T-Mobile to offer Unlimited everything plans on and off contract

Looks like T-Mobile has decided to get in a little closer with the competition. They have now unleashed their new Unlimited Everything plans, sadly they aren’t truly unlimited but more on that below. They are offering two unlimited packages, one being on contract, and the other is contract free.


The Even More plan is $79.99 per month and requires a two-year contract, then the Even More Plus plan is $59.99 per month with no annual contract required and is geared towards the month-to-month prepaid customers. Both of these are for a limited time only so we suggest you hurry in and get a shiny new Sidekick 4G, or wait a few days and get the LG G2x.

Sadly we have heard some news that makes these exciting plans not all that exciting after all. Yes everything is unlimited but if you go over 2GB on your data T-Mobile will start to slow down and throttle your speeds, basically to a crawl. T-Mobile has said that all you facebookers and mobile data consumers use on average about 1GB a month of data, well they said that the “average” customer uses this amount. I know that I use anywhere from 3GB-5GB a month right now, but I’m more of a power user when it comes to Android. So those plans are a no go for some of those more power users, or those that use lots of data. I am glad to see they are lowering prices, and not increasing them now that data is being used more and more, but unlimited data that is actually capped, and slowdowns are a few things I’m not to happy to see. What are your thoughts? Full press release below:

T-Mobile USA, Inc. today announced that new, single-line unlimited plans are available starting tomorrow for just $79.99 per month, with an Even More™ plan and a two-year contract, or $59.99 per month, with an Even More Plus™plan with no annual contract required. Available for a limited time, the new plans offer great value for new and existing customers with unlimited nationwide calling, texting and data on America’s Largest 4G Network™.

“Consumers today are looking for even more value and flexibility from their wireless plans,” said John Clelland, senior vice president, marketing, T-Mobile USA. “While data plans for many of our competitors continue to be very expensive, T-Mobile is lowering the price of our unlimited plans and offering more options, making it easier than ever for customers to step up to a richer mobile data experience on our 4G network.”

Combined with an extensive lineup of affordable smartphones, T-Mobile’s new Even More unlimited plan allows customers to save more than $350 per year on an unlimited smartphone plan, compared to similar plans from AT&T, Verizon and Sprint1. Customers have the flexibility to purchase any phone in T-Mobile’s lineup and sign up for an unlimited rate plan – with or without a contract term commitment.

In contrast to some competing offerings, T-Mobile’s new Even More unlimited and Even More Plus unlimited plans enable customers to use mobile data on their smartphones without incurring any overage charges. Consumers exceeding 2GB of usage in a billing month will still have access to unlimited data at reduced speeds until their new billing cycle starts. On average, T-Mobile 4G smartphone customers consume about 1 GB of data per billing month.

In addition to its unlimited plans, T-Mobile continues to offer one of the industry’s most affordable entry-level data plans, starting at just $10 for 200 MB per billing month. The company also strives to help customers on these data plans avoid surprise bills with SMS alerts when they are reaching their data limit.

The new $79.99 Even More unlimited and $59.99 Even More Plus unlimited plans are available starting tomorrow for qualifying customers. To find the T-Mobile plan that best fits their needs, customers can visit http://www.t-mobile.com.

T-Mobile’s HSPA+ 4G network not available everywhere. See coverage details at T-Mobile.com.

continue reading…

HTC Thunderbolt cases streamline protection with extended battery

If you have an HTC Thunderbolt, you know how much of a bulge that extended battery makes in your pocket and how exposed the phone is without a protective case that can accomodate it. Now there’s a nice silicone case available that streamlines the look of the phone to make it look far less like a camel hump. The cases were specifically designed with the extended battery in mind and also feature a slit for the Thunderbolt’s kickstand, an opening for all necessary ports, and cameras. Unfortunately, though, the Extended Battery Fit Silicone cases are on back order.

As reported back in February, the HTC Thunderbolt had such problems with battery life, that Verizon had to delay the launch while trying to stretch it beyond just a few hours. The problem was the paltry 1400 mAh battery, which at most provided 3-4 hours running 4G. HTC and Verizon briefly considered a firmware update, but in the end, a hardware solution had to be devised.

The solution they came up with was a very bulbous 2750 mAh extended life battery which replaced the original and sells for around $50. The problem though, was that it has prevents any case from being used without severe modifications. So now that there’s a protective solution that works around the hump of the E.L.B. Thunderbolt users can breathe again. When they are available again, the cases will be available in six colors (black, dark blue, light blue, red, pink, and gray) and sell for $24.99.
 

•  [via HTCpedia]
  

continue reading…

HTC Thunderbolt teardown photos released by the FCC

The FCC Teardown report on the HTC Thunderbolt has appeared online and it shows all the internals of the LTE driven handset. Looking at the various layers of the Thunderbolt, it’s really amazing how much can fit into such a thin, by comparison, package.Images show the 1 Ghz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, iNAND flash memory and SDRAM from Sandisk and Samsung respectively, and all the antenna including CDMA, EVDO, and LTE. In addition, there’s close ups of the Thunderbolt’s GPS antenna, Bluetooth, and WLAN Antenna’s as well.

