AT&T - 29/38 - Android Police - Android News, Apps, Games, Phones, Tablets

Mar

[Updated] AT&T Is Buying T-Mobile USA; As The Dust Settles, What Are Your Thoughts? [Weekend Poll]

Posted by Aaron Gingrich in AT&T, Carriers, News, Polls, T-Mobile

Last Updated: September 3rd, 2011

In a move that comes way out of left field, AT&T and T-Mobile officially announced today that the former will be buying the latter for $39 billion. This is contrary to what we've been hearing around the 'net that Sprint was the one likely to be making the purchase, but in some ways, a merger with AT&T does make more sense.

For starters, AT&T and T-Mobile both use GSM, while Sprint relies on CDMA. Taking things a step further, AT&T and T-Mobile are both building out HSPA+ for their "4G" network now and have LTE spectrum in their arsenal, while Sprint uses WiMAX (although rumor has it they're making a switch to LTE).

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

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

It's Official: Samsung Captivate Froyo Update Now Available Through Kies Mini

Posted by Aaron Gingrich in AT&T, Captivate, Froyo 2.2, News

It looks like the Captivate is the next domino to fall, much as expected: AT&T just confirmed via twitter that the Froyo update is now available for Captivate owners through Kies Mini. Similarly, that support page we stumbled upon last week before being pulled has gone back up, and it looks just like it did then.

Obviously as the update is done through Kies Mini, you'll need that to start. Once you've got Kies all ready to go, you need to do a minor amount of jiggering to get the update installed. Not quite as easy as most OTAs, but nothing too strenuous either.

Feb

Samsung Captivate To Get Froyo Update February 24th

Posted by Jaroslav Stekl in AT&T, Captivate, Froyo 2.2, News, Samsung

Last Updated: February 24th, 2011

The final pieces of the Galaxy S Froyo puzzle are finally falling into place - AT&T's Captivate, one the two remaining GS devices still stuck on Éclair, is now scheduled to get the update to Android 2.2 tomorrow (2/24)! While you're waiting, be sure to check out AT&T's Q&A with Dante Martin video, which attempts to explain the delay behind Android software updates - let us know what you think of his excuses via the comments below.

P.S. Here's the complete changelog, as seen in the support page that leaked out a while back:

Home Screen:

New Home screen tips widget assists new users on how to configure the home screen with shortcuts and widgets and how to make use of multiple home screens.