We live in a connected world. Our smartphones are connected. Our homes are connected. Even our car, the hunks of metal on wheels that ferry us around, are connected. That’s generally a good thing, but in that last case — connected cars — the techdoesn’t do much good if you suffer a breakdown. If your car happens to be connected via T-Mobile’s SyncUp Drive service when that happens, though, you might be in luck.
SyncUp Drive, for the uninitiated, is an aftermarket plugin that transforms any car with an OBD-II (on-board diagnostics) port into a 4G LTE hot spot. For $150 a year, subscribers get access to vehicle diagnostics, driving behavior analysis, vehicle and location monitoring, speed alerts, vehicle diagnostics, and more.
On Tuesday, T-Mobile announced a major SyncUp upgrade: Free roadside assistance. Starting April 4, the self-coined “Un-carrier” will add Allstate’s Motor Club program for all SyncUP Drive customers on qualifying plans at no extra cost.
Here’s how it will work: If you spring a flat tire or need a tow, you’ll be able to connect to a dedicated Allstate Motor Club customer service team via the T-Mobile SyncUp Drive app. It’s available for iOS on the Apple App Store and for Android devices on Google Play — if you’ve already installed it, accepting the latest update will add the Allstate Motor Club feature to the dashboard.
T-Mobile said the demand for SyncUp Drive has “exceeded expectations,” nearly doubling early forecasts.
“The response to T-Mobile SyncUp Drive has been phenomenal! Customers are telling us what they love — and what they want to see next. And, as always, the Un-carrier’s listening,” John Legere, president and CEO of T-Mobile, said in a statement. “Customers’ No.1 ask has been for roadside help. So we’ve partnered with Allstate Motor Club to roll out dedicated roadside assistance for SyncUp Drive customers at no extra charge!”
To celebrate the launch of roadside assistance, T-Mobile is offering SyncUp Drive at a discounted rate. For a limited time, you get 2GB of data (or higher) for $48 with a 24-month no-cost finance agreement.
T-Mobile is not the only carrier company targeting the connected car market. In January 2015, Verizon launched Verizon Vehicle, a connected-car subscription service designed to provide roadside assistance, vehicle monitoring, and other services. Shortly after, AT&T inked a deal with Subaru to provide connectivity in the manufacturer’s connected cars. And automaker General Motors recently unveiled AtYourService, a new component of its OnStar subscription service that will let retailers advertise and send deals directly to drivers.
Are you tired of paying for streaming services you never watch just to get a phone plan feature you actually want? T-Mobile has good news for you! The carrier is rolling out new plans, called T-Mix, in early November to replace its old Experience lineup with a build-your-own perks system called Picks.
The benefits you choose vary from streaming and gaming to food delivery, AI, satellite service, and phone discounts. But if you are satisfied with your existing plan, you can keep it.
Merely days after the iPhone Duo hit the shelves, images of broken screens on the phone started popping up across social media. Until now, it’s been unclear what’s causing the line of defective pixels that appears vertically along the crease, as well as horizontally, on the phone’s inner display.
Apple has finally acknowledged the issue, which has shown up on iPhone Duo units owned by customers as well as demo units in stores. In a statement shared with Bloomberg, Apple says that not all iPhone Duo units are affected and that those that are tend to show the display fault early on. The company added that users who experience problems with their iPhone Duo display should contact AppleCare for a replacement.
Not long ago, Apple treated independent repair like an act of outright hostility. The Cupertino giant locked down parts with serial-number pairing, while repair tools remained firmly out of reach of anyone outside its authorized repair network. More importantly, the company waged a legal and lobbying battle against right-to-repair legislation.
I've covered enough of these fights over the years to know what a shift looks like. That's why what happened in October 2026 genuinely caught me off guard. The day the iPhone Duo went on sale, what may be the most mechanically complex iPhone to date, Apple pulled off a surprising about-face. It published teardown-style repair manuals for a handful of major components.