Getting a 3G SIM for my new PDA - General Topics

Hi Folks,
The phone "officially" registered on my contract with Orange UK is an old 2G one for it has a 2G SIM. I'm looking to get a Touch HD which will need a 3G SIM.
Unfortunately, I'm told that Orange won't just give out shiny new 3G SIMs.
The obvious way to wheedle a 3G SIM out of Orange would be to simply "upgrade" to a cheap 3G phone - But because of the ancient tariff I'm on ("Everyday 50"), my local Orange shop wouldn't entertain ANY kind of upgrade, even though I am "out of contract", unless I change to a more expensive tariff !
Any ideas anyone ? "Dog ate my SIM"? Threaten to leave ?
Thanks in advance.
- Steve

If you go in somewhere like phones4u and tell them the contract you already have, they will often try to match it, sometimes by giving you a lump sum refund so that the monthly price is brought down to what you want.

jez83uk said:
If you go in somewhere like phones4u and tell them the contract you already have, they will often try to match it, sometimes by giving you a lump sum refund so that the monthly price is brought down to what you want.
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That's an idea - but the plan I'm on at the moment suits me very well and is very cheap indeed (which is undoubtedly why they are not keen on giving me an upgrade phone). I can't see anyone easily matching it long-term.
I wonder if all SIMs used by orange are now 3G compatible, or would I really need to specifically get a 3G phone to get a 3G SIM?

Have you thought about going for one of the SIM only tariffs? That way you get the new SIM, the old number can be ported across and you get a lower monthly cost.
Just done it with Vodafone for their cheapest tariff and its costing me £10 for 75 mins and 500 texts on top of which i have added the £7.50 Mobile Internet. And the SIM i have is HSPDA compatible.
Oh, and one other possible plus, while it is a contract there is no long term tie in, its a rolling 30 day commitment.

