Just got my shiny SGS2 and wonder - what is the best data plan price could be in Ontario (Toronto particularly).
Got my phone from Virgin Mobile unlock and connected to Fido.
A friend of mine told me that Wind has the best price - $10 a month for unlimited data (only throttling the channel after first 5Gb). Went to Wind booth and asked to put Wind demo SIM card into my Samsung. No luck, the phone can see the Wind Home Network but couldn't connect to it.
Fido has regular data plan $60 a month for 5Gb that is kinda expensive.
Found in Internet that Fido has retention plan $30 for 6Gb. Called the support but they told me - this is only if I buy new smartphone from them sign for 3 years contract, otherwise - no $30 for 6Gb even when I threatened that I would cancel and go to different provider.
Any thoughts about cheap data plans in Canada, Ontario, Toronto that DO work with Samsung Galaxy S2?
I would've stuck with Virgin as they currently have a limited time offer of 6GB data for $30 and they're plan offerings aren't bad at all if you don't have the luxury of a retention offer from your current provider.
I have accounts on three different carriers for me and my siblings and here's how they compare:
Brother's on Fido:
100/Unl.E/WE starting 7pm
Unl. txt msg
Call Display w/Name Display
Canadian LD Option 25 Minutes
6GB Data
=$75 after taxes
Sister's on Virgin:
200/Unl.E/WE starting 6pm
Unl. txt&pic msg
Fav 10 Canada-wide
Call Display w/Name Display
1GB Data
=$70 after taxes
Mine on Bell:
150/Unl.E/WE starting 6pm
Unl. txt&pic msg
Fab 10 Canada-wide
Call Display & Voice Mail
6GB Data
=$87 after taxes
Wow, holy expensive plans, batman.
30-45$ (Plus tax) here for:
300 minutes
unlimited fido to fido
Evenings and weekends at 6
2500 SMS/100 MMS
Voicemail + Call display
Evolutive data plan (100 megs, 10$, 500 megs, 20$, 1GB, 25$)
(Telus corporate plan + Retention = Win)
Do people really need 6GB? Retention works only if you've been with a carrier for a long time... Going on 6 years with fido, I'm sure if I call them they'll give me something free. haha
Wait until the iphone 5 is released... When it is, they'll have 6GB data plans for 30$... Virgin though seems to have a pretty good network. Fido/Rogers, not so sure anymore...
karendar said:
Do people really need 6GB? Retention works only if you've been with a carrier for a long time... Going on 6 years with fido, I'm sure if I call them they'll give me something free. haha
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Been with Fido for 7 years now without interruption.
Call them today and they haven't given me the retention plan.
Not unless I bought a phone from them (I just got my SGS2 ha-ha, what Fido can offer me instead?), sign a contract for 3 years and other crappy terms...
Man, I am disapoint with Fido.
^ Strange, I got the 6GB/$30 retention plan by committing to 2 years of Data (eg an ECF is < 2yrs) without any hardware (I am using an unlocked SGS II from Europe now).
Unlocked SGS2 will only work on Rogers, Bell and Telus (and their sub-brands, Fido, Virgin, etc.) because SGS2 supports 1900/2100 MHz HSPA.
Wind and Mobilicity use 1700 MHz (AWS) HSPA frequency for their network, which the global version of the SGS2 does not support. You will have to wait for the T-Mobile USA version.
On the other hand, the unlocked global version of HTC Sensation will work on Wind and Mobilicity, but not on Bell or Telus, and only at EDGE speeds on Rogers network.
If you use the SGS2 on Wind network, it will probably roam on the Rogers/Bell/Telus network (whichever they have roaming partnership with) (Wind Away zone). Not sure though.
TWiTCommander said:
Wind and Mobilicity use 1700 MHz (AWS) HSPA frequency for their network, which the global version of the SGS2 does not support. You will have to wait for the T-Mobile USA version.
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Is this "T-Mobile version" has different chip and some kind of different hardware or it will be just another ROM, software update etc.?
