[Q] Would you consider this a good deal? - Galaxy S II Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting

Just rang up T-Mob to cancel my current contract (HTC Hero - nostalgia, anyone?) and was made the following offer:
SGS2 £60 upfront, then £30 for 18 months.
Unlimited data (not crummy reseller data) and £180 of PAYG credit each month (does not roll over)
At my door on Wednesday
Can keep my existing number (no need to inform 100+ people)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is in contrast to the deal I was going to get:
Talkmobile, SGS2 £155 upfront, then £30 for 12 months
Unlimited data, 400 mins, 1000 texts
Ships soon-ish-ish-ish ("stock in 7-14 days")
Would be online so cannot keep existing number
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The T-Mob rep said they're merging 3G networks Q2 2011, incorporating Orange and some Three. Maybe this will help the network woes?
I went for the deal, but there's probably time to reverse my decision.
Any thoughts?

Xero Xenith said:
Just rang up T-Mob to cancel my current contract (HTC Hero - nostalgia, anyone?) and was made the following offer:
This is in contrast to the deal I was going to get:
The T-Mob rep said they're merging 3G networks Q2 2011, incorporating Orange and some Three. Maybe this will help the network woes?
I went for the deal, but there's probably time to reverse my decision.
Any thoughts?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
A phone's only as good as the network you use it on. You mentioned "merging," "incorporating," and "network woes," in your description of T-Mobile. Objectively, it doesn't sound like you're going to a very happy place - at least in the near term.

BarryH_GEG said:
A phone's only as good as the network you use it on. You mentioned "merging," "incorporating," and "network woes," in your description of T-Mobile. Objectively, it doesn't sound like you're going to a very happy place - at least in the near term.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the reply!
I've been with T-Mob through their merging of Orange and T-Mob 2G networks, and it was seamless. I now get better 2G reception in more places - hoping the same will happen for 3G.
T-Mobile is adequate, but not as good for data at the moment as Vodafone or 3.
Very interested in hearing some more opinions/rebuttals to this though. What would you do in my situation?

In the U.S., AT&T and Verizon are tier-one carriers. T-Mobile and Sprint, tier-two. I was with Verizon, but left because they're CDMA and I travel internationally a lot. To get GSM, I went with T-Mobile because they were cheaper and had cooler phones. Like your T-Mobile, they had acquisitions and network performance to this day varies by region. One of the areas I travel to in the States had piss-poor coverage. They pissed me off in dealing with the problems I was having with my new G2X so I left. I'm on AT&T now with a SGS2 and (so far) quite happy. We all use our phones differently. You have to weigh voice, data, roaming, reliability, service and price. I learned with T-Mobile U.S. that only focusing on price was a big mistake.

BarryH_GEG said:
In the U.S., AT&T and Verizon are tier-one carriers. T-Mobile and Sprint, tier-two. I was with Verizon, but left because they're CDMA and I travel internationally a lot. To get GSM, I went with T-Mobile because they were cheaper and had cooler phones. Like your T-Mobile, they had acquisitions and network performance to this day varies by region. One of the areas I travel to in the States had piss-poor coverage. They pissed me off in dealing with the problems I was having with my new G2X so I left. I'm on AT&T now with a SGS2 and (so far) quite happy. We all use our phones differently. You have to weigh voice, data, roaming, reliability, service and price. I learned with T-Mobile U.S. that only focusing on price was a big mistake.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ahh, I see. In the UK, T-Mobile used to be the smallest (or second-smallest to Three), but they're merging completely with another network - Orange - to become the country's biggest. Or at least that's what was said...

