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Tag: Sprint

  • HTC and Sprint Launch New Ad Campaign for the Evo 4G [Video]

    With the news today of the Samsung Galaxy S III’s impending U.S. release, it would be easy for HTC to take the day off and let Samsung enjoy the hype surrounding its new flagship Android device. However, HTC has its own cutting-edge Android smartphone, one that it thinks is just as good, if not better, than Samsung’s. To show off the new HTC EVO 4G LTE, Sprint and HTC have teamed for a new ad campaign highlighting the smartphone’s Beats audio and Sprint’s unlimited data plans.

    The campaign, called “Unlimited Love Unlimited EVO,” will be featured on TV, on the web, on mobile devices, and in print. There will also be a “socially driven” sweepstakes taking place through Facebook.

    “The creative for this campaign evokes an emotional response from the viewer,” said Caralene Robinson, vice president for Brand Strategy and Marketing Communications at Sprint. “The HTC EVO family of phones has a loyal following with millions of fans. They love their EVO devices, and this campaign highlights many of HTC EVO 4G LTE’s capabilities, including an 8-megapixel camera with rapid-fire, continuous shooting — so getting the perfect shot is simple — and a sound experience unrivaled on a smartphone. Those new features come to life in this campaign and we are encouraging viewers to tell us what they love most about the phone.”

    A TV spot for the EVO 4G has already been released, and can be seen below. Sprint states that the ad is a “love song” that EVO users are singing to their phones using music apps. The song is actually a version of a Wilco song called “I’m Always in Love.”

    If you look closely, you can see fine print near the bottom of the ad admitting that Sprint’s 4G LTE network has not yet launched, making the phones 4G capabilities a moot point. Also, when Sprint’s 4G network does launch this summer, only Atlanta, Baltimore, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City, and San Antonio will receive the service. The good news for those cities, though, is that Sprint has announced its unlimited data plans will carry over to its 4G service.

  • Galaxy S III on Sprint Gets Pricing and Release Date

    Soon after Samsung announced that the Galaxy S III would be launching on all major U.S. carriers before the end of June, those carriers began announcing details of the launch on their networks and began trying to differentiate themselves. Sprint is the latest carrier to woo Android fans to their network using Samsung’s flagship Android smartphone, and the only carrier so far to release information on all three of the big details: pre-ordering, pricing, and release date.

    Sprint has one-upped Verizon and announced it will begin taking pre-orders for the Galaxy S III starting tomorrow, June 5 – one day before Verizon begins taking pre-orders. Sprint’s pricing of the smartphone will be the same as Verizon’s: $200 for the 16 GB version and $250 for the 32 GB version, which will only be available through Sprint’s website. The phone be for sale through Sprint starting June 21, the same date that T-Mobile has announced. The Galaxy S III will be available in both its white and blue versions through Sprint.

    Sprint is trying to stand out from the other carriers by pre-loading Google Wallet on all Galaxy S III’s purchased from its stores or website. It is also, predictably, highlighting the fact that it is the only carrier to still offer truly unlimited data plans. Sprint recently announced that it will also be offering unlimited plans for its 4G LTE network, which it is just beginning to roll out.

    “Sprint and Samsung take another leap forward together in bringing our customers the best in mobile technology with Galaxy S III on the Sprint 4G LTE network,” said Fared Adib, vice president of product development at Sprint. “Sprint is the only U.S. carrier to offer this device with the simplicity of unlimited data plans. Our customers will appreciate being able to use the robust features and capabilities of this device without worrying about data caps, throttling or silly overage charges.”

  • Sprint Offers $100 Trade-In On Other Carriers’ iPhones

    Sprint Offers $100 Trade-In On Other Carriers’ iPhones

    In a bid to bring more iPhone customers into the fold, Sprint has started offering $100 credit towards the purchase of a new iPhone when you trade in an old iPhone from either of its competing carriers. The program began on Friday and runs through early July.

    There are a number of ways to take advantage of the deal. You can take your old iPhone to a Sprint store and trade it in directly, after reserving a new iPhone 4S online. This way you get the $100 rebate instantly. You can also order your new iPhone and set up your service on Sprint’s website, then submit your old iPhone through their buyback program. If your old iPhone turns out not to be worth $100, then Sprint will make up the difference. If you go this route, the $100 credit will be posted to your account, and may be split up over 2-3 billing cycles.

