GN users on AT&T...here's how I got a 4G HSPA+ plan - Samsung Galaxy Nexus

EDIT: A user mentioned that if you have unlimited data, trying to get on the correct HSPA+ plan could mess with that, so don't try this unless you want to risk losing unlimited data. I'm completely unsure if it would keep your unlimited data or not, but I thought I'd throw that out there.
So for those of you who are either coming from the iphone or another non-4g hspa phone (or are new to AT&T) and using the galaxy nexus, you will be put on the regular smartphone data plan. First of all, there are 3 different data plans for smartphones:
regular smartphone data
smartphone data for 4G phones
smartphone data for 4G LTE phones
The data plan you want to be on with the GN is the "smartphone data for 4g phones" which is the HSPA plan. Like I said, most of the people activating a GN on AT&T will automatically be put on the regular smartphone data plan, which will limit your speeds, even if your phone shows it's on HSPA.
After spending about an hour on the phone with AT&T customer service, I FINALLY found someone who knew EXACTLY what the GN was and what I wanted to do. Basically, the AT&T systems DO NOT allow employees to even manually override and put a 4G data plan on our account for the GN, so the guy had to do a workaround and he activated an atrix on my account, put my account on the 4g HSPA plan, and then reactivated my GN which KEPT the 4g plan on there.
After this, my speeds have dramatically improved. I always thought the phone would only switch to "H" in the signal bar when using heavy data (I thought it was a phone feature...you guys know how it always switches from 3g to H constantly? This is what I'm talking about), but after getting the 4g hspa plan on my account, the phone stays on H for MOST of the time. It'll still switch to 3g, but before making the change, it was showing 3g most of the time.
In conclusion, there are two ways to do this which the guy explained to me:
1. You can find someone with an AT&T 4g phone (atrix, insprie, infuse, s2, etc), pop in your sim in THEIR phone to activate that phone on your account, go to "manage features" on your account, switch to smartphone data for 4g phones, and submit. After that, pop the sim back in your nexus and it will keep the 4g plan.
2. Or if you don't know anyone who has one of these phones, call up 611 and have them do it for you (which is what I did). I'll be honest, it's a pain in the ass because you actually have to find someone who knows what you are trying to do and knows what the galaxy nexus is (not to be sexist...but I spoke to 3 women and they had no idea what I was trying to do...the first guy I talked to knew exactly what I wanted).
Once you find a person who knows about the GN and unlocked phones in general, explain that your account has the regular smartphone data plan on there which is limiting you to 3g speeds even though you have an HSPA phone (this is where the customer service person knowing what the GN helps out a lot), and you need him to manually put the 4g plan on your account. Since the system won't allow this, he needs to use an IMEI number from any of their 4g phones (atrix, infuse, inspire, etc), actiivate that on your account, then switch it over (basically same as step one except you aren't physically putting your sim in another phone).
Hope that helps. I'm happy as hell now because it was bothering me to be limited to 3g speeds even though I have an HSPA phone.
I tried to get a direct line for you guys to call the guy I spoke to, but unfortunately he didn't have one.

My speeds on a regular (unlimited grandfathered data) are very fast. 5-6 mbps.
I just popped my sim in and went (on the Cingular 410 or whatever).
I added the manual HSDPA+ access point, and noticed no difference. Still 5-6 mbps on average.
What are you getting that requires these hoops? I can't imagine much faster?

ericshmerick said:
My speeds on a regular (unlimited grandfathered data) are very fast. 5-6 mbps.
I just popped my sim in and went (on the Cingular 410 or whatever).
I added the manual HSDPA+ access point, and noticed no difference. Still 5-6 mbps on average.
What are you getting that requires these hoops? I can't imagine much faster?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Around 10mbps in good areas, and more than double what I was getting at my house before changing the plan (low signal area).
Like I said, even if your phone shows it on HSPA (by either the "H" in the signal bar or "HSPA" in signal settings), AT&T is STILL limiting your speeds because you only have the regular data plan on your account. You need the correct data plan on YOUR ACCOUNT to get the speeds you deserve.
Nothing to do with APN's....I am using the stock APN. It's all about AT&T limiting your speed (automatically...by what data plan you have on your account), so you need to get the correct plan on there.

nice post, i just got off the phone with them and they originally put me on a 4G LTE plan instead of just 4G HSPA.
Was getting tons of service issues. Hopefully this solves my problems.

Thanks bro. I'm calling now.

I'm super nervous about having someone across the world monkey with my grandfathered unlimited data, so I'll pass. Just not worth the risk of someone changing my plan to tiered...

ericshmerick said:
I'm super nervous about having someone across the world monkey with my grandfathered unlimited data, so I'll pass. Just not worth the risk of someone changing my plan to tiered...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Understandable if you have unlimited data, but I don't, so I didn't mine someone doing whatever they could to get me on the correct plan.
Edited the OP also.

i had them email me our changes at the end of the call and told them to specifically include unlimited data.

brian85 said:
(not to be sexist...but I spoke to 3 women and they had no idea what I was trying to do...the first guy I talked to knew exactly what I wanted).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am pretty sure that's sexist! But good how to all the same.

ianwood said:
I am pretty sure that's sexist! But good how to all the same.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well I know it is, but I really am not trying to be.
It's just guys seem to know more about smartphones and stuff...just like girls would know about clothing or something.

brian85 said:
Well I know it is, but I really am not trying to be.
It's just guys seem to know more about smartphones and stuff...just like girls would know about clothing or something.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Dude you've crossed the line with that last statement. The last female on XDA just left thanks to you!
Joe

LOL, oh well.

ericshmerick said:
I'm super nervous about having someone across the world monkey with my grandfathered unlimited data, so I'll pass. Just not worth the risk of someone changing my plan to tiered...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you're in the US who across the world is messing with your AT&T grandfathered plan?
Anyway, I jsut called AT&T and the rep knew exactly what I wanted to do and hooked me up. When I get off work I'll test the speeds. I'm thinking about getting a new SIM card for the heck of it.
BTW: the rep was a woman LOL at OP.

