Og> BTW.. are there any comparable price+data schemes in the USA,
Og> or does this look like mobile in Canada still remains the
Og> highest priced?

We have Mint mobile over here which is similar - pay for GBs and its geared towards budget plans... but thats around the budget mobile $$$ I see here, too.

I wanna switch - I'm just scared that I use too much data and/or the service won't be as good as T-Mobile.

|07p|15AULIE|1142|07o
|08.........

Re: Re: luckymobile, anyone?
By: paulie420 to Ogg on Tue Apr 16 2024 05:47 pm

pa> I wanna switch - I'm just scared that I use too much data and/or the
pa> service won't be as good as T-Mobile.

I've heard a lot of people say T-Mobile service isn't very good.. And years ago, I knew someone who had T-Mobile, and she had a lot of dropped phone calls.

Currently I'm using Verizon's budget plan at $35/month (there's a tax that makes it $36.65/month). It starts out at $55/month and then goes down after a certain number of months as a loyalty discount. I think the service has been pretty good. I've had it for over 3 years now and I haven't gone over the data limit. I tend to use data more when I'm at home on my wifi though. Also, with Verizon, you have a SIM card, so you can use any compatible unlocked phone if you want to. I used to be with a budget carrier (Boost Mobile, and Virgin Mobile before Boost took over), and you were basically locked to their service with their phones, so I'm glad I can use basically any phone now.

Nightfox

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Re: Re: luckymobile, anyone?
By: Nightfox to paulie420 on Tue Apr 16 2024 06:47 pm

> I've heard a lot of people say T-Mobile service isn't very good.. And years
> ago, I knew someone who had T-Mobile, and she had a lot of dropped phone
> calls.

I've been using T-Mobile for about 10 years, AT&T before that. T-Mobile is at least as good as AT&T was, better Internationally, and the voice quality between T-Mobile users is pretty spectacular (uses special high-fidelity modes when making calls in-network).
--
digital man (rob)

Sling Blade quote #23:
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Hello paulie420!

p> I wanna switch - I'm just scared that I use too much data and/or the
p> service won't be as good as T-Mobile.

When I first learned about luckymobile.ca, I decided to try it
for a month. All I had to do was buy the SIM and register it
myself. If the service wasn't good enough (at home, far from
cell towers) I figured I could just drop it by not paying for
the 2nd month.

Well.. it turned out that the service was quite solid and the
signal was exellent. I don't remember the data tier that I
started with, the whole pricing structure and unlimited/
throttled data was much better than I had with Roger's and
their overrage charges. So.. the switch was easy to make.

Throttled data was still good enough for FTN, emails and most
simple www usage.

--- OpenXP 5.0.58
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Hello Nightfox!

N> ..I used to be with a budget carrier (Boost Mobile, and
N> Virgin Mobile before Boost took over), and you were
N> basically locked to their service with their phones, so I'm
N> glad I can use basically any phone now.

Didn't the FCC make it manadatory for all mobile devices to be
unlocked at some point? So.. technically, you should be able
to use any device today that *was* sold as locked and get that
company to you give you the unlock codes?

--- OpenXP 5.0.58
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-=> Digital Man wrote to Nightfox <=-

DM> I've been using T-Mobile for about 10 years, AT&T before that. T-Mobile
DM> is at least as good as AT&T was, better Internationally, and the voice
DM> quality between T-Mobile users is pretty spectacular (uses special
DM> high-fidelity modes when making calls in-network). --

Tmobile was great in the SF bay area, horrible out here on the coast.
AT&T and Verizon duke it out to see who's less worse, but I end up using
wi-fi calling at my house all the time because the 5g signal isn't
sufficient.

I do remember Tmobile call quality, I had a hundred or so lines through
them for my company back in the 2010s. Great quality, but dead spots on
my commute - I knew exactly where my calls would drop.

Tmobile was the first that I'd heard of to do wifi calling - I was in
Mexico in 2010 or so, and they'd just rolled out UMA, as they called it.
I hooked up the local wifi, got dial tone from Dallas/Fort Worth, and
made local calls to the US from there. Very cool.

.... Always the first steps
--- MultiMail/Win v0.52
� Synchronet � .: realitycheckbbs.org :: scientia potentia est :.

Re: luckymobile, anyone?
By: Ogg to Nightfox on Wed Apr 17 2024 07:29 am

N>> ..I used to be with a budget carrier (Boost Mobile, and Virgin Mobile
N>> before Boost took over), and you were basically locked to their service
N>> with their phones, so I'm glad I can use basically any phone now.

Og> Didn't the FCC make it manadatory for all mobile devices to be unlocked at
Og> some point? So.. technically, you should be able to use any device today
Og> that *was* sold as locked and get that company to you give you the unlock
Og> codes?

