Carriers & Vendors
Facebook Finds Middle Ground with New Home App
April 4, 2013 2:06 pm | by Andrew Berg | News | CommentsRumors of a Facebook phone were brought to a head with today's much-hyped announcement from the social network. The results fall somewhere between a piece of hardware for Facebook to call its own and an actual operating system. Facebook today unveiled a new...
Report: Android Market Gains Tied to Sprint's Samsung Sales
April 4, 2013 11:13 am | by Andrew Berg | News | CommentsAndroid continues grabbing more market share, snagging 51.2 percent of smartphone sales in the United States during the three-month period that ended in February, according to a report from Kantar Worldpanel ComTech. Apple's iOS took second place...
First News Briefs for April 4, 2013
April 4, 2013 10:49 am | by Wireless Week Staff | News | CommentsQualcomm Technologies, Inc. and MLB Advanced Media, the interactive media and Internet company of Major League Baseball, today announced a multi-year engineering and technology agreement, establishing a collaborative effort to survey, plan and optimize mobile network connectivity for fans at supported MLB ballparks.
Investor Offers Clearwire $240M Alternative to Sprint’s Money
April 4, 2013 10:41 am | by Ben Munson | News | CommentsCrest Financial Limited has offered Clearwire $240 million in financing as an alternative to the $80 million per month funding draw Sprint has been giving to the WiMax wholesaler. The offer is meant to provide Clearwire with more time to consider alternatives to Sprint’s offer of $2.97 per share to buy the roughly 50 percent of Clearwire it doesn’t already own.
T-Mobile Adds More Than Half a Million Customers in 1Q 2013
April 4, 2013 10:32 am | by Ben Munson | News | CommentsT-Mobile released some preliminary numbers for the first quarter of its fiscal 2013 that reveal the company pulled in 579,000 new customers, bringing its total customer base up to 34 million. Those numbers include 352,000 new branded customers and 202,000 new branded prepaid along with a net branded postpaid customer loss of 199,000.
Broadcom Launches First "5G WiFi" Hotspot with SK Telekom
April 3, 2013 10:32 am | by Andrew Berg | News | CommentsBroadcom continues its push to support 5G WiFi with the announcement today of a router that supports the technology. According to a press release, Broadcom has made the 5G WiFi hotspot available through SK Telecom. Based on the, 802.11ac Wi-Fi standard...
Verizon Denies Vodafone Buyout Rumors
April 3, 2013 10:13 am | by Andrew Berg | News | CommentsVerizon today denied a Financial Times report that surfaced yesterday claiming the carrier is teaming up with AT&T on a possible buyout of Vodafone. A post on the Financial Times' Alaphaville blog yesterday cited "usually reliable people"...
Cisco Intends to Buy Ubiquisys, Boost Its Small Cell Position
April 3, 2013 9:55 am | by Ben Munson | News | CommentsCisco today stated its intention to purchase U.K.-based Ubiquisys for $310 million. Ubiquisys’ product portfolio and team will be integrated into Cisco’s Small Cell Technology Group led by Partho Mishra. Ubiquisys provides 3G and LTE small cell technologies to help close the seams in wireless connectivity.
Report: Apple to Release Updated Phone This Summer
April 3, 2013 9:02 am | by Associated Press | News | CommentsApple is set for a possible summer launch of the next iPhone, rather than a fall launch like the last two models, according to a report Tuesday in The Wall Street Journal. Apple Inc. is also working on a cheaper iPhone model that could win...
Goldman Takes Apple Stock off 'Preferred' List
April 3, 2013 8:59 am | by Peter Svensson, AP Technology Writer | News | CommentsGoldman Sachs dropped Apple off its list of most highly recommended stocks Tuesday as it joined other analysts in reducing expectations for a company that hasn't had a revolutionary new product since the iPad in 2010. Goldman analyst Bill Shope...
Verizon Acquires Mohave Wireless
April 2, 2013 10:40 am | by Ben Munson | News | CommentsVerizon now owns 100 percent of Mohave Wireless, having completed its purchase of the regional wireless provider from Frontier Communications and Rio Virgin Telephone. Verizon announced in a statement that it plans to integrate Mohave’s EV-DO 3G network, covering approximately 203,000 customers, and deploy LTE on the spectrum in the future.
Report: VZW, AT&T Crafting Bid to Buy Vodafone
April 2, 2013 10:31 am | by Andrew Berg | News | CommentsTalk of a joint Verizon, AT&T buyout of Vodafone today bumped shares of the European carrier 6 percent in early trading. According to a post from the Financial Times' Alaphaville blog that cites "usually reliable people," Verizon Communications and AT&T are mulling a breakup bid...
