The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has approved Verizon's $130 million buyout of Vodaphone's share of Verizon Wireless. The ruling paves the way for Verizon's complete ownership of the wireless business when all aspects of the transaction are concluded in the first half of 2014.
Nokia apparently will soon release its Lumia 929 smartphone on Verizon, as images of the device have shown up on the Internet. Windows Phone Central published leaked images of the device on Saturday, seemingly confirming that Verizon will get a special White colorway of the handset. Serial leaker @evleaks also published photos of the deviceThe release date for the device is as yet unknown, but a number of leaks have shown off what will likely be its specifications.
Work on a national stolen phone database covering AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, and Verizon Wireless handsets has been completed, according to an announcement from CTIA. The wireless association revealed that the multi-carrier database has been implemented before its November 30th deadline, one which it hopes to connect to overseas carriers to protect against thefts worldwide.
Roughly 90 percent of iPhone 5s models are back in stock at US Apple Stores, according to data collected by Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster. Breaking figures down by carrier, the two biggest US providers -- AT&T and Verizon -- are showing 99 and 98 percent availability, respectively. The ratio shrinks to 72 percent for Sprint; unmentioned are figures for T-Mobile or SIM-free models.
Sprint, the United States' third-largest wireless carrier, came in last among the major carriers in the newest Consumer Reports survey of customer satisfaction. The Consumer Reports National Research Center polled 58,399 subscribers, and their responses indicated a precipitous drop for Sprint from last year, when it placed second among the major carriers. The overall leader among the major carriers was Verizon, which saw high marks for both data service and some aspects of customer support.
In a tweet from its corporate Twitter account, HTC confirmed that Verizon-based HTC One owners would still receive their updates to Android 4.4 by the end of January. The announcement came by way of an assurance that the company's current delay in delivering Android 4.3 to those customers would not affect the next update to 4.4 The Verizon One is supposed to see an update to Android 4.3 some time in December.
Moto X owners with Verizon as a carrier should see access to Android 4.4 KitKat starting today. Motorola announced today that Verizon would begin rolling out an Android 4.4 update in phases, and the notification should begin appearing on the devices of Moto X users. The new update comes just over two weeks after Motorola promised a rapid update cycle for its new flagship device.
Nokia's Lumia 2520 tablet will land on Verizon on November 21, according to a post from the United States' largest carrier. The Windows RT-powered tablet, Nokia's first entry in the segment, will be available to Verizon customers for $500, and the carrier will not require a wireless contract for that price. Verizon is also getting a special red edition of the device for customers buying it online. Customers buying it in stores will only have access to a black version.
Verizon is having issues providing LTE service to customers in large metropolitan areas, claims Chief Financial Officer Fran Shammo. The carrier is finding that it is struggling to provide sufficient bandwidth to cover subscriber demand for the high-speed connection in areas such as New York, Chicago, and San Francisco, and that the quality of the service is suffering as a result.
As many expected, the Moto Maker Moto X customization feature has now expanded from AT&T to include all four major American carriers. The Moto X site now shows Verizon, Sprint, and T-Mobile as carrier options, along with AT&T. The expansion of the feature to at least Verizon was anticipated by many, as the carrier accidentally leaked a page showing off the Motorola flagship and saying it could be customized. That page, though, was quickly taken down, and the feature was put back under wraps until its proper launch today.
Verizon's own version of the Moto Maker site reportedly came online for a brief period earlier today, with a page giving the option for the customer to customize their own Moto X smartphone. The Moto Maker page, now redirecting to the front page of the Verizon online store, apparently came online the day before the store is rumored to go live for Verizon customers.
Customized versions of the Moto X could be heading to the other carriers in the near future, according to reports. Leaked images said to be from Sprint allegedly show that the Moto Maker system will be available to customers in the near future, while another rumor claims that T-Mobile will also be receiving access to it soon.
Verizon will not be attempting to certify the Google Nexus 7 for use on its LTE network until Android KitKat is released, the carrier has revealed. Though the carrier advised that it was trying to get the tablet through certification to allow it to activate on the cellular network a few months ago, it has blamed Google for the delay in the process.
