Best Phone Plan for 1 person

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ForeverInvestorILL
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Best Phone Plan for 1 person

Post by ForeverInvestorILL »

I just turned 24 and my parents are making me get on my own phone plan. I currently have a IPhone 5s on AT&T. I would like to upgrade to a newer phone (iPhone 8, Pixel 2, or Galaxy S8) I asked if I could stay on their plan and just write them a check and they said no so that’s not an option. My work will reimburse me $50 a month for my phone.

I looked at all the 4 big carriers and they are super expensive for a single line. The leader in the clubhouse right now is a Sprint 2GB ($40) with a Galaxy S8 on Sprint Flex (18 months at $15 and then I would buy it so an additional $150-200).

I am very very skeptical of the small carriers (Cricket, Boost, Virgin Mobile, etc) and worry about their reliability. I probably average about 3GBs usage right now.

Does anyone have any advice on what to do? Ideally I’d love to come in as close to $50/mo as possible with service and a new phone.
The Wizard
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Re: Best Phone Plan for 1 person

Post by The Wizard »

Try Google's project Fi...
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50ismygoal
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Re: Best Phone Plan for 1 person

Post by 50ismygoal »

I switched from Verizon to Cricket about a year ago. I too was skeptical, especially in terms of reliability. I pay $35 per month and the service has been great. I believe Cricket runs on the AT&T network, so you would probably see no change in service.
123
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Re: Best Phone Plan for 1 person

Post by 123 »

Things are pretty loose about what makes a family for the various phone plans. Do you have a friend, buddy, cousin, or other relative that you could pair up with and make your own family for a phone plan? Of course someone has to be come up with the money for the bill every month and if someone doesn't put in their share you've got a problem.

I think that Tracfone uses either the AT&T or T-mobile network depending on your area.
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ForeverInvestorILL
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Re: Best Phone Plan for 1 person

Post by ForeverInvestorILL »

The Wizard wrote: Sun Jan 07, 2018 7:50 pm Try Google's project Fi...
The Wizard...I was doing some reading on Project Fi and sounded interesting. Do you have personal experience with them? It could work if I purchased a Pixel 2 from them too.
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ForeverInvestorILL
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Re: Best Phone Plan for 1 person

Post by ForeverInvestorILL »

123 wrote: Sun Jan 07, 2018 7:56 pm Things are pretty loose about what makes a family for the various phone plans. Do you have a friend, buddy, cousin, or other relative that you could pair up with and make your own family for a phone plan? Of course someone has to be come up with the money for the bill every month and if someone doesn't put in their share you've got a problem.

I think that Tracfone uses either the AT&T or T-mobile network depending on your area.
Funny you say this...I actually just had this conversation with my roommate. He is in a Sprint Unlimited Plan with his family and if I joined that it would be about ~$70/mo for the same Samsung Galaxy S8 on Sprint Flex and unlimited talk, text, data.
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ForeverInvestorILL
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Re: Best Phone Plan for 1 person

Post by ForeverInvestorILL »

50ismygoal wrote: Sun Jan 07, 2018 7:54 pm I switched from Verizon to Cricket about a year ago. I too was skeptical, especially in terms of reliability. I pay $35 per month and the service has been great. I believe Cricket runs on the AT&T network, so you would probably see no change in service.
Interesting. I live in Chicago and don’t really know what service would be like in my area. How does it work in terms of getting my current phone number & contacts etc transferred over. It’s been a while since I’ve done this. Also, I would have to buy my own phone and bring it to them correct? The 5GB plan for $35 does sound pretty cheap. Thanks.
The Wizard
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Re: Best Phone Plan for 1 person

Post by The Wizard »

ForeverInvestorILL wrote: Sun Jan 07, 2018 7:59 pm
The Wizard wrote: Sun Jan 07, 2018 7:50 pm Try Google's project Fi...
The Wizard...I was doing some reading on Project Fi and sounded interesting. Do you have personal experience with them? It could work if I purchased a Pixel 2 from them too.
Yes, I have a Nexus 5x on Fi for the past few years. I should upgrade to Pixel 2 soon due to the 5X hardware not being so reliable.

