Should I Choose the Straight Talk AT&T or Verizon Network?

A reader, John asks…
Hey Bob,
Please answer me ASAP. I am purchasing a Verizon iPhone 6. I get great coverage at home and at school with both ST AT&T and ST Verizon. I am almost certain I would receive VVM on the iPhone 6 using ST Verizon. However, ST Verizon caps their download speeds at 5Mbps while ST AT&T’s download speed can go up to the 30-40 Mbps. So the golden question is do you think I should sacrifice my download speed for VVM? Also Verizon tends to have better service in most places I am at.

Hi John,
That’s a good question.

I’d say try the Straight Talk ATT network with your iPhone 6. Try YouMail if you really need VVM. If you find that the network coverage is a problem, or you really can’t live without VVM then consider switching to ST Verizon.

In general, I tell people to pick the network that has better coverage in their area. For someone in your case, where both networks work well, but maybe one is a little better (Verizon in your case). I often recommend that people try the Straight Talk ATT network first, and they have problems with speeds or coverage, to then consider switching the Verizon network.

I recommend that because you don’t need to register your phone with Straight Talk to use the ATT network. Just activate the SIM. I also think it’s a little easier to fix problems with MMS on the ATT and TMobile networks. Finally, when you register your phone with Straight Talk’s Verizon network I am not sure you can move it back to Verizon or another prepaid carrier using the Verizon network. I haven’t verified that though.

In terms of speed, the Verizon network is capped at 5Mbps. Many readers tell me they really don’t notice the difference. I suspect that depends on what you do on your phone. I use the ST ATT network and my speeds are all over the place. Generally at home, they are under 5Mbps, when I go out I can see 10, 20, 30, even 40 Mbps.

As for Visual Voicemail, it really depends on how important that is to you. I don’t rely on voice mail. My family and friends are trained not to leave me voicemail, and the number of work related messages I get is manageable without VVM. A couple of months ago, I installed an application called YouMail. It is very similar to VVM. You essentially program your phone to redirect your voicemail to YouMail and then they have an app you can use to manage your account. The service is freemium, you can use it for free and pay for upgraded features. It’s a decent replacement. I am not a heavy user. I set it up when trying to help a reader out and have left it on my phone. Keep in mind that Straight Talk doesn’t promise that VVM will work on your iPhone. While many Straight Talk verizon LTE network users are reporting it works, if it stops one day, you’ll be back to regular voice mail.

Another thing to consider is whether you can use both voice and data at the same time on the Verizon network. I don’t know if you can on ST’s Verizon network. On Verizon’s network, they support a new feature called Voice over LTE. When this is enabled you can use voice and data at the same time. I’ll have to check with a few Straight Talk verizon users to see what’s working for them.

I hope this helps, let me know what you choose..

Hey,
In 2020, you have a lot of choices for prepaid wireless service. You may be able to save $100s per year and get the features you want such as Wi-Fi calling, Mobile Hotspot, and Visual Voicemail. Sound good? to learn more see, Is Straight Talk Your Best Option in 2020?

Comments are closed.