The IPhone 4S On AT&T Vs. Sprint Vs. Verizon: Which Network Is Best?

From: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/

The iPhone 4S went up for pre-order late Thursday night, and for the first time ever the new iPhone will be available on the three largest cell phone networks in America: Verizon, AT&T and Sprint. Perhaps, with these mobile carrier options, you're trying to decide which network to choose for your new Apple phone; the information below should help.

For Talkers: VERIZON and AT&T

Are you a talker? A recent survey suggests that you probably aren't, but if you are a chatty Cathy, the cheapest voice plans for anytime minutes are on Verizon and AT&T. For 450 minutes of talk time, Verizon and AT&T charge $39.99, compared to $69.99 on Sprint. Upping your minutes, you get the same price spreads, with Verizon and AT&T being $30 cheaper than Sprint:

Verizon: $39.99 for 450 minutes, $59.99 for 900 minutes, $69.99 for unlimited minutes
AT&T: $39.99 for 450 minutes, $59.99 for 900 minutes, $69.99 for unlimited minutes
Sprint: $69.99 for 450 minutes, $89.99 for 900 minutes, $99.99 for unlimited minutes

For Data Hogs: SPRINT

With the iPhone 4S, Sprint has famously become the only U.S. mobile carrier to offer unlimited data with Apple's smartphone. While AT&T and Verizon have canceled their unlimited data plans for new customers, Sprint recently announced its plans to keep unlimited data plans even with the iPhone 4S. Savings for those who use a lot of data--people who stream movies on their phones, download and send graphics-heavy web pages or photos, or generally do anything that requires constant web refreshing--could be huge on Sprint:

AT&T Data Plans: 2GB for $24, 4GB for $45, 5GB for $55, 7GB for $75, 10GB for $105, 12GB for $125
Verizon Data Plans: 2GB for $30, 4GB for $50, 5GB for $50, 7GB for $70, 10GB for $80, 12GB for $100
Sprint Data Plans: $10 unlimited

Fastest Network: AT&T

This is surprising, considering that AT&T is consistently ranked as the worst network in most parts of the United States by J.D. Power and Associates. But thanks to a new chipset in the iPhone 4S that only works on AT&T's HSPA+ network, the much-maligned carrier stands poised to have the fastest network of the three iPhone carriers.

Here's the thing: The iPhone 4S chipset, as noted during the Apple media event where the device debuted, can supposedly get close to 4G speeds. But that chipset only works on the HSPA+ network that AT&T has deployed (while its competitors have been building up their 4G networks). According to AT&T, this means wireless speeds that are twice as fast as those on Verizon and Sprint; according to cnet, we should believe this claim when we see it, saying AT&T still has some mechanical work to do before these speeds will be seen by their entire network. It will be interesting to see whether these HSPA+ speed claims hold true and could certainly bolster AT&T's reputation if they do.

Most Reliable 3G Network: AT&T

PCMag did some testing on mobile networks in America earlier this year, and while Verizon's 4G network defeated its competitors nationally, the iPhone 4S is not a 4G LTE device. On 3G networks, AT&T was judged to be the best in terms of "3G Success" (simply, its ability to connect to the Internet where a 3G network is present) edging out Verizon's 3G network and fairly well destroying Sprint's 3G network. Again, if these test results hold up on a national level (and, fair warning, certain cities are notorious for having poor 3G coverage from AT&T), then AT&T could be the most reliable and fastest mobile Internet network for the iPhone 4S.

Text Messaging: Sprint

The release of iMessage for Apple's new iOS 5 means that iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch owners will be able to text each other over 3G or WiFi in real-time for free, a la BlackBerry's popular BBM feature. Using iMessage will eat up data, however, rather than your monthly text messages, which is one reason to search out good text message rates when choosing a network, especially if u r a big-time txtr.

