[Q] Which US Carrier should I choose for SGS3? - Galaxy S III Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting

Hello,
I'm moving to the US (DC) after 8 yrs as an expat and I need a new phone + carrier. I'm coming from an iPhone 3GS I lost a month ago, but I've never experienced fast 3G, never been able to watch video on a phone, and no longer eat up voice minutes. Truth be told, I'm probably a value customer looking for a plan with more data than voice. And chances are I'll probably go abroad again in 2 years and would prefer to still be able to use this phone unlocked internationally.
Q1: Which carrier should I go with, ATT/Verizon/Tmobile/Sprint/USCellular?
Q2: Are there any prepaid plans that are a better fit?
many thanks!

mixersoft said:
Hello,
I'm moving to the US (DC) after 8 yrs as an expat and I need a new phone + carrier. I'm coming from an iPhone 3GS I lost a month ago, but I've never experienced fast 3G, never been able to watch video on a phone, and no longer eat up voice minutes. Truth be told, I'm probably a value customer looking for a plan with more data than voice. And chances are I'll probably go abroad again in 2 years and would prefer to still be able to use this phone unlocked internationally.
Q1: Which carrier should I go with, ATT/Verizon/Tmobile/Sprint/USCellular?
Q2: Are there any prepaid plans that are a better fit?
many thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My Family and I are ATT and Verizon customers. Both these carriers use a tiered billing system for Data Plans. $$ for 1GB/Month, $$ for 2GB/Month and so on. 3G is not as fast as you would think. A Streamed movie is smooth if your standing still and not using an over stressed cell tower, it's choppy if your moving (a car or train) as it loses speed when switching from one cell tower to the next.
As for unlocking the phone. You have a few options. In the US once your contract term is fulfilled (usually 2 years) you own the phone and a simple call to your carrier and they will unlock it for you or you can unlock the phone using third party software (Jail-breaking).

Related

AT&T vs T-MOBILE

Hi:
Up until now, I have been using T-Mobile ever since the XDA came out.
Used a "visorphone" before that. I do NOT use T-Mobile's Internet access (T-zones) ever since I got hit with a $180+ overage charge the first month I used it.
So.
Here is my issue:
Starting a few months ago, I noticed that, even though I do NOT use T-Mobile for any Internet access (I call up my own ISP instead from the XDA), T-Mobile are charging me something like $.50 for every email sent or received from the XDA using my own ISP. I suppose they monitor the traffic or something. When I protested that they shouldn't charge me for anything Internet-related, only the minutes used to call my ISP, they told me basically that they don't give a damn what I think, and that I will continue to be charged $.50 for every email. They show up on my bill as "e-note" to the phone number "500."
I think that's ridiculous and possibly illegal since it doesn't involve their servers or their services at all, but I don't have the energy to deal with their untrained "Wireless Data Group." It would take years to explain this to them. Just getting them on the phone took over 1 hour. This is partly a warning post, that this is what T-Mobile is doing, and we should know about it. So, I am looking into switching to AT&T.
My questions for anyone reading this:
1) anyone else have that billing issue with t-mobile?
2) is at&t any better? do they charge for internet traffic even if you haven't signed up for their services?
3) i don't think i have simlock issues, the unlock util from this site says that it's already unlocked. rom is 4.00.21 ENG, radio stack 6.24.00
from yorch.net.
4) is there anything i should know? won't this t-mobile build of "windows mobile 2003" rom work with at&t ?
any info appreciated, you can email thomas at pullen.com (removed the @ for the spam bots).
thanks!
TMO is pretty bad, iv experienced their levels of ignorance too, but once in a while, u can incounter sumone who knows alot about what they do
you should have never used tzones (if it wasnt unlimited) for transfering big amounts of data, thats why u got charged so much, for going over the allowd data amount
when connecting to your own ISP, are u connecting using THEIR # ? ... if so, then i dont know where TMO gets these ideas 4 charging u extra + the phone call :roll:
to unlock u need to go back to a 2002 rom, with the unlock software
ur build will work, but it would be better to switch to 4.00.05 , since u wont need all the useless TMO apps and what not
Hey tpullen,
Sorry to hear about your terrible time with T-Mobile.
Q: What type of plan do you have with T-Mobile?
If its only a voice plan with no data the .50 sounds about right and will be the same if you move over to AT&T. As a matter of fact AT&T's data charges are higher.
It doesn't matter that you're calling your own ISP, the fact still remains you're sending/receiving data on a voice only plan. :wink:
HTH
thanks
hey:
thanks for the replies. to answer your questions:
i had the t-mobile 3,000 minutes for $49 plan. it is only free long distance for the southeast u.s.; i think it's called a 'neighborhood' plan.
no data at all in my plan; i would call my own isp and surf the web and check email. only about 3 months ago t-mobile started charging me to check email, but not for the web. my complaint is that i am using my own isp, and the call comes out of my minutes. yes, it's sending data with a voice-only plan, but hey! i have a dial-up phone line, nothing fancy, a land line in my house. it's voice-only. if i plug a modem into my home phone line and call my isp, should i expect to get a bill from my phone company for every email i look at? to my way of thinking, and anyone is free to disagree, if i'm not USING your services then i don't want to PAY for your services. unless it is a t-mobile email, web, or proxy server i'm talking to, i don't expect to pay t-mobile. the minutes were already being deducted from my available minutes. that's all i should have to pay.
i don't think that's so outrageous.
i did unlock my phone with the xda dev build, then went back to the same tmobile windows mobile 2003 build. i wasn't sure if the xda "stays unlocked" once you unlock it and then put a new rom on, but it does.
now i have an at&t sim, and it works well enough, but the sort-of-funny thing is that you apparantly can NOT just call your own isp with at&t.
i can't seem to get a connection to work. so i don't know. maybe i will stay with at&t since they, according to their sales literature anyway, have a data network that's like 3 times faster than t-mobile's data network.
of course it's more $ for them.
whatever the case, i have 30 days to try at&t with no obligation, cancel any time, owe them nothing. everyone has that option right now, in fact, due to the new ftc "local number port" thing happening.
i'll let ya'll know how it goes if i stick with at&t. i can always stay with t-mobile, but i'm not sure if that's a good idea.
Re: thanks
tpullen said:
maybe i will stay with at&t since they, according to their sales literature anyway, have a data network that's like 3 times faster than t-mobile's data network. of course it's more $ for them.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sounds like you're talking about the EDGE service. Yeah, like 4 times the cost of T-Mobile's unlimited plan. I think I'll stick to the cheaper slower service.
tpullen said:
whatever the case, i have 30 days to try at&t with no obligation, cancel any time, owe them nothing. everyone has that option right now, in fact, due to the new ftc "local number port" thing happening.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Owe them nothing?! You might want to read that literature again. You'll not pay a cancellation fee nor an activation fee, but you will owe them for the prorated amount of time you had service, and any other additional fees that you use. This is pretty standard in the wireless industry. So if you go over your prorated minutes for the month, you owe them airtime charges. Happened to me, so just be careful.
bye bye at&t
hi arkhangel:
yes, you are correct:
4. Every new customer gets a 30 day risk free trial. When you purchase a phone and activate service at an AT&T Wireless store or at attwireless.com, you can return your undamaged phone for a refund within the first 30 days and pay only for airtime and usage charges. It’s just one more way we can earn your trust.
so it is not without charge, and thank god i only made one 6-minute call.
as far as the EDGE network goes, it was so-so...i only viewed 2 webpages with it, they loaded pretty much as quickly as with any other data service over the xda...and the funny thing is that it consumed apparantly almost 2 mb to do so.
i am pretty frustrated now, the at&t customer service has been pretty rotten, but t-mobile isn't too great either.
i'm calling verizon next, to compare...
tpullen said:
They show up on my bill as "e-note" to the phone number "500."
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The phone is programmed to send an SMS to T-Mobile every time you reboot your PPCPE. These show up as e-notes to 500 just as you describe. Compare the timing of your email use vs. the timing of your reboots and see where the e-notes are coming from. I think you can purchase a bundle of a bunch (500?) of SMS messages (aka e-notes) for something like $2.99, so you could cap your cost that way.
You should also be aware that T-Mobile has gone to a flat rate for GPRS at $19.95 for unlimited internet. The comparable plan with AT&T is something like $80.

