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.
This week Samsung released their latest One UI 3.1.1 update to a bunch of foldable devices. With this release, Samsung expands features only otherwise found on Galaxy Z Flip 3 and Galaxy Z Fold 3 to devices released in the past couple of years. This includes Galaxy Z Fold 2 5G, Galaxy Z Flip 5G, Galaxy Z Flip, and the original Galaxy Fold. The first devices to get this update will be the Galaxy Z Fold 2 and first to Flip devices - the original Fold will get the update later.
GM's cars are going 5G, with the automaker inking a deal with AT&T to bake next-gen modems into models from Chevrolet, Buick, GMC, and Cadillac. It'll build on the existing deployment of 4G LTE cars that use AT&T's network for dashboard apps, OTA updates, WiFi hotspot, and OnStar, though General Motors insists that even some current owners could see a speed boost along the way.
AT&T customers who subscribe to its Unlimited Elite tier of service are getting new additions to their service at no additional cost. AT&T says Unlimited Elite offers unlimited high-speed data that doesn't slow down based on how much is used and includes 5G speeds. Starting this week, the Unlimited high-speed data no longer gets throttled based on how much data the user consumes.
The North American mobile carrier AT&T revealed this week that they're working with Google to make Messages by Google the default messaging app for all AT&T Android devices in the USA. This should, hopefully, make the transition to an industry-wide adoption of Rich Communication Services (RCS) a reality at some point in the future. This is not the first time RCS has been available for AT&T users, but it is the first time AT&T's agreed to make RCS for Android a reality with Google's own Messages app - by default.
For most of us, the name BLACK+DECKER is probably most closely associated with various power tools. The company has announced a new initiative called BLACK+DECKER Health, launching in the direct-to-consumer market, sliding into the health and wellness solutions category. BLACK+DECKER Health is bringing to market a new collection of personal emergency response systems called goVia.
AT&T and Google today announced a new promo for Stadia Pro. The promo is available is to certain AT&T wireless and fiber customers, and it grants six months of Stadia Pro on the house. Of course, like most wireless deals out there, there are certain provisos and terms to consider before you're able to claim your six months of Stadia Pro.
As the world moves slowly but surely towards supporting 5G, network operators are itching to finally ditch the oldest cellular networks they're still supporting. After an initial wave of outcry and complaints, probably from commercial customers, US carriers have decided to delay shutting down their 3G services at least until 2022. It seems that AT&T will indeed be the first to do so by February 2022 and it has thankfully released a list of devices that will continue to work beyond that cutoff date.
Verizon recently sold off its rather ill-fitting media business, which included AOL and Yahoo, to a giant Las Vegas resort owner. Now one of its biggest rivals in the telecom market is doing something similar though with a slightly different spin. AT&T is now reportedly in talks to spin off its rather large media business in a deal that could see Harry Potter and Batman on the same large ship as the Discovery Channel and Food Network.
HBO and ads are two things that have never really been associated with one another, but that's set to change later this year. HBO and WarnerMedia parent company AT&T has indicated in the past that it will roll out an ad-supported version of HBO Max, and currently, AT&T is planning to launch that new subscription tier in June. Thanks to a new report today, we may now have an idea of how much it'll cost when it arrives.
If you're an AT&T Fiber Internet customer signed up for one of the service provider's entry- or mid-tier plans, you can expect a significant speed increase in the near future. The company has announced plans to increase its Fiber Internet upload and download rates by 200Mbps, increasing the 100Mbps plan to 300Mbps and the 300Mbps plan to 500Mbps.