It’s a big week for mobile Internet, as nearly every wireless company is at the CTIA Wireless show in Las Vegas and unveiling plans for cell phone customers in the U.S. But is there anything we should really care about?

More people are moving to smartphones and rely on cellular-based wireless for Internet. The mobile Web needs to speed up, big time.

Currently 3rd-generation (3G) Internet speeds are around 1 megabit per second. The coming 4G technology promises much faster service.  Sprint and T-Mobile announced their upgrades today. Verizon’s is coming tomorrow.

If you’re trying to sort out what mobile service is in your future, here’s what it comes down to:

► T-Mobile: Announced “Rollout the Nation’s Fastest 3G Wireless Network.”
Speeds: Using a technology called HSPA+, T-Mobile  says its mobile Internet will jump to speeds of 21 megabits per second. The announcement Tuesday included a “coming soon” for Los Angeles (and Orange County) users.
Reality: 21 mbps is a theoretical speed. As with every wireless Internet, speed will vary based on “location, device, and overall traffic on the local wireless network,” which T-Mobile does note. How slow? One reviewer seemed impressed when he squeezed 3 mbps out of T-Mobile’s service. Users also must upgrade to a HSPA device (here’s a list) and, ultimately, this is 3G and not 4G technology. However, it’s one of the fastest wireless technologies available today and should be everywhere by end of year.

► Sprint: Expanded its limited 4G wireless Internet to more areas, including North Orange County later this year.
Speeds: Using 4G Wimax technology, Sprint says its mobile Internet is 3 to 6 mbps, which is “up to 10 times faster” than today’s existing 3G speeds of around 600 kilobits per second, says Sprint.
Reality: The same reviewer who tested T-Mobile’s HSPA+ discovered Sprint’s 4G speed was slower, at 2.25 mbps. Other 4G user forums mention how it’s slower than 3G. But there are no caps on usage, and it’s the only 4G service publicly available.

► Verizon: Still waiting to hear Verizon’s update, which is coming Wednesday.
Speeds: Its mobile Internet service using Long Term Evolution technology (LTE) is on track for this year. Peak download of 40 to 50 mbps; upload speed of 20 to 25 mbps.
Reality: Since speed is reliant on environment and other users, Verizon says the average download speed is more like 5 to 12 mbps, while upload speed is 2 to 5 mbps.

► AT&T: Appears to be concentrating on other news this week and announced connected digital photo frames and GPS-enabled dog collars. The company, which is sticking with HSPA for now until it moves to LTE, did express disbelief as to whether LTE is ready for prime time.

More CTIA news:

• Verizon Wireless smartphone customers can add Skype beginning Thursday. Calls to other Skype users won’t affect available minutes. Read details
• First Android phone with 4G and 3G service coming from Sprint this summer. The HTC Evo even has its own site: www.sprint.com/evo.  Read details
• T-Mobile announces first netbook. Read details

With next week’s CTIA Wireless show, there will be plenty of news about what our next cell phone will look like and achieve.

Verizon Wireless wanted to get ahead of the crowd and confirmed today that it is on track to build a 4G wireless network this year. Peak speeds are at 40 to 50 megabits per second download and 20 to 25 mbps upload. These must be ideal results from a lab since Verizon adds that in reality, the service will have average data rates of 5 to 12 mbps down, and 2 to 5 mbps up.

The 50 mbps would get consumers to fiber-optic Internet speeds available from Verizon FiOS and some cable companies outside of Orange County. The more realistic 5 to 12 mbps is akin to today’s DSL and cable Internet speeds. The 3G mobile wireless speeds that many cell phone companies tout today are in the barely 1 mbps range.

Verizon’s expected 4G launch? “Later this year,” said the company.

And where? “Up to 30 markets in 2010.”

And how much? Nothing determined yet, but according to BroadbandReports.com, Verizon is asking people for their input.

With that sort of launch, Orange County has got to be among one of the 30 markets since we often get grouped with Los Angeles. Don’t you think?

Fourth-generation wireless is split between two methods. There is Long Term Evolution, or LTE, which is the 4G of choice for Verizon, AT&T and T-Mobile. The other 4G is WiMax, backed by Sprint, Time Warner Cable, Cox Communications and many cable companies just now entering the mobile data market. Corrected, 3/20/10: Cox is going with LTE (thanks L).

If Verizon is able to get something started this year, it will be the first in the nation to offer this type of 4G service.

Faster wireless has been expected after Verizon acquired a huge chunk of wireless spectrum two years ago. Remember that? The U.S. government put local TV broadcast signals into a reserve for police, emergency and other public safety communication and auctioned off the excess spectrum to Verizon and AT&T for $16 billion in March 2008. One big result was last year’s digital TV transition, which forced TV channels to broadcast digital signals only.

Verizon added that it expects full nationwide 4G coverage by 2013.

Related:

Verizon Wireless dominated every region for tops in wireless call quality, according to the latest J.D. Power and Associates study. That’s not too much of a surprise based on reader comments, my personal experience and other reports.

Only in “North Central” America, which includes Illinois and Ohio, Verizon came in second to U.S. Cellular.

Here in “The West,” which includes Orange County, Verizon Wireless was a notch above T-Mobile and Sprint. AT&T came in last. See chart on right.

The study, based on responses from 24,345 wireless users, measured dropped calls, interference, failed calls, and delayed notification of voicemail and text messages. The study looked at problems per 100 calls.

Verizon, which has a local headquarters in Irvine, has been upgrading and adding new cell sites in Orange County. But so has AT&T. But AT&T users, especially iPhone owners, haven’t been quiet about their discontent with AT&T’s service.

Still, the report notes that call quality performance overall has declined in the past six months as more consumers switch to smartphones. The reason? The volume of new subscribers using wireless networks because they can now go online anytime has taxed existing technology.

“…It is crucial for wireless carriers to enhance existing network speed and capacity, as well as to develop and upgrade to next-generation technologies,” said Kirk Parsons, senior director of wireless services at J.D. Power and Associates, in a statement.

For example, 13 out of every 100 calls had quality issues, compared to 11 out of every 100 six months ago. Some big reasons: The number of dropped calls has increased to 6 for every 100 calls, from 4 dropped calls six months ago. Interestingly, the report says that smartphone customers are three times more likely to experience dropped calls than other mobile users.

