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Sprint's new $50 unlimited plan is only for iPhone 6 (and 6 Plus) owners
Not in a framily yet? If you're in the market for one of Apple's new iPhones, perhaps it's time to jump on the Sprint bandwagon. The carrier's rolling out a new individual rate plan: $50 gets you unlimited talk, text and data (and yes, that data is of the high-speed Spark LTE variety). Plus, Sprint will pay the ETF should you be breaking up with another carrier. Of course, that rate is exclusive to owners of the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, so all you small-screened iPhone owners need not apply. And, should you struggle with up-front hardware costs, Sprint's new iPhone for life initiative lets you pay just $20 a month with no money down and you get a new Apple handset every two years.
Vodafone targets data-sharing families with its new Red+ plan
Family mobile plans might be big in the US, but they haven't really got going in the UK. However, that isn't stopping Vodafone from trying to change people's minds with the launch of its new Red+ plan. Instead of equipping a family with individual tariffs, Vodafone aims to supply each member of the household with their own SIM, allowing the "plan leader" to distribute monthly data limits depending on how data thirsty they are. These so-called leader plans are basically upgraded Red plans that come with a 2GB, 4GB, 7GB, 10GB or 13GB data allowance, which can then be shared with a family member in 500MB, 1GB, 2GB or 4GB amounts.
Three scraps 0800 charges but kills unlimited tethering on SIM-only plans
Even though it has roughly a year until Ofcom's new rule comes into effect, Three has decided it will no longer charge SIM-only customers for making calls to 0800 numbers. The company today unveiled new plans that mirror its pay-monthly handset tariffs, finally making freephone calls free and capping calls to other 08 numbers at 5 pence per minute. Starting at £7 per month for 500MB and 200 minutes, rising to £23 per month for unlimited data and calls, Three's new 12-month SIM-only plans also include access to Feel At Home, letting you enjoy free roaming in 16 countries.
UK plans to build first spaceport outside the US by 2018
The UK may not have the best history when it comes to space exploration, but that doesn't mean it's not interested in boldly going where only a few people have gone before. According to Sky News, Britain could play host to one of the first spaceports built outside of the US, with a shortlist of eight possible sites expected to be confirmed later this week. As it stands, six of the possible locations are in Scotland, suggesting places like Prestwick, Stornoway and Kinloss, with one in Wales (Llanbedr) and the other in England (Newquay). According to the report, construction could begin as early as 2018, although we're not sure what effect the Scottish Independence referendum would have on the plans. Still, we're loving the fact that any visiting aliens who've hitched a ride on a Virgin Galactic flight will be able to load up on Irn Bru or Teisen radell before heading back to space.
O2's discounted SIM-only plans offer 4G from £11 per month
It's become a race to the bottom over who can provide the cheapest 4G tariffs. Today, O2 altered its one-year SIM-only plans, which now means its 4G tariff of 500MB of data, 500 minutes and unlimited texts costs just £11 a month. Jumping up to 3GB, 6GB or 8GB of data (with unlimited minutes and texts) will set you back £20, £25 and £30 per month, respectively. In comparison, the monthly damage on similar EE plans for 1GB, 2GB and 4GB are £17, £20 and £23 respectively.
Vodafone's gift of Netflix takes the edge off its 4G plans
If deciding which mobile operator to go with hinges more on watching House of Cards than on price or coverage, then Vodafone's latest entertainment offer could be worth a look. In addition to its Sky Sports and Spotify entertainment packs, the carrier today threw TV and movie streaming into the mix by bundling a six-month Netflix subscription when you sign up to one of its Red 4G plans. There's a catch, though: You'll need to pick a minimum £26-per-month plan, which furnishes you with 3GB of data (although it is unlimited for the first three months). That's fine for browsing and social updates, but it's worth noting that Netflix streams consume up to 1GB per hour for SD video and up to 3GB on HD content, which could burn through your allowance in double-quick time. That isn't to say you can't utilise the free Netflix pass over a WiFi connection, but it pays to be mindful when the operator says you can "stream your favourite shows and films on the move." Vodafone will let you select Netflix as your entertainment pack of choice from between July and December, so put that upgrade on hold if you want to catch the new series of Orange Is The New Black.
