Phone Scoop

As part of its quarterly earnings report today, T-Mobile provided an update on its 5G rollout and Sprint customer migration. The company's faster "Ultra Capacity" 5G network — the bulk of which relies on 2.5 GHz mid-band radio frequencies — now covers 140…

Boost Mobile today announced a partnership with K Health to include a telemedicine offering as part of the company's Unlimited Plus plan. New subscribers will receive free, 24/7 access to health services via the K Health app on their phone. Specifically, this…

Verizon has reached an agreement to sell its Verizon Media business — which includes Yahoo and AOL — to Apollo Global Management for $5 billion. Verizon will retain a 10% stake in the new company, to be known simply as Yahoo. The transaction is expected to…

Verizon is exploring the sale of its media businesses, including Yahoo and AOL, according to the Wall Street Journal. Verizon bought AOL in 2015 and Yahoo in 2017.

T-Mobile has announced a new tracking tag device that operates on its 4G LTE network. Like a Tile or Apple's new AirTags, the SyncUP Tracker is designed to help you track and find any item that is easily lost or stolen. While Tile and AirTags rely on specific…

US Mobile today introduced a new category of plans that makes family plans more affordable than ever. The new Pooled Plan lets multiple lines share a set, customizable amount of data, as a cheaper alternative to unlimited plans (which US Mobile continues to…

ZTE today launched the Blade 11 Prime, the company's latest affordable Android phone for Visible. It includes wireless charging, a highly unusual feature for a phone that sells for just $192. The phone has a 4,000 mAh battery and also supports reverse (wired)…

Apple has released iOS 14.5, a relatively large update that brings several notable new features to the company's operating system for iPhones. The update brings a new mask-friendly version of Face ID for users with an Apple Watch. Most controversial in…

Google's MVNO Google Fi has added a new, cheaper Unlimited plan option. The old Unlimited plan is unchanged except it's now called Unlimited Plus. The new Simply Unlimited plan is $10/month cheaper but drops international calling, international data roaming,…

Samsung today launched a beta version of Galaxy Upcycling at Home, software that enables people to put old Galaxy phones to use as smart-home devices. Samsung's Upcycling program is an environmental one. "By offering consumers a way to upcycle their products…

AT&T has launched the Kyocera DuraXE Epic, an update to the DuraXE rugged flip phone first introduced in early 2016. The most important addition is support for LTE band 14 and FirstNet, the LTE network operated by AT&T that gives priority to first responders.…

Apple today announced that its Apple TV video streaming device can now leverage the sensors in an iPhone to calibrate video output for your specific television. "Apple TV uses the light sensor in iPhone to compare the color balance to the industry-standard…

Apple today announced AirTag, the company's widely-expected competitor to Tile. The small circular device comes with several keychain-style holder options, including an Hermes luxury option. AirTag uses Apple's global Find My network to find lost items, and…

Apple today announced a purple color option for the iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 mini. It can be pre-ordered starting this Friday, with availability on April 30th. Purple joins the existing white, black, green, red, and blue color options. Color options for the…

Bullitt Group, the maker of Cat-branded phones, today announced the Cat S42 H+, a new version of its S42 rugged Android phone with antimicrobial protection built into its body. All exterior components have been blended with an antimicrobial silver ion additive…

Verizon on Thursday will launch its 5G "Ultra Wideband" service in four new cities: New Orleans, LA; Fresno, CA; Riverside, CA; and San Antonio, TX. This will bring the total number of US cities with the service to 71. Ultra Wideband is Verizon's branding for…

The new Urbanista "Los Angeles" over-ear Bluetooth headphones with active noise cancellation (ANC) have a novel way to extend battery life: solar cells built into the large headband. The company promises "virtually infinite playtime". One hour in sunlight adds…

Xfinity Mobile, the Comcast MVNO for Xfinity home internet customers, today introduced discounts for accounts with multiple lines. The discounts are greater for more lines, similar to what many other US carriers offer. While a single line of unlimited data…

Sony today announced its 2021 phone lineup for consumers: the Xperia 1 III and Xperia 5 III. The two phones are both high-end models with similar specs and features, with the 5 III being the smaller of the two. Both phones have OLED displays with 120 Hz…

TCL today announced several new TCL-branded phones in its 20 series, including two models that will come to the US: the TCL 20 Pro 5G and the TCL 20S. The US launches will include major carrier partners. TCL has joined the Android Enterprise Recommended…