Save $ on cell service -- Ting Mobile / Solavei (+ other MVNOs) (1 Viewer)

[Andy Dufresne]

MOT? Motorola?

 

[culdeus]

MOT? Motorola?

yes

 

[(HULK)]

Anything better than Tmo 1500 text+minutes 30MB data for $30? I would like to add more data and give up minutes or add more data at reasonable cost on ATT platform.

For $30 on T-mobile you can also get 100 Minutes, Unlimited text, and Unlimited data (up to 5GB @ 4g speed). That is the plan I am on.

intriguing. what if you go over on talk?

10 cents per minute. I use a free VOIP app when connected to Wi-Fi, and have not yet cane anywhere close to 100 minutes as a result.

I am going this route. For all that's being passed around here this plan seems like the uber deal to me. Thanks all for your help.

Its definitely the best deal for people who don't talk much and use a ton of text/data.

 

[culdeus]

Anything better than Tmo 1500 text+minutes 30MB data for $30? I would like to add more data and give up minutes or add more data at reasonable cost on ATT platform.

For $30 on T-mobile you can also get 100 Minutes, Unlimited text, and Unlimited data (up to 5GB @ 4g speed). That is the plan I am on.

intriguing. what if you go over on talk?

10 cents per minute. I use a free VOIP app when connected to Wi-Fi, and have not yet cane anywhere close to 100 minutes as a result.

I am going this route. For all that's being passed around here this plan seems like the uber deal to me. Thanks all for your help.

Its definitely the best deal for people who don't talk much and use a ton of text/data.

I have google voice so will be trying some VOIP interfaces out a bit. Still think wife won't run through 100 minutes in a month.

 

[(HULK)]

I was checking out my Ting account this morning and noticed that I got 2 referrals last week. No idea who they are though. If you have signed up with Ting and your referral code isn't linked in the first post of this thread, PM it to me and I will add it.

 

[Wingnut]

Hulk, do any of the big boys carry the Nexus 4 so I could check one out in person?

 

[Abraham]

Hulk, do any of the big boys carry the Nexus 4 so I could check one out in person?

T mobile should have one at the store.

 

[Wingnut]

Hulk, do any of the big boys carry the Nexus 4 so I could check one out in person?

T mobile should have one at the store.

Im leaning towards getting an S3, but wanna check out the N4 first. Probably gonna go with Solavei.

 

[No. 4]

Hulk, I am currently with Verizon on the Share Everything plan: Unlimited Talk & Text, 6 GB Data, ZIP 54409. Averaging about 1000 minutes talk, about 22,000 texts (11K for two sons each, about 2K myself), and 4.5 GB of data (preaching WiFi to the sons at every opportunity). I am paying $230 a month which includes a 20% discount on some of the services through my company. I think this is outrageous.

I would prefer to stay on the Verizon network if it meant I could use my existing phones. I just renewed my contract in Jan with a new Droid Razr Maxx HD, so my term penalty would be very high. My sons have an Iphone 4 and an HTC Thunderbolt (my old phone). The Thunderbolt is out of contract come Sept. I would consider different plans for each of us instead of a shared plan if it saves money. I plan on moving one son to Straight Talk in Sept unless I find something better.

Obviously, if I can't use existing phones, the new phone cost along with term fees from Verizon make this to0 costly to swallow now. But as the contracts get closer to terming, I will move to the best option for each phone.

Let me know what options you think might work for me. Thanks in advance.

Okay, first off, what I am seeing is that T-mobile and Verizon are the best in coverage in your area:

Coverage Reviews for Antigo, WI 54409Reviews Towers [SIZE=7pt]FILTER:[/SIZE] [SIZE=7pt] AT&T[/SIZE] [SIZE=7pt] SPRINT[/SIZE] [SIZE=7pt] T-MOBILE[/SIZE] [SIZE=7pt] VERIZON[/SIZE]Carrier Avg. Rating No. of Reviews Towers Coverage Map1. T-Mobile 4.5 2 Towers Map 2. Verizon 3.25 12 Towers Map 3. AT&T 1.69 13 Towers Map 4. Sprint 1.5 4 Towers Map

AT&T and Sprint appear to be "okay", but it would be a step down in service. Unfortunately, the majority of Verizon MVNOs do not allow you to port in your old Verizon phone. This is changing over time, but right now its a dicey proposition. Your best best might be to just start from scratch with Nexus 4s ($299 each, or $349 if you want the extra storage) or to wait out the upcoming Moto X Phone (due late summer, rumored to be $199 unlocked, and to be a very nice phone).

