Related
Never really thought about Verizon but I'm to the point were I've had it with sprints ****ty service, so i got a few questions im a little hesitant about jumping to Verizon since their Android lineup seems lackluster (getting the nexus but probably only for a year then would get another phone) anybody hear anything about them acquiring better Android phones in the future, also been to the development section an don't see much activity going on for the LTE version any reason for this? Maybe due to how new it is? Any comments about Verizon as a service provider would be welcome also...
In my opinion, Verizon gets a pretty good lineup of phones. The Galaxy Nexus, Rezound, Razr, etc. As far as a carrier, very expensive but you get what you pay for.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium
Verizon gets pretty good Android handsets IMO.
I just recently moved one of my AT&T lines to Verizon. Prior to that I was with Sprint. Sprint's data speeds were horrendous in my area and EVERY area in traveled too. I can't even imagine what its like after the Iphone release. Voice was always good on Sprint. AT&T's data blew sprint out of the water. Verizon is as good if not quite as fast 3g wise as AT&T but its incredibly reliable. 4g is blazing. 3g speeds are usually 1 - 1.8mbs on Verizon 3g. 4g pushes 15mbs. AT&T's 3g was anywhere from 800k to 4mbs. Verizon is definitely more stable and works in more places.
Both are leaps and bounds better than Sprint. Also with Sprints $10 premium add on its the same price as Verizon if you use Google voice or another data type service for texting. Which is what I do and saves me the $20 a month. I don't need many minutes since if I get low I can use google voice and GrooveIP for free minutes. Once its set up and configured it works great even over 3g.
In other words, jump ship the grass is greener. Sprint's service has taken a dump the last few years and they run a serious risk of bankruptcy before they can put all the spectrum they have to any real use. They have made one mistake after another after another for a long time now.
The LTE roms are on another site mostly.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium
Thanks a lot guys ^^ its really between getting the LTE nexus or GSM on tmo, an whats the deal with the litte dev support for the LTE version?
*what site josh...?
i moved from AT&T to Verizon and havent looked back, love my GN, but other phones are respectable too,RAZR,REZOUND are good phones too depending on youre tastes
Rootzwiki, but if you have the choice, get the GSM version.. much better battery life.
Cool, thanks guys great input, how much better battery we talking about?
carlost24 said:
Cool, thanks guys great input, how much better battery we talking about?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Significant amount. LTE is quite the battery drain. All depending on use patterns of course.
martonikaj said:
Significant amount. LTE is quite the battery drain. All depending on use patterns of course.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's really not that bad. I mean if you hammer it on LTE it will drain quicker than usual but it's not this destroyer of batteries that people make it out to be.
while LTE may destroy ur battery, u can always turn it off till u need it. there is plenty of dev support for the LTE version, and verizon's network coverage destroys all other three carriers put together.
also.. if u are going to pay for a data plan anyways, might as well enjoy the subsidy.
carlost24 said:
whats the deal with the litte dev support for the LTE version?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The GSM version works on all providers in all countries all over the earth. The LTE version works on one provider, in one country.
I think the GSM-model simply has what you may refer to as a "immensely much bigger user-base" and hence more developers than what's when you look at the cold, hard facts, is basically a carrier-phone, available on one carrier only.
If you travel out of the country often get GSM. Otherwise get the LTE model. People wanna make LTE out to be some battery black hole but its not. Sprint vs vzw is no contest. Verizon 3g is actually usable and 4g knocks my socks off. It maintains 25 megs on a heavily loaded network and gives me 50+ when its lightly loaded. Honestly development is not really a problem for me because ICS is so good.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium
Buff McBigstuff said:
If you travel out of the country often get GSM. Otherwise get the LTE model. People wanna make LTE out to be some battery black hole but its not. Sprint vs vzw is no contest. Verizon 3g is actually usable and 4g knocks my socks off. It maintains 25 megs on a heavily loaded network and gives me 50+ when its lightly loaded. Honestly development is not really a problem for me because ICS is so good.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I can't seem to get above 7 anywhere in Denver. Any chance its my phone?
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus
mark manning said:
I can't seem to get above 7 anywhere in Denver. Any chance its my phone?
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's going to vary largely due to many factors. What's your signal strength, how many other people are using 4G in your area, etc...
