Develop Bugs

[Q] 4G, Prepaid?

So I had a Droid 3 on Verizon on a prepaid line ($95 for 450 talk, unlimited text, and unlimited data) but that was 3G.
With the gNexi coming out, I was wondering if I would even be able to use it's 4g capabilities on my prepaid line? I'm obviously going to buy it at full-retail price but will the 4G even work or will I be stuck on 3G all the time?
I can't do contracts...
Should I wait for T-Mobile to get it and use their 4G prepaid instead?

I'm unsure if VZW has a LTE prepay service. That's something you have to look into separately. My guess is they don't. Unless they explicitly say that your prepay covers LTE I would expect to only get 3G.
As far as switching to a different carrier no one can tell you which is better. Its all about where you will use the phone and its your call.

I just did an online chat with a VZW rep, here it is:
Please hold for a Verizon Wireless sales representative to assist you with your order. Thank you for your patience.
You are now chatting with 'Kiara'
Kiara: Hello. Thank you for visiting our chat service. May I help you with your order today?
You: I was wondering if 4G phones like the Droid Bionic are eligible for the Prepaid Smartphone plans???
Kiara: I do apologize for the inconvenience, although the Bionic is not able to be pre paid
You: Are their any 4G phones available for the Prepaid plans?
You: And/or can you tell me if there are any plans to offer any???
Kiara: I do apologize although at this time there are not
You: Ok, thank you for your help
So, looks like you can't, at this time, use a 4G phone on their prepaid plans.
I currently have a Nexus S on T-mobile's $30 month prepaid plan (100 mins, unl. text, unl. data*throttled after 5GB), and I love it but I don't use my phone much for calls... I plan on getting the Galaxy Nexus and using it on this plan once it's available.

Yeah it looks like I'll have to wait for the galaxy nexus to drop on TMobile
WoW this sucksss.... It probably won't even come out until late December...
Maybe I should just import? No idea how it works but I want my nexus asap
Sent from the parietal lobe of your cerebral cortex.

Dmw017 said:
Yeah it looks like I'll have to wait for the galaxy nexus to drop on TMobile
WoW this sucksss.... It probably won't even come out until late December...
Maybe I should just import? No idea how it works but I want my nexus asap
Sent from the parietal lobe of your cerebral cortex.
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Look on the bright side... t-mo plans are cheaper than Verizon. So you'll save money if you switch. But then again tmo reception around your area would play a big role too.

ruthlesset said:
Look on the bright side... t-mo plans are cheaper than Verizon. So you'll save money if you switch. But then again tmo reception around your area would play a big role too.
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Yeah I looked into it and Tmobile is way better than Verizon. I live in NYC so reception shouldnt be a problem at all. Now I'm just trying to figure out if I should import the 16GB model or wait for the 32GB US model :/ bleh ... I wonder when Tmobile will be getting it

Dmw017 said:
Yeah it looks like I'll have to wait for the galaxy nexus to drop on TMobile
WoW this sucksss.... It probably won't even come out until late December...
Maybe I should just import? No idea how it works but I want my nexus asap
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you have T-mo service in the area then its sooo much better. Just wait, don't import. You'll probably have to buy it unlocked (probably best buy, just like Nexus S) but you'll be better off for it. You don't want to sign a 2year for a Nexus on VZW and get blocked tethering and crap on it.
---------- Post added at 07:13 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:12 PM ----------
Dmw017 said:
Yeah I looked into it and Tmobile is way better than Verizon. I live in NYC so reception shouldnt be a problem at all. Now I'm just trying to figure out if I should import the 16GB model or wait for the 32GB US model :/ bleh ... I wonder when Tmobile will be getting it
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its all up in the air. As I said above ^, they might not "get it" officially at all. Might have to buy unlocked from Google/Best Buy.
But the winner is that the T-mo plans can be as low as 1/2 the price of VZW.

martonikaj said:
its all up in the air. As I said above ^, they might not "get it" officially at all. Might have to buy unlocked from Google/Best Buy.
But the winner is that the T-mo plans can be as low as 1/2 the price of VZW.
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Actually they have a $30 Prepaid plan with 100talk/unlimited text/ and unlimited data (5gb of 4G) -- available only on new line activation.
Btw can you clarify the "unlocked from google/best buy" part? Would I still have to use a sim card if Tmobile wont officially sell it

Dmw017 said:
Actually they have a $30 Prepaid plan with 100talk/unlimited text/ and unlimited data (5gb of 4G) -- available only on new line activation.
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yea their prepay options are pretty epic. 100min is a bit low for most though. I was just referring to their postpay options that are pretty cheap too. I've looked into moving from my EM+ no-contract plan to a prepay lately actually.
Btw can you clarify the "unlocked from google/best buy" part? Would I still have to use a sim card if Tmobile wont officially sell it
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Well if you want my opinion I think they'll end up just selling it exactly like they did with the Nexus S. They sold it online, and they offered it via Best Buy unlocked. You'd buy the phone, then buy your service and get a SIM card from AT&T or T-mobile (or Simple Mobile, or whatever) separately and plug it in. The GN is pentaband HSPA+ and will work with pretty much any SIM in the world.