If you want to keep everyone on the same plan, then T-mobile is going to be your best best (side note, do NOT buy Nexus 4's from Tmobile, buy them from Google directly, Tmobile charges way more for the exact same thing). Anyways, you could have unlimited talk/text with 2.5 GB of data on each line for a grand total of $120. Insanely cheaper than what you're paying now. It probably even makes sense to just pay the ETF with Verizon and switch immediately. Sure, between buying new phones and the termination fees, you're looking at a 4 digit gut punch, but you'd be making that back within a year. The best bet may be to wait for Sept when son1 is out of contract and then just hopping all 3 of you to Tmo then. Takes some of the sting out of the ETF and the Moto X should be out by then.

Hulk, thanks for researching this. I checkt Tmobile's website and actually went through selecting 3 phones and the above plan. When I entered my zip code, the site said they do not have coverage in my area. I could not go any further. Hopefully, they expand coverage soon, as this seems to be a great deal.

Thanks again.

 

[(HULK)]

Hulk, I am currently with Verizon on the Share Everything plan: Unlimited Talk & Text, 6 GB Data, ZIP 54409. Averaging about 1000 minutes talk, about 22,000 texts (11K for two sons each, about 2K myself), and 4.5 GB of data (preaching WiFi to the sons at every opportunity). I am paying $230 a month which includes a 20% discount on some of the services through my company. I think this is outrageous.

I would prefer to stay on the Verizon network if it meant I could use my existing phones. I just renewed my contract in Jan with a new Droid Razr Maxx HD, so my term penalty would be very high. My sons have an Iphone 4 and an HTC Thunderbolt (my old phone). The Thunderbolt is out of contract come Sept. I would consider different plans for each of us instead of a shared plan if it saves money. I plan on moving one son to Straight Talk in Sept unless I find something better.

Obviously, if I can't use existing phones, the new phone cost along with term fees from Verizon make this to0 costly to swallow now. But as the contracts get closer to terming, I will move to the best option for each phone.

Let me know what options you think might work for me. Thanks in advance.

Okay, first off, what I am seeing is that T-mobile and Verizon are the best in coverage in your area:Coverage Reviews for Antigo, WI 54409

Reviews Towers FILTER: AT&T SPRINT T-MOBILE VERIZON

Carrier Avg. Rating No. of Reviews Towers Coverage Map

1. T-Mobile 4.5 2 Towers Map 2. Verizon 3.25 12 Towers Map 3. AT&T 1.69 13 Towers Map 4. Sprint 1.5 4 Towers Map

AT&T and Sprint appear to be "okay", but it would be a step down in service. Unfortunately, the majority of Verizon MVNOs do not allow you to port in your old Verizon phone. This is changing over time, but right now its a dicey proposition. Your best best might be to just start from scratch with Nexus 4s ($299 each, or $349 if you want the extra storage) or to wait out the upcoming Moto X Phone (due late summer, rumored to be $199 unlocked, and to be a very nice phone).

If you want to keep everyone on the same plan, then T-mobile is going to be your best best (side note, do NOT buy Nexus 4's from Tmobile, buy them from Google directly, Tmobile charges way more for the exact same thing). Anyways, you could have unlimited talk/text with 2.5 GB of data on each line for a grand total of $120. Insanely cheaper than what you're paying now. It probably even makes sense to just pay the ETF with Verizon and switch immediately. Sure, between buying new phones and the termination fees, you're looking at a 4 digit gut punch, but you'd be making that back within a year. The best bet may be to wait for Sept when son1 is out of contract and then just hopping all 3 of you to Tmo then. Takes some of the sting out of the ETF and the Moto X should be out by then.

Hulk, thanks for researching this. I checkt Tmobile's website and actually went through selecting 3 phones and the above plan. When I entered my zip code, the site said they do not have coverage in my area. I could not go any further. Hopefully, they expand coverage soon, as this seems to be a great deal.Thanks again.

is there a physical store in your area? There is supposed to be coverage. Weird

 

[(HULK)]

Hulk, do any of the big boys carry the Nexus 4 so I could check one out in person?

T mobile should have one at the store.

Im leaning towards getting an S3, but wanna check out the N4 first. Probably gonna go with Solavei.

just be sure to get the N4 from Google directly, it's cheapest there. And pm me if/when you want a Solavei SIM card

 

[Wingnut]

Hulk, do any of the big boys carry the Nexus 4 so I could check one out in person?

T mobile should have one at the store.

Im leaning towards getting an S3, but wanna check out the N4 first. Probably gonna go with Solavei.

just be sure to get the N4 from Google directly, it's cheapest there. And pm me if/when you want a Solavei SIM card

Will do on both counts.

