Related
new to android... currently using N1 on att edge... contemplating a switch to Tmobile... latest "speed tests" by PC World show ATT as a clear leader for download speeds, plus they have better spectrum and in my exp. allow better penetration though walls. I live in seattle but travel to many major cities on east coast... anyone offer any suggestions with their exp with Tmob vs. ATT? How biased is Pcworld?
My goal is the use the N1 on ATT until they get a proper android device... couple months I hope, or do I switch now and save the trouble...any advice would be appreciated
tmobile and att both have their ups and down
but tmobile now clearly has AMAZINGLY BETTER unlimited min data and text plans for a very low low LOW price
check it out
not a tmobile rep lol
just a very long time tmo user
and tmo's 3g aint that bad
i dont notice any problems with it
thanks for the reply
yeah im aware of the potential $$ savings, however for me that is not the case...im more looking into who will provide the best speeds/least amount of hassle over the next year or so...i have few friends who work at ATT store who are managers, and I can always get anything done to my account I need to...
I understand Tmobile has "great" service, but my experience with them both online and in the stores has been horrible. The sales reps Ive spoken with at several stores have been sorely uninformed and have outright lied to my (by making up answers that are not true about many things, so probably not malicious lies but if you dont know TELL ME!). The latest episode was when a sales rep told me that they would be carrying the HTC Desire in April, and that It will have a physical keyboard and dual core processor!
in my area, as posted by pcworld, ATT completely smokes tmobile in average DL speeds (1400vs 900)... plus im able to pay $60 a month right now and have everything i need..granted i am stuck on att edge with my n1, but its not as bad as i thought...my plan was to keep the phone until att finally got one, but their whole "backflip" ordeal has left me concerned with their openness to google... I love my N1, even the trackball, and would be hard pressed to pick a desire over it... Im rambling now so Ill stop, but last point is that i would have to cancel my att contract, which at only $175 isnt that bad, considering i just last month bought a 3gs for $220 and sold it for $530...
T-Mo this summer is going to smoke AT&T as the fastest 3g network.But as far as coverage AT&T is a little better,plus is true that lower frequency is better penetrating to buildings,that's one problem i'm dealing now with T-Mo,but the price is right,so I guess at the end you have to look for the best one for your needs.
tmobile plans
just talked with a very knowledgeable Tmobile reap... apparently seattle is #11 to receive fiber upgrades, and will receive HSPA+ around may 18th... of course this is all hearsay... they will also be selling HD2s for BOGO $199 contract... amazing deal... very nice phone, they had one today I was able to play with. Perfect size for me... just waiting for a more perfect android port and ill make the switch from nexus one...
just ported my number to tmobile today...hopefully i wont be disappointed
ieon said:
just talked with a very knowledgeable Tmobile reap... apparently seattle is #11 to receive fiber upgrades, and will receive HSPA+ around may 18th... of course this is all hearsay... they will also be selling HD2s for BOGO $199 contract... amazing deal... very nice phone, they had one today I was able to play with. Perfect size for me... just waiting for a more perfect android port and ill make the switch from nexus one...
just ported my number to tmobile today...hopefully i wont be disappointed
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Did you talk to a rep online? Or was it a friend or something? I would LOVE to have some more info on St. Louis expansion further southward and any other plans in the area. I'm currently on AT&T about 10 miles outside T-Mo's 3G bubble. I have AT&T 3G since last October, but am using an ADP1, since my unlocked Roger's Dream broke. I think I am going to switch to T-Mo when I get my free Nexus, but I would love to have 3G.
Anyway, the point is where'd you get the info, and if you can find out anything about St. Louis from that rep (if its in person, if not tell me its online I'll try some more).
K thx bye
Lol just playin, but thanks. Please let me know
Here in vegas t-mo 3g speeds are better then AT&T so TMo was the clear choice for me. The fastest 3g speeds in town here though are with verizon
We tested using 4 phones:
Tmobile G1
Tmobile MyTouch 3g
Verizon Blackberry
At&T Iphone
The results were pretty staggering:
Tmobile G1 - 970kbps
Tmobile MyTouch 3g - 1023 kbps
Verizon Blackberry - 1876 kbps
At&T Iphone - 200 kbps
Funny noone mentioned sprint. You, being number for reliability and all that.
T-Mobile FTW!
I live in the Bay Area and I have done several speed test all over with both an iPhone 3GS and Nexus One. For the most part AT&T gets around 1400-2400 kbps down and about 200-300 kbps up with a 1000-3000ms ping. T-Mobile gets about 1000-1500 kbps down and 300-600 kbps up with a 60-100ms ping. In most cases AT&T does get slightly faster speeds and has more 3G coverage but is not as reliable. Sometimes the data connection disappears or takes forever to start loading. Once both phone do start loading there isn't much difference loading web sites. As far as downloading files AT&T is slightly faster but doesn't seem to have the bandwidth that T-Mobile when downloading multiple files at the same time. I used to be a long time customer of AT&T but got fed up paying $100/month for data/texting/voice and getting unreliable data service where I work (Financial District - San Francisco). Personally I would recommend that anyone who is on the fence to go with T-Mobile. They don't have perfect service but for the price its a much better value than AT&T. I haven't had any problems or issues besides a few select areas with poor 3G reception since I have switched to T-Mobile.
