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I don't know where to post it so I thought I would post it here. Used to be a regular poster in the prepaid thread 1 or 2 id ago. Currently I am on various ATT cheap NVMOs (red pocket). Been using a Honor Note 10 for a couple years (only work on ATT carriers in the US). Really happy with its giant screen. Camera is whatever but I have many other camera options. Anyway I am getting into phone emulation game recently and want to get a phone fast enough to run Switch emulation. After some research here is what I found for the top cheap gaming phones in the YOTL mid 2021. If you don't need the sd card slot, Mediatek 1200 platform is really cheap. There are only 2 phones, $370 Xiaomi K40 Gaming Edtion (12gb/128gb, $370 on ebay) $300 Realme GT Neo (8/128/$300 12/256/$370 on aliexpress), there is a really good looking yellow version for $400. Both should have google app support and meh carrier signals. However if you want sd card support, I realize nowadays only models that specialize in bang-to-the-mother-loving-buck ratio will give you that the sd slot and the 3.5mm jack. So again only a few options left. $300 Poco X3 Pro, 8/256 on newegg, Snapdragon 860, decent 4G GSM support $350 Motorola Edge S (8/128/$350 aliexpress) Snapdragon 870, very good 4G support, covers almost every Tmo and ATT band Alternately, you can get a Zenfone 7 or Samsung S20+, 1 yr old flagship both around $500-600 refurb. Both supports sd card. It seems to me the Snapdragon flagship (888) SOC carry a huge markup, I would say around $100 overpriced. However if you move the benchmark slightly below flagship you get phones that priced very competitively against other top spec SOC. That has been the case for smartphone for a few years. I am going to get either the Poco X3 Pro or the Moto in a few days. stephenthinkpad fucked around with this message at 13:36 on Jul 10, 2021 |
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Jul 10, 2021 13:07
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At that point, why not just use/get a switch? 
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Jul 10, 2021 19:17
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I am just trying to find an excuse to upgrade my phone. I mean I can use my current phone(s) for 2 more years or I can find an excuse to get a nicer gear. There are other games I can play on the new phone, such as geforce now games. I just need to pay for the game on Steam one time and I can stream it for free.
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Jul 10, 2021 19:25
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Pretty sure a bunch of those phones from Xiaomi and such don't fully work with AT&T's LTE bands if at all if that maters to you.
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Jul 10, 2021 21:03
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Like I said I have already used China phones on US GSM NVMO carriers. If your phone has a quadcomm soc you really don't have to worry about it, 99% chance your phone will work. If you have a Samsung Mediatek or Huawei soc, then you may have to do some research. My Huawei Note 10 according to kimovil, only has 1 AT&T band (B4), but it work just fine. I even get signal outside of the city.
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Jul 10, 2021 23:10
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Last year I Switched to the $300/yr prepaid on att, but they wouldn't give me wifi calling on my s7 even thought it worked on mint. So after slimming for a year I upgraded to a refurb S10 and wifi calling and Google voicemail worked out of the box. Yay. So yeah, att prepaid is my perfect carrier for now. 8gb plus 8gb rollover, hotspot, wifi calling, for $25/month of you pay by the year. Previously I was on cricket but they wouldn't do wifi calling unless you had a cricket phone, then I tried mint and wifi worked but TMobile is terrible in all the places I travel, so I tried att since their service is better.
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Jul 11, 2021 00:31
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AT&T prepaid is offering their Unlimited Plus plan for 50 bucks a month with autopay for new customers. Thinking of trying it out. Mint has been a great value but my data at work has been abysmally slow way too often. My old cricket plan at 8mbps often worked much better. Around my home, Mint has amazing speed. Which...doesn't do me much good since I'm home and on wifi most of the time. https://www.att.com/prepaid/deals/
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Jul 14, 2021 17:02
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Mental Hospitality posted:AT&T prepaid is offering their Unlimited Plus plan for 50 bucks a month with autopay for new customers. Thinking of trying it out. Mint has been a great value but my data at work has been abysmally slow way too often. My old cricket plan at 8mbps often worked much better. Around my home, Mint has amazing speed. Which...doesn't do me much good since I'm home and on wifi most of the time. Seems like a good deal if ATT is good for you. At least I just did the experiment to confirm wifi calling and text works with approved non-carrier phones. 
