Sprint to get its own iPad

News of an Apple iPhone for Sprint has been making the rounds online. But now there’s new news about an iPad for the Sprint data network.

It could happen before the Xmas shopping season. In the beginning, there was just Apple iPhone and AT&T. And iPad was added to the mix.

Then Apple knighted Verizon Wireless with its own iPhone and iPad.

No. 3 carrier Sprint’s day has arrived. A Sprint iPhone is expected by Oct. 7, though it could be a bit later. Pre-orders for the phone may be taken by the end of September.

MobileBeat pointed out that the timing could make sense: “It wouldn’t be too surprising to see the iPad on Sprint once it does get the iPhone. When the Verizon iPhone was officially announced earlier this year, the carrier was quick to confirm that it would be offering iPads compatible with its network as well.”

Mark Gurman said in 9to5Mac that a Sprint iPad could be good news for consumers: “What’s perhaps most enticing about the Sprint iPad (besides the possibility of 4G) is that Sprint is a lot more generous with its data plans, perhaps offering iPad users once again a truly unlimited data option.”

Sprint and T-Mobile to get the iPhone 5

There is no shortage of iPhone 5 speculation. The latest rumor says that the handset will launch on all four major networks, adding Sprint and T-Mobile to the mix. Whether that it is the actual iPhone 5 or is instead the iPhone 4S is still unclear.

Analyst Chris Larsen notes that the iPhone 5 will be available “on more networks, specifically Sprint and T-Mobile in the US.” He also says this would increase Apple’s market by 30-percent. Android has more and more become a force to be reckoned with. Given its growing industry presence and market share forecast, Apple is wise to consider easily boosting its own user base by expanding to all four major US carriers.

It would also make sense considering the unit shipments Apple has allegedly requested for the iPhone 5 or possibly iPhone 4S. It was recently revealed that Apple had placed hardware orders for the handset, requesting 25 million units be built in 2011, a number that was called “quite aggressive.”

Last month we also heard that Sprint’s research and development team was internally testing the iPhone, but it was uncertain whether the iPhone 4 or iPhone 5 would be the first iOS device to make it to the carrier. There was the possibility that Sprint would introduce the iPhone 4 around the same time as the iPhone 5 makes its debut, a la Verizon’s iPhone unveiling. But now it sounds as if the real deal, next-gen model will be the carrier’s first iPhone.

And of course, T-Mobile customers have always been likely to get the device, considering its pending acquisition by the original iPhone peddler, AT&T.

Sprint releases HTC EVO 3D & HTC View 4G

Sprint has released the HTC EVO 3D, the successor to the highly successful EVO 4G. The new device, which Sprint touts as "America's first glasses-free 3D phone," is $199.99 with a new two-year contract or eligible upgrade.

Also available is the HTC EVO View 4G, which Sprint calls the first 4G-tablet to hit the U.S. The EVO View is $399.99 with a two-year contract.

The EVO 3D takes everything that made the EVO 4G such a huge hit and upgrades it to 2011's hottest technology. That means the device has a 1.2GHz dual-core Snapdragon processor, dual 5-megapixel cameras for capturing 3D images and videos, and a 4.3-inch qHD 3D display. It runs on Android 2.3 (Gingerbread).

The EVO 4G was one of our favorite phones from 2010 so if the EVO 3D is half as good, it'll be a great device.

As for the HTC View 4G, it's a 7-inch touchscreen tablet that's basically the WiMax version of the HTC Flyer. That means it has a single-core 1.5Ghz processor, runs Android 2.3 and has a 1024-by-600 resolution display.

Sprint and LightSquared nearing $20 bln LTE deal

With AT&T and T-Mobile looking to merge to usurp Verizon Wireless as the top mobile provider in the United States, it’s no secret that number three Sprint is going to have to make some serious moves if it hopes to remain a major player in the mobile industry. Sprint recently inked a $1 billion deal for wholesale access to Clearwire’s WiMax network and now Bloomberg is reporting Sprint may be on the verge of a 15-year deal that will see billionaire Philip Falcone’s LightSquared pay up to $20 billion in a broad network sharing and built-out plan.

