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cheapest voice and data plan?

I am currently running an AT&T 8525 running WM6.0. It has been working just fine the last 3 years, but I am getting the itch to buy an android phone, since WM7 looks like it will have no backward compatibility. I actually do not have a data plan with this phone, and am on a $39.95 monthly talk plan ($50 after all the fees they tack on). So far, it looks like most of the talk and data plans are running at least $70, which I am sure will be over $80 after fees. It seems awfully hard to justify that much extra money every year. I have seen some of the ads for unlimited talk and web for $40 (metro PCS?) but their phones don't look very intersting. I am really liking the android MyTouch with the dpad and 5 megapixal camera. Anybody have a cheap talk and data plan that would work with a phone like that? Thanks for any advice you could give.

T-mobile CSRs are usually pretty good at giving you deals. I have a grandfathered plan where I have unlimited 3G (and 3G+, if you have a G2) for $20/month and unlimited family texting for $10. I don't have a great deal on voice, because I'm on a family plan, but if you talk to a CSR you might be able to get those 2 deals above. You're on your own for the voice plan though.

Useful info here Thanks

what's the data speed you can get with t-zone?

As some guys pointed out that web2go and t-zone are still working on G2x. I am having a 5.99 t-zone data plan as well and I am out of contract already.
I am hesitating if I should
1) buy a G2x from costco with full price and keep my t-zone;
or
2) sign a new contract to take advantage of the discounted unit price.
If I go with option #1, I will probably end up paying $500+ at front. But the benefit is I gotta keep my lower rate data plan (although I understand T-mobile may or may not force upgrading the data plan to $30/mo)
If I opt for option #2, the until will only costs about $180 after tax. But the lowest 4g unlimited data plan will cost about $20 each month.
I highly doubt if I could keep the t-zone plan and buy a G2x from costco store with contract price...
A simple math may suggest option #2 money wise ( (530-180)/(20-6)=25mon > 2yrs). But I would like to hear others' opinion.
some considerations:
1) If the t-zone can only give a 2.5g internet and performs much slower than the current HSPA+ you can get from the 4g data plan, that could be a deal breaker.
2) Once t-zone is cancelled, probably we will never get it back (well, who know how long t-mobile will stand before merged by ATT?)
3) anything else worth to think about??

I was in your shoes as well... I needed a new sim card when I got my phone to be compatible with the 4G network...
I opted to get the cheaper phone price because there is no way that ATT will let us keep our tzones... if and when the merger happens, ATT will honor CONTRACTS that are currently in place and they will not accommodate our old grandfathered plans... remember how ATT phased out their unlimited data plans?
That's just me putting two and two together...

I am mainly curious what's the speed you can get from t-zone on your G2x. Could it be 3g?

tangyoulei said:
I am mainly curious what's the speed you can get from t-zone on your G2x. Could it be 3g?
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speed wise, there is no difference from the $30 data plan

You won't get to keep the T-Zones plan. You'll soon start getting the "upgrade" message when connecting to the web.
However, if you buy the phone outright, the data plan is $25/month and not $30.
I bought the G2X on Tuesday, and starting getting the upgrade message today. So, I went to the tmo store and got my wife a G2X. And I upgraded us to the family 750/unlimited text&web for $110/month. Not a bad deal.

The speed was about the same as 4G web on the main line but the latency was horrible.
Now you can forget it because the phone is flagged.

Pay as you go

Just want an opinion on 'Pay as you go' through T-mobile. My contract is up soon and I don't feel like paying the insanely high t-mobile bill as I do now for 2 lines. It would be cheaper to just get the $50/mo card. My question is, is it worth it? And is the service as far as 4G comparable if not the same? And will it work on my SGS4G using the 'Pay as you go' SIM?
Just trying to clarify for myself.

Look into Simple Mobile.
Sent from my SGH-T959V using Tapatalk

Simple its good service ....what I dont like that they slow ur internet if u use alot ...
Sent from my SGH-T959V using xda premium

I'm just curious about the T-mobile pay as you go. If its worth it.

The monthly 4g is ok if thats what u mean, $50.00 unlimited everything but with 200mb of 4g. Its the exact same service as the contract plans. Its $60.00 for 2gb of 4g and $70.00 for 5gb. At least in my area, now the value plans are $100.00 for 2 lines unlimited everything with 2gb of 4g but I believe you have to sign a two year contract with those and have unsubsidized phones.

out west you only get 100mb of 4g for $50/mo, then it slows down to 2g speeds. If you use wifi a lot, this plan is okay, otherwise, you'll want the $60 or $70 plans.
Also, those monthly fees include tax and everything, so if you are on the $50/mo plan, all you pay is $50, no extra taxes or fees unlike the contract plans which add that stuff on top of your monthly plan cost

T-Mo PayGo
@thegoo
I had the T-Mo prepaid for almost a year before switching to a contracted plan and it worked well for me. I had the one with a 2GB cap (~$60 as D12005 mentioned) and the data speeds were pretty fast in my area (Tampa Bay, FL). As far as voice quality...I don't really know. I only use minutes in an emergency ("Where's my pizza?!") or when talking to my parents (which I avoid these days).
Their customer service (in-store) has always been very nice and helpful, as well.

Worth switching from Verizon?

