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AT&T&T-Mobile - oh boy! we are really in trouble!!!

oh boy! we are really in trouble!!!
http://www.engadget.com/2011/03/24/...s-fcc-again-with-atandt-3g-bands-a-pre-acqui/

It's not that bad. After a month with them they remove your frontal lobe and implant a chip. Once you're assimilated and become one of their minions, you'll stop complaining and begin worshipping Lord Jobs. Believe me, resistance is futile.
Sent from my at&t Vibrant 4G using XDA Premium App.

This is a moot point. The vibrant and similar already work with at&t bands. Otherwise what would be the point of unlocking?
Sent from my SGH-T959V using XDA App

they gave it a new model number SGH-T959P

chadster214 said:
they gave it a new model number SGH-T959P
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I knew about this device back in mid jan. Just never knew what it was. Lol
Sent from my SGH-T959V using XDA App

calin75 said:
It's not that bad. After a month with them they remove your frontal lobe and implant a chip. Once you're assimilated and become one of their minions, you'll stop complaining and begin worshipping Lord Jobs. Believe me, resistance is futile.
Sent from my at&t Vibrant 4G using XDA Premium App.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
ROFL!!!!
Sent from my SGH-T959V using XDA App

You T-Mobile babies stop crying
AT&T is not that bad....in fact in my hometown it's great! I get HSPA/3G speeds all day long while my wife (a T-Mobile user) can't get anything but Edge/2g on her so called Galaxy S "4G"...lol hehe.......about 45 minutes out of town she can though. Which goes to show, although T-Mobile has the fastest down/up speeds, they do not have the range of service satellites they need to cover these small, lost, and forgotten towns out here.
But with the combined power of almighty AT&T, the impossible becomes possible, thus conquering little guys like Sprint, Verizon who forcefully bully their way on to consumers with promising and emasculate devices that carry overpriced, heart ripping contracts that leave people dam near pulling the lint out of their pocket to pay bills

The only way this will be good is if they don't jake up my bill and get rid of my unlimited. I have great coverage where I live but when I go on a little trip and I mean little I lose recwptionrecwption
Sent from my SGH-T959V using XDA App

I predict a few things happening.
1 ) All the prices will be jacked up by at least $20 to $30 & for no good reason but to pad the paychecks of the executives.
2) Customer Service will be ****-tastic for what ever is left standing.
3) What ever phones come out under this new arrangement will be chit-locked like the iPhone & we will have to resort back to exotic tricks to get the devices rooted / unlocked.
It will happen, just wait for it... Make sure you have an unbrella for when it does.
/rant
AT&T has a problem with it's customers. Their problem is that they are being provided a service. Their solution to this problem is to take people's money and not provide any service.
/end-rant

Speculation is that AT&T will likely have to divest itself of 40 to 50 percent
of T-Mobile USA customer base and the likely winner of that will be Sprint.
So if you stay with TMO to see what the outcome is you might not
end up with AT&T, but with Sprint.
http://www.tmonews.com/2011/03/anal...to-divest-part-of-t-mobile-possibly-to-sprint

Orionshock is on the money. I like T-mobile. I do not like AT&T.
It's nothing but bigger bills & mierda for T-Mobile customers. Send an email to your congressman, for whatever it's worth.

One of my paintball buddies says he has an out of state friend that works for AT&T
and he is in Florida right now working on T-Mobile towers.
I was hoping this nightmare would go away but apparently AT&T has greased
some palms at the FCC and DOJ and are sure this is a done deal.

COOL!!! full 3g speed on my 5 1/2 year old baby girl's toy phone... IPHONE4 lol

+1
orionshock said:
I predict a few things happening.
1 ) All the prices will be jacked up by at least $20 to $30 & for no good reason but to pad the paychecks of the executives.
2) Customer Service will be ****-tastic for what ever is left standing.
3) What ever phones come out under this new arrangement will be chit-locked like the iPhone & we will have to resort back to exotic tricks to get the devices rooted / unlocked.
It will happen, just wait for it... Make sure you have an unbrella for when it does.
/rant
AT&T has a problem with it's customers. Their problem is that they are being provided a service. Their solution to this problem is to take people's money and not provide any service.
/end-rant
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...and the 10 chars

All of the announcements are a bit over zealous. It would take over a year IF the government even allowed the merger, since they would be a sim card monopoly in the US.. doubt it will happen if you ask me.

