Buying a mobile (cell) phone & contract in the US
- Thread starter Paul B
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Jake B.
Well-known member
Before you get an SSN you could go with a temporary no-contract phone (even a simple $10 Walmart would probably work for a few weeks). After you get one I'd definitely recommend Verizon, it's a bit on the pricey side (I pay about $120/mo for just my phone) but it's well worth it IMO. Service works great everywhere from Downtown Chicago to the middle of nowhere, Ohio where my Family is from. Definitely wouldn't go with T-Mobile if you plan to visit any rural areas, had that for a while and it was terrible unless you were in a city (May have changed since then though, this was quite a few years ago)
Snog
Well-known member
I think the signal strength from any mobile phone system is totally dependent on the area you're in. For us Verizon just doesn't work well, whereas MetroPCS (T-Mobile) does...
Verizon signal...
MetroPCS (T-Mobile) signal...
Those signal strengths hold true here (about 20 miles outside of Pittsburgh) and about 15 miles outside of Philadelphia. Actually worse in Philadelphia where the only place we could get signal with Verizon was outside the front door of the house.
Verizon signal...
MetroPCS (T-Mobile) signal...
Those signal strengths hold true here (about 20 miles outside of Pittsburgh) and about 15 miles outside of Philadelphia. Actually worse in Philadelphia where the only place we could get signal with Verizon was outside the front door of the house.
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Ernest L. Defoe
Well-known member
I'm in Philly quite often to pick up loads of paper at the port and I have a Jetpack with Verizon and it works great and almost full signal. Some phones have better RF than others. In my experience Samsung phones had a lower RF than others. Nokia used to have the best RF and would pick up almost anywhere. My iPhone gets great reception almost everywhere with AT&T.
ManagerJosh
Well-known member
@Brogan
Any of the prepaid plans will bypass the requirement for a social security number. All the major carriers (AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, Verizon) have prepaid plans.
Alternatively, consider Google's Project-Fi too. https://fi.google.com/signup?u=0
Any of the prepaid plans will bypass the requirement for a social security number. All the major carriers (AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, Verizon) have prepaid plans.
Alternatively, consider Google's Project-Fi too. https://fi.google.com/signup?u=0
I've seen the stuff on the internet ... no way I'm stepping foot in a Walmart!
Unfortunately I can't access that link as it's only available to US accounts.
I'll check it out once we move over though.
ManagerJosh
Well-known member
Actually it looks liked Project Fi requires a SSN.
https://support.google.com/fi/answer/6181978?hl=en
rainmotorsports
Well-known member
As already said heck no. There is no plan with them that makes any financial sense last I checked. You actually have to buy minutes which is outdated. They round up every call to the minute. So if you dial someone and it goes straight to voice mail your 9 second call just ate up a minute. Not sure what they're data plans look like but doubt it's any good.TracPhone is another good provider, and my phone is from that company. This is the one I have, though I don't think that really matters so much as the company you're with.
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I've seen the stuff on the internet ... no way I'm stepping foot in a Walmart!
Walmart family mobile is another T-Mobile MVNO. Not sure what the current deal is. Used to be 25 a month for dumb phones unlimited talk text. 35 for unlimited talk text and data at high speed for 3gb. Think it's now 45 for 5gb.
Google Fi is a split MVNO it works only on certain phones. Uses TMobile and Sprint which is funny because it's GSM and CDMA. It's like 30 a month base. You pay for the data you use. Get refunded for what you don't. Can get a good deal on a Nexus 5x but you can't walk into a store and get it so probably the wait is a no go.
Robust
Well-known member
I buy the phone outright and then take up a SIM only tariff. Eventually it works out cheaper and it's less restricting
TPerry
Well-known member
Or I can look and see what I have in my little "box" and if they are still working ship you some older Motorola phones (on Verizon) that you can use for no charge. They aren't "state of the art" and are Android, but you could build up a history with Verizon and once you have that they shouldn't require a deposit.
That's the way I'm leaning at the moment - which is also what I do here in the UK.
Amaury
Well-known member
There's no need to be rude.
Starting with a prepaid is actually a good path to take. (For some people, at least. It'd be wrong of me to say it's like that for all people. I understand it's not everyone's thing.) There's no monthly fee and you only put in more minutes when you either run out of minutes or are getting close to the due date. Last time I put in more minutes was on March 25, and I have all the way until June 21 of next year to renew. I currently have 123.50 minutes. Additionally, with my phone, I get triple minutes. If a buy a 60-minute card for $19.99 plus tax, I'll receive 120 minutes.