Dmw017 said:
Yeah I looked into it and Tmobile is way better than Verizon. I live in NYC so reception shouldnt be a problem at all. Now I'm just trying to figure out if I should import the 16GB model or wait for the 32GB US model :/ bleh ... I wonder when Tmobile will be getting it
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Speaking from personal experience, the problem with T-Mobile in NYC is that as soon as you are a few feet below ground level, you lose signal. When you can get 5 bars, it's great, T-Mobile probably has the least congested network of anyone, and you enjoy superb 3/4G speeds. But you will be frustrated by how spotty the coverage is. Go 20 miles North to Westchester or 20 miles east to LI and you'll often find yourself exiting buildings to get a signal.

Chirality said:
Speaking from personal experience, the problem with T-Mobile in NYC is that as soon as you are a few feet below ground level, you lose signal. When you can get 5 bars, it's great, T-Mobile probably has the least congested network of anyone, and you enjoy superb 3/4G speeds. But you will be frustrated by how spotty the coverage is. Go 20 miles North to Westchester or 20 miles east to LI and you'll often find yourself exiting buildings to get a signal.
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Lol that's alright I don't leave the city anyways. What I am wondering is what happens when you deplete your limited use of the 4g data (I'll get 5gb). Someone told me that you get bumped down to EDGE(2G) speeds, but I thought you only go down to 3G.
Sent from the parietal lobe of your cerebral cortex.

Dmw017 said:
Lol that's alright I don't leave the city anyways. What I am wondering is what happens when you deplete your limited use of the 4g data (I'll get 5gb). Someone told me that you get bumped down to EDGE(2G) speeds, but I thought you only go down to 3G.
Sent from the parietal lobe of your cerebral cortex.
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As I (and many others) explained in the other thread about T-mobile:
- You get 5GB of data, that's 4g/3g/2g.
- Once you use all 5GB in a month, you get throttled.
- Throttled speeds are in the range of what EDGE is, even though your phone still says "3G" up in the status bar.
- Once your billing period ends, you get a new 5GB batch of data.
There's no discerning between 4G and 3G by T-mobile. HSPA+ is just a fast version of T-mobile's 3G network. Its not separate.

Just curious has any one looked into metroPCS they say they allow any cdma phone on their network and they have lte. There speeds may not be the greatest and not the best coverage but the price is spot on and unlimited!

robertlawson225 said:
Just curious has any one looked into metroPCS they say they allow any cdma phone on their network and they have lte. There speeds may not be the greatest and not the best coverage but the price is spot on and unlimited!
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Don't think it'll work. You'd have to unlock it somehow, and even then I think theres going to be inconsistencies with the LTE frequencies they use, etc.

martonikaj said:
Don't think it'll work. You'd have to unlock it somehow, and even then I think theres going to be inconsistencies with the LTE frequencies they use, etc.
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I thought that all nexus devices where unlocked developer phones. also i just talked to metroPCS and they did say hardware wise any cdma ohone will work and so will the LTE but, there might be a problem with software incompatibilities. but if that is true i would think our fellow xda members would figure out how to fix any software problems

robertlawson225 said:
I thought that all nexus devices where unlocked developer phones. also i just talked to metroPCS and they did say hardware wise any cdma ohone will work and so will the LTE but, there might be a problem with software incompatibilities. but if that is true i would think our fellow xda members would figure out how to fix any software problems
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It won't be unlocked from the factory because 1) its CDMA/LTE with VZW specific bands, and 2) its being made to order for Verizon to subsidize it (which means they will SURELY dictate that its locked).
The Nexus devices have historically been sold full price without a carrier subsidy (and therefore are unlocked) because google wants them to be used anywhere in the world with any SIM card. This is different because there are carriers involved from the start (and the device is CDMA).
Also, I'm pretty sure the LTE won't be interoperable between the two carriers. Verizon will have their own proprietary network stack for use with their LTE service, and it uses slightly different frequencies from other carriers for LTE, specifically so that their devices won't be interoperable with other networks. They want you to buy a VZW phone and stay on VZW (dirty play, but that's how they roll).
Hope that clarifies things a little bit. Now no one knows for sure how much of the issues can be fixed with new firmware flashes, so I guess we'll see when it comes out. For example I know a lot of people use Sprint and Verizon phones with different custom firmware to run on networks like Virgin, Boost, and Cricket in order to cut down the monthly bill.

