Carriers & Vendors
Verizon Smartphone Sales Grow on Windows Popularity
June 3, 2013 10:23 am | by Andrew Berg | News | CommentsVerizon took the lion's share of smarpthone sales in the United States, due in part to the growth of Windows Phone, according to new numbers from Kantar Worldpanel Comtech. Of the carriers, Verizon grabbed 36.3 percent of smartphones sold, an annual increase of 1.8 percent. Sprint Nextel accounted for 13.1 percent of smartphones sold...
Mobile Broadband Subscriptions Hit 1.7 in 1Q
June 3, 2013 10:08 am | by Andrew Berg | News | CommentsGlobal mobile broadband subscriptions grew 45 percent in the first quarter of 2013 to 1.7 billion, according to Ericsson's latest mobility report. Including non-broadband mobile subscriptions, global mobile subscribers hit 6.4 billion in the most recent quarter, with Ericsson projecting...
Q&A: Drew Kelton, executive vice president of B2B, T-Mobile
June 3, 2013 10:05 am | by Ben Munson | Articles | CommentsFive weeks in, the new executive vice president of B2B for T-Mobile and Drew Kelton already seems to have a clear vision of the direction he wants to go. Kelton comes to T-Mobile from Bharti Airtel Business where he served as president for three years in the ultra-competitive carrier market of India. He plans to put that experience toward differentiating T-Mobile in the B2B market by focusing on providing services instead of economics.
Apple Antitrust Suit over e-Books Set for NY Trial
June 3, 2013 9:14 am | by Larry Neumeister, Associated Press | News | CommentsIn a civil case where the words of Steve Jobs play prominently, the government and Apple Inc. are set to square off over allegations that Apple Inc. conspired with the country's largest book publishers to make consumers pay more for electronic books. U.S. District Judge Denise Cote is scheduled to begin hearing the price-fixing case...
Ahead of the Bell: Adviser Supports Sprint Deal
June 3, 2013 9:12 am | by Associated Press | News | CommentsA shareholder advisory firm is backing Softbank in its attempted acquisition of a huge chunk of Sprint Nextel. The $20.1 billion bid from Japan's second-biggest mobile company would ease Sprint's debt burden and provide ample cash to improve its network and become a serious competitor, according to Institutional Shareholder Services...
Report: HTC Scraps Plans for Full-Sized Windows RT Tablet
May 31, 2013 10:46 am | by Ben Munson | News | CommentsHTC is tossing out its plans for a full-sized Windows RT tablet, citing weak demand for devices running the RT operating system and the overall cost of producing a large tablet. Bloomberg cited people familiar with the matter who indicated that HTC still plans to release a 7-inch Windows 8 tablet optimized for ARM chipsets later this year.
Friday Flick: Tim Cook Defends Apple's Tax Strategy
May 31, 2013 10:30 am | Videos | CommentsWatch Apple CEO Tim Cook defend his company's tax strategy. Cook is aggressively questioned by Senator Karl Levin (D-Mich.). He reiterated Apple's position that his company pays all of its taxes, while Levin argued that Apple has cash sheltered in Irish companies that don't pay taxes...
Verizon's Shammo Says T-Mobile, Sprint Not Threats
May 31, 2013 10:15 am | by Andrew Berg | News | CommentsFran Shammo, executive vice president and chief financial officer for Verizon, says the strengthening positions of Sprint and T-Mobile will be mitigated by continued growth in connected devices. Speaking yesterday at the Nomura Global Media & Telecom conference...
Clearwire Postpones Sprint Vote, Could Force SoftBank’s Hand
May 31, 2013 9:36 am | by Ben Munson | News | CommentsIn light of Dish’s offer yesterday financially trumping Sprint’s existing bid for Clearwire, the wireless broadband carrier has rescheduled a shareholder vote on Sprint’s bid to buyout Clearwire. Clearwire’s shareholders were scheduled to vote on the Sprint transaction May 31. Sprint last week raised its offer to $3.40 per share (up from $2.97), but Dish swooped in with a $4.40 per share tender offer at the last minute.
Google to Sell HTC One with Unmodified Android
May 31, 2013 9:35 am | by Associated Press | News | CommentsGoogle is adding the recently released HTC One to its lineup of smartphones running on an unmodified version of its latest Android software. An HTC One model relying on the same version of Android as Google's Nexus brand will go on sale on June 26 for $599...
Motorola Announces Moto X Smartphone, Will Make it in the U.S.
May 30, 2013 10:38 am | by Ben Munson | News | CommentsSpeaking Wednesday at All Things Digital’s D11 conference, Motorola head Dennis Woodside revealed his company’s new flagship smartphone will be called Moto X. He added that it will be manufactured in Fort Worth, Texas and should see a fall release.
Dish Raises Bid for Clearwire to $4.40 Per Share
May 30, 2013 9:51 am | by Ben Munson | News | CommentsDish Network has raised its bid for Clearwire to $4.40 per share, representing a 29 percent premium over the revised offer of $3.40 per share Sprint last week submitted to the internet wholesaler. The bid caused Clearwire’s stock to skyrocket in after hours trading and it’s currently up more than 20 percent in pre-market as of 8:13 a.m. CT.
