Showing posts with label Motorola. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Motorola. Show all posts

AT&T Service Plans and Coverage Review

AT&T is one of the largest wireless service providers in the United States, offering a variety of service plans and extensive coverage across the country. Here is a review of AT&T's service plans and coverage:

Plans: AT&T offers a range of postpaid (contract) and prepaid plans to suit different needs. These plans typically include unlimited talk and text, with varying data allowances and speeds. Customers can choose from different plan options based on their usage requirements and budget.

Coverage: AT&T provides nationwide coverage across the United States, including both urban and rural areas. Their network covers a significant portion of the country, offering reliable connectivity in many locations.  AT&T operates on a combination of 3G, 4G LTE, and 5G networks, with 5G being the latest generation of wireless technology. The coverage and speeds offered by AT&T's networks have improved over the years, but they can still vary depending on factors such as signal strength, network congestion, and the type of device you're using.  

5G Network: AT&T has been investing in the deployment of 5G technology. They offer 5G coverage in select cities and continue to expand their network. It's important to note that 5G coverage may vary depending on your location and device compatibility.  AT&T's 5G network utilizes both low-band and high-band frequencies to provide broad coverage and faster speeds. AT&T's low-band 5G, also known as 5G Evolution, operates on sub-6 GHz frequencies, offering enhanced coverage compared to higher-frequency bands. This enables better penetration through buildings and obstacles. However, the speeds of low-band 5G may not be significantly faster than 4G LTE in some cases.

AT&T's network covers about 68% of the United States. This is 2% less than Verizon and 6% more than T-Mobile. AT&T has solid coverage in major cities, but not in rural areas. AT&T has the second-most 4G LTE coverage and the second-most 5G coverage of the major carriers. AT&T has the best latency. 

AT&T also deploys high-band 5G, commonly referred to as mmWave, in select areas. mmWave technology delivers extremely high speeds and low latency but has a shorter range and is more susceptible to obstructions like buildings and trees. Consequently, its coverage is typically limited to densely populated urban areas. In urban and suburban areas, AT&T generally offers good coverage and fast data speeds. 

The 5G network rollout is an ongoing process, and coverage availability and speeds may vary depending on your location. For the most up-to-date information on AT&T's 5G network and its coverage in your area, it is recommended to visit AT&T's official website or contact their customer support.

Unlimited Plans: AT&T offers unlimited data plans that provide unlimited talk, text, and data usage. These plans may have different data deprioritization thresholds, meaning that after a certain threshold of data usage, speeds may be temporarily reduced during times of network congestion.

Shared Data Plans: AT&T provides shared data plans, where multiple lines can share a pool of data. This can be a cost-effective option for families or groups with multiple lines.

Device Selection: AT&T offers a wide selection of smartphones and other devices for purchase. Customers can choose from flagship devices, mid-range options, and budget-friendly devices. They also support Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) programs, allowing customers to use their own compatible devices on the network.

Customer Service: AT&T has customer service channels available, including phone support, online chat, and in-store assistance at AT&T retail locations.

How to check your signal strength: You can check your AT&T signal strength by navigating to http://att.manager or http://192.168.1.1 from a connected device. The LTE icon will be displayed in the top right corner of the AT&T manager site when connected to 4G LTE. The Signal Bars display the connection strength. 

AT&T Coverage map
Other Reviews:
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How To Get The Newest AT&T 5G Phone Deal for $1 Per Month With No Trade-in Required

$1 per month phone deals

Terms and conditions on new smartphone deals for both new and existing customers get our best smartphone deals.

Promotion value varies by which new device is being purchased and the value of your trade-in device.

Up to $800 max bill credit with the purchase of Samsung Galaxy S22, S22+, S22 Ultra 5G, Z Flip3, Z Fold3 5G or Google Pixel 6/ 6 Pro and trade-in a smartphone valued at $35 or above prior to completing condition assessment

Up to $700 max bill credit with the purchase of Apple iPhone 13, 13 mini, 13 Pro, 13 Pro Max, and trade-in a smartphone valued at $95 or above after condition assessment

Up to $350 max bill credit with the purchase of Apple iPhone 13, 13 mini, 13 Pro, 13 Pro Max and trade-in a smartphone valued between $35 and $94.99 after condition assessment

Up to $300 max bill credit with the purchase of Apple iPad Air (2020) and trade-in any device valued at $20 or above after condition assessment

Limited time offer. Available in select locations.

How to redeem smartphone offers:

Purchase eligible device on a qualifying installment agreement including taxes on full retail price (upfront) and a $30 activation/upgrade fee.

Add a new line of service or upgrade an existing line.

Activate postpaid unlimited wireless service (min. $75/mo. for new unlimited customers before discounts). AT&T may temporarily slow data speeds if the network is busy.

