Why We Switched from AT&T to T-Mobile

3 days ago, I pulled the trigger and drove straight from Berkeley Bowl to a T-Mobile store. An hour later, I walked out the door with a brand new black Galaxy Note 4 and a new iPhone 5s (space grey).

After 14 years with AT&T Cingular, we switched carriers.

It was another round of "server not found" messages in email and "ah snap" frowny faces that tipped me over the edge - but we've had a lot of problems. The fiasco of the dreaded White Galaxy Note 4 left us with two aged smart phones on a 10 GB Mobile Share plan with an average monthly bill of $155.

• My husband couldn't receive or place calls on his Galaxy S II
• He was pissed off every time AT&T pushed another mandatory Android update
• International roaming was prohibitively expensive, leaving him crippled in Taipei for 2 weeks
• The black Galaxy Note 4 was on indeterminate back order
• The bill would jump $25/month/phone unless we picked the Next plan upgrade option, which is not cost effective
• The reception on the iPhone 4s rarely hit 4 bars in the East Bay - with no reception in many areas east of the hills.
• The iPhone 4s was limited to 3G
• I wanted a better camera

At this point, we were paying for a service that was not being delivered.

When AT&T "permacookies" hit the news, my husband joked about the "unethical monitoring shit-house" -  and asked when the contract was up.

But because we depend on the mobiles for business, switching felt risky. We need good coverage and a stable, strong signal.

Although Verizon is the drug of choices for law enforcement agencies, the plans looked to be even more expensive than AT&T, and I wanted the option to unlock on a GSM network while traveling. (NOTE: Verizon also uses permacookies.)

T-Mobile caught my interest a few months ago when Japanese billionaire Masayoshi Son's attempted a corporate takeover. T-Mobile fought off the bid while investing heavily in innovative "wi-fi calling"; the Speed Test results in the Bay Area are pretty impressive.

The Clincher: No Contract

What convinced my husband to give T-Mobile a try is: there is no risk. The contract is month-to-month, so if we don't like the service, we can unlock the phones and go back to AT&T.

The phones are 0% financed on a 2 year term. We can upgrade when half the balance is paid, and the balance will be applied to the new phone.  Total cost is $54.12/month.

The monthly service charge is $132. That's $23 dollars less than what we were paying on AT&T.

Each phone has 3GB of data. T-Mobile does not charge overage. The data is capped, but you can choose to purchase additional if you need/want to.

Having recently dropped a phone in the toilet (don't ask), I took the optional $10/month for lost/stolen/damage coverage. Replacements are $125 with unlimited warranties.

HAPPY CAMPERS! ALL PROBLEMS RESOLVED!
We have great coverage, brand new phones - and the envy of all the guys at work still waiting for their back-ordered black Samsungs ;-)

Bonus: The trade-in value was calculated on the spot. The sales rep provided a postage paid label and packing materials that are good for 30 days. The refurbed iPhone 4s that I paid $99 for 3 years ago is fetching a whopping $38 for trade-in.

How to Transfer Existing Phone Numbers
To avoid a delay in service or double payments, be prepared to provide:

• Your AT&T account number
• IMEI numbers of your existing phones
• $10 a piece for SIM activation

Officially, it takes up to 24 hours to transfer the lines, but ours was complete in 2 hours.

Transferring your phone number to another carrier closes the AT&T account - no need to call.

Galaxy Note 4 - Color Matters!

When it comes to cell phones, we are a divided family. My husband is a die-hard Android user, while I'm fairly enamored with my iPhone.

More than a phone, the mobile functions as an auxiliary brain-bucket: a place to store ideas, research, and play.

It's up close and personal, I mean: it's in your front pocket. Color matters!

I noticed a few years ago, our phones would start "acting up" whenever there's a new kid on the block. Sometimes they even jump into the washing machine or a plate of curry...

The recent release of the iPhone 6 and Galaxy Note 4 is no exception, only more painful as the release dates are only one month apart.

Even though I can hardly tolerate one more minute trapped on 3G with my 4s, upgrading the Galaxy Note II took precedence when that device lost the ability to receive or place calls. 

Yes, we keep stuff for a long time - including the carrier. We've been with AT&T Cingular for 14 uneventful years - until a few months ago when we switched to a Mobile Share Value Plan. 

The upgrade options online were unclear, and covered in fine print. I called customer service rather than risk an expensive mistake, and placed an order for a black Samsung Galaxy Note 4 on launch day: Oct 17th. 

My husband bounced out the door with his new toy on Oct 23rd. 

Imagine my dismay that night when I finally laid eyes on the object of his desire: white.

"I didn't order white! I ordered black!"

"Oh, well, I thought you ordered white. That's not my first preference..."

Aside from the fact that it looks, well, feminine: white will most certainly be grubby grey within a month - my husband is a maker, he's always got "stuff" on his hands.

After too many phone calls and trips to the corporate store, we slowly came to realize: AT&T is out of stock of charcoal black.

While my husband embarks on his third adventure to a corporate store to return the dreaded WHITE Galaxy Note 4, I got to thinking: How did this happen? Did I screw up and not read the order confirmation?! 

Looking at the Samsung website, I discovered you can order directly from the manufacturer. The carrier and color are embedded in the product codes. For example, AT&T black is SM-N910AZKEATT; white is SM-N910AZWEATT. Verizon black is SM-N910VZKEVZW, etc.

Our email confirmation is for a "SMN910A" - the model number. The color is not identified.

Although AT&T doesn't do jack to help users determine availability, Samsung's website has a great page for searching by carrier:

http://www.samsung.com/us/mobile/cell-phones/all-products

All AT&T corporate stores in the East Bay are, indeed, out of stock, but you can purchase from Costco - if you have a Costco membership :/ 

AT&T euphemistically classifies the return as "buyer's remorse", and is graciously not charging a $36 re-stock fee - because I ordered black, not white, and that really is a different product.