Related

Sprint Touch Pro vs ATT Fuze

I'm still chugging along with my T-Mobile MDA but with my bandwidth addiction I need to go 3G. Naturally the Touch Pro is what I'm looking at but I have a few questions I haven't been able to answer with searches...
Is the Sprint version thicker? If so, any idea how much thicker?
I've seen at least one smartphone offer GSM as well as CDMA (someone had a Sprint phone with a SIM card slot, can't remember the model now.) Any chance The Touch Pro will do this? I doubt it will but I can dream right?
Since ATT decided to change the keyboard is there a way to remap it to have a CTRL key instead of what looks like an OK key on the bottom left?
I would love to get a much slimmer phone, but the keyboard is so handy. And of course I want a nice screen for internet browsing so I either go with the Diamond and make do with the on-screen (and possibly buy a tiny bluetooth keyboard) or deal with the extra thickness of the Pro. But one of the things I will be doing with it is SSH (not with the Diamond obviously) so the CTRL key would be nice to have. Then of course there are things like RAM, applications, etc to think about and not to mention the differences in the networks. Who would you guys rather go with for network speed/reliability?
I've never had such a hard time picking out a new phone before...
I doubt the CDMA version of the Touch Pro would be any thicker than the GSM model.
Sprint's network does not support SIM cards, but they own Nextel which does use SIM cards. What you saw was a dual network (Sprint/Nextel) phone that uses CDMA for voice and data, and GSM for Push-to-Talk.
The CDMA Touch Pro is no thicker. It has rounded edges which may or may not make it look thicker but it is still 0.7". Honestly the rounded edges actually give it a nicer feel in the hand as well.
As far as the CDMA with a SIM card, you are thinking of the Blackberry 8830 World Edition. This has a SIM slot but only for international use...not US use. The Touch Pro will NOT have this.
As far as the remapping. There are articles in here that you can search for that will explain how to do this. I personally would much rather have OK and the Windows key than have CTRL and a second Shift key.
Lastly, it is all personal preference. 3G is much faster in my experiences than EVDO Rev. A but when looking at webpages it really doesn't make too much of a difference to me...it's more about the hardware and software you have that determines speed. The biggest selling point that made me go to Sprint was the fact that unlimited plans are extremely cheap. $52/month after my employee discounts for unlimited text, data (GPS and all those other fun Sprint features) and 450 minutes.
same here
I had a sprint phone with a sim card slot it was the samsung IP 830 it was bad and big but it had the best universal remote control I have seen also for international use. so my contract is up with at&t on december and Im trying to decide if I want to go back to sprint or stay with att sprint data service is way faster and cheaper than AT&T here in iowa cuz we don't have 3G and I doubt we will ever get it so I don't know I like the omnia better than the touch pro so maybe if that device comes to AT&T I will stay.
Well, even thou the 3g IS faster, with the iPhone hoggin up the GSM band and sometimes slowing the 3g to a crawl, I would say the EVDO REV-A is gonna be faster as CDMA does NOT have any slow downs like GSM when its crowded. The only thing that GSM has over CDMA in the states is coverage. I would give this thanks to the iPhone 3g!
NotATreoFan said:
I doubt the CDMA version of the Touch Pro would be any thicker than the GSM model.
Sprint's network does not support SIM cards, but they own Nextel which does use SIM cards. What you saw was a dual network (Sprint/Nextel) phone that uses CDMA for voice and data, and GSM for Push-to-Talk.
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I thought Nextel was IDEN, not GSM
According to the pictures on this Engadget Mobile post, the Sprint version will in fact have a ctrl key as well as numbers on the top row of keys instead of symbols. That's a big plus as far as I'm concerned.
I'm actually trying to make the same choice between the Sprint and ATT versions of this phone. I'm on ATT now (with a Tilt) and have been for several years with few issues. I've always been a big GSM supporter, but I'm not a world traveller and haven't really used any of the benefits of SIM cards either, so I'm starting to wonder why I'm sticking with GSM. It seems that in the US, it's just an inferior technology. All I've read says that Sprint's Rev A is faster than ATT's HSPA - at least in real world scenarios - and Sprint's coverage (both Rev A and not) is supposedly stronger (reaches inside buildings better) and more widespread (reaches more rural areas).
On top of that, Sprint's prices are far better! I'm paying nearly as much on ATT for 600 minutes + unlimited SMS, MMS, and data as I would on Sprint for unlimited everything (and this is throwing in stuff like Sprint TV and their GPS service as well). If I went for a plan more in line with my usage, I could get their 450 minute plan for $60 if I'm remembering correctly - which saves me about $40 a month.
I've also heard that their customer service is very lenient with discounts and credits, which is something I've never really had with ATT (except when they make a mistake on my bill).
So that's where I stand. Aside from leaving GSM and the price of breaking my contract with ATT, I'm seeing very little reason not to switch over to Sprint. Is there something I'm missing here? Any advice?
I jumped ship from Verizon to get the Mogul from Sprint. Never been happier. As a matter of fact, I'm as happy as a retard
TheBundo said:
I thought Nextel was IDEN, not GSM
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Quite possible. I gave up following Nextel 8 years ago after my i95 pissed me off 300-too-many-times. I knew next to nothing about phones back then.
