Mobile Miscellany: week of June 11th, 2012
Not all mobile news is destined for the front page, but if you're like us and really want to know what's going on, then you've come to the right place. This past week, Cricket found a new retail channel at Kmart and we received news that the HTC One S will soon arrive at Cincinnati Bell. These stories and more await after the break. So buy the ticket and take the ride as we explore the "best of the rest" for this week of June 11th, 2012.
Kmart welcomes Cricket with open arms
Blue light special on aisle four. Available now at 1,200 Kmart stores across the US, shoppers will find two smartphones for Cricket: the Samsung Vitality for $199 and the ZTE Score for $129. Alongside these offerings are two feature phones: the Huawei Pillar for $69 and the Samsung Chrono for $39. [Leap Wireless PR]
HTC One S comes to Cincinnati Bell
An AWS network famous for its hand-me-downs from T-Mobile, Cincinnati Bell has announced that it'll begin offering the HTC One S for its subscribers on June 25th. The phone will cost $299 on-contract before a $100 mail-in-rebate. [Android Central]
Galaxy Note rumored in navy blue for T-Mobile
Evidence continues to mount that the Samsung Galaxy Note will soon arrive at T-Mobile stores in the good ol' US of A, but one thing you probably weren't expecting was to see the phablet available in blue. Such an inventory leak from the Magenta carrier suggests that's exactly what's in store, though we're no closer to having a solid release date. [TmoNews]
Verizon Wireless LTE expansion takes a vacation... to Hawaii
Big Red keeps rolling with its LTE network, and its latest effort is largely centered around Hawaii. On the big island, the areas of Kailua-Kona, Honokohau, Keauhou, Kealakekua, Captain Cook, South Kohala resorts, Hapuna, Waikoloa and Waikoloa Village are now swimming in 4G airwaves. Meanwhile on the island of Kauai, residents of Lihue, Puhi, Nawiliwili, Wailua Homesteads and Kapaa have received a similar bit of love.
Verizon's LTE network is also now officially available in Logan, W. Va.; Mount Vernon, Monroe, Burlington, Fredrickson, Graham, South Hill and Spanaway, Wash.; and Ashland, Ky. [Verizon Wireless]
AT&T expresses interest in Verizon's 700MHz spectrum
T-Mobile may want nothing to do with the 700MHz spectrum that was pitched by Verizon Wireless as a peace offer should its acquisition of the AWS licenses from SpectrumCo and Cox be approved, but the same can't be said for AT&T. This week, company CEO, Randall Stephenson, expressed his interest in the Lower B Block of Verizon's holdings, although like others, he stated that the Lower A Block licenses would be too prone to interference and wouldn't pair well with AT&T's existing infrastructure. [FierceWireless]
Flipboard for Android updated for improved battery life
The popular RSS reader for iOS recently made its way across the aisle to the Android platform with the launch of the Samsung Galaxy S III, and while it's availability is currently limited to owners of this handset and authorized beta testers, a new version is now available to the two lucky groups. Along with restyled dialogs, the app is said to feature a smaller memory footprint and improved battery life -- a few changes that we'll all appreciate when Flipboard goes mainstream. [Android Central]
