Category: T-Mobile

Following in the footsteps of Verizon from last week, T-Mobile has released the Android Oreo update for the Moto Z2 Force on their network.  The update, which is just shy of 1GB in size, brings all of the goodness of Oreo to the 2017 flagship device as well as the December Android Security Update.  The new build, like Verizon, is ODX27.

With the size of this update, you will need to download it via WiFi and will need to have 80% battery life on your phone before you can install it.  The install process will take about 10-15 minutes after it is downloaded.

T-Mobile customers who are carrying the Samsung Galaxy S8 or S8 Plus, there is a new software update that has been released for you.  The update brings the December Android Security Update to the devices but nothing else is mentioned in the release notes by T-Mobile.  It likely contains some performance fixes and bug fixes, especially given the size of the update files.

For the Galaxy S8, your new build is G950USQS2BQL1 and is 130.66MB in size.  For S8 Plus owners, you are getting build G955USQS2BQL1 and it is slightly smaller at 127.11MB.  The updates have been released by T-Mobile so you should start seeing the OTA updates for them as soon as today.

T-Mobile has announced their 3rd quarter financials which saw them hit the $10 billion mark, up 8% over the same period last year,  in revenue while continuing to add new customers.  The report is for the three month period ending September 30th and also saw the company state a free cash flow of $921 million (up 59%)  and $7.6 billion in service related revenue.  That put the company’s earnings at $2.8 billion before EBITDA.

In the quarter, the “uncarrier” net additions were 1.3 million with 595,000 braded postpaid phone adds and 226,000 prepaid.  The carriers churn rate was down to 1.23%, a significant drop over the same quarter from 2016.

T-Mobile has begun sending out an OTA update for the Galaxy Note8 on their network that brings a handful of improvements and fixes to the phablet.  The new version is build N950USQU1AQ15 for those keeping score at home and the over-the-air updates have already begun.  It is a small download, just 198MB.

The update brings the August Android Security Update to the Note8 along with a lot of stability improvements.  Most of the improvements are aimed at individual apps but there are also general improvements to be found in the update.

Ookla, the company behind Speedtest, has released a report on the health of mobile networks here in the United States.  In that report, T-Mobile was deemed to have the best performing mobile network in the country, outscoring Verizon, AT&T and Sprint.

Speedtest, for those who don’t know, is a service that allows you to test the download and upload speed of your data connection (or Wi-Fi) from a website or their mobile app.

The report bases the information on a new Speed Score model that the company uses to measure the performance of mobile networks.

This year Ookla also introduced Speed Score to more accurately reflect the full breadth of networking experience on a given network. Speed Score incorporates low-end, median and top-end performance for both download and upload speed. It’s a comprehensive metric that combines all factors that matter to a good network experience into a single score.

Using this methodology, the test results should more accurately reflect what users can expect from a particular mobile network.

T-Mobile has rolled out another BOGO plan and this one is on a phone that’s not even available yet.  The carrier famous for these types of deals, is bringing customers the ability to get a free Galaxy Note8 when they purchase one through their payment program.  It is a pretty sweet deal and if you and a significant other are looking to get the new Note8, this could be the way to go.

Here is how it works.  First, you need to pre-order a Galaxy Note8 on the T-Mobile site.  You must select the monthly payment plan (paying in full won’t get you the 2nd one free) which means you will be on a 2-year plan with T-Mobile.  The free Note8 is done through billing credits that are applied to your account and that can take a couple of months to appear.  Also, you will need to pay the taxes on the 2nd device.  This is virtually the same program T-Mobile ran earlier on the Galaxy S8 and they have run it on other phones too.  Even with the caveats, its a great deal.