AT&T joins Verizon on early 5G tests in the U.S. this year
AT&T has confirmed that it, like Verizon, will begin testing 5G networks in the U.S. in 2016, with plans to introduce commercial services for fixed 5G later in the year. This is not to be confused with wireless 5G which won’t be commercially viable until around 2020 (or 2018 if you live in South Korea). But with speeds of 10-100 times that of the fastest 4G/LTE networks, any 5G is good 5G.
See also: 4G and 5G wireless: How they are alike and how they differ
AT&T is looking to test fixed 5G connections as a possible alternative to fiber optic broadband connections in rural areas. “Ultimately as an integrated carrier we have a lot of incentive to (add) any new technology (to our) footprint, particularly if that 5G for fixed usage has better economics than fiber in certain locales,” said John Donovan, AT&T’s chief strategy officer.
Getting in early on a fixed line 5G network will obviously provide an advantage when the cellular version gets standardized in the coming years, with the expectation of an agreed-upon 5G standard for wireless to be worked out in 2018. AT&T is confident that its early forays into 5G networks will pay off in years to come for wireless 5G. As Donovan confided, “when it’s ready, we’re ready.”
Verizon announced similar plans last year and has already been cooperating with Samsung, Qualcomm, Ericsson, Alcatel-Lucent, Nokia and Cisco in testing its early 5G network. AT&T announced it will be working with Intel and Ericsson on its first trials, which will begin in the second quarter of this year.
While these efforts to be on the front foot are laudable, it’s important to note that without a formalized standard, what’s called “5G” now might be a long way from what 5G ends up being classified as in two years’ time. The basic themes of 5G (which requires a generational shift from 4G) are: extremely low latency, speed matching, multiple-user and multi-stream connections, pervasiveness and data speeds that are 10-100 times faster than current 4G connections.
While the concept of pervasiveness means that “true” 5G won’t be true 5G until it is everywhere – with no areas of weak reception or no connection at all – the other themes are already in play in various 5G test that have been conducted for the last several years. T-Mobile is currently the fastest LTE network in the U.S. with download speeds of 12.26 MB/s, whereas 5G download speeds have already been demoed as fast as 3.6 GB/s.
The fastest theoretical LTE speeds currently are 150 MB/s while the various top speeds tossed around in 5G discussions so far have been anywhere from 10 GB/s to 20 GB/s. Of course the average person won’t see these speeds, but even something like 5 GB/s will be light years better than anything most of us have ever imagined.
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AT&T will begin testing its fixed line 5G network in Austin in the next few months, with commercial rollout in the latter half of the year if the tests are successful. Verizon is testing its 5G network in San Francisco and Waltham, Mass.
When do you expect to see 5G? What are you expecting from next-gen data speeds?
LG K7 goes up for sale at T-Mobile
It was less than a week ago when LG announced its new low-end LG K7 model. Today, the device has officially gone up for sale at T-Mobile.
The LG K7 features low-end specifications, but comes in at a price tag of only $139 off contract. Just as a recap, it features a 5-inch display with 480 x 854 pixels. Powering the device is a Snapdragon 210 SoC clocked at 1.1 GHz with 1GB of RAM. Both the front side and rear side feature the same 5MP camera for taking photos and shooting low-res video.
The K7 has 8GB of internal storage and can be expanded up to 32GB with the addition of a mircoSD card. The device measures 5.65 x 2.85 x 0.35 inches and weighs in at only 4.9 ounces. Android 5.1 runs the house. Other sensors include 4G LTE connectivity, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/ac/b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.1, NFC for wireless payments, Wi-Fi, and GPS. A 2125 mAh battery will try to survive its owner’s full day.
The LG K7 isn’t the greatest out there, but if you’re looking to get something that doesn’t break the bank, it sure is worth considering. For more details, click the source link to go to T-Mobile’s website.
Source: T-Mobile
Come comment on this article: LG K7 goes up for sale at T-Mobile
T-Mobile shows some Valentine’s love with new devices and promotions
T-Mobile doesn’t want to let Valentine’s Day just squeak by without showing its appreciation. To round out the promotions over the past few days, the UnCarrier has just launched a couple devices – the LG K7 Android phone and ZTE Falcon mobile hotspot.
