Need advice..

Do you mean using an AT&T SIM or T-Mobile SIM? Or do you mean between StraightTalk and Virgin Mobile?

If you want, here is Virgin's Coverage Map: Map
Straight Talks Coverage Map: Map

 

Alright, well I personally enjoy the Straight Talk service. I've never used Vigrin Mobile, though.

The best part about ST is the fact that I can be on a GSM carrier, though.

 

Straight Talk data is not unlimited, and IMO, customer service is poor.

 

The debate over "unlimited" is not exactly settled. Some of us have been sucking up bandwidth (multi-multi-gigs) with no problems, while others have claimed that they were shown the door and their service terminated after using only a couple of gigs.

My personal _opinion_ is that those using AT&T sims are the loudest about having been throttled / terminated. I haven't seen many T-Mobile sim users making the same complaints... or if they do, usually it is just throttling. Those on the Verizon/Sprint phones... well, I haven't heard anything yet. I'm on the Verizon phone and have yet to be issued a warning.

If I had the time and money, I'd get all 4 service carriers through Straight Talk and test it out.

 

Most people who get terminated are terminated because they are streaming videos and music which is a TOS violation that straight talk takes seriously. You can also find that information in their TOS info on their website.
As long as you don't stream you'll be just fine.

 

I have the Straight Talk TracFone Samsung Galaxy SII, and I cannot recommend it.
The features it has are not the same as those you'll find advertised for SIIs being carried by the other carriers.
Numerous features have been disabled, such as near field communication (NFC, Google Wallet-type functions), the ability to tether, Adobe Flash, and, most importantly, I was told by TracFone that there will not be any OS upgrades. You're (we're stuck on Gingerbread 2.3.6).
Finally, after 6 weeks the phone has developed data connection issues, and I have gotten no support from Straight Talk.
Bottom line: I regret buying this phone, and I regret being on Straight Talk.

 

Not all SII's had NFC. Do a quick Google/Bing search and you'll see articles covering how to determine which carrier and which batch of phones did or did not have the NFC circuits added.

Tethering is a Straight Talk no-no. So of course it'd be disabled. Other carriers have done the same thing with many Android phones / tablets. Of course, this wouldn't stop someone who really wants to tether. (under breath... FoxFi)

Adobe Flash. Yeah, they hid it as they don't plan to support it anymore. You can try to install it from Google Play or from Adobe's Archived Flash Player page (you'll need to allow your SII to install apps from unknown sources - in settings)

Yup. Most Straight Talk phones will not receive any OS updates. There is no profit in it for them. They would rather you bought another phone from them. However, you can find here and on other websites, information on how to modify/update your phone.

Bare bones pricing means bare bones service and support. Don't expect to walk into a WalMart and get help like you can at a carrier's store.

Now where are those data plans for the Death Star you stole?

 

I don't know if i could take the phone to another carrier, but i wouldn't do that because it would be the same phone - lacking certain features - but on a more expensive carrier.
I'm just going to suck it up.

As far as some GSIIs not having an NFC chip, my phone has an app called "NFC Service," so i assume the chip is in the phone. Further, it seems unlikely TracFone orders enough of these phones that Samsung would modify its assembly line to remove a few NFC chips. Disabling the software seems more likely.