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2
Jul

Nexus 6 price plummets to £304 in the UK


A couple of weeks ago, Motorola slashed the prices of its top handsets in the UK as part of another of its temporary sales. If the opportunity to pick up a heavily discounted Moto X or Nexus 6 passed you by, we’ve got a couple of reasons you needn’t feel too dejected. Firstly, there’s rumblings of new hardware on the horizon, so that Moto X you could’ve snagged on the cheap mightn’t be as fresh as you’d like in the near future. If the Nexus 6 is more your bag, however, then we’ve got even better news. The official price of the Motorola-made handset has just hit an all-time low in the Google Store: the 32GB model is now only £304, and the 64GB version an equally reasonable £379.

That’s a serious saving over the £479 and £549 asking prices, respectively, on Motorola’s site; in fact, it’s even significantly cheaper than the £399 / £469 price tags Motorola was able to boast during its recent two-week sale (might be time to look into a refund?). Since there’s been no official communication of the Google Store price cut, we’ve reached out to the big G asking whether this is a temporary deal or a permanent fixture. Still, the fact remains you can grab a Nexus 6 from £304 right now, so it might be worth raiding your piggy bank if you’re interested. You know, just in case stock levels take a turn for the worse.

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Google

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Source: Google Store

2
Jul

Xiaomi sales hit record high but miss ambitious target


Xiaomi has announced that it sold 34.7 million smartphones in the first half of 2015. Since it’s already July, though, it’s safe to say that the company will have to think of something exceptional to reach its target number for the year: CEO Lei Jun proclaimed long ago that he and his team aim to sell 100 million phones. Still, 34.7 million is quite impressive, seeing as it represents phones sold to customers and not devices “shipped” to retailers — not to mention, there’s been a shipment decline in China recently. It’s also still 33 percent more than what the company sold within the same period last year.

That means Xiaomi might eclipse its own record in 2014 — it sold 61.1 million smartphones — which made it one of the biggest phone manufacturers in the world. It didn’t give a breakdown of its sales, but it did say that it’s sold 10 million each of Mi 2, Mi 3, Redmi, Redmi Note, Mi 4 and Redmi 2, thus far. Around 70 percent of its first half figure came from sales through its Mi.com website, by the way, making it one of the largest e-commerce companies in China, as well. The Beijing-based phonemaker is already active in Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, Philippines, India and Indonesia in addition to China, but it plans to expand to other locations in the future.

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile

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2
Jul

Yahoo begins testing search partnership with Google


Now that Yahoo and Microsoft are not exclusive anymore — when it comes to search, that is — they can both work with other companies. In fact, according to The New York Times, Mayer and her team have already started testing Google search ads in a small number of desktop and mobile queries. It was first discovered by SEOBook’s Aaron Wall, who alternately saw Yahoo results with Bing ads and ones with Google ads when he used different browsers. Both of them have confirmed the arrangement to NYT but wouldn’t discuss the partnership in detail. “As we work to create the absolute best experiences for Yahoo users, from time to time, we run small tests with a variety of partners including search providers,” was all the company said.

Yahoo and Microsoft revised their 10-year partnership in April: Bing used to provide Yahoo’s search results and ads exclusively. Now, the former has the right to enlist the help of other providers for up to 49 percent of its search results. The two could completely break up by October, as well, though it’s clear Yahoo’s still testing the waters before deciding. Google wanted to provide search ads for Yahoo way back in 2008, but that deal was nipped in the bud by the Justice Department. DOJ’s antitrust division believed the agreement could deny “consumers the benefits of competition,” so Google walked away. It’s unclear if they’ve already cleared things up with the agency this time, but the DOJ hasn’t issued an official statement about this potential partnership yet.

Filed under: Misc, Google

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Source: SEOBook, The New York Times

2
Jul

Dead Among Us: Get that Hawkeye feeling during a zombie apocalypse






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Zombie apocalypse games seem to be coming out left right and centre, however it’s not often that you get a zombie shooter that hands you a bow and arrow and lets you have at it. That’s basically the gist of Dead Among Us made by Rolocule Games, a first-person shooter that boasts “one-hand controls” for an almost leisurely massacre of zombie hordes. Check out how this plays in the trailer below:

Dead Among s looks to be made quite well, especially if you’re looking for a casual mobile game that still has an aspect of action to it. If you’re wondering how much replayability there is, Rolocule Games has jampacked more than 95 quests into the game which span its different game modes like regular quests, as well as challenges and star quests. It also features Google Play Games integration as well so you can track and save your progress. If that sounds like your cup of tea, you can download Dead Among Us for free (though there are in-app purchases in the game); hit the link below to go to the Play Store page:

What are your thoughts on Dead Among Us? Let us know in the comments below.

