I'm assuming you and I are both TMO employees. The thing is, I do also understand the customer perspective as far as wanting a certain percent off *quality* devices by trading-in their older devices. Amittedly, the REVVL series has become much better over the last iteration so its not necessarily a terrible device as far as the "trade in any working device" offers we have for it but we could easily give them S23 FE or iPhone SE for their devices. Let's remember, we gave TOTALLY FREE (no strings attached and no payment required) iPhone's out to Sprint customers during the great pivot phase.
That said -- as an ME, it does absolutely suck only getting $5 on an upgrade but we need a better reward system for customers that have stayed with us over 15 years. I've discussed with my RSM and RAM that DCC should be reduced (perhaps *ALWAYS* $5) for long-term customers. They think it's a great idea but of course it stops there. I'm an ME that genuinely cares for our long-term customers, and want us fighting to keep them even when they say ridiculous thing like "I've never heard of an upgrade fee before" while their account tenure reflects 19 years, 11 months, and 23 days.Ā
The thing is, there shouldnāt even be DCC on upgrades imo, or like you said, it should be reduced to like $5. Especially when the push is MEs to add accessories, p360, screen protector, and the whole 9 yards. Idk, just food for thought
This is a tough subject for me.Ā Customers shop at Costco and Samās and pay a membership every year to do so. Why can we not ask for a device connection charge to assist with making sure the customers phone is transferred and connected before they leave (there is a carrier that wonāt even set the phone up for you without charging a separate fee).Ā These fees have been around since what seems like forever. Most people even expect it AND all carriers have them.Ā
Edited to add that I am for dcc reform and changing how we do it for tenured customers but I am one of very few who thinks it should stay.
Stop going to your management. We have resource that allows you to make recommendations to corporate, utilize that instead. Let other MEs see this idea and push it to the top. Thatās how we (employees) can help make changes for the better.Ā
We see the customers every day the corporate people do not, this is a way to share customer pain points and get them (possibly get them) changed.Ā
Nice! My solar system connects through T-Mobile 2g for system stats in an app. They are replacing with a 4/5g modern, but it's going to be a bit before they can come out.
Iām used to it now to be honest. Just because it isnāt the latest and greatest doesnāt mean itās bad. I love my older tech. Some people just canāt accept that I guess š¤·āāļø
They killed most of 3G because it uses a bit more spectrum than 2G, and 2G can be used for IoT and emergency services. So now that 3G spectrum has been repurposed for 4G/5G for better capacity.
This is the guy that always posts photos of his iPhone with a busted screen and 2g service for Reddit upvotes. Incredibly weird flex but whatever makes you feel good bud!
No, I post those so that people know that 2G still works. Also, most of the time I get downvotes because apparently liking older technology and having a brain of my own is frowned upon. Glad to see that you were interested in my posts enough to keep up though š
I like the where your head is at but itās still an incredibly weird flex to want to use technology that is objectively worse in many ways than the current standards of today. But again, do what makes you happy. I just find it incredibly impractical.
Itās not supposed to be a flex. At least not on my part. I guess if anything, I think itās pretty cool that T-Mobile still operates a 2G network, and they deserve credit for that. Also, itās not like these are my only devices. I use a modern iPhone like anyone else, but I love using my old technology. I live by the philosophy, technology is only obsolete when you stop using it and enjoying it. As far as Iām concerned, my Nokia is still totally fine for calls and texts, and as long as 2G is active, Iām going to use it. It saves me money and it prevents perfectly functional devices from ending up in a landfill.
But itās not perfectly functional. Also using 2g is not cheaper. You said you have a modern iPhone. So the cost point is null. But again, I find you fascinating, though incredibly unusual in regards to your technological mindset.
In my area 2G is still pretty good š¤·āāļø With 2G, I can get away with 1GB of data per month no problem. Also, I didnāt pay for my iPhone, I got it from a cellphone repair shop that was closing and was able to fix it using parts from other phones he gave me. Thank you, Iām glad you find me fascinating but incredibly unusual š
That chronically online tech riddled redditor is the only one with weird vibes TBH. I think itās badass that not only does 2G still work but itās still supported. I wouldāve thought they stopped support like every other modern live service thing after the new gen is adopted.
I wonder if that means they have data showing a significant amount of people have not or did not āupgradeā, therefore the continued support. Or maybe 2G is that cheap to maintain.