Related

[Q] Just got my Sprint termination letter

I got a contract termination letter in the mail from Sprint today saying I was using too much data while roaming. I have been in contact with them since day 3 about my poor coverage (-115db) at home and work (-105db 1x!). The airwave is backordered for 4 months, so oops.
Question is: I am new to Cincinnati. I need a carrier for 3 smartphones (one in Iowa) with 5gb per month on two of them and 10gb on the third. I would like to stay under $200 per month which cuts out At&t and Verizon (reason I left Big Red). T-Mobile jumps to mind, but the Iowa phone would be left roaming all the time. Cincinnati Bell is the same. Any ideas? And no, the Iowa phone can't use the T-Mobile wifi calling, no wifi
ianoob said:
I got a contract termination letter in the mail from Sprint today saying I was using too much data while roaming. I have been in contact with them since day 3 about my poor coverage (-115db) at home and work (-105db 1x!). The airwave is backordered for 4 months, so oops.
Question is: I am new to Cincinnati. I need a carrier for 3 smartphones (one in Iowa) with 5gb per month on two of them and 10gb on the third. I would like to stay under $200 per month which cuts out At&t and Verizon (reason I left Big Red). T-Mobile jumps to mind, but the Iowa phone would be left roaming all the time. Cincinnati Bell is the same. Any ideas? And no, the Iowa phone can't use the T-Mobile wifi calling, no wifi
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If Sprint terminate that suck. the second is t mobile cause they have unlimited data but they slow down your data if u use to much. the other two u going be paying a arm and a leg....... how much data do u use, cuz i use 35GB one mouth. im still good. do you have a contract on you phones??
Rtistique said:
If Sprint terminate that suck. the second is t mobile cause they have unlimited data but they slow down your data if u use to much. the other two u going be paying a arm and a leg....... how much data do u use, cuz i use 35GB one mouth. im still good. do you have a contract on you phones??
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, they canceled my early termination fees about a month ago due to my complaining. They also waive them when they cancel your contract for excessive roaming so I'm double good there.
I hear very mixed things about T-Mobile, but they do have cheap plans. Got to ask a rep about their roaming limits...
were you using prl 00001?
ianoob said:
No, they canceled my early termination fees about a month ago due to my complaining. They also waive them when they cancel your contract for excessive roaming so I'm double good there.
I hear very mixed things about T-Mobile, but they do have cheap plans. Got to ask a rep about their roaming limits...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I would try tmobile the other 2 will cost you a lot money with the amount of data you use, or try to go craiglist and take over a unlimited data plan for ATT , I seen a few people on my area doing, and that's what I did with ky last Verizon line, I do miss LTE tho
from my shooter rocking myns ROM
1. Like the other post say "Were you using prl 00001" or any other prl besides the default one?
2.Also what plan were you on and is unlimited data roaming included in your plan?
Just wondering b/c I use prl 00001 and have Sero Premium which have unlimited data and voice roaming. I use prl 00001 with every phone I get and have been doing it for over a year now. I never get any extra charges or letters from Sprint. Yes, I do use over 300mb a month. On avg I use about 1.2 gb a month
ycats said:
were you using prl 00001?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No special PRLs, they were causing my phone to get the verizon "cannot authenticate your phone" messages. The towers at work are being upgraded and the towers for home are just crappy.
jgalan14 said:
I would try tmobile the other 2 will cost you a lot money with the amount of data you use, or try to go craiglist and take over a unlimited data plan for ATT , I seen a few people on my area doing, and that's what I did with ky last Verizon line, I do miss LTE tho
from my shooter rocking myns ROM
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, T-Mobile is the cheapest national left. Didn't know about taking over peoples data plans. Big Red told me that when I upgraded my Eris I would have to sign a new contract and my bill would shoot up, otherwise I never woulda dropped them.
sillymeboy said:
1. Like the other post say "Were you using prl 00001" or any other prl besides the default one?
2.Also what plan were you on and is unlimited data roaming included in your plan?
Just wondering b/c I use prl 00001 and have Sero Premium which have unlimited data and voice roaming. I use prl 00001 with every phone I get and have been doing it for over a year now. I never get any extra charges or letters from Sprint. Yes, I do use over 300mb a month. On avg I use about 1.2 gb a month
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Lucky
ianoob said:
No special PRLs, they were causing my phone to get the verizon "cannot authenticate your phone" messages. The towers at work are being upgraded and the towers for home are just crappy.
Yeah, T-Mobile is the cheapest national left. Didn't know about taking over peoples data plans. Big Red told me that when I upgraded my Eris I would have to sign a new contract and my bill would shoot up, otherwise I never woulda dropped them.
Lucky
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Verizon lied to you BTW Eris was nice LOL
from my shooter rocking myns ROM
jgalan14 said:
Verizon lied to you BTW Eris was nice LOL
from my shooter rocking myns ROM
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Loved that little phone lol. They lost a customer by telling me that, maybe they didn't want somebody who actually used their unlimited data to keep it... 8gb with my Eris probably would wind up as more with a phone that supported flash. No idea what I'd be using with the 3d since I never had a signal.
What about Boost (owned by sprint but just bought a new home)? Their website is vague, do they care if I roam?
Sent from my PG86100 using xda premium
I would look into T-mobile. Im in Iowa. We have iWireless. its a tmobile affiliate. they get signal just about everywhere on the mississippi (east) side.
darksideauto said:
I would look into T-mobile. Im in Iowa. We have iWireless. its a tmobile affiliate. they get signal just about everywhere on the mississippi (east) side.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I lived in Iowa City until August, brother in law lives in Clinton and his is the phone staying there. Thanks for the reminder!
Sent from my PG86100 using xda premium
Have you looked into US Cellular at all?
http://www.uscellular.com/coverage-map/coverage-indicator.html
I didn't know your ZIP code(s) so I couldn't check exact coverage.
rstuckmaier said:
Have you looked into US Cellular at all?
http://www.uscellular.com/coverage-map/coverage-indicator.html
I didn't know your ZIP code(s) so I couldn't check exact coverage.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, was the 1st I thought of, but they don't cover Cincinnati
Sent from my PG86100 using xda premium
