Demosthenes Theofanopoulos Its just cheaper to buy phones unlocked here in Sweden. I bought my iphone 6 64gb at the apple store for around 900$ and i have a sim card in it that i charge ones a month and i get unlimited call and text plus a lot of internet. If i was on a carrier it would cost me 1600$ but without a carrier it costs around 1100$ after two years (i buy a new phone every year just wanted to compare to the carriers)
Same but Jon also used his own hardware and just because you buy it doesn't mean you don't have to deal with carriers (you're making it sound like you don't have to deal with carriers)
Stay with AT&T. I always say they don't win in one single category but are truly the best all around. Verizon = Coverage Mobile = Update Phones like crazy and Price Sprint = Price AT&T = Little bit of everything :)
+Dylan Wolters You should have called AT&T before switching..they usually offer some price adjustment or let you know how to convert from 2 year pricing to AT&T Next pricing while still being on contract.
I started with T-Mobile when I was in middle school and shortly thereafter switched to AT&T all the way up to this April 2015. So I had AT&T for the majority of time, never had a problem with signal or data speeds. Thankfully, I had the grandfathered plan so I was set with data. I switched to T-mobile this April and I miss AT&T. T-Mobile's coverage is subpar to AT&T but I am saving quite a bit with my T-mobile bill now. So I'll stay on T-mobile for now.
Yeah. I love T-Mobile with T-Mobile everyone gets unlimited data. Everyone gets unlimited 2g data and unlimited talk and text. But if you want 4g LTE you have to pay for it. But T-Mobile has amazing benefits. No overages. Free music streaming. Unlimited (2g) data. And it isn't to expensive. The only down side is signal in some areas.
windycitywarrior71 It's just for when you go over your plan. Instead of getting billed more they just slow your speeds down. For the rest of the month. It's better in my opinion than getting billed more.
Same. Switched to Tmobile for savings. In the DC area though, coverage is strong until you roll out to rural areas. Hopefully coverage on Tmobile will get better. Unlimited data is a good peice of mind.
T-Mobile I've been on a year so far I'm happily satisfied. I get lte in my house and in my county. At least with T-Mobile there isn't overage fees and regardless of what plan you get your music streaming will always be great. Not to mention every new uncarrier event brings great change to the wireless industry. Like jon said T-Mobile does have fall back even your not connected to lte which goes 4G then edge, Sure T-Mobile doesn't have much as coverage verizon but they are always improving their network . I believe if your looking for a progressive carrier with great pricing then go to T-Mobile
2SidedTech Actually T-Mobile also has UMTS which is faster than edge but slower than HSPA. They actually go from LTE, to HSPA+, to HSPA, to UMTS, to Edge. Of course some areas will be missing one or two of those.
I like how you said you wouldn't talk about signal because it is subjective to the area you live in but the majority of the video is about your experience with their signal.
Jon you're definitely better off with AT&T. I have Verizon and yes their LTE is amazing outside and pretty good at getting through walls as well. However, I use my phone in NYC a lot and since it's so densely populated, even though I get LTE signal indoors, I'm not actually pushing much data since there is no bandwidth left. This actually makes their 3G faster than their LTE at times. I wish their phones were able to detect the lack of LTE bandwidth and switch over to 3G when you are in a situation like that. Anyone else notice a problem like this?
James Russo I live in a suburban/rural area of Jersey. No issues with LTE, although the only thing Verizon's 3G network is good for is calling and texting. I am unable to use data it's so slow. Now in Philadelphia LTE tends to slow down a lot and I'm unable to switch to 3G. It would be great if Verizon and ATT adopted WiFi calling also.
I have ATT and have had them for a bit over a year. Their call quality, and customer service is superior to Verizon, and where i live the coverage is about the same.
I've actually already gone through this myself. I live in an apartment in NYC and what worked best for me was T-mobile. Sprint, AT&T, and Verizon had no service in my apartment, calls would drop whenever i stepped into the building just not worth it. I switched to T-mobile for its WiFi calling, ironically enough i don't use it, i have great LTE service in all parts of my building, never drop calls going in and out, just the perfect service for me. On-top of that i have the added bonus of phones coming unlocked directly from their store with unlocked bootloaders for all my tinkering needs. So what does this mean? Take it case by case, what works for one person might not work for you, do some trial runs, its worth it in the end.
Thanks so much for doing this!! We've been in the same boat: on AT&T/Cingular for >10 years and curious about what other carriers have to offer (especially data speeds during peak usage times; I've gotten 1.1/0.01mbps in full service areas at about 4pm here in Portland before). We were considering T-Mobile, but after hearing about the wifi calling issues (which would be further emphasized by our house requiring a wifi repeater) had us concerned; now they're not really in the picture. Verizon was never really on the radar due to their lack of device support, but the prospect of decent data speeds in the afternoon was promising. However, like your house, ours has horrible reception for most carriers, and the problems associated with that would likely carry over to Verizon as well. My next venture will probably be to find a Nexus 6 and test Project Fi (luckily both of my accounts have invites :D), and perhaps that'll be a good carrier to join once it gains more device support. Thanks again for the video!! Saved me a lot of time :)
I use t-mobile because I buy all my phones without a carrier a streaming music is unlimited of 4glte. So I save like 4gb a month. I got a plan where it's 10gigs+edge unlimited, 100 minutes talk and unlimited texting for $50 a month.
Marcus _ Yes t-mobile for me is the best I get good service where I go probably not as good as Verizon but rarely do I have no service. Also there customer support is great there was this dead zone in my subdivision about 6 months ago and I was only getting max 5mbs down in my house. I contacted customer service via twitter and they said that in 6 month it will be fixed now i'm getting full bars and 15-30 mbps down in a previously dead zone. EDIT-also because of its price.
Jozef Standow I have TMOBILE, VOLTE and HD Voice, in my area and it works flawlessly on the LG G4,, no problems whatsoever. I had ATT, the signal was as good for me as TMOB, however not having the VOLTE and HD calls was a prob for me. As the two services are very very good on TMOB. Plus the unlim data un throttled who can really beat that. ATT despite the issues I had with them really wasnt the company for me to stay with. Having a 4 line plan.. I would be over or close to 300.00 a month. using prob 60GB a month. At least when they were doubling your data for free wasnt a bad option.
Not all iPhones are created equal when it comes to activating on Verizon. Some are missing frequencies needed, for instance, using simultaneous voice/data. Newer Android devices have that feature along with WiFi calling. I'd like to see the same test done on Android.
I have tried all the networks and Verizon was my favorite, but all other networks are catching up and Verizon is lacking in customer service basic features that they call advanced. After trying all networks I found Cricket Wireless to be the best in performance and price on AT&T network. $65 for unlimited talk, text and data can't be beat and free calling to or from Canada or Mexico. I use around 50-70GB a month without worrying.
Hi, I travel a lot and I like to enjoy the freedom of using youtube as I wish. Cricket is great at honoring unlimited data without a additional throttling or downgrading your video quality and whats the point of having high resolution displays on phones and carriers downgrade your to 480p. Now I can never go back any limited plans and just like minutes the data should be unlimited pretty soon.
Deep K oh ok yeah makes and yeah cricket is nice there app was horrible thought could never log in to it and also bad reception in my area but ATT was bad in my area as well or else I would have stayed with them.
Their app has gotten a lot better but they do issues logging on at night for some reason. I use to hate AT&T but they have gotten a lot better within last 3-4 years. Many times they are on par with Verizon and Tmobile you will have 3-4 bars and step in doors and it will go to no service and step out side again have 3-4 bars again. A lot more dropped calls on Tmobile. As of right now Cricket has best plans and service for the right price...
lies. cricket slows data speeds after about 2g per month to less than 1kbps. the only unlimited is sprint and tmobile. both allow unlimited data. the tmobile gives 26g of hot spot before slowing. my everyone wants me to pull out my phone to search Google when on the go. Verizon sucks. data plans are for only those who use WiFi at home and work.
