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Hi
I'm new to the US, and I'm not familiar with the wireless companies system here..
I have some question:
1. Which service provider is better? I'll be living in Berkeley, CA?? I keep hearing that At&T has bad reception.. which one should I go for??
2. The 30$ data plan: all companies say that this plan is unlimited, but I keep reading (at least for Verizon) it's 5 GB/month.. is this true?? and are there any companies that offer real unlimited data plan...
Because I was thinking of using my phone as a modem for my PC, I don't want to pay more 30-40$ for DSL if I already have a true unlimited data plan
3. Roll over minutes: does this apply only to AT&t, or all carriers?
Thanks in advance guys
duke911 said:
Hi
I'm new to the US, and I'm not familiar with the wireless companies system here..
I have some question:
1. Which service provider is better? I'll be living in Berkeley, CA?? I keep hearing that At&T has bad reception.. which one should I go for??
2. The 30$ data plan: all companies say that this plan is unlimited, but I keep reading (at least for Verizon) it's 5 GB/month.. is this true?? and are there any companies that offer real unlimited data plan...
Because I was thinking of using my phone as a modem for my PC, I don't want to pay more 30-40$ for DSL if I already have a true unlimited data plan
3. Roll over minutes: does this apply only to AT&t, or all carriers?
Thanks in advance guys
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I just left AT&T due to extremely poor customer service. AT&T is the only carrier that offers rollover minutes, but their 3G coverage is spotty, and when switching from 3G to Edge or vise versa, you will experience a lot of dropped calls. If you want to use your phone as a modem with AT&T you have to get a tethering plan which will run you $60/month. Verizon has a much larger 3G coverage area, and you don't have to worry about the network being burdened by iPhone users. Sprint has rolled out 4G coverage in some areas with plans to expand. Sprint has cheaper calling plans, but their subsidized phone prices are higher. All in all, do your research, and check online for reviews of coverage, network speed, and customer service.
1. reception obviously varies by location. VZW probably has the best claim to the best nationwide coverage--their business model has very much focused on network building, and up until very recently, their phone selection sucked because they didn't invest as much in securing great smartphones. Alternatively, ATT has focused investment heavily on having great phones, and haven't focused investment as much on building any of their networks.
That said, ATT has great phone reception in a lots of metropolitan areas. There might even be some areas where they have better coverage. And while their 3G data coverage isn't nearly as broad, where it exists, it has been tested as being the fastest (especially when you're not using an iPhone).
2. No, all wireless carriers have a cap of some kind. Further most will charge an extra $30ish a month on top of the $30ish a month for smartphone data for tethering (using your phone as a modem), and they'll still have a data cap.
3. I don't know VZW's plans.
ive been with ATT for YEARS and their costumer service can kiss my ass because i never use it. why? because they offer best reception where im at. why would i want to find out how good t-mobiles costumer service is? i just want a reliable network. all carriers have crappy prices and conditions here. just find the one that works for you and dont listen to what anyone else says. why would you care if verizon has 3g in montana and att doesnt if you live in LA?? its irrelevant. find the least crappy one for you and stick with it.
Do some research on the difference between CDMA and GSM networks. One may work better than another in certain situations.
T-Mobile has cheap rate plans and free tethering.
Sprint has a WiMax network rolling out, although all of the carriers are working on LTE or some other standard of 4G- Not really a concern at this point, since few phones support it.
Verizon has the best customer satisfaction ratings, but their phones are often locked down with software.
AT&T has a history of dropping calls, but has the fastest recorded data speeds.
No matter whom you may chose, you will end up disappointed over some facet or another. You will need to get DSL or some other form of land-based internet, unless you can keep yourself constrained to the 5GB data caps that ALL of the carriers have.
I guess I'm gonna go with verizon then..
I asked a Veizon representative today about the Touch Pro 2, and he said it's only CDMA ... although on their websitethey say it's GSM Quad Band!!! Is there anything that I'm missing?
Will I be able to use out side the US if travel home?
cheers
duke911 said:
I guess I'm gonna go with verizon then..
I asked a Veizon representative today about the Touch Pro 2, and he said it's only CDMA ... although on their websitethey say it's GSM Quad Band!!! Is there anything that I'm missing?
