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i just got back from the att store in Lexington ky off richmond rd and the rudest jerk would not sell me the tilt 2 unless i got a data plan, even if i paid full price! What the heck! I hate freakin att, it took all I had not to pop this blond haired dude just for how rude he was to me and my wife. I told him I'll just get it off ebay and he said they would detect it and automatically add data plan.
My wife is eligible for early upgrade and she has an iphone w/ data plan
Shouldn't I be able to get her to get the tilt 2. They will de-activate her iphone, then when she gets home put my old sim in tilt 2 and have her re-activate her phone. Is this possible or no. Please help
I don't want to pay for a stupid 30 a month data plan data plan, i only want the wifi use.
ATT is much more proactive about checking IMEI's now than they used to be. As a result, upon placing your sim in the Tilt 2, you will very likely receive a text message informing you that if you do not add a smartphone data plan to your phone, one will be added for you.
One possible, and I stress POSSIBLE, way around this is to use an unlocked TP2 from another carrier, or the int'l unbranded version. It won't have 3G, but it may not get flagged as a smartphone because most carriers only have their own phones in the IMEI database that they use to check for this sort of thing. So while they would detect the Tilt2 and charge you for a monthly data plan, they might not detect an unlocked branded version from VZW or Tmobile or the unbranded international version as a smartphone.
I'm sorry the dude was rude, and I'm not super fond of ATT (or other carriers for that matter) either, but based on my experience and that of some other users I know, I believe his information is accurate. We used to be able to get away with a lot more than we can now.
Best way to go without paying for data these days is prepaid (though prepaid plans like VZW's which include for example, unlimited data, don't allow smartphones for fear of abuse. I haven't heard of ATT's prepaid rejecting smartphones because their prepaid data packages are per mb--no danger of abuse).
fortunz said:
One possible, and I stress POSSIBLE, way around this is to use an unlocked TP2 from another carrier, or the int'l unbranded version. It won't have 3G, but it may not get flagged as a smartphone because most carriers only have their own phones in the IMEI database that they use to check for this sort of thing. So while they would detect the Tilt2 and charge you for a monthly data plan, they might not detect an unlocked branded version from VZW or Tmobile or the unbranded international version as a smartphone.
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Click to collapse
That sounds good in theory, and would work out pretty well for OP since he isn't concerned about 3G capabilities.
When you log into your AT&T wireless account, AT&T attempts to detect your phone and displays it on screen for you. When I was using unlocked phones on their network (i900 Omnia for a year and most recently for 3 days, T-MO's Touch Pro 2), it never detected/displayed my phone.
I just logged into my account now to check if it detected my new AT&T branded Tilt 2, and indeed it did.
Not to spam OP, but if you're interested in a T-Mo Touch Pro 2, I have one listed in the Marketplace. Good luck!
Thanks for your sympathy
Thanks for your sim-pathy (sympathy), It is good to know I'm not the only one angry about this.
It would sure be nice to have a 3.5 jack with an unlocked verizon or sprint version, but I'm just not sure how not having 3g band would effect my signal. Years ago I remember having sprint service and it was horrible where I live.
You are wondering how it would affect your carrier edge data signal? I thought you only wanted to use wifi?
If you are worried about how it would affect your regular GSM phone signal, I can't imagine that would be problem. I believe the GSM chip is the same in all versions, and would expect similar performance from all TP2s that have it.
To date, I haven't yet heard of an unlocked Sprint version working on US GSM carriers (possibly due to some software protections they added in). Unlocked VZWs have been proven to work on ATT. If you want the 3.5mm jack, maybe VZW or Telus would be your best bet.
thanks for the tip
I did not know unlocked sprint versions would not work on US gsm, thanks for the tip. I'm going to start searching the threads for people who have got the unlocked Verizon's to work before I buy.
I was not for sure if the 3g just carried data, thanks for clearing that up. If that is all it adds I won't miss it because, "i really only use wifi".
or maybe just hold out for the hd2.....don't know if I can stand using my backup Motorola phone much longer *my htc trinity drowned ......
There is an alternative
You may try to purchase a phone from T-mobile and they won't limit you to having a data plan especially if you pay full price. I've seen many do it, and many succeed. Good Luck
lol, get the phone with the data plan. go home, call at&t and tell them you've changed your mind and dont want the data plan. have your old phone's imei around and tell them your going to use your old phone. done. i've done it multiple times. no use arguing with those idiots at the store; most of us here know more about phones than they do
xda kindness
If only our mobile devices companies were all staffed by the nice and informative people of xda the universe would be a better place.
omaralt said:
lol, get the phone with the data plan. go home, call at&t and tell them you've changed your mind and dont want the data plan. have your old phone's imei around and tell them your going to use your old phone. done. i've done it multiple times. no use arguing with those idiots at the store; most of us here know more about phones than they do
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Lots of us have, but you should note that not all the old tricks work anymore. IMEI checking occurs much more often now, not just when you call in.
Are you looking to just not have a data plan period for her phone? The Smartphone/PDA data and iPhone data are the same price.
fortunz said:
As a result, upon placing your sim in the Tilt 2, you will very likely receive a text message informing you that if you do not add a smartphone data plan to your phone, one will be added for you
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I've been running for about a week now on my old SIM w/ MediaNet and have not received any such message.
RacerX10 said:
I've been running for about a week now on my old SIM w/ MediaNet and have not received any such message.
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I hope it keeps working for you.
I don't understand how he was being rude at all. If he can't sell it to you without those conditions then it certainly isn't his fault. I work at RadioShack and the system we use will not allow us to sell smartphones without adding data either. Not sure how this applies to phones bought outright but all sellers do things a little different. Don't be upset at the associate, be upset at att and the rest of the carriers who also require this.
Actually, according to the rep I had, it seems more along the lines of the phones official launch being today that is the issue from the store side. Since its so new they're not, at least the regular associate isn't, allowed to sell the phone sans contract.
Needless to say my shackles are back on
Considering the amount that shipped out to some stores if his store was any indicator it wouldn't surprise me. How do you only send 3, with one to be set for display purposes?
