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OnePlus 7T Pro with 5G is coming to T-Mobile later this year
OnePlus wasn't entirely accurate when it said it wouldn't offer the OnePlus 7T Pro in the US. T-Mobile has announced that it'll carry the OnePlus 7T Pro 5G McLaren sometime later in 2019. As the name suggests, it's a version of the supercar-inspired special edition phone with 5G data on T-Mo's 600MHz network. There's no pricing at this point, although you can safely presume this will cost much more than the $669 starting price for the earlier 7 Pro.
Verizon and T-Mobile aren't supporting RCS on the Pixel 4 at launch
Google has been pushing its SMS-alternative Rich Communication Services (RCS) for years. And it's no secret that the roll out has been a bit of a mess. Now, in another set back, Verizon and T-Mobile will not support RCS messaging on the Pixel 4 at launch.
The FCC voted to approve the T-Mobile-Sprint merger
Today, the FCC formally approved the contested T-Mobile and Sprint merger, The Verge reports. But commissioners are still speaking out. Commissioners Jessica Rosenworcel and Geoffrey Starks released statements explaining their decisions to vote against the transaction.
Pixel 4 will be available through every major US carrier (updated)
You no longer have to subscribe to Verizon (Engadget's parent company) if you want to buy a Pixel phone directly from a US carrier. Google has announced that the Pixel 4 series will be available through all major US networks, and then some. In addition to Big Red and Google Fi, you can also expect AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, US Cellular, C Spire, Cellcom, Spectrum Mobile, Visible and Xfinity Mobile to carry the Android flagships.
T-Mobile will give Apple Card owners higher in-store cashback
T-Mobile has announced a partnership with Apple to offer up to three percent cashback on in-store purchases for customer's who use the new Apple Card. The company said it's "the only wireless provider to offer three percent Daily Cash on Apple Card," and will apply that to the iPhone 11, Watch Series 5 and any other in-store purchases. It will also offer three percent cash back for "one-time bill payments" if you use Apple Card with Apple Pay in T-Mobile stores.
A 4G flip phone with Google Assistant is coming to the US
Dumb phones are getting smarter. Last year Nokia showed us what was possible in a feature phone with its 8110 4G, now Alcatel is leveraging the same operating system, Kai, to launch a 4G flip phone with Google Assistant integration, as well as apps such as WhatsApp and YouTube.
T-Mobile’s Sprint merger is opposed by 18 state attorneys general
Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro is the latest state attorney general to oppose T-Mobile's Sprint merger. Today, Shapiro announced that he'll join a lawsuit to block the "megamerger" of the telecom giants, making him the 18th attorney general to challenge the deal.
NYC sues T-Mobile over 'pervasive' illegal sales tactics
New York City is suing T-Mobile for allegedly violating consumer protection laws within the city. The lawsuit stems primarily from Metro by T-Mobile, a low-cost, prepaid wireless program operated by the major mobile carrier. According to the city, T-Mobile allegedly overcharged its customers, sometimes signing them up for expensive financing plans without getting their consent, and sold used phones as if they were brand new.
T-Mobile eSIMs are finally available for regular phone plans
You no longer have to settle for prepaid service if you're a T-Mobile customer hoping to use eSIM support. The carrier has expanded its eSIM support to allow use with postpaid (that is, regular) plans. You now don't have to be quite so picky when you're setting up a second line or freeing up your physical SIM slot for international cards.
T-Mobile will let you test drive its network for 30 days
T-Mobile is hoping to attract new customers by offering a free test drive program of its network. The process is relatively simple. Sign up online and you'll get a free Coolpad Surf Device hotspot in the mail. Connect to the hotspot via wifi and use it for 30 days or 30GB, whichever comes first. Once you're done, drop it off at any T-Mobile location.
ZTE revives its US hopes with the Axon 10 Pro
ZTE is making its way back to the US smartphone market with a flagship model, which could rival other relatively affordable premium devices like the OnePlus 7 Pro. The Chinese manufacturer has released the Axon 10 Pro in the country today -- its first huge phone launch in the US since it was slapped with sanctions a few years ago. The company debuted another smartphone in the US earlier this year, but it was a $99 model called R2 for Visible, the prepaid wireless brand owned by Verizon.
