Database Users

T-Mobile US service. Is it worth it coming from 9 years of Verizon?

I have the TP2 on Verizon, and I would like the HD2. My biggest concern is dropping and poor cell reception. I'm in Orange County, CA, but I do travel around the U.S. occassionally. Please be honest and let me know how people who are on T-Mobile U.S. service what you think. Do you drop calls a lot? Poor connections? Dead zones?
I've had Verizon for 9 years, so I've been spoiled with great cell service. I RARELY get dropped calls and dead zone (I'm being honest). So I'm wondering what people think about T-Mobile.

you won't be disappointed
I haven't dropped a call in chicago though i wish data was like philly lol

whiteblazer01 said:
I have the TP2 on Verizon, and I would like the HD2. My biggest concern is dropping and poor cell reception. I'm in Orange County, CA, but I do travel around the U.S. occassionally. Please be honest and let me know how people who are on T-Mobile U.S. service what you think. Do you drop calls a lot? Poor connections? Dead zones?
I've had Verizon for 9 years, so I've been spoiled with great cell service. I RARELY get dropped calls and dead zone (I'm being honest). So I'm wondering what people think about T-Mobile.
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I've never had a dropped call... but the 3g signal sucks. It doesn't get 3g signals in buildings or houses. I really regret leaving at&t, which had great 3g signals. Also, looking at the t-mobile signal map, it looks like there's a lot of places in the US that don't get t-mobile.
I would suggest, if you can afford it, get the Telstra 9193 HD2 imported from australia and use At&t. You'll get much better service, at least 3g service.

3g & signal are great for me better than my friend with an iphone at&t i had tmobile since it was voicestream & the service has always been good but i say it all depends on your area givie it a try if you are not satisfy you could always go back as soon as you dont pass the 30days

Not for the HD2. Reception on this phone blows chunks. It makes a low signal a no signal. It switches over to EDGE at the drop of a hat. Anyone that switched to T-Mobile for the HD2 can't make a good evaluation based on that device, it truly blows. T-Mobile has an good soon-to-be HSPA+ Network in Orange County but I would avoid the HD2 at all costs.

Service
I live in Idaho. I have Att, it is ok, but don't get 3g. But I'm ok with edge. I have tried Tmobile,It was great in the town 14 miles from my home. But lost signal all the time. I would say from what other people say, is it's ok in big cities, but not rural. I would pay the extra, & get telstra, on Att. Actually, I did similar thing, just put my sim in from 10.00 data plan. I don't use much data so I'm not going to pay higher plan,, My bud in Pa has telstra,on att, loves it, no tmobile probs.

Former AT&T user for about 10 years - really depends on the area. I just got a T-Mobile HD2 and while the phone is phenominal compared to the current AT&T offerings (build quality, screen, etc.) the network in St Louis is VERY spotty. As others have said the 3g is very weak - as soon as you move say into a parking garage (3g worked with AT&T) it will immediately switch to Edge. Also there seems to be a ton of dead spots even in urban areas. The 3G speeds here at most get in to the 800 range where AT&T was well over 1200 BUT the latentcy and browsing speeds on AT&T seem slower. iPhones in this area suck up tons of bandwidth.
Traveling from say St Louis across to Atlanta on major interstates - AT&T is pretty much on Edge EXCEPT in really major cities like Nashville but other than that its Edge all the way to Atlanta. Used a AT&T Tilt and 8525 for this run. DON'T believe the coverage maps - as soon as I left St Louis it was Edge through Kentucky unless I passed a very populated city and the speeds were mediocre at best.
Until a radio ROM update is released that hopefully fixes the reception problem the phone will have issues. Call quality is just "ok" with some popping, hissing etc.
I think you'll be ok if you use it in MAJOR urban areas but if you go off route or go to some of the smaller cities/towns coverage will be pretty poor.
I only paid about 75 dollars for the phone with a two year commitment so I can't really complain - the only really bad decision on Tmobile part was to spec the phone differently than the European HD2 - finding cases, screen protectors that fit the phone at the moment is pretty difficult.

Nope you are better off with the htc incredible and stay on verzion

stim141 said:
Former AT&T user for about 10 years - really depends on the area. I just got a T-Mobile HD2 and while the phone is phenominal compared to the current AT&T offerings (build quality, screen, etc.) the network in St Louis is VERY spotty. As others have said the 3g is very weak - as soon as you move say into a parking garage (3g worked with AT&T) it will immediately switch to Edge. Also there seems to be a ton of dead spots even in urban areas. The 3G speeds here at most get in to the 800 range where AT&T was well over 1200 BUT the latentcy and browsing speeds on AT&T seem slower. iPhones in this area suck up tons of bandwidth.
Traveling from say St Louis across to Atlanta on major interstates - AT&T is pretty much on Edge EXCEPT in really major cities like Nashville but other than that its Edge all the way to Atlanta. Used a AT&T Tilt and 8525 for this run. DON'T believe the coverage maps - as soon as I left St Louis it was Edge through Kentucky unless I passed a very populated city and the speeds were mediocre at best.
Until a radio ROM update is released that hopefully fixes the reception problem the phone will have issues. Call quality is just "ok" with some popping, hissing etc.
I think you'll be ok if you use it in MAJOR urban areas but if you go off route or go to some of the smaller cities/towns coverage will be pretty poor.
I only paid about 75 dollars for the phone with a two year commitment so I can't really complain - the only really bad decision on Tmobile part was to spec the phone differently than the European HD2 - finding cases, screen protectors that fit the phone at the moment is pretty difficult.
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I don't see exactly what you're getting at. It's the HD2, not the network.. the signal might be weak but the HD2 totally drops the signal. Swap out your HD2 for a Motorola CLIQ or CLIQ XT and you'll see what I'm talking about. I'm not saying it won't ever switch over to EDGE again because the network still has some EDGE-only towers sprinkled in (said to be rectified in 2010+Fiber to the sites) but it will greatly reduce the occurrence.

8 years with verizon, 5 lines in south florida
Switched one line specificly for HD2 to tmobile. SUx 3g signal
Most of the tiem ti shows 3g or H but the connection is weak, i get mostly 300-500 range, once ina while it may spike to 800.
Cant even compare to Verizon, i had Droid.
Thinking to go wimax for Sprint. Same phone but better data output.

