yashsingh1/xdaforums huggingface dataset:
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] Pkt_Lnt:
Are you positive that 4G is truly available there? Many phones will show 4G when it does not exist. I see an H or H+ shown on my phone, yet there is NO 4G, either HSPA or HSPA+, withing 100 miles of me. I get 3G speeds when it shows H or H+. Phono widget shows them as 3.5g. Very misleading, as is all the 4G marketing from all carriers. :rolleyes:
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] KicknGuitar:
Been on Straight Talk's $45 plan for over a month. Live in NYC. No issues as of yet. Data has been pretty reliable, voice has been perfect.

(If you try them out and like it. Re-up via Walmart, they'll charge a few bucks less than Straight Talk, not to mention ST had issues using my cc when I needed a new 30code)

Id offer speed tests but the app refuses to play nice with my Motorola Defy (See attachment). If it means anything, it fully loads The Daily Show mobile website within 10 seconds on ATT 3G.
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] bobsbbq:
Just FYI, Solavei New features turned on now include WiFi Tethering/Mobile Hot Spot, and unlimited International Text messages all for Free.
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] Mr.Mischief:
Middle of nowhere (Rockford AL).

AT&T GoPhone.
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] phositadc:
You ever have data issues on go phone like so many people have on straight talk?

-Sent from my Razr i on AT&T.-
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] Mr.Mischief:
I'm using AT&T GoPhone. My mom is on AT&T ST, and she occasionally has issue. Switching it in and out of airplane mode usually fixes data issues.
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] phositadc:
But you don't have those issues on go phone? Only your mom has the issues?

-Sent from my Razr i on AT&T.-
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] Mr.Mischief:
Correct. I haven't had any issues with GoPhone data.
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] phositadc:
Cool thanks for the info I've been thinking about giving GoPhone a try. Was gonna try StraightTalk but I heard so many stories about AT&T data issues that I decided not to.

As far as you know does your GoPhone plan get treated exactly like AT&T post paid in terms of speeds and coverage?

-Sent from my Razr i on AT&T.-
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] Mr.Mischief:
Pretty much. GoPhone doesn't have roaming, but otherwise it's the same. Since it's really for GoPhones, don't expect data speeds of over 5MB down, 2MB up.
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] bobsbbq:
What plan are you using on your Nexus? I have a friend who needs this and I was wondering if you can get it on the 50.00 plan or will they force you to get the 65.00 plan with 1 GB of Data?

Also how did you start your service? Did you get a Phone and SIM from Walmart then put the SIM in your Nexus or can you order just a SIM? Or can you do it in a store?
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] Mr.Mischief:
I'm using it with an LG Optimus 4X HD. It's an international unlocked phone like the Nexus. I purchased a sim card from eBay and activated it with my IMEI.

If AT&T has the Nexus IMEI in their system, they will block data. I tried and I9100 and I9300 with my sim, and data was blocked. I'm not sure about the Nexus though.
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] su9062:
roaming on T-mobile unlimited

not sure if anyone experienced this yet. T-mobile truly unlimited 4G postpaid plan has 50 mb cap on roaming data. So if any of you thinking about switching from ST to one of the tmobile's value plans, be really sure about it. I live in Vegas and tmobile is awesome here, but knowing it is data capped and they actually cut you off, imagine driving in some remote place using navigation and bamm your data is dead ... no thanks!
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] Mgamerz:
I'm on att and could never imagine using roaming data. At&t charges 3 legs and 2 left thumbs for doing that.
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] su9062:
ST roaming on iwireless

For anyone planning to travel on iwireless network, the ST tmobile sim connects to iwireless and I was getting hspa+ speeds in Iowa City, about 3 mbps down. In comparison to their native subscribers who get about 7 mbps down.

