Phone Scoop

This month, both Minimal and Mudita have launched new minimalist phones that are designed to discourage excessive screen time primarily by having the main touch display use e-ink / e-paper display technology, which is typically slow to refresh and does not…

Meta has apparently disabled Apple Intelligence features in Facebook, Instagram, Threads, and WhatsApp. This includes writing tools and Genmoji. App developers can opt out of Apple Intelligences for their iOS apps, and Meta appears to have done just that. Meta…

Google is expanding the free version of its Gemini AI app for Android to include Gemini Live with camera and screen share. This lets you ask Gemini about anything on your phone's screen, or anything your phone's camera can see.

Chipolo has introduced its newest Bluetooth tracking tag: the Chipolo Pop. Following Pebblebee, Chipolo has made its new trackers cross-platform, meaning they work with either Apple Find My or Google's Find My Device network. The Pop has a simple round "chip"…

Samsung today announced the Galaxy XCover7 Pro, its newest rugged phone targeted at business customers across various industries. Compared to the XCover6 it replaces, it sports a much newer Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 chipset, and larger battery at 4,350 mAh. Most…

On Friday, US Customs and Border Patrol issued a notice saying that smartphones, computers and some other electronic devices would be exempt from most new tariffs. By the end of the weekend, the administration started to walk back the exemption, when Commerce…

The Google Pixel 9a is available starting today from all three major national carriers, as well as US Cellular and Xfinity Mobile. Existing AT&T customers can snag a free pair of Google Pixel Buds A-Series Bluetooth earbuds with their new Pixel 9a when…

AT&T has put up a new support page stating that the company will switch off its email-to-text and text-to-email gateway. Currently, people can send an email to an address such as 5551234567@txt.att.net or 5551234567@mms.att.net to send a text message or MMS…

Motorola has revealed the 2025 edition of the $400 phone in its lineup: the moto g stylus. This year's model supports super-fast 68W charging, up from 30W last year (the 68W charger is sold separately). Motorola claims the 68W charging can give the phone a…

Verizon today is announcing that all customers on a current myPlan service plan will received guaranteed free satellite text messaging on qualifying devices. The company is also introducing a new three-year price lock guarantee for all myPlan customers. This…

The FCC has approved T-Mobile's deal to effectively acquire fiber-to-the-home provider Lumos. New FCC chair Brendan Carr has publicly threatened to block merger & acquisition deals in telecom with companies that promote DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion),…

Visible has tweaked its premium Visible+ plan and added a new, even-more-premium Visible+ Pro plan. (The baseline Visible plan remains unchanged.) The Visible+ plan stays at $35/month (taxes & fees included), but now has unlimited premium 4G and 5G data…

In iOS 18.2, Apple added an option to designate a third-party app as the default for calling and/or messaging. Now, third-party apps are starting to support the feature, starting with WhatsApp. The latest beta version of WhatsApp can be set as your default…

The Light Phone III is now available for pre-order. This minimalist phone supports basic phone and text messaging features, but does not support apps, social media, or email. A curated set of essential features is designed with privacy in mind. These includes…

Utah Governor Spencer Cox has officially signed a law requiring app stores to verify user's ages and obtain parental consent for users under 18. Apple and Google oppose the law and may still challenge it in court.

The FCC is drafting new rules that would require cellular service providers to report the vertical location of cell phones calling (or texting) 911 in a more useful measurement of Height Above Ground Level. They are also working to strengthen the testing and…

Spectrum Mobile and Xfinity Mobile have both launched emergency messaging via satellite for the Samsung Galaxy S25 series and Google Pixel 9 series Android phones. In the coming weeks, they will also launch non-emergency text messaging via satellite. The…

As announced and promised last August, Verizon is now launching non-emergency text messaging via satellite in cellular dead zones for compatible Android phones. Currently, phones compatible with this NTN technology include the Google Pixel 9 series and the…

Google has announced its newest mid-range Pixel phone, the Pixel 9a. At $499, it's significantly more affordable than $799 Pixel 9. Upgrades over last year's Pixel 8a include a display that's 35% brighter, an IP68 water-resistance rating (improved from IP67),…

T-Mobile has achieved a record-breaking downlink (download) data speed of 4.3 Gbps on its 5G network using a Samsung Galaxy S25 in real-world conditions. The test leverages T-Mobile's 5G SA (stand-alone) network and six-carrier aggregation (6CA). 6CA is a…