For me personally, I always run out of minutes first and renew about every other month. Sometimes I run out quickly and I have to renew sooner and other times it takes a while to run out. It just depends. The former happens when I take a lot of photos and send them to my computer via email.
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rainmotorsports
Well-known member
The US used to be very contract heavy. Most have switched from subsidizing phones to having you pay a separate charge for it monthly. You can get some really good phones in the 300 dollar range. Last year's second best flagships. Other phones priced in that range already maybe on sale like the Nexus 5X or a one plus two.
You can BYOD with almost anyone now. Can even walk into Walmart and get a sim kit for a few providers.
Be aware that while you can get phones that are Verizon or Sprint compatible unless you bought it from them or the Google play store they will not activate it. Some rare exceptions but you'd be lucky. I had a Nexus 5 which is Sprint compatible but Sprint only has theirs and Google's serial numbers. I had a TMo serial number and you can't activate it unless someone is nice enough to add the serial number for you.
Useful info, thanks.
Verizon and Sprint sound like the worst bits of the mobile business - the kind of practices we had over here many years ago.
It's annoying that you can buy a device off Amazon but may not actually be able to use it.
Does metroPCS/T-Mobile have similar restrictions.
Verizon and Sprint sound like the worst bits of the mobile business - the kind of practices we had over here many years ago.
It's annoying that you can buy a device off Amazon but may not actually be able to use it.
Does metroPCS/T-Mobile have similar restrictions.
rainmotorsports
Well-known member
As long as it's compatible TMobile or Metro will sell you a sim card and a plan. The people at the Metro stores might not be the brightest. When I took my Nexus in the guy thought it was an iPhone and they were a bit baffled when activation took a few extra minutes. The device you buy either needs to be unlocked or TMo branded for Metro. You can buy Metro phones at Walmart as well. Metro phones used to sim swap to TMo no unlock needed but that's no longer the case. However they will unlock after 3 months. There is an app on the phone that does it for you.
Sprint sucks a little. They have lightning fast Spark LTE but their 3G sucks. Sprint and Verizon use CDMA which means technically no sim cards. But its part of the network design that they operate off a whitelist for IMEI numbers. Some phones do use Sims for LTE now. Verizon has a plus. More often then not a Verizon phone is a world phone which means it has a sim slot and a GSM radio. Useful for when you go back home.
Verizon and AT&T are the worst. Price and policy wise. Expect to pay 100 plus easily. AT&T used to charge for text messaging still. Neither sell unlimited data.
Another point for TMo. They're plans are the same price prepaid or postpaid. That's your choice. But Metro is 60 unlimited talk text data. TMo was 70 but it's now 80. They did have a good spring special. 2 lines 6gb per line for 40 a month each so 80 total.
Sprint sucks a little. They have lightning fast Spark LTE but their 3G sucks. Sprint and Verizon use CDMA which means technically no sim cards. But its part of the network design that they operate off a whitelist for IMEI numbers. Some phones do use Sims for LTE now. Verizon has a plus. More often then not a Verizon phone is a world phone which means it has a sim slot and a GSM radio. Useful for when you go back home.
Verizon and AT&T are the worst. Price and policy wise. Expect to pay 100 plus easily. AT&T used to charge for text messaging still. Neither sell unlimited data.
Another point for TMo. They're plans are the same price prepaid or postpaid. That's your choice. But Metro is 60 unlimited talk text data. TMo was 70 but it's now 80. They did have a good spring special. 2 lines 6gb per line for 40 a month each so 80 total.
rainmotorsports
Well-known member
Hell you should have been here for the AT&T Cingular merger. AT&T was TDMA and they merged with a CDMA carrier only to flip flop on the name and then go GSM.
Sprint started the first GSM network here and then sold it to TMobile. I think I have that right.
There are some good mid range and high end phones you can buy unlocked. But if you start with Metro get an okay phone. 3 months later unlock it and then you can leave if you want. They're phone selection is a little weak right now. The low and mid range market isn't improving like it did a year or so ago either. But they're getting ready to carry all of tmobiles phones soon. I think they are going to change how they are paid for tho not sure.
I abuse the upgrade every 3 months thing lol.
Steve F
Well-known member
AT&T is doing a Direct Tv promo if you sign up for Direct Tv you can get unlimited data, although it does state speeds may be reduced after 22GB in certain areas. I just took advantage of it since the monthly came out the same for me and I got the 2 year price lock guarantee in the Direct Tv contract.
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