Database Develop

Get a Moto X on AT&T or T-Mobile?

Basically my old Sensation is screaming die and I have my eyes on the Moto X, but I can't decide if I should wait and stick with T-Mobile or switch to AT&T. Main things I'm considering:
I would like to use Moto Maker, which AT&T has for at least 2 months (according to rumors).
T-Mobile should be getting the black or white versions "soon."
T-Mobile's plans are $10-20 per month cheaper for my situation, assuming current cost estimates of the Moto X.
T-Mobile might have less bloatware (no carrier branding in the notification area).
I guess what it really comes down to: Is AT&T's network/user experience that much better than T-Mobile's to justify the increased cost, bloatware, and exclusive customization? While the weight of Moto Maker is definitely a personal thing, please let me know your thoughts on the difference in the networks? Having only used a smartphone the T-mobile network, I just don't know if there would even be a discernible difference.
Thanks! :good:

felisen said:
Basically my old Sensation is screaming die and I have my eyes on the Moto X, but I can't decide if I should wait and stick with T-Mobile or switch to AT&T. Main things I'm considering:
I would like to use Moto Maker, which AT&T has for at least 2 months (according to rumors).
T-Mobile should be getting the black or white versions "soon."
T-Mobile's plans are $10-20 per month cheaper for my situation, assuming current cost estimates of the Moto X.
T-Mobile might have less bloatware (no carrier branding in the notification area).
I guess what it really comes down to: Is AT&T's network/user experience that much better than T-Mobile's to justify the increased cost, bloatware, and exclusive customization? While the weight of Moto Maker is definitely a personal thing, please let me know your thoughts on the difference in the networks? Having only used a smartphone the T-mobile network, I just don't know if there would even be a discernible difference.
Thanks! :good:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It will vary from city to city, but unless I was really strapped for cash, I'd pay $10 extra for AT&T. Here in DC, I'm always on LTE on ATT, but on T-Mobile I'd say I saw edge at least a couple of times per week.
Sent from my XT1058

There is surprisingly little bloatware on the at&t model.
Sent from my XT1058 using Tapatalk 2

linuxgator said:
There is surprisingly little bloatware on the at&t model.
Sent from my XT1058 using Tapatalk 2
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Click to collapse
Good to know thanks! I guess my only worries with respect to the bloatware is the AT&T logo in the notification area and something about an app that constantly popups asking to use it when calling someone (or something like that, it may have just been speculation I read).

I was going to start a new topic, but this forum is essentially the subject I wanted to ask about:
I'm thinking about getting the T-Mobile version of the Moto X because from everything I've read in these forums it's a bloatware-free device and has an unlocked SIM and (maybe) an unlockable bootloader.
I'd get the device to use on AT&T. What are the disadvantages of doing this (if any)?
-It sounds like there could be issues activating? Should I count on any such issues being surmountable?
-Will I receive over-the-air software updates?
-Will signal strength be in any way impacted?
-Will I have all the frequencies I need? I saw someone write that the T-Mobile version supports LTE bands 4 , 12 , 17 and the AT&T version supports bands 2, 4, 5, 17. It seems like in the USA AT&T only uses 4 and 17?
-What about 3G and voice signals?
-Using the phone overseas, say, Europe?
-Will any of this affect battery life compared with just using an AT&T phone on the AT&T network?
-People have said that if you unlock the bootloader you void the warranty. Whose warranty--Motorola's? Would this include dropping the phone and breaking the glass? I was considering getting an extended warranty--would someone like SquareTrade care about an unlocked bootloader if physical damage occurred?
Lastly, people have said that the AT&T version of the phone is not bad in terms of bloatware. Does anyone think it makes more sense to just get the AT&T version of the phone?
That's a lot of questions. Any insight into any of them will be greatly appreciated.
Thanks!

This might help you guys to decide:
The reason T-Mobile users need to get this model is because it's the only Moto X which supports T-Mobile's HSPA+ 42 network on the AWS band. The AT&T-compatible Moto X supports T-Mobile's LTE, but not the HSPA band, which means that if you fall off of LTE you'll be in T-Mobile's much more limited, slower 1900MHz HSPA+ 21 coverage.

