yashsingh1/xdaforums huggingface dataset:
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] bobsbbq:
I did the same thing, I sold my Verizon Nexus for 285 quickly on Craigslist and got the GSM Nexus from the play store for 350.00

The 285 covered my ETF and I was glad to get out of contract with them. The money I have saved over the last 5 months has paid for the new phone.
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] M@XLOL:
Well I bit the bullet.

I recently quit working at Verizon and caught this thread a few weeks before I finally left.

I am going to pick up a prepaid tmob sim up at best buy to check the coverage and if its up to snuff I'll continue using that with the 5gig plan as no one knows my real cell number have been using google voice since the beta stages.

If it sucks I'll get a At&t straight talk sim.

I was going to order the ATT sim just to have it in case but I didn't know if I could just order the SIM or if I needed the card they are trying to bundle me into. Thanks to all for the great info <3
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] noneone:
Yes this. I have done it a few times now. I use up my data after 20 days or so, so I'm spending $30 every 20 days, I just call them up and they reset my account every time.

SO, for example, standard $30 a month plan for 60 days, you get 200 minutes, 10 GB of data, costs $60. I spend about $90 for 60 days (about $45 a month) and get THREE of these plans, so 300 minutes and 15GB of data. Still way cheaper than an Iphone unlimited data plan from ATT, and I get tons faster data with a galaxy s2 and tmo :)
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] c0LdFire:
I'm hoping to sell my Verizon GNex soon to hop on board with this.

What are some other (cheaper) unlocked Android phones with decent specs that are usable with both T-Mobile and AT&T? I *WANT* another Nexus, but alas, I don't know how much I'll be able to sell this for..
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] martonikaj:
Very few phones are pentaband with the frequencies to use both. If you don't go with the GNex, you're likely going to have to choose AT&T

or

T-Mobile. Luckily, the GNex is brand new for $350, and less used.
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] carstairs:
As a very disgruntled Verizon customer right now, the T-Mobile $30 5 GB plan greatly interests me. I do have a question I'm sure is as stupid as it is easy to answer (though searching doesn't help me). Is there anything preventing T-Mobile from axing that plan tomorrow or jacking up the price? I'm guessing the answer's no, but hopefully there's a reassuring "that never happens" or "it's not in their interest to do so" addendum. The concept of this flexibility and affordability is both foreign and appealing to me, but I want to be sure I know what I'm doing before I bite the ETF, invest in a Nexus, and never sign another phone contract or give Big Red any of my money.
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] harveydent:
You got it, since you're not on contract, TMo can change the plan next month (to a better or worse one). And they most likely won't because it's not in their best interest. The beauty of no contract and having an unlocked pentaband phone is that if TMo does change it, you're free to switch carriers every month to one that offers the best deal for that month if you wanted to.
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] martonikaj:
They can change the plan at any time and are under no obligation to continue your service at the current price. If they change it, feel free to leave and choose another MVNO.
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] Mr.Mischief:
Actually, quite a few recent T-Mobile phones are quad band for 3G/4G. The HTC One S, Galaxy S II & III, Blaze 4G, and Exhibit II 4G are just a few of them.
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] xdp:
Still loving Straight Talk and Google Voice, but I really wish they'd fix the latency. It's bad enough that it makes conversation difficult, making me use my ST number directly for longer calls. It'd be really nice to be able to just set it to use GV for all calls.

Edit: I also wonder why devices like this http://www.amazon.com/OBi110-Servic...1?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1297459677&sr=1-1 get such good reviews yet apps like GrooVe IP don't seem to work too well (at least for me). Aren't they essentially doing the same thing?
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] noneone:
Yep, those should work.

AND. Best bet, IMO, is an ATT Samsung Galaxy SKYROCKET (updated version of S2)

http://www.gsmarena.com/samsung_galaxy_s_ii_skyrocket_i727-4303.php

It has the mostest as far as GSM bands / data, near as I can tell, its the same radio as the Tmo S2, WITH, ATT LTE radio. (I don't think an MVNO has LTE yet ... but if you find one cheap .... )

If you're looking at a phone, check out gsmarena for speed check. Nice thing about some of these phones, for example, is they get faster data speed than the nexus.

The nexus is great, and at $350 new with warranty, and jellybean, is hands down IMO the best bet new. IF you need to go cheap, the other phones can be found used. A few months ago I got a tmo S2 for $200 when the nexus was 400.

