AT&T Raising Price of Grandfathered Unlimited Data Plans to $45 Per Month

AT&T is again raising the price for grandfathered unlimited smartphone data plans by $5 per month, according to a support article on the carrier’s website and multiple tipsters who emailed us today. The price hike will be effective this July, and notifications appear to have started hitting the first wave of grandfathered unlimited plan users over the past few days.

In the article, AT&T says that any customer who has a grandfathered $40 data plan will soon begin seeing an email about the $5 per month price increase. Multiple tipsters have already gotten such notifications, and one — MacRumors forum user jav6454 — says that his grandfathered unlimited data plan was originally bought for $30 around the time of the iPhone 3G.

The last time a $5/month increase happened was in March 2017, raising grandfathered plans from $35 to $40, and followed an increase from $30 to $35 in February 2016. AT&T originally discontinued unlimited plans in 2010 and didn’t introduce new unlimited plans again until 2017.

In its explanation, AT&T says that “record levels” of mobile data use have led to the decision to increase the monthly cost of legacy data plans:

Consumers are using mobile data at record levels and the trend is expected to continue. To help make sure we continue to provide the best service for all of our customers, a small price increase is being made at this time.

Customers who have a grandfathered $40 data plan will receive notifications of a $5 per month rate increase for the data plan. The rate increase will take effect starting with the customer’s July, 2018 service.

The carrier promises that the price increase will not impact data speeds, and speeds will only be reduced when 22GB of data in a billing cycle is exceeded or when users are in a congested area. AT&T also points out that customers can change their plan at any time, although anyone who switches out of a grandfathered plan should be warned because they won’t be able to go back once a new plan is selected.

Currently, AT&T offers “Unlimited Plus Enhanced” and “Unlimited Choice Enhanced” as options for unlimited monthly data usage. Unlimited Plus is $80/month for one line and then rises to $190/month for four lines (at $48 per line), while Unlimited Choice is $65/month for one line and $160/month for four lines (at $40 per line). The latter plan streams standard definition video, lacks mobile hotspot features, and doesn’t include DirecTV entertainment savings (only DirecTV Now).

Before these new unlimited plans launched, AT&T and many other carriers were heavily focused on eliminating grandfathered users through ongoing price hikes, like we are seeing again this summer.

(Thanks Jose and Alan!)

Tag: AT&T
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Amazon Reveals ‘Fire TV Cube’ With Support for 4K, HDMI CEC, Dolby Atmos, Alexa Voice Controls, and More

Amazon today unveiled its latest “Fire” branded product, called the “Fire TV Cube.” The company describes the device as a hands-free box that streams 4K Ultra HD video using Alexa voice controls. The set-top box appears to have many features similar (or coming soon) to the Apple TV 4K, with 4K HDR content, smart assistant integration, HDMI CEC, Dolby Atmos support, and more.

With far-field voice recognition, one difference between the two devices is that the Fire TV Cube relies on eight microphones embedded into the box to hear users across the room, whereas Apple TV 4K picks up commands solely via the handheld Siri Remote. The Fire TV Cube does ship with an Alexa Voice Remote, however, so handheld commands are also an option.

The Fire TV Cube appears to be similar to HomePod in regard to far-field voice commands, with advanced beamforming technology that suppresses noise, reverberation, currently playing content, and competing voices from other people “to make sure Alexa clearly hears your request.”

“We believe voice makes it easier for customers to control their entertainment systems and watch the TV and movies they care about,” said Marc Whitten, Vice President of Fire TV. “And, it’s just the beginning. Amazon Fire TV Cube will only get better over time with the Alexa service always getting smarter.”

Another notable difference is the Fire TV Cube’s compatibility with set-top boxes from cable companies including Comcast, DISH, and DirecTV. With the integration, users can ask Alexa to “switch to channel 31” and the Fire TV Cube will speak to the cable box to initiate the command.

With HDMI CEC, users can power their TV sets on and off, with Amazon giving the following example of this interaction: “Even with the TV off, simply say ‘Alexa, play Billions on SHOWTIME’ and Fire TV Cube powers on your TV and starts playback right where you left off.”

