Hasta La Gadget!

Yes, we know Android is holding steady at about 52 percent of US smartphone market share. What’s interesting is just who’s driving growth as a whole. According to Nielsen, 58 percent of American teens between 13 and 17 now have a smartphone — that’s a big jump from 36 percent a year earlier and a sign that the youngest owners have a significant sway over where the market is going. Not that young adults don’t have an impact. Although the 25-to-34 crowd isn’t making as big a comparative leap, its smartphone ownership has climbed from 59 percent to a dominating 74 percent in the same space of time.

No matter how much youth set the pace, it’s clear Android is still having an effect. Among the US smartphone buyers Nielsen tracked in the three months leading up to July, 58.6 percent went Google’s direction. Most of that gain came from BlackBerry owners switching allegiances, which doesn’t bode well when RIM is counting on existing owners to fuel BlackBerry 10 demand. We’d be careful about citing a one-point shrink in iPhone sales as a shift in the balance of power, however — while it could be part of a trend, it could also represent the habitual lull in Apple’s sales during the weeks before a major iPhone introduction.

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile

Nielsen: more than half of US teens now own smartphones originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 10 Sep 2012 17:28:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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What’s in a name? Quite a bit, if you ask the Rural Cellular Association. It’s becoming the Competitive Carriers Association to reflect a membership shift from smaller providers that often serve the countryside to a much more urbane roster that includes Clearwire, Sprint and T-Mobile, on top of grown-up existing members. Not surprisingly given the advocacy group’s recent bedfellows, the name switch also emphasizes the attempt to resist a consolidation of power in US telecom — CCA membership is limited to carriers with under 80 million subscribers, which conveniently excludes heavyweights AT&T and Verizon. Although rebranding is a symbolic gesture first and foremost, the group is no doubt hoping the name will make its intentions clearer the next time a big spectrum swap rolls around.

Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless, Mobile

Rural Cellular Association rebrands as Competitive Carriers Association, mirrors its move to the big city originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 10 Sep 2012 13:38:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Samsung may not have spilled the beans on US variants of the Galaxy Note II, but phablet fans have already set their sights on the usual suspects. Aiding rumors, for instance, are a collection of screenshots showing the phone running on both Verizon and Ma Bell’s networks. A BreifMobile source says that the AT&T version of the oversized handset is being tested, as are T-Mobile, Bell Canada and Sprint variations. The AT&T version is said to be a dead ringer for the international model, retaining its quad-core Exynos processor while snubbing the network’s branding. Much like Sammy itself, the source didn’t have much to say about availability — just “soon.” Can’t wait? Skip on down to the source link below to tease yourself with leaked screenshots.

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile

Leaked screenshots show Galaxy Note 2 on AT&T and Verizon originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 09 Sep 2012 15:56:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Not all mobile news is destined for the front page, but if you’re like us and really want to know what’s going on, then you’ve come to the right place. This past week, AT&T revealed grand plans for LTE expansion that’ll continue through the end of the year and the Galaxy Reverb for Virgin Mobile officially went up for preorder. These stories and more await after the break. So buy the ticket and take the ride as we explore the “best of the rest” for this week of September 3rd, 2012.

Continue reading Mobile Miscellany: week of September 3rd, 2012

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Mobile Miscellany: week of September 3rd, 2012 originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 08 Sep 2012 21:15:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Now that the second-gen Note is finally out of Samsung’s precious (and teasing) bag, we’re learning more and more about the exorbitant device — not to say we weren’t expecting this to be the case, however. Still, we were rather intrigued by the distinct Galaxy Note II pictured above, which, by the looks it, comes pre-loaded with dual-SIM capabilities, and thus makes this particular unit slightly different than that one unit we played with back at IFA. Although details are still very scarce at the moment, rumor has it the dual-SIM Note will only be available in China and, aside from the slot additions, all other features the famed phablet offers appear to be exactly the same. Feel free to check out the source below for more pics, but don’t expect anything too exciting or out of the ordinary — unless, of course, extra SIM slots are your thing.

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile

Samsung Galaxy Note II with dual-SIM capabilities gets spotted in the wild originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 08 Sep 2012 00:48:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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