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Article updated on June 3, 2024 at 7:00 AM PDT

Best Travel Phone Plans in June: How to Choose and What to Consider

Using your phone abroad isn't always as simple as popping in a SIM card. Here are a few tips to keep in mind and plans to consider this summer if you're looking to use your phone internationally.

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Traveling with your phone has gotten better in recent years, but it can still get costly. Though roaming in Canada and Mexico is included by all three major US carriers, going beyond North America can be expensive, particularly if you want faster than 3G or 2G speeds, which aren't helpful for much more than light messaging, navigation and email checks. 

The rise of the eSIM has also made the need to hunt down a physical SIM card a thing of the past , as most modern phones can get you a local SIM card in seconds through an app. Though with the increased length of installment plans, you may save money by just paying the roaming fees and keeping your trade-in credits for more valuable things than paying to unlock your phone. 

Sounds confusing? Let's clear things up as the summer travel season gets underway.

Using your phone internationally is no longer as simple as just popping in a different SIM card. 

What are the best phone plans with international roaming? 

While we're going to focus this section on US carriers, many of the other tips could be applied to those traveling in from other countries. 

In the US, my pick for the best plan for frequent globe-trotters is Verizon's Unlimited Ultimate. The carrier's latest, most premium unlimited plan takes a page from T-Mobile's playbook and includes international texting and data in over 210 countries (neither includes voice, though you can get around that by using WhatsApp, FaceTime or other messaging apps' voice-calling features). 

Verizon, unlike T-Mobile, lets you "mix and match" plans for different lines on your account, which could be helpful for those on family plans. This means that you can have one line on Ultimate for the month when you'll be traveling while keeping the other lines on more affordable Unlimited Plus or Welcome options. You can also lower the line on an Ultimate plan down to a more affordable one when you aren't traveling, though if you also get an upgrade during this time, moving away from the Ultimate plan could affect any new phone deals you may have taken advantage of (Verizon's best upgrade offers are generally now tied to its priciest unlimited plans).

Best plan for frequent international travelers

Verizon unlimited ultimate.

In addition to international talk, text and data, Unlimited Ultimate also includes 60GB of mobile hotspot use in the US and Verizon's highest discounts on new devices. There's also unlimited talk and text from the US to Canada, Mexico and "one additional country of your choice." There are no streaming services included, though you can add a number of options, including the Disney bundle and Apple One for $10 per month, per "perk." The carrier will also let you upgrade on its best device deals (usually reserved for new customers) once every three years.

Verizon, unlike T-Mobile, lets you "mix and match" which plans are for which lines on your account. So you can have one line on Ultimate for the month when you'll be traveling while keeping the other lines on more affordable Unlimited Plus or Welcome options. You can also lower the Ultimate line down to a more affordable plan when you aren't traveling, though if you upgraded on Ultimate, lowering the plan may force you to lose your upgrade deal.

Runner up for international plans

T-mobile magenta max and go5g plus.

In addition to international data, T-Mobile's plans also include plenty of high-speed hotspot data in the US (40GB on Magenta Max, 50GB on Go5G Plus), in-flight texting and Wi-Fi, as well as subscriptions to Netflix and Apple TV Plus. T-Mobile's plans also include taxes and fees in their prices. 

Some additional notes: T-Mobile requires all plans on an account to be on the same plan. If only one line needs international data, you should consider Magenta (if you only have one or two lines) or Go5G (if you need three or more lines), with the MaxUp or PlusUp $15 per line add-on. This will let your other lines get a cheaper rate while allowing you to bolster your international data to tap into the Go5G Plus or Magenta Max offerings for the lines that need it. 

And as mentioned, T-Mobile's plans for one or two lines are cheaper under the Magenta option while promotions have made the Go5G plans better for those looking for three or more lines. It is worth noting that you will need to call or chat with T-Mobile to get the Magenta options.

Best for Latin America

At&t unlimited premium pl.

AT&T's top unlimited plan also includes 50GB of high-speed hotspot data. Like Verizon, the carrier also lets you put each line of your account on different unlimited plans. So if only one line out for your four is traveling to a Latin American country, you can put them on Premium PL and the rest on more affordable options like Unlimited Starter SL.

Factors to consider: Know your area

As we covered in our other wireless guides, to get the best deal, you need to make sure you have the coverage that you need abroad but also at home. This makes it hard to give a blanket recommendation of any one carrier. T-Mobile's service in New York may be excellent, but if you're in rural Iowa, Verizon is more reliable. 

