Tag: Mobile Tech

Google Voice Available Without Invite

Google has announced that its Google Voice service is available to everyone — no invite required. I’m a huge, huge fan of Google Voice. The service allows you to use a single number that hits multiple phones, make cheap international calls, and manage/send text messages from a web browser. If you have a Google Android phone, the integration is super tight. I encourage all of you to snag a Google Voice number and try it out.

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Get Your iPhones Ready: iOS 4 is Available Now

Apple has released iOS 4 today. If you’re running an iPhone 3G or 3GS that isn’t jailbroken as well as the latest generation of iPod Touch media players, then you should download it straight away to take advantage of the new features. If you get a chance, let me everyone here know what you think of iOS 4.

Analyst Predicts That T-Mobile Will Get the iPhone

Just in case you were getting tired of all those iPhone-to-Verizon rumors, Kaufman Bros. analyst Shaw Wu has thrown a change-up by predicting that T-Mobile will be the next American iPhone carrier. According to All Things Digital, Wu told his clients:

Currently, T-Mobile’s 3G service (UMTS/HSPA) supports 1700 MHz and 2100 MHz frequencies while AT&T supports 850 MHz and 1900 MHz frequencies. Interestingly, both the new iPhone 4 and iPhone 3GS support 3G at the 2100 MHz frequency and, from our understanding, the technical hurdle to support T-Mobile is minor compared to supporting CDMA technology at VZ and Sprint.

I would love an iPhone 4 on T-Mobile. A (seemingly) great phone coupled with T-Mobile’s excellent pricing?!? Sign me up — especially if the phone takes advantage of T-Mo’s HSPA+ build-out. That said, T-Mobile has the smallest footprint of the four major American carriers. While it would advantageous for Apple to be on multiple carriers, Sprint or Verizon would probably be better choices.

At the end of the day, I’m totally writing this off as more garbage spouted by an analyst. This information is only slightly more meaningful than a Sprint CSR telling a customer that the iPhone is headed for Sprint in Q3.

Would any of you be interested in an iPhone on T-Mobile?

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T-Mobile Giving Away Free Phones on June 19?

Here’s an interesting bit of news for anyone that’s looking for a new mobile phone provider — according to Tmonews, T-Mobile will be giving away phones on June 19 to anyone that signs up for a family plan. The standard two-year contract applies. The site claims to have found scripts for a commercial that hypes the promotion.

While T-Mobile’s current lineup of phones isn’t the most interesting, the HTC HD2 and myTouch Slide 3G are two of the better choices. My personal suggestion is to take one of the free phones, sell it on eBay, and buy a Google Nexus One.

Anyone interested in this rumored promotion? T-Mobile has some really sweet family plans. If the network works well where you live, work, and play then it’s worth considering. Hopefully it turns out to be true!

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Windows Phone 7 and Xbox Live: What Features Do You Want?

One of the most fascinating aspects of the upcoming Windows Phone 7 is its connectivity with Xbox Live. Way back in Coffee Talk #86 I told you a bit about Windows Phone 7’s game hub. Here’s the official word from Microsoft, just in case you need a refresher:

This hub delivers the first and only official Xbox Live experience on a phone, including Xbox Live games, Spotlight feed and the ability to see a gamer’s avatar, Achievements and gamer profile. With more than 23 million active members around the world, Xbox Live unlocks a world of friends, games and entertainment on Xbox 360, and now also on Windows Phone 7 Series.

The games hub is a potentially cool way for Windows Phone 7 to differentiate itself from Apple’s iOS, Google’s Android, and Palm’s WebOS. If you think of Xbox Live as a social network, Microsoft already has millions of customers to draw from. That said, I’m not sure about Windows Phone 7’s timing — perhaps it’s too late. Let’s not focus on that right now. Let’s think about it in terms of gaming.

I’d like to know what features you’d like to see in Windows Phone 7’s game hub. What would enhance your Xbox Live experience? Any predictions on any connectivity features Microsoft will announced at its E3 2010 press conference? Do you think Windows Phone 7 will have a portion of the presser? Remember, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer’s future supposedly rests on the future of the company’s mobile products. Perhaps he’ll nudge the games team to highlight the WP7 games hub.

Sprint CSR Tells Customer iPhone Coming in Fall 2010

A Sprint customer service representative allegedly told a customer that the Apple iPhone is coming to Sprint in Fall 2010. Last month I told you about a rumor that Apple has ordered 10-million CDMA iPhones from Pegatron, which is mobile technology Sprint uses. The peeps at Skattertech have also speculated that the iPhone is destined for Sprint. Before I get ahead of myself, here’s what supposedly went down with the Sprint CSR according to a poster on Sprint Users:

Denise went ahead to say go ahead and get the iPhone, that is a toy compared to the EVO. She then said if you leave you will not be able to take advantage of Sprint getting the iPhone in the Fall. I think that she only told me that to retain me.

Personally, I think this rumor is bunk. I’m leaning towards the CSR being dishonest with the customer. There’s also a chance that the customer made the whole thing up. Either way, I don’t see the iPhone 4 going to Sprint…

…but how crazy would that be?!? Even though Sprint is third out of the big four, I consider it the biggest loser of the bunch. Getting the iPhone would take it from zero to hero. Sprint’s pricing is second-best out of the big four and its network is arguably second best (especially when you factor in its roaming agreement with Verizon). Imagine an iPhone with reasonably priced service on a network that doesn’t blow chunks?!? Yeah…that’s too crazy to be real.

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Sprint Sells Out of the HTC Evo 4G

A testament to the rapid growth of Google Android as well as HTC’s booming popularity, Sprint has sold out of the HTC Evo 4G. The screen grab above is from Sprint’s web store and notes, “Sorry, this device is so hot we can’t keep it on our virtual shelves.” This is good news for the Android platform and great news for Sprint, which has been losing customers like crazy for several quarters.

The initial stock of Evo 4G phones has been estimated by various sources to be somewhere between 200,000 to 300,000. While this makes the Evo 4G Sprint’s most successful smartphone ever, the number will surely be trounced by the iPhone 4’s debut. Looking at it from a phone-to-phone basis makes it seem like the handsets aren’t even competing in the same league. However, when you look at it from Google’s and HTC’s perspectives, that’s two Android phones in a row that have sold out. I have no doubt that the iPhone 4 will outsell any single Android handset, but in terms of increasing its installed base, Google is doing well with products like the HTC Incredible for Verizon and the HTC Evo 4G for Sprint.

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iPhone 4 Has a Gyroscope for Gaming: Do You Care?

A lot of you are already under Steve Jobs’ spell, lusting for the iPhone 4. One of the most curious features of the new phone is its gyroscope. His royal Steveness said:

We’re adding a three axis gyroscope and we tied the accelerometer, compass, and gyro together for six axis. It’s perfect for gaming.

I know a lot of you aren’t cool with motion-control gaming, but is the iPhone 4 different? Maybe Steve Jobs’ reality distortion field has you seeing motion possibilities on the iPhone 4 that you don’t see on traditional gaming systems. Let me know if you care about the iPhone 4’s gyroscope. I’m curious to hear your opinions!