 

Press Release

Dead Among Us rises on Play Store

Pune, India, 2nd July 2015 – Rolocule Games today announced the worldwide launch of their next Android game – Dead Among Us which is now available to download for free from the Google Play Store.


Dead Among Us introduces players to an incredible new way of playing shooters on Android devices with first of its kind, innovative single-hand controls. This addictive new first person shooter takes players on an exciting ride of killing zombies in a stunning post-apocalyptic setting across various breathtaking 3D locations.

Dead Among Us is set in a world where a deadly virus is turning humans into zombies. The player, who is a gold medalist in archery, is the only savior and is deployed on various nerve-wrecking quests. Armed with highly advanced bows and determined to save the mankind, the player faces the vicious and aggressive zombie onslaught to protect his team of humans: scientists, who are out to find an anti-virus to the infection and survivors, who are out on supply runs.

“We believe that Dead Among Us sets new gameplay standards with its single hand controls for first person shooters on mobile devices and would impact the way we imagine this genre for smartphones,” said Rohit Gupta, CEO of Rolocule Games. “Dead Among Us not only brings all the excitement of a sniper-styled shooter but also offers players with powerful story experience along with deep strategic thinking.”

The game initially has 95+ quests that are spread across different quest types like Star, Challenge and Regular quests. To give players an extra boost, it offers three power ups – Radar to quickly spot the zombies, Slow time to aim better and Kill Shot to kill powerful zombies with just one arrow. The game has multiple zombie types and locations with many more coming soon in upcoming updates.

The game also promotes social gameplay sharing, where players can record their gameplay and even provide their own voice overlays to share with their friends on various social channels. The game is linked with Google Play services and it’s leaderboard provides users the number of zombies they have killed v/s others and the number of Headshots they managed to aim for v/s others.

Pricing and Availability:
 Dead Among Us is free to download for all Android smartphones and Tablets with In-App purchases via the Google Play Store in the games category.
 The game is rated 16+ and contains frequent/Intense realistic violence.
 The game is localized in Chinese (simplified), Portuguese (Brazilian), French, German, Italian, Japanese, Russian, Spanish and English

Device Requirements:
 The game works well on all Android Smartphones and tablets
 Requires Android OS 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) and above

Official website: http://www.deadamongus.com

The post Dead Among Us: Get that Hawkeye feeling during a zombie apocalypse appeared first on AndroidSPIN.

2
Jul

Rumour: HTC’s new flagship will allegedly feature ground-breaking camera technology


HTC_One_M9_Main_TA

HTC’s recent flagship devices have often polarized opinions when it comes to discussing their cameras. While some have criticized the UltraPixel experiments, others have managed to see the positive side of things. Even the return to mainstream technology such as the Toshiba made 20MP sensor as found in the One M9 has drawn negative comments, despite HTC issuing software updates to improve the sensor’s performance. Today, it has been rumored that the Taiwanese company’s upcoming next flagship, the HTC Aero, will feature ground-breaking camera technology.

So, what is this rumored new camera technology that the HTC Aero will apparently feature in its rear sensor? Well, there isn’t much to go on at all, other than a report out of Vietnam saying that the new rear camera technology will allegedly transform HTC’s weakness into a strength, possibly featuring an aperture of f/1.9 with the ability to store images as RAW files. There may also be an improved user-interface. And that’s all we have to go on.

There’s no need to even take a pinch of salt with this rumour because it’s basically just a bag of hot air. The RAW files could be explained away by the HTC Aero simply sporting the latest version of Android. As for the alleged f/1.9 aperture, well that is hardly ground-breaking by itself because the Galaxy S6 rear camera already has a f/1.9 aperture while LG’s G4 boasts a f/1.8 aperture. Until a specific technology is mentioned, this rumour is nothing to get excited about. Oh hum.

With the HTC one M9 struggling for sales, and the Taiwanese company’s stock plummeting, HTC could certainly do with its next flagship recapturing its fan’s imagination. No one wants to see the former King of Android struggling for form, so here’s hoping that HTC can pull the rabbit out of the hat once more, and return to profitable ways. The HTC Aero is rumoured to be announced in October, just a few, short months away.

