Android and Me » 3g

Rumor: T-Mobile data roamers to get limited?

Edgar Cervantes — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 18:00:25 +0000

Freely roaming across the US is great, especially when data roaming is part of the deal. Until now, customers have been able to use data while roaming for free, but it’s not free for T-Mobile. They have to pay fees in order to keep you connected. According to the latest rumors this is all about to change, and T-Mobile will start putting a cap on data roaming usage.

This is an attempt to lower the costs for Magenta subscribers who roam where T-Mobile data coverage is not available. According to a poster at HowardForums, T-Mobile’s upcoming data roaming limits include a 100 MB cap for 5 GB monthly data subscribers and 200 MB for those enjoying 10 GB per month.

But don’t fret over unknown fees and charges; will not see any extra fees once you exceed your data roaming allowance. Instead, T-Mobile will simply not allow you to use the internet anymore, at least until you reach a T-Mobile tower or WiFi (of course).

Avoiding the extra fees may be a great thing for most of us, but some people rely on data while roaming. According to the source, this roaming policy will not be applicable to everyone. “Certain account types are excluded, such as employee accounts and some business accounts.”

For those who need data while roaming, let’s hope they provide some extra data roaming plans. But if extra fees are not your thing, T-Mobile seems to be estimating that about 10,000 users will be able to break the contract without an ETF (Early Termination Fee). So you just might be able to switch to another carrier.

According to newguy78, T-Mobile subscribers should be receiving a notification about these changes within the next few weeks. This might be in the form of an actual letter or a notification upon signing on to my.tmobile.com.

Surely many of you will be quite unhappy about this. But let’s take a small step back and wait to see what happens. This is not yet confirmed, and as always, we should take it with a grain of salt. For now, tell us what you think! Are you a heavy data roamer? Will you be switching carriers if you can?

T-Mobile, Walmart offering new unlimited family plans; no contracts, very low prices

Edgar Cervantes — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 18:56:38 +0000

If there’s something T-Mobile and Walmart are both known for, it’s their pocket-friendly philosophy. Both companies have just announced a new family plan for those who want to step into the smartphone world without hurting their bank accounts. Not only is this offer affordable, but it’s completely unlimited and commitment-free.

This plan offers unlimited talk, text and web at the low price of $45 (for the first line) and $35 for each additional line. This would translate to $80 for two lines, $115 for 3 lines and so on. There are no contracts involved, which may be a bit more costly the first month, but it all pays off in the long run.

Don’t run to your nearest Walmart location just yet, though. There are some important details you might want to know. First, the plan only offers 3G speeds. This means that data-hungry 4G users will not be able to keep their high speeds.

If you’re willing to live without 4G data speeds, you might want to hurry and get this plan soon. Those who sign up before March 16 will be able to enjoy 5 GB of 3G data per month, while those who sign up after said date will have to make due with 250 MB. After reaching the data limit, users will be throttled to lower speeds.

There’s also a one-time $25 starter kit per line required. All of this may add up to an inconvenient start (you would need to purchase phones at full price and pay for the bill, as well as the fees), but it will be much cheaper after months start adding up.

We would recommend this plan for those who do not mind lower speeds or the low data cap after March 16. It is very affordable compared to the other 3 major carriers, and having no contracts and limitations is always a plus. It would definitely be a great option for first-time smartphone users or for the kids.

What do you guys say? Signing up for this new family plan? Would you rather keep your 4G speeds?

Show Press Release

According to a recent Harris Interactive study, 65% of smartphone users said they use their smartphone’s picture sharing capability most when connecting with family and friends. That’s just one reason why T-Mobile and Walmart recently made their Walmart Family Mobile plan better than ever – adding Unlimited Web to their already great offer of Unlimited Talk and Text. Rolling onto shelves now, the new Walmart Family Mobile Unlimited Talk, Text and Web plan is only $45 per month for the first line and $35 per month for additional lines and is available at Walmart stores nationwide and on Walmart.com.

Additionally, 44% of first-time smartphone buyers in 2012 say the cost of the data plan associated with a smartphone is the most influential reason they have not purchased a smartphone before. For the first time, this monthly postpaid, no-annual contract plan is offering Unlimited Web service, providing full access to Web surfing, data and social media for all lines on the account and is one of the best value options available on any national carrier. Walmart Family Mobile was designed with families in mind, and offers the most affordable way to enjoy high-quality postpaid 3G service. To encourage families to get connected sooner, customers activating the new plan now until March 16th will enjoy the first 5GB per month per line at up to 3G speeds until March 31st. Customers activating after March 16th can enjoy the first 250MB per month per line at up to 3G speeds.

