More than a million users fooled by fake WhatsApp on Google Play Store

Why it matters to you

Malware is on the rise for mobile devices, so it pays to be extra vigilant.

Last week, an official-looking version of the popular WhatsApp messaging application for Android appeared on the Google Play Store, and more than one million users were tricked into downloading the fake app. The “Update WhatsApp Messenger” download page even appeared to come from the actual creators, as it included the real developer’s title “WhatsApp Inc.” How could something malicious have fooled so many users?

It turns out the cybercriminal used some Unicode trickery to make it appear authentic. As you can see in the app details captured in the screenshots above from The Hacker News, the scam artist added an invisible character space in the actual company name: “WhatsApp+Inc%C2%A0.”

Although it looks very much like the real thing, installing the rogue software will run the real Android WhatsApp client, but with advertising plastered around it.

A Redditor named DexterGenius first spotted the discrepancy and decompiled the download code to find out what it really did. “The app itself has minimal permissions (internet access) but it’s basically an ad-loaded wrapper which has some code to download a second apk, also called ‘whatsapp.apk.,’ DexterGenius wrote. “The app also tries to hide itself by not having a title and having a blank icon.”

The scam app has now been removed from the official Google Play Store, but it’s curious how it ended up there in the first place, as it would lead users to think they’re downloading a legitimate app directly from a Facebook-owned property.

Google has recently been making efforts to remove “zombie apps” from its Play Store, and has even deployed AI algorithms to detect potential infections with its Play Protect system. Still, the ongoing presence of malware and adware on the service remains a real concern.

When asked for comment on the fake WhatsApp download, Google told The Register it was “looking into the matter.”

Even when downloading or updating from a trusted source such as the Google Play Store, it pays to be vigilant. Malware on mobile devices has seen a sharp increase lately, and Google may soon be introducing a “panic button” feature than can get you out of a jam if you inadvertently download the wrong thing.

Editor’s Recommendations

• Turn your phone into a jack-of-all-trades with 100 of the best Android apps
• How to download movies from Netflix to your phone, tablet, or PC
• CCleaner downloads are found to be infected with malware, affecting millions
• Breaking the law not your thing? Here are the best free music download sites
• How to remove Android malware

Samsung thinks iPhone owners need to ‘grow up’ and get a Galaxy

This one cuts pretty deep.

Samsung and Apple will always throw shade at one another, but the former has always been a bit more on the nose about it. Samsung’s commercials have often chastised Apple for what it sees as bad product decisions, and even poked fun at iPhone owners at the same time. If you think that’s a good strategy for Samsung to take, you’ll find its latest 1-minute commercial to be a thing of beauty.

Grow up with an upgrade to Galaxy. pic.twitter.com/Fuq4PBSazx

— Samsung Mobile US (@SamsungMobileUS) November 5, 2017

It’s a pretty simple story to follow, and one that cuts pretty deep if you’ve seen anyone live through years of using an iPhone. The excitement of a new model time after time, followed by several examples of new iPhones coming up short on features while showing how Samsung handled the situation better. Running out of storage. Not having a big screen or stylus. Not being waterproof. Not having a headphone jack. And … that was one hell of a dig at the iPhone X at the end.

You could easily see these sorts of commercials as being quite petty on Samsung’s part, particularly as it isn’t much of an underdog when you look at global sales numbers. But you can’t argue that Samsung is still trying to convince many longtime iPhone users to at least look at a Galaxy, and there’s no better way to do that than a commercial that points out some of the more absurd realities of using an iPhone compared to its phones over the years.

Samsung doesn’t really have much to lose here, I don’t think. What’s your view?

Samsung Galaxy Note 8

• Galaxy Note 8 review
• Complete Galaxy Note 8 specs
• Galaxy Note 8 vs. Galaxy Note 5
• Which Note 8 color is best?
• Join our Galaxy Note 8 forums

Verizon
AT&T
T-Mobile
Sprint
Best Buy

Cable giant Altice will become a wireless carrier with Sprint’s help

Just because Sprint was jilted at the altar doesn’t mean its weekend was all bad. The carrier has struck a deal that will turn Altice (the French company that bought CableVision) into an American wireless provider. Under the agreement, Altice USA will have “full” use of Sprint’s network for nationwide vocie and data service. In return, Altice will use its broadband network to help Sprint “densify” its coverage as it adds legions of small cell sites.

