Sunday Night Lights Out

/tech support/

So I won this sales contest thingy, and my employer is offering me a factory unlocked iPhone 5. I think that I could take it to Verizon, but I can’t figure out from their website how much it costs for service if I were to bring my own phone. I hate them slightly less than at&t, so I guess I would go with Verizon if it’s feasible. Has anyone else obtained service with an unlocked iPhone? How is it done (and how does one avoid getting royally screwed)? Gracias, amigos.

@¡Andrew!: A quick check suggests the unlocked iPhone is GSM-only — AT&T or T-Mobile. And T-Mobile apparently doesn’t have LTE, which really rocks for speed. At least in Sandy Eggo. These things vary by region.

@¡Andrew!: I have an unlocked 4S. I got the AT&T version which works in Europe. I use straighttalk as provider for phone and data: half the price of AT&T for the same service plus a slight amount of annoyance re getting the data hooked up. I can tell you how. This seems to be policy on Apple’s part, to make you use a service plan. I got the phone working fine in France but couldn’t get data.

AT&T service here is not as good as Verizon but, as noted, it’s half the price: I think I’m paying around $44 a month unlimited (kudos to Cyn for tip).

@nojo & @Benedick: ¡Buenos tacos, muchachos! I’ll check it out.

@¡Andrew!: OK, go to StraightTalk SIM cards, choose GSM unlocked, and enter your zip code. You’ll need the mini-SIM for the iPhone5. Unlimited talk, text, and data for $45. If you need to use the phone abroad, I can hook you up with a different SIM.

@Mistress Cynica: I got an Orange SIM which, as noted, works great for phone but not data so I’d love to know what I should get next time I go to the land of cheese-eating surrender monkeys. I’m also thinking of switching the land-line to straight talk.

@Mistress Cynica: Awesome, thanks! I have to decide if I want a phone or a teevee. First world problems. Love the iPhone, scared of the data plan costs for most carriers. It’s like buying a boat: “You’re not buying the boat, you’re buying the maintenance.”

@¡Andrew!: The key is to use wifi for the phone most of the time. The only time I use cellular data is when I don’t have wifi available, and then I make sure not to download any major apps, videos, or images. I don’t use it to stream music or videos at all, because that’s not my thing. I have no trouble staying within the 1G minimum plan. No limits on data with StraightTalk.

@Benedick: I used the Passport Plus service from this outfit last time http://www.cisi.ekit.com/ekit/MobilePurchase/Sims. Worked better on the continent than in the UK. No reception at Heathrow at all.

@Mistress Cynica: That is how I treat my iPad, which BTW I just replaced with the Retina display etc. I buy the cheapest cellular plan possible.

So God Made a Farmer FIXED!

@Mistress Cynica: Thanks for the link.

@¡Andrew!: Straighttalk is $45 per month data and cell. Which is not bad. About what Catt would spend on lube in a slow week.

Gracias de nuevo a todos. I decided to choose the new teevee in order to replace my ten-year-old set. Plus, I love my current mobile carrier–Credo–so much that I can’t say goodbye. They’re just so freakin’ nice, and it would hurt their feelings (srsly).

@Benedick: Why spend on lube when you can use bacon grease? Two birds with one stone.

@Tommmcatt Can’t Believe He Ate The Whole Thing: Why spend on lube when you can use bacon grease?

The American Midwest just turned totally gay.

@Tommmcatt Can’t Believe He Ate The Whole Thing: @nojo: I have to go and lie down.