[mattdistro]

Let's summarize the 950 XL on T-Mobile

VoLTE - No

Phone kicks down to 2G/3G/"4G" for calls. No VoLTE/IMS registration settings in Cellular+SIM like T-Mobile branded 640

WiFi Calling - No

No WiFi Calling settings in Cellular+SIM like T-Mobile branded 640

Visual Voicemail - No

No visual voicemail toggle in phone settings

Band 12 - Yes

Band 12 shows enabled in field test mode. Should get data in Band 12 areas at least.

As far as reception. The 950 XL gets better signal than the 1520, but still not as good at the 640.

I know some people are hopeful an update adds support for VoLTE/WiFi calling but Microsoft has not worked with T-Mobile thus far and their certification is required to add these features. Don't get your hopes up.

[Alex Zapata]

Guess I'm holding onto my 925 then =/

[rdubmu]

Works just fine on T-Mobile, no wifi calling, no VoLTE, yes on band 12,

[Alex Zapata]

Works just fine on T-Mobile, no wifi calling, no VoLTE, yes on band 12,

I use WiFi calling every day at work so this is a no-go for me =/

[jmajid]

Let's summarize the 950 XL on T-Mobile

VoLTE - No

Phone kicks down to 2G/3G/"4G" for calls. No VoLTE/IMS registration settings in Cellular+SIM like T-Mobile branded 640

WiFi Calling - No

No WiFi Calling settings in Cellular+SIM like T-Mobile branded 640

Visual Voicemail - No

No visual voicemail toggle in phone settings

Band 12 - Yes

Band 12 shows enabled in field test mode. Should get data in Band 12 areas at least.

As far as reception. The 950 XL gets better signal than the 1520, but still not as good at the 640.

I know some people are hopeful an update adds support for VoLTE/WiFi calling but Microsoft has not worked with T-Mobile thus far and their certification is required to add these features. Don't get your hopes up.

I guess, does it matter if it doesnt support VoLTE as long as you DO receive and CAN make calls when on LTE?
Does it matter if you drop down to 4G? I know... there is an edge case, where you are on speaker phone and want to surf the internet at the same time....

[TexasLabRat]

I guess, does it matter if it doesnt support VoLTE as long as you DO receive and CAN make calls when on LTE?
Does it matter if you drop down to 4G? I know... there is an edge case, where you are on speaker phone and want to surf the internet at the same time....

There's an edge case, but I think you pointed to the wrong one. You can still surf and talk at the same time on 4G (HSPA). However, the main pain point is that band 12 (700Mhz) might be the only signal you receive at a given location (likely indoors) due to its range and wall penetrating properties compared to bands 2 and 4. Without VoLTE, you can get data but you won't be able to make/receive a call even though you might have 5 bars of signal. Totally logical, but folks who might not know what's going on could be confused/frustrated.

[mattdistro]

There's an edge case, but I think you pointed to the wrong one. You can still surf and talk at the same time on 4G (HSPA). However, the main pain point is that band 12 (700Mhz) might be the only signal you receive at a given location (likely indoors) due to its range and wall penetrating properties compared to bands 2 and 4. Without VoLTE, you can get data but you won't be able to make/receive a call even though you might have 5 bars of signal. Totally logical, but folks who might not know what's going on could be confused/frustrated.

To add to that

I believe the main concern, and why T-Mobile has asked several Android handset makers to disable Band 12 (if they don't support VoLTE), is emergency calls. As you said, the phone may show signal in a Band 12 area, but when someone attempts to make a call, the call will fail. The phone also may not allow you to make an emergency call on another carrier as T-Mobile is reporting signal.

Someone who understands this could certainly work around it, but for your average Joe it could be a disaster, and T-Mobile would get the blame.

[mark233]

This is my understanding. Band 12 on TMO is ONLY VoLTE .... meaning the phone has to have the VoLTE enabled on that band (700MhZ) in order to make and receive calls. So --- if you happen to be in an area where band 12 is the strongest, and your phone connects to that band the phone will show that you have a signal. However you will not be able to make calls. The VoLTE has to be activated in order to work for making and receiving calls.......

[TexasLabRat]

This is my understanding. Band 12 on TMO is ONLY VoLTE .... meaning the phone has to have the VoLTE enabled on that band (700MhZ) in order to make and receive calls. So --- if you happen to be in an area where band 12 is the strongest, and your phone connects to that band the phone will show that you have a signal. However you will not be able to make calls. The VoLTE has to be activated in order to work for making and receiving calls.......

If the phone also sees a HSPA (or 3G or even 2G) signal, it will drop to that (even if it's on another band) when a call event happens. The problem is if there is no HSPA (or 3G or even 2G) signal to switch to at that moment.

