Last year Coolpad launched the Quattro on MetroPCS, and the device sold just under 1 million handsets, which was a big surprise for the company. Now they’re back with another option in the Quattro II 4G for C-Spire, and have plans to continue their stateside push. The device might be a top-tier handset but when compared to other 4G devices on C-Spire, the price will win over many potential buyers.

Coolpad’s Quattro II 4G sports a 4.5-inch qHD 540 x 960 display, and comes with stock Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean under the hood. You’ll get a 1.2 GHz dual-core Qualcomm processor and 1GB of RAM, and 4GB of internal storage. A 5 megapixel camera and VGA front are included, then an 1,800 mAh battery under the hood. It might not be as high-end as many would like but should certainly satisfy the newcomer to smartphones or someone looking for 4G LTE on a budget. Overall the phone felt quite nice, build quality was impressive given the phone will probably land for under $100 (off contract) and we were pretty impressed by our few minutes with the handset. Here’s a few photos for a better idea of what to expect from C-Spire and others.

Then the folks from Coolpad also had another smartphone on hand that was pretty impressive inside and out. Called the Coolpad 8920 for short, but known in China as the TDD-FDD, which explains the type of LTE bands it can handle. It’s a first of its kind hybrid device that handles both TDD-LTE and FDD-LTE bands. The interesting part here being that most hardware can only handle one, not both, but thanks to Coolpad this phone can switch between both with ease. It’s like the 3G/4G LTE hand-off, only more seamless and will take advantage of future LTE spectrum.

This device was certainly a more premium handset then the Quattro series above, but it will also cost users more too. Running with a 5-inch 720p HD display and Qualcomm’s 1.7 GHz Snapdragon S 4 Pro quad-core chip. It also has 1GB of RAM, 16GB internal storage, an 8 megapixel camera and a sizable 3,000 mAh battery. With a aluminum ring around the hard plastic unibody shell it felt nice in the hand, and also comes in black according to Coolpad. This is available in China now, but they’re hoping to bring similar technology to the US soon.

Coolpad might not be a household name yet, but with quality devices being offered at affordable prices that could change really quick. Enjoy a few more photos below while you’re at it.

Bringing the iPhone to MetroPCS doesn’t seem like an unrealistic dream, because Apple has already allowed several prepaid carriers, like Virgin Mobile USA and Cricket Wireless, to sell the iPhone on their networks. Ironically, the prepaid carriers were able to sell the iPhone even before T-Mobile, the 4th largest carrier in the United States, was able to get its hands on it.

But before T-Mobile can bring the iPhone to MetroPCS, it has other plans to focus on first. Starting next month, T-Mobile plans on releasing devices that have the MetroPCS logo, but will be working off T-Mobile’s network. By doing this, T-Mobile would be able to quickly migrate customers off of MetroPCS’s network and onto its own. Then it can begin refarming MetroPCS’s spectrum to deploy its 4G LTE network.

But Legere emphasizes that this move is about “customer migration, not network integration.” With MetroPCS-branded phones working on T-Mobile’s network, T-Mobile plans on expanding MetroPCS’s brand into more markets. T-Mobile plans on bringing MetroPCS to several new markets both this quarter and next quarter. The list of markets is said to be in the double-digits, with T-Mobile deciding this week which cities its going to hit first.

By the time 2014 rolls around, T-Mobile hopes to stop losing subscribers and start gaining subscribers. So far Legere says that T-Mobile’s new uncarrier plans have been well-received, and that its numbers have exceeded their expectations. Most of it is likely due to T-Mobile finally launching the iPhone last month. T-Mobile reported that there were lines outside every T-Mobile store in the nation, with customers eagerly hoping to finally be able to use the iPhone on their carrier. If you’re on T-Mobile, and are thinking about picking up an iPhone 5, be sure to check out our iPhone 5 review to see if it’s worth the switch.

[via AllThingsD]

However, it’s the potential for industry-disrupting price plans and off-contract service that CEO John Leger believes will really help the carrier stand apart. “Together, as America’s Un-carrier, we’ll continue our legacy of marketplace innovation by tearing up the old playbook and rewriting the rules of wireless to benefit consumers” he said today.

The deal is expected to also save both carriers money, with a potential saving of $6-7bn; there’s also the potential for pushing the MetroPCS brand into more areas, taking advantage of T-Mobile’s spectrum. MetroPCS’ shareholders approved the deal late last month.

While T-Mobile USA and MetroPCS may now be living happily under the same roof, for subscribers there won’t be much in the way of difference based on what they see on their phone screen, at least. The two brands will be operated separately, though eventually shift to a common network infrastructure, and sharing support.

Now that the T-Mobile MetroPCS deal is near finalization, both new heads of the combined company spoke up on how satisfied they were with the final approval, noting that they’re finding the merger to be a major milestone in the history of both companies. Both the CEO of Deutsche Telekom Group René Obermann and the CFO of Deutsche Telekom and Chairman of the newly-formed company Timotheus Höttges mention Apple and/or specific devices they’re looking forward to working with, too.

“We have accomplished a lot in the USA recently, for example our network modernization and the new T-Mobile USA management team, which has seen considerable success. And we have finalized the contracts with Apple and MetroPCS. The merger with MetroPCS is extremely important, since it enables us to be more aggressive in the USA.” – Obermann

“Together with MetroPCS, we will make considerable improvements to our competitive position with our combined state-of-the-art network, more powerful sales model and top devices like the Apple iPhone 5 and the Samsung Galaxy S4.” – Höttges

This deal has MetroPCS receiving a 1.5 billion dollar payment in cash from their company while a reverse stock split will occur before the company is merged with T-Mobile. The shareholders of what will have been MetroPCS will be receiving 26 percent of the new number of shares while Deutsche Telekom will hold the other 74 percent. The consolidation of the group will be effective as of May 1st, 2013, and will officially be a consolidation of the new company into the Deutche Telekom Group.

The legal name of the company, and the name the company will trade under, will be T-Mobile US, and their New York Stock Exchange symbol will be TMUS. Sound decent to you?