If the LG K7 sounds familiar, that may be because it was just unveiled last month at CES 2016. It’s an affordable offering, retailing for $139 in T-Mobile’s store.
The K7 has a 5″ display (854×480 resolution) and is powered by a Snapdragon 210 chipset (1.1 GHz quad-core processor and 1.5GB of RAM) and Android 5.1 (Lollipop). The meger 8GB of internal storage is expandable to 32GB via micro-SD card. Both the rear and front cameras have 5MP capture resolution.
The latter isn’t a smartphone, but it may be enticing for on-the-go lifestyles. The ZTE Falcon is a 4G LTE mobile hotspot that is capable of simultaneously supplying up to 10 devices with the interwebz.
The Falcon has support for UMTS 850/1700/2100/1900 and LTE 2, 4, and 12 bands. It also packs a 2,000mAh battery. Retail pricing is set at $79.
You should also know that there are discounts on several prepaid phones over the holiday. The Samsung Galaxy Core Prime and Galaxy Grand Prime are both cut by $40, putting them at $99 and $149, respectively. The LG G Stylo is also getting some love, cut by $75 for a price of $214.
Flagship smartphones aren’t left out of the fun either. T-Mobile has a Half-Off event underway, which cuts the costly price in half when you buy another (of equal or greater value, from the same manufacturer). This includes the latest from Samsung (Galaxy S6, Note5, S6 Edge+) and LG (G4 or V10).
Lastly, T-Mobile is renewing the “Get a Tablet on Us” promo. This gets interested customers a free Alcatel OneTouch Pixi 7 when a 1GB or higher data plan is agreed on.
Source: LG K7 | ZTE Falcon | Promos
The post T-Mobile shows some Valentine’s love with new devices and promotions appeared first on AndroidGuys.
Marshmallow update arrives for Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge in Europe
The European Marshmallow update has finally begun for the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge. T-Mobile Poland tweeted to say the update was coming a couple of days ago and the first OTA updates are arriving as we speak. South Korean Galaxy owners only got the update two weeks ago, so things are moving quickly.
See also: Android 6.0 Marshmallow updates roundup – February 2, 2016
As always in Europe, new Samsung firmware is typically soak-tested in either Poland or the Baltic states before rolling out to the larger Western European countries. Fortunately if you’re in Europe, you can simply grab the relevant unlocked firmware and flash it on your international S6 or S6 Edge rather than wait for the update to arrive in your country.
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Here’s the Galaxy S6 Android 6.0 Marshmallow update changelog which also holds for the S6 Edge:
- Exercise greater control over app permissions
- Purchase easily and securely with Fingerprint support
- Experience enhanced battery-life through Doze
- Redesigned App Drawer
To check for the update, go to Settings > About phone > System updates > Check for updates. If you think it might be a little while before you see Marshmallow touch down on your Galaxy device, take a look at Nirave’s video above of the update to see what’s coming.
When do you think you’ll see Marshmallow? What do you think of the changes?
The budget-friendly LG K7 now available on T-Mobile
There is certainly no scarcity of budget-friendly handsets on T-Mobile, and it looks like the Un-carrier can add one more to the growing list.
First announced at CES 2016, the LG K7 is now available on T-Mobile’s network. It may not win any awards in the specs department, but this could be a good option for those looking for a sub-$150 handset with 4G LTE connectivity. It has a 5.0-inch 480 x 854 FWVGA display, a 1.1 GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 210 processor with 1.5GB of RAM, as well as 8GB of on-board storage and microSD expansion up to 32GB. It has 5MP front and rear-facing cameras and also runs Android 5.1 Lollipop out of the box. We went hands-on with this device at CES back in January, so you’ll want to check out the full post if you’re at all interested in this handset.
Does the K7 have your attention? You can purchase it from T-Mobile’s website for $139.99 off-contract, or for $5.84 per month with a 24-month payment plan. Feel free to follow the link attached below to learn more about the new LG K7.
See the LG K7 on T-Mobile
Next: Best T-Mobile Android phones (January 2016)
Sprint offers $200 trade-in discount on Samsung Galaxy S6 and Galaxy Note 5
If you want to upgrade to a new phone, now might be just the perfect time for that. Sprint is offering its customers a guaranteed $200 savings if they choose a new Samsung Galaxy S6 or the Galaxy Note 5 and trade in their current working smartphone.
