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Evaluating T-Mobile in North Jersey/NY

S

seeth

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Jun 23, 2003
13
1
I have two iPhones (4, 3GS) on AT&T and the contract has been completed. I have one iPhone 5 on AT&T with a contract that started Dec 2012.

I'm thinking of switching all three lines to T-Mobile. I got a new iPhone 5 from T-Mobile along with a sim for the iPhone 4, and a sim for the AT&T iPhone 5.

In North Jersey/NY, the T-Mobile iPhone 5 almost always reports a 4G signal, and I've seen download speeds up to 10 Mbps.

The iPhone 4, when it picks up a 3G signal, gets fairly good download speeds. But I'm not quite in range of the upgraded tower, so I do switch back to E, and I have lost signal occasionally. I could live with this until the next iPhone (summer/fall) or get a T-Mobile iPhone 5 if I can't stand the inconsistent signal.

I would even eat the ETF on the AT&T contract. Even considering my work discount on the AT&T plan and my work discount on the T-Mobile plan, I end up saving about $20 a month (comparable data plans).

My problem is the AT&T iPhone 5. I could trade that in to T-Mobile, and get a new phone, but they're only going to give me $260. I could try to sell it (after I cancel and unlock the phone), or I could keep the phone and wait until T-Mobile activates their LTE network.

Anyone else in a similar situation? Thoughts?

If I switch, I'm assuming the sequence of events should be:

1. port the numbers
2. cancel contract with AT&T and pay ETF
3. get AT&T to unlock the phone
 
The lines on AT&T are automatically cancelled when you port the numbers. I'm not sure if AT&T will still unlock the phones for you after you cancelled but if they don't then you can use swiftunlocks.com to unlock them for $2 each.
 
you can sell the ATT iPhone on craigslist for like 450-500 and use that money to either pay the ETF or buy the T-Mobile iPhone 5
 
If I'm reading the AT&T unlock rules correctly http://www.att.com/esupport/article.jsp?sid=KB414532&cv=820&title=What%20are%20the%20eligibility%20requirements%20for%20unlocking%20iPhone%3F#fbid=eZ9DBpTSLhc then I should be able to unlock the phone after the ETF is paid. I guess I could be without phone service on that phone for 24 hours or so while everything is in process.

On the other hand, if I sell it, I could come close to covering the cost of the T-Mobile version. Anyone have first hand experience selling on Craigslist?
 
seeth said:
If I'm reading the AT&T unlock rules correctly http://www.att.com/esupport/article.jsp?sid=KB414532&cv=820&title=What%20are%20the%20eligibility%20requirements%20for%20unlocking%20iPhone%3F#fbid=eZ9DBpTSLhc then I should be able to unlock the phone after the ETF is paid. I guess I could be without phone service on that phone for 24 hours or so while everything is in process.

On the other hand, if I sell it, I could come close to covering the cost of the T-Mobile version. Anyone have first hand experience selling on Craigslist?
Click to expand...

I do and that's why I mentioned it in my previous post. It's not hard to sell on Craigslist. Just use either your email or a google voice number instead if your real number in the ad. Meet people in a public place (library, mall) and sell the phone. People will be expecting you to negotiate so list it for a bit higher than you want to sell it for.
 
I really don't understand why someone would drop at&t in one of their strongest markets to go to TMo's mediocre market, just to save a few dollars. Especially since you're reporting there's some EDGE coverage still.


Does not compute.
 
AutoUnion39 said:
I really don't understand why someone would drop at&t in one of their strongest markets to go to TMo's mediocre market, just to save a few dollars. Especially since you're reporting there's some EDGE coverage still.


Does not compute.
Click to expand...

Fair point. But if I'm in the metro NY area 90% of the time, and all of my phones are LTE capable (which they will be before the end of the year), then T-Mobile service should be comparable to AT&T. It's not as if AT&T is perfect either -- I was actually considering switching to Verizon earlier in the year, but the lack of support for voice and data at the same time (for iPhones), plus the higher cost, turned me off from Verizon.
 
AutoUnion39 said:
I really don't understand why someone would drop at&t in one of their strongest markets to go to TMo's mediocre market, just to save a few dollars. Especially since you're reporting there's some EDGE coverage still.


Does not compute.
Click to expand...
Do u have T-Mobile?
 
I agree the refarmed network is spotty and unreliable. Without an AWS phone I wouldn't recommend using Tmobile. The refarmed network is more of an Edge experience with the occasional 4G symbol popping up.

Get the Tmobile compatible iPhone 5 if you want to use Tmobile.
 
CEmajr said:
I agree the refarmed network is spotty and unreliable. Without an AWS phone I wouldn't recommend using Tmobile. The refarmed network is more of an Edge experience with the occasional 4G symbol popping up.

Get the Tmobile compatible iPhone 5 if you want to use Tmobile.
Click to expand...

I don't know why people refuse to believe this. It's next to impossible to have a pleasant experience with T-mobile if your phone lacks 1700/2100 MHz frequencies.
 
EstaVidaLoca said:
I don't know why people refuse to believe this. It's next to impossible to have a pleasant experience with T-mobile if your phone lacks 1700/2100 MHz frequencies.
Click to expand...
Also I had a better experience going from T-Mobile pre-paid to contract.
 
