TMobile Vs Straight Talk?

[pauly1]

Iphone 4s unlocked. I did not buy a sim card yet. I previously had an android phone that used virgin mobile and paid 35+tax a month for 300 anytime minutes and unlimited talk and text. The data was 3g up to 2.5gb before the speed went down but i believe only once that happened b/c i rarely go over 2.5gb of data. Mostly i use between 1 and 1.5gb of data. I also don't go over 300 minutes so its more than enough.


Tmobile is 50 + tax for unlimited everything but 1gb of high speed data before it slows down.


Straight talk is 45+ tax for unlimited everything and high speed data is 3gb i believe?


If this is the case, why would someone go with tmobile where they pay more and get 2gb less of high speed data? tmobile does have 3gb of data high speed and its 60+tax.


If i buy a tmobile micro sim card for my iphone4s, would i be able to use the same sim if i use straight talk? Also phone is gsm as its an unlocked phone.


Also i heard straighttalk stops your service if you use way too much data whereas tmobile doesn't and you could use as much data as you want with the only difference your speed would be very slow speeds?

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Also someone mentioned AIOwireless. Has anyone used this one? They said they also from NYC and it works great for them and its 45 a month for unlimited everything and 2.5gb of data.

 

[Z8beema]

Iphone 4s unlocked. I did not buy a sim card yet. I previously had an android phone that used virgin mobile and paid 35+tax a month for 300 anytime minutes and unlimited talk and text. The data was 3g up to 2.5gb before the speed went down but i believe only once that happened b/c i rarely go over 2.5gb of data. Mostly i use between 1 and 1.5gb of data. I also don't go over 300 minutes so its more than enough.


Tmobile is 50 + tax for unlimited everything but 1gb of high speed data before it slows down.


Straight talk is 45+ tax for unlimited everything and high speed data is 3gb i believe?


If this is the case, why would someone go with tmobile where they pay more and get 2gb less of high speed data? tmobile does have 3gb of data high speed and its 60+tax.


If i buy a tmobile micro sim card for my iphone4s, would i be able to use the same sim if i use straight talk? Also phone is gsm as its an unlocked phone.


Also i heard straighttalk stops your service if you use way too much data whereas tmobile doesn't and you could use as much data as you want with the only difference your speed would be very slow speeds?

Ok, so,

1 straight talk is 2.5 gigs before they slow you down.

2. Depending on your coverage, you could go with either one I have awful tmobile coverage and now have awesome straight talk coverage

3. The speeds for straight talk aren't awful but tmobile (with adequate coverage) will have much faster speeds

4. If you have a att 4s I'm pretty sure you'll only pick up edge on tmobile whereas straight talk will pick up att 3G ( I may be wrong)

 

[ineel]

Ok, so,

1 straight talk is 2.5 gigs before they slow you down.

2. Depending on your coverage, you could go with either one I have awful tmobile coverage and now have awesome straight talk coverage

3. The speeds for straight talk aren't awful but tmobile (with adequate coverage) will have much faster speeds

4. If you have a att 4s I'm pretty sure you'll only pick up edge on tmobile whereas straight talk will pick up att 3G ( I may be wrong)

No, you'll pick up Tmobile 3G on the 4s. Remember T-Mobile Refarmed their spectrum so that their 3G network operates on the 1900Mhz PCS band just like at&t's? Tmobile's LTE is on the AWS LTE band 4 which is T-mobiles former 3G spectrum

 

[pauly1]

So you suggest straight talk or tmobile?

 

[Primejimbo]

I thought I read you can't stream YouTube over straight talk's network. You should look into this stuff also before you pick the one you want.

 

[pauly1]

I thought I read you can't stream YouTube over straight talk's network. You should look into this stuff also before you pick the one you want.

Can someone confirm if this is true or not? If it is, then im definitely not going with straight talk.

 

[roseofdarktears]

Can someone confirm if this is true or not? If it is, then im definitely not going with straight talk.

This is no longer true as of the 2.5/3GB TOS update.

