As telephone operators evolve over time to accommodate new technologies, certain phones will be left behind. And this is what is about to happen at T-Mobile, where the operator is ready to drop support for almost 20 phones, meaning customers with these devices will have to upgrade.
But there is good news. The devices on the T-Mobile list are quite old. And the operator is apparently helping affected customers by offering a choice of new phones.
All of this is due to the drop in support from T-Mobile for any phone that is not capable of using the Voice over LTE (VoLTE) service in January. According Android Police, an internal T-Mobile document lists 19 devices, including phones, tablets and cameras that are about to take place on January 29. Impact devices include the Samsung Galaxy Note Edge (AT&T and Verizon versions), Google Nexus 9, Huawei Mate 8, HTC Desire 10 Lifestyle and four different variants of the Sony Xperia Z3.
Most of the devices on the list appear to be at least 5 years old, so they need an update anyway. And apparently, starting December 28, T-Mobile will contact customers who own these phones to let them know that they can get a free update from the operator.
Specifically, these customers will be able to replace their old handsets with a choice of Samsung Galaxy A21, Samsung Galaxy A11, Alcatel Go Flip 3 or T-Mobile Revvl 4. These phones are not exactly cutting edge, ranging in prices from $ 100 to US $ 250, but at least the responsibility will not fall on customers to purchase their own updates.
The promotional period for free phone updates officially started yesterday (December 24th. However, not all customers will be eligible for the free update. If you are affected, contact your store or T-Mobile representative and ask if you can enter the promotion.
Some customers may instead receive offers that cost $ 150 on new phones if they decide to purchase a new device from T-Mobile. The reports indicate that T-Mobile employees were advised to “be on the lookout” for additional offers that will be “specifically targeted” to affected customers.
Android Police reports that, according to T-Mobile, this promotion is not tied to the end of support for non-VoLTE devices, although it seems terribly convenient, given that certain customers with such phones are being targeted for updates. T-Mobile has not yet made an official announcement about the upgrade program, nor has it confirmed which customers will be eligible.