Get your 4G phones turned back to 3G/4G, you only have a month to wait. You can read the press release below.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

June 21, 2011

VERIZON WIRELESS LAUNCHES 4G LTE IN AUGUSTA ON JULY 21

AUGUSTA, GA – Verizon Wireless announced today that it is bringing the world’s first

large-scale 4G Long Term Evolution (LTE) network to Augusta, Georgia on July 21. Residents

in Augusta, North Augusta and Aiken, SC with 4G LTE smartphones, laptop modems and

hotspots will be able to take advantage of speeds up to 10 times faster than the company’s 3G

network.

“Verizon Wireless is making the best network even better,” said Jeff Mango, president of

the Georgia/Alabama Region of Verizon Wireless. “The activation of our lightning fast 4G LTE

network in Augusta is further evidence of our commitment to and investment in the residents of

this area.”

In real-world, fully-loaded network environments, 4G LTE users should experience

average data rates of 5 to 12 megabits per second (Mbps) on the downlink and 2 to 5 Mbps on

the uplink. Verizon Wireless began introducing the globe’s first large-scale LTE network on

December 5, 2010, covering more than 110 million Americans, and is quickly expanding

national coverage, currently offering service in 74 metropolitan areas. The company is rapidly

building out its 4G LTE network, and is on course to deliver 4G LTE to its entire 3G wireless

footprint by the end of 2013.

As the first wireless company in the world to broadly deploy game-changing 4G LTE

technology, Verizon Wireless is committed to building its 4G network with the same

performance and reliability for which it has long been recognized. Verizon Wireless’ consistent

focus on reliability is based on rigid engineering standards and a disciplined deployment

approach year after year. The company’s 700 MHz spectrum gives Verizon Wireless specific

advantages with 4G, including a contiguous, nationwide network license.

Visit www.verizonwireless.com/lte for more information about Verizon Wireless’ 4G

LTE network.

###

About Verizon Wireless

Verizon Wireless operates the nation’s fastest, most advanced 4G network and largest, most

reliable 3G network. The company serves 104 million total wireless connections, including

more than 88 million retail customers. Headquartered in Basking Ridge, N.J., with 85,000

employees nationwide, Verizon Wireless is a joint venture of Verizon Communications

(NYSE, NASDAQ: VZ) and Vodafone (LSE, NASDAQ: VOD). For more information, visit

www.verizonwireless.com. To preview and request broadcast-quality video footage and high-

resolution stills of Verizon Wireless operations, log on to the Verizon Wireless Multimedia

Library at www.verizonwireless.com/multimedia.

HARDWARE

Before we get to the meaty part of Windows Phone OS 7, lets start with an overview of the HTC Trophy. It has a small form-factor, weighing in at just under 5 ounces with a screen size of 3.8 inches. It’s not a great mobile media device like some of the 4.0+ inch screen devices but it’s nice to see a smaller sized device on the market. The weight and size make it comfortable to hold and it’s not a nuisance to carry in your pocket.

The Trophy has all the same buttons that every Windows Phone OS 7 phone must have: back, Start, search, camera, power, and volume up and down buttons. These are a requirement from Microsoft and you’ll see why some are required a little later. There’s also a USB mini port for charging and mounting the device as a hard drive, and a 3.5mm headphone jack.

The camera is alright, I would place it around the same as the Motorola Droid. It does alright in day and well-lit areas but don’t expect too much in the dark or at night. Also, no front-facing camera means you will be taking pictures of yourself in the mirror and you can’t use any video conferencing apps.

OPERATING SYSTEM

Windows Phone OS 7 is a new OS, I only point that out because people are comparing it to Apple’s iOS and the Android OS, both of which are several years old and have substantially changed and updated themselves over the years. Of course, one could argue (and I do) that Microsoft has had that much time to make an OS that could be even better than the others because they have had plenty of time to compare and build the best OS. There are glaring omissions by Microsoft in the OS, like cut-and-paste (that will come in Mango, we are told) and lack of multi-tasking and the lack of feeling of ownership of the device because it is locked down so tightly.