Will I be able to use out side the US if travel home?
cheers
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, it's kind of misleading. The Verizon Touch Pro2 is actually a CDMA/GSM hybrid device, which works on Verizon's CDMA network or any GSM network. In theory, you should be able to use it on any GSM network in any country as long as you have a valid SIM card.
you cant trust advertising. it makes it appear that all options are shiney. verizon claims all of its wireless technologies as 3g no matter what they are, whether they have speeds slower than atts 2g or worse. the verizon touch pro will not actually work in the us or canada on gsm. you also need to pay for vodofone service separately to get international coverage. you can flash a radio that will let you use atts network but youll loose the cdma network verizon uses. sprints 4g network is not as promising as i hoped. its slower than atts 3g network and to use it you have to buy a $10 1-day pass that will let you use 4g in about 10 or so cities. its also not on any phones. in terms of data or unlimited plans, i would probably have to recommend t-mobile. even though i think they have the ugliest version of the touch pro 2. verizon does limit there unlimited plans to 4gb a month i think. and yes att is the only one with roll over. i never use my minutes so i up to about 10000 minutes rolled over. i will never be charged overage as long as i live.
I was with ATT when they were known as Cingular for three years. One day I got a call and they said I was using it off their network too much and I had to stop it or they would cancel me. Since I was not even living in their area, it was not going to happen.
So I signed up with Verizon, which did not even sell phones within a hundred miles of where I would be using it. That was in March of 2007. I went to Alaska for 16 months where it roamed constantly. Not a peep from Verizon about not being on their network. When going to a remote village for more than a month where no cell phone would work, I would just call them and they would suspend my phone for the time I was there. No bill at all and no charge for turning it off. So I have to say the customer support from Verizon is the best there is and ATT is the absolute worst.
texascbx said:
I was with ATT when they were known as Cingular for three years. One day I got a call and they said I was using it off their network too much and I had to stop it or they would cancel me. Since I was not even living in their area, it was not going to happen.
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Click to collapse
they wouldnt say something like that. the entire gsm network is theirs.
btw att, verizon, and sprint all have horrible customer service. youre going to always loose with any provider.
The Jack of Clubs said:
they wouldnt say something like that. the entire gsm network is theirs.
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Click to collapse
Last I checked, Tmobile's network isn't owned by ATT.
thanks a lot for your help guys, I really appreciae that.
I have one final question: Is there a way I can buy verizon touch pro 2 without a contract, and use it with verizon prepaid service (if that is possible in te first place)?
I'm new here and I don't have many people to speak with, and since I'm a student, I could use any some extra money
Cheers
duke911 said:
thanks a lot for your help guys, I really appreciae that. I have one final question: Is there a way I can buy verizon touch pro 2 without a contract, and use it with verizon prepaid service (if that is possible in te first place)? I'm new here and I don't have many people to speak with, and since I'm a student, I could use any some extra money
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I purchased my VZW off contract. Unsubsidized is probably about $500.
Different carriers have different rules for their prepaid services. With GSM carriers, TMo and ATT, it's easy to pop a prepaid sim into any phone. With CDMA (Sprint and VZW), I'm not sure. Best bet is to call and ask.
well i had sprint for ever...I switched to tmobile.. to get that tp2 free through wmdeals.com even though coverage sucks at my house im happy.. I have wifi for data when im home.. when i leave my home i have edge service everwhere.. til i start getting close to mesquite ( texas ) it goes to 3g.. but edge works great with opera mini.. and for updating certain things.. but so far tmobile rocks..
The Jack of Clubs said:
they wouldnt say something like that. the entire gsm network is theirs.
btw att, verizon, and sprint all have horrible customer service. youre going to always loose with any provider.
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Click to collapse
That's where you are wrong. They did cancel me and one of my brothers living in another town shortly after I got the call and letter. The explanation was they had contracts with other providers to cover you when your were roaming. And roaming was fine, as long as you did not do it too much. I roamed all the time, for about three years.
I called Verizon today, and the representative said that I can't use their prepaid service on a smart phone... although I'm not really sure about, as she sounded clueless, and I had to do lots of explanation until she got the basic idea..
anyway... I like really the verizon version of the Touch Pro 2..
If I go for month-to-month and get it for full retail (490$).. can I cancel with Verizon after that, and unlock my phone, then use it with some other network like T-mobile or At&T????
I never used CDMA before, and after reading some info, I think GSM is better for me, at least for now...
duke911 said:
I called Verizon today, and the representative said that I can't use their prepaid service on a smart phone... although I'm not really sure about, as she sounded clueless, and I had to do lots of explanation until she got the basic idea..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You never know with reps. I seem to recall that VZW's prepaid might have some unlimited data intended for dumbphones, which of course they wouldn't want you to use with a smartphone.
