dslreports logo
 
    All Forums Hot Topics Gallery
spc
Search similar:


uniqs
8721
Madtown
Premium Member
join:2008-04-26
93637-2905

Madtown

Premium Member

[AT&T] Cricket Wireless questions.

I have Cricket and I have an iPhone 4, and I was wondering if I would have to pay full price for a new phone next year when they go from CDMA to GSM? What is the trade in deal about and how would it affect me?

After the complete transition to GSM, will Cricket have 4G in more areas?

How is the signal with GSM as oppose to CDMA? Weaker? Stronger? Certain type of buildings? Caves, etc.


AioUser
@168.244.164.x

AioUser

Anon

I recently switched from Verizon Wireless to Aio Wireless after I did some research on the AT&T/Cricket Wireless merger. I've been with Cricket in the past too.

To answer your question, Aio Wireless (or New Cricket - GSM Cricket) offers the same coverage and network quality as AT&T post paid. The only difference is the terms. The main difference is 4G/LTE speeds are capped at about 8mbps with Aio Wireless, this has been tested and confirmed to be accurate.

Personally, coverage is comparable to Verizon Wireless and obviously AT&T and the speed exceeds offerings from Sprint and T-Mobile (even at best).

From my personal experience, GSM has never really been great indoors and there is a lot of signal strength fluctuation, even if you aren't moving. I've been with almost every carrier large and small on the block in the last 8 years or so. Although, I've witnessed signal bars climb to 4 bars and drop to 1, it hasn't been a problem for me with Aio Wireless.

I don't think an iPhone 4 will be worth much come the next iteration of the iPhone, to be completely honest. Probably around $150.

I would recommend buying an unlocked iPhone, which is now supported with Aio Wireless and Cricket Wireless. Those send to have a hire value upon selling or trade in.

toby
Troy Mcclure
join:2001-11-13
Seattle, WA

toby to Madtown

Member

to Madtown
AIO (new Cricket) has the same coverage as AT&T, but no roaming on other carriers.

GSM vs CDMA indoors? No difference, based on the technology alone.
AT&T voice signal is mostly on the 850Mhz frequency, which gives really good indoor coverage. A lot of Cricket's spectrum was 1700/2100 Mhz.

»gigaom.com/2013/07/15/a- ··· -merger/

If you want to move to AIO, they offer the Moto G phone which is good, way cheaper than any iPhone.
Madtown
Premium Member
join:2008-04-26
93637-2905

Madtown

Premium Member

What would happen if I keep my iPhone 4 til Cricket switches to GSM?

ilikeme
Premium Member
join:2002-08-27
Stafford, TX

ilikeme

Premium Member

Eventually they will kick you off CDMA and you will have to get a GSM/LTE device.
Madtown
Premium Member
join:2008-04-26
93637-2905

Madtown

Premium Member

said by ilikeme:

Eventually they will kick you off CDMA and you will have to get a GSM/LTE device.

Would they let me trade it in for an iPhone 5c for free or would I have to pay full price?

ilikeme
Premium Member
join:2002-08-27
Stafford, TX

1 recommendation

ilikeme

Premium Member

You would have to ask them that.

cableties
Premium Member
join:2005-01-27

cableties to Madtown

Premium Member

to Madtown
I had Verizon and then switched to ATT. The signal was so much better for GSM where I live (found out there was an ATT micro cell down the street). Very happy with signal over my Verizon phone.

Then I read about AIO... being on ATT's network and subsid of ATT. Switched and saved $30/month over previous plan.

This weekend, I noticed that my phone now says Cricket instead of AIO and iOS app Cricket update to replace the AIO.

No change in network/reception though I recommend powering off/on phone after the update.

jchambers28
Premium Member
join:2007-05-12
Peculiar, MO
·Comcast XFINITY

jchambers28 to Madtown

Premium Member

to Madtown
I am on the fence if I should switch from straight talk. The only bad thing I see about cricket is a LTE data speed cap. People on HSPA+ devices are getting screwed really bad on data speeds. I can hit 50 MB on straight talk. Dont know how bad 8MB will be.

gigahurtz
Premium Member
join:2001-10-20
USA

1 recommendation

gigahurtz

Premium Member

What do you do with your phone that you need more than 8 Mbps?
Madtown
Premium Member
join:2008-04-26
93637-2905

Madtown

Premium Member

»www.cricketwireless.com/

jchambers28
Premium Member
join:2007-05-12
Peculiar, MO

jchambers28 to gigahurtz

Premium Member

to gigahurtz
download video from you tube. Does cricket still allow tethering they used to have a tethering plan.

gigahurtz
Premium Member
join:2001-10-20
USA

gigahurtz

Premium Member

Streaming video from YouTube will work fine with 8 Mbps. Those speeds you were getting from StraightTalk are likely bursts and not true speeds anyway.
Madtown
Premium Member
join:2008-04-26
93637-2905

Madtown

Premium Member

»www.cricketwireless.com/ ··· ure.html

Is this a good phone to buy?

