AT&T
AT&T’s Trade-In Deal Offers $100 Off New Smartphones
May 7th
We all see phones like the Samsung Galaxy S4, BlackBerry Z10, HTC One and iPhone 5 and want to upgrade to them. Of course these awesome new phones aren’t always so cheap, and while $200 is the expected price to pay, it still is a lot of money. Earlier this month AT&T began trying to make it a bit easier to get that new phone you want, offering a limited time promotion of either $100 off new phones like the ones mentioned above, or if the phone you want is under $100 (like the HTC First, Galaxy S III and iPhone 4S), getting it for free. So if you have an iPhone 4 and are up for an upgrade and want the iPhone 5, with this deal you can trade-in your 4 and get the 5 for $100 instead of $200.
Now there are a few conditions to this deal. The phone you are trading-in needs to be a smartphone under three years old and be in “good, working condition.” You also will need to go to an AT&T store if you want the instant credit. Once you’re there you can trade-in your old phone and use that $100 credit right away for buying that new one (and if the phone your trading in is worth more than $100 you’ll receive that higher credit instead). If you want to find the value of your old device before you go in you can head to AT&T’s trade-in site here.
All in all, unless you have someone you want to give your old phone to this seems like a pretty great deal. The new phone you want is much cheaper while your old phone gets recycled properly instead of just sitting in a drawer somewhere. AT&T has said that this is a limited time offer (though they haven’t said when it would end), so if you have your eye on a new Galaxy S4 or HTC One you may want to take advantage of this soon.
More info: AT&T
Samsung Galaxy S4 and HTC One Release Dates- What We Know So Far
Apr 21st
If you’re looking for a new Android phone or have an upgrade coming up odds are you’ve narrowed your choices down to either the Samsung Galaxy S4 or HTC One. Both are very impressive phones with amazing 1080p HD screens, super fast quad-core processors, powerful cameras and interesting software features like the ability to become a remote for your TV. And best of all– both phones either are, or will be, available very soon.
We know that there’s a lot of interest in both of these beasts, so here’s a quick roundup on when they will be available at your carrier and how much it will cost you to get one.
BlackBerry Z10 Now Available From AT&T, Coming To Verizon and T-Mobile Next Week
Mar 22nd
BlackBerry fans the good news keeps on coming, BlackBerry 10 has officially launched in the US. AT&T announced pre-orders for their first BlackBerry 10 phone, the Z10, earlier this month and it is now available in AT&T stores and online for $199.99 on a new 2 year contract.
Now if you’re on Verizon or T-Mobile and are excited for the Z10 we’ve got good news for you. Both carriers will be releasing the Z10 next week, with Verizon releasing it on the 28th for $199.99 with a new 2 year contract and T-Mobile releasing it on the 26th. There is no word yet on the pricing for T-Mobile’s version of the Z10. And we’re sorry Sprint users, you’re carrier doesn’t have any plans for the Z10, instead they’re waiting the keyboard packing Q10 to be their first BlackBerry 10 phone (the latest rumors say the Q10 will be out in May or June).
For more info on the Z10, Q10 and BlackBerry 10 see our post here.
So BlackBerry fans– are you going to go pick one of these up or have you given up on BlackBerry and are looking at an iPhone, Android or Windows Phone to be your next phone?
More info: AT&T, Verizon (pre-order), @TMobileHelp
Top 5 New and Upcoming AT&T Phones: Spring 2013
Mar 18th
So AT&T users– you’ve got an upgrade coming up sometime over the next couple of months and while you like some of the phones already out there, you really wanna know what AT&T has got planned during the next few weeks or months so you don’t go out and buy something now only to really regret it a week later. We’re here to help. With all the excitement around new phones like the BlackBerry Z10, Samsung Galaxy S4 and HTC One we figure now was a good time to wrap everything up.
So without further ado, here are 5 of the best new phones that either available now at AT&T or are coming soon. If you’re on AT&T and have an upgrade coming up this Spring these are some of the phones you’re going to want to take a look at.
AT&T Gives The BlackBerry Z10 A Release Date– Coming March 22nd for $200
Mar 12th
It has been a while since BlackBerry fans had any reasons to be excited but these past few months have provided a lot of hope. The long-awaited BlackBerry 10 finally had its official unveiling at the end of January and now the first of the US carriers has announced a release date for when you’ll be able to buy some of the new BlackBerry 10 phones. Yes, on March 22nd AT&T will release the BlackBerry Z10 for $200 with a new 2 year contract.
For those who don’t know, the Z10 is the all touchscreen BlackBerry 10 phone and has a 4.2 inch 720p HD screen, dual-core 1.5 GHZ processor with 2 GB of RAM (so things run quickly and without lagging or freezing), 16 GB of built-in storage (with a microSD card slot adding more), an 8 megapixel back camera and 2 megapixel front camera for HD video chat, NFC (so you can do things like share files or use your phone as a credit card just by tapping it), and 4G LTE support. The Z10 however lacks the hardware keyboard BlackBerry is known for, and if you want that you will need to wait a little longer for the Q10 which BlackBerry said back at their January event won’t be available until April in the US. For everything you need to know about the Z10, Q10 and BlackBerry 10 see our earlier post here.
