straight talk and windows phones questions...?

[bear_lx]

so i am tired of verizon and carriers altogether, so i am strongly considering switching to straight talk. a few questions though. i know i have read a few of you have done this and havent looked back. so there is some controversy with phone compatability... will any gsm phone work? does it have to be unlocked?

secondlly, there are 3 samsung focus phones on att right now, which one is the best? they all claim to be 4g, but only the focus 2 says 4g lte... aside from that, is the focus s, the focus 2, or the focus flash the best?

i am going to get a cheap windows phone on ebay if i do this only because i will plan on buying a windows phone 8 asap. looks like i can get a focus on ebay for 100 bucks.

third, is att or tmo plan better? straight talk uses att for $45 unlimited everything but with no roaming, tmo is $30 a month for 100 min, 5gb of data, and unlimited texts, but will roam from what i understand, but no lte.

need steered in the right direction, thanks!

 

[Corepc]

StraightTalk / Net10 offer either AT&T Compatible SIM or T-Mobile Compatible SIM

Unlimited Voice & Txt & 100mb day or 2gig a month with throttle after 2 gig for some..

They do not offer LTE..

I would avoid the Orig Focus has you cannot edit apn data that is required to get all features working on phone. aka MMS no mulitmedia txt's..Without having to hack the feature to work.

If you want AT&T Network get Focus S, Focus Flash, Focus 2 or Lumia 900.

These have app's that will let you edit apn data to get all features working. Voice,Data, TXT & MMS, Local Scout, Bing Maps etc.

Lumia 900 being top of Line, Focus S no LTE, Focus 2 LTE, Flash smallest phone No LTE..

If you want to use T-Mobile Network then Lumia 710 is what you are looking for which can be found new for less than 239..

But I would wait for Windows Phone 8 to be released and purchase on of those instead Depending on what carrier and order sim has needed. prices on WP7.x will drop on wp8 comes out so you could wait..

 

[bear_lx]

from what i understand straight talk will use att towers and is 45 bucks a month for unlimited everything... and have better overall reception.

tmo option is 30 bucks a month with 5gb of data, 100 anytime minutes and unlimited texts... faster speeds in peak areas, but poor overall reception.

debating on which towers to use...
Straight Talk

One of the numerous MVNOs running under the TracFone parent company, Straight Talk offers a fantastic value with their single plan. Unlimited Minutes, Unlimited Texts, and Unlimited Data, all for $45 (+ applicable sales taxes). Straight Talk offers service on either AT&T or T-Mobile depending on what your phone is compatible with, and is a great option for those who need the better coverage area nationwide offered by AT&T’s towers. While the plan says "unlimited", their terms of service indicate that they have the discretion to throttle your speeds for whatever they deem excessive use. It really depends on your market (how many other Straight Talk users are around you), but I've not had any issues keeping my speeds and using plenty of data.

T-Mobile Monthly 4G

T-Mobile offers a few different tiers of its prepaid service, dubbed Monthly 4G. The first tier is just $30 per month, and offers 100 Minutes, Unlimited Texts, and 5GB of 4G data. The second is $50 per month, and offers Unlimited Minutes, Unlimited Texts, and 100MB of 4G data. The third, $60 for the same but 2GB of 4G data. The last is $70, with 5GB of 4G data. Seems like a lot of options, but it’s good that T-Mobile offers different tiers to save people some money. The most compelling option for many will be the $30 plan because talk minutes are starting to become less and less important.

source : Prepaid: Not just for burner phones anymore | Android Central

 

[sconrad308]

I can tell you that I'm on Straight Talk and love it. I have AT&T coverage for only $45 month. I'm currently using the Focus Flash but looking at upgrading later, probably going to get the ATIV S or one of the Nokia's.

 

[bear_lx]

I can tell you that I'm on Straight Talk and love it. I have AT&T coverage for only $45 month. I'm currently using the Focus Flash but looking at upgrading later, probably going to get the ATIV S or one of the Nokia's.

