T-Mobile - deceptive advertising - Tilt, TyTN II, MDA Vario III General

Warning for anyone taking out a Kaiser/Vario III on T-Mobile:
"The Vario III is a stylish and powerful pocket PC offering one of the best mobile internet experiences on the market - with 1.8MBps HSDPA, surfing and downloading is super fast."
This is a lie. T-Mobile have disabled the HSDPA on all new connections, unless you pay an extra £5/month for Web n Walk Plus. They are doing bait-and-switch.
They claimed to me I would not notice the difference because the data is compressed or some such lies. They said they cannot enable it, even though my existing line has it enabled. They claimed they would be removing it from existing customers on Web N Walk.
T-Mobile make NO MENTION on their site of the fact that if you want to make full use of your phone, you need to pay an extra £180 over the course of the contract for the cheapest contract, to get the feature of the phone that you have paid for.
They don't care. They don't inform people.
A complaint has been submitted to Trading Standards about their website's lies.

Well, you certainly got a point about T-mobile trying to shake as much money from you as possible, but they don't exacly lie about the capabilities of the phone.

I can empathize, but £5 per month is not that much for a higher level of service. I'd rather have such a tiering system where higher users pay a small amount more than to have ridiculously low fair use limits like O2 and Vodafone.
This way - pay less, get less. Pay more, get more.
Its clearer this way.
BTW, isnt it an extra £90 (£5x18)?
Surur

ionide said:
Well, you certainly got a point about T-mobile trying to shake as much money from you as possible, but they don't exacly lie about the capabilities of the phone.
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Agreed and althought it is £90 you are also likely to get money off the phone in the first place for being on a more expensive tariff.

Although it may not be technically a lie, this is just another typical example of misleading ads to attract gullible punters. Yes you would be naive to get into an expensive phone/contract combination before reading the small print. But I do sympathise; the statement makes it very easy to believe you get HSDPA out of the box, which you don't unless you have the right contract.

ionide said:
Well, you certainly got a point about T-mobile trying to shake as much money from you as possible, but they don't exacly lie about the capabilities of the phone.
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Click to collapse
They do, because it's locked to T-Mobile, and on T-Mobile's advertised tariff, it is NOT capable of HSDPA.
So it is not actually capable of HSDPA.
And I agree that their tariffs are very reasonably priced. I just think they should be honest and up-front, and not promote several phones as having 'super-fast HSDPA internet', without explaining anywhere that the 'web n walk' they promote people to get doesn't let you do that, and not explaining anywhere that you won't get HSDPA without paying more money.

Modgy said:
Although it may not be technically a lie, this is just another typical example of misleading ads to attract gullible punters. Yes you would be naive to get into an expensive phone/contract combination before reading the small print. But I do sympathise; the statement makes it very easy to believe you get HSDPA out of the box, which you don't unless you have the right contract.
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Click to collapse
Nope, that's where you're wrong.
The issue is, there is no small print. I have no problems with an advert saying 'super-fast internet with HSDPA (*)' and then in tiny writing saying 'only on Web N Walk Max Plus tariff'.
Read all of T-Mobile's website, nowhere does it say that you have to get Web N Walk Plus to get HSDPA.
If you look at this, for instance:
http://www.t-mobile.co.uk/content/business/uk/business-1/flash/t-mobile-1plan-landing-calculator.swf
and select Data, it says 'All data bundles are HSDPA enabled'

surur said:
I can empathize, but £5 per month is not that much for a higher level of service.
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Agreed, it's a reasonable charge, but not if you sign people up first and tell them later.
BTW, isnt it an extra £90 (£5x18)?
Surur
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Nope.
http://www.t-mobile.co.uk/shop/mobi...onthly/t-mobile/mda-vario-iii/webnwalk/plans/
£22.50 for Flext 20 + Web N Walk
There's no Flext 20 with the WNW+, so you have to get Flext 25:
£32.50 for Flext 25 + Web N Walk Plus

thelawnet said:
So it is not actually capable of HSDPA.
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Getting a bit into semantics here, but the phone is still "capable" of HSDAP (from the technical viewpoint - capable refers to a possibility) - all it needs is activation.

thelawnet said:
Agreed, it's a reasonable charge, but not if you sign people up first and tell them later.
Nope.
http://www.t-mobile.co.uk/shop/mobi...onthly/t-mobile/mda-vario-iii/webnwalk/plans/
£22.50 for Flext 20 + Web N Walk
There's no Flext 20 with the WNW+, so you have to get Flext 25:
£32.50 for Flext 25 + Web N Walk Plus
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Ah, I understand.
Surur

The issue is, there is no small print
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You are right, I was confused with the other "perks" of WnW+. The link however only takes me to the Business 1 Plan, which I don't think is related to the WnW plans. Would be interesting to find out if anyone on a Business 1 Plan can confirm/deny HSDPA access.
It has actually taken me ages to find out about the HSDPA situation; it was only on this and other forums that I learned what TM have been telling people through Customer Services. Not nice.
That's why I'm on PAYG, everything else is just not worth the hassle to me

Getting a bit into semantics here, but the phone is still "capable" of HSDAP
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Yeah well, that it can do that is widely known, I don't think anybody need T-Mobile to tell them this. It's the fact that you have to bend over backwards to find out how that hurts.

