Mint Mobile Adds More Data to its Plans
Mint Mobile has upped its 5GB plan to 6GB, its 15GB plan to 17GB, and its 20GB plan to 23GB, all while keeping prices the same. The company also recently doubled its hotspot data allotment from 10GB to 20GB.
AT&T Launches 24-Hour Data Pass for $3, Starting with iPads
AT&T has launched a new service offering consisting of 24 hours of unlimited data for $3, available to anyone, with no contract or subscription. Initially, it's available only on cellular-equipped Apple iPads, and can be activated directly from the built-in Settings app. You do not need to be an existing AT&T customer; you only need a credit or debit card, and the 24-hour period starts "shortly after purchase". The data is "unlimited" but not "premium" data, meaning "AT&T may temporarily slow data speeds if the network is busy." AT&T plans to expand the offering in the "near future" to "other 5G-enabled devices like Android tablets, smartwatches, laptops, drones, etc." Also in the near future, the company plans to offer "multi-day options such as weekend and week-long passes."
iOS 27 Code References Foldable iPhone
The tools and materials released to developers yesterday for the forthcoming iOS version 27 include multiple references that strongly suggest the software is designed to support a yet-to-be-announced foldable iPhone. These include specific new values named "foldState", "angleDegrees", and "DeviceDisplayCount". The naming makes sense for some kind of foldable iPhone with a hinge and multiple displays. Such a phone has been rumored to be under development for several years, but never confirmed until now. The iPhone Air laid groundwork for a potential foldable iPhone, as achieving that thin-ness is necessary for a practical foldable (for it to not be too thick when closed). It remains unconfirmed if or when Apple might actually launch a foldable iPhone, but this at least seems to confirm that Apple is working on one and closer to potentially releasing it.
iOS 27 Intros Siri AI
Apple has announced iOS 27, which includes a wide range of new and refined features. As expected, a major focus is on smarter versions of Apple Intelligence and Siri. Siri is now "Siri AI" and has its own app with a history of conversations. Siri and the Spotlight search tool use a new index of your data and new AI models to provide more relevant results. Siri is also more conversational, answering multi-step prompts with an understanding of context, including what's on your screen at the moment, your messages, and your calendar events. Siri's voice can now be customized by speed and "expressiveness" (on some iPhones). The camera app also gains a new Siri Mode where you can ask questions about anything the camera is pointed at. Parental controls also get an update, with new screen-time controls for specific categories like Entertainment, Games, and Social Media. The Safari web browser also gets a new "Ask to Browse" feature that lets parents approve each new web site a child wants to visit. Automatic blurring of sensitive imagery has been expanded from just nudity to violent and "gory" content as well. Across various Apple apps, more tasks can now be completed with natural language prompts via Apple Intelligence with context awareness. For example, in Shortcuts, automations can be created and tweaked by simply describing what you're like the automation to do, greatly simplifying what could previously be a complex process. Similarly, new events can be added to your calendar with a simple description, with the app automatically looking up and adding details like a business address. Apple has also rewritten its CPU scheduler for better overall performance, particularly on older iPhones. Many apps should now load 30% faster. The OS should also be smarter and smoother when transitioning from a weak Wi-Fi signal to the cellular network. Finally, the Passwords app can now, with one tap, upgrade weak or compromised passwords for you. iOS 27 will work on all iPhones supported by iOS 26, all the way back to the iPhone 11. A beta version for developers will be available today, with a public beta version due in July, and the final version this fall.
FCC Auctioning Off Abandoned Spectrum Licenses in Band 66
The FCC this week started a new auction for 5G radio spectrum licenses. The licenses cover the AWS band, frequencies where cell phones use 4G and 5G in band 66. There are over 200 specific licenses on offer, scattered across 48 states but covering 100 million consumers, and major markets like New York, Chicago, Boston, Tampa, and Charlotte. These same licenses were first auctioned in 2014, but have since been abandoned for various reasons.
New Android Feature Can Detect Impersonation Scams
Google has built a new security feature into its Phone app — the default calling app on Android phones — that can detect and warn you about scam calls where someone pretends to be someone you know. Scammers are increasingly using advanced techniques like spoofing phone numbers and using AI to make their voice sound like someone else. When calling from one Android phone to another, a silent, behind-the-scenes, encrypted RCS message confirms that the call is legitimate. But if that message is missing from an incoming call from a known contact, the Phone app silently checks with the phone of that contact. If that phone responds that it's not currently calling you, a scam alert appears. The feature can only work for contacts that also have Android phones. Google is starting to roll out the feature globally this month, starting with Pixel devices. It will be available on Android versions 12 and newer.