Trade in an eligible Smartphone within 30 days of activation

Use code TRADEOFFER22 at checkout for smartphone offers and 300TRADE for tablets, watches, and connected device offers. Trade-in value will reflect Promotion Selected after entering code as value is given via monthly bill credits

Important Notes:

The phone number entered on the trade-in should match the phone number of the device purchased. If a different number is entered it could impact promotion eligibility

Credits start within 3 bills after trade-in is completed and will be applied in equal amounts over the term of an installment agreement. You will receive catch-up credits once bill credits start. Credit will not exceed the lower of the device cost or the max credit amount as defined above.

If you cancel wireless service, your credits will end and you’ll owe the remaining balance on the installment agreement for the device purchased.

For new lines, if you cancel service on any other line on your account within 90 days of activating the line under this offer, device credits will stop.

If buying on the AT&T Installment Plan with Next Up, the customer is responsible and will not receive any credits for the additional $5/mo. Next Up upgrade feature.

Qualifying Installment Plan:

Requires a qualifying 0% APR installment agreement (36-mo. term from $13.89/mo. up to $52.78/mo. based on device purchased) Other installment options may be available and vary by location.

$0 down for well-qualified customers only or down payment may be required and depends on a variety of factors.

Eligible Trade-in Smartphones:

This is not an early upgrade program. The Trade-in device may not be on the existing installment plan and trade-in does not relieve obligations under any AT&T installment agreement program or other AT&T Return and Exchange programs.

Eligible trade-in devices are subject to change at any time and without notice.

Eligible Trade-in Smartphones for $700 Apple iPhone 13 series (Using code TRADEOFFER22):

Must meet AT&T Trade-in Program requirements and have a minimum trade-in value of $95 after device condition assessment has been completed.

Eligible devices:

Apple: iPhone X, XR, XS, XS Max, 11, 11 Pro, 11 Pro Max, 12, 12 mini, 12 Pro, 12 Pro Max, 13, 13 mini, 13 Pro, 13 Pro Max, SE (3rdGen)

Samsung: S10, S10+, S10 5G, S10e, S10 Lite, Note10, Fold, Fold 5G, S20 5G, S20 Ultra 5G, S20+, Note10+, Note10+ 5G, Note20, Note20 Ultra 5G, S20 FE, S20 FE 5G, S21 5G, S21+ 5G, S21 Ultra 5G, S22, S22+, S22 Ultra, ZFold2 5G, Z Flip, Z Flip 5G, Z Flip3 5G, Z Fold3 5G

Google: Pixel 4, Pixel 4 XL, Pixel 4a, Pixel 5, Pixel 5a, Pixel 6, Pixel 6 Pro

LG: V60 ThinQ, Wing 5G

Other: OnePlus 9 5G, OnePlus 9 Pro 5G, ZTE Red Magic 3, Microsoft Surface Duo

Eligible Trade-in Smartphones for $800 Samsung Galaxy S22, S22+, S22 Ultra 5G, Z Flip3, Z Fold3 5G, Google Pixel 6/6 Pro (Using code TRADEOFFER22):

Must meet AT&T Trade-in Program requirements and have a trade-in value of $35+ before device condition assessment has been completed or a Samsung Galaxy S/Note in any condition.

Eligible devices:

Apple: iPhone 7, 7 Plus, SE (2nd Gen), SE (3rdGen), iPhone 8, 8+, X, XR, XS, XS Max, 11, 11 Pro, 11 Pro Max, 12, 12 mini, 12 Pro, 12 Pro Max, 13, 13 mini, 13 Pro, 13 Pro Max

Samsung: S, S 4G, S Aviator, SL, S Blaze, S Duos, S Duos 2, S Glide, SII, SII HD, SII LTE SII Plus, SII Skyrocket, SII X, SIII, SIII Mini, SIII Mini VE, S Lightray 4G, S Plus, S Relay, S Showcase, S Vibrant, S3 Neo, S4, S4 Active, S4 BE, S4 Duos, S4 Mini, S4 Triband, S4 X, S4 Zoom, S5, S5 Mini, S5 Sport, S5 Active, S6, S6 Active, Edge+ Duos, S6 Edge, S6 Edge TD, S6 Edge+, S7, S7 Active, S7 Edge, S8, S8 Active, S8 Duos, A50, A50s, A51, A70, S8+, S9, S9+, S9+ Duos, A71, A71 5G, S10, S10+, S10 5G, S10e, S10 Lite, Note, Note II, Note3, Note3 Neo, Note4, Note4 Duos, Note4 S, Note Edge, Note5, Note5 Duos, Note7, Note8, Note9, Note10, S20, S20 5G, S20+, S22, S22+, S22 Ultra, Note10+, Note10+ 5G, Z Flip, S20 FE, S20 FE 5G, S21 5G, XCover Pro, Fold, Fold 5G, S20 Ultra 5G, Note20, Note20 Ultra 5G, S21+ 5G, S21 Ultra 5G, ZFold2 5G, Z Flip3 5G, Z Fold3 5G

Google: Pixel 3, 3 XL, 3a, 3a XL, 4, Pixel 4 XL, Pixel 4a, Pixel 5, Pixel 5a, Pixel 6, Pixel 6 Pro

