Cellular

Visible now supports cellular Apple Watches for just $5 per month

Anthony Bouchard ∙ August 4, 2021

Around three months ago, I shared my user experience with Visible as a second carrier for my iPhone. Visible, which operates on the Verizon Wireless network, offers outstanding network coverage for as little as $25 per month with unlimited 4G LTE & 5G data, talk, and text, and with unlimited tethering included!

Just this past week, however, Visible did something I never saw coming. They added support for cellular-capable Apple Watches. And much like Visible’s hyper-affordable cellular plan, enjoying cellular connectivity with Visible is just as affordable.

Kuo: An Apple-designed 5G modem predicted to debut in the 2023 iPhone

Christian Zibreg ∙ May 10, 2021

Apple's been working on its own cellular model technology for years now, but the first iPhone model with an Apple-designed 5G modem shouldn't be expected before 2023 at the earliest.

How to use Low Data Mode on iPhone

Siddharth Suvarna ∙ May 5, 2021

Have you ever been worried about running out of mobile data on your iPhone when travelling? Maybe you don't have an unlimited internet plan at home or on your mobile device, and want to limit the data usage. Luckily, iOS features a Low Data mode that will do just that. It'll help limit your internet usage on cellular, and Wi-Fi. You can also use the feature to make sure that you don't blow through your data plan if you're sharing data over a personal hotspot.

Want a second carrier for your iPhone that won’t break the bank? Try Visible by Verizon Wireless

Anthony Bouchard ∙ Updated August 4, 2021

It wasn’t long ago that I shared my personal experience with using the Google Fi cellular service as a secondary carrier on my iPhone. But my curiosity pertaining to a dual carrier setup on my iPhone led to me to research several other Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNOs), and you can probably take a few accurate guesses as to where that rabbit hole took me.

Upon being blown away by Google Fi’s cellular reception and data speeds, I decided to drop AT&T as my primary carrier and switch over to T-Mobile. To those asking why – the T-Mobile network powers Google Fi in my region, and the un-carrier provided an enticing offer after announcing its new truly unlimited Magenta MAX plan earlier this year for a fraction of what I was paying AT&T.

Conditional gives jailbreakers more control over how and when apps can connect to the internet

Anthony Bouchard ∙ Updated September 13, 2021

Right out of the box, iPhone and iPad users are able to choose which apps can and can’t use cellular data. This can be particularly helpful for those who might be subscribed to capped data plans with their cellular providers since it’s easy to blow through a couple of gigabytes with certain apps.

Oddly enough, neither of the aforementioned devices offer a way to choose which apps can and can’t use Wi-Fi networks, which seems like a no-brainer given that even some home Wi-Fi plans have data caps. With that in mind, a newly released and free jailbreak tweak called Conditional by iOS developer daniel seems like it could be useful for anyone under this umbrella.

I added Google Fi as a secondary carrier on my iPhone, and this was a great choice

Anthony Bouchard ∙ Updated February 18, 2021

I’ve been a loyal AT&T customer for the better part of a decade now, and while I’ve definitely experimented with other carriers in my area – Sprint and even Verizon – I always found myself happier with the AT&T experience and crawled right back before my old and grandfathered plan lapsed.

However, while AT&T certainly takes the lead for cellular data speeds in my area, coverage is one attribute that it lags behind in, especially in the more rural parts. That’s why I decided to try something new: Google Fi for iPhone.

How and why to turn on Wi-Fi Calling on your iPhone

Sandy Writtenhouse ∙ Updated November 16, 2023

Learn how to enable Wi-Fi calling on your iPhone and other devices so you never miss a call, even if you’re in a spot with little or no cellular service.

Apple is bringing Face ID and integrated cellular support to the Mac platform

Christian Zibreg ∙ January 22, 2021

Apple has begun to lay the groundwork for bringing its secure Face ID biometric authentication from the iPhone and iPad to the Mac platform. Also, software support for integrating cellular connectivity could be part of the company's plan to give its loyal Mac following what it wants.

An increasing number of iPhone 12 owners are reporting persistent drops in cellular coverage

Christian Zibreg ∙ December 3, 2020

More and more people who own an iPhone 12 have taken to user forums and social media to complain of problems with cellular coverage — specifically, dropped 5G and LTE connectivity.

Apple is rumored to make its own mmWave 5G modem for 2021 iPhone and iPad Pro models

Christian Zibreg ∙ November 26, 2020

Apple is thought to have been working on its own cellular modem for years now. The company is reportedly ready to introduce it in the iPhone and iPad Pro models to be released next year.

Cellular Apple Watch models launching in Belgium on Friday for the first time

Christian Zibreg ∙ November 11, 2020

Apple Watch models with cellular connectivity will soon hit Belgium, an 11.5 million people market in Europe, for the first time since the wearable gained LTE connectivity three years ago.

How to optimize 5G on your iPhone for speed or battery life

Christian Zibreg ∙ October 27, 2020

By default, your iPhone uses the Smart Data mode feature in iOS to ensure that 5G data (and voice) are used only when doing so provides a noticeably better experience. You can manage your 5G settings if you'd like to manually optimize 5G networking on the handset. In this post, you’ll learn how to optimize 5G on your iPhone for either speed or power consumption.