Feb 29 2004 - 11:22 PM ET | Sprint Nextel
Sprint today announced the combination of wired and wireless stocks. Interestingly enough, one of the cited reasons for the change was to make it easier for a takeover. bq. The PCS common stock will be eliminated and each share of...
Feb 29 2004 - 11:15 PM ET | In The News
Qwest announced that it will start up nationwide cellular service Monday. While the service will be powered by the Sprint PCS wireless network, it's expected to increase already fierce competition in the US wireless sector. While the service will work...
Feb 29 2004 - 08:26 PM ET | Smartphone
Christian Lindholm, Director of Multimedia Applications at Nokia Ventures Organization, posted an article on his website that is full of simple tips to improve your Series 60 experience. Some of the included tips: * One touch dialling * Easy digit...
According to AT&T Wirless customer Jonathan Hudson, AT&T Wireless is making him give up his Sony Ericsson T68i for a Sony Ericsson T226. Getting a new phone isn't normally a bad deal, but the T226 doesn't have the same features...
Feb 27 2004 - 11:46 AM ET | SMS
During the month of January, China's mobile phone users sent an impressive 15.6 billion text messages. That's a rise of 91 percent over the same period last year....
Feb 27 2004 - 11:30 AM ET | Bluetooth
Mac OS X based Bluetooth utility Salling Clicker has been updated for Symbian powered smartphones. The application allows you to control Mac OS X with your Bluetooth enabled phone. We interviewed the creator of this application, Jonas Salling, back in...
Feb 27 2004 - 09:46 AM ET | DoCoMo
Dow Jones says NTT DoCoMo is still weighing its options on what to do with Cingular. DoCoMo has a large stake of AT&T Wireless, and may become a holder in the post AT&T Wireless Cingular....
The FCC today released a status update for number portability complaints [download, PDF]. Overall complaints are fairly low, but AT&T Wireless has a large lead: * AT&T Wireless - 2787 * Sprint PCS - 1445 * Verizon Wireless - 933...
Feb 26 2004 - 05:29 PM ET | In The News
PCWorld's Peter Sayer has a piece on a new memory card from SanDisk / Motorola that makes the miniSD seem big. bq. "At around.5 inches by.4 inches in size, the new cards are smaller than the current champion of miniaturization,...
Chalk this up in the history books--US cellular customers got something before Japanese cellular customers. Back in October 2003, we mentioned that Japan may be getting number portability. According to Retuers, it looks like a go. It could happen as...
Feb 26 2004 - 05:15 PM ET | Push-to-talk
Push-to-talk (PTT) is a lucrative service for the few US carriers that offer it. Nextel had a monopoly until Verizon Wireless launched PTT service in August 2003. SprintPCS launched their service in November 2003 while ALLTEL waited until January 2004....
Feb 25 2004 - 07:46 PM ET | Cingular
Cingular announced that it is carrying Research In Motion's BlackBerry 7280 and 6280 mobile devices. We mentioned the BlackBerry 7280 in October 2003. It sports a color display, which sets it apart from most other RIM devices. The 6280 is...
Feb 25 2004 - 12:01 PM ET | Smartphone
Symbian this week announced the availability of version 8.0 of its mobile phone operating system of the same name. The announcement was made at 3GSM, along with the introduction of a few Symbian devices: Panasonic X700 and Communicator 9500. Improvement...
Feb 25 2004 - 11:53 AM ET | In The News
Sendo launched two phones at 3GSM World Conference: the S600 and M570 MMS. Both phones are pretty advanced and deserve a closer look: S600 * 65K color display * VGA camera with 5x zoom * Enhanced MMS, "only five key...
Seeing world travel as a big draw to GSM carriers, Verizon Wireless CEO Denny Strigl announced that his company would launch a dual network phone later this year. Verizon Wireless uses the CDMA standard....