Sprint vs. Verizon

I currently have the following cellular plan with Verizon.:
NATIONWIDE EMAIL & MSG 450 MINS UNL PDA + N&W + IN + MSG $99.99
Monthly access charge: $99.99
Monthly allowance minutes: 450 general
Per minute rate after allowance: $0.45 peak , $0.45 off-peak​
I just found out Sprint has the following cellular plan:
Simply Everything $99.99
Monthly access charge: $99.99
Monthly allowance minutes: Unlimited
Unlimited mobile internet and messaging: Web surfing, email, GPS Navi, txt, BIS, pictures, video, Sprint Music and Sprint TV​
I called Verizon and they offered me a more expensive $130 plan. They really didn't care about Sprint's pricing and pretty much told me to bite it and offered to transfer me to their cancellations department. I can't see why I should stay with Verizon when Sprint has hands down a better deal.
So I am asking you out there whether you're a Sprint or Verizon customer to sound off. What do you think -stay or go? What are your experiences with either or both companies?
Pros: I never have to worry about going over my minutes (which has happened many times). One monthly fee for the whole enchilada.
Cons: $145 Cancellation Fee & $299.99 Total One-Time Charge (including $100.00 mail-in rebate)
Thanks!
I have been down that road a couple times. First let me say that I am a Verizon customer with the XV6800, Ive got some $79 plan and $50 for internet and even more for insurance and text messaging- plus another 20 a month for a family deal...
Most recently, I shopped around because, after having my 6800 for 1 month, the sliding hinge failed and spread open. I took it into the store and they said that it looked as though I had scratched the casing- which meant that I damaged the unit and thus the hinge broke because of it. I knew this wasn't the case but they didn't care. They offered to have me cancel my service, I talked to the cancellation department and I reminded them that I pay over 2000 a year just in service, buy my phones and accessories from them, and have brought them over 15 people to Verizon from other companies because I thought they were the better company with the best customer service- Cancellations didn't care. The lady even asked if I was going to keep the same number because if I was- then I didn't have to cancel through her. Whatever phone provider I did sign up through would cancel it for me!!! I couldn't believe they had the audacity. Ive been with them for 11 years and they could care less...
I ended up paying the $50 to have asuran send me another phone- I told them I lost it so I could keep the old phone for parts if I need it...
The reason I didn't switch? Well, it didn't make sense... I would still have to spring for a phone, startup fees, cancellation fees from my current contract through verizon, All my friends/family would stay verizon and I would be something else, plus- mainly what it came down to is that their are no good phone providers out there... just less evil ones. In my case- Verizon just happens to be the less evil one. All depends what you want...
Verizon does have the best network across the nation, usually their customer service is helpful, phones are usually outdated when they do finally arrive- but I think it's because they wait for the technology to be tested and true before they carry it. Annoying, but at least your almost always going to get a freakin rock solid phone....
I feel better by pimping the crap out of my phone and using Internet Sharing as much as I can. I even used my cell to connect to the internet for Halo - XBox to laptop and laptop to PDA to verizon data network...
You may want to first find out whether or not some of those Sprint features are available in your area. For example, Verizon has their own tv service but its not available everywhere.
Plus, do you need certain phones to use some of their features? Is switching to access those features going to cost you more due to the need to purchase a new phone?
Third, do you really need those features? Who cares about Spring music and Sprint TV? Do get sucked into the marketing of their services unless you feel like you truly are going to need it.
As for the cancellation fee - the courts have already ruled that Sprint's cancellation fees are illegal - you may be able to convince Verizon of the same if you get a naive cancellation CS person. Maybe be persuasive enough for them to waive it. (though I wouldnt count on it). You could try to hand in there long enough for the cancellation thing to make its way to the other carriers and then switch.
Also, when is your contract up?
If its the minutes that are the main thing, just get a new plan with Verizon, especially if most of your friends, family, colleagues, etc have Verizon - talking to them is free!
Everything Plus
You might also want to look into Sprint Everything Plus Referral program. It replaced sprint's SERO plan, and one of Sprint's execs has his info on his blog http://mcguireslaw.com/ (on the right).
From the Sprint's Everything Plus Refferal website:
This plan includes
* Unlimited data and messages: Web surfing, email, GPS Navigation, Sprint Music, Sprint TV®, BlackBerry® Internet Services (BIS), text, pictures, video
* Nationwide long distance and no roaming charges.
* Unlimited mobile to mobile, night calling starting at 7 p.m. and weekends.
for $79.99, you get 1000 anytime minutes. ($59.99 for 500)
I'm on the now gone SERO plan, and made the switch from Verizon. Verizon just couldn't compete with the price.
jmquinn said:
You might also want to look into Sprint Everything Plus Referral program. It replaced sprint's SERO plan, and one of Sprint's execs has his info on his blog http://mcguireslaw.com/ (on the right).
From the Sprint's Everything Plus Refferal website:
This plan includes
* Unlimited data and messages: Web surfing, email, GPS Navigation, Sprint Music, Sprint TV®, BlackBerry® Internet Services (BIS), text, pictures, video
* Nationwide long distance and no roaming charges.
* Unlimited mobile to mobile, night calling starting at 7 p.m. and weekends.
for $79.99, you get 1000 anytime minutes. ($59.99 for 500)
I'm on the now gone SERO plan, and made the switch from Verizon. Verizon just couldn't compete with the price.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree that sprint has the best prices and some of the better phones. My problem is the service. Most everybody I know cries about how Sprint's service sucks. In areas that I get service, they do not. I would talk to as many people that live in your calling area that have both services and compare before just going for price. I would rather pay a little more and be able to make calls whenever and wherever I want.
My $0.02 worth.
Don't mean to bolster the debate here...but can I ask why you posted this in Titan Upgrading?
The xda forums are designed with sub forums for a reason. This really belongs in the Titan forum.
My opinion is, find out who has better service where you are, and take a look at the carriers of the people you talk to most. Stick with the carrier that serves these purposes. That's the only reason I'm still with Verizon.
nitro66215 said:
I agree that sprint has the best prices and some of the better phones. My problem is the service. Most everybody I know cries about how Sprint's service sucks. In areas that I get service, they do not. I would talk to as many people that live in your calling area that have both services and compare before just going for price. I would rather pay a little more and be able to make calls whenever and wherever I want.
My $0.02 worth.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
x2
While spring and verizon share many towers, sprint's coverage is a little lax compared to Verizon's.
There is a reason why nobody has a valid lawsuit against Verizon for claiming "Most Reliable Network"...
My fiance's family had sprint for the longest time and only recently switched to Verizon a few months ago due to poor service.
