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Well, I'm just wondering what everyone else is thinking. I just purchased the aria after buying (and returning the motorola backflip) - which btw, I have to give *some* credit. I read a lot of bad things about the backflip and I have to say, I really didn't have all that many problems with the phone, i personally thought it was a step up from my tilt2.. I was at my wits end with either winmo or htc.. but the backflip just didn't have enough power for me and I feared att would take forever to release 2.1 for the device.
Anyway, so far ( my first few hours ) with the aria, I am quite impressed. I wanted a small device and I think this packs a nice little punch. My experience has been fairly good. There are a couple things I dislike already about the phone.. the speaker quality is really bothering me, I can barely hear when I'm getting a phone call, the actual handset sound quality is not bad, its crisp and clear, but not NEARLY as good at the backflip.. if anything the backflip should get some excellent credit for having a great speaker and sound quality. The headphones or ear buds are HUGE, I'm not a small guy, but how is someone suppose to stick those huge buds in their ear hole? I'm slightly concerned about battery life, but I understand this may be an issue with most of android phones (or 2.1 down maybe???) but really that's about the only downfalls I'm running into at the moment. Overall I am quite satisfied with the device and think I'm actually going to keep this one. I love how it's just zipping through most screens and programs. I seen some video reviews of android central putting it through some benchmark test along with 3 other devices and this aria kept up with them.. (and even beat the droid, yes, I know, droid has twice the resolution but still.. not bad). Oh and I was also really concerned with the low resolution of the device, I understand a higher res on such a tiny screen would make things very hard to read. This screen is very vivid and I don't know why I was so concerned anymore.
would I buy my mom this phone? heck yah, so far, it's ranked up there in my list of fav phones.. and maybe take the #1 spot here soon after more playing around. (YES, UNTIL MY NEXT DEVICE!!!)
well, just thought I would say Hi to all my fellow aria owners, see what you guys thought and maybe offer some opinions for others who haven't bought the device.
I picked up the phone yesterday and I have to say I'm really enjoying it so far. For the 600mhz processor it's packing it's actually VERY responsive. I have been pleasantly surprised at the speed this little guy packs (and that's coming from a Nexus One owner!). The screen looks small when placed beside my Nexus One but while using the device I find myself having plenty of room to browse, type, and just about do anything. So far so good!
Ever since I got my Nexus One and ditched iPhone I've been looking at the Legend but didn't want to give up 3G. This device in my opinion is a smaller and more pocketable model. It has the same processor, screen size, and resolution but it's not AMOLED (which doesn't bother me because I can see it in sunlight) and runs just about identical software. Over all I'm impressed with the device.
Now hopefully it will see a root pretty soon and maybe even some ROMs/Kernels if were lucky!
HTC Aria
I just registered to xda-developers to post about the HTC Aria. The thing about the phone is that it's FAST. For a 600MHz processor, it screams. I've seen the EVO 4G and Droid and the Aria seems to keep up in terms of smoothness. Listening to music, surfing the web and getting text at the same time is smooth.
I have the phone fully charged, with brightness set to automatic, and wifi turned on so we'll see how long the phone lasts through out a normal day.
I went to the ATT store yesterday to check the phone out in person. I was pretty impressed with its speed over all. I had no issues with the screen size what so ever. In fact... the fact that the phone is small and very thin (compared to my Tilt 1) makes it one of my first choices for a new phone. BUT... I'm out of contract with ATT on July 5th and am thinking of switching to sprint and getting an EVO but I have yet to get my hands on one to really compare. But again... the size of the Aria is very appealing to me. And I'm not so sure Sprint will have the coverage I need in all the places I go?
I REALLY hate how ATT neuters their phones!!! And hate it even more that i have an UNLIMITED data plan now...BUT.... ATT wants to charge me more a month for a new data plan for "smart phones". $5 more for 200megs $15 more for 2GBs, and I for get how much more if I want to teather... WTF??? I can teather NOW (and do often)... such a rip off... data is data and unlimited is unlimited in my mind!!! Sprint would be the exact same price I pay now for unlimited everything and and i could get an EVO.
I think my biggest concern with the Aria is that... until I root it, and am able to change radios, i'm worried about signal strength!!! My tilt was BAD until I installed the radio I have now around here. It was impossiable to travel and talk on it because I kept loosing signal. I drive a lot for work, and to some remote places too, I could look at my in dash NAV screen and watch the signal drop out every couple mins. Installed the battery eating monster and all was well. But I REALLY don't want to go through that again, I'd actually like it to be good out of the box (imagine that?)
I had recently played with a friends backflip and managed to lock it up inside 15mins and had to reboot it to get it to function again. Plus i didn't care for the keyboard on the outside and lack of 2.1 to start with... So I'm still on the fence... nice sized Arai but still have to deal with ATT, or go to Sprint, get an EVO and the great unknown of how my service will be. Live in 12866 but travle 100+ miles in every direction for work.
So far I'm 60/40 toward the Aria... maybe once it's rooted I'll make the jump??? IDK!
Chris
sentinel_cm said:
I REALLY hate how ATT neuters their phones!!! And hate it even more that i have an UNLIMITED data plan now...BUT.... ATT wants to charge me more a month for a new data plan for "smart phones". $5 more for 200megs $15 more for 2GBs, and I for get how much more if I want to teather... WTF??? I can teather NOW (and do often)... such a rip off... data is data and unlimited is unlimited in my mind!!! Sprint would be the exact same price I pay now for unlimited everything and and i could get an EVO.
Chris
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Actually, if you already have an unlimited data plan, you can keep it as long as you like, even if you switch phones. I had the HTC Fuze for the longest time and as long a you mention that you want to keep your unlimited plan, you should be able to keep it.
lorcharlie said:
Actually, if you already have an unlimited data plan, you can keep it as long as you like, even if you switch phones. I had the HTC Fuze for the longest time and as long a you mention that you want to keep your unlimited plan, you should be able to keep it.
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I had this arguement with the people who work at the ATT store too... I couldn't get them to upgrade me to the Arai and keep my plan AS IS. I can get the phone via the store for $130, or $29 via ATT web site (both with 2yr contract extensions). But both require me to upgrade to the dataplan for smart phones. I'm going to try the 800 # and see if I can get my way... I have in the past.
Chris
Those AT&T guys needs an update. When I went to get my phone on Sunday, I was the only informed person about the HTC Aria. They had to go online to find the phone cause they didn't believe me. I got the only one there that day.
BestBuy Mobile acknowledges that you have an unlimited plan and will keep you on it when I went to ask them on Saturday. If AT&T doesn't work, BB?
go to best buy, i work there and at least at my location the mobile team knows all about the aria, its 129 and we dont have any mail in rebates, its all in store
lorcharlie said:
Those AT&T guys needs an update. When I went to get my phone on Sunday, I was the only informed person about the HTC Aria. They had to go online to find the phone cause they didn't believe me. I got the only one there that day.
BestBuy Mobile acknowledges that you have an unlimited plan and will keep you on it when I went to ask them on Saturday. If AT&T doesn't work, BB?
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Click to collapse
I just spent 30 mins on the phone with ATT and here's where I got....
I'm told that I have the "wrong" data plan for the phone I have now. I find this amuseing because I bought the phone 2 years ago via the web site, and the plan in March at the ATT store. They tell me that as soon as I put my sim chip in the Arai my plan would be automatically upgraded, I call BS!!! (heard this from the guy in the store too). I gave them a "little bit" of hard time and talked to a manager too.
The manager was very cool and was willing to work with me... He offered to change me to the 200Mb smart phone data plan + unlimited text. This would bring my bill up $5 a month for the 2 year contract. He then offered me a $120 credit to my account to cover the extra $5 for the whole 2 years. I told him I wanted to think about it and he put a note on my account and told me I could do the online thing then call back and referance the note and get the credit.
So... I can upgrade to the Aria for $29 via att site, my bill goes up $5 a month, but they will give me a $120 credit to cover it. Not bad...
Now my thought process is this... IS 200Mb enough... I adverage about 15Mbs normally but with a full HTML browser and Android as a new toy will it be enough???? Or do I jump ship for Sprint and a $200 Evo???