Regardless I thought it was cool, retro, and functional. Also kinda off grid which is ultra rare now that we canāt even be sure our phones are off lol
The only unusual thing in this thread is that dudes reaction to an image of a founding father to the modern cellphone.
It's more that there's still a TON of B2B devices out there that companies are too lazy to upgrade past 2G or can't upgrade. Combined with the fact that T-Mobile's remaining 2G band they have squeezed in the LTE guard bands at a MUCH reduced capacity (B2B devices don't need much) so it's not AS urgent for them to remove it vs the other carriers.
That doesn't mean it's not going away. If all you're (or the OP in this case) doing is just toying around with it, fine. Go ham! But I think it should be made clear it's not advisable to use as a daily driver for numerous reasons.
I totally get that, and I donāt use it as my primary line because it is spotty in some places since T-Mobile has significantly reduced its capacity. It is fun to play around with though.
Thank you for backing me up! I donāt get why people react that way. Itās just old tech. Also, youāre 100% correct, the modern devices and high speed networks people cherish today wouldnāt have been possible without the tech of yesteryear.
Omg you doubled down with the generic NPC āweird flexā dialogue. Bruh. You gotta have some Reddit/twitter brain going on to jump right into a catty weird flex comeback to something that wasnāt a diss nor a flex.
only weird thing here is your reaction to OG Tech which walked so your streams could run. On second thought I think you must have born in the post-always online dystopia for you to have that kinda reaction to reliable low EMF techā¦ Very weird condescending closings to your opinions too, buddy.
OP didnāt intend to flex at all and your comment actually makes it a flex IMO. Because I rather hang out with the guy on 2G and a nice attitude than the guy with a chip on his shoulder over cracked iPhone screens and a devotion to every new G you didnāt know you needed (until the carrier mega corps had new product to sell lmao)
Holy cow, this was quite the post! Take an upvote fellow redditor! The effort you put into this was great. I totally disagree with everything you said and thatās ok!
Mint Mobile trial in the Nokia 5190, and non activated T-Mobile in the iPhone 3G. I tested the 3G with an active SIM recently, and it works flawlessly.
Yeah, I think itās because it was only ever designed to run on VoiceStream, and while Mint runs on T-Mobile, (which bought VoiceStream), it doesnāt know what carrier itās on š
How I instantly remembered what the triangle on the left (roaming) and dot next to the time (PM) on the Nokia mean is making me laugh. Some info never leaves your memory, you just donāt need it for a long time!
You should get one of these babyās, one of the first phones with iTunes on it. It was a terrible phone, and a pain in the ass to put music on, but you might find it interesting.
https://m.gsmarena.com/motorola_slvr_l7-1053.php
https://www.cnet.com/reviews/motorola-slvr-l7-review/
I havenāt seen that phone since the previous millennia.
The VoiceStream name lived on for a couple more years after 2001 as the GPRS APN. The internet was dialup speed, but it was good enough for email.
What's wrong with asking that? It's a valid question. I've owned 5 smart phones since 2010, several had failed batteries that ballooned and made the phones non-functional, one that was pretty good got slower and slower until we had no choice but comply and replace it after Google stopped supplying updates.
I had a Nokia 6133 that was a pushbutton flip phone.. I rebuilt like 3 times .. pushed the button on the side and it opened like captain kirks communicatorš
They should probably just leave it up indefinitely and bill the government since they should provide it as a 911 access network for older devices. Maybe in 10 years or so when there are certainly no longer any working non LTE devices still around then they can turn it off.
Now how can older OnStar systems be switched from AT to TM to work on it. I donāt think they used a SIM.
Edit: Looked that up, looks like pre-LTE OnStar was CDMA not GSM so no way to revive it.
I made this comment on another site but my educated guess is ideally LTE's eventually going to be that true 'emergency' fallback option.
Caveat: I'm not an RF engineer but just a home gamer with a technical mindset and have read over some of the specs over the years.
The way at least T-Mobile has it (I'm not familiar with ATT/VZ but I imagine they're doing something similar) right now is LTE and 5G coexist on the same bands and they can dynamically allocate how much 'bandwidth' each uses based on the load. I can see a future that something like Band 12 (which is a low frequency/high range band and has been T-Mobile's baseline for VoLTE service and is their 'everywhere' band) is maintained with some level of LTE service while 5G gets the focus on other bands.
