Cell Phone News

Isgrimnur · Post by **Isgrimnur** » Tue Nov 05, 2019 6:24 pm

On Tuesday, the Federal Trade Commission announced that AT&T will pay $60 million to settle a case with the agency. It alleges that the company lied to customers about its “unlimited” data plans because it throttled their data if they ever went over a certain threshold.

The settlement requires AT&T to deposit that $60 million into a fund that will be used to provide “partial refunds” to customers who signed up for unlimited data plans before the year 2011 (when the company’s throttling policy first went into effect). The company is also barred from marketing plans off of their suggested speed or amount of data without disclosing any restrictions those plans may have.
...
“Even though it has been years since we applied this network management tool in the way described by the FTC, we believe this is in the best interests of consumers,” an AT&T spokesperson told The Verge.

In the summer of 2015, the Federal Communications Commission fined AT&T $100 million for similar deceptive marketing practices involving its data plans. According to the FCC, the agency received thousands of consumer complaints that led them to investigate the throttling allegations.

Isgrimnur · Post by **Isgrimnur** » Sun Jan 12, 2020 10:24 pm

ars technica

The UMX U686CL is provided by Virgin Mobile's Assurance Wireless program. Assurance Wireless is an offshoot of the Lifeline Assistance program, a Federal Communications Commissions plan that makes free or government-subsidized phones service available to millions of low-income families. The program is often referred to as the Obama Phone because it expanded in 2008, when President Barack Obama took office. The UMX U686CL runs Android and is available for $35 to qualifying users.
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Researchers at Malwarebytes said on Thursday that the device comes with some nasty surprises.
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The first is heavily obfuscated malware that can install adware and other unwanted apps without the knowledge or permission of the user. Android/Trojan.Dropper.Agent.UMX contains striking similarities to two other trojan droppers. For one, it uses identical text strings and almost identical code. And for another, it contains an encoded string that, when decoded, contains a hidden library named com.android.google.bridge.Liblmp.

Once the library is loaded into memory, it installs software Malwarebytes calls Android/Trojan.HiddenAds. It aggressively displays ads. Malwarebytes researcher Nathan Collier said company users have reported that the hidden library installs a variant of HiddenAds, but the researchers were unable to reproduce that installation, possibly because the library waits some amount of time before doing so.

The malware that installs these programs is hidden in the phone's settings app. That makes it virtually impossible to uninstall, since the phone can't operate properly without it.
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The second unpleasant surprise delivered by the UMX U686CL is something called Wireless Update. While it provides a mechanism for downloading and installing phone updates, it also loads a barrage of unwanted apps without permission. The app is a variant of Adups, an app from a China-based company by the same name. In 2016, researchers caught Adups surreptitiously collecting user data on hundreds of thousands of low-cost phones from BLU.

Isgrimnur · Post by **Isgrimnur** » Thu Feb 06, 2020 4:35 pm

Jeff V · Post by **Jeff V** » Thu Feb 06, 2020 10:47 pm

Isgrimnur wrote: ↑Thu Feb 06, 2020 4:35 pm

That is so 2004...

Isgrimnur · Post by **Isgrimnur** » Tue Feb 22, 2022 11:42 am

USA Today

AT&T is about to take the first step toward the end of 3G service.

On Tuesday, the wireless carrier will shut down its 3G network, which means multiple older smartphones and countless other devices will no longer work.
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If you own a 3G phone or a phone that doesn't support HD Voice calls, then it will no longer make or receive calls or text messages, or use any services requiring wireless data. And those devices can't dial 911.
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The impact of 3G's retirement goes beyond older phones. The wireless network supports countless other devices such as e-book readers, vehicle SOS services, home alarms, medical alert devices and more.
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T-Mobile says it will retire the older 3G network acquired in the Sprint deal on March 31. It will shut down its own 3G network by July 1. Verizon said it plans to decommission its 3G network by Dec. 31, 2022.

gilraen · Post by **gilraen** » Tue Feb 22, 2022 12:53 pm

Both of our phones are Samsung Galaxy S8, and T-Mobile sent us letters that our phones need to be upgraded. These phones support 4G LTE just fine so I don't know why 3G shutdown should affect us. So at this point I literally have no idea if they'll just shut off service to our phones on 3/31 or 7/1 or whatever, but I'm not going to buy another phone "just in case". If it stops working, then I'll worry about it

disarm · Post by **disarm** » Tue Feb 22, 2022 1:36 pm

Isgrimnur wrote:USA Today

AT&T is about to take the first step toward the end of 3G service.