Decisions decisions....
sentinel_cm said:
I just spent 30 mins on the phone with ATT and here's where I got....
I'm told that I have the "wrong" data plan for the phone I have now. I find this amuseing because I bought the phone 2 years ago via the web site, and the plan in March at the ATT store. They tell me that as soon as I put my sim chip in the Arai my plan would be automatically upgraded, I call BS!!! (heard this from the guy in the store too). I gave them a "little bit" of hard time and talked to a manager too.
The manager was very cool and was willing to work with me... He offered to change me to the 200Mb smart phone data plan + unlimited text. This would bring my bill up $5 a month for the 2 year contract. He then offered me a $120 credit to my account to cover the extra $5 for the whole 2 years. I told him I wanted to think about it and he put a note on my account and told me I could do the online thing then call back and referance the note and get the credit.
So... I can upgrade to the Aria for $29 via att site, my bill goes up $5 a month, but they will give me a $120 credit to cover it. Not bad...
Now my thought process is this... IS 200Mb enough... I adverage about 15Mbs normally but with a full HTML browser and Android as a new toy will it be enough???? Or do I jump ship for Sprint and a $200 Evo???
Decisions decisions....
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Click to collapse
That really depends on how you are going to use it. If you use wifi most of the time and don't use 3G to do much multimedia streaming, then you should be fine. Don't download big email attachments and don't send them while on 3g. 200mb is not a lot of data for this type of smartphone, but if you don't want to pony up for more data, you can stay within 200mb with some discipline and judicious use of cell data. Restricting most of your playing to wifi will help a lot.
T-Mobile and Sprint both offer more attractive data plans that might work for you. But where I live and travel, only AT&T and Verizon offer the kind of service that make it worth having a cell phone at all. If I lived and traveled in a more urban area, I'd have a lot more choices.
sentinel_cm said:
I just spent 30 mins on the phone with ATT and here's where I got....
I'm told that I have the "wrong" data plan for the phone I have now. I find this amuseing because I bought the phone 2 years ago via the web site, and the plan in March at the ATT store. They tell me that as soon as I put my sim chip in the Arai my plan would be automatically upgraded, I call BS!!! (heard this from the guy in the store too). I gave them a "little bit" of hard time and talked to a manager too.
The manager was very cool and was willing to work with me... He offered to change me to the 200Mb smart phone data plan + unlimited text. This would bring my bill up $5 a month for the 2 year contract. He then offered me a $120 credit to my account to cover the extra $5 for the whole 2 years. I told him I wanted to think about it and he put a note on my account and told me I could do the online thing then call back and referance the note and get the credit.
So... I can upgrade to the Aria for $29 via att site, my bill goes up $5 a month, but they will give me a $120 credit to cover it. Not bad...
Now my thought process is this... IS 200Mb enough... I adverage about 15Mbs normally but with a full HTML browser and Android as a new toy will it be enough???? Or do I jump ship for Sprint and a $200 Evo???
Decisions decisions....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Here's some clarification on how the data plans work. In the past, there were a total of five data plans: Media Net, PDA, Blackberry, iPhone, and aircard data. Out of these five, only Media Net truly had unlimited data, but it was only for non-smartphones, such as the Samsung Eternity, or more recently, Samsung Sunburst, etc. The PDA, iPhone, and Blackberry plans were all $30, but none of them were truly unlimited. In the fine print on the brochures that had this plan, or if you ask any honest AT&T rep, you truly had a 5GB limit, just like the aircard plans.
This being said, you may have had Media Net on your phone before, but Media Net is not the internet plan associated with smartphones, the smartphone plans are. And if you did not have any of the smartphone data plans before, it is IMPOSSIBLE for AT&T (it is not a clickable option in the activation system any longer) to give you that old plan. For me, this doesn't matter. The AT&T online bill payment system has the option to see a nice graph of data usage for the previous six months to give you an idea of how much you use, and I think there is some truth to AT&T's statement that 98% of their users do not exceed 2GB. I myself peaked at 300 mb in May, so while my average is above the cheap $15 200 MB limit plan, It is well beneath the $25 2GB plan, which is cheaper than the archaic 5gb limit plans.
So you see, the unlimited smartphone data plan is a lie, there has never been one for AT&T (and of course, Verizon, because their plans mirror each other).
Not an owner yet.. but I have a renewal coming up, and I'm kicking the idea around. I've used Windows Mobile for a while now, but I really like the flexibility & apps available with Android.
I'm debating whether to just get the Aria, or use my upgrade to get an iPhone 3G, sell it then turn around & buy a Nexus one.
Assuming I do the adb thing to allow apps and then do a root to get rid of the bloatware, what would the pros & cons be between the Aria and the N1? I know the N1 has a larger screen and the faster processor, the Aria has the HTC interface.. is there anything other than that?
attn1 said:
That really depends on how you are going to use it. If you use wifi most of the time and don't use 3G to do much multimedia streaming, then you should be fine. Don't download big email attachments and don't send them while on 3g. 200mb is not a lot of data for this type of smartphone, but if you don't want to pony up for more data, you can stay within 200mb with some discipline and judicious use of cell data. Restricting most of your playing to wifi will help a lot.
T-Mobile and Sprint both offer more attractive data plans that might work for you. But where I live and travel, only AT&T and Verizon offer the kind of service that make it worth having a cell phone at all. If I lived and traveled in a more urban area, I'd have a lot more choices.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've never paid for a data plan on my Windows phones, I've always turned off pictures in my browser and rarely checked anything. I'd spend like $2-$3 per month on data..
But on this upgrade, it looks like I have to add a data plan, which is ok with me because of the new $15 option. Other than general web browsing, I might download or email small files (word/excel etc) here & there.. I run some websites that I might edit from time to time (if I can get used to the touchscreen keyboard).. I can't see myself doing any streaming.. The most data-intensive thing I can see myself doing is Google Maps/Navigation. Think I'd be ok with the 200MB plan? Is tethering possible on the new plans? I'd definitely do that if it was possible (but again, just for general use, no streaming or large files or anything..)
sentinel_cm said:
I just spent 30 mins on the phone with ATT and here's where I got....
I'm told that I have the "wrong" data plan for the phone I have now. I find this amuseing because I bought the phone 2 years ago via the web site, and the plan in March at the ATT store. They tell me that as soon as I put my sim chip in the Arai my plan would be automatically upgraded, I call BS!!! (heard this from the guy in the store too). I gave them a "little bit" of hard time and talked to a manager too.
The manager was very cool and was willing to work with me... He offered to change me to the 200Mb smart phone data plan + unlimited text. This would bring my bill up $5 a month for the 2 year contract. He then offered me a $120 credit to my account to cover the extra $5 for the whole 2 years. I told him I wanted to think about it and he put a note on my account and told me I could do the online thing then call back and referance the note and get the credit.
So... I can upgrade to the Aria for $29 via att site, my bill goes up $5 a month, but they will give me a $120 credit to cover it. Not bad...
Now my thought process is this... IS 200Mb enough... I adverage about 15Mbs normally but with a full HTML browser and Android as a new toy will it be enough???? Or do I jump ship for Sprint and a $200 Evo???
Decisions decisions....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I was going to say that even though I have unlimited data, I realize that almost everywhere I'm at, I have Wi-Fi. That's something else to consider if they won't let you have unlimited data. You could probably do most of your steaming/downloading on Wi-Fi and only do 3g when necessary.
I just checked when I had my iPhone 3gs and I only used 300MB of 3g on average, which means most of my internet interactions were on wifi.
Just a thought. And yes, I can't wait for this phone to be rooted.
ShinerDraft said:
I've never paid for a data plan on my Windows phones, I've always turned off pictures in my browser and rarely checked anything. I'd spend like $2-$3 per month on data..
