Cricket vs Simple Mobile - Android Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting

Sick of paying an arm and leg with Sprint for their crappy data service and even crappier customer service. Was wondering what you guys thought about these 2 "budget" alternatives to big 4 companies. I live in NYC if that is important. I'm leaning towards Simple Mobile because it's a little cheaper.
Also, a very inportant point for me is being able to ROOT my phone. How does it work when you are one of these providers? For example if I had a S6 connected to Simple Mobile can i just use the Tmobile or ATT root method for the S6? This is a point that I don't know anything about.

Do you mean Simple Choice?
The nice thing with Simple Choice is that you can choose which provider to use; with an unlocked GSM phone you can go with either AT&T or T-Mobile. T-Mo has rolled out band 12 700MHz in NYC, so you should get good service through them, and of course AT&T is going to be pretty good too.
Cricket is owned by AT&T. MetroPCS is T-Mobile's. Both will likely give you better data plan options than Simple Choice, but will likely cost more as well. If you need truly unlimited high-speed, MetroPCS is the way to go. Cricket as "unlimited" as well, but after you reach a point (depends on your plan) they drop you to 2G speeds. MetroPCS does the same with their lower plans, but they do have the unlimited high-speed one.
I can't speak as to rooting a Galaxy S6, but it won't matter with the providers. As long as it's carrier unlocked, GSM, and has the appropriate LTE bands (an S6 from either AT&T or T-Mobile will have both companies' bands). Both will have plenty of bloat, AT&T probably moreso. Root has no bearing on functionality, and as long as you don't tell them you're rooted, they won't know (or likely care). Take for example the Nexus 4. It has band 4 LTE built-in, but it's disabled. There's a hack to enable it though, and we've been using it for years. If ever there was a "red flag" that their customers were using rooted phones, the Nexus 4 would be it, yet nobody's ever had their service cut off for using a rooted device (technically you don't have to root to do this hack, but those that know of it are the ones that root regardless). Just don't mention that you're rooted if you have to call customer service or something.

Related

[Q] Sprint not available

I was wondering if there is a way to use another carrier to get 4G for my tablet? I want 4G for my tablet but Sprint is not in my area. I would have to use US Celluar or Verizon. I checked Verizon and it would be $35ish a month. How do I change set it up for another carrier? Hoping I don't have to go as far as rooting it. Thanks!
love_my_htc said:
I was wondering if there is a way to use another carrier to get 4G for my tablet? I want 4G for my tablet but Sprint is not in my area. I would have to use US Celluar or Verizon. I checked Verizon and it would be $35ish a month. How do I change set it up for another carrier? Hoping I don't have to go as far as rooting it. Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Unfortunately you can't, even with rooting. That's because 4G isn't a wireless protocol, but rather a standard that defines minimum speeds for protocols that wish to call themselves 4G (or something like that). Different carriers achieve 4G through different communications protocols. Verizon and AT&T use LTE. T-Mobile uses HSPA+. Sprint uses WiMAX. Currently Sprint is the only carrier to use WiMAX, and the only other WiMAX provider is Clearwire. But since Sprint uses Clearwire for its WiMAX, if you had Clearwire available in your are you'd have Sprint 4G, too. (Also, Sprint is abandoning WiMAX in favor of LTE in the coming years, so WiMAX is pretty much dead).
Your best bet is to find a carrier that offers 4G service in your area and buy a wireless hotspot and a plan from them. The advantage is that you can also use that plan for other devices such as laptops and WiFi capable phones.
Thanks for the reply.. That sounds like a good idea!!