Verizon has launched its rumored seven-inch tablet, one which connects to the carrier's LTE network. The Ellipsis 7 tablet, running on Android Jelly Bean, is said by Verizon to be the first in a new Ellipsis family of devices, though the carrier did not suggest whether that extends to other sizes of tablets or even smartphones.
Photographs for two unannounced Nokia Lumia devices have surfaced, suggesting that two more device launches are in the works before the company hands its mobile phone arm over to Microsoft. The Lumia 525 has appeared in a filing with a Chinese certification agency, while another report offers a large number of close-up photographs of the Lumia 929.
Pandora has updated its Android app with a new design specifically for tablets. Aside from offering an interface made for a larger display, Pandora 5.0 for tablets retains most of the features the smaller-screen version currently offers, with more details for stations available to read, lyrics and artist information, and improved social sharing. The update also introduces Chromecast streaming for the first time.
Intel's as-yet-unrevealed streaming media service may never see the light of day under the chipmaker's brand, as a new report from AllThingsD has Intel considering handing over the project to Verizon. Intel is reportedly close to sealing a deal with the telecommunications giant, though it is uncertain whether Intel would retain any control or interest in Intel Media should it choose to sell off the unit. If the deal does go through, it would mark the end of a nearly three-year saga in which Intel's service was perpetually just around the corner but never materialized.
Nokia appears to have a new, high build quality Windows Phone 8 device in the works, as a new video has emerged showing what is said to be the Lumia 929. The video showed up on the WPCentral forums, having been posted to the YouTube account of SDphones on Saturday. It appears to show a Lumia device with an aluminum construction, much like the company's Lumia 928 from earlier this year.
Samsung fans that are looking for a smaller smartphone experience will be able to purchase the Galaxy S4 mini on one of four major American carriers beginning in November. The 4.3-inch handset will be available on AT&T, Sprint, Verizon, and USCellular. Samsung has not announced specific launch dates for the device on each carrier.
Apple and the iPhone have topped JD Power's smartphone satisfaction study for the 10th time in five years, according to a newly-released chart. With a score of 856, the company beats out rivals like Nokia (840), Samsung (839), and and HTC (829). AT&T remains the US carrier with the most overall customer satisfaction, garnering a score of 843; trailing behind are Sprint, T-Mobile, and Verizon. Among iPhone users, though, Verizon is the top carrier.
Verizon has reportedly confirmed that it has ended a joint venture with cable companies Comcast, Time Warner and Bright House Networks. In a conference call following the company's quarterly earnings report, Verizon CFO Fran Shammo suggested the partnership was terminated in August in response to developments in technology and changing market conditions.
Verizon has beat Wall Street expectations in its third quarter financial results, adding more than 1.1 million new customers to its wireless service in the period. Overall Verizon revenues of $30.3 billion marks a year-on-year increase of 4.4 percent, with the wireless business increasing its contribution to the total to $20.4 billion, up by 7.2 percent compared to last year.
Verizon Wireless is starting to offer customers that order online the option to receive their devices the same day. The delivery scheme, which rolls out in Philadelphia today, will see customers able to place an order through the website by 10am and have the in-stock item delivered to the customer's home by 7pm that day.
Verizon could be working on increasing the speed of its phone network in New York, by performing a new LTE rollout. The carrier has apparently been spotted operating a new LTE network, which is shown to be providing network speeds of around 80Mbps downstream, and peaking at almost 23Mbps for uploads.
Following on from rumors of a tablet and the upcoming budget-Moto X dubbed DVX, Motorola is believed to be working on a phablet and another smartphone. The Xplay, said to have a 6.3-inch display, is accompanied by rumors of a new smartphone for Verizon's popular Droid range called the Droid Quantum.
A model of the HTC One Max has shown up in images online sporting Verizon carrier branding. An Android Central forum poster shared the images on Saturday, and they appear to confirm the super-sized One Max, as well as its Verizon destination. HTC has yet to even confirm the One Max, but Saturday's is just the latest in a string of leaks regarding the device.