In other Thunderbolt news, Amazon is putting the Verizon 4G LTE Thunderbolt on sale for $174.95 with a two year Verizon contract. A savings of $75 over the already low price of $249.99. The unsubsidized sale price still lists for around $669, a $30 price cut. That means that users can afford to add the extended battery and still walk away with a pretty good deal.

In addition to the 1 GHz Snapdragon processor, the Thunderbolt 4G enjoys a 2/4″ Super LCD multi-touch display, a pair of cameras including a 1.3 megapixel front facing camera for video chat and an 8 megapixel rear facing camera for HD video recording in 720p. On board memory is courtesy of 8GB RAM and a 32 GB microSD memory card. Dual Microphones enable HTC’s noise canceling technology for clear calls in noisy conditions.

The Thunderbolt comes with Android 2.2 (Froyo) out of the box, but we reported today that it will be updated by late June.





  

• [via Wireless Goodness and HTC Media]

continue reading…

Verizon Android Phones Lineup For This Spring Looks Nice

We have been rumors about Verizon releasing a bunch of Andoird phones before this summer, guess what? some of them were right!

This spring is looking awesome for Verizon customers and for those who are looking to do a switch from another carrier. Starting tomorrow, we will see around 7 nice Android phones being released. If you were planning on getting a phone but still undecided, you should definitely check out Verizon’s spring roadmap and you won’t be disappointed.

On April 7, the Casio commando, an android waterproof phone, and the Samsung Charge will be the first ones to be released. One of the most anticipated gaming phone, the Sony Experia, will come out on April 14 and two weeks later the awesome HTC Incredible 2.

• via Phandroid

continue reading…

HTC ThunderBolt Extended Battery [Hands-On]

SO we found out that an extended battery pack for the HTC ThunderBolt existed and we did the right thing – jammed out to the store and picked one up. This battery pack has the 4G LTE mark on it on the bottom, an HTC sticker in the center back, and it’s fat. It’s definitely made for the product, as the edges do indeed meet up with the sides of the handset, but it’s fat. Very fat. That doesn’t mean that we’re not going to use it, however, as long battery life is something we LOOOVE.

 Here we’ve got a few photos of the situation you’re going to be in when you attach this battery to your brand new ThunderBolt. You’ll notice that the battery itself is more than double the size of the old battery, while its said to double the battery life – we’ll hand you some tests of this when we’ve sent the phone through the everyday test. The old battery is a mere 1400 mAh while this new one is a monstrous 2750 mAh that we’re hoping will bring us through the day.

 You’re able to purchase this battery for right around $50 at Verizon, while at most (all?) locations if you’d like a second one (for if you’re going into the forest for a few days, I suppose,) you can get the second for half-off. That does beg the question though as to weather the device should have had a big fat battery like this in the first place, or if sending it out with such a short life was the right thing to do.

continue reading…

We were just hanging out like hooligans at a Verizon store down Arizona way today when we decided to inquire about a particular phone on the horizon: the Motorola Droid Bionic. This is a phone with 512MB of RAM, a dual-core processor, and wouldn’t you know it – 4G LTE speed. As it turns out, the folks at Verizon were more than willing to hand us over a bit of info on this phone, most of it we already knew, but let slip a rather important point of interest: the release date.

While they didn’t get TOO specific as they weren’t 100% sure, they did, these Verizon people, tell us that the phone would be released somewhere around mid-April. This is a phone that’s got a front and rear-facing camera, the read totaling up to 8 megapixels of fury, with a 4.3-inch qHD touchscreen display up front. And it’s connected to the network’s 4G LTE network, the one we’re all freaking out over with the ThunderBolt. Will this phone leave the ThunderBolt obsolete instantly?

Perhaps. But there are those who still prefer HTC over Motorola. Why? Heck, I don’t know. The fact that it’s got the built-in ability to silence calls by flipping on its face is enough to keep this dude on HTC. But who knows? I and we do LOVE the XOOM tablet, and the ATRIX 4G has that lovely webtop app that we know the Droid Bionic will also be getting, so perhaps there’s hope after all? Let’s look at the press pics together and think about our decisions we’ve made in life:

continue reading…

HTC Thunderbolt battery life to get extended options

It’s no secret that part of the delay of the Verizon HTC Thunderbolt release was do to the challenging battery life of the handset on the 4G/LTE network. In SlashGear’s review today, that was never more obvious when solely relying on 4G for average use, the Thunderbolt red barred after less than 3 hours. And even though coupling 4G with WiFi the battery life becomes comparable with other HTC 4G options, clearly something needs to be done. HTC is addressing battery life concerns by announcing they will be selling an optional extended life battery in the near future.