Whats the benefit to paying less when you cant use it as often?
(and no, I'm not a Verizon fanboy - just a CDMA fanboy Whatever you decide, just stay away from t-mobile and cingular)
deeznuts2 said:
x2
While spring and verizon share many towers, sprint's coverage is a little lax compared to Verizon's.
There is a reason why nobody has a valid lawsuit against Verizon for claiming "Most Reliable Network"...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
lol, yea and that reason has nothing to do with the fact that verizons network is any better....it has to do with how vague and subjective the claim is....if their motto was "Never have a Dropped Call Again on VZW", they would get sued to oblivion.....have you ever seen the show "The Best Damn Sports Show."?.....is it the best damn sports show?....hell no!....why don't you try to sue them.....lol....
in reality, it depends on where u are....i have been a sprint customer for 7 years and in my case, all over New Jersey/NYC/Philly, in the last 2 years i have had 0 dropped calls due to my sprint service. i cannot say the same for my friends with verizon, who also pay at least twice what i do monthly.....
yerp said:
in reality, it depends on where u are....i have been a sprint customer for 7 years and in my case, all over New Jersey/NYC/Philly, in the last 2 years i have had 0 dropped calls due to my sprint service. i cannot say the same for my friends with verizon, who also pay at least twice what i do monthly.....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Exactly. Sprint may be perfect in some areas, but Verizon rules in my area.
Go for the better service overall. Would sprint activate you Vzw 6800? If not there's some additional up front cost.
Also depending upon you location you may have EVDO rev. A speeds. It wouldn't make a difference if you use DCD's (or No2Chem's) ROMs but you're still using the stock. If you stick with stock on sprint you'll have GPS and EVDO rev. A
Sprint has better prices. Thats about it. Also note that this phones picture mail (mms) feature is blocked by sprint.
I am not a fan of Verizion and I have plenty of issues with Verizion, but they have better service, and better coverage. That ends up being the bottom line for me.
I have been with verizon for about 10 years. Before they had the name verizon in my area. I pay 50% more than a similar SPRINT plan.
For me it boils down to having coverage in the remote areas around where I live and roaming in alaska. I even get data roaming in alaska, no charge. Sprint phones just quit working as soon as you get out of anchorage. Verizons roams with ACS and service fades, as there are no cell towers.
Verizon works better where I go and I pay for it.
Plus no MMS on sprint (mogul) would kill me.
I'm not a Verizon fanboy either- hate the phone selection and how long it takes to get new ones but I have way better coverage and have never had an issue getting my problems solved the first time out.
1) There was a recent article on MSN that was titled "Hate Sprint". It mentioned how Verizon is at a 72 rating while Sprint is rated at 56 in consumer satisfaction. The CEO of Sprint was quoted as saying "Verizon and AT&T are eating our lunch". The main problem according to the article is that Sprint lets everyone sign up and people can't pay thier bills when times are hard, poor customer service etc.
2) Sprint is now leasing all thier towers - meaning they sold thier towers to someone else in order to raise capital since they are in financial hot water. How can they build a better network when they don't even own thier own towers?
3) A friend of mine was with Verizon a long time ago and thought it was too expensive, he switched to Sprint and hated the service. He then switched to Nextel only to wind up with Sprint after thier merger and over the course of a couple of years his service has dropped considerably. He used to drop 2 calls in certain areas on his way home from work and it increased to 5 dropped calls over the last couple of months. He's now back with Verizon and much more happy.
Seriously, it boils down to how is the service in the areas where you normally travel and how often you need to talk to a customer service rep.
Good luck in your choice.
gc14 said:
Don't mean to bolster the debate here...but can I ask why you posted this in Titan Upgrading?
The xda forums are designed with sub forums for a reason. This really belongs in the Titan forum.
My opinion is, find out who has better service where you are, and take a look at the carriers of the people you talk to most. Stick with the carrier that serves these purposes. That's the only reason I'm still with Verizon.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Because this could be considered an upgrade in service...
deeznuts2 said:
x2
(Whatever you decide, just stay away from t-mobile and cingular)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hahaha, been there, done that. I agree!
Thank you everyone! I appreciate the feed back and will ask around my neighborhood to see what they think and what their experiences have been like. For some reason none of my carriers ever work in my house, yet everybody else's do...
It would seem the overall consensus here is that Sprint is cheaper (in price), but Verizon has better service (both customer and coverage).
I have a grandfathered SERO account on Sprint, and I mainly switched from Verizon for the price. Sprint was about half as much as an equal Verizon plan.
In my area, the Sprint coverage is good. I also have an ATT phone for work which kinda sucks at home for me.
If I am in an area where Sprint signal is low, I just force the phone to Roam, and then I'm on Verizon's network (free roaming). Bam!
indagroove said:
I have a grandfathered SERO account on Sprint, and I mainly switched from Verizon for the price. Sprint was about half as much as an equal Verizon plan.
In my area, the Sprint coverage is good. I also have an ATT phone for work which kinda sucks at home for me.
If I am in an area where Sprint signal is low, I just force the phone to Roam, and then I'm on Verizon's network (free roaming). Bam!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I was going to mention that too, that sprint has FREE roaming!!! so even if you are not on a "sprint tower" you can still make calls, so don't worry about the coverage!! if you go on sprint network, it will show you the roaming areas that are covered and its covered under your plan. The roaming area resembles allot like VZN... hhhmmmm!!!
So go for the better phones better price. And believe me, their customer service has done a 180 degree turn from where they were before. its actually pleasant to talk to them and they help you out!!!
I have thought about this rather heavily... here are some of the pro's and cons I came up with which generally coincide with what I've read in this thread... these are related to me going from Verizon (currently have) to Sprint
Pro (for sprint):
More frequent updates for PDA's (irrelevant i guess if u flash custom)
cheaper plans (money is money... high motivation)
quicker to get new models of phones
Instant lock GPS
Con (against sprint):
Service sucks compared to Verizon.. (cheaper is only better when u can use it)
No MMS
Worse customer service (only what I heard)
Honestly, what it comes down to is service... I can't speak from experience, but everyone in central ohio (where I live) who has had Sprint say they can be driving on the outerbelt and lose a call... that's just ridiculous for a larger city such as this to not have proper coverage in a radius around the city... cheaper is always a motivating factor but seriously, what's the point of paying less if you're going to be frustrated with loss of signal? that's my take... however, when/if sprint comes out with touch/pro before verizon i might be singing a different tune.