I switched from Sprint on my Galaxy S3 to (now) T-mobile on my S6 edge and I have to say I don't know why I didn't just go with T-mobile from the jump. Sprint (in my experience) was subpar at best. The coverage with T-mobile in my area is awesome! It never dips below 4GLTE and there are no overages. I am very satisfied and surprised by T-mobile.
Not sure where you are, but living in SF, TMobile has been rocking it, and rarely have issues with WiFi Calling or handoffs, unless you never had coverage inside and your WiFi can't work outside. Nearly all their newest devices are Band 12 capable, so not sure where you're getting information.
renny placencia no sir that is absolutely ridiculous. 350 gigs a month is the bare minimum I could live with even if it's a plan where only a tablespoon is premium data and the rest is Edge I still rather use that then having only 10 gigs because at least I could still download software and media from Google Play it'll just take a little bit but not really that bad when you use vpns and generally Net10 on AT&T service will give you unlimited premium data for the last day or last few hours before your bill is due.
I think wifi calling is a nice addition, the problem is the quality is not that great like you mentioned in most circumstances. I started with AT&T in 2003 until the iPhone 5 came out on T-Mobile. When I saw what they offered I got excited and decided to switch. I got the iPhone 5, ported my number, and as soon as I got home I noticed 1-3 bars of Edge. On occasions I had 4G and then it dropped back to Edge most of the time and had dropped calls. I was very disappointed and the next day I went back to the store to cancel the service and return the phone. I switched to Straight Talk a couple of days later with the Note 2 I had aside and then returned the phone and cancelled everything with T-Mobile. T-Mobile's customer service was good that they gave me a full refund and all I had to pay was taxes for the service I used, which was fine. Back then I didn't know T-Mobile had a $30 plan so I learned the hard way, lol.
I'm using T-Mobile currently and loving it. I had the same issue with indoor coverage before and I was told it would be improved in my area shortly. Well after a short wait, I am now able to use service indoor with 3 - 5 bars. I also use quite a bit of data, so I opted to go with the unlimited data plan, which some other carriers do not offer. This is definitely a major factor for me because I am now spoiled by my unlimited data! As of right now, I am a completely satisfied T-Mobile customer!
T-Mobile's family plan is allowing my family and relatives to have 9 lines and still only cost around $180 combined lol. We get unlimited texting/talk + 2.5 GB of 4G LTE data for each line. Other fools are paying more than half the amount for 1 line.
BRBallin1 T-Mobile is for hobos, Verizon is for hobos, Sprint is for hobos, metropcs's for hookers, AT&T or Net10 are the only way to go and only way the ignition wire to coverage. It's understandable that AT&T would slow your true unlimited data to twice as fast as basic DSL and not allow third-party tether software however you don't have to commit to it because you can use the same service on the same phones prepaid. I can say from using using net10 occasionally on my AT&T phone that it is a great value being unlimited for only $35 and the edge data still usable to download software and media from Google Play after you use the small amount of Premium LTE.
T-Mobile user here, 4 lines $140, unlimited everything, including LTE. If any other carrier can come within $100 of that price for the same thing, I'd be massively surprised. Edit: Before you ask, no we cannot use prepaid. All of us use >20gb per month, and it would be MUCH more expensive to do that.
Did you try using the T-Mobile signal booster? I had exactly Jon's issue, where in my home I would be lucky to have 1 bar of LTE, but outside in my backyard and front yard there would be 3-4 bars of LTE. The signal booster relays this outdoor connection inside, and after setting up the signal booster, I'm getting that 3-4 bars of LTE inside!
I've been on At&t and Verizon. Never tried Sprint or T-Mobile in fear of their lack of service. Here's my consensus about At&t and Verizon service. They are similarly priced. They both have fantastic coverage, HOWEVER, At&t hands down, has the strongest LTE signal of the 2. I can be almost anywhere and my phone will hang on to that LTE for dear life, even indoors. With Verizon, it seems that sometimes the signal will randomly drop to 3G, perhaps when the LTE signal isn't strong enough. It's very annoying, especially because their 3G is extremely slow and it takes a while for the phone to hop back onto LTE. Also, At&t is easier with unlocked phones by simply just inserting the sim card into the phone and going on with your day, AND they have simultaneous voice and data at all times, not just on LTE like Verizon. I will be switching back to At&t very soon!
this is a cool unbiased video. I personally am an at&t employee so it's neat to see it worked the best in this situation. I will say HD voice launched in my area since this video was made and it's crazy the difference it makes. Cool stuff!
Here has been my experience in my area (Oklahoma). I started off with AT&T that my mom was paying. Once I turned 18 it was time for me to start paying for everything on my own, and AT&T was just too expensive. I switched over to T-Mobile which I got an awesome deal of unlimited high speed data, 1,000 minutes, and unlimited text for $50 a month. I loved that and used it for the past 5 years. Recently I decided it was time for a change since I never get any service outside of the city, so I tried Verizon. $80 a month for 2GB of data, not as fast, and the phone was locked in. I ended my service after less than 2 weeks. I ended up switching to Go Phone for AT&T, which has been the best thing ever. $55 a month for unlimited everything with $GB of high speed data and rollover data. I also get LTE anywhere I go in the state. That is a win win for me.
where i live, Sprint has the biggest trouble getting service in my area. I have friends that have sprint and say that they hate it because the data never works or they never get signal. Verizon, At&t and T-Mobile have excellent coverage (where i live). I have T-Mobile and i pay $110/mo for unlimited talk/text and unlimited data for 3 lines!
Would have T-Mobile if my music school building wasn't 1) built to withstand Midwestern tornadoes with thick, thick concrete walls, and 2) equipped with AT&T repeaters inside.
I switched from Verizon to AT&T... I am much happier... I like switching phones as much as I feel like... gsm unlocked devices are just more available and easy to get my hands on. I have also had much better customer service.
My experience with Verizon has been as follows: 1) Sucked inside my work place. 2) Sometimes sucked inside stores. Switched to iPhone from HTC One M8 1) Very low signal strength inside workplace. 2) Average to above average signal strength inside stores. Anecdote: Had been to yellow stone national park with 9 other people who were on AT&T on various phones. None of them had any reception through out the park and I was able to get some reception intermittently and many a time, in the middle of nowhere. I was impressed with this and continued with Verizon and iPhone.
I've been with Sprint for more than 3 years. Zero complaints. Gave me a cell tower when I had no coverage in my house, calls rarely drop, data is good and continuing to get better (at least for me), texting is excellent,too.
I have to assume that you didn't have voice and data at the same time because the device you were using wasn't a Verizon device. It may have used CDMA but you didn't get the Verizon updates on your phones which adds a feature called HD voice and video. This makes calls over WiFi super clear and also be able to use voice and data at the same time.
T-Mobile gave me a free mini LTE tower for my home. Works flawlessly and I cut my bill in half vs Verizon. Verizon is a tip off and a bully to their customers.
RagingTiger - No, T-Mobile is just that good. They’re way better quality for usually cheaper prices (depending on where you live and what plan you choose).
when Wifi calling make sure to check your wireless router configurations for QOS (Quality Of Service) , make sure it's turned on, it will prioritize Voice packets over web browsing or Netflix
Don't listen to people in the comments about Sprint. You should definitely try their service. Like the other carriers service quality is subjective to where you like. Me personally I have Sprint and and have no issues plus they are continuing to improve service.
