2G Cell Phones Still Work on T-Mobile! Using a RAZR in 2023

[@AntennaMan]

📱 Visit my partner at mintmobile.com/antennaman to get premium wireless for as low as $15 a month - sign up before July 14th to get 50% OFF the Unlimited Plan. Limited time offer. Online & new customers only, while supplies last. Purchase 3-month data plan ($45 upfront payment equiv. to $15/mo). Taxes & fees extra. Promotional rate for first 3 months only; no cash value. Unlimited using over 40GB/mo. will experience lower speeds with video streams at ~480p. Restrictions apply. See terms below: bit.ly/45MdINd"

[@unitedstatesirie7431]

Jim Morrison security worked for the USA Government to discredit the conservatives protesting the Vietnam war. Jim Morrison also did not die in Paris France.

[@jmr]

One of my videos got demonetized for the Verizon music of a phone booting. It doesn't look like they got you for Moto music just yet. 😅

[@DG599]

@@jmr that is different, I didn’t get copyrighted for any ringtones but companies are different.

[@shauny2285]

Too bad the T-mobile 2G network goes away in 2024. I still use a 4G LTE flip phone.

[@jmr]

@@DG599 The problem is that it's automated. I'm sure I could have fought it as fair use but I wouldn't have made enough money off the video to make fighting it worth my time.

[@bf0189]

A lot of people that work at hospitals still use old pagers and cellphones because the 2G signals can penetrate the interior of the hospital a lot better than 3G and everything after so i suspect they'll leave the 2G on for that reason alone

[@common_c3nts]

2G, 3G, 4G, 5G are all irrelevant for getting a signal through walls. What matters is lower frequencies. Each carrier uses different frequencies regardless of the bandwidth. But a carrier that uses lower frequencies will penetrate farther through walls. But..... any modern hospital would have their own microcells and wifi throughout the hospital to ensure coverage. Carriers with GSM bands or LTE bands at 700 mhz and 450 mhz will go farther through walls then carriers using 1ghz and above bands. Pagers have bands in much lower frequencies so they can go through walls more like FM Radio can. The lower pager frequency bands are 35-36, 43-44, 152-159, and 454-460 MHz.

[@bf0189]

@@common_c3nts yeah it's probably less of a problem now admittedly I luckily haven't been to a hospital or even visited someone in about 7-8 years. That said it wouldn't surprise me if some hospitals in the US cheapen out with critical IT infrastructure plus smart phone battery life isn't reliable for such important work so having an old school flip phone or whatever still makes sense.

[@DG599]

2G is going next year

[@allenvanhellen2572]

The saddest thing about this phase out is that these devices still do what they were built to do and can easily have their batteries changed. They have their charms, they're less distracting, and many were built to last a long time. Now we have many devices that can't have their batteries changed easily or don't get enough software updates, rendering them practically disposable. I wish I could continue using my classic Nokia phones on occasion.

[@martin0499]

Nokia (HMD Global) makes 4G feature phones too

[@PhaQ2]

3 years on Mint. Haven't ever received spam text or scam calls. The only time my phone rings is when someone who has my number calls.

[@AntennaMan]

It's truly a great service. I'm glad they partnered with my KZbin channel to give me a chance to try out the network. It's better than what I have now and I'll be switching once the trial is up!

[@c2jones]

I'm a T-mobile customer (formerly VoiceStream, originally OmniPoint) since 1998. I have all my legacy phones. They all still work. Razr, Pebble, LG1 and a long list of others. I even have the 2G booster in my home should I need it. Nostalgia that still has a pulse.

[@AntennaMan]

That's awesome!

[@coreybabcock2023]

Can you make a video on it all

[@c2jones]

@Corey Babcock You mean me to make a video about my legacy phones? I don't have a channel. I'm not a content creator. I suppose I could provide something on my own profile page, but I don't have time right now to prioritize. I'll give it thought. (If Tyler desires it for content here, I'll make it a priority.)

[@coreybabcock2023]

@@c2jones would be so awesome to see though

[@neuideas]

I joined up in 1999.

[@RadioWhiz]

Old technology is more exciting than new technology on some things

[@zgsrandomnesshub7561]

Thanks for the video, Tyler! In my area, 2G definitely still exists, and calls are nice and clear on the band, but you can tell that T-mobile has been intentionally lowering data speeds on 2G and 3G as they phase it out. In 2022, I could use the internet on 2G without much buffering, but not so much this year. They should keep it around for emergency purposes!

[@DG599]

Unfortunately it is shutting down next year. It’s on their website.

[@BigDish101]

@@DG599 I thought they were keeping it up indefinitely for IOT devices and 911 access for non-volte phones...

[@TechHowden]

@@BigDish101 nope

[@DG599]

@@BigDish101 they can and should, but they really just want to sell people new phones to older customers for greed. Their 2G is weak and cheap and easy to maintain so they can easily keep it up but since they want money…

[@richvanek1363]

Tmob... Loweing speeds, reset connections, reroute transmissions. Redefine terms like "limited-unlimited plan." 😂 Englishing the englished vernacular.

