evdo rev a

HTC ROMs for the Alltel PPC 6800 and Touch have already been available for download, but today Alltel is officially announcing the completion of their EVDO Rev A network upgrade.  With the improved network speed which positions the newly acquired carrier directly on par with their buyer, Verizon Wireless and rival, Sprint, Alltel Wireless customers can expect download / upload speeds of up to 3.1 and 1.8 Mbps respectively.  The acquisition of Alltel Wireless by Verizon looks to be an excellent move now that the carrier has been awarded the “Highest Call Quality Performance Among Wireless Cell Phone Users in the West and Southwest Regions”.  Combine the call quality with the faster network and MyCircle Plans and the future is strong for Big Red’s adopted child.

Full Press Release

Rev. A launch means faster access to Internet, video, music and more

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. - Alltel Wireless today announced that it will continue expanding its wireless broadband network in 2008 with the launch of EVDO (evolution data optimized) Revision A technology, enabling customers to upload files five to 10 times faster than before.

“Rev. A is the next step in Alltel’s commitment to provide our customers with the fast wireless broadband service they have come to expect in their business and personal lives,” said Jeff Fox, chief operating officer of Alltel Wireless. “As our customers’ needs continue to grow, Alltel’s network is well-positioned to deliver higher speeds and greater capacity for years to come.”

Alltel’s existing broadband Wireless Internet service enables remote access to corporate intranets, productivity enhancing applications and a variety of consumer products, such as Alltel TV and XM Radio Mobile. Rev. A will enhance the performance of all of those services. Alltel plans an initial rollout of Rev. A to 18 market areas and dozens of cities, including Charlotte, New Orleans, Phoenix and Tampa. Customers using Rev. A will experience average upload speeds of 500-800 Kbps with bursts up to 1.8 Mbps. Upload speeds on the company’s existing broadband network average 50-70 Kbps, with bursts up to 144 Kbps, so the enhanced network will be five to 10 times faster.

Download speeds also will increase. Rev. A download speeds average 600 Kbps to 1.4 Mbps, with bursts up to 3.1 Mbps. By comparison, downloads on the existing broadband network average 400-700 Kbps with bursts up to 2.4 Mbps. Using Rev. A, customers can expect to download a 1 Megabyte e-mail file attachment the equivalent of a small Power Point presentation or a large PDF file in less than 15 seconds and upload the same file in less than 25 seconds.

Alltel Wireless customers will need a Rev. A-capable device to access the company’s enhanced broadband network. Rev. A-capable Wireless Internet cards for laptops include the Huawei EC228 USB and the UTStarcom UM 150. Customers with an HTC PPC6800 or the HTC Touch smartphone can make their phones Rev. A-capable by visiting www.htc.com/us/ and downloading the appropriate software. The software is free.

In addition to rolling out Rev. A in select markets, Alltel Wireless will continue to expand its existing EVDO network, which now covers 76 percent of its potential customers. By the end of 2008, Alltel expects to cover about 82 percent of its potential customers with EVDO. Nationally, Alltel Wireless has one of the largest EVDO footprints of any U.S. carrier, covering cities such as Cleveland, Charlotte and Tampa, as well as many smaller communities. In addition to the extensive coverage provided by its own network, Alltel’s roaming agreements give its customers with data-card equipped laptops Wireless Internet access in all of the nation’s major metropolitan areas, including New York, Chicago and Los Angeles.

Both versions of Alltel’s Wireless Internet service EVDO and Rev. A are available for $59.99 a month and do not require a voice plan in order to qualify. Customers can add unlimited access to 25,000 Wi-Fi hotspots to any Alltel Wireless Internet plan for $9.99.

Alltel Wireless continues to provide choice and control to the customer’s wireless experience with its exclusive “My Circle” feature, giving customers unlimited calling to and from any five, 10 or 20 numbers on any network for free. Alltel Wireless was also the first to offer Anytime Plan Changes, giving customers the flexibility to change their calling plans at any time, without extending their current contract. Alltel recently received “Highest Call Quality Performance Among Wireless Cell Phone Users in the West and Southeast Regions, and in the Southwest Region in a Tie” according to J.D. Power and Associates’ 2008 Wireless Call Quality Performance StudySM Vol. 1.

