Help Lenovo A916 Need Sim provider

[peter varieur]

I new to this site. Hello everyone. I am not too savy with all this high tech stuff. I just purchased a Lenovo A916 Android. I don't have the phone yet. I want to use it on Freedompop , I purchased the spot for Wifi and talk. I found out that in order to freedom to the max I have to use a sprint sim card. After looking all around on the internet I call someone who sells sprint sim card. He said he doesn't think it will work on the sprint network. I did some more checking and found that the new Ting is going to support the nexus 5 which has the same band widths as mine. can anyone tell me where I can get a ting sim card or know of any solutions ? here are my specs. it's unlocked. Thanks in advance for any help you can be.
Lenovo A916
Band 2G: GSM 900/1800MHz;
3G: WCDMA 900/2100MHz
4G: TD-LTE: B1/B3 2555/ 2575MHZ; 2575/ 2655MHZ
Sim Card Dual SIM Card Dual Standby

 

[kate]

It wont work with Freedom Pop, and unfortunately it looks like it wont work with Ting GSM either.

Ting GSM requires both 1700 MHz and 2100 MHz frequencies for 3G and LTE.

 

[peter varieur]

It wont work with Freedom Pop, and unfortunately it looks like it wont work with Ting GSM either.

Ting GSM requires both 1700 MHz and 2100 MHz frequencies for 3G and LTE.

I heard ting is launching a new sim that will. it will be separate from sprint and will work on the nexus 5

 

[El Presidente]

If this is anything to go by, the only US carrier you'll have any joy with is T-Mobile: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cellular_frequencies#United_States_Carrier_Frequency_Use

Even then, it's one frequency so coverage will be pretty spotty and you won't get LTE.

 

[kate]

I heard ting is launching a new sim that will. it will be separate from sprint and will work on the nexus 5

Yes, the new Ting SIM uses the GSM T-Mobile network.

The Nexus 5 works with both Ting networks (it can be used on Ting/Sprint and Ting/T-Mobile). But the Nexus 5 has many more bands, your Lenovo wont work on any Sprint network and as El Presidente mentioned coverage on T-Mobile would be spotty because it doesn't have all the T-Mobile bands.

You can verify if your Lenovo will work with Ting GSM here, I'm guessing it will say you'll only have 2G coverage.

 

[peter varieur]

I really don't understand any of this enough to make a decision. I was reading online at the FAQ at Freedompop. they say if I have an android phone that I can download the app and use the wifi and talk. I have a pay as you go card that works on my present phone. my question is can I use my present pay as you go card, download the app and will it work like that ? if it can will my present pay as you go card be charged for data time or talk time while using the app. I will have the freedom spot for the hotspot. do I even need the spot if I download the app. I really appreciate any advice. thank you

If this is anything to go by, the only US carrier you'll have any joy with is T-Mobile: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cellular_frequencies#United_States_Carrier_Frequency_Use

Even then, it's one frequency so coverage will be pretty spotty and you won't get LTE.

Yes, the new Ting SIM uses the GSM T-Mobile network.

The Nexus 5 works with both Ting networks (it can be used on Ting/Sprint and Ting/T-Mobile). But the Nexus 5 has many more bands, your Lenovo wont work on any Sprint network and as El Presidente mentioned coverage on T-Mobile would be spotty because it doesn't have all the T-Mobile bands.

You can verify if your Lenovo will work with Ting GSM here, I'm guessing it will say you'll only have 2G coverage.

I have a android phone now that I like a lot, I thought I needed another in order to use freedompop (spot) I went on the ting site and checked my present phone, I put in the IMEI for my present phone in their compatibility check. It said it will work in 2G, 3G, 4G hspa+ and 4G LTE. does this mean I can use this on freedompop with the ting sim card ? I can return the new one that I purchased that I haven't used. Thanks again for all your help.

 

[kate]

I was reading online at the FAQ at Freedompop. they say if I have an android phone that I can download the app and use the wifi and talk.

