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I am from Israel and I am coming to the States on the next Monday. I need a sim with unlimited data, and about 100 minutes of talk and some messages.. I also need wifi tethring option to tether my tablet and laptop. I cant decide which carrier to choose. T mobile daily plan sounds nice but there are others like h2o, net10... Any suggestions?
Sent from my GT-P7510 using Tapatalk 2
I would get the T-Mobile $30 unlimited data and texting with 100 minutes. The $3 a day plan is also a good option if you're going to use under 200MB a day.
All the plans AT&T MVNO's(H2o, Red Pocket, etc) have low data allowances and cost more than T-Mobile.
AT&T has 250 minutes and unlimited texting for $25 a month. You can add data for $25 a GB.
bar_rodoy said:
I am from Israel and I am coming to the States on the next Monday. I need a sim with unlimited data, and about 100 minutes of talk and some messages.. I also need wifi tethring option to tether my tablet and laptop. I cant decide which carrier to choose. T mobile daily plan sounds nice but there are others like h2o, net10... Any suggestions?
Sent from my GT-P7510 using Tapatalk 2
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You should make sure your phone supports the AWS band (also known as band IV) for 3G before going on T-Mobile or band II or V for AT&T 3G.
T-Mobile checks UA string to detect tethering, so you will need to spoof it in your browser settings to get around it. Not sure about AT&T or any MVNO, however.
Would strongly suggest T-Mobile if your phone supports it and you plan to stay in a metro area. Otherwise, go with an AT&T MVNO.
While I have not had any experience with T-Mobile, all of my past experience with AT&T has been horrid. I would not recommend them for prepaid or postpaid usage
Rikairchy said:
While I have not had any experience with T-Mobile, all of my past experience with AT&T has been horrid. I would not recommend them for prepaid or postpaid usage
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As much as I would agree (I hate calling people who I know are on AT&T because the calls drop frequently), T-Mobile's 3G coverage is much smaller than AT&T's 3G coverage - leaving AT&T as the only GSM option in some areas. That said, if you spend most of your time in or around major cities, T-Mobile is superior both on performance and price.
I have LG P500, it has quad band and tri band.. should it work with T Mobile? I will be in major cities like NYC, Philly, DC...
bar_rodoy said:
I have LG P500, it has quad band and tri band.. should it work with T Mobile? I will be in major cities like NYC, Philly, DC...
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You won't be able to get 3G from any US carrier with that phone. It supports 900 / 2100 for 3G and none of the networks over here support those 3G frequencies.
You'll be on 2G no matter which carrier you choose.
Sent from my SGH-T989 using Tapatalk 2
Mr.Mischief said:
You won't be able to get 3G from any US carrier with that phone. It supports 900 / 2100 for 3G and none of the networks over here support those 3G frequencies.
You'll be on 2G no matter which carrier you choose.
Sent from my SGH-T989 using Tapatalk 2
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From what I know, T mobile uses 2100 MHZ...
By the way, how about Motorola Milestone 2?
bar_rodoy said:
From what I know, T mobile uses 2100 MHZ...
By the way, how about Motorola Milestone 2?
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Nope. T-Mobile uses 1700/2100 together. You can't just use 2100 on T-Mobile.
The international Milestone has the same bands as your P500. The US Milestone supports AT&T 3G.
Sent from my SGH-T989 using Tapatalk 2
Mr.Mischief said:
I would get the T-Mobile $30 unlimited data and texting with 100 minutes. The $3 a day plan is also a good option if you're going to use under 200MB a day.
All the plans AT&T MVNO's(H2o, Red Pocket, etc) have low data allowances and cost more than T-Mobile.
AT&T has 250 minutes and unlimited texting for $25 a month. You can add data for $25 a GB.
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The problem with the T-Mobile $30 unlimited data (up to 5Gb) plan is you won't be able to use any data on Edge and they don't really have 4G anywhere unless your phone does WCDMA on 1700Mhz then it will work at T-Mobile stores but that's all. You will need a newer Samsung Galaxy S2 or S3 phone to take advantage of 3G service on T-Mobile.
stevec5000 said:
The problem with the T-Mobile $30 unlimited data (up to 5Gb) plan is you won't be able to use any data on Edge and they don't really have 4G anywhere unless your phone does WCDMA on 1700Mhz then it will work at T-Mobile stores but that's all. You will need a newer Samsung Galaxy S2 or S3 phone to take advantage of 3G service on T-Mobile.
