Technologies

AT&T Offers Up To $1,000 Off New iPhone, Galaxy Upgrades Ahead of The Holidays

AT&T has brought back its «up to $1,000 off» deal just in time for the holiday shopping season.

If you’re on AT&T and have been debating getting a new iPhone or Samsung Galaxy phone this holiday season, you may find yourself with a better deal now even though we’re well past Black Friday. The carrier has upped its promotion for new and upgrading users from $800 off a new Apple or Samsung device to up to $1,000 off, so long as you’re trading in a phone.

You’ll also need to have an unlimited plan to be eligible for the discount, which will be dished out as bill credits over the course of a 36-month installment plan.

AT&T has dabbled with offering up to $1,000 off iPhones before. Most recently, it dangled the discount around the launch of Apple’s new iPhone 14 line before scaling it back down in recent weeks to up to $800 off. For the Galaxy S22 launch in February, AT&T offered up to $800 off the new models so long as you were trading in any older Galaxy S, Galaxy Note or Galaxy Z phone, including those that were broken.

To get $1,000 off a new iPhone the device you are trading into AT&T would need to be valued by the carrier at a minimum of $230. This includes the iPhone 11 Pro Max, 12 line (except the 12 Mini) or 13 line; Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G, S22 line, Z Fold 2 or Fold 3; Google’s Pixel 6 Pro and OnePlus’ 10 Pro.

If you have an iPhone XS Max, 11, 11 Pro or 12 Mini you could get up to $800 off. And if you’re trading in one of a variety of Android devices from Samsung (Galaxy S20 and S21 lines, Note 20 line, original Galaxy Fold or Fold 2 and the Z Flip 3 5G), Google (Pixel 5, 5A and 6) or other Android makers like OnePlus and Microsoft, you can also get up to $800 off a new phone so long as AT&T values the trade-in devices to be worth between $130 and $229.

Other devices including the iPhone 8 line, SE (2nd or 3rd gen), X, XR and XS as well as a much wider range of Samsung, LG, Google, Motorola and OnePlus phones can get up to $350 off of a new phone so long as AT&T values those trade-ins to be between $35 and $129.

This deal works for the iPhone 14, 14 Plus, 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max though the phone that you are trading in will need to be in «good working condition.» (Read the full terms here.)

For Galaxy phones like the S22 line, Z Flip 4 and Z Fold 4 the carrier is much more lenient. Any device that the carrier values at $35 or more could make you eligible for up to $1,000 off of one of Samsung’s latest handsets. The carrier’s terms for S22 and the Z Flip and Z Fold deals also don’t specify that the phone that you are trading in has to be in «good working condition.»

In either scenario, if you leave AT&T before the 36-month installment is up — or want to unlock your phone to use internationally — you’ll be on the hook for paying off the balance of what’s owed and you’ll forfeit any outstanding credits.

All that said, it still is a surprising post-Black Friday deal from the carrier as the wireless industry at large looks to lure in upgraders and switchers this holiday season.

Verizon has been pushing its recent holiday offer of up to $1,000 off a new phone with trade-in, though that deal requires you to switch to the carrier. If you’re already on Verizon, the company is offering up to $800 off with a trade-in, though for this deal you also would need to be on one of its pricier Play More, Do More, Get More or One Unlimited plans.

Verizon similarly requires you to stay for 36 months, though it will accept even broken or damaged phones so long as they don’t have battery damage.

If you’re on T-Mobile, the carrier is offering up to $800 off Samsung Galaxy phones with trade-in, but only if you’re on or are willing to upgrade to its pricier Magenta Max plan. Those on other plans could save up to $400 with a trade-in, not as generous as AT&T or Verizon’s offers. In fact, most of T-Mobile’s deals right now seem to require adding a new line, switching over from a different carrier or bumping up to Magenta Max.

On the plus side, T-Mobile’s credits are generally over a 24-month period instead of 36 months like AT&T and Verizon so you are not tied to the carrier or a device for three years.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Mini Crossword Answers for Tuesday, Oct. 14

Here are the answers for The New York Times Mini Crossword for Oct. 14.

