Alcatel Presents Two New Hotspots: Linkzone Cat7 and Cat12

TCL Communication presented two new Alcatel Linkzone LTE hotspots at the MWC in Barcelona. The Linkzone Cat7 Hotspot can achieve speeds of up to 300 MBit/s in the download and up to 100 MBit/s in the upload, while the other one Linkzone Cat12 Router can reach up to 600 MBit/s in the download and up to 100 MBit/s in the upload. However, both the two LTE hotspots don't have a display, so the operation takes place either via app or browser web interface.

 

 

Alcatel Linkzone Cat12

 

The Alcatel Linkzone Cat12 LTE Hotspot comes in a black case with a 4,300 mAh battery. According to the manufacturer, the operating time is about 15 hours; LEDs on the front indicate the operating status. If required, the device can also be used to charge other devices (power bank function).

 

 

 

The antennas for mobile radio and for WLAN are firmly integrated in the housing, but the connections for 4G external antennas do not exist. Even a MicroSD memory card slot is not integrated with the Alcatel Linkzone Cat12, which feature was often found at mobile hotspots. The WLAN module of the Linkzone Cat12 works according to the standards 802.11a/b/g/n/ac and allows up to 32 users at the same time. On request, two WLAN names can be sent in parallel. The wireless speed is at a maximum of 867 MBit/s according to the manufacturer. And the Alcatel Linkzone Cat12 LTE Hotspot will be available "later in 2018".    

 

Alcatel Linkzone Cat7

The Alcatel Linkzone Cat7 LTE Hotspot is the small sister model to the Linkzone Cat12. And the Linkzone Cat7 is much cheaper based on weaker specifications. The battery has capacity of 2150 mAh, which is significantly lower than the linkzone Cat12. The battery life is advertised with up to 8 hours.

 

Regarding the WLAN, there is no difference to the more expensive Cat12 model: the wireless module operates on the standards 802.11a/b/g/n/ac at 2.4 and 5 gigahertz and allows up to 32 users at the same time. On request, two WLAN names can be sent in parallel. The WLAN speed is a maximum of 867 MBit/s.  

 

Both hotspots with LTE band 32

It is pleasing that both Alcatel hotspots support all the frequency ranges that are currently important for Europe, including Band 1, 3, 7, 8 and 20 as well as Band 32 (1500 MHz). The 1500 MHz band will be used as Supplemental Downlink (SDL) in the future at Vodafone and Telekom to enable faster downlink speeds.  

Huawei E5788 Gigabit LTE Hotspot Available in Europe

The Huawei E5788u-96a Gigabit LTE Hotspot is now available for some network providers in Europe. The mobile WLAN router is currently the fastest mobile hotspot in Europe with speeds of up to 1 GBit/s. The modem chipset comes from HiSilicon, a subsidiary of Huawei. Also on board are a large color display and a WLAN extender function, the device is charged via USB type C interface.

 

 

Gigabit LTE modem

 

The Huawei E5788's modem supports LTE Cat16 (Category 16) at speeds of up to 1Gbps downlink and up to 100Mbps uplink, as long as the mobile network is able to handle those speeds as well. In addition to LTE, UMTS with up to 42.2 Mbit/s in the download (DC-HSPA+) and up to 5.76 Mbit/s in the uplink and GSM/EDGE are of course supported.  

 

WLAN with offload function (extender)

 

The WLAN module in the Huawei E5788 operates in the frequency ranges around 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz. The WLAN Extender function is also available, so you can use an existing wireless network as Internet access and saves data volume from the mobile data plan. Once configured, the E5788 automatically connects to a known WLAN within range.

 

 

 

Disadvantages of Huawei E5788

Even if the Huawei E5788 offers an extremely fast modem - some disadvantages are already apparent without a detailed test on the data sheet. So the battery is not changeable and there are no connections for an external LTE antenna. Also missing is a RJ45 Ethernet LAN port, which could easily pass on the extremely high speeds of the modem to other devices. Last but not least, of course, the high price of currently over 300 € is also a big disadvantage - similarly equipped devices with a slightly weaker modem, there are already for about half of the price.

