I am thinking really hard of coming to verizon from tmobile for the thunderbolt or the droid bionic. The thing is, they are expensive as hell to me, and i have no desire to spend 110-125 on a phone bill every month.
SO i figured out some ways to get a cheaper bill:
1) get the cheapest minute plan with no text (39.99) plus the data plan (29.99)
2)Use goog voice for text messages
3)Use skype for unlimited voice calls(9.99)
The only thing is i dont know how the quality of skypes voice calls are when going over 3g. As long as i can make decent calls over 3g and receive them with no problems, then it sounds like a decent plan to save money.
What do you all think?
greengoldmello said:
I am thinking really hard of coming to verizon from tmobile for the thunderbolt or the droid bionic. The thing is, they are expensive as hell to me, and i have no desire to spend 110-125 on a phone bill every month.
SO i figured out some ways to get a cheaper bill:
1) get the cheapest minute plan with no text (39.99) plus the data plan (29.99)
2)Use goog voice for text messages
3)Use skype for unlimited voice calls(9.99)
The only thing is i dont know how the quality of skypes voice calls are when going over 3g. As long as i can make decent calls over 3g and receive them with no problems, then it sounds like a decent plan to save money.
What do you all think?
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umm you will need to find a hacked .apk of skype to make calls over 3G. honestly its not worth the trouble.
ddarvish said:
umm you will need to find a hacked .apk of skype to make calls over 3G. honestly its not worth the trouble.
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+1 The call quality on 3G leaves a lot to be desired...unless it's 4am and you live 1/2 mile from a tower with an unobstructed view...
Umm... I use GV for some of my voice calls, and I have confirmed that it work via numbers not bing shown on my cell bill. Download GV and GV call back. I don't know how it works, but it does.
Related
Though I haven't yet texted via my Jetstream, I thought it might be beneficial to have it set up in case of an emergency. (I have my voice plan with Sprint for my EVO and only a data plan through ATT for my Jetstream)
So, being at my parents' in West Virginia for the holiday where there is no Sprint coverage whatsoever, I thought it would be a good time to install ATT Messages from the market, the texting app for tablets and be able to text through the ATT mobile number given to my Jetstream.
I had some problems setting up my online ATT account to register my jetstream. I had to call ATT. I went throguh two representatives, the second calling HTC to ask them if the device would receive texts. After 30 minutes on the phoe, the representative said the Jetstream would never be able to receive texts.
So, why is there an ATT Messages app? Lol >_>
I gave up. not a real big concern.
typhoonikan said:
Though I haven't yet texted via my Jetstream, I thought it might be beneficial to have it set up in case of an emergency. (I have my voice plan with Sprint for my EVO and only a data plan through ATT for my Jetstream)
So, being at my parents' in West Virginia for the holiday where there is no Sprint coverage whatsoever, I thought it would be a good time to install ATT Messages from the market, the texting app for tablets and be able to text through the ATT mobile number given to my Jetstream.
I had some problems setting up my online ATT account to register my jetstream. I had to call ATT. I went throguh two representatives, the second calling HTC to ask them if the device would receive texts. After 30 minutes on the phoe, the representative said the Jetstream would never be able to receive texts.
So, why is there an ATT Messages app? Lol >_>
I gave up. not a real big concern.
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Funny they said that. I have been texting on my Jetstream since day 1, I've even added the unlimited txt to it since I do txt quite a lot ON the JETSTREAM. Tell them to get their heads out of their rear..lol
BTW, I'm using handcent sms
ebaul said:
Funny they said that. I have been texting on my Jetstream since day 1, I've even added the unlimited txt to it since I do txt quite a lot ON the JETSTREAM. Tell them to get their heads out of their rear..lol
BTW, I'm using handcent sms
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Same hare no problems to send and receive SMS
Does the APN setting have provision for SMS? Wouldn't this mean the jetstream has GSM (voice) capability?
typhoonikan said:
Though I haven't yet texted via my Jetstream, I thought it might be beneficial to have it set up in case of an emergency. (I have my voice plan with Sprint for my EVO and only a data plan through ATT for my Jetstream)
So, being at my parents' in West Virginia for the holiday where there is no Sprint coverage whatsoever, I thought it would be a good time to install ATT Messages from the market, the texting app for tablets and be able to text through the ATT mobile number given to my Jetstream.