Straight talk TOS Section 6. STRAIGHT TALK UNLIMITED TALK, TEXT AND DATA PLAN INTENDED USE: Straight Talk Unlimited Talk, Text and Data Plans, or unlimited text messaging services may ONLY be used with a Straight Talk handset or SIM Card for the following purposes: Subsection (iii) uploading, downloading or streaming of uninterrupted continuous video. Also as for the data limit, It seems to vary based on the SIM's identification number. My old straight talk pre-LTE ATT SIM card I used in my Galaxy Nexus, I tethered 40GB of data when I went over the road with my boyfriend when we moved. They didn't drop me to EDGE until about 46GB, and even then they did not call/text me a data use warning for termination. Good luck in your decision.

 

[pauly1]

This is no longer true as of the 2.5/3GB TOS update.

Straight talk TOS Section 6. STRAIGHT TALK UNLIMITED TALK, TEXT AND DATA PLAN INTENDED USE: Straight Talk Unlimited Talk, Text and Data Plans, or unlimited text messaging services may ONLY be used with a Straight Talk handset or SIM Card for the following purposes: Subsection (iii) uploading, downloading or streaming of uninterrupted continuous video. Also as for the data limit, It seems to vary based on the SIM's identification number. My old straight talk pre-LTE ATT SIM card I used in my Galaxy Nexus, I tethered 40GB of data when I went over the road with my boyfriend when we moved. They didn't drop me to EDGE until about 46GB, and even then they did not call/text me a data use warning for termination. Good luck in your decision.

So if i bought a tmobile sim card, would i be able to use that card with straight talk?

 

[Z8beema]

So you suggest straight talk or tmobile?

Depending on your coverage. For me straight talk is the answer

 

[roseofdarktears]

So if i bought a tmobile sim card, would i be able to use that card with straight talk?

To use Straight Talk service you have to buy an actual Straight Talk SIM card. Do note, that currently only ATT offers LTE-enabled SIM cards for Straight Talk. the T-Mobile ones are HSPA+ "4G". You can buy SIMs from their online webstore for ~10$.

Here is the link to the T-Mobile SIMs http://www.shopstraighttalk.com/bpd...cards&zip=74110&market=GSM5&locale=en&lang=EN


Here is ATT-LTE SIMs http://www.shopstraighttalk.com/bpd...cards&zip=74110&market=GSM4&locale=en&lang=EN

Edit : PS: With Straight Talk service the SIM card has to be in active activation to work. If you decide to go 2 or 3 without reloading the service card due to vacation or otherwise non need of service, they will disable the SIM and you will need to order a new one and transfer number to the new SIM.

 

[Z8beema]

So if i bought a tmobile sim card, would i be able to use that card with straight talk?

No you would need a straight talk SIM card

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This is no longer true as of the 2.5/3GB TOS update.

Straight talk TOS Section 6. STRAIGHT TALK UNLIMITED TALK, TEXT AND DATA PLAN INTENDED USE: Straight Talk Unlimited Talk, Text and Data Plans, or unlimited text messaging services may ONLY be used with a Straight Talk handset or SIM Card for the following purposes: Subsection (iii) uploading, downloading or streaming of uninterrupted continuous video. Also as for the data limit, It seems to vary based on the SIM's identification number. My old straight talk pre-LTE ATT SIM card I used in my Galaxy Nexus, I tethered 40GB of data when I went over the road with my boyfriend when we moved. They didn't drop me to EDGE until about 46GB, and even then they did not call/text me a data use warning for termination. Good luck in your decision.

I've never been throttled but this seems very hard to believe....

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To use Straight Talk service you have to buy an actual Straight Talk SIM card. Do note, that currently only ATT offers LTE-enabled SIM cards for Straight Talk. the T-Mobile ones are HSPA+ "4G". You can buy SIMs from their online webstore for ~10$.