On the first day of upgrading to my Vario 3 I rang T-mobile and asked for HSDPA to be enabled.
This was done with them only asking one question "are you going to connect your phone to your laptop?" naturally I said "no" and she enabled it...no fuss...no muss...
I have heard of the problems some people have had but as previously stated no where does it require you to upgrade to web and walk plus.

Might be too early to know, but does that mean, that if the HSDPA is not enabled, then it wont display an H symbol? only G and 3G?
I tried to go to some sites that check broadband speed, but the java wouldnt load up.. anybody know of a site that works on PIE?

dhpotter said:
Might be too early to know, but does that mean, that if the HSDPA is not enabled, then it wont display an H symbol? only G and 3G?
I tried to go to some sites that check broadband speed, but the java wouldnt load up.. anybody know of a site that works on PIE?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
http://www.speedtest.bbmax.co.uk/ works if you have flash installed

If its not enabled it will only display the "3G" icon if you are connected online, once its enabled and online it will change to "H".

Thanks for the post jameson_uk.
I started a new contractlast week with T-mobile, buying off the webpage flext 35 with walk n talk (£7.50) and my H seems to come up, occasionaly it goes to 3g.
I havent enabled anything yet? wonder if there was a threshold value they put it on? or if they havent disabled the webpage hi speed enabling yet.

wow in Europe they charge you to use HSDPA? Here in the states is use it if its available. Sprint (CDMA) has vision that works on 1xRtt at $15 and power vision EVDO also starting at $15. When RevA device is available, it will also be $15. AT&T has Media Max $20 for dumbphones, SmartMax $30 for smartphones and PDA personal max $40 fo PDA phones. It doesnt matter if you have 2G or 3G device or if its UMTS or HSDPA device. The cost is the same. Just the account has to provision it. Infact, my account is only provisioned for UMTS but my data connects to HSDPA. while tethering, google maps downloads new maps peak at 1.8mbps.

thelawnet said:
Warning for anyone taking out a Kaiser/Vario III on T-Mobile:
"The Vario III is a stylish and powerful pocket PC offering one of the best mobile internet experiences on the market - with 1.8MBps HSDPA, surfing and downloading is super fast."
This is a lie. T-Mobile have disabled the HSDPA on all new connections, unless you pay an extra £5/month for Web n Walk Plus. They are doing bait-and-switch.
They claimed to me I would not notice the difference because the data is compressed or some such lies. They said they cannot enable it, even though my existing line has it enabled. They claimed they would be removing it from existing customers on Web N Walk.
T-Mobile make NO MENTION on their site of the fact that if you want to make full use of your phone, you need to pay an extra £180 over the course of the contract for the cheapest contract, to get the feature of the phone that you have paid for.
They don't care. They don't inform people.
A complaint has been submitted to Trading Standards about their website's lies.
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Click to collapse
I would like to see some kind of source to this before I give it any credence. I'm quite happily getting a full HSDPA connection on my standard WnW package, and the website still says it applies to all WnW packages. So, source?

FloatingFatMan said:
I would like to see some kind of source to this before I give it any credence. I'm quite happily getting a full HSDPA connection on my standard WnW package, and the website still says it applies to all WnW packages. So, source?
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http://www.4winmobile.com/forums/4wm-news/12652-t-mobile-remove-hsdpa-web-n-walk-basic-package.html