There are MVNOs, like Page Plus, that use VZW's network, but have prepaid plans where they probably wouldn't be concerned about smartphone usage (pay per kb instead of unlimited).
If I go for month-to-month and get it for full retail (490$).. can I cancel with Verizon after that, and unlock my phone, then use it with some other network like T-mobile or At&T????
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can get it unlocked here and use it on ATT or TMo (minus 3g, 2g data still works), and as to whether you can cancel after the fact without penalty, it depends on exactly what you signed up for at VZW.
texascbx said:
That's where you are wrong. They did cancel me and one of my brothers living in another town shortly after I got the call and letter. The explanation was they had contracts with other providers to cover you when your were roaming. And roaming was fine, as long as you did not do it too much. I roamed all the time, for about three years.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
fortunz said:
Last I checked, Tmobile's network isn't owned by ATT.
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Click to collapse
well then double check because att hardware can not utilize tmobile 1700 band. if you in the country you are never going to use another carriers network. and roaming only applies to out of country. even if you stand anywhere on the canadian or mexican borders, you wont be charged roaming. the system isnt that fd up.
The Jack of Clubs said:
well then double check because att hardware can not utilize tmobile 1700 band. if you in the country you are never going to use another carriers network. and roaming only applies to out of country. even if you stand anywhere on the canadian or mexican borders, you wont be charged roaming. the system isnt that fd up.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, that's not entirely true. AT&T devices can use T-Mobile's network, just not HSPA (3G), and vice versa. Before I got my 8925, my main phone was an old T-Mobile Blackberry 7200 which I unlocked to use on AT&T. It could make phone calls and browse at EDGE speeds just fine. The 3G bands are f*cked up internationally since they often differ by country and carrier, but the EDGE and basic GSM bands are pretty much compatible with any GSM phone (since most GSM phones are Tri-band or Quad-band capable).
In addition, it's perfectly possible to use another network in the same country. If a company like AT&T doesn't have infrastructure in a remote area and wants to add service there, they'll often strike a deal with a local carrier who does. It's usually a seamless transition for the user, and it doesn't generally cost the user a cent. Rather, AT&T is the one paying the local cellular operator for allowing the AT&T customers use the local carrier's network as opposed to the alternative of having no coverage in that area. AT&T got mad at texascbx because he was costing AT&T money by roaming on these local carriers, which AT&T had to pay.
Lastly, I know people who live near the borders and they always are careful to see which operator they are using. One of them lives near the Mexican border, and has to make sure he's on AT&T's network before he makes a call. If he doesn't check, he might be roaming on the TelMex network and will get billed outrageous fees for a simple call, even though he's in the US.
I was at the mall today, and I talked to a T-Mobile guy, and he said I can get the T-mobile version of touch pro 2 for full retail, and I can use it with their prepaid plan without any porblems.
Then I spoke with a Verizon representative, and he said that I can't do that on their network, however I can buy the device with out a contract and without any plan...
So my Final question (and I guess fortunz answered before,but I still feel like asking coz I don't want to through 500$ away)... If I get the Verizon Touch Pro 2, and get it unlocked here
http://rhodiumw.htc-unlocks.com/
or here
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=578642
will I be able to use it with any carrier?? prepaid or plan??
I don't really mind about the data, as I'll be using WiFi mainly
Thanks a lot
Traveling to China next week and I know CDMA networks are scarce outside of America. Is there any small chance that Ill be able to roam on some Chinese CDMA network for no extra cost? Im betting not but wanted to ask around anyway.
I think free roaming only applies on the US, PR and USVI. I would recommend getting a cheap GSM phone with their frequencies and get a prepaid SIM while over there.
The world will end.
In all seriousness, it depends on if China has a CDMA network setup that has roaming agreements with Sprint, which would result in international overage fees. Or you could just use google voice over a laptop.
Ancient Chinese secret .... LOL
But really i think they would charge the $#!T out of you....
really wish google voice's voip calls worked in android browser
Check out roamsimple.com and get yourself an unlocked quad band GSM phone. Was a great solution for traveling through about a dozen countries in Europe. Not sure on their coverage in China but they seemed like a reputable company to work with.
Once you leave the states CDMA is just about worthless in 90% of the world.
Agreed with insanity. When I was there you could get a sim for your gsm phone or look at the full bars on your phone and get pissed it wouldn't make calls I did the latter. Had alltel razr and had full signal the entire time I was there, but when I called it would never go through. I think that's why they make global phones
Sent from my SPH-D700 using XDA App
Use skype in connection with wifi to make calls? Could be a cost affective way to be able to make calls over there.