I've been with them all - Verizon, Tmobile, AT&T - even dating back to 'Cellular One'. I also used to travel far more in the US than I do now and I've never been disappointed with what is now AT&T's network or service area. Tmobile had been spotty for me.
If you're looking into an HD2, I'd recommend buying a T9193 and going with AT&T. It'll cost you more for the hardware but you won't be forced into a $30+/month data plan for two years because you can go with their 'MEdia Net' unlimited plan for $20/month instead, saving $10 per month over the data plan that iPhone users are forced into. IOW, the $240 it'll save you over two years will help reduce your private purchase of the phone to about $500 or less, if you shop hard and wait for a deal.

it would really depend on your own location i've had verizon< noproblems though many years ago. then moved over to nextel< its nextel:x then moved over to at&t (found this site) at&t I would always have drop spots, not random alsways a consistant few locations other than that it was fine. I recently switched to t-mo for the hd2 on no contract as i plan on moving over to sprint once the evo comes out. so far the best service has come from verizon though at the time I only had a flip phone. I would go back but haven't liked any of the phones and that was the only reason i left. I would stick with verizon and try out the incredible. I haven't encountered any issues being in the OC myself with t-mo service but its only been about a month and I haven't traveled out of OC.

picassoianctions said:
8 years with verizon, 5 lines in south florida
Switched one line specificly for HD2 to tmobile. SUx 3g signal
Most of the tiem ti shows 3g or H but the connection is weak, i get mostly 300-500 range, once ina while it may spike to 800.
Cant even compare to Verizon, i had Droid.
Thinking to go wimax for Sprint. Same phone but better data output.
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LOL.. I really hope you do pick up a WiMAX phone. If you think you're disappointed now just wait. Also the connection has nothing to do with it, if you're getting slow speeds that's because the backend of the network is still on one T1. When HSPA+ is enabled it will blow WiMAX out of the water.
BillTheCat said:
I've been with them all - Verizon, Tmobile, AT&T - even dating back to 'Cellular One'. I also used to travel far more in the US than I do now and I've never been disappointed with what is now AT&T's network or service area. Tmobile had been spotty for me.
If you're looking into an HD2, I'd recommend buying a T9193 and going with AT&T. It'll cost you more for the hardware but you won't be forced into a $30+/month data plan for two years because you can go with their 'MEdia Net' unlimited plan for $20/month instead, saving $10 per month over the data plan that iPhone users are forced into. IOW, the $240 it'll save you over two years will help reduce your private purchase of the phone to about $500 or less, if you shop hard and wait for a deal.
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When did you have T-Mobile?

whiteblazer01 said:
I have the TP2 on Verizon, and I would like the HD2. My biggest concern is dropping and poor cell reception. I'm in Orange County, CA, but I do travel around the U.S. occassionally. Please be honest and let me know how people who are on T-Mobile U.S. service what you think. Do you drop calls a lot? Poor connections? Dead zones?
I've had Verizon for 9 years, so I've been spoiled with great cell service. I RARELY get dropped calls and dead zone (I'm being honest). So I'm wondering what people think about T-Mobile.
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Click to collapse
I have T-Mobile as my personal phone (Proud owner of The HD2) and have AT&T phone as my business phone (company gave it to me to use it)... So, here is the comparison:
Where I live the reception is very strong for both T-Mobile and AT&T - when you check their maps... T-Mobile has not failed me in last 5 years. I recall only one outage I have experienced and that was due to bad weather where I simply was not able to make phone calls to certain people. So my rating for T-Mobile is and stays 5 stars hands down...
Now AT&T - it appears to have faster 3G - like it is a big deal since I do not use it at all - but anyway, having faster 3G that's where everything stops. Call Reception is terrible, dropped calls all over the place, you get into the building you loose reception easily, etc. Therefore, can easily rate AT&T with lousy 2 stars - which they get only based on faster 3G.
Bottom line T-Mobile is definitely better in service where I live which is Chicagoland Northern burbs - but comparing it to Verizon? Well, I never had Verizon as I am not fan of CDMA networks - more like GSM person (habbit I brought from Europe I guess lol)... I heard Verizon is good with coverage; not that great in Basements - but having HD2 in mind - I do not think you will regret it...
PS test it out and see how it works - you can get that done and see for your area if it's working or not... good luck!

Love the phone; T-Mobile not so much

I am in love with this Nexus-S, my fav Android phone by far, and in the past I have owned; MyTouch 3G...Nexus-One...EVO 4G...
I really like the compact size and lightweight feel to it, but still feels like a solid device to me, and it is super thin for a powerful smart phone, plus of course the S AMOLED screen is drool worthy. And battery life is way better than the EVO. And to top it off, being a Google developer phone, comes with no carrier bloatware, or manufacturer UI's, and is a "pure" Android phone with the latest OS.
But...T-Mobile is a deal breaker for me, compared to Sprint for connection. In Chicago it is pretty good, just sucks once inside houses or buildings. I own a Millwork supply business for custom home builders, and I am in and out of new homes a lot, and it seems to drop signal once I go inside a new construction building. Same with my own home, I have my Office in Basement, and it is like 90% loss of signal down there. I can never make or receive calls down there, but texting is good. Where as my EVO on Sprint, worked pretty good in the Basement, not perfect, but much better than the Nexus-S, and going to job sites, my EVO never dropped calls. And Navigation on the Nexus-S, I have had a few slight issues, just having hard time locating me, that has only happened three times so far, had to restart phone each time. But my EVO the 6 months I owned it, I can remember maybe once it not locating me. Again I blame this on T-Mobile not the Nexus.
But T-Mobile monthly is approx $30 cheaper per month which is nice. But then what good is saving thirty bucks, if I drop signal indoors, and somewhat spotty navigation service. Not sure what to do...I bought the Nexus-S on launch day Dec 17th, at Best Buy Mobile, paid cash full retail for the phone, not sure what my return options are ?

Is your nexus on 3g mode? Have you tried to put it in edge to see if it helps?

JasjarMan said:
Is your nexus on 3g mode? Have you tried to put it in edge to see if it helps?
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Tried that this morning, more for battery saving. But then went to make a call, and it screwed up. It was calling my client, but no ringing tone, and I clicked end call, and it just hung there, so I had to restart and tried again in 3G and it worked fine.
I was driving near O'Hare airport at the time, and that area is know to kill cell signals.

ya T-mo has horrible building penetration but other than that, i love em, great customer service, great speeds, and they are always improving

slowz3r said:
ya T-mo has horrible building penetration but other than that, i love em, great customer service, great speeds, and they are always improving
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That is my only beef with this phone. "horrible building penetration", too bad that can't be upgraded by T-Mobile. Other than that I LOVE this phone.

Zorachus said:
That is my only beef with this phone. "horrible building penetration", too bad that can't be upgraded by T-Mobile. Other than that I LOVE this phone.
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the building penetration has nothing to do with the phone its the frequency that T-mo uses the higher the frequency the worse the building penetration.
Kinda sucks but T-mo is coming out with one of those Cellphone base station signal thingies (forgot what they are really called) so that may help you out

I'm with the OP; best damned phone I've owned in terms of appearance, feel, performance right out of the box...but T-Mo just doesn't deliver in some areas I need it to. When it delivers, it's the best out there, but too many places that indoors it kills the service. When I've got full 3G service it's at least 25% faster than AT&T, and 3-5 times faster than Sprint.
One office building I work out of is T shaped. If you're on the left side of the T, great signal, but go anywhere on the right side of the T and you're in a total dead zone. AT&T's not much better in that building, but in most places of town (Los Angeles SF, SG, SC Valley areas), it's better than T-Mo. Verizon works well there.
To the OP, if you're willing to shell out the dough, about $300, you can buy a cellular signal booster, I did when I got a Nexus One, it allowed me to actually get a T-Mo signal inside my house; I'd recommend one for your basement office if you can run the antenna coax line to outdoors. Voice and EDGE only, though, there's only one brand that claims to do T-Mo AWS/3G right now, and their device is $450.
EDIT: I think this is the model I got for the extender: http://www.amazon.com/Wireless-Exte...W5WI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1294073803&sr=8-1