I was traveling through Baltimore, MD and was managing only 12 MBPS with 1 bar of signal strength on New Years Eve, which honestly, is easily more than enough for anything. Keep in mind, as time goes on, more people get 4G phones, and use them more, available bandwidth is going to go down anyway. I don't understand why people think they should get 20 MBPS anyway....what are you going to do? If you don't have an unlimited plan, what's the point? You'll use up the small amount of data allotment that you have so quick you'll never even know it.
Thanks guys i think i shall pick up the LTE tomorrow...
carlost24 said:
Never really thought about Verizon but I'm to the point were I've had it with sprints ****ty service, so i got a few questions im a little hesitant about jumping to Verizon since their Android lineup seems lackluster (getting the nexus but probably only for a year then would get another phone) anybody hear anything about them acquiring better Android phones in the future, also been to the development section an don't see much activity going on for the LTE version any reason for this? Maybe due to how new it is? Any comments about Verizon as a service provider would be welcome also...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I left Sprint for Verizon 3 months ago, and the extra cost is well worth it - it's like having a landline in my pocket.
As far as your assessment of the Android phone lineup, I'm not sure where you're coming from. I think they have a great lineup, although certainly it's slanted toward the Motorola line. With Google buy Motorola mobility, that should end up being a very good thing.
I also don't think they meddle with the phones nearly as much as ATT does - but I have no direct experience with ATT, just what my friends tell me.
I don't know about all your guys' locations but I live in Mesa, AZ (it is about 30 min from downtown Phoenix). I get VERY slow LTE in the city. Even with 2 bars I get ~5 down and 5 up. As far as signal strength, it isn't much different to any other 4G phones I have used. I get no data in my school's basement and the phone always seems to drop the data service. This morning I had 1X until I restarted the device. At a small town in east AZ, Verizon is the only one with data service, but it is VERY!!!! slow. 3G in Phoenix area is about .8 down (on a good day).
Was hesitant due to what im hearing about battery life on LTE, but i guess I'll deal with battery issue since i do want the 32gig option an I'm hearing nothing but good things about Verizon, any other differences between LTE an GSM version?
I drop Sprint and made the switch to Verizon. I had nothing but network problems on Sprint, crappy speed on 3g/4g network. But one thing I can say is once you make the switch to an LTE phone you’ll never go back to regular 3g/4g service! is like going from DVD to bluray.
Just read an article that T-Mobile S3 won't be compatible with its LTE network in 2013.... this frustrates me so much considering the higher price for tmobile version.. why do tmobile users always ripped off? I have tmobile and want this phone but now there's no LTE support, do you think it's still worth it? (considering i won't have LTE on this phone for 2 yrs....
http://www.ubergizmo.com/2012/06/t-mobile-samsung-galaxy-s3-skips-lte-party/
Are you really considering keeping this phone for more than a year?? by the time LTE is all ready to go this phone will be a dinosaur!
lol im planning to do a 2 yr upgrade....
huggosz said:
Are you really considering keeping this phone for more than a year?? by the time LTE is all ready to go this phone will be a dinosaur!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This plus the phone is already reaching insane downloads speeds, even beating AT&T LTE. Look it up on YouTube.
Don't worry my friend. You will be just fine.
Sent from my HTC Sensation 4G using XDA
yea you really dont need the lte.
I really don't think it is a big deal. First of all, LTE won't be ready for a year and chances are once they start it up it will be at least another year before they have a large coverage in most markets.
Second of all, TMobile's HSPA+ network is plenty fast enough. My typical speedtest results are at least 5 Mb/s and have been as high as 18.6 Mb/s.
Third, anything more than about 3 Mb/s is just bragging rights anyways. When do you really get consistent download speeds greater than 3 Mb/s from anywhere? Plus even if you did get more than that you'd blow through your 5 GB data cap in less than 4 hours.
moshe22 said:
This plus the phone is already reaching insane downloads speeds, even beating AT&T LTE. Look it up on YouTube.
Don't worry my friend. You will be just fine.
Sent from my HTC Sensation 4G using XDA
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
+1
Sent from my SGH-T999 using xda premium
I've been in this situation for several years now with Sprint. 4G was never implemented in my area and now LTE is replacing the 4G. I've got (3) 4G capable phones from Sprint but I never got to use the 4G. Lol.
yea but atleast with tmo u can get 5mbps consistantly
it's not great because tmobile costumers are paying more for the phone and getting less out of it. this, combined with worse coverage does nothing to make tmobile an appealing option. For all practical purposes though, i'm still fine with it because I get 11mbps consistently in areas with tmobiles HSPA+ coverage, which has expanded from last year. I live in manhattan and tmobile has given me pretty consistant speeds all around the metro area. It hasn't been perfect all the time, but 95% of the time I'm looking at 3-6 mbps on my vibrant and 6-12 mbps on my gnex.
