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Leaked HTC U11 Plus video reveals a bigger battery and screen
A hands-on video featuring the upcoming HTC U11 Plus has been leaked to Facebook, showing that the flagship phone will be available in a translucent option, as well as black and silver. Evan Bass, who's known for leaking tech specs, also confirmed the translucent option in a tweet. The video has since been taken down, but the inevitable copies still available online show the U11 Plus will have a six-inch display, 4,000 mAh battery and 128GB of storage (other storage options, if any, are yet to be confirmed). A closer look also reveals a coil beneath the shell, which could indicate wireless charging capabilities.
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.
FCC lifts transparency requirements for some internet providers
The Federal Communications Commission today voted to remove reporting requirements for internet providers with fewer than 250,000 subscribers, a move that chips away at the foundation of net neutrality. Today's vote means these smaller carriers no longer have to publicly share information about data caps, fees, and network performance and management practices for at least five years.
T-Mobile Digits brings calls and texts to all your devices
T-Mobile is doing its Uncarrier thing again. As the carrier works on bringing its LTE network to US forces and older cars, it's also bringing the latest technology to its existing customers. The company's new Digits program lets you add multiple numbers to your phone, and then use them across all your devices. Starting today, postpaid customers can sign up to try out a beta version of the service, which the company says will launch commercially next year. Those who join the trial will need to have at least Android 5.0 or iOS 9 installed on their phones, and/or Mozilla Firefox or Google Chrome on their Macs or PCs.
T-Mobile drops the HTC 10 after less than three months
HTC just can't catch a break. The company's smartphone sales are down, fuelling consecutive quarterly losses. To bounce back, HTC needs its latest flagship, the HTC 10, to pick up steam -- and fast. But that's unlikely to happen now that T-Mobile, one of the biggest carriers in the US, has quietly dropped the Android handset. It's not clear exactly when the smartphone disappeared from store shelves, but a Reddit post has it pegged at July 21st. That's only two months since the phone went on sale at the so-called "un-carrier." The more worrying part is that barely anyone seemed to notice.
T-Mobile's Binge On expands to 80 more video services
As of today, T-Mobile's Binge On service is expanding to include 80 different video streaming services. Starting today, users will be able to stream content from NBC, Univision, Google Play Music and Spotify.
Cricket Wireless has an unlimited plan for $65 a month
Not be left in the dust by the likes of T-Mobile, Sprint or Verizon when it comes to pre-paid smartphone plans, AT&T is getting aggressive with its Cricket Wireless offering. For $65 a month ($70 if you opt out of auto-pay) you'll get unlimited talk, text and LTE data across North America. That price includes all taxes and fees as well, which should mean no surprises on a monthly basis.
T-Mobile CEO: Calling Binge On 'throttling' is 'bullshit'
T-Mobile CEO John Legere took to YouTube this morning with a video where he, essentially, criticizes YouTube. Legere defended his company's Binge On service (again), saying, "There are people out there saying we're 'throttling.' That's a game of semantics and it's bullshit." Spoilers: He's talking about YouTube. Here's the background: Binge On allows certain customers to stream video from participating services, including Netflix and Hulu, without eating into their data plans. However, Binge One is an opt-out service and all videos for participating customers stream at 480p by default. This includes YouTube videos, even though Google isn't a Binge On partner. YouTube calls Binge On "throttling," while a T-Mobile spokesperson in December called it "mobile optimization" or "downgrading."
BlackBerry CEO says Verizon, T-Mobile and Sprint will sell the Priv
For two months now, there were only two worthwhile ways to get a BlackBerry Priv in the US — you could buy one unlocked straight from the source or ink an agreement with AT&T. That won't be the case for much longer, though. BlackBerry CEO John Chen just confirmed here at CES that Verizon, Sprint and T-Mobile have all signed on to sell the Priv... at some point. Chen couldn't provide any further information on when these carriers will officially add BlackBerry's latest phone to their line-ups, noting that "they all like to do that themselves". Fair enough, John.
