Items tagged with vzw
Now that Microsoft has fully consumed Nokia's mobile product division, this could go down as one of the final pieces of hardware to ever ship with the Nokia brand name on it. After years of catering solely to the smartphone market, Nokia has extended the reach of the Lumia line to cover tablets, too. The Lumia 2520 is one of the more eye-catching Windows 8.1 RT slates on the market, shipping with a full copy of Office 2013 Home & Student as well as Outlook RT. The tablet will be shipping to Verizon stores on November 21st, replete with 4G LTE and an off-contract price of $500. That's impressive for one major reason: it wasn't too long ago that tablets were being sold for nearly as much on-contract,...
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At this point, entry-level Android phones are a dime a dozen. Or, if you play your cards right, free on a 2-year contract. For those uninteresting in paying $200+ for a superphone, LG has introduced the Lucid2. It's a VZW exclusive, and will be available in Verizon Wireless Communications Stores in the coming weeks for free with a new two-year service agreement. Despite being cheap, it boasts a 4G LTE radio, Bluetooth 4.0, LG's Smart Share technology (which lets users easily send videos, pictures and music wirelessly to DLNA-enabled devices like your flat screen TV), a 2,460 mAh battery, support for wireless charging, and a 4.3" qHD IPS display. There's also a 1.2GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Krait...
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And just like that, BlackBerry's first U.S.-bound BB10 device has Verizon Wireless' support. The Z10 had yet to be announced for VZW until today, but it looks as if it'll ship to customers of that carrier just days after it arrives on AT&T's network. Starting 3/14 at 8am ET, VZW customers will be able to pre-order the handset, with initial shipments happening on 3/28. Customers will be able to choose from two color models, Black or White, with White being a Verizon Wireless exclusive. The Z10 will fully support Verizon's LTE network, and moreover, those wishing for a keyboard-equipped BB10 smartphone can rest easy: VZW will soon offer the Q10 as soon as BlackBerry ships it. The BlackBerry...
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Well, well -- looks like those whole "prepaid" thing may not just be for the second-tier carriers any longer. This week, Verizon Wireless announced that it too would be joining the prepaid ranks, which is fairly monumental on a couple of levels. First and foremost, the majority of prepaid options in America rely on Sprint's network -- which isn't the best of 'em. VZW's new prepaid plans provide unlimited talk, unlimited texts and 500 MB of data for $60 a month, or for $70 a month, a prepaid customer receives 2 GB of data in addition to unlimited talk and texts. The catch? Yes, there's a catch. It only works with 3G phones, so those hoping to get in on this action using LTE are sure to be ill....
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Verizon on Tuesday released its financial report for the fourth quarter of 2012, noting that its wireless business saw an 8.5 percent year-over-year increase in service revenues, along with 2.2 million retail net additions. The company also said that its 4G LTE service is now available to more than 273 million people in 476 markets across the U.S. Big Red's wireline business also saw some growth with a 4.1 percent year-over-year increase in consumer revenues. Verizon added 144,000 FiOS Internet and 134,000 FiOS Video subscribers during the quarter, bringing the total to 5.4 million and 4.7 million, respectively. Some of Verizon's Q4 losses were due to effects from Hurricane Sandy. "Verizon seized...
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With increasingly sophisticated smartphones featuring 4G connectivity littering the mobile landscape, wireless carriers are jockeying for position trying to build out the best network, and it appears Verizon Wireless is out in front, according to J.D. Powers and Associates' latest biannual study. J.D. Power and Associates examines network performance from a variety of viewpoints, focusing on 10 different problem areas that can affect the customer experience. These include (in order of importance): Dropped calls Calls not connected Audio issues Failed/late voicemails Lost cast Text transmission failures Late text message notifications Web connection errors Email connection errors Slow downloads...
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Business is good for Verizon Wireless (VZW). Real good. For the second consecutive quarter, Big Red posted double-digit percentage growth in year-over-year earnings, which went up 12.3 percent. Verizon's Wireless division generated record-high margins, thanks in part to millions of smartphone sales. CFO Fran Shammo stated in a conference call that the carrier sold 2.7 million iPhone devices in the second quarter, which is up from 2.3 million one year prior, but down from 3.2 million the first quarter. Droid handsets sold even better to the tune of 2.9 million devices, and of those, 2.5 million were 4G LTE handsets. Combined with other platforms, VZW sold 5.9 million smartphones in Q2. Image Source:...