2G you have the issue that it's older tech and equipment purpose built for that service that may no longer be easily serviced or replaced. As we progress into the future, more of this equipment is going SDR so they can just reprogram the radios to support whatever protocols they need as long as the transmission hardware supports the frequencies/bandwidth necessary. With the close relation between LTE and 5G, I can easily see LTE being more easily supported and maintained long term compared to the older gens.
I wish I still had my Nokia 5300. One of my all time favorite phones since it was so small. Not as easy to text on like a smartphone but for calls and a few texts it was very usable. I liked the small size of the moto Krzr too
When phones feel almost like tablets I really miss my old small phones even though data stunk on them.
Texting with T9 does take some getting used to, but itās honestly not too bad in my opinion. My first āmodernā cellphone was an Alcatel flip phone I bought for 15 bucks on Amazon when I was like 13, and I learned how to type with T9 on that. It got to a point where I would write entire emails on it XD
The Krzr was one of my faves. It was one of the first with an integrated music player (I think). The memory of the SD slot on the top invoks nostalgia. š
I have a collection of some 150+ phones in my drawers. Going back to AMPS in the early 90s. A number of fully functional 2G devices - but havenāt had one with an active SIM in a long time.
If I only had time š
Did go through most of them 2022 and charged them up, checked that they booted up, etc. In some the batteries were totally gone, but a surprising number actually worked well (and of course newer ones could connect to WiFi). The hope/desire is to someday make a few displays and put them in a glass cabinet I have.
Would a tmo android g1 work? It would totally be worth getting one and putting the sim in. With an adapter I guess to match the sims from the Jimmy Carter era.
Unless your area doesnāt have low band, if 5G is having connection issues, 2G will likely be worse. Check your coverage with the lart2150 band rollout map.
Ok, so for an iPhone 4, Iād go with T-Mobile prepaid. 10 bucks a month gets you 1GB data, 1,000 texts, and 1,000 minutes of call time. In my iPhone 3G, so far only straight up T-Mobile has worked. I took it into a T-Mobile store, and they put a SIM card in it, and it worked perfectly. No disconnecting. Calls, texts, and data were all fine. You should the same with your phone just to make sure, go to a T-Mobile store and have them put a SIM in your iPhone 4. Good luck, and if you have any more questions, feel free to ask!
Youāre very welcome! As far as I know, any T-Mobile SIM should allow 2G and whatās left of their 3G as long as the phone isnāt too old. Check to make sure you can get a refund in case it doesnāt work.
i use the old $5/mo 500MB prepaid mobile internet plan from T-Mobile for my iPhone 4S. 0 minutes, but unlimited texts. the $10/mo 2GB plan works the same, just more high speed data.
A good excerpt to be aware of from T-Mobile on the shutdown:
> While we have not yet established an exact date, we will notify you in advance when we plan to retire T-Mobile's older 2G (GSM) network. **Please be aware that as we work towards this retirement, capacity and coverage of the T-Mobile 2G (GSM) network will change as some 2G (GSM) sites will come down prior to the full network retirement**.
Again, NOT advisable to use 2G only devices as daily drivers for this and many other reasons. I've also seen reports that some areas, especially metros, already have lost all 2G service.
I know the OP and some others here are just doing this for fun. But this is an FYI for anyone thinking they can break out an old Nokia and start using it as their main phone again.
Even if you tried that, the coverage would be terrible.
Most of their towers donāt have 2G on them, maybe 1/3 or 1/4 do, and 1.9GHz has much worse coverage than 600/700MHz.
The iPhone 3G is good for about a day of light use, but the Nokia can last days. It only has a few hours of talk time, but I text and play games on it for at least 2 days.
Here we go again. I have never said itās superior, I have, however, stated numerous times how much I enjoy using my old phones which rely on this network and how grateful I am that T-Mobile still operates GSM. I have never once said that 2G is better than LTE or 5G. I have said that CDMA could travel further, but thatās it. If you are going to be a jackass, at least get your facts straight.