Looks like Best Buy has the Sensation for free. I'll pocket a $140 each giftcard for my 3D, or I could sell it to Gazelle for $170 or try e-bay?
Holy He!l, i'm in cincinnati too and WOW does sprint coverage SUCK BALLS. My phone is ALWAYS in roaming, switch back to sprint with 1bar, no bars, back to roaming. If i'm in the house, its always roaming. my evo 4g would hold at 1-2 bars, but the 3d is ALWAYS roaming. I had no idea i could get too-much-roaming-data. i did not change my prl, no verizon prl, no changes or tricks to it.
bummer man. now i'm all worried....
i know its not the new 3G one. im using that. I have my old samsung sprint airave 1x. iwould be willing to sell if the price is right. its like new. pm me if your interested.
wlpywd said:
Holy He!l, i'm in cincinnati too and WOW does sprint coverage SUCK BALLS. My phone is ALWAYS in roaming, switch back to sprint with 1bar, no bars, back to roaming. If i'm in the house, its always roaming. my evo 4g would hold at 1-2 bars, but the 3d is ALWAYS roaming. I had no idea i could get too-much-roaming-data. i did not change my prl, no verizon prl, no changes or tricks to it.
bummer man. now i'm all worried....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
the fine print on the contract say's 300mb roaming data per month. if you're worried about it, download something like juice defender that will choke your data usage or set your data to wifi only whenever you're not on sprint's towers.
I just didn't care. been with sprint since june when the 3d came out. was in iowa then and they promised it would be better when i moved here. moved in august and it was worse lol. they agreed to waive my etf, i just been waiting for a deal elsewhere.
funny, they told me the same thing. i have been with sprint for 14 years, the last 10 years i was in KC and couldn't complain (except about clearwire) and they swore to me up and down cincinnati was actually better coverage, and when i got here, jesus its horrid. i guess there's a lot more "tower" sites here, but they won't listen to you about the elevation. i've called over 10 times, and there is just apparently no way to talk to anyone that has anything to do with getting messages to the actual network systems people. The problem here, cincinnati valley, is that this town is crazily hilly. strong signal down between the hills and at the hill tops but the 80% of the city that is actually ON a hill's slope gets zero signal, and its even worse on 4g. the highways are the only place with reliable service. Verizon has solid service everywhere, and t-mobile is the best national here. Cincinnati bell is amazing as they have a transmitter on every light post and telephone pole in both counties, but they have horrible roaming agreements and plans if you leave the city with any regularity.
All of us with sprint love it except for the actual coverage, which makes it embarrassing to try and show off sprints greatness. The biggest problem is Sprint doesn't seem to understand how elevation works with these 7 hills and mini-mountains and thinks its a flat city like the midwest, and just covers in downward cones from their cell transmitter sites. ATT also seems to have this problem.
In cincinnati, verizon is solid coverage, T-Mobile is awesome, better than verizon. And the stupid cinicnnati bell is the best. ATT and Sprint are retarded for not utilizing local knowledge and input with their deployment here. I'm as close to being fed up as I can without switching. I'm right on the line. now, not only am i upset and frustrated, but i'm worried about roaming data overages or termination. i just use my phone for tv, directv nfl, radio, hell, i use my phone for media more than my tv, just under 5gigs a month, which is the main reason i still don't seriously consider switching. thank god for wifi @work.
So, i'd recommend Tmobile for national, and i'm weary of cincinnati bell but maybe its ok for you. Verizon gets a lot of minor complaints where i work, and their thunderbird sucks compared to the evo 4g, but they have strong lte 4g here. stay away from AT&T.
good luck!!
----ps, anyone know how to reach actual network deployment department @ sprint??? its so easy to explain to them what the problem is and how to fix it. there's just no way to get the info to them
wlpywd said:
funny, they told me the same thing. i have been with sprint for 14 years, the last 10 years i was in KC and couldn't complain (except about clearwire) and they swore to me up and down cincinnati was actually better coverage, and when i got here, jesus its horrid. i guess there's a lot more "tower" sites here, but they won't listen to you about the elevation. i've called over 10 times, and there is just apparently no way to talk to anyone that has anything to do with getting messages to the actual network systems people. The problem here, cincinnati valley, is that this town is crazily hilly. strong signal down between the hills and at the hill tops but the 80% of the city that is actually ON a hill's slope gets zero signal, and its even worse on 4g. the highways are the only place with reliable service. Verizon has solid service everywhere, and t-mobile is the best national here. Cincinnati bell is amazing as they have a transmitter on every light post and telephone pole in both counties, but they have horrible roaming agreements and plans if you leave the city with any regularity.
All of us with sprint love it except for the actual coverage, which makes it embarrassing to try and show off sprints greatness. The biggest problem is Sprint doesn't seem to understand how elevation works with these 7 hills and mini-mountains and thinks its a flat city like the midwest, and just covers in downward cones from their cell transmitter sites. ATT also seems to have this problem.
In cincinnati, verizon is solid coverage, T-Mobile is awesome, better than verizon. And the stupid cinicnnati bell is the best. ATT and Sprint are retarded for not utilizing local knowledge and input with their deployment here. I'm as close to being fed up as I can without switching. I'm right on the line. now, not only am i upset and frustrated, but i'm worried about roaming data overages or termination. i just use my phone for tv, directv nfl, radio, hell, i use my phone for media more than my tv, just under 5gigs a month, which is the main reason i still don't seriously consider switching. thank god for wifi @work.
So, i'd recommend Tmobile for national, and i'm weary of cincinnati bell but maybe its ok for you. Verizon gets a lot of minor complaints where i work, and their thunderbird sucks compared to the evo 4g, but they have strong lte 4g here. stay away from AT&T.
good luck!!
----ps, anyone know how to reach actual network deployment department @ sprint??? its so easy to explain to them what the problem is and how to fix it. there's just no way to get the info to them
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the input, I was contemplating Cinci Bell but their customer service sucks and I will travel back to Iowa 4-5 times a year. That and the Sensation is way better than any phones they have LOL (especially at $99). Now trying to decide if I should wait another two weeks for the Amaze since I have 30 days.
Sent from my PG86100 using xda premium
What all do I need to do to my phone to sell it?