Source: HTCViet
Via: PhoneArena

Come comment on this article: Rumour: HTC’s new flagship will allegedly feature ground-breaking camera technology

2
Jul

Hands On: BlueStacks brings Android apps to Mac


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Android has a lot of games that aren’t made available on desktop software and for PC users, there’s a range of Android emulators that you can use to play these games on your computer. On Mac however, the range is a lot smaller but emulator BlueStacks has just introduced their OS X application, which lets you emulate Google’s OS on your Mac.

Using an emulator can be about more than just gaming on your laptop as it provides access to applications that aren’t compatible with desktop platforms. For example, one of the biggest applications on Android – Instagram – isn’t compatible with any desktop OS but running an Android emulator lets you use Instagram from your computer. Big gaming fan? Well, Clash of Clans (like plenty of other mobile games) isn’t available on PC or Mac but an emulator will let you play games with ease and in many cases, you can sync your app data from your Android phone to your computer.

We’ve already compared Andyroid and BlueStacks on PC but how does BlueStacks’ Mac application stack up? How easy is it to set up? I’ve been running BlueStacks on my Mac and here’s my thoughts:

Initial set up

Installing BlueStacks is as simple as downloading the application from the BlueStacks website, opening the DMG file and opening the installer. It takes a minute or two to install (but this will vary widely depending on the specs of your Mac) and once done, it loads up the BlueStacks ‘homepage’.

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Unlike other Android emulators, BlueStacks doesn’t let you use the traditional Android home screen (although this is supposedly possible with root access).  The home page is an app store showing recommended applications that have been tested to work with BlueStacks and while most work, some sadly do not. The first time you try install an application, there’s two further initial setup steps you need to do; first you need to sign in with your Google account to access the Play Store and then you need to sign in all over again to enable App Sync.

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While this does add a minute or two to your setup time, you thankfully only need to do this the once.

Apps, apps, apps

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As mentioned, the BlueStacks homepage is nothing more than an interface for tested applications and while the app does give you access to the back, home and recent apps keys and the notification area from Android, it doesn’t give you other features – like access to widgets, settings or the home screen – that are available on other emulators.

The initial app page shows recommended applications split into different categories, including:

  • Top Apps
  • Social & Communication
  • Simulation & RPG Games
  • Action & Adventure
  • Arcade & Strategy
  • Audio & Video
  • Books & News
  • Brain Teasers
  • Cards & Casino
  • Kids & Creativity
  • Racing Games
  • Sports Games
  • Tools & Productivity
  • Casual & Comics

Looking through the recommended applications list, its clear that, while BlueStacks does have some productivity applications, its designed predominantly to let you play games on your PC or Mac.

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Clicking on any of the applications opens the Google Play Store in the emulator but while most games install fine, certain applications don’t. Naturally, with Instagram not available on Mac (and every third-party client getting shut down very quickly), the app was my first choice to install but this kept displaying an error saying the Package file is invalid. The same error displays on quite a few apps in the Play Store but others install fine so it does appear to be a random error.

Gaming

Clearly BlueStacks is mainly designed to let you run Android games on your Mac which is especially useful given that most of the games are not available on Mac. How does BlueStacks handle Clash of Clans on my Mac (which has 16GB RAM and an i7 processor)?

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While a lot of people play Clash of Clans almost religiously, I’ve not really jumped on the bandwagon so instead of syncing my existing Clash of Clans data, I chose to start afresh. The game ran fine until I began to build an army and it asked me to enter my name – naturally, you’d expect that you could use your keyboard right? As it turns outs, it doesn’t let you so my experience of playing Clash of Clans came to an abrupt end.

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Switching to a large application like Mortal Kombat X – which our own Joe Hindy showed live on our Twitch channel – and BlueStacks proved to be as fast as Android smartphones in downloading large amounts of data. Other emulators often slow down when trying to download more than 1GB data but BlueStacks seems to handle it with ease.

Once Mortal Kombat X installed, it pops up with an error saying the device was not supported but its listed as one of the recommended applications on the BlueStacks homepage. After attempting to click on Okay on the error message, the entire app froze up and even after restarting the app and BlueStacks, it would continually just display a black screen error.

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While the game was frozen, it also meant BlueStacks froze up and became very sluggish and unresponsive. When the game did eventually run, it took a long time to load but once loaded, it was playable and performed relatively well.

