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My Pixel 3XL seems to be getting pretty long in the tooth. I'm in the US, with Verizon, and changing carriers isn't really an option (I have five lines with them, as my parents are on my plan, too). I'm going to ask a question I'm pretty sure I already know the answer to: is there a good option that isn't Android or iOS? Ideally something privacy-focused? I use my phone mostly for email, texting, news sites, SA, and Discord. No social media other than Discord (if that counts). I also use it for directions a lot. Definitely prefer phones on the larger side, and it would need to support Swype-style keyboards (this is an absolute deal breaker). I'd previously really liked a lot of Android native apps, but Google has gotten rid of or wildly changed most of them for the worse (Hangouts, Google Play Music, and Google Wallet, for instance). I have a work phone that is a Pixel 4a, so if I needed an app or something that wasn't available in the ecosystem, I could use that. And I work in IT, so I'm fairly technical, and willing to deal with some amount of pain-in-the-rear end to get away from Android/iOS on my personal device. I realize this is probably mostly old man yelling at cloud, and I'll probably wind up with a Pixel 6a or 7.
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Jun 9, 2022 19:27
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I was curious about trying LineageOS myself. But I would still end up installing Google's play store. Plus the phone I wanted to get doesn't quite seem to be working with U.S. networks (Fairphone). I wonder if you can install Lineage on other devices?
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Jun 9, 2022 19:33
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Ham Equity posted:My Pixel 3XL seems to be getting pretty long in the tooth. I'm in the US, with Verizon, and changing carriers isn't really an option (I have five lines with them, as my parents are on my plan, too). I'm going to ask a question I'm pretty sure I already know the answer to: is there a good option that isn't Android or iOS? Ideally something privacy-focused? I use my phone mostly for email, texting, news sites, SA, and Discord. No social media other than Discord (if that counts). I also use it for directions a lot. Definitely prefer phones on the larger side, and it would need to support Swype-style keyboards (this is an absolute deal breaker). Yeah, the answer is no, it’s android or iPhone. In your case, if you have an unlimited plan (likely) , are on post paid, you likely have a trade in credit total of $760 to trade your phone in towards a Pixel 6 or 6 Pro. Main catch is it’s with a 3 year contract, which sucks, but if you’re staying in Verizon then it’s kind of whatever. Not a guarantee, it’s account based , but a lot of existing pixel customers have that offer. Fyi it’s a $400 trade in towards any iPhone 13 series. If you need help feel free to PM me, I work in the ordering department and help goons out off and on.
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Jun 9, 2022 21:08
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Thinking about upgrading my iPhone 7. Use it for games, Awful app, and talk/text. Don't care about the camera or super latest 5G tech. The new iPhone SE looks like a straight upgrade or would I be better off with something else? Don't want something physically bigger than the 7 and I'm generally happy with its screen and physical features.
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Jun 11, 2022 22:03
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SgtMongoose posted:Thinking about upgrading my iPhone 7. Use it for games, Awful app, and talk/text. Don't care about the camera or super latest 5G tech. The new iPhone SE looks like a straight upgrade or would I be better off with something else? Don't want something physically bigger than the 7 and I'm generally happy with its screen and physical features. iPhone SE is a fantastic phone and would def be recommended. Def get the 2022 one, not the 2020 one (I think you know this but just to emphasize).
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Jun 11, 2022 22:17
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Hey ya'll, I've been using a LG G6 Android phone for a few years now and I need to finally upgrade. I'm on Verizon and planning to get a refurbished phone I can put a new SIM into, and hopefully keep the price below $400. I want something with a decent battery life and camera; Currently looking at the Samsung Galaxy S21.
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Jun 13, 2022 17:42
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Fenns posted:Hey ya'll, I've been using a LG G6 Android phone for a few years now and I need to finally upgrade. Depending on your plan Verizon will give you a $400 trade in towards the S22 (retails for $800), and probably would give you half off the S21 FE (note: FE, OG S21 is discontinued, FE retails for $700). Main catch is a 3 year contract, so depends on what you want to do there. Otherwise S21 refurb would be fine assuming no hardware issues, etc.