[Q] Should I leave Verizon?

I like Verizon, the coverage is great but sometimes I wonder if the grass is greener. I like to try all the different phones out there and T-Mobile and AT&T have the most open networks for switching out phones. I think T-Mobile is not going to work because the coverage is just not there. I used to be an At&T customer and only left really for Android (Original Droid). Now that Android is spread to al the carriers I wonder if I might like AT&T better just because I can switch out phones so much easier. Anyone have any input, maybe someone that has switched from Verizon to AT&T?
Character Zero said:
I like Verizon, the coverage is great but sometimes I wonder if the grass is greener. I like to try all the different phones out there and T-Mobile and AT&T have the most open networks for switching out phones. I think T-Mobile is not going to work because the coverage is just not there. I used to be an At&T customer and only left really for Android (Original Droid). Now that Android is spread to al the carriers I wonder if I might like AT&T better just because I can switch out phones so much easier. Anyone have any input, maybe someone that has switched from Verizon to AT&T?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'd love to provide some input as a user who has been a Verizon customer for a few years and is switching to AT&T. I previously used the Galaxy Nexus on Verizon and then switched to the iPhone 5 last year. I am still on an unlimited data plan. However, I have grown increasingly frustrated at Verizon because of their lack of phone variety, slow updates, locked bootloaders, Verizon customizations (persistent WIFI notifications, for example), etc.
So I bought an HTC One on AT&T the other day and am currently evaluating it. Right now I still have my Verizon iPhone 5 with unlimited data. But I also have the HTC One with the 5GB data plan (I have a 25% business discount).
SO is the grass greener? Yes and No. Here are some of my thoughts:
- Verizon has better overall coverage, but AT&T is faster. In my area, LTE on AT&T just went live, and while speeds are comparable, AT&T has better penetration already into the buildings I've been in. In my workplace, for example, I can get 4G LTE on AT&T but only 3G on Verizon unless I am close to the windows. It's nice having HSPA+ as a drop down from LTE as opposed to Verizon's very slow 3G network IMO. Can't deny Verizon's coverage is second to none, but AT&T is good in my area so this is probably the primary consideration (how is AT&T in your main area you'll be in???)
- It would be very hard to give up my Unlimited Data plan on Verizon. It's nice not having to worry about data caps. However, in actual use, I rarely go over 3-4GB per month and only occasionally reach 5GB. I don't think 3GB would be enough as I'd be constantly worrying about going over, plus I'd have to workaround tethering. For now, I'm keeping my Verizon line until I am absolutely sure.
- Phones! GMS > CDMA if only for the flexibility the former has for phones. The floodgates are open on AT&T and T-Mobile, but Verizon takes longer to get phones, has less variety, and has complete control over them. I hate everything about what Verizon is doing, and it's clear they don't have geeks in mind that like to tinker and switch phones often. I change phones every 9-12 months usually, and AT&T is going to provide a better environment than Verizon for that. Not perfect, mind you. They still lock bootloaders, and have some draconian policies and practices, but by the nature of their GMS network, there is more flexibility.
- HTC One. I bought the One on AT&T before it was officially confirmed that Verizon would be getting it. So there is a part of me that thinks I should just return the AT&T version and wait for the Verizon version. However, I am not at all confident that Verizon won't screw it up or prevent HTC from allowing us to unlock the bootloader. And like I said, I'm just really tired of Verizon and their meddling. I may just end up keep both plans for a while, but right now I'm leaning towards keeping the AT&T version despite my unlimited data plan on Verizon.
Hope that helps.
Yes that was a great help. I am really torn because Verizon's coverage is so great. I know that ATT LTE went live here a little bit ago and I think the coverage is pretty good. Ironically I left ATT for the Droid on Verizon because of the lack of variety on ATT at the time. Thanks for your input.
honestly i would move to verizon right now if i could, in my area better coverage + better speeds
Character Zero said:
Yes that was a great help. I am really torn because Verizon's coverage is so great. I know that ATT LTE went live here a little bit ago and I think the coverage is pretty good. Ironically I left ATT for the Droid on Verizon because of the lack of variety on ATT at the time. Thanks for your input.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No problem. I know what you mean, I had AT&T a long time ago too and moved to Verizon when they changed their unlimited data policy. So it's ironic that I am now switching back. AT&T has done a good job of courting Android phone makers, and Verizon seems to be in the honeymoon phase of having the iPhone now. It's weird how things have flip-flopped! AT&T also has a few more consumer-friendly policies such as not forcing customers into a Share Everything data plan if you aren't already grandfathered in. They have rollover minutes (which I know isn't a big deal these day with people using voice less). And they have Mobile to ANY Mobile rather than just Mobile to Mobile, which is a small advantage I know.
