Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
San Pedro, CA iPhone 4S
 

Attachments

  • IMG_1373.PNG
    IMG_1373.PNG
    707.9 KB · Views: 103
At this risk of sounding like an idiot, when you have 4G on your iPhone 4S, I take this to mean HSPA+ not full 4G?

I wonder what will happen with Sprint when they turn on LTE. I'm pretty sure this is NOT the same as HSPA+ like AT&T and T-Mobile use, so I imagine I'll be stuck on 3G abysmal speeds.

For reference, on Sprint, in a NJ Suburb about 10 miles west of NYC:

4 out of 5 bars:

Test is made to Clifton, NJ node via Speedtest.net

Ping 136 ms
Download 0.05 Mbps
Upload 0.18 Mbps

ARGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
 
At this risk of sounding like an idiot, when you have 4G on your iPhone 4S, I take this to mean HSPA+ not full 4G?

I wonder what will happen with Sprint when they turn on LTE. I'm pretty sure this is NOT the same as HSPA+ like AT&T and T-Mobile use, so I imagine I'll be stuck on 3G abysmal speeds.

For reference, on Sprint, in a NJ Suburb about 10 miles west of NYC:

4 out of 5 bars:

Test is made to Clifton, NJ node via Speedtest.net

Ping 136 ms
Download 0.05 Mbps
Upload 0.18 Mbps

ARGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
question is what do you consider full 4G?
 
Last edited:
At this risk of sounding like an idiot, when you have 4G on your iPhone 4S, I take this to mean HSPA+ not full 4G?

I wonder what will happen with Sprint when they turn on LTE. I'm pretty sure this is NOT the same as HSPA+ like AT&T and T-Mobile use, so I imagine I'll be stuck on 3G abysmal speeds.

For reference, on Sprint, in a NJ Suburb about 10 miles west of NYC:

4 out of 5 bars:

Test is made to Clifton, NJ node via Speedtest.net

Ping 136 ms
Download 0.05 Mbps
Upload 0.18 Mbps

ARGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

When the iPhone displays "4G" on AT&T and Tmobile it's HSPA+. When you're on 4G LTE it will display "LTE". So even when Sprint gets LTE in your area, yes you will still be stuck with their terrible 3G speeds. It won't change anything for 4S users.
 
Asheville, NC -- the day I started using the new iPhone when T-Mobile released it. I was using the Nexus 4 before (work phone now) and they seem to get about the same.
 

Attachments

  • iphone.png
    iphone.png
    273.8 KB · Views: 112
I ran some more tests over the last day or two using another program. I used Rootmetrics and ran continously on my 3G at home.

It's suggesting a more acceptable 250 kBps download and around 125 kBps upload. While this is certainly nowhere near T-Mobile's data bandwidth nor any other provider for that matter, it's still... acceptable.
 
When the iPhone displays "4G" on AT&T and Tmobile it's HSPA+. When you're on 4G LTE it will display "LTE". So even when Sprint gets LTE in your area, yes you will still be stuck with their terrible 3G speeds. It won't change anything for 4S users.

Yes it will, Sprint's LTE comes in tandem with upgraded 3G. Speeds won't be HSPA+ like, but they'll be noticeably faster than the current speeds in overloaded areas.

I've been in an area with upgraded 3G and my speeds generally ranged from 1.5 Mbps to over 2 Mbps which is definitely usable.
 
Warren, Michigan on a T-Mobile iPhone 5
 

Attachments

  • IMG_0041.PNG
    IMG_0041.PNG
    826 KB · Views: 122
  • IMG_0042.PNG
    IMG_0042.PNG
    495.2 KB · Views: 114
T-Mobile Selects RootMetrics App As New Tool For Comparing Signal Strength Against The Competition

So, T-Mobile customers, if you want to show how good your service is or highlight problems that you think others should know about, then start testing. In fact, showing where service is poor is one of the best aspects of using our app. It’s frustrating to find poor service and feel that nothing will change because your experience is lost or not heard. Our app gives you a voice to let the carriers hear both the good and bad. Your results are combined with those of everyone else who uses the app to create a true picture of performance. As we say, “a single person whispers but a crowd shouts.” The carriers are listening and can use your crowd-sourced results to improve network performance.

=====
Although everyone uses speedtest app, the Rootmetrics app will provide official feedback to T-mobile
 
Quick report from Baltimore where I am getting excellent speeds on hspa and lte, 10-18 Mbps.

Perhaps most interesting: I am currently at a coffee shop near the inner harbor with very weak (1-2 bars) 4g signal - awkward location with lots of big buildings - , so I am only seeing 1.5-2.0 mbps down. But on verizon with lte I get the same weak signal but even slower speeds - less than 0.5 Mbps down and slower ping.
 
Quick report from Baltimore where I am getting excellent speeds on hspa and lte, 10-18 Mbps.

Perhaps most interesting: I am currently at a coffee shop near the inner harbor with very weak (1-2 bars) 4g signal - awkward location with lots of big buildings - , so I am only seeing 1.5-2.0 mbps down. But on verizon with lte I get the same weak signal but even slower speeds - less than 0.5 Mbps down and slower ping.

LTE is much more signal dependent than HSPA. And even though signal bars might indicate same amount of "bars," LTE signal is calculated on a different scale.
 
Yes it will, Sprint's LTE comes in tandem with upgraded 3G. Speeds won't be HSPA+ like, but they'll be noticeably faster than the current speeds in overloaded areas.

I've been in an area with upgraded 3G and my speeds generally ranged from 1.5 Mbps to over 2 Mbps which is definitely usable.

This is on an iPhone 4S on Sprint's 3G network with 1.5 Megabits down?
 
While i was in St.Pete area on vacay last week.
Ip5
 

Attachments

  • image.jpg
    image.jpg
    185.2 KB · Views: 100
Last edited:
Yep.

Image

I wish Sprint was this fast where I live.

Well, here's hoping. I'm about 10 miles west of NYC and my data speeds are terrible. "What good is unlimited data if I can't use it?"

I'm usually around 200 kbps down and around 150 kbps up. I guess my local tower hasn't had the Network Vision update yet.
 
Alright after having it for a while and doing some tests in different parts of town. Still no LTE sightings here yet though.
 

Attachments

  • image.jpg
    image.jpg
    161.8 KB · Views: 97
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.