new plans (wireless service)

 

What do you folks think about the new phone plans? i.e. say family of 4 smartphones, 10gb shared, $160, but you can't upgrade?

imho it's a shame for all these gimmicks. Was pretty used to the $65/mo. unlimited data but 450 min. voice, with #1. Actually, my wife and I were the types who did not upgrade as soon as eligible. Now, I wonder if it makes sense to upgrade ASAP? But they throw in a nice activation fee to recoup some $$$ as well.

This space is not competitive because a network is bricks and mortar....those who undercut in price seem to have no service to speak of....

Considering

I have yet to go to a smartphone, but if I do, I'm considering going with Republic Wireless. The big downside with them if they only have 2 phones to choose from Moto X ($299) and Moto G($149/$179 8GB/16GB).

They have 4 plans, $5/10/25/40 per month. $5 wifi only, $10 unlimited talk/text - data wifi only, $25 3G data speed, $40 4G data speed.

When we do decide to switch (we have 3 phones) I'm planning on getting 1 phone, to try it first. If I'm happy I'll port the number of to the new phone and order the other 2.

With the pay-as-you-go plans they seem much more reasonable than At&T, Verizon, etc even with buying the phone.

--
Garmin Nuvi 2450

Dropped calls/data

From what I hear from relatives/friends it seems that only Verizon has a really reliable nationwide network.

It's sort of unfortunate because I really dislike the locked bootloader Verizon phones.

'tain't necessarily so

HowardZ wrote:

From what I hear from relatives/friends it seems that only Verizon has a really reliable nationwide network.

It's sort of unfortunate because I really dislike the locked bootloader Verizon phones.

Dropped calls are more a function of network load than any other cause. If a cell site is at capacity anyone attempting to transfer from one site to the overloaded one will be dropped if the call can't connect in about 2 seconds. Measurements published by firms measuring cell service often rank Verizon mediocre as far as data throughput and call handling. ATT and T-Mobile often rank near the top in these same measurements. Fierce Wireless publishes the data monthly.

--
Illiterate? Write for free help.

StraightTalk

With StraightTalk it is possible to get service from Verizon.

dobs108 smile

What do you folks think about the new phone "plans?"

Bread & circuses, fun & games, now U C me now U don't. Has anyone a clue what this world will look like 6 months from now?

Here's what I call a plan: picked up a Nuvi 2555LMT for $114+ tax. Figure that's about 2 month's worth of data fees (beyond voice only) on most 'plans.' At that price it's backup/parts for my 1450.

Pair of Oregons & a flip voice in my vest. Vasques on my feet, mosquito spray in the trunk, & I'm off the grid.

As for the new "phones" themselves? Won't surprise me if the Amazon Firephone http://www.cnet.com/products/amazon-fire-phone/ obsoletes everything ... just in time for the Christmas ad & 2015 political season. wink

Amazon Firephone

The largest data mining phone on earth. Go for it. rolleyes

The M8 is the same price, and a far better device.

--
nüvi 3790T | Those who make peaceful revolution impossible, will make violent revolution inevitable ~ JFK

T-MOBILE

Anyone have good experiences with T-Mobile?

I am thinking about switching to T-Mobile.

Virgin Mobile--

Still a good deal for some folks. You buy the phone (about $400 for an iPhone these days), and pay $35 a month.

Virgin uses the Sprint network; you need to check for coverage in your area.

--
Nuvi 2460, 680, DATUM Tymserve 2100, Trimble Thunderbolt, Ham radio, Macintosh, Linux, Windows

T-Mobile but I have AT&T

HowardZ wrote:

Anyone have good experiences with T-Mobile?

I am thinking about switching to T-Mobile.

I have heard that T-Mobile has fewer cell sites than the other big name companies.

That being said, T-Mobile does have a good no contract plan with the optio to get data for your tablet with it. I wanted it before I was told about the fewer cell sites.

I am on the Pay as you go no contract AT&T for my phone and I have the no contract AT&T data for my tablet.

I don't use much data or phone so I only pay $25 every three months for the phone and $15 each month for 250 mb date. AT&T said you can't use a smart phone with the pay as you go but you can if you don't use anything but wifi on that phone. So with the wifi use for each device I never go any where near the 250 mb for my data.

When we went to Europe AT&T has a pay as you go for 150 mb data for $30. For the two weeks we were over there the AT&T worked great. It went to roaming some but the plan allowed that. I was able to check data and send emails and had data left when we came home. I would find a McDonalds and send photos to my kids in each city. (I have a Samsung camera with wifi.) Guess I can't live with out my electronics.

--
Mary, Nuvi 2450, Garmin Viago, Honda Navigation, Nuvi 750 (gave to son)

Our son has Sprint

k6rtm wrote:

Still a good deal for some folks. You buy the phone (about $400 for an iPhone these days), and pay $35 a month.