While your mileage may vary, the good news is that these networks are growing and improving all the time, particularly as the three major players race to blanket the US with 5G. It's quite possible that you left a network complaining about its sparse service a decade ago, but it's since beefed itself up because of that race to acquire customers.

If you know any friends or family in your area that already use the carrier you're considering, ask about their experience. You could also go to a carrier's store and see if they offer any free ways to try out the service before switching over, such as  T-Mobile's Network Pass . Verizon  offers a similar 30-day "Test Drive" program,  while the Cricket prepaid service  has its own trial program  that lets you sample parent AT&T's network.

How we test

Picking a wireless plan and carrier is an individualized process. What works for you and your family's needs may be vastly different from your friends or neighbors. Even geographically, some areas have better AT&T coverage while others work best on Verizon or T-Mobile (and vice versa). The picks we make are based on over a decade of covering and evaluating the wireless carriers, their offerings and their performance. 

Since choosing a provider is unique, we focus on larger plans and the value they provide -- as well as calling out ways you can test the different networks in your area for yourself so you can make the best pick.

Travel phone plan FAQs

What if i don't want to change my plan.

While T-Mobile has long included even slow international data in its plans, AT&T and Verizon largely haven't. For most plans, adding this functionality will cost extra. The good news is that both have gotten a lot better on roaming rates, and depending on your trip, it could make sense to do this rather than going through the process of unlocking, finding a local SIM card and playing that game (we'll get more into this in a moment). 

In the past, roaming was charged on a per-megabyte or -gigabyte used system, which could quickly lead to bills worth hundreds of dollars (or more). Today, both Verizon and AT&T allow you to roam with unlimited talk, text and high-speed data for $10 per day on many of their respective unlimited plans.

If you're traveling with a family plan, AT&T will only charge that $10 to one of the lines with other members being billed at $5 per day -- and it'll only bill you for 10 days, per line per billing cycle. So if you have one line with AT&T and are traveling for two weeks, you could only end up paying $100 instead of $140 for international roaming (though if your AT&T bill resets during that window, you'd be on the hook for those days since the clock starts each billing cycle).

Verizon doesn't cap the number of days it will charge you, but it does offer a couple of different options. One is its TravelPass perk, something that is offered as part of its latest unlimited plans . With this, you can get three days of international roaming for $10 per month. If you don't use those days, you could roll them over (and bank up to 36 of them). You can similarly add it for the month you're traveling, save a little there and then get rid of the perk for all the other months you wouldn't be using it. 

Verizon also offers a $100 monthly plan option that lets you get unlimited texts and data as well as 250 minutes for traditional calling (as opposed to using a messaging app like WhatsApp or FaceTime). Of the data, 20GB will be at "high speed" and the rest at "3G speeds." Note that with this plan you will need to remove it manually or else risk it being a recurring charge on your bill every month.

T-Mobile similarly offers the option to buy high-speed data "international passes." It has a few options here, including a  15GB of high-speed data option  (to be used "up to 30 days") running $50 for the month.

Roaming vs. local SIM cards

The big reason we're focusing on roaming is because one of the most common ways US consumers still buy their phones is through wireless carriers and installment plans. To keep people from taking advantage of subsidized phones and then leaving for other providers, the carriers "lock" their phones to their networks until you finish the 24- or 36-month installment plans. 

Each carrier has different policies on when they unlock. Verizon's is the best and it will automatically unlock your phone after 60 days. T-Mobile will automatically unlock phones after their installment plans are paid off, which normally is two years at the carrier. AT&T is the worst: Like Verizon, its installment plans are 36 months, and even after that period, you will still need to actually reach out to the carrier to have it unlock your device. We  covered all of this here . 

You could pay off the balance owed on your device to get your carrier to unlock it sooner, but doing so would forfeit the bill credits and the deal you likely got when you upgraded or switched. For example, if you purchased an iPhone 14 at AT&T last year and took advantage of its trade-in deal, paying off that phone early to unlock it would require you to shell out hundreds of dollars now and give up the deal you were given. And then you would still need to go out and get international service on top of that while still keeping your local service for when you return home. 

Depending on your situation, this could make sense. If, for instance, you're traveling abroad for a couple of months and only have a month or two left on your installment plan, paying the $50 or so to your carrier to unlock your phone early so you can get a cheaper phone plan while away could make sense. But you'll want to check what you owe by heading into your account on your carrier's website and do the math before rushing to pay everything down and unlocking.

