retail

So long, Cingular. The wireless carrier’s parent company announced that it will begin dismantling the Cingular Wireless L.L.C. brand next week with a series of broadcast TV and print ads proclaiming to consumers that “Cingular is now the new AT&T.”“AT&T …

XE Mobile announced it is introducing Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications L.P.’s Walkman phone for the pay-as-you-go market. The mobile virtual network operator is offering the Sony Ericsson W300 Walkman for $100.The handset supports both MP3 and AAC music files, has …

Handset prices at the major carriers continue to gyrate, week-by-week, suggesting that carriers-like retailers changing their window displays-are perennially in search of the right combination of brand, features and price to lure in new subscribers or retain current subs with …

Mobile virtual network operator XE Mobile has worked out a distribution deal with Office Depot stores, aiming to land college-age customers as they shop for school supplies. “We’re already seeing an increase in sales, proof positive that we have the …

Changes in online handset prices keep raising questions for observers: Is the post-holiday retail model one of continued discounting to milk any lingering consumer desires to shop and spend money? Or, does the arrival of a new year offer a …

Editor’s Note: Following are the most-read stories from RCRNews.com this year. They have been edited to fit in paper format. 1. Vodafone records $41B loss, reworks strategic plans May 30 Vodafone Group plc posted a massive $41.1 billion loss for …

Editor’s Note: Following are the most-read stories from RCRNews.com this year. They have been edited to fit in paper format. 1. Vodafone records $41B loss, reworks strategic plansMay 30Vodafone Group plc posted a massive $41.1 billion loss for 2005, mainly …

Wirefly, the online retailer, is offering mobile handsets at prices that defy gravity.Tis the season, apparently, for free or low-cost offers on the market’s leading handsets to erode the last bastions of resistance to signing up for wireless service.The Motorola …

With a new leader in place, Crown Castle International Corp.’s mobile TV subsidiary Modeo L.L.C. says with confidence that its upcoming New York City trial will attract partners, enabling the company to carry out further launches of its streaming, multicast …

Making wireless phone sales simple during the holiday season may seem like a no-brainer. But for customers, getting a wireless phone to tuck into someone else’s stocking or under the Christmas tree may mean jumping through some hoops-or side-stepping postpaid …

‘Tis the season to do your shopping on your phone. At least, that’s what a handful of developers are hoping.SplashData Inc. this week released a Microsoft Corp. Windows Mobile version of its SplashShopper application, which serves as an organizer for …

RadioShack announced it will sell Sprint Nextel Corp.’s youth-focused brand Boost Mobile through 672 retail stores. RadioShack joins Target, Wal-Mart and Best Buy in selling the iDEN-based offering.“We are extremely pleased to partner with Boost Mobile, and are excited about …

With a new leader in place, Crown Castle International Corp.’s mobile TV subsidiary Modeo L.L.C. says with confidence that its upcoming New York City trial will attract partners, enabling the company to carry out further launches of its streaming, multicast …

Alltel Corp. said it will sell four markets in rural Southern Minnesota to Rural Cellular Corp.Terms of the deal were not released.Alltel had to divest the markets as part of its purchase of Midwest Wireless. The transaction includes licenses, retail …

Sanyo Corp. has put its best foot forward at Sprint Nextel Corp. with a top-of-its-line multimedia phone, the M1, at a crucial time for Sanyo and amid a strong, overall portfolio expansion at Sprint Nextel. The M1 launch comes freighted …

Qualcomm Inc. plans to profit from in-house Bluetooth intellectual property to drive down the cost, power consumption and footprint of chip-based functionality in mobile handsets and consumer electronic devices, the company said last week in the wake of its acquisition …

‘Tis the season to be jolly, especially if you’re a consumer checking out online deals from independent retailers. For instance, Wirefly, the online retail face of InPhonic Inc., is offering handsets at prices that defy gravity. The Motorola Inc. Krzr, …

Consumers’ tendency to carry duplicate devices-think camera phone and digital camera, or smart phone and PDA-may contain a seed of wireless’ future. That may seem like a bit of a stretch on such a simple premise. Take the implications, however, …

Big-box retailer Best Buy has branched out with a greater emphasis on wireless, opening new stores in the New York metro area that focus exclusively on offering a wide selection of handsets from various carriers. Five of the new stores …

The holiday season is upon us, and I for one am thrilled. The holidays are usually a time of family, joy, thanksgiving and good will toward all (except Dan Meyer)-and, of course, the holidays are also a time of cheap …

Comcast Corp. aims to find out if customers will buy wireless service from a cable company: the nation’s largest cable provider is launching a trial of wireless service in partnership with Sprint Nextel Corp. in two markets: Boston and Portland, …

The mobile virtual network operator space isn’t cooling down, according to the head of mobile virtual network enabler telSpace. However, instead of following the models of Amp’d Mobile Inc. or Helio L.L.C., the newcomers to the space are incumbent local …

WASHINGTON-TracFone Wireless Inc., the nation’s largest prepaid wireless company, said it is considering filing a lawsuit in federal court to repeal a new Library of Congress rule that exempts mobile-phone locking software from U.S. copyright law.“Although TracFone believes that the …

BASKING RIDGE, N.J.-Verizon Wireless has agreed to acquire a small GSM carrier in West Virginia. The deal, which must receive regulatory approvals, is expected to close sometime in the first quarter of next year, according to Verizon Wireless spokeswoman Robin …

NEW YORK-Big box retailer Best Buy has branched out with a new emphasis on wireless, opening new stores in the New York metro area that focus exclusively on offering a wide selection of handsets from various carriers. Five of the …