| News for wireless telecommunications professionals |  |
| Top Story |  |  |
|
- On Samsung's Galaxy S IV, the eyes have it
Samsung Electronics, which has already begun to mount a media campaign to hype its upcoming Galaxy S IV flagship phone, will reportedly include an eye-scrolling application on the device. The feature will allow text to scroll by tracking a user's eyes -- the software would automatically turn to the next paragraph when a reader's eyes hit the bottom of a page, for instance. Samsung is expected to emphasize new software -- rather than hardware -- on the Galaxy phone when the South Korean company introduces the handset on March 14. The New York Times (tiered subscription model)/Bits blog
(3/4), The Wall Street Journal/Digits blog
(3/4)      
| Company News | | |
|
- Verizon may sell phones without CDMA chips in 2014
Verizon Wireless' intent to switch to Voice over LTE for regular calls by 2014 could enable the carrier to start selling "pure LTE" handsets later next year, Chief Financial Officer Fran Shammo told an investor conference. He said removing the CDMA chipset from phones could reduce the subsidies carriers pay to handset makers. Shammo also said Verizon will continue to draw substantial revenues from its CDMA network and that the boom in Wi-Fi-only tablets has boosted sales of MiFi personal hot spot devices. The Verge
(3/4)
- Sprint testing shared-data offer for small businesses
Sprint Nextel may have opted against shared-data plans for the consumer market, but the carrier believes the plans are a good idea for businesses. The company is testing an offer to some small businesses through June 13 that will allow them to share from 20 gigabytes to 60 GB across 10 to 30 devices in a plan similar to the ones AT&T and Verizon Wireless have established for consumers. Also at Sprint, the carrier expanded its Long-Term Evolution coverage to nine new small markets in six states and Puerto Rico. All Things D
(3/4), MobileBurn
(3/4)
| Wireless World | | |
|
- BlackBerry has uphill fight to regain Indonesian customers
BlackBerry will introduce its Z10 smartphone in Indonesia, Southeast Asia's most populous country, on March 15, but analysts say the company will be hard-pressed to regain much of the business it has lost there to competitors. Adding to the challenge: BlackBerry will charge about $721 for the phone in a nation where its market share has declined from 67% in 2011 to 42% a year ago, according to the Canalys research firm. Also, Netflix confirmed it has no plans to develop an application for the Blackberry Z10. The Wall Street Journal/Digits blog
(3/4), All Things D
(3/4)
| Technology | | |
|
- With LTE modem, Intel becomes a contender in mobile devices
 The introduction of its XMM 7160 modem for 3G, EDGE and Long-Term Evolution wireless communications puts Intel squarely in the game for chips going into base stations and mobile devices, Agam Shah writes in this analysis. The chipmaker is also looking to boost its business in baseband processors, he notes. Dean McCarron of Mercury Research said, "What we're seeing is the evolution of what the expected architecture is going to be. You are going to get your application and baseband processor from the same vendor." Network World/IDG News Service
(3/4)
| Trends & Research | | |
|
- IDC: 2013 is the year smartphones pass feature phones
Smartphones will overtake feature phones in total sales this year, IDC predicts. The firm says manufacturers will ship 918.6 million smartphones in 2013, just over half of total handset shipments, thanks to demand in emerging markets such as China, India and Brazil. CNET
(3/4)
 |
|  |
| The Buzz(CORPORATE ANNOUNCEMENTS)
 |
|
|
Interested in learning more about advertising in SmartBrief? Click here for detailed industry information and media kits.
 |
| |
 |
|  |
| Public Policy | | |
|
- Obama joins plea to allow unlocked phones
After receiving more than 114,000 digital signatures on the matter, the White House on Monday said it agreed with the petitioners' call to allow the sale of "unlocked" mobile devices that would allow consumers to use them at rival carriers. Consumers should also honor service contracts, the administration added. CTIA-The Wireless Association® defended the Library of Congress' stand that led to the ban on unlocking phones unless carriers give permission. "Customers have numerous options when purchasing mobile devices," said CTIA General Counsel Michael Altschul in a statement. The Wall Street Journal
(3/4)
| CTIA News | | |
|
| SmartQuote | | |
|
 | Concentrate all your thoughts upon the work at hand. The sun's rays do not burn until brought to a focus."
--Alexander Graham Bell,
Scottish-born American inventor
|
| |
| |
|
Read more at SmartBrief.com |
|
A powerful website for SmartBrief readers including:
|
|
|
|
| |
| |
| | Recent CTIA SmartBrief Issues:
- Monday, March 04, 2013
- Friday, March 01, 2013
- Thursday, February 28, 2013
- Wednesday, February 27, 2013
- Tuesday, February 26, 2013
| | | Lead Editor: Susan Rush
Contributing Editor: Andy Grossman
Mailing Address:
SmartBrief, Inc.®, 555 11th ST NW, Suite 600, Washington, DC 20004 | |
| |
|
| © 1999-2013 SmartBrief, Inc.® Legal Information |
|