The underdog Sprint once again has the best prices, by a long shot, for text messaging plans. It's almost not even worth comparing, but here it goes:

AT&T: 20 cents per text message, and 30 cents per picture or video message; $20 for unlimited
Verizon: $5 for 250 texts, $10 for 500 texts, $20 for unlimited
Sprint: Free unlimited text messaging with voice plan

Customer Service: Verizon

According to the most recent U.S. Wireless Customer Care Performance study from J.D. Power, published in July 2011, Verizon has the strongest and most highly-rated customer service among full contract U.S. mobile carriers, defeating Sprint and AT&T handily. Verizon received 5 out of 5 "Power Circles," while both Spint and AT&T were awarded 2 each. In the February 2011 survey, Sprint and AT&T received 2 out of 5 Power Circles while Verizon got 4, losing out to T-Mobile; Verizon won the overall customer care survey for all of 2010.

Talk & Surf: AT&T

You may have seen the commercials: AT&T is the only carrier that allows you to talk and surf the web on the iPhone, and the addition of Sprint to the competition does not change that. It is one of the biggest differentiators and advantages over Verizon and Sprint.

Early Termination Fees: AT&T or Sprint, depending

If you decide you don't like the service you're getting with your iPhone, how much will it cost you to jump ship? AT&T and Sprint are the winners here, with:

AT&T is $325 minus $10 for each full month you've had your iPhone.
Verizon is $350 minus $10 for each full month you've had your iPhone.
Sprint is $350 minus $20 for each full month you've had your iPhone after four months.

***

To be very reductive, when it comes to the iPhone 4S, Sprint is the cheapest, AT&T has the best network and Verizon has the best customer care and, statistically, you're probably already on their network, as they have the most customers in the United States by a margin of tens of millions. Which network you choose should largely be decided by what you value in your phone--cost, or service, or reliability, or speed--and all of these carriers have both their pros and their cons for prospective iPhone 4S buyers. There is not one "best" network for the iPhone 4S, and you should be very skeptical of anyone who tells you otherwise.

38 Years Since The First Mobile Phone

The mobile phone has changed the lives of many people over the past 15 years, when it began to be used globally. But, few know that the first prototype was built 38 years ago in New York.
More specifically, the first phone call ​​by a person walking on the streets was made ​​in 1973, in the year when the U.S. Army announced its withdrawal from Vietnam.


On April 3, Martin Cooper, who was then 44 years, used the first prototype mobile phone on the streets of New York. As expected, the reaction of those who saw him with the device in hand was one of total bewilderment, confusion and “gape “.  Cooper is now 82 and he told the Daily Mail publication about how Americans reacted:

“ As I walked down the street while talking on the phone, sophisticated New Yorkers gaped at the sight of someone actually moving around while making a phone call.
I made numerous calls, including one where I crossed the street while talking to a New York radio reporter – probably one of the more dangerous things I have ever done in my life.” 




But it had to pass a while until Mr. Cooper’s vision could have been applied at a global scale. Those where the years when only the rich ones could have phones inside their luxurious cars.
The first mobile phone that Martin Cooper created was weighing approximately 2.5 lbs., something that would now be regarded as a “brick”. Ten years have passed until Motorola managed to commercialize and distribute Dyna-TAC.


DynaTAC 8000X had the following characteristics:

• weighed around 1lb
• the lifespan of the battery in standby was up to 8 hours and 30 minutes of talking time
• took 10 hours for a full charge
• the price was around 3500$
• had a length of 13.5 inchs- had 9 buttons: recall, clear, send, store, function, end, power, lock, volume
• had a basic display and could store up to 30 numbers

T-Mobile 3G Handsets to Be Rendered Obsolete by AT&T Merger

by Kevin Krause From: http://phandroid.com/

In case you have been resting under a rock somewhere, AT&T is in the process of buying out T-Mobile and merging the two companies into a singular (no, not Cingular) wireless conglomerate. As part of the deal, AT&T plans to re-purpose all of TMo’s 3G towers for the roll out of their LTE network,which should cover 95 percent of the country within two year’s time. The catch? Your 3G T-Mobile handset will be obsolete when that time comes, as confirmed by AT&T.