[@onehitsword6800]

Feels like 2003 again, with that phone

[@chalabrooks5433]

Sounds like it, too.😂😂😂

[@happybox333]

The razor was my first phone in 2008 around the same time I started this KZbin channel.

[@jaheltelevisionstudios]

​@@happybox333Well why didn't you upload videos from 2008

[@happybox333]

@@jaheltelevisionstudios I did, they just got deleted. I also had a channel from 2007 but my dad made me delete it.

[@dumplingsuwu6691]

Finally..

[@okaro6595]

In Finland they are keeping 2G indefinitely as so many automated devices rely on it. They are closing 3G though.

[@mobilephonesandtech]

I love using the T-Mobile 2G GSM network! It will be a sad day when the network shuts down in April of next year. Many of my retro phones will turn into paperweights. Also, while some areas have great coverage, in others it’s practically useless, which is the case where I am. Nevertheless, it's quite amazing that 2G still exists on a major U.S. carrier in this time. Very glad to see the T-Mobile RAZR.

[@tony997]

Hi I live in Canada 2G with Roger hasn't been shutdown yet

[@tony997]

Hello

[@mobilephonesandtech]

​@@tony997 Yes, Rogers in Canada still operates GSM and 3G HSPA on the 850mhz band for now, though the PCS 1900 band currently still available in the US was shut down around mid-2021. Canada is very fortunate to not experience any of the network issues (voLTE requirements) as found on T-Mobile USA, along with improved coverage quality due to the use of 850.

[@skylergreen4981]

I've been using Mint Mobile for about two years now. It's awesome. Switching to Mint and using an antenna are two ways to really save a lot of money on cell service and tv.

[@PhoneSpecificationsUSA]

Nice. I remember making phone calls on my dad's car phone back in the early 1980's. His car phone operated on UHF and the frequency range was 454.125 - 454.350 Mhz. The car phone was a Motorola Pulsar II .

[@BigDish101]

Are you sure about that? Should have been 800mhz.

[@PhoneSpecificationsUSA]

@@BigDish101 Yes. The 800Mhz range are cellular frequencies. This was a UHF car phone and it was the latest and greatest at the time.

[@okaro6595]

That known as 0G. While such networks often were based on cells they lacked features like automatic routing and seamless transfer that true cellular networks had. There were even citywide systems that were based on just one base station. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Improved_Mobile_Telephone_Service The systems allowed automatic routing as far as the caller was concerned but the mobile user had to manually register to each cell. It was highly limited by the number of users and so expensive.

[@PhoneSpecificationsUSA]

​@@okaro6595 That is correct. There was only one base station, in our market, and it was located in downtown Detroit. When you talked on the car phone, the quality was similar to, but, a bit better than a CB radio. Most people are only familar with cell phone systems. Cell phone networks were built out and became popular in the mid to late 1980's. Mobile (car) phones existed since the 1940's.

[@wadebarnett2542]

I didn't have access to a car phone, but there was a radio that allowed me to eavesdrop.

[@chuckster255]

The reason I heard the 2G is still active is that there is still a lot of equipment (modems and such) that use it, some of that equipment is for medical purposes. This equipment will need to be replaced. That it can still be used for voice is because the carrier's equipment can't differentiate between voice traffic and data traffic.

[@doogie812]

T-mobile has been very coy about when they were to shut down 2G. I would not be surprised if the go dark date is extended again. And yes, with the correct APN the data will work. KZbin will buffer like crazy but it is usable.

[@roachtoasties]

I hope it is extended again!

[@tripleconsonant]

yep extended again!

[@skiprockjr.6881]

My 2G burner phone was awesome. I remember when they shut off service for it. I used to play poker in a remote cabin and no one could get service inside the cabin so they all kept their phones on the front porch, but not me. I still had 2 or 3 bars of service. Anytime I would get a call or a text someone would ask how I got service inside the cabin. I'd tell them 2G.

[@CommodoreFan64]

I got T-Mobile 5G Home internet earlier this year to save some money, and it's been working out really well at my location, but I honestly had no idea they still had their 2G Network running. 👍 What's even more interesting to me is that in Mexico you can still buy a 3G only phone with a full physical keyboard called the Ghia 3G GQWERTY that runs KaiOS(looks like the old LG 900G that was on Net10/Tracfone), and I wish it was sold here in the US with 4G LTE as I know a few older people, and people who are into the tech detox thing, where that would be the perfect phone for them to have just enough connectivity where they don't have to do T9 texting on a flip phone.

[@mitchdenner9743]

I just returned mine yesterday after the 14 day trial period, was not impressed with there 5 g service both home internet and phone data service, bunch of hype if you ask me.

