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Best prepaid data plan in USA?

Hi all,
I'll be travelling to the US on business for one month, and I will be needing a sim card to put into my Tytn (HTC Hermes, quad band 3g). Does anyone know what's the best prepaid or one-month plan I can get that will give me unlimited data? I would really like to try out some of the broadband features of my wm6 phone (only edge in China, no 3g) so a plan that offered unlimited data on a high-speed network would be ideal. I'll be travelling to several states and many cities, so nationwide network is a must.
I hope someone can point me in the right direction, thanks!!!

i dont think there are any prepaid data plans in US, not that i heard of, only pre-paid voice/txt plans.

Hi, just in case anyone else asks this question, I was able to start an ATT Pick Your Plan prepaid account and then add the unlimited MediaNet for an extra $20. Medianet does give ma full www access. THe first couple of people I talked to said that i could not do this with an overseas credit card, was i able to use my bank of china card with no problem eventually. Also make sure that they add the medianet at the same time they open the account otherwise you will have to wait for 1 month to add the data. Also, don't tell them you have a PDA phone or they will charge you $40 for the exact same data plan.
Quality wise I am very pleased with the service, speeds are very fast and Google mobile maps is using GPRS to position me on a map with astounding accuracy...who needs GPS! Anyway, thanks for the help!

Hi,
Sorry for reopening this old thread, but I will be going to CA,USA in a while to and am used to having Mobile internet everywhere on my Touch Pro (Raph100) and from time to time tethering it to my laptop.
How did you go about getting the ATT sim card?
All suggestions are welcome off course.
PS:If I better start a new thread, let me know

NguyenHuu said:
i dont think there are any prepaid data plans in US, not that i heard of, only pre-paid voice/txt plans.
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Click to collapse
AT&T and Verizon have prepaid data plans. Here is what AT&T offers on their prepaid data plans:
Daily – $15 for 75MB (20 cents a MB)
Weekly – $30 for 250MB (12 cents a MB)
Monthly – $50 for 500MB (10 cents a MB)

US carriers are still gouging. When I was in Ireland I got an O2 SIM card and they only charged 2 cents per MB.

jeremysimeon said:
AT&T and Verizon have prepaid data plans. Here is what AT&T offers on their prepaid data plans:
Daily – $15 for 75MB (20 cents a MB)
Weekly – $30 for 250MB (12 cents a MB)
Monthly – $50 for 500MB (10 cents a MB)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Am I looking in the wrong place?
At http://www.wireless.att.com/cell-ph...cell-phone-plans.jsp?wtSlotClick=1-004EHW-0-1 I only see:
0.01$/kB
or with 75$ charge, 200MB
or 19.99$ for a 100MB pack
or 4.99$ (!) for 1MB
Just FYI, here in Belgium (Mobile Vikings), I get for one recharge of 15Euro each month:
-1000SMS
-2Gig Data (albeit EDGE most of the time)
-0.24Euro per minute
Sadly, roaming in the US, I would be charged 3.5Euro/MB....

I think T-Mobile may have the best option going now
http://www.t-mobile.com/shop/plans/prepaid-plans.aspx?WT.mc_n=Prepaid_SeePlan&WT.mc_t=OnsiteAd
$1.49 for 24 hours of unlimited mobile web access. I don't know exactly what "mobile web" means or if it's limited functionality...

T-mobile is pretty good. You get t-zones for free (which is basically m.yahoo and m.abc), and then you get 200 MB of data per day for $1.49. My connections are slow (I use it maybe once a week), but that's probably due to my phone (ATT fuze) not having the right bands for 3G connections.

Simple mobile, metro pcs.. there are many

Best US pre-paid SIM only, Help Please

Good Evening,
I am hoping someone would be able to point me in the direction for getting the most out of my phone, while on holiday in the USA, I will be there for a month so would prefer using a local SIM as opposed to getting abuse on roaming charges.
Basically, wondering if anyone knows of any good deals that would have cheap web access, or international calls, I realise im not being much help. Even if someone could list some Mobile Phone Networks i will be able to check out their websites, and order a SIM as needed.
Thanks

prepaid is not that good in the US. t-mobile might be ur best bit, local voice only. i think about 25 cents a minute. not sure about international and data though

25 cents a min? I don't know about tmobile prepaid. But ATT/Cingular prepaid is much cheaper.

