Pre paid sim card (USA) - Galaxy Note II Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting

Hello ,
I'm heading over to Miami at the end of march to go to umf and would like to get what I guess is a pre paid sim card for my unlocked note 2. I'm looking for what I would call pay as you go , top it up with some minutes and data. Any price guide lines or carrier recommendations for this?
Thanks,
J
Sent from my GT-N7100 using xda app-developers app

I'm also looking into prepaid plans for this phone (gt-n7100, french model). From what I gather, this model will work on AT&T and get hspa+ and it will work on T-mobile and get 2g speeds in most of the country with some (rare) places getting 4-g. You can get straight talk compatible cards designed for phones from either network. The straight-talk AT&T cards have been discontinued, but are still available on ebay for $50ish. There is also a company called net10 that says they support AT&T phones, so you could probably get the hspa+ speeds with them, as well. On straight talk, the data is supposed to be unlimited, but some people are saying AT&T phones get limited to 2GB. On net10, the fine print says something about full-speed data being limited to 1.5GB.
So far, these are the only options I've looked at. I'd be happy to hear about other prepaid sim options in the USA for the GT-n7100.
edit
After some looking around, I see that t-mobile has some project going on where they are "refarming" some of their 2g towers to 1900mhz hspa+. This would allow our phone to operate at better-than-2g speeds. From looking at youtube videos, there's are quite a few people with unlocked phones on t-mobile showing off some pretty good 3g speeds. If you don't happen to be in an area that has been refarmed, you'd be stuck at the 2g speeds. I got ahold of somebody from t-mobile's tech support to ask about which areas have been upgraded so far, and she was a complete idiot. I guess the only way to know if you are in one of the magic areas is to pop in one of their sim cards and see what happens.

Related

T Mobile USA/International One X owners in need of new SIM when...?

Hello all.
It appears we can expect the transition for 3g data on the 1900 MHz PCS band sometime between now and the end of the year as T Mobile is really looking to deploy LTE in 2013.
So, we (T Mo USA customers) all learned the hard way that we needed an older model micro SIM in order to get data on our phone.
Does anyone know if we will need a newer micro SIM (actually-the current micro SIM provided by T Mobile for the One S) to access the 3g data once it has been deployed?
What do you opine? Any insight would be great.
Thanks!
Shouldn't need to. Some places already have the 1900Mhz deployed as test beds and I haven't heard anything about needing a new sim.
All SIMs do nowadays is hold your subscriber number that gets relayed to a tower. That number is then looked up in a database to see if you meet requirements (e.g. are a paying customer, what services you have enabled, etc.).
I have an old SIM from 2007 that I am still using so I it doesn't work I'll let you know
I had no trouble going from a 2G to a 3G device with it if that helps you.
The only thing I'm worried about is if the 1900Mhz will be counted as roaming on AT&T and whether we'll have to pay extra for it.
I'm not getting data. I just got a sim card from tmobile today.
No data for me. Talked to tmobile and they said to talk to HTC.
What should i do?
Ask for an older SIM. The newer SIMs that Tmo has been using haven't worked on One Xs. Try seeing if they have any older miniSIMs and then you can cut it into a microSim.
jonshipman said:
Shouldn't need to. Some places already have the 1900Mhz deployed as test beds and I haven't heard anything about needing a new sim.
All SIMs do nowadays is hold your subscriber number that gets relayed to a tower. That number is then looked up in a database to see if you meet requirements (e.g. are a paying customer, what services you have enabled, etc.).
I have an old SIM from 2007 that I am still using so I it doesn't work I'll let you know
I had no trouble going from a 2G to a 3G device with it if that helps you.
The only thing I'm worried about is if the 1900Mhz will be counted as roaming on AT&T and whether we'll have to pay extra for it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
T Mobile has roaming agreements with AT&T, so I wouldn't worry about that. With regards to 3g on the 1900 MHz PCS band, it actually has nothing to do with roaming agreements via AT&T. T Mobile is actually reframing their network to allow HSPA and HSPA+ via 1900 spectrum opposed to its current structure which only supports 2g data on the same frequency.
According to T Mobile, they are refarming frequencies of their network to modernize their network; pushing 3g traffic to their 1900 MHz frequency allows them to deploy true LTE on their current 3g AWS bands (1700/2100).