Alltel is owner and operator of the nation’s largest wireless network and has more than 13 million wireless customers.

Sprint and Apple has staged a showdown for the ages thanks to the latest Press Release direct from Sprint.  According to the Press Release Sprint will be making another price cut to the soon-to-be-released Samsung Instinct making the device $129.99 after a $100 Mail in Rebate.  while you still need to spend an extra $29.99 over the iPhone, the incentive to stick it out with Sprint for another year or two might be worth your while.  With the abundance of Samsung Instinct reviews flooding the Internet this week, it seems that Sprint might just have the best device ever to launch on their network.  The only complaint which has been expressed in every review released has been a mediocre Web Browser, but in all other areas the Instinct is an excellent device.  While you will not have the multi-touch technology or Safari web browser, the Instinct is still powered by arguably the best data network in the US running at EVDO Rev A speeds (peak download speeds of up to 3.1 Mbps).

If the Instinct is looking like your next device remember that you will need to activate the phone with an unlimited plan; either the $69.99 450 minutes or $99.99 unlimited minutes plan, both of which come with unlimited data, text, mms, gps, visual voicemail.  There are also Family Share Plans which qualify for Instinct activation starting at $129.99 for 1500 minutes to share between two lines.  With threaded SMS, SMS voice, and turn-by-turn GPS navigation, Friday will be a big day for Sprint and the launch of its $100 million dollar baby.

Full Press Release

AWARD-WINNING SAMSUNG INSTINCT™ AVAILABLE EXCLUSIVELY FROM SPRINT ON JUNE 20 FOR JUST $129.99

Revolutionary device offers industry-leading combination
of full touch-screen functionality and fast network speeds
with live TV, stereo Bluetooth, GPS with turn-by-turn navigation
and one-touch access to favorites

OVERLAND PARK, Kan. – June 18, 2008 – Sprint (NYSE: S) today announced pricing for Instinct, a new wireless device that offers consumers an industry-leading user experience by combining full touch-screen functionality with the fast speeds available on the largest national mobile broadband network. When the device launches on June 20, it will cost just $129.99 with a two-year contract after a $100 mail-in rebate.

Customers will be able to purchase Instinct through Sprint retail stores, Web (www.sprint.com) and telesales (1-800-SPRINT1.) Best Buy is Sprint’s exclusive retail partner for Instinct from June 20 – August 28.

In order for customers to experience the full capabilities of the device, Instinct must be activated on a pricing plan offering unlimited data. Customers can choose from Everything plans for individuals starting at just $69.99 per month for 450 voice minutes or Talk/Message/Data Share plans for families starting at $129.99 per month for 1500 voice minutes to share between two lines. Instinct complements Sprint’s signature Simply Everything Plan offering both unlimited nationwide voice and data services for just $99.99 per month. The Simply Everything Plan offers premium services, including GPS navigation, email, web surfing, Sprint Music Premier and Sprint TV Premier, while letting customers easily budget for phone expenses.

Instinct was recently named “Best in Show” in the third annual Emerging Technology (E-Tech) Award competition in April at CTIA Wireless 2008. Instinct was also honored as “Most Innovative Product at CTIA Wireless 2008” by the editors of LAPTOP, a leading mobile technology magazine. CNET also recognized Instinct as the “Best Cell Phone” in its annual Cream of the Crop CTIA 2008 awards.

The innovative device speeds up the user experience like no other touch-screen phone and brings the customer’s most-used applications and contacts within a single finger tap. Instinct has a high-tech look with large, vibrant touch-screen featuring localized tactile feedback, called haptics, which transform the virtual QWERTY keypad and other screen interactions into a sensory experience. The device also offers a Speech to Action button providing many functions using speech activation for calling, texting, picture messaging, traffic, movie, sports, news, weather and search.

