Items tagged with ATT
Fresh off its victory over the federal government in its bid to acquire Time Warner Cable, AT&T has made good on its promise to deliver its WatchTVstreaming service. AT&T announced this morning that WatchTV will be made available with two new unlimited plans that are launching next week. The two new plans are called Unlimited &More along with Unlimited &More Premium. Unlimited &More is priced at $70/month ($5 more than the current Unlimited Choice Enhanced plan) and gives you "unlimited" 4G LTE data, 480p video streaming and a $15/month credit for DirecTV Now. Unlimited &More Premium is priced at $80/month adds HD video streaming and 15GB/month of mobile hotspot data....
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When it comes to the biggest wireless networks in the United States, we have four major players (ranked by size): Verizon Wireless, AT&T, T-Mobile and Sprint. While all four wireless carriers offer "nationwide" coverage, the quality and speed of that service really depends on where you live. For those that are looking to choose a wireless carrier -- either after moving to a new part of the country, or if you're just simply looking to make a switch to take advantage of some hot promotions -- PC Magazine has conducted an extensive number of speed tests featuring the four major wireless carriers across 30 of the largest population centers in America. In the 2018 edition of the...
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If you are one of the "lucky" few that still has one of AT&T's original unlimited data plans, the company is trying its best to get you to jump ship once and for all. The plan has its origins dating all the way back to the original iPhone that was first released in 2007. The unlimited data plan originally cost $30 a month, but was raised to $35 in February of 2016. Another $5 increase was instituted at the beginning of 2017, now an additional $5 increase is taking the cost of the data plan to $45 per month. According to AT&T, the rate increase goes into effect starting with your July 2018 bill. Given that AT&T has raised the price of the plan over the years and...
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Sometimes it feels like security and privacy are myths in this day and age of data leaks, hacking, and everything else. The latest example comes from a LocationSmart, a relatively obscure (to the public) location-as-a-service outfit has been leaking real-time location information of cell phone users on all of the major wireless networks in the United States, including AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, and Sprint. LocationSmart offers a free demo in which anyone can see the approximate location of their own mobile phone simply by entering in their name, email address, and phone number into a form on the company's website. The service then sends a text to the phone number that was entered asking for...
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First, there was the DirecTV satellite TV service, then AT&T introduced its streaming-only DirecTV Now packages. Now, AT&T is looking to launch yet another version of DirecTV that will sit above its current streaming service and could eventually replace its satellite offering. What’s interesting about this new service is that it will provide all of the channels and perks of the full-fledged DirecTV satellite service, but will be much more affordable for customers. “Rather than $110 to $200, it’s going to be in that $80 to $90 area because the cost structure comes way down,” said AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson at the J.P. Morgan Global Technology,...
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It’s been nearly a year since RED announced its Hydrogen One Android smartphone, which sets itself apart from a crowded smartphone field with a holographic display. The smartphone was originally supposed to ship during the first quarter of 2018, but we’re now learning that it will actually arrive this summer. Both Verizon Wireless and AT&T, the #1 and #2 wireless carriers in the United States, today announced that they will carry the RED Hydrogen One. “This revolutionary smartphone will provide you with significant advancements in the way you create and view content on the leading network for entertainment,” said Kevin Petersen, AT&T SVP for...
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The United States Department of Justice is about to go on a trust-busting escapade. The Justice Department is investigating whether AT&T, Verizon, and the Global System for Mobile Communications (GSMA) collectively prevented consumers from switching carriers on devices with eSIM. The three organizations reportedly received requests for information from the Justice Department. The investigation centers around whether AT&T and Verizon worked with GSMA to lock devices to their networks. An unnamed device maker and wireless carrier reported the potential collusion to the Justice Department five months ago. Many believe that one of the complainants was Apple, but the company has declined to...
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AT&T is currently in court battling the U.S. Department of Justice over its impending merged with the Time Warner. The DOJ is attempting to block the merger on antitrust grounds, a claim that both Time Warner and AT&T allege is hogwash. While testifying in court yesterday during the trial, AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson revealed that his company will launch new "skinny bundle" streaming TV service in the coming weeks. The service, called AT&T Watch, would be priced at a low $15 per month. That price is quite attractive -- depending on the number and quality of channels offered -- undercutting even the budget-oriented Philo streaming TV service. To reach this price point, AT&T...
