Nokia has already released their Lumia 800 with its 3.7″ AMOLED screen, Nokia N9 polycarbonate derived body in Europe. But for the US, Nokia has released at the CES the oft-rumored Nokia Ace, now known as the Nokia Lumia 900.

Tech Specs

• Networks: GSM/EGSM 850/900/1800/1900, WCDMA 850/1900/2100, LTE Band 4 (1700/2100) & 17 (700)
• OS: Windows Phone Release 7.5 – Mango Commercial Release 2 (Mango + LTE)
• Memory: 512MB RAM
• Storage: 16 GB internal memory (14.5GB user memory) + SkyDrive cloud storage
• Weight: 160g (5.6 ounces)
• Dimensions: (max): 127.8 x 68.5 x 11.5 mm (5 x 2.7 x .45 inches)
• A-GPS
• Wi-Fi (802.11 b/g/n)
• USB 2.0 high-speed
• Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR

Sporting larger 4.3″ AMOLED screen and larger single polycarbonate body than the Nokia N9 and Nokia Lumia 800. Also comes with the standard 8mp camera (at least for the Nokia N9 and Nokia Lumia 800) as well as a larger battery and a forward facing 1.3 megapixel a must have for the upcoming Skype release for Mango/Tango – the Nokia Lumia 900 will hopefully reinsert Nokia as a household name in the US.

[ Links: Nokia Conversations ]

On September 4th, AT&T unveiled its first 4G LTE/HSPA+ tablet, the HTC Jetstream. It’s also the first 4G tablet to run on the Android 3.1 Honeycomb operating system (which is specifically designed for mobile devices and tablets).

The JetStream comes pre-loaded with AT&T Family Map, HTC Hub, HTC Watch, Friendstream, AT&T Navigator and Android Market. Thanks to the Honeycomb OS, the JetStream also includes easy access to Google Talk (including video chat), Chrome browser and the new Google Maps 5.0.

In addition, the HTC Jetstream uses the HTC Sense UX for a high quality graphical interface. The front facing 1.3 mexapixel camera (and 8 megapixel rear facing), in conjunction with the 10.1″ WXGA HD screen makes photography and online printing a breeze.

In fact, the only real drawback to the JetStream is price. Unlike other tablets such as the 32GB 3G iPad, the JetStream retails for $699.99 with a two year contract. Consumers aren’t happy with the on contract price, and with AT&T’s proposed purchase of T-Mobile, fear more price hikes in the future.

Contract Details:
The JetStream is $699.99 with a new two-year contract. AT&T offers two payment plans: prepaid and postpaid.

• Postpaid: $14.99 for 250 MB or $25 for 2 GB. Fee for going over their allotment: $10 per 1 GB of overage. Charges appear on monthly statements.
• Prepaid: $14.99 for 250 MB or $25 for 2 GB. Fee for going over their allotment: $25 an additional 2 GB of overage. Charges appear on monthly statements.

You can see full pricing details on the HTC JetStream here.

Adam Costa, our guest blogger. He is the co-author of Business In A Backpack, which explains how to market your business while on the road and a business consultant who helps small and midsize firms create high quality marketing materials, like booklet printing.

Buoyed by the recent ITU declaration that nobody is technically deploying a 4G network here in the States, T-Mobile recently kicked off a new marketing campaign proclaiming that the carrier has the “largest 4G network.”

One cornerstone of the new campaign is apparently making fun of AT&T’s network, which has seen more than its fair share of criticism the last few years due to performance issues in markets like New York and San Francisco. Recent commercials portray AT&T as a balding, middle aged man weighing down the iPhone 4, and the latest ad in the series airing this week certainly isn’t flattering. AT&T got into a feud with Verizon last year about ads mocking AT&T 3G coverage (they even filed suit), but so far hasn’t had anything to say about T-Mobile’s campaign.

Link to the original article…

Netflix’s streaming video application for the iPhone allows users to access their streaming instant queue from anywhere and works surprisingly well whether the user is connected via Wi-Fi or AT&T’s 3G network. The same application was recently announced for Windows 7 Phones, and according to a post on the Netflix blog, it will also launch on Android devices early next year.

