Verizon Wireless Archive

  • Verizon to launch the HTC Incredible within 2 weeks?

    Verizon to launch the HTC Incredible within 2 weeks?

    Oh, HTC Incredible, you just can’t stay off the Internet, can you? We’ve seen you in not one, but two series of spy shots, we’ve seen you leak out in alternative color schemes — hell, we’ve even spotted you roaming around Verizon’s inventory system. We sure are seeing a lot of you — and [...]

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  • What type of phone should a George Costanza buy?

    What type of phone should a George Costanza buy?

    As luck would have it, I'll be in the market for a brand-new phone in the coming weeks. Terribly exciting, yes. But there's a bit of a problem: the two "biggest" phones out there, the iPhone and all those Android-based ones, rub me the wrong way. Longtime readers will know that I'm fairly neurotic, sorta like George Costanza from Seinfeld. Does the phrase Jerkstore mean anything to you? That's 100 percent me. So what's a person to do when, for reasons I'll describe, he wants nothing to do with Apple or Google phones?

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  • Palm CEO talks about disappointing sales

    Palm CEO talks about disappointing sales

    Poor Jon Rubinstein. After a strong, early push, Palm's sales have slowed and revenue has dried up with $300-$320 million in Q3. Their "guidance" to Wall Street AKA how much they expected to make? $1.6-1.8 billion. Bloops. The letter is over at WSJ but here's an excerpt.
    This morning we announced preliminary results for our 2010 third quarter. Since the quarter has not yet closed, it is too soon to offer exact numbers, but we stated that we expect to report revenues for Q3 between $300 and $320 million. We also announced that we expect our revenue for this fiscal year to fall below the guidance we gave to Wall Street, which ranged from $1.6 to $1.8 billion. As we mentioned in our press release, our softer than expected performance is due to slower than expected customer adoption of our products, which in turn has prompted our U.S. carrier partners to put additional orders on hold for the time being. On a positive note, we expect to exit the quarter with over $500 million in cash on our balance sheet. We’re scheduled to announce our full financial results in March.

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  • Verizon going BOGO crazy, launching Buy One, Get One promo on six phones tomorrow

    Verizon going BOGO crazy, launching Buy One, Get One promo on six phones tomorrow

    We just got a hot tip from one of our Verizon buddies. Apparently Verizon Wireless is starting a new BOGO campaign tomorrow that includes both of its Android handsets – the Droid and Eris – both Palm phones – the Pre Plus and Pixi Plus – along with the LG Chocolate Touch and Samsung Alias [...]

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  • Verizon Wireless and Skype slated for a duet at MWC

    Verizon Wireless and Skype slated for a duet at MWC

    I'll admit that I love me some Skype. I get to call and video chat with all my buddies from overseas without hefty fees, except I was accustomed to doing it only where Wi-Fi was available. While AT&T and Apple have made some recent policy changes to allow VoIP over 3G, it looks like Verizon and Skype are partnering up do to a little of the same.

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  • Motorola takes two steps back, says DROID update isn’t coming this week

    Motorola takes two steps back, says DROID update isn’t coming this week

    Earlier this week we reported that Motorola would be gearing up for an Android 2.1 update for the DROID. Oops! It turns out that it might not be coming that soon after all. And here we were etching notches into the wall as we counted down the days.

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  • Reminder: Palm Pre Plus and Pixi Plus now available from Verizon

    Reminder: Palm Pre Plus and Pixi Plus now available from Verizon

    Hey! Guess what? The Palm Pixi Plus and Pre Plus are now available for Verizon! You sure as hell wouldn’t know that from looking at Verizon Wireless’ front page today, where there’s no mention of either handset in sight. This “Eh, whatever” launch approach is the same one Verizon took with the BlackBerry Storm [...]

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  • Need to call Haiti? Its free for Verizon Wireless customers until January 31st

    Need to call Haiti? Its free for Verizon Wireless customers until January 31st

    Earlier this week, Skype offered up a few bucks of SkypeOut credit to anybody in Haiti; shortly thereafter, Google announced that any calls made to Haiti via Google Voice would be free of charge. Now, Verizon Wireless has joined the effort to connect people with their Haitian cohorts, without charging a dime. Verizon Wireless has just [...]

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  • Palm smartphone pops up in WiFi certification database: is this Verizon’s Pre?

    Palm smartphone pops up in WiFi certification database: is this Verizon’s Pre?