There was no mention of when Altice’s service will be available, and Sprint didn’t say how soon it would piggyback on Altice’s cables.

As with Comcast’s Verizon-based Xfinity Mobile, Altice isn’t likely hoping to become a major force in the American wireless industry. Rather, it’s a way of sweetening the pot for cable subscribers: you can get your internet, TV and cellphone service through one company (no doubt with a bundle discount). It shows how cellular is quickly becoming a must-have for companies that were once content to stick to landlines.

For Sprint, this deal is more urgent. Although its finances are improving, it’s still struggling to compete with T-Mobile and other big carriers — and network performance plays a role in that. If it can accelerate its coverage improvements, it may keep more customers and lure people frustrated with its competitors. This doesn’t mean that Sprint’s network will receive a dramatic speed boost, but you may see fewer overcrowded cell sites and coverage gaps.

Source: Sprint Newsroom

Russia funded Facebook and Twitter investments through tech magnate

Russia’s entanglement with American social networks just got decidedly complicated. Leaked documents obtained by the Guardian (among other outlets) have revealed that two state-owned Russian institutions, the oil giant Gazprom and VTB Bank, funded investments in both Facebook and Twitter through Russia-born tech luminary Yuri Milner’s investment company DST Global. VTB’s contribution was a relatively direct $191 million in shares, while Gazprom’s investment wing backed an “opaque” offshoring company (Kanton) that ended up holding $1 billion in Facebook shares.

Milner acknowledged the investments in chats with the Guardian, but maintained that neither Facebook nor Twitter were told where the funding for the investments had come from. He added that he didn’t know Gazprom had supported the Facebook stake, and that VTB’s backing didn’t give it a say over Twitter’s decisions. The companies at the center of the storm have distanced themselves, too: Facebook said it sold the Gazprom investment 5 years ago, while Twitter said it reviewed all investors before it went public “as a matter of policy.”

Still, the subject is complicated by Milner’s own connections: he funded Jared Kushner’s startup Cadre. Milner denied backing “any political activity” by the President’s son-in-law and said he only met Kushner once, in 2016, but the link certainly doesn’t help matters.

It’s not certain just what Russia was hoping to do by funding the investments. Although it’s tempting to imagine that the Russian government played a long game where it backed social networks it could later use to influence elections, it’s possible that Gazprom and VTB were just hoping to profit by investing in a pair of budding internet properties before they went public. And while Facebook and Twitter weren’t picky about ad revenue sources, that’s not the same as letting investments dictate company policy.

More than anything, the revelations could push Facebook and Twitter to reveal as much as possible about any dealings with Russia, no matter how innocuous they might be. There’s little doubt that Russia tried to influence American voters online, but Congress may want reassurances that social media giants weren’t encouraged to look the other way.

Source: Guardian

Tesla’s latest software update lets you tell your car to take a chill pill

Why it matters to you

The frequent software updates allow Tesla to respond quickly to consumer suggestions and add new safety features.

If you’re a car fan, you’ve likely heard about Tesla’s “Ludicrous” feature. If you’ve ever driven (or ridden in) higher-end Tesla models, you might have actually experienced it. Just as it promises, the optimal performance mode bumps the acceleration past the “Insane” level to provide neck-snapping acceleration. With the electric motor providing immediate torque, the Model S can hit 60 mph from a dead stop in only 2.5 seconds, which rivals many supercars that cost hundreds of thousands of dollars.

But what do you do when you’re picking up your mother-in-law at the airport, or driving the kids to soccer practice? For those times when you don’t need the instant acceleration, the latest software update offers an option for a more sedate journey.

Electrek has all the details on the new “Chill” mode from the 2017.44 update release notes: “You can now choose between two acceleration options in your vehicle: Chill and Standard. Chill makes acceleration more gradual — ideal for smoother driving and a gentler ride for your passengers.” To activate it, go to the Driving settings and toggle the Accelleration mode to Chill.

The other new feature in the update was actually suggested by a Tesla driver on Twitter.

Good point. We will add that to all cars in one of the upcoming software releases.

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 19, 2017

Enhancing the existing driver profile information, the new feature lets you enter and exit the vehicle more easily by moving the seat and steering wheel. You can restore the most recent driver profile when you get into the car by tapping the brake pedal. “If your keyfob is linked to your driver profile, the seat and steering wheel adjust accordingly,” the update notes. “As always, you can restore your profile by selecting it from the list.”