Otherwise, the Fire TV Cube has a user interface that Amazon says puts “content forward” and is built around voice control. Commands include “Alexa, find sci-fi movies”; “Alexa, play the trailer”; and “Alexa, show me more results.” Users can also initiate searches based on directors and actors.

Additionally, the company optimized Alexa responses for the big screen “with rich visual information,” so users can view smart home camera feeds, check out the news, catch up with sports, look at the weather, and more after asking Alexa for each task.

The Fire TV Cube can be pre-ordered today and tomorrow for a special price of $89.99 (for Prime members only), and afterwards the device will cost $119.99. The Cube comes with 16GB of storage, a power adapter, IR extender cable, Ethernet adapter, Alexa Voice Remote, and will begin shipping out to customers on June 21. Anyone who buys the device and registers it by July 1 will get a $10 credit for Prime Video.

Tag: Amazon
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Amazon Prime Secures Rights to Show 20 Premier League Football Matches a Season in the U.K. From 2019-2022

Amazon Prime Video has secured the rights to stream live Premier League football matches for three years from 2019, at no extra cost to Prime members who live in the U.K.

The exclusive deal, announced on Thursday, means that from next year Amazon Prime will show every game from the first round of midweek matches in December and all 10 games on Boxing Day, with weekly highlights of all Premier League matches throughout the season.

The Premier League is the most-watched sports league in the world, and from the 2019/20 season UK Prime members will have exclusive access to watch 20 matches per season, comprising two full fixture rounds – the first December midweek round and the festive Bank Holiday round – featuring live coverage of every Premier League team.

The deal marks the first time a full round of matches will be shown live in the U.K., and while it leaves out the more lucrative weekend games, it shows a big statement from the company, which already broadcasts tennis events like the U.S. Open and ATP World Tour, and NFL games on Amazon Prime Video.

Previously, Sky and BT Sport have shared the rights to the EPL, following an auction in 2015 that saw the broadcasters splash £5.1 billion ($6.9 billion) between them for three seasons. Earlier this year, the Premier League announced that it had sold five out of seven of its U.K. TV packages. BT Sport bought one bundle amounting to 32 games and Sky acquired four bundles, securing 128 matches. BT Sport also secured the last other 20-game TV package, the Premier League confirmed today.

The Premier League remains Europe’s most prized live sports broadcast asset and with a growing audience in the U.S., fits in perfectly with Amazon’s broader strategy to bring more sports content to its global customers, draw more people to its U.K. Prime membership service, and convert occasional customers into more loyal shoppers. An Amazon Prime membership in the U.K. costs £79 a year or £7.99 a month.

Tags: Amazon, United Kingdom, Amazon Prime Video
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Sonos and IKEA Reveal Prototypes for ‘Symfonisk’ Speakers, Including One That Doubles as a Shelf

Following yesterday’s announcement from Sonos that AirPlay 2 will be coming to its speakers this July, more details about the company’s partnership with IKEA have now emerged, after first being revealed in December. In a press release shared by the Swedish furniture maker, the two companies detail a “long-term partnership” that’s beginning with a new range of speakers called “Symfonisk” (via The Verge).

A few non-functional prototypes of Symfonisk were showcased at IKEA’s Democratic Design Day event in Sweden, and the company says that the Wi-Fi speaker system will fully integrate with Sonos’ existing products as well as IKEA’s own Trådfris smart home line of lights and switches. Of course, Symfonisk will also be compatible with many of IKEA’s furniture through a bracket system that can turn the speaker into a shelf or place it under a METOD kitchen cabinet, among other prototyped ideas.

A Symfonisk prototype attached to the wall above the Sonos Play:5 via The Verge
IKEA mentioned that it’s still early on in the design process for Symfonisk, so the look and implementation of the speakers could change before they are released sometime “after summer in 2019.” Suggested prices were also not yet given.

“Sonos’ company culture is very similar to that of IKEA. Our shared values and beliefs made us connect from day one. When the actual work started, we felt that we were the perfect match in every way”, says Björn Block, Business Leader for IKEA Home Smart.