Have to find someone to do for me again. I've been switching back and forth from the iPhone. Good to know it still works. There was a gentleman on XDA who works for AT&T that got referrals or something for doing it. Cool dude, I wish I could remember his user name.

bmstrong said:
Have to find someone to do for me again. I've been switching back and forth from the iPhone. Good to know it still works. There was a gentleman on XDA who works for AT&T that got referrals or something for doing it. Cool dude, I wish I could remember his user name.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just call AT&T they will set you up.

Gary86 said:
Just call AT&T they will set you up.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah but I like to hook up members first.

this is what my plan shows now
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Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using XDA App

Gary86 said:
If you're in the US who across the world is messing with your AT&T grandfathered plan?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Are you suggesting 100% of AT&T's call centers consist of US based workers?
I think not. I don't want to gamble with a language barrier with "Peggy" (i.e. Rackashana) going into my account and making changes. I just don't trust that a perfect preservation of my unlimited plan will be the outcome from the hokey language barrier conversation.

brian85 said:
1. You can find someone with an AT&T 4g phone (atrix, insprie, infuse, s2, etc), pop in your sim in THEIR phone to activate that phone on your account, go to "manage features" on your account, switch to smartphone data for 4g phones, and submit. After that, pop the sim back in your nexus and it will keep the 4g plan.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Has anyone tried this? How long does this take to take effect? I can try this, but it would be a real pain if it were to take a while.

ianwood said:
I am pretty sure that's sexist! But good how to all the same.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, it's not. Making a statement like "keep hanging up until you get a guy on the phone, the women have no clue what they're talking about" would be sexist.
He merely pointed out a fact - three women he spoke to had no clue, the first guy he talked to immediately helped. Any inference or conclusions drawn from this pattern would be on the reader.

