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carriers

Samsung: Our smartphones are 'distinctly different'

SAN JOSE, Calif. -- A Samsung executive testified that the company has as many as 100 different smartphones available in the U.S. market at any given time, many of which look "distinctly different" at the request of U.S. carriers.

The testimony aimed to rebut Apple's contention in its patent case here that Samsung has "slavishly" copied Apple's own iPhones and iPads.

"The carriers want to differentiate their portfolios, as well as their services," said Samsung chief strategy officer Justin Denison. "They typically ask us for some element of uniqueness … Read more

Get to know America's carriers, big and small

How well do you know your carrier options?

Maybe very well, if you happen to follow the ins and outs of changing plans and perks. However, you may not be aware that Cricket has a roaming agreement with Sprint, or that Boost Mobile and Virgin Mobile now have 4G.

If you're a beginner, or just happen to enjoy carrier trivia, check out this quick guide to carriers.

J.D. Power: For third time, Verizon is customer service champ

For the third time in a row, Verizon Wireless has been dubbed the wireless provider with the best customer service, according to marketing researchers, J.D. Power and Associates.

Its semi-annual report, "2012 U.S. Wireless Customer Care Full-Service Performance Study -- Volume 2 and 2012 U.S. Wireless Customer Care Non-Contract Performance Study," gave the Big Red an overall score of 771 in customer care performance.

Sprint came in second with 764, while AT&T and T-Mobile scored 756 and 722 points, respectively.

As for non-contract networks, Virgin Mobile, which also came in first in the … Read more

Will AT&T charge you for FaceTime over its network?

AT&T might charge customers to run FaceTime over its cellular network, according to a report.

The folks over at Apple blog 9to5Mac yesterday published a screenshot of an error message that popped up in their developer version of iOS 6 when they attempted to place a FaceTime call over AT&T's network. The message reads that users must "enable FaceTime over cellular" by contacting AT&T or visiting their online account.

FaceTime has historically been available only via Wi-Fi. However, in iOS 6, Apple will allow iDevices to hold video chats over cellular … Read more

Euro carriers stocking nano-SIM cards ahead of iPhone 5 launch

According to a report by the Financial Times, mobile operators in Europe are stockpiling nano-SIM chips in anticipation of Apple including the new technology in the next iteration of the iPhone.

Though actions like this would suggest an impending launch, no official word has come from Apple as to when we can expect to actually see the iPhone 5 (or the new iPhone?)

The nano-SIM design was approved by the mobile phone industry's standards group earlier this year and should allow Apple to save even more space in its tightly designed iPhone interior.… Read more

Carrier support a must for Windows Phone 8 success

Microsoft's new Windows Phone 8 devices will hit stores this fall. And support from carriers like Verizon Wireless will be crucial if the company stands a chance of competing with smartphone giants, Apple and Google.

Microsoft today took the wraps off Windows Phone 8, the next iteration of its mobile software for smartphones. Device makers Nokia, Huawei, Samsung and HTC have all committed to building Windows Phone 8 devices, Microsoft said. So far all four major wireless carriers, including Verizon Wireless, are onboard as well, which is good news for Microsoft. The big question now is how much support … Read more

iPhone 4, 4S reportedly heads to Virgin Mobile next

Virgin Mobile USA will soon be the latest pre-paid carrier to get Apple's iPhone 4S, according to a new report.

Citing people familiar with Sprint's plans, Dow Jones says that the iPhone will arrive on Virgin Mobile USA -- a wholly-owned Sprint subsidiary -- as early as next month.

Sprint joined AT&T and Verizon as the third major U.S. carrier to offer the popular handset last October.

The move would follow Apple's deal with Leap Wireless's Cricket, which marked a beginning of the iPhone's jump into the prepaid market. That deal, announced last week, … Read more

Samsung's branding may spell success for Galaxy S III

Given all the attention that the Samsung Galaxy S III is garnering today, it's easy to overlook some of the finer points.

One detail that has been lost in the shuffle could have long-lasting implications for Android. It's not the 2GB RAM, although that does sound wonderful, and it's not the dual-core processor. Nope, it's not the universal launch date either. Instead, what's really significant is the singular design and branding for the Galaxy S III across all of the five U.S. carriers scheduled to carry it. Here's why.… Read more

Google said to bring Android to multiple mobile-device makers

Google is switching up Android in an effort to gain some control from wireless carriers.

According to The Wall Street Journal, the tech giant is planning to grant early access of new releases of the operating system to several mobile-device makers at once and also sell the phones directly to consumers.

Until now, Google would work with only one device maker to create "lead devices," according to The Wall Street Journal. Only once the "lead device" was produced would the company give access of the software to other mobile makers. Also, all phones were sold via … Read more