[@CommodoreFan64]

@@mitchdenner9743 Like any cell service it depends on your location, and where the towers are too you, and how much load is on them, as I'm in a more rural are of S. Carolina, and after playing around with placement of the T-Mobile Gateway as of late I've been seeing 400Mbps - 600Mbps+ down, by 50Mbps - 150Mbps+ up with pings of 16ms to 60ms depending on the time of day, weather, and tower load, and for the money I've personally been really impressed with it, when the cable company here(Breezeline) charges nearly double for 160Mbps/25Mbps with no equipment rental, and Frontier DSL is a joke!!

[@mitchdenner9743]

@Commodorefan64 I was hoping so bad that it was going to work here . I haven't had Internet at least home Internet here in about 13 years. I quit Comcast about 12:13 years ago and I've just been relying on my cellphone data for entertainment. Was getting a Good signal but The speeds would come in-and-out at different hours of the day-and-night seemed more at night time it wouldn't work . To sporadic for me to keep and pay for every month. And according to T-Mobile's coverage map my was fully covered and it seems like there UC ultra coverage every every time that showed up all signal dropped.

[@jmr]

One of the downsides is that these old phones don't support emergency alerts. I tested a bunch of phones from extremely old to brand new. The upside is you can still find batteries for a lot of these!

[@9852323]

most people could care less about emergency alerts.

[@jmr]

@@9852323 True but it's worth considering. We survived just fine without cell phones at all so that's an option too.

[@voltare2amstereo]

They do, it's in a menu called cell broadcast. A feature since GSM inception

[@DG599]

Just before Verizon shut down CDMA, I know someone who got an emergency alert on a CDMA-only phone (2G) and it was inactive. Verizon should have kept their network up as well

[@jmr]

@@DG599 That's interesting. Verizon 2G/3G phones were in my test batch and none got the alert. 4G phones were the oldest phones I got the alert on. Even some 4G phones aren't compatible with the current alert system. My best guess is the alert you're friend got was from an older system. At one time some areas even used "reverse 911" where they make a robo call to everyone in the area. If I remember correctly though the current alert system is the only version that can send a nation wide alert and it's meant to replace all earlier versions. It has a minimum required version of Android or IOS. I don't know if any version of Harmony OS is compatible.

[@whited586]

As someone who was born in 2000, As a young kid I remember my mom having one of these through Verizon. I remember it so well.

[@coreybabcock2023]

I had the v3m in 07

[@weatheronthe8s895]

I have a lot of enjoyment in testing older cellular networks. Sadly, I live in a part of the country where T-Mobile did not build coverage until after they stopped developing their 2G network, which in my area we didn't get T-Mobile coverage until recently after the Sprint merger when Sprint towers were converted to T-Mobile towers. T-Mobile mostly stopped adding to their 2G network probably about 10 years ago, which leaves the 2G network with many gaps in rural America. As a result, the only legacy network still running in my area is US Cellular CDMA (US Cellular is a regional network covering some Mid-Atlantic, Midwest, Northeast, and North-Pacific markets), which sadly isn't as easy as popping a SIM card into an old phone. I still enjoy using it sometimes on my newee phone though since US Cellular is my main carrier, as much as I often wish they weren't. Their CDMA network is sometimes required in places where their coverage isn't very good, as they never properly densified the network during the LTE era.

[@haroldbeauchamp3770]

I am very familiar with US Cellular. They had a much larger national presence back in the mid nineties than they do now. Back in the 90s I had a US Cellular phone and they used the TDMA digital network A-side. Their competitor in my area was Southwestern Bell wireless which utilized the TDMA digital network B-side. Back then, the Nokia phones could be changed to access the A or B side of the TDMA network and you could connect to the stronger signal of your choice, even if it was the competitor tower. I quickly learned that once you do that it would register as a roaming call and I would get billed a flat 5 dollar fee and an exorbitant rate per minute.

[@coreybabcock2023]

The good days of cellular too

[@richpontone1]

Love my Mint mobile too. Have had it for past five months and at 20 bucks a month for 15 GBs a month and they threw in 3 months free for three months paid, this is a bargain. However, 2G is a dinosaur especially with a Razor. This is why. I use my Cellphone, iPhone XR 2018 for internet surfing, using GPS car and map directions, bluetooth, KZbin viewing and listening to Apple Music. Great video display and music sounds great, with better and easier Bluetooth pairing to my loudspeakers. Ever try downloading photos on 2G. Haircuts takes much less time and time is something we all value. This outdated phone of mine outraces the Razor. What a difference that 15 years of technological innovation can do, and what 15 years of consumer demand dictates and expects from our Cellphone.

[@seanjones21]

How did you know I've been researching this the past week or so?! LMAO. I even got out my old phones to see which ones still work. For the record - I miss my Nextel the most. Thanks for the vid!

