tmobile

T-Mobile turns on 4G in several new cities

Rolling out an LTE network may be T-Mobile's longer-term goal, but in the near term, it still has customers cruising on its HSPA+ 4G network to satisfy.

Starting today, denizens of Abilene, Amarillo, Odessa, and Victoria, Texas; Bakersfield, Calif.; Eau Claire, Wis.; and Joplin and St. Joseph, Mo., are the newest recipients of T-Mobile's faster network.

The fastest speeds, known as HSPA+ 42 (which stands for theoretical download speeds of up to 42Mbps), will come to the Texan and Californian cities, as well as to Port St. Lucia, Fla. That brings the total to HSPA+ in 225 markets, … Read more

Will Verizon unlock my iPhone 4S?

Swapping out your SIM card on your iPhone 4S when you travel abroad is a good way to avoid expensive roaming charges. But whether you can do it, and on which carrier it's allowed, can be confusing.

In this edition of Ask Maggie I answer what should be a simple and straight-forward question about whether a Verizon Wireless iPhone 4S can be used overseas on a foreign carrier's network. I also offer some advice to another reader looking for voice-only service with a smartphone on T-Mobile's prepaid plans.

Confusion around unlocked iPhones

Hi Maggie, I love your … Read more

T-Mobile Sparq messaging phone quietly demoed at CES

LAS VEGAS--After the dust settled after a busy CES 2012, I got a chance to visit the T-Mobile Sparq.

Compared with the superphones we saw, the modest Sparq ain't much, but it is an affordable offering for folks looking for a keyboarded messaging phone that doesn't require a two-year contract. Take a look at photos for all the specs.

Deutsche Telekom scrambling for cash to keep T-Mobile competitive

Deutsche Telekom is trying to raise money to keep its T-Mobile USA unit competitive following AT&T's failure to acquire the unit.

The German telecom giant is looking to drum up billlions in cash by issuing bonds and possibly selling T-Mobile's cellular towers, says a story in today's Financial Times (registration required).

Deutsche Telekom is in line to pick up $3 billion in cash and $1 billion in spectrum space and roaming rights from AT&T as a break-up fee. But that still may not be enough to help T-Mobile compete against its three larger … Read more

Smartphones for world travelers (roundup)

If you're in the U.S. and frequently travel overseas for business or pleasure, a smartphone with world-roaming capabilities is a good thing to have in your travel kit. The smartphone part of the device gives you access to all the productivity tools you need to get work done on the road, and the world roaming lets you touch base with your colleagues, friends, and family back in the States.

Here are six of the latest world phones we've tested recently, but there are plenty more to choose from.… Read more

More on T-Mobile's 4G hardware announcements

SAN FRANCISCO--Cole Brodman, chief marketing officer for T-Mobile, took the opportunity to reveal a couple of new devices at GigaOM's Mobilize conference in San Francisco: the Samsung Galaxy S II and the HTC Amaze. Both handsets are slated to run on T-Mobile's upgraded HSPA+ 42 network, which promises 4G-like speeds that are faster than most home Internet speeds.

We've seen the Galaxy S II before at a Samsung press event last month, but T-Mobile has spruced it up with HSPA+42 speeds. To take advantage of this speed, T-Mobile has bundled the phone with Netflix, Samsung Media Hub, and T-Mobile TV. The Galaxy S II has a 4.52-inch Super AMOLED Plus display, which is the largest phone display in T-Mobile's stable. The hardware specs are otherwise similar to the unlocked version of the Galaxy S II.… Read more

AT&T promises 5,000 new jobs after T-Mobile merger

Update 8:08 a.m. PT: Just after this story was posted, the Department of Justice said that it has gone to court in Washington, D.C., in an effort to block the merger of AT&T and T-Mobile, saying the deal would reduce competition and violate U.S. antitrust laws.

AT&T is using the prospect of more jobs to help make a stronger case for its merger with T-Mobile USA.

If the deal is approved, AT&T today said that it will be able to "bring back" 5,000 call center jobs to … Read more

Ask Maggie: On the 4G iPhone that isn't

Millions of iPhone customers may not care whether the new iPhone due out this fall will have 4G technology, since they already think their iPhone can access 4G networks.

A recent survey found that a third of iPhone users think they already have a 4G device. Sadly, the iPhone 4 is just another 3G smartphone. It doesn't even come equipped with technology to give it a speed boost on upgraded 3G networks.

In this week's Ask Maggie, I break the news to one reader who was hoping to experience 4G on his new unlocked iPhone 4. I also … Read more

T-Mobile's replacement for RadioShack: 7-Eleven

T-Mobile USA is replacing the outlets that will be lost when RadioShack switches to Verizon Wireless, and early today announced that its first new partner is 7-Eleven.

T-Mobile and 7-Eleven said that, as of yesterday, consumers can buy prepaid handsets at the convenience store chain. The partnership signals T-Mobile's increasing presence in the prepaid area; 7-Eleven is already known for selling prepaid phones and calling cards.

While the partnership gets T-Mobile in 8,800 7-Eleven stores in North America, it is a poor replacement for RadioShack. RadioShack said last week it would begin selling Verizon Wireless products and services … Read more

New T-Mobile MyTouch 4G Slide ready for close-up

Today, T-Mobile finally put the rumors to rest and officially unveiled the T-Mobile MyTouch 4G Slide. Expected in July for $199.99 with contract, it's the latest addition to the carrier's line of consumer-friendly Android smartphones, and it's more than just the next-gen version of the MyTouch 3G Slide; T-Mobile is touting the MyTouch 4G Slide as having the most advanced camera of any smartphone out there.

Designed in collaboration with HTC, the smartphone has an 8-megapixel camera with dual-LED flash and 1080p HD video capture, which isn't out of the ordinary. What is special, however, … Read more