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

[(HULK)]

Hey, Hulk, if you don't mind, can we do this one more time as my V contracts are up

$62 Verizon 700 talk, unlimited text

$17 dumb phone

$17 dumb phone

$51 iphone

$147

700 is plenty minutes; data requirements is small; need unlimited text as son is away at school - for same reason would want at least 1 smart phone ( iphone or similar quality)

Thanks

Whats your zipcode?

If Sprint covers you, you could do well on Ting. 4 phones ($24) + 1000 minutes ($18 ... or 500 for $9) + 2000 texts ($8 ... should be enough, right?) + 500 MB ($13 ... again, guessing this is enough) for a grand total of $63 a month. No iphone yet but they have the Galaxy S3 and the S4 and HTC One are coming soon. Its tough to be more specific without knowing the general usage per phone, but really $63 a month is probably going to be the best by a country mile anyways. Whenever someone has lowish usage with multiple phones, I know that Ting is going to be the cheapest instinctively now.

 

[The Dude]

Sounds great - but their phones are pricey - is there a better alternative to buying phones from Ting?

And I get that the pricing is deceiving but when you need 3 phones, it takes a long time to break even.

 

[Abraham]

Sounds great - but their phones are pricey - is there a better alternative to buying phones from Ting?

And I get that the pricing is deceiving but when you need 3 phones, it takes a long time to break even.

Craigslist or eBay

 

[Brady Marino]

Sounds great - but their phones are pricey - is there a better alternative to buying phones from Ting?

And I get that the pricing is deceiving but when you need 3 phones, it takes a long time to break even.

You can port some phones, like the Galaxy S3, to Ting.

Just buy a used one off of ebay or Craigslist and go through the process with Ting.

 

[(HULK)]

Exactly, lots of used/refurbished Sprint phones are compatible with Ting.

Even if you went with all phones purchased from Ting directly, you'd do okay with 2 LG Optimus Elites for $193 each and 2 Samsung M370 refurbished for $38 each to replace the dumbphones. Remember, if you use one of the referral links in the first post, you'll get a $25 discount as well.

Total would be 193 + 193 + 38 + 38 - 25 = $437. Based on the cost you quoted of $147 a month currently, you'd be ahead of the game by the end of month 6. Saving $84 a month is pretty powerful. Over 2 years you save $1579!

You'd probably be able to get nicer phones for the same or less money by shopping the used market as mentioned.

 

[eaganwildcats]

Maybe someone in here knows this off the top of their head to save me some research time. I currently have a Verizon branded unlocked Note 2 running on T-Mobile. Am I missing out on certain data frequencies that would otherwise be available if I had a T-Mobile branded device?

I know this is a consideration for iPhones in terms of what bands they recognize but am less sure about how that affects the Note 2.

Any insight would be much appreciated. TIA.

 

[Jaysus]

Maybe someone in here knows this off the top of their head to save me some research time. I currently have a Verizon branded unlocked Note 2 running on T-Mobile. Am I missing out on certain data frequencies that would otherwise be available if I had a T-Mobile branded device?

I know this is a consideration for iPhones in terms of what bands they recognize but am less sure about how that affects the Note 2.

Any insight would be much appreciated. TIA.

Verizon and TMobile networks run on different technologies...

 

[(HULK)]

Maybe someone in here knows this off the top of their head to save me some research time. I currently have a Verizon branded unlocked Note 2 running on T-Mobile. Am I missing out on certain data frequencies that would otherwise be available if I had a T-Mobile branded device?

I know this is a consideration for iPhones in terms of what bands they recognize but am less sure about how that affects the Note 2.

Any insight would be much appreciated. TIA.

This should be impossible. Unless Verizon had a world phone version of the Note2 or something. Tmo's network is GSM, Verizon's is CDMA.

 

[(HULK)]

If you meant AT&T branded, then yes, you're missing out of the 1900 MHz frequency in "most" Tmobile markets. It could effect the HSPA+ speeds.

 

[eaganwildcats]

If you meant AT&T branded, then yes, you're missing out of the 1900 MHz frequency in "most" Tmobile markets. It could effect the HSPA+ speeds.

Interesting, it is definitely Verizon branded. Bought it off Craigslist rooted, though, so I assume he must have done something to make it work. Thanks for the replies.

 

[(HULK)]

If you meant AT&T branded, then yes, you're missing out of the 1900 MHz frequency in "most" Tmobile markets. It could effect the HSPA+ speeds.

Interesting, it is definitely Verizon branded. Bought it off Craigslist rooted, though, so I assume he must have done something to make it work. Thanks for the replies.

i looked it up. The Verizon NoteII is a world phone. So, yes, rooted and unlocked, it could be made to work on AT&T and Tmobile.

 

[eaganwildcats]

If you meant AT&T branded, then yes, you're missing out of the 1900 MHz frequency in "most" Tmobile markets. It could effect the HSPA+ speeds.

Interesting, it is definitely Verizon branded. Bought it off Craigslist rooted, though, so I assume he must have done something to make it work. Thanks for the replies.

i looked it up. The Verizon NoteII is a world phone. So, yes, rooted and unlocked, it could be made to work on AT&T and Tmobile.

In this case am I still missing the 1900 Mhz frequency? Appreciate all the work you are doing in here for people - have you gotten the website up? I may have missed a post to it earlier...

 

[cstu]

Hey, Hulk, if you don't mind, can we do this one more time as my V contracts are up

$62 Verizon 700 talk, unlimited text

$17 dumb phone

$17 dumb phone

$51 iphone

$147

700 is plenty minutes; data requirements is small; need unlimited text as son is away at school - for same reason would want at least 1 smart phone ( iphone or similar quality)

Thanks

Whats your zipcode?

If Sprint covers you, you could do well on Ting. 4 phones ($24) + 1000 minutes ($18 ... or 500 for $9) + 2000 texts ($8 ... should be enough, right?) + 500 MB ($13 ... again, guessing this is enough) for a grand total of $63 a month. No iphone yet but they have the Galaxy S3 and the S4 and HTC One are coming soon. Its tough to be more specific without knowing the general usage per phone, but really $63 a month is probably going to be the best by a country mile anyways. Whenever someone has lowish usage with multiple phones, I know that Ting is going to be the cheapest instinctively now.

