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Verizon CFO says shared data plans coming mid-year
We've already heard from Verizon's CEO Lowell McAdam that the carrier was planning to offer shared data plans. And leaks have indicated that the carrier is already prepping its backend system for the change. Now CFO Fran Shammo has narrowed down the time frame a bit for us, telling a group of investors that family data plans should debut towards the middle of the year. But, he was quick to clarify this isn't as simple as setting a launch date. The shift to the new billing system will take time and not everyone will be migrated on day one. Still, Shammo indicated it will be an important part of the ongoing transition to 4G and its future plans for mobile dominance.Update: We mistakenly identified Fran Shammo as the CTO when, in fact, he is the CFO.
T-Mobile wants FCC to block Verizon's spectrum deals with cable industry
Call it sour grapes, posturing... whatever you want. The fact remains that T-Mobile has stuck its nose in the middle of Verizon's quest to bulk up its wireless portfolio. Big Magenta filed a request with the FCC on Tuesday, asking the regulatory agency to step in and block the transfer of AWS spectrum licenses from Cox, Time Warner, Comcast and Bright House to Verizon. The deals, which will cost the carrier roughly $3.9 billion, are already drawing interest from the Justice Department, which is concerned it'll place too much control in the company's hands. T-Mobile, the smallest of the nationwide carriers, is equally worried about the concentration of spectrum in Verizon's big red paws. Presumably, though, that has more to do with its inability to purchase it -- especially in the aftermath of the collapsed AT&T merger. Metro PCS and some public advocacy groups also voiced their opposition, while Sprint took a more measured approach, saying only that the FCC should look closely at the agreements. See, handset makers aren't the only mobile companies that can whip up a good legal drama.
Motorola Droid 4 review
Oh, how the mighty have fallen. For a phone that single-handedly resuscitated the business prospects of its parent company, gave a much-needed boost to Google's fledgling Android and finally added a compelling product to Verizon's lineup, the Droid can't get no respect. Initially billed as the anti-iPhone, the OG flagship embodied an aggressively tech for tech's sake design ethos, with its masculine, hard-edged build, geeky OS and Lucasfilm licensed moniker. That was all once upon a time. Now, two years later and sucked of its disruptive significance, the only legacy remaining for the red-eyed Droid franchise is its brand equity and QWERTY slider appeal. Aside from BlackBerry addicts, most consumers appear none too chuffed to see those slide-out keypads become the stuff of mobile lore, and instead prefer those increasingly ubiquitous slabs (namely, of the 4.3-inch-and-up persuasion). So, where did it all go wrong? Why is the Droid 4, now imbued with LTE, getting the B-list treatment? Does a $200 price tag and a host of minor spec bumps (a 1.2GHz dual-core CPU, 1.3 megapixel front-facer and beefier 1,785mAh battery) merit another spin around the two-year contract pole? Head on past the break to see whether this former trailblazer can still do what its namesake robot supposedly does.
Verizon's double data deal returns this Friday, prepare yourselves accordingly
It looks like Verizon's about to double up on double data. According to the Los Angeles Times, Big Red is about to reintroduce the double data promotion that first rolled out in November, and came to a close at year's end. Under the offer, customers signing up for a 4G plan will receive double the amount of monthly data (at no extra charge) for the duration of their contracts, as long as they sign up for two-year deals. Unfortunately, though, the promotion only applies to first time 4G subscribers (or those looking to upgrade from a non-4G plan), and is restricted to smartphones, leaving tablet owners in the dark. As with its original campaign, the redux will only be available for a limited time, though Verizon has yet to announce a closing date. It all kicks off this Friday, when, not coincidentally, the carrier will officially welcome the Droid 4 to the fold, as well.[Thanks, Tyler]
Motorola Droid 4 sliding onto Verizon shelves February 10th for $200
We've been speculating that Verizon's latest Droid would be arriving on February 10th, but we lacked any official word from the carrier to back it up. Not to worry anymore, as Big Red has finally made the phone's release official for the predicted date. The Droid 4, an LTE device with a full slide-out QWERTY that was announced at CES, will go for $200 with a two-year commitment. Take a gander at the full press release below for all the details.
Verizon's ZTE Jetpack flies through FCC, arrival time still unknown
Do you wish you had your own personal Jetpack? Well, you may not have to wait much longer for ZTE's version -- the EuFi I890, announced at CES last month -- to come out, if its entry into the records of the FCC are any indication. It may not be the kind that you strap onto your back, but at least this one takes advantage of Verizon's LTE, and it happens to add in CDMA / EVDO and AT&T-compatible 3G radios. We knew the 4G-packing MiFi was going to hit stores in "the coming weeks," so this is essentially just one step closer to achieving that goal -- unfortunately, we still don't have a solid date yet. Hit the source link if you're into digging through government documents.