My original concern was, how there is clearly an incompatibility with the newer micro SIMs and the international One X, will that incompatibility cause me to have to switch SIMs when 3g is moved over 1900? I'm not savvy enough to understand the issue between T Mo's current micro SIMs and the reasoning behind the incompatibility with the One X. I certainly don't want to miss out on faster HSPA speeds when it does take off in Boston so, I figured I would ask.
Do you have your One X set to GSM or GSM/WCDMA auto? I currently have mine set on the latter.
Thanks!
AndG404 said:
I'm not getting data. I just got a sim card from tmobile today.
No data for me. Talked to tmobile and they said to talk to HTC.
What should i do?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There is a thread in the General section discussing this.
You should call into a local store and say you need an older micro SIM, specifically ask for a non GBA micro SIM. If your local store does not have one in stock, the rep might be nice enough to email other local reps and call you back (as they did with me) when they receive a response. Hopefully, you wont strike out. If so, you would have to eBay or Amazon your older micro SIM.
I ended up driving about 10 miles from my office to pick one up as none of the T Mobile stores closest to me (6 of them) had them in stock. When I finally got one, I had never been happier getting Edge speeds in my life, lol.
Thanks, man!
:good::good::good:
batequeixo said:
:good::good::good:
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Click to collapse
No prob! Glad I could help
Status update...
I thought it would be courteous to update all reading this thread on my discoveries.
I've re-visited the T-Mobile store with a copy of the information found on this thread in hands, only to find that the guys working on that store are either unprepared or unwilling to help. They told me that T-Mobile only carries one type of micro sim across all their stores, they indicated they were not willing to do the legwork, very disappointing since I've been T-Mobile's customer for over 10 years.
Sounds like the alternative is to dig this special, older micro sim out of ebay or amazon, or move to another provider.
Any other alternatives?
That stinks!
Please know that I too struck out after calling 3 local stores (all within 3-5 miles). You probably got someone with less experience or perhaps you went during store peak hours. I recommend you call a branch (obviously not that one) and ask for a manager. Let the manager know that you are looking for a specific type of micro SIM, a non GBA kind. Let him or her know that you have struck via customer care and that he is your last resort as the T Mobile store closest to where you live no longer carry that SIM.
Out of all of T Mo stores that I called, only one person had no clue of what I was talking about but did get someone else on the phone for me. They all told me they no longer carried the older micro SIM.
Don't let this experience discourage you. If you want it for free, you have to call around.
Last resort would be eBay, etc.
Good luck bro!
Hey guys, im thinking of getting a One X for t-mobile and I want to know if all full size sims are non GBA. i already have a cut down full size sim so will that work in the One X on edge speeds?
Jelly: That's what I did when I first got my international HOX and it worked fine with EDGE. Please share if you start receiving 4G speeds....
Thanks,
Why dont you guys just wait till tmo announces their new htc one+?

Can the Sprint GS3 be unlocked to use international GSM?

Title says it all. I will be deploying soon (ARNG), and want to know if my new GS3 will work overseas. Thanks.
I doubt it. It doesn't have a SIM slot visible... I also doubt it has an internal one for GSM use. The Verizon version apparently does or will have that functionality. Verizon peeps, is there a SIM slot visible on yours?
Sent from my SPH-L710 using xda premium
That's not good. The big question now is do I get a phone that I'll only be able to use for 6 months. :-(
there's a sim slot for the LTE sim card under the battery cover on verizon is that what you mean?
so sprint does not have a sim [gsm] capability?
=(
i have the USCellular version of the galaxy and they give you a sim card for the phone to support their LTE service for 4G.
jasondhsd said:
there's a sim slot for the LTE sim card under the battery cover on verizon is that what you mean?
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Click to collapse
I thought I read somewhere that the Verizon and Sprint GS3 were supposed to be identical hardware wise.
Verizon and Sprint still live in a tiny bubble where the USA is the only country on the planet.....CDMA is old outdated technology, but they try to make it sound cool with 'LTE' catchphrases and the like.
GSM is the predominant service on the planet for cell phones - period. And that's why I have stuck with T-Mobile, even when sometimes their US coverage is not the greatest. I am usually never far from a wi-fi hotspot (they are EVERYWHERE and free in lots of places), so I can live with the coverage issues here and there. Let's face it, all the carriers have coverage issues depending on where you are, so it all balances in the end.