likeybikey said:
I was going to start a new topic, but this forum is essentially the subject I wanted to ask about:
I'm thinking about getting the T-Mobile version of the Moto X because from everything I've read in these forums it's a bloatware-free device and has an unlocked SIM and (maybe) an unlockable bootloader.
I'd get the device to use on AT&T. What are the disadvantages of doing this (if any)?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Okay, I'll answer what I can here. I just got my tmo Moto X from the recent discount and I have lines with both T-Mobile and AT&T.
-It sounds like there could be issues activating? Should I count on any such issues being surmountable?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I had no issues swapping either operator's SIM into my phone. It was SIM unlocked out of the box and the AT&T SIM worked great--native tethering even worked without a mod (sadly still see no solution for native tmo tethering).
-Will I receive over-the-air software updates?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I would expect you to receive the same OTA updates as anyone running a tmo Moto X regardless of the att SIM.
-Will signal strength be in any way impacted?
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Click to collapse
No. Many AT&T devices display more bars for a given signal strength than the same device on other operators (i.e. AT&T falsely makes signal look better than it is); I don't know if the AT&T Moto X does that or not, but it's just a display thing and not an actual difference.
-Will I have all the frequencies I need? I saw someone write that the T-Mobile version supports LTE bands 4 , 12 , 17 and the AT&T version supports bands 2, 4, 5, 17. It seems like in the USA AT&T only uses 4 and 17?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My understanding is that those frequencies are correct. I get LTE on both operators just fine.
-What about 3G and voice signals?
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I haven't had any issues with either. Your frequency bands are all covered for everything AT&T does here in the US.
-Using the phone overseas, say, Europe?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The AT&T version may be more likely to get LTE there--I am not familiar with the LTE bands used in Europe--but neither will have trouble attaching to the various European 3G networks (assuming you somehow convince AT&T to give you a SIM unlock code, or pay for one). Also if you include Canada in your calculations, a number of their networks will benefit from HSPA over AWS.
-Will any of this affect battery life compared with just using an AT&T phone on the AT&T network?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It shouldn't.
-People have said that if you unlock the bootloader you void the warranty. Whose warranty--Motorola's? Would this include dropping the phone and breaking the glass? I was considering getting an extended warranty--would someone like SquareTrade care about an unlocked bootloader if physical damage occurred?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, Motorola's warranty. As for other stuff, you'd have to ask SquareTrade (or whoever) to be sure, but I don't really see how unlocking the bootloader would make them reluctant to replace your cracked-glass phone.
Lastly, people have said that the AT&T version of the phone is not bad in terms of bloatware. Does anyone think it makes more sense to just get the AT&T version of the phone?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you're buying unlocked anyway, I think the tmo version is an easy choice unless you desperately need a new nano-SIM (though I think AT&T will give you one for free if you drop by a store). The bloatware may not be that bad on the AT&T version, but you have to use some awkward hacks to get system r/w and the like. Of course if you're willing to do that, then you can kill the bloatware anyway.

teiglin said:
snip
No. Many AT&T devices display more bars for a given signal strength than the same device on other operators (i.e. AT&T falsely makes signal look better than it is); I don't know if the AT&T Moto X does that or not, but it's just a display thing and not an actual difference.
snip
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Funny you should mention that. The AT&T 4.4 build has 5 bars to display the cellular signal strength, the tmobile 4.4 build only has 4. It is quite odd they are not the same, wonder who wanted something different...

Steve-x said:
Funny you should mention that. The AT&T 4.4 build has 5 bars to display the cellular signal strength, the tmobile 4.4 build only has 4. It is quite odd they are not the same, wonder who wanted something different...
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Click to collapse
I believe AT&T using five bars vs. T-Mobile's four predates their cheating on signal strength, but I could be wrong. I've only been a T-Mobile customer for about a year (and have now almost entirely phased out AT&T, woohoo!).
The lesson is that signal bars are misleading at best, meaningless and confounding at worst. Check the numeric signal strength if you're interested in knowing how good your signal really is.

Super-awesome reply! Thank you so much for taking the time to answer my questions. It really helps my decision process (I'm feeling emboldened to go for the T-Mobile version), and I'm sure this will help others as well. Thanks again!
teiglin said:
Okay, I'll answer what I can here. I just got my tmo Moto X from the recent discount and I have lines with both T-Mobile and AT&T.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

As someone who just received his discounted Off-Contract T-Mobile Moto X, I have to recommend it. I got the $150 promotional discount and was curious myself as to which carrier version to buy. From all of the information gathered here on XDA, I made the choice to go with T-Mobile (and have no regrets, yet). I'd go into details on why I chose T-Mobile and such, but teiglin has already provided great (and accurate) answers to your questions.
So instead, I'll give you a quick recap:
- The T-Mobile version of the Moto X has absolutely no branding that I can find. Literally the only T-Mobile symbol I could find on the phone (software or hardware) was inside of it, on the T-Mobile Nano-SIM card.
- [From what I've read: motorola-global-portal.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/87215/] The T-Mobile version is essentially the developer's edition without the additional warranty coverage for unlocking your bootloader.
- The T-Mobile version of the Moto X has almost the same frequency bands as the AT&T version (except it also supports the HSDPA 1700 MHz band and doesn't support the LTE 850 MHz band)
Copied from GSMArena: gsmarena.com/motorola_moto_x-5601.php
2G Network
GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 - all versions
CDMA 800 / 1900 - for Verizon, Sprint​3G Network
HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1900 / 2100 - for AT&T, Verizon
HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700 / 1900 / 2100 - for T-Mobile
CDMA2000 1xEV-DO - for Verizon
HSDPA 850 / 1900 / 2100 - for Sprint​4G Network
LTE 700 / 850 / 1700 / 1900 / 2100 - for AT&T
LTE 700 / 1700 / 1900 / 2100 - for T-Mobile
LTE 700 MHz Class 13 - for Verizon
LTE 1900 - for Sprint​
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My Moto X usage:
I'm a former AT&T customer, having recently switched to Straight Talk through their BYOP (Bring Your Own Phone) program. I was still using the Motorola Atrix with a Mini-SIM card purchased from Straight Talk (the AT&T compatible one).
After receiving the $150 promo code and remembering the $100 old Motorola phones trade in program, it seemed like the right time to make the move and upgrade ($500 retail down to $250 after rebates/promotions). I placed my order on December 5th and was told it would arrive by the 10th (came on the 11th due to snow).
Once I got my Moto X, all I had to do was cut my Mini-SIM card down to a Nano-SIM card. Templates can be found here: airportal.de/nanosim/. Aside from the network cutting in and out (lasted for the first 10 minutes or so), I've had no problems since. I have access to 4G LTE and everything else seems to be working fine (haven't tried tethering yet).
In the end, I'd recommend the T-Mobile version just because there is no branding and it works fine on the AT&T network as well.