[via Deutche Telekom]

Both Reuters and Bloomberg have reported that MetroPCS shareholders have come around and approved the merger with T-Mobile, although it’s unknown what the reasoning behind the change of heart was, considering that these same shareholders were mostly against the merger earlier on in the acquisition.

The merger was announced back in October last year, and it has gone through several stages of approval, with the US Department of Justice slapping the approval stamp on, and the FCC putting their gold sticker on the merger a few days later. Finally, it came down to the shareholders of MetroPCS, and with that approval, MetroPCS will officially be T-Mobile’s.

The merger will give T-Mobile the opportunity to spread its LTE network to more locations throughout the US. Currently, seven markets in the US are equipped with T-Mobile’s 4G LTE, but they expect to cover 100 million by mid-year, and 200 million by the end of 2013, which seems like a Herculean task, but the carrier seems confident in their efforts.

While several of the concerns that MetroPCS shareholders had were addressed, a couple are still unchanged. If the merger goes through, MetroPCS investors will still only have a 26% stake in the combined company, and its shares will be worth $4 each. However, MetroPCS shareholders may be willing to compromise. MetroPCS pushed back the shareholders meeting from April 12th to the 24th of this month to give shareholders a chance to consider the revised offer.

Analysts believe that DK’s improved offer will drive many shareholders to change their previous mindset and encourage them to vote in favor of the combined company. P. Schoenfeld Asset Management LP, one of MetroPCS’s major shareholders who was against the merger, stated that it was pleased with the revised offer and is conferring with its advisers about its position on the merger.

Along with T-Mobile merging with MetroPCS, DISH Network has reportedly spoken with Deutsche Telekom about another possible merger. DK stated that it would consider a merger with DISH when the MetroPCS deal closes. Merging with DISH Network as well would provide T-Mobile the much-needed boost it needs in order to compete with the other 3 major wireless carriers. The merger will also have a higher chance of being approved compared to the failed merger between T-Mobile and AT&T.

[via CNET]

DT’s improved offer lowers the debt transferred to MetroPCS by $3.8 billion and it also reduces the interest rate of that debt by 0.5%. It also agreed to hold onto its shares for at least 18 months once the deal closes. MetroPCS pushed back Friday’s shareholders meeting to April 24th so that shareholders can consider the revised offer. P. Schoenfeld Asset Management LP, a major shareholder of MetroPCS who had been against the pending merger, was pleased by the new offer and is reconsidering its position.

DISH has wanted to break into the wireless industry for a while. It had conferred with many wireless companies about mergers, and has also considered starting its own wireless service, similar to Radio Shack. DISH even tried to purchase the remaining 49.6% of Clearwire. Now its looking to make a deal with T-Mobile in order to get its “in” in the wireless industry so that it can be more than just a satellite television company.

DISH would offer wireless/digital television bundles if it is able to secure a deal with T-Mobile. Currently, DISH Network has $10 billion in cash, making it the company with the largest cash pile compared to other U.S. television and phone providers, and also making it very capable of merging with T-Mobile. DISH’s potential merger with T-Mobile will be much more acceptable to regulators compared to AT&T’s attempted merger with the company. Unlike AT&T’s merger plans with T-Mobile, DISH merging with the company will not remove the 4th largest wireless carrier in the nation from the wireless industry, but instead reinforce its capabilities.

[via Bloomberg]

The improved offer will reduce the amount of debt MetroPCS will be responsible for when the merger completes. It will also reduce the debt’s interest rate. Debt is one of the major factors holding back many of MetroPCS’s biggest shareholders from approving the deal. While Deutsche Telekom seems to have addressed that, there are several other factors that it needs to consider, including MetroPCS’s share in the merged companies, as well as the price of its shares.

When the deal goes through, MetroPCS will own only 26% of the merged company, and its shares will only be worth $4 each. Many proxy advisers, including Institutional Shareholder Services, an adviser to many major shareholders, has recommended that MetroPCS investors vote against the merger. The adviser, as well as many shareholders, have stated that MetroPCS has a chance of surviving on its own without T-Mobile’s help.

While Deutsche Telekom’s deal is a big improvement over its previous offer, it’s still uncertain whether or not shareholders will bite. Sources have told The Wall Street Journal that the meeting on April 12th could be pushed to a later date in order to give shareholders more time to consider the revised offer. Before news of the improved merger offer, the chances of a merger happening were looking pretty grim. T-Mobile USA needs MetroPCS in order to compete against the other major carriers, and in order to build out its LTE network. We’ll keep you updated on what happens at the merger meeting this Friday.

[via Wall Street Journal]

The adviser, Institutional Shareholder Services, which is an adviser to many big shareholders, has recommended that shareholders not go through with the deal. The ISS stated that the MetroPCS shareholders are getting the short end of the stick and would do just fine without T-Mobile. It states that there is also a potential to thrive without T-Mobile, which could prove to be true considering it offers very affordable plans with unlimited data.

Many investors are already planning on voting against the deal. Paulson & Co., MetroPCs’s biggest shareholder, which currently has 9.9% of the company’s shares, has stated that the company should look for alternative options because the T-Mobile merger would result in too high of a debt for MetroPCS. The ISS also states that MetroPCS shareholders will only have a 26% stake in the shared company and they will only receive $4 a share.

T-Mobile, however, is optimistic that the deal will go through. T-Mobile’s CEO, John Legere, stated that the deal will go through “despite the several greedy hedge funds that are trying to take a double dip out of that process.” We shall see if that’s true in the next two weeks. In other news, T-Mobile has just launched its new uncarrier plans, as well as 7 new LTE networks. It’s looking to take on the other 3 major carriers, and if it had MetroPCS on its side, it would definitely pose as a major threat.

[via The Wall Street Journal]

This device measures in at 4.96 x 2.53 x 0.48in and weighs in at just 4.94 oz. While this smartphone is not going to be taking on the top tier smartphone line any time soon with its specifications one by one, you’ll still have some excellent oddities to keep you unique. One of these is the MetroPCS joyn app that’ll enable for you some new-age instant messaging as well as photo and video sharing with your other smartphone-carrying friends.

