Verizon has another round of free gadgets to give away. The current bundles from Verizon can save you $400 when purchasing select Samsung items through Best Buy.

The list of eligible items is quite extensive, and it includes some of the best gaming TVs and highly rated laptops like the Samsung Galaxy Book5 Pro. Sadly, smartphones are not part of the Samsung savings.

I'd argue the best deal is on the Samsung Odyssey OLED G9, which ranks among the best gaming monitors. The Odyssey OLED G9 is already $800 off at Best Buy, so the additional $400 of credit you get for signing up for Verizon Home Internet brings the total savings to $1,200.

Saving on Samsung laptops, tablets, and appliances

I've covered similar deals from Verizon for years. There are a few eligibility rules to run through, but the bottom line is these bundles can save you a bunch of money while also securing a locked-in price for Verizon 5G Home or Verizon Home Internet.

If you sign up for select Verizon internet plans, you'll be eligible to save $400 on certain Samsung products. Some plans come with other perks as well, such as a pair of Ray-Ban Meta Glasses, but I'll focus on the Samsung savings since there's a bit to explain.

There are three categories of devices in which you can save $400. You can browse items in each category through specific sections of the Best Buy website:

• Samsung major appliances
• Samsung TVs, home theater equipment, and soundbars
• Samsung computers and tablets

To use your $400 credit, you need to spend $800 or more on eligible items. Considering the lowest price you'll see on any of those lists is $799.99, it shouldn't be that difficult to cross the threshold.

I was pleasantly surprised by the selection in each category. I was initially concerned that the range would be limited, but that's not the case.

For example, you can use your credit on a 65-inch Samsung S90D, which is rated as one of the best gaming TVs by our friends at TechRadar. The Samsung S95D is also eligible, though it has a much higher starting price due to it being newer.

Over on the computing side of things, you can save on the Galaxy Book4 Pro, the newer Galaxy Book5 Pro and monitors like the Odyssey OLED G9.

I confess that I do not know much about refrigerators, washing machines, or dryers, but there are quite a few eligible for the Samsung savings.

If you're specifically interested in the massive gaming monitor discussed above, use the following link for the Samsung Odyssey OLED G9 at Best Buy.

Verizon 5G Home vs Verizon 5G Home Plus

Verizon 5G Home relies on Verizon's wireless network rather than underground cables. A benefit of that type of connection is that Verizon 5G Home is available in some areas that do not have broadband cables.

All of the signup pages for Verizon internet plans have a coverage checker along the top to make sure the service you'd like is available in your area.

There are two Verizon 5G Home plans available. With a starting price of $35 per month, Verizon 5G Home is a more affordable option.

That plan is meant for 1080p streaming and has a maximum download speed of 300Mbps and a maximum upload speed of 20Mbps.

Many of Verizon's bundles that include free gifts or discounts require the more expensive (and faster) Verizon 5G Home Plus, but that is not the case with the current Samsung bundle.

That being said, you get an extra perk if you sign up for Verizon 5G Home Plus. That plan starts at $75 per month. It includes the same Samsung savings plus Ray-Ban Meta glasses and YouTube Premium for six months.

Verizon 5G Home Plus has a maximum download speed of 1,000Mbps and up to 75Mbps upload speed.

Neither of the Verizon 5G Home plans have data caps.

Is Verizon Home Internet worth it?

Verizon Home Internet uses broadband cables and is the type of connection you likely think of first when considering home internet. The plan promises download speeds of up to 940Mbps and upload speeds of up to 880Mbps.

If your area is connected to Verizon's 100% fiber-optic network, you'll have the option to take advantage of the company's high download and upload speeds. The biggest drawback of Verizon Home Internet is that it may not be available in your area.

Verizon Home Internet has plans that start as low as $34.99 per month, but if you want to take advantage of the Samsung savings or get other perks, you'll need to sign up for at least a 1Gig plan (from $74.99 per month). Select plans also come with a free pair of Ray-Ban Meta glasses, and YouTube Premium for six months.

Verizon Home Internet has been around for years and consistently gets good reviews. I used the service for many years before moving to the United Kingdom.