    The catch (not surprisingly) is that this deal excludes upgrades. That is, you can’t upgrade an existing line with a new iPhone and get the $100. You have to start a new line of service. That’s not terribly surprising, given what Sprint is trying to accomplish with this deal. Though Sprint sold a respectable number of iPhones last quarter, the company is still having major issues with profitability. In fact, the company has bet heavily on the iPhone, the point that iPhone sales are a major part of what is keeping Sprint afloat. With this deal, Sprint is plainly looking to draw in customers from other wireless carriers – i.e., AT&T and Verizon. While the company’s continued offering of unlimited data plans is a major differentiator, Sprint needs all the iPhone customers it can get. Offering $100 toward the purchase of a new iPhone (which effectively cuts the price of the 16GB iPhone 4S in half) is an excellent way to do it.

    In order to get the $100 trade-in, you have to activate your new iPhone by July 3rd, and complete the trade-in process (if you go the online route) by August 14th. The deal only started on Friday, so there’s no way to know yet how well it’s working for Sprint. Unless they make a special announcement about the program’s success, we’ll probably have to wait until their next quarterly earnings report, which should come in July.

  • Sprint’s LTE Network To Be Slower But More Consistent Than Verizon, AT&T

    Sprint’s LTE Network To Be Slower But More Consistent Than Verizon, AT&T

    As you may have noticed, LTE is all the rage these days. Everyone, it seems, is in the process of building a 4G LTE cell phone network. Verizon already has a fairly sizable one up and running, and AT&T isn’t all that far behind. Sprint is set to roll out their network later this year, and even T-Mobile is getting in on the game. LTE is the next evolution in wireless data technology. And I mean that literally: the LTE stands for Long Term Evolution.

    At the same time that the carriers are rolling out these zippy new networks, the handset manufacturers are cranking out 4G-capable devices (and you can bet the iPhone will be one of those when it launches later this year). And of course, every phone manufacturer is going to tell you that their phone is better, and some certainly are, but the networks are pretty much all the same, right? After all, 4G LTE is 4G LTE, isn’t it?

    Well, it turns out that that’s not exactly the case. Not all 4G networks are created equal, as Sprint executives revealed today at the CTIA conference in New Orleans. Sprint’s new 4G LTE network, it seems, will not be as fast as the competition. Whereas Verizon and AT&T use 10 MHz channels for their network, Sprint will only be using 5 MHz channels at the beginning. That means that Sprint’s network will be a bit slower than the competition.

    Now, before you give up on Sprint altogether, the slower speed doesn’t mean that their network will necessarily be worse. For one thing, as PC Mag is reporting, the network is being designed with consistency in mind. Verizon’s 4G speeds can be a bit varied, and the network has distinct difficulties when a user passes from a 4G coverage area to a 3G area. Sprint is working to make sure that their network suffers from neither of those problems.

    Sprint is also planning to make several other network improvements, according to today’s report. For one thing, they will be moving voice calls to the spectrum that will be freed up when they shut down the Nextel network. That should take some of the load off the company’s current 3G network, which should improve its data performance.

    Of course, it also bears remembering that of the three largest carriers, only Sprint still offers an unlimited data plan. Verizon and AT&T have long since abandoned unlimited data in favor of a tiered system. Those data plans – and their caps – remain unchanged on the much faster 4G networks. Sprint, on the other hand, insists that they will keep their unlimited data plans even after the switch to 4G LTE.

    So, for all that Sprint’s 4G network will be a bit slower than the competition, you have the option of unlimited data as a tradeoff. Considering how easy it is to burn through those data caps on any 4G network, unlimited data is nothing to sneeze at.

    What do you think? Is it a problem that Sprint’s 4G LTE network will be a little slower than the competition? Does the promise of unlimited data change how much you care about network speed? Let us know in the comments.

  • AT&T To Offer Family Data Plan Soon

    AT&T To Offer Family Data Plan Soon

    Ralph de la Vega, CEO of AT&T mobility, has revealed that his company will soon be offering shared family data plans. These plans will allow users to pay for a single data plan that covers multiple devices – smartphones and tablets, namely. Under the current system a family with, say, two iPhones and a 4G iPad have to pay separate data plan fees for each device. With shared data plans, customers would pay for a single data plan that would cover all the family’s devices.

    In an interview with CNet at the CTIA conference in New Orleans yesterday, de la Vega said that he was “very comfortable with the plan that will be offered to our customers.” He did not give any details about the plan other than that. Pricing, data caps, and the like are still unknown. He also declined to say when AT&T would be rolling out the new plans.

    De la Vega’s statements make AT&T the second major carrier to promise that shared data plans would be coming soon. During Verizon’s quarterly earnings call last month the company revealed, among other things, that family data plans would be coming in mid-summer. Depending on pricing, such plans have the potential to be extremely popular, especially among families that own 3G or 4G tablets like the iPad.

    While T-Mobile has said they do not intend to offer a family data plan, Sprint already offers their Everything Data Family plan, which includes unlimited data for all devices on the account and starts at $129 (for 2 lines and 1500 minutes).