LG: Stylo 6, V50 ThinQ, V60 ThinQ, Wing 5G

Other: Moto Z4, Razer 2, OnePlus 6T, OnePlus 7 Pro, OnePlus 7 Pro 5G, OnePlus 7T, OnePlus 7T Pro 5G McLaren, Nord10, Asus Rog Phone2, Moto Edge+, Moto Z4, Moto G Stylus 5G, OnePlus 8 5G, OnePlus 8 Pro, OnePlus 8T, OnePlus 8T+, moto razr 5G, ZTE Red Magic 3, Microsoft Surface Duo, OnePlus 9 5G, OnePlus 9 Pro 5G

Eligible Trade-in Smartphones for $350 Apple iPhone 13 series (Using code TRADEOFFER22):

Must meet AT&T Trade-in Program requirements and have a trade-in value of $35-94.99 after device condition assessment has been completed.

Eligible devices:

Apple: iPhone 7, 7 Plus, SE (2nd Gen), SE (3rdGen), iPhone 8, 8+, X, XR, XS, XS Max, 11, 11 Pro, 11 Pro Max, 12, 12 mini, 12 Pro, 12 Pro Max, 13, 13 mini, 13 Pro, 13 Pro Max

Samsung: A50, A50s, A51, A70, S, S 4G, S Aviator, SL, S Blaze, S Duos, S Duos 2, S Glide, SII, SII HD, SII LTE SII Plus, SII Skyrocket, SII X, SIII, SIII Mini, SIII Mini VE, S Lightray 4G, S Plus, S Relay, S Showcase, S Vibrant, S3 Neo, S4, S4 Active, S4 BE, S4 Duos, S4 Mini, S4 Triband, S4 X, S4 Zoom, S5, S5 Mini, S5 Sport, S5 Active, S6, S6 Active, Edge+ Duos, S6 Edge, S6 Edge TD, S6 Edge+, S7, S7 Active, S7 Edge, S8, S8+, S8 Active, S8 Duos S9, S9+, S9+ Duos, Note, Note II, Note3, Note3 Neo, Note4, Note4 Duos, Note4 S, Note Edge, Note5, Note5 Duos, Note7, Note8, Note9, A71, A71 5G, S10, S10+, S10 5G, S10e, S10 Lite, Note10, Fold, Fold 5G, S20 5G, S20 Ultra 5G, S20+, S22, S22+, S22 Ultra, Note10+, Note10+ 5G, Note20, Note20 Ultra 5G, Z Flip, S20 FE, S20 FE 5G, S21 5G, S21+ 5G, S21 Ultra 5G, ZFold2 5G, Z Flip3 5G, Z Fold3 5G

Google: Pixel 3, 3 XL, 3a, 3a XL, 4, Pixel 4 XL, Pixel 4a, Pixel 5, Pixel 5a, Pixel 6, Pixel 6 Pro

LG: Stylo 6, V50 ThinQ, V60 ThinQ, Wing 5G

Other: Moto Z4, Moto G Stylus 5G, Razer 2, OnePlus 6T, OnePlus 7 Pro, OnePlus 7 Pro 5G, OnePlus 7T, OnePlus 7T Pro 5G McLaren, Nord10, Asus Rog Phone2, OnePlus 8 5G, OnePlus 8 Pro, moto razr 5G, ZTE Red Magic 3, Microsoft Surface Duo

Eligible Trade-in devices for $300 Apple iPad Air (2020) (Using code 300TRADE):

Must meet AT&T Trade-in Program requirements and have a trade-in value of $20+ after device condition assessment has been completed.

Smartphones listed for the $800/$350 offer are eligible along with additional smartphones, tablets, and watches.

Discover your device value at https://tradein.att.com/start-trade/find/devices

Additional Terms:

See att.com/unlimited for current unlimited plans. Retired unlimited plans may also qualify (excluding prepaid, session-based, and Data Unlimited at $45/mo. plans). Speed, usage & other restrictions apply.

Trade-in smartphones must meet AT&T Trade-In Program requirements and meet the minimum trade-in value requirements when AT&T takes possession of the trade-in device.

Must complete trade-in within 30 days from activation of the new phone.

If the trade-in value of the device is greater than the credit you are eligible for under this offer, you may receive a one-time trade-in credit (value via instant credit or promo card) in lieu of this bill credit offer.

To qualify for bill credits, the wireless line must be on an installment agreement, and remain active & in good standing for 30 days.

The installment agreement starts when the device is shipped.

To get all the credits, the discounted device must remain on the installment agreement and you must keep eligible service for the entire installment term.

If you upgrade or pay up/off the installment agreement on the discounted device early, your credits may cease.

You have 14 days to exchange or return the smartphone; a restocking fee of up to $55 may apply.

Pricing, promotions, programming, terms & restrictions are subject to change & may be modified or terminated at any time without notice.

‎Flip Phone‬ vs ‪iPhone Voice Quality. Which is Better?

