Cell phones, smart phones, and PDAs

As Netflix hikes prices and tweaks its content to add more TV programming, some avid fans are wondering if they should cancel their subscriptions.

Netflix has already lost some customers due to the abrupt price hike in July. The newly announced plan to separate the streaming service from the DVD-by-mail service may also cause other customers to flee. And then there was more disruptive news this week, as a company executive acknowledged that movie content, the bread and butter of the Netflix offering, is getting too expensive for streaming. Instead the company will focus more attention on getting rights to … Read more

AT&T is the latest carrier to announce a 4G wireless broadband service, but what does this mean for its customers who already thought they were getting 4G service?

When AT&T began marketing its HSPA+ network as 4G, I predicted it might confuse some customers when it finally launched its "true" 4G service, which uses the faster LTE technology. And it looks like I was correct. In this week's Ask Maggie I explain to a reader why his AT&T 4G smartphone won't work on the newly announced 4G LTE wireless network … Read more

Waiting for the iPhone 5 has been like watching a glacier melt. It feels like it's taking forever.

Since 2007 when the first iPhone was released, eager Apple fans have come to expect a new iteration of the perennially popular smartphone every summer. When June came and went this year with no iPhone, the masses and the blogosphere predicted a fall release date for the new device. Rumors of what features the new iPhone would have, what it would look like, how much it would cost, which carriers would offer it, and when it would be released have bubbled … Read more

Verizon Wireless may not be getting Samsung's flagship Galaxy S II Android phone. But does it really matter? Word on the street is that the carrier may end up with something better.

Late last month, Verizon disappointed many of its customers when it confirmed it would not get the much anticipated Samsung Galaxy S II. The carrier didn't offer much explanation for why it was taking a pass on Samsung's hottest selling smartphone. Meanwhile, Verizon competitors AT&T, T-Mobile USA, and Sprint Nextel will each be offering the device.

But Verizon smartphone subscribers shouldn't fret … Read more

The Department of Justice doesn't want to see AT&T end up with T-Mobile, but would it stop Sprint Nextel from making such an acquisition? What about MetroPCS or Leap Wireless?

Earlier this week, the DOJ stunned many people in the wireless industry when it filed suit against AT&T to stop its $39 billion acquisition of T-Mobile USA. The agency said that allowing AT&T to buy T-Mobile would likely result in higher prices and a loss of innovation in the wireless market.

The news has sparked speculation about what will happen to T-Mobile if … Read more

Rumor has it that Apple is planning to sell its latest crop of iPhones not just to AT&T and Verizon Wireless customers, but also to Sprint Nextel and possibly T-Mobile USA customers.

This is great news for millions of customers who have remained loyal to these smaller operators. But some consumers are wary about buying a new iPhone from T-Mobile when the company is expected to be purchased by AT&T early next year. Will a T-Mobile iPhone even work on the AT&T network? I answer this very question in the column below.

Also in … Read more

The next iPhone may only be weeks away from hitting the market, but what else is out there?

Believe it or not, the iPhone 5 or whatever Apple calls its next iteration of the hugely popular smartphone, will not be the only hot device on the market this fall. In this week's Ask Maggie, I spell out some of the top competitors to the new iPhone.

I also offer some advice to another reader who asks about switching to AT&T's family plan from Verizon Wireless to save some cash. And provide some recommendations for which LTE … Read more

Millions of iPhone customers may not care whether the new iPhone due out this fall will have 4G technology, since they already think their iPhone can access 4G networks.

A recent survey found that a third of iPhone users think they already have a 4G device. Sadly, the iPhone 4 is just another 3G smartphone. It doesn't even come equipped with technology to give it a speed boost on upgraded 3G networks.

In this week's Ask Maggie, I break the news to one reader who was hoping to experience 4G on his new unlocked iPhone 4. I also … Read more

As wireless operators eliminate unlimited data plans and talk about "throttling" traffic, smartphone subscribers are left wondering what to do.

It's clear that the majority of smartphone customers don't need an unlimited data plan anyway. But some carriers offer data-lite options, while others don't. Also what's the deal with prepaid carriers? In this week's Ask Maggie, I help one reader figure out which smartphone data plan is best for her.

I also offer some guidance on ditching a home broadband connection for 3G wireless service from Sprint. And I explain to another reader … Read more