Virgin uses the Sprint network; you need to check for coverage in your area.

Our son has Sprint and is traveling the country and is without service in a lot of states, especially the upper west and upper central states.

--
Mary, Nuvi 2450, Garmin Viago, Honda Navigation, Nuvi 750 (gave to son)

Less coverage

HowardZ wrote:

Anyone have good experiences with T-Mobile?

I am thinking about switching to T-Mobile.

Like mgarledge says, T-Mobile has less coverage. Generally, Verizon has the best coverage, followed by AT&T, Sprint, and T-Mobile. Because of the perceived lack of coverage, you can get a good deal on T-Mobile today. Coverage is a local thing, but what about driving across country?

dobs108 smile

T-Mobile

I switched from Verizon to T-Mobile because of all problems with Verizon. There is no contract with T-Mobile and I have not had any complaints with them.
I got rid of Verizon for everything.

--
Don't sweat the petty things and don't pet the sweaty things!

Inexpensive smartphone plans: T-Mobile, Ting

HowardZ wrote:

Anyone have good experiences with T-Mobile?

I am thinking about switching to T-Mobile.

-- T-Mobile --
We have a couple of smartphones, and one of them is using T-Mobile's "$30 per month Unlimited web and text with 100 minutes talk" plan.

http://prepaid-phones.t-mobile.com/prepaid-plans

This is a fantastic price for a data/text smartphone plan. We've been happy with the coverage, but YMMV. And obviously this plan is only a good fit for people who don't need many voice minutes.

-- Ting --
We have another smartphone on Ting, which uses the Sprint network. It's pretty close to a pay-for-what-you-use plan, so it's not for everyone.

https://ting.com/rates

Ting is a division of Tucows (the famous shareware web site). They include voice and text roaming, but data is only available in Sprint areas. Since we mostly use this smartphone with wifi, our monthly bills are usually under $30.

.

johnnatash4 wrote:

What do you folks think about the new phone plans? i.e. say family of 4 smartphones, 10gb shared, $160, but you can't upgrade?

That's $60 more than t-mobile family plan. T-mobile family plan: $100 for 4 smartphone lines, 10GB shared, unlimited talk & text.

http://www.t-mobile.com/offer/simple-choice-family-plans-4-f...

If you add a tablet to your voice plan, t-mobile gives you 1GB free every month (until the end of 2014).

I have no problem with t-mobile network in Los Angeles, CA.

New Plans (Wireless Service)

johnnatash4 wrote:

What do you folks think about the new phone plans? i.e. say family of 4 smartphones, 10gb shared, $160, but you can't upgrade?.....

I have that plan currently. I originally had a Nextel through work and eventually got a Nextel for my wife. That was even before they were with Sprint. It worked for us, but eventually my wife complained about text latency.

We then went to T-Mobile because her sister and mother have T-Mobile. We were under contract for one phone and I eventually got a pre-paid SIM card for another phone. When the contract expired, we went Even More 750 Plus, which was unlimited talk and text. I added 5 GB data for my phone. When they allowed up to 5 lines free, we maxed out to the 5 lines.

This spring, when AT&T announced the deal during the 2014 SuperBowl, I started reading more about it on Howard Forums and other places. With 20 % for my job, waived activation fees, and $100 credit per line, I figured it was a "no-brainer" since we would not be under contract. AT&T clearly has better coverage than T-Mobile where I am in Minnesota. We already owned the phones and several were already unlocked.

My next move might be to switch the rest of the family back to T-Mobile and eventually moved me to Verizon. Verizon clearly has the best coverage around the United States. Some phones are better than other for working on more than one carrier. Even though I like Android, I may go Apple iPhone just to "test the water", so to speak. Some of the newer iPhones will work on AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon. I like that sort of flexibility!

T-mobile

HowardZ wrote:

Anyone have good experiences with T-Mobile?

I am thinking about switching to T-Mobile.

I have had, for the most part, acceptable coverage on the west coast with T-Mobile, except for a few areas which I just had to note and remember, for the sketchiness of coverage.

I even had barely enough coverage up in the middle of Wyoming a few years ago, in the Rocky Mountains, where coverage is challenging no matter who's network you ride on. I understand that Verizon did have the better coverage up there, at the time.

While in Thomaston Georgia, a little west of the exact center of the state, despite full bars of reception my T-Mobile phone was not allowed access to any network there unless it was a 911-call. The only way I could make or receive regular calls while there was when I was on a local wifi at a pizza-place.

--
~Jim~ Nuvi-660, & Nuvi-680

Sprint

dobs108 wrote:
HowardZ wrote:

Anyone have good experiences with T-Mobile?

