Moving from ATT to new carrier need help with carrier and best android OS phone? - Android Software/Hacking General [Developers Only]

I am currently on a T-mobile G2 unlocked for AT&T... I am going to be switching over to sprint, T-Mobile or MetroPCS and would like your help knowing which carrier is best in your own opinion? and which android phone i should get on this carrier.
for the carrier
Unlimited data with no overage
( I am use to edge network so even throttled 3G would be nice and there is no 4G here yet anyway but there might be in Future)
Good service
(I live in the New England area, USA and AT&T sucks here. I cant even send out text messages half the time.)
I am leaning towards sprint but I got a friend at T-mobile who will help me out and plus i can keep my old phone and MetroPCS is so cheap... so... i don't know who to choose?
Things i am looking for are (but not necessary) are
Ease of root (with lots of ROMs <3 CM 7)
Physical Keyboard
fast Dual Core CPU
Big screen (pretty Necessary specially if no physical keyboard)
3D capability
I love my G2 so much that I limit my self to edge speeds...
If there is a better time to get a phone i can wait or if something is coming out that looks better then whats on the current market.
I would love your IMO on a Android OS phone .
Thanks for reading this ahead of time and i Appreciate anyone opinions.

does metroPCS use GSM and Sim cards?... if so would they work with T-Mobiles 3G?

enp82003 said:
does metroPCS use GSM and Sim cards?... if so would they work with T-Mobiles 3G?
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Only AT&T and T-Mobile use GSM.
Note: There is also Simple Mobile but they use T-Mobile as their backend.
Check Wikipedia for a list of GSM providers.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_United_States_mobile_virtual_network_operators

Sprint is the best hands down. Compared to t-mobile, my bill is half of what it used to be for my family and has twice the coverage. I own a kyocera echo and it
Is the best phone I have ever had!
Sent from my M9300 using XDA App

Falen said:
Only AT&T and T-Mobile use GSM.
Note: There is also Simple Mobile but they use T-Mobile as their backend.
Check Wikipedia for a list of GSM providers.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_United_States_mobile_virtual_network_operators
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Click to collapse
wow yeah i should of checked wiki! sorry about that but thanks for the response!
ognimnella said:
Sprint is the best hands down. Compared to t-mobile, my bill is half of what it used to be for my family and has twice the coverage. I own a kyocera echo and it
Is the best phone I have ever had!
Sent from my M9300 using XDA App
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I was actually at the mall the other day looking at this phone. It seemed pretty cool and kind of unique! I never owned a Kyocra before but Seems like a really cool phone! I got your pvt message about it. Only real downside i can see is the signal core CPU really looking for dual core or waiting for quadcore to come out.
I use alot of process heavy applications. but I will play with it more the next time I go!... Sprint is really looking like the winner now!

Only thing that scares me about the Evo 3D is i remember they had some type of weird tracking software built in to the framework?... I could be wrong but i really don't like that...
My favorite story about Sprint was my friend called them saying he had horrible service and they sent him a small Cell phone tower that connected to their board band connection! absolutely free!
and using it will not interfere with their minutes!... that's just awesome to me!

I didn't see how Metropcs's wireless network is on http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of...work_operators. I did add it to the wiki though hopefully someone will fill it in.

http://www.xda-developers.com/android/careful-what-you-do-on-your-evo-3d-you-are-being-watched/
Here is the article i found on Evo 3D.

Sprint is the only one of the big four to offer unlimited data, so sounds like that decides it for you, at least amongst them. I know nothing about regional carriers.
Sent from my SPH-D710 using XDA App

