Latest news with #MintMobile
Android Authority
a day ago
- Android Authority
Do you use mobile data while connected to Wi-Fi? It's complicated.
Robert Triggs / Android Authority When it comes to smartphones, the common sentiment is that your Wi-Fi network will always take precedence over your mobile connection. In other words, those with data caps generally don't have to worry about mobile data being consumed during lengthy Wi-Fi sessions. But is this always true? Generally, yes, but the situation is slightly more complicated than you might think. There are indeed a few reasons your phone could end up using mobile data even when connected to Wi-Fi. Were you aware your phone can switch to mobile data while on Wi-Fi? 0 votes Yes, but it's never caused me any issues. NaN % No, I had no idea. NaN % It's likely not a bug, but a feature Recently, I noticed my free Helium line was using data faster than expected, considering I rarely used it and consistently had my Wi-Fi turned on. Upon investigation, I realized my mistake was twofold. First, I'd accidentally set Helium as my primary mobile data line instead of my Verizon account. This explained part of the issue, but not the sudden spike in mobile data usage when connected to my home network. Fortunately, I stumbled upon a well-timed Reddit thread from user Unlucky_Ad_4873. The thread was unrelated to my exact issue, involving a Pixel 7 using excessive data despite a Wi-Fi connection. A Mint Mobile representative incorrectly claimed this happens unless mobile data is explicitly turned off. Interestingly, a US Mobile rep previously made a similar mistaken claim about an iPhone, suggesting this misconception is somewhat widespread. Features like 5G priority or Wi-Fi Assist may result in mobile data usage even if you are technically connected to Wi-Fi. From personal experience (and corroborated by numerous responses), your phone typically won't use mobile data simply because it's turned on. Usually, your device prioritizes Wi-Fi connections. However, exceptions exist — and they're usually intentional. The original thread I stumbled upon eventually revealed a helpful tip: check your Wi-Fi Assist settings. Many modern phones automatically switch to mobile data if they detect your Wi-Fi connection is slow or unstable. This feature has various names, such as Intelligent Wi-Fi on my Galaxy S24. When I checked this setting, it turned out to be precisely the cause of my data spike. Further digging revealed intermittent issues with my Spectrum Wi-Fi network at the same time as the increased data usage. Consequently, my Helium line rapidly consumed all its available data. My problem was fairly straightforward, but, in addition to a Wi-Fi Assist/Intelligent WiFi feature, the iPhone and select Android devices also have a few other data settings that could cause similar issues. For example, the iPhone lets you give preference to 5G data over other connections, including Wi-Fi. How to turn off Wi-Fi Assist, Intelligence, and other similar features Typically, these features are beneficial, especially since most US consumers have unlimited data plans. However, some plans have usage caps leading to reduced performance after reaching limits, and budget plans often have strict data limits. In these scenarios, disabling such features can be wise. Settings vary slightly depending on your device, but here are key adjustments you might want to consider: iPhone users will want to turn off Wi-Fi Assist and ensure 5G isn't prioritized Wi-Fi Assist is on by default, but to turn it off, simply: Go to Settings > Cellular or Settings > Mobile Data Next, scroll until you find Wi-Fi Assist and tap the slider to disable it. To turn off the 5G prioritization feature on your iPhone: Go to Settings > Cellular , then tap Cellular Data . , then tap . Next, go to Data Mode and then Allow More Data on 5G. Turn the slider off. Pixel users: Turn off automatic Wi-Fi switching The Pixel doesn't give an official name to this feature, but it will automatically switch to Wi-Fi, usually by default. To change this: Go to Wifi > WiFi Preferences > Advanced . . Next, scroll until you see Switch to Mobile data automatically and hit the slider. Galaxy users: Turn off Intelligent Wi-Fi and consider adjusting a few other settings For the Galaxy S25, you perform a fairly similar process: Go to Settings > Connections > Wi-Fi. Next, go to the three-dot menu and select Intelligent Wi-Fi. Here, you'll want to turn off Switch to Mobile data. While in the Intelligent Wi-Fi menu, you'll also note a few other settings like Turn Wi-Fi on/off automatically than you might want to consider disabling as well.