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Jul 15, 2021 02:10
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So about AT&T Prepaid: They overnighted the sim to me which was very nice. Insert sim, no service. No number. Not just my port, but not even a new number. One of the instruction booklets says to dial in a plan code. I do that, wizardry happens and my phone says to shut down for 10 minutes and restart. Still no service. Go to online sim activation page. Receive an error stating the sim has been activated. Check AT&T port status website, it says my number has been ported and will be complete upon sim activation. Try to go to att.com/myprepaid and can't login because it doesn't recognize my phone number, and I have no pin or password. Phone is prompting me to login to the AT&T network, which sometimes reliably just loads the sim activation page which still returns an error saying the sim is already active. Can't call Activation/Port support because, well no service. Call won't go through. How on earth can Mint make setting up a new account and porting a number take all of 3 minutes and AT&T is so backwards? Mental Hospitality fucked around with this message at 01:07 on Jul 16, 2021 |
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Jul 16, 2021 01:03
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Mental Hospitality posted:
AT&T is literally the worst at everything they ever attempt to do.
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Jul 16, 2021 01:29
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BonoMan posted:AT&T is literally the worst at everything they ever attempt to do. This is becoming quite apparent to me. Even the instructions they sent with the sim contradict themselves. I'll visit a store tomorrow and see if they can figure it out, if not I'll look into something else. Absolutely amazed at how poorly this carrier functions.
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Jul 16, 2021 01:40
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I do vaguely remember going through about 3 sims with both mint and ATT when switching cricket>mint>att. Got a trial sim to test coverage, then hosed up setting u[p the full version sim, then they sent me another then I finally ported my number which was locked up since it had at one point been on cricket and flagged weirdly. Switching carriers every 1-2 years has left me with a pile of sims I keep in a bottlecap on my desk for some reason I like the collection until the cat knocks it over and they go everywhere.
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Jul 16, 2021 04:53
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FWIW I've used AT&T Prepaid for over three years now and have had almost no issues. I have almost no issues with coverage and my data speeds pretty much never feel like they are being throttled, which was a frequent issue on the mvno's I've tried. I suppose it was a little tricky getting my number ported over initially, but other than that, no issues and I'm in no hurry to switch to anything else.
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Jul 16, 2021 19:22
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Switched to mint thanks to this thread, thanks goons
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Jul 21, 2021 07:05
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cage-free egghead posted:Pretty sure a bunch of those phones from Xiaomi and such don't fully work with AT&T's LTE bands if at all if that maters to you. I have the global variant of the Poco M3 (made by Xiaomi) on the Cricket Wireless network (same as AT&T?) and I often get a better connection on it than I do on my AT&T iPhone 11. Of course cricket data is really slow but when I was driving from GA to Texas the other week I often had to use the cricket phone to make calls bc for whatever reason I did not have service on the iPhone. I think the key is to make sure that the version of the Xiaomi phone you get supports all of the US bands. Typically they market this version as the "global" version but the listings for these things (especially on Amazon) can be a bit misleading.
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Jul 29, 2021 15:09
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So awhile back, I switched from Mint to Boom Mobile because T-mobile has absolutely garbage reception in my area and I was tired of having to rely on wifi calling at home, and having to hope my phone would work when I was out. Now Boom has ended offering AT&T MVNO services and I'm in the process of switching over to the equivalent plan on Verizion. Got the replacement SIM today, email support back to get it activated...and no reply yet. They moved my phone number to a dummy sim so that I wouldn't lose it since I had somehow missed info that AT&T support was ending until the last minute and so the AT&T service ended yesterday. Still, the equivalent of $20/month for 5 GB/month data isn't bad, even if I have to pay an entire year upfront. Just know that support is not fast. Their chat would always time out and they've been having issues with their support line where the other day I spent 20 minutes on hold, get told I'm being forwarded to a representative, rings a bunch, get sent to voicemail, only to be told the mailbox number is invalid and to enter a valid mailbox number.