What's better than an affordable Xbox Series S that's on sale for Cyber Monday? How about a FREE Xbox Series S? If you sign up for Verizon Fios today, you'll get a free Xbox Series S plus an Xbox gaming bundle with an Xbox Wireless Controller, an Xbox Stereo Headset, and a $50 Xbox gift card. If you don't need that bundle, you can pair the free Xbox Series S with 12 months of Netflix and Max instead. Even if you're not a gamer, the deal is worth a look because Verizon Fios is one of the highest rated internet providers. Also, a free Xbox Series S also makes a great gift.

How do I get a free Xbox Series S?

A free Xbox Series S comes with a Verizon Fios 1Gig plan or a Verizon Fios 2Gig plan. Signing up for either of those plans gets you a free Xbox Series S plus the option to get a free gaming bundle with an Xbox Wireless controller, $50 Xbox gift card, and Xbox Stereo Headset. If you don't want the gaming bundle, you can choose a different "special gift," such as Netflix and Max for 12 months.

Is Verizon Fios worth it?

Yes, Verizon Fios is worth it. The service is fast, easy to use, and has received high reviews from several outlets. Verizon has a range of Internet plans, so I'd suggest figuring out how much speed you need. Verizon Fios 1Gig and 2Gig plans are worth it in that they deliver excellent value for cost, but they may be overkill for some users with light Internet requirements.

Verizon Fios’s fiber-optic network ensures minimal latency, which is essential for competitive gaming or just getting the best gaming experience.

Verizon offers discounts if you enable auto pay and paper-free billing ($10 off / month) and if you're also a Verizon mobile customer ($25 off / month). Make sure to enable the toggles on the screen to get the best deal.

My family were among the first Verizon Fios customers back in the day and have used Fios for years. The company's 100% fiber-optic network is the backbone of the highly reviewed Internet plans available for Verizon Fios customers. Verizon Fios earns high reviews each year and I predict it will remain a leader in Internet connectivity for a long time.

The main downside of Verizon Fios is that it's only available in certain areas. Verizon Fios 2Gig is available in an even smaller group of areas. You need to make sure to check the availability of plans in your area. Luckily, Verizon's tool for checking availability is front and center when you browse Internet plans.

Verizon has a similar gaming deal that also comes with a free Xbox Series S if you sign up for Verizon 5G Home Plus. Having home internet through 5G has its perks, such as being available in areas without fiber cables, there are also downsides. Sticking with hard wires, such as those used by Verizon Fios, gets you faster upload speeds and download speeds. Verizon Fios 2Gig gets you up to 2.3 Gbps speeds for both downloads and uploads, which is quite frankly ludicrous.

Can Verizon help me get out of my current Internet plan?

Verizon really wants you to sign up for Fios or another one of its Internet plans. So much so that the company will give you up to $500 in credit to help cover the cost of early termination fees for your current Internet provider. You need to be a new Verizon Home Internet customer to qualify for credit to cover early termination fees.

🔥The hottest Cyber Monday deals🔥

• 🎮Lenovo Legion Go (Z1 Extreme) | $472.97 at Amazon (Save $227!)
• 🕹️Xbox Game Pass Ultimate (3-months) | $27.99 at CDKeys (Save $12!)
• 🎮ASUS ROG Ally (Z1) | $349.99 at Best Buy (Save $150!)
• 🖥️Geekom Air12 Lite mini PC | $169.00 at Amazon
• 🥽Meta Quest 3 (512GB) + free game | $499 at Best Buy (Save $150!)

Xbox Series S

The Xbox Series S delivers many of the best features from the newest console generation at a more affordable price and in a more compact package. Of course, you won't care about the price as much since you're getting the system for free.

Among those features are Quick resume, reduced loading times thanks to a speedy SSD, and FPS boost.

Since price isn't a factor for those getting the Xbox Series S for free through Verizon, it comes down to how the console performs. Luckily for those who enjoy the best Xbox games, the Xbox Series S is an excellent console.

The Xbox Series S is a great way to enter the current console generation or to expand gaming to other parts of your home. I know several people who have an Xbox Series X and an Xbox Series S, including Young who said, "even though I have both the Xbox Series X and S at home, I find myself using my Xbox Series S around 90% of the time. I don't prioritize 4K visuals; instead, I simply want to play and enjoy the latest Xbox games in any room of my choosing."

Getting an Xbox Series S for free is a great perk for signing up for Verizon Fios. It could also make a great gift if you aren't into gaming or already have a gaming setup you're happy with.

