yashsingh1/xdaforums huggingface dataset:
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] hotleadsingerguy:
What on Earth are you talking about when you say $105 a month?? My bill is just under $90 a month *AFTER* taxes and fees. Since we're somehow talking about our individual plans, and no longer concerned with the OP for some reason, that's with my 4GB of data allowance. *Anyone* can get a discount at Verizon. Most employers give them, all schools give them, certain volunteer agencies give them, or even if you complain about the pricing they'll usually give them.

As for EVDO being laughable and compared to HSPA+...they're completely different generations of technology and I don't agree with your use of the term laughable. I get 1.5-2Mbps on EVDO and this area maxes at around 8Mbps on HSPA+ with T-Mobile. If, according to a few people in this thread, the difference between 8Mbps and 40Mbps is useless and inconsequential, then surely the difference between 2Mbps and 8Mbps is even more so (being a much smaller difference).

Just seems like you're bashing the company not for their service, but because you don't like them or their plans. There's no contesting this fact: Verizon has the most coverage, the fastest average speeds, and the most customers. Those 3 things all being true makes your argument against LTE somewhat ineffective.
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] martonikaj:
Pretty darn much. Well said.
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] hotleadsingerguy:
to the first paragraph...of course I can. That's like saying I can't argue for the speed of a Ferrari because you can't use that speed on city streets anyway. Malarkey. I don't go near my 4GB limit but I still enjoy LTE speeds. Just because I use LTE doesn't mean I'm *ALWAYS* using massive amounts of data...it just means that I have the opportunity to if I need it. If I need to download something from my work computer while I'm on the road (and for some reason forgot my MiFi) I know that I can connect with my phone and download that 200MB file in under a minute without a problem...whereas on T-Mobile it would take me at least 2-3 and my connection would be useless while doing so (if I'm in a location that actually has fast HSPA+).

To the second paragraph...eh? So you'd rather have your phone become functionally useless, in terms of data, than pay a little bit extra? I think you overestimate EDGE speeds...downloading a normal email would take a minimum of 20-30 seconds on EDGE. Forget about people that use Google Voice for voicemail or use their data connection for anything even *relatively* important. What about people that use VOIP services? Suddenly those are all shut off, as well.
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] martonikaj:
www.verizonwireless.com quotes $90 combo: 450min/unlim text/2gb (double promo to 4gb). Taxes and fees shoots that over $100. I'm not quoting a price that some people can get if they complain or get a discount from their employer. I'm quoting what I'd get if I walked into a store tomorrow and signed a contract.

As I said, even UMTS makes EVDO look slow. And I don't see your argument. There really is a big difference between 2mbps (maximum) EVDO vs. HSPA+ at around 8-10mbps. 10mbps gets to the point where you don't notice the speeds anymore

on a smartphone

. My argument about 10 vs 40mbps is that there is nothing that 40mbps can do that 10mbps can't (again,

on a smartphone

) except raw downloads or uploads of large files (see my argument about data caps). You can stream, load pages, download apps, with very little difference on the 2 networks. Processing power is really a limitation on a smartphone. Not data downlink speed at that point.

Hey if my area didn't have great T-Mo service, and I had more money to spend on service, I'd probably be on Verizon too. But that's just not the case.

Truth is I have not said anything false about Verizon in this thread. Just pointing out all of these things. There's nothing wrong with being critical of a business or a service.

---------- Post added at 05:04 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:59 PM ----------

Basically what I'm saying is you can't use the speed of downloading a 2gb movie as a selling point if you can do that 1 time per month.

EDGE really isn't as bad as you think lol. You get push e-mail just fine. Twitter auto-updates every 5min just fine, etc.. My biggest point on this was that

I have the choice of paying more or not

, but I still keep (albeit limited) data functionality. Call me crazy, but I like knowing I'll never be charged an overage on data.

------------

Btw, good conversation guys.
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] hotleadsingerguy:
I wouldn't either...before ICS there were plenty of apps that would give you warnings on data usage (3G Watchdog, for name) and even stop your data usage past a certain point. With ICS even that is moot. You can set it to stop you at 3.9GB (or even 4GB, if you'd like) and you'll never go over that amount. I had AT&T for 10 years...I'm not underestimating EDGE at all. It's horrifically slow (about the highest I ever saw on it was 150Kbps) and almost completely functionally useless.

