T-Mobile announced today it has recently implemented 4x4 MIMO in 319 cities across the United States, effectively doubling the number of data paths between the network's cell towers and compatible smartphones.

4x4-MIMO
The carrier has also launched 256 QAM for downloads and 64 QAM for uploads across half of its network, with a nationwide rollout to be completed by the end of October. These new quadrature amplitude modulation technologies increase the number of bits delivered per transmission for even faster LTE speeds. Combined with 4x4 MIMO, 256 QAM delivers theoretical download speeds up to 400 Mbps.

Meanwhile, T-Mobile said it now covers nearly 312 million customers in the United States, bringing it to within 99.7% of Verizon's coverage.

Qualcomm's X12 modem, an appropriate candidate for iPhone 7, supports 4x4 MIMO, so it is possible that some models could benefit from the technology. However, Apple is expected to use Intel's XMM 7360 LTE modem for a portion of iPhone 7 models, including AT&T models, and 4x4 MIMO is not an advertised feature of that chipset. iPhone 6s and older models do not support 4x4 MIMO.

T-Mobile customers with Samsung's Galaxy S7 or Galaxy S7 edge will be covered by 4x4 MIMO following a software update later this month.

Tags: LTE, T-Mobile

Top Rated Comments

oneMadRssn Avatar
121 months ago
400 Mbps seems like overkill for streaming 480p video...
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
MrXiro Avatar
121 months ago
Switched to T-Mobile 3 months ago. Am back on Verizon. While in town in the metro area, the coverage was good (though it often dropped to 3G inside buildings, but whatever I could deal with that). When I got out of town and into the suburbs and, God forbid, the rural areas, the coverage failed horrifically.

All this said, I hope they can get it together. They seem to be trying to do the right things. I just wish they could get their coverage area increased. And yeah their customer service was abysmal. I was told by the in-store reps that if I called with a "no-coverage report" that I'd get some kind of concern or something. Instead I got, "Oh that zip code shows as covered. You should be good." Wrong answer. At least with Verizon I can get on the network when I go visit my parents.
Or you can just stop visiting your parents like I have. :D
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
SuperCachetes Avatar
121 months ago
T-Mobile is covering 312million customers in the US but there are 324million people in the US??? Can someone explain this to me? How much are the other carriers covering then?
"Covered" means able to access T-Mobile's signal, not subscribing to their service.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
infiniteentropy Avatar
121 months ago
Switched to T-Mobile 3 months ago. Am back on Verizon. While in town in the metro area, the coverage was good (though it often dropped to 3G inside buildings, but whatever I could deal with that). When I got out of town and into the suburbs and, God forbid, the rural areas, the coverage failed horrifically.

All this said, I hope they can get it together. They seem to be trying to do the right things. I just wish they could get their coverage area increased. And yeah their customer service was abysmal. I was told by the in-store reps that if I called with a "no-coverage report" that I'd get some kind of concern or something. Instead I got, "Oh that zip code shows as covered. You should be good." Wrong answer. At least with Verizon I can get on the network when I go visit my parents.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
britboyj Avatar
121 months ago
I have T-Mobile in Dallas, and switched after Verizon said "No, we won't let you buy an iPhone 6 because you're one week shy of some ********." I even did the T-Mobile test drive and periodically did tests with my Verizon iPhone 5S and the T-Mobile 5S.

Without exception, T-Mobile had a faster SpeedTest score and general "real life" perception of speed, EVEN IF it had less bars. Hell, T-Mobile's 4G was faster than Verizon's LTE a number of times I tested it. Their customer service has been exceptional, but I will caveat and say that their reception inside large buildings is... Less good. Good thing I rarely make any actual phone calls.

Not to mention T-Mobile let me use data while on a call... (Not sure if Verizon has joined the 21st Century yet)
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Terrinb Avatar
121 months ago
This.

Sprint, T-Mobile, and all the other non-Verizon / ATT carriers in the US keep making these outrageous "within 1%" claims, but they do not let you know that the coverage is 1 bar of minimal cell service with no data in places where verizon will get you decent data speeds and perfect reception. T-Mobile is not an option for a much larger portion of people than they will have you believe.
Maybe you are right, but I've had T-Mobile for over ten years and travel a lot. In the few instances T-Mobile didn't have coverage (far into the country), I just rode on another network. No roaming cost, what's the big deal?

