Netizen: 4G

Showing posts with label 4G. Show all posts

Tuesday, November 27, 2012

Nexus 4 Magic Waiting To Happen

Nexus 4 (Photo credit: sukiweb)

This feels like lining up online to get a ticket to the New York Tech MeetUp. You get there a few minutes before and hit refresh, refresh, refresh.

The Best Christmas Gift One Can Hope For

Nexus 4 selling out within minutes on November 13, I then guessed and now have determined, was a marketing gimmick. That was meant to whet the appetite. Task performed. Now gimme gimme, gimme my fone!

Nexus 4: Sold Out

I am not the kind of person who gets excited about shopping, but Nexus 4 is doing it for me.

Nexus 4: My First Smartphone

With the last Nexus phone an immediate issue was the camera was not 8 MP. With this Nexus phone the obvious issue looks like is speed. But I am not bothered. I expect to use it on Wi-Fi a lot.

Nexus 4 At $299: Really?

My next purchase is going to be the $99 Nexus 7. Make it happen, Google.

The Top Free Android Apps

What I am really, truly eager to get is the Google-Dish network: Google-Dish Wireless Service: Can't Wait.

Google’s Speedy-Seller Nexus 4 Smartphone Back In Stock In U.S. Play Store — From Noon PST Today
After A Few Days Of Use, The Google Nexus 4 Proves A Very Strong LTE Smartphone

Google’s done a great job creating an untouched Android experience in an attractive hardware package thanks to OEM partner LG .... the LTE network here is orders of magnitude faster than the standard HSPA+ 3G one. ..... The one sore spot for the Nexus 4 initially was that for some reason, being on a true 4G network disabled Google Now from refreshing. Since this is actually one of my favorite things about Android Jelly Bean, I was more than a little disappointed. Switching to 3G or Wi-Fi got it to refresh .... I’ve found that I can at least make it from morning til night with my usual usage habits, which as you might imagine can be fairly demanding. .... my experience with the Nexus 4 as an LTE device gives me plenty of hope that Google will officially support it in an update, and possible release LTE versions compatible with U.S. and international networks down the road .... a $300 smartphone this good is a triumph, but with LTE included, it’s a nearly unbeatable package.

How To Enable 4G LTE On The Google Nexus 4

the Nexus 4, Google’s latest flagship Android smartphone, supports LTE via a relatively easy software hack ..... the Nexus 4 only supports LTE on the AWS band (1700 or 2100MHz), which is currently used for LTE networks in Canada, and for some areas served by T-Mobile’s fledgling 4G network. ..... download speeds exploded, as did upload rates. ..... turns out that enabling LTE breaks Google Now’s ability to connect to the network for some reason

Google Returning Month Of December To Nexus Devices With Android 4.2.1 OTA Update

Nexus 4 Review: Not Exactly Perfect, But Close Enough For Me

the Nexus 4 feels great. ..... When you first see Android 4.2’s Gesture Keyboard in action, it’s damn near impossible not to think of the Swype keyboard. After all, the concept is identical — instead of pecking out missive with your thumbs, you sweep them across the keyboard to trace out words and phrases. I’ll admit it: it’s been a while since I’ve used anything of the sort, but I’ve been having a grand ol’ time with the gesture keyboard so far — it’s fast and fluid, not to mention a bit more accurate than I remember Swype being. I don’t know that it’ll replace my two-thumbed tapping approach, but it could (and the fact that I don’t have to jump into the settings and change keyboards is a distinct plus). ..... Multiple User Accounts .. It doesn’t exist in the phone version of Android 4.2. This needs to be addressed — I’d love to be able to hand my phone to a friend in need without secretly wondering whether or not they’ll find my stash of jaunty Cole Porter tunes. ..... the camera UI has been drastically decluttered, leaving only a big blue shutter button, a shooting mode toggle (for bounding from photos to videos to panoramas), and a shortcut for the new radial menu. ...... Low-light performance is always questionable when it comes to the sorts of small sensors seen in smartphones, but the Nexus 4 did an above-average job in keep the noise down. ..... the Nexus 4’s screen is awesome. ...... While roaming the streets of San Francisco, the Nexus 4 managed to achieve speeds that ranged between 3.8 and 14.5Mbps down, and between 1 and 2Mbps up. ...... When it came to overall day-to-day use though, the Nexus hung in there with for a full working day dashing through airports, firing off emails, and checking vainly to see if my flight had been cancelled. ..... The Nexus 4 is a device that tickles me on many levels — it’s got a class-leading spec sheet, it’s completely unlocked, and as far as devices sold without contracts go it’s pretty damned cheap. More simply put, it’s the sort of device that’s designed to kick my salivary glands into action and it certainly succeeds on that front. .... If you’re an Android enthusiast, a tinkerer, someone who hates signing multi-year contracts for high-end hardware, or just enjoy experiencing the bleeding edge, you really can’t buy this thing fast enough.

