carriers

Choosing an iPhone 5 carrier

One of the most important aspects of a handset's overall user experience is which carrier it's operating on.

Now that T-Mobile is offering the device, the iPhone 5 is finally available on all four major U.S. carriers. (Regional networks like U.S. Cellular, Cricket Wireless, and C Spire sell the handset as well.)

Each of these four networks -- AT&T, Verizon, Sprint, and T-Mobile -- have different plans, prices, and bundles. In addition, T-Mobile's iPhone in particular comes with a number of differences compared to the others. However, with all the little nuanced phone … Read more

MetroPCS shareholders told to vote against T-Mobile merger

A prominent organization that advises major shareholders in public companies how they should vote in corporate elections has told MetroPCS owners to vote against the T-Mobile merger.

Institutional Shareholder Services wrote to shareholders yesterday, saying that seeing their company merge with T-Mobile would not be in their best interests. According to The Wall Street Journal, which obtained a copy of the note, ISS was especially concerned with the way the market has responded since the deal was announced.

"In light of the negative market response to this transaction (shares are down 14.4 percent since announcement), the lower equity … Read more

Prepaid or postpaid?: The fight for your cell phone dollars (Smartphones Unlocked)

This article originally published 11/11/2012 and was updated most recently on 3/25/2013.

Now that T-Mobile has smashed into the center of the no-contract wireless game, the tussle for your business between the contract and no-contract carrier model is even more urgent.

There's no question that the prepaid model is designed to save you money over a two-year contract agreement, but how much do you really gain by going prepaid, and what might you lose from the subscriber experience?

For the sake of comparison, I'm going to break down the cost of ownership over a … Read more

Rumor: T-Mobile to move to no-contract model soon

T-Mobile will move to a no-contract model on March 24, with an announcement as early as Monday -- that is, if a story on blog TmoNews pans out.

In reporting the shift, Tmo cites an unnamed source -- "while we're confident the details are accurate today, they could easily change tomorrow," it says -- and it adds that T-Mobile will also ditch early termination fees ("which makes complete sense when announced with the removal of contracts"). It also reports that the carrier will offer a monthly installment plan on handset purchases that will be in … Read more

HTC settles with FTC over software security vulnerabilities

Mobile handset maker HTC has agreed to settle a complaint filed against it by the Federal Trade Commission accusing the company of failing to take "reasonable steps" to patch a security flaw in software running on its smartphones.

As part of this settlement, HTC has agreed to patch handsets that were left vulnerable to the security risks. And the company has agreed to develop a security program to address future security issues on its handsets.

HTC has already begun rolling out the patches to devices in the U.S., according to the FTC.

In its complaint, the commission … Read more

Quick guide to cell phone carriers

Selecting a wireless carrier is just as important as picking a phone. The provider, after all, delivers the network that makes your handset work. And since you'll probably end up paying a healthy amount for that privilege, there's no point in sticking with a bad user experience.

Fortunately, CNET is here to help guide you through the decision process. Read on for the major factors that you should consider when choosing a carrier, followed by brief descriptions of each of the major players that CNET reviews. Also, be sure to consult CNET's Cell phone buying guide if … Read more

J.D. Power: Verizon again tops in customer care survey

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

AT&T adds four markets to 4G LTE network

AT&T announced today that it has added four new markets to its 4G LTE network.

Now, customers in Albany, N.Y.; Calhoun and Dalton, Ga.; and Norfolk-Virginia Beach, Va. will be able to experience the carrier's faster network speed.

With these four new areas, this brings AT&T's total coverage to 141 markets, which includes 170 million people.

While it's great to see AT&T's network expanding, the numbers still lag behind those of Verizon Wireless. Its 4G LTE network covers 476 markets and 273.5 million people.

iPhone users pay highest phone bills

Rumors of a cheaper iPhone on the horizon may come as welcome news for fans of the device -- especially because iPhone users reportedly pay the highest monthly phone bills, no matter the carrier, according to AllThingsD.

Android, Windows, and BlackBerry users spend less per month to use their smartphones, according to data by Consumer Intelligence Research Partners that was acquired by AllThingsD. It seems that the higher costs come from carriers charging more for iPhone data plans and additional wireless fees.

"We think it has to do with their data plans and carriers, rather than their usage habits,&… Read more