Freedom Pop only supports certain Sprint phones:
http://support.freedompop.com/Devic...FreedomPop-service-with-my-existing-Phone.htm

The Lenovo A916 is not from Sprint, but you can check if it will work here:
http://www.freedompop.com/byod

You could buy a Freedom Pop Hotspot and use that with any smartphone, but I don't know if their app will work with an unsupported non-Sprint phone.

I went on the ting site and checked my present phone, I put in the IMEI for my present phone in their compatibility check. It said it will work in 2G, 3G, 4G hspa+ and 4G LTE.
...I can return the new one that I purchased that I haven't used.

Do you mean it said your A916 will work with Ting, or a different phone? Based on the band info in your first post (and spec sites I checked) for the Lenovo A916 it should not be able to get LTE with Ting GSM. Were all the circles green? In this picture the phone doesn't get HSPA:

does this mean I can use this on freedompop with the ting sim card ? Thanks again for all your help.

Freedom Pop and Ting are both phone carriers and each have their own SIM card, so you can't use a Ting SIM to get Freedom Pop service.

 

[peter varieur]

I'm 65 years old and this is so confusing to me. Give me an engine to tear apart and rebuild and I'm fine but this stuff is difficult for me. LOL I was speaking about another phone but if that compatibility test was for the A916 it does say 4G LTE ? I was on the Freedompop's site and they said that they don't sell sim cards that you need a sprint card. doesn't sprint and ting work together ? I guess the bottom line is if I keep the 916 and do get the ting sim card and keep the Freedom Spot for Wifi will I be about to get the app and use it that way to have wifi,text and talk thru the app ? thanks for your patience

 

[kate]

I was speaking about another phone but if that compatibility test was for the A916 it does say 4G LTE ?

The picture above is a sample pic I found on their website, not for the A916. Sorry, my wording didn't make that clear.

doesn't sprint and ting work together?

Yes, but Ting is kind of unique in that they have two separate networks - one using the Sprint network, and one using T-Mobile and that new SIM you heard about. So you can use Sprint phones on the Ting/Sprint service, and use GSM (AT&T and T-Mobile) phones on Ting/T-Mobile if that phone has the correct bands.

The Lenovo A916 is not a Sprint phone so you can't use it with Ting/Sprint.

The Lenovo A916 is a GSM phone, but it doesn't have all the correct bands for Ting/T-Mobile (this is because it looks like the A916 is designed for Europe).

I'm 65 years old and this is so confusing to me. Give me an engine to tear apart and rebuild and I'm fine but this stuff is difficult for me.

Translation: The A916 is an oil filter for a Volkswagen and you want to put it in a Ford. On paper the specs say it's the wrong size.

I guess the bottom line is if I keep the 916 and do get the ting sim card and keep the Freedom Spot for Wifi will I be about to get the app and use it that way to have wifi,text and talk thru the app ? thanks for your patience

First please do the following to make things more clear
1. Name the model of your other phone and what network it is originally from (AT&T, T-Mobile, Sprint, Verizon).
2. Check both your phones at both Ting and Freedom Pop, and reply with all four results.
https://ting.com/byod
http://www.freedompop.com/byod

 

[peter varieur]

The picture above is a sample pic I found on their website, not for the A916. Sorry, my wording didn't make that clear.


Yes, but Ting is kind of unique in that they have two separate networks - one using the Sprint network, and one using T-Mobile and that new SIM you heard about. So you can use Sprint phones on the Ting/Sprint service, and use GSM (AT&T and T-Mobile) phones on Ting/T-Mobile if that phone has the correct bands.

The Lenovo A916 is not a Sprint phone so you can't use it with Ting/Sprint.

The Lenovo A916 is a GSM phone, but it doesn't have all the correct bands for Ting/T-Mobile (this is because it looks like the A916 is designed for Europe).


Translation: The A916 is an oil filter for a Volkswagen and you want to put it in a Ford. On paper the specs say it's the wrong size.



