Ericsson partners with NTT DoCoMo on 5G tests; ZTE sells ZMax 2 phone unlocked

 More wireless news from across the Web:

> Ericsson said it is supporting operator requirements for field trials as early as 2016 with the introduction of 5G Radio Prototypes that operators can deploy in live field trial environments. The prototypes are the first products designed to enable operators to conduct live field trials. NTT DoCoMo is currently using the 5G Radio Test Bed and will receive prototypes for field trials. Release

> Google parent Alphabet Inc. is reportedly moving to make its disparate parts more accountable internally for spending. Wall Street Journal article

> Apple reportedly aims to launch its new Apple Pay service in China by early February. Wall Street Journal article

> ZTE said it is making the ZMax 2 smartphone available to consumers unlocked. The phone was originally sold via TracFone earlier this year, but is now online directly from ZTE. PhoneScoop article

> Samsung Electronics will provide memory chip products to Volkswagen's Audi. Reuters article

> Xiaomi unveiled the Redmi Note 3, a mid-range smartphone with a fingerprint sensor that costs around $141. Engadget article 

> Average federal, state and local taxes and fees for California customers reached a record 18 percent, meaning that taxes on customers' wireless bills in the state are now at least twice as high as the state sales tax imposed on most other goods and services. Los Angeles Times article

Mobile Developer News

> Even if "native app access" can't be done, we need more people thinking up and sharing ideas based on "what if" scenarios that redefine the user experience of making apps available, of using them and even of making them. Mobile app developers may indeed be suffering today, but that doesn't have to be a long-term inevitability, either. Editor's Corner

> Developers make five times more money with a "great" app -- defined as one that doesn't crash, conserves power, saves time and provides quick access to features -- than a merely "good" app, according to Forrester Consulting. Article

Telecom News

> Windstream is advancing its 500G network push, announcing that it has extended the long-haul core network into Miami to fulfill greater demands from its cloud and content provider customers. Article

> A number of CenturyLink's FTTH customers in Seattle continue to report that they have been without service since Sunday afternoon. Article

Cable News

> Comcast's several-year-old, well-documented practice of injecting copyright warners into the video streams of customers who may be illegally watching content has drawn renewed criticism from Internet pundits who say the company should leave its users' traffic alone. Article

> Multiple analysts are now predicting that Charter's proposed dual takeover of Time Warner Cable and Bright House Networks won't close until June, thanks largely to hang-ups with California regulators. Article

And finally… Google hid a Star Wars joke right in the search engine. Article