Seeing as how far off the problem is there is no news to share as to whether AT&T plans to compensate TMo subscribers locking into new two-year deals, but if you are a fan of magenta it may be wise to consider shorter-term contract options if you plan on picking up a new handset anytime soon.

[via Gizmodo]

eBay Offers To Pay You To Recycle Your Old Electronics

by Julie Bort

from: http://hothardware.com/

 

eBay has launched a new program that lets people trade in their old cell phones and other electronics for instant cash. If the devices aren't worth a dime, it will send you pre-paid postage to responsibly recycle the device.

With the company's new InstantSale website, you'll be offering up your old device to various companies in the business of buying them for valuable metals, components and refurbishing. You plug in details about your device and you get an instant cash offer, deposited to your PayPal account. If the thing is a brick phone from the 1980's and worth nothing, then eBay will send you a shipping label to send it to a responsible recycler.

Wait, if it really is a brick phone, you might want to list it as an auction item. Brick phones these days have become collector's items. I found one "very rare" Nokia P-30 Brick Cell Phone listed for $449. That would get you two-thirds of the way towards the shamefully overpriced Samsung Galaxy Tab Android tablet.

This "collectable" cell phone can be yours for $449

But let's say the device is just oldish or broken, or you tried selling it on the auction and no one bites and you don't want to store it for a couple of decades until it reaches collectable status. The InstantSale site will pay for your shipping to the buyer (or the recycler). And eBay promises it will wipe the device of all personal data. The program covers a pretty wide variety of electronics including laptops, phones, tablets, PDAs, digital cameras, MP3 players, camcorders and GPS systems.

Responsible recycling is a big, and growing, problem. According to the EPA, 20 to 50 million metric tons of e-waste are generated worldwide every year, and have become 5% of all municipal solid waste. They leave behind lead, cadmium, mercury and other hazardous wastes. Yuck. Not good for the earth, the groundwater or nearby water sources affected by runoff. And unscrupulous recyclers have been found to be scamming people into donating their items and then illegally shipping the ones not fit for refurbishing to third-world countries to poison the earth there. Earlier this month, the UK environmental agency arrested nine people on such a scheme.

Sure, there are plenty of retailers that will accept your old electronics for recycling, Target, for instance, or Dell. But eBay's approach is nice in that there's a chance you can still re-coop a few bucks on a device that probably cost you hundreds.

Showdown: iPhone 4 vs. HTC Evo 4G

• By Priya Ganapati
• 
  
• From: http://www.wired.com

Updated to include more information on Qik

Apple’s new iPhone 4 is the company’s biggest update yet for the handset and it will have you drooling.

The phone is a snazzily slim, glass-backed slab that boasts some impressive specs: dual cameras, a big operating system update and video chat, among other things.

Apple introduced the phone at its developer conference Monday and said it will be available on AT&T’s network starting June 24.

But when the iPhone 4 hits retail shelves it will have to battle a gaggle of Android devices for consumer attention — the most significant of which is the HTC Evo. The Evo has one big advantage that Apple can’t beat. It runs on Sprint’s 4G network, while the iPhone is stuck on AT&T’s 3G service. Sprint 4G, though, is not available in most major cities, including San Francisco and New York.