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For the average consumer, saying the word "bootloader" will get you a blank stare. But for hardcore Android hackers, it's a touchy subject. You see, an unlocked bootloader gives users the ability to easily root their phone and install a custom ROM. In other words, hack into their phone and put a custom build of Android on there. Phone makers are bashed or praised based on if one's bootloader is able to be unlocked, but oftentimes carriers have something to say about it as well. In the case of the Samsung Galaxy S III, a new Android smartphone that's available across a number of U.S. carriers, Samsung has realized that there's a vocal minority that cares deeply about unlockability. For them, Samsung...
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Verizon Wireless stirred up a hornet's nest of sorts when word got out earlier this week that Big Red was planning to shove grandfathered users off of their $30/month unlimited data plans that they signed up for prior to VZW rolling out tiered price plans. As you can imagine, news of the nixed data buffet for existing customers didn't sit well with John Q. Public, but before you pick up pitchfork and torch, Verizon wants to make some points clear. In a statement emailed to The New York Times, a VZW spokesperson clarified that "Customers will not be automatically moved to new shared data plans. If a 3G or 4G smartphone customer is on an unlimited plan now and they do not want to change their plan,...
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Those of you who are Verizon 3G customers feasting on an unlimited data plan, enjoy your time at the all-you-can-consume data buffet while you still can because the end is nigh. According to reports, Verizon plans to eradicate the $30 per month unlimited plan that some customers signed up for before Big Red rolled out its tiered price plans last year, and all those people who are currently grandfathered in will be pushed off. "Everyone will be on data share," Verizon CFO Fran Shammo said during a telecom conference, according to FierceWireless. Shammo was referencing Verizon's upcoming shared data plans that are supposed to come out later this summer. Barring a PR backlash significant enough...
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Need a new phone? Not so hot on the idea of buying one on-contract? There's a solution here, and Verizon Wireless is really hoping that you'll give its newly defined prepaid plans a look. The prepaid market in the U.S. is a hot one, largely dominated by MVNOs that run on Sprint's network, but VZW is chipping away, and these new plans show that. This week, it announced the availability of a new prepaid plan beginning May 1, offering unlimited talk and text messaging, as well as 1 GB of data for $80 per month. It's launching on the Samsung Illusion, a phone that'll go for $169.99, and will be available at VZW stores, Best Buy, Target, RadioShack and Walmart. You have to remember that prepaid pricing...
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International travel is pretty stressful as-is, but when you combine the fact that getting smartphone data while abroad could end up costing more than your flight -- well, that's even less fun. Global data roaming is a major, major expense, and while many savvy travelers attempt to pick up loaner SIMs at their destination, there's no doubt that it's not possible to do so in every instance. For those who routinely find themselves scurrying to foreign lands, Verizon Wireless has introduced a new Global Data Plan. Beginning April 23rd, US-based customers can get a 100MB monthly pool of data for $25. That's a tiny pool, yes, but it's far greater than VZW's prior offerings. Whenever you go over that...
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Remember the Galaxy Tab 7.7 device Samsung announced at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) earlier this year in Las Vegas? Well it's about to land at Verizon Wireless where it will be sold exclusively beginning March 1, 2012 for $500 with a two-year service agreement and qualifying 4G LTE mobile broadband plan (pricing starts at $30/month for 2GB of data). If you do the math, that works out to $1,220 for the device and two years of 4G LTE service. Or you can buy the Galaxy Tab 7.7 outright for $700 and not worry about a data plan. So what do you get for that kind of investment? For starters, the Galaxy Tab 7.7 is the first version of Samsung's Super AMOLED Plus tablet to hit the U.S. It has...
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If you're in need of a 4G LTE smartphone and don't want to break the bank, you're in luck. Verizon Wireless is now selling two if its newer 4G LTE handsets -- LG Spectrum and HTC Rezound -- for just $100 each, with a requisite two-year service agreement, naturallly. That's a pretty good deal no matter which of these spiffy Android devices you choose, both of which feature 1.5GHz dual-core processors, 1GB of RAM, qHD displays, and of course 4G LTE radios. The LG Spectrum is a slightly larger device with a 4.5-inch display, while the HTC Rezound brings a 4.3-inch touchscreen to the smartphone party. In terms of storage, the LG Spectrum ships with 4GB of internal memory and a 16GB microSD...
