Straight Talk Wireless BYOP Program
 

For those looking to chop their monthly ATT or TMO bills, Straight Talk just introduced a BringYourOwnPhone program for $45/month unlimited everything (and $60/month with an unlimited Int'l calling add-on).

Phones can be unlocked or locked to either ATT or TMO (order the SIM card that matches where your phone is currently used), and phones require a simple APN edit to get data working (although many locked iPhone models will have a problem with MMS). The network your phone has access to is at least as good as the native coverage with either ATT or TMO (or both depending on your phone and frequencies)

Ordering is here: http://www.straighttalksim.com/

One caveat - no int'l roaming, so if your phone is locked to either ATT or TMO, it will be a brick when abroad without wifi.

I've been on Straight Talk unlimited everything $45/mo. for a few weeks using an unlocked GSM Galaxy Nexus. Couldn't be happier.

It's not clear if this includes data. Does it?

I'm assuming their SIM wouldn't work with a Verizon unlocked iPhone 4S.

It includes data, and no it would not work in the US with a Verizon unlocked iPhone. Once it can see the Verizon CDMA network it will prefer that over a GSM-based one.

If there's a non-Verizon SIM in the phone it will roam onto whatever the SIM says. I can put my China Mobile SIM in and it roams onto AT&T here in New York.

I guess a better phrasing of the question would be, will the iPhone accept a Straight Talk SIM given that Verizon doesn't unlock it for the USA - how does the Straight Talk SIM appear to the phone?

The Straight Talk plan includes voice, data and text. While data is unlimited, if you exceed 2GB per month and they can trace your activity to downloads or streaming, they reserve the right to terminate the account.

You can choose either a TMO or ATT compatible SIM card - so the Verizon iPhone would work on the ATT GSM network with an ATT compatible SIM. However, the Verizon and Sprint iPhones have a block on them that prevents a US-based GSM SIM from working, restricting the phones to foreign SIMs only - therefore unless someone unlocks the phone or gets Verizon/Sprint to remove the domestic SIM block, it won't work at all.

All other iPhones will work with the ATT SIM - although a TMO SIM *could* be used, but the phone will receive Edge/2G service only, which defeats the purpose.

One more data point....my other half received their SIM yesterday. One quick call to customer service and their ATT number was ported and StraightTalk working within a few minutes. Interesting that their voicemail greeting and inbox remained intact as well - so transitioning from ATT is pretty seamless.

Only thing lacking is being able to send international sms or mms messages, only beef besides that works well.

True, but you can just use Whatsapp for international SMS/MMS and Google Voice for international long distance. No premium SMS services either, so you can't text short codes for coupons, discounts, etc.

Only major caveat is no international roaming - any attempt to make or receive calls outside the US will end up with account termination.

Wouldn't work for me. I send a lot of text to colleagues in Canada, and I go to Canada frequently and need to use my phone with MY phone number here in the states. I don't want to pop in a Canadian SIM and use a different number in an unlocked phone. Same goes for my travels to Europe. I prefer having my number.
I'll stick with T-Mo. With their WiFi auto-transfer, I can use my number on WiFi internationally with no charges. That works for me. ;)

For those of you who are already signed up, can you tell me what the cost from the US to the UK would be per min? (cell phone)

Thanks

really?

from their faq:

It doesn't work in HI/AK? I guess that FAQ item must be incorrect as their coverage map includes AK/HI.

-David

They have two options - one is an unlimited everything with International plan for $60 a month which includes unlimited domestic and international calls, or a $5 per month add-on - needless to say if you're doing huge overseas calling volume, the $60 plan is better, otherwise I would suggest Google Voice or LocalPhone for outbound int'l calls.

Well you'll need to forgive them - headquarters are in Miami, which isn't really in the continental US either.

HI and AK are included, but PR/VI would not be. Basically, the test is to check where either ATT or TMO offer native (or US partner roaming) coverage - if it's on their respective coverage maps, you can use the phone with ST.

:D

On their sim selection page it wasn't obvious to me which to pick for an unlocked iphone.

One the one hand it is unlocked, but on the other hand you want to pick a SIM that works with AT&T/3G + iphone so I think you have to pick AT&T locked.

-David