Showing posts with label HTC. Show all posts
Showing posts with label HTC. Show all posts

Feb 17, 2013

HTC One XL Snap Review

Despite the fact that HTC didn't have the best year financially, it did manage to create some stellar handsets, beginning with the HTC One X early in the year.


While the HTC One joined the Samsung Galaxy S3 in promoting the benefits of a quad core processor to the specification geeks around the world, it lacked one feature that users were hungry for - 4G connectivity.

HTC's response was to release this handset, the One XL. Available exclusively through Telstra in Australia, the One XL offered practically the exact same experience as the HTC One X, but replaced HSPA connectivity with 4G, while dropping back to a dual-core processor to save battery life.

With an update to Android 4.1 Jelly Bean released for the phone just before Christmas, the One XL has also become one of the most advanced Android smartphones on the market.

Combined with its sleek unibody design, which incorporates the stunning 4.7-inch 1280x720 pixel display found on the One X, this handset has stood out as a flagship for Telstra's LTE network.

Design


Given the One XL has an identical appearance to the One X, we could almost copy and paste our review from the 3G handset here and be done with it.

Instead, we'll recap. The One XL has a sleek unibody design that is a testament's to HTC's engineering team. Despite the massive 4.7-inch screen, the phone feels comfortable in the hand.

At 129 grams, the handset is nice and light, which is about 20 grams heavier than the iPhone 5. That 20 grams makes all the difference though, as the phone feels solid, rather than underweight.

The 8.9mm thick body is stunningly thin, while the matte finish offers plenty of grip, as opposed to the slippery plastic of Samsung's Galaxy S3.

The One XL's screen is definitely a highlight of the handset, which isn't a surprise as it's the same one used in the One X. The Super IPS LCD 2 technology creates a brilliant picture that offers an abundance of colours, wide viewing angles and responsive controls.


Below the screen are the standard three Android control buttons - home, back and menu. The dedicated real estate on the device for these soft buttons - as opposed to the Xperia TX, for example - is a much more convenient solution for navigating the handset.

Because of the unibody construction, you probably shouldn't expect too much in the way of hardware versatility. There's no replaceable battery and no expandable memory to supplement the 32GB of on board storage.


In fact, connections are a pretty basic, standard affair. A single micro-USB port can be found on the handset's left side, while a volume rocker sits on the right.

On the top of the phone, a power toggle, 3.5mm headphone jack and Micro-SIM card slot have taken up residence. The Micro-SIM card slot is of the Apple variety, requiring a dedicated tool (or a paperclip) to open up.


The back of the phone is marked by the presence of an eight-megapixel camera with LED flash. The larger lens actually sticks out on the phone's back like a boil, but given the quality of photos, is a negligible design flaw.

Overall, this is a stunningly crafted handset, just like the HTC One X its design was cloned from. - source

Jan 29, 2013

Disruptive Windows8 Phone Lumia, Ativ S, HTC 8X

In a world being ruled by iOS and Android, Microsoft hopes to bring in a whiff of fresh air with Windows Phone 8 operating system. For the ones, who haven't been paying attention to what Microsoft has been up to, Windows Phone 8 is expected to be the next major version of its mobile phone OS.


Talking about this new operating system, Stephen Baker, Vice President of Industry Analysis for NPD's Consumer Technology Market Research says, "I think Windows 8 phones definitely represent a new, strong and different competitor in the smartphone market. Not only does Microsoft take a different approach to the usage model with their tile based architecture but the ability to leverage the huge installed base of Windows PCs and Xbox game consoles should help them, over time, create a viable third path for smartphone users."

Most smartphone makers have already announced their front runners for the Windows Phone 8 operating system. The first major announcement was made by Samsung, when it unveiled its ATIV S. This smartphone has a 4.8-inch display coated with Corning "Gorilla" glass, an 8-megapixel rear camera and 1.9-megapixel front-facing camera.

Nokia soon followed to take the wraps off its Lumia 920 and Lumia 820 windows Phone devices. Nokia Lumia 920 comes with 4.5-inch PureMotion HD+ display, Wireless charging support and 2000 mAH battery. While the Nokia Lumia 820 is a mid-range smartphone that sports a 1.5GHz Qualcomm S4 dual-core processor, 4.3-inch Clearblack display and 8GB of internal storage.