GOVATENT said:
25 cents a min? I don't know about tmobile prepaid. But ATT/Cingular prepaid is much cheaper.
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Click to collapse
yeah, but AT&T charges you a dollar for each day you use their your phone. t-mobile doesn't.
Actually, AT&T has two types of prepaid:
http://www.wireless.att.com/cell-phone-service/cell-phone-plans/prepaid-cell-phone-plans.jsp
pay as you go:
25¢/min or 10¢/min + $1.00/day*
or
prepaid plans (some w/ rollover and nights/weekends)
200 mins for 29.99
300 mins for 39.99
400 mins for 49.99
650 mins for 69.99
here are more details on t-mobile prepaid plans
http://www.t-mobile.com/shop/plans/Default.aspx?plancategory=4

I was looking for something similar in February, except I also needed a data plan. At that time AT&T and T-Mobile were the only options that met my needs.

ATT Media net 10$/month family

So i've seen a few threads here saying that the new deal with media net unlimited package was 10 dollars a month now. Well i called today to get it and was told that not only was it for my fuze(i did the sim swap trick to make it seem we all had regular phones) but also the other two phones in my family, all three of us now have unlimited data for 10 dollars a month. This seems too good to be true. Did anyone else have a similar experience?

ech230 said:
So i've seen a few threads here saying that the new deal with media net unlimited package was 10 dollars a month now. Well i called today to get it and was told that not only was it for my fuze(i did the sim swap trick to make it seem we all had regular phones) but also the other two phones in my family, all three of us now have unlimited data for 10 dollars a month. This seems too good to be true. Did anyone else have a similar experience?
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Click to collapse
So your saying the Rep said that this applied for your fuze or did it apply to your fuze because it had another sim card?

Are you saying your paying $10 a month for all 3 phones... or $10 a month PER phone ($30).
I think I might jump on this. I have a Fuze and my fiance has her old blackjack. She has unlimited messaging for $20 and I have MediaNet Bundle (Unlimited Data, 200 SMS, Unlimited AT&T Messaging) for $25.
So we spend about $45 a month.
If we could get unlimited Family Messaging for $30, then both unlimited data for $10... that would be $50.
I'd pay $5 more so my fiance can get online.

I assume this is only for Family Plans

I used to do that. I worked at radioshack though, and our rep for ATT told us that he used to be a manager at an ATT store and would add the non-pda data plan to peoples accounts, and some would come back later with giant bills because they were revised and billed per byte.
He said it didn't happen a lot, and a lot of times ATT would be full of mercy and not charge the full amount, but he did tell me it occured.
I say be careful because you would be breaking the terms and conditions and they would have every right to charge you 3 cents/KB
has anyone on this forum been caught?

from my understanding it was 10 dollars total for all three lines(as in a total of 10 a month, not 30). I specifically said to the rep, "no no i don't want the family plan i only want it on the one line" to which he replied that it was a family bundle that i qualified for since i had a family unlimited texting plan. I didn't mention my fuze so i don't know what will happen, perhaps this month will have some ridiculous charges but i'll play ignorance and try to fight them. So we shall see. My online account has not updated yet so i have no way of knowing 100% what is going on but i'm rather curious.
also it's only 1c/KB not 3 for their standard charges.

I've been using the MediaNet plan on my Samsung Blackjack, Samsung Epix, and HTC Fuze for 3+ years.
Their expensive internet plans are stupid. When I bought my Epix... the sales guy said, "Since the Epix is a newer faster phone... it won't work with the Media Net plan because the MediaNet plan doesn't send the data packets fast enough and so it won't work".
I'm a Network Engineer. What kind of crap is that?
I popped in my old sim and started checking my email.
Unlimited Data = Unlimited Data.
Every time I call CS and they get me started on that crap I give them an earful. Plus data plans are outrageous. Why would anyone want to pay for a Data plan which is the same, if not more, then the data plans they have in their homes.
SMS is nothing more then free money for them and people don't use that much data. Unlimited Data and Messaging should be MAX $20.

