The FCC halted the deregulation of special access charges, prices companies like Sprint and T-Mobile pay to connect their wireless networks to the Internet. Verizon and AT&T own those circuits, and the FCC wants to know if they charge their competitors a fair rate. Read more »
Smartphones can enable an amazing level of connectivity, but they can also allow that activity to be monitored and used in controversial ways. But for mobile marketing to realize its full potential, consumers may need to sacrifice their privacy to one degree or another. Read more at GigaOM Pro »
Motorola’s newest Android 4.0 smartphone, the Photon Q 4G LTE could help Sprint limit subscriber losses thanks to some innovative software and the five-row hardware keyboard. SmartActions make the smartphone smarter thanks to both customized and canned phone options that are triggered by specific events. Read more »
Target and Best Buy are joining Sprint in offering $20 to $50 discounts on iPhones with two-year contracts. Sales on current and older devices is yet another sign pointing to new models being around the corner. Apple is reportedly matching some of these discounts. Read more »
Some of the biggest players in the mobile payment space including the four U.S. mobile carriers, Google, Isis, VeriFone and Intuit are joining a new mobile payment committee within the Electronic Transactions Association. It’s still too early to say what this cooperation will yield. Read more »
Here’s our daily pick of stories about Apple from around the web that you shouldn’t miss. Today’s installment: What could Apple buy?, predicting iOS shipments in the future, how Apple almost ended development of the original iPhone, and Samsung’s side of the patent spat. Read more »
Last week it was Android tablets, this week was about Android smartphones. Sprint announced a QWERTY keyboard version of the Photon Q with LTE, while Samsung’s Galaxy S III continues to set sales records. Can the leaked HTC One X+ slow Samsung’s momentum? Read more »
Clearwire lost subscribers for the first time in the second quarter as a result of Sprint discontinuing new contract WiMAX device sales. Sprint has tied its star to LTE, and Clearwire would like to follow, but if the 4G carrier may have already reached its apex. Read more »
Sprint’s strategy to curb subscriber losses by converting Nextel customers is working but what will help the operator’s cause more is the addition of hot smartphones. With the Photon Q 4G LTE, Sprint is gambling that people still want physical keyboards on their handset. Read more »
In the coming months you will soon start receiving unsolicited text messages when storms hit or other natural disasters are anticipated thanks to a new wireless emergency alert system signed into law this spring. Here’s what you need to know when the alerts roll in. Read more »
I demand a lot from my broadband connection. But I was surprised to see my family uses 125 gigabytes of data a month. And that got me wondering. How much do my parents use? My friends? The little old lady down the street? Read more »
Apple and Google still dominate the smartphone space, but look out for Microsoft, which finally has some muscle behind its mobile strategy. Meanwhile mobile-browser developers went head-to-head with native apps, and Facebook continued to buy mobile expertise via acquisition. Read more at GigaOM Pro »
In addition to turning up its 4G service in Atlanta, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City and San Antonio, Sprint went live in 10 cities and communities in the surrounding areas of those metro markets. It also tried to set expectations for average data speeds on the network. Read more »
The DoJ seems to be the only thing standing between the $4 billion sale of spectrum from the cable companies’ Spectrum Co. to Verizon Wireless, according to multiple news reports. Read more »
Law enforcement and other government bodies, it seems, aren’t shy about asking for or demanding data about users from wireless carriers. All told, wireless providers received more than 1.3 million requests for user data last year, and requests are increasing every year. Here are more details. Read more »
A new report shows Sprint customers are less likely to stay with the carrier when looking for an iPhone than customers who subscribe to AT&T or Verizon Wireless. However, Sprint does better a lot better in attracting new iPhone customers from prepaid or regional carriers. Read more »
Sprint has revealed the official launch date of its new LTE network: July 15. That Sunday it will turn on its new 4G service in Atlanta, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City and San Antonio, promising speeds that far exceed what it can provide over its CDMA networks. Read more »
Here’s our daily pick of stories about Apple from around the web you shouldn’t miss. Today’s installment: the young, spendy Apple demographic, how design patents have become essential, Sprint’s curious sales woes at Apple stores, Airplay as Trojan horse, and conflicting reports of Verizon iPhone sales. Read more »
Looking to buy a Samsung Galaxy S III in the U.S.? You have a choice among five different carriers, but you’ll either be waiting or paying more than you thought: There are stock shortages at two carriers, and the smartphone is priced much higher at another. Read more »
Confirming earlier reports that Virgin Mobile would be the next pre-paid seller of iPhones in the U.S., Sprint announced it would begin doing so on June 29. The iPhone 4 and 4S arrive that day with a unique twist: A low monthly rate starting at $30. Read more »