I had some problems setting up my online ATT account to register my jetstream. I had to call ATT. I went throguh two representatives, the second calling HTC to ask them if the device would receive texts. After 30 minutes on the phoe, the representative said the Jetstream would never be able to receive texts.
So, why is there an ATT Messages app? Lol >_>
I gave up. not a real big concern.
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Click to collapse
Here is the deal.
1. the ATT meassages app is so you can use your ATT phone account to sync texting etween the jetstream and your phone with a texting plan ATT texting plan that is... not Sprint.
2. You can download a texting app like handcent from the market and text directly from your Jetstream at .20 cents a pop.
Hope this helps!
Have you tried google voice?
https://market.android.com/details?...5nb29nbGUuYW5kcm9pZC5hcHBzLmdvb2dsZXZvaWNlIl0.
I just got the HTC EVO View 4G off a deal on the internet and I really don't want to activate with Sprint (bad issues about 10 years ago). Is there any way to activate it on any other network carrier or am I stuck with SPRINT or WIFI?
rljohnson said:
I just got the HTC EVO View 4G off a deal on the internet and I really don't want to activate with Sprint (bad issues about 10 years ago). Is there any way to activate it on any other network carrier or am I stuck with SPRINT or WIFI?
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This doesnt belong in development.. I'm not sure though... I heard you can get 4g service with clear since they provvide sprint with 4g service.. Not sure about 3g though
Edit - Misunderstood the question for some reason
Sent from my PG41200 using xda premium
wyldkard said:
Bought my view without having to activate it on Sprint for $230. Check eBay. There are also some online sale sites selling it cheap, can't think of their names ATM.
Ask the seller, whether It's a person or company, if it needs to be activated or it will say so on the page
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He means using 4G on a different carrier.
You can activate it on cricket service, I've done one and it works pretty well. Of course you will only get 3g instead of 4g as Cricket does not have 4g yet. I had everything working except incoming calls would not ring through, still working on it. However, texting, mms, web, apps, and google voice worked great. I could get incoming and outgoing calls through google voice just fine.
crmcsh01 said:
You can activate it on cricket service, I've done one and it works pretty well. Of course you will only get 3g instead of 4g as Cricket does not have 4g yet. I had everything working except incoming calls would not ring through, still working on it. However, texting, mms, web, apps, and google voice worked great. I could get incoming and outgoing calls through google voice just fine.
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How much does cricket service cost a month?
Sent from my PG41200 using xda premium
Cricket has an android plan for their smart phones which gives you unlimited talk/text/data for $55 per month. That is the method I used. Their 3g is pretty decent where I'm at, but like most carriers Cricket will throttle you if you exceed your data usage. I have not been throttled yet, but I do not use an awful lot of data. I believe there is a way to use the $45 per month plan which requires a few more steps flashing the View, but I have not tried it and I am not sure how reliable it would be.
I saw a program called flash to talk android studio that might let you do it. Thing is , its $50 for the program and $5 each time you use it. I think a lot of stores use it to flash android phones between carriers. If its worth it to you, check it out.
Sent from my PG41200 using XDA App
I have flashed mine using cdma workshop which I bought for $100 and qpst which is free.. If you can get the msl code then no need for cdma workshop
Sent from my PG41200 using xda premium
I currently use mine on boostmobile for 3g and i use clearwire for 4g. did a few things that im sure i cant speak of here. but yes you can put it on other carrier's. where i am at cricket/metro doesnt work so i could not go that route otherwise i may have. I use boostmobile because 4g can be spotty sometimes and the 3g is a good backup anywhere 4g doesnt kick in. i had it on sprint but for 1gig of data my monthly was coming in at like 50 with insurance and taxes and no 4g...just pathetic. my alternative gives me pay as you go like 11 bucks a month flat no taxes unlimited 3g/text/no phone at least the normal way but till that is figured out i'm happy using groove ip with google since my data is always on no need to spend talk minutes just use data for talk hence why it costs .35cents a day. and as for 4g well i'm on an older clear plan and i share it with my hotspot(switching back through the login page pretty easy) again i'm not explaining how to do it as in many places its not allowed to talk of the method's tut, i'm just sharing that there are ways. If I was able to use it on other carriers that worked in my area i would or if sprint wouldnt try and be a ripoff and give a decent plan a realistic plan i would just stick with them.