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Jun 13, 2022 18:21
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Duckman2008 posted:Depending on your plan Verizon will give you a $400 trade in towards the S22 (retails for $800), and probably would give you half off the S21 FE (note: FE, OG S21 is discontinued, FE retails for $700). Main catch is a 3 year contract, so depends on what you want to do there. Oh that's good to know! I'll check my plan and see what options I have. Thank you!
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Jun 13, 2022 18:47
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Duckman2008 posted:iPhone SE is a fantastic phone and would def be recommended. Def get the 2022 one, not the 2020 one (I think you know this but just to emphasize). How is the battery life on the 2022 version?
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Jun 13, 2022 19:02
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Fenns posted:Oh that's good to know! I'll check my plan and see what options I have. Thank you! Not a problem. If you need help ordering feel free to PM me.
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Jun 13, 2022 19:10
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Currently using a Pixel 2 XL on Consumer Cellular. I think the 3G is finally going out, so I'll need a new phone. I'd like to stick with a Pixel, maybe a 3 or 4 variant? I'm looking at refurbished ones on Amazon. Maybe ebay or somewhere else has better deals? Any recommendations between the older Pixels, or should I switch to something new offered directly from Consumer Cellular? I'd like to keep the budget below $400, ideally below $300. I don't need the phone to last much longer than a year, I'll probably be changing plans and phones again by then. I take lots of pictures, so a camera on par with the Pixel 2 XL would be great.
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Jun 17, 2022 22:36
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YoursTruly posted:Currently using a Pixel 2 XL on Consumer Cellular. I think the 3G is finally going out, so I'll need a new phone. The Pixel 6a comes out end of July, if you can wait that long, and is an easy recommend if you can do $450 or if it's on sale cheaper from your carrier. Otherwise, looks like a used Pixel 5 will be between $200 and $300 and is a much much better option than a 3 or 4. Or the base Pixel 6, which retails for $600, if you can find a sale on it.
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Jun 18, 2022 22:19
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Considering switching to Mint mobile - I have T-Mobile PAYG and my wife needs to get off her parent's family Sprint plan. We both have unlocked iPhones, but hers is an old pre-merger Sprint iPhone X. I'd be moving my number over, she probably won't. Are there any gotchas with Mint? It looks to be fairly good value, and it claims to use T-Mobile's network so we'll enjoy the same ok-ish coverage they have. Is a Sprint iPhone any different radio-wise from what T-mo uses?
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Jun 19, 2022 04:12
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I've had an iphone 11 for a few years and I hate it. Especially the lack of a fingerprint sensor, because the stupid face recognition doesn't work when I'm wearing a mask. I also don't get good reception seemingly anywhere, and I've tried both Ting (T-mobile?) and Verizon. I'm going to switch to Google Fi, which ends up costing about the same as my current Verizon unlimited plan. Should I get the Samsung S22 Ultra or the Pixel 6 pro? I mostly use to to watch videos, navigate while driving, and play podcasts. I guess a nice loud speaker and battery life are important, I need a fingerprint sensor but both have it. Samsung: Seems better specs wise on paper, although most of the specs aren't that important to me. Seems like it's cheaper than the Pixel with all discounts. I've never really liked the Samsung UI suite, when I last had a samsung device 4 years ago. I assume things are different now. Pixel: I heard these were still buggy. Is there anything particularly cool or not about these? Does being the "google" phone confer any unique benefits? I'm leaning towards getting the Samsung, but I just haven't had a samsung device in a long time and not sure if I would like it. https://fi.google.com/about/phones/
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Jun 19, 2022 14:33
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If you want a fingerprint sensor worth a poo poo, do not get a Pixel 6. Front fingerprint sensors are cancer so you're hosed either way, but it seems that the P6 has among the worst of them. The S22 Ultra has an amazingly good camera, from what I've seen easily the best in a phone. The zoom is genuinely impressive. The Pixel benefits of google call screening and poo poo like that are good, but the Pixel 6 is a piece of poo poo. The microphone sucks, the camera bump is horrible and forces you to use a case, the image quality is poo poo and it can't focus on anything even slightly close, the bluetooth sucks, the wifi sucks, and as a consequence the positioning service sucks. The ONLY good feature compared to previous Pixels is that it's fast.