Still truckin' with my VZW GNex, but it is certainly pretty long in the tooth. Assuming that there is no way (esp since Nexus 5 lacks Band 13) to shoehorn Nexus 5 into working with VZW, is this enough of a reason to switch carriers and lose unlimited data? I'm very torn. I actually don't use a ton ton of data, but it's really nice when I travel or am in a place that requires you pay for their hotspot.

timmyc99 said:
Still truckin' with my VZW GNex, but it is certainly pretty long in the tooth. Assuming that there is no way (esp since Nexus 5 lacks Band 13) to shoehorn Nexus 5 into working with VZW, is this enough of a reason to switch carriers and lose unlimited data? I'm very torn. I actually don't use a ton ton of data, but it's really nice when I travel or am in a place that requires you pay for their hotspot.
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I dropped Verizon with a grandfathered unlimited plan when the Nexus 4 came out. First went to Solavei and got their $50 bucks a month for unlimited everything, then realized I could go even cheaper with T-Mobile's $30 for unlimited data (up to 5gb before throttling), unlimited text and 100 minutes calling. I have never regretted it and will never go to a monthly contract plan again as long as I can pre-paid so cheap (and no taxes on top of it...). Well worth it. I pay less than 1/3 of what I was paying Verizon and get enough of everything I need.

timmyc99 said:
Still truckin' with my VZW GNex, but it is certainly pretty long in the tooth. Assuming that there is no way (esp since Nexus 5 lacks Band 13) to shoehorn Nexus 5 into working with VZW, is this enough of a reason to switch carriers and lose unlimited data? I'm very torn. I actually don't use a ton ton of data, but it's really nice when I travel or am in a place that requires you pay for their hotspot.
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I've had Verizon as well forever with unlimited data. I've actually wanted to leave for some time now but haven't had any phone come out that I wanted to leave for. Verizon's prices are just ridiculous for what it offers. With people being off contract on Verizon or them offering their upgrade, their plans don't get cheaper as they should. You're getting a subsidized phone, so you're paying for the phone in your plan. But if the phone is paid off or an additional fee on top of the plan then it's completely pointless for it to be so high.
I'm quite excited to be saving quite a lot every month by switching to T-mobile. My bill is going to be getting cut almost in half for three lines. On top of that, the few times I leave the country I won't need to worry about getting $50 of data in 30 seconds as through Verizon.
Also, the Unlimited Data everyone loves on Verizon is quite pointless, unless you use tethering from your device every day as a primary internet source.
So really it's going to be different for everyone, but for myself everywhere that I go on a regular basis has same T-mobile coverage as Verizon. So for me it was a no brainer. Another bonus is if you work for any larger corporation you can get company discounts as well, and T-mobile handles theirs much better. I currently have a 20% off on my Verizon plan but it only applies to the main account # and not the rest. So it ends up saving like $6/month. Whereas the T-mobile ones are off the entire plan minus taxes and fees.

I left Verizon for an N4 so I surely would leave for an N5!
Aio wireless, $55 for 2GB unlimited text and talk and if you use more data then that they have a 7GB plan for $70. Both prices include tax and fee's already! They use AT&T's network so depending where you live, in most places you will be good to go!

In my opinion, grandfathered unlimited data is not worth being stuck on an overpriced, non-customer centered carrier like Verizon. They will never change their ways unless people stop letting them get away with their completely unfriendly policies and leave them. I recommend going the pre-paid route. Look at T-Mobile if their network is strong where you are, or AT&T's Go Phone $60 plan. Leave contracts behind! Fight the system!

timmyc99 said:
Still truckin' with my VZW GNex, but it is certainly pretty long in the tooth. Assuming that there is no way (esp since Nexus 5 lacks Band 13) to shoehorn Nexus 5 into working with VZW, is this enough of a reason to switch carriers and lose unlimited data? I'm very torn. I actually don't use a ton ton of data, but it's really nice when I travel or am in a place that requires you pay for their hotspot.
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I ordered the Nexus 5 and I've been with Verizon a long time, have an unlimited data plan too. I'm in NYC Metro and the network speed is poor, mostly between 1-5mbps.
I'm paying $130/mo (unlimited talk and data, 250 test) using around 3g per month. Even at 5g per month, I'd still do far better with a prepaid account. If Verizon was getting the Nexus 5, I' probably would have just stayed with them. I'm planning on getting a T-Mobile $60 2.5gb plan, no contract.
Only you can decide if it is worth switching.

timmyc99 said:
Still truckin' with my VZW GNex, but it is certainly pretty long in the tooth. Assuming that there is no way (esp since Nexus 5 lacks Band 13) to shoehorn Nexus 5 into working with VZW, is this enough of a reason to switch carriers and lose unlimited data? I'm very torn. I actually don't use a ton ton of data, but it's really nice when I travel or am in a place that requires you pay for their hotspot.
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I was amazed to find the $30 unlimited data/txt plan on T-Mobile and just activated it today! I've always been wanting a plan like this because I hardly ever use any minutes but have always been paying for them regardless. I'm getting 22mbps down and 5mbps up where I live on T-Mobile for $30/month I'm counting down the days until I can port my # (gnex contract is up in Dec) and kill Verizon for good!

it really depends on your coverage in your area. In my area AT&T doesn't get service in my house and T-Mobile gets none if I go 30 minutes down the road. So I'm trying out the $60 T-Mobile plan right now to see if I should leave my Moto X at Verizon. So far all good, LTE is comparable to the Verizon speeds I got

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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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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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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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.