Phone Scoop - Latest News

Verizon Snaps Up SureWest Assets

Eric M. Zeman — Fri, 09 May 2008 20:53:00 GMT

Verizon Wireless has purchased the assets of SureWest Communications in northern California. Verizon paid $69 million for SureWest's spectrum licenses and network and operations assets in the Sacramento metropolitan region. SureWest's 50,000 customers will be transitioned to Verizon Wireless, ...
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Verizon Adds Motorola Q9c to Smartphone Roster

Eric M. Zeman — Fri, 09 May 2008 12:46:18 GMT

Verizon Wireless announced that the Motorola Q9c will be available via Verizon's business sales channels beginning today, and will be in retail stores sometime in the next few weeks. The Q9c is based on the Standard version of Windows ...
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Review: Samsung Glyde

Eric M. Zeman — Thu, 08 May 2008 15:28:23 GMT

Samsung bundles a touch screen and QWERTY keyboard into one, pocket-friendly phone. Reach out and touch the Glyde. Video tour added!
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Helio, Virgin Mobile USA in Merger Talks

Eric M. Zeman — Thu, 08 May 2008 18:51:34 GMT

MVNOs Helio and Virgin Mobile USA have indicated that they are in preliminary merger discussions. Both MVNOs have faced difficulties in making subscriber gains. SK Telecom, which owns a controlling share of Helio, has been considering what to do ...
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I-HSPA Trial Reaches 10.1 Mbps Download Speed

Eric M. Zeman — Thu, 08 May 2008 16:23:38 GMT

Mobilkom Austria and Nokia Siemens Networks recently performed some tests on Internet High Speed Packet Access (I-HSPA) equipment. During a data call test, information was transmitted from the tower to the device at a rate of 10.1 Mbps, making ...
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Microsoft Targets Poor with Fone+

Eric M. Zeman — Thu, 08 May 2008 15:50:43 GMT

Microsoft has shifted its strategy to bring computing and the internet to those in developing nations. It is ramping up the development of its Fone+ program, which aims to provide smartphones as computing platforms for the needy. Rather than ...
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Best Buy Invests in Carphone Warehouse

Eric M. Zeman — Thu, 08 May 2008 13:08:36 GMT

The two companies struck an agreement to form a new retail joint venture in Europe. Best Buy will invest $2.1 billion in the joint venture, which will attempt to grow both firms' presence in the European retail markets. Best ...
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Samsung's Glyde Slides Open at Verizon

Eric M. Zeman — Thu, 08 May 2008 12:30:00 GMT

Today Samsung announced the SCH-u940 Glyde, a new sideways slider for Verizon Wireless that has a touch screen user interface on the front. The Glyde is a CDMA version of the F700. Its UI is based on Samsung's Croix ...
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Huawei Shopping Its Handset Business

Eric M. Zeman — Wed, 07 May 2008 17:14:26 GMT

Huawei Technologies is considering selling a large portion--possibly even a majority--of its handset business to a foreign investor. Huawei, which is a Chinese maker of telecommunications equipment, said it will use the investment to help it enter the North ...
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Verizon Makes BlackBerry Curve 8330 Available

Eric M. Zeman — Wed, 07 May 2008 14:10:00 GMT

The smartphone is available beginning today online and through Verizon's business channels. It will be for sale in retail stores beginning May 12. The 8330 will cost $170 with contract after rebates.

Sprint and Clearwire Merge WiMax Businesses

Eric M. Zeman — Wed, 07 May 2008 12:10:48 GMT

Today Sprint Nextel and Clearwire Corporation announced that they will combine the two companies' WiMax businesses to create one national WiMax network. The new company will be called Clearwire and its goal will be to build out a high-speed ...
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Sprint to Announce New Clearwire Deal

Eric M. Zeman — Tue, 06 May 2008 20:33:40 GMT

Sprint is prepared to announce a formal, $12 billion WiMax partnership with Clearwire. Under the terms of the agreement, Sprint will merge its high-speed wireless WiMax network with Clearwire's own WiMax network. The joint venture will provide high-speed wireless ...
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HTC Touch Diamond

Rich Brome — Tue, 06 May 2008 11:10:01 GMT

In depth and hands-on with HTC's new flagship phone, the Touch Diamond.
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Boost Launches Unlimited Pay-As-You-Go Plan

Eric M. Zeman — Tue, 06 May 2008 18:08:21 GMT

Boost Mobile, a division of Sprint, has announced its own version of an unlimited plan. For $1 per day, Boost Mobile subscribers will have unlimited nights and weekends, unlimited mobile-to-mobile minutes, and unlimited text messages. Daytime minutes will cost ...
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HTC Announces Touch Diamond

Rich Brome — Tue, 06 May 2008 11:28:07 GMT

HTC today announced the Touch Diamond, a finger-touch device with a new HTC user interface based on Windows Mobile 6.1. The thin device has HDPSA/HSUPA, a VGA display with auto-rotation, and a custom YouTube application. It will be available ...
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Qwest, Verizon Partner on Wireless Deal

Eric M. Zeman — Mon, 05 May 2008 23:48:01 GMT

Qwest and Verizon Wireless have signed an agreement whereby Qwest will sell Verizon Wireless's phones and services to its customers. Qwest's landline subscribers will have access to all of Verizon Wireless's phones, modems, voice and data services. They will ...
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Sprint Seriously Considering Sale of Nextel

Eric M. Zeman — Mon, 05 May 2008 19:23:30 GMT

Sprint is said to be in the process of evaluating whether or not it should sell or spin-off its stake in Nextel. Sprint purchased Nextel for $35 billion in December 2004 and has had difficulties in merging the iDEN ...
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T-Mobile's 3G Network Goes Live Today

Eric M. Zeman — Mon, 05 May 2008 16:00:00 GMT

Today T-Mobile announced the official launch of its UMTS/HSDPA 3G network in New York City. T-Mobile subscribers with phones that have 1700 MHz radios in them will be able to access both voice and data wireless services on the ...
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Deutsche Telekom Considering Sprint Nextel Acquisition

Eric M. Zeman — Mon, 05 May 2008 01:54:47 GMT

German telecommunications company Deutsche Telekom, parent company of T-Mobile USA, is currently mulling plans to buy Sprint Nextel. Sources indicated that the plans are in the earliest stages, and are not final. Sprint's current market capitalization is about $22 ...
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Dual-Band GSM/CDMA Samsung Sighted on FCC

Eric M. Zeman — Sat, 03 May 2008 23:00:20 GMT

The Samsung SCH-i770 was recently approved by the FCC. Documents seen on the FCC site provide some interesting details about this device. It has dual-band 850/1900 GSM and dual-band 850/1900 CDMA radios. It also has other bands (possibly GSM ...
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