Motorola on Tuesday finally announced that the HSUPA-enabling ATRIX 4G update thousands of users have been clamoring for has finally begun rolling out to devices. Software update v4.1.83 for the ATRIX 4G includes several updates that Motorola claims will improve device performance — none of those improvements will have quite the dramatic impact that enabling HSUPA will, of course. AT&T had disabled HSUPA when the ATRIX 4G was first released, and countless of users gathered on forums to complain of the slow upload speeds they were experiencing on their “4G” devices. Thousands of angry ATRIX owners even signed a petition to voice their disdain. AT&T finally responded and told users a future update would enable HSUPA, and now that update is finally available. Motorola has issued the OTA update and users should receive a notification once it is queued up for their devices. Impatient ATRIX owners can also initiate the update manually from within the device settings.

[Via Droid Matters]

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Here’s some good news on a Friday afternoon. Over the next few weeks, AT&T will begin pushing out an update for the Motorola Atrix 4G. The software bump — which was first spotted by Droid Matters earlier today — will, most notably, remove the uplink speed restrictions currently present on the dual-core handset. Here is AT&T’s official statement:

Today, AT&T began to deploy an update for the HTC Inspire™ 4G that provides, among other features, the addition of enhanced uplink speed technology. (HSUPA).

An update that adds HSUPA for the Motorola ATRIX 4G has cleared testing and will be deployed soon.

Both updates will roll out to customers of both phones over the coming weeks.  Users will get a message on their device notifying them of an update and to connect to Wi-Fi to download it.  After downloading it, the user needs to only allow the update to automatically install.

There you have it. The handcuffs are being taken off your Motorola Atrix 4G. Enjoy.

No, this isn’t April Fools. AmazonWireless is selling AT&T’s Motorola ATRIX 4G for $49.99 with a new two-year AT&T contract. That’s $150 less than AT&T’s $199.99 price tag. Sure, there’s been some hoopla about AT&T’s 4G HSPA+ performance on the ATRIX, but it still packs plenty of punch with a killer dual-core NVIDIA Tegra 2 processor clocked at 1GHz, 1GB of RAM, Android 2.2 (Froyo), and a sharper-than-diamonds 960 x 540-pixel display. AmazonWireless sweetens the deal even further by knocking $100 off of the Motorola Laptop Dock accessory, which typically retails for $399.99 when purchased separately. We called the ATRIX 4G one of the best Android smartphones to ever be available from AT&T when we reviewed it in February, so you know you’re getting some top-notch gear. The $49.99 deal is likely a limited-time offer, so don’t delay if you’re in the market for a new smartphone from AT&T.

[Via Gizmodo]

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Software version 4.1.57 for the Motorola ATRIX 4G is now available. The 17MB file, issued by Motorola, adds a number of improvements but is not the expected AT&T update that includes HSUPA support. After downloading the update, Motorola says users should notice the following changes:

• Bluetooth: Improved multimedia experience with Bluetooth devices as well as the ability to use phone with additional headsets.
• Fingerprint reader: Improved fingerprint reader performance.
• Battery: Improved battery performance for longer battery life.
• Screen: Display will turn off automatically now while charging directly on wall charger.
• Phone stability: Improved stability resulting in fewer occurrences of touch unresponsiveness and/of programs quitting unexpectedly.
• Car dock: Improved performance of car dock and 3.5mm jack.

It’s been reported that the update may cause some issues with those who have rooted their phones. AT&T has said that the upcoming HSUPA software update, which should ratchet up upload speeds on the ATRIX 4G and Inspire 4G, will land in April. Hit the jump for instructions on installing software version 4.1.57 on your ATRIX 4G.

[Via Engadget]

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BGR has confirmed with AT&T that both the Motorola ATRIX 4G and the HTC Inspire 4G will receive software updates in April that will enable HSUPA. The confirmation follows a report on Friday from enthusiast blog DroidMatters.com, which points out a posting to the same effect on AT&T’s Facebook page. A Motorola representative stated earlier this week that the company was working on an update for AT&T’s ATRIX 4G due for release in April, but he stated that the update would not enable HSUPA. He was apparently mistaken, though his comment on the matter remains live on Motorola’s forum. ATRIX 4G and Inspire 4G owners have been very vocal about the lack of true “4G” compatibility in the devices, and it looks like AT&T is finally preparing to remedy the situation. AT&T has not yet announced further details surrounding the software updates or a timeline for their distribution.

