DirecTV And Dish Network In Merger Talks, Again...

Dish Network could be in some financial trouble, as its deadline to cover 70% of the US with 5G comes up next month. The company is expected to meet that deadline, however, the company is going to need to spend billions more to cover 75% of America by 2025. And that’s billions that Dish Network does not have right now.

That brings us to Dish Network and DirecTV's potentially merging. The two have been posturing and position around a merger publicly for a few years. They are the two largest satellite TV providers in the US, and with cord cutting accelerating, a merger is likely inevitable. But now, the talks have stalled, reportedly.

Both of these satellite TV companies have their own Streaming TV service. With Dish Network having Sling TV, and DirecTV having DirecTV Stream and DirecTV via Internet, which are basically the same service. Clearly both companies know that streaming is the future, and it would make sense for the two of them to finally merge.

This would be a similar merger to Sirius and XM satellite radio merging 14 years ago, to form SiriusXM. If Dish Network and DirecTV did merge, they could end up being a viable competitor to AT&T. With DirecTV’s satellite and streaming TV service, and Dish’s services along with its internet business.

Now the other big question is, even if they do come to an agreement, would the regulators allow this deal to go through? Since they are the only satellite TV providers in the market right now, there’s likely going to be some pushback. Then again, satellite TV is dying, and this merger would be more about Internet and streaming TV, so it could be allowed to happen.

We’ll likely see a lot more about this potential deal in the coming weeks, especially if this while thing is one side trying to pressure the other into meeting their demands.

Hulu Buys AT&T’s Minority Stake In Joint Venture

AT&T ditched its stake in Hulu. Although it didn't necessarily play out as expected. The telecom has reached a deal to sell its 9.5 percent stake in Hulu (worth about $1.43 billion) back to the joint venture. 

It's not certain exactly how this will shift the balance of power or affect content, but Hulu chief Randy Freer said AT&T's WarnerMedia would stay a "valued partner" for "years to come." AT&T said it would use the money to "reduce its debt."

Between this and Disney's acquisition of key Fox assets, Hulu's joint venture is down to just two companies Disney and Comcast. It's not yet certain just how this affects the ownership ratios but Disney already had majority control with 60 percent while Comcast had a 30 percent share.

AT&T's WarnerMedia is developing its own streaming service and it's expected to be a lot like Hulu, just with an emphasis on in house properties like Warner Bros., HBO, and Turner.


Source: AT&T

AT&T To Acquire DIRECTV For $48.5 Billion

Today, AT&T officially announced plans to acquire DIRECTV for $48.5 billion. AT&T thinks the combined companies can become a content distribution leader across mobile, video and broadband platforms. For now, this move shouldn't impact AT&T wireless service at all.

From the press release AT&T stated “This purchase price implies a total equity value of $48.5 billion and a total transaction value of $67.1 billion, including DIRECTV’s net debt.”

Source: AT&T

AT&T’s Aio Wireless Will Become "The New Cricket"

AT&T will now merge Aio Wireless into Leap’s Cricket prepaid brand.

The good news is that not much is changing, at least for now. If you are an Aio Wireless customer, the only change you’ll see in the coming months is the new logo. You'll get access to the same network, same plans, and your same phone number. You also don’t need to change phones or update billing info.

When the Cricket and Aio brands are fully merged, you’ll be able to find retail Cricket stores and do shopping or ask questions. Until then you will receive support the same way you do now by dialing 611.

If you are a current Cricket customer, things will change significantly over time. For now, no need to change anything on your end but when you do Cricket will invite you into a new store to pick-up a new phone and plan.

Source: Aio Wireless (The New Cricket)

Motorola Announces Moto X "College Collection"

Motorola announced today on its blog that its releasing a new “College Collection” of customization options through Moto Maker that will allow those purchasing a Moto X to apply custom school colors and logos for a long list of schools in the US. It’s also offering a discount on the device for students. 

Included in the collection is nine new back colors, three new accent colors, as well as school logos and team names for 40 schools. The logos are actually printed on clear cases from Uncommon rather than on the device itself. You’ll have to select from one of the preconfigured color and school combination.

Motorola is currently offering the Moto X for $399 off-contract, students can get it for $339 by registering at Motorola.com/college using a valid .edu emails address. You can find out more and check out the full College Collection source link below. Motorola says its also looking into adding more schools in the future.

