Author: Dan Graziano

With its I/O Developers Conference in full swing on Wednesday, Google took the wraps off its redesign of Google Maps for mobile devices. As revealed in an earlier leak, Google Maps has been updated with a brand new layout, new search features and new ways to highlight the “things that matter most.” The latest version of Google Maps for mobile devices is fully integrated with Zagat restaurant ratings, Google Offers and includes enhanced navigation with real-time updates for accidents. The update will hit the iPhone, iPad and Android devices this summer. Google also redesigned the Maps user interface on the Web to better match up with the company’s mobile offering.

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Verizon CFO Fran Shammo revealed on Tuesday that one-third of the carrier’s postpaid customers are now on one of its Share Everything plans, Fierce Wireless reported. The executive said that adoption of the plans has been better than expected and he believes they will continue to contribute to Verizon’s growth. The number is an increase from last month when the company estimated that 30% of its postpaid subscribers were using a shared data plan. Shammo noted that customers on one of Verizon’s Share Everything plans generally use more devices such as a hotspot or tablet, which in turn will use more data and generate more revenue. The executive said that Verizon has no plans to change its current pricing strategy in the wake of T-Mobile’s new UnCarrier intuitive, although he said the carrier may give customers “more options to buy a phone,” likely referring to T-Mobile’s new smartphone installment plans.

BlackBerry CEO Thorsten Heins announced on Tuesday at the BlackBerry Live event in Orlando, Florida that the company’s BlackBerry World storefront is now home to 120,000 applications, including both native BlackBerry 10 apps and ported Android apps. The platform continues to see steady growth, having recently added 20,000 applications in less than two months. BlackBerry 10 still suffers when it comes to the quality of apps, however. Earlier reports claimed that ported Android apps made up more than 20% of BlackBerry World’s offerings, while others were found to be low quality web apps. Popular apps such as Instagram and Netflix are still nowhere to be found. In fact, BlackBerry 10 only offers 34% of the most popular apps found on Android and iOS.

The Windows Phone platform is in serious need of high-quality applications. Microsoft recently announced that its Windows Phone app store is home to nearly 150,000 applications, however the operating system is still lacking fan favorites such as Instagram, Dropbox and HBO GO. Windows Phone devices released by Nokia and HTC have been well received by critics, but most reviews share one common complaint — not enough good apps. Vesa Jutila, Nokia’s global head of smartphone marketing, admitted in an interview with Engadget that “the biggest complaint is that customers are missing the apps they want.” The executive noted that there were some significant gaps in the marketplace, although he claims Nokia is “addressing this very strongly” with help from Microsoft.

Earlier this year, Google began a trial program to allow select Android developers the opportunity to respond to their critics on the Play Store. The company announced on Monday that the ability to reply to app reviews has now been expanded to all Google Play developers. Ellie Powers of the Google Play team notes that ever since connecting Play Store reviews with Google+ profiles, the quality of reviews has “increased tremendously.” There are still some times when a customer is left unsatisfied, however, and allowing a developer to respond to feedback will only make for a better application.

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When T-Mobile finally began offering Apple’s iPhone 5 last month it did so in dramatic fashion, undercutting AT&T by $70. The iPhone 5 could be had for a down payment of $99 with monthly payments of $20 for 24 months, totaling a competitive $579.99. The launch price was only part of a one-month promotional offer, however. According to a leaked document obtained by TmoNews, a 16GB iPhone 5 will now require a down payment of $149, totaling $629 after 24 months. T-Mobile would later confirm the report. Both the 32GB and 64GB models are also set to see down payment increases to $249 and $349, respectively, and monthly payments for all three models will remain unchanged at $20 per month.

Wireless carriers in the United States and around the world are continuing to build out their 4G networks, however Samsung is already looking ahead to the future of mobile data. The company revealed on Monday that it has made significant breakthroughs in developing technology for fifth-generation mobile networks, The Wall Street Journal reported. Samsung was able to transmit a large amount of data at a higher frequency band, allowing it to send information at speeds that are much faster than today’s standards. The company claims the technology is “practically without limitation,” however it doesn’t expect new 5G networks to be available for several years. 

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Apple issued a software update last month to help bring unlocked iPhones to T-Mobile’s network. The update allowed unlocked GSM iPhone 5 handsets to access the carrier’s service, however some users reported experiencing slower than normal speeds on T-Mobile’s 1900MHz band. TmoNews reports that developers Joseph Brown and Sky Zangas were able to hack the carrier update and increase HSPA+ speeds to their normal levels. The update can be done to both unlocked AT&T iPhone 5 units and T-Mobile’s own iPhone 5, and it doesn’t require the device to be jailbroken. TmoNews put together step-by-step instructions that can be viewed at the link below.