Carriers

MetroPCS plans to follow the release of the LG Optimus M handset with its first Android-based LTE smartphone in the first quarter of 2011. Due as early as February, this handset will be the first of as many as six Android phones for the carrier in the coming year.

MetroPCS CEO Roger Linquist highlighted Android at the UBS Global Media and Communications Conference today and teased handset prices that could start as low as $150 unsubsidized, up to the $400-$500 range. Currently, MetroPCS offers a feature phone, the Samsung Craft, as its only LTE-capable device.

If you had asked … Read more

Verizon Wireless may be willing to pay Apple to keep the iPhone off competitors' networks when the carrier eventually gets the device in 2011, one Wall Street analyst says.

On Monday Kaufman Bros. analyst Shaw Wu published a note to investors in which he cited unnamed sources who indicated that Verizon is willing to pay Apple to keep the iPhone partially exclusive. Since its launch in 2007, the iPhone has been exclusive to AT&T in the U.S. Rumors have floated around for months that Verizon will get a version of the device in early 2011.

According to … Read more

U.S. Cellular rings in the holiday season with three affordable prepaid plans that will make messaging fans happy. They are $29, $39, and $49 respectively, and all include unlimited messaging.

The $29 per month plan has 200 minutes, the $39 option has 400 minutes plus 5GB of mobile surfing, and the $49 plan has 1,000 minutes. Interestingly, the $29 and $49 plans don't include the mobile surfing plan. If you want an all-in-one option, U.S. Cellular does offer a $69.99 Primary Plus plan that includes unlimited voice, text, and 5GB of data.

Editors' note: This chart was originally published December 2, 2010. It has been updated with new information.

With the iPhone 5 and all top Android phones utilizing 4G LTE, network speed and robustness have become major selling points for carriers competing to win over customers. Long Term Evolution, or LTE, is the latest iteration of the so-called fourth-generation (4G) cellular wireless standards, boasting speeds that meet -- or in some cases beat -- that of Wi-Fi.

However, as carriers continually expand their 4G LTE coverage every few months, it's hard to keep track of just how wide the scope and scale of each carrier's 4G network vary. Some cover a lot of ground while others cover barely any at all. As a result, it can take a lot of effort to determine where in the country you can find high-speed data access and how the different carrier networks contrast and overlap.… Read more

If you think the search for the perfect cell phone is baffling and never ending, just try searching for the best cell phone carrier. Though your handset stays the same as you move from around the country, the quality of a carrier's network can change completely just by crossing the street.

That's why CNET doesn't rate carrier coverage. To do so fairly and accurately we'd have to make calls in almost every corner of America. But that doesn't mean we're not dedicated to helping our readers evaluate carriers and choosing the best network for … Read more

Verizon Wireless grabbed headlines with its LTE announcement today, but MetroPCS always will be able to claim the first commercially available LTE in the United States. And today it expanded that coverage to CNET's hometown of San Francisco.

The "4G" service, which launches today, will overlay about 80 percent of the carrier's existing CDMA footprint in the Bay Area. Indeed, a quick check of MetroPCS's map shows the carrier's LTE coverage stretching from Santa Rosa to southern Santa Clara County with extensions eastward to Livermore, Fairfield, and Antioch.

San Fransisco is the carrier's … Read more

Whether you're buying for yourself or for someone else, a cell phone can make a great gift for the holiday season. Parents can guilt their children into calling home more, young adults can graduate to their first smartphone, and cell phone newbies can finally take up the technology.

Before you go to the store and take advantage of those Black Friday deals, however, there are a few points to remember. Shopping for a cell phone is a little more complicated than buying other gadgets, as you also have to consider a service provider. But fear not; CNET is here … Read more

Everyone wants to take advantage of the great Black Friday tech deals, but sometimes the thought of fighting the crowds is enough to make one stay home instead. Fortunately, for U.S. Cellular customers, the carrier is starting its holiday promotion early so you can beat the rush.

Starting today, U.S. Cellular dropped the prices on its entire Android lineup. From now through November 29, you can get the LG Apex and Samsung Acclaim for free after a $80 mail-in rebate. The Samsung Mesmerize is $100 less at $99 and the HTC Desire is $150 less at just $49; … Read more

The Black Friday deals are coming in fast and furious, and now, T-Mobile has throw its hat into the ring with a new buy one, get one promotion for the annual post-Thanksgiving shopping extravaganza.

Starting November 26, new and existing T-Mobile customers who purchase a featured smartphone and sign up for a two-year family plan will be able to get a second featured smartphone or affordable Android phone for free.

The carrier's list of featured smartphones include the T-Mobile MyTouch 4G, the T-Mobile G2, the HTC HD7, the RIM BlackBerry Bold 9780, and the Samsung Galaxy Tab, while the … Read more