To each their own, but in Michigan where I live T-Mobile works great.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iOS 26

15 New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 26.2

Friday December 5, 2025 9:40 am PST by
Apple is about to release iOS 26.2, the second major point update for iPhones since iOS 26 was rolled out in September, and there are at least 15 notable changes and improvements worth checking out. We've rounded them up below. Apple is expected to roll out iOS 26.2 to compatible devices sometime between December 8 and December 16. When the update drops, you can check Apple's servers for the ...
Intel Inside iPhone Feature

Apple's Return to Intel Rumored to Extend to iPhone

Friday December 5, 2025 10:08 am PST by
Intel is expected to begin supplying some Mac and iPad chips in a few years, and the latest rumor claims the partnership might extend to the iPhone. In a research note with investment firm GF Securities this week, obtained by MacRumors, analyst Jeff Pu said he and his colleagues "now expect" Intel to reach a supply deal with Apple for at least some non-pro iPhone chips starting in 2028....
iPhone 14 Pro Dynamic Island

iPhone 18 Pro Leak Adds New Evidence for Under-Display Face ID

Monday December 8, 2025 4:54 am PST by
Apple is actively testing under-screen Face ID for next year's iPhone 18 Pro models using a special "spliced micro-transparent glass" window built into the display, claims a Chinese leaker. According to "Smart Pikachu," a Weibo account that has previously shared accurate supply-chain details on Chinese Android hardware, Apple is testing the special glass as a way to let the TrueDepth...
iOS 26

Apple Seeds Second iOS 26.2 Release Candidate to Developers and Public Beta Testers

Monday December 8, 2025 10:18 am PST by
Apple today seeded the second release candidate version of iOS 26.2 to developers and public beta testers, with the software coming one week after Apple seeded the first RC. The release candidate represents the final version iOS 26.2 that will be provided to the public if no further bugs are found. Registered developers and public beta testers can download the betas from the Settings app on...
iPhone 17 Pro Cosmic Orange

10 Reasons to Wait for Next Year's iPhone 18 Pro

Monday December 1, 2025 2:40 am PST by
Apple's iPhone development roadmap runs several years into the future and the company is continually working with suppliers on several successive iPhone models at the same time, which is why we often get rumored features months ahead of launch. The iPhone 18 series is no different, and we already have a good idea of what to expect for the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max. One thing worth...
Johny Srouji

Apple's Chipmaking Chief Johny Srouji Responds to Report About Him Potentially Leaving

Monday December 8, 2025 9:23 am PST by
Apple's chipmaking chief Johny Srouji has reportedly indicated that he plans to continue working for the company for the foreseeable future. "I love my team, and I love my job at Apple, and I don't plan on leaving anytime soon," said Srouji, in a memo obtained by Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Here is Srouji's full memo, as shared by Bloomberg:I know you've been reading all kind of rumors and...
Johny Srouji

Apple Chip Chief Johny Srouji Could Be Next to Go as Exodus Continues

Sunday December 7, 2025 10:41 am PST by
Apple's senior vice president of hardware technologies Johny Srouji could be the next leading executive to leave the company amid an alarming exodus of leading employees, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reports. Srouji apparently recently told CEO Tim Cook that he is "seriously considering leaving" in the near future. He intends to join another company if he departs. Srouji leads Apple's chip design ...
google pixel 10

Switching Between iPhone and Android Will Get Easier With New Apple and Google Collaboration

Monday December 8, 2025 11:10 am PST by
Apple and Google are teaming up to make it easier for users to switch between iPhone and Android smartphones, according to 9to5Google. There is a new Android Canary build available today that simplifies data transfer between two smartphones, and Apple is going to implement the functionality in an upcoming iOS 26 beta. Apple already has a Move to iOS app for transferring data from an Android...
top stories 2025 12 04a

Top Stories: iOS 26.2 Coming Soon, Apple Execs Depart, and More

Saturday December 6, 2025 6:00 am PST by
You'd expect things to be starting to wind down for the holidays by now, but that doesn't seem to be the case yet in the world of Apple news, with Apple just about ready to release iOS 26.2 and other operating system updates to the public. There was also a flurry of news this week about Apple executive departures, some expected and some not so expected, while we also learned that Apple and...
Apple Fitness Plus expansion hero

Apple Fitness+ Coming to 28 New Regions With Digital Voice Dubbing

Monday December 8, 2025 6:19 am PST by
Apple today announced that Fitness+ is expanding to 28 new markets on December 15 in the service's largest international rollout since launch, accompanied by new language dubbing and a K-Pop music genre. Apple Fitness+ will become available in Chile, Hong Kong, India, the Netherlands, Singapore, Taiwan, and additional regions on December 15, with Japan scheduled to follow early next year....