Phone Scoop

T-Mobile US and Dish Network today announced that they have completed the previously-announced sale of Boost, the prepaid arm of Sprint. Dish now owns the Boost brand and takes responsibility for its 9.3 million customer accounts, hundreds of employees, and…

Qualcomm's latest chipset to power smartwatches is the Snapdragon Wear 4100 Platform. The new platform brings improved performance and efficiency. An optional Always On (AON) co-processor chip brings new always-on features, including continuous heart rate…

AT&T this week launched sub-6 GHz 5G in 28 new markets, including Puerto Rico and several major cities. Major new 5G markets include Miami, Orlando, Austin, Dallas, and Salt Lake City. AT&T's 5G network now covers 179 million people across 355 markets. Among…

Motorola has dropped new details for its forthcoming edge high-end phone. While the top-end edge+ is already available from Verizon, the edge will be available unlocked in the US for $700 this summer. Motorola has also decided to bump up the memory from what…

Google is rolling out its own call verification system that will allow the incoming call screen on Android phones to not only confirm that a call is legitimate, but also display the calling business' reason for calling and company logo. The feature requires…

Apple's Safari 14 web browser — part of the forthcoming iOS 14 for iPhones — adds support for the Web Authentication (WebAuthn) API, part of the industry-standard FIDO2 specification. This will allow mobile web sites to add an option for users to quickly…

The Google Photos app and service has been redesigned, and now includes a map feature that lets you explore all of the photos you've ever taken as pins on a map. The map feature is part of a new Search tab in the redesigned app interface. The new Search tab…

OnStar, the roadside- and emergency-assistance service for GM vehicles, is now available as an app for iOS and Android phones. The new OnStar Guardian app uses phone sensors to detect when you've been in a vehicle crash, including non-GM vehicles without…

Verizon has improved the value of its prepaid plans across the board, and added additional discounts the longer you keep your account. Customers will now receive a $5/month discount after three months, and an additional $5/month discount after nine months. As…

Apple is opening up its "Find My" service — originally launched as Find My iPhone — to third parties, enabling non-Apple devices to be located using the vast network of Apple devices in the world. The functionality is similar to Tile, although Apple's…

Apple has released a full list of new features in iOS 14, which includes many not mentioned in today's WWDC keynote presentation. One notable new feature is a setting that will let users choose which app launches when a user clicks on a web link or email…

Apple today announced that the 2021 BMW 5-series will support digital car keys, letting owners use their iPhone with Wallet and NFC to unlock and start the car. Users can share key copies with others via iMessage, and choose full or restricted driving…

Apple has revealed iOS 14, which brings a number of new features to the OS for Apple's iPhones:…

Verizon has successfully tested Dynamic Spectrum Sharing (DSS) technology in a "live network environment" in both Texas and Minnesota. DSS is a key element of Verizon's unique 5G deployment strategy. So far, Verizon's 5G network has been limited to mmWave…

Visible is now offering the ZTE Blade A3 Prime for $99. This entry-level Android phone has a fingerprint reader, dual LED flash, and USB-C. Its 5.45-inch display has HD resolution and a tall, modern 2:1 ratio. Other specs include a 2,660 mAh battery, MediaTek…

Regulatory filings for a new phone from TCL bear the name "REVVL 4+" and describe a phone supporting all of the network bands unique to the T-Mobile/Sprint network. Since 2017, T-Mobile has offered a series of white-label phones under its own "T-Mobile REVVL"…

T-Mobile's rewards program — T-Mobile Tuesdays — is now available to Sprint customers. Upcoming offers include 50 Starbucks Stars and three free months of Postmates Unlimited.

Twitter has started to roll out a new audio feature that lets users record and share voice clips. It's similar to recording a video of yourself. However, on iOS, when playing them, you can play the audio while continuing to scroll and read other tweets. Audio…

Qualcomm's newest and best 6-series Snapdragon chip for phones is the Snapdragon 690, which has 5G as well as high-end performance previously found only on the company's pricier 7- and 8-series chips. The 690, intended for mid-range phones, supports sub-6 5G,…

The Long Island Railroad (LIRR) has updated its TrainTime app with real-time visualizations of how crowded each car is on each train, as well as real-time train locations updated every three seconds. Commuters in New York City can use the app to position…