Looking for new phone and maybe plan

[CU]

Currently need to replace an old Samsung Captivate on Straight Talk. Been on Straight Talk for two years and for the most part I have been happy, but the AT&T signal doesn't go through walls that good. If I walk into a store I pretty much lose the signal. Before that I was with Version with the original Moto Razor and never lost a signal in the same locations. What is a good <$100 used or new phone and plan for $45 or less. I need unlimited voice and text. Data is probably only a few 100megs a month. Thanks.

 

[blairharrington]

AT&T post-paid offers 300 MB a month plus unlimited talk and text for $45.

 

[MarkLuvsCS]

Moto E new $130

Seems the global version doesn't support some of the 3G bands which is sorta strange. It doesn't have LTE but should work with T-mobiles HSPA+ network.

T-mobile also has a $30 a month 100 mins talk, unlimited text, 'unlimited data' (throttles @ 5gb IIRC). People have posted they use this plan with Google voice to make calls out which I'm willing to bet doesn't really use that much bandwidth for some random calls. T-mobile may offer some slightly more open plans in case you're worried about mins. I think they have unlimited talk/text + 2gb data for ~$40 a month?

It seems T-mobile is trying to spread out and really build out their infrastructure in the near future. I'd just check the maps to see if they have good coverage in the areas you're normally at.

 

[paperwastage]

either your phone has signal problems, or at&t's network in your area isn't strong enough to penetrate the walls (because tower is too far away, or att is deliberately operating at a lower power, or AT&T only owns 1900 GSM bands in your area)...

AT&T uses 850/1900 for 2G/3G coverage, look at this website to see if your location has 850. lower = better for building penetration

t-mobile won't give you building penetration with their higher frequency bands (1700/1900/2100)

if you have a credit card with enough limit ($751+), test drive T-mobile

then go back to Verizon... their prepaid has a $45 option for unlimited text/voice, 500MB data... they offer several cheap sub-$100 phones, eg Moto G for $99. they cut you off after 500MB, no overages

 

[s44]

I would try an AT&T phone with LTE. Maybe their 700mhz coverage will penetrate better than 3G. T-Mobile won't help.

Also, your budget is in pain territory. Maybe the Atrix HD from Swappa?

 

[CU]

Thanks for that map. Based on that AT&T doesn't do 850mhz in Charlestons, SC. Actually they don't do 850mhz in most of SC. Verizon shows lots of coverage in SC. The Moto G with Verizon prepaid sounds pretty good. Same price as Straight Talk, but with less data. Never used that much anyway.

AT&T LTE 700mhz shows coverage in Charleston, SC. So maybe an AT&T LTE phone on Straight Talk would work. I thought LTE coverage was less available then 3G though.

 

[CU]

Maybe I am not using that map correctly for 700mhz LTE on AT&T. When I select AT&T 700mhz 716-722 the entire US is covered with no gaps?

 

[MrSquished]

I would try an AT&T phone with LTE. Maybe their 700mhz coverage will penetrate better than 3G. T-Mobile won't help.

Also, your budget is in pain territory. Maybe the Atrix HD from Swappa?

LTE is data only. LTE being available in his market would not affect voice signal quality - you can even see this if you have an AT&T phone, the moment you make a call the little LTE symbol goes away and you see H+.

Voice over LTE is a newer technology and AT&T has just started to roll it out basically last month. it will be VoIP. but it's only a few markets for now. none are in the carolinas

 

[CU]

Was just about to say LTE is data only for now atleast, after doing some reading. So, really I should go back to Verizon's network to get better voice service. That Moto G is looking pretty good. To bad it won't work on Straight Talk's CDMA plan. I would rather give my money to them.

 

[paperwastage]

AT&T LTE 700mhz shows coverage in Charleston, SC. So maybe an AT&T LTE phone on Straight Talk would work. I thought LTE coverage was less available then 3G though.

3G "reaches" further and covers more than LTE (with the same frequency/bandwidth), though LTE would have more throughput per unit of frequency....

as someone said, AT&T doesn't have much VoLTE support yet(T-mobile has 15 markets so far and 4 phones, AT&T has a couple of markets and one? phone )

you could check if Sprint has coverage and roaming on your area... Sprint phones sometimes roam on Verizon's network (dunno what are the circumstances where you are allowed to roam / roam limits)... but give your light data usage, Verizon's prepaid plan works out for you and gives you the necessary coverage/building penetration you want

Maybe I am not using that map correctly for 700mhz LTE on AT&T. When I select AT&T 700mhz 716-722 the entire US is covered with no gaps?

these frequency "blocks" are auctioned off differently... they may be by state/local/"regional"/national blocks, and everyone can bid on several of these blocks (or other rules)... if you look at the different frequency bands, the map can be sliced up differently

it's possible for AT&T to "win" the entire US region for 700mhz band D block (in reality, AT&T bought this from Qualcomm, and qualcomm wonit in 2008, see link below)

700mhz band D is unpaired, meaning it's only one-way broadcasting... that's why it's less desired and AT&T got it because it's cheap and AT&T has some specific plan to use it

most bands are paired - eg: AWS has 1700 used for uplink, 2100 for download

http://www.phonescoop.com/articles/article.php?a=187&p=232
http://www.phonescoop.com/articles/article.php?a=187&p=233

 

[s44]

Wait, OP cares about voice!?