 

[No. 4]

Hulk, I am currently with Verizon on the Share Everything plan: Unlimited Talk & Text, 6 GB Data, ZIP 54409. Averaging about 1000 minutes talk, about 22,000 texts (11K for two sons each, about 2K myself), and 4.5 GB of data (preaching WiFi to the sons at every opportunity). I am paying $230 a month which includes a 20% discount on some of the services through my company. I think this is outrageous.

I would prefer to stay on the Verizon network if it meant I could use my existing phones. I just renewed my contract in Jan with a new Droid Razr Maxx HD, so my term penalty would be very high. My sons have an Iphone 4 and an HTC Thunderbolt (my old phone). The Thunderbolt is out of contract come Sept. I would consider different plans for each of us instead of a shared plan if it saves money. I plan on moving one son to Straight Talk in Sept unless I find something better.

Obviously, if I can't use existing phones, the new phone cost along with term fees from Verizon make this to0 costly to swallow now. But as the contracts get closer to terming, I will move to the best option for each phone.

Let me know what options you think might work for me. Thanks in advance.

Okay, first off, what I am seeing is that T-mobile and Verizon are the best in coverage in your area:Coverage Reviews for Antigo, WI 54409

Reviews Towers FILTER: AT&T SPRINT T-MOBILE VERIZON

Carrier Avg. Rating No. of Reviews Towers Coverage Map

1. T-Mobile 4.5 2 Towers Map 2. Verizon 3.25 12 Towers Map 3. AT&T 1.69 13 Towers Map 4. Sprint 1.5 4 Towers Map

AT&T and Sprint appear to be "okay", but it would be a step down in service. Unfortunately, the majority of Verizon MVNOs do not allow you to port in your old Verizon phone. This is changing over time, but right now its a dicey proposition. Your best best might be to just start from scratch with Nexus 4s ($299 each, or $349 if you want the extra storage) or to wait out the upcoming Moto X Phone (due late summer, rumored to be $199 unlocked, and to be a very nice phone).

If you want to keep everyone on the same plan, then T-mobile is going to be your best best (side note, do NOT buy Nexus 4's from Tmobile, buy them from Google directly, Tmobile charges way more for the exact same thing). Anyways, you could have unlimited talk/text with 2.5 GB of data on each line for a grand total of $120. Insanely cheaper than what you're paying now. It probably even makes sense to just pay the ETF with Verizon and switch immediately. Sure, between buying new phones and the termination fees, you're looking at a 4 digit gut punch, but you'd be making that back within a year. The best bet may be to wait for Sept when son1 is out of contract and then just hopping all 3 of you to Tmo then. Takes some of the sting out of the ETF and the Moto X should be out by then.

Hulk, thanks for researching this. I checkt Tmobile's website and actually went through selecting 3 phones and the above plan. When I entered my zip code, the site said they do not have coverage in my area. I could not go any further. Hopefully, they expand coverage soon, as this seems to be a great deal.Thanks again.

is there a physical store in your area? There is supposed to be coverage. Weird

I have not seen any Tmobile stores in my part of WI. I believe Milwaukee has them. I was surprised when they showed up as the top coverage for my zip. Must be an error.

 

[(HULK)]

No4, looking at RootMetrics, who's data is incomplete for that part of WI, people have gotten signals with T-mobile. But maybe T-mobile isn't selling there because you'd be roaming on AT&T a lot?

Looking into it further, T-Mobile's map has the region covered by a "service partner". This means its AT&T's towers usually. Closest T-Mobile towers are in Green Bay. T-mobile's costs go up for someone who lives in a roaming area, since it costs them more to use AT&T's network than their own obviously. That is probably why they won't sell to you. But the phone should still work there.

It wouldn't hurt to call Page Plus and see if they can import your current Verizon phones. I suspect they won't be able to do new Razr or the iPhone, but you never know. At least their plans are much cheaper than Verizon's for the same coverage. You'd lose out on LTE though.

Alternatively, the AT&T MVNOs are pretty pricey and/or have other various drawbacks. It looks like your cheapest choice is:

Net10 (AT&T version): $130 for 3 lines unlimited calls/texts, each line has 1.5GB of data. Free roaming. Downsides: AT&T's HSPA+22 is the fastest speed you'll get, probably between 3 and 6 MBps downloads, which isn't terrible by any strectch. The main detractor is that this is a Carlos Slim / Tracfone owned company. This means your customer service is offshored to the Phillipines and they'll never have any idea as to what you're talking about when you call them. Plus, their Terms of Service are very restrictive... Net10 says no audio or video streaming, meaning that using Pandora or Youtube over data is grounds for them to cut you off. People do it and never get caught or in trouble with them, but it is something to keep in mind. No hotspotting either. That said, the price is right if you can handle that.

