I currently have HTC HD2 running on Android. I am currently on AT&T and I am thinking about getting the T-Mobile $50 unlimited talk/text/data plan.
The first 100MB are full speed. My question is, after I use up the first 100MB of full speed data, what speed will I be getting? Will it be 3G or EDGE? Or will it be slower than edge?
What if I get AT&T's unlimited data for non-smartphones? AT&T can't detect my HD2, so I will be able to add this plan. But what will be the data speed I will be getting? Is it 3G, EDGE, or slower than EDGE?
What if I get AT&T's $50 Monthly Unlimited GoPhone Prepaid plan? They won't be able to detect my HD2 as a smartphone, so will I be able to use their unlimited data? What will be the speed of the data plan?
If there is an occasion where I remove my SIM card from the HD2 and put into an iPhone, will AT&T automatically detect it and remove me from the unlimited data plan?
Zythyr said:
I currently have HTC HD2 running on Android. I am currently on AT&T and I am thinking about getting the T-Mobile $50 unlimited talk/text/data plan.
1. The first 100MB are full speed. My question is, after I use up the first 100MB of full speed data, what speed will I be getting? Will it be 3G or EDGE? Or will it be slower than edge?
2. What if I get AT&T's unlimited data for non-smartphones? AT&T can't detect my HD2, so I will be able to add this plan. But what will be the data speed I will be getting? Is it 3G, EDGE, or slower than EDGE?
3. What if I get AT&T's $50 Monthly Unlimited GoPhone Prepaid plan? They won't be able to detect my HD2 as a smartphone, so will I be able to use their unlimited data? What will be the speed of the data plan?
4. If there is an occasion where I remove my SIM card from the HD2 and put into an iPhone, will AT&T automatically detect it and remove me from the unlimited data plan?
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1. I don't know which version of the HD2 you have, but if it is currently getting 3G on AT&T, then it won't get 3G on T-Mobile. You would need the T-Mobile version of the HD2 for that. T-Mobile throttles speeds back one tier from what you pay for when you hit the soft cap. For example, if you pay for the 3G/4G service, you will get throttled back to EDGE. It will still show a 3G or HSPA connection, but the speeds will be down to somewhere around 100kbps down and 70kbps up. If you don't get 3G with them anyway, then you won't see any difference at all.
2. AT&T does not have any unlimited plans anymore. Even if you get a data plan with them, they can absolutely detect the IMEI number even on non-AT&T devices. They will send you a free text telling you that you need to be on a smartphone data plan. If you ignore the text, within a couple of days, you will have the lowest plan of $15 data for 200MB added to your account.
3. Again, they can detect the type of device you are using and will add an appropriate plan to your account for your device. Data speeds depend on the coverage area and the device you are using. Only the Telstra HD2 is able to get 3G on AT&T. The European and T-Mobile ones will only ever get EDGE speeds.
4. This is the same as what I described above. Once you start using the iPhone, it will be detected and your plan will be adjusted accordingly, whether you allow them to do so or not.
You will get much better customer service and data consistency on T-Mobile in most cases. Their plans are also WAY cheaper on T-Mobile. Depending on which HD2 you actually have, your data speeds will vary in comparison to AT&T. I, personally, have been a contract-free customer with T-Mobile for a very long time. I still pay $50 for 1000 minutes a month, which is unlimited for me, unlimited texts, and unlimited data. I'm grandfathered in, so I also do not have a soft cap on my data connection, nor do I have to pay for tethering.
When all is said and done, the best thing about T-Mobile is that it isn't AT&T.
You can still trick AT&T into getting an unlimited plan if you use phones they don't know the IMEI of, or if you activate the account with an iPhone 2G.
synaesthetic said:
You can still trick AT&T into getting an unlimited plan if you use phones they don't know the IMEI of, or if you activate the account with an iPhone 2G.
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IMEI's are very easy for carriers to look up. It does not only apply to devices they carry. This is a common myth. Once they see the IMEI of a smartphone, whether it is theirs or not, you get stuck with the smartphone data plan. It makes no difference. IMEI's are easily available and carriers have a database of which devices they belong to.
does ATT have a list of smartphone that requires data plan, anyone knows?
[email protected] said:
does ATT have a list of smartphone that requires data plan, anyone knows?
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All AT&T smartphone-type devices require data plans. To my knowledge, there are no exceptions.
cajunflavoredbob said:
All AT&T smartphone-type devices require data plans. To my knowledge, there are no exceptions.
