Related
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.
Click to expand...
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.
Click to expand...
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 $500.
Different carriers have different rules for their prepaid services. With GSM carriers, TMo and ATT, it's easy to pop a prepaid sim into any phone. With CDMA (Sprint and VZW), I'm not sure. Best bet is to call and ask.
well i had sprint for ever...I switched to tmobile.. to get that tp2 free through wmdeals.com even though coverage sucks at my house im happy.. I have wifi for data when im home.. when i leave my home i have edge service everwhere.. til i start getting close to mesquite ( texas ) it goes to 3g.. but edge works great with opera mini.. and for updating certain things.. but so far tmobile rocks..
The Jack of Clubs said:
they wouldnt say something like that. the entire gsm network is theirs.
btw att, verizon, and sprint all have horrible customer service. youre going to always loose with any provider.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's where you are wrong. They did cancel me and one of my brothers living in another town shortly after I got the call and letter. The explanation was they had contracts with other providers to cover you when your were roaming. And roaming was fine, as long as you did not do it too much. I roamed all the time, for about three years.
I called Verizon today, and the representative said that I can't use their prepaid service on a smart phone... although I'm not really sure about, as she sounded clueless, and I had to do lots of explanation until she got the basic idea..
anyway... I like really the verizon version of the Touch Pro 2..
If I go for month-to-month and get it for full retail (490$).. 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.
Click to expand...
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
So I had a Droid 3 on Verizon on a prepaid line ($95 for 450 talk, unlimited text, and unlimited data) but that was 3G.
With the gNexi coming out, I was wondering if I would even be able to use it's 4g capabilities on my prepaid line? I'm obviously going to buy it at full-retail price but will the 4G even work or will I be stuck on 3G all the time?
I can't do contracts...
Should I wait for T-Mobile to get it and use their 4G prepaid instead?
I'm unsure if VZW has a LTE prepay service. That's something you have to look into separately. My guess is they don't. Unless they explicitly say that your prepay covers LTE I would expect to only get 3G.
As far as switching to a different carrier no one can tell you which is better. Its all about where you will use the phone and its your call.
I just did an online chat with a VZW rep, here it is:
Please hold for a Verizon Wireless sales representative to assist you with your order. Thank you for your patience.
You are now chatting with 'Kiara'
Kiara: Hello. Thank you for visiting our chat service. May I help you with your order today?
You: I was wondering if 4G phones like the Droid Bionic are eligible for the Prepaid Smartphone plans???
Kiara: I do apologize for the inconvenience, although the Bionic is not able to be pre paid
You: Are their any 4G phones available for the Prepaid plans?
You: And/or can you tell me if there are any plans to offer any???
Kiara: I do apologize although at this time there are not
You: Ok, thank you for your help
So, looks like you can't, at this time, use a 4G phone on their prepaid plans.
I currently have a Nexus S on T-mobile's $30 month prepaid plan (100 mins, unl. text, unl. data*throttled after 5GB), and I love it but I don't use my phone much for calls... I plan on getting the Galaxy Nexus and using it on this plan once it's available.
Yeah it looks like I'll have to wait for the galaxy nexus to drop on TMobile
WoW this sucksss.... It probably won't even come out until late December...
Maybe I should just import? No idea how it works but I want my nexus asap
Sent from the parietal lobe of your cerebral cortex.
Dmw017 said:
Yeah it looks like I'll have to wait for the galaxy nexus to drop on TMobile
WoW this sucksss.... It probably won't even come out until late December...
Maybe I should just import? No idea how it works but I want my nexus asap
Sent from the parietal lobe of your cerebral cortex.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Look on the bright side... t-mo plans are cheaper than Verizon. So you'll save money if you switch. But then again tmo reception around your area would play a big role too.
ruthlesset said:
Look on the bright side... t-mo plans are cheaper than Verizon. So you'll save money if you switch. But then again tmo reception around your area would play a big role too.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah I looked into it and Tmobile is way better than Verizon. I live in NYC so reception shouldnt be a problem at all. Now I'm just trying to figure out if I should import the 16GB model or wait for the 32GB US model :/ bleh ... I wonder when Tmobile will be getting it
Dmw017 said:
Yeah it looks like I'll have to wait for the galaxy nexus to drop on TMobile
WoW this sucksss.... It probably won't even come out until late December...
Maybe I should just import? No idea how it works but I want my nexus asap
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you have T-mo service in the area then its sooo much better. Just wait, don't import. You'll probably have to buy it unlocked (probably best buy, just like Nexus S) but you'll be better off for it. You don't want to sign a 2year for a Nexus on VZW and get blocked tethering and crap on it.
---------- Post added at 07:13 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:12 PM ----------
Dmw017 said:
Yeah I looked into it and Tmobile is way better than Verizon. I live in NYC so reception shouldnt be a problem at all. Now I'm just trying to figure out if I should import the 16GB model or wait for the 32GB US model :/ bleh ... I wonder when Tmobile will be getting it
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
its all up in the air. As I said above ^, they might not "get it" officially at all. Might have to buy unlocked from Google/Best Buy.