Everything else would cost about $50 more, and then you're running into "is this worth it?" scenarios. It sucks T-mobile won't sell to you, cause that plan would be ideal.

 

[Jobber]

My mom is on T-Mobile monthly (old school contract) until August. He uses probably 10 minutes a year. It looks like T-Mobile no longer has their prepaid now that they're on the new contract setup. So, I think Ting sounds good for her. Am I right in thinking the monthly bill will be about $9/month + taxes?

$3 - small tier 100 minutes/mo

$6 - phone fee

Seems too good to be true!

 

[UOFI_316]

If anyone else was waiting for the Galaxy S2 they have it back in stock at $251.

 

[(HULK)]

If anyone else was waiting for the Galaxy S2 they have it back in stock at $251.

Saw that. Heck of a deal, and they're new ones, not refurbs. FYI, added your referral link to post 1.

 

[Mystery Achiever]

My mom is on T-Mobile monthly (old school contract) until August. He uses probably 10 minutes a year. It looks like T-Mobile no longer has their prepaid now that they're on the new contract setup. So, I think Ting sounds good for her. Am I right in thinking the monthly bill will be about $9/month + taxes?

$3 - small tier 100 minutes/mo

$6 - phone fee

Seems too good to be true!

T-Mobile Prepaid Plans all listed here:

http://prepaid-phones.t-mobile.com/prepaid-plans

 

[(HULK)]

My mom is on T-Mobile monthly (old school contract) until August. He uses probably 10 minutes a year. It looks like T-Mobile no longer has their prepaid now that they're on the new contract setup. So, I think Ting sounds good for her. Am I right in thinking the monthly bill will be about $9/month + taxes?

$3 - small tier 100 minutes/mo

$6 - phone fee

Seems too good to be true!

Yup. I have a phone that I just have for emergencies on it for $6 a month.

If she uses 0 minutes any months, she'll only get charged the $6. When she talks a little, it'll be $9. Pretty great plan for low volume users. Be sure to use one of the referral links in post 1. You get a $25 discount (either on device purchase or on service if you bring your own phone) and whoever's link you use gets a kickback too!

 

[-jb-]

Zip - 94611

Plan - ATT, 3 phones (me, wife, aunt), 2 iphones, 1 throwaway

• FamilyTalk Nation 700 with Rollover- Includes $9.99 Each Additional Line, 700 Shared Anytime Minutes with Rollover, Nationwide Long Distance & Roaming, Unlimited Mobile to Mobile calling to/from other AT&T Mobiles, Unlimited Shared Night (9pm-6am) & Weekend calling, Call Forward Feature, Caller ID, Call Wait, Conference Call Feature, (Additional Minutes $0.45 each).
• Family Messaging Unlimited with Mobile to Any Mobile Calling- Includes Unlimited domestic text, picture, video and instant messages and unlimited calling to/from any other domestic mobile phone.

Voice Usage - Roughly 2400 minutes collectively each month (yeah, we're undersubscribed)

Data Usage - ~3G cumulative (I'm about 2G, wife about 1G, nothing for aunt)

Bill - floats between $185 and $265 month. No lube, but companies pay for it.

 

[The_Burning_Bush]

Signed up for Zact today.

Works nearly identical to Ting, except there are tons more options when picking how much talk/text/data you want; the pricing is similar. There's a $5 dollar per device monthly charge.

The downside is that it is very new, so you can only pick between 2 phones right now and CANNOT bring your own device, however surely other phones will later be added. If you're not picky about phone you can the LG Optimus Elite is on Zact for $99, where on Ting it's $209.

We'll see how it goes.

 

[(HULK)]

Signed up for Zact today.

Works nearly identical to Ting, except there are tons more options when picking how much talk/text/data you want; the pricing is similar. There's a $5 dollar per device monthly charge.

The downside is that it is very new, so you can only pick between 2 phones right now and CANNOT bring your own device, however surely other phones will later be added. If you're not picky about phone you can the LG Optimus Elite is on Zact for $99, where on Ting it's $209.

We'll see how it goes.

Zact is going to be pretty good I think. They're aping Ting pretty hard, they took that model and improved on it actually... hopefully they can get their phone selection to be a bit better soon. I'm happy to see companies like this springing up, its better for us, the consumer imo.

FYI, I can't get Zact into my current database format without a TON of data entry. Fortunately my more dynamic database is shaping up to be complete this week, so I'll be adding them into my calculations soon.

