T-Mobile live in Buffalo

[Buffalo]

The store at the corner of Delaware & Kenmore on the Buffalo/Kenmore line is open. Hours are 9-8 M-Sat, 9-5 Sun.

I picked up my prepaid Easyspeak sim today and, although the staff are pretty new, everything went very smoothly. I have an unlocked 3390 gold and it works great. The sound quality is leaps and bounds better than anything I ever had with Sprint PCS. Coverage - even in my office, where I can't get FM radio, is superb so far. I have even SMS'd friends in Switzerland and Croatia successfully.

As for the fact that their is no AMPS backup - something I needed with Sprint - I can keep my deactivated Sprint phone in my glovebox for AMPS & CDMA 911 calls.

I'll never have to pay to roam with my unlocked phone. When in Ontario, Fido, here I come!

Although - at my office, my phone found 3 networks: Rogers, AT&T Wireless (USA - which hasn't even launched in Bflo) and Voicestream.

That's the last oddity - although everything is branded T-Mobile, the phone display says "Voicestream".

[Matt]

Originally posted by: Buffalo
I'll never have to pay to roam with my unlocked phone. When in Ontario, Fido, here I come!

That's the last oddity - although everything is branded T-Mobile, the phone display says "Voicestream".

1. I think you'll pay to roam on Fido. Unlocked doesn't mean free. T-Mobile hasn't offered a plan with free foaming to Canada since October.

2. You need a current SIM (branded T-Mobile and with "EONS" printed on it) and phone with the lastest firmware in order to get T-Mobile to appear, probably Although they are in the process of sending everyone a SIM update to change the VS to T-Mobile on their display....it's been going on for a month already.

Can someone tell me what are the benefits of T-mobile? How is it better than sprint or verison?

[Matt]

Generally, T-Mobile is cheaper for your dollar WRt anytime minutes...you'll get more of them. If you travel internationally, they use the international standard (well, it's dominant in most countries but not all) so you can get a tri-band phone that will let you have your US number anywhere. The phones have a chip called a SIM card that stores your address book and personal info so you can switch between phones if you want/need to. They have a 3000 minute regional plan for $49 or $59 depending on where you live, and have a decent phone selection.

That said, a couple negatives....limited coverage area - they are all-digital - no analog backup. so either your phone works or it doesn't. Check the coverage maps and talk with users in your area first! No night minutes, except in Chicago and Milwaukee. The plans are anytime minutes plus free weekends- no nights - except in those two metro areas. return time -currently it's only 72 business hours, except in California where it's 14 days, or via amazon.com it's 30 days. Rumor has it that they will go to 14 days everywhere next month, but that's unconfirmed.

[Buffalo]

Originally posted by: Matt

1. I think you'll pay to roam on Fido. Unlocked doesn't mean free. T-Mobile hasn't offered a plan with free foaming to Canada since October.

2. You need a current SIM (branded T-Mobile and with "EONS" printed on it) and phone with the lastest firmware in order to get T-Mobile to appear, probably Although they are in the process of sending everyone a SIM update to change the VS to T-Mobile on their display....it's been going on for a month already.

I don't intend to roam on Fido with my T-Mobile Sim. I have an unlocked phone, so I intend to purchase a prepaid Fido SIM and switch them out when I cross the border.

From what I've heard, Fido rapes you fee-wise when you roam on their network, anyway - including, but not limited to, a CDN$6.95 "network access fee" per call.

[Buffalo]

Also - I do have an EONS chip, and from what I've been able to find, 2.01 is the latest FW for the 3390 Gold. I might be wrong, however.

In any event, the chip is branded T-Mobile, but the phone startup screen says Voicestream, as does the carrier logo when the phone is on.

[Matt]

Oh- OK on the Fido roaming [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img]

I'll check out my wife's new 3390G she got via upgrade last week. I know her startup logo is t-m, but the operator logo is still VStream since she's using her 2.5 year old SIM.