I have T-Mobile with LTE/ 5G , and the coverage map shows full coverage in my area. I can barely stream music, and canāt even watch a YouTube. The only way I can log in an out of work is on a clientās WiFi. After 2+ years of dealing with said issue, I finally got a knowledgeable TM tech support person. I was told the only tower in my home area was at 100%, and they prioritize ph over data. Btw: I can appreciate old tech. And, currently installing a Linux distro on an old Lenovo laptop. It should fly when I get it done. ;)
Sorry you have to deal with that, Iām guessing your tower is fairly old? As much as I love T-Mobile, their network still needs a lot of work. Good luck with Linux on your laptop! If itās a ThinkPad, (and you havenāt done so already), check out r/thinkpad. Those guys are awesome!
Yo this is the SECOND bizarre comment reacting to OP wtf,
OP never even alluded to superior anything they literally presented facts bruh.
What kinda weird programming have you been consuming on 2G/3G tech for you to have such a reaction to the mere thought someone may prefer it???
half your Comment is personal attack like come on man. 5G mastermind mustāve programmed you to reject any of the tech it canāt connect to huh?š
Does T-Mobile kick the device off the network after a phone call or after a certain period of time? I did hear that was happening for non VoLTE devices, but I'm not sure how accurate that is. Does tower handoff still work on T-Mobile's 2G GSM?Ā
The Nokia doesnāt, but my 3G does almost immediately. Tower hand off depends on the area. I think it works in my area, but Iām not sure. Iāll test it and post my findings.
It's one of the reasons I dual sim with a cheap T-Mobile plan. Where I don't get Verizon in MT, WY, ID - T-Mobile either works or is roaming on another network
Iāll have to dig up some of my old phones. I tried my original iPhone and my 3Gs out a couple years ago and they both worked fine. But then I made the mistake of updating the 3Gs to the latest iOS software that it would take and it bricked the phone. Still have the original iPhone 1 though that uses only EDGE. Just gotta find a monstrous SIM card for it š
Arenāt you in Puna? I remember talking to you a few years back. We still have some occasional spots with only EDGE here in Hawaii, even on the newest iPhone!
That is totally fine, and I completely understand, but the kind of phones that rely on that network arenāt ones that I have anything even remotely important on. If someone hacks my iPhone 3G, theyāll hear me talking about 2G or something and maybe theyāll find a picture of the Apple Store, but thatās it.
This is also the guy that goes into stores and asks why he can't get $800 off the iPhone 15 when trading either one of these phones in.
ššš
I traded in my first flip phone for a new 5g smart phone just a couple of years ago.
I'm assuming you and I are both TMO employees. The thing is, I do also understand the customer perspective as far as wanting a certain percent off *quality* devices by trading-in their older devices. Amittedly, the REVVL series has become much better over the last iteration so its not necessarily a terrible device as far as the "trade in any working device" offers we have for it but we could easily give them S23 FE or iPhone SE for their devices. Let's remember, we gave TOTALLY FREE (no strings attached and no payment required) iPhone's out to Sprint customers during the great pivot phase. That said -- as an ME, it does absolutely suck only getting $5 on an upgrade but we need a better reward system for customers that have stayed with us over 15 years. I've discussed with my RSM and RAM that DCC should be reduced (perhaps *ALWAYS* $5) for long-term customers. They think it's a great idea but of course it stops there. I'm an ME that genuinely cares for our long-term customers, and want us fighting to keep them even when they say ridiculous thing like "I've never heard of an upgrade fee before" while their account tenure reflects 19 years, 11 months, and 23 days.Ā
The thing is, there shouldnāt even be DCC on upgrades imo, or like you said, it should be reduced to like $5. Especially when the push is MEs to add accessories, p360, screen protector, and the whole 9 yards. Idk, just food for thought
This is a tough subject for me.Ā Customers shop at Costco and Samās and pay a membership every year to do so. Why can we not ask for a device connection charge to assist with making sure the customers phone is transferred and connected before they leave (there is a carrier that wonāt even set the phone up for you without charging a separate fee).Ā These fees have been around since what seems like forever. Most people even expect it AND all carriers have them.Ā Edited to add that I am for dcc reform and changing how we do it for tenured customers but I am one of very few who thinks it should stay.
Stop going to your management. We have resource that allows you to make recommendations to corporate, utilize that instead. Let other MEs see this idea and push it to the top. Thatās how we (employees) can help make changes for the better.Ā We see the customers every day the corporate people do not, this is a way to share customer pain points and get them (possibly get them) changed.Ā
Man you're living on the edge.
Yeah, I really am š
Wasn't it supposed to get shut down today?
