July 1 - 12:15pm EDT   Sprint today confirmed that its version of the BlackBerry Tour will run head-to-head against the Verizon model this month. The former will ship its Tour on the same day, July 12th, and for the same $200 on a two-year contract. It will also handle world roaming thanks to the addition of quad-band GSM and EDGE as well as European 3G, but it should bring access to Sprint-specific music downloads, TV streaming and a custom NASCAR app. [full story]

June 30 - 1:35pm EDT   After today's earlier news of the BlackBerry Tour smartphone coming to Verizon, two more sources have reported the device will soon be offered at another US provider, Alltel, as well as Canada's Bell. While no specifics are known about the Alltel release other than the photos that reveal Alltel branding on the phone, the Bell release of the new BlackBerry has been supported with more specific pricing details. [full story]

June 30 - 10:55am EDT   Verizon took top honors late Monday in a study of 3G data performance across the US. The tests, performed across 13 cities one day this past spring for PC World, show the carrier's EVDO-based network being the fastest with an average of 951Kbps downstream but also still fairly reliable with 89.8 percent of tests showing uninterrupted performance. Sprint was next closest with a significantly lower average speed of 808Kbps but higher reliability, at 90.5 percent. [full story]

June 30 - 7:15am EDT   Verizon today confirmed launch information for its version of the BlackBerry Tour. As spotted in leaks, the smartphone should ship both online and in retail on July 12th and will carry its expected price of $200 when tied to a two-year contract. The company hasn't yet detailed custom software but is likely to support VZ Navigator and already stresses the phone's dual-mode CDMA/GSM support for calling (and EDGE data) abroad. [full story]

June 29 - 3:35pm EDT   Comcast on Monday marked the launch of its own 4G Internet access in the form of High-Speed 2go [currently a sign-in page]. The service depends on Clearwire's WiMAX network and supplies peak real-world speeds of about 4Mbps downstream anywhere within the coverage range. Like service from Clearwire or Sprint, it's not locked to a particular location and can be had either for mobile use or else as a fixed install at home. [full story]

June 25 - 10:40am EDT   Research in Motion is potentially in trouble as discounts it has been counting on for its smartphones are about to end, according to Kaufman Bros. analyst Shaw Wu. Citing checks, he claims Verizon's popular buy one, get one (BOGO) promo for the BlackBerry Curve 8330 should end on Saturday the 27th and that it will effectively boost the price of a BlackBerry Storm as a result. Although less expensive than the original $199 launch price, the Storm will move to a fixed $149 price but won't qualify for a BOGO discount that took it down to $99, effectively giving buyers a free extra phone for the Storm's regular price. [full story]

June 25 - 8:50am EDT   Verizon today undercut the QWERTY smartphone field by launching the low-price HTC Ozone. The adapttion of the HTC Snap already at Sprint brings a different look but more importantly adds world roaming; while at home it uses CDMA and EVDO Rev A for calls and 3G, it has quad-band GSM and EDGE support for calls and 2G data in most parts of the world. Verizon-specific software also gives the phone Visual Voice Mail and support for VZ Navigator. [full story]

June 24 - 1:55pm EDT   Verizon chief Ivan Seidenberg last evening told late night show host Charlie Rose that his company didn't have control over the prospect of a 4G iPhone for its upcoming Long Term Evolution (LTE) network. The executive said it was "Apple's decision" as to whether or not it built a phone for the faster network and didn't comment on any possible agreements. Talks have been rumored underway for several months but, even if accurate, are potentially part of a pressure tactic to earn concessions from AT&T. [full story]

June 24 - 9:30am EDT   Sprint's continued shortages of the Palm Pre could lead to a massive spike in Palm's sales for its current quarter, RBC analyst Mark Abramsky reports in a new investment note today. The researcher esimates that 150,000 Pre smartphones have shipped so far and that as many as 550,000 could ship by the end of Palm's current quarter. Both are up significantly from earlier predictions and could offset a drop in Centro and Treo phone numbers to 258,000. [full story]

June 22 - 3:45pm EDT   Rumors circulating about Motorola's first Android phones received support today through a leak of plans for their launches later in this year. The Wall Street Journal cites its usual sources "familiar with the matter" as saying that T-Mobile USA will get one of the first devices and that it will be a touchscreen device with a slide-out keyboard and an emphasis on Facebook and Twitter. Most other sources already know this as the Morrison (pictured) and expect it towards the end of the year. [full story]

June 22 - 1:30pm EDT   Verizon's edition of the HTC Snap has had virtually all of its details leaked ahead of its near-term launch. Rebadged as the Ozone, the QWERTY bar phone seen by BGR will be turned into a world phone with both CDMA and EVDO Rev A for Verizon's own network as well as four-band GSM and EDGE for calling and 2G data in other countries. Unlike many Verizon smartphones, the device won't have features disabled and should have both Wi-Fi as well as GPS usable with any app, not just VZ Navigator. [full story]

June 22 - 10:30am EDT   Verizon today ramped up FiOS with speed upgrades for all its regular tiers as well as the addition of a new middle tier. A new 35Mbps plan offers a balance between more typical speeds and the 50Mbps maximum tier; it also has the same 20Mbps upload speeds as the previous symmetric 20/20 tier and the 50Mbps service; the speed would let it upload an hour-long 720p HDTV show in 20 minutes. The carrier doesn't say how much this version of its fiber optic service would cost but says it's only available in bundles with TV or phone service. [full story]

June 19 - 12:35pm EDT   Verizon today officially expanded its V CAST Mobile TV network to include key larger California cities. The FLO TV-based digital broadcasts are now available in San Francisco as well as Fresno and Sacramento further south. Channel selection should remain the same and provides a mix of both live and pre-recorded content from both kids' channels like NickToons and more mature content from CBS, Fox, NBC and others. [full story]

June 18 - 9:25am EDT   Verizon this morning added a new 3G adapter intended just for international travelers in the Novatel USB1000 Global Modem. The provider's first USB stick of the sort should provide 3G both inside and outside of the US without locking them into notebooks with ExpressCard slots. Neither Novatel nor Verizon are specific about feature support, though it's implied the device may support EVDO on Verizon's network and HSPA in Europe and elsewhere. [full story]

June 17 - 10:35am EDT   AT&T and Verizon late yesterday denied claims that they and other carriers are fixing SMS prices. Testifying in front of a US Senate subcommittee, the two companies insist that the sudden burst of per-message rate increases in the space of several months was conducted independently and that it doesn't reflect the actual price customers pay per message, as most customers have message bundles. AT&T general counsel Wayne Watts argues that the investigation started by Senator Herb Kohl is focusing too heavily on a single business model. [full story]