AT&T over-chargingn for data
I see someone else shares my irritation (exasperation) with AT&T (and the other carriers, since they all charge about the same).
I pay $30.00 a month for DSl (3mb down, 768 up). Why or why should I pay the same for speeds that are less than half that on AT&T's network just because its mobile?
Yes I can check my mail (almost) anywhere but.....thirty bucks is ludicrous, I cancelled my data plan on my Kaiser and my wifes Blackberry because it wasn't worth the service. We were paying over $60.00 a month for unlimited data on two phones. (Everyone kick me me becaause I deserve it).
Now you are telling me you are getting it on two phone on the "family plan" for $10.00 a month ?
WoW !
player911 said:
I've been using the MediaNet plan on my Samsung Blackjack, Samsung Epix, and HTC Fuze for 3+ years.
Their expensive internet plans are stupid. When I bought my Epix... the sales guy said, "Since the Epix is a newer faster phone... it won't work with the Media Net plan because the MediaNet plan doesn't send the data packets fast enough and so it won't work".
I'm a Network Engineer. What kind of crap is that?
I popped in my old sim and started checking my email.
Unlimited Data = Unlimited Data.
Every time I call CS and they get me started on that crap I give them an earful. Plus data plans are outrageous. Why would anyone want to pay for a Data plan which is the same, if not more, then the data plans they have in their homes.
SMS is nothing more then free money for them and people don't use that much data. Unlimited Data and Messaging should be MAX $20.
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Click to collapse

Let me clear this up, I might be new to this forum but I am very familiar with AT&T rates and plans. Lets just say I use this information almost daily.
THIS APPLIES FOR STANDARD MOBILE DEVICES (NOT PDA/BLACKBERRY/iPHONE)
For Individual Lines (AT&T Nation)
-Data Unlimited (formerly known as 'MediaNet Unlimited')
cost $15 per phone.
-Unlimited Messaging (SMS+MMS+IM)
cost $20 per phone.
-Messaging & Data Unlimited (Data+SMS+MMS+IM)
costs $30 (save $5 from getting the two seperately)
For Family Plans (AT&T Family Share)
-Data Unlimited
cost $10 per line in the family plan (instead of $15 for individuals)
-Family Messaging Unlimited
cost $30 (one price covers every line on the plan)
THE FOLLOWING IS FOR PDA/BLACKBERRIES
For Individual Lines (AT&T Nation)
-PDA Personal or Blackberry Basic
cost $30 per phone.
-Unlimited Messaging (SMS+MMS+IM)
cost $20 per phone.
-PDA/BBRY Messaging Bundle
costs $50
For Family Plans (AT&T Family Share)
-PDA Personal / Blackberry Data
cost $30 per line
-Family Messaging Unlimited
cost $30 (one price covers every line on the plan)
During the sign-up process, the IMEI number of your device will be registered to your account. If the system detects the IMEI of a device that falls under the PDA or BLACKBERRY category, the Data Plans populate itself only to 'PDA Personal $30' or 'BBRY BIS Personal $30'. If an IMEI of a regular phone was entered, it will populate the options for 'Data Unlimited' for $15
When you purchase your PDA device like a Blackjack II, if you somehow manage to have an IMEI of a normal phone be entered instead of the Blackjack II, you will be billed the rates according to whatever type of phone that was entered. (This will not work with Blackberries because BBRY needs the BIS data and the PIN number to be registered.)
Also what might be possible is; get your devices and plans normally, like a Fuze with a $30 PDA Data plan, a month later, call customer service and tell them that youre switching to a different device that you bought yourself, and give them the new IMEI (imei should be from a non pda/bbry device), and have them change the data plan prices accordingly. Voila, you saved $15 dollars per month per phone.
Oh and if some of you were wondering, the carriers data service is just data, meaning it wont know the difference between data from a Sony Ericsson W350 to an HTC Fuze, or a Touch Pro, or a Touch Diamond, or Xperia, or Nokia N96, or iPhone knock-offs, etc. you get my point.

villa_bryan said:
I used to do that. I worked at radioshack though, and our rep for ATT told us that he used to be a manager at an ATT store and would add the non-pda data plan to peoples accounts, and some would come back later with giant bills because they were revised and billed per byte.
He said it didn't happen a lot, and a lot of times ATT would be full of mercy and not charge the full amount, but he did tell me it occured.
I say be careful because you would be breaking the terms and conditions and they would have every right to charge you 3 cents/KB
has anyone on this forum been caught?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=477071
cesar2010 said:
ok i had the media net unlimited ($15) with my kaiser for like 6months w/out a single problem or xtra charge. i used the upgrade option i had and ordered a fuze but to be used on another line in the fam plan, yesterday i used about 60mb with slingplayer.. today i got a text saying data disconnected due to high charges i called and they told me i didnt have a data plan and i was going to be charged about $1000 i added the $30 data plan and was wondering is there a way to fight the upcoming bill?
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Click to collapse
meh?

