CTIA is Wild This Year and it Hasn’t Even Started Yet.

I’m at the big CTIA Wireless trade show in Orlando this week as the guest of WOMWorld/Nokia.  The event doesn’t start until tomorrow but, thanks to a couple of huge pre-show announcements, it’s already shaping up as an especially interesting show this year. Yesterday, AT&T announced that it is acquiring  T-Mobile USA.  The match-up, if it passes regulatory review, would make AT&T the largest US operator. As a long time satisfied T-Mobile customer who also briefly used AT&T a few years … Continue reading

The Best U.S. Prepaid Voice and Text Deals

This post is no longer updated! Please visit PrepaidPhoneNews.com to read the current version. (Originally published in August 2009), last updated 26-Nov-2010 with removal of Virgin Mobile Texter’s Delight Plan, which is no longer offered. Prepaid mobile plans are finally getting the popularity they deserve in the U.S.  This is happening at both the high and  low ends of the market. It’s easy to see why. Post paid plans start at $40 after taxes and that’s  for a limited bucket … Continue reading

Hands-On With the ATT.NET (Opera Mini) Browser

I spent some time recently playing with the AT&T branded version of Opera Mini that the operator is using as its default browser on at least four new devices.  The Pantech Reveal, released earlier this month, is the  first phone with the new browser. AT&T seemes to have overlooked WapReview again in handing out review units to bloggers so I had to try the Reveal out at my local AT&T shop. The new browser is branded as att.net. Opera’s name … Continue reading

New AT&T Feature Phones Get Opera Mini Browser

Today AT&T and Opera announced the impending release of four new feature phones with a: “faster HTML mobile browser and att.net service, combining the best of full HTML browsing with unique features for personalizing favorite bookmarks and local searches. The new att.net mobile platform utilizes advanced data compression from Opera Software, allowing for much faster delivery of HTML Web pages.” The press release is short on details about the browser, which is branded as att.net rather than Opera,  but I … Continue reading

No More Annoying Balance Messages With AT&T Prepaid Data

One of my biggest complaints back when I used AT&T’s  GoPhone prepaid service was the annoying  service messages (image) that would constantly pop up and interfere with whatever I was doing.  I was paying $20/month for unlimited data. But whenever I did anything with the browser or an app that consumed data like Google Maps or Nokia Email, an alert would pop up saying “The last transaction cost 0.00 USD…” I’d have to press the right soft key to dismiss … Continue reading

T-Mobile USA Data Price Increases – Bandwidth Issue or Greed?

Are US GSM/HSDPA carriers running out of bandwidth?  It sure looks like it.  First AT&T killed the “unlimited” data package for GoPhone pay as you go users, then they took away the option to sign up for unlimited data for users on GoPhone hybrid prepaid plans.  Now T-Mobile has raised data prices across the board for postpaid and hybrid users. Data has never been offered on T-Mobile pre-paid AT&T’s actions will decrease revenue so I can’t see any reason they … Continue reading

AT&T Pulling the Plug on Unlimited Prepaid Data!

Remember the $19.99/month unlimited MediaNet data add-on for AT&T’s GoPhone Pay as You Go (PYG) plans that the carrier launched in April?  Well, it looks like the party is almost over. Phonenews.com has confirmed that the widely rumored demise of the plan is true.  November 11th or 12th is the last day that you will be able to purchase the feature. You can currently stack up to three $19.99 packages for 90 days of service. Assuming that that Nov 11 … Continue reading

Joel Spolsky’s Nokia E71 Rave

E71 image courtesy of Nokia Author and widely read tech blogger (Joel on Software), Joel Spolsky  published a rave review today of Nokia’s newest QWERTY business phone, the E71.  Ever since this phone was announced, I’ve thought it would be a huge success.  Smaller, thinner and lighter than the Blackberry Curve or iPhone; tons of memory; fast, stable, expandable S60 OS and a keyboard that just about every reviewer seems to like in spite of what appear to be minuscule … Continue reading