Save $ on cell service -- Ting Mobile / Solavei (+ other MVNOs) (2 Viewers)

[Jaysus]

Hulk> New $30 Spot Mobile plan looks like it may be a winner for some folks: http://www.prepaidphonenews.com/2013/09/spot-mobile-increases-hi-speed-data.html

 

[(HULK)]

Hulk> New $30 Spot Mobile plan looks like it may be a winner for some folks: http://www.prepaidphonenews.com/2013/09/spot-mobile-increases-hi-speed-data.html

Yes, that plan is right in a sweet spot for a lot of folks.

 

[(HULK)]

Great customer service from Ting - they let me apply a referral after the fact!. I used ProNinja's, since it was his post in the GMTAN thread that led me over here.

My thread made the GMTAN?

GM took some abuse about his new "free" phone for a page or two.

Lol. He should cancel it if he still can. Usually you have 30 days to do so.

 

[(HULK)]

Hulk - I'm late to the party but was referred to this thread by Jaysus (thanks!). I've been with ATT but looking to try something new once my son gets his own plan... soon.

Right now the wife and I only use talk minutes but I'm looking for a plan that would give her just talk and text and me talk/text/data. I was looking at the ST plan from walmart, but like what I see from Ting or maybe Solavei. I'm not savy on types of phones vs types of cell towers, etc.

My usual monthly usage: Between 500 and 900 talk minutes on average (two phones mostly my wife talking on her phone, I may use 20 minutes one month and 5 the next). But usually closer to 500 on a normal month. 1000 text or less will work fine. I don't plan to do much streaming on a phone but would like to get some data... not sure how much I would need.

Looking to get two new phones. I want one with GPS mainly for the golf yardage app I would use. Would not use it for turn by turn directions. Wife doesn't want or need a smartphone.

Zip: 29150

Any suggestions you might have are greatly appreciated.

Okay, lets talk coverage. From what I see online, AT&T is the strongest in your area, then Verizon, T-Mo, and Sprint is the weakest. But Sprint may still be okay. Do you have any friends who have Sprint? If you do, ask them if their coverage is okay. I'm thinking all 4 are probably decent though.

Lets get a little more specific about each phone:

Your phone: 10 to 50 minutes, <1000 texts, data your unsure, but probably about somewhere between 500MB and 1 GB, maybe less

Wife's phone: 450 to 900 minutes, ??? texts per month, no data at all

Kid's phone: ??? minutes, ??? texts, ??? data

Help me fill in the blanks there. Also, what is your current bill? I know offhand that there are plans that would work well for both you and your wife for $30 or less (each phone). I like to look all phones together and also individually to determine which works the best and saves the most $. So, fill in the blanks and I'll run an analysis for you.

 

[Jayrok]

Hulk - I'm late to the party but was referred to this thread by Jaysus (thanks!). I've been with ATT but looking to try something new once my son gets his own plan... soon.

Right now the wife and I only use talk minutes but I'm looking for a plan that would give her just talk and text and me talk/text/data. I was looking at the ST plan from walmart, but like what I see from Ting or maybe Solavei. I'm not savy on types of phones vs types of cell towers, etc.

My usual monthly usage: Between 500 and 900 talk minutes on average (two phones mostly my wife talking on her phone, I may use 20 minutes one month and 5 the next). But usually closer to 500 on a normal month. 1000 text or less will work fine. I don't plan to do much streaming on a phone but would like to get some data... not sure how much I would need.

Looking to get two new phones. I want one with GPS mainly for the golf yardage app I would use. Would not use it for turn by turn directions. Wife doesn't want or need a smartphone.

Zip: 29150

Any suggestions you might have are greatly appreciated.

Okay, lets talk coverage. From what I see online, AT&T is the strongest in your area, then Verizon, T-Mo, and Sprint is the weakest. But Sprint may still be okay. Do you have any friends who have Sprint? If you do, ask them if their coverage is okay. I'm thinking all 4 are probably decent though.

Lets get a little more specific about each phone:

Your phone: 10 to 50 minutes, <1000 texts, data your unsure, but probably about somewhere between 500MB and 1 GB, maybe less

Wife's phone: 450 to 900 minutes, ??? texts per month, no data at all

Kid's phone: ??? minutes, ??? texts, ??? data

Help me fill in the blanks there. Also, what is your current bill? I know offhand that there are plans that would work well for both you and your wife for $30 or less (each phone). I like to look all phones together and also individually to determine which works the best and saves the most $. So, fill in the blanks and I'll run an analysis for you.

Thanks! No friends on Sprint, just a few on Verizon and they don't complain of coverage.

My phone: I can't have my phone in the building I work in so I usually leave it at home. So I may talk on it an average of 15 minutes per month. <1000 texts (easily). I've never had data usage but only care to browse the web (check scores, etc.), not interested in streaming videos or music. I doubt I would go over 2 GB in a month.

Wife's phone: 450 to 900 minutes, currently no texts per month (but will have <1000 texts per month, no data at all. Just talk and text.

Son's phone: He is coming off my plan shortly so the new plan will just be two phones:

Me: talk/text/data

Wife: Talk and text only.

Edit to add: My current bill is around $118 per month. And that is with just family talk shared minutes. No data. My son has texting on his phone at $20 per month, unlimited. So we share ATT minutes, which we've never come close to max, and my son has texting added. But he's got his own job now and lives out of state. He's coming off my plan.

 

[(HULK)]

Jayrok, I didn't bring my laptop home tonight by accident, so check back tomorrow for my recommendations. Definitely can save you some coin IMO

 

[rick6668]

Hulk - I'm late to the party but was referred to this thread by Jaysus (thanks!). I've been with ATT but looking to try something new once my son gets his own plan... soon.

Right now the wife and I only use talk minutes but I'm looking for a plan that would give her just talk and text and me talk/text/data. I was looking at the ST plan from walmart, but like what I see from Ting or maybe Solavei. I'm not savy on types of phones vs types of cell towers, etc.

My usual monthly usage: Between 500 and 900 talk minutes on average (two phones mostly my wife talking on her phone, I may use 20 minutes one month and 5 the next). But usually closer to 500 on a normal month. 1000 text or less will work fine. I don't plan to do much streaming on a phone but would like to get some data... not sure how much I would need.

Looking to get two new phones. I want one with GPS mainly for the golf yardage app I would use. Would not use it for turn by turn directions. Wife doesn't want or need a smartphone.

Zip: 29150

Any suggestions you might have are greatly appreciated.

Okay, lets talk coverage. From what I see online, AT&T is the strongest in your area, then Verizon, T-Mo, and Sprint is the weakest. But Sprint may still be okay. Do you have any friends who have Sprint? If you do, ask them if their coverage is okay. I'm thinking all 4 are probably decent though.

Lets get a little more specific about each phone:

Your phone: 10 to 50 minutes, <1000 texts, data your unsure, but probably about somewhere between 500MB and 1 GB, maybe less

Wife's phone: 450 to 900 minutes, ??? texts per month, no data at all

Kid's phone: ??? minutes, ??? texts, ??? data

Help me fill in the blanks there. Also, what is your current bill? I know offhand that there are plans that would work well for both you and your wife for $30 or less (each phone). I like to look all phones together and also individually to determine which works the best and saves the most $. So, fill in the blanks and I'll run an analysis for you.

Thanks! No friends on Sprint, just a few on Verizon and they don't complain of coverage.

My phone: I can't have my phone in the building I work in so I usually leave it at home. So I may talk on it an average of 15 minutes per month. <1000 texts (easily). I've never had data usage but only care to browse the web (check scores, etc.), not interested in streaming videos or music. I doubt I would go over 2 GB in a month.

Wife's phone: 450 to 900 minutes, currently no texts per month (but will have <1000 texts per month, no data at all. Just talk and text.

Son's phone: He is coming off my plan shortly so the new plan will just be two phones:

Me: talk/text/data

Wife: Talk and text only.

Edit to add: My current bill is around $118 per month. And that is with just family talk shared minutes. No data. My son has texting on his phone at $20 per month, unlimited. So we share ATT minutes, which we've never come close to max, and my son has texting added. But he's got his own job now and lives out of state. He's coming off my plan.

If you don't really use data now, you could get by with little or no data at all. I got my wife and SIL, each an LG Optimus S and they use wifi for any data needs. I have data usage turned off on the phone and via the Ting App. If Sprint coverage is good, you will save a TON with Ting. My bill for 3 phones for the first month was $40 and will be about $35 on average. Was spending $120 previously for 3 dumb phones.

 

[(HULK)]

Hulk - I'm late to the party but was referred to this thread by Jaysus (thanks!). I've been with ATT but looking to try something new once my son gets his own plan... soon.

Right now the wife and I only use talk minutes but I'm looking for a plan that would give her just talk and text and me talk/text/data. I was looking at the ST plan from walmart, but like what I see from Ting or maybe Solavei. I'm not savy on types of phones vs types of cell towers, etc.

My usual monthly usage: Between 500 and 900 talk minutes on average (two phones mostly my wife talking on her phone, I may use 20 minutes one month and 5 the next). But usually closer to 500 on a normal month. 1000 text or less will work fine. I don't plan to do much streaming on a phone but would like to get some data... not sure how much I would need.

Looking to get two new phones. I want one with GPS mainly for the golf yardage app I would use. Would not use it for turn by turn directions. Wife doesn't want or need a smartphone.

Zip: 29150

Any suggestions you might have are greatly appreciated.

Okay, lets talk coverage. From what I see online, AT&T is the strongest in your area, then Verizon, T-Mo, and Sprint is the weakest. But Sprint may still be okay. Do you have any friends who have Sprint? If you do, ask them if their coverage is okay. I'm thinking all 4 are probably decent though.

Lets get a little more specific about each phone:

Your phone: 10 to 50 minutes, <1000 texts, data your unsure, but probably about somewhere between 500MB and 1 GB, maybe less

Wife's phone: 450 to 900 minutes, ??? texts per month, no data at all

Kid's phone: ??? minutes, ??? texts, ??? data

Help me fill in the blanks there. Also, what is your current bill? I know offhand that there are plans that would work well for both you and your wife for $30 or less (each phone). I like to look all phones together and also individually to determine which works the best and saves the most $. So, fill in the blanks and I'll run an analysis for you.

Thanks! No friends on Sprint, just a few on Verizon and they don't complain of coverage.

My phone: I can't have my phone in the building I work in so I usually leave it at home. So I may talk on it an average of 15 minutes per month. <1000 texts (easily). I've never had data usage but only care to browse the web (check scores, etc.), not interested in streaming videos or music. I doubt I would go over 2 GB in a month.

Wife's phone: 450 to 900 minutes, currently no texts per month (but will have <1000 texts per month, no data at all. Just talk and text.

Son's phone: He is coming off my plan shortly so the new plan will just be two phones:

Me: talk/text/data

Wife: Talk and text only.

Edit to add: My current bill is around $118 per month. And that is with just family talk shared minutes. No data. My son has texting on his phone at $20 per month, unlimited. So we share ATT minutes, which we've never come close to max, and my son has texting added. But he's got his own job now and lives out of state. He's coming off my plan.

Yeah, just to echo Rick, Ting is a no brainer for this kind of usage. Especially if you're just using data to check scores and run a GPS golf app. You're clearly not using data at work, and at home, you guys have wifi I assume. So, if this is just an out and about occasional web view, then its going lower than I originally estimated. Probably/hopefully under 100MB.

