You can't really compare it that way.. Considering when the Canadian dollar wasn't doing as bad/the US dollar wasn't so high, the prices were still the same.. However if you want to do it that way.. For Unlimited Canada wide talk and text + 9 GB of data (BYOD) with rogers is $110 CAD ($83 USD) which for that much you can get unlimited with t-mobile for $80 USD. Not sure if ROGERS has spotify included with BYOD or if you have to sign a contract to get it, but it still also counts towards your bucket so if you go over you gotta pay those nice new data overages.. Which are what now? 5 bucks per 100mb?
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T-Mobile Unveils Doubled Data Plans, Free Video Streaming at Un-Carrier X Event
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You can't really compare it that way.. Considering when the Canadian dollar wasn't doing as bad/the US dollar wasn't so high, the prices were still the same.. However if you want to do it that way.. For Unlimited Canada wide talk and text + 9 GB of data (BYOD) with rogers is $110 CAD ($83 USD) which for that much you can get unlimited with t-mobile for $80 USD. Not sure if ROGERS has spotify included with BYOD or if you have to sign a contract to get it, but it still also counts towards your bucket so if you go over you gotta pay those nice new data overages.. Which are what now? 5 bucks per 100mb?
I can stream movies from iTunes, which makes iTunes a streaming service.
Right.
You are not streaming from iTunes, but downloading an m4v to your device and having the ability to play it in the same time, while it still downloads.
The difference between streaming and iTunes is that with streaming you have to be online all the time and can't have videos offline. If you check the list with the 24 streaming services announced by TMo right now you will notice that there isn't a single one that allows for offline viewing (YouTube Red, Amazon Prime Video) but all 24 require an internet connection to be able to play their video libraries.
I could be wrong, but I thin that T-Mobile is doing this, that, and the other things to grab market share. Let's face it, a couple years ago they were the bottom-feeder of the market. Still, they're number 3 at best. But the only way that they can grab share is to shake things up and change the way that carriers behave, which is what they're trying to do. They are now grabbing share and even luring customers like me who would never have previously considered them. This, along with the fact that they're building out their network.
That's my take.
That's my take.
iTunes uses exactly the same protocol for streaming as Netflix and most other streaming services. The buffering strategy on the device is irrelevant. Besides, the Apple TV does not download the entire video in advance when streaming iTunes content (it only pre-buffers a few minutes ahead).
Actually, you can download Vudu videos for offline viewing.
They can do that now. You are absolutely right, nothing is free (just like all the trade in your old phone for 1/2 of what it's worth deals that everyone thought were awesome)
My thoughts are that by making videos default to a much lower resolution by default lowers their total bandwidth usage more so than it will increase with a small percentage of users increasing their streaming.
Just listen to yourself. You don't seem to make sense.
1st. There is people who post stuff like this because there is quite a few people unhappy with AT&T and Verizon that might have stayed because initially AT&T was the only authorized carrier to sell iPhone and T-Mobile was the last to join. Now T-Mobile has reduced or eliminated all barriers to switch to T-Mobile and they wholeheartedly support the iPhone and its new features. They are innovating faster and better than AT&T and Verizon. Numbers don't lie, lots of people are jumping ship to go to T-Mobile.
2nd. According to you where does it matter? I live in the Bay Area and I go to Los Angeles from time to time. Both metropolitan areas have excellent coverage. Los Angeles has band 12 and the Bay Area should get it soon. I spend almost 100% of my time in urban areas that are well covered. T-Mobile is not even close to terrible. All networks have dead spots. Furthermore, carriers don't compete only on coverage, they compete on features and T-Mobile is extremely competitive on giving customers extra things for their money. Just look at the last 3 years. T-Mobile has shaken up the industry, there is no denying. Go to the AT&T page, I just went and they seem a copy of T-Mobile, but falling short (i.e. free calls and text to Canada and Mexico when T-Mobile was first to offer full free roaming to Canada and Mexico at LTE speeds, free of charge, as easy as if you were travelling from California to Arizona or Oregon).