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Motorola on Wednesday announced the pre-release of a software update that will ultimately find its way to ATRIX 4G devices across the country in the near future. In a call for beta testers on the company’s support forum, Motorola announced that it is seeking 1,000 ATRIX 4G users to test a pre-release version of the device’s first software update. The big question on users’ minds, of course, was weather or not the update would enable HSUPA. Many ATRIX 4G users have openly complained of slow upload speeds, and over 1,100 people have signed a digital petition in protest of AT&T’s disabling of HSUPA on the device. AT&T would later confirm that HSUPA had been disabled on the ATRIX, though the carrier did note that full 4G upload speeds would be enabled on the smartphone in the future. Responding to questions in the call for beta testers, a Motorola rep identified as Mark (Forums Manager) confirmed that this first software update for the ATRIX will not enable HSUPA. “HSUPA is not included in this update though a future update will enable it,” the rep wrote on the forum. “More details to come from AT&T.” Registration for the software trial is open until 12:00 p.m. EDT on Friday.

Thanks, Zack

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AT&T on Thursday responded to a Better Business Bureau complaint alleging that the carrier is capping data speeds on new “4G” devices like the Motorola ATRIX 4G. The BBB grievance was part of a series of complaints, both public and private, pertaining to slower than expected upload speeds on devices like the ATRIX 4G and HTC’s Inspire 4G. AT&T responded to BGR’s request for comment earlier this week, but the carrier’s statement left some room for interpretation. Now, any vagueness has been eliminated, at least in the case of the ATRIX. “Be assured that AT&T has not ‘capped’ the upload speeds on the ATRIX,” an AT&T appeals manager stated in a letter to a customer. “The ATRIX is a HSUPA-capable device, and we currently are performing the testing and preparations necessary to ensure that, when we turn this feature on, you will continue to have a world class experience.” This confirmation that the ATRIX 4G will have HSUPA enabled in the future should help ease the tension among users who are currently experiencing slow upload speeds, though AT&T has not commented on why HSUPA was disabled to begin with. Hit the break for AT&T’s full response.

AT&T Mobility (AT&T) received the above-referenced customer complaint and appreciates the opportunity to respond. Specifically, Keith Geissler complains that the recently released Motorola Atrix does not offer speeds anywhere near what advertised speeds claim. He is requesting activation of 4G services and removal of the cap on the Motorola Atrix services.

Account research regarding this complaint shows that AT&T is focused on delivering a wide choice of solutions and the best possible Smartphone experience to our customers. Be assured that AT&T has not “capped” the upload speeds on the ATRIX. The ATRIX is a HSUPA-capable device, and we currently are performing the testing and preparations necessary to ensure that, when we turn this feature on, you will continue to have a world class experience.

We ask that you please keep in mind; software is only one of many factors that can affect speeds experienced. Factors such as location, time of day, network capacity and facilities, can have an impact as well. Again, in order to ensure the best possible customer experience services will become available once testing has been completed.

AT&T sincerely regrets any inconvenience this issue may have caused. Please feel free to contact me directly at [redacted] if you have any additional questions or concerns in this matter.

Name: Sheila Utech, Customer Appeals Manager, Executive Response

Thanks, Zack!

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Some Motorola ATRIX 4G and HTC Inspire 4G owners on the AT&T network have been up in arms since purchasing their new 4G handsets. Despite the presence of “4G” in each moniker, users are experiencing slower than expected upload speeds on the devices. Some users like Zack Nebbaki have been so upset by the slow upload speeds, they’ve gone as far as to create a petition to voice their discontent. While we wish we had something more concrete to report, we just received the following comment from an AT&T spokesperson that may help put some minds at ease: “We have a number of HSUPA devices today and we will have more HSUPA-enabled devices in the future — new devices and updates to existing models.” The statement does not specifically refer to the ATRIX or Inspire so nothing is confirmed, but the mention of “updates to existing models” should at least give users hope that their 4G phones might be updated in the future.