Hello all.
It appears we can expect the transition for 3g data on the 1900 MHz PCS band sometime between now and the end of the year as T Mobile is really looking to deploy LTE in 2013.
So, we (T Mo USA customers) all learned the hard way that we needed an older model micro SIM in order to get data on our phone.
Does anyone know if we will need a newer micro SIM (actually-the current micro SIM provided by T Mobile for the One S) to access the 3g data once it has been deployed?
What do you opine? Any insight would be great.
Thanks!
Shouldn't need to. Some places already have the 1900Mhz deployed as test beds and I haven't heard anything about needing a new sim.
All SIMs do nowadays is hold your subscriber number that gets relayed to a tower. That number is then looked up in a database to see if you meet requirements (e.g. are a paying customer, what services you have enabled, etc.).
I have an old SIM from 2007 that I am still using so I it doesn't work I'll let you know
I had no trouble going from a 2G to a 3G device with it if that helps you.
The only thing I'm worried about is if the 1900Mhz will be counted as roaming on AT&T and whether we'll have to pay extra for it.
I'm not getting data. I just got a sim card from tmobile today.
No data for me. Talked to tmobile and they said to talk to HTC.
What should i do?
Ask for an older SIM. The newer SIMs that Tmo has been using haven't worked on One Xs. Try seeing if they have any older miniSIMs and then you can cut it into a microSim.
jonshipman said:
Shouldn't need to. Some places already have the 1900Mhz deployed as test beds and I haven't heard anything about needing a new sim.
All SIMs do nowadays is hold your subscriber number that gets relayed to a tower. That number is then looked up in a database to see if you meet requirements (e.g. are a paying customer, what services you have enabled, etc.).
I have an old SIM from 2007 that I am still using so I it doesn't work I'll let you know
I had no trouble going from a 2G to a 3G device with it if that helps you.
The only thing I'm worried about is if the 1900Mhz will be counted as roaming on AT&T and whether we'll have to pay extra for it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
T Mobile has roaming agreements with AT&T, so I wouldn't worry about that. With regards to 3g on the 1900 MHz PCS band, it actually has nothing to do with roaming agreements via AT&T. T Mobile is actually reframing their network to allow HSPA and HSPA+ via 1900 spectrum opposed to its current structure which only supports 2g data on the same frequency.
According to T Mobile, they are refarming frequencies of their network to modernize their network; pushing 3g traffic to their 1900 MHz frequency allows them to deploy true LTE on their current 3g AWS bands (1700/2100).
My original concern was, how there is clearly an incompatibility with the newer micro SIMs and the international One X, will that incompatibility cause me to have to switch SIMs when 3g is moved over 1900? I'm not savvy enough to understand the issue between T Mo's current micro SIMs and the reasoning behind the incompatibility with the One X. I certainly don't want to miss out on faster HSPA speeds when it does take off in Boston so, I figured I would ask.
Do you have your One X set to GSM or GSM/WCDMA auto? I currently have mine set on the latter.
Thanks!
AndG404 said:
I'm not getting data. I just got a sim card from tmobile today.
No data for me. Talked to tmobile and they said to talk to HTC.
What should i do?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There is a thread in the General section discussing this.
You should call into a local store and say you need an older micro SIM, specifically ask for a non GBA micro SIM. If your local store does not have one in stock, the rep might be nice enough to email other local reps and call you back (as they did with me) when they receive a response. Hopefully, you wont strike out. If so, you would have to eBay or Amazon your older micro SIM.
I ended up driving about 10 miles from my office to pick one up as none of the T Mobile stores closest to me (6 of them) had them in stock. When I finally got one, I had never been happier getting Edge speeds in my life, lol.
Thanks, man!
:good::good::good:
batequeixo said:
:good::good::good:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No prob! Glad I could help
Status update...
I thought it would be courteous to update all reading this thread on my discoveries.
I've re-visited the T-Mobile store with a copy of the information found on this thread in hands, only to find that the guys working on that store are either unprepared or unwilling to help. They told me that T-Mobile only carries one type of micro sim across all their stores, they indicated they were not willing to do the legwork, very disappointing since I've been T-Mobile's customer for over 10 years.
Sounds like the alternative is to dig this special, older micro sim out of ebay or amazon, or move to another provider.
Any other alternatives?
That stinks!
