What are some of the recommended cellphones (smart phones) that are
under $ 130 ?

I don't do much with a phone,but have had a smart phone for a good
number of years and as it has a non user replaceble battery and is
getting some age on it I am thinking fo getting a new one.
I just don't see me using one of the $ 200 and up phones for anything.

I would like one that will connect to wifi as where I am at sometimes I
do no get good cell tower service from some companies.

I do want one that will fit in a pocket and not one of the large tablet
sizes. I have a tablet and laptop to carry around, but mostly use the
large screen and computer on the desk.

Right now the LG Astro 3 is lookiing good to me.

If I change services to Mint Mobile like I am thinking of Trader4 said
there is a code I could get so he could get credit for a new user. Not
sure if I go that rout,but may in a few months.

On Thu, 6 Feb 2020 15:24:51 -0500, Ralph Mowery
wrote:



What are some of the recommended cellphones (smart phones) that are
under $ 130 ?
I don't do much with a phone,but have had a smart phone for a good
number of years and as it has a non user replaceble battery and is
getting some age on it I am thinking fo getting a new one.
I just don't see me using one of the $ 200 and up phones for anything.
I would like one that will connect to wifi as where I am at sometimes I
do no get good cell tower service from some companies.
I do want one that will fit in a pocket and not one of the large tablet
sizes. I have a tablet and laptop to carry around, but mostly use the
large screen and computer on the desk.
Right now the LG Astro 3 is lookiing good to me.
If I change services to Mint Mobile like I am thinking of Trader4 said
there is a code I could get so he could get credit for a new user. Not
sure if I go that rout,but may in a few months.



.... no help here - I'm still using my 9 year old Nokia flip phone -
... original battery is still fine.. it has been dropped on the
floor/sidewalk about 5 or 6 times .. $ 100. per year for service.
I'm gonna miss it when it's gone.
John T.

In alt.home.repair, on Thu, 6 Feb 2020 15:24:51 -0500, Ralph Mowery
wrote:



What are some of the recommended cellphones (smart phones) that are
under $ 130 ?

I don't do much with a phone,but have had a smart phone for a good
number of years and as it has a non user replaceble battery and is

That it says that doesn't make it true. Check google for a video or
instructions on how to change even a non-changeable battery. My last
phone, that was stolen, had a non-replaceable battery and a video like
that, and replacement batteries for sale. Basically it showed how to
pop open the case and how to unstick the battery which is attached to
the case with double-sided tape. I'm pretty sure yours is like that
too. What make and model is it?

Don't know about the replacement phone, havne't checked it.

getting some age on it I am thinking fo getting a new one.
I just don't see me using one of the $ 200 and up phones for anything.

I would like one that will connect to wifi as where I am at sometimes I
do no get good cell tower service from some companies.

I think they all do that but maybe not if it's cheap enough. ;-(

I do want one that will fit in a pocket and not one of the large tablet
sizes. I have a tablet and laptop to carry around, but mostly use the
large screen and computer on the desk.

Right now the LG Astro 3 is lookiing good to me.

https://www.gsmarena.com/lg-phones-20.php gsmarena.com has loads of
info about most phones, but this one isn't listed.

If I change services to Mint Mobile like I am thinking of Trader4 said
there is a code I could get so he could get credit for a new user. Not
sure if I go that rout,but may in a few months.

I use them too. Last year they increased the amount of data without
raising the price. I pay yearly (but they send annoying texts every
month to tell me I have a new month. I haven't tried yet but I have a
feeling I won't be able to get them to stop. I could have gotten by on
the lowest amonnt of data but decided to treat myself to one level
better, anothe 60 a year, which I'm pretty sure I've never used.

But when I stayed some place for 10 days with no internet, before I got
Mint, I used a lot of data as a hotspot supplying the laptop. Hotspot
ability is probably less common than wifi-enabled.

Mint uses T-mobile equipment and there is supposed to be blanket
coverage around Baltimore, all of Md, Pa. Va. except probably a few
spots in the middle of the mountains. They have a webpage which gives
locations all around where I was and either customer feedback or
something else attesting to coverage. But last week I was in one spot
in Eldersburg and I couldnt' get data or phone. A mile away I could. I
bought a new app for the phone which says which cell tower it's using,
but I haven't been out there yet to see what it says. If you want I'll
go next week. It's a curiosity.

You can probably get better info on comp.mobile.android.

There is also uk.telecom.mobile,alt.satellite.gps fwiw.

In article ,
says...
That it says that doesn't make it true. Check google for a video or
instructions on how to change even a non-changeable battery. My last
phone, that was stolen, had a non-replaceable battery and a video like
that, and replacement batteries for sale. Basically it showed how to
pop open the case and how to unstick the battery which is attached to
the case with double-sided tape. I'm pretty sure yours is like that
too. What make and model is it?




Yes, most batteries can be changed if you can find them. It has been my
expierence that for devices of $ 100 or less the batteries are often
near the cost of a new device. I do want to up grade the phone I have .
It is getting some age on it and does not have a sim slot and very
limiated memory.

I did make a mistake on the spelling of the LG phone I am looking at. It
is a LG Aristo 3.

I have about 2 weeks to make a decision on what I really want to do
before the next pay cycle is due on the cell service.

On Thu, 6 Feb 2020 15:24:51 -0500, Ralph Mowery
wrote:



What are some of the recommended cellphones (smart phones) that are
under $ 130 ?

I don't do much with a phone,but have had a smart phone for a good
number of years and as it has a non user replaceble battery and is
getting some age on it I am thinking fo getting a new one.
I just don't see me using one of the $ 200 and up phones for anything.

I would like one that will connect to wifi as where I am at sometimes I
do no get good cell tower service from some companies.

I do want one that will fit in a pocket and not one of the large tablet
sizes. I have a tablet and laptop to carry around, but mostly use the
large screen and computer on the desk.

Right now the LG Astro 3 is lookiing good to me.

If I change services to Mint Mobile like I am thinking of Trader4 said
there is a code I could get so he could get credit for a new user. Not
sure if I go that rout,but may in a few months.
I've got a drawerful of blackberries that will fill the bill

On 2/6/2020 10:02 PM, Clare Snyder wrote:
On Thu, 6 Feb 2020 15:24:51 -0500, Ralph Mowery
wrote:



What are some of the recommended cellphones (smart phones) that are
under $ 130 ?

I don't do much with a phone,but have had a smart phone for a good
number of years and as it has a non user replaceble battery and is
getting some age on it I am thinking fo getting a new one.
I just don't see me using one of the $ 200 and up phones for anything.

I would like one that will connect to wifi as where I am at sometimes I
do no get good cell tower service from some companies.

I do want one that will fit in a pocket and not one of the large tablet
sizes. I have a tablet and laptop to carry around, but mostly use the
large screen and computer on the desk.

Right now the LG Astro 3 is lookiing good to me.

If I change services to Mint Mobile like I am thinking of Trader4 said
there is a code I could get so he could get credit for a new user. Not
sure if I go that rout,but may in a few months.
I've got a drawerful of blackberries that will fill the bill

Check out the Tracfone stuff at Walmart:
https://www.walmart.com/search/?quer...ahead=tracfone
My wife has an LG and it's pretty good. It was around $50. We buy a
year card with lots of voice minutes and text, plus 1.5G of data. Plus
they are running a special on the data:
https://www.tracfone.com/serviceplan...1S1_01_EP_wk06
Not bad for someone who isn't a big user or in a house where there is a
full feature smartphone.

On Thursday, February 6, 2020 at 3:25:00 PM UTC-5, Ralph Mowery wrote:
What are some of the recommended cellphones (smart phones) that are
under $ 130 ?

I don't do much with a phone,but have had a smart phone for a good
number of years and as it has a non user replaceble battery and is
getting some age on it I am thinking fo getting a new one.
I just don't see me using one of the $ 200 and up phones for anything.

I would like one that will connect to wifi as where I am at sometimes I
do no get good cell tower service from some companies.