But Fi has been great. Two big points I like:
1) seamless data plan where you pay for what you use, to the MB.
2) seamless international coverage from the moment you enter a new country, although Belize is not yet on the list of 135 supported countries...
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Watty
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Re: Best Phone Plan for 1 person

Post by Watty »

ForeverInvestorILL wrote: Sun Jan 07, 2018 7:46 pm I am very very skeptical of the small carriers (Cricket, Boost, Virgin Mobile, etc) and worry about their reliability.
They use the same towers and networks as the big carriers, they just pay the big companies for the access. The network they use will vary by phone and where you are but you can usually figure this out without too much difficulty.

If you get an unlocked phone you can try one for a few months and then switch if you are unhappy as long as you don't have a contract.
boglesmind
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Re: Best Phone Plan for 1 person

Post by boglesmind »

ForeverInvestorILL wrote: Sun Jan 07, 2018 7:46 pm I just turned 24 and my parents are making me get on my own phone plan. I currently have a IPhone 5s on AT&T. I would like to upgrade to a newer phone (iPhone 8, Pixel 2, or Galaxy S8) I asked if I could stay on their plan and just write them a check and they said no so that’s not an option. My work will reimburse me $50 a month for my phone.

I looked at all the 4 big carriers and they are super expensive for a single line. The leader in the clubhouse right now is a Sprint 2GB ($40) with a Galaxy S8 on Sprint Flex (18 months at $15 and then I would buy it so an additional $150-200).

I am very very skeptical of the small carriers (Cricket, Boost, Virgin Mobile, etc) and worry about their reliability. I probably average about 3GBs usage right now.

Does anyone have any advice on what to do? Ideally I’d love to come in as close to $50/mo as possible with service and a new phone.
For much wider discussions on cell phones/plans/providers, "Howard forums".

Also see "U.S. mobile virtual network operators"

Boglesmind
student
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Re: Best Phone Plan for 1 person

Post by student »

Do you have comcast internet? If so, take a look at viewtopic.php?t=220754
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Re: Best Phone Plan for 1 person

Post by The Wizard »

Watty wrote: Sun Jan 07, 2018 8:17 pm
ForeverInvestorILL wrote: Sun Jan 07, 2018 7:46 pm I am very very skeptical of the small carriers (Cricket, Boost, Virgin Mobile, etc) and worry about their reliability.
They use the same towers and networks as the big carriers, they just pay the big companies for the access. The network they use will vary by phone and where you are but you can usually figure this out without too much difficulty.

If you get an unlocked phone you can try one for a few months and then switch if you are unhappy as long as you don't have a contract.
One big difference is ROAMING.
Some of the MVNOs, such as Cricket and Consumer Cellular, don't have the same partnering agreements that AT&T has.
So if your travels take you to certain boondock areas, you will have no data coverage where with AT&T you would.
Parts of Nebraska and Arizona come to mind personally...
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Topic Author
ForeverInvestorILL
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Re: Best Phone Plan for 1 person

Post by ForeverInvestorILL »

The Wizard wrote: Sun Jan 07, 2018 8:15 pm
ForeverInvestorILL wrote: Sun Jan 07, 2018 7:59 pm
The Wizard wrote: Sun Jan 07, 2018 7:50 pm Try Google's project Fi...
The Wizard...I was doing some reading on Project Fi and sounded interesting. Do you have personal experience with them? It could work if I purchased a Pixel 2 from them too.
Yes, I have a Nexus 5x on Fi for the past few years. I should upgrade to Pixel 2 soon due to the 5X hardware not being so reliable.

But Fi has been great. Two big points I like:
1) seamless data plan where you pay for what you use, to the MB.
2) seamless international coverage from the moment you enter a new country, although Belize is not yet on the list of 135 supported countries...
Awesome. Of the 3 phones listed, I am very interested in the Pixel 2. How hard was switching from your old network to Google Fi? I’d like to keep my number and everything currently on my iPhone 5s.
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ForeverInvestorILL
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Re: Best Phone Plan for 1 person

Post by ForeverInvestorILL »

Watty wrote: Sun Jan 07, 2018 8:17 pm
ForeverInvestorILL wrote: Sun Jan 07, 2018 7:46 pm I am very very skeptical of the small carriers (Cricket, Boost, Virgin Mobile, etc) and worry about their reliability.
They use the same towers and networks as the big carriers, they just pay the big companies for the access. The network they use will vary by phone and where you are but you can usually figure this out without too much difficulty.