This device is an officially Google licensed smartphone, this meaning you’ve got full access to the Google Play app store, and you’ll be rolling out with Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. The display on this machine is indeed 4-inches large with a 480 x 800 pixel resolution covered by a hard pane of Gorilla Glass. Inside you’ve got a 1650 mAh battery quoted at 4 hours of talk time and 160 hours of standby.

Also inside you’ve got 2GB of internal memory and a microSD card slot able to be stacked with 32GB of additional storage space. On the back you’ve got a 5 megapixel camera and the whole package will be coming to your local MetroPCS very, very soon. Expect this device within the next week – if it’s not already in the store you frequent right now!

The FCC’s statement also makes clear that this merger will very possibly create a “more robust, national network” and will move to make the fourth-largest carrier in the United States a service provider with “improved quality of service” from top to bottom. The FCC has concluded that, per their mission to decide,

“Any potential public interest harms would be outweighed by the resulting public interest benefits” – FCC

This decision is made with several conclusions including that Deutsche Telekom has the right to select a name other than the one listed above any time prior to the close of the deal “Deutsche Telekom AG Application, ULS File No. 0005446627, Exhibit 1, Description of Transaction and Public Interest Statement at 3 n.5″ Deutsche Telekom is the parent company of T-Mobile USA, you should know, if you did not know before right this minute.

Four FCC heads, Chairman Genachowski, Commissioner Rosenworcel, and Commissioner Pai, have released statements in support of the approval, letting the public know why they’ve supported the merger and how it’ll affect us all.

“When markets are competitive, consumers are better off when the government forbears from intervening and allows private parties to negotiate and enter into voluntary agreements. As I have said before, mutual consent implies mutual benefit, and it is accordingly in the public interest for freely-negotiated contracts to be allowed and enforced so long as third parties are not harmed. ” – Commissioner Pai

“I have expressed to the parties my concern that as they move ahead, American workers do not get left behind. Major job losses are not in the public interest. The companies have pledged to me that they have no plans to close any domestic call centers, to move them offshore, to close any retail stores, or to reduce retail positions as a result of this deal. They have also assured me that they plan to increase the overall number of workers they employ in the United States. I expect that the company will keep its word—and live up to these promises.” – Commissioner Goldman

Above you’ll see Commissioner Pai‘s statement as well as the statement of Commissioner Goldman. You’ll see that Goldman made a point to assure the public hat both T-Mobile and MetroPCS have promised to keep all of the stores and workers they’d had before this deal, and have no plans to fire any workers or close any stores as a result of the deal.

“Mobile broadband is a key engine of economic growth, with U.S. annual wireless capital investment up 40% over the last four years, the largest increase in the world, and few sectors having more potential to create jobs. In this fast-moving space, of course challenges remain, including the need to unleash even more spectrum for mobile broadband and continuing to promote competition and protect consumers. The Commission will stay focused on these vital goals.” – Chairman Genachoswki

Above you’ll also see the statement of FCC Chairman Genachoswki, who opts to address the situation from a more broad perspective. Have a peek at the timeline below to see more on the history of this deal as it began and ran through to today, where it’s closer than ever to being fully approved.

Now that the Department of Justice is out of the way, the acquisition deal now needs to make its way through the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), the Committee on Foreign Investment, and MetroPCS shareholders, who are scheduled to vote on the merger on April 12, as previously reported a couple days ago.

MetroPCS is obviously encouraging shareholders to vote yes, and they say that voting for the merger has the same effect as voting against it. T-Mobile says that if shareholders vote against the merger, “there is no assurance that MetroPCS will be able to deliver the same or better stockholder value.”

Executive boards at both carriers have already approved the merger, and T-Mobile aims to migrate all MetroPCS customers over to T-Mobile’s system by 2015. T-Mobile is the US’s 4th-largest carrier, with MetroPCS being the 5th largest. While the merger may not put T-Mobile in third place, it certainly give the carrier quite a boost that it’s been wanting.

[via eWeek]

The MetroPCS/T-Mobile merger has been negatively perceived by many of MetroPCS’s shareholders. They believe that the merger will only land them more in debt, and that there isn’t enough value in it for MetroPCS. P. Schoenfeld Asset Management, an investment adviser that owns 2% of MetroPCS’s shares, believes that the company should stay a stand-alone company and wait for a better offer to arrive.

Paulson & Co., MetroPCS’s biggest shareholder with 8.7% of the company’s shares, stated that it’s going to withhold its vote until it sees the final proxy statement, which will be submitted by MetroPCS at the meeting. Paulson & Co. also echoes the concerns of P. Schoenfeld Asset Management, and says that the merger would result in too high of a debt for MetroPCS, and that the company should explore alternative options.

T-Mobile is gunning for this merger with MetroPCS because doing so will help it expand its 4G LTE network. This would also make them the best, cost-friendly service providers in America, with both companies offering unlimited 4G data, and T-Mobile soon to be offering contract-less service plans like MetroPCS. The two companies will continue to operate as separate entities, but they will combine to make a fierce, value-oriented competitor to the other 3 major carriers.

[via MetroPCS]

When you head over to the MetroPCS website, it shows a placeholder image that reads “We’re making some changes right now,” complete with images of hardworking Android bots, so we should see the website updated soon. The three new plans are priced at $40, $50, and $60 per month, with the three of them differing in their data offerings.

The lowest price tier offers the first 500MB of data at 4G speeds before dropping to slower 3G, while the next plan up ($50 per month) offers the first 2.5GB of data free. For $10 more per month, users can jump to the $60 plan and enjoy unlimited 4G data, never having to worry about throttled speeds. Customers will need a 4G LTE smartphone.

MetroPCS offers several nice smartphones to choose from, including the much-loved and wildly popular Samsung Galaxy S III, as well as the lesser known Admire 4G. The carrier’s handset offerings also include the Motion 4G and Connect 4G from LG, as well as ZTE’s Avid 4G phone, among others. Can’t quite afford the handset of your choice? MetroPCS now offers financing.

[via Android Community]

MetroPCS has announced a financing program working with Progressive Finance and BillFloat that will provide handset financing options to customers. Leap Wireless is also working with Progressive Finance. Either of those two financing companies will cover the cost of the handset upfront and the customer will pay back the cost of the device plus interest and repayment fees.