Yep, but they canceled it. Long live GSM! š
wait really?
Yep, now there is no planned shutdown date ššš
What if it shuts down at midnight š¢
Nice! My solar system connects through T-Mobile 2g for system stats in an app. They are replacing with a 4/5g modern, but it's going to be a bit before they can come out.
Today? Well, that came out of nowhere.
OP: I like old phones! This sub: 
Iām used to it now to be honest. Just because it isnāt the latest and greatest doesnāt mean itās bad. I love my older tech. Some people just canāt accept that I guess š¤·āāļø
Yeah I don't get that at all.Ā
Indeed just let them live their life š¤·āāļø
So they killed 3G and kept 2G?
They killed most of 3G because it uses a bit more spectrum than 2G, and 2G can be used for IoT and emergency services. So now that 3G spectrum has been repurposed for 4G/5G for better capacity.
Makes sense, I only know because my car connection was through them and it was 3G, so since then, the car went offline.
Also because carriers have hated paying the Qualcomm WCDMA/CDMA tax for a long time.
Yep. There is still some T-Mobile 3G, but itās very limited.
I thought they killed 3G completely a couple of years back!
They couldnāt in some areas. Itās now extremely limited in coverage.
Same
This is the guy that always posts photos of his iPhone with a busted screen and 2g service for Reddit upvotes. Incredibly weird flex but whatever makes you feel good bud!
No, I post those so that people know that 2G still works. Also, most of the time I get downvotes because apparently liking older technology and having a brain of my own is frowned upon. Glad to see that you were interested in my posts enough to keep up though š
I like the where your head is at but itās still an incredibly weird flex to want to use technology that is objectively worse in many ways than the current standards of today. But again, do what makes you happy. I just find it incredibly impractical.
Itās not supposed to be a flex. At least not on my part. I guess if anything, I think itās pretty cool that T-Mobile still operates a 2G network, and they deserve credit for that. Also, itās not like these are my only devices. I use a modern iPhone like anyone else, but I love using my old technology. I live by the philosophy, technology is only obsolete when you stop using it and enjoying it. As far as Iām concerned, my Nokia is still totally fine for calls and texts, and as long as 2G is active, Iām going to use it. It saves me money and it prevents perfectly functional devices from ending up in a landfill.
But itās not perfectly functional. Also using 2g is not cheaper. You said you have a modern iPhone. So the cost point is null. But again, I find you fascinating, though incredibly unusual in regards to your technological mindset.
In my area 2G is still pretty good š¤·āāļø With 2G, I can get away with 1GB of data per month no problem. Also, I didnāt pay for my iPhone, I got it from a cellphone repair shop that was closing and was able to fix it using parts from other phones he gave me. Thank you, Iām glad you find me fascinating but incredibly unusual š
That chronically online tech riddled redditor is the only one with weird vibes TBH. I think itās badass that not only does 2G still work but itās still supported. I wouldāve thought they stopped support like every other modern live service thing after the new gen is adopted. I wonder if that means they have data showing a significant amount of people have not or did not āupgradeā, therefore the continued support. Or maybe 2G is that cheap to maintain. Regardless I thought it was cool, retro, and functional. Also kinda off grid which is ultra rare now that we canāt even be sure our phones are off lol The only unusual thing in this thread is that dudes reaction to an image of a founding father to the modern cellphone.
It's more that there's still a TON of B2B devices out there that companies are too lazy to upgrade past 2G or can't upgrade. Combined with the fact that T-Mobile's remaining 2G band they have squeezed in the LTE guard bands at a MUCH reduced capacity (B2B devices don't need much) so it's not AS urgent for them to remove it vs the other carriers. That doesn't mean it's not going away. If all you're (or the OP in this case) doing is just toying around with it, fine. Go ham! But I think it should be made clear it's not advisable to use as a daily driver for numerous reasons.
I totally get that, and I donāt use it as my primary line because it is spotty in some places since T-Mobile has significantly reduced its capacity. It is fun to play around with though.
Thank you for backing me up! I donāt get why people react that way. Itās just old tech. Also, youāre 100% correct, the modern devices and high speed networks people cherish today wouldnāt have been possible without the tech of yesteryear.
My Galaxy S8 with a Smart Philippines perma-roam SIM still hasn't picked up IMS provisioning. They don't want roamers losing 911 calling.
