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Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 and Watch 4 Active rumored to launch in August with Wear OS and no blood glucose monitoring

Jason England
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Earlier this week, we reported how Samsung is expected to launch some new phones in August, including the Galaxy S21 FE, Galaxy Z Fold 3, and Galaxy Z Flip 3. Now, it appears the roster is growing even further with a report out of South Korea claiming that the Galaxy Watch 4 and Galaxy Watch Active 4 will also make an appearance.

It would surely be quite the packed event for Samsung to launch all of those products in August, and we are so ready for it. Especially for the new Galaxy wearables, which have been rumored to be making the switch to Wear OS this year.

The switch to Wear OS is a long time coming, because Samsung hasn’t produced a wearable running Google’s OS in over seven years now. The last one was the Galaxy Gear back in 2013, after which Samsung made the full switch to its own in-house Linux-based OS Tizen.

The switch to Wear OS is a bit odd after Samsung’s dedication to improving Tizen for wearables over the years. Without a doubt, Samsung produces one of the best smartwatches, and Wear OS typically lags behind in battery life and features.

However, both companies stand to benefit from this switch. Samsung will gain access to all of the apps on the Play Store, some of which have never been ported over to Tizen. While Google’s Wear OS platform will surely gain an influx of new users thanks to Samsung’s premium hardware and brand awareness.

Hopefully, that can motivate Google to finally give the outdated Wear OS platform some love. With Google I/O 2021 on the way, Wear OS fans are all on the edge of their seats to see what Google may announce to revitalize our smartwatches.

As for what else we know about the Galaxy Watch 4 and Galaxy Watch Active 4, not too much. We expect Samsung to launch the Galaxy Watch 4 in two different size options, 42mm and 46mm. While the Galaxy Watch Active should launch with 40mm and 42mm options.

Then there are also the rumors surrounding the wearables featuring blood glucose monitoring. First, we had a rumor from South Korean news outlet ET News that the new Galaxy Watch would include the feature. Now, a different South Korean news source claims the smartwatches will launch without it.

At this point, they are both rumors, and either of them could be true. It’s also possible the Galaxy Watch could launch with the sensors in the device, which could later be activated with a software update, once receiving approval from the right regulatory boards. We’ve seen this happen before with previous wearables.

For now, only time will tell. Just don’t get too excited about managing your diabetes with Samsung’s latest smartwatch until we see what happens at its August event.

Global pre-orders for the ZTE Axon 30 Ultra open up at the end of May

Jason England
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Back in April, ZTE launched its photography-focused flagship the Axon 30 Ultra in China. At the time, there was no word on when it would be released globally, or how much it would set you back. Now, after nearly a month of waiting, ZTE has announced global availability and pricing.

Pre-orders for the ZTE Axon 30 Ultra will open up on May 27, 2021, from the official website, while open-sales of the device will begin on June 4, 2021. Prices will start at $749 USD/649 GBP/749 Euro for the version with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage, and the 12GB+256GB model will retail for $849 USD/739 GBP/849 Euro.

Customers who purchase the ZTE Axon 30 Ultra during the pre-order period will also be eligible for a free pair of ZTE’s Livebuds true wireless earbuds.

Now that we have covered the pricing and availability, let’s talk about specs. The Axon 30 Ultra is a 5G capable phone powered by the latest Snapdragon 888 chip from Qualcomm, and it comes in two different variants. One with 8GB of RAM with 128GB of storage or another more expensive model with 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage.

It features a 6.67-inch curved 144Hz AMOLED display with a resolution of 2400 x 1080, and has a touch sampling rate of 300Hz. Keeping everything powered up is a 4600mAh battery featuring 65W fast charging and support for Qualcomm’s Quick Charge 4+ protocol.

On the back of the Axon 30 Ultra, is a quad-camera array featuring three 64MP cameras–with a portrait lens, wide-angle lens, and ultra-wide angle lens. It can even capture a shot with all three at once, giving you the freedom to snap and choose which you like best.

The fourth camera is where things get a bit more interesting, it’s an 8MP periscope telephoto lens featuring 5x optical zoom, or up to 60x hybrid zoom with optical image stabilization.

