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New to Verizon/Thunderbolt.

Hello everyone! New guy here to Verizon, and the Thunderbolt. I was with T-Mobile till the BIG news break of the day about AT&T buying out T-Mobile. I refuse to give AT&T money, so I jumped ship and joined Verizon.
Simple question really....
Anything that I really need to know about Verizon in general, and/or how they work with their customers?
Thanks!
Will.

I personally have never had any problem. Always been a great experience with VZW for me.

I moved to Verizon from AT&T and have gotten far superior service. I have gone onto their site and chatted live with folks about things that are really odd and they've been willing to go out of their way to answer the questions I've had. Additionally, as I do work in smartphone security and one of my malware simulations was worried VZW would have issue with it... so went to a store and they took the time to look through the contract and make sure I wouldn't violate any policies with me. I have found them to be a significant improvement over AT&T.
So yeah great experience & great customer service. Plus the quality of network is the best I've been on yet. And can't wait to get on the Verizon 4G LTE network later this week.

g00s3y said:
I personally have never had any problem. Always been a great experience with VZW for me.
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+1!
10 char

javawolfpack said:
So yeah great experience & great customer service. Plus the quality of network is the best I've been on yet. And can't wait to get on the Verizon 4G LTE network later this week.
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Oh yeah, 4G LTE is blazingly fast

g00s3y said:
Oh yeah, 4G LTE is blazingly fast
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That's why I paid full retail to get a ThunderBolt as after seeing the speeds and no additional cost for the service couldn't convince myself not to And the sales associates were very helpful to double check that I wouldn't loose any of my current upgrade dates/promotions down the line.

Thanks for the quick replies guys.

Yeah it's been great..ex t-mobile customer here as well. Just one bit of warning, watch out for the first bill!

ram130 said:
Yeah it's been great..ex t-mobile customer here as well. Just one bit of warning, watch out for the first bill!
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Oh god, what am I looking at?

I loved TMobile for their competitive rates and awesome customer service.
Since switching to Verizon I have had superior coverage and I have had a great customer experience. My sales rep pampered me when I purchased the TB and started a new family plan.
Thus far, I have received awesome service. Maybe it is new customer treatment or maybe it is because I have a nice corporate discount plan. Either way, I am happy!

Can you tether the TB once rooted or does verizon sniff around and cut you off or send a text that your not allowed to tether?
Sent from my HTC Vision using XDA App

bmcclure937 said:
I loved TMobile for their competitive rates and awesome customer service.
Since switching to Verizon I have had superior coverage and I have had a great customer experience. My sales rep pampered me when I purchased the TB and started a new family plan.
Thus far, I have received awesome service. Maybe it is new customer treatment or maybe it is because I have a nice corporate discount plan. Either way, I am happy!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yep basically my experience since November..just wish I had waited a few months..really wanted the TB ..
WilliamStern said:
Oh god, what am I looking at?
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Just a pro rated, higher than usual bill...try not to use your phone too much (like texting, calls) if you have a low mins/voice plan until the first billing cycle is over....after that it's smooth sailing from there..then again your exeperience might be different..
anyways don't let that stop u! go get your TB!

ddgarcia05 said:
Can you tether the TB once rooted or does verizon sniff around and cut you off or send a text that your not allowed to tether?
Sent from my HTC Vision using XDA App
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Yes you can and no they won't ..from my experience.

Question about the TB. Anyone getting a slight delay when rotating the phone, lets say when you want to text, or browse the web?

ddgarcia05 said:
Can you tether the TB once rooted or does verizon sniff around and cut you off or send a text that your not allowed to tether?
Sent from my HTC Vision using XDA App
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This has only been on AT&T to my knowledge so far and only for iPhone users using the MiFi app on their jailbroken iPhones. From what I understand about the way wifi tether works on rooted phones ties it into the underlying architecture so it looks like native traffic. And I'm pretty sure the methods for detecting if your tethered under this approach will make it tough to near impossible for them to detect; however, they could take the classic ISP approach of network shaping/throttling if you seem to be using more bandwidth than they want you to.
But even on the Verizon iPhone so far no issues w/ this from Verizon. Might be that the population of people who choose to jailbreak/root in comparison to the number of users is so small that they don't see enough of a loss to have them want to spend the cost of spending their time/money to track down these users yet.

