Latest news with #cellular
Android Authority
09-07-2025
- Android Authority
Can you use a cellular watch with a prepaid carrier? Here's what I found out
Rita El Khoury / Android Authority Smartwatches have been around in some form for a little over a decade, and while Wi-Fi-only models remain the most common, there is growing interest in cellular watches as well. Typically, cellular smartwatches target postpaid customers of Verizon, T-Mobile, or AT&T. But can you use a cellular smartwatch with your prepaid plan? The answer isn't simply yes or no. While more than a dozen carriers technically support cellular watches, compatibility varies greatly by provider. Although Samsung, Apple, and Google dominate the cellular watch market, smartwatch compatibility often depends on specific brands and even models. Some prepaid carriers only support Apple Watch, while others exclusively cater to certain Google Pixel Watch or Samsung Galaxy Watch models. Below, we explore all prepaid providers currently offering smartwatch support. If you don't see a particular carrier listed, it's likely because they don't offer formal support — I meticulously checked through dozens of companies to ensure accuracy, but as I'm human, there's always a chance some smaller providers were missed. Do you use a cellular smartwatch in the US, if so, via what carrier? 0 votes Yes, I have service through Verizon NaN % Yes, I have service through T-Mobile NaN % Yes, I have service through AT&T NaN % Yes, I use a prepaid service NaN % Verizon Prepaid Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority As it turns out, Verizon is the only one of the big three carriers that offers smartwatch service to its prepaid customers as well. Verizon provides a standalone prepaid smartwatch plan for $10 per month, offering unlimited 5G and 4G LTE with 15GB of high-speed data. Supported devices include: Apple Watch Series 9 or newer Apple Watch Ultra 2 or newer Apple Watch SE 2 or newer Google Pixel Watch or newer Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 or newer Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 and 6 Classic Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 Pro Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra Bottom line, Verizon Prepaid has the broadest smartwatch compatibility but tends to be pricier. US Mobile Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority US Mobile provides cellular watch support as a $6.50 monthly add-on or as a free perk with its Unlimited Premium plan. However, this support requires the Warp (Verizon) network; neither Light Speed (T-Mobile) nor Dark Star (AT&T) packages offer smartwatch connectivity. Supported watches include: Apple Watch Series 4 or later Pixel Watch Although US Mobile doesn't officially list Apple Watch Ultra or SE models, several user comments on Reddit confirm that these models should play nicely as well. Google Fi Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority Google Fi Wireless includes smartwatch support as a free perk on all unlimited plans. It offers robust Samsung Galaxy Watch support, rivaling Verizon prepaid, though Galaxy Watch Classic models aren't supported. Compatible watches include: Original Pixel Watch or newer Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra or newer Galaxy Watch 5 or newer (excluding Classic models) As you might have noticed, Google Fi doesn't officially support Apple Watches. This isn't surprising since it doesn't directly sell Apple products at all. Of course, there are workarounds for the iPhone, so what about the Apple Watch? While it might be possible to do this by side-loading an eSIM profile, you're much more likely to run into issues when you try to run a device that's not officially supported like this. Visible Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority Visible gives you the same great network as Verizon and is even owned by Big Red. Although you won't find as wide of device support, Visible is a great alternative to Verizon and even offers the feature for free on its $40 Visible Plus Pro. Basic and Visible Plus users can also get support for an additional $10 per month. The list of compatible watches are: Google Pixel Watch 2 or newer Apple Watch Series 4 or later Visible initially supported only Apple Watches, but introduced compatibility with Pixel Watches earlier this month. Currently, Samsung watches aren't officially supported, though this might change given Verizon's gradual expansion of watch support to several MVNO partners, including US Mobile, Spectrum