What is a "flex" in this context? Is it intended to be disparaging?
I think the context and post history paints the picture.
Omg you doubled down with the generic NPC āweird flexā dialogue. Bruh. You gotta have some Reddit/twitter brain going on to jump right into a catty weird flex comeback to something that wasnāt a diss nor a flex. only weird thing here is your reaction to OG Tech which walked so your streams could run. On second thought I think you must have born in the post-always online dystopia for you to have that kinda reaction to reliable low EMF techā¦ Very weird condescending closings to your opinions too, buddy. OP didnāt intend to flex at all and your comment actually makes it a flex IMO. Because I rather hang out with the guy on 2G and a nice attitude than the guy with a chip on his shoulder over cracked iPhone screens and a devotion to every new G you didnāt know you needed (until the carrier mega corps had new product to sell lmao)
Holy cow, this was quite the post! Take an upvote fellow redditor! The effort you put into this was great. I totally disagree with everything you said and thatās ok!
I don't think you know what flex means Op isn't flexing at all
Hey I like this guy lol
It's OK to be judgmental, for literally no valid reason now.
Itās ok to have opinions because itās ok to have an opinion!
Ok
What SIM are you using?
Mint Mobile trial in the Nokia 5190, and non activated T-Mobile in the iPhone 3G. I tested the 3G with an active SIM recently, and it works flawlessly.
Thatās interesting that it doesnāt say Mint and that it reads as roaming
Yeah, I think itās because it was only ever designed to run on VoiceStream, and while Mint runs on T-Mobile, (which bought VoiceStream), it doesnāt know what carrier itās on š
IDK why your comment was down voted, sounds like a reasonable explaination.
š¤·āāļø
I've read you can't use a modern T-Mobile SIM, is that true? You have to use an older one for these older phones to work?
For really old phones, yes, but anything after like 2005 or so should be good.
How I instantly remembered what the triangle on the left (roaming) and dot next to the time (PM) on the Nokia mean is making me laugh. Some info never leaves your memory, you just donāt need it for a long time!
You should get one of these babyās, one of the first phones with iTunes on it. It was a terrible phone, and a pain in the ass to put music on, but you might find it interesting. https://m.gsmarena.com/motorola_slvr_l7-1053.php https://www.cnet.com/reviews/motorola-slvr-l7-review/
Iāve heard about those, I was actually watching a video that mentioned it. It is an interesting phone for sure
I havenāt seen that phone since the previous millennia. The VoiceStream name lived on for a couple more years after 2001 as the GPRS APN. The internet was dialup speed, but it was good enough for email.
Oh the nostalgia of Nokia
This is the guy that goes into the store asking why his apps are no longer supported on that ancient iOS version and doesn't want to upgrade.
What's wrong with asking that? It's a valid question. I've owned 5 smart phones since 2010, several had failed batteries that ballooned and made the phones non-functional, one that was pretty good got slower and slower until we had no choice but comply and replace it after Google stopped supplying updates.
r/woooosh I am talking about the 2G iPhone OP posted in the second slide, not just any other smartphone.
So how do I get a 2g Sim card to get my tmobile sidekick working.
I had a Nokia 6133 that was a pushbutton flip phone.. I rebuilt like 3 times .. pushed the button on the side and it opened like captain kirks communicatorš
I always liked āVStreamā over the others. Thought it sounded cool.
Insane! I had this phone š keep it going!!!
I will! Itās going to college with me! š
They should probably just leave it up indefinitely and bill the government since they should provide it as a 911 access network for older devices. Maybe in 10 years or so when there are certainly no longer any working non LTE devices still around then they can turn it off. Now how can older OnStar systems be switched from AT to TM to work on it. I donāt think they used a SIM. Edit: Looked that up, looks like pre-LTE OnStar was CDMA not GSM so no way to revive it.
I made this comment on another site but my educated guess is ideally LTE's eventually going to be that true 'emergency' fallback option. Caveat: I'm not an RF engineer but just a home gamer with a technical mindset and have read over some of the specs over the years. The way at least T-Mobile has it (I'm not familiar with ATT/VZ but I imagine they're doing something similar) right now is LTE and 5G coexist on the same bands and they can dynamically allocate how much 'bandwidth' each uses based on the load. I can see a future that something like Band 12 (which is a low frequency/high range band and has been T-Mobile's baseline for VoLTE service and is their 'everywhere' band) is maintained with some level of LTE service while 5G gets the focus on other bands. 2G you have the issue that it's older tech and equipment purpose built for that service that may no longer be easily serviced or replaced. As we progress into the future, more of this equipment is going SDR so they can just reprogram the radios to support whatever protocols they need as long as the transmission hardware supports the frequencies/bandwidth necessary. With the close relation between LTE and 5G, I can easily see LTE being more easily supported and maintained long term compared to the older gens.