Here is the link to the T-Mobile SIMs http://www.shopstraighttalk.com/bpd...cards&zip=74110&market=GSM5&locale=en&lang=EN


Here is ATT-LTE SIMs http://www.shopstraighttalk.com/bpd...cards&zip=74110&market=GSM4&locale=en&lang=EN

Edit : PS: With Straight Talk service the SIM card has to be in active activation to work. If you decide to go 2 or 3 without reloading the service card due to vacation or otherwise non need of service, they will disable the SIM and you will need to order a new one and transfer number to the new SIM.

Lte is irrelevant for the time being because they have a 4

 

[roseofdarktears]

No you would need a straight talk SIM card

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I've never been throttled but this seems very hard to believe....

Perhaps, but you can read all about it on the internet. With the original TOS people would get throttled or service shut off completely for exceeding 200MB of data use in a single day and others would go 10GB in a single week with no warning or throttling, so I don't know. Maybe I just got lucky since we where hopping state to state for moving and I was using clockworktether to mask the data use.

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No you would need a straight talk SIM card

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I've never been throttled but this seems very hard to believe....

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Lte is irrelevant for the time being because they have a 4

Yes I am aware of that, but it is just food for thought if they planed to change phones soon.

 

[pauly1]

Okay another question i have.


My unlocked iphone 4s i read is not 4g capable and its a 3g phone correct? So this means any high speed data i have, i will have 3g whereas most ppl will have 4g? So whether i use tmobile, straight talk, aiowireless, simple mobile etc its all the same?


And once i go over the limit, i will go from 3g to 2g whereas most ppl go from 4g to 2g?

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Also im looking at it like this


Tmobile - $50 for 1gb of high speed data, unlimited everything

Tmobile- $60 for 3gb of high speed data, unlimited everything

Straight Talk- $45 for 3gb of high speed data, unlimited everything

Simple Mobile- $40 for 1gb of high speed data, unlimited everything



Why is tmobile the most expensive when it gives 2gb less high speed data than straight talk and also 5 dollars more? Its 10 dollars more than simple mobile for the same thing. And if you want 3gb of high speed data, its 15 dollars more than straight talk?


Is it b/c its the most popular one? Is the data speed usually much faster than straight talk or simple mobile?

 

[roseofdarktears]

Okay another question i have.


My unlocked iphone 4s i read is not 4g capable and its a 3g phone correct? So this means any high speed data i have, i will have 3g whereas most ppl will have 4g? So whether i use tmobile, straight talk, aiowireless, simple mobile etc its all the same?


And once i go over the limit, i will go from 3g to 2g whereas most ppl go from 4g to 2g?

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Also im looking at it like this


Tmobile - $50 for 1gb of high speed data, unlimited everything

Tmobile- $60 for 3gb of high speed data, unlimited everything

Straight Talk- $45 for 3gb of high speed data, unlimited everything

Simple Mobile- $40 for 1gb of high speed data, unlimited everything



Why is tmobile the most expensive when it gives 2gb less high speed data than straight talk and also 5 dollars more? Its 10 dollars more than simple mobile for the same thing. And if you want 3gb of high speed data, its 15 dollars more than straight talk?


Is it b/c its the most popular one? Is the data speed usually much faster than straight talk or simple mobile?

The iPhone 4s is indeed only a '3g' enabled phone, so you would only get to take advantage of HSPA+21/42Mbps networks and not LTE and when you go over the data cap it would drop you down to 2G EDGE network speeds, of around 50-100kbps depending on circumstances. T-Mobiles in-house option is the most expensive because its not a Mobile Virtual Network Operator. This means that you will get full network priority during congestive times and/or natural disasters rather than being put on the backburner. Also to your OP question, AIO is in-house ATT MVNO, sort of like their new GoPhone plans for smartphones.

