Because eSIM no?
T-Mobile Raises Rates
- Thread starter alarmguy
- Start date
Yes, eSIM part of it because you no longer need a physical SIM to wait for in the mail or need to get one at a store so I am sure that greatly helps speed things along. Everything is instant using the IME # of your phone. I guess at some point SIM slots will no longer exist.
All I did was go to US Mobile website, start an account on line. Once I had an account, entered the phone number and IME. It then prompts you for the "transfer pin" from your existing provider which I got instantly on my T-Mobile online account, copied and pasted it into US Mobile ... and the process is done. The site will tell you it takes up to 30 minutes but it was much faster. I learned to refresh my browser page as it didnt update on my Mac Desktop.
You can also call T-Mobile for a transfer pin, we did that for my wife's phone and maybe had to hold for less than 10 minutes. The reason for my wife's phone which I posted already was I did my phone first and the online account was in my name, so I couldnt get back into it. Wife would have had to then create her own account, so phone call was easier.
The whole eSIM makes perfect sense and I guess easier on the carriers since we are dealing directly with the phone vs another company SIM card I guess.
Once the process was complete and I was SURE my phone number was working with US Mobile (cell information on the phone was showing Verizon) I then deleted T-Mobiles eSIM. You will get a confirmation if I remember correctly. Anyway, I made sure as best I could that the process was complete. I had a fear of deleting my old service and losing my phone# if the new wasnt active.
This part is new to me but I dont think you even have to delete the old one, you can keep eSIMs lets say you have one of overseas as you can switch between them. Im not sure of the process at all but will learn on an overseas trip at the end of the year.
US Mobile seems to make that easy too.
Last edited:
- Joined
- Sep 24, 2023
- Messages
- 1,465
Wife won’t be too happy for the rate hike she just paid hers and my mom’s iPhone 13s off bill for 3 lines plus 2 installments went from $149 to $112.
Population density has alot to do with this. Japan is small and has lots of areas with very high population density that allows carriers to make a good return on their investment. There are areas in the USA with less than 1 person per square mile making cell towers very expensive.
How do you deal with mint mobile if you only have one cell phone? They have no physical stores.
I would love if you post an update in a few weeks. Even though we cant compare as we live in different areas it would be fun to know.
I too liked T-Mobile service but this past six months hated them as a company. First forcing me to switch to a debit card from my credit card then raising my rates after that, so if I can avoid offering any more business I will. I dont think any service is perfect in our top ten growing counties in the USA right now but sure they will catch up. T-Mobile signals get very weak inside of stores and buildings because they are weak in general BUT always work (except in some stores and places we eat. I think that goes for everyone. I will know if Verizon is any better when we go shopping. SO far signal seems about the same as it was with TMobile.
I haven't dealt with a physical store in maybe 12 years. Not sure why you would have too.
Cell phone plans now a days are almost like subscribing to a streaming plan like Netflix for your TV
You have the device, just sign up for the service.
Hermann
Site Donor 2023
My MInt Mobile is up next month and I plan on renewing for another year. It comes out to a bit less than $200 for the year with tax and 911 fee. 2+ years of pleasant no hassle service.
Similar annual offerings from US Mobile if you find T-Mobile raises Mint rates now that they own it.
US Mobile is $20 less and you get double the data (not that it is a big deal if it doesnt matter to the person)
Still Mint is good, not knocking it.
I definitely will. I'm already leaning towards moving back to GSM, but I'm going to wait until I get a chance to commute with Verizon to compare known weak spots 1:1. The small town we live in only has Verizon 4g, which gives me about 10 meg download speed. T-Mobile has 5g UC on its tower, and I can get 300+ DL speeds at home. Plus, there's a lot less congestion on the TMO network where I am. Almost everyone has either VZW or AT&T, leaving TMO spectrum wide open.
Perfect, I look forward to what you experience.
I have posted speeds up to around 700 Mb per second near a T-Mobile tower on 5 UC a year or two back in our old hometown.
If this is any consolation, I just posted a speed test using US mobile warp
It was on the beach with an LTE only single and still turned over 150 Mbps
Though for me personally, I’m not concerned on the cell phone. It’s such a small screen and doesn’t take much data to have to fill it up.
Meaning, I can’t really notice a perceptible difference, but that doesn’t mean other people can’t.
Oops I just realized I posted results recently on T-Mobile UC with comparable speeds to what I mentioned above. The thing is once you get a mile or so away from the tower it drops off rapidly and now that I think of it, I’m going to drive down to the tower right now and see if the Verizon number come in at that.
Hermann
Site Donor 2023
The data is improved at 5gigs from the previous period, Just took a 3 day trip. Used SiriusXM a lot and used LTE in the motel for safety. I don't use the WiFi in hotels any more. LTE was on for 3 days and I still had 1.7gigs left. It's working for me, as @alarmguy said if you use more data, there are other options. Although 15gigs is only $5 more. $60 year.
Up until sometime last year I owned stock in T Mobile and was up to date on the network vs competition. (I wish I held the stock now) It was known at the time that they were way ahead of ATT and Verizon with the conversion of upgrading cell towers to 5g (all types) Verizon scrambled and was getting up to speed at that time. It wasnt even close. But that is changing rapidly and Verizon finally got their act together. However (unsure as now I am not following) the merger with Sprint bought them boatloads of extra bandwidth and not sure if the others will catch up soon.