i'm thankful someone noticed this. i just called and changed mine to Messaging & Data Unlimited for $30. Before had the two separate plans and was $35. Save $5! that's good in these tough economic times .

oatterzonxda said:
For Family Plans (AT&T Family Share)
-Data Unlimited
cost $10 per line in the family plan (instead of $15 for individuals)
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Click to collapse
not to sure about this..i have a family plan and i did this trick way back in the day with my 8525 (was $20 at the time for medianet and i had to do it again when the price dropped while using my tilt) and unless theve dropped the price recently for family plan data rates then this is incorrect and its still $15 (what i pay a month with a fam plan)

oh and has anyone ELSE besiodes the OP confirmed this $10 all lines plan?

pazookie said:
not to sure about this..i have a family plan and i did this trick way back in the day with my 8525 (was $20 at the time for medianet and i had to do it again when the price dropped while using my tilt) and unless theve dropped the price recently for family plan data rates then this is incorrect and its still $15 (what i pay a month with a fam plan)
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Click to collapse
http://www.wireless.att.com/cell-phone-service/services/services-list.jsp?catId=cat1470003&LOSGId=&catName=Messaging+%26+Data
First item on the page.

evilxhwnd said:
http://www.wireless.att.com/cell-phone-service/services/services-list.jsp?catId=cat1470003&LOSGId=&catName=Messaging+%26+Data
First item on the page.
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Click to collapse
For me it says $15 a month for regular cell phones and $30 a month for pda's such as the fuze.
How many of you guys are doing the thing were you call up and add a regular phone as your phone and then select the $15 for data and then just switch your sim card into the fuze and still only pay $15 for data instead of $30? What would happen if att finds out?
Thanks.

techman28 said:
For me it says $15 a month for regular cell phones and $30 a month for pda's such as the fuze.
How many of you guys are doing the thing were you call up and add a regular phone as your phone and then select the $15 for data and then just switch your sim card into the fuze and still only pay $15 for data instead of $30? What would happen if att finds out?
Thanks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
maybe has to do with area you live in?
i see this: http://img99.imageshack.us/img99/7439/shotwh4.png
notice first item, @ $30.

evilxhwnd said:
maybe has to do with area you live in?
i see this: http://img99.imageshack.us/img99/7439/shotwh4.png
notice first item, @ $30.
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Click to collapse
Yes, I see that too, but if you look closer at the fine print for those top two items, it says they are only available to regular cell phone ie not the fuze.

i've been using this on my 8125 for a few years now i have the media net unlimited with 200 text messages for 20 a month.
i just did this recently for my wife when i added her on to my family plan she wanted a blackjack so i had her get a dumb phone first with the unlimited messaging and the 1500 text messages for 30 a month before the 30 days were up with the dumb phone i had her return it and ordered her a refrub'd blackjack off with the discount through my job
the medianet and the messing plan stuck and i just switched her from the unlimited net and 1500 text to unlimited net and unlimited text for 30 a month
so when and if i upgrade to a fuze any new att phone with a newer htc
just like the network guy said above DATA is DATA
i checked around I didn't see anything online about the unlimited data for 10 bucks a month anybody been able to enable this?

techman28 said:
Yes, I see that too, but if you look closer at the fine print for those top two items, it says they are only available to regular cell phone ie not the fuze.
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Click to collapse
which is why you do the trick mentioned earlier and all over this forum so you can get it.

Confirmed in Chicago area!!
The catch is (as someone already mentioned) you have to put ALL THE PHONES from your Family Plan on the $10/mo. Unlim MediaNet Data Plan...and NONE of them can be PDA or iPhones. I'm saving $45/mo !!!

2year contract or prepay???

Straight talk or Actual two year agreement? I can decide what to go with.