This teen ditched her iPhone for a flip phone and she's never been happier 

Remember the good old days before smartphones? No, we don't mean the days of BlackBerrys. We're talking old school. We're talking about the era of flip phones. One teenager is looking to bring those days back. In a post on Seventeen.com titled "I Traded My iPhone for a Flip Phone and I've Never Been Happier," teen Janey Litvin talks about the reasons she ditched her iPhone in favor of a simple, almost extinct flip phone.

It doesn't take a genius to figure out which has been voice quality.   Read more

Which Hardware Manufacturers Have the Most Reception Problems?

Mobile Hardware Manufacturer Visitors to Deadcellzones.com
It's hard to conclude that just because Samsung and Apple have the most users that they have the most coverage problems.  So we broke down our data in two charts.  The first is a pie chart explaining the number of users and the last chart explains which users are most engaged.  

Apple and Samsung had by far the most sessions on Deadcellzones.com but not the most engaged users according to our data analysis below.   What can we conclude from this?  I will leave that conclusion up to you.  

We ranked the number of sessions on our site as well as the engagement below.  

If you like this information you might enjoy reading top ISPs & companies will poor cell phone reception and  where are our visitors from.

Brand Sessions Time on Site Pages Bounce Rate
Apple 530529 48.39 1.93 68%
Samsung 326741 74.25 2.29 37%
LG 68374 77.50 2.27 35%
Motorola 60405 71.07 2.22 42%
HTC 50217 105.05 2.17 42%
Amazon 28087 79.02 3.09 37%
Google 19086 73.32 2.34 44%
Nokia 10544 66.68 2.41 52%
ZTE 10526 130.10 2.29 31%
Huawei 5498 93.45 1.90 39%
Alcatel 5462 115.34 2.34 28%
Blackberry 5358 102.38 2.07 49%
Kyocera 4621 67.02 2.64 31%
Mozilla 3776 142.63 1.90 32%
Microsoft 3636 55.70 2.37 33%
Sony 3248 47.18 2.39 41%
Asus 3132 87.01 2.35 33%
Barnes and Noble 3033 223.44 2.30 30%
Acer 2087 188.62 2.48 30%
Casio 1467 71.35 2.53 44%
Toshiba 1345 199.08 1.54 31%
Pantech 1164 84.43 2.09 38%
Ellipsis 1045 54.80 2.74 47%
Lenovo 1041 50.11 2.20 24%
RCA 883 33.91 1.55 40%
Nextbook 723 105.33 2.15 36%
Quanta 663 94.06 1.96 15%
Blu 640 7.30 2.23 40%
Fujitsu 462 86.67 1.82 78%
HP 402 14.25 1.87 58%
Dell 361 35.32 1.53 43%
Hisense 321 59.20 2.15 7%
Sharp 321 30.11 1.82 71%
DoCoMo 180 139.52 3.49 18%
Vizio 100 18.48 2.21 20%

The Most Engaged Users On Deadcellzones.com
Which hardware manufactures users were the most engaged with Deadcellzones.com.  We ranked them below...

Manufacturer Brand Sessions Time on Site Pages Bounce Rate
Barnes and Noble 3033 223.44 2.30 30%
Toshiba 1345 199.08 1.54 31%
Acer 2087 188.62 2.48 30%
Mozilla 3776 142.63 1.90 32%
DoCoMo 180 139.52 3.49 18%
ZTE 10526 130.10 2.29 31%
Alcatel 5462 115.34 2.34 28%
Nextbook 723 105.33 2.15 36%
HTC 50217 105.05 2.17 42%
Blackberry 5358 102.38 2.07 49%
Quanta 663 94.06 1.96 15%
Huawei 5498 93.45 1.90 39%
Asus 3132 87.01 2.35 33%
Fujitsu 462 86.67 1.82 78%
Pantech 1164 84.43 2.09 38%
Amazon 28087 79.02 3.09 37%
LG 68374 77.50 2.27 35%
Samsung 326741 74.25 2.29 37%
Google 19086 73.32 2.34 44%
Casio 1467 71.35 2.53 44%
Motorola 60405 71.07 2.22 42%
Kyocera 4621 67.02 2.64 31%
Nokia 10544 66.68 2.41 52%
Hisense 321 59.20 2.15 7%
Microsoft 3636 55.70 2.37 33%
Ellipsis 1045 54.80 2.74 47%
Lenovo 1041 50.11 2.20 24%
Apple 530529 48.39 1.93 68%
Sony 3248 47.18 2.39 41%
Dell 361 35.32 1.53 43%
RCA 883 33.91 1.55 40%
Sharp 321 30.11 1.82 71%
Vizio 100 18.48 2.21 20%
HP 402 14.25 1.87 58%
Blu 640 7.30 2.23 40%

Can Cell Phones Cause Cancer?


The expert panel that evaluates cancer risks today said that cell phones might possibly cause brain cancer.  Full Story from WebMD

The announcement comes from the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC). Like the World Health Organization, the American Cancer Society relies on IARC for evaluation of cancer risks.

