PhoneTalk

As Sprint begins to expand to the 4G LTE network, the company announced the first three products that it would be offering with 4G LTE compatibility. First up, a mobile HotSpot device from Sierra Wireless called the Tri-Network HotSpot that will work on 3G, 4G and 4G LTE data networks. The HotSpot can be used with up to eight WiFi-enabled devices simultaneously and it evens features a microSD slot that can be used for network storage. The first areas to get Sprint 4G LTE service will be Atlanta, Dallas, Houston, and San Antonio.

The first two 4G LTE phones with Sprint service will be the popular Samsung Galaxy Nexus that runs the Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich OS. Unlike the Verizon version of the phone, Sprint’s model will support Google Wallet. The other 4G LTE phone will be the eco-friendly LG Viper with a casing made of 35 percent recycled plastics. Feature-wise, the LG Viper 4G LTE will sport a 1.2GHz dual-core processor, a rear-facing 5-megapixel camera and front facing VGA camera, a 4-inch touchscreen display, and will run the Android 2.3 OS.

In other Sprint news, the company showed off the Samsung Epic 4G Touch in white (pictured below) and announced that the HTC View tablet would be receiving the Android Honeycomb OS.

There’s been a lot of coverage lately about the idea of giving employees the opportunity to use their own mobile devices in the workforce. Many businesses are becoming more and more mobile with many employees working offsite, after hours, or even from home a couple days a month. One reason is the type of mobile devices available to consumers that allow them to easily keep in touch virtually at any time of day. In particular, smartphones and tablets. These products offer users a way to easily keep tabs on e-mail, view and edit documents, and even access a desktop computer remotely.

The question being raised is “Should employees use their personal smartphones and tablets to access corporate data?” As is the answer with many mobile questions it depends on multiple factors: type of business, type of data, IT department rules, and of course the vulnerability of the product being used. Last month, Wall Street Journal ran an article, Should Employess Be Able to Use Their Own Device for Work and brought both sides of the issue to light. Both arguments for and against bring your own device to work have merits.

That said, it’s important to look at the individual device and user when making a decision. Many smartphones have multiple ways to lock a phone whether it’s creating a pattern on an Android phone or selecting a password that must be typed in on a BlackBerry. That speaks to privacy. What about losing a device that has access to corporate data? There are plenty of options available for locking a device or even remotely wiping a device. That functionality is even built-in to Windows Phone 7. Even if a device that has corporate data access on it gets accidentally left behind in a car, by using such a feature the data isn’t really at risk.

Since this topic has many shades of gray perhaps the best solution is one where a company’s IT department works closely with employees to ensure that only pertinent work data is being accessed (e-mail, maybe a few documents) and that it’s being done securely. They could also help employees select products that can support safety-centric features such as remotely wiping a device, password protection, and even an option to find a lost phone.

Let us know what you think of this topic by leaving a comment below. Do you want to use your own cell phone or tablet to access work e-mail or would you rather have two separate devices one for work and one for fun?

The Samsung Stratosphere is one of the few Android phones in Verizon's line-up to features a slide-out tactile QWERTY keyboard. That feature alone makes it a bit of a hot commodity for some consumers. It also has plenty of business features, 4G connectivity, and a solid camera. See how the smartphone rates in the video below or read the expert review of the Samsung Stratosphere by clicking this link.

T-Mobile users in the market for a BlackBerry with a touchscreen and a tactile QWERTY keyboard will be happy to learn the BlackBerry Torch 9810 will be available next week. The BlackBerry Torch will have 4G connectivity and runthe latest BlackBerry 7 OS. It will also sport a 1.2GHz processor, feature a slide-out tactile QWERTY keyboard, and have a 5-megapixel camera with flash that can record 720p HD video.

The latest smartphone from Motorola and Sprint with push-to-talk is tough and built for business. The Motorola ADMIRAL is an Android 2.3 smartphone with a tactile QWERTY keyboard and 3.1-inch touchscreen. Business users will appreciate that the phone supports corporate Globabl Address Lists for sharing meetings and works with Microsoft Exchange. It also comes loaded with Quickoffice for viewing and editing various business (Microsoft Word, Excel, PDFs, and PowerPoint) documents. Since the phone meets Military specs for dust, shock, and more, the Motorola ADMIRAL is also tough. The phone’s touchscreen is also protected by Corning Gorilla Glass, which will help keep the display from getting scratched.