As Sprint’s first EV-DO Rev A consumer-centric device, Instinct provides the ability to quickly browse the Web, access business or personal e-mail, share pictures, listen to commercial-free radio and more at broadband speeds. Instinct also provides smooth access to GPS applications including Sprint Navigation, with GPS-enabled audio and visual turn-by-turn driving directions and one-click traffic rerouting as well as Live Search for Sprint, powered by Microsoft, providing easy access to directory information on-the-go, interactive maps and one-touch click to call access.

Instinct boasts many advanced features including Visual Voicemail, allowing users to listen to messages in their order of preference and manage them with a simple tap of the screen. This device also provides support for corporate and consumer (POP3 and IMAP) email, multitasking capabilities that allow the user to play music in background mode while surfing the Internet, texting or playing games, a 2.0 megapixel camera with camcorder and expandable microSD memory of up to 8GB. Additional features include advanced stereo Bluetooth® 2.0, SMS voice and text messaging with threaded text, picture caller ID and Sprint Mobile Sync.

Instinct comes with everything the user needs to enjoy the device’s full capabilities right out of the box. Contents include a 2GB microSD™ card that can hold approximately 2,000 songs from Sprint Music Store, two standard 1,000 mAh batteries offering up to 5.75 hours of continuous talk time each, battery-charging sleeve, travel charger, USB cable, 3.5mm headphones with built-in microphone, and carry case with stylus. Customers can access the latest information on Instinct at www.instinctthephone.com.

About Sprint Nextel
Sprint Nextel offers a comprehensive range of wireless and wireline communications services bringing the freedom of mobility to consumers, businesses and government users. Sprint Nextel is widely recognized for developing, engineering and deploying innovative technologies, including two wireless networks serving nearly 53 million customers at the end of the first quarter 2008; industry-leading mobile data services; instant national and international push-to-talk capabilities; and a global Tier 1 Internet backbone. For more information, visit www.sprint.com.

HTC’s most recent success, the HTC Touch, is getting a makeover and this time it will be landing on Alltel Wireless in a new Burgundy shade.  Currently we have seen a white HTC Touch launch on Verizon Wireless, the grey Touch on Sprint’s network and of course the black HTC Touch.  Alltel wireless will be the only carrier offering this burgundy HTC Touch at launch and hopes to bring a new flavor to the devices successful launch.

While a color change is a nice thing to see for the style conscious customers, the core components of the HTC Touch have remained unchanged.  This means the same Windows Mobile 6 operating system (sorry, no WM 6.1), TouchFLO, EVDO Rev A, microSD, stereo Bluetooth and A2DP support are present.  The one thing Alltel Wireless customers have going for them is their HTC Touch actually runs off of their EVDO Rev A network, while Sprint has yet to release an official update to enable the increased data speeds.  (hacked Alltel Wireless ROM’s which enable EVDO Rev A on Sprint’s network work, but are less than convenient).

The Burgundy HTC Touch from Alltel Wireless is on sale now for only $130, which makes Alltel the best price and arguably the best carrier for the device since we all want EVDO Rev A speeds.

July 22 is still quite a ways away, but in the meantime we have a little piece of news that will catch the attention of anyone hot on the trail of the Sprint Treo 800w. DSL Reports offers a nice little tool which lets you test your Internet speed for your cell phone (http://www.dslreports.com/mspeed) and lucky for us a trail is left behind for past speed tests. This is when a eagle-eyed veteran over at WMExperts noticed a Sprint Treo 800w under the User Agent column, complete with detailed specs listing a 320×320 resolution and IEMobile 7.11 which confirm the details we leaked yesterday

The only downside to this news is the speed test which recorded a meager 475 kbps download speed with a .268s latency off the 1MB file.  With Sprint’s EVDO Rev A network fully functional and running on the HTC Mogul, we experience speeds of 1500kbps in full coverage areas here in Los Angeles so this speed test is very disappointing.  We can only hope that the person testing the Sprint Treo 800w is simply unfortunate enough to not be in EVDO Rev A coverage.