Why Android Jelly Bean 4.2′s Multiple User Account Switching Is Tablet-Only? (Hint: Nokia Patented It For Phones)

One of the coolest (and most useful) features of Google’s Android Jelly Been 4.2 update is multiple user account switching, offering up the option to have several users share access to a device, while keeping their settings and content walled off from each other. It’s something we’ve been used to on PCs forever, so it’s bound to be welcomed by Android users. ...... Everyone can have their own homescreen, background, widgets, apps and games – even individual high scores and levels! And since Android is built with multitasking at its core, it’s a snap to switch between users – no need to log in and out.

Android 4.2 Jelly Bean Has Arrived: Photo Sphere Panoramic Camera, Gesture Typing, Wireless HDTV Streaming

Android 4.2 will finally offer multiple user accounts, allowing family members to share the device while maintaining their own unique settings. And speaking of settings, Android 4.2 will have a “quick settings” section if you click the icon on the top right, allowing you to switch between user accounts, toggle Wifi and Bluetooth, adjust brightness, go into airplane mode, etc. .... the major introduction here is Photo Sphere ..... Android 4.2 will include gesture typing, a lot like Swype, letting you glide your finger over the letters instead of tap them. Google Now has also seen an update, adding cards for flight information, restaurant reservations, hotel confirmations, and shipping details.

How and why the Google Nexus 4 is so cheap

Google’s Nexus 4 is one of the cheapest flagship devices the market has ever seen. As USPs go, Google has really nailed it this time, selling a high-end flagship device at the same price-point as a mid-to-low-tier handset. ...... On paper it rates better than the Galaxy S3 – sort of. And In the hand it feels just as good. So what exactly is going on here? How can Google sell the Nexus 4, with its top of the line quad-core Qualcomm S4 Pro chipset, Android 4.2 OS, and high-res 4.8-inch display for so damn cheap? ..... the Nexus 4 is what it is: a high-end smartphone priced at a below-rock bottom price. ..... It’s simply cheaper to buy direct from Google and pick and choose which network you go with. ..... it’s not just networks that will suffer at the hands of Google’s Nexus 4. The company’s hardware partners – Samsung, HTC, Motorola, and LG – will also be affected by Google's reactive pricing. ...... Google has a sprawling business and huge levels of capital at its disposal. It also controls Android and its Play store, taking a cut of all the content that’s sold through it. ...... the advent of the Nexus 4 is likely to impact on Samsung and Amazon more than Apple. Samsung because it won’t be able to compete on price with Google and Amazon because charging so little for a phone will tempt many users over to Google and its Play store. ...... Here, the long game is the popularisation of Google’s Nexus brand – both tablets and smartphones – and its Play services – apps, movies, games, and books. ...... The mobile space is changing at an unprecedented rate with software companies venturing into hardware (Microsoft and Google) and retailers like Amazon attempting to take on Google at its own game. .... to compete with the big boys – Apple, Google, Microsoft, Amazon – you need to control everything: hardware, software, and content distribution. ...... most definitely a game-changer. It turns everything in the space on its head. No one else, including the world’s biggest phone manufacturer, Samsung, can produce a smartphone with such good specs and retail it at such a low price point. It’d be suicide. ...... Going forwards, things will never be the same again inside the Android space. It’ll be interesting to see how Google’s key partners react and how the Nexus 4 impacts on sales of handsets like Samsung’s upcoming Galaxy S4 ..... The Nexus 4 could very well be the handset that turns Google’s Nexus brand mainstream. And that could spell bad news for everybody else inside the space. ..... the game has now been changed. From here on out it's going to be all about low-cost high-powered handsets and cashing in on services. Google and Amazon have wised up to this, Apple is already making a killing doing the same thing. Now the only question is where do HTC, Samsung, LG, and Motorola fit in?

