Recommendations for Phone that Works with AT&T?

[oldtoyota]

Since T-mobile sucks, I have to get out of that and into something that works inside my house.

Anyone have a recommendation for a phone I can buy to use with AirVoice Wireless?

After this T-Mobile fiasco, I never want another mobile contract ever again. I am not usually an angry person, but this situation with T-Mobile has made me very angry.

By the time this is done, I will have spent about $1,000 to get out of T-Mobile.

[Daley]

Any carrier unlocked (including T-Mobile and global quad-band handsets) or AT&T carrier locked GSM handset will work with Airvoice. The biggest and most important criteria for a functional GSM telephone on either the AT&T or T-Mobile network in this country is that it can operate on the 850/1900 MHz bands, which is a pretty low entry bar as most phones outside the cheapest and most rudimentary feature phones are manufactured as global quad-band (US 850/1900 + rest of world 900/1800) or penta-band (US 850/1900 + T-Mo US 1700/2100 + rest of world 900). Both AT&T and T-Mobile in this country operate on the 850/1900 bands, but up until recently most of T-Mobile's high speed data service has been in the 1700/2100 MHz spectrum which is unique to T-Mobile, thus the difference and fragmentation.

Once you pay the ETF, the phones you already have are legally yours. If they were obtained from T-Mobile prior to January 2013 (a DMCA restriction that overrides physical ownership) and there's carrier unlocking services available through Ebay for your make and model, just pay to get the phones carrier unlocked and add it to the bill you file in small claims court. That'll save you the hassle of switching phones as you can just swap SIM cards once it comes time. If it passes the DMCA date restriction, you can pay to have them carrier unlocked right now before you even order your Airvoice SIM cards and start the number porting process.

If you'd rather buy something else (which I'd highly recommend against, e-waste, reselling hassles, make due with what you got, etc.) and just be shut of even the devices and you'd like a decent list of phones that'll work that you'd just like to pick from, I've got a reasonably decent and broad selection of devices hand-picked in my Amazon aStore (top-level only in the category)... you can just lift the ASIN if you find something you like but you don't want to kick a referral over to me.

[oldtoyota]

Any carrier unlocked (including T-Mobile and global quad-band handsets) or AT&T carrier locked GSM handset will work with Airvoice. The biggest and most important criteria for a functional GSM telephone on either the AT&T or T-Mobile network in this country is that it can operate on the 850/1900 MHz bands, which is a pretty low entry bar as most phones outside the cheapest and most rudimentary feature phones are manufactured as global quad-band (US 850/1900 + rest of world 900/1800) or penta-band (US 850/1900 + T-Mo US 1700/2100 + rest of world 900). Both AT&T and T-Mobile in this country operate on the 850/1900 bands, but up until recently most of T-Mobile's high speed data service has been in the 1700/2100 MHz spectrum which is unique to T-Mobile, thus the difference and fragmentation.

Once you pay the ETF, the phones you already have are legally yours. If they were obtained from T-Mobile prior to January 2013 (a DMCA restriction that overrides physical ownership) and there's carrier unlocking services available through Ebay for your make and model, just pay to get the phones carrier unlocked and add it to the bill you file in small claims court. That'll save you the hassle of switching phones as you can just swap SIM cards once it comes time. If it passes the DMCA date restriction, you can pay to have them carrier unlocked right now before you even order your Airvoice SIM cards and start the number porting process.

If you'd rather buy something else (which I'd highly recommend against, e-waste, reselling hassles, make due with what you got, etc.) and just be shut of even the devices and you'd like a decent list of phones that'll work that you'd just like to pick from, I've got a reasonably decent and broad selection of devices hand-picked in my Amazon aStore (top-level only in the category)... you can just lift the ASIN if you find something you like but you don't want to kick a referral over to me.

I'm cool with kicking a referral over to you. You have been an enormous help. Thank you.

I tried to get T-mobile to unlock my phone. They don't do it. Are you saying I can legally pay someone else to unlock my phone? If so, I am astonished. I knew nothing about that. We got the phones in late 2012, I think.

