Technologies

How Trump Mobile Compares to Other Cheap Phone Plans (That You Can Actually Get Now)

At $47.45 a month, Trump Mobile is far from being the most affordable plan you can get. Here are three wireless plans that are cheaper and that you can use now.

When the Trump Organization announced its new Trump Mobile cell service and gold colored T1 phone — complete with an American flag on the back — it raised a lot of questions. While most of them focused on the numerous mistakes and typos on the Trump Mobile site — some of which have been fixed — other errors and questionable policies, like calling RAM storage, not identifying the handset’s processor or the fact that you can’t get a refund for the T1 phone raised several flags for us. Even the images of the phone don’t look real.

The Trump T1 phone gives me flashbacks to the Freedom Phone that launched in 2021 and was more a political statement than ground breaking smartphone. But it’s the Trump Mobile phone service that seems like an odd fit in 2025. At a time when there are hundreds of MVNOs (mobile virtual network operators) — think Mint Mobile or GoogleFi — Trump Mobile aims to break into a crowded market with a curious value proposition: Pay $47.45 a month (President Donald Trump is the 45 and 47 president of the United States, get it?) for unlimited text, calls and data when it is expected to ship in September 2025. You can do that now for much cheaper with other wireless providers.

In fact, Liberty Wireless Mobile, the MVNO that «powers» Trump Mobile, offers all that for just $40 a month (which includes 10GB of high-speed data, compared to 20GB on the 47 Plan, before data speeds are likely curtailed). I haven’t used Liberty Wireless, but if the numerous instances of «Lorem ipsum» text on its FAQS page is any indication, it might be best to look elsewhere.

Of course, Trump Mobile’s 47 Plan comes with other perks that could justify the price jump, including telehealth sessions provided by Doctegrity, which normally costs $29 a month, and roadside assistance through Drive America (though it isn’t clear what types of services are covered or if there are limits on the amount you can spend). The 47 Plan even includes «device protection,» which would be great if it weren’t for the fine print saying that «device protection is not insurance.» So could Trump Mobile be a good deal? If I ignore all the vagueness that surrounds the 47 Plan, then maybe. But there are too many unknowns for me to recommend. Like how much is an additional line? Does the 47 Plan include hotspot data? Is there an autopay discount? Do I get streaming service perks like other carriers? Are there discounts for seniors? We reached out to Trump Mobile for clarification.

Luckily, between the big three main US carriers and hundreds of US-based MVNOs, you have a lot of options. Here are a few wireless plans that are live now, offer a better price or value than Trump Mobile and are from companies that have a good track record when it comes to their service.

Trump Mobile vs. T-Mobile, Mint Mobile and US Mobile

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	Plan	Cost 1 line (autopay)	High-speed data	Hotspot data limit	Price guarantee	Max number of lines	Streaming resolution
Trump Mobile	The 47 Plan	$47.45 (no autopay discount)	20GB	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a
US Mobile	Unlimited Flex	$17.50	10GB	5GB	n/a	Unlimited	480p (SD)
T-Mobile	Essentials Choice 55	$45	50GB	Unlimited 3G	n/a	2	480p (SD)
Mint Mobile	15GB	$20	15GB	10GB	n/a	n/a	480p (SD)

Alternatives to Trump Mobile

Technologies

Today’s NYT Strands Hints, Answers and Help for Oct. 23 #599

Here are hints and answers for the NYT Strands puzzle for Oct. 23, No. 599.

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 might be Halloween-themed, as the answers are all rather dangerous. Some of them are a bit tough to unscramble, so 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: Please don’t eat me!

If that doesn’t help you, here’s a clue: Remember Mr. Yuk?

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:

POND, NOON, NODE, BALE, SOCK, LOVE, LOCK, MOCK, LEER, REEL, GLOVE, DAIS, LEAN, LEAD, REEL

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:

AZALEA, HEMLOCK, FOXGLOVE, OLEANDER, BELLADONNA

Today’s Strands spangram

Today’s Strands spangram is POISONOUS. To find it, look for the P that is the first letter on the far left of the top row, and wind down and across.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Connections: Sports Edition Hints and Answers for Oct. 23, #395

Here are hints and the answers for the NYT Connections: Sports Edition puzzle for Oct. 23, No. 395.

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 has one of those crazy purple categories, where you wonder if anyone saw the connection, or if people just put that grouping together because only those four words were left. If you’re struggling but still want to solve it, read on for hints and the answers.

Connections: Sports Edition is published by The Athletic, the subscription-based sports journalism site owned by The Times. It doesn’t show up in the NYT Games app but appears in The Athletic’s own app. Or you can play it for free online.

Read more: NYT Connections: Sports Edition Puzzle Comes Out of Beta

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: Fan noise.

Green group hint: Strategies for hoops.

Blue group hint: Minor league.

Purple group hint: Look for a connection to hoops.

Answers for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups

Yellow group: Sounds from the crowd.

Green group: Basketball offenses.

Blue group: Triple-A baseball teams.

Purple group: Ends with a basketball stat.

Read more: Wordle Cheat Sheet: Here Are the Most Popular Letters Used in English Words

What are today’s Connections: Sports Edition answers?

The yellow words in today’s Connections

The theme is sounds from the crowd. The four answers are boo, cheer, clap and whistle.

The green words in today’s Connections

The theme is basketball offenses. The four answers are motion, pick and roll, Princeton and triangle.

The blue words in today’s Connections

The theme is triple-A baseball teams. The four answers are Aces, Jumbo Shrimp, Sounds and Storm Chasers.

The purple words in today’s Connections

The theme is ends with a basketball stat. The four answers are afoul, bassist, counterpoint and sunblock.

Technologies

Amazon’s Delivery Drivers Will Soon Wear AI Smart Glasses to Work

The goal is to streamline the delivery process while keeping drivers safe.

Amazon announced on Wednesday that it is developing new AI-powered smart glasses to simplify the delivery experience for its drivers. CNET smart glasses expert Scott Stein mentioned this wearable rollout last month, and now the plan is in its final testing stages.

The goal is to simplify package delivery by reducing the need for drivers to look at their phones, the label on the package they’re delivering and their surroundings to find the correct address.

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

A heads-up display will activate as soon as the driver parks, pointing out potential hazards and tasks that must be completed. From there, drivers can locate and scan packages, follow turn-by-turn directions and snap a photograph to prove delivery completion without needing to take out their phone.

The company is testing the glasses in select North American markets.

Watch: See our Instagram post with a video showing the glasses

A representative for Amazon didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

To fight battery drain, the glasses pair with a controller attached to the employee’s delivery vest, allowing them to replace depleted batteries and access operational controls. The glasses will support an employee’s eyeglass prescription. An emergency button will be within reach to ensure the driver’s safety.

Amazon is already planning future versions of the glasses, which will feature «real-time defect detection,» notifying the driver if a package was delivered to the incorrect address. They plan to add features to the glasses to detect if pets are in the yard and adjust to low light.