Cities tested:
Concord/Walnut Creek Area: Both worked really well. AT&T what quite a bit faster in speed tests but loading regular web sites was about the same.
Marin: AT&T = Good - Some areas get dropped calls and no 3G | T-Mobile works good as well. Some areas get poor reception for 3G and Edge | Speeds are about the same... AT&T is slightly faster. (Lots of testing)
Pleasonton: Both worked really well. (Limited testing)
San Francisco: AT&T = Horrible... didn't work at all in my building with full 3G | T-Mobile works great... works perfect in the same place AT&T didn't | Speeds are about the same... when AT&T works.
Vallejo: About the same as Marin.
Hope this helps,
- Victor
neoelectrex said:
Funny noone mentioned sprint. You, being number for reliability and all that.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The reason is that OP has a GSM device and Sprint is CDMA...
T-Mobile because AT&T network is lame. They actually told their iFail users to don't use internet as much because of their weak ass network and they are locking down their android phones so T-Mobile wins of course.
Sigh
Ok Ok I know location plays a huge part in this but let me say this, AT&T is 100% trash compared to Tmobile (based on New Jersey), They pay millions to say they cover 97% of US and they have the fastest 3G in the US. When? 8 Years AGO? I did a test with my friends iphone 3GS (new Jersey) with an app called SPEEDTEST, also did the same test (SAME PLACE MY HOUSE NJ) with the same exact APP SPEED TEST on my nexus one,
Results
Iphone3GS AT&T = 99kbits/sec (test was done 2 times each.) Similar results he was pinging about 4000-5000
Nexus one Tmobile = 1,740Kbits/sec (test was done 2 times each.) Similar results I was pinging about 88=97
I then tested my 2G (same place + same app) = 210kbits/s
This means my 2g was faster than his so called 3G, funny thing is, his iphone 3GS doesnt even say when its on Edge or 3G, My nexus one says when its on Edge (2G), 3G Or HSPDA (which I'm on all day HSPDA full bars in NJ). DO NOT FORGET HOW TRAFFIC IMPACTS A NETWORK, it's horrible. You are paying more, you have worse call quality (both network and phone) considering the 2 microphones of the N1 and clarity of Tmobile. So you pay more? Do less, both apple and AT&T limit you, and you have the nerve to compare? Apple is ditching AT&T for few reasons, 1 of them being 30% dropped calls in major cities, and allowing android phones (better phones) than Iphone on their exclusive network.
My point? Why the hell would you pay more and get less? Not only get less, but slower, and sloppier? The comparison boggles my mind, Maybe Tmobile doens't cover as much, this is a fact as well, but man check their coverage map and see if its available in your area, because it's way better in every possible way.
My plan is 500 minutes with everything else unlimited (mobile to mobile, text, data, weekends, nights) Most the people I speak with have tmobile, so I never even go past 200 minutes ever. This costs me 65.34 a month after taxes and I use my nexus one every hour of the day literally. if you want the pictures to my tests, I'm glad to show my proof, email me at [email protected] or go to my youtube page and see my nexus one vids. I'll be uploading some videos when my friend returns to my house, yes speeds vary even by the day or hour due to traffic, but I'm normally getting over 1mbit/s all day long, he gets very bad lag in his network, he pays 120 a month which is about twice what I pay and his calling/data/all around sucks. Why argue? why bother? I've asked my friends with nexus one in jersey city to test his network and it's almost as fast as mine, so i'm not in luck here, tmobile simply rocks after their network upgrade december 2009, don't forget they'll be doing another upgrade for intense speeds before 2010 ends.
Signing off Gslick, email me for pictures of the tests.
Youtube chan with my rooted nexus one = www.youtube.com/user/exclusivegslick might as well sub if you like the phone and/or android.
i am in columbus area and here tmobile 3G is bad, i dont get 3G at all in my house.
i have a iphone 3gs and it gets 3G coverage everywhere.
as soon as i get off the highway 3g bars with tmobile starts going down.
the funny thing is that even in tmobile store i get EDGE with tmobile phones and the att 3gs gets 3G
and no i donot work with att.
my advice check 3G coverage to whatever city you travel the most.
i would go with mediocre 3G speed but better coverage, instead of blazing fast 3G with no coverage
This all depends on where you live and what type of service quality you are looking for.... I've heard ATT and T-Mobile trashed on forums for various reasons.
