(HULK)
(Smash)
Interestingly enough, according to Cell Reception, T-Mobile is the highest rated carrier, and Sprint 2nd. That almost never happens. So, for this one, I'll look at all carriers to see what's best.Hulk,
Hoping you can recommend a plan for Mrs Paz...
Smartphone or Dumbphone? Smart
LTE or Fastish or Don'tcare? Fastish(not nec. LTE)
Roaming Free or Don'tcare? Roaming available, hopefully free or at least not highway robbery
How many minutes? 250
How many texts? 500
How much data? 1 GB? She likely won't use much, wifi at home, etc.
Any price limitations? Would like to be at about the $30/mo range or less
Zip is 54476.
I was looking at Ting because I'll probably need to add another line in the not to distant future.
I'm on V Mobile's $25/unlimited(no longer available at that price). It uses Sprint towers which can be spotty here, most notably at our house, but for the price I'm ok with it.
Thanks for the thread, research, time and help!
Unfortunately, I'm not seeing jack squat @ $30 or less. Its that 1 GB of data that is pushing you higher. Cheapest is $35 at Red Pocket Mobile (on their Sprint coverage).
If she can keep it to < 500 MB, then both Ting and Zact come in around $30. Zact is 29.09, Ting is $32. Both are very similar, use Sprint, have LTE, have plans that flex up and down based upon usage each month. Main difference is that Zact is a tad cheaper and Ting has a much wider phone selection. Both are good options IF you intend to add a line later, and that line isn't going to be used heavily (this seems to be your circumstance).
Alternatively, there are several AT&T MVNOs (no LTE though, HSPA+22) that come in @ exactly $30. AirVoice Wireless, Black Wireless, H2O Wireless, Jolt Mobile, Skyview Wireless all offer the exact same plan, $30 for unlimited calls/texts + 500 MB of data. There isn't much to distinguish one from another, but if one doesn't pan out and you've bought an unlocked phone seperately, you can easily hop from one to another if there are any issues. With Ting and Zact, you could hop back to Sprint, but thats it, you can't easily move around.
Given that you're going to be adding a line, I'd probably go with Ting or Zact. Your wife's data usage might be less than we're estimating. If so, those companies will charge you less. Plus, adding a phone is going to be cheaper than adding a second $30 plan.
Good luck, let us know how it goes.