retail

VERIZON WIRELESS’ DECLARATION LAST WEEK that “any application, any device” will run on its network next year was clearly an overstatement, though executives acknowledged later that itsCDMA network allows only CDMA-based devices. The juxtaposition of overstatement and subsequent qualification in …

Conventional wisdom has American shoppers descending like locusts on brick-and-mortar retail stores on the Friday after Thanksgiving-presumably working off the turkey-and-gravy by lightening their wallets-then returning to work on Monday, where they resume spending online.AT&T Mobility appeared to make the …

Handset distributor Brightpoint Inc. shuffled around some members of its executive team, promoting some veterans within the company to more prominent roles. The moves come as the company continues to integrate operations with Dangaard Telecom, a European handset distributor it …

Verizon Wireless introduced a new business-oriented device to its lineup-the XV6800.The device, which is available online and in stores beginning Dec. 5, runs the Windows Mobile 6 operating system, and includes support for Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint documents as …

Verizon Wireless’ declaration this morning that “any application, any device” will run on its network next year is clearly an overstatement-Verizon’s CDMA network allows only CDMA-based devices, in use by 60% of subscribers in the United States market, but only …

Verizon Wireless announced this morning a major shift in its position on non-carrier-offered devices and applications, saying it will begin activating any device that meets a “minimum technical standard” and will allow “any application the customer chooses” to be used …

AT&T Mobility and LG Electronics Co. Ltd. are betting that American consumers will upgrade their handsets based on a combination of style and features-and are willing to pay the price. Those are the twin lures of LG’s new Shine handset, …

As the wireless industry kicks into high gear for the upcoming holiday shopping season, and handset makers pull out all the stops to hype their latest offerings, now seems a good time to take a tour of some similarly much-hyped …

As Virgin Mobile USA Inc. has endured, even thrived, over its five-year life, it has seen its customer base transition from a play for the 18- to 34-year-old crowd to a substantial proportion (nearly 50%) of over-35 subscribers.The mobile virtual …

T-Mobile USA Inc. announced it will restart sales of the Motorola Inc.-built Sidekick Slide starting next week. The carrier said Motorola will fix the glitch-which caused some of the devices to power off when the gadget’s sliding door was opened …

That sucking sound you hear is Steve Jobs trying to get air after laughing too hard at the spectacle of German operators fighting over the Apple Inc. iPhone. More fighting, more publicity, more sales-hence that haunting laughter echoing throughout the …

The FlipShot, a new Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. phone at Verizon Wireless, sports a 3-megapixel camera and a swivel-out screen and lands at the higher end of Verizon Wireless’ portfolio at $200 with two-year contract.The handset is a dual-band phone …

The third quarter saw consumer handset sales in the United States valued at $3.2 billion, a 47% jump over the year-ago quarter, according to new data from NPD Group. Those numbers are based on 38 million units sold to consumers.Smartphones …

T-Mobile USA Inc. suspended sales of its Sidekick Slide on Friday after manufacturer Motorola Inc. informed the carrier that some of the devices power off when the sliding door on the device is opened or closed. The device went on …

Online retailer Amazon.com Inc. announced a new reading gadget-dubbed Kindle-that will allow users to download books, magazines and other publications via Sprint Nextel Corp.’s network. The innovative offering requires no monthly service fees; instead, the cost of wireless access is …

Dropping vowels from the name of a wireless handset, apparently, may never die. Same with dropping names. AT&T Mobility said that the SLM (hmm . as in “Slim”?) would be on shelves Nov. 23-the day after Thanksgiving, historically the biggest …

The iPhone story went global this month with launches in the United Kingdom and Germany and word that Apple Inc. is exploring a partnership in China. France’s Orange is set to sell the device beginning Nov. 29.Apple’s international success, or …

Two sources that track American consumers’ online research into handsets paint a dual portrait of yearning and practicality this holiday season.While the data differs between the two sources in some respects, common themes arise. There’s good news generally for AT&T …

J.D. Power announced Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications’ handsets scored highest in overall customer satisfaction among U.S. and Canadian consumers in the consumer research firm’s latest survey.SEMC ranked highest in features, battery life, physical design, operation and durability among U.S. consumers. …

After shutting down two mobile virtual network operations in the United States, Walt Disney Co. is hoping the third time is the charm; the company is restarting its “Disney Mobile” offering, this time in Japan.The company said it will work …

It appears Nokia Corp. has learned a few lessons from its doomed Club Nokia mobile content business. But that doesn’t mean the direct-to-consumer waters are getting any easier to navigate.The world’s No. 1 handset manufacturer last week scored a huge …

T-Mobile USA Inc. added 857,000 net subscribers to its network during the third quarter, numbers boosted by the carrier’s prepaid offering. The carrier had added 802,000 net subscribers during the third quarter of last year, but a higher percentage of …

Editor’s Note: In this monthly feature, RCR Wireless News talks to retail managers across the country to get a first-hand view of what’s hot in wireless.RadioShack Corp. sells wireless devices and service around the country. The retailer offers postpaid service …

Shares of InPhonic Inc. continued their free-fall as the online wireless retailer filed for Chapter 11 protection and said it will sell “substantially all” of its assets to Versa Capital Management, a Philadelphia-based private-equity firm.InPhonic operates white-label customer service sites …

U.S. Cellular Corp. reported a strong third quarter, with average revenue per user up 10% and postpaid customer gains of about 73,000 subscribers. However, the company missed Wall Street estimates on its earnings per share, sending its stock down sharply …