    What do you think? Would you make the switch to a family data plan? Let us know in the comments.

  • iPhone Accounts For Two-Thirds Of Smartphone Sales

    iPhone Accounts For Two-Thirds Of Smartphone Sales

    In the wake of the most recent round of quarterly earnings reports, there’s been quite a bit of discussion over just who the leader of the pack is when it comes to the smartphone market. While Samsung passed Nokia to become the world’s biggest overall cell phone vendor, two conflicting analyses led to some uncertainty as to whether they had also passed Apple to become the top smartphone maker. Another report seemed to confirm that yes, Samsung is the world’s leading smartphone maker.

    While those reports were based on unit sales, a study released today by Wireless Intelligence paints a slightly different story. Drawing information from the quarterly reports of the U.S.’s top wireless carriers – AT&T, Verizon, and Sprint – Wireless Intelligence found that the iPhone is America’s top-selling smartphone by a margin of nearly two-to-one.

    During the first quarter of 2012, AT&T reported that 4.3 million of their 5.5 million smartphone activations (78%) were iPhones. Meanwhile 3.2 million (51%) of Verizon’s smartphone activations were iPhones, and 1.5 million (60%) of Sprint’s smartphone activations were iPhones. All told, then, the iPhone accounted for 9 million of the roughly 13.5 million smartphones sold by the three companies.

    iPhone Sales By Operator

    Wireless Intelligence’s data lines up with a report published yesterday by Business Insider, which showed that that the iPhone was beating Google’s Android platform in the U.S. smartphone market. Based on the same sales data used by Wireless Intelligence, BI concludes that the iPhone has 63% of the smartphone market among the big three carriers. These carriers, in turn, account for about 80% of the overal U.S. mobile phone market. Consequently, the iPhone accounts for 50% of the U.S. smartphone market in the first quarter.

    That, however, is contrary to a report released by NPD Group yesterday. This report showed Apple with a mere 29% of the smartphone market, while Android reportedly had 61%. While BI and Wireless Intelligence are using carrier sales data, NPD’s data comes from a survey of 12,811 consumers. NPD responded to BI’s report by pointing out that they track “sellthrough of new handsets,” rather than activations, that they only track consumer sales, not enterprise sales, and that the big three carriers actually only account for 60% of the U.S. mobile phone market.

    All in all, NPD’s reasoning seems a bit problematic. While they have a point about activations being different than new sales, it’s unlikely that the difference between the two is great enough to account for the discrepancy between the two sets of numbers.

  • Sprint Will Offer Unlimited 4G Data Plans

    Earlier this month we brought you news that Sprint had unveiled a new Android smartphone – the LG Viper – that would be available on the company’s fledgling 4G LTE network when it launched. While the phone itself was not especially remarkable, one part of the announcement was pretty important: it hinted that Sprint would continue offering its unlimited data plans once the transition to 4G LTE was made.

    Today, Sprint confirmed that customers on their 4G LTE network will indeed have the option of an unlimited data plan. When asked whether Sprint would continue the practice of offering unlimited 4G data plans, Sprint CEO Dan Hesse told CNet that he was “not anticipating the unlimited plan would change by [the iPhone launch].”

    Sprint’s unlimited data plan is, as Hesse said, the carrier’s “distinctive differentiator.” Sprint is the only carrier that still offers unlimited data to smartphone users. While AT&T and Verizon both offered such plans when the iPhone launched on their network, the plans were eventually abandoned in favor of a tiered data plan structure. Those who originally signed up for the unlimited plans have been allowed to keep them, though AT&T is in the habit of throttling the connection speeds of customers foolish enough to think unlimited actually means “unlimited.”

    The fact that Sprint still offers unlimited 3G plans already makes them exceptional. The fact that they will continue to do so once their 4G network is in place makes them all the more so. Despite the fact that 4G LTE networks are able to handle larger traffic loads than 3G networks, AT&T and Verizon have made no move to offer their customers unlimited plans.

    Sprint, however, needs the iPhone very badly. As we reported this morning, the company posted a net loss of $255 million in the first quarter. The iPhone, however, went a long way toward keeping the company afloat. During the first quarter Sprint reported a net gain of 1.1 million subscribers. They also sold 1.5 million iPhones. The company bet a lot on the iPhone when it launched on their network last year. So far – despite losses incurred by the looming shutdown of the old Nextel network – the iPhone is one of the main things keeping the carrier afloat.

