uscellular
Latest
Samsung’s Galaxy Note 8 hits stores today
Samsung Galaxy Note 8 fans, the day is here. The phone hits stores today after breaking series pre-order records in the US and abroad. Samsung announced earlier this week that it sold over 650,000 phones in the first five days of its presale, outselling the Note 7 over the same time period.
PBS will remain on the air in rural areas thanks to T-Mobile
PBS announced today that T-Mobile has agreed to foot the bill for public broadcasting's translators to move to new frequencies, which they'll have to do in order to stay on the air after the FCC's incentive auction. T-Mobile bid $8 billion and received 45 percent of the low-band spectrum auctioned off by the FCC earlier this year. The TV channels operating on the sold-off spectrum now have to move to lower channels, share with other networks or shut down. Because the FCC isn't providing funding for translators to be repackaged, 38 million Americans, largely in rural areas, were at risk of losing access to PBS if those broadcast facilities shut down. T-Mobile's agreement to pay for the repackaging costs will keep PBS on the air in those areas.
All the places you can buy the Galaxy S8 and S8+
If you're looking to make sure you're among the first to own Samsung's swanky new Galaxy S8 but don't want to line up outside a store on April 21st, you're in luck. Major and minor carriers alike have announced that they're running pre-order campaigns (with some hefty incentives) starting as early as tomorrow. Here's what each has planned:
Google tests LTE phone calls on Project Fi
As nice as Google's Project Fi service is for the data-hungry crowd, it's not so hot for voice -- switching to Fi frequently means giving up pristine-sounding LTE voice calls with some of your friends. You might not have to make that sacrifice for much longer, thankfully. Google tells subscribers that it's testing voice over LTE with a "subset" of its customer base. This is likely only going to function when you're on T-Mobile's network (it's the only one of Fi's three partners with VoLTE as of this writing). However, you'll definitely know when it kicks in between the improved quality, faster mid-call data speeds and a quicker connection time.
FCC chief asks telcos to offer free robocall blocking services
Tom Wheeler, head honcho at the Federal Communications Commission, has fired off letters asking the country's biggest communications providers to offer robocall blocking services for free. The FCC is still fielding a barrage of complaints from people sick and tired of robocalls a year after it passed a proposal that should have helped the situation. If you'll recall, the commission made it perfectly legal for carriers to block automated calls before they reach subscribers back in 2015. Unfortunately, telcos are still reportedly telling customers that they have no authority to those calls. As a result, they still make the up the biggest number of complaints filed with the agency.
Google's Project Fi gets more coverage through US Cellular
Ever since Google launched Project Fi, you've had to hop between just two networks: Sprint and T-Mobile. But what if you're in an area where one or neither is particularly great? You might have an easier time of things after today. US Cellular has signed up as Project Fi's third partner, giving you both better overall coverage and a greater chance of staying on speedy LTE data. You should see it reach your phone sometime in the "coming weeks." It's probably not the additional network you were hoping for (AT&T or Verizon, anyone?), but it could mean the difference between a rock-solid connection and having to wait for WiFi.
Samsung Pay goes live in the US
Got one of Samsung's newer smartphones? Most likely, you can use it to make purchases across the US: as promised, Samsung Pay has launched Stateside. The technology lets you buy goods most anywhere that accepts card- or NFC-based payments, so you probably won't have to fret about bringing out your wallet at the local shop. If anything, the big challenge is getting the exact combination of hardware and credit cards needed to make this work. You'll need a Galaxy S6, S6 Edge, S6 Edge+ or Note 5 running on one of four big US carriers (AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile or US Cellular), and you'll need an American Express, MasterCard or Visa card issued through large banks like Bank of America, Citi or US Bank. Don't expect to pay for snacks with your credit union card and a Verizon phone, then. This is still a big deal if you're a Samsung fan, though, and the company is promising broader support over time.
Samsung Pay beta arrives on every major carrier but Verizon
Samsung has opened the public beta of its new phone-based Pay service ahead of its official launch late next month. Beta participants will need to have a Galaxy S6, S6 Edge, Note 5, or S6 Edge+ (unrooted, mind you) as well as a credit or debit card from US Bank (Visa) or Bank of America (Visa or MasterCard). Additionally, they'll need cellular service from AT&T, T-Mobile, Sprint, or US Cellular. Verizon subscribers are SOL as the company is still "evaluating" Samsung's system. There's no word yet on when or if Verizon will actually participate. [Image Credit: FilmMagic]
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.