I live in Austin, Texas, USA... I can't speak for data service as I'm using a T-Mobile frequency G1 on ATT network - so, I'm restricted to Edge data service.
However, my wife has several friends who are on T-mobile and they constantly drop calls. Which DOES NOT happen to us on ATT. Also, ATT has MUCH better reception in the rural areas where I work than T-Mobile (which is VERY spotty in the rural areas).
So, my wife and I refuse to leave ATT for now. Despite my near clinical depression over not being able to upgrade my G1!
Data may or may not be better for T-mobile in the urban area here - I don't know.
I would check with your friends and family who travel the same areas that you do - who also have service with both carriers and have decent phones.
The claims from store reps will almost always be biased - however, if you have a friend who is a store rep who will give you an honest opinion - I would ask them what kind of complaints they hear "in store" regarding the other carriers.
Don't just take someone else's word from a post on this forum if that person DOES NOT live in your area - as they could have a completely different experience and the carriers' infrastructure could be very different.
jongie123 said:
T-Mo this summer is going to smoke AT&T as the fastest 3g network.But as far as coverage AT&T is a little better,plus is true that lower frequency is better penetrating to buildings,that's one problem i'm dealing now with T-Mo,but the price is right,so I guess at the end you have to look for the best one for your needs.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
AT&T coverage is not a little better than T-MO, it's a lot better, for both data and voice.
I have no idea what make anyone think T-MO America, who is in dire financial straits right now, has the money to keep up with AT&T's massive mobile network build-out. The truth is, they can't. AT&T has steadily been improving backhaul and connection speeds, is getting ready for 4G deployment and has that capacity in place in many places already.
AT&T's network has been improving faster than anyone else's, and that's why they currently have the fastest 3G speeds on the nation's #2 3G network for coverage. But they are far from done, and any competitor who thinks they're sitting still to be leapfrogged had better be prepared to spend a boatload of money to build, because AT&T is. T-MO just does not have the resources (revenue) to keep up.
Gslick said:
Ok Ok I know location plays a huge part in this but let me say this, AT&T is 100% trash compared to Tmobile (based on New Jersey), They pay millions to say they cover 97% of US and they have the fastest 3G in the US. When? 8 Years AGO?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You're talking out your butthole, pure and simple. Your narrow view of the network is a paradigm child of your limited experience with it. It's nothing more than crap folklore.
Wow, I live in Lewiston, ID. There isn't much around here and I have hit 3.5mb down and 1mb up with my Hero. For some reason lately I can't hit Liberty Lake with Speedtest. Is a couple hours away up by Spokane WA. For some reason it thinks I am 45mi away from Wichita, KS. Still hit almost 2.97mb down and 1.07mb up with a 348 ping.
some ppl. here are getting biased here.
for me i live in columbus and i bought the HD2 was waiting for it for months if not longer, but was sooooooo disappointed when i got it really bad 3G, next to nothing.
call quality soooooo bad, many ppl. are saying that its the HD2 thats at fault.
but i dont know, i have a 3GS in the house and that gets 3G even in tmobile store where the HD2 didnt
so i will think twice before taking tmobile in the future, asleast FOR AS LONG AS I LIVE IN COLUMBUS.
thats my personal experience, i cannot speak for other US cities or locations.
UberMario said:
T-Mobile because AT&T network is lame. They actually told their iFail users to don't use internet as much because of their weak ass network and they are locking down their android phones so T-Mobile wins of course.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's a complete load of crap. It's an outright lie. Maybe you didn't start it, but it's still a lie.
geronemo said:
some ppl. here are getting biased here.
for me i live in columbus and i bought the HD2 was waiting for it for months if not longer, but was sooooooo disappointed when i got it really bad 3G, next to nothing.
call quality soooooo bad, many ppl. are saying that its the HD2 thats at fault.
but i dont know, i have a 3GS in the house and that gets 3G even in tmobile store where the HD2 didnt
so i will think twice before taking tmobile in the future, asleast FOR AS LONG AS I LIVE IN COLUMBUS.
thats my personal experience, i cannot speak for other US cities or locations.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Columbus, OHIO- right? I live in the upper left corner of Ohio (Williams County) and want to get a nexus one. However, everyone I know has Verizon. I am sick of waiting so I am going to get one now. According to tmobile's and att's websites, att has the better coverage. I was also considering the palm pre plus ($50 bucks for two!), but I want the sexy nexus one.
Ok right now i am with verizon and they got great service, but it is really expensive. I have a smartphone and a regular ol flip-phone.
Smartphone: unlimited data, 5000 messages a month and a split of 500 min.
Flip-Phone: Split of 500 min
My bill right now is around 140.00 a month, Is this right? Are there any other carriers that can offer this at a better price than what i'm getting? I would like to see the 500 min stay the same or more, and i need unlimited txtin on the smartphone. The second phone can stay as a add a line phone.