If you actually travel to other countries and would like to take advantage of very cheap pre-paid SIM cards that let you use GSM providers globally, then don't buy a Sprint or Verizon phone. The roaming charges will make it nonviable unless you like getting hit for up to $5 per minute! Many don't realize that cell phone plans in the US are ridiculously overpriced compared to most other countries (Australia, Europe, UK etc), because there's a thing in these other countries called competition and that has every company fighting for your business. Here in the US, we have the big 4 trying to monopolize everything, although there is change in the wind with companies like CREDO (great company BTW - shame it's on Sprint's network so global use is out), Virgin Mobile, Walmart and MetroPCS making the big 4 be more competitive. I still can't believe Verizon's plan costs - my girlfriend and I happened to stop and chat with them in Costco the other day and for us to have unlimited voice, text and SHARE 2GB of data a month it would be way over $220 per month for us both.
With T-Mobile we have unlimited everything (2GB data EACH, and then they 'may' throttle beyond that, although I haven't experienced a slow down when I've only just gone over) for $140 a month total.
It's easy to unlock a GSM phone to be able to use local SIM cards in whatever country you are in, giving you complete freedom on planet earth.
Or you can stick with your 'LTE' (Limited Talk Everywhere)..lol
Globespy said:
Verizon and Sprint still live in a tiny bubble where the USA is the only country on the planet.....CDMA is old outdated technology, but they try to make it sound cool with 'LTE' catchphrases and the like.
GSM is the predominant service on the planet for cell phones - period. And that's why I have stuck with T-Mobile, even when sometimes their US coverage is not the greatest. I am usually never far from a wi-fi hotspot (they are EVERYWHERE and free in lots of places), so I can live with the coverage issues here and there. Let's face it, all the carriers have coverage issues depending on where you are, so it all balances in the end.
If you actually travel to other countries and would like to take advantage of very cheap pre-paid SIM cards that let you use GSM providers globally, then don't buy a Sprint or Verizon phone. The roaming charges will make it nonviable unless you like getting hit for up to $5 per minute! Many don't realize that cell phone plans in the US are ridiculously overpriced compared to most other countries (Australia, Europe, UK etc), because there's a thing in these other countries called competition and that has every company fighting for your business. Here in the US, we have the big 4 trying to monopolize everything, although there is change in the wind with companies like CREDO (great company BTW - shame it's on Sprint's network so global use is out), Virgin Mobile, Walmart and MetroPCS making the big 4 be more competitive. I still can't believe Verizon's plan costs - my girlfriend and I happened to stop and chat with them in Costco the other day and for us to have unlimited voice, text and SHARE 2GB of data a month it would be way over $220 per month for us both.
With T-Mobile we have unlimited everything (2GB data EACH, and then they 'may' throttle beyond that, although I haven't experienced a slow down when I've only just gone over) for $140 a month total.
It's easy to unlock a GSM phone to be able to use local SIM cards in whatever country you are in, giving you complete freedom on planet earth.
Or you can stick with your 'LTE' (Limited Talk Everywhere)..lol
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And what's your point?
To the OP: no, you can't use a SIM card on a Sprint S3, so no GSM.
Sent from my O=O
csmasn said:
And what's your point?
To the OP: no, you can't use a SIM card on a Sprint S3, so no GSM.
Sent from my O=O
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Click to collapse
I did have a long answer, but thought my point was pretty obvious to the OP?
If you travel internationally and still want to use your phone (wifi hotspots using grooveIP doesn't count as global use), then buying a Sprint or Verizon GS3, or any other verizon/sprint phone is a poor choice, unless you don't mind coming home to a monstrous bill (easily several hundred dollars, and that's conservative if he is overseas for 6+ months at average international roaming charges of $3.50 per minute, but as high as $5 per minute).
If you already bought the phone from Sprint you should have a 30 day return/cancellation policy, which in your case would be wise to utilize, even moreso if you plan on regular international travel - Sprint/Verizon are bad choices for regular world travel. If you can't/don't want to cancel service, then you would be wise to buy a local el-cheapo pre-paid phone in the country you are based. Your GS3 is only useful for wifi calling/playing solitaire unless you can afford hundreds/thousands $'s bill over your 6 month stay.
Good luck to you.
Edit: Just noticed your OP was in July, so you are stuck with your phone......local prepaid phone is your option.

Using T999 on AT&T?

(Did a quick forum search on this and didn't see anything that answered my question, so if this is around somewhere, I apologize.)
