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Tag: Verizon

  • Verizon Wireless Expands 4G LTE As iPhone 5 Hits Shelves

    Like AT&T, Verizon is also improving its LTE coverage as the newly-LTE-sporting iPhone 5 arrives in millions of hands across the country.

    Verizon has been busy in the lead up to the big launch, either expanding or introducing new LTE coverage into markets across 20 states. According to Verizon, their LTE blankets 75% of the U.S. population in 371 markets. They hope to push that number to over 400 by year’s end.

    The very latest area to recieve a 4G LTE expansion is Philadelphia. Verizon also added new 4G LTE coverage to Pottsville, Stroudsburg, Sunbury, and Williamsport.

    Here’s a full list of all the locations that Verizon is beefing up surrounding the iPhone 5 launch:

    Alabama – Auburn/Opelika [Expansion]
    Florida – Tallahassee [Expansion] Tampa Bay [Expansion]
    Wyoming – Cheyenne [New]
    Colorado – Greeley [New] Aspen-Snowmass [New] Pueblo [New] Bremerton & Silverdale [New] Longmont [Expansion]
    Georgia – Tifton [New] Americus [New] Ellijay [New] Moultrie [New] Statesboro [New] Bainbridge [New]
    Kansas – Lawrence [New] Coffeyville [New] Emporia [New] The Hays [Expansion]
    Ohio – Marion County [New] Dayton/Springfield [Expansion]
    North Carolina – Asheville [Expansion] Forsyth, Guilford and Rockingham Counties [Expansion] Morehead City [New]
    Indiana – South Bend, Mishawaka and Elkhart [Expansion] Richmond [New]
    Idaho – American Falls [New]
    Texas – Lubbock [New]
    Missouri – Rolla [New] Kansas City [Expansion]
    Michigan – Jackson County [New]
    Montana – Billings & Helena [New]
    Illinois – Mattoon [Expansion] Peoria [Expansion] Sterling [New] Bloomington/Normal [Expansion]
    Iowa – Blue Grass, Muscatine and Princeton [Expansion] Clinton [New]
    Pennsylvania – Pittsburgh [Expansion]
    California – Merced [New]
    Nebraska – Lincoln & Omaha [Expansion]
    Utah – Various regions [New and Expansion]
    South Carolina – Charleston [Expansion]
    Minnesota – Rochester & Bemidji [Expansion/New]
    Arizona – Marana, Vail, Sonoita and Three Points [New]

    [Verizon Wireless via PCMag]

  • iPhone 5 Shipping Dates Slip With U.S. Carriers

    iPhone 5 Shipping Dates Slip With U.S. Carriers

    It didn’t take long (just a couple of hours) for the initial stock of iPhone 5s to sell out, as the Apple.com site slip their ship date from September 21st to September 28th in the wee hours of the morning. Throughout most of the day, U.S. carriers AT&T, Verizon, and Sprint still held the September 21st ship date, but as we close the work day, all three carriers have pushed back their shipping estimates.

    AT&T is showing that they’ll ship all models of the new iPhone in 14-21 days:

    AT&T iphone 5 ship date

    Verizon is saying they’ll deliver by September 28th:

    verizon iphone 5 ship date

    And Sprint is showing 2 week ship time for the 16GB, but the 32GB and 64GB remain on schedule. That’s likely to change at any moment, however:

    sprint iphone 5 ship date

  • iPhone 5 Ship Time Slips to Two Weeks on Apple.com

    iPhone 5 Ship Time Slips to Two Weeks on Apple.com

    As expected, Apple’s brand new phone is already showing signs that it’s going to be popular.

    Pre-orders for the new iPhone 5 began early this morning, and if you weren’t one of the first ones to grab your new device on Apple.com, well, you’re going to be waiting a little bit longer for yours.

    The original shipping date for the new iPhone was set as September 21st but as of this morning, all models of the iPhone 5 have a two week ship date. That’s September 28th, for the mathematically challenged.

    This includes all models – the 16Gb, 32GB, and 64GB in both black and white.

    Luckily, the ship date hasn’t changed for the carrier sites. AT&T, Verizon, and Sprint all show an estimated shipping date of September 21st.

    You could always forgo the pre-ordering altogether. I hear late September is a beautiful time of the year to go camping.

  • Motorola Announces Three New Razrs For Verizon

    They haven’t met with the same success as Samsung, but Motorola has created some of the best Android phones on the market. They’re poised to take on the market in an entirely new way thanks to their new owners at Google. The new product announcements today seem to just confirm that Google is taking its entrance into the hardware market very seriously.

    Motorola announced today that three new Razr models will be hitting Verizon – the Droid Razr HD, Droid Razr Maxx HD and the Droid Razr M. All three phones will be equipped with 4G LTE and Ice Cream Sandwich. All three phones will receive Jelly Bean by the end of the year.

