MetroPCS PSA: CDMA Network Shutdown Info

[MonteK73]

hey all,

im in south florida (305-786) and i just got the text and a voicemail about the cdma network being shut down. they claim i will get a credit for my galaxy s3 but i doubt ill get anything for a 3 yr old phone...just wondering if anyone had some advice on some of the better phones that will work

If they stick to this they will offer you $199 for your S3. https://www.metropcs.com/content/da...ages/upgradenow/Phone_Upgrade_Credit_List.pdf

 

[AP2FTW]

I moved your post to the Metro CDMA shutdown thread

If it's like the credits in other regions you'll get a certain discount based on the phone model, regardless of how old the phone is. I believe you have to buy one of their phones though, you can't BYOD a phone and get the credit for your S3. I'd check with a store near you for what they're offering.

The ZTE Zmax is the best phone Metro currently sells, other then the high priced Galaxy S5 and S6.

If you want to BYOD a GSM phone you've got the Moto X, Nexus 5 & 6, and OnePlus One - all of which you can buy unlocked from the manufacturer, and are considered good phones.

thanks sorry for putting it in the wrong spot. so the zte zmax is a better phone than the lg optimus f60? i thought i read somewhere that the zte boot loader is locked so it cant be rooted...but i guess i dont have to root it if its actually a better phone.

does the moto x or a nexus 5/6 get lte on the metro byod plan?

@AP2FTW did the text message contained a shortened link? Maybe a bit.lyxxxxx link for example? That is how it has worked in the past. That link would take you to a page which would tell you the credit you would receive for specific phones if you traded it in for a metro-branded gsm phone. I believe when Philly shut down they were offering $200 for my CDMA S3. I didnt think the S4 was worth the price after discount and the S5 still seemed like it was too much. I opted for the OnePlus One for $350 and I'm very happy I did. If you can let us know what you want to be able to do with your phone, we can offer more specialized choices. @kate gave some good choices. I would say the Moto X and Nexus 6 are overpriced but if you compare them to an off-contract phone such as the S6, they are cheaper and more bang for the buck. GL with your next purchase. I would recommend the Moto G or Moto E for even cheaper BYOD alternatives.

yeah it had that shortened link and it still says i will supposedly get a 200 credit for my cdma s3. ill have to google the oneplus one as i have never heard of that one before...i dont see it on metros page is it a byod? does it get lte?

i really just use the phone for basic stuff...i really enjoy my s3 and wish i could just keep it...i do have it rooted with a custom rom though. basically i guess im just trying to find a phone as good or better than the s3 without paying any money out of my pocket. i have always heard good things about the nexus though...i might consider that one, but does it get lte?

Moto G for the win! I'm using the 1st gen HSPA+ version and love it. I get any where from 4 to 10 Meg download speeds depending on time of day and where I'm at.

so if you're only getting 4-10 megs, does that mean that phone doesnt get lte on the byod program?

If they stick to this they will offer you $199 for your S3. https://www.metropcs.com/content/da...ages/upgradenow/Phone_Upgrade_Credit_List.pdf

yeah...its just that this phone is so old im doubtful they will...hopefully they do though...

 

[alfick3]

thanks sorry for putting it in the wrong spot. so the zte zmax is a better phone than the lg optimus f60? i thought i read somewhere that the zte boot loader is locked so it cant be rooted...but i guess i dont have to root it if its actually a better phone.

does the moto x or a nexus 5/6 get lte on the metro byod plan?



yeah it had that shortened link and it still says i will supposedly get a 200 credit for my cdma s3. ill have to google the oneplus one as i have never heard of that one before...i dont see it on metros page is it a byod? does it get lte?

i really just use the phone for basic stuff...i really enjoy my s3 and wish i could just keep it...i do have it rooted with a custom rom though. basically i guess im just trying to find a phone as good or better than the s3 without paying any money out of my pocket. i have always heard good things about the nexus though...i might consider that one, but does it get lte?



so if you're only getting 4-10 megs, does that mean that phone doesnt get lte on the byod program?



yeah...its just that this phone is so old im doubtful they will...hopefully they do though...