“Chill” mode is one of many promised updates coming in the next few months. Tesla’s regular over-the-air software updates are not immediate, they’re rolled out gradually, so it may take some time for the entire Tesla fleet to be updated.

Recent updates have featured improvements to the Autopilot feature, media player customization, a Homelink upgrade, the introduction of voice commands, and protection against overheating in the interior of the vehicle.

Some software updates even include cool Easter eggs that lie in wait to be discovered by drivers after release.

Editor’s Recommendations

• Shift it yourself: How to drive stick in a manual transmission car
• The best compact cars you can buy
• Bored with stock? The best tuner cars are begging to be modified
• Not looking for a group? Blizzard’s Battle.net beta now lets you appear offline
• How to get Apple’s iOS 11 on your iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch

Moto X4 tips and tricks to get more from your majestic midranger

We had to wait a while for a new entry in the Moto X line-up, but when it did finally arrive, the Moto X4 impressed us. It offers solid performance, a capable camera, day-long battery life, and IP68 water resistance, all at a very reasonable price. We have some handy Moto X4 tips and tricks here to help you get more from your phone. Our first tip is to snag one of the best Moto X4 cases before you drop it and scratch or crack that glass.

Note: There are some slight differences between the stock Android One model and the regular X4. Some of our tips will only work on the regular X4, so we’ll mention when that’s the case.

How to use Moto Actions

You’ll find an app called Moto Actions on your X4 that allows you to configure a few handy shortcut actions. Open it up toggle the shortcuts you want. Most of them are self-explanatory, for example, there’s Pick up to stop ringing, Chop Twice for Flashlight, and Twist for Quick Capture.

Our favorite is One Button Nav, which allows you to turn off the onscreen Android navigation buttons for Back, Home, and Recent apps and use the fingerprint sensor to navigate instead. With it activated, a tap on the fingerprint sensor takes you Home, a swipe from right to left goes Back, and a swipe from left to right opens the Recent apps list. This frees up space on screen. It’s also good because we find ourselves naturally trying to use the fingerprint sensor like a Home button anyway. Unfortunately, One Button Nav is not available on the Android One version of the X4.

How to manage your data usage

It’s good to keep a handle on your data usage, especially if you have a limited monthly allowance. Go to Settings > Data usage and you can turn Data saver on to stop certain apps from updating in the background – they’ll still update when you open them. It’s also a good idea to tap Billing cycle in the Cellular section and set the date on which your monthly allowance refreshes. You can also Set data warning, if you want to be informed when you’re close to using up all your data for the month, and Set data limit, if you want to make sure you don’t go over that allowance. This tip isn’t specific to the Moto X4.

How to set up a Wireless Sound System

This nifty feature is one of the best things about the regular Moto X4 and we’re disappointed that it’s absent from the Android One version. It allows you to connect to up to four different Bluetooth speakers or sets of headphones, and play music through them simultaneously. That means you can stream perfectly synced music to multiple Bluetooth speakers in your home.

All you have to do to activate it is open up Settings > Wireless Sound System and toggle it on. It will immediately scan for Bluetooth devices in the vicinity and you can tap to pair. If you’ve paired before, it will remember the devices, just like regular Bluetooth. Anything you play on your X4 will come through on all the connected devices in perfect sync, so you can transform your collection of Bluetooth speakers into a multi-room sound system like Sonos.

How to take a screenshot

If you want to capture your Moto X4 screen, then you have a choice of ways to do it. Holding down the Volume down and Power button works. You can also go into the Moto app and toggle on Quick Screenshot in Moto Actions. It enables you to trigger a screenshot by touching and holding three fingers on the screen. You’ll find your screenshots in a separate Album in the Photos app, helpfully entitled Screenshots.

How to extend your battery life

We think the battery life of the Moto X4 is generally quite good, but if you find it’s not stretching as far as you’d like, then you should look in Settings > Battery. You’ll see a chart showing how fast your battery has been draining and how long it may last. Below that there’s a list of apps and services with percentages next to them showing how much battery they drained. If there are any apps on there that strike you as having guzzled a lot compared to how much you’ve been using them, then consider uninstalling them.