Source: Motorola blog, College Collection Moto Maker

Samsung Officially Announces Galaxy S5

Samsung just announced their flagship Galaxy S5 smartphone during its press conference today at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. The new Samsung Galaxy S5 features a built in heart rate sensor that enables new features in the S Health 3.0 app as well as a finger print scanner similar to Apple’s TouchID feature on the iPhone 5S. Samsung confirmed that it will be offering mobile payments with the fingerprint scanner and using it as a security feature to make content in certain apps only accessible when activated by the user’s fingerprint.

Samsung has released some feature details on the new Samsung Galaxy S5 listed below:

• 5.1 inch 1920 x 1080 FHD Super AMOLED display
• 2.5GHz Quad core processor
• Android 4.4.2 (Kitkat)
• heart rate sensor
• 16 megapixel camera, 2.1 megapixel
• fifth generation Wi-Fi 802.11ac and 2X2 MIMO
• Download Booster WiFi-LTE bonding
• Finger Scanner
• IP67 dust and water resistant
• 2800mAh battery
• 2GB RAM
• 16/32GB memory (up to 64GB w/ microSD)
• dimensions: 142.0 x 72.5 x 8.1mm, 145g
• charcoal Black, shimmery White, electric Blue, and copper Gold

Judge Orders Aio Wireless To Choose A Different Color

T-Mobile announced that it has chalked up a win over Aio Wireless regarding a trademark infringement lawsuit. T-Mobile believes Aio Wireless use of their "plum" color in its logo was too close to T-Mobile's own magenta color and branding. 

T-Mobile sued Aio Wireless stating the company switch colors to avoid consumer confusion. A federal court agreed with T-Mobile's position. Aio has been told to cease using the color in its marketing, advertising, stores, web sites, and social media. 

Aio Wireless is owned and operated by AT&T.


Source: T-Mobile

Lenovo Acquires Google's Motorola Unit For $2.9 Billion

Google announced on Wednesday that it has sold its Motorola smartphone business to PC manufacturer Lenovo for $2.9 billion.

Google closed its $12.5 billion acquisition of Motorola in 2012. Taking into account Google's $2.4 billion sale of the Motorola Home division to Arris in December of that year, that's still a $7.2 billion difference.

The loss represents a rare black mark on Google's otherwise impressive history of high-profile acquisitions, which includes YouTube, AdSense and Android. Motorola currently makes the Moto X and Moto G smartphones as well as the Droid Ultra on Verizon Wireless.

The buy will likely strengthen Lenovo's position in the smartphone market and pick up its presence especially in North America and Latin America.

Google will retain majority ownership of Motorola's Mobility patent portfolio one of the key reasons for the initial acquisition but Lenovo will receive a license to this and gain about 2,000 patent assets. Lenovo will not be getting its advanced research unit, which recently launched an open hardware platform for building modular smartphones.

“Lenovo has the expertise and track record to scale Motorola Mobility into a major player within the Android ecosystem," Google CEO Larry Page said in a press release. "This move will enable Google to devote our energy to driving innovation across the Android ecosystem, for the benefit of smartphone users everywhere."

Page further detailed in an official Google blog post it acquired the division in 2012 to fuel the Android ecosystem by creating a stronger patent portfolio for Google.

"But the smartphone market is super competitive, and to thrive it helps to be all-in when it comes to making mobile devices," he added. "It’s why we believe that Motorola will be better served by Lenovo which has a rapidly growing smartphone business and is the largest and fastest growing PC manufacturer in the world."

Page warned, however, that the move doesn't signal a larger shift away from hardware efforts.

"The dynamics and maturity of the wearable and home markets, for example, are very different from that of the mobile industry," he said. "We’re excited by the opportunities to build amazing new products for users within these emerging ecosystems."

Source: Lenovo

Motorola Hosting Hour Long $100 Off Sale On Moto X Devices, January 27th

Motorola announced a new sale that is set to take place next Monday on January 27. The deal will only last a single hour online, beginning at 3pm EST and ending at 4pm EST. During that time frame, you can grab an off contract Moto X for $100 off of the full retail price $299 for the 16GB model and $349 for the 32GB model.

Motorola stated if you miss the $100 off fire sale on Monday, Moto X phones will remain at $70 off of the full contract price until Valentine’s Day in February.

Source: Motorola

Google Releases Moto G Google Play Edition

Google has announced the release of the Moto G Google Play Edition starting at $179 for the 8GB model and $199 for the 16GB model. There isn’t much of a difference between the Google Play Edition and the regular unlocked GSM model of the Moto G selling through other retailers. The Moto G is already just about stock Android to begin with, and the pricing is around the same you’ll find through third-party retailers. With the Google Play Edition Moto G you’ll be guaranteed completely stock Android and updates when other Google Play Edition devices receive them. The Moto G is available now through the Google Play website for customers in the US and will run on AT&T, T-Mobile, and their respectful MVNO pre-paid services (i.e. MetroPCS, Aio, and GoSmart). 