    Available for pre-order today, the Droid Razr M will be the first phone available out of the gate. It features a 4.3-inch Super AMOLED screen. Motorola has taken to calling it the “The Full-Screen Phone” as it is shorter and narrower than the original Droid Razr while retaining the same screen real estate.

    Coming later in the year are the two HD handsets. The Razr HD and Razr Maxx HD both feature a larger 4.7-inch Super AMOLED screen. The Razr Maxx is outfitted with a better battery that boasts 32 hours of normal use. They claim that the battery can also power up to 13 hours of straight video playback on a single charge.

    All three phones will have the following features:

  • 4G LTE – customers can expect fast download speeds of 5 to 12 megabits per second (Mbps) and upload speeds of 2 to 5 Mbps in 4G LTE coverage areas.
  • Interactive Circles Widget allows quick access to notifications, weather, time and more
  • Quick Settings can be accessed directly from the home screen so customers can easily manage their volume profile, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS and more
  • Enhanced Help Guides provide interactive tutorials, help topics and tips to become a DROID RAZR expert
  • Global Ready so customers can have voice and data service in more than 205 countries
  • Business ready with enterprise grade security and data encryption, remote wipe, complex password support, IPsec multi-headed VPN client and Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync support
  • 1.5 GHz dual-core processor and 1 GB RAM
  • Mobile Hotspot – Share a 4G LTE connection with up to eight Wi-Fi-enabled devices
  • 8-megapixel camera with LED flash and 1080p HD recording
  • Front-facing camera for video chatting
  • NFC-enabled so customers can send contacts, links, maps and more directly to compatible phones with Android Beam
  • Corning Gorilla Glass display, DuPont KEVLAR fiber and water-repellent nanocoating
  • microSD card slot with support for up to 32 GB
  • The Razr M will be available for pre-order today from Verizon’s Web site. It will become available on September 13. The phone will only be $99 (after rebate) with a two-year contact. There’s no word yet on pricing for the two HD models. The current Razr Maxx goes for $245 with a two-year contract so here’s hoping the low price of the Razr M carries over to the other models.

  • Sprint Ad Skewers AT&T and Verizon Shared Plans

    Sprint Ad Skewers AT&T and Verizon Shared Plans

    When Verizon and AT&T switched their subscriptions to shared data plans, many customers were upset. The new plans offer a small “shared” pool of data that a variety of devices can use. Of course, subscribers have to pay a monthly fee for each device they want the privilege of using with the plan, making the shared plans more expensive for those who don’t have lots of devices.

    The Verizon plans even ended the grandfathered unlimited plans many subscribers had had for years. A Verizon spokesperson was awkwardly unable to explain how the new plans would help save customers money, as many of the company’s statements about the plans suggested.

    The plans are a clear example of the two largest wireless carriers in the U.S. raising the prices of their data access. It would be pretty evil if those companies had a monopoly on the wireless industry, but, luckily, they don’t. Sprint announced earlier this year that it would offer truly unlimited 4G data plans, and the company has followed through. It is the only company that currently offers such a plan, although T-Mobile has recently announced one as well.

    Now Sprint is doubling-down on its unique unlimited plans, creating an ad campaign to show just how silly the claims about the shared data plans are. In a new TV spot, Sprint features a family arguing about how their small pool of data should be divided up:

    Clearly the smaller players in the U.S. wireless market see an opportunity to use AT&T and Verizon’s new, more expensive plans against them. And it just might work, if Sprint and T-Mobile can roll out their 4G LTE networks in a competitive time frame. Sprint announced just this week that its 4G LTE network is now available in four more markets across the U.S.

    (via 9 to 5 Mac)

  • T-Mobile Announces Unlimited Nationwide 4G Data Plan

    T-Mobile Announces Unlimited Nationwide 4G Data Plan

    Unlimited data plans are a thing of the past. AT&T and Verizon still have a few users here and there on grandfathered plans, but they use every trick in the book to get them onto one of their tiered plans. It makes perfect business sense since the gatekeepers are allowed to charge whatever they want for paltry amounts of data. T-Mobile is looking to buck that trend.

    Completely going against current industry trends, T-Mobile announced today that they will begin offering unlimited 4G data to their customers. The company says the new plan is perfect for “both data-hungry customers who want to experience all their smartphones are capable of and those wanting the peace of mind of never having to keep track of their data usage.”

    “We’re big believers in customer-driven innovation, and our Unlimited Nationwide 4G Data plan is the answer to customers who are frustrated by the cost, complexity and congested networks of our competitors,” said Kevin McLaughlin, vice president, marketing, T-Mobile USA. “Consumers want the freedom of unlimited 4G data. Our bold move to be the only wireless carrier to offer an Unlimited Nationwide 4G Data plan reinforces our value leadership and capitalizes on the strength of our nationwide 4G network.”

