I recently put Verizon Wireless to the test for 30 days to see what the hype is all about with the nation’s largest cell phone provider. What it proved to me was how much of a substantial difference 5G Ultra Wideband makes, but these fiber-optic-esque speeds come at a premium cost.

That’s probably why I’ve found Verizon MVNOs (Mobile Virtual Network Operators) attractive alternatives for those who still crave an all-you-can-eat data menu, but without being left with a hefty bill at the end. Rather than directly competing with the $70+ per line costs for Verizon’s plans, these MVNOs still tap into Verizon's network to provide cell phone coverage, but at a fraction of the cost.

Interestingly, Verizon actually owns a few of its biggest MVNOs directly — like Visible and Straight Talk — but it also leases tower space to dozens of third-party brands you might not know about. That’s why I’ll break down all the Verizon MVNOs out there, along with who they’re for, so you can choose the service that’s right for you.

Verizon MVNOs: Verizon owned MVNOs

Did you know that Verizon owns and operates many MVNOs under different brands? These are the providers that fall under the Verizon Value portfolio of prepaid brands, which includes carriers like Straight Talk, Visible, TracFone, and more. Here's a quick list of these Verizon-owned MVNOs:

• Verizon Prepaid
• Visible
• Straight Talk Wireless
• Total Wireless
• TracFone
• Walmart Family Mobile
• Simple Mobile
• SafeLink Wireless

Verizon MVNOs: Third-party operators

In addition to Verizon-owned MVNOs, you also have independent third-party MVNOs that basically lease Verizon’s tower space and subsequently offer ultra-affordable rates. They might not use Verizon's towers exclusively for everything, as some of them also use towers from carriers like T-Mobile and AT&T.

But the downside to these third-party operators is that they’re often the first to face data deprioritization. Meaning that when the network experiences heavy congestion during peak times, their speeds are the first to drop.

On the flip side, third-party MVNOs aren't always impacted when Verizon experiences a network outage. Because these independent providers manage their own virtual networks — and often lease tower space from multiple major networks — they can seamlessly route your service to alternative towers while Verizon's primary system is down.

• U.S. Mobile
• Red Pocket Mobile
• Xfinity Mobile
• Spectrum Mobile
• Twigby
• MobileX
• Ting Mobile
• Credo Mobile

The best Verizon MVNOs

As you can see, there are several Verizon MVNOs to choose from. We’ve tested a handful of them, but you’ll want to look at each provider separately to see what financially makes sense, whether service is available in your area, and if they support your current phone.

Here are our picks for the best Verizon MVNOs.

Why choose an MVNO over Verizon?

Frankly, the primary reason to choose an MVNO is price. Verizon’s top-tiered plans are loaded with extra costs to help subsidize phone upgrades, maintain its massive customer service networks, and provide super-fast 5G Ultra Wideband.

The latter is what truly makes Verizon special because none of these MVNOs can match the almost lightning-fast download and upload speeds I got with 5G Ultra Wideband. In fact, I recorded an average of 893 Mbps down in New York City, which explains why its service costs so much.

If you’re not as concerned about synthetic speeds, I know it’s worthwhile to check out a Verizon MVNO. Although it’s worth knowing that some of these MVNOs offer 5G Ultra Wideband on their higher-tiered plans.

I’ve been on Visible for about the last few years now, and the cost savings are unbelievable. I pay a fraction of what I used to with Verizon and still have the same coverage, but with speeds that are slower. I’m perfectly fine with this because I’m still able to watch videos while on the go without huge buffering.

The Tradeoffs

Before making the switch, you need to consider some of the trade-offs that come with a Verizon MVNO. The biggest hurdle pertains to new device discounts, which are how Verizon offers its signature free phone promotions. While some Verizon MVNOs do sell hardware, you won’t find nearly the same generous subsidies or trade-in values with them.

Secondly, there’s data throttling, which slows your speeds during peak hours when there’s heavy network traffic. Unless you sign up with a Verizon MVNO that specifically includes premium data, you’re at the mercy of Verizon's network prioritization. I’ve seen this happen countless times with my Visible service at concerts, where the data slows to a crawl due to the sheer amount of congestion.

Finally, there’s customer support. If you run into issues, you usually can’t walk into a physical store to meet face-to-face with a representative. Instead, everything is handled online or over the phone — which I can attest can be incredibly annoying when phone activations go wrong or take too long.

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For the last seven years, I’ve been bouncing between a handful of different MVNOs. I finally settled on Visible because it offers one of the best cheap cell phone plans around, but I recently decided to switch back to a carrier that I haven’t used in over a decade — Verizon.

Part of the reason I ditched the carrier years ago was how expensive it ended up being, mainly due to data overage fees that pushed my monthly bill past $100 for a single line. Obviously, Verizon's plans have changed since then, with truly unlimited data now starting as low as $55 per month.

That’s why I switched back for 30 days to see exactly what advantages its premium unlimited service offers. Here’s what I found.

Verizon Wireless review: What you'll pay

The biggest reason I’ve shied away from returning to one of the major carriers, including Big Red, is how expensive they’ve become. Sure, you’ll still pay close to $100 a month for premium unlimited service, but Verizon throws in additional goodies that you just don't get from most MVNOs.

Currently, Verizon Wireless offers three distinct unlimited postpaid plans: Unlimited Ultimate ($95/month), Unlimited Plus ($80/month), and Unlimited Welcome ($65/month). If you enroll in paper-free billing and AutoPay, you’ll get a $10 monthly discount on each of those lines, bringing the entry-level cost down to $65 per month.

For a long time, I held onto the misconception that any unlimited plan from Verizon would cost $100 a month at the very least. While its $75 starting rate is still noticeably higher than the $35 monthly fee I’ve been paying for Visible, the upgrade comes with distinct network advantages.

What exactly separates these three tiers? For starters, every option gives you unlimited talk, text, and data. The real differences lie in the amount of "premium data" you get, the hotspot allocations, and the network speeds highlighted on Verizon's Broadband Facts labels.

While they all technically offer unlimited data, access to the absolute fastest 5G Ultra Wideband speeds is reserved for the top two tiers, while the starter plan can be a smidge slower during times of network congestion.

Verizon Wireless review: How Verizon’s prices compare

Verizon Wireless remains the largest wireless provider in the U.S., and it commands premium prices for access to its sprawling, reliable network. Making a direct comparison to rivals AT&T and T-Mobile can be tricky, however, because their entry-level unlimited tiers vary significantly in terms of value.

For example, AT&T's Value 2.0 plan costs $50/month after discounts and offers unlimited data that can be temporarily slowed after 5GB of usage, alongside 3GB of mobile hotspot data. Meanwhile, T-Mobile’s $50/month Essentials Saver plan packages a whopping 50GB of premium data before any network management kicks in. If you want even lower rates, MVNOs like Visible and Mint Mobile offer great alternative plans that start as low as $25 a month.

On the higher end of the spectrum, Verizon’s Unlimited Ultimate plan actually comes in slightly below its AT&T and T-Mobile equivalents — which you can see detailed above.

Ultimately, Verizon Wireless’ biggest strength is its widespread support for 5G Ultra Wideband with Enhanced Video Calling & Streaming, meaning you get the fastest possible data speeds alongside maximum video streaming resolutions. While Mint Mobile and Visible offer cheaper top-of-the-line tiers, neither can match the raw network performance and uncapped speeds of Verizon’s native 5G Ultra Wideband footprint.

Verizon Wireless review: Performance

To properly evaluate the performance of Verizon’s Unlimited Ultimate plan, I wanted to see what kind of data speeds it delivered across three distinct locations. For my testing, I chose my home location, New York City, and a more remote area in northern New Jersey.

With service activated on my Motorola Razr Fold, I ran Ookla's Speedtest app three times at each spot and averaged the results (which you can see in the chart above). Testing indoors at home, my device consistently bounced between standard 5G and 5G Ultra Wideband, yielding an average of 69 Mbps down and 12.6 Mbps up. While those aren’t mind-blowing numbers, they still easily outshined the 6.33 Mbps down and 2.29 Mbps up I was getting with Visible's basic unlimited plan on my iPhone 17 Pro.

Moving to my second location — an outdoor setting in New York City — I was absolutely blown away by Verizon’s 5G Ultra Wideband network. The phone averaged an obscene 893 Mbps down and 77.5 Mbps up. Those numbers rival the fiber speeds I get at home when wired directly into my router, making it incredibly impressive to see that kind of throughput over a wireless connection.

Finally, for my rural environment test, the network delivered a modest average of 29.5 Mbps down and 1.45 Mbps up. Again, it's nothing to write home about, but at least the download speeds stayed safely out of the single digits.

Ultimately, these real-world tests highlight just how much of a difference 5G Ultra Wideband makes for everyday tasks, whether you're downloading a 1GB file from Google Drive or streaming media. On Ultra Wideband, video streaming quality jumped instantly to its maximum resolution on YouTube and Netflix, whereas at home, videos buffered noticeably longer before playing.

Verizon Wireless review: Verdict

Switching back to Verizon proves to me that premium carrier networks still hold a massive performance advantage over budget MVNOs, but that luxury comes at a cost. If you live or work in a major hub like New York City where the infrastructure is highly developed, you can constantly tap into insane 5G Ultra Wideband speeds.

I personally appreciate that kind of throughput because time is money, mainly because being able to upload and download huge batches of photos and videos on the go makes me significantly more productive for work. It’s a massive time-saver that only happens when you have access to the fastest network infrastructure possible.

However, if you spend most of your time outside of Ultra Wideband coverage areas — where speeds drop closer to standard MVNO performance — sticking with a cheaper alternative like Visible or Mint Mobile remains the smarter financial move.

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When was the last time you looked at your phone bill? I know for me, it was probably the time I upgraded — to the iPhone 14 Pro.

Yes, I work for a tech site, but when it comes to the gear I use every day, I don’t have a compulsion to upgrade to the latest-and-greatest, which is why my phone is three years old, and the TVs in my house are far older than that.

We’ve long been Verizon customers, and while it’s not the cheapest cell phone provider, it’s reliable and covers our area well. Plus, we also use Verizon FIOS for internet service, so I get a bit of a discount by bundling.

Anyway, back when my wife and I upgraded to the iPhone 14 Pro, we also switched our plans to Verizon’s 5G Play More. That gave us unlimited data, as well as a Disney/Hulu/ESPN subscription for a total of $79 per month per line (before all the fees, of course).

Just as I did when we decided to cancel our Amazon Prime subscription, I took a look at just how we were using our phones, and realized that we could get by with much less.

Verizon’s 5G Play More plan has been phased out; the company now offers three unlimited plans: Unlimited Welcome ($55/month), Unlimited Plus ($70/month), and Unlimited Ultimate ($80/month).

The Ultimate tier includes such things as 5G Ultra Wide Band (UWB) service, unlimited international data, and unlimited hotspot use; the Plus plan has 5G UWB and 30GB of hotspot use, while the Welcome plan only offers Verizon’s slower 5G service.

Here’s a breakdown of what we’re currently paying, plus how much it would cost if we switched to a new plan.

On the surface, it looks like I could just swap my current plan for the Ultimate tier, but due to Verizon’s new policies, I would end up paying even more, because I would have to add the Disney/Hulu/ESPN+ subscription for an extra $10/month.

But do I need what the Unlimited or even the Plus plan offers?

It’s been a year since I traveled out of the country (and I don’t envision going abroad any time soon), I’ve never used my phone as a hotspot, and I spend most of my days within Wi-Fi range. If we were to travel, Verizon offers Travelpass, which costs $12 per day, as well as an International Monthly Plan for $100.

I will be curious to see how much of a performance impact there will be going from 5G UWB to 5G, but I only really use data when driving using navigation or streaming music, neither of which are huge data hogs. And if it becomes a problem, we can always go up a tier, and we’d still be saving a few hundred bucks.

Have you changed up your phone bill recently? Let me know in the comments.

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The 2026 World Cup kicks off in just over two weeks, and for the first time, the tournament will be split across three separate countries: Canada, Mexico and the United States. That means, no matter where soccer fans are from, they may end up crossing multiple international borders to attend all their games

If you've got experience with international travel, you'll know all about the pains of trying to use your existing data plan in a different country. Data roaming can be prohibitively expensive if you're not careful, and it pays to have a plan in place so you can stay connected without hopping between different public Wi-Fi networks. The good news is that multiple U.S. carriers have anticipated this, and have launched travel plans specifically for the World Cup

So whether you're traveling to North America for the tournament, or a U.S. resident crossing over into Canada and Mexico, here's what you need to know about staying connected throughout the World Cup.

AT&T

AT&T has launched a new short-term eSIM package for travellers visiting North America for the World Cup. This system is powered by "eSIM by AT&T" and gives travellers the flexibility to pay for connectivity when they need it.

This means you can buy data passes valid for one, seven, 15 or 30 days, complete with unlimited data and 5GB of hotspot access. The single-day pass is only valid in the U.S., and costs $4 a day. The other three options do offer coverage for Canada and Mexico, but you will have to pay a premium for it. Here's the rundown of the prices, inclusive of tax and other fees.

These plans only include data, and don't include voice or text messaging. So if you need to stay in touch with others, be it family back home or other members of your group, you'll need to use IP-based services like WhatsApp.

Existing AT&T customers can take advantage of the carrier's "International Day Pass," which lets you use your existing plan as if you were still in the U.S. This is available in 210 locations around the world, including Canada and Mexico. This costs $12 a day, and you're automatically charged for 24-hour access whenever you use data on your phone outside the U.S.

T-Mobile

International travellers visiting the World Cup can sign up for T-Mobile's US Pass eSIM, which 50GB of high-speed 5G data within the U.S., and 5GB of high-speed data in Canada and Mexico. Once you use up those allowances, your connection will be downgraded to 3G, which means noticeably lower speeds. Hotspot data is also included, but the amount you get id dependent on which pass you purchase.

Here are the prices for the different US Pass eSIMs, which do not include taxes or fees. However, each pass does include unlimited calls and text messages across North America.

Existing T-Mobile customers may be able to get international coverage as part of their existing package, but the level of that coverage depends on which sort of plan you're actually signed up for. For the most part, you get an allowance of high-speed data, after which you get unlimited data throttled to either 256kps or 128kbps speeds. Here are the allowances for Canada and Mexico with unlimited calls and texts:

• 30GB: Better Value, Experience Beyond, Go5G Next plans. Throttled to 256kbps thereafter
• 15GB: Experience More, Go5G Plus plans. Throttled to 256kbps thereafter
• 10GB: Go5G plans. Throttled to 128kbps thereafter
• 5GB: Max, Plus plans. Throttled to 256kbps thereafter
• 5GB: Magenta, One plans. Throttled to 128kbps thereafter

All other plans are charged at $0.01 per megabyte of data, $0.25 a minute for calls, and free unlimited texts. Those of you who have T-Mobile's T-Satellite connectivity will also be able to use that in Canada, if you ever find yourself without cell service.

Verizon

Verizon is the official Telecommunication Services Sponsor for the 2026 World Cup, and even offered free game tickets to its customers. Despite this, the carrier hasn't announced any specific World Cup-branded deals for customers travelling to games. Though it does offer various plans and perks for existing customers who are partaking in international travel.

The good news is that roaming in Mexico and Canada is actually included with all Unlimited plans — but it's not quite the same as using your phone at home. 5G and 4G data have a 2GB daily cap, and after you use it up, you'll be restricted to 3G data speeds. There are no restrictions on how much 3G data you can use, so you won't ever be cut off, but you will have to deal with much slower download speeds as a result.

If you don't have an Unlimited plan, you can pay for a Verizon TravelPass instead. Once added to your plan, these passes will offer unlimited calls, texting and data when you leave the U.S. TravelPass costs $6 a day in Canada and Mexico, which is half the price it would cost if you went elsewhere. If you choose to stick with Pay as You Go roaming, then you'll be charged $2.05 for every megabyte of data you use. A megabyte is not a lot of data, and at those prices, a single gigabyte will end up costing you over $2,000. Obviously, you do not want that to happen.

Verizon does not offer any shorter-term plans, which means you can't just sign up for a few days and temporarily enjoy the carrier's roaming plans. However, its subsidiary Visible is a totally different story.

Visible

The Visible eSIM travel pass is powered by Verizon's Ultra Wideband 5G network, and is designed to offer travellers unlimited data within the United States. The plan also includes 500 minutes of calls from the U.S. to 85 different countries and unlimited texting to over 200 countries. Don't expect ay hotspot data, though.

Sadly, this generous data allowance does not extend to Canada, Mexico, Alaska, Puerto Rico or the U.S. Virgin Islands. Visible only offers 2GB of high-speed data in those regions, after which you'll be relegated to 3G speeds — though you do get unlimited calls and text messages.

The prices are easily some of the best around, thanks to Visible offering a $10 discount on each plan with the code FIFA10. This means you can expect to pay the following for each of the four passes, inclusive of taxes and fees.

Existing Visible customers from the U.S. can take advantage of the carrier's Global Pass if they plan on travelling to Canada or Mexico for the World Cup. This pass includes 2GB of high-speed data per day, with coverage downgraded to 3G thereafter, as well as unlimited calls and texts.

Coverage in Canada and Mexico is $5 a day if you have a standard Visible plan, but anyone with a Visible+ or Visible+ Pro plan has roaming already included at no extra charge.

Ultra Mobile

Ultra Mobile, which is owned by T-Mobile, has just launched some new international plans designed for all travellers — including those heading to Mexico and Canada for the World Cup. However, they do not appear to be suitable for international travellers, or anyone who isn't already an Ultra Mobile customer.

There are two different kinds of international "Go Roam" passes on offer at Ultra Mobile right now.

The Go Roam Mexico Data Pass offers 5GB of high-speed data over a period of 30 days. This plan is included with all Unlimited plans, but can be added to any other Ultra plan for $5. The Go Roam World Pass is available for either 5 or 15 days, and covers 200 other countries around the world — including Canada.