Source: Google Play Store

Beats Music Launches Jan. 21 For $10 Per Month

Beats Music today announced the pending launch of an online and mobile streaming music service. Beats Music will be available to Android, iOS, and Windows Phone devices for $9.99 per month. The subscription fee grants users unlimited access to 20 million tracks, including streaming and downloads for offline playback. Beats Music will offer dozens of curated music stations, as well as allow consumers to create their own. The service will offer a Just for You function which offers a personalized selection of albums and playlists based on user tastes.

Right Now, which is a continuous playlist made from the user's location, preferences, surroundings, and mood.

 Highlights, which is made from current and culturally aware playlists; and Find It, a search function that pulls out playlists and songs. 

According to Beats, it is paying all artists the same royalties for their music. The service runs on the platform built by MOG, which was bought by Beats Audio in 2012. Single lines can test the service for free for one month, after which the monthly subscription kicks in. Beats Music also announced a collaboration with AT&T. 

Beats Music for AT&T customers will cost $15 per month and targets families or other groups that use Mobile Share plans. Beats Music for AT&T gives up to five people unlimited streaming and song downloads per month. AT&T is offering families a free 90-day trial, but there is no free version of Beats Music it's all or nothing. Potential customers do not need to have Beats headphones in order to subscribe to Beats Music. Beats Music will become available January 21.

Source: Beats Music

Samsung Unveils The Galaxy Note 3 And Galaxy Note 10.1 2014 Edition

Samsung has announced a redesigned Galaxy Note 3 with a slimmer design and larger screen. Though the phone's front looks similar to its predecessors, Samsung has made some tweaks to the design, covering the plastic back with an apparent faux-leather finish in three colors, adding a metallic sheen to the plastic sides, and redesigning the S Pen. The screen has grown to 5.7 inches from the Note II's 5.3, and it weighs in at a slightly lighter 168g. It's 8.3mm, about a millimeter thinner than its predecessor, with 3GB of RAM, a 2.3GHz quad-core processor on its LTE model another 3G version will use a 1.9GHz octocore processor and a 13-megapixel rear camera. Samsung has even promised that the phone can shoot 4K video.

Samsung also touts new software and better multitasking, one of the Note's major selling points given its large form factor. A launcher called Air Command is designed to make the S Pen more useful, bringing up a menu of tools that let users organize and act on handwritten notes: one given example is jotting down a number, then using new software to save it in the address book or call it directly.

While we don't have pricing details, the Note is set to launch on September 25th in 149 countries, then worldwide by October. In the US, versions will come to all major carriers: AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, Sprint, and US Cellular are all listed as partners.

The Samsung Galaxy Note 2014 Note 10.1 carries Samsung's 8-core Octa chipset clocked at 1.9GHz with a class-leading 3GB of RAM. In terms of appearance, the new Note 10.1 features the same faux-leather rear casing as its smaller Note III sibling. An 8-megapixel camera can be found on the tablet's backside, with your standard 2-megapixel affair up front. The Note 10.1 2014 edition will be offered in three capacities with 16GB, 32GB, and 64GB of storage.

T-Mobile Sues AT&T's Aio Wireless

T-Mobile has used the color magenta to represent its brand for over a decade, and it's been far from shy about defending the hue from others. Now the carrier has filed its latest color-protecting complaint against AT&T, alleging in a suit on Friday that its competitor's new subsidiary, Aio Wireless, is using its own trademarked color to confuse consumers. "Out of all of the colors in the universe," T-Mobile's complaint reads, "Aio chose magenta."

The complaint draws connections between the launch of Aio, which relies on off-contract plans, and T-Mobile's own switch to off-contract plans, which occurred just months before. "AT&T set up Aio to compete directly with T-Mobile," the complaint reads. It argues that Aio's use of the color magenta "is likely to dilute T-Mobile’s famous magenta color trademark, and to create initial interest confusion." T-Mobile has been using magenta since 2002, but its parent company, Deutsche Telekom, has been using it as far back as the 1990s.

Aio Wireless does use a bright shade of purple, but it's far darker than T-Mobile's hot pink, which it calls magenta. "T-Mobile needs an art lesson," an Aio spokesperson tellsThe Verge. "Aio doesn't do magenta." T-Mobile includes several images in the complaint to illustrate the confusion it's hoping to prove. Among those are both its own and Aio's coverage maps, which display varying shades of purple across the United States.