On a side note, we are still waiting for some live shots of the Sprint Treo 800w so feel free to submit a tip up top on the navigation bar.  We would greatly appreciate any heads up on this one, thanks.

As most of you know, earlier this week Alltel Wireless sent out a ROM update utility which enabled EV-DO Rev A speeds to its customers while Sprint HTC Touch remained unchanged. Thankfully both Alltel Wireless and Sprint use CDMA technology and offer EV-DO Rev A enabled networks with the HTC Touch. The guys over at PPC Geeks took very little time unpacking this new ROM from the Alltel HTC Touch and thanks to a quick 12 step tutorials, you are about 20 minutes away from upgrading your Sprint HTC Touch to EV-DO Rev A speeds.

The fun doesn’t stop here ladies and gentlemen, GPS is also a 4 step straight-forward install. You’ll want to drop a thank you to both JD and ImCoKeMaN over on the PPC Geeks’ forum for making this a reality on the Sprint HTC Touch because leaving it up to the carrier is just not an option unless a 9 month delay is a reasonable wait for Rev A and GPS.

PPC Geeks Upgrading Sprint HTC Touch to EV-DO Rev A and GPS

Sprint decided that being in the good graces of Pope Benedict might help the company’s sub-10 dollar stock price from remaining down in the gutter. Thanks to 600 phones from Sprint’s “Emergency Response Team”, the Pope will have communication support throughout his visit to New York. The phones were actually supplied at the request of the Archdiocese of New York and thanks to the speedy Sprint EVDO Rev A network data communications will be a breeze. In addition to the Direct Connect and EVDO Rev A, will be a GPS tracking solution provided by Actsoft Comet software which will be preloaded on the phone. You won’t be seeing an endorsement by the Pope for Sprint, but the Archdiocese of New York did issue a positive statement,

“Robust communications are integral to the success of the Pope’s visit, and we decided to work with Sprint because of their industry-leading Nextel Direct Connect product and the instant connectivity that it will provide to our staff during all activities over the next few days”.

Anyone ready to take a guess at what device the Pope’s staff will be using that supports EVDO Rev A, GPS and Direct Connect? The HTC Mogul is the first EVDO Rev A capable device on Sprint’s network, but clearly Direct Connect is out of the question and the only other EVDO Rev A devices are data cards, so what is the mystery device?

Sure we waited more than half a year for the Sprint HTC Mogul to receive the GPS/EVDO Rev A Update, but the extra time is the last thing on our minds with the Official ROM released.  While we enjoyed using the unofficial ROM on our HTC Mogul, there is something about an official release that just makes things smoother (especially when it comes to device resets).  So we decided to give the GPS a full course test now that Sprint Navigation is fully supported on the HTC Mogul thanks to the latest update compliments of HTC.

Sprint Navigation

Keep in mind that the GPS update for the HTC Mogul enables support for more than the pay-to-use Sprint Navigation Service.  Windows Live Search and Google Maps are both fully supported thanks to the latest ROM, but neither service offers the turn-by-turn guided assistance at the quality of the pay service; Sprint Navigation.  Until we see some serious updates to both Live Search and Google Maps, Sprint Navigation (powered by TeleNav) will remain a well spent $9.95/month add-on or free if you are currently using Sprint’s Unlimited Plan. 

EVDO Rev A

While not everyone is lucky enough to live in Los Angeles where Sprint’s EVDO Rev A network is completely rolled out, we are glad we had the chance to test the speeds.  We always use www.dslreports.com/mspeedwhen testing mobile phone Internet speed tests so we preformed the 1MB download test file with our pre-updated HTC Mogul and then followed up with our fully updated HTC Mogul running the Official GPS/EVDO Rev A updated ROM.

Results

HTC Mogul Pre-GPS/EVDO Rev A ROM: max download speed: 1083Kbps (full reception)
HTC Mogul GPS/EVDO Rev A ROM: max download speed 1410Kbps (full reception)

While the impact to the download speed was not life-changing, it is still a significant increase in downlink speeds by an increase of nearly 30%.  What impressed us just as much as the increased download speed thanks to EVDO Rev A support was the speed of sending email attachments since we were perfectly fine with existing EVDO Rev 0 speeds.

