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I bought my dual band GSM LTE and Verizon CDMA 4G LTE Nokia Lumia 822 on Amazon for 90 plus bucks. New WP (Windows Phone )8, now WP 8.1, and soon WP 10. I love the phone and the OS. My wife still has A Galaxy Android phones with ST (Straight Talk.)

 

I had my Nokia Lumia on ST for a few months using ATT towers. It was slooow not 4G. Then they said they could do Verizon with full LTE 4G. Never happened. It was slower!

 

I switched the phone, originally a Verizon exclusive WP 8 phone. To Verizon prepaid. I needed the towers as AT&T is flaky here. It took The local store a couple of hours before they gave up and called their tech support. It seems the AT&T or their Verizon Sim settings screwed it up. They finally got it turned around and man it screams fast compared to 3G!

 

The Verizon prepaid plan is now $45 for unlimited calls and long distance, unlimited texting, and 2GB of 4G data. I have home cable Internet so barely use a half GB.

 

I now have it auto deducted from my debit and except for the high cost of contract plans and phones, this one with me buying my Lumia 822 outright is a speed demon.

 

My wife will join me when Windows 10 has been out for a few months. The Nokia Lumia 822 has the super camera with the Carl Zeiss lens, and an unbelievable OLED screen that rivals phones with twice the resolution. The 4.3" screen and Amazon cases for under ten bucks that rival or beat the Otterbox make this a sweet deal. It connects to my Windows computer and easily transfers pics and comes with free MS Office and shares one drive with all my desktops and tablets.

 

I prefer the one or two year back models new, for from $80.00 to ~ $150.00 to paying twice as much to have the latest phones. The Lumia 822 lacks nothing except for kb (keyboard) profiles, which are promised in WP10. It has a fine onscreen swipe kb as good or better than my Galaxy. But WP 8.1 will not connect to a Bluetooth or USB kb at present.

 

For top notch phone and 2GB of fast 4G LTE I don't think it can be beat. Phone new $85-100.00, free Windows upgrades outside the vendor with a quick sign up. I had Windows 8.1 on my Verizon phone long before Verizon had it for their customers.

 

So one can save big bucks, get prepaid with auto pay adding extra data for using it, .5GB now, bringing me to 2.5 GB.

 

And for a second phone you get to learn WP 8.1. I will advise using the online tutorials. I didn't at first and cussed it then decided I could peek at the directions without violating the techie good ol boy rules too much. OK, a lot! :(

 

However it was ezpz from then on. It doesn't work like Android thank goodness. If I wanted big brother Google in my phone and calls it still beats features and build quality of many Android phones. I'm glad I gave in to watching and reading tutorials for an afternoon.

RV/Derek
http://www.rvroadie.com Email on the bottom of my website page.
Retired AF 1971-1998


When you see a worthy man, endeavor to emulate him. When you see an unworthy man, look inside yourself. - Confucius

 

“Those who can make you believe absurdities, can make you commit atrocities.” ... Voltaire

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Sorry AquaDawg,

I assume you mean USCellular? I honestly have no idea but they have call centers 24/7 who should be able to tell you. Sorry my expertise runs more to computers.

RV/Derek
http://www.rvroadie.com Email on the bottom of my website page.
Retired AF 1971-1998


When you see a worthy man, endeavor to emulate him. When you see an unworthy man, look inside yourself. - Confucius

 

“Those who can make you believe absurdities, can make you commit atrocities.” ... Voltaire

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I just ran across this from Tracphone http://www.saveontracfone.com/Phones/ because we just don't use all that much data or voice we may go this way. It sounds like they just started letting 4G phone on their system. The only thing I still have to check out is if they allow roaming, on our way back north we ran into a couple of ATT areas in TX and OK that were roaming for Verizon so my 3G Android Tracphone had no service.

 

Denny

Denny & Jami SKP#90175
Most Timing with Mac our Scottie, RIP Jasper our Westie
2013 F350 SC DRW 6.2 V8 4.30 Gears
2003 HH Premier 35FKTG Home Base Nebraska

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Just received this from Tracphone when I asked about roaming with a 4G phone.

 

Thank you for contacting our customer support department.

 

I'd be happy to assist you. The 4G would provide you with high speeds and capacity for roaming. If you wish to confirm the information by your service provider directly please contact TracFone # 1-800-867-7183. If you have any other questions or concerns I would be more than happy to assist you with the devices we offer from our website.

 

Thank you,

Karina

Denny & Jami SKP#90175
Most Timing with Mac our Scottie, RIP Jasper our Westie
2013 F350 SC DRW 6.2 V8 4.30 Gears
2003 HH Premier 35FKTG Home Base Nebraska

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Just received this from Tracphone when I asked about roaming with a 4G phone.