Zorachus said:
I am in love with this Nexus-S, my fav Android phone by far, and in the past I have owned; MyTouch 3G...Nexus-One...EVO 4G...
I really like the compact size and lightweight feel to it, but still feels like a solid device to me, and it is super thin for a powerful smart phone, plus of course the S AMOLED screen is drool worthy. And battery life is way better than the EVO. And to top it off, being a Google developer phone, comes with no carrier bloatware, or manufacturer UI's, and is a "pure" Android phone with the latest OS.
But...T-Mobile is a deal breaker for me, compared to Sprint for connection. In Chicago it is pretty good, just sucks once inside houses or buildings. I own a Millwork supply business for custom home builders, and I am in and out of new homes a lot, and it seems to drop signal once I go inside a new construction building. Same with my own home, I have my Office in Basement, and it is like 90% loss of signal down there. I can never make or receive calls down there, but texting is good. Where as my EVO on Sprint, worked pretty good in the Basement, not perfect, but much better than the Nexus-S, and going to job sites, my EVO never dropped calls. And Navigation on the Nexus-S, I have had a few slight issues, just having hard time locating me, that has only happened three times so far, had to restart phone each time. But my EVO the 6 months I owned it, I can remember maybe once it not locating me. Again I blame this on T-Mobile not the Nexus.
But T-Mobile monthly is approx $30 cheaper per month which is nice. But then what good is saving thirty bucks, if I drop signal indoors, and somewhat spotty navigation service. Not sure what to do...I bought the Nexus-S on launch day Dec 17th, at Best Buy Mobile, paid cash full retail for the phone, not sure what my return options are ?
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Do what I'm doing. Month to month in at&t no data... buy a clear 4g wimax ispot...hack it to work on any device. Only $25 a month works great. I couldn't stand edge but know how crappy tmobile is
Sent from my Nexus S using XDA App

distortedloop said:
EDIT: I think this is the model I got for the extender: http://www.amazon.com/Wireless-Exte...W5WI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1294073803&sr=8-1
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the link, reading the user reviews, makes this sound like exactly what I need for my home Office. But still won't help when out at job sites, and losing signal inside.
So now I need to decide, keep the Nexus-S which I LOVE, but have iffy service inside, or just go back to the EVO with near perfect indoor service ?

I am with the OP on this one too.
Best Android phone on the market but T-mobile's coverage inside buildings is sub par.
I understand that the 1700/2100mhz spectrum has harder time penetrating buildings but it should not be THAT bad...
I come from Europe where most of the networks only use 2100Mhz and i don't recall seeing such a penetration issue.
It has to be T-Mobile's lack of towers which results in such poor indoor coverage.
at&t is also 90% 1900Mhz in the SF Bay Area and they have no problem with indoor reception, at least not as bad as T-Mobile.
That's my only main issue with the phone.
I ordered a signal booster from JDteck.com (which are the only ones who are providing a 1700/2100Mhz boosters). I'll report back how it works.

clubtech said:
AT&T is also 90% 1900Mhz in the SF Bay Area and they have no problem with indoor reception, at least not as bad as T-Mobile.
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As of 2009, AT&T moved most of their 3G spec to the 850mhz band, so indoor reception should be EVEN better, or at least battery life should have improved a bit. I remember this was a big issue back in the iPhone days. I'm pretty sure they're entirely on 850mhz.
slowz3r said:
Kinda sucks but T-mo is coming out with one of those Cellphone base station signal thingies (forgot what they are really called) so that may help you out
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Whatever happened to that TMo [email protected] thing a few years ago? I remember they did a pilot program and then expanded. It was pretty popular. Too bad they stopped that.
Looks like this is now an error page: http://www.t-mobile.com/promotions/hotspotathomelearnmore.aspx

clubtech said:
It has to be T-Mobile's lack of towers which results in such poor indoor coverage.
at&t is also 90% 1900Mhz in the SF Bay Area and they have no problem with indoor reception, at least not as bad as T-Mobile.
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Agreed on T-Mo needs more towers, if they weren't so far spread apart, we'd get better penetration in more areas.
Not sure about the AT&T in San Francisco part, though. I've listened to Leo LaPorte, Patrick Norton, Kevin Rose and all that ilk ***** and moan about AT&T poor signal/reception on the iPhone in San Francisco for a couple of years until AT&T started rolling out the 850mhz on the 3G side. New York City the same thing - poor AT&T penetration on the 1900mhz side in and amongst all the tall buildings.
clubtech said:
That's my only main issue with the phone.
I ordered a signal booster from JDteck.com (which are the only ones who are providing a 1700/2100Mhz boosters). I'll report back how it works.
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I'll be very interested in your report back on that. This is the one I referenced, but not by name, in my earlier post. It didn't seem worth the $200 extra premium to get the AWS service repeated, since in my home I have WiFi anyways, but when I bought the unit I do have, this JDteck one wasn't available.

allen099 said:
As of 2009, AT&T moved most of their 3G spec to the 850mhz band, so indoor reception should be EVEN better, or at least battery life should have improved a bit. I remember this was a big issue back in the iPhone days. I'm pretty sure they're entirely on 850mhz.
Whatever happened to that TMo [email protected] thing a few years ago? I remember they did a pilot program and then expanded. It was pretty popular. Too bad they stopped that.
Looks like this is now an error page: http://www.t-mobile.com/promotions/hotspotathomelearnmore.aspx
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Not sure what happened to that I used to have it as well.
but really i say wait till after CES, rumor is T-Mo will announce their router

I'm with T-mobile for their tremendous pricing plan advantage over Att (I'm also in SoCal and T-mobile has tremendous coverage here)
T-mobile: $10 - $20 per month for 5gb of data
Att: $25 per month for 2gb of data

ap3604 said:
I'm with T-mobile for their tremendous pricing plan advantage over Att (I'm also in SoCal and T-mobile has tremendous coverage here)
T-mobile: $10 - $20 per month for 5gb of data
Att: $25 per month for 2gb of data
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even more savings with em+ 60 bucks 500 minutes, texting and web

ap3604 said:
I'm with T-mobile for their tremendous pricing plan advantage over Att (I'm also in SoCal and T-mobile has tremendous coverage here)
T-mobile: $10 - $20 per month for 5gb of data
Att: $25 per month for 2gb of data
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Click to collapse
What part of SoCal are you in? I'm in the San Fernando Valley and Santa Clarita Valley most of my time. In the North part of both valleys T-Mo data is EDGE only in large areas, and even voice has a hard time getting into buildings. It's really a bummer when I have to spend time up in Santa Clarita.
My house is actually in a little dead/poor coverage area spot even on T-Mo's maps...it's right on the edge of three different towers that don't quite fully overlap their coverage circles. I can get a signal outdoors, but inside not very good without my cellular extender.
I've still got my grandfathered iPhone SIM for one of my Androids (i9000), $30 for true "unlimited" data, no caps or throttles on that one. Someone told me they're using the unlimted data for non-smartphones on their Galaxy S with AT&T because AT&T can't recognize the IMEI and that it's a smartphone. I think that data is $10/month.
PS. SimplyMobile sounds intriguing. Read some good reports of it in another thread. Uses T-Mo's voice and data service, everything unlimited (voice, text, data (3g)) for $60/mo.

