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Verizon rings up two new rate plans for prepaid customers

AndroidGuys
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Only days after shedding its lowest rate plan for prepaid customers, Verizon is back to change things up. Today finds the carrier adding two new options to its Verizon Prepaid options.

Starting from November 13, Verizon Prepaid subscribers will be able to choose from $50 and $70 offerings. The former provides for 5GB of 4G LTE data per month while the latter delivers 10GB of high speed coverage.

Both plans include unlimited talk and text, mobile hotspot, international messaging, and carryover data. Should a customer hit the threshold of data, Verizon will throttle speeds for the remainder of the bill cycle. Moreover, those customers who want more data in the interim can purchase it in bundles.

For a detailed look at Verizon Prepaid and other prepaid services, be sure to check out our buyer’s guide.

The best promotions you’ll find for wireless service providers (November 7)

AndroidGuys
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Time to purchase a new smartphone? Is this an upgrade from an existing device? Or, are you brand new to these sort of things? Actually, scratch that, it doesn’t matter. We want to help you out either way.

To save you money, we’ve gathered up all of the promotions we could find from the various wireless providers. Regardless of where you’re thinking of going for service, or what phone you are looking to pick up, you owe it to yourself to check below. Don’t be the guy who says, “I didn’t know I could get more for my money.” Worse, don’t be the one who could have kept some of that money in his wallet.

What follows is a mix of phone, rate plan, and accessory promotions worth checking out this week. It’s not an exhaustive list, but it’s a good mix of what’s currently offered across the bigger carriers. We have no idea how long some of these deals will last. Sure, some are ongoing in a semi-permanent manner, but others could disappear overnight.

Verizon

AT&T

T-Mobile

Sprint

US Cellular

AT&T GoPhone plans get 33% more data for same price

AndroidGuys
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AT&T on Monday announced that two of its GoPhone rate plans will soon offer more data for the same price. Starting on Friday, November 11, the $45 and $60 options will have 33 percent more data at no additional cost.

The $45 plan will give subscribers 4GB of 4G LTE data, up from the 3GB bucket offered today. The $60 plan, for its part, jumps from 6GB to 8GB. Customers can save $5 per month on each rate plan if they agree to the AutoPay automatic bill payment.

In addition to the rate plan changes, AT&T will debut a couple of deals on smartphones on Friday. Running through the end of the year will be the following discounts:

  • Get a free ZTE Maven 2 when you activate a new line and pay $30 for service
  • LG Phoenix 2 will be $49.99 (reg. $69.99)

AT&T GoPhone is the prepaid service which operates on the same network as the tier-one AT&T brand. Plans include features such as Rollover Data, calls and messages to Canada and Mexico, and more.

HTC Bolt arrives at Sprint November 11 with 5.5-inch 2K display

Alexandra Arici
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We recently told you that HTC is currently prepping a version of its HTC 10 handset dubbed Bolt (in international markets) or HTC 10 Evo (for the Taiwanese market) that might make it out on the market towards the end of the month. Well new info unearthed by Techno Buffalo seems to indicate that Bolt will make an appearance in the US earlier than predicted, on November 11.

The phone will be sold exclusively by Sprint and will arrive with a larger 5.5-inch display (compared to the HTC 10 which features a 5.2-inch display. We were unsure whether the phone will be equipped with 1080p resolution or 1440p, but the latest info confirms the Bolt will boast a 2K panel instead (2048 x 1080 res).

htc-bolt-durability htc-bolt-video

According to leaked Sprint promotional material, the phone will features IP57 certification for water and dust protection, which isn’t as impressive as the IP687 water resistance on the Galaxy S7 and iPhone 7, but a decent enough option.

HTC 10 is among the best smartphones to date (Review)

The documents also attest the presence of a 16MP main camera with f/2.0 aperture and OIS (optical image stabilization) and 4K video recording capabilities plus an 8MP selfie snapper in front.

The flyers reveal the phone will feature the world’s first adaptive earphones, which are said to feature a speaker that’s 70% larger than the one found in standard earphones. A diaphragm made from aerospace-grade plover allows the phone to deliver two-time the sound range.

htc-bolt-headphones

htc-bolt-battery htc-bolt-amazon-assistant

Interestingly, the slides also mention the Amazon Assistant coming pre-installed. Android 7.0 Nougat has been confirmed to be onboard of the phone too. Certainly Sense 8.0 UI will be plastered on top.

htc-10-evo-white

We’re also told the phone has an aluminum unibody and bundles 3,200 mAh battery which promises talk time of over 20 hours. Thanks to the Quick Charge technology, the phone can be charged to last up to a day in 30 minutes.

