Thanks. $25 is a great price for 8GB but we just don't need that much. 5GB for $20 will be plenty. Red Pocket supports AT&T tethering on Android (but not iOS), with no limitations or extra cost. I rarely, if ever, use hotspot anyway.
The 2019 cell/smart phone plan thread
- Thread starter JoeWras
- Start date
Thanks. $25 is a great price for 8GB but we just don't need that much. 5GB for $20 will be plenty. Red Pocket supports AT&T tethering on Android (but not iOS), with no limitations or extra cost. I rarely, if ever, use hotspot anyway.
I have a great Samsung S8 Android smartphone that I got through Sprint. My Sprint contract recently expired. I am researching various MVNO offerings to see what best suits my needs.
Sprint is a CDMA carrier (= no SIM card used inside the phone. Instead, their software has been 'flashed' onto the phone.)
To keep using my Samsung phone, am I limited to a CDMA carrier (Sprint, Verizon or US Cellular or an MVNO using one of those carriers)?
If I am limited to CDMA with this phone, and I decide I want to leave Sprint for another CDMA carrier, do I need to get the phone "unlocked'/reflashed? How do I do that if the new provider doesn't have a physical store nearby?
omni
Sprint is a CDMA carrier (= no SIM card used inside the phone. Instead, their software has been 'flashed' onto the phone.)
To keep using my Samsung phone, am I limited to a CDMA carrier (Sprint, Verizon or US Cellular or an MVNO using one of those carriers)?
If I am limited to CDMA with this phone, and I decide I want to leave Sprint for another CDMA carrier, do I need to get the phone "unlocked'/reflashed? How do I do that if the new provider doesn't have a physical store nearby?
omni
MasterBlaster
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Tracfone has a $49 promotion this month (August) that gives you a year of service plus 1200 minutes, 1200 texts, and 3 GB of data. That would be half of what you normally pay ($100/year).
I, like you, am a very limited smart-phone user. This type plan works well for me. And with the promo it will only cost about $4/month to have a phone.
I do most of my data-required phone things over my home Wi-Fi for free. I use the mobile data when I want google-maps to work. A few phone calls, a few texts is all I need.
Works - well for me !
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I believe the S8 will work on both CDMA and GSM networks. DD bought an unlocked S8 on Ting and she said it could be activated on either of their networks (Sprint or T-Mobile). But you may want to confirm with your specific model number. It's possible there are GSM-only or CDMA-only versions sold by carriers.
Either way, you'll need to get it unlocked by Sprint in order to use it with another carrier. Sprint doesn't use SIMs, but once it's unlocked, you'll get a SIM from the new carrier. I think this is necessary even if you use an MVNO on Sprint's network.
Details and requirements are here:
Unlocking your Sprint device
RetiredAndLovingIt
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If you're happy with Sprint, check out their MVNO Tello. No contract, build your own plans that you can change at any time online if your needs change.
https://tello.com/buy/custom_plans
https://tello.com/buy/custom_plans
You can ask for either an AT&T SIM card or a T-Mobile SIM card from Consumer Cellular. I asked for AT&T. However, a Consumer Cellular line with an AT&T SIM will not work internationally. Consumer Cellular will either send you a T-Mobile SIM for international travel or you can go to Target and get a Consumer Cellular T-Mobile SIM for $10, and Consumer Cellular will reimburse you. I did this prior to going to Mexico. But you don't get T-Mobile's great deal for international usage if you're on a Consumer Cellular plan. I stuck mainly to WiFi usage while in Mexico.
I may be traveling internationally soon and may switch to an actual T-Mobile account for their international perks, then perhaps switch back to Consumer Cellular. For a single line, T-Mobile's Senior plan is not a good deal compared to Consumer Cellular.
The other point about Consumer Cellular is they don't throttle if you exceed your data -- however -- they do bump you up to the next tier of service.
So traveling -- that's when I'd exceed my data, I make sure I go back in and adjust my account afterwards.
I have one line, and the AARP discount, same plan as above -- 33.91. I'm watching my useage and I don't think I can go to the lower data use.
I've discovered on my Iphone, data has to be on all the time, or I don't get text messages, which is pretty much how all the niblings communicate. But being as that I'm pretty always on wifi, I'm well within my 2Gs of use.
Also going down to the next tier of data only saves me $5.00.
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pb4uski
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
What do you mean by support Wi-Fi? Wi-Fi calling? Using the phone as a Wi-Fi hotspot? Something else?
If anyone you are going to share an account with is a veteran you can get 1/2 off with T-mobile. Just have to text them a copy of your DD214. We currently pay $130 for 5 smart phones and 1 tablet. Unlimited everything (minutes, data, etc.) on 4LTE with T-mobile. Unlimited texting and data that worked great in Europe at no extra charge. No contract ever.