 

[(HULK)]

Zip - 94611

Plan - ATT, 3 phones (me, wife, aunt), 2 iphones, 1 throwaway

• FamilyTalk Nation 700 with Rollover- Includes $9.99 Each Additional Line, 700 Shared Anytime Minutes with Rollover, Nationwide Long Distance & Roaming, Unlimited Mobile to Mobile calling to/from other AT&T Mobiles, Unlimited Shared Night (9pm-6am) & Weekend calling, Call Forward Feature, Caller ID, Call Wait, Conference Call Feature, (Additional Minutes $0.45 each).
• Family Messaging Unlimited with Mobile to Any Mobile Calling- Includes Unlimited domestic text, picture, video and instant messages and unlimited calling to/from any other domestic mobile phone.

Voice Usage - Roughly 2400 minutes collectively each month (yeah, we're undersubscribed)

Data Usage - ~3G cumulative (I'm about 2G, wife about 1G, nothing for aunt)

Bill - floats between $185 and $265 month. No lube, but companies pay for it.

Coverage Reviews for Oakland, CA 94611 Reviews Towers [SIZE=7pt]FILTER:[/SIZE] [SIZE=7pt] AT&T[/SIZE] [SIZE=7pt] SPRINT[/SIZE] [SIZE=7pt] T-MOBILE[/SIZE] [SIZE=7pt] VERIZON[/SIZE] 1. Verizon

2.29 Rating | 106 Reviews

Towers | Map 2. T-Mobile

2.08 Rating | 62 Reviews

Towers | Map 3. Sprint

1.75 Rating | 53 Reviews

Towers | Map 4. AT&T

1.44 Rating | 213 Reviews

Towers | Map

Total Coverage1.82 Rating | 481 Reviews
Looks like AT&T has the worst coverage in Oakland, so nowhere to go but up here.

Looks like T-Mobile's uncarrier plans would work real well for you. Do this:

You: Unlimited calls/texts + 2.5 GB of data

Wife: Unlimited calls/texts + .5 GB of data

Aunt: Same as wife

Cost: $100 flat a month.

 

[saintfool]

quick question here: i'm looking to upgrade my current phone and like the nexus 4. since it is unlocked, i should have no problem running it through my current pageplus service, right?

 

[Jaysus]

If pageplus runs on a GSM network, you are set.

 

[(HULK)]

quick question here: i'm looking to upgrade my current phone and like the nexus 4. since it is unlocked, i should have no problem running it through my current pageplus service, right?

PagPlus runs on Verizon's network which is CDMA, so its a no go.

That said, you could switch to a similar GSM prepaid carrier as you have no contract. What is your mins/texts/data usage and zipcode?

 

[saintfool]

quick question here: i'm looking to upgrade my current phone and like the nexus 4. since it is unlocked, i should have no problem running it through my current pageplus service, right?

PagPlus runs on Verizon's network which is CDMA, so its a no go.

That said, you could switch to a similar GSM prepaid carrier as you have no contract. What is your mins/texts/data usage and zipcode?

60618.

i was on the PP plan with 1200 mins, 3k text and 250 mb for $29. never broke that threshold but i needed more with business calls/email. i upgraded to $55/plan to get unlimited with 2 GB data.

 

[(HULK)]

quick question here: i'm looking to upgrade my current phone and like the nexus 4. since it is unlocked, i should have no problem running it through my current pageplus service, right?

PagPlus runs on Verizon's network which is CDMA, so its a no go.

That said, you could switch to a similar GSM prepaid carrier as you have no contract. What is your mins/texts/data usage and zipcode?

60618.

i was on the PP plan with 1200 mins, 3k text and 250 mb for $29. never broke that threshold but i needed more with business calls/email. i upgraded to $55/plan to get unlimited with 2 GB data.

Chicago? You should be covered with any of the carriers then.

Coverage Reviews for Chicago, IL 60618 Reviews Towers [SIZE=7pt]FILTER:[/SIZE] [SIZE=7pt] AT&T[/SIZE] [SIZE=7pt] SPRINT[/SIZE] [SIZE=7pt] T-MOBILE[/SIZE] [SIZE=7pt] VERIZON[/SIZE] 1. T-Mobile

2.54 Rating | 93 Reviews

Towers | Map 2. Sprint

1.98 Rating | 96 Reviews

Towers | Map 3. Verizon

1.94 Rating | 107 Reviews

Towers | Map 4. AT&T

1.16 Rating | 361 Reviews

Towers | Map

Total Coverage1.7 Rating | 742 Reviews

Towers
Several sub $50 options that you could use with the Nexus 4:

GoSmart Mobile (T-Mo's towers): $45 for unlimited calls/texts + 5GB of data. Data speed is 1 MBps downloads max. Roaming included. No hotspotting.

PureTalk USA (AT&T's towers): $43.95 for unlimited calls/texts + 1 GB of data. Data speed should be about 5 MBps downloads. No roaming though. No hotspotting.