I am not really sure how the limits apply in cases like this one when you are roaming. Tmobile themselves limiting their users to 50 mb on roaming is a bad thing if straight talk users using tmobile sim can go unlimited on roaming.
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] reuthermonkey:
I'm not sure that iwireless counts within that 50MB roaming limitation. After all, the AWS spectrum they're using for 3g is owned by T-Mobile. I believe the company itself is also partially owned by T-Mobile.
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] Hdale85:
It looks like SIMPLEmobile is now 50$ a month for their unlimited 4g plan, has anyone been using it for any length of time? What's it like? I was going to go with straight talk but being limited to a daily cap is not something I'd really like. Right now I'm using the T-Mobile 30$ unlimited data plan.
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] abrcrmdl23:
I got throttled at 2gbps ans it was worthless i couldnt even get mobile web pages to load. Now that was on att. And i had a bad experience. not doing any tethering just normal phone use and they refused to lift the throttle. I switched to simple mobile after they refused to switch my sim to a T-Mobile one at straight talk I have use just over 2 Gbps so far no problems my signal is great but I noticed simple mobile at least on my gnex I do not get higher than 3mbps down it stays at 2.5-3 Mbps where ever I am on my T-Mobile $30 plan I got 6-8 consistantly so although I do like simple mobile I get great signal it is not as fast as full blow tmobile prepaid. If you go to calling mart you can get the simple mobile plan for $49.50 no taxes which is the same I used to pay for my straight talk. I would definitely recommend simple mobile. Get a sim card on Negri electronics or eBay for a dollar or two.make sure it the newer one I got an older one on eBay for $.99 and it gave me data problems once I got a newer sim my service is flawless.

Gsm GNex running Codename Android & Franco Kernel
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] martonikaj:
Simple has been $50 for quite a while now (like couple months).

There's really no "daily cap" on Straight Talk, and I really think people need to stop propagating this like its a fact. The truth is it really depends on your region and the network saturation in that region. YMMV, of course, so theres really no reason to keep saying these things like they're written into the ToS at ST. There's no blanket rule that can cover everyone, you're just gonna have to try it out and see if it works for you.
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] Hdale85:
Hmm, well I may try Straight Talk then for a while.
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] jordanishere:
Click my signature to learn all about simple mobile. They truly do offer unlimited data, but if you abuse it, they will throttle you and then disconnect your service.

I got throttled after receiving the messages the thread referenced in my signature, however service was restored to full speed after the new billing cycle kicked in.
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] Hdale85:
Thanks, if I end up hitting the 2gb cap with StraightTalk I'll probably switch.
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] yiyo:
If I go over the 100 minute allowment from the $30 prepaid from T-Mobile do I buy another month or can I just Add 10$ as a backup? .10cents a minute after used the 100 min. Can somebody clarify please.
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] busab:
Yeah you can add $10 as backup if you want. That's what I do.
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] martonikaj:
You can add as much money as you want to your account, and it'll only be taken up when you hit your 100min limit.
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] Pkt_Lnt:
I keep $5-10 extra. At a dime a minute, you can go over 250 minutes before the next plan makes $ sense. An extra hour is going to cost you $6.00. Pffft.
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] marty331:
I signed up for T-Mobile $30/ month 4G plan, but I'm unable to connect to 4G only getting edge. Does anyone have any advice on how to get 4G working?
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] martonikaj:
Many options. Either the network in your area literally doesn't have HSPA+, you've accidentally selected "use only 2G networks", or maybe you haven't entered the right APN settings.
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] marty331:
I've toggled the 2G setting on/off, it is definitely off now. Are the APN settings in this thread?
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] martonikaj:
Just Google "T-Mobile APN settings". They'll very rarely configure properly on their own.
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] bozzykid:
I've never changed my T-mobile Monthly 4g APN settings and I have no problems getting HSPA+.
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] chasmanz28:
Does ST offer unlimited data roaming or is there a cap?
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] marty331:
Ok well for some reason I'm stuck with edge.
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] jordanishere:
That's weird. You may not be in a 4g area.
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] busab:
What phone do you have? Is it a custom ROM?
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] codesplice:
Or is it even compatible with T-Mobile's 3/4G frequencies?
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] jazzruby:
Has anybody ever got this; I have a Walmart account with my Visa card attached and have been using/paying this way since May.

