Hasta La Gadget!

You’d better be darn sure AT&T’s data service is solid in your neck of the woods before making the leap, but if you’ve managed to survive this long sans a USB WWAN dongle… well, here’s your chance to grow that much more connected to your inbox. Ma Bell has just issued its latest USB modem, the USBConnect Force 4G. Priced at a downright delicious $0.00 with a two-year contract (or $89.99 straight-up), the Huawei-built stick supports the carrier’s “4G” (read: HSPA+) services and offers a microSD slot for good measure. Interestingly, AT&T’s allowing users to buy this with post-paid and prepaid options, and of course, data roaming’s available in over 200 nations for those insane enough to pay for it. If you’re going post-paid, you’ll get 5GB of data for $50 / month, while prepaid buyers can select 100MB for $15 (day package), 300MB for $30 (weekly package) or 1GB for $50 (month package). It’ll operate with both Mac and PC platforms, and should be on store shelves by July 17th.

Continue reading AT&T launches USBConnect Force 4G USB modem, offers it for zilch on contract

AT&T launches USBConnect Force 4G USB modem, offers it for zilch on contract originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 08 Jul 2011 13:48:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The scan above purports to show a Verizon customer brochure that will appear in stores next Thursday, revealing nothing beyond the detailed leaks we’ve already reported but at least providing some reassuringly crinkled corroboration of the salient details. New customers will barred from the happy land of unlimited data, and will instead have to cough up tiered monthly fees ranging from $10 for 75MB up to $80 for 10GB, plus an extra $20 for tethering rights. In a separate turn to this tale, we hear that customers who want to tether to a 4G handset will have to pay $30 per month to keep Big Red happy. This might come as a shock if you’ve been living it up on the free tethering offer that ends next week, but we had a strong inkling it was coming. Besides, it’s not all bad: those 30 bucks will get you unlimited data on the fastest LTE network around, whereas $20 crew must make do with a mere 2GB monthly.

[Thanks, Verizon Guy]

Verizon data charges leak continues, $30 tethering for 4G customers originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 02 Jul 2011 15:35:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Not all wireless carriers are created equal, nor for that matter is all 4G — anyone who’s ever swapped networks or done any sort of traveling across the country can tell you that. And while it seems like we have fewer and fewer choices as the days go by, our increasing reliance on mobile devices makes the efficiency of our data delivery all the more important. PCMag invested some serious man / woman-hours for its annual “Fastest Mobile Networks” story, gathering mobile data in 21 cities — running more than 140,000 tests in all. According to the results, Verizon’s LTE rules supreme in pretty much every area tested, save for those “in-between” rural locations, where AT&T nabbed the top spot. Perhaps it’s time to take old “Test Man” out of retirement for celebratory victory lap?

Verizon dominates ‘Fastest Mobile Networks’ testing, considers calling AT&T to brag originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 27 Jun 2011 20:18:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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With each and every passing day, the rumors surrounding Verizon’s new “usage plans” are getting tougher to ignore. It’s only been two days since we initially heard Big Red was ready to ride its unlimited data plans into the sunset in favor of switching to a newer, more usage-friendly model, and the leaks continue to flood in. This go-round, very official-looking docs that offer up a whole slew of details are in the open air. Many of the details echo what we’ve heard before: the data plans are the same price, starting at $30 for 2GB and working up to increments of 5GB for $50 and 10GB for $80; mobile hotspot access is an additional $20 and you’ll get hooked up with an extra pair of gigs; finally, going over these allotments will cost you $10 per GB.

As rumored yesterday, all customers grandfathered into the unlimited monthly data will be allowed to keep it, even when upgrading to new phones. Business discounts, currently applied to the limitless plans, would now only apply to primary lines that are willing to fork out $50 or more; however, the wording did not indicate whether or not those grandfathered in would still receive those same benefits. More leaked docs can be found after the break, so grab some lunch and find your favorite chair — you’ll need ’em.

Continue reading Verizon’s ‘DataGate’ plans leaked in excruciating detail

Verizon’s ‘DataGate’ plans leaked in excruciating detail originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 22 Jun 2011 14:45:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Continue reading Verizon tiered data plans coming July 7, starting at $30? (update)

Verizon tiered data plans coming July 7, starting at $30? (update) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 20 Jun 2011 14:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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