11/06, 12:00am
Droid launches at 34th St store
As promised, Verizon tonight launched the Motorola Droid and HTC Droid Eris at its primary retail store on 34th Street in New York City. The midnight opening is the first official launch in the country but follows numerous reports from those who have visited Best Buy and Walmart stores and successfully obtained the phone ahead of its official street date. Walmart Super Center stores are also typically opening sales at midnight, though the next earliest opportunity will involve the 7AM and 8AM openings at some non-mall Verizon stores.
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11/05, 3:20pm
BlackBerry Curve 8530 announced for Sprint
After making its appearance at Verizon earlier today, Sprint also announced that the BlackBerry Curve 8530 smartphone is coming soon to its lineup as well. Potential customers can register now to receive updates on the handset. Preloaded apps are the primary difference for Sprint's Curve 8530 and include the Sprint Music Store, Sprint TV and Pandora radio.
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11/02, 11:20am
Sprint 4G finally active in Dallas and NC
Sprint began the week by bringing its 4G WiMAX service into action for several key areas promised earlier. The Chicago and Dallas/Fort Worth areas as well as several North Carolina cities, including Cary, Chapel Hill, Charlotte, Durham, Greensboro, High Point, Raleigh and Winston-Salem, all now have access to the wide-area wireless. The carrier still promises downstream speeds of about 3Mbps to 6Mbps in real situations, all of which allow VoIP, video and other tasks normally off-limits to 3G.
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11/02, 9:50am
Sprint's Dell Mini 10 with 3G
Sprint today confirmed a late rumor by launching a subsidized version of the Dell Mini 10. Its version has an internal EVDO Revision A modem for 3G access and should usually pull between 600Kbps and 1.4Mbps downloads in real-world conditions. It also appears to be the original Mini 10 reviewed here with a 1.33GHz Atom, 1GB of RAM, a 160GB hard drive and Windows XP Home.
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10/30, 9:55am
Sprint talks about future smartphones, changes
A Sprint executive revealed the carrier's plans to release software updates for its smartphones and other news via a web chat on Thursday. David Owens revealed the Android-powered HTC Hero and Samsung Moment will get an update to the OS, though hasn't specified whether it will be version 1.6 or 2.0. Android phones are expected to also go down in price thanks to higher volumes, and Sprint is considering adding an Android handset with an integrated MiFi-style router.
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10/29, 12:00pm
Sprint entering 3G netbooks with Dell
Sprint is on the verge of launching its own netbook deals with a model of its own, a source says today. The same insider that accurately leaked the provider's Any Mobile, Any Time plan now says a version of the Dell Mini 10 with built-in 3G data will sell through Sprint for $199 after factoring in a two-year data contract and a $100 up-front rebate. TechVi hears the system will ship November 1st and have the familiar 1.6GHz Atom, 1GB of RAM and 160GB hard drive of the Mini 10v.
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10/29, 8:30am
Sprint loses $478m cash, 135K customers
Sprint today reportedsignificant losses for its summer quarter. The carrier's net losses widened from $326 million a year ago to $478 million but were softened by losing a relatively modest 135,000 cellphone customers; the number is Sprint's smallest loss in customers in the past two years. It now has a total of 48.3 million subscribers and remains the third-largest provider, above T-Mobile but well below AT&T's 81.6 million.
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10/28, 2:40pm
Droid Eris may undercut Sprint's Hero
The Droid Eris could cost almost half as much as the Hero at Sprint when it goes on sale, a source says today. The "very trustworthy" insider tells gdgt that the HTC Android phone should cost $99 (likely $100) on a Verizon contract when it ships November 6th. The price compares roughly to the Hero at Cellular South but is much lower than Sprint's $180 asking cost for the same phone.
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10/26, 1:20pm
MiFi 2200 now supports BB Curve, Nintendo DS
Novatel's MiFi 2200 has recently benefitted from a firmware update that has upgraded much of its functions. The device connects to either Sprint's or Verizon's EVDO Revision A Internet connection and shares with up to five compatible devices across an 802.11g Wi-Fi network. Most notably, the new software allows the modem to never enter hibernation mode when it is plugged into a wall outlet instead of running off its built-in battery, and is now compatible with the Nintendo DS and BlackBerry Curve.