Landmark updates testing blueprint
EverQuest Franchise Lead Dave Georgeson critted Landmark testers with a wall of text late last night, updating the community on the plans for the game's features rollout over the next four months. To sum up the huge list: Early May: The addition of oceans, cave networks, Player Studio, and some quick fixes to help new players catch up such as a progression path diagram and the placement of basic crafting tables at the Hub. Late May: The team will add customer service tools, "crafting 2.0," treasure chests (and loot!), voice chat, underwater effects, map improvements, a minimap, and lots more music from Jeremy Soule. June: June will see a personal interface for Player Studio put in, the advent of glass and water as a building material, a revamp to the claim system, improved character creation, resource swapping, a death system, shields, recipe books, achievements, "chat 2.0," the fog of war on the map, and a "surprise feature." July: By the middle of summer, Landmark will introduce ensemble outfit pieces, the combat system, pathing, craftable abilities, physics, monsters, SOEmote, and bodies of water other than oceans. August: The last month on the blueprint will contain (for now) building tool refinements, mounts, and dynamic water.
Verizon slashes More Everything prices to keep pace with AT&T
Not to be caught cold by recent price cuts from AT&T, and to keep up with T-Mobile's relentless UnCarrier marketing blitz, Verizon has slightly tweaked its More Everything plan to reward its more data-thirsty customers. As of now, subscribers to the company's Edge early-upgrade program who sign up for 10GB or more of data can add additional smartphones to their plan for $15. That's $5 less than the $20 it originally charged. On top of that, Big Red has also slashed the cost of its monthly access fee from $40 to $25, meaning a family of four will pay $160 a month for 10GB of data and unlimited calls and texts. That puts Verizon on a completely level playing field with AT&T, while keeping T-Mobile directly in its crosshairs. You will, of course, need be part of Edge to benefit from these discounts, but it means you'll also be able to upgrade your phone as quickly (or as slowly) as you'd like.
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]
UK carrier finds loophole to let it increase prices mid-contract (updated)
Well, that didn't take long. It's a matter of hours since the UK telecoms regulator Ofcom brought in new rules to protect mobile customers from mid-contract tariff increases, and already one network has ducked them by changing its T&Cs. As of today, any customer who signs up with O2 must explicitly agree that their tariff will go up each year in line with inflation, starting with a 2.7 percent increase on March 1st. By contrast, customers who had signed up before today had only been told that prices might go up with inflation. Why is this so ironic? Because, indirectly, Ofcom's involvement seems to have turned a possible price increase into a definite, contractual one, whereas the original intention was to ensure that "fixed means fixed." Anyhow, in O2's defense, it hasn't breached Ofcom's code, and other carriers may well be planning to do the exact same thing. [Thanks, Anon] Update: Unsurprisingly, other carriers are now making their feelings on the news public. In a statement, Three UK has announced that it'll follow the spirit of Ofcom's code, and won't push your prices up part-way through your contract.
Verizon adds 250MB Share Everything plan for the extra-thrifty
Verizon's Share Everything plans may be convenient for multi-phone households, but they're not cheap -- even the 500MB tier can be pricey for those who don't need much data. To that end, the carrier is introducing a $20, 250MB shared data plan on January 21st. The new offering shaves about $20 off the base rate, and lets a single smartphone owner pay as little as $60 per month for full service; a customer with a basic phone pays $50 per month. With that said, the plan isn't exactly the bargain of the century. AT&T offers a slightly better 300MB for the same money, and 250MB is likely to run out quickly if there's at least one smartphone in the mix. It may be worth investigating what Sprint and T-Mobile have to offer if you want more data without paying a lot more for the privilege.
Sprint abandons its 'One Up' early upgrade plan after just a few months (updated)
It appears Sprint's answer to T-Mobile's UnCarrier campaign hasn't been quite the success the company hoped it would be. Less than four months after it announced its "One Up" early upgrade plan, Big Yellow began phasing out the tariff from January 9th and is now directing online customers to its new "Framily" plan instead. With Framily, Sprint is attempting to drive down the cost of friends and family plans by rewarding customers with lower monthly fees for each additional person they add (up to 10) to a single account. The One Up plan, however, was specifically designed to reduce the cost of upgrading to a brand-new smartphone every year. Sprint has yet to indicate whether its Framily plan is a direct replacement for One Up or whether we can expect a reinvention of the early upgrade plan in the future -- we've asked Sprint what it plans to do next and will update you should we receive a response.
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.
Verizon Max promo plan reportedly offers 6GB of data to Edge members for $30
Verizon clearly wants us to stop using unlimited data, but even its Edge upgrade program isn't a strong argument for embracing capped plans. The company may soon have a better lure, however: Droid-Life claims to have details of an upcoming, limited-time Verizon Max promo plan that would offer relatively large data buckets to Edge users. Individual subscribers would pay just $30 a month for 6GB of data, or $50 for 8GB with hotspot support. They wouldn't get to share service between devices, however. Verizon has declined to comment on the apparent leak, but we may hear more about Max in the near future when it's reportedly launching on August 25th. We're not convinced that the offer is worthwhile for every unlimited-loving refusenik, but it could soften the blow for those who just can't resist frequent device upgrades.