RE: att rep
I never blamed this guy for the rules this att rep he had to follow, that is not what ticked me off. This had nothing to do with what ticked me off
From the second I walked into this store he was the most sarcastic punk ever, and took it personal that I was trying to get this great htc phone without a data plan. He treated me like I was trying to steal it. I was very polite and I doubt he even knew that I was the least bit upset.
Just got back from an At&t store myself. Rep said the same thing and was also a jerk. I couldn't purchase the phone by itself. I'm not due for an upgrade yet so I was trying to buy the phone full price.
The rep was asking me why I wanted the phone. He said its horrible, it useless, he had a Fuze and gave it away because of how bad it was. He uses a BB and iPhone (BIG SURPRISE). He said I was probably the only person asking for the phone the whole day and thats why they didn't have a display model, because no one wants this phone. He said "Why do you want a windows phone, its windows!!!! Haha, c'mon!"
I was screaming inside. If the jackass had any technology knowledge he would understand why I wanted the phone. The possibilities are endless. I'm running TomTom, Wifi access point, internet sharing, mp3 trimmer, push e-mail, Skyfire, DirecTV NFL Superfan Streaming, registry edits, etc. I know a BB and iPhone can also do some of these things but they CAN'T DO ALL.
gtdRR said:
Just got back from an At&t store myself. Rep said the same thing and was also a jerk. I couldn't purchase the phone by itself. I'm not due for an upgrade yet so I was trying to buy the phone full price.
The rep was asking me why I wanted the phone. He said its horrible, it useless, he had a Fuze and gave it away because of how bad it was. He uses a BB and iPhone (BIG SURPRISE). He said I was probably the only person asking for the phone the whole day and thats why they didn't have a display model, because no one wants this phone. He said "Why do you want a windows phone, its windows!!!! Haha, c'mon!"
I was screaming inside. If the jackass had any technology knowledge he would understand why I wanted the phone. The possibilities are endless. I'm running TomTom, Wifi access point, internet sharing, mp3 trimmer, push e-mail, Skyfire, DirecTV NFL Superfan Streaming, registry edits, etc. I know a BB and iPhone can also do some of these things but they CAN'T DO ALL.
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Click to collapse
Most of the people in the stores are just typical sales people. They have bad attitudes, and think they know everything because of their "training". Just remember that they are trying to make their commission off of you. Every time I call customer service I make a point to complain about the sales people in the stores. Once, I went in to a store and asked for a new SIM card, and the jerk didn't want to give me one because I was not buying something. I asked for a manager, and she was a b***h about it too and told me that the SIM cards cost them a lot of money. She told me to go to the RadioShack down the road and get one (and they wanted to charge me $25 for one). I just stopped going to the stores all together. If I need a new SIM card, I call customer service and request one to be shipped to me. My advise.... Stay away from the stores!!!!
If they are so into earning their commissions one would think they would want to sell a $549 phone at full price, no?
I work for Best Buy Mobile and indeed AT&T does automatically add the data plan once the IMEI for smartphones is detected in their database but this does not mean you can't buy the phone outright.. that's where the guy was wrong. I don't know if he would get a lesser commission if he sells without an activation or whatnot.
Hey all,
First off, I love my Epic, and I will be sad to have to switch to a new carrier, but Sprint is too darn expensive, and Cincinnati Bell is offering cellphones (and a bunch of internet and landlines for our company) plus massive minutes and data for a tiny fraction of what only a few of us would pay for our personal Sprint bills... so naturally, we are moving.
Did I mention we can pick ANY phone from Cincinnati Bell's current or upcoming line-up to receive..... for FREE?
The two 4g phones they have right now are the HTC Panache and the Huawei Ascend X .
They also have a Samsung Vibrant available, which I understand is a Galaxy S phone nearly identicle to our Epic, but without the 4g or the keyboard.
Currently, I am leaning towards the HTC, from all the nice things I heard about the company's handsets in general, and moreso because I have heard zip about the Huawei and it seems a bit chinsey. ( I should add here that he gave us about 4 of the Huaweis to play around with for a bit to test out coverage and data speeds. ) The Huawei is a bit awkward to hold, as it is sharp and thin, whereas I am used to the brick of the Epic in my pocket.
What I ask of all of you is this: Do you have any suggestions on which handset I should grab from these guys? (Remember: It's being given to us, FREE) If so, why? In general, I am trying to either get as close to my Epic experience as possible, or to exceed it. I will miss the keyboard, but I am OK with loosing it.
For the record, I am rooted on my epic with CWM3 and running the latest Frozen Syndicate Mod (and LOVING it ), so ease of rooting, stability and availabilities of quality mods are certainly factors. ... I've just never heard ANYTHING about Huawei and there seems to be a bunch of different kind of info out there for the Panache (It's also call the Glacier and mytouch... I think?)
There you have it! Any suggestions would be killer.
NOTE: I do have access to the 4g Huawei right now, if anyone would like pictures or reviews of it, impressions etc, and I also have the chance soon to get my hands on literally any of the other handsets in their inventory to test out (the Panache, it seems is coming out on Friday). Hopefully I will be able to get a hand on that a bit early, and if so, I'll def. post some info. If anyone has any ideas or suggestions, let me know, and also if anyone wants me to grab a given phone for a test run to review on here, I'm more than happy to try!
Thanks!
tl;dr: Moving from sprint to cincinnati bell, I currently have a epic, whats the best phone I can get from them?
like keyboards? where are those phones. that htc look like a mytouch slide. does it have one?
Sprint too expensive sorry but your nuts. Ever heard the statement you get what you pay for. If you make the switch I GUARANTEE YOU WILL BE BACK. Why would you even consider a local company next to a national company just sounds ridiculous. They have to throw all those extra incentives at you because their service blows.
jbadboy2007 said:
Sprint too expensive sorry but your nuts. Ever heard the statement you get what you pay for. If you make the switch I GUARANTEE YOU WILL BE BACK. Why would you even consider a local company next to a national company just sounds ridiculous. They have to throw all those extra incentives at you because their service blows.
