Phone Scoop

Google today announced a number of new features and updates that improve the experience of setting up a new Android device, particularly around moving apps and data from your old device, be it and iPhone or Android phone. Previously exclusive to Pixel devices,…

Boost is offering new deals on additional lines of mobile service this holiday season. For a second line, Boost is offering 50% off that second line for the first year. For those needing three lines, Boost is offering the third line for free. These deals…

JLab has long made some of the most affordable Bluetooth accessories, but their new Go Pop ANC earbuds are something of a breakthrough. Never before have you been able to buy wireless earbuds with active noise cancellation (ANC) for just $30. At that price,…

The Boost Summit 5G is a very straightforward phone: it aims to be the most affordable 5G phone in the US, one that Boost can give away for free to new customers. In terms of features and specs, it has everything you'd expect this type of phone to have, and…

AST SpaceMobile has signed new launch deals that will put a total of 60 new satellites into orbit over the next two years. This will complete its commercial network and enable the company to provide continuous cellular coverage from space over the whole United…

Google has released its Gemini app for iOS, bringing the full features of its flagship AI tool for consumers to iPhone for the first time. Some features of Gemini were already available via the Google search app. But new Gemini app includes Gemini Live, which…

Snapchat is adding new features that take it far from its roots. The app — originally known for ephemeral photos popular with younger audiences — is now now adding family features that let parents track their kids' location and monitor privacy settings.…

HMD is trying to make a name for itself as a new brand on the phone scene. They are pursuing multiple specific strategies in an effort to stand out, including repairable phones, brand partnerships, and devices for kids. But the most interesting might be the…

Google is adding Family Chat and sibling chat to its Fitbit Ace LTE watch for kids. Family Chat is a group chat for the whole family, while siblings can now message or call each other.

Boost Mobile has launched the Summit 5G, a new, Boost-branded 5G phone with a list price of just $95. Boost is further subsidizing the phone, bringing the price to $20 for existing customers, and free for new customers. The Summit 5G is based heavily on the…

US Cellular has reached an agreement with AT&T to sell a large chunk of its low- and mid-band radio frequency licenses to AT&T for just over $1 billion. The largest bundle of licenses is mid-band spectrum at 3.45 GHz, ideal for 5G and part of band 77. The…

Apple has announced a new feature of its Find My service that will let you share a tracked item's location with anyone. Apple gives the example of sharing this information with an airline employee to help find lost luggage with an AirTag, or a device…

HMD has "formed a strategic partnership with Xplora, a leading provider of smartwatches for children." The partnership coincides with HMD's growing interest in the devices-for-kids category. HMD recently launched the Barbie Phone. HMD also recently launched…

A securities filing has revealed a new deal between Apple and Globalstar that will see Apple spend around $1.5 billion in exchange for "the expansion of iPhone services" as well as a 20% equity stake in Globalstar. Globalstar already provides the orbital…

Google is changing its Android release schedule, releasing more new versions, sooner. While Google has stuck to a relatively consistent annual schedule in recent years, with Android 15 having just been released, the next major version — Android 16 — is…

Google has confirmed that it plans to roll out a special version of Google Wallet for kids next year. The Android app will support tap payments in person, but not online transactions. It will also support gift cards and event tickets, but not ID cards. It will…

Recent beta versions of Android include the first bits of a new API for app developers called Rich Ongoing Notifications. It appears to let developers put an icon plus small bit of updating text directly in the status bar, similar to the "chip" that is…

Apple has released the final public version of iOS 18.1, which supports a beta version of Apple Intelligence, the company's new suite of AI features. Because it's still in beta, access to Apple Intelligence is not automatic. Users must manually opt in and wait…

Apple has decided to lets iOS users worldwide choose their own default apps for messaging and calling, a welcome update for a feature that was previously expected to be limited to the EU to appease antitrust regulators there. The change will come in iOS 18.2,…

Arm has escalated its legal tussle with Qualcomm by giving 60 days' notice that it is cancelling the architectural license agreement that allows Qualcomm to use Arm's intellectual property to design chips. The two companies are already involved in a legal…