I have an unlocked at&t phone I am using on t-mobile. The Edge network is so outrageously slow if I had to do it over Id never have purchased the 5 back in Nov (to use on T-mobile). Now that T-Mo has iPhone, Im flat out of luck while new users are supported with an updated 5 on the more readily available t-mo network signals. This is unlike buying a gadget knowing there is going to be a better gadget a year later. This is the current model. I bought the 5 because T-Mo was pushing for unlocked phones to join their network and was even recruiting unlocked iPhones to join their network as a network refarm was going to upgrade my data speeds- but in real life the refarm is spotty, unreliable, or non-existent. While I have experienced 3g speeds, I fall back to Edge close to 100% of the time. I feel frustrated by this experience and want to find a way out without bearing the cost to switch out phones -I just think I shouldnt have to.
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Blame Apple or T-Mobile?
- Thread starter jrz
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How is it anyones fault but your own? You knew when you purchased the iPhone 5 back in November that it would only work on Edge with T-Mobile. You should be thankful that you have the opportunity to get 3G speeds even if it is less than 1% of the time. Sell your phone and buy a T-Mobile version if you need faster speeds.
Arrange an applecare appointment online to your nearest apple store. Tell them the sleep/wake button jams up sometimes. They will replace it with the new one that supports all tmobile bands.
Have you checked the forums? Many people got successful replacements that support tmobile bands, including me. As a reason you want to use to get it replaced is up to you. If you say the power/sleep button doesn't work, your guaranteed to get a replacement without any hassle. If you be honest, they may or may not replace it, since it is technically not defective to apple support employees. Some employees think that the newer iphone 5 has different parts or model # which is not true according to Apple's memo to the FCC.
Have you checked the forums? Many people got successful replacements that support tmobile bands, including me. As a reason you want to use to get it replaced is up to you. If you say the power/sleep button doesn't work, your guaranteed to get a replacement without any hassle. If you be honest, they may or may not replace it, since it is technically not defective to apple support employees. Some employees think that the newer iphone 5 has different parts or model # which is not true according to Apple's memo to the FCC.
Yes, thanks. I know to give it time. Only frustrated a new version of iPhone 5 was introduced while at&t models are waiting- and knowing Edge will be the fall back network for awhile while the refarm is still going on...
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Yes, I have read about others. There is no issue with my buttons and I dont want to have to buck the system with a story. I think anytime a lie has to be made up to get what you want there is something wrong with the system
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Yes, I have read about others. There is no issue with my buttons and I dont want to have to buck the system with a story. I think anytime a lie has to be made up to get what you want there is something wrong with the system
Agree. I just don't think it should need to be this way. Think that burden should fall on Apple or T-Mobile.
Neither of them have any rightful burden in this case. As said before, you knew the situation and what it could mean before you bought the iPhone you have now.
I do find it interesting that while you're too upstanding to feign a need for a replacement that will solve your problem (effectively making Apple shoulder the burden), you still feel that Apple or T-Mobile should shoulder the burden. It's kinda like you want the handout, but just don't want to be made to feel guilty about it.
i understand your logic, i'm sure you could sell your current phone pretty quick and get a new one from t-mobile....
The problem these days is we expect every company to take care of things. Things that you already knew was going to be a problem, but yet you expect them to take care of it. doesn't make sense. Do you buy a turkey burger then half way through it you say this should be a hamburger, you should change it for me for free?
I'm sure there will be a fix for it somewhere, sometime...but go the easy route. Sell the current and buy a new! If you expected to live with the slowness until t-mobile got on board then i think you can deal with the hassle to sell and buy new.....
Sorry to be so harsh, but its just my opinion.
Good Luck!
The problem these days is we expect every company to take care of things. Things that you already knew was going to be a problem, but yet you expect them to take care of it. doesn't make sense. Do you buy a turkey burger then half way through it you say this should be a hamburger, you should change it for me for free?
I'm sure there will be a fix for it somewhere, sometime...but go the easy route. Sell the current and buy a new! If you expected to live with the slowness until t-mobile got on board then i think you can deal with the hassle to sell and buy new.....
