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Considering switch from Straight Talk

jefboyardee

Extreme Android User
Jan 18, 2011
5,518
1,791
Inexplicably fond of tethering, I switched from the standard Straight Talk 5GB/$45 plan to their new 10GB/$55. Needless to say, that still ain't enough. So I'm looking at Metro's unlimited/$60 plan, but have questions...

I have a Samsung Galaxy Core Prime SM-820L. It is CDMA, has a SIM card, but I'm not sure if the card really does anything. Metro also sells that phone – can I assume the above specs will match?

Metro sells a SIM card for making one's existing phone switch to Metro (child of T-Mobile). Can I further assume that my phone will accept the Metro SIM card; fit physically and connect digitally?

Does Metro's unlimited plan really mean unlimited? I usually use around 300MB per day, but can go way past that, depending on what I'm up to.

Finally, I use Klink to tether via USB. It works great and Straight Talk doesn't notice or care about it. Can I assume Klink will work the same way when connected via Metro?
 
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Metro gives you 8GB of hotspot data a month. Using more then 25GB might get you slower speeds if their tower is busy.

I would recommend buying a Metro phone, or unlocked GSM phone, but:

Your phones probably locked to Straight Talk, if so you'd need to unlock it first. You'll need the Metro SIM.

Your CDMA version most likely has different bands then the one Metro sells, but I can't find concrete band specs for SM-820L, in fact http://willmyphonework.net and a couple other sites don't even list that model.

Guess: it might have 2G/3G GSM, maybe 4G depending on the bands it has. Or it could be CDMA only and not work with Metro. Or it's the Verizon version, then you should have GSM and 4G.
 
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My current Straight Talk phone is 4G LTE and runs through Verizon, I shuda said that earlier. I think the CDMA part ices the idea, though. I could just get one of their phones, like their Galaxy Core Prime, but I'm getting very tired of accumulating cellphones!

Having said that I won't, I will go look at the Samsung Galaxy Grand Prime.
 
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If you're a veteran here's another alternative: Defense Mobile, a service exclusively for veterans, current military and their families. They offer both a CDMA and GSM networks. Tethering is supported. Their CDMA network currently only supports wireless tethering on 4G iPhone devices., but they are working to add this to 4G Android devices as well. Prices are reasonable and they offer discounts to American Legion members.
 
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My current Straight Talk phone is 4G LTE and runs through Verizon

LTE phones sold directly from Verizon are GSM unlocked. Some can be used on GSM networks but some people say they have minor issues.

If you bought it from Straight Talk I don't know if they lock Verizon network phones.
 
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LTE phones sold directly from Verizon are GSM unlocked. Most can be used on GSM networks but some people say they have minor issues.

If you bought it from Straight Talk I don't know if they lock Verizon network phones.
Sure we've had posts about that before. Supposed to be GSM unlocked, but when they insert a SIM, that isn't Verizon into their Droid™ whatever, it throws up a message about "NON-VERIZON SIM" and it doesn't work. Sometimes when they've gone to another country, and tried to use a local carrier's SIM in their Verizon phone, usually because don't want to pay stupidly expensive roaming fees.
 
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If you're a veteran here's another alternative: Defense Mobile, a service exclusively for veterans, current military and their families. They offer both a CDMA and GSM networks. Tethering is supported. Their CDMA network currently only supports wireless tethering on 4G iPhone devices., but they are working to add this to 4G Android devices as well. Prices are reasonable and they offer discounts to American Legion members.
Hey thanks for mentioning Defense Mobile. I hadn't heard of them. My wife and I are currently on Metro and are quite happy, but being a Navy vet it's good to know about veteran companies.
 
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How to Check Cdma or Gsm

If you use a SIM card in your mobile phone, the phone is a GSM device; otherwise, if your phone does not require the use of a SIM card, the phone is a CDMA device.​

To check mine, I powered off, removed the SIM that I thought wasn't doing anything, then powered up. It didn't who I was or what time it was, so it apparently needs the SIM. So, according to the above , my phone is GSM after all.
 