martonikaj said:
It won't be unlocked from the factory because 1) its CDMA/LTE with VZW specific bands, and 2) its being made to order for Verizon to subsidize it (which means they will SURELY dictate that its locked).
The Nexus devices have historically been sold full price without a carrier subsidy (and therefore are unlocked) because google wants them to be used anywhere in the world with any SIM card. This is different because there are carriers involved from the start (and the device is CDMA).
Also, I'm pretty sure the LTE won't be interoperable between the two carriers. Verizon will have their own proprietary network stack for use with their LTE service, and it uses slightly different frequencies from other carriers for LTE, specifically so that their devices won't be interoperable with other networks. They want you to buy a VZW phone and stay on VZW (dirty play, but that's how they roll).
Hope that clarifies things a little bit. Now no one knows for sure how much of the issues can be fixed with new firmware flashes, so I guess we'll see when it comes out. For example I know a lot of people use Sprint and Verizon phones with different custom firmware to run on networks like Virgin, Boost, and Cricket in order to cut down the monthly bill.
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well lets just hope some one out there can figure out how to make a phone like this run on a reasonabale priced carrier well other than t-mobile

Verizon and Android phones...

Never really thought about Verizon but I'm to the point were I've had it with sprints ****ty service, so i got a few questions im a little hesitant about jumping to Verizon since their Android lineup seems lackluster (getting the nexus but probably only for a year then would get another phone) anybody hear anything about them acquiring better Android phones in the future, also been to the development section an don't see much activity going on for the LTE version any reason for this? Maybe due to how new it is? Any comments about Verizon as a service provider would be welcome also...

In my opinion, Verizon gets a pretty good lineup of phones. The Galaxy Nexus, Rezound, Razr, etc. As far as a carrier, very expensive but you get what you pay for.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium

Verizon gets pretty good Android handsets IMO.
I just recently moved one of my AT&T lines to Verizon. Prior to that I was with Sprint. Sprint's data speeds were horrendous in my area and EVERY area in traveled too. I can't even imagine what its like after the Iphone release. Voice was always good on Sprint. AT&T's data blew sprint out of the water. Verizon is as good if not quite as fast 3g wise as AT&T but its incredibly reliable. 4g is blazing. 3g speeds are usually 1 - 1.8mbs on Verizon 3g. 4g pushes 15mbs. AT&T's 3g was anywhere from 800k to 4mbs. Verizon is definitely more stable and works in more places.
Both are leaps and bounds better than Sprint. Also with Sprints $10 premium add on its the same price as Verizon if you use Google voice or another data type service for texting. Which is what I do and saves me the $20 a month. I don't need many minutes since if I get low I can use google voice and GrooveIP for free minutes. Once its set up and configured it works great even over 3g.
In other words, jump ship the grass is greener. Sprint's service has taken a dump the last few years and they run a serious risk of bankruptcy before they can put all the spectrum they have to any real use. They have made one mistake after another after another for a long time now.

The LTE roms are on another site mostly.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium

Thanks a lot guys ^^ its really between getting the LTE nexus or GSM on tmo, an whats the deal with the litte dev support for the LTE version?
*what site josh...?

i moved from AT&T to Verizon and havent looked back, love my GN, but other phones are respectable too,RAZR,REZOUND are good phones too depending on youre tastes

Rootzwiki, but if you have the choice, get the GSM version.. much better battery life.

Cool, thanks guys great input, how much better battery we talking about?

carlost24 said:
Cool, thanks guys great input, how much better battery we talking about?
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Significant amount. LTE is quite the battery drain. All depending on use patterns of course.

martonikaj said:
Significant amount. LTE is quite the battery drain. All depending on use patterns of course.
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It's really not that bad. I mean if you hammer it on LTE it will drain quicker than usual but it's not this destroyer of batteries that people make it out to be.

while LTE may destroy ur battery, u can always turn it off till u need it. there is plenty of dev support for the LTE version, and verizon's network coverage destroys all other three carriers put together.
also.. if u are going to pay for a data plan anyways, might as well enjoy the subsidy.

carlost24 said:
whats the deal with the litte dev support for the LTE version?
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The GSM version works on all providers in all countries all over the earth. The LTE version works on one provider, in one country.
I think the GSM-model simply has what you may refer to as a "immensely much bigger user-base" and hence more developers than what's when you look at the cold, hard facts, is basically a carrier-phone, available on one carrier only.