For more information about the Walmart Family Mobile Unlimited Talk, Text and Web plan, please visit www.walmartfamilymobile.com or www.myfamilymobile.com

ASUS almost ready to update OG Transformer to Android 4.0; not ready to add 3G to the Transformer Prime

Edgar Cervantes — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 19:22:35 +0000

ASUS has managed to make itself one of the most popular Android tablet manufacturers. Not only are its devices featuring the best specs, but their prices are almost unbeatable and those updates are coming quick. ASUS is not quite ready to give up on the OG Transformer, and the Ice Cream Sandwich update might be coming sooner than we expected.

Soon after the ASUS Transformer Prime got its Android 4.0 treatment, Android was informed that the update to the OG Transformer would start rolling out during early February^[1]. It looks like this update might be coming earlier than it seems, though. ASUS has mentioned via Facebook that the update is currently in the process of being approved by Google. As soon as Google gives it thumbs up, things are set and ASUS can start rolling out the update^[2].

In other news – it seems like the Transformer Prime will not be getting a 3G (or 4G) antenna. Despite recent reports that ASUS would release a 3G-capable Transformer Prime, ASUS has reported that it does not plan to add 3G data connection to the Prime, and that it is currently not in their plans (according to Focus Taiwan)^[3].

This device may lack that functionality, but there is definitely a market for all data-hungry users. ASUS also mentions that they do plan to add this feature to other high-end products in the “Transformer family.” That might take some time, though, so lets not hold our breath on this coming anytime soon. Instead, we will have to rely on WiFi and tethering for our data fix for now.

There is no doubt that the option to connect to the internet outside WiFi connectivity would be nice. ASUS makes it all up with its offerings, though, and they definitely know how to keep their costumers happy. Many of us would say that timely and consistent updates are better than 3G/4G connectivity, as is affordable price points, which is something ASUS is very well known for.

The simple fact that ASUS is updating its past-generation tablet tells a lot about the company. What do you guys think? Would you be willing to upgrade to a data-connected tablet?

References

Is T-Mobile’s network killing your battery life?

Dustin Earley — Fri, 05 Aug 2011 01:38:25 +0000

Here at Android and Me, we’ve recently started receiving a lot of tips from readers saying their phones seem to be dying faster than normal. From what we’ve gathered, starting in late July, phones on T-Mobile’s advanced wireless networks (3G and 4G) just started rapidly losing battery for no reason. At first it seemed the issue was limited to the G2, which meant it could have been related to the recent update to Gingerbread for the device. As time goes on, however, the problem is starting to look like it’s more widespread than that.

Enough people with different devices have complained to T-Mobile for Magenta to start publicly trouble-shooting the problem. Over on the T-Mobile support forums, a thread has gone live asking users a few simple questions to try and help sort the situation out. T-Mobile wants to know:

Device make & model
Start date on the issue
Where are you located (Market, City, State)?
Are you in a 2G, 3G or 4G area?
When battery indicator shows ‘No Power’ does the device still work or is the power drained?
Does “3G only mode” improve the battery drain issue?

After reading through four pages of responses, the problem is just as we thought. Regardless of device, anyone using 3G or 4G is experiencing battery drain. Switching to 2G (EDGE) stops it.

Personally, I use a T-Mobile G2 and I’m supposed to be in a 4G area. At my house I’m stuck on EDGE, so I haven’t spent much time in a 3G or 4G zone. I may have to brave the heat and find somewhere I can put this to the test though. If you’re on T-Mobile, be sure to let us know what your battery life is like in the comments below.

To participate in the survey, head on over to the T-Mobile support forums now.

HTC Thunderbolt to be one of the first Verizon phones to support simultaneous voice and data over 3G

Taylor Wimberly — Thu, 27 Jan 2011 17:00:44 +0000

Some carriers have been known to poke fun at the competition when it comes to talking and surfing the web at the same time on a smartphone. Verizon has said they are working to bring simultaneous voice and data over 3G to more of their handsets and the upcoming HTC Thunderbolt will be one of the first to support this feature.

