Skip to main content

Verizon users hit with third data outage in December

verizon-4g-lte-logo
Image used with permission by copyright holder

According to a report out of Reuters, Verizon is investigating yet another outage of the data network. Noted as the third network outage during the month of December, some customers have reported an inability to connect to the 4G LTE network in a smattering of major U.S. cities including Los Angeles, New York City, Chicago and San Francisco.  Marquett Smith, vice president of corporate communications for Verizon Wireless, released a statement that the company is currently working to resolve the new issue with the 4G LTE network. He stated “The network continues to operate and all customers continue to be able to make calls, send text messages and utilize data services. 3G devices are operating normally.

Samsung-Galaxy-Nexus-625x527With the other problems causing issues for Verizon customers earlier this month, the cellular company has yet to release a statement on the cause of these outages. Verizon has been heavily promoting the 4G LTE network as a benefit over other cellular providers in national advertising campaigns on television, radio and the Web. According to Verizon, the 4G LTE network is supposed to offer speeds approximately ten times faster than the average speed of a 3G connection across various cellular providers. With approximately 3.7 million Android devices activated over the holiday weekend, the amount of new subscribers utilizing Verizon’s 4G LTE network may be too much of a burden on the data network in large metropolitan areas. 

While Verizon claims that all 3G devices are operating properly, customers have also been complaining of 3G outages as well. Customers have indicated that the 4G network is completely unavailable and their new device only connects to the 3G network intermittently. These issues during December have gone against Verizon’s advertising slogan that claims the 4G LTE network is the “nation’s fastest, most reliable 4G network.”

Mike Flacy
By day, I'm the content and social media manager for High-Def Digest, Steve's Digicams and The CheckOut on Ben's Bargains…
Visible just made its unlimited 5G plan better than ever
Visible wireless phones and plans featured

Digital wireless service provider Visible has announced upgrades to its premium Visible+ phone plan. The highlight is a new Global Pass feature that allows Visible customers to use their phones in 140 countries worldwide.

The Visible Global Pass offers unlimited talk and text services, along with 2GB of high-speed data, for a flat rate of $10 per day. Visible+ members can also enjoy a free Global Pass usage day every month. The activation process can be done through the Visible app.

Read more
The OnePlus Watch 2 is the Wear OS smartwatch I’ve been waiting for
Person wearing OnePlus Watch 2 with a green strap on their left wrist.

The OnePlus Watch 2 -- the company's first Wear OS watch -- has entered a market that Samsung dominates. However, OnePlus' popularity as a smartphone brand can be expected to bring small, yet meaningful changes that benefit not only OnePlus users, but all of the Wear OS segment in general.

For almost a decade, Samsung and Apple have predominantly been the default options if you want a smartwatch that is actually useful and goes beyond flashy features. With Samsung shifting gears and migrating from its own Tizen OS to the (relatively) more universal Wear OS platform and Google releasing its own Pixel Watch after struggling with an identity crisis in the smartwatch world, the platform has much more traction than it did a few years ago. As OnePlus carves its way into the segment, it has the opportunity to entice people who don't wish to live within Samsung's limitations when using a Galaxy Watch with another brand's phone.

Read more
Buying an iPad Mini today? You need to know about this deal
The Apple Pencil attaches to the iPad mini magnetically.

If you've had an eye on iPad deals for the latest model of the Apple iPad Mini for a while now, this may be the offer that you've been waiting for -- a $100 discount from Best Buy on the tablet's Wi-Fi, 64GB model, slashing its price to $400 from $500. It's still pretty popular years after its release, so we don't expect stocks of the device for this sale to last long. If you're thinking about taking advantage of this bargain, you better push through with your purchase as soon as possible to make sure that you don't miss out on the savings.

Why you should buy the Apple iPad Mini 2021
The latest generation of the Apple iPad Mini was released in 2021, but it's still featured in our roundup of the best iPads because it's the model that you should buy if you want a smaller and more compact version of Apple's tablets. Its 8.3-inch Liquid Retina display is smaller than the screens of its peers, but it's still big enough to enjoy watching streaming shows and browsing websites, while allowing you to use the device with one hand. Unlike its predecessor, there's no Home button, so the Touch ID sensor is instead built into the power button at the side of the Apple iPad Mini 2021.

Read more