I've been considering this and had a question - do I need an unlocked phone or can I buy a Sprint phone? I'm currently using Sprint and looking at a Galaxy S2 (more than enough phone for me).

 

[(HULK)]

If you meant AT&T branded, then yes, you're missing out of the 1900 MHz frequency in "most" Tmobile markets. It could effect the HSPA+ speeds.

Interesting, it is definitely Verizon branded. Bought it off Craigslist rooted, though, so I assume he must have done something to make it work. Thanks for the replies.

i looked it up. The Verizon NoteII is a world phone. So, yes, rooted and unlocked, it could be made to work on AT&T and Tmobile.

In this case am I still missing the 1900 Mhz frequency? Appreciate all the work you are doing in here for people - have you gotten the website up? I may have missed a post to it earlier...

I'm actually not sure what you're missing or not. AT&T puts their HSPA+ on the 1900Mhz frequency and Tmobile has it on a different one but has been rolling out an update to put it on 1900Mhz also, to help steal AT&T customers actually. You'd have to look up the specifics for your phone to see what frequencies it uses and then look at what Tmo has on each frequency.

Website is purchased. Database is being rebuilt from the ground up to be a bit more dynamic. Query engine is under construction. Hope to launch it in May.

 

[(HULK)]

Hey, Hulk, if you don't mind, can we do this one more time as my V contracts are up

$62 Verizon 700 talk, unlimited text

$17 dumb phone

$17 dumb phone

$51 iphone

$147

700 is plenty minutes; data requirements is small; need unlimited text as son is away at school - for same reason would want at least 1 smart phone ( iphone or similar quality)

Thanks

Whats your zipcode?

If Sprint covers you, you could do well on Ting. 4 phones ($24) + 1000 minutes ($18 ... or 500 for $9) + 2000 texts ($8 ... should be enough, right?) + 500 MB ($13 ... again, guessing this is enough) for a grand total of $63 a month. No iphone yet but they have the Galaxy S3 and the S4 and HTC One are coming soon. Its tough to be more specific without knowing the general usage per phone, but really $63 a month is probably going to be the best by a country mile anyways. Whenever someone has lowish usage with multiple phones, I know that Ting is going to be the cheapest instinctively now.

I've been considering this and had a question - do I need an unlocked phone or can I buy a Sprint phone? I'm currently using Sprint and looking at a Galaxy S2 (more than enough phone for me).

You can buy a used Sprint phone and port it over. It's easy. Just make sure to meet whomever you're buying it from at a Sprint store to make sure the phone isn't bricked.

It needs to be "unlocked" as well. Sprint store employee should be able to confirm a clean EIN (which is what unlocked means for a Sprint phone).

If its stolen, or still under someone's contract, it won't work. If it isn't, then it should.

 

[Hooper31]

It needs to be "unlocked" as well. Sprint store employee should be able to confirm a clean EIN (which is what unlocked means for a Sprint phone). If its stolen, or still under someone's contract, it won't work. If it isn't, then it should.

Hi HULK,I'm interested in going the Ting route. I have a family of three. We are spending about $180 per month on cell phones (2 iPhones and 1 crappy flip phone using AT&T).Steps required to unlocking a Sprint phone if I was to purchase one myself on eBay or Craigslist? Would you recommend just buying a clean EIN phone?

 

[Jaysus]

Hulk> any good word on Airvoice? I think they are an AT&T MVNO... I think I need to check out the local AT&T coverage for the wife.

 

[(HULK)]

Hulk> any good word on Airvoice? I think they are an AT&T MVNO... I think I need to check out the local AT&T coverage for the wife.

No real reviews... they're a little over priced for what they offer imo. Although a lot of the AT&T MVNOs are.

What is your wife's usage again?

 

[(HULK)]

It needs to be "unlocked" as well. Sprint store employee should be able to confirm a clean EIN (which is what unlocked means for a Sprint phone). If its stolen, or still under someone's contract, it won't work. If it isn't, then it should.

Hi HULK,I'm interested in going the Ting route. I have a family of three. We are spending about $180 per month on cell phones (2 iPhones and 1 crappy flip phone using AT&T).Steps required to unlocking a Sprint phone if I was to purchase one myself on eBay or Craigslist? Would you recommend just buying a clean EIN phone?

If you're looking to stay with the iPhone, it isn't available on Ting yet, even for Bring Your Own Phone. Sprint has it locked down, Ting keeps saying they're working it and it will be available "soon".

I'm not sure how you can confirm that the EIN is clean. I'd recommend an in person transaction in a Sprint store as recommended above, OR buying it from some place with some sort of a return policy / protection.

I know Ting has a partnership with Glyde that sells phones ready to go for Ting. You can find them via Ting's site under the devices tab under the used section.

 

[Jaysus]

Hulk> any good word on Airvoice? I think they are an AT&T MVNO... I think I need to check out the local AT&T coverage for the wife.

No real reviews... they're a little over priced for what they offer imo. Although a lot of the AT&T MVNOs are.

What is your wife's usage again?

a #####-ton of minutes and ~500MB data (that is a high estimate until I teach her how to better use wi-fi )

 

[Hooper31]

It needs to be "unlocked" as well. Sprint store employee should be able to confirm a clean EIN (which is what unlocked means for a Sprint phone). If its stolen, or still under someone's contract, it won't work. If it isn't, then it should.

Hi HULK,I'm interested in going the Ting route. I have a family of three. We are spending about $180 per month on cell phones (2 iPhones and 1 crappy flip phone using AT&T).Steps required to unlocking a Sprint phone if I was to purchase one myself on eBay or Craigslist? Would you recommend just buying a clean EIN phone?