    Look, let's not beat around the bushes -- Verizon Wireless will one day stock Palm's Pre. It's a rather well documented fact, and at this point the only real question is "when?" Judging by a mysterious Wi-Fi Certificate that just popped up, we're beginning to think that the waiting period is nearly up, and with CES 2010 happening in a week, there's hardly a better time for us to really start believing. If you'll recall, Sprint's Pre snagged a Wi-Fi Certificate number of P100EWW, and just this summer we spotted a few leaked Palm devices within VZW documents with "P101" and "P121" monikers; lo and behold, the certificate for this elusive dual-mode (WiFi and cellular) smartphone boasts a P101EWW label. We aren't trying to read too deeply between the lines or anything, but if this isn't a Pre destined for Big Red, we're eager to know what kind of new mobile Palm has lined up for its presser at CES.

    [Thanks, Rehman]

    Continue reading Palm smartphone pops up in WiFi certification database: is this Verizon's Pre?

    Palm smartphone pops up in WiFi certification database: is this Verizon's Pre? originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 29 Dec 2009 05:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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  • Samsung Omnia II unboxing and hands-on

    Samsung Omnia II unboxing and hands-on

    It's here at last, and we're frankly thrilled to be holding Samsung's very first TouchWiz 2.0 device, the Verizon Wireless-bound Samsung Omnia II. The 2.0 software brings with it a Widget Store, and as a general UI manages to skin over a majority of Windows Mobile 6.5, which is puttering along underneath. The handset is a tad on the bulky side, but makes up for it with a wonderful 3.7-inch AMOLED WVGA screen and a very nice 5 megapixel camera. We'll have a review for you before long, but for now you can check out a quick video rundown (including some playtime with the Samsung-exclusive "Swype" keyboard) after the break. And if that video is enough to convince you, the phone is available now on Verizon Wireless for $200 after rebate.

    Continue reading Samsung Omnia II unboxing and hands-on

    Samsung Omnia II unboxing and hands-on originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 02 Dec 2009 11:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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  • AT&T loses request for injunction against Verizon’s Map for That ads

    AT&T loses request for injunction against Verizon’s Map for That ads

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    Looks like AT&T's not getting its holiday wish after all -- a federal judge just ruled against Ma Bell's request to have Verizon's Map For That ads pulled off the air. That doesn't mean that this whole thing is over, though: the judge called the ads "sneaky" and said that it was possible people might misunderstand them because "most people who are watching TV are semi-catatonic." Whether or not that's enough to support a legal conclusion that the ads are misleading is a fight for another day -- specifically December 16th, when AT&T will have a second chance to argue its case. Still, this is a big win for Verizon -- everyone ready to be inundated with these ads for the next month?

    AT&T loses request for injunction against Verizon's Map for That ads originally appeared on Engadget Mobile on Wed, 18 Nov 2009 18:07:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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  • Motorola Droid camera autofocus fixed in secrecy? (Update: it’s a date-related self-correction)

    Motorola Droid camera autofocus fixed in secrecy? (Update: it’s a date-related self-correction)

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    While we were busy looking into external speaker problems on the Droid, it would seem Moto was itself hard at work remedying a separate issue with the device. A number of users on support forums have complained of the Droid's camera failing to focus and giving them "red corners" when attempting to take pictures, but now -- suddenly and without warning -- their ailment has gone away as if touched by the hand of an omnipotent being (or, alternatively, a silent firmware update). This particular autofocus problem was mentioned in Verizon's 5-page treatise on known issues with the Droid, though the planned resolution was an official update by December 11. The fix seems to have been delivered early, as green corners are sprouting up all around, but this silent update conduit sounds a bit nefarious, no?

    Update: Sure enough, we can confirm from testing one of our own Droids that the issue has been resolved. The endless quest for the green focus box is over, and you can now finally begin scanning all your discount cards into Key Ring.

    Update II: And things have turned surreal. Dan Morrill, from Google's Android team, has confirmed that there's a date-related bug in the Droid's camera software that leads to it having cycles of good and bad focus that depend on the date. Our own testing confirmed this, as backdating to the 11th of November returned those red bars of of failure. Apparently, the cycles last 24.5 days, meaning that you'll have good focus all the way to December 11, when the real fix is expected to drop. So breathe easy, Gotham, there are no phantom updates, just an oddly date-sentient camera.