I just cant afford this right now, it's killing me inside every month i have to pay this bill. Any help would be much appreciated.
garage_man said:
Ok right now i am with verizon and they got great service, but it is really expensive. I have a smartphone and a regular ol flip-phone.
Smartphone: unlimited data, 5000 messages a month and a split of 500 min.
Flip-Phone: Split of 500 min
My bill right now is around 140.00 a month, Is this right? Are there any other carriers that can offer this at a better price than what i'm getting? I would like to see the 500 min stay the same or more, and i need unlimited txtin on the smartphone. The second phone can stay as a add a line phone.
I just cant afford this right now, it's killing me inside every month i have to pay this bill. Any help would be much appreciated.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, I have 2 lines on T-Mobile, unlimited voice and text on both, and unlimited data on one line (mine, other is my daughter's dumbphone), and it's $120/month...and I believe they have plans matching yours now (or close) for even less.
However, I would only recommend them if you know their service is solid in your area. In their major markets where they have more solid coverage, they're great, but in other places quite the opposite.
Sprint is also very cheap and there coverage in most places is very good. Im south of dallas have very good coverage and in some areas near me no other carrier has service, not verizon, tmobile or att. But it all depends on your area.
Family plan with 2 phones for $130 a month you get...
1600 shared mins- Free mobile to mobile, doesnt matter what carrier the others on.
Unlimited text
Unlimited data
Unlimited picture mail
4g network is a separate charge.. only htc evo
Also we are getting the HTC Evo on June 4. Which will be one of the best android/smart phone available, but i guess that can be argued. Sprint also is the first nation wide carrier to carry 4g network. If its in your area, it might be something to look into.
Wow
I can't believe i am getting ripped off this bad. I should've mentioned that I live in northern michigan right around traverse city. Verizon seem to have a good 3g connection around here which is very important as i use my phone as the modem for my house. Also if i change do you think i can get away with large data usage. My bill varies from as little as 40gb a month to as much as 180-190gb.
I use tmobile prepaid plan and i pay 70.00 per month for 500 anytime min. unlimited data,free nights and weekends,free tmob to tmob. Hope this helps, oh i get like 300 or 500 texts included also or maybe its unlimited.
You think that's bad? I have;
Line 1: HTC Eris - 1400 minutes shared; Unlimited Messaging; Unlimited Data; TEC
Line 2: LG EnV3 - Shared minutes w/ above; Unlimited Messaging; Pay Per KB Data (none is ever used); TEC
Line 3: Samsung Smooth - Shared minutes w/ above
On average, I pay $192 a month. Now my fiance wants the LG Ally, which will tack another $30 on per month LOL
We're up for renewel, though, so I'll try to talk them into a month of free service which will offset the monthly cost a bit for the next 2 years.
-mak
edit: Sprint has a similar plan for $129; 1500 minutes, Any Mobile Anytime (Unlimited Mobile2Mobile on any network), Unlimited Messaging & Unlimited Data for all lines on the account. With insurance and two lines it would be $153 + tax a month.. but the phone selection isn't anything spectacular as of now, other than the Evo which will run you $299 -$100 MIR.
garage_man said:
I can't believe i am getting ripped off this bad. I should've mentioned that I live in northern michigan right around traverse city. Verizon seem to have a good 3g connection around here which is very important as i use my phone as the modem for my house. Also if i change do you think i can get away with large data usage. My bill varies from as little as 40gb a month to as much as 180-190gb.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
T-Mobile seems to be roaming coverage in Traverse, MI, so you won't be getting a 3G connection.
Sprint on the other hand has native coverage, as well as 3G. It may be a very good idea to look into Sprint as their coverage is very comparable with Verizon in some cities, and it seems that you live in one of them.
gsvnet said:
T-Mobile seems to be roaming coverage in Traverse, MI, so you won't be getting a 3G connection.
Sprint on the other hand has native coverage, as well as 3G. It may be a very good idea to look into Sprint as their coverage is very comparable with Verizon in some cities, and it seems that you live in one of them.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ok, thats what i was wondering cause as this is my internet i need a 3g connection at all times. I would like to see around 1mb or a little more cause right now i pull 1.3mb
garage_man, I think your best bet is to do the following:
-First, determine which carriers have adequate data coverage in your exact location. Best way to do this is to find some friends on other carriers (with smartphones preferrably) and test them at your location
-Let us know which carriers make the cut, and then I'm sure there'll be users on here who have tips on how to pay the least for the most with any of them, and then you can choose from there.
Are you sharing the connection thorough a wifi-router app, or by connecting by USB to one PC and sharing it out from there? I'm just curious really.
