Carriers

Current AT&T and T-Mobile plans compared

In a year from now, the chart that you see below you might be out-of-date. After the news broke that AT&T would be acquiring T-Mobile USA, one of the first concerns was if T-Mobile customers would be able to keep their plans. Thankfully,T-Mobile has released an FAQ that answered just that; T-Mobile will keep things as they are for about 12 months, and any agreement you enter into in the meantime will be honored once the changeover goes through.

But we wanted to see just exactly what T-Mobile customers might be giving up in terms of monthly … Read more

AT&T and T-Mobile: Good for whom?

Just when CTIA 2011 was shaping up to be a snoozer, it suddenly got a lot more interesting today when AT&T announced that it was acquiring T-Mobile for $39 billion. A rumored acquisition of T-Mobile has long been percolating for a few months--up until today Sprint was listed as the likely buyer--but the news of AT&T swooping nonetheless is shocking. And as I see it, it's not very good for T-Mobile customers.

Absolutely, AT&T and T-Mobile are a natural fit on the surface. They both are GSM, they have broad international coverage, and … Read more

AT&T and T-Mobile: By the numbers

AT&T and T-Mobile rocked the United States this morning with merger plans that would make T-Mobile USA part of AT&T's empire. (That's assuming the buyout receives regulatory approval; until then, it's business as usual at T-Mobile for now.)

Both T-Mobile and AT&T have a claim to fame in recent smartphone history. AT&T was first to get the Apple iPhone, in an exclusive two-year deal no less, but it was T-Mobile that first got the Android ball rolling with the T-Mobile G1.

CNET will have much more news and analysis … Read more

T-Mobile: Business as usual for now

AT&T announced today it had entered into an agreement to acquire T-Mobile USA from Deutsche Telekom for $39 billion. The news was unexpected and sent the technology world into a frenzy, and naturally, it has many AT&T and T-Mobile subscribers wondering what's next.

Of course, T-Mobile customers have more to gain or lose in this deal, and to ease some of the early anxiety, the carrier has posted a FAQ on its Web site, outlining how the acquisition will impact their service.

For now, you won't see much of a change. T-Mobile will continue to act as an independent company until the merger goes through, which the company expects will take about 12 months. Until then, your service, data plans, selection of phones (read: no iPhone just yet), and billing will remain the same. In addition, T-Mobile states that any contract plans entered into before the change of ownership will be honored.

The carrier goes on to explain how the acquisition is good news for customers, as it will improve voice and data service and ensure 4G LTE coverage for 95 percent of the population--something T-Mobile says that neither it or AT&T could have done on its own.

We have reached out to T-Mobile for additional information on how the acquisition might impact the product portfolio, data plans, and contracts and will update this story once we have more information, but the carrier says that customers will receive advance notice of any changes to service.

Despite this reassurance, the reaction from T-Mobile customers has been apprehensive to say the least. Let us know what you think in the comments section below. … Read more

CTIA 2011 preview

Just a month after we returned from Mobile World Congress, the wireless trade show marathon continues with CTIA 2011. As the larger of two annual events held by the industry's trade group, CTIA always delivers a batch of new handsets and a welcome focus on the U.S. market. After a few sessions in Las Vegas, the spring jamboree returns to Orlando, Fla., this year where it last made camp in 2007. CNET's entire team of wireless reporters and reviewers will be on the ground in Orlando to bring you the hottest news including a keynote address by the CEOsRead more

Sprint-branded Xoom spotted online

It appears that Verizon Wireless won't be retaining exclusive rights to the Xoom for very long. Late yesterday an image of a Sprint-branded version of the tablet landed in an online forum.

Presumably, the device will be largely the same as the Verizon model, but it's unknown whether this edition will be ready to support Sprint's WiMax network out of the box. Sources close to site Android and Me have indicated that the Sprint model may come WiMax-equipped from the beginning.

The Verizon Xoom currently features 3G and Wi-Fi connectivity options with an option for users to … Read more

Sprint lays out plans for future of Direct Connect service

After keeping us in suspense for the last couple months, Sprint today finally laid out concrete plans for the future of Nextel's Direct Connect network. The carrier says it will retain the basic elements of the push-to-talk (PTT) network, but it will transition the service from iDEN to CDMA by the fourth quarter of this year.

The move will be a centerpiece of the carrier's "Network Vision" program that it announced last December. By consolidating the incompatible networks, Sprint promises to enhance coverage and data speeds, boost capacity, increase network flexibility, and reduce operating costs.

Since … Read more

Verizon has plenty of Android to get them through the summer

With Verizon announcing the release date of the Thunderbolt earlier this morning, the focus shifts again to the horizon. What does the carrier have lined up in the future in terms of Android devices? Is it easing off Android now that it's secured the iPhone or is it going to keep its foot on the gas? Based on numerous leaks from this week, it appears Verizon doesn't plan on giving up on Android any time soon.

The Droid Incredible looks to be the next device to get a refresh now that the Incredible S has been announced. AndroidSpin … Read more

AT&T's 4G masquerade

There are some angry AT&T customers out there, and rightfully so.

Over the past few weeks, there have been mounting complaints and reports against the carrier about capping upload speeds on its 4G devices, specifically the HTC Inspire 4G and the Motorola Atrix 4G. AT&T remained mum on the subject until late last week when a customer filed a complaint with the Better Business Bureau.

AT&T states:

AT&T is focused on delivering a wide choice of solutions and the best possible smartphone experience to our customers. Be assured that AT&T … Read more

Android Atlas Weekly 39: Trojans and tablets (podcast)

Hackers unlock Google Music Sync service and the Motorola Atrix 4G's webtop interface. Motorola announces that it'll upgrade your hacked Xoom. Meanwhile, the Android Market's trojan app fiasco gets much more complex with the announcement of a malicious version of Google's own Android Security Tool. All of that and more on this week's edition of Android Atlas Weekly with Justin Eckhouse and Antuan Goodwin.

Subscribe:  iTunes (MP3)iTunes (320x180)iTunes (640x360)RSS (MP3)RSS (320x180)RSS (640x360) EPISODE 39

Android leaps beyond RIM to take top spot in U.… Read more