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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.
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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.
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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
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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.
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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.
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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
Hi
I was recently offered a good deal on a Galaxy S3 from a friend of mine, but he is currently with Sprint. I know that Sprint Galaxy S3 devices don't have a Sim Card slot, which sucks. I used to have Sprint, and though I cancelled on good terms without a balance. I don't feel like going back to Sprint. Especially while I'm paying $50.00 a month with T-Mobile.
My question is, are there any other carriers that I could take the Sprint Galaxy S3 to? Maybe through Flashing or carriers that will add the ESN to their database?
Slap-Yourself :) said:
Hi
I was recently offered a good deal on a Galaxy S3 from a friend of mine, but he is currently with Sprint. I know that Sprint Galaxy S3 devices don't have a Sim Card slot, which sucks. I used to have Sprint, and though I cancelled on good terms without a balance. I don't feel like going back to Sprint. Especially while I'm paying $50.00 a month with T-Mobile.
My question is, are there any other carriers that I could take the Sprint Galaxy S3 to? Maybe through Flashing or carriers that will add the ESN to their database?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What carriers are in your area? That should narrow your list down. You will want to look for CDMA carriers. You can check the list at the link below to see what carriers have what network type, if you don't already know. Beware, some carriers won't allow this (though you may be able to get it to work by flashing.) I read that Verizon tends to give people a hard time with this. Good luck.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_United_States_wireless_communications_service_providers
P.S. If you can, get some speed tests on those networks. Don't get yourself trapped on a slow network.
Killa357 said:
What carriers are in your area? That should narrow your list down. You will want to look for CDMA carriers. You can check the list at the link below to see what carriers have what network type, if you don't already know. Beware, some carriers won't allow this (though you may be able to get it to work by flashing.) I read that Verizon tends to give people a hard time with this. Good luck.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_United_States_wireless_communications_service_providers
P.S. If you can, get some speed tests on those networks. Don't get yourself trapped on a slow network.
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Click to collapse
Well, from what I know we have:
T-Mo
AT&T
Verizon
Sprint
Virgin
Boost
Cricket
I don't there are any others available. Last time I knew Cricket service sucked A** here, and Virgin and Boost don't offer 4G speeds (Not that we have it available here anyway.) :/
I can't think of any other CDMA carriers though since I don't really deal with them......
I will most likely be moving to Houston, TX in the next 5-7 months though.
Slap-Yourself :) said:
Well, from what I know we have:
T-Mo
AT&T
Verizon
Sprint
Virgin
Boost
Cricket
I don't there are any others available. Last time I knew Cricket service sucked A** here, and Virgin and Boost don't offer 4G speeds (Not that we have it available here anyway.) :/
I can't think of any other CDMA carriers though since I don't really deal with them......
I will most likely be moving to Houston, TX in the next 5-7 months though.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Small world. I'm actually trying to get a job I have Houston at the moment. Most of those carriers should have good coverage and data speeds in Houston though. Last time I used sprints service in Houston it was about the same as it is here in Lufkin as far as coverage and speed. I dont know about the other carriers, though LTE most likely won't be compatible with the other networks LTE.
so does this mean goodbye sprint for most of us?...http://www.pocketables.com/2012/08/...ed-unthrottled-data-starting-september-5.html I noticed they are talking about this in the "why do you stick with sprint" thread so if a mod wants to delete this please do. I didn't see that b4 i started this thread.
woody296 said:
so does this mean goodbye sprint for most of us?...http://www.pocketables.com/2012/08/...ed-unthrottled-data-starting-september-5.html
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Click to collapse
No it doesn't for me, been with sprint 10 yrs and they always seem to 1 up everyone at some point. Plus they been good to us.
Sent from my SPH-D710 using Tapatalk 2
This is most likely going to get me to switch. Buy an unlocked Nexus from play store and setup on tmobile BYOD plan and buh bye Sprint.
No nexus devices. After watching ET4G ICS screw ups, I am only buying Nexus devices.
bigblue4life said:
No it doesn't for me, been with sprint 10 yrs and they always seem to 1 up everyone at some point. Plus they been good to us.