    T-Mobile is opening the new unlimited plan to both new and existing customers. New customers need only buy a new phone and they’re set with the new plan. Existing customers will only need to upgrade to the unlimited 4G plan when it becomes available on September 5.

    Unlimited data is nice and all, but how much is it going to cost? Surprisingly, not much at all. T-Mobile says that a single line with the value voice and text plan combined with unlimited data will cost $69.99 a month. A classic voice and text plan with unlimited data will go for a bit more at $89.99 a month. It will obviously cost more for Family plans as the unlimited data will cost $20 per line on the value plan and $30 per line on the classic plan.

    I can see customers angry over Verizon’s and AT&T’s new data plans moving to T-Mobile, but only if the carrier gets better phones. For one, T-Mobile doesn’t carry the iPhone and their Android line-up is severely lacking. The only great Android phone they carry is the Samsung Galaxy S III whereas other popular Android products are exclusive to Verizon and AT&T.

    Regardless, it will be interesting to see how this announcement shakes up the mobile world. Will customers leave carriers like Verizon and AT&T for free unlimited data or will they put up with their current carriers for better phones? It’s a balancing act that consumers unfortunately have to play as carriers continue to evolve their plans for maximum profit.

  • Justice Department To Allow Verizon’s Spectrum Deal With Cable Companies

    The Justice Department announced today it will allow Verizon’s proposed acquisitions of spectrum from cable companies Comcast, Time Warner, Bright House Networks and Cox Communications (as well as T-Mobile’s contingent purchase of a significant portion of that spectrum) to go forward, under a proposed antitrust settlement.

    The DoJ is, however, requiring some changes to the agreements concerning the sale of bundled wireless and wireline services and the formation of a technology research joint venture. Through the joint venture, Verizon would collaborate with the cable companies to develop new technologies that integrate wireless and wireline products.

    “By limiting the scope and duration of the commercial agreements among Verizon and the cable companies while at the same time allowing Verizon and T-Mobile to proceed with their spectrum acquisitions, the department has provided the right remedy for competition and consumers,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General in charge of the Department of Justice’s Antitrust Division, Joseph Wayland. “The Antitrust Division’s enforcement action ensures that robust competition between Verizon and the cable companies continues now and in the future as technological change alters the telecommunications landscape.”

    The proposed settlement forbids Verizon from selling cable company products in FiOS areas. It also removes contractual restrictions on Verizon’s ability to sell FiOS. Verizon will also no longer be able to resell cable companies’ services to customers in arreas where it sells DSL Internet services after December of 2016.

    Verizon’s agreements with the cable companies are required to be amended in the following ways:

    • Verizon retains the ability to sell bundles of services that include DSL, Verizon Wireless and the video services of a direct broadcast satellite company (i.e., DirecTV or Dish Network);
    • After five years, the cable companies are no longer barred from selling the wireless services of Verizon Wireless’s competitors, and may partner with other wireless providers;
    • The cable companies can elect to resell Verizon Wireless services using their own brand at any time as provided for under the amended agreements; and
    • U pon dissolution of the technology joint venture, all members receive a non-exclusive license to all the joint venture’s technology, and each may then choose to sublicense to other competitors.

    Finally, the settlement forbids any form of collusion and the exchange of competitively sensitive information.

    Read the DoJ’s full announcement here.

  • Redbox Instant Streaming Service Coming Your Way…Eventually

    Redbox Instant Streaming Service Coming Your Way…Eventually

    If you’re looking for another way to stream video other than the already available options like Netflix, Hulu, HBO Go, and the like – another service is one step closer to becoming a reality.

    Back in February, Redbox parent company Coinstar and Verizon announced a partnership that they said would culminate in the launch of an all-new Redbox streaming service, titled “Redbox Instant.” We were told that the service would be subscription-based, and would include packages that gave subscribers access to physical DVDs as Redbox Kiosks as well as access to the streaming content.

    Now, according to Fast Company, Redbox Instant is launching in internal alpha testing today. Soon after that, we’ll see a beta program, and eventually the service will go live in the closing months of 2012.

    The Redbox Instant website is up and displays this landing page:

    We still don’t know anything about the pricing structure – except that it will definitely be subscription based. Here’s all that the Redbox Instant site has to offer right now:

    All consumers have immediate access to new-release DVD and Blu-ray Disc® movie rentals through more than 36,800 Redbox kiosks nationwide and can instantly view popular entertainment content anywhere, anytime, using the devices they prefer with a Redbox Instant by Verizon subscription and video on-demand streaming service. The venture plans to introduce its unique product portfolio in the second half of 2012.

    “DVDs at the kiosk + instant streaming hits, all in one fist-pumpin package.” Sounds like a worthy competitor for your streaming video dollars – but we’ll have to see the details before we make any such assertions.

