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White Galaxy S II lands at Vodafone, ignores post-Labor Day etiquette
Summer may have drawn to an unofficial close, but that clearly hasn't stopped the Galaxy S II from wearing all white. Today, the albino version of Samsung's Gingerbread handset officially made its way to Vodafone, just a few days after launching in the UK and more than a month after leaking in "official looking" images. The blanched, 4.3-inch smartphone is available for free with a two-year, £36 per month price plan (roughly equivalent to $58 per month), though it's still unclear whether it'll be making its way stateside anytime soon. If you're looking to brighten up your pocket, you can grab your own at the source link below.
Leaked FCC document details AT&T's 4G LTE rollout plans, talks up T-Mobile merger
On Friday, a law firm accidentally posted a letter to the FCC website, detailing AT&T's confidential 4G LTE rollout plans and explaining how they would be bolstered by a merger with T-Mobile. Arnold & Porter LLP, which is helping design the deal on AT&T's behalf, quickly removed its partially redacted document, but the folks over at Gizmodo have gotten their hands on it once again and recently posted it for our viewing pleasure. According to the document, AT&T plans to extend its US coverage to 70 million consumers by the end of this year, before ramping that figure up to 170 million by the end of 2012 and a full 250 million by the end of the following year. The carrier plans to achieve this by upgrading a full 44,000 of its nodes to LTE over the course of the next three years and, once its merger goes through, hopes to cover 97 percent of all Americans within the six years following approval. The letter goes on to explain how the economics behind the TIA-approved deal would help facilitate these aspirations, while confirming that the merger is indeed as expensive as earlier reported -- a whopping $3.8 billion, to be exact. To read the document in full, hit up the links, below.
T-Mobile's You Fix gives budget-minded Brits a new approach to pay-as-you-go
If you're a Londoner who's struggling to live within your means, T-Mobile is hoping its latest You Fix plans are the solution to your budgetary woes. The Magenta-clad carrier's UK arm promotes You Fix as the ultimate hybrid of pay monthly and pay-as-you-go. Customers sign a 12 month commitment to one of three plans that range between £15.50 ($25) and £26 ($42) per month, and the most expensive plan brings 300 minutes and texts. Once the allotment is met, consumers can top off their accounts based on T-Mobile's traditional PAYG rates, or bide their time until the new month rolls around. Additionally, You Fix'ers may choose between one of seven free add-ons each month, including options to add data or unlimited texts. Subsidized phones are also on the menu, with the BlackBerry Curve 8520, HTC Wildfire S, and Samsung Galaxy Gio leading the pack. Looking to save a few quid? Check the full schedule of plans in the PR beyond the break.
T-Mobile unveils flexible new Value plans: unlimited talk, text, and / or data for any device
We'll give T-Mobile credit, it isn't afraid to shake things up to try to gain ground on Big Red and Ma Bell in the cellular arms race. Mere months after rolling out new prepaid options for its customers, T-Mo is bringing Value plans to the people. These new plans come in various configurations, but all are available with any of the carrier's phones, tablets, or broadband accessories. In exchange for a two year commitment, you get 2, 5, or 10GB of high speed data, with limitless websurfing at slower speeds. Full pricing hasn't been announced, but we do know you'll be able to get two lines with unlimited talk, text, and 2GB of data for $100, while the data alone will run $20 per month. Sound good? Well, the plans go live next Monday, so you've got plenty of time to read up on your options in the PR after the break.
Orange UK offers daily 30MB for £3 roaming option for fee weary travelers
Oh Orange UK customers, you lucky dogs, your carrier is giving you a bit of a break as we enter globe-trotting season. No longer are you chained to absurd per-MB roaming charges or unnecessary monthly plans. Instead, you can shell out £3-a-day (about $5) for 30MB of data -- which is plenty for checking e-mail and doing some light browsing. If you don't use any data then you don't get charged (sweet!), but go over that limit and you're back to the normal £3.07-per-MB rate (not so sweet). It's a perfect option for the traveler who only spends a week or two abroad at a time, and it closes the gap with fellow UK provider Vodafone, which offers a £2-per-day, 25MB option. Now, if only others (especially our friends here in the US) would offer sensible roaming plans of their own.