Okay, I'm currently with Verizon Wireless, and generally happy with my service, but what I am unhappy with is my bill (I pay $220+ a month for 4 lines, only 2 of which are Smart Phones). I'm thinking of switching to T-Mobile's prepaid service when my contract is up, and my and my wife both like the Galaxy S3, but I'm leery about T-Mobile's service in my area (I live in a rather Rural area). Ideally, I'd buy an unlocked version of the phone to use with prepaid plans (so if I'm dissatisfied with one prepaid service, I just switch out SIM cards and port my number), BUT unfortunately, the unlocked versions of the S3 that I've found don't work with the T-Mobile HSPA+ band (1700 MHz). However, what I have found is that when comparing the T999 with the I747 (T-Mobile and AT&T versions, respectively), I've found that (LTE aside) the frequencies they operate on are exactly the same, with the difference being only that T-Mobile's can use the 1700 MHz frequency.
SO, my question is: If I went ahead and sprung for a couple of T999's and found that T-Mobile didn't work for me, could I just unlock the phone for use with AT&T and pop in an AT&T SIM, and enjoy AT&T's HSPA+ goodness? Or is there something I'm missing? I know that the other way around won't work (only in very, VERY isolated spots will T-Mobile customers with unlocked iPhones and Droids that operate on 1900 MHz frequencies actually get more than EDGE speeds with their devices), but this seems like the best option (barring buying a GSM Galaxy Nexus from the Google PLAY store, which I'm not sure will be available when my contract is up - I hear that there's a new Galaxy Device being cooked up, and I'm not holding my breath for Google to sell it alongside an older Nexus device).
Opinions?
FYI, I'm not worried about LTE right now. As I said, I live in a rural area that's lucky to have 3G. LTE might not EVER make it to my area (AT&T just added 3G to my area in the last year), so HSPA+ (whether 21 Mbps or T-Mobile's 42 Mbps) is plenty fast for me (my Verizon Wireless Xperia PLAY currently pulls down 1.5 Mbps on a good day).
Link to T999: htt p://ww w.gsmarena. com/samsung_galaxy_s_iii_t999-4804.php
Link to I747: htt p://ww w.gsmarena. com/samsung_galaxy_s_iii_i747-4803.php
(Remove spaces. Would have hyperlinked, but as I don't yet have ten posts, that's illegal.)
Wow. It's refreshing to see someone do research before asking a question.
Yes, that would probably be your best bet. You can use the T-999 on AT&T HSPA+ just fine. You can even use it on Medianet's $10 unlimited data I believe since it isn't an AT&T phone. I feel like you will likely end up doing this as T-Mobile prepaid has a smaller coverage footprint than postpaid (or so they claim).
So yes, if you don't care about LTE, this would work just fine for you.
At&t user here. Yeah hspa+ works fine on it. If losing lte isn't an issue for you then go for it.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-T999 using Tapatalk 2
I was on the same boat as the OP. I bought an unlocked T999 and I am currently using on ATT's network, but through Straight Talk. I still get HSPA speeds w/o the 5GB cap.
Another AT&T user here also using Medianet plan.. Works perfect on hspa+
sent from my AOKP powered s3
Bump. Is there any specific apn settings to get h+. As i have heard straightalk at&t with tmobile s3 only gets edge speeds? Please tell me i was told wrong lol. Thanks
1slow4G said:
Bump. Is there any specific apn settings to get h+. As i have heard straightalk at&t with tmobile s3 only gets edge speeds? Please tell me i was told wrong lol. Thanks
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In a similar situation!
I have the T999 with T-mobile and am moving to Kauai, am there now and the service is worthless. I looked at AT&T's prices for shi*ts and giggles and ugh, no. I just ordered a straight talk AT&T compatible sim from walmart, will need to cut it because everywhere is out of micro sims, and would like to know how successful the T999 is on the AT&T compatible network of straight talk. I seriously feel lost without data to my phone, it hurts.
I have been researching and researching the band frequencies and everything points to that it should work. I just got this phone after my rooted/unlocked SGS4g went into a toilet and then sold on ebay.
lol
BTW long time viewer of XDA, has been successful in unlocking/rooting/flashing the SGS4g and the T999, with a mac I might add which always makes things complicated.
Thanks again
adelynn2006 said:
In a similar situation!
I have the T999 with T-mobile and am moving to Kauai, am there now and the service is worthless. I looked at AT&T's prices for shi*ts and giggles and ugh, no. I just ordered a straight talk AT&T compatible sim from walmart, will need to cut it because everywhere is out of micro sims, and would like to know how successful the T999 is on the AT&T compatible network of straight talk. I seriously feel lost without data to my phone, it hurts.
