AIO questions/confirmations

[HoosierDaddy]

My wife and I each have a T-Mobile $30/mo (plus tax and fees) plan with unlimited text and data (2.5GB LTE) and 100 minutes talk. I don't come even close to using 100 minutes talk but my wife could use a bit more more. We use a lot of data but its almost all over WiFi and we don't hit even .5GB of carrier data.

I'm looking to switch to AIO and for the same amount get unlimited talk and text and unlimited data (.5GB LTE). Basically $40x2 = $80 - $5 (auto pay) - $10 (2nd line discount) = $65 (including fees and taxes) which is less than the T-Mobiles with the fees and taxes. So basically trading 2GB of LTE that we have never used for unlimited talk.

AIO doesn't sell either of the model phones we have (L521 and L925) so I know I will have to get firmware and OS updates from somewhere else. Will I be able to get firmware updates directly from Nokiasoft? And likewise OS updates? I know I can get the 8.1 via the developer program but is that likely to remain available for future releases and GDRs if I can't get them from the carrier (AIO)?

And I just discovered that some carriers cap speeds as well as amounts of data. AIO has some fine print saying they limit LTE to 8mbps. My problem is I can't find what T-Mobile may limit it to or at what speed do certain things become a problem. We obviously don't use much carrier data so our risk is low but does 8mbps make video streaming or other typical usages not usable? I could not find any speed data about carriers that was apples to apples. I found actual speed test reports for the big 4 but all but Verizon were well under 8mps so clearly not something I can use to compare them to AIO.

Are there problems moving from T-Mobile to AIO that I might not be aware of? I know I will lose T-Mobile features like WIFi Calling but I don't need that.

Has anyone moved from T-Mobile to AIO and wish they hadn't?

TIA

 

[Alienhead95]

You cannot combine the group discount and auto pay discount. You will still get updates from T-Mobile on your 521 and 925 even after moving to AIO. But you will need the phones unlocked in order to use them with AIO.

 

[Ordeith]

AIO doesn't give the auto pay discount and group discount on the same account. It is one or the other.
So the cost of their lowest tier would run you $70 for two lines.

ATT phones will work on AIO without being unlocked. Phones sold by other carriers need to be unlocked before taking them to AIO.
Updates are still dictated by the original carrier. A T-Mobile branded phone would still be subject to T-Mobile's support for updates.
I moved from T-Mobile to AIO, but I got ATT phones when I did. I didn't try to take the T-Mobile phones with me.

 

[HoosierDaddy]

AIO doesn't give the auto pay discount and group discount on the same account. It is one or the other.
So the cost of their lowest tier would run you $70 for two lines.

From AIO chat:

Natalia P: Well, when you set up Autopay, you'll receive the $5 credit. So, if you have one account for both
lines, you'll also save $10 Group Save. But the Autopay credit, apply to the account, not for each line. It means
the amount would be $65.

Guess I'll need a tie breaker.

ATT phones will work on AIO without being unlocked. Phones sold by other carriers need to be unlocked before taking them to AIO.

My T-mobile phones are unlocked.

Updates are still dictated by the original carrier. A T-Mobile branded phone would still be subject to T-Mobile's support for updates.

I guess that is better than I hoped if it means I'm only on my own after T-Mobile drops support instead of from the day I switch to AIO.

Thanks.

 

[HoosierDaddy]

I did a speed test on my phone and I got 17mbps on T-Mobile LTE. I was almost hoping it would be lower than the AIO cap of 8mbps. If T-Mobile is real world speeds are twice as fast as AIO's theoretical best, that's NOT a good thing for most people.

In the unrelated but very weird category: I could not get LTE bars UNTIL I turned WiFi off. I had noticed that LTE was iffy in the house and always assumed it was due to obstructions or network load but the instant I turned WiFi off, I got LTE everywhere and it disappeared again every time I turned WiFi back on. So clearly the phone's WiFi was interfering with the phone's carrier data. The other surprise was the LTE speed test was faster than the WiFi speed test with the phone right next to the router!

 

[Ordeith]

8mbps is plenty. There isn't a single app or service you won't be able to enjoy at that speed.

The choice was easier for me though, T-Mobile coverage in my area had me getting less than 4mbps most places.

My speed tests on AIO have been rather consistently in the 10-12mbps range. It should be 8, but hey I'll take it.

 

[HoosierDaddy]

8mbps is plenty. There isn't a single app or service you won't be able to enjoy at that speed.

The choice was easier for me though, T-Mobile coverage in my area had me getting less than 4mbps most places.

