Android Tablet Update

If you pay attention to the different ad campaigns that AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile and Verizon keep in their everyday arsenal, chances are you’ve heard every single one claim they have the fastest network on the block. Whatever they use to calculate those claims, it doesn’t always translate into real world use for every individual on that network. So how could you possibly pinpoint who really does have the fastest network?

PC World has put eight different Android phones to the test, including a 3G device and a 4G device from each major carrier in the US. They selected 13 cities for their, “varying population densities, physical topography, and cellular environments.” Each network was tested at ten locations in each city, five times indoors, and five times outdoors.

When it comes to which carrier in the US posted the best 3G download speeds, T-Mobile took the crown. Thanks to HSPA+ 21, T-Mobile’s average 3G download speed was 3.84 Mbps.

T-Mobile’s HSPA+ 42 managed to keep a slim distance when it came to 4G, but AT&T and Verizon’s LTE networks couldn’t be held back. AT&T had the best download speeds, coming in at 9.12 Mbps. Verizon was a close second at 7.35.

The absolute worst carrier if you care about download speeds is Sprint. Their WiMax 4G test numbers were lower than T-Mobile’s 3G numbers. And their 3G numbers were enough to drive any sane man mad, at a pathetic 0.59 Mbps.

Of course these tests still don’t paint an entirely accurate picture of whose networks provides the fastest network speeds, but it does give you a good idea. What kind of speeds do you get with your service? Let us know in the comments.

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When the Android community puts their minds to something, it gets done. Putting Android on devices that don’t support the OS (like the HP TouchPad)? Done. Getting updates out to unsupported devices (that supposedly can’t run the latest versions of Android), and beating manufacturers to the punch with devices that are supported? Double done. Getting a carrier branded device like the AT&T Galaxy Note to properly function on T-Mobile, with HSPA+ to boot? Piece of cake.

Over on the XDA forums, a bounty was posted just over two weeks ago in hopes of tempting a developer to put some time into finding a way to get the AT&T Samsung Galaxy Note functioning on T-Mobile. Yesterday, that bounty was claimed.

XDA user tomin.fhl has posted the necessary files to get an unlocked and rooted Galaxy Note up and running on T-Mobile HSPA+. After a bit of trial and error, tomin.fhl found that a simple modem flash will get the Note working without error on T-Mobile’s network. Other developers have been close, but this is the first time everything has been in working order. According to tomin.fhl’s post about the hack on XDA, signal strength is weak, but calling and data work without freezes or random reboots.

Rooting and hacking your device can be tricky, and should only be attempted once you have fully researched everything associated with the process, but if you’d like more info on where to get started to make your AT&T Galaxy Note T-Mobile compatible, head on over to XDA now.

Does anyone out there plan on giving this a shot? Let us know how it works in the comments below.

Andy Rubin isn’t the only one spilling his guts to reporters at Mobile World Congress this week. T-Mobile USA’s Andrew Sherrard also spent a moment talking about the future of the company he works for, confirming that once T-Mobile finishes rolling out its 42Mbps HSPA+ network, they’ll be skipping straight to LTE and abandoning all plans to deploy 84Mbps HSPA+.

T-Mobile may have been previously committed to brining their network up to speed by utilizing HSPA+ technology, but not anymore. Instead of using spectrum obtained from the botched AT&T merger to buildout an 84Mbps HSPA+ network, T-Mobile will instead use this spectrum to focus on LTE.

Magenta still faces the same problems with LTE as it would have with 84Mbps HSPA+, but as LTE has a brighter future ahead of it, they believe that’s where they should be placing energy and money. In order to successfully deploy LTE, T-Mobile is going to have to refarm spectrum, putting a strain on their 2G network. Sherrard said T-Mobile doesn’t imagine this will be a problem however, as more and more T-Mobile users are using 3G devices. T-Mobile will also stop carrying devices that don’t offer 3G access.