I don't know why people really need lte speeds I'm downloading 10 to 15mbps t-mobile on a good night I have reached to 17mbps....
Sent from my SGH-T999 using XDA
Okay so after months of complaining about service and one FCC complaint Sprint is letting me out of my contract. My service is beyond poor, and from all the research I have done it seems to affect everyone in my area, (Detroit) You would think Sprint would do a little better in a major city. I have until September 15th to find a new carrier.
Now, I love my S2, it is my first high end Android and I will only buy high end phones from now on... I am hooked.
Now being in Detroit my options are (4g is a must)
Verizon (LTE)
ATT (HSPA +)
T Mobile (HSPA+)
And to further complicate matters
MetroPCS (LTE)
Now,... not certain but I suspect that part of my reception issues with Sprint are caused by the less than stellar radio in the 4g touch. My first reaction was to buy a Verizon S3 but then I started having second thoughts because Motorola and HTC are known for better radios... damn.
I am currently running the hacked Verizon PRL allowing me to get Verizon 3G, it still pretty much sucks for me but still 10x faster than Sprint. I get from 100 to 500 Kbps. (But also get better voice and no dropped calls)
Now.. my whole point of wanting a fast internet connection is so I can browse the web and stream video at work.. and I work in a large industrial building made in 1940 with REAL bricks and stuff. None of that plastic modern crap,
From what I understand LTE signals have a hard time penetrating buildings... so it should have twice as much work to penetrate mine.
I have been playing with EVERYONE'S phone I know at work so I can test there internet speed... I think people at work think I lost my mind.
Unfortunately I work with cheapskates so the only 4G I was able to play with was MetroPCS which has a hit and miss 4G signal at work depending on the location in the building. I did get to play with one T Mobile HSPA+ phone and it got 2 MBPS down.. (I THINK that's enough to stream Netflix?)
Does HSPA+ penetrate buildings better than 4G LTE??
Now.. MetroPCS phones are generally pretty crappy and as of yet I don't think there is a way to flash over to them with working 4G, however...
there is a strong and somewhat substantiated rumor that the S3 is coming to MetroPCS before the end of the year. Okay.. this sounds almost perfect as I live and work in a very strong MetroPCS LTE area. Now I am back to my original concern that the S3 wont pull in the signal as well as other phones and is the only phone this carrier almost has that I would consider.
Now as far as the other carriers go I have the standard selection of phones... I just want a smoking hot phone with a large screen with a equally smoking hot radio. (is that so wrong?)
I know you guys cant give me a definitive answer about this because its all about my location and the location of the towers but I have researched phones and services until my eyes started bleeding and appreciated any educated guesses and advice. The only carrier I have any experience with is Sprint and MetroPCS and I have never had working 4G before. I want it so bad that I am willing to pay Verizon's prices if need be. On the other hand I have heard some people say that the Radio on the S3 is slightly improved... so if I could get an S3 on MetroPCS with unlimited 4G that would be awesome.
Buying a phone can be harder than buying a damn house.
I wouldn't get the gs3 on vzw its locked up tight so no rooting/modifications. I personally wouldn't go to vzw period, if i had to switch of go with TMo or AT&T in that order for TMo I'm not current on all the devices but I'd go with the gs3 or one s idk how HTC is with the bootloader tho, I know the one x and evolte are a pain in the ass to root. On att I'd go with the gs3 or gNote, although your other option would be to buy an unlocked device like the.gNex and use it on TMo or ATT prepaid which is what I would do personally. I'd get an unlocked gNex directly from Google and use it on TMos unlimited prepaid plan
We are legion, for we are many.
Sent from the DarkSide of the GalaXy with a MEK device
Gnex for me
I'm in metro Detroit too, and feel your pain. Data speeds have dropped to a slow drip over the last couple years (not that they were ever fast here). I'm leaning toward tmobile when I get bounced. Probably an S3.
It's not the radio's really you have to worry about when it comes to building penetrations. It's the frequency the network runs on. Verizon has great building penetration with 3g and LTE because Verizon owns most of the good low frequency. If you want good 4g and good building penetration Verizon is the way to go. But, you will pay good money for it. I don't know how much Metro has improved but, I have a friend who has Metro in the heart of a city that Metro is supposed to be good in. He always call me from his home phone because his service is weak.
