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T-Mobile's eSIM support for new iPhones is limited to prepaid lines
Now that AT&T and Verizon have switched on their support for eSIMs in iPhones, it's T-Mobile's turn. The magenta network has released an eSIM app that adds a line to your iPhone XR, iPhone XS or iPhone XS Max without making you insert a little card. There's one big gotcha, though: it's currently limited to prepaid service. T-Mobile pitches this as an option for visitors to the US, existing customers who want a secondary line or would-be switchers who want to try the network without a deeper commitment. Support for regular subscriptions is coming, but you'll presently need to hold off if you wanted to reserve the physical slot for travel SIMs or (gasp) a rival provider.
AT&T is the first major US carrier to support eSIM on iPhone
eSIMs are finally getting a foot in the door in the US. Alongside the news that Apple has officially released iOS 12.1.1 to the public, which includes eSIM support, AT&T has become the first major US carrier to support eSIM for iPhone.
Google Fi’s iPhone debut comes with caveats
Three years after its debut, Google's Fi is no longer just a "project." The company announced today that its wireless service has matured enough to not only get a rebrand but also much wider device support. More important, not only will Fi be compatible with more Android phones, it'll work with the iPhone too (at least, it's in beta). It's a big step forward for Google Fi, which until today has been self-limited in reach. The question now is, will this be enough to get people to switch over?
FCC will review how wireless carriers respond to natural disasters
With the recovery from Hurricanes Florence and Michael still underway, the FCC wants to know how well wireless networks will cope with the next crisis. The regulator is launching a review of the Wireless Resiliency Cooperative Framework, a voluntary pledge on the part of carriers to work together in maintaining service during natural disasters, raising public awareness and speeding up the recovery process. To that end, it's sending letters to carriers in the framework (including AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile and Engadget parent Verizon) to summarize how they've implemented the alliance in the past two years, explain how they follow "best practices" and outline moments when agreements were changed or faced interference.
Verizon cuts the price of its unlimited prepaid plan
Verizon (Engadget's parent company) appears to be feeling the heat from T-Mobile's Metro relaunch. It's shaking up its prepaid plans with an emphasis on better value at the high end. The price of the unlimited plan has effectively dropped by $10 to $65 when you set up Auto Pay -- it's still more expensive than Metro's offering, but it's at least in the ballpark. You'll also get an extra gig with the $45 plan (again with Auto Pay), which now offers 8GB of full-speed LTE data.
iPhone dual-SIM support doesn't play nicely with Verizon (for now)
Don't rush to try iOS 12.1's dual-SIM support if you're a customer of our parent company Verizon. PCMag has learned that the current software drops iPhone XS, XS Max and XR users down to CDMA (that is, the 2G network) if you activate another carrier on the eSIM and use your Verizon SIM card for the secondary line while in the US. This won't hurt if you're roaming abroad, but it's crippling for domestic use: You'll lose anything resembling fast data, and even basic coverage will shrink, given that 30 percent of Verizon's cell sites are LTE only. Accordingly, Verizon has decided it would rather decline to activate eSIMs for now than make users suffer when they rely on the company for a second line.
AT&T's mobile 5G network to launch in 'next few weeks'
After months of talking about its 5G rollout plans, AT&T is finally close to making those plans a reality. As part of a conference call to discuss its latest earnings report, the carrier said its mobile 5G network would go live in parts of the promised 12 cities "within the next few weeks." Provided the company isn't being generous with its definition of "few," that suggests service will go live sometime in November. It had promised service by the end of 2018, but it sounds like the company isn't quite waiting until the last minute.
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.
Apple iPhone Xs will come with dual SIM capability
At Apple's fall event today, the iPhone Xs is certainly stealing the show, and not just for sharper screens and cameras. As rumors anticipated, the new devices will finally get eSIM technology, which had been available in iPads and Apple Watches but not the company's smartphones. That's not all: The Xs will also get the ability to juggle dual SIMs.
Sprint's newest Unlimited plan includes Amazon, Hulu and Tidal
Virtually every major US carrier offers one or more free services (however temporary) with at least one of its plans, so how is Sprint going to compete? By including more services, naturally. The carrier has launched an Unlimited Premium plan that, for $90 per month, adds Amazon Prime and Lookout Premium Plus security on top of the Hulu and Tidal services you get with the Unlimited Plus plan. You're ostensibly saving about $480 per year versus subscribing to all those extras on your own. The wireless access itself has been upgraded, too.