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When the OP made the thread and mentioned T-Mobile, I figured he had a T-Mobile compatible phone. If you reqd the post above, you'd see I pointed out that T-Mobile 3G/4G wouldn't work on his phone.
But, don't have to be at a T-Mobile store to get 4G. That's absurd. Also, there's no need for a new T-Mobile phone to get fast data, any T-Mobile 3G phone will work.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2
Mr.Mischief said:
When the OP made the thread and mentioned T-Mobile, I figured he had a T-Mobile compatible phone. If you reqd the post above, you'd see I pointed out that T-Mobile 3G/4G wouldn't work on his phone.
But, don't have to be at a T-Mobile store to get 4G. That's absurd. Also, there's no need for a new T-Mobile phone to get fast data, any T-Mobile 3G phone will work.
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I disagree, it may sound absurd until you realize they don't really have any 4G network anyplace but they need service inside the stores so they can display the phones working. In the Phoenix, Mesa and Scottsdale areas the only place you can get 4G on T-Mobil is in or near the T-Mobil stores where they have a 5 bar signal. They claim they aren't using an amp or anything but if you leave the store and go down the street a few blocks there's no signal and it's not available anywhere else.
As for saying "any T-Mobile 3G phone will work" you know they haven't sold 3G phones since 2010, right? None of the new Samsung 4G phones can get 3G either, at least none of the ones I looked at in the store could get it since they don't have an option for HSPA or HSPA+, just GSM and WCDMA with nothing in between.
stevec5000 said:
I disagree, it may sound absurd until you realize they don't really have any 4G network anyplace but they need service inside the stores so they can display the phones working. In the Phoenix, Mesa and Scottsdale areas the only place you can get 4G on T-Mobil is in or near the T-Mobil stores where they have a 5 bar signal. They claim they aren't using an amp or anything but if you leave the store and go down the street a few blocks there's no signal and it's not available anywhere else.
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Tinfoil hat much? Nuff said.
I get T-Mobile 4G all over Alabama, miles away from the T-Mobile store. I also travel yearly to TN, LA, MI, and GA, and I get T-Mobile 4G in those states as well.
stevec5000 said:
As for saying "any T-Mobile 3G phone will work" you know they haven't sold 3G phones since 2010, right? None of the new Samsung 4G phones can get 3G either, at least none of the ones I looked at in the store could get it since they don't have an option for HSPA or HSPA+, just GSM and WCDMA with nothing in between.
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All T-Mobile smartphones phones are capable of 3G. You confusing T-Mobile 4G with LTE. T-Mobile doesn't have LTE, and their 4G network is nothing more than fast 3G. The icon in the corner of your screen might only show 4G, but there are many instances where it's actually getting 3G I get 3G with my Galaxy Nexus on T-Mobile.
You really need to do some serious research.
Lets try and keep this on topic of the thread bout sim card and not go off about how good the actual networks are etc.
The fact of the matter is, you'll only get 3G/4G (HSPA+) on AT&T and AT&T MNVO's. If OP needs fast data, I'd recommend a Straight Talk AT&T-Compatible SIM from http://straighttalk.com. It's $50 for a month of unlimited everything (just don't go too crazy with data). When you fill in the APN, ignore any proxy fields except for "MMS Proxy".
Product F(RED) said:
The fact of the matter is, you'll only get 3G/4G (HSPA+) on AT&T and AT&T MNVO's. If OP needs fast data, I'd recommend a Straight Talk AT&T-Compatible SIM from http://straighttalk.com. It's $50 for a month of unlimited everything (just don't go too crazy with data). When you fill in the APN, ignore any proxy fields except for "MMS Proxy".
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His phone runs on 900MHz and 2100MHz, doesn't AT&T 3G run on 850MHz and 1900MHz?
Oh wow, he has some funky frequencies. He'll need a different phone for 3G/4G on any network then. Basic functions and EDGE should work though.