Related

##3282#

Not sure if this was posted here already but over at the wpcentral forums someone found a neat way of adding extra options under cellular settings. First you need to access the data menu by dialing ##DATA# the click the .... (bottom tab) and click settings. Now this part was a trial and error. I switched it to 2g and exited but nothing happened. Then I clicked automatic and exited then rebooted the phone and now under cellular menu I can control whether I want 2g, 3g, or 4g. Unfortunately, at&t considers 4g as lte so you can't control that. Hope you guys enjoy
Sent from my Lumia 900 using Board Express
Unfortunately att displays 4g symbol for 3g. Iam seeing on the Nokia diagnostic app around 85-99 power consumption with edge only.
Sent from my Lumia 900 using Board Express
Nice, I got it to work, I'm on At&t. The " Reboot " I did was after backing out of settings I pushed " ToggleENS(REBOOT) " the very last option in the main DATA menu.
At first I was just backing out of the DATA menu and rebooting the phone with the power button. I got it to work using the info above.
Now off to test the DL-Speeds to see if it really is changing things or just the display.
UPDATE: I'm getting high download speeds ~7000kbps with EDGE activated and registered. However I notice with 3G and 4G that it displays 4G for both on info bar top of phone. The other interesting thing I noticed was the option to select which network I want. If you click 'tap to select' and wait out the search it may give you more options. It gave me the options to use Automatic, At&t, and Maritime networks. I selected Maritime and it said " Registering ..... " Top left corner of screen. After that it displayed my network as " Maritime " not " At&t ". I was on 4G Maritime network. My DL Speed were ~12000kbps. I'm trying to search now what Maritime network is. So far it points to ocean networks/satellite .
Seed 2.0 said:
Nice, I got it to work, I'm on At&t. The " Reboot " I did was after backing out of settings I pushed " ToggleENS(REBOOT) " the very last option in the main DATA menu.
At first I was just backing out of the DATA menu and rebooting the phone with the power button. I got it to work using the info above.
Now off to test the DL-Speeds to see if it really is changing things or just the display.
UPDATE: I'm getting high download speeds ~7000kbps with EDGE activated and registered. However I notice with 3G and 4G that it displays 4G for both on info bar top of phone. The other interesting thing I noticed was the option to select which network I want. If you click 'tap to select' and wait out the search it may give you more options. It gave me the options to use Automatic, At&t, and Maritime networks. I selected Maritime and it said " Registering ..... " Top left corner of screen. After that it displayed my network as " Maritime " not " At&t ". I was on 4G Maritime network. My DL Speed were ~12000kbps. I'm trying to search now what Maritime network is. So far it points to ocean networks/satellite .
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I did the same - worked great. Now to figure out this Maritime thing. the only mention on AT&T's website is related to roaming while on a cruise ship, which can activate a local maritime network connection for cell phones on the ship. I wonder if the "Maritime" network is the network node that cruise ships can connect to, although it would seem more logical for them to be satellite connected when at sea.
I live near the coast, but you live inland, albeit likely near the Ohio River. I wonder if someone in a totally landlocked area can see "Maritime"?
Now to do some speed tests.
I was wondering the same thing in reference to maritime. On edge I get 0.28-0.50 mbs so it definitely works. Now I want to do a battery life test with only edge on, then 3g. If this makes a big difference al we would need is a toggle switch via a shortcut tile to make this work great. Or even better Nokia should allow us to have the option for our phones to switch to edge when the screen is off and back to 4g when we're actively using it.
Sent from my Lumia 900 using Board Express
Good information. I was wondering how to open up that menu. Now hurry up and find a way to edit the MMS apn through the diagnostics app like on my lumia 800
Works as suggested. Enjoying LTE speeds finally (the 3G coverage on my Surround sucked) but in testing, it does consume a lot of juice when your screen is on (sleeping is the same as 3G), about 30% more than WiFi. So I might test an Edge/WiFi combo for giggles. FYI, I have access to WiFi 90% of the day.
Sent from my Lumia 900 using Board Express
HSPA+?
So does this allow me to disable LTE and step down to HSPA+ or would I have to go to 3G only? The reason I ask is I'm on an unlimited employee plan but if I change to an LTE device I have to go with a higher data rate and lose the unlimited. Obviously I'm not interested in that but nor am I interested in reverting to 3G. Thanks in advance.
chrism583 said:
So does this allow me to disable LTE and step down to HSPA+ or would I have to go to 3G only? The reason I ask is I'm on an unlimited employee plan but if I change to an LTE device I have to go with a higher data rate and lose the unlimited. Obviously I'm not interested in that but nor am I interested in reverting to 3G. Thanks in advance.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Im unfamiliar with the "unlimitted employee plan" but I have an old grandfathered unlimitted data plan and I went to LTE with no problem. I freaked at first after talking to the sales guy about not wanting to loose the unlimitted and seeing the bill say my unlimitted plan was set to end on a specific date but further down it showed the unlimitted LTE plan picked up on the same date.
chrism583 said:
The reason I ask is I'm on an unlimited employee plan but if I change to an LTE device I have to go with a higher data rate and lose the unlimited.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Unlimited LTE plans certainly exist. That's what I use and I have a FAN discount, what I believe you are referring to as an "employee plan."
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You will have to do some checking. Getting good info for your particular situation is tough.
chrism583 said:
So does this allow me to disable LTE and step down to HSPA+ or would I have to go to 3G only? The reason I ask is I'm on an unlimited employee plan but if I change to an LTE device I have to go with a higher data rate and lose the unlimited. Obviously I'm not interested in that but nor am I interested in reverting to 3G. Thanks in advance.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes and no. You can disable the LTE, but if you want to use the phone properly you will have to change your plan. I am on a similar plan because I work at Radio Shack. I couldn't get my MMS to work and had to manually add my data APN because I was on the unlimited plan. I called my account rep. and she said it was either deal with no MMS and have unlimited data or change it. Granted it's only 10 bucks more to have 5gigs of data so I did that since I don't need unlimited anyway. Might be worth giving your account rep a call when you get a chance.
ddelong22 said:
Yes and no. You can disable the LTE, but if you want to use the phone properly you will have to change your plan. I am on a similar plan because I work at Radio Shack. I couldn't get my MMS to work and had to manually add my data APN because I was on the unlimited plan. I called my account rep. and she said it was either deal with no MMS and have unlimited data or change it. Granted it's only 10 bucks more to have 5gigs of data so I did that since I don't need unlimited anyway. Might be worth giving your account rep a call when you get a chance.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So here is what I don't get. Why does at&t have unlimited LTE plans? I'm on one now. I just don't understand how come I was allowed to get on it but other grandfathered people allegedly would be barred.
By definition everyone on LTE unlimited is grandfathered. Right? at&t only started having LTE phones a couple of months ago. Am I wrong?
It's slightly different because I work for AT&T(a franchise actually) so I don't get to keep my "grandfathered" data plan. I'm probably in the boat of having to try and hack my APN unfortunately. Thank you, though, for all the replies.
sitizenx said:
So here is what I don't get. Why does at&t have unlimited LTE plans? I'm on one now. I just don't understand how come I was allowed to get on it but other grandfathered people allegedly would be barred.
By definition everyone on LTE unlimited is grandfathered. Right? at&t only started having LTE phones a couple of months ago. Am I wrong?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Pretty sure that's correct. My rep simply moved me from my grandfathered Unlimited Plan to the Unlimited LTE Plan when I pre-ordered my L900. No questions asked.
Sent from my Lumia 900 using Board Express