But yeah, the primary consideration is how each carrier performs in your area. If both are good (like in my area), you have more options.
xnknown said:
honestly i would move to verizon right now if i could, in my area better coverage + better speeds
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, if one carrier has better coverage and speeds in your area, then it makes sense to use that carrier. In my area, Verizon's LTE has been around for almost two years now and I rarely get more than 10 Mbps downloads. Usually it hovers around 5-9 Mbps, which is not even much better than AT&T's HSPA+, let alone LTE. And when my phones on Verizon drop down to 3G, it feels like dialup speeds. So far, AT&T is noticeable better for speeds between my HTC One and iPhone 5.
But again, YMMV and this is just a subjective observation on my part. To the OP, you could always give AT&T a shot for 14 days and compare the networks. If it doesn't work out, you can cancel and just pay the restocking fee. Just use the new phone with a new number, so you don't have to port and cancel your old line yet.
It all depends on your location really. I live near philly and the service has actually been a bit better on att then verizon from when i had them a few years ago. The speeds are also better on att thanks to it not being cdma but rather hspa. Overall I would never go back to verizon due to their prices and slower speeds unless I moved somewhere where they had clearly better service than all other companies.
So what about dropped calls. I barely have any on Verizon, but I remember having them on AT&T. Does being on LTE fix that or is it still a problem?
I went from Verizon (been a customer for 10 years) to At&t recently because my wife's office only gets At&t reception and we wanted to be on a Mobile Share plan instead of having two separate accounts (saves us around 40 a month). I've had an At&t line over the years for work, so I know the coverage isn't NEARLY as good as Verizon, especially LTE coverage in my area (At&t just went live on a few towers in my neck of the woods), but the savings is worth the sacrifice at this time.
Plus, as you said, being able to use most GSM phones on the network is a HUGE plus. Being able to run the Google Edition on my HTC One will be fantastic and I don't think Verizon is going to make it easy to run that software. Plus, as another guy mentioned above, that persistent Wifi thing Verizon does is sooooooo annoying. Almost as bad as At&t putting their name in the notification bar of the GS3/GS4. At least it goes away after a few seconds on the HTC One.
I haven't had many dropped calls on At&t, but calls are not what I do the most of, so I'm a bad barometer for that. I know the wife drops a bunch but I just attributed it to being the Nexus 4 and not a tried and true, tested, At&t phone. She has a GS4 now, so we'll see if that improves.
Anyway, in short, I did it for strictly monetary reasons, but the plus sides of At&t are numerous so it's not as bad as thought it would be.
dbdynsty25 said:
I went from Verizon (been a customer for 10 years) to At&t recently because my wife's office only gets At&t reception and we wanted to be on a Mobile Share plan instead of having two separate accounts (saves us around 40 a month). I've had an At&t line over the years for work, so I know the coverage isn't NEARLY as good as Verizon, especially LTE coverage in my area (At&t just went live on a few towers in my neck of the woods), but the savings is worth the sacrifice at this time.
Plus, as you said, being able to use most GSM phones on the network is a HUGE plus. Being able to run the Google Edition on my HTC One will be fantastic and I don't think Verizon is going to make it easy to run that software. Plus, as another guy mentioned above, that persistent Wifi thing Verizon does is sooooooo annoying. Almost as bad as At&t putting their name in the notification bar of the GS3/GS4. At least it goes away after a few seconds on the HTC One.
I haven't had many dropped calls on At&t, but calls are not what I do the most of, so I'm a bad barometer for that. I know the wife drops a bunch but I just attributed it to being the Nexus 4 and not a tried and true, tested, At&t phone. She has a GS4 now, so we'll see if that improves.
Anyway, in short, I did it for strictly monetary reasons, but the plus sides of At&t are numerous so it's not as bad as thought it would be.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thats what I am afraid of. My wife values the voice and I value the data. So dropped calls don't bother me as much, but it would really bother my wife. Especially coming from Verizon with very few dropped calls.
I dropped Verizon last year for AT&T and, despite the few rough patches everyone else has mentioned, it was worth it. No one can beat Verizon's LTE network coverage at this point, but I was so fed up with their other BS on updates and pretty scanty selection of phones that I did what you did and suspended my service for a month to see what happened. At first they weren't perfect, but I was fine with them and loved that I could go from a US SGS3 to an international One X without a hitch. Also, AT&T's coverage (both 3G and LTE) has expanded greatly in quality and quantity over the last 6 months where I'm at for work and everyday life. So now I've finally convinced my wife to drop them also and thus ending our 12 year run with Verizon and their devolution into Apple-like "It's our way or you don't need it" business model.
Will I ever go back? Not until I can buy a new phone from anywhere I want and activate it on their network. And I believe it'll be a cold day in heck before that is ever allowed to happen!

