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Softbank confirms 70 percent Sprint acquisition for $20.1 billion
In a joint press conference, Softbank has officially announced that it is buying a 70 percent stake in US mobile carrier Sprint for $20.1 billion. The Japanese company is paying $12.1 billion for existing shares, with a further $8 billion for new shares that the network is issuing. CNBC has reported previously that it would net Sprint around $3 billion in much-needed cash, which it could use to regain control of Clearwire and bolster its LTE rollout. When Dan Hesse took to the stage, he said that the company's heavy investment (both in Network Vision and in its iPhone gamble) would bring a "margin expansion" in 2014.
CNBC: Softbank to pay $20 billion for a 70 percent stake in Sprint
Rumors of Sprint's $12 billion acquisition by Softbank weren't exaggerated, they were understated: according to CNBC, the Now Network will announce a $20 billion transaction with the Japanese network on Monday, granting Softbank a 70 percent stake in the company. According to people familiar with the matter, Softbank will purchase $8 billion in shares directly from Sprint, snagging an additional $12 billion in stock at $5.25 a share from other shareholders. The Japanese firm's payout would net Sprint $3 billion, money CNBC supposes it might use to regain control of Clearwire. Softbank's cash may also be used to bolster Sprint's ongoing LTE rollout, which is poised to light up in over 20 markets in the coming months. The details are said to be officially announced tomorrow morning, but we've reached out to Sprint for a comment in case it wants to spill the beans early. Update: Just heard that the announcement is due at 4am Monday, so we'll likely learn more then.
Japan's Softbank in 'advanced talks' to acquire Sprint for more than $12 billion (update: confirmed)
While recent rumors suggested Sprint could be interested in snatching up Metro PCS, it may actually be the target of an acquisition.The Nikkei, Reuters and Wall Street Journal report it is in final buyout talks with Japanese carrier Softbank at a price in excess of 1 trillion yen ($12 billion US). Just over a week ago Softbank snapped up rival eAccess in a billion dollar deal that added 50 percent more base stations to its LTE network and will move it from third to second largest in the country when it is completed. It got to third place with a leveraged buyout of Vodafone's Japanese arm back in 2006, and CEO Masayoshi Son mentioned last week that he has his eye on the number one spot. We're not exactly sure how a potential purchase of the third place American carrier fits into its plans (or what this means for Sprint's future, its LTE rollout and its often woeful 3G speeds), but we're betting Softbank's CFO is just trying to keep Son away from any juicy looking eBay "Buy It Now" auctions. Update: Looks like those reports were on the money: Sprint just released a statement confirming it is in talks with Softbank about a possible transaction. Find that terse press release embedded below.
Softbank unveils Disney-themed Android handset in pink and white
Softbank unveiled a bevy of new phones for its winter and spring lineup, and among the raft of new hardware is a Disney Mobile Android handset. Clad with a white or pink back, the smartphone's rear is emblazoned with the smooching likenesses of Mickey and Minnie Mouse, who also make an appearance on live wallpaper. A cutesy motif may pervade the cellphone, but its specs are a sign that the mice can hold their own. The waterproof device packs LTE connectivity, a 4.5-inch display (1280 x 720), 1.5GHz dual-core processor, 13-megapixel camera, 8GB of built-in storage and a microSD expansion slot. Currently, the phone runs on Ice Cream Sandwich, but an update to Jelly Bean is coming down the pike. Unfortunately for avid Mouseketeers in other territories, the mobile is only slated for a launch in the Land of the Rising Sun.