I mean can we theoretically reprogram Bell SGS2 to work with Wind or this is hardware issue?
It's a hardware thing. The T-Mobile/AWS version will use a different cellular baseband radio chip and antenna. It's kind of like the iPhone - you get 3G on Rogers/Fido/Bell/Telus/AT&T, but only EDGE on Wind/Mobilicity/T-Mobile - because the iPhone cellular baseband radio does not support AWS frequencies.
sly2m said:
Been with Fido for 7 years now without interruption.
Call them today and they haven't given me the retention plan.
Not unless I bought a phone from them (I just got my SGS2 ha-ha, what Fido can offer me instead?), sign a contract for 3 years and other crappy terms...
Man, I am disapoint with Fido.
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I manage a multi-carrier wireless store (Rogers, Fido, Bell, Virgin, etc) and suggest you call Fido back and talk to the cancellations department (also called customer retention). Tell them you are going to switch to Virgin because they will give you a better plan without contract. Speaking from experience, they can give you a plan with promotional discounts even without having to sign a contract.
If that doesn't work, PM me and I'll actually switch you to something better. Like Virgin for $75 (Unlimited Talk and Text, 6GB Data, Caller ID, Voicemail), no contract.
GetHyper said:
I manage a multi-carrier wireless store (Rogers, Fido, Bell, Virgin, etc) and suggest you call Fido back and talk to the cancellations department (also called customer retention). Tell them you are going to switch to Virgin because they will give you a better plan without contract. Speaking from experience, they can give you a plan with promotional discounts even without having to sign a contract.
If that doesn't work, PM me and I'll actually switch you to something better. Like Virgin for $75 (Unlimited Talk and Text, 6GB Data, Caller ID, Voicemail), no contract.
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Related
Hi
I am here visiting for about 3 months (maybe a bit more)
I have the intentional S II
Which plan will be best for me (want to enjoy at least 3G)?
I see that T-Mobile has a decent pre-paid plan (100MB in 4G speeds is enough) - unlimited for 50 a month.
But any help will be appreciated !!
Thank you all !!!
International version doesn't support T-Mobile bands, you'll only have EDGE data. AT&T is the only provider that will support the international version for 3g/4g speeds.
That's great to know!!! Those ATT are way more expensive though (for some reason).
Thank you!
They are the same price for prepaid, at&t gophone plan should work on the international version, but the speeds are capped at 500kb-1mb.
Disfected said:
They are the same price for prepaid, at&t gophone plan should work on the international version, but the speeds are capped at 500kb-1mb.
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But isn't this plan for people who want a phone as well? do i not have to get the phone (is this question retarded)??
Gophone = prepaid cheapo phone, you do get a phone I believe but it's an inexpensive toss away. There is a thread somewhere here that talks about it, with people buying one from walmart and just removing the simcard.
For some background, I'm an intermediate Android user (I have a tablet which I tinker with all the time) but a complete noob when it comes to cell phones. I bought the international GS3 with the intention of using it on T-Mobile's Walmart plan, but the radio doesn't seem to be compatible with anything other than edge.
I read the other thread about this and I realize that the only option on T-Mobile is to wait until they refarm their network, but I'm wondering what options there are on other carriers.
First, what networks (other than T-Mobile) are the phone compatible with, on 3G and hopefully 4G?
Second, what is the cheapest unlimited data plan on any of those networks?
Third, when will T-Mobile's refarming hit the northeastern US?
Thank you.
You can use it on AT&T and also Straight Talk with AT&T compatible SIM both will allow you to use HSPA.
Thank you.
What is the cheapest plan with reasonable data (if not unlimited, at least 2 or 3 GB). talk and text on AT&T?
450min voice is $40 + $30 for 3GB data + $20 for unlimited text with unlimited mobile-mobile calling. total is $90 whereas Straight Talk is $45 unlimited everything with I believe 2GB data cap at high speed.
Is there any difference between the two in terms of quality of service? That's a huge price difference.