[rferrara90]

Anyone notice that you can't use two sims working on a different network frequency? One of the sims won't have reception

[Dinky89484]

So reading through this entire thread, it seems that with T-Mobile, the 950XL works fine only it will not allow me to have visual voicemail and Wi-Fi calling. Band 12 LTE seems to work for people? And therefore if my area has the 700 MHz deployed and active, I can utilize this and get better data signal while in my work building?

Also, some mentioned problems sending MMS? Or are there issues with receiving MMS? Or neither?

[Musicman247]

So reading through this entire thread, it seems that with T-Mobile, the 950XL works fine only it will not allow me to have visual voicemail and Wi-Fi calling. Band 12 LTE seems to work for people? And therefore if my area has the 700 MHz deployed and active, I can utilize this and get better data signal while in my work building?

Also, some mentioned problems sending MMS? Or are there issues with receiving MMS? Or neither?

Everything you've said is correct in the first paragraph. I have not had any problems sending or receiving MMS, either. Put my SIM in before powering on the device for the first time.

[Clive Rennie]

mms messages cant send with correct settings spoke to tmo rep couldn't help while it works fine with l640xl no wifi calling either hot spot works fine

[Dinky89484]

mms messages cant send with correct settings spoke to tmo rep couldn't help while it works fine with l640xl no wifi calling either hot spot works fine

Can you divulge more information on the MMS issues you are having? The visual voicemail and WiFi calling I can live without but not the MMS issue.

[mranieri]

What MMS issue...I am on Tmobile and have not had any issues

[jlangner]

mms messages cant send with correct settings spoke to tmo rep couldn't help while it works fine with l640xl no wifi calling either hot spot works fine

Try texting a pic to your own number from same phone. Was told by T-Mobile support before that can set up settings

[ferretzombie]

Does T-mobile or Microsoft have any plans for enabling Wifi calling on T-mobile?

[rdubmu]

Try texting a pic to your own number from same phone. Was told by T-Mobile support before that can set up settings

I have no issues sending a pic to my wife from my 950 xL to my wife's iPhone 6. It works just by putting in your SIM card

[mranieri]

I have no issues sending a pic to my wife from my 950 xL to my wife's iPhone 6. It works just by putting in your SIM card

Me as well!

[Dinky89484]

Can anyone comment on T-Mobile's extended range 700 MHz (Band 12) performance with the 950XL? Is it all what it's cracked up to be?

[rudypoochris]

I have a dual SIM problem with Tmobile actually. So for whatever reason MSFT decided to make SIM 2 enable 2G only. This is extremely stupid because 2G is being completely phased out by the end of next year on ATT and Tmobile. So effectively between now and then this "dual sim" phone is actually a single SIM phone. In my office (I carry two lines for personal/work and was hoping to use my dual SIM 950XL for both) there is not Tmobile 2G only 3G and LTE. So what am I left with? No business line in the office since there is no 2G support from Tmobile and there wont be in the future. If I had Wi-Fi calling that could be the solution, or Microsoft could do something intelligent like enable 3G only on the 2nd SIM instead of 2G...

[Clive Rennie]

Ok so regarding my mms issues I did a factory reset because I had cricket before so I had just popped the sim in the phone, and it still had the cricket info in it so did the restore with the t-mobile sim and mms is working perfectly. lte is good no visual voicemail but I get it on my 640xl so don't know about that. that's it hotspot works great just the visual voicemail is the problem now.

[rdubmu]

Ok so regarding my mms issues I did a factory reset because I had cricket before so I had just popped the sim in the phone, and it still had the cricket info in it so did the restore with the t-mobile sim and mms is working perfectly. lte is good no visual voicemail but I get it on my 640xl so don't know about that. that's it hotspot works great just the visual voicemail is the problem now.

Visual voicemail will never work

[rory753]

Can anyone comment on T-Mobile's extended range 700 MHz (Band 12) performance with the 950XL? Is it all what it's cracked up to be?

yes. it's made a huge difference for getting reception inside buildings.

[jazzedmurf]

T-Mobile customer with a L950XL here, and not only does mine work with full LTE, but it works in places where I had NO reception whatsoever with my L830 earlier this week (i.e. the school where I work, for one). Not sure if others are reporting similar boosts in signal from the two antenna used in the L950/XL, but it's working very well. I actually bought a cheapo, prepaid AT&T sim to through in it for school use, but I apparently get reception with my T-Mobile sim now! Who knew?!

Now if I could only figure out 1) why it keeps restarting when on my Fatboy Qi charger and 2) what to replace my Nokia Qi car mount with (because the coils don't line up with it)...