprint announced the release date and pricing of their 7-inch ZTE Optik Android tablet. Starting February 5th, Sprint customers can pick up the 3G Android tablet for only $99 with a 2-year contract, or $349 without a contract. A starting price of $99 sounds like a sweet deal, but is it really that good an [...]]]>

Today Sprint announced the release date and pricing of their 7-inch ZTE Optik Android tablet. Starting February 5th, Sprint customers can pick up the 3G Android tablet for only $99 with a 2-year contract, or $349 without a contract. A starting price of $99 sounds like a sweet deal, but is it really that good an offer?

Highlights of the ZTE Optik include Android 3.2 Honeycomb OS, 7-inch touchscreen display with WXGA 1280×800 resolution, dual-core 1.2 GHz Snapdragon S3 processor, dual cameras, 1 GB RAM, 16 GB storage, WiFi, GPS, Bluetooth 2.1, expandable memory slot, and 4000 mAh Lithium-ion battery.

To take advantage of the $99 tablet offer, Sprint requires customers to sign a 2-year contract for the wireless data. Sprint offers four plans designed specifically for tablets, starting at $19.99 for 1GB of data, $34.99 for 3GB of data, $49.99 for 6GB of data, and $79.99 for 12GB of data.

For those that choose the cheapest $19 data plan, the total cost of ownership is $578.76 (not including taxes and surcharges). That sounds like a lot, but it’s cheaper than a Sprint customer who purchases their own WiFi-only tablet and tethers it to their smartphone. Sprint charges $29.99 per month for their Mobile Hotspot 5 GB plan, so the total cost over 24 months would be $719.76 + the price of a tablet.

So for Sprint customers that want an affordable 7-inch tablet with a data plan, the ZTE Optik is a pretty reasonable deal. The only downside is that this tablet will be obsolete in less than 18 months and you will still be stuck paying the data plan.

For anyone purchasing the ZTE Optik, consider the WiFi-only, quad-core Asus Memo 370T will be out shortly for only $249. Other low-priced options include the $199 Kindle Fire, and $249 Barnes & Noble Nook tablet.

I’ve been using an Android tablet for the last year and I haven’t had the need for a dedicated data plan since I mainly use it around the house or office where I always have a WiFi connection. I could see certain use cases where a user would require a data plan on a tablet, but those are few and far between. That’s why a device like the 5.3-inch Galaxy Note could be appealing to some.

In my wireless fantasy land, I’d love to see carriers just offer a shared bucket of data that I can use with any device connected to my plan. If I’m paying for 5 GB of data each month, then I should be able to consume that on my smartphone, tablet, or laptop. Sprint has innovated with their truly unlimited plans for smartphones, so maybe they can push the boundaries on multi-device plans one day.

Back to the ZTE Optik, it looks like a nice starter Android tablet for the price. We will be receiving one for review, so check back soon for our full impressions.

If you own the Sprint Nexus S 4G and are waiting on the official update to Android 4.0, then we have some good news for you. A new internal testing ROM was just spotted on Google’s servers that updates the Nexus S 4G to Android version 4.0.4, build number IMM26.

The file was quickly pulled [...]]]>

If you own the Sprint Nexus S 4G and are waiting on the official update to Android 4.0, then we have some good news for you. A new internal testing ROM was just spotted on Google’s servers that updates the Nexus S 4G to Android version 4.0.4, build number IMM26.

The file was quickly pulled after it was spotted, but if you are adventurous you can head over to xda-developers and grab a mirrored copy. I’d normally post a guide with instructions for the manual update, but since the official file has been removed from Google’s servers we just suggest the average user wait it out.

Reports suggest that this version was signed with release keys, which likely means it’s we will see the official update in the coming weeks. I’ve been using Android 4.0 on my T-Mobile Nexus S that I gave to a family member and its been running great so far. If you try out this leaked software on your Sprint Nexus S 4G, let us know how it performed in the comments below.