Ur gonna love this
sirphunkee said:
garage_man, I think your best bet is to do the following:
-First, determine which carriers have adequate data coverage in your exact location. Best way to do this is to find some friends on other carriers (with smartphones preferrably) and test them at your location
-Let us know which carriers make the cut, and then I'm sure there'll be users on here who have tips on how to pay the least for the most with any of them, and then you can choose from there.
Are you sharing the connection thorough a wifi-router app, or by connecting by USB to one PC and sharing it out from there? I'm just curious really.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I hook the phone up through internet sharing to my server. I have the connections bridged to my network card. From there it goes to my router/wifi. I use the wifi for my laptops and PS3. From the wifi router it goes to a switch to connect my gaming rig and tv. The switch gives me the ability to expand my network when needed. It's a little confusing and not the fastest internet but it gets the job done lol.
garage_man said:
I hook the phone up through internet sharing to my server. I have the connections bridged to my network card. From there it goes to my router/wifi. I use the wifi for my laptops and PS3. From the wifi router it goes to a switch to connect my gaming rig and tv. The switch gives me the ability to expand my network when needed. It's a little confusing and not the fastest internet but it gets the job done lol.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's cool, thanks. I kinda thought you had something a little more complex going on there lol. That's farily impressive though that your phone's connection can support all that...although I don't know if the unstable ping usually associated with a cell data connection would be ideal for gaming.
I guess then you also need to consider what phones each network has that can handle the way you having things setup. There's a bunch that can, but it may affect your choice in carriers.
sirphunkee said:
That's cool, thanks. I kinda thought you had something a little more complex going on there lol. That's farily impressive though that your phone's connection can support all that...although I don't know if the unstable ping usually associated with a cell data connection would be ideal for gaming.
I guess then you also need to consider what phones each network has that can handle the way you having things setup. There's a bunch that can, but it may affect your choice in carriers.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes the ping isnt the best for gaming. It is a pretty consistent 150 to 100 ping lately. There are of course times when i can get it as low as 80 and other times 1000 lol, but verizon upgraded there notwork and i get around 150 every time. To keep things running smooth I usually i keep it down to one thing like playing a game, or watching a movie. It cant do all them things rly well.
If i change carriers i will most likely get another tp2. Unless there is a good android phone out there that can so the same internet sharing as windows mobile and have a awesome keyboard of a tp2 lol. Does anyone know of such phones.
sirphunkee said:
garage_man, I think your best bet is to do the following:
-First, determine which carriers have adequate data coverage in your exact location. Best way to do this is to find some friends on other carriers (with smartphones preferrably) and test them at your location
.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's good advice. Also, CNET has a map where you can look up your network coverage with each carriers . It may help you as well.
I think the first thing you need to determine is where you have coverage because it won't do you any good to get a better plan and no coverage.
Sprint seems to have the best deals (though not necessarily the best customer service).
I have TMO and I like them a lot but its like another member says, if you have coverage in your area, they're great, if not, then it's frustrating. they have great plans (no-contract plans as well) and great customer service.
Hope that helps.
hmmm... I wanted to post a direct link but I guess I can't because I'm a new user.
google "root wireless cnet reviews" or "CNET compare carrier coverage in your area " and hopefully that'll take you to the right place
CNET has an interactive map where you can enter your area code and see the coverage by carriers.
Hope that helps.
Wouldn't ya know it
MyTomato said:
hmmm... I wanted to post a direct link but I guess I can't because I'm a new user.
google "root wireless cnet reviews" or "CNET compare carrier coverage in your area " and hopefully that'll take you to the right place
CNET has an interactive map where you can enter your area code and see the coverage by carriers.
Hope that helps.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
They have no data where i live lol.
Wouldn't ya know it
MyTomato said:
hmmm... I wanted to post a direct link but I guess I can't because I'm a new user.
google "root wireless cnet reviews" or "CNET compare carrier coverage in your area " and hopefully that'll take you to the right place
CNET has an interactive map where you can enter your area code and see the coverage by carriers.
Hope that helps.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
They have no data where i live lol.
.mak said:
You think that's bad? I have;
Line 1: HTC Eris - 1400 minutes shared; Unlimited Messaging; Unlimited Data; TEC
Line 2: LG EnV3 - Shared minutes w/ above; Unlimited Messaging; Pay Per KB Data (none is ever used); TEC
Line 3: Samsung Smooth - Shared minutes w/ above
On average, I pay $192 a month. Now my fiance wants the LG Ally, which will tack another $30 on per month LOL
We're up for renewel, though, so I'll try to talk them into a month of free service which will offset the monthly cost a bit for the next 2 years.
-mak
edit: Sprint has a similar plan for $129; 1500 minutes, Any Mobile Anytime (Unlimited Mobile2Mobile on any network), Unlimited Messaging & Unlimited Data for all lines on the account. With insurance and two lines it would be $153 + tax a month.. but the phone selection isn't anything spectacular as of now, other than the Evo which will run you $299 -$100 MIR.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That plan sounds nice, is there anyway for me to sim unlock my verizon tp2 to allow it to be used on the sprint network?