Read the report HERE.

Recent Verizon Wireless news:

Any convert to Skype knows that the free Internet phone service can help shave the monthly phone bill, especially for international calls. Now Verizon is making Skype available to certain smartphones so its customers can use the free-ish calling service to make calls nationwide and around the globe.

The Voice-over-Internet-Protocol service begins in March and is limited to Verizon customers with data plans and one of nine smart phones. Those phones are the BlackBerry Storm 9530, Storm2 9550, Curve 8330, Curve 8530, 8830 World Edition and Tour 9630 smartphones, the DROID by Motorola, DROID ERIS by HTC and the Motorola DEVOUR.

Verizon customers can sign up to be notified when the service is ready at verizonwireless.com/skypemobile or at Skype’s site, skype.com/mobile/reminder.

For the unfamiliar, Skype is often used to make phone calls on a computer. Anyone can download the free software and begin making calls for free to other Skype users. To call a regular non-Skype number, users can subscribe to Skype Out — $2.95/month for unlimited calls in U.S., prices vary for international calls. Skype is also handy for video chats and instant messaging.

Skype on a cell phone does expand the possibilities of saving money. You finally may be able to get rid of the home telephone. Or even go with a lower cell phone plan since Skype minutes don’t use up mobile minutes. However, Skype Mobile users must subscribe to a Verizon data plan, which could add another $30 or more a month.

Verizon isn’t the only one offering VoIP, points out AT&T. While the company’s iPhone had a little spat with Skype and other VoIP providers last year, AT&T says that several months ago, it told Apple it had no objection to its approval of a VoIP app on the iPhone. In fact, AT&T says it doesn’t prohibit or block VoIP calls on its 2G, 3G or Wi-Fi networks. The Skype iPhone app is available HERE.

Skype is also available for phones with the Symbian operating system, the Sony Playstation Portable and a handful of Nokia phones. Skype Lite, with fewer features, is also available for several Nokia, Motorola, Samsung and Sony Ericsson phones.

More on cell phone services:

• T-Mobile’s faster Internet coming to California, says report
• Sprint still losing customers but prepaid Boost added
• Are AT&T’s MicroCells in O.C. or not?
• Prepaid BlackBerry comes to Boost Mobile for $60/month
• AT&T on a roll, improves cell reception in 5 more cities

Noted: Coupons are a pain to remember to use but they do tend to save some money. Today, Verizon teamed up with Cellfire to make using coupons easier for customers with wireless or FiOS TV service. Those customers can sign up at vzspendsmart.com.

Of course, anyone can sign up for the same deals at Cellfire.com. There are two options for redeeming coupons: Pick out deals online and add them to your grocery store loyalty/club card. Or keep the whole process digital and just show the clerk the image on your phone. Unfortunately, the latter isn’t available for most offers here in Orange County. Participants seem to be only grocery stores and Sears.

Verizon doesn’t say whether its customers will get any extra special deals. And it looks like the answer is no. More on the FiOS TV widget HERE.

Scanning the site, I noticed Fry’s had coupons! I haven’t been to the electronics store in a long time and didn’t realize it even offered coupons.

The only deal? Just $0.50 off Progresso Soup. Soup? Then I realized, this isn’t Fry’s Electronics. Rather, it was some grocery store named Fry’s Food with a very, very similar logo:

>>This just in from reader Mike in Yorba Linda (updated 5:41 p.m.): Fry’s Electronics was started by the sons of the Fry’s Grocery store founder, using some of daddy’s money. Hence the similarity. I often go to Arizona, where Fry’s Grocery Stores are common. The signage is nearly identical. As a tech geek, I was somewhat disappointed the first time I went in one. See the link for more info. (Thanks Mike for doing the reporting I didn’t feel like doing.)

Want some real deals? Check out the Register’s Deals blog at ocregister.com/ocdeals. Recent finds:

With all the rain in Orange County this week, it’s hard to believe that the devastating earthquake in Haiti was just last week.  Donations continued to pour in this week via text messages, plus there’s tonight’s “Hope for Haiti Now” benefit concert for the country.

Here’s a round up of what local TV and wireless services are doing:

Cox Communications: Waiving fees on international long-distance calls to Haiti (country code 509) through Feb. 28. This is retroactive to Jan. 12. The Cox Foundation also donated $250,000 to relief efforts. See press release.

Time Warner Cable: Waiving fees on international long-distance calls to Haiti through end of February, retroactive to Jan. 12. This applies only to direct-dial calls and not calls made through an operator. See press release.

AT&T: Waived fees on calls to Haiti numbers. Also letting customers watch  tonight’s “Hope for Haiti Now” telethon on their phones, U-verse TV or web. To watch on a phone, go to AT&T Mobile TV on MTV’s MediaFlo channel. U-verse subscribers can tune in to the major networks and MTV for the performance. Online, the event will be streamed at entertainment.att.net. Wireless customers can also donate $10 to Red Cross International Relief Fund by texting the word “HAITI” to 90999.

Sprint: Waiving texting fees to Haiti through Jan. 31. Customers donated $3.1 million to the effort, as of Jan. 19, by texting “HAITI” to 90999.

T-Mobile: Waiving international long-distance fees through Jan. 31 and dropping fee to text “HAITI” at 90999 to donate $10. Customers donated $3 million, as of Jan. 19. T-Mobile and its parent company have  also donated $250,000 to the effort.

Verizon: Waiving international long-distance calling fees plus offering a live broadcast of the relief concert to mobile users who have access to VCAST Video on their phones. See press release. Verizon users can also text the word “HAITI” to 90999. So far, the company has collected $4.84 million in text donations. Verizon also has a page dedicated to the Haiti relief effort with information on several organizations accepting donations. Click HERE.

Tonight’s benefit concert includes singers Madonna, Jay-Z, George Clooney and Haiti native Wyclef Jean. It airs at 8 p.m. tonight on the following channels:

ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox, CNN, BET, The CW, HBO, MTV, VH1, CMT, PBS, TNT, Showtime, Comedy Central, Bravo, E! Entertainment, National Geographic Channel, Oxygen, G4, CENTRIC, Current TV, Fuse, MLB Network, EPIX, Palladia, SoapNet, Style, Discovery Health, Planet Green, CNN en Español, HBO Latino and Canadian networks, including CBC Television, CTV, Global Television and MuchMusic.