 

Thank you for contacting our customer support department.

 

I'd be happy to assist you. The 4G would provide you with high speeds and capacity for roaming. If you wish to confirm the information by your service provider directly please contact TracFone # 1-800-867-7183. If you have any other questions or concerns I would be more than happy to assist you with the devices we offer from our website.

 

Thank you,

Karina

 

So the cheaper 3 G phones do not roam? I want one just for every blue moon calls.

2015 Ram 3500 RC DRW CTD AISIN 410 rear

2016 Mobile Suites 38RSB3

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  • 2 weeks later...

We have an AT&T GO phone and chose the $2 day plan. We only pay IF we use the phone. If we use the phone, we can then dial or text as many times as we want until midnight at no additional charge. With tax it costs us $26.88 for 90 days coverage. We don't use the phone much so seldom use up the time we have paid for. We refill 4X per year, so a little over $100 per year. We have traveled between Michigan and the gulf coast and had coverage everywhere except in central Alabama at a forest campground. Verizon had no coverage there either. We had to go out to the main road to get a signal. So far we are happy with it and it suits our purpose of having a phone for emergencies. We communicate more thru the computer that by phone.

there's no go phone service in Nebraska either. Verizon won't allow att to put up towers for some odd reason

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the go phone works for me i'm on the 30 dollar a month plan unlimited talk and tex. I have a separate hot spot for my internet conn. I won't ever touch Verizon with a 30 foot pole again!! not after my iPhone was stolen and it took them idiots 3 weeks to suspend it. and how I know that then phone wasn't suspended is that I called it and it was working. very incompetent customer service reps that don't know how to do there jobs!! that and they were telling me that I should have full service by my house then why was I only getting 1-0 bars and a ton of dropped calls?? and they would not send me a network extender so my opinion with em is screw em they don't deserve my $$$ every month.

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We went to a Verizon Store and explained to them what we wanted and they can up with a new phone and combining the data with our MiFi but increasing the data to 6GB for 114.50 a month with my military discount. I went home and figured out that the true cost per month for the new phone plane was 54.50 a month and that's taking off 10.00 for the extra data that we don't really need, we have never used over 4.75 GB in any one month.

 

We ordered a Verizon Motorola Droid Razr M 4G LTE off Amazon for 101.00 with free shipping, received the phone and went to the Tracphone BYOP site and registered it with them and payed 10.00 for a sim card that we should get Tuesday. If we (she) use the 54.00 figure she could use 14,788 minutes, 14,788 texts and 14.78 GB data on the Tracphone before the the Verizon plan would be a better deal, I estimate the we will only average 450 minutes, 100 texts and 300MB data a month so we will be money ahead plus everything rolls over so we can use everything we pay for. I will keep my 3G non roaming Tracphone for now but when it comes time to replace it I will buy a 4G phone roaming phone. We will still have our stand alone Verizon MiFi.

 

I know this wouldn't work for everyone but because we are light users it sure looks like a good deal for us, and if it doesn't workout we can always bring the phone into Verizon and have them install their sim card and be back under their control.

 

Denny

Denny & Jami SKP#90175
Most Timing with Mac our Scottie, RIP Jasper our Westie
2013 F350 SC DRW 6.2 V8 4.30 Gears
2003 HH Premier 35FKTG Home Base Nebraska

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Ok folks,

I was asked earlier if you could roam on prepay. Then read here that the Verizon prepaid service I have is a non functional when traveling. So because it appears lots of folks are guessing here, I drilled down to find the Verizon prepay coverage map that shows prepaid coverage, roaming coverage, and no coverage. In Alaska it is useless. Other thn that the coverage is pretty good. Click here for the prepaid map: http://vzwmap.verizonwireless.com/dotcom/coveragelocator/Default.aspx?requesttype=NEWREQUEST?requesttype=newsearch&coveragetype=prepay

 

Note the different options above the map. Click on the different maps, then click refresh after each selection, and you'll see that the coverage changes little from contract Verizon to pre paid Verizon, if at all, save an extra charge to roam? Contract Verizon has little to no coverage in Alaska as well, same as prepaid.

 

We still have one Android phone in the house with Straight Talk. ST gave me very slow data service with the same phone I now use with Verizon directly. Her ST phone is on Verizon towers for coverage. Interestingly, we will have no data or Internet coverage but our mobile phones for about four to six weeks while our new house is put up. That because we are staying on the property in our trailer. That will be interesting.

 

From what I see flipping the coverage maps, Verizon is best either way on paper. Of course if you stay or travel through the dead spots in any cell company coverage areas, it will be the worst you've had.