A 5-day pass is $5, bundled with 1GB of high-speed data, 100 minutes and 100 outgoing texts. The 15-day pass is $10, which offers 5GB of high-speed data, 300 minutes and 300 texts.

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It seems rare that major companies would want to collaborate on something to positively affect the regular consumer these days. But some of the best phone carriers are doing just that, in an attempt to end dead zones.

No, not the novel by Stephen King, or the excellent movie starring Christopher Walken. We're talking about wireless dead zones: areas with no compatible cell signal that cut you off from all mobile services — including calls and data. 

The announcement is fairly light on details, but according to Verizon, the deal will not involve building a bunch more cell towers across the country. Instead, it's going to focus on satellite connectivity and beam a connection to your device from space from a "unified platform."

The overall aim is to, in the words of the big three, "nearly eliminate" dead zones within the U.S. This will involve reaching areas that have been underserved by major carriers, and providing reliable backup connectivity options if traditional cell signal breaks down — such as during emergencies or natural disasters.

What other benefits are there?

Customers will also apparently benefit from a consistent and simpler satellite connection, regardless of which carrier they're signed up with. That means better connectivity and faster rollout of updates and new features for everyone at the same time.

The carriers say that this will also "drive industry progress by enabling competition, fostering innovation, expanding access, and simplifying integration." The main reason is probably that working together makes it easier (and cheaper) to offer improved satellite connectivity than going it alone.

The announcement does make a valid point about satellite spectrum being scarce, and teaming up means they don't have to constantly fight just to license a fraction of the available spectrum for their customers. More access to spectrum should mean better connectivity for the end user, so long as the big three aren't allowed to dominate the skies and prevent other satellite-based companies from getting a look in.

The deal hasn't been finalized yet, and since this is only an agreement in principle, there's always a possibility that these plans will fall through. Assuming the lawyers can push this through, there's no set timeline on when the plans will actually come to fruition. So we're just going to have to wait and see how these plans pan out over the next few years.

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Recently, Mint Mobile announced a new 5G home internet and unlimited wireless plan that promises both for a pretty fair, wallet-friendly price. Powered by T-Mobile's 5G network, the Mint Mobile bundle offers home internet service and mobile service for an upfront cost of $540 per year, which breaks down to $45 per month.

Unlike a traditional ISP, which requires a router, Mint Mobile's version requires a wireless gateway that connects to the closest T-Mobile cell tower and broadcasts Wi-Fi to your domicile. The plan promises download speeds of 133-415 Mbps and upload speeds of 12-55 Mbps.

You can pair it with the best cable TV alternatives to save some money as you cut the cord.

With that in mind, how does Mint Mobile compare to other home internet and mobile bundles?

We've chosen 5 internet providers that have a larger national presence for comparison.

Mint Mobile offers only one MINTernet plan, while the other companies offer at least three plans with varying speeds and prices.

For this comparison, we've chosen plans with similar pricing and mobile offerings to Mint Mobile's plan. If you want faster speeds, you'll need to pony up more per month. As an example, 1 gig internet at Spectrum is $70 a month.

These are also for plans with 1 line. T-Mobile has a plan that includes internet and 3 phone lines for $175, but no one else seems to offer a similar plan. Also, the phone bill for some companies is still separate, so you may be able to find separate deals that could save you some money temporarily.

Additionally, many of the larger companies offer deals on your first 12 months at a discount that then returns to the normal rate. We've included the normal rate so you can see the standard non-deal price.

In some cases, there are also additional offerings. T-Mobile's highest-tier internet plan, for example, comes with a Wi-Fi Mesh extender to expand the network throughout your home and gets you Wi-Fi 7.

Both Xfinity and Mint Mobile do promise a 5-year lock, excluding taxes and fees.

Some drawbacks

Additionally, there are some drawbacks, because you're using a 5G cellular network, speed can vary due to network traffic. Mint's plan also doesn't include HD video streaming.

Fiber internet service tends to be more stable and offers higher speeds, though it's more expensive across the board.

And to be clear, these companies don't offer service everywhere. You'll need to enter your address to see if your neighborhood can get service.

As an example, Verizon recently purchased Frontier, but that hasn't led to an immediate expansion of service availability. I live near a Frontier building, and yet my neighborhood isn't available for Frontier or Verizon home internet.

Mint is the winner

Overall, it appears Mint Mobile's offerings are the cheapest compared to comparable plans from other major providers.

As always with Mint, the upfront cost can be jarring if you're used to monthly payments, but it remains the cheapest option available if you want home internet and mobile bundled.

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Getting out of a three-year relationship is never easy, but Verizon is making it particularly difficult for me. They’ve done everything a bitter ex would do — they scoffed when I said I was leaving; they told me my new service won’t be as good; and now, they’re refusing to come and take their equipment unless I pay them to do so.

I didn’t want it to come to this — I’m not exactly stoked about downgrading to Spectrum’s “fiber-powered” internet — but worsening connectivity issues, unresponsive self-help portals and poor customer service have left me no choice but to move on.

Here’s the story of the rise and fall of my relationship with Verizon.

The honeymoon phase

Like a lot of relationships, the first year of my relationship with Fios was so great. After buying a home, I wasn’t looking to spend extra money on one of the best Wi-Fi routers — Verizon threw one in for free right out of the gate and tacked on a MoCA adapter for free for my office.

That first year, the service was cheap, fast and, importantly, incredibly stable. I was happy as could be with the 1GB Fios plan. It was $99 per month which is pricey but, at the time, I felt it was more than fair for the service that was being provided.

Then we got into our first fight.

It happened after a major storm rolled through Buffalo. I lost power one night and, when the lights finally came back on, my internet connection was spotty at best. No amount of power cycling helped. It turned out that the storm had damaged the delicate fiber optic cable running to the house.

Getting someone to the house to replace it took a week. When they were finished, the line was left unprotected on the lawn — a perfect disaster waiting to happen. They told me they’d need to come back later with tools to bury it underground.

Eventually that got done, but in that time something easily could’ve happened to that cable.

I’m not sure it’s ever been the same since that cable was replaced. I’ve routinely been told by the self-help portal that fixes should be as simple as resetting the Optical Network Terminal (ONT) or unplugging all the ethernet-connected devices from the router.

The beginning of the end

Fast forward to earlier this winter when the Northeastern United States was hit by yet another big storm. Once again we lost electricity. And once again the Fios connection took a huge hit to its overall speed and stability.

Instead of getting on the phone immediately with customer support, I tried to use Verizon’s self-help portal to fix it myself. Each time I performed the test, the router would reset the connection — and within seconds it would go back to losing data packets left and right.

I finally caved and called for help. The representative at the time told me it was something they could fix on their end (it wasn’t) and that issues could persist momentarily but not for more than another day (they did).

Cue another few rounds through the self-help portal.

The breakup and how I discovered Verizon’s wild equipment policy

I didn’t want to do it, but Verizon forced my hand. I called Spectrum and placed an order for their new 1GB Invincible Wi-Fi service that comes packaged with a Wi-Fi 7 router with an integrated 5G cellular backup and an 8-hour battery.

Eventually, a Spectrum sales representative told me, 2GB service will be available in my area — and it could be as soon as the end of the year. That was enough to sell me.

As I explain this all to a Verizon representative, I’m met with contempt: “I’ve never heard of someone leaving Verizon Fios for Spectrum. Are you sure you want to do that? You know you don’t have to.”

It’s too late I say, the boxes with the new modem and router have arrived.

“Send them back.”

I explain that I can’t set up the new equipment because all of the coaxial cables in the house run through the Optical Network Terminal in the basement. She tells me that shouldn’t be a problem. (It is.)

See, it turns out that the old coaxial cable that ran into the house was cut when the ONT was installed. With no way to reach the outside lines except through the Optical Network Terminal, I was effectively cut off from being able to switch out of Verizon.

I’m frustrated at how difficult this is — so I ask, “Can you just come and pick up the Optical Network Terminal?” The answer is that they can… if I’m willing to pay for it.

Routers come and go, but (Verizon's) ONTs are forever

Imagine breaking up with someone and they tell you that they’re going to leave some stuff at your place “just in case you ever decide to reconnect.” That’s definitionally crazy.

It’s not crazy, the representative tells me. It’s their policy, I was told, but not part of the actual contract you sign when agreeing to in-home Fios.

On some level, I understand the policy. To send a technician over to uninstall the Optical Network Terminal would cost them money — money that they’d be spending on a person who is no longer a subscriber. Financially, it makes more sense to just leave the equipment.

I’m not nearly as skilled or as knowledgeable as a technician, but I checked Verizon’s online documentation to see if I can remove it myself. Apparently, doing so can cause damage to the fiber optic line or the equipment itself. Doing damage to the equipment incurs a cost, but so does having a technician come to remove it, apparently.

Over my half-hour conversation with the representative, I’m told, repeatedly, to look after the equipment until there comes a time in the future that I might be interested in Verizon’s services again. So in the basement it stays, I guess.

Don’t cry ‘cause it’s over, smile because it happened

I’m not bitter about the breakup. I’m shocked at the policy I had no idea I signed up for — and disappointed that I now have to pay out of pocket to have Verizon’s equipment returned to them — but I don’t put ISPs on a pedestal. They’re all a mixed bag when it comes to performance and customer service quality.

It turns out that I’m not the only person who’s encountered this issue with the ONT, though. On Reddit’s r/Fios, users have been asking how to get theirs removed. Most folks are saying that it’s not worth the hassle, while others are saying that you can provide written notice to Verizon that they have 30 days to come and remove it from your property or it’s forfeit.

Another user says that technicians can remove it for non-customers at no-cost, something that flies in the face of what the representative told me earlier that day.

I’ll look into having it removed once I’ve returned the router and MoCA adapter, but I’m not sure I’ll go as far as writing them a request for removal — at least, not now.

We had a good run, Verizon. I’m going to miss that first year we had together. I hope that by talking about our issues with the world, you change.

I’ll keep your stuff here, if I must, but I’m definitely going to hide it behind one of the best TVs, like the LG C5 OLED. Whenever Netflix stutters or HBO Max fails to load, I’ll think of you.

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After winning a waiver from the FCC, Verizon has been quick to update its unlock policies, making it harder for customers to leave with their devices for a rival carrier. The changes don't affect just people who use Verizon, but also several MVNOs that piggyback on Verizon's network.

Compared to AT&T and T-Mobile, the policies are largely the same, especially when it comes to prepaid devices. AT&T appears to still respect the 60-day window that was waived for Verizon.

Here's how the big three compare.

How we got here

In January, the Federal Communications Commission agreed to waive a 60-day phone unlock requirement that had been imposed on Verizon since 2008, when it acquired licenses to use the 700 MHz spectrum. It was reupped in 2021 when Verizon bought TracFone.

Verizon has argued that the shorter unlock window contributed to "device fraud" and increased phone prices. The FCC agreed.

“Today, criminal networks are specifically targeting Verizon handsets due to the company’s unique unlocking policies,” the FCC’s filing said.

As Ars Technica reported in January, the company almost immediately introduced a new unlocking policy for TracFone and other prepaid brands that enforced a 365-day lock period. That affects brands like StraightTalk, Total Wireless and Walmart Family Mobile.

Verizon associated MVNOs

If you're unfamiliar, an MVNO is a mobile virtual network operator. Simply, these are carriers that utilize a larger carrier's network to offer services.

Verizon partners with more than a dozen MVNOs that use its networks. Some of them are partially or wholly owned by Verizon like Visible and TracPhone. The largest and most visible one is Xfinity Mobile, which offers cell service for customers who also get internet from Comcast.

Verizon's key MVNOs are:

• Xfinity Mobile
• Twigby
• Ting
• Spectrum Mobile
• Page Plus
• Pix Wireless
• Credo Mobile
• Lively
• Net10
• Reach Mobile
• Red Pocket
• Straight Talk
• Total Wireless
• TracFone

Verizon struggling

Reportedly, Verizon is struggling to retain customers. The most recent earnings call reported a 32.6% decline in operating income and a cancellation rate of 0.95% among postpaid phone customers, a much higher rate than in previous quarters.

CEO Dan Schulman blamed it on price increases "without corresponding value," friction in billing, onboarding and customer service, and a shift to MVNO carriers.

A Market Force Information survey from 2025 found that Verizon customers, on average, spend $157 a month on their phone bills, the highest among the big three. Customer satisfaction was quite low as well.

Between price hikes, several major outages in the last six months, and now this harsher unlock policy, Verizon is doing itself no favors.

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The scores are in for the U.S.A.'s Big 3 mobile carriers in Ookla RootMetrics's State of the Mobile Union Report for the second half of 2025. And it's clear that Verizon comes out on top this time.

Reports like this can be a good way to judge which of the best phones carriers is going to be the best for where you live. And given that RootMetrics' findings are based on 3 million tests conducted from July to December 2025 across the country, and in 125 major urban areas, it's safe to say it's pretty thorough.

The big winner is Verizon, which won five of RootMetrics' eight headline awards outright, and tied for another two. Its haul of trophies includes wins for overall performance and reliability, plus it scored best for general 5G performance, while also improving its download speeds in metro regions.

AT&T tied for three awards, putting it in second place. It came second on a state-by-state basis too, and managed to improve both its metro test results, managing to meet gold standard of 100 Mbps download speeds in the 125 metro test regions for the first time.

T-Mobile shares just one award - U.S. Network Speed - with AT&T, earning it the bronze medal. That said, the UnCarrier still managed to have the highest 5G availability nationally, while also improving on a state and metro level too. City-dwelling T-Mo users do especially well, as it's the only carrier of the three tested to manage 100 Mbps download speeds in every metro tested, with all but one of those also hitting the 200 Mbps mark.

In the 1H 2025 report by RootMetrics, AT&T earned four outright wins and tied Verizon for data performance and text performance. And Verizon won for network responsiveness and video performance.

Good to know — especially if you're in the market for a new phone

While anyone subscribed to Verizon is probably feeling a little smug right now, none of the big three did disasterously badly in this set of testing, so don't feel like you need to immediately escape your contract to sign up to Verizon if you're not already a member. However, it's perhaps worth keeping in mind as phone releases for 2026 start to get into gear.

The big one to keep in mind is the Samsung Galaxy S26, which is should be revealed by the end of February and go on sale in March. But the crystal ball suggests we may see the Google Pixel 10a, and perhaps an iPhone 17e, shortly after that. If you're planning to upgrade, it could be worth investigating if buying any of these phones with a Verizon contract is the best option for you, or maybe T-Mobile if you live in one of the city regions where the network fared particularly well.

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Verizon’s had a tough 24 hours. A lengthy service outage started in the afternoon yesterday (January 14) and left customers with phones in SOS emergency mode for approximately 10 hours. According to Downdetector, the disruption peaked at around 12:45 E.T. and Verizon officially stated at 10:15 pm E.T. that the outage was resolved.

There’s still an ongoing investigation around the cause of the disruption, but Verizon is moving forward with a pledge to offer a $20 credit to customers that can be redeemed through the myVerizon app. Meanwhile, Verizon Wireless business customers will be contacted separately about their credits.

“This credit isn’t meant to make up for what happened," Verizon said in a posted response to the outage. "No credit really can. But it’s a way of acknowledging our customers' time and showing that this matters to us.”

Here’s how to redeem your credit if you're a Verizon customer.

Getting the $20 credit requires customers to log into the myVerizon app and accept the refund. But based on this Reddit thread, the credit offer hasn’t yet appeared for many. In fact, there hasn’t been confirmation that anyone’s received it just yet, but we suspect it’ll be a matter of time. We recommend checking back on the app and looking out for any notifications.

A Verizon spokesperson told Tom's Guide that "we will text customers when the credit is available."

Interestingly, Verizon’s $20 credit offer is a direct contrast to its previous major outage in October 2024 that saw more than 100,000 reports on Downdetector. That’s because there were no credits given out for that outage, so for Verizon to willingly offer one this time indicates significant shift to its response for these crisis events.

This kind of gesture is unprecedented, especially compared to the response from rivals AT&T and T-Mobile with their respective outages. What do you think? Is Verizon’s $20 credit enough? Let us know what you think and if you’ve actually received it.

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Verizon has released a statement on X regarding the recent loss of service, promising recompense for users affected by the issue.

Verizon’s statement reads as follows:

“Today, we let many of our customers down and for that, we are truly sorry. They expect more from us.

We are working non-stop and making progress. Our teams will continue to work through the night until service is restored for all impacted customers.

We will make this right - for any customer affected, we will provide account credits and share updates soon."

The statement in question is a bit light on details in terms of what happened to cause the outage, as well as when users can expect these compensatory credits. It's also not clear what the value of the credits will be at this point.

So far, the response to the credit apology has been mixed at best, at least based on the comments to the company's X post. One user asked the company to “Define "credits" like not having to pay in 2026?" Other users mocked the company, stating that the credits likely won’t be worth much.

One of the most pressing questions had to do with what caused the outage in the first place, especially whether the company had been hacked and if customer data was at risk.

What do we know about the issue with Verizon?

Yesterday, we saw Verizon’s wireless network service abruptly go down at around 12:30 pm Eastern/9:30 am Pacific on January 14th, forcing phones into SOS mode for customers up and down the eastern seaboard of the United States.

At this point, Verizon has still been silent about the potential cause of the issue. The best that most customers got throughout the issue was that "Verizon's team is on the ground actively working to fix today’s service issue that is impacting some customers. We know this is a huge inconvenience, and our top priority is to get you back online and connected as fast as possible. We appreciate your patience while we work to resolve this issue." However, the company has stated that the issue is now solved.

Currently, there is still a high level of complaints about Verizon’s service on Down Detector compared to what we would normally see. With that being said, the number of complaints is still noticeably less than the spike we saw yesterday, and the company has stated that the outage has been resolved. However, time will tell if the problem has been resolved as we see the U.S. begin to wake up.

