Filed under: Cell phones

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N.Y. promises hard look at AT&T/T-Mobile deal

An AT&T store in New York. (Reuters/Brendan McDermid)

AT&T Inc.s $39 billion bid to buy Deutsche Telekom AG’s T-Mobile USA came under scrutiny from New York’s attorney general, who said he is looking into its possible anticompetitive impact.

Citing a potential “near duopoly” as a result of the proposed deal, Atty. Gen. Eric Schneiderman said he wants to ensure the acquisition does not reduce access to low-cost cell phone options. Get the full story »

Nokia files new case against Apple with ITC

Nokia on Tuesday filed another complaint with the U.S. trade panel (ITC) alleging that rival Apple infringes its patents in iPhones, iPads and other products. Get the full story »

American Express gets into mobile payments

American Express is diving into the e-wallet space with Serve, a service that lets customers transfer money to others online and make payments with their mobile phones.

In its announcement Monday, AmEx said Serve is aimed at customers who use cash, checks and debit cards, rather than the company’s traditional credit card users. Get the full story »

Sprint formally objects to AT&T/T-Mobile deal

Sprint Nextel urged regulators to block AT&T Inc.’s $39 billion bid to buy Deutsche Telekom AG’s T-Mobile USA.

Sprint, the No. 3 U.S. mobile carrier, said in a statement Monday that the transaction would harm consumers and competition. Get the full story »

Google working on mobile payment technology

Google is joining Citigroup and Mastercard to set up a mobile payment system that will turn Android phones into a kind of electronic wallet, the Wall Street Journal said, citing people familiar with the matter.

Panel says Apple did not infringe Nokia patents

Apple won a round in its patent battle with Nokia on Friday as a U.S. trade panel ruled that the U.S. company did not violate any of five Nokia patents. Get the full story »

RIM shares dive after weak outlook

Research In Motion faces a tough battle to win back market share in the United States, Wall Street analysts said on Friday, a day after the BlackBerry maker gave a weak outlook. Get the full story »

Amazon Appstore debut still lacks free test feature

A key feature of Amazon.com’s Appstore for Android was unavailable Wednesday, a day after the e-commerce giant launched its store to much fanfare. But other parts of Amazon’s venture were more successful, and early tests underscored the positives and negatives of the retailer’s approach. Get the full story »

AT&T to sell phone with 3-D screen and camera

Hot on the heels of the Nintendo 3DS game device and its 3-D screen, AT&T plans to launch a smartphone with a 3-D screen and a dual-lens camera for 3-D snapshots. Get the full story »

AT&T: T-Mobile 3G phones will need to be replaced

AT&T says that if its deal to buy T-Mobile USA goes through, T-Mobile subscribers with “3G” phones will need to replace those to keep their wireless broadband service working. Get the full story »

How a tiny cube could cut cell phone bills

LightRadio blocks are smaller than a Rubik's Cube. (Alcatel-Lucent)

As mobile data usage skyrockets, wireless companies are spending billions each year to maximize capacity, and consumers end up footing the cost in the form of higher cell phone bills. But a cube that fits in the palm of your hand could help solve that problem.

It’s called lightRadio, a Rubik’s cube-sized device made by Alcatel-Lucent that takes all of the components of a cell phone tower and compresses them down into a 2.3-inch block. Unlike today’s cell towers and antennas, which are large, inefficient and expensive to maintain, lightRadio is tiny, capacious and power-sipping. Get the full story »

AT&T, T-Mobile deal may mean higher prices

AT&T’s surprise $39-billion acquisition of T-Mobile USA Inc. could lead to more consolidation in the U.S wireless industry, leaving the market with just two dominant providers — and the prospect of higher rates and fewer choices for consumers.

If approved by regulators, the newly expanded AT&T Inc. would have 130 million subscribers, allowing it to leapfrog arch-rival Verizon Wireless and its 94 million customers to become by far the nation’s largest wireless carrier. Sprint Nextel Corp. would be a distant third.

Angry Birds developer plans IPO in U.S.

Rovio, the developer of the Angry Birds mobile game, said it would seek an initial public offering in the United States. “The plan is to seek an IPO in New York, but the specific timing and details are still open,” said Rovio spokesman Ville Heijari in an email on Friday. Get the full story »

Groupon exploring mobile coupons

From BusinessWeek | Chicago-based daily deal site Groupon Inc. is preparing to make its deal-of-the-day business even more local, launching a mobile product that will allow it to offer discounts to subscribers based on their location. The new program it is planning, Groupon Now, consists of two buttons for consumers to pick from: “I’m Hungry” and “I’m Bored.” When users click on one of the buttons, Groupon Now offers up a host of discounted options near the user’s location. Get the full story>>

U.S. Cellular to launch 4G network by year’s end

Mary Dillon at U.S. Cellular's corporate office in Chicago in June 2010. (Stacey Wescott/Chicago Tribune)

Chicago-based wireless carrier U.S. Cellular plans to launch its 4G network by the end of the year, Chief Executive Mary Dillon said Thursday.

Responding to an audience question at a breakfast sponsored by the Executives’ Club of Chicago, Dillon said the company has recently finished trials for its 4G network, which uses a technology called Long-Term Evolution, or LTE. Verizon Wireless and AT&T use the same technology, though the latter company has yet to commercially launch its LTE network. Get the full story »