Final Thoughts

While we wish Google Maps and Live Search offered the robust features of Sprint Navigation, we would not mind spending the extra 10/month to have the full fledged service if we were doing heavy car traveling.  We are still not at the point where a mobile phone could replace our in-car navigation system for the majority of people, but the GPS update makes the HTC Mogul a very usable substitute.  The EVDO Rev A speed improvements are solid with a significant boost to download speed, but the underlying problem with the HTC Mogul will remain to be the limited Program Memory. 

If AT&T did not charge an arm and a leg for their data service I would still recommend the AT&T Tilt to anyone looking for a GPS enabled feature-rich Pocket PC, but Sprint has the edge on pricing.  With choices like the Sprint SERO plan and Sprint Unlimited plan for $99/month, the HTC Mogul still represents an attractive option over the Sprint HTC Touch which lacks the physical keyboard.  For those of you who still have your HTC Mogul, the update will be a solid ROM to keep you loving your device, but this update will not make or break the buying decision for the masses since it does little to improve upon the critical device limitations.

The HTC Shift will go on sale March 24, 2008, finally.  The wait has been long and in many cases it will have come too late for all of us patiently awaiting it’s release.  The bonus for some is that the US Edition will include an EVDO Rev A modem which will work with Sprint.  With the recent upgrade on the HTC Mogul to include Rev A, the potential of high speed mobile Internet will be demonstrated with the HTC Shift.  Of course as we have always expected, the price tag is $1500 and at this price it begs the question of whether to MacBook Air or not to MacBook air.  At 1700, the Macbook air does not seem to be overinflated in price as we originally thought, but in the end the HTC is a UMPC and the MacBook Air exceeds the length and width of HTC Shift so it might not fall into the same category.  We are going to have to pass on this one with the next generation of pocket PCs powered by Intel’s Atom chip on their way.  We appreciate the release and partnership with Sprint, but we just don’t see the niche market appeal for the device based on it’s current price tag (A WiMax enabled Nokia N810 for $400 would be our choice).

Here’s a rundown of the specs in case you need to refresh:

• Powered by Microsoft Vista, Microsoft Origami Experience 2.0

• HTC SnapVUE, 3.5G/HSDPA connectivity (EVDO Rev A for Sprint built in US Edition)

• Bluetooth 2.0 / Wifi b/g

• 7″ touch sensitive screen, slide-n-tilt screen (think AT&T Tilt)

• Weight: 800g

• 2 Days battery life on standby

• 1GB Ram, 2700mAh rechargeable Lithium-ion polymer battery

• 40GB 1.8″ hard drive

• VGA out, USB 2.0, 3.5mm stereo, audio out with microphone

• Finger print sensor / USIM/SIM card slot / SDIO slot with hot swap functionality

Read on [at] HTC’s Press Release

The date has been set: Monday March 10, 2008 the HTC Mogul from Sprint will receive the long awaited and anticipated ROM update (EVDO Rev A/GPS).  After some disappointment with the previous ROM update, HTC and Sprint will really need to get things together and deliver a solid update that will not leave Mogul owners with malfunctioning devices.  The update is scheduled to be available for download off Sprint.com and HTC’s website, but we advise waiting until the update is on Sprint.com.  With the last batch of ROM updates for the HTC Mogul, we learned the hard way by being one of the first to download direct from HTC and our devices suffered the consequences.  If you have been waiting for the final, official, dream ROM update, your prayers will be answered very soon.  Now if we can have the HTC Touch see the ROM update from Sprint for GPS/Rev A we will all be happy campers.

If Sprint decides to delay this update for another 6 months, you can always go ahead and install the HTC Mogul ROM Update 3.16.651.0

[Source: WMExperts]

UPDATE: You can download the official EVDO Rev A + GPS ROM directly off HTC and Sprint’s website.

http://www.htc.com/us/FAQ_Detail.aspx?p_id=75&act=sd

The direct link to download the new ROM is here