Yorkshire2GA

Hi,

Does anyone know if you need a credit history to get a contract mobile phone in the US? Thinking an iPhone with Verizon or AT&T?

Also, why are call packages so much more expensive than UK?

Thanks in advance.

Anian

They do a credit check, you are essentially signing up to pay for your phone over a couple of years.

DavidLemon

Don't use AT&T if you can help it. They are shite

I was shocked at how expensive a call plan is over here. Sprint are good. They also do iPhones.

Suppose it all depends on location, but in Boston AT&T coverage is not very good compared to other providers. Got wifey on Sprint and she is having no issues. I'm stuck with a work phone on AT&T.

Wibblypig

We got iphones on Verizon. We needed a SSN, so both had to be put in hubby's name as I am not entitled to a SSN (H4 visa!). As we had no credit history they also require a $400 deposit per phone which you get back after a year as long as you have paid on time etc.

It's worth checking with you employer to see if you can get a discount through work, my hubby gets a 25% discount which makes a decent discount on our plan.

Also if you do get an iphone and text a lot, check if who you text has an iphone (and IOS5), if so you can text using IMessage and it doesn't come out of you texts so you can get a cheap text bundle

HTH

Vicki

DeanUK2US

I get good coverage in NYC on AT&T. I have no complaints at all.

Bob

You'll have a credit check, then chances are you'll be asked to put down a deposit for lack of credit history.

AT&T aren't bad, just depends where you are....some locations Verizon are better, others not.

Sprint are on the brink of going under, so I'd be a bit wary of them.

Reason plans are more expensive, because you're paying for incoming as well as out going calls.

Jerseygirl

AT&T coverage is crap where I live...Verizon's is good. Like you said it depends what area you want to cover.

Brigette

I must be the only one that does not have problems with my AT&T coverage for my iPhone. I have no problems at all. Must be location

Hellopaul

If you can live without texts or internet on your phone, T-Mobile do a no-contract deal for $60 per month for two lines (ie. $30 each) including tax. Texts are a ludicrous 20¢ each to send or receive, so make sure you tell T-Mobile to switch them off or you'll be paying a few bucks each month to receive junk texts. I don't know what they charge for internet access.

There are better deals to be had on T-Mobile if you sign up for a 2-year contract. Every mobile phone contract I've looked into is a 2-year contract.

The nice thing is that T-Mobile actually use SIMs - most mobile phones over here use the weird CDMA system and do not have SIMs and are therefore very hard to un-attach to whatever network they're contracted into. So having SIMs means you can just bring your English phones pop in some SIMs and off you go (as we did).

And I think mobile phone providers are more expensive here because so many things "just are". Don't get me started on car insurance! I get the impression that Americans just accept that whatever they earn will just disappear on bills, crap healthcare and insurance.

Oh yeah - and if AT&T's landline / internet service is anything to go by, they are completely shite*. Happily, it looks like their attempt to take over T-Mobile is failing. They can't do anything right.

*Despite despising AT&T, I have AT&T "broadband" at home, which is $14.95 per month for a sluggish (but normal by US standards) 3Mb connection.

S Folinsky

FWIW, Verizon is the one who uses CDMA. Sprint uses a third system.

In reviewing our mobile phone usage, my other half used hers as simple POTS and not for all that much. It turned out that the best deal was to buy a Nokia phone from T-Mobile for about $60.00 and then a 1000 minutes for a $100 good for a year. No contract.

T-mobile is pushing a plan of two mobiles with un-limited text & internet for $50 per month for each phone [plus the taxes of course].

On land internet access, there are various services which may or may not be available. On speed of the connection, one may want to remember that if one uses home wireless, that will be the "choke point" -- 802.11n is slower than than the slowest DSL.

FWIW, AT&T wireless has much better coverage and signal in my location than Verizon.

Hellopaul

"if one uses home wireless, that will be the "choke point" -- 802.11n is slower than than the slowest DSL".....not so. The slowest speed that 802.11n will operate at is 6.5Mb/sec - twice the speed of my broadband. And it has a theoretical top speed of 600Mb/sec - this would only be a noticeable slow-down if you happened to live around Old Street in London and subscribed to Virgin's 1.5Gb/sec internet ...500x faster than my average American setup!

I can transfer large files between computers on my wireless network in a fraction of the time it'd take to download them.

Back onto the topic of mobile phones, presumably one is supposed to just throw away your non-SIM phone if you change providers. I suppose it's just one more way to increase consumption in this land of extreme waste.

S Folinsky

Dropped the old CDMA handsets off in the recycle bins at Best Buy.

I have no idea what an "average American setup" is anymore with the plethora of options available. DSL fits our modest needs.

Anian

Sprint uses CDMA too, but they also use iDEN.

gprob

Hey. I recently went through this process myself. I shopped around and because my credit history was non existent had to pay a deposit. ATT wanted $500 up front which I would get after 12mths, $300 with Verizon that I wouldn't get back until after the 2yr contract was up and $250 with Sprint that would get back after 12mths. I ended up going with Sprint, mainly because I was after the new iPhone and they had the cheapest plans anyway. Also I read in the fine print that if you are late with any monthly payment you will forfeit you're deposit. Good luck

ljaw2002uk

I am with T-mobile. No coverage issues, average costs, a good deal for calling and texting the UK though.

I just got added to my USC wife's plan when I moved over, so not sure how the credit check aspect would work!