Refresh Roundup: week of January 23, 2012
Your smartphone and / or tablet is just begging to get updated. From time to time, these mobile devices are blessed with maintenance refreshes, bug fixes, custom ROMs and anything in between, and so many of them are floating around that it's easy for a sizable chunk to get lost in the mix. To make sure they don't escape without notice, we've gathered every possible update, hack, and other miscellaneous tomfoolery we could find during the last week and crammed them into one convenient roundup. If you find something available for your device, please give us a shout at tips at engadget dawt com and let us know. Enjoy!
Verizon releases Q4 results, sees jump in revenue, broadband subscribers, net loss
Verizon has just come out with its Q4 results this morning, ending the fiscal year with yet another solid revenue report, and a decidedly less rosy net loss. According to the provider, total revenue reached $18.3 billion during the final quarter of 2011, up 13 percent from last year. Verizon saw a particularly notable spike in data revenue, which reached $6.3 billion, representing a 19.2 percent increase over the year, and comprising nearly 42 percent of all revenue. Overall, though, VZW finished the quarter with a net loss of $2.02 billion, compared to the $2.64 billion profit it saw last year. The company also saw an increase in its subscriber base, adding 98,000 broadband customers in the span of a quarter, including 201,000 FiOS internet users, 194,000 new FiOS video subscribers, and a net addition of 1.2 million postpaid customers. As far as demographics go, smartphones now comprise a full 44 percent of Verizon's consumer base, up from 39 percent last quarter. For the full year, total revenue finished at $70.2 billion, up 10.6 percent from Big Red's 2010 figures. For more stats and breakdowns, check out the full PR after the break.
Mobile Miscellany: week of January 16, 2012
This week may not have been incredibly packed with news in the mobile world, but it was still 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 January 16, 2012:
Verizon reportedly trials VoLTE services in two cities, eyes nationwide rollout next year
Verizon's Voice over LTE (VoLTE) platform has been in the works for a while now, and according to industry insiders, it's about ready to hit the big time. Catharine Trebnick, an analyst at Northland Capital Markets, told Light Reading Mobile this week that the service has already launched on a trial basis in two cities, and that Big Red plans to roll it out on a nationwide level in 2013. According to Light Reading Mobile, Trebnick's claims were later corroborated by a second, anonymous source. Verizon, as you may recall, had previously pegged 2012 for the commercial launch of its new platform, and could still achieve that goal with launches in select markets, before going live on a nationwide basis next year, as rumored. The company, however, is playing its cards close to the chest, saying in a statement that it's "continuing to work on VoLTE and the services it brings, and will share any launch or availability plans in due course."
Verizon to sell $200 Droid RAZR, 16GB microSD card not included this time
The question of the day: is a 16GB microSD card worth $100? Verizon Wireless said it will sell the Droid RAZR for $200 with a two-year contract -- a $100 discount off the original price, but one that forces you to give up that complimentary 16GB microSD card. Otherwise, you'll find the same 'ol spes, including a 1.2GHz TI OMAP 4430 CPU, 16GB of internal storage, a 4.3-inch AMOLED display and LTE connectivity. The microSD slot itself will be perfectly operational and accept up to 32GB in storage, provided you bring your own card. Expect this price to go into effect next week on January 23rd. Or, you know, spend $300 after all, but on that other RAZR with 32GB of storage and 21 hours of talk time.
Verizon to stop allowing legacy Alltel devices to be activated on its network, starting today
It's been three years and two days since Verizon officially closed its acquisition of Alltel, and it looks like Big Red's finally putting the sledgehammer down on activating legacy devices from the purchased network. We just received official word from a Verizon spokesperson that effective today, the carrier will no longer allow you to bring over an Alltel device to a retail outlet and get it activated on their network. If you're currently using an Alltel-branded phone on Verizon, don't panic: this new policy change only applies to handsets that haven't already been activated. We can't imagine this will affect too many users at this point, but we imagine Chad's still feeling a little bummed out today regardless. Continue on below for Verizon's statement.
Motorola Droid Razr Maxx hands-on (video)
Its showing wasn't as noteworthy as it was last year, but Motorola still at least brought a few new goodies to put on display. The latest major addition to Verizon's Droid Razr family, the Razr Maxx, was on hand, as were the white and purple variants of the original version. So what makes the $300 subsidized Maxx so different from its predecessor? Simply enough, the name is a direct reflection of the phone's battery life, as it sports a thicker (translating to a thickness of 8.99mm, a couple millimeters thicker than the original) 3,300 mAh juicepack that promises an out-of-this-world 21 hour talk time. Sadly, we didn't have 21 full hours to dedicate to testing this claim, but we did have enough time to get a few pictures and a video of the entire Droid Razr family together at last below the break. Myriam Joire contributed to this report.