As far as phones are concerned Verizon has the Gnex but I would try to get the unlocked Galaxy S3. I'm not sure if they are available to anyone but I read on Engadget a few weeks back that they were going to sell them for Verizon.
Just my 2cents. Good luck though.
i too probably will not be on sprint much longer due to signal, or rather lack there of... its my intention when I'm free to skip major carriers all together and use a month to month prepay provider that uses att's network... att and Verizon offer the best coverage in my area but I find their prices to be outlandish... by going with a prepay provider on att's network I'm getting the same good coverage for $45/mo, I can buy awesome phones for a very reasonable price directly from Google play, and as att is GSM I don't need to worry about my nexus experance being ruined like those on cdma networks do... lastly should I want something other than a nexus device I'll be able to buy used phones off of eBay/Craigslist without having to worry about asinine ESN's anymore, more than once sprint customer service has told me an ESN is clear, so I bought the phone, only later to find out that it was not when trying to activate it... not cool... actually I also just realized I could simply put aside the 60-70 I'll be saving a month on the bill and just buy the newest cutting edge device at full retail every 9 months with my savings... upgrade every two years?hah...
Sent from my SPH-D710 using xda app-developers app
I only get average of 300Kb/s, where do you find the Verizon PRL and tutorial?
Sent from my SPH-D710 using xda app-developers app
I would just stick with sprint for may be 2-3 more months. I am sure Detroit will get the network upgrades sooner than later. You can also check scheduled upgrades on network.sprint.com website. But then again I understand how much it would suck for you with bad connection 24x7.
Sent from my SPH-D710 using xda app-developers app
Rich3077, I am in the same situation as you and will be switching to Verizon as soon as the next round of phones are released (iPhone 5, next Nexus, etc.). The current lineup of phones only has the S3 that's new, pretty much everything else is a little old and lacking (GNex's camera, no SD card, and no GSM). With my experience with the S2 and Samsung's/Sprint's radio quality, and generally delayed OS upgrades I am really hoping that I don't have to buy another Samsung-branded phone again, and that the next Nexus is better than the current and previous Samsung versions.
Plus, it's starting to sound like we might actually start to see quad core phones with LTE. If you can, I would suggest waiting two to three months before you pull the trigger.
hrffd said:
I only get average of 300Kb/s, where do you find the Verizon PRL and tutorial?
Sent from my SPH-D710 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1267893
This is the thread I got the Verizon PRL's from, as well as instructions. You may have to try a few of them before you find one that works for you.
Thanks everyone for your reply's.. choices suck right now because as soon as I find a phone that has acceptable hardware I find out that it has a non replaceable battery or no SD card slot. What the hell are the manufactures thinking?? Its gonna cost me a bundle because I have 3 phones on my plan but even if I gotta pay full retail for phones I will if I can just get good service as well as a hot phone.
Rich3077 said:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1267893
This is the thread I got the Verizon PRL's from, as well as instructions. You may have to try a few of them before you find one that works for you.
Thanks everyone for your reply's.. choices suck right now because as soon as I find a phone that has acceptable hardware I find out that it has a non replaceable battery or no SD card slot. What the hell are the manufactures thinking?? Its gonna cost me a bundle because I have 3 phones on my plan but even if I gotta pay full retail for phones I will if I can just get good service as well as a hot phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Look for a good unlocked GSM phone and use something like TMos prepaid plan, their unlimited is throttled after 5gb but u still get around 2-3mbps down on 4g
We are legion, for we are many.
Sent from the DarkSide of the GalaXy with a MEK device
Rich3077 said:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1267893
This is the thread I got the Verizon PRL's from, as well as instructions. You may have to try a few of them before you find one that works for you.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've been trying to a couple different.. I tried 00001, 00002 and 01337 and none of them gave me more than 300kb/s burst and 60kb/s normal. But I guess ill try them all.
hrffd said:
I've been trying to a couple different.. I tried 00001, 00002 and 01337 and none of them gave me more than 300kb/s burst and 60kb/s normal. But I guess ill try them all.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Try 11115
We are legion, for we are many.
Sent from the DarkSide of the GalaXy with a MEK device
If I were not on contract, the $30 T-Mobile/Walmart plan with a $350 Galaxy Nexus from Google Play would be awfully tempting. Only catch is you only get 100 minutes. Given the fact that I average about 50 minutes a month anyway, I don't consider this a problem.