Feb 24 2004 - 08:27 PM ET | Unique
The Constra Costa Times has a piece on the newest way for students to cheat--camera phones. We briefly mentioned this in December 2003 bq. "Jan Burten, a math teacher at College Park High in Pleasant Hill, was shocked when a...
Feb 24 2004 - 03:58 PM ET | 3G
All the wireless big wigs are in Cannes for the 3GSM World Congress. The recent rash of announcements (e.g. Motorola MPx, Nokia Communicator 9500) are all from this conference. While MobileTracker is not attending this year, we present you more...
Feb 24 2004 - 09:02 AM ET | In The News
Openwaved teamed up with Microsoft to build software that allows users access to their Hotmail and MSN Messenger accounts while on the go. It's not uncommon for AOL's AIM program to be installed on mobile phones, so this is a...
In more smartphone news, Panasonic has released a Symbian powered handset called the X700. The sleek clamshell design houses a camera with flash, Bluetooth and a miniSD card slot for memory expansion. Look for it in Europe starting this fall....
Feb 24 2004 - 12:40 AM ET | 3G, Motorola
As part of a rash of announcements [see 1, 2], Motorola has announced its newest 3G handset--the A1000. The phone attempts to meld raw power with sex appeal. * Video conferencing capabilities * Word, Excel, Powerpoint and PDF document viewing...
Motorola announced another addition to its smartphone line up--the MPx. Others in the series have had numbers (e.g. 200, 100), the Motorola MPx. What it lacks in a flashy name, it makes up for in features: * Microsoft Windows Mobile...
Motorola has announced the MPx100. The phone uses Microsoft’s Windows Mobile OS and sports a candy bar form factor. Unlike the MPx220, the MPx100 includes Bluetooth and a camera. The specs are as follows: * Windows Mobile Outlook email and...
Sony Ericsson has teamed up with Sony Music to provide high quality musical ringtones. This month the top 10 ringtone service, called Pre-play, will be launched in Sweden for the T630. Shortly after, Pre-play should be launched globally....
Feb 23 2004 - 10:45 AM ET | 3G
Orange has announced some details about its upcoming 3G service. Slated to start later this year, the comapny hopes to have 3 handsets to launch the network with. Two data cards are also part of the plan, which will take...
Feb 23 2004 - 10:41 AM ET | PDA Phone
Euro carrier Orange has announced that it signed a deal with PalmSource, makers of the popular PDA operating system. bq. "Under the terms of the global partnership Orange will join Palm's development programme, the Palm Powered Mobile World, which was...
Feb 23 2004 - 10:34 AM ET | Push-to-talk
Two major deals in push-to-talk have been made: bq. Sony Ericsson + Sonim - Future Sony Ericsson phones will get push-to-talk from Sonim's technology. bq. Nokia + Samsung - Samsung plans to introduce push-to-talk in several of its mobile terminal...
Feb 23 2004 - 10:30 AM ET | Nokia
Nokia has introduced a new enterprise-class Communicator, dubbed the Nokia Communicator 9500. The device comes with WiFi and GSM. When you're in the office and have access to wireless broadband, the device can make cheaper VoIP calls. It's expected to...
Vodafone CEO Arun Sarin hinted at a possible sale of its 45% stake in US wireless leader Verizon Wireless. Once Cingular's purchase of AT&T Wireless is completed, Verizon Wireless will become the #2 US carrier. Business Week thinks the recent...
Feb 20 2004 - 05:45 PM ET | AT&T Wireless
If there was any doubt of why AT&T Wireless was on the auction block, it's now clear--the executives net cash. The Seattle Post-Intelligencer is reporting that while the executives get shares in time to make cash, employees that will likely...
Feb 19 2004 - 04:01 PM ET | SMS
Unsolicited SMS spam messsages are getting more popular according to a Retuers article. Over half of Europe's cell phone users report receiving up to five unsolicited text messages a week on their handsets. The US doesn't have nearly as big...
Thanks to an investment by NTT DoCoMo, AT&T Wireless must start up 3G service in 4 of the top 50 US markets by December 2004 [MobileTracker coverage 1, 2]. The Cingular buyout did not change the deadline. However, once the...
