Quick news from around the Web.
Huawei Bets Americans Will Want Contract-Free Phones http://t.co/YdEptbj6Bh via @WSJD
— FierceWireless (@FierceWireless) January 8, 2015
> LG Electronics reportedly plans to release a webOS-powered smart watch in 2016. Article
> HTC scored $1.5 billion in sales during the fourth quarter and posted strong profits. Article
> Lenovo expects its Motorola business to account for around 40 percent of its total smartphone shipments. Article
> Investors appear positive on LG's prospects, sending the vendor's shares upward. Article
> Samsung said its operating profit for the last three months of 2014 likely fell around 37 percent year over year--the vendor's fifth straight quarter of declines--but that's a slower rate of decline than the company has previously shown, sparking speculation that Samsung is recovering. Article
Wireless Tech News
> Wireless startup MagnaCom (a 2014 Fierce 15 winner) has been demonstrating its technology to improve spectral efficiency and network performance here, and CEO Yossi Cohen said the company is making process in convincing wireless industry players that its wave modulation, or WAM, technique actually works. Article
> AT&T's John Donovan said that, when it comes to 5G, timing is everything. Article
> Wi-Fi is growing up, according to one Qualcomm executive. Todd Antes, vice president of product management at Qualcomm Atheros, said that the technology company's recent work on Wi-Fi technologies is a reaction to the increasing demands of Wi-Fi users--and the opportunities that presents. Article
Telecom News
> TDS Telecom has set an aggressive timeline to deploy fiber-to-the-premises (FTTP) services in its wireline territory, with plans to get to 25 percent of its access lines this year. Article
> Level 3's overall wholesale business revenues may be gradually declining every quarter, but it sees a bright spot in the dark fiber business, a company executive told investors. Article
Cable News
> Executives in the pay-TV industry that are still sore about Les Moonves' decision to launch several over-the-top platforms shouldn't expect any apologies from the CBS Corp. CEO. Article
> With Comcast lampooned in national media recently after a series of customer service mishaps, Comcast Cable president and CEO Neil Smit told a Consumer Electronics Show panel audience Wednesday that his company is on the way to a significant turnaround. Article
And finally… New York's top prosecutor believes Apple and Google should be legally required to give law enforcement access to their customers' data. Article