I just went to the Walmart site and put the (Email Delivery) Straight Talk Unlimited in my cart and proceeded to check-out like I normally do, however, this time there appeared and iframe with the 'Verified by Visa' request form and at the bottom was 'Not now' which I chose, thinking it was not mandatory.

I then recieved a verification email regarding the purchase; at this point (normally) a subsequent email would arrive minutes later with the activation pin number, but instead I received the above email/message.

Logging back into my Walmart account and reviewing the error status reveals the following:

So, I take it that this means 'Verified by Visa' is now mandatory at Walmart...?

Anyone have any thoughts on this?

-JR-
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] bobsbbq:
I had this same problem and there was a phone number listed on my checking account tied to my debit card that had a different number than what I gave them. They will verify all your information with your bank, if anything does not match this will happen. All I had to do was call my bank and update my phone number and place the order again. I hope this helps you.
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] jazzruby:
Thanks Bob,

Quick update; I called my bank's online help and the CR told me that she could see the that a payment was sent/verified but immediately cancelled by Walmart (3 times in all)..

I also tried with my PayPal; same result.

3rd time, I cleared browser cache/cookies and didn't sign in to Walmart and payed with PayPal again (as guest); same result.

I then went to StraightTalk.com and was redirected to busy.straighttalk.com showing a polite 'Maintenance' message.

I finally got in to StraightTalk website this morning and had to re-activate my phone with my Visa card (easy-peasy).

-JR-
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] marty331:
Figured out the issue. It is my phone, I have the infuse which is NOT compatible with T-Mobile. Sorry for the confusion...will be getting the nexus soon...
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] codesplice:
That's kind of what I figured; thanks for reporting back to let us know you figured it out!

In the meantime, you can always try out Straight Talk on AT&T's network.
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] grayson73:
Interesting that after 10 months, the Galaxy Nexus + Straight Talk combo is still the best option.
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] codesplice:
For you, perhaps. For me, I love the extra ~$190/yr I save with the $30 T-Mobile plan ;)
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] XeonBlue:
I would say it's "best" for many. Personally, the $30 T-Mobile plan would be better due to needing few minutes and lots of data. If you need more than 2GB of data per month and lots of voice and text, then the Simple Mobile $50 unlimited plan may be best. That's what's great about prepaid, you can pick what works best for you.
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] Pkt_Lnt:
But for your $50.00, on my TMo $30.00 plan, I still get unlimited text, 5GB data, and could have 300 minutes of talk for that extra $20.00 dollars!

I hardly ever go over 100 minutes, since my phone becomes a VoIP phone at home, which costs me about $3.00 / month. I'm still far cheaper. All cellular service is bad at my house, but voip.ms and CSipSimple give me incredible flexibility and keep my money in my wallet.
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] XeonBlue:
Lol, we aren't arguing here man. My post says "Personally, the $30 T-Mobile plan would be better due to needing few minutes and lots of data.".

Cheers!
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] Pkt_Lnt:
No arguing, just pointing out alternate ways to get the cell service we need and do it for the lowest cost, based on individual needs. That is what this thread is all about, and why it is linked in my sig. :good:
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] grayson73:
Sorry, what I meant to say is that it's interesting that the Galaxy Nexus is still the best phone after 10 months. With technology changing so fast, I'm surprised people aren't buying a different phone now.
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] codesplice:
$350 for a high-end unlocked smartphone is kind of hard to argue with ;)
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] jswede:
This is the first phone that doesn't leave me wanting for the newer phones. Although, the hack friendly Nexus aspect and quick OS updates certainly helps with that too.
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] grayson73:
The only phone I'm considering instead of the Galaxy Nexus is the Galaxy Note, for the bigger screen. Is there a pentaband version of the Galaxy Note, or do I have to buy the Note version that goes with either AT&T or T-Mobile?
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] cabutr:
I'm pretty sure all T-Mobile phones are pentaband
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] bozzykid:
Since when? Very few phones are pentaband, T-mobile or not, afaik.
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] Mr.Mischief:
Most T-Mobile smartphones are quad band for 3G/4G.

