Mountain Mama
N. TX
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Joined: 03/28/2008
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1775 wrote:Transferring your contact info will either have to be done manually entering each one again, or finding a mutual software or website that they both sync contact lists with. Many sync through Outlook and some sync through Google.
As to your question about whether your daughter will spend for minutes to call you on a Straight Talk phone - the answer is yes. While the phone may be on a GSM or a CDMA system, your carrier is not AT&T and it is not Verizon. It is Straight Talk which (yes, you are correct) is a division of Tracfone. The special phone to phone, friends and family, pick five offers apply within the carrier's network only - and not for companies that contract with that carrier to provide their service. In fact, you would not get this even if you went to AT&t for a no contract phone - it is all by the minute on a no contract phone. You are OK if you have unlimited minutes, but if someone calls you who does not have an unlimited minute phone, they are paying for the call.
The Verizon CDMA system is the largest coverage system at the moment in the US. Their coverage is more extensive than the AT&T GSM system (there are a lot of holes on the AT&T map that are covered on the Verizon map). If you are going to get an Android phone (or any smartphone) from Straight Talk you are not on either the AT&T system or the Verizon system - you will be on Sprint's CDMA system which has the least coverage area in the country. Most third-party carriers contract with Sprint for smartphone service for both voice and data. And with Straight Talk or any of the others there is no roaming off of the Sprint network of coverage if you have a phone on that system. For the most extensive voice coverage that you can get, go with a phone on the Verizon map.
Thank you for answering my questions!
2003 Holiday Rambler Alumascape 34RLT
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brobox
Sunny SW. Florida
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Joined: 11/18/2003
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1775 was mostly right on.
I switched from AT&T that I had been with since they went into the wireless business when they bought Cingular. My phone was a GSM phone with 240 contacts.
I left AT&T as I found the more we traveled the worse the coverage was. My home area starting getting more dead spots than ever before. Calls to AT&T were answered with "we are working on it". After months of the same answer I switched to Verizon.
The switch was painless. I bought our phones at Costco where the agent took my old GSM phone and transferred all of my contacts to my new CDMA smartphone with their computer. As for "free mobile to mobile" after asking my long distance friends...I found most of them had switch a long time ago to Verizon. I had been calling them on my AT&T phone all of these years thinking it was free when actually I never went over my minutes, so I didn't know they had switched.
I couldn't be happier with the switch to Verizon and I can now drop my $60. a month aircard when we travel as the smartphone does that for the $30. a month data package.
Any "pay as you go" cell phones are going to be cheaper, but along with that comes your limitations.
Chuck
02 Travel Supreme, 2 street side slides
09 Toyota Tacoma 2WD
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MilesCamp
Shelton, WA
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Joined: 06/24/2009
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Mountain Mama wrote:
"Please be informed that Straight Talk uses CDMA phones or phones without SIM cards which are powered by Verizon. However, we have two new released GSM phones or phones with SIM cards on it which are supported by T-Mobile and AT&T. A Straight Talk phone will work only in areas where it has a Verizon, T-Mobile and AT&T tower or carrier supporting the service. Straight Talk supports nationwide coverage. In addition, we are still working and improving our products and services. Thank you for bringing this information to our attention." This is a quote from STRAIGHT TALK.
I'm confused - which carrier does STRAIT TALK use? 1776 said "If you are going to get an Android phone (or any smartphone) from Straight Talk you are not on either the AT&T system or the Verizon system - you will be on Sprint's CDMA system"
At home only Verizon works and I found on the road Verizon worked almost everywhere. I must have Verizon so this is critical for me. I have been thinking seriously of going to STRAIGHT TALK but only if their carrier is Verizon.
Cheers,
Miles & Cris USN (Ret)
'01 Dodge Ram 3500 QC Cummins 24V Turbo Diesel Dually
'98 Komfort 31FS Triple Slide
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1492
No. Virginia
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Joined: 04/08/2005
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MilesCamp wrote:
This is a quote from STRAIGHT TALK.
I'm confused - which carrier does STRAIT TALK use? 1776 said "If you are going to get an Android phone (or any smartphone) from Straight Talk you are not on either the AT&T system or the Verizon system - you will be on Sprint's CDMA system"
At home only Verizon works and I found on the road Verizon worked almost everywhere. I must have Verizon so this is critical for me. I have been thinking seriously of going to STRAIGHT TALK but only if their carrier is Verizon.
