MetroPCS

MetroPCS has recently released the Kyocera Presto and the LG Beacon, both of which are relatively basic phones for the prepaid carrier.

The Kyocera Presto is a candy bar handset with bare-bones features that include a camera, Bluetooth, a speakerphone, and text and multimedia messaging. The LG Beacon, on the other hand, is somewhat based on the LG Cosmos Touch. It has a 2.8-inch touch screen, a sliding keyboard, a 1.3-megapixel camera, an MP3 player, stereo Bluetooth, GPS, and more.

The Kyocera Presto retails $29, while the LG Beacon will set you back $69 after the usual rebates. … Read more

MetroPCS introduced its latest Android smartphone today, the LG Esteem, a 4G LTE device designed to entertain.

Available this week in stores and online for $249, the Gingerbread-based Esteem offers access to the carrier's MetroStudio music and video service, as well as Rhapsody Unlimited Music. For a limited time, MetroPCS will offer a 90-day complimentary subscription to Rhapsody to customers who purchase the phone with a $50 4G service plan.

You can enjoy audio through the phone's Dolby Mobile Surround 7.1 system or you can stream media using a Micro-HDMI adapter or via DLNA. The LG Esteem … Read more

AT&T has talked to smaller rivals about divesting spectrum and customers in an effort to salvage its deal with T-Mobile USA, according to Bloomberg.

AT&T has talked to MetroPCS Communications and Leap Wireless about selling some of its assets. The telecom giant is also talking to CenturyLink, Dish Network, and even Sprint Nextel--which has opposed the deal--about their interest in buying assets.

AT&T has been scrambling to save a deal that was put in jeopardy when theU.S. Department of Justice recently sued to block the merger, which would create the nation's … Read more

Verizon Wireless plans to launch a cheaper contract-free plan nationally this week, allowing it to better compete for bargain-seeking consumers.

The nation's largest wireless carrier will offer the plan, which includes unlimited calling, text messages and Internet use for $50 a month and is known as "Unleashed," on Thursday, according to the Dow Jones Newswires. The offer will be available in Verizon stores, Best Buy, Wal-Mart and Target.

Verizon's move underscores the growing allure of the prepaid business as one of the last areas of growth in the wireless industry. Verizon has long held a lackluster … Read more

T-Mobile USA may look to split itself into pieces for multiple buyers if its deal with AT&T falls through.

That's according to Mizuho Securities analyst Michael Nelson, who said in a research note issued today that companies such as MetroPCS, Leap Wireless, and U.S. Cellular have significant interest in picking up new markets. T-Mobile could also break itself up into multiple parts as part of a divestiture plan that AT&T would work out with regulators to get approval for the deal.

"Our analysis indicates MetroPCS, Leap, and U.S. Cellular could have significant … Read more

MetroPCS Communications announced today that subscribers of the company's $60-per-month Android phone rate plan can receive access to the Rhapsody Unlimited Music service, and some 12 million songs.

Only the service isn't unlimited, at least with regard to the music, due to the absence of one of the four major record labels. Warner Music Group, which has a reputation for being a tough negotiator with digital services, is the only major that didn't sign on to the MetroPCS deal. It's the third-largest of the record companies.

In the past, Warner pulled its music off YouTube during a contract dispute and reportedly was slow to license Spotify's U.S. service. Warner Music and Rhapsody representatives declined to comment about the negotiations.

The idea of bundling music into phone services has been around awhile. The top labels have looked for ways to achieve this but some of the earliest attempts, such as Nokia's "Comes With Music," were a bust.

In that case, consumers were asked to purchase phones that came preloaded with music. With MetroPCS, the music and the charges are tucked into the service and monthly bills.

MetroPCS, a wireless carrier, is known for offering prepaid phones, and a music deal like this should be attractive to the labels. It could help them reach an audience that includes people who aren't participating in the digital economy. It is believed that many MetroPCS subscribers don't own credit cards. … Read more

Verizon Wireless could expand its unlimited $50 prepaid plan following a small but successful trial, according to a story in yesterday's Wall Street Journal.

Known as Unleashed, the carrier's prepaid plan offers unlimited talk, texting, and Web access for $50 per month and was introduced this past April in Southern California and Florida.

"The trial has gone very, very well for us," Verizon Chief Financial Officer Fran Shammo said during a presentation in Boston, according to the Journal. "It didn't cannibalize the base and we actually evaluated our prepaid business and took some share.&… Read more

MetroPCS is making good on its Android commitment by announcing today the Samsung Admire, a mid-tier Android 2.3 Gingerbread smartphone.

The Admire comes equipped with a 3.5-inch HVGA touch screen, a 3.2-megapixel camera and camcorder, a Swype virtual keyboard option, and an 800Mhz processor. It also includes a microSD card slot that takes up to 32GB expandable memory.

Those who prefer their Android without adornments will appreciate that the Admire comes without Samsung's custom UI. The Admire stands 4.6 inches tall, 2.4 inches wide, and is less than 0.5-inch thick. If you lust … Read more

Relief is a little iffy for contract-free customers thirsting for smartphones.

Weak quarterly earnings for prepaid carriers, like leader MetroPCS, TracFone, and Cricket-owner Leap Wireless, are making the ability of these second-tiered carriers to act effectively as alternative smartphone providers to the big-four operators a little murkier.

Why? As CNET Senior Writer Roger Cheng noted, the overall growth of tier-two customers is slowing--even dropping, in Cricket's case--and in addition, smartphone-seekers appear to be signing on to other options, including prepaid plans with the major carriers like T-Mobile, or dropping down to government-subsidized feature phones in response to financial … Read more