Sent from my SPH-D710 using Tapatalk 2
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That's my only reason I haven't switched yet. Anytime I need a payment extension they give it to me. If I have trouble with something they work with me. That means a lot to me. Now the minute they start being asses. I'll be switching for sure.
Sprints customer service is awesome compared to other companies and that's one reason why I would stay with them
Sent from my SPH-D710 using xda premium
So this states no hotspot offical or unoffical... is this the same with sprint and the hacked hotspots void this? or will this be impossible with T-Mobile?
not for me as its better than tmobile for me
shame id love to get those 42mbps speeds
Raistlin1 said:
This is most likely going to get me to switch. Buy an unlocked Nexus from play store and setup on tmobile BYOD plan and buh bye Sprint.
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This is exactly what I was thinking
Sent from my epic 4g touch 4.1
Ill be sticking with sprint. T-mo only has 2G speeds where I live as compared to sprints 3G. I'm also assuming I'll eventually have sprint LTE with network vision and all.
Don't you think that when sprint's LTE network becomes live and widespread they too will throttle their unlimited data
s_special said:
Don't you think that when sprint's LTE network becomes live and widespread they too will throttle their unlimited data
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Fingers crossed for being grandfathered in.
s_special said:
Don't you think that when sprint's LTE network becomes live and widespread they too will throttle their unlimited data
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They won't now if tmobile keeps this plan... it's good for everyone.
This video says you won't be able to use the phone as a hotspot at all. I wonder if they'll kick you off for hacking hotspot or if it will even be possible to hack it? I love how they compare minutes but don't mention that Sprint offers "any mobile any time" which makes a world of difference. About 3,500 any mobile any time minutes a month for me.
That little missing point is "slightly" important.
Tmobile Cnet video
mideastbeast said:
This video says you won't be able to use the phone as a hotspot at all. I wonder if they'll kick you off for hacking hotspot or if it will even be possible to hack it? I love how they compare minutes but don't mention that Sprint offers "any mobile any time" which makes a world of difference. About 3,500 any mobile any time minutes a month for me.
That little missing point is "slightly" important.
Tmobile Cnet video
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Hacked hotspot depends on the phone, not the carrier.
Not everyone uses that many minutes. I stay under 100 usually.
T mobile is going to acquire a lot of customers due to this. Its a great move and may actually spark some competition and bring unlimited back.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2
revamper said:
Its a great move and may actually spark some competition and bring unlimited back.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2
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Agreed competition and choice are good for everyone. I hope this move also keeps the 2 big companies in check with their plans and pricing.
mideastbeast said:
Agreed competition and choice are good for everyone. I hope this move also keeps the 2 big companies in check with their plans and pricing.
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To be honest i don't think att or verizon give a damn about what anyone else does, I just hope the 2 weak sister companies can hang in there.
I get awesome 3g and 4g here at home and at school but tmo seems only 2g
But at school they have 42mbps
If they had that at home id be hell yea
woody296 said:
To be honest i don't think att or verizon give a damn about what anyone else does, I just hope the 2 weak sister companies can hang in there.
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ATT and Verizon will give a damn when they start losing customers to t-mobile. T-mobile actually has a good network unlike sprint.
Tmobile actually has a pretty mixed up network. Outside of major metropolitan areas all they have is 2g or roaming (or lack of it) while sprint usually has native 3g (at least) or roaming on verizon. Service also degrades rapidly when you go inside buildings compared to Sprint and VZ not to mention the fact that T-mobile has quite the lack of spectrum to deploy both LTE and HSPA42+ on its current spectrum holdings.
Literally it's a mixed bag depending on where you live and what you do most like traveling or sitting in one spot. Just remember this. Sprints Network Vision upgrade is upgrading each and every tower to fiber or microwave backend. Their speeds are guaranteed to increase. Meanwhile T-mobile lacks spectrum in a lot of places and is currently in the process of refarming to 1900mhz 3g/4g (at last!) while lte is quite a bit away.
TBH i'd only switch if youre in an area with beyond horrible service and NV upgrades coming in a year or so...Other than that... ya it's great that t-mobile is getting unlimited again although in the long run sprint will be ahead of them.