I live in NYC and I am a T-Mobile customer; I get constant 4-5 bars of service. Also I can consistently get 35-60mbps speed on the LTE band. I never have issues indoors however once I leave the city and enter the much rural areas, I experience the same issues you have mentioned. However for me that happens about once every 4 months, so not a big deal for me.
T-Mobile is extremely spotty, I've been with them for years now, having said that 99% of the time I have 4g LTE and their speeds are outstanding in the Las Vegas Valley, get anywhere out of Las Vegas (rural areas) and reception is bad. However, I pay 50 dollars for all unlimited and I can now switch phones 3 times a year with a small phone lease payments (17 dollars). So for $67.00 I'm getting the equivalent of a 100-120 dollar plan from AT&T and Verizon.
i was a T-Mobile subscriber, switched to AT&T, switched to VZW, switched to Cricket, switched back to T-Mobile and then settled back to Cricket. Cricket uses AT&T towers and AT&T is pretty great where i live. it's throttled at 8mbps i don't have any problems with it. i pay $55 for 20gb of data.
If you live in Irvine, I have noticed between Culver and Jeffery (even a little bit south) and between Irvine Blvd and the 405 I have always noticed that my calls have dropped when I am driving. I am Verizon and I had a friend on other carriers that had the same issue. I feel Irvine and South County sometimes has very spotty coverage in some areas. I think it has to do with the city regulations and hills.
In my experience, Verizon customer service sucks. Switched to T-Mobile and could not be happier! I live in a rural town south of the Portland Oregon metro area and have great LTE coverage. My Phone is a Samsung Galaxy Note 4.
Heads up John...The Bars and the 3g/ 4g / LTE indicator are two SEPARATE indicators. You cannot have "2 bars of 3G service", they are independent of one another... BTC
It would be cool to see an update video with both your thoughts on Sprint and what devices you're using (phone, tablet, headphones anything that might have changed or why they haven't changed) and possibly fi if you try that out.
My family and I have been on AT&T ever since they were Cingular, and we haven't had too many problems. There will be the occasional dropped call every now and then, but other than that, our service is amazing. Our coverage around the entirety of our state (Wisconsin) has got even better too, as we can now get LTE up into the central part of the state, and then HSPA+ where our cabin is up north. Before that, we would get only Edge up there and it made it a pain if any of us wanted to do a quick check of our email or something.
+Sat junkie I used T-Mobile in rural area -- specifically Upstate New York FInger Lakes area -- where there's hardly any signal. However, I did notice that T-Mobile's LTE signal fell back to AT&T towers and I was actually able to use data and makes calls. It said *AT&T* on top of my device even though I was using T-Mobile service. On my devices it said "Roaming" even though I did not have the roaming toggle on. I was never charged by T-Mobile for any roaming fees either -- which was excellent! So I there was a hand-off of LTE signals in rural areas for T-Mobile to AT&T LTE towers. My buddy using an iPhone 6 has AT&T service and used it in the same rural area. He was only able to get 2G/3G signals and it was so slow he ended up using my tablet with T-Mobile SIM to connect and receive/send data. That's just my experience with T-Mobile. I suppose it varies if you were in a rural area Midwest or South. I was actually surprised it did that. I guess with T-Mobile having newer LTE service, towers and equipments (in comparison to Verizon or AT&T) their signals (data or voice) was able to compensate in rural areas (at least in Upstate NY).
Ingrid Fletcher Same here dude when I sent my phone to Samsung which they said I was still under warranty and said they would fix it for free, but now T-Mobile wants to charge me as if I got a new phone 😡
Thanks for doing this not that many people do a comparison video on carriers services. I'm already subscribed to you so let me know when you finish at&t and sprint
ThatGuy - If you’re just doing quality, T-Mobile is first or second. If you’re just doing prices, T-Mobile is second only to Sprint. T-Mobile smacks every other carrier.
I’ve been with T-mobile for about 18yrs. I do have the issue with buildings, but only if it’s solid concrete buildings. Wifi calling works awesome for me. It use work even if I turned off the cell antenna and have wifi going, but t-mobile did something to disable that. when am out of the country, i only use wifi calling and don’t get charged at all for international rates. I found that wifi calling works better on none t-mobile branded phones. Am currently in a hotel, and my t-mobile service sucks for data, but works well for calls in the rooms. I hope they fix that soon.
Everyone keep in mind that this is just his experience in his house and workplace. There are so many variables that determine coverage that the possibility of you having exactly the same experience is practically zero. The only way to know which is best for you is to try them out at your home and your workplace.
I agree with you. AT&T might not have great outdoors coverage, but I still like it even though it hits rock bottom indoors (no service on iPhone). The other carriers have been known to have good coverage (but contain other issues). I am thinking of joining another carrier but not too sure at the moment.
I have used T-Mobile for years, but also had issues with coverage in my home. However, T-Mobile also offers a cell signal booster that is not linked to Wi-Fi. Mine is old, but they do offer a newer upgraded one for free if you have spotty coverage. I put it upstairs in a window where the strongest signal is. I put the repeater downstairs. With that, I have 4 to 5 bars, with no transition issues from inside to outside. Just my experience...
Nearly 3 years later, and a different city (San Francisco here), and I had the same experience you had: I've been on AT&T for years. Reception in my apartment has historically been very bad (to the point that I could never make/receive a call or text in my apartment, had to keep a land line, etc). Then, at some unspecified point over the past year or so, it got better (perfectly acceptable, even). But I was getting a new phone last week, and I thought it might be a good time to change up. I'd always heard that Verizon was just BETTER: Better reception, faster data, etc. I was wooed by the idea of better reception in my apartment (because of CDMA networks' reputation for being able to penetrate buildings more efficiently), and they had a great deal going for the S9+, so I bit. And much to my surprise (and dismay), Verizon's reception in my apartment is WORSE than AT&T's was way back in the day! I get, like, NO service AT ALL at home! I DID NOT expect that. I thought it'd be AT LEAST as good as AT&T, but it was like NIGHT & friggin' DAY! Same thing at the office: At my desk, I get, like, 1 bar (that tiny little dot). It strikes me as unacceptable. The data, when I can get it, IS fast, but what's that worth if you can't get a connection? I think I'm going to have to return this phone, and go back to AT&T. I went through A LOT of trouble to port my number over from AT&T, too. I DO NOT look forward to going through all that trouble again. I'm tempted by T-Mobile, as I like the IDEA of them, but the only experience I've actually had with them was having a T-Mobile SIM for a little bit in my unlocked Axon 7 earlier this year. And that had poor reception in my apartment, too. Would it be the same with an S9+ optimized for their network? Do I have to buy the phone from them for $850 just to TRY it?
We used to have T mobile here but the coverage was okay. The problem was when we went indoors the t mobile signal would degrade quickly. We switched over to AT&T and we get LTE pretty much everywhere in my town. It costs more, but you pay for what you get I presume.
you really need to try out Republic Wireless and Project Fi too. I spent about 2 years on Republic Wireless for the first 6 months it was really clunky, but it got TONS better and if you start a WiFi call and leave the house it seamlessly switches to the cell towers. I just switched to Project Fi because I really wanted tethering and at the time Republic wasn't allowing it (although I hear they're going to change that) and its been really good for me too. again WiFi calling works like a champ even when I leave my house during a call I've never had a problem with losing my call
If you can get T-Mobile LTE (band 4 AWS (2100/1700 MHz) or band 2 PCS (1900 MHz)) anywhere in your home, it's likely that 700 MHz LTE (band 12) will penetrate your house when it becomes available in your area. T-Mobile was forced to build their network more densely (more cell sites) than AT&T or Verizon because before 700 MHz, the AWS and PCS spectrum they used did not offer as much coverage from a single cell site. When you add a low, building-penetrating frequency like 700 MHz to a dense network like that, coverage becomes very good. Better than other providers who originally only built for low frequencies and thus have networks that are not as dense.