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10/26, 10:40am
Palm Pixi due in three weeks for Sprint
Sprint today set final launch details for the Palm Pixi on its network. The smartphone will ship to the carrier's stores on November 15th and cost $100 on contract after both a $50 immediate discount and a $100 mail-in rebate. It's also now known to work with the Touchstone inductive charging dock but needs both the $80 add-on as well as a $20 back shell to charge without using wires.
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10/25, 12:05pm
Even More Plus plans beat AT&T by $30
T-Mobile on Sunday quietly launched its Even More Plus plans in a bid to undermine rival US carriers. The plans provide a simpler and potentially less costly approach to phone service and scale linearly in voice minutes and data features: users pick from 500, 1,000 or unlimited US voice minutes and can add either unlimited messaging alone or messaging plus data. Prices as a result range from as little as $30 for voice only to $80 for an all-unlimited plan.
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10/22, 7:40pm
Companies claim up to 10X faster speed than 3G
Clearwire and Sprint have announced their latest 4G deployment plans that will bring the faster data service to cities in the continental US and the Hawaiian islands. Fulfilling earlier promises, locations scheduled for November launch include Charlotte, Greensboro, and Raleigh, North Carolina; Austin, Dallas/Fort Worth and San Antonio, Texas. Honolulu and Maui residents will be able to utilize the upgraded network beginning in December.
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10/22, 4:35pm
Comcast launches 4G wireless service at $70
Cable provider Comcast is ready to launch its High-Speed 2Go 4G/3G wireless data service. On the Comcast website, the carrier is advertising the 4G services are available at Bellingham, WA, Portland, OR and Atlanta, GA, with more markets coming soon. It also promises 3G coverage for most of the US.
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10/20, 4:30pm
HTC Hero coming to AT&T with Flash support?
A Tuesday PhoneArena report maintains wireless provider AT&T will begin offering the HTC Hero early in 2010. This information reportedly comes from a tipster's friend who is developing firmware for the device. It remains to be seen whether the AT&T version will be styled differently from the reference GSM version.
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10/19, 4:10pm
Sprint buys out iPCS for $831m
Sprint on Monday said it would buy out one of its affiliate carriers, iPCS, for $831 million. The deal puts the smaller company's push-to-talk iDEN phone service directly under Sprint's control and settles a legal battle between the two that had blocked Sprint from advertising its network and might have prevented Sprint from selling service in those areas. Under the new agreement, Sprint would no longer need to sell off parts of its network in iPCS areas.
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10/19, 11:20am
O2 says Pre strong, gives no iPhone look
O2's British division today said that the UK launch of the Palm Pre was successful. A spokesperson declined to say how many had been sold but told TechRadar that the carrier sold more Pres on Friday than it normally does all other phones. Many of these were also often buying one or sometimes two of Palm's Touchstone inductive charging dock.
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10/12, 12:40pm
Motorola Debut PTT slider arrives at Sprint
Wireless provider Sprint on Monday began shipping its first slider phone that supports its Nextel Direct Connect push-to-talk service, the Motorola Debut i856. The Debut lets users switch from an active push-to-talk call to an interconnect voice call with a dedicated button. The handset also has a built-in MP3 player with dedicated external music controls and a 3D Audio equalizer.
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10/09, 3:20pm
Intel deal forces Clearwire to stay WiMAX
National 4G provider Clearwire is bound to keep using WiMAX for its network until at least 2011, an SEC filing discovered this week has found. The carrier is now known to have struck a deal with Intel that requires it use WiMAX for at least the next two years in exchange for marketing help from the chipmaker. Clearwire also has to share revenue whenever the subscriber's device is Intel-based as well as pay a limited number of activation fees.
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10/08, 4:15am
Latest smartphones powered by Android and WinMo
While swinging by Samsung's booth at CTIA, Electronista took a closer look at several of the company's latest handsets. The new Moment was on display, along with the previously announced Intrepid. Samsung also placed a single Behold II handset under a glass case to tease visitors, although it was off-limits for handling or demos.
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10/07, 6:15pm
T-Mobile may have game changer news
US carrier T-Mobile is preparing its staff for a major, mysterious update that could have an impact on other carriers, a rumor implies tonight. A development known as "Project Black" has received few details, as those attached to it have signed non-disclosure agreements, but it will supposedly be significant enough to move T-Mobile up in US market share from its usual fourth place. T-Mobile staff would be trained on it starting Thursday.