StraightTalk (T-Mo's towers): $45 for unlimited calls/texts and data. Thing is, data isn't really unlimited and they'll shut you down if you use too much, and they don't do a good job defining whatever "too much" is. They do prohibits audio (Pandora) and video (Youtube) streaming. Data speeds should be around 6 to 12 MBps downloads. People typically can get 2GB of downloads before getting into trouble with them. Customer service is amongst the worst in the industry. No roaming. No hotspotting.

Telcel America: Identical to Straight Talk (same parent company). Website is in spanish though if thats your thing.

Solavei (T-Mo's towers): $49 for unlimited talk/text and 4 GB of data. Data speeds should be around 6 to 12 MBps downloads. I use them in the DC area and average about 12 MBps. Roaming is included. Hotspotting is "not supported" but works. I have a Nexus 4 and use them. I also can hook up free SIM cards with them, so if you want one, PM me or click the link in my sig.

 

[saintfool]

cool, thanks.

 

[Wingnut]

Hulk, do any of the big boys carry the Nexus 4 so I could check one out in person?

T mobile should have one at the store.

Im leaning towards getting an S3, but wanna check out the N4 first. Probably gonna go with Solavei.

just be sure to get the N4 from Google directly, it's cheapest there. And pm me if/when you want a Solavei SIM card

Just pulled the trigger on a Tmo Galaxy S3 on eBay. Decided against the N4 due to no SD Card slot and no removable battery, both which are deal breakers for me.

I hope I can get around $150 or so for my used S2 on eBay, I plugged a wet charger into it a few months ago and it acts a little squirrely. Probably just needs a new Charging port/flex cable thingy but its time I upgrade anyway and I dont wanna mess with opening up the phone and potentially screwing something up.

So Hulk, Ill be needing a Solavei SIM for my new phone, Ill PM you my info in a bit when I get home.

 

[Jaysus]

Just pulled the trigger on a Tmo Galaxy S3 on eBay. Decided against the N4 due to no SD Card slot and no removable battery, both which are deal breakers for me.

I thought they were dealbreakes for me too. At this point, I am totally fine with the lack of SD card, and have been OK with the battery to date... but I sure would be more comfortable at times with the ability to swap out batteries when needed.

I have a GB who has the S3, he loves it... and did not put a new SD card in it or buy any backup batteries yet

 

[Abraham]

Just left att store. Boss put me on the corporate plan (and took away my $50 monthly stipend for cellular) which is unlimited talk and Text and 20gb shared between three phones. That will work. Includes tethering. Also giving me his 32gb ip5 to replace my 16g which I will sell and (I guess) give him the cash. Either way, sweet deal. He bought a galaxy s4.

 

[(HULK)]

Hulk, do any of the big boys carry the Nexus 4 so I could check one out in person?

T mobile should have one at the store.

Im leaning towards getting an S3, but wanna check out the N4 first. Probably gonna go with Solavei.

just be sure to get the N4 from Google directly, it's cheapest there. And pm me if/when you want a Solavei SIM card

Just pulled the trigger on a Tmo Galaxy S3 on eBay. Decided against the N4 due to no SD Card slot and no removable battery, both which are deal breakers for me.

I hope I can get around $150 or so for my used S2 on eBay, I plugged a wet charger into it a few months ago and it acts a little squirrely. Probably just needs a new Charging port/flex cable thingy but its time I upgrade anyway and I dont wanna mess with opening up the phone and potentially screwing something up.

So Hulk, Ill be needing a Solavei SIM for my new phone, Ill PM you my info in a bit when I get home.

Cool. S3 is a micro SIM, right? Just PM me your address and I'll mail it out to you today. And welcome!

 

[(HULK)]

Just pulled the trigger on a Tmo Galaxy S3 on eBay. Decided against the N4 due to no SD Card slot and no removable battery, both which are deal breakers for me.

I thought they were dealbreakes for me too. At this point, I am totally fine with the lack of SD card, and have been OK with the battery to date... but I sure would be more comfortable at times with the ability to swap out batteries when needed.

I have a GB who has the S3, he loves it... and did not put a new SD card in it or buy any backup batteries yet

Yeah, they're not really problems for me either... but I have an extra charger at work in case I run low on juice.

Wife has the S3 and loves it. Its a good phone too. But between the two, I love the pure Android on the Nexus4 better.

 

[(HULK)]

Just left att store. Boss put me on the corporate plan (and took away my $50 monthly stipend for cellular) which is unlimited talk and Text and 20gb shared between three phones. That will work. Includes tethering. Also giving me his 32gb ip5 to replace my 16g which I will sell and (I guess) give him the cash. Either way, sweet deal. He bought a galaxy s4.