I have metro which used T-Mobile. Everywhere I go I have no problem, I have LTE almost always full bars, and even in school where most of my friend lose service I end up having service. A problem though is at this one mall I lose service, except calling but there is WiFi, and almost everyone loses service there. And this one trip to Virginia, I barely had service, unless I was at s public place with tons of store, each trip in the car I would lose service or I would be at 3G that would go slower than usual. Similar event with a beach I went to.
I'm currently on T-Mobile and I love it. Best data for the money, I believe. I also have the same issue of having spotty call service inside of my house though. That being said, I'm one of those people that rarely uses their phone as a phone, so it's not a big deal to me, but there have been a few times where I had to go stand in the driveway for a bit to talk to my mom or something.
If you're not tied to your phone, if you use it for calling without eating up tons of data, might try Total Wireless. Unlimited calling and texting for $26/mo., data is optional, $10 for 3GB rollerover, Verizon towers. I've used them two years now, get great coverage with no dropped calls. Haven't tried voice over data, don't need it. LTE works great where I'm at, too, no complaints!
I see a lot of people unhappy with Sprint's service, which is weird to me since when I has Verizon I had to stand in my bathtub (not bathROOM, bathTUB) to make a call and 4G LTE just didn't seem to exist. Its crazy how different everyone's experience is based on where you live and use your phone. Sprint has been AMAZING for me, so it appears that they're either very good in your area, or a joke in your area with little between those two extremes.
Having used T-mobile's wifi calling for a while now, it can be a mixed bag. Call quality really is based on your distance from your router...but turning off the feature has no effect on your data speeds, only your voice coverage. As for their data, I used my Sony Xperia Z3 as my gps during a 17 hour drive from NY to Atlanta and only suffered two drops to sub 4G speeds (in Virginia and South Carolina) so their coverage has improved immensely in recent years.
What kind of wifi WAP were you using for Wifi calling on T-Mobile. Also what was your incoming data speed from your ISP. In this video you didn't mention any of these details. Granted T-Mobile states on its website that all you need is a "high-speed" internet connection. Were there different results on different wifi networks?
I have T-Mobile Prepaid (the 30 dollar plan) , and it works BEAUTIFULLY for me. They have a very strong signal here and it works great. It's the biggest bang for the buck if you have a signal at your house. They aren't everywhere, but where they are it tends to be plenty fast. I don't miss Sprint. Their 3G is so swamped in prepaid customers, us postpaid were chocking on the dialup-style speeds, and call quality was meh. I also love having a SIM card and using whatever I want. I went from using a Note 3 to a OnePlus One, and didn't have to make any calls, nothing.
Jon, where exactly do you live? The network issues seem subjective to your location which is unfortunate that you had issues with Tmo. But I noticed Tmo is super picky about locations. Even when you have LTE, sometimes that wifi handoff just won't work in certain areas and sometimes certain devices have issues. I love Tmo (currently using them) but this happens a lot which is their network is picky in certain areas. Would be nice if you had a band 12 device and an area with it. I noticed my N6 immediately when it updated to support b12 because the school I do clinical hours at went from no service to 4 bars inside. Pretty awesome carrier experience stories, though. Would love you see you followup maybe two years or so down the line, again, once network improvements happen and hopefully we see more innovation in the carrier market.
Nah you don't have to try Sprint
Lmfaoooo
He'll need a whole new phone. Plus he'll be stuck in the 80's with no reception
***** Seriously, Sprint is a joke.
***** wat, 25mbps is low end compared in the netherlands. I have 100mbps speed on 4g+
***** Sprint employee☝☝☝☝☝☝☝
Personally i never buy my phones on a carrier. I always buy my iPhones and Android phones unlocked.
Demosthenes Theofanopoulos Its just cheaper to buy phones unlocked here in Sweden. I bought my iphone 6 64gb at the apple store for around 900$ and i have a sim card in it that i charge ones a month and i get unlimited call and text plus a lot of internet. If i was on a carrier it would cost me 1600$ but without a carrier it costs around 1100$ after two years (i buy a new phone every year just wanted to compare to the carriers)
Same but Jon also used his own hardware and just because you buy it doesn't mean you don't have to deal with carriers (you're making it sound like you don't have to deal with carriers)
I do the same. I can't imagine ever being in a contact for a phone.
I would love to do it that way but it's just too expensive
d1bestplayer yeah but not every one wants to spend $600 or ,700 on a phone
Stay with AT&T. I always say they don't win in one single category but are truly the best all around.
Verizon = Coverage
Mobile = Update Phones like crazy and Price
Sprint = Price
AT&T = Little bit of everything :)
Good Analysis
+Dylan Wolters all phone companies use the lease plans.
+Dylan Wolters all phone companies use the lease plans
+Dylan Wolters You should have called AT&T before switching..they usually offer some price adjustment or let you know how to convert from 2 year pricing to AT&T Next pricing while still being on contract.
I started with T-Mobile when I was in middle school and shortly thereafter switched to AT&T all the way up to this April 2015. So I had AT&T for the majority of time, never had a problem with signal or data speeds. Thankfully, I had the grandfathered plan so I was set with data. I switched to T-mobile this April and I miss AT&T. T-Mobile's coverage is subpar to AT&T but I am saving quite a bit with my T-mobile bill now. So I'll stay on T-mobile for now.
T-Mobile sucks here Irma, lol
Yeah. I love T-Mobile with T-Mobile everyone gets unlimited data. Everyone gets unlimited 2g data and unlimited talk and text. But if you want 4g LTE you have to pay for it. But T-Mobile has amazing benefits. No overages. Free music streaming. Unlimited (2g) data. And it isn't to expensive. The only down side is signal in some areas.
Alex Hadfield 2g ? lol that would have been great.....8-10 years ago!
windycitywarrior71 It's just for when you go over your plan. Instead of getting billed more they just slow your speeds down. For the rest of the month. It's better in my opinion than getting billed more.
Same. Switched to Tmobile for savings. In the DC area though, coverage is strong until you roll out to rural areas. Hopefully coverage on Tmobile will get better. Unlimited data is a good peice of mind.
Don't go to sprint!!! The WORST!
I'm on Sprint. Haven't had a single problem. They're great
UndeadGamer95 really depends where you live. where I live their signal is garbage.
Lol where I live I hardly see 3G. I usually only get spark. I live in south Florida
bigblue1031 Lucky you, my 3G is faster than my LTE most of the time..
+Drue-Michael Buono,Sprint may be tbe worst but people are switching to it because for lower prizes and unlimited data,text,and calling
T-Mobile I've been on a year so far I'm happily satisfied. I get lte in my house and in my county. At least with T-Mobile there isn't overage fees and regardless of what plan you get your music streaming will always be great. Not to mention every new uncarrier event brings great change to the wireless industry. Like jon said T-Mobile does have fall back even your not connected to lte which goes 4G then edge, Sure T-Mobile doesn't have much as coverage verizon but they are always improving their network . I believe if your looking for a progressive carrier with great pricing then go to T-Mobile
Exactly. I'm loving T-Mobile.
2SidedTech Actually T-Mobile also has UMTS which is faster than edge but slower than HSPA. They actually go from LTE, to HSPA+, to HSPA, to UMTS, to Edge. Of course some areas will be missing one or two of those.
