While there remains some debate over the success of the HTC First “Facebook Home” phone in the US market, it looks like the handset will not even be getting a[...]
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There’s a lot to love about the new cross-platform Hangouts app. Unfortunately, it isn’t all sunshine and rainbows for AT&T users, though.
For whatever reason, AT&T users are greeted with a message that tells them they “must be connected to a Wi-Fi network to join a video call”. AT&T previously laid the blame on Google, stating that the company needed to officially enable Hangouts with AT&T in order for it to work. Luckily, they are preparing to change stance on the way video chat programs work.
Throughout the second half of this year, we plan to enable pre-loaded video chat apps over cellular for all our customers, regardless of data plan or device; that work is expected to be complete by yearend. Today, all of our customers can use any mobile video chat app that they download from the Internet, such as Skype.
What does this mean for you? In a nutshell, AT&T currently only lets pre-loaded apps (which Google Hangouts is considered to be) work with Tiered and Mobile Shared plans. In the near future, all video apps will work just fine with any data plan, pre-loaded or otherwise.
While it was arguably a douche move to limit pre-installed apps from working with video chat to begin with, at least AT&T seems ready to make a change.
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Verizon smartphone prepaid plans now include bigger data allowances, while keeping unlimited talk and messages in place.
As you may remember, the Verizon smartphone prepaid plans have been made available in February, and you could choose between two options. The smaller plan included unlimited talk and texts and 500MB of data for $ 60 a month, while the more expensive one, at $ 70, also had no limits on voice calls and messaging, but included a data allowance of 2GB.
Both plans only worked on Verizon’s 3G network and, if that part hasn’t changed, the good news is that the data you’ll be receiving with each one of them has been increased. The $ 60 plan will now include 2GB of data, with the $ 70 one will be offering you 4GB.
If you’re already using one of the two prepaid plans, you’re getting the bigger data allotment right now, according to what Verizon says on its website. However, if you plan on switching to one of the two Verizon smartphone prepaid plans, the new data allowances will only be available to you starting on June 6.
This should be pretty good news if you’re already using one of the two plans, or you’re thinking about taking the Verizon prepaid route in the future.
Do you use a prepaid plan or do you prefer a contract?
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When Samsung unveiled its first 4K Ultra HD TV at CES this year, it said other sizes would follow, both larger and smaller than the initial 85-inch version. Now it’s apparently ready to fulfill part of that promise, announcing in Korea that 65- and 55-inch models will launch next month. Of course our next question is how these smaller models will compare to the $ 39,999 MSRP 85S9 UHD TV in price. Hopefully they’ll follow the path blazed by Sony, which recently introduced models at that size with pricing well below the $ 10,000 benchmark, although we expect Seiki’s 50-incher will still hold the crown for value pricing. The press release mentions they will feature Samsung’s upgradeable Smart TV platform and the “micro dimming ultimate” LED lighting of their larger cousin, but the odd “Timeless Gallery” frame / stand (pictured above on the 85-incher) was not listed.
Filed under: Displays, Home Entertainment, HD, Samsung
Source: Korea Newswire
As an update to a previous blog post detailing changes to its prepaid plans, Verizon stealthily made yet another change that will give prepaid customers even more data. Verizon keeps things simple on its prepaid smartphone offerings, with two tiers — $ 60 and $ 70. Both have unlimited talk and text, and previously either 500MB or 2GB of data. Verizon is now bumping those up to 2GB and 4GB, respectively, with no price increase. The plan changes go into effect right away for existing customers that have either of the two plans, but new customers will have to wait until June 6th to have the option available when starting a line.
If you're new to Verizon's prepaid plans, you have to also remember that they are restricted to just its 3G service, and there's no indication of when (if ever) LTE will be included. With that being said, these are still a couple of good options that just got a little more competitive in the steadily expanding prepaid market.
Source: Verizon
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ItsOn had been tipped to launch a new mobile offering and in that respect, they have done just that. The one catch, while ItsOn has launched today, it did not arrive exactly as was expected. Basically, instead of ItsOn taking advantage of the Verizon Wireless network, they have chosen to use the network of another US based CDMA carrier. Perhaps more important though, ItsOn has launched the service as Zact and it is indeed a no-contract carrier.
