Carriers

Lumia 920 top dog among Windows Phones

The Nokia Lumia 920 is now the best-selling handset running Microsoft's Windows Phone software. At least that's what specialty Windows Phone application advertising firm AdDuplex says.

Indeed according to AdDuplex, and reported by Windows Phone Central, the Lumia 920 enjoys 14 percent of the entire Windows Phone market. That may not sound like much, but Nokia will be glad to learn its Lumia 800 also grabbed a 14 percent slice of the pie. And right behind that sits older Lumia devices such as the 710 (13 percent), Lumia 610 (11 percent), 820 (8 percent), and 620 (7 percent). … Read more

AT&T's 4G LTE hits 175 markets

LTE coverage bragging rights are usually a numbers game, and with the rollout of fast 4G in 14 new markets, AT&T has brought its total numbers up to 175.

Alphabetically, the new markets are:

Beaumont, Texas Binghamton, N.Y. Carbondale-Marion, Ill. Fort Pierce, Fla. Fort Smith, Ark. Fresno, Calif. Houma, La. Jefferson City, Mo. Lakeland-Winter Haven, Fla. Las Cruces, N.M. Montgomery, Ala. Mount Vernon, Wash. Palm Coast, Fla. Temple-Killeen, Texas

Verizon, meanwhile, covers 486 markets with 4G LTE.

In terms of absolute population coverage, AT&T expects to supply fast 4G to 250 million people by … Read more

HTC One launches at AT&T, Sprint on April 19 for $199.99

AT&T and Sprint Nextel said that the HTC One will hit stores on April 19 starting at $199.99 and a two-year contract.

Eager fans can pre-order the phone at AT&T on April 4, and on Sprint a day later.

After plenty of hype and a short delay, the flagship HTC One finally looks ready to come to at least one carrier. The 32-gigabyte version will cost $199.99, while the 64GB version, which is exclusive to AT&T, will sell for $299.99 and a two-year contract.

The phone will come in black and … Read more

Kindle Fire HD 8.9 LTE comes to AT&T April 5

AT&T today announced the upcoming availability of the Amazon Kindle Fire HD 8.9 LTE.

The connected tablet will sell for $399.99, and can be added onto Mobile Share plans, starting at $10 per month.

For those planning to hold onto the tablet for long-term, AT&T is knocking $150 off the price just so long as you commit to a two-year service agreement. Specifically, you get a $100 discount for signing the two-year contract, while an additional $50 comes back to you as a credit activation for tablets purchased in a retail store. The $249.… Read more

Samsung Galaxy S3 price drops precede Galaxy S4 launch

Just as expected, carriers have begun to slash prices on Samsung's Galaxy S3 handset in anticipation of stocking the bigger, fancier Samsung Galaxy S4 successor.

AT&T announced this morning that beginning today, its Galaxy S3 will sell for $99.99 with a two-year contract, an instant $100 reduction. Expect other carriers to follow suit.

Galaxy S4 preorders begin on April 16 for AT&T. The $250 in-contract Galaxy S4 cost makes the Galaxy S3 look like a bargain, a tactic that will help the carrier clear old stock to make room on the shelves for the … Read more

Sprint's Samsung Galaxy S2 scores Jelly Bean update

Sprint today announced an Android 4.1 update for the Samsung Galaxy S2. Yes, you read that right. The flagship smartphone from 2011 is getting a new coat of paint.

As expected, the Android 4.1 software update brings about changes such as Google Now, Project Butter animations, and lock screen widgets. Also included are the requisite richer notifications, smarter keyboard, and improved Google Search.

In addition to the standard Jelly Bean features, the Samsung Galaxy S2 is getting some of the Galaxy S3's more popular options. Details include the Smart Stay eye tracking for keeping the phone awake … Read more

How T-Mobile is priming a stronger LTE network with MetroPCS

T-Mobile's salty, spirited launch of its better-late-than-never LTE network and new contract-free ethos may have felt like a sudden surge come from nowhere, but in fact, it was a well-calculated and slowly calibrated, years-long effort to save an ailing network.

Truth is, the fiery, passionate T-Mobile we saw during its "Uncarrier" event this week wouldn't have been possible without some failures and careful planning. T-Mobile's prognosis is also buoyed by an imminent clinch success: the federally approved purchase of prepaid carrier MetroPCS (the still hasn't been fully approved.)

Out of the spectrum crisis

T-Mobile … Read more

Sony's Xperia ZL is elegant, compact, and speedy

Our colleagues at CNET Asia just took the new Sony Xperia ZL for a complete test-drive and like how this elegant handset handles. While not as luxurious as Sony's current flagship the Xperia Z, the Xperia ZL offers plenty of smartphone goodies including a nimble processor, Android Jelly Bean, and even an IR blaster to function as a home theater remote. … Read more

Bringing phones to T-Mobile's LTE network: The devil's in the details

Today, T-Mobile hyped how much easier bringing phones to its new network will be. As it turns out, however, it isn't as simple as you'd think.

Here's the deal. T-Mobile is in the middle of three major wireless transitions. Besides ripping up mandatory two-year contracts, the carrier is building a new 4G LTE network. If that wasn't enough, T-Mobile also is migrating its older 3.5G data service from the AWS band (1700/2100) where it currently lives over to the 1,900MHz GSM band.

But that's not all. T-Mobile is using that freed-up AWS … Read more

T-Mobile undercuts Apple with iPhone prices

T-Mobile's new service plans mark a huge change for wireless carriers. In addition to ditching contracts, the nation's fourth largest wireless provider also has dropped handset subsidies completely. So now, when you buy a new phone from T-Mobile, you'll pay much more for your device than you did when you signed two years of your life away. You have the option of paying the full cost at the time of purchase, or paying a deposit with monthly installments, but the phone's price is the same either way. And, of course, you won't be tied to … Read more