I have the original Moto G, so it's not an LTE phone. My wife has the Amazon Fire phone and it gets LTE. I've clocked her phone near 30 Meg download speeds.

 

[AP2FTW]

I have the original Moto G, so it's not an LTE phone. My wife has the Amazon Fire phone and it gets LTE. I've clocked her phone near 30 Meg download speeds.

ah so as long as its an lte compatible phone it should get lte? 30 megs wow thats nice...are yall in the south florida area by chance?

 

[alfick3]

ah so as long as its an lte compatible phone it should get lte? 30 megs wow thats nice...are yall in the south florida area by chance?

No, Dallas Texas area.

 

[AP2FTW]

No, Dallas Texas area.

but the area should only affect speed right? as long as its an lte enabled gsm phone i should be good?

 

[alfick3]

but the area should only affect speed right? as long as its an lte enabled gsm phone i should be good?

There's a thread here about the byod program and it details the bands and frequencies needed to be fully compatible. But basically, yes, if its T-Mobile compatible it will also be Metro compatible.

 

[AP2FTW]

There's a thread here about the byod program and it details the bands and frequencies needed to be fully compatible. But basically, yes, if its T-Mobile compatible it will also be Metro compatible.

yeah thats in the official byod discussion thread which is where i originally posted my question and it was moved here. i just looked back in that thread and i see in the first post where it shows all the band and freqs and what not...thanks for your help

 

[confed]

If you are looking to not pay anything out of pocket, you will have to get a metro branded phone. I'd go for the ZTE Zmax if I had to buy a phone directly from metro. OnePlus has it's own forums here, you can take a look around there for our thoughts on it. Some good posts that detail the issues the company has had since it first started selling phones last year. The issues are fairly rare, but I would only recommend the phone to anyone who is fully aware of long response times with customer service should there be an issue.

If you are looking for the cheapest, reasonably specced phone(s) for BYOD I would say Nexus 5 or Moto G but they will both cost you money out of pocket. Personally for you, I would print out the PDF linked in this thread, bring it to a corporate store that has the Zmax, get the phone, activation fee, and your new plan's first month's payment (CDMA plans do not transfer to GSM phones). It should cost you $0 if they honor the credit.

 

[kate]

so the zte zmax is a better phone than the lg optimus f60? i thought i read somewhere that the zte boot loader is locked so it cant be rooted.

Checking the ZTE Zmax root forum here, it looks like there is no root right now so if that's important to you then there may be better options like the F60. With a $200 credit you could also get the Galaxy S5 for a decent price.

 

[AP2FTW]

If you are looking to not pay anything out of pocket, you will have to get a metro branded phone. I'd go for the ZTE Zmax if I had to buy a phone directly from metro. OnePlus has it's own forums here, you can take a look around there for our thoughts on it. Some good posts that detail the issues the company has had since it first started selling phones last year. The issues are fairly rare, but I would only recommend the phone to anyone who is fully aware of long response times with customer service should there be an issue.

If you are looking for the cheapest, reasonably specced phone(s) for BYOD I would say Nexus 5 or Moto G but they will both cost you money out of pocket. Personally for you, I would print out the PDF linked in this thread, bring it to a corporate store that has the Zmax, get the phone, activation fee, and your new plan's first month's payment (CDMA plans do not transfer to GSM phones). It should cost you $0 if they honor the credit.

hey confed i remember that name from the s3 cdma root forum how you doin man? so you think the zte is that much better than the f60 even though the zte cant be rooted? ive just never had a zte phone before...shoot ive never had an lg either, but its nice to know i can root the lg...then i can hopefully apply the rest of my credit to the new plan cuz yeah, i figured my cdma plan wouldnt transfer but ive been with metro so long i was just planning to bitch and moan until they take care of me or i take my business else where


edit also just another question...if i get the credit i presume i have to give them my old phone? are they going to care that its rooted or should i return it back to stock?

