10-28-25 -

Cricket, AT&T Update Entry-Level 5G Phones
AT&T and Cricket (which is owned by AT&T) have updated their own-brand entry-level 5G phones with minor changes and a somewhat new branding strategy for Cricket. The new Cricket Icon 2026 and Cricket Icon Pro 2026 join the Cricket Icon Plu...

10-23-25 -

Apple Prepping "Transfer to Android" Feature, Including 3rd-Party Apps and eSIM
Apple is preparing to launch a new feature in iOS called "Transfer to Android" that will make it easier to switch from an iPhone to an Android phone. The feature will be able to wirelessly transfer an eSIM, as well as photos, messages, n...

10-22-25 -

Apple Will Let Users Dial Back Liquid Glass Even More
Apple is continuing to refine its controversial Liquid Glass software design, introduced in iOS 26 and Apple's other new software this year. The design was initially introduced with a very clear "glass" look, but was tweaked based on use...

10-21-25 -

Google Fi Updates Web Messaging, SD Calling, and Wi-Fi Calling
Google today announced several various improvements to its Google Fi mobile service. First, Google Fi is updating its existing web-based calling and messaging option to support RCS, making it easier to share hi-res photos and videos from a compute...

10-17-25 -

RedMagic Puts Liquid Cooling in its New Gaming Phone
RedMagic has announced its newest high-performance gaming phone, the RedMagic 11 Pro. It's the first mass-produced phone with true liquid cooling, circulated by a 0.85mm ceramic micro-pump, in addition to active air cooling with an integrated 24,0...

10-08-25 -

Google Turned Down by Supreme Court, Must Open up App Payments
Google has lost its final effort to delay new, court-ordered app store rules. The US Supreme Court has turned down Google's request to temporarily freeze parts of a key injunction. As as result, starting later this month, Google must allow develop...

10-08-25 -

AT&T Launches More Capable 5G Nationwide
AT&T has officially launched 5G SA (Stand-Alone) network technology nationwide. Like most US carriers, AT&T initially launched 5G using the NSA (Non-Stand-Alone) version of the technology, which relied on the existing 4G LTE network for so...

10-06-25 -

Verizon Appoints New CEO
Hot on the heels of T-Mobile announcing a change in leadership, Verizon has just announced that Dan Schulman will replace Hans Vestberg as CEO, effective immediately. Schulman was previously CEO of PayPal, and has held senior leadership roles at A...

10-03-25 -

Apple, Google Remove ICE Tracking Apps
Apple and Google have both removed apps from their app stores that let people report and see the locations of ICE agents. US Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a statement that "ICEBlock is designed to put ICE agents at risk just for doing th...

10-01-25 -

T-Mobile Launches Limited Data Service Over Satellite
As promised in June, T-Mobile today launched a set of data services on its T-Satellite service (that offers coverage in cellular dead zones using over 650 SpaceX Starlink satellites in orbit). The data services are limited to specific apps, and th...

10-01-25 -

Qualcomm Scores Another Win in Legal Battle with Arm
A US District Court judge has ruled in favor of Qualcomm in its ongoing licensing dispute with Arm. The ruling brings to a close the original 2022 case where Arm accused Qualcomm of improperly transferring chip-design licenses when it acquired Nuv...

09-25-25 -

US, China Agree on Deal for US Version of TikTok
President Trump says that Chinese leader Xi Jinping has given the green light on a deal to create a new, US-controlled version of TikTok for US users. The new company will license the TikTok algorithm from ByteDance, but will retrain the service u...

09-25-25 -

Nothing Spins Off CMF
Phone maker Nothing is spinning off its CMF sub-brand into an independent subsidiary company. Like Nothing, CMF makes phones and accessories with striking designs, but at more affordable price points. CMF phones sell well in India, and the new CMF...

09-24-25 -

Qualcomm Intros Newest Flagship Chip for Phones
Qualcomm has announced the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen. 5, its newest chip for top-end phones. Qualcomm promises performance and efficiency gains across the board. Compared to last year's chip, (the "Snapdragon 8 Elite",) the new 3rd-generati...

09-23-25 -

Google Brings Conversational AI Photo Editing to More Phones
Google is rolling out its new AI-powered "conversational editing" feature in Google Photos to more phones, (beyond the Pixel 10 series). When editing a photo, a new "Help me edit" text box at the bottom lets you simply tell it ...

09-23-25 -

Google Revamps Gaming Platform with new Sidekick and Profiles
Google has announced a series of updates to Google Play that focus mainly on gaming. The biggest new feature might be the Play Games Sidekick, an in-game overlay that includes a variety of relevant info, tools, and shortcuts. This includes quick s...

09-22-25 -

Verizon Establishes Lab and Group to Work on 6G
Verizon has announced new partnerships and facilities to ramp up work on 6G mobile technology. The new "Verizon 6G Innovation Forum" brings together network vendors Ericsson, Samsung, and Nokia; as well as Meta and Qualcomm. Verizon plan...