Taiwanese manufacturer, HTC too expressed its love for Windows Phone by announcing the HTC 8X and 8S The HTC 8X comes with 4.3-inch 720p Super LCD 2 display, while the HTC 8S is a mid-segment smartphone, which has 1GHz processor, 512MB of RAM and 4GB internal memory.

Though these were the major announcements from the big league, even Huawei has come out in support of Windows Phone 8 and is expected to launch the Ascend W1 on September 25 according to reports. The Chinese telecom company also plans to launch more devices running on Microsoft's latest OS by the end of this year.

We have already done a head-to-head comparison of these flagship smartphones from HTC, Nokia and Samsung to understand where each stands. Now we quiz the analysts in this business to understand which amongst these three has the most disruptive Windows Phone 8 line-up.

Robert Enderle, Principal Analyst at Enderle Group opines that, "Samsung currently looks the most disruptive as they have a full set of phones, tablets and PCs so they cover all use cases for the platform which is operating on a 'better together" meme". He also adds that, "They are also the most motivated to go after Apple at the moment thanks to that $1 billion judgment".

In 2007, Samsung was one of the first to get on the Android wave and its strategy on that front seems to have paid off well. Now it's trying to replicate the same with Windows Phone 8. However, the major difference now is that Samsung seems to be juggling three hats at the moment with - Windows, Android and its own Bada operating system. So, the biggest challenge confronting Samsung right now is to come out with a prefect balancing act if it plans to score in the Windows Phone 8.

John Strand, CEO of Strand Consult feels that Nokia currently has an upper hand with its Windows Phone 8 line-up. "I will say that Nokia's Windows phones are cool. Some of the specs that they are advertising are ahead of the new iPhone. Also, Nokia is 100 percent dedicated to WP8, while Samsung and HTC's focus it primarily on the Android platform." He further goes on to elaborate that, the fact that Samsung and HTC are offering Windows Phone 8 will only help Nokia. This is because Nokia and Microsoft will now have a better bargaining power with operators because if the operator does not want to stock Windows Phone devices, it will have to say no to three separate vendors.

Having said that he still feels that being a new operating system, Microsoft and Nokia have a long way to go. "From my point of view it is up hill and I think that it will be difficult for both the companies. On the brighter side, Microsoft and Nokia have the necessary resources to emerge as winners."

Baker too agrees that though Microsoft is trying to bring in a lot of differentiation in the market, it may not be smooth sailing for them. "The real issue is how aggressively they market their unified philosophy and how tightly they tie the different aspects together, and finally, of course, while the analysts and the industry likes their approach it remains to be seen if the consumer will also find the integration a valuable differentiators."

Unlocked HTC Velocity 4G Vodafone

HTC is now becoming the leading company in international market for launching the mobiles with high-tech performance. The addition in its wide range of mobiles is Velocity 4G Vodafone that is a blend of astounding aspects.


Take a tour of all the features loaded inside it. While holding it, you will feel an S-LCD capacitive touch screen with 16M colors that streams information and graphics with outstanding quality. The screen size is 4.5 inches and you can watch full movies on it without missing any detail. The chic HTC mobile phone is integrated with primary and secondary cameras of 8 mega pixels and 1.3 mega pixels respectively.

You can capture the precious moments of your life and can store them in its dedicated memory of 16GB. If you face any scarcity while storing the data, there is an external card slot to use memory card with storage capacity up to 32GB. The mobile phone is 4G network communication device that is another dominant feature.

You will love the fastest results of your assigned queries to this 4G Vodafone, which has an Android operating system and a chipset technology of Qualcomm MSM8260 Snapdragon. The system can operate the Dual-core 1.5 GHz scorpion CPU and Andreno 220 GPU. It is very difficult to find any hitch in this HTC mobile phone.

It is modeled to entertain you with interesting adds-on like Stereo FM radio, MP3 and MP4 players, latest games installed through Java MIDP emulator and lot more. The most essential feature latest mobiles are the speedy browsing of internet and the Wi-Fi hotspot integrated in the mobile will do it for you. The standard battery will let you in touch with your loved ones for a long time on calls. Simply, the HTC Velocity 4G Vodafone mobile phone is a tough challenge for other companies to take it far behind in the race.