New unlimited wireless plans begin today from the nation’s largest mobile providers: Verizon Wireless and AT&T.

Instead of the usual “unlimited” calling to people on the same network, these two companies will now offer unlimited calls to any phone number nationwide.

Rivals T-Mobile and Sprint already offer something similar. Sprint began offering “Any Mobile Anytime” in September allowing subscribers to the plan to call any number outside the Sprint network, as long as it was a mobile phone. T-Mobile unveiled a more complete version of unlimited plans last year.

Mobile phone services have evolved greatly in the past few years. From T-Mobile launching its “Fave 5″ — allowing users to call any five numbers as much as they want — to allowing customers to call any number any time. The mobile carriers are being forced to evolve due to competition from prepaid companies like MetroPCS and Boost Mobile and upcoming competition from cable TV companies like Cox.

It looks like consumers can look forward to the end of overage fees and minute counting.

But how much are they? And what’s the catch? Most still require a two-year contract and, of course, the price is much higher than it used to be. I’ve compiled a chart of the big four mobile services so it’s easier to see how much everything costs.

Unlimited plans	Verizon	AT&T	T-Mobile	Sprint
Talk	$69.99	$69.99	$59.99
Talk/Text	$89.99	$89.99	$69.99
Family Talk (2 lines)	$119.99	$119.99	$99.99
Family Talk/Text (2 lines)	$149.99	$149.99	$119.99
3G smartphone voice/data	$99.99	$99.99	$89.99
3G smartphone voice/data/text	$119.99	$119.99	$99.99	$99.99*
Family smartphone voice/data (2 lines)		$179.99	$159.99
Family smartphone voice/data/text (2 lines)		$209.99	$179.99	$189.99*

*Sprint’s plan includes unlimited calls to mobile numbers only, not all numbers.

I’ll review the prepaid companies unlimited offerings in a later post.

Previously on unlimited plans:

UPDATE: Verizon just told me about 4 more new cell sites in Orange County. The 4 sites were new as of November. See below...

Maybe it’s because AT&T just announced 6 areas in Orange County where it boosted cell reception with a new cell site. I also heard from Verizon Wireless about its recent upgrades.

For Verizon Wireless customers who live, work or drive near a neighborhood in Foothill Ranch and Mission Viejo, check your signal. It should be better after the company added two new cell sites in those cities.

The locations of the new cell sites are:

• Foothill Ranch: 25931 Towne Centre, Foothill Ranch, which improves coverage in the City of Foothill Ranch, along both Portola Pkwy and the 241 Tool Rd.
• Mission Viejo: Near Santiago & Live Oak Canyon. The new site provides new coverage along the terrain challenged Live Oak Canyon Road.

UPDATE: From November, Verizon said these four cell sites in Orange County are also new:

• Anaheim Hills: Auburn – Near Cannon Rd & Via Escola. Improves coverage in the terrain area of Anaheim Hills and helps improve the handoff between MTX51 and MTX55 along Cannon Street
• Orange: South Culver – 241 Toll Road. This site provides new coverage along 241 Toll Rd from north of the 133 & 241 interchange up to North Culver site to the north.
• Orange: North Culver – 241 Toll Road, Orange . This site provides new coverage along 241 Toll Rd from south of the 261 and 241 interchange to the new South Culver site to the South.
• Orange: Bronson – 1235 W. Town & Country Rd. This site improves coverage along the Garden Grove Freeway including the Mall and Medical Centers located nearby.

• Simi Valley: Santa Lucia – 2691 Tapo Cyn Rd, Simi Valley -Enhances coverage in the area around Tapo Cyn Rd and Alamo St
• Victorville : Roy Rogers – 15182 El Evado Rd, Victorville – Improves coverage around the intersection of Mojave Dr and Elvado Rd
• Wildomar: The Farm – 24240 Bundy Cyn, Wildomar -Improves coverage along Bundy Canyon Rd as well as improving coverage to the community of “The Farm.”
• Los Angeles: Wadena – 4344 Winchester Ave, Los Angeles -Strengthens coverage along Huntington Drive as well as improving coverage for the nearby residential neighborhood
• City of Industry: Valinda – 15920 Amar Rd, City of Industry – Improves coverage along Temple Ave and Amar Rd as well as the Industry Hills Recreation Center and Workman High School
• San Bernardino: Cable Air – 1837 W. 11th St, San Bernardino -Improves the Cable Airport and surrounding areas
• Highland: Patton – 3398 Highland Ave, Highland – Improves coverage in a residential neighborhood in Woodland Hills including Woodland Hills Country Club
• Fontana: Via Larga – 11660 Sierra Ave, Fontana – Improves coverage to Sierra Ave in Fontana

Any spots in Orange County where Verizon really needs to add a cell tower to improve coverage? Leave a comment below to let them know.

More on mobile coverage around Orange County:

Noted: Verizon Wireless got reamed by consumers and geek sites last month when it decided to double some early termination fees to $350. Today, the U.S. Federal Communications Commission, which regulates the wireless communications industry, called Verizon’s rational for raising the fees  ”unsatisfying and, in some cases, troubling.”

Verizon had responded last week to FCC queries, explaining in a 77-page letter that such early-termination contracts help promote consumer choice and the use of mobile broadband.

FCC commissioner Mignon Clyburn wasn’t amused. She calls out Verizon for changing the rational of early termination fees — from being tied to the cost of the phone to pay for other company expenses. In a statement, Clyburn says this:

“In particular, I am concerned about what appears to be a shifting and tenuous rationale for ETFs. No longer is the claim that ETFs are tied solely to the true cost of the wireless device; rather, they are now also used foot the bill for ‘advertising costs, commissions for sales personnel, and store costs.’ Consumers already pay high monthly fees for voice and data designed to cover the costs of doing business. So when they are assessed excessive penalties, especially when they are near the end of their contract term, it is hard for me to believe that the public interest is being well served.”

