Phonelopnik

"KusabiSensei - Captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs" (kusabisensei) 08/25/2014 at 15:49 • Filed to: None

1

28

Boring shyte ahead. Have a car phone...my cell phone plan contract is up next month. I am currently on the Blue Death Star (AT&T). I have a $108/month bill after taxes and discounts, and get 450 minutes (which to me is unlimited) and 5GB data. But AT&T is saying if I upgrade my phone, I have to get a new plan, which will cost more. So do I stay there or go to the Red Death Star (The Yellow Death Star and the Purple Death T don't have service at my house in the boonies)?

I have a Galaxy S3 right now, which I'm fine with, other than the crap battery (dead from full in 70 minutes). I'm fine with keeping the phone and replacing the battery, but if I upgrade, I'm staying on Android, so no screaming about iFruit.

What should I do, Oppo? If I switch to VZW, my bill needs to stay roughly the same as it is now, because the company pays for it. I also get an 8% discount on AT&T and 10% discount on VZW.

deekster_caddy > KusabiSensei - Captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs 08/25/2014 at 15:54

0

I've found for the most part on individual plans, it doesn't matter AT&T vs VZW. They are close enough to the same. AT&T really shines on their family plans - we have 5 phones plus a data only ipad on our account and it's not that bad.

Check out Virgin Mobile or a GSM/LTE pay-as-you-go plan.

If I didn't get my phone covered through work and I had no family to worry about I would probably have a 3rd party pay-as-you-go plan.

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > KusabiSensei - Captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs 08/25/2014 at 15:55

0

I just got an LG G3 at Verizon this weekend, it's kicking ass so far.

KusabiSensei - Captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs > deekster_caddy 08/25/2014 at 15:56

0

Mine is covered by work, but it's a $100 maximum, so I'm just paying taxes.

VZW doesn't even have traditional individual plans anymore, since they are just family plans with 1 line on them. AT&T is doing the same with their Mobile Share Crap (otherwise known as I will end up paying them more for the same thing I have now).

ncasolowork2 > KusabiSensei - Captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs 08/25/2014 at 15:56

2

you won't get that much data in a competitive plan. If you buy an unlocked device you shouldn't be required to upgrade your plan because you shouldn't need a new contract. The key is finding an unlocked device you're happy with at a price your company is willing to pay.

yamahog > KusabiSensei - Captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs 08/25/2014 at 15:56

1

I'm stuck on Verizon paying full price for new phones because I refuse to give up my unlimited data/text/450 minutes at $80/mo for a new contract. That being said, they're both the Devil, and it looks like VZW is running $110/mo for unlimited talk/text and 4GB, $100 if you get your phone on a payment plan.

treesmakewater > KusabiSensei - Captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs 08/25/2014 at 15:56

0

If you don't mind having a year old phone (moto x or moto g) you could get republic wireless. They are yellow death star BUT they roam on red death star, and have WiFi calling. You can get just WiFi; WiFi and cell, WiFi, cell, and 3g; or all prior and 4g. You have 5 GB of data with any if the data plans. I've been using it for 6 months and it works well for me (occasionally Pandora will cut out when I'm in the middle of nowhere).

KusabiSensei - Captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs > deekster_caddy 08/25/2014 at 15:58

0

Also Virgin Mobile is on Sprint, so that's in a dead zone at my house.

Shady Balkan Subject, Drives an Alfa > KusabiSensei - Captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs 08/25/2014 at 15:59

0

The land of the free where the only real fee thing is guns. I am always amused what you pay for phone plans and internet and what I get in my second world country. I got a first gen HTC One for free just because my business is a loyal client with 300 minutes free to all operators in my country and now the EU mandates that you are charget ever 30 sec not a minute. Also I have 120mbs internet for $32 a month...

KusabiSensei - Captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs > ncasolowork2 08/25/2014 at 16:00

0

Since it's BYOD, I'm stuck with paying for the device. Hence why I'm giving serious consideration to just replacing the battery, and soldiering on.

Textured Soy Protein > KusabiSensei - Captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs 08/25/2014 at 16:01

0

Since you have an AT&T phone, you can sign up for a prepaid plan with Straight Talk or Cricket. Both of them use AT&T's network. Straight Talk is part of Tracfone, Cricket is a prepaid brand owned by AT&T.