HTC Velocity 4G Snap Review

The HTC Velocity 4G launched last week by Telstra is the first LTE/4G mobile phone available in Australia. Until now the only device able to use Telstra’s new mobile network has been a 4G USB laptop modem that we tested in late 2011.
When used in Telstra 4G coverage areas the new HTC Velocity 4G smartphone promises theoretical peak speeds of 2-40Mbps down & 1-10Mbps up, with some important caveats.

Besides it’s flagship 4G speed the HTC Velocity 4G features a 4.5” 540x960 screen, speedy 1.5 GHz dual core CPU, 16GB storage onboard expandable with 32GB microSD, 8MP/1.3MP back/front cameras, HD voice support and swappable battery.


Telstra plans to release four 4G phones this year and one tablet so there will not be much 4G mobile handset choice for customers. It is not known whether one of these four phones will be a 4G iPhone.

Optus isn’t launching its 4G network until Q2 2012 and Vodafone has not announced a date yet for its launch.


We tested the Velocity 4G in the Sydney CBD 4G coverage area as well as a 3G coverage area in Sydney’s western suburbs. Potential buyers should be aware of issues that affect all first generation 4G phones – short battery life and patchy coverage.

The Velocity 4G is like a speedway hot rod in that the payoff for smoking 4G data transfer rates means the battery charge depletes very quickly, as soon as 5 hours if used a lot.

The 4.5” screen also uses up the battery faster than a smaller phone so it’s a shame that HTC has equipped the Velocity 4G with an undersized 1620mAh capacity battery as a “fuel tank”.

Telstra 4G coverage is available within 5km of the GPO in each of the 8 capital cities as well as about 80 regional towns and cities.

As well as being Australia’s first 4G phone the Velocity 4G’s less well known capability is that it’s the first Australian phone that’s capable of dual channel (double the standard) 3G data transfer speed when outside 4G zones.

Telstra’s new 4G data network currently has far fewer customers using it than their 3G network so it’s like flying along an empty motorway at 110km/hr. We will judge how it handles a heavier load of users as more customers start using 4G during 2012.

So is the HTC Velocity 4G worth purchasing? This phone can definitely help your mobile workers increase their productivity if they spend a significant amount of time conducting business activities within 4G coverage areas and keep a second charged battery with them.

For business customers the key selling point in our eyes is the huge time saving speed difference (up to 10 times faster in our tests) between 4G and 3G when uploading large files, such as reports or presentations, to email or cloud storage.

Hopefully Telstra’s tendency to take quite some time to test updates is given a kick along so the Velocity 4G’s Android 2.3.7 phone operating system will be updated to Android 4.0 well before the end of Q1 2012.

The HTC Velocity 4G is initially available outright for $876 or to individual customers for free on a $79 plan and business customers on a $90 plan. Both require 24 month contracts that include 2GB of data/month. Extra supplementary data packs can be purchased if required.

It is highly advisable to keep a close eye on how quickly this 2GB gets used as faster 3G/4G speeds mean the amount of data transfers included in your plan will get used in much less time than before. With 4G speeds it’s easy to burn through several 100MB of downloads in the blink of an eye.

Be careful to avoid bill shock because Telstra's business mobile plans do not throttle/shape data usage after it goes over the included quota. Nor is there an opt-in for throttling/shaping - a Telstra spokesperson told us “business doesn’t want to be slowed down”.

Telstra's data usage meter theoretically lags one hour behind reality but call centre staff told us it’s best to assume the figure is 12 hours behind. They suggested customers SMS the word “use” (without quotes) to the number 176 for free to receive an instant SMS back with current data usage.

Dec 22, 2012

HTC Will Release Windows RT tablets in 2013

Once Microsoft revealed that Windows Phone 8 and Windows 8 would be sharing a common core, we knew we'd see overlap between phone manufacturers and computer manufacturers eventually. The lines between phones, tablets, and computers are blurring and that means all bets are off on where companies will go next.

Now, that might just include HTC. Bloomberg reports that the manufacturer is planning to announce two Windows RT tablets next year. The first will be a 7-inch slate that will tout the ability to make phone calls, while the second will include a larger than average 12-inch display. Both tablets will be powered by Qualcomm chipsets (big surprise), and are due by Q3 2013. As to whether or not HTC would also consider making a Windows 8 tablet with an Intel processor, Bloomberg's sources said the company ditched those plans when the retail price soared over $1,000.