Verizon and T-Mobile are also expected to launch the Z10 soon, though neither carrier has announced an exact release date for their versions (Verizon has said that their Z10 will also cost $200 with a new 2 year contract). We’ll of course keep you updated on that as we learn more.
While we liked what we saw in the Z10 when we checked it out a few months ago, it’s still hard for us to recommend it with great new phones like HTC’s new One due soon and Samsung’s big Galaxy S IV event on Thursday. Honestly with everything that’s about to go down in new phones we would strongly recommend waiting a little longer before upgrading and signing any new 2 year contract. But if you’re on AT&T and are set on getting the Z10 you can pre-order it now from AT&T.
The Teen Review: Samsung Galaxy Note II
Dec 27th
The Galaxy Note II has been one of the most anticipated phones of the year. It brings all the best of the hit Galaxy S III with an even larger screen and a pen allowing for all kinds of new possibilities. For the last few of weeks we’ve put the Galaxy Note II through its paces and well, lets just say it lives up to all that hype, and if you’re looking for a new phone to buy with those holiday gift cards this looks to be an excellent choice.
Read on for our full teen review of the Note II.
Samsung Galaxy Note 2 Gets A Price and Release Date For AT&T, T-Mobile and Sprint
Oct 24th
We know a lot of you are excited for Samsung’s latest giant phone, the Samsung Galaxy Note 2, and we have some good news for you. Over the next couple of weeks AT&T, T-Mobile or Sprint will all be releasing this awesome phone/tablet.
AT&T will start selling the Note 2 on November 9th for $300 with a new 2 year contract while Sprint will be releasing the Note 2 tomorrow, October 25th, and pricing it at the same $300. T-Mobile users, you guys are a bit lucky and unlucky– your version of the Note 2 is available right now, but it will cost you: T-Mobile wants $370 for it. Why the major price difference here were not sure.
Oh and those of you on Verizon– unfortunately Verizon hasn’t announced a price or release date just yet, but rumors say it might be coming as soon as later today for that same $300 price AT&T and Sprint are charging. Samsung is holding an event for the Galaxy Note 2 tonight so hopefully we’ll be able to find out a bit more about this there.
For more info on the Note 2 check out our first look here.
Top New and Upcoming AT&T Phones: Fall 2012
Oct 10th
So we’ve covered Verizon, but a lot of you are curious to know what are the big new phones AT&T has in store for the next few weeks. Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. At an event last week AT&T showed off a lot of the new phones that will be coming to their network over the next couple of weeks and months, and if you’ve got an upgrade coming up you’ll be glad to know that there are a lot of awesome choices waiting for you.
So what are you waiting for? Read on.
Texting and Driving #ItCanWait
Sep 24th
When it comes to technology, one of the biggest dangers facing our generation is the danger of texting while driving. We all know its wrong and that it can get us or someone else killed, yet so many of us know people who do it. All it takes is just one glance down to ruin your life. No text is worth it.
You may have noticed companies like AT&T over the last couple of weeks have been promoting a campaign called It Can Wait (or on Twitter #ItCanWait). The goal of this is pretty simple– get people to stop texting while driving. All it takes is that one quick glance down at your phone and you could ruin your life (and if you don’t believe us just try the virtual simulator AT&T created on their site. See if you can keep up a conversation while focusing on the virtual road).
We here at TeensTalkTech have taken the pledge. As we said, no text is worth the dying for.
For more information and to take the pledge yourself check out ItCanWait.com
Info from USA Today
iPhone 5 Now Available For Online Pre-Orders
Sep 14th
Sold on the iPhone 5 and want to make sure you have one the first day they’re available? Well, as promised, you can now pre-order the iPhone 5 online with an expected delivery date of next Friday, September 21st (or the day when you can actually buy the iPhone 5 in stores).
AT&T, Verizon, Sprint and the online Apple Store are all currently accepting pre-orders, while Best Buy, Radio Shack and Walmart will be taking pre-orders in stores once they open later today. The online sites for Sprint and AT&T were having problems earlier today dealing with the large number of pre-orders (though they both look to be holding up now), so if you really want to make sure you get the iPhone 5 right when it’s available we recommend you order soon.
Also be careful– if you upgrade on Verizon to get the iPhone 5 at the cheaper 2 year contract price (the one that starts at $199 for 16 GB) you will lose your older unlimited data plan, and be forced to switch to one of their new family data plans. If you want to keep your unlimited data plan you’re going to have to buy the iPhone 5 out of contract (which starts at a much more expensive $650 for 16 GB and goes up $850 for 64 GB). Unlimited users on AT&T should also be careful of this, though we were able to upgrade online (through the online Apple Store) to the iPhone 5 at the cheaper 2 year contract price and still keep our unlimited data.
So, who’s upgrading?
UPDATE: It now looks like the ship date on the online Apple Store has been moved to 2 weeks. Sprint, AT&T and Verizon all still show a delivery date of the 21st, so you if you want it then you should pre-order soon (or go into a store– like Best Buy, Walmart, Radio Shack etc.– when they open and pre-order there).
UPDATE 2: Well as of 1:30 PM, it looks Sprint is the only one still showing a delivery date of September 21st when you pre-order. AT&T pre-orders will now come between “14-21 business days” while Verizon is promising delivery by September 26th. If you really want the iPhone 5 on day one and haven’t yet pre-ordered you may now just want to get up early and wait on line.