Related

Sprint Touch Pro vs. AT&T Fuze

So I'd like the experts to weigh in on this one: I'm pretty sure I'm getting the Touch Pro but I'd like to know the pros/cons of going the sprint route vs. the AT&T route. Do the same cooked roms on this site work on both, or only on the GSM (AT&T) version of the phone? Do people find the CDMA network faster/slower than the GSM network for Data (i.e. how do their 3G speeds compare). What other features might be different? And I know there's been some confusion on release dates but has that been cleared up at all?
...Part of me wants to wait and see if the Touch HD Pro will come out (HD w/ QWERTY) but I don't know if I can wait that long, and if it's only released for Europe w/out US 3G that'd suck...
Thanks all for your help!
I'd also like to see a good summary of the differences with the 2 providers. I'm probably going to be leaving Verizon for this phone.
I'd also read that the Touch HD would not be released in the US - so I'm pretty much counting on the Touch Pro.
jumping along with this one
Somebody can give more details, but I can still pitch in a little bit.
I'm from Canada so I can't really pitch in for pros/con for T-Mobile/AT&T. One advice is to get a real good look at the 3G coverage because ultimately that can be a big factor depending where you live/go.
From what I read, I wouldn't hold my breath for the HD, apparently it's currently not planned for North America. One with a keyboard is even a longer shot because of it's size, making it thicker would pretty much make it a huge phone, don't know if there's a big market for that.
As for the ROM, I saw that Elite Team is talking about making a CDMA rom, but in this forum, you will find much more GSM material. I believe that the North America user are not a huge proportion of the user base, so it explains why most of the talk is revolving around GSM.
Hope this helps a bit in your decision, overall the TP is very nice and I think the custom ROMs in this forum can make it a greater phone!
That definitely helps - If it makes a difference in terms of which service would be better, i live in the NYC area and so getting the coverage on either network wouldn't be an issue. I've heard good things about the sprint high speed network, but haven't used their service in like 5yrs, so have no idea if they've gotten better or worse since then.
In any case, the features of each phone look pretty comparable. It's not like the sprint phone will have some sort of killer app that the AT&T version wouldn't have.
I guess time will tell once people actually start using these and comparing notes on them. Is "Sprint TV" anything? I know that comes with the sprint version but have no idea what it is.
slyng1 said:
That definitely helps - If it makes a difference in terms of which service would be better, i live in the NYC area and so getting the coverage on either network wouldn't be an issue. I've heard good things about the sprint high speed network, but haven't used their service in like 5yrs, so have no idea if they've gotten better or worse since then.
In any case, the features of each phone look pretty comparable. It's not like the sprint phone will have some sort of killer app that the AT&T version wouldn't have.
I guess time will tell once people actually start using these and comparing notes on them. Is "Sprint TV" anything? I know that comes with the sprint version but have no idea what it is.
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sprint tv is tv on the go u get channels like nfl network , disney, and cnn live,but most of the channels arent live just clips and stuff...the only difference i see with them is the fuze took away the number row and replaced it with symbols, as far as networks i dont know whos is better, but sprints $15 data plan comes with sprint tv and you get 3g with att u have the pay for internet then if u want 3g then u have to pay a extra $10, but that mite just be for the iphone
labbbby said:
I believe that the North America user are not a huge proportion of the user base, so it explains why most of the talk is revolving around GSM.
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I take offense to you lumping me, a GSM user, in with the likes of Verizon and Sprint.
A co-worker of mine has the Vogue (CDMA Touch) on Verizon, and it's total BS what you have to go through when you flash a new radio or ROM to the device. Verizon uses something called an "A-Key" to authenticate you to their data network, and that key is wiped out on radio flashes (sometimes ROM flashes), so you constantly have to call Verizon to have them resend you a key to allow data connections (ALL data, not just ICS) to work.
...and Sprint has registry keys built into their ROMs to prevent ICS from working. Admittedly, this annoyance has a much easier workaround that Verizon's, but it's still BS.
havox22 said:
...with att u have the pay for internet then if u want 3g then u have to pay a extra $10, but that mite just be for the iphone
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AT&T has several different data packages available, and the device you have determines your choices, but all of them connect to 3G without additional fees.
Att All The Way!
As an owner of the FUZE. I can tell you I love this phone. The ATT version will a little different because it’s GSM. Forget the TV that any device comes with and get a Sling Box.
- Change your SIM to a cheap phone when you go Drinking or to the beach or overseas!
- Video Share, although not used a lot I use it and love it!
- Push To Talk, Again not really used a lot but its there.
Wow I sound like I work for ATT or something!
garymedina said:
As an owner of the FUZE. I can tell you I love this phone. The ATT version will a little different because it’s GSM. Forget the TV that any device comes with and get a Sling Box.