  • Sprint Sells 1.5 Million iPhones in Q1

    Sprint has been losing money with the impending shutdown of its Nextel network. Customers had been leaving the “push to talk” walkie-talkie-like service in waves, and Sprint is pulling the plug at the end of the year. Though, investors have been happy with the performance of Apple’s iPhone on the Sprint network, as the company has added a $10-per-month surcharge for smartphones – and the iPhone has been a big draw, likely due to Sprint’s offering of unlimited data plans for the device.

    Sprint’s shares will close $2.10, a 3-year low, though were valued at $2.66 before hitting the market, up $0.19, or 7.7%. Sprint has struggled with the Nextel network, though the introduction of the iPhone has been turning things around in a new focus on customer service, i.e. the aforementioned unlimited data plans, which AT&T and Verizon don’t offer. Sprint is also rumored to support the new iPhone LTE at launch, and is presently readying its LTE network to accomodate the device.

    Still, the ‘iPhone effect’ on Sprint hasn’t completely fixed things – the network lost 192,000 customers, including Nextel subscribers, in the last year – though, disregarding Nextel, Sprint saw a net gain of 263,000 new contracts. Sprint’s Q1 2012 net loss was $863 million, roughly $0.29 per share. Q1 2011 losses were $439 million and $0.15 respectively, though revenue was up 5% between the two periods, at $8.73 billion, a little higher than analysts had projected.

    In related news, I’d recently reported on the addition of iPhone plans to small, regional carriers. It is not yet clear what the ‘iPhone effect’ will do for Appalachian Wireless.

  • Sprint Responds To New York Tax Fraud Lawsuit

    Yesterday we brought you news that the state of New York had filed a $300 million lawsuit against Sprint for tax fraud. The suit alleges that Sprint did not properly collect and pay sales taxes on their wireless access fees. According to the suit, Sprint deliberately evaded paying $100 million in sales taxes in order to keep prices lower and maintain a competitive edge. This is the first lawsuit filed under New York’s False Claims Act, a bill created by New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman. Under the provisions of the law, Sprint is liable for three times the amount of the alleged fraud: $300 million.

    After our story ran yesterday, a representative from Sprint contact WebProNews to discuss Sprint’s response to the allegations. Here’s what Sprint spokesman John Taylor had to say:

    This complaint is without merit and Sprint categorically denies the complaint’s allegations. We have collected and paid over to New York every penny of sales taxes on mobile wireless services that we believe our customers owe under New York state law. With this lawsuit, the Attorney General’s office is claiming New York consumers, who already pay some of the highest wireless taxes in the country, should pay even more. We intend to stand up for New York consumers’ rights and fight this suit.

    So, it looks like Sprint is prepared to go to court over this. With the suit only just filed yesterday, there’s a long way to go before anything is decided. We’ll continue to cover the suit as it develops in the coming months.

  • Sprint Sued By New York For Tax Fraud

    Sprint Sued By New York For Tax Fraud

    The New York attorney general has sued Sprint for $300 million for failure to pay sales tax for seven years. The company allegedly failed to collect sales tax on charges associated with its wireless accounts. The state of New York alleges that Sprint’s under-payment cost the government around $100 million.

    You may be wondering why the government is suing for $300 million if Sprint supposedly failed to pay $100 million. It turns out the suit is being brought under New York’s False Claims Act. Intended to severely disincentivize fraud, the act makes those who commit tax fraud liable for three times the amount of their fraud.

    In a statement released by his office today, New York Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman accused Sprint of “deliberately evading sales taxes,” an act that “cost the state and local governments over $100 million that could have been used for critical services and much needed resources.” New York state law requires that mobile carriers collect and pay sales taxes on their monthly access charges. Sprint, the suit alleges, failed to collect and pay the full amount of taxes owed. The suit claims that Sprint deliberately concealed the practice by submitting falsified records and hiding the practice from their customers and competitors. This, the state says, was designed to give Sprint a competitive advantage over other carriers.

    The suit was originally filed by a whistleblower in March 2011. Following an investigation by the New York Taxpayer Protection Bureau and Department of Taxation and Finance, the attorney general’s office filed this complaint. Under whistleblower laws, the state’s suit effectively takes over the one filed by the whistleblower last year.

  • AT&T, Verizon, T-mobile, and Sprint Scored on Speed

    AT&T, Verizon, T-mobile, and Sprint Scored on Speed

    Wireless carriers make all sorts of claims when trying to sell data plans to smartphone users. It can be hard to sort out which carriers advertise their 3G and 4G networks as the fastest, most reliable, and most widespread. To cut through the confusion, PCWorld has tested all of the networks and provided some definitive evidence for which carrier really is the fastest.

    PCWorld tested both 3G and 4G speeds for each of the four major U.S. wireless carriers – AT&T, Verizon, Sprint, and T-Mobile. The carriers were asked to send phones that they thought would perform best on their networks. Those phones were used to record data speeds in cities all across the U.S., including Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, New Orleans, New York, San Francisco, San Jose, Seattle, and Washington D.C.