If you travel out of the country often get GSM. Otherwise get the LTE model. People wanna make LTE out to be some battery black hole but its not. Sprint vs vzw is no contest. Verizon 3g is actually usable and 4g knocks my socks off. It maintains 25 megs on a heavily loaded network and gives me 50+ when its lightly loaded. Honestly development is not really a problem for me because ICS is so good.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium

Buff McBigstuff said:
If you travel out of the country often get GSM. Otherwise get the LTE model. People wanna make LTE out to be some battery black hole but its not. Sprint vs vzw is no contest. Verizon 3g is actually usable and 4g knocks my socks off. It maintains 25 megs on a heavily loaded network and gives me 50+ when its lightly loaded. Honestly development is not really a problem for me because ICS is so good.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium
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I can't seem to get above 7 anywhere in Denver. Any chance its my phone?
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus

mark manning said:
I can't seem to get above 7 anywhere in Denver. Any chance its my phone?
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus
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It's going to vary largely due to many factors. What's your signal strength, how many other people are using 4G in your area, etc...
I was traveling through Baltimore, MD and was managing only 12 MBPS with 1 bar of signal strength on New Years Eve, which honestly, is easily more than enough for anything. Keep in mind, as time goes on, more people get 4G phones, and use them more, available bandwidth is going to go down anyway. I don't understand why people think they should get 20 MBPS anyway....what are you going to do? If you don't have an unlimited plan, what's the point? You'll use up the small amount of data allotment that you have so quick you'll never even know it.

Thanks guys i think i shall pick up the LTE tomorrow...

carlost24 said:
Never really thought about Verizon but I'm to the point were I've had it with sprints ****ty service, so i got a few questions im a little hesitant about jumping to Verizon since their Android lineup seems lackluster (getting the nexus but probably only for a year then would get another phone) anybody hear anything about them acquiring better Android phones in the future, also been to the development section an don't see much activity going on for the LTE version any reason for this? Maybe due to how new it is? Any comments about Verizon as a service provider would be welcome also...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I left Sprint for Verizon 3 months ago, and the extra cost is well worth it - it's like having a landline in my pocket.
As far as your assessment of the Android phone lineup, I'm not sure where you're coming from. I think they have a great lineup, although certainly it's slanted toward the Motorola line. With Google buy Motorola mobility, that should end up being a very good thing.
I also don't think they meddle with the phones nearly as much as ATT does - but I have no direct experience with ATT, just what my friends tell me.

I don't know about all your guys' locations but I live in Mesa, AZ (it is about 30 min from downtown Phoenix). I get VERY slow LTE in the city. Even with 2 bars I get ~5 down and 5 up. As far as signal strength, it isn't much different to any other 4G phones I have used. I get no data in my school's basement and the phone always seems to drop the data service. This morning I had 1X until I restarted the device. At a small town in east AZ, Verizon is the only one with data service, but it is VERY!!!! slow. 3G in Phoenix area is about .8 down (on a good day).

Was hesitant due to what im hearing about battery life on LTE, but i guess I'll deal with battery issue since i do want the 32gig option an I'm hearing nothing but good things about Verizon, any other differences between LTE an GSM version?

I drop Sprint and made the switch to Verizon. I had nothing but network problems on Sprint, crappy speed on 3g/4g network. But one thing I can say is once you make the switch to an LTE phone you’ll never go back to regular 3g/4g service! is like going from DVD to bluray.

Should I switch to Verizon?

I have T-Mobile with galaxy nexus.
I live in Chicago Northwest suburbs and coverage is pretty good and I don't travel like at all.
Let's say id pay the same each month.
What advantages would Verizon give me. Is it just lte and coverage?
But then what would T-Mobile give? Seeing as its worse coverage?
I'm more asking about the carrier rather than device differences. I've read enough threads on that.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using XDA App

Stay away from Verizon, that's all i can tell you.. i just got rid of them they really expensive just cancel my service with them

Why should I stay away??
Forgetting price . Cause for me will be the same.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using XDA App

It would be nice to hear from people who had both.
How were your experiences within your phone.
I never really played with a Verizon phone but does it seem things load more instant on them?
I know this deals with internet speed and ping and so on.
I would have lte here so keep that in mind. I have been with T-Mobile for so many years and just feel awkward leaving but for same price and from what I hear much better coverage and speed why not??
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using XDA App

verizon sucks.stay away

Come on guys explain why!!!
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using XDA App

claud_face said:
I have T-Mobile with galaxy nexus.
I live in Chicago Northwest suburbs and coverage is pretty good and I don't travel like at all.
Let's say id pay the same each month.
What advantages would Verizon give me. Is it just lte and coverage?
But then what would T-Mobile give? Seeing as its worse coverage?
I'm more asking about the carrier rather than device differences. I've read enough threads on that.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using XDA App
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I live in Oregon and have worked for (and had) T-Mobile. I now am on Verizon.
T-Mobile was good coverage in the city which worked for me but as soon as I hit the outskirts I had edge or no coverage. The terrain where I live is very rough on a GSM phone. I could have a phone call at the top of the hill and driving to the bottom I would loose signal. CDMA doesn't have that issue because you connect to more than one tower on CDMA and coverage is amazing with Verizon, 3G everywhere even up in the mountains here.
What drew me to Verizon is their coverage, high end devices to choose from (T-Mobile only has a few good.phones every now and then). Verizon is very aggressive in investing money in their network which makes a solid reliable experience. By far, best service I have ever had hands down.