Apple’s iPhone will soon arrive on Virgin Mobile, and the announcement should come sometime later this week, The Wall Street Journal is reporting. The plan will be pre-paid, and should be available “as soon as July 1,” though no pricing details were avialable. Read more »
Starting in June, five U.S. carriers will begin selling Samsung’s Galaxy S III: AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, Verizon Wireless and U.S. Cellular. Samsung’s entire strategy for its new phone is very Apple-like, including one model, which should help constrained production: The company can build 5M per month. Read more »
The on again, off again launch of Sprint’s HTC EVO 4G LTE smartphone is on again: Customers will find the $199 Android 4.0 device in most Sprint stores on June 2. Unfortunately, I suspect we’ll see more mobile devices held up due to patent infringements. Read more »
Cricket Wireless will offer two Apple iPhone handset models with monthly pre-paid plans beginning on June 22. The iPhone 4 and 4S will cost $399 and $499 respectively, without a contract, using Cricket’s $55 plan, advertised as unlimited voice minutes, text messages and data usage. Read more »
In a bid to encourage more customers to use their mobile phone as a wireless hotspot, Sprint has revamped its mobile hotspot tethering services on smartphones. There’s a new lower-priced plan but it will cost more per gigabyte. So will the new $50 plan. Read more »
Supplies of the HTC EVO 4G LTE are reportedly through U.S. Customs and on the way to Sprint stores as well as customers. Thanks to a custom software workaround for an Apple patent, the phones are in Sprint warehouses and will be delivered by May 24. Read more »
In this week’s audio podcast, Matt shares a customer service horror story between AT&T and Amazon Wireless while Kevin loves the latest Kickstarter project: A smart home screen for Android tablets. Also: here’s what we know so far about the HTC EVO 4G LTE delivery delays. Read more »
Here’s our daily pick of stories about Apple from around the web that you shouldn’t miss. Today’s installment: The other Steve Jobs movie (without Ashton Kutcher), China Mobile and Apple keep talking, Sprint looks longterm with the iPhone, and Tim Cook goes to Washington. Read more »
As the only major U.S. carrier backing Google Wallet, Sprint is trying to help its cause, releasing the LG Optimus Elite for Virgin Mobile on Tuesday. The $149 Android 2.3 smartphone costs $149.99, putting an NFC-based smartphone in the hands of a wider potential audience. Read more »
As the pace of advances in mobile technology accelerates, waves of new smartphones are appearing every few months. That can mean some savings in the form of a price drop on recently launched phones by the carriers. But how long should you wait? Read more »
Sprint will launch the HTC EVO 4G LTE handset on May 18, adding another 4G smartphone that will only run on Sprint’s 3G network until the carrier launches LTE in the next few months. Similar to other HTC One handsets, the EVO 4G LTE should impress. Read more »
Sprint’s CEO Dan Hesse has agreed to have his compensation slashed by $3.25 million under the pressure of Sprint’s shareholders that are unhappy about the high upfront costs that Sprint has to pay for the iPhone. Read more »
During the first three months of 2012, Verizon, AT&T and Sprint collectively sold 9 million iPhones. Altogether, those same three carriers sold 13.5 million smartphones, which means that for every three smartphones they sold, two of them were iPhones. Read more »
AT&T’s shareholders today didn’t require the telecommunications giant to implement network neutrality on its wireline and wireless networks. The proposal lost with a mere 5.9 percent of the vote. But here’s why one fund manager thinks net neutrality won — and should continue to win. Read more »
Apple hasn’t confirmed an LTE version of its iPhone, but Sprint has confirmed that if such a device launches, the carrier would keep its unlimited data plans. That may be a big differentiating factor when at least 3 of 4 U.S. carriers offer LTE iPhones. Read more »
For developers, consumers and even carriers, Android seems irreparably broken. But Google’s not likely to “fix” Android anytime soon, because despite the fragmentation problem, the company is getting what it wants: massive amounts of user data. Read more at GigaOM Pro »
This quarter saw Amazon Web Services finally relaxing its public-cloud-only stance and launching services to support hybrid-cloud deployments. Meanwhile, Hadoop players moved to make their platforms more accessible to mainstream BI analysts and database administrators. A new quarterly report analyzes these trends and provides a near-term outlook. Read more at GigaOM Pro »
Sprint’s Galaxy Nexus with LTE arrives in stores and online April 22 for $199 with two-year contract. That’s $100 less than the Verizon version, but Sprint is sweetening the deal even further. Buyers who activate Google Wallet will see $50 in credits in their Wallet account. Read more »
Ting, the innovative startup that resells Sprint’s cellular service in consumer-friendly plans, will soon be adding 4G LTE service to its lineup. If pricing is competitive on a per gigabyte basis, Ting’s shared plan component could bring a boost to Sprint’s new LTE network. Read more »
After 16 months of iPhone exclusivity, Instagram is on Android, although some iPhone owners aren’t impressed. A Galaxy Note review unit arrived and the large size is already becoming a benefit to me. Plus, Sprint has two LTE phones ready before the 4G network arrives. Read more »
