Develop Bugs

T-Mobile Sample S2 has faster HSPA+

Hello
Located in NYC
I was at the T-Mobile Retail store to test the Galaxy S2's speedtest.net.
The speed I got from it was in between 9 Mbps - 15 Mbps.
However, I tried my own S2 and I am only getting 3-4Mbps
??? Hmmmmm how did that happen???
I called 611 to troubleshoot the issue, however the rep told me that it could be their network.
I asked if my old SIM has anything to do with it, she said the SIM does not matter.
Sigh... just wondering what you guys in NYC is getting
Thanks

In RI i get 14-18.
Sent from my SGH-T989 using XDA App

You need to use the sim that comes with the phone. Its an updated sim for this phone
Sent from my SGH-T989 using Tapatalk

clninja said:
You need to use the sim that comes with the phone. Its an updated sim for this phone
Sent from my SGH-T989 using Tapatalk
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Click to collapse
Thank you for your reply. I will try to call 611 asking for a free SIM. That stupid rep did not allowed me to get a free SIM.

Some stores have 3G cell sites built into them, which will give the phones in the store faster speeds than just outside the store.

I tested the phone with old sim card in NYC back in Dec. In chinatown it avg. 18-21mbps in Brooklyn was much slower, 5-8mbps. I got it used so no updated sim card that came with it. Now back in Puerto Rico where im now, its 8-10mbps. Im guess some part in NYC takes advantages of new HSDPA+ and some parts not.

Time of day, network traffic, signal strength, apps running on your phone, the cell site itself...these are all variables that can cause variance in data speeds.
personally, i think the Speedtest.net app itself is buggy. I can be in the same spot, run 3 tests, and get 3 different results. I've also run tests with the same type of phones sitting next to each other, and get completely different results.
Not all sites are pushing out the same speeds. Some may be pushing 42mb/s, while others may still be doing 21mb/s, and there are probably even some 7.2mb/s sites in "4G" cities. You can probably drive down the street and get a drastically different result.
Although the SIM that came in the box is new, you shouldn't see drastic changes in your old SIM vs the new one unless your old SIM was more than 2 years old. T-Mobile updated their SIM cards a few years back to better connect with the 3G/4G network. The SIM that came in the box (GBA SIM) is required for the Wi-Fi Calling, but that's it.

I live in Brooklyn, and my new white SG2 should be coming via UPS tomorrow (hopefully early in the day!). Will post results after I get the phone. Question - if the phone comes with its own new SIM, how do I get my info/acct transferred to the new SIM? Can I do this over the phone or do I need to go into a TMO store? In the meantime I can just pop in my old SIM and use it right away, correct?
Also, FWIW, on my MT4G I always get consistently faster speeds in Manhattan vs. Brooklyn. In my apartment I usually float around 3-5 mbps. I'm hoping I'll pick up a little extra with the SG2 but who knows...not a big issue though since when at home I usually hook up to the wifi.

You definitely need the new Sim. And that broad on the customer line lied. The Sim DOES matter.
Sent from my SGH-T989 using xda premium

cs378 said:
Hello
Located in NYC
I was at the T-Mobile Retail store to test the Galaxy S2's speedtest.net.
The speed I got from it was in between 9 Mbps - 15 Mbps.
However, I tried my own S2 and I am only getting 3-4Mbps
??? Hmmmmm how did that happen???
I called 611 to troubleshoot the issue, however the rep told me that it could be their network.
I asked if my old SIM has anything to do with it, she said the SIM does not matter.
Sigh... just wondering what you guys in NYC is getting
Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I get 9-15 in nyc all day long. Must be your location or your sim.

clninja said:
You need to use the sim that comes with the phone. Its an updated sim for this phone
Sent from my SGH-T989 using Tapatalk
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Click to collapse
That is not true at all. I am on the $30 prepaid plan and used the sim that came with some cheap phone and I can easily hit 12-15mbps however Wi-Fi calling doesn't work. Please don't spread false facts. Yes, there's an updated sim but rarely ever will it make a difference except where I mentioned.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium

Here is proof of that.
Sent from my SGH-T989 using xda premium

@Sunsean, if you are coming from a mt4g, you probably don't have any info on your sim card. Just in case, you cab throw the old Sim in your galaxy, go to contacts > menu > import/export > import from Sim card. Then call customer care (or go into a store) to have your new Sim that came with the phone activated.
Sent from my SGH-T989 using XDA App