Sprint security lapse gave access to customer data
Add Sprint to the list of US carriers whose security shortfalls put customer data at risk. TechCrunch has confirmed that the provider was using two sets of easily-guessed logins that let a security researcher access a company portal with access to customer data, including for Boost Mobile and Virgin Mobile. There were issues within the portal, too. The researcher would only have needed an account holder's phone number and a four-digit PIN to access their data, change plans or swap devices, and there was no limit on the number of PIN guesses.
T-Mobile tackles lousy customer service with 'Team of Experts'
It's no secret that a lot of carrier tech support is lousy. It's not just that you have to wade through menus -- it's that you're often pushed between support agents who only have the foggiest idea of your service history and are encouraged to get you off the phone quickly. T-Mobile thinks it can do better. It's launching a "Team of Experts" initiative that's meant to get you in touch with people who can actually deal with your problems instead of passing the buck.
Apple alters its contracts to comply with Japan's antitrust laws
Japan's antitrust regulatory agency just wrapped up an investigation into Apple, and in order to ensure its compliance with the country's antitrust rules, the company will change the sales contracts it has with three of Japan's major mobile service providers. The Japan Fair Trade Commission (JFTC) looked into four sales practices, but just one stuck out as potentially anticompetitive -- Apple's requirement for service providers to offer iPhone subsidies.
AT&T's latest unlimited plans include a new live TV service
AT&T isn't wasting any time milking its nearly completed acquisition of Time Warner for all it's worth. The carrier has unveiled two new wireless plans, Unlimited &More and Unlimited &More Premium, that both include its previously hinted-at WatchTV service (plus a $15 credit for DirecTV Now) at no extra charge. The offering gives you 30-plus live TV channels as well as on-demand shows, and it won't surprise you to hear that WarnerMedia channels play a large part: CNN, TBS and TCM are in the mix alongside third-party channels like A&E, BBC World News and, in the near future, Viacom channels like Comedy Central.
LG's G7 and V35 are available for pre-order on Project Fi
You no longer have to spring for a Pixel if you want a high-end smartphone on Project Fi. In the wake of an announcement late last month, Google's wireless service has made LG's G7 ThinQ and V35 ThinQ available for pre-order. The pricing for the devices remains unchanged at a respective $749 and $899, but there's now a sweeter incentive to buy them: you'll get a $100 Fi bill credit if you buy either device no later than July 7th. They're still more expensive than the Pixel 2 line as of this writing (Google is offering a $150 bill credit for those devices as well), but it might be tempting if you want a fast phone on Fi and aren't willing to wait a few months.
T-Mobile and Sprint pitch FCC on the merits of their merger
You've heard T-Mobile and Sprint try to sell you on their proposed merger, but it's now regulators' turn to get an earful. The two carriers have submitted their Public Interest Statement to the FCC outlining the claimed benefits of the union, and it won't surprise you to hear that they've portrayed their move as uniformly positive for the country. They're particularly focused on courting cord-cutters -- they see this as a chance to up-end TV and wired broadband at the same time.
AT&T opens its public safety network to volunteer first responders
AT&T's approach to a public safety network has been available for a while, but only for emergency crews that supply phones and plans. That's not much good if you're a volunteer firefighter or otherwise have to bring your own device. However, you won't be out of the loop for long. AT&T has launched FirstNet plans for first responders who have to use personal accounts, whether they're volunteers or careerists. You'll need to be verified and use a FirstNet-friendly device like the Galaxy S9 or V35 ThinQ, but you'll use the same dedicated emergency network as other crews.
T-Mobile is bringing its long-range LTE to Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico is still recovering from Hurricane Maria several months later, but it should have the benefit of thoroughly modern networks as it returns to health. T-Mobile now plans to roll out its 600MHz Extended Range LTE networking in the US territory this fall. This should provide more coverage and capacity than you sometimes see on the mainland (it has twice the range of "mid-band" LTE, T-Mobile claimed) as long as you have a compatible device.
Google's Project Fi lets you add younger kids to your family plan
Google added family plans to Project Fi a long time ago, but it wasn't really built for the younger children in your family. The company is fixing that today -- you can now add kids under 13 to your Fi group plan through a Google account controlled using Family Link. You can track and set alerts for your little ones' data usage, and use Family Link to set time and app limits.
