pcs

Verizon explores merger with Vodafone, report says

Verizon and Vodafone want to square away their long-standing relationship -- tied together by Verizon Wireless -- this year, according a report from Bloomberg.

Verizon Wireless, which is jointly owned by Verizon and Vodafone, has long been a source of questions over when the two telco giants would resolve the arrangement. Verizon has for years sought to buy out Vodafone's stake in Verizon Wireless, while Vodafone has agitated for a better return from the fast-growing asset.

Verizon and Vodafone now are exploring a range of options, from ending the joint venture to merging the two companies. The two have … Read more

Staples: Snag $400 by swapping old gadget for Windows 8 device

Staples in dangling a $400 trade-in deal to steer customers toward Windows 8 devices.

How does it work? The retailer's "Trade up to touch" Web page explains the process.

You first have to buy a Windows 8 touch device from Staples. It can be an all-in-one PC, a notebook, or a tablet, but it must be one of the qualifying items on the retailer's list. The list includes all-in-ones from Hewlett-Packard and Dell, laptops from Lenovo and Asus, and the various flavors of Microsoft's Surface RT and Pro tablets.

You then identify the device that … Read more

Sorry, PC makers. Shipments will likely fall this year, IDC says

This year isn't looking much brighter for PC makers than last, IDC said today as it cut its expectations for 2013 computer shipments.

The tech research firm said it expects computer shipments to drop 1.3 percent this year, worse than its prior view for a 2.8 percent rise. And that decline comes after a 3.7 percent slide in 2012.

"Disappointing holiday sales, an underwhelming reception to Windows 8, and continuing economic malaise that further crimped IT budgets marked the face of the market during the second half of 2012, leading to a year-on-year decline of … Read more

Samsung tops Apple in connected device sales in '12

Samsung surpassed Apple in the market for smart connected devices last year as the Korean electronics giant's shipments of smartphones, tablets, and PCs more than doubled, a new report says.

IDC today noted that Samsung shipped 250 million "smart connected devices" in 2012, up from 114 million the previous year. The tech research firm lumps desktop computers, portable PCs, tablets, and smartphones into that segment. By comparison, Apple shipped 218.7 million devices, up 44 percent from 2011 when it held the No. 1 spot. It had 18 percent share in 2012.

Samsung's sales surge largely … Read more

Let the LG Spirit 4G descend

Save for one handset (the LG Motion 4G), all of MetroPCS' LG handsets have been stuck on Gingerbread.

So when the LG Spirit 4G was released on Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich (yes, it's not the latest Jelly Bean version, but I'll take what I can get), I was pleased. Not only was the update refreshing, the phone will also be the only other LG device to feature LG's Optimus 3.0 user interface.

On top of that, its current $199 price tag renders it oddly less expensive than some of MetroPCS' midrange Gingerbread phones (like … Read more

Sprint flirted with others before partnering with SoftBank

Sprint Nextel played the field a bit before committing to a merger with SoftBank, according to a merger proxy document filed by Sprint this week with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

The nation's third-largest wireless carrier had discussions with at least four companies, though the specific names weren't revealed.

The wheeling and dealing underscores the trend toward industry consolidation, spurred partly by competition, as well as by the need for more wireless spectrum. Sprint, in particular, was in both a financial and spectrum bind prior to the SoftBank deal.

Before the SoftBank deal, Sprint had discussions with "… Read more

LG Spirit 4G now available on MetroPCS

Today, MetroPCS and LG announced their newest handset, the LG Spirit 4G for $199.

The 4G LTE device features Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, a 4.5-inch Corning Gorilla Glass touch screen, and a 1.2GHz dual-core processor.

It also houses a 5-megapixel camera with LED flash that's capable of shooting 1080p HD video. On the front is a 1.3-megapixel camera for video chatting and vanity shots.

Powering the Spirit 4G is a 2,150mAh battery, which has a reported talk time of 4 hours and a standby time of 200 hours. Users will also get 4GB … Read more

The Samsung Galaxy Admire 4G runs a less-than-admirable OS version

At just $100, the Samsung Galaxy Admire 4G has a number of things going for it. It delivers a consistent 4G LTE experience, it has an attractive, compact build, and it's ideal for customers looking for a simple, no-contract smartphone.

Unfortunately, one huge oversight with the device is that it runs on the Android 2.3 operating system. In the smartphone world, this is ages old (after all, there have been two updates since then). And the fact that MetroPCS carries plenty of other devices with Android 4.0 for about the same price, if not cheaper, doesn't … Read more

Justice Dept sought review of T-Mobile-MetroPCS deal in November

Correction, 2:55 p.m. and 6:55 PT: CNET incorrectly stated that the Justice Department had sent a letter to the Federal Communications Commission today and implied there was additional concern about the national security implications of that deal. There have been no additional concerns raised, and the review is part of a standard process when a foreign company is involved in a merger.

The U.S. Department of Justice had previously asked the Federal Communications Commission to defer its review of the T-Mobile and MetroPCS merger in late November.

In a letter dated Nov. 26, 2012, attorney adviser … Read more