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T-Mobile backs Ubuntu smartphone
- fiatmoney 13y agoIs there now a realistic scenario for them funding Ubuntu Edge? http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/ubuntu-edge http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/ubuntu-edge
- thezilch 13y agoI don't get it; there seems little upside to that venture, when they could fund a designer and manufacturer that has a record (Re: Google and Asus, LG, etc). You should be able to slap the OS in anything.
- timdorr 13y agoThey will do that if they fail: > If we don’t reach our target then we will focus only on commercially available handsets and there will not be an Ubuntu Edge.
- deadmike 13y agoThe phone you want, on the network you don't.
- cbhl 13y agoI was under the impression that the Edge wasn't going to have an AWS-capable GSM chip, which makes this announcement really confusing for me.
- kapilvt 13y agoThe ubuntu edge phone that's being crowd funded and 3rd party phones running ubuntu mobile os aren't the same thing. Tmobile is joining the CAG for ubuntu mobile OS, not backing a particular hardware phone.
- jsight 13y agoThis isn't talking about the same phone. Although it would be funnier if it were. The Ubuntu Edge for the network with more EDGE (2G-only areas) than anyone else! I like T-Mobile, but their network is sadly behind in many areas. It's also suffering from capacity problems in my area now.
- cbhl 13y agoOh, they're just joining the advisory group. Clearly didn't read the article closely enough. Hmm, so I guess (assuming Ubuntu ever gains traction in the mobile space -- ha, ha) T-mo just wants the option to find a hardware partner one day and put Ubuntu on some new phone in partnership with them.
- CrazedGeek 13y agoAT&T's getting an Ubuntu phone too? (In all seriousness, T-Mo US's network is fantastic around the OKC area. Only complaint is that LTE can occasionally be a tad slower than HSPA+, but both are still quite fast.)
- thezilch 13y agoThe network has been great for me in Nashville, TN; North County, CA; and most anywhere in CA. I haven't used other networks, but I've never been disappointed. I only had issues in Kauai, HI years ago, but their coverage map would suggest that they've developed their network there now.
- MatthewPhillips 13y agoI've been with T-Mobile since it existed and it is awful outside of cities. And often even awful in cities if you're surrounding by a lot of buildings.
- thezilch 13y agoI don't doubt there are coverage issues, but I don't think any carrier is immune. Verizon may get close, but I'd have to pay 4x the cost. I was challenging "network you don't," while T-Mobile receives a lot of praise for its value.
- untog 13y agoEh, I'm on T-Mobile in NYC. It's not like they are mind blowingly great, but I get unlimited data, unlimited texts and 100mins of calls for $30 a month. At that price, it's definitely the network I want.
- scragg 13y agoI love T-mobile and the plans they offer. Their coverage and HSPA & LTE has been excellent in the DFW area.
- tsuraan 13y agoT-Mobile's network coverage isn't exactly stunning, but if you have a phone that supports wifi dialing (which I think currently means android and winphone?), then you're on the t-mobile network whenever you have wifi access. That helps to make up for their lack of coverage, especially when travelling abroad.
- earlz 13y agoI like T-Mobile because they are strive to put the consumer first. They may not have the widest coverage, or the fastest speeds, but they usually do a good enough job at coverage/speed. Along with this, their customer support is the only cell phone company I've ever had a pleasant experience with. They are also trying to actually advance the cell phone market for the better, unlike most other companies trying to squeeze it for all it's worth and to hell with the future.
- dobbsbob 13y agoIs Ubuntu going to accept blackbox baseband stacks and microsd card blobs? Would be nice if they actually made an open phone but I highly doubt that will happen. If this was a completely open project I'd give them all my money but looking pretty feeble. I can just customize android and boot tiny debian whenever I want what's the difference? yet another box full of firmware we can't touch unless it's to reverse engineer and analyze it's frightening insecure writable memory.
- staunch 13y agoI have a $30/mo unlimited (5GB at 4G) data/messaging (100 min talk time) no-contract plan with T-Mobile and I use Skype for lots of calling. Works great for me in LA. Almost always have LTE access. No problems whatsoever. http://consumerist.com/2013/06/07/t-mobile-has-a-30-unlimited-data-plan-for-people-who-arent-very-chatty-but-can-current-customers-get-it/ http://consumerist.com/2013/06/07/t-mobile-has-a-30-unlimite... This just makes me like them even more. Competition is forcing them to actually think about ways of making mobile phone/data service not suck.
- sillysaurus 13y agoWow! How much are you paying each month after fees, taxes, etc? I have the same service with AT&T, except I get 700 minutes a month. But I'm paying about $90/mo. Your service includes tethering, right?
- monkeyfacebag 13y agoI have the same plan. Tethering is an additional $15/month, for a total of $45. Still a far cry from $90. I use it in Portland and the service is great. (Total after taxes is $48.50)
- sillysaurus 13y agoMay I ask, how much do you pay each month after taxes and fees? (Assuming you opted for tethering.) Something like $45 + $10 taxes/fees?
- dmdeller 13y agoNormal sales tax only. No other taxes/fees - they're all included in the basic rate. This is generally true of prepaid plans across all US carriers.
- vadman 13y agoT-Mobile prepaid plans are great in that regard. I only pay the New York sales tax on top of the quoted price (8.875% or something). My parents were on AT&T and they were paying close to $15 in mysterious fees + taxes per line, for dumbphone lines without data plans. I convinced them to move to T-Mobile prepaid, seems to work well so far.
- ChikkaChiChi 13y agoHas anyone else installed Ubuntu for phones? Am I the only person that finds the interface beautiful but useless? Absolutely nothing about it seemed intuitive.
- claudius 13y agoI haven’t tried it, but there is generally no need for interfaces to be intuitive, as long as we use these interfaces in the long term. On the contrary, it is often preferable to have a less intuitive but more powerful interface which lets you get your stuff done quickly rather than an intuitive interface that forces you to spend longer on trivial tasks; especially if the ‘interface’ in question is the phone you use daily for 2+ years. Of course, this implies that Ubuntu for phones actually lets you get stuff done quickly (after a while of getting used to it), rather than being unintuitive and useless.
- MarcScott 13y agoI can use it, my wife hasn't a clue. For the first time in my married life I have text message and email privacy.
- MarcScott 13y agoUbuntu Touch on my Nexus 4 is the only mobile OS I use. The interface takes getting used to and is beautiful. I also like the fact that it over heats so much that, when rested in my jacket pocket, it keeps my left nipple nice and warm. Seriously though, each week it seems to get better, and there's nothing like having apt-get on your phone. Hopefully Touch will be a success and help introduce more people to Linux. (I know Android is Linux but it doesn't feel like Linux)
- lobster_johnson 13y agoI like T-Mobile as a company, and their prices are great. But their network is ridiculous. Here in NYC I don't have any service inside many buildings. Many areas are EDGE only. In Williamsburg, where I live, there are lots of holes in their coverage where I have no service; and that is outside on the street. They also have serious service outages occurring surprisingly often. I shudder to think what the coverage is outside metropolitan areas like NYC. While complaining about data rates is one thing, a side effect of the bad coverage is that my phone spends a huge amount of power just adjusting itself to the signal. In Europe I am used to charging my iPhone a couple of times a week; here, my phone is dead by the end of the day.
- rohansingh 13y agoReally? I have great service with T-Mobile in NYC, including Manhattan and Williamsburg. In many places with crowds of people, my friends who have AT&T aren't able to get service while I still get great HSDPA reception. Just curious, what hardware are you using?
- lobster_johnson 13y agoiPhone 4.