But the winner is that the T-mo plans can be as low as 1/2 the price of VZW.
martonikaj said:
its all up in the air. As I said above ^, they might not "get it" officially at all. Might have to buy unlocked from Google/Best Buy.
But the winner is that the T-mo plans can be as low as 1/2 the price of VZW.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Actually they have a $30 Prepaid plan with 100talk/unlimited text/ and unlimited data (5gb of 4G) -- available only on new line activation.
Btw can you clarify the "unlocked from google/best buy" part? Would I still have to use a sim card if Tmobile wont officially sell it
Dmw017 said:
Actually they have a $30 Prepaid plan with 100talk/unlimited text/ and unlimited data (5gb of 4G) -- available only on new line activation.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yea their prepay options are pretty epic. 100min is a bit low for most though. I was just referring to their postpay options that are pretty cheap too. I've looked into moving from my EM+ no-contract plan to a prepay lately actually.
Btw can you clarify the "unlocked from google/best buy" part? Would I still have to use a sim card if Tmobile wont officially sell it
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well if you want my opinion I think they'll end up just selling it exactly like they did with the Nexus S. They sold it online, and they offered it via Best Buy unlocked. You'd buy the phone, then buy your service and get a SIM card from AT&T or T-mobile (or Simple Mobile, or whatever) separately and plug it in. The GN is pentaband HSPA+ and will work with pretty much any SIM in the world.
Dmw017 said:
Yeah I looked into it and Tmobile is way better than Verizon. I live in NYC so reception shouldnt be a problem at all. Now I'm just trying to figure out if I should import the 16GB model or wait for the 32GB US model :/ bleh ... I wonder when Tmobile will be getting it
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Speaking from personal experience, the problem with T-Mobile in NYC is that as soon as you are a few feet below ground level, you lose signal. When you can get 5 bars, it's great, T-Mobile probably has the least congested network of anyone, and you enjoy superb 3/4G speeds. But you will be frustrated by how spotty the coverage is. Go 20 miles North to Westchester or 20 miles east to LI and you'll often find yourself exiting buildings to get a signal.
Chirality said:
Speaking from personal experience, the problem with T-Mobile in NYC is that as soon as you are a few feet below ground level, you lose signal. When you can get 5 bars, it's great, T-Mobile probably has the least congested network of anyone, and you enjoy superb 3/4G speeds. But you will be frustrated by how spotty the coverage is. Go 20 miles North to Westchester or 20 miles east to LI and you'll often find yourself exiting buildings to get a signal.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Lol that's alright I don't leave the city anyways. What I am wondering is what happens when you deplete your limited use of the 4g data (I'll get 5gb). Someone told me that you get bumped down to EDGE(2G) speeds, but I thought you only go down to 3G.
Sent from the parietal lobe of your cerebral cortex.
Dmw017 said:
Lol that's alright I don't leave the city anyways. What I am wondering is what happens when you deplete your limited use of the 4g data (I'll get 5gb). Someone told me that you get bumped down to EDGE(2G) speeds, but I thought you only go down to 3G.
Sent from the parietal lobe of your cerebral cortex.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As I (and many others) explained in the other thread about T-mobile:
- You get 5GB of data, that's 4g/3g/2g.
- Once you use all 5GB in a month, you get throttled.
- Throttled speeds are in the range of what EDGE is, even though your phone still says "3G" up in the status bar.
- Once your billing period ends, you get a new 5GB batch of data.
There's no discerning between 4G and 3G by T-mobile. HSPA+ is just a fast version of T-mobile's 3G network. Its not separate.
Just curious has any one looked into metroPCS they say they allow any cdma phone on their network and they have lte. There speeds may not be the greatest and not the best coverage but the price is spot on and unlimited!
robertlawson225 said:
Just curious has any one looked into metroPCS they say they allow any cdma phone on their network and they have lte. There speeds may not be the greatest and not the best coverage but the price is spot on and unlimited!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Don't think it'll work. You'd have to unlock it somehow, and even then I think theres going to be inconsistencies with the LTE frequencies they use, etc.
martonikaj said:
Don't think it'll work. You'd have to unlock it somehow, and even then I think theres going to be inconsistencies with the LTE frequencies they use, etc.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I thought that all nexus devices where unlocked developer phones. also i just talked to metroPCS and they did say hardware wise any cdma ohone will work and so will the LTE but, there might be a problem with software incompatibilities. but if that is true i would think our fellow xda members would figure out how to fix any software problems
robertlawson225 said:
I thought that all nexus devices where unlocked developer phones. also i just talked to metroPCS and they did say hardware wise any cdma ohone will work and so will the LTE but, there might be a problem with software incompatibilities. but if that is true i would think our fellow xda members would figure out how to fix any software problems
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It won't be unlocked from the factory because 1) its CDMA/LTE with VZW specific bands, and 2) its being made to order for Verizon to subsidize it (which means they will SURELY dictate that its locked).
The Nexus devices have historically been sold full price without a carrier subsidy (and therefore are unlocked) because google wants them to be used anywhere in the world with any SIM card. This is different because there are carriers involved from the start (and the device is CDMA).
