Tag: AT$T

Posted on

Wrong Analogy

CurrentC-960x540

MCX CEO Dekkers Davidson told The Verge regarding CurrentC exclusivity:

I would observe parenthetically that I don’t think too many people complained when Apple went to market with the exclusive that you could only buy it at AT&T, which was the case for a while, and I think that was a reasonable business decision that Apple made, and they did what was in their best interest, and while Verizon customers may have been disappointed, they has made a choice as well.

That’s a wrong analogy, Dek!

Sure, when iPhone was first launched, it became an AT&T exclusive in the United States until January 2011. But AT&T did not stop selling other phones.

At this point, it is hard to believe any statements from MCX.

Posted on

T-Mobile Test Drive: Day One

Received T-Mobile Test Drive kit on Wednesday afternoon, June 25, 2014.

T-Mobile Test Drive kit

The Test Drive Kit includes:

  • Gold 64GB iPhone 5s with nano-SIM pre-installed
  • Apple EarPod with mic and remote
  • Apple 5 Watt USB Charger
  • Apple Lightning Cable
  • Manual
  • Terms & Conditions booklet

T-Mobile Test Drive kit, iPhone 5s

I wonder what T-Mobile / Apple would do with the EarPod after it is being used. Remember, I have to return the Test Drive kit at after the seventh day.

T-Mobile Test Drive is free with no obligation to buy, but if the iPhone 5s comes back with a cracked screen, damaged screen display, water damage, active Find My iPhone feature, or can’t be powered on we have to charge a $100 damage fee. If you don’t return the device, we have to charge $699.99 plus applicable taxes.

A hold for $699.99 + taxes will be placed on your credit or debit card. The timing of releasing that hold will vary by credit card company. We won’t charge your card unless you fail to return the device.

Here’s the interesting part: a 64GB unlocked iPhone 5s retails for $849 + taxes at Apple Store. Should I choose to keep the 64GB iPhone 5s from the Test Drive kit, it would have cost me $699 + taxes. That is $150 cheaper than Apple Store price.

I already have an unlocked 64GB iPhone 5s, courtesy of firstnameatappledotcom. I don’t think I would want to buy one anytime soon.

Gold Unlocked 64GB iPhone 5s

For 24-hour period I used the iPhone 5s on T-Mobile network and performed Speed Test using Ookla SpeedTest.net app. Bear in mind, these tests were not done scientifically. In that 24-hour period I spent some times at the following locations in Southern California:

  • Long Beach, Downtown and 2nd Street
  • Fullerton and Placentia
  • Costa Mesa and Newport Beach

I noticed that T-Mobile network performed exceptionally well in the Costa Mesa and Newport Beach area; 74.99 Mbps download and 25.43 Mbps upload peak test result. T-Mobile has the best network around my office desk, beating out AT&T, Sprint and Verizon. T-Mobile might have secretly installed a cell tower a few feet from me.

SpeedTest,net T-Mobile Costa Mesa, Newport Beach

Somewhere in the Fullerton / Placentia area, Verizon seems to have the best network; beating T-Mobile and AT&T. Sorry for the slightly blurry picture, it’s the only one I have.

iPhone 5s on Verizon LTE network has an impressive 40.77 Mbps download speed compared to 13.48 Mbps and 9.92 Mbps for T-Mobile and AT&T, respectively.

iPhone 5s on T-Mobile, AT&T, and Verizon

In the Downtown Long Beach area, AT&T hits 8.88 Mbps download speed while T-Mobile hits 20.55 Mbps.

Speed Test Long Beach Downtown AT&T

Speed Test Long Beach Downtown T-Mobile

What do these all mean?

I can certainly say that I would not mind switching carrier. Six more days to go.

p.s. Here’s a 37-second video of one of the speed test I did.

Speed-Test-poster

Posted on

Not Anymore, You AT&T!

AT&T needs to update some of its Terms and Conditions. The last time I checked, AT&T is no longer Apple’s exclusive carrier partner for iPhone in the United States. Back in January 11th, 2011 Apple announced that iPhone 4 was coming to Verizon. iPhone 4 then made its official debut on Verizon network on February 10th, 2011.

Posted on

AT&T-Compatible Google Nexus S.

It took a few months for Google to release AT&T-compatible model following the initial release of Nexus One. I was also hoping for another AT&T-compatible model of Nexus S; the one featured on Google Nexus page is compatible with T-Mobile USA, but not AT&T 3G network. I remembered reading that there is an AT&T-compatible Nexus S model. After further searching and reading, I found the Nexus S I’ve been looking for. It is available through Amazon and Negri Electronics.

The AT&T-compatible supports the following radio frequencies: GSM 850, GSM 900, GSM 1800, GSM 1900, 3G 850, 3G 1900 and 3G 2100.

Why AT&T you ask?
I prefer GSM-based phones because I can easily take out the SIM Card from one phone to the other; maintaining only one wireless phone account. Currently, only on AT&T I can use Nexus One, Palm Pre 2 and an iPhone.

I have yet bought the Nexus S.

Model number: I9020A
Comes in Black or White.

Posted on

AT&T to Acquire T-Mobile USA From Deutsche Telekom

The news breaks on Sunday March 20th, 2011 that AT&T has come to agreement to buy T-Mobile USA from Deutsche Telekom.

AT&T Inc. (NYSE: T) and Deutsche Telekom AG (FWB: DTE) today announced that they have entered into a definitive agreement under which AT&T will acquire T-Mobile USA from Deutsche Telekom in a cash-and-stock transaction currently valued at approximately $39 billion. The agreement has been approved by the Boards of Directors of both companies.

Both AT&T and T-Mobile USA are working on next generation networks using HSPA+ and LTE. Even though both companies are currently on GSM and UMTS/HSPA network, they are using different frequencies for the 3G network.

Previously Bloomberg reports that Deutsche Telekom and Sprint are discussing merger of T-Mobile USA and Sprint. Such merger would have been an interesting move since T-Mobile is operates GSM while Sprint operates CDMA network.

What would the future brings with the merger of AT&T and T-Mobile USA? AT&T would become America’s largest wireless carrier.