Please know that I too struck out after calling 3 local stores (all within 3-5 miles). You probably got someone with less experience or perhaps you went during store peak hours. I recommend you call a branch (obviously not that one) and ask for a manager. Let the manager know that you are looking for a specific type of micro SIM, a non GBA kind. Let him or her know that you have struck via customer care and that he is your last resort as the T Mobile store closest to where you live no longer carry that SIM.
Out of all of T Mo stores that I called, only one person had no clue of what I was talking about but did get someone else on the phone for me. They all told me they no longer carried the older micro SIM.
Don't let this experience discourage you. If you want it for free, you have to call around.
Last resort would be eBay, etc.
Good luck bro!
Hey guys, im thinking of getting a One X for t-mobile and I want to know if all full size sims are non GBA. i already have a cut down full size sim so will that work in the One X on edge speeds?
Jelly: That's what I did when I first got my international HOX and it worked fine with EDGE. Please share if you start receiving 4G speeds....
Thanks,
Why dont you guys just wait till tmo announces their new htc one+?
Title says it all. I will be deploying soon (ARNG), and want to know if my new GS3 will work overseas. Thanks.
I doubt it. It doesn't have a SIM slot visible... I also doubt it has an internal one for GSM use. The Verizon version apparently does or will have that functionality. Verizon peeps, is there a SIM slot visible on yours?
Sent from my SPH-L710 using xda premium
That's not good. The big question now is do I get a phone that I'll only be able to use for 6 months. :-(
there's a sim slot for the LTE sim card under the battery cover on verizon is that what you mean?
so sprint does not have a sim [gsm] capability?
=(
i have the USCellular version of the galaxy and they give you a sim card for the phone to support their LTE service for 4G.
jasondhsd said:
there's a sim slot for the LTE sim card under the battery cover on verizon is that what you mean?
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Click to collapse
I thought I read somewhere that the Verizon and Sprint GS3 were supposed to be identical hardware wise.
Verizon and Sprint still live in a tiny bubble where the USA is the only country on the planet.....CDMA is old outdated technology, but they try to make it sound cool with 'LTE' catchphrases and the like.
GSM is the predominant service on the planet for cell phones - period. And that's why I have stuck with T-Mobile, even when sometimes their US coverage is not the greatest. I am usually never far from a wi-fi hotspot (they are EVERYWHERE and free in lots of places), so I can live with the coverage issues here and there. Let's face it, all the carriers have coverage issues depending on where you are, so it all balances in the end.
If you actually travel to other countries and would like to take advantage of very cheap pre-paid SIM cards that let you use GSM providers globally, then don't buy a Sprint or Verizon phone. The roaming charges will make it nonviable unless you like getting hit for up to $5 per minute! Many don't realize that cell phone plans in the US are ridiculously overpriced compared to most other countries (Australia, Europe, UK etc), because there's a thing in these other countries called competition and that has every company fighting for your business. Here in the US, we have the big 4 trying to monopolize everything, although there is change in the wind with companies like CREDO (great company BTW - shame it's on Sprint's network so global use is out), Virgin Mobile, Walmart and MetroPCS making the big 4 be more competitive. I still can't believe Verizon's plan costs - my girlfriend and I happened to stop and chat with them in Costco the other day and for us to have unlimited voice, text and SHARE 2GB of data a month it would be way over $220 per month for us both.
With T-Mobile we have unlimited everything (2GB data EACH, and then they 'may' throttle beyond that, although I haven't experienced a slow down when I've only just gone over) for $140 a month total.
It's easy to unlock a GSM phone to be able to use local SIM cards in whatever country you are in, giving you complete freedom on planet earth.
Or you can stick with your 'LTE' (Limited Talk Everywhere)..lol
Globespy said:
Verizon and Sprint still live in a tiny bubble where the USA is the only country on the planet.....CDMA is old outdated technology, but they try to make it sound cool with 'LTE' catchphrases and the like.
GSM is the predominant service on the planet for cell phones - period. And that's why I have stuck with T-Mobile, even when sometimes their US coverage is not the greatest. I am usually never far from a wi-fi hotspot (they are EVERYWHERE and free in lots of places), so I can live with the coverage issues here and there. Let's face it, all the carriers have coverage issues depending on where you are, so it all balances in the end.
