By Humberto Saabedra on February 3, 2012
Shareware software portal operator Tucows has officially taken the wraps off of its latest venture in Ting, which is a new virtual operator powered by the Sprint network that brings two key features to cellular service in usage based billing and has done an end run around carriers such as AT&T and Verizon in implementing shared data plans.
Other key features of the service include support for up to 20 lines for an additional fee, included mobile hotspot and tethering access. Continue reading for a breakdown of the new service.
Continue reading “Virtual Operator Ting Launches From Tucows”
Posted in Sprint, Virtual Operators (MVNOs) | Tagged sprint, Ting, Tucows, WiMAX |
By Humberto Saabedra on February 2, 2012
Straight Talk has confirmed on its Facebook page that it will offer a SIM-only option for the first time along with its sister brand in Net10 within the next few days. The dedicated page for the offering is now live and features options for regular full-size SIMs as well as the increasingly popular microSIMs used in newer smartphones, including the iPhone. Read more for all the key details and the full breakdown of the service.
Continue reading “Straight Talk and Net10 To Offer SIM Only Service Option”
Posted in AT&T, T-Mobile, Virtual Operators (MVNOs) | Tagged AT&T, iphone, Straight Talk, T-Mobile, TracFone |
By Humberto Saabedra on February 2, 2012
Sprint has announced its first Android tablet sourced from Chinese device maker ZTE in the Optik. The tablet features a 7-inch touch display at WXGA resolution, Mobile Hotspot support, dual cameras with a front facing 2.0 megapixel camera and 5.0 megapixel rear main camera with 720p video capture, microSD slot, Bluetooth, Android Honeycomb 3.2 with pinch to zoom support, 16GB of internal memory and full access to Google services.
The tablet will be available for $349.99 or $99.99 after new 2 year agreement and rebate. It will be launched this weekend in all Sprint sales locations. Continue reading for the full list of specifications.
Continue reading “Sprint Announces ZTE Optik Android Tablet for February 5th”
Posted in Sprint |
By Humberto Saabedra on January 31, 2012
Sprint has announced the forthcoming launch of the Kyocera DuraPlus DirectConnect phone.
The phone is the third in Kyocera’s line of rugged push to talk handsets with an M810G certified bodyshell for resistance to dust, shock, vibration, temperature extremes, humidity, blowing rain and water immersion for up to 30 minutes in up to 1 meter of water.
Along with the bodyshell, the phone has an embedded LED Flashlight with a dedicated button and a remote speaker microphone jack allowing the use of heavy duty remote speaker microphones and it features an external charging port that enables the device to be used with a single or multi-bay charging station which will be sold as an additional accessory and is targeted to fleet purchases for commercial use.
Continue reading “Sprint Announces Kyocera DuraPlus”
Posted in Kyocera, Sprint | Tagged directconnect, DuraPlus, Kyocera, sprint |
By Christopher Price on January 31, 2012
T-Mobile is preparing a harsh wave of new data roaming limitations, which will curtail data usage on roaming networks.
The carrier has, for years, touted transparent roaming terms; customers were educated to treat domestic data and voice roaming as same-as-home network functionality, albeit with the restrictions that came with other GSM networks. Namely, other networks would function at 2G, GSM/EDGE speeds. AT&T, the largest GSM carrier in the country, is compatible with T-Mobile, but their 3G UMTS/HSPA network runs on an incompatible frequency.
While AT&T and T-Mobile have finally negotiated roaming agreements that include 3G devices, so those on pentaband phones (like select Nokia devices) would finally enjoy 3G roaming, that’s all about to end. T-Mobile has stated in internal memos that domestic roaming could be curtailed to as little as 5 MB on April 5. One situation remains unclear, which is for customers that have grandfathered unlimited data plans. Internal memos affirmed that the change affects only handset users, not mobile broadband card/hotspot holders.
Unlike Sprint, which has a roaming rate for additional data over its roaming data cap (typically 300 MB, lower on some plans), T-Mobile is advising employees that customers will simply lose data access. Data will be barred on roaming after exceeding the cap, until the following billing cycle. AT&T and Verizon treat most roaming as on-network coverage, with no penalties for considerable usage.
Customers will be notified via free SMS text messages when they hit 80% and 100% levels of their plans caps. Notifications of the change will be mailed out in customer’s bills starting tomorrow.
This change comes as T-Mobile tries to cut costs, and shore up cash for an eventual deployment of LTE. Many will view this as an ETF Out, as we do here at PhoneNews.com. However, T-Mobile probably will not chime in on if they will waive Early Termination Fees for this material change to customers until late March or early April. Customers have 30 days from when a material change to their takes effect, to request that their service be cancelled entirely.
Some other carriers have offered creative language as to what they consider to be material changes, we’ll continue to keep the carriers honest on what actually is a material change. You can help by exercising your right to terminate service, ETF-free, if you object to changes like these.
Posted in Early Termination Fee (ETF) Out, T-Mobile | Tagged 2g, 3g, EDGE, etf, gsm, HSPA+, roaming, T-Mobile, UMTS |
By Humberto Saabedra on January 30, 2012
According to the latest internal Sprint employee documentation, the carrier will begin the second phase of its Network Vision initiative by “retuning” iDEN cellsites in order to repurpose spectrum for CDMA and future LTE service beginning next month, with a wider retuning in April.
The newsletter breaks down what Sprint will do for customers that will be affected by the gradual phase out of iDEN, which includes migration offers to CDMA service, but does not mention any such process for Boost Mobile users that still rely on iDEN for domestic and International DirectConnect service.
