Why is an LG P870 NOT an LG P870??

[stevek50]

Hi all... hope this is proper place to ask phone/carrier type questions:

Consumer Cellular (CC) sells LG Escape P870 for $299. They also have a bring-your-own-phone plan... just MUST be AT&T, UNLOCKED. Found various LG P870's on eBay... used under $100; NEW @ $125-ish.

CC says MAY work but can't guarantee. One eBay (new phone) says this phone will ONLY do VOICE & TEXT... but not Web and send/receive pics on CC. Searching GOOGLE finds many that say it's all controlled by Access Point Names settings...

1. Who, using the Bring-Your-Own-Phone option, would bring a CC phone??

2. If it's an AT&T, UNLOCKED phone in first place... then Android should be Android (on SAME phone/model)... isn't it the SIM that distinguishes one providers variations from another???

3. Why would VOICE and TEXT work but NOT WEB & PIC SEND/RECEIVE?? Shouldn't the WEB feature be (simply) providing the correct server/port addresses?? I opt for same thought on PIC but not a cellphone type but... why TEXT and NOT PICs via TEXT??

As I said, not a cellphone type but... REALLY HARD TO FATHOM that CC allows "non CC" AT&T/UNLOCKED phones... I chose SAME model as they sell and they can't GUARANTEE it'll work??

Anyway, hope this is right place to dump out issues... BUT... I would like to LEARN and not just get a CAN'T DO answer... even if I'm pointed elsewhere.

Thanks in advance!!
Steve

 

[Hadron]

I know nothing about this carrier, but the difference between voice & text and Web, MMS, email etc is that voice and text don't use the Internet connection. That's what APN settings are about.

Now as long as the phone supports the bands and protocols used by the network and the apn settings haven't been locked to some other carrier I'd expect it to work. But I know neither the handset nor network, so cannot give a guarantee those conditions will be met.

 

[zuben el genub]

TMO said the same about the Nexus 4. They sold it, I bought it online elsewhere. Works very well.

It could probably only have a 2G band. Check the bands on the phone and what the carrier uses. I have EU phones that work on TMO, but only get 2G. Since 2G data isn't the best and can be spotty, the cheaper phones might be only good for voice and text.

 

[libr8gnu]

Sounds like what your facing Steve is what I just went up against with a F3 tmo version in trying to get support through the carrier that distributed it. Your carriers need you to commit to the service but typically are unwilling to commit even to basic coverage information. I have one of these handsets that I purchased as a ATT prepaid, the screen cracked on mine so I am looking at repairing it but this does seem to be a good phone. When I purchased it though it came with ICS and seems now the listings I see it arrives with JB. That may be better though as I noticed on mine the cpu really heated up when I would use the Uno Game. Perhaps that has been gotten past with the JB update. This carrier you speak of sounds like they just don't want to carry any blame or provide refund if you purchase a phone and service that you are not able to use.