How things have changed.
Now, one of the biggest stories here at CES 2011--if not the biggest story--concerns the race among wireless carriers and their device-maker partners to roll out as many devices as possible that connect to the carriers' new, fast, 4G wireless broadband networks.
By the looks of the product lineups, 2011 seems poised to be the year that the tech-buying public becomes aware of what 4G is, and why it's important to the performance of their device that it be connected to such a network.
Some people I spoke with here claim that the general population doesn't yet know (or care) what "4G" means. But I think that's changing--and fast. In the same way that a Verizon advertising blitz helped make Android a household name, wireless carriers and gadget makers alike have helped to make "4G" a familiar term. The public at large may not know what it means in a technical way, but they do know that it connotes "new," "fast," and "desirable." The term has meaning and cachet now, and that will only increase.
The major wireless carriers here all made big splashes around 4G devices, seemingly trying to outdo one another with the number of 4G devices that will become part of their product portfolios this year.
Sprint
Tablets are an important part of the carriers' 4G lineups, too, and Sprint said here yesterday that it will begin selling RIM's much-hyped PlayBook tablet--with a WiMax radio inside--beginning this summer. In addition, though Sprint currently sells a 3G-connected Samsung Galaxy Tab, a WiMax-capable version will likely show up soon.
Verizon
On the tablet side, Verizon announced that it will sell the new Xoom tablet from Motorola, as well as a 4G-capable Galaxy Tab from Samsung. Also new to the Verizon 4G lineup are two new mobile-hotspot devices, the Samsung LTE Mobile Hotspot and a 4G LTE version of the MiFi mobile hotspot.
Next page: What does 4G mean to T-Mobile and AT&T?