With another report pointing towards imminent plans of a Nokia Windows RT based 10-inch tablet early next year, it seems Windows Phone manufacturers are starting to understand the appeal/potential of a smartphone-tablet combination. We would literally drool at the thought of using a tablet with the same ergonomics and build quality as the Windows Phone 8X...

Oct 29, 2012

HTC 8X Windows Phone Review

The HTC 8X Windows Phone is one of three flaghsip devices for the new OS. Justin Williams gauges how it measures up to the competition in an increasingly-crowded sector.


I've always had a soft spot for HTC's phones. The Taiwanese company was among the first to bring a touchscreen smartphone to the UK and was an early trailblazer for Android back in 2007. Its HD7 was an understated but worthy competitor when pitched against Nokia's colourful Lumia range in the small group of devices that ran Windows Phone 7. And, of course, it sold container-ship loads of Android devices up until 2011 when sales – thanks to aggressive marketing by Samsung – began to fall off a cliff.

So there's a lot riding on the 8X for HTC. Again it's up against a big brash phone from Nokia in the form of the Lumia 920 which seems to have a Frankenstorm marketing effort behind it as well as a flagship Windows phone from Samsung. It may not be a make-or-break device but we should not underestimate how important it is for HTC that this phone holds its own against the Lumia.

Hardware

The bald specs may suggest that the 8X isn't anything special but let's make no mistake here – this is an absolutely gorgeous phone. From its unibody design with its polycarbonate back through to a fabulous 4.3" LCD 2 screen, the 8X oozes quality. At 10.6mm it is thicker than both an iPhone 5 and a Galaxy SIII. But the 8X has tapered edges giving it a good grip and making it feel as slim as both the Apple and Samsung flagships. The phone isn't especially light but it sits evenly in the hand and the polycarbonate makes the hard plastic finish of the SIII and HTC's own One X feel cheap and slippery by comparison. Only the iPhone beats it in terms of design quality.

The physical buttons on the 8X – the power button on the top and the rocker and camera switches on the side – as well as the camera and flash are all flush with the body giving the phone a smooth profile whatever the viewing angle and HTC has reverted to placing the micro USB port on the phone's base rather on the side as with the One series.

Our review phone came in California Blue and the 8X will also be available in black, red and yellow

The phone is sealed so there's no access to the 1,800mAh battery but we had no issues here getting a full day of high usage out of it in contrast to the One X which was a great phone badly let down by its battery life.

What will almost certainly be an issue, though, is that the 8X comes with only 16GB of storage on board and no microSD slot (Windows Phone 8 does not support this). HTC points to the free 7GB of Skydrive storage giving an 8X user the ability to stream music to the device ignoring the reality for most of us who spend much of our lives outside 3G or WiFi zones. With the iPhone 5 offering up to 64GB and even the Lumia 920 having 32GB on board, one really has to question what astral plane HTC’s design team were on when they plumped for such a parsimonius amount of memory.

If your previous experience with Windows phones stretches only to Phone 7 then you’ll find the 8X quick… very quick. It opens apps, renders web pages and fires up the camera at near light speed compared to, say, the Nokia Lumia 900 or even an iPhone 4S which was no slouch in its day.

Display

Coupled with Windows Phone’s Live Tiles, the 8X’s 720 x 1280 pixel HD display is stunning. The pixel density (342 PPI) is higher than on the Nokia Lumia 920 and even the iPhone 5. Colours are rendered accurately and, even zoomed in, details are sharp and clear. We couldn’t detect any noticeable colour bias and there isn’t a hint of oversaturation.

Glare does not appear to be a problem and we were able to use the phone even in strong direct sunlight.

Until now, I’ve found Kindle books to be difficult to read on anything except an iPhone’s Retina display but this is as pleasurable on an 8X as a larger device.

Cameras

The 8X has a f/2.0 aperture and 28mm lens on the back coupled with a dedicated imaging chip which deliver the best results I’ve ever managed to squeeze out of a smartphone. The pictures are incredibly good for a point and shoot device whether close up or at a distance. Depth of field is good as is colour reproduction with sharp, accurately rendered colours that veer more towards under rather than oversaturation. Close-up, the macro performance is stunning with great detail reproduction even in low light.