Verizon customers will soon have the option to fully personalize their Moto X handsets, according to a new report from notorious tech news leaker @evleaks. The rumored November 11 arrival of Moto Maker will allow customers on the United States' largest carrier to choose their own color and configuration options for Motorola's newest flagship model. Until now, the customization option has only been available on AT&T.
Over the weekend, Verizon experienced a "software issue" that involved some customer's orders of upgraded smartphones. A number of buyers who were upgrading devices were able to maintain an unlimited monthly data feature while paying a subsidized price, which the company had previously eradicated. Verizon is honoring the unlimited-data grandfathering on the approved orders, however, as well as offering the phones at the subsidized price.
Verizon has reportedly established a solid lead in US smartphone sales over the previous three months, while Windows Phone devices are nearing 10-percent market share in European markets, according to data collected by research firm Kantar. AT&T smartphone sales between June and August last year were said to be close to Verizon, however the latter company reportedly fetched 37 percent of shipments in the same quarter this year as the former slid to 22 percent.
Motorola could be launching a new tablet on Verizon in the future, if rumors based on an advertisement are to be believed. The carrier's "The Drop" promotional video for its Motorola Droid device line hints at a possible tablet as the next item to be released in the range, something also seemingly confirmed by an associated Twitter account.
Verizon has introduced a new router that combines wireless voice and data connectivity over the company's 4G LTE network. The device serves as a landline phone connection that can be taken on the road, with unlimited minutes tied to a new number or existing home number, while simultaneously sharing a data connection between up to 10 devices via Wi-Fi or Ethernet.
Criminals in Michigan have managed to defraud Apple retail, Best Buy, Verizon Wireless, and Radio Shack out of thousands of dollars of free or subsidized phones over two years, according to a federal lawsuit filed last week. The US Secret Service discovered the thefts in the beginning of 2012, where the thieves used stolen identities to sign two-year cellphone service agreements, and sold the phones to now-defunct iBuy Express, who peddled the phones overseas after unlocking.
A pair of images said to show the front and backsides of the Nokia Lumia 929 have surfaced. The leaked promotional renders of the device, apparently heading to Verizon complete with carrier branding, shows what has been said to be a large display slightly smaller than the rumored 6-inch Lumia 1520, suggesting it could have a 5-inch screen.
Microsoft has expanded its buyback scheme to include other devices. The Clover Wireless-managed program, which offered $200 gift cards for iPad trade-ins, now offers up to $350 for a range of smartphones and tablets, including the iPhone. Notably, while Microsoft is pushing participants to buy Windows-based devices with their funds, the form does not appear to allow users to select the Microsoft Surface for trade-in, though the Nokia Lumia range is still tradeable.
Reports have begun to surface of very low expected stock of the Apple iPhone 5s at multiple US carriers' retail locations, in addition to low stock at Apple retail stores. The iPhone 5c and 5s will go on sale at all of the iPhone carriers, including AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, and Verizon, with spot checks by MacNN showing minimal expected inventory of the 5s, and some retail stores having not yet received any of the sought-after iPhone 5s at all, with none expected before Friday.
Pre-orders have commenced for the multi-colored iPhone 5c through Apple's online store, with the four major US carriers also offering it at the same time. AT&T, Sprint, Verizon, and T-Mobile are all selling the new smartphone, with customers in ten other countries also able to pre-order the iPhone 5c before its September 20th shipping date.
The first- and third-largest carriers in the US have confirmed that they will begin accepting preorders on the iPhone 5c, the more colorful and less expensive of the two new iPhone models Apple introduced on Tuesday, beginning at 12:01AM Pacific Time (3:01AM Eastern) on Friday, September 13. Verizon and Sprint have formally confirmed the times, while Apple, AT&T and fourth-place T-Mobile USA are expected to follow suit. The new iPhones are functionally similar to the iPhone 5, but cost $100 less at full price and start on contract at $99.
AT&T announced today that it completed its acquisition of wireless spectrum in the lower 700 MHz band B block from Verizon Wireless that it started in January. The acquired licenses cover 42 million people in 18 states -- California, Colorado, Florida, Idaho, Illinois, Louisiana, Montana, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington and Wyoming.
