StraitTalk

testdrive · 08:46 PM

I am interested in getting straight talk phone service for my iphone 4s. The $45 plan says unlimited talk,text and web. I have a couple of questions. Is the web unlimited 3G (I use typically 3-4 GB of web a month) and it would be nice to use it without worrying about exceeding limits? Next, is the texting international as well (I read in a couple of places that it doesn't mention international texting but people have successfully texted to uk and india)?

Any people who are currently using the service, please feel free to give your opinions/comments.

Beligerent · May 3, 2012, 07:40 AM

My roomate has it it works well.. He uses maybe 2-3 GB worth and experiences no problems. He is using an iphone 4

BiggAW · May 3, 2012, 09:47 AM

You mean Straight Talk? They will likely cut you off after 2GB. And by cut you off, they terminate your account, not just cut data off.

Apparently you can international text for free. Not exactly useful, but you can. No global roaming though.

gapperonduty · May 3, 2012, 10:12 AM

free international TEXTING? whao....

that's a really good deal for international students...

js81 · May 3, 2012, 10:28 AM

My wife has Straight Talk on a 3GS... here are my observations.

1) Works just like AT&T service for everything EXCEPT:
a. The bill! (this is a GOOD thing)
b. MMS messaging (it hardly ever works; she ends up just emailing me whatever)
2) We've had zero issues with coverage problems, data, etc. (it works everywhere my AT&T iPhone does)
3) The "unlimited" data isn't - its really 2GB then throttled (NOT cancelled). When asked, I was told that if you continually had high data usage that they might cancel you then. (BTW, the throttling is AT&T's doing, not ST)
4) You get NO COVERAGE AT ALL out of the U.S.

Are these hindrances worth the trouble for (truly) unlimited calls and texts and 2GB or so of 3G data? For $45 a month and no contract, you better believe it**!

** If you're going to travel a lot or continually use more the 2GB of data, ST may not be worth it...

BiggAW · May 5, 2012, 05:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by js81

** If you're going to travel a lot or continually use more the 2GB of data, ST may not be worth it...

Or have a family plan...

Sunsean · May 6, 2012, 03:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by testdrive

I am interested in getting straight talk phone service for my iphone 4s. The $45 plan says unlimited talk,text and web. I have a couple of questions. Is the web unlimited 3G (I use typically 3-4 GB of web a month) and it would be nice to use it without worrying about exceeding limits? Next, is the texting international as well (I read in a couple of places that it doesn't mention international texting but people have successfully texted to uk and india)?

Any people who are currently using the service, please feel free to give your opinions/comments.

If you are a light-moderate data user (no higher than 2-3 gigs/month) then ST might be a great option for you. I am in my second month of service with them and I have been very happy. Unlimited everything (with normal reasonable data usage) for $45/month ($50/month with taxes) is a keeper. Service/signal has been great. Don't use int'l texting so can't comment on that, but everything else is working beautifully. And I rooted my ip4 so have mms and everything working. Very happy.

chiefpavvy · May 6, 2012, 01:59 PM

3 to 4GB usage on data will get you taken off Straight Talk, cancelled. So forget it. 2GB is the absolute top cap and I recommend folks stay as far below it as possible.

Sunsean · May 6, 2012, 02:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chiefpavvy

3 to 4GB usage on data will get you taken off Straight Talk, cancelled. So forget it. 2GB is the absolute top cap and I recommend folks stay as far below it as possible.

I really think the only people who need to worry about getting terminated/cancelled are the ones who do things that are prohibited in their TOS - namely tethering and heavy streaming. I would say I'm on the medium-high end of 'normal' usage - i.e. no tethering, just email, browsing, a FEW youtube vids (not streaming 24/7), facebooking, etc. With the exception of streaming video, I'd say I do the other basic functions almost 24/7. In my first month I only used about 1 gig of data.

I think that's why ST put that in their TOS about the tethering - because that's really the only way to get up to 4/5+ gigs/month. With normal mobile usage, 2 gigs should be more than enough. And if you keep it on wifi when at home, it's not even a worry.

