Sprint Announces First Tri-Band 4G LTE Devices

[marioc21]

The first tri-band LTE devices are coming this summer.  As you could imagine they are wifi hotspots and USB modems from Novatel and Netgear. One of the Netgear devices will operate internationally as well. Although international support appears to be 3g only. 

 

Press Release: http://finance.yahoo.com/news/tri-band-4g-lte-mobile-143000368.html

 

 

 

[S4GRU]

That's the first step.  Now if they will just hit with the first smartphones in late September, we'll be in business.

 

Robert

[bigsnake49]

Well, I would like to see 800MHz LTE/1x on all current sites as soon as humanly possible. Of course, Sprint needs to close on all the currently pending deals and then push the pedal to the metal, as far as deployment is concerned. It will also help to have crews coming off the AT&T deployment roll onto the Sprint deployment.

Edited May 21, 2013 by bigsnake49

[Williewil112]

Smartphones from Samsung and LG with tri-band capability are expected to be available to Sprint customers before the end of the year. Nice!!

[4ginnc]

This is great news.   I'll be after one of the hotspots/modems when they come out.  The next closest tower to home has LTE live now and I'm fairly certain  the NV equipment is on the closest one, just couldn't confirm 100% with my S3's camera and didn't get a chance to go back with a digital camera with a better zoom. 

[bucdenny]

What is the likely hood of getting a smart phone that supports all three LTE 800, 1900 and 2500 this September?   

[scubajwd]

I sure hope Sprint lets me trade in my current SW Tri-Fi for the New Novatel MiFi 500..sounds sweet; probably be an ETF involved or what Sprint now calls an upgrade fee...LOL

[Rawvega]

That Netgear Zing has my interest piqued. If the reviews are even remotely favorable, I see one in my future.

[WiWavelength]

What is the likely hood of getting a smart phone that supports all three LTE 800, 1900 and 2500 this September?   

 

Maybe an iPhone.  That is likely the only high end Sprint handset that will debut in September.  Otherwise, you are looking more likely at an October to December timeframe.

 

AJ

[digiblur]

I am doubting the iPhone will have it given their trending over the past few years of staying a step behind in hardware.  Not starting a iPhone bash by any means, just pointing out their trend of possibly playing it safe.  Glad to see the addition as this should allow them to get things working correctly and figure things out before putting it into handsets which to be honest should be relatively easy especially the 800SMR band.

[marioc21]

Maybe an iPhone.  That is likely the only high end Sprint handset that will debut in September.  Otherwise, you are looking more likely at an October to December timeframe.

 

AJ

 

Isn't it more likely to be mid-range phone like the Viper was? Digiblur is right, it's more likely the iphone won't support tri-band until next year.

[cletus]

Awesome news! 

[MacinJosh]

I am doubting the iPhone will have it given their trending over the past few years of staying a step behind in hardware.  Not starting a iPhone bash by any means, just pointing out their trend of possibly playing it safe.  Glad to see the addition as this should allow them to get things working correctly and figure things out before putting it into handsets which to be honest should be relatively easy especially the 800SMR band.

It wouldn't be that hard for them to add it if Sprint submitted the specs early enough for the next iPhone to be built. I guess Christmas will come early to us Sprint customers for Tri-Band LTE devices.

[thepowerofdonuts]

I think the devices in question can only be two: 

 

Samsung Galaxy Note III

 

LG Optimus G 2

 

Both of these should have the Snapdragon 800 that makes tri-band possible. 

 

Someone correct me if I'm wrong please.

[WiWavelength]

Nothing about the Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 (MSM8974) enables tri band LTE. Plenty of current devices already have quad band LTE.

 

AJ

[thepowerofdonuts]

Nothing about the Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 (MSM8974) enables tri band LTE. Plenty of current devices already have quad band LTE.

 

AJ

 

Please educate me (not being sarcastic  ). Doesn't the WTR1605L enable tri-band?

 

Edit: Now I see the older RTR8600 supported these LTE bands. Are these modems not integrated into the Snapdragon CPU?

[JeffDTD]

Let us pray the next big smartphone launch is triband. The tit tugging and whining will be unbearable if it isnt.

 

 

[iansltx]

Hopefully Ting (or Virgin Mobile) will be able to grab one of the tri-band modems; I'd really like to test that segment of the network out sooner rather than later, but I don't want to sign another contract to do so. And, unfortunately, I've got awhile to wait before I have my next contract upgrade, though I may bite the bullet and pay nearly full price for a tri-band S4 or whatever when that comes out, selling my S III to soften the blow.

[MacinJosh]

I have an upgrade in January on my GNex line, and may have to buy a Tri-Band LTE Android phone if the next iPhone isn't Tri-Band LTE enabled.

[thepowerofdonuts]

I have an upgrade in January on my GNex line, and may have to buy a Tri-Band LTE Android phone if the next iPhone isn't Tri-Band LTE enabled.

 

Well they only mentioned tri-band phones from LG and Samsung, but that doesn't necessarily mean we won't see a tri-band iPhone. We all know how closely Apple guards this info. I'm disappointed they didn't mention Motorola though. 

[cletus]

Well they only mentioned tri-band phones from LG and Samsung, but that doesn't necessarily mean we won't see a tri-band iPhone. We all know how closely Apple guards this info. I'm disappointed they didn't mention Motorola though. 

They probably didn't mention Motorola simply because no one knows what the heck Motorola is doing these days.

[thepowerofdonuts]

They probably didn't mention Motorola simply because no one knows what the heck Motorola is doing these days.

 

I hope so. I don't like what I've seen so far in terms of XFON leaks.

[maximus1987/lou99]

I am doubting the iPhone will have it given their trending over the past few years of staying a step behind in hardware.  Not starting a iPhone bash by any means, just pointing out their trend of possibly playing it safe.  Glad to see the addition as this should allow them to get things working correctly and figure things out before putting it into handsets which to be honest should be relatively easy especially the 800SMR band.

 

I agree. But what's so hard about adding Band 26? It's a superset of Band 5 which the CDMA iPhone 5 includes.

[MacinJosh]

Well they only mentioned tri-band phones from LG and Samsung, but that doesn't necessarily mean we won't see a tri-band iPhone. We all know how closely Apple guards this info. I'm disappointed they didn't mention Motorola though. 

Maybe they hadn't squared all the details away with Motorola yet. And seriously, I don't expect a Sprint Tri-Band LTE capable iPhone this time around.

[thepowerofdonuts]

Maybe they hadn't squared all the details away with Motorola yet. And seriously, I don't expect a Sprint Tri-Band LTE capable iPhone this time around.

 

I don't either (about the iPhone), but it can't be ruled out completely.