muve

Samsung Suede with Muve Music (review): Slightly off-pitch

The Samsung Suede is attuned to music, that we know. In fact, its bundling with Cricket Wireless' Muve Music service is what made us nominate it as a Best of CES contender, and makes the Suede one of the best music phones around.

In terms of offering all-inclusive music for a great monthly deal, the Suede and Muve Music deliver. Yet the combination falls short on the finer points of speed, usability, and general luster. Check out our full review of Muve Music and the Samsung Suede--with video!--to see why.

Cricket's Muve Music moves to 13 more cities

At CES this year, Cricket Wireless introduced Muve Music, an industry-first cell phone plan built around an all-you-can-eat music model.

The carrier first released Muve Music and its accompanying handset, the Samsung Suede, in Las Vegas after a delay.

Now Cricket is expanding the phone and service as promised to 13 new markets, including Washington D.C., Baltimore, Charlotte, Chicago, Memphis/Nashville/Knoxville, Phoenix/Tucson, San Diego, Milwaukee/Madison, and Wichita--with more additions in the works.

Muve Music costs $55 per month for unlimited talk, text, data, and music streaming and downloads. The Samsung Suede sells for $199 without a … Read more

CES: Samsung Suede (video)

LAS VEGAS--Although Cricket Wirless may have postponed its launch of the Muve Music service on the Samsung Suede, we still got to check it out on the CES show floor.

The Suede isn't much of a looker on its own, but it does have basic provisions like a 3-megapixel camera and a microSD card slot. More interesting is the dedicated music button that switches the Suede from phone to music mode. But the monthly music plan is the most noteworthy feature, hands down.

The Suede will cost $199 without a contract, and $55 per month for an unlimited, all-inclusive … Read more

CES: Cricket delays Muve Music, Samsung Suede

LAS VEGAS--Cricket Wirless has delayed the launch of the Muve Music service and the Samsung Suede. The service, which offers all-you-can-eat music playback, downloads, ringtones, and more as part of a $55 plan, was meant to launch in Las Vegas today at CES 2011.

Instead, Cricket Wireless told CNET the new service and the availability of its debut phone is delayed until later in January. While phones and plans are temporarily on hold, Cricket's street campaign in Las Vegas is still in effect. We glimpsed a bus stop advertisement touting the rocking new phone plan.

When asked what caused … Read more

Cricket to debut unlimited music downloads on new Samsung Suede

Cricket Wireless is getting into the music biz this CES. Today, the regional, no-contract carrier revealed a new service plan that wraps unlimited music downloads, playback, and ringtone creation into the customer's monthly charge. For $55 per month, the MuveMusic ("move") plan includes music downloads, ringtones, and ringback tones in an unlimited talk, text, e-mail, and Internet plan. (And yes, labels EMI, Sony, Warner, and Universal are all signed on).

This is the first carrier-driven service that doesn't try to sell you either a separate music subscription or piecemeal ringtones and tracks through an online store. Interestingly, the music is completely tied to the phone. Song files are stored on the phone's microSD card, but aren't transferable to a computer.

And since the all-you-can-eat music buffet is fueled by your monthly plan, customers get access to their beats as long as they settle their bills. Skip a month and the full-track downloads--along with calls, e-mail, texting, and browsing--disappear until the piper's been paid. In that sense, Cricket's musical leanings follow the renter's model.… Read more