They support: 850/1700/1900/2100.

The only band they lack is 900MHz band, used primarily outside of the US.
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] YoMaMa7467:
this really should be stickied
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] Ronaldo Forenucci:
Thanks for this thread. I just dumped AT&T and went to Straight Talk for two phones. Saving $50 a month. Decided to leave the old numbers behind and went total Google Voice with the new numbers (paying $20 each, for the port, seemed counterproductive to trying to save money). The only problem is MMS, but A. I think I've only ever gotten one, and B. I told my kid to give out his Straight Talk 'actual number' if he needs MMS...and for MMS only. I know I could probably save a few more bucks by buying 3 month refills with an Oregon zip code, but I just did the 'Auto Refill' option with my CC# on ST's site. THANKS!

RF
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] ScottyNuttz:
How much does auto-refill save you each month?
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] KicknGuitar:
Straight Talk's AutoRefill doesn't save you any money. All it does is save you the hassle of buying a plan and adding it to your "reserves."

However they do offer batched payments saving you a few bucks. Here's a breakdown of what Straight talk currently offers me:

30 Day Plan

$45 ($49.77 with tax & shiz. If you buy from Walmart and pick the "send me an email with the code", you save 78 cents: $48.99)

30 Day International Plan

$60 ($66.35 with tax & shiz)

90 Day Plan (3 Months)

$130 ($143.75 with tax & shiz. which saves you about $5. Feel free to to do the math)

**I just looked at Walmart.com and it looks like they also offer a 3 month plan. Which is about $138 w/ tax. That gives an extra $5 to save making this plan (via Walmart) save you about $10.

180 Day Plan (6 Months)

$255 ($281.98 with tax & shiz. about $16 saved)

365 Day Plan (1 Year)

$495 ($547.38 with tax & shiz: $50 saved)
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] jordanishere:
Any international phone that supports att bands will work on straight talk.
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] atlgator:
Straight Talk caps data and once you hit 2-3 gbs you get a nastygram. I stream too much music and use too much navigation for it, personally.
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] whitedragonz83:
In case this helps anyone:

5% Off T-Mobile, Pageplus, Simple Mobile, H2O, Cricket, Red Pocket and Airvoice refills on CallingMart.com NOW through 11/06/12. Coupon Code: Oct125 (minimum purchase of $18 required)

Found on their Facebook Page
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] Aerogriff:
Who are you using?
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] colonelcack:
I had the same issue. I average 1GB/week. I switched to Solavei and haven't had any problems.
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] jamerican413:
I was with ST for two weeks. Started out around 3Mbps, which was much better than I had with Sprint. After two weeks, was averaging .85 Mbps. Called them and was grilled about how I use my service. Told them I rarely stream but did tether once for 10 mins., to see how well it worked. Got a speech about how it was against TOS, etc. I asked them if my account was flagged and they said no. Asked if I was a trouble customer and they said no (I'd used .3 GB of data in the two weeks.) I told them since I'm not a terrible customer, not to insult me with the speeches and give me what I'm paying for. Seems they couldn't do that so I switched. I'm with Solavei now and though it seems the coverage isn't quite as far reaching (in Chicago's train tunnels, where ST reached), for me the speeds get up to twice as fast and service is solid. I'm sticking with them for a while... (I hate spell check!)
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] Skyswordsman:
I've been on St for almost 2 months now and I like the service better than sprints. you do have to be careful on your data consumption. I can easily burn through 30gigs+ a month, so keeping my mobile data under 3gigs/month basically means staying off YouTube.
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] KicknGuitar:
I was just looking at them, from what I read Solavei uses T-Mobile USA's GSM network. How long have you been using Solavei. Any negatives with their service voice, text and data wise?
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] Mgamerz:
30 GB? What do people do with their time...?
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] atlgator:
Trying Solavei with the so called free month but still out of pocket $50 member fee. It's okay. Faster than ST as it allows HSPA 42.

