Verizon

Verizon CFO says the carrier won’t change plan pricing after Edge launch

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 14, 2018

Verizon joined AT&T and T-Mobile yesterday by introducing a new upgrade program called Verizon Edge. Similar to the other two carriers' offerings, the plan involves customers paying a monthly fee in exchange for the ability to upgrade their device earlier.

After crunching some numbers, we found T-Mobile's program to be the best deal, due to the fact that it separates equipment and service charges. And some folks were hoping Verizon would follow suit here, but CFO Fran Shammo says don't count on it...

Comparing device upgrade plans: AT&T vs Verizon vs T-Mobile

Cody Lee ∙ July 18, 2013

Last week, T-Mobile unveiled 'Jump,' an ambitious new upgrade program that allows subscribers to pay $10 per month for the chance to upgrade their devices more frequently. At the time this hadn't really been heard of, as most carriers were on a 2-year upgrade model.

But that changed almost immediately after T-Mobile's Jump event. Just a few days later, AT&T introduced its Next device upgrade program, and this morning, Verizon made its Edge offering official. So what's the difference between all of these options? Let's take a look...

Verizon confirms early smartphone upgrade program Edge coming August 25

Christian Zibreg ∙ July 18, 2013

DroidLife on Monday leaked Verizon's upcoming early upgrade initiative that some critics readily labeled a knee-jerk reaction to AT&T's Next initiative,in and of itself a hastily created response to T-Mobile's Jump, arguably "the best upgrade program in America" (in T-Mobile's parlance).

Ending speculation, the Big Red telco during today's earnings call officially announced the rumored program dubbed Edge. Available only to subscribers who are on one of Verizon’s Share Everything plans, Edge is being pitched as a "flexible equipment payment plan" which lets you spread the retail price of a new phone over a 24-month period...

Verizon activates 3.9M iPhones in Q2 2013

Ed Sutherland ∙ July 18, 2013

Despite concerns about a shrinking pool of U.S. cell phone owners who have yet to upgrade to smartphones, Verizon Wireless announced it activated 3.9 million iPhones during the second quarter, an increase of 44 percent surpassing analyst forecasts of 3.5 million iPhone subscribers.

In other words, of the 7.5 million smartphones Verizon activated in the June quarter, over 50 percent were iPhones. Smartphones now account for more than half of Verizon Wireless customers, rising to 64 percent from a previous 50 percent, according to the official earnings results the carrier posted Thursday...

Move over Verizon, AT&T says it now has the most reliable network in the US

Cody Lee ∙ Updated January 28, 2019

The wireless provider industry here in the United States is dominated by 4 major carriers: Verizon, AT&T, Sprint and T-Mobile. You could actually narrow it down even further, to two carriers, as Verizon and AT&T are much larger than the other two.

And both carriers have their strengths. Verizon is known for having an expansive and reliable network, offering more coverage in more places, while AT&T is known for its network's speed. But AT&T is now claiming it has the most reliable network too...

The problem with smartphones: they’re losing their cool and wow factor

Ed Sutherland ∙ July 17, 2013

It has been six years since Apple introduced the original iPhone. The event was likened to a seismic shift that ignited the push to adopt smartphones in the United States. Now with up to 70 percent of subscribers owning smartphones, the big three carriers are searching for ways to encourage upgrades.

However, the push comes as consumers complain the 'wow' factor is missing from the industry. The slowdown in smartphone upgrades - evident in Samsung and Apple's sales - fell nine percent in 2012 with 68 million U.S. subscribers upgrading their devices, according to a Wednesday Wall Street Journal report...

Verizon to allow more frequent device upgrades with new ‘VZ Edge’ plan

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 12, 2018

It looks like T-Mobile's recent Uncarrier campaign is starting to catch the attention of the other major US carriers, because hot on the heels of it announcing its new 'Jump' upgrade program, comes word that Verizon may be following suit.

The news comes this afternoon in the form of a [purported] leaked Big Red training slide. The slide details 'VZ Edge,' a new upgrade plan that allows Verizon subscribers to pay a monthly fee for the ability to upgrade their devices more frequently...

Verizon may owe Apple $14B for unsold iPhones

Ed Sutherland ∙ July 11, 2013

Amid cooling iPhone demand, some carriers are having trouble meeting its sales commitments to Apple - and the smartphone maker is in no mood to ignore the issue. One carrier, Verizon Wireless, could be on the hook for up to $14 billion worth of unsold iPhones, one analyst told investors Thursday.

Although Verizon pledged in a 2010 agreement to buy $23.5 billion worth of Apple handsets in 2013, meeting the commitment would demand the U.S. carrier sell more than twice as many iPhones this year as in 2012...

iOS apparently grabbed nearly 75 percent of mobile ad market in May

Ed Sutherland ∙ Updated May 3, 2017

As we've noted in the past, Apple has the unique ability to have products outnumbered by Android, yet excel in areas which count - like advertising. The latest case in point is a study finding nearly 75 percent of mobile ads are served to Apple's iDevices.

By contrast, Android's share of the mobile ad market is decreasing with Samsung's Galaxy S smartphones delivering barely any ad impressions, according to figures released by a mobile ad company...

Verizon’s LTE in 500 markets, VoLTE due in 2014

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated January 28, 2017

Just as U.S. wireless carrier AT&T yesterday said it rolled out its Long-Term Evolution (LTE) radio technology to new markets while expanding coverage in several existing markets, rival Verizon Wireless Thursday said its LTE now blankets five hundred markets nationwide.

The Big Red carrier now has 4G coverage in nearly 200 more markets than AT&T does. Verizon added a hundred new LTE markets in just eight months and was the first U.S. telco to start deploying high-speed LTE cellular technology two and half years ago. The company also announced it will begin rolling out Voice over LTE (VoLTE) technology starting next year...

New nationwide test shows AT&T LTE network is fastest, Verizon is most reliable

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 11, 2018

Here in the US, we're fortunate to have a wide selection of wireless providers with LTE networks. Where many countries have none, or just one, all four of our top carriers, and several regional carriers have deployed the technology nationwide.

But with choice comes decisions—you have to decide which LTE provider to go with. Luckily, the folks over at PC Mag have driven over 20,000 miles across the United States testing the country's top four carriers to help you make that decision...

Leaked court order reveals Verizon is handing over call records to NSA

Cody Lee ∙ June 6, 2013

According to a new report, a newly leaked court order has revealed that the National Security Agency (or NSA) is currently collecting the telephone records of millions of United States cell phone users on Verizon Wireless.

The order, which was granted to the FBI by the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISA), requires the carrier to give the NSA information on all telephone calls in its system from both within the US, and between the US and other countries...