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Jun 20, 2022 21:19
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K8.0 posted:If you want a fingerprint sensor worth a poo poo, do not get a Pixel 6. Front fingerprint sensors are cancer so you're hosed either way, but it seems that the P6 has among the worst of them. All those things are fine on my Pixel 6, so maybe the truth is in the middle or something? I've been using the Pixel 6 as my daily driver for months, and my experience is like the opposite of what you are describing. Aside from us both agreeing it's fast.
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Jun 20, 2022 21:39
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CaptainSarcastic posted:All those things are fine on my Pixel 6, so maybe the truth is in the middle or something? I've been using the Pixel 6 as my daily driver for months, and my experience is like the opposite of what you are describing. Aside from us both agreeing it's fast. Dude's got a massive anti-pixel hardon in the other thread, so take that with a grain of salt. My p6p has been just fine so far. Any issues have been minor and accounted for by the fact that all software is lovely.
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Jun 21, 2022 00:01
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Thanks, I just pulled the trigger on an S22 Ultra.
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Jun 21, 2022 00:19
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K8.0 posted:If you want a fingerprint sensor worth a poo poo, do not get a Pixel 6. Front fingerprint sensors are cancer so you're hosed either way, but it seems that the P6 has among the worst of them. I've been using a pixel 6 since February and it's really good for the price. The camera bump is fine and doesn't force you to use a case - out of all your weird gripes that one makes the least sense to me. The camera itself is also seriously excellent, especially in low light or places with an extreme range of colours. It's probably the best thing about the phone and you'd be hard pressed to find a better phone camera for the price. It seems to focus on things really well and makes good use of the AI type stuff to make your photos look nice. Fingerprint sensor was wonky at release but it works fine now. Phone is snappy and responsive, and honestly the only complaints I have are really things endemic to android - launchers/widgets freaking out sometimes. There were a few bad bugs in the first half of 22, esp with connectivity, but it all seems smoothed out now My only complaint is that it's a little heavy. I'd come from an iPhone 8 so it just feels super bulky. I'm thinking of selling and switching to an iPhone mini but really just for ergonomics. I can't really fault the phone for that.
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Jun 21, 2022 16:18
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I am looking for a used Android 5+ phone/tablet whose only purpose is to connect to an endoscope like this. I currently use it with a windows laptop, and it presents itself as a generic webcam. On most of the Amazon ads they say that you need at least Android 5 to use it, and they do not have a custom app instead listing a bunch of compatible apps in the Play Store, so I assume starting with Android 5 there are "generic webcam" drivers that interface with it. What is the likely the cheapest andoid 5+ device I can find used? Is there any site that sells used phones that will allow me specifically to search by Andoid version?
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Jun 22, 2022 03:43
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Chuu posted:I am looking for a used Android 5+ phone/tablet whose only purpose is to connect to an endoscope like this. I currently use it with a windows laptop, and it presents itself as a generic webcam. On most of the Amazon ads they say that you need at least Android 5 to use it, and they do not have a custom app instead listing a bunch of compatible apps in the Play Store, so I assume starting with Android 5 there are "generic webcam" drivers that interface with it. Android 5 came out in 2015. I absolutely guarantee that you don't want a used 2015 era phone or tablet. If a new low end Motorola device (~$180) feels like a big ask, go for a used Motorola phone from 2 years ago, should be well under $100, or literally any Samsung Galaxy A series (even the very first model from 2014 has been updated to Android 5 or newer.) But seriously, stick with something from the last 3 years. Swappa has the Galaxy A11 (from 2020) starting at $78.
