# I'm on Verizon and I want this phone - recommendations for switching?



## TenderloinShadow (Nov 4, 2011)

Ok so a bit of background. I've been a lifelong Verizon user, and until recently I've been a Verizon fan. Their network quality is great and I'm still grandfathered into unlimited data which is great.

Also I'm still on my parents phone plan, and if I switch I'll have to start paying myself.

So with this dilemma here is what I'm looking for:

A carrier that has at least decent data coverage with a plan that's affordable and doesn't come with secret throttling or other strings attached.

Maybe I'm looking for something that I'll never find I don't know. But I really want this phone but not if leaving Verizon will just end up costing me too much.

Any suggestions?

Sent from my SCH-I535 using RootzWiki mobile app


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## ERIFNOMI (Jun 30, 2011)

I'm seriously looking into Aio. Looks like AT&T announced today that they'll combine it with Cricket if they get the go ahead to buy them.


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## jesssiii (Oct 10, 2011)

Get the LG G2 and stay with Verizon. My 2¢????

VZW LG G2


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## iwasaperson (Sep 4, 2011)

Switch to T-Mobile. If you don't make a lot of calls, they have a great $30 plan.


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## xhaxol (Oct 30, 2011)

LG2 and Nova launcher, problem solved.

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk


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## b16 (Jun 6, 2011)

Get out and Get the nexus on a ATT plan. best bet.


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## grooves12 (Dec 24, 2011)

I know you said must not throttle... but after over 15 years I finally gave up on Verizon and their exorbitant pricing and terrible device support and went to a pre-paid carrier with 4GB of high-speed internet and throttled after that on T-mobile's network.

I was using 10-20GB on Verizon on my unlimited plan prior to leaving, so I was worried. However, I am almost always in range of Wi-fi (and I'm sure most other people are as well.) With minimal effort in connecting to hotspots (and using an app to auto-signin for ones that need it) I usually use less than 1GB/mo now per billing cycle and have great coverage in the places I need it. An added benefit is phones usually get better battery life when connected via Wifi.

>>> Plus I only pay $15/mo now, as opposed to over $100/mo w/ Verizon. I will never go back.


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## TheTyler0013 (Jun 27, 2011)

Well I was on Verizon Up until today. My N5 will be here tomorrow. I went with T-Mobile and the $70 unlimited everything plan. The coverage in my area and surrounding areas is wonderful. I was scared leaving since VZW does have the best network, but it really was a breath of fresh air leaving the, in the dust.


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## hlaalu (Jul 13, 2012)

I'm going to try t mobile next week when my n5 gets in before I actually switch my number from my unlimited Verizon plan. I work in a few different states so if the service is good I'll port my number and tell Verizon to kiss my ass!

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk


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## sefirosu (Jul 11, 2011)

Well I was speaking with Vzw yesterday. This was online. I was like thinking about leaving, unlimited data, blah blah. Here's what she told me. If I want I can upgrade for the 2gb price. They have this promotion where they give you 50 days to go back and ask about the Verizon Max promotion. What it does us give you 6gb of data a month for the 2gb price. I think I'll go into a store today or Monday and ask about it. I'm thinking about switching to T-Mobile as well but this might not be so bad. I've never gone over 5gb at any point in time. I think, in my situation, it's worth looking into.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using RootzWiki


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## trebills (Jan 7, 2012)

I have had Verizon since their inception and unlimited days as well. I switched to tmobile last week. The voice reliability is way better than Verizon in my home area the data is good too. Usually about 18 down and 5 up. I know Verizon is faster but I an not in need of 50 down and 50up my phone. Best part is I have nexus 5 on the way and I'm paying half is much per month.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk


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## shiznu (Jun 14, 2012)

b16 said:


> Get out and Get the nexus on a ATT plan. best bet.


