Shoddy Cell Phones Yanked from AT&T Shelves

By Nick Mokey Published February 23, 2009

Shoddy Cell Phones Yanked from AT&T Shelves AT&T’s recently introduced QuickFire smartphone has been quick to crash and burn. The touch-screen andQWERTY-keyboard equipped handset was been recalled from store shelves over “quality issues.”

The phone, which is manufactured by UTStarcom spin-off PCD and branded as an AT&T device, apparently has issues severe enough for AT&T to stop selling it immediately. Early reports haven’t specified what part of the phone, specifically, is prone to malfunction, but multiple reviews of the phone criticized the touch screen for its lack of accuracy and sluggish response.

Recommended Videos

Boy Genius Report first published rumors of the change on Monday morning, which was later confirmed through AT&T reps by both Electronista and Phone News.

AT&T hasn’t yet announced whether existing QuickFire buyers will have a chance to return or replace their phones in light of the defect.

Editor in Chief

As Digital Trends’ Editor in Chief, Nick Mokey oversees an editorial team covering every gadget under the sun, along with…

Mobile

A hidden iOS 18.1 upgrade made it harder to extract data from iPhones

A person holding the Apple iPhone 16 Plus.

Apple Intelligence was the most notable upgrade that arrived on iPhones with the iOS 18 series of updates. But it seems Apple reinforced the security protocols in the background that could prevent bad actors from gaining unauthorized access to iPhones that haven’t been unlocked in a while by their legitimate owner.

Earlier this month, 404Media reported that law enforcement officials are troubled by iPhones that are mysteriously rebooting. Citing a report courtesy of officials in Michigan, the outlet notes that the reboots are hampering the ability to access what’s stored on the phones through brute-force unlock methods.

Mobile

Best cell phone plan deals: T-Mobile, AT&T, Verizon, Mint Mobile and more

Woman

The best phone deals will get you some impressive savings on a new phone, but there are also deals available on ways to keep it connected. The best cell phone plan deals are scattered across carriers, with AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, and others currently offering some savings. Below you can find all of the information you need in order to save on a new cell phone plan, and if you’re in the market for a phone as well be sure to 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 today.
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 $20 per month, or $60 for three months, is now just $15 per month or $45 for three months. The base 5GB of data per month plan is $10 per month, and the 15GB per month plan is $15 per month, or $45 for three months. These are incredible deals. 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.

Mobile

Samsung just teased two folding phones we can’t wait for

A person holding the open Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6.

Foldable phones, like the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold, are gaining in popularity. However, their high prices may deter many potential buyers. Samsung seems aware of this issue and plans to eventually introduce foldable models aimed at the lower end of the market.

On X (formerly Twitter), leaker @Jukanlosreve says that a Samsung executive recently highlighted the need to expand the reach of foldable phones. In a conference call, they noted that the company is “considering ways to lower entry barriers so that more customers can actually experience foldable products, given the high satisfaction among existing foldable users.”