Question on Google Play edition Nexus 5 on T-mobile network

[darbebo]

Hello

Looking to transition my mom from her motorola razr (the legendary flip phone) to an actual smartphone -and i figure nexus 5 should be a good choice.

She's on t-mobile.

To "save" money, and also not get those t-mobile bloatware apps on the nexus, I think everyone would agree to buy it through google play store for 349$ (16gb).

My question/worry is....i saw a lot of threads (well not alot, just enough) about APN/LTE/something not working with the connection with T-mo.

So if i was to buy one from google, get it shipped to home, walk over to local T-mobile store, tell them i have brand new nexus 5, tell them to sell me a brand new sim card with LTE enabled for the N5 (no way razr sim carrd would work lolz!) - do you think my mom would experience any of such connection issue?

Because if i get it at T-mo, at the very least, those guys would "own up" to any issues i will have since i purchased it physically with them. Like i won't walk out without LTE and they will have no reason not to help me.

but if i get it online (not thru them) they will be less reluctant to help

what do you guys think about the connection issue in the first place?

thx!

 

[Hook]

I suspect any such APN problems you read about were with an MVNO using T-Mobile's network, not T-Mobile. You should have no APN troubles. The T-Mobile sold version is identical to the Google Play version-- there is no bloatware added, but it is more expensive, so it still makes sense to get it from Google.

 

[sikclown]

Hello

Looking to transition my mom from her motorola razr (the legendary flip phone) to an actual smartphone -and i figure nexus 5 should be a good choice.

She's on t-mobile.

To "save" money, and also not get those t-mobile bloatware apps on the nexus, I think everyone would agree to buy it through google play store for 349$ (16gb).

My question/worry is....i saw a lot of threads (well not alot, just enough) about APN/LTE/something not working with the connection with T-mo.

So if i was to buy one from google, get it shipped to home, walk over to local T-mobile store, tell them i have brand new nexus 5, tell them to sell me a brand new sim card with LTE enabled for the N5 (no way razr sim carrd would work lolz!) - do you think my mom would experience any of such connection issue?

Because if i get it at T-mo, at the very least, those guys would "own up" to any issues i will have since i purchased it physically with them. Like i won't walk out without LTE and they will have no reason not to help me.

but if i get it online (not thru them) they will be less reluctant to help

what do you guys think about the connection issue in the first place?

thx!

I activated my Nexus 5 with a T-Mobile SIM with zero issues. It works perfectly. The issues people have had involve MVNOs to my knowledge. I bought mine from Google Play. All Nexus 5s are identical in the US. I also use my N5 on Sprint, I just swap out the SIMs on the fly.

 

[jhawkkw]

I think hook is right and that it probably say an MVNO. T-Mobile sim cards come preloaded with apns, so it should work fairly quickly after activation. Either that or the phone detects a T-Mobile sim and auto loads the correct apn. Either way, it should be automatic.

 

[akmsr]

as everyone said there is not such thing as google play edition of nexus 5. they are all the same. while you order the phone from play store, you can order a micro sim card from t-mobile too and have it delivered. that way you wouldn't have to step in a store either.
about your mom getting LTE, check their coverage map, opensignal, sensorly etc to make sure her house/work is covered for LTE.

 

[darbebo]

Thanks guys!

Seriously don't know why T-mo jack up the price to $400 for the 16gb, with tax that'ld be like 450. (vs $400 from Google after tax)

 

[mogelijk]

Thanks guys!

Seriously don't know why T-mo jack up the price to $400 for the 16gb, with tax that'ld be like 450. (vs $400 from Google after tax)

If you are going to buy today, you might want to consider the Moto X. It's a great phone, just a tad smaller, and today only it is $100 off at $299 for the 16GB version, $324 for the 32GB version; you can also customize it to get it in your mom's favorite colors. You order it directly from Motorola and it also is a very clean version of Android without the carrier bloat.