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Palm is selling an unlocked version of its tiny smartphone
As much as Palm's tiny phone has improved over the past several months, there's still been one glaring limitation: you've had to use it on Verizon (Engadget's parent company) in the US. You won't have to be quite so picky after today. Palm has opened pre-orders for an unlocked version of the minuscule Android device that will work as a stand-alone phone on most major US carriers, including AT&T, T-Mobile and the prepaid Metro brand. No, there's no mention of Sprint -- ironically, the home of the original Palm Pre won't get this device a decade later.
T-Mobile's prepaid service will offer 5G in 2019
You won't have to spring for a 'premium' carrier to use some of the earliest mobile 5G service. T-Mobile has formally relaunched its prepaid Metro service, and with it comes word that the sub-brand will launch 5G service sometime in 2019. It's not certain how that will affect plans, if at all. However, it could be your ticket to next-gen wireless at a relatively low price -- and frankly, rather handy for included services like Google One and Amazon Prime.
T-Mobile relaunches prepaid service with Amazon and Google perks
T-Mobile hasn't showered much of its attention on its prepaid MetroPCS brand, but it's rectifying that omission today. It's relaunching the budget carrier as Metro, and introducing unlimited plans that not only edge closer to T-Mobile's regular service, but break some new ground. Both the $50 and $60 plans ($140 and $150 respectively for four lines) are the first to include a Google One subscription -- you and your family won't have to pay extra for gobs of cloud storage. Spring for the $60 plan and you also get an Amazon Prime membership with all the media and shipping perks that entails.
T-Mobile and Sprint will merge to create a 5G powerhouse
After years of on-again, off-again talks, it's official: T-Mobile and Sprint have announced plans to merge. The all-stock, $26 billion deal values Sprint at $59 billion (the combined company would be worth $146 billion) and will give T-Mobile the reins, with the carrier's John Legere serving as CEO and Mike Sievert continuing to operate as COO. Sprint chief Marcelo Claure will serve on the board of directors alongside Masayoshi Son, the CEO of Sprint's parent company SoftBank. As for the ostensible reason for the merger? If you ask the networks, it's all about 5G.
ZTE’s latest big-screen phone packs dual cameras for $129
While the rest of the tech world gets ready for the return of Samsung's Galaxy Note line, ZTE continues its quiet takeover of the budget phablet market. Every year since 2014, the company has released a low-cost handset with a large screen, generous battery and surprisingly modern features (think: fingerprint sensors and USB-C ports). This time is no different. The 6-inch Blade ZMax is now available for pre-order via MetroPCS, and will be in stores on August 28th, starting at $129.
MetroPCS' prepaid deal gives you two unlimited lines for $75
With the upcoming school year about to kick off, MetroPCS is rolling out a new plan for the entire family. Starting today, you can get your first line of unlimited LTE data (courtesy of T-Mobile), talk, and text for just $50. On top of that, every subsequent line you add to the package will cost you $25 each (for up to four extra lines). That means you can get two lines for $75 -- which MetroPCS claims is its best-ever deal on unlimited.
MetroPCS customers can use T-Mobile's scam-fighting tools
Shortly after the FCC revealed its plan to fight robocalls, T-Mobile introduced two anti-scamming tools back in March to alert customers to shady calls. Now, the carrier is giving MetroPCS users the same treatment, making Scam ID and Scam Block available for free on July 25th.
MetroPCS site flaw exposed the data of 10 million subscribers
It's not just hacks that put your personal data out in the open -- sometimes, it's just poor coding. Security researchers Eric Taylor and Blake Welsh have shown Motherboard a MetroPCS website bug that, until it was fixed this month, made it easy to get sensitive info for over 10 million subscribers. All you needed was a phone number to get a person's home address, phone serial number and more. And if you weren't picky, you could have whipped up a script to harvest all of the data within two days.