I hadn't heard about that.. But even then, a lot of the cell phones sold by those budget phone carriers don't even have a place for a SIM card. They're locked to the carrier and there's nothing you can really do about it, so even if there was a way to unlock those phones, I doubt it would really be useful if you can't put a different SIM card in it.

Nightfox

---
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Hello Nightfox!

Og>> Didn't the FCC make it manadatory for all mobile devices to be unlocked

N> I hadn't heard about that.. But even then, a lot of the cell phones sold
N> by those budget phone carriers don't even have a place for a SIM card.
N> They're locked to the carrier and there's nothing you can really do about
N> it, so even if there was a way to unlock those phones, I doubt it would
N> really be useful if you can't put a different SIM card in it.

Sorry, I hadn't heard of the mobile devices without SIM cards.

I have no experience with "throw away cellphones". Maybe those
are what you speak of?

I just know that early on, the devices were locked to the
seller. But there was always the ability to change the SIM.

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Re: luckymobile, anyone?
By: Ogg to Nightfox on Wed Apr 17 2024 07:14 pm

> Sorry, I hadn't heard of the mobile devices without SIM cards.

There's a new thing called "eSIM", maybe that's what they're referring to:
https://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/esim-explainer/
--
digital man (rob)

Breaking Bad quote #27:
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Hello Digital Man!

>> Sorry, I hadn't heard of the mobile devices without SIM cards.

DM> There's a new thing called "eSIM", maybe that's what they're referring
DM> to: https://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/esim-explainer/

Locked-devices with physical SIMs predate eSIM tech which
emerged in 2016.

However, "Different mobile telephones may not support an eSIM,
may have a permanently programmed, unchangeable one, or one
that can be reprogrammed for any carrier that supports the
technology." ..so, there does seem to be a case were there
are "unchageable" eSIMs.

Since Dec 2017, "The CRTC, Canada's wireless regulator, has
ruled that every cellphone sold in the country must be
unlocked, and carriers can no longer charge their customers to
unlock their current devices"

Something similar took place in USA.

So there is a narrow window when eSIM tech emerged 2016 and
when the unlocking was mandated, and where some devices have
the "unchangeable" eSIM variety.

But *all* mobile devices after 2017 have to be unlockable.

--- OpenXP 5.0.58
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� Synchronet � CAPCITY2 * capcity2.synchro.net * Telnet/SSH:2022/Rlogin/HTTP

> I just know that early on, the devices were locked to the
> seller. But there was always the ability to change the SIM.

My first mobile may have had a SIM in it somewhere but you would have had
to take it apart to find it. It didn't have a "SIM port" like the
otherwise closed Apple (and many Android) devices do today. My second
phone, a flip phone that I really liked, may have had a SIM in it also but
I don't remember seeing one in the small battery compartment.

I got the first phone c2000 and the flip phone sometime between then and
2014, when I got my first "smart" phone. It had a SIM card in the
battery compartment.

* SLMR 2.1a * May The Force be with you...
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-=> Ogg wrote to Nightfox <=-

Og> Didn't the FCC make it manadatory for all mobile devices to be
Og> unlocked at some point? So.. technically, you should be able
Og> to use any device today that *was* sold as locked and get that
Og> company to you give you the unlock codes?

I'm not sure what the law is, but my carrier requires that you have
service for 6 months before unlocking a phone. It seems only fair, they
discount the price of the phone with the expectation of getting the
discount back with service. Otherwise we'd all need to pay full price
all the time.

.... YORGAMAK HAS ARRIVED AND WILL INITIATE DESTRUCTIMATION.
--- MultiMail/Win v0.52
� Synchronet � .: realitycheckbbs.org :: scientia potentia est :.

-=> Ogg wrote to Nightfox <=-

Og> Sorry, I hadn't heard of the mobile devices without SIM cards.

They're called eSIM "cards", I'm assuming you just enter the SIM
information into the phone and it activates.

Og> I have no experience with "throw away cellphones". Maybe those
Og> are what you speak of?

Those are typically regular pre-paid cellular phones that you buy with
cash.

.... YORGAMAK HAS ARRIVED AND WILL INITIATE DESTRUCTIMATION.
--- MultiMail/Win v0.52
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Re: luckymobile, anyone?
By: Ogg to Nightfox on Wed Apr 17 2024 07:14 pm

Og> Sorry, I hadn't heard of the mobile devices without SIM cards.

Og> I have no experience with "throw away cellphones". Maybe those are what
Og> you speak of?

No. I had a couple of Samsung Galaxy phones with Virgin Mobile, and they didn't have SIM cards; they also had a custom ROM on them that showed a Virgin Mobile logo when you turned on the phone, etc..