    The study concluded that AT&T provides the fastest average 4G download speeds in the country, with an average of 9.12 mbps. Verizon comes in second with an average of 7.35 mbps download speed. Verizon does best AT&T when it comes to upload speeds, though, with a 5.86 mbps average vs. AT&T’s 4.91 mbps average upload speed. T-Mobile and Sprint come in at 3rd and 4th, respectively, in both categories, though T-Mobile’s 5.53 mbps average download speed is a lot more competitive than Sprint’s 2.81 mbps. In fact, Sprint came in a distant fourth in every category.

    Almost as surprising as Sprint’s abysmal showing is that when it comes to 3G, T-Mobile is tops in download and upload speeds by a landslide. The carrier averages 3G download speeds of 3.84 mbps, well ahead of the runner-up AT&T’s 2.62 mbps, and is even 1 mbps faster that Sprint’s 4G average download speed. Verizon and Sprint aren’t even really in the running with 1.05 mbps and 0.59 mbps download speeds, respectively. This same order holds for 3G upload speeds, though Verizon and AT&T are relatively close. T-Mobile won both 3G categories in all but 2 of the cities where speeds were tested – Dallas and Chicago, where AT&T has slightly higher speeds.

    So, if you are looking for a new smartphone data plan, you really can’t go wrong with any carrier besides Sprint. In fact, if you are in an area that doesn’t yet have 4G service from any of the carriers, you might consider the superior 3G speeds of T-Mobile, which has less-expensive data plans than both Verizon and AT&T. Keep in mind, though, that these numbers are a national average. Data speeds can vary depending on your city and where you spend your time. To help with this, PCWorld also split up the data by city.

  • Galaxy Nexus Coming To Sprint April 22nd

    A month ago we reported a rumor that the popular Samsung Galaxy Nexus would be coming to Sprint on April 15th. With the 15th having now come and gone, that rumor was plainly wrong. But apparently it was pretty darn close. Samsung has announced that the Galaxy Nexus will be coming to Sprint this coming Sunday, April 22nd

    Unlike Verizon, Sprint’s version of the Galaxy Nexus features Google’s NFC-based instant payment platform, Google Wallet. To encourage customers to use the service, Sprint is offering everyone who purchases a Galaxy Nexus $50 to activate their Google Wallet account within a week of getting their phone. You’ll get an instant $10 credit when you activate your account, followed by another $40 credit sometime in the following three weeks.

    The Galaxy Nexus is the first phone on Sprint’s network to run Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. It’s also one of only two phones (so far, the other being the LG Viper, which became available for pre-order last week) that will be compatible with Sprint’s 4G LTE network when it begins to go live later this year.

    The Galaxy Nexus launched in December of last year on Verizon’s network and has proven quite popular. In addition to Google Wallet, it also includes Android Beam, another feature that makes use of the phone’s built-in NFC technology to share web pages, contacts, videos, apps, and more between NFC-capable Android devices. It also sports a 1.2GHz dual-core processor and a 4.65-inch Super AMOLED HD display.

    The Galaxy Nexus is currently available for pre-order on Sprint’s website. Though Sprint doesn’t guarantee arrival by Sunday if you pre-order today, they promise to “do our best to get it to you” before then. It costs $199.99 with a 2-year service agreement.

  • Sprint Unveils New LG Viper, Promises Unlimited 4G LTE Data Plans

    Sprint has announced the latest addition to their small-but-growing lineup of 4G LTE capable smartphones. The LG Viper 4G LTE will be available for pre-order from Sprint’s website beginning Thursday, April 12th. The LG Viper is the second 4G LTE-capable smartphone Sprint will offer, after the popular Galaxy Nexus.

    The LG Viper features a respectable feature set. It comes with a 1.2 GHz processor, 1GB of RAM, and 4GB of on-board memory with a microSD card expansion slot. It also sports a 4-inch display made with Gorilla Glass, a 5 megapixel rear camera with LED flash, and a VGA front camera. It runs on Android 2.3 Gingerpread. It also includes mobile hotspot capabilities. As previously noted, the LG Viper will be compatible with Sprint’s 4G LTE network when it begins to roll out later this year.

    LG Viper 4G LTE

    In addition to the phone itself, though, Sprint slipped in a very interesting detail about their data plans once the switch to 4G LTE is made. It seems that Sprint intends to offer unlimited 4G LTE data plans. With AT&T and Verizon having abandoned the practice some time ago, Sprint is currently the only U.S. carrier to offer smartphone users unlimited data mobile data plans. There had been some speculation as to wether they would continue the practice once they began upgrading to 4G LTE. It seems that they will.