“Many people dream of built-in sound systems, but few can afford it. Our goal is for our collective work to save space, get rid of cords, make clutter invisible, and bring sound and music into the home in a more beautiful way”, says Björn.

IKEA has already gotten into the speaker market, launching a line of minimalist “Eneby” Bluetooth speakers earlier this year. These devices come in 8-inch and 12-inch sizes, can be both mounted on a wall or displayed on a stand, and are designed to fit in the Kallax and Eket storage systems.

In 2017, IKEA launched the Trådfri Smart Lighting System in the spring, and then debuted HomeKit support for the lighting range in the fall, allowing users to easily integrate their IKEA bulbs and switches into the Home app on iOS. The company got inspired by Apple when it launched a new ad campaign for its Qi charging furniture alongside the debut of Apple’s foray into wireless charging with the iPhone X, 8, and 8 Plus in September 2017.

Tags: Sonos, Ikea
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Emirates moves toward windowless planes, starts with first-class fliers

Emirates

Fancy the idea of boarding a passenger plane without any windows? How about if they had digital displays relaying the view from outside instead?

Emirates president Tim Clark has been talking about virtual windows in an interview with the BBC.

And no, this isn’t just some wacky concept outlined in a recently granted patent. The first virtual windows are already here, in the first-class cabin of Emirates’ newest Boeing 777-300ER aircraft (shown above).

Clark said external fiber-optic cameras stream images to the virtual windows, apparently offering high-quality images superior to what you see when looking through a regular aircraft window.

The Emirates president said there was “absolutely no reason” why we can’t have passenger planes fully kitted out with virtual windows in the near future. Windowless cabins would give the aircraft more structural integrity while making it lighter, allowing for faster flights and improved fuel efficiency, Clark said.

But as the BBC points out, the design could prompt safety concerns. For example, in an emergency situation like a fire, cabin crew need to be able to see outside the aircraft to assess the situation before initiating evacuation procedures. If the plane’s power systems fail, it could result in the displays shutting down, leaving crew and passengers stuck inside a truly windowless, and possibly dark, aircraft.

When asked about this apparent obstacle, the European Aviation Safety Agency said it didn’t see “any specific challenge that could not be overcome” with the use of virtual windows inside passenger planes.

While some first-class Emirates passengers already have the chance to try out the virtual windows, it’s likely to be a while before an entirely windowless aircraft — one looking a lot like a cargo plane from the outside — takes off with hundreds of passengers inside.

The technology brings to mind an idea put forward by Airbus several years ago for windowless cockpits. The aircraft manufacturer suggested in a patent — one which you may or may not wish to describe as “wacky” — that it would be beneficial to move the cockpit to the back of the plane. It said that having it at the front reduces the aircraft’s aerodynamic qualities because of the complex shape and structure required to house it. The heaviness of the reinforced windows also adds to the aircraft’s overall weight, reducing its fuel efficiency.

As with Emirates’ design, on-board cameras would feed real-time video and pre-stored data to displays in the cockpit, providing pilots with all the visual information they need.

Xiaomi Redmi Y2 preview: Perfecting a winning formula

After a relatively quiet start to the year, Xiaomi is once again targeting the entry-level segment with the Redmi Y2. Although the device is launching just six months after the debut of the Redmi Y1, the Y2 isn’t a mid-cycle refresh. It offers comprehensive upgrades in key areas, including an 18:9 panel, Snapdragon 625, and dual rear cameras.

What makes the device that much more enticing is the fact that it retails for just ₹9,999. We’ve seen devices in recent months that challenged Xiaomi’s position in this category — notably the ASUS ZenFone Max Pro M1 — but with the Y2 the brand is reasserting its dominance. The Redmi Y2 doesn’t quite go up against the M1, but it is one of the most affordable devices in the market to feature the Snapdragon 625 and dual cameras.

With the Redmi Y2 now featuring an 18:9 panel, there are smaller bezels at the top and bottom of the display, and the phone has a 6.0-inch screen in roughly a similar chassis as the 5.5-inch Y1.