Mobile, and Xfinity Mobile. Metro by T-Mobile Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority Just like Cricket Wireless, Metro by T-Mobile doesn't offer smartwatch connectivity for free, but does give you the ability to connect the Apple Watch or the Galaxy Watch FE for $10 a month. Although Metro only sells and officially supports the Galaxy Watch FE, it is worth noting that some people have had success bringing other unlocked Galaxy Watch models over to the network, but there's no guarantee it will work, and I'd recommend contacting Metro customer service before adding the plan. Officially, the following models should work: Apple Watch Series 3 and later Samsung Galaxy Watch FE While Metro isn't for everyone, in-store support and brand-new plans make it much more compelling than it once was. Boost Mobile Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority Boost Mobile is technically a postpaid carrier, but it offers limited smartwatch support via a $10 monthly plan that is eligible for both postpaid and prepaid accounts. The following devices are officially supported: Apple Watch Series 10 or newer Apple Watch SE 2 or newer Apple Watch Ultra 2 or newer Although it may be possible to get older models to work if you bring them yourself, from what I could dig up, Boost Mobile only officially supports the latest Apple Watch products. Spectrum Mobile Spectrum Mobile is an extra service offered to Spectrum subscribers, and while there are a variety of plans, none of them directly include watch support. Thankfully, you can add on support for just $10 a month. You'll be able to pick up the following devices: Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 or newer, Ultra or newer Apple Watch SE, Watch Series 9 or newer Xfinity Mobile Xfinity subscribers have the option of Xfinity Mobile, which, just like Spectrum, runs on Verizon's network. Just like nearly everyone else who charges to add on cellular watch support, you'll pay $10 per month for the privilege. Here are the models supported: Google Pixel Watch 3 or newer Samsung Watch 7 and Watch Ultra Apple Watch SE, Watch Series 9, Watch Ultra 2 or newer Cricket Wireless Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority Cricket offers smartwatch connectivity for an additional $10 monthly but only supports Apple Watch Series 4 or later. If you are a Google or Samsung fan, you'll have to stick to a Wi-Fi watch if Cricket is your network of choice. Honestly, this is pretty disappointing when you consider that there are no other AT&T-based MVNOs that offer watch support. If you live in an area with AT&T is the strongest choice and you want a wider array of models and brand support, you really have no choice but to stick with postpaid here. Should you bring your own smartwatch or buy from the carrier? Jimmy Westenberg / Android Authority Left to right: Samsung Galaxy Watch 4, Apple Watch Series 6 If you don't already own a cellular smartwatch, buying directly from your prepaid carrier is often advisable. Here's why: Cellular watches typically aren't carrier-locked, ensuring flexibility as long as your network supports your model. Buying directly reduces compatibility risks and technical headaches. Prepaid carriers sometimes offer cellular watches below retail prices without requiring long-term commitments. If you do want to bring your own cellular smartwatch, I highly recommend contacting the carrier, as it should be able to do an IMEI lookup to determine if your exact watch will work or not. Which prepaid carrier has the best smartwatch support? Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority The best is sort of subjective here and depends on a variety of factors, including brand and model preference, network preference, and the list goes on. Still, if I could only recommend three, it would be Verizon Prepaid, Google Fi, or Visible. If you care about having the widest possible device compatibility? You can't go wrong with Verizon Prepaid. While Verizon Prepaid's phone plans might be more expensive than most of the competition, the good news is Verizon's watch support is stand-alone and priced similarly to most of its competitors. If you care about value but also want a wide range of support, I'd recommend Google Fi Wireless for Galaxy Watch fans looking for great service and solid pricing, and Visible is perfect for Apple Watch fans. You'll find that either carrier also offers Google Pixel Watch support as well, and Galaxy fans just have to decide whether they prefer the T-Mobile or Verizon network for service.
