This makes it much more difficult for a company like Verizon to acquire new subscribers, but the successful Motorola Droid Razr lineup the last couple of years has provided a dependable recipe for success. The original Droid Razr 4G introduced an extremely slim profile to the smartphone marketplace, while also preserving a high resolution screen, a speedy dual core processor and full-featured package. The Droid Razr MAXX 4G was basically the same phone, but offered all day battery performance with 21+ hours of talk time from a single charge.

The next successful release by Motorola for the Verizon Wireless 4G LTE network in the US was the Droid Razr HD 4G smartphone, the first Droid Razr handset with a true 720P display. And finally, the Motorola Droid Razr MAXX HD delivered a 720P display, all day battery performance, 32 GB of built-in storage and large 4.70 inches touchscreen with 4G LTE connectivity. The Droid Razr MAXX HD became a flagship phone for Verizon in 2012, and has continued to sell extremely well in early 2013.

Looking back to the 9.8 million smartphones that Verizon sold during last year’s holiday season, a record for the company, overall Q4 numbers will most likely be pointed in the right direction. Whatever the financial picture for Verizon, there is no doubt that LTE smartphones will have driven the most significant level of growth for the company. In mid November of last year Verizon announced they had 440 US markets and cities offering their LTE connectivity, more than 4 times as much as AT&T’s 103 markets, which ranks 2nd among the 4 major wireless carriers in the United States.

And with phones like the Droid Razr MAXX HD delivering powerful dual core processor speeds of 1.5 GHz and offering substantial RAM memory, 1,080P HD resolution video recording and one of the largest high resolution screens in the entire smartphone marketplace, Verizon appears capable of continuing to offer phones which can effectively harness their speedy 4G LTE network. Verizon’s subscriber growth for Q3 2012 grew at an incredible 74% rate over the previous year, thanks to handsets like the ones found in the Droid Razr lineup.

article from: Mobile Bloom

The first Samsung smartphone to launch delivering Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, the Sprint Galaxy Note II returns the popular S Pen smart stylus which debuted with native handwriting recognition technology on the original Galaxy Note. Simply remove the S Pen from its holster, and the S Pen menu automatically launches your most used applications. The S Pen and multitouch capacitive screen allow you to draw, create original artwork, jot down messages and write in your own handwriting wherever you originally had to type out text on the keyboard, even while in the middle of a voice call.

The Sprint Galaxy Note II delivers the Samsung TouchWiz UI Android overlay that works in lockstep with Jelly Bean 4.1, and the handset is slim at 0.37 inches (9.3 mm). The large 5.55 inch display offers an above average pixel density of 265 pixels every inch, displaying more than 16 million different colors to the 720 x 1,280 pixel screen. True HD viewing is possible thanks to the 16 to 9 aspect screen ratio, and talk time runs exceptionally high for a smartphone with such battery hungry hardware and software, at 15.0 hours provided from a single battery charge.

The chip set is a Samsung Exynos 4 (4412) package, and at its core is a quad core 1.6 GHz CPU. Handling all the graphics processing is an ARM Mali-400 MP4 (quad core) GPU, and the Sprint Galaxy Note II comes with a full 2.0 GB of RAM system memory installed. 16 GB of data storage are on board, and the microSD slot allows for storage expansion. DLNA video out is provided, popular applications Facebook, Twitter, Picasa and YouTube have been pre-installed, and the handset is Near Field Communications (NFC) capable out-of-the-box.

The Sprint Galaxy Note II delivers simultaneous voice and data access on the new Sprint 4G LTE network, and the handset can also function as a mobile Wi-Fi hotspot for multiple wireless devices. Built into the front of the Galaxy Note II phablet is a chat cam of 1.9 megapixels, and around back is a camcorder of 8.0 megapixels. That rear facing camcorder comes equipped with an LED flash and back illuminated sensor (BSI) for low light operation, and it records video at a rate of 1,920 x 1,080 pixels (1,080p HD), with the front facing chat cam providing video call support.

article from: Mobile Bloom

Though T-Mobile doesn’t yet provide 4G LTE, it claims that HSPA+ is fast enough to be deemed as 4G. Further, T-Mobile plans to roll out its 4G LTE network in 2013. Though all great on paper, the fact is that AT&T has already covered about one hundred 4G LTE markets, Sprint is not far behind with nearly 50 cities and Verizon is at the top having covered almost 500 markets. So, though T-Mobile is stepping it up, there’s still a long way to go.

