OT: My personal test of 20 free offline Android gps map routing applications

[Danny D'Amico]

To be very clear, I had filed an FCC complaint about a year or two ago, against AT&T for that very same reason.

I argued long and hard with the AT&T VP who called me in response to my FCC complaint, all to no avail. In fact, the funny thing is, that AT&T replied to the FCC that the "matter was resolved to the customer's satisfaction". I dropped AT&T in favor of T-Mobile!

I was so tired of the fight, they had worn me down so much, that I simply gave up on getting AT&T to reconsider. I had even filed an FTC complaint of "Unfair Marketing Practices", since their

*stated reason* was to have a predictable bill - and - I argued to the FTC that they also allowed a data block - so I could get a predictable bill without a data plan.

In the end, I simply gave up. The exhausted even me. And that's not easy to do. I simply moved to T-Mobile, who was happy to take my money without me having to have a data plan.

So, there's no doubt that I have a T-Mobile plan that doesn't have any data!

[Danny D'Amico]

Just be sure that the wattage and amperage add up!

For example, this was posted on comp.mobile.android today:

Notice the advertising lies.

It says it's 3.1 Amps but it also says it's 10 Watts!

Do you see the lie?

HINT: USB is 5 Volts and P=IV (so P/V = I), which makes I = 2.1 Amps, not 3.1 Amps!

What they're saying, without saying it to someone who doesn't know the details, is that you can get only 2.1 Amps (which is the iPad mandated current) out of the thing OR 1 Amp.

Notice, since it's *not* 15 Watts, you can't get 2.1 Amps AND

1 Amp.

That makes the advertising a lie, although technically, they didn't lie. They only mislead those who don't understand what I wrote above.

What you *want* are 2.1 Amps *and* 1 Amp slots, which is a true

15 Watt 3.1 Amp dual-port USB car charger!

Details matter (in advertising).

[Danny D'Amico]

The minimum that *I* would buy is 2.1 Amp (the iPad uses the most current so that's why it's the funny number) PLUS a simultaneous

1 A Amp, which is 15 Watts:

Here is one I'd buy for $8 (it is 3.1 Amps, or 15 Watts):

Here is one I would NOT buy at $7 (it is 3.1 Amps but only 10 Watts):

Notice that second one is really only 2.1 Amp *or* 1 Amp (but not both!).

Also notice the price is about the same, so, price is (as always) never an indication of quality.

What matters are the specs, and knowing what they mean, and knowing what *you* want.

[Danny D'Amico]

Here is a picture of two of the three microSIM cards that T-Mobile sent me recently.

The third, I simply inserted into a new LG Optimus F3 that I had bought for one of my newly inherited kids (long story).

All I did was call T-Mobile, and they activated the new SIM card. AFAIK, the phone has no data plan, but, again, this might be due to me being grandfathered, as you pointed out.

I'm calling 611 from my phone, as we speak, to confirm whether they still sell *new* plans sans data...

[Danny D'Amico]

I called 611 and asked.

I have a grandfathered plan which is no longer offered. Mine is called "Value Family 1,000 Minutes Talk" at $69.92 for four phones (they also have a 500 minute version).

The closest plan offered today *does* include data, whether you want it or not.

The name of the current plan is a mouthful: "Simple Choice Value Family unlimited Talking Texting & Internet", and, for a similar family of 4, it's $100 a month for that plan.

Wow. That's 40-something percent more expensive!

Yuck. I'm glad I'm grandfathered; but it's heartening to know you were right all along. I was tainted by my experience, hence I was wrong.

[Danny D'Amico]

The 4GB of internal memory is rather puny. I've also been burned, by the LG Optimus F3 lack of internal memory.

It seems Android is really lousy at allowing apps to be moved from internal memory over to the external SDcard. Sigh.

[krw]

Why insist on GSM?

[Danny D'Amico]

That's exactly why I dropped AT&T in favor of T-Mobile.

I didn't want to pay for a data plan which, over the course of a year, would cost me more than a brand new smart phone.

Luckily, T-Mobile gladly took me without data ($70/month for

4 phones for unlimited text and 1,000 shared minutes, with WiFi calling enabled and VOIP also not restricted).