Daily Mail
27-06-2025
- Daily Mail
AT&T down: Outage map shows cities with no signal
Published: | Updated: Downdetector, a site that monitors online outages, shows major cities in the red, including New York, Houston, Los Angeles , Seattle and Atlanta. Many users in Arkansas reported that their phones are only displaying 'SOS' in the status bar, which indicates that the device has lost connection to its cellular network but can still make emergency calls. Other AT&T customers in Oklahoma have also reported problems. '@ATT my phone keeps flashing between SOS and service. Like every 20 seconds. Everything okay?' one user shared on X. AT&T has not acknowledged the issues on its social media sites, but its Help account on X is responding to frustrated users. Users have reported that customer support wait times have been over three hours, leaving them unable to get answers about the outage.
Phone Arena
26-06-2025
- Business
- Phone Arena
11-inch iPad Air (M2) with 512GB storage gets hefty limited-time discount
11-inch iPad Air M2, 512GB, Wi-Fi: Save $200! $200 off (22%) Looking for a powerful iPad Air with 512GB of storage? The M2-powered iPad Air fits the bill—and right now, you can get one for $200 off on Amazon. Don't miss out! Buy at Amazon 11-inch iPad Air M2, 512GB, cellular: $300 off $300 off (29%) The iPad Air M2 with cellular connectivity is also on sale. The model in Space Gray with 512GB of storage is available for $300 off on Amazon. So, if you want an LTE-powered slate, act fast and get one with this deal now! Buy at Amazon However, if you want your tablet to have LTE connectivity, feel free to go for the cellular model, as it's also heavily discounted right now. You can grab one for $300 less, meaning it will set you back about $750, which is a bargain price for all the value it offers. Apple's M2 SoC still delivers insanely fast performance, allowing you to run demanding apps and play games without issues. This also makes it a top choice for work or school. Of course, its 11-inch LCD display with a 2360 x 1640 resolution makes it a great pick for watching your favorite Apple TV+ series, as it offers a pleasant viewing experience—even though it lacks the deep blacks of OLED displays. Receive the latest mobile news By subscribing you agree to our terms and conditions and privacy policy However, if you want your tablet to have LTE connectivity, feel free to go for the cellular model, as it's also heavily discounted right now. You can grab one for $300 less, meaning it will set you back about $750, which is a bargain price for all the value it M2 SoC still delivers insanely fast performance, allowing you to run demanding apps and play games without issues. This also makes it a top choice for work or school. Of course, its 11-inch LCD display with a 2360 x 1640 resolution makes it a great pick for watching your favorite Apple TV+ series, as it offers a pleasant viewing experience—even though it lacks the deep blacks of OLED only gripe with the screen is that it's capped at a 60Hz refresh rate. However, it's something you get used to. Plus, when you factor in all the goodies this tablet offers—including Apple Pencil Pro support—we think it's a no-brainer, especially at its current price on Amazon. So, don't miss out! Grab Surfshark VPN now at more than 50% off and with 3 extra months for free! Secure your connection now at a bargain price! We may earn a commission if you make a purchase Check Out The Offer The iPad Air is the best choice for Apple users who want a powerful tablet but don't want to overspend on the Pro models. Furthermore, these slates usually receive heftier discounts, making them an even bigger bargain than fact, you can currently snag a brand-new iPad Air at a cheaper price even now! A third-party seller on Amazon is offering a sweet $200 discount on the 512GB Wi-Fi variant of the 11-inch iPad Air with M2 chip, allowing you to snag one for just under $700. Just be sure to act fast, as only a few units are left and the deal could expire soon.