This is a great improvement on the Windows Mobile OS, don’t get me wrong, but there should have been someone who worked with the OS saying, “Why don’t we take some of the great things about Windows Mobile OS and add it to Windows Phone OS 7?”.

A phone OS should be intuitive. I should be able to pick it up and use it without having to tap around and drag my finger in odd ways on the screen just to figure out how to get past the unlock screen (I did that at first because I wasn’t quite sure which way to drag… found out it was up after it bounced a few seconds later). Also, I noticed that the signal and battery life icons go away after you get to the Start screen and I thought they weren’t shown again unless you were at the lock screen, it took another friend to play around with it until he tapped near the top of the screen and it showed back up. That’s not the way I would have designed it but it does keep a clean look on the Start screen.

And then there’s the feeling of your phone being totally locked down. With Windows Mobile phones you could dive as deeply into the file structure as you wanted, there was even a file browser installed on the phone out of the box. Not so with Windows Phone OS 7, I couldn’t even find a file browser on the marketplace. Not to mention the fact that the SD card is being used as part of the phone’s memory.

Since we are on the marketplace, the Windows Phone 7 marketplace sucks. It really does. If you look at data charts comparing free and pay apps on other mobile markets you will see a huge difference between Android and iOS and the Windows Marketplace. There were even a few free apps that I found on other markets that were pay on the Windows Phone 7 Marketplace!

But for all it’s cons there are a few things that I liked about the OS:

-I can take a picture super-fast. Windows put in a great feature where if the phone’s screen is off or you are at the lock screen you can hold the camera button down for a few seconds and the phone comes to life at the camera screen. There is the chance that you will take a million pictures of the inside of your pocket but I never experienced that while I was carrying it around.

-Integrated with XBox Live and Facebook. The latter not so well but it is integrated.

-Simple Start screen. You get the simplicity of iOS with the ability to use live tiles like Android’s widgets. You can add and remove tiles, and rearrange them how you would like.

CONCLUSIONS

So, what do I think of the HTC Trophy? I know that what you all are reading this article for this anyway; I hope you didn’t just skip to the bottom.

I think, although the phone is a sturdy phone and battery life was good for a smartphone, Windows Phone OS 7 needs a lot of refinement. Like HP’s WebOS, I think this one will fall by the wayside and be picked up by a few people here and there because the iPhone is too expensive or the Android OS is too overwhelming. Unless Microsoft can really step up their game it’s going to be out of the real race and eventually will not even be a big contender.

If you are looking for a new phone that is easy to use like the iPhone and has some live elements like Android widgets, and don’t mind the lack of polish and some features that other phones have, then give the HTC Trophy a try. You do have a trial period with Verizon that you can return it if you don’t like it and get something else. But if you are coming from another smartphone with an OS that you like and just want to try the HTC Trophy because it has a different OS, don’t bother.

It’s a great game and I can’t wait to see more games like it! You can find it in the Appstore for US$6.99, that includes a three month subscription and you can buy extra months for only US$0.99 a month.

Definitely worth checking out if you are into MMOs.

I had to look up how Brand Keys works, but basically they interview a sample of people (using online survey sites), a sample of around 100-150 people, and take their info from that small sample.

Good for Samsung, but I wonder just how true this is. Anyway, read the presser below.

