Back in the year 2011, Facebook teamed up with HTC to release two different phones — the Chacha and the Salsa — each of which gave the social media platform its own dedicated hardware button. While the dedicated Facebook feature didn't quite pan out, that didn't stop both companies from trying again in 2013 with the HTC First.
High-speed 5G connectivity is about to roll out in the US in a major way, making it possible for far more consumers to access the faster data speeds increasingly supported by new devices. The White House has announced a major agreement between government agencies and the two largest carriers in the US, Verizon and AT&T, that should work in everyone's favor.
Boeing and Airbus have written a joint letter to US Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg asking that Verizon and AT&T's rollout of C-band 5G be delayed. At the heart of the issue is concern over interference with aircraft altimeters.
Samsung has revealed its most affordable 5G phone in the US, with the Galaxy A13 5G carrying a mere $249.99 price tag. Headed to AT&T at the end of the week, the A13 pairs a trio of rear cameras with a sizable display, and despite the low price still uses a 90 Hz adaptive refresh rate panel.
![Comcast Xfinity internet down, Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile outage also in play [UPDATE]](https://www.slashgear.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/internetoutage-1280x720.jpg)
Comcast Xfinity issues ramped up at just after midnight EST and again at around 7AM. Outages appeared in states including Illinois, Indiana, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York. It would appear that this internet outage has also impacted TV service in these areas. UPDATE: Users across the United States are now reporting problems with multiple mobile internet services and internet providers - almost as if there's a single issue at hand.
AT&T is using its 5G network to power a unique type of connected device designed specifically for dairy farmers. The hardware comes from smaXtec, which describes it as a small smart sensor that cows physically swallow. The sensor stays in the cow's first stomach where it monitors the animal's health and provides the data to farmers.
AT&T has announced that it has teamed up with Ford to improve wireless connectivity speed inside the Rouge Electric Vehicle Center, part of the Dearborn Rouge site. The facility will be the hub for EV production for Ford moving into the future. AT&T has outfitted the facility with secure next-generation 5G cellular connectivity.
Google Stadia just appeared with a window into the future of the game streaming universe courtesy of AT&T, of all companies. It was with AT&T's "Experience Batman: Arkham Knight" promotion that we first saw how Google Stadia tech could be used as a white label service. It is with this use of the service that we see how Google will likely proceed into the future as the holder of the keys: by being the bones, not the skin.
Google released the Pixel 6 on pre-order today, and with it, some rapid confusion. If you were looking to purchase the Pixel 6 or Pixel 6 Pro from the Google Store or through Google Fi, here, on pre-release day, you were out of luck - both stores crashed. If you were attempting to buy an mmWave-UW-capable Pixel 6 off-contract, you were in for another surprise.
Today we're taking a peek at the expected dates that 3G networks will shut down in the year 2022. These dates are important, since they show the end-point for functionality for some of the oldest mobile smart devices still in service today. It's not only smartphone and tablets that have the potential to stop connecting to mobile data - it's accessories and IoT devices that connect with 3G, too.
iPhone 13 preorders kick off on Friday, but while there were no big surprises in Apple's sticker pricing for the four new smartphones, the deals on offer could make 2021 an unusual year. There's no doubting that Apple has come to count on iPhone sales to help buoy its financial results, particularly in the first quarter after a new model, but it takes more than just a healthy spec sheet to win over new buyers.
AT&T has been clear that it is shutting down its 3G network early in 2022. For some users who are on old phones that don't support 4G LTE connectivity, their devices will cease to function. Many of these older devices are in the hands of consumers who don't really do anything on their smartphone but make phone calls and occasionally text.