Video capture is also up there with the best in class delivering 1080p at 30fps with a noticeable lack of wind noise and very speedy processing.

On the front, HTC has introduced a 2.1mp, f/2.0 wide angle camera allowing the social narcissists among us to start including up to three friends in those all-important profile and status shots.

Software

With Phone 8 development, Microsoft has gone down the Apple route opting to nip and tuck rather than radically overhaul the OS. It’s a brave strategy given the disappointing sales for Phone 7. But it’s the right decision – Windows Phone’s live tiles are far enough removed from the static icons of iOS and the confusing widget farm that Android has become to put clear blue water between Microsoft and its competitors.

Our testing predated the relaunch of the Windows Phone Store so we weren’t able to see the promised range of updated apps but it probably fair to say that this will continue to be very limited compared with the iOS App Store or Google Play. Those of us who desperately want to see a proper Twitter app or Dropbox on a Windows phone are likely to be still waiting months from now.

First introduced with its One series, HTC has included Beats audio technology with the 8X delivering an amazing depth and range of sound on even the cheapest in-ear earphones. But the inclusion of such an amazing sound system only serves to make the decision to limit on-board storage to 16GB appear even more bizarre.

What truly differentiates a Windows device from all the media-centric phones out there is its Office integration. With Phone 8 we’re still waiting for track changes on Word documents but tables and tabulation now render accurately and spreadsheets look and work like real Excel creations. For those of us who occasionally use a phone to grab a picture or a thought and share it with a desktop or tablet, the OneNote integration is fantastic and for the productivity minded this could be the deal sealer.

Microsoft is now bundling Nokia maps with all of its phones so you can download maps for most of the world and use them offline. This is a stroke of genius but one really does wonder what Nokia was thinking about when it decided to give away what was probably its last remaining USP.

I’d like to be able to say that web browsing on the 8X is pleasurable but Microsoft has failed to fix two of the biggest flaws with Phone 7: rendering and bookmarks. Pages still fail to render flawlessly leading to text and pictures overlapping on some sites giving the updated (and admittedly very quick) Internet Explorer an early 2002 Symbian feel. And as for bookmarks, the inability to manage and arrange your web bookmarks in folders or any other kind of coherent structure – rather than one long list – is baffling and, frankly, inexcusable.

Conclusion

The HTC Windows Phone 8X is a beautiful device with a delightful form factor. It is without doubt the best phone that HTC has made and has enough punch to be seriously considered alongside the iPhone 5 and the Galaxy SIII. On paper, it seems to beat the Nokia Lumia 920 and HTC has moved heaven and earth to get it to market on time which must give it a head start over the other Windows signature phones. The cameras – both front and back – are class leading and the image results breathtaking for a phone.

But it isn’t without its flaws, most notably the limited on-board storage which will make gaining adoption among music lovers an uphill struggle. - source

Sep 19, 2012

HTC Launches Windows Phone 8X and 8S


Nokia and Samsung aren’t the only phone makers embracing Microsoft’s next-generation mobile OS. Today, HTC unveiled a pair of colorful handsets that have Windows Phone 8 in their names. Dubbed the HTC Windows Phone 8X and Windows Phone 8S, both devices have HTC’s high-speed camera chip, Beats Audio and come in wide range of bold colors. The 8X will be available on AT&T, T-Moible and Verizon.

HTC Windows Phone 8X


HTC’s new flagship Windows 8 handset features an attactive 4.3-inch, Super LCD 2 screen that operates at a 1280 x 720 resolution for a PPI of 341.54, a bit better than the 4.5-inch Nokia Lumia 920′s 332 PPI. Inside, the 8X is powered by a 1.5-GHz, dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 processor with 1GB of RAM and a 16GB eMMC storage. An 1,800 mAH hour battery promises reasonable endurance while Beats audio with 2.5-volts of amplification offers loud, accurate music playback and NFC chip will allow the device to work with mobile payment systems and tap-to-share applications.


The Windows Phone 8X’s camera features the same speedy “ImageChip” as HTC’s One phones, but none of the custom imaging software that HTC bundles with its Android handsets. Because of the ImageChip, the both the 2-MP front and 8-MP back cameras can fire up and shoot an initial picture under a second while also supporting burst mode. With a f/2.0 aperture and BSI sensor, the rear-facer promises sharp images with strong low-light performance that’s designed to compete with Nokia’s Lumia 920 and its PureView camera.

