AT&T - 30/38 - Android Police - Android News, Apps, Games, Phones, Tablets

Mar

AT&T Putting The Smack Down On Unauthorized Tethering

Posted by Will Shanklin in AT&T, News

AT&T users who have been tethering their phones' data plans under the radar (either using MyWi on a jailbroken iPhone, or one of many apps like Wireless Tether for Root Users on a rooted Android phone) have been receiving a little nudge from AT&T asking them to sign up for a tethering plan - or face possibly getting signed up for it without consent.

In a lengthy email, AT&T writes "Tethering can be an efficient way for our customers to enjoy the benefits of AT&T’s mobile broadband network and use more than one device to stay in touch with important people and information.

Mar

Which Carrier's Network Is Really The Fastest? One Study Attempts To Answer

Posted by Will Shanklin in AT&T, News, Sprint, T-Mobile, Verizon Wireless

They say "talk is cheap" - and these days it seems like every major US wireless carrier is claiming to have the fastest 4G (of course 4G is a highly debatable marketing term that describes three vastly different networks, but that's fodder for another post altogether). It's relatively easy to tune all of the marketing hype out but, when presented with some solid numbers, it gets easier to pay attention. PC World has tried to give us some raw data to work with in their profiling of the data speeds on the four major providers.

There are, however, a couple of very important things to keep in mind before viewing these results:

PC World measured the best service they could get (whether 3G or 4G) over 260 locations in 13 cities.

Mar

[Updated] Did AT&T Just (Sort Of) Address Capped Uploads On Atrix And Inspire?

Posted by Will Shanklin in AT&T, News, Rumors

Update: In response to a Better Business Bureau complaint against AT&T for capping upload speeds, the wireless carrier has acknowledged that HSUPA is not currently available and insists that customers "will continue to have a world class experience" (obviously dismissing the fact that some customers' experiences are far from world class).

AT&T points out that the speeds were not "capped," but are simply not HSUPA-capable. While this does accurately reflect that the carrier was not intentionally throttling data speeds, it seems to only distract from the fact that, on the customer's end, the result is the same.

They say they are currently in the process of testing HSUPA, which will enable high-speed uploads that many customers were led to believe they would have from the beginning.

Mar

The Four-Gees Comparison: Which Carrier Should You Be Looking To For Your 4G Android Phone?

Posted by David Ruddock in AT&T, Carriers, Editorials, Off-Topic, Sprint, T-Mobile, Verizon Wireless

Last Updated: March 30th, 2011

4G is here - and it seems like all four of America's biggest carriers are more than happy to advertise the fact that they've got it. Sprint was first on the scene - offering their WiMax 4G, and T-Mobile shortly thereafter began its upgrade to HSPA+ technology. Verizon was next, providing mobile broadband LTE via USB dongle for laptops, though its much-awaited debut 4G handset, the Thunderbolt, has yet to hit shelves after numerous delays. Finally, lagging behind in truly characteristic fashion, AT&T has begun to roll out its own HSPA+ network, with plans to offer LTE in the second half of the year.

Mar

[Update: Root No Longer Required] XDA Team Enables Webtop Over HDMI For Everyone With A Rooted Atrix

Posted by Zak Stinson in AT&T, Atrix 4G (Olympus), Development, News, Tips & Tutorials

Last Updated: March 13th, 2011

At the leading edge of this new wave of dual-core superphones is the Motorola Atrix. One of the major innovations of this device, besides the next-level processing power and fingerprint scanner, is Webtop - the desktop-style interface available when the Atrix is docked. By plugging into the HD multimedia or laptop dock (sold separately of course), you can interact with the phone on a larger display while using an internet browser, file explorer and Facebook in a pseudo-desktop environment.

While the feature is pretty nifty, the price tag isn't. The cost of the docks may have come down since the release of the Atrix, but $400 for the laptop version is still prohibitively expensive for some.

