Phone Scoop

Apple has released iOS 16.4, an update to its smartphone software that brings bug fixes as well as new emoji. Shaking face and pushing hand (left and right) have been added, as well as wireless (Wi-Fi), and the Khanda, the symbol of the Sikhism. Other new…

Verizon has streamlined its Free Trial program and made the offering permanent after a successful pilot. Non-Verizon customers with an eSIM-capable phone can now sign up for a free 30 days of Verizon service by simply downloading the My Verizon app; a step of…

AT&T has released updated numbers on its growing 5G network. AT&T 5G now covers 290 million people, or 87% of the US population. AT&T has also accelerated its rollout of higher-speed 5G using mid-band (C-Band) and mmWave (which AT&T brands "5G+") frequencies.…

Google has discovered and disclosed a set of severe security vulnerabilities in the Samsung modems found in many recent Google Pixel phones and some recent Samsung phones, mostly A-series models. Software updates made available this month fix the issue, but…

Qualcomm's just-announced Snapdragon 7+ Gen 2 chipset will power a new wave of high-tier (or "affordable flagship") phones that will launch starting this month. The chip is dramatically more powerful compared to last year's Snapdragon 7 Gen 1 that it replaces.…

The FCC today formally adopted multiple new rules to fight spam and scam calls and texts. Wireless carriers will now be required to actively block text messages "that are highly likely to be illegal", including ones from phone numbers that cannot or do not…

Samsung's new Galaxy A54 5G launches April 6th for $450. This mid-range phone has nearly identical specs compared to its predecessor, the Galaxy A53 5G. The design is significantly updated, however, more closely resembling the company's flagship S series. The…

T-Mobile has signed a deal to buy Ka’ena Corporation and its subsidiaries and brands: Mint Mobile, Ultra Mobile, and Plum. The Mint and Ultra brands will continue under the T-Mobile umbrella, alongside Metro by T-Mobile and Connect by T-Mobile. Ryan…

A SpaceX executive has confirmed that — this year — the company plans to "start getting into testing" its new service that will let regular cell phones connect directly to its next-generation Starlink satellites. SpaceX announced plans for the service…

Google has added VPN service and dark web monitoring to all Google One plans, including the Basic plan that starts at $2/month. The VPN service creates an encrypted "tunnel" to Google's servers for all internet traffic, keeping your web and app activity…

Apple has introduced a new yellow color option for the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus. It "will be available to pre-order this Friday, March 10, with availability starting Tuesday, March 14."

Verizon's 5G Ultra Wideband network now covers "more than 200 million people, or roughly two out of every three Americans." This fulfills a pledge to reach this milestone in the first quarter of 2023. Verizon's "5G Ultra Wideband" includes both mmWave and…

T-Mobile has announced two key steps in upgrading its 5G network to be faster and more advanced. First, the company has successfully tested four-carrier aggregation with 5G SA (stand-alone). In the test, this technology allowed a Samsung Galaxy S23 to hit peak…

Bullitt has announced the first Android phones that will include two-way satellite messaging capability. The Motorola defy 2 and CAT S75 are both designed to connect to Bullitt's new Satellite Connect platform. The platform enables two-way messaging via…

Bullitt and Motorola has unveiled the "motorola defy satellite link", a small Bluetooth device that acts as a gateway for two-way satellite messaging, adding that capability to any iOS or Android phone. Using Bullitt's Satellite Messenger service, a connected…

In the next few months, Cox "customers will be able to combine Cox Mobile and Cox Internet". Cox recently launched Cox Mobile for Cox Internet customers, but with separate billing.

TCL this week took the wraps off three new affordable Android phones coming to the US next quarter. All three share a similar "minimalist" design and will sell for under $200.…

Google is bringing its Magic Eraser feature of Google Photos to more users, including all Pixel phone owners and everyone that subscribed to Google One, even on iOS. Magic Eraser lets you "erase" unwanted people or objects in any photo, using AI to fill in the…

Microsoft has added its (in)famous new AI-powered Bing chatbot to several of its mobile apps. The service, previously only available on the web and desktop apps, acts like an intelligent search engine that you can have a complete conversation with. The Bing…

At the MWC trade show in Barcelona next week, Qualcomm will demo stable diffusion AI image generation software running completely within an Android phone powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon processor. The technology generates whole images with only simple text…