[@artie2099]

I miss Nextel too. Some Nextel models are still useable as long range walkie talkies. They use a phone to phone IDEN connection and do not need towers for DT PTT. Useful for camping or outdoor events. Nextel models compatible with DT PTT are: ic402, ic502, ic602, ic902, i275, i315, i325, i335, i355, i365, i425, i455, i560, i570, i580, i615, i670, i760, i776, i850, i870, i880.

[@Auberge79]

NMT-450 was closed around 10 years ago. CDMA450 was closed like 5 years ago. But GSM still works fine literally everywhere in my country except one carrier in one region - they haven't 2g network there. But others have.

[@aaronhendrickson]

You could test it out with an android phone by doing this: 1) go to connects and then mobile networks 2) find the network type box 3) open drop down menu and select 2g only I have tried it already. Give your phone a little bit of time to connect. T-Mobile is going to keep 3g active. Highway 53 going northwest from Las Vegas. During a long time on that stretch is only 2g available. I don't know if 5g has coverage in that area yet.

[@DG599]

Keep in mind that some MVNOS and T-Mobile themselves will not work since their new SIM cards do not work with those old ones. Do you have any disconnecting issues on mint? That’s common where T-Mobile and MVNOS “disconnect” the signal and you need to put the sim in a VoLTE or 5G phone for the signal to reconnect. It especially disconnects when using the browser. Also instead of blurring the number, just use *67 next to the number.

[@nestitog]

Which is the case of the MVNO Hello Mobile...their new SIMs work nicely on Nokias, but on Motorolas uuuuuh not.

[@waylonfinlay4927]

Yes you're right this was such a big problem for me! How can I make that not happen anymore? Should I get a different brand 2g phone?

[@DG599]

@@waylonfinlay4927 no brand does not matter. Just put the sim in a voLTE phone and switch the volte phone to 2G mode and leave it for about 10-20 minutes. Put the sim back in the old phone and it should work

[@codyyaaron]

@@DG599i really hope that works!! I have a razr v3 coming for tmobile and im a tmobile user but people are saying it says "check sim" so I am hoping if I do what is stated above it will work!!! 😊

[@DG599]

@@codyyaaron if it says check sim, then that means the sim is too new and the trick won’t work. It’s for when the sim loses signal, the check sim error is different.

[@journeyon1983]

Love the Doors t-shirt you're wearing. One of my favorite rock groups. Also thanks for the info on 2G network still working. I have some old cell phones that still use that 2G. I'll look into that soon when my current plan expires.👍

[@voltare2amstereo]

We lost GSM over a decade ago in Australia and 3g is scheduled to follow suit soon. Hasn't heard the dit ditit sound of gsm interference in audio equipment forever

[@MrMatt1138]

Takes me back. Still have a phone with the "Hello Moto" sound, and it's not that old a phone!

[@Markimark151]

My sister probably still has the Motorola RAZR in her storage, but it’s a Cingular phone, the T Mobile phones I used to have was a Samsung flip phone and a Nokia 3200! I don’t have them anymore, even if I did I’m not going to buy another service, only use for just several months and T Mobile will shut it down in less than a year.

[@sams3015]

“Hallo Moto” brought me back. Here in Ireland, 2G still works I think, some granny’s still have them. Sometimes you get it if you somewhere very rural on your iPhone

[@fallwitch]

I still have an old "high end" Razr" still my fav mobile I have ever owned. Thank you I'm gonna try to get it going thanks to this video. Thank you!

[@GerardPinzone]

I remember when the analog service went down. A lot of security systems lost connectivity to the central monitoring service. When 2G goes away, there will be a new round of paperweight security systems.

[@JK-mo2ov]

Most security systems have already migrated to 4G since the majority use ATT.

[@GerardPinzone]

@@JK-mo2ov And how does that affect all the existing alarm systems that use 2g?

[@JK-mo2ov]

@@GerardPinzone there are very few remaining, and a lot of units with cell connections on 3G just required a radio component swap when ATT discontinued 3G. The concern about systems going to waste for TMo 2G discontinuing is negligible.

[@GerardPinzone]

@@JK-mo2ov And yet a 2 second Google search suggests otherwise.

[@jamesdriver0317]

I decided to test my iPhone 5 on iOS 6.1.4 (downgraded) with my T-Mobile SIM card, and it worked. Then I stuck my main Mint Mobile SIM card in it and it worked. I downgraded to iOS 6 so I could experience the iPhone 5 that I never got to (I was only 6 in 2012)

[@theflipphonechannel8198]

I still use T-Mobile 2G with my Red Pocket sim and some Portuguese and UK sims I purchased overseas. Sadly 2G coverage in my area degraded recently and is no longer usable. Call quality is abysmal and my phones frequently lose service

[@weegeemike]

My god this was nostalgic. My buddy's dad ran a razr until he finally broke down for a cheap android a couple years back...i remember playing games on my old Nokia. The golf game he showed looked super cool!