clubtech said:
I am with the OP on this one too.
Best Android phone on the market but T-mobile's coverage inside buildings is sub par.
I understand that the 1700/2100mhz spectrum has harder time penetrating buildings but it should not be THAT bad...
I come from Europe where most of the networks only use 2100Mhz and i don't recall seeing such a penetration issue.
It has to be T-Mobile's lack of towers which results in such poor indoor coverage.
at&t is also 90% 1900Mhz in the SF Bay Area and they have no problem with indoor reception, at least not as bad as T-Mobile.
That's my only main issue with the phone.
I ordered a signal booster from JDteck.com (which are the only ones who are providing a 1700/2100Mhz boosters). I'll report back how it works.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
you have to realize that tmobile's 3g network is still very young, so all the gaps are not filled in which is required for higher frequency networks. since towers need to be spaced closer together for bands such as 1900mhz and higher, i'm sure tmobile only laid out the bare minimum during their initial 3g roll out just to get SOMETHING out there. over time they may fill in the gaps.
and we all know how stellar the coverage is in UK even using the 2100mha band. however its the same story, less physical geography to cover, in addition to better government regulations over there "forcing" one technology standard and set of common frequencies. that makes it much better for ubiquious coverage in general.

distortedloop said:
What part of SoCal are you in? I'm in the San Fernando Valley and Santa Clarita Valley most of my time. In the North part of both valleys T-Mo data is EDGE only in large areas, and even voice has a hard time getting into buildings. It's really a bummer when I have to spend time up in Santa Clarita.
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Sorry to hear about your lack of coverage distortedloop
I'm in Orange County area and get great coverage around 3 mbps download on my Nexus One.
distortedloop said:
I've still got my grandfathered iPhone SIM for one of my Androids (i9000), $30 for true "unlimited" data, no caps or throttles on that one. Someone told me they're using the unlimted data for non-smartphones on their Galaxy S with AT&T because AT&T can't recognize the IMEI and that it's a smartphone. I think that data is $10/month.
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Yeah I looked into that too (since the Vibrant has Att's 1900 3g band built in and Att won't recognize the IMEI) but I believe the $10 data is only available on a family plan and only if they have the unlimited messaging already on their plan, an extra $20 per month.
So say you do this family plan trick the savings are kind of washed out compared to T-mobile:
$70 per month for 700 minutes
$25 per month for 2gb of data for iPhone
$20 per month for unlimited messaging
$10 per month for "dumbphone" data
___________________________________
$125 per month. Yuck!
I'd rather just stick with T-mobile even more plus contract free:
$30 per month 500 min
$10 per month for data

distortedloop said:
PS. SimplyMobile sounds intriguing. Read some good reports of it in another thread. Uses T-Mo's voice and data service, everything unlimited (voice, text, data (3g)) for $60/mo.
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I was wondering about simple mobile and how it worked with the NS..anyone have it?

alnova1 said:
I was wondering about simple mobile and how it worked with the NS..anyone have it?
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The guy who started this thread has it.
I've seen some posts where they're saying that "unlimited data" on Simple Mobile actually means 1GB cap. I'd check that out before switching.

Nearly half a million customers left T-Mobile in Q1 2011

http://www.engadget.com/2011/05/08/nearly-half-a-million-contract-customers-left-t-mobile-in-q1-201/
Will YOU be leaving?

If the merger goes through, then yes. I have been a tmobile customer for 7 years. I have been satisfied with the hardware, the accounts, and even the customer support. Especially the customer support.
AT&T want a stellar company before the SBC buyout, but it became terrible after. I expect the same thing if Tmobile is consumed.
I do not look forward to finding a new carrier.

I don't think I'll leave TMO unless AT&T acquires it and doesn't let me keep my current plan and pricing. I travel accross USA and do not have a voice coverage problem with Tmobile. Its excellent with few to none dropped calls. But the data sucks, my phone switches to edge 80% of the time as compared to my co workers AT&T and Sprint.
Not to mention I pay less than $160 for 2 lines with unlimited everything.... The next cheapest is sprint @ $210

If the buyout goes through, absolutely leaving. I will never be an AT&T customer again, even if it means taking my Vibrant over to Simple Mobile.
Ginger Clones of the World Unite!!! via the XDA App

I'll be leaving as well. As far as when, that depends on when the merger goes through and who gets the SGSII. One things for sure, I'll NEVER use AT&T again.

I agree with most the other comments....... I pay 152 per month for 2 lines unlimited everything......... and I use it............ When and IF ATT does get T-mobile. . . then I will have to find a new carrier, I really like TMO but tempus fugit......
As far as the customer loss I do not see that as a real big issue, if I remember correctly, the average for all the major carriers is between 6-8 million per carrier per year or as it is called in the industry the "churn"
I agree with KWKSLVR it is about who gets the S2

It depends on my dad....he pays me and my sister's phone bill cuz we're in college...no matter if we stay or go...i still gotta unlock my Vibrant for another carrier

If the plans stay the same then ill stay plus some might have better coverage
in areas they never did

T-Mobile coverage is terrible Verizon has the iphon now and at&t had some good Android phones.
I'll be leaving.
Also, t-mobile hasn't cared about building out their data network for a long time. Data id more important than voice to me. I use 50 voice minutes a month but 2gb data. I don't mind paying more for a better network...
Sent from my HD7 using Board Express

any other provider sounds better then att. i would gladly switch to boost with an unlocked android. or even metropcs has got a few good androids to date. att is making a losing bet unless they all of a sudden change their pricing plans.

N8ter said:
T-Mobile coverage is terrible Verizon has the iphon now and at&t had some good Android phones.
I'll be leaving.
Also, t-mobile hasn't cared about building out their data network for a long time. Data id more important than voice to me. I use 50 voice minutes a month but 2gb data. I don't mind paying more for a better network...
Sent from my HD7 using Board Express
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If you knew T-Mobile coverage was bad in your area perhaps you should have started out with a different carrier in the first place. Here in Dallas I get 3G or H almost everywhere.

Add me to the list of people who will leave T-Mobile the day AT&T goes through. Keeping my fingers crossed that it doesn't happen.

XPLANE9 said:
If you knew T-Mobile coverage was bad in your area perhaps you should have started out with a different carrier in the first place. Here in Dallas I get 3G or H almost everywhere.
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Hi idiot.
I did. No one else had coverage but t-mobile thanks to voice roaming, but at&t put a New 3g tower up so now they have everything. I went from at&t to sprint before t-mobile.
Thanks for using that pea sized brain of yours, though.
At&t... Building out their network.
T-mobile... Dead end.
And traveling with a t-mobile phone is a lesson in frustration compared to at&t other Verizon.
I'm with them cause I live in a rural area and had no choice then.
NOW I do... So ill be leaving.
Don't care where you live and how your signal is, tbh. even at the hspa+ market down the interstate your phone can go from full 3g to edge at any random time.
T-mobile are not defendable, so stop ****ing trying Even with good phones and low prices people are leaving, and for a reason. They aren't spending more just cause they can... There are sizeable cities here that can't get more than 3 bars gprs from t-mobile here, but the other three carriers have full 3g
Thank you.
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA App