T-Mobile has previously requested that entities which aren't wireless carriers cease using the color too, including Engadget Mobile back in 2008. Our own Nilay Patel, then writing for Engadget, notes that for such a lawsuit to succeed, T-Mobile would generally have to prove that its own color of magenta was in use, that it was being used in conjunction with a telecommunications product, and that its use could confuse or was intended to deceive consumers.

FCC Puts The Breaks On AT&T's Alltel Buy Out

The Federal Communications Commission today stopped the unofficial 180-day shot clock on its review of AT&T's proposed purchased of Atlantic Tele-Network's Alltel assets. The deal, first proposed earlier this year, would give AT&T wireless spectrum licenses in the 700, 850, and 1900MHz bands, network assets, retail stores, and 585,000 subscribers. 

According to the FCC, AT&T has not adequately explained how it will transition the Alltel customers from Alltel's service to its own. Without that information, the FCC cannot complete its review. The FCC says the review was on Day 175 out of 180. Verizon Wireless was forced to divest some of Alltel's assets when it purchased the company in 2008. Atlantic Tele-Network picked up some of the assets and continued to run them under the Alltel name. AT&T agreed to pay Atlantic Tele-Network $780 million for the spectrum licenses, assets, and customers. 

AT&T's Jim Ciccone, EVP of External and Legislative Affairs, said in a statement posted to ATYT's web site, "AT&T is ready, willing and able to make significant network investments in these rural territories to bring HSPA+ and LTE services to Allied’s customers, an investment that will not occur but for this transaction. AT&T has actively worked to address FCC concerns and will continue to work with the Commission until all issues are resolved."


Source: AT&T

Meet The Moto X Developer Edition

Punit Soni (Motorola’s VP of Product Management) told us that we were “days” away from the arrival of Developer Editions and other carrier models of the Moto X. Yesterday, Motorola updated their Moto X “ways to buy” page, showing off the new Developer Edition, which will sport a black front panel coupled with a white woven rear back plate. The render of the phone also shows the words “DEVELOPER EDITION” engraved on the bottom. 

The page mentions that the dev edition will “have a look all its own,” meaning the two-tone color scheme is something different than what you’ll find in carrier models. Now, once MotoMaker is fully opened up or should you buy a Moto X card from AT&T, you could essentially build a similar looking device.

The listing also confirms 32GB of storage and an unlockable bootloader. No price is listed just yet, but since the AT&T 32GB model runs $629, I’d be surprised if it was lower.

Source: Motorola

Google Officially Unveiled The New Nexus 7

Google officially unveiled the new Nexus 7, the device runs Android 4.3 Jelly Bean and offers improved specs all around.

Google said it’s still focusing on portability and performance. The device is 50 grams lighter and narrower than the original model, which it says makes it more comfortable to hold. The device offers a soft-touch feel and has a black body with a few glossy finishes. The screen offers a full HD 1920 x 1200-pixel display, which Google says is the world’s highest resolution 7-inch tablet with 323 pixels per inch (ppi). The screen also supports a 30-percent wider range of colors.

The new Nexus 7 also has stereo speakers and virtual surround sound tech provided by Fraunhofer. There’s a 1.2-megapixel camera for Hangouts and a  5-megapixel camera for 1080p video and photos. Under the hood the device has a quad-core 1.4GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro processor which offers an 80 percent faster speed and 4x the graphics performance. The system memory has been upgraded from 1GB to 2GB, too. Dual-band 802.11 a/b/g/n Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.0 are supported, as is 4G LTE support for AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon networks all from the same device. HDMI, NFC and Qi wireless charging is also included.

The 16GB model costs $229, the 32GB model costs $269 and the 4G LTE model will cost $349. It lands July 30 from Google Play and will be in more retailer stores than ever before including Best Buy, GameStop, Walmart, Staples, Office Max, Office Depot, Amazon, HSN, RadioShack, J&R and B&H.

AT&T Agrees To Acquire Leap Wireless

AT&T has announced that it has come to agreement to acquire U.S. carrier Leap Wireless (which operates the Cricket brand) for $15 per share. The acquisition will cover all of Leap Wireless’s assets, expanding AT&T’s coverage to Leap’s 5 million subscribers.

Leap, notably, runs a pre-paid deal for iPhones in the U.S.

This move enhances AT&T’s spectrum, retail store count, employee number, and more, so it is likely a positive move for its wireless customers. It’s possible that this announcement is related to the upcoming press event AT&T has scheduled for July 16th.