Like I said, I definitely think it's fair to talk about big speed for certain things...I might download 1 movie a month, but at least I can download it quickly. In terms of business, I might only need to use it once or twice a month, but it's good knowing that I can no matter where in the country I am. Back to the analogy about a sports car...the only people that usually complain by saying "but you can't use it anywhere" are people that can't afford them or people too unskilled to use them. Just because there's a speed limit (data cap) doesn't mean I won't make use of the speed I have.

I understand there are people that love T-Mobile because of their cheaper plans (whether it's someone that doesn't need minutes at all or someone that really needs to save money), but for most of us a large coverage area and faster speeds are much more important. For those of us that travel frequently around the country...it's almost essential. As I said, I had AT&T for 10 years and I couldn't begin to tell you all the times I wished I was using Verizon because of the massive deadspots (or at least spots that lost all 3G).

Good conversation, agreed.
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] kolyan:
Well. I am paying $85 for Unlimited everything and 5GB data, Verizon has the same plan with 4GB data at $120.....thats $35 bucks more and 1GB less of data. If you remove unlimited SMS on both Tmobile is $80 bucks and Verizon is $100. My wife gets 500 minutes and 5GB data for $40 bucks on Tmobile now. I wish Tmobile had 1500 family plan, but there are only 2 options Unlimited (which I dont need) and 1000 min (which is not enough). Verizon has 1400 which fits me well.

Its ridiculous that its so hard to choose the right carrier, phone, and plan....they sure dont make it easy. I am back at nowhere now due to LTE ****. I dont need 20,30, or 40 Mbps....all I need is 5mbps max and a battery that can last 10-15 hours on pretty heavy use. I ski alot, I dont have work desk, and I travel to Europe sometimes...... being charger dependent sucks

EDIT: my HD2 is now at 6+ hours and battery at 51%, thats with all speed tests at Verizon, GPS navigation use with screen ON, bunch of SMS, websites, and few phone calls, and even 20 min of music streaming.....battery is only 1250 by the way vs 1850 on Nexus
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] milan03:
I have GSM Nexus with T-Mobile's $30 pre paid SIM, and T-Mobile's service here in NYC runs circles around AT&T's especially in data department, but to even compare the level of data service you're getting it on T-Mobile with Verizon's LTE is laughable. Yes, you may end up paying a little bit more, but the robustness of Verizon's LTE network is on another level.

If your deal breaker when it comes to picking up a carrier is price, and you're trying to save $10-$20, and the data performance and nationwide coverage isn't important, T-Mobile is the obvious choice.
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] kolyan:
I dont care about price. both Verizon and Tmobile will be the same price with 19% discount that my wife gets. I dont use unlimited minutes and my wife doesnt use 500.....1400 is more then enough for our family plan. We both care about battery and I also care about traveling. I kinda solved the traveling thing, I was planning on getting my wife Incredible 2 which has GSM and whenever I travel just switch phones with my wife, also port both numbers to Google Voice and switch there. I suppose this should work fine, just like switching SIM cards in GSM phones..... < took me a while to come up with this :)
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] hotleadsingerguy:
On that note, if the $20 difference is such a huge deal to people...you should probably not be buying a $700 smartphone. Buy a dumbphone for $50 and use a $40 plan with it.

---------- Post added at 10:18 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:16 PM ----------

Well, if you plan on using Google Voice it's even easier than that. You can have both numbers on both accounts, then just switch the primary number on both accounts and instantly have it working. Google Voice is a terrifically powerful service.
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] sstang2006:
Why do you guys even waist your time arguing with guys that try to compare T-Mobile's network to Verizon's..

just laugh and continue to the next thread..
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] kolyan:
actually we are not......we all know Verizon has better coverage and we know LTE is faster then HSPA+....but i am gonna be getting zero signal and zero Mbps if my battery dies on LTE in 4-6 hours.