Our friends at Phandroid posted a leaked memo which states the Thunderbolt has the functionality that “allows simultaneous voice and data while on the VZW 3G netowrk.” The memo goes on to say that Verizon “cannot promise the experience will be one that is consistent with our brand” and informs employees that they should not reference the functionality as a benefit when talking with customers.

Another detail revealed by the leak is the fact that the Thunderbolt will not support Verizon’s Mobile Hotspot tethering at launch. Hopefully that functionality will be added shortly after launch via an over-the-air software update.

Leaked internal memo confirms simultaneous voice and data.

3 simple reasons why T-Mobile 3G is better than Sprint 4G

Taylor Wimberly — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 22:54:06 +0000

T-Mobile might be smallest of the big four national carriers, but their upgraded 3G network is going to top anything that their larger competitors have to offer this year. Sprint’s launch of the first 4G phone, the HTC EVO, has generated a lot of buzz (which is deserved) but I wanted to take a moment and cover a few simple reasons why I think T-Mobile deserves some more attention.

1. More coverage

What good is a super fast network if you can’t access it? Sprint is gradually expanding their WiMAX network and plans to cover 120 million people this year, but T-Mobile has already surpassed them in coverage area and will provide 4G speeds to 185 million people by the end of 2010.

T-Mobile has an advantage in coverage thanks to their late transition to 3G. They were the last major carrier to roll out a nationwide 3G network so their equipment was newer and able to support HSPA+ after a software update (and upgraded backhaul to their towers).

Sprint on the other hand chose WiMAX for their 4G strategy and this requires new network equipment to be installed in each market. Their 4G network will continue to grow, but it will be at a slower pace than T-Mobile’s HSPA+.

2. More devices

One of the major benefits of T-Mobile’s new HSPA+ network is that it is fully backwards compatible with existing devices. This means that current T-Mobile customers with older Android phones can take advantage of advanced speeds when HSPA+ comes to their city.

T-Mobile currently offers 16 devices that support HSPA 7.2 Mbps, which includes their entire Android lineup. Many of our readers are already taking advantage of the network upgrade and have reported impressive speeds. Best of all, these faster speeds are available to existing customers with no changes to their calling plans or additional fees.

In the coming weeks, T-Mobile is expected to unveil their first HSPA+ handset which should launch later this summer.

3. Faster speeds

There are many different types of WiMAX and HSPA+ that are capable of a wide range of speeds, but the implementation of HSPA+ that T-Mobile is using offers twice the theoretical speeds of Sprint’s WiMAX network. Sprint’s current theoretical max is 10 Mbps and T-Mobile is offering 21 Mbps.

Sprint advertises their 4G network is 10x faster than existing 3G networks and claims download speeds of 3-6 Mbps while capping uploads at 1 Mbps. I tested their network using the HTC EVO 4G and found it was extremely reliable, but I was unable to surpass 3 Mbps downloads.

When I tested my Nexus One on T-Mobile’s HSPA+ network in Houston, I found I was able to hit 5 Mbps down and over 1 Mbps up. Those speeds are impressive and they will only improve once a HSPA+ handset is available later this year.

Theoretical maxes and real world speeds can vary by quite a bit, but after spending hands-on time with both networks I have found that T-Mobile can be twice as fast as Sprint. Comments from our readers have also confirmed that people in HSPA+ markets are seeing faster speeds than those in 4G WiMAX areas.

If you need some more evidence, here are just a few hands-on reports from T-Mobile’s HSPA+ network. Kevin Tofel of jkOnTheRun was able to acheive speeds of 9 Mbps down and nearly 3 Mbps up when he performed his latest round of testing.

Closing thoughts

This post wasn’t meant to bash on Sprint, but I wanted to show that “4G” is not always better than 3G. Sprint offers some great calling plans, but they are limited to a single 4G handset that is currently sold out online.

While we are talking about carrier networks, we might as well mention AT&T and Verizon too. AT&T is also upgrading to HSPA+ in 2010, but they have a slower implementation (14.4 Mbps) than what T-Mobile is using. Their network could rival T-Mobile, but we don’t have any detailed timelines on the rollout or handset launches yet.

Verizon will roll out 4G LTE to 25-30 markets in 2010, but they are not expected to have any LTE handsets till the summer of 2011. There is a good chance they could eventually have the fastest 4G handset, but we won’t know that for another year.