The display was flush with the body on the Redmi Y1, but the Y2 sees the panel jut out considerably from the mid-frame. The screen itself is about the same as what we’ve seen last year, but taller because of the switch to the 18:9 form factor.

The 5.99-inch 720p panel (1440×720) offers vibrant colors, and you can adjust the color balance from the settings. I used the Redmi Y2 for a few days in Taiwan — where it gets just as bright as India — and I had zero issues reading the contents of the screen under harsh sunlight. Xiaomi has been making decent IPS LCD panels in this category for a few generations now.

Xiaomi is still using a polycarbonate back with a metal mid-frame, and the overall fit and finish is top-notch. The design itself is slightly altered, and the antenna bands no longer intersect the camera module. Instead, they run along the top and bottom edges of the phone, giving it a cleaner look at the back.

The phone also comes with dual SIM card slots and a dedicated MicroSD card slot, so you don’t have to choose between a secondary SIM and an SD card. Oh, and Xiaomi is throwing in a clear case in the box.

The Redmi Y2 comes with the latest version of MIUI 9.5 out of the box, which is based on Android 8.1 Oreo. A new feature addition in MIUI 9.5 is gestures, which let you disable the nav bar and use a gesture-driven interface similar to that of the iPhone X.

Gestures work the following way: swipe up from the bottom center of the screen to go to the home screen, swipe up and hold halfway to pull up the overview pane, and swipe up from either edge of the display to go back in an app. Xiaomi isn’t the first manufacturer to roll out gestures, but MIUI 9.5 makes them more accessible to a wider range of budget devices.

Other changes in MIUI 9.5 include easier restore options, and the interface feels more polished from previous versions. With the global version of MIUI 10 on the horizon, we should see the update make its way to the Y2 in the coming months.

The dual camera sensor is arrayed vertically, and like the Redmi Note 5 Pro, it looks a lot like the iPhone X. Although the phone has dual 12MP + 5MP sensors — with the secondary camera facilitating portrait mode — the feature is still finicky. The primary camera has received an upgrade, and the larger 1.25um pixel size lets in more light, leading to better photos in daylight conditions.

The 16MP front camera uses pixel binning to produce more detailed photos, and one feature I’m excited about is face unlock. Xiaomi is upfront about the fact that its face unlock tech isn’t as secure as using a PIN, and there were a few times where the system failed in low-light conditions. That said, it is a convenient feature addition that works great for the most part.

Like most other Chinese manufacturers, Xiaomi has been using the AI moniker liberally in its promotional materials. For the Redmi Y2, the brand is touting an AI-assisted Beautify mode, and semantic segmentation for portrait mode. The AI-backed Beautify 4.0 mode automatically corrects blemishes, and Xiaomi says the mode is tailored for an Indian audience.

A few features are unchanged from last year: there’s still a 3080mAh battery, MicroUSB charging, and fast charging is limited to 5V/2A. You’ll still get a day’s worth of usage with ease, and more often than not the Redmi Y2 will be able to deliver a two-day battery life.

I’ve lost count of the number of devices Xiaomi has released that were powered by the Snapdragon 625 — it’s clear that the company favors the chipset for its balance of performance and efficiency. Going with the Snapdragon 625 is a win-win for Xiaomi — the chipset has been in the market for several years now, so Xiaomi doesn’t need to pay a huge licensing fee to Qualcomm.

Then there’s the fact that MIUI is optimized for the chipset, so it should make it easier for Xiaomi to roll out a new device with the Snapdragon 625 over a Snapdragon 630.

Xiaomi’s budget lineup is getting increasingly confusing.

Sure, the Snapdragon 625 is showing its age at this point, but it is still a step up over the Snapdragon 435 that was powering the Y1. I haven’t seen any slowdowns on the Redmi Y2, and I’ve been using the version with 3GB of RAM and 32GB of storage.

The budget segment is saturated with phones that offer great value for money, and it’s getting increasingly difficult for manufacturers to differentiate their products in this category. The Redmi Y2 provides incredible value, but there are other devices from Xiaomi that offer quite a bit more for your money.