To make sure you stay up to date with any information as it comes out, keep an eye on our Verizon Live Blog. We will also make sure to update you with any other changes that occur over the rest of the day.

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You could be stuck with Verizon on your prepaid phones longer than you want after the Federal Communications Commission agreed to waive the carrier's 60-day phone unlock requirement.

It means Verizon no longer has to unlock smartphones 60 days after activation, as reported by Ars Technica. Instead, Verizon will have to abide by carrier-friendly voluntary guidelines set by the CTIA wireless trade group. The CTIA suggests carriers unlock prepaid phones one year after activation, while postpaid plans can be unlocked after the contract ends or after an early termination fee.

The change comes after Verizon petitioned the FCC in October 2025, at the time asking the FCC and the Trump administration to allow the carrier to lock phones for up to six months. Verizon argued that the 60-day requirement "benefits bad actors and fraudsters."

FCC rejects shorter unlocking periods

In the decision, the FCC said the Verizon waiver will remain until the agency “decides on an appropriate industry-wide approach for the unlocking of handsets.”

Additionally, the FCC rejected the 6-month locking period, saying that the CTIA policies are “an adequate threshold of ensuring Verizon consumers have competitive options and that granting this waiver will not impede those competitive options. We thus decline to limit today’s waiver to a period of 180 days.”

Unlike AT&T and T-Mobile, Verizon has had this requirement since 2008, when the company purchased 700 MHz licenses and again in 2021 when it bought TracFone. The FCC required Verizon to unlock phones faster as a condition of approving the mergers.

“Today, criminal networks are specifically targeting Verizon handsets due to the company’s unique unlocking policies,” the FCC’s filing says.

60 Days likely won't become the norm

In 2024, the Biden Administration version of the FCC proposed a rule to make automatic 60 Day unlocking an industry standard.

"When you buy a phone, you should have the freedom to decide when to change service to the carrier you want and not have the device you own stuck by practices that prevent you from making that choice," former FCC chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel said at the time.

Of course, T-Mobile and AT&T quickly responded, claiming that the rule was more harmful to consumers than carriers. "A handset unlocking mandate would also leave providers little choice but to limit their handset offers to lower cost and offer lesser performing handsets," T-Mobile's response read.

Opposition and "fraud"

Verizon's initial filing was opposed by a number of consumer groups like Public Knowledge, the Electronic Frontier Foundation, iFixit and Consumer Reports.

“It facilitates the resale and reuse of mobile devices, reduces e-waste, and enables low-cost carriers and MVNOs to compete on a more level playing field," a counter filing reads. "The opposite, which Verizon seeks through its waiver request, merely serves as a way to keep customers locked in one provider.”

The FCC under President Trump has been more amenable to corporations, though it couched the waiver decision in terms of concern over fraud. The agency claimed that 60 days is insufficient to deter bad actors.

“The FCC’s action will end bad actors’ ability to exploit the FCC’s unlocking rules to profit from easier access to expensive, heavily subsidized devices in the US that they traffic and sell to other parts of the world,” Verizon said in a statement seen by Ars Technica.

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Verizon is giving away free Nintendo Switch consoles to new Fios home internet customers this holiday season. If you've been considering upgrading your internet or switching providers, this deal sweetens the offer considerably — you get a popular gaming console worth $300 just for signing up.

The promotion applies to select Verizon Fios internet plans and includes a 5-year price lock on your monthly rate. If you already own a Switch, Verizon offers alternative freebies like a Samsung tablet or TV. There are some requirements to qualify and keep the gift free, including how long you need to maintain service. Here's what you need to know.

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  Verizon is paying out $100 million — how to check if you're getting paid

You can't turn on your TV these days without clapping eyes on an actor touting the merits of one of the Big Three U.S. phone carriers. And in each one, the actor looks right into the camera to tell you the wireless carrier they're representing has the best network.

The latest instance features Luke Wilson strolling around a wind-swept prairie and declaring AT&T to be the phone network to beat. This ad echoes a T-Mobile spot that debuted a few months earlier, in which Billy Bob Thornton strolls around a different wind-swept prairie while singing the praises of the Uncarrier.

Meanwhile, Verizon offers neither wind-swept prairies nor late '90s leading men in its ads, but it does include the claim that its network happens to be the best.

Three ads for three phone carriers all claiming to offer the fastest, most reliable wireless service — so which one is correct? The answer depends on whose data you're using.

Comparing the phone network ads and their claims

Let's start with the T-Mobile ad, since it was the one that triggered this latest round of "My network is better than yours" back and forth. T-Mobile rolled out the spot in June around the same time it was previewing its soon-to-launch satellite connectivity, and the ad featured Billy Bob Thornton proclaiming that the Uncarrier had overtaken Verizon in the network performance rankings.

"Now the best mobile network in the U.S. is T-Mobile," Thornton says in the ad. "Some fancy experts finished a network test, and T-Mobile sort of opened a can of whoop-up."

The fancy experts in question are from Ookla, a mobile testing firm, which had just released its Speedtest Awards for the first half of 2025. In that testing period, T-Mobile posted the best Speedtest Connectivity score, which measures speed, video streaming and web browsing performance. T-Mobile scored 79.95 in that metric, compared to 75.49 for Verizon and 72.47 for AT&T.

If you thought AT&T was going to take that lying down, you were badly mistaken. The carrier dispatched Luke Wilson to tell its side of the story in an ad that's airing regularly during this month's World Series coverage.

"AT&T is America's first network and it's still the best," Wilson assures us. "That's not me talking, that's the scoreboard."

Or rather, that's the word from Rootmetrics and its testing report covering the first half of 2025. In that report, AT&T gets the nod for best overall network performance, while also winning top honors for network reliability, network speed and call performance. AT&T and Verizon were joint winners in Rootmetrics' data performance and text performance categories.

T-Mobile didn't exactly come up empty in the Rootmetrics report. It's cited for having the best 5G availability, meaning you're most likely to get a 5G signal in more locations. Rootmetrics also called out T-Mobile's "stellar speeds in major cities."

As for Verizon, its current ads are more focused on a promotion that lets AT&T and T-Mobile customers bring in their bill to see if Big Red can offer them a better deal. But the carrier does include a nod to its own network performance in those commercials.

"Better deal, best 5G network," the ad notes, with the fine print in the commercial pointing to the same Rootmetrics report cited by AT&T. And that report does recognize Verizon for offering the best 5G experience along with the fastest and most reliable 5G performance.

And the winner is ... everybody?

Normally, when you have three different companies claiming the same thing, you'd have to assume that two of them are incorrect. But in this instance, AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon can all point to third-party reports that back up their claims.

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Verizon has begun distributing $100 million to customers from its class-action settlement over undisclosed fees. The payments started rolling out in mid-2025 via direct deposit, Zelle transfers, and physical checks. Individual amounts vary from $5 to $100, with higher payments going to customers who paid these disputed charges for longer periods.

At issue were "Administrative Charges" and "Telco Recovery Charges" that Verizon added to postpaid wireless bills between January 2016 and November 2023 without adequate disclosure. Though Verizon didn't admit wrongdoing, they agreed to settle rather than face continued litigation expenses.

For customers who submitted claims before the April 15, 2024 deadline, there are several ways to check payment status and understand what comes next.

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The FIFA World Cup is the biggest sporting event in the world, and while the first games won't kick off until next year, Verizon is already getting ready to hype up the tournament. How, you might ask? By giving customers free tickets to the games, as part of what it's calling Verizon Ultimate Access.

The 2026 World Cup will take place all across Canada, Mexico and the United States, with Verizon being one of the key sponsors. So North American soccer fans will be able to experience the action on their home turf — and perhaps even without the pain of trying to purchase the tickets for themselves.

Naturally, the carrier has signed on soccer legend David Beckham to help promote all this free stuff.

Thousands of free tickets will be available on a first-come, first-serve basis in the My Verizon app via the Verizon Access rewards program. The first ticket drop starts this Thursday (October 2) at 9.00 a.m. ET / 6 a.m. PT.

New tickets will be dropped hourly, with the final one taking place at 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT. Following this, Verizon will have daily ticket drops at 2 p.m. ET / 11 a.m. PT from October 3 to 13. All those games are scheduled for June 13-16, and will take place in locations across the U.S.

November will also see the launch of new sweepstakes, giving customers the chance to win hundreds of "Golden Tickets" that come with pitchside access. Plus, there will be additional giveaways at various points leading up to the tournament, which officially starts in Mexico City on June 11.

Various all-star players will also be on the road with Verizon in the run-up to the World Cup, offering meet-and-greets and surprise events along the way. Those players include Tim Howard, Alyssa and Giselle Thompson, Chucky Lozano and Sergio (Kun) Agüero.

So long as you're a Verizon customer, you can sign up for Verizon Access and be in with the chance to get those tickets for yourself. Membership also makes you eligible for all the other giveaways that happen throughout the year.

If you're not a member of Version Access, joining up is simple. Either head to the My Verizon website, then click Account > More > myAccess. Alternatively, from the My Verizon app, head to the Me tab > myAccess. Then be sure to keep an eye on the myAccess area for the next big giveaway.

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Verizon customers aren't having the best week. First, we heard the carrier was planning to increase fees, and now it appears that Verizon is raising fees and removing discounts from some plans, leaving customers forced to spend extra money.

This is likely to upset some people and potentially lead them to switch to one of the other top phone carriers, such as T-Mobile, AT&T, or any of the popular MVNOs, which can be significantly more affordable.

The gigantic mobile carrier is pulling loyalty discounts from customer accounts on September 1, at least that's what emails posted on Reddit claim.

"We are writing to let you know that a discount on your account will soon end. This discount will be removed no sooner than September 1, 2025. It is important to us to be upfront and transparent when changes are made to your account," reads the alleged email.

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Verizon, one of the best phone carriers, may have introduced a three-year price lock in April, but prices can still go up on your phone bill. The company confirmed to Tom's Guide that it's "making some adjustments" that will raise various fees starting in September.

In a statement, a Verizon spokesperson said that the "vast majority" of customers would see an increase of "less than 30 cents" to their monthly bill.

"To continue delivering the best customer experience on America's best 5G network and industry-leading services and tools that save our customers’ time and money, we're making some adjustments," the statement reads.

A recent Reddit thread (spotted by PhoneArena) revealed a number of fees that would see increases; Verizon spokesperson's confirmed those increases. The affected fees include the Administrative and Telco Recovery Charge which is used by Verizon to pay for "direct and indirect" costs like property taxes, and was already raised by the carrier last December.

According to the Reddit post, the recovery charge will increase by 28 cents to $3.78 per voice line. Data-only plans are taking a massive leap from $1.60 to $3.97 per line.

The Verizon Regulatory Charge is also rising 3 cents from $0.19 to $0.21 per line. This charge is an assessment that the carrier uses to to cover "various government charges."

"These adjustments are in line with market rates and allow us to continue to provide top-tier products and services," the spokesperson said.

While Verizon's three-year price lock keeps your main plan at a friendlier price for longer, it doesn't specifically lock fees and taxes. The guaranteed price lock is only available to customers on a newer myPlan subscription.

Lastly, the post indicates that Verizon is also raising the price of its device activation fee from $35 to $40, which can already be seen on the Verizon website. Tablet plans are also rising by an additional $5 a month.

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A recent post online is reportedly claiming to have the data of around 61 million Verizon USA users for sale.

The sale was first noticed by security researchers on safetydetectives.net, who discovered a post claiming to “offer 61 million" "Verizon USA” records, totaling 3.1 GB, in a CSV/JSON file.“ According to the report, the author dated the data as from 2025, indicating a recent security breach.

The sale post reportedly included two screenshots as data samples, which was reviewed by SafetyDetectives security team to asses its authenticity. The sample in question contained 47 lines per image, which totals around 517 records that included data like:

• First Name
• Last Name
• Gender
• DOB
• Tax ID + 3 more ID numbers per customer
• Full Address
• 2 Different Phone Numbers Per Customer
• Email
• IP Address

However, it should be noted that, while the data appeared authentic, Safety Detectives were unable to confirm whether it belonged to Verizon customers.

If the information is accurate, then it poses a serious risk to customers, as the provided data can be used in several ways. For instance, threat actors can use the details to create phishing attacks via email, phone, or text. However, the biggest threat is using the data to perform Identity theft by using the stolen information to file false claims, apply for loans and more.

We have reached out to Verizon ourselves, but our colleagues at Tech Radar were told by a Verizon spokesperson that:

"We're aware of an issue in which a threat actor posted a data set claiming to be that of Verizon customers on the dark web. We have examined the postings and have determined that it is old data, previously posted on the dark web, and is not affiliated with our Company or customers. Additionally, this threat actor recently made similar claims about other large U.S. wireless companies. At this point, there's no need to notify customers and there's no impact to Verizon or its customers."

What can I do to protect myself?

While it appears that users shouldn't be overly concerned, there are still several steps that you can take to protect yourself. Firstly, we would always recommend regularly changing and updating their passwords, using passkeys where possible, and enabling two-factor authentication. One of the best ways to do this is to look into one of the best password managers to help you keep everything organized.

You will also want to make sure you avoid clicking on any links or QR codes sent to you, while also avoiding downloading any attachments sent to you by people you don't know. One of the big risks is someone cloning the address of a friend or family member, so make sure you call or text that person to confirm they sent you the link.

For added peace of mind, you should also consider signing up for one of the best identity theft services to help protect yourself. It may also be worth looking into putting fraud alerts on your files with the Big Three credit-reporting agencies Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. You could also consider instituting a credit freeze, but that can complicate any future financial actions, like getting a loan.

Finally, when going online, make sure you have one of the best antivirus software programs installed, as these will usually include security tools like a VPN, Password Manager, secure browser and more.

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It’s been a long time since I was on a cell phone plan from any of the big three wireless carriers, but it looks like more people are ditching them as well, at least according to the latest data reports. I’m not surprised by this sudden shift either, especially when some of the best cheap cell phone plans come from MVNOs and regional wireless carriers.

From increasing prices to severe outages, it hasn’t been easy for traditional wireless carriers such as AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile to keep their customers. In fact, they’re losing out to cable companies of all things.

What’s really surprising is that the MoffettNathanson report shows that cable companies are tacking on new customers at an impressive rate — led by Charter Communications, Comcast and Altice USA. They added 886,000 lines during the first three months of the year, which is up from the 804,000 accounted for during the same period in 2024.

Charter Communications alone added 514,000 lines in Q1 2025, which outperformed the 495,000 lines that T-Mobile gained for the same period. Meanwhile, rivals AT&T added 324,000 — while Verizon was red for the period with a loss of 289,000 customers. Verizon recently added a 3-year price lock guarantee to entice customers, a move that aims to mitigate fears about phone plan rates continually increasing.

Comcast also saw positive gains, adding 323,000 customers in Q1 2025, with Altice gaining 49,000 customers. In total, cable companies added 19.05 million mobile lines, which indicates that more people are interested in other cell phone plans beyond those from the big three carriers.

Even though cable companies have long established themselves as budget alternatives and particularly target the lower end of the market, they’re now branching out by offering a wide range of cell phone plans — with a bigger focus on adding premium plans and devices. It also helps that these phone plan services are sometimes bundled in with home broadband service.

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Verizon is looking to keep its devices locked to its plans for longer, meaning you may have to wait months before you can unlock or transfer your device.

According to a recent report from Ars Technica, Verizon is currently petitioning the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and the Trump administration to allow it to lock phones for a total of six months. At the time of writing, Verizon only requires customers to keep the phone locked for 60 days.

If this petition goes through, it will put the company on par with AT&T's six-month period. Although both carriers don't ask nearly as much as T-Mobile, which keeps prepaid phones carrier-locked for 12-months.

Verizon's offering of 60 days before customers can unlock their phones results from two different rules the company agreed upon. The first came about when it purchased the licenses to use the 700 MHz spectrum back in 2008, which came with open access requirements. The second rule was part of the merger conditions that allowed Verizon to get approval to purchase TracFone back in 2021.

The reason for this is due, in Verizon's words, to unlocking phones encouraging theft while also being bad for customers.

According to Verizon's petition, "The Unlocking Rule applies only to particular providers—mainly Verizon—and distorts the marketplace in a critical US industry." It then goes on to state that, "The rule has resulted in unintended consequences that harm consumers, competition, and Verizon, while propping up international criminal organizations that profit from fraud, including device trafficking of subsidized devices from the United States. These bad actors target and harm American consumers and US carriers like Verizon for their own profit, by diverting unlocked trafficked devices to consumers in foreign countries."

The company has stated that, after purchasing TracFone, there was a "sharp increase" in the number of TracFone devices that were deactivated before the customers had made the necessary payments for Verizon to subsidize the device.

Interestingly, this is something of a shift in the smartphone market as, under Biden, the FCC was considering a proposal for all carriers to set their unlock period at 60 days. However, as Ars Technica notes, that likely won't be happening thanks to the new FCC chairman Brendan Carr's focus on deregulation.

For many, this might be a big turn-off, especially as the shorter unlock window made Verizon very appealing.

If this news, alongside the recent Verizon outage, has made you consider moving to a new company, then we have a full breakdown of the best carriers at the moment that could help you find the right option for some of the best phones.

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If you've been holding out on upgrading to one of the best phones, a new report offers another reason why you should consider a new handset, and it may be for a reason you haven't really considered — faster download and upload speeds.

That's the conclusion that network testing firm Ookla reached after running network speed tests on the Galaxy S25 series, along with the last four generations of Samsung flagship.

The takeaway? Today's Galaxy flagships deliver much faster connectivity, thanks to improvements in both the phones' chipsets and modems. And one U.S. network carrier in particular stood out for delivering the fastest speeds.

The data from Ookla should be interesting to anyone mulling over a new Samsung phone purchase, whether it's the already available Galaxy S25 models or the upcoming Galaxy S25 Edge release. And it also offers a look at which phone carriers are providing faster 5G speeds right now.

