Verizon Wireless CEO Daniel Mead said on Monday that the company has no interest in a merger with Sprint, a notion that had been tossed around by analysts over the weekend following news that AT&T intends to Acquire T-Mobile USA. “We’re not interested in Sprint. We don’t need them,” Mead told Reuters reporters in Florida ahead of this year’s CTIA Wireless conference. Should AT&T’s acquisition of T-Mobile USA from European telecommunications giant Deutsche Telekom receive regulatory approval, AT&T would become the nation’s top wireless carrier by subscriber count. Verizon Wireless currently holds the No. 1 position, which it took from AT&T back in January 2009 when the carrier completed its acquisition of top regional carrier Alltel. AT&T’s merger with T-Mobile USA stands to create a much more substantial lead where subscriber count is concerned, however, making AT&T home to over 130 million wireless subscribers compared to Verizon Wireless’ 102 million.

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It appears as though webOS junkies may soon have a new way to get their fix — two new ways, even. According to a screenshot allegedly depicting Sprint’s inventory system, not one but two new Palm handsets have materialized; the 120 and C40. Let’s look at what we’ve got: Sprint’s Pre is coded as 100, or P100 in internal systems. At Verizon, it’s pretty safe to assume the Pre has been dubbed P101 as we’ve seen several references to it. Both the screenshot above and the shots in this post also depict a device coded 12x — the 120 is listed above and the P121 is reportedly in Verizon’s inventory system right now. We’ve seen the 120 referenced earlier as well, and it was always thought to be the Eos. As both carriers are rumored to be getting Palm’s Centro replacement in the near future, the Eos being designated as 12x might still be a safe bet. As for what the C40 could be however, we’re stumped. If the C40 is actually the Eos and the 120 is a refreshed Pre of some sort, why does Verizon have both the P101 and P121 in its inventory right now? Does Big Red plan to launch 8GB and 16GB Pre models simultaneously, a la older iPhone models? Hit the comments and let us know what you think.

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Earlier this week, we exclusively scooped the presence of Sprint’s upcoming Instinct HD on Best Buy’s website and the simple fact that it hasn’t been pulled suggests a launch is imminent. For a bit more supporting evidence, someone apparently got a little excited because a handful of live shots hit the Web yesterday, including several device-on shots showing off the UI. Barring the horribly lame clownfish wallpaper we sincerely hope was added by the user and not on the handset by default, we’re seemingly looking at a pretty sexy feature phone here — clearly in the same vein as previous Instinct models. Sleek case, nice big touchscreen display, 5 megapixel camera, HD video-out… It’s definitely a solid offering as long as it launches at a decent price. Hit the jump for some more shots with varying levels of blurriness.

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As the line between Clearwire and Sprint’s 4G services continues to get more confusing with each passing day, we can at least take solace in knowing that WiMAX is progressing somewhere in the country. Corny and redundant press release titles aside, Sprint announced yesterday that its 4G services are now live and ready to rock in three “new” markets: Las Vegas, NV; Portland, OR and Atlanta, GA. The announcement comes two days later than the leaked WiMAX roadmap indicated earlier this month but we’d say it’s now safe to assume the rest of the list will pan out as it suggests — provided Sprint stays on schedule, of course. In terms of pricing, Sprint’s mobile broadband plan with a 4G cherry on top will run you $69.99 per month for unlimited 4G (includes 5GB of 3G data) and $10 day passes are available.

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It’s here, mobile fans. The moment you’ve been waiting for. The results you’ve been itching for. The numbers you’ve been clamoring for. The… Ok, you get the idea. Last week we asked Sprint subscribers to test their 3G handset speeds and show us what their carrier of choice is made of. Well the results are in and they might just surprise you. So how does the nation’s number three carrier stack up against the big boys? Hit the jump to find out.

As we’re sure you’ll recall, so far AT&T is sitting pretty with an average download speed of 933kbps and Verizon came in a bit lower at 701kbps according to our readers. Now, people, it’s Sprint’s turn. With subscribers still fleeing at a shockingly alarming rate, one might be lead to believe the carrier’s network just isn’t up to par. Well, if our Sprint-subscribed readers are any indication, that couldn’t be any further from the truth:

• Average download speed, EV-DO Rev. A: 1361kbps
• Median download speed, EV-DO Rev. A: 1310kbps
• Average upload speed, EV-DO Rev. A: 267kbps
• Median upload speed, EV-DO Rev. A: 245kbps

Wow. Sprint’s average EV-DO Rev. A download speed bested AT&T by a huge margin — 428kbps — and it nearly doubled Verizon’s showing amongst our readers. Upload speeds fell right between the two aforementioned carriers, besting AT&T’s pathetic 180kbps but falling well short of Verizon’s 322kbps. There was far less data where upload speeds are concerned however, as less than half of readers who provided valid data included upload speeds in their reports. Why? We have no idea.

