prepaid retail phone suggestions

With Mother's day coming up,
we are looking at some of the retail phones
& their plans for Grandma, etc

Cingular - Cingular network - gophone
T-mobile - T-mobile network to go
Tracfone -
Net10 -
Virgin Mobile - Sprint network -
Boost - Nextel network -

I was wondering which phones overlay which cellular network ?

Can the Boost phones DC with other Nextel phones,
and even be part of a Nextel DC group ? It looks like it's $1.50 when
used.

The other consideration is how much money needs to be applied,
and how often - ie $20 every 30, 45, 60, or 90 days.

Any other general comments about these retail phones that are avail
at retail places like Target, etc...

We are also looking at potentially reducing the cost of a couple of
Sprint phones
in our own house that are currently using the $20 + $30 plans (20mins +
300mins)
but total mins = 100 used, along with another phone on the Virgin Mobile
plan.

---

› See More: prepaid retail phone suggestions

if you buy $20.00 card and not use it to call just for d/c only then is going to last you 6 days.

Hi Phil,

I have been looking too, I don't know of Boost. But here in South Florida,
Tmobile has decent coverage in most of the state, and is the cheapest at
2000 (1000 + 1000 gold rewards) minutes for $100 ($.025/minute with 365 days
to use them and no per diem charges).

So its the cheapest per minute, and there are no costs per day. Any GSM
handset that does 1900, can be used. Incoming text and picture messages are
free ($.10 and .25 outgoing). Roaming in Canada and Mexico are only
$.40/minute extra. I couldn't find if mobile to mobile minutes are free on
Tmobile?

Your two Sprint lines would cost, $100 per year (20 minutes x 12 = 240
minutes, and $20 x 12 = $240), leaving you with 760 minutes to use during
the year. The second line would be $200 per year instead of $30 x 12 =
$360, and you would have 4000 minutes instead of 300 x 12 = 3600. Looks
like you can save $300 per year on this plan on those two phones alone!

When my AWS contract is up, I will go this is the way too, I have 4 phones
and 950 minutes a month, I pay $96 per month with taxes (before taxes
$69.95, $26.05 in taxes and fees!). My minutes cost around $.10 if I use
them all up!

Tmobile is the better deal, clearly!
--
With good thoughts,
Ben


"Phil Schuman" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> With Mother's day coming up,
> we are looking at some of the retail phones
> & their plans for Grandma, etc
>
> Cingular - Cingular network - gophone
> T-mobile - T-mobile network to go
> Tracfone -
> Net10 -
> Virgin Mobile - Sprint network -
> Boost - Nextel network -
>
> I was wondering which phones overlay which cellular network ?
>
> Can the Boost phones DC with other Nextel phones,
> and even be part of a Nextel DC group ? It looks like it's $1.50 when
> used.
>
> The other consideration is how much money needs to be applied,
> and how often - ie $20 every 30, 45, 60, or 90 days.
>
> Any other general comments about these retail phones that are avail
> at retail places like Target, etc...
>
> We are also looking at potentially reducing the cost of a couple of
> Sprint phones
> in our own house that are currently using the $20 + $30 plans (20mins +
> 300mins)
> but total mins = 100 used, along with another phone on the Virgin Mobile
> plan.
>
>
>

In article <[email protected]>,
"Ben" <[email protected]> wrote:

> Tmobile is the better deal, clearly!

If you have coverage where you need it, and indoor recption where you
need it. 1900 MHz gets indoors less well than 850, all things considered.

Doesnt matter how cheap the minutes are if you dont have a signal.

"Phil Schuman" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> With Mother's day coming up,
> we are looking at some of the retail phones
> & their plans for Grandma, etc
>
> Cingular - Cingular network - gophone
> T-mobile - T-mobile network to go
> Tracfone -
> Net10 -
> Virgin Mobile - Sprint network -
> Boost - Nextel network -
>
> I was wondering which phones overlay which cellular network ?
>
> Can the Boost phones DC with other Nextel phones,
> and even be part of a Nextel DC group ? It looks like it's $1.50
when
> used.
>
> The other consideration is how much money needs to be applied,
> and how often - ie $20 every 30, 45, 60, or 90 days.
>
> Any other general comments about these retail phones that are avail
> at retail places like Target, etc...

I have a different reason for using the prepay cards. I use around
4000 minutes a month on business calls.

I have 2 months to go on my Verizon contract ($175 for early
termination fee). Verizon's service was very good in my area until
about 5 weeks ago when the reception within a 2 mile area of my home
deteriorated to between terrible and non-existent.

I'm currently checking out Cingular and Sprint. I bought the phones
that I wanted for each carrier on eBay. I signed up for Sprint with a
mandatory 2 year contract which I still have about a week to get out
of. I bought a $30 Cingular card and I'm going to get a Sprint card.
I'll use these cards until my Verizon contract is up the switch over
to the one with the best coverage for my needs.

