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Sprint mentioned a nice nugget of information at the end of their main device strategy briefing for the new 4G LTE network they’ve announced. 15 new CMDA/LTE smartphones, tablets and datacards will be coming in 2012 as they look to provide devices for consumers to take advantage of the new network right away.
This is a huge goal compared to other carriers who usually only have a handful of capable non-hotspot and non-modem devices within a year of launching their networks. Motorola is confirmed to be a major provider of a 4G phone for Sprint in 2012 and we’re sure many others are in line. No specific information on any of that yet but we imagine we’ll learn more in the first half of next year.
Considering that Qualcomm is making most of CDMA carriers’ radios, this number is actually pretty low cause Qualcomm is making GSM/CDMA/LTE combo radios.
I don’t think it’s low just because Qualcomm is making multimode radios. It’s not always about what’s technically possible and how many compatible devices are already available. A lot of logistics go into device launches, especially for ones that take advantage of a new network. Again, 15 devices in half a year is above the curve for 4G devices in America.
Sprint has been doing a great job with device launches the last few years. Hell, VZW just finally release a phone that is both dual core and 4G, for over 6 months you had to choose one or the other on VZW. Sprints got what.. 3 or 4 phones that are BOTH dual core AND 4G.
Still fuming that I’m 1 day past my return date on my Epic Touch……..
You don’t like it?
I’m glad my upgrade will be in August 2012 and will just be in time for any LTE devices.
Yes, it’s about time that my loyalty to Sprint pays off.
That settles that, I will keep my EVO 3D until 2013 and wait for LTE phones. The Epic touch and Nexus prime are sexy though.
I’ll wait until it’s actually available in my area until I upgrade…and all of my lines are eligible for upgrades right now.
Could the prime be their first phone for this?? I hope so that would be amazing! :D
We can flush the resale value of our current phones down the toilet now.
this is a good move, sticking with Wimax would have been a mistake, all tech gets outdated anyway so its not like you were going to get alot for your phone anyhow
Not true, I have sold my last 3 phones for $400, all at least a year old.
@black_man_x The Panda King
Fail sprint… clearly they need a good lte engineering team. 1900mhz is horrible for lte almost as bad as wimax for penetration
Their whole CDMA network is 1900mhz. 1900 Mhz blows 2500mhz to hell and back.
Who said anything about 2500 mhz? I was just relaying what was tweeted from someone who tests phones before they are out so pretty sure he knows what he is talking about
if you think about it it’s actually a very SMART idea for sprint….if given the choice of the 800mhz vs 1900mhz us technies would obviously prefer the 1900mhz but…
you have to realize the technies dont’ fuel large revenue..they are simply a minority…the majority uses the voice service…..so the next logical step for you to think about is to provide better voice service, that’s how verizon took over as the number 1 carrier..it’s because their voice service/coverage is awesome……and it’s largely due in part because of the frequency they use…the 850mhz…so *shrug*..you can write off voice calling all you want..but the majority still want reliable voice service….just my two cents..*shrug*
What’s a technie?
so what about the people like me that have been blowing money on wimax devices waiting for it to hit our area? are they going to offer us an early upgrade, or are we just screwed? im in the metro detroit area, an area that should have had wimax long before some of these other areas.
I would have to say no. WiMax is for the most part dead. I have been talking with Sprint for the better part of 2 weeks about thier crazy slow 3g speeds and how I am am stuck on a WiMax device that will never touch a Wimax signal and paying for that Smart phone data crap with speed upwards of 100k. They said i would get 4g in the coming years but they did not say if it would be WiMax or LTE. I am really pissed….
The switch to LTE will be painful but it is something they had to do. That’s the price of being ‘first’
Sprint should have shut down iDEN a long time ago so that they could have started deploying 800 MHz LTE now. To deploy LTE in 2012 by using 1900 MHz is crazy. They will be affecting their 3G customers that are now on 1900 MHz. Sprint has had more than ample time to have forced iDEN customers over to CDMA.
Guess I better sell my Evo 3D sooner rather than later, since it won’t be 4G for long.
if youre in a 4G area now, youll still get 4G for quite some time (2+ years). Once they start lighting 4G LTE up next year, they’re not going to just shut down WiMax overnight.
True but it still loses value as that tech won’t be in use indefinitely.
right but no tech will…. CDMA will eventually go bye ye and so will LTE one day…
enough said what about the signal penetration, is sprint going to have that in place???????