Thanks for making this thread because I also jumped from ATT to V with two Thunderbolts for my wife and I. They should be here tomorrow.
It will be our first time on Verizon, and our first smartphones. We are finally joining the 21st century. Hhah.

ram130 said:
Just a pro rated, higher than usual bill...try not to use your phone too much (like texting, calls) if you have a low mins/voice plan until the first billing cycle is over....after that it's smooth sailing from there..then again your exeperience might be different..
anyways don't let that stop u! go get your TB!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oh, I'm good. I went with an unlimited plan.

Wow! We are in the exact same boat. Once I found out about the sale I jumped ship as well. I ordered on amazon tonight and will get the phone cheaper but I'll have to wait til its back in stock.
I currently use a G2 on TMO and I love it, never had a problem until todays news came out. AT&T will NEVER get anything from me again, I was with them once a few years back and it was horrible!
Anyways, From one former TMO customer switching to VZW to another, enjoy man! I know I will. Went in store today for a demo. This phone looks awesome!
On a side note, any TB users use Slingbox? With the 4G speeds how reliable is it? And how is the quality? I normally only watch over WiFi or at my comp at work.
WilliamStern said:
Hello everyone! New guy here to Verizon, and the Thunderbolt. I was with T-Mobile till the BIG news break of the day about AT&T buying out T-Mobile. I refuse to give AT&T money, so I jumped ship and joined Verizon.
Simple question really....
Anything that I really need to know about Verizon in general, and/or how they work with their customers?
Thanks!
Will.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sent from my T-Mobile HTC G2 using XDA Premium App

All I got to say is you guys are lucky! I'm stuck with my DX until I can get an upgrade next year ..I was thinking of selling it on craiglist for $300 with a few extra cases but not sure how I will get the other $200 for the TB lol...

ddgarcia05 said:
Can you tether the TB once rooted or does verizon sniff around and cut you off or send a text that your not allowed to tether?
Sent from my HTC Vision using XDA App
Click to expand...
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lol before switching from sprint to verizon, since sprint doesn't care what you do data wise, i asked verizon this in a round about way. They said they could careless how much you use. Which makes sense when you have a device pulling at times near 30Mbps down, (got that speed a few times today) you are bound to use a crapton of data. I have only had the phone 24 hoursish, and I already have a gig of data used...lol...

[Q] How to switch from Charge to GS2 next month

So I know there is a pool of people like me that recently purchased a Charge in order to get locked into an unlimited data plan. I assume there is also a smaller set of people, like me, who did this despite the fact they would have rather waited and purchased the Samsung Galaxy S2, but were forced into this decision because of the now enacted tiered data plans. With that being said and the recent news of the GS2 being released next month, I want to know if there is a way to switch from the Charge to the GS2, preferably without paying full retail for the phone (or adding a line). Any insight from current or former Big V employees or aggressive customers on how to go about this, if at all?

braveally said:
So I know there is a pool of people like me that recently purchased a Charge in order to get locked into an unlimited data plan. I assume there is also a smaller set of people, like me, who did this despite the fact they would have rather waited and purchased the Samsung Galaxy S2, but were forced into this decision because of the now enacted tiered data plans. With that being said and the recent news of the GS2 being released next month, I want to know if there is a way to switch from the Charge to the GS2, preferably without paying full retail for the phone (or adding a line). Any insight from current or former Big V employees or aggressive customers on how to go about this, if at all?
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theres no guarantee it will be a verizon function (or whatever its called) released next month or that it will have lte *unless i missed a news story about that*
so odds are it ill just be tmo/att gsm versions followed by sprint, then vzw...hopefully the vzw one isnt the only 3g one
but no there is no way at launch you can get one on contract price without opening a new line

braveally said:
I want to know if there is a way to switch from the Charge to the GS2, preferably without paying full retail for the phone (or adding a line).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, this may not be any help to you, but it may help someone.
Best Buy Mobile is the only place that I know that still has a 30 Day exchange policy for Verizon. Unless the GS II comes out the first week of the month you would be out of luck. But you never know someone my be able to hustle one when it releases.

If you got it from costco you can return within ninety days
Sent from my SCH-I510 using Tapatalk

I have yet to see any news about the SGS2 on Verizon anytime soon. While it will hopefully be out in the next month or two, there are no guarantees.

