AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) is suing Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ) because of the “There’s a map for that” ads. The reason why AT&T is suing them is because of false advertising and deceptive trade practices. The Verizon “map” suggests that AT&T customers are out of touch.
AT&T said that they sent Verizon a notice asking them to stop running ads that their customers are out of touch in areas that do not have 3G services. Verizon removed the words “out of touch” from their ads and added “voice and data services outside 3G coverage areas.”
However AT&T customers still have voice and data services out of 3G areas but the data connection is slow. AT&T did not specify how much in damage they want in return and they are also asking for a restraining order from Verizon to keep running the ads.
Best Buy Mobile announced that they are pre-selling the Verizon DROID today. The phone will be available on November 6. The DROID is the first phone on Verizon to run on the Google Android operating system. By ordering the phone through Best Buy, customers are able to avoid mail-in rebates and instant savings. Best Buy is selling the phone for $199.99 with 2 year activation.
“We’re excited to feature this new device for our consumers, as it represents the latest and greatest in mobile technology,” stated Best Buy Mobile President Shawn Score in a press release. “Bringing the DROID to Best Buy Mobile expands our already unmatched assortment of smartphones allowing customers to compare high-end devices like the iPhone 3GS, HTC Hero and DROID all under one roof. The fact that customers can purchase the phone first at Best Buy through the pre-sell is an added bonus.”
The DROID has a 3.7″ screen, 5 MP camera with autofocus and image stabilization. The camera also has dual-LED flash and DVD-quality video. The DROID is the first phone to have Google Maps Navigation.
Boy Genius Report gave the hands-on treatment on the Motorola Droid. Based on the screenshots I’ve seen, it looks very similar to an iPhone and the sliding QWERTY keyboard reminds me of a Sidekick. Below are some of the specs:
- Android 2.0 operating system (as predicted)
- Almost as thin as an iPhone 3G S and very thin QWERTY sliding keyboard
- Capacitive display
- The phone is made out of metal and rubber. The keyboard has a soft-touch rubberized finish.
- Each phone will have a desktop charger that comes with it. The charger turns the phone into a Multimedia Station by displaying the local weather and time.
AT&T has poached a lot of customers from Verizon Wireless because of the exclusive Apple iPhone contract. The iPhone, iPhone 3G, and iPhone 3G S have been the hottest smartphones selling on the market over the last few years. Motorola has also felt the pain of losing customers to the Apple iPhone too as their sales have decreased substantially. Given that Verizon and Motorola have both been feeling the pain, they teamed up with Google to launch a new smartphone called the Droid. The Droid is expected to arrive in late October or early November.
As the three companies are preparing to launch the Droid, a video has been released in order to get the hype going. The video knocks on all the features that the iPhone lacks such as the lack of a keyboard, background application capabilities, and a high resolution flash camera. The Droid commercial points out the lack of the features starting with the expression “iDon’t.” And everything “iDon’t,” Droid does. Based on how intense the video looks, I’d say Apple should be concerned. This video has a “we’re not messing around this time” vibe towards the end.
The Droid is expected to be powered by the TI OMAP3430 core which is also used by the Palm Pre and iPhone. The Verizon Droid will be using the Android v.2.0 operating system. Google expects at least 18 devices to be powered by Android by the end of 2009.
Apple may have decided to reject Google Voice, but Verizon Wireless plans to embrace the application. Google and Verizon have an Android partnership and the results of this deal will appear in the next few weeks. The first two Android powered phones will be available on Verizon later this year.
“In Verizon, somehow, the leadership has decided to embrace a very different philosophy, which works very, very well with the Internet,” added Google CEO Eric Schmidt on the conference call. Verizon and Google started their partnership discussion about 18 months ago. Verizon was the third telecommunications company to launch a phone on the Android operating system. T-Mobile and Sprint were the first two companies. Verizon is the largest wireless carrier based on the number of subscribers.
iRex Technologies, Verizon, and Best Buy have made a partnership. Best Buy will sell the iRex DR800SG in their stores with unlimited Verizon 3G data speeds. The DR800SG will cost $399 and have an 8.1″ touchscreen.
E-books will be downloaded from the Barnes & Noble online store. The e-bookstore also has 1,100 newspapers from Newspaper Direct. The 3G connection is powered by Qualcomm Gobi radio technology. Best Buy will be selling the DR800SG next month. The e-book reader also comes with a stylus as pictured above.
Above is a picture of the Samsung Rogue SCH-U960 (Glyde 2). This phone has a slide out four-row QWERTY keyboard, 3.0 megapixel camera with flash, Full HTML browser, and uses the TouchWiz UI. This phone has one-touch access for accessing popular social networking services sch as Twitter, MySpace, YouTube, and Facebook. This phoen also has access to V CAST VOD and V Cast Music. The Rogue also has SMS, MMS, Mobile IM, etc. Games that are pre-loaded on this phone include Need For Speed Undercover, Resident Evil: Degeneration, Tetris, and Dice.
The Samsung Intensity has a 2.1″ display with QWERTY a sliding keypad. There is also a mobile web browser, music player, 1.3 megapixel camera with Night Shot, Multishot, Self Time, and Shutter Sound selection. This phone is also compatible with V Cast Music. However over-the-air downloads are not available for this phone.
