Back before Sprint went from first to worst, their HTC EVO model was the most state of the art device on the market. It was a beast for features but more importantly, it was the first quality device in the US that supported 4G. Granted, it had awful battery life, but everything else about that device was cool, right down to the little red kick stand on the back which made viewing video much easier. The problem was Sprint and Clearwire guessed wrong. While they championed WiMAX 4G technology, the rest of the world went with Long Term Evolution (LTE). I upgraded the EVO to a Samsung S3 which was mediocre. Aside from a confusing menu, the ringer volume would turn off while in my pocket. I came to the conclusion I had the wrong device with the wrong carrier. About five years ago, I moved to T-Mobile and have had a half dozen iPhone models since, right up to my 6S+ which is now sitting on my dresser at home. I've been agonizing over upgrading but was not impressed enough by the iPhone 7 or 8 series to make a move. My device processor speeds were great and the shooter on my 6s+ was nearly as good as my $800 Nikon DSLR camera. The iPhone X was certainly intriguing though. After realizing that the "cheap" $1000 model would actually cost me $1230 after adding AppleCare +, and a case, I balked. After all, Apple took away my 3.5mm headset jack because they claimed they could not waterproof the device with it. Well, a funny thing happened. I asked my Mobile Phone repair expert if he had any high-end Smartphones I might be interested in. He knew I was an "Apple dude", but told me that the S8+ was Samsung's version of the iPhone X and then some. He had taken one in that was in mint condition and made me a deal I couldn't refuse. He was right! I'm three days into using this device and am not missing my iPhone at all. In fact, this device is worlds ahead of my iPhone 6s+. It has a bigger screen than any iPhone (6.2") . It has biometric unlock, facial unlock or IRIS unlock. The latter is the coolest. It is waterproof and still has my trusty 3.5mm Headset Jack. I don't miss Siri a bit either. I know have a whole team of voice attendants working for me (Alexa, Bixby and Google). T-Mobile is now offering a "Black Friday" special, Two for the price of one on the iPhone 8 series, 7 series, Samsung's Galaxy 8 series and several LG models. For more information on how to take advantage of this immediately, contact Dr Wireless. If you snooze, you will lose as this is available only for a few days...
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It looks like Apple is just getting started with their new bezel-less X design. After all, Samsung has been building most of their high end models with bezel-less Amoled screens for years. Ming-Chi Kuo, financial analyst and most accurate predictor of all Apple things to come announced that the above three models will be coming next year. The wireless carriers hate when manufacturers come out with new models so quickly but Apple could obviously care less. Let's hope all of these new models also add support for T-Mobile's newest 600mHZ frequency.
For those who cannot afford a four figure iPhone X, it appears that the X design will be offered with Apple's older TFT-LCD design, hopefully in the $650 range. We will keep an eye open for an more news on these models. I'd swear that Ming-Chi Kuo has somebody on the inside at Apple because he is right far more often than wrong with his prognostications. Well, the iPhone X has been on the market for almost two weeks. I spoke with several of my clients that were early adopters. They got their iPhone X models on day one. The general consensus is this device far exceeded their expectations. I cannot draw conclusions from the opinions of just three of my clients though. If you have recently purchased an iPhone X, please let me know your thoughts.
