Handsets

Digital networking company Plaxo Inc. stepped onto the wireless playground last week, inking a deal to allow Verizon Wireless subscribers to update contact information on their handsets over the air. …

SAN DIEGO—Leap Wireless International Inc. announced it will allow its Cricket customers to roam in other Cricket markets without paying an additional fee. The carrier also said it is pushing …

BERWYN, Pa.—Regional carrier SunCom Wireless Holdings Inc. posted mixed results for the third quarter, with revenues up, but still recording an overall loss and higher sequential churn. Deactivations due to …

Hello! And welcome to our Thursday column, Worst of the Week. There’s a lot of nutty stuff that goes on in this industry, so this column is a chance for …

NORTH HOLLYWOOD, Calif.—Disney Mobile is trying to lure customers to sign up for its service during the holiday season by lowering the cost of its handsets and offering a month …

OVERLAND PARK, Kan.—Cingular Wireless L.L.C. tomorrow will become the third tier-one wireless carrier to launch a mobile music offering, according to a report in The Wall Street Journal, with a …

LAGUNA NIGUEL, Calif.—Bitfone Corp., a player in the firmware-over-the-air space, has signed on network operator Alltel Corp. to use its FusionDM device management service. Alltel joins Sprint Nextel Corp. in …

TOKYO—Japanese carrier NTT DoCoMo Inc. announced that, in partnership with Intel Corp., it has developed specifications for mobile handsets that will allow users to install their own operating system, one …

A German driver last week followed his navigation system’s command to “Turn right now” and veered into a roadside bathroom 30 yards shy of his intended intersection. Consider it a …

The development of firmware-over-the-air, or FOTA, lies at the intersection of several related trends in mobile devices and their management. The sector is growing and, already, several players claim market …

Motorola Inc. is moving and shaking with ambition and two news items this week point to a growth strategy that includes European markets for handsets and networks. In public statements, …

Crown Castle International Corp. said its net loss narrowed during the third quarter as revenues increased. During the company’s earnings conference call, Crown’s president and chief executive, John Kelly, called …

Two national wireless carriers launched redesigned Web pages last week, as operators increasingly try to drive traffic and sales to the low-cost Internet channel. Cingular Wireless L.L.C. introduced a streamlined …

The fourth quarter-a seasonally hot quarter for handset sales-is well underway. Time for the crystal ball and a word from a couple of gazers. The outlook remains positive for fourth-quarter …

Over the Razr’s unprecedented two-year run, the retail price of the device has plummeted from $500 to $50, drawing new volumes of consumers at each price point along the way. …

Two wireless service providers last week began offering their customers handsets that can move between cellular and Wi-Fi networks, moves that mark the first serious attempt at commercially available converged …

LONDON-Smart phones will represent the fastest growing segment of the mobile handset market this year, according to Informa Telecoms & Media. The company said year-on-year volume of smart phones will …

WESTLAKE VILLAGE, Calif.-U.S. consumers are increasingly focusing on devices when considering wireless services, according to a survey from J.D. Power and Associates. The market research firm found that 19 percent …

Flash Lite is finally here. Verizon Wireless last week became the first U.S. carrier to offer Adobe Systems Inc.’s wireless platform, introducing a stripped-down version of its popular Flash Player …

SCHAUMBURG, Ill.—Motorola Inc. is moving and shaking with ambition and two news items this week point to a growth strategy that includes European markets for handsets and networks. In public …

HOUSTON—Crown Castle International Corp. said its net loss narrowed during the third quarter as revenues increased. Site rental revenues increased 17.1 percent to $179 million from $152.8 million for the …

WESTLAKE VILLAGE, Calif.—U.S. consumers are increasingly focusing on devices when considering wireless services, according to a survey from J.D. Power and Associates. The market research firm found that 19 percent …

LAS VEGAS—Flash Lite is finally here. Verizon Wireless became the first U.S. carrier to offer Adobe Systems Inc.’s wireless platform, introducing a stripped-down version of the popular Flash Player for …

ATLANTA—Cingular Wireless L.L.C. jumped aboard the location-based services bandwagon, introducing a subscription-based offering for on-the-go business users and government workers. The carrier launched TeleNav Inc.’s GPS Navigator, a smart phone-based …

DALLAS—It’s all about the outlook, even for companies performing well. Texas Instruments Inc. was reminded of this Wall Street maxim as it reported an 11-percent rise in third-quarter net income …