09-22-25 -

T-Mobile Gets a New CEO
T-Mobile has announced a change in leadership, with its current COO Srini Gopalan replacing Mike Sievert as CEO this November. Sievert has led the company for five years, and will stay on in a newly-created "Vice Chairman" position to en...

09-15-25 -

iOS 26 Now Available, with Visual Intelligence
Apple has released the final, public version of iOS 26. It should be available to download now on most recent iPhones. New features include Live Translation of languages, available for in-person conversations as well as in Messages and FaceTime. T...

09-15-25 -

Apple's iPhone 17 Series is Nearly Hack-Proof
Apple has revealed that the new A19 chips in the iPhone 17 series (including iPhone Air) are its first chips to support a new security feature in iOS called Memory Integrity Enforcement (MIE). This new technology is a big leap in addressing memory...

09-15-25 -

Apple Intros Compact new Fast Charger for iPhone 17 Series
Apple has introduced a new compact fast charger that can charge at up to 60 watts. It employs "Dynamic Power" to charge at 40 watts normally, but up to 60 watts for a limited time, at specific points in the charging cycle. This enables t...

09-15-25 -

Samsung Begins Rollout of Android 16 to Rest of Lineup
Samsung is rolling out its One UI 8 software update — based on Android 16 — to its flagship Galaxy S25 series this week. The company recently launched its new foldables (the Flip7 and Fold7) with the new software. One key new feature is the No...

09-09-25 -

Arm's New Designs Optimize for AI Running on CPU Cores
Arm has introduced its Arm v9.3 compute architecture, including new "C1" CPU core designs and "G1" GPU (graphics) core designs. In high-end configurations, Arm calls the new platform Lumex, which focuses on new ways to accelera...

09-09-25 -

iPhone Air Chases Title of Thinnest Phone
Apple has followed Samsung in creating a super-thin flagship-class phone this year with the new iPhone Air. Like the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge, the iPhone Air uses a titanium body to achieve sub-6mm thickness. While the S25 Edge measures 5.8mm, the ...

09-09-25 -

iPhone 17 Series Shakes up Formula
Apple has announced this year's iPhone lineup, the iPhone 17 series. Instead of a "Plus" model, Apple has introduced a new iPhone Air (covered in a separate article) that's extra-thin and more premium than a Plus model. New in the standa...

09-09-25 -

Apple Brings 5G to its Smartwatches
Apple has introduced a complete new lineup of Apple Watches, from an affordable new Apple Watch SE 3, to the main Apple Watch Series 11, to the top-end Apple Watch Ultra 3. All of the new models now include 5G cellular connectivity. The Apple Watc...

09-09-25 -

Apple Updates its Pro Earbuds
Apple has introduced the AirPods Pro 3, its newest top-end Bluetooth earbuds. One headline feature is a new heart rate sensor, which allows fitness tracking features (in both Apple and third-party apps) that would have previously required an Apple...

09-08-25 -

SpaceX Buys Its Own Spectrum for Starlink Direct-To-Cell Service
SpaceX has reached an agreement with EchoStar to buy 50 MHz of radio spectrum licenses for approximately $17 billion. These licenses will enable SpaceX to operate its Starlink Direct-To-Cell service using its own spectrum in the US. The deal also ...

09-08-25 -

Bittium Teams up with HMD for its Newest Secure Phone for Government
Bittium, the Finnish company specializing in ultra-secure phones for western government users, has announced its newest phone: the Bittium Tough Mobile 3. This model will be a significant upgrade over the current model, offering 5G, a 50 megapixel...

09-04-25 -

Google Introduces Continuous On-Screen Language Translation
Google has announced an update to its "Circle to Search" feature on Android that enables continuous language translation of everything on the screen, even as you scroll and change apps. To access the feature, long-press the home button o...

09-04-25 -

Google Brings AI Text Tools to its Keyboard
Google has announced an update to Gboard — its default keyboard software for Android — that introduces system-wide AI writing tools. This includes spelling and grammar fixes, proofreading, and rewriting in a different "tone", such a...

09-04-25 -

Google Brings Bluetooth Auracast to Pixel Phones
An update will enable Auracast on Google Pixel 8 series and newer phones. Auracast lets many phones tune in to a single broadcast Bluetooth audio source, and that source can be a phone, or a stationary device associated with a venue such as a gym,...

09-04-25 -

Samsung Debuts Galaxy S25 FE
Samsung has launched this year's Galaxy S "FE", the company's "affordable flagship" model that has a more approachable price than the premium Galaxy S models, while offering more than the company's Galaxy A models. The Galaxy S...

