The 5GB data plan for phones supplied by Sprint acting as mobile hotspots is no longer available. In it's place, comes a 2GB and a 6GB plan. Users on the existing 5GB plan won't be forced to take one of the newer, more expensive per-GB plans. The new tiers are in place effective May 18.
Following a delay of nearly a week after repeated denial of service attacks, low-cost Sprint reseller Voyager Mobile has launched in 22 states. Voyager provides Sprint's 3G and WiMAX network for $39 a month, contract free. Alternatively, a $19/month unlimited-talk plan is available.
On the heels of similar offers from Target and Radio Shack, chains Best Buy, Sam's Club, and Sprint have succumbed to peer pressure. Best Buy and Sam's Club have reduced the price of the iPhone 4 8GB model to $50 with a new two-year contract. As reported earlier, Sprint is offering "at least" $100 off a new contract on an iPhone 4S with the exchange of any prior iPhone.
Beginning tomorrow, Sprint is planning to offer "at least" $100 for older iPhones traded in towards an iPhone 4S, a leak claims. A graphic provided by a source identifies the promotion as running through June 30th, and also requiring the activation of a new line of service. What it might take to get more than $100 for an old iPhone has not been mentioned.
Sprint's deal with Apple for the iPhone will ultimately prove "quite profitable" for the carrier, said CEO Dan Hesse during a company shareholder meeting on Tuesday. The pact will end up costing $15.5 billion by the end of 2015, which has prompted some worried shareholders to challenge it. Hesse in fact recently returned $3.25 million in personal compensation back to Sprint when it was pointed out that the company hadn't factored in the impact of the iPhone before tallying worker bonuses.
A leaked memo shared by TechnoBuffalo indicates that Sprint will put an end to its early upgrade program. Basically, the carrier let some users who were close to their hardware upgrade eligibility date -- say two weeks -- upgrade to a new phone. The change is due to "high costs," Sprint explained in the memo, and four other options are given to staff in order to appease customers.
Voyager Mobile, the new prepaid carrier that was due to launch on Tuesday, has announced it needs to delay the debut due to a malicious network attack on its website. Instead, the service and site will launch in the "very near future," though exactly when this will be remains to be seen. The carrier promises to bring contract-free, all-in plans that start at just $19 per month when users bring their own hardware.
A new carrier will vie for subscriber dollars when it launches in some states on May 15. Called Voyager Mobile, it promises to introduce unlimited, no-contract plans that start at $19 per month. The MVNO piggybacks onto Sprint's network, and is unique in offering Voyager Rewards points for using minutes.
Sprint and Sierra Wireless have announced the availability of the first mobile router to combine LTE and WiMAX 4G connections alongside 3G connectivity. The Sierra Wireless 4G LTE Tri-Fi Hotspot will connect to Sprint's 4G network and will become available to customers starting May 18.
Sprint may soon be adding another Android-powered phone to its lineup with the SPH-L300, a photo of which was shared by BriefMobile. The phone should share the same 1.5GHz, dual-core MSM8960 processor as the Evo 4G LTE. The battery also has mention of Near Field Communications, so the phone should ship with it included.
The HTC Evo 4G LTE has become available for preorder from Best Buy. The Sprint handset, which Electronista was able to try out last month, is being promoted by the electronics retailer with a $50 gift card for those that take up the offer ahead of the May 18 release date.
As promised late last month, Sprint's WiMAX 4G network will soon come to Virgin and Boost Mobile, with the two providers releasing more details on Tuesday. The initial 4G-capable devices were announced, with the ship dates and live date for them being May 31. Virgin will get data devices: the Broadband2Go-branded Sierra Wireless Overdrive Pro hotspot and the Franklin U600 USB modem.
Following a loss of profit due to iPhone subsidies to consumers, Sprint Nextel CEO Daniel Hesse said he would take a pay cut this year. Hesse reported his 2012 salary would be cut to repay $346,000 he has already received in performance bonuses, and he will voluntarily surrender additional cash from 2011 and 2012 incentive plans.
