Consumer Cellular: yay or nay?

[lunatic59]

@MoodyBlues , I've been with AT&T when they were Cellular One. My current phone has WiFi calling right on the main settings screen.

And I have a cheapo Chines phone running Lineage 15.1 with a pay as you go SIM from H2O (AT&T MVNO) for about $10/mo. and that has Wifi calling too.

 

[MoodyBlues]

@MoodyBlues , I've been with AT&T when they were Cellular One.

Goodness! When does that date back to?

My current phone has WiFi calling right on the main settings screen.

View attachment 138561

And I have a cheapo Chines phone running Lineage 15.1 with a pay as you go SIM from H2O (AT&T MVNO) for about $10/mo. and that has Wifi calling too.

View attachment 138562

If you've looked at my screenshots, you'll see I have no such thing.

@Unforgiven mentioned needing to enable this through the carrier, which I've not done yet. Did you have to do that or were your phones that way from the get-go? And which version(s) of Android do you have? Oreo 8.0.0 here.

 

[mikedt]

FWIW I've never seen a WiFi calling feature in any phone I've had, that's various phones bought in China and the UK. I know WiFi calling isn't offered by carriers in China anyway, and phones always work inside here.

 

[MoodyBlues]

FWIW I've never seen a WiFi calling feature in any phone I've had

Same here. I just checked my most recent old phone, also purchased directly from Motorola, with AT&T as its carrier, and there's nothing.

I know WiFi calling isn't offered by carriers in China anyway, and phones always work inside here.

Really? What's the terrain like where you are?

 

[mikedt]

Same here. I just checked my most recent old phone, also purchased directly from Motorola, with AT&T as its carrier, and there's nothing.

I've just been looking at WiFi calling, but it's something I've never seen myself of course. However one of the phones I've got is a Samsung Galaxy S7 that was bought from Vodafone in the UK, apparently this carrier does support WiFi calling, but it needs to install their "My Vodafone" app to enable it, which isn't pre-installed on this phone. There's nothing about WiFi calling in this Samsung's own settings.
Maybe there's something similar for AT&T, where they have a specific app for WiFi calling?

Really? What's the terrain like where you are?

Where I am at the moment, it's basically flat, and very built-up. However I've been to many places in China and never had a problem with indoor reception. Could be something to do with cell-tower density though. It seems the carriers here can put them wherever they like, and with the state owned carriers there's basically no local objections and planning permissions for them to contend with. Like there's a China Unicom cell-tower right on top of the classroom block where I teach, and less than 100 metres from where I live, I can also see the other carrier cell-tower antennas from my front window. I know in the UK there's been strong objections to cell-tower locations, like on schools and things.

 

[Unforgiven]

purchased directly from Motorola, with AT&T as its carrier, and there's nothing.

Hmmm... ...I wonder if that's the difference. I've purchased my last several phones unlocked, not tied to any carrier.

 

[lunatic59]

I've never setup WiFi calling with my carrier, per se, but I do recall getting a prompt to enable it back when I got the phone (on 7.0 at the time, now on 8.0 and factory reset since the upgrade) The phone running Lineage is about as generic as it gets and there was nothing needed on my end to enable WiFi calling other than enabling it on the phone.

 

[Rico ANDROID]

I have Wifi callingboption too on ATT but never set it up. Wow i remember Cellular-One commercials! totally forgot about them and had no idea ATT bought them out ! (i thought ATT bought the purple guy PrimeCo)

 

[MoodyBlues]

Hmmm... ...I wonder if that's the difference. I've purchased my last several phones unlocked, not tied to any carrier.

But...and please correct me if I'm wrong, AT&T didn't enter the picture until I called them to have my number switched to the new phone. They knew nothing about it, needing me to give them its IMEI number and some other number which I can't recall right now.

But wait, Moody, I'm telling myself--then where the hell did the AT&T apps come from? The sky? I must have had to indicate to Motorola while ordering who my carrier would be. *confused*

 

[MoodyBlues]

Very interesting and informative post, @mikedt. I'm fascinated by the concept of having great indoor reception--everywhere!

It's ironic for me, living in the state who's home to Silicon Valley, Space X, Tesla, Caltech, JPL/NASA, etc....and I can't get a damn signal if I'm in my house!

 

[Unforgiven]

But...and please correct me if I'm wrong, AT&T didn't enter the picture until I called them to have my number switched to the new phone. They knew nothing about it, needing me to give them its IMEI number and some other number which I can't recall right now.

But wait, Moody, I'm telling myself--then where the hell did the AT&T apps come from? The sky? I must have had to indicate to Motorola while ordering who my carrier would be. *confused*

Yeah, I don't have to talk to a carrier, and I have no carrier apps. I buy a sim, buy minutes (for lack of a better term) and plop the sim in and it works. If I buy a new phone, I put the sim in the new phone and it works. The phone company knows the imei of the sim, but doesn't know squat about my phone. At various times I've tested flip phones.