Galaxy S download and upload speeds

For its report, Ookla tested download and upload performance across the last five generations of Galaxy S phone, from the current Galaxy S25 Ultra, dating all the way back to the Galaxy S21 Ultra released in 2021. Tests were conducted on the networks of all three major U.S. carriers — AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon.

When running Ookla's speed text, the Galaxy S21 Ultra's fastest download speed was 269.34 Mbps, which it reached on T-Mobile's 5G network. The Galaxy S25 Ultra posted a top speed of 442.69 Mbps on that same network — a 64% improvement over the four-year-old Ultra model.

Even more recent releases lagged behind the Galaxy S25 Ultra, with the S23 Ultra and S24 Ultra posting respective download speeds of 334.22 Mbps and 358.7 Mbps on T-Mobile.

Ookla also tested upload speed numbers for its report, with the Galaxy S25 Ultra reaching speeds of 23.72 Mbps on T-Mobile's network. That's a 57% improvement over the Galaxy S21 Ultra's 15.08 Mbps result. The Galaxy S25 Ultra improved upon the S24 Ultra upload speeds by 23%.

The Galaxy S25 models benefit from Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Elite system-on-chip, which has been optimized specifically for Samsung's phones with a faster core CPU. But that chipset also comes with Qualcomm's Snapdragon X80 5G modem for fast connectivity.

Even though all three Galaxy S25 models feature the same Qualcomm chipset, you'll get faster connectivity from the larger phones in Samsung's lineup. The Galaxy S25 Ultra posts the fastest download and upload speeds of the current models across all three networks.

On T-Mobile's network, download speeds for the Galaxy S25 Ultra were 9% faster than what the Galaxy S25 Plus produced. The Galaxy S25 Ultra was also 12% faster on downloads than the Galaxy S25.

Which carrier should you choose?

You might notice that we've been referring to performance numbers on T-Mobile's network. That's because in Ookla's testing, T-Mobile consistently produced the best results for both upload and download speeds. (One exception: The Galaxy S23 Ultra's best download speeds were on Verizon.)

Looking specifically at download speeds from a Galaxy S25 Ultra, the 442.69 Mbps result was 40% faster than the 315.12 Mbps result on Verizon's network. AT&T brought up the rear with 216 Mbps download speeds.

That's relevant data if you're not only considering a new phone but a switch to a new carrier as well. Lots of factors determine who the best phone carrier is, but Ookla's new report would certainly suggest that T-Mobile has the edge on 5G download and upload speeds.

While Ookla's results spotlight the current Galaxy S25 lineup, it could also prove to be relevant for the upcoming Galaxy S25 Edge.

While Samsung has yet to disclose any official specs for that phone, rumors suggest that the phone maker will use the same Snapdragon 8 Elite system-on-chip found on the other Galaxy S25 models. That would mean the same X80 modem that delivered such impressive speeds here.

We should find out very soon what silicon Samsung is using in the Galaxy S25 Edge, along with the other specs of the ultra-thin addition to the S25 lineup. Rumors point to a May 13 release for the phone.

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With data breaches hitting millions of Americans repeatedly this year, it's not often clear who is behind these hacks and what they're doing with the sensitive information which they've gained access to.

Recently, Chinese hackers have been to blame for a surge of cyberattacks in the United States targeting everything from corporations to government systems and infrastructure.

This week, the FBI and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) released a joint statement (via TechSpot) confirming that Chinese hackers were behind several breaches of US telecommunications providers. However, they also compromised wiretap systems used by law enforcement for surveillance.

In the statement, the agencies described the cyberattack campaign as "broad and significant" while tying the breaches to a group called "Salt Typhoon" that the agencies say is backed by the People's Republic of China.

Reportedly, the group infiltrated several telecommunications providers. The statement does not name any specific companies but the Wall Street Journal has reported that AT&T and Verizon were among the affected providers.

Apparently, the group had "carte blanche" access to network systems, however, US officials stated that compromised data was only taken from select individuals, mainly people involved with the government or political activities.

One of whom may have been Senator JD Vance, who told podcaster and comedian Joe Rogan, that he had been targeted by Salt Typhoon during a a recent interview. He claimed that the group only got "some offensive memes" and texts to his wife.

In the statement, the FBI and CISA stated they would assist any affected organizations or companies, "continue to render technical assistance, rapidly share information to assist other potential victims, and work to strengthen cyber defenses across the commercial communications sector."

The hackers are said to have copied information related to law enforcement requests and wiretaps, which could hinder ongoing investigations.

How to stay safe

While the agencies said that Salt Typhoon and other Typhoon-esque state-sponsored hacking groups didn't access the data of all Americans in the providers' systems, it doesn't mean they didn't take any data which could later be used in other attacks.

Regardless of whether your data was stolen or not, you definitely don't want to rush when going through your inbox. Scammers often instill a sense of urgency in their emails in an effort to make you stressed and more willing to go along with their instructions. Stay calm and cautious when handling an message in your inbox and you should always be on the lookout for phishing and other suspicious emails.

Hackers often disguise themselves as well-known brands by faking a company's email address. Look out for red flags like misspelled words or poor grammar and double-check the sender's email address or phone number to make sure it's correct. If you're not 100% confident, then err on the side of caution.

To keep your computer safe from malware and other viruses that could come from opening a phishing email, it's important to install and use the best antivirus software on your PC, the best Mac antivirus software on your Mac and one of the best Android antivirus apps on your Android smartphone.

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It appears that Verizon has accidentally leaked all the contents of the upcoming Pixel update scheduled for November.

Leaks for phone updates aren't uncommon but rarely come from major providers. However, a recent report from Android Authority has revealed that Verizon seemingly released everything we can expect in the next update. The first thing to note is that the post confirms a release on November 11, meaning there isn't long to wait.

Firstly, the update doesn't bring any new features for your Pixel phones, but there are the same necessary security patches that we would expect and recommend with every update. There are also some general improvements to the performance and stability of certain UI transitions and animations.

However, the update primarily seems to focus on solving certain issues that have cropped up recently. These include issues with the range of the Bluetooth, issues with adaptive brightness not activating, camera tilt occurring when using the zoom and white dots appearing on the screen. None of these are phone-breaking problems, but solving them helps with the overall user experience.

Google has been working to improve a fair amount of its services, for instance, the recent APK that unveiled changes coming to the Pixel Screenshots app. However, the biggest change coming to every Android device will be Android 16, which is touted for release much sooner than anyone anticipated. While we don't know all the coming features, there are indications of an iPhone-inspired change alongside a focus on multitasking.

Google phones remain some of the best Android phones you can buy, and with Black Friday coming up, there has never been a better time to grab one, so these fixes are perfectly timed.

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Many Verizon customers spent yesterday (September 30) in complete disarray with their phones stuck in SOS mode due to an apparent outage. Verizon has since reported it solved the issue on their press account on X, but as of Oct. 1 there are still complaints of outages and SOS issues on phones. 

The first sign that something was wrong occurred at around 10:00 a.m. yesterday, as service tracker Downdetector registered a huge spike starting with many customers saying on X and Threads that they were having issues placing phone calls. The reports started to tail off by 7 p.m. ET, with many Verizon customers reporting that they could make calls once again, with the situation remaining stable overnight.

There doesn’t appear to be any definite cause for the outage from yesterday, but Verizon engineers have been actively looking into the issue. Many of the affected customers say that they were unable to make outbound and inbound phone calls — while others say they can’t make any calls due to their phone going into SOS mode.

Phones usually enter this mode due to being disconnected from the network, whether it’s from poor connection on their part being in an area with no or weak coverage — or on the flip side, the problem stems from the carrier’s network.

The outage has affected both iPhone and Android phones, as well as disrupting Wi-Fi calling services for these devices which would typically be fallback solutions. As of 6:15 p.m. ET, Verizon reported that service has been restored. But customers are still reporting service disruptions. 

Are you still having issues with Verizon? Let us know.

Tracking website Downdetector is showing a big spike on an outage with Verizon this morning. Prior to 10:00 a.m. ET, the service appeared to be normal, but now there's an increasing amount of people reporting issues.

So far, customers reporting issues with Verizon are mostly isolated to the east coast, with New York City and Washington D.C. having the most. Meanwhile, there's a huge spike in the mid west.

While Verizon customers are reporting outages, Visible on the other hand doesn't seem to be affected at all. Downdetector can also verify this as the amount of outages reported from Visible customers is low. This is interesting because Visible uses Verizon's network.

Over 100,000 reported Verizon outages

It's been more than an hour since the first reports about customers having issues with Verizon, but now it's topped more than 100,000 reports according to service tracker Downdetector.

AT&T reported outages are beginning to spike

Meanwhile, rival AT&T is also starting to see a similar spike with reported outages. Even though it's nowhere close to the amount reported by Verizon customers, it's already eclipsed over 1,000 reports according to Downdetector.

Chicago, Phoenix, and Denver have the most reported outages

Chicago, Phoenix, Denver, Indianapolis, Cincinnati, Omaha, Minneapolis, Columbus, and Seattle round out the top locations with the most Verizon outage reports, according to Downdetector

Verizon responds to reported outages hitting its network

We've reached out to Verizon for a comment about the situation. According to a Verizon spokesperson, "we are aware of an issue impacting service for some customers. Our engineers are engaged and we are working quickly to identify and solve the issue."

Customers using #VerizonOutage to share experience

Verizon customers who are having issues with their devices this morning are going on social media to report their experience so far with the hashtag #VerizonOutage. Over on X (formerly Twitter), many customers are still reporting their devices are stuck in SOS mode. Meanwhile, the same reports are being posted over on Threads.

Reported outages spike in Los Angeles

Although there weren't as many reports as other cities, Los Angeles has quickly garnered a substantial amount of outages from Verizon customers there — with over 3,000 reports in the last hour and growing, according to Downdetector.

Outage reports starting to recede

Over 2 hours since the first batch of outage reports from Verizon customers, it appears as though they've been receding since 12:00 p.m. ET. It peaked at 104,932 reported outages at 11:13 a.m. ET, but it has since started to decline. Most recently at 11:59 a.m. ET, there were about 75,000 reported outages according to Downdetector.

Northern California outage

Philip Michaels, our managing editor for mobile, uses Verizon for his wireless service, and he's experiencing the outage as well from his home base outside of San Francisco. When trying to place a call, the phone immediately goes to a Call Ended screen (pictured above) without so much as a ring.

The official word from Verizon

The statement Verizon provided to us earlier is now on X for all to see.

AT&T: No outage here

AT&T may have seen its own spike in reports on Down Detector, but the carrier says there's nothing wrong with its network. In a statement posted on X, AT&T says "Down Detector is likely reflecting challenges our customers are having attempting to connect to users on another network."

Verizon outage: What we know so far

Here's a quick TikTok report from news editor Dave LeClair on the outage. (Note that this video was produced before AT&T's statement that it's not experiencing an outage.)

The current status

We're about three hours into this outage, and while the Down Detector chart appears to be trending downward, that's still a high level of outage reports. From Northern California, Philip Michaels confirms that he still can't place calls on Verizon's network.

Verizon engineers trying to identify outage issue

From Verizon's own network status page, the company says it's aware about the ongoing wireless service interruption that's affecting some customers. There's still no work on what exactly has caused the outage, but the company says that network engineers are working to quickly identify the problem and solving it.

Over 2,600 replies to Verizon on X

Clearly customers are voicing their concerns about the ongoing Verizon outage. In fact, there has already been over 2,900 replies to Verizon's post on X. Many of the responders still claim they are unable to make phone calls.

Reported outages continue to slow down

We're more than 4 hours into when the first reports about Verizon outages began and it's still slowly declining.  As of 2:01 p.m. ET, there was a total of 49,730 reported outages according to Downdetector, which is a steady decline. Verizon's still investigating the cause of the outage and is actively pursuing a solution to restore service.

Consider VoIP services as a backup

Even though many wireless carriers offer Wi-Fi calling as an extra way to stay connected, broader network outages such as today's Verizon one can still affect Wi-Fi calling services.

This is why a backup solution to stay connected is to look at VoIP services such as TextNow and Google Voice. Obviously you'd have to create new accounts to use these services, but they're great backup options in the event your main service provider goes down. That way, you can still receive text messages and calls through your mobile device or through a browser.

Wi-Fi calling service is also affected by the outage

Wi-Fi calling service is also affected by the outage

Outage is still ongoing

As of 4:06 p.m. ET, the Verizon outage is still ongoing with approximately 45,172 reported incidents according to Downdetector. This is a slight decrease from 1:00 p.m. ET when there was a dramatic dip.

Some customers say that service has been restored

More and more customers are saying that service has been restored. Our own managing editor, Philip Michaels, says that his service is back up and running after being down for most of the day.

Other customers who have been experiencing outages since this morning report that they're finally getting their service restored according to users on X and Threads.

And finally, Verizon has come out to say that its engineers have been making progress with restoring service and it expects to continue working to make sure it's fully resolved.

Over 1.6 million user-reports record outages

Downdetector has been keeping tally of how many user reports there have been with outages with Verizon. Based on its data, there have been a total of 1.6 million users-reports indicating that there have been service disruptions.

While this figure doesn't necessarily say they're from Verizon customers directly, it's still a sobering amount that shows the gravity of the outage — which has also affected customer on AT&T and T-Mobile. Although, their reports seem to stem from not being able to get in touch with Verizon customers who were without service today.

Back in business?

Well, if the chart from Down Detector up above is any indication, Verizon appears to be making progress at restoring service to customers. This data was pulled from the site just after 7 p.m. ET, and it shows a drop-off in incident reports over the last hour, which is when Verizon said that it's network was getting back online.

Verizon says disruption over 

Verizon has confirmed to us that the service disruption is over, and that Verizon customers should be able to once again make and receive calls and do all the other things included with their service plan.

"Verizon engineers have fully restored today's network disruption that impacted some customers," a spokesperson told us. "Service has returned to normal levels.  If you are still having issues, we recommend restarting your device. We know how much people rely on Verizon and apologize for any inconvenience.  We appreciate your patience."

We're checking with Verizon to see what may have caused the outage as well as how many people were affected. We'll update this blog with that info if it becomes available.

Verizon remaining stable over night 

So far this morning the reports regarding Verizon have remained relatively stable. This suggests that the worst might be behind us, although it should be noted that this could change as more people on the East Coast wake up and start their day. Otherwise, it appears that Verizon has managed to solve the issue as it said on X. 

FCC Investigating 

While we wait for Verizon to reveal more details about its major outage, the FCC is stepping in to probe what happened and why. The FCC said it was "working to determine the cause and extent of these service disruptions," according to a report in Reuters. 

Customers Still Facing Issues 

As of October 1 there are still complaints coming in about Verizon's service not working properly. For example, Joyce B in Maryland says she's still getting an SOS status on her phone and another user in Washington claims that she is still on SOS mode. 

Fewer outage reports, customers looking for compensation

Things are looking like they're back to normal order after yesterday's massive Verizon outage. This morning, there are still some reports of outages according to Downdetector, but for the most part service has been restored.

Meanwhile, Verizon customers who were directly affected from the outage have been vocal on social media about compensation for not having service for most of the day yesterday. Verizon is still investigating what caused the network outage in the first place. However, the company hasn't publicly stated what it could do to offset the loss of service.

If you own a Pixel phone that you bought through Verizon, it could be vulnerable to man-in-middle attacks, malware and spyware thanks to a pre-installed app.

According to a new blog post from the mobile device security firm iVerify, a severe vulnerability in this app could be exploited by hackers to launch all sorts of different attacks targeting Pixel users.

To make matters worse, this app can’t be uninstalled because it’s part of the firmware image that ships with Pixel devices, as Google doesn’t allow end users to alter it for security reasons.

Here’s everything you need to know about this hidden Pixel app and what steps Google is taking to remedy this situation, along with some tips on how to keep your Android smartphone safe from hackers.

Weaponizing demo mode

The app in question is an APK file called Showcase which comes pre-installed on Pixel phones sold through Verizon. As you might have guessed from the name, it’s designed to ‘showcase’ Pixel-specific features when a device is placed in demo mode at Verizon’s retail stores.

The app itself isn’t inherently malicious but it contains a severe vulnerability that can be exploited by hackers. However, iVerify has yet to see this flaw weaponized by hackers in the wild.

Since the app is installed using HTTP instead of the more secure HTTPS, it creates a backdoor which can be used by cybercriminals to compromise Pixel devices. For instance, a hacker could leverage it to access system privileges and take over a device. They could also use it to distribute malicious apps, remote code and to “configure files to compromise the app development chain and alter the app’s functionality” according to iVerify and Palantir Technologies’ research.

A Google spokesperson provided further insight into the matter in an email to Tom's Guide:

"This is not an Android platform nor Pixel vulnerability, this is an APK developed by Smith Micro for Verizon in-store demo devices and is no longer being used. Exploitation of this app on a user phone requires both physical access to the device and the user's password. We have seen no evidence of any active exploitation. Out of an abundance of precaution, we will be removing this from all supported in-market Pixel devices with an upcoming Pixel software update.”

If you don’t own a Pixel phone yet or are considering upgrading to one, Google points out that the app won’t come pre-installed on the Pixel 9, Pixel 9 Pro and the Pixel 9 Pro XL. At the same time, the search giant is also notifying other Android OEMs about the risks an app like this one poses to users.

How to keep your Pixel phone safe from hackers

Even if you don’t own a Pixel phone purchased through Verizon, you still need to be on the lookout for hackers that want to take over your device and steal the sensitive data stored on it.

To keep your Pixel phone safe, you first want to ensure that Google Play Protect is enabled as this pre-installed security app can scan all of your existing apps and any new ones you download for malware. From here, you may also want to consider using one of the best Android antivirus apps alongside it as they provide additional protection along with some other useful extras like a VPN or a password manager.

The biggest thing that sets Google’s Pixel devices apart from the other entries on our list of the best Android phones is that they receive security patches and updates before other smartphones do. However, to benefit from this, you need to install them when they become available. Keeping your phone up to date and running the latest software is the easiest way to stay safe from hackers who often leverage older vulnerabilities in their attacks.

