Samsung’s Super Bowl commercial had the makings of greatness, but what did the company do with this huge, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to promote the Galaxy Note smartphone? It advertised a stylus.
Don’t even think about calling Samsung’s Galaxy Note a “phablet,” a “phone-tablet hybrid” or an ambiguous “device.” To AT&T, the Galaxy Note is a smartphone, launching on Feb. 19 for $200 with a two-year voice and 4G LTE data contract.
The days when AT&T customers could save $5 per month by giving up their unlimited data plans will soon be over.
The 2012 Consumer Electronics Show didn’t technically kick off until Tuesday morning, but already, Nokia’s Lumia 900 has become one of the most buzzed-about products.
If you thought the $4 billion charge that AT&T was left owing Deutsche Telekom after abandoning the merger with their subsidiary T-Mobile seemed a little steep, don’t worry—they’re only likely to pay a small chunk of that, thanks to the wonders of tax deductions.
Whether or not AT&T’s acquisition of T-Mobile eventually meets approval of the FCC and goes through, one company is standing in the wings, convinced that it will benefit greatly–and become a new force to be reckoned with in the wireless industry–no matter the outcome.
If you thought that withdrawing its merger application from the Federal Communications Commission following accusations of providing “flawed information” would deter AT&T from pursuing its acquisition of T-Mobile, then you’ve clearly underestimated just how much the telecommunications giant cares about its customers. Well, possibly.
With U.S. Senators getting involved in the issue about whether or not Americans’ cell activity is being monitored and recorded without their permission, it’s worth asking the most obvious question: How did the offending Carrier IQ software get onto the mobile devices in the first place?
–Kevin Werbach, associate professor at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and former tech policy official with the Federal Communications Commission, commenting on the theory AT&T may attempt to salvage its FCC-scuppered merger with T-Mobile by selling off 40% of T-Mobile’s assets to wireless rivals. Asset Sale May Be Next for AT&T [New York Times]
–A senior FCC official, speaking to the New York Times on condition of anonymity. The FCC acted yesterday to thwart AT&T’s proposed $39 billion merger with T-Mobile. F.C.C. Seeks Review of AT&T Merger With T-Mobile [New York Times]
U.S. regulators are playing a game of chess with AT&T as the wireless network looks to close its $39 billion T-Mobile deal. The problem is that not everyone seems to be keen on the idea—including the FCC.