2026 Shrinks the moto edge
Motorola has repositioned its mid-range moto edge phone somewhat, trimming the size and weight compared to last year's model. The AMOLED display goes from 6.7-inch to 6.3-inch, while keeping its sharp resolution (better than FHD+), 120 Hz refresh, and improving brightness (5,200 nits peak, up from 4,500). Most other specs remain similar, including a MediaTek Dimensity 7400-series processor, 8 GB of RAM, 50 megapixel main camera, dedicated wide and tele cameras, fast charging, wireless charging, and high water resistance. The battery is slightly smaller to match the smaller size: 5,000 mAh, down from 5,200. Storage also takes a hit — 128 GB instead of 256 — possibly due to the ongoing global shortage. It also sees a $50 price bump to $600. The 2026 moto edge launches on June 11 with Verizon and unlocked, with subsequent availability at AT&T, Cricket, Spectrum, and Xfinity.
Redmagic's New Flagship Gaming Phone has 7,500 mAh Battery
Redmagic has introduced the Redmagic 11S Pro, its latest flagship phone with high-end specs optimized for mobile gaming. To support extended gaming sessions, it has a massive 7,500 mAh battery with 80W wired and 80W wireless charging (plus reverse charging, wired and wireless). It also has an extensive cooling system to limit throttling during extended sessions, including a large vapor chamber, a liquid cooling system, and a 24,000 RPM mechanical fan. The 6.85" AMOLED display has an under-display camera, 144 Hz refresh, and 3,000 Hz touch sampling. It's powered by a Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chip with 12 or 16 GB of LPDDR5x RAM, and 256 or 512 GB of UFS 4.1 storage. It has dual 50 megapixel rear cameras (main and wide) and a 16 megapixel front camera. It also has an IPx8 water resistance rating, ultrasonic fingerprint reader, USB 3.2 Gen 2, and NFC. In the US, the phone has decent support for AT&T's 5G and 4G network, but limited support for other networks. The Redmagic 11S Pro will be available unlocked online from Redmagic starting at $849, beginning June 10.
Hands On with Anker's New Earbuds and Chargers
Anker has released an impressive new set of phone accessories, including ambitious new Bluetooth earbuds, as well as chargers with impressive specs in compact form factors. The new SoundCore Liberty 5 Pro (and Pro Max) earbuds aim to challenge the best earbuds in the industry in terms of noise cancellation and sound quality, while offering features like a charging case with touch-screen controls. The newest chargers offer unprecedented power output for their size, while also offering displays with interactive controls. We checked them out. Here are our impressions.
SoundCore's New Earbuds Claim Title of World's Clearest for Calls
Anker has launched the SoundCore Liberty 5 Pro Bluetooth earbuds, which have been awarded the Guinness World Record for earbuds with the clearest-sounding voice calls. As a pair, the earbuds have eight traditional microphones and two bone-conduction sensors. Those inputs are fed into a noise-reduction system powered by Anker's new Thus AI processing chip. Anker claims its active noise cancellation (ANC) blocks more outside noise than any other earbuds on the market. The Liberty 5 Pro includes personalized equalization that tests your ears, asks your preferences, and fine-tunes sound uniquely for you. They also include an AI audio processing feature specifically designed to restore sound details that are typically lost by the Bluetooth codecs. The earbuds also have on-device voice recognition for basic functions like "volume up", "answer call", "next track", and "activate ANC". The earbuds have 6.5 hours of battery life with ANC on (28 including the charging case battery). They also charge quickly, giving four hours of battery life in just five minutes. The standard Liberty 5 Pro has a small touch-screen on the charging case and sells for $170. For $230, the Liberty 5 Pro Max sports a larger touch-screen on the case and can store up to three hours of audio with AI-powered dictation and a collection of note-taking features. Both versions are available now.
Trump Mobile Data Breach Exposes Personal Data and Order Count
Trump Mobile has confirmed that personal data of its customers was left exposed on internet. The data includes names, email addresses, mailing addresses, cell numbers, and order identifiers. The company says it is investigating and blamed an unnamed third-party provider. The company says there is no evidence that financial info was exposed. The company has not said it will inform affected customers. The bug that exposed the data has since been fixed. Although the company says its long-delayed flagship T1 phone received 600,000 pre-orders and will ship this week, the breach shows just 30,000 orders from 10,000 people, and there is no evidence that any phones have actually shipped yet.
