Nexus 5 + Prepaid Cost Savings over 24 Months

[edgar]

My GF who has the 30 dollar t-mobile plan with 100 minutes is unable to dial out or receive calls after 100 minutes (unless she has extra funding which she doesn't). However if I dial her google voice number she is able to answer on either her phone or chromebook. She can also jump on her chromebook go to google voice, input a number, and it will dial that number...her phone will ring with her google voice # on the caller ID, she can answer, then the # she input on google voice is dialed out...FOR FREE

Seems to be a glitch

 

[edgar]

T-Mobile prepaid for 30 bucks seems to work extremely well here in San Jose. For me I get a fatty discount for AT&T at my work. I am hoping of selling my S3 on craigslist and picking up the Nexus 5

 

[akuki]

...

 

[akuki]

My GF who has the 30 dollar t-mobile plan with 100 minutes is unable to dial out or receive calls after 100 minutes (unless she has extra funding which she doesn't). However if I dial her google voice number she is able to answer on either her phone or chromebook. She can also jump on her chromebook go to google voice, input a number, and it will dial that number...her phone will ring with her google voice # on the caller ID, she can answer, then the # she input on google voice is dialed out...FOR FREE

Seems to be a glitch

This is worth testing once I have the T-Mo + N5!
I always assumed post-paid AT&T minutes were being deducted, using both of your examples (i.e. receiving Google Voice calls using data/wifi), because that's what the Google Voice guidelines stated.

Are you sure the minutes aren't taken out of the next available refill?

 

[Ry]

My GF who has the 30 dollar t-mobile plan with 100 minutes is unable to dial out or receive calls after 100 minutes (unless she has extra funding which she doesn't). However if I dial her google voice number she is able to answer on either her phone or chromebook. She can also jump on her chromebook go to google voice, input a number, and it will dial that number...her phone will ring with her google voice # on the caller ID, she can answer, then the # she input on google voice is dialed out...FOR FREE

Seems to be a glitch

Sounds like you can still receive incoming calls. And that may be as designed.

Posted via Android Central App

 

[edgar]

Sounds like you can still receive incoming calls. And that may be as designed.

Posted via Android Central App

If I dialed her true number (not google voice) I recorder would go off saying the person is not accepting calls at the moment, her phone does not ring at all. If I dial her google voice number... her cell phone rings with her google caller ID (even though I am calling) and she could answer it.

 

[edgar]

This is worth testing once I have the T-Mo + N5!
I always assumed post-paid AT&T minutes were being deducted, using both of your examples (i.e. receiving Google Voice calls using data/wifi), because that's what the Google Voice guidelines stated.

Are you sure the minutes aren't taken out of the next available refill?

Double check and nope not deducted from next month or no extra fees such as 10 cents a minute

I know google voice is not a Voice over IP... Worth a shot!
If not I have seen apps on the play store such as Talkatone that will sort of do VoIP

The hangout app for iOS does audio calls... from the app it self. Should be coming to android soon.

 

[edgar]

With all this wifi and data calling that seems to be coming, I don't see 100 minutes being an issue.

A few things people might have missed about Hangouts and the new call phones feature:

(1) Calling a phone works in most countries. It's not limited to only the United States, and you do NOT need a Google Voice number. So if you live in Sweden or Panama or hundreds of other countries, give it a try! However, the ability to receive incoming calls is only supported for users who have a Google Voice number, which is currently only available to users in the United States.

(2) Calls are placed over data. This is different from the Google Voice app, which places calls through your carrier network.

(3) Calls to the US and Canada are currently free from Hangouts -- regardless of where in the world you live. So if you're in another country and want to call a phone in the US, use Hangouts.

(4) The phone calling feature allows you to call actual phones. This could be a land line, a mobile phone, you name it. This isn't just a direct VoIP connection between two people running the app. You can ring billions of phones with this.

Hope you all have fun with it!

https://plus.google.com/115967585498287799013/posts/ZRyprW6H4a6

 

[akuki]

Double check and nope not deducted from next month or no extra fees such as 10 cents a minute

I know google voice is not a Voice over IP... Worth a shot!
If not I have seen apps on the play store such as Talkatone that will sort of do VoIP

The hangout app for iOS does audio calls... from the app it self. Should be coming to android soon.

I set up OBiHai VoIP with my Google Voice at home on regular cordless phones. Works great so far. Much clearer than cell calls. Since I don't need as many cell minutes as before, the T-Mobile $.10/min on overages should be fine.

I think the new Hangouts might be built for 4.4, since it wasn't released to Android yet. Can't wait to hear what the sound quality will be like.

 

[BaMaDuDe87]

I'm sure people have checked out a data only plan and porting your number to Google Voice(just to keep it with me)? Even bigger possibility with Hangouts making and receiving calls. Tablet plan anyone?

Posted via Android Central App

 

[JonK]

I'm sure people have checked out a data only plan and porting your number to Google Voice(just to keep it with me)? Even bigger possibility with Hangouts making and receiving calls. Tablet plan anyone?

Posted via Android Central App

I have been wanting to do this for a while. I ported my number a long time ago which is nice because I am in control of my phone number and can do what I want with it. I just use regular voice minutes for now but I am interested to try the new hangouts voice calling feature. Groove ip turns google voice into a full VOIP solution but was not completely reliable. I found myself disabling groove ip when expecting an important call to make sure I would receive it. Hopefully hangouts works better.

 

[CoolBeit]

I have been wanting to do this for a while. I ported my number a long time ago which is nice because I am in control of my phone number and can do what I want with it. I just use regular voice minutes for now but I am interested to try the new hangouts voice calling feature. Groove ip turns google voice into a full VOIP solution but was not completely reliable. I found myself disabling groove ip when expecting an important call to make sure I would receive it. Hopefully hangouts works better.

