Articles by Samuel Contreras

Best answer: An eSIM integrates the functions of a SIM card into a phone’s hardware, making it easier and quicker to change phone service. Using an eSIM can also make it easier to manage multiple phone services on one device.

What is an eSIM?

For those asking, “What is an eSIM and why is it important?” Most phones sold today, and in the past several years, come with a SIM card is included or provided by your carrier to tell the phone how to connect to the network and what service it gets. These SIM cards look like small memory cards and usually slide into the side of your phone on a small tray. However, companies like Google and Apple have recently started to push an embedded SIM, or eSIM, as a better solution while still keeping a SIM card slot for compatibility.

A carrier can activate this eSIM to receive service without getting a specific SIM card from the carrier. Your eSIM could either be activated remotely by the carrier and, in some cases, could even be done automatically. …

Microsoft announced at the end of June 2021 that it would take over running AT&T’s mobility network on its Azure for Operators cloud platform, as well as acquire AT&T’s Network Cloud technology and talent. The company said that this move will allow AT&T to improve productivity and cost efficiency while focusing on delivering large-scale network services. In short, Microsoft will handle the backend to allow AT&T to focus on meeting customer’s needs, starting with its 5G core.

For most of us, 5G is a slightly faster internet connection for our 5G phones when we’re on the go. But to the companies building 5G networks, it represents an incredible investment that isn’t quite paying the bills yet. The continued investment into 5G is driven by the potential for carriers to offer new services, enabled by the improved speed and latency of 5G networks and its impact on the Internet of Things.

Managed by the cloud

AT&T has been building its 5G network for years now, start…

What you need to know

Only iPhone 12, 12 Mini, and SE are initially supported in the offer on July 7, with the Google Pixel 4, OnePlus N100, and OnePlus Nord N10 5G arriving the following week.
You must switch to Mint Mobile and bring your number over to be eligible.
You will get $90 off when you buy a phone and select a 12-month plan.

Mint Mobile is offering six months of its 4GB plan for free to customers that switch to Mint Mobile, port their phone number, and buy a new phone.

Customers who take advantage of this offer can also choose a higher-tier plan with a $90 discount, though it must be a six-month plan. This includes the 10GB and 12GB tiers as well as Mint Mobile’s Unlimited plan, which is one of the best cell phone plans you can get and features 35GB of high-speed data.

All Mint Mobile plans include hotspot data, unlimited talk and text, and 5G data with a 5G-capable phone.

Ryan Reynolds, the owner of Mint Mobile, said:

I am so happy we keep finding new ways to b…

The best mesh Wi-Fi systems are the networking versions of working smarter, not harder. Compared to a traditional router, mesh systems use several smaller Wi-Fi routers placed around your home to cover you from multiple angles and dodge things like thick walls that can kill your signal. Whether you want top speed and customizability or simplicity and consistency, there’s a mesh system that will work in any home. Our top pick goes to Eero, which hits all of the sweet spots of a Wi-Fi system in a small, understated housing that loses obtrusive articulating antennas. Still, there are plenty of other trusted systems we rank as some of the best mesh Wi-Fi routers on the market today and we’ve included them all on this list.

Best overall mesh router: Eero

Eero made one of the first consumer mesh Wi-Fi systems, and the company keeps making them better with each revision. The current third generation Eero has the best blend of advanced networking features of any system available thanks t…

Which carrier delivers the best 5G experience?

5G coverage is rapidly expanding across thousands of U.S. cities. AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon have each launched 5G networks with both high-capacity mmWave and long-range sub-6 bands. If you’re ready to jump into a new 5G phone, make sure to keep up to date on which carrier has the best coverage for you. Notably, T-Mobile’s 5G network is adding capacity to its network in over 1,000 cities already, thanks to the spectrum it got from Sprint. Once fully deployed, 5G service will provide faster speeds and reduced response times, allowing for new services and cloud computing not previously available. However, for now, it’s still very much a work in progress.

5G is taking hold in the U.S., and it’s no coincidence that many of the best cell phone plans now include 5G and most of the best Android phones work with 5G. For now, the major difference between LTE and 5G will be speed, but as coverage continues to roll out to new areas, more ser…

Greater savings potential

Mint Mobile

From $15/mo. at Mint Mobile

Pros

T-Mobile network with 5G
Unlimited talk and text on all plans
Hotspot included
Great multi-month savings

Cons

Must buy in bulk
Unlimited plan only has 35GB at full speed

Mint Mobile offers plenty of data for most people with a set of four plans targeted squarely at smartphone users. Mint Mobile uses T-Mobile’s network with full 5G support and hotspot data included with every plan. Unlimited talk and text also come with every plan.