Related

"3G" / "E" icon

Is there any way to get rid of it ?
I am not using any data connections, only WiFi sometimes. I installed NoData and disabled all data connections, then applied some registry fixes posted here to disable 3G, but I am still getting this icons, so suppose it is on .. ?
Please advise me how to disable it completely.
Thanks.
The phone will always notify you of what network you are able to connect to, regardless if you're using data transfer or not. All that's telling you is what zone you're in, try accessing a web page and if it doesn't allow it you're all set. No worries.
P.S., is data really that expensive there? It seems I hear a lot of people in Europe using apps like NoData whereas here I can get unlimited data for $30/month and it's a non-issue.
Black93300ZX said:
P.S., is data really that expensive there?
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Not at all, I just do not need it ..
Ok, fair enough. I was just curious as to why I see it more outside the US than around me (making the assumption that you are, indeed, not in the US).
Black93300ZX said:
Ok, fair enough. I was just curious as to why I see it more outside the US than around me (making the assumption that you are, indeed, not in the US).
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As far as I know internet is much cheaper here than in US, people use NoData because they do not have good roaming data plans and go abroad quite often. I can understand why you do not understand that, you probably don't use roaming that much as even if you drive to the west for 2 days it will still be US (or sea bed).
So, back to topic, any idea how to disable it (I am a great fan of minimalist design) ?
Black93300ZX said:
P.S., is data really that expensive there? It seems I hear a lot of people in Europe using apps like NoData whereas here I can get unlimited data for $30/month and it's a non-issue.
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F.Y.I.
Not expensive at all, 9,95 euro a month for unlimmited in the netherlands, hsdpa connection.
feestbeest said:
F.Y.I.
Not expensive at all, 9,95 euro a month for unlimmited in the netherlands, hsdpa connection.
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Yeah, a bit cheaper than here. That's like $15 USD I think.
And whoever else talked about roaming, good point. I've once in my life been out of my plan's local range, that was when I went to PR... Too poor for a trip to Europe (maybe in a few years).
Black93300ZX said:
Yeah, a bit cheaper than here. That's like $15 USD I think.
And whoever else talked about roaming, good point. I've once in my life been out of my plan's local range, that was when I went to PR... Too poor for a trip to Europe (maybe in a few years).
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If you snees hard you are already outside the Netherlands and then we pay like 15 euro for 1 mb datatraffic.
Some people who are on vacation get bills from 1000 / 2000 euro. That is why we are a bit carefull.
1 europe is still not 1 europe
Well, the lucky thing for me, when I plan on going to Europe it'll be for quite a trip, so I'll just get a local pay-as-you-go SIM to throw in my phone and not worry about international roaming. Prices aren't great on any prepaid, but a lot better than using AT&T across the world.
Thank you Hertc
Please advise what model Diamond you are using....in bootloader screen [3 color stripes] [reset and hold volume down] is your diamond Diam100 or Diam130 or...
Please advise also under settings/system/device information what you have...Rom version etc.
Again many thanks
feestbeest said:
F.Y.I.
Not expensive at all, 9,95 euro a month for unlimmited in the netherlands, hsdpa connection.
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Click to collapse
OMG, I'm glad that I'm relocating to Amsterdam in 1 month then
Here in Spain the cheapest is 15€ for 200Mb/month at 3G speed and when you reach that you're capped to 128kbps. Amazing, isn't it?

2x or 3x radio?

Ok, so now I'm with Chatr Wireless (awesome btw), and so I don't have to worry about data whatsoever.
I've read a lot about how the 3x radios are poorly built on Rogers builds. My question is, should I downgrade it to 2x? Should it increase compatibility with ROMs?
lbcoder said:
Are you a frikkin IDIOT?
chatr is ROBBERS! They are NOT a new provider -- they are a lecherous and illegal "fighting brand" that those bloody BASTARDS devised to trick STUPID people into thinking that they are switching away from the total douchebags in charge of ROBELUS.
IF MANY PEOPLE LIKE YOU *actually* use that service, it means NO SUPPORT for the LEGITIMATE new service providers (Wind mobile, Moblicity, Public Mobile), which means SLOWER GROWTH and the possibility for FAILURE. IF ROBBERS IS SUCCESSFUL IN DESTROYING COMPETITION, then your "Chatr" wireless will suddenly go bankrupt and you'll be back to the RIPOFF!
Edit: You will note that the service area footprint of "chatr" is a precise match for the service area footprint of WIND MOBILE (the largest of the new providers). It doesn't take a genius to realize that the reason they aren't enabling service BEYOND Wind's footprint is because IT WOULD COST THEM MONEY.
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Oh trust me, I've been very aware of the Rogers / Chatr connection since the beginning. WIND was very difficult in giving me answers why they put up coverage for my area, but won't turn on the towers. Plus, their 3G is shotty.
If you remember, all Canadians want are lower rates. We don't care who offers them, as long as they are lower.
WIND only uses AWS 2100, and I didn't want to buy a new phone. So I took it to Chatr.
WIND's footprint is also missing half of SW Calgary, where I need it the most, and they couldn't even guarantee a continuous signal on the C-Train line.
Simply put, WIND launched their network prematurely.
Thanks for criticizing me, and completely dodging my question again.
XBrav said:
Oh trust me, I've been very aware of the Rogers / Chatr connection since the beginning. WIND was very difficult in giving me answers why they put up coverage for my area, but won't turn on the towers. Plus, their 3G is shotty.
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You need to BUILD the towers before you can turn them ON.
"shotty"? B.S. Only if you BELIEVE THE LIES that DIPSH** SPREADS.
If you remember, all Canadians want are lower rates. We don't care who offers them, as long as they are lower.
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And you won't be GETTING lower rates unless you SUPPORT COMPETITION!
WIND only uses AWS 2100, and I didn't want to buy a new phone. So I took it to Chatr.
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1700/2100, and you can pick up an android phone from wind for $160.... and this would SAVE YOU IN THE LONG RUN since AS I SAID, what you are paying for now, will vanish the SECOND it is no longer needed.
WIND's footprint is also missing half of SW Calgary, where I need it the most,
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AS IS CHATR!!!
The footprint is IDENTICAL because CHATR is ARTIFICIALLY REDUCED!
** and you obviously did NOT look up the fact that WIND will ROAM ON ROBBERS in areas without coverage.... for LESS THAN CHATR CHARGES FOR THE SAME PRIVILEGE EVEN THOUGH THEY OWN BOTH SIDES!!!
And good luck getting roaming notifications.... At least a phone on Wind will TELL you when you are paying extra!
and they couldn't even guarantee a continuous signal on the C-Train line.
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And guess what? NEITHER WILL ANYONE ELSE!
Simply put, WIND launched their network prematurely.
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They DID NOT. Their network is FAR more reliable than butt-munch EVER was. You can actually hold a call for more than 2 minutes without it dropping!
Thanks for criticizing me, and completely dodging my question again.
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When you do something stupid in public, you WILL GET CRITICIZED!