  • AT&T Joins Verizon In Charging You More For Shared Data Plans

    AT&T Joins Verizon In Charging You More For Shared Data Plans

    Verizon caught a lot of heat from consumers when they launched the Share Everything Plan a few months ago. Not only were they taking people off of unlimited data, but they were making them pay large fees for a very small amount of data to be shared across all devices on a plan. AT&T said they would be doing the same thing, and that plan will be going into effect in August.

    AT&T announced today that the Mobile Share plan will be launching in late August. It will allow new and existing customers to share data across all smartphones, tablets and other devices that use their network. Like Verizon’s plan, those who sign up for AT&T’s Mobile Share plan will get unlimited talk and text.

    Both Verizon and AT&T offer customers the ability to stick with their old plans if they so wish. It’s a nice gesture, but it would be even sweeter if they let us keep our grandfathered unlimited data plans.

    “We offer customers a broad choice and the best lineup of plans, now enhanced by Mobile Share,” said David Christopher, chief marketing officer, AT&T Mobility. “With these new plans, the more you share, the more you save. They’ll be a good fit for a variety of new and existing customers. But if customers want to stay on their current plan or choose from our existing plans, they can do that, too. It’s their choice.”

    So how does the price compare? For a standard 4GB of shared data, a family of two will have to pay $150 for Verizon’s plan. That’s $80 for two smartphones and $70 for 4GB of shared data. AT&T’s plan costs the same for the same set up. Where AT&T gets interesting is that they lower the price on phones per line as you increase your data.

    Starting at 10GB shared data for $120 a month, each phone on the line only costs $30 on AT&T’s plan for a total of $180. On Verizon, the cost per phone stays the same at $40 with 10GB costing $100 a month for a total of $180. As you can see, both plans cost the same with both companies reducing the cost in different areas.

    As for extra devices, each basic phone you add onto your AT&T plan will cost an extra $30 a month, laptops will cost an extra $20 and tablets/gaming devices will cost an extra $10. If anything, these extra expenses should just convince you that it’s smarter to stick with just Wi-Fi for your laptop and tablet needs.

    Neither plan is super consumer friendly, but at least both carriers give people the option of sticking with their old plans. As more and more people begin to buy into smartphones, I see the pre-paid plans taking off. You may have to pay for the unsubsidized phone upfront, but it saves money in the long run.

  • Samsung Galaxy S III Availability From Verizon Moved Back To July 12

    For those of you who are ready to chuck your allegiance to Apple to the wind and join the Samsung/Android revolution after seeing those Galaxy S III sheep commercials, your wait is just about over–provided Verizon is your carrier of choice. Samsung’s flagship smartphone hit Verizon shelfs on July 12, and they’ve updated their site to indicate as much.

    If you’re an AT&T customer, the S III is already available. Of course, Verizon has a broader 4G (LTE) network, giving them the advantage in that arena:

    Verizon 4G LTE Map

    AT&T 4G LTE Map


    For those of you who don’t want to wait until July 12 to spend your money, Verizon’s Galaxy S III is now available via pre-order at the official site. The Galaxy S III has a starting price of $199.99 from both Verizon and AT&T, provided you sign up for the two-year commitment. If you have ideas of buying the S III without the contract, at $549.99, you’d be better off buying a laptop because you’ll get more for your money.

    While the “iPhone killer” talk is in very overblown, the Galaxy S III does represent an alternate choice for those who don’t want to be apart of Apple’s family; a perfectly reasonable point of view. With that in mind, there’s a great comparison video from PhoneArena, and it takes an honest look at both the S III and the iPhone 4S. It points out the positives and negatives of both devices before rendering a well thought out, honest verdict. Bonus, the verdict almost goes out of its way to not be biased towards either device. The result is a solid review that inform the viewer quite well:

  • Severe Weather Alerts To Be Sent Via Text Soon

    Severe Weather Alerts To Be Sent Via Text Soon

    A little over a week ago we brought you news that the iOS 6 beta included the option to turn certain kinds of government issued alerts on and off. There were two basic kinds of alerts that you could receive: AMBER Alerts, and more generalized emergency alerts (which presumably include things like severe weather). Of course, not all phones – not even all smartphones – have this kind of option. In fact, most don’t. While there are weather apps for most smartphones that will perform a similar function, they don’t always work as advertised.

    With that in mind, the National Weather Service has struck a deal with all four major carriers to begin bringing severe weather alerts to smartphones using SMS messages. According to Yahoo!News, the alerts will be less than 90 characters long, and will be completely free. All customers on each of the carriers will be signed up automatically, though you have the option to opt out if you want (why would you want to?).

    Each of the four largest carriers in the country – AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, and Verizon – are participating in the program. Three of the four currently offer the service everywhere, while AT&T only has it in Washington, D.C., Portland, Oregon, and New York City. Most smartphones on the carriers’ networks will be able to receive the alerts, though iPhone users will have to wait until the fall – presumably for the release of iOS 6, or possibly the new iPhone.

