Monday, April 30, 2018

Xiaomi expected to go public with $10 billion IPO

If true, this will be 2018's largest IPO to-date.

Depending on where you live, Xiaomi is either huge in your country or hardly known at all. The 8-year-old company is currently the fifth largest smartphone brand in the world, and according to people familiar with the matter, is expected to go public with an Initial Public Offering (IPO) of 10 billion USD.

Assuming this turns out to be true, this would make Xiaomi's IPO the largest the world has seen so far in 2018. That may sound like exciting news for potential investors, but the way Xiaomi's going to handle itself as a public entity could present them with a difficult decision.

The majority of Xiaomi's earnings will come from software and services — not hardware.

As noted by Radio Free Mobile, Xiaomi will initiate a hardware margin limit of 5%. In other words, Xiaomi plans on earning little-to-no money on hardware and instead will rake in its cash through software and services. Xiaomi's often credited as being China's Apple, and while its hardware may take a lot of inspiration from the iPhone, MacBook, etc., this profit strategy is anything but.

Some of the services Xiaomi makes money through include advertising in its apps and paid subscriptions for digital book and video content. The company's work here shouldn't be discredited, but purposefully limiting itself to just 5% for hardware sales is an interesting move.

It's expected that Xiaomi will submit plans for the IPO by the end of this week and go public as early as June, but at this time, the company's yet to officially comment on any of this speculation. When that happens, we'll be sure to let you know.

The T-Mobile / Sprint merger could be great for consumers, but it probably won't be



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Samsung reveals mid-range Galaxy A6 series with 18:9 Infinity Displays

Currently no word on pricing or availability.

Samsung's Galaxy A series is well-known for offering quality phones at affordable price tags, and today Samsung's Indonesia website gave us a look at new two phones coming soon to this lineup — the Galaxy A6 and A6+.

Looking at the two phones, their overall designs are pretty similar to one another. Both phones have 18.5:9 Infinity Displays, resulting in a narrow screen with slim bezels. The regular A6 has a 5.6-inch screen with a resolution of 1480 x 720 whereas the larger A6+ has a 6-inch one set at 2200 x 1080.

Both the A6 and A6+ have rear-mounted fingerprint sensors, face recognition, Bixby Home, Vision, and Reminder (no Bixby Voice, here), 32GB of internal storage, mysterious octa-core processors, and "breathtaking surround sound."

Look inside the two phones, however, and you'll find some notable spec differences. The A6 has a single 16MP rear camera, 16MP front camera, expandable memory up to 256GB, 3GB of RAM, and a 3,000 mAh battery. On the other hand, the A6+ has dual 16MP + 5MP rear cameras, 24MP front camera, expandable memory up to 400GB, 4GB of RAM, and a 3,500 mAh battery.

Samsung's yet to announce pricing or availability for the Galaxy A6 and A6+, but since the phones are living loud and proud on the company's official website, it shouldn't be too much longer before this info is made available.

See at Samsung



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Where to buy a used VR headset

VR is expensive. Buying used might be the solution.

Google Daydream, Samsung Gear VR, and the PlayStation VR are taking the world by storm when it comes to amazing VR experiences. The only problem for some people is the price of getting started. For instance, the PlayStation VR is about $349 on Amazon for a bundle with Skyrim. But what if we don't have that kind of money?

No worries, we're here to walk you through all your buying used options!

What to consider before buying a used VR headset

Do you have everything that's required?

You'll need to make sure you have a dedicated VR space, which is extremely important. Your entire gaming experience can be ruined if you find yourself trying to play in the smallest space possible because you keep running into walls or furniture!

For the PlayStation VR you'll obviously need to have a PlayStation 4 to run the device. A PlayStation Pro is recommended for the best PSVR experience, but you can still get a good quality of gameplay on the PlayStation Slim. Not just that, but the PlayStation Slim goes for about $299 which is $100 cheaper than the Pro.

Now with the Google Daydrea you will need to ensure that you have a device that is supported to run the headset.

Last but not least the Samsung Gear VR also requires supported devices you can check out here by clicking "Compatibility" on the menu bar.