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so if I have a t_mobile smartphone and willing to stayat edge speed, I should be okay? thanks
[email protected] said:
so if I have a t_mobile smartphone and willing to stayat edge speed, I should be okay? thanks
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They are going to tack on a smartphone data plan, but yes, you can use it on their network after you get a SIM from them.
I agree with about 90% of what cajunflavoredbob replied.
Tmobile HD2 = Tmobile USA 3G or 4G (HSPA+)
HTC HD2 (Non-Branded) = AT&T 3G or Other providers 3G or HSPA+
When it comes to the plan type:
Tmobile Prepaid 4G (Month to Month) = $50 Unlimited Everything (1st 100MB is 4G)
My friend just got this plan and using it on Tmobile HD2.
I will check with him and report back once I have him do a few major download to pass the 100MB cap & a few speed test.
AT&T GoPhone Prepaid = $50 Unlimited Everything (No 3G for Smartphones)
Just got this like yesterday and tested on 3G iPhone.
3G iPhone data connection got blocked immediately after about 1 minute or usage.
However, if I switch back to the 3G Samsung SGH-A717, I was able to browse around and use 3G data on AT&T.
Therefore, I'm pretty sure AT&T system is scanning IMEI in real-time like cajunflavoredbob replied.
But I'm not sure about the Non-Branded HTC HD2 using 3G data on AT&T. Sorry but I do not have a Non-Branded HTC HD2 to test with. I'm currently activating prepaid services for people and will keep my eyes and ears open for you guys.
Personally, I'm pretty sure Non-Branded HTC HD2 WILL WORK & WILL PICK UP AT&T 3G because AT&T system WILL NOT RECOGNIZE the device & will treated as Non-Smartphone device.
That's all I found out for now. I will update once I do a few speed test here & there.
dtkool said:
I agree with about 90% of what cajunflavoredbob replied.
Tmobile HD2 = Tmobile USA 3G or 4G (HSPA+)
HTC HD2 (Non-Branded) = AT&T 3G or Other providers 3G or HSPA+
When it comes to the plan type:
Tmobile Prepaid 4G (Month to Month) = $50 Unlimited Everything (1st 100MB is 4G)
My friend just got this plan and using it on Tmobile HD2.
I will check with him and report back once I have him do a few major download to pass the 100MB cap & a few speed test.
AT&T GoPhone Prepaid = $50 Unlimited Everything (No 3G for Smartphones)
Just got this like yesterday and tested on 3G iPhone.
3G iPhone data connection got blocked immediately after about 1 minute or usage.
However, if I switch back to the 3G Samsung SGH-A717, I was able to browse around and use 3G data on AT&T.
Therefore, I'm pretty sure AT&T system is scanning IMEI in real-time like cajunflavoredbob replied.
But I'm not sure about the Non-Branded HTC HD2 using 3G data on AT&T. Sorry but I do not have a Non-Branded HTC HD2 to test with. I'm currently activating prepaid services for people and will keep my eyes and ears open for you guys.
Personally, I'm pretty sure Non-Branded HTC HD2 WILL WORK & WILL PICK UP AT&T 3G because AT&T system WILL NOT RECOGNIZE the device & will treated as Non-Smartphone device.
That's all I found out for now. I will update once I do a few speed test here & there.
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The unbranded HD2 will NOT get 3G on AT&T. The only version of the HD2 that will get AT&T 3G is the Telstra version. It will be not be "blocked" from the Internet service, but it will cause them to activate an appropriate monthly charge to your account. In the case of a prepaid plan, they will mostly likely block you completely when you use a smartphone device. This isn't me guessing at it, this is fact. If you try to use a smartphone, even if it is not an AT&T branded phone, on their network, they CAN and WILL update your account accordingly.
cajunflavoredbob said:
The unbranded HD2 will NOT get 3G on AT&T. The only version of the HD2 that will get AT&T 3G is the Telstra version. It will be not be "blocked" from the Internet service, but it will cause them to activate an appropriate monthly charge to your account. In the case of a prepaid plan, they will mostly likely block you completely when you use a smartphone device. This isn't me guessing at it, this is fact. If you try to use a smartphone, even if it is not an AT&T branded phone, on their network, they CAN and WILL update your account accordingly.
