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.

Former Digital Trends Contributor

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

Mobile

T-Mobile satellite-to-phone service opens for all, and free until July

Showcase of T-Mobile Starlink service on an iPhone.

Two years ago, T-Mobile inked a deal with SpaceX to enable network connectivity via the Starlink constellation of satellites. Late in 2024, the carrier opened registrations for beta testing its direct-to-cell satellite service. Today, the company aired a Super Bowl ad and announced that the beta testing is now open to everyone.

The coolest part is that T-Mobile will offer free access for all registrations until July. Once the beta freebie is phased out, the service will be bundled at no extra cost for subscribers on the Go5G Next plan covering individual and business customers.

Mobile

Don’t buy overpriced used iPhones with TikTok installed

Exploring TikTok's STEM feed on a phone.

If you want to download the TikTok app onto your iPhone and you live in the U.S., you’re currently out of luck due to an ongoing ban. Because of this, some would-be entrepreneurs are attempting to make a quick buck on eBay by selling iPhones with the TikTok app pre-installed.

People are attempting to sell used iPhones “Unlocked with TikTok App” on the site for as much as $50,000, as first noted by Wired. To make these deals even less appealing, some of these listings are for iPhone 12 Pro Max models first released in 2020, and not even the latest iPhone 16 models.

Mobile

Samsung is bringing a popular phone back from the dead

Samsung Galaxy S25 edge

Samsung hosted its Galaxy Unpacked 2025 event in San Jose, California, where it announced its latest Galaxy S25 series. Not to be outdone, the Korean smartphone maker left attendees and at home streamers stunned with the teaser of the decade, hinting that it has a device called the Galaxy S25 Edge on the way.

The brand gave little to no hints about what the device might entail, except flashing some deconstructed smartphone parts on the theater’s demo screens. This is enough to leave enthusiasts salivating for more information on the upcoming smartphone. The last time there was an Edge-branded product from Samsung on the market was in 2016, with the Galaxy S7 Edge. That device was a slate smartphone with two curved sides. By that time the form factor was such a staple on the market that Samsung would scrap the name the following year on the Galaxy S8 series. However, it was clear that the company had been testing its prowess for its foldable smartphones. The original Galaxy Fold would launch in 2019.