Boingo and Transit Wireless on Thursday announced a deal that will see New York City subway stations equipped with hotspots. The rollout will occur gradually over the next five years in Manhattan, Brooklyn, the Bronx, and Queens stations. Users will need to have a Boingo account or access the hotspot network using their Skype, Sprint, T-Mobile, or Verizon accounts.
Galaxy Nexus owners on Sprint will receive an update
fixing the missing 3G support on the handset. Subscribers have been reporting network connection issues on the carrier's public forum for the last week.
LG isn't looking to produce another Windows Phone in the near future, a spokesman said Monday. While there would still be development, the representative wanted to minimize expectations of anything imminent when asked by the Korea Herald. The Microsoft platform's low market share was put at fault as likely making it difficult to justify going beyond Android.
For HTC, 2011 was sometimes considered a write-off: what looked to be a promising year with an early 4G lead saw the company overwhelmed by Apple and Samsung, and even by its own at times confusing lineup with problematic phones like the Thunderbolt. The One series for 2012 is the reboot, a return to basics with an emphasis on high-end design and even stripping back the custom Sense interface layer. We'll determine in our review of the HTC One X in 4G LTE trim, and to some extent the Evo 4G LTE, whether HTC is back to being a fierce competitor for the iPhone and Galaxy roster.
Sprint subscribers are sounding off in the company's support forums, reporting that their 3G support for the Galaxy Nexus isn't working. The Wi-Fi radio continues to operate perfectly, however. One user, who provided the screenshot below, said the network state on his smartphone is 'Connecting,' while showing EVDO Revision A as available.
A newly proposed Congressional bill on Thursday would set the terms to shift government frequencies to the private world. Known as the Efficient Use of Government Spectrum Act, it would demand that the FCC include airwaves between 1,755MHz and 1,780MHz in the same auction as one covering the 2,155MHz to 2,180MHz space. If passed, the bill would give the related government agencies five years to get their equipment off the network.
Clearwire late Thursday gave an indication as to the scope of its initial LTE network launch for mid-2013. A total of 31 market areas would be covered during the launch period. The deployment would include several major cities, among them Chicago, Los Angeles, New York City, San Francisco, and Seattle.
Sprint confirmed during a call for its latest results that it was bringing 4G to Boost Mobile and Virgin Mobile. CEO Dan Hesse expected both of the prepaid carriers to use the older WiMAX network before the end of 2012. More details would come as the launch got nearer, he said.
Sprint on Wednesday reported steep losses for its winter quarter but had relatively strong iPhone results. The company's losses nearly doubled, from $439 million a year earlier to $863 million, owing largely to a $543 million depreciation from the Nextel iDEN network ramp-down. At 1.5 million iPhone sales, however, it saw only a slight drop from the fall in what's widely believed to be its primary smartphone platform.
Verizon has lowered their 2 year contract subsidized price on the Galaxy Nexus LTE by $100 from $299 to $199. This price reduction comes one day after the phone became available on Sprint. The off-contract price remains the same at $649.99.
The coming months will see the arrival of at least one HTC smartphone on Virgin Mobile Canada, with the carrier's website now sporting a page advertising the coming of the HTC One S. Meanwhile, the HTC Evo 4G LTE may show up on Sprint's network in mid-May.
A proposed privacy law requiring police to obtain warrants for handset tracking has been criticized by a trade association respresenting AT&T, Sprint, and Verizon, CNET has reported. CTIA - The Wireless Association wrote that the California law would "create greater confusion for wireless providers when responding to legitimate law enforcement requests."
Just as Sprint is getting its first LTE phones, its sub-brands Boost Mobile and Virgin Mobile may be getting their first forms of 4G, according to a rumor. The two contract-free carriers were purported by TechnoBuffalo's contact to be inheriting the WiMAX network as Sprint moves its main customer base to the newer LTE standard. Accordingly, the just phased-out Evo 3D and other phones would go to Virgin, possibly under different names.
