No contract cell phones

[Motegi]

Thanks to the power of numbers and my employer discount I'm paying less than $49/mo including taxes and fees for my subsidized iPhone 5 on an ATT Mobileshare plan. We have a total of 5 iPhones (3 iPhone 5, 1 4S, 1 4) sharing a pool of 10GB data, unlimited everything else (voice, text). All phones are subsidized/under contract. The group members are all relatives (reliable relatives) some who have even prepaid me for the entire year.

 

[Ko-nsx]

You have a great deal!! Im still looking around but most these prepaid carriers still have all the perks of the contract carriers with less money. Now i need to find an international sim to slap in while im in brazil.

 

[1SlowNSX]

I'm lucky with my VZ account on family plan grandfathered in since 2007. However friends report t-mobile is a good alternative, metro pcs sucks in our area and one friend just signed up for net10, not sure how he likes it, but no contract.

 

[NA1MT]

Maybe this is old news, but just found out from my friend that owns multiple T-Mobile stores that they made a deal with Apple and will be getting iPhone in April. Since that new lifeproof case came out, the only deterrent for me was the limited functions of using an unlocked phone rather than a designated phone. Looks like now, I will finally be able to make the switch.

 

[Ko-nsx]

Most functions are available for unlocked phones one way or the other. I didn't get visual voicemail, with my nexus 4 on T-Mobile. Went to the app store and got a T-Mobile visual voicemail app, go figure!

 

[robr]

FWIW I build many of these smaller mobile phone companies (what are referred to as MVNOs). As long as you have your own phone (and it's the correct phone for the network to take full advantage of the network's data features), and you don't leave the US (in the case of TMOB), you can get some pretty killer deals with some of these companies (TMOB will not allow MVNOs to do international roaming, so if you leave the US, you'd need to have a carrier unlocked phone and buy a local SIM card... dunno about the other MNOs). Anyway, the MVNOs I work with tend to offer plans like $39 for unlimited voice, SMS with 1-2GB of data. T-Mobile is the only company that will wholesale unlimited data to these MVNOs, so many are starting to jump ship from AT&T (which after losing their shirt on a couple of MVNOs has decided they do not like MVNOs much) and Verizon and Sprint.

Personally I use Ultra Mobile for my work phone and will likely migrate my family phones over once I'm out of all my AT&T contracts. (Disclaimer: I was the PM responsible for building the technical platform that integrates Ultra with TMOB)

You can get a list of all MVNOs here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_United_States_mobile_virtual_network_operators

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Maybe this is old news, but just found out from my friend that owns multiple T-Mobile stores that they made a deal with Apple and will be getting iPhone in April. Since that new lifeproof case came out, the only deterrent for me was the limited functions of using an unlocked phone rather than a designated phone. Looks like now, I will finally be able to make the switch.

TMOB has been refactoring towers all over the US to use GSM on 1900MHz (ie, 3G compatible with AT&T) to allow 3G use of iPhones on the TMOB network. TMOB has not yet started an LTE rollout, but their 3G speeds are still extremely quick. TMOB does not announce which towers have been converted, but you can check using this user updated map:
http://www.airportal.de/

 

[NA1MT]

I read something today from a T-Mobile rep that stated that you can get 4G when using an unlocked AT&T iPhone. They were also talking about some issues with the data side of the phone being tempermental on their service. I just called my friend after to ask him, since he owns over 30 stores to ask him ,and he said to wait until April.

FWIW I build many of these smaller mobile phone companies (what are referred to as MVNOs). As long as you have your own phone (and it's the correct phone for the network to take full advantage of the network's data features), and you don't leave the US (in the case of TMOB), you can get some pretty killer deals with some of these companies (TMOB will not allow MVNOs to do international roaming, so if you leave the US, you'd need to have a carrier unlocked phone and buy a local SIM card... dunno about the other MNOs). Anyway, the MVNOs I work with tend to offer plans like $39 for unlimited voice, SMS with 1-2GB of data. T-Mobile is the only company that will wholesale unlimited data to these MVNOs, so many are starting to jump ship from AT&T (which after losing their shirt on a couple of MVNOs has decided they do not like MVNOs much) and Verizon and Sprint.

Personally I use Ultra Mobile for my work phone and will likely migrate my family phones over once I'm out of all my AT&T contracts. (Disclaimer: I was the PM responsible for building the technical platform that integrates Ultra with TMOB)

You can get a list of all MVNOs here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_United_States_mobile_virtual_network_operators

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TMOB has been refactoring towers all over the US to use GSM on 1900MHz (ie, 3G compatible with AT&T) to allow 3G use of iPhones on the TMOB network. TMOB has not yet started an LTE rollout, but their 3G speeds are still extremely quick. TMOB does not announce which towers have been converted, but you can check using this user updated map:
http://www.airportal.de/

 

[robr]

The TMOB rep lies and speaks the truth at the same time. I won't get into the marketing speak of 3G vs 3.5G vs 4G, but when using data on an AT&T phone taken to a Tmobile network, what you need to be concerned about is if Tmobile has refactored 1900MHz towers in your area. Tmobile traditionally operates on 1700MHz (AT&T operates on 1900MHz). Tmobile has been building out 1900MHz towers but the data services they provided were only compatible with EDGE on an AT&T phone. TMOB has started to refactor their towers to provide 3G on AT&T handsets.