All of them will connect to wifi for data and will default to that if a
wifi connection is available. But if you want to use wifi for calling,
unless you have one of the vew, oddball services that use it, eg
Republic?, then to do that you'd need to get a wifi calling service with
their app for the phone. Ooma or Google Voice for example. But then,
you'd need a different number for that, at least with all the ways that
I'm familiar with.





I do want one that will fit in a pocket and not one of the large tablet
sizes. I have a tablet and laptop to carry around, but mostly use the
large screen and computer on the desk.

Depends on what size pockets you have and expect to use and what exacty
"fits" means. I like a big screen, I use the phone for apps and data
a lot. I have a ZTE Blade Z Max, it has a 6" screen, 16GB Flash,
2GB RAM, fingerprint sensor, USB-C, quick charging. I just measured the
case, it's 6.75 by 3.5. That fits easily inside the pockets inside my
jackets that have them, if not inside the hand pockets. It fits in the
back pocket of my pants. But it's not going to fit, or not well, into
a typical shirt pocket and it's at the upper limit of what I think
is a usable size. I'm very happy with it. I just looked on Ebay,
you can get one brand new for $108, used for about half that. If you
don't currently have a smartphone size phone, I suggest cutting out a
couple pieces of cardboard to the sizes of phones you're considering
so you can try them in pockets, etc. That's what I did.

You can go on Ebay and search for cell phones that are on the Tmobile
network, so you know they are network compatible and most of them
were sold by the Tmobile carriers.
Make sure you're in just the cell phone category, so it doesn't display
cases, etc. Then filter on networks, selecting only Tmobile and MetroPCS.
Also filter to de-select non-working ones. Then you can see what phones
are already on Tmobile network, that will work, etc. And then you can
look up their sizes, features, etc. Other GSM capable phones will work
too, but that's an easy place to start. I think LG phones are fine. An LG was
my other choice when I went with ZTE. ZTE gives more bang for the buck.



Right now the LG Astro 3 is lookiing good to me.

If I change services to Mint Mobile like I am thinking of Trader4 said
there is a code I could get so he could get credit for a new user. Not
sure if I go that rout,but may in a few months.

The important thing is what kind of coverage Tmobile has in the areas you're
going to be used in. If you know any people using TM or MetroPCS, you
can ask them. There are online services that will show coverage maps too.

And make sure whatever phone you buy, including any brand new one, is
not network locked.

On Thursday, February 6, 2020 at 5:31:36 PM UTC-5, micky wrote:
In alt.home.repair, on Thu, 6 Feb 2020 15:24:51 -0500, Ralph Mowery
wrote:



What are some of the recommended cellphones (smart phones) that are
under $ 130 ?

I don't do much with a phone,but have had a smart phone for a good
number of years and as it has a non user replaceble battery and is

That it says that doesn't make it true. Check google for a video or
instructions on how to change even a non-changeable battery. My last
phone, that was stolen, had a non-replaceable battery and a video like
that, and replacement batteries for sale. Basically it showed how to
pop open the case and how to unstick the battery which is attached to
the case with double-sided tape. I'm pretty sure yours is like that
too. What make and model is it?

Don't know about the replacement phone, havne't checked it.

getting some age on it I am thinking fo getting a new one.
I just don't see me using one of the $ 200 and up phones for anything.

I would like one that will connect to wifi as where I am at sometimes I
do no get good cell tower service from some companies.

I think they all do that but maybe not if it's cheap enough. ;-(

I do want one that will fit in a pocket and not one of the large tablet
sizes. I have a tablet and laptop to carry around, but mostly use the
large screen and computer on the desk.

Right now the LG Astro 3 is lookiing good to me.

https://www.gsmarena.com/lg-phones-20.php gsmarena.com has loads of
info about most phones, but this one isn't listed.

If I change services to Mint Mobile like I am thinking of Trader4 said
there is a code I could get so he could get credit for a new user. Not
sure if I go that rout,but may in a few months.

I use them too. Last year they increased the amount of data without
raising the price. I pay yearly (but they send annoying texts every
month to tell me I have a new month. I haven't tried yet but I have a
feeling I won't be able to get them to stop.

Wow, one text a month and you're annoyed. Low threshold there.



I could have gotten by on
the lowest amonnt of data but decided to treat myself to one level
better, anothe 60 a year, which I'm pretty sure I've never used.

But when I stayed some place for 10 days with no internet, before I got
Mint, I used a lot of data as a hotspot supplying the laptop. Hotspot
ability is probably less common than wifi-enabled.

That's true and a great feature for Mint. Many of the higher price
carriers charge extra for hotspot/tethering.

In article , says...

Check out the Tracfone stuff at Walmart:
https://www.walmart.com/search/?quer...ahead=tracfone
My wife has an LG and it's pretty good. It was around $50. We buy a
year card with lots of voice minutes and text, plus 1.5G of data. Plus
they are running a special on the data:
https://www.tracfone.com/serviceplan...1S1_01_EP_wk06
Not bad for someone who isn't a big user or in a house where there is a
full feature smartphone.



I looked at some of the Tracfone stuff before and checked out that one.

The ammount of talk and text is ok, but the data is not. For about the
same price I can still go with the Mint Mobile and get unlimiated
talk/text and 3 gb of data each month. I don't care about the text as
in about 10 years of service I think I may have sent 10 text messages
and those were mainly becaues I could not get a phone call to my
children.

I am mainly looking for the 'best' phone for under about $ 130 or so
that uses the Android system.

On Thursday, February 6, 2020 at 3:25:00 PM UTC-5, Ralph Mowery wrote:
What are some of the recommended cellphones (smart phones) that are
under $ 130 ?

I don't do much with a phone,but have had a smart phone for a good
number of years and as it has a non user replaceble battery and is
getting some age on it I am thinking fo getting a new one.
I just don't see me using one of the $ 200 and up phones for anything.

I would like one that will connect to wifi as where I am at sometimes I
do no get good cell tower service from some companies.

I do want one that will fit in a pocket and not one of the large tablet
sizes. I have a tablet and laptop to carry around, but mostly use the
large screen and computer on the desk.

Right now the LG Astro 3 is lookiing good to me.

If I change services to Mint Mobile like I am thinking of Trader4 said
there is a code I could get so he could get credit for a new user. Not
sure if I go that rout,but may in a few months.

Forgot to add, when looking for a new phone, one thing I'd insist on is
quick charging, preferably Qualcomm, but if not then the manufacturer's alternative. I also strongly prefer USB-C connector, which goes in
either way, so you don't have to orient it right side up. I like the
fingerprint sensor too, I use that to unlock it. I didn't have that on
my list, didn't think I'd use it, but tried it for unlocking, it's fast
and better than entering a code. I'd probably want at least Android 9
today too. Unlike PCs, typically what you get is what you stay with,
they make patches, but if you get 7 they usually don't come out with
an 8 upgrade.

On Friday, February 7, 2020 at 10:23:04 AM UTC-5, Ralph Mowery wrote:
In article , says...

Check out the Tracfone stuff at Walmart:
https://www.walmart.com/search/?quer...ahead=tracfone
My wife has an LG and it's pretty good. It was around $50. We buy a
year card with lots of voice minutes and text, plus 1.5G of data. Plus
they are running a special on the data:
https://www.tracfone.com/serviceplan...1S1_01_EP_wk06
Not bad for someone who isn't a big user or in a house where there is a
full feature smartphone.



I looked at some of the Tracfone stuff before and checked out that one.

The ammount of talk and text is ok, but the data is not. For about the
same price I can still go with the Mint Mobile and get unlimiated
talk/text and 3 gb of data each month. I don't care about the text as
in about 10 years of service I think I may have sent 10 text messages
and those were mainly becaues I could not get a phone call to my
children.

I am mainly looking for the 'best' phone for under about $ 130 or so
that uses the Android system.

And that will work on the Tmobile network and sounds like you want a 5"
screen size max.

On Thursday, February 6, 2020 at 3:25:00 PM UTC-5, Ralph Mowery wrote:
What are some of the recommended cellphones (smart phones) that are
under $ 130 ?

I don't do much with a phone,but have had a smart phone for a good
number of years and as it has a non user replaceble battery and is
getting some age on it I am thinking fo getting a new one.
I just don't see me using one of the $ 200 and up phones for anything.