If you're looking to stay with the iPhone, it isn't available on Ting yet, even for Bring Your Own Phone. Sprint has it locked down, Ting keeps saying they're working it and it will be available "soon". I'm not sure how you can confirm that the EIN is clean. I'd recommend an in person transaction in a Sprint store as recommended above, OR buying it from some place with some sort of a return policy / protection. I know Ting has a partnership with Glyde that sells phones ready to go for Ting. You can find them via Ting's site under the devices tab under the used section.

Thanks. Appreciate the reply. If we go the Ting route I will be sure to use you as a reference so you can get paid.

 

[(HULK)]

Hulk> any good word on Airvoice? I think they are an AT&T MVNO... I think I need to check out the local AT&T coverage for the wife.

No real reviews... they're a little over priced for what they offer imo. Although a lot of the AT&T MVNOs are.

What is your wife's usage again?

a #####-ton of minutes and ~500MB data (that is a high estimate until I teach her how to better use wi-fi )

If she must be on AT&T, the cheapest is indeed AirVoice (unl/unl/500MB), but note that data is 3G speed, not 4G. For $3.95 more PureTalk USA on AT&T offers unl/unl/1000MB at 4G speed, but they don't have voice roaming (whereas AirVoice does).

If you can handle Sprint's Network, Voyager Mobile has unl/unl/5,000MB of data, LTE where Sprint has it, and is only $39 flat. Pretty solid deal imo. No roaming though. Everything has a catch, right?

 

[cstu]

Hulk> any good word on Airvoice? I think they are an AT&T MVNO... I think I need to check out the local AT&T coverage for the wife.

No real reviews... they're a little over priced for what they offer imo. Although a lot of the AT&T MVNOs are.

What is your wife's usage again?

a #####-ton of minutes and ~500MB data (that is a high estimate until I teach her how to better use wi-fi )

If she must be on AT&T, the cheapest is indeed AirVoice (unl/unl/500MB), but note that data is 3G speed, not 4G. For $3.95 more PureTalk USA on AT&T offers unl/unl/1000MB at 4G speed, but they don't have voice roaming (whereas AirVoice does).

If you can handle Sprint's Network, Voyager Mobile has unl/unl/5,000MB of data, LTE where Sprint has it, and is only $39 flat. Pretty solid deal imo. No roaming though. Everything has a catch, right?

That's only $10 less than what my Sprint SERO would be and it has unlimited data and roaming.

 

[(HULK)]

Hulk> any good word on Airvoice? I think they are an AT&T MVNO... I think I need to check out the local AT&T coverage for the wife.

No real reviews... they're a little over priced for what they offer imo. Although a lot of the AT&T MVNOs are. What is your wife's usage again?

a #####-ton of minutes and ~500MB data (that is a high estimate until I teach her how to better use wi-fi )

If she must be on AT&T, the cheapest is indeed AirVoice (unl/unl/500MB), but note that data is 3G speed, not 4G. For $3.95 more PureTalk USA on AT&T offers unl/unl/1000MB at 4G speed, but they don't have voice roaming (whereas AirVoice does). If you can handle Sprint's Network, Voyager Mobile has unl/unl/5,000MB of data, LTE where Sprint has it, and is only $39 flat. Pretty solid deal imo. No roaming though. Everything has a catch, right?

That's only $10 less than what my Sprint SERO would be and it has unlimited data and roaming.

What are the details of your plan? To my knowledge the Sprint SERO unlimited everything plan is $99.

 

[cstu]

Hulk> any good word on Airvoice? I think they are an AT&T MVNO... I think I need to check out the local AT&T coverage for the wife.

No real reviews... they're a little over priced for what they offer imo. Although a lot of the AT&T MVNOs are. What is your wife's usage again?

a #####-ton of minutes and ~500MB data (that is a high estimate until I teach her how to better use wi-fi )

If she must be on AT&T, the cheapest is indeed AirVoice (unl/unl/500MB), but note that data is 3G speed, not 4G. For $3.95 more PureTalk USA on AT&T offers unl/unl/1000MB at 4G speed, but they don't have voice roaming (whereas AirVoice does). If you can handle Sprint's Network, Voyager Mobile has unl/unl/5,000MB of data, LTE where Sprint has it, and is only $39 flat. Pretty solid deal imo. No roaming though. Everything has a catch, right?

That's only $10 less than what my Sprint SERO would be and it has unlimited data and roaming.

What are the details of your plan? To my knowledge the Sprint SERO unlimited everything plan is $99.

I'm currently on the old SERO plan - $30 for 500 min., unlimited text/data, free roaming. It's a great plan but I can't use a phone any more modern than a Touch Pro 2.

 

[Doctor Detroit]

I need a new phone but it's the plan not the phone 'm concerned with. I want a smart phone but don't need a iphone or something fancy, I've been using blackberries for years and it's fine with me.

Here is what I would like:

Something with a keyboard, not the on-screen keyboards which I find terrible (I like the Blackberry Torch for ease of use for example)

Something with a decent camera

must have bluetooth

How I use my phone:

25 texts a day

probably 20 calls a month, maybe less for a total of 100 minutes

Data searching, a lot of it. Twitter, sports sites, fantasy baseball, gambling sites, etc

What I'm willing to spend per month:

$50 or less

Have looked at Verizon who I have for home service and they are too expensive. Cricket and Virgin Mobile seem to have a couple of decent plans but I don't know if they end up screwing you later.

Basically I'm doing this because my work phone has too many restrictions and it's getting maddening. I can still use that phone for all things work related and to talk on the phone most times to be honest.

 

[Novice2]

I need a new phone but it's the plan not the phone 'm concerned with. I want a smart phone but don't need a iphone or something fancy, I've been using blackberries for years and it's fine with me. Here is what I would like:Something with a keyboard, not the on-screen keyboards which I find terrible (I like the Blackberry Torch for ease of use for example)Something with a decent cameramust have bluetooth How I use my phone:25 texts a dayprobably 20 calls a month, maybe less for a total of 100 minutesData searching, a lot of it. Twitter, sports sites, fantasy baseball, gambling sites, etc What I'm willing to spend per month:$50 or less Have looked at Verizon who I have for home service and they are too expensive. Cricket and Virgin Mobile seem to have a couple of decent plans but I don't know if they end up screwing you later. Basically I'm doing this because my work phone has too many restrictions and it's getting maddening. I can still use that phone for all things work related and to talk on the phone most times to be honest.