I agree with most of what you said. Except for:
salimai said:
I've also heard that their customer service is very lenient with discounts and credits...
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I have been with AT&T since it 2001, but I signed up for a Sprint data card last summer because I was traveling to Florida, and one of the areas I was going to did not offer 3G coverage on AT&T.
I ended up canceling the service 2 days before coming home because even though I was in the heart of EVDO Rev-A, according to coverage maps and customer service reps, that damn card would refuse to connect about dialup speeds unless I left it sit connected and idle for the first 20 minutes after turning it on... and it was still barely faster then AT&T's Edge network (verified by tethering my Wizard to my laptop and using ICS).
When I canceled the account, I was told that I would receive a full refund of my activation fee and all usage charges because it had only been 10 days, and the service did not work as expected. Fast forward to 45 days later, and I get a letter from Sprint that they're sending my account to collections over $18.58 in unpaid usage fees. I fought that for another 4 weeks, and got absolutely nowhere (apparently Sprint reps can be fired for transferring your call to a supervisor ).
Long enough story shortened... I paid the money because it just wasn't worth the frustration... but I will never be a Sprint customer again.
I was with Sprint for many years before I switched to T-Mobile. The only reason I switched a few years ago is because Sprint's phones sucked. They just didn't have a very good selection (it was mostely flip phones that were all pretty much the same.) I also got my MDA for free on Amazon ($150 before $150 in rebates) so it was a pretty good deal. When I was with Sprint I never really had any problems with customer service but I only called them when I wanted to change my plan or something wasn't working right. I did get a little upset when I was calling them about the federal government employee discount though. I swear I called like 4 times and I would either get put on hold indefinately or the rep would act like she couldn't hear me and hang up after I mentioned the discount. I later found a different number to call about it and it was a much better experience.
I like the idea of being able to switch networks with a phone and take it overseas if I need to. But I have realized that by the time I want to switch networks the phone would be very outdated and I can get a new one with the discounts. As far as going overseas...I could get orders overseas (Air Force) but there's no guarantee that I would even be in a GSM area (is Japan GSM? Korea isn't right?) and if I was they'd probably have better phones anyway.
I think I might just go with Sprint. The pricing is just below what I pay T-Mobile (I only need 450 minutes) and it has the keyboard I want. Now I just have to talk myself into waiting for the TP and not going for the Diamond...of course I could get the Diamond first then give it to my wife if I still want the TP (I'm sure she'd love to watch Youtube whenever she wants.)
Does anyone know the spec differences between the sprint touch pro and the fuze or a link to a comparison? I did a search on here but didn't notice it. Thanks
NotATreoFan said:
I agree with most of what you said. Except for:
I have been with AT&T since it 2001, but I signed up for a Sprint data card last summer because I was traveling to Florida, and one of the areas I was going to did not offer 3G coverage on AT&T.
I ended up canceling the service 2 days before coming home because even though I was in the heart of EVDO Rev-A, according to coverage maps and customer service reps, that damn card would refuse to connect about dialup speeds unless I left it sit connected and idle for the first 20 minutes after turning it on... and it was still barely faster then AT&T's Edge network (verified by tethering my Wizard to my laptop and using ICS).
When I canceled the account, I was told that I would receive a full refund of my activation fee and all usage charges because it had only been 10 days, and the service did not work as expected. Fast forward to 45 days later, and I get a letter from Sprint that they're sending my account to collections over $18.58 in unpaid usage fees. I fought that for another 4 weeks, and got absolutely nowhere (apparently Sprint reps can be fired for transferring your call to a supervisor ).
Long enough story shortened... I paid the money because it just wasn't worth the frustration... but I will never be a Sprint customer again.
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That sounds like a nightmare. I'll keep that in mind. Thanks for sharing your experience.
kextyn said:
I like the idea of being able to switch networks with a phone and take it overseas if I need to. But I have realized that by the time I want to switch networks the phone would be very outdated and I can get a new one with the discounts. As far as going overseas...I could get orders overseas (Air Force) but there's no guarantee that I would even be in a GSM area (is Japan GSM? Korea isn't right?) and if I was they'd probably have better phones anyway.
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Well, the possibility of world travel is one of the things that's kept me with GSM. I'm a musician and my last band toured nationally and almost internationally (the tour fell through unfortunately), and I wanted the flexibility. But considering the plethora of different technologies and frequencies, whatever USA phone I get is most likely going to be at least crippled no matter where I go anyway.
Japan uses mostly W-CDMA from what I understand. Unfortunately, it's compatible with neither Sprint or Verizon's CDMA nor ATT or T-Mobile USA's W-CDMA.
jkmiec3rd said:
Does anyone know the spec differences between the sprint touch pro and the fuze or a link to a comparison? I did a search on here but didn't notice it. Thanks