A litany of launches at the tail end of the year combined with the introduction of the Redmi Note 5 series earlier this year means Xiaomi has over eight models on sale in the budget category.

Like last year — where the Redmi Note 4 was a better purchase over the Redmi Y1 — the Y2 is going up against the Redmi Note 5. The Redmi Y2 has dual cameras going for it, but the Note 5 has a Full HD display and a significantly larger battery.

I’ll have much more to share on the Redmi Y2 in the coming weeks, including how it fares against the likes of the Redmi Note 5 and other budget phones.

But for now, all you need to know is that the Redmi Y2 continues Xiaomi’s strong showing in this category. The hardware is familiar, but the addition of face unlock and a retooled front camera make it a strong contender in this category.

The Redmi Y2 will go up for sale exclusively on Amazon India, with the 3GB/32GB set to cost ₹9,999. The 4GB/64GB option will be available for ₹12,999.

What are your thoughts on the Redmi Y2?

This $29 smart scale works with Google Fit, Apple Health and more

Stay in the know!

Tracking your weight has gone from a manual process to an automated one thanks to smart scales. In the past, these scales had been on the pricey side, but they have recently become way more affordable. Right now you can pick up the Eufy BodySense Smart Scale for just $28.99 with code EUFYS789 at Amazon. This deal saves you $11 off its current price otherwise.

It integrates with Google Fit and Apple Health and supports multiple device pairings so that up to 20 people can use the scale with ease. This scale can track your weight, body fat, BMI and more. You can also view all your information right from within the free EufyLife iPhone or Android app. Not sure if this is the smart scale for you? Check out this great comparison to see how it stacks up against Fitbit’s offering.

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Moto Mods support defies planned obsolescence but restricts future designs

This is why the whole thing was a bad idea from the start. Or was it?

The Moto Z3 Play will support the complete list of existing Moto Z Mods. That’s good news for those of us who have one or more Moto Z Mods already and might be thinking about buying a new phone, and the opposite of what most people thought would happen when Motorola showed off their Moto Mod concept.

Moto Mods aren’t some half-assed “also” feature. Moto owns it.

While we were thinking that is was a bad move to build a system that had people buying extra parts fora phone that they would only have for a year or two, Motorola was busy making sure the next phone was exactly the same in all the ways it needed to be so that we were wrong about it. It was a bold move that nobody else (OK, I mean LG here and only LG) decided to try, and it could turn out to be a bad move — Motorola is stuck with a particular design in order to support them.

There are two choices for a new Moto Z model going forward — keep it the same as the current generation (and the previous generation) design wise, or piss off everyone because they stopped caring about customers who purchased Moto Mods. Both choices are bad and serve as a reminder that phones are more “disposable” to some customers than others; some would rather ditch the mods they have purchased in order to get something new while others would hate that the company has forsaken them as early adopters.

Supporting the existing set of Moto Mods with the release of a new model in 2018 was a smart move. It’s hard to argue otherwise. The memory of promises that Mods would be supported in the future is still fresh and if Motorola hadn’t done it, current customers and pundits alike would have crucified them because that’s what disgruntled customers and pundits do. It could be a good idea next year, too. But there will come a time when the design of the Moto Z looks dated and old, or some advancement in the tech that drives mobile would require a change, and someone will have just spent the money for a camera mod or a speaker mod when Motorola announced it was ending support. It might even be you.

Moto can kill Mod support in a way that makes them heroes if they do it right.

Motorola has to ditch this model eventually. The company knows it, I know it, and you know it. As cool as the idea that a smartphone maker tries to extend the life of a purchase instead of trying to make it obsolete and make even more money is, it’s just not sustainable year after year, forever and ever.

Motorola — stop making new mods in a few months. Tell everyone that the next Moto Z will not support existing mods when you do it. Let everyone down the right way and you’ll be appreciated even more; we’ll look back and be able to say “remember how Motorola did the Moto Mods?” whenever a company does something stupid that costs existing customers money. You might not be the same company that pioneered the entire mobile industry, but some of that DNA is still alive even if only in your customers’ minds.