Im one that's more data than calls text so what I plan on doing is getting an ipad mini lte on Verizon and get their 4gb plan ( totals $40+ tax ) and use an app talkatone ( uses your google voice number to make calls/send texts ) to make the rare call/text I do.

 

[(HULK)]

Hulk> any good word on Airvoice? I think they are an AT&T MVNO... I think I need to check out the local AT&T coverage for the wife.

No real reviews... they're a little over priced for what they offer imo. Although a lot of the AT&T MVNOs are. What is your wife's usage again?

a #####-ton of minutes and ~500MB data (that is a high estimate until I teach her how to better use wi-fi )

If she must be on AT&T, the cheapest is indeed AirVoice (unl/unl/500MB), but note that data is 3G speed, not 4G. For $3.95 more PureTalk USA on AT&T offers unl/unl/1000MB at 4G speed, but they don't have voice roaming (whereas AirVoice does). If you can handle Sprint's Network, Voyager Mobile has unl/unl/5,000MB of data, LTE where Sprint has it, and is only $39 flat. Pretty solid deal imo. No roaming though. Everything has a catch, right?

That's only $10 less than what my Sprint SERO would be and it has unlimited data and roaming.

What are the details of your plan? To my knowledge the Sprint SERO unlimited everything plan is $99.

I'm currently on the old SERO plan - $30 for 500 min., unlimited text/data, free roaming. It's a great plan but I can't use a phone any more modern than a Touch Pro 2.

Oof, thats quite a catch. The SERO plans aren't available to just anyone right, you need to be family with a Sprint worker, correct?

 

[(HULK)]

I need a new phone but it's the plan not the phone 'm concerned with. I want a smart phone but don't need a iphone or something fancy, I've been using blackberries for years and it's fine with me.

Here is what I would like:

Something with a keyboard, not the on-screen keyboards which I find terrible (I like the Blackberry Torch for ease of use for example)

Something with a decent camera

must have bluetooth

How I use my phone:

25 texts a day

probably 20 calls a month, maybe less for a total of 100 minutes

Data searching, a lot of it. Twitter, sports sites, fantasy baseball, gambling sites, etc

What I'm willing to spend per month:

$50 or less

Have looked at Verizon who I have for home service and they are too expensive. Cricket and Virgin Mobile seem to have a couple of decent plans but I don't know if they end up screwing you later.

Basically I'm doing this because my work phone has too many restrictions and it's getting maddening. I can still use that phone for all things work related and to talk on the phone most times to be honest.

Well, your choice is going to come down to your local coverage and how many minutes you think you really need. Good thing is your price is going to be uber low.

Option 1: Tmobile prepaid $30 a month plan: 100 minutes, unlimited texts, 5 Gbs of highspeed data

Option 2: Virgin Mobile (Sprint's network) $35 a month plan: 300 minutes, unlimited texts, 2.5 Gbs of highspeed data

Both plans throttle to 2G speeds at the data cap.

Virgin Mobile does NOT roam, so you're using Sprint's network only. T-mo does roam on AT&T if necessary.

 

[(HULK)]

I need a new phone but it's the plan not the phone 'm concerned with. I want a smart phone but don't need a iphone or something fancy, I've been using blackberries for years and it's fine with me. Here is what I would like:Something with a keyboard, not the on-screen keyboards which I find terrible (I like the Blackberry Torch for ease of use for example)Something with a decent cameramust have bluetooth How I use my phone:25 texts a dayprobably 20 calls a month, maybe less for a total of 100 minutesData searching, a lot of it. Twitter, sports sites, fantasy baseball, gambling sites, etc What I'm willing to spend per month:$50 or less Have looked at Verizon who I have for home service and they are too expensive. Cricket and Virgin Mobile seem to have a couple of decent plans but I don't know if they end up screwing you later. Basically I'm doing this because my work phone has too many restrictions and it's getting maddening. I can still use that phone for all things work related and to talk on the phone most times to be honest.

Im one that's more data than calls text so what I plan on doing is getting an ipad mini lte on Verizon and get their 4gb plan ( totals $40+ tax ) and use an app talkatone ( uses your google voice number to make calls/send texts ) to make the rare call/text I do.

I don't know if they're offering that anymore. This is what I see on their tablet plans page:

Prepaid Monthly Plans for Tablets Monthly Access Fee $20 $30 $50 $80 Monthly Data Allowance 1 GB 2 GB 5 GB 10 GB No activation or reconnection fees and no overage charges! I haven't really been looking at tablets in my data efforts, I plan to do that down the road. I think if you wanted a low call, high data plan, Tmo's $30 plan described above is your best bet. Not sure if you can use it with an iPad Mini. Do they make one that accepts SIM cards?

 

[Brady Marino]

Hey Hulk,

I may have a job opportunity that will take me to a place where it's pretty much Verizon or nothing. So I'll have to punt Sprint entirely and sell my S3 (which I'd be more than willing to offer here on FBGs for a fair price).

If I want to piggyback on the Verizon network, which MNVO is my best bet? I'm kind of like Doctor Detroit, only I text much less.

 

[(HULK)]

Hey Hulk,

I may have a job opportunity that will take me to a place where it's pretty much Verizon or nothing. So I'll have to punt Sprint entirely and sell my S3 (which I'd be more than willing to offer here on FBGs for a fair price).

If I want to piggyback on the Verizon network, which MNVO is my best bet? I'm kind of like Doctor Detroit, only I text much less.

If you want LTE, your only option is Verizon itself. Not cheap.

If you can do without LTE, then the cheapest is Straight Talk via Verizon for $45. But its way more minutes/texts than you'd need since its unlimited. Also, the phone options suck. They did just launch a bring your own Verizon phone program, so you could look into that and maybe pick up a used phone? Verizon doesn't have a lot of great MVNO options.