It’s also a good idea to tap Battery saver at the top of the screen in Settings > Battery. We recommend tapping Turn on automatically and choosing at 5 percent or 15 percent, depending on your preference. This can help make sure you don’t get caught off guard and end up with a dead device before you can get to a power outlet. It turns off certain services, background syncing, and reduces performance to extend your battery a little further. You’ll always know when Battery saver is on because the notification bar at the top turns orange and a plus symbol appears in the battery icon.

How to set up Night Display

Since it emerged that blue light from screens can impact your sleep, many phone manufacturers have been including a filter designed to cut blue light for reading in bed at night. Open the Moto app and choose Moto Display > Night Display. You can toggle it on and off as you please, but we recommend setting up an automated schedule, so it comes on automatically when it gets late and then turns off again in the morning.

How to use Google Assistant

You’ll find the Google Assistant is easily accessible on any Moto X4. Simply say “OK Google” or “Hey Google,” or press and hold the Home button, and Google Assistant will pop up ready for your query or command. If you find that your voice trigger isn’t working, then head into Settings > Google > Search > Voice and tap on “OK Google” detection. You can choose to activate Say “Ok Google” any time if you want to be able to trigger it from any screen. You can also retrain the voice model in here, so it recognizes you.

How to use Alexa

If you have the regular Moto X4, then you have the option of using Amazon’s Alexa. Look in the app drawer and you’ll see a Moto Alexa app. Open it and enter your Amazon account details. Follow the instructions to train it for you voice and you can say Alexa at any time to trigger the service and ask a question.

How to use Moto Key

Sadly, this is another feature that you’ll only find on the regular X4, and not the Android One model. Open the Moto app and tap Moto Key to set it up. This feature allows you to use the fingerprint sensor to log in to apps, websites, and even unlock Windows devices. To add apps and websites, you’ll first want to log out of them, then open Moto Key and select Logins > + then choose the app or tap Open in Chrome for a website. Once Moto Key has saved the log in info, you’ll be able to open that app or website with a simple fingerprint touch the next time.

If you want to use Moto Key to unlock a Windows device, then you’ll need to install the software on that device, then open Moto Key and select Devices. The instructions are straightforward, and it works well, saving you from typing in passwords all day.

How to tweak your display settings

There are lots of handy options in Settings > Display on your Moto X4. Adaptive brightness is on by default and it adjusts screen brightness based on your environment. The display also shows vibrant colors by default, but you can tap Color mode and try Standard for a more realistic look. You’ll want to tap Sleep and set the delay before your screen turns itself off after inactivity. The default is 30 seconds, but you can go all the way up to 30 minutes if you want, though the lower the better for battery life.

One fun feature in here that’s worth trying out is the Screen saver. We recommend selecting Photos and tap the gear icon to add your Google account, limit it to Wi-Fi for data, and choose the animations you want. Go back and tap the three dots at the top right and choose When to start screen saver. It can be While docked, While charging, or Either. Your phone will take a little longer to charge, but if you’re in the habit of docking and charging on your desk, this is a nice way to turn your Moto X4 into a digital photo frame.

Editor’s Recommendations

• Moto X4 vs. Moto Z2 Force: Which Moto reigns supreme?
• How to free up space on your iPhone
• Here’s how to unlock your phone automatically with Android Smart Lock
• 5 iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus tips and tricks to get the most out of your new phone
• What can’t it do? The top Echo tips and tricks to use around the house

Trips by Lonely Planet might turn you into a travel junkie

App Attack is a weekly series where we search the App Store and Google Play Store for the best apps of the week. Check out App Attack every Sunday for the latest.

With users posting beautiful photos from around the world on social media, it’s a given that you’ll imagine visiting these other countries and cities. This week, we have an app that makes scrolling through travel content even more enjoyable, and could even be helpful towards planning your next vacation. For travel junkies out there, it’ll also make sharing your trips even more aesthetically pleasing.

Trips by Lonely Planet — available for iOS, with an Android version coming soon — is an app that allows you to share your travel experiences in magazine-like form. On the homepage, the feed strongly resembles Instagram. There are photos lined up one after the other with the ability to “like” a post via a heart icon, or share it through social media and text messages. Once you click on a specific post, you can then see the entire trip through both photos and descriptive blurbs. You can also choose to follow other users on the app.