But no 4g or roaming outside coverage right?
Do you have it edited to get mms and such as well?
Would focus 2 get 4g

 

[JKing106]

StraightTalk / Net10 offer either AT&T Compatible SIM or T-Mobile Compatible SIM

Unlimited Voice & Txt & 100mb day or 2gig a month with throttle after 2 gig for some..

They do not offer LTE..

I would avoid the Orig Focus has you cannot edit apn data that is required to get all features working on phone. aka MMS no mulitmedia txt's..Without having to hack the feature to work.

If you want AT&T Network get Focus S, Focus Flash, Focus 2 or Lumia 900.

These have app's that will let you edit apn data to get all features working. Voice,Data, TXT & MMS, Local Scout, Bing Maps etc.

Lumia 900 being top of Line, Focus S no LTE, Focus 2 LTE, Flash smallest phone No LTE..

If you want to use T-Mobile Network then Lumia 710 is what you are looking for which can be found new for less than 239..

But I would wait for Windows Phone 8 to be released and purchase on of those instead Depending on what carrier and order sim has needed. prices on WP7.x will drop on wp8 comes out so you could wait..

Link to getting MMS working on the original Focus with Straight Talk. Not for the faint of heart.


Samsung Focus On Straight Talk w/ Working MMS - xda-developers

 

[bear_lx]

Lol I would get a focus s at minimum or a Nokia 710... They are cheap enough on eBay...

 

[time pilot aka]

Been using straight talk on my Dell Venue Pro for 3 months now. It's great. The savings are incredible. My wife paid $10 more/month on Sprint and had terrible reception and they didn't even give her data or MMS.

But the phone will make a lot of difference. My DVP was easy to set up because there is a manufacturer-supplied menu buried in the ROM for changing your APN/MMS server, but my wife's LG Quantum took a LOT of hacking to get MMS to work at all. It eventually worked, but it took a lot of hair-pulling.

Technically, any GSM phone will work on straight talk, though you have to make sure you've got the right 3G bands. A phone designed to run on T-Mobile's network might not work with AT&T/Straight Talk's frequencies (I had this problem with an Android). Windows Phones are the hardest to configure because of lack of an MMS settings menu, but the Lumia 800/900 would be easy because Nokia provides an App to change the right settings. HTC has something similar.

When you're looking at options, I wouldn't worry about 4G capability. Straight Talk doesn't support it anyway. I have read stories about people who go over some invisible, undocumented data cap losing their service and even their number. But I probably average around 1GB/month, and have not had any trouble.

Again, the savings are incredible. Think about how much a similar plan on AT&T or Verizon is (around $110/month+taxes), with about 8 months of savings you could buy practically any brand new unlocked phone you want. Now that's a nice upgrade schedule if you ask me...

 

[sconrad308]

But no 4g or roaming outside coverage right?
Do you have it edited to get mms and such as well?
Would focus 2 get 4g

No you do not have LTE, Straight Talk doesn't support it anyway, but you will get their HDSPA+

I had to download an app from the Samsung marketplace to put in the APN that I needed, that is all that is needed on most of them.

No phone on Straight Talk or Net10 will be able to use the LTE network, but will use the 4G.

 

[bear_lx]

thanks guys, i think i am cancelling verizon... i will have to pay 235, per phone ( me and my wife) but i can wash that with selling my gnex and her iphone... not having carrier restraint is going to be amazing... worst case scenario, i could always give tmobile 30 plan a go, ( it supports lte) and see if the coverage works for me, if not inext month i will switch to straight talk!

 

[Corepc]

from what i understand straight talk will use att towers and is 45 bucks a month for unlimited everything... and have better overall reception.

tmo option is 30 bucks a month with 5gb of data, 100 anytime minutes and unlimited texts... faster speeds in peak areas, but poor overall reception.

. The first tier is just $30 per month, and offers 100 Minutes, Unlimited Texts, and 5GB of 4G data.

like I stated you can order a T-Mobile Sim from StraightTalk and Use T-Mobile Towers Instead of AT&T for same price..