If you are considering upgrading to the latest version of the iPhone or getting an Android device, take a look at how the iPhone 4 and HTC Evo 4G compare:

	iPhone 4	HTC Evo 4G
Display	3.5 inch display with 960 x 640 pixel resolution	4.3 inch screen with 800 x 480 pixel resolution
Processor	Apple A4 chip, speed unknown	1 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon
Size	4.5 inches in height, 2.3 inches wide, 0.37 inches thick.	4.8 inches in height, 2.6 inches wide, 0.5 inches thick.
Weight	4.8 ounces	6 ounces
Operating system	iOS 4	Android 2.1
Cellular access	3G	4G
Storage capacity	16 or 32 GB flash drive	8 GB microSD card included, supports up to 32 GB.
Camera	Dual cameras. 5-megapixel primary camera. Front-facing secondary camera (resolution unknown).	Dual camera with 8-megapixel primary camera, 1.3 megapixel front-facing secondary camera.
Video Recording	720p, up to 30 frames per second. Built-in video editing.	720p at 25 frames per second.
Video Conferencing	Yes. Native support through FaceTime application, via Wi-Fi only.	Available through Qik app that costs $5 a month for premium features and higher-than-VGA quality. Basic app is free. Can be used over 3G or 4G wireless.
Sensors	Three-axis gyro, digital compass, accelerometer, proximity sensor, ambient light sensor, GPS.	Digital compass, accelerometer, proximity sensor, ambient light sensor, GPS.
Battery Life	Talk time of up to 7 hours on 3G and 14 hours on 2G.	Up to 6 hours of talk time.
Price	$200 for 16 GB version, $300 for 32 GB (both with a two-year contract).	$200 (after a $100 mail-in rebate) with a two-year contract.
Availability	June 24	June 4
Service provider	AT&T	Sprint

AT&T Changes Tune, Allows VoIP Over Cell Network

Dan Moren, Macworld.com

All engines, full reverse! That's the order AT&T seemed to be giving on Tuesday when it announced that it would be altering its existing policy to allow Internet phone applications such as Skype to place calls over the iPhone's cellular data connection.

Previously Skype and other Voice over IP (VoIP) applications for the iPhone, such as Fring, were relegated to Wi-Fi connections, prompting calls of foul play by consumers who often wanted to take advantage of features like the services' cheaper rates for international calling. An FCC investigation was launched in April at the behest of Internet advocacy group Free Press, shortly after the Skype app was released for the iPhone.

Notably, the ban did not apply to non-iPhone devices on AT&T's network. "Today's decision was made after evaluating our customers' expectations and use of the (iPhone) compared to dozens of others we offer," AT&T Wireless CEO Ralph de la Vega told The Wall Street Journal.

While some alleged that AT&T's desire in keeping Skype off its data network was a way of stifling competition and forcing customers to use the wireless company's international calling options, it's also been suggested that AT&T was worried about the amount of traffic the immensely popular iPhone could bring to bear on its network.

Somewhat coincidentally--if you believe in such things--earlier in the day, Google and Verizon held a joint press conference to announce their new partnership, in which the two companies stressed network openness.

The decision today does not apparently affect other applications that suffer from similar restrictions, such as the iPhone version of SlingPlayer Mobile, which allows users to stream video from their home devices only over Wi-Fi connections. Nor does it affect the contentious Google Voice service, which uses the standard telephone functions of the cellular network to route phone calls to and from users.

Why You Can’t Get a Good Phone With Verizon

• By Priya Ganapati

Why does the U.S. carrier known for the best network have the worst smartphones?

Verizon Wireless gets plaudits for its coverage and call quality, but consistently loses out to AT&T, T-Mobile and even Sprint when it comes to getting the newest high-end handsets.

“They lack the star products that their competitors have,” says Avi Greengart, research director, consumer devices for Current Analysis. “They recognize they don’t have compelling devices right now but feel they can make up for it with network quality.”

Case in point: Last week when Motorola co-CEO Sanjay Jha proudly showed off the company’s much-talked about first Android phone, the Cliq, he had his arms rather awkwardly around T-Mobile executive Cole Brodman.

“We never considered another carrier for this phone,” Jha told Wired.com.