The app has several different tabs to scroll through: Trips, Discover, and Activity, in addition to your profile. On the Trips tab, you’re able to see all the different travel content someone has recently posted. Also included throughout the feed are Staff Picks, which showcase breathtaking trips with photos we couldn’t believe were real. While you most likely won’t want to, you can turn this feature off by going to your profile settings and toggling “Show all staff picks in your feed.”

Under Discover, you can choose a specific category you want to look through, ranging from wildlife and nature to road trips hiking. Tapping on any category brings you to a filtered feed that you can also “like” and share with others. As for Activity, this is where you can keep track of all the people who have liked your posts. When you tap on your profile, you can see your profile photo at the top, a bio, and the history of trips you’ve posted yourself, along with ones you’ve liked.

Fair warning — you might start aimlessly scrolling through this app more than you do with your other apps. I found myself jumping from one post to another, only to be more impressed by the second, and then more so with another one, and then another, etc. The high-quality photos are not only immersive, but they make you realize how much more exciting it is to spend time on a feed that solely focuses on nature and architecture, rather than other people’s lives (sorry, Instagram).

Creating my own post was a very simple process, and I found the overall interface to be seamless. While in Trips, you can add a post by tapping the plus sign in the center of the various tabs. After permitting access to your phone’s photos and videos, you can select either a multitude of photos, or just one. In terms of security, you can also choose to make individual posts private or public which can be changed at any time.

My favorite part of the app is the ability to add context to the photos. Once you choose your content, it will then give you the options to add a title and a brief intro. You can add text and additional media underneath each photo, or pinpoint a specific location. Text is also customizable — you can choose whether you want it as a heading or in the body of the text. I specifically enjoyed this feature because it allows users to tell a story to accompany their photos. Another customization option is the ability to change the cover photo, which is what users first see when the trip is posted.

Users normally post brief, single-sentence captions on social media apps, but Trips encourages you to take your viewers on a ride through photos as well as words. It’s also what kept me on the app for that much longer. While users on the app aren’t posting thousands of words, it’s still interesting to be able to read various captions from one trip, or even short paragraphs. But the text is also what adds to the beautiful layout of each user’s post. I felt like I was reading through a travel magazine, rather than scrolling through a mobile app.

Even if you don’t travel to the most aesthetically pleasing places, there’s a category to post under for every type of trip. It’s also a great way to plan future vacations, since it gives you a sneak peek of what you might except. For those who don’t travel often — such as myself — it’s probably the second-best way to explore. That is, once you get past the jealousy and rage when you realize how many stunning places there in the world that you have yet to visit.

Editor’s Recommendations

• How to use Instagram Stories: Everything you need to know
• Like that restaurant pic on Snapchat? Now you can book a table within the app
• It’s just a click to a wink: How to get emojis on your Mac
• Everything you need to know about the ‘Destiny 2’ companion app
• Sheeple, scuzzballs, and BFFs — See the words first used the year you were born

Self-driving vehicles could make jaywalking legal

Why it matters to you

The dangers of jaywalking may not be so worrisome in the near future.

Automated vehicles will certainly not be going anywhere anytime soon, as they are steadily growing in popularity. The National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO),  a non-profit, recently released a report that maps out what the future could be like for pedestrians living in a world with more self-driving vehicles. It’s a solid blueprint that illustrates what safe and reliable urban mobility in our streets and highways could look like.

One point the blueprint makes is that pedestrians should have the freedom to be able to to cross streets anywhere, as opposed to only crossing at intersections. This would mean limiting self-driving vehicles to about 20 miles per hour. This will of course change how our streets function and operate. But once automated cars become more commonplace, you could be jaywalking without having to worry about getting into trouble. It’s even possible that jaywalking could become legal.

“The instinctive human act of walking straight to one’s destination, pejoratively known as ‘jaywalking,’ becomes simply ‘walking,’” the authors of the report write. The technology inside these self-driving vehicles will be able to use pedestrian-detection technology, slowing down or stopping in order to avoid hitting walking pedestrians. The idea of simply walking across the street suddenly starts to sound more safe.

Back when automobiles were first being created, jaywalking was a pretty common practice among pedestrians. It wasn’t until 1925 that it officially became illegal, starting in Los Angeles. City streets, much like city parks, were considered to be public spaces before then. The idea of streets being solely for automobiles picked up steam and spread to other jurisdictions.

