Apologies if this has been answered, and thank you in advance:
Can I buy a used Verizon iPhone and use it with Straight Talk on the VZW network?
Or do they only support BYOP for GSM phones, and only VZW network with the iPhones they sell?
(I ask because we have little AT&T coverage here.)
If the ST iPhone 5 is indeed the CDMA A1429 (prepaid Verizon iPhone in disguise), then I don't know why I have ST representatives telling me that the SIM card tray is disabled/blocked ... unless the SIM card tray really is blocked even though the device itself is compatible with GSM networks like it should be.
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Maybe they're just confused ... They're telling me the SIM card tray is disabled because it's a CDMA phone ... but that's not how the CDMA A1429 works.
Still
RTFA.
"Straight Talk is a subsidiary of TracFone, and its iPhone customers will use AT&T's network. There is no indication of whether the phones will support AT&T's LTE network or not."
I just spoke to a Straight Talk representative and they told me I can use an AT&T iPhone with their service, but if I purchase an iPhone from Straight Talk it will mostly use Verizon's network. It will not be able to connect to AT&T's network. It will not have LTE but in the future it may be added if they expand their contract with Verizon. While I don't always trust representatives, this one seemed pretty knowledgable so I'd lean towards the article being inaccurate. Still not sure if I should switch or not though.
If you look at the coverage map Straight Talk has linked to their iPhone 5 page
http://iphone.straighttalk.com/details.php
It looks very similar to Verizon's coverage map
http://network4g.verizonwireless.com/#!/coverage
So I would guess that Straight Talk is using the Verizon network for their iPhone sales.
here's a question: what will the return policy be? if it's walmart's standard 14 day return policy you could buy one to see if it does what you need it to and then return it if it doesn't
It gets more complicated if you plan on porting a number. Since it's pay as you go, I guess you could do just one month with a new number and port it later if you like it. Still a bit more complicated though.
it doesn't say anywhere that it uses that network
Not for ANYONE. People who need large screen phones can't get it from AppleExactly! I think of Apple as trying to make great products for ANYONE to want and be able to use.
It's on the Verizon network. I'm confirming it.
I have one right in front of me. Also... if you use the phone prior to activation, it connects to the Verizon network.
No more need to say "this has yet to be confirmed" or "it must be GSM".
Can your confirm
Visual voice mail
Mms
FaceTime over 3G
It doesn't have to. If you actually compare the two coverage maps I showed you, then you will see that they are identical.
Plus, it's already confirmed that it's a CDMA phone ... and there are only two CDMA networks on Straight Talk ... and the coverage map they show for the ST iPhone is definitely not the Sprint map (CDMA-S).
You can call up Straight Talk yourself, and they will tell you this. It's a prepaid Verizon iPhone in disguise.
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You can also go the Verizon site to compare their map to those two I linked above, and you'll see the same exact map, again.
Just click on "Prepaid" and then "Refresh Map", zoom all the way out, and you'll see for yourself.
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ST iPhone coverage map
CDMA-V coverage map
Verizon Wireless coverage map - click on "Prepaid" and then "Refresh Page", zoom all the way out
All three coverage maps are identical.
as well as GSM unlocked or blocked/disabled or whatever?
STRAIGHT TALK SUCKS! I recently talked a friend in to switching over so he would buy my old phone and he's had nothing but problems. ST will throttle you at the drop of a hat, especially if you try to stream youtube over their network. You have been warned!
Thank you for your interest in Straight Talk Wireless. We are responding to your recent inquiry.
Please be informed that the Straight Talk iPhone 5 is a CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access) phone that will be activated using Verizon network and this phone cannot be unlocked.
Here is where the "unlocked" confusion lies. An e-mail from Straight Talk:
Well, duh, I know it's not "CDMA-unlocked", that's just silly ... I'm not talking about that, and no one there seems to understand that. I'm talking about it's SIM card slot, which would use GSM like the identical prepaid Verizon (GSM-unlocked) iPhone.
What are people failing to grasp?
The ST Iphone is the Verizon CDMA version but the LTE module has been disabled.
Like the Verizon model, the handset is unlocked and allows you to use any GSM sim card.
Therefore, you can use AT&T or Tmobile (HSPA) too. However, as with the Verizon model, this model does not support AT&T LTE.
It's not disable, the thing is just activated via ESN without a SIM card, so there is no authentication for LTE. Stick a postpaid Verizon SIM in there, and you'll have LTE just like a Verizon iPhone 5. No LTE on AT&T because it doesn't support Band 17 or 4.