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Click to collapse
I would appreciate not being called nuts, first off.
Second: Between myself, my fiance and my mother, we have a 1500 minute shared plan + "unlimited" data and the extra 9.99 / month for my epic 4g data. We average between 325 and 400 per month.
The plan they are offering us gives us 5 4g phones, unlimited data and 3000 minutes, all for under 300 dollars.
In terms of service, I've never been a huge fan of sprint, I rarely have anything more than 2 bars of 3g coverage, and in many places less. Their 4g network in this area is abysmal, also.
In any case, I was asking about which of those phones people thought to be equivalent or superior to my current phone, not about whether I should switch. I have been continually disappointed with sprint service for years, this is just the final nail in the coffin.
jbadboy2007 said:
Sprint too expensive sorry but your nuts. Ever heard the statement you get what you pay for. If you make the switch I GUARANTEE YOU WILL BE BACK. Why would you even consider a local company next to a national company just sounds ridiculous. They have to throw all those extra incentives at you because their service blows.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Also, in taking the loaner phones around they gave us, comparing relative signal strength and speed as I drive around town, the CinBell phone is consistently the dominate force in terms of signal strength, quality and data speed.
austin420 said:
like keyboards? where are those phones. that htc look like a mytouch slide. does it have one?
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Click to collapse
Nah, none of them have the keyboards unfortunately, thats why I'm trying to find the best phone to get given their lineup. Would you go for the HTC over the Huawei?
Get the vibrant. Its a galaxy s and it like the epic with no keyboard. And the vibrant community has a lot of roms including a stable cm7 and miui gingerbread
Sent from my SPH-D700 using XDA Premium App
The HTC page you linked states it's already on Gingerbread, the other is still Froyo. You should do your research on how often/if that phone gets upgrades. Basically find out which phone is closest to end-of-life.
To the guy who called him nuts for dropping a national carrier for a local: To each their own man. The OP found something that works for his needs. What's the issue? Roaming charges? It's an assumed cost of doing business when jumping to a local carrier.
blueoxide said:
Hey all,
First off, I love my Epic, and I will be sad to have to switch to a new carrier, but Sprint is too darn expensive, and Cincinnati Bell is offering cellphones (and a bunch of internet and landlines for our company) plus massive minutes and data for a tiny fraction of what only a few of us would pay for our personal Sprint bills... so naturally, we are moving.
Did I mention we can pick ANY phone from Cincinnati Bell's current or upcoming line-up to receive..... for FREE?
The two 4g phones they have right now are the HTC Panache and the Huawei Ascend X .
They also have a Samsung Vibrant available, which I understand is a Galaxy S phone nearly identicle to our Epic, but without the 4g or the keyboard.
Currently, I am leaning towards the HTC, from all the nice things I heard about the company's handsets in general, and moreso because I have heard zip about the Huawei and it seems a bit chinsey. ( I should add here that he gave us about 4 of the Huaweis to play around with for a bit to test out coverage and data speeds. ) The Huawei is a bit awkward to hold, as it is sharp and thin, whereas I am used to the brick of the Epic in my pocket.
What I ask of all of you is this: Do you have any suggestions on which handset I should grab from these guys? (Remember: It's being given to us, FREE) If so, why? In general, I am trying to either get as close to my Epic experience as possible, or to exceed it. I will miss the keyboard, but I am OK with loosing it.
For the record, I am rooted on my epic with CWM3 and running the latest Frozen Syndicate Mod (and LOVING it ), so ease of rooting, stability and availabilities of quality mods are certainly factors. ... I've just never heard ANYTHING about Huawei and there seems to be a bunch of different kind of info out there for the Panache (It's also call the Glacier and mytouch... I think?)
There you have it! Any suggestions would be killer.
NOTE: I do have access to the 4g Huawei right now, if anyone would like pictures or reviews of it, impressions etc, and I also have the chance soon to get my hands on literally any of the other handsets in their inventory to test out (the Panache, it seems is coming out on Friday). Hopefully I will be able to get a hand on that a bit early, and if so, I'll def. post some info. If anyone has any ideas or suggestions, let me know, and also if anyone wants me to grab a given phone for a test run to review on here, I'm more than happy to try!
Thanks!
tl;dr: Moving from sprint to cincinnati bell, I currently have a epic, whats the best phone I can get from them?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Can i have your epic???
blueoxide said:
Nah, none of them have the keyboards unfortunately, thats why I'm trying to find the best phone to get given their lineup. Would you go for the HTC over the Huawei?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Get the Panache, its the same phone as the Mytouch 4G without the god awful mytouch logo.
I voted for other because nothing was not an option.
I have had a great experience with Sprint and don't plan on leaving when my contract is up.
You shoulda got 3 unlimited everythings for cheaper than your shared plan duh. But if sprint in your area is not as good than that's a different matter. I've been with sprint for 8 years and they are excellent
I suppose I should also mention that along with this we are overhauling all of our business land lines, internet, dedicated internet/phone lines for security and camera etc and cinbell is offering one mega-package for us etc. The plan details are apples to oranges I'd imagine.
Screen size = Huawei (4G)
Hardware = Samsung (no 4G)
Roms = HTC (4G)
Voted "Other" because non of those options are > the Epic all around.
Looked through the phones and I would go with the Panache. It has Gingerbread, more RAM than the Ascend (768MB vs 512MB) and it has 4G, which the Vibrant does not. The Ascend concerns me a bit...it just came out, and it has Froyo on it. Who knows if and when it would get Gingerbread and a few places I see reviews for it refer to it as "low-cost" and "low-end". Not to say it doesn't have a lot of features, but that is how it is referred to (Which on the low-end of the phone market, the phone rates well) If you are getting the phones for free, I would think the HTC would be the winner for you. Cincinnati Bell looks to have good plans and good national coverage... I don't think you will be disappointed. Best of luck to you!