"After reviewing all the evidence available, the IARC working group classified radiofrequency electromagnetic fields as possibly carcinogenic to humans," panel chairman Jonathan Samet, MD, chair of preventive medicine at the USC Keck School of Medicine, said at a news teleconference. "We reached this conclusion based on a review of human evidence showing an increased risk of glioma, a malignant type of brain cancer, in association with wireless phone use."

In finding cell phones to be "possibly carcinogenic," the IARC means that heavy cell phone use might -- or might not -- cause a specific form of brain cancer called a glioma. The finding means that research is urgently needed to find out whether cell phones actually cause cancer, and how they might do it.

The IARC estimates that some 5 billion people worldwide have mobile phones. Lifetime exposure to the magnetic fields created by the phones -- particularly when they are held tightly against the head -- rapidly is increasing.

Children are at particular risk, not only because their skulls are thinner but also because their lifetime exposure to cell phones likely will be greater than the exposure of current adults.

Related Stories:
How to Measure Cell Phone Radiation Levels
Cell Phones & Cancer Risk?

Top Most Expensive Cell Phones

Cell phones are an absolute necessity nowadays and although the majority of the sets sold are branded as 'entry-level' phones, there is considerable demand for premium phones. Vertu, a division of Nokia, had a monopoly in the luxury phone market till recently but it seems that its days of reign are over as more and more companies are now manufacturing uber-luxury phones which are targeted towards the richer sections of the society. Let's have a look at some of the most expensive cell phones in the world. The following list does not follow any particular order.


1. Goldvish "Le million" ($1,000,000)

The "Le million" by Goldvish is widely regarded as the world's most expensive mobile phone. The phone features 120 carat of diamonds (VVS-1 grade) and it has been designed by eminent designer, Emmanuel Gueit. Goldvish is a Geneva based company and it has many other diamond-encrusted models which are a bit reasonably priced than this one.


2. Vertu Signature Cobra ($310,000)

This is a limited edition phone and only 8 pieces are available in the market worldwide. It features a pear-cut diamond, a white diamond which is round in shape and more than 400 rubies. There is also a cheaper version of this phone available which does not have any rubies encrusted on it. It is being offered at an attractive price of $115,000.


3. Goldstriker iPhone 3GS Supreme ($320,000)

In 2009 this phone, designed by Stuart Hughes, was declared as the world's most expensive phone. The phone is made from 271gm of pure gold and there are more than 200 diamonds on the cell phone. There is an Apple logo on the back of the phone which has a large number of gems. The home button is made from a single piece of diamond (7.1 carats). This is easily one of the most beautiful looking luxury phones available in the market today.


4. Diamond Crypto Smartphone ($130,000)

This beautiful looking phone has been designed by peter Aloisson, a luxury accessories designer. The phone has been encased in a platinum base and it has more than 50 diamonds. The USP of this phone is that there are as many 8 rare blue diamonds. Even the navigation key of this phone has been encrusted in 18Carat rose gold. It is very interesting note that this cell phone, originally worked on Windows CE.

4. VIPN Black Diamond Smartphone ($300,000)

The body of this cell phone has been made from polycarbonate and it features a cutting edge mirror that has been adorned with diamonds. The cell phone has a 400 MHz processor, a 4MP camera and a 256 TFT screen.

5. Vertu Diamond ($88,000)

The Diamond is part of the many high-range premium mobile phones by Vertu. The handsets are made from platinum and they are fully diamond encrusted. Only 200 such handsets are available in the market today and the most expensive one is priced more than $90,000.


6. Motorola V220 Special Edition ($51,800)

This special edition Motorola phone is studded with 1,200 diamonds and the keyboard is made from 18 carat gold. The phone is priced at $51,800. Media reports suggest that this phone has caught the fancy of football stars and film stars but the general rich class has stayed away from this model. The price that some of these phones command is a gentle reminder to us that all of them are beyond our reach but it is surprising to know that people are actually eager to pay such amounts for a cell phone!

About The Author: Kelly is a writer. She loves writing, travelling and playing. These days she is working on technology used in cell phones.

Carrier IQ Sued in Delaware Federal Court

Apple, HTC, Samsung, Motorola, AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile and Carrier IQ Sued in Delaware Federal Court in Cell Phone Tracking Software Scandal.

WILMINGTON, Del., Dec. 2, 2011- The law firms of Sianni & Straite LLP of Wilmington, DE, Eichen Crutchlow Zaslow & McElroy LLP of Edison, NJ, and Keefe Bartels L.L.C. of Red Bank, NJ, have today filed a class action complaint in Federal Court in Wilmington, Delaware related to the unprecedented breach of the digital privacy rights of 150 million cell phone users. The complaint asserts that three cell phone providers (T-Mobile, Sprint and AT&T) and four manufacturers of cell phones (HTC, Motorola, Apple and Samsung) violated the Federal Wiretap Act, the Stored Electronic Communications Act, and the Federal Computer Fraud and Abuse Act.