Sprint has quietly dropped the HTC Evo 3D near its one-year anniversary. The glasses-free 3D phone is no longer available online and now is in limited stock at retail stores. At present, the Evo Design 4G is the only as-new HTC Android phone on the carrier.
Verizon is planning to quickly follow up on the Sprint Galaxy Nexus launch with a steep price drop. A leaked minimum advertised price guide at Droid-Life has Samsung's Android 4.0 phone dropping to the same $200 on April 23, a day after Sprint stores get their examples. While it could be a storage cut ike the 16GB RAZR, it's more likely to remain the 32GB edition.
Pre-orders for Sprint's version of the Galaxy Nexus, begun on April 16, may have reflected very strong demand. Earlier Thursday, the pre-order page indicated that inventory had been sold out for those not willing to wait until the April 22 launch. The exact quantities Sprint will have aren't known and make it difficult to gauge actual interest.
The New York attorney general's office has filed a sued against wireless carrier Sprint that seeks over $300 million for allegedly not paying sales tax in the state for seven years. The third-largest US carrier is accused of deliberately failing to collect and pay sales taxes on flat-rate access charges for its wireless calling plans, according to a Thursday report. This practice cost state and local government over $100 million, read a statement from New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman.
Sprint might have more than just the six initial cities for its LTE-based 4G rollout in mid-year. A leak of internal documentation to TechnoBuffalo has shown that the LTE version of Sprint's Network Vision consolidation has been in progress in several other major cities since December. Akron, Chicago, Fort Worth, Nashville, New York, Rialto and Stockton are listed along with the known LTE upgrade cities.
Sprint on Tuesday confirmed some rumors and unveiled the LG Optimus Elite. The carrier's version of the Optimus Net, which will also have a Virgin Mobile equivalent, will be the most affordable US smartphone ever to support Google Wallet, costing just $30 on Sprint after a contract and rebate. Its support for the needed NFC is an exception to entry level specs, such as a 3.5-inch, 320x480 display, an 800MHz processor, and a five-megapixel back camera with none at the front.
Sprint has launched a rare new WiMAX-supporting Lenovo IdeaPad S205s on its web and retail stores, selling for $200 after a $100 rebate and requiring a two-year contract. The netbook offers a slim 18mm profile and 11.6 display, running on a Pentium Dual Core U5600 processor (1.33GHz) with Windows 7 Home Premium. The unit includes a built-in webcam and facial recognition technology for logging on, along with Intel's AppsUp store.
The AT&T version of the HTC One X may get its final release window very soon. Rumors emerging from BGR have an announcement due as soon as Tuesday, with shipping coming "within five to seven days" of that date. Pricing itself wasn't given out, but it's expected to come in at $250 to $300 given AT&T's past 4G phone pricing.
Sprint ended one of the longer waits for one of its phones in recent memory by taking pre-orders for its version of Samsung's Galaxy Nexus. The device will ship to its second American LTE carrier on April 22, with some advance order makers possibly getting theirs as soon as April 20. Pricing will be much more aggressive than at Verizon, at $200 on a contract with unlimited on-device data compared to Verizon's $300 and data caps.
Virtual network operator Ting revealed that it will launch an LTE network at the same time as Sprint, which it currently relies on for its CDMA and 3G networks. Ting also now uses Clearwire's WiMAX network for mobile broadband, though if this will change once Sprint rolls out its LTE offering mid-year remains to be seen. According to an executive from Ting's parent company Tucows, Ting's LTE offerings will include USB data modems, mobile hotspots, and "pretty spiffy" smartphones.
Sprint is reportedly set to reallocate its 800MHz spectrum to be used for 4G LTE network technology. The company currently uses its 800MHz block for the aging iDEN standard, which is utilized for push-to-talk devices, however network operations president Steve Elfman claims the band eventually will be used for LTE, according to quotes posted by FierceWireless.
Sprint will be releasing its version of the Samsung Galaxy Nexus on April 22nd, according to a company document. The leak, via BGR, shows that the LTE-enabled smartphone will be released on the same day as the already announced LG Viper 4G LTE.