If you actually travel to other countries and would like to take advantage of very cheap pre-paid SIM cards that let you use GSM providers globally, then don't buy a Sprint or Verizon phone. The roaming charges will make it nonviable unless you like getting hit for up to $5 per minute! Many don't realize that cell phone plans in the US are ridiculously overpriced compared to most other countries (Australia, Europe, UK etc), because there's a thing in these other countries called competition and that has every company fighting for your business. Here in the US, we have the big 4 trying to monopolize everything, although there is change in the wind with companies like CREDO (great company BTW - shame it's on Sprint's network so global use is out), Virgin Mobile, Walmart and MetroPCS making the big 4 be more competitive. I still can't believe Verizon's plan costs - my girlfriend and I happened to stop and chat with them in Costco the other day and for us to have unlimited voice, text and SHARE 2GB of data a month it would be way over $220 per month for us both.
With T-Mobile we have unlimited everything (2GB data EACH, and then they 'may' throttle beyond that, although I haven't experienced a slow down when I've only just gone over) for $140 a month total.
It's easy to unlock a GSM phone to be able to use local SIM cards in whatever country you are in, giving you complete freedom on planet earth.
Or you can stick with your 'LTE' (Limited Talk Everywhere)..lol
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And what's your point?
To the OP: no, you can't use a SIM card on a Sprint S3, so no GSM.
Sent from my O=O
csmasn said:
And what's your point?
To the OP: no, you can't use a SIM card on a Sprint S3, so no GSM.
Sent from my O=O
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I did have a long answer, but thought my point was pretty obvious to the OP?
If you travel internationally and still want to use your phone (wifi hotspots using grooveIP doesn't count as global use), then buying a Sprint or Verizon GS3, or any other verizon/sprint phone is a poor choice, unless you don't mind coming home to a monstrous bill (easily several hundred dollars, and that's conservative if he is overseas for 6+ months at average international roaming charges of $3.50 per minute, but as high as $5 per minute).
If you already bought the phone from Sprint you should have a 30 day return/cancellation policy, which in your case would be wise to utilize, even moreso if you plan on regular international travel - Sprint/Verizon are bad choices for regular world travel. If you can't/don't want to cancel service, then you would be wise to buy a local el-cheapo pre-paid phone in the country you are based. Your GS3 is only useful for wifi calling/playing solitaire unless you can afford hundreds/thousands $'s bill over your 6 month stay.
Good luck to you.
Edit: Just noticed your OP was in July, so you are stuck with your phone......local prepaid phone is your option.
Hi all I have a few questions I am hoping someone can answer. I currently have a At&T i717 Note I am using on Straight Talk with a AT&T sim card.
I am getting ok speeds with it and good indoor building coverage. It is unlocked and I had been using it on contract with T-mobile with much better speeds but I couldn't use it at work being in a concrete hospital low building permeability. I am now trying to decide which Note II to buy that will work for me best.
My questions are as follows:
1. Does the Note II use mini sim, or nano sim like the iphone or normal size like the Note i717. Currently Straight Talk only offers mini sim cards for At&t coverage map and not T-mobile (yet I am contacting them to see if they are planning on offering this).
2. Is it difficult to cut down a sim to be the correct size for the Note II if I do want to buy the T-mobile Note II and use it on Straight Talk (faster speeds in my area).
3. Will the AT&T Note II have the ability to be unlocked and used on HSPA+ on Tmobile with flash of different modems like the Note I was modded to do (or without modding)? Or are the radios/modems already compatible on both At&T and Tmobile HSPA+ networks.
I am kinda confused and unsure of what I should do. I want to sell my Note i717 and use the money for Note II but don't want to make the wrong decision between the two options I have listed. I may end up going back on contract with Tmobile with a family member but I would like not to.
4. One more question not specific to the Note but does anyone have any input on credit checks and down payments for AT&T, I have poor credit from when I was younger and made some stupid financial decisions but my job offers 22% discount for AT&T plans which it would be nice for me to take advantage of being able to then use LTE. It would be a $50 on Straight Talk vs. $75 on AT&T (LTE). I probably would be willing to pay the extra $25 a month if I don't have some outrageous down payment. I will check with AT&T directly when I can but was looking for any input from fellow Note II lovers.
Thanks in advance for any help!
IMPIMMS (AMANDA)
I am currently using the unlocked note 2 on straight talk. I tried to cut down my regular sim ti micro but I failed. So I ordered a new micro sim from straight talk. Speeds are good as is coverage. Average about 6mbps+ Sadly I dont know the answers to your other questions.....hope this helped!
Sent from my GT-N7100 using xda premium
---------- Post added at 06:45 AM ---------- Previous post was at 06:44 AM ----------
Also ypu can get a sim cutter on ebay pretty cheap.