Not so fast. Sprint is saying Don't let it happen. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-...-mobile-deal-will-harm-industry-users-1-.html

Returning g2x probably leaving tmo

I will be returning the g2x and leaving to sprint.
Yesterday I received my 3rd unit. Now I have never had the other 2 past any remorse period.
The phone had finger prints on it. Ding! First flag.
I mean crusted finger prints. Like food leaves on a phone.
Then the after removing the screen protector there are clear hairline scratches in the center bottom part of the screen.. like its been dropped and the polished.
The scratches still very visible.
Tmo sent me a refurbished phone.
I was told its showing as new. But there may have been a mix up at the factory and a refurbished unit may have been sent.
Well that person should stop eating cheetoes before packaging phones.
I'm getting my refund. I'm leaving my grandfathered plan of my faves 89.00 a mnth.
To sprint for unlimited everything 79.00 a mnth.
I just want a working product. I never received a NEW working product like I paid for.
And now I'm getting used scratched up replacements.
Ill be looking to Sprint honestly.
Sent from my LG-P999 using XDA Premium App

Have fun with 400 minutes..... should find out what your plan provides you first. Unlimited mobile minutes and 400 anytime.
Sent from my Nexus S using XDA Premium App

Good luck with that. I just left Sprint and will never go back...
Compare the level of complaints between T mobile and Sprint, I think it is really clear how bad Sprint is. Go to the forums at Sprint.com and see. People are REALLY angry. Myself included. Then look at T mobiles. People complain, of course. But not nearly at the same level. Not even close.
I was a customer from 2007 to 2009. When there was a huge error on my bill, I told them my contract was expired and I'd be leaving. I had bills to prove when I had signed my contract, yet they informed me I had several months left on it.
I waited that two months out and ran from them as fast as I could. I heard "That's what our records indicate" so many times I throw up in my mouth just thinking about it. It was awful.
Stupidly, I went back this past April. I was having issues w/ MetroPcs and the Samsung Indulge.
I just got through with a horrible horrible 3 weeks dealing with a bunch of jerks at Sprint.
I invoked the guarantee and left. Triple checked that I owed nothing.
Got a bill yesterday.The full months bill past due.....and they said I owed JUST the insurance to this months due.
Called Sprint really upset. The rep assured me he'd deleted it and that I owed nothing. After I railed about how really bad my experience was, he assured me that Sprint was sorry and hated to see me go. He was SO sorry that he would delete the "unexplained" six dollars left due on my account!!!! This right after he's just assured me my account was zeroed out! Unbelievable.
Be afraid. Really afraid. My experience was bad. Read the posts at their own forums.
Since I've left, I've sent them many notes detailing my experience. Have yet to receive a reply. Sprint DOESN'T care.

You will love sprint. I've been a customer for over 5 years. And as for the 400 anytime minutes, that's obviously 400 anytime minutes to LAN lines because we have free "any mobile, anytime" minutes. Plus nights start at 7pm for us, not 9pm like T-Mobile.
Sent from my PC36100 using XDA Premium App

lawnmower said:
You will love sprint. I've been a customer for over 5 years. And as for the 400 anytime minutes, that's obviously 400 anytime minutes to LAN lines because we have free "any mobile, anytime" minutes. Plus nights start at 7pm for us, not 9pm like T-Mobile.
Sent from my PC36100 using XDA Premium App
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Yes. But for 10 dollars more I don't have to be worrying about anything (79.99 truly unlimited plan). In the other hand your precious 69.99 plan can cost you a headache. Besides if your in xda you have to know that Tmobile has the best android phones.
Sent from my Nexus S using XDA Premium App

I switched from Sprint to T-Mo not too long ago, and all I can say is that my experience with Sprint was horrid at best (really, does anyone truly like their wireless provider). Here's my rundown, but of course ymmv:
-Customer "care" was routinely rude.
-Roaming charges would show up on my bills even though I had an unlimited plan w/o roaming.
-It would take several billing cycles to clear up errors.
-Had to jump through multiple hoops to get warranty repairs done.
-Accused of deliberately damaging phone by a Sprint repair technician.
-Was told by Sprint repair technician he couldn't work on my phone bc there was evidence I rooted it, even though I had re-locked the bootloader, placed stock recovery image on phone, deleted root apps, and removed sd card before taking to repair center.
-A couple of dropped calls a day.
-SMS & MMS messages not being delivered or duplicates of messages.
-Slow "3G" network speed.
-Non-existent "4G" even though I lived in a "4G" area w/ an allegedly strong signal.
Need I go on? I'm not saying that T-Mo is the best ever, but imao, it is far superior to Sprint. Maybe VZW would be better, but their plans are just too expensive. Have they really hassled you about the returns? Probably not. It took my 3 tries to get an acceptable G2x; T-Mo never hassled me or busted my balls about it. Should they have quality controlled better w/ the unit they sent you? Absolutely.
My advice would be to stick w/ T-Mo and keep exchanging that bugger until you get an acceptable unit.

Sprint sucked from day 1, and still sucks. I will go back to verizon before I ever choose sprint.
Sent from my HTC Vision using XDA App