CNET
21-06-2025
- CNET
I Get 5G on My Phone at Home, But Why Can't I Get 5G Home Internet? Here's What I Learned
If you can get 5G on your phone while you're at home, you should be able to get 5G internet at your house, right? Not exactly. 5G is no longer new, thanks to efforts from major carriers AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon, but 5G home internet service isn't strictly available at the same addresses as 5G cellular service. I ran into this when I switched my mobile carrier from AT&T cellular service to T-Mobile phone service. I was immediately impressed with the phone's 5G performance. However, even though I got T-Mobile 5G cell service at home, my address wasn't eligible for T-Mobile 5G Home Internet. It's not just T-Mobile. The same applies to Verizon's cellular service as well as AT&T's. Their 5G home internet products are also not categorically available at all addresses covered by the company's 5G coverage map. For example, even if you have Verizon's Ultra Wideband service in your neighborhood, it's not a given you'll be able to sign up for Verizon 5G Home Internet. Let's get into the details about why. What is 5G anyway? Before we get into the details on the main 5G home internet providers, let's clear up any confusion about what 5G actually is. 5G stands for "fifth generation." It represents the fifth generation of wireless data networks, not to be confused with 5GHz, a specific frequency band often used by Wi-Fi routers. If you have 5G home internet, you're using a fixed wireless internet connection provided by a cellular provider. You may have a 5G home internet connection that uses a Wi-Fi router with a 5GHz frequency. Locating local internet providers Also of note, 5G comes in three types: millimeter-wave, midband and low-band. Cellular home internet providers often use all three to create strong, varied networks. Yes, AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon all offer 5G home internet T-Mobile and Verizon were the first to use cellular airwaves to offer dedicated 5G home internet plans. Each provider's plans feature straightforward, all-inclusive pricing that ditches equipment fees, data caps, term agreements and other added hassles often associated with internet service providers. T-Mobile 5G Home Internet features plans for $40 to $70 per month for speeds of 87 to 415 megabits per second. Verizon offers two plans -- Verizon 5G Home ($50 a month) and Verizon 5G Home Plus ($70 a month). Qualifying Verizon and T-Mobile phone plans can also knock $15 off the price of your monthly bill. Simplicity and a straightforward approach seem to be key for both companies. What about AT&T, you ask? Although an AT&T spokesperson told CNET that "fiber remains our focus," the company also offers 5G home internet: AT&T Internet Air. It provides potentially higher download speeds than its hybrid DSL service (up to 225 megabits per second) and is now available in more than 100 locations across the US. AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon seem serious about home internet, so why isn't it as available as their overall 5G coverage? Verizon also includes its 5G equipment in your monthly fee. Sarah Tew/CNET When my former CNET colleague Eli Blumenthal tested Verizon 5G Home, he noted that the 5G connection on his iPhone was better than the one for his 5G Home hub. He was on to something. A Verizon spokesperson told me that it designed its network with its mobile customers in mind. "We continue to allocate spectrum to ensure our mobile customers have the reliability they've come to expect from Verizon," they said via email. "As we deploy more spectrum -- in excess of what our models show we need for the highest reliability for our mobile customers -- we are able to offer 5G Home service as well." 5G allows for a greater connection density -- approximately 1 million devices per square kilometer -- than previous generations of cellular connectivity. Is that a lot? Yes, it's about 100 times better than 4G, but it's not limitless. Telecom insider Jeff Moore, principal of Wave7 Research, said he believes T-Mobile has also been judicious about selling home internet because of how a home internet product puts a heavy capacity usage on a mobile network. He pointed me to a YouTube interview with Kendra Lord, T-Mobile's director of geospatial engineering and analytics, where she likened 5G home internet availability to the number of seats on a plane. "It's not only the number of households that we believe could get [T-Mobile 5G Home Internet]," she said, "but how many within a given sector we could say yes to." A spokesperson corroborated that mindset when I contacted T-Mobile for further insight. "There are still many households that do not qualify for Home Internet yet, even though they may get 5G on their mobile device -- and that's intentional," I was told via email. "Our fixed wireless Home Internet runs on the extra capacity on our wireless network. In some areas, we have extra capacity on the network, but