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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
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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
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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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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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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
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Click to collapse
I purchased my VZW off contract. Unsubsidized is probably about $500.
Different carriers have different rules for their prepaid services. With GSM carriers, TMo and ATT, it's easy to pop a prepaid sim into any phone. With CDMA (Sprint and VZW), I'm not sure. Best bet is to call and ask.
well i had sprint for ever...I switched to tmobile.. to get that tp2 free through wmdeals.com even though coverage sucks at my house im happy.. I have wifi for data when im home.. when i leave my home i have edge service everwhere.. til i start getting close to mesquite ( texas ) it goes to 3g.. but edge works great with opera mini.. and for updating certain things.. but so far tmobile rocks..
The Jack of Clubs said:
they wouldnt say something like that. the entire gsm network is theirs.
btw att, verizon, and sprint all have horrible customer service. youre going to always loose with any provider.
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That's where you are wrong. They did cancel me and one of my brothers living in another town shortly after I got the call and letter. The explanation was they had contracts with other providers to cover you when your were roaming. And roaming was fine, as long as you did not do it too much. I roamed all the time, for about three years.
I called Verizon today, and the representative said that I can't use their prepaid service on a smart phone... although I'm not really sure about, as she sounded clueless, and I had to do lots of explanation until she got the basic idea..
anyway... I like really the verizon version of the Touch Pro 2..
If I go for month-to-month and get it for full retail (490$).. 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..
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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????
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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.
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fortunz said:
Last I checked, Tmobile's network isn't owned by ATT.
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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.
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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
I recently acquired an HTC Vision from overseas. Since the change AT&T's website is giving me the option to add an unlimited data plan for non-smartphones for $10 (I don't currently have any data plan because my prior smartphone was grandfathered into an excemption). I know that the reason they are offering the cheap plan is because they don't sell the phone so they can't detect the model I'm using from the IMEI - but...
* does anyone have experience doing this?
* Do they ever catch you and force you to change?
* Is there an unwritten cap to the unlimited non-smartphone data plan that I should be mindful of not exceeding or an amount that you think would raise flags?
* Is there anything I can do to make myself more under the radar - I was thinking maybe changing my device on the AT&T website to a non-smartphone made by another manufacturer so my old smart phone is no longer listed?
Well first off, make sure that the Desire Z you have has the proper frequencies for AT&T.
As far as running the unlimited featurephone data plan, I'm not sure. They might be able to not tell what type of phone you're using, but they will be able to tell that it isn't one of their list of featurephones the plans work for. I think this is the biggest hurdle, they will more than likely find out that you're using a phone that isn't an AT&T featurephone and kick you off of it.
As far as data usage goes, I'm assuming it will throw up a flag when your first month you use 4gb-5gb of data on your "featurephone" that isn't even supposed to have a full browser lol.
If this was that easy to do, don't you think there would be more people getting a free featurephone with a $10 unlimited data plan and buying their phones unsubsidized? lol. Dunno just never heard of anyone doing this before.
I don't get 3G but the phone works fine on the EDGE network. Since it isn't a phone from the US I'm thinking that it might be able to escape detection a lot easier than say, a phone from T-Mobile.
jessicax said:
I don't get 3G but the phone works fine on the EDGE network. Since it isn't a phone from the US I'm thinking that it might be able to escape detection a lot easier than say, a phone from T-Mobile.
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If it doesn't work on 3G then it has the same bands as a T-mobile G2 (or similar, either way it doesn't work on 850/1900 3G that AT&T uses) and you'd end up with the same result. If you're not even gonna use 3G, then why are you paying for a data plan at all?
The real question is, is there a specific reason why you're using AT&T? If you're just going to be using the phone on EDGE with AT&T, you might as well just pay for a data plan on T-mobile and get 3G/4G... maybe just my personal opinion but I have no idea why someone would choose to pay for a smartphone and use it on the EDGE network. I wanna gouge my eyes out when I'm on EDGE lol.
martonikaj said:
If it doesn't work on 3G then it has the same bands as a T-mobile G2 (or similar, either way it doesn't work on 850/1900 3G that AT&T uses) and you'd end up with the same result. If you're not even gonna use 3G, then why are you paying for a data plan at all?
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Right now I'm not paying for a data plan. However, if I did pay for one, I'd only be using it to do things like check my e-mail, use voice dial, or play ad-supported games - nothing that would be crippled by the slower data transfer. Basically stuff that is worth $10/month to me but not $30.
jessicax said:
Right now I'm not paying for a data plan. However, if I did pay for one, I'd only be using it to do things like check my e-mail, use voice dial, or play ad-supported games - nothing that would be crippled by the slower data transfer. Basically stuff that is worth $10/month to me but not $30.
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I see... But what I'm saying is why would you pay for an AT&T plan, are you somehow obligated to stay there? If you're bringing your own phone to T-mobile, their no contract plans are as low as $59.99/mo. Maybe AT&T has good service in your area, I'm not sure. But if you have no reason to stay on AT&T and service is comparable on T-mobile, I doubt you'll be paying more for 3G service on T-mo than you would for only 2G on AT&T.
T-mobile no contract (youre bringing your own phone) = $59.99 for 500min, unlim texts, and "unlimited" data.
AT&T phone plans = $39.99 450minutes, + $20 unlim texts + $10 for "featurephone data" = $69.99 and that doesn't get you 3G.
Not trying to convert, just trying to make sense of your situation.
martonikaj said:
I see... But what I'm saying is why would you pay for an AT&T plan, are you somehow obligated to stay there?