VisedMonk said:
I switched from Sprint to T-Mo not too long ago, and all I can say is that my experience with Sprint was horrid at best (really, does anyone truly like their wireless provider). Here's my rundown, but of course ymmv:
-Customer "care" was routinely rude.
-Roaming charges would show up on my bills even though I had an unlimited plan w/o roaming.
-It would take several billing cycles to clear up errors.
-Had to jump through multiple hoops to get warranty repairs done.
-Accused of deliberately damaging phone by a Sprint repair technician.
-Was told by Sprint repair technician he couldn't work on my phone bc there was evidence I rooted it, even though I had re-locked the bootloader, placed stock recovery image on phone, deleted root apps, and removed sd card before taking to repair center.
-A couple of dropped calls a day.
-SMS & MMS messages not being delivered or duplicates of messages.
-Slow "3G" network speed.
-Non-existent "4G" even though I lived in a "4G" area w/ an allegedly strong signal.
Need I go on? I'm not saying that T-Mo is the best ever, but imao, it is far superior to Sprint. Maybe VZW would be better, but their plans are just too expensive. Have they really hassled you about the returns? Probably not. It took my 3 tries to get an acceptable G2x; T-Mo never hassled me or busted my balls about it. Should they have quality controlled better w/ the unit they sent you? Absolutely.
My advice would be to stick w/ T-Mo and keep exchanging that bugger until you get an acceptable unit.
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Click to collapse
My experiences were PRECISELY like this. And these things are the exact things seen at Sprint.com. Seriously....JUST LOOK THERE.
Knowledge is power. It could not be any more obvious on their own site.

i left sprint, horrible customer service was my main problem. and i like the use of sim cards. i swear sprint has reps in india
sprint messes up on your bill alot, i had to call in alot to get stuff fixed and i dealt with so many prorated charges.. they were cheap tho lol

Experiences will differ from person to person, but I came back to T-Mobile from Sprint for the G2x and couldn't be happier (even though my phone has a few problems).
Things I disliked about Sprint:
Awful customer service
3G speeds that are 1mb down or less. If you want faster, you have to turn on the battery sucking 4G. You think our G2x's die fast? Try using any Sprint phone with WiMax enabled for more than 2 hours and get back to me.
Spotty 4G coverage. I live in Houston, and you'd think that since it's a pretty big city, we'd have solid 4G coverage. Nope! Unless you're in a spot that you know has 4G and you're not moving, it's useless. Don't bother using it while driving
Equipment. I'm a GSM fanboy. SIM cards make life 100 times easier.
Either way, best of luck.

I just came from 10yrs of Verizon to T-Mobile. My first phone with them was the G2X. I travel in the US very heavily. Ive been very unhappy with their service. Verizon was always dead on reliable when traveling.
I have a trip next week and if its not any better (they said to try a new SIM card) than I will have to leave and go back to Verizon.

Aaron636r said:
I just came from 10yrs of Verizon to T-Mobile. My first phone with them was the G2X. I travel in the US very heavily. Ive been very unhappy with their service. Verizon was always dead on reliable when traveling.
I have a trip next week and if its not any better (they said to try a new SIM card) than I will have to leave and go back to Verizon.
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There's no doubt Verizon has the best coverage out of all the major carriers. The problem is that they're just too expensive for some people (me)
I came from sprint to TMobile and couldn't be any happier. I get signal at home and work which I didn't with sprint plus for some reason both my evo and epic would not even reach 1mb/s download speeds even with a good 3g signal
Sent from my LG-P999 using XDA App

I agree, their cheaper. But having no service isn't worth the cheaper part. If I have to pay more for greater coverage...than I don't have a choice

Aaron636r said:
I agree, their cheaper. But having no service isn't worth the cheaper part. If I have to pay more for greater coverage...than I don't have a choice
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Hopefully it was just the SIM card. I have very impressed with T-Mobile coverage.
I was a little hesitant at first but not any more.
Sent from my LG-P999 using XDA App

Can we stop these pointless threads please? Yes we know some people aren't happy with the phone or service but there are many who feel the opposite.
If you're unhappy then move along and post in the forum where you are happy with whatever carrier / phone that makes you happy.

I feel your pain. As of today I have my third g2x on the way.
I know from what I hear sprint is better than it used to be. 10 years ago when I was a freshman at college I changed from what is now t mobile (voice stream back then) to sprint. I was going to a smaller school that was smaller in a small town, scholarships are nice. Sprint was the only carrier that worked down there.
One day I was waiting for a friend to call me so we could go do something and never heard from him. I called him all upset and he asked why my number was showing up differently. He has been trying to call my, but sprint decided to change my area code and not let me know. I called sprint to see what was going on, and they confirmed they changed my area code. I was pretty mad that they did this, and didn't let me know. They informed me that the local telephone company should of let me know. Even back then I knew the local phone company had nothing to do with it. I could see if they might of informed my parents before me because they were paying the bill. So I called my parents to let them know that the area code had changed. I guess they had been freaking out. They could not get a hold of me for 3 days because of the area code change.
Then a couple of months later my phone got broken. I had payed for the insurance in case anything happened to the phone. Well I did get my phone replaced, but at the time I had the most expensive phone that sprint had. Its been so long I don't remember what it was. Well I did get a replacement, but it was the cheapest phone that they carried. I was informed that the insurance just meant that I got a new phone, not the same one I had. Needless to say I was mad, so as soon as my 2 years was up I left and never came back. It is so much simpler now that we can transfer our phone numbers.

lawnmower said:
You will love sprint. I've been a customer for over 5 years. And as for the 400 anytime minutes, that's obviously 400 anytime minutes to LAN lines because we have free "any mobile, anytime" minutes. Plus nights start at 7pm for us, not 9pm like T-Mobile.
Sent from my PC36100 using XDA Premium App
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And sprint TV included.
Sent from my LG-P999 using XDA Premium App

I left sprint for the G2x. Sprint has crappy coverage, but to each there own. Best of luck...