I've been a T-Mobile customer for almost 5 years. Up until I transferred to the college in this town now, my 3G data service has been great. Im actually so unhappy w/ T-Mobile..Right now i live in Huntsville,TX where I goto college at and T-Mobile is beyond garbage here. Personally, If I'm going to pay the same amount of money as someone who has 3G/4G coverage, i have to have to have the same equal coverage. I'm back and fourth on GPRS and Edge here missing important calls like clockwork. I can get a similar plan with AT&T for the same amount with 4G service here in this town. (Trust me i work for Radioshack and I know all about both companies plans and prices as well as restrictions) When the Samsung Galaxy S2 comes out this summer for AT&T, I'm leaving T-Mobile to give AT&T my money instead. I'm not handing over my whole pay check for a Verizon phone LOL and I'm not going to Sprint with their 3G coverage map looking like a pepperoni pizza LOL
For the most part, T-Mobile has been beyond great as far as customer serviceand pricing, its just that voice and 3G data coverage is, always, and forever will be their weakness and that doesn't work for me.
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA App

AT&T questions

Why is it everywhere I read, so many people choose Sprint and T-Mobile if they are in happy with Verizon?
Why do so many people make comments like "Oh no, not AT&T " or "I hope that new phone doesn't go to AT&T " ?
What is so wrong about them that so many people don't like them? Is just just a handful of people that had a bad experience? Is it a valid dislike over the companies service? Is it because they want to be the only all powerful mega phone provider?
If some of you wouldn't mind sharing your thoughts.
Thanks.
Sent from my Super Streak Monster Hybrid

Why is it everywhere I read, so many people choose Sprint and T-Mobile if they are in happy with Verizon?
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In this case, I'd say lower cost might be a factor. In most areas, Verizon has very good or at least reasonable service.
Why do so many people make comments like "Oh no, not AT&T " or "I hope that new phone doesn't go to AT&T " ?
What is so wrong about them that so many people don't like them? Is just just a handful of people that had a bad experience? Is it a valid dislike over the companies service? Is it because they want to be the only all powerful mega phone provider?
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Click to collapse
AT&T has had and still has problems with dropped calls in major metro areas. I've used them personally and haven't had a very good experience with their network in NYC.
Their raw coverage isn't too bad, but I wasn't able to rely on them to have calls connect all the time and for consistently fast data. T-Mobile has less raw coverage in the US but where it does work it is very consistent (for the record, in 99% of the places where I've needed signal, T-Mobile does work fine. YMMV).
Having said all that, if AT&T works well for you in your area, then that is great. Stick with them if you are happy. With cell phone carriers what works well is always going to vary from region to region.

See I understand all of your reasons but beyond that it just seems that more and more people are against AT&T for more extreme reasons.
I have been a customer of Sprint, Nextel (when it was just Nextel) , T-Mobile and now AT&T and I genuinely have no service complaints about any of them. I must be one of those people that understands that it is a cell phone and dropped calls and inconsistent service in different areas is going to happen with any carrier you choose. I just felt that more people were angry with more specific reasons but maybe I'm just looking for an answer that really isn't there.
Maybe people just like to moan about anything and currently AT&T is the choice of the month.
Sent from my Super Streak Monster Hybrid

Cthater said:
See I understand all of your reasons but beyond that it just seems that more and more people are against AT&T for more extreme reasons.
I have been a customer of Sprint, Nextel (when it was just Nextel) , T-Mobile and now AT&T and I genuinely have no service complaints about any of them. I must be one of those people that understands that it is a cell phone and dropped calls and inconsistent service in different areas is going to happen with any carrier you choose. I just felt that more people were angry with more specific reasons but maybe I'm just looking for an answer that really isn't there.
Maybe people just like to moan about anything and currently AT&T is the choice of the month.
Sent from my Super Streak Monster Hybrid
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I'm in the same boat. I've been with AT&T for some time and have had few problems with them from a technical standpoint. My biggest issue is more of how they segment their service offerings (i.e. charge extra to tether your phone even though you pay for a limited data plan) and how slow they are to approve/release upgrades to their handsets; Froyo was out for 6+ months before the official AT&T release on the captivate.

Some people might be more accepting of dropped calls but on T-Mobile dropped calls are an absolute rarity for me, whereas they were a regular expectation on AT&T.
I can understand the hatred toward AT&T. You have to realize that service for some period was just VERY bad in major metro areas. At one point in time it really just wasn't possible to make calls reliably or use data with any decent speed in NYC. Why? influx of iPhone users. Lately it has improved a bit but isn't great still.
if AT&T had put more money into their network to prepare for the usage things could have been better. You don't hear about carriers like Verizon or Sprint having too many issues with dropped calls due to an overloaded network. That's because they actually have invested in enough capacity to handle it. You could say AT&T experienced a lot higher growth than these, which is true to an extent, but Verizon's network pushes a LOT of calls and data every day and generally doesn't miss a beat in my experience. T-Mobile is about on par too here in NYC (though I understand they're not as strong in other areas).

See I understand that, but wouldn't you think that something like this merger would be a good thing?
Yes I understand that T-Mobile is currently cheaper than AT&T and yes I understand that if the merger goes thru that all current T-Mobile may be subject to pay a higher rate than they are used to but in that you will be getting all the benefits of the current T-Mobile service greatness you have now and you will be adding all the extra areas of service that you currently do not have that AT&T does. Isn't that worth a little more every month?
I thought so when I left and went to AT&T. I sacrificed cheaper rates for better coverage at a price and it is a price that I am glad to pay for.
Another thing that used to bug me when I was on T-Mobile was every high end device I would purchase would only work on Edge on T-Mobile and 3G on AT&T. Very unfair for someone who is willing to pay $400-$500 for a smartphone only to get Edge service because of who my carrier was. I will admit I was very happy with the innovations that T-Mobile was coming up with but unsatisfied with the end results.
Sorry for the rant. LOL
Sent from my Super Streak Monster Hybrid

As long as TMO has 3G (which may even be HSPA+ "4G") coverage in your area, then data service is generally pretty solid in my experience. Yes, sometimes it drops to 2G/EDGE, especially when indoors, but this is not common in Manhattan generally speaking.
I don't see the AT&T/TMO merger as a good thing because quite honestly the reason AT&T has poor service in a number of metro areas (and like I said, it used to be extremely bad) really comes down to poor business practices/management. They were the only carrier offering an iPhone and this was a highly sought after device. Even if their service quality was just OK at best in some areas many people were still flocking to them for the iPhone. It's clear that they knew this and took advantage of it. Now don't get me wrong they have put a lot of money into their network, but they could have handled this a hell of a lot better.
I also would prefer to keep my TMO service with crystal clear calls and fast data as it is. I don't need to use AT&T towers as I rarely if ever go to places where TMO doesn't have service and I especially don't want AT&T users creating congestion problems on the TMO towers.

I have to agree. I do think tho that AT&T's data problems stems alot from being the only network having 3G capable of surfing and talking at the same time. That in itself could be the cause for HUGE data consumption by its users, especially those with iPhones. I still font see how adding more towers wouldn't help in coverage tho.
Sent from my Super Streak Monster Hybrid

AT&T's data problems stems alot from being the only network having 3G capable of surfing and talking at the same time
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T-Mobile's 3G network has always had this capability.
Basically, I just don't want my current T-Mobile service which is solid to be mixed with AT&T's service which isn't solid. In the simplest sense, when you mix something that's very good with something that's mediocre, you're going to get something in between. And that's what I don't want. I guess AT&T users stand to gain more than T-Mobile users, except for T-Mobile users that aren't in good coverage zones.

gsvnet said:
I guess AT&T users stand to gain more than T-Mobile users, except for T-Mobile users that aren't in good coverage zones.
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That is 100% true and I guess with me now being an AT&T customer, I reap all the benefits.
Wouldn't it be kinda nice to have just one network with great prices and all the towers and goodies? LOL
Sent from my Super Streak Monster Hybrid

I've have at&t for many years and still do now. I had T-Mobile for about the last 5 months. Seriously in my area AT&T can't be beat and only paying $50 with unlimited internet and unlimited txt msg and just 450min (way more then I need). One of the major problems is that in some states coverage for at&T is horrible and really I notice it also comes down to the phones/radio too. Like all compaies just depends on your area.