What if I have an unlocked phone?

If you have an unlocked device, looking at a local SIM card could be much cheaper. eSIM options, which allow you to virtually add a SIM card to your phone, mean you could load up a local provider's SIM card into your phone through apps like  Airalo  or  Ubigi  before you even leave home, so you'll be good to go once you reach your destination. 

While Apple has made eSIM more commonplace after  ditching the physical SIM card slot in US iPhones  with the iPhone 14 line, it has actually included the technology in iPhones dating back to 2018's iPhone XS and XR devices. A number of Samsung, Google and other Android phones have also long supported eSIMs as well.

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The 6 best phone plans for international travel in 2024

If you’re traveling abroad, you’ll want to keep your wireless service active for many reasons, the most important being to still contact friends and family. It’s highly likely you’ll also need to use GPS, Google, and other smartphone features during your trip. Unfortunately, even with the best cell phone plan deals , most wireless plans don’t include international travel or coverage overseas. That means you’ll either have to sign up explicitly for a foreign wireless account, or you can grab a burner phone to use while you’re there. Regardless, there are a few options, and we’ve taken the liberty of hunting down the best ones and sharing them all for you right here.

The best phone plans for international travel in 2024

• Go with if you want reliable yet flexible international plans.
• Go with Google Fi for temporary coverage with existing plans.
• Go with if you’re an existing customer and want to use the daily TravelPass.
• Go with for another solid and reliable wireless option.
• Go with for the best eSIM opportunities.
• Go with for specific and affordable coverage in select countries and regions.

Best flexible option

• Price: $60 to $90 per month
• Data: Free up to 5GB depending on plan and country
• Options: Talk, text, and data

T-Mobile is one of the best international travel providers because of its extreme flexibility. In addition to its voice and text plans, you can add an international pass for up to 15GB for 30 days to secure data coverage. However, T-Mobile expressly states that its services are “not for extended international use,” meaning your primary usage must include coverage at home in the United States.

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Best for temporary coverage

• Price: $20 to $65 per month
• Data: $10 per GB

If you’re a U.S. resident traveling abroad, Google Fi is an excellent option, especially if you already use the service. The cost for a single phone line is between $20 and $65  — plus taxes and fees — depending on which plan you opt for, and data abroad is about $10 per GB, with free data after 6GB per month. Talk costs about 20 cents per minute abroad in eligible countries. If you subscribe to the Unlimited Plus plan, you’ll get unlimited talk, text, and data in over 200 destinations worldwide. In some areas, Google Fi will rely on other carrier networks, like T-Mobile’s, to ensure you have widespread coverage. Basically, the most important thing to know here is that Google expressly forbids the use of Google Fi internationally if that’s your only activity. In other words, if you’re traveling abroad temporarily, it’s okay, but if you’re a permanent resident elsewhere, it’s a no-no.

Try Google Fi

Best for existing customers

• Price: Adds $10 per day to $100 per month
• Data: Unlimited

Verizon offers several options for international wireless coverage, including Verizon TravelPass and its international monthly plans. With TravelPass, you pay $10 per day, per line, for unlimited talk, text, and data, and it’s accessible in over 210 countries. TravelPass only charges you for the days you use data or send or receive calls. Alternatively, Verizon’s international monthly plan is $100 per month for 250 minutes of talk, but you get unlimited texts and data in eligible countries. The TravelPass option is excellent if Verizon is already your main wireless carrier.

Another great option

• Price: Adds $10 per day

Like the other major carriers, AT&T offers a variety of international options for existing customers. Mexico and Canada are already covered, for example, with calls up to 85-plus countries from the U.S. for $15 per month, per line, and discounted rates in an additional 140 countries. You can also take on specific international access for Europe, Asia Pacific, and other countries through a $10 per day International Day Pass. With that, you get unlimited talk, text, and data, and you can add on extra phones for just $5 per day per phone.

Best eSIM option

• Price: Adds $10 per month
• Data: $5 per 1GB for 7 days
• Options: Data (talk and text over data)

Maybe it’s surprising to see Boost Mobile on this list, or maybe not, but it offers some great international support via the International Connect plans, and eSIM compatibility. With any existing Boost plan, $10 per month gets you International Connect for voice in over 120 countries and texting in over 200. You will need an eSIM on an unlocked phone to utilize it, however, so if your phone doesn’t support the protocol you’ll need another option. You can also add data, starting at $5 for 1GB over 7 days.