I am thinking about switching to T-Mobile.

Like mgarledge says, T-Mobile has less coverage. Generally, Verizon has the best coverage, followed by AT&T, Sprint, and T-Mobile. Because of the perceived lack of coverage, you can get a good deal on T-Mobile today. Coverage is a local thing, but what about driving across country?

By chance, I read an article just today that claimed that Sprint is on a downward spiral, and that T-Mobile just passed Sprint in coverage. I have no idea if this statement is true, but I do know that we started cell-phone usage with Sprint because of a good price and then switched (to Verizon) because we were so unhappy with Sprint.

- Tom -

--
XXL540, GO LIVE 1535, GO 620

I don't like t-mobile

Well, I switched to T-Mobile for this month, and I am not pleased.

Reception in my house is very poor, and I live under 20 miles from the White House. I can get 1 tick of signal if I place the phone in a window or leave it upstairs in my bedroom.

Driving around, there are many places where signal goes to nothing. So, if my car broke down, in an accident (people are bleeding), I would have to walk perhaps 1/4 or 1/2 mile to get a signal to call 911.

When cell phones were new inventions, expensive, and cost $1 per minute to talk, people wanted it primarily for emergencies - to call 911 or AAA for a vehicle tow. In my experience T-Mobile fails to reliably provide such emergency service where I live.

I will go back to Verizon - perhaps with just a dumb phone on a relative's family plan.
]

I want to get a shared plan

I want to get a shared plan with my wife but our plans work out better for the options and cost. Putting them as one is actually worse for us.

New Plans (Wireless Service)

HowardZ wrote:

.....So, if my car broke down, in an accident (people are bleeding), I would have to walk perhaps 1/4 or 1/2 mile to get a signal to call 911.....

That part might not be correct. Since both T-Mobiile and A Fee And Fee are GSM, even if you don't otherwise typically roam, your wireless 911 call should switch to AT&T and pass the call. In fact, even if you have a phone with no subscription at all, the wirelss 911 call would be completed, if there is coverage on any carrier that works with that phone.

http://transition.fcc.gov/pshs/services/911-services/enhance...

We are considering T-Mobile.

We are considering T-Mobile. Have been Verizon customers for many years. We have had little problem with Verizon and we have had coverage MOST places we've been. Will probably get the tablet @ Wally World - Trio AXS 4G, that has free-for-life data (limited) with T-mobile, to see how that works before making a switch. By the way, Straight talk has plans on the Verizon network you might want to look at. Good luck...

1 Month in

All three of us have tried the Republic Wireless phone and we are all VERY happy and we will all be switching. Their backbone in Sprint with roaming areas provided by Verizon.

The best part, as along as Wifi is available you can place and receive calls as well as use the data portion of the smartphone. I have a client that has marginal cell quality (doesn't matter your provider) and is you go in any building, there is no signal at all. Since the client has wifi, I get perfect reception. With the refer a friend, both you and your friend get $20 of free service.

http://rwshar.es/6YTr

They also started selling refurbished Moto X's (normally $299) for $199 on Ebay.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/171351731521?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:I...
http://www.ebay.com/itm/171414546782?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:I...

--
Garmin Nuvi 2450

Considering going to T-Mobile as well

Tired of Verizon alternate technology (CDMA instead of GSM) and the resulting inability to use my phone overseas. T-Mobile seems to have nice plans. AT&T doesn't have these plans. Any experience between these two (Phoenix area?)

AT&T

I recently switched from the old (Cingular) Nation 450 with rollover plan to the new Unlimited plan with 2GB data. We only have 1 phone and my bill dropped from ~$100 to ~$71 a month. I'm very happy with the savings. grin

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Tampa, FL - Garmin nüvi 660 (Software Ver 4.90), 2021.20 CN NA NT maps | Magellan Meridian Gold

Cricket Wireless (AT&T Owned)

Hello about 3 months ago I switched to Cricket Wireless. I have the $60 dollar a month plan but if you have direct billing it will be $55 a month. I have unlimited everything but you only get 10 gig of LTE data then it goes to slower data like 4G. I never had problems using my 10 Gig and I listen to Spotify and Pandora a lot.

I had H2O Wireless for about 6-8 months and cancelled them as they kept over charging me and not giving me my discount for auto pay. They also cancelled my service saying I didn't pay even though I had direct billing.

Before H2O Wireless I had a 2 year contract with Sprint. I cancelled Sprint even though I liked them and there customer service was great. I cancelled as they would not unlock my iphone.

I will only go with pay as you go services like cricket and I tend only to buy used iphones now. I bought my iphone 5S from www.swappa.com it was a great deal.

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Garmin Nuvi 3597, Garmin StreetPilot 2720, Garmin 76CSx (Hand Held), Iphone 6S Plus