PCs

MetroPCS today announced that its next smartphone, the ZTE Anthem 4G, will join the company's roster in the coming weeks. As the first 4G LTE handset from ZTE in the United States, the device is a mixed bag of midrange Android.

The Anthem 4G runs (only) Android 2.3 Gingerbread, and features a a 4.3-inch WVGA display, a 1.2GHz dual-core processor, and a 5-megapixel rear camera. There's also HDMI output and Dolby Surround Audio. Additional specifications for the smartphone include 4GB internal storage, 512MB RAM, and a microSD expansion slot.

As is the case with just … Read more

Driven by the popularity of tablets, personal computers grabbed a new high in customer satisfaction in the September report from the American Customer Satisfaction Index.

Labeling desktops, laptops, and tablets all as personal computers, the ACSI gave the category a grade of 80 out of 100. That proved a 2.6 percent gain over the 78 score earned last year and in 2010. Though some may disagree with the tagging of tablets as PCs, the iPad and its brethren were partly responsible for the bump in satisfaction among computer buyers.

"The recent stall in demand for desktop PCs comes … Read more

MetroPCS Wireless President Thomas Keys has spent a considerable amount of time and energy building up the reputation of the prepaid carrier as a legitimate player in the wireless industry.

So he could only shrug and make light of the fact that one of his key executives described the company as "Podunk" and "the hair on the tail that wags the dog" in a recent meeting with analysts and reporters.

But it's that exact image that MetroPCS wants to shed as it moves from a "fast-follower" to a company leading the wireless pack … Read more

MetroPCS said it would be getting Samsung Electronics' Galaxy S3 in a preview of some of its upcoming phones.

In addition to the Galaxy S3, the company plans to launch an additional Samsung smartphone able to get voice over its LTE network, a ZTE smartphone, and a smartphone from relative newcomer Coolpad.

MetroPCS unveiled the lineup during a presentation to media and analysts today in New York. The company didn't provide many details on timing, only that the Coolpad phone would come out in the next few weeks.

The company is looking to expand its lineup of smartphones as … Read more

MetroPCS Wireless stands alongside T-Mobile USA as one of the two carriers on the outside looking in when it comes to offering the iPhone.

When the prepaid carriers -- from Leap Wireless (aka Cricket) to Sprint Nextel's Virgin Mobile prepaid arm -- began offering the once-exclusive iPhone, a notable exception was MetroPCS.

Turns out the company never got serious in its discussions with Apple, MetroPCS President Thomas Keys told CNET. The major stumbling block was technology. Similar to the issue T-Mobile has had, the iPhone didn't run on the band of spectrum on which MetroPCS was operating. More … Read more

MetroPCS may hand the major carriers some competition, with its new 4G LTE plan for budget-conscious consumers.

Available as a promotion, the carrier's new 4G LTE plan provides unlimited talk, texting, and 4G LTE data for $55 a month for a single line. Families can join in by paying $50 a month for second, third, and fourth lines. Though the deal is being offered as a promotion, the expiration date is open-ended.

MetroPCS President Thomas Keys told CNET that the end of the promotion will depend on the adoption rate by consumers. "We didn't want to set … Read more

Monday's top tech headlines are landing safely on your Earthly screens:

The Apple v. Samsung courtroom drama continues this week. The rundown: Apple says Samsung copied the iPhone and iPad. Samsung says it's just being competitive, and has also counter sued for patent infringement. Monday, Apple made the argument that Samsung's icons look the same as Apple's icons. What do you think?

The first week of Apple testimony revealed interesting tidbits, such as how executives liked the idea of a 7-inch iPad. We also learned that the iPhone was first called Project Purple and that it … Read more

You don't need any accessories to catch up on Friday's top tech stories:

A new service called Dyle picks up live, local TV signals to watch on your mobile device. The first with this service is the MetroPCS Samsung Galaxy S Lightray 4G. But if you rather not drop $460 right now for a phone, iOS users may have another option this fall when Dyle attachments are expected to go on sale.

No price has been set, but the attachments could cost, at most, $150. And the service from then on is free. Would you pay for an … Read more

Nobody looking at the long antenna sprouting from MetroPCS' new Samsung Galaxy S Lightray 4G would suggest that Samsung's bringing sexy back, but for TV lovers, the throwback has a purpose.

The prepaid carrier and Samsung teamed up to introduce the Dyle Mobile TV service, which delivers live, local broadcast TV over Metro's 4G LTE network. The service is free once you buy the phone.

Dyle has been in the works for years, and is certainly an interesting. Now how about the Lightray itself?

The Android 2.3 Gingerbread handset is a version of U.S. Cellular's … Read more