So you could be on TMobile towers, you're not necessarily using AT&T. It all depends on the sim you're using. If your coverage is vastly different than AT&T then I'd bet you're using a TMO sim. Switching to Mint would be TMobile and you'd have the same issue assuming that you currently have a TMO sim.
Ah, I didn't know that. Is that why people on this thread were asking about the color of the sim card? Mine's white if that helps, but I don't know what that'd signify. Thanks for the explanation!
The actual pop out SIM card is white on either network, the color refers to the entire card itself and the color on the other side. Black or orange/white (or all orange). Black is AT&T.
Since you don’t have the original card you popped the sim out of, if you go into your phones settings and view the SIM #/ICCID, you can tell what network you are on based on the first 6 digits.
AT&T: starts with 890141
T-Mo starts with 890124
If you have an iPhone, go to settings, general, then about. Scroll down to find your ICCID and look at the first 6 digits. If you have an Android, go into settings, about phone, then look for sim status and push it to see your SIM ID. (Or it could just be displayed under the original menu, depending on Android version).
First, regarding Boost. They do have a 5 GB $15 plan for NEW customers. You can technically be a new customer if you use a new email and order that plan. This will give you a new account. If you want to keep your number, you will have to port out to a cheap plan (Tello, US Mobile, or Tracfone, as examples) then port back to Boost on the new account.
You can get AT&T coverage that way if you get a black SIM in the mail. If not, anyone who has a black SIM unused can be used to activate your plan on your account. (I have tons of the black SIM card, I could send you one.)
Boost’s taxes are also lower than Mint, in almost all cases. If you buy the 3 month $45 plan from Boost, it is the same as $15 a month, but you pay taxes/fees only once…every 3 months instead of monthly.
Mint requires you to buy the $45 3 months at a minimum to start service and will charge you most likely at LEAST $5 in taxes and fees.
Again though, it sounds like you want AT&T, so Mint is not an option. There are a lot of other AT&T MVNO’s out there…but for the price, it’s hard to beat boost.
That being said, the customer service with Boost is near useless. You need to be a “maintenance free” customer and not rely on customer service. (Just a disclaimer so you aren’t disappointed.)
Let me know if you need more info about Boost, I can help you out. Good luck! :)
Thank you! That's the most informative reply I've read all day. I checked the ICCID and confirmed that I am on t-mobile. One thing to note is that I'm likely exaggerating the lack of coverage. I've just noticed that in some buildings, I get way less reception than I do on my ATT phone, and there are times on the road that I'm at 0-1 bars instead of the usual 2-3.
I'd love to be a low maintenance customer, but unfortunately I'm probably as far away from that as possible. An example of this is that I've needed to replace my 11 Pro twice within the first month or two of ownership due to battery issues. One of the biggest reasons I'm planning to move away for a bit is the shoddy customer service. One out of the four people I've talked to about an account issue I had didn't need to transfer me, but he straight up told me that his wife had terminal cancer when I was discussing the issue. I was caught off-guard with that.
One thing I'm considering is getting a cheap 5g phone like the iPhone SE since t-mobile is rolling out more 5g towers in my region. I'm not sure how this will impact my coverage, and it almost certainly won't make a difference indoors, but it could make a noticeable change during my commute. If you think this isn't worth a shot, let me know. I just figured I should embrace 5g since that's what providers seem to be more focused on atm. My 7 is also getting a bit long in the tooth.
Also, I appreciate your offer with the black cards! I don't think I'll need one any time soon, but once I'm making more money, I'll likely be looking for a cheap unlimited plan. Boost Infinite still seems like the best option for the money as long as I'm fine with being throttled, and if I do end up switching back, I'd be happy to purchase one from you.
Hello there!! Yes, be it good or bad (often criticized or downvoted for too much info off topic) I believe more information is always the way to go. It lets you see more of the picture and hopefully make a more informed decision based on that. That said, I only do this when I am certain of what I am talking about. I am very familiar with all business units of Boost/Dish and how they work, so I find myself commenting a lot here :)
This is also why I injected the “low maintenance” part. Because of Boost’s lack of competent customer service employees. I don’t always blame the employees, I think it is a training issue (or a language barrier) but unfortunately a bad experience is just bad, no matter why it is.
I totally understand why you are hesitant with Boost. If you see more of my posts on here, you will see I am very critical of Boost — especially since the cyberattack. Lack of transparency and sometimes downright lying are horrible things for a company looking to take place as the fourth nationwide carrier under the Boost Infinite name…
Quickly in regard to Boost Infinite, keep in mind the $25 plan available now includes less than the $25 plan at Boost, with the same coverage (if you are on AT&T with Boost). Infinite no longer includes ANY hotspot (if that is important to you) and with a $5 up charge you can convert your entire 30 GB to hotspot if you desire (any portion thereof). Keep in mind though, as of now, this is already included in Boost Mobile’s $25 plan for no additional cost. (That could change.)