The main focus behind the expansion of HSPA+ services is said to be the iPhone, as in a recent press statement T-Mobile USA’s Chief technology Officer Neville Ray claimed that in internally run tests, iPhone 4S units displayed 70% faster download speeds on 4G (HSPA+) than on AT&T’s 4G LTE network, which if true is quite impressive. However, since T-Mobile is not an official iPhone carrier like AT&T, it is promoting these services only on the unlocked version of the iPhone.

Rumours indicate, however, that T-Mobile will be landing the iPhone in 2013. T-Mobile has repeatedly expressed interest in carrying the iPhone, but its incompatible network standards have resulted in Apple neglecting the carrier, which remains the only major US carrier without the iPhone. However, with T-Mobile repurposing spectrum and acquiring new spectrum to shift to bands compatible with the iPhone, it is expected that it will manage to bag the iPhone in 2013.

Some areas that T-Mobile currently covers with its HSPA+ services are Reno, Fresno, parts of California and other areas in Southern California and Chicago. At the moment, T-Mobile is offers high speed services in very limited areas as compared to Verizon, Sprint and AT&T. However, Sprint’s network is not yet very strong, which gives T-Mobile hope in catching up to the number three carrier in the US. Along with T-Mobile’s strength in the pre-paid segment, analysts expect that the expansion of HSPA+ services will allow the carrier to strengthen its subscriber base and gain new subscribers in 2013.

article from: Mobile Bloom

The FCC had previously allocated wireless spectrum for cell phone usage, attracting hundreds of small service providers, offering roaming deals for customers in areas where the service providers lacked a network footprint. However, with the consolidation of the market, a few of these service providers, namely Verizon Wireless and AT&T, saw exponentially larger progress than the others, creating a duopoly in the market. This caused a major handicap for the smaller service providers who couldn’t expand unless they negotiated with two largest nationwide carriers, who allegedly refused to negotiate reasonable deals with them with the intention of bleeding out the competition.

In order to level the playing field, the FCC introduced the rule that mandated large carriers to offer roaming deals at reasonable rates to smaller competitors. This rule, while welcomed by many small service provides, was strongly opposed by Verizon Wireless. Verizon put forth the claim that the new rule, reminiscent of the voice roaming rule of 2007, was unauthorized and that the FCC had no jurisdiction to regulate the airwaves. The court declared appeal in the FCC’s favour, asserting that Verizon was free to build networks without government licenses if it was not approving of the FCC’s rules.

In addition to this, some carriers have also been pushing the FCC to look into making 700MHz of spectrum with AT&T interoperable, which was bought by AT&T to resolve its interference issues. This prevented other carriers looking to share the band class to build their own 4G LTE networks from being privy to this band class. This exclusivity by AT&T has led to the creation of the Interoperability Alliance – a coalition of several smaller wireless providers that have collaborated for the sole purpose of releasing this band space.

The court decision in the FCC’s favour has been generally well-received, with Verizon Wireless as the obvious exception, and was figuratively applauded by Congressman Edward Markey, from D-Mass. According to Markey, the new rules prevent exorbitant roaming charges discouraging and restricting consumers’ utility of their wireless handsets, particularly when they roam outside of their own network.

article from: Mobile Bloom

Amongst the top three carriers, Consumer Cellular and Credo Mobiles are actually mobile virtual network operators that rely on other carriers’ networks to deliver their service. Interestingly enough, the first-ranking carrier Consumer Cellular relies on the last-ranking carrier AT&T, while the third from the top carrier, Credo Mobiles, relies on the third from the bottom carrier, Sprint. Verizon Wireless, one of the top carriers across the industry, earned its ratings position with the positive feedback given for its voice and data quality although it only barely failed to make the cut to the top three.

AT&T, while hitting the bottom of the roundup, was given an excellent review for its 4G LTE network, which trumped even top-ranked Verizon Wireless. The carrier aspires to provide the nation’s largest 4G network while providing the fastest iPhone downloads and general online chatting applications. The download speeds for AT&T’s 4G network have gone as high as 9.12mbps, topping downloading speeds of several other carriers.

