The HTC 10, a phone that is by all means one of the best Android phones of the year and HTC’s best by a mile in about four, has been axed from T-Mobile’s line-up after just two months. At least, that’s what we are left to believe after the phone disappeared from T-Mobile’s site back in July and never returned. 
In July, when the absence of the phone was pointed out by reddit users who were also told the phone was no longer for sale, T-Mobile said to Tmonews that it would be back and the missing listing was just a glitch. Except, the phone is still gone and stores seem to be running out of inventory, according to Android Police, with no plans to re-stock. The store listing for the HTC 10 on T-Mobile’s site is also now redirecting to a generic HTC page instead of the HTC 10, as if T-Mobile is scrubbing all history of the phone.
A flagship phone like this being booted after just two months is sort of unheard of. The Amazon Fire Phone and Blackberry Priv seem to have lasted longer than that in the industry, and those phones are bonafide flops. But this move is also a terrible sign for HTC because AT&T didn’t even carry the phone at any time. At this point, Verizon and Sprint still sell the 10, though it has shifted to Verizon’s 2nd page, below the lowly HTC Desire 530 and last year’s DROID phones.
What does this mean for HTC? Probably not much new. HTC has been struggling for years and even though the HTC 10 is a really good phone, it was never setup for success. Again, AT&T didn’t want anything to do with it out of the gate and they are the second largest US carrier. HTC also has what appears to be zero marketing budget, priced the phone at a ridiculous $700 off contract, and the company is more interested in virtual reality these days than smartphones.

Sprint Reportedly Considering Merger With T-Mobile

Sprint is mulling a potential bid for rival wireless carrier T-Mobile, according to a new report.
The report comes from The Wall Street Journal, citing "people familiar with the matter." According the Journal, the company is "studying regulatory concerns" and it could be prepared to make an offer as soon as the first half of 2014.

A Sprint/T-Mobile merger would pair the United States's third and fourth largest carriers into an entity that could better compete against the two largest carriers, AT&T and Verizon. A Sprint/T-Mobile merger is something Sprint executives have sought for many years. Over the last year, in the wake of the failed AT&T/T-Mobile merger, executives from both companies have gone on record arguing that a merger should be allowed.
Even before the aborted AT&T/T-Mobile merger, Sprint has expressed interest in a partnership with T-Mobile. A source close to T-Mobile told Mashable, and other outlets have reported, that Sprint had discussed a soft-bid for T-Mobile in late 2010. After AT&T bid $39 billion on T-Mobile in early 2011, Sprint filed a federal lawsuit against both companies in an effort to stop the deal. Ultimately, the Department of Justice filed an antitrust lawsuit against the merger, forcing AT&T to pull of the deal.
Regulators were very clear that an AT&T/T-Mobile partnership "would substantially lessen competition for mobile wireless telecommunications services across the United States." The question then becomes, would a Sprint/T-Mobile merger have that same impact?
The argument from Sprint and T-Mobile executives has been that the two companies should be able to merge because only then do they have a chance to compete against the behemoths that are AT&T and Verizon. Sprint and T-Mobile's combined subscriber base is 53 million users. That's substantial, until you consider that AT&T has nearly 110 million subscribers and Verizon has almost 120 million subscribers. In other words, a combined T-Mobile/Sprint is still only half the size of one of the other players.
It's also possible that the climate over mergers could have changed in just two years. A November report from The Wall Street Journal noted that the Department of Justice's approval of the American Airlines/U.S. Airways merger opened the door for a similar merger in the telecom space.
Still, any merger of this size — especially in a space that is experiencing as much change and as much movement as wireless — will be difficult to achieve.