Sorry to be so harsh, but its just my opinion.
Good Luck!
If I feel that I was cheated by Apple, I will return the favor. The older iphone 5 supports all the bands, but the software they put in disabled the tmobile aws bands because they were not in contract with tmobile at the time. That is understandable, but the fact is they say there is no way we can update the software to enable it if it is unlocked? That is bad practice in my book. It is a different story if it has a completely different model # or different hardware compared to the older iphone 5. Your just stuck with what you got if it is that case. We can go on and on about who's right or wrong. You either shut up and deal with it or do something about it to make it right if you feel you been wronged, especially a big company like Apple.
Yes, I agree with you (bad practice bit). Thanks. I cant say (I dont think) Ive been wronged, I think I can only say I feel frustrated that this is how it is (I think its bad practice).
Well you stated that you knew the limitations of the refarmed network prior to buying it. So you knew it would be mostly edge. This is one of the reasons I didn't purchase an unlocked iPhone 5 to use on Tmobile last year. The refarm in my wxperience is mostly Edge with the 4G symbol occasionally popping up as long as youre not inside a building. I just got some lines on Verizon instead. I would never pay $700 for a phone to use on mostly Edge.
Never buy an expensive device in hopes of what it might be able to do later. Buy it for the capabilities it has at the time of purchase. Lesson learned.
Like everyone else said, just sell it now and get the Tmobile one. People are still paying over $500 for unlocked iPhone 5s on eBay so you could make up most up the cost right there. Or just pay $99 down for one at Tmobile and pay the rest over time. Many ways to get the new model.
Never buy an expensive device in hopes of what it might be able to do later. Buy it for the capabilities it has at the time of purchase. Lesson learned.
Like everyone else said, just sell it now and get the Tmobile one. People are still paying over $500 for unlocked iPhone 5s on eBay so you could make up most up the cost right there. Or just pay $99 down for one at Tmobile and pay the rest over time. Many ways to get the new model.
Your decision to buy an iPhone 5 was made on the expectation that T-Mobile would refarm in your area and that you would experience 3G speeds.
T-Mobile didn't deliver on that expectation.
You're being pissy at Apple because T-Mobile dropped the ball on which you based your decision to buy an iPhone 5 on?
I get that you're frustrated, but bitching that Apple's not giving you a workaround to the original problem of T-Mobile having let you down seems misguided, IMO.
You keep telling yourself that.
But either way: you have already gotten everything you're legitimately entitled to. Of that, there is no debate or wiggle room. Your options are to switch carriers, sell your phone for a new one, or pray that a defect causes you to need a replacement under warranty.
Agreed. Sorry OP, but neither Apple nor T-Mobile is to blame. Sell your current iPhone and buy one that is compatible with T-Mobile.
Do you buy a turkey burger then half way through it you say this should be a hamburger, you should change it for me for free?
QUOTE]
ummm, what?
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You keep telling yourself that.
Your options are to switch carriers, sell your phone for a new one, or pray that a defect causes you to need a replacement under warranty.
Yep - I'm with you here...
You mean in 2 years when T-Mobile is able to use that spectrum after they get MetroPCS users off the network. They certainly aren't using it today.
It was wrong for me to promote a shady way to how I did it. I just don't like how Apple made a revised iphone 5 a few months after the release of the original iphone 5. If there is no hardware modifications or model differentiation, they should offer a replacement if customers ask for it.
I wouldn't actually mind if they even charge a small fee to reflash the older iphone 5 from the factory so consumers can get the option for full band support for their iphone so they could either use it on tmobile or resell for good value after the next iphone comes out.
Apple was selling an Iphone 5 with limited band support even though it has the hardware capable of supporting all the bands. I think that is why original iphone 5 users are upset. Apple lied to us about the full capabilities of the original iphone 5. Apple should of approached this by adding the full tmobile bands to the next iphone coming out later this year, instead of a few months after iphone 5 was released. It's bad practice.