———————–

SAMSUNG MOBILE HONORED AS #1 IN CUSTOMER LOYALTY FOR TENTH CONSECUTIVE YEAR IN THE MOBILE PHONE CATEGORY The No.1 U.S. Provider of Mobile Phones Celebrates a Decade of Customer Loyalty Leadership DALLAS – February 15, 2011 – Samsung Telecommunications America, LLC (Samsung Mobile), the number one mobile provider in the U.S. 1 began 2011 as the winner in cell phone customer loyalty for the tenth year in a row. According to the 2011 Brand Keys Customer Loyalty Engagement Index SM, Samsung is one of only 8 brands in any category to retain the lead in customer loyalty for an entire decade, and the only handset provider to be awarded the honor for ten consecutive years. The national survey identifies brands that are best able to engage consumers by meeting or exceeding expectations, thus, creating loyal customers. In the cell phone category, consumer preferences were based on wireless phone design and performance. “Samsung is honored once again to retain the Brand Keys customer loyalty distinction for yet another year, a clear sign of our commitment to not only creating innovative products, but to also continuously surpassing customer expectations,” said Dale Sohn, president for Samsung Mobile. “We know that a brand is only as strong as the people who support it, and securing many more decades of brand loyalty leadership is a task Samsung takes very seriously. We look forward to many more years of successfully and diligently meeting our customers’ needs as we continue to grow in the mobile marketplace.” Brand Keys is the only research consultancy in the world that specializes in customer loyalty, providing brand-equity measures that accurately predict future consumer behavior. Findings from the index rank brands based on those that consumers felt best met or exceeded their expectations and were most likely to demonstrate the highest levels of consumer loyalty and profitability over the next 12 to 18 months. The Brand Keys Customer Loyalty Engagement Index examines customers’ relationships with 528 brands in 79 categories to paint a detailed picture of the category drivers that engage customers, foster loyalty and drive real profits. “In a category where expectations regarding technology travel at the speed of the consumer, it’s a real tribute that the Samsung brand has again managed to better meet customer expectations,” noted Robert Passikoff, Brand Keys Founder and President. “Being able to do it for 10 consecutive years seems to be a pretty good indicator of ‘delight.’ Satisfaction has never been more cost-of-entry; delight is the new differentiator, and we offer our congratulations to Samsung.” For more information about the 2011 Brand Keys Customer Loyalty Awards, please visitwww.brandkeys.com/awards. About Samsung Telecommunications America, LLCSamsung Telecommunications America, LLC, a Dallas-based subsidiary of Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., researches, develops and markets wireless handsets and telecommunications products throughout North America. For more information, please visitwww.samsungwireless.com. About Samsung ElectronicsSamsung Electronics Co., Ltd. is a global leader in semiconductor, telecommunication, digital media and digital convergence technologies with 2008 consolidated sales of US$96 billion. Employing approximately 164,600 people in 179 offices across 61 countries, the company is recognized as one of the fastest growing global brands. Samsung Electronics is a leading producer of digital TVs, memory chips, mobile phones and TFT-LCDs. For more information, please visit www.samsung.com. About Brand KeysBrand Keys is the global leader in brand equity, loyalty and engagement research. It provides Global 500 clients with predictive category and brand metrics in both B2C and B2B environments in 35+ countries. Brand Keys methodology is based on clinical psychology providing in-depth insights into both the rational, and, more importantly, the emotional factors that strongly bond consumers to brands.

1Number one mobile phone provider in the U.S. claim for Samsung Mobile based upon reported shipment data, according to Strategy Analytics Q3 2010 U.S. Market Share Handset Shipments Reports.
SAMSUNG MOBILE HONORED AS #1 IN CUSTOMER LOYALTY FOR TENTH CONSECUTIVE YEAR IN THE MOBILE PHONE CATEGORY

The No.1 U.S. Provider of Mobile Phones Celebrates a Decade of Customer Loyalty Leadership

DALLAS – February 15, 2011 – Samsung Telecommunications America, LLC (Samsung Mobile), the number one mobile provider in the U.S. 1 began 2011 as the winner in cell phone customer loyalty for the tenth year in a row.

According to the 2011 Brand Keys Customer Loyalty Engagement Index SM, Samsung is one of only 8 brands in any category to retain the lead in customer loyalty for an entire decade, and the only handset provider to be awarded the honor for ten consecutive years. The national survey identifies brands that are best able to engage consumers by meeting or exceeding expectations, thus, creating loyal customers. In the cell phone category, consumer preferences were based on wireless phone design and performance.

“Samsung is honored once again to retain the Brand Keys customer loyalty distinction for yet another year, a clear sign of our commitment to not only creating innovative products, but to also continuously surpassing customer expectations,” said Dale Sohn, president for Samsung Mobile. “We know that a brand is only as strong as the people who support it, and securing many more decades of brand loyalty leadership is a task Samsung takes very seriously. We look forward to many more years of successfully and diligently meeting our customers’ needs as we continue to grow in the mobile marketplace.”