On Tuesday, the wireless carrier will shut down its 3G network, which means multiple older smartphones and countless other devices will no longer work.
...
If you own a 3G phone or a phone that doesn't support HD Voice calls, then it will no longer make or receive calls or text messages, or use any services requiring wireless data. And those devices can't dial 911.
...
The impact of 3G's retirement goes beyond older phones. The wireless network supports countless other devices such as e-book readers, vehicle SOS services, home alarms, medical alert devices and more.
...
T-Mobile says it will retire the older 3G network acquired in the Sprint deal on March 31. It will shut down its own 3G network by July 1. Verizon said it plans to decommission its 3G network by Dec. 31, 2022.

This shutdown is having an impact on the 3G-connected functionality of my 2018 Audi Q7. I've been notified that the connected functions of my car (SOS calling, GPS tracking, remote lock/unlock and monitoring, OTA map updates, etc) will all stop working at the end of February. I have to take my car to the dealer soon so they can install a software update that will prevent connecting failure messages from appearing, and there's an optional hardware 'upgrade' to restore some of the lost functionality.

The really annoying part? Audi is being very particular about which years and models qualify for the hardware installation, and whether an owner has to pay for the "upgrade." I'm currently under the impression that I will now need to pay to maintain the functionality that I've had for the last 4.5 years. Most are features that I've never really used, but one is a major change in my mind. With the 3G system, my car would automatically call for assistance if it sensed that it was involved in a severe accident. In a few days, that will no longer happen. What I consider to be a significant safety feature of my not-inexpensive, less than five year old car will be lost unless I pay Audi to fix it

LordMortis · Post by **LordMortis** » Tue Feb 22, 2022 1:49 pm

disarm wrote: ↑Tue Feb 22, 2022 1:36 pm This shutdown is having an impact on the 3G-connected functionality of my 2018 Audi Q7. I've been notified that the connected functions of my car (SOS calling, GPS tracking, remote lock/unlock and monitoring, OTA map updates, etc) will all stop working at the end of February. I have to take my car to the dealer soon so they can install a software update that will prevent connecting failure messages from appearing, and there's an optional hardware 'upgrade' to restore some of the lost functionality.

The really annoying part? Audi is being very particular about which years and models qualify for the hardware installation, and whether an owner has to pay for the "upgrade." I'm currently under the impression that I will now need to pay to maintain the functionality that I've had for the last 4.5 years. Most are features that I've never really used, but one is a major change in my mind. With the 3G system, my car would automatically call for assistance if it sensed that it was involved in a severe accident. In a few days, that will no longer happen. What I consider to be a significant safety feature of my not-inexpensive, less than five year old car will be lost unless I pay Audi to fix it

This is a definite indicator of me being The Olds. I don't want to pay $20,000+ for a car with features that are part of obsolesce timeline that then need to be part of a replacement or subscription service to have what I always had. the ...aaS model can lick my taint, especially when it comes to durable goods.

I, personally, blame massively multiplayer online gaming. They started this trend of buying a thing, needing to buy more things to support that thing, and then having to pay for a subscription to use that thing. Everyone saw the license to print money and I became The Olds on that day. The internet suggests this was around 1997.

Post by **ImLawBoy** » Tue Feb 22, 2022 1:56 pm

gilraen wrote: ↑Tue Feb 22, 2022 12:53 pm Both of our phones are Samsung Galaxy S8, and T-Mobile sent us letters that our phones need to be upgraded. These phones support 4G LTE just fine so I don't know why 3G shutdown should affect us. So at this point I literally have no idea if they'll just shut off service to our phones on 3/31 or 7/1 or whatever, but I'm not going to buy another phone "just in case". If it stops working, then I'll worry about it

From what I'm seeing, the phones need to support HD Voice in addition to being 4G, and most models of the S8+ are not HD Voice compatible. My company phone is an S8+ and it's now dead (although WiFi works for e-mail and such). I don't get billing information or anything that provides service notices since it's corporate, so I didn't know it was going to happen. Damn you AT&T!

em2nought · Post by **em2nought** » Wed Feb 23, 2022 5:00 am

My Nord phone sucks, I've wanted my Samsung back ever since I got this thing. Just in case people are in the market for new phones, I'd say stay away from Nord.