But the T-Mobile 30 100 talk/Unlimited Text/5gb at 4g for 30 a month is a great price if you do not need Voice that much and Use Txt and Need Data. But you can only get it this way *New activations only. Available exclusively in-store at Walmart, on Walmart.com, and T-Mobile.com.* - Lumia 710 works best Once again on T-Mobile

Else if you choose Straighttalk AT&T SIM you have more of a phone choice - lumia 900, focus s, focus 2, focus flash, dell venue pro (at&t branded)..

 

[inteller]

that T-mobile plan sucks, and when you move up to real minutes it suddenly becomes $50 or more than ST. Go with ST. If you HAVE to have T-mo coverage get a T-mo sim and cut it and put it in a 710. Personally I'd wait and buy whatever WP8 phone T-mo gets and put that on ST.

Don't use these phones on ST: HTC phones (any) and Samsung Focus. You cannot add a custom APN to get MMS and the ****head liars at HTC have failed to deliver the updated Connection Setup app they promised.

 

[bear_lx]

got it, there is the custom apn for later model focus s, focus 2, and focus flash, just not the og focus. and even with the og focus there is a way via xda-dev, but sounds like a pain, so i wont bother

 

[trazer]

I too recently switched to Straight Talk and am loving it. Switched over 5 ATT lines and my bill is less than half what it was on ATT.

Three phones are normal ST phones, then I got the SIMs for my wifes Android phone and my Titan II. Android was cake, WP was cake too but no MMS. Then again I never use MMS so I personally do not care for now anyway.

Same coverage as ATT, great price, I am loving it! I get HSPA+ speeds which I wish was LTE as I have it here, but I'll take any data at all over my 200mb ATT plan lol. We have had zero issues other than one of the actual ST phones I got for my daughter was not tied to the correct SIM when I got it. Like to never reached someone but finally reached a person after searching the internet for a real phone number and not the automated crap, who got it sorted out over the phone so no need to get a replacement or anything. After that, not a problem in sight.

 

[fatclue_98]

thanks guys, i think i am cancelling verizon... i will have to pay 235, per phone ( me and my wife) but i can wash that with selling my gnex and her iphone... not having carrier restraint is going to be amazing... worst case scenario, i could always give tmobile 30 plan a go, ( it supports lte) and see if the coverage works for me, if not inext month i will switch to straight talk!

I'm on Straight Talk and it's awesome. I have been very adventurous with WP7 phones and tried many different models on ST. I'm the author of the link JKing106 posted on #6 and it's really not that complicated. Believe me, I'm no tech wiz. There is one thing I'd like to note and I'm surprised no one's mentioned it yet. The ST $45 sim comes in two flavors, AT&T-based and T-Mobile. I have the T-Mobile based sim and even though it only works on EDGE on AT&T phones, my speeds are actually faster than my wife's phone which has the AT&T-based sim. Granted, here in Miami T-Mobile has rolled out their 4G LTE so their 1700 band is not as congested. Having said that, a Lumia 710 would probably scream on the T-Mo sim. Another WP7 I had on ST was the Samsung Omnia7 and it supports the 1700 & 1900 bands. You do have some options it just depends on what the coverage is where you live. As I said, here in Miami the T-Mo sim is the way to go.

 

[brmiller1976]

If you're going to go for T-Mobile's SIM on Straight Talk, I'd go straight to T rather than buy indirectly. For only $35 a month, you can kick up the texts and data to unlimited and still get 100 minutes (plus free nights and weekends). It's a screaming deal, and you don't have to deal with Straight Talk's notoriously bad customer service.

And if you're going to get a T-Mo WP, I recommend the Radar over the 710. It's a much higher quality device.

 

[bear_lx]

just bought 2 focus flash's on ebay for just iver 100 bucks each! both claim to be in near mint condition from reputable sellers. cant beat that!

i am going to stick with ST on att because they have better coverage in my area... i had tmobile for all of 6 months last year and had to cancel just because if the lack of 3g and dropped calls. although that 30 bucks a month is tempting, ive learned my lesson

nice part about all of this is, i can change whenever i want! maybe one month i will give tmo another go! what do i have to lose, right? hahaha

should have done this a long time ago! bye bye verizon!
been with them for a total of 11 years, they will be pissed........actually i doubt it.