Non-political things that make you say...WTF?!?! (Welcome To Florida!) **NOT CV RELATED** NO TALKY!

My current phone (OnePlus 8T) is 5G capable, but not with Verizon. The cellphone companies were good with letting you bring a phone from anywhere in the 4G era. Seems like we're back to the buy from us if you expect your phone to work 100%.

 

Jeez, I feel old. I still have an iPhone 6 and just switched from AT&T, the carrier I've had since I first got an iPhone, to T Mobile.

 

I believe he was saying "I fucked your mom in one"

 

Their refusal to adopt USB-C is laughable. But to your point: I wonder how much longer until you're forced to be on THEIR (Apple's) "proprietary" cellular network? You can't even charge an iPhone unless the cord manufacturer kissed their ring, how much longer will they afford you the "privilege" of using a network that isn't their own?

 

Relax, they’re about to be taken down a peg. Legislation is moving that will prevent this scenario in both the US and EU. The EU is also working to make USB-C the only acceptable standard (good luck with that). There will be a lot more fallout from the battle with Epic. Hang tight.

 

I’ve had iPhone since the very first, waited in line and paid $600 for it. I agree with the bullshit that they are the only ones using the charger that they do while the rest of the world is compatible. I’ve had one since day one and feel like I’d loose everything from my last 18 years if I switch to something else. As far as T mobile goes, at least where I live, they’re second rate trash. I’ve had them and left and went back thinking they were for sure better, nope. AT&T is where I spend way too much money

 

Everyone says i pay to much for Verizon, until we go somewhere and I'm the only one with service.

 

That was how it was when I got my current number 18 years ago. You want signal out and about or signal at home? I chose out and about. To this day I’m still waiting for them to boost their signal in my area. On a good day I’ll have 1 bar.

 

German engineering

https://www.instagram.com/p/CTuQym1g_dZ/

 

I think I'm coming up on 20 years for mine. It also depends on the phone too. My girl had an iPhone on Verizon and my Android phone usually had better service in some areas. I remember back in the day, I could never reach anyone with Cingular or Nextel. "All circuits are busy" or "We cannot reach the subscriber you're looking for" lol

 

I have a friend who did that. When I sent the article 6 months later announcing that Apple was going to sell them for, what was it, $400?, he stopped talking to me for several months.

 

I've always felt iPhones are more fashion accessories that happen to be a smartphone.

 

If you're actually old, get on the T-Mobile 55+ plans. Best bang for the buck for us geezers, assuming their coverage meets your needs. Two lines "unlimited" everything, plus included basic Netflix for $70/mo total including taxes & fees.

 

Another option, and you don't have to be old to take advantage of this one, is Visible. It's owned and runs on Verizon's network. They have this party pay deal. 25/mo for unlimited everything, though the hotspot is supposed to be limited to 1 device. That said I've run multiple devices off it in a test and it worked.

The party pay is weird. You get 15 off a month as long as 4 people in your party pay their bill on time. The party I joined has 25,000 people in it, so I don't foresee a time when at least 4 of them don't pay on time.

 

Yeah, Visible is kinda neat and kinda weird - and it looks like they'll start supporting Apple Watch cellular models*, so good option for folks.

VZW isn't an option for me though since I'm in a "shadow" due to local topography and their signal sux around my property. TMO & ATT towers are in the opposite direction and provide solid 5x5 signal even in the basement. While this is all less important with current wifi calling it is still an issue when in the yard and outside wifi coverage.

* FYI for TMO folks - they started offering a 500MB wearable plan a few months ago with a $5/mo total cost (w/ autopay). Of course they didn't widely announce the alternative to the unlimited data plan. I'm unsure yet whether music streaming via Pandora or similar counts into this data usage.

 

My AT&T was around $70 a month. My work reimbursed me, however the tightwads keep hacking away at our benefits (while giving the C Suite people huge salaries and bonuses) and my reimbursement went to $20/month recently. Still lucky as people in other states were reduced to zero. Apparently there are certain protections in my state...

Anyway, I looked at the usage stats for my phone and realized I barely use it. I do work from home (even pre-pandemic) so there's no reason too. So I shopped for the cheapest plan I could get from a reliable carrier and found a $15/month plan from T-Mobile. Has everything I need and as a bonus, gets 2-3 bars in my house vs 1 with AT&T.

Edit to add - While I feel old, I haven't hit 55 yet. Still a few years to go.

 

Might depend on the phone what is reported to the carrier when using hotspot. All of the Android phones I've had from Verizon I had modified them to get unlimited free hotspot. The last couple phones I've bought are direct from OnePlus, and the hotspot has just worked. I could never justify paying the extra cost for the low allowance Verizon offered. I probably only use it once, maybe twice a year for a day or two.

 

Dunno. I'm rocking a stock pixel 5, through visible. It just worked, no hassle. I barely use it myself, but a friend wanted to know if he could use it for his kids tablets when in the car so I tested it. In the end though, you're talking unlimited everything, including 5g for 25/mo. The fact that it even has hotspot is amazing.

 

WTF? We still talking about fones

 

Old people, talking about their 3G phones. Could be worse, bet they still have slide rules in case they lose power.