The hold up according to Netflix? DRM. The delay was due to “the lack of a generic and complete platform security and content protection mechanism available for Android.” “The same security issues that have led to piracy concerns on the Android platform have made it difficult for us to secure a common Digital Rights Management (DRM) system on these devices,” says the company.

Link to the original article…

Buried in what occasionally reads like a love letter to Verizon CEO Ivan Seidenberg, Fortune is the latest to proclaim that the iPhone is headed for Verizon, despite Seidenberg himself all but shooting down the possibility last month.

That so many Americans covet Verizon iPhones “is partly a testament to the efforts of Ivan Seidenberg,” insists Fortune, though in really it’s mostly a “testament” to AT&T’s inability to complete phone calls in the New York and San Francisco markets. Between blowing kisses, Fortune reconstitutes rumors already seen elsewhere, such as Apple and Verizon fighting over control, and the fact this first Verizon iPhone will be CDMA, not LTE:

…people familiar with its development say it is a fait accompli. Verizon, sources say, will sell its own version of the iPhone 4, which will work on Verizon’s CDMA-based 3G network. Unfortunately for globe trotters, the first version of the phone likely won’t be built to work outside the U.S. it probably won’t carry a special chip that can turn it into a “world phone.” However, it may have some of the features on the iPad distributed in Verizon’s stores, like live TV for customers of the FiOS cable service.

Apple supposedly won’t even consider an LTE iPhone until 2012, preferring to wait until initial headaches and battery life issues can be negotiated into the iPhone’s traditionally slim form factor.

That may not be a bad thing for say unhappy AT&T iPhone customers that just signed a long term contract to get the iPhone 4. Given AT&T’s new $325 ETFs are pro-rated (slowly reduced each month), waiting for an LTE Verizon iPhone would make more financial sense; assuming you’re an AT&T iPhone customer that can actually make phone calls with the device.

In other words, if Verizon does get the iPhone, expect the subscriber hit AT&T takes to be staggered and more pronounced in 2012, and expect AT&T to repeatedly proclaim the loss as “no big deal” during 2011. AT&T’s remaining confident in the face of non-exclusivity in part due to their new higher ETF, but also because they believe many subscribers are on family and business plans and can’t (or won’t) defect.

Link to the original article…

According to the latest J.D. Power and Associates Residential Television Service Satisfaction study, consumers are “notably less satisfied” with TV services than last year. That isn’t surprising given the relentless and often bi-annual rate hikes imposed by satellite, telcoTV and cable TV providers, which resulted in new and notable cord cutting last quarter. According to the study, Customer satisfaction with the cost of television service averaged 541 out of 1,000 in 2010, down 14 points from 555 in 2009.

The study measured satisfaction with TV services in four regions (East, West, North Central, South). AT&T U-Verse and Verizon FiOS ranked highest among TV providers, though the cable companies ironically rank higher on residential phone service.

Overall, customers continue to be annoyed with price hikes, which are courtesy of the endless dance of death between broadcasters (who continually hike programming costs) and TV operators (who pass these costs on to consumers along side hikes and new fees of their own). Consumer annoyance has been amplified by a sour economy, and mirroring recent concerns from the investment sector, JD Power notes that these hikes can’t continue indefinitely:

“It’s apparent…that TV providers must better communicate their price-value proposition, as customers are increasingly voicing irritation with the amount of their monthly bill. Seventy-four percent of customers who say they definitely or probably will change TV providers in the next year cite price as a major reason to switch.”

Consumers (for now) continue to pay for services despite these hikes, which is obviously good news for TV providers. But despite changing state laws to ease telcoTV entry into the sector (many times at the cost of consumer protections, local rights, and increased deployment), TV price reductions promised by lobbyists never arrived. Carriers instead engage in non-price competition, and focus on creating the illusion of value through added services that are often half-assed (see AT&T’s Hulu clone, for example).

The TV sector is begging for disruption and the entry of inexpensive, simple, a la carte Internet video options. There’s an endless flood of articles insisting that Internet video isn’t a threat, but that’s largely thanks to the fact that broadcasters are constricting TV streaming licensing for fear of cannibalizing TV revenues, resulting in limited alternatives for consumers. If these endless carriage disputes continue, cable operators may eventually balk, and broadcasters may open their eyes to alternative delivery opportunities.