Flexible plans

Tello

From $5/mo. at Tello

Pros

Prices start low
Flexible plans can work for most people
T-Mobile network available with 5G
Hotspot included

Cons

Phone support is confusing
Unlimited plan only has 25GB at full speed

Tello has a plan that works for just about anyone, whether they only want talk and text or need enough data for heavy smartphone usage. Tello is moving its network to T-Mobile, allowing for improved coverage and 5G support. Tell…

What you need to know

Mint Mobile is offering 25 years of wireless service for $2,500 ($100 per year).
This Bobby Bonilla Plan celebrates the former pro baseball player who is paid over $1 million by the New York Mets annually until 2035.
This deal is live for one day only, July 1, 2021.

Mint Mobile’s newest plan is only available for one day and comes with an unprecedented 25 years of service. July 1, 2021, Mint Mobile is offering the Bobby Bonilla Plan with 25 years of Mint Mobile service for just $2,500. The price breaks down to $100 per year or $8.33 per month.

This plan celebrates baseball star Bobby Bonilla’s deal with the New York Mets to settle a $5.9 million contract buyout with a 25-year deal. Starting in 2011, every July 1, Bonilla collects over $1 million from the New York Mets and will continue to do so until 2035. Mint Mobile has partnered with the former pro baseball player to give customers a 25-year wireless deal to celebrate his big payday.

This 25 year deal m…

5G now covers most people in the U.S. on at least one carrier, but there are many reasons why 5G isn’t worth it for many people. There is also a lot of potential for savings if you buy an LTE-only phone like the Pixel 4a, and you may not be willing to upgrade your old phone plan just for 5G. For many people, LTE is more than fast enough, and its coverage area is still bigger than 5G, especially on AT&T and Verizon.

Ready for 5G

Samsung Galaxy S21

$700 at Amazon
$800 at Best Buy

Sub-6 and mmWave support for every carrier

The Galaxy S21 is the perfect companion to a 5G network with great support for sub-6 and mmWave 5G with timely security updates.

Coverage on AT&T and Verizon

If you live in a suburban or urban area, there’s a good chance you have 5G coverage from at least one carrier— probably T-Mobile. AT&T and Verizon are making big investments in 5G, but their heavy reliance on C-band and mmWave means they’re a distant second and third in covera…

The best Wi-Fi 6 routers get us closer to 5G speeds at home. Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) has arrived and promises to push Wi-Fi speeds over 10Gbps by combining 2.4GHz and wider 5GHz bands to provide a better experience and much more extensive coverage at home. The new Wi-Fi standard is becoming increasingly common in phones and laptops. Now is the right time to invest in one of the best Wi-Fi 6 routers on the market.

What are the best Wi-Fi 6 routers?

The Netgear Nighthawk RAX70 comes with everything people expect from a Wi-Fi 6 router with great AX6600 speeds, tri-band, eight streams, and 160MHz support. QoS by application and a great control app make this the best-balanced Wi-Fi 6 router around.

The second best option is the Linksys MAX-STREAM Mesh Router, which is for people who don’t necessarily need a mesh solution right now but may want to expand their network in the future. Mesh router solutions pair multiple “nodes” together to increase signal quality and speeds throughout larger h…

Best answer: No, not yet. Android phones will not be updated to support 6GHz Wi-Fi 6E unless they ship with support. Some PC expansion cards are available, but neither Windows 10 nor MacOS support 6GHz bands yet.

Stick with Wi-Fi 6 for now

Wi-Fi 6 is high-speed, with some routers offering up to AX11000 speeds and many devices supporting link speeds of 2.4Gbps. For pretty much anything you need to do on your wireless devices, this is more than fast enough. Wi-Fi 6E, however, doesn’t set out to increase the top speed of Wi-Fi 6 but to keep those speeds up even in heavily congested areas. This is thanks to support for 6GHz spectrum, where there are many more WI-FI channels available.

For years, our Wi-Fi devices have been using spectrum at 2.4GHz and 5GHz, and while this spectrum supports more than enough speed for our devices in a vacuum, things look very different when you add dozens of routers and wireless devices to the mix. Even 5GHz Wi-Fi, which offers multiple channels capable…