I would like one that will connect to wifi as where I am at sometimes I
do no get good cell tower service from some companies.

I do want one that will fit in a pocket and not one of the large tablet
sizes. I have a tablet and laptop to carry around, but mostly use the
large screen and computer on the desk.

Right now the LG Astro 3 is lookiing good to me.

If I change services to Mint Mobile like I am thinking of Trader4 said
there is a code I could get so he could get credit for a new user. Not
sure if I go that rout,but may in a few months.

That LG phone looks very light to me:

LG Aristo 3

Processor. ARM Cortex-A53, 1400 MHz, Cores: 4.
RAM. 2 GB, 667 MHz.
Storage. 16 GB.
Display. 5 in, IPS, 720 x 1280 pixels, 24 bit.
Camera. 4160 x 3120 pixels, 1920 x 1080 pixels, 30 fps.
Battery. 2500 mAh, Li-Ion.


The ZTE that I bought two years ago has 8 cores, 1.2 ghz and it was
a $130 phone, new. I think you can do a lot better.

On 2/7/2020 10:22 AM, Ralph Mowery wrote:
In article , says...

Check out the Tracfone stuff at Walmart:
https://www.walmart.com/search/?quer...ahead=tracfone
My wife has an LG and it's pretty good. It was around $50. We buy a
year card with lots of voice minutes and text, plus 1.5G of data. Plus
they are running a special on the data:
https://www.tracfone.com/serviceplan...1S1_01_EP_wk06
Not bad for someone who isn't a big user or in a house where there is a
full feature smartphone.



I looked at some of the Tracfone stuff before and checked out that one.

The ammount of talk and text is ok, but the data is not. For about the
same price I can still go with the Mint Mobile and get unlimiated
talk/text and 3 gb of data each month. I don't care about the text as
in about 10 years of service I think I may have sent 10 text messages
and those were mainly becaues I could not get a phone call to my
children.

I am mainly looking for the 'best' phone for under about $ 130 or so
that uses the Android system.


My wife has a Tracfone with limited minutes and data for $125/yr. I
just have a flip Tracfone for $100/yr and I see they advertise $20 a
month for unlimited talk and text and a gig data. For $25 you get two
gigs Nice thing with Tracfone is you can roll the minutes and I assume
the text over from month to month and upon renewal of the plan. Not
sure others let you do this.

Don't like the cheap off brand phone my wife has and if I were to get a
smart phone I'd go for an LG or Samsung in your price range.

In article ,
says...

The important thing is what kind of coverage Tmobile has in the areas you're
going to be used in. If you know any people using TM or MetroPCS, you
can ask them. There are online services that will show coverage maps too.

And make sure whatever phone you buy, including any brand new one, is
not network locked.



I think I am going with the LG Aristo 3 plus. Found some new unlocked
ones on ebay for about $ 75. I think they were locked to a service,but
the seller is unlocking them.

Mint mobile sells the same type phone so should work with that service.

I have a smart phone that is about 5 x 2.5 inches that fits me fine. I
do not want one that is much if any larger. That one goes in the
pockets very well.

On Fri, 7 Feb 2020 07:22:37 -0800 (PST), trader_4
wrote:

On Thursday, February 6, 2020 at 5:31:36 PM UTC-5, micky wrote:
In alt.home.repair, on Thu, 6 Feb 2020 15:24:51 -0500, Ralph Mowery
wrote:



What are some of the recommended cellphones (smart phones) that are
under $ 130 ?

I don't do much with a phone,but have had a smart phone for a good
number of years and as it has a non user replaceble battery and is

That it says that doesn't make it true. Check google for a video or
instructions on how to change even a non-changeable battery. My last
phone, that was stolen, had a non-replaceable battery and a video like
that, and replacement batteries for sale. Basically it showed how to
pop open the case and how to unstick the battery which is attached to
the case with double-sided tape. I'm pretty sure yours is like that
too. What make and model is it?

Don't know about the replacement phone, havne't checked it.

getting some age on it I am thinking fo getting a new one.
I just don't see me using one of the $ 200 and up phones for anything.

I would like one that will connect to wifi as where I am at sometimes I
do no get good cell tower service from some companies.

I think they all do that but maybe not if it's cheap enough. ;-(

I do want one that will fit in a pocket and not one of the large tablet
sizes. I have a tablet and laptop to carry around, but mostly use the
large screen and computer on the desk.

Right now the LG Astro 3 is lookiing good to me.

https://www.gsmarena.com/lg-phones-20.php gsmarena.com has loads of
info about most phones, but this one isn't listed.

If I change services to Mint Mobile like I am thinking of Trader4 said
there is a code I could get so he could get credit for a new user. Not
sure if I go that rout,but may in a few months.

I use them too. Last year they increased the amount of data without
raising the price. I pay yearly (but they send annoying texts every
month to tell me I have a new month. I haven't tried yet but I have a
feeling I won't be able to get them to stop.

Wow, one text a month and you're annoyed. Low threshold there.



I could have gotten by on
the lowest amonnt of data but decided to treat myself to one level
better, anothe 60 a year, which I'm pretty sure I've never used.

But when I stayed some place for 10 days with no internet, before I got
Mint, I used a lot of data as a hotspot supplying the laptop. Hotspot
ability is probably less common than wifi-enabled.

That's true and a great feature for Mint. Many of the higher price
carriers charge extra for hotspot/tethering.

I was under the (probably mistaken) impression that carriers have to allow
tethering and hotspot at no extra charge.

There was a Verizon v FCC case in about 2012 that I thought had resulted in
an industry shift away from charging extra and simply rolling the cost into
the overall plan fee.

On Friday, February 7, 2020 at 7:16:30 PM UTC-5, Jim Joyce wrote:
On Fri, 7 Feb 2020 07:22:37 -0800 (PST), trader_4
wrote:

On Thursday, February 6, 2020 at 5:31:36 PM UTC-5, micky wrote:
In alt.home.repair, on Thu, 6 Feb 2020 15:24:51 -0500, Ralph Mowery
wrote:



What are some of the recommended cellphones (smart phones) that are
under $ 130 ?

I don't do much with a phone,but have had a smart phone for a good
number of years and as it has a non user replaceble battery and is

That it says that doesn't make it true. Check google for a video or
instructions on how to change even a non-changeable battery. My last
phone, that was stolen, had a non-replaceable battery and a video like
that, and replacement batteries for sale. Basically it showed how to
pop open the case and how to unstick the battery which is attached to
the case with double-sided tape. I'm pretty sure yours is like that
too. What make and model is it?

Don't know about the replacement phone, havne't checked it.

getting some age on it I am thinking fo getting a new one.
I just don't see me using one of the $ 200 and up phones for anything.

I would like one that will connect to wifi as where I am at sometimes I
do no get good cell tower service from some companies.

I think they all do that but maybe not if it's cheap enough. ;-(

I do want one that will fit in a pocket and not one of the large tablet
sizes. I have a tablet and laptop to carry around, but mostly use the
large screen and computer on the desk.

Right now the LG Astro 3 is lookiing good to me.

https://www.gsmarena.com/lg-phones-20.php gsmarena.com has loads of
info about most phones, but this one isn't listed.

If I change services to Mint Mobile like I am thinking of Trader4 said
there is a code I could get so he could get credit for a new user. Not
sure if I go that rout,but may in a few months.

I use them too. Last year they increased the amount of data without
raising the price. I pay yearly (but they send annoying texts every
month to tell me I have a new month. I haven't tried yet but I have a
feeling I won't be able to get them to stop.

Wow, one text a month and you're annoyed. Low threshold there.



I could have gotten by on
the lowest amonnt of data but decided to treat myself to one level
better, anothe 60 a year, which I'm pretty sure I've never used.

But when I stayed some place for 10 days with no internet, before I got
Mint, I used a lot of data as a hotspot supplying the laptop. Hotspot
ability is probably less common than wifi-enabled.

That's true and a great feature for Mint. Many of the higher price
carriers charge extra for hotspot/tethering.

I was under the (probably mistaken) impression that carriers have to allow
tethering and hotspot at no extra charge.