Feb

That Was Quick: The Motorola Atrix 4G Now Has Its First Custom ROM

Posted by Will Shanklin in Atrix 4G (Olympus), Development, News

If you're among the early adopters of Motorola's Atrix 4G, you can now install a custom ROM that may give you more flexibility with your snazzy new phone. Developer Design Gears' Adeo ROM is now available for download. While this may not be a ROM that will show any immediately mind-blowing changes to the typical end user, it gives you a reboot option, and more importantly, it's deodexed, which is an important first step that will allow developers and advanced users greater power to modify and replace apps APK files.

While one can install the ROM whether rooted or not, this brings some tricky caveats along with it:

you cannot do a factory reset, or you could end up bricking your prized Atrix
you cannot ever pull the battery, or risk suffering the wrath of the Atrix gods (or something like that)

A tutorial/review of the ROM has hit YouTube, courtesy of MobileTechVideos:

As you can probably tell, the direct usefulness of this one is really going to depend on your level of experience and whether you're a developer or not.

Feb

Android 2.2 Is Here For HTC's Aria

Posted by Zak Stinson in Android OS, Aria (Liberty), AT&T, Froyo 2.2, News

Just as promised, AT&T unleashed the Froyo update for the HTC Aria today. They provided a link to HTC's official download site, complete with instructions for applying the update and a warning that application will result in a hard reset of your phone. The mandatory reset does seem like a great idea, as the issues that plagued the Epic Froyo update were reportedly solved via a hard reset.

There hasn't been any word of major issues with the update - in fact, some users are praising it on AT&T's Facebook page, though this may be due to the small number of people who have actually gotten their hands on it.

Feb

Updated: [Deal Alert] Walmart Wireless/LetsTalk Now Selling Motorola Atrix 4G + Laptop Dock Bundle For $250 On Contract

Posted by Jaroslav Stekl in AT&T, Atrix 4G (Olympus), Deals, Motorola

Update: LetsTalk/Walmart Wireless now says "this product is no longer available." When we called them, we were told the sale was a mistake. We aren't yet sure whether the $250 price will be honored for customers who already bought the bundle.

We've already seen some surprisingly hot deals on the powerhouse of a phone that is the Atrix 4G, but LetsTalk/Walmart Wireless' latest offer tops everything. Thanks to them, you can now snag both the Atrix 4G and its laptop dock for just $250 - half of AT&T's price.

The deal is, of course, available only to customers signing up for a new two-year contract (the off-contract price for the bundle is still $1,099.99), but nonetheless, if you've been waiting to pick up an Atrix, this is the perfect opportunity.

Feb

HTC Desire HD, Desire Z, Incredible S Set To Join The Gingerbread Club, But...

Posted by David Ruddock in Desire HD (Ace), Desire Z (Vision), EVO Shift 4G (Speedy), G2 (Vision), Gingerbread 2.3, HTC, Incredible S (Vivo), Merge, News, Thunderbolt (Mecha)

SlashGear has confirmed with HTC today that the Desire HD, Desire Z, and Incredible S (along with the standard Desire) will be receiving the bump to Gingerbread some time in the second quarter of this year. But, there's a potential caveat: US phones might not be included.

It remains unknown if HTC was also referring to carrier-branded versions of the aforementioned devices in its statement, and if it was, if those devices would be receiving updates at the same time as their unlocked, HTC-branded siblings. Phones in this category include the HTC Thunderbolt and Inspire 4G (both based on the Desire HD), as well as T-Mobile's G2, the EVO Shift 4G, and possibly the HTC Merge (all based on the Desire Z).

Feb

Android 2.2 "Froyo" Update For HTC Aria To Be Available Tomorrow, February 25th

Posted by Nate Kimmey in Aria (Liberty), Froyo 2.2, News

It's been a long time coming, but AT&T is finally about to show some love to the HTC Aria: they've announced via their Facebook page that an update to Froyo will be made available tomorrow. The post tells users to check back tomorrow to "learn how to download the update," so this might not be a nice and easy over-the-air procedure. But at least it tells us that one manufacturer is still developing for its older devices.