It’s beginning to look like CDMA iPhone 4S customers may have the edge when it comes to international roaming. Macworld reports that Sprint will be selling their version of the iPhone 4S with an unlocked microSIM card slot right out of the gate.
That’s right: no arguing with CSRs and no warranty-voiding unlock procedures. It would seem that since Sprint knows you’re bound to them for two years… → Read More
The upcoming iPhone 5 will almost certainly be a single phone that supports multiple networks, namely CDMA (such as the one used by Verizon or Sprint in the United States) as well as GSM (which is used by AT&T and T-Mobile in the U.S.).
This has been rumored before, and even at one point half confirmed by a Verizon executive, but nothing like some good old evidence from the field to turn a… → Read More
Never mind tablets, smartphones, and mobile-social-location-photo-sharing apps. Heck, never mind computers. The single most important technology of the last half-century, the one that has drastically changed the day-to-day existence of very nearly everyone on Earth, remains the plain old GSM phone; unloved and half-forgotten in NYC and Silicon Valley, but still used by the billion in the rest of… → Read More
Defcon, the hacker conference, wrapped up yesterday, and while I spent all day knee-deep in Forumula 1 coverage word got out about a $1,500 cellphone interceptor. The device—it’s more of a mishmash of devices kinda of clunked together than a singular device—exploits weaknesses in the GSM phone standard, and could be used to intercept and record the conversations you have on your… → Read More
Bloops. Researchers have figured out how to crack 128-but UMTS 3G technology, thereby putting almost all modern phones in danger. The paper, found here basically describes a 2-hour process and is more a proof-of-concept than anything else. However, it could be used to listen to conversations after the fact. → Read More
Karsten Nohl, a PhD from the University of Virginia, looking dreamy above, has broken A5/1, an algorithm to encrypt G.S.M. cellphone conversation. The hack follows a few steps including the use of a distributed key-gathering sytem to capture and decoding of a number of G.S.M. 64-bit encryption keys, the kind of keys that most cellular operators still use. → Read More
We’re all quite excited here to find out that O2 and Movistar will get the Palm Pre in GSM form, opening the phone up to unlocking, hacking, and all sorts of molestation. UK, Ireland and Germany will get the phone on O2 and Spain will get it from Movistar. When, you ask?
Christmas.
That’s right: by the time Palm pinches off the GSM Pre Apple will have probably released iPod Touches with cameras… → Read More
An internal source at AT&T discussed the problems fixed by the 2.0.2 update, explaining, in no uncomplicated terms, that the update controlled the UMTS power control in the phone. Each iPhone requires a small amount of power from the transmitter and that power is requested by the phone itself. If too many phones ask for too much power at once, the transmitter starts shutting down, resulting in… → Read More
Nothing kills a freeway Pandora jam session faster than the freaky-deaky alien speak that is GSM interference washing out your tunes. Once the pulsing of a GSM phone’s RF transmitter finds its way to a poorly shielded speaker, all hope of actually enjoying the music is lost. If you’re only using the iPod functionality of your iPhone, switching the phone into airplane mode is one… → Read More
By now you’re all familiar with the Palm Centro, so I’ll save all of you from having to read through a list of specs again. Today, Palm announced that an unlocked GSM version of the dainty smartphone is available on the Palm site for $299. Available for free beginning tomorrow for Palm Centro owners is Google Maps for mobile with My Location, which basically approximates your location… → Read More
[photopress:simcards.jpg,full,center] Subscriber Identity Modules, or SIMs, might be on the verge of extinction. SIMs themselves are getting smarter, now capable of doing far more than hold your cell number and a phonebook of your friends. The problem is that most carriers — especially those in the USA — don’t give a rat’s pooper for the capabilities. That means… → Read More
[photopress:rkelly_1.jpg,full,center] If you’re a child porn-loving sicko, your cellphone may soon cease to be your gateway to illicit images, at least if the GSM operators at the MWC in Barcelona have anything to say about it. They’re banding together to block youngster porn on their networks, with the backing of various governments. They’re trying to steer clear of censorship… → Read More
