Wait for LTE or get the SGS2?

[iTzKPanda]

Im wondering if I should take advantage of the free SGS2 from Best Buy today or if I should wait until Sprint has LTE in my area. I live in Tampa, FL.

Any suggestions/thoughts?

 

[blacksapphire08]

The SGS2 is easily Sprint's best phone right now and likely will be until the Galaxy Nexus is released this summer. It is kind of a waste to get a 4G phone and have to pay the 4G fee when you cant use the service though. If it were me i'd wait until LTE which i'm sure the next Samsung Galaxy phones will support, tough call though if your pressed to upgrade right now.

 

[iTzKPanda]

I currently have an iPhone 3Gs on T-Mobile (EDGE sucks...) but I think I can wait. I don't think I'm going to wait until LTE comes to Tampa, but I'll get an LTE phone an use it on WiMax until we do. But... Will an LTE phone still work on WiMax?

 

[blacksapphire08]

I currently have an iPhone 3Gs on T-Mobile (EDGE sucks...) but I think I can wait. I don't think I'm going to wait until LTE comes to Tampa, but I'll get an LTE phone an use it on WiMax until we do. But... Will an LTE phone still work on WiMax?

No, they are different networks and Sprint will actually be shutting down WiMax in the future. I havent used T-Mobile's EDGE network but their HSPA+ 4G is really fast. Of course that's dependent to your location.

 

[iTzKPanda]

So an LTE enabled phone won't be able to go on WiMax? Hm, that's disappointing.

 

[R1_Rydah]

if you have WiMax in your area, the SGS2 wouldn't be a bad choice.. I read somewhere that Sprint is going to keep WiMax on until 2015... I have a pretty good WiMax footprint in my area, so I doubt my area would be one of the firsts to get LTE... So a WiMax device is the top option for me..

 

[blacksapphire08]

if you have WiMax in your area, the SGS2 wouldn't be a bad choice.. I read somewhere that Sprint is going to keep WiMax on until 2015... I have a pretty good WiMax footprint in my area, so I doubt my area would be one of the firsts to get LTE... So a WiMax device is the top option for me..

Correct, they wont be phasing it out until sometime in 2014/2015 so people who sign up for 2 year contracts now wont get screwed over. It should be noted that LTE will probably be faster and more widely available though.

 

[sparkeater79]

Get the galaxy s2. It is great

 

[thtguy]

I live in the TPA area, and Wi-Max is very spotty, even with good signal most the time it struggles to get 1Mb/sec, I have heard that LTE is on the horizon by end of year 2012. I have an EVO 4G I am waiting for the Galaxy Nexus.

 

[Mellimel22]

So an LTE enabled phone won't be able to go on WiMax? Hm, that's disappointing.

Yes they will the new lte phones will support WIMAX and lte and fyi they ain't shutting down WIMAX until 2015

Sent from my Nexus S 4G using Tapatalk

 

[dchawk81]

I would not lock in for 2 years on a WiMax phone at this point. It's a walking dead technology with practically no footprint.

 

[dchawk81]

Yes they will the new lte phones will support WIMAX and lte and fyi they ain't shutting down WIMAX until 2015

Sent from my Nexus S 4G using Tapatalk

Maybe, but the current WiMax phones, specifically the Epic Touch that OP is interested in, are not new backwards compatible LTE phones.

 

[Mellimel22]

My ns4g isn't also am I mad no cuz bout time sprint gets lte running in Chicago good my upgrade will be here

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[SERO wireless]

1. Sprint will not lauch anymore WiMax devices, per Bob Azzi, senior vice president of networks at Sprint. Current as of yesterday.
2. No LTE phone will work on WiMax. No WiMax phone will work on LTE. CDMA will still work on both phones.
3. Sprint will roll out LTE in Tampa starting this summer.

I'd suggest you wait for an LTE phone since you're in one of the markets scheduled for the second-round rollout. LTE phones from HTC, LG, Samsung and Motorola are all due to drop by late June. You won't have long to wait to use LTE. Even if you get an HTC next month, you'll only be on 3G until Julyish instead of being stuck on WiMax for two years.