Nextel announced that it had a net increase of 553,000 subscribers in Q4 2003. The numbers are in line with predictions, and bring the final net increase of 2003 to 2.3 million new customers. Average monthly revenue per customer was...
Feb 19 2004 - 02:38 PM ET | Sharp, Vodafone
Vodafone announced the the first mega-pixel camera phone for GSM networks - the Sharp GX30. Other features include a large 262,144 color screen, a removable SD memory card and an MP3 player. The phone should ship in March....
The NY Times is running a fantastic [free reg required] piece on yesterday's drama: bq. "One of the most frantic takeover battles in recent times ended in the early hours of yesterday morning as a legion of bankers and lawyers...
Feb 17 2004 - 02:47 PM ET | In The News
Apple Computer updated its iSync software today. Version 1.4 brings support for the Nokia 6600, 3620, 3660 and Siemens SX1. bq. "iSync now has calendar, contact, and to-do synchronization for the Nokia 6600, 3620, 3660 and Siemens SX1. With these...
Feb 17 2004 - 01:55 PM ET | Smartphone
MiTAC announced it's latest handset today in Taiwan. The Mio 8390 is just the third smartphone to run Microsoft's Windows Mobile 2003 OS. It has a myriad of features, including: * Digital camera (zoom/flash) with video recording capability * 40-polyphony...
Tech specs of the highly anticipated Motorola MPx220 were leaked last week, but now Brighthand has photos. The phone looks quite a bit different, notably the new silver color. Bluetooth and a VGA camera are both confirmed, and were probably...
Feb 17 2004 - 09:57 AM ET | In The News
Real Networks announced today that is has signed up 5 more carriers to use its mobile video software. This brings the company to 180 million new faces, and is a major win in its battle against Microsoft. Furthermore, the company...
Feb 17 2004 - 08:24 AM ET | AT&T Wireless
Cingular Wireless announced that its latest bid for AT&T Wireless has been picked as the winner. The $41 billion offer is still up for approval from share holders, but if it goes through will make Cingular the largest wireless company...
Vodafone is using its muscle in the wireless sector, by once again upping its offer for AT&T Wireless. The offer has gone from $35 to $38 to a now leading $39.4 billion. Cingular is sticking with its $38 billion all...
Feb 16 2004 - 02:29 PM ET | Unique
The Scotsman reports on a new technology aimed to improve cell phone reception on underground trains. Carrier O2 says it is the first time complete coverage has been offered to the UK metro system. It's not clear if this tech...
Feb 16 2004 - 01:38 PM ET | In The News
With the talk of AT&T Wireless bids in the $38 billion price range, we thought some math was in order. According to the company, and the end of 2003, AT&T Wireless had 22 million customers. At a price of $38...
A bidding war for US carrier AT&T Wireless is underway according to the Wall Street Journal. Cingular and Vodafone both bid on the #3 carrier before the Feb. 13th deadline. Over the weekend both companies increased their bids. Reports currently...
Feb 15 2004 - 10:51 PM ET | In The News
Cell phone chip making giant Texas Instruments announced that later this year it will unveil a single chip that can do multiple cell phone functions. The benefit to consumers is a 50% reduction in power consumption and board space. This...
Vodafone is expected to come under heat to disclose if it bid on AT&T Wireless last week. Cingular is said to have put in an all cash offer between $31.9 and $35 billion . If Vodafone did put in an...
Feb 13 2004 - 03:28 PM ET | Motorola
Motorola, who has been outpacing everyone else in the last few weeks, is at it again with the Motorola V710. PhoneScoop drudged up the FCC application, which was yesterday approved. The previously unknown phone works on CDMA networks (what Verizon...
Feb 13 2004 - 02:37 PM ET | AT&T Wireless
AT&T Wireless, traded under AWE, is up 1.5% to $11.82 in trading today. All offers for a buyout are due by 5PM ET today. The stock is just a dime away from it's 52-week high, which assures that whoever buys...