 

[nox5]

iPhone 4 is 3G
iPhone 4s is 4G (3.5G but icon on the top is 4G)
iPhone 5 is 4G LTE

if you have 4s the best coverage is with att network on straight talk. The iPhone does not have to be unlocked because they sell SIM cards for both networks tmobile and att.
http://m.straighttalkbyop.com/view/page/p/127025/straighttalk-byop-shop

 

[Z8beema]

iPhone 4 is 3G
iPhone 4s is 4G
iPhone 5 is LTE

if you have 4s the best coverage is with att network on straight talk. The iPhone does not have to be unlocked because they sell SIM cards for both networks tmobile and att.
http://m.straighttalkbyop.com/view/page/p/127025/straighttalk-byop-shop

True kind of. The 4s has pretend 4g

http://www.cnet.com/news/is-the-at-t-iphone-4s-a-4g-phone-or-not/

 

[pauly1]

Okay so its 4g phone but someone else previously said its 3g...


Another sim card question. So with straight talk sim card, once you activate the sim card then use it for few months, then use tmobile or say go out of the country and use canadian sim card, then few months later go back to straight talk, you can't use the straight talk sim card anymore and have to buy ANOTHER ONE? Why is that?


But with tmobile that would never be a problem? Such as tmobile sim card i buy use it few months go out of country for 6 months come back to tmobile use same sim card and do same plan... that would be fine? Yet straight talk you cant?


What about simple mobile then? Are they just like ST or like Tmobile?

 

[roseofdarktears]

Okay so its 4g phone but someone else previously said its 3g...


Another sim card question. So with straight talk sim card, once you activate the sim card then use it for few months, then use tmobile or say go out of the country and use canadian sim card, then few months later go back to straight talk, you can't use the straight talk sim card anymore and have to buy ANOTHER ONE? Why is that?


But with tmobile that would never be a problem? Such as tmobile sim card i buy use it few months go out of country for 6 months come back to tmobile use same sim card and do same plan... that would be fine? Yet straight talk you cant?


What about simple mobile then? Are they just like ST or like Tmobile?

Yes that is correct. I don't know if T-Mobile will deactive the SIM but I know for a fact Straight Talk will as they deactivated mine. And the 4S is indeed a 3G phone. HSPA+ is marketed by T-Mobile and ATT as '4G', the icon will show '4G' not '4G-LTE', what the USA carriers consider '4G' is a 3.5G technology and is called HSPA/HSPA+ in other countries. As for Simple Mobile I couldn't tell you, never used it.

 

[pauly1]

Yes that is correct. I don't know if T-Mobile will deactive the SIM but I know for a fact Straight Talk will as they deactivated mine. And the 4S is indeed a 3G phone. HSPA+ is marketed by T-Mobile and ATT as '4G', the icon will show '4G' not '4G-LTE', what the USA carriers consider '4G' is a 3.5G technology and is called HSPA/HSPA+ in other countries. As for Simple Mobile I couldn't tell you, never used it.

okay so just to confirm. If i buy a sim card for straight talk use it only for 1 month and cancel the service.. then i want to use straight talk say just 1 month afterwards, i will have to spend money to buy another straight talk sim card.

But with tmobile, i wont need to correct? Because usually i want the service for few months then i go out the country and come back etc. I would use a sim card from the country im in then vice versa.

 

[nox5]

Unused prepaid tmobile sim will be deactivated also after 180 days unless you are gold member then it is 1 year when you refill it every year

Post paid will deactivate when you stop paying your monthly bill

 

[pauly1]

Another question i have is this. If someone only plans to use their iphone in the usa and its someone that doesn't use that many minutes, why dont they just use virgin mobile 35+ tax plan with 300 minutes and unlimited everything? I used it when i had an android phone and phone calls, texting were great. Internet speed was fine as well. I also found out if u have iphhone its 5 dollars off for autopay so its basically 30+ tax a month.


I read its b/c virgin mobiles data speed is the slowest out of all of them?

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Unused prepaid tmobile sim will be deactivated also after 180 days

Post paid will deactivate when you stop paying your monthly bill

I wanted to ask you about this. What is prepaid/postpaid? The 50 dollar monthly plan with tmobile with 1gb data and unlimited everything is prepaid? Postpaid would be the 30 dollar 100 minute unlimited everything plan?