If you get an unlocked phone you can try one for a few months and then switch if you are unhappy as long as you don't have a contract.
Watty - if I were going to go the non big 4 route, I would start probably by buying a Pixel 2 directly from Google and shopping around. I’m just a little concerned about moving everything over on my own in terms of phone number and stuff on my current phone.
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Re: Best Phone Plan for 1 person

Post by triceratop »

I use Mint Sim, a MVNO on the Sprint network. I pay $15/mo. for unlimited talk/text and 2GB data. I am very happy with the service and price point. Other options: Tello.
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ForeverInvestorILL
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Re: Best Phone Plan for 1 person

Post by ForeverInvestorILL »

boglesmind wrote: Sun Jan 07, 2018 8:18 pm
ForeverInvestorILL wrote: Sun Jan 07, 2018 7:46 pm I just turned 24 and my parents are making me get on my own phone plan. I currently have a IPhone 5s on AT&T. I would like to upgrade to a newer phone (iPhone 8, Pixel 2, or Galaxy S8) I asked if I could stay on their plan and just write them a check and they said no so that’s not an option. My work will reimburse me $50 a month for my phone.

I looked at all the 4 big carriers and they are super expensive for a single line. The leader in the clubhouse right now is a Sprint 2GB ($40) with a Galaxy S8 on Sprint Flex (18 months at $15 and then I would buy it so an additional $150-200).

I am very very skeptical of the small carriers (Cricket, Boost, Virgin Mobile, etc) and worry about their reliability. I probably average about 3GBs usage right now.

Does anyone have any advice on what to do? Ideally I’d love to come in as close to $50/mo as possible with service and a new phone.
For much wider discussions on cell phones/plans/providers, "Howard forums".

Also see "U.S. mobile virtual network operators"

Boglesmind
That Forum is very interesting. Thanks for sharing.
Topic Author
ForeverInvestorILL
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Re: Best Phone Plan for 1 person

Post by ForeverInvestorILL »

student wrote: Sun Jan 07, 2018 8:19 pm Do you have comcast internet? If so, take a look at viewtopic.php?t=220754
My parents have a Comcast account and my roommate is the one that pays our current Comcast internet bill? Would either of those work?
Katietsu
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Re: Best Phone Plan for 1 person

Post by Katietsu »

If you want to look at any of the alternatives to the big 4, read the forums first. When I looked into it, I decided against it. Some plans restricted you to towers owned by just one company. Therefore, there would be areas that I would travel through with no coverage. Some plans did not transition to WiFi calling when the cell signal went weak, this was a no go for me. Some had a lower data speed which just drives me nuts. On the other hand, I can see where these things might not be an issue for someone else.

I would not want to get into a situation where I was tied to a particular MVNO for any length of time. Also, since you are interested in a new Samsung S8, I would factor this in. There have been some great deals with the major carriers on this phone lately. My niece just got hers for free by combining a couple of deals and a trade in.
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Re: Best Phone Plan for 1 person

Post by Katietsu »

ForeverInvestorILL wrote: Sun Jan 07, 2018 8:38 pm
student wrote: Sun Jan 07, 2018 8:19 pm Do you have comcast internet? If so, take a look at viewtopic.php?t=220754
My parents have a Comcast account and my roommate is the one that pays our current Comcast internet bill? Would either of those work?
As long as the roommate or parents are OK with it. I believe your calling service is restricted to the Verizon network which used to be pretty sketchy in Chicago. Don’t know how it is now.
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Re: Best Phone Plan for 1 person

Post by mxs »

I have a friend in Chicago who uses a Pixel 2 ( just had their 6p get the infamous boot loop, so upgraded due to that) on Fi and they are very happy with it. Look at coverage maps and make your choice between big networks, Fi, and the MVNO's. I can verify there is a difference between big network coverage and MVNO coverage. I just drove through Muskogee Oklahoma and Verizon shows coverage there, Total Wireless does not show coverage there (and I didn't have coverage with Total Wireless there). I would not worry about switching to Finish or a MVNO, just know what you are getting.
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Re: Best Phone Plan for 1 person