[Competition] TMobile to bring back TRULY UNLIMITED DATA PLAN

You read the title correctly, tmonews and android central. The question is would you switch to Tmobile for 4G HSPA+ data speeds with no caps or overages. I know im seriously thinking about it. The wait for LTE is killing me.
Hmm no caps or overages but..... What about throttling.....
Never mind looks like it will be un throttled.
http://m.androidcentral.com/t-mobile-ready-offer-completely-unlimited-data
No throttling either.
eh, this is how it starts..they offer unlimited then when you download xyz they cripple it to 10KB/s.
after people complain, they will stop throttling then implement a download cap again.
rinse and repeat.
This will be interesting. I'm now doubting how smart it was to sign a new contract with Sprint. With T-Mobile, you have your choice of Nexus and international phones (*cough*Mi2*cough*). Plus, T-Mobile is about to roll out LTE Advance next year. So basically, the plans and pricing should end up similar to Sprint with a very competitive network, but with a much better selection of phones (counting non-T-Mobile-endorsed Nexi and international phones).
I still have confidence in Sprint's NV/LTE upgrade, and I'm plenty satisfied with my S3 for now, so the next 2 years should be good for me, but this news definitely gives one something to ponder.
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My speed test this morning sitting on my porch in the open air with 3 signal bars on 3G.......yes I am STRONGLY considering T-Mobile now.
Sprint sucks and probably always will suck when it comes to data speed.
EDIT: According to the screenshot I had a full signal there smh.
gpgorbosjr said:
My speed test this morning sitting on my porch in the open air with 3 signal bars on 3G.......yes I am STRONGLY considering T-Mobile now.
Sprint sucks and probably always will suck when it comes to data speed.
EDIT: According to the screenshot I had a full signal there smh.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I would make sure t-mobile is good in your area.
One thing that could keep me is that even T-Mo fanboys get mad about the incompetent, outsourced support line. I hate supporting companies that outsource jobs.
gpgorbosjr said:
My speed test this morning sitting on my porch in the open air with 3 signal bars on 3G.......yes I am STRONGLY considering T-Mobile now.
Sprint sucks and probably always will suck when it comes to data speed.
EDIT: According to the screenshot I had a full signal there smh.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Where exactly in jersey are you? I know in new brunswick t-mobile was amazing
Sent from my SPH-L710 using xda app-developers app
DarkManX4lf said:
I would make sure t-mobile is good in your area.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
nikmash232 said:
Where exactly in jersey are you? I know in new brunswick t-mobile was amazing
Sent from my SPH-L710 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm in Linden (right next to Elizabeth)....I don't get those speeds all the time I just screencapped it this AM and was using for an excuse to share it....
I don't have a problem with Sprint's speed like I used to WHEN I GET IT. The problem is there are a lot of areas where it either connects only to 1X (inside certain buildings, but other carriers don't have this issue so it isn't the building) or times like in this screenshot where it is displaying a good 3G signal but the data doesn't actually work, it seems stuck.
I wouldn't switch to T-Mo. There speeds have gotten faster but nothing has changed to ease my mind as to their coverage when making calls. I remember I tried them for a week and there were places I got NO signal. No data, no voice.
EndlessDissent said:
This will be interesting. I'm now doubting how smart it was to sign a new contract with Sprint. With T-Mobile, you have your choice of Nexus and international phones (*cough*Mi2*cough*). Plus, T-Mobile is about to roll out LTE Advance next year. So basically, the plans and pricing should end up similar to Sprint with a very competitive network, but with a much better selection of phones (counting non-T-Mobile-endorsed Nexi and international phones).
I still have confidence in Sprint's NV/LTE upgrade, and I'm plenty satisfied with my S3 for now, so the next 2 years should be good for me, but this news definitely gives one something to ponder.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm in the exact same boat. I've been with Sprint for over a decade and I was upset when they took away the Premire Program considering I had just qualified Gold status shortly after they came out with it. I let it slide because even though I don't use a ton of network data, I hate the idea of being kept to a limit and/or being throttled once I get there.
Like you, I'll give Sprint a fair chance here. I'm around the Chicago area, so we're in full blown Network Vision upgrade which has been hit and miss. Some places are great, others are atrocious. If their plans pan out, I'll stick with Sprint, but if not, I'll gladly jump to a GSM carrier for a variety of reasons, especially now that they're going to offer truly unlimited data as well.
if this holds true, im out of here with sprint. screw giving them a chance when were paying $10 for premium data. Dial up speeds are not premium data. hell even if we werent paying $10 a month, id still be considering it. I cant even access internet pages in good 3g areas half the time without having to refresh 4-5 times/ Let alone getting any of the apps to refresh. when I was with t-mobile. I always got 6-12mbps. Who cares that its hspa+. I would wait for LTE, but judging by what ive read, Sprint LTE has alot of connectivity issues as well.
If tmobile starts to offer unthrottled unlimited data and it cripples the network, then ill be in the same boat im already in with sprint. So i really cant lose. Paying these prices for this type of service is not acceptable to me.
Im at my wits end with sprint
I tried Tmobile for a week before canceling during the 15 day period. Speeds outdoors were good, but when I entered buildings I lost service completely. If you switch to Tmobile make sure you test indoors. I went from 5 bars at my desk to zero.
T-Mobile service is good in my area. I might consider it. GSM is better than CDMA anyways. I always liked tmobile. But i think im gonna have to wait until my contract is over.
nikmash232 said:
Where exactly in jersey are you? I know in new brunswick t-mobile was amazing
Sent from my SPH-L710 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
He posted the longitude/latitude in his speedtest. Just plug those into google maps and you can see his porch.
Sleestax said:
He posted the longitude/latitude in his speedtest. Just plug those into google maps and you can see his porch.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Lol....I don't think the GPS is actually good enough to lead right to my porch....but either way I don't enable the gps satellites so the location is a bit off. Got very close, but still about 3 blocks off.
EDIT: I was more worried about IP haha, but I'm guessing that info there isn't important.
I'm interested in seeing how this pans out. I just wish it was easier to try out T-Mobile in my area without feeling like a douche if I say no and return everything. (lol)
Master_sk3 said:
You read the title correctly, tmonews and android central. The question is would you switch to Tmobile for 4G HSPA+ data speeds with no caps or overages. I know im seriously thinking about it. The wait for LTE is killing me.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If that was confirmed I would be jumping ship asap. But what about the price?
Apple just give up the IPHONE sucks deal with it.
blackdragon79 said:
If that was confirmed I would be jumping ship asap. But what about the price?
Apple just give up the IPHONE sucks deal with it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Supposedly, everything unlimited would be $89.99/Mo. Not sure if that's worth the huge ETF for Sprint, but it's tempting for me, especially since I would pare that down a bit by getting as few minutes as possible.
EndlessDissent said:
Supposedly, everything unlimited would be $89.99/Mo. Not sure if that's worth the huge ETF for Sprint, but it's tempting for me, especially since I would pare that down a bit by getting as few minutes as possible.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Let sprint kick you to the curb all you have to do is roam 24/7 sprint will eventually drop you with no etf. That's a option to try. If t mobile didn't want a fee to sign up I would do just that.
Apple just give up the IPHONE sucks deal with it.