 

[Novice2]

I need a new phone but it's the plan not the phone 'm concerned with. I want a smart phone but don't need a iphone or something fancy, I've been using blackberries for years and it's fine with me. Here is what I would like:Something with a keyboard, not the on-screen keyboards which I find terrible (I like the Blackberry Torch for ease of use for example)Something with a decent cameramust have bluetooth How I use my phone:25 texts a dayprobably 20 calls a month, maybe less for a total of 100 minutesData searching, a lot of it. Twitter, sports sites, fantasy baseball, gambling sites, etc What I'm willing to spend per month:$50 or less Have looked at Verizon who I have for home service and they are too expensive. Cricket and Virgin Mobile seem to have a couple of decent plans but I don't know if they end up screwing you later. Basically I'm doing this because my work phone has too many restrictions and it's getting maddening. I can still use that phone for all things work related and to talk on the phone most times to be honest.

Im one that's more data than calls text so what I plan on doing is getting an ipad mini lte on Verizon and get their 4gb plan ( totals $40+ tax ) and use an app talkatone ( uses your google voice number to make calls/send texts ) to make the rare call/text I do.

I don't know if they're offering that anymore. This is what I see on their tablet plans page: Prepaid Monthly Plans for Tablets Monthly Access Fee $20 $30 $50 $80 Monthly Data Allowance 1 GB 2 GB 5 GB 10 GB No activation or reconnection fees and no overage charges! I haven't really been looking at tablets in my data efforts, I plan to do that down the road. I think if you wanted a low call, high data plan, Tmo's $30 plan described above is your best bet. Not sure if you can use it with an iPad Mini. Do they make one that accepts SIM cards?

I go to their website and go to buy the device with service and it gives the 4gb $30 - 6gb $40 -8gb 50 ect ect share plan. Each device has a 10 charge so a 4gb option would be $40 with one device.

 

[Brady Marino]

Hey Hulk,

I may have a job opportunity that will take me to a place where it's pretty much Verizon or nothing. So I'll have to punt Sprint entirely and sell my S3 (which I'd be more than willing to offer here on FBGs for a fair price).

If I want to piggyback on the Verizon network, which MNVO is my best bet? I'm kind of like Doctor Detroit, only I text much less.

If you want LTE, your only option is Verizon itself. Not cheap.

If you can do without LTE, then the cheapest is Straight Talk via Verizon for $45. But its way more minutes/texts than you'd need since its unlimited. Also, the phone options suck. They did just launch a bring your own Verizon phone program, so you could look into that and maybe pick up a used phone? Verizon doesn't have a lot of great MVNO options.

Is LTE available everywhere Verizon is available? I may be going to a very rural part of our country.

Also would rather avoid Straight Talk since their customer service is abysmal from my dealings with them.

 

[(HULK)]

Hey Hulk,

I may have a job opportunity that will take me to a place where it's pretty much Verizon or nothing. So I'll have to punt Sprint entirely and sell my S3 (which I'd be more than willing to offer here on FBGs for a fair price).

If I want to piggyback on the Verizon network, which MNVO is my best bet? I'm kind of like Doctor Detroit, only I text much less.

If you want LTE, your only option is Verizon itself. Not cheap.

If you can do without LTE, then the cheapest is Straight Talk via Verizon for $45. But its way more minutes/texts than you'd need since its unlimited. Also, the phone options suck. They did just launch a bring your own Verizon phone program, so you could look into that and maybe pick up a used phone? Verizon doesn't have a lot of great MVNO options.

Is LTE available everywhere Verizon is available? I may be going to a very rural part of our country.

Also would rather avoid Straight Talk since their customer service is abysmal from my dealings with them.

Whats the zipcode?

 

[Brady Marino]

Hey Hulk,

I may have a job opportunity that will take me to a place where it's pretty much Verizon or nothing. So I'll have to punt Sprint entirely and sell my S3 (which I'd be more than willing to offer here on FBGs for a fair price).

If I want to piggyback on the Verizon network, which MNVO is my best bet? I'm kind of like Doctor Detroit, only I text much less.

If you want LTE, your only option is Verizon itself. Not cheap.

If you can do without LTE, then the cheapest is Straight Talk via Verizon for $45. But its way more minutes/texts than you'd need since its unlimited. Also, the phone options suck. They did just launch a bring your own Verizon phone program, so you could look into that and maybe pick up a used phone? Verizon doesn't have a lot of great MVNO options.

Is LTE available everywhere Verizon is available? I may be going to a very rural part of our country.

Also would rather avoid Straight Talk since their customer service is abysmal from my dealings with them.

Whats the zipcode?

58801. Williston, North Dakota.

 

[Brady Marino]

Hey Hulk,

I may have a job opportunity that will take me to a place where it's pretty much Verizon or nothing. So I'll have to punt Sprint entirely and sell my S3 (which I'd be more than willing to offer here on FBGs for a fair price).

If I want to piggyback on the Verizon network, which MNVO is my best bet? I'm kind of like Doctor Detroit, only I text much less.

If you want LTE, your only option is Verizon itself. Not cheap.

If you can do without LTE, then the cheapest is Straight Talk via Verizon for $45. But its way more minutes/texts than you'd need since its unlimited. Also, the phone options suck. They did just launch a bring your own Verizon phone program, so you could look into that and maybe pick up a used phone? Verizon doesn't have a lot of great MVNO options.

Is LTE available everywhere Verizon is available? I may be going to a very rural part of our country.

Also would rather avoid Straight Talk since their customer service is abysmal from my dealings with them.

Whats the zipcode?

58801. Williston, North Dakota.

Nevermind, they gave Williston LTE last year.

 

[(HULK)]

I need a new phone but it's the plan not the phone 'm concerned with. I want a smart phone but don't need a iphone or something fancy, I've been using blackberries for years and it's fine with me.