My guess is that there will be a flood of used charges on craigslist when the gs2 releases.
Message sent from XDA premium app

The Galaxy S2 is the device I really have been waiting for but after having 4g speeds there is no way I can go back to a 3g device. As far as I know the S2 will not be LTE.

Ill be keeping my charge. Good enough to hold me off until upgrade comes.
Sent from my SCH-I510 using XDA App

I'm going to wait on upgrading to the gs2 until some proper reviews come out. And then ill buy one off eBay or something later on.
Sent from my Nexus S using XDA App

timgt said:
The Galaxy S2 is the device I really have been waiting for but after having 4g speeds there is no way I can go back to a 3g device. As far as I know the S2 will not be LTE.
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and you base this lack of lte knowledge on what?

braveally said:
So I know there is a pool of people like me that recently purchased a Charge in order to get locked into an unlimited data plan. I assume there is also a smaller set of people, like me, who did this despite the fact they would have rather waited and purchased the Samsung Galaxy S2, but were forced into this decision because of the now enacted tiered data plans. With that being said and the recent news of the GS2 being released next month, I want to know if there is a way to switch from the Charge to the GS2, preferably without paying full retail for the phone (or adding a line). Any insight from current or former Big V employees or aggressive customers on how to go about this, if at all?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You do know you didn't have to buy a new phone to be grandfathered into unlimited data,right? As long as you don't downgrade to a feature phone, you could continue having unlimited data for as long as you're a Verizon customer and don't downgrade.

nitsuj17 said:
and you base this lack of lte knowledge on what?
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Click to collapse
I'm guessing he's basing that off of how thin it is.
I wonder if that new Verizon Samsung slider that's been wandering the interwebs lately is Verizon's SGS II...

I'm basing it off of not a single mention of LTE in the many many reviews online. We have leaked specs on the entire phone pretty much but not one place mentions LTE.

I haven't reviewed the specs of the gs2. Is it a dual core phone? Have you noticed all 4g lte phones are single core? What I was told by verizon is the lte connection somehow literally fries the current dual core processors thus resulting all the lte phones being single core and also why the droid bionic hasn't been released. To conclude my yapping is if the gs2 is a dual core phone then it's likely to be just for 3G.
Gremlins are watching you...

I bought my charge at costco hoping to either get a bionic or gs2 but I'm very happy with my charge even umrooted... I haven't had the need for a dual core cpu and when I do I want a snap dragon dual core. I
am good
Sent from my SCH-I510 using XDA App

DirgeExtinction said:
You do know you didn't have to buy a new phone to be grandfathered into unlimited data,right? As long as you don't downgrade to a feature phone, you could continue having unlimited data for as long as you're a Verizon customer and don't downgrade.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am a new customer coming over from Sprint. I was not satisfied with their service but stuck with them because they were more affordable and had unlimited everything. Preferred LTE over Wimax and made the switch a few days before the new tiered data plans. I could have gotten a reliable 3g phone for much cheaper, but I could not resist the LTE.

DirgeExtinction said:
I'm guessing he's basing that off of how thin it is.
I wonder if that new Verizon Samsung slider that's been wandering the interwebs lately is Verizon's SGS II...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
timgt said:
I'm basing it off of not a single mention of LTE in the many many reviews online. We have leaked specs on the entire phone pretty much but not one place mentions LTE.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1. no one has reviewed (or seen) a VERIZON sgs2 yet which would be the only one capable of running lte atm
2. going by leaked roadmaps is pointless as some have said lte others not
3. we will have to wait and see, but that sammy slider WAS lte, and unlikely to be the sgs2...i think it ll be another refreshed sgs 1

Most likely the GS2 will be only 3g. Having tasted 4g on the Charge, I can't imagine going back to those slow speeds. However, I think it'll still be a top seller.
Sent from my SCH-I510

aznxk3vi17 said:
Most likely the GS2 will be only 3g. Having tasted 4g on the Charge, I can't imagine going back to those slow speeds. However, I think it'll still be a top seller.
Sent from my SCH-I510
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Click to collapse
again, these 3g only guesses arent based on anything...lets wait and see
frankly though if it launches before oct the odds of 3g are greater...if its october+ i could see them marketing it as a big release

nitsuj17 said:
again, these 3g only guesses arent based on anything...lets wait and see
frankly though if it launches before oct the odds of 3g are greater...if its october+ i could see them marketing it as a big release
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thing is, it's most likely to come next month: http://m.engadget.com/default/artic...nth-someday-some/&category=classic&postPage=1
Sent from my SCH-I510

