Currently, consumers in America can waltz into their nearest Sprint store and pick up a Samsung Galaxy Tab for use on the CDMA network. But it only works on EVDO, not Sprint’s speedier WiMAX network. According to Sprint President of Business Markets Paget Alves in Forbes, they’ll be rectifying that in 2011, with the launch of an unspecified 4G-capable tablet.

The big unknown is what exactly this tablet (or tablets?) will run as an operating system, a specific Alves was mum on. He did at least admit that Sprint will soon have tablets running different operating systems than the Android-powered Tab. There are a number of options, including BlackBerry’s upcoming playbook, any number of Windows-powered tablets, but oh, could it be, an HP webOS-powered PalmPad? Don’t get your hopes up, because we have no way of reading any further into Alves’ words: there are several options, of which webOS is only one. Then again, we’d like to think that HP is going to go all Samsung here and make their webOS tablet available on all carriers. Wouldn’t that be something?

Source: Forbes; Via: Engadget; Thanks to everyone for the tips!

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Sprint has been the bastion of unlimited data in a land where the giants of AT&T and Verizon have either switched to the metered side, or have indicated it’s going to happen. But Sprint CEO Dan Hesse noted at the EmTech@MIT conference that if data usage gets out of hand, then Sprint’s unlimited data plans might got the way of the dodo, the dinosaur, and Lindsay Lohan’s film career. Says Hesse:

“We can offer unlimited as long as the usage is reasonable. If you run an all-you-can-eat buffet, but you have the New England Patriots come in and the whole team spends a whole day there, I can’t afford to do that anymore.”

True words, Mr. Hesse. The Sprint chief was sure to note that their 4G WiMax devices do command a $10-a-month higher charge than 3G-enabled devices, obviously because it’s easier to pull down more data over a faster 4G connection. For what it’s worth, the same thing happened when moving from $10-a-month 2G 1xRTT “Vision” service to $15-a-month 3G EVDO “Power Vision” service.

Hesse knows that Sprint users are fans of their unlimited service, and will be watching (and hoping) to see if they experience an influx of customers from AT&T and Verizon seeking to leave behind the metered data plans. Hesse himself is a fan of the unlimited concept: he is the owner of an unlimited car washes pass good for an entire year. “I spend more probably than I would without it, but I enjoy not having to pay to wash my car each time.”

Source: ComputerWorld; Via: Engadget

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With webOS available on three of the four major US carriers, there’s no time like the present to kick some dust around and see who comes out on top. According to PCMag.com’s exhaustive cross-country testing of the Sprint, T-Mobile, Verizon, AT&T, and Cricket, Ma Bell came out on top as far as the nationwide averages are concerned. AT&T also took the speed crown in every region of the US excepting the northeast, where T-Mobile dominated.

While it’s little surprise that AT&T took the crown in 3G testing, the network also bested Sprint’s fledgling 4G network when available. The problem turns out to be the WiMax network’s consistency – while tremendous bursts of speed up to 3.14 MB were observed with 4G, when averaged with PCMag’s consistency scoring Sprint’s 3G network usually proved to be faster and reliable. Of course, we expect that to improve and can remember similar growing pains when 3G EVDO and HSDPA first hit the scene.

Of course, we do have to mention that all that was tested here was data speed (and we’re sure AT&T will be touting the results in ads in no time). Being able to download stuff really fast is great and all, but you should always remember to take the entire package of call quality, dropped calls, signal strength in the areas you frequent, and, of course, whether or not they have webOS phones available, when looking for a carrier.

Source: PCMag.com, via Boy Genius Report

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We’ve been trying to stay out of the public and increasingly bitter kerfuffle between Verizon and AT&T and now Apple over maps and coverage and whatnot, but now Big Red has just gone and pulled us in by now going after PreCentral’s current US network of choice (or no choice, if you choose to look at it as such): Sprint.

If you think back to those first wacky Now Network commercials, Sprint was touting their status as “America’s most dependable 3G network.” Their claim is supported by tests done by PC World in July 2009. The testing measured signal strength in 13 US cities; Sprint topped AT&T in every test and Verizon 90% of the time, as well as providing comparable or better wireless speeds.

Verizon takes issue with that claim. A recent study by Nielsen Co. produced results that showed Verizon had fewer dropped or blocked calls than Sprint. As you can see here, we’re looking at two different metrics (signal strength vs. dropped calls, though they are somewhat related). Verizon still took their more recent survey to The National Advertising Division of the Council of Better Business Bureau; the council agreed with Verizon’s case [pdf] and asked that Sprint cease airing the “most dependable” claim.

Sprint, understandably, does not want to comply with the request. As much as some of us love Sprint, to potential customers the only other thing they really could lord over AT&T and Verizon’s heads was that Sprint cost less for the same plans, and now they seem to have been beaten by T-Mobile on that front. Not wanting to give up their new advertising pitch just six months after adopting it, Sprint says that they plan to appeal to the National Advertising Review Board.

[via: Engadget]

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There is hopeful news for those pining for a Palm Pre but are not willing or able to run to Sprint to get it. The Wi-Fi Alliance has just certified a Palm Pre with part number P100UNA along with 850/1900 MHz and UMTS/HSPA. The new part number and certification could mean that the Pre is [...]

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That leaked Palm Pre manual keeps on yielding new info, some of it good, some of it not-so-good. In the category of not-so-good is some news regarding the Pre’s primary music store, Amazon MP3. While Amazon MP3 is a fantastic service and up to this moment it seemed to be have been implemented quite well. But now we know it’s going to come with a limitation that the iTunes Store on the iPhone launched with: no music downloads over 3G.

The application will queue your purchases when on 3G and download them when you get your Pre onto a Wi-Fi network, which for a device that’s supposed to be so mobility-oriented, this is frankly a disappointing development. There is some hope, however. The iPhone’s limitation was imposed by AT&T, though the network eventually relented and iPhone users can suck down as many iTunes purchases over 3G as their battery can handle. Hopefully maybe eventually Sprint and Palm will be convinced that true wireless mobility is the way to go.

Here’s what the manual has to say about this (page 122).

Before you can download items using the Amazon MP3 application on your phone, you must have an Amazon account, and you must read and agree to the MP3 Music service terms and conditions.

You can preview music files and queue them up for download over the Sprint network or a Wi-Fi network. However, you must be connected to a Wi-Fi network to download music files. After you purchase and download items from Amazon MP3, listen to them with your phone’s Music application (see “Listen to Music” on page 118).

Thanks to jayzun and AlwayzRight in our forums for the tip!

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