T-Mobile to have iPhone 5-ready nano-SIM cards by mid-October

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  • Reply 21 of 58
    tbelltbell Posts: 3,146member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by SWS View Post





    There is no need for 64 GB iPhone now. What with 4G LTE and iCloud support that much physical Storage is a waste of money.

    The iPhone is made for consuming content not storing your entire content library.

    Don't get me wrong to each their own. I just find it a complete waste of money.


     


     


    I actually agree. 32 seems best, but I could get by with 16. 

  • Reply 22 of 58
    rot'napple wrote: »
    If Visual Voicemail unavailable, does that mean the phone just rings and rings until the caller gets tired and hangs up? And calls again later or you can check caller id. Does caller id work on a non official carriers network?
    Can one circumvent Visual Voicemail with YouMail or Libon VoiceFeed (which I like the looks of but don't have)?
    http://www.libon.com/en/iphone/on-voicefeed
    What else is there that won't work on non official carriers networks? Besides LTE or 3G speeds?
    You just have normal voicemail. I actually set mine to forward after som rings to my Google Voice number, and set GV to Do Not Disturb. I get transcribed messages and Visual Voicemail like functionality.
  • Reply 23 of 58
    tyler82 wrote: »
    So to use an iPhone on a no contract carrier you have to shell out $850 for the 64GB (because, really, 64 should be the base model, not the high end, but whatevs). What a freakin' gip. No iPhone for me yet again. 
    That plus a prepaid account is cheaper than your 2 year contract. It's math. Sorry.
  • Reply 24 of 58
    I'm picking up T-Mobile's HSPA+ with my iPhone 3GS here in Santa Clara, CA. Apparently T-Mobile flipped the switch on my tower the afternoon of Sept 12.

    http://www.airportal.de/
    You definitely aren't picking up HSPA+ on a 3GS, as the 4S was the first iPhone to support it.
  • Reply 25 of 58
    Considering that almost all iPhone buyers are getting them subsidized, and T-Mobile isn't carrying the iPhone itself, is there any big reason for them to rush to get Micro SIMs now?

    It's a two-year wait before anyone will be free of their contract and able to switch to them with one.
  • Reply 26 of 58

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by SeaFox View Post



    Considering that almost all iPhone buyers are getting them subsidized, and T-Mobile isn't carrying the iPhone itself, is there any big reason for them to rush to get Micro SIMs now?

    It's a two-year wait before anyone will be free of their contract and able to switch to them with one.


    Many will pay full price for the iPhone (no contract) and many will pay the early termination fee just to switch to T-Mo.

  • Reply 27 of 58

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by SeaFox View Post



    Considering that almost all iPhone buyers are getting them subsidized, and T-Mobile isn't carrying the iPhone itself, is there any big reason for them to rush to get Micro SIMs now?

    It's a two-year wait before anyone will be free of their contract and able to switch to them with one.


     


    You can buy iPhones directly from Apple unlocked.


     


    2 years ago, T-Mobile USA admitted that they had over 1 million iPhone users on their network.

  • Reply 28 of 58

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by TBell View Post


     The subsidized cost of a 16 GB iPhone on the big three is roughly $450 over two years of a contract. This comes out to a little over $18 a month over two years.


    But a plan with a subsidized phone is the exact same price as bring your own phone (at least on AT&). The only difference with a subsidized phone is you need a two year contract.


    It's kinda irrelevant comparing that price (subsidized phone). To use your equation above, if you want AT&T, get a subsidized iPhone instead of buying it outright, and save a little over $18 a month.


     


    Just compare plan prices T-Mo vs. big 3.

  • Reply 29 of 58
    Are you saying the iPhone 5 is compatible with t-mobile right now, on its current network (not the reformed network) at speeds faster than Edge? What would be the max speed on t-mobile HSPA (not +)?
    tbell wrote: »

    Although it desperately wants the iPhone, T-Mobile is not redoing its entire network for one phone. People forget T-Mobile set aside long term plans to update its network because it made no sense to make such plans if it was going to be acquired by AT&T. The whole reason AT&T had to pay T-Mobile 3 billion when the deal didn't go through is because T-Mobile knew if the deal failed it would be financially injured by putting off such planning. 

    Moreover, T-Mobile's HSPA network is very fast. Faster than AT&T and Verizon's 3G networks. LTE, however, is faster and this is where T-Mobile is hurting. That and the previous version of HSPA wasn't supported on the iPhone. I can buy the new iPhone though, and HSPA is supported in T-Mobile's frequency range. So, the new iPhone will be quite fast on T-Mobile's current network. 