I just don't know damn.
Sent from my LG-P999 using XDA Premium App

That's why I never order online... returning and waiting for phones is such a pain especially if they send you the wrong thing...i always get my phones in store that way I know it's not refurbished.
Sent from my 1.5 GHz dual core beast.

Can I sell my new Skyrocket? Or will I receive a penalty? Help, very desperate.

Hello everyone,
Times are tough. I need my phone for work but at the same time I also need some cash. Sadly I have to stick with my old Captivate. My plan was to sell my skyrocket, which I am already falling in love with.
I renewed my contract with ATT today at a ATT authorized small carrier dealer (Chinese shop). They ended up giving me the skyrocket for free. But the guy warned me that if I tried to sell the skyrocket then AT&T will terminate my contract. On my contract with this shop (AWG in San Gabrial Valley, CA), it says if my contract gets terminated in any kind of way within 180 days then I will owe AWG $300 for each PCS line. I have a family plan. He said if I wait 2 months then I can sell the phone, but not to sell it right away and that I need to use the phone during this 2 month period. He also said if I had an iPhone I would have to keep it for 6 months!
I don't know if this is true because I see people selling phones on craigslist left and right. Does anyone have any advice for me? Would AT&T really terminate my contract just because I choose to use my old phone?
SORRY FOR THE LONG POST! I hope you guys can help me here.

Its not true u can sell it your stuck with the sim card and bill for 2 years but u can sell the device ive done it so have many many others. Thats the great thing about phones with sim cards u can sell or trade them at your discretion. I traded my sgs2 for the skyrocket.

You should be able to sell it. The phone its self is not bindingly tied to the sim card it has. People do it with iphones, and well, every phone out there. I don't think at&t would terminate you for selling a phone. Now, if you sold/lost your phone with the sim card still in it and someone were to rack up alot of charges, then yeah, you might be penalized. If you do intact get charged, att cancels your contract, your cat gets eaten by a dog that subsequently gets hit by a car that gets hit by a semi, don't blame me as, I just was browsing and chimed in
Sent from my MB860 using xda premium

bzmotoninja83 said:
You should be able to sell it. The phone its self is not bindingly tied to the sim card it has. People do it with iphones, and well, every phone out there. I don't think at&t would terminate you for selling a phone. Now, if you sold/lost your phone with the sim card still in it and someone were to rack up alot of charges, then yeah, you might be penalized. If you do intact get charged, att cancels your contract, your cat gets eaten by a dog that subsequently gets hit by a car that gets hit by a semi, don't blame me as, I just was browsing and chimed in
Sent from my MB860 using xda premium
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silver03wrx said:
Its not true u can sell it your stuck with the sim card and bill for 2 years but u can sell the device ive done it so have many many others. Thats the great thing about phones with sim cards u can sell or trade them at your discretion. I traded my sgs2 for the skyrocket.
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Click to collapse
Thanks guys. Yeah, I don't understand why ATT would terminate my contract out of the blue, specially for using my old phone. It just doesn't make sense or add up. I really wish I could have been apart of this great community. I hope ICS comes to you guys real soon.
Also, your sig on your internet speed and it being comcast = hilarious haha. For a second I thought it was your mobile phones speed!
Please, if anyone has a horror story of this actually going wrong. Chime in and let me hear. But if you guys have successfully sold your phones or traded them with no problems then let me know also.
Ahmen!

this is my phone speed 35.21mbps download

You would only be penalized if the line in question is cancelled. I work for At&t in the city of long beach (company owned retail) and we get customers in our stores that do the same thing... if its not blackberries, its iPhones... but yeah. You could definately sell the phone, but u gotta keep the 2 year commitment.
Sent from my Samsung Galaxy S2 Skyrocket using xda premium

Your contract and at least the $15 per month smart phone data plan as well, from how I understand.
Sent from my páhhōniē

Will a LTE sim work in a 3g phone? I know commingle from an infuse to a Skyrocket I had to get a new simcard. Not sure if that would affect your contract
SKYROCKET

whodat006 said:
Will a LTE sim work in a 3g phone? I know commingle from an infuse to a Skyrocket I had to get a new simcard. Not sure if that would affect your contract
SKYROCKET
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Click to collapse
Yes! I took the sim out of my phone LTE Skyrocket and put it in my old cappy to get my contacts on it..LONG STORY WHY I WENT THIS WAY...but none the less..I kept the SIM in the phone for 3 days with no issues. Works fine!

imjester77 said:
Yes! I took the sim out of my phone LTE Skyrocket and put it in my old cappy to get my contacts on it..LONG STORY WHY I WENT THIS WAY...but none the less..I kept the SIM in the phone for 3 days with no issues. Works fine!
Click to expand...
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Nice
SKYROCKET

theli0ntamer said:
You would only be penalized if the line in question is cancelled. I work for At&t in the city of long beach (company owned retail) and we get customers in our stores that do the same thing... if its not blackberries, its iPhones... but yeah. You could definately sell the phone, but u gotta keep the 2 year commitment.
Sent from my Samsung Galaxy S2 Skyrocket using xda premium
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Thank you. I think you gave me more better reinforcement along with everyone else here. I'll be sure to hit the thanks meter on all you guys.