gilraen · Post by **gilraen** » Fri Apr 01, 2022 11:08 am

ImLawBoy wrote: ↑Tue Feb 22, 2022 1:56 pm
gilraen wrote: ↑Tue Feb 22, 2022 12:53 pm Both of our phones are Samsung Galaxy S8, and T-Mobile sent us letters that our phones need to be upgraded. These phones support 4G LTE just fine so I don't know why 3G shutdown should affect us. So at this point I literally have no idea if they'll just shut off service to our phones on 3/31 or 7/1 or whatever, but I'm not going to buy another phone "just in case". If it stops working, then I'll worry about it
From what I'm seeing, the phones need to support HD Voice in addition to being 4G, and most models of the S8+ are not HD Voice compatible. My company phone is an S8+ and it's now dead (although WiFi works for e-mail and such). I don't get billing information or anything that provides service notices since it's corporate, so I didn't know it was going to happen. Damn you AT&T!

Well, it's 4/1 and my phone still works. Granted, T-Mobile announced yesterday that they are delaying the 3G shutdown until 5/31. But still, that shouldn't matter since my phone supports 4G LTE. It also has HD Voice, I found it under "Enhanced LTE Services", and it's enabled. Ironically, my phone is still running AT&T firmware (I bought it used off of woot.com). TheMix's phone is the same model but running T-Mobile firmware (also bought used at the same time). When I plug his IMEI number into the T-Mobile website, it tells me that the phone is still supported. My phone - it can't even find.

Smoove_B · Post by **Smoove_B** » Mon May 23, 2022 1:43 pm

My parents (and aunt) are all on my family plan; all three of them have 3G phones and were told that they had until 12/31/2022 to upgrade.

As it turns out, Verizon is randomly shutting down 3G towers so the upgrade timeline isn't really 12/31/22; it's anytime in 2022 based on their decommissioning schedule.

Anyway, my aunt went to the store to look at options and they tried selling her an $800 iPhone. This is a 78 year old woman that had been using a flip phone up until now.

Just some quick searching, but apparently options are way more limited now - everything is a smart phone. This is insane. Maybe I'll pull them off my Verizon plan and get them something else more in line with what septuagenarians need.

EDIT: I guess the current recommendation is a TCL Flip (voice and text only) but the reviews are terrible.

Post by **ImLawBoy** » Mon May 23, 2022 1:51 pm

I'd go with whatever the cheapest/free smartphone option is that uses the same OS and whoever will be closest to them to guide them through any tricky stuff. Using the phone on a smartphone is easy enough (and it might actually be nice to have the slightly larger screen vs. the old flip phone buttons), and they can be eased into using it for pictures and sending those pictures. My septuagenarian parents and MIL all seem to get by with iPhones (and my MIL uses a very old one since she really, really doesn't need any features beyond calling and texting).

Isgrimnur · Post by **Isgrimnur** » Mon May 23, 2022 2:30 pm

https://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/best-flip-phones/

Scroll down until you get to Alcatel.

Smoove_B · Post by **Smoove_B** » Mon May 23, 2022 2:41 pm

EDIT: They do have a flip phone on Verizon's network; I guess I'll add it to the pile. Kinda similar to the other legacy/flip phones Verizon is selling - all have terrible reviews, mainly related to quality. You'd think flip phones would be bullet-proof compared to smart phones, but I guess they're being made as cheaply as possible.

Daehawk · Post by **Daehawk** » Mon May 23, 2022 3:03 pm

Could probably buy an old Motorola Razr and get a new sim card for it.

Rumpy · Post by **Rumpy** » Tue May 24, 2022 2:29 am

Smoove_B wrote: ↑Mon May 23, 2022 1:43 pm

EDIT: I guess the current recommendation is a TCL Flip (voice and text only) but the reviews are terrible.

My guess is that seeing as TCL were once manufacturing Alcatel phones before they were manufacturing their own brand, this might simply be an Alcatel rebadge.

Pyperkub · Post by **Pyperkub** » Thu Jul 07, 2022 11:54 am

Coming soon? Unblockable Crypto ads on your phone?

According to a report from TechCrunch, one new startup is inventing a new, more invasive form of crapware: lock screen ads. The company, "Glance," is a subsidiary of Indian ad tech company InMobi...

