Multiple news site say T-Mobile is not going to allow devices that don’t completely rely on 5G to be activated on their network as of January 1 2026. That is also the day they start to phase out their 4G LTE networks, even though their 5G (or anyone’s 5G) isn’t even reliable yet, lots of new phones can’t do calls and texts over 5G yet too. Very stupid decision
T-Mobile will require 5G Standalone (SA) compliant phones for new activations starting January 1, 2026. LTE-only devices will need “special exceptions” to activate.
The CAT S22 Flip is LTE-only (no 5G at all) and was released in 2021. According to the specs:
A Cat S22 supports:
- 2G/3G/4G LTE only
- LTE Cat4 (150/50 Mbps)
- VoLTE calling
- No 5G whatsoever
This means:
- After Jan 1, 2026 - Can’t activate new lines with your S22
- Current service should work until they actually shut down LTE (~2028)
- If you switch carriers or need a new SIM, you’d need a 5G SA phone
Additional dilemma:
The new CAT F125 being discussed isn’t confirmed 5G SA either (it’s Android 14 Go, which often runs on budget hardware).
Check out that topic here:
https://forums.jtechforums.org/t/looks-like-another-cats-coming-out/1758/54
Android 15, not 14, didn’t specify if GO or not but probably is
It seems like it will be 5G Standalone
Wait this new phone is 5G SA?
Your right about Android 15. That was a typo
Its gonna have 5G so probably will have VoNR
I am a bit shocked, but here is some sort of explanation:
Every hertz tied up in 4G could instead be used to make 5G faster
There was no indication that carriers would be pulling the plug on 4G networks this soon, especially because 5G could work in conjunction with 4G. That said, unlike**AT&TandVerizon**,T-Mobile **didn’t use legacy 4G assets**to deploy 5G, which might explain why it’s the first one to let go.
Other carriers’ 5G networks were built upon LTE technology, so their 4G shutdown may take longer.
While the decommissioning of T-Mobile’s LTE network may be an inconvenience for some customers initially, eventually 5G coverage and speeds will improve as 4G spectrum is repurposed. New network technologies offer better encryption and energy efficiency, so it’s a promising sign that T-Mobile will be moving away from LTE over the next two years.
T-Mobile and other carriers have also activated 5G RedCap for smartwatches and other small devices, which is another reason they no longer need to keep legacy LTE modules around.
4G and 5G use very similar underlying technology, which will make it easier for T-Mobile to reuse 4G hardware and spectrum for 5G without disrupting service.
Please stop posting AI slop.
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There are currently only 2 5g flip/bar phones in the market. The TCL flip 4 which is kaios and cant be filtered and the sonim which according to @Dev-in-the-BM_2.0 And @jbriones95 the buttons are unresponsive. There is one more phone coming out which is 5g, the cat however its keep on being delayed. With lg out of the market and TCL switching to kaios there are barely any manufactures, this may be the time that I had long predicted that either everybody will be forced to get a filtered smartphone or everybody will be forced to pay for fig or wonder 
(I’m sure they will make a 5g)
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if T-Mobile stops supporting 4G that means all their MNVO’s will stop too. no?
Yes.
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Seems like the T-Mobile 4G LTE shutdown really is real, I got this message after putting in a full VoLTE phone’s IMEI
It just says you wont get 5g… does that mean anything about 4g?
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Wasn’t there just a few days ago. I also saw a screenshot somewhere of it not allowing to activate on some other older 4G iphone
Their Lose!
Uhhh, no, your loss
And mine
And a lot of people
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Verizon is fine for me…
Well Verizon is most likely going down the same path so
The Service porvider that doesn’t will gain customers,
there always was a 10 year slot,
3g to 4g…
there looking at the smartphones and just running to 5g because that’s what every new smartphone has these days, etc
Still a long time away, they are the most behind in 5G right now in the united states, lots of areas with 4G only, and they still don’t have VoNR yet, and in some states they still have zero 5G, even though they were the first to launch 5G in the entire world
AT&T is also likely still a long time away from shutting off 4G as there not reliable either yet and do not have VoNR yet either
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