 

[viperdink]

In philly they didn't even want them . They pretty much are useless to metro anyway. My old ones are recycled mini tablets and ipods and organizers or busy boxes for the grandbabies.

 

[AP2FTW]

metro offered me 299 for my s3 today...now im wondering if i have to unroot it, or if i can just restore my original touchwiz backup and leave twrp as the recovery...they also claim if i get the f60 for 50 bucks they will credit the rest of the 300 to my account so i wont have to pay a bill for a few months...oh yeah, they also claim i wont have to change my plan...

 

[confed]

metro offered me 299 for my s3 today...now im wondering if i have to unroot it, or if i can just restore my original touchwiz backup and leave twrp as the recovery...they also claim if i get the f60 for 50 bucks they will credit the rest of the 300 to my account so i wont have to pay a bill for a few months...oh yeah, they also claim i wont have to change my plan...

They can say what they want but they will be lying. There is no way to transfer the CDMA plan to a GSM phone. Now, they may be able to bill you the same amount, but that definitely wont be the same plan. If you are on a grandfathered plan (such as the $45 or $50 unlimited everything with rhapsody) I would ask to see something in writing confirming your new plan and pricing. Since they recently had a $50 unlimited everything for metro branded GSM phones, there is a chance you can get that.

I wouldn't worry too much about taking it back to stock. See if there is any notes/disclaimers on the trade-in to be sure. @Ninjew may be able to confirm/give more info. If you can return it to bone stock in under 20 minutes, I would do it just to put my mind at ease.

When it comes to rooting and the F60 vs the Zmax, that all depends on your plans with the phone. I dont believe there is a lot of development for the F60. It appears someone is working on lollipop on the forum here. If there are certain apps you need root for, save the money and get the F60. If you like to root for basic performance/stability, I don't see the Zmax being a bad choice. Since the F60 is really cheap and you are getting a lot for your trade-in, get the F60 and if you don't like it in a few months, grab an upgrade. Seems like no matter what, you are making out well in this deal. Nice to see ya hang out with the S3 for such a while, glad it held up for ya and good luck with the new phone!

 

[AP2FTW]

yeah i think i am grandfathered in...i had the 55 dollar plan and now all of a sudden its gone down to 45...i hear what you're saying though i know ill have to be on a gsm plan...im gonna fight hard though to get as cheap a deal as i can. i will def get everything in writing because it definitely sounds to good to be true.

im pretty confident i can flash it back to stock recovery and all...i just didnt know if i needed to bother or not...i figured theyd never go into the recovery anyway...it would put my mind at ease though so ill probably do it...i do have a question though...would that mean i should flash the original modem too?

also i saw that zmax today and it is friggin huge...i think im just gonna get the f60...i mean performance wise even un rooted, it has to be more powerful or at least the same as my s3 right?

thanks for the replies and yeah, i loved and still love my s3...if i could figure out a way to flash the tmobile gsm radio into it i would just keep it...you dont know if that possible do you?

 

[kate]

if i could figure out a way to flash the tmobile gsm radio into it i would just keep it...you dont know if that possible do you?

That's a hardware limitation so unfortunately you can't.

...until Project Ara is released, then it might be possible

 

[EarlyMon]

That's a hardware limitation so unfortunately you can't.

Yep.

http://androidforums.com/index.php?posts/6961792

 

[AP2FTW]

ah i see, well thats a shame

 

[EarlyMon]

ah i see, well thats a shame

It was a carrier buyout with a phone that could have actually worked (but they were stubborn and forced me to buy one) that got me to Android in the first place.

Hopefully whatever you have to do works out.

I certainly sympathize with not being able to use the phone you like as a reward for being a loyal customer.