[@JohnAckerman93]

I remember getting my first phone when I was entering junior high. It was a Motorola V195 flip phone. It lasted a while. I then got a Nokia flip phone, and that was nice too. Really the first smart phone I got was an LG. That lasted for a long time, and now I have a galaxy a12

[@shrimpfry880]

i don't know why, but VOIP never worked on any of my phones so i've been basically using 2g for more than a decade into the smartphone era without even knowing about it

[@beavis5067]

I had a Razr V3m. This video really makes me miss it. 😔

[@HERBYWALLACE3]

I still use mine, not as good reception in the mountains, still works

[@tornadokegan]

One thing that I find weird is a few days ago I had a 2G signal on my smartphone

[@theduckthatquacks6445]

Antenna man meets retro ! Show us how to use a rotary dial phone next T !

[@RW-zh7kl]

Omg that's awesome. This video was great 👍 I cant believe u have an original Razor in that good of condition that still works

[@roberthansen2008]

Hey cool I'm glad you showed us this. I like that old school stuff. Those were the good old days.

[@felicciasc]

I worked on the migration from analog to 2g

[@AntennaMan]

Interesting! I heard in the analog days you could hear cell phone calls if you tuned an old TV to above channel 69..

[@felicciasc]

@@AntennaMan absolutely. Back in 86 had a black and white 12" kmc(k mart corporation) and used to use the fine tuning to pick up different calls

[@mide9876]

Here 2g is active on all 3 main operators (italy) and only vodafone has a 2g shutdown date, i get full EDGE on my BB 8520 and the same on my Nokia 6150, we have 900-1800 as GSM

[@louisd95714]

Thanks for this information. I find the "Hello Moto" ringtone to be iconic. For me, it brings back a ton of memories.

[@stuarthirsch]

What's the point? It will only work for about a year anyway. It would be great if they would make 2G open source and free of charge through a not for profit or the FCC. Just request a sim card for a nominal fee (or free from the FCC),You would receive a SIM card and a phone number, but no monthly charge ever. 2G or even 3G would become the successor to Citizens Band (CB) radio, Repeaters would be cheap and be solar powered and on cars and trucks or just about anywhere. Get a phone and/or a SIM card for an existing 2G or 3G phone with repeater for between $25-$100 and have cell phone service forever.The low VHF band would be ideal for such a service.

[@sidewinder3434]

Thanks Antenna Man for the info ! . I have 2 old but in new condition, rarely used T Mobile phones which were ready to be recycled , both Samsung, 1- flip phone T-139 (2G) and a T-199 candy bar phone ( 3G). I may hold onto them until April 2024 when they close down 2G . My T Mobile Sim cards are old and expired so I would have to purchase new Sims . Will try Mint !.

[@jackolope2217]

I still see 3G on Verizon in some places here in alaska. iPhone 14 pro

[@videos4life]

Wow I didn't know they made 3G iPhone 14 models pretty amazing that 3G is still working in some areas

[@DG599]

3G is still in Alaska from Verizon??

[@DG599]

Or does it show extended network?

[@trikeonabike4949]

Hearing that classic Motorola Razr ringtone brought back some memories lol. Ironically I still have my Razr in my dresser drawer, but the screen doesn't turn on anymore, but the keys still light up. I only kept the thing for nostalgia 😅📞

[@Madness832]

I had a Razr about 15 years ago. Still miss it!

[@coreybabcock2023]

Me too

[@mq5276]

I still have my old Motorola razor, a BlackBerry flip, and two Windows phones and my first cell phone although I don't know where it is or what kind, just that it was fat and it had a separate battery pack and an external antenna ( not the 70s kind!) I use my windows phone to play mahjong every night before bed.

[@michaelhuynh8793]

Analog cell phones can be heard on uhf channels 70 thru 83

[@coreybabcock2023]

Tried it back in the late 90s couldn't hear anything

[@6071-p3f]

Not surprised. 2g and 5g are selectable options in network settings. Frequency on a network. A T-Mobile control panel let's the consumer switch for Internet. Manually for phones. They probably have an intent to phase out 2g. IMO, it's closer to having a backup for network outages.

[@DG599]

It’s going away next year. To be honest it should stay and since it’s a weak network crammed with LTE, there’s zero reason they should shut it down.

[@6071-p3f]

@@DG599 Going to be terrible in my area. The 5g connection is less stable than LTE. Not always.

[@Gintokikreuz1]

I use Metro by T-mobile and I love it. But I do have to say the Speedtest is done wrong. Since Cricket Wireless throttles speed. You would have to use At&t service not Cricket Wireless.

[@GaryLives77]

Mint throttles after you use all your data too. I tried it.

[@AntennaMan]

Actually, my friend had AT&T in the same location and it was the same speed. Cricket actually no longer throttles speeds like they used to a few years ago.

