OK, so I am very new to really "getting into" and caring about my phone. Previously as long as it made/received calls and texts, that's all I cared about. This past year however, I've just been trying to play catch up buying newer phones and trying to upgrade and stay current, as well as use my phone for most of what it's capable of... Now I have an issue...
I am currently on Virgin Mobile. I've had and used almost every carrier, but eventually I got tired of paying over $100 for a phone bill because it required a data package i hardly used, and having a contract, the appeal of $50/month was hard to ignore. And to be honest I am quite happy with my service. I dont ever drop calls or lose data coverage. I only wish my area provided 4g, but its basically the area, not the carrier. None of the larger carriers have 4g here yet either.
Anyways, long story short, I went in to buy a new(er) phone. I really had the S2 in mind (the 3 wasnt even released in my area a month ago when i went shopping). But all the local stores were sold out. They were on sale and people bought them up fast, and when I asked when a new shipment was coming in, they informed me that the s3 was coming out, no more 2. So they talked me into a Kyocera Event. On paper it seems comparable to, or better than most other Virgin phones for sale. Plus the price was tough to complain about. But here I am, a month later and on my 3rd Event replacement. Ive had nothing but problems, and clearly its the actual Make/Model itself, not just 1 or 2 bad phones Ive received...
So now Im back to looking for a new phone. I had one of the original Galaxy phones, as well as an HTC a few years ago... Forget the specifics of those particular phones, but I loved them and always regretted not keeping them or staying with those Brands. They were quick, problem free and large screens... So clearly this is what I want and I wont let price or a sales person talk me into something Im unfamiliar with. I may even consider a Note. I want a larger screen , faster processor, newer Android O.S. Problem is, Virgin Mobile. I am looking at new phones which are typically older models. Like i said, they JUST introduced the S3. The better (or best?) HTC they offer is the ONE. Or ONE V, I forget. And on ebay or craigslist, they still hold a high resell value/price tag despite being used and models that were released in 2010. Also, there is like 1 Virgin phone for every 20 Sprint phones. Or 20 T-Mobile phones. The market is flooded with new or barely used (and much cheaper) versions for other carriers. An S2 for T-Mobile may be $120, where a S2 for Virgin is going to run me $250-300. Online they are offered for $250 new but are back ordered or out of stock. It sucks.
Now that T-Mobile has become basically a pre-paid only carrier that compares greatly price-wise to Virgins cost, I'm willing to consider changing carriers if I find the right phone and price. They even openly accept unlocked phones if you bring one in, they have no problem activating them, which opens up my phone options even more.
***ACTUAL QUESTION OR INFO I AM ASKING FOR:***
I STILL however, would like to know all my options to keep Virgin. (Basically because i have a significant pre-paid account balance for service). I read about flashing Sprint to Boost, Sprint to Cricket, and vice versa. However, i have searched and googled Flashing to Virgin and it seems like its a highly debated issue. Tons say absolutely not. Some say yes. Others say yes, but you lose data/internet abilities. So please, anyone with ACTUAL & PERSONAL experience, please chime in. If you have your phone flashed for Virgin, or if you do it for others currently. Or bad past experiences. Also, please, what does it require? I would probably pay to have it done, but some say you need a Virgin esn and/or phone as well as a Sprint. Not a problem as I currently have about 8-10 Virgin Mobile phones. But do any other carriers phones work (Boost, Cricket, Verizon?) flashed to Virgin? Is my best and only option to keep Virgin to just simply spend a small fortune on their "newest" model? Id really rather not...And please, remember Im still learning, so dumb it down for me, lol. I would GREATLY appreciate any and all help on the matter...
I am currently on Virgin Mobile. I've had and used almost every carrier, but eventually I got tired of paying over $100 for a phone bill because it required a data package i hardly used, and having a contract, the appeal of $50/month was hard to ignore. And to be honest I am quite happy with my service. I dont ever drop calls or lose data coverage. I only wish my area provided 4g, but its basically the area, not the carrier. None of the larger carriers have 4g here yet either.
Anyways, long story short, I went in to buy a new(er) phone. I really had the S2 in mind (the 3 wasnt even released in my area a month ago when i went shopping). But all the local stores were sold out. They were on sale and people bought them up fast, and when I asked when a new shipment was coming in, they informed me that the s3 was coming out, no more 2. So they talked me into a Kyocera Event. On paper it seems comparable to, or better than most other Virgin phones for sale. Plus the price was tough to complain about. But here I am, a month later and on my 3rd Event replacement. Ive had nothing but problems, and clearly its the actual Make/Model itself, not just 1 or 2 bad phones Ive received...
So now Im back to looking for a new phone. I had one of the original Galaxy phones, as well as an HTC a few years ago... Forget the specifics of those particular phones, but I loved them and always regretted not keeping them or staying with those Brands. They were quick, problem free and large screens... So clearly this is what I want and I wont let price or a sales person talk me into something Im unfamiliar with. I may even consider a Note. I want a larger screen , faster processor, newer Android O.S. Problem is, Virgin Mobile. I am looking at new phones which are typically older models. Like i said, they JUST introduced the S3. The better (or best?) HTC they offer is the ONE. Or ONE V, I forget. And on ebay or craigslist, they still hold a high resell value/price tag despite being used and models that were released in 2010. Also, there is like 1 Virgin phone for every 20 Sprint phones. Or 20 T-Mobile phones. The market is flooded with new or barely used (and much cheaper) versions for other carriers. An S2 for T-Mobile may be $120, where a S2 for Virgin is going to run me $250-300. Online they are offered for $250 new but are back ordered or out of stock. It sucks.
Now that T-Mobile has become basically a pre-paid only carrier that compares greatly price-wise to Virgins cost, I'm willing to consider changing carriers if I find the right phone and price. They even openly accept unlocked phones if you bring one in, they have no problem activating them, which opens up my phone options even more.
***ACTUAL QUESTION OR INFO I AM ASKING FOR:***
I STILL however, would like to know all my options to keep Virgin. (Basically because i have a significant pre-paid account balance for service). I read about flashing Sprint to Boost, Sprint to Cricket, and vice versa. However, i have searched and googled Flashing to Virgin and it seems like its a highly debated issue. Tons say absolutely not. Some say yes. Others say yes, but you lose data/internet abilities. So please, anyone with ACTUAL & PERSONAL experience, please chime in. If you have your phone flashed for Virgin, or if you do it for others currently. Or bad past experiences. Also, please, what does it require? I would probably pay to have it done, but some say you need a Virgin esn and/or phone as well as a Sprint. Not a problem as I currently have about 8-10 Virgin Mobile phones. But do any other carriers phones work (Boost, Cricket, Verizon?) flashed to Virgin? Is my best and only option to keep Virgin to just simply spend a small fortune on their "newest" model? Id really rather not...And please, remember Im still learning, so dumb it down for me, lol. I would GREATLY appreciate any and all help on the matter...
Good Luck and happy hunting