Ps. if I knew 100% that I can get steady 1-1.5Mbps on CDMA 3G then i really dont see a problem switching, but in some tests I got 200-500kbps (AT Verizon stores).....how do I know that CDMA around me is not mostly thats....I doubt streaming 128 mp3s will works flawlessly on such a slow speed, no ?
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] nyijedi:
It's going to be different for everyone. In my area, I get solid HSPA+ on T-Mobile and spotty 4G on Verizon. That means it's either consistent 5-10 Mbps or occasional 10-20 Mbps with more frequent 1 Mbps on CDMA 3G. So for me, I prefer the GSM on T-Mobile.
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] BJorje:
I love my GN, but the battery life is pretty bad on lte just as we all knew it would be. In many ways, though I guess I'm an abberation, since for my entire day I'm either on wifi or in a car with a charger. Even without charging in the car and streaming over bluetooth I make it home with at least 50%. So I can deal with no problems at all. It really is just a matter of your needs. I will say that I wouldn't even conceive of carrying a spare battery... The back on this sucker is a pain to get off and on.
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] trixnrice:
on LTE you'd burned through your allotted data of a tier plan with usage of those super fast speeds...another downside to consider. i would say its a coverage thing. i live in missoula, montana...although wonderful coverage verizon 3g speeds are horrendous, and the att coverage is pretty close, while its hspa+ (category 11) out there is a legit 5-7mb down, 1-1.5 up. gsm is the easy choice for me. buts its really up to you and your area. a nexus is a nexus. lets all agree on that though.
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] efenili:
I can only speak to my experience on T-Mobile in San Francisco, and as far as I am concerned it is excellent. The fact that the GSM version of this phone is a World phone that works on 3G across almost any carrier on the planet outside of the CDMA carriers in the US is a huge PLUS IMO as well.

These are taken from my apartment, I get better in the heart of San Francisco.

Galaxy Nexus

I did get slightly better numbers on my Galaxy S2...but not much

Galaxy S 2

That all being said, T-Mobile certainly still has dead spots and when I travel to the mountains (Tahoe) I definitely take my Verizon Mifi with me =)
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] vash1053:
Moot point for me, I have the old Verizon unlimited plan :D
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] martonikaj:
Those speeds are pretty awesome on the SGSII. And low latency.
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] jonny_rubber:
10 Mbps on HSPA+

try being in the UK i have tested in most places in the UK and 4 Mbps is pretty much the max you can expect and that is rare.

Chuck in high traffic and badly optimized networks and most of the time your grateful to get 1Mbps
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] kindiboy:
Only pros LTE has over HSPA+ version is speed and storage. Everything else is in favor of the international version.
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] Matterhorn:
I just went to the Verizon web site...

Verizon single line

On a 2 year contract.

Unlimited talk 69.99

Unlimited text 20.00

Data plan 5gb 50.00, after that you have to pay overage

Tethering :-0 30.00

Total 169.99

Current 2gb data special gives 4gb for 30., so subtract 20.

It is still 149. ?? on a 2 year contract? + tax, probably 165. or so.

T-mobile single line

No contract

Unlimited talk

Unlimited text

5gb of data Unlimited, free edge after that

Free tethering, even after 5gb, Edge after that

$70. out the door

That is 80.+ a month or 960.+ a year difference between comparable plans even though the T-mobile plan isn't even on a contract.

I make this comparison because this is what I see when I go to get a phone online. Maybe some people are getting a special deal, but I don't think everyone does. I didn't see tethering even mentioned in these discussions and from what I've read, Verizon has had some bad press about that!

People have different needs with calling, texting, data, tethering etc. I'm just doing one feature to feature comparison.

Verizon has better coverage, very true. I have a Verizon prepaid phone that I keep when I travel by car across the country, just in case, but I don't need it very often. On the other hand, when I travel abroad GSM is everywhere.

I'm not against Verizon. If someone can tell me how I can get even close to the deal I'm getting with T-mobile I might switch.

Show me the deal :-) I use tethering all the time, talk over 1000 min., stream Netflix and Slingbox and sometimes hit the wall on my 5 gb of data.
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] kolyan:
I am sick of this......now that i forgot all about Nexus and Verizon, my buddy calls me up and offered me $500 shipped for HD2 and Nexus One and ASAP.....but now all Verizon GN are backordered for $150 bucks, and it turns out Verizon 19% discount is only for voice plan which will be only like $17 bucks. Total cost for family plan with 4Gb data, 1400 min, and no text will be $133. I can get Nexus for $235 with activation and Incredible for $35 bucks and port both numbers to Google for another $40 bucks. This is on 2 year contract. And pay $200 Tmobile cancellation fee.

Or I have to stay with Tmobile, pay $120 bucks for my service like I did and I will need to spend at least $565 on Nexus and buy another phone for my wife for $100-150 bucks. This way my wife is contract fee and i have 1 more year
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] stopswitch:
You forgot the part where your phone is worthless without signal, in that case you are throwing away 70$ a month.

