Let's Do Cell Phones

[LostinTexas]

Well carriers. I know everyone has their favorite, even if it is to hate on them, but now days there are some interesting options out there. WiFi calling, hot spot, data plans, calling texting other countries.

We dumped Sprint some years ago. They were OK for us, but got so expensive, they had to go. Went to AT&T Prepaid. Really liked it, and after Covid, they put wifi calling on. Well other than too many, in our opinion, holes in service where we live, we liked it. It did what we wanted, hot spot, call, text, data was more than we used and rolled over.

Tried Altice since we are now on Suddenlink internet. Not bad coverage, but the algorithm leaves a lot to be desired, even when talking on the wifi, speech cuts out and fades. Not what you would expect, but the price was amazing. $20 mo/line. The problem? It really wasn't worth that. Maybe later.

Tried Straight Talk since a lot of friends have it and like it. It is very good, but,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, no wifi calling and no hot spot. No Mexico and Canada calling either.

Off to the next one. A lot of folks recommend Total, and it does check all the boxes we need. Hot spot with more data than either of us has ever used combined for such things, wifi calls, Verizon service, even though you are bumped to a lower priority for the tower use if it gets loaded. It shouldn't be a problem around here, and the folks I've talked to say it has never been for them, anywhere.. Not sure about Mexico and Canada calls, but we don't go there and family doesn't any more.

What do you use and what do you need from a service?

How's that for a can of worms. ?

[holyjohnson]

i use Verizon prepaid for now.

i hate cell phones with a passion and use a pre-G flip phone thats being phased out by year end.

i like verizon and have had really no issues with coverage.

i`m waiting for the new Blackberry to come out and see the price, or a new Motorola Flip phone.

Galaxy is an option and iPhone a distant hope not.

Verizon had coverage in Minnesota`s God Country of Two Harbors and further North so that's good coverage.

[railfancwb]

When I moved from city to rural several years ago, Verizon was spotty at best so changed to AT&T. Still there, and added cellular for iPad recently. Basically on month to month as I own the hardware.

My subscription WIFi from a nearby tower is kinda spotty as speed drops way down when a lot of people are on line. Then I change to AT&T data which is usually much faster. They periodically threaten to slow down my unlimited data, but it slows down when a lot are on line anyway. 

[Dric902]

AT&T for years

[LostinTexas]

17 minutes ago, holyjohnson said:

i use Verizon prepaid for now.

i hate cell phones with a passion and use a pre-G flip phone thats being phased out by year end.

i like verizon and have had really no issues with coverage.

i`m waiting for the new Blackberry to come out and see the price, or a new Motorola Flip phone.

Galaxy is an option and iPhone a distant hope not.

Verizon had coverage in Minnesota`s God Country of Two Harbors and further North so that's good coverage.

We live in kind of a Black Hole. Near a lake with ground rising all around. We can see the Sprint tower(now T-Mobile), and AT&T gets very good service at the house (and fast), but drive a few miles in any direction, you come and go. I can walk down to the shore line and lose Sprint now. The neighbors put up a metal building, but I'd rather have the neighbors.

Verizon has strong coverage in the area, so hopefully that will be a big brass ring for us. We gravitate to the "cheap" Samsung phones. They do more than either of us care to on them, and are pretty feature rich. You won't get a 20X zoom on a 20Mb camera, but I have a camera and don't use the phone for pictures very often, other than to enlarge something I can't read or opportunistic moments.

[holyjohnson]

1 minute ago, LostinTexas said:

We live in kind of a Black Hole. Near a lake with ground rising all around. We can see the Sprint tower(now T-Mobile), and AT&T gets very good service at the house (and fast), but drive a few miles in any direction, you come and go. I can walk down to the shore line and lose Sprint now. The neighbors put up a metal building, but I'd rather have the neighbors.