Google is in the process of having this hidden Pixel app removed and going forward, I doubt Verizon will require an app like this to come pre-installed on the phones it sells.

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I did something the other day that I usually advise people never to do — I bought an iPhone within two months of a likely Apple event where new iPhones are almost certain to debut. Or, to be completely accurate about what I did, I actually bought two iPhones.

By doing so, I'm passing up on whatever wonders the iPhone 16 promises, and based on rumors so far, those wonders should be quite notable. Apple's standard iPhone is likely to gain the Action button that current adorns the iPhone 15 Pro models, and all new iPhones have been tipped to get Capture buttons. 

Speaking of the Pro models, were I to have planned paying up for an iPhone 16 Pro, I could expect a larger screen and an upgraded telephoto lens. And, of course, the new iPhones will be able to run all those Apple Intelligence features Apple's been hyping up this summer.

But I'm cool with giving up all that. Because I got a pretty good deal on my purchase that more than makes up for the awkward timing.

Let's make a deal

I guess I should explain. Neither of the new iPhones in my possession are for me. Rather, the iPhone 15 that we planned on buying is now my wife's. And the surprise iPhone 14 purchase I also ended up making has given my teenage daughter her very first smartphone.

This was not the plan when we set out to buy a new phone for my wife. Instead, we were going to get her the iPhone 15, and then hand over her aging but still-capable-of-running-the-latest-software iPhone XR to my daughter. And why not? The XR may be long in the tooth, but it's still powerful enough to upgrade to iOS 18 in the fall. And if my daughter happened to damage a 5-year-old phone, well, c'est le guerre.

Well, you know the old saying: Make plans, and God laughs. I'd amend that to: Make phone upgrade plans, and Verizon offers you a deal.

Verizon is our wireless carrier, because their network is particularly strong where we live, work and recreate and we had a fairly solid monthly cell phone plan grandfathered in from when it was just me and the missus needing monthly service. So when we outlined our objectives to Verizon — get my wife an iPhone 15 on her old number, move the iPhone XR over to my daughter on a new line and switch the three of us to one of the carrier's unlimited data plans — they made us a pretty compelling counter-offer.

As a long-standing customer with a paid-off phone, my wife was eligible for a priority upgrade — the iPhone 15 could be hers for half off on a monthly installment plan... but only if she also traded in her iPhone XR. Doing so would have left my daughter without a hand-me-down phone, but not to worry — she could get an iPhone 14, and it would be free since we were opening a new line of data on the Welcome Unlimited plan, one of the best Verizon phone plans for families looking for unlimited data at the lowest rate the carrier charges.

But wait, there's more — it turns out all this phone purchasing and plan upgrading made us eligible to receive six months of the Disney bundle for free. So, half-a-year after giving Disney Plus the heave-ho because its monthly cost got to be too much, the streaming service was back in our lives at no extra cost. (And once that six-month trial runs out, we can always keep Disney Plus, Hulu with ads and ESPN Plus as a $10 add-on through Verizon — a $9 markdown from the regular price.)

Adding it up

So to sum up, we walked out of Verizon with a discounted iPhone 15, a free iPhone 14, a plan that gave all three of us unlimited data for a total of $120/month and free Disney streaming. Yeah, I'll take that over an iPhone 16.

(One caveat about the free and half-off devices. Like other carriers, Verizon gives you these discounts in the form of monthly bill credits; in Verizon's case, those credits are spread out over 36 months. So if we change wireless providers before then — not really a risk in our case — we'd be on the hook for the remaining balance of both the iPhone 15 and iPhone 14.)

Admittedly, I wound up with the deal Verizon offered because of very specific circumstances that other shoppers may not be facing. And after seeing our detailed iPhone 16 vs. iPhone 15 comparison, my wife was not terribly fussed about losing out on the rumored upgrades coming to Apple's phone this fall. Others will likely feel differently and should wait.

But if you are in the market for a new phone and not especially swayed by rumors surrounding upcoming devices like the iPhone 16 or Pixel 9, it might be worth checking out the best Verizon phone deals right now — or the deals available at the carrier of your choice. You could wind up with a free or significantly discounted device that will serve you perfectly well

More from Tom's Guide

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• iPhone 16 vs. iPhone 16 Pro: Biggest expected differences
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Two new studies from the mobile analystics company RootMetrics have been released with a look at how network carriers performed through the first-half of 2024.

The first study took a look at the state of 5G connectivity in the United States. T-Mobile took top spots for speed and coverage in a speed study from Ookla. Surprisingly, and for the first time in awhile, a different network carrier took the top spot in RootMetrics' 5G testing. 

Of the three major metrics that were looked at, Verizon was awarded the winner in two: speed and reliability. T-Mobile won for availability, confirming data from the previous Ookla report. AT&T was generally in third place.

It's a pretty significant shift from the 2023 report that came out earlier this year. In that study, T-Mobile was tops in availability and speed. Verizon still won for reliability in that study.

Across the board, what seemed to separate Verizon from its competitors was the company's network speed outside of major metropolitan areas. Seemingly, the big 3 carriers all have very similar performance in cities, but once you leave high-population centers it can get more spread out.

Based on the most current study and the earlier 2023 one, the difference is what data Rootmetrics used. Previous studies apparently mostly just looked at metropolitan areas or combined urban stats and rural stats. 

The newer study separated out data for rural areas and shows a marked difference between the carriers as they get away from cities.

Accordingly, Verizon also won its seventh straight "Most Reliable 5G" award from RootMetrics, which was bolstered by the new inclusion of rural scores in this year's study.

Perhaps T-Mobile will catch up as the company is showing a commitment to be available everywhere.

The second study from the firm was on the state of mobile through the first half of the year. 

For the most part its a summary of "awards" for how each carrier performed in various markets across the country. However, there are some insights that can be gleaned. 

T-Mobile continued to have the best download speed across major markets capable of hitting 100 Mbps in every market. 

In general, every company was able to improve their download speeds, though AT&T trailed the other two by quite the margin in most tests. Though the report claimed that AT&T performed better in categories like call and text performance. 

Should you consider switching carriers if the numbers speak to you? 

Perhaps. Verizon appears to have the most consistence performance across the board, while AT&T looks to be decent at everything, and T-Mobile has the coverage and speed.

None of that guarantees that you will be able to connect to the network and get those services. Tom's Guide editor Mark Spoonauer recently switched from Verizon to T-Mobile and found that his devices did not enjoy the speed and coverage that the network supposedly provides.

And they are close enough in score that you should find pretty good service everywhere, especially metropolitan areas. 

If the network isn't working, you could always check out some of the best carriers that aren't the big three. 

More from Tom's Guide

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T-Mobile continues to blanket the country in pink speed as the "Un-carrier" was reported to have the fastest mobile network in the US. 

The report furnished by Ookla, a web testing and network diagnostics company, looked at several metrics over the first half of 2024. T-Mobile was either comfortably ahead of competitors Verizon and AT&T or blowing them out of the water. 

Ookla studied the speed of the network carriers' mobile networks, their 5G network speed, network consistency, video experiences, gaming experiences and how consumers felt about their carriers. 

In the mobile network and 5G tests, T-Mobile's network showed median download speeds of over 220 megabits per second (Mbps). Verizon and AT&T were further away at around 110 Mbps on their mobile networks. The report notes that Verizon has significantly improved since last year, with their 5G speeds hitting 191 Mbps compared to 146 in 2023.

All three companies were relatively similar in consistency, as Ookla tests found that they all exceeded 80%, meeting the threshold of 5 Mbps download and 1 Mbps upload throughput. T-Mobile was the highest at 86%.

Similar stories can be read in video and gaming for the trio of network carriers. And they weren't far off in consumer sentiment, with AT&T being rated the lowest at 3.14 stars out of 5, while T-Mobile was at 3.79 stars out of 5.

It should be noted that these tests are a general outlay of the United States. On a state-by-state level, it can be a different story. For example, Illinois had the fastest median download speeds of around 160 Mbps. Meanwhile, states like South Dakota, Maine and Vermont hover around only 42 Mbps, an astounding drop-off. T-Mobile led the pack in every state except North Dakota, where Verizon is the fastest.

Should you switch to T-Mobile?

With all this talk of superior speed and consistency, should you consider switching to T-Mobile? 

Maybe.

Since acquiring Sprint and its network in 2020, T-Mobile has been integrating the yellow carrier's network into a nearly 100% pink coverage map. This isn't to say that the coverage is always good, though.

Our global editor-in-chief, Mark Spoonauer, recently switched from Verizon to T-Mobile; in his words, it's been a total disaster. 

Based out of New York, the T-Mobile network consistently had problems staying connected or getting connected for him.

"Overall, I’ve not been satisfied with T-Mobile’s network based on my experience so far. It has simply not been reliable enough for calls. Even while writing this story and talking to my wife on the way home, she cut out every few sentences or so, and I kept having to ask her to repeat herself. That's not sustainable."

Is one man's anecdotal evidence enough to say you shouldn't try it?

Not necessarily, but it is something to consider if the speed tests made your eyes go wide with network envy. 

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Wireless carriers advertise cell phone plans at fixed prices, but more often than not, the fine details in those contracts could be littered with other chargers that may not be as clear to customers. That’s basically at the center of a class action lawsuit aimed at Verizon Wireless, in which plaintiffs allege that the advertised plans were misleading because they didn’t include an admin charge — going further to claim that an increase in the administrative charge was done in a deceptive and unfair manner.

The lawsuit has led to a $100 million settlement that could mean up to $100 payments made to current or former Verizon Wireless who bought a postpaid wireless plan in the past seven years. This is all contingent upon the settlement being approved and finalized, which Verizon would then pay out to a settlement fund.

While the plaintiffs claim to have been misled about the admin charge, Verizon responded in a statement to CNET saying that it “clearly identifies and describes its wireless consumer Admin Charge multiple times during the sales transaction, as well as in its marketing, contracts and billing. This charge helps our company recover certain regulatory compliance and network-related costs."

Here’s how you can claim your share.

Verizon class action settlement — who is eligible for this $100 million?

If you are a current or former Verizon Wireless customer who paid for postpaid wireless service from Verizon between January 1, 2016 and November 8, 2023 (and have paid for the administrative or administrative and telco recovery charge), you’re eligible to claim your share in this $100 million Verizon class action lawsuit.

Some customers were already sent a notice about this settlement via email or mail, which means they’re eligible to file a claim. This settlement only applies to postpaid wireless services, where customers pay for the service at the end of the cycle — so it doesn't apply to other Verizon services like its prepaid plans.

How to file a claim as part of the Verizon settlement

If you qualify or already received the notice about the settlement, you can fill out the online form to file a claim. You’ll want to file the claim as soon as possible because the deadline to submit is 11:59:59 p.m. PT on April 15, 2024. It requires a Notice ID and Confirmation Code, along with your Verizon account number.

Alternatively, you can physically fill out the form and mail it out to the following address:

Verizon Administrative Charge Settlement
c/o Settlement Administrator 
1650 Arch St., Suite 2210 
Philadelphia, PA 19103

How much can you expect from the Verizon settlement?

At most, you can expect to get up to $100 as part of the settlement, but there are factors that can affect that amount. Specifically, how long you’ve been a Verizon Wireless customer and the amount of valid claims filed — so chances are it’ll be less than $100 if there are more files claimed. In its most recent fact sheet, Verizon reported having 93.9 million postpaid connections through December 31, 2023.

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When Super Bowl LVIII kicks off Sunday (February 11), it will be the culmination of a season of hard work for the San Francisco 49ers and Kansas City Chiefs. For Verizon, it will mark the moment the wireless carrier has been working toward for the past three years when it's been upgrading its network to handle the crush of fans and media descending upon Las Vegas.

Some 72,000 people will pack themselves into Allegiant Stadium at game time. And when they get to their seats, Verizon says, they shouldn't have any trouble uploading videos, looking up stats and enjoying fast download speeds.

"Communications is everything," said Kyle Malady, vice president and CEO of Verizon business during a pre-Super Bowl event highlighting Verizon's network-boosting efforts in and around Las Vegas. "What we're really excited about is the investment we made with the NFL in the stadium. You won't get the spinning wheel where nothing's happening."

That's the result of work that began three years ago, Verizon says, as the carrier spent that time nearly tripling the capacity of its Las Vegas network. More than 547 miles of fiber have been installed around the city, while Verizon's C-Band spectrum covers 52 million square feet of casinos on the Vegas strip. 

Inside Allegiant Stadium itself, Verizon says it's put in around 250 5G mmWave radios for coverage in seating areas, suites, the press box and concourses. The use of C-Band puts a full 160 MHz of spectrum at fans' disposal, tripling the amount of 5G bandwidth available at the game last year.

That Super Bowl was meaningful in its own right, noted Joe Russo, Verizon's president of global networks and technology. "The last Super Bowl was the first with Ultra Wideband technology where you could be in the parking lots, the stadium, and you could FaceTime or stream videos," Russo told me. "Those kinds of things would have never been possible [previously]."

That's good news for anyone out there who's scored a ticket to the Super Bowl. But why should those of us who haven't dropped several grand to attend the game care about improved connectivity at the big game?

Because, Verizon executives say, even once the Super Bowl packs up and leaves town, the network improvements stick around. All that fiber and that increased C-Band spectrum are now as much of the Vegas scene as casinos and showgirls.

"We've put up lots of assets that not only will serve this weekend, but will serve Las Vegas well into the future," Russo said.

The same should hold true for New Orleans, host of next year's Super Bowl. According to Russo, the Verizon team tasked with getting that city's network ready for Super Bowl LIX is in Las Vegas this week to observe the current team in action, just as the folks responsible for the 2023 game in Phoenix are on hand to share what they learned from their experience.

"[The Super Bowl] gives us the opportunity to show off our technology and what we do, not just for the NFL, but for first responders and public safety," Malady said.

This year's game is also noteworthy because it marks the Super Bowl debut of Coach-to-Coach Communication, a private network product developed by Verizon and used throughout the NFL season to keep coaches on the sideline in communication with other coaches up in the booth without dropped connections or network interference. Verizon plans to take the headset worn by the winning coach — whether it's Kyle Shanahan of San Francisco or Andy Reid of Kansas City — and auction it off for charity.

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The streaming service wars have officially entered a new phase — the streaming service bundle wars.

As reported by the Wall Street Journal, Apple and Paramount are in talks to launch an Apple TV Plus and Paramount Plus streaming bundle. This now marks potentially the third streaming bundle out there, after the Disney bundle and the newly announced Netflix and Max bundle for Verizon. The talks are still in the early stages, so we don’t know much other than that (obviously) this bundle would be cheaper than subscribing to both streaming services separately.

But this move isn’t strictly to offer a competing bundle to the other streaming bundles out there, though that likely plays a part. Instead, this seems to be a solution to a serious problem that’s affecting Apple TV Plus and Paramount Plus in particular — churn rate.

Streaming bundle wars: What is churn rate? 

Without getting too into the weeds, churn rate is how many people leave a streaming service in any given month. And Apple TV Plus and Paramount Plus share the distinction of having more people leave their streaming services each month than the industry average. 

Now, this doesn’t mean these are the worst streaming services. People can cancel a streaming service because they simply don’t like it, but often, they cancel because they’re not interested in what’s coming out in a given month. Especially with streaming services increasing their prices regularly now. Apple TV Plus hiked up their price just this past October and Paramount Plus did the same earlier in the year.

It’s not surprising to learn that both these streaming services have higher-than-average churn rates. Apple TV Plus chooses quality over quantity and Paramount Plus lacks the prestigious or popular originals that some other streaming services have, especially since Paramount's flagship show Yellowstone is streaming on Peacock, not Paramount Plus.  

Which streaming bundle is best?

Bundling would go a long way to solving churn rate issues. With Apple TV Plus’s quality and Paramount Plus’s quantity, you’d end up with a streaming service comparable to Netflix or Max.

But to be the best bundle, Apple TV Plus and Paramount Plus will probably need to be the cheapest. As much as I love Apple TV Plus originals like Slow Horses and Severance, an Apple TV Plus and Paramount Plus bundle still wouldn’t be as enticing as the Disney Duo bundle of Hulu and Disney Plus at $9.99. And Netflix’s bundle with Max would instantly become the best bundle in streaming if it became available to the general public, provided it wasn’t prohibitively expensive.

Still, nothing is set in stone yet. The only thing we know for certain is that consolidation is definitely starting among the streaming services. Time will tell if that turns out to be a benefit for consumers or simply reduces competition.

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Deciding which mobile device is the best phone for you is only the first decision you’ve got to make when getting a new handset. There’s also the matter of lining up wireless coverage, which includes trying to figure out just how much data you need in your monthly plan.

These days, wireless carriers want to steer you toward unlimited data, and it’s a tempting argument. The best unlimited data plans give you more than enough data to stream all your favorite shows and music on the go — not to mention handle all your gaming, browsing and app use. But more often than not, unlimited data is the most expensive option available at a wireless carrier — hey, there’s a reason they’re pushing you in that direction — and for some people, all that data can be overkill.

Unfortunately, there’s no definitive answer on what the best cell phone plan is — it really depends on how you use your mobile device. Some people use their phones as their primary device throughout the day, making unlimited data a more practical choice. Others may only use their phones sparingly, making them a better fit for low- or tiered-data plans. And there’s plenty of smartphone owners between those two extremes.

Add to that the differences in what kind of streaming content you consume. If you’re watching movies in HD and playing online games, you’ll undoubtedly need more data than the person who just streams some music and visits the occasional website.

If you struggle to know just how much data you should be paying for each month, consider this a guide on how to determine your data needs when you’re searching for a new data plan.