Cthater said:
See I understand all of your reasons but beyond that it just seems that more and more people are against AT&T for more extreme reasons.
I have been a customer of Sprint, Nextel (when it was just Nextel) , T-Mobile and now AT&T and I genuinely have no service complaints about any of them. I must be one of those people that understands that it is a cell phone and dropped calls and inconsistent service in different areas is going to happen with any carrier you choose. I just felt that more people were angry with more specific reasons but maybe I'm just looking for an answer that really isn't there.
Maybe people just like to moan about anything and currently AT&T is the choice of the month.
Sent from my Super Streak Monster Hybrid
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Click to collapse
One or two dropped calls per month or even a week? Maybe. But AT&T has (in NYC metro area including, Jersey City, NJ where I live) three, four, five even six dropped calls A DAY. That in my book is utterly unacceptable especially when you are paying the "premium"prices AT&T charges for sub-par below bargain basement cell and customer service. If you have had good experiences with AT&T, I'm genuinely happy for you. Just know that you are in a very small minority of people that feel that way. As for Verizon (in my experience) their service isn't any better or more consistent than the service I currently receive from T-Mobile while paying significantly less. (I should know I also pay my fathers/stepmothers Verizon bill each month and for roughly equivalent service their bill is much higher). I have Sprint for mobile broadband and their 4G service has decent speed and it's unlimited for 60$ a month. Their 3G is nothing to write home about imo. (t-mobile is almost 3x (comparing Sprints 4g to T-Mobiles "3.5g". I have both the N1 and NS neither of which are capable of the 14.4+ HSPA+ speeds T-Mobile has)faster though at least in, my area) this has been my experience.....
Sent from my NS (no it's NOT SNS or GNS)

Technically, WiMAX is not classified as a 4G technology only LTE and HSDPA+ are. Anything available on the 700 LTE Band at the moment is also not true 4G but rather pre-4G or 4G Advanced (this is why Verizon keeps saying it has the most Advanced 4G network). HSDPA+ currently WAS running 14.4mbps it's NOW running and upgrading in most markets to 42.2mbps. The current LTE offering is @ 22.2mbps. Solid, however, I'd agree I really have a strong dislike for At&t having used to work for them, people don't look beyond the merger. Hope people understand that when it goes through their will only be ONE GSM carrier which will dictate which GSM handsets come here. At&t is notorious for locking down Android handsets as well. At&t is also notorious for getting what it wants regardless of laws and regulations. One article that seems to have slipped through the cracks http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0611/56660.html

How much does it cost to force a merger through? about 10k to each congressman/woman
http://www.opensecrets.org/orgs/recips.php?id=D000000076&chamber=&party=&cycle=2010&state=&sort=A

Trv06kviper said:
Technically, WiMAX is not classified as a 4G technology only LTE and HSDPA+ are. Anything available on the 700 LTE Band at the moment is also not true 4G but rather pre-4G or 4G Advanced (this is why Verizon keeps saying it has the most Advanced 4G network). HSDPA+ currently WAS running 14.4mbps it's NOW running and upgrading in most markets to 42.2mbps. The current LTE offering is @ 22.2mbps. Solid, however, I'd agree I really have a strong dislike for At&t having used to work for them, people don't look beyond the merger. Hope people understand that when it goes through their will only be ONE GSM carrier which will dictate which GSM handsets come here. At&t is notorious for locking down Android handsets as well. At&t is also notorious for getting what it wants regardless of laws and regulations. One article that seems to have slipped through the cracks http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0611/56660.html
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Right. But the N1 and the NS (my phones) are capped at 7.(something, too early) I didn't feel like repeating t mobiles recent (and current hspa + upgrade path).... Most people here should have read about this stuff) and technically, NONE of technologies used in the US are "true" 4G according to the ORIGINAL DEFINITION (they revised it after the carriers cried and whined)

(they revised it after the carriers cried and whined)
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They do a LOT of that lol

I honestly don't understand all the hate towards AT&T, BUT I live in NJ, which is a popular and congested area.. so AT&T probably has lots of data towers and such here
With my iPhone 4, I didn't really get that many dropped calls to be honest. The prices also are pretty good in my opinion.
Only problem is that sometimes the data speeds are uneven. I am also impressed with the LTE network Verizon has set up; freaking fast as hell.
I still prefer AT&T because of their prices though

As someone who worked for AT&T, got crapped on by AT&T, and was subsequently fired by AT&T for no reason, I'll be damned if I give their sub-par service one dime from my pocket.

JayXL14,
Try hanging out in NYC. Dropped calls galore on AT&T. has been for a few years now.
Never a problem with TMO.

I can't stand either AT&T and Verizon and firmly believe those two are involved in backroom price collusion. Disagree with me all you want, I believe it and you can't change my mind. That being said, I also believe Sprint and T-mobile are no angels either..... They all suck donkey @#$&s.
Sent from my NS (no it's NOT SNS or GNS)

T-mobile opinions

I was just wondering what the opinions of T-mobile was for the members here. I have been on a Radioshack/AT&T employee plan since 2006 and even though I quit in 2008 I have continued to be on this plan. It was amazing (2000 minutes, unlimited text, and unlimited data for $25 a month), however I just received notice today from my old AT&T rep that I will finally be taken off it. I am currently looking at switching to one of the major US carriers and am looking at the plan prices. I want to stick with an Android phone, so I'll need data. Verizon's cheapest plan looks to be $89.99/month for what I want (450 minutes, unlimited text, 2GB of data), with AT&T and Sprint's around $10 cheaper. I rarely use minutes (average of 250 a month), but I text quite a bit so I would want unlimited text. I also don't use data much. My max in the past year has been 134MB, however I know if I have a faster phone I will probably use data more. I was looking at T-mobile's plans and noticed they are drastically cheaper. $49.99/month for 500 minutes, unlimited text, and 2GB of data. Is their service much worse than AT&T, even though they are both GSM? I'd hate to switch to them and end up hating my service.
So in short, does anybody who has had AT&T and T-mobile notice a major difference between the two? Would I be better with sticking with Verizon or AT&T or are they all about equal nowadays?
Thanks in advance!

I recommend you buy an unlocked phone (hello Nexus!) and get a sim card from Straight Talk. They are a MVNO that runs on the AT&T network. I believe plans are $45.

