t-mobile and iphone over the long haul?

[unagimiyagi]

No smartasterisk answers, please.

I'd like to know if switching to t-mobile is worth it. I lucked into a very nice family plan where I can get 2 iphones for $70 monthly including text, data, etc, and there should be a 15% discount bringing the total to $60 a month. This is the same price as two SERO plans on Sprint.

Is it worth switching to T-mobile for an iphone, esp if it's 2G and will always be stuck at 2G?

I've hated being stuck in CDMA land and the horrrible phone selection and the hassles of switching phones vs just popping a sim in and out.

But with the t-zones thing, am I reading the situation right in that I'll pretty much be stuck in 2G world forever? T-mobile won't allow 3G speeds with the T-zones right? I'm assuming that with Sprint they are never going to allow any remotely cool phone on SERO anymore as well. But at least they really don't even have anything but 3G phones anymore.

 

[SpaceKitty]

T-Mobiles 3G is incompatible with the 3G on the iPhone. No way around it.

 

[jmann]

I love my iPhone and plan to be on it using T-Mobile until a new amazing iPhone is released next year. I only pay like $54 a month, with my 15% discount.

 

[unagimiyagi]

Sorry the question was not phrased correctly.
Basically, in say, 3 years' time, 2G will be completely obsolete and pretty much intolerable for most people.

Am I correct in assuming:

If the iphone comes to T-mobile with a T-mobile specific 3G band inside it by then, then I would assume that T-zone $5.99 access to 3G speeds would be unavailable. Just like t-mobile is making all the my touch 3G phones require the costly data plan.

Future phones, unbranded and unlocked, won't be likely to have T-mobile's 3G bands because they use a funky unused standard specific to America. So the only phones likely to have T-mobile's 3G bands are...T-mobile phones which T-mobile will prohibit T-zones on for data.

So T-zones will likely be a 2G only affair forever, and we'll just need to see how long we can drive in the slow lane while watching everyone pass us by on the highway.

If so, then the venerable SERO plan on Sprint, at least has many SERO compatible phones that have 3G access, even though they are trying to prohibit "cooler, newer" phones from this point forward from being used with SERO.

So I guess the question becomes, current t-mobile iphone users stuck on 2G, what do you plan to do when you're 3 generations behind and yearn for 3G speed?

 

[jmann]

current t-mobile iphone users stuck on 2G, what do you plan to do when you're 3 generations behind and yearn for 3G speed?

I am never 3 generations behind on anything. Especially the iPhone, I would imagine that something bad would happen to my phone in that time frame anyways. I plan on staying out of Contract with T-Mobile until the 4th gen iPhone comes out next year.

 

[slashjunior]

I thought both AT&T and T-Mobile both operated at 1900MHz 3G therefore the iPhone 3G should technically work fine on the T-Mobile 3G network as is.

 

[SpaceKitty]

I thought both AT&T and T-Mobile both operated at 1900MHz 3G therefore the iPhone 3G should technically work fine on the T-Mobile 3G network as is.

It will work fine, just no 3G service.

 

[unagimiyagi]

Let me put it this way: If the iphone has T-mobile's 3G bands in the future, T-zones isn't going to be able to access them. When that happens, are you guys going to keep rocking along on 2g? It's a dilemma for me b/c I'm contemplating switching over from Sprint where 3G is everywhere and really the only option. Prices would be the same. Selection of phones is horrible. So it comes down to perpetually crappy phones or good phones after they're old news but ample 3G (Sprint) vs any unlocked phone albeit at 2G speeds with faint hope of ever getting 3G speeds for $5.99.

Maybe I have answered my own question. Would you take a top of the line macbook pro and a 56K modem or a walmart laptop with a dsl connection? I would take the walmart laptop.

 

[goosnarrggh]

I thought both AT&T and T-Mobile both operated at 1900MHz 3G therefore the iPhone 3G should technically work fine on the T-Mobile 3G network as is.

T-Mobile = 2G (standard + EDGE) GSM on 1900 MHz, 3G (UTMS) GSM on 1700 MHz.

AT&T = 2G (standard + EDGE) GSM on 850 MHz and (for some mobile networks with some former companies that have been absorbed into the "new" AT&T) 1900 MHz, 3G (UTMS) GSM on 850 MHz and 1900 MHz.