With Ting, you and your wife's bill would break down as follows:

2 phones ($12) + 1000 shared minutes anytime ($18) + 1000 texts ($5) + 100 MB ($3) = $38 plus taxes/regulatory fees.

If your data is a bit higher, this would jump to 500 MB for $13, making it $48. Which is still drastically less expensive.

The downside with Ting is that you have to use Sprint's coverage, which may not be great by you. Ask around at work and see if anyone has Sprint, and then ask how their coverage is. If it seems good enough, then this is a no-brainer. As for phones, you'll be buying them unsubsidized. For your wife, I'd recommend the Samsung Array, which is a feature phone (not smart), but it is pretty well featured. For a non-data user, its a good phone. That is $114 unsubsidized. For you, I'd say either the Galaxy S3 currently on sale for $450, or another of your choice. The phones, since its unsubsidized, cost more. But you more than make up for it with the savings on the plan. You're saving roughly $80 a month with the plan, which is $1920 over 2 years, so spending $564 on 2 phones shouldn't be a big deal... you still come out ahead $1356 over 2 years... and you're not trapped by a contract

ETA: If Sprint coverage is reportedly NOT good, let me know, and I'll run analysis for you on other networks. Also, if you post your son's usage, I'll help you find the right carrier for him as well.

 

[Jayrok]

Hulk - I'm late to the party but was referred to this thread by Jaysus (thanks!). I've been with ATT but looking to try something new once my son gets his own plan... soon.

Right now the wife and I only use talk minutes but I'm looking for a plan that would give her just talk and text and me talk/text/data. I was looking at the ST plan from walmart, but like what I see from Ting or maybe Solavei. I'm not savy on types of phones vs types of cell towers, etc.

My usual monthly usage: Between 500 and 900 talk minutes on average (two phones mostly my wife talking on her phone, I may use 20 minutes one month and 5 the next). But usually closer to 500 on a normal month. 1000 text or less will work fine. I don't plan to do much streaming on a phone but would like to get some data... not sure how much I would need.

Looking to get two new phones. I want one with GPS mainly for the golf yardage app I would use. Would not use it for turn by turn directions. Wife doesn't want or need a smartphone.

Zip: 29150

Any suggestions you might have are greatly appreciated.

Okay, lets talk coverage. From what I see online, AT&T is the strongest in your area, then Verizon, T-Mo, and Sprint is the weakest. But Sprint may still be okay. Do you have any friends who have Sprint? If you do, ask them if their coverage is okay. I'm thinking all 4 are probably decent though.

Lets get a little more specific about each phone:

Your phone: 10 to 50 minutes, <1000 texts, data your unsure, but probably about somewhere between 500MB and 1 GB, maybe less

Wife's phone: 450 to 900 minutes, ??? texts per month, no data at all

Kid's phone: ??? minutes, ??? texts, ??? data

Help me fill in the blanks there. Also, what is your current bill? I know offhand that there are plans that would work well for both you and your wife for $30 or less (each phone). I like to look all phones together and also individually to determine which works the best and saves the most $. So, fill in the blanks and I'll run an analysis for you.

Thanks! No friends on Sprint, just a few on Verizon and they don't complain of coverage.

My phone: I can't have my phone in the building I work in so I usually leave it at home. So I may talk on it an average of 15 minutes per month. <1000 texts (easily). I've never had data usage but only care to browse the web (check scores, etc.), not interested in streaming videos or music. I doubt I would go over 2 GB in a month.

Wife's phone: 450 to 900 minutes, currently no texts per month (but will have <1000 texts per month, no data at all. Just talk and text.

Son's phone: He is coming off my plan shortly so the new plan will just be two phones:

Me: talk/text/data

Wife: Talk and text only.

Edit to add: My current bill is around $118 per month. And that is with just family talk shared minutes. No data. My son has texting on his phone at $20 per month, unlimited. So we share ATT minutes, which we've never come close to max, and my son has texting added. But he's got his own job now and lives out of state. He's coming off my plan.

If you don't really use data now, you could get by with little or no data at all. I got my wife and SIL, each an LG Optimus S and they use wifi for any data needs. I have data usage turned off on the phone and via the Ting App. If Sprint coverage is good, you will save a TON with Ting. My bill for 3 phones for the first month was $40 and will be about $35 on average. Was spending $120 previously for 3 dumb phones.

Man, that sounds great. I, like you, am spending $120 for 3 dumb phones. And that is with a $20 corporate discount each month!

May be a dumb question, but the LG phone (or any smartphones for that matter) can be connected to your home wifi? So data will not be charged on your Ting bill?

 

[rick6668]

Hulk - I'm late to the party but was referred to this thread by Jaysus (thanks!). I've been with ATT but looking to try something new once my son gets his own plan... soon.

Right now the wife and I only use talk minutes but I'm looking for a plan that would give her just talk and text and me talk/text/data. I was looking at the ST plan from walmart, but like what I see from Ting or maybe Solavei. I'm not savy on types of phones vs types of cell towers, etc.

My usual monthly usage: Between 500 and 900 talk minutes on average (two phones mostly my wife talking on her phone, I may use 20 minutes one month and 5 the next). But usually closer to 500 on a normal month. 1000 text or less will work fine. I don't plan to do much streaming on a phone but would like to get some data... not sure how much I would need.

Looking to get two new phones. I want one with GPS mainly for the golf yardage app I would use. Would not use it for turn by turn directions. Wife doesn't want or need a smartphone.

Zip: 29150

Any suggestions you might have are greatly appreciated.

Okay, lets talk coverage. From what I see online, AT&T is the strongest in your area, then Verizon, T-Mo, and Sprint is the weakest. But Sprint may still be okay. Do you have any friends who have Sprint? If you do, ask them if their coverage is okay. I'm thinking all 4 are probably decent though.

Lets get a little more specific about each phone:

Your phone: 10 to 50 minutes, <1000 texts, data your unsure, but probably about somewhere between 500MB and 1 GB, maybe less

Wife's phone: 450 to 900 minutes, ??? texts per month, no data at all

Kid's phone: ??? minutes, ??? texts, ??? data

Help me fill in the blanks there. Also, what is your current bill? I know offhand that there are plans that would work well for both you and your wife for $30 or less (each phone). I like to look all phones together and also individually to determine which works the best and saves the most $. So, fill in the blanks and I'll run an analysis for you.

Thanks! No friends on Sprint, just a few on Verizon and they don't complain of coverage.

My phone: I can't have my phone in the building I work in so I usually leave it at home. So I may talk on it an average of 15 minutes per month. <1000 texts (easily). I've never had data usage but only care to browse the web (check scores, etc.), not interested in streaming videos or music. I doubt I would go over 2 GB in a month.

Wife's phone: 450 to 900 minutes, currently no texts per month (but will have <1000 texts per month, no data at all. Just talk and text.

Son's phone: He is coming off my plan shortly so the new plan will just be two phones:

Me: talk/text/data

Wife: Talk and text only.

Edit to add: My current bill is around $118 per month. And that is with just family talk shared minutes. No data. My son has texting on his phone at $20 per month, unlimited. So we share ATT minutes, which we've never come close to max, and my son has texting added. But he's got his own job now and lives out of state. He's coming off my plan.

Yeah, just to echo Rick, Ting is a no brainer for this kind of usage. Especially if you're just using data to check scores and run a GPS golf app. You're clearly not using data at work, and at home, you guys have wifi I assume. So, if this is just an out and about occasional web view, then its going lower than I originally estimated. Probably/hopefully under 100MB.

With Ting, you and your wife's bill would break down as follows:

2 phones ($12) + 1000 shared minutes anytime ($18) + 1000 texts ($5) + 100 MB ($3) = $38 plus taxes/regulatory fees.

If your data is a bit higher, this would jump to 500 MB for $13, making it $48. Which is still drastically less expensive.

The downside with Ting is that you have to use Sprint's coverage, which may not be great by you. Ask around at work and see if anyone has Sprint, and then ask how their coverage is. If it seems good enough, then this is a no-brainer. As for phones, you'll be buying them unsubsidized. For your wife, I'd recommend the Samsung Array, which is a feature phone (not smart), but it is pretty well featured. For a non-data user, its a good phone. That is $114 unsubsidized. For you, I'd say either the Galaxy S3 currently on sale for $450, or another of your choice. The phones, since its unsubsidized, cost more. But you more than make up for it with the savings on the plan. You're saving roughly $80 a month with the plan, which is $1920 over 2 years, so spending $564 on 2 phones shouldn't be a big deal... you still come out ahead $1356 over 2 years... and you're not trapped by a contract

ETA: If Sprint coverage is reportedly NOT good, let me know, and I'll run analysis for you on other networks. Also, if you post your son's usage, I'll help you find the right carrier for him as well.

I agree with mostly what Hulk said above, but I would recommend a cheaper option for a phone for you and possibly your wife.

My wife doesn't use data at all and my SIL uses only Wifi, but I got them both the LG Optimus S Refurbished. These are still available on Ting's website for $68 a piece. It can get you online to check scores etc, just not do all the latest and greatest things. You could try it out for a while and if it doesn't work for you and you'd like a better phone, then you could get one of the more expensive ones and sell the LG Optimus S back to Ting through Glyde for roughly $35 in your pocket.

Just a suggestion, but I went with the cheaper option for phone for now and can always upgrade at any time.

This is assuming you are good to go with Sprint.

 

[Jaysus]

May be a dumb question, but the LG phone (or any smartphones for that matter) can be connected to your home wifi? So data will not be charged on your Ting bill?

Yes

 

[rick6668]

Hulk - I'm late to the party but was referred to this thread by Jaysus (thanks!). I've been with ATT but looking to try something new once my son gets his own plan... soon.

Right now the wife and I only use talk minutes but I'm looking for a plan that would give her just talk and text and me talk/text/data. I was looking at the ST plan from walmart, but like what I see from Ting or maybe Solavei. I'm not savy on types of phones vs types of cell towers, etc.

My usual monthly usage: Between 500 and 900 talk minutes on average (two phones mostly my wife talking on her phone, I may use 20 minutes one month and 5 the next). But usually closer to 500 on a normal month. 1000 text or less will work fine. I don't plan to do much streaming on a phone but would like to get some data... not sure how much I would need.

Looking to get two new phones. I want one with GPS mainly for the golf yardage app I would use. Would not use it for turn by turn directions. Wife doesn't want or need a smartphone.

Zip: 29150

Any suggestions you might have are greatly appreciated.

Okay, lets talk coverage. From what I see online, AT&T is the strongest in your area, then Verizon, T-Mo, and Sprint is the weakest. But Sprint may still be okay. Do you have any friends who have Sprint? If you do, ask them if their coverage is okay. I'm thinking all 4 are probably decent though.

Lets get a little more specific about each phone:

Your phone: 10 to 50 minutes, <1000 texts, data your unsure, but probably about somewhere between 500MB and 1 GB, maybe less

Wife's phone: 450 to 900 minutes, ??? texts per month, no data at all

Kid's phone: ??? minutes, ??? texts, ??? data

Help me fill in the blanks there. Also, what is your current bill? I know offhand that there are plans that would work well for both you and your wife for $30 or less (each phone). I like to look all phones together and also individually to determine which works the best and saves the most $. So, fill in the blanks and I'll run an analysis for you.

