Trying to get a better understanding of ST plans, whether it's right for me...

**chgoeditor** · 08-05-2012, 05:34 PM

I was all set to switch from AT&T postpaid to a GoPhone plan and ran into some snags. Specifically, I want to use data with an HSPA+ phone (and probably a 4G phone down the road). It seems as if that's impossible on GoPhone, so I'm wondering if StraightTalk is the right service for me.

Quick background...

I've been a long-time AT&T postpaid customer & am generally happy with the service with two exceptions:
1. Price
2. I want a new smartphone more frequently than every 2 years.

My monthly usage averages:
150 minutes
200 texts
.75 GB of data

I live in Chicago and use the phone a lot in St. Louis, Northern Michigan and central New Jersey.

I'm paying about $75 a month on the postpaid plan. Contract just expired.

I've ordered, but haven't yet received, the Galaxy Nexus, which is an HSPA+ phone.

By my estimates, I'm currently paying about $1130 for the first year of service with AT&T (assuming I buy a $200 discounted phone) and about $2400 after two years (assuming I buy one $200 discounted phone and one $375 undiscounted phone). In comparison, StraightTalk will cost me about $915 after year one (with the Galaxy Nexus, excluding plan taxes) and $1830 after two years (with Galaxy Nexus + another $375 phone).

Questions:
1. The StraightTalk coverage map (http://www.straighttalk.com/Coverage) confuses me. So if I'm using an Android phone with StraightTalk and I am in an area labeled in *white* ("non-service activation area) on the "StraightTalk Android" coverage map, what happens? No coverage all? Roaming? Lower speeds? No data?
2. I've gotten conflicting answers re. taxes & fees. Will I pay taxes & fees? I've seen some charts that indicate Chicago residents (which I am) pay a 7% tax on cell phone service. Is the tax tied to my billing address or my phone number? (In other words, if it's a Chicago phone number with a non-Chicago billing address, how is tax computed?)
3. Which SIM card would I purchase for a Galaxy Nexus? http://www.straighttalk.com/ShopSims shows 4 choices, but I could presumably choose any of the last 3 (AT&T compatible, T-Mobile compatible, GSM compatible). Does my choice affect my coverage or speeds?

(Galaxy Nexus specs here: https://play.google.com/store/device...axy_nexus_hspa)

Thanks for your help!

**alphamale-b** · 08-05-2012, 05:46 PM

i will answer part. coverage map is confusing. andriod with ST ATT is same as you use now. i guessing you looked at the map that shows sprint. first android phones were sprint. ST is lazy and have not updated that map. you can roam.

**chgoeditor** · 08-05-2012, 05:54 PM

Oh, that's a game changer! Out of curiosity, do you know if ST offers the same coverage as "regular" (post-paid) AT&T or the GoPhone coverage? Does it max out at 3G, HSPA+ or 4G?

Edited to add: Two more questions.
1. If I'm porting a number over to ST, do I order the SIM card first & then port?
2. Can I buy a SIM card at a Walmart Express store?

**alphamale-b** · 08-05-2012, 06:02 PM

hspa+. they buy the bandwith and tower time. simple. they are big
scary brown skinned business people with lots of money. att is a stockholder. they also are scary + greedy.

**whacker** · 08-05-2012, 06:30 PM

For what I know, your usage will be quite over-served with the available plan ($45) on Straight Talk, using the AT&T SIM (which is to say, quite adequately).

No LTE service currently.

Word is that the coverage is same as AT&T postpaid plus incidental roaming on T-Mobile and other GSM carriers where agreements exist.

The porting issue I can't comment on; no experience.

And I'm also a little shaky on sourcing the SIM, but I think it's only available online from either Walmart or Straight Talk; in other words, not from any brick & mortar store.

Most of these particulars are discussed all over in this Straight Talk sub-forum. A little search action will uncover the answers.

**silentjudge** · 08-05-2012, 06:40 PM

Originally Posted by chgoeditor

Oh, that's a game changer! Out of curiosity, do you know if ST offers the same coverage as "regular" (post-paid) AT&T or the GoPhone coverage? Does it max out at 3G, HSPA+ or 4G?

Edited to add: Two more questions.
1. If I'm porting a number over to ST, do I order the SIM card first & then port?
2. Can I buy a SIM card at a Walmart Express store?

1. Order the SIM card first from StraightTalk's web site and then when you get the SIM and want to start your service, on the http://www.straighttalk.com/activate page, select "Activate my Straight Talk phone with a number transferred from another company."

2. No

Straight Talk BYOD AT&T SIM has the same coverage as AT&T Postpaid. Tracfone has agreements with most of the GSM providers in the USA. The only caveat is that when roaming, data may or may not work. With AT&T contract, your most likely going to get data while roaming. Compared to GoPhone, the coverage is much better and it maxes out at 4G HSPA+ (no 4G LTE). From my own experiences, GoPhone is throttled to slower speeds than ST BYOD AT&T SIM.