Face it people, we pay more at Verizon cause it works everywhere. I have friends on Tmobile and ATT, I also have a sprint workphone. Those carrirrs lose service ALL THE TIME. Friends are always losing service where I have full bars. This is the only reason I've stuck with Verizon, I always have service.

Plus the speeds are way faster. 3G speeds on Verizon are comparable to T-Mobiles wannabe 4g network. On Verizon , you don't have to pay for tethering either, I've been tethering forever and pay no extra fees. Its called wifi tether and you can download it from Google. Sorry you hate Verizon, but that's no reason to be a T-Mobile fan boy.
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] guywmustang:
False. Verizon 3G speeds are definitely slower than T-Mobile 3G. Verizon 4g is faster though.

False. You do have to pay for tethering, unless you root your phone to download a tethering application, which may be detectable by Verizon (I haven't tried yet).

Misinformed people are sometimes the bane of my existence :p
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] kolyan:
Verizon 3G is 600kbps-1.4mbps and max speed is 3.1mbps (on Verizon website)....Tmobile 3G is around 1.5-5.5mbps (i get 2.5mbps on avg), 4G is up to somewhere around 8-10mbps. Wifi and USB tethering is also free on tmobile and its unlimited data.
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] SwiftLegend:
Verizon LTE = reliable (besides the latest blackout) and fast. I have always had Verizon, and I usually have service where other people with AT&T and T-Mobile don't.

My friend says he gets about 40 Mbps at home but he lives in a suburban area. I haven't tried since I live in Manhattan.
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] stopswitch:
Its OK, someone has to keep them in business, cause AT&T won't carry them now. Fortunately for ATT, they are rolling on with LTE now. Hopefully AT&T can be a good competition for Verizon, cause monopolies suck.
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] RacingManiac:
ditto....lol

I do wish that the VZW GNex is a world phone, but tbh it works in US and Canada, thats where I am 99% of the time...
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] Raptor1956:
In the two weeks I've had the GN I'm managing an average of over 17Mbps and have seen 23Mbps on LTE. The thing that has surprised me, and quite happily so, is that I'm getting LTE almost everywhere I go (SLC, Atlanta, Albany, Saratoga Springs). In fact, here's my listing from SpeedTest...

Type.....Date.........Download......Upload.......Ping

WiFi....12/23/11.........4271...........6512.........79

WiFi....12/24/11........12936..........6784..........21

LTE.....12/24/11........19638..........8978........114

WiFi.....12/24/11.......12387..........6873..........26

WiFi.....12/25/11.......11958..........6730..........23

LTE.........1/3/12.......15622..........7448..........94

LTE.........1/4/12.......16016.........10721..........60

LTE.........1/4/12.......17331.........11594..........70

LTE.........1/4/12.......23105.........11824........103

So, my phone gets faster data than my Comcast home gets and my WiFi is N-type.

Brian
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] ianwood:
You mean besides the last 4 major outages which is pretty unprecedented for VZW. They have a very serious flaw in the IMS core that keeps rearing its ugly head and no one knows how to fix it yet. Heads are rolling at Nokia Siemens. You can expect some more funky teething issues with VZW LTE.
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] tsunami1609:
Really though. I know you guys have your opinions, but there's no need to get defensive. They're both good in certain areas. Here's the way I see it:

LTE>HSPA+>Tmo 3G>Verizon 3g. If you have a LTE variant you're pretty much going to only be using LTE because Verizon 3G is awful, even for 3G standards. LTE however kills HSPA+ in terms of speed.

That being said, LTE will kill your battery even faster, and for most, 10Mbps is pretty damn good. Webpages and streaming don't use that much data, so they will be fast no matter which "4G" you use. In terms of coverage, if you live outside of a major city things might get iffy with T-mobile. In these cities, however, coverage should be about the same. For example I go to a university in Pittsburgh, I'm on T-mobile and I never lose signal.

I'm not going to compare pricing with facts, but the way I see it, you get what you pay for. Tmobile IS cheaper than Verizon, but Verizon has more coverage.

SUMMARY: We all know that these things are extremely dependent. If you live in a big city, you're probably better with a HSPA+. Better battery and very good speeds, while cheaper (usually). If you live elsewhere it's iffy, but your best bet is Verizon.