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.
Sent from my SCH-I535 using xda premium

AndroidGraphix said:
Bootloader aside, You will get [email protected] on data usage, I'd stay away from Verizon until their prices come down.
Sent from my SCH-I535 using xda premium
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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.
Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2

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 ...
Sent from my SCH-I535 using xda premium

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.
Sent from my SCH-I535 using xda app-developers app

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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Click to collapse
I frankly don't think any of us care about those 999 people.
Sent from my SCH-I535 using xda premium

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.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Same situation here! The shared data is not bad at all!
Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2

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 ...
Sent from my SCH-I535 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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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Click to collapse
That is not true at all.. I just opened an account on 07/30/12 month-month.
Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2

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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Click to collapse
That is only if you get a phone from VZ at the upgrade price.

To wait or not to wait... That is the question!

Hello folks! Well, let me preface my question with this: I love my infuse. Unfortunately, AT&T has become to expensive, so I must switch over to another carrier. I'm 15 so I don't really have a source of income, but I would very much like a new phone. I will most likely be switching over to Verizon, and getting a phone then. So here is my main question: Should I buy the SGS3 VZW variant, or wait for a while until Google releases their new line-up?
Things I am looking for in a phone:
Screen size: 4.5-5.0''
Brand: Samsung, Motorola, or Nexus branded phone (Preferably Samsung)
Micro SD: Must have (I bought a 64GB Sandisk for 100$)
CPU: Preferably a Quad-core, dual would be acceptable if overclockable.
Ram: Preferably 2GB, 1GB is acceptable (I hear that Android utilizes RAM very efficiently)
Radio: As long as it has 3G, I'm fine
Audio card: Preferably something with a Wolfson, I really enjoy Voodoo Sound
Camera: The higher the better (preferably with a low shutter lag camera)
Thank you guys for your time,
Connor Baker

Here's the thing. Verizon I find is the most expensive of the bunch. So if your looking to save money I'm not sure Verizon is the way to go.v
Another thing I thought of, if it was just me I would do a prepaid plan. I know T-Mobile offers unlimited talk, text, and web for 50 a month. If it was just my phone on the plan that's how I would go. Especially if I already had a phone. I think at&t offers similar deals.
I like Samsung myself but they seem to be doing away with microsd storage. I can deal with a non removable battery but I don't like cloud storage.
Ultimately the choice is yours and if you do decide to wait for a new line up of phones maybe you can switch to a prepaid plan until then. Save a couple bucks anyway.
Sent from my SGH-I997 using xda app-developers app

csandman1977 said:
Here's the thing. Verizon I find is the most expensive of the bunch. So if your looking to save money I'm not sure Verizon is the way to go.v
Another thing I thought of, if it was just me I would do a prepaid plan. I know T-Mobile offers unlimited talk, text, and web for 50 a month. If it was just my phone on the plan that's how I would go. Especially if I already had a phone. I think at&t offers similar deals.
I like Samsung myself but they seem to be doing away with microsd storage. I can deal with a non removable battery but I don't like cloud storage.
Ultimately the choice is yours and if you do decide to wait for a new line up of phones maybe you can switch to a prepaid plan until then. Save a couple bucks anyway.
Sent from my SGH-I997 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for your quick reply I may have not explained in depth enough why I have to leave AT&T. My parents just recently finalized their divorce, and my Dad and I (who are on AT&T, with my younger brother and Mom on Verizon ) literally can not afford to continue with the plan. Either I get a *dumb* phone on prepaid t-mobile, or I can get a smartphone on Verizon. Both my parents are really tight on money, but my Mom would be willing to take me on to her plan (Verizon that is).
I was previously hoping to save up and buy a GT-i9305, but that most likely not be possible for a VERY long time. I am looking forward to the LG Optimus G gracing the U.S, but I have no clue whether LG will follow through with this phone and provide software updates. I often hear that LG has a bad reputation.
Thanks for your time,
Connor Baker
P.S: I most likely will want to develop android, so that's why I'm aiming for android phones. I may however, go over to the light side and get an iPhone 5 as I know it will be supported for 2 years at least.