But on this upgrade, it looks like I have to add a data plan, which is ok with me because of the new $15 option. Other than general web browsing, I might download or email small files (word/excel etc) here & there.. I run some websites that I might edit from time to time (if I can get used to the touchscreen keyboard).. I can't see myself doing any streaming.. The most data-intensive thing I can see myself doing is Google Maps/Navigation. Think I'd be ok with the 200MB plan? Is tethering possible on the new plans? I'd definitely do that if it was possible (but again, just for general use, no streaming or large files or anything..)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The "option" to teather is listed @ $45 per month. So $15 for 200Mb, $25 for 2Gb or $45 for 2Gb + Teather which is decribed as... "2 GB of data to share between your phone and your laptop or Netbook"
I'm sorry... but that is a TOTAL ripoff!!! $20 more to SHARE the same amount of data between my phone and laptop???
I just got my Aria yesterday and am so far happy with it. I still need to figure out how to push apps to it with the side step procedure linked elsewhere here in the forum, so the AT&T restriction really doesn't seem to be that big of a problem to me.
I concur on the insanity on the data plans with AT&T. I've got it doubly complicated as I have a Family plan shared with my husband's iPhone which has the grandfathered in unlimited data and we have unlimited text. The online upgrade system was still giving me the option last week of adding on to my phone for data unlimited for $10 more as we have the text option. But of course I got the same song and dance from the store monkeys on the 'well that's not for smartphones' dodge. Nicely done as far as SNAFU'd corporate communications goes. Though I wouldn't expect anything less from AT&T .
My only complaint with my phone so far is that it is unable to refind my unadvertised home wifi net after a reboot or extended sleep. There's probably a fix, I haven't looked yet for it.
I REALLY hate how ATT neuters their phones!!! And hate it even more that i have an UNLIMITED data plan now...BUT.... ATT wants to charge me more a month for a new data plan for "smart phones". $5 more for 200megs $15 more for 2GBs, and I for get how much more if I want to teather... WTF??? I can teather NOW (and do often)... such a rip off... data is data and unlimited is unlimited in my mind!!! Sprint would be the exact same price I pay now for unlimited everything and and i could get an EVO.
Chris,
I just went through the data question w/ AT&T (I know I can barely stand them) I was told that my 'unlimited' data plan was grandfathered and I didn't have to change anything, however, I did have to talk with customer service to have them set it up.
ShinerDraft said:
Assuming I do the adb thing to allow apps and then do a root to get rid of the bloatware, what would the pros & cons be between the Aria and the N1? I know the N1 has a larger screen and the faster processor, the Aria has the HTC interface.. is there anything other than that?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I just went from an N1 to an Aria and like the change. Even though the N1 has a faster processor, the Aria is just as fast because it doesn't have as much to power. There are some articles out there which show it's comparable to the Evo and N1 in terms of speed (despite lower specs) (try http://forum.dailymobile.se/index.php?topic=24656.0). I was saying in another post that the Aria can actually juggle 7 or so apps at a time while the N1 will start seriously lagging at just 3 or 4. This is before I had upgraded the N1 to 2.2, but a lot of Market apps were not available or compatible with that build (and some of the stuff I'd already purchased didn't show up!). Of course, the 2.2 build on N1 is 450% faster than the 2.1 build and could easily be considered the fastest android build out there.
I also had a lot of trouble holding onto the N1. It was sleek, but just a little *too* sleek, if you can imagine! I'd also had a negative buying experience with Google where their checkout software screwed up and then the manager-less customer service reps didn't have any idea about what to do (even though that was just my own personal experience).
The N1 did have a gorgeous, big screen and it was sweet on 2.2. The Live Wallpapers can be a thrill, if you are as easily amused as myself. But the Sense ui on the Aria is amazing and seems more interactive than what was on the N1.
Plus, if you root the N1, you void your manufacturer's warranty - your boot screen will display a message to that effect. With the G1, I was able to reload a stock rom and it was accepted under the original warranty. I'm hoping the Aria will be the same way. I was thinking I could root it (if/when that happens) and overclock, but it just doesn't seem to need it now....
Btw... anyone want to buy an N1?
damn pixie said:
I just went from an N1 to an Aria and like the change. Even though the N1 has a faster processor, the Aria is just as fast because it doesn't have as much to power. There are some articles out there which show it's comparable to the Evo and N1 in terms of speed (despite lower specs) (try http://forum.dailymobile.se/index.php?topic=24656.0). I was saying in another post that the Aria can actually juggle 7 or so apps at a time while the N1 will start seriously lagging at just 3 or 4. This is before I had upgraded the N1 to 2.2, but a lot of Market apps were not available or compatible with that build (and some of the stuff I'd already purchased didn't show up!). Of course, the 2.2 build on N1 is 450% faster than the 2.1 build and could easily be considered the fastest android build out there.
I also had a lot of trouble holding onto the N1. It was sleek, but just a little *too* sleek, if you can imagine! I'd also had a negative buying experience with Google where their checkout software screwed up and then the manager-less customer service reps didn't have any idea about what to do (even though that was just my own personal experience).
The N1 did have a gorgeous, big screen and it was sweet on 2.2. The Live Wallpapers can be a thrill, if you are as easily amused as myself. But the Sense ui on the Aria is amazing and seems more interactive than what was on the N1.
Plus, if you root the N1, you void your manufacturer's warranty - your boot screen will display a message to that effect. With the G1, I was able to reload a stock rom and it was accepted under the original warranty. I'm hoping the Aria will be the same way. I was thinking I could root it (if/when that happens) and overclock, but it just doesn't seem to need it now....
Btw... anyone want to buy an N1?
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Click to collapse
Ah just keep them both! Lol...I am and I'm still enjoying the hell out of my Aria. This thing doesn't skip a beat! Its easily the fastest 600mhz phone I've ever used. I'm guessing the smaller screen size needs less processing power or something because this little guy flys. I can't even imagine what it would do with a snap dragon! If we can get a root and maybe a 800-850mhz over clock on this bad boy it will be crazy fast.
On a side note my Aria is easily kicking my Nexus Ones ass in battery life. Im extremely surprised.
Can anyone who has an Aria comment on call sound quality, speaker phone quality & volume, and how the phone performs in general in reguards to having a signal vs. not having a signal on the network???
I know it is a sensitive topic, but I'm so frustrated with ATT, and was wondering if I could get any directions from you guys.
I bought for my wife new Aria (full price) so she can collaborate with me without using her brain. Few days after the change I realized att changed her unlimited data plan to tiered one. That move really pissed me off, and I had to switch her back to old nokia to preserve unlimited plan. I used to have an iphone with this plan (unlimited data for $15/month), and it looks like they are enforcing new, more expensive plans not only on new customers, but also on existing ones.
Enough said... I would like to get some hints on changing imei, so I get to keep my old plan...
Thanks
Not 100% sure but just swap the sim and it should work. ATT are assholes for doing away with unlimited data made the mistake of losing my unlimited data plan when the iPhone 4 was released thanks iphone!
Sent from my Liberty using XDA App
I upgraded to the aria And had the unlimited data plan transfered..if u just call customer service and tell them that u have been a loyal customer for a long time now and u should be able to keep the plan u have had..u should mention being grandfathered in, be polite and tell them if they can't help u then u might be looking at other carriers. U would be amazed at the things I have gotten for free or discounted by just calling and talking to customer service..if they say they can't do it ask to be transfered to to the person who can, u might be on the phone for a minute but u can get it done I promise u
Sent from my Liberty using XDA App
Post this same info on ATT's Facebook.
Same thing happened to me, I went from an iPhone to the Aria, and had the unlimited data removed, put a post on ATT's facebook, and within the day, I was talking to a guy who gave it back, credited my account, and gave me an additonal discount, to make my bill cheaper.
Interesting... if that's what they did to you then I may actually get somewhere. I just pulled the plug on one line to get G2 from tmo, and may threaten to close another line if they refuse to keep my plan...
If it comes to sim swap then it won't work with att branded phones. The only thing that may work (it worked with my old line) is to use unlock phone and ask them to update imei. They will mark your line as unlocked phone and never update your plan again. It worked for iphone...
Thx for your input.
Sent from my T-Mobile G2 using XDA App
How much data do you actually use on your plan? I use my phone's data very regularly throughout the month and the most I've ever managed to use in a month was a gigabyte, making the $25 plan a cheaper solution than the $30 PDA Smartphone plan that preceded it.
