Easy trials for cell service

[andrew_j]

My parents are considering switching off Verizon due to poor service at their home/cost. He was all set to jump onto Consumer Cellular.

I found out you can easy trial at least the cell towers / reception via an app for ATT(via cricket 14 day trial) and T Mobile (90 day). It installs an app then an eSim with tenporary working new number and data/text.

It works extremely well if phone supports eSim (iPhone 11+) and likely most recent Android.

My discovery for my locale and parents house Verizon is way better in terms of service. ATT is spotty and T Mobile better but no service with either at my home . Their home I am still waiting to see if ATT is viable.

I cannot imagine swapping service without a trial run. These apps make it so easy to try before you buy. Apps are free and do not require entering any payment.

 

[supton]

In NH? I can't imagine going off Verizon, I know my area only has Verizon. It's poorly supported but it's the only game in town.

now in the cities I could see others being better supported... just don't get off the main drag (or onto I89, made the mistake of getting T Mobile for my first cell, as soon as I got on I89 that was it, I might as well turn it off--and forget about service at home).

 

[alarmguy]

My parents are considering switching off Verizon due to poor service at their home/cost. He was all set to jump onto Consumer Cellular.

I found out you can easy trial at least the cell towers / reception via an app for ATT(via cricket 14 day trial) and T Mobile (90 day). It installs an app then an eSim with tenporary working new number and data/text.

It works extremely well if phone supports eSim (iPhone 11+) and likely most recent Android.

My discovery for my locale and parents house Verizon is way better in terms of service. ATT is spotty and T Mobile better but no service with either at my home . Their home I am still waiting to see if ATT is viable.

I cannot imagine swapping service without a trial run. These apps make it so easy to try before you buy. Apps are free and do not require entering any payment.

Well, service like Consumer Cellular are no contract. I haven't had a phone contract in maybe 14 years.
So in essence you're paying for 30 to 60 days of service and can switch anytime.

But to me, here is the golden goose. Red Pocket carries all three providers, if you are unhappy with the service of one they make it easy to switch to one of the other two. Again, no contract anyway but they advertise now about switching.

Before all this switch stuff, a long time back when I was going to switch on my area we had 4 or 5 phones on another plan. So I signed up with the new plan and took a free new phone (no contract) tried out the service a month or two and then moved everyone over.

I think I understand your post though and seems like great idea and yet another method if I am understanding it correctly and if truly works as good as having the service itself without an app.

Bottom line is if you dont get indebted to a cell provider by signing a contract and taking their phones you can switch every 30 days if you want or do it free or close to it with Red Pocket.

They could also get a ATT phone such as Cricket, month to month as a 3rd phone, see how good it works and if it does, then switch the other two phones over to it and cancel that 3rd line that they just took.

 

[Wrenchturner44]

Andrew, it is not just the coverage of the towers themselves that have to be considered for a particular geographic area. It is also the number of subscribers that are using those said towers in those areas. Each tower only has so much capacity for connections. When those connections reach the capacity limit the theory of operation is that fringe area callers either get dropped or should migrate to the next nearest tower that has available capacity. The Big 3 national carriers hoped to offload some of the 4G capacity constraints to their 5G networks but they quickly found out that not everyone will automatically subscribe to 5G service.

I have Cricket (read ATT) and in my area I have good coverage until about 9:00am most days, then I can literally watch the signal degrade on my phone as the network capacity becomes constrained and load balancing takes over. I still can make adequate calls because I can use wifi calling while at my house.

 

[andrew_j]

Well, service like Consumer Cellular are no contract. I haven't had a phone contract in maybe 14 years.
So in essence you're paying for 30 to 60 days of service and can switch anytime.

But to me, here is the golden goose. Red Pocket carries all three providers, if you are unhappy with the service of one they make it easy to switch to one of the other two. Again, no contract anyway but they advertise now about switching.

Before all this switch stuff, a long time back when I was going to switch on my area we had 4 or 5 phones on another plan. So I signed up with the new plan and took a free new phone (no contract) tried out the service a month or two and then moved everyone over.