Thanks! No friends on Sprint, just a few on Verizon and they don't complain of coverage.

My phone: I can't have my phone in the building I work in so I usually leave it at home. So I may talk on it an average of 15 minutes per month. <1000 texts (easily). I've never had data usage but only care to browse the web (check scores, etc.), not interested in streaming videos or music. I doubt I would go over 2 GB in a month.

Wife's phone: 450 to 900 minutes, currently no texts per month (but will have <1000 texts per month, no data at all. Just talk and text.

Son's phone: He is coming off my plan shortly so the new plan will just be two phones:

Me: talk/text/data

Wife: Talk and text only.

Edit to add: My current bill is around $118 per month. And that is with just family talk shared minutes. No data. My son has texting on his phone at $20 per month, unlimited. So we share ATT minutes, which we've never come close to max, and my son has texting added. But he's got his own job now and lives out of state. He's coming off my plan.

If you don't really use data now, you could get by with little or no data at all. I got my wife and SIL, each an LG Optimus S and they use wifi for any data needs. I have data usage turned off on the phone and via the Ting App. If Sprint coverage is good, you will save a TON with Ting. My bill for 3 phones for the first month was $40 and will be about $35 on average. Was spending $120 previously for 3 dumb phones.

Man, that sounds great. I, like you, am spending $120 for 3 dumb phones. And that is with a $20 corporate discount each month!

May be a dumb question, but the LG phone (or any smartphones for that matter) can be connected to your home wifi? So data will not be charged on your Ting bill?

I was just as clueless as you a few months ago, so don't sweat it. Yes, with the LG Optimus S I bought for the Wife and SIL (and I assume any smartphone) you can connect to your home wifi as well as any public wifi and use all the data you want with no charges from Ting. I have the data turned off via the phones themselves and through the Ting Website, so there is no way to accidentally start using data when they think they have wifi access. No data charges for me at all.

If Sprint works for you and you'd like to go the Ting route, feel free to fire any questions along. I couldn't be happier with Ting so far and it was simple to port the numbers from Verizon over to Ting.

 

[Jayrok]

Hulk - I'm late to the party but was referred to this thread by Jaysus (thanks!). I've been with ATT but looking to try something new once my son gets his own plan... soon.

Right now the wife and I only use talk minutes but I'm looking for a plan that would give her just talk and text and me talk/text/data. I was looking at the ST plan from walmart, but like what I see from Ting or maybe Solavei. I'm not savy on types of phones vs types of cell towers, etc.

My usual monthly usage: Between 500 and 900 talk minutes on average (two phones mostly my wife talking on her phone, I may use 20 minutes one month and 5 the next). But usually closer to 500 on a normal month. 1000 text or less will work fine. I don't plan to do much streaming on a phone but would like to get some data... not sure how much I would need.

Looking to get two new phones. I want one with GPS mainly for the golf yardage app I would use. Would not use it for turn by turn directions. Wife doesn't want or need a smartphone.

Zip: 29150

Any suggestions you might have are greatly appreciated.

Okay, lets talk coverage. From what I see online, AT&T is the strongest in your area, then Verizon, T-Mo, and Sprint is the weakest. But Sprint may still be okay. Do you have any friends who have Sprint? If you do, ask them if their coverage is okay. I'm thinking all 4 are probably decent though.

Lets get a little more specific about each phone:

Your phone: 10 to 50 minutes, <1000 texts, data your unsure, but probably about somewhere between 500MB and 1 GB, maybe less

Wife's phone: 450 to 900 minutes, ??? texts per month, no data at all

Kid's phone: ??? minutes, ??? texts, ??? data

Help me fill in the blanks there. Also, what is your current bill? I know offhand that there are plans that would work well for both you and your wife for $30 or less (each phone). I like to look all phones together and also individually to determine which works the best and saves the most $. So, fill in the blanks and I'll run an analysis for you.

Thanks! No friends on Sprint, just a few on Verizon and they don't complain of coverage.

My phone: I can't have my phone in the building I work in so I usually leave it at home. So I may talk on it an average of 15 minutes per month. <1000 texts (easily). I've never had data usage but only care to browse the web (check scores, etc.), not interested in streaming videos or music. I doubt I would go over 2 GB in a month.

Wife's phone: 450 to 900 minutes, currently no texts per month (but will have <1000 texts per month, no data at all. Just talk and text.

Son's phone: He is coming off my plan shortly so the new plan will just be two phones:

Me: talk/text/data

Wife: Talk and text only.

Edit to add: My current bill is around $118 per month. And that is with just family talk shared minutes. No data. My son has texting on his phone at $20 per month, unlimited. So we share ATT minutes, which we've never come close to max, and my son has texting added. But he's got his own job now and lives out of state. He's coming off my plan.

Yeah, just to echo Rick, Ting is a no brainer for this kind of usage. Especially if you're just using data to check scores and run a GPS golf app. You're clearly not using data at work, and at home, you guys have wifi I assume. So, if this is just an out and about occasional web view, then its going lower than I originally estimated. Probably/hopefully under 100MB.

With Ting, you and your wife's bill would break down as follows:

2 phones ($12) + 1000 shared minutes anytime ($18) + 1000 texts ($5) + 100 MB ($3) = $38 plus taxes/regulatory fees.

If your data is a bit higher, this would jump to 500 MB for $13, making it $48. Which is still drastically less expensive.

The downside with Ting is that you have to use Sprint's coverage, which may not be great by you. Ask around at work and see if anyone has Sprint, and then ask how their coverage is. If it seems good enough, then this is a no-brainer. As for phones, you'll be buying them unsubsidized. For your wife, I'd recommend the Samsung Array, which is a feature phone (not smart), but it is pretty well featured. For a non-data user, its a good phone. That is $114 unsubsidized. For you, I'd say either the Galaxy S3 currently on sale for $450, or another of your choice. The phones, since its unsubsidized, cost more. But you more than make up for it with the savings on the plan. You're saving roughly $80 a month with the plan, which is $1920 over 2 years, so spending $564 on 2 phones shouldn't be a big deal... you still come out ahead $1356 over 2 years... and you're not trapped by a contract

ETA: If Sprint coverage is reportedly NOT good, let me know, and I'll run analysis for you on other networks. Also, if you post your son's usage, I'll help you find the right carrier for him as well.

Yes, it is mostly an out and about web browse. My wife doesn't care about that at all and only wants text so she can send the occasional message to our kids who both live out of town now.

Thanks so much for this information and your help, Hulk. I will check to see if Sprint works good in my town.

I was actually wanting the Galaxy 3 and will probably get that one. I'll look into the Aray for the wife as well. I currently have a Samsung Propel which isn't a smart phone, but it has slide up QWERTY and the wife could use it for phone/texting.

I'm not sure what unsubsidized means but I guess it is somehow proprietary to the carrier you bought it from?

Question on Ting... as I understand it, they bill you monthly for the services you used during the month. So I am not actually purchasing a set amount of text or data for the month... rather, I am using what I need/want and the bill is based off of that. Is that correct? I saw the chart and it seems it could jump up or down from month to month depending on what I use. ?

Lastly, it appears that the main thing (besides making sure Sprint network works in my area) is to make sure I get the proper phones that are compatible. If I were to buy the Galaxy 3 on Amazon, how would I know it works on Ting? Or will I just need to order the Ting SIM card? Forgive my ignorance on that.

Thanks again.

 

[Jayrok]

May be a dumb question, but the LG phone (or any smartphones for that matter) can be connected to your home wifi? So data will not be charged on your Ting bill?

Yes

Sweet, thanks. And thanks for showing me this thread.

 

[Jayrok]

Hulk - I'm late to the party but was referred to this thread by Jaysus (thanks!). I've been with ATT but looking to try something new once my son gets his own plan... soon.

Right now the wife and I only use talk minutes but I'm looking for a plan that would give her just talk and text and me talk/text/data. I was looking at the ST plan from walmart, but like what I see from Ting or maybe Solavei. I'm not savy on types of phones vs types of cell towers, etc.

My usual monthly usage: Between 500 and 900 talk minutes on average (two phones mostly my wife talking on her phone, I may use 20 minutes one month and 5 the next). But usually closer to 500 on a normal month. 1000 text or less will work fine. I don't plan to do much streaming on a phone but would like to get some data... not sure how much I would need.

Looking to get two new phones. I want one with GPS mainly for the golf yardage app I would use. Would not use it for turn by turn directions. Wife doesn't want or need a smartphone.

Zip: 29150

Any suggestions you might have are greatly appreciated.

Okay, lets talk coverage. From what I see online, AT&T is the strongest in your area, then Verizon, T-Mo, and Sprint is the weakest. But Sprint may still be okay. Do you have any friends who have Sprint? If you do, ask them if their coverage is okay. I'm thinking all 4 are probably decent though.

Lets get a little more specific about each phone:

Your phone: 10 to 50 minutes, <1000 texts, data your unsure, but probably about somewhere between 500MB and 1 GB, maybe less

Wife's phone: 450 to 900 minutes, ??? texts per month, no data at all

Kid's phone: ??? minutes, ??? texts, ??? data

Help me fill in the blanks there. Also, what is your current bill? I know offhand that there are plans that would work well for both you and your wife for $30 or less (each phone). I like to look all phones together and also individually to determine which works the best and saves the most $. So, fill in the blanks and I'll run an analysis for you.

Thanks! No friends on Sprint, just a few on Verizon and they don't complain of coverage.

My phone: I can't have my phone in the building I work in so I usually leave it at home. So I may talk on it an average of 15 minutes per month. <1000 texts (easily). I've never had data usage but only care to browse the web (check scores, etc.), not interested in streaming videos or music. I doubt I would go over 2 GB in a month.

Wife's phone: 450 to 900 minutes, currently no texts per month (but will have <1000 texts per month, no data at all. Just talk and text.

Son's phone: He is coming off my plan shortly so the new plan will just be two phones:

Me: talk/text/data

Wife: Talk and text only.

Edit to add: My current bill is around $118 per month. And that is with just family talk shared minutes. No data. My son has texting on his phone at $20 per month, unlimited. So we share ATT minutes, which we've never come close to max, and my son has texting added. But he's got his own job now and lives out of state. He's coming off my plan.

If you don't really use data now, you could get by with little or no data at all. I got my wife and SIL, each an LG Optimus S and they use wifi for any data needs. I have data usage turned off on the phone and via the Ting App. If Sprint coverage is good, you will save a TON with Ting. My bill for 3 phones for the first month was $40 and will be about $35 on average. Was spending $120 previously for 3 dumb phones.

Man, that sounds great. I, like you, am spending $120 for 3 dumb phones. And that is with a $20 corporate discount each month!

May be a dumb question, but the LG phone (or any smartphones for that matter) can be connected to your home wifi? So data will not be charged on your Ting bill?

I was just as clueless as you a few months ago, so don't sweat it. Yes, with the LG Optimus S I bought for the Wife and SIL (and I assume any smartphone) you can connect to your home wifi as well as any public wifi and use all the data you want with no charges from Ting. I have the data turned off via the phones themselves and through the Ting Website, so there is no way to accidentally start using data when they think they have wifi access. No data charges for me at all.