Neither financing partner require credit checks. All the customer has to do is provide access to an active bank account. The financing program launched during Black Friday and is now available nationwide at Leap Wireless corporate stores and dealers around the country.

The only caveat to using financing with either of the prepaid carriers is that the customer has to spend $200 more on hardware and accessories. The financing plan with Leap will pay for up to 90% of the value of the purchase. That means that the customer could purchase an iPhone 5 with $105 upfront including the first month of service and 10% of the purchase price of the iPhone. The account can be paid off in 90 days without any interest, but consumers can take up to nine months to pay the full amount.

[via" FierceWireless]

The Samsung Galaxy Admire 4G features a 3.65-inch HVGA TFT display, a 1.0GHz processor, a 3MP camera, and comes pre-loaded with Android 2.3 Gingerbread. It’s certainly not much to look at, and it won’t please the power users of the Android army, but it will certainly do the trick for everyday users who simply just need a phone.

Of course, if you need more fire power you can always go for Samsung’s Galaxy S III, which is also available contract-free at MetroPCS. Of course, it’ll cost you a pretty penny (49,900 of them, or $499), but you’ll be getting a fast and sleek device in exchange. However, if that’s just not in your budget, the Admire 4G is probably a good second choice.

The Galaxy Admire 4G is available right now online and retails for $169 before tax. However, you’ll have to wait until tomorrow if you want to pick up the new phone in-store. MetroPCS service plans start at $30 per month, with an unlimited 4G option currently offered for $55 per month, and that’s without a contract, mind you.

[via Android Community]

Dish Network would’ve paid 30% in cash and 70% in stock according to a MetroPCS SEC filing. Talks between Dish and MetroPCS fell apart in late August, and MetroPCS later announced that it was being purchased by T-Mobile USA in early October. T-Mobile buying MetroPCS meant that the fourth and fifth largest carriers in the US would be combining.

Dish Network is looking intently at entering the wireless phone market. The satellite TV provider has billions of dollars of airwave rights to spectrum to carry wireless phone signals that it has purchased since 2008. Some speculation has hinted that Dish Network might simply sell off its spectrum to turn a tidy profit.

However, the satellite provider’s serious bid for MetroPCS signals that Dish Network wants to become a wireless provider. Dish is also waiting for the FCC to decide whether it can use some of the spectrum it owns for a ground-based cellular network. The FCC is expected to approve Dish Network’s request with a caveat that the satellite provider has to restrict a portion of its airwaves to provide a barrier against interference on neighboring bands.

[via WSJ]

Microsoft’s Steve Ballmer told us that 4 million Windows users have upgraded to Windows 8 since it launched last week, and today the company release the Windows Phone 8 SDK for eager developers. Twitter outed its Windows 8 app a few months ahead of launch, while Microsoft confirmed that apps like PayPal and Dropbox will be hitting the new operating system shortly. Microsoft also responded to complaints about Office 2013 on Surface, so if you’ve got one of the company’s new slates, you might want to hold off on using Office until these problems are fixed.

The fourth generation iPad has been benchmarked, showing a 1.4GHz A6X processor and 1GB of RAM, and one analyst was spotted predicting massive sales for the iPad line up. Apple delayed the roll out of its new iTunes overhaul today, while Google said it will be pushing developers to make extraordinary app experiences for Android tablets. Hurricane Sandy knocked out a number of big sites like Gawker and The Huffington Post over the weekend, and Modern Warfare 4 was outed by one excited voice actor.

Shortly after announcing that Disney had purchased LucasFilm, George Lucas talked about the deal and the future of Star Wars in a new interview, and today the Pentagon clarified that it will still be using BlackBerry phones in addition to iPhone and Android handsets. Grand Theft Auto V has been confirmed for a Spring 2013 release, and we received quarterly reports from both MetroPCS and ASUS today, the latter of which did particularly well in its third quarter.

Before we go, we want to remind you that our reviews for the iPad Mini and the fourth generation iPad went live not too long ago, so check those out if you’re interesting in buying one! That does it for tonight’s Evening Wrap-Up, enjoy the rest of your night folks!

However, MetroPCS lost just over 300,000 subscribers during the third quarter, but a combination of money-saving tactics and investments in securities earned the company a total revenue of $1.26 billion. MetroPCS reported that they have just under nine million customers, and one million of those customers subscribe to the carrier’s LTE plans.

The network has lost just over 500,000 customers in the last six months, but CEO Roger Linquist said that next quarter will be when the carrier “re-energizes” its subscriber growth at the expense of their bottom line. Revenue growth compared to this time last year is minimal, with a total revenue of $1.21 billion during Q3 2011.

However, the carrier netted only $69 million last year, with a total nine-month net income of $210 million, compared to this year’s $363 million. MetroPCS sure knows how to save cash this time around, and with the company’s focus on re-energizing its subscriber growth, they could be in for an ever better Q4.

Come October 22, you’ll be able to grab one of Samsung’s Galaxy S III devices on a cheap carrier, and they even announced pricing today as well so that you can start counting those pennies in your piggy bank. Off-contract pricing for the GS III will be $499, with LTE plans running anywhere from $30 to $70 a month.

The Galaxy S III will be MetroPCS‘s most powerful smartphone to date. The handset has a huge 4.8-inch SuperAMOLED 720p display, and beneath that is a 1.5GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 processor with 2GB of RAM. On the back there’s an 8MP rear camera that’s capable of shooting 720p video. It also has WiFi, Bluetooth 4.0, NFC, and a barometer.

While the Galaxy S III is currently running Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, Samsung has said that a long-awaited Android 4.1 Jelly Bean update is on its way within the next couple of months. We highly recommend that you read our full review of the device if you’ve never played around with one, and also check out our hands-on video above to see the phone in action.

The lawsuit was filed in Dallas. Says the shareholders:

“The process leading to the proposed acquisition was tainted by conflicts, tilted towards T-Mobile and driven entirely by the board and company management, who together control 15.4 percent of PCS’ outstanding stock and seek liquidity for their illiquid holdings.”

