http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8051/8147897349_4d15fcca26.jpg With the rise in streaming services over the past few years, a lot has been said about the practice of cord cutting—ditching your paid cable TV service and relying on a digital antenna and streaming services (Netflix, Hulu, Amazon, Crackle) for all your content. Those who have done it will talk about all the money they're saving, and how cord-cutting is the future. We've even done a showcase on it:...
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So I'd like to hear y'alls thoughts for those of us that are still using the original Unlimited data plan for AT&T. Its pretty fantastic they're going to let us keep it, but with not being able to use Facetime and the VZW phone being more likely for a world-LTE phone, is it a good time to jump ship? i hate the idea of shared data, and it seems Verizon is just about as expensive for a comparable plan. But I've heard great things about their network and LTE speed. As far as LTE goes- does...
Results, Quadrant, Higher is better. Source http://www.gsmarena.com/sony_xperia_tx_t_and_v_benchmarks_are_here_promising_too-news-4722.php as of Aug.29. 2012 Sony Xperia T 5675 Highest Sony Xperia V 6047 Sony Xperia TX 5793 Samsung Galaxy S II I5365 Meizu MX 4-core 5170 HTC One X (Tegra 3) 4842 LG Optimus 4X HD 4814 Motorola Atrix HD 4178 from GSM Arena "The Krait cores helped the three new Xperias pass the BenchmarkPi with flying colors - none of the quad-core smartphones currently on the market could...
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News outlets, especially tech outlets, love hyperbole and talking about things getting more expensive. Let's look at how things are going in the mobile space and the market in general: LTE is here and coming to the most popular phone, iPhone in the next month or so. 3G coverage has spread beautifully to the point where losing signal is synonymous with losing 3G. It's great to see how the cell companies have spread their data to be available in more places at reasonable speed. One thing that isn't...
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Lately, I've been getting pretty steamed over the policies that Verizon, my current carrier, have been putting in place to milk more money out of their customers. The most recent changes include a $30 phone upgrade fee and getting rid of unlimited data plans which really rustled my jimmies. It's coming to the point where I'm seriously considering finding a cheaper option even though my contract is still well over a year before it ends. After reading an article by Android and Me, "7 reasons to...
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I got my 3G Vita today and I wanted to activate the free month of 3G. Well, in order to do that I need to open a new AT&T DataConnect account. For that to happen, I have to pick a specific plan to start off with, aka I need to pay for a month.
So, in order to get your free month of 3G from AT&T you have to pay for a month first. Also, in order to get your "free" game you have to wait until after the free month of 3G ends.
So, I have a bit of a story to tell... I preordered my Galaxy Nexus in early November of last year and received it in early December. My previous phone was an iPhone 4, and after a harrowing 30 minutes trying to get my microSIM + adapter unjammed from the SIM card slot in the Galaxy Nexus, I realized I had to head to my local AT&T store. I had a normal experience - walked in, told them I needed to activate a new device and needed a new SIM card, and it was all pretty efficient (minus the...
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AT&T announced that they won't be acquiring T-Mobile due to antitrust concerns. Crazy! Because of this breakup, T-Mobile will get $4 billion in cash. Not too shabby.
AT&T users: Does this hinder AT&Ts plan for building an LTE network? T-Mobile users: I imagine you're feeling pretty good right now!
So it's CTIA Enterprise & Applications this week in San Diego, and that means plenty of gadget announcements, including cell phones (where's our Nexus Prime?). AT&T just announced five Android phones to be released this fall, check them out (and add them to your want list) here on gdgt:
The folks over at Wired have gotten their hands on an interesting Department of Justice document from August 2010 called "Retention Periods of Major Cellular Service Providers" that details how long they hold onto your data: this includes subscriber info, cell and text message details, IP sessions, and so on. Wired has helpfully created some easy-to-read infographics to lay it all out: http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2011/09/cellular-customer-data/ As a T-Mobile customer it concerns me that they...