made the switch from tmobile because i wanted the NOTE, now ATT does not offer any unlimitted SMS or international Calling plans (Tmobile have a $15 feature where u get unlimitte sms and calls to landlines in many countries.) ATT has world calling but you still pay $ per minute per use. and at .25 cents a text thats too much.
i see so many VOIP apps, but most offers are to users with the app....anyone know of any good VOIP that would offer unlimitted calls and SMS to regular cell phones in another country for a low price?
right now am using Rebtel my mins come to about .10 cents a min for my international but still uses my daytime minutes, is there anything better?
thanks.
VOIP
I use Line 2. It works great for me.
Do you have a google voice account, its really great. Canada is free, and they have, I think the best rates on long distance calls.
losplatanos said:
made the switch from tmobile because i wanted the NOTE, now ATT does not offer any unlimitted SMS or international Calling plans (Tmobile have a $15 feature where u get unlimitte sms and calls to landlines in many countries.) ATT has world calling but you still pay $ per minute per use. and at .25 cents a text thats too much.
i see so many VOIP apps, but most offers are to users with the app....anyone know of any good VOIP that would offer unlimitted calls and SMS to regular cell phones in another country for a low price?
right now am using Rebtel my mins come to about .10 cents a min for my international but still uses my daytime minutes, is there anything better?
thanks.
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Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I717 using XDA App
iakeco said:
Do you have a google voice account, its really great. Canada is free, and they have, I think the best rates on long distance calls.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I717 using XDA App
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I second the Google voice app. I use it daily & while it does have its bugs, its the best of its type that I've found
I got a Photon 4g, and I wanna know if there's anyway I can have simultaneous voice/data on 3G, I know its possible over "4G" (Wimax), and I really don't wanna buy a new phone outright. Will SVDO work on the Photon anywhere?
DiamondJay20 said:
I got a Photon 4g, and I wanna know if there's anyway I can have simultaneous voice/data on 3G, I know its possible over "4G" (Wimax), and I really don't wanna buy a new phone outright. Will SVDO work on the Photon anywhere?
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To my knowledge this is not possible. Would be hella useful though.
only way is if "voice" if via VOIP such as google voice, skype or SIP provider.
I do it all day! WiFi and I talk and di email and FB! L
Sent from my MB855 using xda premium
i still don't get it, how in the world is this actually useful? should you focus be to the other person you're talking to?
A2CKilla said:
i still don't get it, how in the world is this actually useful? should you focus be to the other person you're talking to?
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Smartphones have so many features nowadays that it is honestly difficult for any given person to make use of every one of them. Hence, there are some features that are diamonds to some and useless to others. Just because you in particular don't have a use for said feature, it can be be extremely useful to someone else. For instance, my girlfriend now lives a good 150 miles away. So a lot of our casual conversations are done for long periods of time over our phones. Should I be focusing on our conversation? Sure. Do I also wanna check xda, read an article with her to keep the conversation rolling, maybe watch a funny YouTube clip or something? Definitely. My point is, its not a feature that is visibly useless for everyone. You just don't have a use for it.
A2CKilla said:
i still don't get it, how in the world is this actually useful? should you focus be to the other person you're talking to?
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you might have an email, or be in your car using it as the GPS with the phone on speaker or bluetooth, or wanna check an email you're talking to someone about, etc. A lotta times, when I've been on the internet with the Photon, I've missed calls, and that includes using my Strava cycling app, which simply maps where I'm going.
Calls/texts will interrupt downloads which is annoying when trying to download large files over 3g
Sent from my Kitchen Sync'ed MoPho!
As others have mentioned, if you have VoIP service independently of Sprint, there's nothing to stop you from using it on your phone. You can do a complete end-run around Sprint and cobble your own adhoc SVDO-ish work-around today. Your battery life will totally suck, and you'll be paying more money for VoIP from some thirdparty provider, but you can do it. Just run the client, forward your calls to your VoIP number, and you're in business.