Continue reading “ETF Out: Sprint to Begin Phasing Out iDEN in April”
Posted in Early Termination Fee (ETF) Out, iDEN, Sprint | Tagged iDEN, Network Vision, sprint |
By Humberto Saabedra on January 27, 2012
The last vestiges of Palm have left HP, as All Things D and multiple other sources have confirmed in the last hour that the former Palm CEO and technical mastermind behind webOS has officially left HP after serving his initial commitment of 12-24 months following the acquisition by HP in 2010 after struggles in the marketplace forced Palm to seek a buyer.
Jon Rubenstein became head of Palm in 2008 following years of losses and false starts for the hardware manufacturer as it struggled to maintain marketshare in a marketplace dominated by the iPhone and facing the threat of Android. Under Rubenstein, Palm set out to compete head on against the iPhone by completely killing any association with GarnetOS and starting from scratch with the Linux-based webOS operating system. At the time of the operating system’s debut during CES 2009, it was hailed as a remarkable alternative to both Android and iOS.
Released in June of that year, the Palm Pre was backed by an exclusivity agreement with Sprint along with an equally massive marketing campaign which ultimately stumbled in terms of showcasing both the Pre and operating system, as most of the coverage was focused on the commercials themselves, which featured a rendered model of a woman that confused and frightened more people than sold the phone.
While the Pre did well initially, sales quickly dwindled to the point that Sprint was forced to endure months of slow sales before Palm was forced to seek other carrier partners in order to shore up hardware sales. Following launches on AT&T and Verizon with Wi-Fi enabled Pre variants in 2010, Palm were still struggling to make webOS successful in an increasingly crowded marketplace despite the critical acclaim of the operating system, to the point that the company was increasingly seeking to sell itself.
After months of rumors and speculation, Palm was purchased by HP in the summer of 2010 for 1.2 billion with the goals of having the resources necessary to further refine and develop the operating system, with an eye to expanding its presence beyond mobile devices, such as HP computers and printers. By 2011, the operating system and hardware was near moribund, with the only new product being the stillborn Pre 2 on Verizon Wireless since the acquisition.
The company seemed to be on an upswing in March with the announcements of the Pre 3, Veer 4G and TouchPad, which were meant to anchor the operating system with new hardware, but the announcements did little more than excite dedicated enthusiasts while leaving others indifferent.
Jon did not specify what his future plans were at the time of departure.
Posted in HP, Palm | Tagged HP, jon rubenstein, Palm, webos |
By Christopher Price on January 27, 2012
It’s been a busy week for T-Mobile. After refusing to comment to PhoneNews.com on T-Mobile testing 1900 MHz UMTS service in select markets, a direct effort to support unlocked iPhones, the carrier has made more depressing internal moves.
It appears that the carrier has aborted plans to offer 3G on 1900 MHz, as the carrier earlier this month began instructing customer service to suggest iPhone users on the network upgrade to a 4G Android smartphone, compatible with their network frequencies. T-Mobile offered customer support representatives a series of talking points on why iPhone is limited to 2G, or EDGE speeds on the T-Mobile network.
While it is possible that these are simply two different hands of a company not talking to one another, the timeline does indicate that T-Mobile wants iPhone off its network, rather than embrace the 1900 MHz band for UMTS. With no possibility of an AT&T merger, the carrier has to decide to use 1900 MHz for UMTS, or save it for LTE.
The carrier also has to decide when to wind down its GSM/EDGE services, which would leave iPhone customers in the dark. Other handsets that are GSM-only could be upgraded for free with UMTS handsets at marginal cost to T-Mobile. AT&T had to undergo the same effort when it wound down its TDMA and AMPS networks, and will likely have to do the same with GSM in order to re-use the spectrum.
Following criticism from many, T-Mobile does now appear to be pulling at least a temporary about-face with the public. The carrier has published memos internally, confirmed by PhoneNews.com, that they will begin to provide basic technical support for iPhone on the T-Mobile network.
Support will be limited to basic compatibility configuration, the T-Mobile APN (needed to enable data services), as well as T-Mobile’s email and MMS gateways.
In addition, T-Mobile will also provide support for iPhone usage and navigation, but only at a basic level. Services like the App Store and iTunes or iPod will not be supported, T-Mobile representatives are directed to tell customers to contact Apple for further technical support.
T-Mobile is the only of the major four carriers to not carry an iPhone currently. This partially stemmed from AT&T’s intention to purchase/merge with T-Mobile, and T-Mobile refusing to pay Apple’s higher device subsidies. T-Mobile executives have commented that the next iPhone will support T-Mobile’s network, prompting T-Mobile public relations to perform damage control, having announced an Apple product prior to Apple confirming it.
Posted in Apple, GSM, LTE, T-Mobile, UMTS | Tagged 1900 mhz, 2g, 3g, 4g, AT&T, EDGE, gsm, iphone, pcs, T-Mobile, UMTS |
By Humberto Saabedra on January 27, 2012
Kajeet might be an unfamiliar name to most, but the company has been around for the past five years, providing wireless service as a virtual operator in its own niche as a child-friendly alternative to other, more expensive services.
The provider has recently rearranged its lineup to include smartphones, but with the new additions comes added features to protect kids and teenagers from unsavory and potentially unsafe content as well as new features for child tracking and safety. Read more for the complete review.
Continue reading “Review: LG Optimus (Kajeet)”
Posted in Android, LG, Reviews, Virtual Operators (MVNOs) | Tagged Android, Kajeet, LG Optimus |