Speaking of which... i'm starting to miss my good old sidekick lx and tmobile g1...
So what are my choices for other carriers? I know verizon has different radio bands... Is ATT a possibility? I'm reaching the end of my patience with TMO.
Sent from my LG-D851 using Tapatalk
You've probably heard it before but I think Straight Talk is a great choice if you only need 3gb of high speed data. I just recently switched from TMO to ST using the ATT sim card. It works virtually flawlessly and I've had atleast 4g everywhere I've went (NW Georgia to E Kentucky so far). I got fed up with TMO when I left GA for work for the first time. It worked great in my little corner with flawless 4g LTE. However, as soon as I left and started travelling for work I got stuck with 2g service or wifi only. 2g is abysmal on TMO. It actually functions on ATT the few times I've had it.
So that's my suggestion. Paying off the phones and getting them unlocked was a fairly simple process as well.
I'll be switching to ATT service myself soon. Since T-Mobile wont' stand behind their products with my cracked phone they sold me. LG wants me to hold my phone hostage and then decide if it's actually a problem. Also annoyed by the fact that if you don't have LTE or HSPA service with TMUS, you basically have a dumb phone. And honestly, texts don't even function half the time outisde of their 3G/LTE areas.
Mnorton1228 said:
You've probably heard it before but I think Straight Talk is a great choice if you only need 3gb of high speed data. I just recently switched from TMO to ST using the ATT sim card. It works virtually flawlessly and I've had atleast 4g everywhere I've went (NW Georgia to E Kentucky so far). I got fed up with TMO when I left GA for work for the first time. It worked great in my little corner with flawless 4g LTE. However, as soon as I left and started travelling for work I got stuck with 2g service or wifi only. 2g is abysmal on TMO. It actually functions on ATT the few times I've had it.
So that's my suggestion. Paying off the phones and getting them unlocked was a fairly simple process as well.
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Is the tmo g3 radio compatible with ATT and ST for 4G LTE service?
Sent from my LG-D851 using Tapatalk
decaturbob said:
So what are my choices for other carriers? I know verizon has different radio bands... Is ATT a possibility? I'm reaching the end of my patience with TMO.
Sent from my LG-D851 using Tapatalk
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So what exactly is your problem with tmobile, you never stated.
Sent from my LG-D851 using XDA Free mobile app
I would never leave t mobile. Fix your issue with phone. If u pay off you still have issue on att. So fix what is bad. Lg and all the phone makers are the same. That us why you deal with t mobile for fix.
NOTE 4
decaturbob said:
Is the tmo g3 radio compatible with ATT and ST for 4G LTE service?
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No, LTE service on the D851 ONLY works with T-Mobile, but you will get the other bands ("4G"/3G/2G) with AT&T.
BACARDILIMON said:
I would never leave t mobile. Fix your issue with phone. If u pay off you still have issue on att. So fix what is bad. Lg and all the phone makers are the same. That us why you deal with t mobile for fix.
NOTE 4
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I have NO issues with my G3 its T-Mobile. Their coverage is plain bad, no fixing that until they double the amount of cell towers. I looked at their coverage map before changing over and nowhere did it indicate the dead zones that we have found and TMO acknowledges. My wife has zero coverage in her office and would have to go a block or better to make a call and she works in Springfield where you would expect at least 2G everywhere but there are major dead zones. Major interstates lack complete coverage. I can understand state highways and secondary roads but interstates? T-Mobile messed my ETF reimbursement up, additionally T-Mobile "lost" my trade-in phones that they have had since first week of August....their online system sucks, I couldn't process an order and I spent almost 2 hrs working with their IT folks who finally gave up and acknowledge their portal has some issues. My Sim card faulted out and its gonna take 7-10 business days to get the replacement from T-Mobile as they wanted to charge me $25 for expedited delivery that the online chat people couldn't process as that must be charged to a credit card and not to my account WTF!!! I would have to call customer service and waste another hour of time to make that happen....screw that, I order one off of Amazon and paid for one day delivery...total cost $14 of delivery and shipping.....and I still don't have the T-Mobile free replacement Sim yet. I figure I have wasted 12hrs at least dealing with T-Mobile on problems on their side. I get alot of "we are sorry"......why asking what other carriers will my TMO G3 will 100% function on as I know it won't with verizon because of the radio bands
JustLok said:
decaturbob said:
Is the tmo g3 radio compatible with ATT and ST for 4G LTE service?
