Reply With QuoteYou can cut the sim card down. Buy the tool, or take it to a phone store.
But I wouldn't put an iPhone onto t-mo. Get a used Samsung, a Blaze or an Exhibit II (now called the Galaxy Exhibit). An Exhibit II should be $100 or less on craigslist.
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Phone Collector
I am considering buying a used iphone for my daughter and putting it on T-Mobile prepaid. If you have an iphone, what are your thoughts about using it on T-Mobile? Which version do you have? How have you dealt with the micro sim issue since it seems you can't buy one for prepaid?
Since she'll be on wifi most of the time on her college campus, I don't think data speed will be an issue. She is currently using an Optimus Slider on Virgin Mobile so she is used to dealing with data issues ;-). The cost of the phone on VM is prohibitive so I'm looking at the used market.
Any thoughts or suggestions would be greatly appreciated!
Why yes, that is a bag phone
You can cut the sim card down. Buy the tool, or take it to a phone store.
But I wouldn't put an iPhone onto t-mo. Get a used Samsung, a Blaze or an Exhibit II (now called the Galaxy Exhibit). An Exhibit II should be $100 or less on craigslist.
Phone Collector
I agree with you about the phones but I am not an 18 y.o. girl who is the only one of her friends who does not have an iphone. I am not sold on the idea yet - I want to see others experiences.Originally Posted by adam1991
I've climbed a cellphone tower
If your daughter is hung-up on the iPhone (and she undoubtedly is), probably best to find out first which company has decent service (i.e. coverage) on her chosen school's campus (or maybe you're thinking T-Mobile due to having a family plan?). As far as the iPhone goes, and say that, for instance, AT&T has good coverage at the school, lots of people have found good results with Straight Talk and one of their SIM-card-only deals (available for $15 for either the AT&T or T-Mobile network). There's a whole mess of threads about it in the Straight Talk forum. You would then have to use their $45 per month plan, which has an unpublished (but rumored) 2 GB data cap.
You could also, as Adam1991 suggested, simply get a T-Mobile SIM card altered for use in the 4S, and this is by now a fairly routine thing. Technology between the two companies (AT&T and T-Mobile) being what is is, the phone would be limited to Edge-level data speeds at best (as you seem to already be aware). There is now an effort by T-Mobile to change their network to have high-speed data (HSPA+) available on what used to be the older, slower, 2G part of their network (which would allow unlocked AT&T phones to operate at their higher speeds), but that is just starting nationwide and would be anybody's guess as to availability in a particular area.
But you could also stick with T-Mobile and get a good Android (or other) phone as well, and skip all the custom stuff.
Edit: @Willow16 --
Just saw your second post. Nothing like peer group pressure to make the world go 'round, isn't there?
My screen is bigger than yours
The iPhone does not have the necessary frequency to get broadband on TMO. She will be stuck on EDGE speed (read, SLOW) until TMO completes a network upgrade in your area. They stated it would come for "a large number of markets" by the end of the year, but haven't released specifics.
Phone Collector
I'm going with T-Mobile prepaid ($30 plan), not contract. ST is too expensive - right now she has the $25 grandfathered VM plan but since you now have to give up that plan if you get a new phone, I'm planning to move her to T-Mobile which will be $5 more but less than VM at $35/month. VM, to me, isn't worth the extra $10/month compared to the T-Mobile $30/month. I have the T-Mobile monthly plan and it's much better than VM. We went away to north eastern PA and the VM phones had no service at all and my T-Mobile phone had phone service (no data) even though the coverage map showed no service at all.
I do know that the data speeds will be edge but since most of her time will be spent at home or at college, she'll have wifi most of the time.
I would much rather get her an android and put her on T-Mobile with that but she is adamant that she wants an iphone. I could, of course, wait till Christmas and then just give her a new android. She wouldn't have much choice since she can't afford an iphone herself. :-)
Why yes, that is a bag phone
What a perfect opportunity to school her in life.
My kids are frequently adamant about what they want. Life is hard.
My screen is bigger than yours
iPhones aren't as over the top as they used to be. Getting a phone on this $30 plan is a good idea to school a kid on life because I am on it and just ran out of minutes and can't get more for a week until my paycheck comes. I have been broke and that is the way life is.
Sent from my xt862 using HowardForums
Mobile Pro
you need to get unlocked iphone and those are expensive
Why yes, that is a bag phone
What phone are you on?
FoxFi works on my Exhibit II; voice calling over the data connection. Works great.
Phone Collector
She has had a lot of life thrown in her face lately and I thought I would do something nice for her :-). I'm not willing to spend the money on the VM iphone and if I could find a decent used, unlocked iphone I might consider getting it for her.
Phone Collector
How about downloading Talkatone from the Play Store and using that for the next week?
Phone Collector
I currently have a factory unlocked iPhone 4 on T-Mobile prepaid $30 plan. And loving it. Bty u can go to a tmobile store and request for a micro sim. They gave me one. I bough a sim cutter for nothing :P
Phone Collector
Do you have mms with your iphone?
Phone Collector
I think I do. I did the ibackup trick and it looks like I can send. But I haven't actually tried with a friends phone to see if I can send and receive. But with 2g it takes a while to send. Hopefully by the end of the year a miracle will happen and the 3G symbol will pop up
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