The Verge
3 days ago
- Business
- The Verge
How Donald Trump and Ryan Reynolds can easily sell you phone plans
Blame Ryan Reynolds. With a new wireless brand from the hosts of SmartLess emerging last week, and the debut of Trump Mobile this week, it sure seems like there's a hot new trend in Celebrities Selling Things: phone service. How did it come to this? Why can't they just stick to tequila? I talked to a couple of experts about the situation, and it's not entirely the Deadpool actor's fault. But also: it is kind of his fault. To be clear, none of these celebrities / political figures are building new cell networks from scratch. What they're launching are Mobile Virtual Network Operators, or MVNOs. These are companies that buy wireless service from the three big US carriers and re-sell it. It's a business model that has existed for decades, Techsponential analyst Avi Greengart tells me. 'They address market segments that carriers can't or don't want to address with their main brands,' he says. Older customers, people whose first language isn't English, people with bad credit — they're all prime targets for MVNOs. It's an attractive arrangement for the big carriers since they may have extra network capacity that would otherwise go unused. 'They get a guaranteed return on their network investment,' Greengart says. 'If you're T-Mobile for example, you might have spare capacity on the network that you've built. So it makes sense to basically rent some of it out.' 'Mint Mobile proved that you could build the business if you could generate your own audience.' MVNOs may be decades old, but I can't shake the feeling that I've been hearing about them a lot more recently. Gerrit Schneemann at Counterpoint Research says that 5G may be partially behind that. The additional capacity that 5G allows compared to LTE is helping more MVNOs get off the ground. 'Having 5G networks available, you have the capacity to actually run these [MVNOs] and to some extent, may not be as capacity constrained in some places,' Schneemann says. On top of that, MVNOs are more attractive to customers than ever. The rise of eSIM technology has also helped reduce the friction in signing up for an MVNO, Schneemann says. Also, since we're handling more and more of the services we use every day strictly online, people are also probably more willing to sign up for an MVNO than they were five or six years ago. And then there's the Ryan Reynolds of it all. In 2019 he bought an ownership stake in Mint Mobile, an MVNO using the T-Mobile network, and became the brand's spokesperson. The combination of clever ads and a unique pricing model won a lot of people over and turned it into a lucrative venture for Reynolds, who sold the business to T-Mobile — the company that was already running Mint's network — in a deal worth up to $1.35 billion. Greengart thinks that was a tipping point for the MVNO business, or at least, the celebrities-backing-MVNOs business. 'Mint Mobile proved that you could build the business if you could generate your own audience … And that has attracted other people who have or can create audiences.' That's how we wound up living in a world where the President's family's company sells wireless service, which I don't think is a scenario any of the Founding Fathers could have foreseen. And as weird as that concept is, Greengart thinks it's kind of a natural fit for Trump's whole business ethos. 'The Trump Organization is a branding operation, even in real estate.' He points to the company's licensing business model of charging developers to use the Trump name on their projects — without having to risk its own money on it. 'That's kind of what an MVNO is,' Greengart adds. Where there's a captive audience, there's a marketing opportunity; so the saying goes. Or something like that. Either way, I don't think this is the last time we'll hear from a public figure ready to sell us wireless service. Guess we have Ryan Reynolds to thank for that.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Klarna Launches Waitlist for Mobile Phone Plan
Buy now, pay later provider Klarna plans to start selling mobile phone plans in the U.S. in the coming weeks. For $40 a month, subscribers will get unlimited text, talk and 5G data through AT&T's network, Klarna said in a press release. Other consumer brands have sold phone plans, including The Trump Organization and a group that includes Ryan Reynolds and the budgeting app plans to start selling mobile phone plans within weeks. The fintech firm—known for letting consumers break up purchases into four, interest-free payments—launched a waitlist for its mobile plan Wednesday morning. The plan will provide unlimited text, talk and 5G data within the U.S. through AT&T (T) for $40 a month, according to a press release. 'Klarna has saved consumers time and money, and reduced financial worry for over 20 years. With mobile plans we're taking that one step further, as we continue to build our neobank offering,' Klarna CEO Sebastian Siemiatkowski said in a statement. Buy now, pay later firms' growth has slowed, prompting Klarna and its counterparts to start offering additional services to their customers. Some of these firms aspire to evolve into a digital 'neobank' by offering alternatives to traditional bank accounts, as well as debit and credit cards. Other well-known players have gotten involved with mobile phone plans. Actor Ryan Reynolds became an owner of Mint Mobile, which bought and resold service provided by T-Mobile (TMUS). (T-Mobile purchased the brand last May, the provider said.) The Trump Organization announced earlier this week that it is also selling mobile phone plans. Klarna has had a relatively eventful year. The company filed a registration statement with the U.S. Securities in Exchange Commission in March as it prepared to hold an initial public offering. Klarna tabled its plans in April as the White House imposed tariffs on several U.S. trading partners. Read the original article on Investopedia Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Gizmodo