Just called Tmobile customer service and the guy got me a free new Sim card. I still have not gotten the Sim yet, but will update on the result. this new customer service guy did mention that the new Sim should improve the 4g service.
Sent from my SGH-T989 using XDA App

cs378 said:
Hello
Located in NYC
I was at the T-Mobile Retail store to test the Galaxy S2's speedtest.net.
The speed I got from it was in between 9 Mbps - 15 Mbps.
However, I tried my own S2 and I am only getting 3-4Mbps
??? Hmmmmm how did that happen???
I called 611 to troubleshoot the issue, however the rep told me that it could be their network.
I asked if my old SIM has anything to do with it, she said the SIM does not matter.
Sigh... just wondering what you guys in NYC is getting
Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have tge same problem..used to get around 12 to 14 now less than 1 mbps....nd i havent even hit half if my data limit yet!
Sent from my SGH-T989 using Tapatalk

I get surprisingly good speeds around 68th & 2nd, usually 12+mbps. From what I understand, the upload speeds for 4G seem to be capped at 1.7mbps? Can somebody please confirm for me? Thanks in advance.

I also live in New York city. HSPA+ is superb here. In the Bronx I get an average of 9 to 14 mbps down. And I'm on an older sim card, so be exact, the one that came with my mytouch 3g. Now that's an old sim.
Sent from my SGH-T989 using XDA App

abrown0809 said:
I also live in New York city. HSPA+ is superb here. In the Bronx I get an average of 9 to 14 mbps down. And I'm on an older sim card, so be exact, the one that came with my mytouch 3g. Now that's an old sim.
Sent from my SGH-T989 using XDA App
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Click to collapse
I'm using the sim card from my Sidekick LX now THAT'S an old sim.

abrown0809 said:
I also live in New York city. HSPA+ is superb here. In the Bronx I get an average of 9 to 14 mbps down. And I'm on an older sim card, so be exact, the one that came with my mytouch 3g. Now that's an old sim.
Sent from my SGH-T989 using XDA App
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Click to collapse
Midtown Manhattan. Hit 13mbps on a umts network here. All my hspa+ speeds were 12ish mbps. Using the sim that came with the phone.
Sent from my Hercules using XDA App

7-14 in the eastcoast for me and 12-22 in the west coast

Verizon, T-mobile or AT&T

Hi all, I have a 2 year contract with Sprint, but I just cant take it anymore, I am planning on cancelling my contract and sign with another company, but I am not sure which one is the best (or less bad) for me in NYC.
Can anyone recommend one with good reception and real data (not the 30kbps 3G sprint has)
Thanks.

In NYC i get 2mbps on where ever the subway is above ground
1.5mbls when ever I'm outside
1mbps ish in building
All on 3g
But i would go use Verizon
Sent from my SPH-L710 using xda premium

gtuansdiamm said:
In NYC i get 2mbps on where ever the subway is above ground
1.5mbls when ever I'm outside
1mbps ish in building
All on 3g
But i would go use Verizon
Sent from my SPH-L710 using xda premium
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Click to collapse
I get 2.5 mbps in NYC but that is at 3 am. other wise i get between 1-2 mbps. I am also fed up. TMO has a new unlimited no throttle for about 80 per month..My co-worker speed on tmo is 10-14 mbps....

I am starting to think that my phone is broken, because on cloudy days I dont get reception inside buidings, I serious, I am having a bad experience with sprint
Sent from my SPH-L710 using XDA Premium HD app

Been hearing that we should be getting lte soon in NYC, but even then that is probably gonna be spotty at best...I had T-Mobile for a long time and never had any issues speed wise, and its fairly cheap, do some research on their new unlimited plan if you can't wait.
Sent from my SPH-L710 using xda app-developers app

30Glock said:
I get 2.5 mbps in NYC but that is at 3 am. other wise i get between 1-2 mbps. I am also fed up. TMO has a new unlimited no throttle for about 80 per month..My co-worker speed on tmo is 10-14 mbps....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Isn't slightly over 2mbps the max for 3G speeds? If you're getting consistently over 1, I wouldn't complain. There are plenty of people elsewhere getting a fraction of that...like 10% of that.
I'd be thrilled with consistent 1-1.5mbps 3G speeds. I'm around Chicago, so LTE is in a few places which is nice, but I'm excited about when they finally upgrade the backhaul for 3G so the speeds will be better.
As for the OP, I would also try changing modems as well, see if some of them work better. Check with other NYC people and see what they're using. Modem can have a HUGE impact on speeds.