Wrap Up

One of the key reasons to use an emulator is to play games but this is something that BlueStacks seems to struggle with on Mac. While a lot of the productivity applications work fine – WhatsApp is a great example of this – games doesn’t seem to work well with the trackpad on Mac, with response time often slow and performance somewhat sluggish.

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BlueStacks is based on Android 4.2 and the older Android version means some games and services won’t be compatible with the emulator. When running Mortal Kombat X, it used 60% of the CPU resources and 48% of the RAM but despite using these resources, the game was still unusable. Like many services that run in a virtual environment, the resource usage means other services outside of the VM will run a lot slower.

Previously, using an emulator on Mac required running a PC environment in a virtual machine and then running the emulator inside this environment but native apps at least negate the need for one virtual machine. The BlueStacks app give you access to the application side of Android, letting you install apps from the entire Google Play catalogue or recommended apps that have been ‘tested’ and work within the BlueStacks VM environment.

Best Emulators & Games:

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Playing games has certainly proven to be a challenge but of course, this does depend on the game you’re trying to play and while some don’t work so well, others should work fine. The BlueStacks app certainly needs updating so it works properly with the keyboard and trackpad on Mac but even with these small glitches, overall performance is more than satisfactory.

2
Jul

Three OnePlus Two variants spotted passing through Bluetooth SIG


oneplus one aa (16 of 34)

The OnePlus Two is on its way, but the company hasn’t teased all of the details yet. But we now have reason to suspect that the handset will arrive in three different variants, as three model numbers have just passed through Bluetooth SIG yesterday.

Unfortunately, no information about the three models, named A2001, A2003, and A2005, is given with the listing, other than that they are certified with hardware version 2.2 and software version 2.01 of Bluetooth 4.1.

It would be reasonable to assume that these three models are simply for different storage capacities. Perhaps 16/32/64GB options, similar to the OnePlus One’s 16/64GB models, or maybe a 128GB model is planned for this launch. Alternatively, OnePlus may have versions with different modems planned this time around, which could be important if the company is planning a broader global release.

oneplus-two-bluetooth-SIG

What we do know for certain is that the OnePlus Two will come with a v2.1 Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 processor, which supposedly has been tailored to avoid any overheating issues. The smartphone will also arrive with the reversible USB Type-C port for charging and data transfer. The OnePlus Two will also be a tad more expensive than its predecessor, but we’re not sure how much more will be added on to the $322 price tag.

The OnePlus Two is scheduled to launch at a virtual reality presentation later this month, on July 27th to be specific. So there isn’t too long left to wait until we have all of the official details.

2
Jul

Anki Overdrive blends robotic racing with video game hooks


Back in February, Anki gave us a sneak peek at Anki Overdrive, the second generation version of its robotic race cars. It’s introducing new toy vehicles, new gameplay mechanics, a new app and new modular race tracks that let players design their own custom race circuits. Today, Anki has announced that Overdrive will start shipping to retailers on September 20th in the US, UK, Germany and Canada. It also offered more details about the new cars and revealed two more game modes called Time Trial and King of the Hill. I had a chance to play around with Anki Overdrive at the company’s office in San Francisco, and while I can’t say it’s perfect, I was impressed at how much simple toy cars could give me the feeling of being in a video game.

And that’s no accident. For almost a year now, Anki has been hard at work at reimagining its robotic race cars as more of a video game. It hired Joby Otero, the former creative director for Skylanders, as its new chief creative officer. It also hired a slew of talent from gaming companies like EA and Activision to work on art, sound, writing, character development and mission design. “You can think of Anki as a game studio within the larger robotics company,” says Mark Palatucci, Anki’s co-founder and Chief Product Officer. “We wanted to bring the richness of the video game world to a physical place.”

It’s why the company introduced the idea of AI Commanders last year, which are essentially in-game characters that you assign to an opposing vehicle. You’re then supposed to challenge and defeat them in order to progress through the game. The characters all have different voices and personalities, which come through in the course of gameplay. Indeed, Palatucci tells me the company even hired voice actors for each of them, and they each have their own individual storylines. In Tournament mode, the commanders get progressively difficult after each challenge, just like a regular video game.