[Q] Problems with the LTE connection!

Hi there!
I got on three phones the same problem - so I can say that´s a problem from technology itself!
When I´m on the way with my phone and have turned on "LTE", I got best performance in data connection (internet speed) but worse phone reception. Sometimes I can´t phone someone because I got no connection to network to phone (but best data speed!).
When I turn off "LTE" I get best values with my phone reception. Data also good (about 20Mbit).
Could anyone tell me what´s the problem with it? You pay Euros over Euros fot the LTE ant then you can´t phone anymore?
(Sorry for my english!).
That's because LTE and 4G is Data-only. It needs to switch back to 2G/3G to make a call. (it should auto switch when you answer a call).
I suspect your provider doesn't support LTE fast switching, or your SIMcard is simply too old to work properly. Have you checked it with a different SIM?
(Say what you want about T-Mobile's (lack of) network coverage, but at least they made 4G completely free in the Netherlands.)
Ok, i didn´t know that LTE/4G is data only - very interesting.
I got a brand new card, but i will contact the provider (T-Mobile) if they are informed about my problem?
ShadowLea said:
That's because LTE and 4G is Data-only. It needs to switch back to 2G/3G to make a call. (it should auto switch when you answer a call).
I suspect your provider doesn't support LTE fast switching, or your SIMcard is simply too old to work properly. Have you checked it with a different SIM?
(Say what you want about T-Mobile's (lack of) network coverage, but at least they made 4G completely free in the Netherlands.)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think that was correct until last year, with the advent of VoLTE networks. This is basically VoIP on your LTE connection with your mobile network being the VoIP provider and it all being transparent to you. How extensive the rollout is in any particular country or network is anyone's guess though
maluc said:
Ok, i didn´t know that LTE/4G is data only - very interesting.
I got a brand new card, but i will contact the provider (T-Mobile) if they are informed about my problem?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Which country? I know T-Mobile Netherlands does have fast switching enabled. But every section of T-Mobile is completely separate from Deutsche Telekom itself, so it varies per country.
RealitySwitch said:
I think that was correct until last year, with the advent of VoLTE networks. This is basically VoIP on your LTE connection with your mobile network being the VoIP provider and it all being transparent to you. How extensive the rollout is in any particular country or network is anyone's guess though
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That hasn't been rolled out in Europe yet, sadly
ShadowLea said:
Which country? I know T-Mobile Netherlands does have fast switching enabled. But every section of T-Mobile is completely separate from Deutsche Telekom itself, so it varies per country.
That hasn't been rolled out in Europe yet, sadly
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Actually, I'm going to be working in the Netherlands soon & am going to need a PAYG or 1-month rolling contract SIM for mainly data. Any suggestions?
RealitySwitch said:
Actually, I'm going to be working in the Netherlands soon & am going to need a PAYG or 1-month rolling contract SIM for mainly data. Any suggestions?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Uhhhh I haven't had prepaid in years..
The most stable and widespread network is KPN. (government funded) Which is, consequentially, also the most expensive. 4G is not available for prepaid. They offer prepaid with additional packages for data per month. 16 euro for 1GB for 31 days, and € 1,02 per MB after the 1GB runs out.
T-Mobile offers prepaid with packages as well. € 14,95 for 1GB. As far as I know 4G speed isn't available for prepaid. The actual 4G net itself is available in most of the Randstad (Amsterdam, Rotterdam, The Hague, Utrecht, extending towards Enschede (guilte as charged) and Arnhem, and some cities in the north and south.
Vodafone offers a contract-free subscription (Hybride) that you can end at any point. Comes in standard and Red, with € 2,50 for 4G in standard. Red is 4G by default. 4G only availables in the big cities. They also offer prepaid with additional packages, 1GB for €10. 4G is an additional package for €5 per month.
If you don't want 4G, there are additional providers with options. For those you're better off heading for a shop and asking them, I don't know the particulars of those.
If you know you're going to be here at least a year, you can get a subscription for a year (either with a device or SIMonly). Much cheaper.
ShadowLea said:
Uhhhh I haven't had prepaid in years..
The most stable and widespread network is KPN. (government funded) Which is, consequentially, also the most expensive. 4G is not available for prepaid. They offer prepaid with additional packages for data per month. 16 euro for 1GB for 31 days, and € 1,02 per MB after the 1GB runs out.
T-Mobile offers prepaid with packages as well. € 14,95 for 1GB. As far as I know 4G speed isn't available for prepaid. The actual 4G net itself is available in most of the Randstad (Amsterdam, Rotterdam, The Hague, Utrecht, extending towards Enschede (guilte as charged) and Arnhem, and some cities in the north and south.
Vodafone offers a contract-free subscription (Hybride) that you can end at any point. Comes in standard and Red, with € 2,50 for 4G in standard. Red is 4G by default. 4G only availables in the big cities. They also offer prepaid with additional packages, 1GB for €10. 4G is an additional package for €5 per month.
If you don't want 4G, there are additional providers with options. For those you're better off heading for a shop and asking them, I don't know the particulars of those.
If you know you're going to be here at least a year, you can get a subscription for a year (either with a device or SIMonly). Much cheaper.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks! All info is useful at this point. I'm hopeful my contract will be for a long time, but it's contracting, so it may only be a few months.
If they made a dual-SIM Moto X or Sony Z3 Compact I'd switch to one of those and sell my current phone, but I'm just going to have to get a Moto G and stick a Dutch SIM in it (and use it as a hotspot for my main phone).
RealitySwitch said:
Thanks! All info is useful at this point. I'm hopeful my contract will be for a long time, but it's contracting, so it may only be a few months.
If they made a dual-SIM Moto X or Sony Z3 Compact I'd switch to one of those and sell my current phone, but I'm just going to have to get a Moto G and stick a Dutch SIM in it (and use it as a hotspot for my main phone).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If it's purely for data, a MiFi router is also an idea. Basically a router with a SIMslot. Probably cheaper than a phone (starts around 50 quid).
ShadowLea said:
If it's purely for data, a MiFi router is also an idea. Basically a router with a SIMslot. Probably cheaper than a phone (starts around 50 quid).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Something to think about for sure, though a Dutch voice number may be useful.
RealitySwitch said:
Something to think about for sure, though a Dutch voice number may be useful.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Very true.
I was just thinking that a simple phone and a MiFi router would probably be cheaper than a smartphone of any kind. I could be wrong, and it might be a bit of a hassle to swap them around all the time.
Sent From My Samsung Galaxy Note 3 N9005 Using Tapatalk

Can any former Verizon users sell me on T-Mobile?

