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Three extends free roaming to France and four other countries
Not content with offering free roaming to customers travelling in the US and other far-away locales, Three has extended its Feel At Home service to five countries a little closer to home. From July 1st, Three customers can enjoy data, text and calls at no extra charge when they visit France, Switzerland, Israel, Finland or Norway. That takes the operator's total tally up to 16 countries and throws shade on rival roaming plans, which have come down in price but still require customers to add travel bolt-ons to their existing tariff. Calls to non-UK numbers will incur a charge but Three makes Feel At Home available to anyone on its network -- perfect for uploading Instagram selfies from the beach or sharing Vines by the side of the pool.
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]
Sprint's Dan Hesse confirms unlimited data isn't going anywhere after Spark rollout
Of the four major national networks in the US, Sprint has been the most faithful in its commitment to offer unlimited data plans without restrictions. After this morning's announcement that the operator would be rolling out Spark, which promises 50-60Mbps peak speeds (with faster networks on the horizon as part of its Vision) to its users, it left us wondering if this rollout would come with any trade-offs. While he didn't speak to specifics on plans and pricing, CEO Dan Hesse reaffirmed his company's commitment to unlimited data, explaining that he wouldn't have offered Unlimited for Life to customers this summer if he didn't intend to keep the plans around for the foreseeable future. This will be great for the limited number of markets that can take advantage of the blazing speeds right away, but anxious folks in other parts of the country can at least take comfort in knowing that the plans won't have gone anywhere when Spark finally shows up in their hometown.
Verizon accepts device upgrades made during glitch, lucky customers can keep unlimited data
We have bad news: Verizon didn't mean to let website visitors buy devices at upgrade prices while preserving unlimited data. The option was a momentary "software issue," the carrier says. However, we also have good news -- the company said (in the statement after the break) that it'll honor orders approved under these terms. Subscribers should be safe as long as the provider hasn't already cancelled their purchases. While many would no doubt prefer that Verizon made its glitch a permanent feature, it's good to know that at least some customers will get to take advantage of the network's accidental deal.
Sprint Unlimited, My Way and All-in plans now official, arrive tomorrow
Sprint's latest take on unlimited mobile service is now official, and like rumors had suggested, the new plan arrives tomorrow. Known as Unlimited, My Way, the service combines unlimited talk, text and data for $80 per month for a single-line subscription. The new pricing tiers also include multiple line discounts, and the ability to combine feature phones and smartphones under the same umbrella. The My All-in plan is also on deck for arrival tomorrow, which runs $110 and adds 5GB of mobile hotspot usage on top of the Unlimited, My Way plan. Perhaps just as importantly, Sprint's latest offering also includes a promise from the carrier known as the Sprint Unlimited Guarantee... which according to Dan Hesse, "Allows our customers to lock-in unlimited talk, text and data not for just the next two years, but for life." Naturally, the caveat here is that prices may increase over the years, but it's certainly a more dependable approach than you'll find from the larger carriers.
Leaked Sprint document shows new Unlimited, My Way and My All-In plans (update: confirmed, launches July 12th)
According to a leaked document provided to PhoneArena, Sprint might be replacing its "Everything" plans with new "Unlimited, My Way" options. At first glance, there looks to be a lot more choices than before, and certainly a bigger benefit to those with additional lines per household. For example, an individual's unlimited talk and text plan would be $50 a month, but a second line would be reduced to $40, a third to $30 and a fourth or more to $20 a line. Unlimited smartphone data would be $30 on top of that, while data-sippers could opt for a 1GB plan that's $20 a month instead. If you want unlimited everything with a cherry on top, there appears to be a "My All-in" plan that offers unlimited talk, text and data with a 5GB mobile hotspot for $110 a month. We're not sure if the carrier is simply anticipating a challenge to T-Mobile's looming announcement, but it does seem like the magenta operator might have a contender if this turns out to be true. Head on over to the source to see the leaked document in full. Update: We just received Sprint internal correspondence via a tipster that not only confirms the new Unlimited plans, but also states the Now Network hopes to launch them this Friday, July 12th. The letter goes on to emphasize the Sprint Unlimited Guarantee as stated in the leaked document, declaring that customers who sign up for them will get the unlimited plans for life.
Virgin Media launches VIP unlimited mobile plans, starting at £15 SIM-only
Virgin Media doles out many minutes and data to mobile users with its Premiere plan, but it hasn't had a truly unlimited option for those who don't want to even think about their calling habits. It's assuaging those minds today with new VIP tiers that offer unlimited domestic voice, data and text messaging. The exact perks depend on the level of commitment, however. Traditional customers can pay £26 per month (£31 if they're not already Virgin customers) with promises of unlimited calls to frequently costly 08 numbers. For SIM-only customers, it's all about the price -- while they don't get the 08 number exception, the £15 they pay per month for otherwise unlimited access is comparatively cheap. The new rates may not always make sense depending on local coverage and a desire for LTE, but we'd at least keep them in mind.
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."