Verizon has strong coverage in the area, so hopefully that will be a big brass ring for us. We gravitate to the "cheap" Samsung phones. They do more than either of us care to on them, and are pretty feature rich. You won't get a 20X zoom on a 20Mb camera, but I have a camera and don't use the phone for pictures very often, other than to enlarge something I can't read or opportunistic moments.

my texts are about 3-4 words and i use the phone as a phone.

 

until of course its 5G and everyone has to be locked into plans.

i was impressed with Verizon in the badlands of ND and i had bars, and Apples products had none.

[LostinTexas]

11 minutes ago, holyjohnson said:

my texts are about 3-4 words and i use the phone as a phone.

 

until of course its 5G and everyone has to be locked into plans.

i was impressed with Verizon in the badlands of ND and i had bars, and Apples products had none.

I call the kids, no answer. Text them they text back almost before I get my finger off the send button. The next one is answer your d@&n phone.

5G will take a long time to be widespread. I think the shiny will wear off of it pretty fast when people realize it isn't that beneficial to a cell phone user.  It has to be a new phone just to take advantage of the speeds, and even then, it's on a 5 inch screen. I know a lot of folks like that, but I'm really not one of them.

Kinda like price tags, it will just be for bragging rights unless people are using it for internet service, but even then, the speeds won't be widespread like they are advertising. There aren't many places with 1Gb internet service now, and I don't think many service areas will offer it, even though the commercials like to claim they will.

Edited March 28, 2021 by LostinTexas

[Duluth]

I've been using Google Fi for a few years. It runs off T-Mobile, Sprint and U.S Cellular. It will switch to what ever one has the strongest signal. There's no international roaming fees. My bill is around $25 a month.

Edited March 28, 2021 by Duluth

[Cheygriz]

I use mine as a telephone. If you're too important to talk to me, take your text and shove it.

[aomagrat]

I too, live in a cell phone black hole, even though there is a tower less than a mile from my house.  Verizon is the only service that I can use, and that is only one bar at best.  I have to have cable too.  I put up an antenna and got only one channel.  Must be something with the geology around here.

[railfancwb]

5 hours ago, Cheygriz said:

I use mine as a telephone. If you're too important to talk to me, take your text and shove it.

My daughter is a vet, and can’t be interrupted by cell phone while with a client. So she leaves it at her desk. Text gets dealt with when time permits between clients.

A peeve of mine is the endless call tree most businesses use these days - especially when they have crappy music interspaced with commercials.  

[GT4494]

after decades of not being allowed to have a phone in the work building, it shocks me every time I go somewhere and everyone has a cellphone at their desk and its more important then the customers!!

[jmohme]

We have been AT&T for over 20 years and they suck more with each passing day.

We are in the process of canceling everything associated with AT&T. I dumped them first over their Unlimited with limitations plans for the hot spots that I use for my mobile business. Dont call it unlimited if you are going to dial me back in two days.?

The wife is a TV addict and called them to inquire about U-Verse after our neighbor got it. She was told it was not available in our area. Did I mention that our neighbor had it and AT&T had to route the cables in front of our house to get it to them?

Next was wireless internet at our house. We tried their in house hotspot. It was so painfully slow that I have to go in town to the coffee shop to send digital files to my customers.  AT&T says we are just in a dead spot, yet I can step out on my back porch, loo at the tower 1 1/2 miles away and then at the one bar on my phone.

Two weeks ago, we talked to T Mobile. they sent us a home hotspot that works great. We can even stream Netflix for the first time ever. And guess what tower they use. You guessed it. The same tower 1 1/2 miles from us that AT&T uses.

The wife canceled her AT&T Direct TV or whatever its called. Yesterday the AT&T home network and next the phones.

 

I'm pretty sure all cell companies are lying sacks of ****, but AT&T leads the pack.

[TBO]

https://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/best-mvno/

https://www.androidcentral.com/best-mvno-carrier

Wife has been happy with Puretalk USA.

https://www.puretalkusa.com/cell-plans?campaignid=9916539490&adgroupid=99664892799&adid=438769395345&gclid=CjwKCAjwu5CDBhB9EiwA0w6sLY6YphUOWD1lP8T0dQhTocGxyLnCO5jHNuJq4P90Yd7htDR43kp3CRoCZJ8QAvD_BwE

Sent from my Jackboot using Copatalk

[Fog]

I put the kids phones on Patriot Mobile, my phone won't work on their network or I would have switched also.