Brand Keys is the only research consultancy in the world that specializes in customer loyalty, providing brand-equity measures that accurately predict future consumer behavior. Findings from the index rank brands based on those that consumers felt best met or exceeded their expectations and were most likely to demonstrate the highest levels of consumer loyalty and profitability over the next 12 to 18 months. The Brand Keys Customer Loyalty Engagement Index examines customers’ relationships with 528 brands in 79 categories to paint a detailed picture of the category drivers that engage customers, foster loyalty and drive real profits.

“In a category where expectations regarding technology travel at the speed of the consumer, it’s a real tribute that the Samsung brand has again managed to better meet customer expectations,” noted Robert Passikoff, Brand Keys Founder and President. “Being able to do it for 10 consecutive years seems to be a pretty good indicator of ‘delight.’ Satisfaction has never been more cost-of-entry; delight is the new differentiator, and we offer our congratulations to Samsung.”

For more information about the 2011 Brand Keys Customer Loyalty Awards, please visitwww.brandkeys.com/awards.

About Samsung Telecommunications America, LLC
Samsung Telecommunications America, LLC, a Dallas-based subsidiary of Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., researches, develops and markets wireless handsets and telecommunications products throughout North America. For more information, please visitwww.samsungwireless.com.

About Samsung Electronics
Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. is a global leader in semiconductor, telecommunication, digital media and digital convergence technologies with 2008 consolidated sales of US$96 billion. Employing approximately 164,600 people in 179 offices across 61 countries, the company is recognized as one of the fastest growing global brands. Samsung Electronics is a leading producer of digital TVs, memory chips, mobile phones and TFT-LCDs. For more information, please visit www.samsung.com.

About Brand Keys
Brand Keys is the global leader in brand equity, loyalty and engagement research. It provides Global 500 clients with predictive category and brand metrics in both B2C and B2B environments in 35+ countries. Brand Keys methodology is based on clinical psychology providing in-depth insights into both the rational, and, more importantly, the emotional factors that strongly bond consumers to brands.

The news that everyone has been wanting to hear for years has finally been announced — Verizon is getting a CDMA version of the iPhone! Unfortunately, it is only a CDMA version and according to the Q&A session today at Verzion’s event they are not currently working on an LTE version.

The iPhone 4 on Verizon will be released February 10, but if you are a current Verizon subscriber you will get the option to pr-order starting February 3. There will be 2 versions available — 16GB for $199 and a 32GB for $299, both prices are after signing a new 2-year contract.

Read on for the official press release.

Verizon Wireless & Apple Team Up to Deliver iPhone 4 on Verizon
 
BASKING RIDGE, New Jersey and CUPERTINO, California—January 11, 2011—Verizon Wireless and Apple® today announced that the iPhone® 4 will be available on the Verizon Wireless network beginning on Thursday, February 10. Qualified Verizon Wireless customers will be given the exclusive opportunity to pre-order iPhone 4 online on February 3, ahead of general availability.
 
iPhone 4 is the most innovative phone in the world, featuring Apple’s stunning Retina™ display, the highest resolution display ever built into a phone resulting in super crisp text, images and video, and FaceTime®, which makes video calling a reality. iPhone 4 on Verizon Wireless will also include new Personal Hotspot capabilities allowing customers to use iPhone 4 to connect up to five Wi-Fi enabled devices.
 
“We are pleased to introduce millions of wireless users to the industry leading iPhone 4 on the nation’s most reliable network,” said Lowell McAdam, president and chief operating officer of Verizon. “This is an important step for the industry as two great companies join forces to give wireless customers one of the most important technological additions to the mobile landscape this century.”
 
“Verizon Wireless customers have told us they can’t wait to get their hands on iPhone 4, and we think they are going to love it,” said Tim Cook, Apple’s chief operating officer. “We have enormous respect for the company Verizon has built and the loyalty they have earned from their customers.”
 
iPhone 4 features a 5 megapixel camera with LED flash, HD video recording, Apple’s A4 chip, a 3-axis gyro and a beautiful glass and stainless steel design like no other mobile phone. iPhone 4 also comes with iOS 4, the world’s most advanced mobile operating system, which includes multitasking, folders, Game Center, AirPlay® and AirPrint wireless printing.  iPhone 4 customers have access to the world’s most popular App Store℠ with more than 300,000 apps available in an incredible range of 20 categories, including games, business, news, sports, health and reference.
 
