ctia

LAS VEGAS -- In conjunction with the news that AT&T will be launching its own prepaid network called Aio Wireless (which the company actually announced earlier this month), the ZTE Prelude made an appearance at this week's CTIA tech show.

Available for $49.99, the device is a compact, entry-level smartphone that surprisingly runs the more recent Android 4.1 Jelly Bean OS.

Design Measuring in at 4.6 inches tall, 2.4 inches wide, and 0.43 inch thick, the Prelude is small and compact, and weighs 4.4 ounces.

Its design isn't anything to … Read more

LAS VEGAS -- Just when you thought you'd seen all the smartwatch contenders, enter the Sonostar Smartwatch. I spotted this wrist-strapped number tucked away in a far-flung hall here at CTIA 2013.

Like many of its ilk within the emerging smart-timepiece category, such as the Pebble, MetaWatch, and Martian Passport, the Sonostar device promises to link to phones and give access to handy info. I have to put a heavy emphasis on the word promise since the gadgets I placed my hands on were all nonfunctioning prototypes.

Still, the Sonostar reps I chatted with swear that the gizmo links … Read more

LAS VEGAS -- The 2013 CTIA kicked off today. The last event of the wireless show season, CTIA tends to be a bit quieter than Mobile World Congress and CES. Yet, there are plenty of new handsets, hotpots, and accessories on display at the Sands Expo. Keep on clicking in this gallery to join CNET's team of reporters as they search the show floor and capture the best of CTIA on video. And as we shoot more videos we'll be expanding this list.

LAS VEGAS -- What does Verizon Wireless have up its sleeve?

Verizon is one of the few companies opting for a splashy press conference at the CTIA Wireless, which officially kicked off today. As such, it's essentially headlining what is expected to be a quiet show this year.

The company is holding its press conference on Wednesday at 11 a.m. Pacific (2 p.m. Eastern). CNET's Jessica Dolcourt, Kent German, and I will bring you all the live news, photos, and commentary starting about 30 minutes before the event.

LAS VEGAS--Sprint Nextel is planning at least one more BlackBerry to join its line up this year.

"We're not done with BlackBerry," said Lois Eichelberger Fagan, director of product portfolio for Sprint Nextel, in an interview with CNET on Tuesday here at the CTIA Wireless conference. "There's more to come."

Sprint plans to launch the Qwerty keyboard-equipped BlackBerry Q10 late summer. The company opted not to sell the flagship BlackBerry Z10, which was the debut product for BlackBerry 10.

Sprint has teased another product from BlackBerry by the end of the year, but wouldn'… Read more

LAS VEGAS -- Acting Federal Communications Commission Chairwoman Mignon Clyburn said that the agency is not slowing down when it comes to getting new spectrum on the market, even though the commission is down two members.

Clyburn, who made her first appearance as the interim head of the FCC at the CTIA Wireless Association's opening keynote, reassured the wireless industry that the FCC will continue to make more spectrum available, even as the agency prepares for a new full-time chairman and awaits the nomination of a Republican commissioner.

"The FCC wireless agenda remains focused," she said. "… Read more

LAS VEGAS -- Though the Samsung Galaxy S4 has been out in the world for a few weeks, its immediate predecessor continues to make the carrier rounds.

Today at CTIA 2013, Sprint announced that it is bringing the Galaxy S3 to its prepaid Virgin Mobile and Boost Mobile brands next month. The device will operate on 3G and LTE networks for both operators.

The design and features of the reborn GS3 will be unchanged from the original version. Expect the same slim profile and 4.8-inch HD Super AMOLED display, while inside you'll find Android 4.1.2 Jelly … Read more

LAS VEGAS -- Sprint Nextel's prepaid arm, Boost Mobile, is taking its own stab at the digital wallet.

The company on Tuesday unveiled its Boost Mobile Wallet program, which is an Android application that allows its prepaid customers to manage their funds, transfer funds, send money overseas, and pay bills.

While the heavy-hitters such as Google and Isis -- which is a joint venture between Verizon Wireless, AT&T, and T-Mobile -- are going after the high-end, tech-savvy user with their own digital wallets, Boost is going the opposite route. The company is instead targeting customers who tend … Read more

LAS VEGAS -- Sprint just announced a trio of tri-band LTE mobile hot spots today at CTIA 2013. The devices are the Netgear Zing, the Netgear 341U, and the Novatel Wireless MiFi 500LTE.

The most striking product is the Netgear Zing, which not only connects to Sprint's 3G and 4G networks to supply up to 10 users simultaneously, it also features a large LCD touch screen. In fact Sprint claims it's the first hot spot it has offered with a touch-controlled display. Another added bonus to the Zing is it's capable of roaming globally on GSM networks. … Read more