However, the Windows Phone 8X’s design is the real star of the show. Available in bright Flame Red, California Blue, Limelight Yellow as well as Graphite Black, the .39-inch thick handset has an angular shape that looks nothing like most Android devices, but reminded us of Nokia’s Lumia 920. At just 4.5 ounces, the 8X is a full 2 ounces lighter than the Lumia 920 as well. In a brief viewing, we were particularly impressed by the dark blue Windows Phone 8X, which an HTC rep told us is the device’s “halo color.”

The Windows Phone 8X will support LTE and be available on Verizon, T-Mobile and AT&T in the U.S. There’s no word on pricing, availability or what carriers will get what colors.

HTC Windows Phone 8S


The mid-range HTC Windows Phone 8S has more modest specs, but a design that’s just as attractive, if not more so. With a 4-inch, 800 x 480 resolution Super LCD 2 screen, the 8S doesn’t provide as rich a visual experience and its 1-GHz dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 CPU is also a bit slower than its big brother’s while it provides half as much RAM (512MB) and a quarter the internal storage (4GB). However, at just 4 ounces, the Windows Phone 8S is lighter than the 8X though it is the same thickness.

The Windows Phone 8S does not have the ImageChip and has a lower-res rear-facing 5-MP camera with a shallower f2.8 aperture lens and only the ability to record 720p video. There’s also no front-facing camera at all so forget about video chat. And though the 8S also has Beats Audio, it does not have the same 2.5-volt amplification as the 8X.


That said, we really like the vibrant two-tone design of the Windows Phone 8S, which has one color on its front and a second color on its back with small panel of the front color as a back accent. Available in yellow / gray (High-Rise Gray), dark red / light red (Fiesta Red), blue / black (Atlantic Blue) and white / back (Domino), this mid-range phone really stands out in a crowd.


There’s no word yet on pricing or availability for the Windows Phone 8S, though we expect it to cost significantly less than the high-end Windows Phone 8X. We also don’t know whether it will support LTE or not. - source

Dec 1, 2011

Smart's LTE Beta Test Snap Review


SMART Communications LTE (Long Term Evolution) represents 4G technology, the latest in broadband tech. This groundbreaking innovation can handle blistering download speeds up to 42 Mbps. Its low latency rate also makes it ideal for streaming HD video, online games, video conferencing, and other high bandwidth apps.


What’s inside the package? The LTE device (Huawei E392), a Quick User Guide, and a Smart Bro SIM Pack.

Pardon the overflowing happiness. In a country where a 10Mbps wired connection is stuff that dreams are made of, getting wireless-connection speeds of more than 50Mbps in the Philippines is like shitting gold. It doesn’t help that the first Smart Evolution LTE dongle (Huawei E392) I got turned out to be “defective.” It couldn’t get any signal at “proven” LTE hotspots.


Now with the replacement, it’s a different story altogether. It gave me speeds of more than 60Mbps when I first tested it at Jump Experience Center, SM Megamall. Crazy, really, because even though Smart’s Evolution LTE is designed to deliver speeds of up to 76Mbps (up to 100Mbps “in the near future”), the Huawei dongle lent to beta testers has a maximum information rate of only 42Mbps.


To give you an idea of how fast 60Mbps is… it took me 5 minutes to download a 550MB file. Try doing that with your wired connection at home, and you’ll most likely finish in more than an hour. Too bad there’s something wrong with the video I took at the time.


I got the fastest recorded speed of 80.19Mbps at the second floor of Globe country’s Greenbelt’s parking garage, the one near Conti’s, McDonald’s, and AIM [Asian Institute of Management]. However, your best bet for the best browsing/downloading/uploading experience is still at Megamall.


I went to UP Diliman, Ateneo, and Tiendesitas (I’ve placed the complete list of LTE hotspots at the bottom of this page), but sniffing out a whiff of LTE signal in those areas was a challenge. Until now, none of the beta testers have successfully found that elusive signal there. I just keep in mind that “optimal experience happens 100-200 meters within the LTE coverage”—at least at this stage.

So when will this be commercially available?