    [Thanks, AlexL and Kaiser]

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    Motorola Droid camera autofocus fixed in secrecy? (Update: it's a date-related self-correction) originally appeared on Engadget Mobile on Tue, 17 Nov 2009 15:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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  • Verizon responds to AT&T’s Map For That lawsuit: ‘the truth hurts’

    Verizon responds to AT&T’s Map For That lawsuit: ‘the truth hurts’

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    Sure, Verizon's doubled down on the 3G map ads in response to AT&T's false advertising lawsuit, but eventually the company's lawyers had to file a response and, well, ain't nobody backing down in this one. Here's the freaking introduction:
    AT&T did not file this lawsuit because Verizon's "There's A Map For That" advertisements are untrue; AT&T sued because Verizon's ads are true and the truth hurts.
    Yeah. It's gonna be like that. Verizon goes on to argue that even AT&T concedes the maps are accurate, and that pulling any of the ads off the air without proof that they're misleading consumers would be unfair, and that at the very least both parties need time to investigate further. Honestly? We've read it over a couple times now and while the legal arguments are certainly interesting, it's hard not to get the impression that Verizon drafted this response with publication in mind -- check out this quote:
    In the final analysis, AT&T seeks emergency relief because Verizon's side-by-side, apples-to-apples comparison of its own 3G coverage with AT&T's confirms what the marketplace has been saying for months: AT&T failed to invest adequately in the necessary infrastructure to expand its 3G coverage to support its growth in smartphone business, and the usefulness of its service to smartphone users has suffered accordingly.
    See what we mean? Now, we still think there's some merit to the idea that Verizon's ads improperly conflate 3G coverage area with 3G service quality, but that's really not what AT&T's arguing -- hell, it's busy pimping EDGE. We'll see if these two can solve their differences and get back to work, but we've got the feeling this thing ain't over yet.

    Update: Here's the PDF, in case you're interested.

    Verizon responds to AT&T's Map For That lawsuit: 'the truth hurts' originally appeared on Engadget Mobile on Mon, 16 Nov 2009 21:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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  • Don’t shop drunk: Verizon’s $350 ETF is now live

    Don’t shop drunk: Verizon’s $350 ETF is now live

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    Just a word of caution to anyone out there with an itchy credit card finger: signing up for a contract with Verizon just became a considerably more binding affair thanks to a big boost of its contract early termination fee from $175 to $350. Rumored for a few days now, the change became official as of yesterday, which means that anyone who bought an "advanced device" prior to the 14th is in the clear. The advanced device list can be found on Verizon's site, and as you might expect, it's a little broad and ridiculous -- winners like the Versa, Exilim, and Glyde are on there, so they're obviously not just referring to smartphones. They throw you a bone by reducing the ETF by a stout $10 for every month of the contract you successfully hurdle, but that still leaves you with a $120 ETF 23 months into a 24-month deal... so yeah, just be careful out there and don't do anything rash, alright?

    Don't shop drunk: Verizon's $350 ETF is now live originally appeared on Engadget Mobile on Sun, 15 Nov 2009 14:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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  • AT&T responds to Verizon’s 3G ad campaign — by bragging about EDGE

    AT&T responds to Verizon’s 3G ad campaign — by bragging about EDGE

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    My iPhone 3GS, in downtown Chicago, as I wrote this post.

    Verizon certainly seems to be getting under AT&T's skin with its ads focused on comparing 3G coverage -- not only is Ma Bell suing over 'em, it's now issuing PR to clarify what it sees as the inaccuracies of the entire campaign. If you'll recall, AT&T thinks Verizon's 1:1 comparison of 3G coverage maps makes it looks like AT&T doesn't have any coverage at all across most of the country -- which means that our nation's largest wireless carrier is now in the sad position of pimping its gigantic EDGE network in response. Let's all gloss over the absolutely huge difference in 3G versus EDGE together, shall we?
    With both 3G and EDGE coverage, customers can access the Internet, send e-mail, surf the Web, stream music, download videos, send photos, text, talk and more. The only difference - with some data applications, 3G is faster than EDGE.
    Right, right -- the only difference. That must be why Apple named it the iPhone EDGE Slightly Faster.

    Now, AT&T has a valid point when it says that its 3G map covers 75 percent of the nation's population, and that Verizon's conflation of total 3G coverage with actual network quality is slightly misleading. But you know what? We watch our iPhones drop from 3G to EDGE and even to GPRS all day long in New York, Chicago, and San Francisco, and that has nothing to do with the damn map, and everything to do with AT&T's actual network quality. Let's put it this way: Verizon's ad campaign would be totally ineffective if it didn't ring so true, and the best way for AT&T to counter these ads is to build a rock-solid network, not filing lawsuits and issuing press releases bragging about freaking EDGE. We all clear on this? Good.

    AT&T responds to Verizon's 3G ad campaign -- by bragging about EDGE originally appeared on Engadget Mobile on Thu, 12 Nov 2009 19:17:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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