On 1/17/2012 8:01 PM, who where wrote:
> It seems at least a couple of you guys are abreast of what's what in
> the USA at the moment for smartphone users, so I hope you can give us
> some advice.
>
> On a previous trip we have opted for cheap GSM burners on AT&T. This
> time around we will be visiting the western third of the states for 3
> months (Mar-Jun) and have iPhone 3GS phones which we intend to use.
>
> A plan isn't normally all that clever for transients. We are low
> volume voice/text users and presently use v.little data (current
> allowance is 50MB/month and that has never been threatened). I
> understand that in terms of coverage AT&T are ahead of T-mobile (tnx
> miso). So the question is really who has a pay-as-you-go (i.e.
> pre-paid, no doubt) deal that we should look into, including network
> resellers?

In urban areas, T-Mob and AT&T are close. [I was shocked how good T-Mob
is in Philadelphia.] In some rural areas, T-mob is lacking if AT&T is
the only provider. Other areas AT&T and T-Mob both roam on say Cellular
One, so there is little difference. If you are going to the sticks in
the west, you probably want Verizon. I've contemplated getting a verizon
burner myself.

I know T-mob has burners in Fry's, but all you want is the simcard. You
do know the iphone has this "no simcard issue." It is not the kind of
phone you want to change simcards on and depend on it working. It is
very touchy regarding the simcard insertion/removal. That didn't get
fixed on the iphone 4. I haven't heard if the 4S hard the same problem.

I guess you've seen those phone kiosks in the states since you have been
here before. They sell simcards to visitors. I don't know much beyond
that. I had to buy a phone out of contract, had a lot of problems with
Craigslist sellers not completing deals, and ended up getting a good
deal at a local kiosk. The woman was a wiz with phone and simcards. She
unlocked my phone and plopped in an "international" simcard just to show
it was unlocked. I'm assuming you managed to unlock the 3G you are bringing.

I assume you also know about A-GPS issues.

Which remind me. I'm going to send the T-Mob CEO a letter *****ing about
no roaming on well established AT&T towers. They got their $3 billion
from the failed "merger", so start the roaming.