There was a Verizon v FCC case in about 2012 that I thought had resulted in
an industry shift away from charging extra and simply rolling the cost into
the overall plan fee.


From a quick google, I think what happened was Verizon was blocking customers
from using third party apps that allowed them to tether/hotspot. The FCC
said that they could not do that, that they couldn't deny customers the
ability to tether. I don't see where they said they could not charge for
it or limit it. I know that as of about two years ago, when I last looked
into what various carriers were doing before I switched, some were definitely charging
extra for tethering/hotspot and/or putting a low limit on the data usage
allowed for it. I can't imagine FCC getting their shorts in a knot over
that, it is additional usage.

https://community.verizonwireless.co...ng/td-p/546394


"In addition, the company recently revised its service offerings such that consumers on usage-based pricing plans may tether, using any application, without paying an additional fee".

Bottom line, anyone considering going to a new carrier should do all the
appropriate checking both for the carrier and the specific plan they
are looking at, eg prepaid vs billed, etc. Even after the FCC does
smack them around, some
are incredible shysters. Like unlocking. The FCC smacked them around
to play fair on that. But as of a couple years ago, I saw many threads
where Sprint was still screwing customers big time. You buy a locked phone,
you have it for the year on their network that they require. You decide
to go to another carrier, you want it unlocked. People said when they
called up, first they put them through every sales pitch, transfered them
to nowhere. If you persisted, finally they would get you to someone
that would give you the unlock code.
There is only one problem. Most phones, there is just a simple key sequence
to then enter the code and unlock it. With the phones these people bought
from Sprint, there was no way to put the code into the phone! They would
call Sprint, complain, and the answer was that it was up to the customer's
new carrier to put the code into the Sprint phone. Which of course they
can't do, the new carrier says it's not our phone, we know nothing about it,
etc. That is some mighty devious shystering.

On Fri, 7 Feb 2020 18:52:22 -0800 (PST), trader_4
wrote:

On Friday, February 7, 2020 at 7:16:30 PM UTC-5, Jim Joyce wrote:

I was under the (probably mistaken) impression that carriers have to allow
tethering and hotspot at no extra charge.

There was a Verizon v FCC case in about 2012 that I thought had resulted in
an industry shift away from charging extra and simply rolling the cost into
the overall plan fee.


From a quick google, I think what happened was Verizon was blocking customers
from using third party apps that allowed them to tether/hotspot. The FCC
said that they could not do that, that they couldn't deny customers the
ability to tether. I don't see where they said they could not charge for
it or limit it. I know that as of about two years ago, when I last looked
into what various carriers were doing before I switched, some were definitely charging
extra for tethering/hotspot and/or putting a low limit on the data usage
allowed for it. I can't imagine FCC getting their shorts in a knot over
that, it is additional usage.

https://community.verizonwireless.co...ng/td-p/546394


"In addition, the company recently revised its service offerings such that consumers on usage-based pricing plans may tether, using any application, without paying an additional fee".

Bottom line, anyone considering going to a new carrier should do all the
appropriate checking both for the carrier and the specific plan they
are looking at, eg prepaid vs billed, etc. Even after the FCC does
smack them around, some
are incredible shysters.

Thanks. As I feared, I was remembering incorrectly and now I know more than
I did.


Like unlocking. The FCC smacked them around
to play fair on that. But as of a couple years ago, I saw many threads
where Sprint was still screwing customers big time. You buy a locked phone,
you have it for the year on their network that they require. You decide
to go to another carrier, you want it unlocked. People said when they
called up, first they put them through every sales pitch, transfered them
to nowhere. If you persisted, finally they would get you to someone
that would give you the unlock code.
There is only one problem. Most phones, there is just a simple key sequence
to then enter the code and unlock it. With the phones these people bought
from Sprint, there was no way to put the code into the phone! They would
call Sprint, complain, and the answer was that it was up to the customer's
new carrier to put the code into the Sprint phone. Which of course they
can't do, the new carrier says it's not our phone, we know nothing about it,
etc. That is some mighty devious shystering.

I worked for Sprint for about 10 years and the above doesn't surprise me,
although it came long after I was gone.

On Friday, February 7, 2020 at 11:51:18 AM UTC-5, trader_4 wrote:
On Thursday, February 6, 2020 at 3:25:00 PM UTC-5, Ralph Mowery wrote:
What are some of the recommended cellphones (smart phones) that are
under $ 130 ?

I don't do much with a phone,but have had a smart phone for a good
number of years and as it has a non user replaceble battery and is
getting some age on it I am thinking fo getting a new one.
I just don't see me using one of the $ 200 and up phones for anything.

I would like one that will connect to wifi as where I am at sometimes I
do no get good cell tower service from some companies.

I do want one that will fit in a pocket and not one of the large tablet
sizes. I have a tablet and laptop to carry around, but mostly use the
large screen and computer on the desk.

Right now the LG Astro 3 is lookiing good to me.

If I change services to Mint Mobile like I am thinking of Trader4 said
there is a code I could get so he could get credit for a new user. Not
sure if I go that rout,but may in a few months.

That LG phone looks very light to me:

LG Aristo 3

Processor. ARM Cortex-A53, 1400 MHz, Cores: 4.
RAM. 2 GB, 667 MHz.
Storage. 16 GB.
Display. 5 in, IPS, 720 x 1280 pixels, 24 bit.
Camera. 4160 x 3120 pixels, 1920 x 1080 pixels, 30 fps.
Battery. 2500 mAh, Li-Ion.


The ZTE that I bought two years ago has 8 cores, 1.2 ghz and it was
a $130 phone, new. I think you can do a lot better.

Disregard the above, my mistake. I was looking at the 667 Mhz which I guess
is the RAM speed and comparing that to the 1.2 Mhz speed of my phone.
The CPU speed of the LG is 1.4 Mhz, so it's actually faster than my
1.2 Mhz phone. So it's LG 1.4 with 4 cores vs ZTE 1.2 with 8. IDK
how much difference more cores vs more raw speed makes, 4 at 1.4
might be faster than 8 at 1.2. So, that LG should be fine.

In article ,
says...

Disregard the above, my mistake. I was looking at the 667 Mhz which I guess
is the RAM speed and comparing that to the 1.2 Mhz speed of my phone.
The CPU speed of the LG is 1.4 Mhz, so it's actually faster than my
1.2 Mhz phone. So it's LG 1.4 with 4 cores vs ZTE 1.2 with 8. IDK
how much difference more cores vs more raw speed makes, 4 at 1.4
might be faster than 8 at 1.2. So, that LG should be fine.




OK, the LG Aristo 3 plus is what I have coming. Should be here Monday
or Tuesday if the tracking info is on target.

YOu mentioned a code where you could get a 'rebate' of sorts for others
that you recommended to switch to Mint Mobile. If you can send me that
code, I will use it if I switch which looks like I will if the phone
pans out.

On Saturday, February 8, 2020 at 10:31:28 AM UTC-5, Ralph Mowery wrote:
In article ,
says...

Disregard the above, my mistake. I was looking at the 667 Mhz which I guess
is the RAM speed and comparing that to the 1.2 Mhz speed of my phone.
The CPU speed of the LG is 1.4 Mhz, so it's actually faster than my
1.2 Mhz phone. So it's LG 1.4 with 4 cores vs ZTE 1.2 with 8. IDK
how much difference more cores vs more raw speed makes, 4 at 1.4
might be faster than 8 at 1.2. So, that LG should be fine.




OK, the LG Aristo 3 plus is what I have coming. Should be here Monday
or Tuesday if the tracking info is on target.

YOu mentioned a code where you could get a 'rebate' of sorts for others
that you recommended to switch to Mint Mobile. If you can send me that
code, I will use it if I switch which looks like I will if the phone
pans out.


Great! Here's the link:

http://fbuy.me/oGzRM

That "o" is the lower case letter o, not a zero


You get $15 good for your first renewal, I get $25
That link takes you to the Mint website where you then purchase the plan.
You need to make sure you purchase it via that link for us to get the credits.

The whole process worked easy for me. They send you the sim, pop it in
and it was working instantly. Hope it works out for you.