T-Mobile Monthly4G plans may get an unlimited data tier on January 9th
The perpetual gotcha for T-Mobile's Monthly4G prepaid service has been the absence of truly unlimited data -- you could have one advantage or the other, but not both. TmoNews understands that this either/or choice is fading away after spotting what looks to be leaked promo material. Come January 9th, the carrier is reportedly replacing its 5GB Monthly4G tier with an unlimited alternative. The same $70 should net the previous unlimited talk and text, but skip the pesky throttling for very frequent users. As long as customers have good coverage, it's hard to see a downside for them if this proves real; next week can't come soon enough.
Republic Wireless mobile phone service exits private beta, now available to all
It's been just over a year since Republic Wireless promised us unlimited phone, data and SMS services for under 20 bucks a month. Then, this past summer, a select few were invited to use the fledgling hybrid mobile service in a closed beta, and now Republic's opening up its doors to everyone. Interested parties can jump on the bandwagon by pre-ordering a service-compatible Motorola DEFY XT for $249 on the company website, plus there's a $10 start-up fee and applicable taxes to get started. In case you forgot, it's a pay-as-you-go plan, and should you not be satisfied with what your $19 a month gets you, there's a 30-day money back guarantee. Want to know more? There's post from company GM Jim Mulcahy with all the details at the source below. [Thanks, Michael]
Tip has Mobilicity's 21Mbps HSPA+ network going live next week with throttling after 6GB
Mobilicity's much-needed 21Mbps network upgrade may be almost at hand... with a catch. A leak to MobileSyrup reportedly has the HSPA+ network arriving sometime next week in tandem with an $80 Huawei E366 USB modem to exploit the new speeds. However, the Canadian carrier might just slap an asterisk on the end of that "unlimited" tag it's been using so far. Current customers may be relegated to a Basic Unlimited Data tier where any use past 6GB is potentially throttled; anyone needing full speed beyond that would have to either slap on a $20 Premium Data add-on or switch outright to a comprehensive $50 data plan, with both plans bumping the ceiling to 20GB. The two could remain better deals than for the major carriers, at least if you don't mind eschewing LTE. Nonetheless, any truth to the offerings might take away one more choice for truly unlimited data in the True North.
Samsung partners with Spotify, brings streaming music to its 2012 Smart TVs in Europe
Europeans who have been pining for a(nother) way to bring Spotify into their living rooms can rest easy, now that Samsung is on the case. The pair have teamed up to bring 18 million tracks to Sammy's 2012 E-Series Smart TVs with a new app designed for the platform. The software will arrive later this year, with existing Premium users finding their playlists already syncing, while those new to the service will be offered a short free trial to coax them into signing up. If you've yet to make an investment in one of the displays, the company is also planning to add the functionality onto its Blu-Ray players and Home Theater systems in short order.
Verizon CFO buries his head in the sand, claims unlimited data is 'going by the wayside'
"La la la la. I can't hear you." Verizon's CFO, Fran Shammo, might've just as well made those comments with his hands firmly cupped over his ears, as the firm's chief number cruncher told attendees at today's Goldman Sachs investor conference, "Unlimited is just a word, it doesn't really mean anything." While Sprint and T-Mobile would certainly take issue with that statement, Shammo then dug the hole deeper by saying, "That whole unlimited thing, I think, is going by the wayside." These comments were made in the context of Shammo playing up the carrier's shared data plans, wherein he explained his belief that consumers "think they consume a lot more data than they really do." Shammo also revealed that Verizon has converted more subscribers and devices over to the new scheme than it'd initially anticipated. Naturally, change within any industry takes time, but now that Sprint is in a position to offer unlimited data at a meaningful speed and T-Mobile has climbed aboard the bandwagon, Verizon may have to change its tune if a significant number of consumers decide that unlimited isn't dead after all. You can view the entire transcript at the source link below, but consider this: would you take unlimited plans into consideration when shopping between carriers, or is Mr. Shammo right that consumers really don't use that much data? Give us your thoughts in the comments below.
T-Mobile UK confirms unlimited tethering won't be available to new Full Monty customers
Well, well, so much for being "truly unlimited," right? As TechRadar adequately reports, T-Mobile UK's confirmed that any new customer looking to snag the Full Monty data plan won't be offered an unlimited tethering feature on their all-you-can-have bundle. Effective immediately, the change is a sudden move from the carrier and it wasn't quite clear as to what made it backpedal on its initial "unlimited" promise, only saying, "From 8th August, tethering is not permitted for new customers under the terms and conditions of the Full Monty." Surely this is a small blow to UKers hoping to grab the Full Monty for the all-out tethering alone -- but hey, at least you've still got the data, texts and calls.
Republic Wireless reopens its unlimited $19 per month beta, starts offering Motorola Defy XT
Republic Wireless is finally ready for more customers on its low price cellphone service, announcing today that it's reopening signups for its beta and offering customers a new phone. The new hardware is the Motorola Defy XT, an Android 2.3 device with a 3.7-inch display, 1GHz CPU, 1650 mAh battery, 5MP camera / VGA front camera, 1GB of ROM and microSD slot. It can be your for $249, which may seem pricey for a Gingerbread phone in 2012, however Republic Wireless' truly unlimited $19 / month plan hopes to make up for it on the back end. Those who signed up for the service and are slotted in Wave B are welcome, while Wave A customers rocking the launch LG Optimus are being offered $100 off the price of an upgrade to the new phone. Check out a few more details after the break in the press release.