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1. It is prepaid. They cannot make changes to your account on prepaid. They can only block the internet. On postpaid, they won't know. Lots of people are using unbranded phones on the postpaid featurephone data plan. This has been happening for a while.
2. Non-branded ATT smartphones work on the prepaid $50 plan. Been tested and reported on. People are using the Samsung Galaxy S2 on there even. Although, speeds may be throttled.
Yes, there are databases of devices available. ATT doesn't care or look at them though.
So, OP. If you do get a ATT 3g HD2, you can use it on the prepaid or postpaid plan. Prepaid might be throttled, but you won't know for sure until you try it. If you use the t-mobile version you will only get edge speeds.
I am getting mixed answers here and confused. Based on my reserach from other websites including HowardForums, it is my understanding that if I have a TMOUS HD2 and use it on AT&T $50 Prepaid plan, I will be able to use unlimited data but on EDGE speed. 3G speed won't work because TMOUS HD2 is not compatible with AT&T's 3G broadcast frequency. In addition, if I were on the ATT $50 prepiad plan and put the SIM card into an iPhone, the data will not work at all (not even EDGE), however AT&T will NOT automatically add the cheapest data plan to my account since I am using the iPhone.
Please correct me if I am wrong about my understanding above...
Zythyr said:
I am getting mixed answers here and confused. Based on my reserach from other websites including HowardForums, it is my understanding that if I have a TMOUS HD2 and use it on AT&T $50 Prepaid plan, I will be able to use unlimited data but on EDGE speed. 3G speed won't work because TMOUS HD2 is not compatible with AT&T's 3G broadcast frequency. In addition, if I were on the ATT $50 prepiad plan and put the SIM card into an iPhone, the data will not work at all (not even EDGE), however AT&T will NOT automatically add the cheapest data plan to my account since I am using the iPhone.
Please correct me if I am wrong about my understanding above...
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Click to collapse
For a prepaid account, yes, all of what you said above is true.
Zythyr said:
I am getting mixed answers here and confused. Based on my reserach from other websites including HowardForums, it is my understanding that if I have a TMOUS HD2 and use it on AT&T $50 Prepaid plan, I will be able to use unlimited data but on EDGE speed. 3G speed won't work because TMOUS HD2 is not compatible with AT&T's 3G broadcast frequency. In addition, if I were on the ATT $50 prepiad plan and put the SIM card into an iPhone, the data will not work at all (not even EDGE), however AT&T will NOT automatically add the cheapest data plan to my account since I am using the iPhone.
Please correct me if I am wrong about my understanding above...
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Correct. If you use unbranded/non-ATT phones. The internet will also work, although may be throttled. Most ATT phones will have the internet blocked, unless you pay extra for it.
If I get T-Mobile's $70 unlimited talk text and high speed data plan, will my I get throttled? Will I be getting 3G speeds for a long for the whole month or will it get throttled down to GPRS ?
Zythyr said:
If I get T-Mobile's $70 unlimited talk text and high speed data plan, will my I get throttled? Will I be getting 3G speeds for a long for the whole month or will it get throttled down to GPRS ?
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T-Mobile doesn't pull that same shady crap like AT&T does. You are allowed to use any phone you want on their network without having to worry about your speeds or data plan changing. I'm using a T-mobile branded HD2 on a plan I've had with them for years. My plan is still the same $50 I was paying when I first ran away from AT&T. I've never once been forced to change my plan for anything. I think you'll find that T-Mobile is a MUCH more friendly and open atmosphere than AT&T. Once you've dealt with them for a while, you'll understand why nearly every T-Mobile customer hates the proposed AT&T takeover. Most of us switched to T-Mobile to get away from AT&T's nearly evil practices. Also, you will only get 3G speeds on T-Mobile if your HD2 is T-Mobile branded. You do not have to pay extra for 3G or "4G" speeds with them. Their unlimited data plans do get throttled when you hit 5GB of data, but most users will never get that far. If you have a link to the plan details you are referring to, I can give you a much better run down of what to expect.
EDIT: Here's another cool thing about being on T-Mobile - they actually care about making you happy as a customer. Yesterday, I got a coupon in the mail with my statement. It was for 50% off any accessories in their stores. That isn't to say that I'm going to use it, since I don't shop in their stores, but it is still a nice gesture. There is also another separate piece of mail heading out to current customers that is a $25 gift card for use in any of their stores. This type of thing is pretty typical of them. So, let's break it down then, shall we?