I havent used Straight Talk but as soon as my SGS3 arrives I am going to try it out. Once I am satisfied I am dumping ATT.
So I've been globetrotting with my Incredible 4G/aka Fireball with CM10.1 (currently the unofficial 20130420 build by mdmower) for about 6 months now and it works great on VZW's global plan, Used it all over Europe and across US / Canada using Verizon's plan. Feel free to ask any questions below if you are curious about my experiences with that. I can't promise a speedy response but will do my best to answer.
The point of this post is actually to see if anyone wants me to try any specific services or networks while I am in Europe later this month. I see a number of posts asking if it will work in -insert country here- or on -insert service provider here- so if you want a guinea pig, here I am.
I was thinking of buying a pre-paid SIM or 3 and basically try different services and setups for kicks and giggles. I am flying into Amsterdam and will end up in Belgium and Germany at different points in my trip and this summer have projects in Asia and Scandinavia.
I'll either grab cards off of Amazon before I go or when I land hit up a kiosk or vending machine.
Not sure if this is of any use to anyone but since I'm already going to satisfy my own curiosity I'd offer my results to the community.
Now everyone stand back.... I'm about to SCIENCE! :laugh:
i'm heading to italy this summer and wondering what it will take to make this phone work. this is my first 4g phone with a sim card...
my previous verizon phones have always worked around america (mexico, dominican republic, etc). when i went to asia last year (japan, thailand) i only used wifi for email and data - the roaming worked but was outrageous price.
I'm using this phone in Ukraine with no issues. I have Ukranian GSM service provider and another one for CDMA. No LTE in Ukraine.
The only tip, that this phone doesn't support my GSM provider's Mobile Internet. Never the less, it does support it on other Ukranian GSM providers.
When I was in German, I bought myself German prepaid sim-card and sucsessfully switched to its network
j13smiley said:
i'm heading to italy this summer and wondering what it will take to make this phone work. this is my first 4g phone with a sim card...
my previous verizon phones have always worked around america (mexico, dominican republic, etc). when i went to asia last year (japan, thailand) i only used wifi for email and data - the roaming worked but was outrageous price.
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That's kind of my thought on the matter too, how easy is it to switch carriers on a device which is normally carrier locked. I see there are some configurations needed for the CM10.1 to work on a different carrier and want to try and see how it works. I will be giving that a whirl and see.
I noticed that last time I was in Belgium I had very spotty coverage with VZW and very slow data while nobody else had any problems getting decent speeds, but in Netherlands I usually had same or better signal than locals and mostly full 3G signal in main train routes and larger downtown areas like Amsterdam, Rotterdam and Eindhoven. Germany was about the same but I wasn't paying much attention to my phone while briefly passing through.
VZW lists the radios as:
Network
LTE 700 MHz (band 13)
CDMA 1x/3G 800/1900 MHz
UMTS/HSPA 2100/900
Quad Band GSM/GPRS/EDGE (850/900/1800/1900)
With this gamut I would think it can attach to any network for voice and data with the right settings. I also plan on paying closer attention to what kind of signals I am attaching to and speeds, etc.
After spending a week abroad I found that if you are just visiting using the Global Plan through Verizon is by FAR the best solution.
First, a "Local" SIM card runs about 10 Euro from most providers, T-Mobile (NL) and KPN were the ones I selected. Vodafone is in partnership with VZW for service in Netherlands so I skipped them assuming same coverage. With the 10 Euro you get varying minimal amounts of voice minutes for local calls... assume it's JUST a SIM though, you pay extra for minutes, texts and data.
The Pre-Paid SIMs I had access to do not offer roaming. I was told you need a plan for roaming. When I went into Germany or Belgium I lost service.
Data plans on pre-paid plans for a smartphone are about 25-30 euro for 100mb.
It's only $25 per 100mb chunk through VZW.
Texting plans range from 5 Euro and up. I didn't get one, didn't need it since I use WhatsApp and Viber for that.