US carriers make it (somewhat) easier to unlock your phone
If you've struggled with getting your carrier to unlock your phone so that you can easily travel abroad -- or, gasp, switch providers -- today is an important day. As promised, seven US networks (AT&T, Bluegrass Cellular, Cellcom, Sprint, T-Mobile, US Cellular and Verizon) are now honoring a voluntary code of conduct that, among other things, lets you get your phone unlocked without a big fight. As a rule, carriers will agree to derestrict your phone after you've paid off your device or service contract. You'll have to ask most of them to do it, which could take up to two days. It's easier on a couple of carriers, however. Sprint will automatically unlock SIM-based cellular service on phones bought from today onward, while T-Mobile bundles an app with newer phones that lets you start the process yourself.
Samsung's curvy Galaxy Note Edge reaches the US November 14th
If you've been jonesing to get Samsung's one-of-a-kind Galaxy Note Edge in the US, you now have a date to mark on your calendar. The bent-screen Android smartphone will be available in the US starting November 14th, with the five biggest carriers (AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, Verizon and US Cellular) all on tap either on the 14th or in the weeks afterward. You'll be paying an extravagant sum for that eye-catching display, however. Sprint is offering the Edge on a $35 per month payment plan ($840 total), while AT&T will sell it for $400 on contract, or an eye-watering $950 up front -- you'd better really, really like curved screens. Other carriers haven't divulged pricing just yet, but it's safe to say that they'll charge similar amounts. Who knew that the Galaxy Note 4 would seem like a bargain?
AT&T and Verizon are tied for the most US cellular customers
AT&T and Verizon have long dominated the American cellular landscape, but there's always been a top dog (more recently, Verizon). In the first quarter of the year, however, something strange happened -- the carriers virtually tied each other for market share, according to estimates by analyst Chetan Sharma. While the providers publish different figures (AT&T includes virtual networks and machine-to-machine links that Verizon doesn't), Sharma believes that they both had 34 percent of US subscribers. AT&T reportedly leveled the playing field when it bought Leap and added all of Cricket's customers.
US Cellular's new plans let you avoid contracts and big phone payments
If you'd rather not go to a very big US carrier like T-Mobile to avoid both contracts and up-front phone costs, don't worry -- US Cellular now lets you drop those obligations, too. Its newly launched Simple Connect plans provide unlimited data, messaging and voice without a contract, starting at $40 per month for basic phones. Smartphone plans start at $50 per month with 500MB of full-speed data, and $60 per month for 2GB. Going contract-free opens the door to an equally new (though far from original) installment plan that lets you pay for a device over the course of two years, rather than shelling out a lot of money up front. US Cellular's fresh rates won't tempt anyone away from the bigger data caps on regular plans (or competing networks), but they could give those with modest demands more control over when they upgrade phones or jump to other providers.
The Galaxy S5, along with Samsung's wearable lineup, heads to AT&T
A whole lot of Samsung is about to come to AT&T. Today, the carrier announced that pre-orders for the Samsung Galaxy S5 will begin tomorrow both online and in stores, with shipping to start in early April. Pricing is set at $200 with a two-year contract, though it's also available for a monthly fee with AT&T's Next plans. (US Cellular customers, incidentally, will also be able to pre-order the GS 5 tomorrow for $200 on-contract.) And that's not all: tomorrow, AT&T will also put Samsung's trio of wearables up for pre-order. This includes the $299 Samsung Gear 2, the $199 Gear 2 Neo and the $199 Gear Fit. Shipping for those devices will also begin in early April.
US Cellular may give customers more data for the same money
US Cellular's shared data plan subscribers might be able to enjoy more data sometime soon. That'll be the case anyway, if the carrier's truly increasing its shared data subscribers' caps, as indicated by a leaked internal document unearthed by Droid Life. If the memo is legit, then the $40 shared plan will come with 1GB of data that triples the original 300MB, the $50 tier will come with a 2GB cap instead of 1GB and the $60 plan will net subscribers 3GB of data, up from 2GB. The company is reportedly bumping up current subscribers' data allotments automatically, though it's giving new customers the choice to sign up for an introductory 300MB tier for $15 a month. In addition to higher shared data caps, US Cellular is apparently going to launch a $60 single line plan with 1GB of data for a limited time.