I wanna like this post twice.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk


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## jss2 (Mar 4, 2012)

My Nexus 5 will arrive on Wednesday. It's time to figure out which carrier I'm going to. I've been on Verizon since I got my first cell phone (2004). It'll be nice to replace my aging Galaxy Nexus.

It's between T-Mobile and Aio Wireless. I use about 1gb of data per month.

with T-Mobile, I'd get the $60 / month plan.

unlimited calls/texts. 2.5gb of data. I'm not worried about being throttled after 2.5gb, because I'll never go over that.

with Aio Wireless, I'd get the $55 / month plan.

unlimited calls/texts. 2gb of data. again, I'll never go over that.

So cost is very similar. Except T-Mobile is $60+taxes/fees, while Aio Wireless is $55 which already includes taxes/fees.

The biggest difference is probably coverage. I live & work 20-30 miles west of Boston. I think T-Mobile coverage is "decent" (anecdotally), but I think Aio Wireless coverage (aka AT&T coverage) is better. Certainly, the Aio Wireless 4G LTE is better then T-Mobile LTE coverage.

based on better pricing and potentially better coverage, *any reason not to go with Aio Wireless*?

also, the nice thing about either T-Mobile or Aio Wireless is that without contracts, I could easily switch in a month or two if I'm not happy. Which I guess brings up one more question... I assume that there is no limit to the number of times a cell phone number can switch providers (i.e. if I transfer my existing Verizon cell number to Aio Wireless, it shouldn't be a problem to transfer it to T-Mobile in the future, right?).

thanks for any input.


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## wideopn11 (Aug 1, 2011)

I get my Nexus 5 Tuesday (tomorrow) and I'm going to straight to T-mobile. Bye bye stupid VZW. My contract ends in December so I'm good.


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## buur (Aug 1, 2011)

I just moved from Verizon to the Tmobile $30 plan. So far, so good. The number porting only took a couple of hours and at home and at work, where I spend 90% of my time, I am getting 2-3 bars of LTE and really good speeds. If you have Tmobile coverage in your area it doesn't hurt to try the $30 plan if you don't talk much.

Now to find a buyer for my unlimited Verizon contract...


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## zerospeed8 (Jun 15, 2011)

Was with VZW for 10 years left for att and I couldn't be happier. Even paid the termination fees VZW blows now

Sent from my Nexus 5 using RootzWiki mobile app


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## brkshr (Jun 16, 2011)

In my experience, t-mo is not good anywhere but in city limits. That was tested all around California. Prepaid plans using at&t bands didn't offer enough data for me. I use more than 2.5GB/month.

After a year of moving around prepaid carriers on my N4, I ended up on at&t's 5GB plan. Ya, it's just as expensive as Verizon, but I've tested their network up & down the entire west coast. At&t had service pretty much everywhere vzw did (my gf was with me on vzw) and some places vzw didn't have service in the middle of no where.

With that said. The best thing about being on an unlocked phone, is that you can try every carrier, without having to pay etf's. I may be on at&t post-paid, but I didn't have to sign a contact because I brought my own phone. So I can move on whenever I want.

Sent from my Nexus 5


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## jpin321 (Feb 24, 2012)

Anyone thinking of trying sprint? I think that's where I will go then move to att if the service isn't great. Unlimited everything 80 a month. Thoughts?

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk


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## brkshr (Jun 16, 2011)

jpin321 said:


> Anyone thinking of trying sprint? I think that's where I will go then move to att if the service isn't great. Unlimited everything 80 a month. Thoughts?
> 
> Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk


All my friends that have Sprint hate it (Central California). Honestly, I hate talking to them too. The calls are always crappy quality and half the time they get dropped. I think the only reason they stay with Sprint is because they are cheaper.

There also seems to be some problems getting the Play Store N5s to activate on Sprints network.


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## jpin321 (Feb 24, 2012)

brkshr said:


> All my friends that have Sprint hate it (Central California). Honestly, I hate talking to them too. The calls are always crappy quality and half the time they get dropped. I think the only reason they stay with Sprint is because they are cheaper.
> 
> There also seems to be some problems getting the Play Store N5s to activate on Sprints network.