If you are in the market for a new Sprint smartphone, then you might want to head over to Google’s site and register to receive more information about their Galaxy Nexus, the first 4G LTE phone on the Now Network. No release date has been provided, but Sprint’s 4G LTE network is expected to [...]]]>

If you are in the market for a new Sprint smartphone, then you might want to head over to Google’s site and register to receive more information about their Galaxy Nexus, the first 4G LTE phone on the Now Network. No release date has been provided, but Sprint’s 4G LTE network is expected to be up and running in select market by the first half of this year.

After you register with Google, be sure to head over to Sprint’s site and sign up too if you want to be notified when more information is available.

Sprint previously announced that Dallas, Atlanta, Houston and San Antonio are expected to be among the first markets to benefit from 4G LTE and improved 3G coverage.

“Within the first half of 2012, Sprint customers should experience first-hand the wide-reaching improvements we have made in terms of boosting voice and data quality,” said Bob Azzi, senior vice president – Network, Sprint. “With advanced smartphones and sophisticated wireless modems, our customers are using more and more mobile data, and one of our top priorities is to provide the best technology possible to improve our customers’ experience.”

Previously leaked ads suggest that the Sprint version of the Galaxy Nexus could ship with slightly altered specifications. An online ad listed the Sprint Galaxy Nexus as featuring a dual-core 1.5 GHz processor (instead of 1.2 GHz), but keep in mind that could have been a mistake. Sprint also had the Galaxy Nexus on display at CES but didn’t show the back of the device, so it could have an upgraded camera or larger battery.

We also know the Sprint Galaxy Nexus will include 32 GB of internal storage and feature support for Google Wallet, something Verizon’s version lacked.

I’ve been using the Verizon Galaxy Nexus since it launched in December and it’s easily the best Android phone I have ever owned. I love the coverage and speeds of Verizon’s 4G LTE network, but I do have to keep an eye on my data consumption since my plan only has 4 GBs. I found battery life was acceptable with the included 1850 mAh battery, but I opted for the 2200 mAh extended battery since it didn’t add any bulk to the phone (and Verizon had it on sale for $25 with free shipping).

Hopefully Sprint will continue to offer their truly unlimited plans, so their Galaxy Nexus customers can enjoy their smartphones without having to monitor data usage.

Late last night, Sprint announced the release of new OTA software updates for the HTC EVO 4G, HTC EVO Design 4G and the Samsung Epic 4G. If you’re hoping for a taste of Ice Cream Sandwich, you’re in for a bit of a disappointment. The latest updates for all three phones bring minor fixes, security [...]]]>

Late last night, Sprint announced the release of new OTA software updates for the HTC EVO 4G, HTC EVO Design 4G and the Samsung Epic 4G. If you’re hoping for a taste of Ice Cream Sandwich, you’re in for a bit of a disappointment. The latest updates for all three phones bring minor fixes, security patches and battery life improvements.

It’s nice to see Sprint, HTC and Samsung roll out new updates for these three phones, but we’re still wondering when — or even if — these handsets will be updated to Andoid 4.0. It’s probably safe to say that the EVO 4G is destined to finish out its life on Gingerbread, but there’s no reason the EVO Design 4G and Epic 4G shouldn’t see an Android 4.0 update within the next few months.

HTC EVO 4G Software Update

• Build number: 4.67.651.3
• Security Update
• Updated Peep client ( to align with Twitter)
• Battery life improvements

As of January 19, customers can manually download the software update to their phones. To check for the update manually, press Menu > Settings > System updates > HTC software update. Sprint will start sending out update notifications starting January 24.

HTC EVO Design 4G Software Update

• Build number: 2.12.651.5
• Security Update
• Updated Peep client (to align with Twitter)
• Updated Sprint Zone client
• Battery life improvements
• 3LM Enterprise Tool Access (no user interface changes)

Design 4G users can manually download the software update to their phones starting on January 19. To check for the update manually, press Menu > Settings > System updates > HTC software update. Sprint will start sending out update notifications starting January 24.

Samsung Epic 4G Software Update

• Build number: S:D700.0.5S.EL30
• Security update
• Speaker feedback fix
• The QIK and Asphalt 5 applications are no longer preloaded.

Sprint will be rolling out the update for the Epic 4G in stages and expects all handsets to be up-to-date within ten days. Though the QIK and Asphalt 5 games are no longer loaded onto the phone, users will still see application icons for both apps in their app drawer. Clicking on the icon will launch the Android Market and prompt users to download the apps. All previous data in both applications will be lost after the update.