Additional features include a 1.2GHz processor, a 5-megapixel camera that can also record 720p HD video, support for Adobe Flash Player, and 4GB of onboard memory plus a microSD card slot that will accept up to a 32GB microSD card. Users can share the phone’s 3G connection with up to five other WiFi-enabled devices via the Mobile HotSpot feature. Of course, the phone has a dedicated push-to-talk button. The phone will be available next week.

Last month, RIM announced three new Curve models. The BlackBerry Curve 9360 has landed at T-Mobile. Available in either black or merlot, the new smartphone will run BlackBerry OS 7 and have the latest version of BlackBerry Messenger pre-loaded. The BlackBerry Curve will also sport a 5-megapixel camera with flash, a video recorder, a trackpad for easy navigation, and of course the trademark BlackBerry tactile QWERTY keyboard. The black version of the phone will be available this month, while the purple version will be available in October.

In this installment of Questions and Answers, we'll define iDEN and tell you about syncing a phone with a car via Bluetooth. Got a question you want answered? Submit your question here. You can also ask me on Twitter. Got something to add to the answers below? Leave a comment.

What's an iden phone? - gkrichardson

An iDEN phone works on the Sprint-Nextel iDEN network. The special feature in IDEN phones is the walkie-talkie functionality. It lets people with other iDEN phones communicate without placing a call. These phones also work on Sprint's CDMA network so they can be used to place calls and everything else you might do with a typical cell phone.

If a cell phone can do Bluetooth syncing does that mean it will sync with Toyota vehicles? – gdstubble

Bluetooth syncing refers to the phone's ability to sync with other Bluetooth devices. Typically, if it says 'yes' to Bluetooth syncing you can usually sync it with the Bluetooth feature in a car. Although, depending on the degree of compatibility all features may not be available.

Changing phones can be a lot of fun, but what happens when the new phone doesn’t have quite the same usability as the existing phone? That’s what happened to LetsTalk’s Heather Battaglia. An avid BlackBerry user, Heather traded in her BlackBerry Bold 9650 for a larger touchscree-only DROID X2 by Motorola Android smartphone. Find out which model she prefers and why. Is a BlackBerry phone still the best bet for business? Watch the video below to find out.

If you’re a fan of the DROID or DROID 2 by Motorola then you’ll be happy to learn that the latest model in that family of phones will be available this month. The main difference between this model and its predecessors is that it has a slimmer profile making it the thinnest smartphone with a full slide-out tactile QWERTY keyboard. Other improvements include a dual-core 1GHz processor, a front-facing camera and an 8-megapixel camera that can also record 1080p HD video. The new Android 2.3 phone also sports Mirror Mode so you can view items stored on the phone on a HDMI capable TV. The HDMI port is included on the phone, but you’ll need to purchase the additional HDMI accessory cable.

While the DROID 3 by Motorola isn’t a 4G phone you can still share its 3G data connection with up to five other WiFi-enabled devices via the Mobile HotSpot feature. Like its predecessor, the DROID 2 Global, this is a world phone and can be used in over 125 countries worldwide.

The HTC Trophy is Verizon’s first Windows Phone 7 handset. It sports a 1GHz Snapdragon processor, 5-megapixel camera with flash and the ability to capture 720p HD video. The cell phone has 16GBs of onboard storage, which should be enough to store videos, music, pictures and documents. Get a closer look at the HTC Trophy in the first look video below.

Verizon customers who have been waiting for a Windows Phone 7 smartphone from the carrier will be happy to learn that one has finally arrived, the HTC Trophy. The cell phone will sport a 1GHz Snapdragon processor, 5-megapixel camera with flash and the ability to capture 720p HD video, and will have 16GB of onboard storage. Since this is a Windows Phone 7 handset you'll be able to sync with Xbox LIVE mobile to access avatars, profiles, and scores. Of course those who want to be able to do a little business on the phone will be able to via the included Microsoft Office apps: Excel, Word, and PowerPoint. You can also further customize the phone via the HTC Hub offering of applications. The smartphone will be available in the coming weeks.