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News

• Sidekick set for relaunch as T-Mobile 4G HSPA+

  T-Mobile USA will soon launch 4G HSPA+ versions of the Samsung Galaxy S and T-Mobile Sidekick phones, T-Mobile CEO Philipp Humm announced early Thursday.

• PlayBook to allow tethering to BlackBerry smartphones

  BOSTON -- The BlackBerry PlayBook, initially being sold with Wi-Fi, will allow tethering to a BlackBerry smartphone, giving users access to the smartphone's cellular network and all the calendar, messaging and Web-browsing features running on the smartphone, RIM officials said Thursday.

• AT&T to lose 26% of iPhone owners to Verizon, survey shows

  More than one-in-four iPhone owners now using AT&T will switch to Verizon, a U.S. consumer survey said today.

• Verizon to get Apple's 3G iPad, too

  Verizon will sell and support a new version of the iPad that can directly connect to the carrier's 3G data network, according to a report by Bloomberg.

• All iPhones reported to get Personal Hotspot with iOS v. 4.3

  All iPhones will reportedly have the Personal Hotspot capability similar to what Verizon Wireless announced Tuesday for its iPhone coming Feb. 10.

• Verizon iPhone impact on Android may be a wash

  Some analysts said Tuesday the iPhone 4G on Verizon Wireless will cannibalize Google Android smartphone sales across various carriers including AT&T early on, while others disagreed.

• Verizon's iPhone: CDMA-only, or CDMA/LTE?

  Verizon Wireless is expected to announce Tuesday that it will be selling Apple's iPhone, but it remains unclear whether the smartphone will be CDMA-only, or will also support Verizon's evolving LTE network in dual mode.

• AT&T unveils Brew MP-based HTC Freestyle phone

  LAS VEGAS -- AT&T Wednesday announced that in February, it will start selling a version of the HTC Freestyle phone running Brew MP, an open-platform OS for phones that are smaller, less powerful and less expensive than smartphones.

• ATT to start LTE roll out by mid-year, and finish by end of 2013

  LAS VEGAS -- AT&T will launch LTE smartphones, networks and other devices in mid-2011, and expects to complete a nationwide LTE deployment by the end of 2013, AT&T Mobility President Ralph de la Vega announced Wednesday at the AT&T Developer Summit here.

• Verizon's first LTE smartphone an iPhone?

  Verizon Wireless's first LTE smartphone will be Apple's iPhone, according to an anonymous source who told MacDaily News the device had been spotted at a company training session.

• Verizon needs Apple's iPhone badly, analyst says

  Verizon Wireless smartphone retail sales data show that Verizon needs the Apple iPhone badly, according to a research note entitled Verizon Strikes Out in Smartphones by a financial analyst at Asymco.

• Modem 'hand-off' from 3G to LTE can take two minutes, Verizon says

  Verizon Wireless said on Friday that laptop users with USB modems on its new high-speed LTE (Long Term Evolution) network may experience up to a two minute delay when switching over from a 3G coverage zone.

• Verizon set to disclose LTE details Wednesday

  Verizon Wireless, the nation's largest wireless carrier, Wednesday will disclose details about its plan to launch its faster LTE 4G wireless network in 38 U.S. cities by the end of the year.

• 4G Turning Into 'Meaningless' Moniker

  The term 4G wireless literally refers to fourth-generation wireless technology, but apparently there's not much else that buyers can count on when it comes to <a href="http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9195078/4G_definition_creates_marketing_free_for_all">the 4G label</a> .

• T-Mobile kicks off sales of Galaxy Tab

  The Samsung Galaxy Tab T-Mobile USA kicked off sales of Samsung's 7-in. Galaxy Tab tablet computers today, with other U.S. carriers soon to follow suit.