You would have to give up your LTE dreams. HSPA+ ain't so bad, is it?
-EViL-KoNCEPTz- said:
Try 11115
We are legion, for we are many.
Sent from the DarkSide of the GalaXy with a MEK device
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Damn, 11119 is getting 1mb-2mb/s. Not sure if I want to try the others or not now lol
Auto: Domestic and Int'l is selected for Roaming.
hrffd said:
Damn, 11119 is getting 1mb-2mb/s. Not sure if I want to try the others or not now lol
Auto: Domestic and Int'l is selected for Roaming.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The 1111x series are the best I always had good results with 11115 on my evo but now I don't need to do the prl hack cuz my sprint 3g is 1+mbps on peak and 2+mbps off peak
We are legion, for we are many.
Sent from the DarkSide of the GalaXy with a MEK device
I agree with evils first suggestion. Get the unlocked galaxy nexus and use it on att or tmobile.
Sent from my SPH-D710 using xda premium
bparkerson04 said:
I agree with evils first suggestion. Get the unlocked galaxy nexus and use it on att or tmobile.
Sent from my SPH-D710 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah if I had to switch from sprint I'd eat the cost of an unlocked device up front to go prepaid cuz all the other carriers are so damn expensive on contract, hell you can use straight talk prepaid or any GSM prepaid plan with an unlocked device and getting the unlocked gnex from Google guarantees you speedy updates that work right
We are legion, for we are many.
Sent from the DarkSide of the GalaXy with a MEK device
FYI, it doesn't look like you are looking at Verizon S3, but in case if that thought crossed your mind, be aware that the S3 on Verizon has a locked bootloader. Given that you are on xda I am assuming that you probably care about this.
http://www.androidauthority.com/ver...3-locked-bootloader-developer-edition-100550/
I've been due for an upgrade for a few months now, was waiting on the GS3 then heard about the Note 2. I know the Note 2 will be my next phone. The only thing stopping me is lack of LTE coverage in my area.
Major reason for staying with my E4GT is Wimax. I use it to tether at home. Leaving Wimax for 3G on the Note 2 would be a noticeable difference.
Thoughts?
Went from et4g to s3 to note 2 and haven't looked back. The 3g in St Louis is awful but I couldn't pass up the hardware of the other 2 phones. I can use wifi at home and get by with 3g for the time being. My wife's s2 feels like a toy after the other two I have used now.
Sent from my SPH-L900 using xda premium
And this alone makes up for it...
Sent from my SPH-L900 using xda premium
Sent from my SPH-L900 using xda premium
Check S4gru.com to see when Sprint LTE will be available in your area
Sent from my SPH-D710 using xda app-developers app
I changed on release day. It's so awesome that I can't even describe how much better the phone is.
Sent from my SPH-L900 using xda app-developers app
Haha,
You guys are awesome and I see all of your points. I wonder if I post in the E4GT forum if I'd get different responses.
If I had wifi at my house I would've gone with the GN2 at launch.
I've checked S4gru and apparently Orange County isn't getting LTE until the middle of 2013. That's a long time to wait for someone who runs their internet via tether. I called Sprint a few times and they couldn't give me an answer one way or another when LTE would be lit in my area.
I was in the EXACT same dilemma as you (OP), I was on my old Evo4G and had great Wimax connection and speeds. But after watching all of the videos for the options(software) and hardware I couldn't pass it up. But then again I know that LTE is coming to my area within a month and a half. But regardless after picking up this device I am sooo happy I did, even with 3g which internet surfing is fine on really I just use the multiple page loader in the browser(tabs basically) and i have a few pages open and switch between them while surfing. Ex) open two on XDA then maybe one on PA another on AA and maybe another on TB (phonearena, technoBuffalo,AndroidAuthority) along with other sites after changing. Then just click a link on one after reading an article or thread then flip to the next which has the page loaded already(which loaded while I was reading my previous thread or article). And you don't even notice the difference with that method. Not to mention the 3g isn't all that bad anyways nowadays. Yes compared to 4g it is horrible but hey.
In short YES upgrade. if you dont want to take a good hour to 2 to get it setup at home with 3g which I did and it wasn't bad at all. I am speaking of using the Play market and downloading all the apps you want, then maybe stop at a Wi-fi hotspot and piggyback. hit a Mcdonald's or Starbucks.
I sure hope when the LTE hits here in my area it is comparable to AT&T the speeds on the tablet in my household connected to that is crazy fast. 42mb/s - 48mb/s
Orange County CA? LTE is due in Riverside in April....and i know the OC started before Riverside.