With T-mobile, you get faster data, better customer service, reliable call connections, cheaper bills, and all of this with a company that isn't AT&T.
Zythyr said:
If I get T-Mobile's $70 unlimited talk text and high speed data plan, will my I get throttled? Will I be getting 3G speeds for a long for the whole month or will it get throttled down to GPRS ?
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Are you talking about the $70 prepaid plan? That plan has a 5gb cap, then it is throttled. The 5GB of data are unthrottled and can do "4g" speeds if you have a "4g" phone.
The postpaid service lets you pick some MB, 2GB, 5GB, or 10GB then throttled.
If you get the prepaid plan. You can buy the refill cards online like at callingmart.com They have monthly coupons by e-mail for 10% off. This brings the monthly total to about $63/month.
ImDonly1 said:
Are you talking about the $70 prepaid plan? That plan has a 5gb cap, then it is throttled. The 5GB of data are unthrottled and can do "4g" speeds if you have a "4g" phone.
The postpaid service lets you pick some MB, 2GB, 5GB, or 10GB then throttled.
If you get the prepaid plan. You can buy the refill cards online like at callingmart.com They have monthly coupons by e-mail for 10% off. This brings the monthly total to about $63/month.
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So after 5GB, they will throttle it? What are the speeds after throttling? Does it go down to EDGE or GPRS?
Zythyr said:
So after 5GB, they will throttle it? What are the speeds after throttling? Does it go down to EDGE or GPRS?
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About 80-100KBps, or roughly EDGE speeds.
slow as dog ****
i past my 5gb the other day and i can tell you now its slow as dog ****,i use my htc sensation to tether my laptop i forgot not to be downloading movies stupid me now when on xda from laptop the pictures in threads that people post take all day to display i will never past my 5gb again
Related
I know this is not a tmobile forum, but then you Vibrant guys are like my real brothers since I use a i9000 Galaxy S with 3g in my part of the world.
I know that 3g for me is out of question due to different bands. I did my homework on that, but then what about Edge data connection atleast. As i studied the tmobile site, it looks like getting Edge connection (unlimited) is also difficult just because I dont have a credit history in US so cant get those EM or EM+ plans i guess.
I have come in and out of US many many times but was always on prepaid tmobile sims and never really wanted data as such. But with an android phone and using 3g for many months, I just dont think i can live without data connection. I know about flexpay and thats what I used last time. But now on tmobile prepaid section i dont see flexpay at all. I see Even More (not for me due to contract) and Even More + which is without contract - but I guess it still needs a credit check?? Also they will force me to buy a vibrant i guess for EM+ plan which I cant since I have my shinny i9000 with me .
So please brothers, any suggestions that you can give. I have lots of experience with tmobile reps and they just dont know much, many a times (my opinion). Hence wanted to ask here.
So summarizing:
I come with work visa with valid SS, pay taxes and all that, and no credit history. (<- is that bad??). How can I get an unlimited data plan with my talk plan. EM+ ? Flexpay ? (not sure if its still there).
The plan that I have in mind was : 500 Minutes Talk + Unlimited Text + Unlimited Web: 59.99$ EM+ but without creditcheck so I guess thats FlexPay.
Googling around, I saw EM+ flexpay pages of tmobile website but they are not selectable or show up in normal plan selection at all.
Looking forward for help.
I promise that if you ever come to my part of world, I will work with you to keep your data connection ON on your Vibrant. I will not be able to give you "H" but surely an "E"
Thanks guys in advance.
Actually, 3G worked for me on [email protected] with the international Galaxy S. The speeds were comparable with what I was getting on my old iPhone in HSDPA mode. The download speeds were better than what I am getting on T-Mobile in my area.
Not sure if AT&T let's you buy monthly plans though.
When I was in the UK a year ago with my G1, I believe I was able to get onto T-Mobile's 3G with no issue using a pre-paid UK T-Mobile sim. You may want to try to use T-Mo and AT&T pre-pay sims first and see what you can get and who is faster in your area before you get a plan. AT&T has better nationwide coverage and generally faster 3G speeds, but if you live in an area where T-Mobile has updated their towers to HSPA+, then they'll be the faster carrier for GSM phones.
Go with MySimpleMobile (http://mysimplemobile.com). They are a prepaid service with no contracts: $60 unlimited talk/text/web per month. They use T-Mobile's network so you will get 3G.