 

[Rico ANDROID]

Yeah, I don't have to talk to a carrier, and I have no carrier apps. I buy a sim, buy minutes (for lack of a better term) and plop the sim in and it works. If I buy a new phone, I put the sim in the new phone and it works. The phone company knows the imei of the sim, but doesn't know squat about my phone. At various times I've tested flip phones.

See, i like that!

 

[MoodyBlues]

At various times I've tested flip phones.

Flip phones? I still have two of them from the pre-Android days!

I've heard they're actually still being made. So you've tried new ones, or what?

 

[Unforgiven]

Flip phones? I still have two of them from the pre-Android days!

I've heard they're actually still being made. So you've tried new ones, or what?

I tested one at two different phases of development. These were the convenience store, $30 throwaway flip phones, which was mint, because I got $100 Amazon gift cards for testing them each time.

 

[MoodyBlues]

I tested one at two different phases of development. These were the convenience store, $30 throwaway flip phones, which was mint, because I got $100 Amazon gift cards for testing them each time.

Dude (as we say here in California, regardless of gender), that's some deal!

So were the phones any good?

 

[Unforgiven]

So were the phones any good?

So were the phones any good?[/QUOTE]
Well, for 90's standards they were great. .5 megapixel camera, some POS OS that sorta did email along with messaging. So more or less, they were great phones, but crappy smart phones.

 

[Milo Willamson]

Dude (as we say here in California, regardless of gender), that's some deal!

So were the phones any good?

I say dude or guys regaurdless of gender too

 

[Milo Willamson]

Moody dear : I have Oreo 8.0.0

Moto z 2 force, motorolla dear As I said before if you google assisstant, it will really help your phone out no matter what

 

[MoodyBlues]

Moody dear : I have Oreo 8.0.0

Moto z 2 force, motorolla dear As I said before if you google assisstant, it will really help your phone out no matter what

But I don't WANT to use Google Assistant--or Alexa or Siri or any of that! Even my bank, Bank of America, pestered me to use Erica, until I told her to take a hike. Ugh.

But I appreciate the suggestion!

 

[Milo Willamson]

But I don't WANT to use Google Assistant--or Alexa or Siri or any of that! Even my bank, Bank of America, pestered me to use Erica, until I told her to take a hike. Ugh.

But I appreciate the suggestion!

Well you can always google it anyways I know they know... Everything.. you can always clear them via my activiy off google though, but bits and pieces though can hurt...

 

[MoodyBlues]

Just a random, crazy thought that popped into my head: any thoughts on Consumer Cellular?

 

[MoodyBlues]

Well, here's an update: I switched!

Consumer Cellular offered me a 'bill per use' plan at $10/month + $0.25/minute for calls.

I told AT&T's retention/loyalty department that if they couldn't at least come close to that, I'd leave; they couldn't, so I did.

A new SIM card is on its way.

 

[DonB]

Well, here's an update: I switched!

Consumer Cellular offered me a 'bill per use' plan at $10/month + $0.25/minute for calls.

I told AT&T's retention/loyalty department that if they couldn't at least come close to that, I'd leave; they couldn't, so I did.

A new SIM card is on its way.

Keep us posted once you're all setup.

I've been with Cricket for years and also don't have Wifi Calling.

BTW, Here is how I got to the Wifi calling options on my One Plus 5T, I had to enable it in the One Plus Logkit settings here, ( https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2018/08/enabling-voice-over-wifi-on-the-oneplus-5t-and-three-uk/ ) I haven't tested to see if it works yet, but I will later on.

 

[MoodyBlues]

Keep us posted once you're all setup.

The card came on the 21st. I was up and running quickly and easily, choosing to activate it online, then calling the free test number.

I've been with Cricket for years

Are you pleased with them overall? My live-in helper is looking for a less expensive carrier (she has T-Mobile) and asked if I know anything about Cricket (I don't). She's now looked at Consumer Cellular. Apparently, they don't have an unlimited data plan; their biggest data plan is 20GB for $40/month, and she uses a little more than that. (If she was more vigilant about ‘wifi only" when she's at home, it would be less!)

and also don't have Wifi Calling.

Interesting.

BTW, Here is how I got to the Wifi calling options on my One Plus 5T, I had to enable it in the One Plus Logkit settings here, ( https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2018/08/enabling-voice-over-wifi-on-the-oneplus-5t-and-three-uk/ ) I haven't tested to see if it works yet, but I will later on.

Please let us know! I'm going to look at it for fun...and maybe even search for something similar for my phone.

 

[DonB]

I've had Cricket for the past 5 years now and have no issues with them at all. Every now and then and very rarely, it'll be spotty in a certain area, but to be honest I've had that with every carrier I've ever used.

As for the Wifi Calling, I did activate it on my One Plus 5T, but I don't think it's working, as I don't have the icon in the status bar, which is how I'm guessing your suppose to know it's works. Correct me if I'm wrong.

I'm told if you buy a phone from Cricket that has that feature in the phone it works well, but I've only read this.