T-Mobile $30 4G plan

[Andrew Martonik]

That's not how I understood it. I've always thought TMo's WiFi calling on compatible phones allowed unlimited calling using your mobile number through a WiFi connection. Because you wouldn't be fully using their bandwidth to route your calls.

Only if you had a plan that allowed them to put the account addon that gave you free minutes. Don't think they offer this on prepaid plans, it was always an extra account add-on for postpaid plans, at least when I had T-Mo.

 

[jdk2]

AFAIK, TMO doesn't allow conditional forwarding so GV won't work the same as it does on ST.

Calls go to your TMO voicemail and GV won't pick them up.

 

[Andrew Martonik]

AFAIK, TMO doesn't allow conditional forwarding so GV won't work the same as it does on ST.

Calls go to your TMO voicemail and GV won't pick them up.

Right, T-Mobile prepaid doesn't have conditional call forwarding. This is only an issue if you intend to use your T-Mobile number with GV just for voicemail. If you're using GV as your primary number, there will be some configuration but it'll work.

 

[ajonesma]

Good to know! That means I can tether on my tmo unlimited

 

[jdk2]

I fiddled with it last night and couldn't get it to work. In addition, I'm nervous with TMO coverage where I travel. This doesn't seem to be an issue with ST using ATT's towers.

I'll have to learn to use wi-fi more consistently to keep from being throttled/dropped though

 

[greydarrah]

Right, T-Mobile prepaid doesn't have conditional call forwarding. This is only an issue if you intend to use your T-Mobile number with GV just for voicemail. If you're using GV as your primary number, there will be some configuration but it'll work.

OK, I'm confused. If you are planning to port your current VZW number to Google Voice, then use Google Voice for dialing outgoing calls so that everyone still sees you having the same old phone number you've always had, this will or will not work on either T Mobile (prepaid $30 plan) as well as on Straight Talk (I guess using AT&T as the actual carrier)?

 

[2defmouze]

OK, I'm confused. If you are planning to port your current VZW number to Google Voice, then use Google Voice for dialing outgoing calls so that everyone still sees you having the same old phone number you've always had, this will or will not work on either T Mobile (prepaid $30 plan) as well as on Straight Talk (I guess using AT&T as the actual carrier)?

It should work just fine on either. The guide from XDA was written by someone who uses the $30 prepaid tmo plan, and I've heard from others it works: [GUIDE] Smartphone Service for just $30/month - xda-developers

He explains in there what you need to do to get everything up and running

 

[anon(354569)]

Right, T-Mobile prepaid doesn't have conditional call forwarding. This is only an issue if you intend to use your T-Mobile number with GV just for voicemail. If you're using GV as your primary number, there will be some configuration but it'll work.

So I am planning on porting my current number to GV and then having whatever t mobile number I get added to my GV number. I am planning on using this to receive all my phone calls from the GV #. So are you saying this won't work or there is just some configuration that needs to be done also? If this is the case, what type of configuration is needed? I will be coming from Verizon so this will be somewhat new for me. Thanks for the help!

 

[2defmouze]

So I am planning on porting my current number to GV and then having whatever t mobile number I get added to my GV number. I am planning on using this to receive all my phone calls from the GV #. So are you saying this won't work or there is just some configuration that needs to be done also? If this is the case, what type of configuration is needed? I will be coming from Verizon so this will be somewhat new for me. Thanks for the help!

Read the guide I linked to right above your post. He explains everything you need, what to configure with tmobile, etc. It's all pretty simple

 

[gone down south]

So I am planning on porting my current number to GV and then having whatever t mobile number I get added to my GV number. I am planning on using this to receive all my phone calls from the GV #. So are you saying this won't work or there is just some configuration that needs to be done also? If this is the case, what type of configuration is needed? I will be coming from Verizon so this will be somewhat new for me. Thanks for the help!

Google Voice can normally 'intercept' calls made to your handset (ie, not the Google Voice number, the number assigned by the carrier) and route them to the Google Voice voicemail (giving you online access, transcriptions, etc). This doesn't work on T-Mobile, but it's only an issue if you have people calling you on your carrier-assigned number and leaving messages.

 

[Fleury14]

I ported my number to GVoice this morning but it hasn't taken effect yet. Anyone know how long it typically takes?

 

[Andrew Martonik]

I ported my number to GVoice this morning but it hasn't taken effect yet. Anyone know how long it typically takes?

Their FAQ says 2-4 business days I believe. It is a Sunday I wouldn't expect anything to happen today...

 

[Fleury14]

Their FAQ says 2-4 business days I believe. It is a Sunday I wouldn't expect anything to happen today...

Thanks. At least the charge went through.

 

[kart180]

No carrier software but only HSDPA speeds

 

[DaMaDo]

@John-Smith (its not letting me quote correctly).. I'm going to be importing to Google Voice. There is a wonderful guide that includes information on doing that here:
[GUIDE] Smartphone Service for just $30/month - xda-developers

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2

There used to be a lot of issues when trying to port a number OUT of google voice after porting it in from a carrier. Not sure how that situation is now, but I'd look into it in case you ever want to leave.