Thanks for adding to teiglin's reply! Good information for anyone interested in this phone!
semaj1919 said:
As someone who just received his discounted Off-Contract T-Mobile Moto X, I have to recommend it. I got the $150 promotional discount and was curious myself as to which carrier version to buy. From all of the information gathered here on XDA, I made the choice to go with T-Mobile (and have no regrets, yet). I'd go into details on why I chose T-Mobile and such, but teiglin has already provided great (and accurate) answers to your questions.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

4g 4glte
semaj1919 said:
As someone who just received his discounted Off-Contract T-Mobile Moto X, I have to recommend it. I got the $150 promotional discount and was curious myself as to which carrier version to buy. From all of the information gathered here on XDA, I made the choice to go with T-Mobile (and have no regrets, yet). I'd go into details on why I chose T-Mobile and such, but teiglin has already provided great (and accurate) answers to your questions.
So instead, I'll give you a quick recap:
- The T-Mobile version of the Moto X has absolutely no branding that I can find. Literally the only T-Mobile symbol I could find on the phone (software or hardware) was inside of it, on the T-Mobile Nano-SIM card.
- [From what I've read: motorola-global-portal.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/87215/] The T-Mobile version is essentially the developer's edition without the additional warranty coverage for unlocking your bootloader.
- The T-Mobile version of the Moto X has almost the same frequency bands as the AT&T version (except it also supports the HSDPA 1700 MHz band and doesn't support the LTE 850 MHz band)
My Moto X usage:
I'm a former AT&T customer, having recently switched to Straight Talk through their BYOP (Bring Your Own Phone) program. I was still using the Motorola Atrix with a Mini-SIM card purchased from Straight Talk (the AT&T compatible one).
After receiving the $150 promo code and remembering the $100 old Motorola phones trade in program, it seemed like the right time to make the move and upgrade ($500 retail down to $250 after rebates/promotions). I placed my order on December 5th and was told it would arrive by the 10th (came on the 11th due to snow).
Once I got my Moto X, all I had to do was cut my Mini-SIM card down to a Nano-SIM card. Templates can be found here: airportal.de/nanosim/. Aside from the network cutting in and out (lasted for the first 10 minutes or so), I've had no problems since. I have access to 4G LTE and everything else seems to be working fine (haven't tried tethering yet).
In the end, I'd recommend the T-Mobile version just because there is no branding and it works fine on the AT&T network as well.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I got the TMO version for use on AT&T. No branding at all.
I went to the AT&T store and they put in a new sim. I'm getting perfect service though I only see the 4G at the top. Wondering if I should also be seeing 4GLTE? Is there something else I need to do to get LTE speeds? Or am I already getting them and just don't see it?

Look here in xda, you won't get lte unless ATT registers your Moto with an imei from another ATT Moto. I had the same issue. There's a post here in xda where you will see what I had to do and who helped me
Rocking the new Moto X
Woop Woop

likeybikey said:
-People have said that if you unlock the bootloader you void the warranty. Whose warranty--Motorola's? Would this include dropping the phone and breaking the glass? I was considering getting an extended warranty--would someone like SquareTrade care about an unlocked bootloader if physical damage occurred?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I remember reading somewhere a chat between a potential customer and a Motorola rep. The rep said that unlocking it voids the entire warranty with Motorola, hardware included. So you would have to check with whoever else you could get the warranty with.
Sent from my Moto-X (GSM DE) using the xda-developers app

nelsonccc said:
I got the TMO version for use on AT&T. No branding at all.
I went to the AT&T store and they put in a new sim. I'm getting perfect service though I only see the 4G at the top. Wondering if I should also be seeing 4GLTE? Is there something else I need to do to get LTE speeds? Or am I already getting them and just don't see it?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry for the late response. I actually had to check my phone a few times just to confirm my thoughts before posting them here. I can't really comment on 4G and 4G LTE for AT&T, because I have Straight Talk. But from what I've read, I believe Straight Talk piggy-backs on AT&T's network as is, so I'd imagine it'd have to be similar.
I've been noticing the 4G icon in the notification bar also indicates 'LTE', although not all the time. There are times where I also see only the 4G icon without the 'LTE' symbol, during which speed tests have been much slower. Can't confirm what r_diaz13 posted, and I don't know if what he's saying applies to people on Straight Talk's network.