If Sprint works for you and you'd like to go the Ting route, feel free to fire any questions along. I couldn't be happier with Ting so far and it was simple to port the numbers from Verizon over to Ting.

My daughter said, not too long ago, that the wife and I are still living under a rock.

The connection to public wifi is a game changer. I wouldn't need data at all if I can just hook to the restaurant's wifi and check the scores.

 

[Jaysus]

No problem, my wife and I are doing something similar now. We are both on different plans using the T-mobile network. Our total is $68/month, which is down from about $140. I am a heavy data user, and my wife is a heavy talk user, so I had to find a good mix for us.

P.S. don't let your son sign a 2-year contract, get him on one of these plans as well.

 

[Jayrok]

No problem, my wife and I are doing something similar now. We are both on different plans using the T-mobile network. Our total is $68/month, which is down from about $140. I am a heavy data user, and my wife is a heavy talk user, so I had to find a good mix for us.

P.S. don't let your son sign a 2-year contract, get him on one of these plans as well.

Will do. He lives in Nashville and is currently looking for a phone plan... I want him off of mine so I can change too!

When you say T-mobile, are you using Solavei? I looked at Solavei and it appears their unlimited plan is $49. But I couldn't find where you could add another phone for just talk/text. IOW, from what I read if you had two phones it would be $49 for each. Is that not correct or am I missing something?

 

[rick6668]

Hulk - I'm late to the party but was referred to this thread by Jaysus (thanks!). I've been with ATT but looking to try something new once my son gets his own plan... soon.

Right now the wife and I only use talk minutes but I'm looking for a plan that would give her just talk and text and me talk/text/data. I was looking at the ST plan from walmart, but like what I see from Ting or maybe Solavei. I'm not savy on types of phones vs types of cell towers, etc.

My usual monthly usage: Between 500 and 900 talk minutes on average (two phones mostly my wife talking on her phone, I may use 20 minutes one month and 5 the next). But usually closer to 500 on a normal month. 1000 text or less will work fine. I don't plan to do much streaming on a phone but would like to get some data... not sure how much I would need.

Looking to get two new phones. I want one with GPS mainly for the golf yardage app I would use. Would not use it for turn by turn directions. Wife doesn't want or need a smartphone.

Zip: 29150

Any suggestions you might have are greatly appreciated.

Okay, lets talk coverage. From what I see online, AT&T is the strongest in your area, then Verizon, T-Mo, and Sprint is the weakest. But Sprint may still be okay. Do you have any friends who have Sprint? If you do, ask them if their coverage is okay. I'm thinking all 4 are probably decent though.

Lets get a little more specific about each phone:

Your phone: 10 to 50 minutes, <1000 texts, data your unsure, but probably about somewhere between 500MB and 1 GB, maybe less

Wife's phone: 450 to 900 minutes, ??? texts per month, no data at all

Kid's phone: ??? minutes, ??? texts, ??? data

Help me fill in the blanks there. Also, what is your current bill? I know offhand that there are plans that would work well for both you and your wife for $30 or less (each phone). I like to look all phones together and also individually to determine which works the best and saves the most $. So, fill in the blanks and I'll run an analysis for you.

Thanks! No friends on Sprint, just a few on Verizon and they don't complain of coverage.

My phone: I can't have my phone in the building I work in so I usually leave it at home. So I may talk on it an average of 15 minutes per month. <1000 texts (easily). I've never had data usage but only care to browse the web (check scores, etc.), not interested in streaming videos or music. I doubt I would go over 2 GB in a month.

Wife's phone: 450 to 900 minutes, currently no texts per month (but will have <1000 texts per month, no data at all. Just talk and text.

Son's phone: He is coming off my plan shortly so the new plan will just be two phones:

Me: talk/text/data

Wife: Talk and text only.

Edit to add: My current bill is around $118 per month. And that is with just family talk shared minutes. No data. My son has texting on his phone at $20 per month, unlimited. So we share ATT minutes, which we've never come close to max, and my son has texting added. But he's got his own job now and lives out of state. He's coming off my plan.

Yeah, just to echo Rick, Ting is a no brainer for this kind of usage. Especially if you're just using data to check scores and run a GPS golf app. You're clearly not using data at work, and at home, you guys have wifi I assume. So, if this is just an out and about occasional web view, then its going lower than I originally estimated. Probably/hopefully under 100MB.

With Ting, you and your wife's bill would break down as follows:

2 phones ($12) + 1000 shared minutes anytime ($18) + 1000 texts ($5) + 100 MB ($3) = $38 plus taxes/regulatory fees.

If your data is a bit higher, this would jump to 500 MB for $13, making it $48. Which is still drastically less expensive.

The downside with Ting is that you have to use Sprint's coverage, which may not be great by you. Ask around at work and see if anyone has Sprint, and then ask how their coverage is. If it seems good enough, then this is a no-brainer. As for phones, you'll be buying them unsubsidized. For your wife, I'd recommend the Samsung Array, which is a feature phone (not smart), but it is pretty well featured. For a non-data user, its a good phone. That is $114 unsubsidized. For you, I'd say either the Galaxy S3 currently on sale for $450, or another of your choice. The phones, since its unsubsidized, cost more. But you more than make up for it with the savings on the plan. You're saving roughly $80 a month with the plan, which is $1920 over 2 years, so spending $564 on 2 phones shouldn't be a big deal... you still come out ahead $1356 over 2 years... and you're not trapped by a contract

ETA: If Sprint coverage is reportedly NOT good, let me know, and I'll run analysis for you on other networks. Also, if you post your son's usage, I'll help you find the right carrier for him as well.

Yes, it is mostly an out and about web browse. My wife doesn't care about that at all and only wants text so she can send the occasional message to our kids who both live out of town now.

Thanks so much for this information and your help, Hulk. I will check to see if Sprint works good in my town.

I was actually wanting the Galaxy 3 and will probably get that one. I'll look into the Aray for the wife as well. I currently have a Samsung Propel which isn't a smart phone, but it has slide up QWERTY and the wife could use it for phone/texting.

I'm not sure what unsubsidized means but I guess it is somehow proprietary to the carrier you bought it from?

Question on Ting... as I understand it, they bill you monthly for the services you used during the month. So I am not actually purchasing a set amount of text or data for the month... rather, I am using what I need/want and the bill is based off of that. Is that correct? I saw the chart and it seems it could jump up or down from month to month depending on what I use. ?

Lastly, it appears that the main thing (besides making sure Sprint network works in my area) is to make sure I get the proper phones that are compatible. If I were to buy the Galaxy 3 on Amazon, how would I know it works on Ting? Or will I just need to order the Ting SIM card? Forgive my ignorance on that.

Thanks again.

For Ting, there really is no plan, you get billed based on your usage each month and what tiers you fall into for minutes, texts and data. They are all separate tiers as well as $6 a month per phone.

You are exactly right looking at the chart, your bill can swing up or down each month based on your actual usage.

For buying a phone, I looked at Amazon at first too, but I was concerned the phone wouldn't work. Here is a link to Ting's list of Supported devices.

https://help.ting.com/entries/22567167-Bring-Your-Sprint-Device-to-Ting-A-List-of-All-Supported-Devices

Please note that if you have a device from another carrier (i.e. Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, Boost, Credo, Cricket, etc.) it cannot be brought to Ting.

I ended up just purchasing from Ting, as it was confusing to me to bring a phone in, but maybe someone else has more insight.

 

[Jaysus]

No problem, my wife and I are doing something similar now. We are both on different plans using the T-mobile network. Our total is $68/month, which is down from about $140. I am a heavy data user, and my wife is a heavy talk user, so I had to find a good mix for us.

P.S. don't let your son sign a 2-year contract, get him on one of these plans as well.

Will do. He lives in Nashville and is currently looking for a phone plan... I want him off of mine so I can change too!

When you say T-mobile, are you using Solavei? I looked at Solavei and it appears their unlimited plan is $49. But I couldn't find where you could add another phone for just talk/text. IOW, from what I read if you had two phones it would be $49 for each. Is that not correct or am I missing something?

I am actually on a prepaid plan directly with T-mobile ($30). My wife is on a SIMple Mobile plan ($40), they are a T-mobile MVNO. I buy "refills" through CallingMart and to save a few more bucks (and avoid taxes), grand total = $68/month.

Hulk is your Man for Solavei info (they are another T-Mobile MVNO)

 

[Jayrok]

Hulk - I'm late to the party but was referred to this thread by Jaysus (thanks!). I've been with ATT but looking to try something new once my son gets his own plan... soon.

Right now the wife and I only use talk minutes but I'm looking for a plan that would give her just talk and text and me talk/text/data. I was looking at the ST plan from walmart, but like what I see from Ting or maybe Solavei. I'm not savy on types of phones vs types of cell towers, etc.

My usual monthly usage: Between 500 and 900 talk minutes on average (two phones mostly my wife talking on her phone, I may use 20 minutes one month and 5 the next). But usually closer to 500 on a normal month. 1000 text or less will work fine. I don't plan to do much streaming on a phone but would like to get some data... not sure how much I would need.

Looking to get two new phones. I want one with GPS mainly for the golf yardage app I would use. Would not use it for turn by turn directions. Wife doesn't want or need a smartphone.

Zip: 29150

Any suggestions you might have are greatly appreciated.

Okay, lets talk coverage. From what I see online, AT&T is the strongest in your area, then Verizon, T-Mo, and Sprint is the weakest. But Sprint may still be okay. Do you have any friends who have Sprint? If you do, ask them if their coverage is okay. I'm thinking all 4 are probably decent though.

Lets get a little more specific about each phone:

Your phone: 10 to 50 minutes, <1000 texts, data your unsure, but probably about somewhere between 500MB and 1 GB, maybe less

Wife's phone: 450 to 900 minutes, ??? texts per month, no data at all

Kid's phone: ??? minutes, ??? texts, ??? data

Help me fill in the blanks there. Also, what is your current bill? I know offhand that there are plans that would work well for both you and your wife for $30 or less (each phone). I like to look all phones together and also individually to determine which works the best and saves the most $. So, fill in the blanks and I'll run an analysis for you.

Thanks! No friends on Sprint, just a few on Verizon and they don't complain of coverage.

My phone: I can't have my phone in the building I work in so I usually leave it at home. So I may talk on it an average of 15 minutes per month. <1000 texts (easily). I've never had data usage but only care to browse the web (check scores, etc.), not interested in streaming videos or music. I doubt I would go over 2 GB in a month.

Wife's phone: 450 to 900 minutes, currently no texts per month (but will have <1000 texts per month, no data at all. Just talk and text.

Son's phone: He is coming off my plan shortly so the new plan will just be two phones:

Me: talk/text/data

Wife: Talk and text only.

Edit to add: My current bill is around $118 per month. And that is with just family talk shared minutes. No data. My son has texting on his phone at $20 per month, unlimited. So we share ATT minutes, which we've never come close to max, and my son has texting added. But he's got his own job now and lives out of state. He's coming off my plan.

Yeah, just to echo Rick, Ting is a no brainer for this kind of usage. Especially if you're just using data to check scores and run a GPS golf app. You're clearly not using data at work, and at home, you guys have wifi I assume. So, if this is just an out and about occasional web view, then its going lower than I originally estimated. Probably/hopefully under 100MB.