Debating on carrier for my Note

I don't like AT&T and I'm with T-Mobile. AT&T plans give you very little for what they charge and their stupid roll-over minutes mean diddle squat to me. I've been with them at least twice in the past 10 years.
I was planning on getting the international version and possible going with RedPocket since I heard they use AT&T towers anyway. I would get 3g without the ball and chain.
On launch day I went to go see the Note with my husband. When I got to the mall, Samsung was having an event for the Note and I kind of got sucked in with the hype because I've been drooling over it for months. I went to the AT&T store and the manager shockingly honored an online price for the Note so I decided to get one. Ok, I got 2 since the deal was good and I needed a second line for my husband. He loyally feeds my phone addiction and goes with what ever plan/network I want. The other one is sitting in the box and is nicknamed "termination fee coverage" since he could care less about the awesome sexy beast, A.K.A. my new boyfriend who is 5.3".
When I got home I unlocked it and I have been switching back and forth between the networks. I used my AT&T Dell streak on T-Mobile before and was fine with the crappy speed for a while because most of the time I had Wi-fi. After the Streak I had the Galaxy S2 and got hooked on the speed.
I don't have long to decided because AT&T will charge to migrate my phone over after a certain period. I also currently have 2 sets of numbers with each carrier and don't want a double bill.
My debate is this, is it worth giving up a decent plan, so I can always have the full potential speed of my Note? I do plan on rooting it soon to get rid of the crap and open the potential. I will be paying about the same for less minutes on our family plan.
Devs are working on getting 3G to possibly work for Tmo. It can use the 1700 band that tmo uses for 3G. I would say give it some time. I use Simple Mobile which uses Tmo and I'm waiting to see if they get it to work.
Sent from my SGH-I897 using XDA App
I think it's a question of what will irk you more- a less than stellar plan or a slower phone. If your dislike for AT&T trumps your need for speed then lose them. If you think you'll frequently be in a non wifi situation and regret not having the full speed, stick with AT&T.
Read the AT&T contract carefully. If memory serves if you cancel with in the first month and keep the phone you are charged the difference in price paid vs. full price of the phone per/device not the early disconnect fee. I may be wrong about this but when I was reading it on Thurs. Im pretty sure I saw something to that effect
Thanks all...
Yikes! I never read my phone contracts. Funny how I spend so much time reading and researching my gadgets but mindlessly sign my life away.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I717 using Tapatalk
csmith7502 said:
I don't like AT&T and I'm with T-Mobile. AT&T plans give you very little for what they charge and their stupid roll-over minutes mean diddle squat to me. I've been with them at least twice in the past 10 years.
I was planning on getting the international version and possible going with RedPocket since I heard they use AT&T towers anyway. I would get 3g without the ball and chain.
On launch day I went to go see the Note with my husband. When I got to the mall, Samsung was having an event for the Note and I kind of got sucked in with the hype because I've been drooling over it for months. I went to the AT&T store and the manager shockingly honored an online price for the Note so I decided to get one. Ok, I got 2 since the deal was good and I needed a second line for my husband. He loyally feeds my phone addiction and goes with what ever plan/network I want. The other one is sitting in the box and is nicknamed "termination fee coverage" since he could care less about the awesome sexy beast, A.K.A. my new boyfriend who is 5.3".
When I got home I unlocked it and I have been switching back and forth between the networks. I used my AT&T Dell streak on T-Mobile before and was fine with the crappy speed for a while because most of the time I had Wi-fi. After the Streak I had the Galaxy S2 and got hooked on the speed.
I don't have long to decided because AT&T will charge to migrate my phone over after a certain period. I also currently have 2 sets of numbers with each carrier and don't want a double bill.
My debate is this, is it worth giving up a decent plan, so I can always have the full potential speed of my Note? I do plan on rooting it soon to get rid of the crap and open the potential. I will be paying about the same for less minutes on our family plan.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have Red pocket and love it...plus they roll over your unused data which is sweet.
am wondering what should i do too.....came from tmobile....for $98 bucks i had unlimitted calls, text, web, insurance, and international calls and text....with att i pay the same and only 450 mins, and no international
what is this red pocket service,,,,,does it have lte? is the internetet 4G.....
i dont know if i should go back to tmobile.....
whats the cheapest or best plan to have for the note, with unlimitted calls and 4g?
the go phone options seems better and cheaper than being on contract, it does not make sense to me...
can i switch to a prepay plan? and how much would i have to pay to change? i became a new att member....and pay 300 for the note....if i cancel do i just pay the 325 ETF? and take my note somewhere else?