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From everything I've read, it seems that they are identical spec-wise. The two phones have different cases (the Sprint version is a bit more rounded) and the top row of keys is different (Sprint has numbers, ATT has symbols), but other than that I believe they are the same.
salimai said:
From everything I've read, it seems that they are identical spec-wise. The two phones have different cases (the Sprint version is a bit more rounded) and the top row of keys is different (Sprint has numbers, ATT has symbols), but other than that I believe they are the same.
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Has anyone actually posted a pic of the BACKSIDE of the ATT touch pro? I don't think I've seen any yet.
Note the sprint version is going to have a silver/grey back with a chrome bezel type thing going around the side:
http://www.engadgetmobile.com/photos/hands-on-with-sprints-touch-pro/
Keep in mind best buy has the us 3g unlocked version of the touch diamond gsm version so pretty soon they will get the us 3g version of the touch pro so you can get the 5 row keyboard the way HTC initially set it up without ATT butcher job...Just a little FYI. Best buy should have the unlocked 3g version of the touch pro sometime in November after ATT and sprint lauches their versions.
gramsey1911 said:
Keep in mind best buy has the us 3g unlocked version of the touch diamond gsm version so pretty soon they will get the us 3g version of the touch pro so you can get the 5 row keyboard the way HTC initially set it up without ATT butcher job...Just a little FYI. Best buy should have the unlocked 3g version of the touch pro sometime in November after ATT and sprint lauches their versions.
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has it been confirmed that bb will get TP? cuz for all we know the last leak from bb was that they'd be selling SPRINT TP, there was no indication whether they'd be selling unlocked 3G version. Also, can we say for sure they'll carry TP just cuz they carry diamond? I mean, they started selling diamond way before any of the carriers...what stopped them from selling TP ahead of time? also, since 3 carriers will have TP in their fleet, does it make sense for bb to sell a handset that more than half of the US carriers have? where's the profit in that? just some random questions I kept asking myself. If anyone would enlighten me it'd be much appreciated.
gramsey1911 said:
Keep in mind best buy has the us 3g unlocked version of the touch diamond gsm version so pretty soon they will get the us 3g version of the touch pro so you can get the 5 row keyboard the way HTC initially set it up without ATT butcher job...Just a little FYI. Best buy should have the unlocked 3g version of the touch pro sometime in November after ATT and sprint lauches their versions.
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I also would like to know if this has been confirmed. It's definitely an interesting option if it is indeed true. Unfortunately, with the Diamond having a $700 price tag, I'm not sure that this will be a reasonable option no matter how tempting. I know some people are willing to drop close to $1000 on a phone (it might not be that high, but I would expect it to be close since the Diamond is so spendy), but not me.
As far as the carrier choice goes, the posts negative toward Sprint have only been related to customer service issues (which may or may not be widespread) rather than coverage, signal quality, data speed, CDMA vs GSM, etc. I have to say I'm a bit surprised. At this point I'm taking that to mean that switching to Sprint might be the right choice. Would anyone else like to chime in?
Well for me i will have to stay with ATT. I live about 20 miles outside of Austin, TX and ATT gets much better signal than Sprint which my old roommate had. I have pretty much noticed that in Texas at least if you are gonna do much outside the main cities then ATT is pretty much the best option.
Question for other ATT customers, I get a company have my company discount of 20% discount on new hardware associated with my account but I have been told by the reps on the phone that the discount cannot be applied with the contract renewal price. This makes an odd choice since i will not use the rebate form since i don't want to switch from my Media Max 200 plan to the Pda Plan.
Options:
1. No contract renewal and suggesting a retail of $549 - 20% brings a cost of $439
2. Get with contract renewal making price probably about $399 without rebate.
3. The rep was full of it and I can use the contract renewal and the 20%.
TaurenSnake said:
Well for me i will have to stay with ATT. I live about 20 miles outside of Austin, TX and ATT gets much better signal than Sprint which my old roommate had. I have pretty much noticed that in Texas at least if you are gonna do much outside the main cities then ATT is pretty much the best option.
Question for other ATT customers, I get a company have my company discount of 20% discount on new hardware associated with my account but I have been told by the reps on the phone that the discount cannot be applied with the contract renewal price. This makes an odd choice since i will not use the rebate form since i don't want to switch from my Media Max 200 plan to the Pda Plan.
Options:
1. No contract renewal and suggesting a retail of $549 - 20% brings a cost of $439
2. Get with contract renewal making price probably about $399 without rebate.
3. The rep was full of it and I can use the contract renewal and the 20%.
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Click to collapse
I had no problem buying the Tilt using AT&T Premier and renewing my existing contract.
http://wmpoweruser.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/10/attfuze.jpg
Wow, ATT's keyboard of the htc IS really ugly!
Also I'm almost positive that ATT will get the "watered down" camera. 3.1 MP.