Cingular's prepay service is $1.00 per day plus $0.10 per minute or
portion of a minute but it appears to cover nationwide roaming. There
is a minimum $0.10 charge for every dialed call whether there it's
answered or not - 1 ring: $0.10! It's easy to add additional minutes
in person, by phone or on the internet.

Sprint's rates are $0.06 per minute or $0.50 per call which ever is
more - it's hard to get a straight answer from them. Also there may be
extra charges for roaming.

Throughout much of the country, Nextel's service is terrible. Most
people that I know who are using Nextel are businesses and
organizations who think that they are saving money (read CHEAPSKATES)
with Nextel's walkie-talkie radio feature for calls between other
users in their group.

You couldn't pay me to go with Nextel, besides, they are in the
process of merging with Sprint which promises to be a real cluster
breeding event!

I haven't checked out the others because Cingular, Sprint and Verizon
are the players in my area.

It seems that the carriers are not interested in dealing with not
contract customers so I wouldn't expect much in the way of support.

Chas.

Phil,
There is no better source of prepaid phone info than:

http://cellguru.net/prepaid_compare.htm

Currently, Cingular's prepaid does not permit roaming off their network,
with a few exceptions including those areas where Western Wireless provides
some roaming.


Bill Radio
Click for Western U.S. Wireless Reviews at:
http://www.mountainwireless.com


"Ben" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news[email protected]...
> Hi Phil,
>
> I have been looking too, I don't know of Boost. But here in South Florida,
> Tmobile has decent coverage in most of the state, and is the cheapest at
> 2000 (1000 + 1000 gold rewards) minutes for $100 ($.025/minute with 365
days
> to use them and no per diem charges).
>
> So its the cheapest per minute, and there are no costs per day. Any GSM
> handset that does 1900, can be used. Incoming text and picture messages
are
> free ($.10 and .25 outgoing). Roaming in Canada and Mexico are only
> $.40/minute extra. I couldn't find if mobile to mobile minutes are free on
> Tmobile?
>
> Your two Sprint lines would cost, $100 per year (20 minutes x 12 = 240
> minutes, and $20 x 12 = $240), leaving you with 760 minutes to use during
> the year. The second line would be $200 per year instead of $30 x 12 =
> $360, and you would have 4000 minutes instead of 300 x 12 = 3600. Looks
> like you can save $300 per year on this plan on those two phones alone!
>
> When my AWS contract is up, I will go this is the way too, I have 4 phones
> and 950 minutes a month, I pay $96 per month with taxes (before taxes
> $69.95, $26.05 in taxes and fees!). My minutes cost around $.10 if I use
> them all up!
>
> Tmobile is the better deal, clearly!
> --
> With good thoughts,
> Ben
>
>
> "Phil Schuman" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
> > With Mother's day coming up,
> > we are looking at some of the retail phones
> > & their plans for Grandma, etc
> >
> > Cingular - Cingular network - gophone
> > T-mobile - T-mobile network to go
> > Tracfone -
> > Net10 -
> > Virgin Mobile - Sprint network -
> > Boost - Nextel network -
> >
> > I was wondering which phones overlay which cellular network ?
> >
> > Can the Boost phones DC with other Nextel phones,
> > and even be part of a Nextel DC group ? It looks like it's $1.50 when
> > used.
> >
> > The other consideration is how much money needs to be applied,
> > and how often - ie $20 every 30, 45, 60, or 90 days.
> >
> > Any other general comments about these retail phones that are avail
> > at retail places like Target, etc...
> >
> > We are also looking at potentially reducing the cost of a couple of
> > Sprint phones
> > in our own house that are currently using the $20 + $30 plans (20mins +
> > 300mins)
> > but total mins = 100 used, along with another phone on the Virgin Mobile
> > plan.
> >
> >
> >
>
>

Per Phil Schuman:
>we are looking at some of the retail phones
>& their plans for Grandma, etc
>
>Cingular - Cingular network - gophone
>T-mobile - T-mobile network to go

I had three phones on an old Cingular TDMA family plan that cost at total of
about $60 actual/month for 300 shared minutes.

Now I have one phone on tMobile's $40/month (probably closer to $50 actual...but
I haven't seen a bill yet...) and two prepaid phones on tMobile's $100/1,000
minutes/1-year prepaid plan. The motive for switching was that I wanted the
portable SIM card feature of GSM phones. I'm pretty sure that what I have now
is cheaper than what I'd have to have signed up for at Cingular.

My understanding is that the prepaid phones roam and have no extra charge for
long distance. Roaming seems to be real, since one is used by a family member
about 100 miles away.