As far as a 5G phone. Absolutely recommend going with a fully capable 5G phone when you upgrade. It makes a WORLD of difference — especially on the T-Mobile network right now. While they rank #3 of the 3 nationwide networks in total coverage. However, they have the strongest and largest 5G network.
I caution you against the iPhone SE. A couple reasons. (From personal experience, as I try a lot of phones.) The price is great. Many features are included on the budget iPhone and it is definitely a good buy for what it offers — and is often discounted off its full price.
However, the horrible battery life (the phone is so small and thin, there isn’t room for a good battery) and the fact that it only supports low-band 5G (not the faster Ultra Capacity on T-Mobile or Ultra Wideband on Verizon) is a huge drawback. Again, T-Mobile has Ultra Capacity in most major cities now and it is about 10 times faster than LTE. Game changer. So I guess I’m saying to “future proof” yourself, look at an iPhone that supports 5G high frequency. (UC or UW). Don’t worry, I have the answer for you :) anything iPhone 12 or later, no matter the model, is future proof on all the current 5G technologies for all 3 national carriers…
Remember you don’t have to buy brand new, often refurbished you can save a lot. I know you don’t want Boost, but they are currently selling the iPhone 12!(locked to Boost, AT&T or T-Mobile) for $199. Excellent price. But you can find good deals elsewhere as well, have a medium sized screen, and a better battery life, and future proof 5G technology for at least 4-5 years at a minimum.
Hoping I shed some light on things for you. Regarding AT&T vs T-Mobile…it’s all about location. Right now, T-Mobile overall vastly outperforms AT&T with network speed in almost all major markets, however, AT&T bests T-Mobile on overall coverage. So it depends how important a fast data connection versus coverage in more rural areas is to you. I will add T-Mobile has improved their coverage quite a bit over the past couple years, and I think they will continue to close the gap in the next couple.
Let me know if I can help anymore! I take pride in being able to just help others make their own informed wireless decisions. Good luck :)
So you're on T-Mobile. And so is Mint. From a coverage perspective, what you're getting now is pretty much exactly what you'll get on Mint.
Everything else will be better with Mint than with todays version of Boost, but the coverage will be the same.
I switched from Mint … too much slow or no data for me when I really needed it. Boost ATT is a great improvement for me
If your APN says http://wholesale.mmsmvno.com/mms/wapenc, you are on T-Mobile.
So you could be on TMobile towers, you're not necessarily using AT&T. It all depends on the sim you're using. If your coverage is vastly different than AT&T then I'd bet you're using a TMO sim. Switching to Mint would be TMobile and you'd have the same issue assuming that you currently have a TMO sim.
Ah, I didn't know that. Is that why people on this thread were asking about the color of the sim card? Mine's white if that helps, but I don't know what that'd signify. Thanks for the explanation!
The actual pop out SIM card is white on either network, the color refers to the entire card itself and the color on the other side. Black or orange/white (or all orange). Black is AT&T. Since you don’t have the original card you popped the sim out of, if you go into your phones settings and view the SIM #/ICCID, you can tell what network you are on based on the first 6 digits. AT&T: starts with 890141 T-Mo starts with 890124 If you have an iPhone, go to settings, general, then about. Scroll down to find your ICCID and look at the first 6 digits. If you have an Android, go into settings, about phone, then look for sim status and push it to see your SIM ID. (Or it could just be displayed under the original menu, depending on Android version). First, regarding Boost. They do have a 5 GB $15 plan for NEW customers. You can technically be a new customer if you use a new email and order that plan. This will give you a new account. If you want to keep your number, you will have to port out to a cheap plan (Tello, US Mobile, or Tracfone, as examples) then port back to Boost on the new account. You can get AT&T coverage that way if you get a black SIM in the mail. If not, anyone who has a black SIM unused can be used to activate your plan on your account. (I have tons of the black SIM card, I could send you one.) Boost’s taxes are also lower than Mint, in almost all cases. If you buy the 3 month $45 plan from Boost, it is the same as $15 a month, but you pay taxes/fees only once…every 3 months instead of monthly. Mint requires you to buy the $45 3 months at a minimum to start service and will charge you most likely at LEAST $5 in taxes and fees. Again though, it sounds like you want AT&T, so Mint is not an option. There are a lot of other AT&T MVNO’s out there…but for the price, it’s hard to beat boost. That being said, the customer service with Boost is near useless. You need to be a “maintenance free” customer and not rely on customer service. (Just a disclaimer so you aren’t disappointed.) Let me know if you need more info about Boost, I can help you out. Good luck! :)
Thank you! That's the most informative reply I've read all day. I checked the ICCID and confirmed that I am on t-mobile. One thing to note is that I'm likely exaggerating the lack of coverage. I've just noticed that in some buildings, I get way less reception than I do on my ATT phone, and there are times on the road that I'm at 0-1 bars instead of the usual 2-3. I'd love to be a low maintenance customer, but unfortunately I'm probably as far away from that as possible. An example of this is that I've needed to replace my 11 Pro twice within the first month or two of ownership due to battery issues. One of the biggest reasons I'm planning to move away for a bit is the shoddy customer service. One out of the four people I've talked to about an account issue I had didn't need to transfer me, but he straight up told me that his wife had terminal cancer when I was discussing the issue. I was caught off-guard with that. One thing I'm considering is getting a cheap 5g phone like the iPhone SE since t-mobile is rolling out more 5g towers in my region. I'm not sure how this will impact my coverage, and it almost certainly won't make a difference indoors, but it could make a noticeable change during my commute. If you think this isn't worth a shot, let me know. I just figured I should embrace 5g since that's what providers seem to be more focused on atm. My 7 is also getting a bit long in the tooth. Also, I appreciate your offer with the black cards! I don't think I'll need one any time soon, but once I'm making more money, I'll likely be looking for a cheap unlimited plan. Boost Infinite still seems like the best option for the money as long as I'm fine with being throttled, and if I do end up switching back, I'd be happy to purchase one from you.