💽More great Cyber Monday deals💾

• Best Buy: Save up to 50% with Cyber Monday savings
• Walmart: Hurry for huge Cyber Monday savings
• Target: Score new and online-only deals
• Dell: Lowest PC prices of the year during Cyber Monday
• HP: Save up to 75% on selected doorbusters
• Lenovo: Save up to 68% on select doorbusters
• Newegg: Cyber Monday 2024 — It's our time to shine
• Razer: Loot like a legend with Cyber Weekend specials
• Samsung: Holiday deals on laptops, TVs, phones, and more are live
• Amazon: Cyber Monday deals on practically everything

Retailers were quick to roll out Black Friday deals this year but Cyber Monday deals are a bit different. While several stores started discounts early this year, many deals end abruptly at the end of Cyber Monday to create a sense of urgency. Right now, if you sign up for Verizon 5G Home Plus you'll receive a free Xbox Series S, Xbox Wireless controller, $50 Xbox gift card, and Xbox Stereo Headset. But that deal concludes at the end of Cyber Monday, so you need to act quickly!

What is Verizon 5G Home Plus?

Verizon 5G Home Plus is a plan that provides Internet access to your home. It works a bit differently than broadband in how it connects your home to the web, but the end result is the same. Those with Verizon 5G Home Plus can connect to the web, stream content, game online, and do everything else they need on the web.

5G is still a relatively new technology. There's a good chance that you've only heard it used in the context of mobile connectivity. Many smartphones support 5G, but the technology is not exclusively used by mobile phones. Verizon 5G Home Plus takes the 5G signal Verizon sends out of its towers and then makes a Wi-Fi network for your home.

Because Verizon 5G Home Plus works through a wireless network, it's available in some areas that do not have access to high-speed broadband fiber cables. That being said, 5G connectivity is still limited to certain areas. In fact, there are some parts of the United States that support Verizon's 5G mobile network for smartphones but that still cannot use Verizon 5G Home Plus.

Verizon 5G Home Plus costs $80 at full price, but you can slash $10 off by enabling auto pay and paper-free billing. If you're a Verizon mobile customer, you can save an additional $25 on Verizon 5G Home Plus. If you take advantage of both discounts, you can get Verizon 5G Home Plus for $45 per month.

There is a more affordable plan called Verizon 5G Home, but it does not come with a free Xbox Series S.

How do I get a free Xbox Series S?

In order to get a free Xbox Series S and other perks right now, you need to subscribe to Verizon's 5G Home Plus. That plan comes with speeds quick enough for 4K streaming (download speed up to 1,000 Mbps, upload speed up to 75 Mbps). The exact speeds that you'll see vary based on your area, so you'll want to check the Verizon coverage map.

When you subscribe to Verizon 5G Home Plus through Verizon's website, you'll also be presented with "special gifts" you can receive. Choose the Xbox Series S to get the console. You'll also see an option to pick an Xbox Gaming Bundle as a gift. That bundle includes an Xbox Wireless controller, $50 Xbox gift card, and Xbox Stereo Headset.

Can Verizon help me get out of my current Internet plan?

Yes, in many cases Verizon can help you get out of your current Internet plan by covering early termination fees. Verizon will pay up to $500 in certain cases to cover early termination fees. A support document outlines eligibility requirements.

🔥The hottest Cyber Monday deals🔥

• 🎮Lenovo Legion Go (Z1 Extreme) | $472.97 at Amazon (Save $227!)
• 🕹️Xbox Game Pass Ultimate (3-months) | $27.99 at CDKeys (Save $12!)
• 🎮ASUS ROG Ally (Z1) | $349.99 at Best Buy (Save $150!)
• 🖥️Beelink Mini PC (Ryzen 5) | $279 at Amazon (Save $70!)
• 🥽Meta Quest 3 (512GB) + free game | $499 at Best Buy (Save $150!)

Xbox Series S vs. Xbox Series X

The Xbox Series S is the more affordable of Microsoft's current-generation consoles. Of course, you won't care much about the price of the Xbox Series S since you're getting one for free. More pressing questions are things like "can I play my favorite games on the Xbox Series S." Luckily, the answer for people hoping to enjoy the best Xbox games, there is a massive library of games that run on the Xbox Series S.

The Xbox Series S was designed to deliver 1080p gaming for most titles. The console also promises quick load times due to its speedy SSD.