[@CommodoreFan64]

@@AntennaMan I'm on the Cricket 4 line family plan and they cap the speeds even 5G at 3Mbps/3Mbps, and at least in my area of the south east the service quality has gotten worse that I'm getting about 1/2 that speed most of the time unless I'm really close to a tower, so yeah I'm looking to switch my family to T-Mobile towers soon, so I'll be checking out the Mint mobile plans to see if they are right for us, or if we will go with the Metro family plan for the same money as Cricket.

[@AntennaMan]

@@CommodoreFan64 They used to cap the family plan at 3mbps but stopped over a year ago. I get speeds around 50mbps in some areas but in other areas it's horrible.

[@CommodoreFan64]

@@AntennaMan I live right on the border of SC/GA , and no matter where I go in either state all 4 of our phones are capped at 3Mbps/3Mbps even my unlocked Nokia G50(even my older Moto G's, and Alcatel), I've never seen faster than 3Mbps/3Mbps except a 2sec speed test burst that goes right back down while on AT&T towers. I get home and on my T-Mobile 5G Home internet connection connected to my Gateway I'm seeing well over 200Mbps on that phone over WiFi with my actual connection being around 400Mbps - 600Mbps+ by 50Mbps - 150Mbps+ depending on weather, tower load, and time of day. So yeah Cricket/AT&T is indeed throttling people on the family plans.

[@knightta82]

As some comments indicated, this appears to not work with the MVNO Tello. Decided to give it a go buying a cheap T-Mobile Razr and a 5 dollar plan from Tello. Inserted sim into Razr after activating on iPhone and the Razr gives a sim error. Not too surprising but saddening, nonetheless. Hope this helps anyone looking to try this out.

[@DG599]

It’s not just tello. The sim error is because new T-Mobile sims don’t work in older phones anymore (pre-UMTS). And the disconnecting issue can happen anytime.

[@jeffkardosjr.3825]

When T-Mobile did have more 2g sites around Scranton, a lot of them wouldn't pass data anyways. It either wasn't connected for that or at capacity. When I was gaming on 4G, I would often run into lag at some point and I would switch to 3G for awhile.

[@jeffkardosjr.3825]

Indigo, which was or is a roaming partner for T-Mobile, for a long time only ever was 2G with no data, for the MVNO I was using anyways

[@jeffkardosjr.3825]

Indigo, which was or is a roaming partner for T-Mobile, for a long time only ever was 2G with no data, for the MVNO I was using anyways

[@Mr.Avuncular]

I actually have a razor in my possession just might have to activate it!! Thanx Tyler

[@roachtoasties]

I hope T-Mobile extends that April 2024 date. I have a collection of old phones too that I hope will still work for me.

[@Scruds]

They won’t most likely

[@TheJimmyCartel]

they did move it back.

[@rorysalarms8110]

Very cool Antenna man i have a Nokia 7610 2G cell phone and it still can pick up a signal.

[@tenlittleindians]

Even if your carrier is using the same network backbone there's no guarantee they will support these older phones! My old carrier forced me to upgrade my phone when they upgraded their system even though my phone was purchased from them! It's not that they work it's a matter of who still has the ability to still support older connectivity.

[@mannhimself]

I have a prepaid tmobile phone I got in 2010 to expierment with, I should bust it out. Just wish the Nextel iDen network was still around that would be a fun video to do with internet tethering at half of dialup speeds. I tried it back with a Boost mobile Motorola i290 then and it was atrocious but it worked.

[@coreybabcock2023]

Id rather go back to those days

[@riskidxer]

In my country (Indonesia) 2G still worth it 2G network it's choice for calls and SMS Internet connection using 2G very slow

[@Rich_123]

Where in PA are you seeing AT&T speeds that low? I've never gotten under 20, and that's usually in places where T-mobile doesn't work at all.

[@GaryLives77]

Mint is not unlimited like Att prepaid or Visible wireless. Mint Caps

[@D3MON_KOR3]

I still have 2 razr phones. Thanks for the video, i didn't think it was possible to still use one, im going to pull mine out

[@megacap55]

i am from Santiago Chile and I remember used a Ericsson ca638 huge phone but has great battery life later a Nokia and then a Sony Ericsson phones over Entel PCS network the only time tried a CDMA phone got broken by itself and the calls were horrible due the interference noise that was heard which was not acceptable

[@Mr.Avuncular]

I've been using for awhile now...several months and my only gripe is that if you only want to pay a month you must continue to pay whatever you did the prior month🙄

[@Pamela-Captain-Peeps]

Omg I loved this!!!!! Brought back great memories and live those sounds

[@Ininoutb]

I miss 2g and 3g on at&t I got way better service everywhere I went with the only downside being slow internet but when your out hiking and all you want to do is make a call or send a short text it worked great but now with 4g lte and 5g my signal is only good around decent size city's or near a big highway everywhere else its terrible but I guess all people care about now is internet speed

[@DG599]

It’s sad. They shut down 3G for no reason.