I can't believe someone would blantantly lie like that. That's absurd.
Sent from my Galaxy S2

Simba501 said:
I can't believe someone would blantantly lie like that. That's absurd. AT&T would lose a lot of customers if what that guy told you was the case.
Sent from my Galaxy S2
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You also have to remember it came out of a retailers mouth not a corporate agent. I will only deal with cor stores. The hell with retailers
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I727 using xda premium

gr8hairy1 said:
Your contract and at least the $15 per month smart phone data plan as well, from how I understand.
Sent from my páhhōniē
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You Dont have to keep the data plan. Very common misconception.

Newter55 is correct. Remove that data plan and save yourself $25 (or $15) a month. As long as the line in question is active, you will be fine. I know going into corporate retail can be a major drag, but it beats dealing with authorized retailers... it seems like lately 95% of fraud gets tracked back to dealers... everytime I get manager escalation regarding fraud, its the first question I ask my customers.. and 9 times out of 10, it all goes back to them. The funny part is when u try to contact the dealer and they act like you are speaking Swahili lol...
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I727 using xda premium

Read your contract very carefully. If it's something like the contract that I signed with Amazon, if I remove my phone/data package within the first 6 months, I will get charged $250 (from Amazon, not from AT&T). This is partly because I got the phone for $.01, instead of $249 like I would have paid directly through AT&T.
This is usually only the case with e-tailers. I have not yet seen this type of thing from authorized retailer stores, but there's a first time for everything.
I work in customer care at ATT

Lol naa. You can sell it but u have to pay for you plan for the 2 years. People do it all the time aell/trade phones. If you pay your bill for the length u signed for u can sell it now

shimmyx20 said:
Read your contract very carefully. If it's something like the contract that I signed with Amazon, if I remove my phone/data package within the first 6 months, I will get charged $250 (from Amazon, not from AT&T). This is partly because I got the phone for $.01, instead of $249 like I would have paid directly through AT&T.
This is usually only the case with e-tailers. I have not yet seen this type of thing from authorized retailer stores, but there's a first time for everything.
I work in customer care at ATT
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
silver03wrx said:
Lol naa. You can sell it but u have to pay for you plan for the 2 years. People do it all the time aell/trade phones. If you pay your bill for the length u signed for u can sell it now
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's exactly my concern is too. I got the phone from Amazon for $0.1 and I am thinking about selling it and getting either the LG Nitro or Samsung Note but I'm worried about Amazon charging me $250.

It all depends where you bought it; read your contract. Do you have a contract with just AT&T, or do you have one with your retailer as well? If you have a contract with your retailer, for instance Amazon has contracts, you will pay a penalty if you change anything or take the phone off the line, even if you change the number. If you don't have a contract with your retailer, then you just have to deal with AT&T--for instance you bought the phone at Best Buy or a Corporate store. They don't seem to care what you do, as long as you pay your bill. Be careful, many AT&T stores look corporate, but are actually third party retailers.
Again, read your contract/contracts. Don't trust the advice of people who haven't read YOUR contract.

Nakel said:
It all depends where you bought it; read your contract. Do you have a contract with just AT&T, or do you have one with your retailer as well? If you have a contract with your retailer, for instance Amazon has contracts, you will pay a penalty if you change anything or take the phone off the line, even if you change the number. If you don't have a contract with your retailer, then you just have to deal with AT&T--for instance you bought the phone at Best Buy or a Corporate store. They don't seem to care what you do, as long as you pay your bill. Be careful, many AT&T stores look corporate, but are actually third party retailers.
Again, read your contract/contracts. Don't trust the advice of people who haven't read YOUR contract.
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Click to collapse
I disagree completly i bought a tmobile phone from amazon and sold it no penality same with att. They dont even know you sold it amazon cant monitor you att acount too see if you changed devices on your account. You sir are wrong. That would mean if you had an old phone and wanted to pop your sim out of your new one and use the old one amazon would charge you 250 because ur not using that phonE. Amazon does not know they get money from ATT for selling you the 2 year contract.... if you terminate you contract before the 2 years then yes they can charge you for it

Verizon or Sprint

Here's my dilemma. My Sprint contract is up next month & I'm 99% determined to switch from my Epig 4G to the GS3. My coverage with Sprint is, shall we say, lacking. Nevermind the fact that I was told 4G would be in my area (Omaha, NE) "soon" when I purchased my Epic. Needless to say, 2 years later, still no 4G. Called Sprint yesterday & was told LTE would be in my area "soon", which provided me with a nice laugh to share with the Sprint rep. On the flipside for Sprint, they don't lock the bootloader or block Google Wallet, from what I understand.
VZW should provide much better service, however, they lock the bootloader & block Wallet. I'm afraid to learn what other items they have deemed me too irresponsible to handle.
To avoid this turning in to a fanboy thread, I guess my real question is, how likely (and timely) is it that someone will figure out how to unlock the bootloader? I'm also assuming that if/when that happens, flashing a ROM that will support Google Wallet will become much easier.
Advice?