Hey folks! I'm currently an Sprint customer, but I'm considering a switch to ATT. I'll lay out a few facts so you can understand where I'm coming from. I'm not worried about cancellation fees because I can make our phones roam to VZW until sprint drops us.
-When I got cell service, none of the national carriers could compete with Sprint's prices (family plan, unlimited messaging/data, dont care about minutes). Now ATT's family plans have gotten competitive.
-Between people leaving VZW for economic reasons and people leaving T-Mo because of the ATT purchase, Sprint's network is very overburdened (at least in my area). Given the way Sprint has been flaking out on the 4G front, i'm not exactly filled with confidence that they'll expand their network capability in a timely fashion.
I'll ask folks in my squadron about local reception, but I want opinions from similarly minded people (you guys) about things like customer service and general happiness with the network. Also, what's ATT's 4G plan? As of now, all I've heard of is HSPA+, and I really dont know how it stacks up against WiMax, LTE, regular HSPA (thats 3g for GSM, right?) The store rep said that ATT will be using LTE, but I'm not sure if thats true given that Inspire and Atrix both are advertised as being 4G and use HSPA+.
Thanks in advance for any helpful feedback. For the flamers....well, u know where to stick it.
jdelforge5684 said:
Hey folks! I'm currently an Sprint customer, but I'm considering a switch to ATT. I'll lay out a few facts so you can understand where I'm coming from. I'm not worried about cancellation fees because I can make our phones roam to VZW until sprint drops us.
-When I got cell service, none of the national carriers could compete with Sprint's prices (family plan, unlimited messaging/data, dont care about minutes). Now ATT's family plans have gotten competitive.
-Between people leaving VZW for economic reasons and people leaving T-Mo because of the ATT purchase, Sprint's network is very overburdened (at least in my area). Given the way Sprint has been flaking out on the 4G front, i'm not exactly filled with confidence that they'll expand their network capability in a timely fashion.
I'll ask folks in my squadron about local reception, but I want opinions from similarly minded people (you guys) about things like customer service and general happiness with the network. Also, what's ATT's 4G plan? As of now, all I've heard of is HSPA+, and I really dont know how it stacks up against WiMax, LTE, regular HSPA (thats 3g for GSM, right?) The store rep said that ATT will be using LTE, but I'm not sure if thats true given that Inspire and Atrix both are advertised as being 4G and use HSPA+.
Thanks in advance for any helpful feedback. For the flamers....well, u know where to stick it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My advice is go for VZW if you want legit 4g. I haven't seen any 4g speeds on my Inspire and I live in Boston. The 4g data plan is basically 3g, and it costs teh same too.
I still can't bring myself to pay VZW's prices. I know their network is the best, but its not enough of an improvement for me to pay that much more. I'm not so much concerned with current 4g capability, i'm in between 2 4g markets right now, so I think it's going to be a while before I get it. I'm more curious about the future of 4g with ATT based on the fact that the rep, who seemed otherwise knowledgeable, said that ATT would be using LTE in Q4 of this year yet they've already released two phones sporting HSPA+ as their 4g devices. Does anyone know if they're going to switch their technology to LTE?
So what exactly would you like to know? Ask any questions you'd like and I'll answer them.
ATT has great coverage imo. I even have service where my girlfriend (verizon) does not (in many cases).
The inspire is the best phone on att. This is coming from a lifetime iphone man, and I also tested the Atrix for a month and CAME BACK to the inspire.
Data speeds are more than adequate for me, even if it is not the 'true' 4g of verizon. I am more realistic when it comes to data. I am thankful for the ability to be connected to the internet at all times, and if I have to wait a second for a page to load - I'm not complaining. What does matter to me is the performance and speeds of the gps/maps function, which, on the inspire are great. The google maps/nav is implemented directly into the phone and definitely has the upper hand on the iphone, which I feel is att's other competitive smartphone.
Basically, I feel your decision simply comes down to dollars and sense (get it??? haha...), as well as what kind of service you are receiving in your area. Att & sprint are comparable, and both carriers have great android devices (sprint is launching evo3d too, which looks pretty cool).
Basically, how's your service going to be? I would talk to people with ATT in your area and get their opinion. Also, how much money would you save/spend if you made the switch? I'd make a decision on those two factors.
at&t is currently releasing "4G" phones that have HSPA+ at 14.4/5.76Mbps download and upload respectively but they DO plan to run with LTE. Starting in May, they will be decommissioning their 2G network starting in the west coast and moving east, in order to free up bandwidth that they can use to launch LTE. Also, while Verizon purchased the "C" block of spectrum, at&t purchased a company that had vast amounts of what I believe was "D" spectrum on the 700 band as well and ended up paying a LOT less than what Verizon did to get their nationwide 700Mhz LTE licenses.