The Samsung Rogue can be bought for $99.99 with $100 mail-in rebate and a 2 year customer agreement. The Samsung Intensity is available for $29.99 after $50 mail in rebate and 2 year customer agreement.
Verizon recently launched a new USB modem called the UMW190. This USB modem will work anywhere in the world. And Verizon promised that this modem will give them a 3G Internet connection everywhere too. The modem works on a dual-band CDMA/Tri-Band UMTS/HSPA and quad-band GSM. The modem will cost $49.99 after a $50 mail-in rebate and two year agreement.
T-Mobile and Sprint have their hands on the HTC Touch Pro2, but don’t count on Verizon to be one of the only players to be left out. The HTC Touch Pro2 will be available for you to pick up at Verizon stores for $199 starting September 11. This price includes a 2 year contract and a $100 rebate.
Verizon Wireless is expected to get the HTC Desire 6200 soon. A source with PhoneArena spotted sent over a screenshot from Verizon’s inventory system. The HTC Desire 6200 will be powered by Google Android. The Desire 6200 is expected not to be branded as HTC. It is more likely that the phone will be branded as a Verizon mobile device.
A leaked memo that landed in the mailbox of Boy Genius Report indicates that Verizon might be implementing a new policy that will require subscribers with Enhanced Multimedia Phones to sign up for a data plan.
Handsets that launch on or after September 8th and have an HTML web browser, EV-DO Rev. A, and QWERTY keypad will be classified as an Enhanced Multimedia Phone.
The Enhanced Multimedia Phones don’t necessarily have to be smartphones. As long as the above specs are met, a data plan is required. Data plans start at $9.99 for 25MB. For 75MB, the data plan costs $19.99. The $15 VCAST Vpak will be killed off, but there will be a $10 “VCAST Video On Demand” plan.
Verizon has announced that the price of the BlackBerry Storm 9530 has been reduced to $49.99. This move could be made in anticipation for the new Storm coming out soon. The Storm 9530 was the first touchscreen BlackBerry. This price is available assuming that you are willing to sign a 2 year contract with Verizon.
Some of the features of the phone include:
- SurePress touch screen
- 3.2 megapixel camera
- 8GB SanDisk microSD card pre-installed
- Global SIM card pre-installed
- Media player for music, videos, pictures, etc.
- Bluetooth stereo support
- TTY compatible
- Hearing aid compatibility
- VZ Navigator
- V CAST Music with Rhapsody
TiVo Inc. launched one of the first digital video recorder (DVR) devices in 1999. However TiVo has been facing competition from AT&T and Verizon, who provide DVR as a service through TV cable. This is why TiVo has filed a lawsuit against both telecommunication companies at the U.S. District Court in the Eastern District of Texas.
TiVo is seeking damages and a permanent injunction from using the feature. This complaint the same as the one made in a lawsuit against DISH/Echostar. That complaint was made in 2004. Initially TiVo was ruled to be awarded $105 million, but DISH/Echostar filed an appeal. While the appeal was being made, DISH/Echostar designed new software that would replace the old video recording software.
TiVo claimed that DISH/Echostar was still infringing on their patent, but the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office dismissed a request from TiVo to have DISH/Echostar no longer have the ability to re-examine its patent. DISH will be using the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office dismissal as part of their appeal in court.
DISH has about 14 million subscribers while AT&T U-Verse and Verizon FIOS cable services have a combined subscriber base of 4 million.
The technician involved is named Robert Benjamin and the reason why he attacked Aubrey Isakson, 37, is because he was asked to show his ID. Isakson claimed that Benjamin slapped him in the face with his ID back in December 2008.
“The guy essentially snapped. He cold-cocked me, hit me two or three solid shots to the head while my hands were down,” said Isakson, a limo driver.
But things got uglier, Isakson said, when Benjamin squeezed him around the neck and pressed him up against the wall.
“He’s prepared to kill me,” Isakson said. “That’s all I could think of.”
Isakson said he broke free and ran down the stairs — fracturing his ankle along the way — to get help in his building’s lobby.
Fortunately Verizon did end up fixing the problem. Verizon even said that they were able to fix the problem and did not even need to send the technician to Isakson’s house. That may have been useful information to have before allowing a technician into Isakson’s place.
Images of the Verizon Diamond 2 pictured on the left and the HTC Mega picture of the right. The image was sent to WMExperts. The Diamond 2 is expected to land on Verizon’s networks sometime in September or October.
The Diamond 2 has a 3.6″ touch screen, and 5 megapixel autofocus camera w/ image stabilizaiton. The Diamond 2 also has a 528MHz 7600 processor with 256MB RAM and 512MB ROM. The Diamond 2 will have gpsOne and CDMA. The Diamond 2 will run on Windows Mobile 6.1.
The HTC Mega will run on Windows Mobile 6.5 and will have a 528MHz 7225 processor. The phone also has 256MB of RAM and ROM. The screen is a 2.8″ QVGA. The camera is 3 megapixel and has fixed-focus. The networks that the phone can on is GSM/GPRS/EDGE/HSDPA. The phone will also have TouchFlo 2D. No word on the Mega’s availability yet.
