5 things to know today in mobile and wireless …
1. Consumers say T-Mobile US is the best nationwide wireless carrier. The latest Consumer Reports survey puts the “uncarrier” ahead of Verizon Wireless, AT&T Mobility and Sprint, but behind U.S. Cellular, Virgin Mobile and Jitterbug. T-Mobile US received high marks for value and customer support, making up for lower scores on network quality. All four of the nationwide carriers saw their rankings improve from last year, with Sprint the most improved.
2. Motorola Solutions is set to buy Airwave Solutions in a $1.24 billion deal. Both companies provide wireless communications for public safety officials. Airwave is a British company that is currently owned by the Macquarie European Infrastructure Fund. Airwave has about 600 employees; Motorola has about 15,000 workers.
3. Millions of Ford drivers may soon be able to use their iPhones without taking their eyes off the road, thanks to an update that Ford is pushing out to vehicles equipped with its Sync software. Apple iPhone users will be able to use Siri to talk and text without looking at the vehicle’s touchscreen. Ford’s promo video features a driver using the service while parked, avoiding the suggestion that the new service should be used to text while driving.
4. Smartphone manufacturers will need to rely on upgrades to fuel growth, according to the analysts at IDC Research. The firm says worldwide smartphone sales will increase 9.8% this year, making this the first year in history smartphone sales growth has been less than 10%. IDC says even China has now become primarily a “replacement market,” meaning upgrades are more significant than new sales. Overall, the firm projects that 1.43 billion smartphones will be sold this year.
5. LTE growth rates are also slowing, according to Ovum and 4G Americas. Operators added an estimated 152 million new LTE subscribers during the third quarter, versus 757 million in the second quarter. There are now an estimated 908 million LTE subscribers, with 219 million of those in North America.
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