Last month, Verizon began charging $350 for higher-end devices like smartphones, netbooks and other advanced devices. The previous rate was half that, at $175. The higher rate kicks in only on customers who sign a new contract.

Verizon still will prorate the contract, subtracting $10 a month (all other phones are prorated $5/month). So, by the end of 23 months, affected users will still need to cough up $120. But by then, you might as well wait a month to leave without paying a penny.

As I’ve mentioned before, anyone can test a Verizon phone for 30 days and then cancel without having to pay any early termination fee. Read my earlier story covering testing policies, I mean, return policies by the major mobile providers: “How any consumer can ‘test’ a cell phone.”

Verizon also adds that if you bring a compatible phone to its network and sign up for service, you don’t have to commit to any long-term contract.

Read the FCC’s full response here:

Statement of Commissioner Clyburn Regarding Verizon Wireless’s December 18 Letter on ETFs

Read Verizon’s letter to the FCC:
Verizon’s response to FCC inquiry on increase Early Termination Fees

More cellphone news:

If you’re a Verizon Wireless customer who pays a chunk of change each month for mobile broadband, Verizon is now tossing in access to its 11,000 Wi-Fi hotspots for no extra charge.

Verizon already offers free Wi-Fi to its FiOS subscribers, plus its DSL customers who spend $30 a month on service. See the earlier story, “Verizon offers some customers a bonus: Free Wi-Fi.”

Verizon hotspots include some Starbucks stores, Barnes & Noble bookstores, several hotels and more. There are nearly 1,000 places within 50 miles of The Register’s headquarters that offer Verizon Wi-Fi service. Here’s a link to Verizon’s hotspot finder: verizonwireless.com/wi-fi

To qualify, you need either a monthly Mobile Broadband account or a GlobalAccess plan. You also need a Verizon-supported device, which is either a USB modem, PC Card, ExpressCard, the Verizon MiFi portable hotspot, or a netbook or notebook. Here is a list of qualified devices: www.vzam.net.

Verizon isn’t the only one offering free Wi-Fi to its customers.

AT&T has been a leader of free Wi-Fi for its customers. It offers free Wi-Fi access at its hotspots to iPhone customers and home broadband users. It recently added 25,000 more hotspots around the globe. See the earlier story, “25,000 more places for Wi-Fi (if you’re with AT&T).”

AT&T also offers free Wi-Fi to anyone at Barnes & Noble stores. See earlier story, “Free Wi-Fi at Barnes & Noble for everyone!”

T-Mobile also offers certain customers free access to its Wi-Fi network.

Recent stories on free Wi-Fi:

Who’s got the best cell phone service in the U.S.? Hands down, it’s Verizon, according to readers of Consumer Reports.

The publication just issued its annual update on mobile service and once again ranked Verizon at the top nationwide for overall service, scoring 75 points out of 100. Second place T-Mobile scored 70.

But just because both companies did better than the others doesn’t mean everyone is happy with service. According to its survey of 50,000 readers, Consumer Reports said that only 54 percent were “completely or very satisfied” with service.

While still a majority, those aren’t very good numbers for any consumer-oriented business.

“Despite ‘smarter phones,’ more flexible plans, and faster wireless networks, cell service continues to be among the lower-rated of all the services that Consumer Reports evaluates,” the organization concluded in its January 2010 issue.

Ouch!

Even those consumers who were relatively satisfied with service had at least one major complaint. One in 5 said prices were too high.

For Orange County and Los Angeles area users, we’re getting similar treatment as the rest of the country. Unless you’re with AT&T. Los Angeles and Orange County readers rated AT&T at 60 points, the second lowest score AT&T received. The lowest score came from our siblings up north in San Francisco near the iPhone’s hometown, which rated AT&T an 59.

Nationwide, AT&T scored below average in every attribute (voice, customer support) except Web access and texting. Interestingly, such service issues didn’t seem to matter much to iPhone users. Consumer Reports said a “staggering 98 percent” of iPhone users would buy the phone again despite AT&T’s poor rating.

In our area, Verizon (at 75 points) was in the lead, followed by Sprint (69 points), T-Mobile (65 points) and AT&T (60 points). Click chart on right to enlarge and view ratings for the Los Angeles area.

Prepaid service, on the other hand, fared much better but only 3,257 readers used prepaid services. While the report cites Irvine’s Boost Mobile as attracting 1.5 million new customers during the first half of the year, Boost didn’t make it into the top-5 prepaid services. TracFone had the highest satisfaction score followed by prepaid options from T-Mobile, Virgin Mobile and Verizon.

Also missing: MetroPCS, an inexpensive prepaid service with lots of unlimited options. Consumer Reports said there was insufficient data to rank MetroPCS or another cheap service called Straight Talk, which is sold through Walmart. Straight Talk, it notes, uses the comprehensive Verizon network and it offers unlimited voice, message and Web for $45 per month.

The full report should be available later today at Consumer Reports web site. It will also be in the January 2010 issue. If anyone wants to see the report, let me know and I’ll e-mail it.

Recent stories about cell phone service:

After being the first in the industry to pro-rate 2-year mobile phone contracts, Verizon Wireless now plans to double that fee — BUT only in some cases.

Beginning Nov. 15, Verizon’s early-termination fees jump to $350 for higher-end devices like smartphones, netbooks and other advanced devices. The current rate is half that, at $175. The higher rate kicks in only on customers who sign a new contract.

Verizon still will prorate the contract, subtracting $10 a month (all other phones are prorated $5/month). So, by the end of 23 months, affected users will still need to cough up $120. But by then, you might as well wait a month to leave without paying a penny.

Why is Verizon changing its early termination fee? To make subsidizing these expensive devices worth it to the company.

Interestingly, the new Motorola Droid is $199.99 with a 2-year contract. But without a contract, it sells for $559.99. That means you could save $10 by buying the phone, and then canceling the 2-year contract ($200 + $350 = $550). And since the new fee doesn’t kick in until Nov. 15, that means people who buy a Droid before that date and then cancel service will get it for $375 without a contract! No wonder Verizon upped the fee.

As I’ve mentioned before, anyone can test a Verizon phone for 30 days and then cancel without having to pay any early termination fee. Read my earlier story covering testing policies, I mean, return policies by the major mobile providers: “How any consumer can ‘test’ a cell phone.”

