In a surprising move, Apple has announced today that it will adopt the RCS (Rich Communication Services) messaging standard. The feature will launch via a software update “later next year” and bring a wide range of iMessage-style features to messaging between iPhone and Android users.
Apple’s decision comes amid pressure from regulators and competitors like Google and Samsung. It also comes as RCS has continued to develop and become a more mature platform than it once was.

Verizon continued to emphasize improvements in its overall financial performance as it once again lost customers in its Consumer group in Q3 2023, which were offset by gains in the Business group.

Granted, the loss of 51,000 subscribers in the Consumer group was not as bad as the year-ago quarter, when it lost 189,000, or even the prior quarter, when it lost 136,000.

In the Business segment, Verizon added 151,000 in Q3, which was an improvement over the 144,000 net adds in Q2. That also gave Verizon the bragging rights to 100,000 total postpaid phone net additions for Q3 2023 when combining Consumer and Business segments.

Metro by T-Mobile’s “Nada Yada Yada” campaign, unveiled August 22, was primarily aimed at big cable providers like Comcast and Charter Communications for smacking wireless customers with “exploding bills” after their promotions are over.

But Verizon’s Visible prepaid brand is the one that's striking back, calling out Metro by T-Mobile for “glossing over the disclaimer details” and making claims about selling wireless without the “gotchas.”

According to Visible, Metro by T-Mobile is the one doling out the “gotchas.” The spot is viewable here.

"Visible has nothing to hide," said Verizon Value President Angie Klein in a statement. "When we see other brands claim they have no 'yada, yada, yada' – but we know they do – we have to call BS on their 'BS-Free Promise.' If you want real transparency, simplicity, and honesty from your wireless carrier, Visible is the only choice. And who better to help tell that story than Jason Alexander, someone who made 'yada, yada, yada' famous."

Mint Mobile, which is partly owned by Ryan Reynolds, might be acquired by T-Mobile.

The two companies are apparently in talks about a potential acquisition, according to Bloomberg.

... Still, while AT&T is positioning its company around wireless and high-speed broadband, Apple’s 5G iPhones, expected to be announced in October, may not be the major event many are expecting. Economic challenges during Covid-19 quarantines may cause fewer people to upgrade immediately, said McElfresh. If you’re not in a hurry to upgrade to 5G, McElfresh shared some additional news -- AT&T engineers are already working on 6G.

04/22 Update:

Verizon continues to support customers who may find themselves needing additional data in order to learn, work or keep connected during this challenging time. That’s why today, we announced we are automatically adding an additional 15GB of 4G LTE data to consumer and small business* shared data plans, hotspots and jetpacks to be used from May 1 through May 31. There is no action needed as this data will automatically be added to consumer and small business accounts.

* Includes small business customers with 50 lines or less.

Cupertino, California — Apple today announced the second-generation iPhone SE, a powerful new iPhone featuring a 4.7-inch Retina HD display, paired with Touch ID for industry-leading security. iPhone SE comes in a compact design, reinvented from the inside out, and is the most affordable iPhone. The new iPhone SE is powered by the Apple-designed A13 Bionic, the fastest chip in a smartphone, to handle the most demanding tasks. iPhone SE also features the best single-camera system ever in an iPhone, which unlocks the benefits of computational photography including Portrait mode, and is designed to withstand the elements with dust and water resistance.
iPhone SE comes in three beautiful colors — black, white and (PRODUCT)RED — and will be available for pre-order beginning Friday, April 17, starting at just $399 (US).

Received messages include text messages received while in Canada and excludes roaming, premium messages, alerts or dial-up messages received from a messaging application.

Includes texts sent to local wireless number while in eligible destination or to Canadian wireless number. Sent/received premium texts and sent international texts to destinations other than eligible destinations charged at applicable rates.

Plus, enjoy unlimited Canada-wide calls and texts.

NEW YORK, NY January 25, 2019 – HMD Global, the home of Nokia phones, today announced collaborations with three leading wireless providers in North America – Cricket Wireless and Verizon in the United States and Rogers Communications, Inc. in Canada. This is the next step in the company’s journey to offer great quality experiences to consumers across accessible price points and to work with best-in-class players in the industry for supreme purchase flexibility.

HMD Global is proud to continue to deliver on its reliability and durability promise through purposeful, distinct design with best-in-class materials and craftsmanship across the portfolio. Furthering this and providing greater options for consumers, it is also expanding its award-winning selection of Nokia smartphones on Android™ with the launch of two wireless provider-specific devices coming to the United States this month and another coming to Rogers subsidiary brand, chatr, in Canada very soon.

Nokia 3.1 Plus is the inaugural Nokia phone on Cricket’s 4G LTE network that covers more than 99% of Americans, based on overall coverage in the U.S.1 and Nokia 2 V is the first Nokia phone on Verizon. Nokia 3.1 Plus gives fans two-day battery life , an ergonomically placed fingerprint sensor and NFC-enable Google Pay at an exceptional value. Nokia 2 V provides a beautiful, Nordic design with metallic accents and delivers long-lasting entertainment with a 5.5-inch HD display, dual front-facing stereo speakers and a two-day battery life2. Each new device offers the durable and reliable craftsmanship that consumers expect from a Nokia phone.

iOS 12.0.1 includes bug fixes and improvements for your iPhone or iPad. This update:
- Fixes an issue where some iPhone XS devices did not immediately charge when connected to a Lightning cable
- Resolves an issue that could cause iPhone XS devices to rejoin a Wi-Fi network at 2.4GHz instead of 5GHz
- Restores the original position of the ".?123" key on the iPad keyboard
- Fixes an issue where subtitles may not appear in some video apps
- Addresses an issue where Bluetooth could become unavailable
- For information on the security content of Apple software updates, please visit this website: https://support.apple.com/kb/HT201222