Carriers & Vendors
Cellebrite Aims to Ease Carrier Pain Associated with Device Repairs
March 27, 2013 9:08 am | by Andrew Berg | News | CommentsCellebrite is one of those back-end companies that consumers don't realize they've been dealing for about as long as they've owned a cell phone. Founded in 1999, Cellebrite is the company responsible for the solution that carriers use to transfer contact...
Google Picks 8,000 Winners of 'Glass' Contest
March 27, 2013 9:00 am | by Michael Liedtke, AP Technology Writer | News | CommentsSAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Google has picked out 8,000 people who will be given a chance to don a pair of Internet-connected glasses and make a fashion statement likely to be envied by gadget-loving geeks around the world. The pool selected by Google won a contest conducted last month requiring U.S. residents to submit 50-word applications through Twitter or Google's Plus.
T-Mobile USA's New Plans Compared to Competition
March 27, 2013 8:56 am | by Peter Svensson, AP Technology Writer | News | CommentsNEW YORK (AP) — T-Mobile USA has revamped its pricing plans, the latest move in an industry that's still experimenting feverishly with various ways of luring customers and getting current ones to pay as much as possible. Here's how T-Mobile's gambit compares.
T-Mobile Becomes the "Un-Carrier," Will Sell iPhone 5 Starting April 12
March 26, 2013 12:04 pm | by Ben Munson | News | CommentsT-Mobile introduced the new LTE network it is just beginning to switch on and the new no-contract plans that have already popped up on its website. CEO John Legere was there to bid goodbye to device subsidies as well as welcome Apple’s iPhone to his company’s device portfolio beginning April 12.
First News Briefs for March 26, 2013
March 26, 2013 9:19 am | by Wireless Week Staff | News | CommentsCarlson Wireless announced the launch of the first TV White Space (TVWS) trial in South Africa. Led by Google, the trial will test TVWS wireless broadband in ten schools across the Cape Town area. Carlson, the project's equipment vendor, Google and other project partners will attempt to show that broadband can be offered over white spaces without interfering with licensed spectrum holders.
PlayPhone, Verizon Partner on Social Gaming Storefront
March 26, 2013 8:24 am | by Andrew Berg | News | CommentsSocial gaming provider PlayPhone today announced that it's partnering with Verizon Wireless on a social-optimized game-centric storefront that will come preloaded on Verizon's Android phones. Scott Prather, senior director of business development at PlayPhone...
Sony’s Xperia ZL Comes to U.S. Without Carrier Support
March 25, 2013 11:16 am | by Ben Munson | News | CommentsSony’s new Xperia ZL smartphone is now available for pre-sale via the company’s web store and will make its way to other online retailers soon. In a press release, Sony announced the unlocked phone will cost a $719 or $759 for the LTE version, a big price tag but one that won’t come with a carrier contract.
HTC Set to Get “Loud,” Retire Its “Quietly Brilliant” Tagline
March 25, 2013 10:36 am | by Ben Munson | News | CommentsHTC hasn’t been “loud enough” and it plans to turn up the volume on its marketing efforts, starting by retiring its “Quietly Brilliant” tagline. Speaking with the Wall Street Journal, HTC CMO Benjamin Ho said the company’s new approach will be “bolder.”
T-Mobile Goes Live With New No-Contract Plans
March 25, 2013 9:55 am | by Ben Munson | News | CommentsT-Mobile’s new no-contract pricing plans are now live on the company’s website with plans starting at $50 for unlimited talk and text plus 500 MB of data. The plans add on $10 for each additional 2 GB and include mobile hotspot. The plans don’t include overage charges for surpassing the allotted 500 MB, instead opting to throttle back customers to 2G speeds once the limit is passed.
BlackBerry Z10 Makes its Official U.S. Entrance
March 22, 2013 10:50 am | by Ben Munson | News | CommentsAfter a lengthy wait following the BlackBerry 10 event in January, the Z10 makes its debut in the U.S. today. The Canadian OEM’s new all-touch flagship launched on AT&T’s network today. T-Mobile has confirmed it will hit its airwaves on March 26. Verizon has yet to announce a release date for its exclusive white Z10.
BlackBerry CEO Says iPhone Is Outdated
March 22, 2013 9:01 am | by Rob Gillies, Associated Press | News | CommentsApple's iPhone is outdated, according to the chief executive of BlackBerry-maker Research In Motion Ltd. Thorsten Heins made the comment Thursday on the eve of the much-delayed launch of the new touchscreen BlackBerry in the United States. AT&T begins selling the Z10...
First News Briefs for March 21, 2013
March 21, 2013 10:47 am | by Wireless Week Staff | News | CommentsTIO Networks Corp., an expedited bill payment company, today announced it has partnered with Mobilicity, a Canadian mobile carrier, to develop and release a native smartphone-based account payment app for Mobilicity customers. The app is available in the Google Play Store.