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Jun 22, 2022 06:59
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Hi everyone. I want to get a Samsung Galaxy A53 instead of a Galaxy S21 FE or Fairphone 4, but since I don’t know Android, I want people to say it’s ok or I’m making a huge mistake. I want a phone that will last me another 4-5 years and feel good about all the money I saved over buying another iPhone. I have an iPhone 8 Plus with 64gb. Due to battery issues and the itch, I have been looking at an upgrade. I am mad at the current Apple tax so I want to move to Android, but otherwise I would probably get an iPhone SE 2022 and be fine with it. I don’t game, just web and doom scrolling with some watching streaming while cooking so not really paying attention to the screen. The camera is important to me, but I have a mirrorless system for pictures as well so I can compromise. I am very happy with the pictures from my current phone, which according to DxOMark everything today beats. I live in Europe, will need to work in US, but shouldn’t be an issue. Provider is Swisscom, and I won’t change it. I get a discount on select models through my carrier for a two year contract. That leaves me with the following as good options: Galaxy A53 - $170. This does everything I need it to do and is an upgrade over my iPhone 8 Plus. Samsung promises 4 years of OS updates and a year of security, which sounds great. My concern is the SOC, which Reddit pans. It’s the Exynos 1280. In the store comparing it, it seems fine, although I can find videos showing it’s slower than the S21 FE at loading apps of course. MicroSD, but will I use it? Galaxy S21 FE - $350. Snapdragon 888 and better camera, telephoto. Neither of which I need, but maybe it’ll keep me in the phone longer and happier with it. It’s promised the same OS updates and security as the A53. I don’t really see myself using DeX mode, but it’s cool. It doesn’t seem the A and S series have other things distinguishing them on the software side. Fairphone 4 - $325. Snapdragon 750G, supposedly bad camera but how bad is hard to tell. The battery on my phone is what has been bothering me and finally getting me to upgrade, so the repairability of the phone is very attractive. There seem to be a lot of software issues with the phone, like the camera is much improved with GCam. They are only promising Android 12 with the goal to support Android 13, but I don’t have an issue switching to a custom OS, though I’ve never done it before. Final option is just get the 128 GB iPhone SE for $325. I know I’ll get several years out of it and it’ll be fine. So I think the A53 is the best choice for me. It’s an upgrade compared to what I have. If I can really get 4-5 years out of it like my iPhone that would be a fantastic price. But maybe the S21 FE or the Fairphone would be better to ensure that I do get those 4-5 years. The price is not an issue for me, but I don’t want to pay what I don’t have to. 2-3 years out of a phone like the A53 aren’t that bad when it’s so much cheaper than a new iPhone and half the price of the other two. Should I pull the trigger on an A53, or pay more for specs / repairable build with one of the others?
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Jun 24, 2022 08:00
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A53 is fine. Personally , for something you use everyday , I would pay the difference for the S21 FE , but that’s just me. Don’t buy the fair phone. At this point don’t buy a phone unless it’s Apple, Samsung or Google.
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Jun 24, 2022 12:33
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Duckman2008 posted:A53 is fine. Personally , for something you use everyday , I would pay the difference for the S21 FE , but that’s just me. This is how I feel about it. If I'm going to be using something everyday for several years I don't want to pinch pennies and make sacrifices on it unless my budget demands it. If I'm going to take 5 years worth of pictures, I want the better camera. If I'm opening five years worth of apps, I want the better processor.
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Jun 24, 2022 22:45
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From what I've seen when researching if I could get a Fairphone, it seems like they're not connecting to U.S. VoLTE networks, which will be required very soon if not already. Hypothetically they should be compatible, but 🤷🏻♂️
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Jun 24, 2022 23:04
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Thanks guys, I went ahead and got the S21 FE instead.