Specifically, the lawsuit states that the deal was designed to discourage other bids so that the merger was guaranteed for Deutsche Telekom. Says TMONews, the shareholders are going after the companies for corporate waste, gross mismanagement, unjust enrichment, and the alleged breach of fiduciary duty. “PCS’ officers and directors will receive millions of dollars in special payments,” the complaint states.

The deal between MetroPCS and Deutsche Telekom was struck earlier this month. Although in place, it still requires regulatory approval from the FCC and Department of Justice, which will delay the closing until the middle of 2013. T-Mobile’s CEO John Legere responded to the complaints with a statement that the deal was necessary in order to remain competitive with the big name carriers, such as Verizon, and is “about driving growth.”

[via TMONews]

“The transaction is not likely be carried out until the second quarter of 2013,” Hoettges said. The deal, which will be a reverse merger with MetroPCS buying out T-Mobile, will end with Deutsche Telekom owning 74% of the US-based budget carrier and MetroPCS getting a cool $1.5 billion. Current MetroPCS customers have a little while to wait before they’re taken under T-Mobile’s wing, though, as we’re finding out today that the merger won’t close for a few more months at least.

It’s easy to see why Deutsche Telekom wants to buy MetroPCS, as doing so will give T-Mobile the boost it needs here in the US. After the merger is complete, T-Mobile will have an edge when it comes to competing against AT&T and Verizon, the two biggest players in the US mobile market. This merger also means that Deutsche Telekom can try to expand its US efforts without keeping all of its eggs in one basket – if it doesn’t work out, the company can just sell off MetroPCS and keep T-Mobile going.

In other words, T-Mobile and Deutsche Telekom are in for a few very exciting months. MetroPCS is very popular when it comes to budget carriers, so it should prove to be a good buy for Deutsche Telekom. We’ll see if that’s the case soon enough, as it shouldn’t be too much longer before MetroPCS becomes a part of T-Mobile and, by extension, Deutsche Telekom. Stay tuned.

The LG Nexus G has been tipped for a reveal later this month, and it looks like problems with component yields might mean that we’re headed for iPad Mini shortages (assuming the rumored tablet actually exists, of course). The Kindle Paperwhite has officially been jailbroken, and Rovio was spotted teasing a new Star Wars-Angry Birds tie-in earlier today, leaving us to wonder what’s in the pipeline. Sprint might be looking to rain on T-Mobile’s MetroPCS parade, and Anonymous is at it again, this time bringing down government sites in Sweden in the name of The Pirate Bay and Wikileaks founder Julian Assange.

Wii U pre-orders are hard to find these days, but provided you’ve got the cash to burn, you can pick one up on eBay. iPhone cases were popping up left and right today, like this Loop Mummy case for the iPhone 4/4S and these Moshi cases for the iPhone 5. Xi3 has gone to Kickstarter to fund its new X3A and X7A modular computers, and one analyst is saying that HP’s stock should be worth negative $2. Ubisoft gave us a brand new ZombiU development diary, and we heard that increased iPhone 5 quality demands led to a strike at a Foxconn factory in China today.

New algorithms may eventually lead to cell phones that charge twice as fast, while NASA explained why Curiosity is collecting dirt from the surface of Mars. Motorola has managed to fight off Microsoft in a patent dispute over in Germany, while astronomers say they’ve discovered a new star circling a black hole at the center of our galaxy. Pokemon Black and White 2 launch in the US this Sunday (are you ready to be the best?) and we found out today that New Zealand authorities may have been spying on Kim Dotcom much earlier than they’ve admitted.

Finally tonight, we have quite a few original articles to share with you. Don Reisinger asks if Bill Gates will be remembered in the same way as Steve Jobs when he’s gone, Chris Burns explains why the iPad Mini will be free when it launches and what the iPad Mini needs to fix when it comes to Apple tablets, and Chris Davies has a review of the Synology DS213air NAS. That does it for tonight’s evening wrap-up – we hope you have a fun weekend!

The CDMA carrier’s board is meeting within the next two days to decide whether to chase a deal of its own, though there’s no guarantee that one will be submitted. A company spokesperson declined to comment – as did those from MetroPCS and Deutsche Telecom – though another source claims the German firm is already prepared to fire back with a new offer, and “would consider  better terms if necessary,” should Sprint weigh in.

It’s not apparently the first time Sprint has considered snatching up MatroPCS. Rumors earlier in the year suggested the acquisition had been considered, but was shelved after the board decided the price was too rich for its liking.

However, an upward change in share price has left the carrier looking more solid, and – along with the threat of T-Mobile USA swelling into a more significant challenger – a deal may now be something Sprint can’t afford to opt out of. Together, T-Mobile USA and Metro PCS would have 42.5m subscribers and sales of around $24.8bn.

A deal between the two CDMA carriers, though, might make more sense than with GSM-based T-Mobile USA. There would be significant network infrastructure to be done in order to combine the MetroPCS and T-Mobile USA’s service, though the upside is the promise of an LTE network with claimed data speeds of double what Verizon is currently offering.

The Kindle Paperwhite has officially sold out, so expect a wait of 4-6 weeks if you order one today, while listings for a 32GB variant of the Nexus 7 and the Galaxy Nexus 2 popped up in a warehouse database. Apple will require approval for third-party Lightning accessories, and EE’s 4G network will go live across the UK on October 30. Oracle says that the rumors aren’t true and it isn’t planning to purchase NetApp, while Google was awarded a patent for its smartwatch today as well.

A tape featuring an eerily accurate Steve Jobs Q&A session from 1983 was made public today, and an Apple job posting suggests that an all-new SoC is on the way. The FTC has hit a former scareware distributor with a massive $163 million fine, and iFixit gave us a look inside the new Super Slim PS3 today. iFixit also told us that the amount of toxins in smartphones is on the decline, which is only a good thing, and HP CEO Meg Whitman is saying that the company will probably have issues making a profit next year.

The first presidential debate is tonight, do you know where you’ll be watching it? If not, we have a few suggestions for you. The budget-priced Nokia Lumia 510 was spotted in the wild today, and Facebook has started testing promoted posts for all regular users. Apple struck up a deal with biometrics firm Microlatch today, while Twitter Surveys were introduced as a paid service for advertisers and Sony’s PlayStation Mobile launched on the PS Vita and select Android devices.