Knowing your data plan options

Depending on who your carrier of choice is — or who you might be switching to — you’re going to find a host of data usage options. The Big Three carriers — AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon — emphasize unlimited data for their postpaid plans, but if you consider their best prepaid phone plans, you’ll find tiered data geared toward people who don’t want or need unlimited data. T-Mobile, for example, lets you spend as little as $15/month for 3.5GB of data. (The disadvantage with that low-cost plan is that once you’ve used those 3.5GB, you’re out of data for the remainder of the monthly billing cycle.)

As you might expect, the more data you plan to use with one of the Big Three carriers’ plans, the more your plans will cost. Take Verizon, which has a $35/month prepaid plan offering 15GB of data. Switch over to the carrier’s postpaid unlimited plans, and you’re looking at a nearly twice that for the entry-level Unlimited Welcome plan.

Unlimited data doesn’t have to be expensive — provided you’re willing to look beyond the major carriers’ offerings. At discount providers like Mint Mobile, Visible and Tello, for instance, you can find unlimited data plans for $30 or less. And those plans all use the networks of more established carriers (T-Mobile in the case of Mint and Tello, Verizon for Visible). The catch is you won’t find as many perks, and your traffic will get deprioritized if the network your own is congested. (Mint also requires you to pay for a year of service upfront for its $30/monthly unlimited plan pricing.)

Just remember that even unlimited data plans aren’t entirely unlimited. Many carriers set limits on just how much data you can consume in a given month before your speeds are slowed, especially on lower-cost unlimited plans. Visible’s cheapest $25 unlimited plan will slow your speeds whenever there’s heavy traffic, while you get 50GB of data on Visible’s $45 unlimited plan before your speeds are slowed. Mint Mobile can start slowing things down once you hit 40GB. At the larger carriers, caps on high-speed data vary from plan to plan.

You can consult our assorted guides to cell phone plans for more information on different pricing options, including a look at the best cheap cell phone plans under $40 a month.

Determining your data usage

In addition to pinpointing how much you might have to pay, it’s helpful to figure out how much data you’re using. Fortunately, that calculation is a lot more straightforward than figuring out what different carriers charge for data.

Instead of evaluating your daily habits, you can instead head over to your phone’s settings to see how much data you’ve used over a period of time. On an iPhone, you can find that by tapping to Settings > Cellular, Cellular Data, or Mobile Data (depending on your version of iOS) and see your data usage. Android users can find their usage by tapping Settings > Network & Internet > SIMs > App Data Usage.

Armed with that data, you can then get a sense of which plans may be best based on how you currently use your devices.

Data usage by mobile activity

Maybe you’re wondering what’s taking up all that data. Or maybe you’re new to mobile hones and haven’t really developed a steady history of usage. In either case, consider how you plan to use your device and how much data that’s going to require.

Determining data usage is a decidedly more difficult task, but companies like Verizon and AT&T have tried to provide general estimates so you can get a sense of your data usage. Here’s a rundown of common tasks based on that data to give you a better sense of where all the data goes.

That info from AT&T isn’t based on specific apps, but it still provides a framework around how the apps you use will greatly affect your data consumption. For instance, if you spend most of your time in Netflix and YouTube streaming video, you’re more likely to hit a lower data cap than if you spend your time listening to music or podcasts. Indeed, just streaming a one-hour video in 4K on Netflix will cost you nearly 6GB of data, compared to an hour on Spotify, where your music streaming will account for roughly 4MB of usage.

Useful data usage calculators

Since everyone’s phone usage differs, there’s a handful of reliable data usage calculators available for you to calculate your own expected consumption. 

AT&T’s calculator offers sliders that let you see how data usage changes based on the amount of time you watch video or how many emails you send. T-Mobile and Verizon both offer sliders and filters so you can check on data usage based on time. All of the calculators keep a tally as you go, so you can see just how much data you may use.

Tips for saving data

No discussion on data usage is complete without looking into ways to conserve the data you have. After all, if you want to consume content on your device, finding ways to do that without hammering your pool of data can save you in the long run.

For one, consider using your phone’s settings to turn off the ability for certain apps that use a lot of data to work on a cellular network. You may also find some apps that come with data-saving features that you can turn on in-app.

Background refresh in apps running on your device, along with GPS tracking can also put a hit on data usage. Follow our guides on how to turn off background app refreshes on your iPhone and restrict background data on Android. 

When it’s time to download files like podcasts or videos, doing so over a Wi-Fi connection instead of cellular can keep your data count low, too. In fact, whenever you can safely  jump on a wireless network instead of using your data network, do it. You’ll use less data over time.

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Some cons are inevitably more sophisticated than others, and we’ve come a long way from the “you’ve won a free iPhone” scam. In fact, the lengths that some scammers will go to steal your iPhone 15 are really quite remarkable, if a new account reported on Mashable proves to be widespread.

The scam in question was actually attempted on the site’s own tech reporter, Cecily Mauran, who was targeted by a number of calls from an unknown number shortly after ordering an iPhone 15 via Verizon.

The calls, she says, involved a scammer claiming to be a Verizon representative. The scammer claimed that the company had “received communication from Apple” that her new phone was a defective device plagued by overheating issues. 

"They said they needed to come and pick up my phone right away, because it was 'dangerous'," she explains.

This is devious for a few reasons. Most obviously because it relates to a product that Mauran had actually just ordered, giving it some legitimacy, but also because the iPhone 15 Pro did initially suffer from overheating problems. But these were never dangerous, and the issue was fixed via a software update, app fixes and a little time. 

Nonetheless, the caller was persistent and arranged for FedEx to pick up the "defective" iPhone. Fortunately, Mauran was quick thinking enough to call Verizon herself to verify the call — at which point the whole scam fell to pieces.

“There is no issue with your iPhone 15 that would justify any outreach from Verizon,” a spokesperson told Mashable. “Our guidance is if someone calls you saying they’re Verizon and you’re skeptical or just not sure, hang up and call [Verizon].”

The scam was still in motion, however, and a FedEx truck did indeed arrive to pick up the phone. After Mauran explained the situation, the driver revealed that the handset would have been taken to a physical address in Miami, mysteriously with a Kentucky phone number. The recipient was “RETUNS PROCESING CENTER” [sic.].  

Always verify

It’s not clear how widespread this scam is, but the lesson is to always be careful, even when the caller seems to know a lot about you. 

If you’re called out of the blue, phone the company that the call is purporting to be from to double-check. The worst outcome: they confirm it’s legitimate, and you feel a bit silly for your paranoia — but that’s a lot better than being out of pocket.

What remains unclear is how the scammer managed to target Mauran just as she’d ordered an iPhone 15. This clearly wasn’t a scattergun approach as the scammer knew she was a Verizon customer and had an out-of-date email address she had on file, and Mashable speculates that the vishing attempt could have been made possible thanks to an old data breach. 

In this scenario, the iPhone 15 part could well just be pure guesswork. It’s a popular smartphone, after all, and scammers are bound to find some Verizon customers ordering the new handset in the weeks after its release.

A useful adage for spotting scams is that “if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is”. This failed attempt at a scam is a helpful reminder that potentially bad news should also be met with an equally critical eye. 

Despite all of the precautions you might take with your phone, such as using a rugged phone case of some kind, you could still find it with a cracked screen. Verizon’s hoping to ease the shock by offering a $0 deductible for cracked screen repairs as part of its updated Verizon Mobile Protect plan. And the best part? Customers will now have an unlimited number of claims to put in.

For those customers that missed out on adding the service to their plan, open enrollment for Verizon Mobile Protect is open from August 21 to October 19. This is important to know because customers typically would have up to 30 days to enroll in the service after they purchase a device. If they forgo adding it and pass the 30-day window, they would be responsible for all repairs.

That’s why this open enrollment is a big deal, especially if they forgot about enrolling their smartphone initially.

Unlimited claims for cracked screen repairs

Previously, Verizon was charging $29 for each claim for a cracked screen replacement, so the fact that it’s now free and unlimited makes this service even more valuable — more so if you’re not the most cautious with your smartphone. In the fine details, however, Verizon says repairs are covered for a cracked front screen. If the glass on the back of the phone or other components are damaged, they’re not eligible under this cracked screen repair policy.

The plan also covers your device from theft, loss, post-warranty defects, and damage. Although, there is a $99 deductible per claim for those situations, which is still better than the plan’s previous $249 cost. That $99 deductible would apply to the example above with the back glass and other components damaged. Considering that some of the best phones around cost around $1,000, paying $99 for losing or damaging your phone isn’t too shabby.

Other perks of Verizon Mobile Protect include battery replacement at an authorized facility, data recovery even if your device is damaged, and 24/7 tech support.

Which phones are eligible for Verizon Mobile Protect?

Frankly, any smartphone that’s fully functioning and not damaged in any way is eligible during this open enrollment. If you picked up a Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra earlier in the year and forgot to sign up, it would be eligible assuming there’s no damage to it. You could also enroll an iPhone X if you’re still somehow holding onto it for this long.

All you would need to do is to enroll from your online account, the MyVerizon app, or simply visit your local Verizon store. The service costs $17/month for one device, or $60/month for three registered lines.

This open enrollment period also coincides with Apple’s potential iPhone 15 event and subsequent release, which is expected to take place next month. Rumors hint at the possibility of higher prices for the iPhone 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max, so it might be worth the investment to enroll them in this Verizon Mobile Protect plan. The iPhone 15 Pro Max, in particular, is said to perhaps go for as much as $1,299 due to the periscope telephoto camera and titanium alloy frame it’s anticipated to pack.

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Last night, my wife and I sat down to stream the fifth episode of Mrs. Davis, a wonderfully weird show on Peacock. But instead of watching Sister Simone's search for the Holy Grail, we were instead shown a screen saying that we now had to subscribe to Peacock if we wanted to see any more episodes. 

Turns out, we, like many others, were the unfortunate subjects of a service change for Comcast Xfinity internet customers. Starting on June 26, the cable giant would no longer offer a free Peacock subscription to all of its Internet-only subscribers. Now, we'd have to pay for Peacock — or pay more for Internet. 

Now, if I want to get Peacock, I have three options:

1. Subscribe to Now TV, which costs $20/month, which includes around 40 live and on-demand channels and 20 hours of cloud DVR;
2. Upgrade my Internet to Gigabit speeds, which would add roughly another $10/month to my Internet bill; 
3. Sign up for Peacock. If I sign up with Xfinity before August 25, I can get it for $2.99/month for the next year, at which point it will go up to $4.99 per month. 

None of these options are particularly appealing, especially given that I now have to pay for something I was previously getting for free. Xfinity isn't alone in this, of course; Twitter started charging for the blue checkmark, Max now charges for 4K streaming and Google discontinued unlimited photo storage for its Pixel phones in 2021. 

Outlook: Now I'm looking at other internet providers

Fortunately, in my area, I'm fortunate enough that I have my choice of cable providers. The other game in town is Verizon Fios, which offers a more competitive rate. 

On Xfinity, Gigabit Internet service costs $112 per month before discounts; Fios charges $89.99. That alone saves me $22 per month.

What's more, Xfinity also charges $15 per month to rent its cable modem. Yes, it does come with some nice amenities, such as parental controls and security, but Fios includes the cost of the equipment rental in its contract. (Or maybe I should just spring for one of the best cable modems). 

In all, I'd be saving about $37 per month, which amounts to $444 per year — not an insignificant amount. For that, I could subscribe to Peacock Premium Plus ($10/month) and still come out with $27 a month leftover vs what I'm paying for Xfinity.

My own inertia has kept me from switching from Xfinity before now, but now that we're no longer getting Peacock for free may finally convince me to switch. After all, we're dying to know what happens to Mrs. Davis. 

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Verizon has unveiled a new customer plans program called MyPlan, an update to its mix-and-match system with an eye toward streamlining the number of family cell phone plans for unlimited data. At the same time, MyPlan — which is available this Thursday (May 18), expands the add-on options available through Verizon Wireless accounts.

MyPlan has two starting points: the Unlimited Welcome 5G data plan or the Unlimited Plus 5G Ultra Wideband data plan, with different prices per line depending on the number of lines needed for your family. From there, customers can choose from up to 9 add-ons, all priced at $10 per month. The add-ons range from Verizon service extras to services from third-party companies, such as Disney and Apple.

The monthly fee per add-on lowers the cost of the given service if it were accessed independently of the Verizon MyPlan. Depending on the add-on, the savings range from $5 to $25 each month. Verizon estimates that families of customers can save, on average, $50 to $60 per month using the MyPlan Verizon phone plan.

What’s more, the add-ons can be adjusted month-to-month. So, if you’re traveling, you can pay the $10 add-on fee for 3 TravelPass days and cancel when you get home. Or say there’s nothing in a coming month that you want to watch in the Disney Plus bundle (Disney Plus, ESPN Plus and Hulu) — you can take a break and save money. 

For those Verizon customers who have a basic Apple One plan, it could be worthwhile to move your Apple One payment to your Verizon plan. You'll save $7 per month for access to Apple TV Plus, Apple Arcade and more.

And like the existing Do More plan, Unlimited Plus customers can save 50% on one data line per month for either a connected tablet or smartwatch. Many of the best tablets and best smartwatches have cellular data support for staying connected while mobile, after all.

Here is the entire list of $10 add-ons available at the launch of MyPlan: 

• 100GB Mobile hotspot
• Disney Bundle (hulu, Disney Plus, ESPN Plus)
• Walmart+ Membership
• Apple One
• Apple Music Family
• 2TB Cloud Storage
• Smartwatch Data and Safety
• 3 TravelPass Days
• +play monthly credit

When it comes to the best phone carriers and best cell phone plans, Verizon typically ranks high. Whether this new MyPlan resonates with customers is yet to be seen, but the flexible bundling and money savings certainly sound worthwhile.  

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If you’re attending the NFL Draft 2023, you’ll have to cope with large crowds, expensive parking and overpriced food. But as long as you’re a Verizon customer with a 5G smartphone, there’s a consolation prize: your internet speeds should be stellar. 

Ahead of this year’s NFL draft, which is expected to draw more than 300,000 fans to the largest stage in the event’s history, Verizon outfitted the outdoor Kansas City, Missouri, venue with temporary support for the event. In addition to recent network upgrades that brought 5G Ultra Wideband to a majority of the market, Verizon has stationed several cell sites across the area the draft is taking place over three days beginning this Thursday (April 27).

These sites take the form of MatSing balls which, as a unit, look like two inflatable balloons perched on a scissor lift. The balls, doubling as Verizon billboards, hold antennas for 5G and 4G LTE. When raised where a concentrated crowd has unobstructed line of sight, the MatSing balls can help customers enjoy reliable cellular service despite abnormal bandwidth stress.

Whether it’s a major sporting event or music festival, cellular internet speeds struggle when stretched among a surge of smartphones. Permanent MatSing balls have been installed in venues that regularly see crowds, but Verizon’s portable units introduce a solution for one-time occurrences such as the NFL Draft.  

And it’s not just for the benefit of fans. While these MatSing units are especially essential for emergency response to areas that suffered a hurricane, tornado or other unexpected disasters, they’re a safeguard for planned public safety operations, too.

Testing 5G speeds at the NFL Draft 2023

I tested the 5G speeds on my iPhone 14 Pro Max at the NFL Draft area standing beneath one of the MatSing units. The download speeds reached 3,949 Mbps (approximately 3.95 Gbps) while the upload speeds reached 153 Mbps. 

These speeds are outstanding, if not the best I’ve ever tested. Between the new 5G Ultra Wideband infrastructure and temporary MatSing unit, Verizon put me in an optimal position to download movies, stream live to social media or enjoy cloud gaming on a 5G smartphone. 

That said, there were very few people in the testing area. The day of the NFL Draft, there will be hundreds of thousands of football fans sharing the antennas. A majority of those people won’t be stressing the internet abilities of their 5G handsets — there’s one of the year’s most anticipated sports events happening in front of them, after all — but they still shouldn’t struggle with connectivity.

So, whether it’s to call a ride share, search where to get the best Kansas City BBQ, watch highlight reels of draft picks on YouTube or even FaceTime a friend to show them the festivities, Verizon has ensured that its customers at the draft won’t need to think twice about the quality of their cellular connectivity.

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Verizon’s solution for getting network connection to hard-to-reach and potentially inhospitable destinations? A team of robotic dogs from Ghost Robotics wielded by the company’s Frontline response division. I went up-close with one of the robo-hounds at Verizon’s secretive emergency preparedness cave outside Kansas City to see how the four-legged Fido-bot could be the future of disaster relief. 

Similar to the ‘Spot’ robo-dog from Boston Dynamics, Verizon’s yet-to-be-named assets are quadrupedal robots with a degree of agility wheeled machines lack. They can remotely traverse tough terrains, such as a wildfire-ridden mountain, with modifications that might come in handy in times of trouble. For Verizon, these modifications mostly include networking hardware. 

While Verizon has several emergency response assets — including a mobile 5G command center rigged into a Transformer-like truck called THOR — there’s a need for one that can go where a human can’t reach. Sticking with the wildfire example, Verizon’s robot could access higher points more easily without concern of smoke inhalation.

Once there, attached networking hardware can help keep first responders connected or temporarily  replace networking infrastructure that was damaged in the disaster event. Theoretically, Verizon could outfit the robot dog with an on-board router for LTE and C-Band Verizon 5G, or simply a MiFi mobile hotspot device. The dog also has T-slots that could hold, say, a Starlink enterprise terminal that grabs a LEO signal to be covered for Wi-Fi. 

The applications, from my understanding, will continue to be adapted based on the situational needs even after the robots are officially in service. At some point, all five units could even enter a disaster together thanks to mesh Wi-Fi.

Compared to Verizon’s other disaster relief tools, the robot dog currently access opportunities not allowed by existing measures. Drones are integrated with a number of the company’s assets, but drone operation is subject to law of sight rules. As long as the robot is connected to a cellular network, it could follow commands from a remote tablet, growing the deployment possibilities.