I have been researching and researching the band frequencies and everything points to that it should work. I just got this phone after my rooted/unlocked SGS4g went into a toilet and then sold on ebay.
lol
BTW long time viewer of XDA, has been successful in unlocking/rooting/flashing the SGS4g and the T999, with a mac I might add which always makes things complicated.
Thanks again
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have my t999 unlocked and with straighttalk at&t sim. I am getting 4g symbol which is hspa+ on at&t terms. Speed is great, loads up browser pages faster than my wifes tmobile and hers is on 4g aswell. Couldn't be happier. But at home and at work I have wifi so i try to avoid using too much data to avoid the infamous data cap
Sent from my Galaxy S3 using neighbors wifi

[Q] Straight Talk - At&T vs T-mobile Questions

Hi all I have a few questions I am hoping someone can answer. I currently have a At&T i717 Note I am using on Straight Talk with a AT&T sim card.
I am getting ok speeds with it and good indoor building coverage. It is unlocked and I had been using it on contract with T-mobile with much better speeds but I couldn't use it at work being in a concrete hospital low building permeability. I am now trying to decide which Note II to buy that will work for me best.
My questions are as follows:
1. Does the Note II use mini sim, or nano sim like the iphone or normal size like the Note i717. Currently Straight Talk only offers mini sim cards for At&t coverage map and not T-mobile (yet I am contacting them to see if they are planning on offering this).
2. Is it difficult to cut down a sim to be the correct size for the Note II if I do want to buy the T-mobile Note II and use it on Straight Talk (faster speeds in my area).
3. Will the AT&T Note II have the ability to be unlocked and used on HSPA+ on Tmobile with flash of different modems like the Note I was modded to do (or without modding)? Or are the radios/modems already compatible on both At&T and Tmobile HSPA+ networks.
I am kinda confused and unsure of what I should do. I want to sell my Note i717 and use the money for Note II but don't want to make the wrong decision between the two options I have listed. I may end up going back on contract with Tmobile with a family member but I would like not to.
4. One more question not specific to the Note but does anyone have any input on credit checks and down payments for AT&T, I have poor credit from when I was younger and made some stupid financial decisions but my job offers 22% discount for AT&T plans which it would be nice for me to take advantage of being able to then use LTE. It would be a $50 on Straight Talk vs. $75 on AT&T (LTE). I probably would be willing to pay the extra $25 a month if I don't have some outrageous down payment. I will check with AT&T directly when I can but was looking for any input from fellow Note II lovers.
Thanks in advance for any help!
IMPIMMS (AMANDA)
I am currently using the unlocked note 2 on straight talk. I tried to cut down my regular sim ti micro but I failed. So I ordered a new micro sim from straight talk. Speeds are good as is coverage. Average about 6mbps+ Sadly I dont know the answers to your other questions.....hope this helped!
Sent from my GT-N7100 using xda premium
---------- Post added at 06:45 AM ---------- Previous post was at 06:44 AM ----------
Also ypu can get a sim cutter on ebay pretty cheap.
Sent from my GT-N7100 using xda premium
Don't use T-Mobile
I recently signed up for Straight Talk. Since my phone was an unlocked T-Mobile phone, I ordered a Straight Talk SIM. My service is horrible. I rarely get 3G, mostly edge. Even the cell service is poor. I have put a non Straight Talk AT&T SIM in my phone and get a constant 3G. So I have ordered a Straight Talk AT&T SIM; will start using the first of November. Hopefully the bad service I have received is the T-Mobile SIM and not Straight Talk.
Just a heads up I was using my note on straight talk and I wanted to use the SIM in my note 2. The people at my local T-Mobile store were nice enough to cut the SIM for me even though I was not using their service. A lot of their stores have SIM cutters for people who are trying to run iPhones on their network.