Finally tonight, we have a couple of original articles for you to check out – Don Reisinger asks if there can ever be another Apple, while Chris Davies goes hands-on with a BlackBerry 10 Alpha B device. That does it for tonight’s Evening Wrap-Up, enjoy the rest of your night folks!

What Legere recounts is the amount of cash the new company will make, will spend, and will invest in the future for the both of them. He announces that he will serve as President and Chief Executive Officer of the merged company and that the chief financial officer of MetroPCS will retain this role for the new company. The president of MetroPCS Jim Alling and their COO Thomas Keys will be leading the T-Mobile and MetroPCS customer units.

Legere noted that they expected to be able to close their deal in the first half of 2012, and that once their deal closes, they’ll be listed as a single public company on the NYSE. This transaction has been analyzed and reported – by Legere – as having a possible 42.5 million subscribers, booking $24.8 billion USD in revenue and $6.3 billion of adjusted EBITDA annually. This announcement also suggests that the new company would have $2.1 billion of free cash flow and $4.2 billion of capital expenditures annually as well.

In the very uplifting video segment here, Legere also lets the world know that they’ll be working with a company that’ll be a Value Leader. In this case, this means that they’ll be bringing on a range of “unlimited 4G plans” for both T-Mobile’s Unlimited Nationwide 4G and MetroPCS’ 4G for All. The company will be offering up a collection of SIM-only, pay-as-you go, contract, and mobile broadband plans at affordable rates.

Check the timeline below to see additional details inside this deal and stick around for the final merging – this will happen once the company’s boards approve and they’ve got approval from the government as well.

We’ve yet to see how exactly this sort of speed would be possible given the fact that that’d be up to four times as fast as MetroPCS’s own current LTE in most of the cities they’re currently in. Cities included in the combined network of T-Mobile and MetroPCS would be New York, Los Angeles, Dallas, Detroit, Boston, and San Francisco. This update would have MetroPCS getting rid of their 2G network, knocking its CDMA usage from 10Mhz down to 5Mhz and replacing that with LTE.

MetroPCS would replace the other 5Mhz CDMA block with HSPA+ then by 2015 – that’s fast speeds all around the block, as it were. The talk given by T-Mobile and MetroPCS today outlined how they’d like to work with an LTE network based entirely on the AWS “Band 4″ with their HSPA+ and GSM living in the PCS (1900Mhz) band. This would have GSM being the roaming band while AWS would keep their LTE devices speedy in the main cities covered by their service.

This merger will also make both companies into one larger group, but they’ll remain the number 4 network in the country regardless, still not quite catching up with the top three as far as spectrum and subscribers go. Have a peek at our recent line of posts on this merger in the timeline below to learn more if you’d like – big things in the mobile universe here in the USA, that’s for sure!

Yesterday, AllThingsD confirmed that Deutsche Telekom was indeed meeting with MetroPCS representatives today, and that the two companies could even come to an agreement by the end of the day. It seems there was no hesitation in the discussion, as the two have already come to an agreement. Deutsche Telekom will hold a 74% stake in the merged company, while MetroPCS will hold the remaining 26% and will also receive $1.5 billion in cash.

Based on analyst estimates, T-Mobile is now expected to have around 42.5 million subscribers and receive $24.8 billion of revenue this year. The merger is just one big step for T-Mobile to become a stronger wireless carrier in the US. They hope that the acquisition of MetroPCS will move them into the third spot in the race for the largest US wireless carrier.

John Legere, who was just recently hired as CEO of T-Mobile, said that the merger with MetroPCS “is another logical and significant step” that will allow T-Mobile “to deliver amazing, affordable and trusted 4G services, while providing opportunities to expand geographic territories and serve more customers.”

Take a hands-on look at a collection of devices we’ve seen at CEATEC, starting with the NEC Medias Tab UL. We’ve got Sharp’s 5-inch 1080p eyes-on, a KOA Muscle Suit exoskeleton hands-on, and a look at the Sharp Cocorobo @ Home virtual management system. We got to see the new Toyota COMS golf cart and the strange NEC PapeRo telecommunications robot as well as the Toyota Smart INSECT electric vehicle too!

We’ve got a column asking what happened to the HTC Hero Device strategy that you’ll want to take a peek at. There’s a new project in the works called MoviePass that’ll allow you to see unlimited movies for a monthly fee – and it’s through your iPhone, no less.

The HTC One X+ and One VX have been announced for AT&T along with the Windows Phone 8X. We’ve got hands-on with the HTC One X+ and has hands-on with the Windows Phone 8X as well last week.

The Next Learning Thermostat is getting thinner by the month. The Acer Aspire S7 Ultrabook line is coming with a touchscreen and Windows 8 on October 26th. The Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 is once again cleared for sale in the USA, and the iPhone 5 has been hit with an 8 patent lawsuit.

T-Mobile currently has around 33 million users, making it the fourth-largest wireless carrier in the US behind AT&T, Verizon, and the Now Network. With the acquisition, Deutsche Telekom will look to boost its T-Mobile customer base to compete with its large rivals and hopefully take over third place, which would secure the US carrier as a prominent wireless provider.

UPDATE: AllThingsD has confirmed that Deutsche Telekom is meeting with MetroPCS to ink out a deal. However, it’s said that “significant issues have not yet been finalized, contracts have not yet been signed and the conclusion of the transaction is still not certain.”

UPDATE 2: MetroPCS has sent out an official statement for investors that reads as such:

“MetroPCS today confirmed that it is in discussions with Deutsche Telekom regarding an agreement to combine T-Mobile USA and MetroPCS. There can be no assurances that any transaction will result from these discussions, and the Company does not intend to comment further unless and until an agreement is reached.” – MetroPCS

It’s not yet known as to how much Deutsche Telekom will pay for MetroPCS if a deal does end up going down, but shares of MetroPCS jumped as much as 23%, giving the company a market value of just under $5 billion. The acquisition would give T-Mobile an additional 9.3 million prepaid customers. T-Mobile will most likely see some big changes coming its way, especially since the company just hired a new CEO last month. The carrier has seen its share of hardships — its lost around 10% of its customer base in roughly two years’ time, and the carrier doesn’t directly offer the iPhone to its customers, which could be a factor in their lowered subscription rates.