Post by student »

ForeverInvestorILL wrote: Sun Jan 07, 2018 8:38 pm
student wrote: Sun Jan 07, 2018 8:19 pm Do you have comcast internet? If so, take a look at viewtopic.php?t=220754
My parents have a Comcast account and my roommate is the one that pays our current Comcast internet bill? Would either of those work?
Yes. This will work if they are willing to do it. They are having a promotion right now.
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ForeverInvestorILL
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Re: Best Phone Plan for 1 person

Post by ForeverInvestorILL »

mxs wrote: Sun Jan 07, 2018 9:00 pm I have a friend in Chicago who uses a Pixel 2 ( just had their 6p get the infamous boot loop, so upgraded due to that) on Fi and they are very happy with it. Look at coverage maps and make your choice between big networks, Fi, and the MVNO's. I can verify there is a difference between big network coverage and MVNO coverage. I just drove through Muskogee Oklahoma and Verizon shows coverage there, Total Wireless does not show coverage there (and I didn't have coverage with Total Wireless there). I would not worry about switching to Finish or a MVNO, just know what you are getting.
Thanks for sharing about your friend in Chicago with the Pixel. The Fi coverage map looks fine around the places I am usually at (Home and work). Any idea if he bought his Pixel directly and paid $650 or did 24 Mo payment plan through Project Fi?
keaton
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Re: Best Phone Plan for 1 person

Post by keaton »

so many great MNVOs out there! Personally, I go with Verizon MNVO due to coverage, but t-mobile MNVOs are very good. I can never get my head around google fi as they are so expensive in comparison, unless your. vERY light data user.

My tops are (Verizon)
Boom
Totalwireless
USmobile
Pageplus


Lots of others but it takes time and research to figure out the pros and cons...
sambb
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Re: Best Phone Plan for 1 person

Post by sambb »

would stick with iphone and get the iphone X - its awesome, and you may find a ROI in time that you didnt have before
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ForeverInvestorILL
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Re: Best Phone Plan for 1 person

Post by ForeverInvestorILL »

sambb wrote: Sun Jan 07, 2018 9:29 pm would stick with iphone and get the iphone X - its awesome, and you may find a ROI in time that you didnt have before
I would love love love to get the IPhone X but the $1,000 price tag is a mental barrier that I won’t cross.
mxs
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Re: Best Phone Plan for 1 person

Post by mxs »

ForeverInvestorILL wrote: Sun Jan 07, 2018 9:27 pm
mxs wrote: Sun Jan 07, 2018 9:00 pm I have a friend in Chicago who uses a Pixel 2 ( just had their 6p get the infamous boot loop, so upgraded due to that) on Fi and they are very happy with it. Look at coverage maps and make your choice between big networks, Fi, and the MVNO's. I can verify there is a difference between big network coverage and MVNO coverage. I just drove through Muskogee Oklahoma and Verizon shows coverage there, Total Wireless does not show coverage there (and I didn't have coverage with Total Wireless there). I would not worry about switching to Finish or a MVNO, just know what you are getting.
Thanks for sharing about your friend in Chicago with the Pixel. The Fi coverage map looks fine around the places I am usually at (Home and work). Any idea if he bought his Pixel directly and paid $650 or did 24 Mo payment plan through Project Fi?
I don't know if he did the 650 upfront or payments. One thing to consider since you are already on iPhones is that iPhones are good for 5 years of updates/OS support from release, most Android's are good for 2-3 years at most. iPhones can't be used on Fi though. My wife wanted an iPhone and I wanted an Android so we went with Total Wireless. No regrets. We got an iPhone SE (5s sized 6s more or less) on Thanksgiving locked to Total Wireless for $100. Good phone at an excellent price if you are happy with your 5s size wise. Can use your current case if you want, and should be supported for 3 more years if their 5 year support continues.
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ForeverInvestorILL
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Re: Best Phone Plan for 1 person