/QUOTE]
No, LTE service on the D851 ONLY works with T-Mobile, but you will get the other bands ("4G"/3G/2G) with AT&T.
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I may need to consider this then and thank you. 4G is better than what my wife gets with TMO....
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Personaly, I love T-mo. I switched from Verizon and am saving a boat load. I think it's absolutely wonderful how they've effectively turned every WiFi hotspot into a cell tower. In Charlotte nc, I've run into some areas where i rome but it's usually in a big building and there's always some WiFi. Their CEO has a great mindset imo and their customer service is always responsive as nice to me.
decaturbob said:
I have NO issues with my G3 its T-Mobile. Their coverage is plain bad, no fixing that until they double the amount of cell towers. I looked at their coverage map before changing over and nowhere did it indicate the dead zones that we have found and TMO acknowledges. My wife has zero coverage in her office and would have to go a block or better to make a call and she works in Springfield where you would expect at least 2G everywhere but there are major dead zones. Major interstates lack complete coverage. I can understand state highways and secondary roads but interstates? T-Mobile messed my ETF reimbursement up, additionally T-Mobile "lost" my trade-in phones that they have had since first week of August....their online system sucks, I couldn't process an order and I spent almost 2 hrs working with their IT folks who finally gave up and acknowledge their portal has some issues. My Sim card faulted out and its gonna take 7-10 business days to get the replacement from T-Mobile as they wanted to charge me $25 for expedited delivery that the online chat people couldn't process as that must be charged to a credit card and not to my account WTF!!! I would have to call customer service and waste another hour of time to make that happen....screw that, I order one off of Amazon and paid for one day delivery...total cost $14 of delivery and shipping.....and I still don't have the T-Mobile free replacement Sim yet. I figure I have wasted 12hrs at least dealing with T-Mobile on problems on their side. I get alot of "we are sorry"......why asking what other carriers will my TMO G3 will 100% function on as I know it won't with verizon because of the radio bands
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Hand in the phones and go to another carrier. If any fees they will pay for them.
NOTE 4
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allin1der said:
You guys make the most technically complicated tasks... SO EASY!!!!!!
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What state you live in
NOTE 4
Just my two cents, I have a dead spot on Verizon near home but tmo is fine. Also I love their international approach free 2g and texting, and I'm in Europe every month. Would have cost hundreds more on vzw. So far here in north east haven't noticed coverage ant worse than the other guys but haven't travelled the midwest or south yet.
Oh, and free music streaming.
Sent from my LG-D851 using XDA Free mobile app
BACARDILIMON said:
Hand in the phones and go to another carrier. If any fees they will pay for them.
NOTE 4
---------- Post added at 09:07 AM ---------- Previous post was at 09:02 AM ----------
What state you live in
NOTE 4
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Illinois.
Sent from my LG-D851 using Tapatalk
JustLok said:
No, LTE service on the D851 ONLY works with T-Mobile, but you will get the other bands ("4G"/3G/2G) with AT&T.
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This is both correct and incorrect. You'll get a few of the LTE bands from ATT(2 and 4 to be exact). I can confirm that that's true. The most obvious indicator is that the symbols on my phone change from 4g to 4gLTE depending on if I'm covered. I can also run speed tests and see a difference. 4g I get 1-2mbps and LTE I get 7-9mbps. Not perfect but I'm not using my phone for any heavy data usage either. As long as I can browse reddit and stuff from my phone I'm good.
As for "just sticking with a carrier"... Um... NO. Absolutely not. If you're not able to make phone calls or are dependent upon finding free wifi to make a call then I don't think it's worth the money. I don't know what that guys talking about but he's obviously missed the point of this discussion.
Look into Straight Talk, Net10, or Cricket. All work on the ATT network and all will give you just as good of a price as TMO. Cricket offers 10gb of data for 55$ a month. Net10 does something similar I believe. I went with ST just because of the convenience. ST and Net10 are both owned by Tracfone so regardless of who you use it's going to be the same thing. Cricket is actually an ATT owned company. There is some literature floating around the web saying that Tracfone phones will allow you to roam on other carriers services but I'm not sure how true that is or if that even matters anymore.