Thanks

In alt.home.repair, on Fri, 07 Feb 2020 18:16:28 -0600, Jim Joyce
wrote:

On Fri, 7 Feb 2020 07:22:37 -0800 (PST), trader_4
wrote:

On Thursday, February 6, 2020 at 5:31:36 PM UTC-5, micky wrote:
In alt.home.repair, on Thu, 6 Feb 2020 15:24:51 -0500, Ralph Mowery
wrote:



What are some of the recommended cellphones (smart phones) that are
under $ 130 ?

I don't do much with a phone,but have had a smart phone for a good
number of years and as it has a non user replaceble battery and is

That it says that doesn't make it true. Check google for a video or
instructions on how to change even a non-changeable battery. My last
phone, that was stolen, had a non-replaceable battery and a video like
that, and replacement batteries for sale. Basically it showed how to
pop open the case and how to unstick the battery which is attached to
the case with double-sided tape. I'm pretty sure yours is like that
too. What make and model is it?

Don't know about the replacement phone, havne't checked it.

getting some age on it I am thinking fo getting a new one.
I just don't see me using one of the $ 200 and up phones for anything.

I would like one that will connect to wifi as where I am at sometimes I
do no get good cell tower service from some companies.

I think they all do that but maybe not if it's cheap enough. ;-(

I do want one that will fit in a pocket and not one of the large tablet
sizes. I have a tablet and laptop to carry around, but mostly use the
large screen and computer on the desk.

Right now the LG Astro 3 is lookiing good to me.

https://www.gsmarena.com/lg-phones-20.php gsmarena.com has loads of
info about most phones, but this one isn't listed.

If I change services to Mint Mobile like I am thinking of Trader4 said
there is a code I could get so he could get credit for a new user. Not
sure if I go that rout,but may in a few months.

I use them too. Last year they increased the amount of data without
raising the price. I pay yearly (but they send annoying texts every
month to tell me I have a new month. I haven't tried yet but I have a
feeling I won't be able to get them to stop.

Wow, one text a month and you're annoyed. Low threshold there.



I could have gotten by on
the lowest amonnt of data but decided to treat myself to one level
better, anothe 60 a year, which I'm pretty sure I've never used.

But when I stayed some place for 10 days with no internet, before I got
Mint, I used a lot of data as a hotspot supplying the laptop. Hotspot
ability is probably less common than wifi-enabled.

That's true and a great feature for Mint. Many of the higher price
carriers charge extra for hotspot/tethering.

I was under the (probably mistaken) impression that carriers have to allow
tethering and hotspot at no extra charge.

Well I was talking about phones when I said hotspot was probably less
common than wifi. Wifi is just about universal iiuc and hotspot is
getting more and more common, except perhaps in very cheap phones.

As to providers, Mint allows hotsppot, but I guess there were ones
(still are??) that prohibited it. Strange, I would think they would
just charge more like the ones mentioned do.

Frankly, Ralph, it might be a mistake to save maybe $40 and get a phone
without certain capabilities. I'm as cheap as anybody, but upgrading a
phone is cheaper and maybe as worthwhile as upgradinga car which would
cost several thosand. When I read about hotspot, I thought, "I'll never
use that" but then I stayed that one place for 10 days and the following
year another place for 6 weeks. I'd have no interneet on the laptop
without hotspot on the phone. And it's fast too, faster than DSL iirc.

There was a Verizon v FCC case in about 2012 that I thought had resulted in
an industry shift away from charging extra and simply rolling the cost into
the overall plan fee.

In article ,
says...

As to providers, Mint allows hotsppot, but I guess there were ones
(still are??) that prohibited it. Strange, I would think they would
just charge more like the ones mentioned do.

Frankly, Ralph, it might be a mistake to save maybe $40 and get a phone
without certain capabilities. I'm as cheap as anybody, but upgrading a
phone is cheaper and maybe as worthwhile as upgradinga car which would
cost several thosand. When I read about hotspot, I thought, "I'll never
use that" but then I stayed that one place for 10 days and the following
year another place for 6 weeks. I'd have no interneet on the laptop
without hotspot on the phone. And it's fast too, faster than DSL iirc.




It may be a mistake Micky. However I have had a smart phone for
probably 10 years and seldom use it for much. It is one that has
limited memory and no slot for a SD card. I felt like the battery is
probably ready for a new one at any time. The battery is not just a pop
in one. I could probably change it as I have a good electronic work
banch and microscope to work on the surface mounted devices. If like
most battery devices, it is almost as inexpensive to get a new one as it
is the battery.

I am retired so do not get out much where I really need a phone except
to make a call or two. I have been using the Republic system and it
works well except I do not have the cell data. This system works just
off the wifi networks unless I want to upgrade it, well,it will go to a
cell tower if it has to. The price was right at the time. Slightly
under $ 13 a month for text and messages. It does have the option of
upgrading for data off the cell system,but I have never needed it.

The way I understand how the phone system works, If I ever do find
myself in a situation like you all I have to do is go to Wally World or
Best Buy and get a phone and pop in the sim card.

I thought it would be good to ask over here about some of the services
and phones as there are are probably a couple of dozen cell compnaies
and hundreds of phones. Trader put me on Mint Mobile. For about $ 1.50
more a month I do get the data oprion. If I change phones, the price of
my Republic service would go up. They have a limitated selection of
phones.

I have been around the internet from the time of 2400 baud modems. I
was lucky where I worked I had access to a T1 line when most at home
were lucky to have a 56k modem. Working as a breakdown person at a large
plant gave me plenty of time at nights and weekends with no one around
and free time if nothing was broke gave me plenty of time to play with
the internet way back then.

On Sat, 8 Feb 2020 17:20:28 -0500, Ralph Mowery
wrote:

In article ,
says...

As to providers, Mint allows hotsppot, but I guess there were ones
(still are??) that prohibited it. Strange, I would think they would
just charge more like the ones mentioned do.
How can they or why would they restrict hotspotting? You pay by the
megabyte - whether it's on the phone or a connected device. Not sure
they can even tell.

Frankly, Ralph, it might be a mistake to save maybe $40 and get a phone
without certain capabilities. I'm as cheap as anybody, but upgrading a
phone is cheaper and maybe as worthwhile as upgradinga car which would
cost several thosand. When I read about hotspot, I thought, "I'll never
use that" but then I stayed that one place for 10 days and the following
year another place for 6 weeks. I'd have no interneet on the laptop
without hotspot on the phone. And it's fast too, faster than DSL iirc.



I bought my first new blackberry BRCAUSE I could hotspot it. Great
tool for troubleshooting customer internet problems - or downloading
drivers or updates for customers who don't have internet. A little
Netis WF2123 rides in my wallet all the time

It may be a mistake Micky. However I have had a smart phone for
probably 10 years and seldom use it for much. It is one that has
limited memory and no slot for a SD card. I felt like the battery is
probably ready for a new one at any time. The battery is not just a pop
in one. I could probably change it as I have a good electronic work
banch and microscope to work on the surface mounted devices. If like
most battery devices, it is almost as inexpensive to get a new one as it
is the battery.

I've never paid more than $15 for a cell phone battery

I am retired so do not get out much where I really need a phone except
to make a call or two. I have been using the Republic system and it
works well except I do not have the cell data. This system works just
off the wifi networks unless I want to upgrade it, well,it will go to a
cell tower if it has to. The price was right at the time. Slightly
under $ 13 a month for text and messages. It does have the option of
upgrading for data off the cell system,but I have never needed it.

The way I understand how the phone system works, If I ever do find
myself in a situation like you all I have to do is go to Wally World or
Best Buy and get a phone and pop in the sim card.

I thought it would be good to ask over here about some of the services
and phones as there are are probably a couple of dozen cell compnaies
and hundreds of phones. Trader put me on Mint Mobile. For about $ 1.50
more a month I do get the data oprion. If I change phones, the price of
my Republic service would go up. They have a limitated selection of
phones.

I have been around the internet from the time of 2400 baud modems. I
was lucky where I worked I had access to a T1 line when most at home
were lucky to have a 56k modem. Working as a breakdown person at a large
plant gave me plenty of time at nights and weekends with no one around
and free time if nothing was broke gave me plenty of time to play with
the internet way back then.
My first modem was 300 baud

On Saturday, February 8, 2020 at 5:20:37 PM UTC-5, Ralph Mowery wrote:
In article ,
says...