Verizon also adds that if you bring a compatible phone to its network and sign up for service, you don’t have to commit to any long-term contract.

Earlier on cell phone policies:

I, for one, am very glad that there is more to mobile phones than the iPhone, which is a very nice phone. But if the world only wanted an iPhone, gadget geeks everywhere wouldn’t have much to look forward to. And today, we’re looking forward to the new Motorola Droid, on sale today from Verizon Wireless (There are 40 Verizon stores within 25 miles of Santa Ana. Here’s a store locator).

After a week with the Droid, I’m seriously digging its Google Android 2.0 operating system, which will pop up in more phones from Verizon Wireless and other carriers. While I wouldn’t call the Droid a game changer for the industry, it’s a game changer for Verizon Wireless because for the first time the company let outsiders help develop the phone. Even tinkerers who want to develop Android apps can  influence the Verizon phone in a way that was prohibited before.

The phone itself is an improvement over the original Google phone, the G1 (my current phone), with a sleeker shape and better internal technology. A 3.7-inch screen makes it the largest smartphone screen out there. The slide-out keyboard is a bonus. But, as with any gadget, I have an opinion. There are features I love, like and hate. Let me start with what I don’t like.

5 things I don’t like about the Droid:

1. Screen sensitivity: Nice big screen, but not as responsive and smooth as the iPhone. Not sure if it’s a glitch, but sometimes shortcuts I placed on the main screen did nothing when pressed. Other times, one touch popped up the application. Also, when scrolling on the Web, it can be jerky as images load. Reminds me of pre-broadband everywhere days.

2. Battery life: Like everyone, I want a GPS, Wi-Fi, 3G and Bluetooth-enabled smartphone with a battery that lasts for a week. Turn all those wireless tools on, and the Droid’s battery is dead after a few hours. Motorola didn’t make any advances in this department. The big positive though: It charges up fast! Plugged into the wall, the battery was fully charged in under an hour. One other big plus over the iPhone: You can replace the battery.

3. The camera: The 5-megapixel camera is probably better than your camera phone but it’s on the slow side for me — for a camera. It won’t replace my Canon point-and-shoot camera. Yes, I have high expectations for a camera in a phone but only because the companies continue to improve the optics (this one has flash, scene modes and white balance, autofocus and image stabilization). They lead me to believe that one day, I will get a phone with a camera decent enough to haul to gadget shows to get pretty pictures for my readers. Yes, I know. It’s like comparing home broadband speeds to wireless mobile Internet. There’s no comparison. UPDATE, 11/10: Reader Jason Spielfogel, who has a background in imaging and happens to be a product manager at Sanyo, offers his take on why a camera phone just can’t be compared to a digital camera.

4. Web zoom: Because the screen is so large, the Internet browser opens a Web page at full width. Touch the screen twice to zoom in. Touch it twice again to zoom out. This I like. What was annoying was zooming in, selecting a link within the same site, and pulling up a page that zoomed out, thus defaulting to full width. I wish it would remember that I was zoomed in, at least if I’m on the same site.

5. No Bluetooth file transfer: One of the great things about Google phones is you don’t have to sync contacts, calendar or e-mail. This is done automatically when you first sign into the phone with your Google account. However, all the photos or other files you create on the phone don’t automatically transfer to a PC via the Web or vice versa. Or via Bluetooth, as I found out. Verizon and other mobile providers are notorious for blocking Bluetooth file transfer. In this case, Verizon says it’s Android’s fault. Android doesn’t support Bluetooth tethering for transferring files. Bluetooth is only good for headsets, stereo headphones and phonebook access. One other auto-syncing disappointment: Droid didn’t pull over any of my apps from my G1.

5 things I love about the Droid

1. Speakerphone & voice quality: You’d think this feature would be a given. But my current phone is just OK, verging on poor some days. The Droid kicks the G1′s butt when it comes to hands-free chatting over a speaker. First, the Droid’s speakerphone is far superior. With the phone in speaker mode and sitting on my lap while I drove, no one on the other end noticed that I wasn’t holding the phone to my mouth. When connected to my car’s Bluetooth speaker (an expensive after-market addition from the dealer that is terrible), there was some static but I could hear people clearer than on my own phone. Motorola really toned down background noise — an excellent feature for all of us hands-free drivers.

2. Google Navigation: The audible street-by-street directions can replace your in-car GPS but Google Navigation is definitely not ready for prime time. It’s the potential that I love. Verizon does offer a window mount for the Droid so it even looks like a portable car GPS. While the navigation did get me to the street I wanted to go to, it left me hanging by not saying what side of the street was my final destination. More stuff that needs work: Sending a Google Map from PC to phone, which is available for certain cars and some portable GPS brands; ability to add traffic alerts so you can avoid bad roads; more warning when an exit is nearby (seemed to tell me only when it was a quarter-mile away. And wouldn’t it be cool if Google navigation synced with your Google calendar so when heading to a meeting, navigation to the meeting immediately shows up on screen?

3. Multiple apps: Droid’s got a big one over the iPhone here. I can’t imagine living without access to multiple apps at the same time. Android allows you to switch between six at the same time.

4. Multiple sources for contacts. I loved the Palm Pre’s mashup of various social networks to create the ultimate address book, which Android didn’t offer previously. With Android 2.0, the phone pulls phone numbers from your Gmail contacts, Facebook friends and your corporate Exchange account. No updating or syncing necessary.

5. Voice search. Hands down, this is my favorite feature. I am trying to figure out how to get out of my two-year contract with T-Mobile because of this feature. Hit the “Voice Search” and just say exactly what you want. Navigate to a restaurant? Map of a store? Look up a phone number? This is like having your own personal concierge. (Added 11:56 p.m.: The G1 has Voice search too but it isn’t as robust.) On the down side, Droid doesn’t always understand your command. You have to say it clearly into the phone. However, I would guestimate that it was correct four out of five times, which was totally unexpected based on my experience with any sort of voice-activated technology. Google has a good video example of how this works.