Sent from my GT-N7100 using xda app-developers app
Edge
purplepizza said:
I recently signed up for Straight Talk. Since my phone was an unlocked T-Mobile phone, I ordered a Straight Talk SIM. My service is horrible. I rarely get 3G, mostly edge. Even the cell service is poor. I have put a non Straight Talk AT&T SIM in my phone and get a constant 3G. So I have ordered a Straight Talk AT&T SIM; will start using the first of November. Hopefully the bad service I have received is the T-Mobile SIM and not Straight Talk.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thats because the unlocked international verion of the phone will only work on the HSPA+ that ATT and Stright talk both have. Consider yourself lucky to see a 3g Signal if your on Tmobile because from my understanding it only works on EDGE with Tmobile:highfive:
purplepizza said:
I recently signed up for Straight Talk. Since my phone was an unlocked T-Mobile phone, I ordered a Straight Talk SIM. My service is horrible. I rarely get 3G, mostly edge. Even the cell service is poor. I have put a non Straight Talk AT&T SIM in my phone and get a constant 3G. So I have ordered a Straight Talk AT&T SIM; will start using the first of November. Hopefully the bad service I have received is the T-Mobile SIM and not Straight Talk.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It has been posted all over this forum that the international version of the Note 2, if used on T-Mo will only get Edge data in 99% of the nation. The only places where you will see 3G or H+ is in those areas where T-Mobile has already refarmed its 1900 MHz spectrum (because that's the band that the international Note 2 has). I have heard some parts of Washington state, Las Vegas, Chicago and NYC have it.
But if the OP buys the T-Mobile variant, he would be able to get H+ at very good speeds (depending on where he is).
I'm kinda in the same predicament as the OP... I'm using an original at&t note with an At&t straight talk sim card. I would love to go down to tmobile tomorrow and pick up a Note 2 .. unlock it and throw my sim in it.. but will it work? I can wait till Nov. 9th for the At&t version but if they will work the same I'd like to jump on it now.
Does LTE work
I heard it works with Att LTE is that true can anyone confirm?
Ive heard the note 2 for tmobile is the exact same hardware as the at&t. Not sure how accurate this is, i got that from tmonews. So the tmobile variant also has lte support but is disabled i believe.
That being said, if they are the same harfware with just different model#s to identify the carrier, i would think the at&t version should also have hspa compatible with tmobile, but might just be disabled. Again, this is based on what i read in tmonews.com regarding the tmobile version.
Hope this helps
Hey guys,
Not trying to hi-jack this thread but I have a similar question:
I had Windows Phone on the ATT network. I switched to Straight Talk a month ago by just switching out the sim cards. The phone & service worked great except straight talk does not support windows phone because you can't edit the APN setting in Windows Phone because they are automatic. It was time for a new phone anyways so I went on ebay and found a new phone unlocked on the T-mobile network. I put the straight talk sim in the new phone and now I am getting a lot of problems with sending & recieving text etc. The major problem I have is I keep getting a text message that says +1121611611 (2288 Error Invalid Number, Please resend using a valid 10 digit mobile number or valid short code. This is continuous day & night and will not stop and runs my battery down. Is it possible that I can't use a T-mobile phone with a AT&T version Straight Talk sim?
Techngro said:
It has been posted all over this forum that the international version of the Note 2, if used on T-Mo will only get Edge data in 99% of the nation. The only places where you will see 3G or H+ is in those areas where T-Mobile has already refarmed its 1900 MHz spectrum (because that's the band that the international Note 2 has). I have heard some parts of Washington state, Las Vegas, Chicago and NYC have it.
.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well that explains why I see 3G in Seattle.
I plan on switching to straight talk in April I want to get a note 2 but I have 4 problems
1. Which company will offer the best service ATT or TM?
2. If I get ($$$) Phone is there a way to get insurance/Warranty that will cover me it in case ANYTHING happens? Would Square Trade Do it?
3. Will all the features work?
4. Which sim card should I get ATT, Straight talk or Tmobile?
spawn1980 said:
I plan on switching to straight talk in April I want to get a note 2 but I have 4 problems
1. Which company will offer the best service ATT or TM?
2. If I get ($$$) Phone is there a way to get insurance/Warranty that will cover me it in case ANYTHING happens? Would Square Trade Do it?
3. Will all the features work?
4. Which sim card should I get ATT, Straight talk or Tmobile?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
First off, why dig up this old thread to post in, it's last post was in October. But I do have to thank you because you obviously did search first.
TMobile is out of the question if you are looking to buy an international Note2 (N7100). You will be only able to use 2G on it unless you are in one of a handful of cities. So if you want to use TMobile, your best option is to buy a TMobile version of the Note2.
As for if you should use TMobile or ATT, no one can answer that for you. You have to talk to people in your area about how their service is, dropped calls and data speeds. As a general rule ATT has better nationwide coverage but there are many places where TMobile has great service and data speeds too.