Need some quick buying advice about mobile broadband in the US...

Hello all! I regard myself as reasonably tech-savvy when it comes to Mobile Internet in my own country (the UK) but I have a friend in America who is need of buying advice, and my knowledge of the american market is rather weak - I'm not even entirely clear who the major players are, and know nothing about their area coverage or price-plans. I'm wondering if someone could either offer some advice, or at least point us towards some reliable comparison websites...?
We're looking for something that allows mobile Internet access on a laptop PC, perhaps something like a 3G "dongle" that can be plugged into the USB port. The location will be in and around St Louis, Missouri. Data usage is likely to be fairly low, I would think - extensive web browsing and email, but not large-scale video downloads. Most importantly, we don't want to get locked into a long contract - it'll probably only be two months before my friend will be off to another (US) location which has fixed-line Internet available.
Any and all suggestions and discussions welcome.
The big 4 in the US are Verizon, AT&T, Sprint, and T-Mobile. I'm not sure if you can get a month by month contract with them. I would suggest Boost Mobile, Virgin Mobile, or maybe a regional carrier like CellSouth or US Cellular. Does your friend already have a phone? If so, what is it? If not, be advised that on a no contract service agreement the carrier most likely will not subsidize the handset and you will pay full price for it.
Sent from my CDMA Hero. I got some hot Froyo-on-Hero action here!
as mention by the above poster the 4 big players are the cellular companies, but now it depends on his cost and also on the coverage
Diamond_dawg said:
as mention by the above poster the 4 big players are the cellular companies, but now it depends on his cost and also on the coverage
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Yeah, that's true, but I don't believe coverage will be an issue, as St. Louis is a major metro area. Pretty much everyone will cover it.
Sent from my CDMA Hero. I got some hot Froyo-on-Hero action here!
user7618 said:
Yeah, that's true, but I don't believe coverage will be an issue, as St. Louis is a major metro area. Pretty much everyone will cover it.
Sent from my CDMA Hero. I got some hot Froyo-on-Hero action here!
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Click to collapse
You are right, so now it depends on the Cost that your friend is looking for
Thanks for the contributions so far. Please note that we are not looking for a phone, here, we're looking for a way to get a laptop computer to acquire a portable broadband connection. If we were in the UK then I would suggest a 3G "dongle" - I guess they must have those in the US too...?
As for budget, that's fairly limited - but I'd like to get a feel for what the options are, as in "x amount of money will buy you service y"; and, if possible get a suggestion about which deals are better value and which are not.
Shasarak said:
Thanks for the contributions so far. Please note that we are not looking for a phone, here, we're looking for a way to get a laptop computer to acquire a portable broadband connection. If we were in the UK then I would suggest a 3G "dongle" - I guess they must have those in the US too...?
As for budget, that's fairly limited - but I'd like to get a feel for what the options are, as in "x amount of money will buy you service y"; and, if possible get a suggestion about which deals are better value and which are not.
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Click to collapse
Verizon has something know as Mifi and even At&t but i'm not sure if its contract free
Diamond_dawg said:
Verizon has something know as Mifi and even At&t but i'm not sure if its contract free
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Click to collapse
I don't think it is. Just tell your friend to move next door to someone with an unsecure router and snag their signal. Free and no contract. Other than that, I don't think you can get what you're looking for without a contract. Still, if they sign on with a major carrier, they could take it with them when they move.
Sent from my CDMA Hero. I got some hot Froyo-on-Hero action here!
Shasarak said:
Thanks for the contributions so far. Please note that we are not looking for a phone, here, we're looking for a way to get a laptop computer to acquire a portable broadband connection. If we were in the UK then I would suggest a 3G "dongle" - I guess they must have those in the US too...?
As for budget, that's fairly limited - but I'd like to get a feel for what the options are, as in "x amount of money will buy you service y"; and, if possible get a suggestion about which deals are better value and which are not.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Virgin Mobile does prepaid mobile broadband without a contract. I believe you have to buy one of their USB dongles though.
Checkout Cricket Wireless. Their 3G Dongles start at $50 and they have monthly plans starting at $40/month.
http://www.mycricket.com/broadband/devices
loudjp said:
Checkout Cricket Wireless. Their 3G Dongles start at $50 after rebate and they have monthly plans starting at $40/month
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Click to collapse
is it with contract or no contract, cuz the OP's friend want without contact i'm sure as its temporary and also rebates sound like a contract
Thanks guys. Cricket looks like the best deal so far. Virgin comes in a strong second. (Cricket pulls ahead thanks to the cheaper dongle price - still a little cheaper even if the dongle rebate falls through). Virgin's data allowance may be a bit more generous than Cricket's ("unlimited" vs "2.5GB") but I don't think this will affect my friend; Virgin's coverage outside metropolitan areas might also be better (although that's less clear).