After 20 years on ATT, first time switch to Sprint, very bad

So after almost 20 years on ATT, have never changed providers, multiple models and makes of phones on ATT and never had a signal issue, outages yes, due to storms but once service back, no complaints
Made the switch for the 1st time over to Sprint, Samsung Galaxy S3 16GB (for some reason the automated system recognizes phones as 32GB).
After 48 hours on Sprint, horrible horrible horrible voice quality issues (ATT has quad band coverage in area, both 3G and 4G) and despite phone being a 4G, can only see 3G icon lit, anywhere within 50 miles of home. I am paying a surcharge of 10.00 extra for 4G for multiple phones, have yet to see the service. Yes, Sprint promised it would work.
Purchased legitimate (yes I know I can root using qbking videos and Team Epic files) wifi hotspot to tether, keeps dropping connection every few minutes where ATT tether was flawless.
Sprint says "we are working on new towers, service will improve, you have 14 days to return phones are we will refund or replace..."
Sigh.
It isn't a $10 4g fee
Its a premium data fee A.K.A. unlimited 3g/4g/roaming where available
Use s4gru.com to see when you will get lte
Sent from my Samsung Galaxy Emperor using psycommu
Yes, the $10 fee was originally for wimax 4G, but after people complained Sprint reworded it as "premium data". Now Even smart phones that only have 3G get this charge.
Add far as voice service, yes Sprint is in the middle of their network vision improvements so ymmv, I have great voice service.
Seems you didn't do enough research before you switched to Sprint and went off the sales pitch the person gave you. Sales people in general will say just about anything to make the sale and get the commission.
Sent from Pluto.
The good news is your an educated consumer and you already know you have 14 days to return everything and cancel service and go back to ATT.
IAmSixNine said:
The good news is your an educated consumer and you already know you have 14 days to return everything and cancel service and go back to ATT.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
that's what i would do also. in fact, if sprint's 4g lte service isn't competitive (when it's finally finished) i'm done with sprint and going to at&t.
xdafly said:
So after almost 20 years on ATT, have never changed providers, multiple models and makes of phones on ATT and never had a signal issue, outages yes, due to storms but once service back, no complaints
Made the switch for the 1st time over to Sprint, Samsung Galaxy S3 16GB (for some reason the automated system recognizes phones as 32GB).
After 48 hours on Sprint, horrible horrible horrible voice quality issues (ATT has quad band coverage in area, both 3G and 4G) and despite phone being a 4G, can only see 3G icon lit, anywhere within 50 miles of home. I am paying a surcharge of 10.00 extra for 4G for multiple phones, have yet to see the service. Yes, Sprint promised it would work.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1. The GS3 is an LTE phone, not a 4G phone. So if they havent turned on LTE in your area, then yeah no duh you wont get it.
2. You are paying $10 a month for data, not specifically 4G. Yes its BS but deal with it, every company has the charge but in different words.
3. If its not working, complain that you get no service and return it for a refund. You have 14 days.
xdafly said:
Purchased legitimate (yes I know I can root using qbking videos and Team Epic files) wifi hotspot to tether, keeps dropping connection every few minutes where ATT tether was flawless.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
4. WHY!? Why would you pay? Rooting has 100 different benefits.
My question is, do you even know what you are doing? Did you read ANYTHING about the phone or how it works, did you research the service quality in your area before switching?
Where are you located? I can understand your frustration, it's hard for me to believe that you are saying that ATT voice is clearer than Sprints
I mean I guess if you're roaming and on another tower not owned by Sprint
I'm going to guess your location is your major problem, do you live in a rural area? Sprint works really well in Metro areas, not so much in the rural areas although they are broadening their coverage to these type of areas.
In my opinion, CDMA technology has sharper voice than GSM
Too bad you are experiencing this type of issue.
so you are at the age of 38-40 years old?