 

[roseofdarktears]

Another question i have is this. If someone only plans to use their iphone in the usa and its someone that doesn't use that many minutes, why dont they just use virgin mobile 35+ tax plan with 300 minutes and unlimited everything? I used it when i had an android phone and phone calls, texting were great. Internet speed was fine as well. I also found out if u have iphhone its 5 dollars off for autopay so its basically 30+ tax a month.


I read its b/c virgin mobiles data speed is the slowest out of all of them?

Virgin is an MVNO of Sprint. So your phone is not compatable. I would recommend just going with ATT on Straight Talk, or AIO to get the most out of your phone. Especially if you travel a lot as not everywhere in the USA does T-Mobile operate 3G over PCS (850/1900 bands), some of it is still AWS (1700/2100 bands) that the 4S does not use so it will drop to 2G in those areas.

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Another question i have is this. If someone only plans to use their iphone in the usa and its someone that doesn't use that many minutes, why dont they just use virgin mobile 35+ tax plan with 300 minutes and unlimited everything? I used it when i had an android phone and phone calls, texting were great. Internet speed was fine as well. I also found out if u have iphhone its 5 dollars off for autopay so its basically 30+ tax a month.


I read its b/c virgin mobiles data speed is the slowest out of all of them?

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I wanted to ask you about this. What is prepaid/postpaid? The 50 dollar monthly plan with tmobile with 1gb data and unlimited everything is prepaid? Postpaid would be the 30 dollar 100 minute unlimited everything plan?

Prepaid basically means you pay ahead of time for the plan you are going to use. You may stop using it at any time you desire to, and if you do not pay the phone when the bill is due service will terminate. There is no ETF, financing or otherwise 'bill shock' you will receive. It's the modern 'pay-as-you-go' type phone service. Postpaid is a traditional 2-year contract or like T-Mobiles UnCarrier Simple Choice Plans.

 

[nox5]

If you travel to USA frequently buy 20 h2o SIM cards for $3 on eBay and activate new one each time old one expires with new number and link that number to your google voice permanent number. H2o is att network .
https://www.h2owirelessnow.com/mainControl.php?page=index

 

[pauly1]

If you travel to USA frequently buy 20 h2o SIM cards for $3 on eBay and activate new one each time old one expires with new number and link that number to your google voice permanent number. H2o is att network .
https://www.h2owirelessnow.com/mainControl.php?page=index

Im from the usa. Im in canada at the moment. I meant to say im outside the usa a lot for few months then go back to the usa for a short time etc. So here in canada, i would use a canadian carrier for my iphone 4s but when i get back to the usa, i would need to use a usa carrier.

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Virgin is an MVNO of Sprint. So your phone is not compatable. I would recommend just going with ATT on Straight Talk, or AIO to get the most out of your phone. Especially if you travel a lot as not everywhere in the USA does T-Mobile operate 3G over PCS (850/1900 bands), some of it is still AWS (1700/2100 bands) that the 4S does not use so it will drop to 2G in those areas.

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Prepaid basically means you pay ahead of time for the plan you are going to use. You may stop using it at any time you desire to, and if you do not pay the phone when the bill is due service will terminate. There is no ETF, financing or otherwise 'bill shock' you will receive. It's the modern 'pay-as-you-go' type phone service. Postpaid is a traditional 2-year contract or like T-Mobiles UnCarrier Simple Choice Plans.

Yes im aware my unlocked iphone 4s won't work with virgin mobile. I meant to say why dont ppl just buy a virgin mobile iphone that is only useable with virgin mobile assuming they dont go outside the usa and roam and dont need that much minutes. Seems to be the best plan.


When i meant travel i mean travel outside usa as im outside usa now. I usually stay outside usa for 3-6 months come back to usa for 1-2 month and back and forth etc. If thats the case, would you say tmobile is probably better for me when i get back to the usa? I only need it 1-2 months then i would cancel go outside usa to canada then back and forth but i would be staying in canada 3-6 months at a time...