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It was right around a year ago when AT&T trumpeted plans to expand its '5G Evolution' network to 20 metro areas before flipping the calendar to 2018. That number has since ballooned, with AT&T today announcing the launch of 5G Evolution connectivity in parts of 117 new markets, bringing the total number of markets served with that technology to 141. "We’re building a 5G network that will fundamentally change the way the world lives and works," said Melissa Arnoldi, president of Technology & Operations. "5G will provide a wireless experience that is faster, more responsive and more secure for our customers." It is an aggressive roll out for sure, though to be clear, 5G Evolution...
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If everything goes according to plan, we will begin seeing the first 5G wireless services and devices capable of taking advantage of the bandwidth later this year. According to both AT&T and Verizon Wireless, initial commercial 5G deployments will begin later this year. However, the first devices that America's two largest wireless carrier will market will not be smartphone. Instead, they will be mobile 5G hotspots that can connect to your smartphone, tablet, or notebook computer. AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson conceded this point in late January, stating that his company would be offering Wi-Fi "pucks" to customers to coincide with lighting up its 5G network. "It's not going to be a handset,...
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Bad news for AT&T and good news for consumers at large—the United States Federal Trade Commission (FTC) does in fact have authority over the wireless carrier and other common carriers, an appeals court has determined. That means the FTC can dole out punishment to AT&T Mobility for throttling data on its unlimited data plan on the basis that doing so was "unfair and deceptive" to customers. The issue dates back to a lawsuit the FTC filed against AT&T in October 2014 in the US District Court in Northern California. It was the FTC's claim that AT&T advertised unlimited data to wireless customers, but ultimately throttled speeds by up to 90 percent in some instances. AT&T...
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Huawei is having a hard time breaking into the U.S. smartphone market -- at least when it comes to partnering with wireless carriers. It had a deal set up with AT&T to directly offer smartphones made by the Chinese company. That deal fell apart after AT&T was pressured by the U.S. government to not sell the devices. Verizon later backed out of its own deal to sell the smartphones under similar pressure. Huawei said that it would simply sell its smartphones directly via retailers in the U.S. and the Mate 10 is now open for preorder via Amazon, Best Buy, and other retailers. The device is selling for $799, making it a high-end device. Whether that high price tag can lure buyers...
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Mobile networks are not all created equal, despite the fact that if you look at coverage maps they often boast nearly identical coverage in many areas. Each year OpenSignal issues a report that looks at all the mobile carriers in the U.S. and compares the speed and performance offered to help consumers look through all the hype and marketing and see which carrier really is the fastest. According to the latest report, both Verizon and AT&T have stopped the declining performance on their networks that were attributed to the return of unlimited data plans. Both networks have returned to their pre-unlimited plan speeds as of the end of 2017. However, that doesn't mean either of the networks is...
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Huawei was set to have a big 2018 as it was finally expected to land a major U.S. carrier to sell its devices through a partnership with AT&T. The deal would have seen the Mate 10 Pro, Huawei's competitor to the iPhone X, available through a major carrier in the States for the first time. That deal has been cancelled according to people claiming knowledge about the deal. The reason blamed for the deal falling apart is pressure from the U.S. Senate and House intelligence committees via a letter sent to the FCC back on December 20. In that letter the committees raised concerns about Huawei's plans to launch consumer products in the U.S. Huawei and fellow Chinese firm ZTE were both considered...
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AT&T has positioned itself to be the first U.S. company to roll out real, honest-to-goodness mobile 5G service in a dozen markets by late 2018, the company announced today. And unlike AT&T's 5G Evolution service, which in many areas is just a rebranding of 4G LTE, what AT&T is pitching here is true 5G wireless performance that conforms to 3GPP's recently introduced 5G new radio (NR) standards. "5G will change the way we live, work and enjoy entertainment," said Melissa Arnoldi, president, AT&T Technology and Operations. "We’re moving quickly to begin deploying mobile 5G this year and start unlocking the future of connectivity for consumers and businesses. With faster speeds...