The exhibit II should be able to be found $150 easy, and probably most places listed at 125 and some will take an offer of $100. (as of 7/31/2012). This was a tmo payasyougo phone, and I think you could find sales new around 170 USD. Its only 14.4 mbs hpsa+ (S2 at 42mbs . nexus at 21), but iphone 4s is also 14.4 I think ....

Exhibit 2 if found for $125 with either tmo $30 or ST $45 is the dream cheap set up. Get it for all your family and friends with old non smartphones, IMO. You know your mom needs a modern phone ..... :)
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] Mr.Mischief:
The Skyrocket doesn't support T-Mobile 3G/4G unless you flash a different modem. I've also heard it can be tricky flashing the new modem.

AT&T LTE AWS =\= T-Mobile AWS

http://m.gsmarena.com/samsung_galaxy_s_ii_skyrocket_i727-4303.php

Read: http://xdaforums.com/showthread.php?t=1507825
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] martonikaj:
Well things like the Obi are using a hardwire ethernet connection and are made specifically to just route VOIP, and you pay extra for that compared to just an app on your phone. Talkatone and GrooVe IP (free/cheap apps) simply don't have the codecs to support good consistent call quality.

---------- Post added at 01:17 AM ---------- Previous post was at 01:13 AM ----------

Well those aren't unlocked, they're T-Mobile branded/locked until you get through a contract or pay for unlock codes. They're also more expensive than the GNex. The guy above was looking for

cheap

,

unlocked

pentaband phones.

But yes, thanks for pointing out that some new T-Mobile phones are starting to support 850 and 1900mhz for the eventual T-Mobile move to those frequencies for HSPA+.
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] noneone:
1) Gnex still best overall value new

2) those other phones may be much cheaper used

3) the exhibit ii I've seen well under $200 NEW from walmart

While they are locked, Tmo's unlock policy is very nice, 30 days on a Tmo prepaid plan, and they'll unlock your phone, and if you keep your account up, you can unlock a different phone every 90 days.

To me, that's a huge advantage of starting out on Tmo, vs starting out on att or ST, after just 30 days with tmo, unlocked phone, all the flexibility of the gnex if you have a one of those phones.

Starting from scratch, looking for a great phone new, gnex is the way to go. If you're already a tmo customer, or looking to get the cheapest used phone and still join the prepaid ranks, those phones can help.

---------- Post added at 07:13 AM ---------- Previous post was at 07:06 AM ----------

Tricky is as tricky does. :)

Yes / agree it is more work than just picking up the phone and using tmo, good point / warning for newer folks. BUT, flashing radios doesn't require a full rom / device wipe, so .. its much less tricky than what the majority of xda forum folks do often. :)

From the thread you linked "I've never heard of needing to clear cache or resetting a rom. You just flash the radio."

NOTE, the tmo S2 doesn't need a flash to use hpsa+ on att, you can just pick it up and go, but doesn't have LTE on att if you want it down the road. The skyrocket is the same hardware as the S2 with LTE added. I also don't know what att's UNLOCK policy is, or if its as easy as tmo makes it.

Good point!
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] Mr.Mischief:
True, but unlock codes are very cheap these days. I paid $6 for mine. I also believe that all the phones I listed, except the SIII, are the same price or cheaper than the Galaxy Nexus.
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] xdp:
Makes sense. I know GrooVe has to deal with WiFi, but I figured that would be low latency enough to not be an issue. I guess the codecs play a pretty significant role.

Does anyone here have any personal experience with the Obi? I'd hate to buy it and still experience voice lag. But if it delivers an experience on par with normal cell calls, I feel it'd be worth a purchase.
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] DaX05:
Great research on this! Definitely useful. Thanks!

Beamed from my Galaxy Nexus using tapatalk 2
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] Cabal_:
Same, I ported my number directly to Straight Talk (Net10). Google Voice just can't keep up with the fast talkers among us.

Regarding the OBi, wired ethernet makes a world of difference for latency.
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] krazykeyur:
I have been using Obi with Google Voice as my main home phone for two years now.. and it's exceptional for the price you pay for the service.

My wife talks about an hour a day average with her mom in Canada.. and the cost savings in just that already paid for the device.