With Ting, you and your wife's bill would break down as follows:

2 phones ($12) + 1000 shared minutes anytime ($18) + 1000 texts ($5) + 100 MB ($3) = $38 plus taxes/regulatory fees.

If your data is a bit higher, this would jump to 500 MB for $13, making it $48. Which is still drastically less expensive.

The downside with Ting is that you have to use Sprint's coverage, which may not be great by you. Ask around at work and see if anyone has Sprint, and then ask how their coverage is. If it seems good enough, then this is a no-brainer. As for phones, you'll be buying them unsubsidized. For your wife, I'd recommend the Samsung Array, which is a feature phone (not smart), but it is pretty well featured. For a non-data user, its a good phone. That is $114 unsubsidized. For you, I'd say either the Galaxy S3 currently on sale for $450, or another of your choice. The phones, since its unsubsidized, cost more. But you more than make up for it with the savings on the plan. You're saving roughly $80 a month with the plan, which is $1920 over 2 years, so spending $564 on 2 phones shouldn't be a big deal... you still come out ahead $1356 over 2 years... and you're not trapped by a contract

ETA: If Sprint coverage is reportedly NOT good, let me know, and I'll run analysis for you on other networks. Also, if you post your son's usage, I'll help you find the right carrier for him as well.

Yes, it is mostly an out and about web browse. My wife doesn't care about that at all and only wants text so she can send the occasional message to our kids who both live out of town now.

Thanks so much for this information and your help, Hulk. I will check to see if Sprint works good in my town.

I was actually wanting the Galaxy 3 and will probably get that one. I'll look into the Aray for the wife as well. I currently have a Samsung Propel which isn't a smart phone, but it has slide up QWERTY and the wife could use it for phone/texting.

I'm not sure what unsubsidized means but I guess it is somehow proprietary to the carrier you bought it from?

Question on Ting... as I understand it, they bill you monthly for the services you used during the month. So I am not actually purchasing a set amount of text or data for the month... rather, I am using what I need/want and the bill is based off of that. Is that correct? I saw the chart and it seems it could jump up or down from month to month depending on what I use. ?

Lastly, it appears that the main thing (besides making sure Sprint network works in my area) is to make sure I get the proper phones that are compatible. If I were to buy the Galaxy 3 on Amazon, how would I know it works on Ting? Or will I just need to order the Ting SIM card? Forgive my ignorance on that.

Thanks again.

For Ting, there really is no plan, you get billed based on your usage each month and what tiers you fall into for minutes, texts and data. They are all separate tiers as well as $6 a month per phone.

You are exactly right looking at the chart, your bill can swing up or down each month based on your actual usage.

For buying a phone, I looked at Amazon at first too, but I was concerned the phone wouldn't work. Here is a link to Ting's list of Supported devices.

https://help.ting.com/entries/22567167-Bring-Your-Sprint-Device-to-Ting-A-List-of-All-Supported-Devices

Please note that if you have a device from another carrier (i.e. Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, Boost, Credo, Cricket, etc.) it cannot be brought to Ting.

I ended up just purchasing from Ting, as it was confusing to me to bring a phone in, but maybe someone else has more insight.

Ok, thanks. So I won't be able to use the Samsung Propel I have now from ATT. Was hoping the wife could use it by simply getting a Ting SIM or something.

Thanks for the list.

 

[Jaysus]

Ok, thanks. So I won't be able to use the Samsung Propel I have now from ATT. Was hoping the wife could use it by simply getting a Ting SIM or something.

Thanks for the list.

There is a fair chance that you could, in fact, use it... just not on Ting

Ting and Verizon use CDMA technology for their networks. AT&T and T-Mobile use GSM technology. If you can get AT&T to carrier-unlock the Propel for you, you could use it on either T-Mobile or AT&T MVNOs.

You may not even need to unlock it to get it to work on an AT&T MVNO.

 

[(HULK)]

Dude, you guys are answering all of Jay's questions before I can. Lol. I love it.

 

[(HULK)]

No problem, my wife and I are doing something similar now. We are both on different plans using the T-mobile network. Our total is $68/month, which is down from about $140. I am a heavy data user, and my wife is a heavy talk user, so I had to find a good mix for us.

P.S. don't let your son sign a 2-year contract, get him on one of these plans as well.

Will do. He lives in Nashville and is currently looking for a phone plan... I want him off of mine so I can change too!

When you say T-mobile, are you using Solavei? I looked at Solavei and it appears their unlimited plan is $49. But I couldn't find where you could add another phone for just talk/text. IOW, from what I read if you had two phones it would be $49 for each. Is that not correct or am I missing something?

I am actually on a prepaid plan directly with T-mobile ($30). My wife is on a SIMple Mobile plan ($40), they are a T-mobile MVNO. I buy "refills" through CallingMart and to save a few more bucks (and avoid taxes), grand total = $68/month.

Hulk is your Man for Solavei info (they are another T-Mobile MVNO)

Oh, FYI, Solavei only offers 1 plan, the one with 4GB of data. It isn't right for you Jayrock, we can find cheaper if you want something other than Ting.

 

[(HULK)]

Hulk - I'm late to the party but was referred to this thread by Jaysus (thanks!). I've been with ATT but looking to try something new once my son gets his own plan... soon.

Right now the wife and I only use talk minutes but I'm looking for a plan that would give her just talk and text and me talk/text/data. I was looking at the ST plan from walmart, but like what I see from Ting or maybe Solavei. I'm not savy on types of phones vs types of cell towers, etc.

My usual monthly usage: Between 500 and 900 talk minutes on average (two phones mostly my wife talking on her phone, I may use 20 minutes one month and 5 the next). But usually closer to 500 on a normal month. 1000 text or less will work fine. I don't plan to do much streaming on a phone but would like to get some data... not sure how much I would need.

Looking to get two new phones. I want one with GPS mainly for the golf yardage app I would use. Would not use it for turn by turn directions. Wife doesn't want or need a smartphone.

Zip: 29150

Any suggestions you might have are greatly appreciated.

Okay, lets talk coverage. From what I see online, AT&T is the strongest in your area, then Verizon, T-Mo, and Sprint is the weakest. But Sprint may still be okay. Do you have any friends who have Sprint? If you do, ask them if their coverage is okay. I'm thinking all 4 are probably decent though.

Lets get a little more specific about each phone:

Your phone: 10 to 50 minutes, <1000 texts, data your unsure, but probably about somewhere between 500MB and 1 GB, maybe less

Wife's phone: 450 to 900 minutes, ??? texts per month, no data at all

Kid's phone: ??? minutes, ??? texts, ??? data

Help me fill in the blanks there. Also, what is your current bill? I know offhand that there are plans that would work well for both you and your wife for $30 or less (each phone). I like to look all phones together and also individually to determine which works the best and saves the most $. So, fill in the blanks and I'll run an analysis for you.

Thanks! No friends on Sprint, just a few on Verizon and they don't complain of coverage.

My phone: I can't have my phone in the building I work in so I usually leave it at home. So I may talk on it an average of 15 minutes per month. <1000 texts (easily). I've never had data usage but only care to browse the web (check scores, etc.), not interested in streaming videos or music. I doubt I would go over 2 GB in a month.

Wife's phone: 450 to 900 minutes, currently no texts per month (but will have <1000 texts per month, no data at all. Just talk and text.

Son's phone: He is coming off my plan shortly so the new plan will just be two phones:

Me: talk/text/data

Wife: Talk and text only.

Edit to add: My current bill is around $118 per month. And that is with just family talk shared minutes. No data. My son has texting on his phone at $20 per month, unlimited. So we share ATT minutes, which we've never come close to max, and my son has texting added. But he's got his own job now and lives out of state. He's coming off my plan.

Yeah, just to echo Rick, Ting is a no brainer for this kind of usage. Especially if you're just using data to check scores and run a GPS golf app. You're clearly not using data at work, and at home, you guys have wifi I assume. So, if this is just an out and about occasional web view, then its going lower than I originally estimated. Probably/hopefully under 100MB.

With Ting, you and your wife's bill would break down as follows:

2 phones ($12) + 1000 shared minutes anytime ($18) + 1000 texts ($5) + 100 MB ($3) = $38 plus taxes/regulatory fees.

If your data is a bit higher, this would jump to 500 MB for $13, making it $48. Which is still drastically less expensive.

The downside with Ting is that you have to use Sprint's coverage, which may not be great by you. Ask around at work and see if anyone has Sprint, and then ask how their coverage is. If it seems good enough, then this is a no-brainer. As for phones, you'll be buying them unsubsidized. For your wife, I'd recommend the Samsung Array, which is a feature phone (not smart), but it is pretty well featured. For a non-data user, its a good phone. That is $114 unsubsidized. For you, I'd say either the Galaxy S3 currently on sale for $450, or another of your choice. The phones, since its unsubsidized, cost more. But you more than make up for it with the savings on the plan. You're saving roughly $80 a month with the plan, which is $1920 over 2 years, so spending $564 on 2 phones shouldn't be a big deal... you still come out ahead $1356 over 2 years... and you're not trapped by a contract

ETA: If Sprint coverage is reportedly NOT good, let me know, and I'll run analysis for you on other networks. Also, if you post your son's usage, I'll help you find the right carrier for him as well.

Yes, it is mostly an out and about web browse. My wife doesn't care about that at all and only wants text so she can send the occasional message to our kids who both live out of town now.

Thanks so much for this information and your help, Hulk. I will check to see if Sprint works good in my town.

I was actually wanting the Galaxy 3 and will probably get that one. I'll look into the Aray for the wife as well. I currently have a Samsung Propel which isn't a smart phone, but it has slide up QWERTY and the wife could use it for phone/texting.

I'm not sure what unsubsidized means but I guess it is somehow proprietary to the carrier you bought it from?

Question on Ting... as I understand it, they bill you monthly for the services you used during the month. So I am not actually purchasing a set amount of text or data for the month... rather, I am using what I need/want and the bill is based off of that. Is that correct? I saw the chart and it seems it could jump up or down from month to month depending on what I use. ?

Lastly, it appears that the main thing (besides making sure Sprint network works in my area) is to make sure I get the proper phones that are compatible. If I were to buy the Galaxy 3 on Amazon, how would I know it works on Ting? Or will I just need to order the Ting SIM card? Forgive my ignorance on that.

Thanks again.

For Ting, there really is no plan, you get billed based on your usage each month and what tiers you fall into for minutes, texts and data. They are all separate tiers as well as $6 a month per phone.

You are exactly right looking at the chart, your bill can swing up or down each month based on your actual usage.

For buying a phone, I looked at Amazon at first too, but I was concerned the phone wouldn't work. Here is a link to Ting's list of Supported devices.

https://help.ting.com/entries/22567167-Bring-Your-Sprint-Device-to-Ting-A-List-of-All-Supported-Devices

Please note that if you have a device from another carrier (i.e. Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, Boost, Credo, Cricket, etc.) it cannot be brought to Ting.

I ended up just purchasing from Ting, as it was confusing to me to bring a phone in, but maybe someone else has more insight.

Ok, thanks. So I won't be able to use the Samsung Propel I have now from ATT. Was hoping the wife could use it by simply getting a Ting SIM or something.

Thanks for the list.

No SIMs on Ting as they use Sprint's CDMA network. Which is annoying. Basically, you can buy from Ting, or find a used Sprint phone that is supported.