Vodafone UK switching to per-minute call charging on PAYG, stiffing you out of seconds
Benefits of pay-as-you-go handsets and SIMs include having complete control over your spend, and knowing how much call time is left before the next top-up is due. Well, if you PAYG with Vodafone in the UK, prepare to start seeing those available minutes diminish a little quicker than you're used to. You may have been unaware that calls are currently charged by the second, but come August 1st, the network will begin pricing calls by the minute. Basically, this means calls will be rounded up to the next minute, so a natter lasting just over a minute will be charged as two, losing you precious seconds. Voda says this is to make things simpler, so "you'll always know exactly how many minutes you have left" -- or don't, as the case may be. In a statement, the carrier was keen to point out that several "competitors already offer price plans charged in this way," and that top-up extras (like free minutes and cake) "continue to offer our customers great value." Nice try, Voda. Full statement after the break.
Cricket intros $40 per line family plan with unlimited talk, text and data, updates iPhone plans
Cricket's already firmly established itself as one of the more budget-minded carriers in the US, and it's now tweaking some of its plans a bit further in the hopes of attracting more customers. Leading those changes is a new family plan that will give you two lines for $40 apiece per month, each with unlimited talk, texting and data -- the catch, as is becoming increasingly common, is that the data gets throttled to a slower speed after 1GB. On top of that, the carrier has also now brought its iPhone plans in line with its Android offerings, giving folks the same options as that family plan for $50 a month. More demanding users can also opt for 2.5GB of unthrottled data for $60 or 5GB $70, both of which also add unlimited international messaging to the mix.
T-Mobile takes its UnCarrier plans live earlier than expected
T-Mobile must not want to wait for a special event to lure customers through its doors: it just launched its revamped, decidedly UnCarrier-like plans a couple of days early. As became clearer this weekend, unlimited voice, text and basic data are now things you can take for granted on Magenta's network. It's only the cap on throttle-free data that determines how much you pay: rates sold through T-Mobile itself start at $50 for a basic 500MB of online use and climb in steady 2GB increments that each cost an extra $10 per month, up to a total of 12.5GB for $110. You can still get truly unlimited service if you want, for $70 -- although you'll have to bolt on a separate hotspot plan that the capped tiers get for free. Costs at resellers are expected to run slightly higher, but it's still clear that T-Mobile is aggressively courting those of us who see internet access as the very reason to have a smartphone in the first place.
Apple's place in the next generation of gaming
Sony is holding an event this Wednesday in New York, where the company is expected to announce the next version of its popular PlayStation console, essentially kicking off the next generation of video gaming (Nintendo actually did this last year with the launch of its Wii U console, but sales of that device haven't done so well, and Mario's Japanese overlords tend to do their own thing, no matter what Microsoft and Sony do). So this TechCrunch editorial about Apple entering the gaming space for real comes at a very interesting time. Sony's about to announce a new console, and Microsoft will presumably do the same soon after. Where's Apple in all of this? A full five years ago, I wrote this post, talking about five things Apple could do to bring gamers back to the platform. And if I may say so myself, many of those directions were followed. Apple essentially has a huge game store in the App Store, and not only has it created (as I said back then) a solid revenue system as well as a promotion and distribution channel, but Apple's done so in a way that helps and grows developers as well. Apple did indeed focus on casual games in the App Store, to the point that the vast majority of the top-grossing and downloaded apps are casual games. Apple made its hardware faster, so that you can basically run any PC game on any Mac these days, either with native ports in the Mac App Store (another place where games generally rule), or with emulation and Boot Camp. And Apple has done its best to provide a fairly unified gaming experience with Game Center -- on either iOS or the Mac, Apple uses that service to both reward gamers and promote other titles. I think that service could be used even more effectively, but that's a topic for another post. However, the one thing that Apple hasn't done from that post I wrote five years ago is this: provide gaming hardware. Apple has created a huge platform with iOS, obviously, and game developers of all stripes have worked very hard to create titles that not only worked on a touchscreen or with an accelerometer, but excelled with them. But Apple has never once created hardware specifically for gaming. It's never released a game controller (as many third parties have done), and it's never added a hardware feature to its devices specifically for gamers. And even with the option of AirPlay (which has opened up a lot of possibilities for game devs and players), Apple still seems more focused on the fact that you can stream movies between devices rather than the more interesting option of using one device as a controller for another. In short, Apple still doesn't get gaming. Gaming