Thank you.
These kind of examples are exactly what I want to hear.
I have heard similar experiences to yours.
I'd like to hear why people do not like Verizon besides high prices .
I've heard customer service isn't the best as one but anything else??
I always felt T-Mobile had pretty good selection of phones so if Verizon's is even better that's great.
theherodrownd said:
I live in Oregon and have worked for (and had) T-Mobile. I now am on Verizon.
T-Mobile was good coverage in the city which worked for me but as soon as I hit the outskirts I had edge or no coverage. The terrain where I live is very rough on a GSM phone. I could have a phone call at the top of the hill and driving to the bottom I would loose signal. CDMA doesn't have that issue because you connect to more than one tower on CDMA and coverage is amazing with Verizon, 3G everywhere even up in the mountains here.
What drew me to Verizon is their coverage, high end devices to choose from (T-Mobile only has a few good.phones every now and then). Verizon is very aggressive in investing money in their network which makes a solid reliable experience. By far, best service I have ever had hands down.
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Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using XDA App

Verizon has good customer service I've been using them since 2001.
Their coverage is great. Cost is yes high, but for the most part, since I'm in a family plan of 3, it will cost the same (roughly).
If you want a GNex (I'm assuming it's why you posted here), buy the GSM 3G version and activate it on T-Mobile to keep the great low prices.

I currently have T-Mobile with GSM but have an oppurtunity to join gf's family plan and pay 40 a month to have more minutes than I'd ever use and unlimited texting and 4gb data.
So basically price not being a factor I'm leaning towards going with Verizon
Icey34 said:
Verizon has good customer service I've been using them since 2001.
Their coverage is great. Cost is yes high, but for the most part, since I'm in a family plan of 3, it will cost the same (roughly).
If you want a GNex (I'm assuming it's why you posted here), buy the GSM 3G version and activate it on T-Mobile to keep the great low prices.
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Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using XDA App

I've been on all major carriers in NYC. Of the 4 Verizon has the best call quality, data speeds and customer service . It's also the most expensive. I don't mind paying a little more for good service. T-Mobile is good but in my experience it doesn't have comparable data consistency and coverage where I work and live.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk

I kind of feel that my situation is similar to yours. Plus with the fact that prices would be same I think I'll go for Verizon.
I have been with T-Mobile like 7 years and just feel weird going to different provider. Maybe that's the only issue here, me missing T-Mobile lol but I bet I'll be even happier.
lrs421 said:
I've been on all major carriers in NYC. Of the 4 Verizon has the best call quality, data speeds and customer service . It's also the most expensive. I don't mind paying a little more for good service. T-Mobile is good but in my experience it doesn't have comparable data consistency and coverage where I work and live.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk
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Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using XDA App

Also the lte version gets significantly worse battery life over the gsm version.

The one and only thing that bothers me but I am not getting a Droid razr maxx lol.
RogerPodacter said:
Also the lte version gets significantly worse battery life over the gsm version.
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lrs421 said:
I've been on all major carriers in NYC. Of the 4 Verizon has the best call quality, data speeds and customer service . It's also the most expensive. I don't mind paying a little more for good service. T-Mobile is good but in my experience it doesn't have comparable data consistency and coverage where I work and live.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk
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Yeah, I agree. I've been on ATT, T-Mo, and Verizon in So Cal. As long as you stay away from ATT, you're good, lol.

claud_face said:
Thank you.
These kind of examples are exactly what I want to hear.
I have heard similar experiences to yours.
I'd like to hear why people do not like Verizon besides high prices .
I've heard customer service isn't the best as one but anything else??
I always felt T-Mobile had pretty good selection of phones so if Verizon's is even better that's great.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using XDA App
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Verizon has really good customer service. They've beaten T-Mobile 2-3x in a row now for customer service.
With Verizon you do need to get used to things being locked down (proprietary CDMA stuff) but if you plan on getting the gnex then I wouldn't worry. I've had 3 android phones and 1 iPhone on Verizon. The gnex is my favorite device by far, hands down

RogerPodacter said:
Also the lte version gets significantly worse battery life over the gsm version.
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Click to collapse
I rather carry 3 batteries than not have LTE, just sayin'. I'm spoiled.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk

Here in where I live in Bama Verizon is the ONLY carrier with reception everywhere, not only that but the LTE is amazing! The price is more expensive but actually having service outweighs it. I love my Verizon and will never go back to AT&T. That's my two cents.

Buddy Revell said:
Yeah, I agree. I've been on ATT, T-Mo, and Verizon in So Cal. As long as you stay away from ATT, you're good, lol.
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Sigh, I don't miss AT&T one bit. I paid an ETF to leave them last year, I wanted to switch to VZW while they still had unlimited data. Best money I've ever spent. NYC was notorious for bad service on AT&T. Here's my rank, from MY experience. I realize there are a ton of GSM fans out there, but here's my list.
1. Verizon
2. T-Mobile
3. Sprint
4. AT&T
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk

I see there's a thread about getting unlimited data back on by adding tethering first then cancelling it. Apparently its been pretty successful.
If I have 4gb then afyerbthat I get throttled right?
I heard something about Verizon not throttling the lte yet just the 3g
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using XDA App

How likely do you think an ATT Nexus is?

which carrier do you think is better......