Looking for the most recent Mini Crossword answer? Click here for today’s Mini Crossword hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Wordle, Strands, Connections and Connections: Sports Edition puzzles.

Today’s Mini Crossword has an odd vertical shape, with an extra Across clue, and only four Down clues. The clues are not terribly difficult, but one or two could be tricky. Read on if you need the answers. And if you could use some hints and guidance for daily solving, check out our Mini Crossword tips.

If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.

Read more: Tips and Tricks for Solving The New York Times Mini Crossword

Let’s get to those Mini Crossword clues and answers.

Mini across clues and answers

1A clue: Smokes, informally
Answer: CIGS

5A clue: «Don’t have ___, man!» (Bart Simpson catchphrase)
Answer: ACOW

6A clue: What the vehicle in «lane one» of this crossword is winning?
Answer: RACE

7A clue: Pitt of Hollywood
Answer: BRAD

8A clue: «Yeah, whatever»
Answer: SURE

9A clue: Rd. crossers
Answer: STS

Mini down clues and answers

1D clue: Things to «load» before a marathon
Answer: CARBS

2D clue: Mythical figure who inspired the idiom «fly too close to the sun»
Answer: ICARUS

3D clue: Zoomer around a small track
Answer: GOCART

4D clue: Neighbors of Norwegians
Answer: SWEDES

Technologies

Watch SpaceX’s Starship Flight Test 11

Technologies

New California Law Wants Companion Chatbots to Tell Kids to Take Breaks

Gov. Gavin Newsom signed the new requirements on AI companions into law on Monday.

AI companion chatbots will have to remind users in California that they’re not human under a new law signed Monday by Gov. Gavin Newsom.

The law, SB 243, also requires companion chatbot companies to maintain protocols for identifying and addressing cases in which users express suicidal ideation or self-harm. For users under 18, chatbots will have to provide a notification at least every three hours that reminds users to take a break and that the bot is not human.

It’s one of several bills Newsom has signed in recent weeks dealing with social media, artificial intelligence and other consumer technology issues. Another bill signed Monday, AB 56, requires warning labels on social media platforms, similar to those required for tobacco products. Last week, Newsom signed measures requiring internet browsers to make it easy for people to tell websites they don’t want them to sell their data and banning loud advertisements on streaming platforms.

AI companion chatbots have drawn particular scrutiny from lawmakers and regulators in recent months. The Federal Trade Commission launched an investigation into several companies in response to complaints by consumer groups and parents that the bots were harming children’s mental health. OpenAI introduced new parental controls and other guardrails in its popular ChatGPT platform after the company was sued by parents who allege ChatGPT contributed to their teen son’s suicide.

«We’ve seen some truly horrific and tragic examples of young people harmed by unregulated tech, and we won’t stand by while companies continue without necessary limits and accountability,» Newsom said in a statement.

Don’t miss any of our unbiased tech content and lab-based reviews. Add CNET as a preferred Google source.

One AI companion developer, Replika, told CNET that it already has protocols to detect self-harm as required by the new law, and that it is working with regulators and others to comply with requirements and protect consumers.

«As one of the pioneers in AI companionship, we recognize our profound responsibility to lead on safety,» Replika’s Minju Song said in an emailed statement. Song said Replika uses content-filtering systems, community guidelines and safety systems that refer users to crisis resources when needed.

A Character.ai spokesperson said the company «welcomes working with regulators and lawmakers as they develop regulations and legislation for this emerging space, and will comply with laws, including SB 243.» OpenAI spokesperson Jamie Radice called the bill a «meaningful move forward» for AI safety. «By setting clear guardrails, California is helping shape a more responsible approach to AI development and deployment across the country,» Radice said in an email.

One bill Newsom has yet to sign, AB 1064, would go further by prohibiting developers from making companion chatbots available to children unless the AI companion is «not foreseeably capable of» encouraging harmful activities or engaging in sexually explicit interactions, among other things.