Verizon

Galaxy S4 not hurting ‘resilient’ US iPhone sales

Ed Sutherland ∙ Updated April 11, 2018

Listening to much of the tech press, you might get the impression Samsung's new Galaxy S4 would further erode Apple's share of the smartphone market. One Wall Street firm ended the week on a contrary note, telling investors iPhone sales in North America "remain resilient" and Samsung's Galaxy S4 is only selling slightly better than its predecessor.

The analyst firm Detwiler Fenton expects Apple will sell a cool thirty million iPhones during the June quarter amid expectation the nine-month-old handset would lose market share to its South Korean rival...

New hacked Verizon carrier update promises faster data speeds

Cody Lee ∙ Updated January 26, 2016

Over the past month or so, we've seen hacked carrier updates released for both T-Mobile and AT&T. The modded firmware files were posted with the promise of improving data speeds in iPhones, and iPads with built-in cellular capabilities.

Not wanting to leave the folks on ol' Big Red out, the developer of those two hacks has posted a hacked carrier update for Verizon. And like the others, it promises to better device performance on the network by opening up its bandwidth...

Verizon’s LTE launches in 6 new markets, now available in nearly 500 U.S. locations

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated July 12, 2017

Verizon's aggressive 4G LTE network roll-out continues unabated. The nation's leading wireless carrier on Monday announced six new markets getting its speedy fourth-generation Long-Term Evolution (LTE) radio technology today: Durango, Colorado; Corbin and Madisonville, Kentucky; Adrian and Mount Pleasant, Michigan; and Marietta, Ohio.

The carrier, for the first time, released a list of LTE-enabled locations which with today's additions counts 497 markets, up from 440 locations Verizon claimed last December. The big red carrier's LTE network is now two and a half years old, for those wondering. If all goes according to plan, Verizon should cover its 3G network entirely with LTE by the middle of this year...

Verizon knocking $100 off the iPhone 5 for some customers

Cody Lee ∙ May 15, 2013

Last week, reports began bouncing around that Verizon was going to be running a promotion later this month that knocked $100 off the iPhone 5. And it appears that, at least for some Big Red customers, that deal has gone live.

Several news outlets are reporting today that some VZW subscribers are being offered Apple's latest handset for $100, along with a two-year contract of course, bringing about one of the lowest prices we've ever seen for the device...

Verizon to start offering $100 off iPhone 5 this month

Cody Lee ∙ May 6, 2013

T-Mobile must have rattled some cages when it introduced its $99 iPhone 5 last month, because we're starting to see more competitive pricing from the other carriers. Sprint is currently offering $100 off the iPhone 5 for new customers, and it looks like Verizon is about to launch a promotion of its own...

Trust Twitter and Google, not Apple, to protect you from government data demands

Christian Zibreg ∙ May 1, 2013

Well, this is certainly noteworthy. According to the third annual report by the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) titled "Who Has Your Back?", gadget giant Apple along with carriers AT&T and Verizon, Google's rival Yahoo and the forgotten social network MySpace all are very likely to give in to Uncle Sam's data demands.

Specifically, Apple and Yahoo scored one out of six possible stars, with Verizon and Yahoo rather ingloriously earning zero stars each. These companies' weak safeguard implementation does little to circumvent data demands and protect your private information from the government's prying eyes.

Whereas Apple and Yahoo only fight for users' privacy rights in Congress, companies like Google, LinkedIn, Microsoft and Dropbox go to great lengths to ensure privacy of your data, earning four out of six stars each...

Sprint, Verizon and AT&T announce major LTE expansion

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated July 12, 2017

Sprint and AT&T, respectively the nation's third and second-largest wireless carriers, announced availability of their fourth-generation Long-Term Evolution (LTE) radio technology in new markets. Sprint confirmed its customers in 21 new markets can take advantage of high-speed cellular downloads, including Los Angeles, Contra Costa County, California, Charlotte, North Carolina, Norfolk, Virginia, and Memphis, Tennessee. AT&T on its part announced it has turned on LTE in Florence, Massachusetts, Cushing, Oklahoma and Cheyenne, Wyoming. Verizon flipped the switch on LTE in two new markets...