Buying a phone/SIM/contract in the USA

Hi,
This could possibly be the dumbest question you've ever heard asked, but.....
I work for a UK based company and one of our members of staff is on a long-term contract in the US - based in New York, looking for new business etc... She has a Touch Pro device - on a UK contract with a data package - that she uses to make calls, send/receive email (via our Exchange server in the UK) and is very concerned about the size of the phone bills she's been generating!!!
My question is this: can she buy a contract SIM from a US provider to use in the Touch Pro, or will she need to get a CDMA-type phone - whatever she ends up with, will need to talk to our Exchange server in the UK
I have no idea as to what options are available - and also which option is the most cost-effective. I know we're gonna get shafted on the data charges whichever way we go, but hopefully the phone calls to US numbers from a US phone will be considerably cheaper as they won't be classed as roaming.
Any suggestions you guys may have would be most welcome; I'm relying on the expertise of the XDA members in the US
Thanks in advance - and apologies again for the dumb question!
Mark.
Mark Crouch said:
Hi,
This could possibly be the dumbest question you've ever heard asked, but.....
I work for a UK based company and one of our members of staff is on a long-term contract in the US - based in New York, looking for new business etc... She has a Touch Pro device - on a UK contract with a data package - that she uses to make calls, send/receive email (via our Exchange server in the UK) and is very concerned about the size of the phone bills she's been generating!!!
My question is this: can she buy a contract SIM from a US provider to use in the Touch Pro, or will she need to get a CDMA-type phone - whatever she ends up with, will need to talk to our Exchange server in the UK
I have no idea as to what options are available - and also which option is the most cost-effective. I know we're gonna get shafted on the data charges whichever way we go, but hopefully the phone calls to US numbers from a US phone will be considerably cheaper as they won't be classed as roaming.
Any suggestions you guys may have would be most welcome; I'm relying on the expertise of the XDA members in the US
Thanks in advance - and apologies again for the dumb question!
Mark.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Let me be the first to say there are no stupid questions....just stupid people who ask them....LOL and just kidding. Actually your thinking is right on track. If she has sim version of the Pro 2 then she can go ahead and get either t-mobile or AT&T. Either way when she leaves she will be required to pay an early termination fee. The package for AT&T completely unlimited is $99.00 but don't hold me to it. Also if she is using the UK version, no 3G for her, unfortunately, but if you read those who have the blackstone here in the US then you will see that Edge seems good enough for them. One more thing to consider is if she is in New York City, is all the wifi hotspots available. Those along with her unlimited plan should get her through the mess. T-mobile is the next option, but I don't use their service so no dice on that one.
Tell her to go to an AT&T store and also a T-mobile and find out what she can from each and then make a decision based on what her needs are.
I hope this helped a little.
Thanks for that - I'll take a look at the AT&T site and see what options are available for her. Looks like the phone/data are separate packages, but that's no problem; whatever she ends up with will be less than the last two bills we've had (about $1500USD a month ). Even the termination fee is "only" $175, so that won't hurt too much
Hey, thanks for the tip about the wi-fi - hadn't even considered that!! Are there a lot of AT&T wi-fi hotspots in the NYC area or is there just a lot of wi-fi generally (I ask because the AT&T data plans I've seen so far include access to their own hotspots).
Certainly some food for thought - I'll go away and digest it all
Many thanks,
Mark.
Mark Crouch said:
Thanks for that - I'll take a look at the AT&T site and see what options are available for her. Looks like the phone/data are separate packages, but that's no problem; whatever she ends up with will be less than the last two bills we've had (about $1500USD a month ). Even the termination fee is "only" $175, so that won't hurt too much
Hey, thanks for the tip about the wi-fi - hadn't even considered that!! Are there a lot of AT&T wi-fi hotspots in the NYC area or is there just a lot of wi-fi generally (I ask because the AT&T data plans I've seen so far include access to their own hotspots).
Certainly some food for thought - I'll go away and digest it all
Many thanks,
Mark.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The touch pro in the US is called the Fuze, it is the only GSM Touch Pro available. Both US Touch Pros are CDMA ( Verizon and Sprint ). But since the hardware is the same I am sure that a european TP will work just fine on the AT$T network with an AT$T sim.
The unlimited calling package is $ 99/mo and the data package ( internet email, weather, MMS ....) is $30. Of course international calls are always extra. ( called Aruba last week to the tune of $12.50 for 15 min )
So $129 for unlimited calls, texts, and data to @4GB /mo.
You can also cut down the minutes package and save more considering all unused minutes from one month " rollover " into the next month. Nights and weekends are free and AT$T to AT$T calls are free.
Here is my package for 4 phones. TilT, iPhone, LG Vu and Samsung Propel.
59.99 +9.99+9.99+9.99= $86 for 900 shared minutes ( the kids rarely talk, just text, so we always have a good pile of rollover minutes left just in case someone gets " chatty " one month.
Data Tilt-30 ; iPhone-30 =$60 Unlimited Texts on all four phones = $30
So $ 176 for four phones, not bad I think ? ( better deals welcome )
Since you are not subsidizing the phone, no contract, no early termination fee. Hope this helps
OK, I think we're getting close......
Thanks for the responses; I think we're now armed with all the facts
I think she's been told to go to an AT&T store and get something sorted. Only problem (?) now is that she's decided she doesn't want the Touch Pro any more, so she'll be looking to get a new handset through AT&T too (our UK sales people had TP's, but hated them and now have the HTC Snap - think that's the way she wants to go too!!).
Cheers,
Mark.