The Cliq, a coup for T-Mobile, reinforces the new pecking order among wireless carriers. With the iPhone 3G and 3G S, AT&T is now at the top of the pack in its ability to attract new customers willing to switch to the carrier’s network. Sprint and T-Mobile are trying to catch up: Sprint launched the Palm Pre on its network in June and plans to introduce the HTC Hero later this year. And T-Mobile has carved out a niche as an Android specialist with last year’s launch of the first Android phone (the G1), the HTC myTouch earlier this year and now with the Moto Cliq.

As for Verizon? The company has the popular but critically panned BlackBerry Storm and the rather staid and Wi-Fi–less BlackBerry Tour. The carrier known for the best network now has the least attractive lineup of smart phones.

It’s a puzzling situation for Verizon. The wireless carrier has had the most customers of any cellular operator in the country since its 2008 acquisition of Alltel, and it’s widely regarded as having the largest network coverage area. So the fact that it can’t offer its customers better smartphones is a bit of a mystery.

Verizon’s extremely conservative approach to new handsets, the company’s long and rigorous testing procedures, and its emphasis on the network rather than the phone have created a portfolio that’s a complete buzzkill, say experts.

“Verizon doesn’t have too many options,” says Michael Mace, a former executive with Palm and Apple and currently a principal at strategy-and-marketing consulting firm Rubicon Consulting. “They can’t get the iPhone right now, and they can’t take Nokia devices and start promoting them. All they can do all they can do is push the BlackBerry as hard as they can and hope for a new Motorola phone.”

(Nokia largely makes GSM phones, which won’t work on Verizon’s CDMA network, though the Finnish phone manufacturer has created a select few devices to run on the Verizon network.)

Not surprisingly, Verizon spokesperson Brenda Raney says the carrier would rather focus on its network than on the gadgets that use it.

“Keep in mind that for Verizon Wireless, it isn’t so much about the device as it is about the delivery,” she says. “We have the nation’s largest 3G network so when we offer devices on our network, customers can be assured that they will deliver as promised.”

It’s pretty clear that Verizon didn’t deliberately choose to be the boring-but-predictable, safe-but-unexciting choice. In some ways, it simply got overtaken by the technology.

Over the last two years, with the launch of the Apple iPhone, the smartphone business changed rapidly. There are conflicting reports on whether Apple ever offered the iPhone to Verizon; Verizon reportedly turned it down.

But with AT&T as the official partner for Apple, the smartphone business took off in a new direction. With its extremely responsive touchscreen, sleek and elegant interface, and full PC-like browsing experience, the iPhone set a new standard. Customers flocked to AT&T, flooding (and sometimes overloading) its network.

Along the way, they left a trail of broken contracts with other carriers. In 2007, when Apple launched the iPhone, 25 percent of iPhone buyers had switched to AT&T from another carrier, according to an estimate from American Technology Research.

Meanwhile, as smaller handset makers scrambled to get competitive devices to market, they came up with some unexpectedly good alternatives — and Verizon lost out there, too. When Palm created the Palm Pre, a device that won praise for its compact hardware design and smart user interface, it offered the device to Sprint. Sprint had been a long-time partner of Palm, sticking with the company through years of increasingly lackluster Treos and the inexpensive but popular Centro, so it’s no surprise that Palm rewarded its partner’s loyalty.

Taiwanese phone maker HTC also grabbed center stage with the first Android phone, the G1. The G1 made its debut on T-Mobile’s network, largely because the carrier is more willing to take risks and experiment with new products than others.

Verizon may have been lulled into a false sense of security because of its relationship with BlackBerry-maker Research In Motion. When RIM created its first touchscreen device, the Storm, it inked an exclusive deal with Verizon. Despite tepid reviews of the Storm, Verizon sold more than a million phones within weeks of its launch.

In June, Verizon, along with Sprint, offered the BlackBerry Tour, a Curve-like phone with QWERTY keyboard, 2.4-inch display, GPS and 3G. A well-designed device, the Tour failed to get smartphone enthusiasts excited because it lacked innovative and surprising new features.

