If the AT&T-T-Mobile merger gains approval, that de facto bumps MetroPCS, the nation’s fifth largest carrier (8 million subscribers), into the No. 4 slot that T-Mobile currently holds (33 million subscribers). I sat down at CTIA 2011 with Tony Lau, director of handset product management for MetroPCS to chat about the carrier’s plans going forward. …

The U.S. International Trade Commission has decided that it will review Eastman Kodak’s patent infringement complaint against Apple and Research in Motion. The move, which was reported by Reuters this afternoon, marks the latest step in Kodak’s mission to get Apple and RIM to pay royalties for allegedly illegally using its intellectual property. The patent in question deals with an …

A couple of months ago I posted a query in my 411 column about prepaid GSM Android phones and the lack thereof. What I failed to mention was that you can of course use any GSM phone as a prepaid handset, as long as you’re willing to pay full price for the phone up front. All you have to do …

Synchronise watches: the Apple iPad 2 goes on sale at 5pm today. You’ve weighed the pros and cons and decided which iPad 2 to go for. But with Apple’s online store offering a lamentable 3-4 week wait (!), what’s the best way to get your hands on an iPad 2 this very day? The obvious choice is the Apple Store. …

Get your game in with the Echo’s larger player view Bonnie Cha/CNET ORLANDO, Fla.–In addition to delivering lots of new phones, trade shows like CTIA 2011 offer an opportunity to see any recent models that haven’t yet to passed through your hands. This year, CTIA was my first chance to handle the Kyocera Echo, the dual-screen Android handset for Sprint. …

AT&T and T-Mobile stole the news spotlight early in the week by announcing their proposed megamerger just as the wireless world was readying to converge on Florida for the annual CTIA trade show. AT&T and T-Mobile, respectively the No. 2 and No. 4 U.S. wireless carriers, announced on Sunday a $39 billion merger deal that would create a company with …

The 3D films you see at the cinema employ a different technology to the 3D now coming out on new TVs. Here’s an explanation of the pros and cons of each.

3’s just unveiled an Android smart phone that costs a paltry £110. Great news for people who need a replacement handset because they’ve consumed one too many shandies at last night’s company party (if anyone’s found any rogue mobiles, please return them to Crave Towers — a handsome reward awaits you). The ZTE Racer offers a raft of cool features …

Charge Anywhere Owners of Google’s Nexus S smartphones can soon use the device to process mobile payments via near-field communications tech, via software from a company called Charge Anywhere. Charge Anywhere’s existing mobile payments application has already allowed owners of iPhone, BlackBerry, and Android devices to process credit card payments with their phones and a dedicated reader to swipe the …

To counter AT&T’s offer of a free month of data with the purchase of a new iPad 2 or original iPad, Verizon stores are offering the first-generation iPad at a heavy discount–the Wi-Fi-only option is priced at just $299. Checking online, AT&T’s offer is clearly available, but there is no mention of the deal on Verizon’s Web site. The news …

Optus has announced an overhaul to its SIM-only iPad 2 plans, extending expiry periods on many pricing tiers and increasing data allowances. (Credit: Apple) Customers interested in grabbing an Optus SIM for their iPad can now select a new 12-month expiry plan on a 15GB allowance for AU$130. Recharges of AU$80 and AU$100 now have six-month expiry periods, with allowances …

ORLANDO, Fla.–Even though Pantech didn’t officially make an appearance at CTIA 2011, we did discover a new Pantech handset showcased at the PCD booth. The Pantech Caper is meant for Verizon Wireless’ prepaid service, and has a suitably basic spec sheet. The messaging phone has a 2.2-inch display, and a slate-style design that places the QWERTY keyboard right on the …

The iPad 2 has finally arrived, leaving just one burning question in its wake: should you splash out on Apple’s new tablet, or stick with the original iPad? Is it time to put the older iPad out to pasture, or has there never been a better time to snap one up? We’ve already pitted the iPad 2 against its Android tablet …

If you fancy a bite of Apple’s iPad 2, you’ve got to choose between six different versions of the tablet. Which one you choose depends on how you’re going to use it — and how much you’re willing to spend. Your choices are: 16GB Wi-Fi only: £399 32GB Wi-Fi only: £479 64GB Wi-Fi only: £559 16GB Wi-Fi and 3G: £499 32GB Wi-Fi and …

Orlando, Fla.–Believe it or not, innovation in cell phone charging continues to happen at CTIA 2011. Usually we get a quirky idea from a small accessories vendor, but this year LG stepped forward with a wireless charger of its own. Nicole Lee covered the initial news of the LG WCP-700 the first day of the show, but we wanted to …