How big is your company? I'm sure he's burning money doing this. Its no skin off your back, but I'd enjoy the challenge of looking into it for a company, and I'd do it for free imo

 

[Keerock]

Any AT&T MVNOs that support iPhone out there yet?

 

[Abraham]

Just left att store. Boss put me on the corporate plan (and took away my $50 monthly stipend for cellular) which is unlimited talk and Text and 20gb shared between three phones. That will work. Includes tethering. Also giving me his 32gb ip5 to replace my 16g which I will sell and (I guess) give him the cash. Either way, sweet deal. He bought a galaxy s4.

How big is your company? I'm sure he's burning money doing this. Its no skin off your back, but I'd enjoy the challenge of looking into it for a company, and I'd do it for free imo

I think there are probably 4 or 5 people here on the company plan.

 

[UOFI_316]

What is a good MVNO for Verizon?? My company has I think 6 lines with them (5 smart and 1 dumb). I have the dumb one (never really use it just take it when traveling) and they were looking into getting me a new phone so I can check email on the road. They hesitated since they did not want to sign up for a 2 year contract just to get a "free" phone, plus the jump from my $30 plan to whatever the unlimited smart phone plan costs.

I am guessing the other phones are beyond their contracts so there should be no termination fees. I am not sure the total minutes/data/texts but I am guessing it is heavy on minutes and relatively light on the other two.

 

[(HULK)]

Any AT&T MVNOs that support iPhone out there yet?

All the AT&T and T-Mobile MVNOs support the iPhone... anything SIM card based is fair game on those networks.

It's Verizon and Sprint MVNOs that have rare access to the iPhone.

 

[(HULK)]

Just left att store. Boss put me on the corporate plan (and took away my $50 monthly stipend for cellular) which is unlimited talk and Text and 20gb shared between three phones. That will work. Includes tethering. Also giving me his 32gb ip5 to replace my 16g which I will sell and (I guess) give him the cash. Either way, sweet deal. He bought a galaxy s4.

How big is your company? I'm sure he's burning money doing this. Its no skin off your back, but I'd enjoy the challenge of looking into it for a company, and I'd do it for free imo

I think there are probably 4 or 5 people here on the company plan.

If you want to PM me the usage details and zipcode of your office, I'll run an analysis for you guys.

If I find something better, you'll have 30 days I think to return the phones you just bought.

ETA: Are they all on a single plan currently? And what does that cost?

 

[(HULK)]

What is a good MVNO for Verizon?? My company has I think 6 lines with them (5 smart and 1 dumb). I have the dumb one (never really use it just take it when traveling) and they were looking into getting me a new phone so I can check email on the road. They hesitated since they did not want to sign up for a 2 year contract just to get a "free" phone, plus the jump from my $30 plan to whatever the unlimited smart phone plan costs.

I am guessing the other phones are beyond their contracts so there should be no termination fees. I am not sure the total minutes/data/texts but I am guessing it is heavy on minutes and relatively light on the other two.

Are you married to Verizon's network? There are only a small handful of Verizon MVNOs (PagePlus, IQ Cellular, NextG Mobile, Straight Talk, Phonata, and Talk For Good). Thing is, none of them have access to Verizon's LTE network, so you're stuck on the slowish 3G CDMA network... download speeds of about 1MB per second.

Really, MVNOs on any other network tend to be better. AT&T MVNOs have HSPA+ speeds (no LTE yet either, but HSPA+ is pretty fast) and great coverage. Sprint MVNOs have a ton of options and access to their LTE. T-Mobile MVNOs have extra fast HSPA+42 and also a ton of options. Both Sprint and T-Mo MVNOs are also typically the most bang for your buck.

Let me know everyone's usage and your zipcode and I'll take a gander for you. If you guys travel a lot I'll make sure to find options that include free roaming.

 

[saintfool]

ok, Hulk, i am making the switch to Solavei. i signed up for the simcard through you. what's the turnaround here? my next billing cycle starts 22nd and i'd like to just go ahead with this instead of waiting a month,

 

[(HULK)]

ok, Hulk, i am making the switch to Solavei. i signed up for the simcard through you. what's the turnaround here? my next billing cycle starts 22nd and i'd like to just go ahead with this instead of waiting a month,

Welcome! I can put the card in the mail today, you should have it well before the 22nd.

 

[saintfool]

ok, Hulk, i am making the switch to Solavei. i signed up for the simcard through you. what's the turnaround here? my next billing cycle starts 22nd and i'd like to just go ahead with this instead of waiting a month,

Welcome! I can put the card in the mail today, you should have it well before the 22nd.

cool.