For those curious, Zact is using the Sprint network. The basics here, users will be able to pick their device and then create a plan with what they need. Some of the highlights here include no-contract, no overages, no-cost sharing and more. Zact has a few options to get you started or you can dive right in and create a plan based on what you need to have. The preset plans begin at $ 3.49 per month and go up to $ 66.21 for the Super Size option.
Just to clarify, you did read that correctly — they start at $ 3.49. Granted, that plan includes only 30 minutes of talk time, 25 text messages and 50MB of data, but it is $ 3.49. Basically, this could be a good option for those who truly want a phone for an emergency and little else. Zact also has a mid-level plan for $ 27.09 which includes 500 minutes, 500 text messages and 500MB of data.
Getting started is pretty simple though, you choose your plan and choose your phone. Those who want more or less of something can also create a plan from scratch. These plans are based off the $ 3.49 Just A Taste plans and allow you to add in anything from 0-4,000 voice minutes, 0-10,000 text messages and up to 2GB of data. While the plans are wide open and flexible, there are only a few options to pick from in terms of a device.
Zact has the LG Viper 4G LTE and the LG Optimus Elite. The former is priced at $ 399 and the latter is priced at $ 199. We should also mention the Optimus Elite is available in black and white. Otherwise, while the service is open for sign-ups as of today, Zact is actually still in the pre-order stage. At the moment the shipping times for the handsets show as being the week of June 3. All said and done, it looks like those in the US now have another prepaid carrier to choose from.
SOURCE: ItsOn
Xiaomi may not be a household name just yet, but company founder and CEO, Lei Jun has some lofty aspirations for the budding smartphone maker. Speaking at the Global Mobile Internet Conference in Beijing, Jun outlined Xiaomi’s past, present and its future.
For a company which was essentially born only three years ago, Xiaomi’s rise to the limelight can only be described as meteoric. You may remember the sales record of the Mi-2S, that recently made headlines around the world, after 200,000 smartphones were sold in 45 seconds. (Are you listening Google? Now that’s how you sell smartphones!)
But Xiaomi is expecting much bigger things, with Jun recently claiming he expects to sell 15 million smartphones this year, double the amount Xiaomi sold in 2012. With a loyal fan base and some incredible devices it certainly isn’t outside Xiaomi’s reach.
With its two-phone strategy, Xiaomi hopes to cover both sides of the market. Jun said that the $ 370 Mi-2S is aimed at students, while the $ 241 Mi-2A is a “simplified version” with a lower price.
One question that comes to people’s lips when they see brilliant devices from Chinese smartphone makers is: when will we see it in international markets? ZTE, Huawei and Lenovo are both struggling with this problem, as it is simply more difficult to cut your own path in crowded international markets.
After announcing plans for launching its devices in Taiwan and Hong Kong, rumors lit up, suggesting that Xiaomi was ready to move into international markets. However, Jun brushed off the rumors, explaining that Xiaomi is just testing the waters to see how its phones compare against smartphones from larger companies like Samsung and HTC.
Xiaomi Mi-2A
However, should the waters in Taiwan and Hong Kong taste syrupy sweet, well who knows where Xiaomi will be headed?
Xiaomi is often described as the “Chinese Apple,” with its loyal fan base, however, Jun said he sees his company in a different light.
Jun mentioned that Xiaomi began by making the MiUi software before moving into the hardware business and pointed out the difference in the way Xiaomi builds its software. While Steve Jobs once famously claimed that Apple build products that its employees like to use, Xiaomi is constantly listening to its customers input, with Jun claiming: “Fans are a huge part of me.”
Xiaomi is in a brilliant position, with a loyal fan base and great products, we expect to see more from the company in the future and hopefully that means we get to see them outside of Asia as well.
Interested in an Xiaomi smartphone? Hope Xiaomi will branch out into international markets?
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AT&T currently offers wireline services under the “All In One” brand and come this summer, the carrier may begin using that same brand for a new pre-paid wireless offering. The details have yet to be confirmed by AT&T, however it is believed that the All In One pre-paid services will be launching in June. These plans are expected to be priced from $ 35 per month.
