Question regarding AT&T and Straight talk.

[Woosh]

GoPhone prepaid is on par with AT&T postpaid. AIO and Straight Talk are not. they have slower speeds. roaming ability is in question. see below -



also - i don't mind Straight Talk's 2.5GB/month cap. i'm more worried about the reports of getting your data cut off if you use more than 150MB/day. anybody experience or hear about this?

Not recently......When ST first started they advertised unlimited data but that wasn't the case. Many reports about getting cut off if you use too much in a day and some reports of them canceling peoples accounts and causing them to lose their number. It's one of the reasons I left them originally. Now that they have a clear cut limit idt this is any longer an issue.

 

[Joe the Insider]

And this is why I went on a regular plan instead of prepaid. I'm geitting conflicting reports about prepaid with Aio and straight talk. GoPhone may be the best option, I almost decided to go with Aio.




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[scallawag]

I'm in the exact same boat. I'm also leaving VZW primarily because I want the Nexus 5, and now I'm looking at the Straight Talk option of ATT. The guy at ATT tells me that the coverage on prepaid plans is different. He even pulled up a map showing prepaid coverage. However, I'm not sure if there is any variation in different prepaid plans, and I've also heard from others that it is the same coverage, except that you get crappy customer service with prepaid. If customer service is the only thing lacking, I should be OK, since I try and figure things out myself. I'm hoping some more definitive feedback can be shared here.

My wife and I both had an iPhone 4s. She used ATT, I used ST on the ATT network and the coverage seamed to be exactly the same and we travel a lot.

 

[Joe the Insider]

Here is a thread about this issue about Non branded AT&t phone
INFO: Getting a non-AT&T Branded LTE phone to work

Well, I will see on Monday when my Nexus 5 gets here. Planning on using GoPhone $60.00 plan, hopefully it will work out cause these prepaid are non refundable

That person was trying to use a International unlocked phone. That's why he had problems. Why do you think there is 2 Nexus 5 models, A US variant and International Variant. There is different LTE bands on the intl version.

http://www.androidcentral.com/nexus-5-models-whats-different-between-two


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[Sophos]

My wife and I both had an iPhone 4s. She used ATT, I used ST on the ATT network and the coverage seamed to be exactly the same and we travel a lot.

This.
I've been using ST for almost 3 years now (since back in the Nokia E71 sim swapping days) and I have never had an issue with their coverage or speeds. I live in OR but have traveled as far as HI and ST coverage has been equal to at&t.

 

[Gekko]

This.
I've been using ST for almost 3 years now (since back in the Nokia E71 sim swapping days) and I have never had an issue with their coverage or speeds. I live in OR but have traveled as far as HI and ST coverage has been equal to at&t.

but how do you know you are getting the same speed? after 3 years maybe you don't know what you're missing? what/how are you comparing it? the only scientific way to know for sure is to do a side by side comparison with an app like SpeedTest. otherwise - it's just anecdotal evidence.

https://forums.androidcentral.com/e...d=org.zwanoo.android.speedtest&token=cuxTLVUT

 

[N4Newbie]

I've had Straight Talk on my Nexus 4 for about a year. Their website is ghetto and their customer service is awful. But mostly you manage your account online and just get it done. Buy the AT&T SIM card on their website (not sold in stores) and stick it in your phone. I pay $45/month and it gets the same AT&T coverage as an AT&T customer...it runs off the same towers. When I set up my voicemail it says welcome to AT&T, lol.

I'm going to repeat this a few more times because I think it is really that important: the coverage you get with any of these pay-as-you-go plans is not the same as that of the carrier's contract customers, regardless of the fact that it uses the same towers. See http://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/10/t...e-finding-a-phone-and-plan-that-fit.html?_r=0

 

[Gekko]

I'm going to repeat this a few more times because I think it is really that important: the coverage you get with any of these pay-as-you-go plans is not the same as that of the carrier's contract customers, regardless of the fact that it uses the same towers. See http://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/10/t...e-finding-a-phone-and-plan-that-fit.html?_r=0

agreed. they all make you go through a proxy. but i think the one exception is GoPhone. which is basically AT&T service minus the device subsidy.

 

[N4Newbie]

agreed. they all make you go through a proxy. but i think the one exception is GoPhone. which is basically AT&T service minus the device subsidy.

You may be correct, but I would like to see that in writing to be certain. After all, AIO is also an AT&T service but the article speaks directly to the different coverage area of AIO vs AT&T, even though neither company makes this clear in their advertising.

 

[Gekko]

You may be correct, but I would like to see that in writing to be certain. After all, AIO is also an AT&T service but the article speaks directly to the different coverage area of AIO vs AT&T, even though neither company makes this clear in their advertising.

you can walk right into an AT&T Store and buy GoPhone. you can't buy AIO or Straight Talk there.

