All posts tagged: Verizon

Verizon Simplicity, Verizon Shine, and Verizon Dollars: What You Need to Know

Verizon Simplicity, Verizon Shine, and Verizon Dollars: What You Need to Know

Published by skeptic

I’ve been a Verizon customer since T-Mobile and Sprint merged, and I’ve always had consistent luck getting solid service, even in crowded environments and intense weather. This year, I moved states and added on Verizon Home Internet, which has also been a positive experience and is cost-effective since I get to bundle it. I already have the most expensive Verizon service plan. I also bought a new device, added a cellular plan for my Apple Watch, got YouTube Premium along with Hulu and Spotify … there’s a good chance that I’m paying my power bill through Verizon and I just haven’t realized it yet. (The last part is a joke.) Verizon just announced the new Verizon Simplicity Plan meant to reward loyal customers like me and make all these bits and pieces feel a bit less confusing. At $45, it’s priced like an entry-level plan but offers top-tier network service, plus access to perks usually reserved for premium plans, like travel passes and discounted bundled streaming services. There’s also a new rewards program with cash …

Supreme Court upholds FCC’s fines against Verizon, AT&T 

Supreme Court upholds FCC’s fines against Verizon, AT&T 

Published by Sam Flores

The Supreme Court rejected Verizon and AT&T’s constitutional challenge to massive fines imposed by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in an 8-1 vote on Thursday.  Chief Justice John Roberts ruled the companies are not entitled to a jury trial to contest the fines. Related to the use of customers’ location data, they amount to more than $100 million combined. The Seventh… Source link

T-Mobile vs. Verizon: Is It Time to Choose a New Carrier?

T-Mobile vs. Verizon: Is It Time to Choose a New Carrier?

Published by skeptic

If you’re looking to switch carriers or change your current phone plan, you’re probably looking at prices first. But that’s just the start, because perks such as hotspot data when you need to connect and streaming services when you want to relax also come into play. Here, we’re looking at two of the biggest cellular companies in the US: T-Mobile and Verizon. These two aren’t the only carriers, of course, but being among the biggest players means you’re likely looking at them first before checking out smaller providers or prepaid options (many of which are owned by T-Mobile, Verizon and the third major company, AT&T). It’s not lost on me that you might be reading this because you were affected by Verizon’s widespread and lengthy outage in January. While every carrier suffers from service outages, that one was especially impactful, and the causes were never revealed. T-Mobile Last year, T-Mobile nabbed the title of Best Mobile Network in the US by Ookla, and it wrapped the calendar by being named the best carrier for network quality by J.D. …

I measured 5G signals of AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon in a small town – here’s what the data says

I measured 5G signals of AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon in a small town – here’s what the data says

Published by skeptic

Adam Doud/ZDNET Follow ZDNET: Add us as a preferred source on Google. ZDNET’s key takeaways I tested 5G on country roads and farmland for three days. Verizon led in overall network levels, followed by AT&T and T-Mobile. T-Mobile was the only network to pull in a 5G signal. My quest to test 5G has taken me to a baseball game and interstates between Chicago and Nashville. Through the journey, I’ve carried three phones from the three major US carriers to determine which has the best coverage. I just did it again, but I changed some things up. Also: I compared Verizon, T-Mobile, and AT&T 5G coverage on a road trip – and the winner surprised me I still packed my car for a weekend away, and I still had three phones riding in the back seat. I used nPerf (more on that later) to continuously test carrier and network performance throughout the journey. But this time, I went a little John Denver on you and stuck to those old country roads. Interstates were off the menu. …

Verizon will give you a free Samsung Galaxy S26, watch, and tablet right now – how to qualify

Verizon will give you a free Samsung Galaxy S26, watch, and tablet right now – how to qualify

Published by skeptic

Samsung/ZDNET Follow ZDNET: Add us as a preferred source on Google. The Samsung Galaxy S26 is an excellent edition of the brand’s flagship smartphone, offering extended battery life and improved performance over its predecessor. And right now at Verizon, you can get one for free when you add a new line to a qualifying plan. You’ll also get a free Galaxy Watch 8 and Samsung Tab S10 FE tablet, and, if you order online, Verizon will also give you a $100 e-gift card to use on your next purchase. Also: Samsung Galaxy S26 vs. S26 Plus vs. S26 Ultra To take advantage of this deal, new and existing Verizon customers must open new phone, tablet, and watch lines on an Unlimited Welcome, Plus, or Ultimate mobile plan and add each device to their cart. Verizon’s website will automatically apply the appropriate discounts once your account and new lines are updated and active. In-store customers aren’t eligible for the $100 Verizon e-gift card, and online customers may have to wait up to 8 weeks to receive their voucher …

Verizon will give you a free iPad or Apple Watch with your next iPhone – how the deal works

Verizon will give you a free iPad or Apple Watch with your next iPhone – how the deal works

