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T-Mobile to launch data-free $35 Unlimited Talk and Text plan on December 8th
T-Mobile's Simple Choice plans are relatively cheap ways to get unlimited voice and messaging, but not everyone is eager to pay for the accompanying data. The carrier is clearly aware of this, as it's launching a data-free $35 Unlimited Talk and Text prepaid plan on December 8th. It's a "limited-time" offer for thrifty customers who still want to chat as much as they like, the company explains to TmoNews. We'd argue that T-Mobile's $30 plan with unlimited data and 100 minutes of voice is ultimately the better deal, but the new rate could be appealing to basic phone owners and those who spend all their time on WiFi.
NSA collecting 5 billion cellphone location records per day
Hey everyone, the government's tracking you. Quelle surprise. In what has to be one of the least shocking pieces of news to come from the Edward Snowden leaks, The Washington Post is reporting that the National Security Agency has been gathering surveillance data on foreign cellphone users' whereabouts globally, with some Americans potentially caught in the net. The database, which collects about 5 billion records per day, is so vast that not even the NSA has the proper tools to sift through it all. That's not to say the agency hasn't been able to make "good" use of it with analytics programs, though. One such program, ominously labeled Co-Traveler, allows the NSA to determine "behaviorally relevant relationships" based on data from signals intelligence activity designators (or sigads for short) located around the world, including one codenamed "Stormbrew." That's a lot of jargon for what are essentially data hubs that collect geolocation information down to the cell tower level. Co-Traveler can locate targets of interest based on cellphone users moving in tandem, even if they're unknown threats -- frequent meetups with an existing suspect could reveal a close associate, for instance. As we've come to expect by now, both the NSA and the Office of the Director for National Intelligence argue that this location-based surveillance is legal. Agency representatives tell the Post that the collection system doesn't purposefully track Americans. However, the NSA also says it can't determine how many US residents get swept up in these location scans; there are concerns that it's following targets protected by Fourth Amendment search rights. Jon Fingas contributed to this report.
UK carriers agree to cap bills on lost and stolen cellphones
It's bad to rack up steep cellphone bills through your own actions, but it's even worse if a thief does that on your behalf. Thankfully, the UK government has struck a deal with EE, Three, Virgin Media and Vodafone to cap bills on any cellphone reported lost or stolen after this spring. Brits on those networks won't be liable for more than £50, even if a mugger goes on a Netflix marathon. The agreement should also prevent other kinds of bill shock; carriers will be clearer about the chances of mid-contract rate hikes (with the option of ending that contract), and they'll help wipe out roaming charges by 2016. The UK's moves won't completely eliminate surprise costs -- not when O2 and other providers are missing from the deal, at least -- but it might help ease the blow.
HTC One Google Edition handsets now getting official Android 4.4 KitKat updates
Earlier today, HTC posted the Android 4.4 KitKat kernel source and framework files for the HTC One Google Play Edition, which usually means an official OTA update is imminent. Sure enough, a user on XDA Developers has now reported that he's received the update the safe way, over-the-air. That means you'll soon see the more streamlined interface if you're rocking the Sense-less device, though some waiting may be required if the rollout is staggered. Other benefits you'll notice will be a better camera app with its own shortcut, improved battery life and more speed overall. Meanwhile, owners of the regular HTC One should get KitKat skinned with Sense in January, at least in the US and UK. If you went for the Google Play Edition, you can check your settings for the update or, if you're feeling brave, download it at the "More Coverage" link after the break. Update: Voice activated search using "OK, Google" from the homescreen is only available on the Nexus 5 with the Google Experience launcher. The post has been updated to reflect that.
US carriers no longer let premium text message services bill customers
Among the many surprise costs that annoy cellphone owners, unwanted text message service fees can be the worst; they're hard to stop, and not always worth the effort. Those fees may not irk many US subscribers after today, though -- AT&T, Sprint and T-Mobile now stop "problematic" premium SMS services from billing their customers. Donations and those all-important talent show votes will still go through. Verizon isn't part of today's announcements, although the company's General Counsel William Petersen tells us that Big Red is already "winding down" premium SMS services. There's a good chance that these shady messagers will simply change tactics, but they'll at least have a tougher time scamming phone owners.