Verizon it is, then, but their 3g is slow and there's no cheap/reasonable way to access their network.

 

[cronos]

I need unlimited data and text. Data is probably only a few 100megs a month.

This does not compute.

Get a Boost Moto G and flash it to PagePlus. This is probably the most reasonable solution for you.

 

[CU]

That should have been unlimited voice and text. I fixed the OP.

 

[CU]

Verizon it is, then, but their 3g is slow and there's no cheap/reasonable way to access their network.

I got the Moto G for $70 today. The verizon prepaid plan is $45. I hope to port the number over late tonight and try it out tomorrow. Same as Straight Talk just with less data that I don't use much of anyway. How slow is Verizon's 3G? I only got a 1-2Mbits with AT&T's 3G or what ever the old Samsung Captivate was connecting to.

 

[paperwastage]

I got the Moto G for $70 today. The verizon prepaid plan is $45. I hope to port the number over late tonight and try it out tomorrow. Same as Straight Talk just with less data that I don't use much of anyway. How slow is Verizon's 3G? I only got a 1-2Mbits with AT&T's 3G or what ever the old Samsung Captivate was connecting to.

Verizon's 3G is slow. unfortunate, probably slower than AT&T

(pcmag's tests for Charlotte, NC... look at the second chart with the 3G test results)
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2459205,00.asp

(Verizon Suburban/rural southeast region)
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2459271,00.asp


http://www.sensorly.com/map/2G-3G/U...zon#q=Charleston,+SC,+USA|speedtests,download

 

[CU]

Based on that last map. Verizon should be better for me. Although Sprint has awesome 3G coverage. If Verizon doesn't work out I will look at Sprint.

 

[gmaster456]

You should be fine with Verizon

 

[s44]

How slow is Verizon's 3G? I only got a 1-2Mbits with AT&T's 3G or what ever the old Samsung Captivate was connecting to.

1+ meg was reason to celebrate. Used to get .7-.8 on a good day. And the latency! It might be less clogged now with most devices being LTE though...

 

[CU]

Speed update. On the old Captivate running on Straight Talk's AT&T 3G network I got 3.15 down and 1.65 up. On the new Moto G running on Verizon's 3G prepaid plan I got 10 down and 1.5 up. So, Verizon's 3G for me is much faster than AT&T's 3G at least the download speed anyway.

Any reason not to toss the old sim that was in the Captivate? It is not worth anything correct.

 

[paperwastage]

Any reason not to toss the old sim that was in the Captivate? It is not worth anything correct.

nope, throw it out. it's easy to get a at&t / at&t-mnvo sim

On the other hand, it's hard to get a Verizon sim... keep those, they remain usable(i.e. can reactivate service) for 6(?) months after you deactivate service.

 

[quikah]

Speed update. On the old Captivate running on Straight Talk's AT&T 3G network I got 3.15 down and 1.65 up. On the new Moto G running on Verizon's 3G prepaid plan I got 10 down and 1.5 up. So, Verizon's 3G for me is much faster than AT&T's 3G at least the download speed anyway.

Any reason not to toss the old sim that was in the Captivate? It is not worth anything correct.

Wait, 10Mb? That is impossible. The theoretical maximum of EVDO Rev. A is 3 Mb. Do you have the LTE version?

 

[CU]

It is the Verizon version of the Moto G. I bought it at Target. Shouldn't be LTE, and Verizon shouldn't be using LTE on prepaid plans, yet (There are rumors it is coming soon). I used OOKLA speedtest to test it.

Edit: HSDPA maybe, 3.5G?

 

[quikah]

AKAIK Verizon is EVDO or LTE only, weird that you are getting those results

 

[paperwastage]

AKAIK Verizon is EVDO or LTE only, weird that you are getting those results

maybe speedtest app glitched.. run it again?

maybe you were on a Verizon roaming partner with HSPA? don't know if Verizon even allows such roaming?

 

[CU]

I did run it twice. Pretty much the same results. I have never ran the test at that location before and even the Captivate got better than it normally does.