The Moto G lands on US Cellular for $99 sans contract
The Moto G is the best cheap Android phone you can get your hands on, and now you've got another way to nab one. US Cellular today confirmed what a blurry screenshot told us yesterday: the 8GB model will hit store shelves on February 10. Just can't wait? Those with itchy trigger fingers can order one online now for $99, just like you can at Verizon. It's almost the same Moto G we fell for in our review, albeit with Android 4.4 KitKat instead of the Jelly Bean build the phone first shipped with. Just remember that you won't be able to hop on the carrier's LTE network - despite a solid spec sheet, the G (sadly) lacks LTE support. You can't unlock the thing since it's technically Motorola's CDMA variant, but hey: a good deal's a good deal.
US Cellular offers $50 unlimited plan with throttled data as a catch
You won't have to endure data caps if you want cheap phone service at US Cellular. The carrier has just launched a promo plan that offers unlimited internet access, messaging and voice for $50 per month without a contract. There is a big gotcha, though -- US Cellular will start throttling data speeds after the first 500MB, which rules it out for movie fans and others who need a lot of bandwidth. Still, it's worth a look if you're keen to both lower your bill and avoid those dreaded overage fees. [Image credit: Vincent Desjardins, Flickr]
T-Mobile will soon pay you to switch from a smaller carrier
Some Americans have no doubt been tempted by T-Mobile's willingness to pay early termination fees for switchers, but the offer has many catches -- you have to jump ship from a major carrier, for one thing. However, the network tells Re/code that its requirements will soon loosen up. It plans to extend the deal to cover the fees from more than a dozen smaller providers, including US Cellular. Magenta will also accept more devices for trade-ins, and they won't even have to be in working order; if a broken phone is your excuse to switch, you may still get some cash. It's too early to say whether expanding the incentive program will have any meaningful effect on T-Mobile's bottom line, but it's hard to complain about getting a better bargain.
FCC FTW: wireless telcos agree to more consumer-friendly phone unlocking policies
About a month ago, FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler gave the U.S. wireless industry an ultimatum: choose to get on board with unlocking people's phones or face regulatory action forcing it to do so. Today, the CTIA -- the wireless industry trade association -- and Verizon, AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile and U.S. Cellular have acceded to Wheeler's demands by recommending that his policies be incorporated into the CTIA Consumer Code for Wireless Service. According to a letter sent to by the CTIA to the FCC, this means that the telcos mentioned above "will move quickly to implement these principles" in total within a year. In case you forgot, this means that within 12 months those companies will: provide a clear, concise and readily accessible policy on unlocking unlock mobile devices for legitimate owners of those devices once their service contract has been fulfilled notify customers when their devices are eligible to be unlocked and/or automatically unlock those devices for free (but they can charge a reasonable if you aren't a current customer) unlock devices or provide an explanation of a denial of any unlock requests within two days unlock devices for military service men and women upon deployment For its part, the FCC was gracious in victory, with Chairman Wheeler stating during an open Commission meeting today that he was happy that a cooperative agreement was reached in a speedy manner and that "this is the way things should work." Fellow commissioner Ajit Pai chimed in as well, stating that he was glad that the "specter of jail time for those who unlock their phones" was now removed, but that the policy change isn't enough. Pai went on to call on Congress to fix the flaws with US Copyright law that are the underlying root of the problem, and he hopes that this shift in CTIA policy will "help expedite the legislative process." Time will tell if our governmental's legislative arm heeds the executive's advice -- don't hold your breath.
US Cellular starts selling the iPhone 5s and 5c
Since the official release of the iPhone 5s and 5c this past September, the phones have been slowly rolling out across the US beyond the major carriers. As we've reported previously, today marks the release of the 5s and 5c for US Cellular customers. Chicago-based US Cellular is the fifth-largest carrier in the US, larger than some carriers that are already selling iPhone plans. However, its contract-based customers may see less price shock up front when upgrading than those people who are buying pre-paid phones through Boost Mobile (which also started selling the iPhone 5s and 5c today) or other carriers. The 5s at US Cellular starts at US$199.99 for the 16 GB model, while the 16 GB 5c starts at $99.99.
