Latest phones and cell review

The United States Court for the District of Delaware today ordered high-ranking company officials with decision-making power from both Apple and HTC to meet in Delaware to discuss a potential settlement to the patent litigation between the companies. Apple won a U.S. International Trade Commission exclusion order over HTC in late 2011 regarding a single smartphone patent related to data tapping. This week, shipments of new HTC smartphones were halted at customs while they are checked for compliance with the order. The hold up at customs has forced Sprint to delay the launch of its 2012 flagship smartphone, the HTC EVO 4G LTE. The talks, which will be moderated by Magistrate Judge Sherry R. Fallon, are scheduled to take place August 28. It's not clear which managers from the companies will attend. Separately, Apple and Samsung are scheduled to meet Monday and Tuesday, May 21 and 22 to discuss settling their own patent suits.

AT&T's LTE 4G network has grown by a few more markets during the course of the last few weeks. AT&T today announced that LTE is now available in New Orleans, the New Orleans metro area, and Baton Rouge, La., though LTE has been available in New Orleans since earlier this month. Other markets that have access to LTE include Naples, Fla., and a wide range of Chicago's southern suburbs, including Hickory Hills, Palos Heights, Alsip, Country Club Hills, Oak Lawn, and Evergreen Park. Chicago proper has had access to LTE since September 2011.

AT&T Mobility CEO Ralph de la Vega told investors at the JPMorgan Global Technology, Media and Telecom Conference today that the company is doing what it can to offer devices with low subsidies. "We have to watch subsidies and make sure that we bring devices to market that customers love and will keep and have low subsidies," he said. In the U.S., wireless network operators often subsidize the cost of handsets for customers who sign new contracts. Customers are then able to afford a decent device, and the carrier recoups the subsidy over the life of the contract. de la Vega cited the Nokia Lumia 900 and HTC One X as good examples of devices with low subsidy points. "These are great devices that I think customers will like," de la Vega said. The full retail price of the Lumia 900, for example, is $449. AT&T sells it for $99, meaning it subsidizes $350 of the device cost. The iPhone 4S, however, costs $649 at full retail (16GB version). AT&T sells it for $199, meaning it subsidizes $450 of the device cost. Keeping device subsidies low will help AT&T reduce its margins and other costs. de la Vega also reiterated that the company is working to offer shared data plans later this year, which he believes will help increase sales of tablets.

MetroPCS CFO Braxton Carter said that were Apple to bring an LTE-equipped version of the iPhone to market, MetroPCS would allow it to access its LTE network. Network access would only be given to unlocked LTE iPhones, not those on contract. Apple only recently began allowing iPhone owners to unlock older devices that aren't under contract. "If you have LTE iPhones out there, it could be an opportunity in the future," Carter said today at the JPMorgan Global Technology, Media and Telecom Conference. Carter also noted that the company expects to finish building its LTE network on top of its existing CDMA footprint by the end of the third quarter, though he admitted that the company is having a hard time transitioning customers to the faster network due to the lack of inexpensive LTE phones. "We're in a transition period right now as we wait for low-cost LTE handsets," Carter said. Its current lineup of LTE phones range in price between $250 and $330, but it hopes to bring LTE phones to market next year below the $150 price point. Carter said MetroPCS will only offer a couple of feature phones in 2013, and hopes that 95% of its device portfolio will be LTE-enabled by the end of 2013.

T-Mobile USA today announced a new set of mobile broadband plans that will be available free of annual contracts. The plans include several options for users of mobile hotspots, laptop sticks, and tablets. T-Mobile is offering access to 300MB of data for a period of one week for $15. Customers can also choose access to 1.5GB of data for a period of one month for $25; 3.5GB for a month for $35; or 5GB for a month for $50. The new options will be available starting May 20.