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Bloomberg: Verizon's new NFL streaming deal will stretch to TV
Since 2010, Verizon's wireless arm has had an arrangement for streaming NFL games to phones (and, after they became a thing, also tablets), but Bloomberg reports it will stretch to TVs soon. According to unnamed sources, both parties are close to a new deal that will not only include all sizes of screens but also drop the company's exclusivity. That's key even for people who don't have Verizon because until now, it has kept internet TV services like DirecTV Now and Sling TV from streaming NFL games to mobile devices. On Verizon's end, expanding and adding content from sources like the NBA and NFL is expected to "prime the pump" according to Bloomberg, for the whole Oath media unit (which Engadget is a part of.)
Verizon takes aim at its unlimited data plan customers once more
Still using that ancient, valuable Verizon Wireless unlimited data plan? Well, you might not be for much longer -- the carrier has confirmed that subscribers who use more than 200GB of data per month will be asked to switch to one of Verizon's metered data plans by February 16 or face disconnection from the network entirely. (In that case, affected consumers would have some 50 days to change plans and reconnect.)
Verizon's new prepaid plans give customers even more options
More prepaid offerings are coming to Verizon soon. Today, the carrier revealed that two new plans will be available starting next week, on November 13th. The cheapest option includes 5GB of rollover data, unlimited talk and text in the US, mobile hotspot and international texting for $50 per month. If that's not enough for you, $70 gets you everything mentioned above plus unlimited calling to Mexico and Canada, as well as double the data (10GB).
Moto Z and Z Force Droid review: The risks are mostly worth it
Ever since the original Moto X came out, I've been fascinated by Motorola. We saw one of the biggest, oldest brands in communications take a long, hard look at where it's been and chart a thoughtful path forward. Flash forward a few years (and a few Moto Xs) and wouldn't you know it? Motorola started to lose some of its voltage when it came to its flagship phones. Don't get me wrong, the Moto X Pure Edition was a fantastic device, but in hindsight it's not hard to see that it was more of the same. While we might still see a new Moto X this year, Motorola decided to try something different. We now have two different modular flagship smartphones, the superthin Moto Z Droid ($624) and the sturdier Moto Z Force Droid ($720). Some might bristle that both are exclusive to Verizon and aren't yet slated for an international launch (I sure did), but there's no two ways about it: These are still the most exciting Motorola phones in a long time.
Mini review video: Our verdict on the Droid Turbo 2 in about a minute
#fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-235272{display:none;} .cke_show_borders #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-235272, #postcontentcontainer #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-235272{width:570px;display:block;}try{document.getElementById("fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-235272").style.display="none";}catch(e){}On paper, Motorola's Droid Turbo 2 looks like an upgraded version of the Moto X Pure Edition, which was already one of our favorite Android phones. In particular, the Turbo 2 brings more powerful components, a big battery and a shatterproof screen. In reality, though, the Turbo 2 suffers from a slightly dim screen, mediocre camera and loads of Verizon bloatware. The battery life, while pretty decent, is not quite as long as advertised. Also, at $624, it's expensive for what it is, and it's not likely to receive software updates as quickly as the Moto X. Don't get us wrong, it's a decent phone, but given the choice, you'd still be better off with the bog-standard Pure Edition. That's the gist, as you'll see in our mini review video, and if you have time for a longer read, check out our full review here.
Verizon kills affordable WiFi program for schools in Alabama (update: response)
Less than a year after starting OmniLynx, a program that provided low-cost WiFi access to schools in Huntsville, Alabama, Verizon is cutting ties with it. As reported by WHNT-TV, the city's education system recently sent a letter to customers notifying them of the network's decision. "We regret to inform you that your wireless service will terminate effective November 30, 2015," read the Huntsville school district's letter. "This termination of service and any resulting inconvenience has resulted from the service provider, Verizon Wireless." With OmniLynx, Huntsville residents would pay roughly $48 per month for unlimited data, powered by a free Verizon LTE hotspot which came included with the contract-free plan.
Verizon's customer-tracking 'supercookies' connect to AOL ads
In the last year it's become known that Verizon uses "supercookies" (aka UIDH or Relevant Mobile Advertising) to track what its mobile customers are doing, but now it's taking a step further by quietly linking that information to ads from AOL (the parent company of Engadget, which is also now owned by Verizon). According to ProPublica, the AOL ad network reaches across 40 percent of the internet, and by working with Verizon's UIDH (Unique Identifying Device Header) it can track in great detail what apps people on Verizon Wireless use and what websites they visit. Unfortunately, beyond just serving up targeted ads, the information is also unencrypted and could possibly be used by others to track you. The only good news? Verizon subscribers can opt out, which you can do by following this link or calling 1-866—211—0874.