Monday, September 10, 2012

Serves Apple Right

Is The Next iPhone Already In Patent Trouble?

At the upcoming Apple event on September 12, the company is expected to release a new iPhone compatible with 4G LTE connectivity around the world. Yet, competitors such as Samsung and HTC are already warning Apple that if it releases a new iPhone with LTE connectivity, they will sue the company for patent infringements and will demand a sales ban in the U.S..... Samsung, on the other hand, is continuing its global legal battle against Apple. “It’s true that Samsung Electronics has decided to take immediate legal action against the Cupertino-based Apple. Countries in Europe and even the United States — Apple’s home-turf — are our primary targets,” said a senior Samsung employee to The Korea Times.

A fight that needed to take place in the marketplace Apple took to court. And now that move is coming back to bite Apple. Pun intended.

MAD Before Common Sense
Apple Samsung: The Verdict Was Unfair

Friday, May 28, 2010

India Broadband Spectrum Bids

Image via Wikipedia

The beauty of the mobile space is best felt in markets like India where people's first introduction to any form of telecommunication comes in the form of a simple mobile phone in their hands that they use for something basic like making phone calls. This reminds me of the early days of the PC revolution in the US when software people wrote code for chips that were, well, not powerful at all. You ran simple programs. But they were novel and mesmerizing. You felt like you were at the forefront.

To make voice calls, no literacy is required. That is a revolutionary concept.

There is ample demand in India for the kind of broadband services that the average user in the US takes for granted. After all India boasts of the largest middle class in the world. And it has plenty of the super rich, the dollar millionaires and billionaires.

But for me the most fascinating aspect of the unfolding story is the way it impacts people who Bill Gates calls "the bottom two billion." Fully one fourth of those might be right there in India. And they aspire to make phone calls. Many of them aspire to make phone calls before they even own phones. An entrepreneur in a small village will purchase a phone. Next thing you know he/she is in business. Relatives far away will call up. They will be asked to call back again in an hour. In the mean time someone will go fetch the person in the village who will come wait by the phone. And they get to talk, for a small fee. That is revolutionary. It does not require literacy. It is real time. It is cheap. People don't just call in emergencies. They call to say hello, they call to make small talk. Why? Because it is possible, and they can afford it. If they can afford a cup of tea, they can afford a phone call. Suddenly a family member going to a far away city to work, or even to another country, is not that scary a proposition. Go do that, just make sure you stay in touch.

Between that and the FM radio, you got people who are super connected. And they are all ears. They are learning. The world is changing at a rapid clip.

That is the low end of the market. At the high end you have people who compete globally and often win. They operate at global speeds, on global standards.

