T-Mobile is closing the service for these phones, but will offer free replacements

This story was originally published 12/22/2020
8:58 PSTon December 22, 2020 and last update 12/24/2020
8:42 am PSTon December 24, 2020.

Based on T-Mobile’s internal documents given to Android Police, some older devices, including OnePlus One, Xperia Z3 series and Nexus 9, will not be able to connect to the company’s network as of January 29. 19 devices, including phones, tablets and even cameras, are named by the document. Affected customers will be notified by SMS from December 28 and will be able to upgrade to one of four phones free of charge.

According to the documents sent to us (which we verified as correct), the following devices will not be able to use the T-Mobile network as of January 29:

Note that although AT&T and Verizon Note 4 are affected, the T-Mobile version of the phone is not. It is also possible that other devices that are not on this list will be affected.

Most of the devices that T-Mobile lists as left behind are quite old in terms of smartphones. Most are from 2014-2015, although the Huawei P9 arrived in 2016. These are devices that stopped receiving official updates a long time ago and, even excluding this end of support from the operator, it is in the interest of these customers to upgrade to something with patches latest security features. However, the inclusion of the Arlo security camera and R11 e-LTE6 are strange, for reasons that we will talk about later.

Connected to the list is a longer text that explains the devices being left behind due to their inability to receive an update necessary for the continuity of functionality on the T-Mobile network after a network change. We originally thought this was related to the long-awaited mandatory VoLTE support associated with the disconnection of T-Mobile’s legacy network, but the company tells us that is not the case – although the timing and details remain suspect. The change will also affect Metro and Sprint subscribers, and the details will be a little more confusing.

T-Mobile is required to maintain Sprint’s 3G network for three years as a condition for the merger and, presumably, customers with these devices should still be able to connect to that network. The document further states that Sprint customers will be affected, but a later section states that only those on T-Mobile or T-Mobile Metro will lose all network connectivity. Sprint subscribers with affected devices will only lose roaming on the T-Mobile network.

The document states that letters from snail mail were sent to people affected by the move beginning on the 18th, and SMS notifications will be sent on December 28, giving customers about a month to replace their devices. Some business customers will be pushed into an existing $ 150 discount promotion, and T-Mobile employees are told to “be on the lookout for additional offers that will be targeted specifically at impacted customers.”

We have since confirmed that this promotional offer starts on December 24th, and target customers can receive a free Samsung Galaxy A21, Samsung Galaxy A11, Alcatel GO FLIP 3 or a T-Mobile REVVL 4. Honestly, reaching US $ 250 because your old half decade phone is a good deal, and the A21 is a decent phone.

After our story was first published, T-Mobile sought to confirm that this change is not part of its VoLTE requirements or any legacy network shutdown, although the time, apparent requirements and device list imply a connection. We asked T-Mobile for more details on the change that is removing these devices from the network, but that information has not been provided. The company did not accept our offer to publish a statement when requested.

The inclusion of devices such as the original Arlo security camera and the mini PCIe R11e-LTE6 card also cast some doubts about the VoLTE requirement as a cause, as neither should need this. When asked how this affects the support and functionality of future software on the T-Mobile network, an Arlo representative told us that no official decision was made to discontinue the product.

In the meantime, T-Mobile subscribers using any of these 19 devices should contact us to see if they are eligible for the promotional offer. If you are concerned about your phone, you can check if your device supports VoLTE with our guide.

• Thanks:
• Anonymous Alligator