Plans to launch an LTE network for T-Mobile subscribers should come to fruition as soon as early 2013. By the beginning of next year, T-Mobile expects LTE to be available in the majority of the top 50 markets in the US. Abandoning the deployment of HSPA+ 84 and focusing on LTE should help the company achieve this goal.

I’ve been with T-Mobile myself for over five years now, watching my carrier of choice play catchup at every turn. If placing all of their resources on LTE means T-Mobile could finally catch up for once, I’m all for it. How about you?

Carriers love to boast about their reliable and awesome 4G networks. As the 4G war continues, we are starting to see all major competitors cover the country with the awesome speeds that 4G delivers, though these companies have different technologies, speeds and coverage. We now have 3 out of 4 major carriers claiming to run the “largest 4G network” in the US, which is sure to create some confusion among customers.

All companies base their statements upon different sets of norms. First we must consider what constitutes a “real 4G network.” Many of us claim that HSPA+ networks are not real 4G, but very fast 3G, instead. Most people consider real 4G networks to be technologies like WiMAX and 4G LTE.

T-Mobile was the first to make the Largest 4G Network claim. Since it launched “America’s first nationwide 4G network,” the company has had a chance to spread its high-speeds to most of the country. It’s HSPA+21 network now covers 217 markets and 200 million people, while HSPA+42 reaches 175 markets and 184 million people. It was also the first boast the largest 4G network, due to the advantage they had.

It is claimed that Magenta’s network is not “real 4G,” though. Regardless, the network is very fast, and HSPA+42 is able to reach speeds as high as even the fastest LTE networks.

AT&T was one of the first to call out T-Mobile on the fact that its 4G network was not legit, and have recently laid claim to having the largest 4G network for themselves. AT&T basis this claim on the fact that both its 4G LTE and HSPA+ networks combined cover over 200 million users. Even after giving Magenta a hard time over the same issue, AT&T is now adding HSPA+ to its equation. If we only counted 4G LTE, AT&T’s network would reach 28 markets and 74 million people.

AT&T is focusing on a smoother transition that it’s magenta counterpart, however. Their phones will work with both technologies, and if you move out of 4G LTE coverage, odds are you will not need to use 3G, and will be able to use their faster HSPA+ data speeds.

In the third corner we have Verizon and its “largest 4G network.” This one happens to be true. Verizon does have the largest 4G LTE network. Since Big Red does not work with any of the other 4G technologies, it has invested much of its resources to build out its 4G LTE coverage.

It’s blazing speeds now cover 196 markets and over 200 million customers, making it the “largest 4G LTE network” in the US. This is quite impressive for being an LTE network, which AT&T and Sprint are barely starting on. Verizon was the first to bring LTE to the US, and has plans to spread it all over the country by 2013.

Sprint is still building its 4G LTE network, and WiMAX is definitely not the largest or fastest, so it is staying out of this argument for now.

I have always said that the “real” and “not-real” 4G arguments were a bit of a play on words to push each other down. There have also been claims that 4G LTE is not “real 4G.” It is fast, but not as fast as industry standards state that 4G should be. Really, these are all networks that are faster than the traditional 3G networks of yesteryear. Some are better than others, of course, but they are all truly the next generation, a true evolution from 3G technology.

Deciding which company has the largest 4G is based on definition, but we must remember carriers are corporations. They need to say such things to make their customers excited. As it usually goes, we would like to know what you guys think. Which carrier do you think has the “largest 4G network”? And do you consider HSPA+ networks to be “real 4G”?

We know many of our fellow Americans have been waiting to hear about the Samsung Galaxy Nexus‘ availability. Though Verizon is getting first dibs in the US, many of you are still waiting, hoping that other carriers will be releasing it later on. Many of you have probably contemplated the idea of dumping the deals with the carrier, and purchasing the world’s first Ice Cream Sandwich device unlocked and off-contract (GSM unlocked world version).

This is now possible, and Americans can get their Samsung Galaxy Nexus at full price, from a third party online retailer called Expansys. The bad news is that it will not be cheap. Expansys is selling this bad boy for $749.99 – ouch!