Sent from my GT-N7100 using xda premium
Don't use T-Mobile
I recently signed up for Straight Talk. Since my phone was an unlocked T-Mobile phone, I ordered a Straight Talk SIM. My service is horrible. I rarely get 3G, mostly edge. Even the cell service is poor. I have put a non Straight Talk AT&T SIM in my phone and get a constant 3G. So I have ordered a Straight Talk AT&T SIM; will start using the first of November. Hopefully the bad service I have received is the T-Mobile SIM and not Straight Talk.
Just a heads up I was using my note on straight talk and I wanted to use the SIM in my note 2. The people at my local T-Mobile store were nice enough to cut the SIM for me even though I was not using their service. A lot of their stores have SIM cutters for people who are trying to run iPhones on their network.
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Edge
purplepizza said:
I recently signed up for Straight Talk. Since my phone was an unlocked T-Mobile phone, I ordered a Straight Talk SIM. My service is horrible. I rarely get 3G, mostly edge. Even the cell service is poor. I have put a non Straight Talk AT&T SIM in my phone and get a constant 3G. So I have ordered a Straight Talk AT&T SIM; will start using the first of November. Hopefully the bad service I have received is the T-Mobile SIM and not Straight Talk.
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Thats because the unlocked international verion of the phone will only work on the HSPA+ that ATT and Stright talk both have. Consider yourself lucky to see a 3g Signal if your on Tmobile because from my understanding it only works on EDGE with Tmobile:highfive:
purplepizza said:
I recently signed up for Straight Talk. Since my phone was an unlocked T-Mobile phone, I ordered a Straight Talk SIM. My service is horrible. I rarely get 3G, mostly edge. Even the cell service is poor. I have put a non Straight Talk AT&T SIM in my phone and get a constant 3G. So I have ordered a Straight Talk AT&T SIM; will start using the first of November. Hopefully the bad service I have received is the T-Mobile SIM and not Straight Talk.
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It has been posted all over this forum that the international version of the Note 2, if used on T-Mo will only get Edge data in 99% of the nation. The only places where you will see 3G or H+ is in those areas where T-Mobile has already refarmed its 1900 MHz spectrum (because that's the band that the international Note 2 has). I have heard some parts of Washington state, Las Vegas, Chicago and NYC have it.
But if the OP buys the T-Mobile variant, he would be able to get H+ at very good speeds (depending on where he is).
I'm kinda in the same predicament as the OP... I'm using an original at&t note with an At&t straight talk sim card. I would love to go down to tmobile tomorrow and pick up a Note 2 .. unlock it and throw my sim in it.. but will it work? I can wait till Nov. 9th for the At&t version but if they will work the same I'd like to jump on it now.
Does LTE work
I heard it works with Att LTE is that true can anyone confirm?
Ive heard the note 2 for tmobile is the exact same hardware as the at&t. Not sure how accurate this is, i got that from tmonews. So the tmobile variant also has lte support but is disabled i believe.
That being said, if they are the same harfware with just different model#s to identify the carrier, i would think the at&t version should also have hspa compatible with tmobile, but might just be disabled. Again, this is based on what i read in tmonews.com regarding the tmobile version.
Hope this helps
Hey guys,
Not trying to hi-jack this thread but I have a similar question:
I had Windows Phone on the ATT network. I switched to Straight Talk a month ago by just switching out the sim cards. The phone & service worked great except straight talk does not support windows phone because you can't edit the APN setting in Windows Phone because they are automatic. It was time for a new phone anyways so I went on ebay and found a new phone unlocked on the T-mobile network. I put the straight talk sim in the new phone and now I am getting a lot of problems with sending & recieving text etc. The major problem I have is I keep getting a text message that says +1121611611 (2288 Error Invalid Number, Please resend using a valid 10 digit mobile number or valid short code. This is continuous day & night and will not stop and runs my battery down. Is it possible that I can't use a T-mobile phone with a AT&T version Straight Talk sim?
Techngro said:
It has been posted all over this forum that the international version of the Note 2, if used on T-Mo will only get Edge data in 99% of the nation. The only places where you will see 3G or H+ is in those areas where T-Mobile has already refarmed its 1900 MHz spectrum (because that's the band that the international Note 2 has). I have heard some parts of Washington state, Las Vegas, Chicago and NYC have it.
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Well that explains why I see 3G in Seattle.