Police Made 1.1 Million Data Requests to Cellphone Carriers in 2012

After the summer's string of revelations about NSA surveillance, companies like Google, Facebook and Microsoft have united in protest, published transparency reports and asked for permission to reveal even more information.
Cellphone companies like Verizon or AT&T have thus far remained silent when it comes to NSA. Major carriers are, however, now revealing that they received 1.1 million data requests from local law enforcement agencies in 2012, including requests for location data, text messages, browsing history and call logs.
The data, which does not include NSA or national security-related investigations, was revealed on Monday by the seven major U.S. cellphone carriers, answering a series of questions posed by Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.). Their answers open a small window into how AT&T, Verizon, Sprint, T-Mobile and others collaborate with police across the country.
The 1.1 million number refers to the number of requests the companies received, not necessarily how many they responded to. AT&T, however, reported that it denied only 1,300 out of a total of 297,500 requests, while Verizon said it "does not track" whether they provided the requested data or not.
By comparison, in 2011, based on numbers also reported at Markey's behest, carriers received 1.3 million data requests. But that number isn't directly comparable to this year's total, since Sprint refused to reveal data this time around, arguing that its systems make it impossible to reveal such a number.
The telecoms also reported 9,000 so-called "cellphone towers dumps," where cops ask for all phone numbers that connected to one or more towers at certain times, which could affect hundreds of thousands of phone numbers, revealing customers' precise locations at a certain point in time.
As it turns out, one in four law enforcement agencies have used cell tower dumps, according to a report published on Sunday by USA Today.
The carriers' reports also revealed that not all companies require warrants when releasing customer data.
For example, AT&T doesn't require a warrant when releasing historical (i.e., not real-time) cellphone location data, only a simple court order. And the content of text messages older than 180 days is released by AT&T with a court order or a subpoena. Verizon requires a signed court order or a search warrant for historical data, but doesn't provide real-time location data at all, and it always requires a warrant for the content of texts.
"If the police want to know where you are, we should know why,” said Markey in a statement. "When law enforcement access location information, it's as sensitive and personal as searching an individual’s home and should be treated commensurately."
For Markey, these numbers and the carriers' varying practices are cause for concern, and they underscore the need for privacy reforms.
"As law enforcement uses new technology to protect the public from harm, we also must protect the information of innocent Americans from misuse," Markey said in a statement. "We need a 4th Amendment for the 21st century. Disclosure of personal information from wireless devices raises significant legal and privacy concerns, particularly for innocent consumers." Markey also announced he plans to introduce his own legislation to add warrant requirements to such data requests.
During the last year, Montana and Maine were the first states to make warrants a requirement when cops request cellphone location, and the New Jersey Supreme Court ruled along the same lines as well.
The USA Today investigation also revealed that 25 police departments own Stingray devices, machines the size of a suitcase that act as cell towers and can surreptitiously track cellphone users' locations and intercept conversations by tricking cellphones into connecting to them.
36 more police departments, however, declined to disclose if they've ever used Stingrays, or if they have ever requested cellphone tower dumps.
Both Stingrays and cell tower dumps are criticized by privacy advocates for their wide reach. To target one or a few suspects, critics say, police end up gathering information on thousands of unrelated customers. Stingrays, which are also called IMSI catchers, intercept data from all phones within a mile, according to USA Today.
Privacy and digital liberties advocates have also pointed out that the use of these devices is often secret, and there's no clear regulation limiting their use.
Markey's inquiry also revealed how much the U.S. law enforcement agencies have paid carriers for their surveillance requests. AT&T received a $10 million reimbursement, T-Mobile got $11 million, and Verizon was paid slightly less than $5 million.
Finally, the companies' practices differ also in how long they retain these types of data — which determines how far back in time cops can go. Most retain data for six to 18 months, but AT&T keeps data for up to five years.

T-Mobile 2013: The Comeback Carrier

What a difference a few years make. Two years ago, T-Mobile was cast adrift in the wake of its botched merger with AT&T. At the time, the wireless carrier didn't appear to have any kind of plan B when the deal fell through, which executives confirmed.
Things didn't look good for T-Mobile in 2011: The company had a reputation for being a value-driven carrier fueled by the easy — but fleeting — money of prepaid customers, but it was hemorrhaging subscribers. Its contracts were relatively cheap, but T-Mobile's network didn't match the reliability of its competitors' offerings (it didn't even have LTE). It also wasn't able to sell the most popular smartphone on the planet: the iPhone.
The picture today is entirely different. Armed with new spectrum and cash it gained from the failed merger, T-Mobile picked up the pieces, and put together a good plan for recovery. It committed to rolling out an LTE network. It hired a new, outspoken CEO with a plan to upend wireless industry orthodoxy.

And yes, T-Mobile finally nabbed the iPhone.

And yes, T-Mobile finally nabbed the iPhone. "It's undeniable that all these things they've been doing to attract attention and land customers have been paying off," said Gartner analyst Bill Menezes. "Whether it's sustainable in the long-term remains to be seen, but 2013 is the year that, among the carriers, they took the pennant."
Customers have responded. The last two financial quarters have been favorable for T-Mobile, which is finally gaining subscribers again. Its May acquisition of MetroPCS, whose spectrum assets are now being integrated, will give its network a needed boost.