More on Droid
On sale: Nov. 6, 2009 Price: $199.99 with 2-year contract Screen: 3.7-inch Processor: Cortex A8 Storage: 16 GB installed, slot for up to 32 GB card Wireless: 3G, Wi-Fi, EV-DO Rev.A More info: Verizon’s Droid page Motorola’s Droid page

There are other features of the phone that I don’t feel too strongly about. As mentioned, it has the largest smartphone screen out there, at 3.7 inches. But the size wasn’t noticeably different from my G1′s 3.2-inch screen (maybe because I wear glasses, so everything looks small compared to my 24-inch monitor).

The Android apps market has grown to 12,000 paid and free apps. While that pales in comparison to Apple’s iPhone apps, which is now over 100,000, 12,000 is still a lot of apps and there are new ones out every day. So, Androids apps — or small supply of them — isn’t a negative for me. At least there are 12,000 Android apps!

My conclusion: I love Android 2.0 more than I love the Droid. Yes, it’s a nice phone, but what I love is what its software can do. More Android 2.0 phones are surely on their way. However, the big benefit to Droid? It uses Verizon Wireless’ network, the company I hear the fewest complaints about. As for the iPhone vs. Droid debate? You can’t compare them. One is with AT&T, the other is Verizon. It’s not like we have a choice anyway between an iPhone and Droid. That’s the real issue.

Earlier on Droid:

• Do I have the only Motorola Droid in Orange County?
• We’ve got Verizon’s new Droid! Watch the video

Recent Gadgetress headlines:

Has your Verizon Wireless cell phone been getting better reception? I just got a list of 26 new cell sites the company turned in on during August and September. Several cities in Southern California should have seen improvements. All the sites offer 3G wireless coverage, of course.

As for Orange County? Just one lucky locale (October results have not yet been released):

San Juan Capistrano - Along Ortega Highway at the Orange/Riverside County line, east to Fire Street to Upper San Juan Campground to the southwest.

A Verizon coverage map is also available here. Here is the list of the latest cell sites for the Southern California region. 

City	New Verizon Wireless Coverage Area, Aug. & Sept. 2009
	Los Angeles County
Alhambra	City of Alhambra
Azusa	Along Sierra Madre Boulevard, North San Gabriel Canyon Road and surrounding area, including, Azusa Greens Country Club and Pioneer and Northside parks
Los Angeles	Dodger Stadium
Tarzana	Residential area in city of Tarzana
Cudahy	City of Cudahy
Beverly Hills	Along Sunset Boulevard between North Beverly Drive and North Doheny Drive
Lancaster	Downtown Lancaster and area to the northeast
Santa Clarita	Along Bouquet Canyon Road and surrounding area
	Orange County
San Juan Capistrano	Along Ortega Highway at the Orange/Riverside County line, east to Fire Street to Upper San Juan Campground to the southwest
	Imperial County
Bonds Corner	North to Interstate 8, south to the US/Mexico Border, east to Evan Hewes Highway and west to Bonds Corner Road.
Calipatria	Southeast area of Salton Sea and surrounding area
El Centro	North to CR S28, south to Heber Road, east to SR 111 and west to 4th Street
Holtville	North to CR S28, south to McCabe Road, east to Fust Road and west to ST 115
Riverside County
Cathedral Canyon	Along Ramona Boulevard and surrounding residential area
Indian Wells	Along Highway 111 and surrounding area
Idyllwild	Along Highway 243 and surrounding area
	San Bernardino County
San Bernardino	Along 210 Freeway at Milliken Avenue
Forest Falls	Along Highway 38 from the Forest Falls cutoff to Mountain Home Village
Fontana	Along Sierra Avenue between the 10 and 210 Freeways
Johnson Valley	Along Highway 247 and surrounding area
Trona	City of Trona
	San Diego County
Chula Vista	Chula Vista Hospital and surrounding residential area
Descanso	Along Highway 79 north of Interstate 9
Encinitas	Along Quail Gardens Drive and surrounding neighborhood, including the Encinitas Ranch Golf Course
Imperial Beach	Along Seacoast Drive and western portion of Imperial Beach
San Diego	Along Interstate 15, Aero Drive and the Stonecrest Mall

More on cell, mobile services:

When you get a new gadget to play with before the rest of the world, you’ll get a lot of unwanted (or is it?) attention.  When a friend of mine found out I was playing with the new Motorola Droid this week, he immediately invited himself over. Offered to bring lunch, in fact.

He’s a good friend, so I agreed. He’s such a good friend, I let him take the Droid while he went to get food. That brought even more attention. Someone in line stopped him and asked, “Is that the.. the.. Droid? I’ve been reading about it on Engadget!”

Wrong answer! My friend didn’t reveal his sources but said he would have let the dude check it out if he had mentioned The Gadgetress!

I may not be the only one in Orange County with the new Droid, which goes on sale next Friday. But I’m willing to share what I know. What else do you want to know? Comment below!

So, day three with the Droid. Three observations:

The camera. It’s a 5-megapixel camera with autofocus and flash. The flash is super bright. I actually just took a picture of myself and am still seeing spots. But it’s so slooooow (watch video on right).

Unless the area is brightly lit, you won’t be getting very clear action shots with this phone — or even clear still shots in lower light. I also had little success using on of my favorite apps, “ShopSavvy,” which uses the camera to scan in product barcodes to compare prices online. Even in brightly lit Target, the camera couldn’t get a good scan, unlike my T-Mobile G1, the original Android phone. Maybe retailers are wising up and doing something sly with their lighting? Here are some photos taken with the Droid:

Bluetooth data transfer: Verizon is famous for blocking the ability of its cell phones from sharing files with PCs over Bluetooth. Looks like this is still true with the Droid. I could be wrong – Bluetooth photo sharing is an option on Droid. But I have been unable to transfer photos and other files to a PC using Bluetooth. However, there are multiple ways to share photos built into the sharing, as mentioned above.

Screen scrolling: The iPhone is still much smoother when it comes to zooming, scrolling and gliding between screens or apps.

More Droid observations coming soon. See what I’ve written so far, and my first-look video:

Hot new phone alert: Motorola Droid from Verizon Wireless goes on sale next week on Nov. 6. But wait no further to get a closer look. Verizon and Motorola folks stopped by my office this morning to show it off. And they’ve left one for me to play with for one week.