r_diaz13 said:
Look here in xda, you won't get lte unless ATT registers your Moto with an imei from another ATT Moto. I had the same issue. There's a post here in xda where you will see what I had to do and who helped me
Rocking the new Moto X
Woop Woop
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is WRONG.
Totally NOT necessary to use an IMEI from a different LTE phone.
I just activated an XT1053 (the TMo version, which is SIM unlocked).
Put in an AT&T nano-sim card which I picked up from my AT&T company owned store.
Called in to activate the card -- but asked to talk to 2nd level support since I knew 1st level would NOT be able to help and likely tell me the same kind of dumb stuff I've seen posted about how to get the phone to work.
2nd level support was great -- and because I knew what I was talking about, it took less than 5 min to take care of what is necessary.
You will need to manually enter MMSC and MMS Proxy in the APN settings
MMSC should be:
-https://mmsc.mobile.att.net-
don't enter with the dash at front and back, the forum doesn't let you post what they think are links if you are new.
MMS proxy should be:
proxy.mobile.att.net
Just as an FYI -- these settings are BURIED (you cannot see them) on the AT&T version --
And these settings are NOT DOWNLOADED AUTOMATICALLY via SIM card (I thought they might be).
You can confirm whether you are getting LTE service not only by the indicator in the status bar up at the top with signal strength but by going into ABOUT PHONE from the Settings menu (scroll all the way down). Then in that menu, click on STATUS. Here you will scroll down and see the battery level, network signal strength and mobile network type.
If you are getting 4G only, it would should HSPA+.
If you are getting LTE, it will show LTE here.
Hope that helps.
I'm just a bit weary of seeing the wrong information on this and hope this helps others out. The TMo version works great on AT&T, you just have to enter the MMSC and MMS proxy manually and you should be good to go.

Did you have an LTE plan before? I'm telling you it is true. The xda member that helped me out is an att employee who works at a att store and he was the only one able to do it. He told me since I didn't have an lte plan before it wouldn't just pick up lte. ATT has to end other feature in the account. When I gave then the tmo imei, it shows up as gsm only, not lte.
So if you already have lte, you are good to go with just a simple sim swap. If you don't have lte already, you need to follow these steps. Nothing to do with APN settings or anything.
Rocking the new Moto X
Woop Woop

r_diaz13 said:
Did you have an LTE plan before? I'm telling you it is true. The xda member that helped me out is an att employee who works at a att store and he was the only one able to do it. He told me since I didn't have an lte plan before it wouldn't just pick up lte. ATT has to end other feature in the account. When I gave then the tmo imei, it shows up as gsm only, not lte.
So if you already have lte, you are good to go with just a simple sim swap. If you don't have lte already, you need to follow these steps. Nothing to do with APN settings or anything.
Rocking the new Moto X
Woop Woop
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is wrong information -- hopefully people here read through to get the accurate information.
I did NOT have an LTE plan before (I had a Moto Atrix 4G, which gave me HSPA+ service).
When I gave them the IMEI from the TMo Moto X I purchased, I asked them specifically, what does it show in your system?
2nd level support told me it was a non-ATT version of the Moto X -- totally accurate.
She then knew exactly what settings were needed (as I noted above in my post) to be entered. These settings are not shown anywhere on the AT&T version of the Moto X (again, I know because I have 3 of those that I unlocked).
To be clear to anyone else thinking of getting the TMo version of the Moto X. You do not need to lie and give them some other IMEI. You simply need to make sure you have those settings input into your phone. As soon as they were entered, my TMo XT1053 showed LTE service.
Please do not continue to give out wrong information -- this may have solved the problem for you (to give a different IMEI), but it is totally not necessary. I have seen people asking about how they are supposed to get an LTE IMEI to activate a nano sim card and get LTE service. It is not necessary on the TMo version (now Moto says this is the GSM unlocked version -- which is really more accurate because it has absolutely NO BRANDING and no other software from any provider -- and is exactly the same as the Dev Edition except for the fact that the Dev edition can be bootloader unlocked and retain its warranty).

I have the Dev Version (same as T-Mobile) running on Straight Talk with AT&T. Other than one small configuration issue in the phone settings LTE is working fine.

Verizon and Walmarts Straight Talk??

I have a LG G2 and I am no longer under contract to Verizon, so I just pay VZW month to month for my service.
My questions here are:
Can I switched to Walmarts Straight Talk with my G2?
Would I still have the same coverage (4G) area on Straight Talk?
Thank you

No one has any info on this?

hd-renegade said:
No one has any info on this?
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AFAIK you have to buy one of their phones to use CDMA networks. Only the gsm carriers have the bring your own phone on ST.

Geekybiker said:
AFAIK you have to buy one of their phones to use CDMA networks. Only the gsm carriers have the bring your own phone on ST.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Isn't the G2 CDMA and GSM capible??