 

Some day, we will have full coverage, no roaming, inexpensive services because all the companies built out the dead spots together then compete only on service quality.

 

Today is not that day.

RV/Derek
http://www.rvroadie.com Email on the bottom of my website page.
Retired AF 1971-1998


When you see a worthy man, endeavor to emulate him. When you see an unworthy man, look inside yourself. - Confucius

 

“Those who can make you believe absurdities, can make you commit atrocities.” ... Voltaire

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I forgot to add, having used Verizon now for about six months or so, and having used Straight Talk (ST) for several years I can from use say the following for my/SWMBO needs.

 

The difference in data speeds, on the same Win Phone 8.1 Lumia 822 LTE phone, at the beginning of my payment cycle, before 3GB of ST's stated amount before throttling, is night and day. My phone is GSM and CDMA LTE on both capable (world phone). On ST ATT towers the 822 was 3G and slower, sometimes much slower on ST. When it became available I ordered the ST CDMA LTE Sim card and from there it was a no go. After a couple of weeks of no help, wrong answers, them guessing, I decided, since the Nokia Lumia Window phone, was a Verizon exclusive phone a few years ago when new, I decided to try Verizon when I found they had a 45 dollar a month plan with 1GB of data. I went o the Verizon store to do this. It took them several hours before turning it over to their HQ techs by phone to unravel the programming bricking that resulted from the ST techs trying.

 

Now I found that Verizon adds another GB per month if I sign up for auto pay. This despite the Verizon store, and calling them, was given the answer that I could not set up an account that auto paid unless I signed a contract. While it was nice to hand my phone to them and talk to their very nice and sales knowledgeable reps, they, like the ST tech support, had no clue for anything outside their normative boxes.

 

So comparing only ST with Verizon, the Data speeds are way faster. But Verizon's my account page says my data is used up and only shows 1024mb not 2048. This post got me to calling again because under details it shows my actual usage. Less than 600kb.

 

I have Cable Internet, 30mbps, for $45.00 a month. I do net need any data in reality. I have it for the once or twice I scan something in a store. But my major purchases are all online nowadays. No fuel needed, free shipping, tax deferred, and returns are picked up at the door. I do NOT do returns for buyer remorse or I changed my mind, or needed a suit for a wedding and nice shoes once so returned. (I am not kidding, folks do that, I was shocked!)

 

To be honest, I don't really need a cell phone and may drop it altogether and just use my HP and my SH's cell on trips. There seems to be a lot of must stay connected types. I have voicemail, email, and regular mail, and promptly return calls within a 12 hour period. I rarely text, even though I do that voice not trying to type on the tiny keyboard.

 

Having said that, if I WERE dependent on my wireless for data, I doubt I'd be happy with the speeds or limits. But for cell service to cell service speed comparison, Verizon beat ST on ST's Verizon towers hands down. No comparison. Personal experience.

 

But for in town no traveling outside of this region, scanning occasionally ST is great for Lynn. The few times I do use data on my phone, I don't want to stand there watching things load endlessly it seems.

 

They may have already fixed some of those issues I had but too late to keep me. My wife has no issues so I don't have feelings either way about her phone and service.

 

My phone new is under $80 new! http://www.amazon.com/Nokia-Lumia-Unlocked-Verizon-Windows/dp/B00H4F9WDA Great features and will update to Windows Phone (WP)10 according to the website check. But for phone updates on WP's, Microsoft takes care of them regardless of who your carrier is. No more issues like Android's fragmentation causes.

 

There are newer WPs but cost more. Just a review of it for any looking for a cheap way to try Windows Phone 8.1 it comes with 8, but even Verizon has caught up and will update it to 8.1, or you can get into the Window Phone group.

RV/Derek
http://www.rvroadie.com Email on the bottom of my website page.
Retired AF 1971-1998


When you see a worthy man, endeavor to emulate him. When you see an unworthy man, look inside yourself. - Confucius

 

“Those who can make you believe absurdities, can make you commit atrocities.” ... Voltaire

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Well I gave up today and had the Motorola 4G phone I bought to use on Tracphone and had it activated on Verizon, Tracphone said it should work and I was even able to register it with our zip code but they couldn't get it activated on their system with the same zip code.

 

I did find one thing that with Verizon if you bring your own Verizon phone it's cheaper than if you upgraded to a free phone by about 20 a month. We bought our phone on Amazon for 101.00 so it won't take long to make up the difference plus we don't have a contract.

 

Denny

Denny & Jami SKP#90175
Most Timing with Mac our Scottie, RIP Jasper our Westie
2013 F350 SC DRW 6.2 V8 4.30 Gears
2003 HH Premier 35FKTG Home Base Nebraska

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