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Jul 30, 2021 20:28
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Mint wireless Poco M3 (global version) trip report. Even though the Poco (and most Xiamoi devices apparently?) are missing bands 12 and 17 I'm still getting pretty good reception in my area. Bands 2 and 4 are the faster, more optimized 4G bands, but they aren't as prevalent as bands 12 and 71. Bands 2 and 4 are in my area but they have a harder time penetrating walls especially if you have large buildings in front of you or you're up higher. This is the problem with the M3 phone only having bands 2 and 4. Sure, they're the most optimized, but band 12 is more dependable and not having it might cause you issues depending on where you live. Where I'm living at the moment the phone data is reliable so far and blazing fast for a prepaid plan (comparing to the $30/month cricket plan I had before). Really satisfied with it but yeah if you're doing BYOD and you are in the US make sure your phone supports bands 12 and 71 as I believe a lot of Chinese companies are removing support for these bands as a gently caress you to American customers (not gonna say we don't deserve it) and also probably to cut costs.
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Aug 4, 2021 02:11
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Stupid_Sexy_Flander posted:Anyone know of a good unlocked phone for around 200 or so max? Preferably cheaper. I went with the g8+ last time and will probably replace my broken one with another g8+. I'd get the g9+ but it runs Android 11, which I find to have some really creepy features absent in Android 10 alongside plain old bad features. If it ain't broke... Enrico Furby fucked around with this message at 01:28 on Aug 10, 2021 |
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Aug 10, 2021 00:08
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Is there a catch with Mint? The 5gb limit on my T-Mobile nerd plan is becoming a liability. I’m happy enough with coverage, and I’m used to paying a year in advance when I find a refill deal. Mint seems like a no-brainer.
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Aug 21, 2021 02:18
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There was no catch that I could remember other than you'll get throttled if the network is busy with contract people, which is pretty standard on all mvno. I would still be on mint if their signal strength was better where i live/travel. Google voice, wifi text and calling and hotspot all worked fine on the $300/yr plan. (this was 2 years ago though)
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Aug 21, 2021 02:37
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I believe mint uses less 4g band than actual TMobile. So why not try it for a month with your phone and see.
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Aug 21, 2021 02:38
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stephenthinkpad posted:I believe mint uses less 4g band than actual TMobile. So why not try it for a month with your phone and see. Yeah I've noticed slightly weaker signal with Mint than when I was on T-Mobile. One the plus side if you really run the referral system you can have free cell service
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Aug 21, 2021 03:17
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I actually just renewed my Mint for another 3 months. I gave AT&T prepaid a one month trial. It seemed to have superior data speeds and building penetration (especially at my work in a large downtown city). BUT, on multiple days it just flat out refused to place calls. 3G, 4G, 5G...I'd try to place a call a half dozen times in a row and only get some automated jingle "sorry, we are unable to blah blah blah..." Wifi calling didn't seem to be a thing that ever worked with AT&T that I could tell, worked most of the time on Mint. I'll miss AT&T's super fast data speeds, but at the end of the day I need my phone to make calls reliably, and Mint has done a much better job of that.
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Aug 22, 2021 01:24
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I have a second cell number on an old Galaxy S5 through Ting. They emailed me today to let me know that the T-Mobile bands that phone uses won't be available after December 31st:quote:T-Mobile has announced it’s shutting down the network that your phone runs on. This means you’ll need to invest in a new phone before December 31 to ensure you don’t experience a service interruption. We have a great new network standing by that offers 5G* and is one of America’s most popular networks. I have a few extra phones that will probably work for me but I just figured I'd post in case anyone doesn't check their email so they don't get surprised in three months.
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Sep 24, 2021 00:13
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That reminded me that my folks got that. Is there a compatible flip phone out there? It's my dad's emergency phone, but he won't/can't do a smartphone. Frankly, he's pretty home bound at this point and they can probably just drop the service...
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Sep 24, 2021 00:26
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It looks like the current flip phone that T-Mobile is selling is the Alcatel Go Flip 4. If you can get that or the previous Go Flip 3 model that should work on Ting.
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Sep 25, 2021 04:19
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For an emergency phone you could also get a tracfone flip phone off of hsn with a minimal 1 year plan for $100 (-$20 HSN2021 code) https://www.hsn.com/products/tcl-alcatel-my-flip-2-a406dl-tracfone-with-1200-mintext/20107742
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Sep 26, 2021 03:17
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I forgot to ask in this thread. I talked to my mom and while my dad doesn't need a phone normally anymore, it's convenient for him to have one if/when he goes to the hospital. So that Tracphone seems like something I could look into. But we have a few months. And while he's been doing okay lately, that can change at any moment.