    Considering how many fewer people listen to live radio or watch live, local TV these days, it’s getting harder and harder for the NWS and other agencies to disseminate emergency information quickly. Programs like this will allow people to get emergency information over channels that were previously unavailable.

  • Celebrate Freedom With HTC’s DROID Incredible 4G LTE On July 5

    What’s the most patriotic holiday of the year? If you’re American, you’re going to say July 4 or Thanksgiving since both let us partake in the American tradition of eating way too much. While a product launch wouldn’t work on the actual Independence Day on account of nothing being open, the day after is a great way to celebrate.

    It seems that HTC and Verizon agree and are releasing the DROID Incredible 4G LTE on July 5. The date comes from screenshots Droid-Life obtained that seems to confirm the launch. It’s fitting to launch the phone on July 5, the day after our forefathers declared independence from the tyranny of King George III and his reported use of technologically-backwards feature phones.

    All joking at the expense of King George III aside, how much will the phone cost you? Under a two-year contract, you can get the HTC DROID Incredible for $199. Unfortunately, the phone will be propagating its own form of tyranny with the Verizon Share Everything data plan. It seems that Verizon even delayed the phone so that it could entice shoppers into chaining themselves and their families to the draconian data plan.

    So what will $199 and a two-year contract with Verizon get you? The DROID Incredible features a 4-inch screen at 540×960. It’s powered by a dual-core Snapdragon S4 processor with 1GB of RAM. It features 8GB of internal storage that can be upgraded with the usual MicroSD slot. It will ship with Ice Cream Sandwich and probably be upgraded to Jelly Bean at some point in the near future.

    If HTC can get off to a good launch, it might be able to take away some market share from Samsung’s superior Galaxy S III. The S III has not had the best of launches and some customers may be frustrated enough to go with the competition. All I know is that Verizon customers can’t go wrong with a phone that loves freedom enough to give it some space.

  • Samsung Galaxy S III U.S. Launch is a Confusing Mess

    Samsung Galaxy S III U.S. Launch is a Confusing Mess

    No doubt Samsung would have loved to have launch it’s new flagship Android smartphone, the Galaxy S III, globally in a single day. The realities of cellular service in different countries, however, make this impossible. The next best plan is to release it in Europe and Asia first, then roll it out to the U.S. Samsung scored big when it announced all of the major U.S. carriers would be hosting the phone on their network. Unfortunately, the U.S. cell phone industry is so screwed up, and Samsung’s supplies of the phone are so limited, that not even a country-wide debut on a single U.S. carrier was possible.

    Samsung announced today that the Galaxy S III has officially launched in the U.S. The company held a large party in a trendy New York gallery last night, hosted by Ashley Greene (I Googled it for you – she’s an actress from Twilight). While U.S. Samsung executives were partying with Steve Nash and Skrillex, though, it was already clear that most customers in the U.S. would not be able to purchase the new device for around another week.

    The only guaranteed place for customers to get their hands, physically, on a Galaxy S III today is at a T-Mobile store in a very large city. T-Mobile is also selling the phone on its website, though it states that the device is not in stock, and will ship as soon as it arrives (the website estimates a June 29 ship date). The top 29 markets for T-Mobile are selling the smartphone today (via TmoNews): LosAngeles, CA; Chicago, IL; Phoenix, AZ; Houston, TX; SanDiego, CA; NewYork, NY; Seattle, WA; Miami/Ft.Lauderdale, FL; Dallas/Ft.Worth, TX; SanFrancisco, CA; SaltLakeCity, UT; Denver, CO; Minneapolis, MN; Tampa/St.Petersburg, FL; Philadelphia, PA; SanAntonio, TX; Portland, OR; Austin, TX; Atlanta, GA; KansasCity, MO; Boston, MA; Sacramento, CA; Orlando, FL; Detroit, MI; Washington DC; Cleveland, OH; Jacksonville, FL; Charlotte, NC; and McAllen, TX. T-Mobile customers in other cities will have to wait until at least June 27 to see the phones in their area.

    Sprint, like T-Mobile, had promised supposed to launch the Galaxy S III today, but demand for the phone means that not everyone will receive theirs on time. The company has stated that it will try to ship all 16 GB Galaxy S III pre-orders to customers today, but there might be delays of up to two days. Customers who pre-ordered the 32 GB version will have to wait until at least June 28.

    AT&T pre-orderers were promised their Galaxy S III’s as early as today, but the company is now asking them to be patient with its June 28 ship date. And that’s just for the 16 GB version. It doesn’t appear that AT&T is even getting the 32 GB version any time soon. Instead, the company is offering a more expensive package with a 16 GB MicroSD card included, and calling that the 32 GB package. AT&T will be getting a red version of the phone at some point, though. Yay.