Best modular option

• Price: $36 to $89 per month
• Data: 20GB over 30 to 180 days (depending on location)

If your device supports eSIM, you can also use something like Airalo to find coverage wherever you’re traveling. Be aware that standard SMS is not available through something like this as it’s data-based only, but you can still send text and make voice calls over data connections where available. Prices vary, but they do tend to be cheaper than other options, with callouts being 20GB over 180 days for $89 in over 84 countries globally or 20GB over 30 days for $36 in France. You can buy piecemeal based on where you’ll be visiting and for how long you’ll be there.

How we chose these phone plans for international travel

The core elements of a good international wireless plan will differ greatly from local options. Speeds, for example, will be limited by what’s available in the current country or region. The same is true for wireless coverage, which can directly affect signal strength and connection experiences. That said, there are some common factors that you should look for when choosing a plan for yourself or your family.

You’re traveling, maybe even to multiple countries or locations, so you need the plan to be reliable but flexible, and the same goes for the price. The last thing you want to see is unexpected roaming or international charges because the plan didn’t offer coverage in an obscure situation or remote location.

All the plans that we have chosen are feasible in this regard, offering flexible yet accessible pricing that’s clear and easily modifiable when needed to match coverage requirements. Ultimately, these plans reduce the headaches and complexities of managing international wireless services.

Maintenance

With some plans, like a WiFi-only plan, you need to do something to activate the plan and make sure you’re getting coverage — in that case, you would need to disable your mobile activity and swap to a nearby WiFi network. Moreover, some might require you to use a specific physical SIM card, eSIM, or digital SIM card, which might require you to swap out your current one or activate the digital variant. These small maintenance tasks are important to keep in mind because it’s easy to forget the upkeep when you’re busy exploring or sightseeing. We were mindful to select wireless options that make this process as simple or virtually seamless as possible.

Plan Features

As with a local plan, international plans also have varying features. Some allow you to text, access a limited quantity of data, and make calls to supported countries. However, not all plans are created equal, which means some will restrict some of these options or charge extra for using them. It’s important to pay close attention to what you’re getting with your plan so you don’t encounter any unforeseen charges. We’ve made sure everything on our list offers a suitable arrangement of features, from text and talk to beyond.

Unlimited Data

By now, you’re probably well aware this is a thing in the wireless industry: They promise “unlimited data,” but what you’re really getting is not that. The same is true with international phone plans and coverage. When available, you might see data speeds throttled after certain thresholds, connectivity issues in various locations, or even some hidden charges associated when there shouldn’t be. There’s not much you can do about this, disingenuous on the part of wireless providers or not. But you should definitely be mindful of these concerns and keep an eye on your phone bill, just in case.

Q&A about international phone plans

If you still have some questions after reading through the guide, this is where you’ll find the answers.

Do I need to buy a new phone?

It depends on your current phone’s capabilities and what wireless provider you decide to go with abroad. Some devices are not compatible across the different carrier networks. Moreover, you might need to swap out your current SIM for another to gain access, and depending on where you purchase or acquire the card, they may not be compatible with specific carriers.

What are hidden fees?

Typically, when you sign a contract or subscribe to a plan with your wireless provider, you agree to some combination of talk, text, and data for a specific monthly rate — say, $75 per month. However, when you receive your bill, you’ll notice almost immediately that the true cost is higher than what was promised. All that extra, the additional money you’re being charged, makes up hidden fees.

Some fees come from the carriers themselves, like smartphone line access, device payments or subsidies, or usage and additional purchase charges for various services like roaming or international coverage. Other fees include the Fed Universal service charge, regulatory fees, administrative charges, local business license surcharges, taxes, and governmental surcharges, including state fees and beyond. In some cases, you can try to negotiate these charges, but you’ll still see them on your bill, regardless.

There are hidden fees associated with international wireless plans, too.

Can you use WiFi abroad?

Yes, you can use WiFi abroad and while traveling internationally. Whether or not you can access the network(s) for free depends on the provider. Just like here in the States, local coffee shops and small venues may provide free access to service. Others may charge a small fee to use their network. While we would not recommend maintaining contact with friends and family through WiFi alone and cutting off mobile service entirely, it is an alternative in areas where coverage may be spotty or unavailable.