Call quality wise, it's really good. It most likely uses PCMA or PCMU codecs.. which are lossless.. They use about 150kbps-160kbps of bandwidth.

Since it is a wired connection, there's no real latency issues.. and calls sound EXACTLY like a normal POTS line in my opinion.
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] ttabbal:
I bought an obi202. It's worked great. I have it on Google Voice and voip.ms. Both work great. It's designed for home phone service, it doesn't do much for your cell. It doesn't have a sip server built in, though it is possible to send calls through it, it's a bit tricky. I set up a separate Google Voice account for it.

I use voip on my nexus and don't have much trouble with latency. The latency patch helps a fair bit, and there are some settings in csipsimple that help. The voip thread has lots of good info.
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] harveydent:
Ripped from Slickdeals:

No straight talk, unfortunately, but still useful for those on other prepaid carriers
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] stomicron:
Simple Mobile just dropped their unlimited HSPA+ plan from $60 to $50

http://www.mysimplemobile.com/Simple-Mobile-Plan.aspx
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] jlczl:
I'm wondering what you mean. I frequently make long phone calls and dial all my calls with GV and have no issues. What problems are you experiencing?
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] xdp:
Thanks for all the positive Obi reviews, I'm seriously considering getting it.

What I experience is a higher than normal latency for audio transmission. The easiest way to demonstrate this is to ask the other party to say something as soon as they hear you say "go" or some other word. You will notice (if your experience mirrors mine) that they will respond .5-1 sec after you said "go", whereas on POTS or even normal cell calls it's virtually instant. So this doesn't affect anything when one or the other person is talking, but as soon as you try to "hand-off" the conversation to the other person it can get awkward. You might just be pausing for a moment, but they think you're done so they start talking, and you talk over each other.

It can be avoided by not pausing too much when you're not truly done talking, but it isn't as natural as a normal cell call or talking in person. All I know is, when using GV on my cell, I am constantly accidentally talking over the other person or vice versa and having to stop and say "Go ahead."
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] krazykeyur:
Why are you using VOIP if you have Straight Talk? Doesnt Straight Talk have unlimited minutes?

Just make all calls go through the Google Voice app and the other party will see your google voice number.
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] harveydent:
delete
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] xdp:
The VoIP is an attempt to use my number but avoid GV's latency issue. GrooVe IP and Talkatone have too many of their own problems, but it looks like the Obi can provide a good quality connection. Then when I'm out of the house I'm not making many long calls so I can just deal with GV's latency or use my ST number directly. And of course, if I got the Obi and it worked great, I would definitely consider switching to T-Mobile's plan to save some money, but that's not my motivating factor right now.
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] martonikaj:
Yeah you're never going to get Straight Talk refills anywhere but Wal Mart or ST's website. They're a joint venture so that's how it is.

---------- Post added at 03:12 PM ---------- Previous post was at 03:09 PM ----------

Interesting thanks for the link. Simple Mobile drops to $50, Net10 dropped to $50 ($45 w/ auto-pay). Keep in mind that these also have CallingMart deals, Simple has 1% off ($49.60), and Net10 has 2% off ($49.00) and no tax. Really puts these down in the realm of ST prices, but with more ways to refill.

Really not surprised to see the prices drop though. TracFone owns Straight Talk, Net10 and now Simple Mobile. What I'm wondering now is if maybe we'll see T-Mobile Monthly 4G update and drop a few $$.

I was going to go with ST next month but I see no reason now not to go with Net10. I can get a $50 refill with a SIM+activation included, rather than having to pay the $15 just for the SIM on ST. Same network and same price when using auto refill.
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] muyoso:
Never noticed this until you pointed it out. Its like a quarter to half second delay vs making a normal non gv call. Not that big of a deal, but good to know.
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] urinsane:
I'm with you. Net10 for me next month.

Funny thing with Simple Mobile's new pricing: they also offer a "Wireless Broadband" plan for $45 a month that is only 2gb of 4g data and no minutes. Considering for $5 more you get "unlimited" everything, I would assume this will change soon as well. Then again the broadband only plans have always been strangely priced.. do people not realize they can put the T-Mobile $30/mo SIM into tablets/etc. once its activated?
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] martonikaj:
Don't think so. The only issue with that is that not a lot of data sticks/hotspots/tablets/etc. Have 1700/2100mhz (AWS) frequencies for T-Mobile. If they do, its a great deal, but many are just 850/1900mhz. If I ever wanted a data stick or hotspot for more data, I'd surely be activating and using the $30 T-Mobile plan for 5GB. And in a pinch it can be used for 100 minutes. Some of the unlocked hotspots are quite affordable.