[photopress:F490.jpg,full,center] The uber-hot F490, an Armani-like touchscreen GSM phone with front VGA camera and back 5-megapixel camera just dropped in Europe today for about 500 euros. The F490 has Google Search built-in and uses the Croix UI with haptic feedback and includes a standard 3.5mm jack for audio playback. Expect it on Euro carriers in the next few months and, sadly, not here for a… → Read More
It’s come to my attention that not everyone understands the subtle yet significant differences between GSM and CDMA. We’ve received random e-mails from folks asking how they can get XY phone from AT&T to work on Sprint’s network and it makes me scratch my head. My first instinct is to curse and hit the Spam button, but I slowly realize this individual just doesn’t know… → Read More
Huzzah! After years of keeping its shining light under a bushel, AT&T has finally come out as the biggest, hottest multi-sexual phone carrier in all the world! Have a phone! Use it on AT&T! ConAir! Motorola! GE! An old rotary phone from Grandma’s! Hook it up to AT&Ts wireless network and get calls from Jesus and dead loved ones! That is, if you believe this hype-filled lump that… → Read More
Phone Scoop has it that Verizon is loading up another CDMA/GSM hybrid phone. The RIZR-esque Motorola has a CDMA radio for domestic, Verizon Wireless yakking, and an unlocked GSM side for international roaming. Go to Spain, get a local SIM, pop it in, you’re golden. If you’re local, you get EV-DO, and no matter what flavor of voice you like you get a 2-Megapixel cam and microSD. No date… → Read More
Soon, you’ll be able to get money on your mobile phone no matter where your location. The GSM Association is working with Western Union to develop a cross-border money-transfer service that would work in any country with a GSM network. Together, the two companies are building the technology that would allow customers to transfer funs with their mobile phones. Come Q2 of next year, you might… → Read More
My Mandarin is a little rusty, which is to say it’s non-existent, but I can tell from the picture that this Hyundai W-100 is a watch. Looking closer, going “beyond the headline,” it seems this watch is one of those oh-so-successfuly watch+other thing hybrids. Here, the other thing is a GSM cellphone, one with a built-in MP3 player, touchscreen of some sort (probably not as… → Read More
The Voyager is so awesome, your hand will tremble in fear Oh you heard right my friends. You better watch the hell out come this Autumn, ’cause Verizon has a phone coming out that is going to show that iPhone who’s boss. According to Verizon’s Wireless CMO, the Voyager is not only the “best” phone, but it’s also going to “kill the iPhone”. Strong… → Read More
Want to know why I don’t got to the movies anymore? Because consistently and without fail all the times I’ve gone in the past two years I’ve sat behind or in front of — always very near — people talking on the phone. Seriously. So in leiu of throwing Junior Mints at them, I suspect I’ll just get this portable phone jammer for $166 and cut them off at the source. → Read More
Motorola announced yesterday contracts with China Mobile Communications Corp, which is part of China Mobile Ltd. The new contracts are worth a cool $394 million for which Motorola has supplied China Mobile with GSM infrastructure equipment including the Horizon II Base stations. This isn’t the first time Motorola has worked with China Mobile, and the two companies have had a relationship for… → Read More
Today Verizon Wireless announced that it has entered into an agreement to acquire Rural Cellular Corporation to further enhance the Verizon Wireless’ network coverage in markets adjacent to its existing service areas, and increase coverage by 4.7 million, and customer base by more than 700,000. The terms of the deal would have Verizon Wireless acquire Rural Cellular for approximately $2.67… → Read More
LG Electronics likes to say that “Life’s Good” and for their mobile phone unit, this couldn’t be more true. LG Electronics earned its largest-ever quarterly operating profit in the mobile phone sector, while rival Samsung Electronics actually suffered a decrease in sales. LG’s growth is attributed to an increase in sales of its GSM handsets in Europe as well as Central and South America… → Read More
Nokia today introduces us to a new GSM clamshell, the 6085. A fairly decent mass market phone, the 6085 has all the standard features you’d expect from a phone in this category, including a VGA camera, monochrome external display, Bluetooth and a bonus FM tuner. What makes this phone interesting is that Nokia has decided to add features normally reserved for high-end phones, like support for… → Read More
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