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

New AT&T Elite 2.0 Phone Plan Boosts Wireless Hotspot and Data Performance

For customers willing to pay for it, the new top plan offers more high-speed data and performance than the former one.

Only a few weeks after overhauling its unlimited phone plans, AT&T has added a new plan to the top of the lineup that offers more data and performance — for a higher price. The AT&T Elite 2.0 plan is available now.

For a single line, Elite 2.0 costs $110 (plus taxes and fees). As more lines are added, the per-line price goes down. AT&T customers can mix and match plans on an account, but if we assume everyone is signing up for the Elite 2.0 plan, the costs break down like this:

• One line: $110
• Two lines: $100 per line, $200 total
• Three lines: $85 per line, $255 total
• Four lines: $75 per line, $300 total
• Five lines: $75 per line, $375 total

To compare it with AT&T’s next-priciest option, the Premium 2.0 plan costs $90 for a single line, or $55 per line on an account with four lines.

What’s included in the AT&T Elite 2.0 plan

For those amounts, the plan includes unlimited high-speed 5G data, prioritized even during network congestion, just like the Premium 2.0 plan, and 250GB of hotspot data (up from 100GB for the other plan). It also includes cellular access for one smartwatch and one tablet per line.

For travelers, Elite 2.0 has unlimited international talk, text and 20GB of high-speed data per month in 210 countries. The Premium 2.0 plan has unlimited talk, text and high-speed data, but only for 20 Latin American countries.

Aside from the data amounts, the Elite 2.0 plan includes AT&T Turbo, a feature normally offered as an add-on that increases data performance for video calling, gaming and streaming on 5G-capable devices. For other plans, AT&T Turbo costs $7 per line per month.

(AT&T Turbo is a separate feature from AT&T Turbo Live, which is designed to boost performance in certain crowded venues such as concerts or sporting events.)

AT&T Elite 2.0 vs Premium 2.0

	Price for 1 line, per month	Price for 4 lines, per month	High-speed data	Mobile hotspot	International Call/Data	AT&T Turbo
AT&T Premium 2.0	$90	$220 ($55 per line)	Unlimited	100GB	Unlimited talk, text and high-speed data in 20 Latin American countries; unlimited texting from US to 200+ countries	Not included
AT&T Elite 2.0	$110	$300 ($75 per line)	Unlimited	250GB	Unlimited talk, text and 20GB high-speed data in 210 countries	Included

Technologies

Stuck in a Coffee Rut? ChatGPT Can Now Plan Your Next Starbucks Order

Don’t be surprised if the chatbot suggests mixing espresso with lemonade.

If you like getting your daily cup of coffee from Starbucks, you’ll now be able to consult with ChatGPT for your next beverage. Starbucks said on Wednesday that a new Starbucks app in ChatGPT, now in beta, will help you figure out your next order based on your mood or craving in the moment.

Although you won’t be able to order your Starbucks coffee directly through the ChatGPT app, it will suggest drinks and menu items you may enjoy, then direct you to the Starbucks app or website to complete your order.

OpenAI has added a host of other apps you can interact with in ChatGPT since announcing the functionality last year. You can do everything from browsing home listings to designing playlists without leaving the chatbot interface.

You’ll be able to use prompts like, «@Starbucks, I want something bright to start my morning,» or upload an image to describe your mood and location. Once the menu suggestion appears in ChatGPT, you can start the order through the chatbot and then complete it in the Starbucks app or online.

Paul Riedel, senior vice president of digital and loyalty at Starbucks, said in a statement that Starbucks noticed customers weren’t always starting off by looking at the menu. «They’re starting with a feeling,» he said. «We wanted to meet customers right in that moment of inspiration and make it easier than ever to find a drink that fits.»

Starbucks said interacting with ChatGPT lets you personalize your order more and discover menu options you never considered before.

(Disclosure: Ziff Davis, CNET’s parent company, in 2025 filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, alleging it infringed Ziff Davis copyrights in training and operating its AI systems.)

When I tried out the new feature, I asked it about the oddest beverage combinations you can get at Starbucks. One interesting combo ChatGPT came up with was espresso with lemonade. The AI described another drink as «basically liquid dessert soup,» if that’s more up your alley.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Connections: Sports Edition Hints and Answers for April 16, #570

Here are hints and the answers for the NYT Connections: Sports Edition puzzle for April 16 No. 570.

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 a fun one, especially if you enjoy unusual team names. If you’re struggling with today’s puzzle 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 appear in the NYT Games app, but it does 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: Put your glasses on for this.

Green group hint: Hoops home.

Blue group hint: The minors.

Purple group hint: Hidden hoops word.