No info related to the pricing of the HTC Bolt for the time being nor the chipset inside it (Snapdragon 820 or 821), but we’ll now soon enough.

T-Mobile’s SyncUP DRIVE turns your car into mobile hotspot

AndroidGuys
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T-Mobile today announced the SyncUP DRIVE, a plug-in device for automobiles which provides safety and analytics tools, alerts, and notifications to users. Moreover, it gives cars a Wi-Fi hotspot which allows for sharing to up to five devices.

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The SyncUP DRIVE, which plugs into most vehicle OBD-II ports, is like having a mechanic constantly diagnose and evaluate your car. Paired with the OBD reader app, it lets you know what’s going on with your vehicle. Should your auto end up on a recall list, the app will alert you. Additionally, the device can alert you to maintenance reminders and notify of troubles.

The device captures driver behavior information such as acceleration and braking, speed, and RPM. The device also reports vehicle location via GPS and can report on common vehicle issues called Diagnostic Trouble Codes (DTC).

Parents will like having the ability to monitor driving behavior and/or setting speed alerts. Further, the SyncUP DRIVE can help share its location should your car or truck end up stolen.

Manufactured by ZTE, the SyncUP DRIVE is compatible with most cars from 1996 to today.  The SyncUP Drive unit costs $150, however T-Mobile will offer it free to customers provided they sign up to a two-year service plan with at least 2GB of data per month. Look for the device in participating T-Mobile stores and online at www.t-mobile.com starting November 18.

Check out these 10 awesome cases and accessories for the Samsung Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge

Matt Adams
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Whether you picked up a Samsung Galaxy S7 or Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge on release day or you’ve only had it for a few hours, you know that you need to keep your phone protected. While Samsung makes great phones, the S7 series is susceptible to bumps and breaks, especially the Edge variant, due to all of the glass used on the phones. We’ve put together a list of some awesome cases and other accessories like screen protectors, docks, and micro SD cards. Check them out!

Spigen Rugged Armor

spigen-rugged-armor

Spigen is one of the biggest and best cell phone accessory companies because it makes excellent products for a wide variety of phones and offer them at a price that won’t break the bank. The Rugged Armor case is one of my favorites due to it’s understated looks and shock absorption.

Purchase Link (Samsung Galaxy S7): Amazon | Spigen
Purchase Link (Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge): Amazon | Spigen

Caseology Envoy Series

caseology-envoy

Caseology just makes beautiful cases. If you’re interested in enhancing how your device looks, you may want to check out one of its case lineups. We’ve focussed on the Envoy Series today due its hard plastic bumper that absorbs shocks, the leather cherry oak back, and wonderful color combinations. You can grab this case in one of six combinations to suit your needs.

Purchase Link (Samsung Galaxy S7): Amazon | Caseology
Purchase Link (Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge): Amazon | Caseology

AIIYG DS Gradient Mirror

color-gradient-case

This is one of the coolest looking cases out there. The AIIYG DS Gradient Mirror TPU case has four different color options to choose from and provides a hard plastic bumper and an awesome looking gel case. The gradient of colors is unlike almost every other case out there and will truly stand out in a crowd. Be prepared to get asked where you got your case, because this is a conversation starter.
Purchase Link (Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge): Amazon

Supcase Unicorn Beetle

supcase

If you’re looking for serious protection at a great price, look no further than the Supcase Unicorn Beetle. The case is a hard plastic exterior with a soft interior to cradle your phone in case of drops. It also includes a 360-degree swiveling belt hook so you don’t have to stick a big phone and larger phone case into your pockets. The cutouts are large enough to not inhibit functionality but small enough to protect the phone. This is an awesome option if you want to make sure your phone is protected long-term.

Purchase Link (Samsung Galaxy S7): Amazon | Supcase
Purchase Link (Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge): Amazon | Supcase

Samsung LED View Flip Cover

samsung-flip-cover

Samsung is one of the only companies out there that make excellent first party accessories for its phones. One of the best is the LED View Flip Cover. The case allows the phone to display a wealth of information like the time and notification directly through the case. You can also use gestures to interact with the phone and your notifications without even opening the case. Pretty cool stuff.

Purchase Link (Samsung Galaxy S7): Amazon | Samsung
Purchase Link (Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge): Amazon | Samsung

Armorsuit MilitaryShield

armorsuit

If you’re looking to protect your screen, Armorsuit’s option may be the best of the best. Glass screen protectors have issues with curved displays, so the scratch-proof material Armorsuit uses is a great option for full coverage. You apply it with a liquid solution that seals the screen protector to the screen so it doesn’t move and no bubbles are trapped underneath.