Virgin Mobile shuffles Beyond Talk pricing, saves BlackBerry owners duckets
Virgin Mobile, the contract-free subsidiary of Sprint, is giving its Beyond Talk plans a pricing overhaul -- with its cheaper choices getting a bit of a bump in the wrong direction. Sprint spokesperson Jayne Wallace confirmed to FierceWireless that this week its $25 unlimited text and data plan that comes packaged with 300 minutes will move to $35, while its 1,200 minute $40 option will become a $45 one. It's not all bad news though -- the unlimited everything $60 service tier is being cut to just $55 and the company is doing away with the $10 add-on fee for BlackBerries. So, try not think about it as a price hike, think about it as saving you $15 a month when the blessedly Blur-free Triumph hits. Update: And now it's doubly official!
Telus makes it simple to terminate contracts, replace your feature phone
Taking a page from its own playbook, Telus Mobility has extended its Clear and Simple Device Upgrade program to the logical conclusion of contract termination. Now, if a customer chooses to cancel their service, they must pay only a $50 administrative fee and the remaining portion of their phone's subsidy -- it could still result in a lot of loonies, but the amount decreases monthly according to a fixed schedule. Similar to Rogers, Telus offers its customers early upgrades by allowing them to pay this unrecovered subsidy and commit to a new contract. To make the process even easier (and more tempting), the carrier is now including this magical number with its monthly bills. So, as you dream of getting cozy with a new Nexus S or Optimus Black -- or ditching the Telus network -- just follow the break for the PR.
PLAN emergency alert system going mobile in NYC and DC this year, nationwide in 2012
If you live in the U.S., you've probably seen those anger-inducing emergency alert system test messages that interrupt your favorite programming on a weekly basis. Most of us have never seen the system used in an actual emergency, but come later this year, cell phone users in New York and Washington will have similar alerts pushed to their mobile devices -- presumably without the annoying weekly tests. Known as PLAN (Personal Localized Alerting Network), the free service will reportedly only work with smartphones (we're guessing the GPS comes into play here) on AT&T&T, Sprint and Verizon. The secure messaging network will likely display messages as notifications, rather than texts, and will push to all compatible devices within an affected area based on the phone's physical location, not just its mobile number. Local, state and federal officials will send notifications in response to disasters and other public safety threats, presidential announcements, and Amber Alerts. In other words: it'll only be used for actual emergencies, so don't expect updates on the whereabouts of your favorite captive reptile.
T-Mobile cancels Even More Plus unlimited plan on eve of launch?
Just when we thought T-Mobile was about to rock the world by offering bring-your-own-phone customers an insanely cheap unlimited plan, we're hearing that the company has strangled the $60 unlimited version of Even More Plus in the crib -- TmoNews snagged a supposed internal communique that claims the plan was canceled at the last minute. We just reached out to T-Mobile ourselves, however, and were told the reality is nothing of the sort: T-Mobile did not officially announce any rate plans yesterday, and the company doesn't comment on rumors or speculation. Today, T-Mobile officially announced a new, single-line unlimited plan that is available starting today for just $79.99 per month, with an Even More plan and a two-year contract. In other words, T-Mobile says it never sent out the previous press release (also originally obtained by TmoNews) at all. We're not sure who's telling the truth here, but either way, one thing's for certain -- there still won't be an $60 unlimited Even More Plus plan starting tomorrow morning. You're more than welcome to dry your tears with the $80 on-contract plan right now, though. PR after the break.
AT&T bumps early-upgrade prices for all smartphones, reminds that patience is a virtue
The two year contract is a blessing and a curse, but looking at these updated prices from AT&T we're thinking those upgrading early and doing so to a one year contract are quite simply doomed. AT&T has upped the price on all early-upgrade one year commitment smartphones by a whopping $150. That's painful, but the early-upgrades are at least a little less painful. Smartphones like the iPhone are jumping by a relatively meager $50, meaning a new 32GB iPhone 4 will cost you $549 vs the previous $449. Or you could, you know, just suck it up for another 12 months. Update: As it turns out the $150 premium is unrelated to upgrading -- if you want a one year contract you're stuck with the $150 premium, regardless.
