Just bought the AT&T Lumia 925 - A few questions

[ajansari]

Hi,

I've been reading WPCentral for some time now but this is my first post, so "Hello World" :smile: I had the Lumia 1520 for a couple weeks and it was fun, but the size just made it an awkward device for me. Since waiting for the Lumia 929 seemed like waiting for pink unicorns, I decided to get something else.

I returned it to the Microsoft Store last night and decided to pick between the 925 from AT&T or 928 from Verizon. I must have been taken by the shiny object syndrome because I conveniently missed the storage difference between the two and picked the AT&T 925. It wasn't a bad deal at $430 without contract, but the 928 was even cheaper at $399.

I am a Verizon customer and my Share Everything plan includes hotspot support so I intend to feed off of my iPhone's hotspot for data on my WP8 when I'm on the road. For calls, I'm getting a simple GoPhone plan just in case I ever need to use my 925 to make a call.

Here are a few questions I couldn't find answers to. Any help would be greatly appreciated:

1. Does the AT&T 925 variant have been built-in Qi charging support? The store rep said it needed an accessory case, but some articles I read made me think otherwise.
2. Does the Lumia 925 from AT&T have GDR3 yet? The store rep said it came preloaded with GDR3, but I'm not sure how to verify that. I can tell it's got Lumia Amber, so no Glance like the 1520.
3. Assuming GDR3 is not yet out for this phone, when it does get released, will it be through AT&T or through Microsoft? More to the point, if I activate the phone on a GoPhone plan without data, will I be able to download it using my own WiFi connection, or does have it to be done using the AT&T network?
4. Since the Lumia 928 from Verizon comes unlocked and I will be using a GoPhone plan without data, any thoughts on if I should stick with the 925 or trade in for the 928? I understand it's a matter of personal preference, but I'm curious.

Thank you for taking the time to read and respond. I did make an effort to find answers before I posted but a few quick searches didn't yield the answers I was looking for. Please feel free to link to a thread if it's already been answered before.

-AJ

 

[pottyvick]

I do not have at&t but i do have the 925 on t-mobile...

1. It does require the attachment case. Not built into the 925.
2/3. From what i understand the at&t version does not have gdr3 yet (but you can get the dev preview which is the same as the release version, search for that).
3. There is a thread in here about activating it over wifi. Not sure if its possible but i assume that it is.
4. There is not much difference between the two. One is made for CDMA and the other for GSM. With GSM having more global compatibality (im assuming).

 

[ajansari]

Thank you pottyvick!

 

[planoman]

How is the 925 working out? I have one coming next week. I am on ATT also.

 

[PostItNote]

1. Requires a case - Microsoft Store will have them. The case is very thin and doesn't make the phone bulky at all.
2. No, only the T-Mobile one does
3. My understanding is that all Windows Phones require a data plan for the initial setup since you have to sign in to your Microsoft account before you can set up Wifi. Either GDR3 or 8.1 was supposed to allow you to set up Wifi first, but I forget which.
4. Personal preference, but I prefer Verizon's network so I would likely go with the 928. Unfortunately, I'm stuck with AT&T for another year so I'm on 925.

The 925 is an excellent phone though - I like mine a lot.

 

[planoman]

Apparently the tmo version does not have gdr 3 yet at least according to the thread here. Almost no one has received it.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using WPCentral Forums mobile app

 

[ajansari]

Thank you PostItNote!

@Planoman: I love my 925. If the Lumia 929 comes out, I might be very tempted to turn this one in. But given the other models out right now, I think this one's the best for me. The black matte back of the phone is a fingerprint magnet though, but I guess you can't have it all.

For a while, I wondered if I should have gone with the 928, but not anymore. The black matte version is beautiful, but I noticed a lag on screen scroll on two different 928s at the MSFT Store.

For GDR3 update, I went the developer route, and downloaded it via WiFi.

I also just bought the Qi charging case and pad for a very good price from the MSFT Store (see my post in this thread: http://forums.windowscentral.com/nokia-lumia-925/255709-wireless-charging-cover-cheap.html). As PostItNote pointed out, the case is very thin, but it adds a layer or protection as well as wireless charging capability.

@PostItNote: Having been on both Verizon and AT&T, I think the one thing I really like on AT&T is the simultaneous voice and data capability that I haven't been able to get with any devices I owned on Verizon.

 

[planoman]

Thank you PostItNote!

@Planoman: I love my 925. If the Lumia 929 comes out, I might be very tempted to turn this one in. But given the other models out right now, I think this one's the best for me. The black matte back of the phone is a fingerprint magnet though, but I guess you can't have it all.

For a while, I wondered if I should have gone with the 928, but not anymore. The black matte version is beautiful, but I noticed a lag on screen scroll on two different 928s at the MSFT Store.

For GDR3 update, I went the developer route, and downloaded it via WiFi.

I also just bought the Qi charging case and pad for a very good price from the MSFT Store (see my post in this thread: http://forums.windowscentral.com/nokia-lumia-925/255709-wireless-charging-cover-cheap.html). As PostItNote pointed out, the case is very thin, but it adds a layer or protection as well as wireless charging capability.

@PostItNote: Having been on both Verizon and AT&T, I think the one thing I really like on AT&T is the simultaneous voice and data capability that I haven't been able to get with any devices I owned on Verizon.

Thanks for the update. The one I bought comes with a charging back so I will be able to wirelessly charge using my charging mat as I do for !my Nexus 5. I also bought a tpu case which is my usual first case purchase for my devices.

Is GDR 3 working well for you? I will probably download the developers edition if all is good with it.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using WPCentral Forums mobile app

 

[ajansari]

Strange, I thought there was an announcement last week that GDR3 was available on TMobile. Issues with the rollout?

Personally, I haven't had any issues whatsoever with GDR3. I had the Lumia 1520 for a short while, so it was nice to have the rotation lock feature back.

I'm curious: you mentioned that your 925 came with a charging back. Did you mean that the charging case accessory was included in your purchase, or that the model you bought already has built-in charging capability. What made me curious was your purchase of the TPU case for the phone, because I'm wondering if it will fit with the charging case already mounted on.

 

[planoman]

It looks like they did announce it but if you look at the tmo GDR 3 thread, almost no one has received it.

Yes it came with the charging back in addition to the 925. I will probably not leave it on all the time and usually only wirelessly charge at my desk in my home office. I bought the tpu case so I would have grippy sides. I know it will most likely not fit with the charging back on. Who knows, I may like the wireless back and leave it on depends in the bulk and weight.

Thanks for the update on GDR 3 as I will most likely download that as well.

Sent from my Moto X!

 

[PostItNote]

@PostItNote: Having been on both Verizon and AT&T, I think the one thing I really like on AT&T is the simultaneous voice and data capability that I haven't been able to get with any devices I owned on Verizon.

CDMA (Verizon's tech) doesn't allow for voice & data at the same time. You should be able to with LTE, but for some reason Verizon chooses to make that impossible, even with the iPhone. I imagine they do it so as to not to field calls about voice & data only working sometimes, but it seems silly to me to artificially restrict something.