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10/07, 5:20pm
Samsung kicks off Mobile WiMAX Release 2
Samsung at an ITU trade show late yesterday provided an initial look at second-generation WiMAX service. Known alternately as Mobile WiMAX Release 2 or 802.16m, the technology borrows multiple-in, multiple-out technology from modern Wi-Fi as well as makes better use of available wireless spectrum. The union should result in speeds about four times faster than current WiMAX networks.
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10/07, 2:05pm
Samsung Moment intros with Android, QWERTY
Sprint used the start of the fall CTIA show today to launch the Samsung Moment, its second Android phone. The device brings a sliding QWERTY keyboard to the carrier's fledgling Android line and is also the first Sprint phone of any kind to use an AMOLED display. Using the 3.2-inch, organic touchscreen provides both much more accurate color than an LCD while simultaneously using less power.
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10/06, 5:05pm
Palm Pixi GSM spotted in Vietnamese leak
A Vietnamese site's access to a prototype has confirmed that Palm is developing a GSM version of the Pixi for use on carriers beyond Sprint and outside of the US. The dissection shows a superficially identical device but, apart from the choice of network, that the phone may carry just 4GB of internal storage instead of 8GB in the version first headed to the US. Its 2-megapixel camera and GPS should remain intact.
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10/06, 4:20pm
HTC confirms HD2 for US in early 2010
HTC's CEO Peter Chou today said that his company's just-revealed HD2 should ultimately reach the US. He declined to say with which carrier, but the executive told SlashGear that it would first show in early 2010, or a few months after the European release. Most other details are also likely to wait until next year.
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10/06, 12:35pm
Samsung Intrepid arrives at Sprint
Not to be left out of Windows Mobile 6.5 introductions, Sprint today launched the Samsung Intrepid as its own entry. The smartphone is a mixed-input model with both a 2.5-inch touchscreen and a fixed QWERTY keyboard that in theory give the phone the advantages of 6.5's more touch-friendly interface without giving up hardware controls. It's also a true world phone with quad-band GSM calling and basic GPRS data as an option beyond Sprint's usual CDMA and EVDO Revision A networks.
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10/05, 4:50pm
Cell South lowers Hero price and adds plan
Cellular South began taking pre-orders for the HTC Hero along with a pair of moves to draw attention to its launch. The phone itself will cost just over half of Sprint's price at $100 versus the larger carrier's $180. Both Android device versions have the same features, including HTC's Sense UI, a 5-megapixel camera, 3G, GPS and Wi-Fi.
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10/05, 3:10pm
BlackBerry Dakota and Essex get early info
Two of RIM's more important future QWERTY BlackBerries have been spoiled today through a pair of slips of details as well as photos. Formerly known as the Magnum, the Dakota should be RIM's first smartphone to have a touchscreen in a conventional shape, like Palm's devices. Salomondrin adds that its camera may be unique in the industry as a whole: it would use a "liquid lens" system that changes the shape of the lens itself to refocus without needing a thick and at times unnatural mechanical focusing system.
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10/05, 12:30pm
Sprint brings 4G data service to 10 new cities
Wireless provider Sprint on Monday announced the expansion of its 4G ultra high speed mobile broadband service to ten new markets. Sprint's 4G network offers download speeds up to 12Mbps in peak conditions and encounters real-world speeds closer to 2-4Mbps. It is significantly faster than 3G, with Sprint claiming up to 10 times faster speeds than 3G services. The new markets mostly involve Texas and include Abilene, Amarillo, Corpus Christi, Killeen-Temple, Lubbok, Midland-Odesssa, Waco and Wichita Falls. Salem, Oregon and Milledgeville, Oregon also get the new network.
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10/02, 4:50pm
Palm Pixi still with vague holiday date
A contradictory rumor this afternoon claims that talk of the Palm Pixi arriving on October 20th is inaccurate. Claiming to have an insider who would "definitely have a better perspective" on the release, Engadget says the date is incorrect and that a launch before the holidays is still the only likely target. No price information or other corrections were made available.
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10/01, 6:10pm
Palm Pixi may show in three weeks
Palm's Pixi may already be in stores in less than three weeks' time if a leak proves true. A new but seemingly realistic source for BGR claims that the phone will be in stores on October 20th. The release would be complete and include not just Sprint's own stores but Best Buy and other third-party chains as well.