[@DaltonTk423]

@@DG599 I have noticed AT&T signal degrade substantially when they shut down the 2G/3G networks. The service degraded so bad that I bought a Mint SIM almost 2 years ago and ran both carriers side by side in my dual SIM contractor phone. Mint (T-Mobile) had stronger signal +75% of the time and would fall back on 2G when the faster networks had poor reception. I still have and use the Mint SIM in my phone and coupled with WeBoost amplifiers in both of my vehicles I am almost never without a signal on one of the carriers. Also, my AT&T phone line is a business line that the family business has had activated for close to 20 years. I think the height of AT&T was when they were running 2G/3G/4G before they released 5G. 5G data may be faster, but who cares about speed when it doesn't have a connection!

[@mkuhlman77]

It's probably lightning fast vs when everyone has 2G phones .

[@davidgrim5990]

The 2G is up mostly for bike rentals, GPS tags and other industrial uses not for consumers directly.

[@Auberge79]

that's what I was just about to write. 2G is used in too many devices like industrial modems, traffic lights, automatic gates etc.

[@Ajax-322]

2:35-3:10 great unintentional ASMR

[@baconsledge]

If my Razr would charge the battery, I would be all set!

[@nmbcharger6035]

I miss the old 800mhz AMPS network! It had the best voice quality! I'd love to bring my old, working condition, Motorola DynaTac (brick) & MicroTac (1st gen flip that worked on AMPS & 1st gen TDMA) back to life again.

[@mobilephonesandtech]

Osmocom-analog does just that :)

[@nmbcharger6035]

@@mobilephonesandtech Thanks. I would really like to build a setup like that. From what I've read, so far, I'll need a full duplex SDR transceiver, a spare PC or Raspberry Pi, and that software you had mentioned. I want to get that ball rolling. This would make a great demonstrator to take to antique shows. Any help would be greatly appreciated! Thanks all the best!

[@mobilephonesandtech]

@@nmbcharger6035 Unsure if my comment went through. Take a look at Philtel's blog about "Reviving AMPS Phones (April Fools' Post Explained)." Seems simple to set up, the only difficult part I foresee is obtaining the expensive SDR.

[@timothyweers8054]

As nostalgic as this is, I can't go back to an old 2g phone without a touch screen for typing, or watching a video.

[@grantwilcox330]

wow that RAZR brings up good memories. I remember how thin it was.

[@ktb]

Yeah I knew about this. Sad thing is it probably won't last forever

[@brownro214]

I have several 2G phones including a Razor and couldn't get any of them to work on T-Mobile's network back in 2020.

[@coreybabcock2023]

Try it again

[@DG599]

Could be many reasons why: T-Mobile updated SIM cards, disconnecting issue, or bad coverage.

[@bobblair2682]

Wow throwback. I remember when I discovered I could text my photos to an email address to save them.

[@AntennaMan]

I used to do this too!

[@danlah1303]

So far so good with Mint! My OnStar hotspot died in my vehicle so I'm trying it out using an old phone to make a mobile hotspot.

[@AntennaMan]

Mint Mobile is great!

[@autisticrebel1253]

I have been using a 2g phone for about 10 years and I have never had problems with the signals. Vodafone still have 2g for calls and texts.

[@richardcummings3468]

#ad #sponsored

[@dumplingsuwu6691]

You reached the good ol' days

[@1HandsomeDevil]

My Nokia 2720 Fold (circa 2009) is still chugging along quite well.

[@kens.1779]

Hi Tyler. Speaking of 2G, OnStar has suspended service to vehicles 2014 and earlier because of 2G service stopping at the end of 2022. I’m mad and frustrated because of this. I have 2 GM vehicles that this affects. You can no longer lock, unlock, locate a stolen car thru the phone app. GM customers paid for these features when they purchased their car and GM should be made to fix this!! I feel this is almost criminal!! They are peddling a OnStar phone app that supposedly detects a crash but it looks like junk. What are your thoughts on this? I know this is out of your lane of antenna reception but I respect your opinion. Thanks!

[@DaltonTk423]

I had a 2014 Volt and used the OnStar quite a bit. The OnStar Nav worked really well in that car and it was so easy to use. I was really sad when they discontinued it because OnStar uses AT&T to provide the service and AT&T refused to do anything to help. GM should have made an optional upgrade vehicle modem that replaces the old 2G/3G modem with the 4G LTE Modem, as simple as swap the module and program the cars computer. GM had such a program in Canada when they shut down the 2G/3G networks and provided owners the option to purchase 1 year prepaid OnStar and they would install the new module. I would have done it in a heartbeat, but they never did the program here in the states. I was really pissed when they left everyone high and dry and said "Use the app" for emergency services or to call an advisor but you loose 90% of the features! The whole point of OnStar is it is a built in standalone service in your vehicle and you can send your vehicle remote commands. I loved the app remote start.

[@kens.1779]

You are so right!! Thanks for your comment. I’m going to think twice about buying another GM product. We paid good money for this feature and I feel abandoned by GM.