Kinda came at a wrong time
Sent from the next galaxy far far away
Wow Sprint has bad voice? That's the first I ever heard of that.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using xda premium
Its easy...return the equipment and cancel the contract
Sent from my iPhone 4S using Tapatalk
pacifik.fuzion said:
in fact, if sprint's 4g lte service isn't competitive (when it's finally finished) i'm done with sprint and going to at&t.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If it saves you a year of misery, Sprint's stated *GOAL* for network vision is a pathetic 6 mbps. Compare that *goal* to what people you know are getting with AT&T, Verizon, and even T-mobile *today*, and decide for yourself whether Sprint is even worth bothering with.
Frankly, I'm through with Sprint. If it weren't for the Galaxy Note 2 tantalizing me on or before 10/15, I'd have probably gone to the AT&T store today and bought a GS3 instead. In fact, if they announce a release date after that, I'll just get the S3, becase I hate my unflashable Photon with a passion, and can't replace it with a Sprint S3 because *then* I'd have no usable data service (wimax works ok here, but no LTE yet, and EVDO here has been 6 to ~80kbps down lately. I had faster 1xRTT 5 years ago).
Sent from my MB855 using Tapatalk 2
I have a car I can sell you...but you can't test drive it first
i been telling people to stay clear from sprint for months. I will admit it's bad if your coming from a carrier with usable internet pretty much everyone except Sprint, it will be hard adjusting. I used 8 gigs a month at T-Mobile and with sprint I'm lucky to crack 500 mb. I will be heading back to T-Mobile after dec lesson well learned if it ain't broke don't fix it.
Sent from my SPH-L710 using XDA Premium App
Location, Location, Location.........
Sent from my SPH-L710 using xda premium
lballer69 said:
Location, Location, Location.........
Sent from my SPH-L710 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Exactly. It's just about stable enough in Dallas that I have ditched my AT&T Note and strictly carry my Sprint phone. Att and Verizon speeds are comparable. Voice quality in this market is unmatched. Sprint wins hands down. whoopdy doo...Tmobile now has unlimited...and is garbage here in big D.
The only one here in the market that may have a competitive edge is Metro with voice over LTE...though their unlImIted data, speeds are capped at 5mbps
I'm not even going to get into the whole grandfathered data on Att being throttled and the new share plans pricing structure being absurd.
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I seriously dont understand how people complain about sprint. Its probably 25-35% cheaper compared to every other contract carrier...and was one of the first contract carriers to offer unlimited data, not sure if it still is. I get many discounts off my bill simply because I have state farm insurance and other various memberships. I had verizon for YEARS, switched to sprint, could hardly tell the difference. 90% of the time its all in your head.
siirus09 said:
1. The GS3 is an LTE phone, not a 4G phone. So if they havent turned on LTE in your area, then yeah no duh you wont get it.
4. WHY!? Why would you pay? Rooting has 100 different benefits.
:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
LTE is 4g....
And because sometimes people are honest? If everyone just stole it, Sprint would be much more likely to figure out a way to block it. If you're going to actually use it regularly I think people should pay for it.
pacifik.fuzion said:
that's what i would do also. in fact, if sprint's 4g lte service isn't competitive (when it's finally finished) i'm done with sprint and going to at&t.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Excelent move
bitbang3r said:
If it saves you a year of misery, Sprint's stated *GOAL* for network vision is a pathetic 6 mbps. Compare that *goal* to what people you know are getting with AT&T, Verizon, and even T-mobile *today*, and decide for yourself whether Sprint is even worth bothering with.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I was under the impression that 6mbps was their goal for their average speeds. People with Sprint LTE right now are posting 30 mbps speeds. When I had Verizon I would get 5 mbps on LTE at home, where I had low signal, and 25 to 30 at work, where I had excellent signal. There's a huge difference when talking between peak and average speeds.

