Related
Let me explain this pic. We can see in the lower right area of the pic there is a 4g wimax tower. A little farther up and to the left you can see my location. This is Bremerton, WA, a city that is a hour ferry from downtown Seattle. There are no other wimax towers for miles.
If I am walking by this building on the way to the ferry, I get 12 Mb download speeds.
If its anytime during daytime hours from morning until 9 or 10PM and I am in my house which is only blocks away my speeds are around 1-3 down, and maybe .5 up.
The only time I can get decent speeds is late at night between 12AM until 7. At those hours I can get a decent speed of 6-7 Mb down and up to 1.5 up.
And in my house it constantly just drops out, having to wait on average about 60 seconds before reconnecting.
So, wimax is line-of-sight, no doubt about that. Damn buildings all to hell.
Now I guess I would consider myself an average consumer, meaning that when I went into Radio Shack in FEBRUARY this year, what I wanted was 4g speeds and a higher end device.
I was actually looking to get the Samsung Galaxy S II Epic 4G Touch which was 200 bux. The guy there said because they had a special deal on the Photon that I should go with that. I got the photon for 49.99 with a 2 year plan and it came with a zagg invisible shield and a 16 gig micro SD card. I did put down a $250 dollar deposit.
My plan comes to about 79.99 a month. Mind you my first bill last month was $193 dollars. I pay a ten dollar fee supposedly for my phone being "SO SMART" and "4g" speeds.
I DO NOT consider myself to be getting "4g" speeds.
Its more like "3.232845 g".
So I wasn't thrilled with the first month of service. My Phone? Couldn't be happier. This phone is a beast. My life is now complete and I have purpose (Hahaha!) And with the forums here at XDA, I don't get much sleep.
Now here is what really pisses me off and I am writing this to you today to get your advice and opinions on a few things.
Did Radio Shack know the EOL for the Photon was in April just two months after buying it? I had no idea and if I would have I would not have bought it. He also sold me on the FACT? that it would be receiving the "ICS" Android update.
That might not even happen.
He also never once mentioned that Sprint was saying F--K it to WIMAX and chasing the LTE bandwagon instead.
The first 30 days has come and gone and I feel totally deceived being conned into buying a "LEGACY" phone with wireless technology that is being SCRAPPED.
And even tho I love my phone...if I could walk in there and cancel without a fee and get a full refund, I would.
I bought the photon 4g thinking it was a current high end phone. It is, but IT ISNT.
I signed a plan expecting 4g coverage where I live.
I DONT.
What can I do? Am I just screwed. I don't want to believe that since this is pretty fresh.
Can we here at XDA put our brains together and find a way to strengthen the 4g signal and range by a DIY method. Meaning an signal booster? Or an antenna? Is this possible? It might sound silly but here is the thing. I have many friends that have houses all around bremerton. We have to have something that could be cheaply built and put on top of our roofs to get better 4g signal. Is that even legal?
Anyway just wondering if you feel the same frustration as I am.
Thanks.
This is why its always a good idea to do a lot of background research on things like this. As for a solution I'd call up Sprint, they've been known to send out 3g airaves free of charge to customers in spotty service areas, this would get you good solid 3g in your house. Doesn't do anything to touch your 4g issue though, and not quite sure what you could do other than once again call Sprint telling them all this and see what they offer/say. They may credit you something or offer you an early upgrade to an LTE device once their networks up and running. And I don't know how the phone rep you bought it from could have not known about the EOL of the Photon, I'm sure they don't care too much they just want to push as many units out the door as possible. If you don't get anywhere decent with Sprint try taking it up with Radio Shack, not sure what all they could/would be willing to do for you though since its been a bit since you purchased it.
How many times are we going to have this discussion... EOL does not mean no more manufacturer updates. Other phones have gotten updates past EOL. Motorola has a timeline for the Photon/Electrify to get ICS.
Can't help you on the WiMAX issue, though.
Use wifi?
Sent from my MB855 using Tapatalk
I understand not being happy with the 4G I guess, though it's always been pretty spotty and hogged during the day in my experience so a little research would have told you that I think. Contact Sprint is the best you can do.
As far as the Photon being EOL'd, if you are happy with it then who cares? The phone is great, they all get EOL'd at some point. As far as the life span of WIMAX, yes they are moving away from it but the towers are not going away anytime real soon, you will still have WIMAX coverage for a while yet.
First: let me say I use this phone in Canada, and with Cyanogen Mod 7 and I bought this phone for $380 unlocked (SIM) and without contract.
Regarding WiMAX: I don't care because
a) I don't use 4G anyways,
b) I CAN'T use 4G because it's not provided in my area,
c) Unlocked bootloader,
d) For fast speeds I can just use WiFi.
e) Abandoning WiMAX means better technology is coming
f) Honestly, do you NEED to have hundreds of Mbps speeds on your PHONE?
For EOL:
I don't care/I appreciate it because:
a) It doesn't affect MY phone use whether or not Motorola stops making this phone
b) Accessories will be cheaper
c) It's still a good phone and I'll be able to get it for cheaper (on eBay, etc)
d) We're still getting ICS
e) Motoblur sucks and even if they don't do it, CM9 is always going to be there
Therefore, I don't care on both accounts.
as far as a signal booster or repeater, I think it may be possible. I did a google search, and found some interesting links. I would read carefully before purchasing to be sure the bandwidth matches.
about your 4g connection/speed problem, I can help a bit
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1365058
Use that to thread to find your msl code, ull need it to change a few things
Go into "##DATA#" in your dialer, using your msl code as the password,(hit nenu nd edit) in data profile turn reverse tunneling off, set device IP to 0.0.0.0, in multimedia set RSTP and HTTP to 0.0.0.0 and set the two ports to 0, set the buffer length to 20, in Wiimax set Entry CINR (db) to 2/4
Note - this should help your signal problem, it is the required signal strength to connect to wiimax
And also before changing everything id recommend backing up the original settings if you ever need to switch back, this should help your 3g and 4g
Sent from my MB855 using xda premium
I posted this on another thread but it really fit better here
===============================================
Look..
The bootloader is unlocked..... it just breaks wimax..
And with with wimax dead... (I.E. no more build out).... if you don't have it now you never will....
So this is now the best sprint unlocked 3g CDMA/GSM world phone there is....
So punt on 4g on this phone....
Go unlocked (no wixmax)
If we can get cm9 on this phone .... and get gsm unblocked for US you have a killer 3g world phone.....
Considering sprint screw us on wimax I say we have a right to recover some of our investment....
Sprint can give some of the value back to this phone now that wimax is dead by unblocking the damm GSM for the US market then we have something worth selling or keeping as a backup world phone
I say class action at min at Sprint.. demand unlock and unblock gsm to recover our investment in a phone sprint made a 4g promise they never met
Sprint...We lost a service you sold us for use in the US (Wimax 4g) so give us back a service for use in the US (GSM) that gives back some value to the phone...its as cheap and easy as a radio firmware update....