Obviously, none of these folks have dropped their devices yet. Remember, it's not a matter of "If". It's a matter of when. After visiting multiple Apple chat rooms, it's clear that the glass casing is not as durable as Apple claims. What this means is anyone planning on buying an iPhone X, better throw down an extra $200 for Apple Care+ and $30 for a high quality case to protect your investment. With AppleCare +, you are protected from almost everything but loss and theft. The downside is that you only get two incidents. If you've got butterfingers, or chronically lose your SmartPhones, the X may not be a great choice. After all, for "other repairs", beyond screen replacement, it's $550 without AppleCare+. You could buy a new iPhone 7 for those repair costs. I had previously provided some information about AppleCare+ for this device that was not quite accurate. Steve Beasley, one of my colleagues and a knowledgeable Apple iOS Consultant, kindly provided me with Apple's latest repair information. He also agrees that anyone getting an iPhone X absolutely needs to get a good quality case and AppleCare plus. Every iPhone comes with one year of hardware repair coverage through its limited warranty and up to 90 days of complimentary support. AppleCare+ for iPhone extends your coverage to two years from the original purchase date of your iPhone and adds up to two incidents of accidental damage coverage, each subject to a service fee of $29 for screen damage, or $99 for any other damage, plus applicable tax. In addition, you’ll get 24/7 priority access to Apple experts via chat or phone. Purchase AppleCare+ with your new iPhone. Or buy it within 60 days of your iPhone purchase:
Ask me how to get a discount on a new iPhone X. If you ever thought about moving to T-Mobile, here is another great argument. Buy one, get one FREE! The iPhone X is not included here but the all of the 7 and 8 series are. So is the Samsung Galaxy models including the S8+ which I just got personally. Contact me ASAP as this is a Black Friday Deal that will come and go quickly...
I'm often asked why someone in the wireless industry would still be using a three year old iPhone 6s+. As I use my 3.5mm earphone jack every time I get on an airplane, I didn't like the fact that Apple took this away on the 7 series . I spoke to an Apple "Genius" trying to explain that it's not just having to use a stupid adaptor that I'm going to lose eventually. The deal breaker was not being able to charge the device while listening to my Amazon Prime Music. Apple's iPhone 8 did absolutely nothing for me. The 8+ on the other hand, had a better shooter and integrated dual optical image stabilization and was very tempting. Unfortunately, it still had Apple's obsolete bezel. I decided to wait for the iPhone X to come out before upgrading, as it's features looked intriguing. Don't get me wrong. The Apple iPhone X is beautiful! What's not to like? The 5.8" edge-to-edge OLED screen, glass body, Facial recognition, wireless inductive charging, and lack of the home button make this device unique to Apple. Before pulling the trigger though, I figured it best to wait for the first wave of reviews from my fellow analysts and first adopters. Apple sold this device on sex appeal and assured everyone during their launch that the glass was the most durable of any iPhone ever. What a crock of s**t, according to CNET and several other organizations that performed drop tests. The iPhone X turned out to be far more fragile than all previous models. Yes, the phone has sex appeal but anyone buying one is an idiot not to immediately put a case on it. It gets worse. Apple doubled the price of Apple care on this device from $100 to $200. Technically, AppleCare does not cover customer abuse (dropping it). They will charge $179 for screen replacement with AppleCare. Repairing just the screen of an iPhone X without AppleCare will set you back $279, but it gets worse. When Apple assesses your phone for what it calls “other damage,” repair fees could surge as high as $549. This was enough to make me evaluate what these kinds of features would cost on an Android Google platform model. What I found was Samsung's S8+ offered even more features and functionality than the iPhone X without sacrifices. The above picture of my new phone looks like an iPhone X. After all, it has the edge-to-edge screen, facial recognition, lack of home button. The difference is my new phone has an 6.2" screen, Facial recognition and Iris scanning, Biometric finger print sensor, and yes... the 3.5mm jack. Did I mention it's water resistant too? The S8+ reviews were phenomenal and it's been out long enough for all the bugs to be worked out. Samsung also made it super easy to move from my iPhone to Android Nougat 7 with their amazing Smart Switch, content transfer tool. It was just like moving from one iPhone to another. Nearly everything moved over including my screen saver. About 98% of my Apple Apps also moved over too which I found amazing. The Facial recognition feature is a bit buggy but the IRIS scanner is killer. Remember, Samsung actually makes Apple's OLED screens. They have offered these Super Amoled screens for the last 5 years on most models so it ticks me off when I hear Apple talking about how state of the art their new screen is. Obviously, this is just day two with my new Galaxy S8+ so it's too early to review GOOGLE's OS. I can say that after using an iPhone 6s+, this new S8+ blows the doors off it for web browsing. I've been watching the Hawaiian Pro Surfing contest (above picture) at Haleiwa, Hawaii and that 6.2" screen is amazing! Starting November 16, Netflix On Us will be available in the ordering system for Business customers on qualifying T-Mobile ONE™ Business plans with Taxes and Fees included at no extra charge. This is terrific news for new subscribers. Existing subscribers will need to be very careful as T-Mobile uses these types of promotions to induce existing subscribers to give up their current plans that may be far better more generous. I would not give up any of the non eligible plans for Netflix as these plans are less expensive and/or have features no longer included on the newer T-Mobile ONE rates.