The carrier landscape is always changing, but if you want an Android handset on the fastest network (this summer), keep an eye on T-Mobile. Of course I could eat my words several months from now, but another reason I stick with T-Mobile is because they don’t force me to. T-Mobile is one of the few major carriers to offer no-contract plans and I’ve saved quite a bit of money since I switched to their Even More Plus plan last year.

Which network do you think will be the best at the end of 2010?

T-Mobile “Very Fast Mobile Web” coming March 14

Taylor Wimberly — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 08:17:32 +0000

When we speculated T-Mobile might call their new HSPA+ network “4G” they were very quick to point out that was not the case (yet). Instead, T-Mobile chose to inform us of their network upgrade schedule and said they would “integrate HSPA+ into its 3G network with broad national deployment planned for this year.”

Now T-Mobile has apparently decided to refer to HSPA+ as “Very Fast Mobile Web” according to some leaked documents on TmoNews. The flavor of HSPA+ that T-Mobile is using maxes out at 21 Mbps and they claim it will offer “home broadband like speeds on the go”.

The first device from T-Mobile to support HSPA+ will be the webConnect Rocket which launches on March 14. Initially, the device will only be sold in pilot markets where HSPA+ service is lit up. We believe this is part of the backhaul upgrade that T-Mobile revealed last month.

The pilot markets for the HSPA+ webConnect Rocket include:

Dallas, TX
Miami, FL
Los Angeles, CA
Chicago, IL
and maybe Philadelphia, PA (current test market for HSPA+)

Pricing information for the webConnect Rocket and Very Fast Mobile Web data plans is currently unavailable.

Very Fast Mobile Web = HSAP+

Android fans should pay attention because T-Mobile is likely to launch a HSPA+ handset by the end of the year.

Huawei recently announced the world first HSPA+ Android smartphone model number U8800. The Huawei U8800 features the Android 2.1 operating system, integrates HSPA+ capabilities to support downlink speeds of up to 14 Mbps, and has a 3.8-inch wide screen.

We have no evidence this phone will come to the U.S., but T-Mobile USA already sells non-Android Huawei phones (like the Tap) in their stores today. Huawei is hoping to bring Android phones to the U.S. and this could be an opportunity for them.

Huawei U8800 HSPA+ Android phone.

Nexus One gets an OTA update, pinch zoom & 3G fix

Clark Wimberly — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 22:20:04 +0000

Today on Google’s Nexus One blog an OTA update was announced and is reportedly being rolled out as your read this. The update adds new features to Google Maps, adds pinch zoom to the browser, maps, and gallery, adds Google Goggles to the device, and fixes the previously reported 3G issue.

From the Google page:

Starting today, Nexus One users will begin to receive an over-the-air software update on their phones. This update provides some great new features, and fixes a few problems that some users might have experienced, including:

Google Goggles: this mobile application will now be available directly on your device by launching it from your All Apps menu. Just use your Nexus One camera to start searching the web

Google Maps: the Maps application with be updated to a new version, Google Maps 3.4, which will include:

Starred items synchronized with maps.google.com – access your favorite places from your phone or computer

Search suggestions from your personal maps.google.com history – makes it easy to search for places you’ve searched for before

Night mode in Google Maps Navigation – automatically changes your screen at night for easier viewing and driving

Pinch-to-zoom functionality: devices will now include a new pinch-to-zoom mechanism in the phone’s Browser, Gallery and Maps applications

3G connectivity: we will provide a general fix to help improve 3G connectivity on some Nexus One phones

In order to access the update, you will receive a message on your phone’s notification bar. Just download the update, wait for it to install, and you should be all set. This update will be rolled out gradually to phones – and most users might not receive the notification until the end of the week. We hope you enjoy these new features and look forward to your feedback.Nexus One blog

Have any of our users started to receive the update? We own two Nexus devices but neither has received the update. Once one of our phones gets the update we’ll post a video demo of our shiny, new, pinch-to-zoom goodness…

Questions linger after T-Mobile’s 3G upgrade to HSPA 7.2

Taylor Wimberly — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 03:35:02 +0000

In November, T-Mobile told us that they were upgrading their 3G network to HSPA 7.2 before the end of the year (which would provide faster 3G data service). We watched and waited, but no changes were noticed in the first couple days of the new year.

On January 5th, I contacted T-Mobile to check on the status of the rollout and was given the following response.

“HSPA 7.2 (faster 3G data service) is now enabled across T-Mobile’s entire 3G network.”T-Mobile USA

We reported that the network upgrade was complete (as did many other news sites) and then asked our readers to test their 3G download speeds.