[Q] Anyone running Simple Mobile? Did you need to unlock for it to work?

Just curious if anyone was able to use Simple Mobile without unlocking your GS3. Simple mobile customer service told me no, then I spoke with a tecnical assistance person and they said that since it is a tmobile phone it is rare that you will need to unlock it.
The reason I am not taking their word on this issue just yet is
1) I have gotten two different answers from them for this question, and
2) When I hooked up my LG G2X with them it, the Simple Mobile APN kept switching back to Tmobile APN when I would try to set it up. They then tried to delete the Tmobile APN but it was ghosted and could not be deleted so it needed to be unlocked to do so.
So, again, has anyone hooked up with Simple Mobile without unlocking and data and calls functioning properly? Thanks.
I have simple mobile with the sg3. there's no need to unlock. The t-mobile apn with remain but it hasn't caused me any issues.
TheKid1 said:
Just curious if anyone was able to use Simple Mobile without unlocking your GS3. Simple mobile customer service told me no, then I spoke with a tecnical assistance person and they said that since it is a tmobile phone it is rare that you will need to unlock it.
The reason I am not taking their word on this issue just yet is
1) I have gotten two different answers from them for this question, and
2) When I hooked up my LG G2X with them it, the Simple Mobile APN kept switching back to Tmobile APN when I would try to set it up. They then tried to delete the Tmobile APN but it was ghosted and could not be deleted so it needed to be unlocked to do so.
So, again, has anyone hooked up with Simple Mobile without unlocking and data and calls functioning properly? Thanks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just an fyi. Simple Mobile will throttle you at about 3gb of data. You won't be able to exceed 240kbs. Ask me how I know. You are better off doing prepaid direct via tmobile atleast you know for sure when you will be throttled.
Sent from my SGH-T999 using Tapatalk 2
jerseykat1 said:
Just an fyi. Simple Mobile will throttle you at about 3gb of data. You won't be able to exceed 240kbs. Ask me how I know. You are better off doing prepaid direct via tmobile atleast you know for sure when you will be throttled.
Sent from my SGH-T999 using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Im not sure you know what you are talking about? Where are you located? Im in eastern long island which is not a 4g area but I just speed tested and im getting 661.157kbps. I have not tried speed test in a 4g area but this still exceeds what you have stated.
You are correct about the 3gb of data allowance, but they did not throttle me after I have hit the 3gb margin, rather they shut my data off completely.
What prepaid plan does tmobile have to offer? Right now I pay $50 a month for supposed "unlimited" 3g/4g data, unlimited talk/text.
All T-Mobile phones work with Simple Mobile. I've been with them for a year and I got no complaints. I just bought a T-Mobile branded S3 and had no problems cutting my SIM card and using it on the phone. They do sell Micro SIM cards on eBay for pennies if you'd like to buy one.
I get 17mbs down on tmobile near my home in central NJ, I have gotten 7mbs down in NYC and most places average about 7-10mbs down. Tmobile speeds are good. You will get the same speeds on simple mobile until you use about 3gb worth of data, then they will throttle your connection (meaning slow it down considerably).. I know because I tried simple mobile for a little bit, and that's what I experienced.... Tmobile prepaid offers a plan with unlimited everything aswell for 70 bucks, however you don't get throttled until you exceed 5gb worth of data use, they are upfront, plain and clear about it... Simple Mobile will not be upfront about there data limits and at what point they start to throttle your speeds down to 240kbs... I have only been on tmo prepaid for about 3 weeks now and so far I am satisfied with there coverage, and data speeds. Tmo now offers an 70 dollar plan with unlimited everything and unthrottled data. But you have to sign a contract to get on that plan.... But if I can work within the constraints of 5gb then I'm okay..... I may give straight talk tmobile sim a try to see if they start throttling at any point.. I have heard conflicting stories about them, some say they do some say they don't.. No I do not tether.
Sent from my SGH-T999 using Tapatalk 2
TheKid1 said:
Im not sure you know what you are talking about? Where are you located? Im in eastern long island which is not a 4g area but I just speed tested and im getting 661.157kbps. I have not tried speed test in a 4g area but this still exceeds what you have stated.
You are correct about the 3gb of data allowance, but they did not throttle me after I have hit the 3gb margin, rather they shut my data off completely.
What prepaid plan does tmobile have to offer? Right now I pay $50 a month for supposed "unlimited" 3g/4g data, unlimited talk/text.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Check your apn settings the apn settings provided on the simple mobile site will give you crappy speeds. Long Island is listed as a 4G area on tmo website. There is a coverage map in this forum in the modems download thread. When I first installed the sim I got from simple my speeds were crap, but my wife on tmo was getting great speeds in the same house with the same phone. So I googled "best apn setting for simple mobile" made the change and the difference was dramatic. Change the top half to look like this and leave the rest alone.
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jerseykat1 said:
I get 17mbs down on tmobile near my home in central NJ, I have gotten 7mbs down in NYC and most places average about 7-10mbs down. Tmobile speeds are good. You will get the same speeds on simple mobile until you use about 3gb worth of data, then they will throttle your connection (meaning slow it down considerably).. I know because I tried simple mobile for a little bit, and that's what I experienced.... Tmobile prepaid offers a plan with unlimited everything aswell for 70 bucks, however you don't get throttled until you exceed 5gb worth of data use, they are upfront, plain and clear about it... Simple Mobile will not be upfront about there data limits and at what point they start to throttle your speeds down to 240kbs... I have only been on tmo prepaid for about 3 weeks now and so far I am satisfied with there coverage, and data speeds. Tmo now offers an 70 dollar plan with unlimited everything and unthrottled data. But you have to sign a contract to get on that plan.... But if I can work within the constraints of 5gb then I'm okay..... I may give straight talk tmobile sim a try to see if they start throttling at any point.. I have heard conflicting stories about them, some say they do some say they don't.. No I do not tether.
Sent from my SGH-T999 using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Is that $70 with tax and all the othe bs fees included or no?
Can someone explain to me what the best speed test site would be and how to read it? I went to mobilespeedtest.com and I get different kbps everytime? Which mb should I be testing at, they have 100kb 200kb 500mb, 800mb, etc options. Which kbps is reasonable? When I did it the first time I got 661.157kbps at the 100kb testing option, then I did it again and got 800kbps, then again and got amost 900kbps. It keeps changing wtf?
Dont buy into SM!
Dont do it!
read this befor buying into SM
http://simplemobilefraud.com/
Amore514 said:
Dont do it!
read this befor buying into SM
http://simplemobilefraud.com/
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ok, so they are not truly unlimited, but what is the alternative? Here we have tmobile gs3's, what are the other options? The OP stated you can get an unlimited plan with T Mobile at 70 dollars a month but he hasn't stated whether that was with tax or not. He also stated that you have to sign a contract with them. As of right now simple mobile for me isn't that bad. The speeds are decent and I haven't had any other problems besides for them cutting my data completely off after I have reached 3 gigabytes of data but that was because I was playing ps3 call of duty using my data service so I guess I deserve that 1 but other than that I have never reached 3 gigabytes of data under normal use. so if anyone has any other suggestions for unlimited plan please let me know.

