Technologies

Verizon Adds New Top Unlimited Ultimate Plan With More Hotspot, International Data

Verizon is adding another level to its unlimited data offerings, though this option will be pricey.

Verizon gave its unlimited plans a revamp back in May, slimming down to just two simpler options known as Unlimited Welcome and Unlimited Plus. On Tuesday it announced a third level, what it calls Unlimited Ultimate.

The new tier will be its priciest option at $90 per month for a single line (with automatic payments, otherwise it’s $100 per month). It offers access to the carrier’s fastest flavors of 5G (what it calls «5G Ultra Wideband») as well as 60GB of hotspot data and 10GB of international high-speed data in over 200 countries to go with unlimited calls and texts from those areas back to the US.

If you go over that 10GB of high-speed data you will drop down to significantly slower, 2G-like speeds of 256Kbps until your billing month ends.

Domestically Verizon says those on Unlimited Ultimate, which launches on Thursday, Aug. 31, will have full high-speed data no matter how much data they use (just like what it offers on Unlimited Plus). The carrier says it’s also offering users on this plan the ability to trade in their devices for potentially better upgrade deals compared to what it might offer users on its other plans. Ultimate subscribers also get 50% off the monthly service rates for two «connected devices» like smartwatches or tablets.

Read more: Best Unlimited Data Plans

The new plans mark a notable step up from Verizon’s Unlimited Plus option, which had half the monthly hotspot data and lacked the international roaming in 200-plus countries. As with the carrier’s other plans, Unlimited Ultimate can be «mixed and matched» on family plans that have multiple lines without requiring everyone to be on this priciest option.

Monthly pricing for multiple lines is as follows (and are assuming automatic payments). Because of the mix-and-match feature, the price per line is listed in parentheses:

Verizon 2023 unlimited plans

	Unlimited Welcome	Unlimited Plus	Unlimited Ultimate
1 line	$65	$80	$90
2 lines	$110 ($55 per line)	$140 ($70 per line)	$160 ($80 per line)
3 lines	$120 ($40 per line)	$165 ($55 per line)	$130 ($65 per line)
4 lines	$120 ($30 per line)	$180 ($45 per line)	$220 ($55 per line)
5 lines	$135 ($27 per line)	$210 ($42 per line)	$260 ($52 per line)

As with its other unlimited plans, those interested in «perks» like the Disney Bundle or Apple One can still add them at $10 per month, per perk.

The push for pricier unlimited plans seems to be a new trend in the wireless business. Last week, T-Mobile introduced a new top unlimited plan it calls Go5G Next that includes the ability to upgrade to a new phone every year. Like Verizon’s Unlimited Ultimate, T-Mobile’s new plan is also priced higher than the carrier’s other unlimited plans.

Technologies

The Most Exciting Video Game Rumors and Leaks Ahead of 2026

Technologies

Today’s NYT Mini Crossword Answers for Wednesday, Dec. 17

Here are the answers for The New York Times Mini Crossword for Dec. 17.

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.

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: Nod (off)
Answer: DOZE

5A clue: Naval submarine in W.W. II
Answer: UBOAT

7A clue: Tricky thing to do on a busy highway
Answer: MERGE

8A clue: Heat-resistant glassware for cooking
Answer: PYREX

9A clue: Put into groups
Answer: SORT

Mini down clues and answers

1D clue: Break up with
Answer: DUMP

2D clue: Falls in line, so to speak
Answer: OBEYS

3D clue: Legendary vigilante who cuts a «Z» with his sword
Answer: ZORRO

4D clue: Rarin’ to go
Answer: EAGER

6D clue: Common reminder for an upcoming appointment
Answer: TEXT

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

Technologies

You Can Watch an Exclusive Avatar: Fire and Ash Scene on TikTok Right Now

Disney and TikTok partner on an immersive content hub for James Cameron’s latest movie about the alien Na’vi.

If you’re not quite ready to head to the theater to watch Avatar: Fire and Ash, an exclusive scene preview might sell you on the visual spectacle. As part of a new collaboration with the social media giant, Disney is posting snippets of its new movie to its TikTok account.

This scene isn’t part of any trailer and won’t be posted to other social media accounts, making TikTok the only place you can view it — unless you buy a movie ticket. A first look at the new movie’s scenes isn’t the only Avatar-related bonus on the social media platform right now, either. TikTok has partnered with the house of mouse to bring an entire «immersive content hub» to the app.

A special section of TikTok includes quizzes and educational videos that explore the alien world of Pandora shown off in the movies. On TikTok, you can take a personality quiz to find out what Na’vi clan you most closely align with and unlock a special profile picture border to use on your account.

Science and fiction blend together with a series of videos from real doctors who explain the basis for some of Avatar’s world-building. If you want to learn about exoplanets or how realistic the anatomy of the movie’s alien animals is, these videos will feed your brain while still providing entertainment value.

Perhaps the most enticing part of Disney’s latest social media collaboration is the opportunity for fans to win prizes and trips. TikTok creators who make edits with the #TikTokAvatarContest hashtag are entered into a competition to win Avatar merchandise. The biggest winners will be able to take a trip to visual effects studio Wētā Workshop in New Zealand or visit Avatar director James Cameron’s Lightstorm Entertainment Studio in Los Angeles.

Avatar: Fire and Ash is the third installment in director Cameron’s cinematic passion project. While the first Avatar movie was released in 2009, Cameron didn’t release another entry in the franchise until 2022. In total, there is a five-movie arc planned for the indigo alien Na’vi on the moon of Pandora.

The Avatar movies are known for pushing the boundaries of CGI visual effects in cinema. They are also historically big winners at the box office: the original Avatar is the highest-grossing film of all time, earning $2.9 billion across its theatrical releases. Its sequel, Avatar: The Way of Water, is the third-highest-grossing film of all time, trailing Avengers: Endgame. You can stream those movies on Disney Plus.

It remains to be seen whether Avatar: Fire and Ash will financially live up to its predecessors. The film currently has mixed reviews from critics on Rotten Tomatoes.