Carrier IQ was one of the hottest topics toward the end of 2011. This app would send information about your every move to a server, causing an uproar in the Android community over privacy concerns. After possible lawsuits showed up, Sprint decided to turn the Carrier IQ switch off (leave it dormant) and asked [...]]]>

Carrier IQ was one of the hottest topics toward the end of 2011. This app would send information about your every move to a server, causing an uproar in the Android community over privacy concerns. After possible lawsuits showed up, Sprint decided to turn the Carrier IQ switch off (leave it dormant) and asked OEMs to remove this little spy from their line-ups^[1]. If you have been worried about your personal information, you can now breathe easy; the process has already begun.

After the HTC EVO 3D received an update for unknown purposes, people dug in deeper. Sure enough, the Carrier IQ files were no longer present in the new update, making EVO 3D devices safer than ever^[2].

The guys from The Verge were not completely satisfied, though, and decided to reach out to HTC for more information. The Taiwanese manufacturer did confirm that Sprint had ordered them to remove the software. Here’s what they had to say:

HTC can confirm that we're working with Sprint to provide maintenance releases that will remove Carrier IQ and provide security enhancements and bug fixes beginning in January.SpokespersonHTC

As The Verge mentions, it’s unlikely that Sprint will want to lose access to at least some of the information provided by Carrier IQ. Such information is vital for planning ahead and providing better customer satisfaction, and Sprint might be simply replacing it for something else. Hopefully it will be a service that does not record so many details. Being able to opt-out would also be a great option.

There you go, guys. If you’re the proud owner of an HTC EVO 3D, you’re now in the safe zone (as long as you have that update). As for the rest of you, just stay put and wait for your updates.

The Samsung Galaxy Note was a hit for Samsung and AT&T last week during CES. This device was advertised all over the city. While many would believe its 5.3-inch display to be overbearing, others see it as a great feature. Regardless, it would be great to see it placed on other carriers’ shelves. And [...]]]>

The Samsung Galaxy Note was a hit for Samsung and AT&T last week during CES. This device was advertised all over the city. While many would believe its 5.3-inch display to be overbearing, others see it as a great feature. Regardless, it would be great to see it placed on other carriers’ shelves. And according to a recent rumor, this bad boy is headed to both Verizon and Sprint.

According to Daryl Deino, Los Angeles Gadgets Examiner, an Industry Analyst confirms that this device will “certainly” come to both Sprint and Verizon. He goes on to mention that it will possibly be named the Samsung Galaxy Journal.

The Galaxy Note will very likely be offered by other carriers in the US, but we have to take this specific rumor with a grain of salt (or a spoon-full). Daryl’s source, Paul Mueller, has been wrong before. Mainly when Mueller mentioned last July that Verizon would be the first US carrier to offer the Samsung Galaxy S II (as the Samsung Function). That rumor proved to be wrong. In fact, Verizon was the only main carrier in the US to not see the Galaxy S II.

Taking the Industry Analyst’s past rumors into account, we will recommend that you don’t hold your breath on this one. This does not mean this device will not be coming to other carriers, though. In fact, we hope it does. The device may be a bit large, but it works great, and its bigger screen offers a lot of functionality. It definitely creates a great balance between a phone and a tablet. And while it looks uncomfortable, it actually feels surprisingly great in the hand. (Its weight and thinness definitely help).

There’s also the fact that there’s no CDMA version of the Galaxy Note. It is definitely not impossible to make one, though, and it has been done before. Verizon has mentioned that smartphones will only be released with 4G LTE connectivity from now on, though. If this rumor happens to be true, we might be able to rock the Galaxy Note on Verizon’s 4G LTE network. That would be quite the lure.

For now, let’s stay put and hope we get more information about the future of the Galaxy Note. Would you guys sign up for this bad boy if it hits carriers other than AT&T? I definitely would, if it happens soon enough.