Eric D my area misses that
***** that comment is so vague please elaborate
2SidedTech Im very happy with tmobile. Great reception, customer service and price!
I like how you said you wouldn't talk about signal because it is subjective to the area you live in but the majority of the video is about your experience with their signal.
Jon you're definitely better off with AT&T. I have Verizon and yes their LTE is amazing outside and pretty good at getting through walls as well. However, I use my phone in NYC a lot and since it's so densely populated, even though I get LTE signal indoors, I'm not actually pushing much data since there is no bandwidth left. This actually makes their 3G faster than their LTE at times. I wish their phones were able to detect the lack of LTE bandwidth and switch over to 3G when you are in a situation like that. Anyone else notice a problem like this?
James Russo I live in a suburban/rural area of Jersey. No issues with LTE, although the only thing Verizon's 3G network is good for is calling and texting. I am unable to use data it's so slow. Now in Philadelphia LTE tends to slow down a lot and I'm unable to switch to 3G. It would be great if Verizon and ATT adopted WiFi calling also.
Verizon rules NYC in 2018. They’ve massively densified their network
If you go into your phone settings, you can turn LTE off if needed
I have ATT and have had them for a bit over a year. Their call quality, and customer service is superior to Verizon, and where i live the coverage is about the same.
I've actually already gone through this myself. I live in an apartment in NYC and what worked best for me was T-mobile. Sprint, AT&T, and Verizon had no service in my apartment, calls would drop whenever i stepped into the building just not worth it. I switched to T-mobile for its WiFi calling, ironically enough i don't use it, i have great LTE service in all parts of my building, never drop calls going in and out, just the perfect service for me. On-top of that i have the added bonus of phones coming unlocked directly from their store with unlocked bootloaders for all my tinkering needs. So what does this mean? Take it case by case, what works for one person might not work for you, do some trial runs, its worth it in the end.
Verizon is my favorite because I have fast data anywhere I go. Verizon is a good carrier if you are willing to pay more.
Facts
Enigma Scientist i have question for you do you have contrActed one year. 2 year ??
if you are willing to pay a lot more and have less phones to choose from. i.e. One Plus 6.
Had Verizon sence 2010 never a problem
Yes more money better service that's the key 💰💰💰💰💰💰💰💰
John why did you not include the prices? That is a major factor in choosing a network.
Thanks so much for doing this!! We've been in the same boat: on AT&T/Cingular for >10 years and curious about what other carriers have to offer (especially data speeds during peak usage times; I've gotten 1.1/0.01mbps in full service areas at about 4pm here in Portland before).
We were considering T-Mobile, but after hearing about the wifi calling issues (which would be further emphasized by our house requiring a wifi repeater) had us concerned; now they're not really in the picture.
Verizon was never really on the radar due to their lack of device support, but the prospect of decent data speeds in the afternoon was promising. However, like your house, ours has horrible reception for most carriers, and the problems associated with that would likely carry over to Verizon as well.
My next venture will probably be to find a Nexus 6 and test Project Fi (luckily both of my accounts have invites :D), and perhaps that'll be a good carrier to join once it gains more device support.
Thanks again for the video!! Saved me a lot of time :)
Thank you! Good luck, let me know how it turns out.
I use t-mobile because I buy all my phones without a carrier a streaming music is unlimited of 4glte. So I save like 4gb a month. I got a plan where it's 10gigs+edge unlimited, 100 minutes talk and unlimited texting for $50 a month.
Marcus _ Yes t-mobile for me is the best I get good service where I go probably not as good as Verizon but rarely do I have no service. Also there customer support is great there was this dead zone in my subdivision about 6 months ago and I was only getting max 5mbs down in my house. I contacted customer service via twitter and they said that in 6 month it will be fixed now i'm getting full bars and 15-30 mbps down in a previously dead zone. EDIT-also because of its price.
Jozef Standow
I have TMOBILE, VOLTE and HD Voice, in my area and it works flawlessly on the LG G4,, no problems whatsoever. I had ATT, the signal was as good for me as TMOB, however not having the VOLTE and HD calls was a prob for me. As the two services are very very good on TMOB. Plus the unlim data un throttled who can really beat that.
ATT despite the issues I had with them really wasnt the company for me to stay with. Having a 4 line plan.. I would be over or close to 300.00 a month. using prob 60GB a month.
At least when they were doubling your data for free wasnt a bad option.
Jozef Standow Yeah I understand the pain, no service on AT&T at my house, been with verizon for 15 years or so, and have never had better service.
Not all iPhones are created equal when it comes to activating on Verizon. Some are missing frequencies needed, for instance, using simultaneous voice/data. Newer Android devices have that feature along with WiFi calling. I'd like to see the same test done on Android.
I have tried all the networks and Verizon was my favorite, but all other networks are catching up and Verizon is lacking in customer service basic features that they call advanced. After trying all networks I found Cricket Wireless to be the best in performance and price on AT&T network. $65 for unlimited talk, text and data can't be beat and free calling to or from Canada or Mexico. I use around 50-70GB a month without worrying.
Deep K wtf? Why do you use that much data/month do you not have wifi at home?
Hi, I travel a lot and I like to enjoy the freedom of using youtube as I wish. Cricket is great at honoring unlimited data without a additional throttling or downgrading your video quality and whats the point of having high resolution displays on phones and carriers downgrade your to 480p. Now I can never go back any limited plans and just like minutes the data should be unlimited pretty soon.
Deep K oh ok yeah makes and yeah cricket is nice there app was horrible thought could never log in to it and also bad reception in my area but ATT was bad in my area as well or else I would have stayed with them.
Their app has gotten a lot better but they do issues logging on at night for some reason. I use to hate AT&T but they have gotten a lot better within last 3-4 years. Many times they are on par with Verizon and Tmobile you will have 3-4 bars and step in doors and it will go to no service and step out side again have 3-4 bars again. A lot more dropped calls on Tmobile. As of right now Cricket has best plans and service for the right price...
lies. cricket slows data speeds after about 2g per month to less than 1kbps. the only unlimited is sprint and tmobile. both allow unlimited data. the tmobile gives 26g of hot spot before slowing. my everyone wants me to pull out my phone to search Google when on the go. Verizon sucks. data plans are for only those who use WiFi at home and work.
I switched from Sprint on my Galaxy S3 to (now) T-mobile on my S6 edge and I have to say I don't know why I didn't just go with T-mobile from the jump. Sprint (in my experience) was subpar at best. The coverage with T-mobile in my area is awesome! It never dips below 4GLTE and there are no overages. I am very satisfied and surprised by T-mobile.
Lmao I had a T-Mobile pre-roll ad. I was like HE IS GOING TO CHOOSE T-MOBILE! Jokes on meh
Not sure where you are, but living in SF, TMobile has been rocking it, and rarely have issues with WiFi Calling or handoffs, unless you never had coverage inside and your WiFi can't work outside. Nearly all their newest devices are Band 12 capable, so not sure where you're getting information.
HOW CAN ANYONE DEAL WITH HAVING LIMITED INTERNET NOWADAYS????