Thanks for all the comments so far. When I factor in comments from other threads, I'm currently leaning towards getting another T-mobile iPhone 5 to replace my AT&T iPhone 5, and selling the AT&T one. Unless I can convince someone at an Apple Store to swap -- it does have AppleCare+.

Not sure what I'd do with the iPhone 4. That's the phone that I use every day....
 
We switched over our 3 lines from AT&T to T-Mobile here in Atlanta two weeks ago tomorrow. I sold all 3 of our iPhone 5's on Craigslist. I had one person buy my wife and daughter's phones and had a deal within an hour. We met at the T-Mobile store the next afternoon. I was saving my phone for someone else who was looking for an AT&T iPhone 5. When that deal fell through I posted it on Craigslist around 12:30pm last Sunday and had money in hand for more than my asking price by 2:00pm the same day.

We sold my wife and daughter's phones for $900 total and mine sold for $510. So far the service has been great. Even when I've only got one bar of service voice quality seems to be better than AT&T and I've had no problems streaming music in the car even when I've dropped down to one bar in a specific location. i will say when I got approx 100 miles outside of Atlanta on small 2 lane roads where my dad lives I had no service at all, but I only go to see him maybe 3-4 times a year and can get a prepaid AT&T sim card if I'm going to be at his place for any length of time.
 
osofast240sx said:
one more question is it a T-Mobile AWS ip5?
Click to expand...

AT&T iPhone 5.

----------
EstaVidaLoca said:
I don't know why people refuse to believe this. It's next to impossible to have a pleasant experience with T-mobile if your phone lacks 1700/2100 MHz frequencies.
Click to expand...

then why does TMobile lie and say that they are done refarming here in Boston? They announced the network in Boston, but I barely get it...
 
AutoUnion39 said:
then why does TMobile lie and say that they are done refarming here in Boston? They announced the network in Boston, but I barely get it...
Click to expand...

In a few months they will come back and announce they have enhanced the rollout in Boston. That is what they have been doing every time they announce new markets (they announce enhanced markets). So, they aren't done in Boston. However, who knows how long it will actually take.
 
AutoUnion39 said:
AT&T iPhone 5.

----------



then why does TMobile lie and say that they are done refarming here in Boston? They announced the network in Boston, but I barely get it...
Click to expand...

They might be done refarming. All of Boston might not have been refarmed. Name one city that has LTE on every block. Does this mean AT&T, Verizon, or Sprint lied about LTE being available? Either way this does not negate the fact that if you want to enjoy your time with T-mobile then you need a T-mobile phone or at least a phone with AWS frequencies.
 
EstaVidaLoca said:
They might be done refarming. All of Boston might not have been refarmed. Name one city that has LTE on every block. Does this mean AT&T, Verizon, or Sprint lied about LTE being available?
Click to expand...

Of course, this is easy. AT&T has LTE everywhere in Boston. Hell, when they launched LTE, it covered a huge portion of Eastern Mass and they didn't deploy some half-assed network, like TMobile, where you would only get LTE some places. It went from the Mass/NH border all the way to Providence.

I know this for a fact because Boston was an LTE launch market for AT&T and I picked up my Skyrocket the day the network went live. VZW is similar. I can drive hundreds of miles on both VZW and AT&T and stay on LTE, but TMobile? some HSPA+ and mostly EDGE.

You can't lump in Sprint and TMo with the big two. Hell, Sprint's LTE deployment is more pathetic than TMo's refarming. LTE has been delayed here for months and they only have some parts of the city done

2JAZy.png
 
AutoUnion39 said:
Of course, this is easy. AT&T has LTE everywhere in Boston. Hell, when they launched LTE, it covered a huge portion of Eastern Mass and they didn't deploy some half-assed network, like TMobile, where you would only get LTE some places. It went from the Mass/NH border all the way to Providence.

I know this for a fact because Boston was an LTE launch market for AT&T and I picked up my Skyrocket the day the network went live. VZW is similar. I can drive hundreds of miles on both VZW and AT&T and stay on LTE, but TMobile? some HSPA+ and mostly EDGE.

You can't lump in Sprint and TMo with the big two. Hell, Sprint's LTE deployment is more pathetic than TMo's refarming. LTE has been delayed here for months and they only have some parts of the city done

Image
Click to expand...
There is no big two, there are 4 major carriers. U need the T-Mobile iPhone 5 to get the full experience. With uncarrier sim.
 
osofast240sx said:
There is no big two, there are 4 major carriers. U need the T-Mobile iPhone 5 to get the full experience. With uncarrier sim.
Click to expand...

How is a TMobile iPhone 5 going to help me get 3G, when their network is primarily EDGE?

I already get "the full experience" on my AWS-equipped Audi. No thanks.
 
It is true that t-mobile may not be able to compete in the same reign of AT&T or Verizon, these two are like mega companies, but tmobile is improving little by little and if you seek savings over the other two (should I say three), then tmobile is the way to go (more bang for your bucks)

I have the t-mobile iPhone 5 now and can't be happier here in Miami, FL, and coming from AT&T which I had since the days of bell south I can tell you that tmobile is getting their act together.
 
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