Also, while Verizon had promised an “any apps, any device” open-network program in 2007, it has reworked the idea to include just non-consumer devices such as routers, not consumer handsets. Instead, the company has focused on creating an app store for developers.

Meanwhile, it is trying to win customers through some extremely competitive pricing. Consider the HTC Touch Pro 2 phone, a smartphone running the Windows Mobile operating system and targeted at business users. The device is available after a rebate and on contract with Sprint and T-Mobile for $350. On Verizon it costs $200. Verizon has also been running a ‘buy one, get one free’ promotion for its BlackBerry phones.

“Most of Verizon’s current line up is below $100,” says Greengart. “If you go back a year this was not the case. Lately, Verizon has been very aggressive when it comes to pricing.”

Verizon isn’t willing to concede it may have lost ground to other carriers when it comes to attracting the newest phones. “We have a very robust portfolio of smartphones and will continue to add more in coming months,” says Raney. “We were the first to bring the BlackBerry Storm to market and just recently introduced the HTC Touch Pro 2.”

Though the company won’t talk about the devices it has planned for later this year, it is sure to introduce a successor to the BlackBerry Storm, a touchscreen phone dubbed the Storm 2. Industry watchers also expect Verizon to bag an upcoming Motorola device for its network. “We feel we will remain competitive,” says Raney.

But counting on a new BlackBerry device here or a Motorola phone there may not be enough for Verizon. The company will have to take a different road if it wants to get ahead, says Mace.

Verizon could work on offering attractive nonphone devices that connect to the network such as netbooks and tablets, he says.

“That market is not as developed as smartphones, but it would be an interesting opportunity,” he says. “It will be logical place for them to go.”

Palm Pre review

by Joshua Topolsky

The Palm Pre. It's not just a phone, it's a myth, an idea, possibly a legacy... and a really, really long time coming. It's almost impossible to believe, but the crew at Engadget has been talking about a Linux-based Palm phone since way back in 2004. Through the now-distant years that followed, we were speculating, pontificating, and wishfully-thinking about a new device from a company that we'd come to expect innovation from. But we waited. And waited. And waited. We waited so long, in fact, that we actually penned a lengthy open letter to Palm, pleading for the company to get back on its game. Only when the picture looked really, truly bleak for the folks in Sunnyvale (you know, like $2 a share bleak) did we actually see a spark of hope -- two sparks, in fact -- called the Pre and webOS.

Yes, this is epic stuff. The Pre (and its accompanying operating system) could likely decide the fate of the company largely credited with ushering in the age of the do-everything phone. Since Palm's announcement at CES this year, news surrounding the Pre has been a veritable whirlwind of activity: rumors, half-truths, hate, love, fear-mongering, fanboyism, rampant gadget-lust... and even a little late night celebrity for the pint-sized phone. Finally the time has come to put rubber to road and get into the guts of this thing once and for all. Can the Pre and webOS live up to the hype -- the kind of hype we haven't seen since the launch of the original iPhone -- or do they snap under the pressure? Read on for the full review.

Part 1: Hardware, webOS / user interface
Part 2: Synergy, phone, media, applications
Part 3: Data speeds, backup, battery, Bluetooth, pricing, wrap-up

Sony Ericsson Unveils PS3-compatible Phone

by Jennifer Johnson

As part of its Christmas line-up of products, Sony Ericsson introduced a new phone that will allow consumers to connect to their PS3 gaming consoles remotely. The new phone, known as Aino, will let users access media content such as music, videos, and photos from the PS3 while on the go. Sadly, Aino will not allow users to play games or access high-definition video from the phone.

Aino can also synchronize with media files on your PC using Sony Ericsson’s Media Go multimedia manager. As for the phone itself, Aino features an 8.1-megapixel camera with geotagging capability; 3G, Bluetooth, and Wi-Fi connectivity; a physical keypad; and a three-inch touchscreen.

