Don’t expect to make a phone call on the first 5G devices.  AT&T has set a goal of launching its super-fast next-generation cellular network in a dozen markets by the end of the year. But the first 5G devices won’t be phones, AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson said on a conference call on Wednesday, telling investors …

AT&T has never shied away from a fight.  The Dallas telecom giant has been in the thick of a long battle with the other national carriers over your business, with each player offering freebies like discounts on that new iPhone or even a year of free service. AT&T, for its part, has offered to bundle HBO into its plans as …

CNN is saying farewell to YouTube star Casey Neistat. The news giant brought in Neistat as part of its 2016 purchase of his Beme social media app, which captures and plays four-second video clips. Buzzfeed reported Thursday that CNN will later in the day announce that Neistat and Beme co-founder Matt Hackett are leaving the company.  Neistat, an online filmmaker who found …

Have you ever visited an online store only to have ads for that very store follow you around? Google will help you shut those ads down now.  The online search giant said on Thursday in a blog post that it will let users “mute” reminder ads that show up in apps and sites that partner to show its ads. It’s …

Clues about the next iPad may be hiding in Apple’s latest mobile software.  Filipe Esposito, editor in chief of iHelpBR, tweeted that he found a reference to an “iPad_Modern” in the code for the developer preview of iOS 11.3. Apple used “Modern iPhone” as a placeholder to describe the iPhone X before its release, suggesting that this iPad could get …

Apple wants to get you reading on your iPhone again — but with its own app.  The company is working on a redesigned version of its iBooks app — potentially called just Books — that’s supposed to be simpler to use and feature an updated digital bookstore, according to Bloomberg, which cited unnamed sources. Apple has hired an Amazon executive …

The reality of a 5G phone is closer than you think. Mobile chip giant Qualcomm on Thursday announced a partnership with several of the largest Chinese phone manufacturers, including Lenovo (Motorola’s parent), Xiaomi, ZTE, Oppo (OnePlus’ owner) and Vivo, to build 5G phones as early as 2019.  Under the “5G Pioneer” initiative, Qualcomm will help create a platform for the …

On Wednesday’s podcast, we talk to CNET’s Scott Stein about these stories: Apple will offer a fix for that battery slowdown feature. We just don’t know exactly when.  Apple’s iOS 11.3 will come with new tricks for ARKit.  Virtual reality could cut the cord this year with HTC offering a wireless adaptor for its Vive headset.  The 3:59 gives you …

Get ready to hear more about 5G from Verizon.  The company is preparing for the commercial deployment this year of its next-generation wireless network, which will eventually serve as a replacement for broadband internet service. The company is set to spend $17 billion to $17.8 billion this year on capital projects, which includes its work on 5G.  5G has become …

Smartphones with foldable displays are either a waste of time or the next breakthrough in handsets. It just depends on whom you ask. You can count Lixin Cheng, head of ZTE’s mobile business, as someone solidly in the pro-foldable camp. Last year, ZTE released the Axon M, a clamshell-like phone that has two screens and can be opened up to …