I work in a retail position in which I handle AT&T, Sprint, and T-Mobile customers on a daily basis, and I have yet to meet anyone who uses more than 2GB a month, and some of these people use the phone as if they do not have a home internet service!
Thankfully AT&T has a very easy way of checking to see the monthly data usage you use, and even gives you a nice graph of the last six months of data usage, so you can decide for yourself what data plan is right for you.
"Unlimited" 3G data (w/ 5gb limit) for $30 on a smartphone is going the way of direct connect. Verizon will not be far behind with unveiling their new data plans and T-Mobile is talking about doing the same thing. I think once it is all said and done, we won't even see unlimited plans on 4G networks, especially once Sprint gets enough people back onto their service.
Just do the switch yourself. If you bought the phone full price you could have gotten it anywhere besides AT&T, swapped the SIM and been on the same plan. that's what i did coming from my Fuze. I just moved the SIM card to the new phone, and it worked flawlessly. kept my unlimited plan and everything.
as for data usage. When i had my Fuze i used maybe .5gig a month, but as soon as i got the Aria my usage spiked. I use consistently well over 2 gigs a month, breaking 4 gigs in August. I don't use it for tethering, i don't download huge video files, in fact i'm pretty tame with my phone usage. I'll be keeping my unlimited plan when i get a free upgrade in January.
shark0807 said:
How much data do you actually use on your plan? I use my phone's data very regularly throughout the month and the most I've ever managed to use in a month was a gigabyte, making the $25 plan a cheaper solution than the $30 PDA Smartphone plan that preceded it.
I work in a retail position in which I handle AT&T, Sprint, and T-Mobile customers on a daily basis, and I have yet to meet anyone who uses more than 2GB a month, and some of these people use the phone as if they do not have a home internet service!
Thankfully AT&T has a very easy way of checking to see the monthly data usage you use, and even gives you a nice graph of the last six months of data usage, so you can decide for yourself what data plan is right for you.
"Unlimited" 3G data (w/ 5gb limit) for $30 on a smartphone is going the way of direct connect. Verizon will not be far behind with unveiling their new data plans and T-Mobile is talking about doing the same thing. I think once it is all said and done, we won't even see unlimited plans on 4G networks, especially once Sprint gets enough people back onto their service.
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You sound like att spokesperson addressing all dumbasses that purchased smartphone thinking it will make them look smarter. Your data usage statistics are off, and just because you ask your customers about their data usage, it doesn't mean it makes you right. I have observed the data usage by mobile devices in the enterprise I manage in the past 3 years. It seems people spend more time using internet driven apps when their experience improves. That pretty much means the faster mobile network becomes the more bandwidth is consumed. Another huge impact on data usage comes from pushed advertisement. People love free apps, but in order to support brightminded developers those apps have to display small banners. lets do quick math here... each banner is about 5KB. Popular apps rotate them in intervals of 10s, or display new ad whenever you go to new page. If your phone supports multitasking, for example new iphone, then if you don't close the app (for example weather app) it may actually keep rotating those ads in the background eating up your bandwidth. That's 5KB every 10s throughout billing cycle gives us total of about 1.3GB each month. That's based on single app that probably won't be running 24/7, but you may have few of such apps running at the same time, so this will definitely bring you close to that number.
Now, lets talk about 4G, and your assumption of all carriers going with tiered plans. I've been enjoying my G2 over HSPA+ so much. You tube videos are actually in visible quality now. Those very same videos over att 3g were just a joke, and waste of time. What do you think how much bandwidth those HQ videos consume? How about video calls? How about flash driven apps? Limiting users to tiered plans would mean blocking all those services, and worse it would bring technology development for mobile devices to a halt (at least in US).
Mobile carriers are facing very hard times. There is more bandwidth demand than they estimated. ATT for example chose greed, and decided to oversubscribe their infrastructure hoping iphone will save them. Verizon however, invested in their network to ensure they can handle the growth. They all should be thankful to Apple for stealing the name "smartphone", and introducing it to masses in the form of a dumbphone. That move changed the industry, and right now we're all paying for it through higher cost, development by spending more time rooting devices than coding new apps, and reliability. I love my mac, but I hate Jobs for the iphone so much...
cegna09 said:
Just do the switch yourself. If you bought the phone full price you could have gotten it anywhere besides AT&T, swapped the SIM and been on the same plan. that's what i did coming from my Fuze. I just moved the SIM card to the new phone, and it worked flawlessly. kept my unlimited plan and everything.
as for data usage. When i had my Fuze i used maybe .5gig a month, but as soon as i got the Aria my usage spiked. I use consistently well over 2 gigs a month, breaking 4 gigs in August. I don't use it for tethering, i don't download huge video files, in fact i'm pretty tame with my phone usage. I'll be keeping my unlimited plan when i get a free upgrade in January.
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Aria is the only woman friendly (small) android phone that supports att 3G. I paid for it $300 (new). Legacy, which seems to be pretty much same phone is $200 more, and doesn't support att 3g frequencies. It looks like att is getting better in cat/mouse game. I may just have to threaten to leave, to get something done...
BTW
any android phone is concidered by att as smartphone, and they require smartphone plan with it. My wife previously had unlocked nokia, so they did not know what kind of phone it was, and allowed regular $15/month unlimited data plan. Once you put your sim into device that they have in their database they enforce on you smartphone plan that's currently available. If her previous plan was unlimited data for smartphone ($25/month), then I agree, she would be able to keep it.
chopperpl said:
BTW
any android phone is concidered by att as smartphone, and they require smartphone plan with it. My wife previously had unlocked nokia, so they did not know what kind of phone it was, and allowed regular $15/month unlimited data plan. Once you put your sim into device that they have in their database they enforce on you smartphone plan that's currently available. If her previous plan was unlimited data for smartphone ($25/month), then I agree, she would be able to keep it.
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didn't realize you came from a non-smartphone. I came from a Fuze (touch pro), so i was already on the $30 unlimited smartphone plan. I made the phone switch right after they announced the end of unlimited plans, and just swapped the phone on my own. Their system caught it, changed my profile on AT&T's site, but did nothing to the plan. I still have the unlimited plan, and will be keeping it as i foresee my usage staying hight.
Do what i did.
Change the sim into a dumb phone and turn it on, wait about an hour, then log into your account online. The options for the medianet packages will reappear. Remove the smartphone data plans then enable the medianet plan for unlimited data. After switch the sim back to the smart phone, if you get a text or email saying they detected your smartphone just call them up and tell them you do not have a smartphone and give them the IMEI number of the dumb phone and have them remove the data and restore the medianet.
I know its a bit much to lie to them but it is robery that pay as you go data is $2 per 1MB, $15 for 200MB and $25 for 2GB when the service sucks inside any building in lower Manhattan.
joshua54 said:
I upgraded to the aria And had the unlimited data plan transfered..if u just call customer service and tell them that u have been a loyal customer for a long time now and u should be able to keep the plan u have had..u should mention being grandfathered in, be polite and tell them if they can't help u then u might be looking at other carriers. U would be amazed at the things I have gotten for free or discounted by just calling and talking to customer service..if they say they can't do it ask to be transfered to to the person who can, u might be on the phone for a minute but u can get it done I promise u
Sent from my Liberty using XDA App
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this is what i did.
I called cancellation dept, and they still refused to roll my old plan back
Going back to my initial request... Any hints on changing imei?
Thanks
Is it doable at all?
I don't want to waste anymore time on it. Can some of the bright ones just tell me, if imei on this phone is "burned-in" or is it changeable via software?
Thanks
So... I've done more research, and seems people are saying it is illegal to change imei... Illegal???? I think, if changing/spoofing for criminal activities then it is illegal. Carriers clearly abuse that id to rip more money from people. Where is the government to protect us? I wouldn’t mind, if there was an alternative, but there is none. How come I pay full price for the smartphone, and can’t deny data plan? I want to roam through local hot spots offered for free by my cable provider to sync phone instead of X fuc…ing G!!!! I think it is time for people to start filing complaints with FCC...
chopperpl said:
I don't want to waste anymore time on it. Can some of the bright ones just tell me, if imei on this phone is "burned-in" or is it changeable via software?
