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smart phones and data plans and carriers

the_owlsthe_owls
edited March 2013
what's the best but not the most expensive?

what's in the middle of that venn diagram???

i need a whole new set-up!
would like a camera phone, emails, not getting ripped off, having fun, good reception, and texting lots.

Comments

  • ThickeningAgentThickeningAgent
    what ever you do, do not get an HTC Amaze (one of the many available Android devices)
  • YoursTrulyYoursTruly
    FAMILY PLAN
  • UncleBoatShoes2011UncleBoatShoes2011
    Alex had a pretty great system going with T Mobes and an iPhone.

    Seems like now that exclusivity is over you can get some pretty sweet prepaid deals with an iPhone.

  • UncleBoatShoes2011UncleBoatShoes2011
    Family plan is so much better. But what if you're not married. Way harder financially to be a single adult!
  • MirandaJulyMirandaJuly
    Is that a proposal?
  • the_owlsthe_owls
    i ain't got no family plan, help a single adult woman out!
  • Loose_ThreadLoose_Thread
    I have the mommy plan... my mommy pays $10 a month for my flip phone because her lazy baby doesn't pay bills B - )
  • YoursTrulyYoursTruly
    Can't you get family plan with a good bud or roommate?
    I don't actually know the rules
    Get one with your mom! Seriously
  • UncleBoatShoes2011UncleBoatShoes2011
    How bout you? Put us on your family plan!
  • lolololo
    I have a family plan... my dad pays for my cell phone bill as long as he pays child support for my brother... it will expire in October.
  • YoursTrulyYoursTruly
    URHO FAM PLAN
  • flossy_log_ladyflossy_log_lady
    I'm on the "group plan" through my dad's business (where I have not worked since 2005)! It's the best deal ever. I think I pay around $45-50/mo for unlimited everything on my iphone. I am a cheater/liar/rascal, but I don't care!

    I bet Urho could absolutely get a group plan.
  • ManInTheIvoryTowerManInTheIvoryTower
    edited March 2013
    $30/mo for unlimited data and text on T-mobile, but only 100 min talk. No contracts, month-to-month. Bring your own phone. Truly $30/mo, no weird extra charges. I can make calls via Skype and GrooveIP (which allows use of VOIP for incoming calls!) so I only use about 50min/mo anyway. No overages since it's a pre-paid account and you can setup autopay so there's no need to mess with it each month.

    Virgin is also good though you can't bring your own phone to their service. I think they have the iPhone now though if you need a new one.

    I combined the T-mob plan with an unlocked no-contract Google Nexus ($249) and Google Voice service so that if I ever want to switch carriers I don't even care about porting my number, my Google Voice number follows me around so my service provider phone number is throw-away.

    Previously I would pay ~$80/mo for a two year contract for a "free" phone. With extra fees and a few overage charges that gets to be about $2000. Now I spend $720 and another $249 on purchasing the phone, so I'm saving about $500/yr by purchasing my own phone upfront. This doesn't even count any savings from account setup or early contract term charges.

    Tl;dr -- prepaid service + purchased unlocked phone = profit!
  • ManInTheIvoryTowerManInTheIvoryTower
    Other benefits of unlocked phone: use tethering & wi-fi access point features without extra provider fees. Travel the world and talk/surf for cheap with pre-paid SIMs (GSM only). Delete all the crap on the phone that the provider forces you to install. Easily root/backup/hack your phone. And of course the ability to switch service providers at the drop of a hat if you find a better deal.

    Cons: Harder to get handset ins. Sometimes the latest and greatest phone is designed to be contract-only for a while so you might not be able to afford the unlocked version-- for example an unlocked iPhone 5 is $650-$850.
  • swamp_knobbler_mahanswamp_knobbler_mahan
    Heck yeah FaceTweetPlus, you are doing it RIGHT!
  • swamp_knobbler_mahanswamp_knobbler_mahan
    Also sometimes people like to hand down iPhones, if you run in the right circles :) ;) :/
  • 12341234
    True. I also love to hand a phone off. But I'm set for a while...
  • swamp_knobbler_mahanswamp_knobbler_mahan
    Me too.
  • the_owlsthe_owls
    I hate to say it, but the handed down iphone I have (ALEX) is starting to die... hence new setup.
  • Dr_William_HaywardDr_William_Hayward
    Many calls are made from home. Suggest testing target phone and target carrier via friends at the home place in all rooms.

    There are only a few carriers (~A,V,T) and others are "MVNO"s using their towers. Each phone and each tower has certain bands (HPSA, HPSA+, LTE, EVDO...bla jargon) The reception by band will vary by distance from the tower, the phone, and the waves getting through your home walls. No simple ans.

    On the topic. if you are getting weak reception at the homes, sometimes you can convince the carrier to give you (free) a "microcell" or "picocell" box to attach to your Internet which is a personal cell tower in your home. Got one from the A, a pain to get working on the C. Way of the future though.
  • freddyfreddy
    I am happy with Virgin Mobile. $35/month for my iPhone 4 (my choice because I'm cheap; they also have 4S). 300 minutes and unlimited data/texting. No contracts, no rollover crap. Once you exceed your minutes per month you just pay 10 cents per minute. What's not to like?
  • ManInTheIvoryTowerManInTheIvoryTower
    Also looks like Virgin cuts $5/mo if you setup autopay, so maybe $30/mo?
  • the_owlsthe_owls
    whoa, that Virgin is a good deal!
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