 

[N4Newbie]

you can walk right into an AT&T Store and buy GoPhone. you can't buy AIO or Straight Talk there.

I'm sorry, but I don't think that proves that GoPhones are given the same coverage as AT&T contract plans. You can walk into an AIO store (yes, they do exist) and buy a phone there as well. They will tell you, yes it uses AT&T's network, but they may not be so forthcoming in regards to the coverage differences.

Having said that, I am not denying the possibility that you are correct. I'm just saying that I haven't seen satisfactory proof thus far.

 

[Gekko]

I'm sorry, but I don't think that proves that GoPhones are given the same coverage as AT&T contract plans. You can walk into an AIO store (yes, they do exist) and buy a phone there as well. They will tell you, yes it uses AT&T's network, but they may not be so forthcoming in regards to the coverage differences.

Having said that, I am not denying the possibility that you are correct. I'm just saying that I haven't seen satisfactory proof thus far.

that alone does not prove it but it is one more piece of evidence that points in that direction - in addition to what we've have already seen - ie speed test comparisons, tech specialist confirmations, etc.

 

[Joe the Insider]

I've also heard that Go Phone is the same as a contract plan.

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[Gekko]

hey - i'd love to be able to pay $45 vs. $60 and get the same exact AT&T coverage and service and save $15/month. but i don't believe you will. i think you are forced to go through a proxy for data (hence special APNs) and your roaming is limited. hence - i'm going with GoPhone. Straight Talk or AIO may be fine for others - but i'm willing to pay a little more to be on par with AT&T postpaid service.

 

[Woosh]

hey - i'd love to be able to pay $45 vs. $60 and get the same exact AT&T coverage and service and save $15/month. but i don't believe you will. i think you are forced to go through a proxy for data (hence special APNs) and your roaming is limited. hence - i'm going with GoPhone. Straight Talk or AIO may be fine for others - but i'm willing to pay a little more to be on par with AT&T postpaid service.

I believe even Go Phone has some limitations with roaming agreements. But for the most part you're correct that Go Phone probably has better coverage/speeds and since it's directly run by AT&T you also get in store support and less likely chance it'll up and disappear one day. But recently ST dropped the AT&T SIMs and then they popped back up so they most likely have worked out multi year deal recently so it probably won't happen.

That said.....it is prepaid, you can simply try out ST for a month and then try out Go Phone and see which you like better. No obligation to stay with either if you don't want to. Then again if the extra $15 doesn't phase you at all the maybe it's not worth the trouble.

 

[Joe the Insider]

hey - i'd love to be able to pay $45 vs. $60 and get the same exact AT&T coverage and service and save $15/month. but i don't believe you will. i think you are forced to go through a proxy for data (hence special APNs) and your roaming is limited. hence - i'm going with GoPhone. Straight Talk or AIO may be fine for others - but i'm willing to pay a little more to be on par with AT&T postpaid service.

Agreed.

 

[Sophos]

but how do you know you are getting the same speed? after 3 years maybe you don't know what you're missing? what/how are you comparing it? the only scientific way to know for sure is to do a side by side comparison with an app like SpeedTest. otherwise - it's just anecdotal evidence.

https://forums.androidcentral.com/e...d=org.zwanoo.android.speedtest&token=1xTB5CsA

I have run side by side speed tests with phones on at&t.

You are right though, I have not tested every at&t tower to make sure I get the exact same coverage/speeds on ST. I can just speak to my (and the 5 or so friends I have on ST) experience....It has been totally worth the $45/mo.

That being said, all the complaints you read about their CS are generally warranted. For a LOT of people I imagine the additional $15/mo (aio) is worth it just to have at&t support.

I play with my food

 

[ScottsoNJ]

I don't know if St's speed is the same as reg. AT&T but for what I use data for FB,ESPN,Flipboard etc. the 12-16 dwn is fine. I am right on the edge of 4G and LTE where I live so my speed improves if I go to where it is full blown LTE.

 

[ctowne]

I have Straight Talk AT&T and love it. Ever since they updated their terms of service (2.5GB high speed until throttle now) it has been great! If you have any questions about it don't hesitate to ask :thumbup:

 

[heading4tomorrow]

If your coverage is good with the carrier you choose in areas where you will mostly be staying, ST is OK
But ST does not offer true roaming, which means if there are no AT&T antennas in a certain area you are visiting, you will get 0 signal.
with AT&T, if you are traveling and there is no AT&T antenna, you will get roaming and your phone will use T-Mo or other local carrier's towers.

This is the major difference between ST and T-Mobile and I would assume same applies to AT&T.. Which is why they let you pick a service.
Correct me, someone, if I am wrong.

I would stay away from ST if you are on the move and need constant service.
Otherwise, I think it is OK in places like NY? Maybe someone in NY can chime in, but at $15 cheaper compared to others, there must be something that's lacking (like no customer service, or in cases they just cut your internet service to EDGE speeds without warning)