If you happen to have some extra money and can’t wait for carriers to make up their mind, though, this device can be now be shipped straight to your doorstep (Engadget has received confirmation of this). It comes GSM unlocked, with HSPA+ radios, and is compatible with AT&T and T-Mobile 3G frequencies. Simply head to Expansys and make your order, if interested!

What do you guys say? Getting this device now, or would you rather get a lower price later on?

In the midst of the battle for 4G territory, we are currently seeing some interesting phenomena. Sprint is focusing on their upcoming 4G LTE network, Verizon is spreading its blazing fast speeds all over the country, AT&T is also focusing on 4G LTE and T-Mobile is still getting their HSPA+ 21 and HSPA+ 42 to everyone out there.

Everyone seems to have different priorities, as well as different plans for the future. But who is really winning the race? The idea that HSPA+ networks are not really 4G, but enhanced 3G, is still out there. Out of the “real” 4G networks, Sprint is definitely not working on WiMAX, since they are investing in its LTE network (coming next year), and AT&T has just launched its LTE speeds on a few markets.

This would mean that Verizon might be winning the 4G race. Big Red will be expanding its 4G LTE network to 14 new markets tomorrow, Nov. 17, as well as expanding 4 current ones. This would place Verizon at 179 markets, covering over 186 million users. ^[1]

Verizon’s new 4G LTE markets

• Little Rock, Ark.
• Savannah, Ga.
• Cedar Rapids and Des Moines, Iowa
• Lexington, Ky.
• Starkville, Miss.
• Kansas City and Springfield/Branson, Mo.
• Lincoln, Neb.
• Orange County, N.Y.
• Greater Providence, R.I.
• Rapid City, S.D.
• Roanoke, Va.
• Appleton/Oshkosh, Wis.

Verizon’s expanded 4G LTE markets

• Louisville, Ky.
• Grand Rapids, Mich.
• Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minn.
• Pittsburgh, Pa.

Talking about who’s fake and who’s real can become redundant, though. What matters mostly is that those speeds are much faster than good ol’ 3G. And while AT&T HSPA+ started strong and now covers over 200 million users, little T-Mobile is catching up to them — even while on the verge of bankruptcy. T-Mobile has just expanded its HSPA+ 21 network to 11 new markets and its HSPA+ 42 network to 9.

HSPA+ 42 now covers 163 markets reaching almost 180 million Americans, while HSPA+ 21 covers 208 markets reaching over 200 million users. This means that T-Mobile’s HSPA+ network now reaches as many (if not more) users as AT&T’s, with 200 million users covered. Not bad for a company that is about to be acquired, and by AT&T. ^[2]

T-Mobile’s new HSPA+ 21 markets

• Corvallis, Ore.
• Decatur and Peoria, Ill.
• Evansville, Ind.
• Holland and Kalamazoo, Mich.
• Santa Barbara, Calif
• State College, Pa.
• Yuba City, Calif.

T-Mobile’s new HSPA+ 42 markets

• Bend, Medford and Corvallis, Ore.
• Benton Harbor, Mich.
• Bloomington, Champaign–Urbana and Springfield, Ill.
• Columbus, Ga.
• Hagerstown, Md.
• Montgomery, Ala
• Yuba City, Calif.

As of now, Verizon’s 4G LTE has a great advantage, offering the fastest speeds in more markets. AT&T’s 4G LTE network is not looking too shabby either. It is still not available in many places, though — only in 9 markets. The real question is, will Sprint and/or AT&T be able to catch up in the 4G LTE race next year? We will have to see, but it seems rather hard.

Either way, there are the new markets, so enjoy your speeds if you are lucky enough to be in one of the added cities. Just out of curiosity, though. What would you guys prefer? Are you a fan of 4G LTE’s speeds? Do you Prefer HSPA+ and the longer battery life attached to it? Who’s network will you be choosing next year?