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Wi-Fi Calling gets the ax on more than a dozen T-Mobile devices
A number of classics are being made *that much* more obsolete
T-Mobile is about to turn off Wi-Fi Calling to a number of older phones. Have you been prudent enough to see the day when your phone's been made obsolete? Well, at least in one small factor.
We've all been there—a phone that was snappy and stable becomes dramatically less so after the OEM releases a slapdash update. Italian authorities have investigated Samsung and Apple for the way they develop and deploy updates to older phones. As a result, Samsung has to pay a €5 million fine, and Apple's is double that.
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- Verizon published Note Edge security update details (build MMB29M.N915VVRU2CQI3) as well now.
Credit where credit is due. Verizon and Samsung are doing a good job of keeping relatively older devices updated with security patches. After upgrading the Galaxy S5 (2014) to the August security patch, they're now releasing an update to the Note 4 (also 2014) with the latest security patches that brings it to software version MMB29M.N910VVRS2CQE1.
Oh, look: another Samsung battery recall. Though not as widespread as the Note7 debacle, this one is still important to pay attention to. If you received a refurbished AT&T Galaxy Note 4 (like for an insurance replacement) between December 2016 and April 2017, listen up.
Nearly a year after Android 6.0 Marshmallow first debuted on the Nexus 5X and 6P, the AT&T models of the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 and Note Edge are finally receiving an OTA for 6.0.1. Samsung has never been reputable for fast updates, and neither has AT&T. This incredibly late update is what happens when you mash the two together.
Okay, so there's a small chance the Galaxy Note 7 might explode. That's a bummer, but older note phones probably won't do that. It just so happens a lot of them are on salve via Woot today. These are all refurbished phones, and a few of them might have some cosmetic damage, but they're cheap.
Marshmallow is making its way to Galaxy Note 4 and Note Edge owners in the US. If you're on T-Mobile, you're next on the list. The Un-carrier is now sending out OTA updates to people on its network.
The Galaxy Note 4 is a little less than two years old now, but Samsung stuffs the Note series so full of high-end technology that it isn't really fair to call it "old." In fact, the Verizon version just got updated to Android Marshmallow earlier this week. The blogging gods must be smiling upon us, because they've offered a serendipitous eBay deal: the same phone, refurbished, for just 4.95. That's approximately five hundred dollars - five and two zeroes - off the original retail price.
It's not often that we have cause to praise Verizon for, well, anything, but credit goes where credit is due. In the last month the carrier has upgraded its branded versions of the LG G Pad X 8.3, DROID Maxx 2, Galaxy S5, and Galaxy Tab S2 to Marshmallow. Never mind that they've come more than half a year after Android 6.0 AOSP code became available, we're just happy to see the updates at all (especially for those oft-neglected tablets). The latest device to get a version bump is the faux-leather-clad Galaxy Note 4.
Owners of the Verizon Galaxy Note 4 have been stuck with a non-unlockable bootloader since the device came out more than a year ago, but that's changing thanks to noted modder Beaups. With a few ADB commands, you can unlock the bootloader and open up a whole world of modding possibilities. Of course, you might also break everything. So, proceed at your own risk.
Patience is a virtue, especially when it comes to the fickle world of yearly hardware upgrades. If you're willing to wait a bit for that fancy new phone, you can save an insane amount of money. For example, a brand new version of 2014's flagship Samsung phone, still only a year and a half old, can now be had for less than half of its original price. And from two different vendors, no less!
Samsung has a bunch of phones spread across a bunch of carriers, and those released in the last year or two need Marshmallow updates. Sprint has begun to roll out the latest version of Android to customers owning three of those devices: the Galaxy Note 4 and 5, plus the S6 Edge+.
The Galaxy Note 4 and Note Edge both came out a year ago, a time when manufacturers still shipped their devices running Android KitKat. Owners eventually got to experience Lollipop in a later update, and as we've seen from Sprint and AT&T, carriers have started pushing devices up from Android 5.0.1 to 5.1.1. You can now add T-Mobile to that list.
AT&T is not known for its rapid updates. The Galaxy S6 only got Android 5.1 on AT&T late last month, several months after it hit other variants. At least Samsung isn't completely ignoring its 2014 devices. The Note 4 and Note Edge on AT&T are getting Android 5.1.1 tomorrow, according to Samsung's website.
Do you know what costs more than a Galaxy Note 5? This year's new Galaxy S6 Edge+, which is essentially a Note with fancy sides. Both are priced at uncomfortably close to a grand. Frankly, Galaxy Note devices are about as expensive as smartphones come.
Starting with the Galaxy S5, Samsung has been building fingerprint readers into the home buttons of its flagship devices. Their primary purpose is to give owners an alternative way of unlocking their phones. But some apps, such as LastPass, also take advantage of the hardware. Now another password manager has added support.
It's summer time, which means that we're getting closer to the unveiling of Samsung's latest and greatest Note device(s) and thus the company is starting to think about lowering its current inventory to make space for the new models. That translates into major savings for customers who want a high-end smartphone that still holds its own against 2015's crop of flagships, or as Samsung likes to call this offer, Notable Savings.
The Galaxy Note 4 was a beast of a device at launch, and as a direct result, it came with a beast of a price tag (the AT&T model in particular still goes for 0). It's the kind of phone that carriers offer for $300 on contact, which is enough money to outright own a decent piece of hardware these days.
Sprint is now sending out an over-the-air update to its version of the Galaxy Note 4 that enables support for factory reset protection. This feature debuted in Android Lollipop and can require users to enter a passkey before wiping their devices. The goal is to make phones less tempting to thieves, who are able to profit from clearing stolen handsets and selling them to others.