Link to the original article…

After the Verizon data overcharge, how AT&T is still the only place you can get an Apple iPhone without having to do something illegal, among other complaints, observations and gripes with cellphone carriers in the United States they all suck in one way or another, it seems like U.S. Cellular is trying to reverse that with their recently unveiled “The Belief Project”…

Some highlights of The Belief Project:

• We’re the first carrier to eliminate the need for post-pay customers to continuously sign contracts. With the new “One and Done” contract policy, new customers who fulfill an initial two-year commitment with U.S. Cellular never have to sign a contract again.
• Loyal customers have become accustomed to new customers getting the best deals. At U.S. Cellular, all of our post-pay customers can earn Belief Points simply for being a customer. The points can be redeemed for things they actually want: phone upgrades, additional lines, accessories, ringtones and forgiveness of overage charges.
• Customers are automatically enrolled and start receiving points when they sign up for any U.S. Cellular Belief Plan. There are no fees, blackout dates or expiration, and points are easy to redeem in-store, online or by calling customer service. Belief Points are earned based on a customer’s monthly plan, the number of lines on the account, and how long they’ve been a customer.

As you can see, we believe we are differentiating ourselves in an industry with little differentiation amongst customers.

With reward points being given to users that actively decide, not being forced to stay due to contracts or other incentives that actually cost people more than just outright buying an unlocked phone – number portability does not equate to freedom – this sounds like a seriously great step in the right direction.

Way to go U.S. Cellular. Let’s hope that other companies take note and try to actually reward their customers instead of making them feel like they’re locked into a contract that serves only the company and not the person. Take a look around and see if you’re in their coverage areas.

[ Links: The Belief Project ]

You might recall the big stink raised last year after Apple banned Google Voice from the application store. AT&T and Apple of course played dumb to suggestions that either acted anti-competitively to block an application that poses a significant threat to both the old telco or phone OS business models.

With Uncle Sam sniffing around Apple on numerous fronts, Apple recently eased iPhone developer restrictions and now it appears that the official Google Voice app will finally be arriving on the iPhone. According to Techcrunch, the app has actually already been approved and will pop up soon:

…we’ve gotten word that the official Google Voice application is on its way to the iPhone in the next few weeks. In fact, we’ve heard from a source close to Google that it’s already been approved Google just needs to revamp the application to work with the iPhone 4 and iOS’s multitasking capabilities. If you’re a Google Voice user and you’re on an iPhone, this is great news.

As already explored at length, applications like Google Voice are going to speed up the death of concepts like SMS and voice minutes, given that things like mobile VoIP and push IM make them irrelevant. With reduction in that revenue, carriers like AT&T and Verizon are eagerly looking forward to jacking up mobile data costs with new low cap, high overage data plans.

Link to the original article…

I’m writing this while waiting for some work to be done on my car; but if anything I am sitting here reminded how over the last 2 days or so, I have been reclaiming my original setup due to the disastrous OTA by AT&T for my Samsung Captivate.

And celebrating how the Android communities helped me out in more than just a few ways.

So what happened? While out and about, I noticed that the phone was communicating with AT&T and downloading something. Since I am on that ultra-restrictive 200mb data plan per month, I canceled it. Bad thing to do.  According to MANY reports at the XDA-Developers forums, that is the last thing you want to do. In fact that is one action that will actually brick your phone. Not the lag fix, not gaining root access to your phone, not overclocking to 1.2ghz, nor flashing community sourced firmware.

No. Canceling an OTA update may brick your phone. And is there a warning? Nope.

So after a few hours of frantic searching and research, I used Odin to flash back to JF6, obtained root again, installed ROM Manager, used the Clockwork Mod to flash the Cognition 2.1.1 update that included the JH7 OTA update, applied the Voodoo lag fix, recovered from my Titanium Backup of my apps and fine tuned the settings and contacts.

And speaking of the contacts; that service from AT&T sucks. It will overwrite instead of merge each and everytime. Not cool AT&T. Y’all already on my bad side. Due to the restrictive data and a healthy fear of getting overcharged for data of all things.
AT&T… I cannot say that I’m happy with you. Android community; you’re the true heroes in my book.