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How to Check Cdma or Gsm

If you use a SIM card in your mobile phone, the phone is a GSM device; otherwise, if your phone does not require the use of a SIM card, the phone is a CDMA device.​

To check mine, I powered off, removed the SIM that I thought wasn't doing anything, then powered up. It didn't who I was or what time it was, so it apparently needs the SIM. So, according to the above , my phone is GSM after all.
I think, THINK, that more modern CDMA phones need a SIM card for the LTE, but if they are not getting an LTE signal they fall back on CDMA 3G and that doesn't use the SIM card. So, that means if you bought a phone with LTE from Verizon it'll have the SIM for the LTE. If you tried to use that same phone with a Metro SIM, you may, or may not, get a signal depending on the LTE bands that the phone gets. Metro primarily used band 4. However, if you're in an area that doesn't have LTE, you'd have no signal since the phone is CDMA and doesn't have the GSM radios. Like I said at the beginning, I think. I could be totally off base. So even though the phone has the same name as the Metro phone. Maybe there are two different versions, one is CDMA and there other is GSM. To confuse matters further, maybe it's a world phone and so would have both GSM and CDMA radios? Some phones are made with both, such as the Nexus 5X that I'm typing this on.

Sent from my Nexus 5X using Tapatalk
 
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If you use a SIM card in your mobile phone, the phone is a GSM device; otherwise, if your phone does not require the use of a SIM card, the phone is a CDMA device.​
That info is outdated, alfick3 is right - both CDMA and GSM 4G LTE phones use SIM cards. Older 3G CDMA phones don't have a SIM card.

The Verizon Galaxy Core Prime does also have GSM bands used by Metro, it's just a matter of whether Verizon crippled it enough to make it buggy.

You could go to a Metro store and ask to test their SIM card (assuming Straight Talk didn't lock it), but I think your best bet is a Metro phone or unlocked GSM phone. :thumbsupdroid:
 
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Poking around...

Metropcs 4g LTE seems slow. Is it throttled?

So, here's the deal with Metro PCS. Regardless of the amount of data you've used, you are de-prioritized below anyone with a T-Mobile phone
...maybe I should just stick with my StraightTalk/ Tracfone/ Verizon setup and just try try to stay under 10GB per month, which won't be easy.
 
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Here's, I hope, my last question. I could just get a new MetroPCS phone and choose whatever phone number they offer. Then my current phone would still operate as it always has, with its number. But can I have both phones share the same email addresses? I suppose I could, but supposing hasn't done me much good lately.
 
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Poking around...

Metropcs 4g LTE seems slow. Is it throttled?

So, here's the deal with Metro PCS. Regardless of the amount of data you've used, you are de-prioritized below anyone with a T-Mobile phone
...maybe I should just stick with my StraightTalk/ Tracfone/ Verizon setup and just try try to stay under 10GB per month, which won't be easy.
Yes, you do get prioritized below T-Mobile, but, I average around 30 Meg download speeds here in the Dallas Texas area. So, just because you are prioritized below T-Mobile it doesn't mean you will be slow.
 
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Thank you both for assuring my ability to spend more money. :thinking: As for my emails, I have three gmail and one yahoo and have set them up on several PCs and other phones, so I'm pretty sure I'm good to go there. Just don't want to abandon this phone number I've had since my Sprint days in 2004!
 
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Screenshot_2016-04-24-15-32-15.png

If I extrapolate that blue graph that's starting to form at the bottom, it seems like I'll max out within the 10GB limit I'm currently under. Guess I'll postpone Metro activation...
 
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Thank you both for assuring my ability to spend more money. :thinking: As for my emails, I have three gmail and one yahoo and have set them up on several PCs and other phones, so I'm pretty sure I'm good to go there. Just don't want to abandon this phone number I've had since my Sprint days in 2004!
Just port it over to metro.
 
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Porting your number means transferring it to your new provider.

MetroPCS Porting FAQ:
https://www.metropcs.com/support/phones/number-port.html


How do I transfer my number to MetroPCS?

Porting your number to MetroPCS is easy! Visit your local MetroPCS store, Authorized Dealer, National Retailer or call *228 from your MetroPCS phone and we will start your new account that day. Required information for porting from your old provider includes your current account number and PIN.

Do not cancel your current service first. Start the number porting process while your service is active since a number must be active to port.
 
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