I would really use the loaner you have for awhile.. I myself had cincinnati bell and the signal was horrible all over the west side of town and northern ky.. I have three friends who jumped into cincy bells low rates they advertised.. And really in the end they are still paying more that the sprint bill.. But if you are on a huge corporate deal price will be cheaper.. But those friends are constantly asking me to text so and so or call someone cause they all constantly have signal issues.. So I would def check that the signal is good in the areas you most frequent. just giving some personal experience. But if the signal is there for you jump on that good deal..
Ever consider flashing to a prepaid unlimited plan?
yeah im pretty sure sprint is among the cheapest and has some of the best phones, service, and coverage. only verizon bats spint on the coverage. im am on a family plan with three phones, unlimited everything, 1400 minutes i believe, and 4g for my epic. it totals to about $120 something a month.
my dad on the other hand has verizon. he just bought the new iphone, unlimited everything, and 1400 minutes too. he pays about $75 a month. 4g for verizon is like $20 or $30 (i cant remember). thats outrageous compared to the $10 a month for 4g on sprint.
i really suggest sitting down, working out a budget, working out a reasonable phone plan to work with that budget, compare different phone services, and research phones for each. i think youll find that sprint is among the best and cheapest.
Sent via the Matrix
blueoxide said:
I would appreciate not being called nuts, first off.
Second: Between myself, my fiance and my mother, we have a 1500 minute shared plan + "unlimited" data and the extra 9.99 / month for my epic 4g data. We average between 325 and 400 per month.
The plan they are offering us gives us 5 4g phones, unlimited data and 3000 minutes, all for under 300 dollars.
In terms of service, I've never been a huge fan of sprint, I rarely have anything more than 2 bars of 3g coverage, and in many places less. Their 4g network in this area is abysmal, also.
In any case, I was asking about which of those phones people thought to be equivalent or superior to my current phone, not about whether I should switch. I have been continually disappointed with sprint service for years, this is just the final nail in the coffin.
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Click to collapse
i think u r not right about comparing minutes... remember sprint gives unlimited calls to any mobile phones... n plus i have 5 phones n pay under 200 w/ all 4g phones. that includes everything.... not saying that to convince u. but what u said is not right at all about plan... n i love sprint. their C.S is the greatest. peaceee
Sent from my SPH-D700 using Tapatalk
my 1500 everything data plan with 3 lines, 2 premium data fees, 2 insurance fees, and an airave, with my meager corperate discount comes to 171.36 per month. i can bundle this with my time warner cable bill for more savings, since they are partners, but i prefer not to have all my eggs in one basket. id hate to get everything cut off at once if i were late. i can do with out cable, or phone. but never both at once!
Hello,
We are long time Verizon customers but have had enough of their capricious attitude, the insane recent price hikes and limited data plans. (although we currently have unlimited data). However, my husband's phone was stolen about a month ago and while we're using an old phone for the moment, we need to upgrade it for him. I like Sprint's current business model of unlimited everything (& we plan to sign up for everything data plus from the employees referral to save a bit and get more minutes). We also like the fact that Sprint is a green company and supports more things that we believe in. Yeah, I know that we're giving up the network for a bit until Sprint's Network Vision is completed but I think we can live with that.
Here's my dilemma. There are no Sprint owned stores in our area, just third party stores and only a couple of those so I can't buy through them &get everything data plus... Which is fine because they don't know much at all. I went there to try to see both the Evo 4G LTE side by side with the Samsung Galaxy S3...both working. Unfortunately, they didn't have a working model of the S3 but they opened up a package so I could at least hold them next to each other.
My concern most of all is with the radio quality and reception. I have some serious medical issues so being able to call for help is a frequent need. I took my current phone (HTC Rezound), my husband's Motorola DROID X, and the Evo LTE, and did side by side comparisons of the radios. My Rezound came in top at -80 give or take a few both directions, the DX, at -86 also give/take & the Evo LTE at -97 to -103. I then tried to load a webpage on my Rezound and the Evo. I picked yahoo because it has mixed media &was a first thing that popped into my head. My Rezound loaded the desktop version in less than 20 seconds... The Evo was still attempting to load the mobile version after several minutes.
So, do I believe the story that the mall kiosk has terrible Sprint reception? Was the demo Evo LTE one of the bad first batch? I know that there will be a step back in service speed but this was unbearable. I'm hoping that this isn't the normal for Sprint service... I mean it can't be, right? Right no one would use them.
What I'm unable to find out is what the Samsung Galaxy S3 radio is like compared to the Evo LTE in similar circumstances. I can't afford to get one of the phones, not have it work, pay the restocking fee and a second activation fee. With two lines that's over $200 just to switch away from a defective phone. Is there any leeway given for phones that won't hold a signal... Like allowing us to switch to another phone if the first is defective? I know that the base chipset is the same between the two phones but from what I've read the radios themselves can be different based on the manufacturer. So, I don't know what either the HTC Evo LTE or galaxy S3 would be like on any specific phone and it sounds like there are differences in the batches. What do I do or what would you do? I know we're taking a risk switching to carriers but we want to live authentically and put money into companies that are supporting the things we believe in and shaping their company based upon similar values. We will be having to do a transfer of our Vzw account (assumption of liability) once we're settled into Sprint but not until we're positive it works for us. Then we'll give up our Vzw contract so we don't owe an ETF. It also gives my DH the phone upgrade he needs since his was stolen during one of my medical emergencies. Vzw refused to help us at all through the whole process.
But I digress.
What do you think phone wise? Bad reception? Bad Evo LTE? Would you take a chance on the S3 with Samsung's past radio issues... Do you think that they've improved them? Would you take a chance on getting a bad Evo LTE since HTC /Sprint have admitted to a problem there? Since I can't compare them side by side working or compare radio strengths I really need advice!
Thanks so much in advance!
All the best,
Rae
varaonaid said:
Hello,
We are long time Verizon customers but have had enough of their capricious attitude, the insane recent price hikes and limited data plans. (although we currently have unlimited data). However, my husband's phone was stolen about a month ago and while we're using an old phone for the moment, we need to upgrade it for him. I like Sprint's current business model of unlimited everything (& we plan to sign up for everything data plus from the employees referral to save a bit and get more minutes). We also like the fact that Sprint is a green company and supports more things that we believe in. Yeah, I know that we're giving up the network for a bit until Sprint's Network Vision is completed but I think we can live with that.