Finally, on the front is the 16MP selfie camera, making it the fifth camera on the Axon 30 Ultra. As for software, the ZTE Axon 30 Ultra runs Android 11 out of the box with ZTE’s MyOS11 skin.

 

Verizon Buyer’s Guide

AndroidGuys
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Verizon Wireless is the largest wireless carrier in the United States, serving approximately 120 million subscribers. You’ve surely seen more than your share of advertising and promotion for the brand, but how much do you truly know about Verizon?

Did you know, for instance, that it also provides prepaid service? It sure does. It also licenses its network to other companies for usage as Mobile Virtual Network Operators.

Here, we’ll help spell out some of the details worth knowing as it pertains to Verizon. Read on for information about the carrier’s rate plans, features, 5G, and phones.

Rate Plans

Gone for the most part are plans with set amounts of data. Verizon now offers a number of “Unlimited” options, each of which includes unlimited talk and text and access to 4G LTE and 5G nationwide network.

Verizon rate plans for 4-line accounts

Verizon describes each of its plans in the following way:

  • Start Unlimited – Get started with unlimited talk, text and data and never worry about overage charges again.
  • Play More Unlimited – Our best plan for streaming, with tons of shows, movies and sports and premium network access—all included.
  • Do More Unlimited – When productivity is your top priority, get it all done with premium data and a discount on a connected device plan.
  • Get More Unlimited – Experience our ultimate in performance on our best plan with extra features, including more music and entertainment.
  • Just Kids – Manage screen time, filter content, track location and get Unlimited data on your kid’s first phone, so you get peace of mind.

Select plans include access to the Ultra Wideband 5G network which is much faster and features ultra-low latency. Verizon also offers extra features on its different plans, including Disney+, Apple Music, and cloud storage. As of today a single line costs at least $70 per month.

Customers with multiple lines can mix and match the various options, giving each user their own specific features. The more lines you have on an account, the cheaper each one is per month.

Prepaid

Verizon offers prepaid options for customers who don’t want to be bothered with long-term commitments or who might have minimal needs. One of the benefits of Verizon Prepaid is that it offers a “Loyalty Discount” for staying with the service. We have a Buyer’s Guide for Verizon Prepaid which sheds light on the carrier.

Device Plans

Verizon offers a few options for customers who need coverage for their smartwatch, tablet, hotspot, or laptop. These device plans start as low as $10 per month for wearables and go as high as $30 per month for laptops, hotspots, and tablets.

Extras

Verizon rate plans are not just about minutes, messages, and data. Indeed, customers can save money on other services just by signing up for Verizon. Here are some of the extras available on plans; features vary by plan.

  • Disney+
  • Apple Music
  • Disney+, Hulu, ESPN+
  • Cloud Storage
  • Discounts for device plans
  • Mobile hotspot (available on most plans)

5G Network

Verizon’s 5G network is steadily making its way across the country, hitting major markets, stadiums, and arenas. Its “5G Ultra Wideband” is an incredibly fast network with lighting quick downloads and uploads and very low latency.

Unfortunately its signal does not travel as far as other carriers and their network. It can also be impacted by buildings and obstacles and often relies on line of sight with a cell. The reason that Verizon’s network differs is because of the mmWave-based technology used.

In the future Verizon will turn to a technology called dynamic spectrum sharing (DSS) that lets it share spectrum between 4G and 5G.

5G Phones

Verizon has a rapidly growing list of phones designed to support its 5G network. Some of the devices are exclusive to Verizon, including the Motorola Edge Plus.

Smartphone Selection

Verizon has one of the widest selections of smartphones with models from entry-level devices aimed at first-time users all the way up to flagships. It also has phones that fold or have unique designs like the Motorola Razr for example.

It’s also possible to bring your own device to Verizon, provided it is a CDMA phone or universally unlocked device.

Check out our guide on which are the best phones at Verizon.

Become a Microsoft Office pro for under $40 with this expert-led training

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The Nitty Gritty: This Typesy Teaches Microsoft Office online training collection gives users get inside knowledge on using Word, Excel, PowerPoint and their incredible features for just $40.