Official Statement:

DALLAS & SAN DIEGO–(BUSINESS WIRE)–AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) and prepaid wireless provider Leap Wireless International Inc. (NASDAQ:LEAP) have entered into an agreement for AT&T to acquire Leap for $15 per share in cash. Under the terms of the agreement, AT&T will acquire all of Leap’s stock and wireless properties, including licenses, network assets, retail stores and approximately 5 million subscribers. As of April 15, 2013, Leap had $2.8 billion of net debt. Leap shareholders will also receive a contingent right entitling them to the net proceeds received on the sale of Leap’s 700 Mhz “A Block” spectrum in Chicago, which Leap purchased for $204 million in August 2012.

Leap’s network covers approximately 96 million people in 35 U.S. states. Leap currently operates under the Cricket brand a 3G CDMA network, as well as a 4G LTE network covering 21 million people in these areas, and has 3,400 employees.

AT&T will retain the Cricket brand name, provide Cricket customers with access to AT&T’s award-winning 4G LTE mobile network, utilize Cricket’s distribution channels, and expand Cricket’s presence to additional U.S. cities. The result will be increased competition, better device choices, improved customer care and a significantly enhanced mobile Internet experience for consumers seeking low-cost prepaid wireless plans.

The combined company will have the financial resources, scale and spectrum to better compete with other major national providers for customers interested in low-cost prepaid service. Cricket’s employees, operations and distribution will jump start AT&T’s expansion into the highly competitive prepaid segment.

The acquisition includes spectrum in the PCS and AWS bands covering 137 million people and is largely complementary to AT&T’s existing spectrum licenses. Immediately after approval of the transaction, AT&T plans to put Leap’s unutilized spectrum which covers 41 million people to use in furthering its 4G LTE deployment and providing additional capacity and enhanced network performance for customers’ growing mobile Internet usage.

Owners of approximately 29.8% of Leap’s outstanding shares have entered into an agreement to vote in favor of the transaction.

The transaction is subject to review by the Federal Communications Commission and the Department of Justice and to other customary closing conditions. AT&T expects the transaction to close in six to nine months.

Aio Wireless Adds LTE Service

Aio Wireless today added LTE 4G to its service offering. Aio Wireless is a subsidiary of AT&T and offers no-contract wireless service in the U.S. The wireless network launched in Houston, Orlando, Tampa, Jacksonville, and Gainesville, Fla., last month and today has expanded to Naples and Ft. Myers, Fla. Aio will gradually become available across AT&T's footprint around the U.S. over the course of the next year. Aio said that customers who already own LTE-capable equipment will receive an over-the-air update that adds support for Aio's LTE network. In addition to the availability of LTE, Aio also today announced the ZTE Overture, a new Android smartphone that will go one sale in July. The Overture has a 4-inch screen, 5-megapixel camera, front-facing camera, LTE, and support for memory cards up to 32GB. It runs Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, but pricing wasn't disclosed. Aio offers unlimited talk, text, and data plans that range from $35 to $70 per month to feature phones, smartphones, and tablets. In addition to the handsets it sells, Aio will also provide service to people who bring in their own, unlocked devices. Aio hopes to compete with other prepaid brands, such as Sprint's Virgin Mobile and T-Mobile's Ultra Mobile.

FCC Reveal Upcoming Asus Nexus Tablet Specs

Google and Asus are gearing up to launch its successor, the ASUS Nexus K009 tablet has made its way through the FCC with documentation which lists quite a few of the device’s internal components. Specs include a 1.5GHz quad-core Qualcomm APQ-8064 S4 Pro processor, 4,000 mAh Li-ion battery, LTE connectivity compatible with T-Mobile and AT&T here in the US and a rear-facing 5 megapixel camera. A similarly named ASUS K008 was recently hit the Bluetooth SIG, suggesting that a WiFi-only variant may be an option for those who do not need a constant LTE connection.

Source: FCC

Google Will Offer Samsung Galaxy S4 With Stock Android

Google clearly isn't afraid of Samsung’s growing Android presence, with the search giant today announced a completely stock Galaxy S4. Vanilla. Stock. No TouchWiz anywhere. One of the best new Android devices available today just got much, much, much better times infinity.

“What you’re seeing here is real: this is a Samsung Galaxy S4 with the same software experience we ship on our Nexus devices. It’s Google’s take on Android and it feels awesome on the S4.”

The vanilla version will be unlocked, sold through Google Play, and available for AT&T and T-Mobile, with LTE support. The bootloader will be unlocked and receive Android updates promptly, no waiting for Samsung or carriers to give the go ahead. Availability is June 26 for $649.