AT&T-Mobile? Not Going to Happen.

AT&T has dropped out of the T-Mobile deal, citing pressure from federal regulation committees. Although there won't be a merger, they did come to an agreement involving roaming, although the details of that agreement haven't been made pubic. Could that deal have been the cause of iPhone owners on T-Mobile finally getting 3G? It's unknown.
One thing is certain. Thanks to a deal AT&T had with T-Mobile, by backing out of the merger, they owe T-Mobile 4 billion dollars. Ouch.
via AppleInsider

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T-Mobile Won't Get iPhone 5

Two leaks out from T-Mobile today. One's bad news for customers, the other is good news.
Which would you like first? (Too bad, I'm telling you the bad news first).

So, the bad news is, T--Mobile won't be getting the iPhone 5 this year. Of course, there's always next year, but it's now less likely. T-Mobile is still in the process of being bought by AT&T, and they're confident the deal will go through. Since AT&T already has the iPhone, why should Apple put additional effort in creating a new model specifically for a company that will be bought up soon?

But, that leads me to the good news. Previously, T-Mobile customers were worried they wouldn't be able to keep their rate plans after the merger. AT&T has a better network, but their customers pay more for it. But, you don't have to worry about that, thanks to a leak from an internal memo. Current T-Mobile customers will be allowed to keep their rate plans, even if their contract expires, and they continue to use the service on a monthly basis. That's a really great deal, and is sure to keep T-Mobile customers very happy. So, if you're on T-Mobile, you now have two reasons to hope the buyout goes through successfully: better coverage for the same price, and the iPhone 5.
via BGR 1 & 2

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US Govt Files Antitrust Lawsuit Against AT&T

If you were looking forward to T-Mobile being bought out by AT&T to improve the network, I've got bad news for you. The US government has now filed a lawsuit against AT&T over the acquisition. An attorney with the department of justice said that "AT&T’s elimination of T-Mobile as an independent, low-priced rival would remove a significant competitive force from the market".

It's true, a low cost option would be eliminated. Sprint has detailed ways that AT&T could improve their network without buying T-Mobile. Also, T-Mobile customers would have access to a better network, but there was no word on whether or not their rates would increase.

It's looking like the deal may fall through. Is this good for consumers, or did Sprint's lobbying really work? Either way, it looks as though T-Mobile will remain an option for consumers. It may have worse coverage, but it is also cheaper than plans on AT&T or Verizon. Perhaps their customers are comfortable exchanging coverage for pricing. To many, a lower cell phone bill is more important than fast data speeds and great coverage, which is why options like T-Mobile are necessary.
via CultOfMac

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iPhone 5 Coming to Sprint and T-Mobile?

Yesterday, the Wall Street Journal reported that Apple was preparing the iPhone 5 for Sprint. Apple has the hardware to accomplish this, it's just a matter of coming to an agreement with Sprint. An iPhone for Sprint would mean Apple could reach 52 million more customers.

Today, MacTrast has reported that the iPhone 5 will also work for T-Mobile. Though T-Mobile customers can already get an unlocked iPhone, an iPhone with a contract for T-Mobile would allow users to possibly save some money, as well as take advantage of T-Mobile's full speed data. This rumor apparently comes from someone within T-Mobile who had been briefed on the subject.

This would put the iPhone on every major carrier in the US. One of the biggest reasons people had for not getting an iPhone was that it wasn't available through their carrier. Android also owes much of its growth to consumers looking for a smart phone like an iPhone, but couldn't get the real thing.
via MacRumors and Gizmodo

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T-Mobile Offers Micro Sims for iPhones

Previously, if you wanted to get your unlocked iPhone on T-Mobile, you had to cut a T-Mobile sim card to fit inside the iPhone's micro sim card slot. With over a million iPhone users on T-Mobile, they decided to make a micro sim card available to their customers. No more cutting!
The micro SIM cards are usually $9.99, but you can get them for free now on T-Mobile's webpage. If you're a T-Mobile user thinking about getting an unlocked iPhone, you can get your free micro SIM card here. Remember, you won't have 3G with your iPhone on T-Mobile, but for many, it's still worth it to be able to use iOS on T-Mobile's network.
via BGR

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Over 1 Million iPhones on T-Mobile

A little over a week ago, Apple began selling unlocked iPhones. T-Mobile is reporting that there are over 1 million iPhones on their network. Now, this isn't all from new iPhones, there were a number of them already on the network from jailbreakers. In fact, most are older iPhones.
But it's not as easy as simply buying an unlocked phone. T-Mobile doesn't offer micro sim cards for their Phones, which the iPhone uses. This means that users have to trim their sim card down on their own. Also, users won't have 3G with their iPhones on T-Mobile's network. The antenna within iPhones only supports AT&T's 3G or Verizon's 3G.

Over 1 million people decided that it was worth it to get an iPhone, despite these issues. Apple could make a fortune selling the iPhone on other networks.
via Gizmodo

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New Bill Clarifies "4G"

Mobile carriers advertising "4G" aren't always being honest. There's LTE, WiMax, and HSPA+, and they're all classified as "4G". How is a consumer supposed to decide which is best? They're all faster than 3G, but which technology is truly the fastest?

When Tmobile's advertising the "largest 4G network", they're really talking about HSPA+, the slowest form of 4G. It's been around since 2008, and while it is faster than normal 3G, it's nothing to write home about. Tmobile can claim a large 4G network, but what they don't mention is that it's much slower than any other form of 4G.

That's why a bill has been created to try to change this. It would force carriers to be honest about the speed of their 4G networks, allowing customers to make direct comparisons.
The bill, called the Next Generation Wireless Disclosure Act, is new, and it's still in the House. If approved, however, carriers would still be able to claim they have a 4G network, but they'd also have to mention the speed of their network.

Will carriers block this through extensive lobbying? Only time will tell, but it could become a lot easier to compare networks in the near future.
via BGR

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