WHY is AT&T DISABLING upload speed (HSUPA) of their Android Phones? but NOT iPhones!

[Art1138]

I was ready to get an Android HTC Inspire "4G" and renew my unlimited AT&T plan. It looks like a great phone, but yesterday according to Gizmo Crunch, AT&T confirmed they disabled the HTC Inspire 4G just like they did to the majority of their Android smartphones such as the Samsung Captivate and HTC Desire Z. They are not HSUPA capable (HSDPA is download and HSUPA is upload speeds). So while you may see "speedy" 3G download speeds of around 2Mbps and maybe/hopefully more, you'll be stuck at 200kbps to 300kbps when it comes to uploads (HSUPA is estimated to be around 1.5Mbps). All the reviews on multiple sites bear the BIG difference between download & upload speeds. Evidently AT&T has been doing this to all their Android phones and if they follow pattern, will disable the upcoming Motorola Atrix "4G" as well... but they do NOT disable the designed HSUPA in their iPhones. (Also, HTC Inspire 4G will not work with the soon-to-be-rolled-out, AT&T's LTE or Long Term Evolution, which has to potential of someday getting true 4G speeds, not the redefined 4G speed allowed to be advertised in the U.S.) Hopefully AT&T gets some backlash ( AT&T ) and they correct this internal disability they force onto all their Android phones and put this HTC Inspire phone back how HTC intended. *But for AT&T* (and the specious 4G claims), the HTC Inspire 4G is capable of significantly faster upload speeds according to gsmarena (HTC Inspire 4G - Full phone specifications )

It's one thing to not allow third-party apps on their Android phone, but to disable the designed HSUPA capabilities on Android phones but not iPhones is crazy AT&T, and wrong.

AndroidCentral community, what's the solution? Can we depose a dictator... or at least get AT%T to correct its Android prejudices?

AT&T Disables HTC Inspire 4G HSUPA, iPhone 4 Around Twice As Fast

 

[grasstrout]

if you root the phone it unlocks HSUPA

 

[gravage]

It actually kind of is disabled on iPhone. On iPhone, you simply aren't allowed to use the data connection to upload anything major, such as Youtube videos. You are required to be connected to Wifi. So, while the HSUPA may be enabled on iPhone, you don't really get to utilize it much.

 

[ls377]

Steve Jobs won't let them, plain and simple. It would "ruin the iPhone experience" and Apple would never let that happen.

It actually kind of is disabled on iPhone. On iPhone, you simply aren't allowed to use the data connection to upload anything major, such as Youtube videos. You are required to be connected to Wifi. So, while the HSUPA may be enabled on iPhone, you don't really get to utilize it much.

Probably why you can only use Facetime over wifi.

 

[PvilleComp]

Because the Death Star must answer to the Sith Lord!

 

[Art1138]

More and more is being written about AT&T's disabling of their new wonder phone, Inspire "4G" (which is of course is more like 3.5G if the HSUPA is re-enabled).
Anyway here are two interesting articles, one suggesting a firmware update is needed.

AT&T's HTC Inspire 4G can do HSUPA, has it disabled for some mysterious reason -- Engadget

T-Mobile's Samsung Galaxy S 4G has much faster upload speeds than AT&T's HTC Inpsire 4G | Technology Blog | dallasnews.com

We need to keep up the pressure and get the word out on AT&T's anti-consumer practices!!

 

[ls377]

Ok, I'm not one to defend AT&T, but here it goes lol...

To be honest, they did what they had to do. They let the iPhone run rampant on their network without adjusting to the load, and now they're paying the consequences. Yeah, it sucks for the end user, but throttling upload speeds opens up more bandwidth for downloads, which is what you need 99% of the time anyway. Imagine in a large city, where the network gets clogged easily. Those uploads might be just enough to push it over the edge. I'm not saying AT&T is completely right, but they have a good reason, and they aren't screwing you over as much as you think they are (hey, they have been completely honest).