At&t is the least "Android friendly" carrier so I would kind of be surprised. I know in the 3+ years I had them I hated every minute of it. I am soo happy with VZW and will never go back. I also know that this is only my experience and reception differs through out the country, but in Northern AL VZW is the only carrier worth having if you actually want a working device - I have full coverage and LTE almost everywhere I go. With At&t I had a bar and edge. Doesnt At&t have LTE in like 12 major cities only? What is the point?
EDIT: Yes VZW is more expensive but its worth it to me to actually be able to use my phone.

I didn't think att was so anti android. They had the atrix. A killer device and came out eons before (10 months?) the bionic, the all but brother to the atrix, and they have their own S2 and S2 lte. Even a nexus s. I'm not butting heads intentionally. But I also know in north jersey (15 miles from Verizon HQ) my hspa+ smokes Verizon 3g usually 3megs to .75. And call wise no body in my area has att problems. BUT I do hear about them from other locations. But I digress. I don't see why att is android unfriendly and why we should give up on lte from them just because its new. They have 1/6th the coverage Verizon has which is good for such a small time its been out. Also the lte switching on att kills lte when not in use and vice versa. Tremendous better savings vs big red. Just my thoughts
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium

Mrglass86 said:
I didn't think att was so anti android. They had the atrix. A killer device and came out eons before (10 months?) the bionic, the all but brother to the atrix, and they have their own S2 and S2 lte. Even a nexus s. I'm not butting heads intentionally. But I also know in north jersey (15 miles from Verizon HQ) my hspa+ smokes Verizon 3g usually 3megs to .75. And call wise no body in my area has att problems. BUT I do hear about them from other locations. But I digress. I don't see why att is android unfriendly and why we should give up on lte from them just because its new. They have 1/6th the coverage Verizon has which is good for such a small time its been out. Also the lte switching on att kills lte when not in use and vice versa. Tremendous better savings vs big red. Just my thoughts
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For the longest time, they locked down sideloading of apps. Thats pretty damn Android unfriendly.

I was under the impression that Verizon did too. Am I wrong?
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium

Nah, Verizon never did that. They like to bloat things up, but they do not lockdown sideloading or anything like that. Nor do they use CIQ like Sprint does on some of their devices.

adrynalyne said:
For the longest time, they locked down sideloading of apps. Thats pretty damn Android unfriendly.
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Click to collapse
^^THIS^^
AND THEN.. You have AT&T disabling HSPA on their Android phones but leaving it enabled on the iDevices, all the time marketing their Androids as HSPA CAPABLE. They are unethical liars.
Mrglass86 said:
I was under the impression that Verizon did too. Am I wrong?
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium
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VZW never prevented sideloading.

well i appreciate the clarity, i guess as having a decent selection of androids to me made me feel that way,
ANYWAYS do we have any input on the topic? i feel like some people dont care, but we are talking about an awesome phone being offered to people at a lower cost, sim card use in america with a faster radio and possibly more storage, and a 1 year warranty in america, im not sure if att would even have the ability to hamper the nexus experience with this so does anyone care or do we just want to hate ATT?

T-Mobile.. cheaper, allows tethering/hotspots, no android restrictions... dont know why people put up with att and verizon

norazi said:
T-Mobile.. cheaper, allows tethering/hotspots, no android restrictions... dont know why people put up with att and verizon
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I pay the premium to actually have reception, Tmo & Att have none in my area.. VZW has reception everywhere, and LTE everywhere too (in my area). VZW doesnt have "Android restrictions", and Ive never paid for tethering on any carrier nor will I - I get that for free.

norazi said:
T-Mobile.. cheaper, allows tethering/hotspots, no android restrictions... dont know why people put up with att and verizon
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Click to collapse
Because T-mobile's service is garbage in a lot of places? Because they have unlimited data on Verizon? Because Verizon actually carries the Galaxy Nexus and there is no trouble getting warranty support?
There is actually a no service area for T-mobile within city limits here.

So what phone do I upgrade to??