I currently use a Verizon M7 with an old "grandfathered" Verizon unlimited data plan... I really have no complaints about the service level, phone calls are clear and don't drop, LTE data speeds are great... Nonetheless, I dislike Verizon's increasingly-successful efforts to lock-down their devices to an unbreakable degree, I dislike the fact that Verizon STILL hasn't released Lollipop for their M7, AND I feel I'm paying way too much money every month for my line and 3 other lines for my wife and kids (they DON'T have unlimited data).
So, T-Mobile's month-to-month plans and offers to buy out Verizon contracts is tempting... Questions:
Does modern GSM still buzz through every nearby speaker?
How solid are telephone conversations on T-Mobile? Are you happy with their USA network? I'm working around the greater SF bay area with business travel to major metro areas - few road trips...
Are T-Mo's "unlimited" data plans truly unlimited, or do they throttle down speeds after a certain threshold?
Dare I keep using my m7wlv (verizon's HTC One variant) on T-Mo's network? Presumably I can just swap out the SIM, but I suspect limited band selection, etc.
Thanks!
bmeek said:
I currently use a Verizon M7 with an old "grandfathered" Verizon unlimited data plan... I really have no complaints about the service level, phone calls are clear and don't drop, LTE data speeds are great... Nonetheless, I dislike Verizon's increasingly-successful efforts to lock-down their devices to an unbreakable degree, I dislike the fact that Verizon STILL hasn't released Lollipop for their M7, AND I feel I'm paying way too much money every month for my line and 3 other lines for my wife and kids (they DON'T have unlimited data).
So, T-Mobile's month-to-month plans and offers to buy out Verizon contracts is tempting... Questions:
Does modern GSM still buzz through every nearby speaker?
How solid are telephone conversations on T-Mobile? Are you happy with their USA network? I'm working around the greater SF bay area with business travel to major metro areas - few road trips...
Are T-Mo's "unlimited" data plans truly unlimited, or do they throttle down speeds after a certain threshold?
Dare I keep using my m7wlv (verizon's HTC One variant) on T-Mo's network? Presumably I can just swap out the SIM, but I suspect limited band selection, etc.
Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Been on T-moblie for 1 1/2 yrs - came from Version
1) No - Never heard of this problem
2) Telephone conversations are just as good as on Verizon. We live in the Tucson, AZ area and have really good coverage here. I'm aware of a couple of spots where signal drops, but am rarely in those areas so no big deal. On road trips, coverage not as good as Verizon but on a trip to Glacier National Park, had signal 75% of the time (50% or more was roaming but at least we could still make calls). Considering the saving over Verizon, I'm happy to put up with that, especially since this is a once a year thing for a week or two only.
3) They throttle down speeds after you reach your high speed data limit. BE AWARE -- when roaming, data is greatly limited, and when you reach the limit, you are cut off.
4) No idea. When we switched, my son had a Verizon Nokia phone that was listed on T-mobile as compatible -- it mostly worked but there were a couple of things that didn't work quite right -- something with texting that didn't work right. After a couple of months, he sold it to my cousin who is on Verison, and wanted that particular phone and bought a Verizon model.
If I had it to do over again would I switch -- Most Definitely! I'm paying less on T-mobile for 4 smart phones than I did on Verizon for 3 flip phones and 1 smart phone, no contracts, unlimited text & talk and just as good of service. Nationwide, coverage is not nearly as good as Verizon, but then I'm not nationwide -- Just be sure to check coverage maps for the areas where coverage is important to you.
Hope that helps - I'll be sure to check back if you have more questions.
p.s. Opps, need to change my signature -- it's now a HTC One

T mobile LG v60 to ATT?