Sprint stores will soon begin stocking Galaxy Nexus LTE handsets, as indicated by some stores getting promotional materials plastered with the April 15 launch date. Shared by Phandroid, this lines up with earlier rumors that had the handset arriving at the carrier between April 15 and 22. Unfortunately, the Sprint store materials aren't making a reference to the LTE capabilities of the phone, supporting evidence that the handset won't have 4G enabled, at least at first.
A newly-leaked internal memo shared by Engadget has revealed that the LTE-enabled LG Viper 4G will arrive in Sprint stores on April 22. The $100 handset will also be available on the store shelves of Best Buy and Radio Shack as well on the same time. The eco-friendly handset will not be capable of accessing Sprint's 4G network just yet, however, as its launch hasn't been detailed yet.
A graphic on Sprint's homepage as of Tuesday evening may have unintentionally spoiled, or at least hinted at, plans for its own version of the Samsung Galaxy Note. A "Take Control" image expands to show a woman standing next to an oversized rendering of what's clearly Samsung's 5.3-inch Android device, with the Samsung logo just above the controls. Sprint's current main Samsung Phone, the Epic 4G Touch, is conspicuously different.
The FCC as well as AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, and Verizon have reached an agreement to potentially improve tracking down stolen cellphones. A common database will register phones and their IMEIs that were marked as stolen or lost and deny them voice or data until they're considered safe. The effort will start with individual databases in half a year, followed by a united pool in the year and a half following that point.
HTC's One S got clues it was much closer to release after leaks of internal staff training. Material passed on to TmoNews have it selling the phone on April 25, which is likely "Final" barring a delay. The copies mostly recap features, but also position the One S as one of if not the most important phone T-Mobile will have for the spring.
Sprint confirmed and started rolling out its Android 4.0 update for Nexus S 4G owners. Users get the Android 4.0.4 update in a largely unmodified form. The update keeps hardware-specific Android 4.0 features like Android Beam transfers and Google Wallet over NFC while preserving Sprint's WiMAX 4G.
HTC has posted a promo video (below) for the Evo 4G LTE that may have inadvertently given away HTC's plans for a sequel to the Evo 3D. While showing a series of prototypes' backs, a phone with twin cameras and matching flashes is shown at around the 23-second mark. Its look is virtually identical to that of the Evo 4G LTE next to it, suggesting that the two Android phones have at least had a parallel development track.
Earlier this week, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) disclosed information on wiretapping by law enforcement agencies in the US. The information, obtained under the Freedom of Information Act, while quantifying the extent to which the practice takes place, also reveals it as a lucrative business for the carriers. Every time a person's phone is tapped or their location is tracked, the service providers charge the government.
As expected, HTC and Sprint have formally unveiled the Evo 4G LTE smartphone at a special event in New York City. The handset appears to serve as an LTE variant of HTC's One X, which was introduced earlier this year at Mobile World Congress, though the Sprint model offers several additional upgrades alongside the LTE radio.
HTC at its live event Wednesday rolled out the Evo 4G LTE. Its adaptation of the One X we tried in February will be the first in the US with HD Voice. The trick ups the effective bitrate of voice to provide a clearer and more natural sound, although Sprint hasn't explained fully how it works.
HTC and Sprint have invited journalists to a launch event in New York City, where the companies promise to detail "their latest collaboration." A flurry of leaks points to the HTC Evo One as the focal point of the event. Check out our live coverage page at 5:30 Eastern for pictures and updates.
(Update 2: Alaska Communications and three others too) In an unexpected move, relatively small US carrier nTelos has unveiled iPhone plans. The Virginia-based, nationally-focused carrier will start carrying Apple's hardware at 7AM on April 20, with pre-registrations starting immediately. It will have a unique advantage in starting with lower prices: the iPhone 4S and iPhone 4 will be available for $50 less than usual across every model, starting the 8GB iPhone 4 at $50 on a contract and the 16GB iPhone 4S at $150.
