Verizon is making billing changes again. The top carrier in the U.S. is slightly adjusting its customers’ bills, resulting in a small price increase. The company is raising the monthly “Administrative and Telco Recovery Charge” from $3.30 to $3.50 per voice line per month, as first reported by a Reddit user (via Android Authority).
According to a post on Verizon’s website, this fee is intended to help cover certain direct and indirect costs the company may incur. These costs can include, but are not limited to, property taxes, wireless local number portability, and regulatory requirements, among other things.
This is a very slight price increase of just 20 cents, although depending on your number of lines, it will prove a bit more significant. For example, a family of two will now pay $0.40 extra per month, while a family of five will see monthly bills climb by $1.00.
The hike does reflect a familiar pattern in the company’s fee structure. Android Authority reported that the administrative fee was $1.95 per voice line two years ago, but it has now risen to $3.50 with the latest increase. Additionally, a $0.06 fee for data-only lines increased to $1.40 per line at the end of 2022 — and has now also increased to $1.60.
Price hikes are nothing new to carriers in the U.S. In 2023, for example, Verizon raised the price of some plans by as much as $5 per month. In March, it raised the monthly cost of its 5GB Get More phone lines by $4. T-Mobile raised prices for some of its plans in June. AT&T also raised prices this year by $1 per line for some of its unlimited plans. It even began offering a higher pricing option that provides faster data speeds to customers.
In recent months, we published a report on carriers you should consider over T-Mobile and noted the best cell phone plans available, regardless of carrier.
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.
Apple's next cheaper iPhone could get a brand-new processor while keeping its most stubborn display compromise. Digital Chat Station tips the iPhone 18e for a 2027 release with a 2nm A20 chip and a 6.12-inch OLED screen still limited to 60Hz.
The rumored camera setup includes a single 48MP rear camera and a possible 24MP selfie camera. There's new hardware to consider, but buyers hoping Apple would extend that upgrade generosity to smoother scrolling could be disappointed.
Google Photos is introducing a new design for the Collections tab on Android, giving users more control over their albums, folders, and photo categories. The update is all about customization, allowing users to pin collections they access often, hide sections they use rarely, and rearrange the layout to make their photo libraries easier to navigate.
According to a 9To5Google report, the change comes after Google rolled out the redesigned floating navigation bar on Android earlier this year. Rather than inventing a brand new way to store photos, Google is making it easier to get to the content people want, without having to scroll through sections they rarely open.