I was in the EXACT same boat as you about 3 weeks ago. I pulled the trigger and went to Verizon! I will tell you service wise it was one of the best decisions I have ever made. Don't get me wrong Sprint has wonderful phones, unlocked bootloaders, Google Wallet, etc... But what's the sense in having tons of ROMS to flash including AOSP if you don't have the network/service to use it... pointless in my opinion. With Verizon I have service everywhere I go! The only downfall is the locked bootloader and google wallet so far. If you're as frustrated as I was with Sprints service I would make the switch you will be extremely pleased!

Since it sounds like you want 4G check the Verizon Coverage map of your area to see if Verizon has coverage of your area. For the bootloader and Wallet problem people have already gotten wallet working on rooted stock roms and I'm pretty sure CM10 works with Wallet too. The bootloader is being investigated by AdamOutler and many others who have made great progress in the R&D Thread but don't make a post in there unless you have something to provide to help them otherwise your post will be deleted since it's a heavily moderated thread. For the question on when the bootloader will be unlocked only time can tell but we have the Kexec method which allows ROMs like AOKP and CM9 and CM10 and Paranoid.

I would say just gaining 4G is a good reason to switch. The G3 is fast enough for stock and working well for me. custom ROM, unlocked bootloader, etc... are just bonus. Another thing to look forward to is Jelly Bean, once we have Jelly been and a 4G network...Verizon rules the Air.

Bootloader aside, You will get [email protected] on data usage, I'd stay away from Verizon until their prices come down.
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AndroidGraphix said:
Bootloader aside, You will get [email protected] on data usage, I'd stay away from Verizon until their prices come down.
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Agreed. As a vzw customer myself I cannot, in good faith, recommend vzw to anyone at the moment. Wait to praise them with your dollars until they've pulled their heads out of their asses.
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AndroidGraphix said:
I'd stay away from Verizon until their prices come down.
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Lol, cell phones will be totally obsolete before that ever happens........

Agreed no reason to come into verizon right now with the share everything scams. Stay away. We only here because of our grandfathered data plans.
VERIZON GALAXY S 3

Telling somebody not to sign up with Verizon because they are too expensive is rather moronic really.
If you want good service, you really have no other choice than to go with VZ and waiting for their prices to "go down" is not going to happen in our lifetimes......

Buy the phone outright off CL or eBay and go month to month with the carrier of your choice.
If you go Verizon, you will pay a premium for good network coverage, 4g and the privilege of *****ing about Verizon's bootloader policies ...
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I was in the exact situation, except I also had an original Sero500 plan which ran me $50 per month. Had the Evo 4G, marginal at best service, and a 2 year promise of 4G coming soon and still no 4G anywhere close. I went to Verizon and the GS3 and haven't looked back. Service is much better, LTE is ridiculously blazing compared to Sprints network, and the locked bootloader is less of an issue with kexec. Development still may suffer ultimately though. All I can say is that I'm very happy with my decision.
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What amuses me is 999 out of 1000 Verizon customers have never heard of a "locked boot loader" and could care less what it means anyway.
The VZ G3 is absolutely flying off the shelves and the customers love them.

jmorton10 said:
What amuses me is 999 out of 1000 Verizon customers have never heard of a "locked boot loader" and could care less what it means anyway.
The VZ G3 is absolutely flying off the shelves and the customers love them.
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I frankly don't think any of us care about those 999 people.
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Very good points, that pretty much confirm what I was already thinking - if the service sucks, it doesn't do much good to have a killer phone.
Although I have a very vague idea of what a locked bootloader is, and why it's detrimental to dev, I'd still (almost) consider myself one of those "999" people. Couldn't have told you anything about it 2 weeks ago.
Getting hosed on data usage doesn't concern me too much really. Looking at my history, assuming Sprint's tools are accurate, I rarely go over 2GB per month between me & the wife. If I'm doing my math correctly, the cost of a 2GB share plan on VZW will be about the same as what I'm currently paying with Sprint. Even if I factor in the 'holy crap the service is so much better I'm using twice as much' factor, I'd still be in the same financial ballpark.
Google Wallet definitely isn't a deal breaker. The VZW rep I was chatting with the other day flat out told me that they don't allow Wallet because they're working on an in-house pymt solution, ISIS.
I think a big part of it is, the thought of giving my money to a company that wants to control how I use my OWN phone just pi$$es me off. Even if I never flash a ROM on the thing - like that's really going to happen.
And my slow a$$ Sprint data was ticking me off so much this afternoon that I almost said screw the last month & $50ETF and switched on the way home. Who knows, I may yet switch this weekend anyway.
Thanks for all the advice. XDA community has never let me down.

i could never go back to sprint.
not that i have good data all the time i will pay top dollar.
im willing to pay for quality.
i stream siriusxm all day at work. it just works. all day every day in buildings in basements.
verizons network it worth the extra cost.