Connor Baker said:
Thanks for your quick reply I may have not explained in depth enough why I have to leave AT&T. My parents just recently finalized their divorce, and my Dad and I (who are on AT&T, with my younger brother and Mom on Verizon ) literally can not afford to continue with the plan. Either I get a *dumb* phone on prepaid t-mobile, or I can get a smartphone on Verizon. Both my parents are really tight on money, but my Mom would be willing to take me on to her plan (Verizon that is).
I was previously hoping to save up and buy a GT-i9305, but that most likely not be possible for a VERY long time. I am looking forward to the LG Optimus G gracing the U.S, but I have no clue whether LG will follow through with this phone and provide software updates. I often hear that LG has a bad reputation.
Thanks for your time,
Connor Baker
P.S: I most likely will want to develop android, so that's why I'm aiming for android phones. I may however, go over to the light side and get an iPhone 5 as I know it will be supported for 2 years at least.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You could always switch over to Straight Talk SIM, (BYOP) for $45/mo for unlimited talk, text, and data. Simply buy the SIM card, insert into your phone, and activate it. You can even port out your existing number to the new plan, and your ATT line will be closed. If you get an ATT Compatible Straight Talk SIM, you won't even need to unlock your phone to use it.

k-semler said:
You could always switch over to Straight Talk SIM, (BYOP) for $45/mo for unlimited talk, text, and data. Simply buy the SIM card, insert into your phone, and activate it. You can even port out your existing number to the new plan, and your ATT line will be closed. If you get an ATT Compatible Straight Talk SIM, you won't even need to unlock your phone to use it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I was thinking about this... The thing is though, as awesome as my infuse is on Scott's CM10, it's still old. There's only so much a single core processor can do (ex. Music stutters while browsing the web or reading a book). I'm really looking into Verizon, and their SGS 3. I've looked at it's forums a few minutes ago, and it doesn't seem to have gotten nearly as much love as our precious Infuse. That kind of worries me. Anyone think the new Nexus phone will have a micro sd?
Thanks for your time,
Connor Baker

Connor Baker said:
Anyone think the new Nexus phone will have a micro sd?
Thanks for your time,
Connor Baker
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Just did a search for Nexus 4 specs and found this - credit PCMagazine
The bad news? The Nexus 4 comes with just 8GB of on-board storage, and does not have a microSD slot for expansion, according to the pre-sale page.

Pony Express said:
Just did a search for Nexus 4 specs and found this - credit PCMagazine
The bad news? The Nexus 4 comes with just 8GB of on-board storage, and does not have a microSD slot for expansion, according to the pre-sale page.
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Ooooohhh.... That stings. So a quick question on opinion, how future proof is the SGS 3 at Verizon? I understand that you can OC the CPU, but I'm mainly worried about the poor GPU. Also, it's the advent of the quad-core phone, and 2GB of RAM is the new standard. I'm really perturbed now at the lack of attention in terms of development that the SGS 3 is getting. It's a big turn off.
My parents main problem with me not having a phone is that they can't contact me.

I would say go by a Verizon store soon and give the SGS3 a test spin based on the way you use the phone... you will no doubt have to keep it for a couple of years and we will all ( that are under contract) have to sit back and watch more cool stuff come out that we will have to wait to get. I have the International SGS3 - take a quick look at the dev for it - I am amazed... and lovin' it !!
http://forum.xda-developers.com/forumdisplay.php?f=1566

Pony Express said:
I would say go by a Verizon store soon and give the SGS3 a test spin based on the way you use the phone... you will no doubt have to keep it for a couple of years and we will all ( that are under contract) have to sit back and watch more cool stuff come out that we will have to wait to get. I have the International SGS3 - take a quick look at the dev for it - I am amazed... and lovin' it !!
http://forum.xda-developers.com/forumdisplay.php?f=1566
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I know... I had actually wanted to get the international, but unfortunately I don't have enough money to do so. that's why I'm scared of how little development that phone has going on.
EDIT: Also, I will be going into the Verizon store to test out the SGS 3 tomorrow. Do you think it'll be really laggy on account of them never restarting the phone? Is it strange I always get the urge to clear the demo phone's Cache and Dalvik? xD Maybe so. Just a little worried at the prices of the plans.