Our Xbox Series S review has been refreshed several times to show how the console has aged and if it's worth it in 2024. Our Jennifer Young summed up the console well in her conclusion of the review:

"Even though I have both the Xbox Series X and S at home, I find myself using my Xbox Series S around 90% of the time. I don't prioritize 4K visuals; instead, I simply want to play and enjoy the latest Xbox games in any room of my choosing. The portability of the Xbox Series S provides me with that flexibility. For more casual users, I highly recommend this console due to its incredible price point."

As mentioned earlier, the price point of the Xbox Series S is particularly alluring for those who plan to subscribe to Verizon 5G Home Plus, since the console comes as a free gift. Speaking of which, an Xbox Series S would make a great gift for a friend or family member if you are already happy with your gaming setup.

💽More great Cyber Monday deals💾

• Best Buy: Big savings on video games, accessories, and more
• Walmart: Early savings on practically everything
• Target: Live deals on a huge range of products
• Dell: Top deals on laptops, gaming PCs, accessories, and more
• HP: Save big on laptops, desktops, accessories, and more
• Lenovo: Doorbuster deals on all Lenovo PCs, monitors, accessories, and more
• Newegg: Save on PC gaming accessories, components, and more
• Razer: Take advantage of free shipping for a limited time
• Samsung: Holiday deals on laptops, TVs, phones, and more are live
• Amazon: Constantly rotating sales on everything you can imagine

The Xbox Series S is hardly an expensive purchase, and frequent discounts have seen the console reach prices as low as $220 in the past. Verizon is blowing all of those sales away, however, with an exclusive offer for its active wireless customers. If you're a Verizon subscriber, you can obtain an exclusive promo code from the Verizon Up rewards program that gives you 50% off the Xbox Series S.

That's right, 50% off the Xbox Series S, making it just $149.99. That's diving straight into impulse buy territory, and is a no-brainer for any Verizon customer interested in some current-gen gaming.

At a penny below $300, the Xbox Series S is already the most affordable and value-driven current-gen console players can buy. It packs a surprising amount of power into its tiny chassis, and it's capable of playing all the latest and greatest Xbox games. Combine your Xbox Series S with an Xbox Game Pass subscription to instantly have access to hundreds of these incredible titles.

Just make sure you're signed up to Verizon Up, a rewards program that offers various exclusive deals and perks to Verizon customers. Once you have your unique code in hand, purchase the Xbox Series S using the link above and watch the price get slashed in half. Even if you don't have a code, the Xbox Series S is still $50 off for everyone else.

What you need to know

• Verizon announced that it had partnered with Qualcomm and Razer for “the world’s first 5G gaming handheld.”
• It’ll be powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon G3x Gen 1.
• The handheld will “give you access to games you love, whether they are downloaded to play locally, streamed from your console or accessed directly from the cloud.”
• More information will be released on October 15 at RazerCon.

In December 2021, Razer and Qualcomm announced a handheld gaming device powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon G3x Gen 1. It features 144 FPS support, 4K HDR HDMI output capabilities, updatable Adreno GPU graphics, and more.

The little rig seemed perfect for Xbox Cloud Gaming and Xbox Game Pass, which were mentioned several times during the presentation.

The one catch? It was for developers only.

Since then, we haven’t heard anything from Razer about a consumer version of the device, which is why Logitech’s recent foray into cloud gaming in a handheld was so surprising.

That will change as Verizon spilled the beans on a new project today. Announced at Mobile World Congress in Las Vegas, the company teased that it had a device coming.

Verizon noted in a press release that “Together, Verizon, Qualcomm and Razer will introduce the world’s first 5G Gaming Handheld built on the Snapdragon G3X Gen 1 Gaming Platform and designed for high-performance gaming on the move.”

The significant highlight here seems to be the mention of Verizon’s 5G Ultra-Wideband (mmWave), which, while limited in coverage, is fast enough to handle cloud gaming since it can peak at 1.0 Gbps for downloads.

More details about the device will be announced at Razer’s RazerCon event on October 15.

However, since Razer already announced a cloud-gaming-focused handheld, it’s likely a similar device to what was announced in late December. From our earlier reporting about the device:

“It sports the standard ABXY buttons with Xbox-colored buttons, offset joysticks, shoulder buttons, D-pad, and triggers. Embedded in the center is a large display, powered by Android, complete with an embedded webcam for live streaming — although I doubt many streamers will enjoy the low angle this camera will produce.”

