[T-Mobile Samsung Galaxy Note II] johnboyinfl@gmail.com:
Should have done more research first... Sorry

Realizing i needed to do more research before being able to ask the right questions. Sorry.

I am looking to pick up a Galaxy Note II and use it with TMobile and/or Straight Talk. My home area and work area seem to have good TMobile coverage but it is spotty elsewhere. Straight Talk (att) seems to have great coverage. I really would like to use the TMobile $30 plan as my primary plan as most of my time is spent at home and at work. Not necessary to spend the extra $15 for the StraightTalk $45 plan.

I am looking to see my best options for purchasing.

After some research, here is where i am.............

The Verizon and sprint versions are cdma and not compatible with straight talk or tmobile.

TMobile and StraightTalk (att) both are gsm. The Internation Version is also gsm

It seems that i could purchase the TMobile, Att, or International version. The TMobile note II does not have lte support but may enable it in the future? (Could future proof the purchase.) It is compatible with the Tmobile sim and $30 plan. It will run hspa + 42. At some point when Tmobile upgrades to LTE, it might be compatible with that upgrade.

I can also use it with a StraightTalk sim. It would run StraightTalk (att) hspa + 21.

I am not finding much information about using the Att Note II with Tmobile or Straight talk. I would assume that it would be the same, seeing that it is gsm. It Would not take advantage of the hspa + 42 on TMobile? Still not have LTE on Att? Seems that the ATT version would be the best to use on StraightTalk (att)... Not understanding this.

As i understand it, the international version would run on TMobile with hspa + 42 and hspa + 21 on StraightTalk (att.) Seems similar to what i would have on the Tmobile version. I also undertand that OS updates will be faster with the international version.

As i stated, this is my first go at an off contract phone and prepaid plan. I am reading that it might be best to purchase the TMobile version at full price and then ask for it to be unlocked. That would allow me to run it on both TMobile and Straight Talk. Taking the advantage that both have to offer.

I also heard that you can use use the Tmobile $30 plan and the StraighTalk $45 plan off and on. One month on each (alternating.) I called Tmobile and they stated that if you stop it for more than 2 weeks, it would be converted to pay as you go and you would lose the $30/month promotion. You would then have to sign up all over again.

This does not seem to be a problem for me. I am looking at porting my number to google so that the number that tmobile or StraightTalk provides me won't matter. I would just sign up again with a new activation kit and get a new number. Anyone have experience with this? Would hate to mess something up and miss out on the $30 plan.

Looking to the professionals here on XDA to correct me if i am wrong and provide some guidance. What would you buy and where would you buy it from?

Thanks again.

jc

p.s.

Have also heard that it might also be possible to run this on Solavei and Net 10.

fyi.

I am also Looking to set up my current epic4g with grooveip? google voice? sipdroid? talkatone? vonage? so that the 100 minutes are not a problem.

Good thread over here..

http://xdaforums.com/showthread.php?t=1646755

Did some more reading over here...

http://xdaforums.com/showthread.php?t=1963538

I guess there is some discussion over here to get ATT LTE working on the TMobile version....

http://xdaforums.com/showthread.php?t=2026571