    T-Mobile is the best deal for the iPhone. AT&T and Verizon have data caps. What is the point of super fast LTE when you are going to blow through your data cap watching a single movie. Sprint's network is slow. You might have unlimited data, but the speeds are painful. T-Mobile, however, actually has a fast data network and unlimited plans. 

    I posted this before but over two years it is cheaper and a better deal to buy an unlocked iPhone and go to T-Mobile especially now with the iPhone supporting T-Mobile's HSPA network. The subsidized cost of a 16 GB iPhone on the big three is roughly $450 over two years of a contract. This comes out to a little over $18 a month over two years. Unlimited voice, texting, and data costs $59 a month (under T-Mobile's bring your own phone value plans). So for less than $80 a month (excluding taxes and fees) you have what costs around $130 on AT&T. Further, T-Mobile, unlike Sprint and Verizon, supports simultaneous voice and data. 
  • Reply 30 of 58

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by xRCx View Post


    Lol T-Mobile wants the Iphone yet trashes it in commercials, and they wonder why they are the last to get it, lol Cricket is getting it over them... sad



    Pay attention to the T-Mobile commercials with the iPhone. Watch them a few times. Maybe then you'll notice the almost lawyered wording T-Mobile is using to NOT trash the iPhone. They are explicit about it too, they are only trashing the carriers. It makes sense too, because once/if they get it, the marketing is already set up.

  • Reply 31 of 58

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by bryanus View Post



    Are you saying the iPhone 5 is compatible with t-mobile right now, on its current network (not the reformed network) at speeds faster than Edge? What would be the max speed on t-mobile HSPA (not +)?


    The iPhone 5 is compatible with T-Mobile EDGE, T-Mobile 3G Refarm (Q4 2012), and T-Mobile LTE (Mid 2013). It will simply fail to connect to regular T-Mobile 3G.

  • Reply 32 of 58
    tbelltbell Posts: 3,146member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by bryanus View Post



    Are you saying the iPhone 5 is compatible with t-mobile right now, on its current network (not the reformed network) at speeds faster than Edge? What would be the max speed on t-mobile HSPA (not +)?


     


     


    I thought I was saying that, but apparently I misread the specifications. If you believe T-Mobile, what I said should be true probably by the end of the year (for large parts of the Country anyway). It is very confusing, but T-Mobile has been re-farming its network since AT&T's buyout failed. In some areas of the Country, you can already get 3G and faster speeds on the iPhone. I have the 4S, and I still get only the Edge Network. About fifty miles from me I jump over to 3G. 


     


    However, Edge on T-Mobile isn't as bad as some might think. The reality is all the current phones T-Mobile offers is on its 3G and 4G networks. So, it is mostly older and iPhones using Edge. I load email, surf the web, and even stream Pandora just fine. I even watched a Netflix TV show over Edge once without stalling (although this result isn't common).

  • Reply 33 of 58
    tbelltbell Posts: 3,146member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Chris_CA View Post


    But a plan with a subsidized phone is the exact same price as bring your own phone (at least on AT&). The only difference with a subsidized phone is you need a two year contract.


    It's kinda irrelevant comparing that price (subsidized phone). To use your equation above, if you want AT&T, get a subsidized iPhone instead of buying it outright, and save a little over $18 a month.


     


    Just compare plan prices T-Mo vs. big 3.



     


     


    That might be true on AT&T, but on T-Mobile there is bring your own phone plans (e.g. its value plan) and subsidized phone plans. The bring your own phone plans are cheaper. For example, the bring your own phone value plan for an individual line is $59.99 a month, whereas the subsidized phone price plan is $79.99. Both offer unlimited voice, texting, and data. Again, AT&T only offers a subsidized phone plan and to get what T-Mobile offers for as low as $59.99 costs over $130 on AT&T and AT&T has a 2GB data limit. So my point is if you add the twenty dollars a month to the T-Mobile $59.99 you still come out way cheaper then on AT&T. Further, AT&T forces iPhones into a data plan even if the phone is unlocked and contract free. If you use mostly wi-fi, you can get a data free plan for less. 

  • Reply 34 of 58
    tbelltbell Posts: 3,146member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by SeaFox View Post



    Considering that almost all iPhone buyers are getting them subsidized, and T-Mobile isn't carrying the iPhone itself, is there any big reason for them to rush to get Micro SIMs now?

    It's a two-year wait before anyone will be free of their contract and able to switch to them with one.


     


     


    Sure, people like me will pay full price for the iPhone 5 unlocked to bring to T-Mobile. Moreover, T-Mobile is always doing things to try and keep the iPhone users happy. 