hayzooos said:
Isn't slightly over 2mbps the max for 3G speeds? If you're getting consistently over 1, I wouldn't complain. There are plenty of people elsewhere getting a fraction of that...like 10% of that.
I'd be thrilled with consistent 1-1.5mbps 3G speeds. I'm around Chicago, so LTE is in a few places which is nice, but I'm excited about when they finally upgrade the backhaul for 3G so the speeds will be better.
As for the OP, I would also try changing modems as well, see if some of them work better. Check with other NYC people and see what they're using. Modem can have a HUGE impact on speeds.
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Usually here that from sprint users. Some seem to conform. Others like me who tried sprint realize that's not the 3G full potential.
So I rather pay less for tmobile And get awesome speeds. IMHO
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

Mark's ollars
Having tried Att and Sprint....I got pretty $hitty coverage with both and this was living in the Bay Area.
For my previouscontract, I selected ATT based on reading the online reviews about them having absolute the fastest service. What the reviews didnt mention was that I couldnt get ATT service 10% of the time which got annoying real fast.
When it works...ATT and Sprint work great....but the 10% of the time you don't get connection, you'll wish you went with Verizon. They might be a tad slower based on the bandwidth test results online...but at least the coverage is more consistent

I will try changing modems, and see if I can get a better reception, thanks.

diazf09 said:
Usually here that from sprint users. Some seem to conform. Others like me who tried sprint realize that's not the 3G full potential.
So I rather pay less for tmobile And get awesome speeds. IMHO
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD
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I don't mean Sprint 3G, I mean the technology limitations themselves. Even if I hop onto Verizon's network with a 3G PRL, I don't ever remember seeing anything over 2mpbs. I have plenty of friends and co-workers who have Verizon and I've never seen anything over that on any of their phones either.
Is it more of a CDMA/GSM 3G thing? Is GSM 3G faster than what you could get on a CDMA network?

hayzooos said:
I don't mean Sprint 3G, I mean the technology limitations themselves. Even if I hop onto Verizon's network with a 3G PRL, I don't ever remember seeing anything over 2mpbs. I have plenty of friends and co-workers who have Verizon and I've never seen anything over that on any of their phones either.
Is it more of a CDMA/GSM 3G thing? Is GSM 3G faster than what you could get on a CDMA network?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Gsm carriers use a backhauled network capable of much faster speeds ....at least on speedtests
Sprint is implementing backhaul tech over the next year or so.
On 3g (hspa+) I have seen as much as 12mbps down but average 3-5 . This is on our att phones.
Funny thing is though side by side we did some comparisons last year and web pages actually loaded slower on attempt s2 vs sprint s2 .. we never really found an explanation.
Sent from my SPH-L710 using xda app-developers app

Have you considered forcing the phone to roam and having Sprint cancel your contract due to that? They shouldn't charge a ETF for that either.

88EVGAFTW said:
Have you considered forcing the phone to roam and having Sprint cancel your contract due to that? They shouldn't charge a ETF for that either.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Great way to get out of this miserable non existing service.. In NYC I can get between 1-3 mbps, this is acceptable to me, however where I live sprint is unusable 12kb D/L up does not exist. I called to complain and their attitude was pay the 350 ETF and you can leave.....Well I'm leaving w/o paying this fee..Thank you Roam Control....

Put a post on the marketplace offering to let another user assume responsibility for the contract. I know i would have considered a cheap s3 that way earlier
Sent from my SPH-L710 using Tapatalk 2

Sprint is actually getting better. With the softbank deal, Sprint controls a majority of the lte footprint. They are also getting an $8 billion cash infusion that will help them finish building out their lte footprint faster and at a higher quality. I know a few people that work for Sprint corporate. They have big plans and are actually executing those plans
Sent from my Jelly Bombed SGS3

Will they be bringing service to places that do not have it (is western Washington)
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2

Personally i would toughen it out good things are to come for those who wait
Sent from my phone

I'm near Baltimore and over the past 11 years have had Verizon, ATT, T-mo, and Sprint. Each provider had pros and cons. I eventually stuck with Sprint (6 years now). They are the most reliable and ever present. Not the fastest but the only time I've been without service is in the Shenandoah mountains south of us where there is no service coverage by anyone. Sprint has addressed every problem I've ever had as long as I was patient with the rep. Oh wait I was patient with the reps from every provider and they bent over backwards to help me. A Sprint rep have my wife an iPhone for $25 during her last upgrade. We presented then with a problem on our bill and they hooked us up with the phone and fixed the bill.
I don't think any service provider is going to be perfect in all situations. I myself would pick reliable over fastest speed.
Just my opinion but stick it out things are changing with Sprint.
- Sent from my Sprint Galaxy S3 running Paranoid Android 2.22, KT747-Kernel-AOSP-JB-SPRINT-10-14.zip using XDA Premium.