I've seen a few posts saying you can cross flash so you can move your v60 from t-mobile to att. However none of them are very clear.
I am going to have to switch from t-mobile to att as t-mobile shut down the sprint network in an area I need to be with some regularity and now has near zero coverage. Their wifi calling doesn't work well either as it registers very slowly and doesn't stay registered.
I've waited over a year for t-mobile to deliver promised coverage replacements.
It's becoming more and more a problem as I need to be in the area more often. Would appreciate any details anyone can offer. I don't want to give up my v60 yet or have to buy one.
You will it informative. But please be advised that there is no firmware available for AT&T V60. So it is not possible unless your phone is factory unlocked by carrier.
You can't unless you don't mind it being a data-only device (and I can't guarantee even that will work). AT&T has a VERY select list (I believe this is by IMEI so cross-flashing will not help) of phones they allow to use VoLTE on their network. Other carriers' phones are not among them. You MIGHT be able to beg/harass customer service to whitelist your IMEI. I think I've read about that happening, but I might be thinking of Verizon. I wouldn't count on it though. AT&T has a vested interest in making you buy a phone you can't use anywhere else. They're not interested in BYOP mercenaries who want to try out their service for a month then bounce back to TMO or Verizon.
Eric janaika said:
You can't unless you don't mind it being a data-only device (and I can't guarantee even that will work). AT&T has a VERY select list (I believe this is by IMEI so cross-flashing will not help) of phones they allow to use VoLTE on their network. Other carriers' phones are not among them. You MIGHT be able to beg/harass customer service to whitelist your IMEI. I think I've read about that happening, but I might be thinking of Verizon. I wouldn't count on it though. AT&T has a vested interest in making you buy a phone you can't use anywhere else. They're not interested in BYOP mercenaries who want to try out their service for a month then bounce back to TMO or Verizon.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sure,you can crossflash the T-Mobile version with AT&T firmware regardless of the IMEI and it will work.I'm on A12 AT&T with a USC V60 and have no issues at all.It will be required to have the AT&T firmware on it for the IMS to configure properly.I did this back when AT&T shut their 3g down to work around it.
Arghtastic said:
I've seen a few posts saying you can cross flash so you can move your v60 from t-mobile to att. However none of them are very clear.
I am going to have to switch from t-mobile to att as t-mobile shut down the sprint network in an area I need to be with some regularity and now has near zero coverage. Their wifi calling doesn't work well either as it registers very slowly and doesn't stay registered.
I've waited over a year for t-mobile to deliver promised coverage replacements.
It's becoming more and more a problem as I need to be in the area more often. Would appreciate any details anyone can offer. I don't want to give up my v60 yet or have to buy one.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The key thing,does AT&T work in that area?AT&T and T-Mobile are currently struggling trying to get 5g fully working in all areas and so far it's been a nightmare.I'm in Nashville,TN. and it's horrible in most areas.Even down to the 4g towers are degraded and data speeds are back to 3g speeds as we speak.It's not only T-Mobile at the moment.
Where did you get the AT&T firmware? And the process to cross flash?
Royaltiger said:
Where did you get the AT&T firmware? And the process to cross flash?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is 20q A11.I used QCFire and unchecked sid_a and sid_b.Works great!
LMV600AM Restore/Ugrade Guide
This restore process is intended for the AT&T V60 (lmv600am) model and will WIPE your data so back it up if you want to keep it! This process will restore the lmv600am to original factory state for the AT&T v60 v20q build (a11). I’ve dumped all...
forum.xda-developers.com
Surgemanxx said:
The key thing,does AT&T work in that area?AT&T and T-Mobile are currently struggling trying to get 5g fully working in all areas and so far it's been a nightmare.I'm in Nashville,TN. and it's horrible in most areas.Even down to the 4g towers are degraded and data speeds are back to 3g speeds as we speak.It's not only T-Mobile at the moment.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes att works. No its not 5g in either case. Too rural. T-mobile for example replaced more rhan half a dozen towers for one town in the area with two. Two. Then wondered why people had no coverage.
Arghtastic said:
Yes att works. No its not 5g in either case. Too rural. T-mobile for example replaced more rhan half a dozen towers for one town in the area with two. Two. Then wondered why people had no coverage.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have been on AT&T for almost a month about how bad the service is around my home address.We have 1 tower in about a 10 mile radius that's trying to serve at least 10,000 subscribers every day and it's failing hard.I'm doing good to get 4 mbps down and .5 up.Yes,that's a dot in front of the 5..lol..I told them point blank,why shut down 3g when you can't even handle the load with 4g alone?My response was, "we're working on 2 towers that are planned to be upgraded to 5g by the end of the year."Those 2 towers haven't worked in 8 years I know of..lol...I remember when they activated 4g and it wasn't this bad.The worst part in the US we're down to 3 carriers period.T-Mobile,AT&T,and Verizon.The rest are all MVNO's so those don't account for anything..lol..
Surgemanxx said:
I have been on AT&T for almost a month about how bad the service is around my home address.We have 1 tower in about a 10 mile radius that's trying to serve at least 10,000 subscribers every day and it's failing hard.I'm doing good to get 4 mbps down and .5 up.Yes,that's a dot in front of the 5..lol..I told them point blank,why shut down 3g when you can't even handle the load with 4g alone?My response was, "we're working on 2 towers that are planned to be upgraded to 5g by the end of the year."Those 2 towers haven't worked in 8 years I know of..lol...I remember when they activated 4g and it wasn't this bad.The worst part in the US we're down to 3 carriers period.T-Mobile,AT&T,and Verizon.The rest are all MVNO's so those don't account for anything..lol..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Tried a signal booster? I used to run a 3 watt (max legal) and it made service possible. Also If you have wifi/internet you may be able to request a microcel from ATT for free
Arghtastic said:
Tried a signal booster? I used to run a 3 watt (max legal) and it made service possible. Also If you have wifi/internet you may be able to request a microcel from ATT for free
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm working on a booster as we speak.It's become horrible the last couple of months,and all this 3g shut down crap.I have even down to started switching modem files on my LG devices in hopes it may help some.Time will tell..lol..

Categories

Resources