(T Mobile) Ok, so anyway in the recent past I drove to a tower near my home (I posted this before) it's around 2 to 2.5 miles away with my old ACTUAL T Mobile service. Near this tower with T-Mobile I get upwards of 600 Mbps on 5g UC. However down the road at my house 2.5 miles away I get no/where near that, maybe 40 to 50 from what I remember. Distance takes a heavy toll on 5g and why I do not care to much other than to beat the download test site because on a phone I dont really need it but it is cool to see.
( Verizon) is now my new service with US Mobile as that is what I elected but as you posted I can switch to TMobile network anytime.
I went to the same tower with my now Verizon service 2.5 miles away. I learned yesterday unlike T Mobile, there is no 5g Verizon service on that tower yet. 4 of 4 bars of LTE service gave me 173 Mbps. Still plenty fine.
This tower near my home is an incredibly fast growing area of the Carolina Coast. But was and to some degree still very rural. With time more towers will be built and more 5g service will be upgraded on existing towers. Many may not know many of these cell phones towers are not owned by the cell phone companies. They are owned by companies such as American Tower and carry all the major cell phone companies cell phone antennas. The space on those towers are leased to Verizon, TMobile, ATT etc. So many of these have all three major cell phone companies on the same tower and it is justt tower by tower who is in the lead in upgrading to 5g which one day will have many other uses vs just cell phones. The range of 5g is very limited without massive further building out the network. City areas of course are much easier to cover.
Global Wireless Infrastructure Provider | American Tower
Global leader in digital infrastructure. Explore our wireless communications and data center solutions.
www.americantower.com
SO as you can see the test above from a tower 2.5 (road miles) from my home within maybe 1/4th of a mile, clear sight of the tower. No 5g where T-Mobile had 5g and I had 600+ Mbps.
SO last night we were out to dinner at Bonefish Grill in the more populated N. Myrtle Beach area and I looked at my phone and saw I had Verizons 5g UW service.
Once we finished dinner and got into our car I did a speed test. Stopped the car in the middle of the parking lot. I had 3 of 4 bars of service and no idea where the tower was but with only 3 bars it wasnt right next to me. And pulled between 325 and 360 Mbps on the two tests that I did.
I still cant confirm (what is most important in our area) is if one service has better coverage than the other. But it's fun to know if I ever want I can switch my US Mobile from Verizon service to T-Mobile service.
On a cell phone I wont notice any difference between them if latency is the same.
I guess bottom line is if Verizon will have better coverage than T-Mobile in our rural area. I suspect not and they will both be the same. IT is interesting. I do like the voice quality (tone) of Verizon with the iPhone a little better but cant say it is better but sounds more pleasing to my ear.
However I think time has taken care of which service is better than the other in a lot of areas. In my mind I have giving an edge as far as 5g speeds rightfully so to TMobile but its not like it makes much difference. The key is you have service, whether LTE which is fine or 5g which is fine.
Last edited:
That's funny @alarmguy I owned T-Mobile stock for a long time that I got in exchange for my Sprint holdings. I purchased a bunch of Sprint for around $4 a share full well knowing that bankruptcy was more or less impossible and that their spectrum holdings alone were worth billions to the right buyer (TMO made the most sense given their spectrum holdings at the time). I made a decent little chunk of change off that deal.
Funny thing is, that very deal is what started the current crop of issues.
Funny thing is, that very deal is what started the current crop of issues.
Do it all on-line.
If your phone supports eSIM (and is unlocked) you just set it up while on WiFi.
Otherwise, they send you a SIM in the mail.
(I do have a referral SIM and/or a referral code if anyone is interested. I don't want to SPAM the board. PM me if interested in either my referral code or the ONE physical SIM I have to hand off to family or friends.)
Our T-mobile rates have not been raised.
I just hexed myself!!!
I just hexed myself!!!
I’m not understanding. I thought you had Magenta 55+ @$70 ? But I guess not, good for you anyway!
I’m glad I got pushed into the raise, the outrage made me switch to US Mobile and now I pay $33 a month for both my lines instead of $80
Some of that outrage was just months earlier when they would no longer accept credit cards for payment and told me if I didn’t give them my debit card that my rate would go up.
Just for clarity we had TMobile for just two years at a great price and a special deal that gave us two new IPhone 13s at the time of the deal.
I was going too at some point switch back to a MVNO which we used for over a decade. Cool thing is data and voice all comes from the same three big guys no matter who you pay
Not that there is anything wrong for those who chose to do so. We all pay for services that have value to us.
I’m not understanding. I thought you had Magenta 55+ @$70 ? But I guess not, good for you anyway!
If your preference is to initiate a switch to Mint Mobile by using a local brick and mortar store, you can go and pick up a 3-month starter plan with SIM card at your local Best Buy store. They also offer a 7-day trial SIM for $2 if you just want to see how good Mint coverage is in your area. Subsequent renewals are done online or via the Mint Mobile app.