So, why can't SPRINT do it? Simple. The service we all call "Call Forwarding" is heinously inefficient. It was invented ~25 years ago, and only works for its intended purpose (adhoc forwarding of calls to arbitrary numbers) because there are just a few people using it at any given point in time. If EVERYBODY (or even a large plurality of Android owners) tried doing it at once, Sprint would hit a hard limit beyond which no more users serviced by a given switch could forward calls until somebody else discontinued forwarding to free up a circuit (remember, ESS voice calls are circuit-switched, regardless of any packet-switched magic that might occur at the backhaul and trunk level. You'd be amazed how much metaphorical WD-40 and duct tape still gets used behind the scenes at Sprint, Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile to glue 21st-century wireless and 19th-century wired phone circuits together & make wireless calls look like landline calls to the PSTN).
To implement large-scale SVDO that's cost-effective, scalable, and sustainable, Sprint has to make much bigger changes that involve their switches (enabling them to terminate calls directly to VoIP instead of relying on adhoc ESS-type call forwarding) and signaling (sending notifications via the same mechanism used now to notify the phone of incoming calls, deliver text messages, and carry Google & Apple's push notifications). That way, instead of forcing your phone to establish and maintain an EVDO or LTE connection 24/7 and use it to poll for incoming calls, it can still use the more power-efficient 1x method, and simply notify the onboard VoIP app that there's an incoming call when it happens.
At the end of the day, it's one of those cases where it's easy for nimble, tech-savvy, and highly-motivated individuals willing to spend a few days learning and experimenting to take matters into their own hands and hack something into working for themselves, but it's a much bigger job to make it viable for the unwashed masses who want it to "just work" transparently without disclaimers, gotchas, and devastated battery life. It's the same reason why iPhones don't have wimax on Sprint. Apple point blank refused to even consider implementing something where users have to toggle it manually and be aware of their connectivity options at all times to really make it work right. Think I'm kidding? Find a nontechnical Sprint customer with wimax-capable phone, and check out their 4G settings. 95 times out of 100, they'll have 4G disabled, even in cities where there's been 4G service for more than a year. They went to the Sprint store, complained about not being able to "surf the web" (WE know their phone was probably thrashing back and forth between 3G and 4G & kept spending 5-20 seconds at a time in "no network connection" limbo), the employee toggled 4G off, handed the phone back to them, and they never had any clue what the employee actually DID. They were just happy that their phone quit endlessly saying they had no internet connection. ;-)
Curious what you guys feel the best VOIP method/app is for free calls to other phones is. I don't want to include solutions that require both parties to have the same app installed, so only VOIP that allows you to call phone numbers.
All I personally know about is GrooveIP and Talkatone.
I'd like whatever gives the best overall call quality over 3G, and when on WiFi, hopefully sounding like a perfect call.
I appreciate any input. Thanks all!
Any input at all, guys? VOIP can be very handy at times, even with unlimited talk. I have a friend in the NY area who cannot get signal due to towers being down, but his wifi a home works fine. He used Talkatone with some success, but I'm wondering what out there is better.
xiton said:
Any input at all, guys? VOIP can be very handy at times, even with unlimited talk. I have a friend in the NY area who cannot get signal due to towers being down, but his wifi a home works fine. He used Talkatone with some success, but I'm wondering what out there is better.
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I use Google Voice (GV) for most of my VOIP communcations, and even have my home phone linked to GV via an Obihai OBI100 adapter, which costs about $40 one time on Amazon. So far, calls to the US and Canada have been free, but that gets updated by Google on annual basis. I don't think anyone knows for sure yet that those calls will continue to be free in 2013, but here's an Obihai forum thread discussing that and the concensus seems to be that they will. I can't understand why people pay $25-$40 per month for a VOIP service like Vonage when they can get the same thing for a $40 one time cost, but I guess ignorance is bliss.
On my phone I use Groove IP (paid) when I want to make phone calls over Wi-Fi, mostly with my backup phone which is not currently activated, and it works very well as a front-end to GV. I use Skype too, but unless it's a Skype-to-Skype call I've found the GV connections to be higher audio quality.
Here's a pretty good article on VOIP alternatives for Android devices.
ramjet73
Yes. Keep all my old android phones around as wifi only house phones with 2 apps. Google Voice and Groove IP