This article is managed and created separately from the Digital Trends Editorial team.

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Briley has been writing about consumer electronics and technology for over a decade. When he's not writing about deals for Digital Trends, he's writing how-to content, and guides for Lifewire , Ideaing , and several other online publications. He's also a ghostwriter for more than one confidential SEO marketing agency. In his downtime, he's either spending time with his family, playing games, or enjoying a good ol' stogie.

Choosing the best phone in 2024 can be quite daunting, as there are so many excellent options available. Whether you are an iPhone fan, an Android user, or open to any smartphone, finding the perfect one may seem like an insurmountable challenge. But don't worry, we're here to help!

Below, we have compiled a list of our top picks for the best phones you can currently buy. We believe that there's something for everyone on this list, and we're confident that you'll find a phone that suits your preferences perfectly.

Even with the more recent release of the Apple iPhone 15, the iPhone 14 still makes a great option for a new phone. It spent a long time among the best phones on the market, and now that it’s a generation old it even offers some great savings. Some of the best iPhone deals available are on the iPhone 14, in fact, and while most of the models are refurbished, refurbished iPhone deals typically come backed by a warranty and a good return window. With all of the iPhone 14 deals out there it can be a little difficult to shop, so we’ve rounded them all up below for some convenience. Reading onward you’ll find all of the best iPhone 14 deals available right now, but if you’d like to land yourself the latest and greatest you should also check out the current iPhone 15 deals, Samsung Galaxy S24 deals, and Google Pixel 8 deals. Apple iPhone 14 -- from $439, was $699

With the Apple iPhone 14 you’re getting what is still one of the most popular smartphones on the market. This is the iPhone 14 model that’s meant for everyone. It holds back a few features you can only get on the Pro model, but it still has an impressive 6.1-inch display, an impressive camera, and dozens of ways to personalize your iOS experience with widgets and fonts. The phone can reach up to 26 hours of battery life on a single charge, and it’s powered by Apple’s A15 Bionic chip. Face ID, emergency SOS via satellite, and super fast 5G cellular connectivity round out the top features of the Apple iPhone 14. Buy Refurbished at Amazon — from $439

One of the best phones won’t get your very far if you don’t have the proper cell phone plan, and while there are a lot of phone deals out there to shop right now, there are also some great cell phone plan deals to consider. If you’re in the market for a new cell phone plan the usual suspects like AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon have some cell phone plan deals going on. But there are several other carriers worth checking out right now as well. You’ll find all of the best cell phone plan deals below, and if you’d rather choose a carrier plan by way of first choosing a brand new phone, check out all of the iPhone deals, Google Pixel 8 deals, Samsung Galaxy S24 deals, Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 deals, and Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 deals going on. Mint Mobile: Get any 3-month plan for $15 per month For a limited time, Mint Mobile has dropped the three-month price for all of its plans to just $15 per month. That means, the Unlimited plan, normally $30 per month, or $90 for three months, is no just $15 per month or $45 for three months. The base 5GB of data per month plan is $15 per month, and the 15GB per month plan is $15 per month, or $45 for three months. That is an incredible deal. All Mint Mobile plans include unlimited talk and text, access to 5GB high-speed data, free calling to Mexico and Canada, free mobile hotspot access, and WiFi calling support. You can't beat that!

U.S. Mobile: Pre-pay $23 per line per month Prepaid wireless plans are a great option for light users, kids, and anyone else who won’t be consuming a lot of data on a daily basis. U.S. Mobile is one of the best prepaid service providers available today, allowing you to build your own custom plan, so you’re only paying for as many minutes, texts, and gigabytes of data as you want to. As just one example, its Unlimited Starter plan is just $23 per line, or $276 for 12 months -- saving you $72 per year. You get unlimited talk, text, and data, 10GB of hotspot data, international calling and texting, and more. If you're adding multiple lines to a plan, you can also unlock free extras like Disney+ and Netflix. U.S. Mobile even has an Unlimited Flex plan that goes for just $15 per month when you pre-pay for 12 months.

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Travel app Sēkr can plan your next road trip with its new AI tool

Sēkr, a startup that offers a mobile app for outdoor enthusiasts and campers, is launching a new AI tool for planning road trips. The new tool, called Copilot, is available on the startup’s updated website and app, which is used by more than 100,000 users. 