Also, I'm pretty sure the LTE won't be interoperable between the two carriers. Verizon will have their own proprietary network stack for use with their LTE service, and it uses slightly different frequencies from other carriers for LTE, specifically so that their devices won't be interoperable with other networks. They want you to buy a VZW phone and stay on VZW (dirty play, but that's how they roll).
Hope that clarifies things a little bit. Now no one knows for sure how much of the issues can be fixed with new firmware flashes, so I guess we'll see when it comes out. For example I know a lot of people use Sprint and Verizon phones with different custom firmware to run on networks like Virgin, Boost, and Cricket in order to cut down the monthly bill.
martonikaj said:
It won't be unlocked from the factory because 1) its CDMA/LTE with VZW specific bands, and 2) its being made to order for Verizon to subsidize it (which means they will SURELY dictate that its locked).
The Nexus devices have historically been sold full price without a carrier subsidy (and therefore are unlocked) because google wants them to be used anywhere in the world with any SIM card. This is different because there are carriers involved from the start (and the device is CDMA).
Also, I'm pretty sure the LTE won't be interoperable between the two carriers. Verizon will have their own proprietary network stack for use with their LTE service, and it uses slightly different frequencies from other carriers for LTE, specifically so that their devices won't be interoperable with other networks. They want you to buy a VZW phone and stay on VZW (dirty play, but that's how they roll).
Hope that clarifies things a little bit. Now no one knows for sure how much of the issues can be fixed with new firmware flashes, so I guess we'll see when it comes out. For example I know a lot of people use Sprint and Verizon phones with different custom firmware to run on networks like Virgin, Boost, and Cricket in order to cut down the monthly bill.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
well lets just hope some one out there can figure out how to make a phone like this run on a reasonabale priced carrier well other than t-mobile
After my servitude to rogers ended, i bought a galaxy nexus. My question is, which carrier is better for supporting the Gnex as i do not want to enter another period imprisonment. Which carrier has the best network speeds?
LOL Rogers is awesome. I have 3 lines with them, my Galaxy Nexus, wife's iphone 4, and my 10 year old sons Xperia Arc. Never had an issue with Rogers at all with all 3 lines. And my phone bill is pretty cheap too, only like $300 a month.
If I were you I'd go with a bigger carrier, I've heard the smaller ones have very bad coverage. Hate on Rogers if you must, but you have plenty of better options then these small carriers (Bell, Fido, Telus, Virgin, etc)
Yes Canada is expensive for cell phones but even on rogers you shouldn't be paying 300 for 3 lines unless you have crazy plans.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium
At rogers i alway manage to surpass the 5 gb limit as for work causes thus leading me to extreme charges at rogers
Adreno said:
LOL Rogers is awesome. I have 3 lines with them, my Galaxy Nexus, wife's iphone 4, and my 10 year old sons Xperia Arc. Never had an issue with Rogers at all with all 3 lines. And my phone bill is pretty cheap too, only like $300 a month.
If I were you I'd go with a bigger carrier, I've heard the smaller ones have very bad coverage. Hate on Rogers if you must, but you have plenty of better options then these small carriers (Bell, Fido, Telus, Virgin, etc)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Depends on what kind of plan you need. By no means is Telus and Bell are small carriers, they even sued Rogers awhile back if i recall correctly stating that Rogers advertisements are misleading with fastest network in Canada or something. Bell and Telus were the first carriers to launch their HSPA+ network they also share the same HSPA+ network their coverage is pretty good. As for Fido its a subsidiary of Rogers so the coverages are practically the same in most big cities. Right now I'm paying 52.49$ a month for 200 anytime minutes. Caller ID, Visual voice-mail, 6GB of data and unlimited evenings (5pm-9am) and weekends. But of course this plan isn't on their sites because its a retention plan.
Also Virgin is a subsidiary of Bell, as Koodo is a subsidiary of Telus. While Wind and Mobilicity are cheaper solutions their coverages are decent at best. Reason being that they bought AWS towers which well only support AWS bands being that these companies started not to long ago, they are still building towers throughout the country. After few more years they should have better coverage if you start now with one of their plans and later on when development has matured, you might have grandfathered a really good deal on their plans.
Shieze said:
Yes Canada is expensive for cell phones but even on rogers you shouldn't be paying 300 for 3 lines unless you have crazy plans.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well $300 was an estimate, I think with data and stuff going over limits its like $80 each phone a month or something.
When I ordered my Galaxy Nexus the guy at Rogers said something about my bill seems to be too high monthly but I was in a hurry so I didn't want to sit and have him look over it.
I'll go talk to them sometime I guess, but if they can only drop it like $60 a month I don't really care.
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?
Click to expand...
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
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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.
Sent from my GT-N7100 using xda app-developers app
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.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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.
.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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
Sent from my SCH-I605 using Tapatalk 2
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.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Where is your source that it is only 1.5 gigabytes with AT&T now
Sent from my SCH-I605 using Tapatalk 2
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!!!