Motorola said its fantastical modular dual-core smartphone the Atrix 4G would appear in the first quarter of the year -- and it's looking like the device will be as late in that first quarter as can be managed without completely bumming us out. Alleged AT&T internal documents found their way into the hands of Android Central, which specify a March 1st launch date for the handset, as well as pointing out pentaband radio frequencies which might help it roam globally but probably won't play nice with T-Mobile data. And what, pray tell, is the Atrix 4G?
It looks like Sprint's finalizing details with HTC as we speak to rollout Froyo as early as tomorrow on the EVO 4G according to the carrier's plans, which were leaked. According to Engadget, which obtained the plans, the firmware update could be done over the air via 3G/4G/WiFi connected devices and could come as early as 7/30. Initially, if customers want to upgrade to Android 2.2, they can manually check for the update. Sprint will begin pushing out update notifications on August 2.
San Francisco has hired Motorola to create a 4G infrastructure utilizing Long-Term Evolution, or LTE, technology for the city's data network, which will only be accessible for public safety services and law enforcement. According to Motorola's press release, "As part of the Bay Area Regional Interoperable Communications System (BayRICS) plan, the system will serve multiple agencies across the greater bay area, including San Francisco, Alameda County/Oakland, Contra Costa County, as well as the cities of Santa Clara and Sunnyvale." The Bay Area governments' 4G network will operate in the 700 MHz spectrum.
After hooking up with Sprint to bring 3G mobile access to laptops and netbooks with wireless modems through its Best Buy Connect program, the electronics retailer is now partnering with Clearwire to bring 4G WiMax services to its customers. While the 3G version of the Best Buy Connect plan is currently already offered, the 4G service won't happen until 2011. Best Buy Connect is similar to the data plans you would get from carriers, such as Sprint, Verizon Wireless, AT&T, and T-Mobile. You'd choose your equipment--whether it'd be a laptop with an embedded modem, a MiFi-style router, or a USB data stick--and then add the plan and select the length of the contract. Best Buy's 4G Connect services is expected to launch on devices next year and will probably follow a contract-free, 1-year, and 2-year subscription model that it offers for 3G services, with the amount of subsidy varying between the length of contract. The company says that it will release pricing details closer to launch. 4G is currently available in a limited number of cities, but a nationwide rollout is expected to happen soon to expand the scope of service.
It may be America's first 4G smartphone, but if we had to guess, we'd surmise that not everyone sees it as perfect. Even if we (almost) did. HTC's EVO 4G was (and still is) a showstopper of epic proportions, boasting one of the largest screens in the smartphone universe and offering blistering speed under the hood. But with phone innovation happening faster than anyone could've ever imagined just a few years ago, we're sure that some ideas have been planted in your head since its launch earlier in the year. For those who've been toying with this here phone, we're keenly interested in learning how you'd change things if given the chance. Would you offer a 3G-only version for those uninterested in paying that extra $10 / month surcharge? Would you be a lot more satisfied with Android 2.2 loaded on? Toss it over to another carrier? Go on and get vocal in comments below, cool?