 

 

 

Alternatives to the Huawei E5788

If you really want a Gigabit LTE modem with LTE Cat16 or better, you only have one alternative to the Huawei E5788: the Netgear Nighthawk M1 MR1100. The router is about the same price and offers a LTE Cat16 Gigabit modem from Qualcomm, in contrast to the Huawei E5788, the Nighthawk M1 has a RJ45 Gigabit Ethernet LAN interface, a removable battery and connections for an external antenna.

 

 

If you are also satisfied with a 600 Mbps LTE modem, you should definitely take a closer look at the Netgear AirCard 810 hotspot. This also offers a touch screen, but also has a removable battery and the ability to connect external mobile antennas. If even 300 Mbit/s or LTE Cat6 is sufficient, there are many more choices available. For example, you could look at the Huawei E5885 hotspot, which comes with a huge 6,400 mAh battery and also has a special RJ45 Ethernet LAN port integrated.

Qualcomm Snapdragon X24 LTE Cat.20 Modem Released

Qualcomm today unveiled a new LTE modem in the run-up to Mobile World Congress. The Snapdragon X24 modem supports LTE up to category 20, delivering speeds up to 2 Gigabits per second over LTE. The LTE modem of the 8th generation is to be produced using the 7 nanometer process. At the MWC in Barcelona at the end of February, the modem will be shown for the first time in live operation, Qualcomm shows there in partnership with the Australian network operator Telstra, the network equipment supplier Ericsson and the network specialists Netgear.

 

 

World's first LTE Cat20 modem

The Qualcomm Snapdragon X24 chip is the world's first LTE category 20 modem. So far, mobile modems with LTE Cat18 were the fastest available chipsets. With LTE Cat18 up to 1.2 GBit/s are possible, for example, this supports the Qualcomm Snapdragon X20, which is installed in the 2018 flagship chipset Snapdragon 845. 

 

The HiSilicon Kirin 970 also supports LTE Cat18, installed for example in the Huawei Mate 10. The now presented Snapdragon X24 adds another decent amount of speed and offers up to 2 GBit/s in the downlink. Up to 2 gigabits per second are possible through the combination of various technologies. According to Qualcomm, the Snapdragon X24 supports seven-fold carrier aggregation (7CC CA), meaning that up to 7 different frequency ranges can be bundled. In addition, the 4 × 4 MIMO antenna technology is supported simultaneously on up to 5 frequency ranges.

 

 

The new highlight feature is the ability to use FD-MIMO (Full Dimension MIMO) antenna technology. Even LAA, ie license-assisted access in the 5 GHz frequency range, has so far rarely been integrated into mobile radio modems.

 

Also in the uplink more speed

The uplink speeds are usually always well behind the downlink data rates, here is the technology on the end device side a bit more expensive, especially in terms of the antenna technology. But here too, the Snapdragon X24 offers some good improvements: in addition to 3CC CA (triple carrier aggregation), 256QAM modulation is also supported. As a result, speeds up to 316 Mbps are also possible in the uplink LTE Cat20.

 

Other technologies in the Snapdragon X24

The very high maximum data rates can only be used in the LTE network if the network operator has also equipped its mobile network accordingly. Often not all technologies are used, so that only a part of the maximum possible speed arrives at the terminal. But the Qualcomm Snapdragon X24 modem also supports some technologies that are fully usable in slower networks. For example, there would be the possibility for terminal manufacturers to offer a dual SIM function with LTE on both cards as well as VoLTE functionality.