Big decision on whether to get the international or US Samsung Galaxy S3

Note: Posting this here because...this kinda concerns this version, tmobile, AT&T, and the US version. Not sure if this is the best place to post this topic though. If it isn't, please move it. Anyway
Edit: Dammit, maybe this thread is more appropriate for the Tmobile section. I guess I posted this in the wrong place then.
For the past two days, I've been undecided on whether or not I should get the International Samsung Galaxy S3, or the USA Samsung Galaxy S3. To the point where it's stressing me out.From what I've read, its a pretty debatable subject..and its tiring having to go through "lolz quad core owns all" or "2gb ram is the best. Lol international". I looked at some videos, and they seemed even, more or less.
1. Here is my issue. I have Tmobile.Right now I'm under a prepaid type of plan(as in, I pay for minutes whenever. If I'm out of minutes, I can buy some more at any time. I'm under no type of contract. And the only thing that obviously happens to me if I run out of minutes is that I cant call/text anyone until i add more ). But I would like the option to go to 3g/4g in the future. I don't have the money to do 3g/4G right now , but atleast the option is still there for the future. So for now , I'm on a prepaid "pay whenever I want" thing.
From what I've heard the international version does not support 3g/4g(?) regarding Tmobile. All I will get is edge. Now here is the question. Will this always be the case for the International version? Meaning that the international version will never support 3g and 4g under Tmobile?(if I wanted to get a 3g plan) ?
2. If thats the case, what about the USA version? If I decide to stick under Tmobile, and get the US version, I will still have the option of upgrading to 3G/4g on Tmobile, right ? If so, does it matter which US Samsung Galaxy phone I get?(ignoring Verizon and Sprint)
For example, I heard that the AT&T locks the user from disabling LTE for the USA version. As well as locks other things in general. Even if unlocked. Is this true? Or was the person who said this full of crap?
2.5 Also, lets say I do get The AT&T SGS3. And I unlock it and put my Tmobile sim card in it. Now in the future, If I wanted to upgrade to LTE, would I be able to get LTE on this unlocked AT&T phone under a Tmobile Plan? Or would I need an AT&T SGS3, along with an AT&T plan in order to get LTE? And would the reverse be true(as in, If I get a Tmobile SGS3, and wanted to switch carriers . I would never get LTE because of the change of plan). Should I only get a Tmobile USA Samsung Galaxy S3?
3.What about "rooting"? Would that be a way around #2.5 or any of the above questions?
4. Does AT&T have a good prepaid plan as well?(as in, I can pay for minutes whenever. I'm not under any contract or $30 a month type of thing)
5.In my situation, would you recommend I get the US, or international version? Is it worth getting the international version, or USA version when concerning Tmobile? Should I switch carriers in the future, or am I fine the way I am now?
?
6. IYO, if I were to get the USA version, what would be the best place to get it? Without any type of contracts. Again, I assume that buying it locked(and them me manually unlocking it) is the safest option?
7. In my situation, would you recoomend I get the USA, or international version?
Cliffs.
- Deciding between international SGS3, or USA SGS3.
- I'm under Tmobile(prepaid for now)
- Is it true that the International version of the SGS3 will never support 3g or 4g for Tmobile?
- If that's the case, I will at least have the option of upgrading to 3g/4g/on a USA SGS3 under Tmobile, right?
- If the above is true, would it matter which USA Samsung Galaxy S3 I get?(AT&T, or Tmobile). Ex: Is it true that AT&T locks/prevents the user from disabling LTE(which apparently drains a lot)pa, and other apps on the specific AT&T SGS3? Even if it's unlocked? Or was the person who said this full of crap?)
- If I do get a USA AT&T SGS3, unlock it, and put my Tmobile sim card in it. And in the future, wanted to upgrade to LTE, would I be able to get LTE on this unlocked ATT phone, under a Tmobile plan? If not, does the reverse hold true as well?(as in, If I get a Tmobile SGS3, and wanted to switch carriers . I would never get LTE because of the change of plan)
- Would rooting solve the above issues?
- Does AT&T have a good prepaid plan as well?(as in, I can pay for minutes whenever. I'm not under any contract or $30 a month type of thing)
- What would you guys do in my situation?
- IYO, if I were to get the USA version, what would be the best place to get it? Without any type of contracts
- In my situation, would you recommend I get the US, or international version?
destroyer8888 said:
Note: Posting this here because...this kinda concerns this version, tmobile, AT&T, and the US version. Not sure if this is the best place to post this topic though. If it isn't, please move it. Anyway
For the past two days, I've been undecided on whether or not I should get the International Samsung Galaxy S3, or the USA Samsung Galaxy S3. To the point where it's stressing me out.From what I've read, its a pretty debatable subject..and its tiring having to go through "lolz quad core owns all" or "2gb ram is the best. Lol international". I looked at some videos, and they seemed even, more or less.