Obama says federal fleet to run on alternative fuels starting in 2015
Chances are the Secret Service won't be ditching its signature black SUVs for these things anytime soon, but if all goes according to President Obama's new energy plan, even the Commander in Chief's armed guards will be rolling more eco-friendly in the next three years. In a speech given at Georgetown University Wednesday, the President said he expects all government agencies "to purchase 100 percent alternative fuel, hybrid, or electric vehicles by 2015." Now, that doesn't mean they'll have to get rid of pre-existing gas guzzlers, but any new purchases made after the cutoff date will be expected to comply -- the government's current fleet consists of 660,000 vehicles, 400,000 of which run on gasoline. Among other things, the President also called for increased infrastructure for the production of biofuels made from things like wood chips and switchgrass. So no, Cadillac One probably won't be replaced by a rechargeable egg car, but if Uncle Sam's taking suggestions, we'd be happy to make a recommendation -- Wheego Whip LiFe One does have a nice ring to it. Doesn't it?
T-Mobile getting ready to roll out new webConnect broadband plans, offer 20 percent discount
Already a T-Mobile subscriber? Been thinking about adding a mobile broadband plan to go along with it? Hold on to that credit card for a little longer, as we're hearing that the company is about to roll out new webConnect plans that will, at least in some cases, include a 20 percent discount for those who already have voice plans. The date March 13th is mentioned as something of a line in the sand between the current and new offerings, but really that's about all we know at this point. Well, about these plans, anyway. We know lots of things about other stuff.
AT&T introduces new post-paid plan for tablets, for those who prefer paying ex post facto
Month-to-month billing is a great way to go for those who aren't going to be traveling with their tablets all the time. If you'll be a more frequent mobile data user, but still don't want to get stuck with a contract, AT&T is introducing new post-paid plans. They can be added to an existing wireless plan (single billing FTW) and will see you billed automatically every month, but now you can cancel whenever your heart desires. Initial pricing is on-par with the pre-paid plans, which means $14.99 for 250MB or $25 for 2GB. It's only the overage charges that are different here, $10 per 1GB versus $25 for 2GB on the pre-paid option. Not a huge difference, that, so really this is more of a convenience thing.
Verizon targeting mid-summer for tiered data plans, doesn't yet know what kinds of tiers they'll be
Verizon's made no secret of the fact that $30 unlimited smartphone data wouldn't last forever, but CFO Fran Shammo just made things a little more interesting today at the same Morgan Stanley conference Sanjay Jha rocked yesterday: turns out they're targeting "mid-summer" to rearrange the carrier's data pricing. Interestingly, Shammo says they're still working through the details and that they don't yet know whether the tiers will be based on speed, bit buckets, or some combination of the two. Of course, Verizon's already dipped its toes in the tiered game with a $15 / 150MB option that evaporated around the time that the CDMA iPhone launched. Speaking of the iPhone, Shammo notes that the unlimited data plan was kept around to draw users into the iPhone fold -- iPhone users tend to consume a lot of data, after all -- so it'd seem that they might comfortable with that one-time conquest before parting ways with unlimited for good.
T-Mobile adds 1,500 minute plan with unlimited messaging and data for $80
Options are good -- especially when those options include all-you-can-eat data. T-Mobile has beefed up its individual plan portfolio in the past few days with a limited-time Even More package: 1,500 minutes plus unlimited text / picture messages and data for $79.99 a month, $20 less than what you'd pay for unlimited voice minutes -- and considering how passé voice calls are becoming in some crowds (we won't name names), this seems like a pretty awesome sweet spot. It's even $10 less than the normal price on T-Mobile's 1,000-minute plan, so this is one you're going to want to get while the getting's good. No word on how long it'll be available just yet.
AT&T adding an extra 2GB to phone tethering plans, launching Mobile Hotspot app February 13th
What, 2GB of monthly data isn't enough for your laptoppin' needs? Yeah, us either -- fortunately, AT&T's tweaking its phone tethering plan a bit with an extra 2GB that can be shared among all devices for a grand total of 4GB. As before, you'll need to start off with the $25 DataPro plan and tack on an extra $20 for tethering, bringing the total to $45 a month. In conjunction with the move, AT&T has announced that it'll begin rolling out a Mobile Hotspot app starting with the HTC Inspire 4G at its launch on February 13th, which means these guys are finally coming around and embracing the data revolution that's been taking hold the last year or two across the industry -- a trend that began with its first launch of a MiFi a few months back. Existing DataPro tethering customers will get the extra 2GB automatically added to their accounts, so there shouldn't be anything you need to do; obviously, we would've preferred something closer to unlimited, but something tells us that ship has sailed. Follow the break for the press release.