Correct, they wont be phasing it out until sometime in 2014/2015 so people who sign up for 2 year contracts now wont get screwed over.

Won't get screwed over? You're not really a Sprint customer are you? It's one thing to make wild claims about supporting customers, it's another thing to honor them. Sprint has more than 1 million WiMax phones in inventory they have to unload - expect the fairy tales about long-term support to keep on flowing until they sell those phones. As cash pressures mount ($8B Network Vision rollout, $15.5B Fruitphone bill, bond maturities, etc.) and demand to re-purpose their 1900mhz spectrum from WiMax to LTE increases, expect Sprint to get strange with the change and reduce coverage and/or WiMax spectrum before the cutoff date. Think one WiMax tower per city and download speeds approaching 200kbps. Technically, they'll still be supporting WiMax, but they'll do the bare minimum and redeploy their assets where they'll earn the most cash.

 

[tndank]

Wait. Good chance we have the Galaxy Nexus in April and the new HTC phone in May/June. There will be a couple more options before the end of September.

 

[anon62607]

1. Sprint will not lauch anymore WiMax devices, per Bob Azzi, senior vice president of networks at Sprint. Current as of yesterday.
2. No LTE phone will work on WiMax. No WiMax phone will work on LTE. CDMA will still work on both phones.
3. Sprint will roll out LTE in Tampa starting this summer.

I'd suggest you wait for an LTE phone since you're in one of the markets scheduled for the second-round rollout. LTE phones from HTC, LG, Samsung and Motorola are all due to drop by late June. You won't have long to wait to use LTE. Even if you get an HTC next month, you'll only be on 3G until Julyish instead of being stuck on WiMax for two years.



Won't get screwed over? You're not really a Sprint customer are you? It's one thing to make wild claims about supporting customers, it's another thing to honor them. Sprint has more than 1 million WiMax phones in inventory they have to unload - expect the fairy tales about long-term support to keep on flowing until they sell those phones. As cash pressures mount ($8B Network Vision rollout, $15.5B Fruitphone bill, bond maturities, etc.) and demand to re-purpose their 1900mhz spectrum from WiMax to LTE increases, expect Sprint to get strange with the change and reduce coverage and/or WiMax spectrum before the cutoff date. Think one WiMax tower per city and download speeds approaching 200kbps. Technically, they'll still be supporting WiMax, but they'll do the bare minimum and redeploy their assets where they'll earn the most cash.

I thought all sprint WiMAX was carried on clear at 2500-2600 MHz, and 1900 MHz was CDMA.


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[SERO wireless]

You are correct. I was doing two things at once and got my wires crossed. As Clear transitions to TD-LTE on their 2.5Ghz spectrum, coverage and bandwidth for WiMax will shrink accordingly.

 

[tedsc]

I am in a similar situation as OP, I am upgrade eligible on Sprint. My plan is to wait until an LTE phone is available, but not for LTE network to hit my area. I never us Wimax on my current phone but 3g is pretty solid in my area.

 

[anon62607]

You are correct. I was doing two things at once and got my wires crossed. As Clear transitions to TD-LTE on their 2.5Ghz spectrum, coverage and bandwidth for WiMax will shrink accordingly.

As I recall clear's stated plan was to keep WiMAX in the upper part of the spectrum in at least 30 MHz, deploy LTE at first in the middle part of the spectrum, then LTE Advanced in the bottom 40 to 60 MHz of the spectrum (meaning it would be the only provider that could actually hit 1 gbps given 3x20 MHz and 8x8 mimo at 128qam.

Did this change?


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[anon62607]

I currently have an iPhone 3Gs on T-Mobile (EDGE sucks...) but I think I can wait. I don't think I'm going to wait until LTE comes to Tampa, but I'll get an LTE phone an use it on WiMax until we do. But... Will an LTE phone still work on WiMax?

For the record, LTE and WiMAX are related technologies but are not cross compatible, for a phone to work on WiMAX and LTE both radios would need to be in the phone, and I believe sprint has stated that no new phone will ship with WiMAX support, and no old phone has an LTE radio in it, so I believe you will only have one or the other.


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