And they aren't protecting iPhone users. Apple is doing that, and AT&T isn't stupid enough to lose the iPhone by being fair.

Hopefully AT&T fixes their network. and we don't have to deal with this much longer. Until then, you know how to fix it.

 

[Kevin OQuinn]

if you root the phone it unlocks HSUPA

You have to root, flash a custom ROM, and then a custom kernel. The hard part is rooting.

 

[Art1138]

Is377, Valid observation playing Devil's advocate. Never hurts (much) to look at the other side of the coin. But AT&T does share most (all?) of the blame for sitting on their hands while $oaking up the iPhone contract$ without seriously upgrading their infrastructure for the future. Now it's balls to the wall with HSPA+ and LTE.

 

[Kevin OQuinn]

To be fair AT&T has upgraded their network. Just not as much is as needed IMO. My boss has an Iphone 4 and he sees 3mbps up/1.2mbps down in our area.

My theory is that they are waiting for more upgrades before pushing the update out. But as was stated above you can root (which is admittedly a little overwhelming) and flash a custom ROM/Kernel that will give you the full HSDPA/HSUPA glory you're looking for.

 

[ls377]

Is377, Valid observation playing Devil's advocate. Never hurts (much) to look at the other side of the coin. But AT&T does share most (all?) of the blame for sitting on their hands while $oaking up the iPhone contract$ without seriously upgrading their infrastructure for the future. Now it's balls to the wall with HSPA+ and LTE.

I agree, they waited way too long to do anything. But at least they are doing something about it now to hold them over until LTE. And they're being completely honest about it, which has to count for something.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using Tapatalk

 

[Art1138]

"Being completely honest" and "AT&T" never belong in the same sentence! or even in the same thought!!! AT&T is one of those corporations that warms the cockles of Gordan Gekko.

 

[ls377]

"Being completely honest" and "AT&T" never belong in the same sentence! or even in the same thought!!! AT&T is one of those corporations that warms the cockles of Gordan Gekko.

Why? I agree that they do some pretty screwed up stuff, but they tell you what they're doing and their reasoning behind it. Their unlimited data was truly unlimited, and when they changed it, they made it clear in the plan what the limit was, and didn't just cap their "unlimited" plan like everyone else. And when they do something considered anti-consumer, they don't hide it in some irrelevant PDF on their website (coughVERIZONcough). And they didn't charge their users $10 extra for 4g, but still refuse to call it a 4G fee (coughSPRINTcough).

I'm not saying AT&T is an awesome consumer-oriented company, but they are honest about what they do.

 

[Art1138]

MMmmmm ~~ Thread is getting off topic. To get back on topic go here:

"HTC Inspire" upload - Google News

 

[Art1138]

There is hope AT&T is seeing the light. Firmware update may happen within a "month or two".
AT&T's brewing HSUPA-gate: the inside story -- Engadget
!

 

[ZeroRilix]

There is hope AT&T is seeing the light. Firmware update may happen within a "month or two".
AT&T's brewing HSUPA-gate: the inside story -- Engadget
!

Either way, this has been a bad business move on their part. They should've been upfront about it, then people wouldn't be as pissed at them about it.

 

[zarar]

Once AT&T officially releases LTE will the Inspire 4G be capable of using those speeds (when rooted)?

 

[ZeroRilix]

Once AT&T officially releases LTE will the Inspire 4G be capable of using those speeds (when rooted)?

I highly doubt it unless someone tells us different. IMO, LTE will require different internal hardware than what is available inside the Inspire. The Inspire, Atrix, and Infuse are actually only compatible with their HSPA+ network which will actually launch next month. Their LTE network isn't launching til this fall, but don't expect that to be fully functional til prolly sometime in 2012. They will begin offering LTE-compatible phones around the same time as their network's launch this fall.

 

[netposer]

PC Mag says the same thing
Is AT&T Capping Upload Speeds? | News & Opinion | PCMag.com