[Q] Contract or Pay as you go?

Hi everyone, first thread and first post on this forum, i was really thinking about getting the new lumia .. but what i thought is... Contract or pay as you go??
We've seen so far that new phones with new hardware and new features are getting released pretty much every 6months, (iphone 5s? upcoming nexus?)..
so my question is, do you guys feel confident about being "stuck" 24 months with nokia lumia 920, or you will not risk and go for a pay as you go deal? :good:
Hi, end of 2008, I bought the HTC Touch HD because I thought it was quiet well competing with the iPhone 2, even though the iPhone 3 was already coming (but I hate so much the iTunes environment!).
Today, 4 years later, I'm still using my old Touch HD everyday, and I'm very happy of it even though it is getting quiet old now and I'm thinking of moving to the Lumia 920.
Anyway, just to say that the Lumia 920 will most probably no longer be the best one in 6 months of course, and probably no longer the Nokia's best one in one year when an upgrade of the Lumia series comes out with thinner, lighter, faster, stronger phones...
But what is sure is that you will be able to have a lot of fun with it even maybe in 2 or 4 years when it is no longer the newest phone on the market.
Better example, the HTC Touch HD2 which is really know as a killer phone even though it is no longer that great compared to the new devices.
So the real question is if you are used to change your phone often or not.
Keep in mind you can always sell your Lumia 920 next year, probably at half of its current price... especially if Windows Phone 8 rocks .
Personnally, as my company is paying for my SIM card, I will for sure just buy the Lumia 920 as is, without any carrier contract or so.
hey finally a reply, well im not really changing phone so often, since i have no money ahah but yeah, just wanted to see what other people think about getting it in contract..i think i will anyway thanks for your reply
any other thoughts people?
bellasahbella said:
hey finally a reply, well im not really changing phone so often, since i have no money ahah but yeah, just wanted to see what other people think about getting it in contract..i think i will anyway thanks for your reply
any other thoughts people?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
With a data heavy device like a smartphone, it would be wiser (and cheaper) to go with contract. AT&T's prepaid options are rather expensive when it comes to using data on a smartphone. Windows Phone being such a connected device would not be very fun to use on a very limited data plan or on no data plan at all (or any phone really).
At the end of the day, you have to pay for service anyway. You may as well spend a little extra money for a little more convenience, a smaller upfront cost (phone wise), and better overall data options.
I could never go prepaid, no matter how cheap it is. There is little value in it, in my opinion.
prjkthack, you are right for the US market, but for instance, here, in Belgium, you can have much data with a prepaid offer with Mobile Vikings (€15 per month, so around $20 per month, for 2GB of non-restricted data + 1H phone calls + 1000 SMS + 1H phone calls per day to other Mobile Vikings phone numbers).
And as far as I'm concerned, I cannot go for a contract as my company is paying for my contract, so if I want another phone, I can just buy a new one...
That being said, I think it really depends on each person, case and country .
michoob said:
prjkthack, you are right for the US market, but for instance, here, in Belgium, you can have much data with a prepaid offer with Mobile Vikings (€15 per month, so around $20 per month, for 2GB of non-restricted data + 1H phone calls + 1000 SMS + 1H phone calls per day to other Mobile Vikings phone numbers).
And as far as I'm concerned, I cannot go for a contract as my company is paying for my contract, so if I want another phone, I can just buy a new one...
That being said, I think it really depends on each person, case and country .
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oh yeah, I'm totally speaking from the perspective of purchasing a phone/plan in the US. I know little about other areas of the world, except that its far more common to purchase phones for full price and without a contract than it is here in the US. I wish the US were that way as well, as it certainly has more benefits than downsides (I try to purchase un-subsidized whenever I can), but sadly the market here and the overall mentality of how to purchase phones has been muddled with contracts and subsidization.
prjkthack said:
With a data heavy device like a smartphone, it would be wiser (and cheaper) to go with contract. AT&T's prepaid options are rather expensive when it comes to using data on a smartphone. Windows Phone being such a connected device would not be very fun to use on a very limited data plan or on no data plan at all (or any phone really).
At the end of the day, you have to pay for service anyway. You may as well spend a little extra money for a little more convenience, a smaller upfront cost (phone wise), and better overall data options.
I could never go prepaid, no matter how cheap it is. There is little value in it, in my opinion.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You need to do the math. Buying on contract is a HUGE waste of money.
AnyMal said:
You need to do the math. Buying on contract is a HUGE waste of money.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I never said it wasn't a waste of money.
Its definitely more expensive, but there is a tradeoff between using a prepaid service versus a contract.
There is value in both, and I'm looking for the best phones with the best coverage, services, and convenience. Contract is the only option that gives that.
Prepaid gives you low prices (on certain things) and flexibility.
More expensive? Yes, but you get more for your money on contract, versus the bare minimum on prepaid. There is a reason why you pay less on prepaid, and its simply because you get less. You don't need math to know that. For some people, that's enough, but I don't want enough, I want my money's worth, and I'm willing to spend a little more to get all the extras. Prepaid data is also commonly more expensive on prepaid services, and with all the data these smartphones use, the cost of it can easily meet or exceed the cost of contract-based smartphone/data plans. Prepaid is totally the way to go if all you want is a basic phone, but for quality smartphone hardware and service, only contract can provide that (with few exceptions).
prjkthack said:
I never said it wasn't a waste of money.
Its definitely more expensive, but there is a tradeoff between using a prepaid service versus a contract.
There is value in both, and I'm looking for the best phones with the best coverage, services, and convenience. Contract is the only option that gives that.
Prepaid gives you low prices (on certain things) and flexibility.
More expensive? Yes, but you get more for your money on contract, versus the bare minimum on prepaid. There is a reason why you pay less on prepaid, and its simply because you get less. You don't need math to know that. For some people, that's enough, but I don't want enough, I want my money's worth, and I'm willing to spend a little more to get all the extras. Prepaid data is also commonly more expensive on prepaid services, and with all the data these smartphones use, the cost of it can easily meet or exceed the cost of contract-based smartphone/data plans. Prepaid is totally the way to go if all you want is a basic phone, but for quality smartphone hardware and service, only contract can provide that (with few exceptions).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Huh? With Straight Talk I am getting exactly same service I was getting with AT&T, all for a measly $45 per month. What am I missing?
AnyMal said:
Huh? With Straight Talk I am getting exactly same service I was getting with AT&T, all for a measly $45 per month. What am I missing?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
StraightTalk (TracFone) is nice, and is probably one of the better prepaid services out there, but there are still some downsides:
4G LTE - Currently, no access to AT&T, Verizon, or Sprint's 4G LTE network.