Cleanliness

Let's just get right to it: Buying a used VR headset thethe somewhat akin to buying a used pair of headphones. It's been tight against someone's face and they've likely sweat into it with perhaps an eye goober or two has slipped into the mix. Or their house is a lot like mine where there is a little gremlin who's super interested in everything they can't use. So, from jelly-fingers to other human eye-gunk you need to be okay with where your headset has been and know how to clean it off.

  • The Google Daydream is extremely easy to clean and disinfect. Since most of the surface is hard plastic, most times you can wipe down with disinfectant wipes and call it a day.
  • The PlayStation VR is a bit more of a pain to clean, but it's still very possible.
  • The Samsung Gear VR has replacement parts available should you need to replace foam for more cleanliness. Other than that, here's how to clean your device.

Working condition

Is the used VR headset that you're considering in working condition? If at all possible, test it to make sure. This will be nigh-impossible if you're buying online, so you should ask for photos of the hardware working and more detailed photos of the hardware (ports and all) to make sure it's not damaged.

Also, be wary when you come across sellers who are marketing their equipment "as is." If there aren't enough photos to suggest that the hardware is not damaged and in good working condition, ask for more. If the seller refuses, no soup for you.

Better yet, most of us have smartphones now (all the cool kids, anyway), so ask the seller to send you a short video of the equipment in action.

Buy only from trusted sellers

Until VR really takes off, Craigslist just isn't going to be a valid source for used VR headsets. If you're purchasing your used VR headset online from sites like eBay or Swappa, make sure you're buying from trusted sellers and only those with great track records.

Where to buy used VR headsets

Here are the few places we've found used VR headsets and so far:

We all know GameStop is not one to cut prices down as cheap as buying it from a private seller, but you can get a console for a discount that can come with a warranty.


Where else?

Have you found used VR headsets from any reputable sellers that we may have missed? Out the back of a hatchback in an alley doesn't count! Sound off in the comments below!

Updated April, 2018: We've updated links and information about buying used headsets as well as price updates!



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Galaxy S9/S9+ with 128GB and 256GB of storage available for pre-order May 1

Both variants will be sold exclusively through Samsung.com.

The Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9+ are great smartphones, and with 64GB of internal storage and microSD support, offer plenty of space for all your local files. If you find yourself needing more room, however, Samsung's got you covered with newly announced 128GB and 256GB versions of both phones.

These versions of the S9 and S9+ have all the same specs and features we already know from the handsets, with the exception that the 64GB of storage has been upgraded to 128GB and 256GB. The processor, display, cameras, and everything else remains the same. Plus, even with the increased storage, you can still expand them up to 400GB with a microSD card.

Pricing for the new and old models is as follows:

  • Samsung Galaxy S9 w/ 64 GB — $719.99
  • Samsung Galaxy S9 w/ 128GB — $769.99
  • Samsung Galaxy S9 w/ 256GB — $819.99
  • Samsung Galaxy S9+ w/ 64GB — $839.99
  • Samsung Galaxy S9+ w/ 128GB — $889.99
  • Samsung Galaxy S9+ w/ 256GB — $939.99

Samsung's charging an extra $50 per each storage upgrade, and considering that you're doubling the amount of space with each bump up, that's not a bad deal at all.

The 128GB and 256GB S9 and S9+ will be available for pre-order beginning May 1 and will officially launch on May 18. For whatever reason, these versions will only be sold through Samsung.com and not at your local carrier store.

Additionally, anyone that pre-orders the new units or buys an existing S9/S9+ between May 1 and May 17 can get a free pair of Gear IconX (2018) wireless earbuds or purchase the Gear S3 Frontier for just $99 (normally $350)

See at Samsung



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These iOttie car mounts have wireless charging pads built in for just $34

Safely charge in the car.

Odds are you've heard of iOttie's awesome car mounts in the past, but did you know the company also sells some with wireless charging capabilities built in? They may sound expensive, but right now at Amazon they are on sale for 32% off, which drops the price down to just $33.95. There are two different options available, one which goes into a CD slot and one which clips into your vehicle's air vents. Obviously, if your vehicle doesn't have a CD player, you won't be able to pick this option, and the air vent one is pretty universal.