Insureance, how many times have you dropped your phone in the last year? I put a TPU case on my Note1 and dropped many times and never had it break but some people have them break on the first drop. Up to you, I think it's waste money.
Would love to know if the att note 2 will get lte if on straight talk
Sent from my SCH-I605 using Tapatalk 2
tmobile note 2 contract is up, can I go no contract with it?
I have a note 2 that I got when I was still under contract, im curious if I can go monthly no contract and still use it. Probably through t mobile still until something better comes along, so I don't have to be locked in a contract. Because it sucked.
I have Note 2 N7100. International unlocked version bought from Newegg in Nov of 2012. I have used Straighttalk (AT&T SIM) the whole time. I have had them cut off my data twice so far because of TOS. Says you cant stream music/video, use P2P, and other crap. Basicly they say you can only browse. But let me be clear, I was using 5GB+ each time they cut me off so yea, it was my fault, I know what unlimited means and it's unlimited. Each month they cut it off, I got it turned back on no issues. Now for the last month, my speed has bee HORRIBLE all month. I have used under 500MB thus far but its bad. My wife, who has Nexus 4 and uses a concistant 500MB - 1GB/month and has her ST account totally seperate has the same issue. So does my neighbor and two co-workers, we are getting horrible speeds for the past month or so. So I am seriously concidering AT&T thier ungoddly bounty for service starting next month. I get a discount at work so it equals out to about $70/month, same as the others. I loved ST but it's gotten really bad...
BTW, I bought a TM SIM from TM last week and it was 2G from work to home. I live in Birmingham AL. there is a few miles of good 3G on the interstate but thats it. Hope this helps
Straight Talk has lost out on AT&T for whatever reason(s). They don't offer the AT&T Sims on their site anymore. There are some left on eBay but the sellers have doubled the price or more. The day is supposedly coming that new AT&T Straight Talk Sims will no longer activate. ST has also downgraded the unlimited data on AT&T to 1.5 GB a month. Tmobile sucks in my area. I hope to never have to use it again.
sholsten said:
Straight Talk has lost out on AT&T for whatever reason(s). They don't offer the AT&T Sims on their site anymore. There are some left on eBay but the sellers have doubled the price or more. The day is supposedly coming that new AT&T Straight Talk Sims will no longer activate. ST has also downgraded the unlimited data on AT&T to 1.5 GB a month. Tmobile sucks in my area. I hope to never have to use it again.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Where is your source that it is only 1.5 gigabytes with AT&T now
Sent from my SCH-I605 using Tapatalk 2
Here's one
http://androidheadlines.com/2013/02/straight-talks-unlimited-data-not-so-unlimited-anymore.html
so i recently just moved from boston to ohio (44820 zip) while i was in boston i used tmobile. however when i came to ohio i noticed i was always using 2g via att. tmobile has no service in this town. so heres my dilemma...i signed up with sprint and to be honest im (no 4g lte and 3g sucks) wanting to dump them. honestly i will pay the etf for both phones (note 2 and optimus g). i just want out!
so im trying to decide what to do...is straight talk or net 10 the way to go? do they both use att or tmobile. i have searched but if i understand correctly att runs net 10 and straight talk runs tmobile. but do they roam on each other?
any help would be awesome! i truly would love prepaid with unlimited data.
look up my zip and you will see tmobile is a no go. so now its att but which mvno and i need unlimited 3 or 4g...
thanks!!!

Capped at 2G by T-Mobile?

I bought 2x Samsung Galaxy Note 2 phones off newegg for $650 each. These are unlocked phones, specifically, this device:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16875176414
The data service for just about everyone I've tried sucks horribly. I decided to give T-Mobile a try since they offer 4G HSPA+ 42 in this area.
The person in the store says that I can buy prepaid sim cards. I wind up ordering them over the phone since they only cost $1 instead of $30 for a microsim if you order it that way. The website says I can get 2GB of 4G data per month for $60. I pay my $66 and change after tax.
Immediately, I notice I am getting crappy 2G / Edge comparable speeds. I call customer service and they tell me that because the phones are unlocked and not bought from T-Mobile that 2G / Edge is the maximum speed I can get and that 4G speeds are not possible without purchasing a phone direct from T-Mobile. Neither the person in the store, nor the person that sold me the sim over the phone mentioned this and they are refusing a refund.
Is there any truth to what they are saying about not being able to get 4G if I don't purchase direct from the service provider. Are there any work arounds?
I'm burning with rage right now.
