T-Mobile will supposedly require phones on its network to support voice over LTE (VoLTE) beginning in January 2021. That implies if your phone does not currently support VoLTE, youll require to update if you wish to be able to keep making calls with that phone on T-Mobile. And T-Mobile is apparently so bent on phasing out older innovations that itll apparently stop triggering brand-new gadgets that dont support VoLTE on August 4th, which is just a couple weeks away.
Keep in mind when AT&T informed consumers their phones would stop working and encouraged them to purchase new ones during a pandemic? T-Mobile is reportedly going to be sending some messages like that too, but it seems like the company might be setting about it a little in a different way (and hopefully less aggressively) than AT&T, according to an obvious internal document from T-Mobile shared by Android Police.
Heres the file Android Police shared, if you d like to search for yourself:
Image: Android Police
When we asked, T-Mobile didnt verify the timeline laid out in the file, however did share some information that line up:
[…] we will be phasing out some older technologies over time to free up a lot more capability for LTE and 5G. In preparation for that and to give customers the very best experience, those triggering new lines at T-Mobile will need a VoLTE capable device, which is all weve offered for years now and represents the overwhelming majority of devices on the network.
Generally, what T-Mobile seems to be saying is that unless you havent updated your phone for a long time, you most likely wont encounter concerns when VoLTE is needed.
Verizon is likewise in the process 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 activates phones that dont support LTE.
When it comes time for T-Mobile to tell some customers that they need to update, ideally the business finds out from AT&Ts mistakes. The other day, AT&T terrified some clients by sending them an email with the huge, blue, strong, all-caps heading “UPDATE NEEDED,” notifying them that their phone is “not suitable with the new network,” and that theyll need to replace it to keep getting service. (Some consumers felt the email was so outright that they thought it was a fraud.).
What AT&T neglected to make clear, however, is that those consumers will not actually require to upgrade their phone up until early 2022– thats when AT&T prepares to close down its 3G network and when some devices will actually quit working. Lets hope T-Mobile is clearer about what customers require to do and when they require to do it.
That suggests if your phone doesnt currently support VoLTE, youll require to upgrade 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 require a VoLTE capable device, which is all weve offered for years now and represents the frustrating majority of devices on the network.
When it comes time for T-Mobile to tell some consumers that they require to update, ideally the business finds out from AT&Ts errors.