I went from Sprint to Straight Talk AT&T with a Galaxy S III (i9300). It depends;
1. Talk is Unlimited on Straight Talk
2. Text is Unlimited
3. Data is "Unlimited". There is no predetermined amount, but 2-3GB would be considered a safe amount. Anything over is grounds for getting your account terminated and requiring a new SIM and phone number.
Coverage is the same as AT&T (or T-Mobile if you pick a T-Mobile SIM) and you get the same HSPA+ speeds as AT&T (or T-Mobile with a T-Mobile SIM). The SIMs will worked in locked phones from the same carrier as the SIM (T-Mobile to T-Mobile SIM, AT&T to AT&T SIM). Both will work in unlocked phones. 99% of international phones are AT&T-compatible for 3G and 4G. Generally you get better coverage with AT&T, and speeds for me are great in here NYC, which is notoriously congested. I can go up to 5 Mbps in good areas, but more like 1.5-2 Mbps on average, which is great.
If you constantly stream and use a crapload of data, it's not for you. But if you use your data use is average or below average, you'll be fine. I've heard of people going up to 5GB of data and still being ok, but just know you're putting your account in danger if you do that. A good way to not lose your number if your data use is a little high (as in the one you have right now) is to port it to Google Voice for $20, and then use the Voice app to send and receive texts from your current number. You can also make your phone make and receive calls to and from that number as well. So if they cancel your account for whatever reason, you make another one and change the forwarding number in the Google Voice settings. That's it.
You really can't beat $45 a month. Unless you're not a big talker, then I would recommend T-Mobile's $30 plan that includes 100 minutes, unlimited text, and 5GB of data @ 4G speeds (unlimited altogether, but you get throttled after). But then you'll be sacrificing coverage vs. AT&T's coverage.

Product F(RED) said:
I went from Sprint to Straight Talk AT&T with a Galaxy S III (i9300). It depends;
1. Talk is Unlimited on Straight Talk
2. Text is Unlimited
3. Data is "Unlimited". There is no predetermined amount, but 2-3GB would be considered a safe amount. Anything over is grounds for getting your account terminated and requiring a new SIM and phone number.
Coverage is the same as AT&T (or T-Mobile if you pick a T-Mobile SIM) and you get the same HSPA+ speeds as AT&T (or T-Mobile with a T-Mobile SIM). The SIMs will worked in locked phones from the same carrier as the SIM (T-Mobile to T-Mobile SIM, AT&T to AT&T SIM). Both will work in unlocked phones. 99% of international phones are AT&T-compatible for 3G and 4G. Generally you get better coverage with AT&T, and speeds for me are great in here NYC, which is notoriously congested. I can go up to 5 Mbps in good areas, but more like 1.5-2 Mbps on average, which is great.
If you constantly stream and use a crapload of data, it's not for you. But if you use your data use is average or below average, you'll be fine. I've heard of people going up to 5GB of data and still being ok, but just know you're putting your account in danger if you do that. A good way to not lose your number if your data use is a little high (as in the one you have right now) is to port it to Google Voice for $20, and then use the Voice app to send and receive texts from your current number. You can also make your phone make and receive calls to and from that number as well. So if they cancel your account for whatever reason, you make another one and change the forwarding number in the Google Voice settings. That's it.
You really can't beat $45 a month. Unless you're not a big talker, then I would recommend T-Mobile's $30 plan that includes 100 minutes, unlimited text, and 5GB of data @ 4G speeds (unlimited altogether, but you get throttled after). But then you'll be sacrificing coverage vs. AT&T's coverage.
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Click to collapse
Thanks for the info. Straight to me sounds like a go.. My next question would be phone compatibility? I've been looking at several phones and i think either the DROID3, At&t skyrocket, Iphone4 or motorola atrix 2. Does any of these phones have to be unlocked.

Protip 1: Prepaid is the way to go. You can chop and change at any time then.
Protip 2: Always buy your phone outright. That gives you maximum flexibility. Unless it's a CDMA handset, then you'll need to be with a crowd that has CDMA network.

MrDavon24 said:
Thanks for the info. Straight to me sounds like a go.. My next question would be phone compatibility? I've been looking at several phones and i think either the DROID3, At&t skyrocket, Iphone4 or motorola atrix 2. Does any of these phones have to be unlocked.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As long as they're AT&T branded or unlocked they'll work (for the AT&T network). The DROID 3 will need to be unlocked and you'd also need to enable domestic GSM on it (I know it's a Verizon phone but not sure if it's global).
Sent from my GT-I9300 using XDA Premium HD app

Product F(RED) said:
I went from Sprint to Straight Talk AT&T with a Galaxy S III (i9300). It depends;
1. Talk is Unlimited on Straight Talk
2. Text is Unlimited
3. Data is "Unlimited". There is no predetermined amount, but 2-3GB would be considered a safe amount. Anything over is grounds for getting your account terminated and requiring a new SIM and phone number.
.....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Tks for info :good:

For me a 2 year contract is better
here in my country it's more economic and you feel free to talk, text, data like whatsapp
Don't ever go with prepaid unless you are tough with cash !!