As for the game itself, well, much of the Overdrive gameplay is really unchanged from the original Anki Drive. As before, all you have to do to “drive” the cars is simply to put the Bluetooth-paired vehicles on the track and it’ll drive on its own. The corresponding app essentially lets you controls its speed, a bit of the steering (whether it veers left or right) and the firing of weapons. Everything else is handled by the car’s robotic smarts.

There are a few distinct changes from the original Drive, however. After you’ve assembled your custom race track from the modular pieces, you’ll have to place the cars on the course in order for them to “learn” the circuit. As the cars drive around the course, you can actually see the track being drawn on the app in real time. Also, as we mentioned, the app has been completely overhauled to mimic a video game experience. Speeding up the cars will trigger the sound of an engine revving; background music will get increasingly dramatic as the race ends; and the AI Commanders actually yell and whoop at you as they pass you by.

It all adds to excitement as I was playing the game — these were no longer just race cars; they were living, breathing characters. I found myself thinking, “Oh no way am I letting this asshole AI beat me” as I raced against it. At one point, I triggered a power boost as I was driving my little Thermo car around a corner, causing it spin out and jump off the track. Everyone in the room laughed, and despite myself I found myself having a pretty good time.

That said, I didn’t think the gameplay was perfect. I found it a little tricky trying to split my attention between the app and the race track, especially as I was waiting to make sure I was close enough to the rival vehicles before deploying my flame thrower weapon. The problem, of course, is using a touch screen for the controls — I had to look at the app to make sure I was doing the right thing. Anki tells me that there is some audio feedback and players do get used to this over time, but I couldn’t help but feel that physical controls would make it so much better. Palatucci did say to me, however, that the final version of the app will incorporate vibration feedback to make it easier to feel your way through the controls, or at least get a better sense of when you’ve been hit or maimed.

As for the new gameplay modes, well, they’re pretty self-explanatory. Time Trial is you racing to beat the clock, while King of the Hill encourages you to take down your opponents and see which one of you can be the leader once time runs out. There are also six new cars — Skull, Groundshock, Thermo, Nuke, Guardian and Big Bang — all of with unique weapons and characteristics. Skull and Groundshock are included in the Anki Overdrive Starter Kit, while the rest can be purchased for $50 each. Like we mentioned in February, the Overdrive Starter Kit will retail for $150 and also includes ten of the aforementioned modular track pieces. Additional track pieces can be purchased separately for anywhere from $10 to $30 depending on the pack. Oh, and don’t worry if you already have older Anki cars; they’ll be compatible with Overdrive after a software update.

What’s perhaps the most welcome news, however, is that Anki will finally have cross device play. Yes, that means both Android and iOS devices will finally be able to play together. Before, only iOS could play with iOS devices (and the same with Android) because Android didn’t have Bluetooth LE capability for phone-to-phone communications — Android users had to play with each other over WiFi instead. Now, that’s no longer an issue — both can play together over Bluetooth.

Anki also gave us a sneak peek into what it’s planning for the future: it wants to build a community of players. Not only to share tips and tricks, but also to share photos of that crazy custom track you just built and get instructions on how to recreate it.

“There’s a type of heightened emotional reaction that you can get with a physical object that’s smart and coming to life,” says Palatucci of the fusion of video games and physical toys. “When you do it well, when you get it right … there’s magic.”

Filed under: Misc, Gaming

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Source: Anki

2
Jul

BBC cuts 1,000 jobs to combat licence fee shortfall


BBC HQ

For a long time, the BBC has operated knowing that licence fee funding may be taken away. With all eyes on how it spends public money, the broadcaster tightened its belt and committed to saving £1.5 billion by 2017. The problem with this, and cost-cutting exercises in general, is that they come at a cost to people working there. As part of a new round of restructuring, BBC Director General Tony Hall announced today that the Beeb will axe 1,000 employees in a bid to save an additional £50 million.

Hall says that by merging divisions, reducing management and improving its processes, the BBC will become “simpler, leaner and more effective for the future.” The Beeb is working with £150 million less than in 2011, when the licence fee was frozen for seven years, and is battling a fall in the number of televisions in UK houses. To remain relevant, the BBC is looking to modernise its operations, which could mean more on-demand content and possibly moving BBC Three online.

To begin with, the BBC will combine its technology teams across its Digital, Engineering and Worldwide divisions. Senior managers are at most risk, while people working in its marketing, finance, HR, IT support and legal departments will also be on notice. The BBC expects to make its final decision in “early autumn,” if it’s not having to battle over who gets to govern what it does.