...A quick browse through Glance's "business" page shows it's really hard to identify what's paid content and what's not. It might all be paid content. The advertiser page shows a range of "success stories" like a cryptocurrency quiz game promoted by a crypto app that "educated" users on cryptocurrency and boosted sales. Question No. 1 in Glance's demo video: "Which of these assets gave more returns in 2020: Bitcoin, or Gold?"...

...Glance also promises it can serve up a ton of personal data to advertisers for targeting and tracking. It lists demographics, their location, interests they've chosen in the app, what language they're using, and phone model. Google is an investor in Glance.

hitbyambulance · Post by **hitbyambulance** » Thu Jul 07, 2022 2:01 pm

Daehawk wrote: ↑Mon May 23, 2022 3:03 pm Could probably buy an old Motorola Razr and get a new sim card for it.

can't. uses obsoleted frequencies (2G and 3G)

hitbyambulance · Post by **hitbyambulance** » Thu Jul 07, 2022 2:05 pm

Smoove_B wrote: ↑Mon May 23, 2022 1:43 pm
Just some quick searching, but apparently options are way more limited now - everything is a smart phone. This is insane.

i wonder if China fines Uyghurs that don't carry smartphones that use a mainstream OS (for tracking purposes)...

Maybe I'll pull them off my Verizon plan and get them something else more in line with what septuagenarians need.

my mom has severe arthritis in her hands and her finger joints are all crooked - can't use touchscreens at all

Smoove_B · Post by **Smoove_B** » Thu Jul 07, 2022 2:23 pm

Hadn't thought about that regarding China, though I did find ~3 different options provided by Verizon that are adequate (all 4G phones).

What's hilarious is that Verizon doesn't like that I've been ignoring their warnings for the last 7 months regarding the 3G phones on my account, so they've told me they're mailing me a *free* 4G phone that I can activate immediately. I'll be curious to see which one they send me.

Arthritis isn't the issue here as much as it is utility. My parents keep their cellphones powered down and basically mothballed for weeks at a time. My dad had to go to the local cell phone store to get them to empty his voice mailbox; he had no idea how and people were calling the house line to tell him they couldn't leave him a message. If I was in crisis, I know better than to call them. I'd likely be mummified before they saw the message (if at all).

The idea that I'd give them $800 smart phones is hilarious. They'd have dead batteries within 48 hours, tops and when they'd try to use them 2 weeks later, they'd be furious that they didn't just power on.

hitbyambulance · Post by **hitbyambulance** » Thu Jul 07, 2022 2:59 pm

Smoove_B wrote: ↑Thu Jul 07, 2022 2:23 pm
What's hilarious is that Verizon doesn't like that I've been ignoring their warnings for the last 7 months regarding the 3G phones on my account, so they've told me they're mailing me a *free* 4G phone that I can activate immediately. I'll be curious to see which one they send me.

my brother got one of those last year from AT&T. it was like a $40 (MSRP) Chinese no-name Android phone with terrible battery life...

Arthritis isn't the issue here as much as it is utility.

yeah, i meant to precede that with 'e.g.'

agreeing it's an absurd technosupremecist situation. the average consumer smartphone is NOT designed with the elderly and geriatric in mind.

Isgrimnur · Post by **Isgrimnur** » Thu Jul 07, 2022 3:04 pm

Jitterbug phones use T-Mobile's network.

Smoove_B · Post by **Smoove_B** » Thu Jul 07, 2022 3:08 pm

I'd do that for them in a heartbeat if T-Mobile service in our area wasn't horrific.

Kraken · Post by **Kraken** » Thu Jul 07, 2022 3:25 pm

I got a phishing text today from 808-698-0301 (apparently a Hawaiian number).

Order placed:- AMZ#24NDNX for Winsted Wood Sides (pair) amount of $1199.00 will be auto deducted from your card. Not you? Call us +18883210758

Yeah, sure I will.

Octavious · Post by **Octavious** » Thu Jul 07, 2022 3:50 pm

Smoove_B wrote:I'd do that for them in a heartbeat if T-Mobile service in our area wasn't horrific.

You sure about that? It used to be but they rolled out a ton of stuff the last few years. We just switched to them and I get 5G at my house.

Now if I went to Nebraska or something I would be screwed as they have terrible coverage in those areas. But I wasn't planning on doing that.

Smoove_B · Post by **Smoove_B** » Thu Jul 07, 2022 4:01 pm

Octavious wrote: ↑Thu Jul 07, 2022 3:50 pm You sure about that? It used to be but they rolled out a ton of stuff the last few years. We just switched to them and I get 5G at my house.