Of course, you'll need to have a compatible phone, like the iPhone X, Samsung Galaxy S9, or similar. The cigarette plug has a built-in USB port as well, so you can charge another device via a USB cable while wirelessly charging your main phone.

Both options were released back in February and have never dropped in price before this deal, so don't miss out.

See at Amazon



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Google Home Mini review, 6 months later: The smart speaker that should be in everybody's home

Simply put, the Home Mini is the perfect smart speaker for just about everyone.

When Amazon launched the Echo Dot in 2015, it made a breakthrough in the smart speaker industry by offering all of the smarts of Alexa in a package that was considerably smaller and more affordable than its flagship Echo speaker. That's essentially the same path that Google took with the Home Mini, and while all of the things it does are done better by the regular Home and Home Max, it's become the smart speaker that I recommend to friends and family looking to venture into this field.

That's not to say the Home Mini is without its faults, but for anyone who's in the market to make their home a bit smarter, this is what I've come to love (and sometimes get annoyed by) with the Google Home Mini.

Always getting better

Things that are still great

I could spend all day blabbering about the Google Assistant (the brains behind Home Mini), and while I'll touch on that in a bit, something that I think the Home Mini excels the most at is with its hardware. It's the same primary size and shape as the Echo Dot, but it looks ten times better.

The rubber bottom grips nicely to whatever surface you place it on, the plastic underside looks perfectly fine, and the fabric top helps the Home Mini blend seamlessly into the rest of your home's decor — available in gray, black, and coral shades.

Touch controls on the left and right work good for controlling your volume, stopping alarms, and ending voice calls, but the real star of the show here is sound quality.

I won't lead you into believing that the Home Mini sounds just as good as a Home Max, Echo Plus, or Sonos One. It just doesn't. However, for a speaker this small and compared to what Amazon achieved with the Echo Dot, I'm still amazed to this day just how good the thing sounds. The volume gets more than loud enough, vocals are crisp, and there's even a decent amount of bass.

A smart speaker is only as good as the assistant that powers it, however, but this is another area where the Home Mini continues to excel. In fact, it's continued to get better and better since its release. Google's constantly adding new features to the Assistant, and while finding and managing these can be a challenge at times, the sheer amount of things you can do without having to talk like a robot continues to be the Assistant's strong suit. Alexa may have more Skills at its disposal, but the Assistant's ability to pick up on context so you can talk in a natural manner is far more impressive.

Life with a Google speaker

What's not so hot

My experience with the Home Mini has been mostly positive, but that's not to say it's a perfect product.

If you're like me and live with two Home speakers in a relatively small space, be prepared for some continuity annoyances. Multiple Google Home products work great together for streaming music to multiple speakers at once, but beyond that, there's a lot to be desired.

There's no reason why I shouldn't be able to ask Home Mini to create a to-do list.

When making dinner, I'll often ask the Google Home in my living room to set an alarm while waiting for some to cook. I'll ask how much time is left on my timer after a few minutes have passed, but the Home Mini in my bedroom thinks I'm talking to it and says "You don't have any timers set." There are also times when I'm in my bedroom at night, ask the Home Mini right next to me to set an alarm, and the one in the living room will decide that I was talking to it and set an alarm out there.

These annoyances aren't necessarily limited to the Home Mini, but rather a problem that Google has with its entire Home lineup. Setting an alarm or timer on one Home should do the same for the rest of the speakers connected to your Wi-Fi network, and I really hope this is something we see added in the near future.

Even with just one Home Mini, there are still little quirks here and there that can put a damper on the whole experience. Google's decision to restrict shopping lists to the Google Express app is an irritating move to push its online shopping service on all Home users, the Home app is a bloated mess that's in desperate need of simplification, and it's beyond me why I'm still unable to add things to a to-do list. Maybe this is something that'll change now that there's a proper Google Tasks app, but we'll see.