Here is what I would like:

Something with a keyboard, not the on-screen keyboards which I find terrible (I like the Blackberry Torch for ease of use for example)

Something with a decent camera

must have bluetooth

How I use my phone:

25 texts a day

probably 20 calls a month, maybe less for a total of 100 minutes

Data searching, a lot of it. Twitter, sports sites, fantasy baseball, gambling sites, etc

What I'm willing to spend per month:

$50 or less

Have looked at Verizon who I have for home service and they are too expensive. Cricket and Virgin Mobile seem to have a couple of decent plans but I don't know if they end up screwing you later.

Basically I'm doing this because my work phone has too many restrictions and it's getting maddening. I can still use that phone for all things work related and to talk on the phone most times to be honest.

Im one that's more data than calls text so what I plan on doing is getting an ipad mini lte on Verizon and get their 4gb plan ( totals $40+ tax ) and use an app talkatone ( uses your google voice number to make calls/send texts ) to make the rare call/text I do.

I don't know if they're offering that anymore. This is what I see on their tablet plans pagerepaid Monthly Plans for Tablets

Monthly Access Fee

$20

$30

$50

$80

Monthly Data Allowance

1 GB

2 GB

5 GB

10 GB

No activation or reconnection fees and no overage charges!

I haven't really been looking at tablets in my data efforts, I plan to do that down the road. I think if you wanted a low call, high data plan, Tmo's $30 plan described above is your best bet. Not sure if you can use it with an iPad Mini. Do they make one that accepts SIM cards?

I go to their website and go to buy the device with service and it gives the 4gb $30 - 6gb $40 -8gb 50 ect ect share plan. Each device has a 10 charge so a 4gb option would be $40 with one device.

You married to the iPad mini idea? A less expensive alternative: http://phandroid.com/2013/04/09/asus-fonepad-release-date-price/

You get that unlocked and put it on Tmo's $30 plan (100mins/unl texts/5 GB data) you're doing pretty well imo.

 

[(HULK)]

Hey Hulk,

I may have a job opportunity that will take me to a place where it's pretty much Verizon or nothing. So I'll have to punt Sprint entirely and sell my S3 (which I'd be more than willing to offer here on FBGs for a fair price).

If I want to piggyback on the Verizon network, which MNVO is my best bet? I'm kind of like Doctor Detroit, only I text much less.

If you want LTE, your only option is Verizon itself. Not cheap.

If you can do without LTE, then the cheapest is Straight Talk via Verizon for $45. But its way more minutes/texts than you'd need since its unlimited. Also, the phone options suck. They did just launch a bring your own Verizon phone program, so you could look into that and maybe pick up a used phone? Verizon doesn't have a lot of great MVNO options.

Is LTE available everywhere Verizon is available? I may be going to a very rural part of our country.

Also would rather avoid Straight Talk since their customer service is abysmal from my dealings with them.

Whats the zipcode?

58801. Williston, North Dakota.

Nevermind, they gave Williston LTE last year.

Yup, nothing but Verizon there. That sucks. Consider the added expense of being forced to use Verizon when pricing out whether or not the new job is worth it imo.

 

[Brady Marino]

Hey Hulk,

I may have a job opportunity that will take me to a place where it's pretty much Verizon or nothing. So I'll have to punt Sprint entirely and sell my S3 (which I'd be more than willing to offer here on FBGs for a fair price).

If I want to piggyback on the Verizon network, which MNVO is my best bet? I'm kind of like Doctor Detroit, only I text much less.

If you want LTE, your only option is Verizon itself. Not cheap.

If you can do without LTE, then the cheapest is Straight Talk via Verizon for $45. But its way more minutes/texts than you'd need since its unlimited. Also, the phone options suck. They did just launch a bring your own Verizon phone program, so you could look into that and maybe pick up a used phone? Verizon doesn't have a lot of great MVNO options.

Is LTE available everywhere Verizon is available? I may be going to a very rural part of our country.

Also would rather avoid Straight Talk since their customer service is abysmal from my dealings with them.

Whats the zipcode?

58801. Williston, North Dakota.

Nevermind, they gave Williston LTE last year.

Yup, nothing but Verizon there. That sucks. Consider the added expense of being forced to use Verizon when pricing out whether or not the new job is worth it imo.

It probably won't be much pricier than what I'm forking over to Sprint already. Plus, I'm pretty sure the job will pay much, much, much better than my current one.

 

[Doctor Detroit]

I need a new phone but it's the plan not the phone 'm concerned with. I want a smart phone but don't need a iphone or something fancy, I've been using blackberries for years and it's fine with me.

Here is what I would like:

Something with a keyboard, not the on-screen keyboards which I find terrible (I like the Blackberry Torch for ease of use for example)

Something with a decent camera

must have bluetooth

How I use my phone:

25 texts a day

probably 20 calls a month, maybe less for a total of 100 minutes

Data searching, a lot of it. Twitter, sports sites, fantasy baseball, gambling sites, etc

What I'm willing to spend per month:

$50 or less

Have looked at Verizon who I have for home service and they are too expensive. Cricket and Virgin Mobile seem to have a couple of decent plans but I don't know if they end up screwing you later.

Basically I'm doing this because my work phone has too many restrictions and it's getting maddening. I can still use that phone for all things work related and to talk on the phone most times to be honest.

Well, your choice is going to come down to your local coverage and how many minutes you think you really need. Good thing is your price is going to be uber low.

Option 1: Tmobile prepaid $30 a month plan: 100 minutes, unlimited texts, 5 Gbs of highspeed data

Option 2: Virgin Mobile (Sprint's network) $35 a month plan: 300 minutes, unlimited texts, 2.5 Gbs of highspeed data

Both plans throttle to 2G speeds at the data cap.

Virgin Mobile does NOT roam, so you're using Sprint's network only. T-mo does roam on AT&T if necessary.

Ok, this is good stuff. Basically I can buy the cell phone I want from one of these carriers and then do a prepaid plan month to month? As far as roaming, does this mean I'm charged for calls I make outside my local area? Or is roaming just when you leave a provider's cell coverage area (like you have Sprint, they have no service in an area and you are kicked over to AT&T or something). I probably spend 60 days outside my locale per year and could probably use my work phone instead.