Customer Service - there is none. robots upon robots on the phone, then if you can get to someone, they are foreign people who are difficult to understand, and who ultimately have a toolset that does not allow many changes or much flexibility for them unless they speak to someone higher up. If you don't want to deal with someone on the phone, then you can go to Walmart, where you can... oh wait, there's no customer service there either. -_-'
Coverage and roaming - Exactly the same as TracFone (since it is TracFone). Depending on your phone, you get AT&T and/or T-Mobile, or Verizon and/or Sprint. You don't get access to these carrier's extended roaming agreements, which means that roaming is limited to non-existent. Not to mention
Online support - Abysmal. Nowhere near the amount of tools and options for managing your account as any contract carrier can provide you.
Devices - StraightTalk's selection of phones is typical of a prepaid carrier. Poor choices for basic phones and older/slower hardware for whatever small amount of smartphones they offer. To get a real phone, you need to BYOD and that costs a pretty penny (that most people are unwilling to pay).
Additional features - StraightTalk is, like most other prepaid carriers, barebones. Individual line service (no family plans), less international/roaming options, less extra features (stuff like FamilyMap, roadside assitance, AT&T Navigator, A-List, Insurance, etc.), little to not infrastructure to sort out issues coverage wise or technical issues with your cellular service, advanced billing/tracking/history functionality, no official support for wireless hotspot/tethering, and a long list of common data activities that are not supported by StraightTalk (violation of the terms can lead to the end of your service with StraightTalk), etc.
And really this goes for all prepaid carriers. None of them offer the depth and comprehensiveness as a contract carrier can. There is a reason why the prepaid carriers piggyback off of the big carriers, they simply don't have the infrastructure or support (or money) to really provide you a fleshed out mobile service. MVNOs also come and go very frequently, so while you can be pretty sure that AT&T and Verizon (and maybe Sprint and T-Mobile) will be around for a while, you can't say the same for prepaid carriers. So many pop-up every year and die off shortly (RIP Helio). Its a tough business.
prjkthack said:
StraightTalk (TracFone) is nice, and is probably one of the better prepaid services out there, but there are still some downsides:
4G LTE - Currently, no access to AT&T, Verizon, or Sprint's 4G LTE network.
Customer Service - there is none. robots upon robots on the phone, then if you can get to someone, they are foreign people who are difficult to understand, and who ultimately have a toolset that does not allow many changes or much flexibility for them unless they speak to someone higher up. If you don't want to deal with someone on the phone, then you can go to Walmart, where you can... oh wait, there's no customer service there either. -_-'
Coverage and roaming - Exactly the same as TracFone (since it is TracFone). Depending on your phone, you get AT&T and/or T-Mobile, or Verizon and/or Sprint. You don't get access to these carrier's extended roaming agreements, which means that roaming is limited to non-existent. Not to mention
Online support - Abysmal. Nowhere near the amount of tools and options for managing your account as any contract carrier can provide you.
Devices - StraightTalk's selection of phones is typical of a prepaid carrier. Poor choices for basic phones and older/slower hardware for whatever small amount of smartphones they offer. To get a real phone, you need to BYOD and that costs a pretty penny (that most people are unwilling to pay).
Additional features - StraightTalk is, like most other prepaid carriers, barebones. Individual line service (no family plans), less international/roaming options, less extra features (stuff like FamilyMap, roadside assitance, AT&T Navigator, A-List, Insurance, etc.), little to not infrastructure to sort out issues coverage wise or technical issues with your cellular service, advanced billing/tracking/history functionality, no official support for wireless hotspot/tethering, and a long list of common data activities that are not supported by StraightTalk (violation of the terms can lead to the end of your service with StraightTalk), etc.
And really this goes for all prepaid carriers. None of them offer the depth and comprehensiveness as a contract carrier can. There is a reason why the prepaid carriers piggyback off of the big carriers, they simply don't have the infrastructure or support (or money) to really provide you a fleshed out mobile service. MVNOs also come and go very frequently, so while you can be pretty sure that AT&T and Verizon (and maybe Sprint and T-Mobile) will be around for a while, you can't say the same for prepaid carriers. So many pop-up every year and die off shortly (RIP Helio). Its a tough business.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
None of your points are compelling or even valid to begin with.
4G LTE - even for AT&T customers it's only available in handful of locations. Heck, even if it was widely available, HSPA is plenty fast for all data applications.
Customer service - only used once. Filled out an online form and was contacted back in few hours. I also hear that you can get a hold of them even quicker through Facebook.
Coverage and Roaming - not an issue. I am covered no matter where I am as long as I am on AT&T. I travel extensively and my service is identical to what it was when I was paying to AT&T, but at the fraction of the cost.
Online support - covered above.
Devices - not an issue. Tons of smartphones are available on the secondary market for any budget.
Additional Features - Two all-you-can-eat lines with ST cost me exactly the same as a single line with AT&T. Nobody in their right mind should pay AT&T (or any other carriers) for "ripsurance". It's a rip off, plain and simple. All other services you mention should not be obtained from AT&T either; they can be obtained for free or for a lot less elsewhere. I do not know what "data activities" you're referring to, but I stream audio and video all the time, and use the hotspot frequently, but I am yet to run into any issues. Sure, you can get throttled or even cut off if you abuse your data plan, but the same goes for AT&T as well.
Bottom line, OP asked about the most economical way, and there is absolutely no denying that PAYGo IS the way to go, even if you have to pay full price of the device up front. There is no way of fooling the simple math.
AnyMal said:
None of your points are compelling or even valid to begin with.
4G LTE - even for AT&T customers it's only available in handful of locations. Heck, even if it was widely available, HSPA is plenty fast for all data applications.
Customer service - only used once. Filled out an online form and was contacted back in few hours. I also hear that you can get a hold of them even quicker through Facebook.
Coverage and Roaming - not an issue. I am covered no matter where I am as long as I am on AT&T. I travel extensively and my service is identical to what it was when I was paying to AT&T, but at the fraction of the cost.
Online support - covered above.
Devices - not an issue. Tons of smartphones are available on the secondary market for any budget.
Additional Features - Two all-you-can-eat lines with ST cost me exactly the same as a single line with AT&T. Nobody in their right mind should pay AT&T (or any other carriers) for "ripsurance". It's a rip off, plain and simple. All other services you mention should not be obtained from AT&T either; they can be obtained for free or for a lot less elsewhere. I do not know what "data activities" you're referring to, but I stream audio and video all the time, and use the hotspot frequently, but I am yet to run into any issues. Sure, you can get throttled or even cut off if you abuse your data plan, but the same goes for AT&T as well.