Okay so after months of complaining about service and one FCC complaint Sprint is letting me out of my contract. My service is beyond poor, and from all the research I have done it seems to affect everyone in my area, (Detroit) You would think Sprint would do a little better in a major city. I have until September 15th to find a new carrier.
Now, I love my S2, it is my first high end Android and I will only buy high end phones from now on... I am hooked.
Now being in Detroit my options are (4g is a must)
Verizon (LTE)
ATT (HSPA +)
T Mobile (HSPA+)
And to further complicate matters
MetroPCS (LTE)
Now,... not certain but I suspect that part of my reception issues with Sprint are caused by the less than stellar radio in the 4g touch. My first reaction was to buy a Verizon S3 but then I started having second thoughts because Motorola and HTC are known for better radios... damn.
I am currently running the hacked Verizon PRL allowing me to get Verizon 3G, it still pretty much sucks for me but still 10x faster than Sprint. I get from 100 to 500 Kbps. (But also get better voice and no dropped calls)
Now.. my whole point of wanting a fast internet connection is so I can browse the web and stream video at work.. and I work in a large industrial building made in 1940 with REAL bricks and stuff. None of that plastic modern crap,
From what I understand LTE signals have a hard time penetrating buildings... so it should have twice as much work to penetrate mine.
I have been playing with EVERYONE'S phone I know at work so I can test there internet speed... I think people at work think I lost my mind.
Unfortunately I work with cheapskates so the only 4G I was able to play with was MetroPCS which has a hit and miss 4G signal at work depending on the location in the building. I did get to play with one T Mobile HSPA+ phone and it got 2 MBPS down.. (I THINK that's enough to stream Netflix?)
Does HSPA+ penetrate buildings better than 4G LTE??
Now.. MetroPCS phones are generally pretty crappy and as of yet I don't think there is a way to flash over to them with working 4G, however...
there is a strong and somewhat substantiated rumor that the S3 is coming to MetroPCS before the end of the year. Okay.. this sounds almost perfect as I live and work in a very strong MetroPCS LTE area. Now I am back to my original concern that the S3 wont pull in the signal as well as other phones and is the only phone this carrier almost has that I would consider.
Now as far as the other carriers go I have the standard selection of phones... I just want a smoking hot phone with a large screen with a equally smoking hot radio. (is that so wrong?)
I know you guys cant give me a definitive answer about this because its all about my location and the location of the towers but I have researched phones and services until my eyes started bleeding and appreciated any educated guesses and advice. The only carrier I have any experience with is Sprint and MetroPCS and I have never had working 4G before. I want it so bad that I am willing to pay Verizon's prices if need be. On the other hand I have heard some people say that the Radio on the S3 is slightly improved... so if I could get an S3 on MetroPCS with unlimited 4G that would be awesome.
Buying a phone can be harder than buying a damn house.

I wouldn't get the gs3 on vzw its locked up tight so no rooting/modifications. I personally wouldn't go to vzw period, if i had to switch of go with TMo or AT&T in that order for TMo I'm not current on all the devices but I'd go with the gs3 or one s idk how HTC is with the bootloader tho, I know the one x and evolte are a pain in the ass to root. On att I'd go with the gs3 or gNote, although your other option would be to buy an unlocked device like the.gNex and use it on TMo or ATT prepaid which is what I would do personally. I'd get an unlocked gNex directly from Google and use it on TMos unlimited prepaid plan
We are legion, for we are many.
Sent from the DarkSide of the GalaXy with a MEK device

Gnex for me

I'm in metro Detroit too, and feel your pain. Data speeds have dropped to a slow drip over the last couple years (not that they were ever fast here). I'm leaning toward tmobile when I get bounced. Probably an S3.

It's not the radio's really you have to worry about when it comes to building penetrations. It's the frequency the network runs on. Verizon has great building penetration with 3g and LTE because Verizon owns most of the good low frequency. If you want good 4g and good building penetration Verizon is the way to go. But, you will pay good money for it. I don't know how much Metro has improved but, I have a friend who has Metro in the heart of a city that Metro is supposed to be good in. He always call me from his home phone because his service is weak.
As far as phones are concerned Verizon has the Gnex but I would try to get the unlocked Galaxy S3. I'm not sure if they are available to anyone but I read on Engadget a few weeks back that they were going to sell them for Verizon.
Just my 2cents. Good luck though.

i too probably will not be on sprint much longer due to signal, or rather lack there of... its my intention when I'm free to skip major carriers all together and use a month to month prepay provider that uses att's network... att and Verizon offer the best coverage in my area but I find their prices to be outlandish... by going with a prepay provider on att's network I'm getting the same good coverage for $45/mo, I can buy awesome phones for a very reasonable price directly from Google play, and as att is GSM I don't need to worry about my nexus experance being ruined like those on cdma networks do... lastly should I want something other than a nexus device I'll be able to buy used phones off of eBay/Craigslist without having to worry about asinine ESN's anymore, more than once sprint customer service has told me an ESN is clear, so I bought the phone, only later to find out that it was not when trying to activate it... not cool... actually I also just realized I could simply put aside the 60-70 I'll be saving a month on the bill and just buy the newest cutting edge device at full retail every 9 months with my savings... upgrade every two years?hah...
Sent from my SPH-D710 using xda app-developers app

I only get average of 300Kb/s, where do you find the Verizon PRL and tutorial?
Sent from my SPH-D710 using xda app-developers app