 

[darthus]

Hey guys,

I just wanted to offer that I was able to do this entire process in an actual T-Mobile store today. I had previously visited a T-Mobile store asking about this plan and they had told me they had nothing to do with it, that it was a WalMart only thing and I had to go there. However, when I went to Walmart, they said they couldn't sell me the plan without a Sim Card, and the only way for me to get a prepaid Sim Card from them was to buy a 30 dollar Prepaid phone and take the sim out. I had read about buying a Micro Sim through T-mobile's website, but last I checked they were sold out.

So today I went into my local T-Mo store, I asked about Pre-paid and she said they could do that, then when I asked about the 30 dollar plan she said she had just set one up that morning and could do it for me. Sure enough, they gave me a Sim card for 10 bucks, and then set me up on the plan. I think basically they just give you the Sim card and then go through the process on the website that you would go through, but having them do the whole thing made it much easier and I didn't have to wait for it all to ship etc.

I brought the Sim home, tested it in my gf's phone while I wait for my Nexus 4... grrr.... and it worked great! So if you go into a T-Mo store and they say they can't do it, you can say that you know other stores are and all they have to do is sell you a Micro Sim and set it up for you on the website.

 

[Andrew Martonik]

Hey guys,

I just wanted to offer that I was able to do this entire process in an actual T-Mobile store today. I had previously visited a T-Mobile store asking about this plan and they had told me they had nothing to do with it, that it was a WalMart only thing and I had to go there. However, when I went to Walmart, they said they couldn't sell me the plan without a Sim Card, and the only way for me to get a prepaid Sim Card from them was to buy a 30 dollar Prepaid phone and take the sim out. I had read about buying a Micro Sim through T-mobile's website, but last I checked they were sold out.

So today I went into my local T-Mo store, I asked about Pre-paid and she said they could do that, then when I asked about the 30 dollar plan she said she had just set one up that morning and could do it for me. Sure enough, they gave me a Sim card for 10 bucks, and then set me up on the plan. I think basically they just give you the Sim card and then go through the process on the website that you would go through, but having them do the whole thing made it much easier and I didn't have to wait for it all to ship etc.

I brought the Sim home, tested it in my gf's phone while I wait for my Nexus 4... grrr.... and it worked great! So if you go into a T-Mo store and they say they can't do it, you can say that you know other stores are and all they have to do is sell you a Micro Sim and set it up for you on the website.

Glad you got a store to help you out. Just clearing one thing up though, the stores are not required to sell this plan. It really is only a Walmart/online deal. Its only supposed to be for "new customers" and "online only". If you can get a store to do it, that's great, but often if they say they don't know anything about it, they are likely telling the truth.

 

[saeufer]

Glad you got a store to help you out. Just clearing one thing up though, the stores are not required to sell this plan. It really is only a Walmart/online deal. Its only supposed to be for "new customers" and "online only". If you can get a store to do it, that's great, but often if they say they don't know anything about it, they are likely telling the truth.

I think T-Mobile is intentionally being vague about this. The $30/5GB plan is available to anyone who activates a new T-Mobile prepaid SIM online. It doesn't matter where you got the SIM, if it's a prepaid SIM and you activate online, you can get the plan. If you can get a T-Mobile store to sell you a SIM activation kit without activating it, you can get the $30 plan by taking it home and activating online. You can bring a number from anywhere other than T-Mobile prepaid--you can even port a postpaid T-Mobile number and get the $30/5GB plan; any other carrier's number will likewise work fine. I'm told that phones bought at Walmart can be activated over the phone and get the plan, but phones or SIMs bought elsewhere can't. Just activate online and don't worry about it.

My T-Mobile postpaid BlackBerry died in May. I bought a prepaid Exhibit II off Amazon to replace it and just put my postpaid SIM in. In November, I activated the SIM that came with the Exhibit and switched to prepaid. I got the $30/5GB plan and it took all of 20 minutes for my number to "port".

Should you somehow lose the plan, you can switch to another carrier for a while and just switch back. SIMs purchased online are better than free in that they cost 99? and come with $3.34 of credit (evidently that's 10 mins on the basic pay-by-minute plan).

All this said, a prepaid microSIM costs $10 in the store, so it's definitely better to order online (free shipping!) if possible.

 

[Small_law]

I will be moving from Sprint as well. T-mo "4G" data speeds are better than Sprints WiMax 4G speeds around here. You should be able to transfer your phone number wherever you go. I think there are laws about that now. To make it easy, my plan is to transfer my # to Google Voice and then I can switch carriers all I want and never have to worry about moving my # anymore. Of course if Voice ever goes away I would be screwed, but I will be in good company.

I did this two years ago and it is awesome. The only kink was that I couldn't get or send MMS texts via Google Voice, but Google appears to have that GMail workaround up and running for receiving them (pics get delivered to your GMail).

 

[Small_law]

I was having trouble finding a way to get a micro SIM from T-Mo's site without signing up for a full plan. I couldn't check out once it was in the cart. Out of desperation, I got one from Best Buy's site for $14. Sucks but at least it shipped and it's on the way.