AT&T Limiting Speeds on WP? Revisiting the Issue

1414H77

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In December, the contentious issue arose in a massive thread about whether AT&T was limiting speeds on Windows Phone models, or...could it be that Windows Phone models are not up to snuff. Let me share my test results:

Either 1) limiting is clearly occurring, or 2) windows phones just can't cut it, and I think it is number 1, BUT, there is a WIFI fly in the AT&T "4G" ointment, which could suggest #2.

The test on AT&T "4G" (Charlotte, NC)- I tested both an iPhone 4, an iPhone 4s, and a Motorola Atrix (android) side by side against the Samsung Focus S and the Samsung Focus Flash at my house (we have all of these phones in our family).

The results on AT&T "4G" (Charlotte, NC)- I tested on multiple days, at various times and in multiple locations, always going to the same server. The iPhones 4 and 4s and the Atrix were consistently much faster, typically in the 5 to 6 Mbps range and sometimes 7 Mbps range. By contrast, both the Focus S and Focus Flash were almost always 4Mbps or below and usually 3.5 Mbps or below.

The WIFI issue- I did the same tests as above on WIFI with RoadRunner from Time Warner, and, guess what- the Focus S and Focus Flash always trailed the results materially of the iPhone 4, 4s and Atrix. I even pulled out my old iPhone 3 (could not test on AT&T above since deactivated) and it trounced the Samsungs.

Since I did the tests I returned my Focus S and am now back on my Atrix, waiting for the new Titan II or the Lumia 900- can't yet decide. I love Windows Phone and can't stand having to be on Android again now for about 60 days until these new models arrive.
 

jimski

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Not questioning your results, but curious. I assume you used different apps on each platform for testing. And while they appear to be going to the same server could there be some peculiarities with each app (file size for example) that could skew the results.

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N8ter

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Cell radio and driver quality is also a factor, as well as antenna design.

My vibrant always got consistently faster speeds than my hd7, and they're tmobile phones. I think it may be a hardware, design, or driver thing.


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1414H77

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Good point. The broadband app for WP appears to use speediest.net servers. I used the sppedtest app on the other phones.

Not questioning your results, but curious. I assume you used different apps on each platform for testing. And while they appear to be going to the same server could there be some peculiarities with each app (file size for example) that could skew the results.

Sent from my HTC Surround using Board Express
 

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