- Change your SIM to a cheap phone when you go Drinking or to the beach or overseas!
- Video Share, although not used a lot I use it and love it!
- Push To Talk, Again not really used a lot but its there.
Wow I sound like I work for ATT or something!
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Click to collapse
definetly like being able to pop the sim in a crappy phone
wich my 8525 will be soon enough
The other thing to remember is Sprint is really struggling right now and may not be around much longer. If you do travel anywhere outside of the US and want to take your phone, you will want GSM. Just my 2 cents.
Sprint is better in my opinion
sprint evdo rev a is $15/month which is the fastest mobile speed you can get in the US, versus ATT 3G $30/month which much slower (i have compared a mogul versus 3g iphone, and the mogul(ppc-6800) is reasonably faster)
sprint $15 unlimited texting
ATT $20 unlimited texting
this all comes down to what your friends have?, because if you talk alot and your friends/family has att, then just go with them since mobile to mobile is unlimited and vice versa if you have sprint friends/family.
also, the previous poster is correct in the sense that sprint is obviously not good outside the US and for switching phones all the time.
sprint is using a dying technology (cdma) but at this time, there is no denying that it is the fastest data in U.S. and sprint has alot of coverage nation wide.
i think it will be a couple of years before CDMA is completely out of the picture and anyone buying the touch pro will on to their next phone at that point.
shadowwarz said:
sprint evdo rev a is $15/month which is the fastest mobile speed you can get in the US, versus ATT 3G $30/month which much slower (i have compared a mogul versus 3g iphone, and the mogul(ppc-6800) is reasonably faster)
sprint $15 unlimited texting
ATT $20 unlimited texting
this all comes down to what your friends have?, because if you talk alot and your friends/family has att, then just go with them since mobile to mobile is unlimited and vice versa if you have sprint friends/family.
also, the previous poster is correct in the sense that sprint is obviously not good outside the US and for switching phones all the time.
sprint is using a dying technology (cdma) but at this time, there is no denying that it is the fastest data in U.S. and sprint has alot of coverage nation wide.
i think it will be a couple of years before CDMA is completely out of the picture and anyone buying the touch pro will on to their next phone at that point.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i agree with basically everything you said. The phones are basically the same, and flashing sprint phones doesn't take anything special besides making sure the Rom/Kitchen is designed for Sprint. Which most of the ones on ppcgeeks.com are on sprint first anyways sometimes only sprint.
but if you do international traveling I would definitely get the ATT version, just so all you have to do is pop in a different SIM card.
But ultimately it just comes down to which plan you can get for cheaper I'd say, like for the same minutes/data.
I travel a lot. Several times a week, and both nationally and internationally.
I use the Kaiser on ATT, and unless I am out in the middle of God's country (like, say, Carroll Iowa... don't ask), I find 3G and H all over.
I haven't used Sprint in forever.... but, as far as data goes, ATT seems to have pretty great coverage.
Making it simple:
Sprint
+Cheaper plans
+slightly better up/down speeds (especially factoring in the iphone factor)
-Harder to Flash (?, based on what's said here)
AT&T
+Usable internationally
+Easier to flash (again, based on whats said here)
-Data more expensive unless you lie to AT&T about your device (possibly causing a huge bill someday)
-Data speeds a bit slower
beyond that I couldn't say much more that isn't placebo or really effected by too many other factors... Traditionally Sprint phones will use more power then their GSM counterparts.. but there's a lotta factors involved in this issue
Also, with the Sprint CDMA network you don't get the annoying sound of speakers freaking out when you walk around and your phone does things in your pocket, unlike the AT&T GSM network.
Although if you like to be a pain, you may prefer the speaker interference caused by GSM phones.
Yeah, i have the 3G iPhone now and it is always making speakers freak out. It's especially annoying in meetings when there is a conferance phone with speakers near all of the seats. I have to leave my phone at my desk! Not to mention the 9 billion dropped calls i get with this damn thing!
HTC_Feind said:
Yeah, i have the 3G iPhone now and it is always making speakers freak out. It's especially annoying in meetings when there is a conferance phone with speakers near all of the seats. I have to leave my phone at my desk! Not to mention the 9 billion dropped calls i get with this damn thing!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
if you turn the data off the speakers shouldnt be affected unless a text comes in
I read somewhere that verizon wireless is also going to carry the touch pro.
rrider77 said:
I read somewhere that verizon wireless is also going to carry the touch pro.
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Click to collapse
yes this has been known
but it isnt really in teh same league since they are cutting the processor and ram and also removing the tilt sensor
HTC_Feind said:
Yeah, i have the 3G iPhone now and it is always making speakers freak out.
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It's half true only.
The noise which you hear through speaker only appears when you're in GSM/GPRS/EDGE mode but not in 3G UMTS/HSDPA mode. Furthermore, all GSM phones on any carrier all around the world will do the same.