in others, we don't. So, we allocate access to Home Internet on a sector-by-sector, home-by-home basis." In other words, it's entirely possible that I could get 5G cellular service in my home, and my next-door neighbor might even have T-Mobile 5G Home Internet. However, my address might not be serviceable for that home internet product because of the capacity limits for my area's cellular coverage. Is home internet a side hustle for mobile carriers? T-Mobile, whose gateway device is shown here, includes equipment in the monthly fee as well. Amanda Kooser I was tempted to think that getting into the ISP game was a lark for these companies. Moore considers another layer at play. "Mobility is the core business for T-Mobile, and for the most part, it's the core business for Verizon," said Moore. "But T-Mobile, in particular, is telling Wall Street that in addition to selling [home internet] services to businesses, it's also saying it's increasingly pushing into rural America. I don't think it's just a PR stunt. All of the numbers support Moore's assessment. In its Q1 2025 report, T-Mobile proudly announced it had reached nearly 7 million customers. That's an impressive number coming less than four years after the product's nationwide launch. Overall, T-Mobile has been aggressive in its pitch. In 2022, it began its Internet Freedom push, which leaned into Americans' dissatisfaction with ISPs and encouraged people to "break up with Big Internet" by trying T-Mobile 5G Home Internet. It continues to seek consumers' attention, recently launching an aggressive summer campaign. Verizon also has been ambitious with its offers while ringing less of an "ISPs are evil" note. That's probably because Verizon Fios -- the company's fiber-optic internet service -- is an ISP and one of the few that's regularly highly rated. In its case, 5G home internet seems less of a blow against "Big Internet" and more of a play to extend the Verizon home internet game beyond the Northeast (Verizon Fios' playground) and out to the rest of the country. At the very least, 5G home internet has succeeded in being a convenient and reliable way to get online, especially for rural customers. So the next time you ask, "Why can't I get 5G home internet even though I have 5G on my phone at home?" I advise you to hang tight. Both carriers are actively optimizing their networks for mobile first and home internet second, in a dynamic process that changes month to month. 2025 could be your year to try 5G for your home's broadband connection.
Phone Arena
03-06-2025
- Business
- Phone Arena
My 90-day free trial with T-Mobile's T-Satellite comes with some cool extras
Having signed up for T-Mobile's T-Satellite beta, the carrier informed me today that I officially have been invited to join the 90-day free beta. If you received the same invitation, or you're waiting for your own invite, you need to understand that it offers you more than just the T-Satellite beta that allows you to send and receive texts in areas of the country without cellular service. Yes, you'll be able to send emergency texts to 911 and even share your location via text. Compatible phones will automatically connect to T-Satellite when no cellular signal can be found and the sky is clear. You will also get access to T-Mobile 's 5G network for 90 days including 50GB of high-speed data and unlimited texts. You'll also be eligible to claim the perks from T-Mobile Tuesdays, the industry's best customer rewards program. After the 90 days is up, you'll lose access to T-Mobile 's cellular network and T-Mobile Tuesdays unless you decide to subscribe to T-Mobile . Follow the directions to sign up for T-Mobile's T-Satellite beta. | Image credit-PhoneArena When you join the beta, you will have to give T-Mobile a valid credit card. That's because after the 90 days expire, you'll be charged $10 a month for the satellite service which is a $5-a-month savings from the regular $15/month price. You can call to cancel before the free trial expires When you do join the beta you will have to give T-Mobile your phone's unique IMEI number which, on iOS, you can find by going to Settings > General > About . Look for the number next to IMEI. On Android go to Settings > About phone and scroll down to the IMEI number. Make sure you have a dual SIM phone before allowing T-Mobile to use one. | Image credit-PhoneArena If your phone has dual eSIMs, which are embedded in your phone's motherboard, you can follow the directions to have T-Mobile use an open eSIM while your current carrier uses the other eSIM. If your phone has just a single eSIM, you will need to get a physical SIM card for your carrier to allow T-Satellite to use your eSIM. It's also possible that if you agree to allow T-Mobile to use an eSIM on your phone and you only have one, you will lose your connection with your current carrier. Switch to Total 5G+ Unlimited 3-Month plan or Total 5G Unlimited and get a free iPhone. We may earn a commission if you make a purchase Buy at Total Wireless