The carriers and manufacturers were caught last month willfully violating customers' privacy rights in direct violation of federal law. A technology blogger in Connecticut discovered that software designed and sold by California-based Carrier IQ, Inc. was secretly tracking personal and sensitive information of the cell phone users without the consent or knowledge of the users. On Nov. 30, 2011, the United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary said in a letter to Carrier IQ that "these actions may violate federal privacy laws." It added, "this is potentially a very serious matter."

David Straite, one of the attorneys leading the action, noted "this latest revelation of corporate America's brazen disregard for the digital privacy rights of its customers is yet another example of the escalating erosion of liberty in this country. We are hopeful that the courts will allow ordinary customers the opportunity to remedy this outrageous breach." Steve Grygiel, co-counsel for the proposed class, agreed: "anyone who cares at all about their personal privacy, or the broader constitutional right to privacy, ought to care and care a great deal about this case." Barry Eichen added, "today's comment from Larry Lenhart, CEO of Carrier IQ, that his software is somehow good for consumers starkly demonstrates what is at stake."

A copy of the Class Action Complaint in Pacilli v. Carrier IQ, Inc. can be viewed on the Firms' websites at www.siannistraite.com, www.keefebartels.com, and www.njadvocates.com.

Plaintiffs are represented by Sianni & Straite LLP, a Delaware-based litigation firm with a branch office in New York, Keefe Bartels LLC, a New Jersey-based plaintiffs' rights trial law firm, and Eichen Crutchlow Zaslow & McElroy LLP, a leading plaintiffs firm with three offices in New Jersey.

10 Reasons Why the Motorola Xoom Tablet is Better Than the iPad

Motorola Xoom vs iPad 2
Firstly, I am a proud owner of an iPad but also a heavy Google Apps users so I have been suffering a bit for the last year with the lack of multi-tasking and lack of app integration.  I will most certainly be purchasing this tablet in the near future but will not be buying the 3G or 4G version.  WiFi only tablets or iPads work just fine, especially when you tether a tablet to a 4G phone to save money paying for an extra data plan that is not needed. Here are 10 Reasons why the Motorola Xoom Tablet is the best tablet on the market and better than the iPad and likely the iPad 2.

1) First Android operating system Honeycomb 3.0 design specifically for tablets
2) Front facing web cam with Google Talk integrated
3) HD video capture
4) 5MP camera
5) 3G upgradeable to 4G & Verizon launching in Q1 2011
6) Dual core processor for multi-tasking and speed
7) 10.1 Inch HD display
8) Adobe Flash Player 10.1 videos play inside the browser
9) Scrollable widgets on the home screen for easier multiple tab browsing
10) It won the CES Best in Show 2011

The only questions I have are the following:  #1 What is the battery life like?  #2 Are any Android apps available in the marketplace ready for the tablet form factor?  Will it be available in the WiFi only version?  Will Best Buy or Amazon sell it?  Will the price point be $500 or less for the WiFi only version? 


T-Mobile Wifi Phone Calls on Android Phones


T-Mobile has announced Wi-Fi Calling technology with the upcoming availability of built-in Wi-Fi Calling solutions planned for a wide selection of Android powered smartphones, including the recently announced new T-Mobile myTouch and Motorola DEFY with MOTOBLUR. All have the Android 2.2 operating system named Froyo. Hopefully, this Smart Wifi app will become available on future G2 updates.

Kineto offers the wireless industry's only combined Wi-Fi-based Smart Offload solution. Kineto’s Wi-Fi-based Smart Offload application enables mobile phone users to turn any standard Wi-Fi access point into a seamless extension of the T-Mobile network, allowing subscribers to receive all their mobile services when connected via Wi-Fi. This application helps solve the Capacity Crunch. Resolves the 3G Indoor Coverage Challenge. Addresses the perceived mobile VoIP threat Helps improve battery performance by enabling handsets to transmit at lower power when attached to a Wi-Fi access point, and thereby increase handsets' talk and standby times.

Wi-Fi Calling for Android is built upon the same technology as UMA, but is a different implementation from T-Mobile's past offerings. T-Mobile’s current Wi-Fi Calling solution which operates on BlackBerry smartphones, for instance, seamlessly hands off calls from T-Mobile’s network to Wi-Fi networks, Wi-Fi Calling for Android does not. T-Mobile Wi-Fi Calling for Android increases coverage and but unfortunately still uses voice minutes on your plan.


Why All Android Phones Are Not The Same

Android is a unique mobile phone operating system that any handset maker can use and modify. It has allowed manufacturers like HTC, Motorola, Sony, LG & Samsung to create a whole range of smartphones that run on its platform. However, consumers can also get very confused when shopping for these new phones and cannot assume that all phones that have Android are created equal. Unfortunately, I have learned firsthand that a phone with the Android OS doesn't automatically have all features I love. As an example here are 10 reasons why I may be returning my Samsung Vibrant for a G2 phone and both have the Android operating system.

