Shell wants to know if she should buy a Wi-Fi only iPad, or the iPad with 4G access. Leo says that Apple will charge an additional $129 for the LTE capability, plus she'll have to pay for an additional monthly data plan. It's far cheaper to get a Wi-Fi only tablet and then use her phone as a hotspot for about $20 a month. Even Leo didn't buy a data plan with his latest iPad Pro. He just went with the Wi-Fi version.
Wayne has been using Apple Music and it seems to use a lot of data. Leo says that T-Mobile has a great gig going on where they allow users to stream for free, and it doesn't count against user bandwidth caps. But AT&T doesn't offer that.
Joe is frustrated because video is constantly buffering on his phone. Leo says it could be the phone. Older hardware has to work harder to play hi-res video. But more likely, it's Joe's carrier, which can have limited bandwidth. Since Joe is using Sprint, they've been late in coming to the LTE party, and it may be that LTE isn't available in Joe's area. An older phone, like an iPhone 4, won't even support LTE. A new phone will help, but Joe should make sure LTE is supported in his area.
Kris would like to move her iPhone 4 from AT&T to Verizon. Leo says she can't. The phones are the same model, but the iPhone 4 on AT&T has a GSM radio, and the Verizon model uses CDMA. She could get it unlocked and use it on T-Mobile, though. But to go from AT&T to Verizon, she'll need an iPhone 5 or above. In fact, if she can go to Verizon and say she wants to leave AT&T. Verizon actually sells an unlocked iPhone due to a consent decree with the federal government. And then she could use it on any carrier.
Richard bought a Clear internet box, but Sprint bought Clear and is shutting it down. Leo says that Clear was WiMax, which was a special Wi-Fi system that used microwave signals. Leo thought it would be a great option for rural areas, but Sprint's investment almost bankrupted them. It just didn't work unless you were really close to the tower. That's why Sprint dropped it and went with LTE. Leo suggests getting an LTE access point. He can get them with Ethernet.
Rick recently upgraded to the iPhone 6. He set it up just like the iPhone 4s he used to have and his data usage has skyrockted, even though he's using it exactly the same. Leo says that there was an issue where handing off from LTE to Wi-Fi occured, but Apple fixed that. It's more likely there are apps that are causing it, like Facebook which has autoplay on movies set by default. That can easily cause it. Also, with faster speeds, apps like YouTube will automatically bump up the quality, and use more data.
Robert would like a simple, easy to use tablet. Leo says that the iPad is the best option for ease of use, but it's not cheap. He'll need access to the internet to get email, download apps, etc. So Robert should get the LTE version, which costs about $129 more, plus a monthly rate for the data plan.
Mike would like to have a cellphone that he can use over multiple carriers. Leo says that while everyone is moving to LTE and Voice Over LTE, we're not there yet. Half the phones are CDMA, the other are GSM. Verizon has a SIM card for modern LTE supported phones that will work over any network except Sprint. And the phones are unlocked by FCC mandate. So that's probably Mike's best bet.
Claudia's son wants her to combine her cellphone with her internet to make one bill. Leo says that if she can get 4G LTE internet on her cell phone, then she'd have faster speed than the satellite internet Claudia currently has. But she has to see what wireless company has high speed internet coverage in her area. If there is one in her area, then it'll not only be faster, but cheaper. Verizon makes a point of getting good coverage near military bases, so that may likely be the best option for her. Leo also recommends talking to neighbors to see what is working for them.
Eileen has a son and he was thinking of buying him a cellphone. He won't be making phone calls with it. Leo says that a tablet is probably going to be a better option for him since he has OCD. The Apple iPad or the Google Nexus 7 would be great. She'll need to have LTE or 4G built into it, though. Just be sure to get one that is LTE compatible. T-Mobile has very affordable data plans. It may be cheaper to go to the wireless company since they will subsidize it.