is helping to pay the bills over there (the last figure I heard was that 80 percent of app sales were from games), but Apple still hasn't made a move to officially step into the gaming market. And now, we're on the eve of brand-new consoles, with new hardware specs and new marketplaces and new delivery methods, and Apple is still not getting involved. Now, perhaps it doesn't need to. Apple's certainly seen plenty of success even holding gaming at arm's length (and only briefly mentioning it during announcements or showing it off in commercials), and it's hard to see a company with so many billions failing just because it doesn't release new hardware. As the TechCrunch editorial notes, Apple doesn't step into the fray when it doesn't need to, and there's certainly an argument that it doesn't need to step any further into gaming than it has. But on the other hand, there is (or at least there was) so much opportunity for Apple in the gaming space. We already know that apps will someday come to the Apple TV, and that's the most likely place for Apple to gain a foothold, not just with gimmicks like AirPlay, but by combining the very powerful App Store model with a living room TV-based computer. If that happens, Apple could go the Nintendo route and just turn an iPad or an iPhone into a controller, but I don't think a touchscreen is ideal for a game where you're looking at a bigger screen -- I think Apple will need to finally admit that sometimes, buttons are better. And if they admit that for the Apple TV, then I don't think it will be long until we see an official Bluetooth controller for iPhone and iPad. Not for all games -- some games are better on a touchscreen than others. But for those gamers who need their buttons, why not bring a creation for the Apple TV back to the mobile devices? So five years after my first post, that's my next roadmap for Apple and gaming: Bring apps to the Apple TV, and bring buttons (optional, of course) to their mobile devices. As always, Apple does what it wants, but if the company wants to actually expand into the gaming space, just having EA shows off its latest titles at the next few product announcements won't do it. Why? Because over the last five years while Apple was following the strategy I laid out in that last post, Microsoft and Sony have been doing plenty of their own learning. Not only will the PS4 and the Xbox 720 (or whatever the two new consoles are called) use the lessons that Apple's devices have taught, they'll also be the first two big gaming consoles created post-App Store. I expect both of them to be more open than ever, and both to provide more ways for players to access digital and downloaded games than ever before. The Xbox Live Marketplace was a huge hit for Microsoft on the Xbox 360, and it was developed in a patchwork manner over the course of the console's life; the next iteration should be ready to go and full-featured right away at launch. Likewise, Sony's PlayStation Network (and the PlayStation Plus subscription program) has been developed piece by piece over time, but the next console should make full use of that infrastructure and groundwork. In other words, Apple's had a lot of time in this past console generation to really push and develop its App Store, and to really create a market for digital games on its mobile platforms that never existed before. But a new race is starting on Wednesday this week, one where both Microsoft and Sony (if they do things right, at least) will be much better equipped to compete in terms of both game pricing and digital distribution. In that sense, it may already be too late for Apple to really take over the gaming market. The company from Cupertino has never been really excited about gaming -- that's been obvious, from Steve Jobs' own opinions to the all-important marketing and branding. But there's always been the potential for Apple to do much more there, if indeed Sony and Microsoft don't jump in and do it first.
Rhapsody and MetroPCS announce new $5 unlimited on-demand plan for monthly subscribers
In a move that could be considered slightly similar to what Muvu's been doing with Cricket, Rhapsody announced today it's teamed up with MetroPCS to bring a more desirable music plan to the carrier's subscribers. What this means, essentially, is that MetroPCS customers can now pay an extra $5 per month on their plan to stream as many on-demand tunes as possible from Rhapsody's extensive repertoire, so long as it's one of those recently introduced "simpler" deals. Naturally, how much music folks can stream will also depend on which month-to-month plan they are on, but the $5 monthly Rhapsody subscription is set to be the same across MetroPCS' $40, $50 and $60 plans. According to Rhapsody's president, Jon Irwin, the MetroPCS partnership was a no-brainer, as he believes it will be "instrumental in the growth of the on-demand streaming music business," adding that the service is "eager to continue to bring new offers to customers that benefit all parts of the digital music value chain."
Mobile Miscellany: week of October 8th, 2012
If you didn't get enough in mobile news during the week, not to worry, because we've opened the firehose for the truly hardcore. This past week, Samsung confirmed its Canadian release date for the Galaxy Note II, Alcatel took the wraps off of its first Windows Phone and it was revealed that T-Mobile will no longer openly market the iPhone in conjunction with its BYOD value plans. These stories and more await after the break. So buy the ticket and take the ride as we explore the "best of the rest" for this week of October 8th, 2012.