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AT&T is testing out a new way of delivering ultra-fast Internet connectivity to customers that is on par with fiber-optic networks, only AT&T's solution is over the air. Called "Project AirGig," this first-of-its-kind system consists of a contraption that clamps onto existing power poles, negating the need to build new towers or run lines under the ground. According to AT&T, it only takes a few minutes to train an electrical worker how to install these devices. Project AirGig is the result of over a decade of research by AT&T Labs. More than 300 patents and patent applications are involved. AT&T says it represents a potential new era in connectivity where turbocharged data...
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Today is Black Friday and if you are braving the crowds looking for some smoking deals on tech products, you will want to check out Walmart. The retail giant has some smoking deals on various models of iPhones for Black Friday. The retailer is offering a whopping $300 gift card on iPhone X, iPhone 8 Plus, iPhone 8, iPhone 7, and iPhone 7 Plus smartphones. Buy any of those devices for $0 down and get a $300 gift card that you can use in store. You could use that gift card for anything you want at Walmart, so if you're not interested in spending the "cash" on more electronics, you could stock up on groceries (for example) with your windfall. One potential catch for those iPhone deals...
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Given how cutthroat the smartphone market is these days, manufactures are looking for new ways to get an edge on the competition. Xiaomi was one of the first to start the bezel-free display trend with the original Mi MIX, and now ZTE is looking to turn heads with the Axon M. The centerpiece of the Axon M are its dual 5.2-inch displays, which both feature a resolution of 1920x1080. Now, this isn't something that you see every day in the smartphone world, so the first question on your mind is probably how is this beneficial in real life usage scenarios? For starters, ZTE says that with Dual Mode, you can run two apps at a time, with one screen dedicated to each. This brings an immediate boost to...
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Choice is a good thing, though anyone who has ever wanted a rugged version of Samsung's Galaxy phones (dubbed "Active") would have to receive wireless service from AT&T. That is because Samsung's rugged variants have always been exclusive to AT&T (save for the Galaxy S5 Sport in 2014, essentially a rebranded Galaxy S5 Active for Sprint). That includes the newest Galaxy S8 Active, though perhaps not for long—T-Mobile may be getting its wireless claws on it.Marketing materials that have not yet been released suggest that T-Mobile will carry a Galaxy S8 Active phone with the model number SM-G892T. AT&T's model is nearly the same, except it has an "A" at the end (SM-G892TA). T-Mobile's...
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If you've read our hands-on preview of the LG V30, then you know that we're incredibly excited about what the device brings to the flagship Android smartphone market. Today, we're learning that AT&T and Verizon Wireless will begin selling the LG V30 on October 5th, which is one week from today. The LG V30 has a retail price of $809.99 at AT&T, and can be purchased on a NEXT plan for $27 per month for 30 months. AT&T will also be offering a Buy One, Get One Free promotion with the LG V30 for qualified customers. For those with a qualifying NEXT plan purchasing two LG V30 smartphones, you will have a $27 bill credit applied to your bill over 30 months to slowly pay off the full retail...
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There is typically an enormous amount of buzz and excitement immediately preceding the launch of a new iPhone, and today's unveiling is especially noteworthy because it marks the 10-year anniversary of Apple's game-changing handset. However, not everyone is looking forward to the big reveal, and we are not talking about just Android fans. Hundreds of AT&T employees and other members of the Communications Workers of America (CWA) are planning to protest at Apple's new campus, where the next iPhone models (iPhone 8 and iPhone X) will be revealed. CWA and its members take umbrage with AT&T raking in $1 billion in profits every year while continuing to "squeeze employees and customers" with...
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T-Mobile boss John Legere is in full celebration mode over the recent announcement that its One unlimited data plans now come with free access to Netflix, the online streaming juggernaut, but give it some time and we imagine he will be tweeting about the least broadband test results from Speedtest as well. Why is that? According to Speedtest, T-Mobile is the fastest mobile carrier in the nation. The finding is based on Speetest intelligence data captured during the first half of 2017. In that time, nearly 3 million unique mobile devices were used to perform over 14 million cellular network tests by consumers, giving Speedtest a relatively large sample size to analyze. As a whole, the data revealed...
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