t-mobile

T-Mobile-bound Sony Xperia Z clears the FCC

Documents listed on the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Web site suggest that T-Mobile may soon offer a version of the Sony Xperia Z.

Details show that this flagship Sony smartphone will support T-Mobile's newly launched LTE network as well as pentaband HSPA+. In addition to the standard fare of photos and test results, the docs reveal the user manual and features such as Wi-Fi calling.

First announced in January at CES, the Sony Xperia Z has yet to find a home in the United States. Hardware specifications include a 1.5GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro processor, a 13-megapixel rear … Read more

T-Mobile-compatible phones coming to MetroPCS stores

T-Mobile will begin selling phones compatible with its network at MetroPCS stores later this quarter, according to T-Mobile Chief Marketing Officer Mike Sievert.

The goal is to sell only T-Mobile-compatible phones at MetroPCS stores by the end of the year. The move will help accelerate the migration of customers from the MetroPCS network to that of T-Mobile, Sievert told CNET on Wednesday.

T-Mobile was reborn today, appearing for the first time under the ticker TMUS as an independent and U.S.-based publicly traded company on the New York Stock Exchange. This follows the company's merger with MetroPCS. The … Read more

T-Mobile, MetroPCS are now one

T-Mobile USA and MetroPCS have made it official and joined forces as one company.

Known as T-Mobile US as of Wednesday, the new combined company will bring together the networks, subscribers, and other assets. The newly united carriers together hold around 43 million subscribers as of March 31.

T-Mobile US's total coverage reaches around 301 million people. A full 228 million have access to 4G, while 200 million are expected to be covered by 4G LTE by the end of the year.

Had they united last year, the combined company's revenues would have reached $24.8 billion. Management … Read more

Prepaid T-Mobile Sparq comes with QWERTY

Even before T-Mobile moved to a contract-free model, the T-Mobile Sparq was a prepaid phone offering its slider QWERTY keyboard services to anyone looking for a feature phone for longer-term ownership.

The Sparq's slide-out keyboard is its most distinguishing feature, but the black, Alcatel-made handset also has a VGA camera, FM radio, Facebook, Twitter, and the Opera Mini browser. It also gives you 32MB internal storage and has a microSD card slot that holds up to 8GB more.

Physically, the Sparq has a 2.2-inch QVGA display (240x320-pixel resolution,) and stands 4.3 inches tall by 2 inches wide … Read more

Verizon earns top marks in newest RootMetrics report

Mobile analytics firm RootMetrics this week announced a new report that provides a broad view of the mobile carrier landscape over the course of 2012.

Conducted using data from more than 2 million call, text, and data tests, the "2012 Carrier Performance in Review" report found that Verizon won out in most categories overall. While all of the big four fared well in calls and texts, data speeds and coverage pushed Verizon and AT&T over the top.

Verizon, which had 4G LTE service in all 78 tested markets, provided the fastest download (13.0 Mbps on … Read more

T-Mobile's no-contract offer in hot water with Washington AG

Contrary to what T-Mobile is promising, there are actually some strings to its new wireless service plans.

That's according to Washington state Attorney General Bob Ferguson, who ordered T-Mobile to change its alleged "deceptive advertising" that omits charges that consumers have to pay for leaving early.

"My office identified that T-Mobile was failing to disclose a critical component of their new plan to consumers, and we acted quickly to stop this practice and protect consumers across the country from harm," Ferguson said in a statement issued on Thursday.

Ferguson took issue with the component of … Read more

MetroPCS shareholders approve T-Mobile merger

T-Mobile USA and MetroPCS can become one now that the merger deal has received the thumbs-up from MetroPCs shareholders.

MetroPCS shareholder approval, announced Wednesday, was the final step needed after the deal received approval from the boards of MetroPCS and T-Mobile USA parent Deutsche Telekom, as well as legal nods from the Federal Communications Commission and U.S. Justice Department.

The deal is now expected to close by May 1 at which time the new combined company will officially launch, according to Deutsche Telekom.

"This is a major step for Deutsche Telekom," Deutsche Telekom CEO Rene Obermann said … Read more

T-Mobile delays online ordering for Samsung's Galaxy S4

T-Mobile customers expecting to place their online orders for the Samsung Galaxy S4 on Wednesday will have to wait until next week to order the hotly anticipated device.

Formerly expected to be the first to offer the device online, the wireless carrier said Tuesday that the beginning of online ordering has been rescheduled to Monday, blaming an inventory issue for the delay.

"Due to an unexpected delay with inventory deliveries, the Galaxy S 4 will not be available on www.T-Mobile.com as planned on Wednesday, April 24," the company said in a statement. "Instead, online availability … Read more

Cry for Verizon to kill contracts grows louder

The calls for Verizon Wireless to drop the contract are getting louder.

The petition posted on Change.org calling for Verizon to kill off its contract model has garnered nearly 120,000 signatures, with 25,000 signatures added over the weekend alone.

The petition was created by Verizon customer Mike Beauchamp on April 7 after Verizon CEO Lowell McAdam told CNET on the sidelines of an event held earlier this month that he would consider moving to a no-contract model if consumers demanded it, and said the process to shift to no-contracts wouldn't be difficult.

The comments came shortly … Read more

Where and when to buy the Samsung Galaxy S4

The release of Samsung's next super smartphone, the Galaxy S4, is just days away. Sporting an improved design over the Galaxy S3 and packed with a ton of high-end features and specialized software, the Galaxy S4 already is an Android powerhouse. And even better, it will land at all major U.S. carriers plus a few smaller, regional providers.

Note, however, that the carriers aren't following the same release schedule. T-Mobile, for example, will begin selling the phone this week, but U.S. Cellular customers will have to wait until next month. Meanwhile, C Spire and Cricket have … Read more