[Image credit: Christine McIntosh, Flickr]

Filed under: Home Entertainment, HD

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Source: BBC

2
Jul

Sprint will open 20 new US stores in partnership with Europe’s Dixons Carphone


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Sprint has been in the headlines recently, with the news that its CEO, Marcelo Claure, is paid handsomely, that the carrier’s unlimited All-In plan launched with some limits after all. Sprint did get some brownie points for responding swiftly to the video streaming cap, removing the measly 600kbps limit, albeit by slipping in that streaming traffic would be managed when the network became congested. Now, it seems that Sprint is looking at re-invigorating its retail stores strategy by partnering up with Dixon’s Carphone to increase the number of its physical stores. 

Sprint will work with Dixon’s Carphone Connected World Services (CWS) division on a pilot program that will see 20 new Sprint stores opened in the States. While Sprint will own and staff the stores, CWS will manage the nitty-gritty of sales strategies and best practice, leveraging its experience of selling handsets in European markets. In essence, the new stores will be similar to current Sprint branded 3rd-party stores. As mentioned, this is a pilot program, which, if successful, will see more CWS managed Sprint stores opening around the U.S. Both companies will fund the start-up costs of the pilot program equally, with 50 percent ownership interest.

“Sprint is going to offer customers a greatly enhanced experience in buying wireless products and services,” said Sprint CEO Marcelo Claure. “We are partnering with the world’s leading wireless retailer to improve the customer experience in our stores. Dixons Carphone has the expertise and capabilities to accelerate this important part of our transformation journey.”

Sprint has been aggressively expanding its physical presence in stores, most recently by opening up outlets in 1,435 RadioShack locations.

Full Press Release:

Sprint Announces Retail Agreement with Dixons Carphone – Europe’s Leading Wireless Retailer

Dixons Carphone to work with Sprint on a pilot to build and operate approximately 20 new Sprint retail stores

OVERLAND PARK, Kan. (BUSINESS WIRE), July 02, 2015 – Sprint (NYSE:S) and Dixons Carphone today announced a commercial relationship that pairs Sprint with a premier European consumer electronics retailer renowned for innovation in wireless retail sales. The relationship is expected to accelerate Sprint’s retail transformation, and is the latest inventive move to grow its number of retail stores.

As part of the arrangement, in coming months Sprint will work closely with Dixons Carphone Connected World Services (CWS) division on a pilot program to build and operate about 20 new Sprint stores in select U.S. markets. These Sprint stores will operate similarly to the third-party retailers who operate Sprint-branded wireless stores across the U.S. Sprint will own and staff the stores while CWS will manage them. CWS will also apply its expertise and best practices across all of Sprint’s sales channels.

Dixons Carphone is Europe’s leading specialist electrical and telecommunications retailer and services company and is recognized as a global retail innovator with world-class retail expertise. In a former joint venture with Best Buy, the company helped launch Best Buy Mobile.

This agreement is the latest in Sprint’s strategy to expand its distribution and provide shoppers with a better customer experience. Earlier this year, Sprint quickly and cost-effectively doubled the number of corporate-owned stores by opening Sprint at RadioShack in 1,435 locations, which are currently undergoing renovation. Sprint has also launched Direct 2 You, a one-of-a-kind service that brings a personalized sales experience directly to customers whenever and wherever they want – for free.

“Sprint is going to offer customers a greatly enhanced experience in buying wireless products and services,” said Sprint CEO Marcelo Claure. “We are partnering with the world’s leading wireless retailer to improve the customer experience in our stores. Dixons Carphone has the expertise and capabilities to accelerate this important part of our transformation journey.”

“We are delighted to be working with Sprint and to be a part of a transformation in their business that is already making impressive headway,” said Andrew Harrison, Dixons Carphone Deputy Group Chief Executive and CEO of CWS. “This is a very exciting venture for us, and is a significant step in growing our CWS business in the US. We bring specialist knowledge and skills to this relationship and will be looking to deliver innovation and outstanding customer service under the Sprint brand.”

If the pilot stores prove to be successful Sprint and Dixons Carphone will establish a joint venture to open and operate a substantial number of new Sprint-branded stores across the U.S. The two companies will equally fund the start-up costs of the joint venture and each will initially have 50 percent ownership interest.

Come comment on this article: Sprint will open 20 new US stores in partnership with Europe’s Dixons Carphone