Thanks
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First off AT&T can see immediately when you switch, and to what phone you are using, as well as the kind of traffic, to categorize your phone... so spoofing an IMEI won't get you anywhere - the bandwidth usage from a regular phone vs a smartphone is miles apart.
Second and more importantly Unlimited data for smartphones ($30) vs unlimited data for a regular phone ($15) are two completely different plans. Your old nokia was clearly not a smartphone if you were paying $15 for unlimited data.
I had a blackberry 9700 and went to an Aria, smartphone to smartphone. They let me keep my same smartphone unlimited data plan.
Bottom line you can't switch from a regular phone unlimited data to a smartphone unlimited data plan and keep the same plan.
You're SOL.
Your best bet is to talk to a manager in a retail store - as they are the only people who can work miracles. AT&T grants them special privileges, like allowing you to "early upgrade" (essentially re-start your contract) for a fee + regular advertised phone prices (way cheaper then a new phone at full retail price), and then allowing you to spend that "fee" as a credit on retail store accessories.
dexmix said:
First off AT&T can see immediately when you switch, and to what phone you are using, as well as the kind of traffic, to categorize your phone... so spoofing an IMEI won't get you anywhere - the bandwidth usage from a regular phone vs a smartphone is miles apart.
Second and more importantly Unlimited data for smartphones ($30) vs unlimited data for a regular phone ($15) are two completely different plans. Your old nokia was clearly not a smartphone if you were paying $15 for unlimited data.
I had a blackberry 9700 and went to an Aria, smartphone to smartphone. They let me keep my same smartphone unlimited data plan.
Bottom line you can't switch from a regular phone unlimited data to a smartphone unlimited data plan and keep the same plan.
You're SOL.
Your best bet is to talk to a manager in a retail store - as they are the only people who can work miracles. AT&T grants them special privileges, like allowing you to "early upgrade" (essentially re-start your contract) for a fee + regular advertised phone prices (way cheaper then a new phone at full retail price), and then allowing you to spend that "fee" as a credit on retail store accessories.
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Click to collapse
I'm afraid you're wrong, and this is why. I've had iphone 3gs on unlimited data plan ($15/month) for over a year. Before that I had Nokia N95 (which is still much smarter than iphone 4) on the same plan also for about a year.
You're saying they monitor bandwidth usage... How come they never picked up on my international SIP calls, and radio streaming? and yes, spoofing will get me somewhere. ATT holds only imeis from att branded/approved phones. If my imei is not found they assume it is simple multimedia phone. How do I know that? I talked to cancellation dept manager two days ago, and was ensured I will get my plan back once my imei doesn't match any of those from att smartphone lineup.
dexmix said:
Bottom line you can't switch from a regular phone unlimited data to a smartphone unlimited data plan and keep the same plan.
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Click to collapse
So what you are telling me is that basically, you want people on here to help you do something which is admittedly illegal in many counties, so your new smart phone appears as a multimedia phone and you can pay less and keep your unlimited data plan.
*scratches head*
edit: you would have been better off just getting an Aria for free with a 2yr contract and then paying for a 2G plan.
dexmix said:
So what you are telling me is that basically, you want people on here to help you do something which is admittedly illegal in many counties, so your new smart phone appears as a multimedia phone and you can pay less and keep your unlimited data plan.
*scratches head*
edit: you would have been better off just getting an Aria for free with a 2yr contract and then paying for a 2G plan.
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Well, not exactly. I've had that plan since gen 1 iphone, which was running on Edge, and three months later I switched to n95 3g. Basically I'm trying to retain my old data plan, and that's because I have not received any special treatment, or services in order to pay more... If they rolled out LTE, and use that for justification then I would agree.
dexmix said:
edit: you would have been better off just getting an Aria for free with a 2yr contract and then paying for a 2G plan.
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Better off????? 2 year contract means locked in with old technology. Those contracts don't do any good to people. By signing, you let att screw you any way they want. You can't walk away, or negotiate. If I wasn't tied up with the contract when att announced new plans, then I would switch to verizon long time ago... If you are real smartphone user then you better off buying unlocked phone, and use it the way it was designed to use without extra fees (tethering $60 ), but if you are one of those guys thinking "smartphone will make me look smarter", then your best bet is to buy discounted phone with the contract.
me no likey, especially being a leo user since April that was forced to sign an "unlimited" data plan...
unlimited to 5g...lol.
Okay? Seriously it's not that big of a deal, just cut back on data usage.
hardly spazzing out, just a bit peeved that the answer to lack of towers is to alter the service I am paying for and deserve.
rightly so per my contract...
maybe allow previous contracts expire that were signed before the throttling?
nah, for my $300 phone, and mandatory $30 month plan I deserve to be punished for assuming that the netty netzorz would be "unlimited".
it's not as if I want a red ferrari or one night with Angelina Jolie er nuthin'.
(this phone sees more net tham my p.c. btw)
tmo since 2005.
ashasaur said:
Okay? Seriously it's not that big of a deal, just cut back on data usage.
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actually that's Tmo's answer to the problem instead of erecting more towers and honoring the contract I signed back in April...
"Sir, it's your fault we're too cheap to erect more towers, use less internet plz."
you missed your calling as a tmo phone jockey!
Agreed, we signed for a specific amount on our data plans. Now I hear I'm going to have half the data limit I signed for.
Sent from my T-Mobile G2 using XDA App
Your data is still unlimited, you'll just be throttled to a slower speed once you exceed 5gb. So likely no different to the unlimited data you had before 3g was in existence.
I still think TMO's tiering/caping is the most reasonable in the industry. At least they aren't flat out cutting you off or hitting you up to pay for another 2gb bucket like other carriers. Though maybe an option to pay up to lift the cap would be a nice option for heavy users, but that might go down the slippery slope of them going that route and being like ATT rather than the throttling they are doing now
What would actually be nice is if they didnt just flat out throttle you at 5gb but throttle you with bursting ability. that way loading the quick email or light web page will still be snappy, but if you attempt any streaming or large downloads then you get throttled down.
What im curious about that hasn't been covered much is exactly what speed do you get throttled down to? do you still get 3g coverage, just throttled. or does the throttling turn off your ability yo use the 3g signals, leaving you stuck with edge coverage?
I may just have to test it out this billing cycle, and do some very large downloads the last couple days of my billing cycle and try to hit 5gb a couple days before my cycle resets and see just how bad it gets.
Although it blows to be the "victim" of a traditional "bait & switch" by a faceless corporation, I am still 3G but downloading pages at minimum 5+ seconds slower.
Terrible? No.
Unexpected due to expectations of "unlimited" use per my 2 year contract? Yup.
I realize that OTHER providers/carriers have always capped, but um, I am not with other providers/carriers.
Tmo advertised..."UNLIMITED NET USAGE" and as a paying client who signed a contract I expect to get what I originally signed up for.
Imho I'm not demanding anything more than what I signed up for.
What good are contracts with tmo for anyways? A way for them to strongarm you into coping with their ever changing policies, or pay the ETF and have a nice life???
I really despise the "sukz to be you" policy that tmo is acquiring...
kidrythm said:
Although it blows to be the "victim" of a traditional "bait & switch" by a faceless corporation, I am still 3G but downloading pages at minimum 5+ seconds slower.
Terrible? No.
Unexpected due to expectations of "unlimited" use per my 2 year contract? Yup.
I realize that OTHER providers/carriers have always capped, but um, I am not with other providers/carriers.
Tmo advertised..."UNLIMITED NET USAGE" and as a paying client who signed a contract I expect to get what I originally signed up for.
Imho I'm not demanding anything more than what I signed up for.
What good are contracts with tmo for anyways? A way for them to strongarm you into coping with their ever changing policies, or pay the ETF and have a nice life???
I really despise the "sukz to be you" policy that tmo is acquiring...