Post by ForeverInvestorILL »

mxs wrote: Sun Jan 07, 2018 9:45 pm
ForeverInvestorILL wrote: Sun Jan 07, 2018 9:27 pm
mxs wrote: Sun Jan 07, 2018 9:00 pm I have a friend in Chicago who uses a Pixel 2 ( just had their 6p get the infamous boot loop, so upgraded due to that) on Fi and they are very happy with it. Look at coverage maps and make your choice between big networks, Fi, and the MVNO's. I can verify there is a difference between big network coverage and MVNO coverage. I just drove through Muskogee Oklahoma and Verizon shows coverage there, Total Wireless does not show coverage there (and I didn't have coverage with Total Wireless there). I would not worry about switching to Finish or a MVNO, just know what you are getting.
Thanks for sharing about your friend in Chicago with the Pixel. The Fi coverage map looks fine around the places I am usually at (Home and work). Any idea if he bought his Pixel directly and paid $650 or did 24 Mo payment plan through Project Fi?
I don't know if he did the 650 upfront or payments. One thing to consider since you are already on iPhones is that iPhones are good for 5 years of updates/OS support from release, most Android's are good for 2-3 years at most. iPhones can't be used on Fi though. My wife wanted an iPhone and I wanted an Android so we went with Total Wireless. No regrets. We got an iPhone SE (5s sized 6s more or less) on Thanksgiving locked to Total Wireless for $100. Good phone at an excellent price if you are happy with your 5s size wise. Can use your current case if you want, and should be supported for 3 more years if their 5 year support continues.
What are your thoughts on Total Wireless? I just looked on their website and they are offering an iPhone 7 and 5GB for $55 a month. That sounds like a good deal.
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Re: Best Phone Plan for 1 person

Post by aj76er »

The Wizard wrote: Sun Jan 07, 2018 7:50 pm Try Google's project Fi...
+1
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Re: Best Phone Plan for 1 person

Post by mxs »

ForeverInvestorILL wrote: Sun Jan 07, 2018 9:59 pm
mxs wrote: Sun Jan 07, 2018 9:45 pm
ForeverInvestorILL wrote: Sun Jan 07, 2018 9:27 pm
mxs wrote: Sun Jan 07, 2018 9:00 pm I have a friend in Chicago who uses a Pixel 2 ( just had their 6p get the infamous boot loop, so upgraded due to that) on Fi and they are very happy with it. Look at coverage maps and make your choice between big networks, Fi, and the MVNO's. I can verify there is a difference between big network coverage and MVNO coverage. I just drove through Muskogee Oklahoma and Verizon shows coverage there, Total Wireless does not show coverage there (and I didn't have coverage with Total Wireless there). I would not worry about switching to Finish or a MVNO, just know what you are getting.
Thanks for sharing about your friend in Chicago with the Pixel. The Fi coverage map looks fine around the places I am usually at (Home and work). Any idea if he bought his Pixel directly and paid $650 or did 24 Mo payment plan through Project Fi?
I don't know if he did the 650 upfront or payments. One thing to consider since you are already on iPhones is that iPhones are good for 5 years of updates/OS support from release, most Android's are good for 2-3 years at most. iPhones can't be used on Fi though. My wife wanted an iPhone and I wanted an Android so we went with Total Wireless. No regrets. We got an iPhone SE (5s sized 6s more or less) on Thanksgiving locked to Total Wireless for $100. Good phone at an excellent price if you are happy with your 5s size wise. Can use your current case if you want, and should be supported for 3 more years if their 5 year support continues.
What are your thoughts on Total Wireless? I just looked on their website and they are offering an iPhone 7 and 5GB for $55 a month. That sounds like a good deal.
Look at their coverage maps on their website and make sure it fits your needs. With auto pay you get a 5% discount on the basic monthly fee. I bought the iPhone at Target, the Android at Best Buy, and the Sim card at Best Buy. You will have to do some of the work yourself, and when you first turn on the new iPhone it will prompt you load your Apple ID or whatever they call their profile to the new phone and then you can transfer your contacts, texts, etc to the new phone. It is fairly easy. Check what 7 you are getting and make sure you are okay with the storage capacity. We went from a 4s to an SE and it was easy.