Despite AT&T’s decision to slap “4G” right in the name, the new HTC Inspire 4G smartphone doesn’t even feature full compatibility with the “4G” HSPA+ AT&T network. Following T-Mobile’s lead, AT&T announced at CES that its 3G HSPA+ network is now a 4G HSPA+ network. With that announcement came the unveiling of several smartphones, one of which — the HTC Inspire 4G — launched last week. But users taking delivery of the device noticed immediately that while download speeds were on par with other HSDPA-enabled AT&T smartphones, upload speeds seemed quite slow. The explanation is simple enough: HTC’s Inspire 4G either doesn’t feature compatibility with AT&T’s HSUPA service, or the carrier has disabled it in the phone’s firmware. Wow. We’ve already expressed our feelings on 4G, but we never imagined carriers would push things further still and smack “4G” stickers on smartphones that don’t even support their fake 4G networks. Let this be a lesson, subscribers… Buyer beware. Not all 4G is created equal and not all fake 4G phones are even compatible with fake 4G networks. But who would want the Inspire 4G anyway, when you could have the Morris 4G?

Read [no HSUPA] Read [HSUPA disabled in firmware]

AT&T might not call its HSPA+ network “4G” like T-Mobile does, but trust us when we tell you… AT&T’s enhanced 3G network can move. The screen shot above, taken just outside New York city on Wednesday afternoon, shows an iPhone 4 enjoying download speeds of 5Mbps on AT&T’s HSPA+ network. According to AT&T CTO John Donovan, 80% of AT&T’s network is now covered by HSPA+, though he did not elaborate on average speeds are experienced in various regions. Donovan also discussed the growth rate of data traffic on the carrier’s network, which is up 3,000% over the past three years — from approximately 1 billion MB in Q3 2007 to a staggering 30.3 billion MB in Q3 2010. Growth has slowed in recent months, from 50% growth in Q2 of this year to 30% in Q3, but the carrier isn’t expecting its data growth rate to continue decreasing. AT&T is currently preparing to launch an LTE network next year that will be even faster than its HSPA+ network, which has a theoretical downlink limit of 21Mbps. AT&T has not publicly stated firm speed expectations for its LTE network.

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AT&T has officially released a statement about why some users have been experiencing sub-par (and we do mean sub-par) upload speeds over the past several days. The statement reads:

“AT&T and Alcatel-Lucent jointly identified a software defect — triggered under certain conditions – that impacted uplink performance for Laptop Connect and smartphone customers using 3G HSUPA-capable wireless devices in markets with Alcatel-Lucent equipment. This impacts less than two percent of our wireless customer base. While Alcatel-Lucent develops the appropriate software fix, we are providing normal 3G uplink speeds and consistent performance for affected customers with HSUPA-capable devices.”

So there you have it, a software issue. Let us know your thoughts on the matter in the comments.

“Now stop me if you’ve seen this.” And so Steve Jobs announced the iPhone 4. Featuring stainless steel banding around the sides and a glass front, the iPhone 4′s “closest kin is a beautiful old camera.” It’s 24% thinner than the iPhone 3GS at 9.3mm thick, which Apple claims makes it the smallest smartphone on the planet or “a quarter thinner than something you didn’t think could get any thinner.”  The three stainless steel bands surrounding the device that look very un-Apple actually serve two purposes: they add to the structural integrity of the device and double as antenna boosters. Smart.

The iPhone 4 has a 3.5″ display that has 78% the pixels of the iPad. With a resolution of 960×640 — or 4x the resolution of the first three iPhones — the iPhone 4 has four pixels where the other devices only had space for one for a total of 326 pixels per inch. Apple calls this “Retina Display” technology and says it translates to images and text so incredibly sharp that you’ll feel like you’re looking at a “finely printed book” instead of a mobile display. The display technology also means that apps will not have to be rescaled, so everything currently in the App Store will The display also has a 800:1 contrast ratio.

