Emergency alerts on Straight Talk phones

[rockhillmanor]

Just bought a burner phone from walmart. Straight Talk unlimited calls, text and data. As a backup phone for when on the road.

First of I am really amazed that these low priced burner phones offered are darn right real smart phones!

Although I suggest you go thru all the hidden settings and shut off ALL the items they have connected to these phones that authorize use of your personal phone info and/or use up your data. Since they do state that they throttle you back if you exceed some magical data usage number within each monthly timeline.

There are tons of them running using your data in the back and foreground some that you have not even installed. Took me over an hour to find and disable them and I'm sure I don't have them all.

That said. Go to Emergency Alerts.
There where about 6 of them. I deleted all of them and when I got to THIS one it would NOT let me delete it!

Presidential Alert

Guess you HAVE to listen to him whether you like it or not! :B:B

[Gene_Ginny]

Gulfcoast wrote:
How many minutes do you get for $10 a month?

The airtime card(s) I started with for each phone is $19.88 for 60 minutes and 90 days which triples to 180 minutes for 90 days. That works out to 60 minutes and $6.63 per month. The 120 minute / 90 day airtime card is $29.88 which triples to 360 minutes for 90 days or $9.96 per month for 120 minutes per month. Unused minutes do not expire and rollover as long as the phone is active.

The prices are Walmart delivery by email and there are no taxes or fees added.

[Bucky_Badger]

rockhillmanor wrote:

ncscz wrote:

rockhillmanor wrote:

Could I have chosen which provider? :S

The provider is determined by the phone that you choose. In the Straigh Talk branded phones, a model number that ends with 'C' will use Verizon (CDMA) and the models that end with 'G' will use AT&T (GMS). BUT there are some exceptions to this - some models use T-Mobile or Sprint network. If you find a phone that you like the 'Howard Forum" usually can give information for each model phone.

I no longer use Straight Talk, but while I did, I kept 2 phones - one that used Verizon and the other AT&T. Once you have added each phone to your Straight Talk account, it only takes a few minutes to login to the web page and transfer your number to the other phone. I swapped phones as needed depending on where I traveled. The 1st time I swapped from Verizon to AT&T it took about 2 hours for the AT&T phone to become active after the Verizon went dead. After that it never took more than 15 minutes to change in either direction.

WOW. Great info!

That explains it. The phone I wanted was listed as Verizon but they were sold out at all the stores so I just grabbed a more expensive one 'assuming' it would be the same provider.

Again thanks.

Have you activated your phone yet? or are you just keeping the phone and unused minutes card in the camper?

[rockhillmanor]

ncscz wrote:

rockhillmanor wrote:

Could I have chosen which provider? :S

The provider is determined by the phone that you choose. In the Straigh Talk branded phones, a model number that ends with 'C' will use Verizon (CDMA) and the models that end with 'G' will use AT&T (GMS). BUT there are some exceptions to this - some models use T-Mobile or Sprint network. If you find a phone that you like the 'Howard Forum" usually can give information for each model phone.

I no longer use Straight Talk, but while I did, I kept 2 phones - one that used Verizon and the other AT&T. Once you have added each phone to your Straight Talk account, it only takes a few minutes to login to the web page and transfer your number to the other phone. I swapped phones as needed depending on where I traveled. The 1st time I swapped from Verizon to AT&T it took about 2 hours for the AT&T phone to become active after the Verizon went dead. After that it never took more than 15 minutes to change in either direction.

WOW. Great info!

That explains it. The phone I wanted was listed as Verizon but they were sold out at all the stores so I just grabbed a more expensive one 'assuming' it would be the same provider.

Again thanks.

[ncscz]

rockhillmanor wrote:

Could I have chosen which provider? :S

The provider is determined by the phone that you choose. In the Straigh Talk branded phones, a model number that ends with 'C' will use Verizon (CDMA) and the models that end with 'G' will use AT&T (GMS). BUT there are some exceptions to this - some models use T-Mobile or Sprint network. If you find a phone that you like the 'Howard Forum" usually can give information for each model phone.