As with each of the last two carriers whose 3G speeds we polled, we shaved the top and bottom five results, then 10, and took a look at the numbers once again:

• Average download speed, top and bottom five results discarded: 1345kbps
• Average download speed, top and bottom 10 results discarded: 1333kbps

Quite clearly, Sprint’s numbers were impressively consistent — shaving the top and bottom 10 still left us with a downlink average only 28kbps lower than the raw average.

Last but not least, our old school EV-DO Rev. 0-loving Sprinters:

• Average download speed, EV-DO Rev. 0: 466kbps
• Median download speed, EV-DO Rev. 0: 326kbps
• Average upload speed, EV-DO Rev. 0: 97kbps
• Median upload speed, EV-DO Rev. 0: 76kbps

So, Rev. 0 was quite a bit slower than Verizon’s Rev. 0 numbers so if you’re on Sprint with an older 3G handset, it might be time to think about upgrading and taking advantage of that blistering Rev. A speed showcased by our readers.

That wraps up this installment of the carrier comparison you love to hate and hate to love. How did Sprint do? Were you expecting big numbers from Old Yeller or did the results blow your mind? Let us know in the comments section and get ready for the next and final segment of Carrier Wars.

For those interested, here is the supporting data for Rev. A and here is Rev. 0.

Disclaimer: The results of these tests are not collected in a controlled environment and therefore should not be considered to represent a concrete indication of the above carrier’s 3G network speeds and/or performance in general. These results merely provide the average 3G network speeds of the above carrier as experienced by those readers who perform speed tests and share their results. Stop whining.

Yay green. Sprint announced this morning that it is now the latest carrier to jump on the eco-conscious bandwagon — and being conscious of the environment is definitely a good bandwagon to jump on. Made with 80 percent recycled materials, the Samsung reclaim is a phone that has been rumored to hit Sprint for a while now. Sprint calls the phone “the most full-featured QWERTY phone launched by Sprint at less than $50″ and truth be told, it probably is. In fact, it’s probably the most solid green offering we’ve seen from any US carrier considering its QWERTY keypad, 2 megapixel camera with video capture, Bluetooth 2.0 with A2DP, GPS and microSDHC support (up to 32GB). No, it’s not going to satisfy the power users out there but if you know a tween looking for a messaging machine, this little guy is just about as good as it gets. The Samsung Reclaim will be available nationwide on August 16th for an affordable $49.99 on contract. For every handset purchased, Sprint will donate $2 to The Nature Conservancy’s Adopt an Acre program.

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Welcome back to Carrier Wars, the ongoing feature where we ask our readers to post their 3G speed test results, we collect the data and dish the outcome, and then a bunch of people whine about said outcome in the comments section. So far we have AT&T clocked in with raw averages of 933kbps down/180kbps up and Verizon Wireless on the books with raw averages of 701kbps down/322kbps up. Next up to bat: Sprint. While Verizon and AT&T bicker about who has the nation’s “fastest” or “most reliable” 3G network, Sprint is apparently flying under the radar by advertising “America’s most dependable 3G network”. Well Sprint fans, it’s time for you to break out those 3G handsets and latch on to Sprint’s uber-dependable network — we want your speed test results.

Please post your test results in the comments section of this post and you get extra points for linking a screenshot. We only care about 3G and we absolutely must know what handset you’re using; again, this is to separate EV-DO Rev. A and Rev. 0. So what are you waiting for Sprinters? Get moving!

Note: Don’t forget guys, we want phone model, average download speed AND average upload speed! If you’re wondering how to perform a speed test on your phone, check the first few comments below for links to various options.