Should you still buy it? Absolutely

The Home Mini has a retail price of $49, but you can often find it being sold with a $10-$20 discount or being included for free with the purchase of a Pixel 2, Pixelbook, or something else. No matter how you get your hands on the thing, it needs to have a place in your home.

Life with a smart speaker is just easier. Whether you're setting timers, listening to background music, asking it to play a show on your Chromecast-enabled TV, control smart bulbs, or whatever else, a Home Mini is the perfect tool for making your life simpler. That may sound like a lofty claim to make for a $49 plastic and fabric donut, but it's true. As someone that uses the Home Mini every day, I can safely say that it offers the best combination of design, sound quality, smart features, and value that you can find in a product like this right now.

See at Best Buy



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Are Amazon Echo Buttons worth it?

A pair of Amazon Echo Buttons. ($20 at Amazon)

If you'll use 'em, sure.

I have a confession to make. I ordered the Amazon Echo Buttons when they were first announced. And I didn't take them out of the box for months. Months.

That's not usually the sort of thing you'd expect to read in a post asking if these things are worth it. I know. So let's flip things on their head yet again:

Yes, Amazon Echo Buttons are worth it. If you actually use them.

What are Amazon Echo Buttons?

Ah! Good question. An Amazon Echo Button is a $20 pair of buttons that work with an Amazon Echo. Actually, these things maybe should have been called Amazon Echo Buzzers. Because they're basically like a battery-powered game-show buzzer that works with an Amazon Echo.

But it's probably a good thing they didn't called Amazon Echo Buzzer. That just sounds weird.

Anyway. You'll connect up to four of these things to the Amazon Echo, and fire up a game on the Echo that takes advantage of them. You versus ... someone. You hit the button to chime in. First button-presser gets to answer.

Oh, and they have fun colors that light up.

That's it.

How do you set up an Amazon Echo Button?

Super easy.

  1. Put two AAA batteries in each Echo Button.
  2. Look at your Echo in anticipation. Say "Set up my Echo Button."
  3. Press and hold an Echo Button for 10 seconds to put it in pairing mode.
  4. Alexa will tell you when you're good to go.
  5. Repeat to pair any other buttons.

What games can I play with an Echo Button?

There are a bunch of games (though not an infinite number) available.

Trivial Pursuit Tap is probably the biggest. Buzz in first and give the correct answer. Sounds Fun with Mike Epps is another.

You get see the full list of games that use the buttons here.

So are they worth it or not?

Yes, they're worth it! If you want to play this sort of game on an Amazon Echo. The buttons are a fun and relatively inexpensive (again, they're only $20) way to get more use out of an Amazon Echo or Echo Dot.

The trick is you just have to be sure to use them. Otherwise, they're the same as any piece of tech that you don't use.

A doorstop.

See at Amazon



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Best credit monitoring apps for Android

Your credit score can help you buy a house, get a loan, or even just finance a new phone. Here are a few ways to keep track of it.

There are few things more important to maintain than your credit score. Whether you're applying a new credit card, a house, or a phone line, your credit score will be an instrumental factor in your approval odds. If your credit score is too low, you may have to pay an astronomical security deposit — if you're able to get approved at all.

Needless to say, a poor credit score can be hugely detrimental, so save yourself some trouble and start monitoring your credit so you can take control of your score. Whether you have outstanding credit or you just went through your third bankruptcy, it never hurts to have an idea of your credit situation, and it's never too late to start working to improve it.

Credit Karma

If there's any one app you should use to monitor your credit score, it's without a doubt Credit Karma. This free service shows your TransUnion and Equifax scores, along with breakdowns of any credit lines on your record — that includes credit cards, auto loans, personal loans, and more. It also provides tools to help you improve your credit, as well as suggestions for new loans and credit cards you might qualify for.

While it's a bit late in the year, you can even file your taxes through Credit Karma. Unlike Intuit (who makes TurboTax), Credit Karma doesn't charge any fees for filing through its services — that means it also doesn't bug you to try a paid version half a dozen times when you're trying to file. I opted to try Credit Karma's filing service for the first time this year after comparing results with TurboTax, and it worked just as well as you would expect.

