You guys might flame, but I gotta ask

[enthusiassed]

I signed up with Sprint for 2 years with the iPhone 5. I've been an android guy since the OG EVO days and I must admit although many say the iPhone 5 is inferior to the quad core devices, I must agree, but at the same time the 5 is a great product and I have no reason to go back to android. I have been getting LTE near my home area, but the coverage is spotty and I have seen improvements in LTE coverage and it has only been a week! I still have 7 days to return to Sprint for a full refund. Tmobile's new plans for $99 iphone 5 + $90/month seems appealing considering I'll get HSPA+ or LTE. My question is in the long run which would be a better investment? I have limited knowledge when it comes to future deployments of either company. The only thing I do know is speed wise I was much happier on Tmobile. Coverage wise I am better off on Sprint. I know your answers may be a bit bias, but I'd like to understand why Sprint will be better than Tmobile for future LTE deployments.. Please convince me to stay! lol.

[Deval]

What is a greater requirement for you? Coverage where you can use your phone? Or faster speeds where you can use your phone?

 

For me, coverage is better than speed, since I have access to WIFI at home, and at work, and when I'm traveling, the speeds are sufficient for my needs.

 

Sprint is better in the sense that they are installing LTE on almost every cell site, so basically if you have 3G coverage, you'll see LTE coverage, almost a 1:1 coverage.

[Basil]

This post kind of has me scratching my head.

 

First, if you've done any reading around here you should realize "flaming" others is generally frowned upon.knee-jerk responses are not what S4GRU is about. That's one of the reasons i enjoy around here.

Second, then pitting the EVO vs the iPhone, Android vs iOS, and Sprint vs T-Mobile, seems to be inviting flames.

Third, what does EVO vs the iPhone and Android vs iOS, have to do with Sprint vs T-Mobile?

Fourth, "Please convince me to stay! lol.", lol? Really?

Finally, fifth, do your homework. Read up around here.

[lilotimz]

See these following threads for a very,very informative discussion about T-mobiles 4g network and Sprints 4g network projects.

 

http://s4gru.com/ind...-sprint-4g-lte/

http://s4gru.com/ind...verybody-elses/

 

Long story short, T-mobiles currently does not plan to expand LTE coverage to areas that do not already have HSPA. Any areas that are Edge / 2g will stay that way for the conceivable future (at least till 2015) and will most likely not be touched until all their HSPA coverage have been worked on.

 

By 2015, Sprints Network will overall but much more attractive than T-mobile in terms of coverage and indoor penetration due to sub 1ghz spectrum (SMR 800) which will make Sprints LTE characteristics nearly equal to that of Verizon and ATT. T-mobile will no doubt sometimes have better LTE speeds in urban areas thanks to the fact that they own a lot of 10x10 in many areas of the country but once you get out of the urban area, you'll most likely drop to 2g which is a huge shocker. Sprint will have at least a minimum of 3g EVDO incase you get out of LTE range.

 

In the end. T-mobile is a very, very attractive option for urban dwellers who hardly ever go out of the city or travel around. Sprint will have a network that will only get better with time in both urban and more rural areas. Sprint/Clearwires TDD-LTE will put a damper on T-mobile speed wise if Sprint decides to deploy them in all of its urban markets while SMR 800 will put T-mobile to shame.

[enthusiassed]

Thanks for the great responses. I will read up a bit more later on, but thats exactly what I wanted to hear lol.

[lynyrd65]

What is a greater requirement for you? Coverage where you can use your phone? Or faster speeds where you can use your phone?

 

For me, coverage is better than speed, since I have access to WIFI at home, and at work, and when I'm traveling, the speeds are sufficient for my needs.

 

Sprint is better in the sense that they are installing LTE on almost every cell site, so basically if you have 3G coverage, you'll see LTE coverage, almost a 1:1 coverage.

 

When it comes to T-Mobile vs Sprint in Florida, T-Mobile might actually be a better option. Unlike most states T-Mobile almost has universal HSPA+ coverage throughout the state.

 

Thanks for the great responses. I will read up a bit more later on, but thats exactly what I wanted to hear lol.

 

Look at the 4G coverage maps on T-Mobile's site, that is the coverage you will have now and for the future.

 

Next, look at the coverage maps for Sprint and where they have 3G, that is your immediate future for LTE coverage (this year). Next year will be a whole different ballgame with 800mhz LTE. The new 800mhz LTE network will destroy the coverage T-Mobile has in nearly every location. It offers vastly better in-building coverage.

[jamesinclair]

One thing to consider is that two big appeals of the Sprint network, LTE on 800 and 2500, arent supported by any phone now.

 

So if you lock yoruself in.....well, you lock yourself out.

 

You might be best of waiting for an Iphone 5S which hopefully supports the full range of frequencies.

[doug526]

I don't see 2500 MHz speed capabilities as a draw or a value proposition for telling you to stay with Sprint.

 

First, it won't be possible to use LTE 2500 for at least another year or two, in most areas.

 

Second, the range of 2500 is pretty poor in most urban areas, you pretty much have to be within line of sight to the tower to get a good usable signal.

 

BUT, I can say that the LTE SMR800 is a good value proposition for Sprint. Although none of us have access to it yet, it will be interesting to have when we finally do have devices that support it. Which should hopefully be this year.

 

If you want hardcore widespread LTE coverage TODAY then you should probably just go to AT&T or VZW. Not S or TMO.

[jefbal99]

If you want hardcore widespread LTE coverage TODAY then you should probably just go to AT&T or VZW. Not S or TMO.

 

The problem with this statement is capacity. The LTE networks from big red and blue are already slowing down due to saturation. Big red is adding AWS LTE, but just like Sprint, no devices support it. Blue will eventually add WCS spectrum, but that is years off. They may have the most coverage, but they also have the most users.