Oh and they allow for unlimited international texts at no extra charge; this may be useful for you since you are coming from overseas and will probably have friends and family you want to text.
DarkAgent said:
Go with MySimpleMobile (http://mysimplemobile.com). They are a prepaid service with no contracts: $60 unlimited talk/text/web per month. They use T-Mobile's network so you will get 3G.
Oh and they allow for unlimited international texts at no extra charge; this may be useful for you since you are coming from overseas and will probably have friends and family you want to text.
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Thanks a lot DarkAgent. Looks like this was custom made for me international texting is good but mostly wont be using it if I have unlimited web since I can hop on to gtalk and take it from there. But nice service though. Thanks for the information.
Not sure about 3G since they have mentioned that your phone shoudl support 1700mhz band to be able to use 3g. So there goes my 3g I guess since I have 900/1900/2100 bands UMTS. But edge is still okay, though I will have to find another way to do VOIP.
DarkAgent said:
Go with MySimpleMobile (http://mysimplemobile.com). They are a prepaid service with no contracts: $60 unlimited talk/text/web per month. They use T-Mobile's network so you will get 3G.
...
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Nope, with the international Galaxy you will not get 3G on T-Mobile's network, only on AT&T's.
You will get edge, although it is pretty painful, IMO.
But there is WiFi in a lot of places -- check your mail in most coffee shops for free
Oh. I wasnt aware the int version didnt support tmo 3G
Oh well, I am here now. Just wanted to share.
Mysimplemobile isn't that good. They don't do unlimited so much as they advertise.
Just went to Tmobile and did their even more plus plan with flexipay. They don't show flexpay on website but they very much have it.
You can avoid the control charge if you give the card on file.
I am one happy camper.
Sent from my GT-I9000 using XDA App
So my plan is technically an iPhone plan, (bought it with contract to sell it and get nexus one)
if 4g is available will I be able to get it without changing my unlimited plan with at&t? can anyone confirm if that has worked for them?
Also where is the cheapest place to buy without a contract? It would seem like the at&t store for 500 is the best way to go.
I switched yesterday from from my iphone unlimited plan to Smartphone Bundle with Messaging
basically if you don't downgrade or cancel your contract you'll be able to keep unlimited.
I've switched between the iphone and the smartphone plans a few times in the last year and they retained my unlimited status.
the ATT guy at the store said the HSDPA+ plans are the same as the smartphone plans.. not sure if thats true, because my Atrix data speeds are HORRIBLE..
alvinswim said:
I switched yesterday from from my iphone unlimited plan to Smartphone Bundle with Messaging
basically if you don't downgrade or cancel your contract you'll be able to keep unlimited.
I've switched between the iphone and the smartphone plans a few times in the last year and they retained my unlimited status.
the ATT guy at the store said the HSDPA+ plans are the same as the smartphone plans.. not sure if thats true, because my Atrix data speeds are HORRIBLE..
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What speeds are you getting? I get the same speeds for download as my captivate did but not for upload (limited by ATT madness).
I was wondering the same thing. I'm under the SmartPhone unlimited data plan switching from an HTC Inspire. Never called them or anything, just popped my SIM card in. When I checked my account features on the AT&T site there were options for HSPA+ 4g data plans. I'm wondering if it would make a difference on what plan I'm on regarding data speeds.
I did speed tests here in DC, I'm in a building so not sure if the data is skewed. I was averaging 1.3-1.7 mbps download with a high of 2.73mbps (only happened once out of about 10 tries). The upload rate was very dissapointing, averaged at 130kbps.
Would switching to the "4g plan" make a difference? Are these speeds what the rest of you guys are getting?
Is anyone using ATT's prepaid gophone $50 unlimited featurephone plan?
If so what type of 3g data speeds are you seeing?
I want to buy an unlocked phone and put it on this plan, but I have read ATT throttles their prepaid plans to 0.20 Mbps.
Thats barely 3G at all =\
But sorry, can't really help you there. I can say its an awful thing to do to their customers though. It seems like there aren't any telcos in America that actually give a toss about their prepaid customers, which is a bit of a shame.
Re: At&T gophone
Hi! I got a $45 GoPhone Plan from AT&T that has everything unlimited including and unlimited data plan. First 1,5 GB they promise " 1.5GB high-speed data (up to 3G for basic and messaging phones); thereafter unlimited data usage at reduced speeds up to 128Kbps " (AT&T).