Connor Baker said:
I know... I had actually wanted to get the international, but unfortunately I don't have enough money to do so. that's why I'm scared of how little development that phone has going on.
EDIT: Also, I will be going into the Verizon store to test out the SGS 3 tomorrow. Do you think it'll be really laggy on account of them never restarting the phone? Is it strange I always get the urge to clear the demo phone's Cache and Dalvik? xD Maybe so. Just a little worried at the prices of the plans.
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Ok. So I went to the Verizon store at the mall near me and messed around with the phone there. I have no idea why, but compared to my infuse, the thing felt clunky and slow. No OC kernel on Scott's CM10. I thing I may just wait for the LG Optimus G to arrive, but I'm kind of wary with LG smartphones. Has anyone owned one before?

Connor Baker said:
. Anyone think the new Nexus phone will have a micro sd?
Thanks for your time,
Connor Baker
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No Nexus device will ever have the capability to use MicroSD.
Why Nexus devices have no SD card
TL;DR: They want to be like the iPhone with a unified memory structure.

verizon has some nice things like much better insurance and shared data, (att followed up with similar data plans though) but the pricing is very similar between the two companies. they tend to mirror each other but what verizon doesnt say is that any phone with 3g needs a data plan, not that you are looking at texting phones or anything.. other things are verizon has free verizon to verizon minutes. att has free mobile to mobile on any network and roll over minutes.
the plans look basically identical but att is in some ways a better deal and verizon tends to have fees you don't think about. but you also have to consider that verizon has a stronger network. it is less frequent now but i still get dropped calls for no reason on att. and the lte coverage is basically nothing. but then you have to look at the fact that hspa+ is faster than verizon 3g and lte is still in it's infantcy even with verizon and verizons gs3 has locked bootloaders (wtf) their phones are not cross network compatible and have isolated development due to different radio hardware and firmware....
sprint may be a better deal money wise. they get android updates when att and verizon lag behind in that area. they also are much cheaper and get better htc phones than verizon...
but if it's just you and not a family plan then what you need is strait talk. they have the gs2 on their website and that is still a great phone but i here the bootloaders are locked, it's bassically an i777 without the att emblem but someone tried to flash other firmware on one and it didn't work.. but maybe that person didn't know what they were doing? if the screen res is too low for you on the gs2 you could just buy a phone out right and get a strait talk sim card. that's what i'll do when my contract is up.. no question about that at all.

Well, now I've turned my sights on the Optimus G, and the specs look amazing. I have almost no doubt that it will land on Verizon before or on the holidays... So, what are peoples experiences with LG smartphones? Any opinions on the Optimus G?

i think you'll have to wait and see on that one. the screen looks to have amazing specs. and the s4 snapdragon dualcore is very fast so the s4 pro quad core has got to be a beast. but i messed with the lg nitro which had great specs at the time and it was kinda laggy. not that i think it would slow down with a load but the interface was slow. i also played with the thrill and it seem fast enough but the 3d screen was not great and the camera app took time to load.
from what i understand there was a lot of frustration with development on the thrill. the g2x/optimus 2x was a big seller but there was a certain amount of screen problems, no other major complaints though. i think you'll have to just wait and see if they got it right this time. the hardware is there for sure. you just might want to check out the forums and see what users are saying.

Dani897 said:
i think you'll have to wait and see on that one. the screen looks to have amazing specs. and the s4 snapdragon dualcore is very fast so the s4 pro quad core has got to be a beast. but i messed with the lg nitro which had great specs at the time and it was kinda laggy. not that i think it would slow down with a load but the interface was slow. i also played with the thrill and it seem fast enough but the 3d screen was not great and the camera app took time to load.
from what i understand there was a lot of frustration with development on the thrill. the g2x/optimus 2x was a big seller but there was a certain amount of screen problems, no other major complaints though. i think you'll have to just wait and see if they got it right this time. the hardware is there for sure. you just might want to check out the forums and see what users are saying.
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Well, I went over to the LG Optimus G forum and it basically consists of people asking for a way to unlock the bootloader, and fear of being abandoned in terms of software updates. That was kind of shocking to read through some 20 pages of anger, fear, and bitterness from past phones.
Now I'm pretty sure I'll just wait for the GT-i9305 to arrive in the U.S I guess. Anyone heard anything about this?

