In any case, the Honor is one of the best Android phones Huawei has ever made, with its specs including a single-core 1.4GHz processor, 4-inch 854×480 pixels touchscreen, HSPA and Wi-Fi connectivity, GPS, 8-megapixel camera on the back, front-facing camera (for video calls), and 4GB of internal memory that can be further expanded with microSD cards.

[Via: Unwired View]

The second device is the Sony Xperia S (not the ion) and it’s not officially announced by AT&T. However, the version of the phone FCC got to play with sings along the carrier’s 3G network, boasting a quad-band UMTS radio that works on 850, 900, 1900 and 2100 MHz frequency bands. In other words, this could easily be the international Xperia S that may or may not be added to AT&T’s portfolio considering the Xperia ion is there to satisfy users’ needs for Sony-branded products. We’ll see… and in the meantime, you can check out FCC’s listing for the two devices from here and here.

[Via: Engadget]

With the merger failed and behind them now, T-Mobile needs this spectrum desperately. The only major US carrier that lacks and LTE network, (Sprint’s network should be lit up in select markets by mid-year) Magenta needs to keep up with the Jones’ as best as it can.

Tom Sugrue, T-Mobile’s senior vice president for government affairs told the Wall Street Journal the following about the upcoming transfer:

“This additional spectrum will help meet the growing demand for wireless broadband services,” “We hope the FCC will move swiftly to approve the license assignments.”

We also hope that the FCC approves the spectrum transfer as soon as possible, just so we never have to hear anything about the mess that this turned into again. Still, that doesn’t mean T-Mobile isn’t looking for some sort of lasting partnership, but for the moment, the country’s fourth largest carrier should soon be reveling in spectrum is so desperately needs.

[Via: BGR, WSJ]

Unfortunately, we’ve no idea when the carrier will officially announce the device, but since they have the paperwork ready, I guess we shouldn’t wait for too long.

Specs wise, we can’t tell whether US Cellular’s version of the smartphone rocks a Galaxy S II “standard” 4.3-inch screen or bigger 4.52-inch one like Sprint’s and T-Mobile’s models. It definitely sports 3G and Wi-Fi connectivity, 8-megapixel camera on the back, 2-megapixel front-facing one, GPS, Bluetooth, dual-core processor, ton of built-in storage and a microSD memory card slot…

[Via: Unwired View]

A federal official involved in deciding the fate of Sprint and LightSquared’s LTE network partnership serves on the board of a GPS company opposing the network. To no ones surprise the wireless broadband company wants this guy investigated, and rightfully so.

In a petition, LightSquared explained that Bradford Parkinson (the man in question), who serves as the vice chairman of a board that advises the government on GPS, should be removed from discussions about potential interference between GPS and LightSquared’s proposed LTE (Long Term Evolution) network because he is also a director of GPS vendor Trimble Navigation. Sounds like a no brainer, right?

“As a matter of law, it is undisputed that Parkinson owes fiduciary duties to Trimble Navigation that may conflict with his ability to act with complete impartiality upon matters before the Advisory Board concerning LightSquared,” LightSquared General Counsel Curtis Lu wrote in the petition.

I’ve been harping on the same thing for weeks, I just couldn’t understand why the government wouldn’t pass a deal that’ll not only help save Sprint and LightSquared a bunch of money, but extend 4G services to millions of customers — now, it all makes sense.

[via PCWorld]

For the time being, Sprint’s 1900MHz spectrum will handle both the carrier’s current CDMA voice/data network and future LTE data network. The spokesperson also made it clear that Clearwire will not, however, expand its WiMax network beyond what it already covers and will eventually transition to LTE.

This would suggest that if the FCC rejects Sprint’s agreement with LightSquared, the company’s ambitious goal of rolling out its forthcoming Long Term Evolution 4G will be doomed or at least temporarily brought to a screeching halt. As evident with the spokesperson’s comments, the Now Network needs this deal to pass. Like I said before, I can’t see why the government wouldn’t pass a deal that’ll not only help save these companies a bunch of money, but extend 4G services to millions of customers.

[via PhoneScoop]

So what’s the hold up? Well, it’s believed that such a delay is due to the U.S. government’s concerns on whether LightSquared’s service interferes with global-positioning system (GPS) gear used by cars, boats, planes and farm equipment. This is a huge piece to The Now Network’s ambitious 4G roll out, which the company calls its “Network Vision.”

Sprint is heavily dependent on this deal going through, as it needs to add LightSquared’s 1600MHz spectrum, which would allow the company to properly deploy its LTE network starting mid-2012. If things don’t work out, the third largest U.S. carrier has spectrum holdings in the 800 / 1900MHz bands and a new agreement with Clearwire — which is eh, okay I guess.

[via Businessweek]

• 4.3-inch AMOLED 960 x 540 display
• Corning glass (presumably Gorilla Glass)
• Dual-core 1.5GHz Qualcomm MSM8260
• 8GB of ROM and microSD expansion

Now, it’s no secret that Dell been getting cozy in China over the past few months, as the country’s search giant Baidu has hooked up with Dell to kick-start its very own smartphone ecosystem called Yi (which is an operating system built on top of Android), but so far we’ve heard nothing when it comes to specifics on the hardware.

It’ll be interesting to see how things unfold for Dell in the new year, especially since the company officially pulled itself out of the Android tablet market in favor of Windows 8. There’s no real announcment as to when this Streak Pro 101DL will release, but there’s a chance we could see the launch of this phone in China as soon as tomorrow, with an unsubsidized price tag of CN¥3,000 (about $475).

[via Engadget]

If I had to guess, Pantech’s upcoming baby will be an Android smartphone most likely with a dual-core processor. Hopefully it will be as powerful as that Vega device we’ve seen 2 months ago, though we can’t say anything with certainty. That said, it’s like that AT&T will use the CES in Las Vegas to unveil this and many other devices. We’ll see…

[Via: Unwired View]

And while we think the Droid 4 will be launched later today, we’ve no idea when AT&T (and/or Motorola) will officially announce the Xoom 2 Media Edition. If I were at AT&T, I wouldn’t wait for too long to take advantage of the upcoming Christmas shopping season condidering that recent research suggesting most folks want a tablet or smartphone for the holidays.

We’ll be definitely following closely where this story goes and get back to you as soon as we have something newsworthy. Stay tuned in the meantime, k?

[Via: Unwired View]

[Via: PhoneScoop]