Samsung's new Galaxy S8 and S8+ will get access to faster speeds on AT&T's network in more than 20 cities by the end of the year, the carrier announced on Tuesday.
The speed boost is made possible by something that AT&T is referring to as "5G Evolution"—it's not a true 5G network (that's still years away), but thanks to improvements in the way it manages its existing cell network, AT&T is able to promise speeds up to twice as fast as users currently experience.
The faster speeds are now available to subscribers with the Galaxy S8 and S8+ in parts of Austin. By the end of the year, the service will expand to Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, Indianapolis, Nashville, and San Francisco, among other cities. It will also eventually be compatible with other devices beyond Samsung's flagships, although AT&T didn't say which ones.
Related
Assuming you live in one of the aforementioned cities and use a compatible device, you could see improvements like reduced lag while playing internet-connected mobile games and less buffering for streaming video.
Back in February, AT&T offered a glimpse of the software improvements that makes the speed boost possible. Known as software-defined networking, the open-source code enables engineers to treat the AT&T network as if it were a giant data center, remotely changing server configurations to optimize data flows without having to send technicians out into the field with trucks and ladders. Thirty-four percent of the network can be managed this way today, AT&T executives said, and they plan to have it manage 75 percent by 2020.
Like other carriers, AT&T is also working on building and testing a true 5G network. In addition to improving internet speed for smartphones, the 5G standard could also be used to replace DSL connections for in-home internet.
As Verizon boosts the speeds for its Fios fiber-to-the-home service, mostly available in cities, AT&T is working on faster connections for rural customers.
The first ARM-based laptops running Windows 10 should launch 'in the fourth calendar quarter,' according to Qualcomm's CEO.
Relax AT&T's 5G-Like Speeds Arrive in Austin stories
The app store will also shutdown in December, but devices should continue to function.
As Verizon boosts the speeds for its Fios fiber-to-the-home service, mostly available in cities, AT&T is working on faster connections for rural customers.
Samsung is insisting this is not a design fault and can be fixed with some settings tweaks, but some owners disagree.
The study, released today by analytics firm Zendrive, found that 'Americans use their phones nearly every single time they get behind the wheel.'
Qualcomm is also the recipient of a lawsuit from Apple and the subject of multiple government investigations into its business practices.
Sprint will phase out plans with data allowances for unlimited data plans. To kick things off, new Unlimited Freedom customers will pay $50 for one unlimited line until mid-2018.
Recent Congressional action to overturn FCC rules on data sharing won't impact internet users' privacy, ISP executives say.
Who makes the best phones? What's the best mobile operating system? Which carrier do our readers like best? Our latest Readers' Choice survey reveals all.
Congress just moved to let ISPs sell your personal data. Here's how to protect yourself.
AT&T and Verizon are no longer advertising on Google's video platform after discovering their ads may have appeared next to horrible, offensive content.
Facebook's expansion into live video and other data-hogging features means it has to squeeze more capacity out of undersea fiber-optic cables.
Artificial intelligence will make the electronic devices of tomorrow smarter, but not if their processors—made by companies like ARM—aren't up to the task.
Pro tip: Don't play around with your charging iPhone while taking a bath, or you might die.
All four of the major US carriers will carry LG's latest flagship phone; when you order through April 30, you'll get a free Google Home.
OnePlus had been hyping this on Twitter for days, only to let down some fans with a relatively minor announcement.
If your Switch breaks all your save data is lost, and if you fill up the internal memory save data... tough luck, you'll need to delete some.
Researchers encoded six files into DNA: a full computer OS, a movie, a $50 Amazon gift card, a computer virus, a Pioneer plaque, and a 1948 study by information theorist Claude Shannon.
Verizon will blast gigabit Internet into your window. At MWC, we saw how that will happen.
Cloudflare says it patched a bug that could compromise user accounts at popular websites.
Microsoft's mobile OS has only 0.3 percent of the market while BlackBerry's share dropped to zero.
Modern smartphones have had a good run, but the next big technological paradigm might already be here.
Expand your skill sets to be desirable in the job market.
A Dutch man gets one of the first click-on prosthetics.
Fancy a trip back to 1992? 'Night Trap' has been remastered and the Bush-era schlockfest will have a physical release on PS4 this spring.
It was only a matter of time before Sling bundled its service with an AirTV box.
Samsung is promoting QLED panels for its high-end TVs, while LG is pushing organic light-emitting diode (OLED) for its flagship models. Which is the one you want? We explain.
'Heroes of the Storm's 2.0 update brings everyone's favorite 'Overwatch' hero, D.Va, to Blizzard's arena brawler.
The electric plane will be able to take off and land vertically, and Uber hopes to have a fleet of 50 ready for testing in Dallas and Dubai by 2020.
The hacking group, known variously as Fancy Bear or Pawn Storm, uses sophisticated phishing attempts and targets victims seen as at odds with Russian interests, Trend Micro reports.
A music industry study has revealed that streaming was crucial to its recovery in 2016.
Uber says it'll test its flying taxi network in Dubai in just a few short years.
After experimenting with moving all smart TV features to its SmartCast apps last year, Vizio is returning them to the TV.