If the Android community has helped you out, I insist that you donate to them. I have.

Given their decision to milk copper and stick with VDSL, AT&T is continually juggling last mile bandwidth capacity, managing user demand for HDTV streams, broadband and voice using compression and prioritization (as in: reducing your Internet speed if your entire house starts watching HD programming). Aside from their inability to match cable’s 50-100 Mbps service speeds, the company has done fairly well at this balancing act offering top speeds of 24/3 Mbps, while also offering 3 HD streams.

Those three streams will soon be four:

Speaking at the event, held in Newport Beach, California, Stankey tried to dispel early concerns about whether AT&T had enough capacity to fuel its IPTV service, announcing that the company intends to introduce four HD streams per home by the end of the year, up from the current three, thanks to a combo of more efficient compression and more bandwidth.

As noted in July, that additional bandwidth is coming courtesy of VDSL channel bonding, which allows AT&T to offer slightly more bandwidth at an additional 1-2,000 feet from the VRAD using additional copper pairs. However, AT&T’s putting that additional bandwidth toward video, not user data speeds. AT&T says being unable to meet cable speed tiers faster than 24 Mbps down 3 Mbps up is ok, since most people don’t buy it anyway:

While AT&T has found the capacity to beef up its managed IPTV service, Stankey downplayed the company’s positioning against DOCSIS 3.0-based cable modem services, which typically outpace U-verse’s top tier. He questioned whether there’s much demand for D3 speeds. “The fact of the matter is we sell 18- and 24-meg products. The bulk of our customers choose not to buy that,” he said, noting that most see the value in AT&T’s 6-Mbit/s tier.

Stankey omits AT&T’s specific weakness at offering upstream bandwidth (their website likes to do that too), or the fact that millions of distance-constrained or un-upgraded AT&T customers only have the choice of 6 Mbps, which is magically why so many AT&T customers choose it.

Of course today’s power user is tomorrow’s average user – and come tomorrow – AT&T’s still going to have to find a way to increase speeds further. Barring getting into rocket pigeon connectivity, they’ll either have to finally bite the bullet and install last mile fiber (which investors won’t approve because it requires waiting for returns), or keep their fingers crossed that some of these ultra-fast DSL variants being cooked up in the Alcatel Lucent labs (though still distance constrained) arrive sooner rather than later.

Link to the original article…

Last May Wal-Mart launched “Common Cents Mobile,” one of many rebranded Sprint prepaid wireless services. Wal-mart also sells Straight Talk service, which runs on the Verizon and AT&T networks. Apparently to ensure T-Mobile doesn’t feel left out, Wal-mart’s now teaming with T-Mobile to launch a Wal-mart branded postpaid wireless phone service subbed “Wal-Mart Family Mobile.”

According to a merchandising VP at Wal-Mart, they’re launching a postpaid service, in part because there’s “a perception among customers that prepaid service doesn’t offer access to the best phones or the best network quality.”

Link to the original article…

As noted back in July, the Apple iPhone 4 has an antenna design flaw that results in users losing signal when the phone is simply held. Given the flaw only rears its head in areas with weak AT&T signal, it’s not a problem that’s impacted all iPhone 4 users, allowing Apple to brush aside the design flaw as imaginary, irrelevant and/or common to all smartphones. Apple issued a statement today noting that users wanting a case only have until September 30 to get it, and that Apple “knows now” the antenna issue is “even smaller” than they thought:

We now know that the iPhone 4 antenna attenuation issue is even smaller than we originally thought (citation needed). A small percentage of iPhone 4 users need a case, and we want to continue providing them a Bumper case for free. For everyone else, we are discontinuing the free case program on all iPhone 4s sold after September 30, 2010. We are also returning to our normal returns policy for all iPhone 4s sold after September 30. Users experiencing antenna issues should call AppleCare to request a free Bumper case.

Big or small (and Apple offers no evidence to support this either way), the phone’s design still has a flaw that’s been left unfixed. In August, an executive for Mexican wireless carrier Telcel claimed a hardware revision was coming at the end of September accounting for the end of the free case program, but this hasn’t been confirmed. It still seems likely that later production runs of the iPhone 4 will somehow address the flaw, but Apple’s remaining mute on this either way.

Link to the original article…