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Here we thought HTC was going to slow things down a tick after announcing another round of comparatively disappointing financial results, but so far that hasn't been the case. HTC said it was going shift its strategy from bombarding the marketplace with a bevy of devices to concentrating on a just a few well polished handsets, and while that might still be the case, we've already seen a handful of upcoming smartphones leak to the Web, including what appears to be the Droid Incredible 3. A tipster sent Phone Arena a whole bunch of photos of a mystery HTC smartphone, which the site promptly watermarked and put on display for all the world to see. Phone Arena says it doesn't have a clue what model...
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A new MAP (minimum advertised price) list from Verizon has been tipped online and it reveals a number of discounted Droid devices, including the upcoming Droid 4. Motorola's darling, which was unveiled at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas earlier this month, was originally announced at $249 with a two-year service agreement, but it now looks like you'll be able to snag one from Big Red for $200 (also on contract). The Droid 4 boasts a 4-inch qHD display, 1.2GHz dual-core processor, 1GB of RAM, 16GB of internal storage, 8MP camera with 1080p video capture, 4G LTE, slide-out QWERTY keyboard, and various other amenities. There will also be a full suite of accessory options available, including...
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Haven't found the Droid you've been looking for? Maybe the Droid RAZR Maxx is the one you've been waiting on, and if that's the case, your wait is almost over. Verizon Wireless today announced that the Droid RAZR Maxx will be available to purchase on January 26, 2012 for $300 with a new two-year service agreement. The RAZR Maxx is a slender device measuring 8.99mm thin. It has 4.3-inch Super AMOLED capacitive touchscreen, a 1.2GHz dual-core processor, 32GB of storage (16GB onboard memory and 16GB microSD card pre-installed), 1GB of RAM, 8MP rear-facing camera, 1.3MP front-facing camera, a 4G LTE radio, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and all the other goodies you would expect from a modern smartphone. Android...
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Verizon has dealt with quite a few network hiccups of late, and now the carrier is taking a quick moment to come clean about their growing pains. By and large, their LTE rollout has gone smoothly. They've expanded very rapidly, and there's little to complain about when it comes to range and speed. But of course, nationwide outages cause a major stir, and when it happens three or four times in a month, well...that's a major stir. A new statement from the company strikes us as strange, with no mention of an apology and plenty of defensive terminology. They call their 4G LTE network "by far he largest and the most advanced 4GLTE wireless network in the world," and admit to "growing pains and recent...
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Sometimes, the hype is accurate. Sometimes, it's not. But it says something to AT&T's claim of covering 97% of Americans when Verizon Wireless claims the "most reliable carrier" crowd yet again. Despite taking on loads of new customers from their Alltel acquisition, it looks like VZW is beating the other guys when it comes to uptime and satisfaction, at least, according to J.D. Power and Associates. Compared to the "other guys," Verizon ranked as the top carrier in the Northeast for the 14th time in a row, and compared to other carriers, "Verizon saw the least number of customers complaining of dropped calls, transmission failures, initial connection issues, and delayed text messages." Beyond...
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Ch-ch-changes. They're happening, that's for sure, and now just with companies that are down in the dumps. Even Verizon, which has been doing quite well of late, has seen fit to make a few alterations at the top. The Verizon Board of Directors has named Verizon President and COO Lowell C. McAdam as president and chief executive officer of Verizon Communications, and that'll go into effect August 1st. It's said to be the completion of the company's CEO succession process, which has been underway since 2010. As for Ivan? He'll step down from the CEO role but remain chairman to continue to facilitate the transition. McAdam will have responsibility for the operations of Verizon, including all business...
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It's hard to believe that next month will be the month that Verizon finally gets the iPhone that consumers have been pushing for them to get. The rumors are done. The reality will set in. And starting in just a few days, those who are already Verizon customers will be able to pre-order the most highly hyped phone in the U.S. Feb. 3rd marks the day in which existing VZW customers can place their pre-order, but non-VZW customers will still have to wait. It remains to be seen how many people will jump at the chance to own one now that the iPhone 5 is expected to launch this summer, but we're sure Verizon customers who have waited years for this moment may not be able to hold out. There's even a...
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Here's a surprise: Verizon isn't too fond of the FCC's Net Neutrality order. Actually, that isn't too much of a surprise. Many ISPs, cellphone carriers and other operators in this space are very hesitant to jump onboard the FCC's latest train, as any additional regulation and oversight into their industry could mean less control for how they conduct their own business. Verizon is in a very interesting position, though. Unlike many other carriers, Verizon has ties to a home-based Internet service (FiOS) as well as 3G and 4G wireless networks through Verizon Wireless. So the Net Neutrality order definitely touches nearly every major aspect of this company. This week, Verizon actually went so far...
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