HSPA+ vs LTE Samsung S3

[schlar01]

OK, I've been thinking of doing the value plan on TM for a while now but they don't have HSPA+ in my area and LTE will start rolling out in 2013. Verizon is the only company that offers 4G LTE in my area right now.

If I were to purchase an S3, the TM version isn't compatible with LTE right now. Since they haven't deployed any advanced tech in my area I'm wondering if I should just avoid this because they likely aren't going to roll any more HSPA+ out and then I'd need to buy a new phone if they ever roll 4G LTE out.

Thoughts? The last thing I'd want is to get a phone that is basically already obsolete for my area.

 

[zanza]

There is other good things about the GS3 besides just the radio.

 

[schlar01]

No doubt but my main concern would be that the radio would be obsolete the day I buy it based on what they roll out in the future. I don't understand why they are not rolling S3s out with LTE.

 

[GalaxyNexus]

I'd wait until the new Nexus phones come out. Those will hopefully ALL come w/ LTE radios. Besides, hopefully you'll be able to buy it directly from Google for cheaper than it is retail at T Mobile.

 

[LoyalServant]

What area are you in?
What I can suggest is that you don't chase technology.
You will always lose.

The reason that I ask what area your in is because I spent 10 years working in the wireless industry before I turned software developer and sit at a desk
I hear things.... usually related to BTS upgrades/deployments

 

[schlar01]

My zip is 56401. Verizon just added 4G LTE here, not sure how that affects anything, especially with the spectrum and/or roaming agreements with the latest Verizon regulatory agreement.

Regardless, I might get US Cellular, even though they are $70+ because its cheaper than Verizon and not terrible coverage like TM. Still not sure, though.

Would love to get the TM $45 value plan, just not sure on the coverage as the network is so bad and really don't want to get left behind if they ever get in on LTE in my area.

 

[LoyalServant]

56401 does have H coverage according to their maps - reality speaks otherwise.

What I do know from asking over the months about their LTE is that it's a super secret operation. Nobody talks about it.

That said they cannot roll out LTE until they refarm AWS, and they can't refarm AWS until they have refarmed 1900.

I say... give it a month or two and see what happens.
I don't know anyone that is working that area - all my people are east coast.

Looking at some map evidence it appears they are only interested in cutting back on roaming which is something I was told is a nationwide initiative anyhow.

AFAIK they have stopped deploying new sites right now.

 

[zanza]

TMo will start with their LTE in 2013. Could be a few cities, 2014 more complete. Don't think its worth waiting for.

 

[aurora40]

No doubt but my main concern would be that the radio would be obsolete the day I buy it based on what they roll out in the future. I don't understand why they are not rolling S3s out with LTE.

I would imagine if they build out LTE to an area, they will also build out HSPA+. They haven't even begun building out LTE yet. Nor have they done much refarming of their 2G/3G spectrum, which is necessary before they can roll out LTE.

I really don't see how that makes the phone instantly obsolete. It will work the best that any phone can work on T-Mobile for at least a year, maybe more.

 

[LoyalServant]

To be fair, phones are obsolete within a month or two these days.
Don't chase technology guys..... you will lose.

 

[zanza]

To be fair, phones are obsolete within a month or two these days.
Don't chase technology guys..... you will lose.

can you name a phone better than GS3, released in May of this year?

Or, can you name a future upcoming phone that will be better?

 

[Crashdamage]

can you name a phone better than GS3, released in May of this year?

Define 'better'. What's better is *very* subjective. For instance, for me this HTC Amaze I'm using is better than the SG3.

Or, can you name a future upcoming phone that will be better?

LG Optimus G for one, assuming you mean raw hardware specs.

 

[Carolina Media]

can you name a phone better than GS3, released in May of this year?

Or, can you name a future upcoming phone that will be better?

I think the GS3 came out July, (at least here in the US). Within the next few months there will be Galaxy Note 2, HTC One X+, new Nexus devices, and a new iPhone model. Maybe even more unannounced phones we don't know about. AT&T users were angry last year when Samsung released the Skyrocket shortly after the GS2 launched.

 

[mogelijk]

can you name a phone better than GS3, released in May of this year?

Or, can you name a future upcoming phone that will be better?

Why do I need to do that? It is the way the market works. We already know the next generation of phones will have quad core processors, they'll come preloaded with Jellybean or even Android 5.0 (Key Lime Pie?), have more memory and storage and cost what current phones cost.

To paraphrase Will Rogers, "If you don't like the current smartphones, just wait five minutes."

 

[aurora40]

To be fair, phones are obsolete within a month or two these days.
Don't chase technology guys..... you will lose.

While consumer electronics don't have a long shelf life, I don't think "obsolete" is true. The Galaxy Nexus came out in Nov last year. It is not obsolete at all. There are certainly newer devices, but there is nothing they can do that some 6-month old phones can't.

Even the Nexus S, well over a year old, can run the latest "hotness" from Android, run Google Now and voice search, use Google Wallet, etc.

A phone might not be the "next big thing" for more than a couple months, but that's a far cry from obsolete.

 

[VinBone]

What we are really talking about here is fast, mobile data. Once we experience it, we are addicted and find 3G about as alluring as the modem mating call from the 14.4 dial up days.

I spend the greatest part of my time in environments that provide wifi. I have audited my use and less than 2% of my data is done over mobile. I have a T-Mobile Samsung Exhibit II 4G. My measured download speed (ookla) is around 3 mbps. I don't stream video or play games on my phone, so my mobile data is much lower than most. When I use mobile data I am usually on Yelp, Navigate or a music stream. I don't need high broadband for those.

See how much data you would actually use and see what you use it for. If you only use 500 mb, but it's critical that is more significant that using 1 GB to stream music.

If you discover that your requirement for mobile data (and you have to define "requirement" as in "makes you happy") is almost nil your selection of phones just eliminated a category of comparison.

The most important thing for my usage is seamless switching between my wifi networks. That's where a consume data.