 

[MonteK73]

yeah i think i am grandfathered in...i had the 55 dollar plan and now all of a sudden its gone down to 45...i hear what you're saying though i know ill have to be on a gsm plan...im gonna fight hard though to get as cheap a deal as i can. i will def get everything in writing because it definitely sounds to good to be true.

im pretty confident i can flash it back to stock recovery and all...i just didnt know if i needed to bother or not...i figured theyd never go into the recovery anyway...it would put my mind at ease though so ill probably do it...i do have a question though...would that mean i should flash the original modem too?

also i saw that zmax today and it is friggin huge...i think im just gonna get the f60...i mean performance wise even un rooted, it has to be more powerful or at least the same as my s3 right?

thanks for the replies and yeah, i loved and still love my s3...if i could figure out a way to flash the tmobile gsm radio into it i would just keep it...you dont know if that possible do you?

Have you looked into the Avant, if I had to get another phone besides the Zmax it would be the Avant. It has better specs and you won't run into a memory issue installing apps if you don't use a SD card unlike the F60.

 

[AP2FTW]

Have you looked into the Avant, if I had to get another phone besides the Zmax it would be the Avant. It has better specs and you won't run into a memory issue installing apps if you don't use a SD card unlike the F60.

hadnt really considered the avant, but i like the fact that it accepts a 64 gig memory card where the f60 only says 32...i wonder if the avant has any rooting/custom rom support...i guess ill need to look into that

 

[confed]

hadnt really considered the avant, but i like the fact that it accepts a 64 gig memory card where the f60 only says 32...i wonder if the avant has any rooting/custom rom support...i guess ill need to look into that

Root forum for the Avant can be found @ http://androidforums.com/forums/root-samsung-galaxy-avant.2793/ It has a lot more action around it than the F60. Looks like Shabby has a thread over there about TWRP and there is a 40page thread about getting CM to work on it. From a cursory glance, there has been some progress but not stable yet. Root has been confirmed working for months now too.

 

[AppleUser]

AppleUser: How much notice from MetroPCS did you get? 90 days?

Notified five days ago. Why do you ask ?

 

[Shady545]

hey all,

im in south florida (305-786) and i just got the text and a voicemail about the cdma network being shut down. they claim i will get a credit for my galaxy s3 but i doubt ill get anything for a 3 yr old phone...just wondering if anyone had some advice on some of the better phones that will work

I took my S3 in and got $299 store credit. I got the Zmax and every accessory in the place and ended up paying $0.70. One store told me I would be able to put that credit towards my bill. But they didn't have the Zmax. The store I did go to said I couldn't. So thus all the accessories. Oh well, it's not like I wasn't going to pay my bill anyways.

 

[jgoggan]

Ok -- so -- I'm hoping someone can help me with finding the most cost effective way to do this upgrade. My wife is using a Motion 4G that she has really liked -- but recently started getting the texts that she must upgrade, of course. (We're in the mid-Michigan area.) The texts have a link that says she will get a replacement phone free -- my GUESS is that they would ship her the LG Optimus F60 -- which is certainly not a bad phone at all.

However, looking at this thread and the various links at MetroPCS, it seems that she would also have the option of going to the Galaxy Avant for an extra $50 (or even the ZMax for the same price). The ZMax is nice from a specs standpoint, but it is just huge -- she wouldn't like it.

The more I read, the more I think she'd be happier with the Avant than the F60. So, my question is: what is the most cost effective way of making this trade? The nearest corporate store is more than a 2 hour round-trip, so that isn't going to work. There is a local franchise MetroPCS store, but I'd rather avoid their activation fees if I can do it.

So -- is there a way to do the upgrade from the Motion to the Avant and just pay the $50 (plus tax), but no activation fee? I can't seem to find a place to do it online, so I think I have to go to a store, right? Will they let me trade in the Motion for the Avant, pay the $50 (plus tax), and walk out with it non-activated? Then I can just call and do the activation myself?

Again, just looking for the most cost effective way to turn in this Motion and end up with the Avant.

Thanks!

- John...