Americans Talk, Surf More than Europeans on Cells
May 30, 2013 9:06 am | by Andrew Berg | News | CommentsAmericans pay more for their cell service than Europeans, but they're getting a lot more use out of their phones, a global wireless trade group said Wednesday. In releasing the report, GSM Association urged European regulators to take cues from the U.S...
Viva Móvil Could Be a Step in the Right Direction
May 29, 2013 5:13 pm | by Ben Munson | Blogs | CommentsWhen Jennifer Lopez last week showed up at CTIA to announce the new wireless Latino-targeted retailer Viva Móvil, the first question from the audience was about how this could translate to the retail experience for all Verizon customers. The question seemed to suggest, “It’s great what you’re doing for the Latino population, but what can be done do make the wireless retail experience more tolerable for all humans?”
Galaxy S4 to be First Device on Verizon’s AWS Spectrum
May 29, 2013 10:32 am | by Ben Munson | News | CommentsThe Samsung Galaxy S4 will be the first handset to take advantage of Verizon’s LTE network upgrade. Speaking with Bloomberg, Verizon vice president of network support Mike Haberman said the device will receive an over-the-air software update that will allow it to use Verizon’s AWS airwaves.
Sprint, SoftBank Strike U.S. Security Deal with Stipulations
May 29, 2013 10:30 am | by Ben Munson | News | CommentsSprint today announced that it and Japanese carrier Softbank have received clearance from the Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S. (CFIUS) to move ahead with the proposed $20 billion merger of the two companies. The CFIUS’ approval comes with stipulations.
Cook: Apple Focused on Quality, Not Quantity
May 29, 2013 10:23 am | by Andrew Berg | News | CommentsTim Cook, Apple's CEO, doesn't have his head stuck in the sand. He's aware of the company's stock slide. He's aware of Android's popularity, but he's not particularly worried about anything more than creating great products. That was the word yesterday from Cook's talk at the Wall Street Journal's D: All Things Digital conference, which was posted online...
LG Exec: Company Not Making Next Nexus Phone
May 28, 2013 10:26 am | by Ben Munson | News | CommentsLG’s European vice president Kim Wong said his company isn’t planning on making the next Google Nexus handset. Speaking with All About Phones, Kim cited LG’s wish to push its own version of the Android operating system as a reason to move away from the Nexus, which runs stock Android.
Samsung Plans June 20 Event for New Galaxy, Ativ Announcements
May 28, 2013 9:44 am | by Ben Munson | News | CommentsSamsung Monday sent out invitations for a June 20 event in London where the company plans to let loose news on its Galaxy and Ativ brands. The Wall Street Journal’s All Things Digital said the event will likely be a forum for new devices. Samsung sells its Windows phone under the Ativ brand and, of course, releases its blockbusting Android devices under the Galaxy name.
Schumer Urges Look at Security in Sprint Deal
May 28, 2013 9:29 am | by Peter Svensson, AP Technology Writer | News | CommentsSen. Charles Schumer urged regulators to "use extreme caution" when reviewing the proposed acquisition of No. 3 cell carrier Sprint Nextel by Japan's Softbank, saying the Japanese company's use of Chinese networking equipment could open up U.S. networks to snooping and hacking...
Sprint, SoftBank Earn Final State Approval for Deal
May 24, 2013 10:04 am | by Ben Munson | News | CommentsThe California Public Utilities Commission voted to approve the transaction between Sprint and SoftBank. This decision marks the final necessary state approval for SoftBank’s proposed $20 billion bid to acquire 70 percent of Sprint. In a statement, the California Commission said the deal should lead to increased competition that “will benefit consumers and the telecommunications marketplace.”
Review: Google Music Plan Solid, Serendipitous
May 24, 2013 9:17 am | by Ryan Nakashima, AP Business Writer | News | CommentsLOS ANGELES (AP) — Google's new music service offers a lot of eye candy to go with the tunes. The song selection of around 18 million tracks is comparable to popular services such as Spotify and Rhapsody, and a myriad of playlists curated along different genres provides a big playground for music lovers.
Cricket Gets the S4, Goes After AT&T and Verizon
May 23, 2013 10:15 am | by Andrew Berg | News | CommentsPrepaid carrier Cricket Communications has announced availability of the Samsung Galaxy S4, as well as a new advertising campaign that challenges wireless giants Verizon and AT&T. The Galaxy S4 will be available through Cricket on June 7 for $599.99. In a move that seems a lot like T-Mobile's recent change to financing phones...
Jennifer Lopez, Verizon Announce Viva Movil
May 22, 2013 3:12 pm | by Ben Munson | News | Comments(LAS VEGAS) — Jennifer Lopez and Verizon Wireless CMO Marni Walden took the stage Wednesday at CTIA to announce Viva Movil, a new wireless retailer that will offer Verizon LTE service and devices that will gear its experience toward the U.S. Latino population.
Clearwire Board Likes New Sprint Bid, Shareholder Does Not
May 22, 2013 10:58 am | by Ben Munson | News | CommentsClearwire’s board of directors is recommending its shareholders vote in favor of Sprint’s revised bid to buy out the wireless wholesaler. Large minority shareholder Crest Financial Limited sent a letter chiding Clearwire’s board for postponing the vote and urging shareholders to vote against Sprint’s revised offer.