The Power of Mind Share

More importantly, T-Mobile now has good buzz and real mind share. This year, CEO John Legere led the carrier through a trio of status-quo-shaking changes. First, it abolished traditional wireless contracts in favor of equipment installment plans. Next, T-Mobile targeted influencers by introducing a way for customers to upgrade their phones much earlier than the usual two-year period. Finally, it shot down another pet peeve of smartphone owners: international roaming fees.
With these moves, T-Mobile labeled itself the "Un-carrier" since these are all customer pain points that are also considered sacred cows of the wireless industry. At events, Legere gleefully flogs his larger, more established competitors for clinging to customer-unfriendly policies, often with mild profanity. In public, he frequently wears jeans, t-shirts and leather jackets.
"They made it easy for people to buy their product," Menezes said. "This whole 'Un-carrier' strategy said, 'If you're willing to take a chance on us, we're going to make it easy for you to leave if you don't like it.' That's clearly resonated with a lot of people."
Legere sees himself as a rebel — a David among wireless Goliaths — but under his leadership, T-Mobile has put its money where Legere's mouth is. When he publicly promised T-Mobile would deploy LTE in New York City by summer 2013 (which wasn't part of the original rollout plans), his people delivered.
Now, with MetroPCS' spectrum added to the mix, T-Mobile's LTE network may soon outpace those of its rivals in some key areas. The fact that it already has a fairly speedy "4G" network based on HSPA+ helps, too. When you fall outside LTE coverage on T-Mobile, there's a good chance that you still have a fast connection, whereas on Verizon, AT&T and Sprint, the drop-off is steeper.

Interference Ahead

How often those drop-offs happen, though, has traditionally been one of T-Mobile's key struggles. Acquiring MetroPCS gave T-Mobile a healthy helping of customers (about 9 million at the time of the merger; T-Mobile now has 45 million total), but those customers are largely in areas that T-Mobile already serve. The acquisition will likely do little to expand the carrier's coverage map.

"The old expression about T-Mobile was once you leave the Interstate, chances are you're going to be roaming,"

"The old expression about T-Mobile was once you leave the Interstate, chances are you're going to be roaming," Menezes said. "The issue with T-Mobile has always been the scope of their coverage, and they're trying to address that, but they're still not quite there. If you look at the spectrum they acquired, it really focuses on larger markets." The biggest hurdle T-Mobile faces on its road to becoming a "big" carrier is its limited appeal to corporate customers, Menezes said. T-Mobile isn't like Verizon or AT&T, which have existing landline networks with big subscriber bases, and has struggled to build corporate customers willing to take a risk on the nation's fourth-place carrier.
Although T-Mobile's Un-carrier moves target consumers, one of them is of interest to corporations: cheap international roaming. While big corporations, with tens of thousands of lines, will probably be out of T-Mobile's reach for awhile, the promise of a more nimble traveling workforce is attractive to plenty of smaller and medium-size businesses — especially those who have all but abandoned landlines.

Can T-Mobile Really Change Wireless?

Judging from Legere's attitude and the company's recent financial success, T-Mobile is doing exactly what it set out to do with its Un-carrier approach: change the wireless industry as we know it.
Reality check: The carrier is in fourth place, and it's taking these risks precisely because it's the underdog, with much less to lose than the larger carriers. In truth, T-Mobile is going to need a long, steady trend of good results before the wireless industry breaks apart, and all two-year contracts fall into the chasm.
"It's still a peanut of a company," said industry analyst Jeff Kagan. "It's not an industry-changing company. Transforming the industry is a big job — too big for a little company to do. This little company is going to have to grow and become a bigger company before it has the power to even attempt to transform the industry."
Kagan's comments ring true, but you can't look at what T-Mobile's been doing over the past year — and how customers have responded — and not think it's onto something. It's hard to dismiss the "Un-carrier" label as just marketing when the company walks the walk: Wireless contracts are universally hated, so it killed them. Lots of people want to upgrade often, so it made that easier. No one likes roaming fees while traveling, so it took care of that, too. Want an iPhone? What color?
The question now becomes: Can it keep going? How many more Un-carrier ideas does it have? And do enough customers care for it to make a difference? What T-Mobile does in 2014 will answer those questions, and whether or not its fresh, populist approach will become the new norm or a wrong number.