Yes it is.
Sent from my VS980 4G using Tapatalk 4

There are people who wrote a method to flash a sprint epic to straight talk Verizon towers that works on sprint Note 2s. One of the intermediate steps flashes a vzw phone. CDMA workshop and a little bit of work can make it happen.

hd-renegade said:
I have a LG G2 and I am no longer under contract to Verizon, so I just pay VZW month to month for my service.
My questions here are:
Can I switched to Walmarts Straight Talk with my G2?
Would I still have the same coverage (4G) area on Straight Talk?
Thank you
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I looked into this a while back, since it sounded so wonderful in the commercials. I don't think Straight Talk offers any 4G service, but I could be wrong. It may be available on their GSM towers. Either way, if you follow the link below for "bring your own phone," then click on CMDA, the next page states BYOP does not work on 4G phones.
http://straighttalkbyop.com/
I seem to remember them selling a 3G Samsung S3 when I was looking into their service. That kind of put me off of them.

zandroid said:
I looked into this a while back, since it sounded so wonderful in the commercials. I don't think Straight Talk offers any 4G service, but I could be wrong. It may be available on their GSM towers. Either way, if you follow the link below for "bring your own phone," then click on CMDA, the next page states BYOP does not work on 4G phones.
http://straighttalkbyop.com/
I seem to remember them selling a 3G Samsung S3 when I was looking into their service. That kind of put me off of them.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you, I sort of figured maybe it was to good to be true.

Straight talk=3g only and vzw network only. No roaming networks.

trollarc said:
Straight talk=3g only and vzw network only. No roaming networks.
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Click to collapse
Another thank you on good info for this.

trollarc said:
Straight talk=3g only and vzw network only. No roaming networks.
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Click to collapse
You can get a LTE sim with ATT now on ST. Don't know if you can make it work in a VZW g2, but it should work fine in the ATT g2.

Okay, correction to my post. If you want vzw towers on st you have to have only vzw towers if you have a CDMA only phone. You can fflash to their sprint based service and only have sprint service (probably, not sure if they have donors to hack). Their sim networks are Att/T-Mobile. I haven't heard of anybody flashing to the st vzw towers with a vzw sim equipped phone and using one of their sims. That might be useful if you were in a place that regularly has simbased services and occasionally went to the boonies- you could just switch which service was active assuming you get better speed or home coverage on the sim service. Also useful for international (read: not north American) roaming.
Sent from my LG-LS970 using Tapatalk

I realize that this is an old thread but I just switched to Straight Talk from Verizon and thought I would share this. After the switch (I kept my number from Verizon) my phone still shows Verizon Wireless on the lock screen, still says VZWInternet for my APN settings and still shows that I am getting 4GLTE. I am actually on Straight Talk service though as I have my SIM from ST in my phone. I didnt have to use an ATT sim or anything. I registered CDMA on the Straight Talk site before I switched my phone number over. Hope this is useful to anyone thinking about switching over.

Verizon is a straighttalk's carrier so basically your phone is still working under Verizon wireless.
Sent from my HTC One XL using XDA Free mobile app

Just to shed a little light on this, while Straight Talk might operate on VZW towers in some regions, VZW does not authorize straight talk to use phones like the LG G2. One of the powers of CDMA is they can pre-approve select serial numbers for certain carriers, thus VZW knows every single phone ever manufactured for their network and can selectively choose which can be authorized to connect. Thats why you have to go through all the crazy phone cloning to get CDMA phones to look like authorized devices.
Anyway, ST operates on both CDMA and GSM in certain markets. When operating on GSM they utilize AT&T. The LG G2 can only connect to ST if you are using the native unlocked GSM mode. Thats right, all Verizon LG G2 phones are GSM unlocked. So if Straight Talk offers a GSM service through ATT in your area then you can use Straight Talk. If you are trying to connect to Straight Talk's CDMA service (verizon towers) it will not work. Of course you can also use your G2 on any GSM carrier, so T-mobile is also a good player here as they offer some pretty attractive plans, namely their $30/month 5GB/100minute plan. If you have a google voice number you can use Hangouts to place calls that count against data and not minutes, thus you have an Unlimited voice plan with 5GB data for $30/month.

RunNgun42 said:
Just to shed a little light on this, while Straight Talk might operate on VZW towers in some regions, VZW does not authorize straight talk to use phones like the LG G2. One of the powers of CDMA is they can pre-approve select serial numbers for certain carriers, thus VZW knows every single phone ever manufactured for their network and can selectively choose which can be authorized to connect. Thats why you have to go through all the crazy phone cloning to get CDMA phones to look like authorized devices.
Anyway, ST operates on both CDMA and GSM in certain markets. When operating on GSM they utilize AT&T. The LG G2 can only connect to ST if you are using the native unlocked GSM mode. Thats right, all Verizon LG G2 phones are GSM unlocked. So if Straight Talk offers a GSM service through ATT in your area then you can use Straight Talk. If you are trying to connect to Straight Talk's CDMA service (verizon towers) it will not work. Of course you can also use your G2 on any GSM carrier, so T-mobile is also a good player here as they offer some pretty attractive plans, namely their $30/month 5GB/100minute plan. If you have a google voice number you can use Hangouts to place calls that count against data and not minutes, thus you have an Unlimited voice plan with 5GB data for $30/month.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Er, no. "Phone cloning" was necessary for using devices on older 3G-only MVNOs, but it's no longer the case now that Verizon uses SIM cards. (as do many Verizon MVNOs, like Straight Talk, Pageplus, etc)
As long as the G2 is in good standing (IMEI/ESN not blacklisted due to non-payment/stolen phone/etc), you can use it on ST. All you need to do is request a Verizon SIM from ST CS, pop it in the phone, and go. The $45 for Unlimited/Unlimited/5GB BYOP plan works fine on Verizon. Hell, as long as you have an activated SIM card, you can even use non-Verizon-approved LTE devices on a Verizon plan as long as it has the necessary LTE bands.
Why are you reviving an old, dead topic with outdated information?

