This story is part of Elections 2020, CNET’s coverage of the voting in November and its aftermath. President Donald Trump’s reelection campaign is reportedly clashing with wireless carriers Verizon, AT&T and T-Mobile over whether its text messages should be blocked as spam. Over the July Fourth weekend, the Trump campaign’s mass text message push was …
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My mother-in-law is used to seeing me always carrying a new gadget. She was there when I strapped on my first smartwatch in 2013, and she’s seen me excitedly try out new camera lenses that attach to my phone. But it was different the time I first showed her a virtual reality headset. After she cautiously strapped the $199 Oculus Go on her head, the …
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AT&T’s 5G network crossed an important milestone Thursday, with the telecom giant announcing on its second-quarter earnings call that its low-band 5G network is now available to 205 million people. By crossing the 200 million mark the company now meets the Federal Communication Commission’s definition of a nationwide network. AT&T joins T-Mobile, which has had a nationwide 5G network since …
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HBO Max had 4.1 million subscribers signed up as of late June, one month after its May 27 launch in the US, parent company AT&T said Thursday. AT&T CEO John Stankey said that out of the 4.1 million, about 3 million accounts subscribe directly to $15-a-month HBO Max. The remaining 1.1 million or so activated a Max account by upgrading their existing HBO service …
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Samsung’s Galaxy Z Flip 5G, a variant of its clamshell foldable packed with next-generation cellular capabilities, will launch on Aug. 7. But that extra performance will cost you $1,450. A 4G version of the Galaxy Z Flip went on sale for $1,380 on Feb. 14 — about a month before the coronavirus pandemic caused lockdowns in the US. That device, …
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An email from AT&T arrived in customers’ inboxes this week, suggesting that 3G users would need to upgrade their devices or risk being dropped from its network. But that change, part of AT&T’s long-planned 3G phase-out, is still a year and a half away. The email, originally reported by Android Police, warns users that the company will soon be upgrading …
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The LG Velvet, a polished, midrange 5G phone that first launched in South Korea, is coming to the US on AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile. The new device, which will be priced starting at $599, will hit AT&T first and be available online at the carrier starting on July 22 before arriving in stores on Aug. 7. Verizon and T-Mobile customers will …
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When it comes to the next batch of iPhones, rumors have strongly suggested that Apple’s next devices will have 5G when they arrive later this year. While T-Mobile CEO Mike Sievert couldn’t say if the carrier would have a 5G iPhone, he told CNET’s The Daily Charge podcast that such a device would be “a dream of ours.” Sievert, who took …
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Something’s wrong. Shanice’s young son Terrance has lost consciousness. His limbs start jerking and his eyes roll back. Terrance has some special needs — he’s diabetic and allergic to penicillin. And he needs help. Right now. As soon as Shanice calls 911, the operator moves into action, dispatching an ambulance that’s personalized for Terrance. Once inside, an EMT sends his …
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This story is part of Generation China, CNET’s series exploring the nation’s technological ambition. China is moving full steam ahead on 5G, barely slowed down by a pandemic that has ravaged the world. This is setting up a race between the nation and the US, which led the way with 4G cellular technology and wants to keep its pole position …
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