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Yeah i know it sucks as far as being stuck in a contract thinking you were getting one thing and getting something else
But as far as i see legally they are still holding up their end of the contract, you are still completely unlimited in your net access. They never advertised a set kbps or mbps of service they would provide. no internet provider does, unless youre talking about a leased business class line. All your home based broadband connections are advertised as "up to" whatever speed
d0ug said:
Yeah i know it sucks as far as being stuck in a contract thinking you were getting one thing and getting something else
But as far as i see legally they are still holding up their end of the contract, you are still completely unlimited in your net access. They never advertised a set kbps or mbps of service they would provide. no internet provider does, unless youre talking about a leased business class line. All your home based broadband connections are advertised as "up to" whatever speed
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I get it, in order to sign contracts with multi~billion dollar corporations, you must first hire a multi~billion dollar attorney to translate the fine print.
When did cellular providers get so powerful anyhow?
Oh yeah, when we decided to "let" them by shrugging off their whittling away at our rights as the clients who pour millions into their pockets.
I say more people should contest the slow and methodical "tweaking" that surely will lead to a big brother net situation.
yes.
kidrythm said:
I get it, in order to sign contracts with multi~billion dollar corporations, you must first hire a multi~billion dollar attorney to translate the fine print.
When did cellular providers get so powerful anyhow?
Oh yeah, when we decided to "let" them by shrugging off their whittling away at our rights as the clients who pour millions into their pockets.
I say more people should contest the slow and methodical "tweaking" that surely will lead to a big brother net situation.
yes.
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Click to collapse
But dude, you are still getting unlimited data... Plus, 5GB is like pornhub junky status. Ha. How much porn do you need on your phone?
Download movies on your computer maybe?
Either way, you can't argue that you aren't getting unlimited data because you in fact are. They aren't cutting off your data once you hit 5GB or charging you more money when you go over 5GB. How is this a breach of contract?
crisisinthecity said:
But dude, you are still getting unlimited data... Plus, 5GB is like pornhub junky status. Ha. How much porn do you need on your phone?
Download movies on your computer maybe?
Either way, you can't argue that you aren't getting unlimited data because you in fact are. They aren't cutting off your data once you hit 5GB or charging you more money when you go over 5GB. How is this a breach of contract?
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Not a huge porn fan, but I do download a ****e ton of stuff from xda trying out all of the awesome cabs, and I do dig the youtube vidz of all things science/engineering/technology.
As far as arguing that my "unlimited" data plan is now "limited"to 5GB per month and how that is somehow not a breach of contract, well I am going to have to disagree with you.
The speed at which I agreed to pay for i.e. 3G, is slowed to less than DSL when I reach the recently altered terms set by Tmo concerning usage in a billing cycle.
If they are going to throttle my usage, they can also deduct that lost speed from my monthly bill.
In a nutshell, I am no longer getting what I signed up for 7 months ago but per my contract I am still expected to pay the same amount.
Or fork over mad cheddar to bail from the contract...don't know about you but it was $lightly terrifying for me $igning onto a premium package and a $et up like this for 2 more years.
Business expense, but still My Wife would be peeved to know it cost me $300 to pay another $300 for the ETF.
Money isn't my bestest friend...but dangit, Transformers looked SO good!!
My guess is that Tmo failed to prepare their network properly to meet the needs of the Fvckton of new clients that will rush into the HD7, and this was a hail Mary move. The timing seems about right in line with the upcoming release of the latest wondertoy.
I mean heck, what can anyone do? Complain? Whoopee, plenty of other tmo/xda members will pipe up and put them in their place.
amirite?
EDIT: I have 0 movies/music on my phone, never have.
kidrythm said:
Not a huge porn fan, but I do download a ****e ton of stuff from xda trying out all of the awesome cabs, and I do dig the youtube vidz of all things science/engineering/technology.
As far as arguing that my "unlimited" data plan is now "limited"to 5GB per month and how that is somehow not a breach of contract, well I am going to have to disagree with you.
The speed at which I agreed to pay for i.e. 3G, is slowed to less than DSL when I reach the recently altered terms set by Tmo concerning usage in a billing cycle.
If they are going to throttle my usage, they can also deduct that lost speed from my monthly bill.
In a nutshell, I am no longer getting what I signed up for 7 months ago but per my contract I am still expected to pay the same amount.
Or fork over mad cheddar to bail from the contract...don't know about you but it was $lightly terrifying for me $igning onto a premium package and a $et up like this for 2 more years.
Business expense, but still My Wife would be peeved to know it cost me $300 to pay another $300 for the ETF.
Money isn't my bestest friend...but dangit, Transformers looked SO good!!
My guess is that Tmo failed to prepare their network properly to meet the needs of the Fvckton of new clients that will rush into the HD7, and this was a hail Mary move. The timing seems about right in line with the upcoming release of the latest wondertoy.
I mean heck, what can anyone do? Complain? Whoopee, plenty of other tmo/xda members will pipe up and put them in their place.
amirite?
EDIT: I have 0 movies/music on my phone, never have.
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Click to collapse
Do you use 5GB of data each month? How long does it take you to get there. I use my phone a ton and I'm not even kinda close.
crisisinthecity said:
Do you use 5GB of data each month? How long does it take you to get there. I use my phone a ton and I'm not even kinda close.
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All I do is use the internet a lot throughout the day looking at news and sports sites and my bill says I use 5GB a week. I don't download anything. Why buy a G2 if you just want to make phone calls?
Sent from my T-Mobile G2 using XDA App
crisisinthecity said:
Do you use 5GB of data each month? How long does it take you to get there. I use my phone a ton and I'm not even kinda close.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I recieved a text 3 days ago.
I browse the net, and post regularly on quite a few forums. The only thing I can think of that kills it is downloading the themes etc. from forums directly to the phone.
I checked my account and it reads 0 due to that pesky unlimited data plan, and tmo has no way of compiling my total usage into a nice round #. All they see on their system is my entire usage broken down into individual "visits" to the network. Yeah, I almost insisted that she break out the calcuator and get to addin'!
Like I said, they seem a bit out of their element having just launched this new system.
Not one rep could offer anything more than an apology for not having more info when I went through my list of straight forward, and comprehensive inquiries.
What bothers me, among other things is the lack of transparency on their part in the form of the inability to answer simple questions. How can I be sure that they are capping at 5gb, or find out what speed have I been lowered to?
For all I know they are making up the rules as we're plowing down this dark gravel road to unknown parts.
A free speedtest could offer better data than the company I am paying good money to, and that is pretty jacked up.
To answer your question, I have no idea how I hit 5gb 1 week shy of my billing cycle ending.
And with no way to keep tabs, it looks like my Leo will be collecting a bit more dust in the future...I'd hate to blow the cap 2 weeks in.
Youtube vids now take 4 min. to load a 56 sec. clip.
airoff8 said:
All I do is use the internet a lot throughout the day looking at news and sports sites and my bill says I use 5GB a week. I don't download anything. Why buy a G2 if you just want to make phone calls?
Sent from my T-Mobile G2 using XDA App
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Click to collapse
Dayum, you got me beat!
This is one competition where I really don't mind being last...
How is your browsing experience with the throttling applied?
kidrythm said:
The speed at which I agreed to pay for i.e. 3G, is slowed to less than DSL when I reach the recently altered terms set by Tmo concerning usage in a billing cycle.
EDIT: I have 0 movies/music on my phone, never have.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i guarantee that the contract you signed in no way states what speed of service they will provide. that would be impossible to tmobile to hold upto, what about all the people paying the same price for their data service as you, but they are stuck in areas still only served by edge or god forbid gprs service?
Yes these service areas still exist, i personally experienced them on a road trip over the summer. 1 bar of gprs service in a cabin in north mississippi is real fun. i guess by your logic tmobile owes me a billing credit because i couldn't get 3g service while on the road for a week
i really cant fathom how you exceed 5g without downloading movies/music on your phone
d0ug said:
i guarantee that the contract you signed in no way states what speed of service they will provide. that would be impossible to tmobile to hold upto, what about all the people paying the same price for their data service as you, but they are stuck in areas still only served by edge or god forbid gprs service?
Yes these service areas still exist, i personally experienced them on a road trip over the summer. 1 bar of gprs service in a cabin in north mississippi is real fun. i guess by your logic tmobile owes me a billing credit because i couldn't get 3g service while on the road for a week
i really cant fathom how you exceed 5g without downloading movies/music on your phone
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If I left an area where service was solid, that would be one thing.