xtermmin said:
Er, no. "Phone cloning" was necessary for using devices on older 3G-only MVNOs, but it's no longer the case now that Verizon uses SIM cards. (as do many Verizon MVNOs, like Straight Talk, Pageplus, etc)
As long as the G2 is in good standing (IMEI/ESN not blacklisted due to non-payment/stolen phone/etc), you can use it on ST. All you need to do is request a Verizon SIM from ST CS, pop it in the phone, and go. The $45 for Unlimited/Unlimited/5GB BYOP plan works fine on Verizon. Hell, as long as you have an activated SIM card, you can even use non-Verizon-approved LTE devices on a Verizon plan as long as it has the necessary LTE bands.
Why are you reviving an old, dead topic with outdated information?
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Thanks for the info, I was misinformed. Since I just canceled with Verizon and ate the ETF penalty, I still have my Verizon 4G sim. Can I use that with ST? Or do I still need to order an official ST branded sim to use with Verizon?

RunNgun42 said:
Thanks for the info, I was misinformed. Since I just canceled with Verizon and ate the ETF penalty, I still have my Verizon 4G sim. Can I use that with ST? Or do I still need to order an official ST branded sim to use with Verizon?
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Click to collapse
ST will give you a SIM when you sign up, but be sure that it's for the Verizon network.
If you're ordering over the phone, just tell the rep that you want it for Verizon.
If you're doing it in store, make sure you're getting the ST Activation Kit for Verizon. Apparently not all Walmarts carry the ST Verizon kit, so you might have to order over the phone/on ST's website.
Once you get it, just pop it in your Verizon G2 and you're good to go.

xtermmin said:
ST will give you a SIM when you sign up, but be sure that it's for the Verizon network.
If you're ordering over the phone, just tell the rep that you want it for Verizon.
If you're doing it in store, make sure you're getting the ST Activation Kit for Verizon. Apparently not all Walmarts carry the ST Verizon kit, so you might have to order over the phone/on ST's website.
Once you get it, just pop it in your Verizon G2 and you're good to go.
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Click to collapse
What seems so unreal about this is that I'm paying for Verizon service for less than Verizon charges. How the hell does that work for them? Does Verizon just make most of their money roping people into contracts for new phone subsidies? Do they severely deprioritize non VZW customers to the point that ST might be miserable on their network?

RunNgun42 said:
What seems so unreal about this is that I'm paying for Verizon service for less than Verizon charges. How the hell does that work for them? Does Verizon just make most of their money roping people into contracts for new phone subsidies? Do they severely deprioritize non VZW customers to the point that ST might be miserable on their network?
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Click to collapse
There are a few of catches to ST's service, which apply to other Verizon MVNOs as well:
1) Verizon postpaid has roaming on 3rd party networks, while prepaid and MVNOs are limited to Verizon's native network only.
2) Verizon MVNOs have lower priority than Verizon-proper. On congested towers, ST and other MVNOs will have the slowest speeds.
3) Similar to the above, all Verizon MVNOs are capped at 5mbps LTE speeds. So not only do ST/MVNOs have the lowest priority, but even on uncongested towers their speeds are limited.
On the plus side, you get Verizon coverage, the largest data bucket at the $45 price point (5GB), and no additional charges/suspended data after you use your allotment (ST throttles to 64kbps after).
If priority and speeds are important, Verizon Prepaid has unlimited talk+text+2GB data (suspended after unless you pay for more) for $45. Higher priority than MVNOs and no speed restrictions.

[Q] newbie question, AT&T or TMO Moto X outside US

Hey all,
Hope this is in the right place. Saw a few similar questions, but nothing exactly like what I was looking for.
I currently have a VZW Galaxy Nexus, rooted, running Shiny ROM with Xposed and GravityBox. Thinking about dumping VZW and going to a Moto X on AT&T or TMO, both prepaid. Question is, which carrier's phone would I be able to use outside the US? I'll be going to Europe this summer and would like to purchase a local SIM in Europe and use it there, instead of paying roaming fees on AT&T or TMO.
According to Wikipedia (can't post link) and what I've read on here, the TMO version is SIM unlocked. So this means it will work on all GSM carriers, right? In the US, that would be AT&T (if TMO doesn't have good signal where I live), and when I travel, that means I can use a local SIM, correct?
Thanks in advance, any help is appreciated!