Moving on the the processor. Yes, indeedy, the iPhone 4 is powered by an Apple-designed A4 SoC. Apart from providing raw power, the A4 also sips juice from the battery as opposed to gulping it. This means the iPhone 4 is good for 7 hours of 3G talktime, 6 hours of browsing over 3G, 10 hours of browsing over Wi-Fi, 10 hours of video, 40 hours of music and 300 hours of standby. As expected, 802.11n Wi-Fi is included as is a quad-band HSDPA radio capable of 7.2Mbps down and 5.8Mbps up. The iPhone 4 also introduces a dual-mic system for noise cancellation and a gyroscope which combined with the accelerometer allow for 6-axis motion sensing.

The iPhone 4′s main camera weighs in at 5 megapixels. What makes it special, according to Apple, is its backside illuminated sensor. This allows more photons to bombard the sensor resulting in better low-light photos. A sole LED flash straddles the camera sensor. Digital zoom tops out at 5x, while video capture has been stepped up to shoot 720p at 30fps. The LED flash is fully functional when capturing videos.

Not included with iPhone 4 but to be available in the App Store for $4.99 is iMovie. iMovie for the iPhone is pretty much what you’d expect — that is if you were expecting a feature-rich mobile movie editing application that’s capable of manhandling 720p videos. You can rearrange clips by dragging them about; add in photos, transitions, titles, and music; and use geolocation so you’ll have no excuses for forgetting exactly where you were when you shot the film.

And then there’s the front-facing camera. It runs the open application FaceTime. Apple is currently working with wireless providers to bring forth bonafide 3G video calls, but as far as 2010 is concerned you’re stuck with Wi-Fi. If for some reason you don’t want the person you’re calling to see your mug — or perhaps you just want them to see what you’re looking at — you can switch from the front-facing camera to the 5MP camera on the back.

So when can you get the iPhone 4? If you live in the US, UK, Germany, France or Japan you’ll be able to pre-order it on June 15th and pick it up on the 24th. In the US, AT&T will sell the 16GB model for $199 and the 32GB model for $299 (both assuming a 2-year contract). At an unspecified time in July, 18 other countries — Canada included — will get the iPhone. Oh and how could we forget? The iPhone 4 will be available in both black and white.

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Nothing upsets geeks more than grabbing a gadget the moment it becomes available only to find issues with it. Google feels your pain when it comes to your 3G connectivity woes on the Nexus One. Currently, Google is in the process of testing a software fix and the results look promising. Assuming everything gets sorted and fixed on Google’s end, the software update will become available via an OTA download. However, Google also claims that the 3G issues might be because of T-Mobile’s 3G footprint. Those living in fringe areas, or the edges of T-Mobile’s 3G coverage, can’t be helped because it’s beyond Google’s control. Funny, we didn’t hear too many complaints about 3G connectivity with the G1 or myTouch 3G. Though maybe people just had lower expectations then.

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Already available from O2, Orange and even Tesco Mobile, the UK’s third largest carrier, Vodafone, finally announced this morning that it will begin selling the ubiquitous Apple smartphone on January 14th. Vodafone subs will be able to snag either the iPhone 3G or the iPhone 3GS for free on all tariffs over £35 and £45 respectively. Both of these prices assume a 24-month contract, but an extra £5 will shave off 6 months. Anyone interested in tethering should pencil an extra £5 into their monthly budget as that’s what Vodafone says will buy you the right to 500MB of data for tethering. One must pay to play, we suppose.

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Ordinarily, looking at FCC filings are about as fun as discussing the history of blotting paper, but we have a rare exception in the Sony Ericsson XPERIA X10. While the standard fare external pictures offer nothing we haven’t already seen, the filing contains a wealth of teardown photos that are sure to please both phone junkies and anyone fascinated with design. But it gets better. Not only do we have a slew of test reports (exciting!), but the entire 40-page user manual which not only gives a great overview of the device itself, but Sony Ericsson’s custom Android overlay, Nexus. Of course we’ve already broken down Nexus for you when we went hands on, but let’s just keep that our little secret, okay?

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