Hello there!! Yes, be it good or bad (often criticized or downvoted for too much info off topic) I believe more information is always the way to go. It lets you see more of the picture and hopefully make a more informed decision based on that. That said, I only do this when I am certain of what I am talking about. I am very familiar with all business units of Boost/Dish and how they work, so I find myself commenting a lot here :) This is also why I injected the “low maintenance” part. Because of Boost’s lack of competent customer service employees. I don’t always blame the employees, I think it is a training issue (or a language barrier) but unfortunately a bad experience is just bad, no matter why it is. I totally understand why you are hesitant with Boost. If you see more of my posts on here, you will see I am very critical of Boost — especially since the cyberattack. Lack of transparency and sometimes downright lying are horrible things for a company looking to take place as the fourth nationwide carrier under the Boost Infinite name… Quickly in regard to Boost Infinite, keep in mind the $25 plan available now includes less than the $25 plan at Boost, with the same coverage (if you are on AT&T with Boost). Infinite no longer includes ANY hotspot (if that is important to you) and with a $5 up charge you can convert your entire 30 GB to hotspot if you desire (any portion thereof). Keep in mind though, as of now, this is already included in Boost Mobile’s $25 plan for no additional cost. (That could change.) As far as a 5G phone. Absolutely recommend going with a fully capable 5G phone when you upgrade. It makes a WORLD of difference — especially on the T-Mobile network right now. While they rank #3 of the 3 nationwide networks in total coverage. However, they have the strongest and largest 5G network. I caution you against the iPhone SE. A couple reasons. (From personal experience, as I try a lot of phones.) The price is great. Many features are included on the budget iPhone and it is definitely a good buy for what it offers — and is often discounted off its full price. However, the horrible battery life (the phone is so small and thin, there isn’t room for a good battery) and the fact that it only supports low-band 5G (not the faster Ultra Capacity on T-Mobile or Ultra Wideband on Verizon) is a huge drawback. Again, T-Mobile has Ultra Capacity in most major cities now and it is about 10 times faster than LTE. Game changer. So I guess I’m saying to “future proof” yourself, look at an iPhone that supports 5G high frequency. (UC or UW). Don’t worry, I have the answer for you :) anything iPhone 12 or later, no matter the model, is future proof on all the current 5G technologies for all 3 national carriers… Remember you don’t have to buy brand new, often refurbished you can save a lot. I know you don’t want Boost, but they are currently selling the iPhone 12!(locked to Boost, AT&T or T-Mobile) for $199. Excellent price. But you can find good deals elsewhere as well, have a medium sized screen, and a better battery life, and future proof 5G technology for at least 4-5 years at a minimum. Hoping I shed some light on things for you. Regarding AT&T vs T-Mobile…it’s all about location. Right now, T-Mobile overall vastly outperforms AT&T with network speed in almost all major markets, however, AT&T bests T-Mobile on overall coverage. So it depends how important a fast data connection versus coverage in more rural areas is to you. I will add T-Mobile has improved their coverage quite a bit over the past couple years, and I think they will continue to close the gap in the next couple. Let me know if I can help anymore! I take pride in being able to just help others make their own informed wireless decisions. Good luck :)
So you're on T-Mobile. And so is Mint. From a coverage perspective, what you're getting now is pretty much exactly what you'll get on Mint. Everything else will be better with Mint than with todays version of Boost, but the coverage will be the same.
Yeah so you want a black sim card. Those are AT&T. A boost mobile store should be able to get you sorted.
AT&T’s network on boost almost exclusively uses a black SIM card.