 

Samsung Galaxy S9 Will be Launched on February 2018

Samsung will introduce the Galaxy S9 on February 25, 2018 ahead of the MWC in Barcelona. The successor to the Samsung Galaxy S8 will probably have a much improved camera installed, it suggests "The Camera. Reimaged!" on the invitation at least the saying. For the first time since the Galaxy S6, Samsung is using the Mobile World Congress to introduce a flagship S-Series smartphone. Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S8 were then presented a few weeks after the important mobile phone trade fair.

 

 

 

Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9 Plus

Publicly, there are still no indications of the appearance and technical features of the Samsung Galaxy S9, but the rumors generally assume that this year there will again be two different sizes of the flagship model: the Galaxy S9 and the Galaxy S9 Plus. Both models are to get a better camera with faster autofocus, the plus model comes probably in addition with a second lens (dual-camera system). The case design is unlikely to change in comparison to the Galaxy S8, but Samsung has probably reconsidered the much-criticized positioning of the fingerprint scanner.  

 

In addition to an improved camera you may of course expect an updated chipset, ie there will be a new Exynos processor including a new LTE modem. 5G will not dominate the Samsung Galaxy S9, but the technology is not yet mature enough. According to an alleged packaging for the Galaxy S9, which has recently surfaced , the device will be equipped with 64 GB of internal memory.  

 

 

Mobile World Congress 2018

The Mobile World Congress is the world's largest mobile phone trade show and takes place in Barcelona at the end of February each year. This year the fair starts on the 26th of February and ends on the 1st of March. In addition to Samsung, many other mobile phone manufacturers will hold press conferences and introduce new devices. Usually, in addition to new smartphones, but above all, details on new network technology, the subject of 5G will certainly be back on the agenda and even with the current generation of mobile radio LTE, the final stage is far from reached.  

 

We will keep focus on the news about the Samsung Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9 Plus and update the information on www.4gltemall.com/blog.  

Huawei B2368 LTE Cat.12 Router Released

LTE routers with connections for an external mobile antenna are plentiful. An external antenna with the LTE router may have advantages, but a long cable between the antenna and the router can cause poor data rates. Huawei has now shown an interesting device Huawei B2368 LTE router-modem combination, which should solve this problem. The LTE modem is located directly in the external antenna and is accordingly mounted outdoors. The router with WLAN, RJ45 Ethernet LAN connections and telephone connection, however, is positioned in the house at a convenient location. The power supply of the modem is regulated via Power over Ethernet (PoE). Theoretically, the combination is also ideally suited for the next generation of mobile communications 5G.

 

 

The advantage of the separation of router and modem is obvious: the modem and antenna can be positioned in a place outside with very good wireless reception, the router with WLAN function, however, ideally positioned in the house so that all devices got a good internet connection. A separate power supply from the antenna and modem is not necessary; it is only a LAN cable between the two devices to be laid. Even a complicated alignment of the antenna is not necessary, because it is not a directional antenna. Operation without direct line of sight to the transmitting mast is possible.  

 

LTE Category 12 router

 

The modem of the Huawei B2368 allows speeds of up to 600 Mbit/s in the downlink and up to 150 Mbit/s in the uplink - depending on the network technology used and the network expansion of the mobile service provider used. In addition to the FDD LTE, which is primarily used in Europe, TDD LTE is also supported. The B2368 may use the frequency bands 38, 40, 41, 42, 43, 1, 3, 7, 8 and 20. The integrated WLAN module operates both in the frequency range around 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz, a telephone function is also available.

 

 

 

Ideal for 5G mobile communications

According to Huawei, it is also conceivable that there will be a later 5G capable version. Here, the design would be quite useful, because the frequency range around 3.5 GHz, which is to be used at the beginning for 5G , penetrates even worse in buildings than the previously used at LTE frequency bands. The data rates should be much higher with the B2368 modem-router combination than with a router that is hidden behind several building walls.  

Availability

According to Huawei, the B2368 LTE CPE is not yet available and a market launch is not planned for the time being. At the 2017 Global Mobile Broadband Forum in London, particular mention was made of Eastern Europe as an interesting market for the Huawei B2368.