“We have a historic opportunity to reclaim the street and to correct the mistakes of a century of urban planning,” Janette Sadik-Khan, NACTO’s chair, said. This was echoed by the former commissioner of New York City’s transportation department, in the report.

It does look like there are some drawbacks to this look into the possible future. For one, since cars will be driving slower and making stops to allow for pedestrians, it will be taking people a lot longer to get to their desired destinations. There is also the possibility that a self-driving car could have a malfunction with its pedestrian-detection technology and cause accidents.

Editor’s Recommendations

• Google built an entire fake city to test the AI of its driverless cars
• You and Bambi will both appreciate the new technologies reducing roadkill
• Ford reveals its role in a wacky self-driving car stunt with a ‘car-seat man’
• Self-driving cars are about to hit the busy streets of NY City
• Toyota to put its driverless car through ‘extreme’ testing in California

Before you blow $75 on an Apple fast charger, check this trick out

Fast charging is a blessing for people who spend a lot of time on the move — after all, in the brief moments you stop at a coffee shop in between stops, every second counts.

That’s why it was such a big deal when Apple announced it would finally introduce fast charging to its smartphone lineup with the iPhone 8. No longer would iPhone users need to fall to their knees before power outlets, their hands trembling as they try to jam the charger in, desperate for that extra five-percent battery life.

If you have an iPad sitting around, you can get somewhat close to fast charging without shelling out additional cash for new gear.

That bliss was short-lived, however, considering Apple also announced that fast charging would require a separate adapter ($50) and a USB-C to Lightning cable ($25). Given the $700 or more you might pay for an iPhone 8, that extra $75 might be a bitter pill to swallow.

If you have an iPad sitting around, however, you can get somewhat close to fast charging without shelling out additional cash for new gear.

Back in the days of the iPhone 6, people plugged in their phones with iPad chargers, which charged faster than the phone’s. iPad chargers are still compatible with the iPhone 8, but how does it compare to the new fast charging setup? Quite well, as it turns out.

The Unlockr’s David Cogen tested both chargers with the same phone — an iPhone 8 Plus — and did so with a dead battery. The fast charger was able to maintain a 6 to 8-percent lead for most of the charging process, with the gap closing a little as the charge neared completion. The fast charger fully charged the phone in 1 hour and 55 minutes, while the iPad charger finished in 2 hours and 7 minutes.

Given the small gap — roughly 12 minutes — between the charging times of the two chargers, it seems unnecessary to purchase the new adapter and cable if you already have an iPad charger on hand. If you don’t, and can’t stand the relatively slow charging afforded by the default iPhone 8 charger, it may be worth it to drop money on an upgrade.

David Cogen — a regular contributor here at Digital Trends — runs TheUnlockr, a popular tech blog that focuses on tech news, tips and tricks, and the latest tech. You can also find him on Twitter discussing the latest tech trends.

Editor’s Recommendations

• The best portable chargers
• Charge up your iPhone or Android with the best wireless phone chargers
• Mophie vs. Belkin vs. RavPower: Who has the best wireless charging pad?
• Check out these 12 hot mobile deals on phones, tablets, and accessories
• Plug that phone in while you navigate: Our 11 favorite iPhone car chargers

Unpacking the doomed T-Mobile / Sprint merger

The T-Mobile / Sprint merger isn’t going forward … for now.

For what appears to be the third time in under four years, a proposed T-Mobile / Sprint merger has fallen apart, leaving the U.S. wireless market in the same confused state it’s been in for a long time. According to a press release issued by T-Mobile, “the prospect of combining with Sprint has been compelling for a variety of reasons, including the potential to create significant benefits for consumers and value for shareholders,” but those reasons were not elaborated upon.

The truth is that U.S. mobile customers have never had it better: T-Mobile’s ‘unlimited’ gambit in February largely upended the way AT&T, Sprint and Verizon do business, putting pressure on all three to offer more value for its users’ monthly fees, or risk them leaving for pinker pastures. And, as true competition tends to do, that’s exactly what happened: T-Mobile has led the industry in net smartphone additions throughout 2017 (and for many quarters before that), while Verizon and AT&T have been forced to match it feature for feature.

But T-Mobile’s success has not precluded the advancement of its biggest rivals. While AT&T struggled to add new wireless customers in the third quarter, its wireless business is very healthy, and its churn (the number of customers that leave for another carrier) remains quite low at 0.84%. Verizon added far more postpaid smartphone customers (the ones that pay more per month) than AT&T in the third quarter, and earned a tidy sum of money in the process, but it too is struggling against the unceasing momentum of T-Mobile.

