nextel

SANTA CLARA, Calif.--Sprint Nextel is working to take its flagship smartphones and eventually sell them to its prepaid and wholesale partners, according to product chief Fared Adib.

Sprint could eventually take a high-end handset such as the Samsung Electronics Galaxy S II Epic 4G Touch and re-brand and sell it to different providers, Adib said during the company's developer conference here today.

The approach would mark a radical departure from conventional thinking in the wireless industry. The national carriers typically guard their flagship handsets with exclusive agreements, and consider them the "crown jewels" that allow them … Read more

Sprint Nextel said today that it has formed a mobile security council to answer the growing threats to its customers and their smartphones.

The charter members include major technology players like IBM and Cisco Systems, security providers such as Lookout, and handset vendors Samsung Electronics and Motorola Mobility. Curiously, the group doesn't include Google or Apple, two of the major players in the wireless industry, nor does it include the other national wireless carriers.

"Sprint sees the need to comprehensively address mobile security, and we are bringing the industry together in our Mobile Security Council," said Fared … Read more

Leap Wireless saw its third-quarter loss narrow as the tide continues to turn for the better on customer growth.

The prepaid wireless provider, which sells its service under the brand Cricket Wireless, posted a quarterly loss of $68.8 million, or 90 cents a share, compared with a year-earlier loss of $536.3 million, or $7.06 a share, when it recorded a charge of $477.3 million for the write-off of assets. Revenue, meanwhile, rose nearly 20 percent to $763.3 million.

Analysts, on average, forecast a loss of 79 cents a share and revenue of $764 million, according … Read more

Sprint Nextel is offering developers some prominent real estate to feature their apps--if they're willing to pay for it.

The company said Friday it plans to launch a new auction system for developers, allowing them to bid for spots on the Sprint Zone application and the Sprint Tab found in the Android Market--two locations where new Sprint customers go to find recommendations for apps.

Sprint Zone is an app found on all Android smartphones that allows the user to check their usage, pay their bills, and get news from the carrier. It also has a section that highlights special … Read more

Earlier this month, Sprint Nextel's leadership team sat dumbfounded on stage as an increasingly contentious audience of investors questioned the company's strategy of pursuing its own 4G network alone.

The investor presentation, which came mere days after the unveiling of the iPhone 4S, was among the most raucous in recent memory. The agitation only grew when the executives refused to talk about the financial impact of the carrying the iPhone, which came at a hefty price. The meeting ended with the team, led by Sprint CEO Dan Hesse, making a beeline for the exit.

"What we regret … Read more

Sprint Nextel posted a narrower third-quarter loss as customer growth improved ahead of the company getting the Apple iPhone.

The country's third-largest wireless provider reported a third-quarter loss of $301 million, or 10 cents a share, narrower than its year-earlier loss of $911 million, or 30 cents a share. Revenue rose 2 percent to $8.33 billion.

Wall Street analysts, on average, had expected the company to lose 22 cents a share on revenue of $8.38 billion, according to Thomson Reuters.

More importantly, Sprint kept pace on its path to winning back its most valuable customers. The company … Read more

Sprint Nextel doesn't yet have its own 4G LTE network up and running, but that hasn't stopped it from already talking up plans for the next iteration of LTE.

The wireless provider said it plans to deploy LTE-Advanced technology after rolling out its LTE network next year, according to Fierce Wireless. Speaking at the 4G World conference in Chicago today, Iyad Tarazi, Sprint's vice president of network development and engineering, said it would occur in the first half of 2013.

LTE-Advanced is a faster version of LTE and what the International Telecommunications Union originally deemed a true … Read more

For once, Apple's iPhone wasn't a major catalyst for customer growth at AT&T or Verizon Wireless.

This week, both carriers reported mildly disappointing wireless subscriber growth in the third quarter. Both also blamed the lack of a new iPhone (the iPhone 4S launched after the end of the reporting period) for the weakness.

That AT&T's and Verizon's wireless fates were so closely tied to a single smartphone that is more than a year old speaks to the strength and influence of Apple. More importantly, the sluggish numbers in the third quarter were … Read more

It's not a great time to be a T-Mobile USA customer right now.

Sprint Nextel getting the iPhone is one thing, but regional carriers C Spire--formerly known as Cellular South--announcing it will be selling Apple's smash-hit handset in the coming weeks has got to be galling for T-Mobile customers.

T-Mobile's response: blame Apple.

"T-Mobile thinks the iPhone is a good device and we've expressed our interest to Apple to offer it to our customers," the company said in an e-mailed statement today. "Ultimately, it is Apple's decision."

T-Mobile went on … Read more