nextel

Boost Mobile and Virgin Mobile customers will be getting 4G -- albeit the older WiMax variant -- in the next quarter.

Sprint Nextel is keeping its older 4G standard alive and plans to bring it to its two prepaid arms next quarter, said Steve Elfman, president of network operations for the carrier. He made his comments during the company's earnings conference call today.

Bringing WiMax to Virgin and Boost gives prepaid customers access to a faster wireless network. Prepaid continues to be a vital part of Sprint's business. In the first quarter, Sprint added 489,000 net prepaid … Read more

Sprint Nextel plans to sell its own version of the Galaxy Nexus smartphone on April 22, further fleshing out its own lineup of 4G LTE products.

That, of course, comes as Sprint races to build out its 4G LTE network, which isn't truly available yet.

Samsung's Android phone will cost $199.99 with a two-year contract. Customers can preorder today.

The Galaxy Nexus will start selling the same day as the LG Viper, another of Sprint's LTE smartphones. Sprint is working to build up credibility for its next-generation network and hopes to cut into the massive lead … Read more

If you follow the wireless industry, you probably know already that cellular spectrum is a dear commodity. The supply shortage is only bound to get worse as U.S. carriers battle to build competing LTE 4G networks. Sprint apparently plans to head off any more 4G transition headaches by morphing its own iDEN spectrum for LTE use. … Read more

Don't expect HTC to pack Beats headphones or earbuds with the Evo 4G LTE -- or any of its smartphones for the time being.

HTC is shelving the idea. One lesson the company learned from last year's Sensation XL and the Rezound: customers don't really choose smartphones based on the headphones -- even headphones with a brand as recognizable as Beats.

"An accessory like the headphone doesn't factor in when someone is buying a smartphone," Martin Fichter, an HTC product executive, told CNET. "If they want a Beats headphone, they'll buy it … Read more

Nokia and Microsoft are making a big splash with the first major launch of a Nokia Windows Phone in the U.S. But is the device and the Windows Phone software impressive enough to entice Apple iPhone customers to jump ship?

Like so many people who write in to Ask Maggie seeking advice, I also struggle with big decisions about which new device to buy. In this edition of Ask Maggie, I answer a question that I've been mulling for months about whether I should ditch Apple and its iOS ecosystem for something else. I also help another reader … Read more

When it comes to the One series of smartphones, HTC is hoping to follow Google's playbook for its flagship devices.

HTC wants One to be synonymous with Google's Nexus, which represents the latest and greatest that Android has to offer. Similarly, the One is supposed to be HTC's best combination of design, music capabilities, and camera technology.

"The One brand is so important for HTC's future," said Jason Mackenzie, head of global sales and marketing for HTC, in an interview with CNET. "We're treating it special."

HTC's One series of … Read more

The bad news keeps coming for LightSquared.

Sprint Nextel plans to terminate its 15-year contract with the foundering wireless broadband effort on Friday and return $65 million in prepayments. The deal's cancellation--first reported by the Wall Street Journal--would leave LightSquared without a major partner for its effort to build a national wireless broadband network using satellite spectrum.

Sprint confirmed the cancellation, indicating that its move was a response to concerns that LightSquared's proposed network would interfere with other devices.

"Due to these unresolved issues, and subject to the provisions of the agreement, Sprint has elected to exercise … Read more

For a company that builds telecommunications equipment and smartphones, Huawei has--in its own admission--not been so great at communicating its story.

Huawei's focus on serving its customers in the past came at the expense of establishing any kind of presence with the media or consumers, something its executives believe opened the door to a misinformation campaign that has stunted its progress in the U.S.

"We realized we were not good with communication," said Charles Ding, the senior-most Huawei executive based in the U.S., in an interview with CNET. "We didn't clarify who we … Read more

Sprint Nextel wants to be the king of the hill when it comes to providing a cellular connection to any device, whether it is a heart monitor or a dog collar.

Sprint plans to do this not just by offering a wireless connection, but also through a broad offering of advice, maintenance, and other services--supplied by both Sprint and a wide array of partners. It's a proposition the company believes AT&T and Verizon Wireless can't match.

Those are bold words for a company that isn't exactly viewed as a leader in the emerging devices business. … Read more