“We want customers who are power users, that are going to have the hotspot on all day, to just go,” said Pat Bucci, Verizon’s director of accessory products.

The new battery, which will cost $49.99, nearly doubles it’s mille amp hours from 1400 mAh to 2750 mAh. But that extra boost comes at a cost because it will add another ounce to an already hefty 6.23 oz handset. And the Thunderbolt will also have to deal with being thicker as the larger battery means a new backing that will come with the battery. There is no word if that new backing will also eliminate the hefty metal kickstand that is built in.
In addition to the new extended battery, Verizon will also be offering a charging dock for $59.99 that can charge both the phone and a backup standard or extended battery in concert. A second standard battery will run about $30. Another option takes advantage of the Thunderbolt being the first Verizon phone that supports wireless charging. The optional Qi-compatible back and charging pad will set users back $29 for the Qi back and another $70 for the charging pad. Geez, that’s a lot of money to address an obvious battery life flaw.

• [via GearLive]

continue reading…

HTC Thunderbolt review on SlashGear

Vince over at SlashGear got his hands on the long anticipated, and often delayed, HTC Thunderbolt by Verizon and considering it’s 4g hardware is “seasoned,” the impressions are positive. The design of the Thunderbolt standard for an HTC handset, large 4.3″ screen, metal chassis, industrial look. And while the display is a standard WVGA TFT touchscreen, the colors are impressively crisp and warm. And the design is actually narrower than most 4G phones, considering the extra space needed for it’s built in metal kickstand.

One thing users will notice though is the Thunderbolt’s heft at 6.23 oz. But it comes packed with a 1.3 megapixel front facing webcam and an 8 megapixel auto-focus rear facing camera with dual-LE flash. Under the hood, the Thunderbolt sticks with the tried and true 1 GHz Snapdragon single core processor, which is surprising considering the marketing focus on the Thunderbolt is one of speed and performance. And sadly, that’s where this 4G phone falls short as there are much faster options out there.
The Thunderbolt does make the most of that Snapdragon processor thanks to 768MB of RAM and 8GB of internal storage. It’s running a mature Android 2.2 (Froyo) out of the box, and we’re hoping that HTC will boost it up to 2.4 Gingerbread sooner, rather than later. But that usually takes some time as Sense is used as an overlay and it usually takes some time to accommodate the new flavor to the many features Sense users are accustomed to.
Where the Thunderbolt really shines is in it’s 4G/LTE performance, specifically in hotspot host mode. Users can share the Thunderbolt’s 3G/4G connection with up to eight WiFi devices tethered to it and enjoy a pleasant surfing experience. Vince connected his iPhone and MacBook pro through the Thunderbolt via WiFi and the Thunderbolt’s 4G connection hardly batted an eye with 18.73 Mbps downloads and 4.39 Mbps uploads.
When it comes to battery life, we’ve heard a lot of bad news about the Thunderbolt. It was rumored to be causing it’s launch delay. And at first blush, it seemed that relying solely on a 4G connection the Thunderbolt would only not last the day, but users would be lucky to get through Noon. But when combined with a WiFi signal, the battery life on the Thunderbolt becomes on par with other HTC devices on the Verizon LTE network.

• For more, check out SlashGear’s review here.

continue reading…

HTC Thunderbolt battery life to get extended options

It’s no secret that part of the delay of the Verizon HTC Thunderbolt release was do to the challenging battery life of the handset on the 4G/LTE network. In SlashGear’s review today, that was never more obvious when solely relying on 4G for average use, the Thunderbolt red barred after less than 3 hours. And even though coupling 4G with WiFi the battery life becomes comparable with other HTC 4G options, clearly something needs to be done. HTC is addressing battery life concerns by announcing they will be selling an optional extended life battery in the near future.

 “We want customers who are power users, that are going to have the hotspot on all day, to just go,” said Pat Bucci, Verizon’s director of accessory products.

The new battery, which will cost $49.99, nearly doubles it’s mille amp hours from 1400 mAh to 2750 mAh. But that extra boost comes at a cost because it will add another ounce to an already hefty 6.23 oz handset. And the Thunderbolt will also have to deal with being thicker as the larger battery means a new backing that will come with the battery. There is no word if that new backing will also eliminate the hefty metal kickstand that is built in.
In addition to the new extended battery, Verizon will also be offering a charging dock for $59.99 that can charge both the phone and a backup standard or extended battery in concert. A second standard battery will run about $30. Another option takes advantage of the Thunderbolt being the first Verizon phone that supports wireless charging. The optional Qi-compatible back and charging pad will set users back $29 for the Qi back and another $70 for the charging pad. Geez, that’s a lot of money to address an obvious battery life flaw.

• [via GearLive]

continue reading…