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I am obligated to stay with AT&T for various reasons. :-\
jessicax said:
I am obligated to stay with AT&T for various reasons. :-\
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Well that would explain a lot. As far as your original plan goes, I'm not sure how it works. They have to identify between their featurephones and smartphones somehow, and that means they may easily be able to identify that you're using a smartphone. Not sure.
From my understanding when i was about to try this smartphones have there own data set....and regular unlimited browsing is something else. But i can be wrong. Get back to me about this, very interested to see if this works.
Sent from my HTC Vision using XDA App
This does work.
I am using an unbranded/unlocked Desire Z on ATT with the $10/month basic data plan. Years ago, I purchased a 'dumb phone' from them and have had this data plan on my account since then.
I have used this data plan with a Touch Pro, Blackberry Bold and Nokia E71, all without any problems. All of them were ATT branded and they could see the device I was using. Only thing that didn't work was the Blackberry branded data apps.
With a phone that is not from ATT they cannot tell what device you are using. I've had the DZ since November and haven't heard anything from there. My data usage each month has ranged from 400-700 MB. Not sure what the cap is, but I don't tether or anything and use wifi when I'm at home as well.
This of course is not in line with their 'smartphone policy' so don't walk into a store and expect them to do this for you. You'll have to do it online... Not sure how closely they watch new additions on the basic plans but I would give it a shot and see if they let you keep going... My guess is that unless you're sucking up data at 2-3GB a month, it won't be a problem...
Let me know how it goes for you!
I have an Australian HTC Desire as my personal line, and I pay the $10 data. AT&T employee line plans suck pretty bad...
martonikaj said:
If it doesn't work on 3G then it has the same bands as a T-mobile G2 (or similar, either way it doesn't work on 850/1900 3G that AT&T uses) and you'd end up with the same result. If you're not even gonna use 3G, then why are you paying for a data plan at all?
The real question is, is there a specific reason why you're using AT&T? If you're just going to be using the phone on EDGE with AT&T, you might as well just pay for a data plan on T-mobile and get 3G/4G... maybe just my personal opinion but I have no idea why someone would choose to pay for a smartphone and use it on the EDGE network. I wanna gouge my eyes out when I'm on EDGE lol.
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Iirc you need data for mms
Sent from my HTC HD2 using XDA App
You are good to go.
I used a G2 on AT&T for a few months before switching to T-Mobile. I do not remember how much data I used but I know that AT&T had no clue what I was doing/using. I was on the $15 unlimited messaging data plan though, not sure about the $10 one. As long as the phone is not branded or specifically made for AT&T bands (like the AT&T N1) they have no clue what you have, that is the main reason I only use GSM networks.
Protip: You can suspend your line if you are on a family plan and switch to T-mobile which is what I am currently doing until my wife's iPhone contract runs out. They will still charge you $10/month though. $25 for 2GB is WAY overpriced.
For those of you who were interested in hearing if this worked: I've been on the data plan for about two weeks and have used about 200mb thus far. So far, so good. The EDGE network speeds can be a little slow but it is better than nothing.
I'm curious if I'll be detected now that AT&T has acquired T-Mobile, since the G2 is in T-Mobile's lineup, which is based on the HTC Vision just like the Desire Z that I am using.
my question is...
Why cant you use 3g if you have a DZ from overseas? the G2 is the phone with the weird 3g bands. the overseas phone should work like a charm on att.
jessicax said:
For those of you who were interested in hearing if this worked: I've been on the data plan for about two weeks and have used about 200mb thus far. So far, so good. The EDGE network speeds can be a little slow but it is better than nothing.
I'm curious if I'll be detected now that AT&T has acquired T-Mobile, since the G2 is in T-Mobile's lineup, which is based on the HTC Vision just like the Desire Z that I am using.
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babyfacedkayos said:
Why cant you use 3g if you have a DZ from overseas? the G2 is the phone with the weird 3g bands. the overseas phone should work like a charm on att.
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Click to collapse
Unfortunately it does not have the 3G bands that ATT uses.
[email protected] 30/month for data I'm at 15 or 20 for unlimited data and texts with tmobile
Sent from my HTC Vision using XDA App
Lots of people do this. I have a Nokia E71 currently on this plan (and a Desire Z on the way). My only concern is with AT&T's new crackdown on tethering.
Can someone tell me if ATT can make the difference between the type of data transfer someone uses (like web browsing vs Market android download or google syncing)?
Yes they can catch you. Yes they can tell the differance between mms and web browsing....yes they can see every site and bit of information, every call made, every text sent, every minute of every day..... the questions is do they care? The simple answer is no. I have used my own phones on att for 8+ years. I not even sure if its agaisnt any policy they have anyway? Anyway if they ever did "catch" you the worst they would do is say stop that, pay more, or cancel your account. Then maybe you will be free to join tmo lol.
Sent from my T-Mobile G2 using XDA Premium App
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.
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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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.
I work outdoors in remote locations and not having any cell service 95% of the time has just gotten too frustrating, despite how much I love the $30 a month 5gb, unlimited text, 100 minutes prepaid plan. So I've called T-mobile and gotten my t989 unlocked. It's rooted also. Can anyone recommend a better carrier for coverage that works well with this phone? I'm thinking about Page Plus, Straight Talk, or just going to one of the big ones like Verizon. Ideally I just need a lot of good data for cheap, don't really make voice calls and when I do I use Groove IP for free voice over data. Thanks for the help!
The phone probably has a lot to do with it. I used to always always go outside my house to make calls. I live in a small town. My new Moto X has 2 bars in the house now and works no problem.
And here anyway, in Canada... I've been on telus and Rogers.. 2 completely separate networks, and both were the same.
Sent from my Moto X cell phone telephone...
I would try simple mobile. im paying 50$ per month for unlimited talk text and 3 Gbs of 4G ive been with them for a while and im happy with it.