    This has interesting implications for owners of both iOS and Android smartphones. AT&T and Verizon currently offer tiered data plans that restrict the amount of data a user can download in a given month. Once that cap is hit, the user has to pay a hefty fee to get more data. While those data caps are often not terribly onerous for users with 3G phones, it can be a lot easier to hit your limit on a 4G device (as owners of the new iPad have discovered to their frustration). What it boils down to is, just as a 2GB or 3GB data plan means a lot less on a 4G device than a 3G device, an unlimited plan means considerably more.

    What’s more, unlimited data plans may have an impact on the launch of the next iPhone. There have been rumors that Sprint will be getting the iPhone at launch this time around. What’s more, it’s pretty much a given that the next iPhone will be a 4G device. That means that when the next iPhone launches in September or October (probably), prospective buyers will have a 4G carrier that gives them back the chance to have an unlimited data plan. Sprint is no doubt hoping that will make some loyal AT&T and Verizon customers think twice about going back to their old carrier.

    What do you think? Would you consider switching to Sprint for an unlimited 4G data plan? Why or why not? Let us know in the comments.

  • Ice Cream Sandwich For Nexus S 4G Leaked

    A week ago we brought you news that Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich had come to Samsung’s Galaxy S II Skyrocket thanks to a leak. The leak allowed Skyrocket owners to get their hands on the latest and greatest version of Android. Though Ice Cream Sandwich will probably be coming to Galaxy S II smartphones in the US eventually, Samsung has declined to say when, despite having begun updating Galaxy S II phones in other countries.

    Now it looks like another leak is bringing Ice Cream Sandwich to certain phones a little early. According to a report from BriefMobile, Ice Cream Sandwich for the Nexus S 4G (Sprint’s version of the Nexus S) has been leaked. Given that the report is dated yesterday, you might be inclined to think it’s an April Fool’s Day prank. Fortunately, BriefMobile is kind enough to specify from the beginning that “This is not an April Fools joke.” They offer a link to download the ICS update files and instructions for installing it. They also include a handy (if slightly alarming) disclaimer warning would-be updaters that installing Ice Cream Sandwich will wipe their phone’s data, and disclaiming liability for users’ actions.

    Ice Cream Sandwich on the Nexus S 4G

    There is no word on when an official release of Ice Cream Sandwich will be coming to the Nexus S 4G. The GSM version of the Nexus S got the update a few days ago, so it’s a safe bet that it isn’t too far off. For those who can’t wait, though, BriefMobile’s got the link’s and a guide for installation. If you get it, let us know how it works in the comments.

  • Sprint to Sell Upcoming iPhone 4G at Launch [Report]

    Apple’s tentative iPhone 5 is widely expected to support 4G LTE networking, in line with the new iPad, and it’s been speculated that Sprint will be able to sell the LTE phones at launch.

    AT&T and Verizon are expected to be selling the 4G LTE device from the start, but Sprint, still relatively new in its partnership with Apple, has a fairly small LTE network. The company plans to install LTE in only 6 cities by mid year – which is likely the reason Apple opted not to offer the iPad on Sprint’s network. AT&T and Verizon currently sell the new iPad LTE.

    Still, comments from Joe Euteneuer, CFO at Sprint, explain that the company with carry the iPhone 5 at launch, regardless of LTE network coverage.

    Dow Jones reports:

    Nonetheless, Euteneuer said Tuesday at an investor conference that Sprint’s Apple contract is similar to those of rivals AT&T Inc. and Verizon Wireless, and that the carrier isn’t being held to any 4G LTE coverage requirements. In comparison, the other two carriers have rolled out 4G LTE to large swaths of the country.

    “If you make the assumption that they launch a device at a similar time that they did last year, you’re basically done with the major markets” on Sprint’s 4G LTE buildout, Euteneuer said, noting the carrier plans to initially cover around 100 million Americans. “So I don’t think we are really disadvantaged at all.”

    Sprint took a risk in its partnership with Apple, committed to about $20 billion worth of iPhones during the life of the contract, and won’t see any profits until at least 2015. And even though the release of the iPhone 4S set Sprint’s single-day launch record, the company never saw a huge bump in new customers due to the device. And, if Sprint can’t bolster its LTE grid for the launch of the iPhone 5, the company will likely see major losses.

    Sprint forecasts that its LTE network will support 250 million users in the U.S. by 2013. This would put it up there with AT&T and Verizon. Sprint appears to bank on the release date of the new iPhone.

  • Google Voice Looking to Other Service Providers

    Android users on Sprint have been able to integrate Google Voice into their service for about a year now. Sprint partnered with Google last year bringing Sprint users online visual voicemail, custom greetings, free text messaging, lower priced international calls and the ability to use the same number across all devices.