    Verizon was already going to be the last carrier to get the Galaxy S III. Today the company announced that its launch date for the smartphone has been pushed back yet another day, all the way to July 11. Customers who pre-ordered early should have their devices by July 9 or 10, though.

    Why is all of this happening? The demand for the phone has somehow exceeded Samsung’s manufacturing capabilities. Instead of simply selling the phone and allowing the customer to choose a carrier (as it’s done in Europe) every separate U.S. carrier had to split a deal with Samsung on subsidy pricing. No doubt ship dates were a factor in these negotiations. So, we now have tenuous release dates where most of the country has no idea when the phone will arrive in their area.

    At least Samsung managed to sidestep Apple’s patent lawsuit, which would have delayed the phone’s release even more. Also, it’s clear from the delays and staggered releases that the Galaxy S III will probably be Samsung’s best-selling smartphone of all time. That, and not the release date, is certainly what Samsung was celebrating last night in New York.

  • Galaxy S III U.S. Release Date Pushed Back

    Galaxy S III U.S. Release Date Pushed Back

    Earlier this month we brought you news that both AT&T and Verizon had made Samsung’s new Galaxy S III available for pre-order through their websites, following closely on the heels of Sprint and T-Mobile. Three of the four carriers – all but Verizon – were projecting shipping dates of this week. AT&T promised they would begin shipping the phones on Monday, June 18th, while Sprint and T-Mobile listed tomorrow, the 21st, as their shipping date. Surprisingly, Verizon’s shipping date was July 9th, a full three weeks after the other carriers.

    Now, though, it seems that Verizon might have been a little more prescient than their competitors. Shipping dates for the Galaxy S III are slipping left, right, and center. AT&T’s shipping date has slipped into next week – the 28th, to be precise. Sprint is having similar troubles and is also tentatively promising to have filled its orders by the end of next week. T-Mobile, meanwhile, has announced that they’re splitting up the launch. If you’re fortunate enough to live in one of their top 29 markets, you should still be getting yours tomorrow. If, on the other hand, you live anywhere else at all, your Galaxy S III will be coming… wait for it… next week. June 27th, to be precise. So while T-Mobile’s Galaxy S III may be more expensive than other carriers, at least they manage to beat the other carriers to release by a day, right?

    Verizon, meanwhile, hasn’t made a peep. They’re presumably still on track for an early July launch. From the way things are looking with the other three carriers, maybe they won’t be as behind as we thought.

  • Verizon Data Breach Report Available as a Free iBook

    Verizon’s 2012 Data Breach Investigations Report was released as a PDF back in March, but now those interested in the world of digital espionage can kick back and read the report on their iPad, as Verizon is releasing the entire report as an iBook. The report revealed that Anonymous “hacktivism,” is on the rise worldwide. “Hacktivism” is generally understood to be system security breaches by individuals or groups motivated by political disagreement or protest.

    The iBook is only available in English, but Verizon states that the iBook format is more easily digestible than the PDF. Charts and graphs in the report have been placed closer to their reference text and they can now be interacted with for a zoom-view. Users can also now search through the text more easily to find specific topics.

    “Earlier this month, we announced that the full ‘2012 Data Breach Investigations Report’ is available for the first time in six additional languages, and now we are delivering an iBook version to meet the overwhelming interest in the report from the business and security communities,” said Wade Baker, director of risk intelligence for Verizon. “Today users have multiple ways of getting to our data and using it to make better informed security decisions as well as to bolster their security defenses.”

    This year’s report is Verizon’s fifth annual Data Breach Investigations Report. It includes analysis by the Verizon Research Investigations Solutions Knowledge (RISK) team of 855 data breaches and over 174 million compromised records. The report can be downloaded now in the Apple App Store or through iTunes.

  • Verizon Spokesperson Unable to Explain Data Plan Changes

    Verizon’s shift to tiered data plans and its killing off of its unlimited data plans has upset many subscribers, but it wasn’t unexpected. The major wireless providers in the U.S. have been shifting away from the unlimited data plans of the past for a while now. It’s clear why: smartphones have shifted phone usage away from voice calls toward messaging and data. Simply put, data is where the money is. What’s strange is that because the carriers started off giving out unlimited plans, their public relations departments are having trouble describing how newer, more expensive, data plans that give customers less data are actually customer-friendly. The incongruity between the carriers’ statements and reality can be frustrating, but they can sometimes make for quite a farce.

    In an interview today on American Public Media’s Marketplace, reporter John Moe had the opportunity to speak with Verizon spokesperson Karen Smith about why the company was moving toward higher-priced tiered plans. At first, Moe gives her the benefit of a couple of leading questions. He asks whether Verizon is afraid of running out of room on their network. She responds, “Not at all,” and states that the company is “aggressively” expanding its 4G LTE network. Ok, so Moe asks if Verizon needs more expensive data plans to pay for that expansion. Smith doesn’t answer the question, but instead states that Verizon has switched to a “device model” and that they are going to charge customers by the megabyte. “Why?” asks Moe. What follows is the most awkward pregnant pause I’ve ever heard.

