Technologies

AT&T’s Cheaper Mobile Plan Creates a New Deal for Seniors. (Yes, That’s Anyone 55 or Older)

A more affordable AT&T cellphone plan is now available across the US.

Senior mobile customers have another quality choice for discount cellphone service, as AT&T’s new 55 Plus plan is now available to almost anyone in the US who’s older than 55. The new plan focuses on the essentials — unlimited voice calls, texting and data in the US, Canada and Mexico — while dropping more advanced features, but it’s also cheaper.

Carriers typically offer several plans to satisfy a range of customers, from the frugal to those that are willing to pay for every perk and bundled streaming service they can get. But plans targeting older Americans are often more bare-bones offerings, offered at lower prices to appeal to customers on fixed and limited incomes. AT&T’s new AT&T 55 Plus plan is the most affordable it’s offered in years.

In exchange, the AT&T 55 Plus plan is pretty basic. For $40 per month for a single line (or $35 per month per line with two lines), you’ll get unlimited voice calls, texting and data. Though AT&T’s senior plan page indicates it has «5G access included,» there’s no clarity on which circumstances will enable high-speed data downloads and uploads on the senior plan.

The plan also has 10GB of hotspot data per line per month, which is more generous than some other carrier offerings on our best senior plans list, along with a maximum 720p (SD) streaming speed for video. The plan also provides access to AT&T’s free ActiveArmor app that blocks spam calls.

Previously, AT&T offered a slightly discounted senior phone plan at $62 per month that was only available to customers living in Florida. Verizon retains a similar Florida-only senior plan. T-Mobile has several plans for seniors, from an older and basic Essentials Choice 55 plan starting at $45 per month up to Experience Beyond w/ 55 Plus starting at $85 per month and offering all the perks and extras of T-Mobile’s other plans, including a five-year plan price guarantee, streaming services and satellite service beyond T-Mobile’s network.

Here’s a breakdown of the best senior plans carriers offer 55-years-old and up customers:

Best Senior Plans: T-Mobile, AT&T, Mint Mobile and Verizon

	Plan	Cost 1 line (AutoPay)	Cost 4 lines (AutoPay)	High-speed data	Hotspot data limit	Price guarantee	Max number of lines	Streaming resolution
T-Mobile	Essentials Choice 55	$45	N/A	50GB	Unlimited 3G	N/A	2	480p (SD)
T-Mobile	Go5G 55 Plus	$75	N/A	Unlimited 5G	50GB	N/A	2	Up to 4K
T-Mobile	Experience Beyond w/ 55+	$85	N/A	Unlimited 5G	250GB	5 years	2	Up to 4K
AT&T	AT&T 55+	$40	$140	Unlimited	10GB	N/A	10	480p (SD)
Mint Mobile	Mint 55	$15	N/A	5GB	Shared 5GB main data budget	N/A	5	480p (SD)
Verizon	Verizon 55 Plus	$62	N/A	Unlimited 4G LTE	Unlimited 3G	N/A	2	480p (SD)

It’s worth noting that every carrier plan’s listed lowest price requires customers to sign up for autopay — otherwise, the plans are more expensive every month. Customers must also prove their age by submitting an identification document to their carrier.

Later this summer, AT&T will also offer a bundle combining two lines of AT&T 55+ with the customer’s choice of either AT&T Fiber or AT&T Internet Air fixed wireless access internet, according to the carrier’s blog post.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Mini Crossword Answers for Sunday, June 15

Here are the answers for The New York Times Mini Crossword for June 15.

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.

Need some help with today’s Mini Crossword? Read on. And if you could use some hints and guidance for daily solving, check out our Mini Crossword tips.

The Mini Crossword is just one of many games in the Times’ games collection. 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: Long, drawn-out story
Answer: SAGA

5A clue: With 6-Down, become hopelessly infatuated
Answer: CRUSH

7A clue: Unsettled feeling
Answer: AGITA

8A clue: Back tooth
Answer: MOLAR

9A clue: Passionate student, perhaps
Answer: NERD

Mini down clues and answers

1D clue: A text saying «Congratulations! You’ve won a $1,000 gift card,» usually
Answer: SCAM

2D clue: Element between chlorine and potassium on the periodic table
Answer: ARGON

3D clue: Craftiness
Answer: GUILE

4D clue: «___ Is Born» (film)
Answer: ASTAR

6D clue: See 5-Across
Answer: HARD

Technologies

Today’s NYT Strands Hints, Answers and Help for June 15, #469

Here are hints and answers for NYT Strands puzzle No. 469 for June 15.

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

Today’s NYT Strands puzzle celebrates Father’s Day, but in kind of an oddball way. If you need hints and answers, read on.

I go into depth about the rules for Strands in this story.

If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections and Mini Crossword answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.

Read more: NYT Connections Turns 1: These Are the 5 Toughest Puzzles So Far

Hint for today’s Strands puzzle

Today’s Strands theme is: Here’s to him.

If that doesn’t help you, here’s a clue: Dad food.

Clue words to unlock in-game hints

Your goal is to find hidden words that fit the puzzle’s theme. If you’re stuck, find any words you can. Every time you find three words of four letters or more, Strands will reveal one of the theme words. These are the words I used to get those hints but any words of four or more letters that you find will work:

DRAW, WARD, PAIR, SPARE, PORE, PADS, CLAY, PLUS, FORE, SCORE, CORE, CRAW, CORN, PATH

Answers for today’s Strands puzzle

These are the answers that tie into the theme. The goal of the puzzle is to find them all, including the spangram, a theme word that reaches from one side of the puzzle to the other. When you have all of them (I originally thought there were always eight but learned that the number can vary), every letter on the board will be used. Here are the nonspangram answers:

CHALUPA, CRAWDAD, POPCORN, POPSICLE, PAPARAZZI

Today’s Strands spangram

Today’s Strands spangram is FATHERSDAY. To find it, start with the F that’s five letters down on the first row to the left, and wind over.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Connections: Sports Edition Hints and Answers for June 15, #265

Here are hints and the answers for the NYT Connections: Sports Edition puzzle, No. 265, for June 15.

Looking for the most recent regular 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 and Strands puzzles.

Today’s Connections: Sports Edition might be tough. Read on for hints and the answers.

Connections: Sports Edition is out of beta now, making its debut on Super Bowl Sunday, Feb. 9. That’s a sign that the game has earned enough loyal players that The Athletic, the subscription-based sports journalism site owned by the Times, will continue to publish it. It doesn’t show up in the NYT Games app but now appears in The Athletic’s own app. Or you can continue to play it free online.

Hints for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups

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

Yellow group hint: Sign on the dotted line.

Green group hint: Monaco Grand Prix.

Blue group hint: Just like dad.

Purple group hint: Three titles.