    In the near future, this may not be a Sprint only service. In an interview with Group Product Manager for Google Voice, Vincent Panquet, CNet has confirmed that they are in talks with other service providers to bring the service to more people.

    “We are having discussions with other carriers about this,” said Panquet, though he did not mention any specific providers by name. I guess that eliminates any questions as to whether or not the Sprint agreement was an exclusive deal.

    “Sprint integration has worked really well,” Paquet said to CNet. “We have, since Day One, had a steady stream of people signing up for it.”

    Google Voice’s key feature is it’s voicemail transcription service, which allows you to view and manage your voicemail through your e-mail account, seeing the messages visually and eliminating the need to call your voicemail every time you have new messages.

    The convenience of this unique feature may have been something that drew people towards Sprint when choosing a service provider. The company will now have to look to other services to set them apart.

    If you are unfamiliar with Google Voice, this video shows you all you need to know.

  • Galaxy Nexus Coming To Sprint On April 15th?

    Samsung’s popular Galaxy Nexus smartphone might be coming to Sprint next month. There have been rumors of a launch date for months, but several anticipated dates have come and gone with no sign of the phone on Sprint’s network.

    Now, however, S4GRU.com (Sprint 4G Rollout Updates) is citing “a Sprint source from within their Product Development division” who says that Sprint is preparing internally for their GNex program to go live on April 15th. Given that the 15th is a Sunday, however, the phone will likely be available in stores either shortly before or shortly after that date.

    The Galaxy Nexus first launched in December of last year on Verizon’s network. The phone has gotten generally good reviews, and even generated the kind of lines at Verizon stores that Samsung so likes to pick on in their anti-Apple ads (like this one, and this one). The Galaxy Nexus was the first phone to run Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, the latest version of Google’s smartphone Android operating system.

    Sprint users, are you excited to see the Galaxy Nexus on your network? Will you be upgrading in April? Let us know in the comments.

  • 90% of Tablet Use In Wi-Fi: No Need For Data Plans

    If you are putting off buying a tablet because you can’t afford to buy the necessary data plan required to surf the net, you don’t need to. It appears most users are merely using wi-fi to do a majority of their surfing anyway. If you have wi-fi in your home or office, you probably won’t need the connectivity in too many other places anyway.

    Also you could sit at the local Starbucks and use their wi-fi signal. Also, I believe many McDonalds have free wi-fi now. In fact, a growing number of retail locations and hotels/motels have free wireless services available. So you don’t need to spend the extra money on the data plan or the upgrade to make your device 3G and 4G capable.

    90% of tablet computer users do a majority of there internet tasks via wi-fi. That leaves only 10% that need internet access everywhere they go. Who are these people. Probably hardcore gamers, traveling businessman, and various other folks who probably own a smartphone anyway.

    Also, if you really use your pc for music, web surfing, and social networking, the tablet might make a good companion. A clear advantage o a tablet vs a desktop is the freedom to move wherever you want with the device. Lay on the couch, sit on the porch, check all your e-mails from bed, it is a lot more friendly than a desktop pc.

    So if cost is holding you back, it doesn’t have to be as expensive as you think. Consider the options. If you already have wi-fi and a desktop, all you really need to do is pay for the device.

  • New iPad For Sprint Release May Be On The Way

    The new iPad may be coming to Sprint, so if you’ve been on Sprint and have been wanting the device since it was unveiled on Wednesday, I hope you haven’t already voided your contract.

    Engadget, citing an anonymous source, is showing what is reportedly a look at Best Buy’s inventory database, which shows: “Sprint iPad New” a whole bunch of times.

    It certainly make sense for Sprint to get the device, given its big LTE plans and the device’s LTE capabilities. Sprint’s LTE network isn’t expected until the summer though, so perhaps waiting is a smart move.

    Mashable’s Peter Pachal speculated a couple days ago that Sprint’s absence from the iPad launch could also be related to Sprint users already experiencing connectivity issues with their iPhones, noting that Sprint still offers unlimited data plans. I wonder if that will end soon.

    “You use your iPad a lot, so you want it with you wherever you go,” Apple says. “The new iPad offers the most comprehensive support for networks around the world. It’s designed with cellular antennas that access a larger frequency spectrum. That means you can get online almost anywhere you are — whether you’re on AT&T or Verizon. You can even pop in a local SIM card to get a connection when you’re traveling.”

    “The new iPad supports fast cellular networks the world over — up to 4G LTE.2 So you can browse the web, stream content, or download a movie at blazing-fast speeds,” the company says. “It also works on GSM/UMTS worldwide network technologies including HSPA+ and DC-HSDPA — the fastest 3G networks out there. You’ll see downlink speeds up to 42 Mbps with DC-HSDPA and up to 21.1 Mbps with HSPA+.”