So, to appease the 71 readers who want me to bring back gadget coverage (you, too, can sign up HERE), I’ve got photos, a video and a short review below.

I am personally excited about this phone because I have come to heavily rely on Google Android, which powers my T-Mobile G1 as well as the new Droid. Only, the Droid is the first phone to get Android 2.0, so the software is already better than existing Google phones. Still, any Android phone has the benefit of automatic syncing with your Google account — no need to tether and wait for-ever for contacts, e-mail or calendar items to sync.

Here’s the 2-minute first look at the new phone and some features, with help from videographer Rob Whitfield:

Ken Muche, from Verizon Wireless, and Paul Nicholson, Motorola’s global marketing director, boiled down their favorite features — I’ve included some of my own observations (Click all images to enlarge):

1. The screen. A gorgeous, giant 3.7-inch display with a resolution of 854 by 420. Web pages pull up full width, even though the text may be a bit hard to see.

2. Fast browser. I’m still testing this one. It’s faster than my G1 from T-Mobile, possibly thanks to Verizon’s 3G network. Bookmarks display as thumbnails or as a list. The big bummer: Google doesn’t automatically transfer over bookmarks from your Google Chrome account or, if you’re like me, another Android phone. There are apps that will import bookmarks, but none are built in.

3. Speaking of Apps… There are thousands. I’m unsure how many. Like the iPhone apps, there are free ones and paid. New to the Android Marketplace on the phone: A special tab for Verizon apps. Currently, Verizon offers just one — Visual Voicemail, which is free but the service costs $2.99 a month.

4. Voice search. Press the widget and tell the phone what to find. Say “Orange County Register” and it pulls up my newspaper in a Google search. Say “Map of Orange County Register,” and it pulls up a Google Map of the paper’s Santa Ana headquarters. Say “Call Orange County Register,” however, and it pulls up Google search again and doesn’t start dialing the phone number. Ah well. Two out of three.

5.  Google Navigation. This is currently in beta and I can’t wait to test this out. Obviously, you can use some phones as your car’s GPS. Now you can with an Android phone. Google Navigation enables the street-by-street directions. A separate car mount is available to dock the phone when you get into the car.

6. The alarm clock. It’s fun the first time you see it — a docking station turns the phone into an alarm clock or photo slide show viewer. But once docked, it goes into multimedia station setting, leaving other features of the phone inaccessible. How do you turn that off? (No, haven’t Googled it yet.)

7. The hardware: Motorola and Verizon say this is the thinnest QWERTY slide-out phone ever. I kind of believe them. But anything is slimmer than my bulky G1. Also nice: The A8 Cortex processor, a 550 MHz chip.

I’ll be playing with this for a week and will post interesting observations before the phone goes on sale Nov. 6 for $199 (with a 2-year contract). Verizon won’t say how much an unsubsidized phone is. Guess well find out when people start checking their sales receipt and realize they’re getting taxed on the unsubsidized price!

More pics, observations coming in the next week.

Miss the gadgets? If 500 people sign up, I’ll bring them back. Just click the blue image on the right to sign up. (This takes you to Feedburner, where you can subscribe by e-mail or an RSS reader. All who subscribe will be notified if regular gadget coverage returns.)

Noted: Google’s first cell phone, the G1 from T-Mobile, went on sale last Oct. 22. Could the company be planning a big one-year anniversary by releasing more phones?

Verizon Wireless mentions today that it has joined Google in a strategic partnership to “leverage the Verizon Wireless network and the best of the Android,” the name of Google’s phone software.

No specific details disclosed other than the ending line, “The agreement will come to fruition within the next few weeks as Verizon Wireless introduces Android-based handsets.”

(Disclosure: I have the original G1.)

The news comes out of the big wireless convention being held in San Diego today International CTIA WIRELESS I.T. & Entertainment show is just getting started so I suspect we’ll be hearing more news from the mobile phone companies.

T-Mobile recently added a second Android phone, the MyTouch. Sprint’s first Android phone, the HTC Hero, goes on sale  Thursday, October 8.

Related:

• Verizon to release Android handsets (CNET)
• Best Buy Mobile’s Holiday Playbook: Upcoming Android launches (Boy Genius Report)
• Verizon Wireless, Google in Android partnership (AP)

Noted: The folks at Verizon successfully tested 4G data calls between Boston and Seattle. The Verizon Tweeters couldn’t keep quiet about it either, as noted by DSLReports.

Verizon is rolling out its faster 4G Internet service for mobile phones using Long Term Evolution (LTE) technology. Rival Sprint is also making 4G news using Wimax technology. It recently added more cities to its 2009 roll out, but excluded everyone in California. 

Side note: Verizon says it will launch 4G service next year in 30 markets, with the whole nation covered by 2013. I’ll cross my fingers that Orange County is among the first batch. 

From the web: 

• Verizon Successfully Tests LTE In Boston, Seattle (DSLReports)
• Can you hear my LTE call now? Verizon begins 4G rollout (FierceWireless)
• Verizon completes initial 4G wireless test (CNET)
• Verizon’s LTE site

More 4G coverage on Gadgetress:

We may be paying more for cell-phone service then everybody else in the world, but at least customer service is improving, according to a new report from J.D. Power and Associates. 

J.D. Power surveyed 12,000 consumers between January to June 12 who called their wireless provider for help in the past year. They rated overall customer service at 735 on a 1,000 point scale. That’s an improvement of 12 points from the February 2009 report. Specific improvements:

• Hold times improved to 5.55 minutes, from 6.58 minutes in February
• 76 percent of the calls were resolved with the first contact, compared to 66 percent previously

J.D. Power surveyed consumers on automated response systems, store visits and Web interaction. Within each, the survey looked at satisfaction, problem resolution and wait times.

The winners? Alltel, T-Mobile and Verizon, which all tied with scores of 747.

While T-Mobile was the leader six months ago, the carrier slipped from its 755-point perch. Verizon also dropped two points, from last period’s score of 749. Alltel previously scored 744.

J.D. Powers said that each company had its own strengths: Alltel handled store visits well, T-Mobile excels in getting phone customers to a live representative, and Verizon identified customer problems quickly.