I wish I still had my Nokia 5300. One of my all time favorite phones since it was so small. Not as easy to text on like a smartphone but for calls and a few texts it was very usable. I liked the small size of the moto Krzr too When phones feel almost like tablets I really miss my old small phones even though data stunk on them.
Texting with T9 does take some getting used to, but itās honestly not too bad in my opinion. My first āmodernā cellphone was an Alcatel flip phone I bought for 15 bucks on Amazon when I was like 13, and I learned how to type with T9 on that. It got to a point where I would write entire emails on it XD
The Krzr was one of my faves. It was one of the first with an integrated music player (I think). The memory of the SD slot on the top invoks nostalgia. š
I have a collection of some 150+ phones in my drawers. Going back to AMPS in the early 90s. A number of fully functional 2G devices - but havenāt had one with an active SIM in a long time.
Thatās awesome! Get the Mint trial SIM and see how many work. You might be surprised!
If I only had time š Did go through most of them 2022 and charged them up, checked that they booted up, etc. In some the batteries were totally gone, but a surprising number actually worked well (and of course newer ones could connect to WiFi). The hope/desire is to someday make a few displays and put them in a glass cabinet I have.
The ol 5120 baby!!
Close! Mine is a 5190 š
Would a tmo android g1 work? It would totally be worth getting one and putting the sim in. With an adapter I guess to match the sims from the Jimmy Carter era.
Any 1,900MHz 2G phone is compatible, but you might face the disconnecting issue.
My 5g phone on T-Mobile is only connected half the time. That's why it costs half the price.
Unless your area doesnāt have low band, if 5G is having connection issues, 2G will likely be worse. Check your coverage with the lart2150 band rollout map.
OP, I genuinely want to know how do you get a working sim like that ? I have an iphone 4 that Iām dying to get service on. Thank you
Ok, so for an iPhone 4, Iād go with T-Mobile prepaid. 10 bucks a month gets you 1GB data, 1,000 texts, and 1,000 minutes of call time. In my iPhone 3G, so far only straight up T-Mobile has worked. I took it into a T-Mobile store, and they put a SIM card in it, and it worked perfectly. No disconnecting. Calls, texts, and data were all fine. You should the same with your phone just to make sure, go to a T-Mobile store and have them put a SIM in your iPhone 4. Good luck, and if you have any more questions, feel free to ask!
OH MY GOD, thank you so much!!! I didnāt know that the 10$ offer 2-3G. Imma try it tmr, does higher plan work as well ? MI / hotspot ?
Youāre very welcome! As far as I know, any T-Mobile SIM should allow 2G and whatās left of their 3G as long as the phone isnāt too old. Check to make sure you can get a refund in case it doesnāt work.
i use the old $5/mo 500MB prepaid mobile internet plan from T-Mobile for my iPhone 4S. 0 minutes, but unlimited texts. the $10/mo 2GB plan works the same, just more high speed data.
A good excerpt to be aware of from T-Mobile on the shutdown: > While we have not yet established an exact date, we will notify you in advance when we plan to retire T-Mobile's older 2G (GSM) network. **Please be aware that as we work towards this retirement, capacity and coverage of the T-Mobile 2G (GSM) network will change as some 2G (GSM) sites will come down prior to the full network retirement**. Again, NOT advisable to use 2G only devices as daily drivers for this and many other reasons. I've also seen reports that some areas, especially metros, already have lost all 2G service. I know the OP and some others here are just doing this for fun. But this is an FYI for anyone thinking they can break out an old Nokia and start using it as their main phone again.
Even if you tried that, the coverage would be terrible. Most of their towers donāt have 2G on them, maybe 1/3 or 1/4 do, and 1.9GHz has much worse coverage than 600/700MHz.
Yet 4 years later I barely get cell service in my house... Yea! Sorry, still bitter.
What is the battery life like with such an old phone?