Pricing & Availability
iPhone 4 will be available on the Verizon Wireless network beginning Thursday, February 10 for a suggested retail price of $199.99 for the 16GB model and $299.99 for the 32GB model with a new two year customer agreement. iPhone 4 will be available at more than 2,000 Verizon Wireless Communications Stores nationwide, online at  www.verizonwireless.com/iphone, at Apple Retail Stores, at the Apple Store® (www.apple.com), at Apple Authorized Resellers, and by calling 1-800-2 JOIN IN.
 
(EDITOR’S NOTE: Media can access high-resolution images in the Verizon Wireless Multimedia Library at www.verizonwireless.com/multimedia.)
 
Verizon Wireless operates the nation’s most reliable and largest wireless voice and 3G data network, serving more than 93 million customers. Headquartered in Basking Ridge, N.J., with 79,000 employees nationwide, Verizon Wireless is a joint venture of Verizon Communications (NYSE, NASDAQ: VZ) and Vodafone (LSE, NASDAQ: VOD). For more information, visit www.verizonwireless.com.
 
Apple designs Macs, the best personal computers in the world, along with OS X, iLife, iWork, and professional software. Apple leads the digital music revolution with its iPods and iTunes online store. Apple is reinventing the mobile phone with its revolutionary iPhone and App Store, and has recently introduced its magical iPad which is defining the future of mobile media and computing devices.

When what we call the internet first began it wasn’t anything like what we have today. There are plenty of people out who will read this and know exactly what I am talking about and there are some who haven’t known anything but the current state of the internet. Things have changed over the years, including the way that we pay for our internet service. From what I’ve seen there have been three major points in the internet billing cycle and you can see the same exact points when you look at mobile web data.

1. Pay as you go
Anyone who remembers the internet before Cable and DSL remembers well the squeal of a modem and the rigors of the call not going through or the other end being busy. We didn’t have an always on connection and if you didn’t know how to turn the volume down on the modem everyone in the house with you knew you were connecting to the internet. Back then your internet usage was printed on your phone bill and you were billed accordingly.

Of course when someone figured out that we could use our cell phones to connect to internet sites (although very media light) the cell phone companies were quick to start charging for the data usage, on a pay as you go plan.

2. You’ve got INTERNET!
Our next step on the trip down memory lane stops where Cable and DSL internet began, dial-up internet was still pretty big and a lot of companies still billed you per kb but there was a change somewhere and people began to pay upfront for their data.

This is where we are now in the mobile data wars, every month you pay $30 and you get the internet, the fastest available and it’s always there; that is, as long as you have a signal. The only choice you have to make is whether you need enterprise support.

3. Small, Medium, Large, X-Large, XX-Large, SUPER Duper Mega Large
Now we buy our internet by how fast we want to download the finale of LOST and how high of quality we want to see the animals on our farms on Facebook. It’s like a veritable Baskin Robins of speeds, ranging from 2Mb to 100+Mb download speeds and it is always getting faster. No more can you just buy the internet, no, now you have to choose which is right for your needs.

As far as mobile data is concerned, this is the next step. Consumers are already mad that they have to pay $30 per month and they don’t get the speed they need or they don’t even use what they consider to be $30 worth of data. Then there are people who use more than their fair share of data (it is unlimited, after all) and still only pay the $30. The only indication we have of “speed” is how many “G” it is, the current is 3G and 4G is on the way.

After positioning Spiky on the catapult, gauge how far you need to go by watching Squaty’s height on the tree and signal his jump by tapping the log and watch the porcupine sail through the air and take out the fruit. There’s a certain amount of fruit you have to get per level, and you only get three shots!

So, dust off your physics skills and get ready to hear that rabbit cry plenty of times. This game isn’t for the feint of heart, obstacles and traps will make you want to throw your iPhone, but there are some power-ups throughout the game that will make things a bit easier as you get into the harder levels.