Been with them since before they were T-mobile. Great coverage and excellent customer service.
Been with them since before they were T-mobile. Great coverage and excellent customer service.
WiFi calling plus any WiFi data and texting. Not WiFI hotspot.
(FWIW, I just learned that my WiFi usage is 10MB since July 23. Since my WiFi on Sprint (my carrier) is free, I never paid attention to this before. I haven't used WiFi much for phone calls recently, but it seems like I have several news sites that operate in the background that have been racking up the WiFi usage. They can be turned off, but it's been nice to get "breaking news" updates whenever I swipe 'up' on my phone. )
omni
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grasshopper
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I have a Sprint Ting moto phone that doesn't do true wifi calling, but Google Voice works fine with it. My Mint t-mobile moto phone has it, but you have to jump through hoops for the 911 issue. My Red Pocket AT&T moto from defunk Freedompop has it, but through Freedompop's app. Are we confused yet?
Sifting through the details on all the MVNAs to find the one best for my usage is confusing, for sure.
grasshopper: When you say "My Red Pocket AT&T moto from defunk Freedompop has it, but through Freedompop's app......"Does that mean you have to navigate to the app's screen and initiate the WiFi call from there?" or what?
omni
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RetiredAndLovingIt
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Spectrum, my Internet provider has free WIFI hotspots everywhere I seem to go. The pizza place, the sandwich place, my doctors office are just few examples. My phone is set up to automatically connect to them, once you've entered the password the first time at a particular location, it remembers it the next time you're there. My dentist offers free WIFI also. Spectrum claims to have 250,000 hot spots nationwide. On my cell plan, I just have 500MB of data and don't even use it all. When I'm home it's using my own WIFI. Since I don't make many phone calls, I don't have any on my plan and just have $10 in my pay as you go balance for any time I do want to make calls, it only costs me a penny a minute so not worth messing with WIFI calling. I can also call though Facebook or Google Voice if I do want to make WIFI calls. If I'm planning a trip, I can change my plan for that month from from $5 for unlimited texts and 500mb data to $14 for 2gb data and unlimited calling and texts and when I get back home, I can switch it back to my normal plan for my next months renewal. I like the ability to change the plan up and down as needed.
aja8888
Moderator Emeritus
RetiredAndLovingIt
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Just for kicks I checked my plans data usage, I've used 128mb since July 23rd.
I also check my WIFI usage, I've used 8.98GB since July 23rd, hard to believe I've used that much but I do stream all my TV and it's on most of the day every day so that's probably the bulk of it.
I also check my WIFI usage, I've used 8.98GB since July 23rd, hard to believe I've used that much but I do stream all my TV and it's on most of the day every day so that's probably the bulk of it.
RetiredAndLovingIt
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Actually it's not streaming TV, this is just phone usage. Looks like the Daily Mail online and Facebook are using most of that wifi usage, 7GB. Very interesting.
grasshopper
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Wifi calls are made through the app dialer Messaging not your phones native dialer.
pb4uski
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
I think the way they do that is that if you rent a modem from them there is a private channel for you and a public channel for their wi-fi network.... I can find all sorts of Xfinity wifi connections in our neighborhood in Florida.
CoolRich59
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Yes. I have Xfinity and that is my understanding as well.
It's a great deal for Comcast. Their customers pay $10 a month to rent a device that they could buy for $150 or less. Then Comcast turns around and "sells" access to those devices for its wifi hotspot network.
Yep, that’s actually $13/mo after taxes and nonsense. Ask how I know...
Didn’t have time and energy to deal with this crap when w*rking, now got annoyed enough to do something. Both a 50 buck gateway. No going back.
steelyman
Moderator Emeritus
When I was switching phone carriers recently I had some difficulty unlocking the phone and came across this article that covers the process for multiple carriers.
I think this is the best thread to post in and hope it’s helpful:
https://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/how-to-unlock-a-phone-on-every-carrier/
I think this is the best thread to post in and hope it’s helpful:
https://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/how-to-unlock-a-phone-on-every-carrier/
OP
OP
JoeWras
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Good info, Steelyman.
I'm now a big fan of just getting an unlocked phone from the start. Of course, you gotta pay up front.
I'm now a big fan of just getting an unlocked phone from the start. Of course, you gotta pay up front.
calmloki
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
I just sprang for 3 iPhone 6S 128GB on the bay represented as new in the box. A bit more screen while not making them much bigger than the 5s we’ve been using. They claim to be GSM/CDMA capable and unlocked. At $250 each the three of them represent a decent bump in storage and performance and should allow a swap from AT&T to a Verizon provider for better coverage- and new batteries! Three for the cost of one latest greatest from iPhone. My plan is to change to Red Pocket CDMA service for about 60% of the AT&T service. We’ll see how it works in a week or so. Fingers crossed
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