Here's my dilemma. There are no Sprint owned stores in our area, just third party stores and only a couple of those so I can't buy through them &get everything data plus... Which is fine because they don't know much at all. I went there to try to see both the Evo 4G LTE side by side with the Samsung Galaxy S3...both working. Unfortunately, they didn't have a working model of the S3 but they opened up a package so I could at least hold them next to each other.
My concern most of all is with the radio quality and reception. I have some serious medical issues so being able to call for help is a frequent need. I took my current phone (HTC Rezound), my husband's Motorola DROID X, and the Evo LTE, and did side by side comparisons of the radios. My Rezound came in top at -80 give or take a few both directions, the DX, at -86 also give/take & the Evo LTE at -97 to -103. I then tried to load a webpage on my Rezound and the Evo. I picked yahoo because it has mixed media &was a first thing that popped into my head. My Rezound loaded the desktop version in less than 20 seconds... The Evo was still attempting to load the mobile version after several minutes.
So, do I believe the story that the mall kiosk has terrible Sprint reception? Was the demo Evo LTE one of the bad first batch? I know that there will be a step back in service speed but this was unbearable. I'm hoping that this isn't the normal for Sprint service... I mean it can't be, right? Right no one would use them.
What I'm unable to find out is what the Samsung Galaxy S3 radio is like compared to the Evo LTE in similar circumstances. I can't afford to get one of the phones, not have it work, pay the restocking fee and a second activation fee. With two lines that's over $200 just to switch away from a defective phone. Is there any leeway given for phones that won't hold a signal... Like allowing us to switch to another phone if the first is defective? I know that the base chipset is the same between the two phones but from what I've read the radios themselves can be different based on the manufacturer. So, I don't know what either the HTC Evo LTE or galaxy S3 would be like on any specific phone and it sounds like there are differences in the batches. What do I do or what would you do? I know we're taking a risk switching to carriers but we want to live authentically and put money into companies that are supporting the things we believe in and shaping their company based upon similar values. We will be having to do a transfer of our Vzw account (assumption of liability) once we're settled into Sprint but not until we're positive it works for us. Then we'll give up our Vzw contract so we don't owe an ETF. It also gives my DH the phone upgrade he needs since his was stolen during one of my medical emergencies. Vzw refused to help us at all through the whole process.
But I digress.
What do you think phone wise? Bad reception? Bad Evo LTE? Would you take a chance on the S3 with Samsung's past radio issues... Do you think that they've improved them? Would you take a chance on getting a bad Evo LTE since HTC /Sprint have admitted to a problem there? Since I can't compare them side by side working or compare radio strengths I really need advice!
Thanks so much in advance!
All the best,
Rae
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Click to collapse
It all varies on your area, you need to find people who live around you and ask there opinion. Some ppl say the HTC radio sucks, others say Sammys sucks. Rumor was without pure fact that Samsung was using a radio like the Motorola phones use. Lots of ppl are reporting positive feedback with the GS3. So it's something you can try, and if the store can't help you avoid a restocking fee, I would call customer service to see if theyd waive it.
However I know Sprint hasnt charged me a restock fee yet or ever, and if you have reception issues at home they will send you a free airwave...
I've heard that Sprint 3g is awful in some areas. I get decent enough speeds here and LTE is coming to my area soon so I won't be changing carrier. However, if LTE wasn't coming soon I'd definitely consider jumping ship.
juanpow3r said:
I've heard that Sprint 3g is awful in some areas. I get decent enough speeds here and LTE is coming to my area soon so I won't be changing carrier. However, if LTE wasn't coming soon I'd definitely consider jumping ship.
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The thing is and to be honest, once LTE hits, everyone will be *****ing about battery life. There is not a reason you cant jump on WIFI if avalible. Or use 3g... I have been stuck and still am stuck on 3g, and things load instantly for me... granted I'm not downloading big videos or anything...
But I know her main point was coverage... so she'd really need to stop at a store and talk to people who use the phone outside of the business
I'll let you know. Mostly I want to know that Sprint will stand behind either phone if the radios aren't up to par without the restocking fees and a second activation fee... I can't afford $210 of activation, restocking and another reactivation fee for phones that are defective. I'm not talking about just changing my mind and wanting a different phone but needing to trust that one way or another I'll get two phones with no radio issues.
It's not as simple as just staying with VZW, my husband's phone was stolen during one of my medical emergencies... He's currently using an old phone but it's not working very well. So, we either pony up for a new phone (even if it's via Craigslist) or we get a new provider (who hopefully gives a care bc Vzw certainly didn't!), both get new phones and sell our current ones to cover most of the upfront cost of the new phones. We could wait until Network Vision is completed or moreso but will they still be able to offer unlimited data plan at that point. Since we feel that we want to switch, now feels like a good time to do so. Does that make sense?
No we're not out of contract with Verizon but have people lined up to do an AOL (assumption of liability or contract takeover) so we'd be out of it with no fees. However, we won't complete the AOL until we're sure that Sprint will work for us now.
Does anyone know if the everything data plus (we'd be looking at the 1600min family plan) has free activation? I'd have to order online and it would be via employee referral? Also, do you get any numbers you can pick that are unlimited to those numbers? Verizon had friends and family where you got to pick a handful of numbers that you call the most that don't count against our minutes. My only concern is my in laws as they have a VERY limited cell plan and use their land line almost exclusively. If we could add that one number that would help a ton. I'd read somewhere online that Sprint had something similar but now, of course, can't find it again.
I appreciate all of your help and advice so very much. I hope this explains more why we're considering the switch and why we need good phone reception... At least as good as is currently possible on their network.
BTW, when we informed Vzw about the phone theft we were tracking the phone on Google latitude and the refused to help or advise us as to what to do in any way. Super disappointed with their lack of help. If the customer service had been better, we might have gotten our phone back. I've heard good things about Sprint's customer service.
Any other thoughts or suggestions or advice... Please share! And many thanks to all of you who have shared!