I would like international texting though, Cricket offered this which was nice. Will look into T-mobile, thanks a bunch for the help.

 

[(HULK)]

I need a new phone but it's the plan not the phone 'm concerned with. I want a smart phone but don't need a iphone or something fancy, I've been using blackberries for years and it's fine with me.

Here is what I would like:

Something with a keyboard, not the on-screen keyboards which I find terrible (I like the Blackberry Torch for ease of use for example)

Something with a decent camera

must have bluetooth

How I use my phone:

25 texts a day

probably 20 calls a month, maybe less for a total of 100 minutes

Data searching, a lot of it. Twitter, sports sites, fantasy baseball, gambling sites, etc

What I'm willing to spend per month:

$50 or less

Have looked at Verizon who I have for home service and they are too expensive. Cricket and Virgin Mobile seem to have a couple of decent plans but I don't know if they end up screwing you later.

Basically I'm doing this because my work phone has too many restrictions and it's getting maddening. I can still use that phone for all things work related and to talk on the phone most times to be honest.

Well, your choice is going to come down to your local coverage and how many minutes you think you really need. Good thing is your price is going to be uber low.

Option 1: Tmobile prepaid $30 a month plan: 100 minutes, unlimited texts, 5 Gbs of highspeed data

Option 2: Virgin Mobile (Sprint's network) $35 a month plan: 300 minutes, unlimited texts, 2.5 Gbs of highspeed data

Both plans throttle to 2G speeds at the data cap.

Virgin Mobile does NOT roam, so you're using Sprint's network only. T-mo does roam on AT&T if necessary.

Ok, this is good stuff. Basically I can buy the cell phone I want from one of these carriers and then do a prepaid plan month to month? As far as roaming, does this mean I'm charged for calls I make outside my local area? Or is roaming just when you leave a provider's cell coverage area (like you have Sprint, they have no service in an area and you are kicked over to AT&T or something). I probably spend 60 days outside my locale per year and could probably use my work phone instead.

I would like international texting though, Cricket offered this which was nice. Will look into T-mobile, thanks a bunch for the help.

So, you can bring any unlocked GSM phone to Tmobile, or buy it from them for the full unsubsidized price. For Virgin, you have to buy it from them, but the plan is still no contract month to month.

As for roaming, it means when you can't get Tmo's signal, you'll hop on AT&Ts. Virgin is if you can't get Sprint's signal, too bad, no service.

I think both have an international texting add on. Not sure if they're the best out there for that though. I don't get the need for international texting, just email someone. Smartphones have email IMO. Or use Google Voice which I think does this for free also.

 

[Doctor Detroit]

I need a new phone but it's the plan not the phone 'm concerned with. I want a smart phone but don't need a iphone or something fancy, I've been using blackberries for years and it's fine with me.

Here is what I would like:

Something with a keyboard, not the on-screen keyboards which I find terrible (I like the Blackberry Torch for ease of use for example)

Something with a decent camera

must have bluetooth

How I use my phone:

25 texts a day

probably 20 calls a month, maybe less for a total of 100 minutes

Data searching, a lot of it. Twitter, sports sites, fantasy baseball, gambling sites, etc

What I'm willing to spend per month:

$50 or less

Have looked at Verizon who I have for home service and they are too expensive. Cricket and Virgin Mobile seem to have a couple of decent plans but I don't know if they end up screwing you later.

Basically I'm doing this because my work phone has too many restrictions and it's getting maddening. I can still use that phone for all things work related and to talk on the phone most times to be honest.

Well, your choice is going to come down to your local coverage and how many minutes you think you really need. Good thing is your price is going to be uber low.

Option 1: Tmobile prepaid $30 a month plan: 100 minutes, unlimited texts, 5 Gbs of highspeed data

Option 2: Virgin Mobile (Sprint's network) $35 a month plan: 300 minutes, unlimited texts, 2.5 Gbs of highspeed data

Both plans throttle to 2G speeds at the data cap.

Virgin Mobile does NOT roam, so you're using Sprint's network only. T-mo does roam on AT&T if necessary.

Ok, this is good stuff. Basically I can buy the cell phone I want from one of these carriers and then do a prepaid plan month to month? As far as roaming, does this mean I'm charged for calls I make outside my local area? Or is roaming just when you leave a provider's cell coverage area (like you have Sprint, they have no service in an area and you are kicked over to AT&T or something). I probably spend 60 days outside my locale per year and could probably use my work phone instead.

I would like international texting though, Cricket offered this which was nice. Will look into T-mobile, thanks a bunch for the help.

So, you can bring any unlocked GSM phone to Tmobile, or buy it from them for the full unsubsidized price. For Virgin, you have to buy it from them, but the plan is still no contract month to month.

As for roaming, it means when you can't get Tmo's signal, you'll hop on AT&Ts. Virgin is if you can't get Sprint's signal, too bad, no service.

I think both have an international texting add on. Not sure if they're the best out there for that though. I don't get the need for international texting, just email someone. Smartphones have email IMO. Or use Google Voice which I think does this for free also.

Well because I have family in three countries and getting a text>>>getting an email. Thanks for the info though, based on what I'm hearing here T-Mobile has very good local coverage especially in the building I work in. Sprint not so much.

 

[Novice2]

I need a new phone but it's the plan not the phone 'm concerned with. I want a smart phone but don't need a iphone or something fancy, I've been using blackberries for years and it's fine with me.

Here is what I would like:

Something with a keyboard, not the on-screen keyboards which I find terrible (I like the Blackberry Torch for ease of use for example)

Something with a decent camera

must have bluetooth

How I use my phone:

25 texts a day

probably 20 calls a month, maybe less for a total of 100 minutes

Data searching, a lot of it. Twitter, sports sites, fantasy baseball, gambling sites, etc

What I'm willing to spend per month:

$50 or less

Have looked at Verizon who I have for home service and they are too expensive. Cricket and Virgin Mobile seem to have a couple of decent plans but I don't know if they end up screwing you later.