However I have not had a chance to use my phone Internet outside and only today I decided to check smth. and was waiting for ages when a page was downloading. Then, when I came back home I downloaded "Ookla speed test" from Google Play and was shocked to learn that my data speed was 0.20 mbps !!! Next what I did, I went to Settings, More, Mobile Networks, Access Point Names and saw the following two options " ATT-wap.cingular and H2O Wireless-att.mvno. My option is ATT-wap.cingular as another option does not work with my data plan. My conclusion that ATT gophone uses that old prepaid data from Cingular. Back to 200+ I remember this Cingular was a pretty bad provider servicing people with bad credit.
Now I am going to move back to T-Mobile.
Regards,
Andy.
Just a heads up for GSM owners. I tried to get a data plan with AT&T today and after over an hour on the phone they told me that the only "data only" plan their system can add for the note 10.1 is a 5gb plan for $50. If you want the 3gb plan you also need a voice plan.
PMentior said:
Just a heads up for GSM owners. I tried to get a data plan with AT&T today and after over an hour on the phone they told me that the only "data only" plan their system can add for the note 10.1 is a 5gb plan for $50. If you want the 3gb plan you also need a voice plan.
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If you already have a plan with AT&T you can add the Note to your existing account as a non-Smartphone device. It's $9.99 for the extra device and $10 for unlimited HSPA+ data which isn't throttled or soft-capped because you're using the Cingular (3G) APN vs. the Phone (4G) APN. If you don't have unlimited messaging on the account the data is $15 vs. $10. The Note can share the plan minutes that are on the account for voice calls. Since the 3G Note is a foriegn device AT&T doesn't track the IMEI and can't detect that it's not just a dumb phone.
BarryH_GEG said:
If you already have a plan with AT&T you can add the Note to your existing account as a non-Smartphone device. It's $9.99 for the extra device and $10 for unlimited HSPA+ data which isn't throttled or soft-capped because you're using the Cingular (3G) APN vs. the Phone (4G) APN. If you don't have unlimited messaging on the account the data is $15 vs. $10. The Note can share the plan minutes that are on the account for voice calls. Since the 3G Note is a foriegn device AT&T doesn't track the IMEI and can't detect that it's not just a dumb phone.
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PMentior, BarryH_GEG is correct. If you already have an account with AT&T, just say it is a non-smartphone and will work great. I tested using my SIM card from my SIII and works great. I did noitce that indeed APN shows as Cingular, so like Barry mention you will have unlimited data. Here is a video of the Galaxy Note 10.1 I did, to show how to use it as hotspot and make phone calls.
Thanks for the replies. I know that I could get it set up with the media but plan but thats not really what I was going for. I don't need data on it too often, only when I go on a trip. With the tablet plans being no commitment I could pick it up only for a month here or there when I need it. With the media net plan it seems like I would be paying every month for services I don't need.
From my talk with att it seems like their system isn't seeing it as a valid tablet yet but I assume that would change in the coming months when the LTE version is released. Maybe I'll try again later but for now it is a case of something I would like to have but I know I don't need it.
As a side note I tried a prepaid tmobile data sim and I do get coverage but only edge speeds. I wish tmobile didn't use weird frequency bands for their data as the setup for the data sim was super fast and easy. If only att could be more like that.
Sent from my Galaxy S3 running DietICS
Oh I see. Have you tried getting a pre-paid SIM card for a non-smartphone. I haven't checked into those yet, but if it does work with whatever plans they have, you could use a months worth and pay as you need it.
Sent from my GT-N8000 using xda premium
I have to get off of Straight Talk and their awful speeds. Calling and texting is fine but the data is throttled horribly down to less than 1 mbps. Any suggestions? I can't go with T-Mobile because I know their speeds are awful where I live (Princeton central NJ area).
What about prepaid AT&T?
You're going to find the best deals on an MVNO, which is just a company like StraightTalk that uses one (or more) of the Big Four's networks to provide their service. You can find a great list of them on Wikipedia (sort them by "Wireless technology" and look at the GSM ones):
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_US_MVNO
I'm currently with H2O Wireless on their Minute Plan (I don't use a lot of minutes/texts and I'm mostly on WiFi), but I switched my parents over to their $30 unlimited plan (unlimited talk + text, no data or MMS). They offer other plans with data as well (they use AT&T). If you're looking for pay-per-minute/text/MB, the newly-rebranded Ptel (PlatinumTel) has the best rates, but they use T-Mobile.