FCC reportedly proposing that passengers can use cellular service in mid-flight (update: confirmed)
While the FAA has cleared the use of electronics on US passenger airplanes at all stages of flight, there's still one major restriction in place: you have to shut off all cellular access. That rule may not exist for much longer if the FCC has its way, according to sources for the Wall Street Journal. The agency will reportedly use its December meeting to propose letting passengers make phone calls and use cellular data whenever they're flying above 10,000 feet. Don't be too eager to start chatting in mid-air, though. The FCC hasn't publicly confirmed the proposal, and any new policy wouldn't be mandatory -- carriers could still ask for radio silence, and special equipment would need to be installed in order for each plane to communicate with towers on the ground. If implemented, though, the relaxed rules could make your phone's airplane mode seem like more of a relic than a necessity. Update: Chairman Tom Wheeler has issued a statement about the earlier report: "Today, we circulated a proposal to expand consumer access and choice for in-flight mobile broadband. Modern technologies can deliver mobile services in the air safely and reliably, and the time is right to review our outdated and restrictive rules. I look forward to working closely with my colleagues, the FAA, and the airline industry on this review of new mobile opportunities for consumers.
Sprint and Best Buy offer students a year of free cellphone service, with a catch
Many students have trouble scrounging up money for loan payments, let alone cellular service. Thankfully, Sprint and Best Buy have teamed up on a promotional cellphone plan built for these non-existent budgets. The My Way promo adds a line with a year of free phone service to a parent's existing account; customers just need to sign up at Best Buy and prove that Junior is going to school, whether it's elementary or college. As you'd expect, though, there's a big catch. While the plan includes unlimited calls and messaging, data is capped at 1GB per month unless you pay an extra $10 per month for unfettered internet access. Even so, it's a potentially huge bargain for students who get in before the deal ends January 1st -- they may finally have cash to spend on the finer things in life.
Mozilla has no plans to sell consumer Firefox phones in the US
It looks like most folks in the US have a long wait ahead of them before they can take Firefox OS for a spin. Despite ZTE's plan to design a bigger and better phone for release in the country in 2014, Mozilla exec Mitchell Baker tells CNET that there are currently no plans to launch in the US just yet. Why? Well, at the OpenMobile Summit in San Francisco, Baker emphasized that the company's focused on marketing to developing nations, as it's a space largely ignored by mobile heavyweights Apple and Google. That said, several Firefox OS phones (primarily for developers) were sold stateside via eBay in the past, so we bet you can find one for sale if you're truly desperate. Just make sure to switch on your scam detector before diving into the secondary market.
Facebook joins the GSM Association to stay in sync with carriers
Facebook has a vested interest in the phone world between its hundreds of millions of mobile users and the Home interface. It's only fitting, then, that the social network has just joined the GSM Association. The company tells FierceWireless that it wants to play an "active role" in the GSMA as an associate member. The move should help Facebook both maintain its cozy relationships with carriers and understand their concerns. Membership could also be useful for Facebook's attempts to democratize internet access through Internet.org -- when it's already enlisting the help of wireless providers, a formal alliance with those networks is only logical.
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]
Moto G drops by the Motorola website unannounced, doesn't stay long
Well, would you look at that. It seems the recent rumblings and trademark paperwork for the reportedly low-cost Moto G had some merit. The unannounced device popped up in the navigation of Motorola's site despite leading to a dead link (moto-g.com) but has since been removed. Details are quite sparse for the time being, but we've reached out to the smartphone maker for comment on the apparent snafu and will update this post the moment we hear back.
WiLAN loses lawsuit against Apple over cellular data patents
WiLAN has made a solid business out of suing the wireless industry over alleged patent violations, coaxing settlements out of HTC, Novatel and four other heavyweights. It won't get any money from Apple, though, as an Eastern District of Texas court has ruled that the iPhone maker didn't infringe on a WiLAN patent covering CDMA and HSPA data transmissions. The court also invalidated two claims in the patent, which makes it that much harder for WiLAN to sue others. Apple isn't completely out of the woods when the plaintiff is "reviewing its options." However, we suspect that the case doesn't have a leg to stand on -- especially not in a legal climate that's increasingly hostile toward patent trolls.
