No more unlimited data for grandfathered Verizon customers

A Verizon Wireless exec let the point slip today during an investor conference. Communications CFO Fran Shammo said unlimited data is about to die, even for grandfathered customers who have had it for years. All new and existing customers will be forced to sign up for a tiered "data share" plan if they want to use 4G LTE. 

The $30-a-month unlimited data plan will cease to exist starting this summer. 

For the time being, the data share plans have still not been unveiled in detail but they will allow families or individuals to share a "bucket" of data, minutes and text across different devices. 

Verizon first eliminated the unlimited plan last July for new users, but allowed existing customer to keep it. At the time the company did say, however, that the policy was subject to change.

Samsung Galaxy Nexus available on Sprint with Google Wallet

The Samsung Galaxy Nexus is now available to Sprint users. Like its CDMA counterpart on Verizon, the flagship Android 4.0 phone will have LTE support, but unlike the Verizon version, the Sprint model will give access to Google Wallet, an NFC app which turns the phone into a virtual wallet. 

The device will sell for $200 with contract, and is available now. 

One catch with the phone being LTE, however, is that Sprint does not actually have an LTE network yet. The company is transitioning from WiMax to LTE and the network will only be available in 10 cities over the summer before rolling out more widespread in 2013. 

In terms of Google Wallet, the mobile payment system is fully supported and Google will even give you $50 for activating within a week of buying the phone.

iPad 3 to have LTE on both Verizon and AT&T says the WSJ

Citing sources "familiar with the matter," The Wall Street Journal is now stating rather unequivocally that both AT&T and Verizon Wireless are set to begin selling LTE versions of Apple's iPad. The latest revelation is hardly a leap of faith, as rumors to this effect have been swirling for a month now. Still, it coincides rather nicely with the recent chatter surrounding the launch of Apple's next iPad, which is currently thought to launch during the first week of March. It remains unknown whether Sprint will be stocking a 4G version of the iPad to call its own. Perhaps Sprint will be forced to sit this one out. 

Android 4.0.4 ROM leaks out for the Galaxy Nexus on Verizon

A little gem known as Android 4.0.4 wriggled its way onto the interweb last week, and while it was geared specifically for Sprint's Nexus S 4G, a similar version has just cropped up for the CDMA / LTE Galaxy Nexus from Verizon. While it's only available for tenacious users who've unlocked their bootloader, it seems that a host of improvements are on deck for the official release. First and foremost, the ROM is said to be noticeably faster, with the speed gains also extending to the web browser and the device's boot time. The release also packs a new radio file that (at least from user impressions) offers more seamless transitions between the CDMA and LTE networks. All in all, the rest of the changes are rather minor, but if you'd like to join the bleeding edge, you'll find everything you need in the source link below.

XDA-Developers

Redbox and Verizon to join forces?

The partnership between Redbox and Verizon to offer a subscription streaming and disc rentals could represent the biggest competitive threat Netflix has ever faced. A press release announcing the deal didn't offer any real details beyond a third quarter launch date and plans for multiplatform device support. A website setup to promote the new venture doesn't add any new information. 

Since then, executives from Redbox and their parent company Coinstar have dropped some hints to FastCompany. While they seem to suggest the exact details haven't been worked out yet, it appears the Redbox component may be fairly limited. Coinstar CFO and interim Redbox CEO Scott Di Valerio explained:

The way I would say it is that rental nights or 'Nights at the Kiosk' will be a kind of center point. And what do we have in our kiosks? Standard [DVDs], Blu-ray, and video games.

LG and Verizon partner up for FiOS TV

LG announced a partnership with Verizon this morning that will bring 26 live channels to its smart TVs and blu-ray players through an app called FiOS TV. It hasn't been announced what specific channels are available yet, but customers will be able to access them directly through the TV without the need for extra hardware, like a cable box. Verizon's also offering access to its Flex View on-demand service, which features more than 10,000 available titles. Unfortunately, you'll have to be a FiOS subscriber to take advantage of this offering, so I'm not exactly sure what the benefit is here. If you're paying for FiOS, you already have the requisite hardware and access to this content (unless these channels are exclusive to the FiOS TV app). Still, it's another example of the rapidly increasing options for accessing content from your cable provider outside the traditional means. This app will launch sometime in 2012, but there aren't any more specific details available at the moment.