I am in K.C. where the service rivals Sprint's due to their "campus" being located here.
3 1/2 bars since day 1, another "issue" I have...
No movies (not til I pony up for coreplayer), and as far as music, the speaker sux bawls on the Leo and earbuds irritate me.
Just regular usage rivaling that of my average daily p.c. surfing was before I got my htc hd2 set up.
crisisinthecity said:
Plus, 5GB is like pornhub junky status. Ha. How much porn do you need on your phone?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm surprised his privates didn't fall off before he hit 5GB
rr5678 said:
I'm surprised his privates didn't fall off before he hit 5GB
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Click to collapse
wow, thanks for posting.
"privates"?
being 11 years old is a confusing, and yet exciting time!
now run along the adults are talking.
Anyways, after that lasts dumb post. I agree with the others up top, with the data cap instated, you are still getting data, just at a slower rate. No where in your contract does it state that what speeds you will recieve using mobile data, only that your access to mobile data is unlimited.
Not sure where this question would go, or if its legit.
But is there a way to get a lower bill? I think Im paying too much and not sure if theres a way to ask for a different plan, complain, etc.
Currently have 2 phones, my wifes and mine.
I have the Ft even more unlimited which is 99.99
family unlimited messages 20.00
Her web 30.00 and my web is 30.00
She has a sidekick and never uses the web. We even tried calling to have it cancelled and we got some run around that sidekicks use Danger server so you need internet adn you cant cancel it or it wont even work. Dunno how true that is.
But 100 seems a bit high for just calls.
Looks like we used about 2100 mins total last month. I dunno, I need to start saving and this is killing me. I hear people saying they have $60 bills, etc but never tell me what they have or I suspect theyre lying. the wife keeps picking contracts..
Thelgow said:
Not sure where this question would go, or if its legit.
But is there a way to get a lower bill? I think Im paying too much and not sure if theres a way to ask for a different plan, complain, etc.
Currently have 2 phones, my wifes and mine.
I have the Ft even more unlimited which is 99.99
family unlimited messages 20.00
Her web 30.00 and my web is 30.00
She has a sidekick and never uses the web. We even tried calling to have it cancelled and we got some run around that sidekicks use Danger server so you need internet adn you cant cancel it or it wont even work. Dunno how true that is.
But 100 seems a bit high for just calls.
Looks like we used about 2100 mins total last month. I dunno, I need to start saving and this is killing me. I hear people saying they have $60 bills, etc but never tell me what they have or I suspect theyre lying. the wife keeps picking contracts..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The Sidekick DOES use Danger's servers for anything web-related (including MMS). This is how Blackberries work also (except they use RIM's servers). You can pseudo-unlock a Sidekick to work on AT&T, without a computer and I know because I've done it. Phone and SMS still work fine because they're not dependent on the internet. But you still have to dispute your case with T-Mobile.
u can get the even more plus plan. my ex-wife and i both had blackberries and we were paying 139 for unlim talk text and web. the even more plus has the drawback that there is no contract so u can't get a new phone for the low price. u have to pay full price but they stretch it over 2 yrs so u r paying minor payments.
Nod, Id rather not deal with the contracts thing because something always happens. Ive thought of trying other carriers, but ive been with them since voicestream and would rather stick to em and save some funds.
Thelgow said:
Nod, Id rather not deal with the contracts thing because something always happens. Ive thought of trying other carriers, but ive been with them since voicestream and would rather stick to em and save some funds.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have also been with them since the voicestream days and was in the same predicament you are in. I had multiple chats with customer service personnel, which led to me getting transferred up the chain to the retention department.
I let them know that I was not happy about the current price of my plan since other carriers started rolling out more cost-friendly deals. Bottom line is I cited comparative plans from other carriers that would give me more for equal or less, and despite being a loyal customer, I was starting to waffle with the idea of paying the early termination fee and switching.
They were able to provide a few preferred services such as unlimited text for 9.99, as well as some other perks. I talked with many people and had different results, so when I was able to speak with someone who promised me a lower price on the service, I documented it with their name, contact information, etc. just to be sure they weren't duping me.
Let them know that you understand they are running a business and need to be firm, fair, and consistent. Sympathize with the fact that if they gave you a deal, they would have to give everyone a deal--but slip in the fact that you've been a loyal customer for X amount of years with an outstanding track record and would like it to stay that way.
Hope that helps.
Trade that Sidekick for a T-Mobile Comet. No regrets if you do that. Plus 10 dollar data plan!
Like other carriers, T-mobile charges exorbitant rates for any device they classify as a 'smart phone'. The simplest way around it is to get an an unlocked phone which is a smart phone, but not in their database, or not offered by them... as they can determine the type of phone based on the ESN. In this way you can sign up for whatever services you want ala-cart. If you are paying more than $15 for internet, call them up and tell them you want the 'total internet package' this is a term used for their legacy internet service which costs $15/month for unlimited, it also uses 4g. It is not offered to customers under a long term contractual agreement or customers using devices classified as 'smart phones' normally. If you have a android device I recommend using this guide I created:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=19619155#post19619155
This will allow you to drastically cut money spent on voice minutes and completely cut SMS costs provided you have a data plan, and wifi spots you visit regularly...
i would just go with simple mobile and get your phone unlocked
I switched to their new plan a couple months ago. We pay $99 for two lines. It includes unlimited talk, text, and data. The data slows at 2gb (I have never come close to that anyway). The only hitch is there is no subsidy on phones. If you already have phones that you like, you should be ok.
I agree the Value plan ( 100 for two lines unlimited everything ) is the best plan right now. You dont get "upgrades" instead you pay a small down payment then 3-15 a month depending on retail of the phone. So basically it is a finance plan at 0% interest.
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A different thread (Here) degraded into an angry, but compelling discussion of tethering ethics.
Since the other thread was so lively, but off of original topic, I figured this would be a better, less phone specific, location.
This guy burned through 105G of data in a billing cycle.
Wow.
Twiddler said:
This guy burned through 105G of data in a billing cycle.
Wow.
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I don't care if people tether provided they keep it at a reasonable rate. I think the T-Mo 5 GB limit is plenty for tethering and I don't care if they throttle past that point. 105GB is completely and utterly retarded and I wouldn't hesitate to say that he was probably downloading illegal files while tethering.
You're using AT&T and you're concerned about ethics LOL. They're screwing you every chance they get. If you get the chance to return the favor, be my guest.
The only crisis of conscience I might have is degrading the user experience of someone else on that same antenna.
The 'I don't give an F' users eventually bring the issue to a head; they push the limits and draw the attention of the carriers.
On the positive end, this (kind of) spurs bandwidth and rollout plans.
On a negative end, this hurries security and monitoring development that closes off these avenues.
There's no reasoning with 'power' users though; they'll take anything that's not nailed down. We all just have to live with it.
Turducken said:
You're using AT&T and you're concerned about ethics LOL. They're screwing you every chance they get. If you get the chance to return the favor, be my guest.
The only crisis of conscience I might have is degrading the user experience of someone else on that same antenna.
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I've never had any issue with AT&T, but I have had issues with T-Mobile. It's funny that a provider can be so cheap (T-Mobile), yet can't seem to get any subscribers... wonder why? :C
Could it be their poor service/coverage? Probably.
I used to tether a while back, but I got a letter from AT&T telling me if I continued I'd lose my unlimited data and be automatically enrolled in their 4GB for $45 tethering plan. I since stopped, and bought myself a 5GB "4G" data connect card @ $50 per month ($10 for every GB over). Seemed like a reasonable deal.
If you're gonna tether, good luck, you will get caught eventually. c:
MikiOCN said:
I've never had any issue with AT&T, but I have had issues with T-Mobile. It's funny that a provider can be so cheap (T-Mobile), yet can't seem to get any subscribers... wonder why? :C
Could it be their poor service/coverage? Probably.
I used to tether a while back, but I got a letter from AT&T telling me if I continued I'd lose my unlimited data and be automatically enrolled in their 4GB for $45 tethering plan. I since stopped, and bought myself a 5GB "4G" data connect card @ $50 per month ($10 for every GB over). Seemed like a reasonable deal.