Pre-paid plans using CDMA Rhodium

I have been a long time customer (more than 10 years) with Iowa Wireless. I LOVE the plan I have, and the rate I haven't been able to find a match to. I'm a big fan of GSM and how I can change phones at will, but alas, I am moving to an area of North Dakota that doesn't have any GSM data, and very poor GSM voice coverage.
I have to move to Verizon (or any other CDMA provider), so I have taken this as my chance to get a new Rhodium to upgrade from my Kaiser to. Yay me.
BUT...
I don't like it, but I have had some financial difficulty, and now must pay a heafty deposit to get 'normal' service from Verizon (which is over priced to begin with).
If I get the Verizon pre-pay unlimited plan *shudders*, can I add a TP2 from eBay by just providing the correct serial numbers?
What about other pre-pay CDMA providers? Wal-Mart's Straight Talk is the right plan at a reasonable price, but can I mount a CMDA TP2 to thier network?
If you have access to MetroPCS in your area, and are willing to jump through a few hoops in getting the device configured, you can use a TP2 there. I have a Sprint TP2 that I bought on eBay running on MPS without issue. Data speeds will take you back to 2003, but the $40 unlimited call/text/data plan is hard to beat.
goldenu said:
If you have access to MetroPCS in your area, and are willing to jump through a few hoops in getting the device configured, you can use a TP2 there. I have a Sprint TP2 that I bought on eBay running on MPS without issue. Data speeds will take you back to 2003, but the $40 unlimited call/text/data plan is hard to beat.
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Click to collapse
Wow, I'll have to check them out. Is MetroPCS GSM, or CDMA based? Unfortunatly (in this case) the TP2 can run both GSM and CDMA... as for speeds, I'm used to a trunkated 20K, so anything is fine with me. *chuckles*
Thanks for the pointers!
Check out Page Plus it resells Verizon service thier data plans are crap 20megs and 50 megs and then prepaid $3 a meg (I think) lol but if you setup you phone right you can get allo the free data you can use. I had some issues but had it working pm me if you want details. thei unlimited plan talk and txt with 20megs of data is ~$40
Otherwise see if US Cellular is in the area still expensive for my plan but better than Verizon.
1000 anytime National plan, free nights and weekends starting at 7pm, free incoming calls txts and pics~$45
+txt plan 750 msgs ~$10
+data $24
+phone insurance ~$6
+taxes ~however much the government steals
gets my bill ~$100 per month
But I do pull about a 1megabit down and reasonable upload with 200ms to 250ms latency in my service area when tethered on my pc and I've only been in two places in all of america I did not get coverage so I like them allso the costumer service is the best I've ever had from ANY COMPANY HANDS DOWN.
If their was one company that deserves a hug in the whole world is US Cellular they are the best!
sorry for typos it's late I'm tired and lazy.
How do you get free unlimited data from Page Plus?
I am also curious as to whether or not you can tie an unlocked Touch Pro 2 to the Straight Talk network. Anybody have any ideas?
Verizon Wireless Basic Pre-Paid Plan
I've got a Blackberry through work and use that to read my work mails and for calls. I was still using the HTC P3600 as my PDA/MP3 player/Navigation/snapshots/movies/games/etc. and was thinking it's time for an upgrade. The TP2 seemed to be a worthy successor... thank god - I was waiting long enough. Anyway, I was also looking for a plan that I could use every now and then without any monthly commitments and related high charges. So the Verizon basic pre-paid plan seemed ideal for my situation - it costs 99 cents per day you use it - while giving you unlimited data for that day. I'd get a $100 charge so they let me keep my number for 1 year and I'd get OTA data for every third day during that year. So much for the plan...
First attempt: Try to get the Vz TP2 with the basic pre-paid plan. FAILED ... although the pre-paid guys told me the phone would work with the plan, they wouldn't be able to sell it to me without a monthly plan. I could have gotten it for the month-to-month price and then cancelled the plan after the first month - but I didn't want to go that far.
So I bought the phone through eBay. Slight complication - but I am very happy with my new phone so far!
Second attempt: Get the Vz pre-paid plan setup to my new TP2 that I bought off eBay. FAILED althought initially I was informed the pre-paid plan would WORK with the TP2 - Verizon Wireless refuses to set it up with the TP2 (which they will recognize as soon as you give them your MEID). They told me "the pre-paid network is not able to handle the traffic generated by the TP2 phone" right, like there's a separate pre-paid network....
Third attempt: PENDING I want to get some low-cost CDMA phone, either off eBay or from Vz directly (~$40 dollars one-time costs) and set that up with the basic pre-paid plan. Then I'll just "repair"/clone that phone's ESN to my TP2 and theoretically will be able to use my TP2 finally with the Verizon Wireless Basic Pre-Paid plan.
Anyone has any thoughts or - even better - real life experience? Will this work? Any ideas for a cheaper solution? I don't mind the workaround - it's fun so far...
Bizzled - THIS IS EXACTLY the kind of information I wanted to know! I'm reading this intently, I can't wait to hear how this went. I have a little bit of time before I have to change companies, I'd really like to do this...
I think I can get you a phone that is from VZ... used to be on the network, let me know if you need one, I'll go do the research on my end.
