Service plans

The cost of insuring your T-Mobile handset could rise in the new year, according to what could be a leaked internal document.

If the image proves true, monthly premium rates will remain untouched when the new plans take effect. Deductibles, however, are largely set to rise.

Save for the carrier's low-end devices, the cost to replace your phone will go up by a minimum of $10. For most smartphones the standard deductible rate will jump from $130 to $150.

Although T-Mobile hasn't officially announced the pricing change, a carrier representative did confirm part of the rumor to CNET: … Read more

More bad news for AT&T.

Consumer Reports has released its annual carrier ratings. And just as it had in the last two years, AT&T landed in last place, far behind the top major carrier in the roundup, Verizon Wireless.

Verizon Wireless fared somewhat well in the study, earning relatively strong marks on voice and data. The only bright spot in AT&T's review was its 4G LTE network, which actually beat out its chief competitor in this year's study.

Sprint and T-Mobile USA landed between Verizon and AT&T.

For its part, … Read more

Cell phones can make fantastic holiday gifts, but purchasing one for someone other than yourself is more complicated than shopping for other gadgets. Unlike a laptop or a shiny new camera, a cell phone requires a service plan to use any voice or data features (otherwise you wind up with a very expensive paperweight). In most cases, you won't even be able to leave the store or complete your online order until you get that angle set up. And beyond just being an additional expense, that service may require a long-term commitment.

There's no reason to stress, though, … Read more

AT&T today announced new international roaming plans that will go into effect tomorrow. The Europe and Rest of World options will join the Canada and Mexico plans that the carrier announced last June.

For each region, customers can choose one of three packages that delivers a set amount of minutes for a flat monthly rate. Of course, going over your allotment will result in hefty overage fees and exact coverage will vary by country. Also, keep in mind you'll need a quad-band handset that supports the 900 and 1800 GSM networks that are used outside the United … Read more

Editors' note: This story has been updated to clarify purchasing requirements.

Are you ready to buy a camera with a data plan? AT&T sure hopes so.

After announcing in October that Samsung's connected Galaxy Camera would be coming to its network, AT&T kept quiet about pricing for the 16-megapixel, 21x zoom point-and-shoot. That's no longer the case, as AT&T will start selling the Android 4.1-based camera on November 16 for $499.99 with or without a data plan.

However, for a limited time, AT&T customers can get up to $… Read more

As Hurricane Sandy bore down on the East Coast last week, millions of residents were left without power, cell phone service, Internet, and home phone service. In an outpouring of support for people left stranded by the superstorm, several mobile carriers took to the streets offering free device charging stations and access to emergency wireless phones.

Verizon announced this week that it will continue to help Sandy victims by waiving all charges for domestic voice and text usage for its customers in the New York and New Jersey areas between October 29 and November 16.

"Verizon Wireless continues to … Read more

A developer is taking Virgin Mobile USA to task, arguing that its username and password handling put users at risk.

Kevin Burke yesterday took to his personal blog to report that Virgin Mobile's authentication process only allows for users to input numbers as their account PIN. What's worse, he says, the password is limited to six numbers, leaving "only one million possible passwords you can choose."

"This is horribly insecure," Burke wrote. "Compare a 6-digit number with a randomly generated 8-letter password containing uppercase letters, lowercase letters, and digits -- the latter has … Read more

Mobile phone customers can choose from even more contract-free plans from RadioShack as of today.

Four new plans are available altogether through Cricket Wireless -- two for feature phones and two for smartphones.

The $25-per-month feature phone plan offers 300 voice minutes, while the $35 plan raises that to 1,000 minutes. Both plans up the ante with unlimited data access, unlimited texting, call waiting, and three-way calling.

The $50-per-month smartphone plan adds unlimited voice minutes and promises that the first gigabyte of data will run at full 3G speeds. The $60 plan offers the first 2.5GB of data … Read more

T-Mobile subscribers can now pick up a Samsung Galaxy S2 smartphone through Wal-Mart with no annual contract required.

To grab that deal, you buy the Galaxy S2 for $299 and then pair it with a T-Mobile Monthly4G plan for a minimum of $30 per month. The Monthly4G plan offers unlimited Internet access with the first 5GB of data at 4G speeds, unlimited text, and 100 minutes of talk time with a charge of 10 cents per minute beyond the first 100 minutes.

But with no annual commitment, customers are free to cancel at any time.

Wal-Mart is also selling the … Read more