Download: Credit Karma (free)

Credit Sesame

If you don't mind paying a bit for a premium membership, Credit Sesame can offer more information than Credit Karma, pulling credit reports from all three bureaus with a paid account. You can still see your Vantage 3.0 score with a free membership, however, and Credit Sesame has the added benefit of identity protection — even providing up to a million dollars of identity theft coverage at higher paid tiers. Even with a free account, though, you get $50,000 in coverage.

Download: Credit Sesame (free)

Mint

Mint is another great service that helps you keep track of all of your finances in one place. It's made by Intuit, so you can sign in with your TurboTax info, and you can link any of your financial accounts (banking, credit cards, utilities and bills, etc.) to Mint to monitor your spending. It breaks your monthly spending into a pie chart, and displays your cash flow in and out.

Like Credit Karma, Mint shows you your Vantage 3.0 credit score as provided by TransUnion, and offers suggestions for various credit cards and loans. You can customize your Overview page in the settings to only display the information you care about, and set up push notifications or emails for upcoming bill alerts — you can even use Mint to create a calendar for your bills.

Download: Mint (free)

Your credit card

Most credit card companies these days offer free credit monitoring from within their apps. Most will display your FICO score, but it can vary from bank to bank. In fact, some banks don't even require that you be a customer to get a free credit report — Discover is a prime example with its popular Credit Scorecard service.

Plenty of other banks do this, as well. Chase provides you with your Vantage 3.0 score, as does Capital One (you don't have to be a customer of either bank to check your score), while banks like American Express, Citibank, and Wells Fargo all display your FICO score.

What do you use?

Do you use one of the apps mentioned here, or is there another app you depend on for monitoring your credit score? Let us know in the comments below!



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Amazon's one-day sale on PC gear has low prices on mice, keyboards, and more

Get what you need.

Amazon has a huge selection of PC components down to low prices for one day only. The sale features a variety of major brands like Toshiba, HyperX, Logitech, and more. The gear includes both internal parts, like the Seagate 1TB solid state hybrid drive for $60.99, and external peripherals, the Razer DeathAdder gaming mouse for $54.99

Here's a few of the other items on sale:

The full sale has even more awesome stuff on sale.

See on Amazon



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What do you think about the T-Mobile + Sprint merger?

T-Mobile says this will be good for consumers, but is that true?

On Sunday, April 29, 2018, T-Mobile and Sprint announced that they had finally come to agreeable terms and will be joining forces as a single company. Rumors regarding a merger between these two carriers have been floating around for years, but no one thought it would ever happen.

Now that we're officially living in a T-Mobile + Sprint world, the wireless industry in the United States will likely be changing a lot over the coming months and years. It's still unclear if those changes will be for better or worse for consumers, but in the meantime, our Android Central forum users have plenty to say on the matter.

Here are some of the initial reactions to the merger announcement.

mogelijk
04-29-2018 01:24 PM
"

I'd say not enough information yet, particularly if the FCC and FTC will let the deal go through -- though it is good Legere and Sievert will head the new company.

Reply
hallux
04-29-2018 02:34 PM
"

We've heard the same story before - "It'll be good for consumer", last time was with the Charter/Time Warner merger. As a customer impacted by that merger I can say it overall was BAD for the customer. Yes, we're now getting 100 Mb base internet speeds but I'm paying a higher bill and getting fewer TV channels as a result, and I was paying extra for upgraded download speeds compared to base...

Reply
Nick Pirce
04-29-2018 03:12 PM
"

Sprint and t-mobile merging together was a good business move

Reply
Almeuit
04-29-2018 05:08 PM
"

I can say they will have a serious amount of spectrum. I am sure that makes AT&T / Verizon worried.

Reply

Even though we're still in the very early days of this deal, we'd love to hear from you – What are your thoughts on the T-Mobile and Sprint merger?

Join the conversation in the forums!

//

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T-Mobile and Sprint Merger FAQ: The good, the bad, and the ugly

This move affects millions of customers and we have a lot of questions.

It appears that T-Mobile and Sprint will become one company under the T-Mobile name if regulators approve the pending merger. We heard rumors of this happening renewed recently, and T-Mobile CEO John Legere and Sprint CEO Marcelo Claure held a joint Sunday press call to announce their intent. You can find our take on all the news right here.

