News Byte

Verizon Wireless Plans $7 Billion Dividend to Parent Companies

Verizon Wireless said on Monday it plans to pay out $7 billion to its two owners — Verizon Communications, which owns 55 percent of the venture, and Vodafone, which owns 45 percent. The move comes amid renewed talk that Verizon Communications might be interested in buying out its joint venture partner.

Nokia Brings Updated Windows Phone, the $99 Lumia 928, to Verizon

The long-rumored Windows Phone is similar to last year’s Lumia 920 for AT&T but is thinner and includes an improved screen, flash and audio recording.
nokia_lumia_928

Samsung Galaxy S4 Costs $237 to Build, Teardown Analysis Shows

Samsung buys a lot of components from itself.
samsungs4_exploded-feature

Voices

Verizon Price Gap: $30 Billion

Verizon Communications Inc. is eager to buy Vodafone Group PLC out of their massive mobile-phone joint venture — but it will have to get over a $30 billion hurdle.

Sprint, T-Mobile Delay Retail Launch for Samsung Galaxy S 4

Sprint had hoped to have the new Samsung flagship in stores on Saturday, but limited supply means that it will initially be sold only online and via phone.
samsung_galaxy_s4

Voices

Verizon Wireless Pursues Clearwire Spectrum

Verizon Wireless has offered to pay up to $1.5 billion to buy spectrum leases from Clearwire Corp., people familiar with the matter said.

Verizon Customers Will Have to Wait Full Two Years for That Phone Upgrade

Verizon is phasing out a program that let customers on a two-year contract upgrade their phone after 20 months.
VerizonLogo1

AT&T on T-Mobile’s New Rate Plans: “Whatever”

Meanwhile, Sprint said its mix of contract and no-contract plans offers customers the best of both worlds.
whatev

Dueling Korean Robots Among the Hidden Gems on Barcelona Show Floor

AllThingsD’s Ina Fried wanders the Mobile World Congress show floor in search of the quirky and quixotic.
mwc_robot

Voices

Vodafone CEO Leaves Options Open on Verizon

Vittorio Colao, chief executive of Vodafone Group, left the door open to the possibility of a near-term deal that would change the ownership of one of the most closely watched partnerships in the telecom industry: Mobile-phone giant Verizon Wireless.

Verizon to Shutter Its App Store in January