Hesham_3del said:
For me a 2 year contract is better
here in my country it's more economic and you feel free to talk, text, data like whatsapp
Don't ever go with prepaid unless you are tough with cash !!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Like you said, in your country it's better. Not here. Here it's crazy expensive to go with a contract.

Another for prepaid. You will definitely get more bang for your buck, if you are ok with coming out of pocket for a non-subsidized phone.

lowandbehold said:
Another for prepaid. You will definitely get more bang for your buck, if you are ok with coming out of pocket for a non-subsidized phone.
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Click to collapse
Which you would end up paying more for over a 2 year period with a contract.

I would provide to buy a phone when the contract is not so good. For example my contract:
monthly 27€ for phone and 5€ for the internet flat with 50sms/min
24x27=648
24x5=120
24x??? what i have more to pay
The easiest way would have been that i bought my phone for a price of <600€ on some portals and than a cheaper contract.

Let's do the math. On Sprint, 1 line with unlimited text and data (and however many minutes, I forget), is like $80 before tax. So let's say it's $90 after.
$90 * 24 = $2160
+ $200 for a phone (average price, not counting tax) = $2360.
Prepaid on Straight Talk (unlimited talk, text, and data*)
$45 a month, about $50 for me after taxes.
Let's say you spent $700 total for a Galaxy S III after taxes. This is the most expensive phone I can think of, so think of this as the lowest possible savings. You can get a cheaper phone like a One X or just bring your own AT&T/T-Mobile phone and not pay anything!
$50 * 24 = $1200
+ $700 = $1900.
$2360 - $1900 = $460 savings, and even more if you buy a cheaper phone or bring your own phone! And it's even BIGGER if you're coming from a more expensive plan. To be clear you're getting the SAME coverage and data speeds as AT&T or T-Mobile on Straight Talk.

Product F(RED) said:
Let's do the math. On Sprint, 1 line with unlimited text and data (and however many minutes, I forget), is like $80 before tax. So let's say it's $90 after.
$90 * 24 = $2160
+ $200 for a phone (average price, not counting tax) = $2360.
Prepaid on Straight Talk (unlimited talk, text, and data*)
$45 a month, about $50 for me after taxes.
Let's say you spent $700 total for a Galaxy S III after taxes. This is the most expensive phone I can think of, so think of this as the lowest possible savings. You can get a cheaper phone like a One X or just bring your own AT&T/T-Mobile phone and not pay anything!
$50 * 24 = $1200
+ $700 = $1900.
$2360 - $1900 = $460 savings, and even more if you buy a cheaper phone or bring your own phone! And it's even BIGGER if you're coming from a more expensive plan. To be clear you're getting the SAME coverage and data speeds as AT&T or T-Mobile on Straight Talk.
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Click to collapse
Thanks for all the replies

depends on your service provider.
if this can handle growing subscribers with no problem on service then go for it..
but for me i'll go for prepaid,
in 2 years there will be a time that you will hate your phone not using it right...

$90 a month
That is alot. Buy a huawei and a top up card. Get a prepaid data bundle with the top up,get a prepaid text bundle with the topup,use the balance to call.
Edit: I think sprint calls them prepaid phonecards. I could be wrong.
Sent from my U8150 using XDA

Well, my sister ended up giving me her Iphone 3Gs. I will be using this for the time being until I can save up to get one of the other phones that was listed. After I get the BYOD sim. What else needs to be done. Would the MMS work properly?

MrDavon24 said:
Well, my sister ended up giving me her Iphone 3Gs. I will be using this for the time being until I can save up to get one of the other phones that was listed. After I get the BYOD sim. What else needs to be done. Would the MMS work properly?
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Click to collapse
Not without jailbreaking, I believe. However, you can go here on your iPhone: http://www.unlockit.co.nz and select US - Straight Talk and it should automatically set up your APN for you.