I no longer use Straight Talk, but while I did, I kept 2 phones - one that used Verizon and the other AT&T. Once you have added each phone to your Straight Talk account, it only takes a few minutes to login to the web page and transfer your number to the other phone. I swapped phones as needed depending on where I traveled. The 1st time I swapped from Verizon to AT&T it took about 2 hours for the AT&T phone to become active after the Verizon went dead. After that it never took more than 15 minutes to change in either direction.

[rockhillmanor]

Gene&Ginny wrote:

rockhillmanor wrote:
...
The Straight Talk I just bought is unlimited talk, text and data for $45 on ATT.

Straight Talk has both Verizon and AT&T versions.

They also have a "All you need" plan for $30 as well as the unlimited plan for $45.

Off Topic: I just moved our 2 phones from Verizon to Tracfone (bring your own phone) and since we both use very few minutes the cost will be less than $10/month for each using the same Verizon network. The BYOP plan defaults to triple minutes/texts/data on each card you buy.

Could I have chosen which provider? :S

I THOUGHT it was a verizon when I bought it. THE reason I did. Because where I am at for the winters there is a Verizon tower in view.

I didn't find out it was ATT until I started going into all the settings. 😞

[Gulfcoast]

How many minutes do you get for $10 a month?

[Gene_Ginny]

rockhillmanor wrote:
...
The Straight Talk I just bought is unlimited talk, text and data for $45 on ATT.

Straight Talk has both Verizon and AT&T versions. They also have a "All you need" plan for $30 as well as the unlimited plan for $45.

Off Topic: I just moved our 2 phones from Verizon to Tracfone (bring your own phone) and since we both use very few minutes the cost will be less than $10/month for each using the same Verizon network. The BYOP plan defaults to triple minutes/texts/data on each card you buy.

[rockhillmanor]

Gulfcoast wrote:
I've used Straight Talk since it began... 1500 minutes for $30 a month on Verizon towers. What a deal!

The Straight Talk I just bought is unlimited talk, text and data for $45 on ATT.

[tatest]

I have yet to see a Presidential alert since it became mandatory for all mobile carriers, cable providers, and broadcasters to carry them.

In this part of the country we get an annoying number of Amber alerts, 90% false alarms from parent miscommunication, which I can turn off on the phone, but blast holes in my timeshifts of TCM programming. As do ERS tests.

[Gulfcoast]

I've used Straight Talk since it began... 1500 minutes for $30 a month on Verizon towers. What a deal!

[1775]

My wife has a Blackberry though Straight Talk on the Verizon network and she only gets emergency weather alerts on the phone - no other alerts - and these seem to be coming from Blackberry. She does not have anything set to get the weather alerts - and they are good to have coming in.

[jandjbaums]

I switched to straight talk at the first of the year from verizon. Im going to save $800.00 in 2 yrs in jumping ship. I never used the minutes on my verizon account, and after buying my phones im still saving all that money! All the big contract companys are making very big money on these smartphones. BOO HOO! Im shopping with my money and really dont care about there money and what happens to it.

[rockhillmanor]

Ran across this article in Barron's. Explains why these real smart phones sold thru Straight Talk and the like are so cheap.

..."SAMSUNG IS BEING SQUEEZED in its core smartphone business by Chinese players such as Xiaomi, Lenovo (992.Hong Kong), ZTE (0763.Hong Kong), and Huawei Technologies, which are virtually giving away smartphones at cost..."

And this why Samsung is tanking and in financial trouble. CEO in coma and When the father dies son has to pay 6 billion!

..."Why isn't Samsung returning cash to investors? Chairman Lee Kun-hee, who, with family holding companies, is Samsung's biggest shareholder, has been in a coma following a stroke. His son and vice chairman, Lee Jae-yong, is liable to pay 50% of his inheritance in taxes, or over $6 billion. The tax will be based on the value of Samsung's shares upon his father's death..."

Samsung In Transition Real good read article.
http://online.barrons.com/news/articles/SB50001424053111903849404580057463322453810

[bigwheelsturnin]

I'd like to disable them...which were you able to delete....if you can list them...?