It's going to be a big change for millions of customers. We've seen plenty of smaller carriers get pulled into the fold of a larger, but when two of the Big Four are set to combine their networks things are a little different and there will be more questions. We have those same questions, too, and have been busy looking into the details ourselves so we can get everything sorted out. Should this merger gets the required approval from government agencies, we need to know what to expect!

What's the big deal?

We're seeing Sprint, a company with 55 million customers, becoming part of a new T-Mobile (which has 73 million customers) to form what amounts to a new company under a familiar name. That means a lot of people are directly affected and because AT&T and Verizon will react to the news, everyone will see something new from their carrier. We always tend to brace ourselves for the worst, but there is a lot of good news here for everyone.

This $26 billion deal will affect all of us when other carriers react. And they will.

We never like to see choices get fewer. With Sprint out of the picture, there will be three major carrier choices in the U.S. for wireless customers and that makes it easier for the companies to raise rates or diminish service quality in some way. It's especially worrying when one of the companies is T-Mobile, which revitalized itself in the past two years because it was able to offer lower rates and more benefits. We don't want to see that go away. Legere and Claure feel that it won't, and even think that having cable operators like Comcast and Charter offering wireless service means 5G wireless will have more competition even with the two companies merged.

Maybe the most important thing here is the future of 5G. As the two CEOs were happy to point out, a combined Sprint and T-Mobile will have the best foundation for a new 5G network out of any wireless provider in North America. Verizon and AT&T may have more available wireless spectrum but most of it is in use for existing 3G and LTE networks. This spectrum will have to be repurposed without service interruption to current customers which will be an expensive and slow affair. The "new" T-Mobile has a huge swath of available spectrum it can use to build a nationwide 5G network from scratch, provided it isn't forced to relinquish any of it to achieve regulatory approval.

I'm a T-Mobile customer, what will happen to my service?

Right now, nothing. This deal isn't final just yet and won't be until it's approved by federal agencies. We saw an AT&T - T-Mobile deal fall through because it couldn't get that approval and nothing here is a given. If and when it is approved, it will still be a while until any significant changes can happen. These two companies are huge and steering a ship that big takes a long time.

Don't expect any significant improvements any time soon.

We expect T-Mobile service to improve once this becomes a reality. And not just a little bit. T-Mobile has an excellent network at the consumer-facing end points with plenty of available bandwidth and fast speeds, but the total coverage footprint is lacking. If you're a current customer who sees a stretch with no service on your commute to and from work, for example, this deal is what T-Mobile needs to make that go away. And from what the company has said, it plans to build a 5G-ready network to fill in those gaps.

Don't expect your current service to get faster any time soon, but if you're on the fringes it will get better. You'll have a stronger connection in more places and spots that can currently get congested because there are so many users will have more bandwidth available so it can be improved. In the long-term, expect to have better service in more places on a newer network.

I'm a Sprint customer, what will happen to my service?

Most of what applies to T-Mobile customers also applies here, but for the opposite reasons! Sprint has what it needs to build a network with a giant footprint but struggles at the end delivery. Where the company was able to spend resources to roll out a large network, users see great service, but Sprint generally delivers a connection that's barely acceptable across a fairly wide area.

Sprint has only lacked one piece of the puzzle for years: money.

If granted approval, Sprint customers that become part of a new T-Mobile network should expect to see improvements where they have mediocre service right now in the short-term. The two companies' assets combined will get you onto a network that has what it needs to deliver service from the tower to your phone, not just from tower to tower.

Long-term goals align with the promises Sprint has been making for the past few years — a very fast high-capacity network that works almost everywhere. Sprint has always had what it needed on the technical side but poor financial results kept company management from making the huge financial investment needed to put it to use. T-Mobile has an innate ability to fix that and the company's knack for attracting customers means investors and executives aren't afraid to sink money into equipment that makes the difference.

Will my prices increase or decrease?

Maybe, but we don't expect to see any big change in the near future.