Sprint's flagship ICS and LTE device

The talk of the show so far has been lumped into two categories: LTE and ICS.  Yes indeed, Ice Cream Sandwich and Long Term Evolution are the buzz words and on top of that, the announcement earlier that Sprint will have the Galaxy Nexus very soon has myself and all of us here giddy with excitement.  So when David Owens, VP of Product at Sprint took the stage at the Engadget booth, all ears were tuned in to hear about one of the Now Network's inaugural entries into the world of LTE sometime in the first half of 2012. As was expected, the exterior of both the Verizon and Sprint phones are nearly twins, with differences only found in the branding and the inclusion of Google Wallet, not to mention the exclusion of pre-loaded bloatware, on Sprint's version. Kind of wishing I had held out for the Sprint version, but what are you going to do.  More on this when I get some hand on time with the device.

Verizon to release two 'global ready' LTE hotspots

Verizon Wireless is releasing a pair of worldwide mobile hotspots from ZTE and Novatel Wireless, both called the Jetpack. Not confusing at all, eh? At any rate, the Novatel-sourced MiFi 4620L is the larger of the two (3.76- x 2.36- x 0.53-inches; shown after the break), supporting quad-band EDGE and HSPA technology. It's capable of sharing 4G LTE and 3G with up to ten WiFi-enabled devices, and it also touts an OLED display that allows customers to scroll through menu options, check security settings, view battery life and manage connected devices at any given time. Customers in the US can expect download rates between 5Mbps and 12Mbps when located in an LTE zone, and the "global" aspect allows 'em to enjoy wireless data service in more than 205 countries, including more than 125 with 3G speeds (for a princely sum, naturally). Over on the ZTE side, the cube-styled EuFi890 (3.49- x 3.49- x 0.70-inches; pictured after the break) also offers an OLED display, and there's an interactive keypad to help manage connections and settings and to display data usage alerts. Regrettably, we've no pricing details to share, but the new LTE duo should hit VZW stores "in the coming weeks."

Galaxy Nexus Officially on Sprint

Ads leaked out last week, but now Sprint's officially taken the cover off of the LTE-capable Samsung Galaxy Nexus. Unlike Verizon's model, Sprint is highlighting the Galaxy Nexus' NFC capabilities and Google Wallet software. There's no mention on whether the processor has indeed been bumped to 1.5GHz as we saw earlier, but we do know that the storage space has unfortunately been cut to 16GB. Other than that, it looks like the Sprint Galaxy Nexus could be the closest to Google's vision of what the device should be. There's still no word on when this device will be available, but we expect it'll be available when Sprint's LTE network goes live later this year.

Verizon confirms that LTE services fully restored

Several hours after service issues were first reported this morning, Verizon Wireless has confirmed that 4G LTE service has been restored throughout the country, and that 3G CDMA services were never affected. So that miserable half-day of reliving the pain of 3G speeds is now behind us, hopefully never to return.

Google Wallet can be downloaded on Galaxy Nexus

Well it didn't take too long for the hacker teams to sidestep the red menace known as Verizon wireless, and create a downloadable version of Google Wallet for the Galaxy Nexus. There are still some bugs, but reports are coming in that the app does function. So if you can't wait for the legal dispute to end, hop over to XDA-Developers and grab the app.

It is official! The Samsung Galaxy Nexus on sale December 15 on Verizon Wireless for $299.99

Finally, it is official! Verizon has put an end to all the speculation and announced the release date and price for the LTE-capable, Ice Cream Sandwich-equipped Galaxy Nexus. It launches tomorrow, December 15th, and will cost $299.99 with a two-year contract.

Droid RAZR White to launch tomorrow. Still no Galaxy Nexus

It's what you've all been waiting for...well not really.  The White Motorola Droid RAZR will be available for purchase tomorrow, December 15th, online and in Verizon stores for $299.99 on contract, and as before, Verizon will be offering $100 off the purchase of a Droid Xyboard if you get the two devices as a combo. Want some bad news? Verizon still hasn't announced availability of the Galaxy Nexus, widely speculated (most recently) to be launching tomorrow as well. There are any number of possibilities here; Verizon could've pushed the Galaxy Nexus to make room for the Droid RAZR, or the Galaxy Nexus could still be launching at the same time although it's awfully strange that there wouldn't be any press release on the wires for it at this point. We'll keep you updated as more develops.

Galaxy Nexus being sold early at Best Buy and certain Verizon stores. (UPDATE: Confirmed!)