The first day of CES week (the show doesn’t technically start until tomorrow) is finally coming to a close. And what a day it’s been. Our custom CES channel has been absolutely bombarded with posts announcing, detailing and showcasing the best of what LG, Samsung, ASUS, Sony, Motorola and everyone else have to offer. [...]]]>

The first day of CES week (the show doesn’t technically start until tomorrow) is finally coming to a close. And what a day it’s been. Our custom CES channel has been absolutely bombarded with posts announcing, detailing and showcasing the best of what LG, Samsung, ASUS, Sony, Motorola and everyone else have to offer. Maybe you’ve been busy at work or taking a break from the Internet to combat CES envy, but if you’ve been away for more than even an hour today, there’s a good chance you missed something huge. Here’s a handy guide to the best of the best from CES week day one.

Samsung

Samsung came out strong today announcing a handful of new devices for several different carriers.

Set to run on AT&T’s brand new LTE network, the Galaxy Note and Skyrocket HD may have been some of the most popular devices revealed today. Along with LTE, both devices boast huge high-resolution displays and super fast dual-core processors. If you’re looking for a new phone on AT&T, look no further.

AT&T wasn’t the only one getting some Samsung love; Verizon also announced the LTE enabled Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7. Coming in at 7.7-inches, the Tab 7.7 has an incredible 1280 800 Super AMOLED Plus display. If you’re a display junkie (like me) you have got to check it out.

Samsung also announced that the world’s best Android phone (at least in our opinion), the Galaxy Nexus, is not only coming soon to Videotron in Canada, but will be the flagship LTE device on Sprint. This is a great time to be a Sprint user.

LG

We were expecting to see some great devices from LG this year, and we haven’t been disappointed.

Like we said in our CES preview post, LTE is going to be where it’s at this CES. LG alone brought three LTE enabled phones to the show. There’s the LG Connect for MetroPCS, the Spectrum with a 720p IPS HD display and the Viper, one of the first handsets set to run on Sprint’s LTE network.

As great as LG’s phones were, we couldn’t help but drool over LG’s Google TV. LG’s CINEMA 3D Google TV looks great. It features the latest and greatest Google has to offer in terms of smart TV applications, along with a healthy dose of LG pioneered technology like their magic remote.

LG is already off to a great start this year.

Sony

Sony was another busy company today, announcing multiple phones, a PMP and some sweet-looking Google TV hardware.

Both the phones unveiled by Sony today were impressive to say the least. The Xperia S and Xperia Ion both feature a 1.5GHz processor, a 720p HD Reality display and are PlayStation Certified. The Ion may have the S beat with AT&T LTE and a 4.65-inch display (the Xperia S display is 4.3-inches), but the Xperia S takes the cake in the design department.

Other than phones, Sony was showing off a new personal music player, the DLNA compatible 4.3-inch Z1000, and two Google TV set-top boxes. One comes with a BluRay player and microphone for Google voice search, and both feature an enhanced remote design with three-axis motion control.

Kudos, Sony, for giving Google TV another chance.

Motorola

Motorola’s showing was surprisingly weak today. I wouldn’t give up hope on them yet, but so far, all we’ve seen is the Droid 4, Droid RAZR MAXX, and a purple RAZR .

It’s nice to final get some solid details on the RAZR MAXX (even if it’s just a RAZR with a removable battery); we just couldn’t help but feel let down by the heavily leaked Droid 4 and purple RAZR.

ASUS

ASUS teamed up with NVIDIA to announce the device that, in my opinion, will have the longest lasting impact on the consumer electronics market: the $249 MeMo 370T with Tegra 3 quad-core (the fifth core is a ninja core) processor. It’s not that the specs are totally mind blowing, even though, well, they kinda are, but with a $249 price tag, the MeMo is astonishing.

ASUS also announced another MeMo tablet, along with an improved Transformer, but both pale in comparison to the MeMo 370T. It’s guaranteed to be a smash hit and quite possibly totally change tablet pricing as we know it.

Tablets

What would CES be without a heaping pile of new Android tablets from just about every manufacturer under the Sun?

We’ve already told you about ASUS’ three tablets and the Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7, but that’s only the beginning.

Pantech detailed the waterproof Element, Toshiba announced US availability of the Excite X10 (the world’s thinnest 10-inch tablet), Taylor went hands-on with the Lenovo IdeaTab S2, as well as the Fujitsu Arrow, and LePan announced two budget-friendly tablets to round off the list.