Switch from Captivate --> Which carrier & phone?

hey guys, first post around here and I have a question for the masses. Currently I'm on AT&T with the Captivate but we are going to have to switch off Ma Bell due to coverage issues at our house (we are going cell-only). My decision to get the Captivate earlier was easy: I had to stay with AT&T and it easily the best phone they had. And I actually like the phone now that I've gotten a Froyo build and the GPS works. But now that we are out of contract I'm unsure where to go and what phone to get (or to wait).
I know that T-Mobile and Verizon get the best coverage at our house and those are the two carriers I'm considering. As far as Android phones are concerned, if I'm coming from the Captivate, which phone do you think I would be most satisfied with? Droid 2? G2? MyTouch 4G?
Or should I wait for this Nexus S to come out? Having quick updates is huge and as a former iPhone owner, its nice to not have the carriers put their grubby mitts on them.
Thanks in advance for any advice.
nexus one, droid 2 or vibrant if you like the galaxy s series, but thats my opinion
T-Mobile has WiFi calling as well and that's a great asset to have. If you're 100% positive that T-Mobile has the coverage you need you should go with them and get a G2 or myTouch 4G.. the DEFY is nice but it's more mid-range. I would wait for FroYo before getting the Vibrant. Then you have Windows Phone 7 if you're looking at one of those.
See if T-Mobile is offering "4G" speeds in your area. If they are, you might want to grab the myTouch 4G or the G2. The G2 looks awesome IMO.
BTW, I used the GPS on a G2 and it was flawless
G2
motorola droidx
HTC EVO
Agraceffa said:
hey guys, first post around here and I have a question for the masses. Currently I'm on AT&T with the Captivate but we are going to have to switch off Ma Bell due to coverage issues at our house (we are going cell-only). My decision to get the Captivate earlier was easy: I had to stay with AT&T and it easily the best phone they had. And I actually like the phone now that I've gotten a Froyo build and the GPS works. But now that we are out of contract I'm unsure where to go and what phone to get (or to wait).
I know that T-Mobile and Verizon get the best coverage at our house and those are the two carriers I'm considering. As far as Android phones are concerned, if I'm coming from the Captivate, which phone do you think I would be most satisfied with? Droid 2? G2? MyTouch 4G?
Or should I wait for this Nexus S to come out? Having quick updates is huge and as a former iPhone owner, its nice to not have the carriers put their grubby mitts on them.
Thanks in advance for any advice.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I vote for waiting on the Nexus S and at least see what it's about. If you get a phone and discover the Nexus S is a much better phone, you'll be kicking yourself for the next two years.
T-Mobile -G2
Verizon - Droid 2/ Droid X (depending upon the keyboard want/need. I'd go D2)
Sprint - Evo
I personally love Android, and at this point in time, can't imagine using another smartphone OS.
Get a Microcell
If it is just a coverage issue, get an AT&T Microcell. No contract required, just uses your existing minutes and internet connection. I have one at work due to zero signal...works like a champ!
second the microcell.
call ATT and politely tell them that you plan on leaving because the coverage inside your house is not up to par. when they send you to retention services, tell them that you'd stay if the coverage was better IN YOUR HOUSE and most likely they'll offer you a microcell for free
Sprint ---> EVO
Verizon ---> Droid X or 2 depending on your stance on QWERTY
T-Mobile ---> G2 or HD7 depending on your stance on WP7
AT&T ---> Cry
I like this option to start, I never thought of complaining to AT&T as a first step. Since I have other options, whats the worst that could happen, right? That broadband pipe is going to get some serious traffic . . .
For the other phone, I was thinking Droid X or G2. I love the design of the Cappy and in my opinion, the myTouch 4G and the Vibrant/Fascinate seem to be a step down. Most likely it will be the Droid X or waiting until the Nexus S "issue" is resolved. I'm a little skeptical of the G2 hinge after seeing it in store.
If you go with t mobile you can use your captivate until you figure out what phone you want. (if you unlock it)
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App
sblees said:
If you go with t mobile you can use your captivate until you figure out what phone you want. (if you unlock it)
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App
Click to expand...
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true but no 3g service, right?
Agraceffa said:
true but no 3g service, right?
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Click to collapse
Well that I'm not sure about.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App
T-Mobile exclusively uses the AWS 1700/2100 MHz frequency-band. Not compatible with other 3g services in the U.S.
mikegy2002 said:
T-Mobile exclusively uses the AWS 1700/2100 MHz frequency-band. Not compatible with other 3g services in the U.S.
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that's what I thought. Same as using an iPhone on T-mobile. It'll work but you'll just be stuck on Edge like speeds.