For example, T-Mobile sells a no commitment hotspot for $69.99 w/ a $25 prepaid card refill included. If the $30 Monthly 4G plan really does work in these (I've heard but never confirmed personally, have you?), its a fantastic deal. http://www.t-mobile.com/shop/Phones...T-Mobile-4G-Mobile-HotSpot-No-Annual-Contract
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] urinsane:
True, but unless I'm mistaken, Simple Mobile only uses T-Mobile. So you would be paying $15/mo more and getting 3gb less, no minutes or messaging, while still using the same network.

Can't wait for this to be treated like any other utility.. pay by the minute/megabyte plus small base fee each month. Can you imagine signing up for a monthly electric plan? "Sorry you went over your kilowatt hours this month and the overage cost you $1 per kWh...."

Of course the rate would need to be set very low before this would appeal to most, but it is truly the only "fair" policy for customers. (Taking just the 5gb of data on the Tmo plan, the rate is $0.006 per megabyte... account for the minutes and messages and it drops much more). I would gladly pay half a cent per megabyte and up to 2-3 cents per minute if I was billed for actual usage, but maybe I'm alone in this. (Works out to about $40/mo for 500 mins and 5gb of data).
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] harveydent:
Some electric companies have already been rolling out programs like that. Some have been trying prepaid electric bills too.
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] pahick:
Question, how do you set up voicemail? I just ported my number over from AT&T and I can make calls, text, and can get on the web. I then tried to set up google voicemail, and on google voice site it shows activated. But on my phone under settings/call/voicemail service, it shows my carrier. Under settings for voicemail, it still has AT&T voicemail number. When I tried to change it, it produces an error. BTW, the phone is a Skyrocket.

Im beat, have been up for 20 hours now. I will check back tomorrow. Thanks for advice.
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] M@XLOL:
How long do sim cards normally last?

Been using CDMA phones for the last five years...
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] urinsane:
Nooooooooo! Prepaid is fine, but package deals are almost always to the benefit of the company rather than the consumer.
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] urinsane:
I had an old phone through T-Mobile that I deactivated about 7 years ago. When I cancelled Sprint, I fired up the old phone and it still registered on the T-Mobile network. It couldn't make regular calls as it wasn't activated any longer, but I could see reception and am guessing would have been able to make 911 calls. If the SIM was no longer working it would have just said No SIM.

So they should last years as long as you keep them funded and don't expose them to the elements. Its basically a small flash chip if I recall, so probably lifespan is similar to an SD card? (Don't quote me on that! )
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] M@XLOL:
I just ordered a ST sim and with the price drop on net10 i think i am going to pick up one of those as well. I was wondering once I activated the ST if it aged in a way that would make it unable to be reactivated. Thank you very much for responding.
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] Mr.Mischief:
Sim cards do expire. T-Mobile sim cards have an expiration date on the card they come in. I'm not sure about Straight Talk Sims though. T-Mobile gave me a new sim yesterday, the expiration date is: 03/06/2015.
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] bobsbbq:
Ok so I'm not that familiar with Net 10, but it has me interested now. How does it compare to Straight talk? What are the theoretical data limits? Does it work on ATT or T-Mobile network?

It is 45.00 online with Auto pay.
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] martonikaj:
Net10 is owned by TracFone, who also owns Straight Talk. The limits are the same, theoretically. They only run on AT&T only.
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] bobsbbq:
How do you get the SIM and 50.00 card for only 50.00? On their website the SIM is 14.99 or packaged for 64.99?
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] urinsane:
Are you sure about this? The seller on ebay selling SIM + 1 month for $50 did tell me he only sold the AT&T SIM's, but I believe if you purchase directly they will sell you T-Mobile compatible SIMs.

When going to purchase the SIM card directly from net10.com (https://www.net10.com/direct/ShopSims?lang=en&app=NET10) they give you the choice of T-Mobile or AT&T compatible phones, just like the Straight Talk SIM site.