A good example the Verizon Frontline team provided during the demonstration is a chemical spill like the one caused by the East Palestine train derailment in February. The robot, outfitted with “sniffers,” could scout a large area for signs of nuclear pollutants or other harmful chemicals that would cause dangerous exposure for a human. If this area is in a remote region, the dog’s networking hardware would still be able to communicate in real-time with the controller.

Though it’s a bit unnerving to think of what an ultra-agile, network-connected robot dog could do in the hands of a bad actor, Verizon’s use cases are clearly a step in the right direction for disaster relief. I certainly enjoyed watching the dog prance around in a cave (especially when I took a turn operating the controller,) but it’ll be out on the front line of an emergency that robot dogs will have to prove that they’re not all bark.

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• How to save money on your cell phone bill
• What internet speed do I need? Here's how many Mbps is enough

The iOS 16.4 beta has an in-development treat for iPhone 14 series owners in the form of boosted 5G connectivity.

The biggest update in the new iOS beta is compatibility with the 3.45GHz "mid-band" 5G spectrum that AT&T is rolling out. Other big U.S. carriers like T-Mobile and Verizon already have major mid-band presences on iPhone, so it's good that AT&T's now supported too.

T-Mobile subscribers have also received a boon in iOS 16.4 in the form of 5G Stand-Alone support. Plus, carriers' ability to combine cell frequencies (known as carrier aggregation) for faster data transfer has been improved in the beta as well, which unlike the other upgrades is not exclusive to any carrier.

Mid-band is considered the best compromise when it comes to 5G frequency. It balances the speed of high-band 5G (such as mmWave) with the coverage of low-band 5G, meaning more people get quicker data speeds.

Testing of AT&T mid-band 5G on an iOS 16.4 beta-equipped iPhone by iClarified showed up to 10x download speeds compared to previous performance, since this spectrum is being rolled out to areas without previous mid-band coverage. 

Annoyingly, it's only the iPhone 14 that this will work with. AT&T promised previously that older 5G-compatible iPhones would also be covered by its mid-band 5G, but now only the most recent models will get updated to support it.

If you have the beta installed, you can try out these new 5G bands now on an iPhone 14, but otherwise you'll need to wait for the full iOS 16.4 release. That probably won't be far off though, as the final stable release is thought to be coming around March.

iOS 16.4 contains more goodies than 5G improvements. It'll also introduce new emoji, updates to the Music and Podcasts apps, new always-on display settings and other small refinements. We'll be keeping track of all the updates during the betas, as well as giving you our final thoughts when the stable version is released in a few weeks' time. 

Samsung Galaxy S23 users hoping to transfer all of their data, apps, and media to their new phone might find space hard to come by. Reviewers who have got their hands on the Galaxy S23 range are reporting (in response to a thread on Android system storage space by Android expert Mishaal Rahman) that the phones reserve 60GB of storage for their Android 13 operating system. 

This is an unusually high amount of storage to be taken up by a mobile OS. On the Google Pixel 7 Pro for example, only 15GB of space is needed.

With the 256GB models of the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra and Samsung Galaxy S23 Plus, losing 60GB of space could make for a tight squeeze for those with lots to transfer. 

We checked this situation out for ourselves on our Galaxy S23 Ultra and found that the OS takes up 43.47GB of storage space; this was in the U.K. so models in other regions could gobble up the full 60GB, though giving up more than 40GB of onboard storage by default is still surprising.   

But the real sting could take place on the cheapest S23 model, the 128GB Galaxy S23, as the OS would consume almost half the total storage space. 

Why is the OS so big? 

Aside from the contractually obligated suite of Google applications such as Chrome and Gmail, Samsung also likes to install its own alternatives, like Samsung Internet. Samsung also includes pre-installed third-party apps from its commercial partners like Microsoft, LinkedIn and Netflix. Further bloat comes in the form of software that network providers like Verizon and AT&T include on the device. 

Many of these apps can’t be deleted to make room. But to make matters worse one of the most common storage-hogging features of smartphones isn’t even present in the Galaxy S23. 

Most of the best Android phones use two versions of their operating system so that users can update the system while continuing to use the phone on the copy of the operating system. Known as an A/B system partition, this feature has long been missing from Samsung handsets and as a result, updating a Samsung phone’s OS will render it unusable while the update installs.

What does this mean for the 128GB Samsung Galaxy S23

Without expandable memory, Galaxy S23 users are stuck with the storage they pay for. Those with the 128GB model not only have to put up with limited space but also slower storage as well. 

The 128GB S23 only features the UFS 3.1 storage standard as opposed to the UFS 4.0 across the rest of the line. With read speeds and write speeds around half of UFS 4.0 devices, expect the cheapest Samsung Galaxy S23 to not feel as snappy when loading apps compared to its stablemates.  

Should this put you off the Galaxy S23? Well maybe not as we still found it to be an impressive phone in out testing so far. But we'd suggest you check back with Tom's Guide for our full review and perhaps avoid the 128GB version. 

Verizon is offering a way for its customers to get Netflix for free. 

It's all part of the beta launch of Verizon's new streaming hub, Plus Play, where users can find, subscribe to, pay for and manage various streaming services in one place. The hub acts essentially like a middleman, much like Amazon Prime Video Channels, Apple TV Channels and Roku. 

Verizon announced that new and existing customers on postpaid wireless plans or with 5G wireless home internet service can get a year of Netflix's Premium plan ($19.99 per month) for free if they subscribe to another service through Plus Play. 

At launch, the hub's streaming services include Netflix, HBO Max, Disney Plus, Hulu, ESPN Plus, Discovery Plus, AMC Plus, NFL Plus, NBA League Pass, Peloton, Calm and Duolingo, among others.

To get Netflix for free, you must sign up for a yearlong or seasonal subscription to another service. For instance, you can pay $25 for NFL Plus for the season and get Netflix Premium for an entire year (over $239). This exclusive offer is only available for a limited time, the company noted.

Verizon customers can access Plus Play at no additional cost simply by logging into the hub with their existing Verizon account info. The hub organizes account management for streaming subscriptions in one tab, with another tab for discovering content. Users can receive notifications when a free trial ends or a streaming service raises prices. 

Analysis: Streaming service management is the hot place to be

The streaming industry has exploded in recent years. According to Deloitte’s 2021 Digital Media Trends survey, around 85% of U.S. households have at least one subscription to a video streaming service. The average is four services per household. Around 7% of Americans have six or more!

Also on the rise: churn. That's the term when users sign up and later cancel a service, then start the cycle again with that same service or a different one. Churning is a way to avoid paying a big streaming bill every month. We have a whole monthly column about churning where we recommend which streaming services to cancel, to help people lower their bills.

But managing various subscriptions and free trials can quickly become a headache. It's easy to forget to cancel a service before a free trial ends or the month runs out, resulting in a bill you didn't want. 

Companies like Amazon, Roku, Google and now Verizon want to function as a middleman to help users with streaming management. If you sign up for or link all your services in one hub, you can see all of them at a glance. The companies typically get a cut of the subscription fee, while the streamers may entice new customers. 

The Verizon/Netflix deal is particularly noteworthy because Netflix doesn't offer a free trial or discounts. Most other streaming services have deals throughout the year, but Netflix has stayed out of that game. 

However, the industry leader has suffered subscriber losses this year and seen its stock plummet as a result. They've made several moves to gain new subscribers, such as introducing a lower-cost ad-supported tier and cracking down on password sharing.

And as part of the deal, Netflix will get data on the streaming services Verizon customers chose to get the free promotion. They could use that information to make content decisions. If they see that many Verizon users are signing up for NFL Plus or NBA League Pass, Netflix might be willing to spend more on rights to live sports. 

The Samsung Galaxy S21 is still a great Android phone. Despite being a generation old — and come February 2023 likely two generations old — a lot of users may find themselves reluctant to upgrade if their S21 still functions well. Now, Samsung is giving them another reason to hold off on a new phone.

First reported by Droid Life, Samsung is rolling out Android 13 to the Samsung S21 series as of November 30. The rollout is for Samsung’s One UI 5 version of Android 13 and is coming to the Samsung Galaxy S21, Samsung Galaxy S21 Plus and Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra. That’s another surprising boost for the Galaxy S21 Plus, which was just named the fourth-fastest 5G phone in the U.S. in terms of download speeds by Ookla.

The update is currently available for Verizon, AT&T and T-Mobile customers. AT&T and T-Mobile customers already started getting the update as of November 15, though some customers are still waiting for their phones to update. These operating systems roll out based on IMEI number and can occasionally take some time. It took me a while to get the Android 13 update on my Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra, so don’t panic if you’re unable to update right away. 

One UI 5 Android 13: New features 

Back when Samsung announced the rollout of One UI 5 to the Samsung S22 lineup, we were able to get a look at some of the new features coming with this latest update. One UI 5 includes the ability to customize your lock screen further with more notification settings — even allowing you to get live previews of certain notifications. Another notification-adjacent feature is the ability to change your call background based on the contact who is calling.

Another upgrade is Maintenance Mode. This feature locks down a user’s personal data if they need to get their phone repaired, which is a huge win for Galaxy users. Photographers also got an upgrade just for them — you can now add watermarks to photos. That way you can protect your photos from being stolen by those with inferior phone cameras. 

While the Samsung S21 isn’t the latest and greatest anymore, getting the upgrade to Android 13 is a huge boost. Plus, you can get some pretty good deals on one if you’re in need of an upgrade but don’t want to spend more for a Samsung Galaxy S22, especially if you are willing to get a renewed or refurbished phone. However, upgrading to the Galaxy S22 doesn’t have to be expensive, and you’re also guaranteed to get the latest version of Android. 

So check out our best Samsung Galaxy S22 deals if you want to find one at a bit of a discount. But if you decided to hold onto your S21, we don’t blame you. Now that it's getting Android 13, you have one more reason to keep using it. 

If you're thinking about making the switch to T-Mobile, better do it sooner rather than later if you want to avoid an extra fee.

The wireless carrier, which has long prided itself on zigging where other providers zag, is picking up one of the practices of its rivals and charging a fee for any activations or upgrades, even those you handle yourself online. Previously, that kind of fee only applied to in-store interactions.

T-Mo Report first broke the news of the $35 activation fee based on internal documents it had seen as well as on information posted to Reddit. T-Mobile subsequently confirmed the reports, saying that the one-time charge would apply to all new mobile broadband devices, whether the transaction took place in its stores or online.

"We're simplifying Assisted Support and Upgrade Support one-time charges, which were previously applied differently across channels and devices, to deliver a more consistent and straightforward experience for customers," a T-Mobile spokesperson said in a statement to Tom's Guide.

The fees took effect for broadband and Beyond the Smartphone devices yesterday (November 3). Smartphones will be subject to the $35 fee on November 15.

We rank T-Mobile as one of the best phone carriers, largely because it tends to avoid the practices of other carriers, like charging seemingly random fees. For instance, T-Mobile bakes taxes and fees into the cost of its $70/month Magenta unlimited plan so that you'll always pay the same amount every month.

The $35 activation fee stings, but T-Mobile stresses that it's a one-time charge — and it's also one you can avoid by activating a new smartphone with the carrier prior to the November 15 date for the fee to take effect.

For what it's worth, the T-Mobile fee is the exact amount AT&T and Verizon charge customers when they activate a new line of service or upgrade their device. All this does is eliminate one way you can save money on your cell phone bill by handling activations yourself.

With that $35 fee going into effect on November 15, it's more important than ever to find ways to keep smartphone costs down. One good way is to keep an eye peeled for the best cell phone deals, which figure to become more prominent as Black Friday deals start heating up.

Verizon has informed around 250 of its prepaid customers that an attacker was recently able to gain access to their accounts.

As reported by BleepingComputer, the mobile carrier identified unusual activity while monitoring customer accounts earlier this month. Between October 6 and 10, an unauthorized third party accessed the last four digits of credit cards used to make automatic payments by prepaid Verizon customers.

With this information in hand, the attacker was then able to gain access to some customers’ Verizon accounts. In a security notice sent out to affected customers, Verizon explained that the attacker “may have processed an unauthorized SIM card change on the prepaid line that received the SMS linking to this notice”.

Since the attacker gained access to Verizon accounts, the names, telephone numbers, billing addresses, price plans and other service-related information of affected customers may have also been exposed. Fortunately though, the banking and financial information, passwords, Social Security numbers, tax IDs and other personal information of prepaid Verizon customers wasn’t accessed by the attacker since user accounts don’t contain these details.

SIM swapping attacks

Although the number of Verizon customers affected by this recent cyberattack is relatively small, it highlights how dangerous unauthorized SIM card changes, which are more commonly known as SIM swapping, can be.

Once an attacker transfers your phone number to another SIM card, they can then retrieve two-factor authentication (2FA) codes and gain access to your other online accounts. In fact, BleepingComputer spoke with one of the affected Verizon prepaid customers who fell victim to a SIM swapping attack a week before the mobile carrier sent out its alert. They told the news outlet that the attacker breached their email and also tried to access their crypto accounts on Coinbase following the Verizon breach.

Although many companies encourage users to enable 2FA to further secure their accounts, this can actually be a double-edged sword if they happen to suffer a SIM swapping attack.

In a blog post discussing SIM swapping, the cybersecurity firm Norton recommends using an authentication app like Google Authenticator instead of using your phone number for 2FA. This way, your accounts still have an additional layer of protection but instead of being tied to your phone number, it’s tied to your physical device.

How to protect your Verizon account

After discovering that something was amiss, Verizon blocked any further unauthorized access to prepaid customer accounts. The company also reversed any SIM swapping that took place and reset customer’s PIN codes used to access their accounts.

Still though, Verizon recommends that affected customers set up a brand-new PIN code and avoid reusing any PIN codes they’ve used in the past. It’s also a good idea to change the credit card you used for autopay as well as the password and secret question for your My Verizon online account. If you have trouble coming up with strong, unique passwords, you can use one of the best password managers to generate one for you.

To prevent falling victim to future SIM swapping attacks, you can enable the mobile carrier’s free Number Lock protection feature. This can be done either through the My Verizon app or on the My Verizon website. By locking your phone number, you can prevent it from being moved to another line or mobile carrier and you won’t be able to move it to a different SIM card unless you remove the lock.

We’ll likely hear more from Verizon regarding this cyberattack and the person responsible once the company finalizes its investigation into the matter.

Cheap iPhone 12 deals are getting harder to find as stock of Apple's previous-gen phones is almost extinguished. That said, some retailers still have iPhone 12 phones you can get at a fraction of their original cost. Plus, now that iPhone 15 deals are stealing the spotlight, iPhone 12 deals are at their lowest price ever. 

Currently, the best iPhone 12 deals are on refurbished models. For instance, Verizon has the Pre-Owned iPhone 12 Pro or the Pre-Owned iPhone 12 Pro Max for free. Both devices are described as being in "very good" condition, which means they might have light scuff or scratch marks. 

Generally speaking, wireless carriers remain your best option for cheap iPhone 12 deals — particularly if you're ready to switch networks. (Also, make sure to read our guide to the best Apple Store coupons for more deals on Apple gear).

Today's best iPhone 12 deals 

• Verizon: up to $700 off iPhone 12 w/ port + trade-in
• AT&T: up to 50% off iPhone 12 mini
• Mint Mobile: iPhone 12 mini for $30/mo. + unlimited 5G for $30/mo.
• Visible: free $100 gift card
• Best Buy: up to $100 off all iPhone 12 models
• T-Mobile: up to $800 off all iPhone 12 models

Best iPhone 12 deals 

iPhone 12 deals

• Best Apple deals right now

Best iPhone 12 Pro Max deals 

iPhone 12 Pro Max deals

Best iPhone 12 mini deals 

iPhone 12 mini deals

Best iPhone 12 deals — accessories

iPhone 12 accessories deals

iPhone 12 deals — Which model should you get?

The iPhone 12 sports a fast A14 Bionic processor, 5G connectivity, and updated cameras. It also has a new Ceramic Shield glass display that Apple claims is the toughest in the industry. There's also a new MagSafe charging system. 

The iPhone 12 features a 12MP wide lens with a f/1.6 aperture and a 12MP ultra-wide lens with a f/2.4 aperture and 120-degree field of view. It's the first iPhone to include Apple's new 7-element lens, which delivers low light performance. Apple has also added a new Night Mode Time-lapse feature. 

Meanwhile, the iPhone 12 mini is a compact version of the iPhone 12. It sports a 5.4-inch OLED display and the same A14 Bionic CPU found inside the standard iPhone 12. However, its costs $699, which is $100 less than the 6.1-inch iPhone 12. 

The iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max are the successors to the iPhone 11 Pro models. They feature larger screens — 6.1 inches for the Pro and 6.7 inches for the Pro Max — plus triple camera arrays aided by a LiDAR sensor. Otherwise, they share the same processor, 5G connectivity, and charging features as the iPhone 12. 

Tips for finding the best iPhone 12 deals

• Carriers offer the biggest discounts: Switching carriers remains the best way to find iPhone 12 deals. This is especially true when new iPhone models are announced. That said, AT&T iPhone 12 deals are worth tracking because sometimes its deals apply to both new and existing users. Otherwise, most carriers will require that you port your number to their service to get the best deals. 
• Keep your old iPhone in top condition: In addition to switching carriers, trading in your old phone is another way to save on the purchase of a new iPhone. As a result, you'll want to keep your current phone in the best shape possible and make sure to save all the boxes, cables, and documentation that originally came with it. That way should you want an iPhone 13, you'll be able to get it without having to pay full retail.
• Don't forget about refurbs: We normally wouldn't recommend shopping for refurbished smartphones, but Apple's refurbs are the exception. They're refurbished by Apple to work and look like new. More importantly, they're backed by the same 1-year warranty that comes with new Apple devices. 
• Wait for the next Apple keynote: Apple's next September keynote is a year away. So if the iPhone 13 isn't you thing, here's what we know about the iPhone 14. 