Dish Urges FCC to Squeeze Sprint, Clearwire Deal
March 21, 2013 10:29 am | by Ben Munson | News | CommentsAccording to a regulatory filing, Dish urged the FCC to insist Softbank and Sprint fully divulge their plans for utilizing the spectrum licenses they stand to inherit from Clearwire. In addition, Dish reiterated that the FCC should apply its spectrum screen to Clearwire’s 2.5GHz airwaves.
Report: DOD Writes Order for 600K iOS Devices
March 21, 2013 10:07 am | by Andrew Berg | News | CommentsIn yet another blow to BlackBerry's core customer base, the Department of Defense (DOD) may be readying an order of 600,000 iOS devices. According to a report from Electronista, the DOD has finished extensive testing of BlackBerry's new...
T-Mobile, MetroPCS Clear Final Regulatory Hurdle
March 21, 2013 9:33 am | by Ben Munson | News | CommentsThe U.S. Committee on Foreign Investment has given its blessing to the proposed merger of T-Mobile and MetroPCS. The deal has now received all necessary regulatory approval. The Committee concluded that there were no “unresolved national security concerns” in respect to the merger.
T-Mobile, MetroPCS Announce Board for Combined Company
March 20, 2013 10:30 am | by Ben Munson | News | CommentsT-Mobile USA and MetroPCS have released a list of the 11 members who will serve on the combined companies’ board of directors upon completion of their proposed merger. Timotheus Höttges, the current CFO of Deutsche Telekom AG, will serve as Chairman. Rene Obermann, who will step down as CEO of DT in December, will also serve on the board.
Report: Smartphones Account for 93 Percent of Gross Handset Profits
March 20, 2013 10:01 am | by Andrew Berg | News | CommentsSmartphone margins are where it's at if you're a handset manufacturer these days. According to a new report from IHS iSuppli, smartphones accounted for 87 percent of handset industry revenue in 2012 and a staggering 93 percent of gross profits...
Crest Wants List of Clearwire Shareholders in Bid to Block Sprint Deal
March 20, 2013 9:47 am | by Ben Munson | News | CommentsCrest Financial Limited has demanded a list of Clearwire’s shareholders and hired a proxy-solicitation firm to help in its fight to block Sprint’s proposed acquisition of Clearwire. Crest owns 3.9 percent in common stock of Clearwire. Sprint owns more than 50 percent of Clearwire.
The "Un-Carrier" Cometh
March 19, 2013 3:32 pm | by Andrew Berg | Blogs | CommentsI have to admit that I'm excited to hear what T-Mobile has on its mind tomorrow. I want to know more about what's behind John Legere's devious, trouble-making smile. Basically, I want the specifics on what it means to be the "un-carrier"?
ZTE Taps Intrepidus for Smartphone Security
March 19, 2013 10:18 am | by Andrew Berg | News | CommentsChinese smartphone manufacturer ZTE today said it is partnering with Intrepidus on providing security for its devices. ZTE said it seeks to become a "leader in smartphone security." As part of the agreement, Intrepidus will evaluate the security mechanisms of ZTE...
AT&T Announces New 30, 40 and 50GB Shared Data Plans
March 19, 2013 10:12 am | by Ben Munson | News | CommentsAT&T is beefing up its shared data plan offerings for the enterprise, introducing huge 30, 40 and 50GB iterations of the service. The plans start at $300 per month—plus a $10-$30 per device fee, depending on the type of device—and go up to $500. Current mobile share plans offer buckets of 1 to 20GB.
Exec: Samsung has a Smart Watch in the Works
March 19, 2013 9:50 am | by Ben Munson | News | CommentsEven though Apple’s smart watch plans have yet to be confirmed, rival Samsung has gone on record saying it has an answer in the works for the Cupertino’s rumored device. Lee Young Hee, executive vice president of Samsung’s mobile business, told Bloomberg that Samsung has been preparing a watch product for “so long.” He offered no additional details about the watch.
Man Gets over 3 Years in iPad Data Breach Case
March 19, 2013 8:49 am | by David Porter, Associated Press | News | CommentsAn admitted online "troll" was sentenced Monday to the maximum prison term under federal guidelines — more than three years — for illegally gaining access to AT&T's servers and stealing more than 100,000 email addresses of iPad users. Dozens of Andrew Auernheimer's supporter...
BlackBerry CEO: iPhone’s User Interface “Old”
March 18, 2013 10:42 am | by Ben Munson | News | CommentsLess than a week from when BlackBerry’s Z10 will make its debut on AT&T, the company’s CEO is taking shots at Apple. In an interview with Australian Financial Review, Thorsten Heins showed reverence for the iPhone and its user interface but also seemed to indicate that Apple had fallen behind in regards to innovation, pointing out that the iPhone UI is “five years old.”
Microsoft Ending Support for Windows Phone 7.8 and 8 in 2014
March 18, 2013 10:10 am | by Ben Munson | News | CommentsMicrosoft has set dates in 2014 for the end of mainstream support for both Windows Phone 7.8 and 8. The company will cease support for 7.8 on Sept. 9 and for 8 on July 8. Both of the end dates are based on 18-month life cycles for the products.