This is why we laugh at contract phones

I wrote up a little rant about how virgin mobile is better in so many ways. check it out. you will see why you are the smarter ones.
http://androidforums.com/motorola-triumph/426738-why-we-laugh-contract-phones.html
VM != Sprint though. Thus our coverage is limited. That and other companies are starting to roll out somewhat comparable plans, like T-Mobile's $30 plan with unlimited-ish data, which resembles Virgin Mobile USA's unlimited plan too. Not that we're throttled yet, but still.
If one could deal with the slow slow data, then I'll say yes its a good deal. I was a happy Virgin Mobile customer t'ill I discover the world of 4G and I have never looked back. I also save money by not having the need of home ISP (comcast) 4G hotspot is more then one needs to run my laptop and PS3.
shook187 said:
If one could deal with the slow slow data, then I'll say yes its a good deal. I was a happy Virgin Mobile customer t'ill I discover the world of 4G and I have never looked back. I also save money by not having the need of home ISP (comcast) 4G hotspot is more then one needs to run my laptop and PS3.
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True that. I miss my tmo service. There 3g is 2x-3x faster then Virgin. Nexus Prime here I come!
What exactly is their faster 3G known as then? As I understood ut Virgin Mobile's CDMA Rev. A was the fastest 3G available, without being prematurely labeled as 4G.
Anyway, I doubt where I live in Hicksville WI will be covered with T-Mobile's 4G, whatever it really is.
Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk
primetechv2 said:
What exactly is their faster 3G known as then? As I understood ut Virgin Mobile's CDMA Rev. A was the fastest 3G available, without being prematurely labeled as 4G.
Anyway, I doubt where I live in Hicksville WI will be covered with T-Mobile's 4G, whatever it really is.
Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk
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Not sure what you're insinuating but Virgin Mobile's 3g is a joke compared to any of the 4 post paid wireless carriers. That includes sprints, which runs off the same network but at a lot lower speeds.
For me personally, one of the major reasons that I hate dealing with the major players it that they treat their new customers better than the existing ones. For example I got an email today that I can get the Thunderbolt for $0.01 today on Amazon. But if I am an existing customer, it would be $120 if I am an individual, and if I am part of a family plan $180!!!!!!!!!!! I mean really is that any way to treat loyal customers. At least with a prepaid service I know that I am not getting screwed.
just so everyone knows i would like you to know i changed my prl to sprints 00115 i think and i am also running 3g turbo charger and i am getting 1.2~1.5 kbps on speed test. so just an fyi with a little work your phone can be way faster than tmobiles 3 g network. you just have to be willing to spend a few hours working on the phone. =)
platypuss94 said:
just so everyone knows i would like you to know i changed my prl to sprints 00115 i think and i am also running 3g turbo charger and i am getting 1.2~1.5 kbps on speed test. so just an fyi with a little work your phone can be way faster than tmobiles 3 g network. you just have to be willing to spend a few hours working on the phone. =)
Click to expand...
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Way faster? I think not. I was downloading between 6-6.5 mbs, and uploading at 3-3.5 mbs with my 3g vibrant.
Scribed in blood using XDA Premium
I too was a prepaid guy trying to make arguments on how great prepaid was, and how much of a sucker post paid is. Till I started envying all the great phones I was missing out on, and noticing how much slower 3g on Virgin was as to how much better it was on Sprint.
I don't think Sprint's 3G is faster than virgin mobile's 3G. I think it's the phone that make you feel the speed difference. If you move to Sprint and get a better phone, your web pages will load much faster. I used to have Sprint with the TP2, then switch to VM with the Triumph. I can tell you that web pages load much faster on the Triumph. I also ran speedtest and I got similar results from both.
junks2010 said:
I don't think Sprint's 3G is faster than virgin mobile's 3G. I think it's the phone that make you feel the speed difference. If you move to Sprint and get a better phone, your web pages will load much faster. I used to have Sprint with the TP2, then switch to VM with the Triumph. I can tell you that web pages load much faster on the Triumph. I also ran speedtest and I got similar results from both.
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Click to collapse
Modems/radios can make the phone download/upload faster, but your still using a sprint 3g connection. Of course your triumph will download faster, the tp2 is much older, and so is the radio inside of it.
Scribed in blood using XDA Premium
The problem with Pre-paid and Virgin and others like Boost is this : If you travel the phone works like a turtle, if you are in a big city where they have coverage then you are ok.
So, in other words, if you do not leave a big city where you live it works just fine, but if you have to travel all over you are ****-outa-luck buddy !
It would be nice that was not the case, but since I have to travel from Hawaii to D.C I know what I am talking about I've experienced it.
So, in some cases Virgin is fine........ in my case......... it does not perform.
oka1 said:
The problem with Pre-paid and Virgin and others like Boost is this : If you travel the phone works like a turtle, if you are in a big city where they have coverage then you are ok.
So, in other words, if you do not leave a big city where you live it works just fine, but if you have to travel all over you are ****-outa-luck buddy !
It would be nice that was not the case, but since I have to travel from Hawaii to D.C I know what I am talking about I've experienced it.
So, in some cases Virgin is fine........ in my case......... it does not perform.
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What up Oka. I hate this phone and service. Its almost "Prime" time, and wll be partying it up with you and the rest of the EDT boys.
Lol, makes sense. VM is marketed towards people in big cities, who already have computers and wifi.
This is probably with the hope that the people who buy the phones, just use them on wi-fi and rarely, if ever, touch their mobile data except for calls (which are limited in the plans anyway) or texts (which cost VM essentially nothing). Maybe that's why they decided to put on the bandwidth cap... there are more country bumpkins taking advantage of their coverage between major cities (like I do).
AT$T pulled a total jerk move, and passed up our region entirely. There's no T-Mobile store in the area, although GSM Tracfones used to work.
Dan_Brutal said:
Modems/radios can make the phone download/upload faster, but your still using a sprint 3g connection. Of course your triumph will download faster, the tp2 is much older, and so is the radio inside of it.
Scribed in blood using XDA Premium
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That's exactly my point. It's the phone. Not the network. In my case, both connect at the same speed but the Triumph seems much faster.
I am one of those people that rarely touch my data plan because I have wifi everywhere. Also in the areas where I don't have good cell signal, I use GooVeIP to still make and receive calls. I know its not for everyone, but when I look at even getting the Droid Bionic for a penny and then the fact that I would be forking out almost over a $1000 more over the 2 years for less min. I just can't do it.
shook187 said:
If one could deal with the slow slow data, then I'll say yes its a good deal. I was a happy Virgin Mobile customer t'ill I discover the world of 4G and I have never looked back. I also save money by not having the need of home ISP (comcast) 4G hotspot is more then one needs to run my laptop and PS3.
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and that is the reason why throttling and bandwidth caps came into existence.
I could live with a bandwidth cap if I freakin' knew where and what it was. I also started ogling the unlocked GSM phones after discovering T-Mobile's plan, although really I feel somewhat "locked-in" now that I've spent $300 on a Triumph.
Locked in like a two-year contract with a company that knows where they can find me? Hardly. But still, a little locked.
dugiteddy said:
and that is the reason why throttling and bandwidth caps came into existence.
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He probably pays for the tethering
Sent from my Revolting Revolution. Powered my mtmichaelson.