Order directly from Sprint
As a former employee of a 3rd party vendor, if you are worried about the vendors complying with Sprint's 30-day no strings window, order your phones directly from Sprint. If your or your husband's employer have an agreement with sprint that nets their employee's a discount, they might also have an exclusive sales team and pricing. Most corporate discounts waive the activation fee on new lines and Sprint(corporate, not 3rd party) is very good about exchanges. Keep in mind 3rd party vendors can, and do, pretty much whatever they want, if they treat you poorly, email [email protected] and it will garner the attention of Dan Hesse's resolution team. But again if you want to avoid the 3rd party headache, just order online or over the phone. Good luck, and I will check back as I just ordered both, an evo lte and sIII, for my wife and I. I will let you know how signal goes.
Sprint is very giving... ill PM you a number to use when you call them.
Sent from my DynaTAC 8000S ;-) via 5G
Thanks so much for the new info. I really appreciate it. Please do send along the best number to call Sprint at. That's totally awesome. I just need to make sure that we have good enough reception in our area and that we get good working phones. I'm really glad to hear that they are a "giving" company or maybe best to describe as doing what it takes to satisfy the customer. Vzw seems to be purposely going the opposite way and I'm not impressed. Again, I'd love that phone number to use and would also love to hear your thoughts and impressions of the two phones when you get them! I Please keep the info coming!
varaonaid said:
Thanks so much for the new info. I really appreciate it. Please do send along the best number to call Sprint at. That's totally awesome. I just need to make sure that we have good enough reception in our area and that we get good working phones. I'm really glad to hear that they are a "giving" company or maybe best to describe as doing what it takes to satisfy the customer. Vzw seems to be purposely going the opposite way and I'm not impressed. Again, I'd love that phone number to use and would also love to hear your thoughts and impressions of the two phones when you get them! I Please keep the info coming!
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As of right now i get great signal and battery on my sprint s iii. I support ur cjoicr to switch. As far as customer sipport u eont regret it. If u have bad sifnal call them at any customer service number and request an airrave theyll send one for free. Those give u full signal at home. I believe emergency calls work without signal too so 911 shouldn't be a problem anyway, and airave should fix signal worries. So far this phone has great radio so far as I can tell.
Sent from my SPH-L710 using xda premium
I should have listened to my instincts and went of the N7100. I really wanted to like the ATT version. I got the device. immediately rooted it and flashed the CleanLite Rom. There were a couple things I missed too much and the additional $30 a month was not worth it since we do not have LTE and if we did the speeds are really only realized when downloading ir uploading huge files. Regular browsing is still website dependent,
However the phone is always seeking LTE. No way to turn it off. Having been on Mediat Net UL data was nice but I never used more than 700mb and that was when I was steaming TuneIn radio just to try it out. (I was listening to the same shows we have locally.at different times) I am a talk radio junkie. I love all the gad fests, from Kim Komand to Rush Limbaugh. I am plugged in all day at work.
I need the FM Radio and I did not want to pay $15 more a month for it and have to get a 3GB plan.Not to mention the battery use for radio is far less than streaming wifi or carrier data. So I called ATT and Provisioned my International Note 1 for Smartphone data ( I had to convince them I had a smart phone because you cannot have two dumb phones on a family share plan and the wife International SGS II i9100 shows up as a dumb phone to get the Family Shared 1GB plan. Now we have messaging as well which we did not have and unlimited calling which we did not have. and I will buy an N7100 when the prices drop below $600. Funny all these years I was under the radar. they "discovered " my Note a a smart phone and I always had to call to switch it back to MediNet. Now I had to convince them it was a smart phone...Funny how things work.
The international development is very much further as well. although a few "ported" ROMs are showing up on this side of things.
Love the form factor of the Note 2 and it was very fast. The additional processing and RAM were clearly noticeable.
S Pen much better. Notification LED nice. There is a reason to upgrade for sure. In my case the N7100 is the better choice.Warranties mean little to me since I root the devices out of the box,
I posted this for those who are on the fence and may have similar needs.
Thanks for the post, man. I'm fighting myself over whether I want to go grab a Note II today (been thinking about it non-stop all weekend). Heck, I was cussing when I saw your post in the MP and I missed out! I'd have bought it in a heartbeat (and saved a couple of hundred $$$ in the process).
I've already got the AT&T GSIII, so I'm not sure how much of an upgrade the Note II would be for me. I mean, I KNOW it would be an upgrade in some areas, but I'm just trying to figure out if it warrants the $$$ (and the money isn't a problem for me...I'm just debating myself as I always do on large purchases). I'd be buying off-contract (as I did with the SIII), so it's not a small amount of money.
I usually get my phones, the off-contract ones at least, from Best Buy because of their generous 30-day return window and their price matching. I guess I could always grab a Note II and give it a go for a couple of weeks. Then I'll know for sure whether it's a worthy upgrade or not and if not, I can always return it without a restocking fee.
Glad to see you got things figured out. Sorry I missed out on buying your Note II, but glad to see you got it sold quickly! :good:
KentuckyHouse said:
Thanks for the post, man. I'm fighting myself over whether I want to go grab a Note II today (been thinking about it non-stop all weekend). Heck, I was cussing when I saw your post in the MP and I missed out! I'd have bought it in a heartbeat (and saved a couple of hundred $$$ in the process).
I've already got the AT&T GSIII, so I'm not sure how much of an upgrade the Note II would be for me. I mean, I KNOW it would be an upgrade in some areas, but I'm just trying to figure out if it warrants the $$$ (and the money isn't a problem for me...I'm just debating myself as I always do on large purchases). I'd be buying off-contract (as I did with the SIII), so it's not a small amount of money.
I usually get my phones, the off-contract ones at least, from Best Buy because of their generous 30-day return window and their price matching. I guess I could always grab a Note II and give it a go for a couple of weeks. Then I'll know for sure whether it's a worthy upgrade or not and if not, I can always return it without a restocking fee.
Glad to see you got things figured out. Sorry I missed out on buying your Note II, but glad to see you got it sold quickly! :good:
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We have pretty good LTE coverage here...and I do use it..and I also had my time with 3 of the G3's...when they worked that is..