T-Mobile's first Windows 10 Mobile phone is big and cheap
Say whatever you want about Windows 10 Mobile, but the folks over at T-Mobile reckon there's still a demand for this relatively niche player, which is why it's partnered with Alcatel OneTouch to deliver something "affordably priced" to begin with. In fact, if you recall the $139 Android-powered Fierce XL from a couple of months ago, it's basically that but running on Windows 10 with all the Office and Cortana goodies; and oddly enough, it's keeping the same name. Spec-wise, you still get a 5.5-inch 720p display, Qualcomm's quad-core 1.1GHz Snapdragon 210 chipset, 2GB of RAM, 16GB of storage, microSD expansion of up to 32GB, a 2,500 mAh battery, Cat 4 LTE and VoLTE. As for cameras, it's 8 megapixels on the back and 2 megapixels on the front. There's no word on the actual pricing just yet, but this new Fierce XL will be hitting T-Mobile stores in the coming weeks. Update: A T-Mobile rep has confirmed that the phone will be available for $139.99 in one payment, or $0 downpayment and less than $6 per month.
T-Mobile says it doesn't 'throttle' YouTube, it 'downgrades'
T-Mobile's Binge On service allows eligible customers to stream videos from select services -- Netflix, HBO Go, Hulu and others -- without eating into their data allowances. The catch? Binge On videos are streamed at 480p by default. YouTube isn't included in Binge On, but recently the company accused T-Mobile of "throttling" its service regardless. This isn't an accurate characterization, a T-Mobile spokesperson told DSLReports in the following statement:"Using the term 'throttle' is misleading. We aren't slowing down YouTube or any other site. In fact, because video is optimized for mobile devices, streaming from these sites should be just as fast, if not faster than before. A better phrase is 'mobile optimized' or a less flattering 'downgraded' is also accurate."
T-Mobile's 'Binge On' lets you stream video, leave your data untouched
T-Mobile CEO John Legere is on a bit of a tear over in Los Angeles right now -- after doubling the amount of mobile data T-Mo customers will get as part of the carrier's Simple Choice Amped plans, he confirmed the existence of a Music Freedom-like feature for video services. Long story short, T-Mobile customers will be able to watch video at "DVD quality or better" (480p and above) from 24 streaming services without eating into their high-speed data buckets. And the price? As usual, it'll cost you a whopping zero additional dollars starting on Sunday for people who switch to the company's new Simple Choice Amped plans.
Watch T-Mobile's 'Uncarrier X' live stream here!
T-Mobile is holding another "Uncarrier" event this afternoon to announce, well, nobody quite knows for sure. Set to start at 2PM EST, the tagline for the invitation reads "we never hit pause," which kickstarted the rumor mill. A majority of speculators are saying that the wireless carrier will announce its customers will be allowed to use streaming sites like Netflix, HBO Go and Hulu without it counting towards their data cap. The wireless carrier already offers unfettered streaming of music sites like Spotify and Pandora, so the concept isn't entirely foreign. If these rumors are true, this could be an industry game-changer -- and get net neutrality advocates in a huff because of how unequally it treats data. Video streaming does use up a huge amount of cellular data, though, so this could definitely come in handy if you're looking to watch a TV episode during your lunch break at work. The only way to know for sure, of course, is to tune in.
T-Mobile will reportedly give you free data for streaming video
T-Mobile is known for making bold moves at its Uncarrier events, and it appears the next one might be the biggest yet. According to the often-reliable @evleaks, T-Mobile will soon start offering unlimited, high-speed data for select video-streaming services, including Netflix. He also mentioned HBO, but it's not clear whether that's referring to Go or Now. Either way, the announcement is expected to happen at Uncarrier X, which is scheduled for November 10th in Los Angeles. Interestingly enough, T-Mobile tweeted about the event and mentioned there was "no reason to hit pause now," in what could be considered a hint about the network's upcoming plans. If the rumor's true, this would be huge for people who have capped data services, as it would let them stream movies and TV shows free of worries -- similar to what T-Mobile's been doing with Google Play Music and others.
Which Android devices are getting Marshmallow and when?