Feb 13 2004 - 02:30 PM ET | Camera
The big players in consumer level printers have announced a partnership to create a standard for printing photos directly from mobile phones. With cameras becoming commonplace on handsets, printers that can bypass the computer and costly data transfer are seen...
Feb 12 2004 - 11:04 PM ET | Motorola, Rumor
Specs of the upcoming Motorola MPx220 recently leaked onto a smartphone enthusiast website. It's the replacement of the very popular Motorola MPx200. The report cites a ship date of April 2004. Highlights of the MPx220 include: * Windows Mobile 2003...
The Motorola V300 [MobileTracker coverage 1, 2] has taken the top spot at Internet retail giant Amazon.com. The previous top seller was the smash hit Sony Ericsson T610. Supply of the V300 is still a problem, as the Amazon.com product...
Feb 12 2004 - 01:42 PM ET | In The News
A recent study by the Baskerville research company predicts that we'll have 2 billion mobile phone users by 2008. This means an increase of over 800 million users in the next 4 years. The report notes that most of the...
Verizon Wireless today announced a deal with Eastman Kodak to provide Kodak Mobile Service to Verizon Wireless Get It Now customers. What that means is you can upload pictures taken with your phone to Kodak. Once they are on the...
Update: AT&T Wireless has been bought by Cingular for $41 billion. By this Friday, all offers for AT&T Wireless must be made. There have been a ton of reports on who's doing what, so we've compiled the best from the...
Feb 11 2004 - 10:35 AM ET | Siemens
Siemens has launched a high-end phone dubbed the CX65. It's geared toward picture and video messaging, and even includes an 11MB memory sandbox for multimedia storage. * "extra large" screen with 65K colors * Attachable flash * Animated download assistant...
Verizon Wireless announced yesterday that it is selling the Samsung SPCH-a610. The phone has a 180º swivel screen, although not an automatic one like the Motorola V80. bq. "A standout in the camera phone genre, the SCH-a610 features Samsung’s unique...
Motorola today announced 3 new "walkie-talkie" type mobile phones. The push-to-talk handsets are the: V400p, T300p and the V65p. The V400p is a quad-band GSM based handset that includes a camera and MP3 ringtones. It will be marketed for the...
Feb 10 2004 - 09:20 PM ET | AT&T Wireless
AT&T Wireless partnered with AOL to provide AIM and ICQ to its mobile phones. This puts an embedded version of AIM on select AT&T Wireless phones. For launch, the embedded version of AIM is loaded onto the Nokia 3100 and...
Novatel announced today that it has signed a deal to supply the laptop cards for Verizon Wireless' 3G data network. The nationwide EV-DO network which is already available in Washington D.C. and San Diego was announced January 8th....
Feb 10 2004 - 02:02 PM ET | Palm
PalmeSource confirmed rumors today by announcing a new OS plan. Two operating systems will be marketed: one for handheld organizers and one for cheaper smartphones. Palm OS Cobalt, AKA Palm OS 6, is aimed at high-end devices. Palm OS Garnet...
Feb 10 2004 - 01:52 PM ET | Handspring
Handspring is finally taking pre-orders for T-Mobile customers that want the Treo 600. With talk of the Treo 610 coming later this year, it might be a tough sell. However, there are bound to be some good deals. Orders should...
Feb 10 2004 - 01:26 PM ET | In The News
Nextel today launched the first NASCAR themed mobile phones. As part of its partnership with NASCAR, Nextel is selling 10 phones themed to different NASCAR drivers: * No. 2 Rusty Wallace * No. 6 Mark Martin * No. 8 Dale...
It's no secret that AT&T Wireless is being sold. Vodafone is said to be mulling a bid. However, a new rumor today has Vodafone taking over US wireless leader Verizon Wireless, a company that it already owns a large stake...