Sent from my SPH-D710 using xda app-developers app
Jcossack88 said:
Orange County CA? LTE is due in Riverside in April....and i know the OC started before Riverside.
Sent from my SPH-D710 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How do you know this?
Yup. OC, CA. April is 6 months away.
And let me play devils advocate for a sec: What good is this phone if Internet is so slow it's almost unusable (at times).
To the OP simply_Dave and the poster above me, you guys know you are looking at the "Launch date" for Orange County which is April. The launch date is when it is roughly 45-50% completed, chances are if you live in a populated area of OC you could be using the LTE market much before. Basically how is works is you can pick up signal much before the date but if you are having spotty coverage or issues dont complain cause they haven't "launched" it yet. But you know your city, Like for instance in mine on a map our City covers roughly a 25mile diameter each way from downtown, but my actual address and location is literally within the actual city. So when they start work in my City in December I will theoretically have 4gLTE fairly quickly(which has also been verified by acquaintances at Sprint). Although my city doesn't Officially "Launch" until June 2013.
I'm stoked though cause I have a Sprint tower that is scheduled for an LTE upgrade within a 1/4mile of my house!!
simply dave said:
How do you know this?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
S4Gru.com
People have already seen many crews beggining work all around us. A few weeks ago my service was horrible, and a tower was down (my guess is due to matinence). But like I said, I am pretty sure OC is due to release prior to us in Riverside, but check that site for when it is expected to drop...I will see if I can find the link to the specific completion rate for you and post it here when I find it.
The Administrator on S4Gru.com seems to believe LTE will launch in the OC in Q1 of 2013....that is if you do not live in Brea, Yorba Linda, or Placentia.
That's great news! Thanks for the look up. Maybe I should make the jump. I just ordered a bunch of new cases for my E4GT too. Haha.
I'm in the same position. I use 4G tether on my E4GT *all the time*. Wimax speeds for me are 6-8Mb during the day, 8-10Mb during the night. I just bought a new Anker battery for the E4GT and i love the screen brightness, etc., but especially the speeds with my tablet. What makes it worse is that i have the Note 10.1 with quad core 1.4 with 2GB and i know how good this tablet is, i only expect wonderous things from the Note 2 consdering it's a higher spec'd processor with near same specs.
At this point, i think it's safe to assume not to go with GS3 - even with the Best buy deals coming up. I *would* suggest waiting 2-3 weeks though....if you are thinking of upgrading. It looks to be a great phone with great battery and great screen and great camera. I'm not sure there isn't something great about this phone, honestly, but that's still to be said about radio reception because i had to recently get rid of my GS3 because it was a worse radio than my E4GT - off topic, i know, so back on topic - wait 2-3 weeks if you must get this (and if you love samsung, you MUSTget this) i would keep the E4GT around though - for those times you want to SWAP back to use your tether through sprint.com/activate website. Enjoy...
I moved from the E4GT to the GN2 and I live in an area that has wimax and lte
The sprint LTE speeds for me are:
About the same download as WIMAX for me 6-10 mb/s
faster upload speeds, Wimax is capped at around 1 mb/s my LTE has gotten anywhere from 2-4 mb/s
(No these are not anywhere near the crazy att and verizon lte speeds but still very usable)
Ping times are faster for me on LTE than they were on wimax
ability to hold the connection seems better for me on lte. It used to drop for me with wimax causing downloads to error, streaming music to stop etc.
As long as i stay in coverage area my connection seems pretty stable on lte.
As far as everything else there is pretty much nothing not to love. I look around my apartment and wonder why I have so many charging cables laying around now since now i just plug it in every day or two or three.
Phone wise, I also made the switch from the ET4G and its like night and day. Longer battery and better all around phone (I also have a Note tablet...)
Since your using it as your internet makes it a tougher decision.
I gave up having Wimax in the hope to have LTE in the near future.
For now I use my 40mbs WiFi and I have about 1.75mbs 3G at my home address.
Meh, think I'm going to keep my phone with wimax. I tried living with internet at 3G and just couldn't do it. I didn't go for more then 10 mins before getting frustrated and turning on Wimax. :/
One reason to get the note
.:Sent from my Sprint Galaxy Note II:.
I'm sure you know that tethering is not yet working on GN2. I have seen one report of bluetooth based tethering working but a no go for me. If your area isn't getting lte for while there's no upside to the GN2. It's a great phone mind you but no tethering for the time being.