HD Voice Coming to AT&T Later This Year
April 2, 2013 10:09 am | by Ben Munson | News | CommentsAT&T will be switching over to HD Voice later this year as it begins to migrate is voice calling over to its LTE network. The Wall Street Journal’s All Things Digital blog reports that AT&T senior vice president Kris Rinne, speaking at Venture Beat’s Mobile Summit, said that HD Voice is part of the company’s LTE strategy.
Apple Apologizes in China After Service Criticism
April 2, 2013 9:41 am | by Christopher Bodeen, Associated Press | News | CommentsApple apologized to Chinese consumers after government media attacked its repair policies for two weeks in a campaign that reeked of economic nationalism. A statement Apple posted in Chinese on its website Monday said the complaints had...
MetroPCS Responds to ISS Merger Concerns
April 1, 2013 11:21 am | by Andrew Berg | News | CommentsIn a letter to investors, MetroPCS today reiterated its call for shareholders to approve the proposed combination with T-Mobile USA. The letter comes after Institutional Shareholder Services Inc. (ISS), a proxy adviser firm, last week advised MetroPCS...
Galaxy S 4 Available for Pre-order April 16 from AT&T, U.S. Cellular
March 29, 2013 1:02 pm | by Ben Munson | News | CommentsBoth AT&T and U.S. Cellular have confirmed April 16 as the date when they’ll start accepting pre-orders for Samsung’s new flagship smartphone. AT&T has set the price at $249 with a two-year contract while U.S. Cellular has yet to reveal pricing details. Neither carrier has set a release date.
Facebook to Hold Android Event Thursday
March 29, 2013 10:23 am | by Associated Press | News | CommentsNEW YORK (AP) — Facebook has invited journalists to the unveiling of what it calls its "new home on Android." Next Thursday's event will be held at the company's Menlo Park, Calif., headquarters. Facebook is not providing further details. There has been speculation that the company could launch a new phone, though that's unlikely.
Sprint, Softbank Near U.S. Deal to Restrict Huawei Gear
March 29, 2013 9:52 am | by Ben Munson | News | CommentsThe New York Times reports that Sprint and Softbank, the Japanese cellular company that intends to buy 70 percent of the U.S.’s third largest carrier, are expected to allow the U.S. government oversight in its choice of network suppliers.
RIM Founder Says Board Asked Him to Stay as CEO
March 28, 2013 1:47 pm | by Rob Gillies, Associated Press | News | CommentsTORONTO (AP) — Research In Motion co-founder Mike Lazaridis says he has no plans to sell his significant interest in the BlackBerry maker now that he's retiring as vice chairman and director. He also reveals that the board asked him last year to reconsider stepping down as chief executive.
Clearwire Takes Another $80 Million From Sprint
March 28, 2013 10:39 am | by Ben Munson | News | CommentsClearwire has opted to draw $80 million in funding for April from Sprint, as part of the carrier’s proposed offer to buy the WiMax provider for $2.97 per share. Clearwire accepted the draw for March despite Dish’s insistence it would withdraw its offer to buy the remaining half of Clearwire for $3.30 per share.
New Book Shares Insights From Steve Jobs' 1st Boss
March 28, 2013 10:05 am | by Michael Liedtke, AP Technology Writer | News | CommentsSAN FRANCISCO (AP) — When Steve Jobs adopted "think different" as Apple's mantra in the late 1990s, the company's ads featured Albert Einstein, Bob Dylan, Amelia Earhart and a constellation of other starry-eyed oddballs who reshaped society.
BlackBerry Posts Profit in 4Q, Ships One Million BB10 Devices
March 28, 2013 9:32 am | by Ben Munson | News | CommentsBlackBerry posted profit in the fourth quarter of its fiscal 2013, notching $98 million GAAP income on $0.19 per share diluted. The Canadian phonemaker posted a loss of $125 million in the same quarter for 2012. BlackBerry also reported shipping six million smartphones in the quarter, one million of them being BlackBerry 10 devices.
20 Percent of BlackBerry Apps Are Really Android Apps
March 27, 2013 11:02 am | by Ben Munson | News | CommentsSpeaking with the Wall Street Journal’s All Things D, Martyn Mallick, BlackBerry’s vice president for global alliances and business development, said the company uses an emulator that allows Android apps to more easily run on BlackBerry’s new mobile platform.
Calif. City Gets Free Wi-Fi Via High Tech Meters
March 27, 2013 10:15 am | by Martha Mendoza, AP National Writer | News | CommentsSANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — The city of Santa Clara flipped on a big Internet switch this week, becoming what it says is the first in the country to use wireless, digital "smart meters" on homes as channels for free citywide outdoor Wi-Fi.
Is RCS Destined for a Home in the Enterprise?
March 27, 2013 9:29 am | by Ben Munson | Articles | CommentsWhile RCS struggles to gain traction in the commercial space, perhaps it could catch hold of the enterprise angle, where it bears a similarity to the Unified Communications (UC) offerings that so many business customers are looking for now.