Softbank to acquire competitor eAccess, expand LTE network by 50 percent
Softbank isn't content with being Japan's third largest wireless provider, so its scooping up competitor eAccess for $2.3 Billion (or $1.8 Billion, if you ask Reuters) to claim the number two slot. Bringing the other carrier into the fold will give Softbank a total of 39 million subscribers and infuse its network with 50 percent more LTE base stations. Picking up the new customers and additional LTE capacity comes at a premium, however, as the firm will purchase eAccess' shares for roughly three times their value. Softbank CEO Masayoshi Son expects to launch a new tethering service with the aid of the new-found resources come this December. Ink on the deal won't fully dry until February, but Son is already dreaming of the number one spot. "I never liked third place," Son said in a statement. "We fought for No. 2, and someday, we will be No. 1." You've been warned, NTT DoCoMo. [Image credit: Miki Yoshihito, Flickr]
Huawei hotspot supports 110Mbps downstream on Softbank's 4G network
Huawei's 102HW Ultra WiFi 4G router might not be bathing in the same irradiated limelight as Sharp's Pantone 5, but it's said to support the fastest mobile data service in Japan. Announced at SoftBank's summer product rollout, the 102HW sports download speeds of up to 110 Mbps down and 10 Mbps up on AXGP (Advanced eXtended Global Platform) 4G, though it'll fall back to 3G when necessary. Up to ten users can simultaneous surf the web via 802.11b/g/n WiFi at 300 Mbps and share files through a built in microSDXC card slot. The box can also switch to and from SoftBank WiFi hotspots on the fly if cellular connections alone won't cut it. Live in Japan? You'll have to wait until September to land a hotspot of your own.
Sharp Pantone 5 ICS phone has 8 color choices, 3.7-inch screen -- oh, and a radiation detector
Color us shocked and jealous at the new Android 4.0 phone from Sharp -- strange and wonderful even by Japan's highly elevated standards. The eight colors of the 3.7-inch Pantone branded phone from carrier Softbank are nice for sure, but the ability to sense between .005 and 9.99 μSv/h of radiation is in a new category altogether. Though Sharp has hedged a bit by describing the detector as "non-compliant" with Japan standards at this point, the possibilities seem endless for such a feature -- the ability to constantly report your location and radiation level to Facebook comes to mind, for instance. It will be offered -- in Japan only, we presume -- with a 4-megapixel rear camera, eight Pantone colors, 0.3-megapixel front camera, 854 x 480 resolution, and will be dust-proof and waterproof. The price hasn't been discussed yet, but we can't imagine too much quibbling whatever it is, for a phone that could keep you gamma-ray safe. Update: We have an image after the break showing how Sharp reduced the radiation circuits into a tiny package needed for the Pantone 5. The phone even has a dedicated button for the feature.
NTT DoCoMo bids for 700MHz spectrum, will drop two big-ones if it succeeds
NTT DoCoMo is applying to extend its network to the 700MHz spectrum after losing out the coveted 900MHz band to smaller rival Softbank. If successful, the communications giant will have to fork out 150 billion yen ($1.9 billion) to make the necessary infrastructure changes to allow 3.9G devices to work on its network. While it can't be too happy at having to make do with the weaker frequencies, it does expect to pocket nearly $5 billion in profit this year, which ought to cushion the blow.
PayPal and Softbank announce new joint venture in Japan, mobile app
PayPal has joined forces with Softbank to bring its mobile payment system / digital wallet to Japan. PayPal Here uses an encrypted card reader -- like its BFF Square, and more recently, VeriFone -- to minimize users' cash dependency. There's also a redesigned app that makes it easier for customers to locate participating merchants while they're out and about. The $25 million joint venture targets small businesses, especially those using iPhones (though it also works just fine on Android), and will be made available to the Japanese masses over the next several weeks. We're sure the setup will be used exclusively by the forces of good to stimulate the local economy.
Google Play adds carrier billing for music, movies and books
Don't feel like having media purchased through Google Play billed directly to your credit card? Well, now you can have those charges simply added to your monthly phone bill, provided you're on T-Mobile here in the US, or NTT Docomo, KDDI, or Softbank in Japan. According to Google's posting about the move, Sprint will soon be offering the option to pay for movies, books and movies purchased through Big G's market along side your voice and data plan. For T-Mobile subscribers that means both apps and content can simply be added to your tab, while AT&T is sticking with carrier billing for apps only at the moment. Conspicuously absent from the whole shebang, however, is Verizon, which has been one of the more prominent Android pushers here in the US. For a complete list of carriers with at least some direct billing features check out the more coverage link.