Hello everyone.
I am currently with Sprint, and using HTC Evo 4G LTE phone. While phone is good, Sprint service is not. I consider myself lucky to get 150kbps down. Where I live, we have an LTE deployment, but it's speed is about 4mbps, and requires me to airplane-mode cycle to connect. So I am thinking about switching and picking up Note II.
So, anyone in a similar situation (Evo 4G LTE, tired of Sprint) who switched to T-Mobile / Note II, any feedback? How's the phone? Service? Data speed? Would you stay or go back to Sprint?
Meanee said:
Hello everyone.
I am currently with Sprint, and using HTC Evo 4G LTE phone. While phone is good, Sprint service is not. I consider myself lucky to get 150kbps down. Where I live, we have an LTE deployment, but it's speed is about 4mbps, and requires me to airplane-mode cycle to connect. So I am thinking about switching and picking up Note II.
So, anyone in a similar situation (Evo 4G LTE, tired of Sprint) who switched to T-Mobile / Note II, any feedback? How's the phone? Service? Data speed? Would you stay or go back to Sprint?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I was shocked when I ran speed tests on every carrier in my primary use case area that T-Mobile was best (faster than Verizon LTE indoors & mostly outdoors) & least expensive with most flexible options.
10-20x Sprint 3G speed @ nearly 1/3 Sprint cost : http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=35621485&postcount=94 & http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=37343584&postcount=115
I'm glad I held out for the SGH-T889 & also set up Talkatone+Google Voice for my best in 2010 EVO "4G" for use over Wi-Fi but barely touch it or think about Sprint anymore..
BTW, Note2 imo is the best current handset until the Note3 or S IV & for my use case the prepaid $30/mo T-Mobile is best (test in your own use case areas with friend's T-Mobile-all carrier smartphones) & I prefer more open GSM over CDMA networks.
well its really fast and everything about it is pretty much awesome including the battery life and screen and i get 17mbps download speeds in new york :good:
Sounds great. I am currently on contract with Sprint, but trying to get out. How's development? Active? With Evo 4G LTE it seems that most ROMs are just small rehashes and not updated often.
Anything is better than the Sprint crap. I was happy with them til they started carrying the iPhones. I went from 1.3mbps, to 1, to .5, to .1, to .02, to constantly roaming on Verizon network around my home.
Location of course varies widely but I get between 3mbps to 20mbps around my home now. I have a GS3 and a Note 2 and I am happy/impress with them both.
I didn't have the Evo 4G LTE for long but man that phone has fantastic build quality.
I have a love/hate relationship with T-Mobile. On one hand, they've been pretty awesome overall (although I worry about this in the long run). On the other hand, to settle issues I've spent lots of time calling and playing CSR roulette. It took a lot of phone calls to get my Note 2's rebate honored - so please be weary of the MIRs. Make sure you dot your I's and cross your T's, and scan/make copies of everything!
Otherwise, I agree! T-Mobile is cheap and their service is usually great, if you get a good data signal. Beware: If you're in a truck stop town, you'll be lucky if you get EDGE. I've even seen GPRS on road trips not more than a year or so ago. In cities, usually it's about the same as AT&T and sprint, but consistently worse than Verizon. Then again, Verizon charges a hell of a lot more than T-Mobile....
Just do your homework when you shop for plans & phones. You can save lots of money if you pick the right plan and find it the right way.
I'm still waiting for my rebate confirmation. Just found out that they rejected my rebate for $100 for the N2! I paid full price for the phone! T-mobile used to be pretty good, now they are just ok as far as customer service is concerned. Their service is excellent in the NYC area. I've never had a call dropped and the data here are pretty fast.
Get the hell out of sprint!
Came from sprint only a few months ago. I was with them for over 10 years. Not sure why it took me so long to leave. I couldn't be happier with Tmobile and the Note II. I don't travel a whole lot a I get great coverage where I live. I'm on the $30 month, 100 mins unlimited text and data plan and it's been great. The speeds run circles around sprints data.
I guess that all comes down to where you live though.
What about when the iPhone deluge happens to T-Mobile soon?
Currently I get 10-22Mbps (avg ~15+Mbps down ~3+Mbps up) in my primary use area but still usually have access to 75/35 WiFi. Sprint was unenjoyable & expensive, T-Mobile has been great & relatively inexpensive with only limited slow-no zones in my use areas so far..:good:
whatsitsnamenow said:
Anything is better than the Sprint crap. I was happy with them til they started carrying the iPhones. I went from 1.3mbps, to 1, to .5, to .1, to .02, to constantly roaming on Verizon network around my home.