Would I suggest it? Yes! It’s a great game to pull out on your iPhone or iPad when you have a few minutes to kill, but it’s also deep enough that you have to think if you have a little more than a few minutes to spend playing.

Can you show us some gameplay? Sure! Here’s a cool YouTube video straight from MEDL!

What’s the price? There’s a free (lite) version and a $1.99 pay version.

Jungly Jump is created by MEDL Mobile. MEDL Mobile provided me with a review copy of this app to test and review.

Pepsi is releasing their app, Pepsi Loot, to give back to it’s drinkers when they enjoy a Pepsi product from a “Pop Spot” – a restaurant that serves Pepsi products. Think of it as Pepsi’s version of Foursquare with a prize! When the Pepsi drinker checks in at a Pop Spot the first time, and every third time after that, he is given a free music download from Pepsi’s Loot Store. It’s like Pepsi’s reward points but you don’t have to buy a bottled drink to get the points, you just have to go out to eat (or just drink).

Klondike Unfoiled! tests the unwrapping speed of it’s users. And… well that’s it. Really, all you do is see how fast you can unwrap a Klondike.

And the last product-based app of the day is from Tropicana, yup the orange juice people. Tropicana Juicy Rewards is a “must-have application [that] will help you review rewards on-the-go, enter codes and share rewards with friends.” Kind of like Pepsi Loot, when you buy Tropicana Pure Premium orange juice you put your codes in the app and you get reward points and get reward coupons that you can share with friends on Twitter and Facebook. And there’s a BONUS bowling game!

All of these apps are free on the iTunes store and are compatible with iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad.

According to Boy Genius Report, as of June 7th, AT&T will not be serving up unlimited data for its smartphone customers. It looks like they are really pushing for users to go with Wi-Fi as an option to bogging down their 3G network as they include in the press release that

Each plan includes unlimited access at no additional charge to more than 20,000 AT&T Wi-Fi Hot Spots in the U.S. Customers can also use unlimited Wi-Fi at home, in the office or elsewhere if available.

These are the new plans and although current customers will not be required to change they can choose to switch to a new plan without a contact extension (in fact, I think AT&T would be happy to switch you over!):

• DataPlus. Provides 200 megabytes (MB) of data – for example, enough to send/receive 1,000 emails (no attachments), plus send/receive 150 emails with attachments, plus view 400 Web pages, plus post 50 photos on social media sites, plus watch 20 minutes of streaming video – for just $15 per month.**  This plan, which can save customers up to 50 percent off their wireless data charges, is designed for people who primarily like to surf the web, send email and use social networking apps. If customers exceed 200 MB in a monthly billing cycle, they will receive an additional 200 MB of data usage for $15 for use in the cycle.  Currently, 65 percent of AT&T smartphone customers use less than 200 MB of data per month on average.
• DataPro. Provides 2 gigabytes (GB) of data – for example, enough to send/receive 10,000 emails (no attachments), plus send/receive 1,500 emails with attachments, plus view 4,000 Web pages, plus post 500 photos to social media sites, plus watch 200 minutes of streaming video – for $25 per month.**  Should a customer exceed 2 GB during a billing cycle, they will receive an additional 1 GB of data for $10 for use in the cycle.  Currently, 98 percent of AT&T smartphone customers use less than 2 GB of data a month on average.
• Tethering. Smartphone customers – including iPhone customers – who choose the DataPro plan have the option to add tethering for an additional $20 per month.  Tethering lets customers use their smartphones as a modem to provide a broadband connection for laptop computers, netbooks or other computing devices. Tethering for iPhones will be available when Apple releases iPhone OS 4 this summer.

As far as iPad users go, AT&T said:

For new iPad customers, the $25 per month 2 GB plan will replace the existing $29.99 unlimited plan. iPad customers will continue to pre-pay for their wireless data plan and no contract is required. Existing iPad customers who have the $29.99 per month unlimited plan can keep that plan or switch to the new $25 per month plan with 2 GB of data.
(via AT&T via Boy Genius Report)