Bottom line, OP asked about the most economical way, and there is absolutely no denying that PAYGo IS the way to go, even if you have to pay full price of the device up front. There is no way of fooling the simple math.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Read your Terms of Service. StraightTalk specifically prohibits many common data activities. Have you even used LTE before? A world of a difference. I do agree that AT&T's HSPA+ network can't be beat, but dropping from LTE to HSPA (or even worse) is just not fun. And when it comes to devices, I'm not talking about the hundreds of below-average smartphones that you can of course get for bargain basement prices. These are computers after all, you don't want to be caught with a below-average device. I'm talking about getting the best of the best (such as the Lumia 920, which is what the OP is talking about). Speaking about the average consumer, dropping $700 to $900 for a top of the line device is just not an option. A contract gives you the option to get great service and awesome devices. So while dropping a wad of cash for a phone may not be an issue for you, it is for most of the country. Facebook does not equal online support. It compliments it, but does not replace it. You can get your issue resolved in a few hours, I can take care of it in a few minutes. Be glad that you only had to use customer service once, because when you have any real issues, it won't be fun. And insurance can be a rip-off for some, and a life-saver for others. Really all depends on what's going on.
Bottom line, OP didn't ask for a math lesson. OP wanted our opinions of postpaid vs prepaid, and while we can all agree to disagree, there is no doubt that both sides have their advantages and disadvantages regardless of whether you pay a little more or a little less. Value is subjective. Its up to the OP to decide what is more valuable to him/herself.
I am with Rogers Canada with 2 years left on my contract. I do not want to renew my contract for another 3 years yet so that I can get the 920 for the subsidized price.
Given that Rogers will offer the 920 off-contract for $600+ and having to wait for them to release the updates, it seems my best option will be to buy the 920 factory unlocked from eBay or so and use it on the Rogers network.
When it gets old or when I want to change phones, I can easily sell it. That is a much better option than locking yourself up with your provider for longer if you don't have a hardware upgrade to use.
Hi Bella welcome to the forums,
As for your question there are both pluses and minuses to contract/prepaid. Personally I find it better for me to go the prepaid route. I will be purchasing this phone internationally unlocked (screw you AT&T and your branding also hoping international phone is pentaband like fcc papers state) for about ~$600 USD +/-.
I really like T-Mobo's monthly 4G thingy they have (100 mins/ultd text/ultd data (throttled after 5GB) for only 30.00/month. Lucky me T-mobile has refarmed my area so I'll be getting 3G speeds instead of 2G speeds b/c of lack of AWS band on L920. I'll be saving a bunch compared to contract in the long haul but initially will cost quite the penny b/c of phone purchase (but hey that's why I've been saving :laugh
I'm really not a big fan of Carriers and their plans Hope you make the right choice for you and enjoy your upcoming Lumia 920
prjkthack said:
Read your Terms of Service. StraightTalk specifically prohibits many common data activities. Have you even used LTE before? A world of a difference. I do agree that AT&T's HSPA+ network can't be beat, but dropping from LTE to HSPA (or even worse) is just not fun. And when it comes to devices, I'm not talking about the hundreds of below-average smartphones that you can of course get for bargain basement prices. These are computers after all, you don't want to be caught with a below-average device. I'm talking about getting the best of the best (such as the Lumia 920, which is what the OP is talking about). Speaking about the average consumer, dropping $700 to $900 for a top of the line device is just not an option. A contract gives you the option to get great service and awesome devices. So while dropping a wad of cash for a phone may not be an issue for you, it is for most of the country. Facebook does not equal online support. It compliments it, but does not replace it. You can get your issue resolved in a few hours, I can take care of it in a few minutes. Be glad that you only had to use customer service once, because when you have any real issues, it won't be fun. And insurance can be a rip-off for some, and a life-saver for others. Really all depends on what's going on.
Bottom line, OP didn't ask for a math lesson. OP wanted our opinions of postpaid vs prepaid, and while we can all agree to disagree, there is no doubt that both sides have their advantages and disadvantages regardless of whether you pay a little more or a little less. Value is subjective. Its up to the OP to decide what is more valuable to him/herself.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just my two cents, I get 4g LTE on straight talk using an ATT device... I pay $45 a month and bought an HTC One X brand new for 300 online. Over the course of two years that's $1380 as opposed to $2355 through ATT. With taxes and other applicable fees that difference increases even moreso making prepaid a pretty obvious choice.
Poecifer said:
Just my two cents, I get 4g LTE on straight talk using an ATT device... I pay $45 a month and bought an HTC One X brand new for 300 online. Over the course of two years that's $1380 as opposed to $2355 through ATT. With taxes and other applicable fees that difference increases even moreso making prepaid a pretty obvious choice.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How did you get LTE on your device? You need a special SIM in order to do that, and right now, per AT&T's company policy, only AT&T has those special LTE SIM cards. StraightTalk only officially distributes regular AT&T 3G SIM cards rebranded for StraightTalk. I imagine sometime in the future they'll allow MVNOs to use the LTE network, but right now, they are not.
Not that I don't believe you, but are you sure you are getting 4G LTE? The One X (and any 4G LTE device really) specifically has a 4G LTE icon in the top tray when you are on it (at least on an official ROM, if you are on a custom ROM, then who knows what you are really on, lol). An icon that says 4G is not the same as 4G LTE, just so you know.
If you are getting 4G LTE, I'm sure sharing how is good because a lot of people would love to know how, as that is one of the big downsides of any MVNO at the moment.
I'm currently on a Prepaid deal, whereby I get $1000 talk and text + 2gb (or so) data, for $60 per month with Telstra in Australia.
Compare that to the $60 plan, which currently, in nokia terms, gets you a Lumia 800 $0 upfront and $0 extra per month, with $600 worth of bonuses and 1.5gb of data. There isn't that much between them.
In the end, $60 per month is still $60 per month, and it'd be nice to get a phone out of it too.
Sent from my LT26i using xda app-developers app
Prepay is a better alternative.
Sent from my HTC Glacier using xda premium
Well, look at this from the overall standpoint. $60 contract is $1440 over 24 months, phone included. Spending $60 per month prepaid plus a, for argument's sake, $500 outright phone is $1940 per 24 months.
I barely touch the $1000 talk&text, as most of my expenditure is mobile data, and what's 500MB less a month anyway?
In short, for me, with my usage, the Contract probably wouldn't be such a bad move.
In full, that's just me. Your choice of carrier, phone, plan/prepaid, etc. needs to be decided based on HOW you will use your phone, not what people say in a forum.
Sent from my LT26i using xda app-developers app
prjkthack said:
How did you get LTE on your device? You need a special SIM in order to do that, and right now, per AT&T's company policy, only AT&T has those special LTE SIM cards. StraightTalk only officially distributes regular AT&T 3G SIM cards rebranded for StraightTalk. I imagine sometime in the future they'll allow MVNOs to use the LTE network, but right now, they are not.
Not that I don't believe you, but are you sure you are getting 4G LTE? The One X (and any 4G LTE device really) specifically has a 4G LTE icon in the top tray when you are on it (at least on an official ROM, if you are on a custom ROM, then who knows what you are really on, lol). An icon that says 4G is not the same as 4G LTE, just so you know.
If you are getting 4G LTE, I'm sure sharing how is good because a lot of people would love to know how, as that is one of the big downsides of any MVNO at the moment.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not sure really, I used a sim card provided by StraightTalk allocated for ATT's phones. I specifically ordered the micro rather than cutting it like myself as I've done in the past and now I get the 4g LTE symbol and I regularly get about 38-43 mbps download speeds. This is much better than 4-9 I was getting prior.