[Q] NO HSPA+/Only EDGE on Simple Mobile

So I bought a Samsung Infuse off Craigslist. I love it, it's awesome. I use the Simple Mobile $60/m plan. I previously had a Samsung Galaxy S Vibrant before the Infuse. I used to run CM7 but used Bionix 1.31 as my ROM on my Vibrant. So I'm familiar with the ends and outs of this technology.
The Situation: Samsung Infuse running latest "unofficial build" CM7, flawless performance. After doing much research as to APN settings on Google and XDA I found that the internet is wrong with the APN settings for HSPA+ on a HSPA+ capable phones. I called Simple Mobile yesterday and we did an OTA (she spoke I listened) configuration of the APN and it's full of IP addresses nao. She said that will allow me to access the "4G" network. The thing is, it says "E" for EDGE at the top for my signal....consistently.
The Problem: The EDGE never changes, also according to various speedtest's I can't EVER break .50kbs DL speed off of WiFi.
So I tried switching out various modems that we're available to me for the Infuse via the CWM flashable's. I've seen NO IMPROVEMENT on data speeds after each modem.
So what exactly is the issue: Am I doing something wrong via XDA material? Or am I just ****ed on HSPA+/4G speeds?
Simple mobile use tmobile towers, so u'll never get anything other than EDGE because att&fee phones dont use the same bands
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bobthq said:
Simple mobile use tmobile towers, so u'll never get anything other than EDGE because att&fee phones dont use the same bands
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You are right and WRONG all at the same time...fascinating isn't it!
Simple Mobile does in FACT use T-Mobile Towers, however; before I rocked the Infuse I've seen other speeds that read 3G/H. The Simple Mobile Network offers 4G/HSPA+ with the $60/m plan that I am currently on.
So with that information, how would you explain that a phone that is HSPA+ capable and programmed correctly that sits on the EDGE network and still doesn't break .50kbs DL speed??
I spoke with customer service at Simple Mobile and several other Simple Mobile retailers that told me up one wall and down the other that the Samsung Infuse programmed correctly should FLY without WiFi, this phone should act like the rocket it claims to be with data on the network.
Instead it is slow, sux and is worthless without WiFi.
So how come you tell me one thing, and several people that work for the Network and people that are affiliated with it tell me another?
Simple because there trying to sell you. Remember its a business?
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Evilspawn said:
Simple because there trying to sell you. Remember its a business?
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I own a business; I know about selling. But according to my research, your a little or alot off; I just can't exactly prove it.
I know that AT&T offers 4Gish speeds (true LTE in like 2 cities in TX), and that T-Mobile offers 3.5+G-4Gish speeds.
I also understand the concept of up-selling, however that scenario does not apply with my current plan and situation.
Has it, or has it NOT been documented ANYWHERE that an HSPA+ capable phone on the $60/m Simple Mobile plan achieved true or realistic data DL speeds off WiFi?
I am no tech or anywhere educated in this topic. But why are you comparing network speeds with your wifi? Or am I missing something here?
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jayson94538 said:
I am no tech or anywhere educated in this topic. But why are you comparing network speeds with your wifi? Or am I missing something here?
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I'm not using WiFi as a comparison, just as another option for higher DL speeds. Off WiFi I've seen snails crawl faster than my data can move.
I just want to know why I can't get anything better than **** with this great phone and supposedly "reasonably-good" network.
Vizone- said:
You are right and WRONG all at the same time...fascinating isn't it!
Simple Mobile does in FACT use T-Mobile Towers, however; before I rocked the Infuse I've seen other speeds that read 3G/H. The Simple Mobile Network offers 4G/HSPA+ with the $60/m plan that I am currently on.
So with that information, how would you explain that a phone that is HSPA+ capable and programmed correctly that sits on the EDGE network and still doesn't break .50kbs DL speed??
I spoke with customer service at Simple Mobile and several other Simple Mobile retailers that told me up one wall and down the other that the Samsung Infuse programmed correctly should FLY without WiFi, this phone should act like the rocket it claims to be with data on the network.
Instead it is slow, sux and is worthless without WiFi.
So how come you tell me one thing, and several people that work for the Network and people that are affiliated with it tell me another?
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Click to collapse
They simply dont know wat they r talking about, they r trained within their own company and dont know that other bands exist and not all 4G r on the same band, same for 3G. So i suggest u sell ur phone and get a tmobile phone or switch to ATT. Next time when u buy a phone, insert ur Sim card in and test the network before u pay
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bobthq said:
They simply dont know wat they r talking about, they r trained within their own company and dont know that other bands exist and not all 4G r on the same band, same for 3G. So i suggest u sell ur phone and get a tmobile phone or switch to ATT. Next time when u buy a phone, insert ur Sim card in and test the network before u pay