3d. Do you really believe what you say, that AT&T and Verizon are laughing? T-Mobile is growing its customer base like crazy. I don't think that is laughing matter, and if they are laughing so much as you say, why are they trying to halfheartedly match T-Mobile promotions. They did it with the ETF payments on switching carriers, they also moved to get rid of contracts, etc. Every move T-Mobile does is quickly and reluctantly followed by the other 3 major carriers. When was the last time we saw true customer focused promotions from AT&T and Verizon. I can't remember. Perhaps you, with your wisdom can illuminate me. In my book, what T-Mobile is doing and the rate they are getting new customers is remarkable. Best network is not all that matters for everyone, I think you are pretty mistaken in that point.
So you didn't actually read it.. you just made up things as you typed? Their is no additional cost pie-hole.. please read before making troll comments.. at least make it interesting for us to pigeon hole you.
Tit for tat, in the US you have to add the fees too, about $5 per line, depending on where you live. Even so, I would say that now, with the currency the way it is, the offer is comparable. Not saying it's better or worse, but comparable. And I see Spotify is included in BYOD too... so that's a $10 value per line right there.
I would give T-Mobile a try, in particular if you have a newer phone (e.g. iPhone 6s or 6s+) that supports band 12 (which improves in building performance). I was on the fence for a while until I jumped in January. All in all I am pretty happy. I just recently took advantage of a promotion (that might still be on) and I am getting 3 lines for $120 with 10GB each, with data rollover for a year, up to 20GB per line, plus I just found out I can use my datastash (rollover) if I travel to Mexico or Canada (all at LTE speeds) , which I am going to do soon.
In my case I got a prepaid SIM card from T-Mobile and I tried their network for a few weeks before jumping. T-Mobile also had a promotion to test drive their network with an iPhone 5 or 5s (I don't recall). I would say skip that and switch. If you are in a relatively urban area you should be fine with T-Mobile.
My 2 cents.
Ah, didn't know about Vudu... thought it's online only... though it doesn't have an app... how does it do it?
Still... I will say iTunes is not streaming
Edit: never mind... I see they have an iOS app.
Can you buy a phone with an address down here and use it up there? Roaming and calling are free, with T-Mobile, in Canada. Not sure how this would work, but maybe worth Googling?
Yes, video streaming not counting against your monthly data only when the binge-on is enabled, and only for supported video providers. I am sure more providers will be added with time. T-Mobile doesn't charge them and doesn't charge you for this. All in all I think it is a good deal and you can opt out if you prefer the higher quality. I am looking forward to YouTube joining the binge
I love T-Mobile but their Un-Carriers are often confusing.
Here's how I decoded.
Un-Carrier X is about Simple Choice Amped and Binge On.
Simple Choice Original
Simple Choice North America
Simple Choice Amped
Here's how I decoded.
Un-Carrier X is about Simple Choice Amped and Binge On.
Simple Choice Original
- $50 for 1st line, $30 for 2nd line, $10 each additional line
- 1GB included, throttled to 128 Kbps after (no overage)
- 3GB for $10/line, 5GB for $20/line, unlimited (7GB HotSpot) for $30/line
- 3GB or higher gets Data Stash, with rolls unused data for up to 12 months
Simple Choice North America
- Adds Mobile without Border, free calls and text to and in Canada and Mexico, with free unlimited high speed Internet
Simple Choice Amped
- Superset of Simple Choice North America
- Same base price as Simple Choice
- 2GB included
- 6GB for $15/line, 10GB for $30/line, unlimited (14GB HotSpot) for $45/line
- Family Match: if every lines are on the same premium data tier (6GB or higher), 6GB for $10/line, 10GB for $20/line, and unlimited for $30 line. If lines are to be mixed, each 4GB is $15/line
- Limited time promo: 4th line free
- Data Stash is now capped at 20GB
- Binge On: 3x data compression from 24 video streaming services (will expand in the future). Free on 6GB or higher data tiers. Unlimited tier gets 1 free video rental per month from Vudu until end of 2016.