lmm5247 said:
Hey all,
Hope this is in the right place. Saw a few similar questions, but nothing exactly like what I was looking for.
I currently have a VZW Galaxy Nexus, rooted, running Shiny ROM with Xposed and GravityBox. Thinking about dumping VZW and going to a Moto X on AT&T or TMO, both prepaid. Question is, which carrier's phone would I be able to use outside the US? I'll be going to Europe this summer and would like to purchase a local SIM in Europe and use it there, instead of paying roaming fees on AT&T or TMO.
According to Wikipedia (can't post link) and what I've read on here, the TMO version is SIM unlocked. So this means it will work on all GSM carriers, right? In the US, that would be AT&T (if TMO doesn't have good signal where I live), and when I travel, that means I can use a local SIM, correct?
Thanks in advance, any help is appreciated!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yep, that's correct. T-mo is SIM unlocked. I use mine with AT&T actually too. It should work abroad with no trouble other than tracking down a local nano sim or cutting one down.
If however you want to use LTE abroad I don't think the bands in the T-Mobile version match those used in Europe. HSPA+ should work fine though.
From my experience when traveling abroad a prepaid SIM w/ LTE was way more expensive than something I wanted just for being able to gchat home and look up directions on gmaps so it was a moot point.

superm1 said:
Yep, that's correct. T-mo is SIM unlocked. I use mine with AT&T actually too. It should work abroad with no trouble other than tracking down a local nano sim or cutting one down.
If however you want to use LTE abroad I don't think the bands in the T-Mobile version match those used in Europe. HSPA+ should work fine though.
From my experience when traveling abroad a prepaid SIM w/ LTE was way more expensive than something I wanted just for being able to gchat home and look up directions on gmaps so it was a moot point.
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Thanks, that's exactly what I was looking for! I figured LTE wouldn't work in Europe, I was fine with settling for HSPA+ or 3G.
Found a thread here explaining the differences between AT&T, TMO, and Dev Edition. From what I can see, the TMO edition is more flexible than the AT&T edition. Only difference compared to Dev Edition is that unlocking the bootloader on TMO voids your warranty.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2546466

lmm5247 said:
Thanks, that's exactly what I was looking for! I figured LTE wouldn't work in Europe, I was fine with settling for HSPA+ or 3G.
Found a thread here explaining the differences between AT&T, TMO, and Dev Edition. From what I can see, the TMO edition is more flexible than the AT&T edition. Only difference compared to Dev Edition is that unlocking the bootloader on TMO voids your warranty.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2546466
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Click to collapse
LTE works in Europe although is not yet as widely spreaded as in the USA. But you'll be fine with 3G which is fast enough and most countries are well covered with that network. More important issue is roaming if you are planning to visit different countries. You must switch between different operators and even using service from the same operator in different states ( e.g. T-mobile) imply roaming charges. In my opinion the best solution is using local sim with best data plan and voip for calling in every country. If you don't want to switch sim cards, you may find the best roaming solution with prepaid Vodafone Italy. You can buy its clone online (http://www.motorhomewifi.com/product/europa-sim-roaming-data-sim-card/) and refill it in any Vodafone shop around Europe.

Moto X XT1050W on Verizon WORKING

So last week I bought a Moto xt1060W on ebay for Verizon. When I got it on Friday I popped in the sim and set up the phone. Not really paying attention I rushed out the door as it was downloading updates on my way to Comicon. When I got there I noticed I had no 4G service or data so I could only send and receive phone calls. I didn't get home til late so I decided to try and resolve it in the morning.
The next day while investigating the cause of no data I discovered that it was indeed NOT a Moto X xt1060 VZW device. It was a Moto X xt1050W made for regional carriers in the Illinois areas (probably thumb). The device has no VZW or other carrier software or branding. It does use same bands as VZW. I contacted the seller who swore up and down he had the device on Verizon for several months with no issues, but had bought the device from a local phone store. I contacted the VZW support and they basically told me that since it wasn't a Verizon phone there was nothing I could do.
.
I was pretty bummed and had started the return procedures through ebay but decided to hold off and look into it for one more day.
After some investigating with the seller we determined the only thing of difference was that the device I bought had different APN settings. So I found some VZW APN settings online and configured the phone. Now it works on VZW with no issues. I looked online and I have found no other case of a non VZW device being allowed to function on their network.
Did I miss something in my searching? If so is it not true that other unlocked phones from the same carriers would work with an APN tweak?

Is it possible that whatever regional carrier the phone was made for was part of the Verizon network? For example, I used to use Qwest wireless a long time ago with our family plan. It operated on the Sprint network, but was branded as Qwest. Eventually they stopped using the Qwest name and just offered bundled service with Verizon branded phones and service (we had to buy all new phones to get on the Verizon network).
So if the phone was part of a carrier that piggybacked on VZW, the necessary info (IMEI?) would be in their databases to allow it, so long as your settings are configured correctly, as you described.
I know there was a lot of confusion about this with the Nexus 6 coming out where previously carriers like Sprint and VZW would not allow a device that wasn't purchased through them to be on the network. VZW people seemed to get in without issue, but Sprint users had a ton of issues for devices bought from Moto or Google Play vs. direct from Sprint. It was cleared up eventually, but it was a nightmare.