Location of course varies widely but I get between 3mbps to 20mbps around my home now. I have a GS3 and a Note 2 and I am happy/impress with them both.
I didn't have the Evo 4G LTE for long but man that phone has fantastic build quality.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Smartest move you can make, barring some unforeseen hoopla... hands down the GNII is the best phone on the planet available and TMO will be packin the best LTE punch before to long... yes other phones will be on the market soon but a majority will be barely getting to our level and those that are infact superior, wont be by much, atleast not for some time.. to think the S2 just got ICS... imagine our phone being capable of KLP and "L??" and beyond... 3 years maybe before I would get to be needing an upgrade by my math
Sent from my SGH-T889 using xda app-developers app
Meanee said:
Sounds great. I am currently on contract with Sprint, but trying to get out. How's development? Active? With Evo 4G LTE it seems that most ROMs are just small rehashes and not updated often.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Development is good.
I was with Sprint for 10yrs. I can't believe I stayed that long when realizing TMobiles speed compared to them. Sprint speed is garbage!
Sent from my SGH-T889 using xda premium
Depends on where you are. T-Mobile works well most of the time in NYC and I usually get several Mbps on HSPA.
---------- Post added at 08:48 AM ---------- Previous post was at 08:46 AM ----------
awrnsmn said:
I was with Sprint for 10yrs. I can't believe I stayed that long when realizing TMobiles speed compared to them. Sprint speed is garbage!
Sent from my SGH-T889 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You may have chance to taste T-Mobile LTE while I read outgoing performance is good.
Well, my Note II is on a UPS truck to be delivered today. Free with 2 year contract. Will see how it goes. Will keep both services for 3-4 days and see which one works better. I am sure T-Mobile will beat Sprint. Just today, ran a speed test, 790 ping, 117kpbs down, 109kbps up, in midtown Manhattan.
Meanee said:
Well, my Note II is on a UPS truck to be delivered today. Free with 2 year contract. Will see how it goes. Will keep both services for 3-4 days and see which one works better. I am sure T-Mobile will beat Sprint. Just today, ran a speed test, 790 ping, 117kpbs down, 109kbps up, in midtown Manhattan.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am sure you shall be happy with T-Mobile in NYC.
I used to have Sprint (Virgin Mobile) and the EV network does not work in Downtown Brooklyn, WiMax can be spotty at times, and LTE* does not exist in Brooklyn and Manhattan.
LTE test was done at corp stores.
Meanee said:
Well, my Note II is on a UPS truck to be delivered today. Free with 2 year contract. Will see how it goes. Will keep both services for 3-4 days and see which one works better. I am sure T-Mobile will beat Sprint. Just today, ran a speed test, 790 ping, 117kpbs down, 109kbps up, in midtown Manhattan.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sprint pretty much suck on speed when it comes to Tmobile. I was with Sprint also and on the Evo 4g and only once did I switch to Tmobile and got the Note 2 did I experience heaven. My download speed at my home in Texas is 28 mbs and and upload about 4 mbps. I never go on wifi and I use my phone more than my computer now. Also, their plan is cheaper and I got unlimited everything with no cap, can't get better than that.
Meanee said:
Well, my Note II is on a UPS truck to be delivered today. Free with 2 year contract. Will see how it goes. Will keep both services for 3-4 days and see which one works better. I am sure T-Mobile will beat Sprint. Just today, ran a speed test, 790 ping, 117kpbs down, 109kbps up, in midtown Manhattan.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Free on T-Mobile? How did u score that?
Sent from my SGH-T889 using Tapatalk 2
whatsitsnamenow said:
Free on T-Mobile? How did u score that?
Sent from my SGH-T889 using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I know someone in Business department of T-Mobile. He's able to arrange Note II or S3 for free if you sign up for a new 2 year plan. Has to be a new activation (new number or port-in). I am not sure if it would violate board rules, but if someone wants it, PM me for contact info.
Basically, I got my activation fee waived, free overnight shipping. GF already has it at home. Arrived few minutes ago.
Im in North Jersey and ran a speedtest to a NYC server. ran 3 tests and got an average of 22mb down and 3mb up
I think the note 2 is a nice looking, fast phone. However at the end of the day, it's still a smartphone. You'll probably use it much the same as you would any other nice enough smartphone