Cricket, for example, you can get unlimited talk & text + 5 GB of data for $60/mo ($55 if you do autopay).

All you need is a Cricket SIM, which you port your AT&T number to, and then activate with that plan. Done and done. Better plan, half the cost.

KusabiSensei - Captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs > treesmakewater 08/25/2014 at 16:03

0

It sounds good for US use, but I guess that would mean that I'm keeping my unlocked S3 for overseas use.

Aya, Almost Has A Cosmo With Toyota Engine Owned by a BMW. > KusabiSensei - Captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs 08/25/2014 at 16:04

1

Sprint's Aquos Crystal.

You cannot go wrong on 240USD Sim-free JDM phone.

Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs > KusabiSensei - Captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs 08/25/2014 at 16:05

1

Perhaps Straighttalk is an option (available through Walmart or online). Depending on which phone you pick you'll end up on Verizon orrrr.... Sprint I think. The one's that are on Verizon's network will be advertised with a red map on the box (but don't expressly say Verizon). I investigated this about 1 year ago, so I'd re-verify all this for current day, haha.

At the end of the day I ended up staying with Verizon though. My company pays me 50 bucks a month, I split it with my dad and I still have unlimited data.

KusabiSensei - Captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs > Aya, Almost Has A Cosmo With Toyota Engine Owned by a BMW. 08/25/2014 at 16:06

0

Good thing I can still read katakana!

Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs > yamahog 08/25/2014 at 16:07

0

I am currently on unlimited as well with Verizon, I am slightly bummed about their new throttling policy on 4G...

yamahog > Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs 08/25/2014 at 16:09

0

Seriously irritating, but apparently I can get $2000 worth of gift cards due to their rewards program. So I got that going for me, which is nice.

KusabiSensei - Captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs > yamahog 08/25/2014 at 16:09

0

I have a friend doing the same thing, but I got my phone after unlimited went away, so I don't have that kind of perk to lose.

The pricing sheet I got from VZW says I can do 6GB plan for $120/month + tax, and I have a 10% discount (so really $108+tax/month), so it's not that much more, and I was getting network drops on my S3 driving up US641 through western TN and KY when I went home a few weeks back.

KusabiSensei - Captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs > Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs 08/25/2014 at 16:13

0

The accountants don't like prepaid as much. Since I'm dealing with the company accountants, it would be wise to stay on postpaid for the time being.

Although if they weren't paying for it, I'd be on either Republic Wireless or Straight Talk.

Mattbob > KusabiSensei - Captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs 08/25/2014 at 16:13

1

new windows phones have cortana.

KusabiSensei - Captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs > Mattbob 08/25/2014 at 16:16

0

Only if she refers to me as Chief. Or Chef, if I'm in a ZP sort of mood.

Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs > yamahog 08/25/2014 at 16:17

0

Gift cards, rewards?!?! $2000????

Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs > KusabiSensei - Captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs 08/25/2014 at 16:19

0

Hmm, monthly payments can be setup with them, but I suppose it's still prepaid to them?

As for your question, I am a fan of Verizon over AT&T, here in Michigan I seem to get the best service, and traveling accross the nation it has been great too. But I am not very experienced with AT&T, so it maybe a wash at the end of the day.

Mattbob > KusabiSensei - Captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs 08/25/2014 at 16:21

0

if you put your name in as master chief I hear there are actually a few easter eggs.

Mattbob > KusabiSensei - Captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs 08/25/2014 at 16:22

1

now I want to play Halo.

Aya, Almost Has A Cosmo With Toyota Engine Owned by a BMW. > KusabiSensei - Captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs 08/25/2014 at 16:24

0

I believe the sharp also has english language, since it's also sold by Sprint in the US.

KusabiSensei - Captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs > Textured Soy Protein 08/25/2014 at 16:25

0

I might be able to do that. I'll look into it.

ADabOfOppo; Gone Plaid (Instructables Can Be Confusable) > KusabiSensei - Captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs 08/25/2014 at 16:47

0

She will call you whatever you want her to.

treesmakewater > KusabiSensei - Captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs 08/25/2014 at 18:02

0

That's always WAYYY cheaper than international roaming.