Technologies

T-Mobile’s Forced Plan Migration: How That Impacts Your Next Bill and How You Can Opt Out

Expect to pay more for a new plan unless you decline.

T-Mobile is forcing users on its older unlimited plans to move to some of its latest options. The carrier confirmed to CNET that starting next week, notices will be sent to T-Mobile users on its older One, Simple Choice, Magenta and Magenta 55 Plus plans, alerting them that starting with their November bill cycles their respective plans will change and their monthly pricing will go up.

The notices will go out starting Oct. 17, and T-Mobile tells CNET that «there will be an increase of approximately $10 per line with the migration.» A spokesperson noted that those who sign up for AutoPay can save $5 per line (on up to eight lines per account).

T-Mobile recently changed its automatic payment rules to require a linked bank account or debit card as opposed to a credit card, though with the company’s troubled history of data breaches consumers may be wary of linking banking information to their accounts.

Read more: Our picks for the best phone plans

«We’re always looking for ways to give our customers more from our services so we’re moving a small number who were on older rate plans to newer plans that will deliver them enhanced features,» T-Mobile said in a statement. It wasn’t immediately clear how many people will be impacted or what a «small number» meant.

The company adds that those who don’t want to have their plan changed will be able to reverse the move, but they’ll need to call T-Mobile’s Customer Care support line to make that happen.

The carrier is giving users a period of time to call in and reverse the forced switch, but how long that period will be is unknown at this point. It’s also unknown whether customers who go back will be able to stay on their older plans for good or if a reversal simply buys a little more time before they’re again compelled to switch.

News of the plan changes first leaked on Reddit, The Mobile Report and on the Tech Life Channel on YouTube.

According to the leak on Reddit, customers on Simple Choice will be moved to either Magenta or Essentials Select, folks on Magenta or One will move to Go5G, and people on Magenta 55 Plus will be migrated to Go5G 55 Plus. Business users on Simple Choice Business will similarly be switched over to the carrier’s Business Unlimited Advanced.

The forced changes to legacy plans come more than three years after T-Mobile completed its merger with Sprint. One of the promises to get the merger approved by regulators was that the carrier wouldn’t raise rates on plans for three years. It’s since introduced a Price Lock promise to not raise rates on plans, but that guarantee largely applies only to its newer plans, from the last two years.

As part of its Price Lock page, T-Mobile does note that customers who are on «eligible plans» from before April 28, 2022, and don’t want to switch to a new T-Mobile plan will be able to have the carrier cover «your final month’s recurring service charge if we were to raise prices and you choose to leave.»

People looking to take advantage of that offer need to give the carrier notice «within 60 days.»

Technologies

Samsung’s Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 Might Come in 5G and 4G Cellular Models

If the rumor proves true, the 5G Galaxy Watch Ultra would rival the 5G-enabled $799 Apple Watch Ultra 3 that debuted last fall.

Samsung’s next high-end Galaxy Watch could support faster 5G speeds, but if this leak is true, it will depend on where you live. The rumored Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 might come in 5G and 4G cellular models, with availability for each smartwatch depending on the country.

According to the Dutch website Galaxy Club (and spotted by SamMobile), Samsung’s servers may have revealed a series of model numbers that point to 5G, 4G and Wi-Fi-enabled editions of the next Galaxy Watch Ultra, which would succeed the original model that debuted in 2024.

A representative for Samsung did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The Galaxy Club website speculates that the 5G edition would be sold in the US and Korean markets, while the 4G edition would sell in the rest of the world. In the US, a 5G version of the Galaxy Watch Ultra would rival the 5G-enabled $799 Apple Watch Ultra 3, which debuted last fall. The 4G edition would have broader compatibility worldwide, since the earlier network is far more established.

It will likely be a few months until we hear anything official about the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2. Samsung typically unveils its new watches in the summer alongside its Galaxy Z Fold and Z Flip foldable phones. Last year, Samsung unveiled the Galaxy Watch 8 and the Galaxy Watch 8 Classic, but otherwise left the prior 2024 Ultra in the lineup for those looking for a larger 47mm smartwatch.

Technologies

2 Cases Show Supreme Court Isn’t Holding ISPs Responsible for Piracy

Technologies

Today’s NYT Connections Hints, Answers and Help for April 8, #1032

Here are some hints and the answers for the NYT Connections puzzle for April 8, No. 1032.

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

Today’s NYT Connections puzzle is kind of tough. The purple category is a fun one, once you see the connection. Read on for clues and today’s Connections answers.

The Times has a Connections Bot, like the one for Wordle. Go there after you play to receive a numeric score and to have the program analyze your answers. Players who are registered with the Times Games section can now nerd out by following their progress, including the number of puzzles completed, win rate, number of times they nabbed a perfect score and their win streak.

Read more: Hints, Tips and Strategies to Help You Win at NYT Connections Every Time

Hints for today’s Connections groups

Here are four hints for the groupings in today’s Connections puzzle, ranked from the easiest yellow group to the tough (and sometimes bizarre) purple group.

Yellow group hint: In the group.

Green group hint: Appearance details.

Blue group hint: Often found in gyms.

Purple group hint: They help you see.