Citing “two people familiar with the talks,” LightSquared could pay Sprint up to $2 billion a year in the early stages of the contract to help pay for build-out of network services to support LTE 4G mobile broadband; once the network is built out, LightSquared would pay Sprint for access based on the number of customers LightSquared brings to the network, as well as their overall usage patterns.

Reports of Sprint and LightSquared talking about an LTE partnership have been circulating for months. Sprint has committed to investing $5 billion over the next three to five years to upgrade its network of terrestrial base stations to support 4G services on multiple frequencies; the result may be that Sprint’s network could support both LTE and WiMax services with a single set of equipment on a cell tower.

LightSquared has been planning to launch wholesale 4G LTE services in the United States, and claims it is on scheduled to introduced commercial services in early 2012. The company agreed last year to FCC conditions that require the company to offer service to 100 million Americans by the end of 2012 as part of the Obama administration’s national broadband initiative. By 2016, that number needs to climb to 260 million. LightSquared’s existing network design involves using high-powered signals between satellites and ground-based stations, and has drawn criticism from the likes of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration and the U.S. Air Force Space Command over concerns it will interfere with low-power GPS systems that use nearby frequencies.

Industry reports have also had LightSquared in discussions with AT&T about leasing LTE network capacity.

Sprint launches International 4G Roaming service

America's third-largest network, Sprint, has launched international 4G roaming plans in Jamaica and Taiwan.

For $14.99 a day, one can subsribe to unlimited, 24-hour 4G wireless service while travelling to either country. Devices equipped with Sprint Smartview Connection Manager software, which automatically connects your phone to one of these networks, will be able to access the service.

"Sprint customers traveling to Jamaica and Taiwan will be able to access the Digicel and Global Mobile 4G networks for mobile downloads, video-chat capabilities and turbo-charged Web browsing at 4G speeds," the company said.

Sprint customers will also be able to roam on these additional networks using Sprint's 3G/4G U600 USB 4G-enabled mobile broadband modem.

Sprint may have been the first to offer 4G speeds via WiMax technology, but several other carriers have stepped up to the plate. Verizon launched LTE in December, while AT&T and T-Mobile have adopted HSPA+.

Sprint offers 4G in 71 U.S. markets.

Sprint unveils Dell Netbook and Notebook

Sprint and Dell has announced the first dual-mode 3G/4G-embedded netbook and notebook, the Dell Inspiron Mini 10 netbook and Inspiron 11z notebook.

Adib, Sprint's vice president of product development said "The addition of these two exciting 4G-embedded Dell products fits nicely within our current ecosystem of fixed and dual-mode devices that also includes phones, mobile broadband cards, mobile hotspots, and routers."

Both devices come with Windows Live Essentials 2011 pre-installed to help users share and sync content on the web and on their PCs and phones. Some of the products included in Windows Live are Hotmail, Messenger, SkyDrive, and Photo Gallery.

The Mini 10 netbook comes with a Windows 7 Starter. It features a 1.66-GHz Intel Atom processor, a 10.1-inch screen with 1,024-by-600 resolution, 1GB of memory, and a 250GB hard drive. The Mini 10 will be available to business customers on Oct. 31. It will hit Sprint stores and the Web on Nov. 14. The device is free with a $100 mail-in rebate for those who sign a two-year contract.

The Inspiron 11z notebook on the other hand has a 1.2-GHz Intel Core processor, an 11.6-inch screen with 1,366-by-768 resolution, 2GB of memory (expandable to 4GB), HDMI out, and a 250GB hard drive. The 11z will be available starting Nov. 14 in Sprint stores and online. It will be $149.99 after a $100 mail-in rebate and two-year service agreement.