    View all of our iPad coverage here.

  • Reddit Hosting Sprint To Fix Their API At PyCon 2012

    Reddit Hosting Sprint To Fix Their API At PyCon 2012

    Reddit wants you to join them at PyCon 2012. What is PyCon? Read on to find out.

    Reddit, as defined by them in a blog post, is “a bit unique.” I would use other adjectives to describe the Web site, but I can’t argue that unique is a good term for them as well. My definition, however, relates to the content of the site, whereas they mean their site is built on open source software.

    When you look at it as a whole, Reddit claims that about 6.6 percent of their code comes from open source developers. That’s a significant percentage for a site as large and far reaching as Reddit.

    Anyway, this is all to lead up to Reddit hosting a sprint at PyCon 2012, which is being held in Santa Clara, California this year. PyCon is an annual convention for the community of developers that use the open source Python development language. It’s also unique in that its organized by the community with corporate sponsors so the events are always accessible to the largest amount of developers possible.

    As said, Reddit will be hosting a sprint during the convention. A sprint is like a hack-a-thon with a singular purpose. Since Reddit is hosting this sprint, you can bet it’s going to be about the Reddit API. The description on the sprint page says:

    What’s the next big thing for reddit? Why don’t we have an official Android app? How can I script and simplify my common moderation tasks?

    The answer to all these questions involves the reddit API! The best reddit-related projects are the ones that take advantage of our terrible API, and we want more of them – this sprint is about making that API better, and building new things on the existing API.

    The sprints will be running from Monday, March 12 through Thursday March 15. There’s no real schedule to the event, but the Reddit team says that they will be available from around 10 a.m. to whenever dinner-time is for them.

    If you want to participate in the Reddit sprint, you can sign up over at the PyCon sprints page.

    The Reddit team will also be holding a pre-sprint intro session on Sunday evening. So be sure to attend that if you plan on joining the sprint to fix their API.

  • iPhone Sales Hurt By Lack Of Carrier Subsidies

    iPhone Sales Hurt By Lack Of Carrier Subsidies

    Anyone who has ever tried to buy a contract-free iPhone has first-hand experience with how heavily Apple relies on carrier subsidies to sell its phones. The price difference, usually in the neighborhood of several hundred dollars, is made up for by the contract users purchase with their phones.

    For customers in the United States, this process brings the iPhone into a much more accessible price range. Many overseas carriers, however, do not subsidize phones – particularly smartphones – in the same way. This means that an iPhone in much of Europe costs far more. This, in turn, drives many users to more affordable phones. Many Android-based smartphones, for example, are far cheaper than iPhones even without carrier subsidies.

    This explains some of the recent data we have been seeing concerning the iPhone’s market share in non-U.S. countries. While the iPhone still enjoys a strong user base in many countries, Android has been growing at a much greater rate. For example, one recent report shows that in Britain in the past year Android has surged past the iPhone in both installed base (i.e., the number of overall smartphone users who have Android phones) and in market share (i.e., the number of new phone sales). Meanwhile, the iPhone has also lost market share in China in the last year, dropping to fifth place behind Samsung, Nokia, Huawei Technologies, and ZTE Corporation. While Apple’s recent deal with a second Chinese carrier, China Telecom, may help boost market share somewhat, the iPhone’s price is seen as a major factor in its slip to fifth place.

    Meanwhile, though the iPhone enjoys a substantial chunk of the U.S. market, there is evidence that carriers may be getting the short end of the stick where the iPhone is concerned. The iPhone definitely draws customers to those carriers who have it. T-Mobile, the only major U.S. carrier without the iPhone, lost 800,000 customers in the fourth quarter of 2011 due to its lack of the iPhone. Yet the subsidies on which iPhone sales rely so heavily are apparently not good for carriers. While iPhone sales have done wonders for Apple’s revenue, the subsidies have taken a significant bite out of carrier profits.

    AT&T and Sprint suffer most from the iPhone. AT&T sells more of them than any other carrier, which means that the iPhone takes a bigger chunk of the company’s profits. Sprint, meanwhile, is the smallest carrier with the iPhone, and operates on far smaller margins than AT&T or Verizon. Subsidies for the iPhone take so much out of Sprint’s profits that the company will not even be making money on the device for about three more years. Though the iPhone definitely brings a major boost to carriers in terms of customers, one wonders whether they will be willing to endure the damage to their bottom line forever.

    What do you think? Would you still buy an iPhone without carrier subsidies, or would it be too expensive? Let us know in the comments.