Dude, I just made this decision the other day. I have been with Sprint for 12 years (the last 2 phones were the EVO & Photon). Sprint coverage in my area SUCKS and I am in the Los Angeles area. I asked them when 4G LTE would be here and was told early to mid 2013. That was enough. I bought the SGSIII on Verizon (Shared Everything 6GB for $108 a month. Wife has a corporate discount). I am getting speeds of 40mbps Down & 19mbps Up This alone is worth it to me. I bought the SGSIII on Tuesday and I am already Rooted & using Synergey ROM with Free Hotspot and I could not be happier. The little extra I pay for Solid Network Coverage is totally worth it. Don't think twice, JUST DO IT.

ghodzilla5150 said:
Dude, I just made this decision the other day. I have been with Sprint for 12 years (the last 2 phones were the EVO & Photon). Sprint coverage in my area SUCKS and I am in the Los Angeles area. I asked them when 4G LTE would be here and was told early to mid 2013. That was enough. I bought the SGSIII on Verizon (Shared Everything 6GB for $108 a month. Wife has a corporate discount). I am getting speeds of 40mbps Down & 19mbps Up This alone is worth it to me. I bought the SGSIII on Tuesday and I am already Rooted & using Synergey ROM with Free Hotspot and I could not be happier. The little extra I pay for Solid Network Coverage is totally worth it. Don't think twice, JUST DO IT.
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Same situation here! The shared data is not bad at all!
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pdinphx said:
Buy the phone outright off CL or eBay and go month to month with the carrier of your choice.
If you go Verizon, you will pay a premium for good network coverage, 4g and the privilege of *****ing about Verizon's bootloader policies ...
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Unfortunately, Verizon doesn't allow the creation of month-to-month accounts for new customers. You have to start with a contract.

AlexDeGruven said:
Unfortunately, Verizon doesn't allow the creation of month-to-month accounts for new customers. You have to start with a contract.
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That is not true at all.. I just opened an account on 07/30/12 month-month.
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AlexDeGruven said:
Unfortunately, Verizon doesn't allow the creation of month-to-month accounts for new customers. You have to start with a contract.
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That is only if you get a phone from VZ at the upgrade price.

Who's jumping ship after their contract is up?

I have to say, after 8 years with VZW, I'm finally throwing in the towel and moving onto another network who actually respects their customers. With the lack of updates and feature support to their tiered data plans, it just doesn't seem logical from a consumers perspective to stay with a company that's hell bent on invading your privacy while offering little to nothing in return. If you're in the same boat, what network are you planning on joining and why?

I really wanted to go to t-mobile so I can cut my bill in half with them but they don't have lte where I live yet and their 4g does not penetrate my work area. I just preordered my gs4 with verizon and its the last phone I will have with them unless they give us our early upgrades back and also let us upgrade from our unlimited data lines. For now I am very satisfied with their service but my days with them are definetly numbered
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I've only had Verizon now for about 9 months, and I've been regretting getting it since about 3 months in when I realized that you can pretty much only use these phones on Verizon (I've seen threads where they use them on other carriers, but it looks really complicated). Not to mention I pay roughly $55/ month just for data alone, which is just 1 GB. I dont even want to get started on how stupid that tiered data is--I know it makes them money, but I also know it doesnt cost them nearly as much as what they charge for it. I will most likely cancel my contract as soon as I get some cash to get out of it. As far as 4G is concerned, its nice to have and all, but it seems to just blow through my whole 1 GB of data in no time flat. Not to mention I use maybe 50 minutes of talking/ month, and about the same text messages. I only got Verizon so I could have a fancy phone, and I got that, and now I'm seriously paying for it. If I could get this bastard to work on Straight Talk I would be set, but I'm pretty sure the easiest way is to buy a TMo or ATT variant (you know, unless someone has a tip they would like to share )
TL;DR
**** Verizon, and I'm totally jumping ship ASAP

Would like to change, but stuck with Verizon in Upstate NY. AT&T is EDGE speeds at best outside the cities. Most houses act like Faraday cages and since I am on call I need voice and data to work almost all the time. AT&T would constantly drop calls. Sprint isn't bad for voice, but high speed data is lacking in most of the boonies. T-mobile is like AT&T (but worse).
So yeah, I'm rocking a $230/mo family plan for 4 smartphones, a dumbphone, and a measly 4GB of data a month (that is with a 21% corp discount).
Woohoo!!!

There are lots of reasons to hate VZW, but there is one reason to love them: Network coverage. A few months ago I was in ruralish Virginia, and I had 4gLTE. Those towers don't pay for themselves...

Shibby87 said:
I have to say, after 8 years with VZW, I'm finally throwing in the towel and moving onto another network who actually respects their customers. With the lack of updates and feature support to their tiered data plans, it just doesn't seem logical from a consumers perspective to stay with a company that's hell bent on invading your privacy while offering little to nothing in return. If you're in the same boat, what network are you planning on joining and why?
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Ummmm , I've never had a problem with Verizon and I can say that they most definitely do respect their customers . I have mostly positive things to say regarding my total experience with Verizon.