The blue version of the HTC One will be going on sale through Best Buy from September 15th. Identical to the normal model except for color, the "metallic blue" smartphone will be available on AT&T and Verizon, along with Sprint, though the retailer has yet to reveal per-carrier pricing. It is suggested by Engadget that it could cost as much as $700 off-contract through the retailer.
Verizon and the Federal Communications Commission are set to present oral arguments in an ongoing legal dispute that is being heard at the US Court of Appeals in Washington DC. The company has argued that the FCC is overstepping its authority by imposing broad "net neutrality" regulations, which are claimed to violate constitutional rights regarding property and free speech. Both sides are now tasked with defending their position in front of a three-judge panel.
Color-conscious fans of the HTC one may want to make their way to the local Best Buy outlet, as the big box retailer is now carrying a blue, Verizon-branded variant of the celebrated handset. A tipster pointed Engadget toward images of the device, showing the unibody aluminum construction with an electric blue hue. The blue variant hit Best Buy stores and Verizon retail locations on Friday.
Verizon has been hit with a shareholder lawsuit over the company's planned buyout of Vodafone's 45-percent stake. Citing the drop in Verizon's share price following the announcement of the $130 billion deal, investor Natalie Gordon argues that the carrier agreed to pay too much for Vodafone's minority interest.
Just like the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 earlier today, release dates and pricing for the LG G2 have been revealed for three US carriers. AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile have all advised when and how much it will be offering the LG flagship, with US consumers able to get their hands on the smartphone from mid September onwards.
Pricing and launch details for the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 and the companion Galaxy Gear smartwatch on carriers in the United States have started to surface. Both AT&T and T-Mobile have confirmed they will be offering the smartphone on their networks in statements, while a leaked image from Verizon also suggests prices and a release date.
Verizon Wireless has reportedly left open the possibility of international expansion, though the company is no longer considering a foray into the Canadian market, according to CEO Lowell McAdam's comments during a Tuesday conference call with analysts. The company's $130 billion commitment to buy Vodafone's 45-percent stake has raised questions regarding potential expansion and other investments.
Vodafone and Verizon Communications have reportedly come to an agreement over the buyout of Vodafone's share of Verizon Wireless, behind closed doors. Verizon Communications will apparently pay $130 billion for the 45-percent stake owned by Vodafone, with approximately $60 billion of the figure being made up of cash and the remainder from stock and other forms of fundraising.
Verizon is blocking its retail store workers from taking vacations between September 18th and the 22nd, sources say. The move follows blackouts by AT&T and T-Mobile targeting the same approximate window. Apple is widely forecast to launch two iPhones that weekend: a high-end 5S, and a mid-tier 5C. While the 5C could be little more than an iPhone 5 with a plastic shell, the 5S is expected to get a better camera, a faster processor, a fingerprint sensor, and a new gold color option.
British carrier Vodafone has confirmed that it is in talks to sell its stake in Verizon Wireless to Verizon. The discussions, which have been rumored to have taken place over the last few months along with a possible merger, could lead to Verizon paying around $130 million for Vodafone's share in the carrier, and in turn taking complete ownership of the wireless company.
The Moto X will be going on sale through Verizon on August 29th, almost a week after AT&T launched the smartphone on its network. The increase to the list of carriers offering the Motorola-made device comes at the same time as potential customization pricing for a wood back cover is allegedly leaked by Motorola's own website.
Motorola may soon release a new Droid 5 handset that sports a physical keyboard, according to image posted to Chinese social network Weibo. The new handset so far has no release date, and little is known about its internals. It does sport Verizon branding, though, meaning it will likely hit the United States' largest carrier some time in the near future.
MacNN Sponsor
MacNN Newsletter
Most Popular
MacNN Sponsor
Recent Reviews
STM Studio for iPad Air
STM is one of those companies that seems to fly under the radar when it comes to iPad accessories. They're better known for their ge ...
Velodyne vBold headphones
Headphones make a statement. Whether the listener is an unabashed audio fiend or someone that cares more about the outer coolness than ...
Snugg Robust Case for iPad Air
Snugg's Distressed Brown Leather Case was something of a pleasant surprise when I reviewed it last year. I didn't expect much at fi ...
Most Commented
Popular News