Heres a coverage map Straight Talk posted on their web site for a brief while several months ago:
http://www.howardforums.com/attachme...3&d=1317514556
They most likely removed it to prevent confusion. Look at GSM-A for ST AT&T SIM coverage.
(GSM-T is ST T-Mobile SIM, CDMA-V is ST Verizon, CDMA-S is ST Sprint)

**alphamale-b** · 08-05-2012, 06:58 PM

i had someone tell me there was 200-250 walmart stores testing selling the sims.

**maestroteague** · 08-05-2012, 07:53 PM

As already stated, your usage should be no problem at all on ST. The nexus is a great phone. I just got one two weeks ago, and am enjoying it very much. My only complaint is that I wish the speaker were louder. Yu'll want to get the regular AT&T sim unless you are wanting to go with tmobile, which is an option with the Nexus. When you get redy to set it up on ST, search for a thread by Chazmatt regarding the nexus on ST. There is one line of the APN that you have to setup that will likely be blank by default when you add a new APN - it is the APN type, and you must specify the APN type. It's covered well by his thread. Most of your questions have been adequately answered except for the question about taxes. With prepaid, you will not normally pay any of the extra taxes that postpaid customers pay. With some prepay companies, you don't even pay sales tax, depending on the state, and you can avoid paying those sales taxes by buying at an online retailer. However, since the only places that you can buy ST refill cards in in store at Walmart, at Walmart.com, and at ST's website, you can't avoid those taxes by going to callingmart.com or similar web reseller. Now taxes ARE handled state by state. I don't know what they are in Chicago. Some folks have avoided sales tax on their refill cards by ordering from Walmart.com and addition an additional shipping address from a state that does not have sales tax on prepaid cards, such as California or Oregon. Nothing is actually shipped, but rather the code is emailed to you. They may call you the first time you order to confirm that you did in fact place the order, since you have billing and shipping addresses in different states. But subsequent orders will not require the phone call.

From what you've said so far, you sound like a perfect fit or ST. If you have more questions, come back here. HOFO is a very helpful forum.

**maestroteague** · 08-05-2012, 08:01 PM

Originally Posted by alphamale-b

i had someone tell me there was 200-250 walmart stores testing selling the sims.

I would be interested to know if this is so. They would definitely have to give the people selling them more training, or they'll end up losing money and getting bad press from all the people who get bad advice with the wrong sim, etc. You'd have to buy a new sim after they sold you the wrong one. But it would definitely be more convenient to be able to get them locally, even if they weren't at every single Walmart. One or two in each major city would be nice, and it would be easier to train staff that way to be knowledgable with only select stores carrying them.

**curdean** · 08-05-2012, 10:04 PM

I was looking on ST's mobile website, and it stated that sims could be purchased from walmart, but I have not seen any for sale around where I live.

**chgoeditor** · 08-05-2012, 10:11 PM

Thanks for all of the help! Just ordered a ST SIM from the website.

**mrbrown2195** · 08-05-2012, 11:03 PM

Originally Posted by chgoeditor

2. Can I buy a SIM card at a Walmart Express store?

I wanted to put this out there - I saw a ST representative on their facebook page state that they will be offering a "SIM card 3-pack" starting August 16th in Walmart stores. The 3-pack will contain a micro SIM, a normal sized AT&T SIM, and a T-Mobile SIM.

I don't know if its a nationwide rollout, though.

**october262** · 08-05-2012, 11:06 PM

Originally Posted by curdean

I was looking on ST's mobile website, and it stated that sims could be purchased from walmart, but I have not seen any for sale around where I live.

where on straight talks website does it say that the sims could be purchased from walmart??
the only place to get the straight talk sim card is straight talks website.
the only thing you can buy from walmart are the straight talk phones and the refill cards.

**xeres** · 08-06-2012, 12:13 AM

I wanted to put this out there - I saw a ST representative on their facebook page state that they will be offering a "SIM card 3-pack" starting August 16th in Walmart stores. The 3-pack will contain a micro SIM, a normal sized AT&T SIM, and a T-Mobile SIM.

I don't know if its a nationwide rollout, though.
--------------------------------------------

Does this mean you can change SIMs on the fly?? Or <more logically> make your choice and live with it? What about a micro-SIM -- doesn't matter which network you choose? <I've been a bit out of the mobile loop>

It breaks my heart, but I'll probably be giving up T-zones as there is only 2G here in NW California. Grrr.

**mrbrown2195** · 08-06-2012, 11:24 PM

Originally Posted by xeres

I wanted to put this out there - I saw a ST representative on their facebook page state that they will be offering a "SIM card 3-pack" starting August 16th in Walmart stores. The 3-pack will contain a micro SIM, a normal sized AT&T SIM, and a T-Mobile SIM.

I don't know if its a nationwide rollout, though.
--------------------------------------------

Does this mean you can change SIMs on the fly?? Or <more logically> make your choice and live with it? What about a micro-SIM -- doesn't matter which network you choose? <I've been a bit out of the mobile loop>

It breaks my heart, but I'll probably be giving up T-zones as there is only 2G here in NW California. Grrr.

Well, I think the point is to make the program accessible to two of the four major network's customers.

And they only offer the micro SIM for AT&T, as far as I know.