Basically I'm doing this because my work phone has too many restrictions and it's getting maddening. I can still use that phone for all things work related and to talk on the phone most times to be honest.

Im one that's more data than calls text so what I plan on doing is getting an ipad mini lte on Verizon and get their 4gb plan ( totals $40+ tax ) and use an app talkatone ( uses your google voice number to make calls/send texts ) to make the rare call/text I do.

I don't know if they're offering that anymore. This is what I see on their tablet plans pagerepaid Monthly Plans for Tablets

Monthly Access Fee

$20

$30

$50

$80

Monthly Data Allowance

1 GB

2 GB

5 GB

10 GB

No activation or reconnection fees and no overage charges!

I haven't really been looking at tablets in my data efforts, I plan to do that down the road. I think if you wanted a low call, high data plan, Tmo's $30 plan described above is your best bet. Not sure if you can use it with an iPad Mini. Do they make one that accepts SIM cards?

I go to their website and go to buy the device with service and it gives the 4gb $30 - 6gb $40 -8gb 50 ect ect share plan. Each device has a 10 charge so a 4gb option would be $40 with one device.

You married to the iPad mini idea? A less expensive alternative: http://phandroid.com/2013/04/09/asus-fonepad-release-date-price/

You get that unlocked and put it on Tmo's $30 plan (100mins/unl texts/5 GB data) you're doing pretty well imo.

Hadn't seen that one. that would be a good option but unfortunately verizon is the only carrier available where I have to travel to for work.

 

[(HULK)]

Anyone heard of these unlocked phones from Blu Products? Came across them today, seem like a very decent deal if you're looking for unlocked phones.

 

[(HULK)]

Anyone heard of these unlocked phones from Blu Products? Came across them today, seem like a very decent deal if you're looking for unlocked phones.

This is the article I saw:

If you go to a major wireless carrier and ask to buy a high-end, contract-free phone, they’ll usually make you pay upwards of $600 for the privilege.

Thankfully, some alternatives are emerging for the U.S. market. Next month, a Florida-based company called Blu Products will begin shipping a pair of $300 phones with aluminum bodies, surprisingly decent specs and the latest version of Android. Both phones will be sold unlocked and contract-free through online retailers such as Amazon.

Blu’s Life One has a 5-inch, HD display, a 13-megapixel rear camera and a 5-megapixel front-facing camera. There’s also the Life View, with a 5.7-inch HD display, a 12-megapixel rear camera and a 5-megapixel front camera. Other specs for both handsets include a quad-core MediaTek processor, 16 GB of storage, 1 GB of RAM and a microSD card slot.

In addition to the $300 phones, Blu will also sell a $229 handset, the Life Play, with a 4.7-inch HD display, 8-megapixel rear camera, 2-megapixel front camera, 4 GB of storage, 1 GB of RAM and a microSD card slot. All three phones will ship with a stock version of Android 4.2.

Blu Products
As The Verge explains, Blu says it has access to many of the same technologies and manufacturing processes as larger companies like Samsung and Motorola. But as a small company, it doesn’t spend as much money on marketing, office space, human resources and other types of overhead, so it can pass that savings on to the customer.

It all sounds intriguing, though it’s worth pointing out a few caveats:

• None of Blu’s phones support LTE, and in most areas they’ll only support AT&T’s network for 3G and HSPA+ data speeds. In many areas, the phones will only provide 2G speeds on T-Mobile’s network — at least until the carrier finishes refarming a bunch of its wireless spectrum over the course of the year.
• The MediaTek MT6589 processor inside each of these phones uses an A7 subsystem, which is mainly intended for entry-level smartphones. While this processor does have the benefit of low power consumption, it won’t have the performance muscle of some high-end phones.
• I’ve seen reader comments on Engadget and The Verge claiming that Blu’s previous phones haven’t been properly optimized for the Android software, which could cause lag or other issues. This, combined with the A7 chip, would make me wary about buying the phones sight unseen.

Despite those concerns, I’m interested in what Blu is doing, and hope the phones turn out to be good low-cost unlocked options, along with Google’s own Nexus 4. Blu says it’ll begin shipping the phones in the last week of April.

Read more: http://techland.time.com/2013/03/18/blu-products-touts-cheap-unlocked-phones-with-fancy-specs/#ixzz2Q9qnaFcp

Seems like decent phones for people who want an unlocked one. Shame their quad band and don't have the Tmo HSPA+ spectrum. Tmo is fixing that putting HSPA+ on the 1900 spectrum, so in a matter of a few months these phones will work well on both AT&T and Tmo's networks and MVNOs.

 

[(HULK)]

http://www.gsmarena.com/blu_announces_the_life_series_of_affordable_dualsim_smartphones-news-5731.php

Thats a better article on the Blu phones. Great deals. Not exactly cutting edge, but still pretty great specs for just $299 or $229. Unlocked, expandable memory.

I love where the market is headed. The cracks in the dyke are evident, we've all been getting fleeced by the Big4 for awhile, and a wave of less expensive unlocked phones is going to blow it all wide open.

 

[Jaysus]

I love where the market is headed. The cracks in the dyke are evident, we've all been getting fleeced by the Big4 for awhile, and a wave of less expensive unlocked phones is going to blow it all wide open.

 

[Wingnut]

Well my stint with straight talk didn't last long...I got a call today warning me about my data usage even though I haven't used it at all today other than wifi. I'm switching to T-Mobile's $70 plan next week. Its $20 more than I pay now (and still $40 less than I was paying for AT&T before I switched to ST) but it'll be worth it to not get the stupid warnings or worry about going over a limit.

 

[(HULK)]

Well my stint with straight talk didn't last long...I got a call today warning me about my data usage even though I haven't used it at all today other than wifi. I'm switching to T-Mobile's $70 plan next week. Its $20 more than I pay now (and still $40 less than I was paying for AT&T before I switched to ST) but it'll be worth it to not get the stupid warnings or worry about going over a limit.

how much data are you using? Solavei works great for me and it's 4 GB of data before throttling. No hassels at all so far. If you have any questions about them, fire away. Just $49.