Smart’s official answer: “No date has yet been set for this.” Expect it next year still. Take note that while Evolution LTE may not have a price yet, it’s going to be a premium service which will be initially available in Smart Bro Postpaid. Not surprising because it is up to 20x faster than the current 3G network (up to 2Mbps). I do hope that it will be well within my budget.

I’ll be wardriving again soon, so do check this site often. Till then.

Areas with LTE coverage: Update, December 28, 2011 Smart provided us with this map of activated LTE sites.)
  1. Cubao – Coverage for majority of Araneta Center, Aurora Boulevard cor EDSA, Farmers Plaza, MRT Cubao Station, Farmers Market, LRT 2 Araneta Cubao Station, and Gateway Mall
  2. 15th Avenue Parc COD Reloc – Coverage for majority of Araneta Center, Aurora Blvd., Manhattan Parkway and Parkview, Isetann, Rustan’s, Shoemart, and Shopwise Cubao and Ali Mall
  3. Ateneo – Coverage for majority of Ateneo campus and part of Katipunan Ave.
  4. Magnolia – Coverage for Aurora Blvd., LRT 2 Betty Go-Belmonte 2 Station, Villa Carolina Townhouses, Gilmore Commercial Plaza and IT Center, and St. Paul College QC
  5. University of the Philippines, Diliman – Coverage for UP Diliman campus, part of Don Mariano Marcos and Commonwealth Ave., New Era University, and New Era General Hospital
  6. Singalong – Coverage for portions of President Quirino and Taft Avenues, LRT 1 Quirino Station, Philippine Women’s University, Philippine Christian University, and J. Nakpil, Remedios, San Andres, and Leon Guinto Streets
  7. Manila P. Noval РPortions of Espa̱a, Andalucia, and Dapitan Sts., and PRC
  8. University of Santo Tomas – Coverage for UST campus, stretch of Dapitan St. from AH Lacson St., and Perpetual Help College
  9. Acropolis Car Park Arcade – Coverage for Greenhills, OB Montessori, Promenade, portions of Annapolis and Eisenhower Sts., Club Filipino, and Club Filipino Drive
  10. Wack Wack – Coverage for Greenhills Shopping Center, parts of Greenhills East, Greenhills West, and Wack Wack Greenhills
  11. Annapolis – Coverage for Annapolis St., portion of Camp Crame (West Crame), MRT Santolan-Annapolis Station, and Greenhills Northeast
  12. Meralco Ortigas – Coverage for Meralco main office
  13. Ugong РCoverage for Silver City Auto Mall, SM Supercenter Pasig, Tiendesitas, part of Pasig Industrial Subd., and Do̱a Julia Vargas-E.Rodriguez Jr. Ave. intersection
  14. PLDT Greenhills – Test eNodeB (?)
  15. Xavierville – Portions of A. Bonifacio Ave. and Aurora Blvd., Alta Vista Village, Philippine School of Business Administration, and Villa Aurora Townhomes
  16. SM Mall of Asia, North Macro – Outdoor coverage near SM MOA North Parking area, which includes outdoor portions of One E-com Center and San Miguel by the Bay
  17. Makati, Greenbelt – Coverage for outdoor parts of AIM along Benavidez and Greenbelt 5 along Paseo de Roxas, some outdoor portions of Greenbelt 3 along Esperanza St., street-level coverage along Arnaiz Ave. near the corner of Paseo de Roxas
  18. Mandaluyong, SM Megamall – Coverage for Jump, SM Megamall
  19. Filinvest City – Coverage for parts of Research Institute for Tropical Medicine and some portions of The Palms Country Club
  20. PLDT Wise Tower – Coverage for Smart Towers 1 and 2
  21. RC Building Pico – Indoor coverage for Ramon Cojuangco Bldg. and outdoor parts along Paseo de Roxas from Makati Shangri-La to Greenbelt 1
  22. VA Rufino, – Coverage for outdoor parts of Rufino Bldg. and outdoor parts along Ayala Ave. from PBCom Bldg. to Salcedo, and outdoor parts along Dela Rosa St. from Rufino St. to Salcedo
  23. Elsie Gaches – Coverage for outdoor portions of Molito facing Alabang-Zapote Road, Alabang Town Center parking beside McDonald’s, and outdoor portions of Villa Donata Subd., Alabang.