Remember when AT&T told customers their phones would quit working and encouraged them to buy new ones during a pandemic? T-Mobile is apparently going to be sending out some messages like that too, but it appears like the company might be setting about it a little differently (and hopefully less aggressively) than AT&T, according to an obvious internal file from T-Mobile shared by Android Authorities.
T-Mobile will reportedly require phones on its network to support voice over LTE (VoLTE) beginning in January 2021. That suggests if your phone doesnt presently 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 obviously so intent on phasing out older technologies that itll reportedly stop triggering new devices that dont support VoLTE on August 4th, which is simply a couple weeks away.
Heres the file Android Police shared, if you d like to search for yourself:
Image: Android Police
When we asked, T-Mobile didnt confirm the timeline set out in the file, but did share some details that line up:
That suggests if your phone does not currently 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 consumers the best experience, those triggering brand-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 gadgets on the network.
What AT&T disregarded to explain, though, is that those consumers wont really need to update their phone up until early 2022– thats when AT&T prepares to shut down its 3G network and when some gadgets will in fact quit working. Lets hope T-Mobile is clearer about what clients need to do and when they need to do it.
Verizon is also in the process of shutting down its 3G network, and said in 2015 it would be delaying that shutdown to the end of 2020. As of 2018, it no longer activates phones that do not support LTE.
Hopefully the company finds out from AT&Ts mistakes when it comes time for T-Mobile to inform some customers that they require to update. Yesterday, AT&T terrified some customers 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,” which theyll require to change it to keep getting service. (Some consumers felt the email was so outright that they believed it was a scam.).
Basically, what T-Mobile appears to be stating is that unless you have not upgraded your phone for a long time, you probably will not run into problems once VoLTE is needed.
[…] we will be phasing out some older innovations with time to release up even more capacity for LTE and 5G. In preparation for that and to provide customers the finest experience, those triggering brand-new lines at T-Mobile will require a VoLTE capable gadget, which is all weve offered for years now and represents the overwhelming majority of gadgets on the network.
When it comes time for T-Mobile to inform some consumers that they require to update, hopefully the company discovers from AT&Ts mistakes.