I believe that is the case. Now I want to try and replicate this with a virgin mobile device. I find in my area a lot of these smaller carriers phones get resold dirt cheap so I can pick up something nice phones of I can replicate this.

[Q] xt1053 on AT&T - No LTE after update to 5.1

I have a T-Mobile retail 1st gen ( xt1053 ) that has been on AT+T since new with no issues. Now, since updating to the OTA 5.1 I've lost LTE. I get 4G, but I've confirmed I'm getting HPSA+ speeds only, and the notification lists "4G" whereas before the update to Loillipop it specified LTE. I've kept it stock since the update and everything else works, just no LTE.
Again, before the update I *did* get LTE. I've read about AT&T needing to "provision" an account for LTE, and that maybe this wouldn't be automatic if you were using a non-AT&T phone, but since i had LTE before with this phone, and the only change was the update, I don't know if that could be the issue.
Anybody else run into this ?

ThePFJ said:
I have a T-Mobile retail 1st gen ( xt1053 ) that has been on AT+T since new with no issues. Now, since updating to the OTA 5.1 I've lost LTE. I get 4G, but I've confirmed I'm getting HPSA+ speeds only, and the notification lists "4G" whereas before the update to Loillipop it specified LTE. I've kept it stock since the update and everything else works, just no LTE.
Again, before the update I *did* get LTE. I've read about AT&T needing to "provision" an account for LTE, and that maybe this wouldn't be automatic if you were using a non-AT&T phone, but since i had LTE before with this phone, and the only change was the update, I don't know if that could be the issue.
Anybody else run into this ?
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Click to collapse
Unfortunately don't know the reason for that, would think something in the settings, or some update to the modem/radio?
But do have a question -my friend has the same phone Retail XT1053 using AT&T, but doesn't get LTE, at least wasn't before 5.0, will assume still not.
Wondering if you had to change any settings to get LTE -AT&T said it's not possible on that phone, but did see some posts in the past about changing some settings to get LTE (i.e, settings under data to automatic, etc) but his doesn't have the options mentioned.
Hope you get it figured out, will be interested, too

Family has 4 XT1053's on AT&T for the past 15 months and we all get LTE. Didn't have to do anything special. They put nano SIMs in our phones at one of their company retail stores, and it just works. Was roaming in Canada last week on Rodgers, and got LTE there as well. Don't remember having to do anything with the APN setting either. The XT1053 is missing one of the AT&T LTE bands which is on their model, but didn't think they were using that band in the US yet. Maybe that has changed and that band is used in your area. None of us have upgraded to 5.1 yet so can't comment on changes from the new OS.

M973 said:
But do have a question -my friend has the same phone Retail XT1053 using AT&T, but doesn't get LTE, at least wasn't before 5.0, will assume still not.
Wondering if you had to change any settings to get LTE -AT&T said it's not possible on that phone, but did see some posts in the past about changing some settings to get LTE (i.e, settings under data to automatic, etc) but his doesn't have the options mentioned.
Hope you get it figured out, will be interested, too
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When I switched from my Galaxy S2 on AT+T to the xt1053 I didn't have to change anything. I did have the same issue for a few days, but then one day LTE was there. Since the S2 was a non-LTE phone I just figured there was something that needed to happen on the backend for AT&T to enable it. If you search online there are numerous people having the same issue for multiple phones - usually non-AT&T specific unlocked models. Some people claim AT&T support was able to do something for them, others say that putting their SIM in an AT&T branded phone let it "register" and after that they got LTE. I didn't have to do either, it just came on after a couple days. I was about to go to the nearest AT&T store, but then LTE started working.
So...I don't know what the real fix was back then. Since I get good enough speed to stream, which is all I need, it's not critical, just annoying. It's been 2 weeks since I updated, so I'll probably head to the store this weekend to see if they can help.

larry62 said:
Family has 4 XT1053's on AT&T for the past 15 months and we all get LTE. Didn't have to do anything special. They put nano SIMs in our phones at one of their company retail stores, and it just works. Was roaming in Canada last week on Rodgers, and got LTE there as well. Don't remember having to do anything with the APN setting either. The XT1053 is missing one of the AT&T LTE bands which is on their model, but didn't think they were using that band in the US yet. Maybe that has changed and that band is used in your area. None of us have upgraded to 5.1 yet so can't comment on changes from the new OS.
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Thanks. I went with the friend that has the XT1053 to a company AT&T store, showed them my phone, too, which is an AT&T branded XT1058 with LTE -he did seem a bit confused, but claimed mine could because it was AT&T branded, that his didn't support the bands for LTE but obviously people are able to get LTE on the XT1053 with AT&T

And once again LTE appeared without me doing anything. This time it just took longer than when I originally got the phone. Today ( 3 weeks exactly after flashing the OTA Lollipop update ) it decided to connect via LTE and not "just" 4G. As I said in the original post, back when I first got the phone ( Xmas 2013 ) it look 2 or maybe 3 days before it connected to LTE.
I just wish I knew what the trigger was.
Anyway, working now.