If things don't work out with Ting, you'll probably end up having to sell the phones you just bought... which is why its important to make sure Sprint's network is decent in your area.

 

[(HULK)]

Ok, thanks. So I won't be able to use the Samsung Propel I have now from ATT. Was hoping the wife could use it by simply getting a Ting SIM or something.

Thanks for the list.

There is a fair chance that you could, in fact, use it... just not on Ting

Ting and Verizon use CDMA technology for their networks. AT&T and T-Mobile use GSM technology. If you can get AT&T to carrier-unlock the Propel for you, you could use it on either T-Mobile or AT&T MVNOs.

You may not even need to unlock it to get it to work on an AT&T MVNO.

Thing is, with his usage, nothing is going to be cheaper than Ting (except maybe Zact, but they're still so new and only have 2 phones, so I'm not recommending them yet).

 

[Jayrok]

Hulk - I'm late to the party but was referred to this thread by Jaysus (thanks!). I've been with ATT but looking to try something new once my son gets his own plan... soon.

Right now the wife and I only use talk minutes but I'm looking for a plan that would give her just talk and text and me talk/text/data. I was looking at the ST plan from walmart, but like what I see from Ting or maybe Solavei. I'm not savy on types of phones vs types of cell towers, etc.

My usual monthly usage: Between 500 and 900 talk minutes on average (two phones mostly my wife talking on her phone, I may use 20 minutes one month and 5 the next). But usually closer to 500 on a normal month. 1000 text or less will work fine. I don't plan to do much streaming on a phone but would like to get some data... not sure how much I would need.

Looking to get two new phones. I want one with GPS mainly for the golf yardage app I would use. Would not use it for turn by turn directions. Wife doesn't want or need a smartphone.

Zip: 29150

Any suggestions you might have are greatly appreciated.

Okay, lets talk coverage. From what I see online, AT&T is the strongest in your area, then Verizon, T-Mo, and Sprint is the weakest. But Sprint may still be okay. Do you have any friends who have Sprint? If you do, ask them if their coverage is okay. I'm thinking all 4 are probably decent though.

Lets get a little more specific about each phone:

Your phone: 10 to 50 minutes, <1000 texts, data your unsure, but probably about somewhere between 500MB and 1 GB, maybe less

Wife's phone: 450 to 900 minutes, ??? texts per month, no data at all

Kid's phone: ??? minutes, ??? texts, ??? data

Help me fill in the blanks there. Also, what is your current bill? I know offhand that there are plans that would work well for both you and your wife for $30 or less (each phone). I like to look all phones together and also individually to determine which works the best and saves the most $. So, fill in the blanks and I'll run an analysis for you.

Thanks! No friends on Sprint, just a few on Verizon and they don't complain of coverage.

My phone: I can't have my phone in the building I work in so I usually leave it at home. So I may talk on it an average of 15 minutes per month. <1000 texts (easily). I've never had data usage but only care to browse the web (check scores, etc.), not interested in streaming videos or music. I doubt I would go over 2 GB in a month.

Wife's phone: 450 to 900 minutes, currently no texts per month (but will have <1000 texts per month, no data at all. Just talk and text.

Son's phone: He is coming off my plan shortly so the new plan will just be two phones:

Me: talk/text/data

Wife: Talk and text only.

Edit to add: My current bill is around $118 per month. And that is with just family talk shared minutes. No data. My son has texting on his phone at $20 per month, unlimited. So we share ATT minutes, which we've never come close to max, and my son has texting added. But he's got his own job now and lives out of state. He's coming off my plan.

Yeah, just to echo Rick, Ting is a no brainer for this kind of usage. Especially if you're just using data to check scores and run a GPS golf app. You're clearly not using data at work, and at home, you guys have wifi I assume. So, if this is just an out and about occasional web view, then its going lower than I originally estimated. Probably/hopefully under 100MB.

With Ting, you and your wife's bill would break down as follows:

2 phones ($12) + 1000 shared minutes anytime ($18) + 1000 texts ($5) + 100 MB ($3) = $38 plus taxes/regulatory fees.

If your data is a bit higher, this would jump to 500 MB for $13, making it $48. Which is still drastically less expensive.

The downside with Ting is that you have to use Sprint's coverage, which may not be great by you. Ask around at work and see if anyone has Sprint, and then ask how their coverage is. If it seems good enough, then this is a no-brainer. As for phones, you'll be buying them unsubsidized. For your wife, I'd recommend the Samsung Array, which is a feature phone (not smart), but it is pretty well featured. For a non-data user, its a good phone. That is $114 unsubsidized. For you, I'd say either the Galaxy S3 currently on sale for $450, or another of your choice. The phones, since its unsubsidized, cost more. But you more than make up for it with the savings on the plan. You're saving roughly $80 a month with the plan, which is $1920 over 2 years, so spending $564 on 2 phones shouldn't be a big deal... you still come out ahead $1356 over 2 years... and you're not trapped by a contract

ETA: If Sprint coverage is reportedly NOT good, let me know, and I'll run analysis for you on other networks. Also, if you post your son's usage, I'll help you find the right carrier for him as well.

Yes, it is mostly an out and about web browse. My wife doesn't care about that at all and only wants text so she can send the occasional message to our kids who both live out of town now.

Thanks so much for this information and your help, Hulk. I will check to see if Sprint works good in my town.

I was actually wanting the Galaxy 3 and will probably get that one. I'll look into the Aray for the wife as well. I currently have a Samsung Propel which isn't a smart phone, but it has slide up QWERTY and the wife could use it for phone/texting.

I'm not sure what unsubsidized means but I guess it is somehow proprietary to the carrier you bought it from?

Question on Ting... as I understand it, they bill you monthly for the services you used during the month. So I am not actually purchasing a set amount of text or data for the month... rather, I am using what I need/want and the bill is based off of that. Is that correct? I saw the chart and it seems it could jump up or down from month to month depending on what I use. ?

Lastly, it appears that the main thing (besides making sure Sprint network works in my area) is to make sure I get the proper phones that are compatible. If I were to buy the Galaxy 3 on Amazon, how would I know it works on Ting? Or will I just need to order the Ting SIM card? Forgive my ignorance on that.

Thanks again.

For Ting, there really is no plan, you get billed based on your usage each month and what tiers you fall into for minutes, texts and data. They are all separate tiers as well as $6 a month per phone.

You are exactly right looking at the chart, your bill can swing up or down each month based on your actual usage.

For buying a phone, I looked at Amazon at first too, but I was concerned the phone wouldn't work. Here is a link to Ting's list of Supported devices.

https://help.ting.com/entries/22567167-Bring-Your-Sprint-Device-to-Ting-A-List-of-All-Supported-Devices

Please note that if you have a device from another carrier (i.e. Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, Boost, Credo, Cricket, etc.) it cannot be brought to Ting.

I ended up just purchasing from Ting, as it was confusing to me to bring a phone in, but maybe someone else has more insight.

Ok, thanks. So I won't be able to use the Samsung Propel I have now from ATT. Was hoping the wife could use it by simply getting a Ting SIM or something.

Thanks for the list.

No SIMs on Ting as they use Sprint's CDMA network. Which is annoying. Basically, you can buy from Ting, or find a used Sprint phone that is supported.

If things don't work out with Ting, you'll probably end up having to sell the phones you just bought... which is why its important to make sure Sprint's network is decent in your area.

Hmm, maybe I can find a Sprint user who wants to upgrade and I can get their old phone... I think for our average usage, Ting is a good deal to start out with. I'd hate to get stuck with a Sprint-only type phone, though, if it doesn't work out.

The Sprint coverage website says my street and and surrounding areas are "good" coverage. A few streets over is "best" coverage. All of my area is 3G only right now though. But honestly, I'll probably only use data on the phone when I'm connected to my wifi. I could conceivable go from paying $120 to around $30 a month for two phones. I guess the tough part is convincing my wife to pay for the phones up front. She's very thrifty if you know what I mean.

The only other plan I've really been thinking about is Straight Talk but I don't know if T-Mobile is any better in my area either.

 

[(HULK)]

Hulk - I'm late to the party but was referred to this thread by Jaysus (thanks!). I've been with ATT but looking to try something new once my son gets his own plan... soon.

Right now the wife and I only use talk minutes but I'm looking for a plan that would give her just talk and text and me talk/text/data. I was looking at the ST plan from walmart, but like what I see from Ting or maybe Solavei. I'm not savy on types of phones vs types of cell towers, etc.

My usual monthly usage: Between 500 and 900 talk minutes on average (two phones mostly my wife talking on her phone, I may use 20 minutes one month and 5 the next). But usually closer to 500 on a normal month. 1000 text or less will work fine. I don't plan to do much streaming on a phone but would like to get some data... not sure how much I would need.

Looking to get two new phones. I want one with GPS mainly for the golf yardage app I would use. Would not use it for turn by turn directions. Wife doesn't want or need a smartphone.

Zip: 29150

Any suggestions you might have are greatly appreciated.

Okay, lets talk coverage. From what I see online, AT&T is the strongest in your area, then Verizon, T-Mo, and Sprint is the weakest. But Sprint may still be okay. Do you have any friends who have Sprint? If you do, ask them if their coverage is okay. I'm thinking all 4 are probably decent though.

Lets get a little more specific about each phone:

Your phone: 10 to 50 minutes, <1000 texts, data your unsure, but probably about somewhere between 500MB and 1 GB, maybe less

Wife's phone: 450 to 900 minutes, ??? texts per month, no data at all

Kid's phone: ??? minutes, ??? texts, ??? data

Help me fill in the blanks there. Also, what is your current bill? I know offhand that there are plans that would work well for both you and your wife for $30 or less (each phone). I like to look all phones together and also individually to determine which works the best and saves the most $. So, fill in the blanks and I'll run an analysis for you.

Thanks! No friends on Sprint, just a few on Verizon and they don't complain of coverage.

My phone: I can't have my phone in the building I work in so I usually leave it at home. So I may talk on it an average of 15 minutes per month. <1000 texts (easily). I've never had data usage but only care to browse the web (check scores, etc.), not interested in streaming videos or music. I doubt I would go over 2 GB in a month.

Wife's phone: 450 to 900 minutes, currently no texts per month (but will have <1000 texts per month, no data at all. Just talk and text.

Son's phone: He is coming off my plan shortly so the new plan will just be two phones:

Me: talk/text/data

Wife: Talk and text only.

Edit to add: My current bill is around $118 per month. And that is with just family talk shared minutes. No data. My son has texting on his phone at $20 per month, unlimited. So we share ATT minutes, which we've never come close to max, and my son has texting added. But he's got his own job now and lives out of state. He's coming off my plan.

Yeah, just to echo Rick, Ting is a no brainer for this kind of usage. Especially if you're just using data to check scores and run a GPS golf app. You're clearly not using data at work, and at home, you guys have wifi I assume. So, if this is just an out and about occasional web view, then its going lower than I originally estimated. Probably/hopefully under 100MB.

With Ting, you and your wife's bill would break down as follows:

2 phones ($12) + 1000 shared minutes anytime ($18) + 1000 texts ($5) + 100 MB ($3) = $38 plus taxes/regulatory fees.

If your data is a bit higher, this would jump to 500 MB for $13, making it $48. Which is still drastically less expensive.