Oh and this doesn't count NYC. God knows what goes on there :)
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] milan03:
Since we're talking about pros and cons I'll stick with the technology, not the prices...

LTE is using MIMO which helps with overall reception, especially throughput and beamforming. There is no way in the HSPA+ is gonna perform as good as LTE when it comes to cell edge and fringe areas. The throughput is 73mbps in theory, real life 71mbps from my own experience. On GSM Nexus, you'll see peak speeds of 15-18mbps using T-Mobile, never on AT&T.

Downside of LTE is the first gen, large 45nm chipsets, very power hungry, and need for two separate baseband chipsets one for voice, and one for data, which additionally drains the crap out of the battery. I carry three batteries every day, but I have the full brightness on and enjoy the phone to the fullest all day long.

There are so many more benefits, I suggest reading as this is very interesting topic.
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] Rebel908:
Personally I think the way the mobile world is going, it is going to suck not having LTE

Verizon's 3G is ASS SLOW. But the 4G LTE is fast and in my opinion the best network. AT&T LTE isn't readily available and is mostly in areas with a population greater than 750K people.

And once LTE Max is switched on.....my goodness. It is the true 4G, LTE technically isn't 4G, but its more 4G than HSPA+ can muster.

The theoritical maximum of 4G is 1 Gigabit per second, which is obscenely fast.

So I think LTE is worth it. Batteries be damned!
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] ericc191:
LTE shouldn't even be something to consider right now. Not until we see advances in batteries.
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] reuthermonkey:
3gamerica has a pretty good whitepaper on 3gpp rel 9 that it looks like a lot of you folks need to read.

The amount of misinformation and downright ignorance about the supposed "big" differences between HSPA+ and LTE in this thread is pathetic.

http://www.3gamericas.org/documents/3GPP_Rel-9_Beyond Feb 2010.pdf

--Sorry it's not as concise as "LTE is awesome, HSPA+ sucks!"

HSPA+ has very similar capabilities (when fully upgraded) to LTE because...drumroll please...

it's under development by the exact same standards body.

In the context of our devices, the LTE GNEX will almost always be faster due to having a higher peak, plus being on a generally vacant network. It comes at the cost of powering a secondary radio - thus lower battery life and extra heft.

But in the context of technologies themselves, LTE and HSPA+ have far more in common than VZW would have you believe.
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] Baguett:
Getting around 2.39 mbps down and 2.3 mbps up here om 3G/H network (varies between them)

Not great, but good enough for surfing though.
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] wendellc:
Hspa+ is fast enough for me. Getting about 12-13mbps down in the city.
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] kolyan:
I made my decision.....I am selling my Tmo Nexus One and HD2 for $500 because its a good price and because I promised already. But I am not switching to Verizon due to price (even with 19% discount its more expensive) and because of LTE battery drain, and 2-year contract. But I am not buying Gnex without warranty for $600 and spending another $100-150 bucks for second phone for my wife.

Instead I am gonna get MyTouch 4G and LG G2x for about $350-400 bucks, enjoy 4G speeds, full support of CM7, no contract, and later switch my plan to $60 bucks for all unlimited with 2GB data.

Cheapest Verizon is $133 bucks for me with discount 4GB data, 1400 min, and no text. Cheapest Tmobile for me is Unlimited talk 1st line, 500 min 2nd line, no text, 5GB data both lines for $120. Or will probably switch to 2GB data, unlimited text and talk for $100 bucks (2 lines).
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] mfdemicco:
Or larger batteries.

I guess that is the tune that Apple is singing. However, I get acceptable battery life out of my LTE Nexus.

How much better battery life does HSPA+ have than LTE? How much worse is HSPA+ than regular 3G?

A friend of mine said of his pay as you go TMobile plan. "This is the cheapest plan I can get. Most places I don't get coverage, so I save money."
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] reuthermonkey:
T-Mobile prepaid is the same as Boost-mobile for Sprint or GoPhone for ATT:

No partner network roaming = much smaller network.

T-Mobile Value plans != prepaid. Value Plans get full roaming access.
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] sstang2006:
Please do some research on the G2x before you regret it.

I sold the Nexus S for the G2x when it came out and that's the worst phone I have ever had. I hated that phone so much that you can't imagine.

Get a Nexus one before getting the G2x, really... Do a little research..