Facebook has been axing fake accounts left and right today, while we learned that the Galaxy S III will soon be launching at MetroPCS. Apple has been suspiciously ordering large quantities of carbon fiber, and RIM experienced a stock boost today after its BlackBerry 10 presentation yesterday. Xbox Music pricing details “leaked” out today, and Amazon has launched Vine.com, a new shopping service for those concerned about the environment.

Nintendo gave us a list of 23 titles that will launch alongside the Wii U on November 18, while Boost Mobile announced the LG Venice (which looks awfully similar to the LG Optimus L7). Facebook has implemented Dropbox integration for sharing among groups, and a new Nook video is taking a few shots at both Netflix and Amazon. O2 and HTC announced today that they will be selling an incoming, yet-unannounced smartphone without a charger, seemingly to cut down on the amount of spare chargers floating around out there.

Humble Indie Bundle 6 has a bunch of new games on offer for those who pay more than the average, and Activision delivered new details on the Zombies mode in Black Ops II today. Google launched Google Play services for Android developers today, which allows them to integrate a number of Google services into their apps. Finally tonight, Chris Davies takes a closer look at the fight ahead of the Nook HD and Nook HD+ tablets, Chris Burns has a new review of the HiddenRadio Wireless Speaker, and Ewdison Then has reviews of both the Monster Inspiration Headphones and the BMW X1 Crossover, so be sure to give all of those a look!

The Galaxy S III will be the most powerful smartphone that MetroPCS has ever offered. The device comes with a 4.8-inch SuperAMOLED 720p display and runs off of a Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 processor clocked at 1.5GHz. It also packs 2GB of RAM and an 8MP rear camera capable of shooting 720p video.

It also has all the amenities anyone could ask for, like Wi-Fi, 4G capabilities, Bluetooth 4.0, NFC, and a barometer. If you’ve never played around with a Galaxy S III before, we recommend giving our full review a look-over and even watching our hands-on video below.

You can also check out our many hands-on sessions with different versions of the Galaxy S III, including AT&T’s and T-Mobile’s versions, as well as Verizon’s version that comes packing with 4G LTE. Samsung also just recently started rolling out Jelly Bean to the Galaxy S III, which will certainly be a nice addition to a phone that’s already pretty great. We ended up getting a hands-on on with a Jelly Bean version as well.

The exact date that the Galaxy S III will be available at MetroPCS is unknown, but we’re sure we’ll hear more about it soon, since the first of the month is just right around the corner and anxious minds will certainly want to know when they start to use this bad boy on a cheaper carrier. To celebrate, MetroPCS is hosting a giveaway where participants will have a shot at winning a free Galaxy S III.

[via Unwired View]

Ever wonder how much Americans have spent on iPhone repairs? Wonder no longer, because SquareTrade says that we’ve $5.9 billion on repairs since 2007. Samsung once again reiterated its intentions of taking Apple to court over the iPhone 5, while HP announced a range of new ultra-light notebooks today. HP didn’t stop there though, as it also revealed a brand new ENVY desktop, which we have to say looks pretty sleek. Verizon talked about how good its Share Everything plans are during an investors conference today, and the ASUS Padfone 2 might be getting a reveal next month.

Prices for the freshly-revealed HTC 8X and 8S were announced today, and Chinese manufacturer Cube has a new tablet incoming that sports a display similar to Apple’s Retina display. Qualcomm was seen touting its Snapdragon S2 processor today for some reason, and SkullCandy revealed a trio of new gaming headsets. Speaking of gaming, we heard rumors that Half-Life 3 will have open world elements, and were amazed by a new multiplayer trailer for an upcoming game called Cube World. Amazon’s Kindle eReaders and tablets have been banished from the shelves of Walmart, and the all-new ZTE Anthem will soon be heading to MetroPCS complete with 4G LTE capabilities.

Android users were given The Bard’s Tale and Fort Courage today, while the US Senate claimed that Microsoft avoided paying $6.5 billion in taxes over the last three years. Facebook Messenger got an update on Android today, as did the regular Facebook app, and Sony told us why we didn’t see a price cut on existing PS3 models when the company revealed its brand new super-slim console. Microsoft can officially claim another victory over Motorola in Germany, and finally tonight, we have a hands-on with the excellent 10Terra Nexus 7 Bamboo case, which is looking to get funded on Kickstarter right this minute!

That does it for tonight’s Evening Wrap-Up. Enjoy the rest of your night, and join us back here tomorrow as we wrap-up Friday’s news and ring in the weekend!

The ZTE Anthem will be ZTE’s first 4G LTE device to hit the US market, and while it isn’t a beast by any means it offers a decent package given the price. It certainly isn’t pretty to look at, and is that Gingerbread? Yup sadly this device is launching with a severely outdated OS. Running on the old Android 2.3 Gingerbread operating system.

Other specs include a 4.3-inch wVGA 480 x 800 resolution display, a Qualcomm 1.2 GHz dual-core processor, we’ll assume 1GB of RAM (could be 768) and packing a 5 megapixel camera with flash on the rear. Other than the old and outdated Gingerbread this device is a rather attractive offering for the no contract 4G LTE plans at MetroPCS.

“As our first U.S. 4GLTE smartphone, we’re proud to launch the Anthem 4G with our long-time partner MetroPCS because we share their goal of providing consumers with outstanding value and a strong 4G LTE experience,” said Lixin Cheng, CEO, ZTE USA

Why ZTE or MetroPCS are allowing this out of the factory with Gingerbread is beyond me, but what do I know. You’ll also get micro-SD support and HDMI-out for those looking to stream anything to the big screen. The ZTE Anthem 4G will be available in the coming weeks on MetroPCS with no annual contract for just $219.