As to providers, Mint allows hotsppot, but I guess there were ones
(still are??) that prohibited it. Strange, I would think they would
just charge more like the ones mentioned do.

Frankly, Ralph, it might be a mistake to save maybe $40 and get a phone
without certain capabilities. I'm as cheap as anybody, but upgrading a
phone is cheaper and maybe as worthwhile as upgradinga car which would
cost several thosand. When I read about hotspot, I thought, "I'll never
use that" but then I stayed that one place for 10 days and the following
year another place for 6 weeks. I'd have no interneet on the laptop
without hotspot on the phone. And it's fast too, faster than DSL iirc.




It may be a mistake Micky. However I have had a smart phone for
probably 10 years and seldom use it for much. It is one that has
limited memory and no slot for a SD card. I felt like the battery is
probably ready for a new one at any time. The battery is not just a pop
in one. I could probably change it as I have a good electronic work
banch and microscope to work on the surface mounted devices. If like
most battery devices, it is almost as inexpensive to get a new one as it
is the battery.

I am retired so do not get out much where I really need a phone except
to make a call or two.

Different circumstances for different people. My mother doesn't drive,
so she uses Lyft; she finds it convenient to use the app on her phone.

When it works. She's got her phone screwed up somehow, so I'm going
there for a technical support visit in a couple of days. Worst come
to worst, we'll go to the Verizon store and ask for a factory reset.

Cindy Hamilton

On Saturday, February 8, 2020 at 4:17:52 PM UTC-5, micky wrote:
In alt.home.repair, on Fri, 07 Feb 2020 18:16:28 -0600, Jim Joyce
wrote:

On Fri, 7 Feb 2020 07:22:37 -0800 (PST), trader_4
wrote:

On Thursday, February 6, 2020 at 5:31:36 PM UTC-5, micky wrote:
In alt.home.repair, on Thu, 6 Feb 2020 15:24:51 -0500, Ralph Mowery
wrote:



What are some of the recommended cellphones (smart phones) that are
under $ 130 ?

I don't do much with a phone,but have had a smart phone for a good
number of years and as it has a non user replaceble battery and is

That it says that doesn't make it true. Check google for a video or
instructions on how to change even a non-changeable battery. My last
phone, that was stolen, had a non-replaceable battery and a video like
that, and replacement batteries for sale. Basically it showed how to
pop open the case and how to unstick the battery which is attached to
the case with double-sided tape. I'm pretty sure yours is like that
too. What make and model is it?

Don't know about the replacement phone, havne't checked it.

getting some age on it I am thinking fo getting a new one.
I just don't see me using one of the $ 200 and up phones for anything.

I would like one that will connect to wifi as where I am at sometimes I
do no get good cell tower service from some companies.

I think they all do that but maybe not if it's cheap enough. ;-(

I do want one that will fit in a pocket and not one of the large tablet
sizes. I have a tablet and laptop to carry around, but mostly use the
large screen and computer on the desk.

Right now the LG Astro 3 is lookiing good to me.

https://www.gsmarena.com/lg-phones-20.php gsmarena.com has loads of
info about most phones, but this one isn't listed.

If I change services to Mint Mobile like I am thinking of Trader4 said
there is a code I could get so he could get credit for a new user. Not
sure if I go that rout,but may in a few months.

I use them too. Last year they increased the amount of data without
raising the price. I pay yearly (but they send annoying texts every
month to tell me I have a new month. I haven't tried yet but I have a
feeling I won't be able to get them to stop.

Wow, one text a month and you're annoyed. Low threshold there.



I could have gotten by on
the lowest amonnt of data but decided to treat myself to one level
better, anothe 60 a year, which I'm pretty sure I've never used.

But when I stayed some place for 10 days with no internet, before I got
Mint, I used a lot of data as a hotspot supplying the laptop. Hotspot
ability is probably less common than wifi-enabled.

That's true and a great feature for Mint. Many of the higher price
carriers charge extra for hotspot/tethering.

I was under the (probably mistaken) impression that carriers have to allow
tethering and hotspot at no extra charge.

Well I was talking about phones when I said hotspot was probably less
common than wifi. Wifi is just about universal iiuc and hotspot is
getting more and more common, except perhaps in very cheap phones.



It's not a function of the phone. Any Android or iPhone will support
using it as a hotspot. The issue is what your carrier allows.

On Saturday, February 8, 2020 at 8:35:21 PM UTC-5, Clare Snyder wrote:
On Sat, 8 Feb 2020 17:20:28 -0500, Ralph Mowery
wrote:

In article ,
says...

As to providers, Mint allows hotsppot, but I guess there were ones
(still are??) that prohibited it. Strange, I would think they would
just charge more like the ones mentioned do.
How can they or why would they restrict hotspotting? You pay by the
megabyte - whether it's on the phone or a connected device. Not sure
they can even tell.

Most people are not paying by the megabyte, they have some form of 'unlimited"
data. And the carriers can tell. So, if you hotspot to three PCs and
quickly use up the 20GB of high speed data, they know and they care.
They don't want hogs sucking up the bandwith.

In article ,
says...

Most people are not paying by the megabyte, they have some form of 'unlimited"
data. And the carriers can tell. So, if you hotspot to three PCs and
quickly use up the 20GB of high speed data, they know and they care.
They don't want hogs sucking up the bandwith.






I did send off for a Lg Aristo 3 plus that should be here Monday and
just sent off for the 3 month trial of Mint Mobile. If it works out as
far as the service area I plan on renewing for a year at a time.
They did add in a tax and fee. Still will be less expensive than what
Republic would be for the same or slightly lesser service if I ever
change phones.

So if I did it right we should get that 'rebate' in a few months.
I went to the url you sent and it did not ask for any special codes.
It looked just like the other site.


From what I read into it, the service has unlimiated data. It is at
full speed for the first 3 GB and then slows down to what ammounts to
the old dial up speed. Might be good for text, but web pages and
pixtures will take a long time to send or receive. So it is almost like
just 3 GB of data.

If it connects to the wifi system for data and does not use the 3 GB of
data when on wifi, I doubt I will ever run out of data.

On another thought. While at a club meeting one night we were going to
have a skype session . The meeting place has some projctors that use
screens about 10 feet square. The connection was very slow and skype
was not keeping up due to many using the wifi system. A fellow did use
his phone as a hot spot and Skype worked like it was suppose to for
about a half hour.

On 2/9/2020 2:26 PM, Ralph Mowery wrote:
In article ,
says...

Most people are not paying by the megabyte, they have some form of 'unlimited"
data. And the carriers can tell. So, if you hotspot to three PCs and
quickly use up the 20GB of high speed data, they know and they care.
They don't want hogs sucking up the bandwith.






I did send off for a Lg Aristo 3 plus that should be here Monday and
just sent off for the 3 month trial of Mint Mobile. If it works out as
far as the service area I plan on renewing for a year at a time.
They did add in a tax and fee. Still will be less expensive than what
Republic would be for the same or slightly lesser service if I ever
change phones.

So if I did it right we should get that 'rebate' in a few months.
I went to the url you sent and it did not ask for any special codes.
It looked just like the other site.


From what I read into it, the service has unlimiated data. It is at
full speed for the first 3 GB and then slows down to what ammounts to
the old dial up speed. Might be good for text, but web pages and
pixtures will take a long time to send or receive. So it is almost like
just 3 GB of data.

If it connects to the wifi system for data and does not use the 3 GB of
data when on wifi, I doubt I will ever run out of data.

On another thought. While at a club meeting one night we were going to
have a skype session . The meeting place has some projctors that use
screens about 10 feet square. The connection was very slow and skype
was not keeping up due to many using the wifi system. A fellow did use
his phone as a hot spot and Skype worked like it was suppose to for
about a half hour.



My wife has only used her smartphone on wifi.

Wanted to mention and would like to hear how you make out that I think
her very cheap smartphone is short on battery power. PITA since none of
these phones have replaceable batteries. She had bought me a cheap
tablet and battery completely ran down in a couple of years.