The company was founded in 2016 with the goal of helping the “van life” community find campsites based on their needs, such as shower facilities, restrooms, overnight van parking or free Wi-Fi. The app also allows users to connect with fellow travelers who want to participate in outdoor activities together, like rock climbing or skiing.

After being acquired by van company Peace Vans in December 2023, the startup is under new leadership. Sēkr and Peace Vans CEO Harley Sitner was a user of the app for seven years but had noticed last year that the app had gone dormant. He learned that the founders of the startup were going to unwind the app due to the sudden shift in global fundraising climates in late 2022, despite having a strong user base. Sitner, who was a former product manager at Microsoft, was approached to acquire Sēkr in November 2023.

Fast-forward eight months, the startup is now looking to help people better plan the journeys to their destinations, while also updating the app with enhanced features that stay true to Sēkr’s original mission.

With the new AI-powered road trip planning tool, Sēkr is combining natural language processing with proprietary data from its community of users who have left reviews and ratings about specific places. Copilot also looks at publicly available data when creating road trip itineraries. The tool leverages OpenAI’s GPT, Meta’s Llama and others.

“For the millions of people traveling by van, car, or RV this summer, Sēkr Copilot will help you bypass hours of trip planning to quickly deliver a better itinerary,” Sitner said in a statement. “AI isn’t going to create a panoramic sunset, but it will help you overcome the notorious planner’s block, set you up for serendipitous moments, and connect you to an authentic road trip experience co-created by Sēkr’s incredible community of dedicated users.” 

Copilot can be accessed via the new “Trip Planning” tab on the startup’s website or app. Once users open the tool, they will be asked to answer a series of prompts about where they’re going and what they’re looking for. The tool will then provide a travel itinerary that has editable trip legs that include camping destinations, stops for food and outdoor activities. 

The idea behind Copilot is to help travelers discover unique places that they may not have known about otherwise. For instance, the tool may encourage travelers to check out a taco truck parked by the side of a dusty road in Baja that users have said offers better food than a five-star reviewed Denny’s outside of Los Angeles. Or, the tool may encourage users to explore secluded, unmarked areas in BLM (Bureau of Land Management) land that overlooks scenic views. 

Sēkr is available on iOS and Android . The app’s basic features are free to use. Users can unlock premium features like, offline maps, event discount codes, and unlimited messaging and searching for $4.99 per month.

The startup previously received $2.25 million in seed funding led by Storyteller Overland, with participation from Backstage Capital, Techstars, Ad Astra Ventures, Crescent Ridge Ventures and Andy Ballester, the co-founder of GoFundMe.

Travel app Sēkr scores $2.25 million to bring campsite inventory into the digital age

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Anterior grabs $20M from NEA to expedite health insurance approvals with AI

Anterior, a company that uses AI to expedite health insurance approval for medical procedures, has raised a $20 million Series A round at a $95 million post-money valuation led by…

How India’s most valuable startup ended up being worth nothing

Welcome back to TechCrunch’s Week in Review — TechCrunch’s newsletter recapping the week’s biggest news. Want it in your inbox every Saturday? Sign up here. There’s more bad news for…

Bereave wants employers to suck a little less at navigating death

If death and taxes are inevitable, why are companies so prepared for taxes, but not for death? “I lost both of my parents in college, and it didn’t initially spark…

Apple needs to focus on making AI useful, not flashy

Google and Microsoft have made their developer conferences a showcase of their generative AI chops, and now all eyes are on next week’s Worldwide Developers Conference, which is expected to…

Deal Dive: Human Native AI is building the marketplace for AI training licensing deals

AI systems and large language models need to be trained on massive amounts of data to be accurate but they shouldn’t train on data that they don’t have the rights…

Wazer Pro is making desktop water jetting more affordable

Before Wazer came along, “water jet cutting” and “affordable” didn’t belong in the same sentence. That changed in 2016, when the company launched the world’s first desktop water jet cutter,…

Autonomy’s Mike Lynch acquitted after US fraud trial brought by HP

Former Autonomy chief executive Mike Lynch issued a statement Thursday following his acquittal of criminal charges, ending a 13-year legal battle with Hewlett-Packard that became one of Silicon Valley’s biggest…

Featured Article

What Snowflake isn’t saying about its customer data breaches

As another Snowflake customer confirms a data breach, the cloud data company says its position “remains unchanged.”

Rippling bans former employees who work at competitors like Deel and Workday from its tender offer stock sale

Investor demand has been so strong for Rippling’s shares that it is letting former employees particpate in its tender offer. With one exception.