I had the same experience with grooveIP. Hoping hangout solves this problem.

 

[swarlos]

I have been wanting to do this for a while. I ported my number a long time ago which is nice because I am in control of my phone number and can do what I want with it. I just use regular voice minutes for now but I am interested to try the new hangouts voice calling feature. Groove ip turns google voice into a full VOIP solution but was not completely reliable. I found myself disabling groove ip when expecting an important call to make sure I would receive it. Hopefully hangouts works better.

I thought I read that if you get a data only plan but then activate it on a smartphone they can then charge you extra for using it on a smartphone. Is there a way to get around this?

 

[JonK]

I thought I read that if you get a data only plan but then activate it on a smartphone they can then charge you extra for using it on a smartphone. Is there a way to get around this?

That depends on if they know you have a smartphone.

Every GSM device has a unique identifier called an IMEI. If it is an AT&T branded device, they have the IMEI of that device stored in a database that tells them what kind of device it is. If, however it is not a product AT&T sells (such as the nexus) they have no idea what kind of device it is. All they see is an IMEI that is not in their database. They may try to convince you to bring your device into the store so that they can activate it. You do NOT need to do this. All you need is an activated SIM card. The device itself needs no activation. You should be able to walk into the store empty handed and leave with an activated SIM card that you can then insert into a compatible device and have it work. The only way for AT&T to know you are using a nexus smartphone is if google provides AT&T a list of IMEI numbers and what kind of device it is. To my knowledge google does not do this.

 

[swarlos]

That depends on if they know you have a smartphone.

Every GSM device has a unique identifier called an IMEI. If it is an AT&T branded device, they have the IMEI of that device stored in a database that tells them what kind of device it is. If, however it is not a product AT&T sells (such as the nexus) they have no idea what kind of device it is. All they see is an IMEI that is not in their database. They may try to convince you to bring your device into the store so that they can activate it. You do NOT need to do this. All you need is an activated SIM card. The device itself needs no activation. You should be able to walk into the store empty handed and leave with an activated SIM card that you can then insert into a compatible device and have it work. The only way for AT&T to know you are using a nexus smartphone is if google provides AT&T a list of IMEI numbers and what kind of device it is. To my knowledge google does not do this.

I looked at the plans online and you can buy a sim obviously so I'm assuming buying it online you can activate online or still have to go the store?


Carried by a raven from the Wall.

 

[JonK]

I looked at the plans online and you can buy a sim obviously so I'm assuming buying it online you can activate online or still have to go the store?


Carried by a raven from the Wall.

Yes you do not need to visit the store if you buy a SIM online. I believe it should come activated and ready to use. I have not actually tried a data plan SIM in a nexus phone so I cant guarantee you wont have issues but I think it will work just fine. I might try it myself. And there is no contract involved so there really is no reason not to try it.

 

[swarlos]

Yes you do not need to visit the store if you buy a SIM online. I believe it should come activated and ready to use. I have not actually tried a data plan SIM in a nexus phone so I cant guarantee you wont have issues but I think it will work just fine. I might try it myself. And there is no contract involved so there really is no reason not to try it.

Right really minimal drawbacks! Thanks!


Carried by a raven from the Wall.

 

[BaMaDuDe87]

I don't see how they could find out. How hard was it to port your number to Google Voice? Would it be a chore to port it back to a carrier if I wanted to? This would be my first venture to the GSM arena.

Might pick up a prepaid phone sim to check out first (use new number and leave my number with verizon for now). Then possibly port and switch to a data plan after I see how the signal is.

Posted via Android Central App

 

[swarlos]

I don't see how they could find out. How hard was it to port your number to Google Voice? Would it be a chore to port it back to a carrier if I wanted to? This would be my first venture to the GSM arena.

Might pick up a prepaid phone sim to check out first (use new number and leave my number with verizon for now). Then possibly port and switch to a data plan after I see how the signal is.

Posted via Android Central App

Not hard at all to port to Google Voice just go to voice.google.com and set up an account of you haven't then you can port your number over for a $20 one time fee then when you want to port out from Google Voice just visit voice.google.com/unlock (I believe that's the URL) and you're account number is the same as your number.


Carried by a raven from the Wall.

 

[JonK]

I don't see how they could find out. How hard was it to port your number to Google Voice? Would it be a chore to port it back to a carrier if I wanted to? This would be my first venture to the GSM arena.

Might pick up a prepaid phone sim to check out first (use new number and leave my number with verizon for now). Then possibly port and switch to a data plan after I see how the signal is.

Posted via Android Central App

Very easy if you are not currently on a contract. The only thing you will loose is MMS. And before people jump on me and say "who uses MMS anymore?!?! So lame bro!!" there are good reasons for wanting MMS. I cannot control what people send to me. If someone sends me an MMS I will never even know they tried to contact me. That is BAD. Many phones automatically send a group text as an MMS. Which means I am the only one in the group that doesnt get the message. BAD. I have no interest in sending MMS, but I like receiving messages people send me.

If you can put up with not getting MMS, porting your number to google voice is great. So many benefits. If my phone dies I can borrow someone else's and log into my account online and see if I missed any calls or send/receive texts. If I am in a building with no cell signal but with wifi I can send receive texts and be alerted to missed calls. Same when I am traveling internationally. It turns your phone number into a cloud service no longer tied to one specific device. Once you port to GV you can stop being gouged $20/month to send a bunch of 160 byte messages. GV is great and it frustrates me the neglect google has given it. Hopefully that changes with hangouts.