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The phone was NETWORK LOCKED when I bought it, so I guess I suppose I'm glad you we'rent with my when I bought it lol.
I'll take into mild consideration that a multitude of people may not be aware of alternate existing networks.
The T-Mobile phone I had before licked ****ing sac, my buddy has a Captivate that OVER-SHINED my Vibrant any day of the week - So No, I won't buy a phone from a company that's supposedly being bought out BY AT&T.
From previous quotes: It seems that we are implying that ONLY a T-MOBILE BRAND PHONE can access the 4Gish HSPA+ speeds that Simple Mobile network (that uses T-Mobile towers) and not an AT&T branded phone.
Yes, it's true....the above DOES in fact sound stupid when I put it on paper. AT&T and T-Mobile use the same towers and Simple Mobile/Metro PCS (some other un-explained networks) use the SAME towers.
So how is it, according to posters: That replacing AT&T phone with T-Mobile garbage will allow me to acquire the DL speeds that reference HSPA+/4G speeds. AND NOT, under any circumstances is it possible for an AT&T phone that uses the same towers to get the same outcome?
OK, the last part really does sound stupid, I feel like I'm arguing with a mockingbird. Anyone else have any further to offer?
bobthq said:
Simple mobile use tmobile towers, so u'll never get anything other than EDGE because att&fee phones dont use the same bands
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Actually I re-read this statement. AT&T don't use the same bands, something about T-Mobile uses 850 and AT&T uses 1700.
Would changing the band selection make a difference? How to if possible?
I think u can only change the APN, not the band, the band is hardware, not software. I had the same problem trying to use my Desire HD on tmobile and couldnt get anything more than edge. I did also ask questions here and all i got is the answer i told u. So sell ur phone asap, dont wait until its price drops more
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bobthq said:
I think u can only change the APN, not the band, the band is hardware, not software. I had the same problem trying to use my Desire HD on tmobile and couldnt get anything more than edge. I did also ask questions here and all i got is the answer i told u. So sell ur phone asap, dont wait until its price drops more
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Word, posted on Craigslist and I suppose I'll get an HTC Sensation. Thank-you for your recent clarification.
Yo! You need straight talk to get it working simple mobile uses T-Mobile bands straight talk uses AT&T's network.
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Optimus-Prime said:
Yo! You need straight talk to get it working simple mobile uses T-Mobile bands straight talk uses AT&T's network.
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Will straight talk sim work on not "straight talk phones"?
Which cheapest phone of straight talk I have to buy to get their SIM-card?
I know they selling GSM and CDMA phones and don't want to buy wrong one.
Flat Out answer only the 2G or EDGE bands in the phone are compatible with ATT networks the other bands are different so if you want bettter speeds get att or use wi-fi because edge is all you will ever get no matter what you do to the APN
like on the previous post mentioned, i think most of the att phones doesn't have the radio that is capable of receiving the 3g/4g frequencies tmobile use. i could be wrong, but i think is a hardware problem rather than a setting you can change.
Simple mobile is Tmobile, 3g may never work.
Strait talk is a variety of carriers, depends on,the specific phone. The only known phones that work from the att network and have a Sim that works in other phones are the expensive Nokia smart phones. But those also have a Tmobile variant, I don't know how to tell the difference without looking at the Sim.
There is also consumer cellular, apparently that,is att but I don't know if it's full talk text and Web or how it's billed.
Dani897 said:
Simple mobile is Tmobile, 3g may never work.
Strait talk is a variety of carriers, depends on,the specific phone. The only known phones that work from the att network and have a Sim that works in other phones are the expensive Nokia smart phones. But those also have a Tmobile variant, I don't know how to tell the difference without looking at the Sim.
There is also consumer cellular, apparently that,is att but I don't know if it's full talk text and Web or how it's billed.
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Consumer Cellular is VERY "no-frills" - it's only for VERY light users.
There is no AT&T phone that I know of that supports the 1700 MHz band required for T-Mobile 3G.
The only phone I know of that has pentaband HSPA+ (works on both AT&T and T-Mobile) is the Galaxy Nexus.
When I programmed my HTC Evo 3D i saw various optinos for cdma/eg/4g in CDMA Workshop & QPST Service Programming, what I saw was diferent types of bands and freqz, you might wana check out a phone's specs of tmobile and then check if those specs (frqz & bands) match with the one set on your device...
For example
The Vocoder settings
band prefferences :
band class 0/1/2/3/4/5/ sys a/b/
GSM DSC 1800
GSM extended 900
Etc etc.... check with the device's password on it's profiles and realms (settings I can view on my evo using ##data# )
I can confirm that the issue is with the phones. I just ran a test using my simple mobile card on an AT&T Infuse vs Tmobile Vibrant 4G.
AT&T Infuse
Edge connection with 50kps max
Tmobile Vibrant 4G
3G connection with 240kps max
I will be going to staright talk at the end on this billing cycle.