Cheers,
That is confusing. I believe what Straight Talk was trying to say was that if you buy an Android smartphone directly from them, it will be a CDMA phone on the Sprint Network. However, you also have the option of bringing your own AT&T smartphone, either an Android or iPhone, buying their Straight Talk SIM card, then it would have to be on AT&T's GSM network. Sprint does not support GSM.
The only way to get Verizon's Network on Straight Talk, is to buy a regular CDMA dumb phone from them.
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Bucky Badger
Madison, WI
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Joined: 11/05/2007
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1492 wrote:MilesCamp wrote:
This is a quote from STRAIGHT TALK.
I'm confused - which carrier does STRAIT TALK use? 1776 said "If you are going to get an Android phone (or any smartphone) from Straight Talk you are not on either the AT&T system or the Verizon system - you will be on Sprint's CDMA system"
At home only Verizon works and I found on the road Verizon worked almost everywhere. I must have Verizon so this is critical for me. I have been thinking seriously of going to STRAIGHT TALK but only if their carrier is Verizon.
Cheers,
That is confusing. I believe what Straight Talk was trying to say was that if you buy an Android smartphone directly from them, it will be a CDMA phone on the Sprint Network. However, you also have the option of bringing your own AT&T smartphone, either an Android or iPhone, buying their Straight Talk SIM card, then it would have to be on AT&T's GSM network. Sprint does not support GSM.
The only way to get Verizon's Network on Straight Talk, is to buy a regular CDMA dumb phone from them.
This is correct!!
I am using the sim in a Moto Atrix2 and love it on GSM
Fred & Jodie, dogs, Zoey & Mika
RIP Bella
2010 F150 5.4, 3.55, 4x4, Equli-z-er Hitch
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and
2009 Nomad 3980
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Mountain Mama
N. TX
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Joined: 03/28/2008
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Bucky Badger wrote:1492 wrote:MilesCamp wrote:
This is a quote from STRAIGHT TALK.
I'm confused - which carrier does STRAIT TALK use? 1776 said "If you are going to get an Android phone (or any smartphone) from Straight Talk you are not on either the AT&T system or the Verizon system - you will be on Sprint's CDMA system"
At home only Verizon works and I found on the road Verizon worked almost everywhere. I must have Verizon so this is critical for me. I have been thinking seriously of going to STRAIGHT TALK but only if their carrier is Verizon.
Cheers,
That is confusing. I believe what Straight Talk was trying to say was that if you buy an Android smartphone directly from them, it will be a CDMA phone on the Sprint Network. However, you also have the option of bringing your own AT&T smartphone, either an Android or iPhone, buying their Straight Talk SIM card, then it would have to be on AT&T's GSM network. Sprint does not support GSM.
The only way to get Verizon's Network on Straight Talk, is to buy a regular CDMA dumb phone from them.
This is correct!!
I am using the sim in a Moto Atrix2 and love it on GSM
How do you get one of their SIM cards? Do they come with the "time" purchase or the phone?
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1492
No. Virginia
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Joined: 04/08/2005
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If you bring your own AT&T/T-Mobile/Unlocked GSM smartphone, then just get a SIM card here.
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MilesCamp
Shelton, WA
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Joined: 06/24/2009
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1492 wrote:The only way to get Verizon's Network on Straight Talk, is to buy a regular CDMA dumb phone from them.
I live in a hole that only Verizon works. I don't know what a CDMA phone is.
If I understand correctly to get on the Verizon network with Straight Talk I would have to get a phone (CDMA) from Verizon and then subscribe to Straight Talk?
Cheers,
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Bucky Badger
Madison, WI
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Joined: 11/05/2007
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MilesCamp wrote:1492 wrote:The only way to get Verizon's Network on Straight Talk, is to buy a regular CDMA dumb phone from them.
I live in a hole that only Verizon works. I don't know what a CDMA phone is.
If I understand correctly to get on the Verizon network with Straight Talk I would have to get a phone (CDMA) from Verizon and then subscribe to Straight Talk?
Cheers,
No you buy a ST CDMA phone from the ST website or walmart. ST has free refurbished phones on their site many times
Phones with a C at the end are CDMA
http://www.straighttalk.com/Phones
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Bucky Badger
Madison, WI
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Joined: 11/05/2007
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1492 wrote:If you bring your own AT&T/T-Mobile/Unlocked GSM smartphone, then just get a SIM card here.
right. You can only get a sim from ST site or...or what I did was a sim swap from my Nokia E-71 since it was an unlocked sim. This was before sims were sold seperatly. You just have to be sure you don't go data hog wild
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