If you’re a Comcast subscriber but you’re not yet using Xfinity Mobile, the company’s wireless subsidiary, you might be able to switch over and reap some substantial savings without having to buy a new device.
The company just added BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) support for its first set of Android phones. The Samsung Galaxy S9, S9+, S8, S8+, Note 9 and Note 8 have all been cleared for use on this Verizon-based network. There’s also a $100 prepaid Visa card incentive for those porting their numbers to a new line of service.
Customers without a compatible device can still trade in their phone for a gift card toward buying a new phone, such as the Samsung Galaxy A50, LG G8 ThinQ, or iPhone XS, which can be purchased on Xfinity’s website.
Comcast said more Android devices are expected to receive BYOD support “later in 2019,” but it’s not yet clear how many or which devices will be available. iPhone devices newer than the iPhone 6, on the other hand, have enjoyed such compatibility since Xfinity Mobile’s launch early in 2018.
Launched as a free service for Comcast internet subscribers, Xfinity Mobile is a viable option to eliminate or at least shrink your cellular bills, especially if you don’t use much data. Offering no line access fees for up to five lines, unlimited talk and text, and 100MB of shared data, the only monthly fee for Comcast customers is any data use over 100MB.
Subscribers have two options for purchasing more data: per gigabyte, at the rate of $12 per GB or $45 per line for unlimited. Keep in mind, if you’re using more than 3GB of data each month ($36) then the fourth gigabyte will put you over the cost of unlimited. Xfinity’s Unlimited plan isn’t really “unlimited,” as it’s capped at 20GB of 4G LTE. After that, upload and download speeds are reduced, though you won’t be charged any money.
The other downside is video streaming is limited to 480p when you’re on an LTE connection — you will need to connect to an Xfinity WiFi hotspot around the country to stream at 720p, and doing so will also mean data won’t be counted to your 20GB cap.
With unlimited talk, text, and data plans for $45 a line, Xfinity Mobile’s low cost and expansive network comprised of Verizon’s reliable towers and 18 million Wi-Fi hotspots make signing up a no-brainer for many Comcast subscribers and could potentially sway consumer’s decisions for internet providers wherever Xfinity internet service, and therefore Xfinity Mobile, is available.
Two new highly requested iCloud plugins just got added to ChatGPT, giving people who rely on Apple’s Mail and Calendar services a way to search emails, check appointments, and manage their schedules directly through the chatbot.
The integration is rolling out to all ChatGPT plans, including the free tier. You can access it on the web, desktop, and iOS.
Google Play is borrowing one of the Nintendo Switch’s most useful little tricks. A new Sidekick tool called Playbacks captures a short clip after something interesting has already happened, sparing players from running a screen recorder throughout an entire game.
Playbacks is part of Google Play Store v53.8 and keeps saved clips on the phone. Google first announced it earlier this month, but the new Play Store update marks its arrival for players. Anyone who has watched a perfect win vanish because the record button came too late already understands the appeal.
Samsung’s scandal over its Game Optimizing Service, or GOS, has returned with a bill attached. South Korea’s Fair Trade Commission has tentatively fined the company 20.1 billion won, or about $15.1 million, over gaming claims made for the Galaxy S21, Galaxy S22, and Tab S8.
The regulator says Samsung promoted the devices as gaming powerhouses without disclosing that GOS placed preset CPU and GPU limits on certain demanding games. Samsung disputes that conclusion, calling GOS a legitimate way to manage heat.