Motorola Razr Fold is First with New 5G Tech That Downloads 20% Faster
The new Motorola razr Fold will be the first phone in the US to support a new 5G Advanced technology called 6Rx, and T-Mobile will be the only US carrier to support this technology at launch. 6Rx enables up to 20% faster download speeds thanks to six separate radio antennas, instead of the usual two to four. Most modern phones leverage MIMO technology, where multiple antennas — at some physical distance from each other — can deliver better performance. Because of the need for physical distance, the size of modern smartphones limits how many antennas can usefully be included. But foldable phones like the razr Fold, when unfolded, offer enough physical area to include up to six antennas with enough physical distance from each other to improve performance via MIMO. In a forthcoming version of the 5G standard, 6Rx will be able to boost download speeds by up to 50% in some conditions. T-Mobile will start selling the razr Fold and the 2026 razr on May 28.
AT&T Launches Flexible Plan You Can Change Month-to-Month
AT&T is launching "Build-A-Plan", a new option for people on a budget who may need more data some months than others, and have advance notice of those needs. The base plan is just $15/month, which includes 1 GB of data, plus unlimited talk and text. In advance of each monthly billing cycle, you can choose to add phone data and/or hotspot data. 5GB of data costs $5/month, 15 GB costs $10, and unlimited data (with SD video streaming) is $20. The data buckets replace the 1 GB of the base plan. Hotspot data buckets are available at 5, 25, and 50GB, for $5, $15, and $20, respectively. Hotspot data buckets are only available when purchased with phone data buckets of equal or greater amounts. The unlimited phone data options are not "premium data", meaning data speeds may be temporarily slowed when the network is busy. This plan requires that you supply your own unlocked, eSIM-capable phone. There is no family plan / multi-line version of this plan. Prices do not include taxes and fees.
T-Mobile Launches Beta of Network-Based Language Translation
The service, first announced in February, is AI-powered and network-based, so it works with any T-Mobile phone, even non-smartphones. T-Mobile say it now supports 80 languages "and counting", up from 50 initially.
TCL K70 Comes to Verizon Prepaid for $50
Verizon Prepaid and TCL have launched the TCL K70, a new addition to TCL's entry-level K-series smartphone lineup. For just $10 more than the TCL K33 ($50 instead of $40), the new K70 offers a larger battery (5,200 vs. 5,010 mAh), faster charging (33W vs. 18W), double the storage (128 vs. 64 GB), better cameras (50 vs. 13 megapixel for the main), and adds NFC for tap payments. Both phones sport a large 6.8-inch display. The K70 is powered by a Snapdragon 4s Gen 2 chipset with 4 GB of RAM.
Google Brings Vibe Coding to Android
Google today announced an Android version of its AI Studio app for building apps using generative AI, enabling vibe coding on the go. Apps started on your phone can then be moved to a desktop environment to finish. Google also announced that the desktop version of AI Studio now includes native support for building Android apps, streamlining a process that previously required the installation of a full app-development software suite.
Auto-Generated Video Captions Coming to iPhone
Apple is previewing several new accessibility features coming "later this year". The most important might be video subtitles (captions) that are automatically generated on-device for uncaptioned videos. This includes video content "recorded on iPhone, received from friends and family, or streamed online." This feature is coming to most Apple platforms, including iPhone. Google added a similar feature, called Live Caption, to Android seven years ago. Apple is also enhancing its existing VoiceOver, Magnifier, Voice Control, and Accessibility Reader features with AI, enabling queries that use more natural language, follow-up questions, and more detailed responses. Apple is also adding a new API that will support adding a human interpreter to an ongoing FaceTime video call within a sign language interpretation app.
Google's Wear OS 7 Brings New Widgets, Live Updates
Google has announced version 7 of its Wear OS platform for smartwatches. The software is more efficient, delivering 10% better battery life. It also replaces "Tiles" with "Widgets" that are more like the home-screen widgets on Android. Also new are Live Update Notifications, notifications that update with progress info over time, a feature that Android gained in version 16. A new "Remote Output Switcher" in the system media controls will make it easier to choose where music should play. Google is also introducing a few features for developers that will enhance AI features and make it easier to develop workout apps.