Despite the Samsung Vibrant having a large beautiful screen and very fast processor, the phone has some software and ergonomic issues that I could not get fully comfortable with. The Vibrant is tremendously light, great media features and feels much better than the iPhone 4 but ultimately I think I am such a heavy Google user that I need the tightest integration with Google apps and therefore G2 is probably the best phone for me.

1. The GPS and interaction with Google Maps is not good. Not sure if it is a hardware or software issue and had a difficult time finding my location and using navigation. The G1 did not have this problem.

2. I don't like the hassle of a 2 step process of hitting the power button and swiping the screen up to use the phone when its dormant. Don't know how to remove or modify this process that seems necessary.

3. The lack of tight integration with Google Calendar and Maps creates some extra steps when using the phone. The lack of IM, Call and Email integration doesn't not make communicating with people as easy as the G1 and assume G2.

4. The Samsung Vibrant HD video and camera features were very nice and probably the think I liked the most about the phone. However, some of the navigation features within the media Gallery and integration with Picasa where not straight forward and kind of clunky. Each time my phone starts up it has to search for media files.

5. Holding the phone with one hand is not as easy as the G1 or G2 and requires an extra hand sometimes for touching areas on the screen. A long thumb is necessary for users to get comfortable with one hand.

6. Battery life was not very good and seems to only last about 6 hours without needed a long charge especially on WiFi. The G1 seemed to charge quickly and last a lot longer and and hope the G2 does the same.

7. Playing Avatar or videos from my phone on the TV through the Samsung Allshare App on my home FiOS network was kind of a scam. Pictures worked great but playing videos did not work and got bogged down by the file size. Plus Avatar was not available in 3D.  I hope the G2 has a networking feature like this or an app available soon.

8. I loved the amount of space available on the device but I felt like a lot of the apps that were preloaded seem to interfere with the apps I downloaded. TeleNav, MediaHub, GoGo, MobiTV, ThinkFree office, Visual Voicemail, Amazon MP3. Its not clear how to keep these apps dormant on the device so they don't load on startup.

9. I never felt like I was running out of memory but Advanced Task Killer kept killing 10 to 15 apps every hour. This lack of app loading control is not something I like.  The G1 did not have this problem.

10. I kind of miss using the trackball and keyboard to navigate around the screen to links and type. It's useful when trying to click on links and edit text. However, I think the Swipe feature for one-handed typing is awesome!

Hopefully, these 30-day return policies stay valid for carriers who sell Android phones.  These features have not been differentiated very well by the carriers and the salespeople are not very knowledgeable about the differences I mentioned above.

How to Drop Early Termination Fees

 Dropped Calls = Dropped Early Termination Fees

AT&T plans to raise the fee it charges customers trying to get out of their wireless phone contracts early. This bold move comes after expectations that the carrier will lose exclusivity on the iPhone over the next year.  The early termination fees to $325 from $175 on contracts signed for smartphones, as well as cellular-connected netbooks. But for contracts on feature or messaging phones, AT&T will drop the fee by $25 to $150. The changes, which don't apply to current customers, take effect for new and renewing customers.

Verizon similarly increased its early termination feeds to $350 back in November, right as the very popular Motorola Droid launched. Verizon’s early termination fees increase probably contributed to the FCC’s decision to launch an investigation into high carrier termination fees in the mobile industry. AT&T’s move today seems to indicate that that’s no longer a concern. I want to know who paid off who at the FCC?

I have always recommended to our readers that they need to constantly document poor coverage and they should do this on our maps at Deadcellzones.com/att.html.  The best way to do this is log your dropped calls, data congestion areas and dead zones by adding pins to our map.  Once you have enough pins in the map you should print out a copy the map with complaints and use this evidence that your service was not adequately provided. You should also look on AT&T and Verizon's coverage maps and see where their maps are incorrect.  This is the easiest way to get out of a contract because there are service levels that must be maintained in order for the carrier to charge you each month for service.

Here is an old graph below which needs to be updated with the changes to reflect AT&T and Verizon hiking their fees.  
Related Stories: 
How to Get Out of a Cellular Service Contract