MetroPCS shuts off its old phone network on June 21st
You'd better move quickly if you're holding on to an older MetroPCS cellphone. The T-Mobile-owned carrier has posted a Frequently Asked Questions warning that its outgoing CDMA network will effectively shut off on June 21st. Any legacy phones are "not guaranteed" to work after that, the contract-free network says. It's no secret that the end was nigh given that MetroPCS began winding down CDMA last year. However, we won't blame you if this early transition is catching you off-guard. T-Mobile only said it was turning off MetroPCS' old network sometime in the second half of the year -- it's clearly eager to conduct some spring cleaning, even if it means asking people to upgrade sooner than expected. [Image credit: Jim Carroll, Flickr]
T-Mobile will sell the US' first Windows Phone 8.1 device on July 5th for as little as $99
If you've been waiting for a US-friendly device that ships with Windows Phone 8.1 out of the box, you can stop twiddling your thumbs. T-Mobile is launching Nokia's Lumia 635 (aka the Lumia 630 with LTE) this month for $99 up front at MetroPCS, or $7 per month ($168 total) on a T-Mobile installment plan -- not bad for a phone with Cortana and other features that aren't officially available elsewhere right now. Just when you'll get this spiritual successor to the Lumia 521 will depend on how you like to shop. Your first chance to buy the 635 is on July 5th, when you can tune into the Home Shopping Network to get one on a prepaid Simple Choice plan. After that, you'll have to wait until July 9th to order it online, or July 16th (the 18th for MetroPCS) to find it in a store. It's not the Lumia 930 that many power users crave, but it may fit the bill if you're looking for the cheapest way to get into Microsoft's latest mobile ecosystem.
T-Mobile rolls out next-gen voice calls, starting with Seattle
Even though your voice is magically being transported through the air, cellular phone calls actually work more or less the same as their land-line counterparts. T-Mobile is finally ditching the old-school circuit-switched method for Voice over LTE (VoLTE), which sends your sweet lyrical words via IP (Internet Protocol), just like Skype. The carrier will still be able to deliver its HD Voice feature, but it'll do so over the same airwaves that it's also pushing high speed data. That should eliminate any issues with using data while on a phone call and will actually mean your calls will connect faster. And calls should transition seamlessly if you lose LTE coverage, but still have access to T-Mobile's HSPA.
T-Mobile to start turning off older MetroPCS network this year
T-Mobile's efforts to transition customers from MetroPCS' aging CDMA network to its own GSM and LTE frequencies is going quite swimmingly. The company has been bragging that it's well ahead of schedule, and in some markets it's already begun repurposing the smaller carrier's spectrum to deliver faster Wideband LTE connections. Things are going so well, in fact, that it will begin shutting down the slower MetroPCS network this year, instead of waiting until 2015. The first three cities on the chopping block will be Boston, Philadelphia and Las Vegas. Though, considering its accelerated transition we wouldn't be surprised to see others join the list before the end of the year. Around 40 percent of MetroPCS users have already switched to phones that will work on T-Mobile's network, and the carrier plans to offer more aggressive upgrade options to push more customers over. Those that have yet to upgrade won't suffer a complete disruption of service, however, thanks to roaming agreements. The next step, of course, will be "refarming" that newly cleared spectrum to deliver even faster wireless speeds. [Image credit: Jim Carroll, Flickr]
T-Mobile boosts LTE network speeds in Dallas using MetroPCS spectrum (updated)
Hey, North Dallas T-Mobile customer -- that speedier internet connection isn't a figment of your imagination. Just before Thanksgiving, the carrier silently got the ball rolling on its plans to unleash a faster LTE network. To achieve this upgrade, Deutsche Telekom combined its LTE spectrum with that of MetroPCS, which it acquired for $1.5 billion earlier this year. Best of all, T-Mo's improved network doesn't require a device upgrade (unlike Sprint's enhanced LTE service) -- your current one will work just fine. Unfortunately, Magenta's efforts are currently confined to select portions of northern Dallas, but it hopes to eventually roll out its faster LTE network to other top markets in the US. Update (12/09/13): We reached out to T-Mobile for confirmation, and a spokesperson told us: "T-Mobile has launched Wideband LTE with 20+20 MHz on more than 100 sites in North Dallas, ahead of plans to begin rolling out the technology in 2014. Customers in this area are seeing fantastic performance, and all LTE devices in customers' hands today can benefit as we continue to expand Wideband LTE." [Image credit: Alex Schwenke / Flickr]
Samsung Galaxy Mega coming to MetroPCS on November 25th, for $399 at launch
Samsung's other behemoth of a smartphone, the Galaxy Mega, is most definitely not one of the newest on the block. Still, we can't imagine why MetroPCS users would complain about having yet another Android device to choose from. Starting November 25th, the carrier is making the 6.3-inch handset available on its network, complete with LTE support (where available) and a $399 price tag at launch. It's worth mentioning that the MSRP is actually $499, but in the spirit of the holidays, MetroPCS is marking it at $100 less to kick things off -- new customers, meanwhile, can get it for as low as $349. You'll be able to snag one for yourself online or from the nearest brick-and-mortar store -- if big, really big smartphones are your thing, that is.
