April 28 - 1:20pm EDT   MetroPCS on Tuesday announced it has released the Samsung Tint cellphone on its flat-rate network. The phone ships with interchangeable grey and pink faceplates and customers have the ability to buy more to suit their own personal tastes. The user interface is also customizable, with banner themes, fonts and wallpapers. [full story]

April 27 - 3:45pm EDT   MetroPCS COO Tom Keys today said it has tapped China's ZTE to make smartphones for its upcoming 4G cell network. While not revealing the full scope of the lineup, Keys tells Forbes that one of these will include a large screen and an "HTML-compatible" browser to take advantage of the faster Internet access. Whether or not the phone would involve a touchscreen isn't mentioned. [full story]

April 14 - 4:15pm EDT   MetroPCS is the latest wireless provider to offer the Motorola QA30 Hint, with its signature vertical QWERTY slider form factor, in its range of cellphones. The phone has a 2.5-inch display with 320x240 resolution, and opens up to allow the 2-megapixel camera to capture photos and videos that are stored on the integrated 140MB of memory or installed microSD memory card. [full story]

April 9 - 3:50pm EDT   Virgin Mobile on Thursday announced a new $50 Totally Unlimited Calling plan that would give subscribers unlimited and roaming-free calling throughout the USA. Virgin spokespeople are confirming the move comes in response to similar offers from competitors, including T-Mobile and Boost Mobile. Other contract-free providers, including MetroPCS and Leap, also offer unlimited plans that range from $35 to $50, though they are only offered in certain specific markets. [full story]

April 7 - 4:00pm EDT   Wireless provider MetroPCS announced on Tuesday that it will soon offer a GroupLINE service, allowing users to get rid of their wired home lines in favor of a flat-rate, contract-free wireless service. GroupLINE will allow as many as five MetroPCS Family Plan subscribers to receive calls on one shared main line that will ring all of the subscribers simultaneously, like a home number would. They still retain their regular mobile numbers, however. A shared voicemail can also be accessed by all users on the plan. [full story]

March 31 - 8:00pm EDT   Samsung's Finesse handset is now available for purchase on the MetroPCS website. The smartphone is the carrier's second-most expensive handset behind the BlackBerry Curve 8330 in red and is basically a re-branded version of the Samsung Delve offered by Alltel. While it resembles the Instinct, it lacks the touch buttons for call and menu functions. [full story]

March 16 - 4:40pm EDT   The still unofficial Motorola Evoke QA4 is getting ever closer to a North American release, as it has recently gone through the prerequisite testing procedures at the FCC. The FCC documentation reveals the touchscreen phone will have assisted GPS functionality and stereo Bluetooth while confirming it will sport a tri-band CDMA radio. A camera of unknown megapixel count -- rumors have it at 2 megapixels -- will be integrated and capable of capturing videos. [full story]

January 13 - 4:15pm EST   Recently discovered FCC filings suggest a new Motorola handset will soon be shipping. The FCC documents reveal the unnamed clamshell will be offered in both a dual-band CDMA version as well as a tri-band CDMA handset with support for the 1,700MHz AWS band used by carriers MetroPCS and Cricket. [full story]

November 14 - 10:25am EST   Cellphone manufacturer Motorola on Friday announced the new MOTO VE240 handset will soon be available to Cricket Communications and Metro PCS customers. The candy-bar phone promises to bring with it stereo Bluetooth support and MP3 capability with dedicated music keys. The VE240 has a microSD slot, enabling users to add up to 4GB of memory to the handset. Other than via wireless or wired headphones, the built-in speakerphone can playback music, which users transfer to the handset via a USB 2.0 connection. [full story]

August 11 - 2:55pm EDT   MetroPCS will use the same fourth-generation (4G) cellular data access as larger carriers, the company has revealed while discussing its latest quarterly results. Though small, the provider says it will switch its network from its existing CDMA format to the same Long Term Evolution (LTE) standard that will be used by AT&T, Verizon and the latter's recent buyout target Alltel. [full story]

February 7 - 10:50am EST   ZTE took its first fledgling steps into the world of US cellphones this morning with the release of the C88 on the MetroPCS network. The China-made clamshell is simpler than the D90 available through TELUS in Canada but is designed to offer more than just the basics: Bluetooth, a VGA camera, and Internet support for e-mail, IM, and the web are part of the core design. The C88 also holds 60MB of internal memory and comes preloaded with a variant of Sudoku to get the user started with mobile games. [full story]

January 29 - 2:15pm EST   Individual bids in the 700MHz FCC auction are nearing the amount needed to claim the key airwaves needed for mobile data, according to the communications body's's latest auction results. With almost $7.4 billion of total bids across the entire spectrum as of the end of the 10th round of auctions, the largest bid so far for the key nationwide "C block" license is now approaching $3.4 billion after less than a week of bidding, ensuring that at least one bidder is likely to meet the $4.6 billion mark needed to ensure open access for any device and software on a potential future wireless network. Bids for the just-begun 11th round will have to reach at least the $3.9 billion ... [full story]

January 15 - 12:15pm EST   The Federal Communications Commission today finalized its bidder list (PDF) for the expected 700MHz wireless auction and brings with it new surprises, according to the published document. The news confirms Google's expected bid but also confirms that several established wireless carriers have made the cut, including Alltel, AT&T, and MetroPCS. Verizon Wireless is also bidding in the auction under the CellCo Partnership brand. [full story]

December 19 - 11:30am EST   Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen is one of those already confirmed as bidding in the upcoming FCC auction for the 700MHz wireless band, according to the list of accepted applicants (PDF). The former executive is using a proxy firm known as Vulcan Spectrum in an attempt to capture a slice of the soon to be free wireless spectrum, which has been eagerly sought after by telecom providers for its potential with long-range Internet and similar data. Neither Allen nor Vulcan has revealed the reasons behind the bid, though Allen is also a significant stakeholder in cable provider Charter. [full story]

November 30 - 2:05pm EST   MetroPCS on Friday boosted its unlimited-access cell plans with the release of the unusual Samsung R410. A handset with a horizontal slide-out QWERTY keyboard like many high-end smartphones, the Samsung is built for a younger audience more concerned with text messaging, instant messaging, and basic e-mail: the cost is trimmed to more affordable levels by using a VGA camera and legacy 1XRTT data in place of more expensive EVDO. Bluetooth with stereo audio support is present and adds rare support for wireless headphones and speakers to the device class. [full story]