3 days ago
- Business
- Gizmodo
Mint Mobile Offers 50% Off Its Unlimited Plan and a Galaxy S25 Ultra for Less Than Samsung's Selling It For
There really shouldn't be a huge need to provide incentive for switching from one of the supersized Big Mobile carriers to Mint Mobile, where you get access to the nation's largest 5G network for amazingly low prices. But, as if their summer promotion offering all of their plans for just $15 per month wasn't enough, now they want to give you a crazy deal on a brand-new device. See at Mint Mobile For a limited time, Mint Mobile is offering new customers huge discounts on new devices like the Samsung Galaxy S25 smartphone when you buy it from Mint Mobile and pair it with two years of their Unlimited Plan at half price. The Galaxy S25 with Galaxy AI is even less expensive at Mint Mobile during this deal that runs until July 31 than it is at Samsung, and Samsung is not shy about giving out great deals. Do the Math This new offer tracks out to two years of Mint Mobile's Unlimited Plan — high-speed data on that massive 5G network and unlimited text and talk — for just $30 per month, and that's on top of a huge $440 price break on a Samsung Galaxy S25 or other device like the Google Pixel 9, Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge, or Galaxy S25+. This awesome deal is for new customers only from now until July 31, but Mint Mobile makes switching to their service so quick and easy that you'll be asking yourself what took you so long to switch in the first place. Another great perk — you can make the switch and score your new smartphone from your couch, because Mint Mobile is an online-only operation that takes the money it saves from not operating brick-and-mortar stores or other overhead costs and turns it into great prices for its customers. A Deal for Everyone Even if you're feeling particularly attached to your existing smartphone and would rather decline the huge $440 discount offer on a new select Samsung or Google smartphone (we're looking at you, iPhone loyalists), making the switch to Mint Mobile is still a great idea. They're happy to switch over your existing unlocked device to their service while letting you keep your phone number, and their plan options are among the most flexible and competitively priced you'll find anywhere. But this current offer for new customers — two years of Mint Mobile's Unlimited Plan at 50% off and $440 off a brand new Samsung Galaxy S25, S25+, Galaxy Edge, or Google Pixel 9 smartphone — falls under the 'too good to pass up' header. It's running from now until July 31 at Mint Mobile. See at Mint Mobile
Tom's Guide
4 days ago
- Business
- Tom's Guide
This is nuts! Mint Mobile is practically giving away the Galaxy S25 and 2 years of unlimited data for $800 off
Since its launch earlier this year, I've seen countless Galaxy S25 deals that make the flagship phone free. Even now, you can snatch it from carriers like T-Mobile and Verizon, but you don't get it for free unless you do a trade-in or activate it on a specific plan — and these plans often cost you $50/month. That's why I'm astounded by the deal Mint Mobile is offering right now, which includes the Galaxy S25 and 2 years of unlimited data service for $720. This is almost too good to be true because oftentimes it's the service that ends up being the most costly. However, this Galaxy S25 deal applies to new customers who port in their number. Mint Mobile's giving us one of the best Galaxy S25 deals ever because for $720, it includes the phone and 2 years worth of unlimited data service. For that cost, you're getting incredible value with its outstanding camera performance, good battery life, and helpful Galaxy AI features. Just so you know, the Galaxy S25 launched at the price of $799 earlier this year. Considering that you only have to pay $360 with this Mint Mobile deal, that's already a 54% off discount from what'd you normally pay for it — and that's excluding the cost for the service. That cost is for the Galaxy S25 with 128GB storage option, but if you need more storage, you'll need to fork over $420 for the 256GB model. What's even more surprising is the discount you're getting off the service, which for two years worth of unlimited data would normally cost $720. Through this deal, however, you're paying $360 for two years of unlimited data service. That comes out to a rate of $15/month, which is dirt cheap when you think about how the big wireless carriers typically charge $50 for their equivalent service. In total, $720 for a new phone and unlimited service is a pretty incredible deal. This essentially comes out to a rate of $30/month for 24 months. I've spent a good deal of time with the Galaxy S25, which offers well-rounded smartphone service thanks to its triple cameras, powerful Snapdragon 8 Elite performance, and its Galaxy AI features. I'm particularly impressed by the latter because of all the AI-assisted photo editing tools that I found to work incredibly well against what Apple and Google offers. And the best part about the Galaxy S25? It has to be how it's a productivity powerhouse with Samsung DeX. I've used this countless times when I accidentally leave my laptop at home, so I end up connecting the Galaxy S25 to my monitor at work for that desktop PC-like experience.