Eligibility • Eligible: Customers with B or I/S account types on qualifying 2-12 line T-Mobile ONE Business plans with Taxes and Fees included. • Not eligible: Single line, 2 for $100, 55+, and 13+ TE or Simple Choice plans. While watching the iPhone launch presentation several months ago, I had a bad feeling that Apple might ruin this amazing design the same way Samsung did a few years back on their Samsung S6. In order to make way for wireless charging, Samsung used glass for the front and back covers. While wireless charging sounds like a innovative feature, I'm not willing to give up device strength to get it. Apple specifically stated that this was the strongest glass they have ever used during the launch. I've been monitoring the internet chat rooms and have found that this claim may be totally bogus. In fact, CNET did a recent drop test from 3 feet, the typical distance these devices fall and the results were very disappointing to say the least. Here's the reality... You have to be a total idiot not to put this device in a case and add a screensaver. Doing so totally defeats the purpose of buying a sexy device like this. That's because after the bulky case to protect it, it's bigger, not as pocket friendly, and no longer has the sex appeal. Even worse though is the fact that AppleCare does not cover accidental drops. That means at best, a $250 screen replacement, at worst, a $550 charge to fix major damages. That's the cost of a new iPhone 7.
As a T-Mobile subscriber, I have another problem. T-Mobile spent $8 billion dollars to win the FCC spectrum auction early this year. They will be the only major carrier to operate on 600mHZ. Anyone savvy with wireless bandwidth knowledge quickly realizes the lower the frequency, the better the indoor and underground coverage will be. Who doesn't want better indoor coverage? LG was the first company to make a device that supports TM's 600mHZ. Samsung's newest Galaxy S8 Active also supports it. So why doesn't the Apple iPhone X support it this? Maybe because they felt it better to leave this for the next iPhone Xs in May? While I'm waiting for everything to shake out, I'm going to pick up the Android version of the iPhone X, the SAMSUNG S8+ and give the "Darkside" a try again. Apple has finally caught up to Samsung in regards to technology. Unfortunately, to get what I really want from Apple will cost $1k. As tempting as it is to get an iPhone X, which I may ultimately do, I can't help feeling that Apple is extorting their buyers. Everyone is fawning over the new OLED screen on the iPhone X like it's never been offered before. Samsung not only offers these screens on nearly all models - they actually make Apple's too. I've been waiting a long time to upgrade my iPhone 6s+. The iPhone 7 series and 8 series really didn't impress me. The iPhone X/64GB model for $1000 would serve my needs fine. At the same time though, I have been admiring several other models that also interested me. Those include the Huawei Mate 10, the One Plus 5+, the LG-G30, the Note8, and the Galaxy S8 Active. The last one, the S8 Active has military grade specs for durability which is one of two giant attractions for me. The other is this is the first Samsung SmartPhone to support T-Mobile's newest 600mHZ bandwidth. After all, if T-Mobile thought 600mHZ was important enough to pay $8 billion for it, I'm not dropping over $1,000 for an extremely fragile model that doesn't support this. Putting an ugly case on the new iPhone X is like taking a shower with a rain coat on. I also don't like the fact that with wireless charging, it's necessary to buy a compatible case, or remove it every time you need to charge it. I kind of like the fact that the S8 Active "doesn't need no stinking case"! I'd even bet Apple intentionally ignored offering this new 600mHZ frequency so they could offer value to their next "S" version of the iPhone X. The tough Samsung Galaxy S8 Active is the latest 600MHz capable device to hit the Un-carrier and it gets the job done! No matter where your work or life takes you, the Active’s military-grade design is up to the challenge. Beginning November 22, customers will be able to pick up the rugged new Samsung Galaxy S8 Active will be available to order via ship-to on November 17! Contact Dr Wireless to get yours.