In fact for any Wimax phone Sprint has sold...
Sprint should an mim unlock any and all services it can on those phones as some kind of compensation to buyers so they salvage back some of the investment lost as buyers of that hardware...
We as buyers of Sprint Wimax phones have a business case to be made to demand as such
redhatter said:
I posted this on another thread but it really fit better here
===============================================
Look..
The bootloader is unlocked..... it just breaks wimax..
And with with wimax dead... (I.E. no more build out).... if you don't have it now you never will....
So this is now the best sprint unlocked 3g CDMA/GSM world phone there is....
So punt on 4g on this phone....
Go unlocked (no wixmax)
If we can get cm9 on this phone .... and get gsm unblocked for US you have a killer 3g world phone.....
Considering sprint screw us on wimax I say we have a right to recover some of our investment....
Sprint can give some of the value back to this phone now that wimax is dead by unblocking the damm GSM for the US market then we have something worth selling or keeping as a backup world phone
I say class action at min at Sprint.. demand unlock and unblock gsm to recover our investment in a phone sprint made a 4g promise they never met
Sprint...We lost a service you sold us for use in the US (Wimax 4g) so give us back a service for use in the US (GSM) that gives back some value to the phone...its as cheap and easy as a radio firmware update....
In fact for any Wimax phone Sprint has sold...
Sprint should an mim unlock any and all services it can on those phones as some kind of compensation to buyers so they salvage back some of the investment lost as buyers of that hardware...
We as buyers of Sprint Wimax phones have a business case to be made to demand as such
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just curious, why do you want Domestic GSM unlocked when it's only useful out of the country? Sprint has no GSM towers and they don't have an incentive to unlock it because if it's unlocked, you will be using a SIM Card from another provider like AT&T or T-Mobile... meaning providing competition from a Sprint phone...
Why you blame photon not getting LTE no sprint phone to this moment are available even some are on a horizon tho, even SGII if you would of got couldn't get you better signal or LTE. This phone still be good for awhile especially the way sprint moving the things forward.
Sent from my MB855 using XDA
ArchangelRenzoku said:
Just curious, why do you want Domestic GSM unlocked when it's only useful out of the country? Sprint has no GSM towers and they don't have an incentive to unlock it because if it's unlocked, you will be using a SIM Card from another provider like AT&T or T-Mobile... meaning providing competition from a Sprint phone...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes which mean it usable on other networks so it has more value....look I payed money for a Sprint 4g phone....Sprint now is making my 4g hardware, 3g hardware forever...pure loss of value...how to recover some value...let the hardware I OWN work on other carriers like AT&T or T-Mobile.....
I did not break my part of the deal with Sprint... Sprint broke the deal to provide 4g on the hardware they sold me
If you had a phone geting 4g in your area and the phone hardware failed and was no longer able to get 4g that would be a warranty issue for the phone right?
The phone would be replaced with one that worked as you were sold.... and if they could not replace or repair.... you would be offer a phone of same or greater value....
However I would not be warranty if I deliberately broke the phone
But Sprint is deliberately breaking there side of the network so why do I not Sprint take the loss?
This is not what I was sold or told when I bought....
So replace or repair or offer a phone of same or greater value or let me move on to another carrier with the hardware I bought
Look Im a network engineer of 30+ years....(in fact im posting while on a test bridge, telecommute in, since 4AM...boring)....Ive turned down many customer on data services...
A customer in good standing, you do not sell them a hardware investment on thier side of the link...
Then turn around and turn it down and just tell them "tough ****!"
"And Oh by the way we are going to hold you to your part of the deal, while you will not get the services and the growth of services and service network contracted for, you must keep paying the same rate with all penaltys for early cancellation"
Any business that pulled that on another business would be in court in a heartbeat.....
Hell in someways this is what Clearwire did to Sprint ... Clearwire could not provide the services and the growth of services and service network contracted for...
Did Sprint just let Clearwire keep charging them as all was contracted for? ...So why should we?
Look this is business.... provide what was contracted for or that deal is void...you can have the phone back and I get my money payed back...or let make a new deal
FYI... Do not expect to see any real performance difference at first beween Sprint /Clearwire 4g WIMAX and Sprint /Clearwire 4g LTE (unless they mask it with QOS for LTE traffic have priority over WIMAX traffic for thier internet bandwidth)...the issue was never WIMAX vs LTE as the layer 2 datalink itself ... Clearwire issue was Clearwire (I interview with them...for a while it seemed like they would call , via the headhunters, for new contract engineers ever other month...they have got issue and it was not WIMAX)
Redhatter, were what you're saying completely correct, then I would mostly agree. However, it's not quite correct. From what I've read, Sprint IS going to provide you with what they sold you. The 4g Wi-Max infrastructure is supposed to stay functional until 2015. So Sprint sold you a phone that's going to be fully functional (4g) until 2015, which I think I'm safe to assume, is past the contract you've signed with them. Not looking to start a fight here, but I just wanted to clear up that 4g will still work until 2015
318Charger said:
Redhatter, were what you're saying completely correct, then I would mostly agree. However, it's not quite correct. From what I've read, Sprint IS going to provide you with what they sold you. The 4g Wi-Max infrastructure is supposed to stay functional until 2015. So Sprint sold you a phone that's going to be fully functional (4g) until 2015, which I think I'm safe to assume, is past the contract you've signed with them. Not looking to start a fight here, but I just wanted to clear up that 4g will still work until 2015
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I live in Phoenix...Phoenix was to be build out as part of the 4g wimax network but was not and now never will be therefore I will never received the services sold the network was never built as presented....
Simple question would I have payed the premium for a service I never would get..
Or even better...sprint is now goint to sell LTE phones...but the LTE network is not built it just a promised at this point...so what if they sell LTE phones but then never deliver on the promised LTE...how is that diffrent then never delivering on the promised WIMAX network...
FYI Sprint still advertise in all their Phoenix stores all the Wi-Max products as 4G...something that will never work for most all of the customer in those stores
If Sprint doesn't keep their promises on the LTE this is their last chance before
they go down, hell BestBuy is on the verge go down.
As to the OP comments, it is frustrating that Sprint is so far behind in the 4G game, but 3G is plenty fast enough for me. I would love 4G, but not having it is not a huge deal to me.
dtaylorr said:
As to the OP comments, it is frustrating that Sprint is so far behind in the 4G game, but 3G is plenty fast enough for me. I would love 4G, but not having it is not a huge deal to me.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
#1. I feel the same way, I'v only used 4G 3 times, once on EVO and 2 on Photon.
#2. With that said, you need to thank me, I *****ed an moaned enough and I guess someone saw/heard it. Photon is off the EOL list!!!
http://www.technobuffalo.com/compan...f-life-list-reveals-evo-4g-is-on-its-way-out/
I guess I don't know exactly what the language is in the contract, but I don't think 4g is ever explicitly promised. The way I understand it is you pay for whatever your talk/text is and then for unlimited data, and then $10 extra bc smartphones use more data. So while maybe it was pretty crappy of Sprint to act like 4g was ever going to happen or advertise heavily about it when it's service is so sparse, I don't think they're contractually obligated to provide it.
Let me tell you why I think this is good news. 1. It means Sprint and Motorola may be still talking. #2. I think the conversation would go a little something like this:
Sprint: "We have a EVO 4G LTE coming out, Samsung Galaxy LTE, **** or git off the pot!"
Motorola: "We will if you give us the same advertising pull you give them!"
I tell you another reason this is Great News, In order to trump the other 2, Niviara (sp?) is working on Quad-Core 1.5Gzh that WILL work on LTE 4G, and to top that off, maybe new Photon will still be CDMA/GSM with 32Gb memory, which will make it top dogg!! (Hey, I can dream like everyone else!)
Ok so my EVO 3D shattered today. So I need to get a new phone. I don't want a replacement I'm tired of the 3VO. So here's my dilemma (I'm currently on Sprint, obviously):
• My contract is up so I can choose to renew or start a new contract elsewhere.
• I like the Sprint Galaxy Nexus, I can get that for $200 but there is no LTE in Orlando (Or anywhere for that matter)
• I think the At&t One X is beautiful (love the white). I can get this for $150 (Radioshack) and the there's LTE in Orlando.
• I think the HTC EVO LTE is hideous (color and material combination). I can get this for $200, but again no LTE.
• I've been following the Galaxy S III rumors since I can remember and I like what I see from the leaks. But the truth is we won't get this phone, in the US, until at least 3 months from the Thursday announcement.
So do you guys think I should get one of the current phones available, if so, which one? Or should I be patient and wait till Thursday and see what the S III announcement is all about in terms of availability?
*One thing to keep in mind is that I already have an At&t contract with two lines on it. Maybe I can add a 3rd and get a nice family plan price?
It looks like it depends on your current sprint service. If you are happy with the current sprint service you get then get the Galaxy Nexus or the Evo 4G LTE. If you are not happy with sprint and like AT & T more then get the One X.
id like the one x, but no sd and no way to upgrade the battery for extended power is putting me off, but in the other hand, the sex appeal of it, is drawing me towards it, my missus has the s2, and i dont really like it
Thank for responding guys. I'm happy with Sprint but the lack of LTE coverage is turning me away.
Markospena. I'm in almost the same dilemma minus the at&t option. I am on a sprint family plan and don't plan on going to another carrier. Not having LTE isn't a big issue for me. I'm just torn between phones. My first smartphone was the EVO. Then I traded it in for the 3VO. Right now I'm between the GNEX and the 4G LTE. The GNEX is technically old hardware by now but the pure vanilla experience has me leaning in the direction of the GNEX. I've always ran cyanogenmod on both the EVO AND 3D. So I think I should just go with the GNEX. then I start thinking about its basically last years phone. So I don't know what to do. I'm not big on sense but sense 4.0 does seem to be a lot simpler and less bloated. Ughhhh haha I feel your pain.
Sent from my PG86100 using xda premium
One X, easy choice, battery is decent, your getting a day easy.
@anthrofear ...
You should take a look at AT&T's family plan. I didn't think Sprint really had one. I know with unlimited, another line is $10 less...But I don't exactly consider that a group plan. I'm in the same boat with this difficult decision but surprisingly I am leaving Sprint (early) and going to AT&T for the HTC One X. A big factor in it to be honest is the lack of 4G on Sprint for the HTC EVO LTE and the ugly design of the phone. Last, AT&T's family plan is actually going to save me about $10-20 a month. Right now I'm at $117/mo with Sprint because the EVO comes with $10 extra premium fee...Which is total crap. I can count on one hand the times I've used 4G because when doing so, the battery drains faster.
IF Sprint continues to charge a premium for 4G phones at $10/mo. ... They're horrible. Because their 4G network is mess and the EVO 4G LTE won't fall back like it will on AT&T from LTE to HSPA+. Plus AT&T has more LTE coverage than Sprint at the moment. Clearwire was a real bad idea for Sprint. I like Sprint don't get me wrong, but my usage patterns didn't prove to need an unlimited plan. 3GB and 5GB (on AT&T) is a real good amount of data. You really need to be streaming a LOT to hit that. I'm averaging 1GB/mo. on Sprint.
So if changing carriers makes a decision easier for you, don't be afraid of it. I was quite surprised that AT&T came out cheaper for two lines for my wife and myself. Plus they are unlimited too - just not to land lines...But the minutes roll over. So... I'm actually left to wonder what Sprint's edge is now. As loyal as I was...I want to actually use the phone I'm buying and save a couple hundred a year while doing so.
...And now...No fugly two tone black HTC One X and I get it Sunday
I should also note that my decision for the One X over the Nexus is that the Nexus's blacks are great and I believe turning off pixels promotes battery life, but the reviews show the One X with better (slightly) battery life, the camera is better (while I don't expect great photos, any help is great with smartphones for stability/low light - not for resolution) and most important is that the Nexus' whites look very blue to me. The tint is terrible and I'm not sure my eyes would ever adjust. I noticed it right away in the Sprint store without even holding my other phone up.
The other reason is that Google does not officially support the Sprint version of the Nexus. They are only choosing to work with the GMA versions. So with the Nexus on Sprint or Verizon you would be at the mercy of Samsung. The Nexus would be worth considering on a different carrier if my above mentioned issues are no issue for you.
One x of course
sent from my EVO 3D s off using xda premium
As it turns out I had to pick up a new number when I moved to AT&T today. So I still have my EVO on Sprint and the HTC One X on AT&T for a little bit.
I downloaded the speedtest.net app. Now I'm worried.
Sprint on 3G
154ms ping
798Kbps down
592Kbps up
Sprint on 4G (WiMax, not LTE)
75ms ping
7880Kbps down
1486Kbps up
AT&T on 4G (HSPA+ the fallback)
87ms ping
277Kbps down (though another test I saw 1100+ but it's unstable and takes a while to start, the graph in the app is erratic)
up? Who knows because it won't even start.
I did have LTE coverage outside so I'll run the test again in a different spot.
Pretty embarrassing that Sprint's 3G is actually faster...
Both tests were to the same server at the same time in the same location.
This really has me regretting the AT&T idea to be honest. I imagine I can just cancel but... I'll give it a fair shake and make my mind up before the return period.
I'm speechless. My major complaint with Sprint was that they wouldn't have LTE...But their 3G is pretty good! I know that'll vary based on where I am and all...So I'll do more testing from various areas.
sad face.
I regret leaving T-Mobile US for Sprint
I would RUN to the HTC One X
I stand (happily) corrected! I went outside and got 26.41Mbps down and 17.10Mbps up with 98ms ping.
WOW! I even saw a spike, in one of the tests, to 3100 some Kbps nearly 30Mbps!
I will never go back to non LTE. Which means even if data costs more on AT&T (I'll have to see how much data I actually end up using) ... It has the LTEs where Sprint does not =( and will not until this phone is old.
The HTC One X is the one you want =)
tom_m said:
I stand (happily) corrected! I went outside and got 26.41Mbps down and 17.10Mbps up with 98ms ping.
WOW! I even saw a spike, in one of the tests, to 3100 some Kbps nearly 30Mbps!
I will never go back to non LTE. Which means even if data costs more on AT&T (I'll have to see how much data I actually end up using) ... It has the LTEs where Sprint does not =( and will not until this phone is old.
The HTC One X is the one you want =)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for posting this. I'm also in the same boat and was just going to wait for the White EVO 4G LTE to come out and make a decision.
However the fact still remains, I will not have LTE and not until maybe the end of this year if I stay with Sprint. I just checked my data and I barely go over 1gb and I feel that I'm always using sprints 3G/4G. I guess I'm not on it as much as I thought.
I'm now on Facebook trying to see how friends with at&t here like their service. It's a hard decision, since I only pay $50 a month for everything with Sprint. Decisions, Decisions.
Hello,
We are long time Verizon customers but have had enough of their capricious attitude, the insane recent price hikes and limited data plans. (although we currently have unlimited data). However, my husband's phone was stolen about a month ago and while we're using an old phone for the moment, we need to upgrade it for him. I like Sprint's current business model of unlimited everything (& we plan to sign up for everything data plus from the employees referral to save a bit and get more minutes). We also like the fact that Sprint is a green company and supports more things that we believe in. Yeah, I know that we're giving up the network for a bit until Sprint's Network Vision is completed but I think we can live with that.
Here's my dilemma. There are no Sprint owned stores in our area, just third party stores and only a couple of those so I can't buy through them &get everything data plus... Which is fine because they don't know much at all. I went there to try to see both the Evo 4G LTE side by side with the Samsung Galaxy S3...both working. Unfortunately, they didn't have a working model of the S3 but they opened up a package so I could at least hold them next to each other.
My concern most of all is with the radio quality and reception. I have some serious medical issues so being able to call for help is a frequent need. I took my current phone (HTC Rezound), my husband's Motorola DROID X, and the Evo LTE, and did side by side comparisons of the radios. My Rezound came in top at -80 give or take a few both directions, the DX, at -86 also give/take & the Evo LTE at -97 to -103. I then tried to load a webpage on my Rezound and the Evo. I picked yahoo because it has mixed media &was a first thing that popped into my head. My Rezound loaded the desktop version in less than 20 seconds... The Evo was still attempting to load the mobile version after several minutes.
So, do I believe the story that the mall kiosk has terrible Sprint reception? Was the demo Evo LTE one of the bad first batch? I know that there will be a step back in service speed but this was unbearable. I'm hoping that this isn't the normal for Sprint service... I mean it can't be, right? Right no one would use them.
What I'm unable to find out is what the Samsung Galaxy S3 radio is like compared to the Evo LTE in similar circumstances. I can't afford to get one of the phones, not have it work, pay the restocking fee and a second activation fee. With two lines that's over $200 just to switch away from a defective phone. Is there any leeway given for phones that won't hold a signal... Like allowing us to switch to another phone if the first is defective? I know that the base chipset is the same between the two phones but from what I've read the radios themselves can be different based on the manufacturer. So, I don't know what either the HTC Evo LTE or galaxy S3 would be like on any specific phone and it sounds like there are differences in the batches. What do I do or what would you do? I know we're taking a risk switching to carriers but we want to live authentically and put money into companies that are supporting the things we believe in and shaping their company based upon similar values. We will be having to do a transfer of our Vzw account (assumption of liability) once we're settled into Sprint but not until we're positive it works for us. Then we'll give up our Vzw contract so we don't owe an ETF. It also gives my DH the phone upgrade he needs since his was stolen during one of my medical emergencies. Vzw refused to help us at all through the whole process.
But I digress.
What do you think phone wise? Bad reception? Bad Evo LTE? Would you take a chance on the S3 with Samsung's past radio issues... Do you think that they've improved them? Would you take a chance on getting a bad Evo LTE since HTC /Sprint have admitted to a problem there? Since I can't compare them side by side working or compare radio strengths I really need advice!
Thanks so much in advance!
All the best,
Rae
I just loaded up the yahoo desktop Site on my LTE in about 18 seconds and I have 1 bar and very bad 3G reception in my house.
Radios seem to be just fine on the Evo and from the GSIII. Sure Samsung had issues in the past but I think they have gotten them all squared away. Sprints network is just down right awful but as you said they are working to improve a large coverage area over the next 18 months.
Sent from my EVO using xda premium
Wow the was a beating to read but imo the radio is pretty good and I'm sure its getter than the gs3 also overall build quality is getter than the gs3 but if I were you I'd get a gs3 to play with for a little bit and compare side to side. I'm die hard HTC so there was no question for me
Sent from my htc_jewel using Tapatalk 2
Speeds will differ from city to city. I get 25kbps in my city where the towers are clogged and undergoing maintenance. I was on a road trip this weekend and got 2mbps a few hours from my hometown.
WiFi is your friend
Sent from my htc_jewel using Tapatalk 2
I tend to agree. I'd get the GSIII too if I were them. I just have a thing for Evo's and HTC.
Sent from my EVO using xda premium
Also, if you have high speed internet at home you can get an adaptor for your house to allow a mini like sprint tower for your house. My buddy did it and its only a few dollars a month for taxes. Something to consider if poor signal around the house.
Sent from my ClassicJewel
I just picked up the EVO for me and the wife. The radios are fine. You really can't go wrong either way, with the SG3 or the EVO. I had an SG1 before this. I would say you have to try it out at your house. If sprint doesn't fit the bill then you just stuck with Verizon.
There are some other differences between the SG3 and the EVO, I found that the Evo had the things that I really wanted like camera button. I really did think that I would have the SG3 about 2 months ago, just saying really look at them closely if that is the way you go.
I, too, am an HTC fan. Love Sense and I don't care for Touchwiz. I'm sure either phone would suit your needs. I would think Sprint would trade out your phone if there was a defect issue. I got mine through Best Buy but have bought from Sprint before and had issues with my 3D after I had it for about 6months and they traded it out for me. Also, just wanted to mention, in case you didn't already know, that any phone call made to any mobile number with Sprint does not come off your minutes. I barely touch my minutes because most of my calls are made mobile to mobile. And the nights and weekends start at 7pm instead of 9pm. You may not need the unlimited calling plan if you don't do a lot of land line calling.
Sent from my EVO LTE using xda premium
Let us know what you decide. I don't know what sprints return policy is. Think you should just go to Best Buy & see what there return policy is.
As far as price, sprint really is great. The network can vary greatly from horrible to average on 3g depending on if your tower has gotten the network Vision upgrade. (there are places online that you can check if it's gotten the upgrade, but I don't know the link)
As someone mentioned, you can get the airwave femtocell to improve service in your home and sometimes you can get that for free.
I too am a fan of Sprints green policies. And I love the screen on the this (evo) compared to gs3. But they are both great phones.
Sent from my EVO using xda app-developers app
I love the sprint pricing/plan practice, but the network is terrible. It's usually been pretty good but lately it has been garbage, I'm hoping it's due to the upgrades and tower converting..
I wouldn't recommend Sprint at this time with someone who has health issues, but you can try them and see. I think they have a decent return policy
Sent from my EVO using xda premium
in my area the NV upgrades are causing lots of dropped calls for me and my wife... the 3g speeds have always been abysmal with sprint... the unlimited data sounds great, but do you really need more than the 2gb caps that most other companys have in place? I don't think I've ever used more than 1gb of data in a month.
If I were you, I'd wait a bit before switching to sprint, make sure NV actually does what is promised, before you commit to them for 24 months
varaonaid said:
I like Sprint's current business model of unlimited everything (& we plan to sign up for everything data plus from the employees referral to save a bit and get more minutes).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Keep in mind that Sprint does free mobile to mobile. My family plan has only 700 minutes, and we usually end up with 500 minutes unused every month. That's free *any* mobile to any mobile. If you get a call from a verizon user, for example, you're still not using your minutes. Lots of minutes is nice, just make sure you don't end up paying more for a plan you don't really need
My concern most of all is with the radio quality and reception. I have some serious medical issues so being able to call for help is a frequent need. I took my current phone (HTC Rezound), my husband's Motorola DROID X, and the Evo LTE, and did side by side comparisons of the radios. My Rezound came in top at -80 give or take a few both directions, the DX, at -86 also give/take & the Evo LTE at -97 to -103. I then tried to load a webpage on my Rezound and the Evo. I picked yahoo because it has mixed media &was a first thing that popped into my head. My Rezound loaded the desktop version in less than 20 seconds... The Evo was still attempting to load the mobile version after several minutes.
So, do I believe the story that the mall kiosk has terrible Sprint reception? Was the demo Evo LTE one of the bad first batch? I know that there will be a step back in service speed but this was unbearable. I'm hoping that this isn't the normal for Sprint service... I mean it can't be, right? Right no one would use them.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sprint has very similar coverage to Verizon, since they rent towers from each other. The difference is that Verizon uses different frequency signal, which penetrates some hard objects (like walls) better than Sprint. So yes, your reception indoors is likely to be worse with any Sprint phone.
Sprint can give you a minitower for your house though (they call them Airave). If you tell them you don't have reception in your house, they will give it to you for free. It plugs into your network router and gives you about 100' radius of very good reception.
As far as Galaxy vs Evo, I can't really say, since I don't have a Galaxy. Evo's reception seems to me to be very good, compared to my old Moment, Transform, and Epic. Similar to slightly better than my wife's iPhone4.
I'll let you know. Mostly I want to know that Sprint will stand behind either phone if the radios aren't up to par without the restocking fees and a second activation fee... I can't afford $210 of activation, restocking and another reactivation fee for phones that are defective. I'm not talking about just changing my mind and wanting a different phone but needing to trust that one way or another I'll get two phones with no radio issues.
It's not as simple as just staying with VZW, my husband's phone was stolen during one of my medical emergencies... He's currently using an old phone but it's not working very well. So, we either pony up for a new phone (even if it's via Craigslist) or we get a new provider (who hopefully gives a care bc Vzw certainly didn't!), both get new phones and sell our current ones to cover most of the upfront cost of the new phones. We could wait until Network Vision is completed or moreso but will they still be able to offer unlimited data plan at that point. Since we feel that we want to switch, now feels like a good time to do so. Does that make sense?
No we're not out of contract with Verizon but have people lined up to do an AOL (assumption of liability or contract takeover) so we'd be out of it with no fees. However, we won't complete the AOL until we're sure that Sprint will work for us now.
Does anyone know if the everything data plus (we'd be looking at the 1600min family plan) has free activation? I'd have to order online and it would be via employee referral? Also, do you get any numbers you can pick that are unlimited to those numbers? Verizon had friends and family where you got to pick a handful of numbers that you call the most that don't count against our minutes. My only concern is my in laws as they have a VERY limited cell plan and use their land line almost exclusively. If we could add that one number that would help a ton. I'd read somewhere online that Sprint had something similar but now, of course, can't find it again.
I appreciate all of your help and advice so very much. I hope this explains more why we're considering the switch and why we need good phone reception... At least as good as is currently possible on their network.
BTW, when we informed Vzw about the phone theft we were tracking the phone on Google latitude and the refused to help or advise us as to what to do in any way. Super disappointed with their lack of help. If the customer service had been better, we might have gotten our phone back. I've heard good things about Sprint's customer service.
Any other thoughts or suggestions or advice... Please share! And many thanks to all of you who have shared!
I'll add my 2 cents. I have bought phones from Sprint local stores, employee referral that you mentioned (I have the 1600 employee referral plan). I have had similar service from all places. And yes, Sprint does have an add-on for call any number for free. It is called pick 3. After you sign up for service, call customer service, and tell them you came from Verizon which had that feature and you really miss it. Ask them about pick 3 and they should be able to give it to you for free. 3 numbers that don't use your anytime minutes. Can be different numbers for each line.
Sent from my Meanie ICS LTEvo
I currently have a rooted HTC Evo 4G LTE with Sprint, the contract is over and Sprint no longer wants to offer unlimited data. So it is time for me to find a new provider, a new phone.
Which provider has the best 4G LTE signal, which would be the best phone.
My requirements are that the phone be able to be rooted, and that I have control of the bootloader.
As far as I know HTC is the only bootloader that you can have control.
I think I want to go with T-Mobile, since they have a sensible unlimited plan...which would be the best phone for this project.
bgduece22 said:
I currently have a rooted HTC Evo 4G LTE with Sprint, the contract is over and Sprint no longer wants to offer unlimited data. So it is time for me to find a new provider, a new phone.
Which provider has the best 4G LTE signal, which would be the best phone.
My requirements are that the phone be able to be rooted, and that I have control of the bootloader.
As far as I know HTC is the only bootloader that you can have control.
I think I want to go with T-Mobile, since they have a sensible unlimited plan...which would be the best phone for this project.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I switched over to T-Mobile and a n5. Fabulous coverage and insane speeds. Although of course T-Mobile coverage isn't as great as Verizon and AT&T. Check sensorly for your area. But I do highly recommend T-Mobile. Also, Nexus boot loader isn't controllable. But the amount of development for the device is through the roof. If you're a flashaholic like me, then the n5 is the phone for you.
Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk
bgduece22 said:
I currently have a rooted HTC Evo 4G LTE with Sprint, the contract is over and Sprint no longer wants to offer unlimited data. So it is time for me to find a new provider, a new phone.
Which provider has the best 4G LTE signal, which would be the best phone.
My requirements are that the phone be able to be rooted, and that I have control of the bootloader.
As far as I know HTC is the only bootloader that you can have control.
I think I want to go with T-Mobile, since they have a sensible unlimited plan...which would be the best phone for this project.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Why is sprint making you change your plan? Did you go to the store? Because upgrading doesn't always entail a new plan, if you went to the store they may be trying to sell you more than the phone. Just my 2 cents.
Sent from my EVO using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
Maybe they were promoting their new Easy Pay plans.
aarsyl said:
Maybe they were promoting their new Easy Pay plans.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sounds like it.
Sent from my EVO LTE
aarsyl said:
Maybe they were promoting their new Easy Pay plans.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's exactly what they're doing. However, contact Sprint before you purchase a new phone and inform them that you would like to be grandfathered into your old plan. From what I was told, this can be done, but only BEFORE you purchase a new phone.
Given, you'll still deal with the Easy Pay, but same plan. You could also possibly just get your phone from Best Buy Mobile and still get a phone under the normal discounted rates for a two year plan.
I've heard that the Easy Pay is the new plan for everyone, and Sprint with no longer issue contracts, but month-to-month service. Payments for your phone will be divided over a course of 2yrs, I think, but it is not the same as an actual plan. You will have to pay the remaining balance for you phone as opposed to a termination fee.
I'm not sure how I feel about that...they told me that I can upgrade through Easy Pay, but I need to speak to them in person to find out the actual details and the benefits.
aarsyl said:
I've heard that the Easy Pay is the new plan for everyone, and Sprint with no longer issue contracts, but month-to-month service. Payments for your phone will be divided over a course of 2yrs, I think, but it is not the same as an actual plan. You will have to pay the remaining balance for you phone as opposed to a termination fee.
I'm not sure how I feel about that...they told me that I can upgrade through Easy Pay, but I need to speak to them in person to find out the actual details and the benefits.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
From what I've just experienced, you don't have to do easy pay. I changed my plan to the new "my way" plan and I can get my upgraded device anyway I want. I could use easy pay or purchase it outright at the discounted rate. I also have the option to use a third party vendor, like wirefly or on Amazon, which is what I'm doing. With easy pay, as it was explained to me by sprint rep, you pay a small amount up front. Then they bill you monthly, over 24 months and you end up paying full (non discounted) price for the device you choose. But I didn't have to change my plan, I chose to.
EVOlved human
atheistevofreak said:
From what I've just experienced, you don't have to do easy pay. I changed my plan to the new "my way" plan and I can get my upgraded device anyway I want. I could use easy pay or purchase it outright at the discounted rate. I also have the option to use a third party vendor, like wirefly or on Amazon, which is what I'm doing. With easy pay, as it was explained to me by sprint rep, you pay a small amount up front. Then they bill you monthly, over 24 months and you end up paying full (non discounted) price for the device you choose. But I didn't have to change my plan, I chose to.
EVOlved human
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Easy Pay sounds similar to the now-defunct "One-Up" plan. I believe you had to pay the taxes on the full, non-discounted price up front when upgrading, and then paying for the phone over the next two years, as I recall. Any remaining balance at the end of the two year period had to be paid in full.
Sent from my EVO LTE
I'm kind of hesitant to switch to another carrier mainly because of what is going on with a merger between them and T-mobile. T-mobile recently bought all of Verizon's 700MHz bandwidth, meaning better LTE coverage for Sprint as soon as the merger goes through, if it goes through at all.
I am skeptical about the success of the merger. Sprint will finally be a powerhouse, and I don't think that the regulators want that to happen.
I'm curious about what all the last 2 posters are privy to. I'm about to upgrade my device, and when I look on sprint site, it would be only 100$ for n5 or HTC One. But I went to sprint store and it was 50$ + 16/no and get 12/mo upgrade, but will also F up all other lines on my family plan. I don't wanna pay monthly for device, I wanna pay up front and forget about it, but I do want 12moupgrades.
All that said,on a 25mi trip, I just compared my LTE speed tests with my girls tmo speed tests, and hers were consistently higher than mine. And her device is a 4yr old pyramid that doesn't even have radios to accept tmo LTE. But hers kicked my ass. I wanna hear from anyone who has ideas on how to test them, or any secret info about why they think sprint may be about to be awesome. Again, while my LTE service speed tested about 3mbps on avg, her old tmo (no LTE) consistently got way better than my LTE in same places.
Word love tohearsome thoughts,cuz I'm ready to jump ship.
Sent from my EVO 4G LTE using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
scottspa74 said:
I'm curious about what all the last 2 posters are privy to. I'm about to upgrade my device, and when I look on sprint site, it would be only 100$ for n5 or HTC One. But I went to sprint store and it was 50$ + 16/no and get 12/mo upgrade, but will also F up all other lines on my family plan. I don't wanna pay monthly for device, I wanna pay up front and forget about it, but I do want 12moupgrades.
All that said,on a 25mi trip, I just compared my LTE speed tests with my girls tmo speed tests, and hers were consistently higher than mine. And her device is a 4yr old pyramid that doesn't even have radios to accept tmo LTE. But hers kicked my ass. I wanna hear from anyone who has ideas on how to test them, or any secret info about why they think sprint may be about to be awesome. Again, while my LTE service speed tested about 3mbps on avg, her old tmo (no LTE) consistently got way better than my LTE in same places.
Word love tohearsome thoughts,cuz I'm ready to jump ship.
Sent from my EVO 4G LTE using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My thoughts on this: if the merge was ever to come to pass, then you would technically be starting over as a new customer with Sprint. While I don't think that the merge will be successful, just keep that in the back of your mind.
More importantly, how is voice service with Tmo compared to Sprint? Which had more dead/low signal zones? And which device gives you better service at home? Yes, data is vital, but these are still phones, primarily. You have no idea how much you need good voice service until it starts to mess up, then you'll wish that you didn't make the jump.
Try using different apps, like SignalCheck Lite from the play store to compare the signal difference in various locations. Use both phones to leave voicemails on a third phone (land line or cell phone, doesn't matter), and replay both to see which is clearer. This last test will be a little skewed, of course, since you are using two different devices, and your LTE has newer tech inside it.
Lastly, if you want to make the jump, just take the time to test the Tmo network (or any other network) before you decide. This is not the type of mistake that you will want to regret. On another note, if the money being saved is worth the potential aggravation, then go for it. I'm not bashing Tmo in any way whatsoever, for I have been considering making the jump as well, but I'm quite comfortable with my Sprint service, and the repair center that I go to tends not to ask too much questions. Just don't bring them a rooted phone, and all is well.
Appreciate the lengthy feedback. My nearest sprint repair center loves seeing the cool sh1t on the ROMs I bring in, lol. Lucky me. That said, tmo looks like it'd be a little cheaper, not much. But their data speeds, even on 3g are 20x faster than the LTE I get from sprint. So many pros, so many Con's. Actually, they'll pay my etf, and there aren't many Con's. Prob be switching soo. And yearly upgrades, which I like. That said, I like that sprint leans on OEMZs t9 get the hardware they know customers want.
Sent from my EVO 4G LTE using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
scottspa74 said:
Appreciate the lengthy feedback. My nearest sprint repair center loves seeing the cool sh1t on the ROMs I bring in, lol. Lucky me. That said, tmo looks like it'd be a little cheaper, not much. But their data speeds, even on 3g are 20x faster than the LTE I get from sprint. So many pros, so many Con's. Actually, they'll pay my etf, and there aren't many Con's. Prob be switching soo. And yearly upgrades, which I like. That said, I like that sprint leans on OEMZs t9 get the hardware they know customers want.
Sent from my EVO 4G LTE using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You've sparked my interest. How does T-Mobile do data? Is it truly unlimited? Or do they cap your speed after a certain usage?
I am glad I switched over even though the 4G service isn't great where I live, I can sacrifice that for being able to customize MY phone/tablet/computer/anything any day. ...
If any one sees or hears anything about root/recovery for the other service providers, let them know. I know I would greatly appreciate any information to get my phone working the way I intend it to.
Thanks.
Sent from my rooted 'beaned' SM-G900T using Tapatalk Premium
em0ney14 said:
I am glad I switched over even though the 4G service isn't great where I live, I can sacrifice that for being able to customize MY phone/tablet/computer/anything any day. ...
If any one sees or hears anything about root/recovery for the other service providers, let them know. I know I would greatly appreciate any information to get my phone working the way I intend it to.
Thanks.
Sent from my rooted 'beaned' SM-G900T using Tapatalk Premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm with you. I had five lines with Verizon, all with unlimited data that I only paid 9.99 a month for because I got in on some discount; I switched them all to T-Mobile. It was a tough decision at first, but I had such a terrible time with my note 3 on Verizon, I just couldn't do it again.
Admittedly, the service isn't better, but it is good enough and now I can actually do things with my phone.
Sent from my SM-G900T using xda app-developers app
So true! I just left Verizon yesterday and signed up for TMobile! SO happy so far. I just feel good
I left Verizon for TMO 5 1/2 months ago, not long after the Note 3 came out. I had a Note 2, and my upgrade date was 4 months away. I was 20 months into my contract, and they used to do upgrades at 18 months. I was with Verizon for years, ever since they first came around. I called customer service to see if I could get my date moved and get a Note 3. The rep told me I qualified for something called Pre-Edge, so if I signed up for Edge, I could get a new phone that day. He gave me his name in case there were issues and made notes on my account. I went to the store, and no one had ever heard of Pre-Edge, nor did they see any notes on my account. When I called CS and asked for him, I was told he'd call back. I never got a call and had to leave the store because they were closing. I called back multiple times over the next 2 days and no one knew what Pre-Edge was or who I was talking about. Needless to say, I was angry. The same day, I went to T-Mobile and switched. I still have no idea what happened with that guy or what he was talking about.
I just signed up with T-Mobile yesterday and got the S5. I have been very interested in them the last couple of months. I have tried on them on pre-paid and its good enough. Much better with an actual T-Mobile branded phone. I am so disgusted with AT&T's BS on locking bootloaders and everything else that goes with that. AT&T is good for those who travel. I do not travel and so far I'd give T-Mobile about an 8/10.
Things I've noticed so far:
Generally weaker signal versus AT&T (most likely due to the high bands) Still works though.
HSPA+ is very fast, but when you hit -105dbm or greater it starts to go.
LTE is not as fast as I thought, but still very good.
Call quality is SO much better than AT&T.
LTE on Band 4 is pretty weak overall, but still usable.
13 more days to see if they work for me.
I hear ya OP. I have been watching here and the ATT forums. I am feeling really sorry for the guys over there right now. I am almost betting they will be lucky to get safestrap working and that for me personally is NOT enough. It feels like a ghost town. Since I have had my S1,S2, S3, and S4 there almost always have been a ROM or more on the first day I owned the devices (usually within a few days to a month of release).
I just called T-Mobile about switching my 4 lines from ATT over to T-Mobile. Checking prices and plans. Looks like I could save some money per month. Soecially if I just bring a few of my devices onto Tmobile (My daughters S3 and Wife's S4. I would pass her S4 to my son and get her the S5 while I get the S5 as well.
No guarantee yet that I will be over here though. Just weighing out my options. I am waiting for the 32Gb version if and when...
Sent From My Spiderman,Ironman,Red,Dark Blue,Green, GreyedOut BadAss Themed I337
...yeah, Verizon user here
I hate being locked down by Verizon. I have a T-mobile sim that I used to test T-Mobile(prepaid) in my Verizon Note 3. T-Mobile LTE is fast, but coverage is pretty sub-par compared to Verizon. When my contract is up in July I am probably going to sacrifice coverage for freedom, I mean come on still no KitKat, Verizon sucks.
I don't know about Verizon but I just left at&t for T-Mobile this past Tuesday and couldn't be happier. Their LTE is averaging about 30MB down where I live, work, and all points in between. With at&t I was averaging about 3 or 4MB on LTE at home. I'm loving this S5 but I think I'm loving T-Mobile even more. I checked the at&t forums and it is really quite over there.
TL;DR Recent family Sprint convert and so far we couldn't be happier with the S5 and TM!
I just switched my whole family (me, wife and two kids) over to TM from Sprint... we'd actually been happy with Sprint for about 6 years, weird as that may sound, but they were now trying to force us to change plans and not give us any deals on upgrades and basically it was going to cost more to stay with them monthly and we wouldn't be able to get reasonably cheap upgrades like before... for the past few years, because my kids' phones were bought almost exactly a month after mine and my wife's, we'd go in once a year, swap our phones to the kids and me and the wife would get new ones... well, they said no dice to this now. Sure, we give up unlimited data (sort of- TM is technically "unlimited" if you don't count throttling) but as it happens, that's a total worth it tradeoff.