Connor Baker said:
Well, I went over to the LG Optimus G forum and it basically consists of people asking for a way to unlock the bootloader, and fear of being abandoned in terms of software updates. That was kind of shocking to read through some 20 pages of anger, fear, and bitterness from past phones.
Now I'm pretty sure I'll just wait for the GT-i9305 to arrive in the U.S I guess. Anyone heard anything about this?
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The GT-i9305 is the Euro version of the SGS3 and as such would most likely only be available here as an import. As it also has Euro LTE radio, US LTE would be a no-go.

Pony Express said:
The GT-i9305 is the Euro version of the SGS3 and as such would most likely only be available here as an import. As it also has Euro LTE radio, US LTE would be a no-go.
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Do you think that the U.S will get a similar version? I really hope so...
Connor Baker
Sent from inside hurricane Sandy

Connor Baker said:
Do you think that the U.S will get a similar version? I really hope so...
Connor Baker
Sent from inside hurricane Sandy
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Doubtful as the US carriers already have their versions.
Stay the heck out of Sandy's way. :silly:

Pony Express said:
Doubtful as the US carriers already have their versions.
Stay the heck out of Sandy's way. :silly:
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So the U.S will just have to wait for the S4? That's kind of sad...

Connor,
FYI
You'll be able to purchase the Nexus 4 unlocked in the Play Store starting November 13th for $299 (8GB), $349 (16GB) or $199 with a two-year contract on T-Moble (16GB).

VZW Promotion thought Id share

hey guys, ive been here for over a year now and finally have decided to move on to another phone.
I read somewhere on the internet that VZW would let you downgrade your plan to 6gb a month and receive a subsidized priced phone. I inquired about this and was informed that this deal was only availble via the Edge program. I quickly said no thank you and moved on. Today I called back and explained why I didnt want the edge program and the rep agreed with me about my points about edge.
He was able to downgrade my plan to 6gb monthly for the same price. Ive never gone over 2gb and was wanting to keep my unlimited plan out of principle, not need.
So all in all I got my HTC one coming in sometime this week and Im really excited about it. I just thought Id share here

ddurandSGS3 said:
hey guys, ive been here for over a year now and finally have decided to move on to another phone.
I read somewhere on the internet that VZW would let you downgrade your plan to 6gb a month and receive a subsidized priced phone. I inquired about this and was informed that this deal was only availble via the Edge program. I quickly said no thank you and moved on. Today I called back and explained why I didnt want the edge program and the rep agreed with me about my points about edge.
He was able to downgrade my plan to 6gb monthly for the same price. Ive never gone over 2gb and was wanting to keep my unlimited plan out of principle, not need.
So all in all I got my HTC one coming in sometime this week and Im really excited about it. I just thought Id share here
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Damn there's no vomit emote.

zetsumeikuro said:
Damn there's no vomit emote.
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meh. it worked out for everyone IMO.

I'm going to buy an LG G2 today, it was nice being on the S3 but the lack of updates & no 4.2.2 touchwiz ROMS I have to get something up to date. The G2 is the best phone out besides the Galaxy Note 3, so I want that.
Sent from my SCH-I535 using xda app-developers app

ddurandSGS3 said:
meh. it worked out for everyone IMO.
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You aren't allowed to keep that name now. Maybe ddurandHTC is still available
Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2

I'd probably consider doing the same if I didn't use my LTE to supplement my home internet at times. For some odd reason 12Mb down and 1Mb up isn't good enough for a decent Skype video call... It's horrendous. I find myself tethering my LTE for this. I don't go crazy overboard like some people, but I do go over 6GB.
Grats on getting the Max promo without participating in the stupid edge ripoff.
Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk

Well i need my unlimited since i use 30 GBs a month. Ill be buying my htc one max on tje original device payment plan.. Not the EDGE RIPOFF
Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk

I'll be getting a galaxy note 3 in December as my Christmas present to myself I won't be dealing with Verizon's bull and I'll be keeping my unlimited. I use about 4 gig a month at work due to ****ty internet my boss refuses to get rid of despite customers and employees complaints.

They didn't really do you a favor. They are doing amazing things now to get people off unlimited. Glad it worked for you and if anything we can learn from this is that even Verizon is willing to negotiate... especially when you're giving up unlimited data