If your location is NOT on this list, your AT&T phone is only going to get data at EDGE speeds on T-Mobile's network at your location (unless it's a quad band AT&T phone but there aren't very many of those)
http://www.airportal.de/

I have a boatload of carrier unlocked AT&T phones, I have a boatload of TMOB MVNO sims. On every single phone (including an iPhone 3GS and 4 and and iPad 1 and Samsung Galaxy S3), I only get EDGE on TMOB's network in my area.

 

[NA1MT]

I believe you....lol. I would think though that when it is officially released specific for T-Mobile in April, it will be capable of the highest speeds capable on the service.....meaning 4g and LTE correct?

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Oh by the way.......want to sell me one of those 4 models cheap since you have so many...haha

 

[Brooklynzson]

I just opened a business line w/ T-Mobile. $50 a month for unlimited EVERYTHING & no throttling on the 4g. My internet speeds normally range from 10MBPS to 20MBPS compared to .03MBPS on Sprint. With Sprint i hardly got signal, so I had alot of missed calls & undelivered texts. I couldn't deal with their shitty service anymore so I made them waive the 3 years I had left on my contract.

 

[NA1MT]

I just opened a business line w/ T-Mobile. $50 a month for unlimited EVERYTHING & no throttling on the 4g. My internet speeds normally range from 10MBPS to 20MBPS compared to .03MBPS on Sprint. With Sprint i hardly got signal, so I had alot of missed calls & undelivered texts. I couldn't deal with their shitty service anymore so I made them waive the 3 years I had left on my contract.

Is it a prepaid plan?

 

[robr]

I believe you....lol. I would think though that when it is officially released specific for T-Mobile in April, it will be capable of the highest speeds capable on the service.....meaning 4g and LTE correct?

I don't think there is anything official that just magically happens in April. They are currently rolling out HSPA+ on 1900MHz and they have not announced any sort of dates for an LTE rollout. It's coming, it will happen one area at a time and will slowly grow, but there is no switch getting flicked in April that 'turns something on' all at once. Maybe they hope to have the 1900MHz refactoring done by then, but they aren't telling. So your sales guy is basically equivalent to the sales guy at Acura giving you the scoop on the new NSX before Honda ever announced anything.

 

[Brooklynzson]

Is it a prepaid plan?

No, its a business line. Here's the prepaid plans http://prepaid-phones.t-mobile.com/prepaid-plans

I was gonna go pre-paid but I didnt mind signing a contract to save $20 a month for better service.

 

[NA1MT]

I don't think there is anything official that just magically happens in April. They are currently rolling out HSPA+ on 1900MHz and they have not announced any sort of dates for an LTE rollout. It's coming, it will happen one area at a time and will slowly grow, but there is no switch getting flicked in April that 'turns something on' all at once. Maybe they hope to have the 1900MHz refactoring done by then, but they aren't telling. So your sales guy is basically equivalent to the sales guy at Acura giving you the scoop on the new NSX before Honda ever announced anything.

He isn't a sales guy.....he OWNS over 35 individual T-Mobile stores throughout NY,NJ and PA

 

[Ko-nsx]

He isn't a sales guy.....he OWNS over 35 individual T-Mobile stores throughout NY,NJ and PA

I wonder if he has a contract phone? Kinda like I wonder if anybody in the zonda facility has one other than Horacio?

 

[Miner]

I don't think there is anything official that just magically happens in April. They are currently rolling out HSPA+ on 1900MHz and they have not announced any sort of dates for an LTE rollout. It's coming, it will happen one area at a time and will slowly grow, but there is no switch getting flicked in April that 'turns something on' all at once. Maybe they hope to have the 1900MHz refactoring done by then, but they aren't telling. So your sales guy is basically equivalent to the sales guy at Acura giving you the scoop on the new NSX before Honda ever announced anything.

How does the Metro PCS deal fit in with Apr? If I read correctly, Metro brings LTE to the table. I'm on a month to month plan w/ T-mobile and my wife's iPhone 3gs is limited to edge service for now. Im planning on upgrading her to a 4s for her birthday and at that point we'll probably jump to somebody like Straight Talk for their ATT network.

Miner

 

[Hard Five]

Nexus 4 available from Google Play store right now. The phone has sold out the few times Google has had stock. Just an FYI - good for AT&T and T-mobile pre-paid plans.

 

[bee_are_bee]

Nexus 4 available from Google Play store right now. The phone has sold out the few times Google has had stock. Just an FYI - good for AT&T and T-mobile pre-paid plans.

I've had a Nexus 4 since December and was quick enough to buy my wife a 16gb Nexus 4 this morning before they sold out ..... Again

 

[Ko-nsx]

I bought mine off Craigslist. Most people are marking them up $150 on Craigslist. Howardforums has them for sale occasionally.

 

[Hard Five]

They're not sold out yet.

 

[bee_are_bee]

They're not sold out yet.

I checked again, a few hours after purchasing my wife's phone, and the 16gb model was not available for purchase. Several hours after that it looked to be available again.