Sprint doesn't seem too bad here. I have two people in my IT dept that have sprint and like it. What does pricing look like on AT&t looked at them but seemed like I'd be paying more than I do for verizon currently. I've been a verizon customer since ive carried a phone. So changing is proving to be more difficult than i thought.


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## brkshr (Jun 16, 2011)

jpin321 said:


> Sprint doesn't seem too bad here. I have two people in my IT dept that have sprint and like it. What does pricing look like on AT&t looked at them but seemed like I'd be paying more than I do for verizon currently. I've been a verizon customer since ive carried a phone. So changing is proving to be more difficult than i thought.


I'm paying $100/month for 5GB of data. Individual plan. If you share data the pricing gets a little better when split between each user. It sucks paying out the nose every month, but for reliable service and enough data for my usage, this is my best option so far.

If Sprint is good in your area that's definitely an option then. Personally, I would rather go with T-Mo if they have good service in your area. The plans are soooo much better price wise and I like that they are shaking up the industry.


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## jpin321 (Feb 24, 2012)

brkshr said:


> I'm paying $100/month for 5GB of data. Individual plan. If you share data the pricing gets a little better when split between each user. It sucks paying out the nose every month, but for reliable service and enough data for my usage, this is my best option so far.
> 
> If Sprint is good in your area that's definitely an option then. Personally, I would rather go with T-Mo if they have good service in your area. The plans are soooo much better price wise and I like that they are shaking up the industry.


T-mobile is crap at work. I'm an hour outside of the city where I live so service esp data is non existent on t-mobile. $100 isn't terrible im paying 95 on verizon now.


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## msrfx (Sep 28, 2011)

brkshr said:


> In my experience, t-mo is not good anywhere but in city limits. That was tested all around California. Prepaid plans using at&t bands didn't offer enough data for me. I use more than 2.5GB/month.
> 
> After a year of moving around prepaid carriers on my N4, I ended up on at&t's 5GB plan. Ya, it's just as expensive as Verizon, but I've tested their network up & down the entire west coast. At&t had service pretty much everywhere vzw did (my gf was with me on vzw) and some places vzw didn't have service in the middle of no where.
> 
> ...


I agree. I dropped VZW yesterday and got on AT&T. Month-To-Month, no contract since I brought my newly acquired N5. AT&T actually works better at my house than Verizon. Sure, its not cheap like T-Mobile, but then again I have a better chance using my phone.


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## trebills (Jan 7, 2012)

Got my nexus 5 today and immediately ported number from Verizon to T-Mobile which took about 2 hours total time. With Verizon at my house I struggled to get service and dropped calls check screenshot below for my speed tests after I hooked up T-Mobile to new nexus 5.










Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk


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## pasinato (Aug 14, 2011)

Went with AT&T, go their 2gig plan and am pretty happy. Best part the contract is month to month since I brought my own phone to the table.


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## jss2 (Mar 4, 2012)

pasinato said:


> Went with AT&T, go their 2gig plan and am pretty happy. Best part the contract is month to month since I brought my own phone to the table.


Did you get the AT&T Mobile share plan? Or the $60 2gb plan with AT&T GoPhone?


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## mldiroff (Dec 18, 2011)

Just left Verizon for T-Mobile on a 3 line Family Plan. Saving about 20/month and getting a $450 TMo credit to cover ETF fees on two of the lines. Selling the wife's old 4s to help cover the cost of one of the new Nexus 5s.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk


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## tswany11 (Sep 15, 2011)

For those that tmo is not an option here is what I've found to be the best plans on att's network :

1) straight talk - 45$ for 2.5 GB (at att full LTE speed), cannot add more 4G data to the plans; down to 2G after 2.5 GB.
2) aio "pro plan" - $70 for 7GB (att throttled to 8MB/s) after 7GB, down to 2G speeds.
3) att go plan - $60 for 2 GB (at att full LTE speed) can add 10$ per GB if you want more.
4) att share plans - $$$$$$$$$$$$$$

What I haven't been able to figure out is if the prepaid plans have a lower priority on the network (and does this even matter). Also, what happens when you go over on the att go plan, do you automatically get shut down or does it add another GB?