Facebook to simplify in-app payments with streamlined carrier billing
Need another watering can to irrigate those crops on your highly-profitable Facebook farm? Soon you may be able to boot that expense directly to your monthly mobile tab, just as you do with other necessities, like ringtones and emoticons. The social networking site is working with carriers to streamline billing, eventually enabling Facebook users to pay their app dues along with their monthly phone bill. Naturally, this is a win for developers, since eliminating the need to pre-purchase Credits or enter card information will result in an increased number of impulse purchases -- and let's face it, there's no line item for FarmVille in the monthly budget. Quite a few carriers appear to be on board -- AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon in the U.S.; Deutsche Telekom, Orange, Telefonica and Vodafone in Europe; and KDDI and Softbank in Japan -- so it looks like devs should have plenty of reasons to celebrate. The service will be automatically activated once providers support it, enabling easier purchases for "hundreds of millions of people worldwide." Streamlined carrier billing is but one recent development, so hit up the source link for the full rundown.
Google's Matias Duarte reveals design standards for Android 4.0 at CES 2012
Looking for a little more consistent UI experience with your Android devices? Google is looking to make that happen as the folks in Mountain View has revealed that the upcoming Ice Cream Sandwich OS will be the first Android software to institute design standards for developers. Android Design is a online repository for the UI guidelines and blueprints for version 4.0, which we learned would unify smartphones and tablets back at Google I/O. This set of information should make things all neat and tidy for ICS devices, keeping user interface characteristics a bit more cohesive from app to app. Here, devs will find all the basic info and elements that are native to platform in order to make the best applications possible for the OS. Mr. Duarte warns that if you choose to not follow the style guide, your software will stand out -- and not in a good way. He also quipped that these are indeed guidelines, not mandates. And that they will gain value as more folks adopt them. Yeah, we know... the competition from Cupertino has been doing this for a while now, but a bit more structure in the Android universe certainly won't draw any complaints from us.
NTT DoCoMo, KDDI and Softbank found consortium to support global NFC standards in Japan
Mobile payments are nothing new to the people of Japan, who've used NTT DoCoMo's Osaifu-Keitai as the de facto standard for years. Based on Sony's FeliCa smart card, the system is incompatible with the NFC Type A and B technologies that are spreading across the globe. Hence, there's a growing concern for interoperability in the Land of the Rising Sun, prompting NTT DoCoMo, KDDI and Softbank to establish the Japan Mobile NFC Consortium in an effort to keep pace. Moving forward, the three carriers will work with suppliers and manufacturers to guarantee a smooth transition to the Type A and B standards, ensuring that future handsets will speak the proper NFC lingo throughout the world. Full PR is just after the break. [Tokyo photo via Shutterstock]
Square Enix Market heads to KDDI December 1st, ports the RPG addiction to Android phones
The land that begot Mario, Murakami and okonomiyaki has a lot of perks for denizens of its island chains, like special edition multi-colored consoles or Mother 3. Add to that ever-increasing list of pluses a dedicated Square Enix Market for Android phones and it's clear the Japanese enjoy a home advantage. The recently announced gaming app store is slated to launch as a limited exclusive for KDDI subscribers on December 1st, with DoCoMo and Softbank sharing in the mobile wares sometime soon after. It may have been a good decade or two since the company's RPGs monopolized the latter days of your youth, but there's no time like the present to get reacquainted with those Final Fantasy friends of old. As you might expect, this is a Japan-only affair. So, if you're really keen to take part, you might want to consider relocation.