AT&T may not be on the top of Consumer Reports’ roundup, but it is still important to note that most major manufacturers still spring for either AT&T or Verizon when it comes to launching their latest offerings. Aside from that, AT&T offers a wide-range of attractive pre-paid options to its customers and can take some small comfort in the fact that Consumer Cellular received a flattering review for its no-contract standard service in Consumer Reports’ ranking of carriers that offer monthly billing, devoid of any involvement of a contract. Customers should remind themselves that just because AT&T isn’t the best rated carrier out there, it still offers unmatched service in some segments.

article from: Mobile Bloom

AT&T and Microsoft, along with vendors such as HTC and Nokia have pinned on hopes to the success of the upcoming generation of phones running on the Windows Phone platform, which utilizes live tiles. The sales will reflect if Windows Phone will manage to make its presence felt in the market, the success of which will benefit AT&T as they will no longer have to solely rely on Android and iOS. Nokia and HTC have placed their bets on Windows Phone, hoping it will help them find their way back into the market, in different ways.

Windows Phone has not managed to work wonders for AT&T till now. When launched, in spite of AT&T being the largest supporter of the platform, it did not manage to capture the attention of a lot of consumers. Even when Nokia joined in and released the Lumia 900, sales still remained mediocre. This time again, AT&T, with its exclusive hold over Lumia 920, is hoping to hit the bulls eye with the help of Nokia and HTC. However, with the launch of the iPhone 5, Samsung Galaxy S3, Sony Xperia TL, HTC One X+ and LG Optimus G, Lumia 920 surely will have to battle it out to garner a large user base. On their part, AT&T will continue to invest more than before in the marketing of Lumia 920, recommending users who own a computer running on Windows 8 to purchase a Windows Phone as well. Helping their case is Microsoft who is constantly working with manufacturers for the introduction of similar devices running on the Windows Phone platform in the market, including tablets.

AT&T is also looking at investing in the wireless network and is working towards upgrading its wireline network, as confirmed by De la Vega. Meanwhile, other wireless carriers like Sprint and T-Mobile are working on their own upgrade plans, in order to boost competition in the market.

article from: Mobile Bloom

This transfer of customers to the monthly data plans was started by AT&T in November 2009 when first-timers as well as existing subscribers were required to upgrade their phones and switch plans. Though initially AT&T had facilitated existing subscribers to stick to their pay-as-you-go plans in spite of making monthly plans mandatory, investigations into the matter showed that upon replacing phones that were under warranty or relocating, these subscribers were automatically enrolled into the new mandatory monthly plans. FCC started looking into the matter upon receiving a number of complaints from customers, following which, in a press release, the FCC stated that AT&T was willing to refund the extra charges paid by the aggrieved subscribers. These extra charges, depending upon data usage, could be anything between $30 to $25 a month.

This will hopefully set an example that wireless carriers can no longer wrongfully charge their customers, stated Julius Genachowski, Chairman of FCC. AT&T subscribers have been advised to keep a close check on their bills to prevent any problems of a similar sort in the future. Apart from voluntarily paying the U.S. Department of Treasury and individually refunding impacted customers, AT&T is also setting up compliance plans including provision of customer notifications, training their customer care representatives and sending out compliance reports to the FCC from time to time. They are also expected to search their records and identify cases wherein customers have been forcefully switched and initiate the refunding process.

AT&T’s spokesperson, however, claimed that the impacted customers are only about 0.03 percent of its actual customer base and that the company had managed to identify the issue and had taken necessary steps by November 2010 itself, refunding customers who had contacted them. Inspite of already having resolved majority of complaints, as claimed by the company, AT&T is willing to provide a bill-page notice to the impacted customers, offer refunds and allow them to switch to their earlier plans or apply a data block to their phones.

article from: Mobile Bloom

By launching the ‘automatic app security’ which is a free software aimed at protection against malwares i.e. malicious software as well as viruses. The company is looking to pre-load the software on the LG Optimus L9 and the Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 which are expected to be launched in the upcoming few weeks. Continuing this trend, T-Mobile is looking to secure most Android phones it sells by 2013. The app will also be readily available for download, so consumers may set it up on their existing Android devices.
The application works as any other antivirus and performs a scan in order to ensure that all existing applications on the phone are virus and malware free. If not, it deletes the harmful applications after issuing a notification to the owner. Not very far behind seems to be Verizon, with the introduction of its ‘Mobile Security App for Android’, which is also a free application to protect users against malicious software. This application also works in a similar manner.