So, I'm confused. Does my phone "pass" the DMCA restriction or not. I am not understanding the para above where you talk about it...Are you saying I can pay someone to unlock my phones right now given that I purchased the phones in late 2012? Also, if I was paying for the phone in my monthly bill, does that even count as my having paid for the phone in 2012?

[Daley]

I'm cool with kicking a referral over to you. You have been an enormous help. Thank you.

I tried to get T-mobile to unlock my phone. They don't do it. Are you saying I can legally pay someone else to unlock my phone? If so, I am astonished. I knew nothing about that. We got the phones in late 2012, I think.

So, I'm confused. Does my phone "pass" the DMCA restriction or not. I am not understanding the para above where you talk about it...Are you saying I can pay someone to unlock my phones right now given that I purchased the phones in late 2012? Also, if I was paying for the phone in my monthly bill, does that even count as my having paid for the phone in 2012?

Yup. So long as the phone was technically obtained before January 26th, 2013, you can still legally carrier unlock your phone with a third-party unlock service if the service is available for the make/model of handset you have. Technically is was a long-standing exemption in the DMCA allowing people to carrier unlock without the originating carrier's permission up until recently. Now that they have the option to control device unlocking, suddenly we have all these changes to how T-Mobile and AT&T are offering services without "contracts" but on a loan repayment plan and with these infinite device upgrade plans that are touted as being "consumer friendly"... *rolls eyes*

It's crooked, but it emphasizes how important it is to just buy full price, unsubsidized, carrier unlocked up front now. If your phone is free of carrier restrictions, they can't monopolize your service needs on your device.

[oldtoyota]

I'm cool with kicking a referral over to you. You have been an enormous help. Thank you.

I tried to get T-mobile to unlock my phone. They don't do it. Are you saying I can legally pay someone else to unlock my phone? If so, I am astonished. I knew nothing about that. We got the phones in late 2012, I think.

So, I'm confused. Does my phone "pass" the DMCA restriction or not. I am not understanding the para above where you talk about it...Are you saying I can pay someone to unlock my phones right now given that I purchased the phones in late 2012? Also, if I was paying for the phone in my monthly bill, does that even count as my having paid for the phone in 2012?

Yup. So long as the phone was technically obtained before January 26th, 2013, you can still legally carrier unlock your phone with a third-party unlock service if the service is available for the make/model of handset you have. Technically is was a long-standing exemption in the DMCA allowing people to carrier unlock without the originating carrier's permission up until recently. Now that they have the option to control device unlocking, suddenly we have all these changes to how T-Mobile and AT&T are offering services without "contracts" but on a loan repayment plan and with these infinite device upgrade plans that are touted as being "consumer friendly"... *rolls eyes*

It's crooked, but it emphasizes how important it is to just buy full price, unsubsidized, carrier unlocked up front now. If your phone is free of carrier restrictions, they can't monopolize your service needs on your device.

Thank you. I read an article about this topic. The writer said that a phone free of restrictions (and paying up front) is the way to go. In the article, the Tmobile CMO was quoted as saying he agreed people should have unlocked phones (Tmobile hopes to get more customers this way). However, Tmobile has not been helpful in unlocking our phones for us.

SO reminded me that we have our "old" Galaxy phones. We've paid for these and so we could get them unlocked (if not already unlocked) and use them on Airvoice.

Is there a way I can check whether a phone is unlocked?

We're in a pickle because SO and I are about to take long car trips separately. SO will be gone about 2 weeks. I'd like to get this situation nailed down. The ideal would be this:

1. Set up old Galaxy phones on AirVoice (How can I check if they are already unlocked? Although I think they *shoudl* be unlocked, I bet Tmobile did not do it and would not do it voluntarily.)
2. Pay ETF for T-mobile account.
3. Ask T-mobile to unlock the newer phones.
4. Send letter about intent to sue.
5. File paperwork at courthouse.
6. Sell the newer S4 Galaxy phones on ebay.

It's so much freaking work to get out of this plan.

What do you think about the above?