HTC One XL Review: The Best Is Getting Better 
4G Can Be Fast, But There's No Way It 'Eclipses' The NBN 
Optus And Vodafone To Share 3G And 4G Networks 
Samsung Galaxy S II 4G Review: Fast, But Is It Future-Proof? Telstra Mobile Wi-Fi 4G: Fast 4G In Your Pocket 
Apple Australia To Modify 'iPad+4G' Marketing And Offer Refunds 
Above all other phones, the Galaxy S II was the champion Android device of 2011. How well does it stack up in 2012 with the addition of 4G connectivity?
4G is one of the key technology movers this year — whether it’s the ACCC going after Apple over the “4G” iPad, Telstra launching a bevy of 4G devices ahead of Optus’ any-day-now 4G launch — or the whole contentious issue of what should be regarded as “4G” anyway. But how important is 4G when it comes to gadget buying?
Telstra’s Mobile Wi-Fi 4G can deliver blazing speeds to any Wi-Fi capable device you pair it with — as long as you get 4G signal to work in the first place. Mobile Monday investigates whether it’s a hot spot, or just a lot of hot air.
As expected, Apple’s day in court with the ACCC ended with Apple agreeing to an undertaking that requires it to modify the way it promotes the latest iPad and offering refunds to any consumers who purchased the 4G-labelled model and who aren’t happy it can’t access 4G. Put rather more simply: the ACCC won.
While the ACCC’s action against Apple isn’t entirely over just yet, the first thing that Apple’s stated — not all that surprisingly — is that it’ll offer refunds to customers who bought the 3rd generation iPad under the assumption that it would work with Telstra’s 4G service. Update: But it doesn’t want to sticker iPad boxes, and is arguing that dual channel HSPA+ is indeed 4G.
You can buy the new iPad in Australia in two configurations; the straight Wi-Fi version, or the Wi-Fi+4G version — although as we’ve pointed out endlessly by now, it won’t connect to any Australian 4G networks currently operating or planned for operation this year. The ACCC isn’t impressed with Apple’s efforts to make consumers aware of this, and has announced it’s taking legal action against Apple.
Possibly the worst kept secret in all of smartphone-dom is out of the bag, as Telstra’s just launched its page for the 4G version of the Galaxy S II.
The 4G picture in Australia is a bit on the challenging side at the moment, with only a handful of 4G devices and a generally used spectrum that’s not used much overseas. Telstra’s said to be investigating another move that could muddy the picture even further, by using some of its 900Mhz spectrum for LTE services.
We knew it was coming “soon”, and “soon” turns out to be “today” if you’re a business customer, and next Tuesday for consumers.
Optus has concluded a trial of 700MHz 4G services in Bendigo, claiming speeds of up to 70Mbps and transmission distances of 13 kilometres. That’s good news in the long term, particularly for rural areas, but it won’t make any difference right now.