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Big news today for those who've been against the pending AT&T-Mobile merger. The U.S. government has stepped in and sued to stop the merger from going through. The believe such a merger would have significant implications on competition in the mobile industry. From Bloomberg: ---- In the complaint filed today in federal court in Washington, the Justice Department is seeking a declaration that Dallas-based AT&T’s takeover of T-Mobile, a unit of Deutsche Telekom AG (DTE), would violate...
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Thursday I got a call from T-Mobile telling me that new plans were available and they were just letting the customers know so they could go over the plans on the phone and make sure their customers were getting the best price. I declined, saying I would just go on the website and look at the plans myself. Good thing I did—what I actually discovered was that the plan I currently have (Get More 600 + unlimited text, which is about $40/month) was eliminated and the only way I could get...
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Dear AT&T, no. No, no, no! According to the folks at 9 to 5 Mac, the next iPhone on AT&T might as well be the long awaited "4G iPhone." Only in terms of name only though -- since AT&T is currently rebranding what 4G means to them. This makes me pretty sad.
As I'm sure you've heard by now T-Mobile USA is getting bought out by AT&T. According to the press release that means that T-Mobile is going away in about 1 year. Anybody who stays will become part of AT&T. So I ask are you going to switch to Verizon, Sprint or a regional; or stay with AT&T? Personalty I thing Verizon will be getting my money as soon as they come out with an LTE phone I like. Though the EVO 3D may tempt me mighty in the mean time.
1. It makes sense for T-Mobile. Deutsche Telekom has been trying to unload T-Mobile USA for a while now, and it was probably just a matter of time until they found a buyer. I don't think they're interested in being the the fourth biggest player in any market. Despite rebadging HSPA+ as 4G and calling itself "America's Largest 4G Network", T-Mobile doesn't actually have any plans to deploy LTE -- they simply don't own the spectrum for it -- and so was going to...
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http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/att-announ... The laptop dock sells for $499, which is insane. You could buy a really nice netbook for that price. Or an iPad, for that matter. You can get it bundled together with the phone for $499 total (after $100 rebate), but even that's too much (works out to about $300 for the dock and $200 for the phone). The other dealbreaker: you...
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Verizon, Sprint, and AT&T (rumored, not official yet) are making some pricing changes that look cost prohibitive to their customers or taking away some discount offers that they've offered for years to keep customers. Usually when these types of pricing changes go into affect for one carrier, the rest follow. It's like clockwork. Here are the details of AT&T's purported pricing changes:...
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On me, I have a Virgin Mobile Novatel Mifi 2200 (which piggy backs on Sprint's network) and my jailbroken iPhone 4 (obviously using AT&T's somewhat notorious service). I've been working via my laptop all morning and afternoon, and some things I've noticed: 1. Outside of the Bay Area, AT&T coverage is as good, if not better than Sprint. 2. Outside of the Bay Area, AT&T speeds are DAMN fast. I've stopped using the MiFi for my internet access because I was...
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A huge thanks to everyone who came out to gdgt live in San Francisco this past Friday. Nearly 1,000 people came to the SFDC Galleria to check out goods from 49 different companies, making this our biggest and most successful gdgt live event yet! It was a fantastic and welcome homecoming. So, if you went and got your hands on some cool gear, what did you think? My impressions: Windows Phone 7 absolutely blew me away. The interface looked really slick and it seems like it will be a dream to use....
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From my research, it looks like the international Galaxy Note II works on T-Mobile and AT&T's 3G networks, but not 4G. I'm having a hard time finding a definitive answer on this, so I'm just looking for some confirmation. I want to be able to switch the Note II from T-Mobile to AT&T if needed.
I have a Samsung Flight 2, it’s not a smartphone but if I put my SIM card in the iPhone would it work? I have an unlimited data plan, unlimited messaging, and i think 700 minutes per month!
I have AT&T on my iPhone 4. I like to travel both in the US and outside the US. I've read different opinions around whether you need the LTE or not. Some get the WIFI only because they can use a MiFi device (like the Samsung 4G LTE Mobile Hotspot) for AT&T or Verizon and have that flexibility. Others recomend getting an LTE enabled iPad because it has GPS "Assisted". IF I go with an LTE which service has the greatest flexibility in the US and international? I don't know if I would use...