I would just stick with sprint for may be 2-3 more months. I am sure Detroit will get the network upgrades sooner than later. You can also check scheduled upgrades on network.sprint.com website. But then again I understand how much it would suck for you with bad connection 24x7.
Sent from my SPH-D710 using xda app-developers app

Rich3077, I am in the same situation as you and will be switching to Verizon as soon as the next round of phones are released (iPhone 5, next Nexus, etc.). The current lineup of phones only has the S3 that's new, pretty much everything else is a little old and lacking (GNex's camera, no SD card, and no GSM). With my experience with the S2 and Samsung's/Sprint's radio quality, and generally delayed OS upgrades I am really hoping that I don't have to buy another Samsung-branded phone again, and that the next Nexus is better than the current and previous Samsung versions.
Plus, it's starting to sound like we might actually start to see quad core phones with LTE. If you can, I would suggest waiting two to three months before you pull the trigger.

hrffd said:
I only get average of 300Kb/s, where do you find the Verizon PRL and tutorial?
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http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1267893
This is the thread I got the Verizon PRL's from, as well as instructions. You may have to try a few of them before you find one that works for you.
Thanks everyone for your reply's.. choices suck right now because as soon as I find a phone that has acceptable hardware I find out that it has a non replaceable battery or no SD card slot. What the hell are the manufactures thinking?? Its gonna cost me a bundle because I have 3 phones on my plan but even if I gotta pay full retail for phones I will if I can just get good service as well as a hot phone.

Rich3077 said:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1267893
This is the thread I got the Verizon PRL's from, as well as instructions. You may have to try a few of them before you find one that works for you.
Thanks everyone for your reply's.. choices suck right now because as soon as I find a phone that has acceptable hardware I find out that it has a non replaceable battery or no SD card slot. What the hell are the manufactures thinking?? Its gonna cost me a bundle because I have 3 phones on my plan but even if I gotta pay full retail for phones I will if I can just get good service as well as a hot phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Look for a good unlocked GSM phone and use something like TMos prepaid plan, their unlimited is throttled after 5gb but u still get around 2-3mbps down on 4g
We are legion, for we are many.
Sent from the DarkSide of the GalaXy with a MEK device

Rich3077 said:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1267893
This is the thread I got the Verizon PRL's from, as well as instructions. You may have to try a few of them before you find one that works for you.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've been trying to a couple different.. I tried 00001, 00002 and 01337 and none of them gave me more than 300kb/s burst and 60kb/s normal. But I guess ill try them all.

hrffd said:
I've been trying to a couple different.. I tried 00001, 00002 and 01337 and none of them gave me more than 300kb/s burst and 60kb/s normal. But I guess ill try them all.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Try 11115
We are legion, for we are many.
Sent from the DarkSide of the GalaXy with a MEK device

If I were not on contract, the $30 T-Mobile/Walmart plan with a $350 Galaxy Nexus from Google Play would be awfully tempting. Only catch is you only get 100 minutes. Given the fact that I average about 50 minutes a month anyway, I don't consider this a problem.
You would have to give up your LTE dreams. HSPA+ ain't so bad, is it?

-EViL-KoNCEPTz- said:
Try 11115
We are legion, for we are many.
Sent from the DarkSide of the GalaXy with a MEK device
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Damn, 11119 is getting 1mb-2mb/s. Not sure if I want to try the others or not now lol
Auto: Domestic and Int'l is selected for Roaming.

hrffd said:
Damn, 11119 is getting 1mb-2mb/s. Not sure if I want to try the others or not now lol
Auto: Domestic and Int'l is selected for Roaming.
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Click to collapse
The 1111x series are the best I always had good results with 11115 on my evo but now I don't need to do the prl hack cuz my sprint 3g is 1+mbps on peak and 2+mbps off peak
We are legion, for we are many.
Sent from the DarkSide of the GalaXy with a MEK device

I agree with evils first suggestion. Get the unlocked galaxy nexus and use it on att or tmobile.
Sent from my SPH-D710 using xda premium

bparkerson04 said:
I agree with evils first suggestion. Get the unlocked galaxy nexus and use it on att or tmobile.
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Yeah if I had to switch from sprint I'd eat the cost of an unlocked device up front to go prepaid cuz all the other carriers are so damn expensive on contract, hell you can use straight talk prepaid or any GSM prepaid plan with an unlocked device and getting the unlocked gnex from Google guarantees you speedy updates that work right
We are legion, for we are many.
Sent from the DarkSide of the GalaXy with a MEK device

FYI, it doesn't look like you are looking at Verizon S3, but in case if that thought crossed your mind, be aware that the S3 on Verizon has a locked bootloader. Given that you are on xda I am assuming that you probably care about this.
http://www.androidauthority.com/ver...3-locked-bootloader-developer-edition-100550/