What did we find? Did the upgrade give T-Mobile the fastest 3G network in the U.S.?

For the majority of T-Mobile’s customers, the answer was no.

After doing some more research it appears T-Mobile did in fact “enable” HSPA 7.2, but they have not increased the backhaul speeds to many of their 3G nodes. This would explain why many users reported some of the benefits of HSPA 7.2 like decreased latency (ping times under 199), but most of the download speeds remained in the same range.

CIO.com recently questioned T-Mobile about their HSPA 7.2 upgrade and was told:

“[W]e are continuing to increase backhaul in-line with our network upgrades to support these faster speeds. We have not released additional details at this time, but I’ll keep you posted on T-Mobile network news as we have more details to share.”T-Mobile USA

A few select markets like New York and Philadelphia do have increased bandwidth and those users reported download speeds between 3-5 Mbps. However, the majority of the responses in our testing did not see download speeds that exceeded 1 Mbps.

By comparison, AT&T is still advertising they have The nation’s fastet 3G network and that claim is still valid. AT&T currently supports HSPA 3.6 in most markets and has started their own upgrade to HSPA 7.2. I have several friends with iPhones and they get download speeds of 1-2 Mbps.

What’s next?

T-Mobile’s new 3G network could still become the fastest in 2010. The carrier is already preparing for a nationwide upgrade to HSPA+ by mid 2010 (which supports download speeds up to 21 Mbps), but that means nothing without the adequate backhaul to provide the increased bandwidth for users.

We applaud T-Mobile for upgrading to HSPA 7.2, but it has been a letdown so far. Hopefully their work continues behind the scenes and we will see increased data speeds later this year.

Has the T-Mobile HSPA 7.2 rollout begun? Yes! Confirmed.

Taylor Wimberly — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 02:36:47 +0000

Update (12:30 AM EST): I have heard there are only a few markets where this is being tested. If you don’t have it yet, don’t worry. There is no official schedule for the rollout yet. We only know it will happen before the end of the year. I apologize if I caused any confusion.

Update (11:35 PM EST): Another good report coming in from Chicago, IL via advil0 on Twitter.

Performed on a T-Mobile G1.

Update (11:30 PM EST): Ok here is the first believable result I have seen. It was reported in New York, NY via thenokiablog on Twitter.

Performed on a Nokia N900.

Update (11:20 PM EST): I truly believe we have a false alarm. I have seen no believable results over 1.8 Mbps. Look below for the images I want to see. I want a tethered result from speedtest.net.

Show me over 1.8 Mbps and you win.

Update (11:15 PM EST): We believe many of the reports coming in are false alarms. I do not want results from myspeedtest.com or my3gspeed.com. Someone show me results from the Xtreme Labs app or tethered results with speedtest.net.

Update (11:00 PM EST): Some of the reports coming in might have been false. Sites like my3gspeed.com are reporting the wrong values. I have been unable to confirm any speed boost here in Texas.

Update (10:30 PM EST): Reports are coming in from New Jersey, Chicago, Minnesota, Virginia, Arizon, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Washington, Michigan, New York and some other areas. Adding videos and pics right now.

We have received a lot of rumors regarding the recent T-Mobile network outage. Some people have said they were told it was a “network upgrade” and others said it was “software upgrade”. According to T-Mobile only 5% of customers were affected, but it appears a large portion of those people had 3G phones.

Earlier today we reported that T-Mobile’s HSPA 7.2 upgrade was still on track for 2009.

One of our readers Ted left an interesting comment:

HSPA has been lit up in Chicago! I just tested it and got 6.8 Mbps!

We have no way to actually confirm this, so I’m turning to our wonderful community and asking for your help. I am aware that T-Mobile is testing HSPA+ in Philadelphia, but have yet to hear of any additional markets.

Download the Xtreme Labs Speedtest and post your results (make sure WiFi is turned off). Run the test a couple times and share what you find.

If your phone is rooted, tether it to your laptop/netbook and try running a test on speedtest.net. I have found I received much higher download speeds when tethered vs. just testing on an actual device.

Please post your results in the following format:

Carrier and phone
Location
Max download
Max upload

Example:

T-Mobile myTouch 3G
Corpus Christi, TX
Download: 531.4 Kbps
Upload: 134.1 Kbps

If you are lucky enough to actually find speeds above 2+ Mbps, send me proof via our tip line and I will have a special reward for you.