Well I was able to email the President of the Southwest Region of SoCal, got the network extender (cause my base has no coverage for any cell phone service) for free. And everywhere I go I at least got coverage. I've wanted to jump ship for quite sometime

Verizon = bad, others = WORSE!
I rate 'em like this, on a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being the best:
VZW = -2
T-Mo = -1.5 (slightly better CS but poor coverage)
AT&T = -6,593,865,432
Sprint = Will they be in business tomorrow?
NOTE, all carriers suck, nobody even rates a zero and I'm in a really good mood so I rated AT&T's "We don't care" CS and "Oops, we dropped your call" network much higher than they really deserve.
I'm sticking with VZW.

I have mostly positive experiences with Verizon and with Sprint but I had bad experiences with T-Mobile and AT&T. With t-mobile it was mainly bad cell coverage while AT&T it was customer service.

I pay 55$ a month. 2gb internet, unlimited calls to cellphones , 500 landline minutes (unlimited on weekends and weekday nights I think) unlimited texting, 4g is good here in Houston. I've been thinking when my contract is up, T-Mobile. Maybe back to cricket even. I just don't know anymore.
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I have really been contemplating switching to T-Mobile. I'm in NYC and LTE in Manhattan during the middle of the day is no better than att/tmobile hspa. I rarely get over 10mbps with my galaxy s3. But the overall coverage is great and I really don't want to give that up. I hope that with metro pcs T-Mobile can expand their service.
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Sadly jumping ship isn't an option for me since verizon has the best signal and data where i live. I'm just holding out for the next nexus on verizon.

Neverendingxsin said:
Sadly jumping ship isn't an option for me since verizon has the best signal and data where i live.
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Same here. I've been with Verizon for probably ten years and although their custom firmware settings on phones and fairly high prices grinds on me a bit where I live they're still the best game in town. Just renewed with them for two more years when I got this pair of i535s from Best Buy.

I hope every one here knows that if you have unlimited data with Verizon and you UPGRADE YOU CAN STILL KEEP YOUR UNLIMITED PLANS. THERE IS ALOT OF MISS INFORMATION ON THIS:banghead::banghead:. I UPGRADED AND KEPT MINE.ALSO MY BOSS DID MY INLAWS AND THATS RIGHT MY BARBER.IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS JUST ASK ME.DONT BELIEVE THE INFO SAYING U HAVE TO GO TO TIER OR SHARE PLANS:thumbup::thumbup::thumbup::thumbup::thumbup::thumbup:
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kenbrownstone said:
I hope every one here knows that if you have unlimited data with Verizon and you UPGRADE YOU CAN STILL KEEP YOUR UNLIMITED PLANS. THERE IS ALOT OF MISS INFORMATION ON THIS:banghead::banghead:. I UPGRADED AND KEPT MINE.ALSO MY BOSS DID MY INLAWS AND THATS RIGHT MY BARBER.IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS JUST ASK ME.DONT BELIEVE THE INFO SAYING U HAVE TO GO TO TIER OR SHARE PLANS:thumbup::thumbup::thumbup::thumbup::thumbup::thumbup:
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I've heard the only way to do that is to buy a phone at full retail price. Is there another way?
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mike86325 said:
I've heard the only way to do that is to buy a phone at full retail price. Is there another way?
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Yes ......call them and tell them after you upgrade you want your unlimited back .They will give it to you. But call before you upgrade so it will be in your file. This only can be done on the phone not in any store. When you upgrade just take the 2gb plan. Then when you get the phone call them back and tell them to put the unlimited back on. They do this for loyal customers. Don't let them tell you they don't cause they do. The person you speak to might not know so ask for another rep.Don't upgrade until it is in you file saying they will give it back to you after wards. This works I know for a fact. This is just not advertised. I only learned because a rep was nice enuff to tell me.....So spread the word...Its called The Loyal Customer worry free exchange program......THIS DOES WORK .I UPGRADED MINE AND MY WIFES.PLUS MY BOSS AND BARBER( I get free hair cuts now lol):thumbup::thumbup::thumbup::thumbup:
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Thanks so much for the advice! I still have a little less than a year left, but ill have to remember this when I go to upgrade!
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You will miss Verizon sorely once you do any traveling. No other network comes close to the coverage they have.

I can't jump ship from Verizon either because the carrier I want to go to (T-Mobile) has the same crappy service from when I was with them 2 years ago. If LTE was to come to my area on T-Mobile I would definitely test it and if its worth it i'll jump ship from Verizon. But Verizon has to be the best service I get in my area & i'm still grandfathered in on my Unlimited Data, been getting phones through Swappa & Craigslist for the time being.

To me, it's similar to Comcast - they have high prices, but the best service too. I always have a great signal, blazing fast internet... hard to complain about the price to me. I'm coming from Sprint, who's price was barely cheaper, and the service was terrible.
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