For decades now, anyone and everyone who’s powered on a computer has ultimately found themselves using Microsoft Office to some degree. Be it written documents in Word, spreadsheets in Excel, or presentations in PowerPoint, Office has helped you in one capacity or another.

How well does the average person really know the full capabilities behind the world’s most popular software package? Are you a novice? Are you dangerously smart? We are willing to bet that you don’t know the full ins-and-outs of Microsoft Office.

There’s much more happening with Office than most users will ever realize; The team at eReflect have a great set of training under its Typesy Teaches Office training bundle which is just $39.99, over 90 percent off, in the AG Deals Store. It explores the full reaches of Microsoft Office’s power and features within its most popular apps — the ones that we all use but never fully leverage.

This bundle includes over 44 different courses designed to bring anyone up to expert level on Microsoft Office mainstays Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.

  • Learn the most important features behind Microsoft Word, Excel & Powerpoint
  • Conquer the basics, sharpen the skills you already have, or work your way to MS Office mastery
  • Analyze spreadsheets, write formulas, read pivot charts & manipulate data
  • Create perfectly formatted long-form documents for work or creative projects
  • Design presentations that impress employers or bring you one step closer to that new career
  • Every course is delivered with simple step-by-step instructions for any learning level

Get Started!

The complete collection of expert-led training in the Typesy Teaches Microsoft Office is worth thousands of dollars, but with this offer, you can access the complete bundle for a fraction of that price, only $39.99. Prices are subject to change.

Samsung Galaxy Buds Live review

Jason England
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As the resident headphone geek here at Android Guys, you can imagine my excitement when Samsung created a new style of headphones. The Galaxy Buds Live are unlike any pair of headphones I’ve ever seen or tried before. For that reason alone, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on a pair and try them out, unfortunately, my excitement didn’t last long once I began using them.

Design

Samsung’s Galaxy Buds Live are often referred to as beans, and for good reason. One look at the oddly shaped earbuds, and the resemblance to a bean is undeniable.

The unusual shape is only one facet of the Galaxy Live Buds design, and due to how they are inserted into your ear, there isn’t any space for physical buttons.

This is why the Galaxy Buds Live uses touch controls. Unfortunately, I was constantly activating the buttons when trying to get the buds situated in my ears and I had to deactivate them in the settings.

Comfort

As I’ve said above, the Galaxy Buds Live are unlike any pair of headphones I’ve ever tried before. The unique design eschews silicone ear tips or any sort of ear tip at all to stay in your ears. Instead, the low-profile bean-shaped true wireless headphones squeeze themselves into your ears without entering your ear canals.

Honestly, I was confused as to how I was even going to wedge these things into my ears upon first seeing them, but wedge them in I did.

For me, this was an odd feeling that I could never get used to. Every time I put the Galaxy Buds Live into my ears, something just felt off and that prevented me from ever finding them comfortable to wear. The act of stuffing them into my ear and digging them out continued to remain an awkward fumbling experience throughout my weeks of using them.

To make matters worse, they weren’t even comfortable to wear. After an hour of use, my ears would go from mild discomfort to sore. At that point, I could continue to wear them, but I certainly didn’t want to.

Overall, the Galaxy Buds Live aren’t the most uncomfortable earbuds I’ve ever worn, but they’d certainly earn a spot in the top five.

App

To manage the Samsung Galaxy Buds Live experience you’ll need to use the Galaxy Wear app. With the app, you’ll be able to disable the touch controls, reassign the touch controls, view the battery life of the buds and case, control the read-aloud settings for notifications, adjust the equalizer, and more. It’s really quite essential to using the buds and will enrich the experience.

Sound Quality

For an open ear design, the Galaxy Buds Live have surprisingly good audio quality. I don’t typically expect much from this type of headphones because without a silicone ear tip, there is nothing to create a tight seal in your ears. Regardless, the Galaxy Buds Live were still able to provide a deep thumping bass and plenty of clarity for vocals.