New Pre-Paid Player in the Game (US) - Aio Wireless

It looks like AIO wireless just opened up for all of the US. Until a few days ago they were only available in a hanful of states but I just checked today and it looks like they are now nation wide. Uses AT&T network. Unlimited text and talk. Prices include taxes and fee's.
$55 - 2GB high speed (LTE capped @ 8mbs and HSPA+ capped at 4mbs) then throttled to slower speeds when monthly limit is reached.
$70 - 7GB high speed (LTE capped @ 8mbs and HSPA+ capped at 4mbs) then throttled to slower speeds
I just got my N4 last week and signed up with Straight Talk (AT&T sim) for a month but knew I would be switching to AIO when they were available. I have read to many horror stories about Straight Talks sneaky ways with what they call unlimited data. I would rather go with a company that tells you exactly what you are really getting up front rather then lying about it or possibly disconnecting your service.
I tried T-Mo but the service was terrible...Now just need to wait to the end of the month to make the move...Post your thoughts here if you sign up. Also will give the 3rd month free on new activations!
This seems like a really good option for people with unlocked phones and require a nice amount of data.
http://www.aiowireless.com/home.html
Finally! I've been waiting for them to go nationwide. I use GoPhone right now and it's great, but I'm always looking for newer, better deals. I might try AIO for the 7gb plan for a month or two. If I don't end up using nearly that, I'll either switch to the $55 plan, or back to GoPhone, depending on AIO's speeds/service. One thing to note: they throttle your speeds even before your cap. I can't remember exactly, it's in the terms and conditions. Something like 6 mb/s or so. After your data cap, I think it's throttled to 2G speeds.
Johmama said:
Finally! I've been waiting for them to go nationwide. I use GoPhone right now and it's great, but I'm always looking for newer, better deals. I might try AIO for the 7gb plan for a month or two. If I don't end up using nearly that, I'll either switch to the $55 plan, or back to GoPhone, depending on AIO's speeds/service. One thing to note: they throttle your speeds even before your cap. I can't remember exactly, it's in the terms and conditions. Something like 6 mb/s or so. After your data cap, I think it's throttled to 2G speeds.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Now that you mention it I think I did read something about the speeds they offer and it might be around 6-7mbs. That is more then enough speed to do anything you really need to do anyway.
I believe they throttle LTE down to 8mb/s. It is a shame they throttle before you hit your cap. Otherwise the 5 dollar difference in price over GoPhone is not worth it to me.
bozzykid said:
I believe they throttle LTE down to 8mb/s. It is a shame they throttle before you hit your cap. Otherwise the 5 dollar difference in price over GoPhone is not worth it to me.
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Click to collapse
Yes, it is 8mbs capped which is pretty fast. What can you not do at those speeds anyway? You can stream Netflix or Youtube. I think Netflix for my TV says it only requires 5mbs for streaming.
I guess for the smaller plan it might be a wash although it is still more then $5 for GoPhone after taxes and fee's but if you want 7gigs of data, $70 for Aio vs. Go Phones $70 for 3gigs it seems like a no brainer.
From their page on data speeds:
4G LTE service currently offers download speeds up to 8 Mbps and our 4G HSPA+ service currently offers download speeds up to a maximum of 4 Mbps. On our 3G HSPA/UMTS service, typical download speeds range from approximately 700 Kbps up to 1.7 Mbps.
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What are the speeds on GoPhone?
Dynotrick said:
From their page on data speeds:
What are the speeds on GoPhone?
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On Straight talk I just speed tested at 5.3mbs on an AT&T sim. I have gotten faster then that though.
Hmmm, capping HSPA+ at 4mbs. I will still try it next month to see how it is although I am sure we will have more feedback by then.
Dynotrick said:
From their page on data speeds:
What are the speeds on GoPhone?
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GoPhone doesn't throttle when you are under your data cap. LTE can get 20-30mb/s easily.
bozzykid said:
GoPhone doesn't throttle when you are under your data cap. LTE can get 20-30mb/s easily.
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Not with the N4, you can't
[email protected] said:
Not with the N4, you can't
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Sure you can. You need to be in an area that uses band 4. Granted their aren't many.
bozzykid said:
Sure you can. You need to be in an area that uses band 4. Granted their aren't many.