MetroPCS to reach 15 more cities starting on November 21st
MetroPCS has been on a big expansion kick ever since coming under T-Mobile's wing, and it's not about to slow down today. The contract-free carrier has just revealed plans to cover 15 more markets beginning on November 21st. Most of those are notable western cities, including Albuquerque, Denver and Portland; a few eastern cities, like Cincinnati and Pittsburgh, also make the cut. While MetroPCS' coverage will still pale in comparison to T-Mobile's at 45 cities in total, it's a giant step forward for a provider that was still losing many customers just a year ago. [Image credit: Jim Carroll, Flickr]
Mobile Miscellany: week of September 30th, 2013
If you didn't get enough mobile news during the week, not to worry, because we've opened the firehose for the truly hardcore. This week brought a peek at Motorola's upcoming cheaper version of the Moto X, glimpses of the Lumia 929 for Verizon in white and two new smartphones to MetroPCS. So buy the ticket and take the ride as we explore all that's happening in the mobile world for this week of September 30th, 2013.
Mobile Miscellany: week of August 26th, 2013
If you didn't get enough mobile news during the week, not to worry, because we've opened the firehose for the truly hardcore. This week brought convincing signs that BlackBerry users are moving away from physical keyboards, along with a new budget Android smartphone for MetroPCS and a stumbling block that's holding up AT&T's acquisition of Alltel. These stories and more await. So buy the ticket and take the ride as we explore all that's happening in the mobile world for this week of August 26th, 2013.
MetroPCS adds Lumia 521 and Optimus F3, covers 19 new cities
If you've been holding out for a new $40/month smartphone, you're in luck. We're not even three months separated from T-Mobile's MetroPCS acquisition and the value carrier is already reaping benefits from Ms. Magenta. The Bring-Your-Own-Phone carrier is getting its first Windows 8 Phone handset, the HSPA+ Nokia Lumia 521, and the Jelly Bean-running LG Optimus F3. Both phones feature 5MP cameras, July 26th street dates for select markets and attractive pricing -- the 521 is $99, while the F3 is $149. The news doesn't stop rolling there, either. Not only is the wireless provider's device lineup expanding, but its coverage area is too. Metro's availability is growing to 19 additional cities (listed after the break), including Washington, DC; Cleveland, Ohio and Fresno, California. Sadly, the embedded press releases don't mention the most important aspect of all: whether you can get the F3 in a Grimace-worthy hue.
MetroPCS brings Galaxy S 4 to eight areas for $549 plus tax, wider availability coming 'soon'
Well, we can't say we didn't see this one coming. Shortly after making a stop by the FCC and being teased on Twitter, MetroPCS has made the Galaxy S 4 official with a $549 plus tax sticker price (and no contracts attached, of course). Samsung's latest flagship is only available across eight covered areas initially (list in source link), however the plan is to set in motion a "full market rollout in the near future." The GS4 is up for grabs in stores starting today, and MetroPCS says extra locations and online availability will "be announced soon."
MetroPCS teases Galaxy S 4 launch next week
We've known for a while that a MetroPCS-friendly version of Samsung's Galaxy S 4 was in the cards, but the carrier hasn't been very forthcoming with its plans. At least, until now -- the company just posted a teaser on Twitter for a Samsung-based launch next week. While the text is slightly cryptic, the mention of a Galaxy S III "+1" makes it quite clear that the 2013 Galaxy flagship is what's on deck. This variant won't have HSPA for the T-Mobile network, at least if it's anything like what we saw at the FCC, but it should include LTE support. Let's just hope that the phone ships quickly -- MetroPCS customers have been waiting long enough.