According to a Fierce Wireless report, AT&T will have an All In One plan available for feature phones and another for smartphones. The prices will be $ 35 and $ 50 per month respectively. The feature phone option will include unlimited talk and text as well as a yet to be specified amount of data.
The smartphone plan will also include unlimited talk and text, however they will also have 2GB of data. Additionally, there was mention of another smartphone plan that will include unlimited talk and text with 5GB of data for $ 70 per month. Of course, all this came with the warning that the “plans could change before they are launched.”
While this pre-paid All In One service is expected to launch nationwide in June, it looks like AT&T will be doing some testing this month. A specific date for the test period hasn’t been mentioned, however the test markets look to include Florida and Texas. Otherwise, this does bring question as to what AT&T will do with the currently available GoPhone brand. Basically, it is up in the air as to whether this will run alongside or replace GoPhone.
A few years ago the word “prepaid” had a near-taboo connotation in the United States, especially when it came to cellular devices. Carriers like Straight Talk have helped change this image, as has the release of the LG Nexus 4 and T-Mobile’s recent push of its “uncarrier” strategy.
The big carriers are having a harder time getting us locked into contracts, which is why Verizon recently unveiled its own no-contract, device payment option. It’s also likely why AT&T is believed to be creating a new prepaid cell service under its existing “All in One” brand.
What makes the new prepaid service different from their current GoPhone offering? Much more aggressive rates, for starters.
According to a report from Fierce Wireless, AT&T’s new plans will launch on June 15th with limited testing in Florida and Texas beginning later this month. The report indicates that the terms and pricing are still subject to change.
If all goes as it is should, there will be a feature plan for $ 35 and a smartphone plan starting at $ 50.
For the feature plan, AT&T will provide unlimited talk, text and an unspecified amount of limited data. The $ 50 smartphone plan will also provide unlimited talk and text, with 2GB mobile data. If that’s not enough data for ya, a $ 70 version will bring that cap up to 5GB.
Not bad AT&T, not bad at all.
How does the new plan compare to other major carriers? Verizon, T-Mobile and AT&T’s GoPhone service all currently provide unlimited talk and text for $ 60. T-Mobile gives you 2.5GB of data, GoPhone provides 1GB, and Verizon has just 500MB. Of course your cheapest route is still going to be with an MNVO like Straight Talk ($ 45, unlimited).
Right now we can’t say for sure if AT&T plans to replace its GoPhone plan with the new “All in One” option, or if both services will co-exist. What do you think, if the new AT&T prepaid plan is as good as it seems, would you be interested?
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How smart can this wristwatch be?
We asked before why everyone was making a smartwatch, and whether you even want a smartwatch in the first place. Well, analysts say 1.2 million smartwatches will be sold this year, and this technology probably plays well with other wearable tech that has been in fashion lately, such as Google Glass.
Google, for one, reportedly has a smartwatch in store for us, and while imaginations were previously fan-sourced, this time we have some actual ideas from Google through a patent filing with the US Patent and Trademark Office.
The “Smart-watch with user interface features” patent application involves a smartwatch with user-interface components on the face and even on the wristband itself, through touchpads on either side of the bezel. Let’s de-construct the smartwatch concept, based on the description:
From the wording in the patent claims, Google is not yet defining whether the smartwatch will contain its own standalone operating system, or whether it is designed to work in conjunction with a smartphone. Either way, the smartwatch design will support a wireless transceiver, which can either interface with a smartphone or a wireless access point.
The ambiguous wording is actually encouraging, if you can expect the smartwatch to work not only with a smartphone or tablet, but also with other wearable devices, such as Google Glass.
As a point of disclaimer, this is, of course, still a patent application. As such, we cannot guarantee whether it will a device that will come to production soon. But knowing how Google can be innovative with experimenting with wearable technology, this concept is probably not to far off into the future. Apple, Sony, LG and even Samsung are reportedly working on smartwatch designs. Is this the next trend in wearable tech, alongside Google Glass?
Image credit: Wristwatch / Shutterstock
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