Motorola website points to January 26th launch for Droid RAZR Maxx
Motorola didn't provide a launch date for the Droid RAZR Maxx when it officially announced the consonant-heavy phone at CES earlier this week, but it's now filled in that little detail on its website. Assuming it's not a mistake of some sort, you can look for the latest addition to the RAZR family to be available on January 26th from both Verizon and Motorola itself. If you missed the announcement, the Maxx is mostly identical to the existing Droid RAZR, with the notable exception of a longer-lasting battery that promises 21 hours of use on a charge, and a total of 32GB of storage. It'll also set you back $100 more than the standard RAZR.
Verizon to enable global roaming for LG Spectrum and Droid 4
VZW's latest LTE handsets don't make the best travel companions right now. Aside from getting stressed in airports and talking too much on coach trips, they also lack support for global GSM roaming. However, Big Red says it's "working on a few network enhancements" that will let the LG Spectrum and Droid 4 (shown above) work outside CDMA areas -- probably by the first half of this year. It's a nice gesture, but it also reminds us that what we're going to need in future -- full-on data roaming at LTE speeds -- will be a lot trickier to achieve.
Verizon says (almost) 'all' future phones and tablets will be LTE
In case you hadn't noticed, Verizon is going all in on LTE. And that doesn't just mean investing heavily in its network and snatching up spectrum left and right -- it also means making the 4G tech a "hard requirement" for all future devices. Outside of a few exceptions, primarily limited to its push-to-talk offerings, all upcoming phones, tablets and mobile hotspots will boast an LTE radio. Verizon's associate director of device marketing, Keith Lampron, assured CNET that the company isn't going to turn into an iPhone and Android only outlet -- Windows Phone and BlackBerry offerings are welcome to join Big Red, so long as they hop on the 700MHz train.
VGo telepresence robot gets Verizon LTE, we go eyes-on (video)
The idea of a telepresence robot isn't exactly new in the tech world, considering there's been a few going to school in the place of teenagers for over a year now. But the VGo 'bot -- a chest-high roving device that has a display and camera built-in and allows patients and others to interact with a remote operator -- is at CES this year to show off its inclusion of Verizon LTE, instead of the WiFi-only model we've seen in times past. Certainly, the robot can default to WiFi in the absence of Big Red's next-gen network, but the nationwide coverage definitely gives the robot a lot more appeal... even if it is a mere $6,000. Expect to see the 4G-enabled Johnny Five available in the next two or three weeks. To see exactly what the robot's capable of, check out the gallery below and the video after the break.
LG Spectrum hands-on (video)
We got our first glimpse of Verizon's latest LTE family member, the LG Spectrum, yesterday at the manufacturer's event. At the time, however, we weren't given an opportunity to get our own smudge marks on the glossy black device. That's all changed now, as we've spent time on the showroom floor getting know this Android handset -- a veritable twinner of the LG Nitro HD. So click on past the break as we parse through our first impressions.
Verizon teams with In Motion Technology, transforms whips into rolling 4G LTE hotspots
Looking to get a bit more 4G LTE access in your Maybach than what your Galaxy Nexus affords you? The wait may soon be over as Verizon and In Motion Technology have announced the "first" wireless mobile router tech for use in vehicles. Making use of the latter outfit's onBoard system, Aventadors everywhere can be converted into secure mobile hotspots along with a network management that monitors the status of the whole kit. VPN security is also present, in all its mobile-optimized glory. The In Motion Technology has been widely used in public safety scenarios, including the onBoard Mobile Gateway in ambulances and other municipal vehicles. If you're looking to find out more on the duo's announcement, hit the full PR just beyond the break.
Motorola Droid 4 hands-on (video)
Fresh out of Motorola's oven is this Verizon Droid 4. Well, when we say "fresh"... anyway. From our brief hands-on just now, there wasn't anything too surprising with the software and performance from the 1.2GHz dual-core chip, but the hardware was almost top notch. We'd safely say that the physical keyboard is by far the best in the Droid series -- each key is neatly laser cut to give that even blue glow from the keyboard back light, and the tactile feedback was reassuringly comfortable. Alas, like its predecessors, the sliding mechanism isn't spring-assisted, so it'll take first-time users some getting used to with their thumb. On the bright side, the Droid 4 is lighter than the already-obsolete Droid 3 so it's less work for the hand. Stay tuned for pricing info, and take a gander at our hands-on video after the break for the time being.