---------- Post added at 08:37 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:37 PM ----------

Addition.... If your phone does...
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] urinsane:
I've been on Solavei since Sept 12, and I have to say I am impressed. Granted, I did get in with the no membership fee/2nd month free, so 2 months was very cheap, but I did push over 4gb of data last month and didn't get throttled. The call forwarding makes it very nice with Google Voice, and coverage is better than TMo Monthly 4g plans. (Speed is slightly lower, but not noticeable really in daily usage).

I have not messed around with the referral program. It looks like the monthly bill will be $54.56 with taxes and fees. Yes, more expensive than straight talk, but faster and more data.

That said, the activation/membership fee is annoying, and I'm not sure I'd be willing to pay it if I was starting over. Solavei has a good thing going imo, but they really need to get the startup costs to a more competitive level.
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] Morphling27:
I'm pretty sure Straight Talk allows you the full speeds of both ATT and Tmobile's HSPA+ networks. Also, just user reports, but ST Tmobile sims have used insane amounts of data for prepaid with no throttling or cut off.
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] whitedragonz83:
I would argue that Straight Talk at $45/mo is the prefered plan. Not sure which $60 one you were looking at. So that is a straight $15/mo savings from your comparison.

In addition, not everyone is lucky enough to have business/public sector benefits of discounted phone plans, so if you remove the 19% discount, you add back ~$28/mo.

This means the savings is ~$45/mo, or $540/yr.

Unless my math was wrong that seems like a good savings. Ignoring the discount you saved $15/mo or $180/yr.

Some are fortunate (like me) to use the $30/mo plan, avoid taxes through Calling Mart, utilize VOIP solutions for minutes and end up paying only $30 total per month for 1 line. (+ $350/20 for the phone).
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] codesplice:
We get that prepaid isn't for everyone. Different people have different needs. That's absolutely fine. Prepaid works great for single lines, but it can't always compete with the bundled lines and corporate discounts that the contract model can offer.

That said, for 2GB of data a month, the $45/mo Straight Talk plans would make a lot more sense, so (for two plans) there's an extra $30/mo savings for you to consider.
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] firelightx:
Hmm. I'd skipped over the price on Straight Talk originally. Primarily because of the caveat posted on post #2, where you really don't know for sure what the data cap is. Some people have reported only 100MB in some areas? Personally, the thought of not knowing what I'm able to get away with is worse than knowingly having a low cap. The savings on it is a bit nicer, mind you, but that's worrisome.

I included the discount mostly to make the point that while on paper a lot of these prepaids sound awesome, there are other ways to work the system in your favor. Have you ever looked at just how easy it is to get a corporate discount with Verizon, for example? TECHNICALLY it's supposed to be your discount. But all it takes it having a friend of family member who has a work email address through their big business, and you can utilize that to fool Verizon into thinking that's where you work. Case in point: the 19% is for my wife's employer, even though the account is all in my name.

But more importantly, it was to illustrate an example, based on my personal situation, where it is not so substantial a savings as to be worth it. Particularly because this thread goes so far out of it's way to ignore differences such as customer service, coverage, speed, etc. The reality is that these things do matter. And while I might be smart enough to work around these, I am comfortable with paying a small amount more per month so that I do not have to. And it really is only a small amount more, each month.
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] Mr.Mischief:
100MB per day, 2GB a month. Not 100MB for the entire month.
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] firelightx:
Ahah, okay. And what would happen if you go over 100 MB per day? Just throttling?

I am willing to be proven wrong. If Straight Talk really is a worthwhile setup I might just start looking at it more seriously. I'd have to look very hard at coverage for it in my area of course, but... well, like the math said. $45 savings every month isn't something to laugh at.
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] Mr.Mischief:
Nothing will happen if you go over for a couple of days. But, if you continually use lot of data, they'll throttle.

I was on a school trip last year, no WiFi a the event. Over four days, I probably used 150MB a day. They didn't throttle or warn me.