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09/30, 4:50pm
Sprint drops HTC Touch Pro2 price by $150
(Update with clarification of plans) Sprint is expected to drop the price of its HTC Touch Pro2 handset tomorrow to $200, according to a PPCGeeks member's talk with a Sprint representative. The $150 drop would match the $200 price the handset is being offered for at Verizon. The price is also after a mail-in rebate and after a two-year contract. The news comes from a PPCGeeks forum board user, who claims the news comes from a Sprint representative.
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09/30, 1:00pm
iPhone leads CFI phone happiness study
Modern touchscreen phones like the iPhone, Android devices and the Palm Pre are proving to be much more enjoyable to use than conventional smartphones -- at times in spite of their networks, according to a CFI study. About 83 percent of US iPhone owners are satisfied with their phones while the other two touch-first platforms, Google's Android and Palm's webOS, are close with 77 percent each. In comparison, 73 percent of BlackBerry owners can say the same while those using Palm Treos of different varieties claimed 70 percent satisfaction.
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09/30, 11:55am
Palm may be cutting jobs
Palm is engaging in a fresh round of job cuts due to disappointing sales of the Pre, according to a pair of assertions made today. One tip has the smartphone creator laying off some staff within the US. Numbers and the particular divisions affected aren't mentioned by CoolSmartphone; the move is only known to be prompted by "restructuring."
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09/29, 3:30pm
T-Mobile details Moto Cliq launch
T-Mobile this afternoon set out official launch details for the Motorola Cliq, its newest Android phone and Motorola's first touchscreen smartphone. Pre-orders for existing users should start on October 19th while the phone should ultimately arrive in stores on November 2nd; those who order in advance may get the phone early, T-Mobile said. The handset itself is priced at the same $200 on contract as its tougher competition, including the iPhone and BlackBerry Tour, though it's more expensive than the $150 prices of the Palm Pre or T-Mobile's own myTouch 3G.
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09/27, 4:20pm
Samsung's eco-friendly Reclaim review
The Samsung Reclaim is arguably one of the first better-than-basic phones built to minimize its environmental impact. Samsung boasts that the Reclaim is the first mobile phone in the US made using bio-plastic materials extracted from corn and that the material is 100 percent biodegradable, while 80 percent of the entire phone is recyclable; it even ships in recycled packaging printed on with soy-based inks. Whether that is enough to merit buying the phone over a same-price equivalent, however, is the real question for our review.
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09/25, 4:50pm
Palm Pre down to $100 at Amazon
The Palm Pre smartphone is now being offered for $100, its lowest price thus far. The device launched at $199 on a two-year contract from wireless provider Sprint, with Amazon now selling the handset on its site for the record-low price. As always, to qualify for the $100 price, a new two-year contract from Sprint is required.
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09/25, 4:05pm
Best Buy Mobile offers Instinct HD for $200
Samsung's recently launched Instinct HD handset is now being offered by Best Buy Mobile for less than the $250 price that Sprint is charging. The electronics retailer prices the Instinct HD at $200 after a two-year activation and instant rebates.
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09/25, 3:20pm
Palm Pre still seen coming to Verizon
Rumors that Verizon is dropping the Pre aren't accurate, according to a note from Deutsche Bank today. The institution cites "checks" that have another version of the Pre still being built that should be destined for the CDMA carrier. There is also "healthy carrier demand" for Palm's phones on other networks if Sprint's exclusive is finished by early 2010.
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09/24, 1:45pm
HP selling Mini 311 Ion netbook
HP today began taking orders for the Mini 311 a week after its unveiling. The netbook is HP's first to use NVIDIA's Ion chipset and uses it to smoothly drive the system's 11.6-inch, 1366x768 screen and to decode up to 1080p without straining the Atom processor inside.
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09/24, 11:00am
Samsung Instinct HD at Sprint
Sprint today provided a significant hardware upgrade to its Samsung Instinct line for the first time since launch by releasing the Instinct HD. It earns its title through enough processing power and a video output that lets it show photos and videos at HD resolution on a TV; Sprint doesn't say whether it uses HDMI and whether it supports 720p or 1080p. A 5-megapixel camera and a much improved Opera Mobile 9.7 web browser are similarly new.