Published by skeptic

Apple Upgrading all of your devices at once can cost a fortune. But right now, at Verizon, new and existing customers on select Unlimited plans can get an A16 iPad or choose from the Apple Watch Series 11, Series 10, and SE 3 for free with the purchase of any iPhone — no trade-in required. Bought separately, those devices would cost more than $2,000, so this is quite the deal. Also: iPhone 17 vs. iPhone 17 Pro For the service, you’ll need to either purchase a new smartphone line on Verizon’s Unlimited Ultimate plan, which is $50 a month with Auto Pay enabled for a single line, or on the Unlimited Plus plan, which is $40 a month with Auto Pay enabled for a single line. These prices will remain locked in for the next three years. Also: Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra vs. iPhone 17 Pro Max For the iPad and Apple Watch, you’ll get them for free when paying for a new line for each on the Verizon Unlimited plan of your choosing. If …

I compared Verizon, T-Mobile, and AT&T 5G coverage on a road trip – and the winner surprised me

I compared Verizon, T-Mobile, and AT&T 5G coverage on a road trip – and the winner surprised me

Published by skeptic

Adam Doud/ZDNET Follow ZDNET: Add us as a preferred source on Google. ZDNET’s key takeaways My 5G road trip tests included rigorous testing on three Google Pixel phones. Signal reliability generally proved good to decent across three major interstate carriers. Network architecture, including non-standalone 5G, emerged as a factor in deployment. 5G made a number of promises when it debuted. The first was the ability to handle excessive capacity. I tested that promise outside a baseball playoff game this past October, and I found it to be partially true. The other promise was better coverage coast to coast. Now, it was time to head out and give that a try. How 5G could improve coverage outside of city centers.  Also: We ran battery tests on 17 phones – this model lasted the longest To do this, I took those same Google Pixel 10 Pros on a road trip across the most boring highway in America (and, thankfully, a different highway home) through the bulk of central Indiana and Illinois. I also passed through parts of Kentucky and …

Verizon will give you the new iPhone 17e for free – no trade-in required

Verizon will give you the new iPhone 17e for free – no trade-in required

Published by skeptic

Kerry Wan/ZDNET Follow ZDNET: Add us as a preferred source on Google. Apple just announced a host of new devices, including the iPhone 17e. With an upgraded A19 chip, 6.1-inch Super Retina XDR OLED display, and 48MP Fusion camera system, it packs quite a punch for an entry-level smartphone. And right now at Verizon, you can get one for free when you make the switch or add a new line to any Unlimited mobile plan. Also: The iPhone 17e is here: 6 ways Apple just upgraded its cheapest phone  The model that Verizon is offering as part of this deal features 256GB of internal storage, which is twice the size of the iPhone 16e. If you’re considering the 512GB model, you can get it for as low as $5.55 per month as part of the same pre-order event. Both offer HDR support for streaming, photography, and making video calls, as well as a peak brightness of 1,200 nits for great visibility in sunlight and bright rooms.  Also: iPhone 17e vs. iPhone 17 The single-lens 48MP Fusion camera …

Verizon awards 0K to expand emergency alert network for NYC houses of worship

Verizon awards $100K to expand emergency alert network for NYC houses of worship

Published by Sam Flores

NEW YORK (RNS) — New York Disaster Interfaith Services, a faith-based emergency services nonprofit, has received a $100,000 grant from telecommunications company Verizon to expand its automated emergency messaging system for houses of worship across New York City. The funding will bolster NYDIS’ House of Worship Alert (HOWalert) system, which sends notifications to congregations about emergencies that could impact their communities, including apartment fires, virus outbreaks, extreme temperatures and severe storms. The grant, announced Monday (March 2), will also support translation technology to deliver alerts in multiple languages and provide additional training for faith leaders in crisis and emergency risk communication. “Without exaggeration, these systems save lives,” said Peter Gudaitis, executive director and CEO of NYDIS. “When you can tell congregations to invite the homeless inside during freezing weather, or let elderly parishioners know they can come cool off during a heat wave, it saves lives — not just one or two, but potentially hundreds.” Verizon representatives first connected with NYDIS after attending one of its events and expressed interest in strengthening community resilience efforts, …

Best Unlimited Phone Plan: T-Mobile, AT&T, Verizon Compared (2026)

Best Unlimited Phone Plan: T-Mobile, AT&T, Verizon Compared (2026)

Published by skeptic

“Unlimited” is a funny term. Unlimited cell phone plans often come with a long list of footnotes, terms, conditions, and exceptions. Mercifully, all of the Big Three cell companies have, by now, ditched throttling on their most expensive plans and include 5G data access in all their unlimited plans. Yet there are still many differences in the services they offer, and there are many differences between each carrier’s various tiers. Cheaper “unlimited” tiers do offer unlimited talk and text. But they still have rules on how much data you get before they start throttling your speed, and some “unlimited” plans may throttle your data at any given time. It’s been a fixture of cell service plans for years. It can be overwhelming, which is why I’ve broken it down. Below, I’ve highlighted what each of the three major carriers offers for “unlimited” individual and family plans to help you figure out which unlimited plan is best for you and your budget. If you absolutely want to avoid slower data speeds at peak times, you’ll likely …