  • Reply 35 of 58
    jragostajragosta Posts: 10,473member
    tyler82 wrote: »
    So to use an iPhone on a no contract carrier you have to shell out $850 for the 64GB (because, really, 64 should be the base model, not the high end, but whatevs). What a freakin' gip. No iPhone for me yet again. 

    So what are your options:

    1. You can get a subsidized phone from one of the major carriers and only pay $399 for the phone. However, over the 2 year contract period, you'll pay a lot more if you choose this option. I will save about $500 per year by buying my own iPhone and using Straight Talk instead of AT&T. T-mobile's prices are close to the same.

    2. Buy a comparable unsubsidized phone from someone else. The Galaxy SIII, for example, is only about $50 less than the iPhone 5 in base (16 GB) configuration. So you have to decide if saving $50 is worth it to buy a phone which has an inferior ecosystem, much poorer customer service, worse customer satisfaction, and which (if history is any guide) will probably not be upgradeable.

    3. Continue to use your Motorola Razr because you're too cheap to buy a new phone.

    And, btw, your assertion that 64 GB should be the base is ridiculous. I get by just fine with 32 GB with no sacrifices at all and if money were really tight, even 16 GB would be fine. While your usage may require 64 GB, not everyone does - in fact, most people are fine with much less.
  • Reply 36 of 58
    jragostajragosta Posts: 10,473member
    tbell wrote: »

    That might be true on AT&T, but on T-Mobile there is bring your own phone plans (e.g. its value plan) and subsidized phone plans. The bring your own phone plans are cheaper. For example, the bring your own phone value plan for an individual line is $59.99 a month, whereas the subsidized phone price plan is $79.99. Both offer unlimited voice, texting, and data. Again, AT&T only offers a subsidized phone plan and to get what T-Mobile offers for as low as $59.99 costs over $130 on AT&T and AT&T has a 2GB data limit. So my point is if you add the twenty dollars a month to the T-Mobile $59.99 you still come out way cheaper then on AT&T. Further, AT&T forces iPhones into a data plan even if the phone is unlocked and contract free. If you use mostly wi-fi, you can get a data free plan for less. 

    You forgot one thing that makes the difference even greater. With AT&T, when you complete your contract, you continue to pay the full (subsidized) price. With t-mobile, once you've completed your contract period, you can switch to an unsubsidized plan, saving the $20 difference every month.
  • Reply 37 of 58
    I'm pretty certain that would require a new 2yr contract to move to the value plan at that point. .
    jragosta wrote: »
    You forgot one thing that makes the difference even greater. With AT&T, when you complete your contract, you continue to pay the full (subsidized) price. With t-mobile, once you've completed your contract period, you can switch to an unsubsidized plan, saving the $20 difference every month.
  • Reply 38 of 58
    tbelltbell Posts: 3,146member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by jragosta View Post





    You forgot one thing that makes the difference even greater. With AT&T, when you complete your contract, you continue to pay the full (subsidized) price. With t-mobile, once you've completed your contract period, you can switch to an unsubsidized plan, saving the $20 difference every month.


     


     


     


    Exactly. Essentially on T-Moble you can get an everything plan for $59 a month (excluding taxes and fees). If you don't roam, you can even get it cheaper by signing up through Walmart, which has rebranded T-Mobile as Family Mobile.  


     


    I have been on every major carrier, and T-Mobile robs you the least. It is insane how AT&T wants to charge you for Face time when you already are subject to data caps. It is your freaking data. 

  • Reply 39 of 58
    tbelltbell Posts: 3,146member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by bryanus View Post



    I'm pretty certain that would require a new 2yr contract to move to the value plan at that point. .


     


     


    Perhaps because the value plan does involve a two year contract. However, you could then switch to a T-Mobile no-contract plan or a pre paid plan both of which are cheaper than the subsidized plan. 

  • Reply 40 of 58
    jragostajragosta Posts: 10,473member
    tbell wrote: »

    Exactly. Essentially on T-Moble you can get an everything plan for $59 a month (excluding taxes and fees). If you don't roam, you can even get it cheaper by signing up through Walmart, which has rebranded T-Mobile as Family Mobile.  

    I have been on every major carrier, and T-Mobile robs you the least. It is insane how AT&T wants to charge you for Face time when you already are subject to data caps. It is your freaking data. 

    For the major carriers, that might be true, but it's definitely worth looking into some of the minor carriers or regional carriers.

    Straight Talk is close to t-mobile in price (actually a little lower, especially when you consider t-mobile's data caps if you have a single line and only a bit more if you have multiple lines) and uses the AT&T network - which is better than t-mobile's network.
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