    Smith, after a good 10-count, follows up with statements explaining that that higher data usage actually is causing speed and reliability concerns for Verizon’s network. Obviously, this contradicts her answer to Moe’s first question. Oh, well. Her answers provided all the information anyone really listening would need. It’s easy to understand that, “We can’t give away minutes and need to charge you more for data to maintain our revenue,” isn’t the most tactful way to frame the story for Verizon.

    You can listen to the exchange below, and hear for yourself how desperate Verizon Wireless is to maintain the image that their new plans are the height of customer-friendliness. The exchange begins at the 1:15 mark:

    (via Reddit)

  • Verizon 4G LTE Launching In More Cities This Month

    Who has the better 4G LTE coverage – Verizon or AT&T? Both companies will tell you a different story and sling mud at their competitors. At the end of the day, it all comes down to the fact that a lot of the nation is still on plain ol’ 4G, or even worse 3G. Verizon is adding more cities to its arsenal of 4G LTE enabled areas come this month to perhaps gain more of a lead over AT&T.

    Verizon has announced that its bringing 4G LTE to more cities over the coming weeks while expanding its current offerings in states that are already enjoying the increased speeds. From the sheer number of cities alone, it’s a massive undertaking on the part of Verizon.

    South Carolina was the latest state to be announced with the cities of Greenwood and Anderson both getting 4G LTE on June 21. Wyoming is getting some love as well with the city of Gillette getting faster wireless speeds. The cities of Jacksonville, Burlington and New Bern, North Carolina can expect a launch on June 21 as well. Bedford and Sharon, Pennsylvania will be getting 4G LTE as well. Billerica, Massachusetts and Lake of The Ozarks, Missouri round out the list.

    Verizon is also expanding its current coverage in the following states: Florida, Idaho, Oregon, Indiana, Pennsylvania, Colorado and Missouri. Most states can expect it to be a proper expansion with numerous communities and cities throughout the state getting faster mobile speeds.

    4G LTE is great and all, but recent studies have shown that people just aren’t using mobile data as much anymore. Consumers agree that wi-fi is the way to go. While I applaud Verizon on bringing 4G LTE to more markets, they should also be focusing on bringing Wi-Fi to more public places. A recent collaboration between ISPs is looking to bring free Wi-Fi to all of their customers. Unfortunately, Verizon wasn’t on that list, but it’s never too late to bring free Wi-Fi to your customers, right?

  • Verizon Wants to Put 4G in Your Car

    Verizon Wants to Put 4G in Your Car

    With 4G coverage growing throughout the U.S., it makes sense that carriers are now pushing harder than ever for subscribers. The problem is, smartphones still remain the major source of subscriptions to 4G networks. Sure, there are tablets and a handful of other devices that U.S. carriers offer data packages for, but smartphones are the major source of suscriptions.

    Seeing how limited it is by the lack of 4G enabled devices, Verizon has taken the initiative and brought together a group of automotive companies to look at creating data-enabled cars. This week the company formed the 4G Venture Forum for Connected Cars to push through innovation in car design. BMW, Honda, Hyundai, Kia, and Toyota are all on-board. According to Verizon, the group will explore ways to make cars of all types connected and discuss ways to accelerate deployment of 4G LTE technology in the automotive industry.

    “There are many challenges to designing next generation telematics and infotainment solutions, including supporting safe and responsible driving, advancing vehicle-to-vehicle solutions and improving sustainability, among others,” said Tami Erwin, chief marketing officer for Verizon Wireless. ”As an innovator in the technology industry, Verizon is a natural impetus for this collaboration, which we all expect will include other companies and spur results that will benefit not only the industry, but millions of consumers around the world.”

    It is easy to see the benefits of having a high speed data connection on the road. Navigation, weather reports, and messaging features are the basic uses that come to mind. Also, in-car apps for Pandora and similar streaming radio services would be the end of satellite radio. Combined with Google’s self-driving cars, a 4G data connection would mean a mobile living room.

    The only question left is why no U.S. car companies are part of Verizon’s new forum. The answer for Ford could be that the company is already far ahead of other car companies with its SYNC technology, and is perhaps already working on implementing data in its cars. Chrysler and GM could use a place at the table with Verizon if they hope to catch up, as car technology is rapidly shifting focus to Silicon Valley rather than Detroit.