[via PRNewswire]

On the same day that the NPD says that good tech service is the reason why Apple has so many repeat customers, a supposed Apple Genius training manual leaks, giving us a rare look at how Apple trains its employees. The T-Mobile Galaxy S II has been updated with support for NFC and Isis, and T-Mobile has some big plans for NFC. Speaking of T-Mobile, it looks like the company has a new plan to sell against the next iPhone when it (hopefully) launches next month. MetroPCS is offering a new phone to go along with its 4G LTE push, and Samsung has released a new Galaxy S III app aimed at making things easier for those who use their phone while driving.

The Nexus 7 has snuck onto the Google homepage, and the Google Election Hub is up and running today, offering coverage from the Republican and Democratic National Conventions. Nokia users worldwide were treated to Nokia Belle Refresh today, and it appears that Motorola and Apple are close to striking a licensing deal in Germany. It seems that the iPhone 5 won’t be getting NFC capabilities as originally rumored, Steve Perlman actually isn’t staying on as CEO of OnLive following the asset acquisition by a silent investor, and Google has a new patent for an object recognition system that could be huge. Hopefully you’re ready to play the role of homeowner, because in Skyrim‘s new DLC, you’ll be doing just that.

The Samsung Galaxy S III is getting a handful of new color variations – we’re partial to the grey, to be honest – while the company also gave us some more details about its incoming Series 5 all-in-one PC. Curiosity has beamed back some new images of Mars, which is always exciting, and Garmin detailed its new Forerunner 10 smart watch with GPS. Radio Shack’s wireless rates for no contract phone plans leaked today, and same-day delivery service Shutl has received a significant investment from the folks at UPS.

Finally tonight, we have a review of the Acer Aspire V5 from Cory Gunther for you to check out. Enjoy the rest of your Tuesday evening everyone!

With MetroPCS ramping up efforts to bring 4G LTE to the USA on a network that’s not quite expansive enough to compete with the big guns, a set of two smartphones may be just what they need to stay steady. There’s also a device called LG Motion 4G on the market now for as low as $99 – it’s also a mid-range Android smartphone working on their burgeoning 4G LTE network. Details on the LG Motion 4G can be found in our post last week on the birth of the network’s new connectivity announcement.

Meanwhile you’ll be paying $150 USD for this smartphone working with such features as a microSD card slot, wi-fi connectivity, Bluetooth, GPS navigation, and a 1,600 mAh battery – more than likely much more than enough to keep you powered up for a full day at a time. This device can be purchased and paired with the carrier’s $55 USD a month rate plan with 4G LTE, and is also part of a buy-two-get-rebate plan.

If you purchase two of these devices – or one of these and an LG Motion 4G smartphone – you’ll qualify for a $50 mail-in rebate. Sounds like a deal! Have a peek at your local MetroPCS retailer immediately if not soon to grab em both!

Keys also says that there isn’t a solid cut off date for this particular promotion, claiming that the end date will be determined by how popular the plan is with consumers. To go along with your new 4G LTE plan, MetroPCS will also be offering the freshly-revealed LG Motion 4G. Paying $149 (with a two-year contract, naturally) will net you a 3.5-inch HVGA display, Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich out of the box, a rear-facing 5-megapixel camera, and a 1.2 GHz dual-core processor. This just so happens to be the carrier’s first ICS smartphone, and while it isn’t going to be something smartphone fanatics go crazy over, it will be enough for newcomers who are looking to get in on the 4G action.

If you’re in need of some kind of family plan, MetroPCS will let you share the 4G everything plan with up to three other devices for an additional $50 per phone. The company is also currently offering rebates when you buy a second 4G phone, and the LG Motion 4G is indeed included in that offer. It appears that this promotion will be going live on the MetroPCS website later on this week, so be sure to keep an eye out for that if you’re interested in signing up.

If there truly aren’t any strings attached, then this sounds like it could be a good deal. If it’s successful, MetroPCS stands a pretty good shot at giving the other, larger carriers a run for their money. We should be seeing just how successful this 4G LTE promotion is soon, so stay tuned.

The LG Connect 4G is available right now for $249 with no contract. The smartphone runs on the Android 2.3 platform and uses a 1.2 GHz dual core processor. The smartphone also has 1 GB of RAM and supports 4G LTE wireless connectivity.

The smartphone has a five-megapixel rear camera capable of recording 720p HD video. It also has a VGA resolution front facing camera for video conferencing. The screen of the smartphone is a four-inch NOVA touchscreen. The device also has integrated Bluetooth and Wi-Fi.

Internal storage for the smartphone is 1.78 GB with most storage handled via external microSD cards. The device ships with a 2 GB memory card and supports cards up to 32 GB. The battery promises 4.5 hours of talk time and 250 hours on standby.

Dyle uses a separate chunk of frequency to deliver live content from ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, Qubo, Telemundo and Univision, among other channels, rather than via a regular data connection as per existing on-demand TV apps. That means you won’t be chewing through any data allowance; the only time a 3G/4G connection is required is to update the program guide.

As for the smartphone itself, it runs Android 2.3 Gingerbread on 1GHz processor with a 4.3-inch Super AMOLED display, and has an 8-megapixel camera and front-facing 1.3-megapixel camera. There’ll also be 4G LTE Mobile Hotspot support, again a first for a MetroPCS device, though the carrier says that it intends to roll that out to future Android devices too.

Dyle has limited coverage at present – there’s a map here if you’re curious to see if you’ll receive broadcasts – but that’s expanding all the time, the company claims. The Galaxy S Lightray 4G is on sale now, priced at $459 plus tax.

So, according to a Bloomberg report, T-Mobile is mulling the idea of merging with one of the top regional carriers, MetroPCS. In fact, MetroPCS has grown from the niche category of small regional operator to the fifth largest carrer in the nation. That makes it the biggest mobile service provider outside of the “major” carriers everyone always talks about. And it has been working hard to prove its worth, such as developing an LTE network and offering a lot of affordable Android phones.

Analyst reports suggest that T-Mobile will report a loss of 470,000 subscribers when it announces its quarterly earnings report tomorrow. Among the other strategies T-Mobile has when it comes to getting back on its feet is implementing an LTE network, which will roll out in 2013, making the company the last major carrier to put up an advanced high-speed mobile data network.

[via Bloomberg]