What I would do is go to the store, get a phone, drive EVERYWHERE that you think you may use it and watch your phone signal, run a few speed tests, check out voice quality, etc., before you make your decision.
While I am FINALLY figuring out the cause of my at&t issues at my new residence (Netgear 2.4GHz WNR2000v2 router is actually interfering with my cell signal massively), I have had issues around town and I am in Denver (the suburbs now) and should have EXCELLENT signal at all the locations I have had issues at.
T-Mobile is phenomenal if you look at their maps and make sure they have service of the utmost quality in your area - I read your post and believe you said T-Mo wasn't an option but I've had a few too many and just can't be bothered to go back and read the post again - T-Mobile has been deploying ridiculous HSPA+ speeds for some time now (on a recent speed test, my buddy got 26Mbps down and 2Mbps up on T-Mo's HSPA+ network) and I don't see them slowing down.
Verizon and Sprint are just disappointments and I think nothing more needs to be said about that.
EDIT: Sorry, at&t bought a large chunk of B-block 700MHz spectrum, not D-block.
EtherealRemnant said:
at&t is currently releasing "4G" phones that have HSPA+ at 14.4/5.76Mbps download and upload respectively but they DO plan to run with LTE. Starting in May, they will be decommissioning their 2G network starting in the west coast and moving east, in order to free up bandwidth that they can use to launch LTE. Also, while Verizon purchased the "C" block of spectrum, at&t purchased a company that had vast amounts of what I believe was "D" spectrum on the 700 band as well and ended up paying a LOT less than what Verizon did to get their nationwide 700Mhz LTE licenses.
What I would do is go to the store, get a phone, drive EVERYWHERE that you think you may use it and watch your phone signal, run a few speed tests, check out voice quality, etc., before you make your decision.
While I am FINALLY figuring out the cause of my at&t issues at my new residence (Netgear 2.4GHz WNR2000v2 router is actually interfering with my cell signal massively), I have had issues around town and I am in Denver (the suburbs now) and should have EXCELLENT signal at all the locations I have had issues at.
T-Mobile is phenomenal if you look at their maps and make sure they have service of the utmost quality in your area - I read your post and believe you said T-Mo wasn't an option but I've had a few too many and just can't be bothered to go back and read the post again - T-Mobile has been deploying ridiculous HSPA+ speeds for some time now (on a recent speed test, my buddy got 26Mbps down and 2Mbps up on T-Mo's HSPA+ network) and I don't see them slowing down.
Verizon and Sprint are just disappointments and I think nothing more needs to be said about that.
EDIT: Sorry, at&t bought a large chunk of B-block 700MHz spectrum, not D-block.
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Okay. This makes me want to know if my 2g I get here will be converted to 4g by the coming time.
Hmmmmmmph..that would be nice compared to my 150kbs download..lol
Sent from my HTC Inspire 4g using XDA.
MIUI Gingerbread 1.4.1v4
catlleprods cyan0#3.7
So I've gotten myself into a pickle. Let me start this by saying that staying on AT&T is not an option for personal reasons.
Current situation: HTC Inspire 4G with an unlimited data plan on AT&T.
Living in NY metro area with great coverage.
Got the green light from AT&T to cancel my contract with no ETF if I want.
Hopes & Dreams: Have a great phone on a future-proof network (LTE for example) while guaranteeing myself unlimited data.
Obviously I have a lot to weigh here:
AT&T's acquisition of T-Mobile.
I feel like this is pure bad news if I were to stay with AT&T or switch to T-Mobile. If I stay AT&T, prices are sure to go up, and sure I keep my unlimited data, but the network is going nowhere fast. 4G is bull****. 3.5G at best. All in all, the real innovation and envelope pushing just isn't happening here.
Verizon's LTE & Tiered Data.
From what I hear, the speeds are gorgeous. I checked and I'm in a hot coverage area. But I also hear indoor coverage sucks, and the LTE > 3G handoff is sloppy and leads to service drops.
Then there's the tiered data. I'm sure if I were to wait too long, I'll miss the boat on unlimited LTE data. Hence the reason I feel I need to make a move soon.
Sprint.
Short & sweet: Is the 4G good? Phone selection ramping up any time soon? What's hot now? The Pre 3 looks amazing, but if it'll be on Verizon, I'm not sure what Sprint may have to lure me in.
MetroPCS.
Just kidding
Anyway, any and all input is appreciated. I'm just not sure where to go and how.
Keep in mind I need to do the carrier change by May 4th.
Thanks!
30 views and no opinions?
I tried dumping AT&T and switching to T-Mobile a year ago and within 48 hours I was begging AT&T to reactivate my account In the end, it simply came down to signal strength/coverage. Before even considering all the other factors, find out what kind of service you're going to get in the EXACT locations where you spend your time. Maybe you're lucky enough to have strong service from multiple carriers (I wasn't), but I'd certainly test and see if it narrows your options.