I'm currently trying tmo and it's been great so far but the real test will be when I'm out of town in a few weeks.


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## shiznu (Jun 14, 2012)

tswany11 said:


> For those that tmo is not an option here is what I've found to be the best plans on att's network :
> 
> 1) straight talk - 45$ for 2.5 GB (at att full LTE speed), cannot add more 4G data to the plans; down to 2G after 2.5 GB.
> 2) aio "pro plan" - $70 for 7GB (att throttled to 8MB/s) after 7GB, down to 2G speeds.
> ...


I had the att go phone plan for a little bit and it is just what you said. 2gb to nothing unless you add another GB at 10$. Doesn't really seem to be a away to add a reserve to that either, going by what the clerk told me.

Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk


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## pasinato (Aug 14, 2011)

jss2 said:


> Did you get the AT&T Mobile share plan? Or the $60 2gb plan with AT&T GoPhone?


Mobile share plan


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## JJsevol (Jul 1, 2012)

TenderloinShadow said:


> Ok so a bit of background. I've been a lifelong Verizon user, and until recently I've been a Verizon fan. Their network quality is great and I'm still grandfathered into unlimited data which is great.
> 
> Also I'm still on my parents phone plan, and if I switch I'll have to start paying myself.
> 
> ...


Your options are based on your location (where you travel as well) because not every provider is the same across the country. Once you can narrow that down, then it becomes easier to filter out which one will actually meet your needs.


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## duyna (Oct 4, 2011)

I just ported my number from Verizon yesterday to Sprint, so far its been great service in my area, south of Boston. I went with the all in one unlimited plan. Its not bad considering I only spent $50 on the N5 after rebate. I am so in love with this phone right now


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## nyteryder79 (Jun 12, 2012)

I switched from a Galaxy Nexus on Verizon to a Nexus 5 on Straight Talk. So far, everything's been working great! Here is a speed test:










Granted, I only used about 2 GB of data a month when I was on Verizon, so I'm not worried about being throttled at the 2.5GB mark with Straight Talk. $45/mo is a hard one to beat!

Everything works great, MMS, LTE, HSPDA+, etc. If you want to go Straight Talk, here are the APN settings I'm using:

APN: tfdata

Proxy: Not set

Port: 80

Username: Not set

Password: Not set

Server: Not set

MMSC: http://mms-tf.net

MMS Proxy: mms3.tracfone.com

MMS Port: 80

MCC: 310

MNC: 410

Authentication Type: PAP

APN Type: default,supl,mms,hipri

APN Protocol: IPv4

APN roaming protocol: IPv4

Bearer: Unspecified

MVNO type: None


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## AquilaDroid (Mar 14, 2012)

Thanks for the settings. My N5 is waiting at home for me, along with a StraightTalk SIM and one month prepay. Still have a few weeks of VZW contact on the G-Nex so will switch over then and kiss big RED goodbye!

From my (Toro) G-Nex


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## nyteryder79 (Jun 12, 2012)

AquilaDroid said:


> Thanks for the settings. My N5 is waiting at home for me, along with a StraightTalk SIM and one month prepay. Still have a few weeks of VZW contact on the G-Nex so will switch over then and kiss big RED goodbye!
> 
> From my (Toro) G-Nex


I went ahead and cancelled and am paying the ETF. It's only about a $30 difference between paying my last month of service and the ETF.

About kissing big RED goodbye, I know the feels and the feels are great!