AT&T and Sprint Nextel scored the lowest scores, as noted in the chart. AT&T has been dealing with inconsistent 3G Internet service among its multitudes of iPhone users, while Sprint has lost customers.

Even as customer service improved, one major issue among customers had little to do with actual service. One-third contacted their wireless company because of the cost of service.

To read the report, visit J.D. Power’s site.

Earlier: 

A mobile phone without a contract? Ever? If you haven’t looked at the prepaid phone industry lately, you might want to look again. Customers are more satisfied then ever before, plus it’s cheaper. 

Source: J.D. Power and Associates, Prepaid Wireless Ratings, 2009

More on cell-phones:

MetroPCS, the significantly cheaper mobile-phone service, unveiled a plan today offering unlimited calls to more than 1,000 cities around the world for an extra $5 a month.

The new international plan is only available to subscribers of its $40-or-higher voice plans. Users don’t need to dial an intermediary number first and can call international numbers directly. Receiving international calls is free.

However, not every international city is included, but the biggies like Vietnam and Mexico City are part of the unlimited plan. To see if an international number qualifies, MetroPCS sends customers to this page. Also, the cheap rate doesn’t apply if the user is roaming and with MetroPCS service only available in certain U.S. cities, this extra fee could add up. 

So… the big question is how does MetroPCS do it? Its mobile rivals charge up to a few dollars per minute to call some countries. While the major wireless companies do offer international plans, those all have a monthly charge and a per-minute fee, albeit discounted from the standard international rate. MetroPCS new international plan is a flat-rate service with no extra fees, unless you’re roaming outside of MetroPCS coverage areas. 

I’m waiting to hear back from the company to explain how it can offer such a low rate. UPDATE, 3:57 p.m.: MetroPCS’ responds by avoiding all specifics:   

We don’t disclose pricing or profitability on individual products. However, our company is extremely profitable even with the launching of new markets and we have some of the lowest operating cost in the industry.

Scanning through international plans from other mobile companies, I was surprised to see that it’s not that expensive to call overseas anymore. But none are as cheap as MetroPCS, which offers unlimited U.S. cellular plans for as low as $30 a month. 

For example, Verizon Wireless charges $0.65/minute for calls to Mexico. Its $3.99  monthly value plan drops the per-minute rate to $0.25. Comparably, AT&T’s rates are $0.99/minute for calls to Mexico. On the company’s special $4.99 “Mexico plan,” calls range from $0.09 to $0.25. But if you’re just calling Mexico from a MetroPCS plan, there’s already a $3 plan for unlimited calls to Mexico. 

Here’s a look at mobile international plans:

More on cell-phones:

UPDATE, 2:09 p.m.: Thanks to reader Tom Swifty for pointing out my bad math. Fixed headline to reflect that fees are 100 percent higher, not 50 percent.
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Noted: Why does sending a text message on your cell phone cost 20 cents? Congress was wondering the same thing and asked Verizon Wireless and AT&T whether the two companies colluded on pricing, according to a Reuters report (also cited by BroadbandReports.com and FierceWireless.com).

And not only did the fee seem high, but it’s double the rate from 2006, when texting was a mere 10 cents.

Lawyers from Verizon and AT&T argued that Congress was focusing on a tiny number of texts. Most customers were in some sort of monthly texting plan, so very few were affected by the doubling of the pay-per-use fee. Approximately, a mere 1 percent of texts sent were charged 20-cents per message, Reuters reported: 

“The faulty notion that prices for text messaging have risen derives from an unduly narrow interest in the trend of a single pricing option for text messaging services, the pay-per-use option, when the vast majority of AT&T’s customers do not choose that option,” said Wayne Watts, general counsel of AT&T.

Verizon, in a press release, said that because of the bundling, the price per message has dropped to about 1 cent each. Both companies denied price fixing.

However, I could find no explanation as to why either company felt the need to double the price on the pay-per-text fee, especially if so few people use it. 

BroadbandReports, a great source of telecom news, offers its opinion on why: “Of course the reason carriers uniformly raised SMS prices from ten cents to twenty cents (in both directions) was to drive customers to these bundle deals, which still tacks $5 to $20 per month on to subscriber wireless bills for a service with virtually no delivery cost.” (Bolded is the site’s own emphasis.)

Very true. Even many prepaid mobile companies are adding unlimited texting plans (see “Are $50 unlimited plans latest trend? T-Mobile follows Boost.”) What do you pay? Is it time to switch to a bundle plan in case you have a kid like this one?

For those wondering how much a text message does cost, the four major mobile companies do indeed charge 20-cents per text. See their sites:

• AT&T, $0.20 (from AT&T’s site)
• Verizon Wireless, $0.20 (from Verizon’s site)
• T-Mobile, $0.20 (from T-Mobile’s site)
• Sprint, $0.20 (from Sprint’s site)

International texting charges (from “Text Mexico, Vietnam, the world for $10/month” in March 2009): 

AT&T charges $0.25 to send, $0.20 to receive. Multimedia messages are $0.50 to send, $0.30 to receive. Details HERE. A $9.99 monthly plan allows users to send 100 texts internationally. Received texts are counted as regular texts.

Verizon Wireless charges $0.25 to send, $0.20 to receive. If you’re outside the U.S., sending texts cost $0.50 each but $0.05 to receive. Details HERE.

T-Mobile charges around $0.35 to text internationally and $0.20 to receive. DetailsHERE.

Sprint charges $0.20 to send or receive international texts. Details HERE.

Virgin Mobile USA charges $0.20 to send, $0.10 to receive. Details HERE. 

Helio, now part of Virgin Mobile, charges $0.15 to send or receive an international text message. For multimedia messaging, Helio charges $0.05 per kilobyte plus $0.25 per message sent. But if you’re an “All In” customer who pays $99/month for everything, international texts are free, while multimedia texts are $0.25 each. Details HERE.

Around the web: 

• AT&T: High SMS Prices A ‘Faulty Notion’ (Broadband Reports)
• Verizon, AT&T defend text messaging price policies (FierceWireless)
• AT&T and Verizon deny price-fixing accusations (CNET)
• The rising cost of texting (CNET) 
• Verizon’s press release

More on cell-phones: