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Just rang up T-Mob to cancel my current contract (HTC Hero - nostalgia, anyone?) and was made the following offer:
SGS2 £60 upfront, then £30 for 18 months.
Unlimited data (not crummy reseller data) and £180 of PAYG credit each month (does not roll over)
At my door on Wednesday
Can keep my existing number (no need to inform 100+ people)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is in contrast to the deal I was going to get:
Talkmobile, SGS2 £155 upfront, then £30 for 12 months
Unlimited data, 400 mins, 1000 texts
Ships soon-ish-ish-ish ("stock in 7-14 days")
Would be online so cannot keep existing number
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The T-Mob rep said they're merging 3G networks Q2 2011, incorporating Orange and some Three. Maybe this will help the network woes?
I went for the deal, but there's probably time to reverse my decision.
Any thoughts?
Xero Xenith said:
Just rang up T-Mob to cancel my current contract (HTC Hero - nostalgia, anyone?) and was made the following offer:
This is in contrast to the deal I was going to get:
The T-Mob rep said they're merging 3G networks Q2 2011, incorporating Orange and some Three. Maybe this will help the network woes?
I went for the deal, but there's probably time to reverse my decision.
Any thoughts?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
A phone's only as good as the network you use it on. You mentioned "merging," "incorporating," and "network woes," in your description of T-Mobile. Objectively, it doesn't sound like you're going to a very happy place - at least in the near term.
BarryH_GEG said:
A phone's only as good as the network you use it on. You mentioned "merging," "incorporating," and "network woes," in your description of T-Mobile. Objectively, it doesn't sound like you're going to a very happy place - at least in the near term.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the reply!
I've been with T-Mob through their merging of Orange and T-Mob 2G networks, and it was seamless. I now get better 2G reception in more places - hoping the same will happen for 3G.
T-Mobile is adequate, but not as good for data at the moment as Vodafone or 3.
Very interested in hearing some more opinions/rebuttals to this though. What would you do in my situation?
In the U.S., AT&T and Verizon are tier-one carriers. T-Mobile and Sprint, tier-two. I was with Verizon, but left because they're CDMA and I travel internationally a lot. To get GSM, I went with T-Mobile because they were cheaper and had cooler phones. Like your T-Mobile, they had acquisitions and network performance to this day varies by region. One of the areas I travel to in the States had piss-poor coverage. They pissed me off in dealing with the problems I was having with my new G2X so I left. I'm on AT&T now with a SGS2 and (so far) quite happy. We all use our phones differently. You have to weigh voice, data, roaming, reliability, service and price. I learned with T-Mobile U.S. that only focusing on price was a big mistake.
BarryH_GEG said:
In the U.S., AT&T and Verizon are tier-one carriers. T-Mobile and Sprint, tier-two. I was with Verizon, but left because they're CDMA and I travel internationally a lot. To get GSM, I went with T-Mobile because they were cheaper and had cooler phones. Like your T-Mobile, they had acquisitions and network performance to this day varies by region. One of the areas I travel to in the States had piss-poor coverage. They pissed me off in dealing with the problems I was having with my new G2X so I left. I'm on AT&T now with a SGS2 and (so far) quite happy. We all use our phones differently. You have to weigh voice, data, roaming, reliability, service and price. I learned with T-Mobile U.S. that only focusing on price was a big mistake.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ahh, I see. In the UK, T-Mobile used to be the smallest (or second-smallest to Three), but they're merging completely with another network - Orange - to become the country's biggest. Or at least that's what was said...
Is anyone working on tweaking the AT&T Notes radio? I don't mean for TMobile, I mean so that HSPA+ as well as LTE are faster? The reason I ask, is I had/have an HTC HD2 that gets way better data transfer rates on 3g, than this phone does on HSPA+ in the same area. I have been able to hit 3-4Mbits down on this phone, and was getting 5-to almost 8 MBits on the HD2. (There have been a dozen plus radios on the HD2) The data speed on this Note is disappointing.
C0BRA01 said:
Is anyone working on tweaking the AT&T Notes radio? I don't mean for TMobile, I mean so that HSPA+ as well as LTE are faster? The reason I ask, is I had/have an HTC HD2 that gets way better data transfer rates on 3g, than this phone does on HSPA+ in the same area. I have been able to hit 3-4Mbits down on this phone, and was getting 5-to almost 8 MBits on the HD2. (There have been a dozen plus radios on the HD2) The data speed on this Note is disappointing.
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Click to collapse
I easily get 10MB down on my this phone on HSPA+, which is the same as my last phone. I'd say there is something wrong with your phone.
HSPA+
Are you running a stock rom? Mines rooted, but otherwise stock. Also, are you on AT&T?
EvoXOhio said:
I easily get 10MB down on my this phone on HSPA+, which is the same as my last phone. I'd say there is something wrong with your phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
C0BRA01 said:
Are you running a stock rom? Mines rooted, but otherwise stock. Also, are you on AT&T?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've tested running completely stock, stock + rooted, and on The Collective Unofficial ROM.
Yes I am on AT&T.
C0BRA01 said:
Is anyone working on tweaking the AT&T Notes radio? I don't mean for TMobile, I mean so that HSPA+ as well as LTE are faster? The reason I ask, is I had/have an HTC HD2 that gets way better data transfer rates on 3g, than this phone does on HSPA+ in the same area. I have been able to hit 3-4Mbits down on this phone, and was getting 5-to almost 8 MBits on the HD2. (There have been a dozen plus radios on the HD2) The data speed on this Note is disappointing.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm running into the same issues. I am thinking that since I am a long time AT&T unlimited user, I only have two options available:
Note: I already unlocked, then rooted the stock with Odin, did a back-up with
Titanium, did a nandroid back from the phone, and loaded the clockwork recovery into my phone so that I can load ROMS easier.
Options:
1. Subscribe to AT&Ts NEW service options and I will be subscribed to their
new HSPA+/LTE club (give up unlimited) without any problems.
OR
2. Don't subscribe to any of their new plans, and stay stuck with the Edge and
3G, and Unlimited data services, all while the phone falsely shows 4G at the top of the screen.
My fastest down speed has been around 6.5 MB - depending on where I am while 4G was being displayed on the phone.
It seems to me that the HSPA+/LTE requires a special subscription.
Network Mode does not appear on my phone, so I can't ensure that it
it has a 4G service selected. I was looking for a fix that would turn my Network Mode back on.
I can see a defaulted APN titled AT&T PTA, but it is locked from edits.
If I set my phone to that defaulted AT&T PTA everything works but data. SpeedTest immediately displays, "Try Again".
In my Elixir application, if I choose "Turn WiMax(4G) ON,
I get the following in Elixir:
=====Data======
State: DcInactiveState
disconnected with last try at 4:38 PM
fail because
SERVICE_OPTION_NOT_SUBSCRIBED
===============
So, I think that either we need to figure out how to turn Network Mode back on,
for the AT&T Notes, or give up unlimited and go with their new plan.
Some kind of way it seems like a subscription may be tied into allowing HSPA/LTE speeds.
You don't have to give up your grandfathered unlimited plan for HSPA or LTE. They just upgrade you to the 4G version of the unlimited plan.
You may have to do it in an actual AT&T store (not a dealer) or over the phone with customer care.
Also these phones don't have wimax...
lactardjosh said:
You don't have to give up your grandfathered unlimited plan for HSPA or LTE. They just upgrade you to the 4G version of the unlimited plan.
You may have to do it in an actual AT&T store (not a dealer) or over the phone with customer care.
Also these phones don't have wimax...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've been on the phone with a couple of reps., been into an AT&T shop a few times, and they all keep telling me that I have to upgrade to their new plan which does not have unlimited. The best they could offer me was a 5 GB plan. Also, they said I have never been on a smartphone plan with them. Although, I was previously using an HTC HD2 (sounds like a smartphone too me), but it was not a smartphone registered in their system. Records show that I'm a razor user.
They have no record of the unlocked phones that have been using like the HTC HD2. So now, when I take that SIM out of the HTC HD2 and slide it into the Note, I'm not getting 4G.
And finally, they said that if I was previously on one of their Smartphone plans I would be able to transfer to the LTE service.
When I zoom out and look at the big picture, I don't think most people have a need for the extra speed anyway.
Any thoughts... I think I am stuck with the Edge.
4g vs 3g
Don't bother upgrading. I had unlimited, and am now on their 5gb a month plan with tethering. and I am not getting any faster speeds. I seriously doubt it's the plan, and I am getting billed for 4g.
Tecneek said:
I've been on the phone with a couple of reps., been into an AT&T shop a few times, and they all keep telling me that I have to upgrade to their new plan which does not have unlimited. The best they could offer me was a 5 GB plan. Also, they said I have never been on a smartphone plan with them. Although, I was previously using an HTC HD2 (sounds like a smartphone too me), but it was not a smartphone registered in their system. Records show that I'm a razor user.
They have no record of the unlocked phones that have been using like the HTC HD2. So now, when I take that SIM out of the HTC HD2 and slide it into the Note, I'm not getting 4G.
And finally, they said that if I was previously on one of their Smartphone plans I would be able to transfer to the LTE service.
When I zoom out and look at the big picture, I don't think most people have a need for the extra speed anyway.
Any thoughts... I think I am stuck with the Edge.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Tecneek said:
I've been on the phone with a couple of reps., been into an AT&T shop a few times, and they all keep telling me that I have to upgrade to their new plan which does not have unlimited. The best they could offer me was a 5 GB plan. Also, they said I have never been on a smartphone plan with them. Although, I was previously using an HTC HD2 (sounds like a smartphone too me), but it was not a smartphone registered in their system. Records show that I'm a razor user.
They have no record of the unlocked phones that have been using like the HTC HD2. So now, when I take that SIM out of the HTC HD2 and slide it into the Note, I'm not getting 4G.
And finally, they said that if I was previously on one of their Smartphone plans I would be able to transfer to the LTE service.
When I zoom out and look at the big picture, I don't think most people have a need for the extra speed anyway.
Any thoughts... I think I am stuck with the Edge.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think maybe I misread your earlier post. Do you mean that you have an AT&T Unlimited plan (calling minutes, etc) or AT&T unlimited data plan?
If you have a grandfathered unlimited data plan, they should upgrade you to the unlimited 4G data plan with the new SIM card.
If you have the Unlimited calling plan, then you might have to suck it up and get one of the capped data plans if you really want LTE.
Either way, to get the faster data speeds you would need a new SIM card. The older SIMs (even from last year in some cases) can't handle the faster LTE speeds and can cripple the data speeds on the phone to the point you are describing.
I have the unlimited data and calling plan. Reps. just told me straight out that I will lose the unlimited data. But after reading Cobra's post, I have no clue as to what the real trigger is for making HSPA+/LTE work on my phone.
Well, I'm getting ready to strip everything to see how ICS looks, and then go from there..
I guess Cobra there is still no answer. You switched and it is still slow, I did not switch and it is still slow. Does the LTE service really exist
p.s. I can't wait until I don't have to challenge the image verification. I cannot understand those &^&%^ letters
Tecneek said:
I have the unlimited data and calling plan. Reps. just told me straight out that I will lose the unlimited data. But after reading Cobra's post, I have no clue as to what the real trigger is for making HSPA+/LTE work on my phone.
Well, I'm getting ready to strip everything to see how ICS looks, and then go from there..
I guess Cobra there is still no answer. You switched and it is still slow, I did not switch and it is still slow. Does the LTE service really exist
p.s. I can't wait until I don't have to challenge the image verification. I cannot understand those &^&%^ letters
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The reps are BSing you. I have a grandfathered unlimited plan & switched to a LTE unlimited plan by asking the rep to do it for me when I activated my I717. I came from a N7000 to an I717. Are you in a LTE area? I went from 3-6MB DL to 20-35ish MB DL, depending where I'm at.
RMXO said:
The reps are BSing you. I have a grandfathered unlimited plan & switched to a LTE unlimited plan by asking the rep to do it for me when I activated my I717. I came from a N7000 to an I717. Are you in a LTE area? I went from 3-6MB DL to 20-35ish MB DL, depending where I'm at.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Good grief.. I'll try again at a new location. I'll simply tell them that I want to change my current unlimited plan to the LTE unlimited plan. I am in the Wash, D.C. metro area. They act like an LTE unlimited plan doesn't exist.
Cobra are you in an LTE area? I wonder why your speeds aren't up there if you are in fact on the LTE plan.
---------- Post added at 03:31 PM ---------- Previous post was at 03:26 PM ----------
Tecneek said:
Good grief.. I'll try again at a new location. I'll simply tell them that I want to change my current unlimited plan to the LTE unlimited plan. I am in the Wash, D.C. metro area. They act like an LTE unlimited plan doesn't exist.
Cobra are you in an LTE area? I wonder why your speeds aren't up there if you are in fact on the LTE plan.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oh, they looked at the SIM too and said it was a current SIM.
If you can send me the description of the svc as on the invoice I would appreciate..
XDA is no longer worth my time.
TimOster said:
I just picked mine up yesterday. Upgraded from a Nexus One. I still have the old SIM, it's disabled. I purchased the phone at the ATT store. Comes with a NEW SIM or you won't get LTE speeds.
1. Other than the upgrade fee, my monthly bill is the same. I still have my unlimited data plan, only since I'm LTE now I don't get throttled until I hit 5G.
2. I get 25M DL, 8.5 UL at my house. I live in San Diego. (depending on where I am. I tried here at work and got **** for DL, right next to thousands of iPhone users)
If someone is telling you different, they are lying.
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Click to collapse
You guys got me feeling slighted over here Ok, I'm defintely going to follow-up again. I was wondering if your Nexus smartphone was a recognized AT&T phone. The pivotal point for grandfathering unlimited to LTE may be that they will do it only for THEIR phones that were previously recognized as smartphones. When they look up my records it comes back showing that I'm officially using one of their previous motorola razor phones, which at the time was not on a their smartphone plan, even though I was able to use the SIM in an unlocked non-AT&T HTC-HD2 without any problems.
So, maybe if you come from a recognized AT&T smartphone they will upgrade you, but if your last phone registered with them was not considered a smartphone while on an unlimited data plan, then they will not grandfather you in..
I gues it's worth another try.
p.s. thanks for helping me respond and overcome that *&^ image verification challenge
Tecneek said:
You guys got me feeling slighted over here Ok, I'm defintely going to follow-up again. I was wondering if your Nexus smartphone was a recognized AT&T phone. The pivotal point for grandfathering unlimited to LTE may be that they will do it only for THEIR phones that were previously recognized as smartphones. When they look up my records it comes back showing that I'm officially using one of their previous motorola razor phones, which at the time was not on a their smartphone plan, even though I was able to use the SIM in an unlocked non-AT&T HTC-HD2 without any problems.
So, maybe if you come from a recognized AT&T smartphone they will upgrade you, but if your last phone registered with them was not considered a smartphone while on an unlimited data plan, then they will not grandfather you in..
I gues it's worth another try.
p.s. thanks for helping me respond and overcome that *&^ image verification challenge
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No. It has to be an "unlimited smartphone data plan". If you have that no matter what phone you are using, you can keep it. Usually you can tell by how much you are paying for the data plan. There was a "unlimited" plan for other non smartphones for like $20 for phones like the Razor etc but the smartphone plan for what were known previously as PDAs was like $39.
So which one do you have? I am pretty sure if you only have the unlimited non-smartphone plan you cannot convert that to a smartphone unlimited plan...
LTE
Yes, and I think there is a list of cities somewhere. Seattle area, as high tech as it is, does NOT have it yet, while smaller cities, and lower tech areas do? Doesn't make sense to me. So for now I am stuck with HSPA+
On my HD2, I had regular 3g speeds, then I did a radio change, and used the Rafpigna Froyo ROM, and suddenly I started getting speeds like my sig pic shows. My data is slower with this ROM, but from what I have been reading around the net, my speeds are pretty typical for a lot of the Notes on HSPA+
Forgot to mention that I installed the leaked ICS ROM, and it is very much worth doing. Data speed went up a little as well. Still not as much as my HD2 was though.
Tecneek said:
I have the unlimited data and calling plan. Reps. just told me straight out that I will lose the unlimited data. But after reading Cobra's post, I have no clue as to what the real trigger is for making HSPA+/LTE work on my phone.
Well, I'm getting ready to strip everything to see how ICS looks, and then go from there..
I guess Cobra there is still no answer. You switched and it is still slow, I did not switch and it is still slow. Does the LTE service really exist
p.s. I can't wait until I don't have to challenge the image verification. I cannot understand those &^&%^ letters
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The speed of the network will always vary greatly. They are completely based on your proximity to the tower and the current load from other users on the tower. Unless you can find a tower with no other users on it and you can repeat the test from the exact same spot, there is no way to compare speeds between phones, or even the same phone at different locations.
If you find some threads where people are reporting their speeds, you will see that they vary by massive amounts.
I can say that I am still onthe unlimited data plan and on stock ROM I was getting 10Mbps. It must be your area because my last phone was hitting max capability on HSPA @ 7.2 Mbps.
Sent from my Samsung Galaxy Note™
Edit, just to clarify I went from a 3G only phone and finally got a 4G phone and I really don't thing they are trying to throttle your speeds just because you are on 4G with an unlimited data plan.
I was an AT&T rep from a long time ago (before cingular) and one thing that has held true is that all reps are told by corporate to push people into new plans no matter what. I was told as a rep by another rep that even something as swapping phones required new 2 year contracts which was and still is bull.
AT&T arbitrarily swapped my plan when I went from my G1 to a streak because they said I never was on a smartphone plan. I explained to them that I was on a blackjack and went to a G1 (paying $30 a month) and then I went to the streak. They told me tough luck and they were keeping me on the tiered data plan. I calmly asked for their manager, when I was transferred I exploded on the manager telling them that I call every time when I swap phones to make sure everything is good (not needing to upgrade my plan or anything) and that it was their screwup and if they're treating me like this I was going to leave. I promptly got an apology and asked for my current IEMI number and we were done. I threw in words and phrases like improper business practices, bait and switch and other such things. Managers have more "Say" on what they can do, you tend to get things taken care of because they just don't want to deal with you.
that's been my experience with AT&T, they're far from perfect, but if you start yelling and being upset, you're more likely to get what you want. Sad but true.
LTE
Nope, no LTE in Seattle yet. Only HSPA+ Seattle is very high tech, and yet, no LTE here. One of AT&T's major data centers is here as well. Hard to tell why they are slow rolling it out here.
I don't get to see the invoices. My wife works for AT&T, and gets those. She did tell me I am being billed for 4g though.
Tecneek said:
Good grief.. I'll try again at a new location. I'll simply tell them that I want to change my current unlimited plan to the LTE unlimited plan. I am in the Wash, D.C. metro area. They act like an LTE unlimited plan doesn't exist.
Cobra are you in an LTE area? I wonder why your speeds aren't up there if you are in fact on the LTE plan.
---------- Post added at 03:31 PM ---------- Previous post was at 03:26 PM ----------
Oh, they looked at the SIM too and said it was a current SIM.
If you can send me the description of the svc as on the invoice I would appreciate..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I like Verizon, the coverage is great but sometimes I wonder if the grass is greener. I like to try all the different phones out there and T-Mobile and AT&T have the most open networks for switching out phones. I think T-Mobile is not going to work because the coverage is just not there. I used to be an At&T customer and only left really for Android (Original Droid). Now that Android is spread to al the carriers I wonder if I might like AT&T better just because I can switch out phones so much easier. Anyone have any input, maybe someone that has switched from Verizon to AT&T?
Character Zero said:
I like Verizon, the coverage is great but sometimes I wonder if the grass is greener. I like to try all the different phones out there and T-Mobile and AT&T have the most open networks for switching out phones. I think T-Mobile is not going to work because the coverage is just not there. I used to be an At&T customer and only left really for Android (Original Droid). Now that Android is spread to al the carriers I wonder if I might like AT&T better just because I can switch out phones so much easier. Anyone have any input, maybe someone that has switched from Verizon to AT&T?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'd love to provide some input as a user who has been a Verizon customer for a few years and is switching to AT&T. I previously used the Galaxy Nexus on Verizon and then switched to the iPhone 5 last year. I am still on an unlimited data plan. However, I have grown increasingly frustrated at Verizon because of their lack of phone variety, slow updates, locked bootloaders, Verizon customizations (persistent WIFI notifications, for example), etc.
So I bought an HTC One on AT&T the other day and am currently evaluating it. Right now I still have my Verizon iPhone 5 with unlimited data. But I also have the HTC One with the 5GB data plan (I have a 25% business discount).
SO is the grass greener? Yes and No. Here are some of my thoughts:
- Verizon has better overall coverage, but AT&T is faster. In my area, LTE on AT&T just went live, and while speeds are comparable, AT&T has better penetration already into the buildings I've been in. In my workplace, for example, I can get 4G LTE on AT&T but only 3G on Verizon unless I am close to the windows. It's nice having HSPA+ as a drop down from LTE as opposed to Verizon's very slow 3G network IMO. Can't deny Verizon's coverage is second to none, but AT&T is good in my area so this is probably the primary consideration (how is AT&T in your main area you'll be in???)
- It would be very hard to give up my Unlimited Data plan on Verizon. It's nice not having to worry about data caps. However, in actual use, I rarely go over 3-4GB per month and only occasionally reach 5GB. I don't think 3GB would be enough as I'd be constantly worrying about going over, plus I'd have to workaround tethering. For now, I'm keeping my Verizon line until I am absolutely sure.
- Phones! GMS > CDMA if only for the flexibility the former has for phones. The floodgates are open on AT&T and T-Mobile, but Verizon takes longer to get phones, has less variety, and has complete control over them. I hate everything about what Verizon is doing, and it's clear they don't have geeks in mind that like to tinker and switch phones often. I change phones every 9-12 months usually, and AT&T is going to provide a better environment than Verizon for that. Not perfect, mind you. They still lock bootloaders, and have some draconian policies and practices, but by the nature of their GMS network, there is more flexibility.
- HTC One. I bought the One on AT&T before it was officially confirmed that Verizon would be getting it. So there is a part of me that thinks I should just return the AT&T version and wait for the Verizon version. However, I am not at all confident that Verizon won't screw it up or prevent HTC from allowing us to unlock the bootloader. And like I said, I'm just really tired of Verizon and their meddling. I may just end up keep both plans for a while, but right now I'm leaning towards keeping the AT&T version despite my unlimited data plan on Verizon.
Hope that helps.
Yes that was a great help. I am really torn because Verizon's coverage is so great. I know that ATT LTE went live here a little bit ago and I think the coverage is pretty good. Ironically I left ATT for the Droid on Verizon because of the lack of variety on ATT at the time. Thanks for your input.
honestly i would move to verizon right now if i could, in my area better coverage + better speeds
Character Zero said:
Yes that was a great help. I am really torn because Verizon's coverage is so great. I know that ATT LTE went live here a little bit ago and I think the coverage is pretty good. Ironically I left ATT for the Droid on Verizon because of the lack of variety on ATT at the time. Thanks for your input.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No problem. I know what you mean, I had AT&T a long time ago too and moved to Verizon when they changed their unlimited data policy. So it's ironic that I am now switching back. AT&T has done a good job of courting Android phone makers, and Verizon seems to be in the honeymoon phase of having the iPhone now. It's weird how things have flip-flopped! AT&T also has a few more consumer-friendly policies such as not forcing customers into a Share Everything data plan if you aren't already grandfathered in. They have rollover minutes (which I know isn't a big deal these day with people using voice less). And they have Mobile to ANY Mobile rather than just Mobile to Mobile, which is a small advantage I know.
But yeah, the primary consideration is how each carrier performs in your area. If both are good (like in my area), you have more options.
xnknown said:
honestly i would move to verizon right now if i could, in my area better coverage + better speeds
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, if one carrier has better coverage and speeds in your area, then it makes sense to use that carrier. In my area, Verizon's LTE has been around for almost two years now and I rarely get more than 10 Mbps downloads. Usually it hovers around 5-9 Mbps, which is not even much better than AT&T's HSPA+, let alone LTE. And when my phones on Verizon drop down to 3G, it feels like dialup speeds. So far, AT&T is noticeable better for speeds between my HTC One and iPhone 5.
But again, YMMV and this is just a subjective observation on my part. To the OP, you could always give AT&T a shot for 14 days and compare the networks. If it doesn't work out, you can cancel and just pay the restocking fee. Just use the new phone with a new number, so you don't have to port and cancel your old line yet.
It all depends on your location really. I live near philly and the service has actually been a bit better on att then verizon from when i had them a few years ago. The speeds are also better on att thanks to it not being cdma but rather hspa. Overall I would never go back to verizon due to their prices and slower speeds unless I moved somewhere where they had clearly better service than all other companies.
So what about dropped calls. I barely have any on Verizon, but I remember having them on AT&T. Does being on LTE fix that or is it still a problem?
I went from Verizon (been a customer for 10 years) to At&t recently because my wife's office only gets At&t reception and we wanted to be on a Mobile Share plan instead of having two separate accounts (saves us around 40 a month). I've had an At&t line over the years for work, so I know the coverage isn't NEARLY as good as Verizon, especially LTE coverage in my area (At&t just went live on a few towers in my neck of the woods), but the savings is worth the sacrifice at this time.
Plus, as you said, being able to use most GSM phones on the network is a HUGE plus. Being able to run the Google Edition on my HTC One will be fantastic and I don't think Verizon is going to make it easy to run that software. Plus, as another guy mentioned above, that persistent Wifi thing Verizon does is sooooooo annoying. Almost as bad as At&t putting their name in the notification bar of the GS3/GS4. At least it goes away after a few seconds on the HTC One.
I haven't had many dropped calls on At&t, but calls are not what I do the most of, so I'm a bad barometer for that. I know the wife drops a bunch but I just attributed it to being the Nexus 4 and not a tried and true, tested, At&t phone. She has a GS4 now, so we'll see if that improves.
Anyway, in short, I did it for strictly monetary reasons, but the plus sides of At&t are numerous so it's not as bad as thought it would be.
dbdynsty25 said:
I went from Verizon (been a customer for 10 years) to At&t recently because my wife's office only gets At&t reception and we wanted to be on a Mobile Share plan instead of having two separate accounts (saves us around 40 a month). I've had an At&t line over the years for work, so I know the coverage isn't NEARLY as good as Verizon, especially LTE coverage in my area (At&t just went live on a few towers in my neck of the woods), but the savings is worth the sacrifice at this time.
Plus, as you said, being able to use most GSM phones on the network is a HUGE plus. Being able to run the Google Edition on my HTC One will be fantastic and I don't think Verizon is going to make it easy to run that software. Plus, as another guy mentioned above, that persistent Wifi thing Verizon does is sooooooo annoying. Almost as bad as At&t putting their name in the notification bar of the GS3/GS4. At least it goes away after a few seconds on the HTC One.
I haven't had many dropped calls on At&t, but calls are not what I do the most of, so I'm a bad barometer for that. I know the wife drops a bunch but I just attributed it to being the Nexus 4 and not a tried and true, tested, At&t phone. She has a GS4 now, so we'll see if that improves.
Anyway, in short, I did it for strictly monetary reasons, but the plus sides of At&t are numerous so it's not as bad as thought it would be.
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Thats what I am afraid of. My wife values the voice and I value the data. So dropped calls don't bother me as much, but it would really bother my wife. Especially coming from Verizon with very few dropped calls.
I dropped Verizon last year for AT&T and, despite the few rough patches everyone else has mentioned, it was worth it. No one can beat Verizon's LTE network coverage at this point, but I was so fed up with their other BS on updates and pretty scanty selection of phones that I did what you did and suspended my service for a month to see what happened. At first they weren't perfect, but I was fine with them and loved that I could go from a US SGS3 to an international One X without a hitch. Also, AT&T's coverage (both 3G and LTE) has expanded greatly in quality and quantity over the last 6 months where I'm at for work and everyday life. So now I've finally convinced my wife to drop them also and thus ending our 12 year run with Verizon and their devolution into Apple-like "It's our way or you don't need it" business model.
Will I ever go back? Not until I can buy a new phone from anywhere I want and activate it on their network. And I believe it'll be a cold day in heck before that is ever allowed to happen!
Looking to leave Verizon for a GSM carrier (ATT or T-Mobile) because I like the freedom to jump to many different phones. With ATT I would have to bring my wife with me since keeping up with a Verizon plan and ATT plan would be too expensive. With T-Mobile I can keep her on Verizon and the cost would be about the same. But I am not sure about T-Mobile. I hear about dead spots and not having service. What I want to know is it really zero service in the dead spots? Not even voice? I want to make sure if I am traveling that I can reach someone if the car breaks down or whatever. While I am a big data user, I don't mind it to much if I can't get data everywhere. Ironicall while voice is important, I hardly use minutes, but with Verizon I like that I have at least voice coverage almost everywhere.
Just do a coverage check.
Signal/etc. is all relevant to location.
For example, I get service and 4G everywhere in my area except my house which is EDGE, but I have full bars of voice, but since I have wifi, no big deal.
I Am Marino said:
Just do a coverage check.
Signal/etc. is all relevant to location.
For example, I get service and 4G everywhere in my area except my house which is EDGE, but I have full bars of voice, but since I have wifi, no big deal.
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Thanks, I keep hearing about dead spots and not having service. If that is just about data, that is fine with me. Even on Verizon I have places where I don't have data, but being completely cut off without even voice is what would worry me.
Character Zero said:
Thanks, I keep hearing about dead spots and not having service. If that is just about data, that is fine with me. Even on Verizon I have places where I don't have data, but being completely cut off without even voice is what would worry me.
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In general those reports are about 4G. I took a long trip to the southwest last year, and we had 2G data on all the freeways. But the voice worked.
ATT will have more coverage in more areas, but in general along major freeways and in the major cities T-Mobile has good presence. As noted before, check out the coverage charts at t-mobile.com.
in my office building, in which I have a window office, I get it a strong voice signal and LTE signal with Verizon, a decent voice signal and HSPA signal with AT&T, but anywhere more than one foot from the window I get your zero voice and zero data with T Mobile.
This is in a suburban area just north of Los Angeles called Santa Clarita. In the San Fernando Valley, there are fewer dead spots, but inside any large building like a mall or a Costco, it's a dead zone.
I would never recommend t-mobile as a sole carrier for any individual, I only put up with it because I have accounts on all three major networks. I just switch phones when I need to.
If you're going to be a one service person, I would go with AT&T. Their service is much stronger and covers more than t-mobile. The only advantage T Mobile have is that the HSPA plus dual channel is faster then LTE on the other networks, and when you can get a signal with T Mobile it's a pretty good one.
Sent from my SGH-T889 using Tapatalk 2
distortedloop said:
in my office building, in which I have a window office, I get it a strong voice signal and LTE signal with Verizon, a decent voice signal and HSPA signal with AT&T, but anywhere more than one foot from the window I get your zero voice and zero data with T Mobile.
This is in a suburban area just north of Los Angeles called Santa Clarita. In the San Fernando Valley, there are fewer dead spots, but inside any large building like a mall or a Costco, it's a dead zone.
I would never recommend t-mobile as a sole carrier for any individual, I only put up with it because I have accounts on all three major networks. I just switch phones when I need to.
If you're going to be a one service person, I would go with AT&T. Their service is much stronger and covers more than t-mobile. The only advantage T Mobile have is that the HSPA plus dual channel is faster then LTE on the other networks, and when you can get a signal with T Mobile it's a pretty good one.
Sent from my SGH-T889 using Tapatalk 2
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Were you checking these characteristics on your Note II, or some other phone?
stevedebi said:
Were you checking these characteristics on your Note II, or some other phone?
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Note 2, HTC One, both unlocked T-Mobile phones (as of this morning) which are sitting here on my desk in front of me. The Note 2 with an ATT sim has voice and good data. The HTC One has my TMo sim in it and is reporting no service. I have to tether it to my VZW S3 to use it unless I stand against the window.
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Anyone using the 6P on Google Fi and willing to either share their experience or point me some resources?
I'm tempted to switch over from AT&T, but just wanted to get some anecdotal evidence first.
Thanks!
Depends on where you are located and how strong the Tmobile and Sprint signals are in your area. I've been on Fi since the Nexus 6 and came from ATT as well. Never looking back. Signal is always strong and never had any issues. I'm primarily in the Southern California/ LA metro market area so YMMV.
works good for me I San Diego, good coverage and love the 24hr tech support.
ride any and all open wifi and am able to keep my bill under 30$
Its got 3 networks now. TMO, Sprint and US Cellular. My phone has used all 3 at one point but mainly sits on TMO.
My only gripe is that the phone doesnt more aggressively switch carriers if the data signal is crap. It waits until the last possible moment. Also, the 6p will NOT use wifi calling unless you drop a call or have airplane mode on. You can turn it on and set it to default, but it refuses to use wifi over the network.
Been on Fi with my N6p for an year now and I love it. I’m in Seattle and the coverage is great. coming from T-Mobil and my bill was around $70-80and now with Fi its more like $40.
One of the best benefit from Fi is the builded in Google VPN. This is awesome and work flawlessly in China were censorship is everywhere (great firewall of china). All of my Google services just worked.:good:
It's great man. If you have good T-Mobile, Sprint, Us cellular service in your area you will have awesome coverage and depending on your data use you might be able to save some money.
They have a coverage map and you can check to make sure your area will have good signal. I've been using it as my work phone and signal is just as good if not better in some instances compared to my personal phone (iPhone 7 Plus). The network switching really helps with that. I live in South Jersey and commute/work in Pennsylvania. Mostly on LTE and data speeds are quick.
Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk
I had Fi and switched back to Verizon. I live in the southeast and travel outside of city areas quite frequently, a few times I had no cell service at all.
I've been using project Fi for over a year now (early adopter through the invite program) and I've been very satisfied throughout the past year. I live in central Florida I have better coverage than I did with Verizon, faster data speeds, and my monthly bill went from ~$130 with Verizon to ~$58 with ProjectFi, and that's including the monthly payment for a 128gb Nexus 6p. The only issues I've had is occasionally when I will go into a building that doesn't receive substantial T-Mobile coverage but because the area shows better T-Mobile coverage than sprint the phone will have trouble figuring out that it should switch to sprint. This is easily remedied by manually switching carriers with any app like FiSwitch. I should stress that I tend to only have this happen once every few weeks and even considering this temporary loss in coverage, the coverage is still better than what I experienced with Verizon in the previous 8 years I had them. If you can deal with having your phone choices limited, it's really a no brainer.
Thanks for all the feedback, I'm signed up and the new sim is in the mail, will add the wife of we end up liking it (our town is on the edges of the 4g coverage map so I'm still a little nervous).