I got though 20-30 gigs od data every month and never have to worry
T-MOBILE IS THE BEST
renny placencia no sir that is absolutely ridiculous. 350 gigs a month is the bare minimum I could live with even if it's a plan where only a tablespoon is premium data and the rest is Edge I still rather use that then having only 10 gigs because at least I could still download software and media from Google Play it'll just take a little bit but not really that bad when you use vpns and generally Net10 on AT&T service will give you unlimited premium data for the last day or last few hours before your bill is due.
i use only 3 a month jesus
I think wifi calling is a nice addition, the problem is the quality is not that great like you mentioned in most circumstances. I started with AT&T in 2003 until the iPhone 5 came out on T-Mobile. When I saw what they offered I got excited and decided to switch. I got the iPhone 5, ported my number, and as soon as I got home I noticed 1-3 bars of Edge. On occasions I had 4G and then it dropped back to Edge most of the time and had dropped calls. I was very disappointed and the next day I went back to the store to cancel the service and return the phone. I switched to Straight Talk a couple of days later with the Note 2 I had aside and then returned the phone and cancelled everything with T-Mobile. T-Mobile's customer service was good that they gave me a full refund and all I had to pay was taxes for the service I used, which was fine. Back then I didn't know T-Mobile had a $30 plan so I learned the hard way, lol.
Consumer cellular, amazing service and cheap as balls.
I'm using T-Mobile currently and loving it. I had the same issue with indoor coverage before and I was told it would be improved in my area shortly. Well after a short wait, I am now able to use service indoor with 3 - 5 bars. I also use quite a bit of data, so I opted to go with the unlimited data plan, which some other carriers do not offer. This is definitely a major factor for me because I am now spoiled by my unlimited data! As of right now, I am a completely satisfied T-Mobile customer!
T-Mobile's family plan is allowing my family and relatives to have 9 lines and still only cost around $180 combined lol. We get unlimited texting/talk + 2.5 GB of 4G LTE data for each line. Other fools are paying more than half the amount for 1 line.
BRBallin1 bullshit
RagingTiger it's true I love t-mobile they gotten really good lately.
Note: this is a T-Mobile plan before monthly payments for devices
BRBallin1 T-Mobile is for hobos, Verizon is for hobos, Sprint is for hobos, metropcs's for hookers, AT&T or Net10 are the only way to go and only way the ignition wire to coverage. It's understandable that AT&T would slow your true unlimited data to twice as fast as basic DSL and not allow third-party tether software however you don't have to commit to it because you can use the same service on the same phones prepaid. I can say from using using net10 occasionally on my AT&T phone that it is a great value being unlimited for only $35 and the edge data still usable to download software and media from Google Play after you use the small amount of Premium LTE.
T-Mobile user here, 4 lines $140, unlimited everything, including LTE. If any other carrier can come within $100 of that price for the same thing, I'd be massively surprised.
Edit: Before you ask, no we cannot use prepaid. All of us use >20gb per month, and it would be MUCH more expensive to do that.
Did you try using the T-Mobile signal booster? I had exactly Jon's issue, where in my home I would be lucky to have 1 bar of LTE, but outside in my backyard and front yard there would be 3-4 bars of LTE. The signal booster relays this outdoor connection inside, and after setting up the signal booster, I'm getting that 3-4 bars of LTE inside!
I've been on At&t and Verizon. Never tried Sprint or T-Mobile in fear of their lack of service. Here's my consensus about At&t and Verizon service. They are similarly priced. They both have fantastic coverage, HOWEVER, At&t hands down, has the strongest LTE signal of the 2. I can be almost anywhere and my phone will hang on to that LTE for dear life, even indoors. With Verizon, it seems that sometimes the signal will randomly drop to 3G, perhaps when the LTE signal isn't strong enough. It's very annoying, especially because their 3G is extremely slow and it takes a while for the phone to hop back onto LTE. Also, At&t is easier with unlocked phones by simply just inserting the sim card into the phone and going on with your day, AND they have simultaneous voice and data at all times, not just on LTE like Verizon. I will be switching back to At&t very soon!
this is a cool unbiased video. I personally am an at&t employee so it's neat to see it worked the best in this situation. I will say HD voice launched in my area since this video was made and it's crazy the difference it makes. Cool stuff!
I switched from Sprint to AT&T. Best decision ever.
Momo Ed me too
Here has been my experience in my area (Oklahoma). I started off with AT&T that my mom was paying. Once I turned 18 it was time for me to start paying for everything on my own, and AT&T was just too expensive. I switched over to T-Mobile which I got an awesome deal of unlimited high speed data, 1,000 minutes, and unlimited text for $50 a month. I loved that and used it for the past 5 years. Recently I decided it was time for a change since I never get any service outside of the city, so I tried Verizon. $80 a month for 2GB of data, not as fast, and the phone was locked in. I ended my service after less than 2 weeks. I ended up switching to Go Phone for AT&T, which has been the best thing ever. $55 a month for unlimited everything with $GB of high speed data and rollover data. I also get LTE anywhere I go in the state. That is a win win for me.
depends where you live i guess, tmobile working perfectly for me in South Florida
I forgot, thank you guys at TechnoBuffalo. Keep them coming!
Wait why would you use data in your house, ever heard of Wifi? This is why people are always going over their plan...
Random Channel Using it more makes it slower.
Random Channel and how would they use laptops or something.
Hotspot
Alex Bernal I never used wifi. I have Sprint freedom and uses 70gb a month with no problem
Some ppl don’t have WiFi at home
where i live, Sprint has the biggest trouble getting service in my area. I have friends that have sprint and say that they hate it because the data never works or they never get signal. Verizon, At&t and T-Mobile have excellent coverage (where i live). I have T-Mobile and i pay $110/mo for unlimited talk/text and unlimited data for 3 lines!
I read "Why I switched careers" at first. I wonder what that says about me...
Would have T-Mobile if my music school building wasn't 1) built to withstand Midwestern tornadoes with thick, thick concrete walls, and 2) equipped with AT&T repeaters inside.
I switched from Verizon to AT&T... I am much happier... I like switching phones as much as I feel like... gsm unlocked devices are just more available and easy to get my hands on. I have also had much better customer service.
hey Jon. just watched this video again, is been over a year. where are U now with the Mobile Network Operators/Wireless Carriers?
Nothing more boring to watch Jon on his sofa talking about why he changed from X to Y.
Then why are you watching this video?
AmaymonF So unsubscribe and troll somewhere else.
My experience with Verizon has been as follows:
1) Sucked inside my work place.
2) Sometimes sucked inside stores.
Switched to iPhone from HTC One M8
1) Very low signal strength inside workplace.
2) Average to above average signal strength inside stores.
Anecdote:
Had been to yellow stone national park with 9 other people who were on AT&T on various phones. None of them had any reception through out the park and I was able to get some reception intermittently and many a time, in the middle of nowhere. I was impressed with this and continued with Verizon and iPhone.
I have T-Mobile in Hawaii and they're pretty good
I've been with Sprint for more than 3 years. Zero complaints. Gave me a cell tower when I had no coverage in my house, calls rarely drop, data is good and continuing to get better (at least for me), texting is excellent,too.
Your house is built on a native american burial ground.
I have the same problem😢
My house is built on the old Cingular store
No wonder I get good coverage on At&t
PGPlayz 😂 tru. Ive never noticed that, theyve never had a single phone store that didnt have service in their building... Lol
I think an updated video on carries would be a nice video for the end of the year since T-Mobile has stepped up the game in the past 3 years.
what about project fi?
I have to assume that you didn't have voice and data at the same time because the device you were using wasn't a Verizon device. It may have used CDMA but you didn't get the Verizon updates on your phones which adds a feature called HD voice and video. This makes calls over WiFi super clear and also be able to use voice and data at the same time.
T-Mobile gave me a free mini LTE tower for my home. Works flawlessly and I cut my bill in half vs Verizon. Verizon is a tip off and a bully to their customers.
D H half? Bullshit and you know it, you must be working for T-Mobile
maximus10463 you know your wifi goes out you LTE GOES OUT 😂😂
RagingTiger - No, T-Mobile is just that good. They’re way better quality for usually cheaper prices (depending on where you live and what plan you choose).