1. Here is my issue. I have Tmobile.Right now I'm under a prepaid type of plan(as in, I pay for minutes whenever. If I'm out of minutes, I can buy some more at any time. I'm under no type of contract. And the only thing that obviously happens to me if I run out of minutes is that I cant call/text anyone until i add more ). But I would like the option to go to 3g/4g in the future. I don't have the money to do 3g/4G right now , but atleast the option is still there for the future.
From what I've heard the international version does not support 3g/4g(?) regarding Tmobile. All I will get is edge. Now here is the question. Will this always be the case for the International version? Meaning that the international version will never support 3g and 4g under Tmobile?(if I wanted to get a 3g plan) ?
2. If thats the case, what about the USA version? If I decide to stick under Tmobile, and get the US version, I will still have the option of upgrading to 3G/4g on Tmobile, right ? If so, does it matter which US Samsung Galaxy phone I get?(ignoring Verizon and Sprint)
For example, I heard that the AT&T locks the user from disabling LTE for the USA version. As well as locks other things in general. Even if unlocked. Is this true? Or was the person who said this full of crap?
2.5 Also, lets say I do get The AT&T SGS3. And I unlock it and put my Tmobile sim card in it. Now in the future, If I wanted to upgrade to LTE, would I be able to get LTE on this unlocked AT&T phone under a Tmobile Plan? Or would I need an AT&T SGS3, along with an AT&T plan in order to get LTE? And would the reverse be true(as in, If I get a Tmobile SGS3, and wanted to switch carriers . I would never get LTE because of the change of plan). Should I only get a Tmobile USA Samsung Galaxy S3?
3.What about "rooting"? Would that be a way around #2.5 or any of the above questions?
4. Does AT&T have a good prepaid plan as well?(as in, I can pay for minutes whenever. I'm not under any contract or $30 a month type of thing)
5.What would you guys do in my situation? Is it worth getting the international version, or USA version when concerning Tmobile? Should I switch carriers in the future, or am I fine the way I am now?
6. IYO, if I were to get the USA version, what would be the best place to get it? Without any type of contracts. Again, I assume that buying it locked(and them me manually unlocking it) is the safest option?
Cliffs.
- Deciding between international SGS3, or USA SGS3.
- I'm under Tmobile(prepaid for now)
- Is it true that the International version of the SGS3 will never support 3g or 4g for Tmobile?
- If thats the case, I will atleast have the option of upgrading to 3g/4g/on a USA SGS3 under Tmobile, right?
- If the above is true, would it matter which USA Samsung Galaxy S3 I get?(AT&T, or Tmobile). Ex: Is it true that AT&T locks/prevents the user from disabling LTE(which apparently drains a lot)pa, and other apps on the specific AT&T SGS3? Even if it's unlocked? Or was the person who said this full of crap?)
- If I do get a USA AT&T SGS3, unlock it, and put my Tmobile sim card in it. And in the future, wanted to upgrade to LTE, would I be able to get LTE on this unlocked ATT phone, under a Tmobile plan? If not, does the reverse hold true as well?(as in, If I get a Tmobile SGS3, and wanted to switch carriers . I would never get LTE because of the change of plan)
- Would rooting solve the above issues?
- Does AT&T have a good prepaid plan as well?(as in, I can pay for minutes whenever. I'm not under any contract or $30 a month type of thing)
- What would you guys do in my situation?
- IYO, if I were to get the USA version, what would be the best place to get it? Without any type of contracts
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I live in Germany on T-Mobile and have the International version. I recently travelled back to the US (PA/WV/OH area). T-Mobile only gave me a roaming Edge connection, no 3G (at least in the Columbus OH area). I went to the local AT&T shop to get one of the prepaid SIM's. They sold me one, but no-go on the data. They don't do "4G" data on the prepaid plan, the phone was too cool for them. I was only there for a couple of weeks, so I dealt with it. As for which is better, 2 core or 4 core, flip a coin. They are both good. Use GSM Arena's specs pages along with http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cellular_frequencies for carrier frequencies to figure out which phone supports the data connection you want.
michaeljwestii said:
I live in Germany on T-Mobile and have the International version. I recently travelled back to the US (PA/WV/OH area). T-Mobile only gave me a roaming Edge connection, no 3G (at least in the Columbus OH area). I went to the local AT&T shop to get one of the prepaid SIM's. They sold me one, but no-go on the data. They don't do "4G" data on the prepaid plan, the phone was too cool for them. I was only there for a couple of weeks, so I dealt with it. As for which is better, 2 core or 4 core, flip a coin. They are both good. Use GSM Arena's specs pages along with [link] for carrier frequencies to figure out which phone supports the data connection you want.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ahh I see. Thanks for the input man Now that I think about it, i'm starting to lean more towards the US version.
also, are there any good guides on how to disable LTE on a US ATT SGS3?