I would suggest starting the new phone setup earlier in the day, do the account creation online and fill in all the numbers online, and if you have problems you may need to call Total Wireless so look at their customer service hours and make sure you have time. You will need your old phone number, the account number it is on, and maybe the passwords for the ATT account so they can move your number from ATT to Total Wireless.
ft2010
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Re: Best Phone Plan for 1 person

Post by ft2010 »

ForeverInvestorILL wrote: Sun Jan 07, 2018 9:59 pm What are your thoughts on Total Wireless? I just looked on their website and they are offering an iPhone 7 and 5GB for $55 a month. That sounds like a good deal.
You are currently on AT&T, why would you pay $55 (for 5GB data) when you could use AT&T Prepaid directly for $45/month ($40 with auto pay, it now has 6GB data)?
https://www.att.com/prepaid/plans.html
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Re: Best Phone Plan for 1 person

Post by mxs »

ft2010 wrote: Sun Jan 07, 2018 10:26 pm
ForeverInvestorILL wrote: Sun Jan 07, 2018 9:59 pm What are your thoughts on Total Wireless? I just looked on their website and they are offering an iPhone 7 and 5GB for $55 a month. That sounds like a good deal.
You are currently on AT&T, why would you pay $55 (for 5GB data) when you could use AT&T Prepaid directly for $45/month ($40 with auto pay, it now has 6GB data)?
https://www.att.com/prepaid/plans.html
The $55 is $35 plan plus $20 towards phone for 2 years, or $480 for the iPhone 7 I believe.
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ForeverInvestorILL
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Re: Best Phone Plan for 1 person

Post by ForeverInvestorILL »

aj76er wrote: Sun Jan 07, 2018 10:09 pm
The Wizard wrote: Sun Jan 07, 2018 7:50 pm Try Google's project Fi...
+1
Random question but is the $20 referral code still live? Would consider adding that if I went with Project Fi.
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Re: Best Phone Plan for 1 person

Post by gostars »

I switched from TMO to Google Fi about 18 months ago. I'm happy with the service. Setup was easy, and it only took about 10 minutes to transfer my number. I spend most of my life on wifi and pre-download Google Maps when I travel, so my data usage is generally a couple hundred megs a month and so my monthly bill (with the device cost spread over 24 months) is around $40.

I've been been a stock Android user since day 1 of the Moto Droid and have been happy with my 5x, but every 5x is expected to die prematurely because Qualcomm sucks. The replacement options from Fi are not good: I'm not interested in spending $600+ on a Pixel, and the Moto X4 doesn't do it for me (eww, physical button). I'll likely be looking for a new phone and new carrier when the 5x goes end of support in September unless Fi has a better option in the sub-$400 space.

If you're OK with the price of a Pixel 2, and don't use a ton of data, it's a good option.
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Re: Best Phone Plan for 1 person

Post by ft2010 »

mxs wrote: Sun Jan 07, 2018 10:37 pm The $55 is $35 plan plus $20 towards phone for 2 years, or $480 for the iPhone 7 I believe.
Thanks that explains it. I didn't think of amortize handsets from providers :-)
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Re: Best Phone Plan for 1 person

Post by aj76er »

ForeverInvestorILL wrote: Sun Jan 07, 2018 10:39 pm
aj76er wrote: Sun Jan 07, 2018 10:09 pm
The Wizard wrote: Sun Jan 07, 2018 7:50 pm Try Google's project Fi...
+1
Random question but is the $20 referral code still live? Would consider adding that if I went with Project Fi.
Sent you a PM
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aj76er
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Re: Best Phone Plan for 1 person

Post by aj76er »

gostars wrote: Sun Jan 07, 2018 11:12 pm I switched from TMO to Google Fi about 18 months ago. I'm happy with the service. Setup was easy, and it only took about 10 minutes to transfer my number. I spend most of my life on wifi and pre-download Google Maps when I travel, so my data usage is generally a couple hundred megs a month and so my monthly bill (with the device cost spread over 24 months) is around $40.

I've been been a stock Android user since day 1 of the Moto Droid and have been happy with my 5x, but every 5x is expected to die prematurely because Qualcomm sucks. The replacement options from Fi are not good: I'm not interested in spending $600+ on a Pixel, and the Moto X4 doesn't do it for me (eww, physical button). I'll likely be looking for a new phone and new carrier when the 5x goes end of support in September unless Fi has a better option in the sub-$400 space.

