t-mobile

T-Mobile USA loses 492,000 contract customers in Q3

T-Mobile USA has lost close to half a million subscribers during the third quarter, according to the company's earnings statement out this morning (PDF).

The network lost a total of 492,000 postpaid contracts -- the lucrative long-term contracts that that bring in regular income for a cellular network -- during the quarter, causing a drop in its average revenue per user (ARPU) to $42.78, a decline of 7 percent on the same quarter a year ago.

The firm also reported a net 287,000 wholesale customers, including machine-to-machine (M2M) agreements and through its resellers.

However, T-Mobile USA … Read more

T-Mobile boosts 4G coverage in attempt to lure iPhone users

T-Mobile today added Baltimore, Houston, and Washington, D.C. to the list of U.S. cities served by 4G (HSPA+) on its faster 1900 network.

"As a part of our $4 billion plan to transform our network, T-Mobile continues to strengthen an already fast and competitive 4G experience in major metro areas across the country by installing new equipment and retuning our 4G airwaves to work with more devices," T-Mobile USA Chief Technology Officer Neville Ray said in a statement today.

One of the devices that the carrier specifically highlighted to get the faster 4G coverage is the … Read more

T-Mobile confirms no Wi-Fi calling for Nexus 4

CNET has confirmed that the LG Nexus 4 for by T-Mobile will not come with Wi-Fi calling capabilities. The change was first reported earlier today by the tech blog TmoNews.

As one of the more popular features in select T-Mobile Android smartphones, it allows users to make calls via their Wi-Fi connection instead of using the carrier's towers and cellular network. Not only could this lead to potentially stronger signal in homes, but also it doesn't count against allotted monthly minutes.

Why there is no Wi-Fi calling in the new LG smartphone is fairly easy to explain. The … Read more

Boxee set to battle Apple TV, Roku

While CNET's New York office waits for power to come back after the storm, we're bringing you the Update show from our San Francisco office. Thursday's top tech stories include:

- Boxee TV arrives at Walmart for $99 and offers perks for early adopters, including three months of free service and a discounted DVR subscription afterward.

- AT&T and T-Mobile have activated a new service that blocks smartphone thieves from using a stolen phone on GSM networks.

- AT&T launched the AT&T Locker app that offers 5GB of free cloud storage … Read more

AT&T, T-Mobile team up to curb smartphone theft

AT&T and T-Mobile, the two GSM carriers in the U.S., have turned on a database designed to cut back on smartphone theft.

The database went live yesterday and allows either AT&T or T-Mobile to block a device from being used on either network. In order to do that, the companies ban a device's IMEI number -- a unique identifier that tells networks what the device is and who owns it -- and effectively stop it from being able to place calls.

In the past, stolen smartphones were blocked by eliminating the use of a … Read more

With no 4G LTE support, new Nexus devices irk early adopters

For all the wonderful hardware and software that comes with the new Nexus 4 and the rejiggered Nexus 7, there's one glaring feature that keeps them from being truly leading-edge: lack of 4G LTE support.

That means that as of today, early adopters who want the latest and greatest in Android will have to be content with an HSPA+ network. Yes, T-Mobile's HSPA+ can sometimes be as fast as LTE, but unlike with the iPhone, Android has always been good about including cutting-edge features. That's why this one hurts. Cue snickering from the Apple crowd.

Google did … Read more

For holidays, T-Mobile goes big on Android and Windows Phone 8

Hurricane Sandy forced T-Mobile to cancel a Holiday Showcase event planned for New York City today, but the storm didn't prevent the carrier from announcing its 2012 product lineup for the holiday season. The iPhone is absent, of course, but T-Mobile will deliver a strong lineup of Android and Windows Phone 8 tablets and smartphones. As you'd expect from the carrier, some devices, like the LG Optimus L9 and Nokia Lumia 810, are decidedly midrange. Yet, other handsets, like the HTC Windows Phone 8X and new LG Nexus 5 are top of the line.

Here's the skinny … Read more

Windows Phone 8 trio hitting Verizon for the holidays

Microsoft is getting a little cozier with Verizon, saying the nation's biggest carrier will offer three Windows Phone 8 devices for the coming holiday season.

Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer, speaking during an event today, said Verizon will be offering the Nokia Lumia 822, and that the 8X by HTC will ship by Thanksgiving. Verizon also will offer the Samsung ATIV Odyssey in December.

The 8X will retail at $199 for 16 GB, while the Lumia 822 will sell for $99.

Meanwhile, AT&T will be selling the Lumia 820, Lumia 920, and Windows Phone 8X, while T-Mobile will … Read more

T-Mobile beefs up Android security with malware protection

T-Mobile is aiming to fortify the Android smartphones and tablets it carries by offering users free protection against malware and viruses.

The company announced today that it is partnering with mobile security company Lookout to help T-Mobile customers protect their devices with a product called Automatic App Security. The software will come preloaded on certain devices this year, and then T-Mobile will roll it out to most Android devices in 2013.

"As we rely more on our mobile devices, for everything from business to social to banking, it is increasingly important that we protect them from threats," CEO … Read more

T-Mobile is first carrier to sell the Galaxy Note 2

T-Mobile is the first carrier out of the gate to bring its customers the much-anticipated Samsung Galaxy Note 2. As of today, any T-Mobile user can snap up the device.

Rumors floated this week that the carrier was already receiving shipments of the "phablet" in its retail stores. Samsung had planned a Galaxy Note 2 launch event today, but until T-Mobile's announcement it was unclear when exactly users would be able to get their hands on the device.

T-Mobile will sell the phone for $369.99 with a new, two-year service agreement. That makes it the priciest … Read more