Maintaining a nationwide wireless network takes a lot of money and so does building a new one. A new T-Mobile will see plenty of short-term cost benefits compared to running two separate companies. Stocks are already rising based on the rumors that this merger would happen and investors will be bullish because of the combined assets and how they fit into a 5G network plan and we don't expect that to change unless AT&T or Verizon reveals something even more attractive.

The "new" T-Mobile won't go very far if all the customers leave. Don't expect to see any big change in your monthly bill.

We've seen costs rise for some plans from both companies, but their hallmark packages for consumer service tends to stay around the same price over the past few years. Both Sprint and T-Mobile use low prices on unlimited or large family data plans as a selling point and we don't think that's going to change right away. One of the new company's goals is to have enough customers to make AT&T and Verizon (and Comcast and Charter) nervous, and raising prices in any dramatic fashion isn't going to help there. We know what we have been told a new network will be like on T-Mobile, but we actually know what service is like on Verizon or AT&T so if rates get higher customers may start to make the switch.

We do expect Sprint's penchant for eternal promotional plan pricing to go away, so plans that would normally be $120 per month for three users but are now $80 will probably become unavailable for new customers. And who knows, there may be some great deal for new subscribers from the newly merged company, too.

Are a lot of people going to lose their jobs?

The two companies say no. On a conference call John Legere stated that the merger will create more jobs, both in the immediate future as well as year-over-year. He gave the T-Mobile purchase of MetroPCS as an example, which caused an increase in employees that the Metro PCS assets provided than worked for the company originally. Sprint was forced to lay off a large number of employees in early 2018, and this merger should help stave off another round of large-scale layoffs.

A move like this will both create and eliminate jobs. Let's hope the result is a net positive.

The CTIA forecasts that 5G technology could create up to three million new jobs and $500 billion in economic growth. Planning and deploying a 5G network the way this merger allows will create more American jobs and bring some of that $5 billion to American pockets. Separately the two companies wouldn't be able to create nearly as many jobs than it can together here.

But there will almost certainly be some people who find themselves out of work. It will take time for the two companies to consolidate things like customer service and billing departments, but there will be overlap and some positions will be no longer needed. Those will be offset by the need for more engineers and field technicians as the network expands, but usually few people can transition from the former to the latter. T-Mobile will hopefully offer training and anything else needed to make internal transfers where it can, but it's unrealistic to think that nobody loses their job when two companies this big combine.

Should I leave for AT&T?

That depends on why you are leaving.

If you like the service you have now you should probably keep it. Your current Sprint or T-Mobile service isn't going to get any worse and we doubt prices are going to rise any time soon. The new T-Mobile really wants you to stay so it won't be doing anything stupid when it comes to the quality of service or the price.

If you've been thinking of switching to AT&T because the service is better right now, this merger may turn out to be a great way for AT&T to lower its prices or offer some sort of incentive to get you to switch. If you know you'll have a better connection where you need it with AT&T, jump over! Just don't sign any long-term contracts in case you want to move back once a new network begins to roll out.

Should I leave for Verizon?

Again, it depends on why you're thinking of doing it. And mostly for the same reasons.

Verizon has a very good network in almost every place you'll ever be inside the United States. That's not going to change because of this news. Once we see a true 5G network landscape begin to evolve, Verizon will have a tougher time putting it in place than the competition will. This is because of the same reasons the network is currently great — it uses the assets it has to build out a strong LTE network so there isn't a ton of spare bandwidth laying unused. I'm certain that Verizon has a plan to address this and I imagine we'll be hearing more about it from the company now that a potential merger between Sprint and T-Mobile has been announced.

If the service you have now with Sprint or T-Mobile is bad, go ahead and switch. Just remember that you might want to switch back once T-Mobile starts to do the things ti say it wants to do. Let the future be the future and use what works best for you right now.

When should we expect to see any changes?

Regulatory approval may take months to obtain, if it is even granted at all. It likely won't happen before mid-2019, though I do expect both parties have been advised that it will be approved.

Things will stay mostly the same for several years.