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But you cannot get an LTE connection on the N4 through AT&T.....So even if they did not throttle an LTE connection it would not do any good for an N4 user anyway.
[email protected] said:
But you cannot get an LTE connection on the N4 through AT&T
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Sure you can. What do you mean?
bozzykid said:
Sure you can. What do you mean?
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There is no LTE for AT&T with the N4. You can use an older radio on T-Mobile to get LTE but it will not work for AT&T. You can only get HSPA+.
[email protected] said:
There is no LTE for AT&T with the N4. You can use an older radio on T-Mobile to get LTE but it will not work for AT&T. You can only get HSPA+.
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Click to collapse
Not true. Like I said earlier, you can get LTE on AT&T in the few areas that use band 4 which the N4 supports.
[email protected] said:
Also will give the 3rd month free on new activations!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I had seen the third month free advertised on their website before they went nationwide, but I don't see it there anymore. Does anyone know if it's still being offered? If so, it's a no-brainer to at least try it out.
Another big question will be whether discounted refill cards start showing up online, the way they do for other prepaid options. You can easily get a $60 GoPhone plan for $57 at Callingmart.com. Right now someone's offering a $60 refill for $51 on eBay, but that always seems a little shadier to me. If those kind of deals don't pop up for Aio, it's a little less compelling.
dan in la said:
I had seen the third month free advertised on their website before they went nationwide, but I don't see it there anymore. Does anyone know if it's still being offered? If so, it's a no-brainer to at least try it out.
Another big question will be whether discounted refill cards start showing up online, the way they do for other prepaid options. You can easily get a $60 GoPhone plan for $57 at Callingmart.com. Right now someone's offering a $60 refill for $51 on eBay, but that always seems a little shadier to me. If those kind of deals don't pop up for Aio, it's a little less compelling.
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Yup, it's on the page...Scroll through on the first page to the right in the center of the screen.
[email protected] said:
Yup, it's on the page...Scroll through on the first page to the right in the center of the screen.
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I saw it earlier today but it is gone for me as well.
[email protected] said:
Yup, it's on the page...Scroll through on the first page to the right in the center of the screen.
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Yes, you're right. It's still there, I just didn't read the rotating ads at the top of the page quickly enough. Here's a direct link to the offer: http://www.aiowireless.com/3rd-month-free-promo.html
You have to activate by September 29. According to the terms, you just have to sign up and keep your account active for two months, and five days before your second month expires, they'll automatically credit you with a third month free. It makes me a little nervous that you just have to trust that they'll credit your account, but what are you going to do.
Unfortunately, I just renewed with Net10 yesterday, but I'll probably port over to Aio just before the September 29 deadline. Still worth it for a free month even if I lose a week with Net10.
dan in la said:
Yes, you're right. It's still there, I just didn't read the rotating ads at the top of the page quickly enough. Here's a direct link to the offer: http://www.aiowireless.com/3rd-month-free-promo.html
You have to activate by September 29. According to the terms, you just have to sign up and keep your account active for two months, and five days before your second month expires, they'll automatically credit you with a third month free. It makes me a little nervous that you just have to trust that they'll credit your account, but what are you going to do.
Unfortunately, I just renewed with Net10 yesterday, but I'll probably port over to Aio just before the September 29 deadline. Still worth it for a free month even if I lose a week with Net10.
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Nice find. I ordered the Sim and $55 plan last night so when it gets here I can hopefully activate it and get that month free.
Thanks.
Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 4
What is their policy for roaming? On T-mobile prepaid, you don't get any coverage in roaming if T-mobile itself doesn't have coverage. In post-paid, it can use other operator's network while roaming.