I'd have to check. One of the phones is for my Aunt out in Warren county and when we lived out near her, that's when we had to switch from T-Mobile. Granted, that was a long time ago, but maybe...

Now if I went to Nebraska or something I would be screwed as they have terrible coverage in those areas. But I wasn't planning on doing that.

I just need them to work as easily as possible so I'm not deputized as tech support.

Octavious · Post by **Octavious** » Thu Jul 07, 2022 5:22 pm

Ya well TMobile used to pretty much not work at all when I moved here. Their coverage in NJ is pretty solid now. I looked and they had all of NJ covered by 4g. It was not like that years back for sure.

I have not ventured into the sticks with it yet so shrug.

Isgrimnur · Post by **Isgrimnur** » Thu Jul 07, 2022 5:28 pm

Octavious wrote: ↑Thu Jul 07, 2022 3:50 pm Now if I went to Nebraska or something I would be screwed as they have terrible coverage in those areas. But I wasn't planning on doing that.

gilraen · Post by **gilraen** » Thu Jul 07, 2022 5:33 pm

Why does T-Mobile's map have a huge gaping hole in Nebraska

That's a 5g map, though. Their 4g coverage is supposed to be fine, it's just that a lot of it comes from a partner network.

Isgrimnur · Post by **Isgrimnur** » Thu Jul 07, 2022 5:34 pm

Corn stalks don't use cell phones.

Octavious · Post by **Octavious** » Thu Jul 07, 2022 6:19 pm

For reference the deal I got for TMobile. S22 phones free. S22+ 8 bucks a month (My daughter has the bigger phone). Max plan that gives you free apple tv for a year. Netflix account for a year. Unlimited everything. They tossed a 20 percent for life of plan on top. 128 a month for 3 phones... So like 40 a month a phone for their best plan. Yes please.

No trade in was required so I can sell my old phones.

Jaymann · Post by **Jaymann** » Thu Nov 03, 2022 10:58 pm

So now flip phones are making a comeback? At least Star Trek got something right.

McNutt · Post by **McNutt** » Thu Nov 03, 2022 11:22 pm

I still don't see the appeal of them, considering they're still the same size as a regular phone. According to the commercials they're great for taking group selfies. So, uh, I guess they have that going for them.

Jaymann · Post by **Jaymann** » Fri Nov 04, 2022 12:00 am

Presumably they would prevent butt dialing.

Unagi · Post by **Unagi** » Fri Nov 04, 2022 6:47 am

All I see is a weak point in the hinge and general mechanics of it.
How well does it handle being dropped compared to a solid one piece phone. Answer : it handles it poorly.
I also see a screen with a crease in it, and something tells me that will also be a weak point.

These new fold up phones have no appeal to me.

JCC · Post by **JCC** » Fri Nov 04, 2022 9:17 am

The appeal of the Flips/Razrs is pretty obvious to me. When folded they fit in pockets much easier. Much like flip phones from days of yore were popular for the same reason.

I would love to have a Flip, but I am not willing to pay $1000 for a phone.

Unagi · Post by **Unagi** » Fri Nov 04, 2022 9:31 am

My iPhone totally fits in my pocket.
But I’m a guy with front pockets in everything I wear.

If it were twice as thick, it would be more annoying to pocket, imo.

Octavious · Post by **Octavious** » Fri Nov 04, 2022 9:36 am

I have a regular S22 and I have no problems just throwing it in my front pants pocket. We got my daughter the larger one and I kind of regret that. It's ridiculous and she drops it like 900 times a day.

EvilHomer3k · Post by **EvilHomer3k** » Fri Nov 04, 2022 10:54 am

Octavious wrote: ↑Fri Nov 04, 2022 9:36 am I have a regular S22 and I have no problems just throwing it in my front pants pocket. We got my daughter the larger one and I kind of regret that. It's ridiculous and she drops it like 900 times a day.

My youngest has my old iPhone XS Max with my old folio case. He drops it about the same number of times. But the folio protects the screen pretty well. It does mostly fit in his pocket.

I have no trouble fitting my 14 Pro Max with a folio/wallet case in my front pockets either. I do have a separate case for when I exercise and want to take the phone. The folio doesn't fit in an armband case so well.

Personally, the whole thing about these flip phones being safer is bs. They all have glass backs. I miss the simplicity and ease of repair of plastic backed phones (still miss my old Nokia 920).