I ordered a N4 out of this new batch from Google and should be getting it before long. Currently, I use AT&T, but that's for a non-smart phone. Seems like I'd get more bang for my buck with one of the T-Mobile Value plans than I will with AT&T, where I'd be paying rates equivalent to those with a subsidized phone.
Still, what are the pros and cons of one carrier vs. the other with respect to the N4? Let's forget about phone reception for the purposes of this discussion in that neither of the two would match Verizon where I live (SF Bay Area in the US).
FWIW, I intend to root the device.
Cheaper rates with T-Mobile
Will the N4 support the LTE that T-Mobile is starting to roll out?
The N4 does NOT support the band that AT&T's LTE uses, true?
Comments on the above and any other comments would be greatly appreciated.
maigre said:
I ordered a N4 out of this new batch from Google and should be getting it before long. Currently, I use AT&T, but that's for a non-smart phone. Seems like I'd get more bang for my buck with one of the T-Mobile Value plans than I will with AT&T, where I'd be paying rates equivalent to those with a subsidized phone.
Still, what are the pros and cons of one carrier vs. the other with respect to the N4? Let's forget about phone reception for the purposes of this discussion in that neither of the two would match Verizon where I live (SF Bay Area in the US).
FWIW, I intend to root the device.
Cheaper rates with T-Mobile
Will the N4 support the LTE that T-Mobile is starting to roll out?
The N4 does NOT support the band that AT&T's LTE uses, true?
Comments on the above and any other comments would be greatly appreciated.
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Hopefully I can help a bit.
I am on the $30/month plan on T-Mobile, and in that regard, few other carriers in the developed world can match the value. Even at $50 for the pre-paid unlimited plans, it's a comparable value. Their contract plans are close to par with those from other providers, but with more "unlimited" options.
As to the second question, the answer is...sort of. It will probably unofficially work with T-Mobile's LTE in the areas where T-Mobile's LTE is rolled out on the bands that the "dormant" LTE in the Nexus 4 supports. Keep in mind this will be most markets, so it could kind of be a gem waiting for T-Mobile to start flipping the switches. Future software updates to the stock ROM may disable LTE to a greater degree, or they might not.
LTE will work on AT&T if you have a 4G data plan and you're in one of the FEW markets where AT&T operates LTE networks on the bands that the Nexus 4 supports. There are not many, and I don't know which ones there are offhand (though I think Kansas City or Oklahoma City are one of them).
Basically, do not buy the Nexus 4 for LTE support. Consider it a bonus if you get it to work, but have zero expectations for it to do so.
T-Mobile has faster HSPA+ speeds, AT&T has better HSPA+ coverage (and coverage overall). If you stick to cities and big towns, T-Mobile will be just as good as anything else.
IBTL
Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda premium
ghostrid3r said:
IBTL
Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda premium
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Ha, yeah, this is totally the wrong forum.
Thanks for the help, Ajfink.
What's IBTL mean? If it's about the forum being wrong, I posted here because I need to figure out which carrier makes most sense for the N4, which, as you know well, is different than buying a subsidized phone from any of the carriers. When we do that, we know the phone is going to support the bands used by those carriers. This is a different situation and everyone who has the N4 has familiarity with that that I don't.
maigre said:
Thanks for the help, Ajfink.
What's IBTL mean?
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IBTL = In Before The Lock. Duplicate threads get locked pretty quickly. By the way, IBTL
grubbster said:
IBTL = In Before The Lock. Duplicate threads get locked pretty quickly. By the way, IBTL
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Hadn't seen that one before. Now I'm even more confused. This isn't a duplicate. I haven't posted this elsewhere.
maigre said:
Hadn't seen that one before. Now I'm even more confused. This isn't a duplicate. I haven't posted this elsewhere.
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Not just posted by you. There are several similar threads in general.
Go T-Mobile. Faster hspa+ and cheaper plans. If at&t didn't own my life right now, I'd switch.
Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda premium
Just know that Tmobile has fairly bad to no building penetration in some areas. YMMV. I would suggest you get a prepaid sim and test the waters in your service area before making the switch.