Sprint to Tmobile

Ok, can someone help me. I want to switch to Tmobile because in my area Data is 10x faster with them. I have to bring my daughters as well. I'm an Android junky, they are not. My question is, will sprint I phone 4s work on tmobile? Tmo says I have to have sprint unlock them, then I can put Tmo sim in and we're good. Is that true? Will it work on Tmo 4g? And will Sprint unlock easily? Thanks. I'm just gonna wait on the ONE to switch mine, but my kids don't know the joy of Android
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Don't think so
Sprint is on a PCS network and Tmobile uses GSM. They are totally different. You could bring an ATT IPhone to Tmoblie.
You should try to get your daughters away from those IPhones...
Good Luck
Yes, the 4S has a GSM SIM card that can be unlocked, but they're not still not going to want to let you use it on a domestic carrier - they will generally unlock for a customer in good standing for international use. Looking at some threads about people trying to get the Sprint 4S to work on T-Mobile it looks like way too much hassle requiring special equipment (at least at one point in time) and with poor results when it comes to function on T-Mobile's network. The phones also need to be jailbroken because Apple is cooperating with Sprint to not allow you to take the Sprint phone to another domestic carrier's network - this brings a whole new set of potential problems.
If you really want to try it, Google it and see what it would take on your part. Personally, I wouldn't want to do something like that with a kid's phone unless they were going to understand the process and be responsible and able to troubleshoot if things went wrong (same reason I wouldn't root a kid's phone for them without them understanding what's going on and the problems they might face and how to fix them).
Unless they're deeply invested in Apple's market, I'd sell the 4S's and get them N4's or S2's or something. This doesn't have to do with any personal dislike for iPhones - but for the fact that if you're going to go with T-Mobile their ability to get a signal and what kind of signal will depend on the local network and what work T-Mobile has done, even if you traded the Sprint models for factory unlocked ones. They may end up only ever getting 2g, they might have poor coverage due to lack of 1700MHz and more. And since they're your daughters I'd guess you want to make sure they can get a signal no matter where they are in case there's an emergency. I would explain things to them like adults - explain the reason you want to switch services and the impact on them if they choose to stay with an iPhone, show them how Android is really not all that different - teach them about making informed choices and to understand why they are making a certain choice.
Big THANKS that was the BEST Answer I could hope for
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big70tom said:
Ok, can someone help me. I want to switch to Tmobile because in my area Data is 10x faster with them. I have to bring my daughters as well. I'm an Android junky, they are not. My question is, will sprint I phone 4s work on tmobile? Tmo says I have to have sprint unlock them, then I can put Tmo sim in and we're good. Is that true? Will it work on Tmo 4g? And will Sprint unlock easily? Thanks. I'm just gonna wait on the ONE to switch mine, but my kids don't know the joy of Android
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Nevermind...completely misread the type of phone.
Mod, please delete. Sorry!

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