I plan on switching to straight talk in April I want to get a note 2 but I have 4 problems
1. Which company will offer the best service ATT or TM?
2. If I get ($$$) Phone is there a way to get insurance/Warranty that will cover me it in case ANYTHING happens? Would Square Trade Do it?
3. Will all the features work?
4. Which sim card should I get ATT, Straight talk or Tmobile?
spawn1980 said:
I plan on switching to straight talk in April I want to get a note 2 but I have 4 problems
1. Which company will offer the best service ATT or TM?
2. If I get ($$$) Phone is there a way to get insurance/Warranty that will cover me it in case ANYTHING happens? Would Square Trade Do it?
3. Will all the features work?
4. Which sim card should I get ATT, Straight talk or Tmobile?
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First off, why dig up this old thread to post in, it's last post was in October. But I do have to thank you because you obviously did search first.
TMobile is out of the question if you are looking to buy an international Note2 (N7100). You will be only able to use 2G on it unless you are in one of a handful of cities. So if you want to use TMobile, your best option is to buy a TMobile version of the Note2.
As for if you should use TMobile or ATT, no one can answer that for you. You have to talk to people in your area about how their service is, dropped calls and data speeds. As a general rule ATT has better nationwide coverage but there are many places where TMobile has great service and data speeds too.
Insureance, how many times have you dropped your phone in the last year? I put a TPU case on my Note1 and dropped many times and never had it break but some people have them break on the first drop. Up to you, I think it's waste money.
Would love to know if the att note 2 will get lte if on straight talk
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tmobile note 2 contract is up, can I go no contract with it?
I have a note 2 that I got when I was still under contract, im curious if I can go monthly no contract and still use it. Probably through t mobile still until something better comes along, so I don't have to be locked in a contract. Because it sucked.
I have Note 2 N7100. International unlocked version bought from Newegg in Nov of 2012. I have used Straighttalk (AT&T SIM) the whole time. I have had them cut off my data twice so far because of TOS. Says you cant stream music/video, use P2P, and other crap. Basicly they say you can only browse. But let me be clear, I was using 5GB+ each time they cut me off so yea, it was my fault, I know what unlimited means and it's unlimited. Each month they cut it off, I got it turned back on no issues. Now for the last month, my speed has bee HORRIBLE all month. I have used under 500MB thus far but its bad. My wife, who has Nexus 4 and uses a concistant 500MB - 1GB/month and has her ST account totally seperate has the same issue. So does my neighbor and two co-workers, we are getting horrible speeds for the past month or so. So I am seriously concidering AT&T thier ungoddly bounty for service starting next month. I get a discount at work so it equals out to about $70/month, same as the others. I loved ST but it's gotten really bad...
BTW, I bought a TM SIM from TM last week and it was 2G from work to home. I live in Birmingham AL. there is a few miles of good 3G on the interstate but thats it. Hope this helps
Straight Talk has lost out on AT&T for whatever reason(s). They don't offer the AT&T Sims on their site anymore. There are some left on eBay but the sellers have doubled the price or more. The day is supposedly coming that new AT&T Straight Talk Sims will no longer activate. ST has also downgraded the unlimited data on AT&T to 1.5 GB a month. Tmobile sucks in my area. I hope to never have to use it again.
sholsten said:
Straight Talk has lost out on AT&T for whatever reason(s). They don't offer the AT&T Sims on their site anymore. There are some left on eBay but the sellers have doubled the price or more. The day is supposedly coming that new AT&T Straight Talk Sims will no longer activate. ST has also downgraded the unlimited data on AT&T to 1.5 GB a month. Tmobile sucks in my area. I hope to never have to use it again.
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Where is your source that it is only 1.5 gigabytes with AT&T now
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Here's one
http://androidheadlines.com/2013/02/straight-talks-unlimited-data-not-so-unlimited-anymore.html
so i recently just moved from boston to ohio (44820 zip) while i was in boston i used tmobile. however when i came to ohio i noticed i was always using 2g via att. tmobile has no service in this town. so heres my dilemma...i signed up with sprint and to be honest im (no 4g lte and 3g sucks) wanting to dump them. honestly i will pay the etf for both phones (note 2 and optimus g). i just want out!
so im trying to decide what to do...is straight talk or net 10 the way to go? do they both use att or tmobile. i have searched but if i understand correctly att runs net 10 and straight talk runs tmobile. but do they roam on each other?
any help would be awesome! i truly would love prepaid with unlimited data.
look up my zip and you will see tmobile is a no go. so now its att but which mvno and i need unlimited 3 or 4g...
thanks!!!