Coverage and data speed would the ONLY reason I would go with a pre-paid SIM again. T-Mobile had exceptionally fast data and amazing coverage while I was in the NL. KPN was comparable to Vodafone (thought my VZW global plan).
Switching to other providers was difficult and cumbersome and CM10.1 does NOT handle global roaming very well. Can't just jam a SIM in and it works (See MDMower's Unofficial CM post for settings) Once the settings were made I made a TWRP backup to make switching possible without a PC.
CM 10 and 10.1 did not show a signal bar even when I had signal so it was VERY difficult to ascertain signal strength and relied on just speed and what I perceived of signal strength.
Stock Rooted works great for Global Roaming but did not like SIM cards from other providers.
Recap; If you plan on visiting a country outside of USA and use this phone (or any Global phone really) then it's best to add in a global plan at $25-30 a month and the $25 100mb package. A SIM will cost you about that or more and doesn't allow you to use your same phone number or roam into other countries without added expense.
It's best to stick with Stock Rooted on that plan. IF you plan on using a local SIM for data speeds and you are staying in one major city/area for the duration then it will work alright but make backups of different configurations before you do the switch... Plan on spending an hour or two getting your phone configured and setup with the right settings and my signal bar never worked in CM, even if you have full signal.
From now on I will use only VZW plan on Stock Rooted. It's the best way to have a reliable phone when travelling abroad.
I know it's a Global phone and supports a plethora of different network types and data bands but I'm not sure if it's missing any that are specific to TMobile and might not be able get the fastest speeds or other problems.
A good friend has a corporate plan and can add lines for $30/month (includes tax) and it's "unlimited" (supposedly you get throttled only after using 50 gigabytes and only if the tower you're using is too congested). I currently pay Verizon just over $100/month and the few rare places I go where Verizon has better service doesn't seem worth $70 every month.
I paid Verizon upfront for the phone so I don't have to worry about verizon letting me cancel a payment plan since I'm not under any contract (currently on an old school grandfathered unlimited data plan).
I'm just hoping my current V30 will work so I don't have to sell it used at a loss and then buy a new one from T-Mobile.
You will be missing band 71, which is T-Mobile's newest and fastest LTE band. However, that band has not been rolled out officially yet and is only available in a couple of test markets. It should have the bulk of everything else needed to run just fine on T-Mobile's network.
I'm going for a few weeks to Boston, and I wanted to know what US carrier does the H933 LG V30 share bands with, and what short term provider I should use for cheap talk/text and maybe data. My phone is unlocked.
GOTFrogqc said:
I'm going for a few weeks to Boston, and I wanted to know what US carrier does the H933 LG V30 share bands with, and what short term provider I should use for cheap talk/text and maybe data. My phone is unlocked.
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https://www.frequencycheck.com/models/A1o12/lg-h933-v30-td-lte-lg-joan
Has all of AT&T major bands. 2,4,5, 12/17.
Two years ago I was in Boston with a 2014 Moto XT1225 with 2,4,5,17 and got great service.
AT&T Prepaid, sold in AT&T stores is all you need. $45 for 6GB high speed data/unlimited calls/unlimited messages. You can get that down to $40 if you allow autopay.
You can buy more high speed data, if you need it. They'll never cut you off, but will throttle if you use up the high speed data. But you can buy more.
What you don't use rolls over for 30 days.
Tell them you want the free AT&T SIM card, not the $15 "adapter" kit (with SIM card) they try to sell people who don't know better.
Helps if you search for AT&T corporate owned store, not a franchise store.
Sent via open market LG US998 V30/V30+
thank you so very much
Personally, I woud recommend T-Mobile. WiFi Calling that is baked into Android that you can easily setup through the Engineering Menu, fast data, AT&T is T-Mobile's domestic roaming partner in case you are traveling to southern West Virginia, and great rates for unlimited calling to Canada, US, and Mexico with unlimited data at flat rates. The only band you wouldn't have for T-Mobile is band 71, which isn't deployed in very many places yet.