Sprint's 5G network goes live in NYC, LA, DC and Phoenix
As promised earlier this year, Sprint's 5G footprint is getting a little bigger. This morning, the carrier officially lit up four new 5G markets — New York City, Washington D.C., Phoenix and Los Angeles — bringing Sprint's total to nine. When you include its original 5G markets in Texas, Illinois and Kansas, that brings the carrier's total coverage area up to about 2,100 square miles, where some 11 million customers will have access to what Sprint calls "true" 5G.
5G isn’t ready for me
Over the spring and summer, the first 5G networks lit up over the US, with all the major carriers offering a 5G service of some kind. However, there are still only a few compatible phones to go around, the best of which is probably Samsung's Galaxy S10 5G. It's practically an entirely new phone. Samsung substantially upgraded its S10 with more cameras (six) and a third more battery than the standard S10 -- more capacity than the S10 Plus, too. It's an impressive phone on paper even before considering that it's made for next-gen 5G networks. It's been a few months since Chris Velazco tested 5G networks at launch in Chicago, so it was time for another network test -- this time, on the other side of the Atlantic. The plan was simple enough: pit the Galaxy S10 5G against the Galaxy S10 OG in London, UK. Vodafone provided both phones, so we could see how the phones fared on the same network.
Phone companies and state attorneys general join forces to fight robocalls
US consumers receive as many as 350,000 unwanted calls every three minutes, according to the FCC. Despite multiple efforts to end the onslaught, an estimated 4.7 billion robocalls hit American phones in July alone. Now, attorneys general from all 50 states and the District of Columbia are teaming up with 12 carriers in a united effort to prevent and block the spam calls.
Study finds US carriers aggressively throttle video streams
US carriers engage in far more aggressive throttling practices than they've led their subscribers to believe, claims a new study. Verizon (Engadget's parent company), AT&T, T-Mobile and Sprint have long said they reserve the right to slow down traffic to manage congestion on their networks. When exactly this happens is supposed to depend on the type of plan you have. But in reality, a joint team of researchers from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst and Northeastern University found the big four throttle video traffic at all times of day, irrespective of any actual congestion on their networks.
Lawmakers urge the FCC to seek public input on T-Mobile / Sprint merger
T-Mobile and Sprint found a powerful ally in FCC Chairman Ajit Pai, who officially endorsed the merger after the DOJ's conditional approval in August. In fact, Pai asked the FCC's commissioners to vote in favor of the deal, and the two Republican members (out of four) already expressed their intention to support it. Now, as noted by The Verge, a group of Democratic lawmakers is urging the FCC to delay its formal vote. Minnesota Democratic Senator Amy Klobuchar has written a letter addressed to the chairman, persuading him to seek public comment on the proposed merger in light of the Justice Department's conditions.
FCC chairman Ajit Pai endorses T-Mobile / Sprint merger
The proposed merger of Sprint and T-Mobile is inching ever closer to being complete, after the Department of Justice gave its conditional endorsement last month. Now, Federal Communications Commission chairman Ajit Pai is formally recommending that the agency's commissioners approve the deal. Pai said that after the FCC reviewed the details of the merger, "the evidence conclusively demonstrates that this transaction will bring fast 5G wireless service to many more Americans and help close the digital divide in rural areas."
AT&T and T-Mobile will now verify phone calls between their networks
AT&T and T-Mobile have started rolling out cross-network call authentication services for their subscribers. That means the companies will now be able notify their customers if the call they're getting from the other carrier truly is from the number shown on screen or if it's a spoofed robocall. Spam calls are a growing problem in the US today, with customers in the country getting inundated with 48 billion robocalls last year. Call verification won't eradicate the issue, but it'll give subscribers the choice not to answer potentially illegal calls, which could be scams or attempts to steal their identity.
Texas joins other states' effort to block T-Mobile and Sprint merger
The Justice Department's approval of the Sprint/T-Mobile merger has done nothing to sway the states suing to block the deal. In fact, the State of Texas has just joined the lawsuit, with Attorney General Ken Paxton assuming a key leadership role alongside California AG Xavier Becerra and New York AG Letitia James. The three officials are leading the charge with 12 other Attorney Generals across the nation.
Justice Department has approved T-Mobile / Sprint merger
Sprint and T-Mobile have cleared a significant hurdle towards completing their merger. The Department of Justice rubber-stamped the deal on the condition that the carriers sell some parts of the business to Dish Network.