If I buy a 32GB SD card for it, will all apps be able to be transferred over to the SD card?

rchandra
Stargate Universe fan
Premium Member
join:2000-11-09
14225-2105

rchandra to Madtown

Premium Member

to Madtown
One suggestion (and I haven't looked, as there are other factors like condition): Gazelle. They pay money for old mobile hardware, iPhones, BlackBerrys, and various and sundry other units. Might not be much, but could be better than nothing.

toby
Troy Mcclure
join:2001-11-13
Seattle, WA

toby to Madtown

Member

to Madtown
said by Madtown:

»www.cricketwireless.com/ ··· ure.html

Is this a good phone to buy?

If I buy a 32GB SD card for it, will all apps be able to be transferred over to the SD card?

This phone will only frustrate you.

Get the Moto G on that site.
Madtown
Premium Member
join:2008-04-26
93637-2905

Madtown

Premium Member

said by toby:

said by Madtown:

»www.cricketwireless.com/ ··· ure.html

Is this a good phone to buy?

If I buy a 32GB SD card for it, will all apps be able to be transferred over to the SD card?

This phone will only frustrate you.

Get the Moto G on that site.

How will it frustrate me?

rchandra
Stargate Universe fan
Premium Member
join:2000-11-09
14225-2105
ARRIS ONT1000GJ4
EnGenius EAP1250

rchandra to toby

Premium Member

to toby
Believe it or not (and I can't fathom it much either, for me anyway), some people actually like iDevices such as iPhones. I actually know someone two people personally who dislike Android and like iPhones. So telling someone who has been in the Apple ecosphere, "here, get this Android phone" with only 6 words of explanation is asking quite a lot.

Much as I hate the iEcosphere personally, and hate to sound rude, but that's just dumb. However, in certain cases I might just recommend an iPhone or iPad.
Madtown
Premium Member
join:2008-04-26
93637-2905

Madtown

Premium Member

I have an iPhone 4, but at the same time I'm willing to get an Android phone too. In fact I'm going with Android because it's cheaper but at same time I want a phone that works properly. The ZTE Overture will allow me to insert a SD card while a Moto G won't allow an SD card. I would like to be able to insert an SD card and transfer all of my apps to the SD card.

toby
Troy Mcclure
join:2001-11-13
Seattle, WA

toby

Member

said by Madtown:

I would like to be able to insert an SD card and transfer all of my apps to the SD card.

You might be able to move some apps to the sd card, it depends on the app. But count on your apps not being able to be moved.
In addition not all apps allow for storing user data on the SD card.

The moto g has 8 MB flash, with about 6 MB available for apps and data.
The moto g includes 50 GB of google drive for 2 years.

Software support is important and ZTE is an unknown. The hardware is only part of the picture. The ZTE is out of date by about 6 months, might never be updated, no bug fixes, nothing, its a gamble.
said by rchandra:

Much as I hate the iEcosphere personally, and hate to sound rude, but that's just dumb. However, in certain cases I might just recommend an iPhone or iPad.

That i turn could be considered dumb with no explanation. An iphone costs 3 to 4 times as much as a moto g too.

rchandra
Stargate Universe fan
Premium Member
join:2000-11-09
14225-2105
ARRIS ONT1000GJ4
EnGenius EAP1250

1 edit

rchandra

Premium Member

Actually, the explanation was twofold, one, some people like iPhones over Android, and two (a little more subtle because it's implied), people in the iEcosystem will have some difficulty switching platforms, because a lot of things will be different (like any other switch in platform, such as MS Windows to OS X). So it wasn't totally without explanation.

Besides...are you offering to buy any app equivalents that were on the iPhone? Are you going lend your time to transfer applicable contents such as stored photos, music, etc.? Surely this will not be as streamlined switching platforms as it would be simply acquiring another iPhone.

But I agree...iDevices are comparatively expensive. A number of people speculate this is because a lot more support costs (i.e., Apple Store and their Geniuses' time) are included in the purchase price. It's a LOT more restrictive (if Steve/Tim didn't/doesn't like it, it doesn't make it onto the App Store and therefore your phone). The lack of a real, tangible filesystem is dumbfounding. Many reasons why I think Android is in most cases better, but it's hardly sane to assume an iDevice user is going to be frustrated by another iDevice. Sure, let's encourage the switch, but to outright declare one particular Android phone "the" iPhone 4 "replacement" seems a bit much.

jchambers28
Premium Member
join:2007-05-12
Peculiar, MO
·Comcast XFINITY

jchambers28 to Madtown

Premium Member

to Madtown
Click for full size
Got switched to AIO/cricket. Pretty pleased with customer service and the store reps. If I ever have problem I can actually call them and they awarer the phone. Old cricket would not. So far very pleased with the outcome of the AT&T cricket merger.

gigahurtz
Premium Member
join:2001-10-20
USA

gigahurtz

Premium Member

Glad to hear this. I am waiting for my next AT&T bill to come in (where I have a $115 credit from AT&T) and then I'll be switching from AT&T.

I'm curious to those with postpaid AT&T who made the switch: will I get a prorated charge based on when I port my number out or do I need to wait until the end of the month?

jchambers28
Premium Member
join:2007-05-12
Peculiar, MO

jchambers28

Premium Member

Tethering works on my HTC one (m7) well.