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Jun 24, 2022 23:16
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Lost my phone so I'm back to looking at replacement options again after 6 months. Last time I decided to get a Pixel 4 (4g old version) for like £140 or something. I figured I would upgrade it to a 5G phone after a year or so once I'd figure out how much of the phones power I actually used and spec accordingly. So it's sooner than I planned to get a phone but it's okay. I want a 5G phone because I'm hoping to use the internet on it a lot, including tethering/wifi hotspot. So that rules out a lot of the really cheap options. As for gaming - pretty much zero on my phone, it doesn't interest me. I just want my core apps like spotify, youtube, browser to be fast and for there to be OS software updates so I don't get locked out of apps unexpectedly like happened with my last phone. Although I think that was running on android 6 or something, eventually my banking app just wouldn't update anymore. The pixel 4 was extremely fast to me other than the internet connection at times, which is one reason I want 5G. It doesn't need to be any more powerful than that. I rarely take photos with my phone so I would get one that doesn't even have a camera if it was alot cheaper but those don't seem to exist. I was thinking about a nord oneplus ce from last year which I'm finding around for a bit less than <£200. The only thing is the body is supposedly cheap and I liked how sturdy the 'gorilla glass' on the pixel 4 was. There isn't really a good case for me spending much more then £200 on a high end phone with this kind of usage is there?
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Jun 29, 2022 03:47
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i got my pixel 3a in 2020 and it was doing me fairly well for the most part until the past couple of months when i started noticing that apps are taking a bit longer to load and they're freezing/crashing more often. on top of that, the bluetooth got hosed up (sadly, that part was my fault), so i'm thinking of getting this replaced. so here's what i'm looking for: - good processor/RAM that can quickly run apps - decent camera - above average battery life - big (min. 6" screen) - min 128 GB storage -$300 max i don't game at all or watch any HD/4K content on my phone (and am opposed to the idea of doing so on a phone on sheer principle) so i don't need anything ultra powerful. just a nice, solid processor that won't take forever to open multiple apps and not freeze/crash. i absolutely love my 3a's camera, but sadly for someone like me it's been woefully underutilized. getting another phone with an awesome camera might be a waste for me, but i do still want something decent.
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Jun 30, 2022 12:27
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luminalflux posted:Considering switching to Mint mobile - I have T-Mobile PAYG and my wife needs to get off her parent's family Sprint plan. We both have unlocked iPhones, but hers is an old pre-merger Sprint iPhone X. I'd be moving my number over, she probably won't. Been on mint for a month. Having used cricket, then spectrum before mint, mint is by far the slowest overall. That being said, mint is the cheapest. Some days it's perfect and fast other days it's doesn't work for poo poo. I paid $45 for three months of unlimited, doubt I'll stay after 3 months. It would be perfect for someone who doesn't use much data. Spectrum was really good and on Verizon towers, but after you used 20gigs it was unusable, literally. Tldr: pass on mint.
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Jun 30, 2022 13:36
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Interesting. I rarely use more than 5GB a month on t-mobile - my current PAYG plan caps me at 6 gig
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Jul 3, 2022 06:53
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Not sure if this is the right place to ask this, but couldn't find anywhere that seemed to fit better: I have a Pixel 6 Pro, and I'm looking for some sort of car mount for it. None of the mounts in the Verizon store were big enough to comfortably fit the phone in. They had a magnetic mount system that seemed slick as heck but it didn't seem to work well with the Otterbox I have on it. Are there any recommendations for a good phone mount for the car? I was thinking about sticking to the top of the dash if possible. Amazon reviews are all over the place for every mount between "works perfectly love it" and "adhesive failed after 1 hour, sucks forever". Figured I'd see if the thread had any takes on dash mounts before I just try my luck with whatever looks like it might work on Amazon.
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Jul 3, 2022 22:52
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What AT&T based provider/plans are people liking these days? I've got a friend that needs to port from Straight Talk ASAP, as they won't even LET her renew her service anymore.
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Jul 4, 2022 00:30
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K8.0 posted:What AT&T based provider/plans are people liking these days? I've got a friend that needs to port from Straight Talk ASAP, as they won't even LET her renew her service anymore. If you need ATT service, probably Cricket.
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Jul 4, 2022 00:48
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K8.0 posted:What AT&T based provider/plans are people liking these days? I've got a friend that needs to port from Straight Talk ASAP, as they won't even LET her renew her service anymore. Why not?