This is the first SmartPhone that offers support for T-Mobile's newest 600mHZ network which will be a game changer once fully built out. New and existing postpaid customers (including T-Mobile for Business and T-Mobile/NonTMO employees) who buy a new LG G6, V20, or V30 on EIP can get a second G6 or V20 on us OR $500 back on the V30 (of equal or less value; $500 max value via rebate) when they purchase it on EIP and activate or add on at least one new line on a T-Mobile ONE or select Simple Choice Unlimited with unlimited high speed data plan. Ask Dr Wireless for details.
According to Consumer Reports, Samsung is the real deal. Their Galaxy S8, S8+, S7, S7 EDGE and even their ancient S6 all rated in the top 10. I'm not so sure Samsung even makes the best phone though. On paper, the Huawei Mate 10, Mate 10 Pro, and Porsche Design Mate 10 look far more impressive to me than any of the iPhones or Samsung Galaxy models. After all, Huawei's new Kirin 970 chipsets enhance and integrate mobile artificial intelligence capabilities in these models. Did I mention all three of these models also include Leica 20-megapixel and 12-megapixel main rear cameras, 8-megapixel front cameras, optical image stabilization, 4,000mAh batteries, fast charging, and 4G LTE connectivity. Just the fact that Porsche Design chose this brand and model to be their manufacturer over all the other manufacturers may help Huawei become a house hold name in the future. Do You Want an Extra $50 for your old SmartPhone Buy Back? Unlike most carriers, we do not require a trade-in or an upgrade to buy back your device. My recommendation is to check your carriers trade in value here. For most iPhones and Androids, we offer $50 more than the carriers. Verizon and T-Mobile offer great deals on new iPhone 8, 8+, and iPhone X Actually, all of the carriers except AT&T are offering deals on the new iPhones. Apparently, AT&T still feels the public would rather sign a bundling contract to get Direct TV and/or AT&T U-Verse Home internet services instead of $120-$300 off a new iPhone 8 or X. Duh! Save Big On Last Year's Best Smartphones... Dr Wireless believes there has never been a better time to pick up one of last year's top-of-line devices. After all, the Samsung S7 still out rated all Apple's newest series 8 iPhones for less than half the purchase price. The same holds true for the iPhone 7 series. These are proven models that are available for hundreds of dollars less than a few months ago. DrWireless Specializes In UCaaS (Unified Communications as a Service) The future is the Cloud, Artificial Intelligence, and the Internet of Things Cellular wireless service has become just another commodity. Need proof? Voice plans went from very limited and expensive, to all being Unlimited and cheap. It was the data they made the money on. Well, that's no longer even true. Today, Smartphones and wireless services are merely the delivery service. f It's all about programming and content now. The cloud has caused many On Premise telcos to going bankrupt (Avaya). The smart ones like Cisco quickly partnered with cloud experts like Google. In fact, Cisco just purchased Broadsoft, one of the main providers of Hosted Cloud services for several of the major voIP cloud players. Ask me how to get a Professional Business cloud phone system for under $28 per line. Lastly, Dr Wireless was recently interviewed & featured on Voyage LA... |
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March 2021
CategoriesAuthorJoel Saltzman has over twenty years of wireless industry experience. He is currently CEO and Chief Wireless Analyst for Dr Wireless. |