Google has started rolling out Android 6.0, aka Marshmallow, to a handful of Nexus devices. But, as great as that is, there are still millions of people who have to wait for third-party manufacturers or carriers to get the update. Thankfully, companies like HTC, Motorola, Samsung, Sony and T-Mobile are already outlining their plans to distribute the latest, tastiest version of Android. Not everyone will be happy, of course, but the list of smartphones set to receive Marshmallow isn't bad -- and chances are more will be added over the next few weeks. "So, am I getting it," you ask? If so, when? Let's find out.
AT&T says competitors launched WiFi calling without FCC clearance
While Sprint and T-Mobile have already flipped the switch on WiFi calling for the iPhone, AT&T continues to wait it out on the sidelines. And now we may know why. As reported by The Verge, the carrier recently sent a letter to FCC chairman Tom Wheeler accusing competitors of launching the feature without legitimate approval from the government agency. AT&T's Legal Senior Vice President, James Ciccioni, claims Sprint and T-Mobile started offering WiFi calling even though the FCC hadn't granted a support waiver for teletypewriter communications, also known as TTY -- which are typically required for providing accessibility services.
Sprint offers the iPhone 6s for $1 a month with trade-in
Sprint has lowered the bar in The Great iPhone 6s Price Race of 2015. Trade in an iPhone 6 at a Sprint-branded store and snag a 16GB iPhone 6s for $1 a month. Or, trade up to a 16GB iPhone 6s Plus for $5 a month. If you need a little more storage in your mobile life, get a 64GB 6s for $5.77 a month or 128GB for $10.53 a month with the trade-in of an iPhone 6. For 6s Plus people, 64GB runs $9.77 a month and 128GB costs $14.53 per month with a trade-in. There's also a discount for swapping out your iPhone 5s: Get a 16GB iPhone 6s for $10 a month or a 16GB 6s Plus for $14. All of this is part of Sprint's (totally-not-creepy-sounding) iPhone Forever program, which allows eligible customers to grab the newest iPhone model as soon as it's on the market. This requires a 22-month lease on a new or upgradable line, alongside the trade-in. Before Sprint's announcement, the cheapest monthly iPhone plan was T-Mobile's $5-a-month trade-in offer for the 16GB 6s.
T-Mobile delivers iMessage-style texting, starting with Samsung phones
What if the default texting app on your phone offered some of the same handy features as iMessage or Hangouts? Well, if you're a T-Mobile customer, you'll soon be privy to more tools. The Uncarrier announced its Advanced Messaging tech today, delivering options like near real-time chat, larger images and more. Like iMessage, BBM and the like, you'll be able to see when a message has been delivered, read and when the person you're chatting with is tapping out a response. Those larger images? The size limit is bumped to 10MB for photos and videos, giving you more space to futz with if needed.
LG's G4 arrives at T-Mobile, Sprint, Verizon and US Cellular next week (update: AT&T, too)
Have you been eyeing LG's latest flagship handset since it was announced last month? Well, it's set to arrive in the US next week. T-Mobile began selling the G4 online today, for $0 down and $25/month for two years or $599.76 if you're looking to part with a lump sum. The pink-hued carrier is looking to lure early adopters with an extra that'll make good use of that microSD card slot. If you opt in "while supplies last," you can expect a free 128GB card for free. And T-Mobile's the spot to grab that dapper brown leather rear cover. The LG G4 won't go on sale in stores until June 3rd, so nabbing one now means yours will ship before the phone hits retail. Not a fan of T-Mobile? Fret not.
Google's Project Fi service turns multiple phone networks into one
Got a Nexus 6? Itching to dump your traditional wireless service provider for something a bit more ambitious? Google's got you covered. After months of speculation and a not-so-subtle nod from Sundar Pichai at Mobile World Congress, the search giant's new mobile phone service -- Project Fi -- is finally official. The company's plan is both as savvy and as unorthodox as we'd expect: Instead of trying to build out and maintain its own nationwide network of cell towers and repeaters, Google's instead combining Sprint and T-Mobile's coverage footprints with millions of pre-vetted WiFi hotspots to provide users with the fastest, most seamless mobile experience it can in real-time. Well, that's the plan anyway. You're probably just clamoring for the invite link at this point (here you go), but it's important to note that Google created Fi to fill in the gaps that already exist in our more-mobile-by-the-day lives.