The $200 trade-in is only available for those who already own their devices and not the ones whose phones are on a lease. For those who are eligible for the offer, it is a great deal as it brings the monthly cost of a Sprint lease on the Galaxy S6 (32 GB variant) down to less than $10 per month for 24 months. The Galaxy Note 5, on the other hand, will cost less than $17 per month for 24 months. It’s a great deal for both phones, but with MWC just around the corner you may want to wait for the new S7.
This offer is already available in all Sprint retail stores, while the sale online will begin offering the trade-in sometime later this week. The deal becomes even sweeter for those who want to switch from AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon as it can be combined with Sprint’s “Cut your Bill in Half” promotion. Sprint is offering 50 percent off the standard rate plans of its rival carriers. If you want to know more about this offer, visit www.sprint.com.
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Source: Sprint
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T-Mobile aired two hilarious ads during the Super Bowl this year
T-Mobile aired two Super Bowl ads during Sunday’s big game, one of which featured Steve Harvey and some playful fun towards his Miss Universe 2016 mishap.
The first ad is a spin-off of Drake’s “Hotline Bling,” which we’ve partly seen already. T-Mobile ended up debuting the first half of the ad a week before the Super Bowl, but ended up posting the full version to YouTube on Game Day.
Click here to view the embedded video.
The next ad features Steve Harvey and the aforementioned playful jabs at the Miss Universe 2016 fiasco. The ad ends with Steve Harvery saying that “he isn’t take responsibility for this one. Verizon got it wrong. Yes! Not me!”
Click here to view the embedded video.
What was your favorite Super Bowl ad?
Come comment on this article: T-Mobile aired two hilarious ads during the Super Bowl this year
Super Bowl 50: the ads, not the football
You’ve probably seen plenty of this year’s Super Bowl ads already, especially as YouTube offered many companies the option to get their videos out in advance, hopefully ensuring more views during the barrage of The Big Game itself. So, we’ve already covered Pokemon, PayPal and Amazon, but if you’re looking to fly to Gotham with Turkish Airlines, musing on a Walken closet, or need a Marvel universe trailer (or two), here’s our highlights. Yes, there’s Drake too.
[Deal] T-Mobile offers customers an Alcatel OneTouch Pixi 7 basically for free
In honor of Valentine’s day, T-Mobile is giving away Alcatel OneTouch Pixi 7 tablets basically free. Here are the details.
The deal is only for the Alcatel OneTouch Pixi 7 and will last until supply runs out. First you must setup the device with an Equipment Installment Plan as well as a data plan with at least 1GB on a monthly basis. T-Mobile will offset each monthly charge of $7 for equipment. It will be labeled with “Credits and Adjustments.” You’ll also pay a $0 down payment. T-Mobile has promised to pay all the monthly charges so long as you keep your account in good standing. If not, the remaining balance of the device becomes due.
T-Mobile is obviously trying to clear stock of the tablet for new ones to take its place. You can purchase the offering at select T-Mobile stores or online at the carrier’s website. To find out more on the promotion, click the link down below. Get it now before quantity runs out!
[T-Mobile]
Come comment on this article: [Deal] T-Mobile offers customers an Alcatel OneTouch Pixi 7 basically for free
LG G4 units on T-Mobile begin receiving Marshmallow over-the-air
Yesterday we informed you that Marshmallow could be installed on your T-Mobile LG G4 with help from LG’s Bridge software suite. Today, the update has begun rolling out to T-Mobile customers over-the-year.
We knew it wasn’t going to be long before the update would be made available via OTA, and now we have it. The updated build number is H801120i. Considering that this is a major update, it will require lots of free space, 963.7MB of it. The update comes with all the latest features from Google including doze, Now On Tap, simplified app permissions and lots more.
If you are yet to spot the notification, it might be helpful to check your system settings under ‘About Phone’ and ‘check for new software updates.’ Once the update is available to download, consider turning Wi-Fi on to avoid data overages. You should also charge your battery to at least 50% prior to downloading and installing. Like always, we’ll keep you updated when the software hits more regions as well as new carriers. You can count on us!
Come comment on this article: LG G4 units on T-Mobile begin receiving Marshmallow over-the-air
AIVAnet 