Thanks,
-Bob
r0b126 said:
I bought 2x Samsung Galaxy Note 2 phones off newegg for $650 each. These are unlocked phones, specifically, this device:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16875176414
The data service for just about everyone I've tried sucks horribly. I decided to give T-Mobile a try since they offer 4G HSPA+ 42 in this area.
The person in the store says that I can buy prepaid sim cards. I wind up ordering them over the phone since they only cost $1 instead of $30 for a microsim if you order it that way. The website says I can get 2GB of 4G data per month for $60. I pay my $66 and change after tax.
Immediately, I notice I am getting crappy 2G / Edge comparable speeds. I call customer service and they tell me that because the phones are unlocked and not bought from T-Mobile that 2G / Edge is the maximum speed I can get and that 4G speeds are not possible without purchasing a phone direct from T-Mobile. Neither the person in the store, nor the person that sold me the sim over the phone mentioned this and they are refusing a refund.
Is there any truth to what they are saying about not being able to get 4G if I don't purchase direct from the service provider. Are there any work arounds?
I'm burning with rage right now.
Thanks,
-Bob
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
They told you right about the Edge. Our phones don't use the band that T-Mobile uses for 3G.
what about 4G? and are there any work arounds for this? How is t-mobile selling the galaxy note 2 to its customers with the 4g service?
Are there any providers that offer faster than 2G / Edge for Galaxy Note 2?
Also, http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16875176414
I posted a bad link in the original thread earlier
Kno you will have to ... go with Att .. man and there prepaid is not as good as Tmoble ..... Blahhhhhhhhhh that sucks
Sent from my SGH-T889 using xda premium
I use Straight Talk with AT&T and it has 3G. Thing is AT&T & ST are parting ways. You can only find Straight Talk AT&T Sim cards on Walmart.com & eBay now, and they're going fast. Straight will only be using T-Mobile and that will suck. I'll change so fast their heads will spin if they try to force me from AT&T to T-Mobile.
Although the International Note II's don't have same bands as Tmobiles HSPA+ and you normally will only get 2g/Edge, if you are one of the lucky ones in a TMobile refarmed area you should get HSPA.
Sent from my GT-N7105 using xda app-developers app
---------- Post added at 11:01 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:55 PM ----------
T-Mobile's version of the Note 2 has the HSPA+/4G band for their specific network which the N7105 doesnt have..
Sent from my GT-N7105 using xda app-developers app
Well A) you've bought an n7100 which doesn't support dc-HSDPA anyway so you'd only get up to 21 instead of 42mbps
B) you bought it without checking if it supports the radio bands you need for your carrier, which it doesn't, which is why you're only getting 2g speeds. It's nothing to do with t mobile capping you to 2g
Sent from my GT-N7100 using xda premium
r0b126 said:
Immediately, I notice I am getting crappy 2G / Edge comparable speeds. I call customer service and they tell me that because the phones are unlocked and not bought from T-Mobile that 2G / Edge is the maximum speed I can get and that 4G speeds are not possible without purchasing a phone direct from T-Mobile. Neither the person in the store, nor the person that sold me the sim over the phone mentioned this and they are refusing a refund.
Is there any truth to what they are saying about not being able to get 4G if I don't purchase direct from the service provider. Are there any work arounds?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wow, lots of wrong information both there and in this thread.
This is a quick post so some of my numbers might be wrong, but here's the basics:
Two years ago, t-mobile's 3G/4G relied on the 1700 band, which the N7100 doesn't support.
To make a long story short, t-mobile is using 1700 for LTE, and moving their 3G onto the univerally supported 1900 band, which works on our N7100 and most international phones.
This is a gradual rollout. If your area has been 'moved', you'll get 3G. And by gradual I mean one tower at a time.
I don't think they expect full US 1900 3G till end of 2013.
It's only recently that NY had enough 1900 band support that I have now decided to move over to t-mobile.
we might not support 4200, I did some random spot testing and I think I was only getting 2100.
Previously, with my note 1, I had to dump t-mobile and go to AT&T which fully supports 1900.
- Frank
I went to Dallas the other day and brought the Tmobile sim with me. The my speed changed from E to H+ (sometimes 3G) and the data connection was considerably faster than 2g or 3g, but I frequently get a message stating, "You have lost data connectivity because y".... the rest of the message is cut off and I haven't found a way to read the entire thing because touching it brings me to a settings screen and trying to move the text by swiping or sliding clears the message.

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