My speed tests on AIO have been rather consistently in the 10-12mbps range. It should be 8, but hey I'll take it.

Thanks. That was another thing: I didn't know if 8 was fast enough for some things since I had never measured my speeds and even if I had, I wouldn't know if what I was doing needed the 17mbps T-Mobile was giving.

 

[camaroz1985]

My AIO Sim arrives tomorrow and I will be trying it on my new-to-me 1020. Anything will be an improvement over the 2G I currently get with T-Mobile and my 822, and cheaper to boot.

 

[TheSuperShoe]

I've had AIO for awhile and haven't had issues with service on my phone.
But if you want to do a group save line, I was just talking to support and he said that you must go into a store to setup a group save plan. Everytime I tried ordering online, it ended in error. Has anyone else tried and seen this? Or have you been successful?

 

[HoosierDaddy]

I've had AIO for awhile and haven't had issues with service on my phone.
But if you want to do a group save line, I was just talking to support and he said that you must go into a store to setup a group save plan. Everytime I tried ordering online, it ended in error. Has anyone else tried and seen this? Or have you been successful?

That's not good for us because there are NO stores in the state!

 

[TheSuperShoe]

That's not good for us because there are NO stores in the state!

It's the same for me. He said I'd have to wait until the Cricket merger happens next month and go to a Cricket store.

 

[hasasimo]

Quick question: AIO's website says up to 4G LTE "speeds." Does this mean just speeds that compare with LTE, but are technically just on the regular H+ network as with other AT&T MVNOs? Or are you actually connected to the LTE network with "LTE" showing up on your device?

 

[Ordeith]

Quick question: AIO's website says up to 4G LTE "speeds." Does this mean just speeds that compare with LTE, but are technically just on the regular H+ network as with other AT&T MVNOs? Or are you actually connected to the LTE network with "LTE" showing up on your device?

Actual real LTE from AT&T wherever it is available. But rate limited to 8mbps.

 

[hasasimo]

Actual real LTE from AT&T wherever it is available. But rate limited to 8mbps.

Thanks! So I wonder how many of you are actually getting >8mbps speeds on AIO? I just ordered a Lumia 1520 and will be switching away from Red Pocket. I'm choosing between AIO and T-Mobile. I'm facing the predictable coverage vs LTE speed/allotment dilema.

 

[Ordeith]

It wasn't a dilemma for me. There isn't anything you can't do (or that even feels slow) on a cell phone with an 8mb connection.

I switched from T-Mobile after using them for more than 7 years, the coverage holes were just never really overcome and I got tired of not being able to use my phone.

When I did have coverage T-Mobile's real world speed rarely topped 5mpbs for me anyway.

 

[hasasimo]

It wasn't a dilemma for me. There isn't anything you can't do (or that even feels slow) on a cell phone with an 8mb connection.

I switched from T-Mobile after using them for more than 7 years, the coverage holes were just never really overcome and I got tired of not being able to use my phone.

When I did have coverage T-Mobile's real world speed rarely topped 5mpbs for me anyway.

Good information, thank you. Did a lot of reading about AIO on Howard Forums and I'm concerned about ping times. They seem to be as bad as Red Pocket's, and it's a bit annoying. It also seems that some plans get throttled data during peak hours. For example those on the $40 plan rarely reach 2mbps during certain hours of the day.

The good thing of course is that either way I won't be signing any contracts. I could try Tmo for a month and switch if I'm not satisfied. Can I ask where you're located, since you say Tmo coverage was bad enough that you switched away? I'm in the northern VA/DC area.

 

[Ordeith]

I am in California. I have found T-Mobile coverage pretty poor throughout the state.

But I have heard T-Mobile is actually decent in the DC area.

 

[spizzlee]

I'm in San Francisco and T-Mobile speeds are pretty fast, coverage not the best but its improving. I switched to AIO for a bit till i realized they cap speeds at 8mpbs. That is a no no. Especially coming from Tmobile speeds. Loading 6tag or a website was soooooo slow i was upset i paid the money to switch. On top of that they charged me twice, still waiting for them to fix that. Stay away from AIO! It isnt worth it.

 

[anon(5445874)]

I'm on AIO in Las Vegas. Just took these screen shots using 'Network Speed Test', an app from Microsoft Research. As you can tell, I got two completely different results. One was in my office which is in the middle of a building, the other near the door. For the record, when i'm out, I never really notice slow speeds at all. And of course at the office or home, I normally use wifi.

Overall, i'm happy with Aio.

 

[Ordeith]

For me, in the real world, T-Mobile was often the slower network. 8mbps is plenty, even for 6tag.