The building my wife works in has terrible penetration for AT&T, but her coworker has T-Mobile and does fine. AT&T and VZW have some pretty high priced plans, though it seems that T-Mobile can be right up there under some circumstances. I'm going to give them a try for a month and see how it goes.
Howdy kids,
Quick question for those with more knowhow/info on the LTE bands and carriers. In your opinion at this stage of the game... Which US S4 version will have the most compatibily domestically (formost) and internationally? I know he carries all get thier own hardware/modem... im just currious which phone i should try if i might end up switching carries after 6months or so (no contract).
thanks for your thoughts
If I had to guess, probably T-Mobile. Unfortunately where I live, T-Mobile is almost all 2G/3G so I have to go with Sprint CDMA. But GSM networks are definitely the most flexible if you travel.
Sarcron said:
If I had to guess, probably T-Mobile. Unfortunately where I live, T-Mobile is almost all 2G/3G so I have to go with Sprint CDMA. But GSM networks are definitely the most flexible if you travel.
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If I had to guess I'd say AT&T...def not T-Mobile - although both are gsm which adds flexibility, T-Mobile has terrible service and AT&T has better service (not saying ATT has the best...but its def better than T-Mobile) and sprint service is pretty bad too...
Also keep in mind it depends on where you live. The above is based on where I love which is southern California (orange county)
But definitely go for either the T-Mobile or att as gsm networks seem to be the most flexible
Sent from my HTC PH39100 using Tapatalk 2
Yep, GSM all the way if you travel and probably the snapdragon for the LTE if you have it in your home area or roam frequently where it is available. I'd likely go AT&T for the coverage unless you are in an area where you get good Tmo service and seldom leave it. No reason not to save the ching and get a cheaper plan with Tmo in that case.
I'd also add that if you plan on going off-contract and paying the full phone price, T-Mobile has the advantage of offering much better prepaid plans with unlimited data.
At&t id say. The verizon one will to but im betting the bootloader will be locked up. Once a dev cracks it then im sure roms will follow.
Using T-Mobile is very fun, and I love pink and everything, but there is no coverage at my college of choice. ATT has mad heavy LTE down there, and I wish to switch. Any guides/tips for how to do this? The website is pretty difficult to navigate (I think most carriers do this).
Any help would be appreciated!
Imagination is for turbo-nerds who can't handle how kick-butt reality is!
Are you asking how to switch to AT&T, or how to enable LTE?
For AT&T, see this thread:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2021401
For LTE, see this thread:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2211618
The Nexus 4 only (unoffically) supports Band 4 LTE (1700 MHz), while AT&T mostly uses Band 17 (700 MHz)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UMTS_frequency_bands
HSPA+21 on AT&T is your best bet if Magenta T-Mobile (or i wireless) has no service there.
http://www.iwireless.com/
SpookyTunes said:
Are you asking how to switch to AT&T, or how to enable LTE?
For AT&T, see this thread:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2021401
For LTE, see this thread:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2211618
The Nexus 4 only (unoffically) supports Band 4 LTE (1700 MHz), while AT&T mostly uses Band 17 (700 MHz)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UMTS_frequency_bands
HSPA+21 on AT&T is your best bet if Magenta T-Mobile (or i wireless) has no service there.
http://www.iwireless.com/
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That was a fantastic post, and I feel bad to not have clarified earlier. I meant hspa+21 instead of LTE.
Right now I'm using the 30 dollar tmobile plan and wanted the ATT equivalent. I just didn't know what plan, or how to even get ATT service. There is very little information on that topic.
upstandingcitizen said:
That was a fantastic post, and I feel bad to not have clarified earlier. I meant hspa+21 instead of LTE.
Right now I'm using the 30 dollar tmobile plan and wanted the ATT equivalent. I just didn't know what plan, or how to even get ATT service. There is very little information on that topic.
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I would start by doing some
Settings > More... > Mobile network > Network operators (phone will search for GSM carriers)
and see what shows up (on campus, dorm, etc.).
AT&T has no cheep data options (pre or post paid). Their BIG BLUE, so they DON'T HAVE TO!!
i wireless is a T-Mobile affiliate company, and the maps show excellent coverage in the DesMoines / Ames / Iowa City areas (although maps do not always reflect reality), they do have some better pre-paid plans for data users.