I was going to get tmobile until I found out they wanted a $900 deposit on the phone I wanted
John even with Sprint make sure to use your own devices so you don't get locked into contracts, mate :)
You should try project fi.
Josh Armour he has but it works out stupid expensive, $10 per Gb is absurd, i get unlimed 4g data, texts and 600 minutes for $20 a month.
Nathan Jones what carrier
IPyschoki11er
3, in the UK,
Top Kek
obviously not.
Nathan Jones Im guessing you dont live in the U.S? I've never heard of a plan that cheap.
when Wifi calling make sure to check your wireless router configurations for QOS (Quality Of Service) , make sure it's turned on, it will prioritize Voice packets over web browsing or Netflix
sprint is phenomenal in my area.
squaddd _ lucky, where is that? it sucks in Tucson, AZ
squaddd _ Are you in Colorado
Nice Jon. The first "review" of this kind I've seen, very helpful. Keep up the great work guys!
Don't listen to people in the comments about Sprint. You should definitely try their service. Like the other carriers service quality is subjective to where you like. Me personally I have Sprint and and have no issues plus they are continuing to improve service.
Trenton Brown it depends where you live
Sprint has gotten much better lately plus they will give you a free mini cell tower if you get low signal. I LOVE SPRINT!!
I don't always get into the sub-301 club...
but when I do, I tell everyone.
I live in NYC and I am a T-Mobile customer; I get constant 4-5 bars of service. Also I can consistently get 35-60mbps speed on the LTE band. I never have issues indoors however once I leave the city and enter the much rural areas, I experience the same issues you have mentioned. However for me that happens about once every 4 months, so not a big deal for me.
Sprint is a NO GO it's GARBAGE I wouldn't try Sprint they're BIGTIME GARBAGE
T-Mobile is extremely spotty, I've been with them for years now, having said that 99% of the time I have 4g LTE and their speeds are outstanding in the Las Vegas Valley, get anywhere out of Las Vegas (rural areas) and reception is bad.
However, I pay 50 dollars for all unlimited and I can now switch phones 3 times a year with a small phone lease payments (17 dollars).
So for $67.00 I'm getting the equivalent of a 100-120 dollar plan from AT&T and Verizon.
I love Verizon, they gave me 24gbs for free because they made a typo on my bill.
That is not possible. Not even a wifi router can do speeds that fast.
ELonzoOfficial haha 😂 how did he not know that
xanderfloat davidhscottusmail
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i was a T-Mobile subscriber, switched to AT&T, switched to VZW, switched to Cricket, switched back to T-Mobile and then settled back to Cricket. Cricket uses AT&T towers and AT&T is pretty great where i live. it's throttled at 8mbps i don't have any problems with it. i pay $55 for 20gb of data.
Had the worst service with T-Mobile. Never again
If you live in Irvine, I have noticed between Culver and Jeffery (even a little bit south) and between Irvine Blvd and the 405 I have always noticed that my calls have dropped when I am driving. I am Verizon and I had a friend on other carriers that had the same issue. I feel Irvine and South County sometimes has very spotty coverage in some areas. I think it has to do with the city regulations and hills.
Sprint sucks 👎
In my experience, Verizon customer service sucks. Switched to T-Mobile and could not be happier! I live in a rural town south of the Portland Oregon metro area and have great LTE coverage. My Phone is a Samsung Galaxy Note 4.
Heads up John...The Bars and the 3g/ 4g / LTE indicator are two SEPARATE indicators. You cannot have "2 bars of 3G service", they are independent of one another... BTC
It would be cool to see an update video with both your thoughts on Sprint and what devices you're using (phone, tablet, headphones anything that might have changed or why they haven't changed) and possibly fi if you try that out.
Verizon is the best
Imran Ahmad not
Unrelated question.... where did you get those blue pillows?
Probably the same place he got the gray ones! 🤔😂✌️
bottomline is tmo and sprint are crap.
***** tmobile is awesome where i stay
Man-E Hen
yeah. it depends. but usually it's really bad. and i live in LA.
*****
mmm. don't you get 2G often though. i had to switch carriers.
***** I have T-Mobile. I live in the LA area and get LTE almost everywhere I go. My DL and UL are both usually between 10 and 15 Mbps.
***** when was the last time you had tmo?
My family and I have been on AT&T ever since they were Cingular, and we haven't had too many problems. There will be the occasional dropped call every now and then, but other than that, our service is amazing. Our coverage around the entirety of our state (Wisconsin) has got even better too, as we can now get LTE up into the central part of the state, and then HSPA+ where our cabin is up north. Before that, we would get only Edge up there and it made it a pain if any of us wanted to do a quick check of our email or something.
T-MOBILE IS THE ONLY WAY TO GO!!!!! DO NOT BE FOOLED
Ryan Lloyd tmobile sucks ass lol I feel bad for you
depends on where you are and live and go to, i have 4g LTE where ever i go in my location
Ryan Lloyd I got scammed by T-MOBILE. Good luck.
+Sat junkie
I used T-Mobile in rural area -- specifically Upstate New York FInger Lakes area -- where there's hardly any signal.
However, I did notice that T-Mobile's LTE signal fell back to AT&T towers and I was actually able to use data and makes calls.
It said *AT&T* on top of my device even though I was using T-Mobile service. On my devices it said "Roaming" even though I did not have the roaming toggle on. I was never charged by T-Mobile for any roaming fees either -- which was excellent!
So I there was a hand-off of LTE signals in rural areas for T-Mobile to AT&T LTE towers.
My buddy using an iPhone 6 has AT&T service and used it in the same rural area. He was only able to get 2G/3G signals and it was so slow he ended up using my tablet with T-Mobile SIM to connect and receive/send data.
That's just my experience with T-Mobile. I suppose it varies if you were in a rural area Midwest or South. I was actually surprised it did that. I guess with T-Mobile having newer LTE service, towers and equipments (in comparison to Verizon or AT&T) their signals (data or voice) was able to compensate in rural areas (at least in Upstate NY).
Ingrid Fletcher Same here dude when I sent my phone to Samsung which they said I was still under warranty and said they would fix it for free, but now T-Mobile wants to charge me as if I got a new phone 😡
Besides wifi calling as an option, T-Mobile also has an LTE network extender that they offer for free, just to let you know if you try them again.
Verizon sucks they rip you off with data overages I am moving to T-Mobile😉 and getting my T-Mobile tuesdays😀
Jayden L love t-mobile Tuesday lol
Amen
fuck noo lmaoo
Jayden L - Good choice. Look up actual stats and T-Mobile blows everyone out of water AND is cheaper
Thanks for doing this not that many people do a comparison video on carriers services. I'm already subscribed to you so let me know when you finish at&t and sprint
Verizon > At&t > sprint > tmobile
ThatGuy no, T-Mobile would be third
yeah youre probably right
ThatGuy - If you’re just doing quality, T-Mobile is first or second. If you’re just doing prices, T-Mobile is second only to Sprint. T-Mobile smacks every other carrier.
Boristien405 no at&t is better
Ebony Williamson - not even close mate. Especially nationwide/worldwide. In certain areas, yes.
I’ve been with T-mobile for about 18yrs. I do have the issue with buildings, but only if it’s solid concrete buildings. Wifi calling works awesome for me. It use work even if I turned off the cell antenna and have wifi going, but t-mobile did something to disable that. when am out of the country, i only use wifi calling and don’t get charged at all for international rates. I found that wifi calling works better on none t-mobile branded phones. Am currently in a hotel, and my t-mobile service sucks for data, but works well for calls in the rooms. I hope they fix that soon.