If you're gonna tether, good luck, you will get caught eventually. c:
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So instead of using something you were already paying for, you now are paying for another monthly charge to continue doing what you were already doing before? Yep, definitely. Sounds like you've never had an issue with AT&T. At least not one that you want to admit.
But in all honesty, it cripples the system when people are overusing. Then again, we should be getting what we pay for. And considering the unreasonable rates carriers provide compared to elsewhere in the world... f*** them.
I honestly don't tether that much these days. I only use it when the internet is down and at best, I use about 200MB worth of data from tethering. Haven't been caught and I am pretty sure T-Mobile doesn't care enough to send me a warning about tethering on a non-tethering contract.
With that being said, I did hit my 5GB limit. Twice. Without the use of tethering. Throttled speed is honestly not that bad, I can still do some stuff.
upichie said:
So instead of using something you were already paying for, you now are paying for another monthly charge to continue doing what you were already doing before? Yep, definitely. Sounds like you've never had an issue with AT&T. At least not one that you want to admit.
But in all honesty, it cripples the system when people are overusing. Then again, we should be getting what we pay for. And considering the unreasonable rates carriers provide compared to elsewhere in the world... f*** them.
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When you say unreasonable rates VZW certainly comes to mind
I don't tether but really don't see the problem with it. As someone else stated when it comes to 'power users' they are out there and we all have to deal with it no matter what the service you use, ie DSL/CABLE/SAT etc.
What about the 'ethics' of locking bootloaders and loading my phone full of bloatware? ROFL...
I don't think its unethical to use your data the way you want to use it. You are paying for the data. I think caps, for the price of unlimited home broadband (and not achieving close to the same speeds as those of home broadband) is unethical.
If my contract says unlimited data, I see nothing unethical about it. It is my data to use when and how I want to. The only thing unethical is the fact that I pay $160 a month for 2 lines.
Whats the difference between using 2GB of data on your phone compared to using 2GB of data when you've got a laptop tethered to it? You should just be able to pay for data and thats that. No paying extra if you want to tether.
It is abusing it if you have unlimited data and rinse it all since it's never really unlimited. Maybe they should say how much data you're ACTUALLY allowed to use.
people should stop using 3G/4G as a replacement for home internet, sigh...
I am about to go a little off topic.
I think it is the fault of the carriers themselves. Earlier it was allowed for me tether as much as I wanted. I had an unlimited data plan (A real one).
Now I am limited to 2 gb (or not yet, only when I renew my contract) This is not caused by power users but because of wrongly anticipated investments. They need to get back their investment of economically aged techniques.
Also I am forced to buy more calling minutes and text when I want more data.
I think, especially compared to earlier, that giving us this little data for a ridiculously high price is unethical. 10 gb should be more fair. I mean they tell us to watch youtube on my phone at home. Why would I do that when I have a laptop or maybe later even a tablet?
Its not really unethical to download 105 gb unless you are downloading illegal stuff and causing others unable to use mobile data.
Sent from my X10i using XDA App
Closed
No double threads, instead use the report button so we can act on the original thread
Twiddler said:
A different thread (Here) degraded into an angry, but compelling discussion of tethering ethics.
Since the other thread was so lively, but off of original topic, I figured this would be a better, less phone specific, location.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ekamsaral said:
I am about to go a little off topic.
I think it is the fault of the carriers themselves. Earlier it was allowed for me tether as much as I wanted. I had an unlimited data plan (A real one).
Now I am limited to 2 gb (or not yet, only when I renew my contract) This is not caused by power users but because of wrongly anticipated investments. They need to get back their investment of economically aged techniques.
Also I am forced to buy more calling minutes and text when I want more data.
I think, especially compared to earlier, that giving us this little data for a ridiculously high price is unethical. 10 gb should be more fair. I mean they tell us to watch youtube on my phone at home. Why would I do that when I have a laptop or maybe later even a tablet?
Its not really unethical to download 105 gb unless you are downloading illegal stuff and causing others unable to use mobile data.
Sent from my X10i using XDA App
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Well, people would tether because why bother having two Internet es, one at your home and one in your pocket? Sounds easier to have it all on your phone as you can tether to your other devices. Also, some people don't have tablets or aptops, etc. To even use, so they use whatever they can but I mean this is unlikely since they can afford such an Internet service on their device.
Also, it's the isp fault of their network can't support thousands or millions of users using their network, they should get better networks, etc since you're paying for the service. For the ones who download like several gigabytes of stuff, why not? It's the Internet and they paid for it. Watching a million videos, movies, watching live tv, etc. Why don't they leech off starbucks? Because they are paying for an "unlimited" service.
For the throttling, I find it stupid, or good. Stupid because unlimited users shouldn't be doing because they use a lot, it's a service they paid for. Well, how much they throttle anyways? But it's good because at the end of the month, that's when team network is the fastest, if the heavy users get throttled.
Either way, I think throttling is stupid and bad for user who paid for unlimited Internet,.
---------- Post added at 08:57 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:37 PM ----------
AllGamer said:
people should stop using 3G/4G as a replacement for home internet, sigh...
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Why not? Although home Internet is faster, why pay for home when you have unlimited 3g/4g?
Im on sprint, so we have unlimited data in our contracts. I think its my right to use it in any way i like just like i do at home with fios. i can plug in any device i want into my router. I could give my dog her own videophone and verizon wont care. Cell carriers should be the same, they should treat it as a just a connection, thats it. we would all be happier.
I was on AT&T. Got the tethering notice and decided no more with them. I switched to Verizon.
When I tether, I really don't use that much data than I would on my phone. I average around 6.5GB a month on my phone usual data. From there, I would venture to say 2GB of data is tethering and when it's done, it's usually not even their peak network times. I don't think it's unethical because data is data. A byte is a byte whether it originated on the phone or the other device. The company has the capability, they just want more money for it.
Really, it boils down to moderation. If everyone tethered, but did it moderately, we could all enjoy it. But for the 105GB guy, he ruins it for all of us.
xplus93 said:
Im on sprint, so we have unlimited data in our contracts. I think its my right to use it in any way i like just like i do at home with fios. i can plug in any device i want into my router. I could give my dog her own videophone and verizon wont care. Cell carriers should be the same, they should treat it as a just a connection, thats it. we would all be happier.
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Click to collapse
I agree.
As our devices become capable of higher volumes of data in a billing period, AT&T markets faster speeds (translation: greater volume in less time), more apps (translation: more downloads, more apps pulling data), we are expected not to use greater volumes of data if we have an unlimited contract.
As for people who say that power users cause network bottlenecks, I would like to see data to prove this allegation. I haven't seen any information to support this allegation. I believe that AT&T's network problems, including cell towers that lose internet, are a much bigger problem.
Power users don't cause the bottleneck. There's so few who actually use over a fairly small amount of data that it's ridiculous for the carriers to say that power users are the cause of network congestion and general slowness, which prompt data caps and other unpleasantness.
The actual issue is similar to Comcast's handling of torrenters. The whole Sandvine debacle wasn't caused because so many people were torrenting that the network couldn't handle it. The cause was simple greed and laziness--the provider sold more bandwidth than they actually possessed. The same is true for the mobile networks, as well. These guys know that "unlimited" is the magic word to sell data plans, but they don't want to spend the money necessary to expand network infrastructure to actually handle unlimited data access from thousands upon thousands of subscribers. So they blame it on the handful of folks who actually make use of the whole unlimited part, and throttle or cap bandwidth.
If they had been honest to begin with, we probably wouldn't be so torqued about it all.
I'm on T-Mobile and I tether fairly often, but not to excess, mostly because I have a 2GB cap and I'm almost always in a place where I can get wifi. The tethering is there for those 1% of times when there's no 802.11 nearby and I need to get my laptop online for whatever reason.
I pay for my bandwidth, I ought to be able to use it however I please. T-Mobile doesn't seem to mind whether my bits are pulled down through my Nexus S or my laptop.
Now if I could only figure out how to stop their proxies from compressing JPEGs...
Sent from my Nexus S using XDA App