The downside with Ting is that you have to use Sprint's coverage, which may not be great by you. Ask around at work and see if anyone has Sprint, and then ask how their coverage is. If it seems good enough, then this is a no-brainer. As for phones, you'll be buying them unsubsidized. For your wife, I'd recommend the Samsung Array, which is a feature phone (not smart), but it is pretty well featured. For a non-data user, its a good phone. That is $114 unsubsidized. For you, I'd say either the Galaxy S3 currently on sale for $450, or another of your choice. The phones, since its unsubsidized, cost more. But you more than make up for it with the savings on the plan. You're saving roughly $80 a month with the plan, which is $1920 over 2 years, so spending $564 on 2 phones shouldn't be a big deal... you still come out ahead $1356 over 2 years... and you're not trapped by a contract

ETA: If Sprint coverage is reportedly NOT good, let me know, and I'll run analysis for you on other networks. Also, if you post your son's usage, I'll help you find the right carrier for him as well.

Yes, it is mostly an out and about web browse. My wife doesn't care about that at all and only wants text so she can send the occasional message to our kids who both live out of town now.

Thanks so much for this information and your help, Hulk. I will check to see if Sprint works good in my town.

I was actually wanting the Galaxy 3 and will probably get that one. I'll look into the Aray for the wife as well. I currently have a Samsung Propel which isn't a smart phone, but it has slide up QWERTY and the wife could use it for phone/texting.

I'm not sure what unsubsidized means but I guess it is somehow proprietary to the carrier you bought it from?

Question on Ting... as I understand it, they bill you monthly for the services you used during the month. So I am not actually purchasing a set amount of text or data for the month... rather, I am using what I need/want and the bill is based off of that. Is that correct? I saw the chart and it seems it could jump up or down from month to month depending on what I use. ?

Lastly, it appears that the main thing (besides making sure Sprint network works in my area) is to make sure I get the proper phones that are compatible. If I were to buy the Galaxy 3 on Amazon, how would I know it works on Ting? Or will I just need to order the Ting SIM card? Forgive my ignorance on that.

Thanks again.

For Ting, there really is no plan, you get billed based on your usage each month and what tiers you fall into for minutes, texts and data. They are all separate tiers as well as $6 a month per phone.

You are exactly right looking at the chart, your bill can swing up or down each month based on your actual usage.

For buying a phone, I looked at Amazon at first too, but I was concerned the phone wouldn't work. Here is a link to Ting's list of Supported devices.

https://help.ting.com/entries/22567167-Bring-Your-Sprint-Device-to-Ting-A-List-of-All-Supported-Devices

Please note that if you have a device from another carrier (i.e. Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, Boost, Credo, Cricket, etc.) it cannot be brought to Ting.

I ended up just purchasing from Ting, as it was confusing to me to bring a phone in, but maybe someone else has more insight.

Ok, thanks. So I won't be able to use the Samsung Propel I have now from ATT. Was hoping the wife could use it by simply getting a Ting SIM or something.

Thanks for the list.

No SIMs on Ting as they use Sprint's CDMA network. Which is annoying. Basically, you can buy from Ting, or find a used Sprint phone that is supported.

If things don't work out with Ting, you'll probably end up having to sell the phones you just bought... which is why its important to make sure Sprint's network is decent in your area.

Hmm, maybe I can find a Sprint user who wants to upgrade and I can get their old phone... I think for our average usage, Ting is a good deal to start out with. I'd hate to get stuck with a Sprint-only type phone, though, if it doesn't work out.

The Sprint coverage website says my street and and surrounding areas are "good" coverage. A few streets over is "best" coverage. All of my area is 3G only right now though. But honestly, I'll probably only use data on the phone when I'm connected to my wifi. I could conceivable go from paying $120 to around $30 a month for two phones. I guess the tough part is convincing my wife to pay for the phones up front. She's very thrifty if you know what I mean.

The only other plan I've really been thinking about is Straight Talk but I don't know if T-Mobile is any better in my area either.

If you go AT&T or T-Mobile coverage, we can find cheaper than Straight Talk. There are unlimited talk and text plans out there for $30 a piece.

Ting is still going to be the cheapest though.

 

[Jaysus]

I guess the tough part is convincing my wife to pay for the phones up front. She's very thrifty if you know what I mean.

I had to hold my wife's hand across that bridge too... I actually had to map out the costs on paper for her before she realized the potential savings benefit. She just could not get past the word "free".

 

[Jayrok]

I guess the tough part is convincing my wife to pay for the phones up front. She's very thrifty if you know what I mean.

I had to hold my wife's hand across that bridge too... I actually had to map out the costs on paper for her before she realized the potential savings benefit. She just could not get past the word "free".

Yeah, what they don't realize is the "free" phone you get with carrier plans is paid for and then some over the life of the contract.

 

[Jayrok]

If you go AT&T or T-Mobile coverage, we can find cheaper than Straight Talk. There are unlimited talk and text plans out there for $30 a piece.


Ting is still going to be the cheapest though.

My AT&T coverage isn't too bad around here. I lose coverage when I get closer to the coast though. Straight Talk has a talk and text plan for $30. Added data was $45 I think.

 

[(HULK)]

FYI, Ting just started offering to pay 25% of your EFT if you break a contract to switch to them. I'm mobile right now, but I'll post details tonight.

 

[(HULK)]

Heck of a deal, and its permament!

In the Rhetoric 101 class of copywriting college, they teach that one way to engage your audience is to start out with a statement that everyone can agree with. Or so I assume. I didn’t actually go.

Early termination fees suck.

We’ve been working on a way to soften the blow, and our efforts are now live and ready for primetime on the Ting EFT Relief page.

If you remember our $100,000 ETF Buyout campaign back in February of this year, you’ll recall that the entire $100,000 ETF fund lasted all of seven minutes from the time we put the promotion live.

We took that to mean that there was some latent demand. We started to think about what we might do next.

Rather than undertake another one-time ETF buyout campaign, we decided instead to offer some ETF relief to everyone that pays an early termination fee with a contract to move to Ting.

Effective today, we’ll pay 25% of the ETF paid to make the move to Ting, up to $75.

That’s up to $75 per line, to be clear. If you’re breaking out of your family plan contract to come to Ting, you can receive up to $75 per line that has an early termination fee associated with it.

Not to suggest you should do anything other than jump on this right away, but this isn’t a limited-time promotion. Rather, ETF Relief is just something we do now.

How Ting ETF Relief worksThe process is clearly outlined on the Ting ETF Relief page but in short, here’s how it works:

1. Activate a device with Ting: It can be a new device, a device purchased from the used devices page or a device that’s eligible to be brought to Ting.
2. Port your number to Ting: Porting your number automatically cancels your account with the previous provider. You’ll receive your final bill, including your early termination fee.
3. Send us your ETF documents: We’ll do a quick check to make sure everything lines up and we’ll drop 25% of your ETF up to $75 for each cancelled line with an ETF associated.

If you’re stuck in a mobile contract and you’ve been thinking about making the move to Ting and mobile that makes sense, there really is no time like the present.

Get all the details and, if you’re under contract, score a little Ting ETF Relief!

 

[rick6668]

Heck of a deal, and its permament!

In the Rhetoric 101 class of copywriting college, they teach that one way to engage your audience is to start out with a statement that everyone can agree with. Or so I assume. I didn’t actually go.

Early termination fees suck.

We’ve been working on a way to soften the blow, and our efforts are now live and ready for primetime on the Ting EFT Relief page.

If you remember our $100,000 ETF Buyout campaign back in February of this year, you’ll recall that the entire $100,000 ETF fund lasted all of seven minutes from the time we put the promotion live.

We took that to mean that there was some latent demand. We started to think about what we might do next.

Rather than undertake another one-time ETF buyout campaign, we decided instead to offer some ETF relief to everyone that pays an early termination fee with a contract to move to Ting.

Effective today, we’ll pay 25% of the ETF paid to make the move to Ting, up to $75.

That’s up to $75 per line, to be clear. If you’re breaking out of your family plan contract to come to Ting, you can receive up to $75 per line that has an early termination fee associated with it.

Not to suggest you should do anything other than jump on this right away, but this isn’t a limited-time promotion. Rather, ETF Relief is just something we do now.

How Ting ETF Relief worksThe process is clearly outlined on the Ting ETF Relief page but in short, here’s how it works:

1. Activate a device with Ting: It can be a new device, a device purchased from the used devices page or a device that’s eligible to be brought to Ting.
2. Port your number to Ting: Porting your number automatically cancels your account with the previous provider. You’ll receive your final bill, including your early termination fee.
3. Send us your ETF documents: We’ll do a quick check to make sure everything lines up and we’ll drop 25% of your ETF up to $75 for each cancelled line with an ETF associated.

If you’re stuck in a mobile contract and you’ve been thinking about making the move to Ting and mobile that makes sense, there really is no time like the present.

Get all the details and, if you’re under contract, score a little Ting ETF Relief!

Nice deal! Should have waited 2 months to switch...

 

[Jayrok]

I'm not under a contract so not an issue in my case, but that's a good deal.

 

[Jayrok]

Hulk> It turns out that Sprint coverage in my area isn't all the rage among my co-workers. Also, Sprint only offers 3G speeds with no 4G LTE in sight in the near future in my region. My main concern is buying a Sprint enabled phone (with no SIM) and being stuck with it if we get dropped calls/bad coverage, etc., and want to switch carriers again.

The best coverage according to the masses is Verizon wireless. The wife said all our family is on Verizon but I don't know if they offer mobile to mobile that won't count against minutes. What bothers me about Verizon is they charge $40 per phone just for line access, then add on the mobile share "plan" costs. Just crazy.

Any thoughts on prepaid deals that use the Verizon networks?

 

[Plaid Boxer]

Hulk> It turns out that Sprint coverage in my area isn't all the rage among my co-workers. Also, Sprint only offers 3G speeds with no 4G LTE in sight in the near future in my region. My main concern is buying a Sprint enabled phone (with no SIM) and being stuck with it if we get dropped calls/bad coverage, etc., and want to switch carriers again.

The best coverage according to the masses is Verizon wireless. The wife said all our family is on Verizon but I don't know if they offer mobile to mobile that won't count against minutes. What bothers me about Verizon is they charge $40 per phone just for line access, then add on the mobile share "plan" costs. Just crazy.

Any thoughts on prepaid deals that use the Verizon networks?

This is keeping me on VW too. Would love to switch but Sprint is not considered strong in 03063.

 

[(HULK)]

There are Verizon MVNOs, but they tend to be a bit pricier (AT&T and Verzion charge MVNOs more for their wholesale purchases than Sprint and T-Mobile do). If you're on a Verizon MVNO, Verizon won't conisder it "the same" so when your friends call you it will still charge them minutes. On top of that, they're much more restrictive on phones, and also CDMA, so the same issue applies... you buy the phone and you can't take it anywhere else. This is a shame because Ting really is the cheapest for you guys by a mile.

Just an FYI, anything riding on a GSM network (AT&T and T-Mobile and their MVNOs) is portable to any other carrier or MVNO on their network, provided your phone is unlocked.