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Switched about a month and a half ago from ATT and loving it. Great customer service, and getting service in places where I used to have no coverage with ATT (NYC). Saving over $50/month on our family plan. This is just icing on the cake...
Show much negativity is going to hurt your health. I don't think today's T-Mobile binge-on announcement has anything to do with what you say. What you say can be done regardless of binge-on or not. Furthermore, T-Mobile is not charging for binge-on, so I don't know what the heck you are ranting about. Stop using a cell phone and do all your transactions in cash from now on if you are that worried. I also value my privacy and there are practices that make me cringe. However, this is prevalent, not only with cell phone carriers. I am sure Comcast and others also track what you watch with their set top boxes, grocery stores track your purchases through loyalty programs, etc.
I don't think T-Mobile is doing it out of the goodness of their heart, but I don't think they do it for the reasons you point out. I think it is more reasonable they are doing it to get public attention and more customers. They need to keep growing their customer base to be able to continue their network improvements. If they can't quite compete on network coverage, then they have to compete on nice features and in that regard I think they are doing an awesome job.
It absolutely is. Apple actually invented one of the major schemes for adaptive streaming over HTTP (google "HTTP Live Streaming"). Netflix and the others use similar variants based on the same transport protocols (DASH, Microsoft Smooth Streaming, or Adobe's HTTP Dynamic Streaming).Still... I will say iTunes is not streaming
I will NEVER go to T-Moble after their disastrous Superbowl add early this year!
Sorry it's a boy!
Sorry it's a boy!
If this were a negative for consumers, sure, but it isn't. You're getting something for free that you'd otherwise have to pay for. T-Mobile isn't benefitting from this in anyway besides adding new users that will rush to them. I highly doubt any company paid to get in on this. It's nothing but good.
Or just pay $80 and get unlimited everything. Tethering is limited to 7GB, but I've heard it's been bumped to 14. But with unlimited bingo streaming added to tethering, who cares? Free roaming/calling to Canada and Mexico, along with free wifi calling mourned the world. Also other countries with free or cheap calling, with more on the way.
I paid $40 more for unlimited with AT&T, along with lots of Canada called every month. They wouldn't let me use the mobile hot spot features in my phone, unless I ditched my unlimited plan. They were always trying to get me to ditch my unlimited plan. After about 20yrs of dealing with a company who thought that they were the only game in town, it felt good to give a big old F-U to Ma Bell!
And yeah, MY network coverage has been good. You will no longer get my $150 a month, mainly because your short-sighted policies restricted my use of Mobile hot-spots. Really, I was willing to pay the extra $50 a month, if they would have just let me use that feature. they did not, and I bolted.
Again, F-U Ma Bell!!!
So glad to see this industry being shaken up.
I paid $40 more for unlimited with AT&T, along with lots of Canada called every month. They wouldn't let me use the mobile hot spot features in my phone, unless I ditched my unlimited plan. They were always trying to get me to ditch my unlimited plan. After about 20yrs of dealing with a company who thought that they were the only game in town, it felt good to give a big old F-U to Ma Bell!
And yeah, MY network coverage has been good. You will no longer get my $150 a month, mainly because your short-sighted policies restricted my use of Mobile hot-spots. Really, I was willing to pay the extra $50 a month, if they would have just let me use that feature. they did not, and I bolted.
Again, F-U Ma Bell!!!
So glad to see this industry being shaken up.
It is still too expensive. $50 a month is the least you can pay and that doesn't include the cost of the phone. People in other countries like the UK would be appalled at these prices. I just wish Google's Project Fi were available to iPhone users. Those prices are much more realistic. Saying all this though, I am happy I will now have 2GB of fast data a month rather than 1GB, even though this tier does not include the free video.
What does "proprietary data compression algorithm" mean exactly? Does it just mean they are keeping the bitrate secret? Doesn't the video have to be H264?