If your set on AT&T, try http://www.att.com/shop/wireless/plans/prepaidplans.html
or you can look into a MVNO like Net10 (Unlocked 850 & 1900 MHz band AT&T SIM).
The main issue with T-Mobile is they hate roaming. They put a few towers in places they don't market to (like Des Moines and Omaha) for business travelers, and even deliberately disable roaming in Iowa City.
One final though, you could tell AT&T you have a Nexus 7 tablet and get the 3GB of data for $30 pre-paid tablet deal.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2024204
Your best bet would be to go to an at&t store so you can walk out with a sim and a working phone. But two issues with that. One IIRC, at&t's cheapest smart phone plan is like 70 bucks a month. And two, I haven't heard if at&t had fixed the issue with not giving the N4 the proper data plan yet (speed wise 3G vs HSPA+)
Good luck!
Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda premium
gotzaDroid said:
Your best bet would be to go to an at&t store so you can walk out with a sim and a working phone. But two issues with that. One IIRC, at&t's cheapest smart phone plan is like 70 bucks a month. And two, I haven't heard if at&t had fixed the issue with not giving the N4 the proper data plan yet (speed wise 3G vs HSPA+)
Good luck!
Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda premium
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If it is post paid, there is no problem getting hspa+ data speeds on the AT&T network. One just has to enter the proper APN. Prepaid could still be an issue, I'm not sure. But, since AT&T now has a prepaid smartphone data plan, I would think it should be possible.
Has anyone measured mobile broadband performance their system between T-Mobile and AT&T? I know it is very much location dependent, but I get about 1/3 of the bandwidth on T-Mobile that I get on AT&T in the same area.
TDBearCT said:
Has anyone measured mobile broadband performance their system between T-Mobile and AT&T? I know it is very much location dependent, but I get about 1/3 of the bandwidth on T-Mobile that I get on AT&T in the same area.
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Bandwidth or data speed?
all i can tell you is it is very fast on verizon, seems to be even faster than my cell phone but then again its a faster, newer machine.
My N7 is on TMO and my S4 is on ATT. Get about the same LTE speeds on both.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using XDA Premium HD app
Thanks, everyone.
My testing was against the T-Mobile SIM shipped with the product (which is provisioned for prepaid service), and my AT&T SIM from my cell phone. I have LTE service in my location on both networks, and I'm extremely close to both networks antenna arrays (T-Mobile's is actually two floors above my office).
I am getting 5M up / down with T-Mobile, and between 11M and 32M up / down on AT&T. T-Mobile speeds are more like HSPA+ speeds, even though my N7 shows "LTE" in the status bar.
Jim
I'm sitting in the Chicago airport right now and my Galaxy S4 has LTE but my new Nexus 7 lte is only showing "H." After doing some reading it seems like H is slower than H+. Does anyone know why this is happening? I am on AT&T on both devices. I also attached a screen of the speed test.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 4
fosser2 said:
I'm sitting in the Chicago airport right now and my Galaxy S4 has LTE but my new Nexus 7 lte is only showing "H." After doing some reading it seems like H is slower than H+. Does anyone know why this is happening? I am on AT&T on both devices. I also attached a screen of the speed test.
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Are you using the same SIM in both devices? I have read that AT&T provisions prepaid accounts differently from post-paid accounts. Also, you may want to check your Access Point settings-- you should be using one labeled 'AT&T LTE' or with an APN of 'pta'.
TDBearCT said:
Are you using the same SIM in both devices? I have read that AT&T provisions prepaid accounts differently from post-paid accounts. Also, you may want to check your Access Point settings-- you should be using one labeled 'AT&T LTE' or with an APN of 'pta'.
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The were different sim cards. I ended up calling AT&T and they took my imei number and switched it out in their database replacing the older device the sim card had previously been used in (Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 LTE). Upon rebooting my device you can now see LTE is working.
Can't complain with T-Mobile Germany.
Gesendet von meinem Nexus 7 mit Tapatalk 4
These are my speeds normally on ATT