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Jul 4, 2022 02:30
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Kia Soul Enthusias posted:Why not? They claim her phone is not VoLTE compatible. I forget what it is, but it most definitely is a modern, fully VoLTE compatible phone she got a couple months ago. Straight Talk just blows dick at support and won't manually fix it, and there's no way to automatically fix it. You can't add a plan to the current sim, you can't swap sims because the system insists you need a new phone, you can't do poo poo, go gently caress yourself.
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Jul 4, 2022 04:08
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K8.0 posted:They claim her phone is not VoLTE compatible. I forget what it is, but it most definitely is a modern, fully VoLTE compatible phone she got a couple months ago. Straight Talk just blows dick at support and won't manually fix it, and there's no way to automatically fix it. You can't add a plan to the current sim, you can't swap sims because the system insists you need a new phone, you can't do poo poo, go gently caress yourself. Not defending straight talk, but that actually could be an ATT thing, because they’re the ones driving that. To be clear, I don’t know for sure, just mentioning that ATT made a policy where they won’t allow “non approved devices” or whatever , which is extremely stupid, but I know there was some trickle down to the MNVOs.
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Jul 4, 2022 05:35
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Duckman2008 posted:Not defending straight talk, but that actually could be an ATT thing, because they’re the ones driving that. Yup that's why I asked. AT&T sucks. Maybe things have changed, I've stopped paying attention, but they operate on a whitelist policy. Maybe it can be overridden now, I don't know. Best bet is T-Mobile and then Verizon.
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Jul 4, 2022 06:15
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Kia Soul Enthusias posted:Yup that's why I asked. AT&T sucks. Maybe things have changed, I've stopped paying attention, but they operate on a whitelist policy. Maybe it can be overridden now, I don't know. Ok I follow. Cricket probably follows the same policy, they’re owned by ATT. I don’t know T-Mobile plans. Verizon is $65 a month for unlimited, $60 with autopay, goes down on months 3 and 9 to as low as $50 a month.
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Jul 4, 2022 12:27
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It's not an AT&T problem, it's a Verizon problem. Verizon bought TracFone and thus Straight Talk and they've been running it straight into the ground, which is why I already switched away. Her phone is one of the newer Samsung phones from AT&T's approved devices list as of January or February, it's definitely account fuckery and not a device problem. Thankfully I was finally able to reach someone that could force-activate her SIM so it could be transferred but holy gently caress their service is so bad now. In general I haven't been able to understand why Verizon has had a good reputation for the past decade. They built out an impressive network in the mid 2000s, but since about a decade ago their service at least around here has been very poor by comparison to AT&T. The device whitelist sucks but it's nowhere near as bad as the constant horror show dealing with Verizon has been. I've regularly used a bunch of hardware devices that are locked to Verizon by some stupid contractual bullshit, and they virtually never work right and I wind up using my phone to provide a hotspot for them. Either there's no service or the service randomly cuts out, which is no bueno for devices that need real-time data streaming. Maybe in other places their network is good but whether in a major city or rural areas my experiences have consistently been way below what I'd consider acceptable.
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Jul 5, 2022 17:15
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K8.0 posted:It's not an AT&T problem, it's a Verizon problem. Verizon bought TracFone and thus Straight Talk and they've been running it straight into the ground, which is why I already switched away. Her phone is one of the newer Samsung phones from AT&T's approved devices list as of January or February, it's definitely account fuckery and not a device problem. Thankfully I was finally able to reach someone that could force-activate her SIM so it could be transferred but holy gently caress their service is so bad now. My impression is that which carrier is good is highly dependent on geography - around here Verizon is easily the most reliable and consistent, T-Mobile is the worst, and AT&T is somewhere in the middle. In another part of the country it's going to be a different ranking. And Verizon buying Tracfone was a questionable regulatory decision that I had qualms about when the news first broke, despite my own phones being on Verizon and Tracfone using Verizon towers. The Sprint/T-Mobile merger shouldn't have been allowed in my opinion, and Verizon buying one of the biggest, oldest, multi-carrier MVNOs seemed like getting into similar territory to me.
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Jul 5, 2022 18:40
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