Verizon, AT&T, Sprint and others will soon start selling their next generation services. What does that mean?We have tracked the changes from 2G to 2.5G to 3G which is where we are today, and evolving to 4G over the next couple years. That's where LTE falls in.

Bottom line is there are too many confusing names floating around the industry today? Who are they for? To build the company up in the customer mind? Maybe that was the original plan, but we are way past that reality now. Today customers don't have a clue what all these names mean. Basically it is just the next generation which means faster connections allowing more to do like downloading music, watching live tv, social networks, and all the amazing things we've been chattering about.

Verizon Wireless will have its first next-generation 4G handset in mid-2011, about six months earlier than the company had said before.

The carrier could have a phone that runs on Long Term Evolution, a type of high-speed wireless technology, three to six months after it launches the service, Anthony Melone, chief technology officer at Verizon Wireless, said in an interview. The company expects to launch the service in some markets by the end of the year.

The move is a key step in making faster, next-generation ...

BY NIRAJ SHETH on WSJ.com

Verizon Wireless today disclosed that wireless data speeds in LTE (Long Term Evolution) field trials have been faster than expected, prompting a spokesman to boast that the company will beat AT&T Inc. into the LTE business by 12 to 18 months.

Verizon's LTE field trials in Boston and Seattle have shown average downlink rates of 5Mbit/sec. to 12Mbit/sec. and average uplink speeds of 2Mbit/sec. to 5Mbit/sec., which would give mobile customers browsing speeds comparable to what users would expect from a typical wired home Internet connection, the company said.

In January, Verizon had said it expected that LTE, also known as 4G, would offer user speeds that were 10 times faster than those of existing 3G networks, and up to 6Mbit/sec. on the downlink.

source: computerworld

During the official Nexus One announcement, Google said it would be bringing the handset to Big Red in "spring 2010." While passing the FCC doesn't mean a launch is imminent, handsets that jump through the governmental hoops are generally no more than a month or two out. The smartphone will likely be sold through Google's online store but I don't see the point of it being unlocked because it's nearly impossible to hot swap between Sprint and Verizon.

The Nexus One's model number is PB99100, which is very similar to this new device. It is possible that this new device is the CDMA version of the Nexus One, which is supposed to land at Verizon Wireless later this year.

source: mobilecrunch

At the 2010 Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Verizon Wireless and Skype today announced a strategic relationship that will bring Skype to Verizon Wireless smartphones in March. The new Skype mobile^TM product enhances Verizon Wireless' smartphones for users who have data plans by offering a new way to call around the globe, while also giving hundreds of millions of Skype users around the world the opportunity to communicate with friends, family and business colleagues in the United States using Verizon Wireless.

The two companies have created an exclusive, easy-to-use Skype mobile offering for 3G smartphones. Verizon Wireless 3G smartphone users with data plans can use Skype mobile to:

• make and receive unlimited Skype-to-Skype voice calls to any Skype user around the globe on America's most reliable wireless network;
• call international phone numbers at competitive Skype Out calling rates;
• send and receive instant messages to other Skype users; and
• remain always connected with the ability to see friends' online presence.

Initially, Skype mobile will be available on millions of best-selling Verizon Wireless 3G smartphones with data plans, including the BlackBerry® Storm^TM 9530, Storm2^TM 9550, Curve^TM 8330, Curve^TM 8530, 8830 World Edition and Tour^TM 9630 smartphones, as well as DROID by Motorola, DROID ERIS^TM by HTC and Motorola DEVOUR^TM.

source: verizon news

It looks like Verizon is in discussion with Skype to put skype into Verizon Cell Phones, while no specific details have been released about what the two companies plan to talk about, we can use our imaginations.

2/12/2010

WHO:
Verizon Wireless, the leading wireless provider in the United States, and Skype, the software that enables the world's conversations

WHAT:
Verizon Wireless and Skype will hold a news conference during the 2010 Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. Speakers will include:

* John Stratton, executive vice president and chief marketing officer, Verizon Wireless
* Josh Silverman, chief executive officer, Skype

WHERE:
GSMA Media Centre, Hall 2.1, Press Conference Room 3
Fira de Barcelona
Av. Reina Maria Cristina, s/n, 08004
Barcelona, Spain

Source: BoyGeniusReport

Verizon teamed with Cellfire to offer a free digital coupon service for its wireless and FiOS TV customers, callled Spend Smart coupons. These coupons are sent to a smartphone or cell phone, then you show the coupon to the cashier at the store.