SIM-based NFC gains global support from 45 mobile carriers, all huddled around GSMA's standard
You knew that NFC hardware can be embedded into SIM cards, right? Right? Regardless of whether you've been paying attention, the practice is about to become a whole lot more common, as 45 of the world's largest mobile operators have extended their support for the GSM Association's standard. Among the networks, you'll find heavy hitters such as China Mobile and China Unicom (which account for nearly 800 million subscribers between the two), along with familiar names such as America Movil, AT&T, Deutsche Telecom, KPN, Orange, Rogers, SFR, SK Telecom, Softbank, Telus, Verizon and Vodafone. Even Isis, the unholy mobile payment lovechild of AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon, has pledged its support... in hopes of taking your money, that is. The new standard is expected to drive the proliferation of NFC across the globe, with Anne Bouverot, Director General of the GSMA commenting, "Mobile operators, working together, are ideally positioned to roll out services based on the requirements published by the GSMA, providing proven security and interoperability, global reach and customer care for consumers and businesses and a secure platform for service providers." Now, as you'd expect, we just wanna see it happen. For a complete list of the cooperating carriers, check out the PR after the break. [SIM card photo via Shutterstock]
Disney Mobile DM010SH Android phone hits Softbank stores in Japan, we go hands-on (video)
Disney Mobile's first Android-powered smartphone hit Softbank Mobile stores in Japan earlier this month, with 0 JPY (about $0) due up front. You won't be getting off that easy though -- expect to pay just shy of 74,000 JPY (about $965) off contract, or 24 monthly installments of 880 JPY (about $11) if you opt for the two-year agreement. The Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) DM010SH packs a 4-inch 960 x 540 qHD display with 3D support, a 1GHz processor, and the typical spattering of smartphone features, including 3G data, WiFi, GPS, Bluetooth and microSDHC expandability, along with an 8 megapixel camera. Rest assured that Disney branding abounds, from the company logo just below the earpiece, to those signature mouse ears that replace a generic home button. There's also a default Snow White 3D wallpaper and a home screen link to the D-Market, where you can load up your device with Disney-branded mail, calendar, photo, calculator and pedometer apps -- so you can meet those fitness goals with hopes of getting one more Halloween out of that child-size Minnie Mouse costume. We dropped by a Softbank store in Tokyo to play around with a Classic White version of the device (Classic Pink is also an option, though sadly we had to settle for boring old vanilla). Once you get past the not-so-subtle Disney branding, it looks and functions like any other Android smartphone. It felt quite snappy as well -- launching apps and loading web pages with just as much pep as many other Android phones we've used. Make no mistake, the appeal here is definitely the Disney Mobile branding -- but you should be pleased, assuming you don't mind paying a rather lofty sum for a ho-hum device to fit within your Heigh-Ho lifestyle. Jump past the break for a video walkthrough.%Gallery-136103%
Mobile Miscellany: week of September 26, 2011
This week was packed with news on the mobile front, so it was easy to miss a few stories here and there. Here's some of the other stuff that happened in the wide world of wireless for the week of September 26, 2011: Last week we heard the rumor that Sprint would be launching the BlackBerry Curve 9350 on October 2nd, and we've finally received the official confirmation. The device will be hitting stores tomorrow for $80 with a two-year contract. [PhoneArena] The Motorola Photon WiMAX, referred to as the Photon 4G in the US, is now making its way to Japan as KDDI announced the launch of the device this past Monday. [Motorola] Verizon Wireless launched the Pantech Jest 2 this week, which is a feature phone with a full slide-out QWERTY keyboard. [Verizon Wireless] The Samsung Galaxy Y is now listed as "coming soon" on O2's website, which makes it the second carrier to announce upcoming availability in the UK. The actual date of release, however, is still unofficial. [O2] Softbank (Japan) looks ready to land the ZTE Lord V882, which appears to be an Android device running on Gingerbread, and comes packed with a 1GHz CPU, 512MB of RAM, 3.8-inch LCD at WVGA resolution and a 5MP