I'm in the Philadelphia area and my admittedly fuzzy/anectotal impression is
that Cingular's coverage was better than tMobile's - but I haven't been carrying
around a Cingular phone for comparison... Bottom line, though tMobile's seems
good enough - although barely in my case.
--
PeteCresswell

"Bill Radio" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Phil,
> There is no better source of prepaid phone info than:
>
> http://cellguru.net/prepaid_compare.htm

Great link, thanks

Chas.

I'm not sure how much a link like this can be trusted. Cingular may not
have the greatest prepaid program in the world but this link only mentions
their 30 & 90 expiration dates and makes no mention of the $100/180 day
Cingular card.

Fred

"Bill Radio" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Phil,
> There is no better source of prepaid phone info than:
>
> http://cellguru.net/prepaid_compare.htm
>
> Currently, Cingular's prepaid does not permit roaming off their network,
> with a few exceptions including those areas where Western Wireless
provides
> some roaming.
>
>
> Bill Radio
> Click for Western U.S. Wireless Reviews at:
> http://www.mountainwireless.com
>
>
> "Ben" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news[email protected]...
> > Hi Phil,
> >
> > I have been looking too, I don't know of Boost. But here in South
Florida,
> > Tmobile has decent coverage in most of the state, and is the cheapest at
> > 2000 (1000 + 1000 gold rewards) minutes for $100 ($.025/minute with 365
> days
> > to use them and no per diem charges).
> >
> > So its the cheapest per minute, and there are no costs per day. Any GSM
> > handset that does 1900, can be used. Incoming text and picture messages
> are
> > free ($.10 and .25 outgoing). Roaming in Canada and Mexico are only
> > $.40/minute extra. I couldn't find if mobile to mobile minutes are free
on
> > Tmobile?
> >
> > Your two Sprint lines would cost, $100 per year (20 minutes x 12 = 240
> > minutes, and $20 x 12 = $240), leaving you with 760 minutes to use
during
> > the year. The second line would be $200 per year instead of $30 x 12 =
> > $360, and you would have 4000 minutes instead of 300 x 12 = 3600.
Looks
> > like you can save $300 per year on this plan on those two phones alone!
> >
> > When my AWS contract is up, I will go this is the way too, I have 4
phones
> > and 950 minutes a month, I pay $96 per month with taxes (before taxes
> > $69.95, $26.05 in taxes and fees!). My minutes cost around $.10 if I use
> > them all up!
> >
> > Tmobile is the better deal, clearly!
> > --
> > With good thoughts,
> > Ben
> >
> >
> > "Phil Schuman" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> > news:[email protected]...
> > > With Mother's day coming up,
> > > we are looking at some of the retail phones
> > > & their plans for Grandma, etc
> > >
> > > Cingular - Cingular network - gophone
> > > T-mobile - T-mobile network to go
> > > Tracfone -
> > > Net10 -
> > > Virgin Mobile - Sprint network -
> > > Boost - Nextel network -
> > >
> > > I was wondering which phones overlay which cellular network ?
> > >
> > > Can the Boost phones DC with other Nextel phones,
> > > and even be part of a Nextel DC group ? It looks like it's $1.50 when
> > > used.
> > >
> > > The other consideration is how much money needs to be applied,
> > > and how often - ie $20 every 30, 45, 60, or 90 days.
> > >
> > > Any other general comments about these retail phones that are avail
> > > at retail places like Target, etc...
> > >
> > > We are also looking at potentially reducing the cost of a couple of
> > > Sprint phones
> > > in our own house that are currently using the $20 + $30 plans (20mins
+
> > > 300mins)
> > > but total mins = 100 used, along with another phone on the Virgin
Mobile
> > > plan.
> > >
> > >
> > >
> >
> >
>
>

"* * Chas" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news[email protected]...
>
> "Bill Radio" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
>> Phil,
>> There is no better source of prepaid phone info than:
>>
>> http://cellguru.net/prepaid_compare.htm
>
> Great link, thanks
>
> Chas.
>
>

Check out Beyond Wireless at that link at the above link. I have 4 phones
using their service (and I don't even reside in an area they support).

Russell

>I'm not sure how much a link like this can be trusted. Cingular may not
>have the greatest prepaid program in the world but this link only mentions
>their 30 & 90 expiration dates and makes no mention of the $100/180 day
>Cingular card.
>
>Fred

I won't touch the "trusted" part, but I will update my comparison page for the
$100. It's in the notes (along with the $15 card) since it really does not
really add much value to the plan. Guess I am going to have to update the plan
names too. The fact that they both are GoPhone is really confusing.

--
Dave
Visit my New England Cell Phone Page at
http://www.cellguru.net
(to reply take out the "remove" in my e-mail)