carriers

A new study comparing the 3 U.S. iPhone carriers shows that AT&T is tops for data and browsing, more than doubling the download speeds offered by Verizon and Sprint.

While the data speed news does not come as too much of a shock for many who follow the mobile phone industry, it is interesting to note that the iPhone also reported better-than-expected call quality and reliability on AT&T's network. The study, performed by wireless communications analysts Metrico, shows that AT&T's call failure rate sits at 2.8 percent, slightly higher than … Read more

If you're suffering from iPhone 4S envy, chances are you're stuck in a contract on a non-iPhone network such as T-Mobile. Now, according to a developer's post on Pastebin, users can unlock their iPhone 4S for use with any network, without any software or hardware hacks.

Before we get started, this is one of those workarounds that should be done with caution. As with any unauthorized cellular usage, charges incurred cannot be predicted. That being said, T-Mobile has been extremely iPhone user-friendly in the past, even offering official help pages on its Web site.

If you are … Read more

Android developer Trevor Eckhart recently noticed something odd on several EVO HTC devices: hidden software that phoned home to the carrier with details about how the phone was being used and where it was.

The software, Carrier IQ, tracked the location of the phone, what keys were pressed, which Web pages were visited, when calls were placed, and other information on how the device is used and when.

Eckhart discovered that Carrier IQ can be shown as present on the phone to users or configured as hidden, which was the case on the HTC phones he analyzed. And he found … Read more

For once, T-Mobile USA got to be a part of a major technology announcement.

T-Mobile got to stand alongside Google as the search giant officially unveiled its music service. For its part, T-Mobile will be offering free music content to its subscribers, as well as carrier-billing support.

For T-Mobile, the partnership gives the carrier an inside track into the new cloud music service, which directly targets Apple's iTunes. T-Mobile, the only national carrier without Apple's iPhone, could use the advantage and a little buzz as it struggles to preserve its customer base.

"We believe Google Music will … Read more

According to a report from the Wall Street Journal, Apple has not given in to pressure from Japan's largest cellular network, NTT DoCoMo, to include carrier-specific apps on the iPhone. Apple's stance has caused negotiations to get the iPhone on NTT DoCoMo to stall.

NTT DoCoMo CEO Ryuji Yamada says that his company's apps, specifically an e-wallet app and an e-mail service app, are important for his Japanese customers. While that may be true, Apple isn't budging. Providing the user with a clean, nonbloated experience out of the box is what Apple is all about.

Most … Read more

BilltoMobile has been on a roll recently.

The company, which handles purchases of digital goods that customers make on their phone by linking payment to their cell phone bill, just last month signed AT&T as a partner, locking up the fourth and last national wireless carrier. BilltoMobile CEO Jim Greenwell said that the industry is poised to see a rapid explosion of purchases made through the carrier billing model. Rather than enter the credit card information on the phone, a person can use this option to pay for the good and have the expense show up on their … Read more

Apple's Siri voice assistant may soon have some competition in Singapore.

Local carrier SingTel has cooked up its own voice-recognition assistant application for iPhone and Android that's designed to understand the locals, reports Agence France-Presse.

The app, called DeF!ND, is able to pick up on what the AFP refers to as "Singlish" which is a blend of English and words in languages from neighboring countries, along with a helping of local accents.

By comparison, Apple's Siri (which is still in beta) currently supports English, French, and German. Apple has said that it's bringing … Read more

As consumers turn more to mobile devices to watch Internet video, the greater the burden that traffic places on wireless carriers and Internet service providers.

Qwilt, a provider of video-infrastructure products, aims to ease that burden by preparing networks for the expected explosion in Internet video traffic. The company announced today it has raised $24 million in two rounds of funding from Accel Partners, Redpoint Ventures, Crescent Point Group, and Real Networks founder Rob Glaser.

"The explosion of Internet video viewed through all types of Web-enabled devices, from smartphones to iPads, calls for new technology to help the consumer … Read more

If you were planning to buy a Sprint iPhone 4S with hopes of using its unlocked micro-SIM card slot to dodge international roaming charges, that now appears to be a limited time offer.

Macworld this afternoon relays a statement from Sprint, with the carrier saying it plans to lock the iPhone 4S' Micro-SIM slot as part of an update that will go out to buyers "shortly." Those customers can then request an unlock from the carrier if they're "in good standing."

Customers could use the unlocked slot with a prepaid Micro-SIM card in order to … Read more