Granted it is not available in my area, but my old zip code (98408, Tacoma WA) seems to allow purchase. (I got as far as the Checkout page)

EDIT:

check eBay for "net10 sim" and you should find a seller... he has many available.
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] carstairs:
So I've taken the plunge and ordered a Nexus. Will port my number and terminate my VZW contract as soon as it's here.

Something I've searched around for and seen allusions to but haven't actually seen asked, will I pay taxes on my monthly bill? Specifically T-Mobile's $30/5 GB plan, and I'm from NJ if it matters. Just buying a $30 card from Calling Mart every month, getting the discount there, and not paying taxes would make this an even better value, as well as being convenient.

The more I learn about the prepaid and unlocked world, the more I love it. No more bending over backwards for Verizon. I know I'm late to the party, but I can only see this getting bigger and bigger, and hopefully competition just makes prices on devices and plans even better.
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] rafa3L:
I'm on the T-Mobile $30 monthly 4G. I've bought a $30 refill card from a local Walmart and even they did not charge tax. I've also bought from callingmart.com with their 5% off coupon code, $28.50 no tax.

I'm in California.
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] codesplice:
Seconded. There should be no tax associated with the service itself. A $30 credit gets you the $30 service. Some refill card sellers may charge tax or other fees though.
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] martonikaj:
Just buy refill cards online. CallingMart is a good option and has good deals often, and auto-loads to your account when you buy. About 2%-7% depending on the month. You can even buy $60 or $90 in advance and load up the account if you can find a good deal on cards.

There's absolutely no reason to do auto-refill or pay per month directly through T-Mobile's site.

---------- Post added at 03:02 PM ---------- Previous post was at 03:00 PM ----------

Oh, very interesting. I was under the impression they only had AT&T. Good to know, but I plan on just choosing AT&T anyways.
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] bobsbbq:
Welcome to the free world, you won't regret it.

---------- Post added at 07:13 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:06 PM ----------

Thanks for the info, I saw on the ebay auction he does not specify T-mobile or At&T? He just states compatible with both. I tried to message him but he is not accepting messages. I just want to make sure if I order I get a At&T SIM. I still have 15 days before my Straight talk runs out. Worst case I will just order from Net 10.

If anyone has bought one from this auction can you explain what you get and can you use the same SIM on T-Mobile and At&T?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Net10-SIM-Card-Activation-Kit-with-50-Net10-Monthly-Unlimited-PIN-/130733735527?pt=SIM_Cards&hash=item1e70567e67#ht_2791wt_1392
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] martonikaj:
Curious also. The same is true of the Amazon sellers selling the $49.99 SIM+month combo doesn't specify which one. Actually, I'm seeing the seller for both the eBay and Amazon listings is the same.
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] urinsane:
I messaged the seller (shopcelldeals) a week or 2 ago asking if this was the at&t or T-Mobile version; he replied he only sells the at&t sims. Not sure why not accepting messages now.

For the record I have yet to purchase said kit and cannot provide any more info on it. I do plan to order in the next week or so but my T-Mobile plan is good through the 25th.

I think I'm gonna grab the micro-sim version and a $1 adapter so I am future proofed. The S3 has it so I'm sure any new phones going forward will as well.
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] gotokyo:
Ugg I've been using the $60 plan from tmobile which until now has been awesome.

The last month my home internet has been off so the problem I'm having now is I didn't realize how quick data gets used when its not split with a wifi network. The 2gb cap goes by way WAY to fast. I ran through my 2gb limit within the first 10 days of my current cycle (tapatalk used up most of that which im a little confused about) but anyways I've been throttled to 2g speeds for the last 20 days and is awful!! :crying:

The worst part is I got my gnex this month after I was already being throttled! I feel like this thing is a ferrari and im stuck in a permanent school zone!!! haha.

I was bummed to hear that the $30 5gb is only avalible to new activations, would have been way more convienent to just switch it over like all the other plans allow you to do. But reguardless I purchased a new sim from tmobile and I'm waiting for it to be delievered so I can start flying on HSPA+ again haha (compared to edge speed its amazing trust me haha)
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] noneone:
I've been using only wireless as my main internet for 18 months now. The first 12 was easier with verizon unlimited data plan :) I've been using the tmo $30 5gb for a few months now, its great and if you need more, just drop another $30 and reset.

GL!
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] generalagony:
Does the $30 tmobile plan allow tethering or do you still have to pay the $15 fee