Today is full of interesting carrier news, with Verizon being especially fond of the stage light. We also have some Sprint news, though (like it matters)!
Verizon straight up buying AOL
Verizon sure is a force to be reckoned with. Big Red is the strongest carrier in the USA and now they are posed to become one of the largest forces online. Verizon Wireless has just announced they have reached a deal to acquire AOL for $4.4 billion USD, which would equal to $50 a share.
This is a huge move by Verizon as they try to become a leader in the wireless industry, technology, the IoT, video platforms and advertising. It’s also important to note this acquisition includes large websites like The Huffington Post, Egadget, TechCrunch and, of course, AOL.com. The deal is expected to finalize this summer.
“Verizon’s vision is to provide customers with a premium digital experience based on a global multiscreen network platform. This acquisition supports our strategy to provide a cross-screen connection for consumers, creators and advertisers to deliver that premium customer experience.” -Lowell McAdam, Verizon chairman and CEO
Opinion: Verizon buying AOL. Sounds weird… right? I don’t know how to feel about it just yet. What do you guys think about this? Also, will tech sites owned by AOL be able to stay neutral? We should hope so.
Verizon and Sprint paying $158 million in cramming fees
Verizon and Sprint have been found guilty of cramming, which will result in a combined $158 million to settle investigations. If this sounds like a big deal it’s because it really is. Let’s start off by telling you what cramming is.
You have seen those silly text subscriptions for horoscopes, celebrity news and the like, right? Well, these often cost money. The bad news is that often users don’t even authorize these services, which will definitely make for some unhappy customers.
And so the story unfolds and now Verizon needs to pay $90 million, while Sprint is paying $68 million. Most of this money will go towards refunding users for unfair charges. Moving forward, these companies are no longer allowed to charge for unauthorized premium text messaging services.
Opinion: Things can get so wild in the mobile world. I mean, how did they get away with charging fees for something users never authorized? Thankfully, it has all been worked out.
iPad Mini 4, Sony Xperia Z4, LG G Pad X 8.3 and HTC Desire 562 coming to Verizon
Looking for a new device to get on Verizon? Professional leakster Evan Blass made a quick return to the scene only to tell us of a few devices he swears are on their way to Verizon. These would be the iPad Mini 4, Sony Xperia Z4, LG G Pad X 8.3 and HTC Desire 526.
Opinion: The interesting thing here is that three of this devices haven’t been announced yet. We also don’t know when these are coming to Verizon, so we can’t exactly say if these will be announced soon or not. The only announced device is the Sony Xperia Z4, but it’s also nice to see Verizon getting it, as Big Red is not very well known for bringing Sony devices on time.
Coming to Verizon: iPad mini 4, Xperia Z4, GPad X 8.3, Desire 526
— Evan Blass (@evleaks) May 12, 2015