List of Femtocell Manufacturers

The combined list of femtocell manufactures have raised approximately $270M from various VCs and strategic investors over the last 2 years.  This list was compiled using Crunch Base numbers as well as news articles.  My biggest concern for these companies is the lack of consumer awareness that the companies and their products have in the marketplace.  How many consumers have heard of any of these companies below discussed in the media or know what a femtocell is?  The answer is virtually zero.
  • Airvana: $83 million (AIRV) IPO and now going private for $530M purchased by 72 Mobile Holdings, S.A.C. Capital and Blackstone Group
  • Vanu: $32 million Norwest, Charles River, Tata
  • PicoChip: $31 million AT&T, Intel, Highland, Atlas, Samsung
  • RadioFrame: $28 million Eastven, Vantage Point, Ignition, Samsung 
  • Tatara: $26 million Highland, North Bridge
  • Ubiquisys: $25 million from Accel, Atlas and Google & T-Ventures 
  • Kineto: $15.5 million round from Venrock, SutterHill, Oak, Motorola & NEC
  • Percello: $12 million Granite, T-Venture, Vertex
  • AirWalk: $10 million TL Ventures, Seven Rosen, Nedelco
  • ip.access: $10 million Scottish Equity, ADC, Cisco, Qualcomm
For the last two years I have noticed a pattern of frustration from executives at these companies who vent their frustration having to sell their femtocells through the carrier channels.  It troubles me that all of these companies continue rely on incompetent marketers (the carriers) to sell their products and educate consumers that they exist.  Cannibalization of your customers marketing just might be the only way to get ahead in business.   I strongly suggesting that each of these companies will need to "steal a page from the Google Nexus One Phone" and start doing some demand side research of who needs the product and where.  Its obvious that the carriers have very little financial incentive to push femtocells to their customers for fear of cannibalizing their existing businesses.  Yes I am suggesting that femtocell marketing executives start thinking like Cannibal Lecter in order to make their companies successful. Sometimes cannibalization of your own customers is the only way to succeed and rise about the crowd.

    Femtocell Companies Funded In 2008

    The femtocell market has seen a few large investments in recent months, showing that the industry has strong market potential and there are lots of home and commercial dead zones to fix. Prominent players (e.g. Airvana, Ticker: AIRV IPO in July of 2007 for $60M, picoChip $27M, Ubiquisys ($25M) were funded in 2007, the emerging industry appears to be reasonably well capitalized for the turbulent times ahead and growth. Investors are hoping for more commercial deployments of femtocells during the next 12 months, setting the stage for mass market deployments during 2010. Here are a few companies that were successful at raising money in 2008.

    October 2008 - Kineto Wireless $15.5M, which includes substantial amounts from NEC and Motorola.

    September 2008 - Percello raised $12M to fund development of their femtocell chipset, bringing to $18M the total investment raised.

    August 2008 - RadioFrame raised $26M to expand their picocell and femtocell range, bringing investment up to $100M since 2001.

    May 2008 - Qualcomm and other venture capitalists invested an undisclosed amount in ip.access

    January 2008 - Airwalk received $10M

    Updated list from 3G in Home Blog
    • Airvana: IPO
    • AirWalk: $10 m
    • ip.access: strategic investment from ADC, Cisco, Qualcomm
    • Kineto: $15.5 million round including Motorola & strategic investment from NEC
    • Percello: $12 million
    • picoChip: strategic investment from Samsung
    • RadioFrame: $28 million
    • Tatara: $6.5 million
    • Vanu: $32 million
    • Ubiquisys: $25 million round including VC money and Google as a strategic investor; further strategic investment from T-Ventures.
    DeadCellZones.com sits in a unique position based on our brand recognition and utility to educate the market about femtocell technology as control of in-building-coverage is suddenly in the hands of consumers and not carriers any longer. The masses are still not very familiar with the technology but its starting to trickle down to early adopters and we hope to provide a source of information for these companies where the coverage pain exists.

    Cell Phone Reception Through Wifi

    Cell phones can use your home's wireless internet connection to make and receive calls. It's a handy technology if the cell phone coverage in and around your house is in a dead zone. Phones will automatically select Wifi if it's there but will require a compromise between economy and mobility. For example, Voice over Wifi offers potentially free service but is only available within the coverage area of a Wifi Access Point and currently will not allow you to hop between networks.

    VoIP mobile applications that may be compatible with your phone's operating system.
    Skype - iPhone, Windows Mobile, Nokia
    Line2 - iPhone, Android
    Truphone - Nokia-Symbian, iPhone, Android, Blackberry
    Jajah - Windows Mobile, Symbian OS
    fring - Symbian 8.x and 9.x, Windows Mobile 5 and 6, iPhone, Maemo
    Nimbuzz!- J2ME, S60, Windows Mobile, iPhone
    Gizmo5 - Windows Mobile, Motorola, Nokia, Blackberry, Java PDA, Sony-Ericsson, Samsung
    Windows Mobile 6 - Windows Mobile 6 Professional/Standard


    3 Mobile VoIP Protocols The Applications Above Are Built On
    Skype - closed proprietary peer to peer network and working on video mobile phones

    SIP - the standard used by most VoIP services
    UMA - the Unlicensed Mobile Access Generic Access Network, designed in response to Skype by a group of carriers to allow VoIP to run over the GSM cellular backbone.
    See Wikipedia VoIP software platforms for more details. The challenge for the mobile operator industry is to deliver the benefits and innovations of IP without losing control of the network service. Users like the Internet to be free and high speed without extra charges for browsing the internet. VoIP services challenges the most valuable service in the telecommunications industry — voice — and threatens to change the nature of the global communications industry.  Net neutrality is an important issue with the FCC for these reasons.

    Related article: UMA Phone + Wi-Fi = Home Cell Coverage

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