We should still see at least a couple more Android tablets, so be on the lookout for those as well.

Everything else

Thanks for joining us for day one of CES week. We hope you’re enjoying our coverage of the event as much as we like reporting it. Before we take off for the night, here’s a quick list of other notable products from CES. We’re bound to go in-depth with a least a few of them sometime in the near future.

-Huawei Ascend P1 S is the world’s thinnest phone yet
-Lenovo K91 isn’t a Google TV, it’s an Android TV
-Nuance launches DragonGo! for Android for free in the Android Market
-TiVo Announces TiVo App for Android at CES
-Atmel details new maXTouch S touchscreen sensors
-Nyxio announces new Android TV
-NVIDIA Tegra 3 powered DirectTouch offers the smoothest touchscreen experience money can buy

Last week, a published then quickly pulled ad on Cnet’s site indicated that the Samsung Galaxy Nexus would be Sprint’s flagship LTE device. Since companies generally don’t create ads for products that don’t (or won’t) exist, we were pretty confident Sprint would be getting the Galaxy Nexus in the coming months.

Today, Sprint has [...]]]>

Last week, a published then quickly pulled ad on Cnet’s site indicated that the Samsung Galaxy Nexus would be Sprint’s flagship LTE device. Since companies generally don’t create ads for products that don’t (or won’t) exist, we were pretty confident Sprint would be getting the Galaxy Nexus in the coming months.

Today, Sprint has a new 4G LTE landing page up on its website that proudly features Sprint’s version of the Samsung Galaxy Nexus. Sprint’s version will only feature 16GB of on-device storage, rather than the 32GB model found on Verizon’s network. (UPDATE: Sprint just sent us an email that their page is wrong, and their device will have 32GB). This move is likely to keep the device’s price below the $200 mark, a price point Sprint has been reluctant to cross. Sprint also chose to include Google Wallet, a service Verizon has blocked from their variant.

LTE won’t be live in any markets until the middle of this year, so we have a hard time believing we’ll see the Galaxy Nexus launch on Sprint before the second quarter at the earliest. We’ve reached out to Sprint for comment, but haven’t heard back as of press time. Still, we’re excited that the best Android phone out there will make it to more than just Verizon’s network.

Are all you Sprint customers out there excited for the Galaxy Nexus to come to your network?

The Samsung Galaxy Note is one of the most popular imported devices right now. There’s already a ton of hype surrounding the quasi-tablet in the US, and with an official release right around the corner, the noise is bound to get louder.

Through various leaks and FCC filings, we’ve come to learn that the Note [...]]]>

The Samsung Galaxy Note is one of the most popular imported devices right now. There’s already a ton of hype surrounding the quasi-tablet in the US, and with an official release right around the corner, the noise is bound to get louder.

Through various leaks and FCC filings, we’ve come to learn that the Note should be coming to AT&T along with maybe Sprint. Just yesterday, the AT&T Galaxy Note was confirmed for release by accessory manufacturer Anymode in a CES related email. Today, that information was retracted.

At this point, we’re positive the Galaxy Note is coming to AT&T. So when Anymode announced they’d been selected as the OEM accessory vendor for the AT&T Note, nobody was really taken by surprise. Except for maybe AT&T. We have no idea what happened after Anymode accidentally beat Ma Bell to her own announcement, but we don’t imagine it was pretty because today, Anymode has retracted their original statement.

The January 5, 2012 CES Media Alert titled “Anymode Introduces First Accessories for Samsung Galaxy Note” contained inaccurate information pertaining to AT&T and the release of the Samsung Galaxy Note.

The information was not provided by Anymode, AT&T or Samsung , nor did Anymode, AT&T or Samsung approve it.

The issuing party apologizes for the publishing of the inaccurate information and any inconvenience it may have caused.Anymodevia Email

The retraction doesn’t change the fact that the Note should be announced during the AT&T Dev Summit this CES, or that it should release sometime in February, but Anymode had to do it.

Is it still kinda funny? Yes. Even more so considering another AT&T Galaxy Note press render was leaked on the same day? Absolutely.