We love that you do it and own it. We know that you’ll have to end it. Make sure we love how you own the end of it all, too.

How watchOS 5 Brings Rich Web Content to Messages and Mail on Apple Watch

Apple’s latest version of watchOS promises to bring rich HTML content to the wrists of Apple Watch users, thanks to new Webkit optimizations that improve apps like Mail and Messages.

Apple expanded on the new WebKit features at a WWDC session, in which it explained to developers how they can optimize web content for viewing on Apple Watch screens.

Currently in the watchOS Mail app, rich HTML messages are rendered in a text-only format and users are prompted to view the content on another device for the full experience.

Likewise, tapping a URL link received in Mail or Messages directs Apple Watch users to their iPhone to view the web page.

However, in watchOS 5, full HTML emails are capable of being displayed on Apple Watch in cases where text-only formatting can’t express the content of the message, and users can also view web page links, as well as interact with them, albeit in a limited way.

For example, turning the Digital Crown on Apple Watch scrolls the HTML content vertically, or users can drag with their finger to move up and down the page, while double-tapping zooms the content in and out, similar to iPhone.

In a Force Touch addition, a firm press on the Apple Watch screen reveals back and forward buttons to navigate through your viewing history (swiping left and right does the same thing).

Apple says it achieved the WebKit optimizations by shrinking the 320-pixel display used by the iPhone SE to fit the 156-pixel width of the Apple Watch display, and then computing the initial scale of the page so that the content width fits within the smaller screen. Basically, this allows text and images to appear smaller while preserving the overall layout of the page.

Apple notes that the optimizations are aimed at quickly consuming content, so some features like video playback and web fonts aren’t currently available. However, users will be able to interact with forms within HTML content, and there’s also an Safari-like Reader mode, which automatically activates on text-heavy web pages (the Reader Mode option is also accessible via Force Touch, so users can choose to read pages on their watch with extraneous content stripped out).

watchOS 5, due for release in the fall, promises several other improvements and features, including Walkie-Talkie for touch-to-talk communications with friends, automatic workout detection, and updates to the Siri watch face.

Related Roundups: Apple Watch, watchOS 4Tags: WWDC 2018, watchOS 5Buyer’s Guide: Apple Watch (Neutral)
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Siri Shortcuts Offer Scope for Limited Spotify Interactions in iOS 12

Last month, when we asked MacRumors readers what they hoped to see in iOS 12, one of the most frequent requests was improvements to Siri, specifically Spotify integration. Currently, Siri can open streaming media apps like Spotify, but it can’t play songs or video from third-party sources.

While Apple has yet to explicitly support the functionality, one of the components in the newly-announced Siri Shortcuts feature in iOS 12 could pave the way for Siri-controlled playback, should Spotify choose to implement it.

Siri Shortcuts lets users connect certain third-party apps to Siri to greatly streamline voice controls, allowing them to connect app-specific actions to an invokable Siri phrase.

As noted by TechCrunch, the Siri Shortcuts feature includes a “Play Media” intent that will let users summon audio and video media from third-party apps, and could theoretically be used to direct Siri on iPhone or HomePod to a designated playlist or artist on Spotify.

It’s not yet entirely clear how deep this kind of integration can go, but it’s likely to operate much less seamlessly than Siri controls for Apple Music. The Siri Shortcuts that Apple demonstrated during its WWDC keynote for instance were limited to sequential actions across apps, suggesting the “Play Media” intent is a one-off command that relies on specific pre-made shortcuts to playlists, artists, and the like.

Still, in theory, Siri could be used to play an artist or playlist from Spotify, and then the listener could use the standard Siri media playback functions to control the listening experience. But that’s still some ways off Siri’s existing integration with Apple Music, which extends to individual interface controls and even artist/genre queries.

The other issue of course is that it all depends on whether Spotify chooses to implement Shortcuts, but the new feature in iOS 12 is at least a positive sign that Apple is evolving Siri toward increased compatibility with third-party streaming services.

Related Roundup: iOS 12Tags: Spotify, WWDC 2018
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