Sprint S3 on Page Plus; help enabling 3G

I'm using a Sprint S3 on Page Plus that I purchased off ebay. The voice/text/data work just fine but the data speed is 1X and I'd like to somehow get the 3G to work. Can someone help me with that?
Thanks in advance.

kniwor said:
I'm using a Sprint S3 on Page Plus that I purchased off ebay. The voice/text/data work just fine but the data speed is 1X and I'd like to somehow get the 3G to work. Can someone help me with that?
Thanks in advance.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Using a Sprint GS3 on Page Plus may mean that the 3G won't work. As Page Plus operates on Verizon's network, the Sprint radios in your GS3 won't operate on Verizon's 3G frequencies. Your best bet would have been to buy a Verizon GS3 as you likely could have gotten the 3G to work.

Vanakatherock said:
Using a Sprint GS3 on Page Plus may mean that the 3G won't work. As Page Plus operates on Verizon's network, the Sprint radios in your GS3 won't operate on Verizon's 3G frequencies. Your best bet would have been to buy a Verizon GS3 as you likely could have gotten the 3G to work.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How does, then, one sell a Sprint GS3 (SPH-L710) with 3G working on PP, on eBay? There are listings if you will see, with a working 3G. I just made the mistake of buying one with 1X data.

1X just means that you're in an area with no 3G. It doesn't mean that you're getting "1X" data speeds because 1X is what SMS and MMS are transferred over, its not actually a "data" signal
It may be that you just dont live in an area where verizon gives 3G
Sent from my PG06100

CNexus said:
1X just means that you're in an area with no 3G. It doesn't mean that you're getting "1X" data speeds because 1X is what SMS and MMS are transferred over, its not actually a "data" signal
It may be that you just dont live in an area where verizon gives 3G
Sent from my PG06100
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Click to collapse
I'm pretty sure Verizon has 3G here (I live in the city of Chicago, and moving around the city doesb't give me 3G either).
Anyway, I'm pretty sure the guy who did the flashing couldn't get 3G antenna to work with PP, which is what he told me.

kniwor said:
How does, then, one sell a Sprint GS3 (SPH-L710) with 3G working on PP, on eBay? There are listings if you will see, with a working 3G. I just made the mistake of buying one with 1X data.
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Click to collapse
This seems to be a recent development for myself, then. There are a few Sprint phones that look to be fully flashable to PP with 3G/MMS working. You may have purchased one that wasn't fully flashed. Making it work would likely require changing more than just the APN. My advice would be to contact a seller on ebay who is offering the service only and see if they can assist.

Why not just flash the radios? Your on xda where everyone flashes about everything. The seller would of flashed them. But not to mention he's legally not allowed to do anything about phones that are flashed to a different network as it became illegal the other day. Someone please correct me if I'm mistaken
Sent from my SPH-L710 using xda app-developers app

ReapersDeath said:
Why not just flash the radios? Your on xda where everyone flashes about everything. The seller would of flashed them. But not to mention he's legally not allowed to do anything about phones that are flashed to a different network as it became illegal the other day. Someone please correct me if I'm mistaken
Sent from my SPH-L710 using xda app-developers app
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Click to collapse
No idea how to flash the 3G radio.
As far as the legality is concerned. This phone was unlocked much before any of that, and since now it is not tied to any carrier anymore (and no terms of service), making changes to the firmware should be perfectly legal.

You'll need a donor phone to get 3g. Some might help you here, or go over to the Page Plus forum @ Howardforums and you should find your answers there. You'll need a newer build of QPST and DFS CDMA Tool demo.

[Q]-T-Mobile T889 SIM Card???

Does the the note 2 for T-Mobile use a custom sim card to get better speeds, I know it uses a microsim... But is there anything else to it thats different?

No the speeds rely on the modem installed.
Sent from my SGH-T889 using Tapatalk 2

Ahhh okay I installed this on my i317 How to Enable T-Mobile 3G/4G AWS Bands on AT&T Galaxy Note 2 SGH-i317! and was wondering if I needed a certain sim card or not... At the T-Mobile store their note 2 (T889) gets 28MBPS and mine at the same store gets 14MBPS, so it's lead me to asking about this...
Before and after the mod my speeds were the same... I might add.
I wonder if when they roll out with LTE if I'll need to get a new sim then or not?