Purchase Link (Samsung Galaxy S7): Amazon
Purchase Link (Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge): Amazon

Xcords Glass Screen Protector

xcords-glass-screen-protector

If you’re married to the idea of a glass screen protector, you may want to check out Xcords’ option. The screen protector goes over the entirety of the front of your phone, not just the display. The scratchproof screen protector is heat-bent to match the curve of your phone and provide 100% protection.
Purchase Link (Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge): Amazon

MKK Universal Stand + Samsung Fast Charger

mkk-dock

I keep my phone on a charging dock at my desk at work and it might be the most convenient thing in my life. I constantly get my updates as they come in, I don’t have to check my phone constantly and my phone always stays charged. The MKK Universal Stand comes with a Samsung fast charger so your phone will charge up in a jiffy and remain within eyesight of your desk or bedside table.

Purchase Link: Amazon

Belkin PowerHouse ChargeSync Express Dock

belkin

Belkin offers another option that comes with a few more features. This offers an adjustable connector so you can use it even if you have a bulky case on your device. The charging speed is a bit slower, but that may help overall battery health in the long term if it trickle charges, rather than charges as quickly as possible.

Purchase Link: Amazon

SanDisk Ultra 64GB microSD card

sandisk

One of the best thing about owning a Samsung Galaxy S7 or S7 Edge is the expandable storage. With a simple $20 micro SD card you can triple your storage space and move that card between multiple phones. This is a no brainer.

Purchase Link: Amazon

Android 7.0 Nougat beta testing for Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge begins November 9

Alexandra Arici
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Android 7.0 Nougat has been out and about for a few months, but at the moment just a handful of device run it. Samsung isn’t exactly ultra-fast when it comes to software updates, but the good news is that things appear to be moving along in the right direction. According to the Samsung website, the company will be kick starting the Galaxy Beta Program for the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge starting November 9 in the UK.

Last year Samsung enrolled interested parties in a similar beta program for Marshmallow that allowed users to test the software before the new build was offered to the masses.

Galaxy_S7_feat

The Korean tech giant apparently started the Android 7.0 Nougat beta testing program a few day ago in the UK, before abruptly pulling off the Galaxy Beta Program app. It appears now that was just a test and the official launch will happen on November 9.

Users who own a Galaxy S7 or/and Galaxy S7 Edge and want to test the build before anyone else, are required to download the Galaxy Beta Program app from Galaxy Apps Store and send their application via the Registration menu that can be found in the app.

First impressions of Android 7.0 Nougat

However, even if you complete the registration you might not make it into the beta program. Samsung itself will be handpicking the users that will be allowed to test the build.

The update is expected to bestow Grace UX and the Always-on display feature of the Note7 plus an enhanced Doze mode and other Nougat-specific features, on the phone.

The beta program starts on November 7 and will extend all the way towards mid-December. Which means we’ll be lucky if the official Nougat build starts rolling during the first month of 2017.

Take into consideration that if you’re holding on to a Galaxy S7 edge Olympic Edition or Batman Injustice Edition you won’t be eligible to enter the beta program.

T-Mobile rolls out Galaxy Note7 update that limits battery charging to 60%

Alexandra Arici
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2

As we have been telling you, Samsung is worried about those Galaxy Note7 owners who are refusing to return the possibly dangerous phone. So the Korean tech giant has been issuing all kinds of updates in a bid to convince users to say bye-bye to the phablet. The first one limited battery charging up to 60% and now T-Mobile is following suit.

The carrier has started rolling out an update over the weekend which won’t allow the phone to charge beyond 60%. This measure is meant to ensure that the phone won’t start overheating.

According to users on the Android Central forum who have received the notification, the update is not “forced” so it won’t automatically install on the phablet (unless auto-update is on). That means users can choose to ignore it, if they feel this is the best option for them. There’s even a way to get rid of the perpetual notification that pops up every time you plug in the device for some juice, reminding you that the phone has been recalled and is potentially dangerous.

t-mobile-down

Let’s just say T-Mobile went with the milder solution. Just look at New Zealand. In the country Samsung is working hand in hand with The New Zealand Telecommunications Forum (TCF) to “blacklist” the device from NZ networks. That means no mobile data and no calling or texting for the Note7 users in the country.