Verizon: Samsung Pay support is coming in a software update
Last we heard, Verizon was still evaluating whether or not it would support Samsung Pay. But today the carrier shared some good news, revealing it will open its doors to the Korean company's mobile payment solution. Unfortunately, Verizon decided to keep the announcement vague, only going as far as saying that support for Samsung Pay is set to be available "through a future software update." Once it arrives, though, you'll need to have a compatible device to take advantage of the feature -- and this includes the Galaxy S6, Galaxy S6 Edge, Galaxy S6 Edge+ and Galaxy Note 5. Hang tight, at least now you know it's actually coming.
Sony and Verizon just scrapped the Xperia Z4v's US launch
Sony makes a mean smartphone, but it could never quite crack the macadamia nut that is the US mobile market. For while there it seemed like it had another fighting chance in the Verizon-only Z4v, too. Not anymore. After much hemming and hawing about its release date, a Sony spokesperson confirmed in an email that Sony and Verizon aren't bringing the Z4v to America after all. Way to keep us hanging, guys.
Sony's tweaked Xperia Z4v has a better screen and a wider waistline
Remember when Sony cooked up a new flagship smartphone for Japan called the Z4, then renamed it the Z3+ when it came time to take it overseas? Yeah, well, it's finally coming to the United States with a little help from Verizon, and it has another name for us to try and keep straight. Meet the Xperia Z4v. You'd be forgiven for thinking this was a straight-up rebrand of an existing phone, but that's not quite true -- it's a chubbier version of a phone we've already met with a better screen, to boot.
Verizon's old phone network will stick around for connected devices
It's no secret that Verizon wants to drop its legacy phone service like so much dead weight. But is the underlying CDMA network going to go away, too? Not for a long while, the carrier's Fran Shammo says. He explains that CDMA will hang around for "internet of things" devices (think appliances, cars and machinery), which need only "small bursts" of data to communicate. The newer LTE network is still top priority -- eventually, all of Verizon's cellphones will depend on it -- but it won't completely replace the older technology for quite some time. [Image credit: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images]
Verizon FiOS will be an East Coast exclusive as of 2016
If you're a customer of Verizon's TV, internet or phone services (fiber or otherwise) in California, Florida or Texas then sometime next year you won't be. That's because as part of a $10.54 billion deal, it's selling "wireline" businesses in those states to Frontier so it can focus on a group of Eastern states. It made a similar move dumping services across many states in 2009, and many of the customers we heard from afterward were not happy because while Frontier had different policies on how to run the service. In a separate deal, it's leasing or selling a majority of the cell towers it operates to American Tower Corporation for $5 billion. Why make all these moves? Other than kicking off a $5 billion share repurchasing program, word is this money will go to pay for some $10 billion in wireless spectrum Verizon won at auction last week.
Verizon Wireless will let you dodge those sketchy 'supercookies'
Living a wholly private life on the internet is getting to be impossible, but months of thinkpieces and public outcry finally seem to have done a little good where one company is concerned. According to the New York Times, Verizon Wireless is giving its customers the option to fully opt out of the quiet, advertiser-friendly web tracking it's been conducting for the better part of two years. Alas, there's no word yet on just when that change will take effect, though it can't come soon enough for the privacy advocates and concerned consumers that've been raising hell since the existence of so-called "supercookies" came to light.
Motorola Droid Turbo review: better than the Moto X, but only a little
Once upon a time, not all that long ago, Motorola released an excellent flagship phone called the Moto X. Sure, it didn't have the best battery ever and the camera was pretty lousy, but it just oozed charm and didn't leave me wanting for much. Then, just months later, Motorola (with a perhaps little coaxing from Verizon) released a phone that addressed just about all of the X's shortcomings. That, in a nutshell, is the story of the Droid Turbo: Just think of it as the Moto X Plus. But is it really that much better than that other phone we fell for? And will Verizon Moto X owners rue the day they extended their contracts?
Verizon's Droid Turbo is a much-improved Moto X (hands-on)
Verizon's Droid Turbo is a curious little beast: It's a distinct improvement over Motorola's one-time flagship Moto X, but it lacks the sort of geek credentials that have gotten people drooling over the newly announced Nexus 6. That said, we were a little taken with just how seriously Motorola still takes its long-running Droid line, so join us as we take a quick look what's worth knowing about the Turbo.