These steps to strengthen security measures seem to be a result of recent reports showing the Android OS as a highly vulnerable target. McAfee in its recent report stated that the quantity of malicious software in the Google Play market has increased exponentially i.e. 13000 as compared to the 2000 detected in 2011. Where in the previous quarter there were a number of well-known malicious applications targeted at Android, it has now an even larger variety to content with, like SMS sending malware, spyware, destructive trojans and mobile botnets.

These attempts by T-Mobile as well as Verizon by introducing free applications and softwares in order to fortify Android security as well as assist users in protecting themselves seems to have become the need of the hour with other mobile platforms like iOS, Windows Phone 8 and RIM’s BB10 OS displaying much better levels of security as compared to Android.

article from: Mobile Bloom

Google is trying everything possible to make the Play Store more profitable, which was unable to generate revenues when it was branded as Android Market. Experts believe that the phone bill is a good way to boost customer spending as the monthly bill has a plethora of surcharges and other fees and taxes. The inclusion of another expense to it will probably go unnoticed to customers. On the other hand, critics believe that the phone bill is becoming an easy weapon for clever marketers to push new charges onto customers.

Verizon seems to have taken the critics’ perspective into consideration and has limited the spending on the Play Store that can be paid via the phone bill to $25 a month. This will ensure that customers do not go overboard with their purchases, which might happen since they do not have to make immediate payments and will also prevent people from defaulting on their payments towards the end if the bill is too high. Some customers of Verizon already have access to this service and the remaining ones will be allowed to make use of it within the coming weeks.

There were also rumors floating around that Verizon would incorporate Google Wallet into the system but it appears that the carrier is going its own way with another payment option called Isis that would be a competitor to Google Wallet. Isis is also a mobile wallet and works with virtual versions of all the debit cards and credit cards that are in your wallet. Unlike NFC which requires specific hardware on the smartphone, a virtual wallet works through the banking network to make payments over the phone. It appears that payments through NFC and virtual wallets will soon take over because of their security and convenience.

article from: Mobile Bloom

The Samsung Galaxy S III is not only one of the most capable handsets currently available in the smartphone market – it is also without a doubt one of the most popular devices today. In fact, this popularity of the handset can be traced back to its predecessors in the royal Galaxy S line of devices from Samsung and the current Samsung flagship device is just building up on those foundations laid by the previous Galaxy S and Galaxy S II handsets. Though that may be the case, the Samsung Galaxy S III still has its own merits. In fact, the sales figures of the handset are shattering Samsung records with the Korean electronics giant selling 20 million units of the smartphone in its first hundred days.

It not only helped that the handset became very popular in US shores as well where it was released by all major carriers in our side of the world. Unsurprisingly, the Samsung Galaxy S III immediately became an instant hit among the wireless providers that launched it and if there is another feather that needs to be added to the cap of the handset, it is the fact that the handset has become the all-time bestseller at T-Mobile in its whole history.

This development was announced by the Magenta carrier via Twitter but what is quite impressive is the fact that the Samsung Galaxy S III has been on T-Mobile shelves for less than months after it became available for mass consumption at the carrier last June 21 after a couple of delays. This is not to say that T-Mobile did not offer fabulous handsets in the past. In fact, prior to the Samsung Galaxy S III, the Magenta carrier offered its predecessor in the form for the Samsung Galaxy S II 4G. And who could ever forget the 4.3-inch HTC HD2, a T-Mobile exclusive when handsets with 3.5-inch displays were already considered “excessive”?

One thing of note here though is that T-Mobile hasn’t offered any iteration of the Apple iPhone and if it did, what kind of effect would it have on the sales of the Samsung Galaxy S III at the carrier? Not much, if you were to ask me. After all, the Samsung Galaxy S III thrashes the iPhone in all aspects. But that’s just me.

As for the Samsung Galaxy S III, the handset already runs Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich for its operating system and is scheduled to get cranked up to Android 4.1 Jelly Bean in the near future. Its circuitry revolves around the QualComm MSM8960 SnapDragon chipset of the device which brings to the table a dual-core 1.5 GHz Krait processor and a staggering 2GB of RAM. It is available in 16GB and 32GB in terms of built-in memory with the option to have this expanded using its microSD card slot. In terms of its display, the Samsung Galaxy S III sports a massive 4.8-inch SuperAMOELD HD panel with a resolution of 1280 x 720 pixels while its dual-shooter configuration features a rear 8MP shooter and a front 1.9MP snapper.

article from: Mobile Bloom