BARCELONA, Spain--Mobile network operators traditionally use Mobile World Congress to call for lower taxes and more wireless spectrum. This year, a new word has entered the wish list: harmonization.

The mobile industry today must deal with a hodgepodge of electromagnetic frequencies that differ from carrier to carrier and country to country. Franco Bernabe, chief executive of Telecom Italia, wants to see not just more spectrum for wireless operators, but also spectrum that's not so fragmented.

"It's not just about having the right amount of spectrum. It's critical that the spectrum is harmonized on a global basis,&… Read more

BARCELONA, Spain--Laying the groundwork for its nascent Firefox OS, Mozilla has won over a sizeable list of allies including LG Electronics and China Unicom, and the first phones with the browser-based operating system should arrive in the second quarter of the year.

Mozilla announced today at the Mobile World Congress show here that it's persuaded 18 mobile network operators and four mobile phone makers to back its open-source mobile operating system. That's not enough to unseat the incumbent powers of Google's Android and Apple's iOS slayer, but it is enough to ensure Firefox OS at least … Read more

Sprint today announced that the rugged and waterproof Kyocera Torque will arrive on March 8. Priced at $99 with a two-year service agreement, the Torque is the first "Ultra rugged" 4G LTE handset with Sprint Direct Connect push-to-talk service.

Previously introduced back in January, the Kyocera smartphone features a 4-inch IPS display and dual-core processor. Whereas the typical rugged smartphone is hampered by older versions of the platform, the Torque runs Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. This is good news for anyone who has grown accustomed to the Holo theme of Android and its added feature set. … Read more

Sprint may soon announce an entry-level Android smartphone, the Sprint Force LTE, according to Engadget. Manufactured by ZTE, the phone should run Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich and feature modest hardware specifications.

Details include a 4-inch display, a 1.5GHz dual-core processor, 1GB of RAM, 4GB of internal storage and a 5-megapixel rear camera. Additionally, the Sprint Force LTE could have a 1-megapixel front-facing camera, a 1,730mAh battery, and support for Sprint's growing LTE network.

Sprint and ZTE have become quite cozy over the last few years, most recently collaborating on the Sprint Flash. With but a … Read more

Using a smartphone can be tough for seniors, so Fujitsu and Orange have teamed up to make the Stylistic S01, an Android smartphone that respects its elders.

Sold by the France Telecom-Orange network, the 4-inch, water- and dust-resistant S01 is Fujitsu's first major smartphone to go on sale outside Japan. It's loaded with features designed to make things easier for older users borrowed from the Fujitsu Raku-Raku series of phones, on sale to seniors in Japan for more than a decade.

The touch screen is as easy to use as a keypad with physical buttons, using a "… Read more

U.S. Cellular may not be the nation's largest carrier, but that won't stop it from extending its 4G network.

The regional provider announced this morning that by the end of 2013, it will take its 4G LTE network to cities in three new states -- California, Nebraska, and Kansas -- and will also add new markets in some states where it already has a presence.

If you live in the following states, keep an eye out for a switch from 3G to 4G service in the coming year: Illinois, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, … Read more

Ever since the sixth-generation iPod Nano, lots of people have thought that Apple making its own branded watch is not merely a smart potential move but simply a matter of time. No matter what some have recently argued, I doubt, however, that today's Apple is hungry enough to create the fabled iWatch device.… Read more

If you own a Motorola Electrify M on U.S. Cellular, a sweet treat is coming your way soon. The svelte device will receive access to an Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean update starting February 12.

A close cousin to the Motorola Droid Razr M on Verizon, the Electrify M features the same 1.5GHz dual-core Snapdragon S4 Plus processor, 8GB of internal storage, and a 4.3-inch AMOLED (960x540 pixels) screen.

Also like the Razr M, the Electrify M offers a speedy 4G LTE data connection plus an 8-megapixel camera that captures 1080p HD video. Weighing just under … Read more

For the fourth consecutive time, J.D. Power and Associates has named Verizon Wireless as the leader in customer care among full-service wireless providers.

The semiannual report is based on feedback from thousands of consumers, scoring carriers based on three contact channels: telephone; walk-in (retail store); and online.

Verizon leads all full-service providers with a score of 766, just ahead of AT&T's 759, however both were above the industry average. Verizon credits social networking efforts for the high marks, touting the active and light-hearted online personality.

J.D. Power also found the carrier to do particularly well … Read more