In alt.home.repair, on Sun, 9 Feb 2020 14:57:37 -0500, Frank "frank
wrote:


My wife has only used her smartphone on wifi.

Wanted to mention and would like to hear how you make out that I think
her very cheap smartphone is short on battery power. PITA since none of
these phones have replaceable batteries. She had bought me a cheap
tablet and battery completely ran down in a couple of years.

Again, look on youtube for a video of how to change an non-replaceable
battery. If it's not there look in google. Then look in ebay and amazon
and google for the battery. For the phone that was stolen they had all
of that. I'm mad at the new phone (because the previous phone was
stolen, so I'm taking my anger out on the new one. ) and I haven't
checked any of that stuff yet.

I think you really only have to know how to open the case (without a
crowbar), because the rest is probably nearly obvious.

In alt.home.repair, on Sun, 9 Feb 2020 14:26:38 -0500, Ralph Mowery
wrote:

In article ,
says...

Most people are not paying by the megabyte, they have some form of 'unlimited"
data. And the carriers can tell. So, if you hotspot to three PCs and
quickly use up the 20GB of high speed data, they know and they care.
They don't want hogs sucking up the bandwith.






I did send off for a Lg Aristo 3 plus that should be here Monday and
just sent off for the 3 month trial of Mint Mobile. If it works out as

I don't know if I mentioned having a no signal from mintmobile in
Eldersburg. But I have reason now to think that was a fluke

far as the service area I plan on renewing for a year at a time.
They did add in a tax and fee. Still will be less expensive than what
Republic

Well of course. If you go with Republic, you have to pay for the
Congress and the courts and all the expenses that go with them.

would be for the same or slightly lesser service if I ever
change phones.

So if I did it right we should get that 'rebate' in a few months.
I went to the url you sent and it did not ask for any special codes.
It looked just like the other site.


From what I read into it, the service has unlimiated data. It is at
full speed for the first 3 GB and then slows down to what ammounts to

3 Gigs is a lot.

the old dial up speed. Might be good for text, but web pages and
pixtures will take a long time to send or receive. So it is almost like
just 3 GB of data.

If it connects to the wifi system for data and does not use the 3 GB of
data when on wifi, I doubt I will ever run out of data.

Here is one on of several links for the manual (without plus). It won't
include a printed or digital manual.
https://www.phonearena.com/phones/LG...id11115/manual

Without the plus, it has wifi and it has hotspot. Maybe all recent
phones have both but it was not true about earlier ones.

Maybe in a while there will be stuff on the web about plus, and maybe
until then you'll figure out the differences.

On another thought. While at a club meeting one night we were going to
have a skype session . The meeting place has some projctors that use
screens about 10 feet square. The connection was very slow and skype
was not keeping up due to many using the wifi system. A fellow did use
his phone as a hot spot and Skype worked like it was suppose to for
about a half hour.

In article ,
says...
ta when on wifi, I doubt I will ever run out of data.

Here is one on of several links for the manual (without plus). It won't
include a printed or digital manual.
https://www.phonearena.com/phones/LG...id11115/manual




Many internet devices come with out or a very minimal manual.

I did find the manual for the plus version on line. Downloaded it,but
have not looked it over very well. Phone should be here tomorrow if
usps tracing is to be believed. Probably will be a few days before the
sim card comes in from Mint as I just ordered it today.

I think I can give it a try on the wifi to download some aps,but will
have to check. There is some info on my computer that I am going to try
to put on a SD card and put it on the phone.

In alt.home.repair, on Sun, 9 Feb 2020 14:26:38 -0500, Ralph Mowery
wrote:





I did send off for a Lg Aristo 3 plus that should be here Monday and
just sent off for the 3 month trial of Mint Mobile. If it works out as
far as the service area I plan on renewing for a year at a time.
They did add in a tax and fee. Still will be less expensive than what
Republic would be for the same or slightly lesser service if I ever
change phones.

I see that I have FREE international calls to Mexico and Canada, so I
need to make some phone friends in Mexico and Canada. Maybe Clare will
talk to me.

And you're right, 3GB of 4G LTE data per month; data speeds reduce after
monthly allowance but data is unlimited. Same for my plan.

From what I read into it, the service has unlimiated data. It is at
full speed for the first 3 GB and then slows down to what ammounts to
the old dial up speed. Might be good for text, but web pages and
pixtures will take a long time to send or receive. So it is almost like
just 3 GB of data.

I couldn't find anything about the speed after you've used your quota.
Even 2G is faster than dial-up, iirc. Hard to believe it's dial-up slow.

I have 8 gig now but when I signed up it was only 5 gig. If I'd known
the would increase 1 gig to 3 gig and slow-unlimited after that, I might
have gotten 1 gig, but I think they have some rule against getting a
cheaper plan now that I have a better plan. Yes, it says "You cannot
switch down data, though [in the middle of a plan]." Also says "Need
less data? Choose it as your next plan."

Also says in the FAQ, "Do all plans include Mobile Hotspot?

Yep. All plans include the Mobile Hotspot feature at no extra charge.
The data you use just pulls from your monthly 4G LTE amount. All you
need is a hotspot capable phone"

I once only had 2G and I was trying to use a data app and it kept timing
out, because the server at the other end didn't like it.

On 2/8/20 4:20 PM, Ralph Mowery wrote:
In article ,
says...

As to providers, Mint allows hotsppot, but I guess there were ones
(still are??) that prohibited it. Strange, I would think they would
just charge more like the ones mentioned do.

Frankly, Ralph, it might be a mistake to save maybe $40 and get a phone
without certain capabilities. I'm as cheap as anybody, but upgrading a
phone is cheaper and maybe as worthwhile as upgradinga car which would
cost several thosand. When I read about hotspot, I thought, "I'll never
use that" but then I stayed that one place for 10 days and the following
year another place for 6 weeks. I'd have no interneet on the laptop
without hotspot on the phone. And it's fast too, faster than DSL iirc.

Some cut.

I was happy with my personal flip phone for years. We started
using smart phones at work for time sheets and work orders. The work
order app also had maps and directions on the fly. The woman even had
that annoyed tone women get when someone doesn't so exactly as ordered.
I finally got a personal smart phone just for a map app. It's handy
when someone says meet me at ................... when I'm in unfamiliar
territory.
It's nice to be able to take and send pictures when I'm out
wandering around. The picture thing is nice when I'm trying to describe
something to someone and my few words
aren't adequate.
I'm using Page Plus which is hooked to Verizon. Many of the others
don't cover a good share of Nebraska.

On Sunday, February 9, 2020 at 2:26:47 PM UTC-5, Ralph Mowery wrote:
In article ,
says...

Most people are not paying by the megabyte, they have some form of 'unlimited"
data. And the carriers can tell. So, if you hotspot to three PCs and
quickly use up the 20GB of high speed data, they know and they care.
They don't want hogs sucking up the bandwith.






I did send off for a Lg Aristo 3 plus that should be here Monday and
just sent off for the 3 month trial of Mint Mobile. If it works out as
far as the service area I plan on renewing for a year at a time.
They did add in a tax and fee. Still will be less expensive than what
Republic would be for the same or slightly lesser service if I ever
change phones.

So if I did it right we should get that 'rebate' in a few months.
I went to the url you sent and it did not ask for any special codes.
It looked just like the other site.

Great. I guess the code was the last part of that link and it just
works automatically. Hopefully, we'll see.




From what I read into it, the service has unlimiated data. It is at
full speed for the first 3 GB and then slows down to what ammounts to
the old dial up speed. Might be good for text, but web pages and
pixtures will take a long time to send or receive. So it is almost like
just 3 GB of data.

It's much better than that. When it slows down, it's still maybe 150kb/sec
and usable, but it does take awhile for things to load, depending on
how much stuff is on the page. The real problem is that some websites
won't complete loading, it's like they get confused and just quit.
But if you restart it again, it will continue and usually after a couple
of tries, even the worst case pages work. Most apps work OK at the slower
speed, like Ebay, Google Maps, but some don't work well or at all at
the lower speeds, eg FlightRadar24.