[Q] Maybe leaving T-Mobile for Sprint - What will I lose? or Gain?

Although I have been a very satisfied T-Mobile customer for the last 7 years, it appears and tech support confirms that the tower that I connect to at home is oversold and instead of the 16 to 20 megs down that I used to get, I am now getting 1.5 meg on a good day and it goes down to .3 meg on bad days. I can't live with that as I have little other access to Internet bandwidth in my neighborhood and it gets worse every week. I use the Internet for business. The only fix appears to be another tower. Not a quick fix.
So, If I make the switch, what happens? Although it may work out better in switching if I give Sprint my existing Nexus 6, I will be using a Nexus 6 with them. I read comments that I will lose simultaneous voice and data use because of their Spark network. Is that true? What LTE speeds should I expect? I also understand that I will lose tethering if I opt for the unlimited plan (I am actually leaning toward the 20 GB family plan which I understand that I can share with my data enabled devices.) I don't read any nice things about Sprint.
Any thoughts you can share would be very helpful. Thanks in advance.
Dont do it bro, sprint is horrible. Tell me if you find 25 people you know that love sprint more than T-Mobile. Sprint is a rotting company hiding behind sales gimmicks and ideas from T-Mobile. T-Mobile is still rolling out this year with Band 12 700Mhz and its LTE footprint roll out replacing old edge areas. More people complain about sprint way more than T-Mobile. So if you dont like T-Mobile, you might as well get shartrizon or AT$$$T. I would recommend calling T-Mobile to send a tech. to your area to fix the issue or report it for fixing.
ourtech said:
Although I have been a very satisfied T-Mobile customer for the last 7 years, it appears and tech support confirms that the tower that I connect to at home is oversold and instead of the 16 to 20 megs down that I used to get, I am now getting 1.5 meg on a good day and it goes down to .3 meg on bad days. I can't live with that as I have little other access to Internet bandwidth in my neighborhood and it gets worse every week. I use the Internet for business. The only fix appears to be another tower. Not a quick fix.
So, If I make the switch, what happens? Although it may work out better in switching if I give Sprint my existing Nexus 6, I will be using a Nexus 6 with them. I read comments that I will lose simultaneous voice and data use because of their Spark network. Is that true? What LTE speeds should I expect? I also understand that I will lose tethering if I opt for the unlimited plan (I am actually leaning toward the 20 GB family plan which I understand that I can share with my data enabled devices.) I don't read any nice things about Sprint.
Any thoughts you can share would be very helpful. Thanks in advance.
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Is Cricket Wireless an option? They are essentially AT&T with throttled LTE speeds of 8Mpbs down, no throttle up. I am paying $55/month for 20GB of LTE data. They no longer offer that plan, but have the same plan at 10GB of data.
chaunold said:
Dont do it bro, sprint is horrible. Tell me if you find 25 people you know that love sprint more than T-Mobile. Sprint is a rotting company hiding behind sales gimmicks and ideas from T-Mobile. T-Mobile is still rolling out this year with Band 12 700Mhz and its LTE footprint roll out replacing old edge areas. More people complain about sprint way more than T-Mobile. So if you dont like T-Mobile, you might as well get shartrizon or AT$$$T. I would recommend calling T-Mobile to send a tech. to your area to fix the issue or report it for fixing.
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See, that is my feeling as well. I can't find anyone that has nice things to say. As to AT&T or Verizon, wow does the cost jump. And to the point about getting a tech out there, been there, done that. T-Mobile is very aware of the problem. They have bee running tests for a while. Sadly, it is oversold. Not broken. Don't have too many options. There were some numbers from Verizon that weren't horrible, but I don't think Verizon pays ETFs.
Someone is selling a CricketWireless 20GB LTE plan on Howard Forums...I have had ZERO issues using Cricket with my Nexus 6...in fact I am loving it.
I have looked at Cricket. The problem is that I do exceed 10 GB in some months and there is no provision for tethering or tablets that I could see. One of those options would be necessary.
ourtech said:
See, that is my feeling as well. I can't find anyone that has nice things to say. As to AT&T or Verizon, wow does the cost jump. And to the point about getting a tech out there, been there, done that. T-Mobile is very aware of the problem. They have bee running tests for a while. Sadly, it is oversold. Not broken. Don't have too many options. There were some numbers from Verizon that weren't horrible, but I don't think Verizon pays ETFs.
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I had verizon wireless for 10 years and left them over a year ago for T-Mobile. I didn't regret anything. I didn't switch because of price because I could afford verizon, but their plans and phones suck and they are scam artists trying to rape every penny from you just like John Legere quoted. In my area and even in rural places in georgia I get pretty decent excellent coverage and service. At home I usually get from 80-112mbps down and 7-15mbps up. Verizon couldn't match that and hell, everyone I know that has sprint hate it and are jumping to T-Mobile because they get less than 1mbps and call quality sounds like pure ****. T-Mobile has nationwide VoLTE and WiFi calling and texting and the "Uncarrier" exclusives. I have unlimited data so I use it as my home internet since I have root for tethering unlimited data and its way faster than charters fastest speeds they deliver to my house lol. Sprint is also bad just like verizon because remember they are money hungry companies and they will lock u in contracts and can only use their cdma devices or select unlocked devices like the nexus 6. I heard verizon doesn't recognize the unlocked nexus 6, idk if that is true or not.
Link? And what about tablets or tethering? I need that data sometimes when I am out in the field and I have to remote into something. Yes, even my 6 inch screen is a little small. I don't see any plans for tablets.
ourtech said:
I have looked at Cricket. The problem is that I do exceed 10 GB in some months and there is no provision for tethering or tablets that I could see. One of those options would be necessary.
