PCD
Quality One Wireless Finalizes PCD Acquisition
Quality One Wireless today announced that it has finalized is acquisition of Personal Communications Devices. Quality One made a stalking horse bid for PCD, which declared bankruptcy in order to facilitate the deal, in August. According to Quality One, it paid "in excess of $125 million" for PCD's assets. PCD is responsible for facilitating the relationship between handset designers, handset manufacturers, and Tier 1 carriers in the U.S. Q1W does much the same thing, but for smaller companies across a larger geographical footprint. The two companies believe that they'll be able to offer carriers and phone makers a much broader and more complete set of services. Now that the acquisition is complete, the combined entity will operate as Quality One Wireless.
Quality One Wireless Makes 'Stalking Horse' Bid for PCD
Personal Communications Devices today announced that it has agreed to sell the bulk of its assets to Quality One Wireless for an undisclosed sum. In order to facilitate the transaction, PCD has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and Q1W has made an initial bid for the now-bankrupt company's assets. PCD is responsible for facilitating the relationship between handset designers, handset manufacturers, and Tier 1 carriers in the U.S. Q1W does much the same thing, but for smaller companies across a larger geographical footprint. The two companies believe that they'll be able to offer carriers and phone makers a much broader and more complete set of services once the acquisition is complete. Both firms are based in the U.S., and the deal will be subject to regulatory approval.
Alcatel Brings QWERTY To AT&T GoPhone
AT&T recently started selling the Alcatel 871a - a basic phone with a QWERTY keyboard - through indirect channels such as Best Buy for $40. The phone sports a 2-megapixel camera, memory card slot, music player, Bluetooth, and 3G data. PCD is managing the phone's U.S. distribution for Alcatel. The phone is part of AT&T's GoPhone prepaid lineup, although it is not yet for sale through AT&T directly.
Pantech Marauder Goes Easy On Smartphone Virgins
Verizon and PCD today announced the Pantech Marauder, a 4G LTE Android phone with a slide-out QWERTY keyboard and a "starter mode" for people new to Android or who prefer a simpler interface. The starter mode has four home screens with preset widgets, including a dialer, and a simplified lock screen. On-device guided tours also help new users learn the ins and outs. There is also a standard mode for users wishing more standard Android. Users can switch between modes at any time without losing any settings or data. Other features include a 5-megapixel camera, 1.2 GHz dual-core processor, 1 GB of RAM, mobile Wi-Fi hotspot, DLNA wireless media streaming, and a memory card slot. Distributed by PCD, the Marauder will go on sale August 2 for $100, with two-year contract and before $50 rebate.
Virgin Mobile USA Scores Android-Powered PCD Chaser
Virgin Mobile USA recently made the PCD Chaser available for purchase on its web site. The Chaser is an Android 2.3 Gingerbread smartphone that has a 3.2-inch touch display and 800MHz processor. Stand-out features of the Chaser include a 3-megapixel camera with LED flash and camcorder; Bluetooth, GPS, Wi-Fi, and 3G; and 2GB memory card with support for cards up to 32GB. The Chaser is compatible with Virgin Mobile ID packs and VM Live media streaming services. The PCD Chaser costs $79.99 and is compatible with plans starting at $35 per month.
Pantech Caper Headed to Verizon's Pre-Paid Service
At the CTIA Wireless trade show, Phone Scoop found an unannounced handset from Pantech at the PCD booth that will soon be sold by Verizon Wireless's pre-paid business. The Caper is a monoblock QWERTY phone that has a basic feature set. It has a 2.2-inch display, a 1.3 megapixel camera, stereo Bluetooth, and supports messaging features such as instant messaging, SMS/MMS, email and mobile web. Pricing an availability haven't been announced for this phone.
PCD Quietly Slips Out the TXT8030 Twisting Phone
A new phone from PCD (formerly UTStarcom) was seen this week at the CTIA trade show. The TXT8030 is a bar-style phone that is unique in that it twists in the middle. On one side of the bottom is an angled, full QWERTY keyboard for messaging, and on the other side is speakers and music control buttons. The D-pad remains on the same side as the display. It has a 2.2-inch screen, 1.3 megapixel camera, Bluetooth 2.0, and support for 16GB microSD cards. It will be available in the third quarter.