The handheld also features stereo haptics, 4-way speakers, the ability to connect to a TV outputting in 4K with HDR (via USB-C), Wi-Fi 6, and, of course, 5G mmWave/sub-6 capabilities. That last part makes it a dead-ringer for the previous device that Razer announced, though Verizon will likely add some of its branding to the device.

While not labeled as an exclusive, there is a good chance that Verizon has a lock on such a device for the foreseeable future, especially with support for 5G mmWave/sub-6 capabilities.

It looks like we’ll have to wait until October 15 to learn about pricing and availability, which undoubtedly will determine the success or failure of this new gaming form factor.

We're back! Verizon's many phones, saving GPS on WinMo, and Video Driver Redux. Listen in!

• Download it directly with this link
• Subscribe via iTunes
• Subscribe directly to the Podcast feed with your favorite Podcatcher here
• Listen to it here with this flash player:

...One quick programming note -- Microsoft is flying Dieter off to Seattle to join a whole slew of folks at the Mobius Conference this week. Much (most?) of it will be under NDA, but I'll be posting info as I can here and (more so) via our Twitter feed. Be kind to the rest of the WME team as they hold down the fort this week and keep on eye on our Twitter feed!

News

• Smartphone Round Robin
• Verizon Touch Pro Lands, TouchFlo 3D off by default
• Verizon Omnia, already drops $50
• Save GPS on WinMo, it's halfway there on BB
• Microsoft Phone?
• Moto Atilla spotted, Delayed
• Shadow II Hits FCC. Will it have 3G after all?
• Video Driver Redux
• Live and Live Mesh

How To and Software

• HTC Reset Trick
• RealVGA
• Wisbar Advance 3
• MemMaid

Community

Thanks to Sunshine, Justin, and Dan!

Some notes:

Proof that I imagined the 'Roteo“ independently:

Qix -- a great launcher app that you can't easily download yourself. Notrock at PPCGeeks ripped a version from the Telus Touch Pro ROM. Only tested on the Fuze and the Touch Pro.

Credits

Thanks to the WMExperts Store for sponsoring the podcast. Thanks also to these great artists for the music and to CCMixter.org for offering a great database of Creative Commons music!

• Swim below as Leviathans by Fireproof Babies
• Drop by Raga Flow by Killbotz
• Midnight by Paradox
• GONE by djsociopath
• Purple Schlep by Whip Snapper

This week: Verizon GPS, Location Based Services discussion, and an elegy for Windows Mobile Standard. Listen in!

• Download it directly with this link
• Subscribe via iTunes
• Subscribe directly to the Podcast feed with your favorite Podcatcher here
• Listen to it here with this flash player:

News

• Verizon! GPS! Whoa!
• Consumer Reports + Dieter has the magazine in front of him
• A new Moto render
• Come Back WinMo Standard 

How To and Software

Note Sync

Community

Thanks for the great email, Nate!

Credits

Thanks to the WMExperts Store for sponsoring the podcast. Thanks also to these great artists for the music and to CCMixter.org for offering a great database of Creative Commons music!

• Swim below as Leviathans by Fireproof Babies
• Drop by Raga Flow by Killbotz
• Midnight by Paradox
• GONE by djsociopath
• Purple Schlep by Whip Snapper

Looks like Verizon will join Sprint and AT&T in offering HTC's latest and greatest, the Touch Pro. Engadget Mobile snagged the internal document detailing a November 24th launch and December 1st store-availability. The price will be steep at $350 after all the mail-in rebates and a 2 year contract.

Phonenews has the launch date and price set the same. They're pegging the RAM (though they list it as ROM) at 192MB, which is the only difference we can see, spec-wise, from the Sprint model. It seems a little odd to us that HTC would make two different CDMA versions of the Touch Pro, but that's the latest info out there right now. The processor is not “crippled,” as we told you before, hopefully this 192mb spec will turn out to be false as well.

We're suckers for all things vague and blurry around here. Witness the above photo.

Uberphones reports that this is a Verizon Wireless training schedule that lists Nov. 15 as the day VZW workers will get their online training with the Samsung Omnia. Keep squinting. You'll see it, too.

Obviously, that kind of blows our previously reported Oct. 14-Nov. 15 window out of the water. But it also means that Verizon customers (hopefully) shouldn't have too much longer to wait for the Omnia. Of course, we've said that before.