I think I understand your post though and seems like great idea and yet another method if I am understanding it correctly and if truly works as good as having the service itself without an app.

Bottom line is if you dont get indebted to a cell provider by signing a contract and taking their phones you can switch every 30 days if you want or do it free or close to it with Red Pocket.

They could also get a ATT phone such as Cricket, month to month as a 3rd phone, see how good it works and if it does, then switch the other two phones over to it and cancel that 3rd line that they just took.

The app simply sets up service/2nd or 3rd eSim/temp number and not required to run or use after.

I would not have them try other phones (in their 80s) and they know apple and specifically their iPhone 14.

They likely may just use Visible (Verizon owned) . I had red pocket for daughter and found it worked well however customer service was atrocious or mostly slow. 2hrs to setup hotspot and moving number took 3 hrs of 3 way call with RedPocket and Verizon.

 

[benjy]

i too have red pocket + talking to someone who talks too fast + their accent is ANNOYING!!! i use cell service RARELY because of its HEALTH issues that are hidden!! had ATT go phone another cheep plan but since getting a smarter than i phone i switched so i could send pics-data which i still cant figure out, BUT my yearly E-Bay plan @ $60 suits me, yes thats $60 a YEAR!!! urged girlfriend to switch as shes a LITE user as well BUT NO service at her house just 7 miles from me with GSMA which i had issues on my newer phone until they switched to GSMT that did NOT work for her!! i can afford a better $$$$ but i rarely NEED the phone service + its CHEEP i tolerate their poor customer service + being retired TIME is NOT an issue as i REFUSE to FEED big TELECOM $$$$

 

[kpatter]

i too have red pocket + talking to someone who talks too fast + their accent is ANNOYING!!! i use cell service RARELY because of its HEALTH issues that are hidden!! had ATT go phone another cheep plan but since getting a smarter than i phone i switched so i could send pics-data which i still cant figure out, BUT my yearly E-Bay plan @ $60 suits me, yes thats $60 a YEAR!!! urged girlfriend to switch as shes a LITE user as well BUT NO service at her house just 7 miles from me with GSMA which i had issues on my newer phone until they switched to GSMT that did NOT work for her!! i can afford a better $$$$ but i rarely NEED the phone service + its CHEEP i tolerate their poor customer service + being retired TIME is NOT an issue as i REFUSE to FEED big TELECOM $$$$

huh??

 

[Rogueman2016s]

It works extremely well if phone supports eSim (iPhone 11+) and likely most recent Android.

Also on the iPhone XR.

 

[alarmguy]

deleted

 

[Rogueman2016s]

i too have red pocket + talking to someone who talks too fast + their accent is ANNOYING!!! i use cell service RARELY because of its HEALTH issues that are hidden!! had ATT go phone another cheep plan but since getting a smarter than i phone i switched so i could send pics-data which i still cant figure out, BUT my yearly E-Bay plan @ $60 suits me, yes thats $60 a YEAR!!! urged girlfriend to switch as shes a LITE user as well BUT NO service at her house just 7 miles from me with GSMA which i had issues on my newer phone until they switched to GSMT that did NOT work for her!! i can afford a better $$$$ but i rarely NEED the phone service + its CHEEP i tolerate their poor customer service + being retired TIME is NOT an issue as i REFUSE to FEED big TELECOM $$$$

Why can’t you access picture messaging?

Configure handset - Red Pocket Mobile

Configure handset

www.redpocket.com

Or maybe you have mobile data turned off?

 

[alarmguy]

Why can’t you access picture messaging?

Configure handset - Red Pocket Mobile

Configure handset

www.redpocket.com

Or maybe you have mobile data turned off?

He has a plan that cost $5 a month, clearly he needs help in figuring out why his i-messaging can not send photos
I can bet I know the answer ... and that is, his plan is $5 a month.

 

[Rogueman2016s]

He has a plan that cost $5 a month, clearly he needs help in figuring out why his i-messaging can not send photos
I can bet I know the answer ... and that is, his plan is $5 a month.

I’m all about saving coin but not at the expense of features a smartphone is capable of