How do you get a att phone to work on straight talk anyways?
Sent from my Kindle Fire

Mark930 said:
How do you get a att phone to work on straight talk anyways?
Sent from my Kindle Fire
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Assuming you choose the AT&T ST SIM, you just put the SIM in it and then fill in the APN info for data. That's it. There's no unlocking necessary because the phone thinks it's an AT&T SIM. When you fill in the APN info though, don't fill in the Proxy parts (except for MMS Proxy, that you'll need for MMS).

Product F(RED) said:
Assuming you choose the AT&T ST SIM, you just put the SIM in it and then fill in the APN info for data. That's it. There's no unlocking necessary because the phone thinks it's an AT&T SIM. When you fill in the APN info though, don't fill in the Proxy parts (except for MMS Proxy, that you'll need for MMS).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Cool is there a good website that shows you step by step I might try that out.
Sent from my Kindle Fire

Questions for T-Mobile users.

Alright, so currently I have an S3 with T-Mobile and I'm paying around $100 for just my line that includes 500mins, unlimited data and text.
I rarely break the 150min mark each month so I would definitely like to change my plan to something that offers less minutes. Makes no sense on paying for something I don't use, right.
What would be my best option right now? Go on a prepaid plan and buy the Nexus 5 from the playstore? Is there a hassle from switching to a normal plan to a prepaid plan with T-Mobile?
I would be more than happy paying less to get 200mins, unlimited text, and data. 2.5 or 5gb before throttling is fine with me.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using xda app-developers app

The T-Mobile $30 plan.. 100 minutes, unlimited texts, 5GB of 4G LTE.
Just add like $50 every month and you'll have around , what.. 275-300 minutes you can use.
But if you're still on contract with T-Mobile, the ETF is $200.
And yes, you can buy the phone from the Play Store.

Wow that's crazy expensive. My T-Mobile plan is $120/month for 3 lines, unlimited everything. Data IS throttled after 500mb though. Not an issue for me since I'm always on wifi. I can bump it to unlimited for an extra $20

IXChicharitoXI said:
Alright, so currently I have an S3 with T-Mobile and I'm paying around $100 for just my line that includes 500mins, unlimited data and text.
I rarely break the 150min mark each month so I would definitely like to change my plan to something that offers less minutes. Makes no sense on paying for something I don't use, right.
What would be my best option right now? Go on a prepaid plan and buy the Nexus 5 from the playstore? Is there a hassle from switching to a normal plan to a prepaid plan with T-Mobile?
I would be more than happy paying less to get 200mins, unlimited text, and data. 2.5 or 5gb before throttling is fine with me.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using xda app-developers app
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Click to collapse
Not sure how you're paying so much for the classic 500min plan, maybe you got extra services along with it? Should only be $85/w tax. And if you said you don't use as much minutes then go with the prepaid $30/mo like that person said. Or you can go with straight talk for $45/mo unlimited talk text and web (might throttle 2.5gb). I'm not sure if they are still selling GSM sim cards because they kept being pulled off the shelves.
Synyster06Gates said:
Wow that's crazy expensive. My T-Mobile plan is $120/month for 3 lines, unlimited everything. Data IS throttled after 500mb though. Not an issue for me since I'm always on wifi. I can bump it to unlimited for an extra $20
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Well you're on the new simple/value plans that T-mobile has. 3 lines should cost you $90 ($50 first line $30 second $10 add a line) for unlimited talk text and unlimited web throttled at 500mb. You might be over paying as well unless you have the 2.5gb data plan or the jump plan services.

Deekayy said:
Well you're on the new simple/value plans that T-mobile has. 3 lines should cost you $90 ($50 first line $30 second $10 add a line) for unlimited talk text and unlimited web throttled at 500mb. You might be over paying as well unless you have the 2.5gb data plan or the jump plan services.
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Unfortunately I am over paying by $30. I didn't get the simple value plan. I switched from AT&T right before they ended the classic unlimited contracts. What really sucks is the T-Mobile service went to **** in my area a few days after my "2 week trial period" (that was really maybe a week after getting the phones shipped and activated) and they refuse to help me out in any way. It's a story for another time, but I'm absolutely furious at T-Mobile.

I got the Ptel Paygo plan (on T-Mobile network), I don't really need data (on wifi almost everywhere, with T-Mobile 4G hotspot at $17.50/mo for 1.75gb). 5 cents per minute. Bought a $100 card with coupon for $78, so 2000 minutes for a year. Haven't got my sim yet, will run speed test once I get it.