Feb 09 2004 - 10:58 PM ET | In The News
USA Today reports on the hottest new industry in Iraq--cell phones. Despite tough conditions, cellular phones are selling faster than business owners can import them. Everything from dime-a-dozen Nokia's to high-end Samsung camera phones are selling....
Feb 09 2004 - 12:16 PM ET | Nokia
Via a deal worth well over $200 million, Nokia will become Symbian's majority partner. The cash will leave Nokia with a 63% share of the mobile software company. The details of the transaction are $173 million in cash plus $1.56...
Forget the $30 billion offer we talked about last week, the new rumor is a $40 billion deal by Euro giant Vodafone for an AT&T Wireless buy-out. The market cap of AT&T Wireless (traded under AWE) is currently $25.62 billion....
Sony Ericsson updated its software for making themes for Sony Ericsson phones. The new version is compatible with the P900. The software is free, but requires registration for the website. Furthermore, the P900's shipping status for the US market was...
The rumored Sony Ericsson T650 made a splash today via a short promo video that it appears in. The phone has yet to be announced. Club Sony Ericsson has some grabs of the video. If you would like to take...
Feb 06 2004 - 11:26 AM ET | Motorola
Motorola has announced 3 new phones for World / Europe / Asia release. Although Motorola is the #2 handset maker in the world, its market share is down in Europe. The new models are an attempt to gain back some...
In November 2003, AT&T Wireless launched nationwide EDGE data service. With speeds over 2x conventional GPRS and nationwide connectivity, the company hoped that business would hop on board. Since the launch, the company has taken a beating. To help spur...
Nextel, the carrier most known for its push-to-talk services, is testing a highspeed data network in Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina. According to the company, speeds as high of 3 megabits can be experienced (more than twice the speed of a T1)....
Feb 04 2004 - 10:22 AM ET | Palm
PalmSource is expected to announce a new OS strategy that could put the PalmOS on more mobile phones, including more consumer level models. According to the story, "The company will simultaneously develop multiple versions of its OS and aim them...
Research In Motion's BlackBerry wireless platform now have over 1 million subscribers. BlackBerry is a mobile data service that provides email, phone, SMS, organizer, intranet and Internet-based applications....
The DigiTimes has a note about the rumored Motorola MPx220. Previous reports pinned the launch date to Q1 2004, but according to the piece we won't see it in volume until the end of Q2. The Motorola MPx220 would replace...
Feb 03 2004 - 05:27 PM ET | DoCoMo
NTT DoCoMo let us know they will begin to ship the first phone from the FOMA 900i series at the end of the week. We reported on the series back in December 2003. The F900i is made by Fujitsu and...
Feb 03 2004 - 05:20 PM ET | Camera
NEC has announced the world's smallest camera phone. The business card sized device is aimed at the Chinese market, but is gaining world press. Even with the size, NEC didn't skip out on features: * 1.8" TFT LCD * Digital...
Feb 03 2004 - 02:54 PM ET | Sprint Nextel
Sprint PCS announced that starting today, it is shipping the Toshiba VM4050 which it announced December 2003. The phone is the second in Sprint PCS's line of video phones. The first was Sanyo's VM4500. Here's a quick feature wrap up...
Feb 02 2004 - 01:06 AM ET | 3G, Sharp, Vodafone
Vodafone K.K. announced that starting in April, it will be shipping the Sharp V801SH. It's a new 3G handset made specially for the Vodafone network. It's aimed for use both in Japan and abroad. To accomplish roaming, the V801SH plays...
Feb 01 2004 - 01:00 PM ET | AT&T Wireless
According to Reuters, Vodafone is preparing a $30 billion plus bid for AT&T Wireless. As we previously reported, all bids for the carrier must be made by February 13th. The market cap for AT&T Wireless was a hair under $30...
Feb 01 2004 - 11:44 AM ET | AT&T Wireless
On the auction block carrier, AT&T Wireless, announced that starting February 6th customers with a qualifying service plan will be able to make unlimited free calls to other AT&T Wireless customers. The move is an obvious attempt to make up...