camera. [LandofDroid] NTT DoCoMo and Orange have teamed up to offer the Sharp AQUOS SH80F, which features dual 8MP stereoscopic cameras and claims to be the world's first Android device capable of converting 2D content into 3D in real time. It'll first be launched in France on October 6th and will follow to other European and Asian countries shortly after. [Softpedia] Maybe Microsoft Canada just assumed nobody actually reads terms and conditions, because the company outed the names of a few upcoming Windows Phones in the T&C for a developer contest: the Nokia Sabre and a duo of Samsungs named the Yukon and Wembley. The Nokia Searay was also named in the list, indicating the Sabre is a second device running on Mango. [Nokia HDBlog (translated)] In preparation for its Windows Phone debut, Nokia is also rumored to be featuring a new voice navigation system with 3D maps, according to some leaked marketing materials. [WinRumors] Here's a rendering of the HTC EVO Design 4G, also known as the Kingdom or Hero S. [Pocketnow] Samsung may have a midrange device coming soon to AT&T's lineup as a complement to the Galaxy S II. We've already seen the I857 pass through the FCC and show up in a leaked roadmap, and now it appears to have been dubbed the Doubletime, according to uncovered Cellebrite records. [Pocketnow] Also appearing in Cellebrite records are the HTC Vigor (PH98100), Motorola Droid HD (XT912), and the Samsung Nexus Prime (SCH-i515). [Droid-Life]
Sharp's Aquos 104SH monster phone hits Softbank next spring, colors it blue like an orange
Softbank's on a roll -- doling out the updated mobile kit to lucky denizens of Japan. After treating us to news of Dell's dual-core beastie and Sharp's comparatively lower end Aquos 102SH, comes word of this true wireless brute -- the Aquos 104SH. Rocking a dual-core 1.5GHz TI OMAP4460 processor beneath a 4.5-inch 1280 x 720 HD LCD display, this handset's certainly no forward-looking specced slouch. Prospective owners can mark their calendars for a spring 2012 debut, at which point you'll get to enjoy speeds of up to 21Mbps down, useful for recording and uploading HD video on its 12.1 megapixel rear camera. Oh, and did we mention the device's loaded with tri-band GSM / WCDMA radios for that global roaming trip around the continents you've been putting off? We haven't yet seen pricing for Sharp's orange and blue (a Syracuse fan, we presume) wonder, so sit tight and wait for a future announcement.
Softbank takes Dell Streak Pro 101DL by the hand, plans January 2012 coming out party (video)
Dell Streak Pro 101DL. Just rolls off the tongue, doesn't it? Clumsy naming aside, this power-laden handset's just been officially outed by Japanese carrier Softbank, where'll it bow sometime next January. So, what sort of mobile media tour de force can you look forward to early next year? Try a 4.3-inch qHD Super AMOLED Plus display vividly showcasing a skinned version of the now ubiquitous Android 2.3, all running atop a dual-core 1.5GHz Qualcomm MSM8260 processor. There's also the usual array of WiFi, Bluetooth, GPS and dual cameras on board (1.3 megapixel front-facing / 8 megapixel rear), with planned support for Dell's SyncUp cloud storage in the works. Of course, the phone delivers up to 14Mbps down via the network's WCDMA 2100MHz frequency, but you globe-trotting folk can always take advantage of the included quad-band GSM / WCDMA radios. As with all things pre-released, certain specs can still change before the ringing in of our new year. Let's just keep our toes crossed that one of those potential alterations is a frozen mobile OS dessert. Get a gander of the coming soon gadget in the videos after the break. [Thanks, Babak]
Sharp's Aquos Phone 102SH brings 3D 720p display, 12 megapixel CMOS sensor to Japan
Just a few days after unveiling the waterproof IS13SH, Sharp has come out with yet another beastly submersible, known as the Aquos Phone 102SH. Juiced by a 1GHz TI OMAP 4430 CPU, this Gingerbread-coated handset boasts a 4.5-inch glasses-free 3D display with 720 x 1280 resolution, along with 1GB of RAM and a 32GB microSDHC card. The device also packs a 12 megapixel CMOS sensor and supports DLNA, infrared connections, e-wallet functionality and your standard 802.11 b/g/n and Bluetooth 3.0 capabilities. No word yet on price, but Japanese carrier SoftBank will begin selling the 102SH in early December. Scurry past the break for more information in the full and translated PR. Update: Oops, it looks we got the resolution terminologies mixed up. It's definitely 720p HD, not qHD. Apologies for the confusion.