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Although tethering is not supported, it does work.
There also would be no issue popping in a Cricket SIM in a Nexus 9. I've considered selling my WiFi N9 and getting a LTE N9 with a 20GB Cricket SIM.
metaphz said:
Is Cricket Wireless an option? They are essentially AT&T with throttled LTE speeds of 8Mpbs down, no throttle up. I am paying $55/month for 20GB of LTE data. They no longer offer that plan, but have the same plan at 10GB of data.
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metaphz said:
Someone is selling a CricketWireless 20GB LTE plan on Howard Forums...I have had ZERO issues using Cricket with my Nexus 6...in fact I am loving it.
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From what I could see in the Howard forums, the 20 GB promo expired in April. Thanks though.
ourtech said:
From what I could see in the Howard forums, the 20 GB promo expired in April.
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It did expire, someone is selling their account.
ourtech said:
Link? And what about tablets or tethering? I need that data sometimes when I am out in the field and I have to remote into something. Yes, even my 6 inch screen is a little small. I don't see any plans for tablets.
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There is an app on the playstore if you have root called "WiFi Tether Router" which will work or if you want unlimited native tethering.
#1 in SQL lite go to /data/data/com.android.providers.settings/settings.db/global
#2 add " tether_dun required " and set the value to 0
#3 in your APN settings add " dun " to APN type and set your APN to IPv4 only since IPv6 doesnt support this.
Either use OpenSignal app or their site and zoom in on your neighborhood. They have a list of carriers with their average upload and download speed.
Personally I wouldn't use Sprint as OpenSignal and Rootmetrics has shown it is the slowest network across the country.
Get a AT&T GoPhone sim and try them out for a month. Walmart sells the sims. They now have rollover data on prepaid just like T-mobile. Plus they're not throttled like Cricket.
I wait for Callingmart to announce their monthly 10% off GoPhone refills on Twitter. Then refill each month saving me $6.
Just my 2¢ but I have been with Sprint for going on 8 years. Their service is great in my area (now) and their customer service has always been outstanding. While I do agree that they don't have the best coverage, they have come a long way in my time with them. You can get unlimited, TRULY unlimited data with them for a good price. They offer payment plans on the top devices and as I said, customer service has bent over backwards for me more than once. Choice is yours, OP, just do your homework and choose wisely.
I have no complaints with Sprint. They recently upgraded my area to LTE and its fast. Its really pointless to ask random people on the internet because they more than likely do not live in your state much less your city. Signal strength is the most important aspect of cell phone service and you wont find that answer here. I would find a coverage map and compare the carriers, make sure it is a legitimate coverage map and not advertising. I would also ask people in your area with Sprint so you can compare.
bob2300nx said:
I have no complaints with Sprint. They recently upgraded my area to LTE and its fast. Its really pointless to ask random people on the internet because they more than likely do not live in your state much less your city. Signal strength is the most important aspect of cell phone service and you wont find that answer here. I would find a coverage map and compare the carriers, make sure it is a legitimate coverage map and not advertising. I would also ask people in your area with Sprint so you can compare.
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To each his own. I have learned a lot from this, coverage map aside (I am in a Spark enabled area of moderate strength, the same as I am for T-Mobile and for that matter, likely AT&T, which tells me little that I didn't already know. It is a topology issue.) My question wasn't about coverage. It was about the experience. I have learned that, unlike T-Mobile, Sprint customer service is out of country, but some have had good experiences with the company. I have also received useful suggestions about alternatives. This has been very useful to me. Sprint could have the strongest signal in my area and still be a company to avoid like the plague.
Free data after you reach your limit, and free music service streaming
Sent from my Nexus 6 using XDA Free mobile app
ceo4eva said:
Free data after you reach your limit, and free music service streaming
Sent from my Nexus 6 using XDA Free mobile app
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Good point. Hadn't thought about those. Thanks.
This morning my Speed Tests were decidedly better. At least 8 and as high as 12 meg. I haven't seen those numbers in months. So, (holding breath), perhaps my last call got something changed. I won't make changes unless I am sure there is no hope for change.
ourtech said:
To each his own. I have learned a lot from this, coverage map aside (I am in a Spark enabled area of moderate strength, the same as I am for T-Mobile and for that matter, likely AT&T, which tells me little that I didn't already know. It is a topology issue.) My question wasn't about coverage. It was about the experience. I have learned that, unlike T-Mobile, Sprint customer service is out of country, but some have had good experiences with the company. I have also received useful suggestions about alternatives. This has been very useful to me. Sprint could have the strongest signal in my area and still be a company to avoid like the plague.
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Other than calling to activate new phones, I have only had to call once in all my years with Sprint and I have no complaints on it. I don't generally need service, I pay my bill and use my phone lol. As far as overseas call centers, that's not entirely true; there is a Sprint call center in my city (along with a T-Mobile call center). To each their own.
I switched from Sprint to Verizon as my family plan 4 years ago, best decision of my life. Sprint will frustrate you beyond belief with their slow data, you won't even be able to load Google. I know you said the big 2 cost too much, so I'd stay with T-Mobile if I were you, avoid Sprint at all costs. I personally love Verizon, have 5 off contract smartphones with them, 15GB shared data, and pay $153+tax a month.

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