I often joke that the iPhone is good for everything except phone calls. Problem is, it isn’t funny. As much as I love my iPhone, when it comes to using it to make calls I DO have a love/hate relationship with it. When it works it is fine. But often… too often… the calls are dropped, the quality of the call is inconsistent or worse. And before you tell me to move to Verizon from AT&T, while it MIGHT be an AT&T issue, I happen to know that it cannot ONLY be an AT&T issue. After all, none of my previous phones on the network had this much of an issue. It is a problem.
Thankfully there is a solution and it comes from Wilson Electronics. The company’s new Sleek 4G-A booster will amplify voice and data communications on 2G and 3G networks AND AT&T’s 4G LTE! I’ve used an earlier version of the Sleek and, besides the obvious welcome functionality, I also found it to be the best car cradle ever.
The Sleek 4G-A will have an MSRP of $129.95 and have the ability to boosts signal 3G and 2G cellular signals on 800 MHz and 1900 MHz frequency bands, as well as AT&T’s 700 MHz LTE (bands 12 & 17). In keeping with its name, the design of the signal booster is truly sleek. It is primarily intended for in-vehicle use but the Sleek 4G-A can also be used indoors via an optional accessory kit. That makes it perfect for boosting the signal of AT&T’s 4G cellular internet hotspots.
As Laine Matthews, Wilson’s director of business development notes
Devices operating on AT&T’s 700 MHz LTE network can now benefit from Wilson signal boosting technology just as 3G and 2G devices have done for years. The Sleek 4G-A is an ideal all-in-one phone cradle and signal booster for hands-free use in a vehicle. That’s especially important for commercial drivers who are now required by federal law to use a hands-free cell phone headset while behind the wheel.
If you need more convincing as to how effective the new Sleek will be, according to Wilson the Sleek 4G-A delivers more than 20 times the power of a typical cell phone signal alone. I weighs just three ounces (85 grams) and measures just 2.5 by 4.5 by 2.5 inches (6.4 x 11.4 6.4 cm). But despite being as effective as it is, the unit is a simple, do-it-yourself installation that can be put in place in a matter of minutes.
The Sleek 4G-A will be available in the third quarter of 2012. We will have a review unit in hand shortly and we will even be giving one away. Stay tuned…