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## Migamix (Oct 9, 2011)

Verizon is like an abusive relationship, the sex may be good and fast but the treatment is down right demeaning. 
"girl, just walk away"

Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk


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## impulse101 (May 11, 2012)

Im in NJ switched from Verizon to Tmobile and couldn't be happier. I am getting faster LTE speeds and better reception than i did on verizon. I am also saving about $20 a month. Best thing i ever could have done. Do it now!

Sent from my Nexus 10 using Tapatalk


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## jpin321 (Feb 24, 2012)

Looks like its AT&T for me.... Sprint won't activate any phone off contract, so its a two year contract even thought I have my own device. T-mobile best im getting is 2g here so thats not gonna work. AT&T will activate off contract no questions asked. Anyone know if there is a difference in the att prepay plans network coverage and an actual plan? The rep I spoke with said their prepaid network was smaller and slower. Didn't sound right but what do I know.


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## jss2 (Mar 4, 2012)

jpin321 said:


> Looks like its AT&T for me.... Sprint won't activate any phone off contract, so its a two year contract even thought I have my own device. T-mobile best im getting is 2g here so thats not gonna work. AT&T will activate off contract no questions asked. Anyone know if there is a difference in the att prepay plans network coverage and an actual plan? The rep I spoke with said their prepaid network was smaller and slower. Didn't sound right but what do I know.


I left Verizon a week ago and activated my Nexus 5 on the AT&T GoPhone service (pre-paid). From the several people at AT&T I spoke with before the switch, they told me that the GoPhone service network used to be smaller and/or slower, but that as AT&T has expanded their LTE coverage, all GoPhone service now has the same exact coverage and speeds as the "regular" AT&T. Over the past week, I've done several speedtests. The best I got was 46Mbps down and 18Mbps upload. More typically, I'm in the 20-30 Mbps down and 10-15Mbps upload speeds. I'm on the $60 / month plan, with unlimited talk/text and 2gb of data.

In my area (west of Boston), I've actually found that both 3G and LTE coverage on AT&T is better than Verizon's coverage. So for me, the switch has been a fantastic experience. Cheaper monthly service payments, no contract, complete device freedom, and better coverage.


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## hlaalu (Jul 13, 2012)

Migamix said:


> Verizon is like an abusive relationship, the sex may be good and fast but the treatment is down right demeaning.
> "girl, just walk away"
> 
> Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk


Lmao!

Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk


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## Rockaholic (Jul 11, 2011)

I'm gonna test out T-Mobile with that $30 plan and if I don't like the service I'll go for Air pro.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using RootzWiki mobile app


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## 0dBu (Sep 13, 2012)

I was with VZW since it's inception, and I've always been really fond of their customer service, they've always treated me real well. That said, I couldn't upgrade my phone without losing unlimited data, or paying full retail. They wouldn't even let me do the Edge thing and keep my data, so I decided to bounce. TMobile coverage is good in my area and I walked out the door for under a bill with the N5. Also my bill will almost be cut in half. To me, it was a hard but necessary choice.

Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk


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## thebird36 (Apr 16, 2012)

My Nexus 5 is at home waiting for me along with a straighttalk sim. I plan to get the $45 plan. I'm on Verizon now with a gnex and I get no service at home and minimal at school. Hopefully at&t will be a step up so I can at least use my phone when I am home.


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## shiznu (Jun 14, 2012)

thebird36 said:


> My Nexus 5 is at home waiting for me along with a straighttalk sim. I plan to get the $45 plan. I'm on Verizon now with a gnex and I get no service at home and minimal at school. Hopefully at&t will be a step up so I can at least use my phone when I am home.


My att coverage has been better than vzw. I was surprised but I'm happy.

Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk


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## GridHooligan (Jul 21, 2012)

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## GridHooligan (Jul 21, 2012)

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## GridHooligan (Jul 21, 2012)

Just can't use voice yet. I'm still trying different sip since I need to forward my vzw number to receive incoming any suggestions are welcome

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