Looking at things objectively...is the Note 2 a upgrade worthy enough to leave the G3...IMHO...you bet it is especially if you like big screens...and can use the S-pen...
If those 2 things aren't enough to sway you...then maybe you should wait for the G 4 to come out...I would never go back to a G3 after using this one...to me it's leaps and bounds above them and custom roms will come...hell the sys dump for the ATT version just happened on the 6th of this month...so...IMHO...go get one and use it for a while...at least you will have a time with it to see what all the hubbub is about... and since they are still in short supply in many places...I don't think you will have any issue selling it if you don't like it..
Mac
I don't regret leaving my gs3 one bit. You either want a bigger screen or you don't and the internals are certainly a bump up. Getting the note 2 was a little intimidating now I don't think I could go back to the gs3.
about att and international note 2 choices, basically the question is: LTE & warranty or lots more custom rom
I choose att version only because i like LTE. and i am sure the att version will have its asop, cm 10/11, miui, and some kernel.
vista1984 said:
about att and international note 2 choices, basically the question is: LTE & warranty or lots more custom rom
I choose att version only because i like LTE. and i am sure the att version will have its asop, cm 10/11, miui, and some kernel.
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The problem with ASOP with the Notes is the S pen apps don't always work as they are Samsung apps and Samsung has been hoarding their drivers as well. The FM Radio did not work in Cyanogen. Needed a $10 app to make it work Spirit UL I think it was. I like the Samsung stuff well enough and eliminate the Social apps so I stick with the Stock Samsung ROMS. Especially since I am not a flashaholic and prefer to stick with a good ROM that only gets updated when there are major updates.
OP;us I am running 4..1.2 now and the ATT Note was a step back as far as Multiview etc went. Roms will be coming but like with the Captivate most of the good stuff will be ported from the N7100 developers
I dont get it. You bought it and sold it. So you save 30 a month? Did you buy it out right or sign contract. Contract arent you IN contract so you pay anyway? Full price?
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I317 using xda premium
carhigh said:
I dont get it. You bought it and sold it. So you save 30 a month? Did you buy it out right or sign contract. Contract arent you IN contract so you pay anyway? Full price?
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I317 using xda premium
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I bought it for $239 an signed a contract for two years I have been with ATT since Wireless began. I don;t plan on changing Carriers. We have had two upgrades for the past four years. I burned one to try the ATT version. Since I rooted it I don't feel right bringing it back and sold it instead made a few dollars toward the N7100 With the sale iof My Note either way it was going to cost me $300 to buy the N7100. Now it will be "free" or at most $100 more. I will use my wife's upgrade next year.
I buy her used International phones. She loves the SGS II i9100 and will be using that until it fails. Then I will find her a well used international SIII to keep her on the $30 non smartphone plan.
We pay $115 a month for two phones with UL everything except for the 1GB data Same as we were paying for two mediaNEt UL data phones with no messaging and 700 minutes. I don;t use a lot of carrier data with the FM radio especially.
Disregard me please. Im totally lost even more now. Att has a 1gb plan? I didnt know
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I317 using xda premium
Thanks for the info
For me, its an easy choice. LTE. I live about 30 miles from AT&T headquarters, so LTE speed is amazing. As far as custom rom's go. I create my own stuff, so that does not concern me the slightest.
CM will come. Ive already setup the device tree, I just need to figure out the RIL stuff and defconfig in the kernel, to enable to qualcomm modem.
carhigh said:
Disregard me please. Im totally lost even more now. Att has a 1gb plan? I didnt know
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I317 using xda premium
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Yeah they have a family share plan with UL talk and messaging with 1 GB data shared. One smart phone and one dumb phone would be $115 a month. They charge $40 plus $30 for the "dumb" phone and $45 for the smart phone. If my wife were to get an ATT smart phone the bill would go up nearly $200 a year. $15 more a month Still sharing 1GB. Not worth it. I would go back to MediNet and two "dumb" phones. We have a couple old dumb phones we stick the SIM cards in when calling ATT. Except now I have declared a smart phone to get UL talk and messaging.
With 4GB shared the bill would be $15 more Her phone would Still be $30 the plan would go to $70 and my phone would drop to $40 Basically I would get 3GB more for another $25 a month. I would rather pay the extra $15 for 2GB if i should use over 1GB. Without LTE there is no way I would be using 2GB.
LTE is great. but for basic web browsing 4G is fine. Downloading huge ROM files would be nice at home with 30MPS LOL I would use the Carrier before the cable internet. But I don;t want to become dependent on high carrier speeds. Its like the carriers are drug dealers. they get you hooked then you pay pay pay.....
antiochasylum said:
Thanks for the info
For me, its an easy choice. LTE. I live about 30 miles from AT&T headquarters, so LTE speed is amazing. As far as custom rom's go. I create my own stuff, so that does not concern me the slightest.
CM will come. Ive already setup the device tree, I just need to figure out the RIL stuff and defconfig in the kernel, to enable to qualcomm modem.
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this is the best news i heard today
I received my LG G4 in the mail on June 2 via Verizon pre-order. After briefly going through the various features, I noticed that Themes, Smart Settings, and User Profile options were not on my phone. I contacted Verizon who responded by stating that I have a faulty phone or that Verizon removed those features (depending on who I talked to). I compared my phone to a Sprint version while at Best Buy today and noticed that these features are not missing from their phones. I then went to the Verizon store who confirmed that those features are not on their version of the phone (VS986) and that I would be responsible for a $50 restocking fee if I were to return it. LG customer service also claimed that the phone's features varied by carrier. So. . .I am either stuck with a reduced feature phone if I were to remain with Verizon or pay $50 and go with another carrier within 12 days (14 day return window) and get an LG G4 phone that actually has its advertised and reviewed capabilities. I am trying to determine if there are more features missing to facilitate making a decision as well as considering third party apps to compensate. Anyone else in the same boat?
I would just go to YT and check other people videos out on the LG G4 Verizon model to make sure its not there either. If there not then I would just tell them to wave the $50 fee and switch carriers.