Page Plus is a prepaid service that uses the Verizon network. They will activate any unlocked CDMA phone (even phones from another carrier).
Most Verizon PDA phones work out of the box with no unlocking or anything needed.
See here:
http://www.pagepluscellular.com/
Sounds like exactly what you are looking for.
bizzled said:
I've got a Blackberry through work and use that to read my work mails and for calls. I was still using the HTC P3600 as my PDA/MP3 player/Navigation/snapshots/movies/games/etc. and was thinking it's time for an upgrade. The TP2 seemed to be a worthy successor... thank god - I was waiting long enough. Anyway, I was also looking for a plan that I could use every now and then without any monthly commitments and related high charges. So the Verizon basic pre-paid plan seemed ideal for my situation - it costs 99 cents per day you use it - while giving you unlimited data for that day. I'd get a $100 charge so they let me keep my number for 1 year and I'd get OTA data for every third day during that year. So much for the plan...
First attempt: Try to get the Vz TP2 with the basic pre-paid plan. FAILED ... although the pre-paid guys told me the phone would work with the plan, they wouldn't be able to sell it to me without a monthly plan. I could have gotten it for the month-to-month price and then cancelled the plan after the first month - but I didn't want to go that far.
So I bought the phone through eBay. Slight complication - but I am very happy with my new phone so far!
Second attempt: Get the Vz pre-paid plan setup to my new TP2 that I bought off eBay. FAILED althought initially I was informed the pre-paid plan would WORK with the TP2 - Verizon Wireless refuses to set it up with the TP2 (which they will recognize as soon as you give them your MEID). They told me "the pre-paid network is not able to handle the traffic generated by the TP2 phone" right, like there's a separate pre-paid network....
Third attempt: PENDING I want to get some low-cost CDMA phone, either off eBay or from Vz directly (~$40 dollars one-time costs) and set that up with the basic pre-paid plan. Then I'll just "repair"/clone that phone's ESN to my TP2 and theoretically will be able to use my TP2 finally with the Verizon Wireless Basic Pre-Paid plan.
Anyone has any thoughts or - even better - real life experience? Will this work? Any ideas for a cheaper solution? I don't mind the workaround - it's fun so far...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Did you buy a verizon branded TP2? Just curious, since I'm dealing with my own issue with verizon.
@cdmccul - I'll definitely share the results once I'm done. Got a Verizon Phone already for the cloning process... just need to figure the cloning out now. Thanks for the offer though!
@SaltyDawg - thanks for the hint. I won't go with PagePlus though since they charge you $1.20/MB for data and that's all I'm interested in for my future TP2 plan...
MadM3rlin said:
Did you buy a verizon branded TP2? Just curious, since I'm dealing with my own issue with verizon.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes I did.
bizzled said:
@cdmccul - I'll definitely share the results once I'm done. Got a Verizon Phone already for the cloning process... just need to figure the cloning out now. Thanks for the offer though!
@SaltyDawg - thanks for the hint. I won't go with PagePlus though since they charge you $1.20/MB for data and that's all I'm interested in for my future TP2 plan...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
$1.20 per MB? That's only if you take the standard plan.
http://www.pagepluscellular.com/Plans/Talk n Text 1200.aspx
That says you get 1200 minutes, 1200 text messages, and 50 MB of data for $29.99 per month (which is the same as the $1.00 per day that you were talking about on Verizon). And data is billed at .60 per MB if you go over the 50 MB.
I looked at PagePlus, but the web site wasn't working well for me, and it appears as though they won't get me a phone number near where I need one. Doesn't mean I won't try a different area code, but for now, if I can get Verizon to work, that would be 'better.
However, Verizon doesn't have any LOCAL numbers to exactly where I am. The closest town to where I am moving to is considered long distance to where I will be living.
cdmccul said:
I looked at PagePlus, but the web site wasn't working well for me, and it appears as though they won't get me a phone number near where I need one. Doesn't mean I won't try a different area code, but for now, if I can get Verizon to work, that would be 'better.
However, Verizon doesn't have any LOCAL numbers to exactly where I am. The closest town to where I am moving to is considered long distance to where I will be living.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just port your number in. Keep your existing number. If you don't have an existing number, buy a cheap prepaid phone and then port that number.
SaltyDawg said:
Just port your number in. Keep your existing number. If you don't have an existing number, buy a cheap prepaid phone and then port that number.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'll have to see if I can find any - the town I'm moving to isn't THAT small, but I haven't found any local cell numbers. I'll have to do more research, there's got to be somebody... That or I'll try to do something with the GoogleVoice thingy I read about a while ago.
Well if push comes to shove, you can port landline numbers too. So you could sign up for a landline from whoever the local phone company is, and then after a few days port it out to your cell phone.

