Phone Scoop

The FCC today announced the winners of Auction 107 for radio frequency licenses in the coveted "C-Band". Verizon spent $45.5 billion, well over half the $81.1 billion total spent in the whole auction. All major US carriers spent large amounts, with AT&T…

Google is rolling out a major update to Android Auto. The new version includes car-optimized games such as trivia and "Jeopardy!". The feature can be activated by saying "Hey Google, play a game". Users can now "select from a variety of car-inspired…

Google has started rolling out an update to it Messages app that lets users schedule a text message to send at a later time. The feature is designed for people with "loved ones in another time zone or on a different schedule". To use the feature, simply press…

Samsung today announced a new camera sensor featuring a number of new technologies that will offer improved HDR, low-light performance, and auto-focusing. The ISOCELL GN2 is a 50 megapixel sensor with 1.4-micrometer (μm)-sized pixels. The GN2 supports…

T-Mobile today introduced a new premium service plan called "Magenta Max", that offers truly unlimited "premium" (full-speed 5G or 4G) data. Before today, T-Mobile's top-end "Magenta Plus" plan offered up to 50 GB of full-speed data, after which speeds could…

Clipper Card — the universal transit fare card for all 24 San Francisco Bay Area transit agencies — will be supported in Apple Pay and Google Pay digital wallets "this spring". Residents and visitors will be able to add a stored-value Clipper card to their…

Google Fi and Verizon Prepaid recently launched new introductory deals for new customers / added lines. Verizon Prepaid is offering the third month of service for free, while Google is offering half off the first three months of service. Verizon also offers…

Samsung today made a new commitment to provide security updates for its Galaxy phones and other devices for "a minimum of four years after the initial phone release." The promise covers phones launched in 2019 and later, including the S10 series, Note10…

Apple has added a new App Store rule for "health pass" apps "based on testing and vaccination records". Commercial developers of such apps must prove that they are "working with entities recognized by public health authorities, such as test kit manufacturers,…

Samsung today announced the availability of its One UI 3.1 software update, which brings select software features of the new Galaxy S21 series to most higher-end Galaxy phones from 2020 and 2019. New features include an improved "Single Take" camera mode,…

Google has released the first preview version of Android 12 to developers. As a developer release, it focuses on APIs and other developer-focused aspects, rather than necessarily representing the final look and feature set for consumers. Several new features…

Nothing, Technologies, a new startup from former OnePlus executive Carl Pei, has purchased the Essential brand. Essential was a phone startup founded by Android creator Andy Rubin after he left Google.

Metro by T-Mobile today announced the launch of the Motorola one 5G ace, a relatively affordable 5G phone at just $280, a significant discount from the $400 Motorola charges for the unlocked version. T-Mobile will also launch the one 5G ace soon. The…

Google today announced a new video editor as part of Google Photos. The company also announced that some advanced, AI-powered features previously available only on Pixel phones will now be available on more phones, but only for Google One subscribers. The new…

A US appeals court has issued a new ruling declaring that Customs and Border Protection agents can conduct both basic and "advanced" searches of electronic devices at US borders without needing a warrant nor reasonable suspicion. The new ruling overturns a…

Google Fi today announced that its free VPN service is exiting beta for Android, and will "roll out ... to iPhone starting this spring." The VPN service protects against IP address tracking and hacking while using unsecure Wi-Fi networks.

Bullitt Group will soon launch a new range of rugged mobile phones bearing the Motorola brand. Bullitt specializes in rugged phones, and already makes rugged phones for the CAT and Land Rover brands. This long-term "strategic brand partnership" gives Bullitt…

Visible just launched a variety of new service offerings and revamped plans. Customers with compatible phones can now access Verizon's 5G network at no extra cost. The company's unlimited voice service now includes calling to Canada, Mexico, US Virgin Islands,…

Qualcomm today introduced a suite of new modem and radio chips to power the next generation of higher-end 5G phones and devices. The company's new flagship 5G modem chip is the Snapdragon X65 5G Modem-RF System, which is the first in the world to support data…

Motorola and Verizon are running a Valentine's Day sale offering a $500 discount on the flex-screen razr (2019) and the 5G edge+. Both are normally priced at $1000, so the discount cuts the price in half, to just $500. That is, by far, the lowest price for a…