  • Galaxy S III Available For Pre-Order On AT&T, Verizon

    Galaxy S III Available For Pre-Order On AT&T, Verizon

    If you’re one of the countless Android users who has been eagerly awaiting the launch of the Samsung Galaxy S III, it looks like your day will be arriving very soon indeed. Both AT&T and Verizon have opened up pre-orders for Samsung’s newest smartphone today on their respective websites. With Verizon you can get the 16GB model for $199.99 or the 32GB model for $249.99. With AT&T you can only get the 16GB model for $199.99. All with a two-year contract, of course. With Verizon there’s no way (yet) to purchase a contract-free phone, though AT&T will sell you one for $549.99.

    Interestingly, though both carriers began offering the Galaxy S III for pre-order on the same day, Verizon will take much longer getting your phone to you than AT&T; or Sprint and T-Mobile, for that matter. Earlier this week Samsung announced that the Galaxy S III would be available on all four major U.S. carriers before the end of June. Three of the four appear to be living up to that promise. Pre-ordered Galaxy S IIIs from Sprint and T-Mobile are scheduled to ship on June 21st, while AT&T has announced that they will ship pre-orders on June 18th. Verizon, however, trails the pack by a wide margin. They won’t ship pre-ordered Galaxy S IIIs until July 9th. That’s nearly three weeks after Sprint, T-Mobile, and AT&T.

    The reason for Verizon’s delay isn’t clear. If you’re a loyal Verizon customer, though, or you live in an area where Verizon has 4G LTE coverage and AT&T doesn’t (like I do), then the wait is probably worth it.

  • New Netflix App Runs on Wi-Fi to Avoid Wireless Data Caps

    New Netflix App Runs on Wi-Fi to Avoid Wireless Data Caps

    Many carriers are doing away with their unlimited data plans, putting caps on everything. This has all but eliminated any chance of streaming video becoming popular among smartphone users and putting a damper any money being made by streaming video services on the mobile market.

    According to GigaOm, providers like Verizon and AT&T have asked the popular Netflix service to start charging for bandwidth used by its members with their smartphone app service

    They have tried to convince Netflix to make users pay for bandwidth used on their networks. An absolutely ridiculous proposition. No Smartphone user in their right mind would ever pay data overage charges to watch a streaming video of an unpopular or overplayed movie.

    Realizing this, Netflix responded by allowing iPhone customers to turn of cellular access to Netflix and run the app completely on Wi-Fi. An easy solution for anyone who really wants to watch their favorite TV show/movies on a three inch screen at home. Anyone using Wi-Fi is most likely going to be using is at home, and if they have Netflix they probably have a television or a much larger computer screen to watch it on.

    Granted, some unlimited plans still exist, and there are lots of people out there that were grandfathered into unlimited plans from AT&T and Verizon, but data caps are the current trend, and carriers are doing everything they can to get people to downgrade to capped data plans. Some operators even cut down on speed after a certain limit is reached, so even if you are not over your overage amount, the data stream will be slowed and you will not be able to view a video anyway..

    So basically, they have done away with streaming video, because no one can really use it.

    If anyone thought this money would go to providing more network capabilities in the future, allowing for more data to be transferred and unlimited plans to be offered, one might be inclined to go with idea of data caps. Right now it just seems like a ploy to get the most amount of money they can from smartphone users.

  • Verizon’s Viewdini Android App Tells You What’s On Netflix

    Verizon’s Viewdini Android App Tells You What’s On Netflix

    Mobile video is awesome, right? It’s great to be able to watch Netflix, YouTube and everything else all from the comfort of your mobile phone. You know what would be even better though? An app that just puts all of those aforementioned services in one place but restricts it to a single carrier. Thankfully, Verizon has made that very app.

    Verizon has partnered with TV.com to launch Viewdini. It’s an app that promises to give you the best video content on the mobile Web. It’s just that all the video comes from somebody else whether it be Netflix or Hulu. The best part is that it’s only available to Verizon subscribers.

    In all reality, Viewdini just a glorified video search function. It offers no video hosting itself. It only serves to point users in the direction of where they can get access to said video. The only thing it has really going for it is that it is powered by TV.com. In essence, you’re getting an advertisement for video streaming services alongside information that can easily be found on Wikipedia.

    To be fair, there is value in consolidation. It’s nice to be able to search for videos and find which streaming services have that video all from one place. The integration with TV.com also gives you direct access into the information for that particular TV show right from the app.

    The usefulness of Viewdini is going to be up to the individual user. Do Android users need help finding where they can access all their favorite video content? Does it need to remind you how awesome (and expensive) Verizon’s 4G network is?

    Still, it’s a nice gesture to Verizon subscribers. I’m unfortunately on AT&T so I’m stuck having to separately navigate to all the different video apps. It’s such a pain. If only my provider provided an app that helped make an already lazy task even lazier.

    If you feel compelled to download and use Viewdini, it’s available for download on Google Play right now. For kicks, I tried to download Viewdini onto my HTC Inspire 4G. They’re not kidding about that “Only for Verizon subscribers” nonsense. I feel like Google Play and Verizon are now silently mocking me for being on AT&T.