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

Apple Reportedly Planning Cheaper Macs to Compete With Budget Chromebooks, PCs

Apple doesn’t market its machines as affordable, but that could be changing.

Apple may release more affordable Mac laptops to compete with Chromebooks and budget-friendly Windows laptops as early as 2026.

Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reports the company has plans to roll out a machine for «well under $1,000.» According to Gurman, the new laptop is already in early production under the codename J700. This matches earlier rumors that a low-cost MacBook Air was in the pipeline at around $599, which would allow Apple to directly compete with other cheap laptops, including Chromebooks and Windows PCs.

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

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According to the report, costs will be kept down by using a lower-end LCD that’s smaller than the 13.6-inch MacBook Air, potentially making the new affordable MacBook as small as 12 inches.

Another way Apple could reduce the cost is by using an A-series iPhone chip, which falls short of the top-tier performance offered by the MacBook Pro or the current M4 Air. The upcoming chip may be a variant of the A19 Pro chip that debuted with the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone Air, which Apple says is capable of MacBook-level performance.

As CNET senior editor Matt Elliott noted, the promise is a bold one. He speculates that the rumored $599 MacBook Air may get the same smartphone processor, or an M-series chip based on that architecture.

Bloomberg also reports that a MacBook Pro with an M5 Pro and M5 Max chip is in development, and Apple has completed work on a MacBook Air powered by the M5 chip, which is planned for release early next year.

The affordable laptop would be designed for casual users, students and businesses, specifically individuals who need a device for tasks such as web browsing, light media editing and document creation. The tech giant is also targeting the education market, as well as iPad buyers who may also want a traditional laptop.

«If this is strictly a move to entice consumers with a high-quality, lower-cost MacBook running MacOS in place of an iPad with a keyboard, then yes, Apple can likely take a chunk of that market,» said Josh Goldman, managing editor at CNET.

«Making inroads into the education market at this point, where Chromebooks have taken over since the pandemic, will prove challenging, though I’m sure it’s nothing that throwing billions of dollars at can’t fix,» CNET’s Goldman said.

This price range is ‘a big departure’

Price is likely to be key here. A $599 price tag would place the new Mac in the same range as more affordable Chromebooks and entry-level laptops, representing a significant change from Apple’s previous strategy.

«Apple potentially dipping into the Chromebook range of $300 to $500 with a new MacBook is a big departure,» said Goldman.

He notes that one of Apple’s most affordable MacBooks is the M4 MacBook Air, available new starting at $999 for the 13-inch model. Walmart still sells a new M1 MacBook Air, a 5-year-old laptop, for around $600.

By contrast, an iPad 11th Gen with a Magic Keyboard will run you around $600, making it clear that Apple’s target market for the rumored device is students and lighter users.

Apple typically hasn’t targeted the lower-priced segment of the market with its MacBooks. However, with consumer wallets under pressure from inflation, high tariffs and layoffs, an affordable MacBook could be imperative and timely.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Connections: Sports Edition Hints and Answers for Nov. 5, #408

Here are hints and the answers for the NYT Connections: Sports Edition puzzle for Nov. 5, No. 408.

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 is pretty diverse. The blue answers stuck out to me right away, because some of them are super famous and the others felt like they belonged with those names. 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 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: How to see a game.

Green group hint: Soccer.

Blue group hint: Giddy up!

Purple group hint: Not a run play.

Answers for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups

Yellow group: Ways to consume a sporting event.

Green group: NWSL teams.

Blue group: Triple Crown horse racing winners.

Purple group: Pass ____.

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 ways to consume a sporting event. The four answers are in person, radio, streaming and television.

The green words in today’s Connections

The theme is NWSL teams. The four answers are Current, Dash, Pride and Spirit.

The blue words in today’s Connections

The theme is Triple Crown horse racing winners. The four answers are Citation, Gallant Fox, Omaha and Secretariat.

The purple words in today’s Connections

The theme is pass ____. The four answers are breakup, interference, protection and rush.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Connections Hints, Answers and Help for Nov. 5, #878

Here are some hints and the answers for the NYT Connections puzzle for Nov. 5, #878.

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 has a diverse mix of topics, including a neat blue category that music fans will ace. And it isn’t too tough, but if you need help, you’re in the right place. Read on for clues and today’s Connections answers.

The Times now 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: Mess up.

Green group hint: Lead pipe is another one.

Blue group hint: They command the stage.

Purple group hint: Not snow, but …