Sprint also added more postpaid wireless subscribers than analysts expected (PDF), but that’s because it’s been undercutting everyone else by a considerable margin, a move that’s not sustainable in the long-run.

So, yeah, a lot of numbers and stats to throw at you on a Sunday, but the upside is this: competition is good for the whole industry, and the more T-Mobile does to entice wireless customers to sign up for its compelling T-Mobile ONE unlimited plan, the harder the other three will work to prevent that from happening.

A T-Mobile / Sprint merger wouldn’t have automatically killed competition in the U.S., but it would have had major implications in the long-term. Many analysts that supported the merger used other countries like Canada and Australia to show that three wireless providers can still foster healthy competition, but as someone who lives in Canada I can tell you that’s not necessarily true. A lot depends on the country’s size, the regulatory environment, and the way that people buy their phones.

A study conducted in late 2016 by Nordicity Group on behalf of the Canadian telecom regulator, the CRTC, found that Americans (and Canadians) pay among the highest costs for mobile service in the developed world, and while the unlimited plans that debuted in early 2017 increase the amount of data available per dollar spent, cheap high-speed data is still out of reach for many Americans. Those who don’t need unlimited plans have access to MVNOs, or alternative carriers, either owned by the Big Four carriers themselves (Boost Mobile, Cricket Wireless, MetroPCS) or licensed out through a network sharing agreement.

It’s never been better to be a wireless customer in the U.S.

Consolidation in the wireless market would not only eliminate choice in the high end, reducing the number of unlimited data providers from four to three, but it would have major implications for the dozens of MVNOs that rely on T-Mobile and Sprint — and their fierce pricing war — to balance out the prepaid market.

At the same time, consolidation may be good for those less price-sensitive; a combined T-Mo/Sprint would offer an incredible amount of capacity, bringing together a treasure trove of low- and high-band spectrum that would give the combined entity the strongest LTE network position in the country. With both companies moving towards 5G, capacity is going to be more important than ever.

Some MVNOs, like AC favorite Project Fi, which relies on both T-Mobile and Sprint, would likely benefit in both speed and coverage from a combined SprinT-mo, even though wholesale costs per gigabyte would rise in the long-term. And it’s important to realize that, even together, the two carriers would still be behind AT&T and Verizon in terms of total subscribers — Verizon and AT&T have around 148 and 139 million subs, respectively, while SprinT-mo would have a combined 125 million or so.

The network nerd in me is kind of sad to see this merger fall apart — I think it would have been very interesting to see just how much better T-Mobile’s network would become with Sprint’s incredible capacity. But the consumer in me, the Canadian that knows how disastrous a three-carrier system has been for the country to America’s north, is relieved.

A few more thoughts on this week:

• I picked up an iPhone X. It’s the best iPhone by a mile, and the notch stops being distracting after an hour or so. The hardware is unimpeachable — Apple and Samsung are really the leaders in this regard. I’m a big fan of the stainless steel band, and the OLED screen is fantastic.
• Moreover, I think Face ID is transformational; this is nothing like Samsung’s eye-scanning half-measures. It’s not “accurate most of the time” the way it is on the Galaxy S8 or Note 8 — it’s 100% accurate in basically every lighting situation. And it’s fast; I barely even realize I’m being authenticated since I just swipe as soon as I pick up the phone and it usually lets me right in. Every Android user should want something like Face ID.
• Before I get murdered in the comments, I’m not suggesting that Android OEMs get rid of the fingerprint sensor; there are numerous situations where a finger is both faster and more subtle than sticking your face in the path of a camera. But I hope Face ID forces Samsung to overhaul the way it approaches facial biometrics, because this year’s phones don’t even come close to the iPhone X.
• I am so ready to give the Essential Phone another try. At $499, this thing is a deal.
• I’m totally smitten with the HTC U11+, which probably won’t come to North America in any official capacity. Shame, though: it’s exactly what I wanted the U11 to be.
• I’m using the Pixel 2 XL as my daily driver, and I think the attention being paid to the screen is ridiculous. The OLED issues come nowhere close to overshadowing the phone’s numerous upsides.
• As for the Razer Phone? Yeah, no.

Take care of yourselves.

-Daniel