Sprint has announced today that it is set to acquire 100% ownership of Clearwire in a deal worth $2.97 per share — or roughly $2.2 billion. The carrier says it plans to utilize Clearwire’s 2.5 GHz spectrum, which will be migrated to 4G LTE standards, to achieve “operational efficiencies and improved service for customers.”
Despite its lack of LTE, the Nexus 4 has been hugely popular.
Google’s new Nexus 4 smartphone has been a hugely popular handset since making its debut back in November, but supply issues have somewhat spoiled what should have been a successful launch. When the handset is made available through Google Play, it doesn’t take long for stock to disappear again, and those who do get an order in on time are forced to wait weeks for their device to arrive.
Dan Cobley, managing director of Google U.K. & Ireland, says the “scarce” supplies from LG are “unacceptable.” He’s issued an “unreserved apology” to Nexus 4 customers, but says Google hopes to fulfill “pre-Christmas” delivery promises by sending out a new batch of handsets this week.
The United Kingdom is a little late to 4G — just a few months ago, 4G networks didn’t exist. Now it has one, EE, which is quickly trying to expand its 4G coverage across the country. It began its rollout in 11 major cities, and the company has announced today that it will be reaching an additional 17 by March 2013.
HTC has added another smartphone to its One family this morning, this time catering to those with a taste for mid-range devices that don’t break the bank. It’s called the One SV, and it’s headed to EE — the United Kingdom’s first and only 4G carrier — with 4G connectivity in the coming weeks.
While Sony’s latest crop of Xperia smartphones haven’t exactly been terrible, none of them really stand out up against devices like the Samsung Galaxy S III and Galaxy Note II, and the HTC One X and Droid DNA. Despite this, the Japanese company has been able to cement itself in second place when it comes to Android market share — sitting right beneath Samsung.
Rumor has it that Sony’s now looking to take advantage of that position with a new flagship “Xperia 6” handset for 2013. In addition to a 6-inch 1080p display, the device is expected to offer a 13-megapixel camera, 3GB of RAM, and a sizable 3,500 mAh battery. What’s more, it won’t be the only new handset from Sony in early 2013.