Google+ patent app details myFaves-like carrier contacts integration with social network circles
With more carriers pushing unlimited calling plans, we can't say there's necessarily a need for the friends and family features of yesteryear on this side of the Atlantic, but plenty of networks beyond the good ole US of A are a bit more stingy when it comes to tallying talk time. The latest Google patent application to be published was filed last December and covers exactly this type of scenario, suggesting that the Google+ profile of the future could include an option to create a "Telco Co. Preferred Calling" circle, which would theoretically enable free calling between yourself and a small group of friends. According to the application, semi-public information, such as a telephone number, would be shared between Google and a registered service provider, and you would maintain discount calling relationships from within Google+, adding and dropping callers to and from your online contacts list. You could also dictate custom rules, such as ringtones for contacts in specific groups, or create carrier-branded circles that are populated with your friends on the same network, making it easier to determine whether or not you'll be billed for calls to a particular user. Like all patent applications, there's no guarantee that Google's submission with come to fruition, but if you're feeling optimistic, you can hit up the source link below for all the legalese.
Cricket now offers the iPhone with $55 'unlimited' everything plan
Cricket Wireless, the prepaid subsidiary of Leap, has just announced the availability of the iPhone 4 and 4S on its network. When they go on sale June 22nd, a 16GB 4S will set you back $500, while an 8GB 4 clocks in at a slightly more affordable $400. Both are available with Cricket's $55 "unlimited" everything plan, which includes all you can eat talk, text, and data -- provided your idea of "unlimited" data falls within its fair usage policies (in this case, 2.3GB of data). Cricket is hardly alone among America's smaller carriers in offering the iPhone, C-Spire as well as a number of regional carriers all stock Apple's wares. What makes this offering unique, is that Cricket is the first completely prepaid carrier to sell the handset. So, if you want an iPhone, but don't want the contract or the post-paid, usage-based fees? Well then, Cricket might just be your new best friend. Check out the PR after the break and hit up the source for more info.
Virgin Mobile adds $40 payLo unlimited plan for talk and text types
Virgin Mobile's feature phone arm just added a third tier, delivering unlimited talk and texting, along with 50 megs of web access for $40 per month. This offering joins Sprint's other payLo budget offerings, including an entry-level option that includes 400 minutes of talk time for $20 per month, and a $30 monthly plan that delivers 1,500 minutes, 1,500 texts and 30MB of data. Overage charges are quite hefty, at $0.10 per minute, $0.25 per message and $1.50 per MB (ouch!), with the option to reset the counter instead by starting a new month once you hit the threshold. Considering that the plans are designed for feature phones (which are seldom used for anything but basic web access), the tier limits do sound manageable -- perhaps even a deal, if you talk a lot and never browse the web. The payLo plan can be paired with any of Virgin's feature phones, which range in price from $15 (for a sold-out LG101) to $50 (for a QWERTY-equipped Kyocera S2300). Get the full scoop from Sprint in the PR after the break.
Verizon not closing unlimited plans yet, but still trying to transition customers away
We reported that Verizon was going to shut down unlimited data plans when customers purchased new phones and shared data plans were available. The company now says that while it does want to try and phase unlimited data plans out, there will still be options for customers currently under unlimited plans who are aiming to buy new phones. Basically, if you want to be eligible for a discount on a new phone, Verizon is going to try to sell you on switching off from the unlimited plan, over to something that helps the company budget data more easily (not to mention opens you up to extra fees, if you happen to go over your data cap). Customers who currently have unlimited plans and pay full price for a new phone, will get the reward of keeping their unlimited plans for the foreseeable future. Those of you willing to pay won't have to worry. I personally have an unlimited data plan with AT&T, and it's been more than worth it, given all of the browsing, sharing, and reading I do on my iPhone. I can see why companies would rather get their customers on more budgeted plans, but as a customer, I'd much rather pay for unlimited service than have to worry about how much data I'm using all the time.
Voyager Mobile shakes off network issues, launches a few days behind schedule
It's tough being the new kid in town -- ask Voyager Mobile, an up and coming MVNO that had its launch delayed by a "malicious network attack" last week. The tenacious firm may have missed its planned May 15th launch, but managed to pull things together in time for the weekend, piggybacking unlimited talk, text and data off of Sprint's CDMA and WiMAX network for $40 a month. A basic unlimited voice plan is also available to the tune of $20, without data allowances, of course. Phones are available too, albeit without subsidies -- Samsung's Epic 4G Touch or Galaxy S II will each set you back $550, though an assortment of more affordable devices can be had from $120 and up. Tempted to jump ship? Check out the source link below and let all your MVNO dreams come true.