Once you've picked the company you would like to use, purchase a SIM on eBay and cut it to a micro SIM (very easy to do; use the template here), then activate it on their website.
Good luck, and I hope this helps! :laugh:
Out of curiosity, is there a MVNO that uses multiple gsm networks at the same time to provide coverage (say at&t and tmobile)? I have the tmobile $30 prepaid plan but in some areas at&t provides coverage where tmobile doesn't. So it would be great if a MVNO provided coverage at the same time on both networks.
$65/mo for 1 GB is too little. I'll need at least 2 GB.
Jungsoo said:
$65/mo for 1 GB is too little. I'll need at least 2 GB.
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I'd recommend the tmobile $30 prepaid 4g plan. It gives you 100 voice minutes, unlimited text, and 5gb of 4g speed data (then you get throttled). The 100 min of voice is a bit disappointing in my opinion but I make it work by routing most of my calls over data.
Looks like you didn't even read my post.
Jungsoo said:
I have to get off of Straight Talk and their awful speeds. Calling and texting is fine but the data is throttled horribly down to less than 1 mbps. Any suggestions? I can't go with T-Mobile because I know their speeds are awful where I live (Princeton central NJ area).
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Solavei! $49 unlimited talk,text, data! And you get the 42 MBPS T-Mobile network!
Ptel $40 unlimited
lazer155 said:
Out of curiosity, is there a MVNO that uses multiple gsm networks at the same time to provide coverage (say at&t and tmobile)? I have the tmobile $30 prepaid plan but in some areas at&t provides coverage where tmobile doesn't. So it would be great if a MVNO provided coverage at the same time on both networks.
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Solavei offers free roaming when off t-mobile, I think it's at&t. It's included in the 49 unlimited plan. it's what clinched it for me.
https://support.solavei.com/docs/DOC-1256
edit: they do warn against excessive roaming.
H2O Wireless/Black Wireless and Red Pocket are you only other (AT&T MVNO) options. All the rest use T-Mobile which will give you the same speed issues in general.
http://www.solavei.com/benjaminbribies
Heres the link for more info on Solavei! If you have any questions you can as me too!
I personally use Simple Mobile with my Nexus. Its Unlimited Everything (text, talk, data) for $40(+tax)/mo.
If you want 4g the price bumps up by $10 I think, but it's worth it right? Also the first 250MB on the default ($40/mo) plan runs at 4g speeds, then they throttle you back down to 3g speeds.
I been a customer for a few months now, I love the data speeds when I'm not around any wifi connection.
P.S. Simple Mobile is based off of T-Mobile.
eservant said:
Solavei offers free roaming when off t-mobile, I think it's at&t. It's included in the 49 unlimited plan. it's what clinched it for me.
https://support.solavei.com/docs/DOC-1256
edit: they do warn against excessive roaming.
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Does this mean I wouldn't be able to use the ATT service too much?
Does H2O throttle data?
Jungsoo said:
Does this mean I wouldn't be able to use the ATT service too much?
Also is H2O Wireless using the ATT network?
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Yes! When there's no T-Mobile coverage you will roam on at&t network! Other MVNO don't provide roaming or call forwarding!
Jungsoo said:
Does this mean I wouldn't be able to use the ATT service too much?
Does H2O throttle data?
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If you live outside the coverage area they will dissuade you from joining at that time, If my primary residence is in the coverage area,
I wouldn't worry to much. But you can always talk that over with someone, before you signup. I made sure I understood their terms of service.
I signed up because everything was clearly defined, and for the roaming, which not to many prepaids allow.
So if I'm understanding correctly, H2O uses services from both tmo and att, but they don't like me using the att covered areas.
famoustito said:
http://www.solavei.com/benjaminbribies
Heres the link for more info on Solavei! If you have any questions you can as me too!
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Jeez he said T-Mobile sucks in his area what part of that don't you understand.
Jungsoo said:
So if I'm understanding correctly, H2O uses services from both tmo and att, but they don't like me using the att covered areas.
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No h20 Is att only. The only companies that do both is patent co of st and net10 from what I remember. Seriously did you click the link of wiki someone posted on first page. Just look who carries att since you said tmo stinks in your area. Then goo too their website and Get best plan for you.
Sent from galaxy tab.
H2O is looking good. Can anyone post a speedtest for me?