AT&T tweaking messaging plans, killing some upgrade discounts, raising fees and MicroCell pricing
How on Earth have Verizon and AT&T both decided to kill off their upgrade discount programs within a few days of each other? Hard to say, but we've gotten a little peek at some new policies designed to "streamline" things that are apparently coming into effect next Sunday, January 23rd -- and very few (if any) of them are going to bring a smile to your face. Here's the gist: There'll be a new text package of 1,000 messages for $10 with overage at 10 cents apiece. This compares to 5 cents at the 1,500 / $15 level and 10 cents at the 200 / $5 level. Speaking of those other text packages, they're going away. Both the 200 and 1,500 text plans are goners. Obviously, if you're already on them, you shouldn't be affected -- you just won't be able to select them for new plans or changes anymore. Early upgrade pricing on new iPhones -- the standard subsidized price plus $200 -- will only be available six months into an existing iPhone activation. $50 and $100 discounts on top of subsidized pricing for upgrading customers -- similar to Verizon's recently-killed New Every Two program -- are going away. If you're currently eligible, you'll still be eligible to take advantage through July 23rd of this year. Family plan add-a-line activation is increasing $10 to $36. International voice roaming prices are changing in 117 countries. That's a lot of countries! We're assuming most of those rates are going up, not down, though we don't have details at this point. Calling to Canada is going from 29 cents per minute to 39 cents. The 3G MicroCell is increasing in price from $149.99 to $199.99, which seems like a really bizarre move to us -- hard to say what the motivation is there. Certain "pre-selected" customers will still receive special discount offers for it in the mail, though. Check out full details on the changes in the gallery below. [Thanks, anonymous tipster] %Gallery-114713%
MetroPCS tweaks LTE plans: $40 gets you unlimited talk, text, and web*
Ah, there always has to be fine print, doesn't there? Don't get us wrong -- $40 for unlimited talk and text alone is still a pretty fantastic deal in the scheme of things -- but in tweaking its LTE service plans today, MetroPCS has made the data situation just a little confusing. Technically, the $40 plan also includes unlimited web access plus YouTube... but at the $50 price point, you get 1GB of "additional data access" for features that aren't covered under MetroPCS' definition of "web browsing." You also get turn-by-turn navigation, international text messaging, access to corporate email accounts (another arbitrary distinction that we'd kind of like to see go away), and audio / video features through the carrier's MetroSTUDIO service. At $60, you get unlimited access to MetroSTUDIO including 18 channels of on-demand video content. MetroPCS' lowest-cost LTE offering had previously been $55, so it's a step in the right direction -- but pro-net neutrality? Yeah, not so much. Follow the break for the press release.
WIND Mobile outs $40 unlimited plan, but you better act fast
Not to be outdone by fellow Canadian upstart carrier Mobiilicity, WIND Mobile has cobbled together its own special holiday plan that more or less matches its competitor's offering: unlimited voice, messaging, data, and long-distance calling and messaging to the US, all for $40 Canadian (a little over $39 in American currency). That's a pretty fantastic deal, but as you can probably gather from the plan's name -- "Holiday Miracle Plan" -- it's not going to be around for long: you've got to get activated on it by December 24th. No better way to celebrate Christmas than with a crazy cheap all-you-can-eat package for your phone, right? [Thanks, Dave]
Three's The One Plan serves up all-you-can-eat data in the UK
Unlimited data. No, for real this time. While US carriers are tripping over each other to claim the death of uncapped data allowances, the UK's 3G-only network operator is bringing them back like a pair of retro sneakers. Three's grandly titled The One Plan takes all limits and fair usage gotchas away and just lets you suckle bandwidth to your heart's content. And that explicitly includes tethering your phone to your laptop and using it as a 3G modem -- very classy. New and old customers will benefit from this, meaning that if you're already on this plan you're in line for a free upgrade. The offer's effective now and contracts start at £25 a month with a minimum term of one year. We'll be highly impressed if Three's network, never mind this deal, survives a full year of being bashed over the head by iPlayer streams and YouTube uploads, but here's hoping, eh?
