US carriers often shake up their mobile plans and offers to entice customers to switch and upgrade. Verizon’s latest big idea? A three-year price lock. New and existing subscribers can lock in their mobile or home internet plan pricing for three years—and even get a new smartphone.
Verizon says this will be automatic for both myPlan and myHome network plans. If you change your myPlan tier, the price lock resets for another three years. For the free phone offer, you’ll need to trade in any Apple, Google, or Samsung phone in any condition. The carrier also says home internet routers are included with no extra cost in every myHome plan. If you have a qualifying device, you can use Verizon’s free satellite texting feature (in an area with no cell service).
The company says the promotion offers “predictability, control, simplicity, and value that is particularly relevant in today’s economic environment.” It was announced a day after President Trump announced tariffs that will have broad impacts across the tech industry.
However, like all carrier promotions, there’s a catch. In the fine print, Verizon notes: “Plan perks, taxes, fees, and surcharges are subject to change.” While your mobile phone plan or home internet plan’s base rate will not change, Verizon could levy fees that could still raise your bill. You also need to be on Verizon’s myPlan, which the company introduced in 2023.
Withings’ Blood Pressure Monitor Goes on Sale
One of the most common tests at the doctor’s office is to measure your blood pressure to check for hypertension, yet no wearable fitness trackers offer this basic functionality. (Most of them can give you an electrocardiogram and check your blood oxygen levels.) Earlier this year, Withings began offering Cardio Checkup, an in-app service to send your cardiac data quarterly to a team of specialists for review. Now, Withings is releasing its at-home blood pressure monitor in the US. The BPM Vision is FDA-cleared and has an educational tutorial to show you how to use it. It syncs to the Withings app and has interchangeable cuffs for a wide range of adult users.
When I reported on the rise of blood pressure monitoring devices earlier this year, I spoke to some business leaders who noted that quantified selfers and men in their thirties, forties, and fifties were the demographic most interested in monitoring their blood pressure. A higher percentage of men than women have high blood pressure, otherwise known as hypertension, but nearly half of all adults in the US have high blood pressure. Untreated, it can drastically increase the risk of heart disease, stroke, or other costly illnesses. If a simple $150 at-home device can help cut down the estimated $131 billion in costs to treat hypertension, sign me up. It’s available directly from Withings. —Adrienne So
Rolex and TAG Heuer Duke It Out in This Week’s Watch Release War
This week at Watches & Wonders in Geneva, the watch world gathered to show off all its new releases for 2025 (well, all except Audemars Piguet, Richard Mille, Breitling and the Swatch Group, which includes Omega, none of whom like to play in this particular horological sandpit)—and while there were many innovations on display, the two new models that sucked up the most publicity oxygen were undoubtedly TAG’s Formula 1 Solargraph collection and a brand new Rolex, the Land-Dweller.
You can read our exclusive feature all about how TAG revived the iconic F1 watch here, but the highlights are as follows: Nearly 40 years after the wildly successful and accessible color-popping line made its debut, it’s now returning in solar-powered form. So, running on nothing other than light it can tick on for up to ten months on a full charge. Made from sand-blasted steel, DLC-treated steel, or TH-Polylight plastic, the other undeniably wise update is that the case size has bumped up from 35 mm to 38 mm, and the price is from $1,800. Like the color-strap versions? Move fast, as these are limited-edition.
Any completely brand-new watch from Rolex is “a big deal,” so I’m sure you can imagine the hoo-ha created when the Land-Dweller dropped on Monday. Evoking 1976’s Datejust Oysterquartz, this piece has apparently been 10 years in development, powered by the calibre 7135, which is Rolex’s first-ever mechanical high-frequency movement, running at 5 Hz thanks to an escapement primarily from silicon that delivers energy via rolling rather than sliding. At 9.7 mm thick, the watch comes in 36 mm and 40 mm flavors, as well as in steel with a white gold bezel, Everose gold, and platinum. Prices start at $13,900. —Jeremy White