The thing with ST's data package is it is explicitly only to be used for standard mobile use with your phone - not to be a mobile hotspot powering several devices.

fedecape · May 6, 2012, 02:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gapperonduty

free international TEXTING? whao....

that's a really good deal for international students...

Yep, I'm an 'international student' and it's really useful!

Now, I'm scared about mobile data. My plan ends in may 20 and I already used 1gb.

chiefpavvy · May 6, 2012, 03:01 PM

There is no free international texting. Some users report they are able to, but some have been shut off from it. The only ones keeping it use so few SMS they fly under the radar. So I would not count on that.

fedecape · May 7, 2012, 12:56 AM

I send like 3~5 per day since last week (when I realized that I'm able to) no problems so far, no warnings, they stll work.

kalex · May 7, 2012, 11:08 AM

There is no "HardLimit" on data. Its one of the mysteries of ST. They DO NOT cancel your account at first. You always get notified if u exceed their limit. After that they will cancel your account if u are a repeat offender. I have yet to receive any warnings nor did my wife. Both of us are light users of data. According to my sprint bill i rarely went over 1GB per month. I have wifi available in a lot of places. there is a good post here: http://forums.macrumors.com/showpost...&postcount=255

I suggest you read it and decide for yourself. Also for someone who mentioned family plan. It makes sense if u have 2 phones on family plan. After that I think it stops making sense. For example my Sprint bill was $135 a month after taxes and corp discounts. My current ST monthly bill is $90 per month. I do 3 months prepaid refill cards and with NY tax it comes out to be $45 a month for each line. I'm saving $45 a month over sprint and my data speeds are much better. Also since ST uses ATT network it usually follows att policies. So since current plan is 3GB on ATT side ST will if it hasn't already done it, up their 2GB limit to 3GB. But there is no documentable limit that anyone knows off.

bdoople · May 7, 2012, 12:41 PM

Can anyone verify that if I were to purchase a ST SIM, a used 4S from say, eBay, for AT&T I would just be able to pop in the SIM and use it (aside from the MMS maybe) for data and phone/text? I apologize if this has been answered before, and I think the answer is yes, just looking for a verification. Thanks in advance.

kalex · May 7, 2012, 01:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bdoople

Can anyone verify that if I were to purchase a ST SIM, a used 4S from say, eBay, for AT&T I would just be able to pop in the SIM and use it (aside from the MMS maybe) for data and phone/text? I apologize if this has been answered before, and I think the answer is yes, just looking for a verification. Thanks in advance.

Yes it will work just fine. U just need to add APN for ST or go to http://www.unlockit.co.nz/unlockit/ from your iphone over wifi select USA carriers and StraightTalk. Create profile, load it and u are done

bdoople · May 7, 2012, 01:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kalex

Yes it will work just fine. U just need to add APN for ST or go to http://www.unlockit.co.nz/unlockit/ from your iphone over wifi select USA carriers and StraightTalk. Create profile, load it and u are done

Thanks much!

May 2, 2012, 05:00 PM	#1
testdrive macrumors member Join Date: Mar 2012	StraitTalk I am interested in getting straight talk phone service for my iphone 4s. The $45 plan says unlimited talk,text and web. I have a couple of questions. Is the web unlimited 3G (I use typically 3-4 GB of web a month) and it would be nice to use it without worrying about exceeding limits? Next, is the texting international as well (I read in a couple of places that it doesn't mention international texting but people have successfully texted to uk and india)? Any people who are currently using the service, please feel free to give your opinions/comments. Last edited by testdrive; May 2, 2012 at 08:46 PM.
	0