[@oliverw.douglas285]

Too bad this doesn't work with carrier locked phones. I've got several Motorola Razer's but they're all Verizon Wireless - locked, and won't work on T-Mobile's network. Just the same this is neat to see it still works. Now where did I put my CB Radio & Rotary Dial Phone? :p

[@Koda14]

It's not so much the fact that it's network locked that's the problem. More that Verizon's network was CDMA based and T-Mobile's is GSM. Even if the network locks were not present they are entirely separate models of Razr's that aren't compatible with each other's network infrastructure technology.

[@coreybabcock2023]

Verizon v3m is CDMA only no sim card slot

[@oliverw.douglas285]

@@coreybabcock2023 Well, that eliminates those.

[@davenwin1973]

I wouldn't be able to use my 2G phones, as they were Verizon phones, and their 2G is already shut off. The 2G phones I had on Verizon were: Motorola 120c, Samsung a650 (first color screen phone, and last phone with analog on it), Samsung a930, Motorola W755, and a Samsung basic phone i forgot the model number. I refused to get the Razr, because I thought the phone was too flimsy. I was right, as i knew plenty of co-workers who got the phone, and regardless of carrier, they were too rough on the phone, that the phone broke too easily, and were replacing their phones too often. The Motorola W755 was the closest to the Razr I got, and it was built a bit sturdier. As for trying to get a 2G GSM phone, i have no desire to get one, and i especially dont want to go back to using T-Mobile's network again. Even after integrating Sprint's network into theirs, coverage still has not improved in too many areas I travel locally. There are still too many areas where T-Mobile still has no service, and where service is being added, extremely rural areas are getting the bare minimum coverage, while the densely populated areas get the coverage and speeds.

[@josephnealescratchcards]

UK has 2G networks (EE, Vodafone and O2) still live and getting shut down by 2033

[@ns4270railfan]

Ah yes, the old school flip phones. I used to use a flip phone and I had for years until when 5G came out and when the day 3G was shut down, I was forced to upgrade to a smart phone because of that. I really miss my old flip phone. There was one feature I liked that I could set a specific ringtone for a specific person that would call me, and I also remember I could record a custom ringtone and use it for my main ringtone. I can't really do that with my smart phone, but my smart phone has some great things that my flip phone can't do. I love the GPS function on it because it uses Google Maps and I used that numerous times to go to the Strasburg railroad in Lancaster County and to Port Clinton where it houses the headquarters of the Reading & Northern railroad. I couldn't do that with a flip phone, but I do miss texting using the numbers on the keypad. At times if you needed the same letter of that number group, you have to wait 2 seconds to use that same letter. I was a pain, but I got used to that. With a smart phone, you can just type like a computer. I know times had changed and I watched some of your videos of digital TV antennas and they are interesting. After the 2009 analog shutdown, it's not the same especially if you were camping and wanted to tune into a local station on a portable TV. I do miss analog. Oh well, there's some things that kind of forces us to upgrade when we don't want to. Thanks for sharing this and I just subscribed. Keep these great advice videos coming.

[@whiskeydark8011]

I have mint mobile. They are a great service but for those tight on money it may not be for them. Here is an example. Lets say you have 40 dollars in the bank. With tello you pay 40 dollars for that month. If you want mint you will need to pay 3 to 6 months in advanced. Even though you will pay 40 a month with mint, you wont have enough to pay for the advance just for that month.

[@DG599]

You forgot to mention the 2G disconnecting issue with mint mobile (and sometimes T-Mobile).

[@pixelgriffstudios]

G and Edge still works even my Android phone will use those bands sometimes despite being a 5g plus phone

[@phili4600]

I forgot about that golf game you played on that phone! I sucked at it but would play it so much

[@GotDamBoi]

I thought you could still use 2g if you just turn off mobile data in your phone settings?

[@americanpaisareturns9051]

Yup

[@echonomad94]

I actually use a RAZR V3XX as a spare phone. It has 3G, which isn’t going anywhere soon in my town (we don’t even have good 4G lol)

[@Pacificbell]

Now only if I can roll around town with my portable analog tv and watch it

[@gabrieluruguay1]

OMG i love the vintage stuff like phones Works 2G!! Great 😮

[@rotncryptobits5242]

ReLive retro tech - back to basics !

[@lklpalka]

I had no idea thanks Tyler, very interesting! I''m going to try it with my own Mint sim. Fun retro :)

[@catholiccontriversy]

Really cool. In 2020 I had to stop using my 3G Nokia Windows Phone because Version was shutting down the 3G towers around me. If only those were still around.

[@DG599]

It was still possible before this January. They were shutting 3G towers then but they kept 2G CDMA almost everywhere.

[@catholiccontriversy]

@@DG599 maybe possible, but not practical. It's like analog tv in 2021, there were still some channels but none were around me so I couldn't use it.