Been very happy with them. Costs about ~$25 a month per phone, or about a third of what I was paying verizon per phone.

[Paul53]

Have used Metro PCS for at least 10 years. Never a problem. They are a part of Tmobile so coverage is whatever Tmobile has. When I signed on it was a flat $30/month, and today I still pay exactly $30/month, all inclusive.

 

Heard recently Tmobile and Sprint merged, or Tmobile bought Sprint, or maybe they're just going steady. Who knows.

 

MetroPCS gave me a phone to sign on. Every few years they say I'm due for an upgrade. I get my choice of a bunch of free phones, or to buy the top of the line brand name glitzy phones. I always take a free phone and never have a problem with them.  

 

Addendum: All of the above while I lived, worked, traveled between Maine, North Carolina, New Mexico, and Texas.

Edited April 1, 2021 by Paul53

[LostinTexas]

3 hours ago, TBO said:

https://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/best-mvno/

https://www.androidcentral.com/best-mvno-carrier

Wife has been happy with Puretalk USA.

https://www.puretalkusa.com/cell-plans?campaignid=9916539490&adgroupid=99664892799&adid=438769395345&gclid=CjwKCAjwu5CDBhB9EiwA0w6sLY6YphUOWD1lP8T0dQhTocGxyLnCO5jHNuJq4P90Yd7htDR43kp3CRoCZJ8QAvD_BwE

Sent from my Jackboot using Copatalk
 

That is a nice shake down. The big problem is, they are all on T=Mobile/Sprint networks, and they are both VERY sketchy in my area. When Sprint was working it was fine at the house, but now has more holes than a collender. T-Mobile was never even an option here. They wouldn't let you sign up with my address.

AT&T has extremely good service at the house, but has holes almost as bad as above. They provide hot spot and WiFi calling, and the prepaid service was very satisfactory for us other than all the holes in service, and it really is too many and to large.

Total is where we landed yesterday I spent over 6 hours on the phone with them in the first 24 hour period. Still no wifi calling and that was an important feature they claimed to have, until you asked about it. Then they started shoveling a lot of what I'm not buying. It ended pretty strained and I finally just went retard and was being less than neighborly. Time to leave it.

For what I can see, the rest is pretty good. The last rep suggested Hanagouts or Google Voice for wifi. Well no kidding, I can throw your SIM card in the trash and get that. Oh well, I already had that service form using Altice. It was a lot better than their algorithm. LOL The trouble is outgoing is a different number than I use, so not many know it is me calling. Incoming can be forwarded through from my phone #.

I guess it will work out. At least I can talk to LostWife almost everywhere now, and not have to guess if she is in xx area yy area or in the ditch, so that is nice.

A stressful day, and hope service is worth the effort. I guess I'll know in a couple of weeks when we get the chance to shake it out, but LostWife is very pleased at the moment.

[TBO]

That is a nice shake down. The big problem is, they are all on T=Mobile/Sprint networks, and they are both VERY sketchy in my area. When Sprint was working it was fine at the house, but now has more holes than a collender. T-Mobile was never even an option here. They wouldn't let you sign up with my address.
AT&T has extremely good service at the house, but has holes almost as bad as above. They provide hot spot and WiFi calling, and the prepaid service was very satisfactory for us other than all the holes in service, and it really is too many and to large.
Total is where we landed yesterday I spent over 6 hours on the phone with them in the first 24 hour period. Still no wifi calling and that was an important feature they claimed to have, until you asked about it. Then they started shoveling a lot of what I'm not buying. It ended pretty strained and I finally just went retard and was being less than neighborly. Time to leave it.
For what I can see, the rest is pretty good. The last rep suggested Hanagouts or Google Voice for wifi. Well no kidding, I can throw your SIM card in the trash and get that. Oh well, I already had that service form using Altice. It was a lot better than their algorithm. LOL The trouble is outgoing is a different number than I use, so not many know it is me calling. Incoming can be forwarded through from my phone #.
I guess it will work out. At least I can talk to LostWife almost everywhere now, and not have to guess if she is in xx area yy area or in the ditch, so that is nice.
A stressful day, and hope service is worth the effort. I guess I'll know in a couple of weeks when we get the chance to shake it out, but LostWife is very pleased at the moment.