Still managing to skirt the ever-present how many Palm Pres has the company sold question, Sprint reported its Q2 2009 results this morning. While the company did post a slightly bigger loss than expected, it wasn’t the bone crushing declines we’ve seen from Old Yeller in recent history. Operating revenue came in at $8.1 billion, down 10 percent YoY and just short of the Street’s $8.12 billion projection, and it posted a net loss of $384 million or $0.13 per share, down 12 percent from $344 million in the same quarter last year. The part that’s really hard to swallow here is that despite the release of the Palm Pre, one of the most highly anticipated handsets of the year, Sprint still managed to shed 257,000 subscribers net in the quarter, up from 187,000 in Q1. Its subscriber count now stands at 48.8 million. The shocking part — Sprint lost 991,000 postpaid subscribers this past quarter, meaning the bleeding has barely slowed in this crucial category. If the Palm Pre, endless time spent improving customer service, vastly improved network quality and some amazingly attractive plans can’t keep subscribers on board, what can?

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Didn’t see this one coming… Apparently Branson’s Helio-hawking MVNO Virgin Mobile is about to be gobbled up by the nation’s number three. Sprint has officially announced its intentions to acquire the popular prepaid peddler and according to the release, it’s a done deal. Sprint will cough up $483 million in total for the acquisition, though its current 13.1 percent stake in the company factors into that figure. The carrier will also cover VM’s $250 million in debt at closing. We’re not yet sure how the VM brand will be positioned in Sprint’s arsenal — perhaps it will remain a separate brand or maybe it will be folded into Boost Mobile — but the bottom line is Sprint sees plenty of potential in the prepaid market. You know what they say… There’s no money like up front money.

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Following a tumultuous start, it looks like Sprint’s troubles with stocking and delivering BlackBerry Tour units are almost over. A series of three posts from Sprint’s twitter account suggest two shipments from RIM should allow the carrier to catch up with “strong demand”. One shipment apparently arrived this week and a second is scheduled for delivery early next week. Those who still haven’t been able to get their hands on RIM’s latest handset will hopefully accept Sprint’s apologies and sit tight for just a short while longer. We’re still not sure why the Tour was listed as in stock earlier this week when customers received backorder notices immediately after placing orders, but our guess is we’ll never know exactly what went wrong. The bottom line is these two Tour shipments should take care of everyone still waiting to snag a unit.

Next up in today’s line of handsets eager to fight their way into the pockets of the 14-and-under crowd is LG’s LX290. Available nary a day after Sprint’s BlackBerry Tour hit the scene — just to help ensure our readers would barely blink — this latest offering from Sprint features, well, basically nothing:

ENTERTAINMENT & PERSONALIZATION

• NFL Mobile Live providing live audio broadcasts of every regular season game and watch the live broadcasts of all NFL Network games. Get real-time red zone alerts, scores, stats, live NFL Network 24/7 and more. Manage your fantasy football team like a pro with up-to-the-minute insights, analysis, stats and alerts.
• 1.3 MP camera with 2x digital zoom and Picture Messaging to shoot, share, print high-resolution digital photos instantly, and upload photos directly to social networking sites.
• 2.5 mm headset jack

PRODUCTIVITY

• Sprint Navigation with GPS-enabled audio and visual turn-by-turn driving directions, one-click traffic rerouting and more than 10 million local listings
• Four conveniently-located shortcut keys for quick access to texting, email, personal calendar and alarm
• Easy, one-touch access to all your personal and work email including AOL/AIM, Yahoo!, Windows Live (Hotmail and MSN) and more
• Record a voice message and send it to as many as 25 friends at once, without even making a call
• Built-in productivity tools such as planner and scheduler, memo pad, world clock, alarm clock, calculator and more

SPECIFICATIONS

• Dimensions: 4.09 x 1.94 x 0.63 inches; 3.6 ounces
• Display: 1.33 x 1.77 inches TFT (240 x 320 pixels QVGA and 262K vibrant colors)
• Standard Lithium (LiIon) battery: up to 6 hours continuous talk time*

Imagine… A handset with specs so sparse that a 2.5mm headset jack is actually worth highlighting. Right on. The LG LX290 is available immediately for $29.99 after mail-in rebate on a 2-year contract. The line forms to the right this time.