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My wife has been asking me what I want for my birthday and I have no clue. The budget is around $300. I have an iPhone 4, iPad (1st Gen), 15" MB Pro, Mac Mini. Any ideas on a cool gadget or something to get? I am on ATT and have an upgrade available as well.
My mother-in-law is looking for a new phone because hers broke. She doesn't want a smartphone, she does do a good deal of texting, and she can't sign up for a new contract. Lastly, it would be good if the phone isn't too ridiculously expensive ($200 at most, preferably under $100).
So what is a great phone for simple texting and where could I get it unsubsidized?
I'm in the market for a 4G hotspot. I currently have AT&T so I was looking at the Elevate 4G Mobile Hotspot. However, I don't mind going with Verizon or any other company that might offer better service. Does anyone have experience with the Elevate 4G Mobile Hotspot (good or bad)? I am in the Miami, FL market if that helps. In fact, if you have experience in this particular market, your input is greatly appreciated. Please include details on speed, reliability, battery life and any other...
I'm asking this on behalf of my sister, who is traveling to Canada over Christmas. She has a shiny new iPhone 4S on AT&T and she doesn't want to be caught off guard by crazy and unexpected cellular data charges.
How should one go about preparing their phone for international travel? What sorts of settings should be off, and should she call AT&T and get an international data plan, just in case?
Last week, C.W. Nevius, a columnist for the San Francisco Chronicle, wrote an editorial on how to potentially curb smart-phone thieves. He argued that some carriers in foreign countries (e.g., Australia) will actually block mobile phones from their networks if reported stolen. (See: http://articles.sfgate.com/2011-12-03/bay-area/30473599_1_phone-companies-smart-phone-phone-thefts) From the SF Chronicle: Australia uses something akin to a serial number, basically a 15-digit fingerprint found on ...
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Hey everyone, I'm looking for a new phone and interested in a Windows Phone 7. I currently use a Nokia 5800 mostly because it's an unlocked phone that is not charged the data premium from AT&T. I only pay $10 for unlimited data and I'd like to find a Windows Phone that can do the same.
My theory is, if phone is carried by AT&T, it can be recognized and then they'll ask you to increase your data plan.
So any suggestions or ideas would be great. Thanks.
I was browsing AT&T's site earlier and noticed that you can get an unlimited texting, messaging, and data plan for $30/month for a dumbphone. When I continued to process my cart it asked for my device's IMEI number. Can I just put in a dumbphone's IMEI number and then just use my unlocked smartphone (Nexus S and/or HTC Titan)? I understand that if you use a locked device with the wrong plan AT&T (or any other carrier) will make sure to catch you about it but I'm not sure about the case...
So earlier tonight I won an HTC Titan at the Windows Phone Inner Circle Tour. So far I'm loving the phone but, unfortunately, I'm on T-Mobile. Unless I'll be able to unlock the phone easily, I'll just be using this as a nice Zune device.
Do any of y'all know how to unlock this phone without going through ATT?
If I absolutely have to go through ATT, how lenient is ATT with unlocking phones? Do I need to be an ATT customer to unlock this phone?
I'm in the LA area so I'd still be waiting a bit to make use of the Holiday's LTE, but the larger screen and higher res is appealing to me, especially since my current phone is a Dell Streak.
I pre-ordered on the 7th and I'm still waiting. I find this extremely frustrating. I can walk into a store and buy the 4s, but I can't get the two that I pre-ordered shipped to me. This is absolutely ridiculous. /endrant
Now that new phones like the Droid RAZR and Nexus Prime are creeping up to the $249/$299 price points, are the Telcos under any obligation to adjust their ETFs? Are these new phones really that much more expensive to manufacture that the consumer has to pay $50-$100 more while still being handcuffed with a $350 ETF? Not to mention new policies like Tmobile's automatic contract extension if you want to change your calling plan. To me, a policy like this clearly contradicts the Telco's claims that...
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