Universal phone? Verizon and T-mobile?

Hi, im looking for a phone which would work with both verizon and T-mobile. Why both? well im in an odd situation, where im halfway through my contract with verizon, but want to switch to T-mobile. But my phone right now barely even works at the moment, so i need a new one, which I can bring over with me when i switch to T-mobile
I need a phone which works on both carriers or else I will end up buying to phones at full price, and I wouldnt want to do that!. Any help wpuld be extremely appreciated, there has to be some kind of smartphone out there thats capable of this
robotnikman said:
Hi, im looking for a phone which would work with both verizon and T-mobile. Why both? well im in an odd situation, where im halfway through my contract with verizon, but want to switch to T-mobile. But my phone right now barely even works at the moment, so i need a new one, which I can bring over with me when i switch to T-mobile
I need a phone which works on both carriers or else I will end up buying to phones at full price, and I wouldnt want to do that!. Any help wpuld be extremely appreciated, there has to be some kind of smartphone out there thats capable of this
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
A lot of phones these days are tri/quad-band. This means they operate on 3 or 4 frequencies ranges.
I'm not from the US so I'm not 100% sure but I believe Verizon is a CDMA based network while T-Mobile uses GSM (or WCDMA).
This would mean that most phones cannot be taken from one to the other. However many newer phones are released in carrier specific versions but don't have any hardware differences. Its often very hard to test/confirm this without having the specific device in your hand.
Google suggests that the iPhone 5, 5C & 5S from Verizon is unlocked and works on T-Mobiles 3G & 4G networks. So this could be an option.
As far as android handsets go, most of the phones I can find dont have a good overlap of frequencies for both networks.
Using the LG G2 as an example, the T-Mobile versions of most handsets use 850/1700/1900/2100 for 3G and LTE Bands 2, 4, 17. Verizon uses 850/900/1900/2100 for 3G and LTE Bands 4, 13. There is a little overlap there, 3G @ 850, 900 & 2100, but the LTE coverage is limited to Band 4 which could result in some negative experiences coverage wise on T-Mobile.

MetroPCS vs ATT Mega on Tmobile?

I am a real newbie when it comes to most of what you guys are doing but anyway I have a few questions I wonder if someone could answer.
I was considering getting the international version of the Mega 6.3 but I really would like to get the fastest download speeds I can so the discussions on using the ATT and MetroPCS Megas on the T Mobile network really interests me.
Questions:
After unlocking the phone, is the MetroPCS Mega more compatible with T Mobile than the ATT version? Is there an advantage buying one over the other? I understand that I may have to change the network settings also to have the phone fully functional on LTE, etc.
Does unlocking the phone void the warranty?
Also, I get a lot of misinformation from cell phone stores I was wondering if this is correct; a T Mobile store in my local mall said that in order for me to get LTE I would have to get on one of there more expensive plans (I am on the $30 "Walmart" plan with my Note 2).
Thanks.
bkkcnxsi said:
I am a real newbie when it comes to most of what you guys are doing but anyway I have a few questions I wonder if someone could answer.
I was considering getting the international version of the Mega 6.3 but I really would like to get the fastest download speeds I can so the discussions on using the ATT and MetroPCS Megas on the T Mobile network really interests me.
Questions:
After unlocking the phone, is the MetroPCS Mega more compatible with T Mobile than the ATT version? Is there an advantage buying one over the other? I understand that I may have to change the network settings also to have the phone fully functional on LTE, etc.
Does unlocking the phone void the warranty?
Also, I get a lot of misinformation from cell phone stores I was wondering if this is correct; a T Mobile store in my local mall said that in order for me to get LTE I would have to get on one of there more expensive plans (I am on the $30 "Walmart" plan with my Note 2).
Thanks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
After unlocking, the MetroPCS Mega is more compatible with T-mobile than ATT (MetroPCS these days uses T-mobile's network). The MetroPCS version has the compatible frequencies for T-mobile's native 3G/4G hspa and 4GLTE network while the ATT version only has support for Tmo's 4GLTE and unless you live in a refarmed area (1900mhz) you won't be getting 3G/4G hspa coverage.
Sim unlocking a phone does not void warranty and the person at the mall is wrong. I'm currently using the $30 "Walmart" plan and once you edit the APN settings, you'll get LTE on T-mobile (I tested this on an Atrix HD I own which support Tmo's LTE network).
I'm in the same boat as you, contemplating picking up the international version, but the MetroPCS version is highly tempting. Right now, if you're a new Metro customer, the price of the Mega is $349 ($499 - $100 instant rebate - $50 off new activation) - can't really beat that price. Also, supposedly, MetroPCS will unlock the phone for free after three months of using their service.
bkkcnxsi said:
I am a real newbie when it comes to most of what you guys are doing but anyway I have a few questions I wonder if someone could answer.
I was considering getting the international version of the Mega 6.3 but I really would like to get the fastest download speeds I can so the discussions on using the ATT and MetroPCS Megas on the T Mobile network really interests me.
Questions:
After unlocking the phone, is the MetroPCS Mega more compatible with T Mobile than the ATT version? Is there an advantage buying one over the other? I understand that I may have to change the network settings also to have the phone fully functional on LTE, etc.
Does unlocking the phone void the warranty?
Also, I get a lot of misinformation from cell phone stores I was wondering if this is correct; a T Mobile store in my local mall said that in order for me to get LTE I would have to get on one of there more expensive plans (I am on the $30 "Walmart" plan with my Note 2).
Thanks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2526041