If you're OK with the price of a Pixel 2, and don't use a ton of data, it's a good option.
Google will give you a couple hundred bucks for your nexus 5x (i.e. trade-in value). You just need to factory-reset your phone, and ship it in a pre-paid postage box that they send you. Anyway, it helps offset the cost of the pixel (to something closer to $400, which makes it tolerable).
"Buy-and-hold, long-term, all-market-index strategies, implemented at rock-bottom cost, are the surest of all routes to the accumulation of wealth" - John C. Bogle
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aj76er
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Re: Best Phone Plan for 1 person

Post by aj76er »

FYI, there should be a link for this (initiate a trade-in) near the top of your projectFI dashboard when you log in...
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Re: Best Phone Plan for 1 person

Post by gostars »

I saw on the Project Fi site that they were offering $150 for a trade-in of a 5x, but that expired on Friday :oops:.
Angelus359
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Re: Best Phone Plan for 1 person

Post by Angelus359 »

I liked MetroPCS before my work put me on a Verizon plan
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chambers136
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Re: Best Phone Plan for 1 person

Post by chambers136 »

Stay with AT&T- go prepaid. 6G data, unlimited calling for $40/mo with auto pay (comes to about $44/mo with taxes). It's $5 more if you don't use auto pay. You have to own your phone for this.
mouses
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Re: Best Phone Plan for 1 person

Post by mouses »

I have Consumer Cellular.

They have no roaming fee in the US. Don't know about internationally, though.

I travel in New England and have never been unable to get a signal. Their providers are AT&T and TMobile. You can choose which you want. I have AT&T.

No contract. Buy a phone or bring one. One line unlimited talk ($20), unlimited text on all data plans, data has several plans from $5(250MB) to $40(10GB).
Last edited by mouses on Mon Jan 08, 2018 6:22 am, edited 2 times in total.
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oldcomputerguy
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Re: Best Phone Plan for 1 person

Post by oldcomputerguy »

ForeverInvestorILL wrote: Sun Jan 07, 2018 7:46 pm I just turned 24 and my parents are making me get on my own phone plan. I currently have a IPhone 5s on AT&T. I would like to upgrade to a newer phone (iPhone 8, Pixel 2, or Galaxy S8) I asked if I could stay on their plan and just write them a check and they said no so that’s not an option. My work will reimburse me $50 a month for my phone.

I looked at all the 4 big carriers and they are super expensive for a single line. The leader in the clubhouse right now is a Sprint 2GB ($40) with a Galaxy S8 on Sprint Flex (18 months at $15 and then I would buy it so an additional $150-200).

I am very very skeptical of the small carriers (Cricket, Boost, Virgin Mobile, etc) and worry about their reliability. I probably average about 3GBs usage right now.

Does anyone have any advice on what to do? Ideally I’d love to come in as close to $50/mo as possible with service and a new phone.

Consumer Cellular features a plan with unlimited talk and 3 GB of data for $40/month. They use the AT&T network, among others, so if you're happy with the coverage you currently have, it likely wouldn't change much.
There is only one success - to be able to spend your life in your own way. (Christopher Morley)
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ForeverInvestorILL
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Re: Best Phone Plan for 1 person

Post by ForeverInvestorILL »

ft2010 wrote: Sun Jan 07, 2018 10:26 pm
ForeverInvestorILL wrote: Sun Jan 07, 2018 9:59 pm What are your thoughts on Total Wireless? I just looked on their website and they are offering an iPhone 7 and 5GB for $55 a month. That sounds like a good deal.
You are currently on AT&T, why would you pay $55 (for 5GB data) when you could use AT&T Prepaid directly for $45/month ($40 with auto pay, it now has 6GB data)?
https://www.att.com/prepaid/plans.html
Thanks for sharing. I will need to do more research. How do I find more information on AT&T Prepaid? Also, would corporate discount apply to this plan? And I would need to buy my phone outright correct?
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ForeverInvestorILL
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Re: Best Phone Plan for 1 person