I found your thread while looking for the same information. I was looking for those features on my new verizon phone and they are missing. I am going to root the #*@$ out of this phone as soon as I can. I'm so sick of verizon, if they didn't have the best coverage in my area I would bail in a heart beat.
I noticed this from the G4 section of Reddit. Some of those owners filed a complaint with Verizon and was able to get a full refund without a restocking fee.
Verizon ALWAYS does this. They strip off LG, HTC and Samsung browsers as well as whatever feature or app they want. I guess so they can load their bloatware bs and not eat too much memory..who knows. I despise Verizon
I'm new to Verizon and gave the carrier the benefit of the doubt that the omission of these features was a temp mistake. Now I am leaning towards t-mobile pending the status of their version that I will check tomorrow. I don't see why the features are removed. Did Verizon save money or something by getting a "cheaper" version from LG. . .not sure what their motive could be. Hopefully they will receive some backlash from customers and LG (if possible). I posted a negative review on Verizon's page a few days ago (which hasn't been approved yet) as well as asked why these features were not included on their version.
It won't affect Verizon. They've always butchered phones this way. ..
I ran my Verizon S4 rooted from day 1, i forget about all the stupid crap they do to the phone. I can't wait to strip all the verizon crap out of it and run a nice custom rom on this phone.
Not that big of deal for me personally didnt buy the phone for those features, honestly didnt know they were missing till now
Great info, I knew something would be missing. Ever since my Fascinate its been like this. That's why I turn to this community and root all the things!
Sent from my HTC DNA
i havent seen profile changing on mine? wonder if its missing. how would i check those features?
besides in a way isent it better, this way less stuff verizon puts on it, more smoother the phone can run
Phurkus said:
i havent seen profile changing on mine? wonder if its missing. how would i check those features?
besides in a way isent it better, this way less stuff verizon puts on it, more smoother the phone can run
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Better? How does stripping LG features equal less stuff Verizon puts on the phone? This phone is NOT short on Verizon bloat, only LG apps and features that most everyone else has.
I just switched from Verizon to T-Mobile about a month ago and this is one of the reasons why. I got tired of the massive amount of butchering, bloat and removing features they do to the phones. My T-Mobile still has some bloat on it but not the obscene amounts that Verizon slaps on their phones.
So yes, it is normal for Verizon to remove features from their phones.
There are some wifi and network settings missing that I have seen referenced on other carrier G4's.
What a load of crap.
LG SmartWorld
Smart Settings
Multi-user accounts
FM Radio
Themes
Custom lock screen
Really? Themes and lock screens? Ugh....
Source:
http://www.androidcentral.com/here-are-things-verizon-lg-g4-doesnt-have-other-variants-do
Wasn't aware of the other missing features. Since, coverage isn't that significant of a factor for me (coming from Virgin Mobile), I am going to return my phone (and my wife's) and get at least one fully featured G4 through another carrier. And I thought that coverage, cost (plan, access), insurance, promotions, etc were sufficient factors to consider when I made this purchase. Now I have to factor in removal of a phone's features relative to the carrier. No likey.
89titanium said:
What a load of crap.
LG SmartWorld
Smart Settings
Multi-user accounts
FM Radio
Themes
Custom lock screen
Really? Themes and lock screens? Ugh....
Source:
http://www.androidcentral.com/here-are-things-verizon-lg-g4-doesnt-have-other-variants-do
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Add LGs browser and tasks app to that list. Welcome to Verizon, this is normal here
I am contemplating on getting this phone on verizon in August and waiting for Developers on here to find an exploit and/or a way to unlock the BL or to switch to T-mobile and have them pay off my phone balance and ETF. The problem I'm having is the cost difference. My wife would have to switch to a single line because she would likely stay with verizon. Right now, we share 10gb a month on two lines and we are only paying 160. I have my phone on Edge and so we get $25 off a month plus I receive a discount through my employer. Basically it will cost us more for me to switch to T-Mobile than for me to compromise on this Verizon feature stripped G4. I've even contemplated getting a Z3V or HTC One M9. But I am leaning more towards just settling for the VZW G4.
Any suggestions on what I should do?
Proverbs *16:*20
Juice3250 said:
I am contemplating on getting this phone on verizon in August and waiting for Developers on here to find an exploit and/or a way to unlock the BL or to switch to T-mobile and have them pay off my phone balance and ETF. The problem I'm having is the cost difference. My wife would have to switch to a single line because she would likely stay with verizon. Right now, we share 10gb a month on two lines and we are only paying 160. I have my phone on Edge and so we get $25 off a month plus I receive a discount through my employer. Basically it will cost us more for me to switch to T-Mobile than for me to compromise on this Verizon feature stripped G4. I've even contemplated getting a Z3V or HTC One M9. But I am leaning more towards just settling for the VZW G4.
Any suggestions on what I should do?
Proverbs *16:*20
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Verizon strips every non Nexus Android phone of features. They also don't mess with Iphones because they can't. I was surprised that the Note 4 didn't appear to be missing much, but the S6/G4 more than made up for that with as much as they've stripped. If I had another option for a carrier (especially t-mobile) then I would go elsewhere and not hesitate. I have tried Sprint and AT&T, both have beyond poor coverage in my area (Sprint doesn't even have 4g, they borrow other peoples towers here) so I'm stuck. I am hoping T-mobile finds a way to get some coverage here, but it isn't likely.
Nobody can make a decision for you, but if you have coverage options, consider yourself lucky =p
Yeah I live in south eastern michigan around Ann Arbor. Kevin the tech ninja who reviews tech on YouTube now actually lives in SE michigan as well. I've talked with him a little bit and he switched to T-mobile and is pretty happy with it.
But I am thinking I could do without the extra features for a while. Then when the boot loader is unlocked, the likelihood is high, then slowly I'll be able to get some of those features back or some added ones that can replace them. I have been looking to buy a phone that I wouldn't have to root and flash roms on. But my thinking is software is updatable and can be changed. Hardware can't be changed. At least not yet.
Proverbs *16:*20