First please do the following to make things more clear
1. Name the brand and model of your other phone.
2. Check both your phones at both Ting and Freedom Pop, and reply with all four results.
https://ting.com/byod
http://www.freedompop.com/byod

Ok, the phone I have now is 6.5 inch Star U650 3G phone MTK6589T Quad Core 1.5GHz 16GB ROM GPS WCDMA Bluetooth WIFI Dual Camera 13.0MP 2G GSM 850/900/1800/1900 3G WCDMA 850/2100
it showed noting on either. When I tried it on ting this morning I thought because it said congratulations and I saw 4 grey circles, I thought it was good, after I saw your green circles I realized that they should have been green. I guess they meant I was in the coverage area. I don't have the A916 yet so I can't check. I'll have to wait until I get the 916. Is this correct even thought my U650 works on a pay as you go from the UK on T-Mobile and AT&T here that the sim card has to be compatible with ting or sprint so they can communicate and track info ? I may just sell the Freedompop spot after I get it in the mail. Seems like it's not going to work ? Do you really save that much ? The phones on Freedompop are not that appealing to me. I really like the U650, it's like the note 2.

 

[kate]

When I tried it on ting this morning I thought because it said congratulations and I saw 4 grey circles, I thought it was good, after I saw your green circles I realized that they should have been green.

When you test your A916 I'm guessing you'll get a similar result, but I would still double check just to make sure.

Is this correct even thought my U650 works on a pay as you go from the UK on T-Mobile and AT&T here that the sim card has to be compatible with ting or sprint so they can communicate and track info ?

Each cell carrier has their own SIM card, so using AT&T requires an AT&T SIM, using Ting GSM requires a Ting SIM, etc.

my U650 works on a pay as you go from the UK on T-Mobile and AT&T here
I really like the U650, it's like the note 2.

1. If it works on AT&T you can get service from AT&T or Cricket.
2. Or if you want to use Ting and your A916 is indeed incompatible you can buy a T-Mobile branded phone and get a Ting GSM SIM card for it.
Both options will give you calls, text, and internet.

When choosing Ting or Cricket you can save some money using someones referral link and get $25 off service.
Ting: here's my referral link for $25, click it before signing up.
Cricket: many Android Forums users have posted their referrals in this thread, click one before signing up for $25.

I may just sell the Freedompop spot after I get it in the mail. Seems like it's not going to work ?

This might sound confusing:
1. Neither of your phones will work with Freedom Pop cell service because they don't have compatible hardware.
2. Both your phones will work with a Freedom Pop Hotspot if you bought one. This is because the Freedom Pop Hotspot receives the cell signal and turns it into WiFi for your phones and every smartphone can use WiFi. However you will only be able to use WiFi with Freedom Pop, to make calls with your two cell phones you would need to use another cell service.

 

[peter varieur]

When you test your A916 I'm guessing you'll get a similar result, but I would still double check just to make sure.



Each cell carrier has their own SIM card, so using AT&T requires an AT&T SIM, using Ting GSM requires a Ting SIM, etc.


1. If it works on AT&T you can get service from AT&T or Cricket.
2. Or if you want to use Ting and your A916 is indeed incompatible you can buy a T-Mobile branded phone and get a Ting GSM SIM card for it.
Both options will give you calls, text, and internet.

When choosing Ting or Cricket you can save some money using someones referral link and get $25 off service.
Ting: here's my referral link for $25, click it before signing up.
Cricket: many Android Forums users have posted their referrals in this thread, click one before signing up for $25.



This might sound confusing:
1. Neither of your phones will work with Freedom Pop cell service because they don't have compatible hardware.
2. Both your phones will work with a Freedom Pop Hotspot if you bought one. This is because the Freedom Pop Hotspot receives the cell signal and turns it into WiFi for your phones and every smartphone can use WiFi. However you will only be able to use WiFi with Freedom Pop, to make calls with your two cell phones you would need to use another cell service.

Thank you for this info. Ok so I purchased the freedom spot 3g/4g mifi can I use this for just wifi with these phones ?

 

[kate]

Thank you for this info. Ok so I purchased the freedom spot 3g/4g mifi can I use this for just wifi with these phones ?

Yep, that will let you use WiFi with your phones anywhere Freedom Pop has a signal