Post by ForeverInvestorILL »

chambers136 wrote: Mon Jan 08, 2018 5:49 am Stay with AT&T- go prepaid. 6G data, unlimited calling for $40/mo with auto pay (comes to about $44/mo with taxes). It's $5 more if you don't use auto pay. You have to own your phone for this.
Chambers - I am leaning towards this plan now. All I have to do is go to an AT&T store and tell them I own my phone and want to go prepaid? If I can keep my current phone and pay less than $50, that would be fantastic.
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retiredjg
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Re: Best Phone Plan for 1 person

Post by retiredjg »

I'd look at Consumer Cellular since ATT service works for you. No contract. Can change your plan from month to month. Great customer service when I used them.
mouses
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Re: Best Phone Plan for 1 person

Post by mouses »

retiredjg wrote: Mon Jan 08, 2018 8:02 am I'd look at Consumer Cellular since ATT service works for you. No contract. Can change your plan from month to month. Great customer service when I used them.
Yes, the CC folks are really knowledgeable. I bought a mobile hotspot from them for use with my Nook and ancient laptop and they got things working in about ten minutes.

You can actually change your plan instantly, no waiting to the end of the month.
chambers136
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Re: Best Phone Plan for 1 person

Post by chambers136 »

ForeverInvestorILL wrote: Mon Jan 08, 2018 7:57 am All I have to do is go to an AT&T store and tell them I own my phone and want to go prepaid? If I can keep my current phone and pay less than $50, that would be fantastic.
I was on prepaid from the start, so I never went through this, but I would stop by an At&T store and talk to them. I think they can do everything there- they were able to take care of everything when my wife ported her number from Verizon. The only thing is whether they can look up your account number since it's already AT&T(for number porting purposes) or if you need to have it when you walk in. Once you're on prepaid, it's easy to change phones if you want to. I had a 5s on this plan until a few weeks ago. I bought an iPhone 7, just put the SIM card in and I was good to go.
neilpilot
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Re: Best Phone Plan for 1 person

Post by neilpilot »

student wrote: Sun Jan 07, 2018 9:17 pm
ForeverInvestorILL wrote: Sun Jan 07, 2018 8:38 pm
student wrote: Sun Jan 07, 2018 8:19 pm Do you have comcast internet? If so, take a look at viewtopic.php?t=220754
My parents have a Comcast account and my roommate is the one that pays our current Comcast internet bill? Would either of those work?
Yes. This will work if they are willing to do it. They are having a promotion right now.
I think it will only work if the account and billing is in the same name as the comcast account. If his parent's would not allow him to stay on their AT&T plan, then is't doubtful they would agree to work with him on Xfinity. BTW his Xfinity plan using 3G of data would cost about 3 x $12 + $3 = $39, excluding any phone purchase agreement.

We use only 1G total on our 2 lines each month, so we're happy with our $17.50/mo Xfinity service.
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knpstr
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Re: Best Phone Plan for 1 person

Post by knpstr »

Best I've found is the new Xfinity Mobile "By the gig" plan

If all your data use is on WiFi the plan is free. Last month my wife's bill was $4.01 (which was just state taxes/fees)

The catch is that you have to be using at least 1 other comcast/xfinity service to qualify.
They use the Verizon network.
Very little is needed to make a happy life; it is all within yourself, in your way of thinking. -Marcus Aurelius
Topic Author
ForeverInvestorILL
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Re: Best Phone Plan for 1 person

Post by ForeverInvestorILL »

chambers136 wrote: Mon Jan 08, 2018 8:17 am
ForeverInvestorILL wrote: Mon Jan 08, 2018 7:57 am All I have to do is go to an AT&T store and tell them I own my phone and want to go prepaid? If I can keep my current phone and pay less than $50, that would be fantastic.
I was on prepaid from the start, so I never went through this, but I would stop by an At&T store and talk to them. I think they can do everything there- they were able to take care of everything when my wife ported her number from Verizon. The only thing is whether they can look up your account number since it's already AT&T(for number porting purposes) or if you need to have it when you walk in. Once you're on prepaid, it's easy to change phones if you want to. I had a 5s on this plan until a few weeks ago. I bought an iPhone 7, just put the SIM card in and I was good to go.
Thanks Chambers. I will stop by a store tonight to get some more information on PrePaid. Where did you buy your iPhone 7? Would love to upgrade and looking for a good deal to buy unlocked.
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