It always depends on your area. For years I used Cingular(now At&t) and I had pretty decent service. About 5 years ago, T-Mobile was carrying a phone I wanted, so I decided to switch. (This was before I knew about the glory of unlocking ;P). T-Mobile's network was so horrible I never (read:NEVER) got service within a 2 mile radius of my home, and about the same at work.
I couldn't make a phone call with out it dropping, so I was forced to switch back to At&t. The guy at T-Mobile pulled up a "coverage map" and it claimed I should have the best service right in the area I needed it. So it was a bunch of bull if you ask me.
My suggestion has always been to talk to people who you know in the area of where you will be using your phone. I know some people from around my area who get great reception with T-Mobile and get awful service with At&t. I honestly have no idea how it happens, but it does.
Another route would be to get the phone to test (perhaps one of their pre-paid, no contract options?) and use it for a few days. If you are unhappy, simply return it. If you are returning it because of bad coverage they HAVE to take it back and give you a full refund.
I still think the asking people around the area is the best option. Perhaps you could give a general location, and ask people on the forums who are located near by to give you some of their opinions on their coverage? Its probably the best way to be sure, if you ask me.

T-Mobile was great to me in the East Bay area of northern California, until last November, when they instituted traffic-shaping policies that meant every single JPEG image on the internet was horribly compressed into an ugly mess of artifacts and banded gradients.
I really miss T-Mobile's HSPA+ speed. AT&T just can't quite get as fast. But I'll take a 20-25% slower connection that isn't adulterated over a faster one that's been tampered with.

I've had ok experiences with T-Mobile. When I lived in Atlanta there were many areas where I simply didn't get a signal, but that's probably due to to the terrain. As suggested you should probably ask others in the area where you will be how their coverage is. In regards to plans, I'm on a contracted unlimited talk/text, 2GB data for $90. I'll be modifying that at the soonest opportunity... I guess at least the phone itself was cheaper at the time :/

Thanks for info!

.
Thread moved. Would advise you to read forum rules and post in correct section.
Failure to comply with forum rules will result in an infraction and/or ban depending on severity of rule break.

I've had T-Mobile for a few years now, and I can't wait to leave this company. I'm currently in the process of jumping ship. I've driven from California to Tennessee, Tennessee to Iowa, Iowa to Michigan, and back again. I've never seen such garbage coverage from a cellular company. I have a 4G compatible phone, but I've only ever seen 4G when I fly through Chicago's O'Hare Airport. Their 3G coverage area is also terrible.
So, Cons are as follows:
4G: What 4G?
3G: Doesn't exist
2G: Covers the entire country with data speeds barely faster than dial-up, unless you live more than 25 miles outside a big city, or in North Dakota in general.
Reception: It's a well known fact that T-Mobile cannot maintain or even guarantee any sort of standard level of service indoors.
Pros:
Pricing: They are cheap for a reason.
"Unlimited" Data Plans: They "throttle" them after a certain amount of time, and it's throttling to less than 2G speeds. In fact, you should try being throttled while trying to drive across the country using Google maps...
Customer Service: The only pleasant part of my time with T-Mobile.

cdchris12 said:
I've had T-Mobile for a few years now, and I can't wait to leave this company. I'm currently in the process of jumping ship. I've driven from California to Tennessee, Tennessee to Iowa, Iowa to Michigan, and back again. I've never seen such garbage coverage from a cellular company. I have a 4G compatible phone, but I've only ever seen 4G when I fly through Chicago's O'Hare Airport. Their 3G coverage area is also terrible.
So, Cons are as follows:
4G: What 4G?
3G: Doesn't exist
2G: Covers the entire country with data speeds barely faster than dial-up, unless you live more than 25 miles outside a big city, or in North Dakota in general.
Reception: It's a well known fact that T-Mobile cannot maintain or even guarantee any sort of standard level of service indoors.
Pros:
Pricing: They are cheap for a reason.
"Unlimited" Data Plans: They "throttle" them after a certain amount of time, and it's throttling to less than 2G speeds. In fact, you should try being throttled while trying to drive across the country using Google maps...
Customer Service: The only pleasant part of my time with T-Mobile.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Those may have been YOUR experiences and I'm not discounting that BUT....
I have FIVE LINES with T-Mobile
NEVER HAVE I HAD an issue with signal or coverage indoors.
Full bars in my home, excellent signal (68dBm-72dBm).
Very good coverage in Jersey City, NJ where I live.
My husband whom travels all over the tri-state area (NY,NJ,CT) doesn't have any reception issues either.
Fast HSPA+ (yes, it's a 3.5G technology) speeds depending on the device used. (I have the Amaze,,Sensation and, a Nexus S on T-Mobile ATM)
Wasn't me!! I didn't do it!

I completely disagree with cdchris12 however I always lived in area with good T-Mobile coverage and their throttle speed is fast enough to view website and use Google Maps. I do find that depends on the phone, usually older ones can have problem keeping data and gps in door, unless you're next to a window. With newer big phones with good antenna is not so much a problem.
I'd say get an unlocked phone and go with T-Mobile prepaid $50/month plan which give you unlimited everything and throttle to 2G after 2GB of usage. Unless you need roaming which isn't available with prepaid. I have family and friends who use ATT 3G and T-Mobile 3G network is always faster to me. In fact, with a Galaxy SII with dual HSPA+ antenna I get speed excess of 20mbps. Straight Talk has the same plan for $45 I believe and they go through T-Mobile network.
T-Mobile also allows you to tether which ATT don't, although recently I heard they changed that for people with $70 plan.
You might also find this useful: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=21604722&postcount=2
To get T-Mobile 3G you need a phone that support 1700/2100Mhz band.

In the East Bay area T-Mobile's HSPA+ speeds are really quite fast. I often saw 8-9Mbps downstream on my Galaxy Nexus before I switched to AT&T.
Unfortunately a fast internet connection is useless if your carrier alters all images on the internet so everything looks like dogpoo.

I have no idea what you are talking about, you might be accessing website through some kind of proxy like Opera Mini/Turbo. I know you will reply that that isn't the case, but I really can't think why that would be the case, but it has to be through some kind of proxy. I also notice some roms are set to connect to SimpleMobile by default instead of T-Mobile, which also causes problems. With Opera Mobile using desktop user agent, it looks exactly like my PC, and I've tried 5 different Android phones with T-Mobile. I haven't heard of millions other T-Mobile users complaining about degrading pictures quality from browser.

eksasol said:
I have no idea what you are talking about, you might be accessing website through some kind of proxy like Opera Mini/Turbo. I know you will reply that that isn't the case, but I really can't think why that would be the case, but it has to be through some kind of proxy. I also notice some roms are set to connect to SimpleMobile by default instead of T-Mobile, which also causes problems. With Opera Mobile using desktop user agent, it looks exactly like my PC, and I've tried 5 different Android phones with T-Mobile. I haven't heard of millions other T-Mobile users complaining about degrading pictures quality from browser.
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It's a proxy, but the proxy is on T-Mobile's end, not mine. It's a transparent proxy and it works exactly like the Opera Mini proxy, but I can't choose to turn it off. Connecting through a VPN would obviously fix the problem, but there's no easy way to force Android to auto-connect to a VPN every time I open the browser.
Trust me, I was thorough. The user agent wasn't an issue. The APN was set correctly. I spent over ten hours on the phone with T-Mobile's technical support and I hard reset the phones on both lines multiple times, restored to unrooted stock multiple times, and nothing fixed the issue. When I bought my Galaxy Nexus, I tested it before unlocking the bootloader and rooting it, and had the same exact issue.
Just to be absolutely sure, I even tested the issue on an iOS device (iPhone 3GS) and a WP7 device (HD7) with the same results--heavily compressed JPEG images when viewing any unencrypted page.
It no longer matters since I left T-Mobile for AT&T, which uses no such proxy.
Edit: I should note that I'm not the only one with this problem. Every person I know in the SF Bay area who uses T-Mobile has this problem. It may be automatic traffic shaping algorithms used on a tower-by-tower basis (which would explain why some people don't have the problem), but yeah, it's all over the place here. I tested demo phones in every T-Mobile store I could easily reach in the area--three in SF, two in Oakland, one in Berkeley and one in El Cerrito, and they all exhibit the same problem.
For example:
Actual quality, downloaded over wifi (180kb)
Very low quality, downloaded over T-Mobile 3G (55kb)