Going to School internationally; what to do about Cellphone plan?

I started a 2 year plan with T-mobile in September, not ever considering going to school in Canada, but now that is the prospect that I'm facing.
The biggest problem is that I'm still going to need a phone here in the states for breaks, so I can't just get a new Canadian plan. The reason I have posted this in the XDA forums is cause I have a rooted G2 + google voice. I know the chances are slim, but is there anything I can do with these two things that could help me not lose either a ton of money on cancelling a plan early, or lose the phone that I have paid $250 for?
Thanks for any help.
Maybe you can sell the phone with the contract to somebody else and just get a new one?
by law plans are pro-rated so if you have a 2 year plan and you are 1 year into it the penalty is 50% of the early termination fee. So look at the fine print the cost may not be as bad as you think.
What about the phone, since it is unlocked, would it work if i got like a prepaid plan in canada?
It should have the GSM bands that Canada operates on, so yes, but that's edge speeds only. I don't know which 3g bands the G2 has or what canada's 3g operates on, so look into that to see if you can get speeds above edge.
You should cancel your plan & for the states use prepaid t-mobile (or whatever) phone should still work. Just make sure you get tmobile to unlock it for you

How much in the UK?

Hi All
I am now due an upgrade on my Desire, and was going to go for the HTC One S. O2 however want £36 a month, for 600 minutes, 1gd data and unlimited texts, so i was wondering what people are paying for it over here?
Cheers
Go to the vodafone eforum and do it that way you get much better deals! Or just contact them through twitter just look for vodafone UK deals
Sent from my HTC One S using XDA Premium App
Go to mobiles(.)co(.)uk, chose HTC One S -> T-Mobile -> Show All and you can find this deal:
Line Rental £26.00 monthly with cashback(7 Months Free) Includes 750MB data allowance , 300 Minutes , Unlimited Texts
Plus you can get an extra £60 cashback if you go to quidco(.)com, register, search for mobiles(.)co(.)uk, click on the link and complete your order.
All that will bring your average cost per month down to £15.92 with a free phone, 300 mins, unlimited texts and 750mb of data
phones4u is currently doing £27 24month contract on O2, 300mins, 500Mb data, also doing £26 24 month on vodafone 300mins, 500Mb data. But phone free, and SIM free, unbranded as I was told yesterday when I was in one of their shops playing around the one s. (oh yes, the deals only available online but I think that's better cos you have the 14days cooling period which in store you don't get it)
I am planning to get the o2 deal since always on o2 but just waiting to decide which colour to go for... just cannot decide...
i really need 1gb of data! i am going for the grey, just to get away from the black ones chipping whilst those phones are still in circulation!
Cheers all.
Three are by far the best. Just changed to them and their signal and 3G speed is great! When tethered to my PC using wifi and the three networks 3G on speed test I get 56ping, 8/9mb Download, 2.5mb upload.
The deal I went for was Unlimited Data, 1000mins, 5000 texts for £33 a month with £60 credit spread over 3rd and 4th bill.
3 have come a long way...
I used to hate them, They where horribly branded, and removing the simlock was almost impossible, compared to other networks.
But they are at the top for smartphone deals, The internet deals they offer + the speed is almost unbeatable.
azzledazzle said:
3 have come a long way...
I used to hate them, They where horribly branded, and removing the simlock was almost impossible, compared to other networks.
But they are at the top for smartphone deals, The internet deals they offer + the speed is almost unbeatable.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I totally. I remmember their first proprietary handsets and they were nasty cheap plastic... Do you remember those £11 3 phones from Savers? The advertising used to get right on my nerves too, and the support was aweful. I came back to them in 2010 for the One Plan and haven't been more impressed with a carrier since.
Support is also top notch, never have to wait in a queue and like you say, the speeds are the best around...
I don't want to sound like I'm advertising them, but they really have turned a new leaf in terms of service and reliability.. As well as the fact they don't put their fugly logo on every phone I buy anymore
Have been with ThreeUK for 4 years, had to cancel my contract this month, as I moved to a new place and don't have any signal indoors what-so-ever. I also found their customer support very useless to help me solve my problem, but had no problems in past to get a good deal for upgrade.
Now I'm with T-mo and my phone arriving tomorrow
nozzla said:
Hi All
I am now due an upgrade on my Desire, and was going to go for the HTC One S. O2 however want £36 a month, for 600 minutes, 1gd data and unlimited texts, so i was wondering what people are paying for it over here?
Cheers
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm on that tariff but I pay £32 a month as I've been an O2 customer a while so I got 1gb for the price of 500mb (£6). They also threw in 50mms messages a month. I also get 500 o2 to o2 minutes and since almost all of my friends and family are on o2 it works out well. If you've been with them a while give them a call and see what they say. 2 years ago I had a similar situation and I just asked and got 2 extras just like that (unlimited o2 to o2 calls and 500mb bolt on, both for free). If not that 3 deal that someone mentioned for £33 seems like a steal. Phone was free on o2 btw.
ccart said:
I'm on that tariff but I pay £32 a month as I've been an O2 customer a while so I got 1gb for the price of 500mb (£6). They also threw in 50mms messages a month. I also get 500 o2 to o2 minutes and since almost all of my friends and family are on o2 it works out well. If you've been with them a while give them a call and see what they say. 2 years ago I had a similar situation and I just asked and got 2 extras just like that (unlimited o2 to o2 calls and 500mb bolt on, both for free). If not that 3 deal that someone mentioned for £33 seems like a steal. Phone was free on o2 btw.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've been with O2 for 12 years on the same number and they will offer me nothing!!
I might just for the ease go with O2. or i will buy the phone and get a giffgaff sim card!
nozzla said:
I've been with O2 for 12 years on the same number and they will offer me nothing!!
I might just for the ease go with O2. or i will buy the phone and get a giffgaff sim card!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wow thats shocking! I've only been with them 5 years and even then this is the most expensive tariff I've ever taken out with them...usually I was a SIM only customer (£15 a month). I go on their live chat thing and ask what are my options are and I usually get someone saying 'well since you've been with us a while' etc etc. Maybe try your luck and say you've been with them 12 years and you want this phone but that tariff is too expensive and competitors are cheaper and you may have to leave. They seem to value customers so could offer you a loyalty discount (and yes they do this cause my account has a bolt on thingy saying 'Loyalty Discount, -£4'). I have half a mine to ask them to knock another few ££ off for those 50mms messages cause they will NEVER get used lol.
If you have been with your provider for quite a while, then try and call their cancellation line and request your PAC code, they will offer you a really good deal just to keep you with them, but if you deny all their offers and go away with the PAC code, wait for another call... with the best deal possible
got pac code. no further calls. sod them! i've gone with the Three UK deal. 500 minutes, unlimited data and texts. £32 a month. O2 have disappointed me to say the least!
EDIT: Thanks for all your advice!
Why no one commented on the deal that I found?
Is it because of T-Mobile or 300 minutes is not enough?
I have never used T-Mo, so I'm curious a little bit now
I'm on Orange panther 31. As it suggests, £31 with 400 mins, unlimited texts and 750mb data though CPW. Also includes free sky sports on the phone and another one of those swappable things.
I also get 15% loyalty discount for staying with them so works out at £26 odd coupled with roaming data access to T-Mobile I'm very rarely without H connection.
Sent from my HTC One S using Tapatalk 2
whats this roaming data ?? How do you use tmobile when your with orange ?
Id like to know more about this, because with vodafone the 3g signal is non existent where i live, But tmobile have excellent 3g signal (my GF is with them)
Basically, if you're on Orange (my carrier) or T Mobile you can use either network for phone and data. Mine seems to spend more time on T Mobile than Orange but either way, coverage is great it automatically picks the best one I think.
You also can manually move to either via network selection if you prefer.
Plus orange do that loyalty discount too.
Sent from my HTC One S using Tapatalk 2
I personaly dont understand, why u all look for "carrier" phones with monthly payment...
Isnt there any "local" internet shops (similar to ebay/amazon) where you can buy? Here there is planty of them! Choose the one u like or the price u like and go ahead!
You can see some of search results here "http://www.salidzini.lv/search.php?q=htc+one" But ofc, these shops dont send outside Latvia, so its not option for thread author
cookpass said:
Basically, if you're on Orange (my carrier) or T Mobile you can use either network for phone and data. Mine seems to spend more time on T Mobile than Orange but either way, coverage is great it automatically picks the best one I think.
You also can manually move to either via network selection if you prefer.
Plus orange do that loyalty discount too.
Sent from my HTC One S using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ohhh i know what you mean now, Orange and Tmobile joined up last year..
I just thought you mean, if you internet connection is crap you could use someone else network lol
Like I (vodafone) could use... say 3 UK network when my 3g network fails.... haha that would be impressive

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