Of course, without the isolation ear tips provide, it still lacks the punch of the lower frequencies, and noise from your surroundings tends to leak through. However, if you’re the type of person who needs to hear your surroundings and still wants quality audio, the Buds Live won’t disappoint. The app even offers several EQ presets to choose from to help customize the sound to your liking.

ANC

The active noise cancellation of the Galaxy Buds Live is one of the least impressive parts of the earbuds, and that’s not surprising. Since the buds don’t create a seal with your ear canal it’s difficult for it to help combat any noise in the environment.

I did find that with the volume at 40% or higher that was enough to overcome ambient noise, but it still wasn’t as good as a pair of earbuds with silicone tips without ANC at 30% volume.

Battery Life

Samsung rates the Galaxy Buds Live for eight hours of use with ANC off. That’s far different from what I experienced. With ANC off, I was seeing around four to five hours of battery life. As you can imagine, with ANC on, that number would be even lower.

The case is also supposed to provide an additional 29-hours of playtime without ANC. I’m not sure how accurate those numbers are considering the battery life didn’t live up to Samsung’s claims, but I never had any issues with the case running out of battery life before I was able to charge it back up.

When it does come time to charge the Buds Live up, Samsung gives you two different options with a USB-C port and wireless charging built into the case. It will even work with reverse wireless charging if your phone supports it.

Final Thoughts

Arguably, I’m not certain why the Galaxy Buds Live were even made. Samsung has created a new form of earbuds, that neither makes them more comfortable to wear, nor do they drastically improve the sound quality of open-ear headphones.

If you can get around the awkwardness of how the Galaxy Buds Live feel in your ears, then they sound great for open headphones and provide hours of battery life. However, if you’d prefer something more comfortable with ANC, the WF-1000XM3 from Sony can’t be beaten. A more budget-friendly option without ANC, good sound quality, and a comfortable fit would be the Stylish True Wireless Headphones from 1More.

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Asus Zenfone 8 now available in US

Jason England
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Asus announced two new phones for its Zenfone lineup today, the Zenfone 8 and Zenfone 8 Flip. Both are powered by the beefy Snapdragon 888 chip, run Android 11 with ZenUI 8 out of the box, and feature 5G connectivity–but they share some key differences.

Zenfone 8

Let’s start with the Zenfone 8, although it packs in the latest and greatest Snapdragon chip from Qualcomm, this phone comes in a compact form factor. Well, compact as far as 2021 is concerned, where a 5.9-inch display is considered on the “small” side.

Just because it’s small doesn’t mean the display is lacking, Asus has gone with a 120Hz FHD+ Samsung AMOLED screen here with a 240Hz touch sampling rate. That should be good for some inky blacks with super-smooth scrolling and animations.

To go along with that CPU, Asus gives you a choice between 6GB, 8GB, and 16GB of RAM, in case you really need to go overboard, as well as offering storage options of 128GB or 256GB. While the 4000mAh battery with 30w charging will be keeping the lights on, so to speak.

When it comes to taking photos, the Zenfone 8 has a pair of Sony sensors on the back, including a 64MP main camera with optical stabilization and a 12MP ultra-wide that supports macro shots. On the front, is another 12MP selfie camera feature a portrait mode.

Availability

The ZenFone 8 launches in the US with an introductory price of $600 from Asus’ web site with 8GB RAM and 128GB built-in storage. Once the launch pricing expires (July 13th), the price for this option will be $630.

Zenfone 8 Flip

The Zenfone 8 Flip is Asus’s photography powerhouse, and no, this isn’t a flip phone like the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip. The “flip” in the Zenfone 8 Flip refers to the ingenious little flipping camera. This allows the triple sensor camera on the back of the phone to flip around and act as the front-facing camera as well.

While we’re on the topic of those cameras, the main wide camera is a 64MP Sony sensor with an f/1.8 aperture. It’s paired with two more Sony sensors, a 12MP ultra-wide shooter and an 8MP 3x optical zoom telephoto lens.

Powering the Zenfone 8 Flip is the Snapdragon 888 and 8GB of RAM with 128GB or 256GB of storage. On the front of the device is a large 6.67-inch FHD+ Samsung AMOLED display featuring a 90Hz refresh rate. And remember, with the flipping camera, the Zenfone 8 Flip is all display with no notches or holes cut out–giving you nothing but a fullscreen picture on the front.