 

Sent from my SPH-L900 using Forum Runner

[SteveK]

Every device is inferior to some other device. If you're paying for it and you like it, problem solved.

 

I agree with other posts here; T-Mobile may have some geographical coverage now (NONE near me) but I see them growing the customer base like Sprint did and eventually running into the same capacity problems Sprint is just now crawling out of.

[dontsh00tmesanta]

Every device is inferior to some other device. If you're paying for it and you like it, problem solved.

 

I agree with other posts here; T-Mobile may have some geographical coverage now (NONE near me) but I see them growing the customer base like Sprint did and eventually running into the same capacity problems Sprint is just now crawling out of.

No that wont happen as the issue with sprint is their antiquated backhaul......tmobile has fiber almost everywhere already

 

That wont be a big issue like it was on sprint....as far as spectrum time till tell

[Nickel]

The problem with this statement is capacity. The LTE networks from big red and blue are already slowing down due to saturation. Big red is adding AWS LTE, but just like Sprint, no devices support it. Blue will eventually add WCS spectrum, but that is years off. They may have the most coverage, but they also have the most users.

 

Sent from my SPH-L900 using Forum Runner

I wonder if AT&T might wait until the Leap deal goes through and then would add both WCS and AWS, but that's just speculation.

[koiulpoi]

No that wont happen as the issue with sprint is their antiquated backhaul......tmobile has fiber almost everywhere already

 

That wont be a big issue like it was on sprint....as far as spectrum time till tell

Been browsing some old threads lately, have we?

[Nickel]

No that wont happen as the issue with sprint is their antiquated backhaul......tmobile has fiber almost everywhere already

 

That wont be a big issue like it was on sprint....as far as spectrum time till tell

T-Mobile most certainly does not have fiber "almost everywhere" there are quite a few GPRS/EDGE sites running on T1s. 

[dontsh00tmesanta]

T-Mobile most certainly does not have fiber "almost everywhere" there are quite a few GPRS/EDGE sites running on T1s.

Yes they do..... In every hspa zone they have fiber

 

Which ATM beats sprint and allowed them to catch up

[Paynefanbro]

Yes they do..... In every hspa zone they have fiber

 

Which ATM beats sprint and allowed them to catch up

 

On Sprint 1x is the minority. On T-Mobile I don't know if I can say the same about EDGE/GPRS.

[dontsh00tmesanta]

On Sprint 1x is the minority. On T-Mobile I don't know if I can say the same about EDGE/GPRS.

And at the moment edge is still faster than sprint 3g in most places

[Paynefanbro]

And at the moment edge is still faster than sprint 3g in most places

 

I'd like to disagree with that, but rather than argue, I'll just take it to the higher ups.

[dontsh00tmesanta]

Given I have a tmo phone and a sprint phone you I can confirm that

 

But I'll digress edge and sprint 3g is similar in speed

[Dkoellerwx]

Uhh.... this thread ran it's course a couple months ago. If you really want to continue to debate T-Mobile and Sprint, take it to the appropriate threads. Thanks!

[WiWavelength]

In rural areas, Sprint EV-DO and T-Mobile EDGE (or even GPRS) are not similar in speed.  Sprint EV-DO typically runs 1+ Mbps.

 

But that is largely irrelevant on the Sprint end anyway, since Sprint is upgrading both urban and rural areas to LTE.  Meanwhile, T-Mobile is upgrading only urban areas that already have W-CDMA, hence already have advanced backhaul.  The rural areas and small markets that lack W-CDMA will continue to rot for the next few years.

 

dontsh00tmesanta, do not revive old threads just to troll for T-Mobile.  Consider yourself warned.  The next step is suspension or ban.

 

AJ

[S4GRU]

Yes they do..... In every hspa zone they have fiber

 

Which ATM beats sprint and allowed them to catch up

This is far from accurate. T-Mobile has thousands of HSPA/HSPA+ sites with just T1 backhaul. Every Tmo WCDMA site in New Mexico outside of the big cities (ABQ, Santa Fe, Las Cruces) has T1 backhaul and run between 100k and 2Mbps. Most run around 500kbps.

 

I can go out in my front yard right now with a Tmo 4G signal and it will run around 130kbps with a decent ping around 90ms.

 

Robert via Samsung Galaxy Note 8.0 using Tapatalk

 

 

[S4GRU]

And at the moment edge is still faster than sprint 3g in most places

This isn't true either. Sprint 3G tends to run great in rural areas where Tmo runs EDGE/GPRS. In my area, Sprint 3G runs 1-2.5Mbps and Tmo EDGE runs around 100kbps. And this is also true the places I travel in Colorado, Texas and Oklahoma. Just because you want to make a point that Sprint legacy 3G suvcka, doesn't make it accurate.

 

Your posts offer nothing substantative to the discussion, are inaccurate and have a trolling quality. Please stick to facts if you are going to be negative about Sprint. And when you're going to be negative, it needs a to be constructive. If you're just going to troll our site, go somewhere else. Or we will help you get there.

 

Robert via Samsung Galaxy Note 8.0 using Tapatalk

 

 

[S4GRU]

Given I have a tmo phone and a sprint phone you I can confirm that

 

But I'll digress edge and sprint 3g is similar in speed

I have a Sprint phone, Tmo phone, Verizon phone and an ATT phone. What's your point? Your facts are still lacking.

 

Robert via Samsung Galaxy Note 8.0 using Tapatalk

 

 

[The Dave]

My Sprint 3G speeds have been awesome. Even before NV upgrades were completed, I still don't know anyone in their right mind who would consider T-Mobile Edge faster than anything besides my wife browsing through a Yankee Candle store.