After all the false promises from Samsung we'd heard that many Verizon, Best Buy, and Radio Shack locations already had the elusive LTE Samsung Galaxy Nexus in stock, and it was inevitable that consumers would do their best to try to buy it ahead of the scheduled launch date — currently rumored to be December 15th. Today, some lucky individuals were able to do just that. Droid Life has posted images from a reader that claims to have picked up a unit from a Verizon retail store, while Google+ user Dave Fayram bought his new phone at a Best Buy. There appears to have been some confusion at Best Buy locations today, confirming that they were a go for sales this morning. Other locations continued to state that the device was not yet released and would simply be available "soon."

The phone was priced at $299.99 on-contract as expected, and screenshots indicate it comes with at least three different Verizon apps pre-loaded: the My Verizon Mobile account management tool, Verizon Login, and VZ Backup Assistant (of course, thanks to Ice Cream Sandwich, all three can be easily disabled). With the Red Menace still refusing to make an official announcement, no doubt many more will try to "encourage" retail employees to sell the phone early. If you're so inclined, please be aware that Verizon doesn't take pre-launch sales lightly when it comes to employees and retailers, so if you're denied it's better to commiserate with your local representatives than berate them. While we'd like to say an official launch date will be announced soon, unfortunately neither Verizon nor its retail partners are offering any new information at this time.

Update on Monday, December 12, 2011 at 10:25AM by Dustin Turley

Confirmed!  Just called four different Radio Shacks in the San Diego area and they have the Galaxy Nexus in stock and all sales representatives say the units will be for sale "very soon"

Galaxy Nexus arrives for Verizon on December 9th

We have all been impatiently awaiting its arrival, but fear not Android fans, the Verizon version of the Galaxy Nexus is almost here... or so we've been told. A tipster sent in a shot to Engadget of an internal VZW email outlining the next few weeks of launches and in-store displays.  The largest amongst those is the December 8th arrival of banners, signs and other marketing materials for the world's first Ice Cream Sandwich handset. Engadget reports that posters and all the relevant merchandise  will be rolled out after close of business and the Nexus will officially go on sale December 9th. So lets rejoice...and hope the other carriers that we actually want the phone on, will closely follow suit.

The Motorola RAZR is back

Just over 24 hours before the Google event, the new Motorola phone is leaked.  And it has the iconic name we all remember.  So what we see above is an uber-thin Verizon LTE device with kevlar backing and a Droid X-style hump on the top, a rear camera (presumably 8MP) with 1080p HD video capture, a front-facing cam, a standard set of four capacitive touch buttons and a redesigned Droid eye.  Let's wait for tomorrow's event and see what we see.  Maybe the Xoom 2 tablet??  Only time will tell.

Samsung/Google Phone: Price Check on Aisle 19!

Alas, not even 48 hours away from the giant Google/Samsung announcement in Hong Kong on the 19 of this month, an intersting Verizon picture has surfaced.

A MAP, or Minimum Advertised Price, is shown for the Samsung Galaxy Nexus (AKA Nexus Prime) at $300. Verizon customers: This is simply a mock up, and is not official, but makes perfect sense to compete directly against Apple's iPhone 4S. Note this is the price for a new two year activation as well. Also note that the HTC Rezound (AKA HTC Vigor) is marked for the same period of time, and the same price. Many speculated that the Galaxy Nexus was to be a Verizon only phone, with the HTC Rezound being used on the AT&T and possible the Sprint networks. But with this new piece of information, we may see that Verizon will offer both!

iPhone 4S Pre-Orders exceed 1 million

Last year's iPhone 4 launch brought more than 600,000 pre-orders within the first 24 hours. This year, that number nearly doubled, topping one million within one day of the device's pre-order availability through AT&T, Sprint and Verizon. Those that haven't pre-ordered the iPhone 4S can line up at Apple stores beginning at 8 a.m. on October 14th, or you can try your luck at pre-ordering now, though you may need to wait an extra week or two to get your hands on Apple's new iOS smartphone. Jump past the break for Apple's PR.

Motorola Droid Bionic Announced

Kind of overshadowed by its sister phone, the Atrix, the bionic has not had the best amount of press, but it is here now — and Motorola and Verizon have turned it into a seriously high-end device. It’s the first dual-core 4G LTE phone, with a 1GHz TI OMAP processor, a 4.3-inch qHD display, and an 8-megapixel camera with 1080p video recording. It’s also been given the same Webtop browser-based computing environment as the Atrix and Photon, with its own versions of the laptop-like Lapdock, HD dock, and desktop docks, as well as the tiny new $30 Webtop adapter, which lets you use the phone as a keyboard and trackpad while running Webtop on a larger display. All those specs come at a price, though — it’ll go on sale tomorrow for $299.