May 3, 2012, 09:47 AM	#3
BiggAW macrumors 68020 Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Connecticut	You mean Straight Talk? They will likely cut you off after 2GB. And by cut you off, they terminate your account, not just cut data off. Apparently you can international text for free. Not exactly useful, but you can. No global roaming though. __________________ MBP 15", 2,2 i7, 8GB ram, 10.7.x 160GB OCZ Vertex 2 in Optibay (Boot), 640GB HDD (storage) Black iPhone 4S 64GB AT&T 6.1 JB'ed, 2GB Data Pro SGS III, White VeriPad 3 32GB 6.1 JB'ed
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May 3, 2012, 10:28 AM	#5
js81 macrumors 65816 Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: KY	My wife has Straight Talk on a 3GS... here are my observations. 1) Works just like AT&T service for everything EXCEPT: a. The bill! (this is a GOOD thing) b. MMS messaging (it hardly ever works; she ends up just emailing me whatever) 2) We've had zero issues with coverage problems, data, etc. (it works everywhere my AT&T iPhone does) 3) The "unlimited" data isn't - its really 2GB then throttled (NOT cancelled). When asked, I was told that if you continually had high data usage that they might cancel you then. (BTW, the throttling is AT&T's doing, not ST) 4) You get NO COVERAGE AT ALL out of the U.S. Are these hindrances worth the trouble for (truly) unlimited calls and texts and 2GB or so of 3G data? For $45 a month and no contract, you better believe it! If you're going to travel a lot or continually use more the 2GB of data, ST may not be worth it... __________________ Late-09 Mac mini server
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May 3, 2012, 07:40 AM	#2
Beligerent macrumors regular Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Penacook, NH	My roomate has it it works well.. He uses maybe 2-3 GB worth and experiences no problems. He is using an iphone 4
	0

May 3, 2012, 10:12 AM	#4
gapperonduty macrumors 6502 Join Date: Jun 2010	free international TEXTING? whao.... that's a really good deal for international students...
	0

May 6, 2012, 01:59 PM	#8
chiefpavvy macrumors 6502a Join Date: Feb 2008	3 to 4GB usage on data will get you taken off Straight Talk, cancelled. So forget it. 2GB is the absolute top cap and I recommend folks stay as far below it as possible.
	0

May 6, 2012, 03:01 PM	#11
chiefpavvy macrumors 6502a Join Date: Feb 2008	There is no free international texting. Some users report they are able to, but some have been shut off from it. The only ones keeping it use so few SMS they fly under the radar. So I would not count on that.
	0

May 7, 2012, 12:56 AM	#12
fedecape macrumors member Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Ciudad de Buenos Aires, Argentina	I send like 3~5 per day since last week (when I realized that I'm able to) no problems so far, no warnings, they stll work.
	0

May 7, 2012, 11:08 AM	#13
kalex macrumors 65816 Join Date: Oct 2007	There is no "HardLimit" on data. Its one of the mysteries of ST. They DO NOT cancel your account at first. You always get notified if u exceed their limit. After that they will cancel your account if u are a repeat offender. I have yet to receive any warnings nor did my wife. Both of us are light users of data. According to my sprint bill i rarely went over 1GB per month. I have wifi available in a lot of places. there is a good post here: http://forums.macrumors.com/showpost...&postcount=255 I suggest you read it and decide for yourself. Also for someone who mentioned family plan. It makes sense if u have 2 phones on family plan. After that I think it stops making sense. For example my Sprint bill was $135 a month after taxes and corp discounts. My current ST monthly bill is $90 per month. I do 3 months prepaid refill cards and with NY tax it comes out to be $45 a month for each line. I'm saving $45 a month over sprint and my data speeds are much better. Also since ST uses ATT network it usually follows att policies. So since current plan is 3GB on ATT side ST will if it hasn't already done it, up their 2GB limit to 3GB. But there is no documentable limit that anyone knows off.
	0

May 7, 2012, 12:41 PM	#14
bdoople macrumors member Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: Cincinnati, OH	Can anyone verify that if I were to purchase a ST SIM, a used 4S from say, eBay, for AT&T I would just be able to pop in the SIM and use it (aside from the MMS maybe) for data and phone/text? I apologize if this has been answered before, and I think the answer is yes, just looking for a verification. Thanks in advance.
	0