 

[Wingnut]

Just pulled the trigger on a Tmo Galaxy S3 on eBay. Decided against the N4 due to no SD Card slot and no removable battery, both which are deal breakers for me.

I thought they were dealbreakes for me too. At this point, I am totally fine with the lack of SD card, and have been OK with the battery to date... but I sure would be more comfortable at times with the ability to swap out batteries when needed.

I have a GB who has the S3, he loves it... and did not put a new SD card in it or buy any backup batteries yet

Yeah, they're not really problems for me either... but I have an extra charger at work in case I run low on juice.

Wife has the S3 and loves it. Its a good phone too. But between the two, I love the pure Android on the Nexus4 better.

Im gonna install one of the pure Android ROMs on my S3 when I get it (Cyanogenmod, SlimBean, etc). Ive never played with any of them before, I think its time I get with the program.

 

[Jaysus]

Just pulled the trigger on a Tmo Galaxy S3 on eBay. Decided against the N4 due to no SD Card slot and no removable battery, both which are deal breakers for me.

I thought they were dealbreakes for me too. At this point, I am totally fine with the lack of SD card, and have been OK with the battery to date... but I sure would be more comfortable at times with the ability to swap out batteries when needed.

I have a GB who has the S3, he loves it... and did not put a new SD card in it or buy any backup batteries yet

Yeah, they're not really problems for me either... but I have an extra charger at work in case I run low on juice.

Wife has the S3 and loves it. Its a good phone too. But between the two, I love the pure Android on the Nexus4 better.

Im gonna install one of the pure Android MODS on my S3 when I get it (Cyanogenmod, SlimBean, etc). Ive never played with any of them before, I think its time I get with the program.

The S3 camera is GREAT though... if that is something that you will use a lot, then consider just using a different launcher. Nova Launcher is a good one.

You should be able to get LTE with the S3 too - that is a big plus for most.

 

[Wingnut]

Just pulled the trigger on a Tmo Galaxy S3 on eBay. Decided against the N4 due to no SD Card slot and no removable battery, both which are deal breakers for me.

I thought they were dealbreakes for me too. At this point, I am totally fine with the lack of SD card, and have been OK with the battery to date... but I sure would be more comfortable at times with the ability to swap out batteries when needed.

I have a GB who has the S3, he loves it... and did not put a new SD card in it or buy any backup batteries yet

Yeah, they're not really problems for me either... but I have an extra charger at work in case I run low on juice.

Wife has the S3 and loves it. Its a good phone too. But between the two, I love the pure Android on the Nexus4 better.

Im gonna install one of the pure Android ROMs on my S3 when I get it (Cyanogenmod, SlimBean, etc). Ive never played with any of them before, I think its time I get with the program.

The S3 camera is GREAT though... if that is something that you will use a lot, then consider just using a different launcher. Nova Launcher is a good one.

You should be able to get LTE with the S3 too - that is a big plus for most.

Yeah I use my camera quite a bit. Ill check out Nova, thanks!

 

[(HULK)]

Just pulled the trigger on a Tmo Galaxy S3 on eBay. Decided against the N4 due to no SD Card slot and no removable battery, both which are deal breakers for me.

I thought they were dealbreakes for me too. At this point, I am totally fine with the lack of SD card, and have been OK with the battery to date... but I sure would be more comfortable at times with the ability to swap out batteries when needed.

I have a GB who has the S3, he loves it... and did not put a new SD card in it or buy any backup batteries yet

Yeah, they're not really problems for me either... but I have an extra charger at work in case I run low on juice.

Wife has the S3 and loves it. Its a good phone too. But between the two, I love the pure Android on the Nexus4 better.

Im gonna install one of the pure Android MODS on my S3 when I get it (Cyanogenmod, SlimBean, etc). Ive never played with any of them before, I think its time I get with the program.

The S3 camera is GREAT though... if that is something that you will use a lot, then consider just using a different launcher. Nova Launcher is a good one.

You should be able to get LTE with the S3 too - that is a big plus for most.

Wings joining me on Solavei, so no LTE yet. I still don't know whats going on with that... the HSPA+42 is plenty fast, but I'm disapointed in them with the delay on LTE. From my understanding, Solavei's contract with T-Mobile says they get it, but T-Mobile is trying to hold it back for now.

 

[Jaysus]

HSPA+42 has been great for me. Does the S3 have that chip?

 

[(HULK)]

HSPA+42 has been great for me. Does the S3 have that chip?

If its the T-Mobile version it definitely does.

If its the AT&T version, it depends on if they've refarmed the spectrum in that area already or not. I'm pretty sure they've refarmed in Chicago already, so he should be fine either way.