• iPhone 12 vs. iPhone 12 mini
• iPhone 12 Pro vs. iPhone 12 Pro Max
• How to check iPhone battery health

Now that the iPhone 14 Pro is out, my wife and I are planning to upgrade our phones to Apple's latest models; I have an aging iPhone XR that still works well, but want something with a better camera, and my wife has a Google Pixel 3, but wants to switch from Android to iOS for one particular reason. 

But in the process of upgrading our phones, I decided that it would also be a good time to look at our phone and streaming plans, and see if we couldn't find some savings along the way. I'm glad I did, because after we make the switch, we'll be saving up to $43 per month. Here's how.

Our current monthly phone, streaming, and internet bills

At the moment, we're currently spending $237 per month for our phone, internet, and streaming plans. We have a now-grandfathered 5GB shared phone plan from Verizon that's $100/month, our Comcast internet plan is $118, Disney Plus tacks on another $7.99, and our Spotify plan — which also includes a subscription to Hulu — is $9.99.

Examining our options

Currently, we use a shared 5GB data plan on Verizon, which has worked pretty well in the past, but lately, we've been exceeding our monthly limit as we venture out of the house — and away from our Wi-Fi — more and more. 

So, I started looking at some of Verizon's unlimited plans, which would not only give us a discount when it came to buying an iPhone, but could also potentially save us some money, as they are bundled with streaming services.

But, which plan would be the most economical for us? 

I first checked out the Verizon 5G Get More plan, which would cost us $160 per month ($80 per line). This plan includes Disney Plus, Hulu, ESPN+, as well as Apple Music — so I'd be able to ditch all my current streaming subscriptions. However, this would also mean switching from Spotify to Apple Music, but we're somewhat lazy and don't want to have to recreate all our playlists.

The other option was the Verizon 5G Play More plan (which we consider the best unlimited data plan overall), which would cost us $140 per month, and includes Disney Plus, Hulu, and ESPN+. It doesn't include Apple Music, but even with Spotify, we're still saving $10/month. (For a deeper dive into everything Big Red offers, check out the best Verizon Phone plans). 

Central to picking either of these plans, though, is also switching from Comcast Xfinity to Verizon FIOS for our Internet service. Currently, we're paying $118/month, but if we were to switch to one of Verizon's unlimited plans, I could drop that to around $45/month for the 500Mbps plan — Verizon's mid-tier FIOS option. We don't do a lot of gaming or streaming, so the 1Gbps plan for $64/month seems like overkill.

What I'm going with

Ultimately, we're going to pick the Verizon Play More plan, which costs $140/month, but will get us everything we need for our phones, streaming, and home internet needs. In the process, we'll be saving a good chunk of cash each month; I'm estimating we'll have around $40 extra, which would get us $480 more each year. Some of that will be eaten up by the cost of our new iPhones (we'll be on the hook for about $800 after we trade in our old models), but we still look to come out ahead. 

Plus, this deal looks to get better very soon, as both Disney Plus and Hulu have announced price increases that will take effect in December. 

In retrospect, I should have done this a week or two ago, as the iPhone 14 wait times have grown to around two weeks. But I can wait that long if it means some good long-term savings. 

Next: See our iPhone 14 Pro Max vs iPhone 12 Max camera face-off to see if it's worth the upgrade. Also read about why my colleague dumped his iPhone 14 Pro after one day.

Your days with the physical SIM card are numbered. Apple launched the iPhone 14 models in the US as eSIM-only, leaving out physical SIM cards altogether, so you can expect new models from now on to follow suit.

While eSIM is not a new concept, Apple is swimming against the tide by not including a SIM tray on the new iPhones.

This drew a lot of concerns from people saying that it will be difficult to use the new phones while traveling to developing countries. Apple has since then published a support document that highlights different options of using eSIM on the new iPhones.

eSIMs are embedded SIMs that can be electronically programmed. It is a more secure way of enabling a carrier on a phone as it can’t get lost or stolen. It also eliminates the need to obtain, carry, and swap physical SIM cards. Apple introduced eSIM with the iPhone XS and every iPhone model after that has supported the digital SIM card. Many of the best Android phones have also had eSIM capabilities for years. 

Apple allows you to store up to 8 eSIMs and use two numbers simultaneously (the eSIM version of dual SIMs). We recently found traveling with an eSIM (on an iPhone XR even) is not a hassle as there are many different carriers that offer good voice and data plans abroad. 

The good news for U.S. users is that some of the best carriers in the country offer eSIM and it is very simple to set up. So if you’re in the US and have just got yourself the new iPhone 14 or later, here’s how you can set up eSIM on it.

 How to activate eSIM on iPhone

Installing a SIM might sound like a daunting process, but Apple has made it pretty simple, with on-screen instructions doing most of the set up for you. There are different ways to add or enable any eSIM from a carrier on your new iPhone. 

If you have bought an eSIM online and need to activate it, you can do so manually by tapping into Settings > Mobile Data > Add Data plan.

You will see a screen that says “Set up mobile service” and will give you two options: transfer from a nearby iPhone or use QR code. Scanning the QR Code will walk you through the quick process to set up the eSIM.

You can directly scan a QR Code to enable eSIM as well without going into Settings. 

Most carriers send push notifications once the QR Code is scanned that then hand holds you through the rest of the steps. You can also use your carrier’s mobile app, which will also guide you through instructions on the screen to complete the setup process.

Transferring an eSIM or a physical SIM

Chances are that you would want to transfer your existing number to your new iPhone 14. Luckily, there is a snappy way of doing that. The eSIM setup option on iOS is called eSIM Quick Transfer that allows users to transfer their previous iPhone SIM (whether physical or eSIM) to an eSIM.

This is one of the easiest ways to transfer SIMs if you’re upgrading from a previous iPhone. The only catch is that both the iPhones have to be running iOS 16 or later.

For Quick Transfer, open your Settings app, tap on Mobile Data and then “Add data plan”.

Now choose a mobile data plan to transfer from another device. If you can't see a list of numbers, tap on “Transfer From Another Device”. Your previous iPhone should confirm the transfer and might ask you to enter a verification number on your new iPhone. 

The mobile data plan should get activated automatically on your new device. Apple says “Your previous SIM is deactivated when the mobile data plan on your new iPhone is activated."

To continue setting up the new eSIM for voice and text, tap on “Finish Setting Up Your Network Provider's Data Plan” that should pop up as a banner. This will take you to the carrier's website to transfer your eSIM.

How to activate an eSIM through carriers

If you want to set up a new number on your iPhone then this is the route to take. 

Most leading carriers provide eSIMs, some of which have the same plans that are offered for physical SIMs. Here’s how to set up eSIMs from AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile on your new iPhone. There are other carriers like Mint Mobile that also provide eSIMs, we are focussing on these three carriers in this guide. 

Do note that if you experience any issues while setting up your eSIM, it is best to call your carrier provider to complete your set up.

AT&T 

•  Sign in to your AT&T account 
•  Click on “My devices” 
•  Find your iPhone or any other phone you are setting up and click on “Manage” 
•  The click on “Options and Settings” 
•  From here you can click on “Get a new eSIM” 
•  Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the set up 

 Verizon 

• Sign in to the Verizon app or website 
•  Find the device you want eSIM on and set up an eSIM profile 
•  You can also scan a QR code to activate an eSIM 

T-Mobile 

• Sign in to your T-Mobile account on the app or website 
•  Find your device you want the eSIM on and select a phone number 
•  Follow the on-screen instructions to set up a new eSIM 
•  You can also can a QR code to activate an eSIM 

For more iPhone tutorials, get started with how to enable Sound Recognition on iPhone, which can listen out for and notify you about doorbells, smoke alarms and babies crying. Want a nicer feeling keyboard? Learn how to enable haptic keyboard on iPhone.

The iPhone 14 is here and phone carriers are rolling out new plans and promotions to stand out among those offering iPhone 14 preorder deals. Verizon, in particular, may have found a way to appeal directly to iPhone fans.

The carrier's new One Unlimited for iPhone plan comes with everything an Apple fan could want short of the phone itself. While you have to bring (or buy) your own device, you get the Apple One bundle, which includes Apple Music, Apple TV Plus, Apple Arcade and iCloud Plus all for as little as $45 a line when you add multiple lines to the plan.

Does that sound a bit expensive? If you were only getting Apple One, then sure. But One Unlimited for iPhone also includes a truly unlimited data plan from Verizon on top of Apple One. That means you can consume as much data as you want without having to worry about your speeds getting slowed down. In addition, the One Unlimited for iPhone plan includes access to Verizon's super fast Ultra 5G network.

At that point, One Unlimited for iPhone becomes a huge value, one that Verizon says is worth nearly $480 per year if you have four or more lines.

Verizon's One Unlimited for iPhone: What’s included 

The big selling point of One Unlimited is the included Apple One subscription. This gives customers four great Apple products in one starting at $14.95. However, with the One Unlimited for iPhone plan, you can save even more.

The only other truly unlimited plan Verizon offers is its 5G Get More plan, which costs $90/month for one line. Add in an individual Apple One plan at $14.95 and you are spending nearly $105 per month. In contrast, you can get One Unlimited for iPhone for just $90. Your Apple One plan is essentially free.

Increase to four lines though and the savings really start to add up. At four lines the 5G Get More plan drops to $55 per line. Add in a family Apple One plan at $19.95 and you are spending $239.95 per month. With One Unlimited, you only pay $50 per line ($200 total) and you save nearly $40 per month. Over the course of a year that is $479.40 in annual savings — right in line with the $480 in savings Verizon claims.

Of course, there is a slight catch. The 5G Get More Plan also includes the Disney Bundle, while One Unlimited for iPhone does not. But you can always sign up for the Disney Bundle a la carte, and at its $13.99 a month price point you still save money — over $25 a month for plans with four lines.

All told, Verizon's One Unlimited for iPhone is a pretty good deal. Plus, Verizon recently made strides in 5G coverage due to its integrated C-Band 5G, so you’re getting an already good network — No, 2 on our best phone carriers list — that is constantly improving.

Now the only thing you’ll need is an iPhone, and luckily Apple just launched four of them. At its September 7 event, Apple unveiled the iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Plus, iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max.

So if you are looking for new Apple tech to go with your new One Unlimited for iPhone plan, you have plenty of options, as you can see by perusing the best iPhone 14 deals. 

Not long ago, getting one of the best unlimited data plans from a major wireless carrier meant a big monthly bill each month. And to be sure, the top plans that come packed with perks still cost a pretty penny if you turn to AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon.

But back in 2018, T-Mobile rolled out Essentials, a stripped-down version of its unlimited data plan available at a lower price. Eventually, T-Mobile's biggest competitors — perhaps feeling pressured from the best cheap cell phone plans that also include low-cost unlimited data — took notice. 

In the past year, AT&T and Verizon have both added entry-level unlimited data plans of their own. You won't find much in the way of perks, but you may not mind when your cell phone bill arrives at the end of each month.

Knowing what unlimited data plans are out there is especially vital at this time of year when phone makers are rolling out their fall flagship devices. Samsung just introduced the Galaxy Z Fold 4 and Galaxy Z Flip 4, its latest foldables, and the iPhone 14 should soon be arriving from Apple. If you're in the market for a new phone, it may pay to look for a new wireless plan as well — particularly one that doesn't charge you a lot for unlimited talk, text and data.

With that in mind, we wanted to compare the lowest-priced unlimited data plans available at the three major phone carriers. You'll find less expensive options at mobile virtual network operators, or MVNOs, and AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon all offer more feature-packed plans at higher monthly rates. But consider this cheap unlimited data phone plan comparison a good starting point for understanding the going rate for unlimited data these days — especially if you run across the best cell phone deals that require you to sign up for an unlimited data plan.

Cheap unlimited data plans compared: AT&T vs. T-Mobile vs. Verizon

Cheap unlimited data plans: AT&T Value Plus Plan

What it costs, one line: $50/month

What it costs, four lines: N/A

AT&T's Value Plus plan is ideal for people who just need one line of unlimited data and don't require a lot of perks. For just $50 a month, Value Plus gives you talk, text and data with no limits, though AT&T reserves the right to slow your data speeds if its network is congested. That's what separates Value Plus from more expensive AT&T unlimited plans, which include a set amount of "premium data," or high-speed data that you can use without having to worry about throttling.

AT&T includes 5G coverage through its nationwide network with the Value Plus plan, and you'll be able to use your talk, text and data when traveling in Mexico or Canada. You can also enjoy unlimited texting from the U.S. to 200-plus countries. But that's about it when it comes to perks.

The biggest limitation with AT&T's Value Plus plan is that families can't take advantage of it — AT&T restricts Value Plus pricing to just one line. If you want to add multiple lines, you'll have to opt for one of AT&T's more expensive unlimited plans like the AT&T Unlimited Starter plan ($140 for four lines or $35/line) or AT&T Unlimited Extra ($160 for four lines or $40/line). Of course, those plans come with extra perks.

AT&T's next cheapest plan: AT&T Unlimited Stater costs $65 a month for a single line of data. That extra $15/month gets you 3GB of mobile hotspot data per line, and you can add multiple lines. Otherwise, perks aren't that much different from the Value Plus plan. If you aren't sure either of these is the plan for you, it's worth looking at our AT&T Mobility promo codes for other ways to save.

Cheap unlimited data plans: T-Mobile Essentials plan

What it costs, one line: $60/month

What it costs, four lines: $105/month ($26.25 per line)

T-Mobile's Magenta plan gets all the hype, but there's a cheaper option than the $70/month unlimited plan that's the carrier's flagship offering. T-Mobile Essentials offers unlimited data for less, though the perks aren't as generous as what you would get with Magenta or the even more expensive Magenta Plus option.

Still, Essentials offers more perks than you might expect. In addition to 5G coverage from T-Mobile's top-ranked 5G network, you can enjoy unlimited hotspot data, though it's restricted to 3G speeds. You can enjoy 50GB of unlimited data before T-Mobile can slow your speeds, which gives Essentials a leg up over the cheap unlimited plans from AT&T and Verizon. 

Normally, to get streaming services included with your wireless plan, you have to pay up for more expensive options, but Essentials customers do get a year of Paramount Plus for free. 

Unlike AT&T's Value Plus plan, Essentials supports multiple lines. As of this writing, a four-line plan costs $105/month or $26.25 for each line. But note that reflects a current promotion where T-Mobile is waiving the fee on the third line of data. Normally, four lines of Essentials will set you back $140 each month.

One big drawback to T-Mobile Essentials is that the rate doesn't include taxes and fees. Other T-Mobile unlimited plans bake taxes and fees into the monthly rate so that you're always paying the same amount.

T-Mobile's next cheapest plan: From Essentials, you can step up to the $70/month Magenta plan, which will cost a family of four $140 total, thanks to that discounted third line. Magenta doubles your premium data cap to 100GB, and your hotspot speeds increase to high-speed with a 5GB cap. Multi-line plans get a free Netflix subscription, and there are travel benefits like in-flight Wi-Fi, too.

Cheap unlimited data plans: Verizon Welcome Unlimited

What it costs, one line: $65/month

What it costs, four lines: $120/month ($30 per line)

Verizon's Welcome Unlimited is the relative newcomer to this mix of cheap unlimited plans, giving you a low entry price for unlimited data through Verizon's far-reach service. You can also get 5G coverage through Welcome Unlimited, though that's via Verizon's nationwide 5G network and not the much faster C-Band and mmWave-based 5G available in select cities.

As is commonplace among these cheap unlimited plans, perks are few and far between with Welcome Unlimited. You can expect to enjoy talk, text and data when you travel to Mexico and Canada, but that's about it. Verizon will slow your speeds if you its network gets congested.

Welcome Unlimited's greatest appeal is for families, where escalating discounts drop the per-line cost to $30 each month for four lines of data. While Verizon's other unlimited data plans let you mix and match plans, you don't have that luxury with Welcome Unlimited.

Verizon's next cheapest plan: If you want more perks with your unlimited data, the next step up at Verizon is the 5G Start plan, which costs $70 a month for just one line. Families pay $35/line for four lines of data. The extra perks include 5GB of hotspot data, plus assorted 6-month streaming trials to Disney Plus, Discovery Plus, Apple Music and whichever gaming service (Apple Arcade or Google Play Pass) strikes your fancy. 5G Play More, with its more extensive benefits, ups your cost to $80/month. You can also check our Verizon promo codes for other ways to save.

Other cheap unlimited data plans

There are cheaper unlimited plans available, if you're willing to look beyond the major wireless carriers, turning instead to discount services. Mint Mobile, for example, charges $30 a month for its unlimited plan, though after a three-month trial, you need to pay for a full year of service to get that low rate.

Visible, which just shuffled up its plans, now charges $30 a month for its entry-level unlimited plan, without the year commitment that Mint requires. For $45 a month, Visible includes perks like international calling and texting plus access to Verizon's fastest 5G network. (Visible is owned by Verizon and uses that carrier's network for coverage.) Tello offers the cheapest unlimited data plan by a $1, charging $29 for unlimited talk, text and data.

As we noted with Visible, these discount services use the big carriers' towers for their service — Verizon's in Visible's case, and T-Mobile's for Mint and Tello. On the bright side, that includes 5G coverage through those networks. On the down side, your data speeds can be slowed if the parent network is experiencing a lot of traffic.

Cheap unlimited data plans: Which should you pick?

As with any cell phone plan, picking the best cheap unlimited data offering from a major wireless carrier comes down to more factors than just price. However, if that's your primary concern, AT&T is the low-price champ with its Value Plus plan, provided you don't need more than one line of data. Families would be better off considering the Welcome Unlimited plan from Verizon, particularly if they live in an area where Verizon's coverage is strong.

Perks also play a role in picking a good unlimited plan, even if those perks aren't numerous for plans this cheap. Still, T-Mobile Essentials includes hotspot data (albeit at slow speeds) and a year of Paramount Plus. It's also the only unlimited plan to promise that your data speeds won't be slowed, at least for the first 50GB of data use. Because T-Mobile has the top-ranked 5G network, it's also best for 5G coverage, even with its cheapest unlimited data plan.