LTE Prices for T-Mo and AT&T? also, your AT&T experience?

I have a SGP621, been reading the posts on here but none seem to answer some of the questions I have. I do appologize if seems like some of this info I could just get myself by visiting the stores, unfortunately I have very bad experiences with AT&T sales reps, I always seem to have halfwits who know less about the phones and plans their selling then I do. plus I work almost every day, I dont have the time wait half an hour between each question so the the reps can all play "pass the question" in the hopes that the person to their left knows the answer. its irritating, frustrating, and your own personal experiences would give me a much better picture.
Also, it seems I'm one of the few who fall in the opposite category of what seems to be everyone else who bought the SGP621, I actually don't want to use it as a phone at all, I'm just tired of tethering. Ideally, I'd be happiest with a data only plan, even better if doing so could save me some cash.
AT&T questions:
Can I just get a data plan/add it as a tablet?
As a phone...would/could it be the same number as my normal phone? 2 separate numbers?
Jgonzo432 said:
Yeah, it's the same on the Z3TC. I didn't accept the download because I don't want my settings changed so I can't confirm if it has RedPocket , H2O and ATT etc...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
whats this about? is this necessary? what does it change?
How much is it to add to an existing family plan?
how much of a data usage increase do you see with this on your plan?
T-Mobile questions:
Roughly how much for the data only plan?
is it worth it considering I already have a plan with AT&T?
That's exactly what I have with tmobile... Data only... Twenty bucks a month for 1gb, and that does include the free music streaming service
Well incase anyone was wondering, I did actually have some time today. since I already have a mobile share plan with AT&T adding my tablet was pretty cheap.
Its $10 for a tablet (data only), $15 for a phone (phone+data)
When they stuck a sim card in my tablet, AT&T gets confused, classifying it as 2 different things on 2 different levels and thus they could not simply add it. Instead they had to use the serial from one of the instore display devices, so they gave me the option to classify it as a tablet or phone. Even though I was planning to go tablet, 5 dollar diff? i went phone. seems to be working fine so far.
Consider the $15/mo tablet data plan thru Harbor Mobile ($15 for 5GBs). They are simply reselling a T-Mo business line I believe and could prob go under and leave you hanging at any moment...but if you don't have a phone number to lose, who cares.

Categories

Resources