Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
T-Mobile Launches 'Wi-Fi Unleashed' Campaign, Pledges Support for Wi-Fi Calling on All New Smartphones
- Thread starter MacRumors
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
I have 4 current Android phones on my Tmob plan, they can all use wifi anywhere. On whatever hardware people have installed. My wife can now use her phone buried in the hospital where she works, no cell plan has signal there. Really want my iPhone to do the same, waiting for iOS 8. (because Tmob's signal isn't great indoors anywhere)
They have offered new hardware and made it sound necessary. Marketing has confused you, that's its job.
That's nice...but I actually disabled the wifi calling as it didn't play nice with cell towers. Been a T-Mobile customer since 5s came out, but needed a phone and 5s supply issue, so got the LG2 on the JUMP program with $0 up front that would never see again, vs $99 for the 5c. Plan to JUMP to the 6.
Issues related to WIFi. 1) Out of range warning when walked to kitchen or in the yard, until added extender, 2) No hand-off from WiFi to cell tower when leaving the area - crackling sound and dropped call, and 3) Don't know if considered inactivity on the network system, but dropped calls after approx. every 5 minutes on long conversations/hold times (i.e. tech support conversations) when sitting in the same room with the WiFi router. Turned the WiFi off, forcing it to use the T-Mobile cell tower 3/4 miles down the road and no problems.
Since the LG2 also functions as a hotspot to power the my iPad, with that option, T-Mobile required unlimited data. I don't care if I use 4G data off the cell tower as there is no reason to conserve it with WiFi. Unfortunately, their free International data and text DOES NOT include personal hotspot when utilizing the foreign carrier, so I can't power the iPad independent of a restaurant or hotel providing free WiFi, however, the travel and translation apps on the iPad will transfer to the iPhone and will be powered by the foreign carrier's wifi for free. Very timely since leaving early October for 2 weeks.
Issues related to WIFi. 1) Out of range warning when walked to kitchen or in the yard, until added extender, 2) No hand-off from WiFi to cell tower when leaving the area - crackling sound and dropped call, and 3) Don't know if considered inactivity on the network system, but dropped calls after approx. every 5 minutes on long conversations/hold times (i.e. tech support conversations) when sitting in the same room with the WiFi router. Turned the WiFi off, forcing it to use the T-Mobile cell tower 3/4 miles down the road and no problems.
Since the LG2 also functions as a hotspot to power the my iPad, with that option, T-Mobile required unlimited data. I don't care if I use 4G data off the cell tower as there is no reason to conserve it with WiFi. Unfortunately, their free International data and text DOES NOT include personal hotspot when utilizing the foreign carrier, so I can't power the iPad independent of a restaurant or hotel providing free WiFi, however, the travel and translation apps on the iPad will transfer to the iPhone and will be powered by the foreign carrier's wifi for free. Very timely since leaving early October for 2 weeks.
I think that this is the way all the carriers are going to go, sooner rather than later. As you say, it'll compensate for poor cell signals (especially in buildings), and it'll save them money. The key will be making the transition from the cellular network to Wi-Fi and back seamless, as was suggested in the Apple presentation the other day. Also, I wonder how this will affect Wi-Fi traffic in places that offer Wi-Fi for free.
T-Mobile is doing everything right as a carrier. I switched to them because not providing unlimited data holds App developers back. I hope they get on track and fix the 4G LTE dead spots I get in New York.
The Wifi calling situation kinda sucks for me. I work in a really bad deadzone, but the Wifi calling is blocked on our network. Tried it with the HTC One. I have to use a VPN to get around it.
The Wifi calling situation kinda sucks for me. I work in a really bad deadzone, but the Wifi calling is blocked on our network. Tried it with the HTC One. I have to use a VPN to get around it.
Where abouts in Upstate NY. I am in western NY and thinking about making the switch.
Definate spike in the short term, but maybe leveling out as folks start to frequent places that always had free wifi but cellular signal has been poor/non existent; rather than all congregating in places where there was free wifi and a decent cell signal for calls?
I switched to T-Mobile over a year ago. Cellular in my home is faster than my wired internet, which is 35 down and 2 up. There must be a tower outside my window.
Traveling presents problems in some areas. Along the PA Turnpike, there is LTE, 4G, 3G, and Edge. My car is an Audi with a T-Mobile wifi hotspot. In some places, the cellular reception is better on my car than on my iPhone 5S. The car has its own sim and cellular receiver/transmitter. It operates on some frequencies that are not available on the iPhone 5S. This means that I will be able to make and receive calls in those areas where the car has decent 3G coverage and the iPhone has none, using wifi from the car.
My iPad Air has LTE coverage. Will I be able to use wifi to make calls from the iPad? I have Ooma home phone coverage which allows me to make calls from the iPad from any location that has either wifi or cellular. iPad cellular service is free from T-Mobile. ATT was $30/month.
Traveling presents problems in some areas. Along the PA Turnpike, there is LTE, 4G, 3G, and Edge. My car is an Audi with a T-Mobile wifi hotspot. In some places, the cellular reception is better on my car than on my iPhone 5S. The car has its own sim and cellular receiver/transmitter. It operates on some frequencies that are not available on the iPhone 5S. This means that I will be able to make and receive calls in those areas where the car has decent 3G coverage and the iPhone has none, using wifi from the car.
My iPad Air has LTE coverage. Will I be able to use wifi to make calls from the iPad? I have Ooma home phone coverage which allows me to make calls from the iPad from any location that has either wifi or cellular. iPad cellular service is free from T-Mobile. ATT was $30/month.
I have a feeling this is more true than people know. My house which isn't out in the middle of the woods or anything only gets very poor 2G with T-Mobile. Everyone else has rock solid LTE here.
Not entirely sure, my dad goes fishing near the great lakes every week and att has a strong signal all the way. But when he used tmobile for the week he was in a dead zone. Also if you look at the maps the service looks really spotty in most of upstate.
Yep. The irony I have always found is you rarely need data when at home/work/etc. cause you're on wifi. T-Mobile gives you tons of data and doesn't charge overages, yet when you really need the data is when you travel. Drive 20 miles in any direction from a major city, and the data network dies or drops to E.
I drive to Chicago from Milwaukee all the time, and there are so many dead zones on 94, you drop calls and can't use data at all, yet this is possibly one of the most driven portions of highway in the midwest.
I ordered 4 iphone 6's and one 5s with VW this morning. I used T-Mobile to buy out our VW contracts 9 months ago so we could jump on Edge and the plan was always to come back to VW since we knew the coverage would blow T-Mobile, just waited for the 6 to come out
I am not sure if this is the right forum but I received my cellspot and have been trying to connect it to a USB modem (my iPhones personal hotspot). I am unable to get this to work. Has anyone had luck? It says in the settings that you can use an android's cell phone connection as the USB modem for the cellspot.