NASA puts $10M down on Mars sample return proposals from Blue Origin, SpaceX and others

It turns out the space industry has a lot of ideas on how to improve NASA’s $11 billion, 15-year plan to collect and return samples from Mars. Seven of these…

In 2024, many Y Combinator startups only want tiny seed rounds — but there’s a catch

When Bowery Capital general partner Loren Straub started talking to a startup from the latest Y Combinator accelerator batch a few months ago, she thought it was strange that the company didn’t have a lead investor for the round it was raising. Even stranger, the founders didn’t seem to be…

Watch Apple kick off WWDC 2024 right here

The keynote will be focused on Apple’s software offerings and the developers that power them, including the latest versions of iOS, iPadOS, macOS, tvOS, visionOS and watchOS.

Startups Weekly: Ups, downs, and silver linings

Welcome to Startups Weekly — Haje’s weekly recap of everything you can’t miss from the world of startups. Anna will be covering for him this week. Sign up here to…

BlackRock has slashed the value of stake in Byju’s, once worth $22 billion, to zero

HSBC and BlackRock estimate that the Indian edtech giant Byju’s, once valued at $22 billion, is now worth nothing.

Apple’s generative AI offering might not work with the standard iPhone 15

Apple is set to board the runaway locomotive that is generative AI at next week’s World Wide Developer Conference. Reports thus far have pointed to a partnership with OpenAI that…

LinkedIn to limit targeted ads in EU after complaint over sensitive data use

LinkedIn has confirmed it will no longer allow advertisers to target users based on data gleaned from their participation in LinkedIn Groups. The move comes more than three months after…

Startup Battlefield 200 applications due Monday

Founders: Need plans this weekend? What better way to spend your time than applying to this year’s Startup Battlefield 200 at TechCrunch Disrupt. With Monday’s deadline looming, this is a…

Novel battery manufacturer EnerVenue is raising $515M, per filing

The company is in the process of building a gigawatt-scale factory in Kentucky to produce its nickel-hydrogen batteries.

Meta quietly rolls out Communities on Messenger

Meta is quietly rolling out a new “Communities” feature on Messenger, the company confirmed to TechCrunch. The feature is designed to help organizations, schools and other private groups communicate in…

Siri and Google Assistant look to generative AI for a new lease on life

Voice assistants in general are having an existential moment, and generative AI is poised to be the logical successor.

Bain to take K-12 education software provider PowerSchool private in $5.6B deal

Education software provider PowerSchool is being taken private by investment firm Bain Capital in a $5.6 billion deal.

Shopify acquires Threads (no, not that one)

Shopify has acquired Threads.com, the Sequoia-backed Slack alternative, Threads said on its website. The companies didn’t disclose the terms of the deal but said that the Threads.com team will join…

Bangladeshi police agents accused of selling citizens’ personal information on Telegram

Two senior police officials in Bangladesh are accused of collecting and selling citizens’ personal information to criminals on Telegram.

Carta’s valuation to be cut by $6.5 billion in upcoming secondary sale

Carta, a once-high-flying Silicon Valley startup that loudly backed away from one of its businesses earlier this year, is working on a secondary sale that would value the company at…

Boeing’s Starliner overcomes leaks and engine trouble to dock with ‘the big city in the sky’

Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft has successfully delivered two astronauts to the International Space Station, a key milestone in the aerospace giant’s quest to certify the capsule for regular crewed missions.  Starliner…

Rivian’s path to survival is now remarkably clear

Rivian needs to sell its new revamped vehicles at a profit in order to sustain itself long enough to get to the cheaper mass market R2 SUV on the road.

What to expect from WWDC 2024: iOS 18, macOS 15 and so much AI

Apple is hoping to make WWDC 2024 memorable as it finally spells out its generative AI plans.

What to expect from Apple’s AI-powered iOS 18 at WWDC 2024

As WWDC 2024 nears, all sorts of rumors and leaks have emerged about what iOS 18 and its AI-powered apps and features have in store.

Apple’s Design Awards highlight indies and startups

Apple’s annual list of what it considers the best and most innovative software available on its platform is turning its attention to the little guy.

Meta rolls out Meta Verified for WhatsApp Business users in Brazil, India, Indonesia and Colombia

Meta launched its Meta Verified program today along with other features, such as the ability to call large businesses and custom messages.