If it connects to the wifi system for data and does not use the 3 GB of
data when on wifi, I doubt I will ever run out of data.

Just depends on how you use it, what apps, etc. Make sure you go into
the Google Playstore settings and set it to only update apps over wifi.
I have mine set to not update at all, instead I check once a week or
so and update when I choose to. Under data usage, there is a setting
for data saver. If you turn it on, it will prevent apps from downloading
most stuff on the data network, unless you're using the app. Many apps,
like news for example, update periodically so that the latest stuff is
there for you instantly. With DS set to on, it will only update when
and if you open the app.




On another thought. While at a club meeting one night we were going to
have a skype session . The meeting place has some projctors that use
screens about 10 feet square. The connection was very slow and skype
was not keeping up due to many using the wifi system. A fellow did use
his phone as a hot spot and Skype worked like it was suppose to for
about a half hour.

That's a good example of how wifi hotspot can be useful.

On Sunday, February 9, 2020 at 11:28:27 PM UTC-5, Ralph Mowery wrote:
In article ,
says...
ta when on wifi, I doubt I will ever run out of data.

Here is one on of several links for the manual (without plus). It won't
include a printed or digital manual.
https://www.phonearena.com/phones/LG...id11115/manual




Many internet devices come with out or a very minimal manual.

I did find the manual for the plus version on line. Downloaded it,but
have not looked it over very well. Phone should be here tomorrow if
usps tracing is to be believed. Probably will be a few days before the
sim card comes in from Mint as I just ordered it today.

I think I can give it a try on the wifi to download some aps,but will
have to check. There is some info on my computer that I am going to try
to put on a SD card and put it on the phone.

You can use it on wifi, get it set up, load apps, etc. with no sim.
You can do anything but call/text.

In alt.home.repair, on Sat, 8 Feb 2020 17:20:28 -0500, Ralph Mowery
wrote:

In article ,
says...

As to providers, Mint allows hotsppot, but I guess there were ones
(still are??) that prohibited it. Strange, I would think they would
just charge more like the ones mentioned do.

Frankly, Ralph, it might be a mistake to save maybe $40 and get a phone
without certain capabilities. I'm as cheap as anybody, but upgrading a
phone is cheaper and maybe as worthwhile as upgradinga car which would
cost several thosand. When I read about hotspot, I thought, "I'll never
use that" but then I stayed that one place for 10 days and the following
year another place for 6 weeks. I'd have no interneet on the laptop
without hotspot on the phone. And it's fast too, faster than DSL iirc.




It may be a mistake Micky. However I have had a smart phone for
probably 10 years and seldom use it for much. It is one that has
limited memory and no slot for a SD card. I felt like the battery is
probably ready for a new one at any time. The battery is not just a pop
in one. I could probably change it as I have a good electronic work
banch and microscope to work on the surface mounted devices. If like
most battery devices, it is almost as inexpensive to get a new one as it
is the battery.

I am retired so do not get out much where I really need a phone except
to make a call or two. I have been using the Republic system and it
works well except I do not have the cell data. This system works just
off the wifi networks unless I want to upgrade it, well,it will go to a
cell tower if it has to. The price was right at the time. Slightly
under $ 13 a month for text and messages. It does have the option of
upgrading for data off the cell system,but I have never needed it.

The way I understand how the phone system works, If I ever do find
myself in a situation like you all I have to do is go to Wally World or
Best Buy and get a phone and pop in the sim card.

That's true.

If I take away the plus, the phone you bought is much fancier than I
thought it was going to be. One would think "plus" would be an even
better phone, but with the crazy naming system, lack of system, for
phones, maybe it's not as good. Let us know.

I thought it would be good to ask over here about some of the services
and phones as there are are probably a couple of dozen cell compnaies
and hundreds of phones. Trader put me on Mint Mobile. For about $ 1.50
more a month I do get the data oprion. If I change phones, the price of
my Republic service would go up. They have a limitated selection of
phones.

I have been around the internet from the time of 2400 baud modems. I
was lucky where I worked I had access to a T1 line when most at home
were lucky to have a 56k modem. Working as a breakdown person at a large
plant gave me plenty of time at nights and weekends with no one around
and free time if nothing was broke gave me plenty of time to play with
the internet way back then.

In article ,
says...

If I take away the plus, the phone you bought is much fancier than I
thought it was going to be. One would think "plus" would be an even
better phone, but with the crazy naming system, lack of system, for
phones, maybe it's not as good. Let us know.




I think the big part of the plus is that it has finger print unlocking.
I don't lock up my other phone, so not much use for me.
The LG phone does have face identification unlocking so I may try that.

Companies often add just a little to make people thing the next year
model is much better. I found out a few years ago when shopping for a
new refrigerator that a company will put out the same basic unit, but
may add a shelf or some minor thing and put a different model number on
it. They do that so that the companies that advertise price matching
can say that the one you are compairing at another store is not the
same.

I got a Google Hub Max for Christmas that when I walk into the room it
reconises my face, so I may try that on the phone.

I do like the way Google and that platform seems to automaticlly put
various information on all the devices I have. Like the favorites. If
I add one on one computer, it goes to the other ones and seems some
other things also follow such as Gmail.

In article ,
says...


If it connects to the wifi system for data and does not use the 3 GB of
data when on wifi, I doubt I will ever run out of data.

Just depends on how you use it, what apps, etc. Make sure you go into
the Google Playstore settings and set it to only update apps over wifi.
I have mine set to not update at all, instead I check once a week or
so and update when I choose to. Under data usage, there is a setting
for data saver. If you turn it on, it will prevent apps from downloading
most stuff on the data network, unless you're using the app. Many apps,
like news for example, update periodically so that the latest stuff is
there for you instantly. With DS set to on, it will only update when
and if you open the app.




Thanks for the tip on that. I will set the phone so it updates over the
wifi. My other phone did that. I am using a cable modem/router with wifi
at the house. The speed of the modem is listed at 200 but I often get
about 230 whatever kind of bits so it is very fast.

As mentiioned I do not think that I have ever needed the cell tower data
for the other smart phone so that 3 gb should last me forever. If I do
run out, and the speed drops to 150 kb, that is about 3 times the speed
of the fastest old dial up modem I had many years ago before DSL and
cable.

I signed up for the 3 month plan and if all goes well I plan on going
with the whole year at a time plan when the 3 months are up. Hopefully
I did it right and we will get the 'rebate' money then. They way I took
it that 'rebate' is applied to the next time we renew a plan.

The phone I have keeps getting news that I do not want. I leave it on
the charger and may only pick it up every 2 or 3 days when I leave the
house. It has a screen full of unwanted news. My land line phone is by
the cable modem. It can be set to send the land line number to the
smart phone at the same time. That way if I am out of the house, the
cell phone will ring, or I could jut pick it up while around the house,
but I have several of the land line phones invarious rooms.

In article ,
says...

You can use it on wifi, get it set up, load apps, etc. with no sim.
You can do anything but call/text.



I though so. Just like my tablet then.

In article , says...

I was happy with my personal flip phone for years. We started
using smart phones at work for time sheets and work orders. The work
order app also had maps and directions on the fly. The woman even had
that annoyed tone women get when someone doesn't so exactly as ordered.
I finally got a personal smart phone just for a map app. It's handy
when someone says meet me at ................... when I'm in unfamiliar
territory.
It's nice to be able to take and send pictures when I'm out
wandering around. The picture thing is nice when I'm trying to describe
something to someone and my few words
aren't adequate.
I'm using Page Plus which is hooked to Verizon. Many of the others
don't cover a good share of Nebraska.



One reason now for me to get the smart phone is some devices around the
house need the smart phone apps to set them up. I have a couple of home
monitoring cameras that it takes a smart phone or maybe a tablet to read
the QR code or download a special app and set them up.

I got my first one because a flip phone was not offered by Republic for
their system if I recall correctly. Only a few phones would work with
their system at the time. However the price of the service was
fantastic at the time. Just under $ 13 after fees and taxes a month for
unlimiated talk and text.
They are now about the same as other companies now. More than some if
you want any cell tower data.