[Via Press Release]

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Big, big news from Sprint today boys and girls… Following unending rumors and speculation that Sprint is likely growing accustomed to at this point, the nation’s number three carrier made a huge announcement today that will finally put an end to the rumors. No, Sprint is not selling its network. No, Sprint is not leasing its network. No, Sprint is not being acquired. The carrier is in fact contracting Ericsson to perform day-to-day operation of its wireless and wireline networks. Key clarifications direct from Sprint:

• Sprint is not selling or leasing our networks. We will continue to own and control them, with responsibility for network strategy, investment decisions, technology and vendor selections. The term “outsourcing” implies that we would be giving up control, and we are not — that would be a misleading characterization.
• We are not laying off people – we’re adding the skills of more people. About 6,000 Sprint employees will become employees of Ericsson, doing primarily the exact same jobs. They’ll be augmented by the skills, tools and knowledge of 30,000 more people at Ericsson.
• Customers will continue to work directly with Sprint employees as their primary contact, because Sprint retains full control of the customer experience, customer technical support and services review.
• Ericsson will perform day-to-day network functions under Sprint’s direction – working at the towers, installing lines, managing the storage and movement of equipment, overseeing daily network traffic, etc.
• The deal delivers efficiencies for Sprint, access to improved network tools and processes, and allows Sprint to focus more attention on other areas of innovation.

The seven-year $5 billion deal, which is not common practice here in the US, is a big one indeed — for both parties. Ericsson will assume responsibility for day-to-day services, provisioning and maintenance for the Sprint-owned CDMA, iDEN and wireline networks, adding to the 80 networks covering 270 million subscribers it already manages. Sprint will maintain ownership of its networks as well as responsibility for network strategy and investment decisions. Big changes for sure; but hardly the apocalypse many had been speculating.

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Fear and Loathing joke aside, you know a phone has heat when people would rather drive through a store window than wait for the store to open… If you’ve been chained up in a basement for the past few months and haven’t heard, Sprint and Palm just launched one of the most highly anticipated handsets of the year — the Palm Pre. The webOS-powered wonder is now available in stores across the country and supplies are likely to be a bit limited so if you want in on some steamy Pre action, you best crawl out of bed and get yourself to a Sprint store. Now if you’ll excuse us we have some more Pres to scoop up and if you’re grabbing one today as well, let us know what you think!

(source image courtesy of NBC)

With rumors of a Sprint-bound tri-mode CDMA/WiFi/WiMAX handset gaining traction, we thought it might be a good time to talk about what is as opposed to what could be. Sure, a tri-mode handset would be amazing but without official word from Sprint it’s still just speculation. 3G is so 2000 and late, Sprint is the only carrier with a live 4G network here in the US… So what’s up? Hit the jump for a full assessment of where Sprint 4G is at right now and where it’s confirmed to be going in the near future.

The following markets are live or will be live before 2009 is out, according to Sprint (alphabetical order):

• Atlanta
• Baltimore
• Chicago
• Charlotte
• Dallas/Ft. Worth
• Honolulu
• Las Vegas
• Philadelphia
• Portland
• Seattle

At least the following markets will launch in 2010, according to Sprint:

• New York
• Boston
• Washington, DC
• Houston
• San Francisco Bay Area

As far as hardware goes, the dual mode U300 is currently available and it supports both 3G and 4G. Other devices Sprint has stated will reach market throughout 2009 and 2010 include a single-mode 4G data card, embedded laptops, “Small-office-home-office devices”, 4G personal hotspot devices and a 4G phone. In other words, things have most definitely been slow going but Sprint finally appears to be kicking things into high gear. In fact, the company is poised to have a substantial 4G network in place with a respectable portfolio of devices before the competition even gets its feet off the ground. 4G personal hotspot? Yes, please.

As we weigh our options in seeking out an alternative to the USB modem that completely and utterly failed us in Vegas, a new option has just presented itself in the form of a nifty little hybrid broadband card from Sprint. Announced this morning, the Sierra Wireless AirCard 402 features a unique design that allows Sprint to cover users with PC Card slots and ExpressCard slots in one swing. The design places a broadband ExpressCard within a PC Card shell — as you can see in the image above, the two pieces join when a PC Card is required, but they can also be separated to support newer, smaller notebooks and netbooks requiring an ExpressCard. Very clever. The AirCard 402 supports EV-DO Rev. A of course, giving users access to “typical upload speeds of 350-500 Kbps with peak speeds of 1.8 Mbps and typical download speeds of 600 Kbps – 1.4 Mbps with peak speeds of 3.1 Mbps where EV-DO Revision A is available.”

This little guy is definitely a nice solution for users with both a notebook and a netbook where one type of card might not fit in both. It’s also great for those of you sporting an older notebook with a PC Card slot, but who will likely be upgrading to a newer laptop in the future. The Sierra Wireless AirCard 402 is available right now and will set you back a pretty reasonable $99.99 after a $50 mail-in rebate.

[Via Press Release]

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