Spend Smart makes coupons simple!

* Save coupons to your grocery savings card
* Swipe your card at checkout to redeem!
* Spend Smart coupons work at thousands of grocery stores across the country
* Spend Smart coupons are accessible from the web, your mobile phone, and FiOS TV

Spend Smart can be found on wireless phones featuring Mobile Web. There is no cost to register or use the service, but data or megabyte charges may apply when accessing Mobile Web. For more information on Spend Smart coupons, visit www.vzspendsmart.com.

souce: wireless and mobile new

Well a few days ago, we saw Verizon's box for Motorola Devour.  Today, Verizon finally comes clean and tell the world that it will soon be releasing the Motorola DEVOUR.

Verizon Wireless and Motorola, Inc. (NYSE: MOT) today announced the availability of Motorola DEVOUR^TM in March. Motorola DEVOUR will be the first Verizon Wireless phone to feature MOTOBLUR^TM, Motorola's unique Android^TM-powered content delivery service created to make wireless phones more personal and customizable.

MOTOBLUR is the first solution to sync contacts from work and personal e-mail services, including Gmail^TM, with posts, messages, photos and more from popular sites such as Facebook®, MySpace and Twitter. With MOTOBLUR, content is automatically delivered to the home screen and fed into easy-to-manage streams.

Key features:

* Touch-sensitive navigation pad
* 3.1" capacitive touch screen
* Pre-loaded applications such as Gmail, Google Talk^TM, YouTube^TM, Google Search^TM and Google Maps^TM with Google Maps Navigation.
* Android Market^TM gives users access to more than 20,000 applications.
* Happenings Widget - MOTOBLUR automatically pushes status updates, wall posts and photo updates from popular social networking sites to the Happenings Widget on the home screen. Customers can flick through the latest updates and fire back responses using the slide-out full QWERTY keyboard.
* Universal Inbox - MOTOBLUR gathers texts, social network messages and e-mails into one home screen widget for quick response.
* Back-Up and Security - Contacts, log-in information, home screen customizations, e-mail and social network messages are backed up automatically on the secure MOTOBLUR portal. The portal also allows customers to use the phone's fully integrated aGPS to help locate the phone if misplaced. Remote wipe easily clears information from a lost device.
* 8 GB microSD^TM card pre-installed
* Bluetooth® profiles supported: A2DP, HID, HSP, HFP, AVRCP and GAP

souce: motorola media center

Service Now Offers Integration with Roadside Assistance and Social Networking Allowing Customers to Get Help and Let Their Friends Know Where They Are

ther new features now available with VZ Navigator 5.0 include:

* Improved Customer Experience - No need to wait for the entire route to download before starting their voyage because data will now be streamed, causing display screens to populate more quickly
* Enhanced Points of Interest - Access to premium places of interest with detailed descriptions, clearly branded by Map Icons
* Traffic Crowd Sourcing - Opt-in to anonymously send real-time location and speed to the VZ Navigator traffic reporting service, allowing quicker notifications and improved accuracy for all VZ Navigator users
* Alerts for Other Road Attributes - Graphic notifications for tunnels, U-turns, traffic circles and toll plazas
* "Say it Mode" - Select BlackBerry® smartphones and Windows Mobile® handsets allow customers to verbally search for and update destination

Source: vzw.com

Verizon Wireless is now selling the Palm Pre and Plus on its website.  The price is pretty good compare to what Sprint was offering at it's first launch.

 -------------------------

Full-featured for the full-on life.
Vivid touchscreen and slide-out keyboard in one beautiful package.
The Palm® Pre^TM Plus phone helps you navigate your life with an advanced touchscreen, full keyboard, and the intuitive Palm webOS^TM that keeps multiple apps open at once. View websites and watch videos in widescreen. Slide out the keyboard to fire off a text or email. Bring work and personal events or contacts together into one simple view. All in an elegant design that fits perfectly in your hand, and your life.

All Windows Mobile, Palm, BlackBerry and Android Smartphones require a data feature of $29.99 or higher or a data plan.

Check it out at verizonwireless.com

It appear on Verizon System, doesn't really mean that it will be launched by Verizon, just have to wait and see.

The Motorola Calgary could also be called Devour has all the same blur social networking enhancements as the original droid, although it's a slight downgrade with a 3 megapixel camera and a 320 x 480 display. As a result the Devour will likely have correspondingly lower price point.

Source: Mobilecrunch