Lmao don't waste ur time with sprint
Everyone keep in mind that this is just his experience in his house and workplace. There are so many variables that determine coverage that the possibility of you having exactly the same experience is practically zero. The only way to know which is best for you is to try them out at your home and your workplace.
T mobile sucks. I have it.
Recently Sprint has made huge improvements in my area. Data speeds are like you are on wifi and phone calling is great even in stores like target.
AT&T MASTER RACE
Too much money
finally you talk about call quality , you should talk about it each time you talk about a new phone, that is the most important thing in a phone.
I agree with you. AT&T might not have great outdoors coverage, but I still like it even though it hits rock bottom indoors (no service on iPhone). The other carriers have been known to have good coverage (but contain other issues). I am thinking of joining another carrier but not too sure at the moment.
I have used T-Mobile for years, but also had issues with coverage in my home. However, T-Mobile also offers a cell signal booster that is not linked to Wi-Fi. Mine is old, but they do offer a newer upgraded one for free if you have spotty coverage. I put it upstairs in a window where the strongest signal is. I put the repeater downstairs. With that, I have 4 to 5 bars, with no transition issues from inside to outside. Just my experience...
How does your experience so far compare to Project Fi?
Nearly 3 years later, and a different city (San Francisco here), and I had the same experience you had: I've been on AT&T for years. Reception in my apartment has historically been very bad (to the point that I could never make/receive a call or text in my apartment, had to keep a land line, etc). Then, at some unspecified point over the past year or so, it got better (perfectly acceptable, even). But I was getting a new phone last week, and I thought it might be a good time to change up. I'd always heard that Verizon was just BETTER: Better reception, faster data, etc. I was wooed by the idea of better reception in my apartment (because of CDMA networks' reputation for being able to penetrate buildings more efficiently), and they had a great deal going for the S9+, so I bit. And much to my surprise (and dismay), Verizon's reception in my apartment is WORSE than AT&T's was way back in the day! I get, like, NO service AT ALL at home! I DID NOT expect that. I thought it'd be AT LEAST as good as AT&T, but it was like NIGHT & friggin' DAY! Same thing at the office: At my desk, I get, like, 1 bar (that tiny little dot). It strikes me as unacceptable. The data, when I can get it, IS fast, but what's that worth if you can't get a connection? I think I'm going to have to return this phone, and go back to AT&T. I went through A LOT of trouble to port my number over from AT&T, too. I DO NOT look forward to going through all that trouble again. I'm tempted by T-Mobile, as I like the IDEA of them, but the only experience I've actually had with them was having a T-Mobile SIM for a little bit in my unlocked Axon 7 earlier this year. And that had poor reception in my apartment, too. Would it be the same with an S9+ optimized for their network? Do I have to buy the phone from them for $850 just to TRY it?
We used to have T mobile here but the coverage was okay. The problem was when we went indoors the t mobile signal would degrade quickly. We switched over to AT&T and we get LTE pretty much everywhere in my town. It costs more, but you pay for what you get I presume.
you really need to try out Republic Wireless and Project Fi too. I spent about 2 years on Republic Wireless for the first 6 months it was really clunky, but it got TONS better and if you start a WiFi call and leave the house it seamlessly switches to the cell towers. I just switched to Project Fi because I really wanted tethering and at the time Republic wasn't allowing it (although I hear they're going to change that) and its been really good for me too. again WiFi calling works like a champ even when I leave my house during a call I've never had a problem with losing my call
If you can get T-Mobile LTE (band 4 AWS (2100/1700 MHz) or band 2 PCS (1900 MHz)) anywhere in your home, it's likely that 700 MHz LTE (band 12) will penetrate your house when it becomes available in your area. T-Mobile was forced to build their network more densely (more cell sites) than AT&T or Verizon because before 700 MHz, the AWS and PCS spectrum they used did not offer as much coverage from a single cell site. When you add a low, building-penetrating frequency like 700 MHz to a dense network like that, coverage becomes very good. Better than other providers who originally only built for low frequencies and thus have networks that are not as dense.
I have metro which used T-Mobile. Everywhere I go I have no problem, I have LTE almost always full bars, and even in school where most of my friend lose service I end up having service. A problem though is at this one mall I lose service, except calling but there is WiFi, and almost everyone loses service there. And this one trip to Virginia, I barely had service, unless I was at s public place with tons of store, each trip in the car I would lose service or I would be at 3G that would go slower than usual. Similar event with a beach I went to.
Same
I'm currently on T-Mobile and I love it. Best data for the money, I believe. I also have the same issue of having spotty call service inside of my house though. That being said, I'm one of those people that rarely uses their phone as a phone, so it's not a big deal to me, but there have been a few times where I had to go stand in the driveway for a bit to talk to my mom or something.
Wi-Fi calling also depends on the signal strength from your Wi-Fi and also the speed service you paying for your internet
If you're not tied to your phone, if you use it for calling without eating up tons of data, might try Total Wireless. Unlimited calling and texting for $26/mo., data is optional, $10 for 3GB rollerover, Verizon towers. I've used them two years now, get great coverage with no dropped calls. Haven't tried voice over data, don't need it. LTE works great where I'm at, too, no complaints!
We have had the same problems with Cell service. Just kinda scared to try another service. It cost way too much to switch.
could also use ting, they use the sprint network so your experience should be similar. plus its a pay as you go plan
Did you try an S6, M9, or G4 on T-Mobile. They have band 12.
Cool. I hope the 6S has band 12.
Yeah, band 12 is critical now.
Do an updated version of this please
I see a lot of people unhappy with Sprint's service, which is weird to me since when I has Verizon I had to stand in my bathtub (not bathROOM, bathTUB) to make a call and 4G LTE just didn't seem to exist. Its crazy how different everyone's experience is based on where you live and use your phone. Sprint has been AMAZING for me, so it appears that they're either very good in your area, or a joke in your area with little between those two extremes.
Having used T-mobile's wifi calling for a while now, it can be a mixed bag. Call quality really is based on your distance from your router...but turning off the feature has no effect on your data speeds, only your voice coverage. As for their data, I used my Sony Xperia Z3 as my gps during a 17 hour drive from NY to Atlanta and only suffered two drops to sub 4G speeds (in Virginia and South Carolina) so their coverage has improved immensely in recent years.
What kind of wifi WAP were you using for Wifi calling on T-Mobile. Also what was your incoming data speed from your ISP. In this video you didn't mention any of these details. Granted T-Mobile states on its website that all you need is a "high-speed" internet connection. Were there different results on different wifi networks?
I have T-Mobile Prepaid (the 30 dollar plan) , and it works BEAUTIFULLY for me. They have a very strong signal here and it works great. It's the biggest bang for the buck if you have a signal at your house. They aren't everywhere, but where they are it tends to be plenty fast. I don't miss Sprint. Their 3G is so swamped in prepaid customers, us postpaid were chocking on the dialup-style speeds, and call quality was meh. I also love having a SIM card and using whatever I want. I went from using a Note 3 to a OnePlus One, and didn't have to make any calls, nothing.
Jon, where exactly do you live? The network issues seem subjective to your location which is unfortunate that you had issues with Tmo. But I noticed Tmo is super picky about locations. Even when you have LTE, sometimes that wifi handoff just won't work in certain areas and sometimes certain devices have issues. I love Tmo (currently using them) but this happens a lot which is their network is picky in certain areas. Would be nice if you had a band 12 device and an area with it. I noticed my N6 immediately when it updated to support b12 because the school I do clinical hours at went from no service to 4 bars inside.
Pretty awesome carrier experience stories, though. Would love you see you followup maybe two years or so down the line, again, once network improvements happen and hopefully we see more innovation in the carrier market.