Sprint and Sierra Wireless will launch a 4G Tri-Fi Hotspot on May 18. The new device supports both 4G technologies LTE and WiMAX with the additional capability to connect to a 3G network outside of 4G coverage areas.

Sony Mobile Communications has launched two new LTE Android smartphones Xperia GX and Xperia SX for the Japanese market. LTE enabled Xperia smartphones support download speeds of up to 75mbps and comes with 1.5GHz dual core processors for faster performance and Reality Display. Xperia GX and Xperia SX will be available in the Japanese market from summer 2012.

The Small Cell Forum says that public access small cells could play a key role in providing additional mobile coverage, capacity and new services in both urban and rural areas.

A new report says that that Britain will see significant economic and social benefits from the introduction of 4G LTE mobile broadband.  Research is commissioned by Everything Everywhere and released from Capital Economics.

United Mobile Apps, a Bangalore, India based startup has raised series A funding of $1 million, led by Mumbai Angels. Company plans to use this funding to focus on 4G LTE Technology and also to scale up its employee count in the next few months.

FCC has approved the transfer of AWS spectrum licenses from AT&T to T-Mobile USA, clearing the way of operator's planned $4 billion network modernization and 4G evolution plan. Earlier announced operator's LTE roadmap had assumed successful reframing of spectrum and regulatory approval of AT&T break-up spectrum transfer.

87 million 4G devices are expected to be sold in 2012, says ABI Research. With 294% year-on-year increase, 4G subscriptions are really going to take off in 2012. LTE will take major share of this market as WiMAX is running out of favor from vendors and operators.

Maravedis-Rethink projects 458 million dual-mode (TD-LTE + FDD-LTE) devices activated by 2016, according to the latest research report titled "Global 4G Device Forecast 2012-2016."

LTE smartphones will top 65 million units in 2012 and will help push the total royalty 14% higher in 2012, says ABI Research. Mobile wireless royalties for GSM, WCDMA, and LTE smartphones were just under $20 billion in 2011. LTE handsets will make only total 4% of the total handsets shipped in 2012 however total royalty revenue will be higher.

Recently published GSA report confirms that 63 manufacturers have announced 347 LTE-enabled user devices so far. In 2011. around 250 new LTE user devices were added. GSA further says that the number of smartphones has increased by one third since January 2012. The number of LTE-capable tablets increased 72% in the same period.

Sprint has announced the next evolution of the HTC EVO family: HTC EVO 4G LTE. It will be available in the second quarter for $199.99. The availability date will be announced later.

Global LTE phone shipments will grow tenfold from 6.8 million units in 2011 to reach 67 million units in 2012, Strategy Analytics said last week. Companies leading the growth spurt will include Apple, Samsung, HTC and others. Major countries driving LTE growth this year will include the United States, Japan and South Korea. 

According to IHS iSuppli, the new iPad is more expensive to produce than the iPad 2 at the time of product launch, even though the retail price points are the same. The 32GB LTE model’s bill of materials (BOM) is nearly 9 percent higher than an iPad 2 equipped with 32GB and 3G wireless, which carried a cost of approximately $335 at the time of product launch.

Operators worldwide are embracing LTE at faster rate now. According to a recent GSA report 301 operators have committed to commercial LTE network deployments, more than 50% jump in a year.