That's the good news. The bad news is that T-Mobile apparently no longer offers a no-data plan; so, they're as bad at AT&T, and, maybe even worse, depending on whether AT&T charges less than that for a dumb phone. (Do they?)

[Danny D'Amico]

This Zact stuff seems pretty good!

[tlvp]

Makes phone use during world travel a lot easier :-) . Cheers, -- tlvp

[Danny D'Amico]

Three reasons, although CDMA works too, even without those three:

1) GSM means you have a choice of carriers using the same phone for either (although your choice is mostly just one of the two biggies in the US)

1. GSM means you can travel to the rest of the world & use their SIM cards (although unlocked dumb GSM phones are cheap nowadays)
2. GSM means you can have dual SIM phones so you can have two carriers (although that's only useful in certain instances)

I agree that these advantages aren't all that spectacular; but, it's not easy to do those three things with Verizon (although it can be done if you have the right phone).

[Danny D'Amico]

I'm buying one for a newly acquired stepkid (sort of), and will spend about $200 and simply want the most bang for the buck.

I was leaning toward the Google Motorola G; but will compare these:

1. Moto G (0)
2. Blu Dash 4.5 (0)
3. LG Optimus F3 (0)
4. LG Optimus L9 (0)

[krw]

Buy a throw-away when you get there. GSM is useless in the US.

[Danny D.]

I understand your point, which is that Verizon is well entrenched in the USA (i.e., CDMA).

But, where I travel (mostly the Silicon Valley and San Francisco Bay Area), T-Mobile and AT&T worked just fine for me.

So, GSM is decidedly *not* useless in the USA. It's pretty darn good.

Having said that, I don't disagree that Verizon does have some areas sewn up; but not the Silicon Valley (which is all I really know well).

[krw]

So you're worried about travel around the world but not across the US?

[trader4]

That isn't true. Both AT&T and Tmobile use GSM and are major carriers in the USA.

[Danny D'Amico]

I didn't want to get too deeply into it, but, of course I've travelled in the USA, and, yes, I bring my phone with me.

I've had no problems with T-Mobile in Texas, Massachusetts, NYC, Tampa, Phoenix, Reno, Las Vegas, and dozens of other cities.

I did have problems in NJ, and in Yellowstone National Park.

But, my point isn't that I am the final arbiter of whether or not GSM is useless in the USA. We can just look up the numbers.

Just because *you* like Verizon, doesn't make AT&T & T-Mobile useless.

Gimme a sec to look up coverage maps ...

There's nothing wrong with Verizon coverage, but, there's nothing wrong with AT&T or T-Mobile coverage either. All cover many areas, and all don't cover some areas.

For you to say GSM is useless in the USA is so far from correct that it begs proof on your side as to why you keep saying that.

Again, I'm not saying Verizon stinks - it was great when I had it; but so was AT&T, and so was T-Mobile. They're all great in the USA.

[Danny D'Amico]

I agree. Here's an AT&T coverage map:

Here's a T-Mobile coverage lookup:

I'm not saying coverage maps are the final arbiter of accuracy, but, I will decidedly say I've had all three major US carriers for years (Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile), and, I've travelled in the USA during that time.

I didn't run statistics, and they were all sequential so there aren't side-by-side comparisons, but, I have found that the coverage of all three was about the same. It was excellent for all three.

So, whether or not I go CDMA or GSM in the future, it won't be based on USA coverage (since they're all good).

[krw]

In the large cities, no. Between cities (as little as 20mi out), forget it. There are even huge Interstate holes in coverage.

You will here, too.

*I* don't like Verizon. There is no other choice. The rest just don't cut it. They aren't even available in my area and I live within in a large metropolitan area.

Nonsense. AT&T and I-Moble have terrible coverage.

Experience. If you look at the detailed maps, the picture is *very* clear.

Bullshit.

[j]

Does it have a WiFi hotspot so I can use my WiFi only Tegra Note 7 tablet?

I love my Tegra, now with 4.3. KitKat seems to be a problem child for many, with bugs to be worked out.

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