With this larger display, the Zenfone 8 Flip sports a larger battery coming in at a whopping 5000mAh which supports Quick Charge 4.0.

The Zenfone 8 Flip will be available for pre-order starting May 13, 2021, for £699.00.

How to create the professional website you need with Wix

AndroidGuys
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The pandemic has only underscored just how important it is to maintain a strong web presence. For businesses and brands worldwide, it meant making a complete shift in how they approach procuring new customers or attracting the right readers for their blog. It also meant entering an unfamiliar environment for some: the digital space. And when it comes to building an online presence, it all begins with creating a website.

Wix offers a complete solution to create a professional website through an intuitive and customizable platform, allowing you to forge a robust and dynamic web presence with true creative freedom.

Wix boasts over 500 designer-made templates. They are all completely customizable so you can change the fonts, colors, design and graphic elements, and content to give it the look and feel you want. More than 200 apps are also available on the platform for easy integration, giving you the chance to offer different functions and features on your site. All Wix websites are optimized for mobile, too, so they look just as great on your smartphone as they do on your desktop.

If you have no prior experience in building websites, you can take full advantage of Wix’s Artificial Design Intelligence (ADI) feature, an AI capable of an entire site on your behalf. You only need to answer a few questions regarding your vision, and it will yield a personalized website packed with images and content, which you can then customize further to fit your needs. If you’re looking for more customization and flexibility within design and capabilities, the Wix Editor is the perfect creation tool to build your site with. With a robust editor and endless design capabilities—you can build the site you want. Wix also gives you the ability to add custom functionality to your site with coding capabilities using Velo, their full-stack web dev platform. 

Along with being an intuitive web builder, Wix offers a full suite of business and marketing tools. Use Wix’s advanced SEO toolset to help bring more traffic to your site, send professional email campaigns with the built-in email marketing feature, and get a complete eCommerce solution to help you launch, run and scale your business.

Wix has all the tools you need to succeed in the digital world. Try it today.

Google Pay can now send money internationally, starting with these two countries

Jason England
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Google Pay is expanding its services into the world of sending money internationally. Thanks to a new integration with Western Union and Wise, U.S. Google Pay users can now send money to users in Singapore and India.

That’s not much, but it’s a start. By the end of the year, Google expects to expand this program to work with more than 200 countries and territories with Western Union, and to more than 80 countries with Wise.

To get started sending money, first search the Google Pay user you want to send funds. Next, tap on “Pay” and select whether you want to use Western Union or Wise to complete the transaction.

Your choice will most likely depend on the fee, which from now until June 16, 2021, “Western Union will offer unlimited free transfers when using Google Pay.” Wise on the other hand, will only “make the first transfer free for new customers up to $500.”

So, there you have it. Google Pay now supports international money transfers beginning with users in India and Singapore. Sending money overseas has just gotten easier than ever, and at a very important time considering the recent troubling COVID-19 surge in India.

If you have family over there in need of assistance, rest assured, you’ll be able to send them funds easily and without fees for a limited time. International transfers in general have been incredibly important during the pandemic over the past year. According to a study from Mastercard, 52% are sending more money to their friends and family abroad, while 43% say their families are dependent on the transfers to survive.

Amazon launches Echo Show 8 and Echo Show 5 with upgraded cameras and an all-new Echo Show 5 Kids

Jason England
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Amazon unveiled a trio of new Echo Show devices this morning, including the upgraded Echo Show 8, Echo Show 5, and the all-new Echo Show 5 Kids.

During the pandemic, video calls have soared in popularity. Being able to see friends, family, or just take meetings for work has made video calling essential. In fact, over the past year, people have made three times the number of videos than the previous year using Alexa.

That’s why all three of the new Echo Show models puts a focus on, you guessed it, video calls. There are new features, such as zooming and panning on the Echo Show 8, new Augmented Reality effects, and in-call reactions are coming soon. Plus, you can even take Zoom meetings hands-free using the Echo Show devices.