09-04-25 -

Anker Debuts New Line of Premium Chargers
Anker has announced three new fast chargers in its flagship Prime lineup: a portable triple charger, a large power bank, and a desktop triple wireless charger. All three integrate an interactive display, and have extra settings available via compa...

09-02-25 -

Google Barred from Requiring Its Apps on Phones with Play Store
A judge today issued remedies in the government's antitrust case against Google. Google won't be forced to divest its Android operating system, nor its Chrome web browser, as the Department of Justice had requested. Google will also be allowed to ...

09-02-25 -

Cricket Brings 5G to its Entry-Level Icon Phones
Cricket has started selling the Cricket Icon Plus, its first Icon-series phone with 5G. It also has a larger display than previous Icon phones at 6.9 inches. The Icon Plus replaces the Icon 6, and most other features and specs at the same, includi...

08-28-25 -

Tracfone Launches Its First Unlimited Data Plan
Tracfone has added a new service plan to its offerings: Tracfone Freedom. This is Tracfone's first plan to include unlimited data (a standard offering from most other carriers). Tracfone's existing plans range from 0.5 – 20 GB of data, and toppe...

08-27-25 -

Boost Mobile Gives up on Building Its Own Network
As part of its recent transaction with AT&T, EchoStar has announced that "elements of Boost Mobile's radio access network (RAN) will be decommissioned over time." Boost spent the past several years building its own nationwide 5G netw...

08-26-25 -

AT&T Buys $23 Billion Worth of Spectrum from EchoStar
AT&T and EchoStar (parent company of Boost Mobile) have reached a deal for AT&T to acquire 50 MHz of nationwide radio spectrum licenses from EchoStar for approximately $23 billion. 30 MHz of that bandwidth is in the 3.45 GHz band, prime mi...

08-26-25 -

Android Will Only Allow Side-Loaded Apps from Verified Developers
Google is introducing a new requirement in Android for side-loaded apps (those installed from sources other than the Google Play store.) In the future, Android will only run side-loaded apps that are confirmed to come from developers that have reg...

08-25-25 -

FCC Steps Up Enforcement of Anti-Robocall Measures
The FCC today implemented one of its largest anti-robocall enforcement actions to date, effectively banning over 1,200 non-compliant voice service providers from US voice networks. This action marks the final step in a major anti-robocall effort t...

08-20-25 -

Google Pixel 10 Series Puts Big Upgrades In a Familiar Skin
Google has announced its latest lineup of Pixel phones. The four Pixel 10 models have the same naming scheme and basic outer designs as last year's Pixel 9 series, but manage to make important upgrades to the batteries, cameras, processor, and dur...

08-20-25 -

Simple and Total Add International Service
Verizon is adding a variety of international service features to plans on two of its prepaid brands: Simple Mobile and Total Wireless. Most Simple Mobile plans now include unlimited global texting. Plans also include unlimited international callin...

08-19-25 -

Snapdragon 7s Gen 4 Brings a Modest Speed Boost
Qualcomm has unveiled the fourth generation of its Snapdragon 7s chip to power upper-mid-range phones. It offers a 7% boost in CPU and GPU (graphics) performance, while keeping most of the same specs and features as the previous Gen 3 chip. The 7s...

08-14-25 -

Google Messages Rolls Out Nudity Blurring
Google is rolling out a feature that can automatically detect and blur images containing nudity. The feature is enabled by default for minors and disabled by default for adults. When using Android's parental control features, only a parent can dis...

08-14-25 -

T-Mobile Taps New Manufacturer for REVVL 8 Series, Including Unannounced Pro ...
Regulatory filings reveal that the new T-Mobile REVVL 8 phone is manufactured by Luxshare, a new entrant in the white-label phone space in the US. Most carrier-branded phones in the US have been made by Coosea, Tinno, or Wingtech in recent years. ...

08-12-25 -

Arm Plans to Put AI in its GPUs
Arm has announced plans to embed neural accelerators directly in its graphics cores in future chip architectures. This will enable game developers to boost graphics performance and/or efficiency using new generative AI techniques. These include Ne...

08-12-25 -

T-Mobile Launches Its Own REVVL 8 Phone
T-Mobile has launched its eighth generation of own-brand smartphones, which this year consists of just one model. The new T-Mobile REVVL 8 combines the smaller size of last year's REVVL 7 with some of the more premium features of last year's REVVL...

08-05-25 -

Motorola Intros Swarovski Device Bundle
Motorola has introduced a unique new bundle offering that includes both a razr phone and moto "buds loop" Bluetooth earbuds, in an exclusive matching color and designs accented with Swarovski crystals. Motorola calls this The Brilliant C...

08-04-25 -

UScellular is Now Part of T-Mobile
T-Mobile has now formally acquired "substantially all" of UScellular's wireless operations, including customers and stores, as well as "certain specified spectrum assets". This completes a transaction first announced in May. Cu...