Options:

Consumer Cellular (on AT&T's Network): $60 family share plan for 2 phones with 1500 minutes, 4000 texts, and 100 MB of data. Data is AT&T's HSPA+22, so it should be fast enough for you. You can bring your existing phones will you, or get new ones. If you need more data, bump to 400 MB puts it at $70. Free roaming is provided, so if you ever stray into an area where there are no AT&T towers but there are T-Mobile towers, you'll still be able to make calls (although I'm not sure such an area exists ) Also of note, Consumer Reports has REPEATEDLY ranked this company #1 in customer service. They've got a reputation for being very helpful/friendly to senior citizens and even have an AARP discount. If you've ever seen the late night commericials for the Jitterbug phone (huge buttons for old people), this is the same company. That said, you can just get a SIM card from them and pop it into any unlocked GSM phone. If you think you might go this route, PM me please.

Thats the 2nd best "family" option behind Ting.

If you guys go on your own individual plans, these are options:

Jayrock's Phone:

Option 1: Consumer Cellular again. $25 for 150 minutes, 1000 texts, and 100 MB.

Option 2: Page Plus Cellular (on Verizon's Network). $29.95 for 1200 minutes, 3000 texts, and 250 MB of data. A few notes about them. Roaming costs extra $. The data is Verizon 3G only, which means CDMA speeds, which is pretty much the same as Sprint's CDMA 3g speeds, so I don't see a real improvement over Ting in that regard. Also, they were recently purchased by American Movil, the same company that owns Straight Talk and several other MVNOs... Page Plus used to have pretty good customer service, but the expectation is that function will likely be outsourced to the Phillipeans as it has been done with every other MVNO they've bought. Which means, it will be painfully terribad. Something to keep in mind.

Jayrock's Wife's Phone:

Option 1: Spot Mobile (T-Mobile's Network). $24.99 for unlimited calls and texts. No data. Roaming costs extra. She can bring her current phone.

Option 2: SIMple Mobile (T-Mobile's Network). $25 for unlimited calls and texts. No data. Roaming not available. She can bring her current phone.

Looks slightly cheaper to split up, but it might be more conveinent to stick together on that family plan. Really a shame about Ting though, as that is epically cheaper for your type of usage.

 

[Jaysus]

For whatever it is worth, Sprint had awful coverage in my immediate area for the 2+ years I was with them, but I was still able to use it with only minor inconveniences.

The T-Mobile plan I am on now is actually worse in terms of coverage, but again, I am able to work with it just fine.

 

[Jayrok]

There are Verizon MVNOs, but they tend to be a bit pricier (AT&T and Verzion charge MVNOs more for their wholesale purchases than Sprint and T-Mobile do). If you're on a Verizon MVNO, Verizon won't conisder it "the same" so when your friends call you it will still charge them minutes. On top of that, they're much more restrictive on phones, and also CDMA, so the same issue applies... you buy the phone and you can't take it anywhere else. This is a shame because Ting really is the cheapest for you guys by a mile.

Just an FYI, anything riding on a GSM network (AT&T and T-Mobile and their MVNOs) is portable to any other carrier or MVNO on their network, provided your phone is unlocked.

Options:

Consumer Cellular (on AT&T's Network): $60 family share plan for 2 phones with 1500 minutes, 4000 texts, and 100 MB of data. Data is AT&T's HSPA+22, so it should be fast enough for you. You can bring your existing phones will you, or get new ones. If you need more data, bump to 400 MB puts it at $70. Free roaming is provided, so if you ever stray into an area where there are no AT&T towers but there are T-Mobile towers, you'll still be able to make calls (although I'm not sure such an area exists ) Also of note, Consumer Reports has REPEATEDLY ranked this company #1 in customer service. They've got a reputation for being very helpful/friendly to senior citizens and even have an AARP discount. If you've ever seen the late night commericials for the Jitterbug phone (huge buttons for old people), this is the same company. That said, you can just get a SIM card from them and pop it into any unlocked GSM phone. If you think you might go this route, PM me please.

Thats the 2nd best "family" option behind Ting.

If you guys go on your own individual plans, these are options:

Jayrock's Phone:

Option 1: Consumer Cellular again. $25 for 150 minutes, 1000 texts, and 100 MB.

Option 2: Page Plus Cellular (on Verizon's Network). $29.95 for 1200 minutes, 3000 texts, and 250 MB of data. A few notes about them. Roaming costs extra $. The data is Verizon 3G only, which means CDMA speeds, which is pretty much the same as Sprint's CDMA 3g speeds, so I don't see a real improvement over Ting in that regard. Also, they were recently purchased by American Movil, the same company that owns Straight Talk and several other MVNOs... Page Plus used to have pretty good customer service, but the expectation is that function will likely be outsourced to the Phillipeans as it has been done with every other MVNO they've bought. Which means, it will be painfully terribad. Something to keep in mind.

Jayrock's Wife's Phone:

Option 1: Spot Mobile (T-Mobile's Network). $24.99 for unlimited calls and texts. No data. Roaming costs extra. She can bring her current phone.

Option 2: SIMple Mobile (T-Mobile's Network). $25 for unlimited calls and texts. No data. Roaming not available. She can bring her current phone.

Looks slightly cheaper to split up, but it might be more conveinent to stick together on that family plan. Really a shame about Ting though, as that is epically cheaper for your type of usage.

Hulk, thanks for the info and your insight. It is a great help. I'm going to look over some things and see which way I should probably go. I still like the idea of Ting, but I know what I'd be up against if things didn't go perfectly... I would get constant "I told you so" and other types of blah blah blah.

 

[Jayrok]

On top of that, they're much more restrictive on phones, and also CDMA, so the same issue applies... you buy the phone and you can't take it anywhere else. This is a shame because Ting really is the cheapest for you guys by a mile.

So Verizon uses CDMA, same as Ting. I thought they were GSM. So if Ting didn't work out for whatever reason, I would (theoretically) be able to use the Ting phone on a Verizon plan. Right? Or would Verizon reject any phone that isn't bought from them? Note that my wife's current phone is an AT&T GSM with SIM. She wouldn't be able to use that on Verizon wireless anyway. One of her hangups is pluncking down hundreds for a new phone. If we went to Verizon (as she wants) we'd need a new phone anyway I guess.

I know that we could use her phone by buying an ST SIM and plan from the walmark.

 

[(HULK)]

On top of that, they're much more restrictive on phones, and also CDMA, so the same issue applies... you buy the phone and you can't take it anywhere else. This is a shame because Ting really is the cheapest for you guys by a mile.

So Verizon uses CDMA, same as Ting. I thought they were GSM. So if Ting didn't work out for whatever reason, I would (theoretically) be able to use the Ting phone on a Verizon plan. Right? Or would Verizon reject any phone that isn't bought from them? Note that my wife's current phone is an AT&T GSM with SIM. She wouldn't be able to use that on Verizon wireless anyway. One of her hangups is pluncking down hundreds for a new phone. If we went to Verizon (as she wants) we'd need a new phone anyway I guess.

I know that we could use her phone by buying an ST SIM and plan from the walmark.

Nope. CDMA is evil. Ting phones will work on Ting, and on Sprint. Nowhere else. Verizon phones will work on Verizon and occasionally on one of their MVNOs (but don't hold your breath).

 

[Jayrok]

Bummer

 

[(HULK)]

To help your wife understand that a "free phone" isn't really a free phone, here is some math.

Lets say you guys switch to Verizon, and you get 2 "free" phones that require a 2 year contract. You still have to pay monthly for that contract. Guess what? The only plans they offer new customers are the "Share Everything" plans, which means you'll have to pay for unlimited calls and texts, which you don't remotely need. Since her phone is a non-smart phone and yours is one, thats going to end up being $110 + taxes/fees every month for the next 2 years (thats unlimited calls/texts + 500 MB of data). This is literally your cheapest option with Verizon.

After your 2 year contract is up, you'll have spent $2640.

Compare this to going to Ting. Lets say you splurge on phones and spend $150 for her dumb phone and $600 for yours. Your plan is just $38 a month.

After 2 years, youv'e spent: 150 + 600 + 38*24 = $1662.

So, those free phones cost you guys $1000 roughly. Granted, there is the coverage difference, BUT IS THAT WORTH $1,000?!?!? (raise your voice when you ask her that question imo!)

Alternatively, lets say you went to Consumer Cellular. You pick up a shiny new Nexus 4 unlocked for yourself ($249) and we get her some simple dumb phone unlocked ($151 lets say). The plan there is $60 a month.

After 2 years, you've spent 249 + 151 + 60*24 = $1840. This is still MUCH cheaper than "free phones!" at Verizon, and its the current coverage you already have and are used to (AT&T).

 

[Jaysus]

To help your wife understand that a "free phone" isn't really a free phone, here is some math.

So, those free phones cost you guys $1000 roughly. Granted, there is the coverage difference, BUT IS THAT WORTH $1,000?!?!? (raise your voice when you ask her that question imo!)

 

[Jayrok]

Oh I know and I've already told her the catch with the "free" phones the big carriers offer. That's why they have 2 year commitments, so they can extract the costs of the phones over the contract cycle. Nothing is free.

 

[Jayrok]

Alternatively, lets say you went to Consumer Cellular. You pick up a shiny new Nexus 4 unlocked for yourself ($249) and we get her some simple dumb phone unlocked ($151 lets say). The plan there is $60 a month.

After 2 years, you've spent 249 + 151 + 60*24 = $1840. This is still MUCH cheaper than "free phones!" at Verizon, and its the current coverage you already have and are used to (AT&T).

Couldn't she use her current phone since it is ATT? Just a Consumer Cellular SIM card?

 

[Jayrok]

Consumer Cellular (AT&T) shows 4G all around my area. Compared to 3G Sprint and 2G T-Mobile. Taking a good look at them, thanks for the head's up..

 

[(HULK)]

Alternatively, lets say you went to Consumer Cellular. You pick up a shiny new Nexus 4 unlocked for yourself ($249) and we get her some simple dumb phone unlocked ($151 lets say). The plan there is $60 a month.

After 2 years, you've spent 249 + 151 + 60*24 = $1840. This is still MUCH cheaper than "free phones!" at Verizon, and its the current coverage you already have and are used to (AT&T).

Couldn't she use her current phone since it is ATT? Just a Consumer Cellular SIM card?

Yup.

Not a lot of downside to testing them out really.

 

[(HULK)]

Consumer Cellular (AT&T) shows 4G all around my area. Compared to 3G Sprint and 2G T-Mobile. Taking a good look at them, thanks for the head's up..

I hate the term "4G" because its completely meaningless.

Consumer Cellular does not have access to AT&T's LTE network. However, they use AT&T's HSPA+22 network which is pretty decent. Expect download speeds of around 5 or 6 MBs per second.

 

[(HULK)]

Just a heads up for people considering Voyager. My wife's friend said the service itself isn't bad but customer service is lacking. The first payment we paid online to activate the service and the next one had to be a check before you could set up auto or online payments. So she had to send a check that never "showed" up according to them (she heard that a lot of payments went missing) and had to resend another check. After a few more months I will check her usage and see if it makes sense to go to Ting instead of staying on Voyager.

Thanks again Hulk for getting this setup and doing all the legwork for us. Hopefully the website is up soon so we aren't bugging you as much.

The blog is up, just going through some formating issues and making sure it looks right in IE 8 and such.

Quick calculator should be up before the month is out. Target date is the 23rd. Full calculator that gets as detailed as I do here should come in October. Hopefully.