The iPhone 3G is good for about a day of light use, but the Nokia can last days. It only has a few hours of talk time, but I text and play games on it for at least 2 days.
Now that is what I call a battery! A shame Nokia ended up making Windows phones and declined.
Does the iPhone OG have a battery bulge issue? Looks like it with the way the screen is acting up.
Iām not sure tbh š§ I donāt think so. The screen issue has something to do with pixels dying I think.
Oh interesting. I just thought since they were all in the middle it was bulging that way.
š š š
If that still works, then Blackberry Classic should still work right? I miss the physical qwerty keyboard. š„ŗ
If itās unlocked and 2G capable, I donāt see why not! š
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Removed - Rule 2: Keep it cool.
Here we go again. I have never said itās superior, I have, however, stated numerous times how much I enjoy using my old phones which rely on this network and how grateful I am that T-Mobile still operates GSM. I have never once said that 2G is better than LTE or 5G. I have said that CDMA could travel further, but thatās it. If you are going to be a jackass, at least get your facts straight.
I have T-Mobile with LTE/ 5G , and the coverage map shows full coverage in my area. I can barely stream music, and canāt even watch a YouTube. The only way I can log in an out of work is on a clientās WiFi. After 2+ years of dealing with said issue, I finally got a knowledgeable TM tech support person. I was told the only tower in my home area was at 100%, and they prioritize ph over data. Btw: I can appreciate old tech. And, currently installing a Linux distro on an old Lenovo laptop. It should fly when I get it done. ;)
Sorry you have to deal with that, Iām guessing your tower is fairly old? As much as I love T-Mobile, their network still needs a lot of work. Good luck with Linux on your laptop! If itās a ThinkPad, (and you havenāt done so already), check out r/thinkpad. Those guys are awesome!
Thanks! It is a Thinkpad, and I will definitely check out that link.
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Removed - Rule 2: Keep it cool.
Go whine about other peopleās preferences on the Costco subreddit or something.
Yo this is the SECOND bizarre comment reacting to OP wtf, OP never even alluded to superior anything they literally presented facts bruh. What kinda weird programming have you been consuming on 2G/3G tech for you to have such a reaction to the mere thought someone may prefer it??? half your Comment is personal attack like come on man. 5G mastermind mustāve programmed you to reject any of the tech it canāt connect to huh?š
Youāre really edgy and unique!
Does T-Mobile kick the device off the network after a phone call or after a certain period of time? I did hear that was happening for non VoLTE devices, but I'm not sure how accurate that is. Does tower handoff still work on T-Mobile's 2G GSM?Ā
The Nokia doesnāt, but my 3G does almost immediately. Tower hand off depends on the area. I think it works in my area, but Iām not sure. Iāll test it and post my findings.
It's one of the reasons I dual sim with a cheap T-Mobile plan. Where I don't get Verizon in MT, WY, ID - T-Mobile either works or is roaming on another network
I would totally rock that Nokia! Now I gotta go looking!!!
I was so bummed my 3395 would die today. This is fantastic news.
Donāt worry, 2G lives on!
Wait I thought all 2G tech was shutdown years ago!?
Nope, T-Mobile still runs a 2G network, complete with GSM, GPRS, and EDGE. Itās pretty awesome š
Iāll have to dig up some of my old phones. I tried my original iPhone and my 3Gs out a couple years ago and they both worked fine. But then I made the mistake of updating the 3Gs to the latest iOS software that it would take and it bricked the phone. Still have the original iPhone 1 though that uses only EDGE. Just gotta find a monstrous SIM card for it š Arenāt you in Puna? I remember talking to you a few years back. We still have some occasional spots with only EDGE here in Hawaii, even on the newest iPhone!
Wow that's cool!
Man, I loved that phone!!!
Yeah, old Nokias last forever!
YESSS
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That is totally fine, and I completely understand, but the kind of phones that rely on that network arenāt ones that I have anything even remotely important on. If someone hacks my iPhone 3G, theyāll hear me talking about 2G or something and maybe theyāll find a picture of the Apple Store, but thatās it.
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Probably XD Only 20 bucks on eBay š
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ššš
How does a 2g phone keep working but my 5g phone turns into a brick when using 4g LTE after I run out of roaming allowance?
Bro is getting edged constantly
r/blackberry
my iPhone 4S says thank you :)
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Dude, Iām 18.