Sony Ericsson, the world’s fifth largest handset maker, has lost some of its market share as competition in the mid-market handset segment has increased. The company believes wireless operators are hungry for phones that can drive data usage without requiring huge subsidies. Given that interest in the company’s years-old Sony-branded Cybershot camera phones and Walkman music phones has faded, Sony Ericsson now must find new models to renew interest in its brand. The Aino is one of three new phones the company hopes will help it make a comeback.

In February, Sony Ericsson announced the Satio (previously known as the Idou) at the Mobile World Congress show. The Satio has a 12-megapixel camera, a 3.5-inch widescreen touchscreen display, and runs on Symbian S60 5th edition. Satio users will also be able to play 3D and high-definition games on the handset as well as watch various types of media files.

Another new Sony Ericsson phone called the Yari contains accelerometers that can be used for motion controls with games similar to Nintendo’s Wii controllers. The Yari has a 5-megapixel camera, assisted-GPS, instant messaging, and Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync support.

Expect the new phones to be available in select markets later this year, likely in the fourth quarter. No U.S. launch dates have been given, however, Jon Mulder, head of North American product marketing, did say “currently we do anticipate that these models will be unlocked in various channels in the U.S. We have yet to announce operator partnerships.”

Sony Ericsson also plans to launch a virtual software applications store. The company plans to announce additional details concerning the store at next week’s JavaOne Conference.

Kevin Rose On iPhone 3.0: Cut/Paste, Features Equal Palm Pre

By Jack Loftus

Digg's Kevin Rose is again peddling his Apple rumors, this time in regards to the upcoming 3.0 preview scheduled for this Tuesday. He was dead on last time around—can he do it again?

Now the good stuff. We've had two separate tipsters ping us with the rumors today, which Rose talked about last night during the live Diggnation show at SXSW in Austin.

The breakdown of unconfirmed rumors goes like this:

- Cut and paste in 3.0
- Users magnify or double tap a word to bring up cut and paste
- Pinch "boundaries" to select word(s); Rose called them "copy boundaries"
- Then you get option to cut, paste or copy

Also, the 3.0 update will have enough new features and additions to bring it up to the Palm Pre levels. Whatever Palm Pre has shown us so far, apparently, the iPhone will have too when 3.0 becomes official. That point remains a bit hazy right now, so anyone who was at Diggnation last night who can help elaborate a bit more would be awesome in my book.

Lastly, there will NOT be video, nor will there be MMS. Boo. This last point seems to contradict BGR's MMS rumor from the other day. [Thanks, Kyle and Abdul!]

MetroPCS Introduces BlackBerry w/$50 Unlimited Plan

Talk about declaring a price war: MetroPCS has launched their first BlackBerry Curve 8330 smartphone with an unlimited rate plan. The $50 personal rate plan includes unlimited talk, text, web browsing, MMS and BlackBerry email access through BlackBerry Internet Service, while an extra $10 gets you the BlackBerry Enterprise Server version.

That means it's the first smart phone from the Cricket, Metro, and Boost Mobile unlimited, no-contract group, and the price is fully half of what Sprint is charging for the same thing via their Simply Everything plan—which was a good deal until about 13 seconds ago.

There's always a catch, although this one is geography-related: the MetroPCS Curve is only available in the older 1900 Mhz MetroPCS markets, not the many newer 1700 Mhz markets. That means NYC, Boston, and Philadelphia are out for now. And to be fair, Sprint is throwing in its optional services, like GPS navigation and mobile TV, although you have no choice but to take them.

Regardless, the MetroPCS BlackBerry Curve 8330 will be available at Best Buy stores beginning today in the following areas: Greater Miami/Ft. Lauderdale, Tampa, Orlando, Jacksonville, Atlanta, Detroit, Dallas, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Sacramento. By the end of the month, the phone will also be in MetroPCS stores. Go get 'em. (Release)