Tracphone user ready to tech up

[SCHUMI_4EVER]

Well it has a GSM twin since it's also available here (or at least will be soon)... I guess that one omits the Droid in the name.

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[runawayprisoner]

Yeah, you're right. I didn't see that coming...

It's indeed named RAZR Maxx.

You know what else is funny? There was already another RAZR Maxx in the past.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motorola_RAZR#maxx

Looks to me like Motorola is running out of names.

[MrPink]

What is the difference between CDMA and GSM? I've read that Verizon's network is older, and that LTE is a 'natural' upgrade for GSM...but as we know, verizon has more LTE availability now than at&t.

Also it looks like the international thing might not matter as much, and I already have a family member on verizon so I'm thinking of going in on a shared plan. So I started off liking at&t, but now I'm wondering if verizon is the better option...thoughts?

[Phil]

GSM has more bands and is worldwide. It uses the sim card tech, making it vary easy to change phones (ideal for Europe where traversing country lines is common).

CDMA is only ion a few country's. It's ESN based, meaning the companies havbe far greater control of the phone network and service wise. CDMA also has far better intercity support in the Americas.

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[rui-no-onna]

Originally Posted by MrPink

What is the difference between CDMA and GSM? I've read that Verizon's network is older, and that LTE is a 'natural' upgrade for GSM...but as we know, verizon has more LTE availability now than at&t.

Also it looks like the international thing might not matter as much, and I already have a family member on verizon so I'm thinking of going in on a shared plan. So I started off liking at&t, but now I'm wondering if verizon is the better option...thoughts?

Check coverage in your area. That's really the most important thing.

Verizon has greater LTE coverage. They started with their LTE rollout way ahead of AT&T. I guess part of the reason for that is because Verizon 3G (EV-DO) is a lot slower than AT&T's 3G (now upgraded to fake 4G/HSPA in a lot of areas). Max you can get on EV-DO is 1Mbps. I normally get around 2~3Mbps on AT&T 3G and up to 7Mbps on HSPA.

The phones are actually less of an issue now for international travelers. Verizon offers a bunch of global phones (CDMA + GSM) and I think the GSM portion on those phones is already unlocked while you need to jump through hoops to get phones on AT&T unlocked.

Basically, if you've got Verizon LTE in your area, go with Verizon. If not, AT&T might give you better 3G speeds.

[runawayprisoner]

Originally Posted by MrPink

What is the difference between CDMA and GSM? I've read that Verizon's network is older, and that LTE is a 'natural' upgrade for GSM...but as we know, verizon has more LTE availability now than at&t.

Also it looks like the international thing might not matter as much, and I already have a family member on verizon so I'm thinking of going in on a shared plan. So I started off liking at&t, but now I'm wondering if verizon is the better option...thoughts?

GSM uses SIM card to identify the device (along with the device's unique id). CDMA needs just the device's unique id (ESN in this case), so on CDMA, you activate service on a per device basis, whereas on AT&T, you activate service on a per SIM basis. With GSM, you swap the SIM card to another device. With CDMA, you have to deactivate your current device before you can activate another one.

LTE is indeed a natural evolution of GSM. It uses about the same tech as GSM. In essence, both activate service on a per SIM card basis rather than a per device basis.

Here's something else you need to know: if you are on CDMA, you can't talk and use data at the same time (by the way, that's only in areas where LTE is not supported, or with phones that don't support LTE). Not a huge issue for most people, but you won't be able to keep talking on the phone while looking up a map or something of the sort.

As far as options on Verizon go, you can either get the iPhone 4S and request for it to be unlocked for international use later on (iPhone 4S is a world phone, so it has both GSM and CDMA radios inside), or you can go with one of the Droid offerings, but depending on which one it is, you may not be able to unlock it later to use on another network or for international use. For versatility and stability, I would go iPhone. But if you value customizations and personalizations more, and you don't mind spending some pretty good amount of time to do it, then go with Droid.

[MrPink]

I see, so then what's keeping at&t from rolling out LTE faster than verizon?

As far as my phone selection goes, I may wait to see what the new iPhone is offering and go with at&t, since I know at&t has service in Montana. I really like the 4S, but I'd feel a little late to the party getting one now.

[Silenus]

Iphone 5 will be in september likely, will have to wait a couple of months for that.

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[n_w95482]

Originally Posted by MrPink

I see, so then what's keeping at&t from rolling out LTE faster than verizon?

As far as my phone selection goes, I may wait to see what the new iPhone is offering and go with at&t, since I know at&t has service in Montana. I really like the 4S, but I'd feel a little late to the party getting one now.

It's probably the difference in performance between EVDO and LTE, vs HSPA/HSPA+ and LTE with AT&T. My phone is a regular HSPA phone, meaning 7.2 Mbps down theoretically. I can easily hit 4 Mbps at off-peak times, sometimes closer to 6. HSPA+ goes even higher, and a lot of the tower equipment can be upgraded via software/firmware updates. As was said earlier, EVDO tops out at around 1 Mbps, and can't handle simultaneous voice/data traffic.

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[runawayprisoner]

Originally Posted by MrPink

I see, so then what's keeping at&t from rolling out LTE faster than verizon?

