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Paying off your new Verizon phone will now take 3 years
AT&T payment plans went up to 36 months last year
Phone contracts aren't what they used to be and are continuing to change, at least at Verizon. The wireless carrier has just extended its installment plan terms for all new device purchases from 24 or 30 months to 36.
The LG V30 is one of this year's most anticipated flagship phones, and with good reason. It's a clear upgrade on the excellent LG G6 from earlier in the year, and it's set to go toe-to-toe with the S8, Note8, and Google's incoming Pixel 2 XL (also made by LG). The phone already started shipping last month in its native South Korea, which is the norm for LG devices, but now it's possible to order one in the US through Verizon or AT&T.
Remember when Sprint said that it wouldn't be offering the tried and true two-year phone contracts anymore? Yeah, not so much. Fierce Wireless reports that the carrier is once again offering two-year service contracts, and the Sprint Wireless website bears this out. New phones are being sold with a significant discount, up to 100%, in exchange for customers signing a promise not to stop paying for 24 months. Everything old is new again.
Around this time last year Verizon released a self-branded tablet called the Ellipsis 8, a larger variation on the original 7-inch Ellipsis. We had some fun speculating on its corporate origins. But thanks to lots of discounts and package deals, there are actually a ton of these things in the hands of consumers, including some of my Verizon-using family members. So here we are again, with another, bigger Verizon whitebox tablet. This time it's a ten-inch slate called the (wait for it) Ellipsis 10.
AT&T unlimited data users, your champion has arrived. Today the United States Federal Trade Commission announced that it has filed a federal court complaint against AT&T Wireless, alleging that the company misled customers by offering "unlimited" cellular data service that was severely reduced in speed at some times and places. The FTC's complaint takes issue with AT&T's failure to inform customers that the unlimited data they were paying for could be "throttled," often cutting data speeds to specific customers by up to 90 percent.
Adobe has brought EchoSign over to Android, so now workers can use the mobile app to close deals with clients, job applicants can use it to sign contracts, and just about anyone can use it to put their John Hancock on any of the myriad of documents that require a signature. The app lets people e-sign documents using either their fingers or a stylus and/or request signatures from others. Even better, it happens to integrate with a number of cloud storage providers (Google Drive and Box make the list, but Dropbox, oddly, isn't mentioned). It also works with Adobe Acrobat, Adobe Reader, Evernote, and Sharepoint.
You've got a lot of options for high-end Android devices just at the moment, with the HTC One M8 out and the LG G3 coming soon. But if you want something for Verizon right now and your funds are limited, you could do a lot worse than the Samsung Galaxy S5. Amazon's wireless portal has the phone on Big Red for just fifty bones, assuming you're a new customer or you're adding a new phone line.
You may have noticed that AT&T and T-Mobile are in a bit of a spat at the moment. T-Mobile offers early upgrades with no-contract financing plans, and AT&T does the same a few weeks later. T-Mo woos people with credits towards early termination fees, AT&T gives a whopping $450 of credit ($250 for trading in a T-Mo phone, $200 for transferring service) to former T-Mobile customers. But it looks like the gravy train has run out of fuel - CNET reports that the promotion is over.
So AT&T's Next plans, with their $0 down and phone trade-in/upgrade after a year, are nifty for customers who always want the latest and greatest. They're also a valuable tool for enticing new customers away from the likes of Verizon and the ever-advancing T-Mobile. But what about AT&T customers who are stuck in a contract? Ma Bell hasn't forgotten about you: starting today, at least some AT&T contract customers can switch to a Next plan with no penalty.
Love it or hate it, you can't deny that the Galaxy S4 Zoom is unique. This hybrid offspring from Samsung's mobile and camera divisions (which have since tied the knot) doesn't really compete with the Galaxy S4 as far as specs go, but if you want a solid point-and-shoot camera that makes calls, you probably can't do any better. If you also want that device cheap, Amazon is offering it for just one penny, so long as you also want a new AT&T contract.
Ever since Republic Wireless started its unconventional carrier experiment, there's been one common cry of lament among those who want to use it: "where are the good phones?" Republic's hybrid 3G-WiFi system requires some customized hardware, which means that new phones are few and far between for the unlimited, cheap-as-dirt Sprint MVNO. If you wanted an excuse to try out the service, here you go: a screenshot taken by Reddit user imaliamatoo indicates that the Moto X is coming to Republic.
As promised, the HTC One Mini is now available from AT&T for $99.99 with a two-year contract, $349.99 for one year, or $429.99 month-to-month.
At a time when T-Mobile is trying to redefine the less-than-stellar reputation of wireless carriers, it looks like regional player US Cellular has taken a big step backwards. The company is no longer allowing customers to access the upgrade reward in the Belief Project, which allowed those who had completed an eighteen month contract to buy a new phone at the subsidized price without signing another contract. After July 27th, US Cellular customers will have the same old contractual ball and chain if they buy a new device at the advertised price.
Whether or not you want to partake in T-Mobile's "Uncarrier" experiments, they're obviously having an effect on the wider American carrier landscape. Today AT&T announced plans to counter T-Mobile's JUMP! upgrade/trade-in plan with one of their own, called Next. The Next plan will allow similar installment payments on new phones with no money down, and users will be given the option to trade in their existing phone and begin paying off a new one. The program will begin on July 26th, and it will be open to new and existing customers.
If you're in the market for a gigantic, tablet-like smartphone that doesn't start with the word "Galaxy," you'd be hard-pressed to find a better candidate than the LG Optimus G Pro. And if you want it on AT&T, you won't find anywhere that has it cheaper than Amazon. The 5.5-inch phone is just .99 for new contact signees and returning customers whose 2-year re-up has come, with free two-day shipping to boot (you don't even need Amazon Prime). Without a contract, you're looking at a $600 retail price.
As if you needed another reason to hate cell phone contracts. For the last few years, Verizon's upgrade cycle has been 20 months long - that is, you bought a new, discounted phone on-contract, and you could upgrade after 20 months. (Not to be confused with the cellular contract itself, which is a full 2 years/24 months.) According to an official statement from Verizon Wireless, customers now have to wait the full 24 months before upgrading.
The Kindle Fire HD is, at the moment, the best Android tablet that's not really an Android tablet but is still kind of an Android tablet. The LTE model, while pricier than the others, is handy for those that still need to download on the go. Now, AT&T is going to start selling the connected model for $399.
Yesterday, T-Mobile officially announced its new "UNcarrier" plans to much fanfare and profanity. The idea is simple: you pay one price for your service, and a separate price for your device. You can either choose to pay the full cost of your phone up front, or pay a deposit at first and then a monthly fee after that.
Most of the time, major corporations like to cushion their words so that, in the event of a PR disaster, it's easier to walk back its statements. Today, an AT&T exec in charge of public policy decided to throw that caution to the wind and announce in no uncertain terms 'the Librarian’s ruling will not negatively impact any of AT&T’s customers.' Well. That sure is blunt.
Dang it, I've already used up all my "G" adjectives for the day. The internet is not gonna leave me be, though, as the LG Optimus G 4G gets a good ol' grice grop to $49 on Gamazon Gireless. Gee, what a deal. The previous best offer we'd seen for this beast of a phone was $99, also via Amazon. $49 is a downright bargain for this flagship handset.