Verizon in Q1 activated 4M iPhones out of 7.2M smartphones

Christian Zibreg ∙ April 18, 2013

Verizon just posted its calendar 2013 first quarter earnings. The nation's top wireless carrier activated four million iPhones on its network throughout the quarter, half of which were the iPhone 5. The figure beats the 3.5 million unit consensus and represents a 25 percent increase over the 3.2 million iPhones Verizon activated a year ago. Representing just over 55 percent of all smartphone activations for the quarter, the iPhone during Q4 2012 represented nearly two-thirds of activations, which isn't surprising given the holiday rush, iPhone 4/4S price cuts and the iPhone 5 launch hype.

The company added 720,000 net new subscribers, including 677,000 people who signed two-year contracts, up 35 percent year-over-year. Turnover rate increased slightly to 1.01 percent from 0.96 percent a year ago. Smartphones represented 61 percent of contract subscribers, a record smartphone penetration. Shares climbed 1.94 percent during Thursday’s pre-market session...

Can you hear me now: 60,000 disgruntled users urge Verizon to drop contracts

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated February 24, 2018

T-Mobile's 'Un-carrier' decision to separate device subsidies from the wireless service and its introduction of no-contract plans predictably agitated spirits in this lucrative industry. But Verizon Wireless, the top U.S. carrier, wouldn't budge. In fact, the big red carrier responded rather autistically to T-Mobile by delaying phone upgrades from 20 to 24 months.

At the same time, Verizon is attempting to appease to users by offering smartphone financing program beginning April 21. That Verizon CEO Lowell McAdam refuses to clarify his company's stance on monthly installments isn't helping either.

Deciding enough is enough, one Verizon fanboy started a petition recently, urging the carrier to ditch wireless contracts. And guess what? Already 60,000+ disgruntled customers put their signature on it. Verizon, can you hear me now?

Verizon responds to T-Mobile with Device Payment Plan for smartphones, due April 21

Christian Zibreg ∙ April 13, 2013

Boy, did T-Mobile's 'Uncarrier' initiative hit a nerve. As you know, the nation's fourth-largest carrier landed the iPhone yesterday and just recently "canceled our membership in the out-of-touch wireless carrier club" by unleashing monthly installments separate of wireless service, reducing upfront cost of unsubsidized gear a great deal.

And just as T-Mobile yesterday announced "gangbusters" iPhone opening (even if that's not really a number), Verizon swiftly responded by delaying phone upgrades from 20 to 24 months. The backlash ensued and Verizon quickly realized the change may not be “consistent with how the majority of customers purchase new phones today,” as it argued.

Therefore, the big red carrier followed up by announcing a one-year monthly installment plan for high-end smartphones costing over $349.99. It's called Device Payment Plan and we have all the details right after the break...

Not a joke: Verizon just tightened eligibility terms, killing early upgrades

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated October 12, 2018

Straight from the 'what-were-they-thinking' department comes news that Verizon Wireless, the nation's leading carrier, Friday updated its upgrade eligibility terms, but unfortunately not for the better.

If you're on a two-year agreement, you'll be now eligible for an upgrade at 24 months as opposed to today's early upgrade eligibility at 20 months.

Remember, this is a carrier that just two years ago eliminated the 12-month upgrade. The first customers impacted by this change are the ones whose contracts expire in January 2014. Verizon cynically states that people are always free to "purchase a new phone at the full retail price at any time."

Monthly installments, much?

They even had the nerve to argue the change is "consistent with how the majority of customers purchase new phones today". So, folks are actually eager to commit their soul to Verizon's long-term agreements with no easy way out? Seriously? Let me guess: if consumers demanded it, the company would eliminate contracts, right? Looks to me Verizon didn't get the memo. But wait, there's more...