Nightfox

---
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Re: luckymobile, anyone?
By: Digital Man to Ogg on Wed Apr 17 2024 10:55 pm

>> Sorry, I hadn't heard of the mobile devices without SIM cards.

DM> There's a new thing called "eSIM", maybe that's what they're referring to:
DM> https://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/esim-explainer/

I don't know if the phones I had were using eSIM. I had used Virgin Mobile off and on, but steadily between about 2011 to 2021. Most of the smartphones I had with Virgin Mobile didn't have a SIM card and were locked to Virgin Mobile - Maybe they were using eSIM, I'm not sure.

Nightfox

---
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Re: luckymobile, anyone?
By: Ogg to Digital Man on Thu Apr 18 2024 07:47 am

DM>> There's a new thing called "eSIM", maybe that's what they're referring
DM>> to: https://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/esim-explainer/

Og> Locked-devices with physical SIMs predate eSIM tech which emerged in 2016.

Og> However, "Different mobile telephones may not support an eSIM, may have a
Og> permanently programmed, unchangeable one, or one that can be reprogrammed
Og> for any carrier that supports the technology." ..so, there does seem to
Og> be a case were there are "unchageable" eSIMs.

Og> Since Dec 2017, "The CRTC, Canada's wireless regulator, has ruled that
Og> every cellphone sold in the country must be unlocked, and carriers can no
Og> longer charge their customers to unlock their current devices"

Og> Something similar took place in USA.

Og> So there is a narrow window when eSIM tech emerged 2016 and when the
Og> unlocking was mandated, and where some devices have the "unchangeable"
Og> eSIM variety.

I'd say less than 5-7 years ago, maybe a little longer, all sim card tech phones were GSM, att, etc.. and CDMA phones were mainly the locked phones, around here that was verizon, sprint, and some off their affiliates like virgin mobile, most all the ones that ran on CDMA were locked to their carriers, a lot of the GSMs could swap. afaik with 4-5g now all rolled out and 2 and 3g finally gone, I presume CDMA is now only used (maybe in radios?). but around here anyway, back in those days. verizon was king and none of their phones had sim card.
---
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Re: luckymobile, anyone?
By: Nightfox to Ogg on Thu Apr 18 2024 09:43 am

Og>> Sorry, I hadn't heard of the mobile devices without SIM cards.

Og>> I have no experience with "throw away cellphones". Maybe those are what
Og>> you speak of?

Ni> No. I had a couple of Samsung Galaxy phones with Virgin Mobile, and they
Ni> didn't have SIM cards; they also had a custom ROM on them that showed a
Ni> Virgin Mobile logo when you turned on the phone, etc..

Yep, when I was with virgin, they were under SPRINT, and they used CDMA technology, which worked better than any of the GSM carriers around here, so until LTE rolled out I stuck with Virgin, now I use Hello Mobile, which uses T-Mobile towers around here, and service is great, 25 dollars a month gives me all the data I have ever needed. But I alway though Virgin mobile was pretty crafty with what they offered. they always tried to offer "Edgy" phones that were not only budget friendly for younger people, but also pretty cool for what they were.
---
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Re: luckymobile, anyone?
By: kk4qbn to Nightfox on Thu Apr 18 2024 04:33 pm

kk> gives me all the data I have ever needed. But I alway though Virgin mobile
kk> was pretty crafty with what they offered. they always tried to offer
kk> "Edgy" phones that were not only budget friendly for younger people, but
kk> also pretty cool for what they were.

Yeah, I thought they offered cool phones. I don't know if Virgin Mobile exists anywhere else, but at least in my area, they were taken over by Boost Mobile. I had bought a Samsung Galaxy S20 phone right after Boost took over in 2020, and I noticed it was having problems staying connected to LTE/data - Often it would disconnect and re-connect. One day, I took it in to a Boost Mobile shop and asked the employee there if they could help. They ended up calling central company support.. That phone did have a SIM (though I heard the phone was still locked to Boost's network); they tried swapping the SIM but then it wouldn't connect. Eventually they swapped the original SIM back in, but the phone still wouldn't connect, and it basically became unusable, and the store employee said they were out of options and couldn't help more. I decided to sell that phone on eBay as-is (I mentioned what was going on), and I decided to buy an unlocked phone and went to Verizon to set up service with them. And someone did buy the Boost phone on eBay.

