T-Mobile will apparently require phones on its network to support voice over LTE (VoLTE) beginning in January 2021. That means if your phone doesnt currently support VoLTE, youll need to update if you wish to have the ability to keep making calls with that phone on T-Mobile. And T-Mobile is apparently so bent on phasing out older technologies that itll supposedly stop triggering brand-new devices that dont support VoLTE on August 4th, which is simply a couple weeks away.
Remember when AT&T informed consumers their phones would stop working and encouraged them to buy brand-new ones during a pandemic? T-Mobile is apparently going to be sending some messages like that too, but it appears like the company might be going about it a little differently (and ideally less aggressively) than AT&T, according to an apparent internal file from T-Mobile shared by Android Cops.
Heres the document Android Police shared, if you d like to look for yourself:
Image: Android Police
When we asked, T-Mobile didnt verify the timeline laid out in the file, but did share some information that line up:
Ideally the business finds out from AT&Ts mistakes when it comes time for T-Mobile to inform some clients that they require to update. The other day, AT&T frightened some clients by sending them an email with the huge, blue, strong, all-caps heading “UPDATE NEEDED,” informing them that their phone is “not suitable with the new network,” which theyll require to change it to keep getting service. (Some consumers felt the e-mail was so egregious that they believed it was a scam.).
In preparation for that and to give clients the finest experience, those triggering new lines at T-Mobile will need a VoLTE capable gadget, which is all weve used for years now and represents the overwhelming majority of devices on the network.
What AT&T disregarded to explain, though, is that those clients wont actually need to update their phone till early 2022– thats when AT&T prepares to shut down its 3G network and when some devices will in fact quit working. When they require to do it, lets hope T-Mobile is clearer about what clients need to do and.
That implies if your phone does not presently support VoLTE, youll need to update if you desire to be able to keep making calls with that phone on T-Mobile. In preparation for that and to offer clients the best experience, those activating new lines at T-Mobile will need a VoLTE capable gadget, which is all weve offered for years now and represents the frustrating majority of devices on the network.
Basically, what T-Mobile seems to be stating is that unless you havent upgraded your phone for a very long time, you most likely wont encounter concerns as soon as VoLTE is needed.
Verizon is also in the procedure of closing down its 3G network, and said last year it would be delaying that shutdown to the end of 2020. As of 2018, it no longer triggers phones that dont support LTE.
When it comes time for T-Mobile to inform some customers that they need to update, ideally the business learns from AT&Ts mistakes.