Echo Show 8

Seeing the big focus on video calls, it’s no surprise that the new and improved Echo Show 8 features a powerful 13MP wide-angle camera. Using this camera and software, it will be able to track your face and ensure you stay centered in the frame as it pans and zooms around during video calls.

Don’t worry though, there’s also a built-in camera shutter for those times you want to make sure the camera won’t be able to see anything. That’s a feature found on all of the Echo Show models announced today.

Along with the upgraded cameras, the Echo Show 8 also features an 8-inch HD adaptive color display to make sure all your photos and video calls look stunning. Plus, with the dual stereo speakers, the Echo Show 8 will be perfect for enjoying your favorite TV shows and movies from Prime Video, Netflix, and Hulu.

The Echo Show 8 is now available from Amazon for $129.99 in Charcoal or Glacier White.

Echo Show 5

If the Echo Show 8 is too large and you want something more compact, then look no further than the new Echo Show 5. It comes with a smaller 5.5-inch display and an improved 2MP camera with double the pixels of the original.

Plus, you get all the same great features of Alexa, such as viewing photos and videos on the display, listening to music or podcasts, keeping an eye on your home with Drop In, viewing your calendar, setting alarms or timers, and much much more.

You can even set up routines to turn on the lights when you enter a room, and soon you’ll be able to set up actions for when it detects a specific sound. For instance, if Alexa hears a person snoring, a dog barking, or a baby crying–it will trigger an action, such as turning on a light or playing white noise.

The new Echo Show 5 is available now for only $84.99 and it comes in Charcoal, Glacier White, and a new Deep Sea Blue color.

Echo Show 5 Kids

The new Echo Show 5 Kids comes with everything you love about the Echo Show 5, but with a fun design for kids and parental controls. Kids can customize their Echo Show 5 Kids with colorful clock themes, set alarms using voices from their favorite characters, and make video calls to pre-approved contacts.

The Echo Show 5 Kids also comes with a one-year subscription to Amazon Kids+ which features thousands of hours of entertainment and educational content. Even better, it has a two-year guarantee, so if it breaks you’ll be able to get it replaced free of charge.

The Echo Show 5 Kids is available starting today for $94.99 and it comes in Chameleon green.

Save up to $1,000 on a new phone at Verizon with the any-condition trade-in promo

Jason England
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Back in April, Verizon began a new limited-time promotion allowing for customers to trade-in broken or cracked phones and receive up to $1,000 off on a 5G phone. It was the perfect opportunity for new and existing customers to offload any broken device you may have lying around the house, while also snagging a fantastic deal on a brand-new 5G phone. The only problem…it was a limited-time offer.

Well, the good news is, Verizon has now brought it back just in time for graduation day. What was a great deal for you back in April, is now a fantastic way for you to get yourself or someone close to you a graduation gift.

The deal includes a wide variety of 5G-enabled phones, including the latest flagships from Samsung, Google, LG, and Apple. That means you can trade-in your old broken or cracked phone, and grab a brand-new Galaxy Z Fold 2 5G or Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G at a discount. Not too shabby, and a great way to ditch your old shattered and busted phone.

Of course, there are some stipulations, every deal comes with fine print, ya know. First off, the broken phone you are trading in must not exhibit any signs of battery damage. That means, no swelling, leaking, and it cannot be hot to the touch.

Secondly, the deal is good for “up to $1,000 off,” which means the amount will vary from phone to phone. For example, the Galaxy Z Fold 2 5G, Galaxy Note 20 5G, and Galaxy S21 5G series of phones will only get you a discount of $800.

Next, you’re going to have to purchase a new line and get an unlimited plan. Then after you get your new phone, you’ll have 30 days to turn in your old device.

Finally, the biggest caveat of them all, your discount comes in the form of a trade-in promo credit over the next 24 or 30 months. So no, it won’t be a big discount seen all at once, but one that you continue to receive over the course of two years or more.

If all of that is fine with you, then this is a perfect opportunity to drop that broken phone and get a deal on a brand-new 5G smartphone that lets you experience Verizon’s 5G network now available in 2700+ cities.

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