Nightfox

---
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Re: luckymobile, anyone?
By: Nightfox to kk4qbn on Thu Apr 18 2024 03:39 pm

Ni> Yeah, I thought they offered cool phones. I don't know if Virgin Mobile
Ni> exists anywhere else, but at least in my area, they were taken over by
Ni> Boost Mobile. I had bought a Samsung Galaxy S20 phone right after Boost
Ni> took over in 2020, and I noticed it was having problems staying connected
Ni> to LTE/data - Often it would disconnect and re-connect. One day, I took
Ni> it in to a Boost Mobile shop and asked the employee there if they could
Ni> help. They ended up calling central company support.. That phone did
Ni> have a SIM (though I heard the phone was still locked to Boost's network);
Ni> they tried swapping the SIM but then it wouldn't connect. Eventually they
Ni> swapped the original SIM back in, but the phone still wouldn't connect,
Ni> and it basically became unusable, and the store employee said they were
Ni> out of options and couldn't help more. I decided to sell that phone on
Ni> eBay as-is (I mentioned what was going on), and I decided to buy an
Ni> unlocked phone and went to Verizon to set up service with them. And

I've never been one who liked paying premium prices for a name. Yeah with some "premium" phones you do get better hardware, etc. I usually wait about 4 or 5 months until the "new" wears off a feature or service, and buy unlocked cheaper branded phones, never has steered me wrong and god forbid it gets stolen, dropped in a toilet, or ran over on I75 (all of this has happened to me) I'm not out too much money to replace it. :-)
---
Tim (kk4qbn)
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■ Synchronet ■ KK4QBN BBS - kk4qbn.synchro.net - Chatsworth, GA USA

Hello pF!

pF> I'm not sure what the law is, but my carrier requires that
pF> you have service for 6 months before unlocking a phone. It
pF> seems only fair, they discount the price of the phone with
pF> the expectation of getting the discount back with service.
pF> Otherwise we'd all need to pay full price all the time.

My point is that all mobile device must already be unlocked at
the time of sale. That is my understanding.

Perhaps the 6mo service requirement is just contractual only.
Should be nothing stopping you from inserting another SIM and
using that if you want and changing between them.

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Re: luckymobile, anyone?
By: Ogg to poindexter FORTRAN on Sat Apr 20 2024 08:26 am

> Hello pF!
>
> pF> I'm not sure what the law is, but my carrier requires that
> pF> you have service for 6 months before unlocking a phone. It
> pF> seems only fair, they discount the price of the phone with
> pF> the expectation of getting the discount back with service.
> pF> Otherwise we'd all need to pay full price all the time.
>
> My point is that all mobile device must already be unlocked at
> the time of sale. That is my understanding.
>
> Perhaps the 6mo service requirement is just contractual only.
> Should be nothing stopping you from inserting another SIM and
> using that if you want and changing between them.

i never heard of that but i guess it happened years ago. i know people who have locked phones right now. maybe the people CAN unlock their phones and don't know or what. not sure. they are happy with their carrier. i've always used unlocked phones and jumped around so not sure.

right now i'm on straighttalk and they want me to put a verizon sim in and i don't want to.
---
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Re: luckymobile, anyone?
By: Digital Man to Ogg on Wed Apr 17 2024 10:55 pm

> There's a new thing called "eSIM", maybe that's what they're referring to:
> https://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/esim-explainer/

eSIMs can, in theory, be reprogrammed. You could link your phone to a service provider and then switch to a different service provider, unless I am mistaken.
--
gopher://gopher.richardfalken.com/1/richardfalken

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Re: Re: luckymobile, anyone?
By: Nightfox to paulie420 on Tue Apr 16 2024 06:47 pm

> I've heard a lot of people say T-Mobile service isn't very good.. And years

It's all about where you live. In some places, TMo is the best. Here in
Phoenix, it's AT&T's testing grounds, so they are the best with absolutely zero
dead zones. VZW and TMo have them here and there, with TMo being the worst.

You should be able to put just about any carrier's sim card in another phone as
long as the phone is unlocked for that carrier, except for the supercheap
Tracfone ones.. and even with Tracfone, you can get a "bring your own device"
sim card for $1, transfer your service to that, then put it in any device.
It's actually a little tougher for VZW sims, or at least it used to be, because
they don't work in Chinese or other foreign GSM-only phones. It -may- be
different these days with everything being on LTE, but I'm pretty sure I still
see phones that say only work on AT&T and Tmo (ie: NOT Verizon).

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Re: luckymobile, anyone?
By: Nightfox to Ogg on Wed Apr 17 2024 11:57 am

> those budget phone carriers don't even have a place for a SIM card. They're

That's how it was when Sprint and CDMA was still around, but that's not the
case anymore. All three carriers (and most 1st world countries) now require
LTE, which either uses a physical sim or an eSim... and budget phones don't yet
support eSims.

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Re: luckymobile, anyone?
By: Nightfox to Ogg on Thu Apr 18 2024 09:43 am

> No. I had a couple of Samsung Galaxy phones with Virgin Mobile, and they

Yup, CDMA. That didn't use sims and was linked to the phone's ESN or electronic
serial number. Now the device's number is called the IMEI and the sim card's
number is the ICCID. Don't remember what those stand for off the top of my head
atm :).

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