I agree with what kopsis said; find out coverage in your exact area to the extent possible.
I can't say too much about the options personally, as I've had T-Mo since they were Voicestream and just after they bought Omnipoint, but I'm leery of the AT&T merger and I know they're not the best for everybody as is.
I have a VZ blackberry through work and while it's hard to be completely objective since the BES and proxy stuff screw with speeds, I've had issues with data actually being usable. While I have great coverage (theoretically), I've found sometimes that the device will show EVDO but only be able to pull 10kbps. Or it will not be able to get on EVDO at all and revert to barely usable 1xRTT even in areas that supposedly have hot EVDO coverage. I think while they have great geographic coverage, base stations can get overloaded throughput-wise, especially given the nature of legacy CDMA devices being "promiscuous" and talking to every tower they possibly can. I'm sure LTE will be different with them but my experiences so far have left me less than impressed.
With regards to Sprint, be aware, that they're rumored to be dumping WiMax for LTE sometime in the future, so that may interfere with your "future-proof" plans...
Greetings all!
I've been a very satisfied and loyal supporter of Ting for nearly two years now. However, I've decided to get myself a 32gb Nexus 5 from the playstore (arrives tomorrow, yaay!) with the hopes that I'll eventually be able to BYOSD to Ting. For now, I'm trying to settle on an ATT MVNO since TMO coverage is awful around here for miles.
Here is my usage on Ting:
under 100 mins
no texts (I use Google voice for SMS)
150mb average data use
I pay about 15-25ish per month depending on usage.
What I'm looking for in an ATT MVNO:
Decent Customer Service
Unliminted (or even decent amount) SMS/MMS/VOICE
Decent amount of data, say 250mb-1gb.
Reliable autopay and number porting.
No more than $40/month
I would like to port my Ting number once I feel "safe" and satisfied with the ATT MVNO.
I'm thinking of going with red pocket for now since I can get a free sim from callingmart.com with 39.99 of service. However, I'm nervous about the repeated complaints about inconsistent data throttling with Red Pocket. If I like the ATT service, I'd like to port my "real number" over to AIO because I've heard they have better CS, LTE, and a more reliable data throttle of 256kbps after the plan cap. I wish they had more LTE data (in my price range), but I can deal with the 256kpbs throttle if I breach 250mb.
I like the larger data pools of Airvoice and RP but the strange stories about having to call in to reset data or restore service are unsettling. I've never had an issue with my Ting service. Ting CS kind of spoils you.
Am I being paranoid?
Aside from you owning a nexus 5, I think this thread belongs over at the Howard forums because it has nothing to do with the Nexus 5
Sent from my LG-D801 using xda app-developers app
Dang, was wondering the same thing.
I'm in the same boat, but migrating from Sprint. I was hoping to hear what the community had to say on the matter of AT&T MVNOs. XDA is my trusted source. :fingers-crossed:
I would also like to see what the community here thinks on this matter. I'm currently with Sprint, was considering Republic Wireless, but when the Nexus 5 came out decided that I prefer that to the MotoX and so was looking at Ting. Hopefully they will come around to allowing a Play Store Nexus on Ting, but until then I'd sure like to get away from my $85 per month plan I have with Sprint towards something in the $20-$40 range. ATT and Sprint have decent coverage where I am, T-Mobile is not an option, unfortunately.
heroisnotdead said:
What I'm looking for in an ATT MVNO:
Decent Customer Service
Unliminted (or even decent amount) SMS/MMS/VOICE
Decent amount of data, say 250mb-1gb.
Reliable autopay and number porting.
No more than $40/month
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I would highly recommend Aio Wireless. Their $40 plan fits all of your criteria, and I've been really satisfied with them after 2 months. I currently use the $70 plan and the speeds and coverage are great. I would also recommend installing their MyAio app to keep track of data/pay/etc and their Visual Voicemail app which is really great to use. I can't comment on their Autopay feature because I like to manually pay my bills to keep track of where all of my money goes, but their payment method via app and desktop is painless and quick.
About 18 months ago, I left Sprint for Straight Talk. They have everything unlimited* for $45. You get unlimited 2.5GB of 4G (LTE & HSPA+ for at&t SIM, HSPA+ for T-Mobile SIM), then 2G until the end of the month. I only had to call them once after i ported a secondary Google Voice number to them (I couldn't add a service card online). I read that the customer service is bad, but it seemed fine to me. I usually get around 5Mbps, but sometimes its faster/slower too.
I'll second Straight Talk. I've had no problems whatsoever with them. I did have to call to activate my SIM card (the online process messed up somehow), and I had to talk to the manager as the first rep had no idea what I was talking about, but overall it's been great.