Once approval is given, it's going to take a few months for the details to get ironed out and execs to move their desks. Then there will be lots of meetings and busy accountants so expect another month or two before any changes can even be talked about. Under perfect conditions, customers might see a change in service — hopefully for the better — late next year.

The long-term plan is to have all Sprint customers moved to the new T-Mobile within three years — that's 2021. I expect that means the company plans to have the 2.5GHz and 600MHz spectrum it would hold should the merger be finalized deployed by then and T-Mobile customers would also be on what's essentially a new network.

Will I need a new phone?

Probably not.

When 5G is deployed everywhere, we all will need new phones, but since that's years away we will all have one by then. This merger is kind of the same situation — the phone you have in your hands will probably work just fine throughout its normal life even if the name of the company you pay each month changes.

By the time you need a new phone you will have already bought one.

A joint press release from the companies says that over 20 million Sprint customers currently have a phone that will work on T-Mobile with no issues. What that means is late-model Galaxy phones and iPhones plus a few others like the Essential phone, which are or can be SIM unlocked and work if you were to switch right now. Sprint isn't selling phones with the expectation that customers want to use them on T-Mobile.

Phones like this should be able to take advantage of any improvements in the network while large-scale deployment is happening, but by the time everything is in place, you won't be using them. Newer models will be built to use the network the company is planning and unless you found something really exotic to use on Sprint a new model of your favorite phone will be built to work everywhere there is "new" T-Mobile service.

Both companies have been through this before when T-Mobile bought MetroPCS and Sprint bought Nextel. If you were around for either event and your phone company got bought out by a larger one, you know there weren't any changes that required a new phone for quite some time. And phones today are built to work in more places with more network bands so it will be an even easier transition.

What else do you want to know?

This FAQ is 🧟‍♂️ *alive 🧟‍♀️, so let us know what you want to know about the merger and we'll add it to the list!

//

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Protect your favorite gear with these water-resistant Pelican cases on sale today

One of Amazon's daily Gold Box deals features a selection Pelican cases and luggage. These cases come in a variety of sizes, prices, and purposes. Some are waterproof dry boxes, some are filled with foam for tight packing, and some are designed to fit in standard overhead bins. This is a one-day only sale.

Here's a few of the ones on sale:

No matter the case, Pelican covers them all with a lifetime warranty. Check out the full sale for all the other possibilities.

See on Amazon



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Best Racing Games for VR

What are the best racing games for VR?

If you've invested in a VR setup and haven't yet tried a racing game, you owe it to yourself to at least experience it once. The speed, combined with the feeling of actually sitting in the driver's seat, delivers an unmatched experience. Here are the best racing games you can grab right now.

Driveclub

If you're looking for a VR game that will make you feel like you're in the Fast and Furious, then this is the game you're looking for. Driveclub takes you to the streets as you race against others to be the best. With over 80 cars and 100 tracks, you will never get bored when racing in this VR game.

See at the PlayStation Store

Gran Turismo Sport

If you're looking for more of the classic sport of racing, then Gran Turismo is the game that you're looking for. With classic sportscars and different suits for your character, you'll be driving alongside other great racers. The VR experience hosts most cars and all the tracks available for this game, so enjoy racing!

See at the PlayStation Store

Dirt Rally

Take the racing off road with Dirt Rally, a racing game that really mixes mud and metal. Enjoy the elements in this game as you race on official and unofficial tracks throughout the game. Whether it's winter. spring, or summer, you'll be making mud no matter where you're racing.

See at the PlayStation Store

Trackmania Turbo

More stunts means more fun, especially in Trackmania Turbo which has 4 death-defying tracks to choose from. You can choose from the pre-made tracks or you can create your own track. Take on other drivers and prove that you're the best driver out there.

See at the PlayStation Store

Wipeout Omega

This game brings racing to the future with ships, which are essentially hovering race cars, and futuristic tracks. Originally just a stand-alone PlayStation 4 game, you can now take the tracks in VR with Wipeout. Take on other futuristic drivers and beat them all in the best ship out there.

See at the PlayStation Store

What's your favorite racing game for PlayStation VR?

Let us know which one you're hooked on down in the comments!



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