These MNVO's use a variety of carriers towers, to include Verizon & ATT.

For example Straight Talk uses both Verizon and ATT (depending on what phone you use. It's either Verizon or ATT based on the phones built in hardware).

Puretalk USA uses ATT towers.

The biggest potential issue with a MNVO verses the actual carrier (such as Verizon or ATT) is the lack of "extended coverage". No MNVO that I am aware of has the use of the extended coverage of the carrier brand of towers they use.

In cities and main interstates it won't be much of an issue, but if you travel the back country and less populated areas you may not have coverage.

Montana is a great example. ATT or Verizon are the best for coverage in that state, but only if you go with the real ATT or Verizon. Use a MNVO that runs on ATT or Verizon towers and look at that MNVO's coverage map. You will see it's tiny compared to the real ATT/Verizon maps.

Sent from my Jackboot using Copatalk

[pipedreams]

Everyone has different needs so what is good for one person may not work for the next.

I bought a Samsung Galaxy s8 a couple years ago from Tracfone and it works great and connects to Verizon.  I signed up for the SmartPhone only plan for $125.00 for 365 days.  It gives you 1500 mins - 1500 Text - 1500MB Data and you can buy add on if needed.  For my data usage I connect to WiFi most places I go so never a problem.  I have my VPN service on the phone I can use if unknown WiFi.  Tracfone allows unused minutes and other stuff to rollover which I already had when I went to this plan.

You can get a 30 day airtime with 500 mins 500 text 500MB data for as little as $15.00. 

I have limited phone needs (rarely use) being retired but never had a problem with their service wherever I go.  It even connects to my Galaxy watch and if I wander to far away from my phone,  my watch  lets me know.  Don't feel comfortable using the watch for phone conversations but it does work.  Kinda makes you feel like Dick Tracey.

[LostinTexas]

13 hours ago, TBO said:

These MNVO's use a variety of carriers towers, to include Verizon & ATT.

For example Straight Talk uses both Verizon and ATT (depending on what phone you use. It's either Verizon or ATT based on the phones built in hardware).

Puretalk USA uses ATT towers.

The biggest potential issue with a MNVO verses the actual carrier (such as Verizon or ATT) is the lack of "extended coverage". No MNVO that I am aware of has the use of the extended coverage of the carrier brand of towers they use.

In cities and main interstates it won't be much of an issue, but if you travel the back country and less populated areas you may not have coverage.

Montana is a great example. ATT or Verizon are the best for coverage in that state, but only if you go with the real ATT or Verizon. Use a MNVO that runs on ATT or Verizon towers and look at that MNVO's coverage map. You will see it's tiny compared to the real ATT/Verizon maps.

Sent from my Jackboot using Copatalk
 

Had to look up "MNVO" and that would pretty much engulf every phone company in the US except AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile/Sprint. There were four, now three.

Some have their own algorithm, but most just rent use. Of the ones that have their own, and I don't know which for sure, Altice is pretty bad, even on WiFi. All are under constraints of being second priority, or less, on towers, and tower availability.

You have to do some research for sure.

[Mrs.Cicero]

I got tired of having to walk out into the front yard to use my phone when I had Verizon. Husband had Sprint with a decent discount thru work, so he added my phone to his plan and I don't have that problem anymore.  Mostly I use the phone to read books, and for directions to places I'm driving to.  I hate talking on it.  I'd rather text, and I don't even like that.