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09/24, 9:25am
Palm Pre O2 ships Oct 13 and 16
O2 today finally committed to specific dates for launching the Palm Pre in Europe. The multi-touch smartphone should ship in the UK and Ireland on October 16th and Germany on October 13th. While prices vary by area, UK pricing notably matches the iPhone's and will give the phone away for free on any voice/data plan, which starts from £34 a month. Those who prefer shorter 18-month contracts can get the phone for free with a £44 or £73 monthly rate.
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09/23, 12:00pm
iRex DR 300SG reader official
iRex today branched out to the US for the first time with its first e-book device intended specifically for the US. The DR 300SG has an 8.1-inch touchscreen e-paper display but centers first on its 3G access for accessing stores. It should support the Barnes & Noble bookstore out of the box for downloads but also recognize several other store format,s including Fictionwise, LibreDigital and Newspaper Direct as well as the universal EPUB format.
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09/23, 9:40am
More than 30 WM 6.5 phones due before 2010
More than 15 phone manufacturers will release over 30 new smartphones running on Microsoft's upcoming Windows Mobile 6.5 operating system before the end of 2009, the copmany's GCR Mobile Team Unit senior director Benjamin Tan said recently. Tan was speaking to a group of reports at the time, according to a Wednesday Digitimes report. Among the phone manufacturers slated to introduce models are HTC, Acer, Samsung, LG, Sony Ericsson, Toshiba and HP.
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09/21, 5:50pm
HTC Hero launches at Cellular South
Google's Android platform reached its first smaller US carrier on Monday night with adding the HTC Hero to its lineup. The smartphone is very close close to the Sprint version with the same "chinless" design, CDMA/EVDO support and Sense UI but will make Sprxmobile's Layar augmented reality point-of-interest app a highlighted download. In hardware, the 5-megapixel camera, GPS, Wi-Fi and 3.5mm headphone jack carry over.
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09/18, 3:05pm
Sprint 4G WiMax in Chicago on Oct. 6th
Sprint will sell its 4G WiMAX mobile broadband service to Chicago residents starting on October 6th, when it will officially be announced during a press event. A Friday story from BBR maintains Sprint has been sending out invitations to members of the press for the event, where it will demonstrate the network's speeds in addition to formally launching the network.
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09/18, 1:50pm
Carriers say Tour trackball fine
Sprint and Verizon together have denied claims that problems with the BlackBerry Tour's trackball are resulting in extraordinarily high return rates. Both now admit that the trackball has been an issue but said that only a "small" number of early Tours were affected by the problem. Verizon indicated also that its return rate for the Tour has actually been lower than average and that it remains as committed to selling the newer BlackBerry Tour as before.
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09/18, 11:20am
AT&T's 3G MicroCell due next week
AT&T's promised 3G MicroCell should finally arrive next week, a source on the show floor of the 4G World expo claimed late Thursday. The often-delayed femtocell devices should have a rollout to a handful of cities that are believed to include Atlanta, San Antonio, Seattle and at least one city in North Carolina. An AT&T worker spotted by Unstrung has made Twitter posts (since pulled) supporting at least the Georgia (Atlanta) and North Carolina deployments.
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09/17, 11:55am
Sprint argues for exclusivity limits
Sprint and AT&T revealed signs of tension between carriers this morning over cellphone exclusivity in back-to-back presentations at the Goldman Sachs Communacopia conference. Speaking at the New York City event, Sprint chief Dan Hesse said it would be a "fair question" for the US government to challenge the length of exclusive phone deals and implied that he might agree to shortened periods of sole access to a given model.
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09/16, 2:35pm
BlackBerry Tour trackball a major issue
The BlackBerry Tour is suffering from a widespread defect that could seriously impact Research in Motion's bottom line, an analyst cautioned on Wednesday. The trackball on the smartphone is reported as clogging so quickly that it requires users to frequently clean it to keep it working; as most don't or aren't aware of it, a very high number of owners end up returning the Tour to the carrier. As many as 50 percent of all Sprint's Tours are being returned, while Verizon is "angry" enough that it's telling stores to expect a shift in support to Motorola's upcoming smartphone based on Android.
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09/15, 11:55pm
Shareholders said to be ready to force changes
Amid rumors that Deutsche Telekom, T-Mobile's parent company, is considering a takeover bid for the US rival Sprint, sources claim the German company's biggest shareholders are preparing to force changes, according to the Financial Times. Although both companies have remained mum on any private negotiations, the report corroborates earlier suggestions that D Telekom has become frustrated with the performance of its US subsidiary.
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