Yea, the compression thing on TMo is a well known thing. It doesn't bother me personally.
To throw in my experience with AT&T/T-Mobile here, I review phones as a side project. I've noted several differences in the two networks. Most are well known things that others have commented on. T-Mobile EASILY has better customer service. They always have. They pride themselves in their outstanding customer care. As long as you aren't being retarded or yelling at them, they will do everything possible to make you a happy customer.
As far as coverage goes, check the maps. AT&T has a bigger network footprint. T-Mobile has better network speeds. I get better speeds on T-Mobile 3G than on AT&T LTE. Obviously this is very dependent on location, but that's how it is here.
If you have coverage from T-Mobile and don't mind the picture compression, I strongly suggest it. I lived without 3G from T-Mobile for 2 and a half years while I was in the Army on base in Georgia. EDGE speeds are respectable from them. Their customer service and my ridiculously old $50 unlimited everything plan kept me going.
T-Mobile does throttle users once you reach your limits. I've never been throttled personally, but I've maxed out a test SGS2 just to see what it's like. You are still able to browse the web. No videos or streaming music, though. Speed tests put the throttling at around 70-110 Kbps. This is within EDGE speeds. Their unthrottled EDGE speeds are between 160-320 Kbps here. By comparison, GPRS speed drops down to about 20-40 Kbps.
My preference is for good customer service. T-Mobile has always been there for me, even when things got tight for me. I see no reason to leave them now. Look at the news just within the last 6 months. AT&T couldn't care less about its customers. It doesn't change anything until it gets sued.

cajunflavoredbob said:
Yea, the compression thing on TMo is a well known thing. It doesn't bother me personally.
To throw in my experience with AT&T/T-Mobile here, I review phones as a side project. I've noted several differences in the two networks. Most are well known things that others have commented on. T-Mobile EASILY has better customer service. They always have. They pride themselves in their outstanding customer care. As long as you aren't being retarded or yelling at them, they will do everything possible to make you a happy customer.
As far as coverage goes, check the maps. AT&T has a bigger network footprint. T-Mobile has better network speeds. I get better speeds on T-Mobile 3G than on AT&T LTE. Obviously this is very dependent on location, but that's how it is here.
If you have coverage from T-Mobile and don't mind the picture compression, I strongly suggest it. I lived without 3G from T-Mobile for 2 and a half years while I was in the Army on base in Georgia. EDGE speeds are respectable from them. Their customer service and my ridiculously old $50 unlimited everything plan kept me going.
T-Mobile does throttle users once you reach your limits. I've never been throttled personally, but I've maxed out a test SGS2 just to see what it's like. You are still able to browse the web. No videos or streaming music, though. Speed tests put the throttling at around 70-110 Kbps. This is within EDGE speeds. Their unthrottled EDGE speeds are between 160-320 Kbps here. By comparison, GPRS speed drops down to about 20-40 Kbps.
My preference is for good customer service. T-Mobile has always been there for me, even when things got tight for me. I see no reason to leave them now. Look at the news just within the last 6 months. AT&T couldn't care less about its customers. It doesn't change anything until it gets sued.
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This^^^^ %110. That being said, I've only experienced image compression in NYC, in a few areas (mostly midtown Manhattan). I live in Jersey City, NJ and haven't experienced it here. Even with image compression, images don't look THAT BAD....at least IMO.
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Babydoll25 said:
This^^^^ %110. That being said, I've only experienced image compression in NYC, in a few areas (mostly midtown Manhattan). I live in Jersey City, NJ and haven't experienced it here. Even with image compression, images don't look THAT BAD....at least IMO.
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For me, they looked so bad I was willing to pay $40 more a month to AT&T in order to make it go away permanently. The other line on my account is used by my partner, and she would frequently read manga raws on her phone. When the image compression started, the Japanese characters in the raw manga scans became totally illegible. She was, to put it mildly, rather upset. This is probably 90% of why she owns a smartphone and is willing to pay for it, so I'm sure you can see the issue here.
For me it was an aesthetic issue, but for her it was a functionality issue. In any case, we pay a little more a month, but we also get more--and I personally prefer AT&T's method of handling data. At least on AT&T if I want more than 3GB a month I can pay to get extra GBs. On T-Mobile, you'd get throttled regardless and EDGE in the East Bay is completely unusable.
I would have stayed with T-Mobile had I been able to figure out how to automatically log into a VPN every time I opened an app that pulled image assets from the web (the browser, the Android Market, etc). Unfortunately, the only solution I found also wakelocked the phone permanently, preventing it from sleeping and killing any semblance of good battery life.

synaesthetic said:
For me, they looked so bad I was willing to pay $40 more a month to AT&T in order to make it go away permanently. The other line on my account is used by my partner, and she would frequently read manga raws on her phone. When the image compression started, the Japanese characters in the raw manga scans became totally illegible. She was, to put it mildly, rather upset. This is probably 90% of why she owns a smartphone and is willing to pay for it, so I'm sure you can see the issue here.
For me it was an aesthetic issue, but for her it was a functionality issue. In any case, we pay a little more a month, but we also get more--and I personally prefer AT&T's method of handling data. At least on AT&T if I want more than 3GB a month I can pay to get extra GBs. On T-Mobile, you'd get throttled regardless and EDGE in the East Bay is completely unusable.
I would have stayed with T-Mobile had I been able to figure out how to automatically log into a VPN every time I opened an app that pulled image assets from the web (the browser, the Android Market, etc). Unfortunately, the only solution I found also wakelocked the phone permanently, preventing it from sleeping and killing any semblance of good battery life.
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I think that's the main problem with the way TMo handles it. It's not consistent. It seems to be worse based on location and usage. More compression in more populated areas or something. For me, I can tell that the images are compressed if I zoom in inside a webpage, but otherwise, it's business as usual.
Same with the data speeds. A lot of people say that it drops to regular GPRS speeds when they get throttled. I only tested it the one time with that review unit SGS2, but it wasn't that bad. 100Kbps is fine for web browsing. The problem seems to be that it's all very much a "your mileage may vary" situation.
AT&T is evil, but at least they are consistent.

They're all evil. We simply pick the lesser evil in any given location.

I'm kind of surprised that nobody's mentioned T-Mobile's Wifi Calling. It allows you to get service anywhere that has a Wifi network available, and you can do everything as normal (Call, text, internet) through your plan. I use it everyday, and I think it's great.

theholyfork said:
I'm kind of surprised that nobody's mentioned T-Mobile's Wifi Calling. It allows you to get service anywhere that has a Wifi network available, and you can do everything as normal (Call, text, internet) through your plan. I use it everyday, and I think it's great.
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It's nice to have, but kind of crappy that it still counts against you, even though you aren't using their towers...