India Broadband Spectrum Bids Reach $1.13 Billion on Fourth Day BusinessWeek India’s government got bids totaling 52.45 billion rupees ($1.13 billion) on the fourth day of an auction for licenses to offer faster wireless broadband for computers nationwide .... Qualcomm Inc., the world’s biggest maker of mobile-phone chips, and Vodafone Group Plc, the largest mobile carrier by sales ..... 22 regional zones in the world’s second-largest wireless market by subscribers ...... Bharti Airtel Ltd., India’s biggest wireless operator
Broadband spectrum price touches Rs 5245 cr Hindu Business Line Value of pan India broadband spectrum has reached Rs 5,245.1 crore at the end of the fourth day of bidding. The auction picked up more intensity on Friday with eight rounds of bidding.
India broadband spectrum bidding hots up Economic Times Bids for one set of all-India wireless broadband spectrum licences reached 31.98 billion rupees ($670 million), or about 83 percent higher than the base price, on the second day of an auction ...... Eleven firms including India's top three telecoms firms -- Bharti Airtel, Reliance Communications and Vodafone Essar -- and US chipmaker Qualcomm Inc, are bidding for broadband spectrum....... bidding for third-generation (3G) spectrum that ended last Wednesday after 34 days and 183 rounds. The sale fetched the Indian government 677 billion rupees in revenue, nearly double the total estimated from both 3G and wireless broadband spectrum auctions. .......
Bid to start discussion on 4G tech Calcutta Telegraph Auction of 3G spectrum raked in over Rs 67,000 crore for the government, while wireless broadband spectrum is expected to fetch around Rs 20,000 crore. Long term evolution (LTE) technology, or 4G, allows more data to be transferred over the same bandwidth used by 3G but at higher speeds....... Dual mobile service provider Tata Teleservices ..... Qualcomm has also sought large chunks of radio waves for advanced technologies like LTE. ..... Around 59 operators have committed to LTE launches in 28 countries with up to 22 LTE networks in service by 2010 and 37 LTE networks in service by 2011.
India's 3G spectrum auction raises $14.6 billion BusinessWeek The government had expected to get less than 350 billion rupees ($7.5 billion) ....... Two state owned companies, which were given advance spectrum, must also match the winning bid prices, making the total government take 677 billion rupees ($14.6 billion). ....... None of the seven winning operators will have a nationwide presence. Bharti Airtel, Reliance Communications and Aircel each won bids in 13 of 22 areas, more than any other company. Vodafone bought into nine areas. ........ Market leaders Bharti, Vodafone and Reliance Communications paid dearly for spectrum in the key markets of Mumbai and New Delhi, but will need to tie up with smaller players to provide nationwide coverage for their 3G customers. ........ The three winning bidders for New Delhi spectrum each paid 33.2 billion rupees ($715.5 million), while Mumbai's three winners paid 32.5 billion rupees ($700.4 million). ........ The auction hit in the middle of a brutal cellular price war in India, and paying for spectrum will hit already eroding margins. ...... India's mobile market is far from mature, adding 20 million users a month, many of them in rural villages ....... what many operators really wanted was not the 3G license, but the additional spectrum to serve India's fast-growing customer base. ...... My interest is in providing basic services, like voice ...... it could take five years before operators recoup their bids.
Spectrum fear fuels 3G craze Calcutta Telegraph Fears over the availability of 2G spectrum in the future, which could jack up its cost, have led telecom operators to bid over Rs 70,000 crore for third-generation (3G) spectrum in the ongoing auction. ..... Though the spectrum payout may put a significant strain on their resources, most operators are willing to take on “additional debt or dilution of stake” for assets, which will provide “long-term returns” ...... The telecom ministry has banned the allocation of 2G spectrum, or radio waves through which voice and data travel, till it finalises a mechanism for pricing the resource. ...... A single provisional bid for pan-India 3G spectrum today touched Rs 16,531 crore, beating all analyst estimates. So far, the government has earned Rs 66,802 crore, around 91 per cent more than the Rs 35,000 crore it had hoped to garner by auctioning 3G and broadband wireless spectrum. The Delhi circle received the highest bid of Rs 3,284 crore followed by Mumbai at Rs 3,183 crore. ....... operators with a 12-15 per cent 2G and 3G combined market share will have an internal rate of return of 15 per cent over 10 years.
Qualcomm Eyes Expansion with India LTE Bid Wireless Week Qualcomm is an enabler – a technology enabler, that is. The company has used its considerable financial resources to accelerate the development and deployment of technologies ranging from its core CDMA business to its mobile television subsidiary FLO TV. Yesterday, Qualcomm put this strategy into play in India, the world’s second-largest CDMA market. ...... It might seem a little odd for a chipmaker to want to get into the network infrastructure space, but it’s not out of character for Qualcomm. The company’s $18.2 billion cash stash can be leveraged to invest in areas that will accelerate business for Qualcomm’s cash cow – its chip making business. ...... CDMA technology will eventually stop being a growth generator for Qualcomm. ..... “They’ve really been pushing into LTE because they need that to keep growing their company… ....... if you look at the horizon in a lot of developed areas there isn’t a whole lot more coming. ........ Qualcomm also wants to prevent WiMAX from being deployed in India’s 2.3 GHz band ....... “Qualcomm wants to promote TD-LTE over WiMAX in India and they’re willing to put up big money for the auction” ...... India’s total mobile subscriber base is more than 580 million and the country is still working to deploy third generation wireless services on its recently-auctioned 3G spectrum licenses. ...... Qualcomm is taking a similarly proactive approach in China, which is using TD-SCDMA for 3G and TD-LTE for 4G. Qualcomm recently opened its second research and development center in China to help expand its presence in what it called an “increasingly important” wireless market...... China’s wireless market dwarfs that of the U.S. The country’s top operator, China Mobile, has 544.2 million subscribers. The country’s second-largest operator, China Unicom, has 544 million subscribers. By comparison, Verizon and AT&T have wireless subscriber bases of 92 million and 86 million, respectively..... What separates Qualcomm’s strategy from other players in the wireless industry is how proactive it is

Pages