wireless

AT&T customers should expect to pay a little more on their bill this month. The company has added a new 61-cent monthly administrative fee for all of its contract wireless customers.

The new "Mobility Administrative Fee," which went into effect May 1, applies to consumer and Individual Responsibility User (IRU) lines. The "below the line" fee appears with taxes and other surcharges at the bottom of a customer's phone bill, below the service charges.

While this may not sound like much, The Wall Street Journal reports that the fee could "bring in … Read more

LAS VEGAS -- Jennifer Lopez and Verizon Wireless made a little noise on Wednesday after they unveiled a partnership to create a Latino-centric shopping experience.

Viva Movil is, for the most part, an extension of Verizon's retail arm, and will sell Verizon phones and service plans. Core services such as customer care will continue to be handled by Verizon. This particular retail arm just happens to have actress-singer Lopez as the face of the brand.

Lopez is a self-described "mobile neophyte," and it shows. But she appears passionate about going after the Latino market with a shopping … Read more

LAS VEGAS -- Although already available through other carriers like Net10 and Straight Talk, the Samsung Galaxy Discover will be available on Cricket Wireless starting this summer.

The news was made official during a press conference today during CTIA. The carrier also announced that it will release the Samsung Admire 2 in the summer, as well as the Galaxy S4 on June 7.

Though Cricket did not release final pricing, the Galaxy Discover currently retails for about $100.

Design Compact and sturdy at 4.4 ounces, the 3.5-inch Galaxy Discover is a small entry-level device that measures 4.59 … Read more

LAS VEGAS--Cricket Wireless has big plans for this year. In addition to announcing that it will be offering the Galaxy S4 in June, and its new "Half is More" ad campaign, the prepaid carrier also reported that it will sell the Samsung Admire 2.

Though no specific availability date and pricing information was given, the Admire 2 is scheduled to come out this summer. Its predecessor, which was originally offered on MetroPCS, launched with an initial price point of $129.

Design During the press conference, Cricket did not release any specs. But what I could gather from handling … Read more

LAS VEGAS -- In an aggressive move for Cricket Wireless, the prepaid carrier has launched an advertising campaign urging Verizon and AT&T customers to switch over from their costly on-contract plans to Cricket's more affordable rates.

Named "Half Is More," the initiative will fan out online, in print media, on TV, and through social-media campaigns. In fact, Cricket has already dedicated a portion of its Web site to this new competitive effort.

It's no coincidence that television ads in support of Cricket's cost savings begin June 3; the company will begin selling Samsung's Galaxy S4 smartphone … Read more

LAS VEGAS -- Cricket announced on Wednesday that it'll sell Samsung's Galaxy S4 smartphone starting June 7.

The superpremium handset sells for the hefty sum of $599.99, but buyers can also put $55 down and space out monthly payments.

Cricket's version of the Galaxy S4 includes the same high-end hardware specs you'll find on any carrier, like a 5-inch HD screen, a 13-megapixel camera, and a TV remote control. However, it'll also carry Cricket's Muve Music service, which gives you unlimited access to downloadable songs and ringtones as part of the monthly Android … Read more

Just a day after Sprint upped its bid to acquire Clearwire, the latter's board has said that it's the right deal for the company.

In a statement released Wednesday, Clearwire's board announced that it has approved the new deal with Sprint. The board has also asked shareholders to vote in favor of the acquisition when they meet to place their ballots on May 31.

Sprint made a surprising announcement Tuesday, saying that it would up its initial offer to buy the remaining 50 percent of Clearwire that it doesn't own from $2.97 per share to $… Read more

LAS VEGAS -- In conjunction with the news that AT&T will be launching its own prepaid network called Aio Wireless (which the company actually announced earlier this month), the ZTE Prelude made an appearance at this week's CTIA tech show.

Available for $49.99, the device is a compact, entry-level smartphone that surprisingly runs the more recent Android 4.1 Jelly Bean OS.

Design Measuring in at 4.6 inches tall, 2.4 inches wide, and 0.43 inch thick, the Prelude is small and compact, and weighs 4.4 ounces.

Its design isn't anything to … Read more

LAS VEGAS -- Sprint just announced a trio of tri-band LTE mobile hot spots today at CTIA 2013. The devices are the Netgear Zing, the Netgear 341U, and the Novatel Wireless MiFi 500LTE.

The most striking product is the Netgear Zing, which not only connects to Sprint's 3G and 4G networks to supply up to 10 users simultaneously, it also features a large LCD touch screen. In fact Sprint claims it's the first hot spot it has offered with a touch-controlled display. Another added bonus to the Zing is it's capable of roaming globally on GSM networks. … Read more