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Sep 26, 2021 03:25
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Baby Proof posted:For an emergency phone you could also get a tracfone flip phone off of hsn with a minimal 1 year plan for $100 (-$20 HSN2021 code) Just keep in mind that tracphone stores their passwords in plain text and will email you your password in plain text if you forget it. Just an important note to anyone considering tracphone. This and issues with signal after moving were my main factors in switching from tracphone to mint.
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Nov 12, 2021 18:39
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Any warnings/promo codes/referral codes to be aware of if we’re thinking about switching from Metro to Mint or Visible for a cheaper 2-line unlimited plan?
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Nov 25, 2021 22:27
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Dav posted:Any warnings/promo codes/referral codes to be aware of if we’re thinking about switching from Metro to Mint or Visible for a cheaper 2-line unlimited plan? Mint has referrals, and are currently doing a pay 3 months get 3 extra months free
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Nov 25, 2021 22:45
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Endymion FRS MK1 posted:Mint has referrals, and are currently doing a pay 3 months get 3 extra months free Sounds like a good time to give it a try! Anybody already on Mint with a referral code to offer? Edit: got one, thanks! Dav fucked around with this message at 20:36 on Nov 27, 2021 |
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Nov 27, 2021 13:18
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Dav posted:Sounds like a good time to give it a try! PM'd!
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Nov 27, 2021 19:17
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Dav posted:Sounds like a good time to give it a try! If you have issues getting the APN to set up and MMS/Shortcode issues use MNC 240, not the 260 the mint website says. Also turning off wifi calling may or may not help
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Dec 1, 2021 01:08
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I am also signing up with Mint if someone has a referral code to use.
Unknownmass fucked around with this message at 04:56 on Dec 9, 2021 |
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Dec 9, 2021 01:06
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If nobody else has one that's looking at the thread I can send one
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Dec 9, 2021 02:02
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Longtime MVNO user here. Been using Tello but since their GSM switch they can't fix my MMSs and I've been missing important telemarketing calls. This Mint deal looks good. This phone gonna work with it or someone have a good Amazon or Ebay seller that will ensure I get a phone working for Mint? https://www.amazon.com/LG-G8-ThinQ-Unlock-Platinum/dp/B07V7H15KF Also open to anything in that price range or $50 more. I had to go through a couple from Ebay before one worked on Tello and am not a power user but an okay camera would be nice. I know Mint is stil T-mobile but I'm hoping it will fix my issues switching to another MVNO.
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Dec 24, 2021 20:03
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Anything listed as Unlocked should work with Mint or almost any GSM MVNO. Check out swappa too, your budget covers a good amount of great devices.
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Dec 24, 2021 23:04
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Ended up getting a used LG s8 for $120 and 6 months of 10 gigs for $60. Everything worked smoothly, which I wasn't expecting. There's always something trying to use used phones on MVNOs in my past experience, but smooth sailing so far. Well, the fingerprint sensor on the LG kind of sucks, which is one of the reasons I was moving from my V30+, so guess I'm screwed in that respect. Do they just need wiped off more or what. Maybe I'll try the face unlock.
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Dec 31, 2021 18:14
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Hi all, hoping for a bit of advice. My aunt has a tracfone and got the "upgrade to Volte" message. I've tried researching a bit and think I've hit a wall here. She has an old 3G touchscreen phone (i can get the model if need be). I had a lot of issues using the website to find the "free phone" they advertised, but there was nothing in the results that was actually free. Lots of refurbished stuff for $20. I caught a reddit post that indicated you might be able to just replace the SIM card and transfer the phone number. But i don't know if it would work on a phone this old or what kind of SIM card to get. Frankly, I'm not even sure what questions I need to ask. Is it going to be simpler in the long run to just order one of the $20 phones off the site? Should I take her to a retail place and handle it there? She's not some power user, just a retiree who uses it almost entirely for phone calls. The whole thing feels really scammy but maybe it's just a crap business.
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Feb 6, 2022 23:37
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