[wiscodh]

Sooo, we decided we didn’t want to spend 160 a month for 2 phones with unlimited data after our subsidized orginal droids have been off contract for almost 2 years.

We went to best buy and picked up 2 htc 4g’s on virgin mobile. Score 220/per phone and 35$ a month for unlimited data, txt and 300 min. Perfect right?

Sprints service is terrible in Portland. We traveled back to Vermont and had no service if we were not in Burlington. I found out later that virgin mobile does not roam on Verizon towers like full-fledged sprint service, I would have to dig to find that article again.

So dilemma, do I take it in the rear again from the big 2 or put up with not being able to even make a call in my house, work, car, or anywhere? Are there better prepaid carriers?

 

[Toshi]

Straight Talk. Here's my experience with it:

https://plus.google.com/u/0/115479414905422234350/posts/WsKM366uDY6

Use code SIMSAVE.

 

[wiscodh]

Straight Talk. Here's my experience with it:

https://plus.google.com/u/0/115479414905422234350/posts/WsKM366uDY6

Use code SIMSAVE.

Thanks for the info.

how do i know if the phone is unlocked? any other tips n tricks?

 

[Pesqueeb]

Thanks for the info.

how do i know if the phone is unlocked? any other tips n tricks?

Toshi talked me into Straight talk in the above mentioned google+ thread. I was (still am actually, waiting for my SIMS to show up) with Verizon, but I just went to craigslist and searched for "iPhone AT&T". There are a metric sh1t ton of iPhone 4 and 4s available, at least in my area of CO, from hipsters/yuppies looking to offload them to pick up an iPhone 5. I managed to find a guy selling two iPhone 4s (plural) and picked them up for 320 bucks in pretty much flawless condition. IIRC a at&t or t-mobile compatible phone will pretty much port directly to Straight Talk using the other link Toshi mentions in his post.

 

[syadasti]

Make sure you go with the ATT sim option unless you are sure T-mobile has better coverage in your typical locations (home, work, etc).

 

[wiscodh]

Make sure you go with the ATT sim option unless you are sure T-mobile has better coverage in your typical locations (home, work, etc).

ok, so i am working on getting 2 phones that were ATT, both unlocked. Pick the ATT sim card option, order sims, get sims, port numbers, profit?

 

[syadasti]

Don't pay extra for unlocked phones. Straight Talk sim works fine with locked ATT phones with the ATT Straight Talk sim. I am using mine with a locked ATT phone. I bought the phone full-priced from Amazon so ATT gave me the unlock code but I haven't yet put another carrier's SIM in it to unlock it - its typically necessary when you travel outside of the country and want to use the local carrier's sim/system.

 

[Toshi]

Yup. Our iPhones are still locked to AT&T (although they are unlock eligible--just haven't done it) and yet they're working fine with the AT&T compatible Straight Talk sim.

Only downside is loss of visual voicemail but Google Voice Lite plus the app takes care of that, for free.

 

[Pesqueeb]

FWIW, we've (the wife and I) experienced problems with picture texts and when the wife tried to forward her travel itinerary. Some googling makes it appear the jailbreaking the phone IS necessary for MMS texting. I'm at work right now so I can't do it, but another google search makes it seem fairly easy to jailbreak yourself if you're somewhat technically savvy.

 

[wiscodh]

phones and sim cards are on the way,
the promo code still works, thanks!

 

[wiscodh]

man, firefox and explorer are going nuts with bad certificates from the straight talk site......now i am nervous

 

[blackohio]

dunno anything about this stuff. Been on att and shelling out 160/month for 2 phones. Seems just normal so i dont much **** with it.

 

[wiscodh]

few days so far. was a pain in the rump to port my number over from virgin mobile. been pleasntly supprised with how good the service is. Read that they may throttle data after heavy use. Been streaming pandora all day at work since my company blocks pandora/spotify/grooveshark. Soo lets see if they throttle me soon.

 

[blackohio]

someones gonna throttle you.

 

[wiscodh]

so far so good. I really should have done this years ago. going to be nice to save 600ish a year