I really love T-Mobile. I have had the best customer service with them. When I had my Z2s I had issues with the overheating problem and I went through 3 phones and ended up talking to their tech department. They informed me its a known issue and I could try another one. Seems great to me, just had a phone that overheated (not T-Mobiles fault).
I have told many people that reception is quite spotty. I live in Washington and service is great along the I5 corridor but once you start to stray too far off you will lose service. But in data speeds none of my friends with other carriers have come close. I routinley hit speeds of at least 35 mbps.
I can completely understand where most people do have issues. I just use my phone as a mini computer though. I probably use >200 min a month.
decaturbob said:
Illinois.
Sent from my LG-D851 using Tapatalk
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I hate to say it, but you live in the worst area of the country for cell service (other than the Montana mountains, where there's no coverage at all). All four carriers' networks are really thin, and even Verizon's mighty network has holes where they roam onto partner networks there. Unless you live in Chicago, coverage is pretty spotty as soon as you leave the city limits of any town, no matter what carrier you pick. All I can tell you is talk to people who have usage patterns like yours and get their opinions, because blindly switching may end up getting you the same or worse coverage depending on your location.
Illrigger said:
I hate to say it, but you live in the worst area of the country for cell service (other than the Montana mountains, where there's no coverage at all). All four carriers' networks are really thin, and even Verizon's mighty network has holes where they roam onto partner networks there. Unless you live in Chicago, coverage is pretty spotty as soon as you leave the city limits of any town, no matter what carrier you pick. All I can tell you is talk to people who have usage patterns like yours and get their opinions, because blindly switching may end up getting you the same or worse coverage depending on your location.
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I had verizon for years but got tired of paying thru the nose.. No small decision to go to TMO and based on their coverage map we should have been OK.... But their map is essentially a lie. I spent an hour on phone with tmo thru 3 levels of management who understood if their map is fake and/or the tmo cell phones they sold us can't receive their signals then this situation is going to take a turn for the worse.
Sent from my LG-D851 using Tapatalk
Hopefully G3 will get band 12, but it's OK if it's not because I have AWS repeater installed and it works fine.
I refuse to get Note 4 because it does not support Trad Chinese. I'd go for Z3 or even G4 instead.
decaturbob said:
I had verizon for years but got tired of paying thru the nose.. No small decision to go to TMO and based on their coverage map we should have been OK.... But their map is essentially a lie. I spent an hour on phone with tmo thru 3 levels of management who understood if their map is fake and/or the tmo cell phones they sold us can't receive their signals then this situation is going to take a turn for the worse.
Sent from my LG-D851 using Tapatalk
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I lived in the IA/IL corridor area for a few years and pretty much every carrier had issues. Verizon was the best in the city, but would drop to 2G in many areas outside the city, or go dead completely. AT&T was a little better from what my co-workers were saying but again they were on 2G once you left the highway corridors. This was before the LTE rollout, so things may be better, but considering that LTE is GSM, and GSM is pretty short range from the towers (vs CDMA, anyway), I would not make any big bets. You can try your luck with either; you will probably get more consistent service with both, but I would not count on them being overly fast once you are away from the cities and highways.
decaturbob said:
Illinois.
Sent from my LG-D851 using Tapatalk
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First off, hi from the north of you. I'm by the Kankakee area. I do have a buddy that does work at a T-mo corp store in Bradley that has been saying that the area I live and lower Illinois is getting the tower upgrades in Q1 2015. He's trying to get some more info for me since I too live a dead T-Mo area (I get no signal in my office). I maybe stopping in tomorrow if my wife wants to jump to the Note 4. If he's working, I'll ask him if he found out anything more about the IL tower upgrades. I'll let know you if he has any other news.
Edit: Decatur should have LTE coverage for T-Mo looking at sensorly.com. You should check and see about getting a LTE signal booster from T-Mo. Check out sensorly.com to even find what carrier does have the best coverage for you.