This is Verizon's Droid Turbo: 5.2-inch Quad HD display, up to 48 hours of battery life
What's black and Kevlar and screams "turbo"? Okay, yes, a modded BMW M3. But also Verizon's latest smartphone, the Droid Turbo by Motorola. Regular Engadget readers assuredly know a lot about this phone already: it's got a 5.2-inch Quad HD AMOLED display covered in Corning's Gorilla Glass 3, a Kevlar back, and an incredibly long battery life. Verizon's touting "up to" 48 hours of power and a quick charge feature that nets "up to 8 hours of use" from a 15-minute charge (using a specific charging cable included with the phone, naturally). The Droid Turbo's not all charge and no oomph: a Snapdragon 805 processor is the heart of the Turbo (a 2.7GHz quad-core CPU) and an Adreno 420 CPU (running at 600MHz) handles graphics on that fancy Quad HD screen. 3GB of RAM handles memory, making all that processor power worth a damn. Should processor speeds not excite you, perhaps megapixel counts will? The camera out back on the Droid Turbo is a whopping 21-megapixels. And yes, relax, your selfies are safe: there's a front-facing camera with 2MP resolution and 1080p video capability.
Verizon's announcing its new Droid on October 28th
It's been leaked to hell and back lately, but no matter - Verizon's finally ready to pull back the curtain on its latest Droid smartphone at an event in New York on October 28. That device is the Droid Turbo, a seemingly super-charged version of this year's Moto X that reportedly wraps an even speedier Snapdragon 805 chipset into a more traditional (some would say more heinous looking) Droid body. No need to lament its looks too much, though: while it keeps the same 5.2-inch screen as the X, Motorola stuck a 21-megapixel rear camera into the Turbo's slimmish chassis, and rumor has it that there's a staggeringly capacious 3,900mAh battery lurking in there to boot. If you've thumbed through our Moto X review, you'll know that those two issues were the only things keeping Moto's newest flagship from smartphone greatness, so forgive us for getting just a little excited to see the Turbo in person. After all, latest year's Droid lineup were just slight variations on the original Moto X theme -- this time Motorola seems to have dramatically upgraded the X formula.
Kyocera's sapphire screen is tougher than we expected
Few things in life are more satisfying than taking out pent-up aggression on a poor, helpless phone, and the Kyocera Brigadier gave me that opportunity this week. Armed with a 4.5-inch Sapphire Shield screen, the rugged Verizon-exclusive device claims to be scratchproof and drop-proof because the material is harder than glass. Since an increasing number of manufacturers (including Apple and Huawei) are reportedly planning on using sapphire on future products, I wanted to torture-test the Brigadier with a lot of sharp and abrasive objects to see if it really holds up to its claims.
Verizon's first phones with LTE-only calling will arrive in 2016
Verizon has largely finished rolling out its LTE network, but that only raises a new question: when is it going to phase out its long-running CDMA phone service? As it turns out, the transition may start sooner than you think. The carrier's Fran Shammo has revealed at an investor conference that the first phones to rely solely on LTE for calls will be available in the first half of 2016, or just under two years after the launch of LTE voice service in late 2014. He didn't say when Big Red would turn the lights out on CDMA, but it's safe to presume that this won't happen until the majority of devices in use can handle the newer technology. In short, you shouldn't worry about buying a Verizon phone today -- just don't expect to keep it for several years. [Image credit: AP Photo/John Minchillo]
Sony's waterproof Xperia Z2 Tablet coming to Verizon for $600
We already knew Sony would eventually release an LTE version of its super-thin, waterproof Xperia Z2 Tablet; we just had no idea which network it would work on. Turns out, the lucky winner is Verizon. That's right, the Z2 Tablet is going to be a Big Red exclusive here in the states, at least for now. That's something of a departure for Sony: the last-gen Tablet Z was compatible with both AT&T and T-Mobile. In any case, regardless of whether you're already a Verizon customer, you can pre-order one tomorrow for $600, sans contract (shipments are expected to start next week, on July 17th). If you place your pre-order early enough, Verizon will also throw in a free noise canceling headset, while supplies last. For a limited time, too, you can buy the tablet for $500 with a new two-year agreement, but let's be real: Smart shoppers don't lock themselves into new service contracts just to get a 4G tablet.