As far as my phone selection goes, I may wait to see what the new iPhone is offering and go with at&t, since I know at&t has service in Montana. I really like the 4S, but I'd feel a little late to the party getting one now.

Verizon got a good headstart.

Regardless, LTE uses a different tech than GSM (even though both are similar) so AT&T has to revamp their network anyhow. That's going to be costly, and I don't doubt AT&T is rolling it out slowly because there isn't a lot of GSM + LTE phones yet.

The iPhone 5 may just tip the scale if it's a CDMA + GSM + LTE device like the iPad 3.

But even without all of that mumble jumble, I'd say... 3G (HSPA+) should be enough for phone use. I mean... you'll be limited to about 2GB anyway, and I can't fathom anyone actually using more than 2GB on a... phone. Perhaps if they were to tether to their computers, but tether plans cost an arm and a leg. In which case, I think 4G LTE is more of a bragging right than an actual advantage... unless you absolutely must be able to refresh Twitter faster than the next guy over.

[rui-no-onna]

Originally Posted by runawayprisoner

But even without all of that mumble jumble, I'd say... 3G (HSPA+) should be enough for phone use. I mean... you'll be limited to about 2GB anyway, and I can't fathom anyone actually using more than 2GB on a... phone. Perhaps if they were to tether to their computers, but tether plans cost an arm and a leg. In which case, I think 4G LTE is more of a bragging right than an actual advantage...

I agree. Really, really small monthly usage caps make LTE pretty useless. All this means is it's possible to go through your measly 2GB monthly allocation much quicker. Even 3G/HSPA is fast enough to handle streaming Netflix 720p (assuming the tower you're connected to isn't congested).

Where LTE would be really useful is in developing nations without existing wired infrastructure.

Originally Posted by runawayprisoner

unless you absolutely must be able to refresh Twitter faster than the next guy over.

Sure... by all of 0.5 seconds.

[runawayprisoner]

It's actually more than that if your 3G device is on a congested tower, which is most often the case nowadays.

Since LTE is pretty vacant now, you can expect great speed and throughput when you are in range. Expect that to change as more devices with LTE modems appear on the market.

The good news is, though, that eventually, both AT&T and Verizon will compete in LTE, and CDMA/GSM battles of the old will forever go away. That's only good for consumers, because it means phones will be built that will support all LTE carriers worldwide (Verizon and AT&T use different LTE bands).

[Phil]

I love unlimited contracts

I get 20Mbps down, with unlimited downloads

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[MrPink]

Who's that with Phil? Not many offer unlimited nowadays, Sprint being the only one I know of.

Also I bought the 4S with at&t, so that's the end of it. I know the technology game, where the next best thing is always a few weeks or months away, but I decided I didn't want to wait that long. As a matter of fact I'm using the tethering right now to write this reply

rap can you make any recommendations for cool stuff I can/should do with it? Right now I'm happy to just have internet in my dorm, but eventually normal internet will be standard and the hotspot will go away, then I'll have to start doing other things to keep my thoughts away from that bill.

[runawayprisoner]

Well, jailbreak it if you're still on 5.0.1. That's probably the best thing you can do to that phone.

If you can't jailbreak it, hit the App Store and start browsing.

Here's a cool website that keeps track of some updates and pricing: http://www.appshopper.com
App Store has promotions and price drops almost every day. I'm sure you can find much worse ways to spend $0.99 on some of the quality apps.

And here's a website that's dedicated entirely to hypnotizing you into believing gaming on a touchscreen works:
http://www.toucharcade.com

No, but seriously. Capcom just released Marvel vs Capcom 2 on iOS like... yesterday. The game is wicked hard to control, but once you get the hang of it, it ain't too bad.

That aside, if you want something that's seriously good bang for your bucks, try Wiki Offline. It costs some pretty good bucks, but it'll allow you to store the WHOLE Wikipedia database of articles in your phone.

That's something I'd easily pay $100 or more for a collection of heavy books that I could display in my room. Seriously.

And if you still have some bucks to spare, I'd say... check out Modizer. It's an audio player app that allows you to play back a lot of emulated music formats. Including PSF2. And trust me, it's a lot better than Winamp at that task.

[rui-no-onna]

Originally Posted by runawayprisoner

That aside, if you want something that's seriously good bang for your bucks, try Wiki Offline. It costs some pretty good bucks, but it'll allow you to store the WHOLE Wikipedia database of articles in your phone.

I'm curious, how big is that?

[runawayprisoner]

3GB or so. Surprisingly not so large.

If you have a network connection on, it'll automatically connect you to the real Wiki network and download updates + changes to articles you visit.

[ElijahTW]

Originally Posted by Silenus

If you are going to be in USA Sprint has unlimited data plans, I think.

Sprint only gives you 5GB with tethering - and you have to spend an extra $30 a month. You might be able to get away with some unauthorized tethering apps and use far more than 5GB, but it's against the ToS and you'd only get away with it so long.

Not to mention, Sprint's network is really pretty poor. You can roam onto the verizon network but at that point you're getting EDGE type speeds.

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