Deekayy said:
Not sure how you're paying so much for the classic 500min plan, maybe you got extra services along with it? Should only be $85/w tax. And if you said you don't use as much minutes then go with the prepaid $30/mo like that person said. Or you can go with straight talk for $45/mo unlimited talk text and web (might throttle 2.5gb). I'm not sure if they are still selling GSM sim cards because they kept being pulled off the shelves.
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Click to collapse
Yeah, I think I'm being charged $8 or $10 for insurance on the phone.
How exactly do pre paid plans work? I assume the bill won't arrive to my house anymore? Do I have to to to the T-Mobile store before the month ends to pay for the following month before it gets disconnected?
Sent from my Nexus 7 using xda app-developers app

Also if I were to sign up for the pre paid plan. Could I bring the phone to a T-Mobile store and could they activate the new sim at the store or do I have to do it myself online?
Thank you for the responses everyone, i really appreciate it.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using xda app-developers app

Synyster06Gates said:
Unfortunately I am over paying by $30. I didn't get the simple value plan. I switched from AT&T right before they ended the classic unlimited contracts. What really sucks is the T-Mobile service went to **** in my area a few days after my "2 week trial period" (that was really maybe a week after getting the phones shipped and activated) and they refuse to help me out in any way. It's a story for another time, but I'm absolutely furious at T-Mobile.
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That's unfortunate, sorry to hear. So you're on a 2-year contract then I suppose? Did you get basic phones or smart phones when you signed up? If anything you can always try to call customer service (Dial 611) and ask to be switched to the new simple choice plan but they might charge you a $200 migration fee per line. In that situation, you can probably argue that your service has not been working well ever since you got it and hopefully they'll work something out.
IXChicharitoXI said:
Yeah, I think I'm being charged $8 or $10 for insurance on the phone.
How exactly do pre paid plans work? I assume the bill won't arrive to my house anymore? Do I have to to to the T-Mobile store before the month ends to pay for the following month before it gets disconnected?
Sent from my Nexus 7 using xda app-developers app
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Click to collapse
The only service that does that still bills to your house is T-Mobile Family Mobile (only in walmart) $39.88/mo unlimited talk text unlimited web 2.5 throttle (3G, some say 4G). That service is no contract and you can set auto pay with your debit/credit card or pay at any walmart location.
Other T-mobile pre-paid services is the "monthly 4G" which you will need to purchase a pre-paid card at any convenience store and refill your service at the end of each month. Or you can pay the balance of the bill online through T-Mobile prepaid website. If you don't pay your remaining balance by the end of the month it will get shut off and I believe T-Mobile will hold for 7-14 days before they release the number.
I can't give you a suggestion on which service you should use because I use both Verizon and T-Mobile services (note 2 and nexus 5) on a dealer line. Believe it or not, T-Mobile pulls off 21mb vs verizon 12mb in my home. If anything i'd start with the $30 pre-paid plan and test out the service to see whether or not it works in your area. If you feel that you get a lot of drop calls, you can try the actual T-Mobile service (Simple choice plan) because it's running on a primary network. Don't want to get too technical on why contracts vs pre-paid services are good or bad.
Replying to your second question:
You can purchase a Sim starter kit on the actual T-mobile site and you can activate it yourself, very easy. Follow the steps and select the plan that you desire.
t-mobile (dot) com/shop/plans/activatecodes (dot )aspx

Deekayy said:
That's unfortunate, sorry to hear. So you're on a 2-year contract then I suppose? Did you get basic phones or smart phones when you signed up? If anything you can always try to call customer service (Dial 611) and ask to be switched to the new simple choice plan but they might charge you a $200 migration fee per line. In that situation, you can probably argue that your service has not been working well ever since you got it and hopefully they'll work something out.
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I will attempt to do this over the weekend. I am on a 2 year contract. When we signed up, I got a Galaxy S3, an LG F3, and an LG F6.
Since we started, none of the phones will reliably get phone calls or text messages. More often than not when people try to call us (even the T-Mobile reps calling me back) the phone will ring on their end, but I never get a ring or even missed call notification. A voice-mail will randomly pop up later in the day. Text messages will stop for hours on end then all of a sudden 10 or so will come to my phone at once. MMS won't reliably send or download. It's been a FRUSTRATING experience to say the least.