T-Mobile to replace grandfathered plans with new rates
Many loyal T-Mobile customers will have to kiss their grandfathered plans goodbye. That's because the carrier is sunsetting legacy plans and moving subscribers to new ones, Big Magenta has confirmed to Engadget. While the company has yet to get back to us with the finer details of the switch, a spokesperson told us that affected folks will be provided with "similar or better features at a comparable price." An unconfirmed report that surfaced last week notes that clients will get special rates not available to newer patrons, with prices beginning at $20 -- the cheapest individual Simple Choice Plan costs $50 a month. A HowardForums user also posted a letter reportedly from T-Mo (posted after the break) that lends credence to that claim, as it moves an existing user to a $45/month scheme with unlimited voice, text and 4G data. The transition's slated to begin in November, but if you'd rather switch carriers, you'd better take advantage of this shakeup ASAP -- the company's giving you the option to do so without penalty fees until February 21st, 2014. [Image credit: Alex Schwenke, Flickr]
Pew survey: 21 percent of US cellphone owners get online mostly through their phones
There have been signs that Americans are leaning more and more on the smartphone as a primary internet device, and nowhere is that clearer than the latest edition of Pew's Cell Internet Use survey. The research group found that 21 percent of American cellphone owners now get online chiefly through their handset, up from 17 percent last year. Offline users, meanwhile, have been reduced to a minority -- 63 percent of US cell owners have hopped on the internet from their phones at some point. The PC isn't going away anytime soon, but it's clear that the traditional computer is just one internet client among many.
Google streamlines Gmail for featurephone web browsers
Google may focus much of its attention on smartphones, but it knows that featurephone owners deserve a good online experience as well. Accordingly, it just launched a revamped Gmail web app for devices where modern browsers and touchscreens aren't guaranteed. The new client requires fewer button presses to read and write messages; users can reply to email directly from the thread view, for example. While the need for basic webmail is disappearing as smartphones get ever cheaper, those who need (or prefer) a simple cellphone can try the new Gmail page today.
Rumored EU law would scrap cellular roaming fees, let travelers choose providers
It's no secret that European Commission regulators dislike roaming charges. However, The Guardian now hears from sources that the Commission may propose legislation next week that eliminates those charges altogether. Carriers would reportedly have to charge the same service rates in every European Union country, forming alliances in nations where they don't operate. Networks that don't scrap roaming fees by July 2014 would also have to give customers a choice of foreign providers. Subscribers wouldn't even have to swap SIM cards or phone numbers, according to The Guardian. A spokesman for the Commission's Neelie Kroes declined comment on the rumor, but noted that the agency wants roaming "out of the market" -- clearly, the cellular status quo won't last for long.
Wind Mobile reportedly near acquiring Mobilicity's subscribers
Mobilicity lost out on its chances of a rescue from either Telus or Verizon, and there's now talk that the ailing Canadian carrier has run out of options. The Financial Post claims that Wind Mobile has nearly completed a deal to acquire Mobilicity's cellular subscribers for little to no cash. Mobilicity would only hold on its wireless spectrum and tax losses in the hopes of selling those separately. Neither of the involved companies has commented on the rumor. However, any handover would be relatively painless; when the two carriers have similar coverage and frequency support, customers almost wouldn't notice the difference. [Image credit: Andrew Currie, Flickr]
Three now lets travelers use their UK cellphone plans in seven countries
Three UK must hate international roaming charges as much as we do -- it just launched a Feel At Home initiative that ditches those fees in seven countries. Subscribers who visit Australia, Austria, Denmark, Hong Kong, Ireland, Italy and Sweden can now use data, messaging and voice as if they were back in Britain. The perk doesn't require a specific plan, and customers can roam on any compatible network in a Free At Home country. There are a few catches, of course: calls to non-UK numbers still incur roaming fees, and tethering is strictly verboten. Still, Brits who just have to post vacation photos on Instagram should be happy.
AT&T to bring LTE to 50 more markets by the end of 2013, Fargo citizens rejoice
American LTE rollouts by themselves are nothing special now that 4G covers large parts of the country. AT&T just gave us reason to take notice, however, with promises that it will bring LTE to 50 more markets before the end of the year. The deployments cover a wide swath of the US, ranging from the northern climes of Fargo and Fairbanks to balmier locations like Amarillo and Kauai. You'll find the full list in AT&T's press release after the break, but it's safe to say that Frances McDormand would approve.
Kogan Mobile to wind down after wholesale provider ispONE goes bust
Virtual carriers are only as healthy as the companies that provide their services -- and Australia's Kogan Mobile is learning this the hard way. Its wholesale cellular partner ispONE has just entered administration following a contract dispute with Telstra, ending all its deals for prepaid 3G services and leaving Kogan Mobile no choice but to wind down. Customers have already lost the ability to add or replenish services; they'll have up to 60 days after a Telstra notice to use any credit they have left, and 180 days to port their numbers elsewhere. While Kogan's shutdown may only affect about 100,000 people, it still represents an unfortunate loss of competition in a country with few major providers.
