T-Mobile is discontinuing service for these phones, but is offering free replacements

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

Based on internal T-Mobile documents provided to Android Police, some older devices including the 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 mentioned in the document. Affected customers will be notified by SMS from December 28 and can upgrade to one of four phones for free.

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

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

Most of the devices T-Mobile lists as being abandoned are quite old in terms of smartphones. Most of it is from 2014-2015, although the Huawei P9 landed in 2016. These are devices that stopped getting official updates a long time ago, and even if this end of carrier support is ruled out, it’s in the best interest of these customers to upgrade to something with more recent security patches. The inclusion of the Arlo security camera and R11 e-LTE6 is strange, however, for reasons we’ll discuss later.

Connected to the list is a longer text explaining that the devices will be left because they cannot receive an update necessary for continued functionality on T-Mobile’s network, after a network change. We originally thought this was related to the long-awaited mandatory VoLTE support associated with the shutdown of T-Mobile’s legacy network, but the company tells us this is not the case – although the timing and details remain suspicious. The change also affects Metro and Sprint subscribers, and the details are getting a bit more unclear there.

T-Mobile is required to maintain Sprint’s 3G network for three years as a prerequisite for the merger, and it is believed that customers with these devices should still be able to connect to that network. The document still claims that Sprint customers will be affected, but a later section mentions that only those on T-Mobile or Metro will lose to T-Mobile all of them network connection. Sprint subscribers with affected devices will only lose T-Mobile network roaming.

The document claims letters have been sent by post to those affected by the change starting December 18, and that text notifications will be sent on December 28, giving customers about a month to replace their devices. Some business customers will be directed to an existing $ 150 promotion, and T-Mobile employees will be told to “stay up to date with additional offers specifically targeting affected customers.”

We have since confirmed that this promotional offer will start on December 24, and targeted customers can receive a free Samsung Galaxy A21, Samsung Galaxy A11, Alcatel GO FLIP 3 or a T-Mobile REVVL 4. Honestly, up to a value of $ 250 because your old half-decade phone is a pretty good deal, and the A21 is a decent phone.

After our story was first published, T-Mobile reached out to confirm that this change is not part of the VoLTE requirement or a legacy network shutdown, even though the timing, apparent requirements, and device list imply a link. We asked T-Mobile for more details about the change pushing these devices off the network, but that information was not provided. The company has not accepted our offer to publish a statement upon request.

The inclusion of devices such as the original Arlo security camera and R11e-LTE6 mini PCIe card also casts doubt on the VoLTE requirement as a cause, as neither should be needed. When asked how this will affect future software support and functionality on T-Mobile’s network, an Arlo representative told us that no official decision has been made to discontinue the product.

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

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