Actually tmo network may prioritize some customer during network congestion. My understanding is post pay customers have higher priority over prepaid. Corporate store probably has highest priority for their demo units to make a sell.
Sent from my SGH-T889 using xda app-developers app

darekz said:
Actually tmo network may prioritize some customer during network congestion. My understanding is post pay customers have higher priority over prepaid. Corporate store probably has highest priority for their demo units to make a sell.
Sent from my SGH-T889 using xda app-developers app
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I dont know man. Im a new customer for tmobile my speed varys. Max I get at home 15-18 down and when im up north it goes 20-24 max download. When on a bjsy day I get 5-9 down
Sent from my SGH-T889 using xda app-developers app

I normally get between 5 and 8 mb download speeds. In the center of my town I can get up to 15 sometimes but if I go 2 blocks away its back to 5. Close to the huge shopping mall by me i can get up to 25 but again, that's in a very small area. There are definitely areas with better antennas but they are still few and far between for me. I remember when I upgraded from my Vibrant to the Sensation, that the Sensation was supposed to get better speeds because of the antenna, yet I never saw a difference. Speeds actually seemed slower most of the time. Now, with the antenna we have on our N2, I STILL see the same speeds as I did with my Vibrant in most places. This doesn't really make a whole lot of sense to me. What is the purpose of a better antenna if there are barely any towers capable of giving you the better speeds? So obviously the phones with HSPA and HSPA+ antennas are only capable of giving you faster speeds if the TOWER you are connected to is capable of it. Honestly, I'm not crossing my fingers for LTE because it seems like these 2 areas around me will be the only ones that have it and I'm rarely ever in those places so I'll just spend most of my time pissed off that I'm not getting the speeds I should be. Tmobile may have a lot of towers in my area but unfortunately most of them are CRAP! Every time I buy a new phone with a better antenna, I get the hopes of actually being able to use my phone during intermission at the Blackhawks game like all the AT&T iPhone people can. Yet it always stays the same.
I guess what I'm trying to say is it all comes down to the tower you're connected to. I've never been able to get a definitive answer on all this but it does irritate me that a TMO store could enable their phones to get faster speeds than the phone we buy from them. That's total BS if it's true. Besides, couldn't I just go in the store, run some speed tests and they claim mine is defective because it's not getting the same speeds?

T Mobile Pay as You Go on N7100

Hi there. So I have been using my phone in Simple Mobile and was wondering if making a jump to T Mobile would make difference in the data speeds as they are laying down the new towers and all.
So is anyone using their N7100s on T Mobile? If so please tell me how good are the data speeds and if you are from Chicago even better.
Sent from my GT-N7100 using xda premium

EvoYas said:
Hi there. So I have been using my phone in Simple Mobile and was wondering if making a jump to T Mobile would make difference in the data speeds as they are laying down the new towers and all.
So is anyone using their N7100s on T Mobile? If so please tell me how good are the data speeds and if you are from Chicago even better.
Sent from my GT-N7100 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi
I activated a tmobile online only offer, 30$ for 100 min, unlimited text and first 5 gb at 4g speeds. The phone can't get 4g but it's still fast, when it's in a refarmed area. I'm living in DC and I say "as long" because even though DC should be all refarmed, as I go to work I often go to edge... I guess it's just based on the different towers and the phone switching from one another... Unluckily I work in an area without a refarmed tower...
I was so frustrated that I bought a nexus 4 to always have h+! Used it 2 weeks and went back to the Note today... I just like it better, even if with the h+/edge thing going on...
I am considering on getting straightalk, so that I can go on an att network. I believe the phone would work fine and att should have better coverage. I still have to look into it. I don't know if it would be h+ but having always 3g is better than having h+ sometimes...

With straight talk att you would get hspa+ (4). I'm curious about the t mobile service working though.

The N7100 will only get edge data on TMobile's network. Yes TMobile is moving their HSPA+ to 1900 Mhz but it is nowhere near complete and even cities that people claim are already converted have spotty coverage. Sell your N7100 and buy a TMobile Note2 or buy an ATT Note2 and do the AWS mod to it. For the transition, it's best to have a phone that covers both 1700 and 1900. Note2s are dropping in price. I just bought 2 like new TMobile Notes for $400 each.

gedster314 said:
and even cities that people claim are already converted have spotty coverage
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
totally agree with you on that...
did you buy it new for that price? where?
I'm still hoping that little by little they will improve the coverage... but it seems pretty stuck now, 2 months and still the same coverage...
I'll just wait for the note 3 to come out...