After looking at all the options, I could have gotten away a little cheaper with Verizon (surprisingly!), and AT&T wasn't going to be much different than Verizon, but TM made it a deal we couldn't refuse: pay the Sprint ETF's, everyone got S5's financed, and we actually walked out of the store with the phones, Otter Boxes for three of them (I keep my phones "naked") and we actually had a $16 CREDIT on our first bill Yep, no money out-of-pocket whatsoever!
So far, we're loving it... had a minor snafu getting one phone switched over, but that was fixed quick and easy... the S5 itself is of course fantastic, which is no surprise... but so far, for the first time ever we actually get GREAT cell reception in our house even without IP calling (which we do use though), and it's 4G no less! (of course we're on wi-fi to save data, but still, we could barely get a Sprint signal before let alone a strong 4G signal like now). I also love that we get Hotspot for no extra charge, unlike Sprint... call quality thus far has been fine, though we frankly only use about 20 minutes a month COMBINED talk time so it's really not important anyway... coverage seems no different than Sprint so far overall... 4G speeds have been very good, about on-par with Sprint, maybe a hair better even. We only got the 1Gb plan because in looking at the past year with Sprint, only my son and I have ever gone over that line, twice each, and only once was more than a hundred Mb over... so 1Gb should be fine 99% of the time... we'll take the throttling after that if need be but no overage concerns is sweet.
And, of course, I rooted all four phones (screw the warranty, JUMP includes the handset insurance anyway and even though that costs something it makes the warranty a moot point to me) and I wouldn't give up that freedom for anything, so Verizon was a non-starter anyway (which is a shame really because we have FiOS and Verizon home phone and it would have been nice to have one provider for it all)... gotta have my root for Greenify and the mod to make the SD card writable!
Yeah, absolutely nothing to complain about at this point. I suppose things could go south at some point... until I see the ETFs paid off and the first bill to make sure nothing got screwed up I'm a little concerned... but assuming no surprises with either of those things I think this has been the best decision we've ever made WRT cell service (we had previously been on Verizon years ago, and AT&T before that, so we have some experience with all of them).
Verizon has never been a terribly bad deal for big families, but they hate single people with a vengeance
willbur73 said:
So true! I just left Verizon yesterday and signed up for TMobile! SO happy so far. I just feel good
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So did I! But I made sure to get an iPhone 5s from Verizon the day before so that I could sell it and get reimbursed from T-Mo for breaking the 1 day old contract. :laugh: Also sold my S4 and bought a junk phone to use as my trade in to T-Mo. Now the money I made off the iPhone and the S4 will pay for the T-Mo S5. So got the S5 for next to nothing.
I am on ATT - but starting with my NOTE 3 and now my S5 - I don't buy ATT PHONES. I buy TMOBILE PHONES and use them on the ATT Network. They work beautifully well.
I actually signed up for TMobile for about 2 days - but I was so dissapointed with the speeds I got - compared to ATT they were horribly slow - ATT gives me phenomenal speeds around town and inside my house. The final straw was that I found the only way I could make calls from inside my house is if I used WIFI CALLING. I started thinking the reason that TMOBILE Came up with WIFI CALLING was because so many people had trouble getting signals in their house. I don't know if that is why they did it, but It sure seemed that way to me.
Anyway - I have never been happier - I get the best of both worlds - an ulocked device I can use - and a network that provides lightening fast speeds..
it works for me - and I hope whatever you guys are doing works for you as well...
mocsab said:
I am on ATT - but starting with my NOTE 3 and now my S5 - I don't buy ATT PHONES. I buy TMOBILE PHONES and use them on the ATT Network. They work beautifully well.
I actually signed up for TMobile for about 2 days - but I was so dissapointed with the speeds I got - compared to ATT they were horribly slow - ATT gives me phenomenal speeds around town and inside my house. The final straw was that I found the only way I could make calls from inside my house is if I used WIFI CALLING. I started thinking the reason that TMOBILE Came up with WIFI CALLING was because so many people had trouble getting signals in their house. I don't know if that is why they did it, but It sure seemed that way to me.
Anyway - I have never been happier - I get the best of both worlds - an ulocked device I can use - and a network that provides lightening fast speeds..
it works for me - and I hope whatever you guys are doing works for you as well...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I do the same. Unlocked T-Mobile phone on ATT.
Sent from my SPH-L720 using Tapatalk
Super Sam Galaxy said:
So did I! But I made sure to get an iPhone 5s from Verizon the day before so that I could sell it and get reimbursed from T-Mo for breaking the 1 day old contract. :laugh: Also sold my S4 and bought a junk phone to use as my trade in to T-Mo. Now the money I made off the iPhone and teh S4 will pay for the T-Mo S5. So got the S5 for next to nothing.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
haha tha'ts messed up but a good idea.
This actually is the first time I had to buy a TMo version to use on ATT due to the locked BL in nature...If you can afford it, then its the best way to go in regards to the S5.
Guess I'm lucky, T-Mobile is awesome in my area. Slightly less coverage than AT&T, but the data connection is very stable and consistent.
Just took a look over there finding bounty thread - http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2728051
I donated 20.00 to the cause , If anyone has extra $ they can throw their way please do.
sling said:
Just took a look over there finding bounty thread - http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2728051
I donated 20.00 to the cause , If anyone has extra $ they can throw their way please do.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Here was my post over there cause I donated too... http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=52145012&postcount=60 I have Verizon and T-Mobile so I grabbed the M8 on Verizon and the S5 on T-mobile. Best of both worlds, although the M8 is waaaay snappier in pretty much every task. I wish Samsung would slim this damn TouchWiz down. Look at your available ram and tell me that this baby don't NEED 3gb of ram like the Note 3. WoW! Anyways, the more devs we all have the better if you think about it. Look how many roms and mods get ported over from different carrier variants. Yes, I am a crack flasher for sure. Glad to see you donate too though. :good:
I switched from Verizon to T-Mobile the week before the S5 came out, I was paying $125 for a single phone on Verizon with 4GB data. Now on T-Mobile I get the same 4G coverage (in come cases better) as I did with Verizon, yet my girlfriend joined my account and together we get 3GB high speed data per month each, and its $100/month plus paying for the phones per month, I got the S5, she got the Note 3. Verizon is too expensive and controlling. I am very happy switching to T-Mobile.
Those who got the TMO S5, can you comment on performance? One guy on here feels it is not optimized for AT&T. He said it can be stubborn and prefer H+ in LTE areas.