For the time being such a drastic measure is yet to be applied in the US, but who knows what will happen if Samsung gets desperate. A lot of Galaxy Note7 users still refuse to return the potentially explosive device, claiming they would rather wait for the Galaxy S8 to be out before parting with the device.

02_Galaxy Note7_blue

Samsung doesn’t like it one bit and has been actively trying to lure users, first by offering $100 credit towards the purchase of a Galaxy S7 or Galaxy S7 edge and then by promising Note7 refugees they could get the Galaxy S8 at half the price.

Still a lot of users like their Galaxy Note7 way too much to give it back. It’s an interesting sort of loyalty.

Motorola Moto M mid-ranger shows up in official images ahead of November 8 launch

Alexandra Arici
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There have been a lot of rumors floating around lately hinting towards the fact that Motorola’s next smartphone – the Moto M is bound for a November 8 release. The handset will be accompanied by another Android smartphone, the Lenovo P2.

The Moto M has been quite present in leaks for the past few weeks, some more exciting than others. For example, it was rumored the phone will come with a massive 5,100 mAh battery. However, according to the latest information unearthed by French site Nowhereelse that won’t be the case after all.

motorola-moto-s-calling motorola-moto-s-battery

The website has also published a few press images showcasing the upcoming device in its full glory. At this time, it’s pretty clear the Moto M will be a respectable mid-range device. The phone should arrive with a 5.5-inch display that supports full HD (1080p) resolution and a Helio P10 processor clocked at 2.2GHz under the hood combined with 4GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage.

motorola-moto-s-with-android-6-0 motorola-moto-s-main-camera

In the photo department, the Motorola Moto M will take advantage of a nice 16MP main camera with PDAF (Phase Detection Auto Focus) plus an 8MP selfie snapper. The device will also take advantage of dual-SIM, LTE a fingerprint scanner on the back and Dolby Atmos audio support.

motorola-moto-s-launches-soon motorola-moto-s-is-a-mid-ranger

You know what would have made the Moto M even nicer? If the device arrived with Android 7.0 Nougat out of the box. However this won’t be be the case as Android 6.0 Marshmallow will be the mobile OS du-jour. However, Motorola is known for delivering past updates to its smartphone models.

motorola-moto-s-fingerprint-sensor

The Moto M will take advantage of a lesser 3,050 mAh battery, but if you still want the chunky 5,100 mAh pack, you should know the Lenovo P2 is expected to take advantage of one.

The Moto M should make it out November 8 in Gold and Silver coloring options in China. It will cost users $300 a pop.

As for the Lenovo P2, a smartphone which was first presented on the grounds at IFA 2016, we expect it to arrive with a 5.5-inch FHD display and a Snapdragon 625 processor under the hood plus 3GB of RAM.

The European version is said to make an appearance with 32GB of internal storage, but the Chinese one will go on sale with a beefier 4GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage. The phone also features a 13MP/5MP camera combo.

HTC 10 evo (Bolt) might be coming towards the end of November

Alexandra Arici
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1

HTC has been rumored to be prepping a new version of the HTC 10 dubbed HTC Bolt or HTC 10 evo. The device was initially expected to make a debut in October, but obviously that didn’t happen. Now new info coming from Taiwanese site ePrice seems to indicate that the HTC evo is due to make it out in late November.

In a post, the online retailer announce the HTC 10 evo will become available for pre-order stating November 22 until November 30 in Taiwan.

htc-10-evo-white

As for the international version, the handset will probably go on sale as the HTC Bolt in the US under Sprint’s wing. The handset has showed its face online before, leaking in a few press renders and live images.

htc-10-evo-live-view

Now it appears the phone will not only became available in silver, but in black too. The device might make a debut into the wild with a bigger 5.5-inch display with either FHD or QHD resolution on board. Other expected features are 3GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage (expandable via mircoSD card slot), an 18MP rear camera with f/2.0 aperture and 4K video recording, 8MP selfie snapper and a fingerprint scanner below the display.

If the HTC 10 evo is to be considered a successor for the HTC 10, then we could see it arrive wth a Snapdragon 821 onboard, instead of the 820.

htc-10-evo-side-view

The upcoming phone will ditch the 3.5 headset jack, thus becoming the first HTC device to come without a standard audio port. The device should ship out from Sprint with Android 7.0 Nougat onboard and Sense 8.0 on top.

htc-10-evo-bottom-view

In related news, it seems like another phone will be going on sale at the same time as the HTC 10 evo. We’re talking about a phone codenamed HTC Desire A17 (could be the Desire 10 Pro) which should make it out into the wild with Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow on board and Sense 8 running on top.

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