AT&T vs Sprint for Note 2

I am looking to purchase the Note 2 and I have the option of Sprint or AT&T, is there any real benefit of one carrier vs the other for this particular phone?
noitall77 said:
I am looking to purchase the Note 2 and I have the option of Sprint or AT&T, is there any real benefit of one carrier vs the other for this particular phone?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Im pretty sure the phones are the exact same but with at&t your service may be better depending on your location. Sprint is behind on 4g and 4g lte coverage. Sprint has unlimited data and I don't think at&t offers that. So if I were you I would ask friends that live in your area to get their opinions or even google search and see if you can find any forums that tell about at&t coverage in your area. Hope I helped some!
Sent from my SPH-L900 using xda app-developers app
noitall77 said:
I am looking to purchase the Note 2 and I have the option of Sprint or AT&T, is there any real benefit of one carrier vs the other for this particular phone?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
They are the same I woukd go with sprint they are way cheaper and with a phone of this caliber you need unlimited. They are launching LTE pretty fast I got a great lte connection in Tampa Florida pretty much everywhere i go it suoer fast and consistent.
Sent from my SPH-L900 using xda app-developers app
Sprint also supposedly claims they want lte running anywhere 3g is eventually.... getting it everywhere I go anymore
~swyped from my galaxy note 2 on the now network
scottypeterson said:
Im pretty sure the phones are the exact same but with at&t your service may be better depending on your location. Sprint is behind on 4g and 4g lte coverage. Sprint has unlimited data and I don't think at&t offers that. So if I were you I would ask friends that live in your area to get their opinions or even google search and see if you can find any forums that tell about at&t coverage in your area. Hope I helped some!
Sent from my SPH-L900 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Pretty much this.
DarkManX4lf said:
Pretty much this.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have an unlimited data plan with AT&T that I have had for years so it looks like I will stick with AT&T due to coverage
noitall77 said:
I have an unlimited data plan with AT&T that I have had for years so it looks like I will stick with AT&T due to coverage
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Coverage is exactly what you should look at.
We have an att note 2 and a sprint note 2....equally fantastic. Coverage in my area is pretty much the same here, the wife just wants to stick with att since she has had them so long.
If one didnt have unlimited on att ...I would def look towards sprint
Is att still throttling after 5gb of use? Thats a huge factor on why I gave up my line
Sent from my SPH-L900 using xda app-developers app
Since AT&T throttles all unlimited data plans (except those that were grandfathered in) past 5gb/mo. But Sprint doesn't yet have the extensive LTE coverage that AT&T does. If you live in an area where Sprint has rolled out its 4G LTE network, or predominantly use Wifi, I'd suggest Sprint. On the other hand, if Sprint only has 3G in your home zone and you can't rely on wifi consistently when you need the higher speeds, AT&T may be the way to go. I've been with Sprint for nearly 15 years and don't mind waiting for their LTE network. (tho I certainly hope for sooner rather than later) For me, the bandwidth throttling on downloads over the 5GB/mo is a deal breaker. I typically use 25+GB/mo on my phone and Sprint never throttles by bandwidth.
* I'm Rick James, *****! *
I can confirm no throttling by Sprint. Since getting the GN2, I''m using over 50GB of data per month. It's up from the 25GB or more when I had the Evo 4G and used 3G almost exclusive; I had access to WiMax if I went to certain towns. I live in area LTE, but it's not everywhere, so I bounce between both all the time.
The other big difference, Sprint is CDMA and has the simcard built in. ATT is GMA, which is used world wide. ATT may not have the simcard build in, and thus world travel friendly. Something to consider if you plan on traveling.
Beyond that, I would just look at your data usages, carrier coverage, and reliability.
Lastly, you do realize we're going to be bias to Sprint.
lovekeiiy said:
I can confirm no throttling by Sprint. Since getting the GN2, I''m using over 50GB of data per month. It's up from the 25GB or more when I had the Evo 4G and used 3G almost exclusive; I had access to WiMax if I went to certain towns. I live in area LTE, but it's not everywhere, so I bounce between both all the time.
The other big difference, Sprint is CDMA and has the simcard built in. ATT is GMA, which is used world wide. ATT may not have the simcard build in, and thus world travel friendly. Something to consider if you plan on traveling.
Beyond that, I would just look at your data usages, carrier coverage, and reliability.
Lastly, you do realize we're going to be bias to Sprint.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
A slight correction here, the Sprint GN2 can be used "worldwide," but only in certain areas I believe. And you'll be paying out the ass for the service, as you cannot put a cheapy sim in there, you have to pay for Sprint's world service. Sucks
So yes if travel is something that you need to do with your GN2, ATT may be the better carrier. But you'll probably save a good $30 a month with Sprint, which is more than enough to cover a cheap burner phone purchase for when you're traveling. Keep the note on ya for wifi connectivity, use the burner for phone calls, save money
the above is correct that the phone as some kind of GSM radio in it. And that you pay a mighty fee to use it too. I wasn't thinking about that when I wrote my post. I know a lot people prefer to just sim card swap and be able to use the local, and cheap, service. Also, GSM is used workd wide. Whereas, CDMA is not. Some carriers in the USA used. There are a couple others carriers outside the USA, but they're far and few.
If you can hold out for Sprint LTE to get some decent nationwide coverage, go with Sprint. Unlimited data is CRUCIAL. 3G is manageable for now.
I would check with speedtest on an att and Sprint phone. Also check Sprint 4g lte coverage in your area. If they have it or are on list to get it then choose Sprint. Sprint keeps improving every week. But if it looks like Sprint won't be good for a while in your area and att is already good and you don't mind higher prices and tiered data then choose att.
Sent from my Amazing Galaxy Note 2!
If you have unlimited At&T right now then by all means don't switch to sprint. My friend has a grandfathered at&t plan and im really jealous. Everywhere in texas that I actually have lte his speed test beats mine 15 mbs or more. His has 4g lte EVERYWHERE. I can't speak on behalf of the entire United States but as for Texas, you should go with at&t if you have unlimited.
Sent from my SPH-L900 using xda app-developers app
As I'm unsure where you are located, I'm sure this won't help you, but here is a Sprint lte speed test. At my house, just south of Baltimore.
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~swyped from my galaxy note 2 on the now network
What's the coverage like in your area? How much data do you use? How much are you willing to pay?
If you do have "unlimited" grandfathered data, it is still throttled after a couple gigs, meaning you'd likely be better off with Sprint if they have the coverage.
Regarding price, Sprint is usually cheaper for family plans, but not necessarily for individuals.

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