[Q] SCH-I545 T-Mobile Switch

Howdy all,
I bought the VZW S4 when it was brand new and am lucky enough to still have an mdk bootloader. But wow vzw is expensive and living in Denver and being a world traveler for work, T-Mobile has peaked my interest with their prices and the international data usage...
I am running hyperdrive 17.1 and the phone is great and running like butter. From what I've read I can get a T-Mobile Sim card, change the APN and voilĂ . But T-Mobile employees say my 4G LTE will go in and out and only work where T-Mobile has certain bands of 4G. The coverage map looks good but I have no idea what band of 4G LTE it is.
My question is if I can flash the T-Mobile version of hyperdrive or another T-Mobile rom onto my mdk vzw s4, change the APN and have a fully functioning T-Mobile S4? Or will it lack certain frequencies and drop 4G often? Anyone who has attempted the switch please feel free to comment on your experience so far. Thank you XDA!
ElBow513 said:
Howdy all,
I bought the VZW S4 when it was brand new and am lucky enough to still have an mdk bootloader. But wow vzw is expensive and living in Denver and being a world traveler for work, T-Mobile has peaked my interest with their prices and the international data usage...
I am running hyperdrive 17.1 and the phone is great and running like butter. From what I've read I can get a T-Mobile Sim card, change the APN and voilĂ . But T-Mobile employees say my 4G LTE will go in and out and only work where T-Mobile has certain bands of 4G. The coverage map looks good but I have no idea what band of 4G LTE it is.
My question is if I can flash the T-Mobile version of hyperdrive or another T-Mobile rom onto my mdk vzw s4, change the APN and have a fully functioning T-Mobile S4? Or will it lack certain frequencies and drop 4G often? Anyone who has attempted the switch please feel free to comment on your experience so far. Thank you XDA!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nothing you flash will add more bands than this phone has, it's a hardware issue, it only has AWS (which T-Mobile uses) and 700c (band13) which (I think only) Verizon uses.
I'm not sure exactly what other (if any) bands T-Mobile uses for LTE
I've got the sane setup in Chicago. I'm not a world traveler but while your her you can expect anywhere from 20 to 33 mbps. You should tell your job to get you a dedicated line w/ tmo.
kyedmipy said:
I've got the sane setup in Chicago. I'm not a world traveler but while your her you can expect anywhere from 20 to 33 mbps. You should tell your job to get you a dedicated line w/ tmo.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's great to hear! Did you flash a T-Mobile rom or just use the vzw rom with T-Mobile APN?
I just want to make sure that I still get a decent connection in most cities, not slugging along at 2g, 90% of the time because its not a T-Mobile phone. If that's the case, I might consider buying a T-Mobile phone, but that hurts the whole argument of ditching vzw to save $$
changed mine to metroPCS...
ElBow513 said:
That's great to hear! Did you flash a T-Mobile rom or just use the vzw rom with T-Mobile APN?
I just want to make sure that I still get a decent connection in most cities, not slugging along at 2g, 90% of the time because its not a T-Mobile phone. If that's the case, I might consider buying a T-Mobile phone, but that hurts the whole argument of ditching vzw to save $$
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I changed mine to MetroPCS which runs on the T-Mobile network. the guy at the store did the swap and it runs on the network and 4G/LTE in most metro areas very well, but loses any data connection in remote areas (I live in east-central Wyoming and it only works data in the larger towns here but still gets calls and texts anywhere you get a signal. It will at times toggle between 3G to 4G in some areas. and foxfi will run on it too if you hide the data usage when tethering. hope it helps.

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