3 ms·

Is it not game changing just being a $33 smart phone? Heck, I pay more than $33 per month for my smart phone service!

by bradfa 12y ago

zanny 12y ago
I recently started using Freedompop, which gives 200 minutes and 500 messages and megabytes for free each month. Tried their higher tier services - they work great. But I don't need them. So I've been paying $0 in phone service for a few months now. It is only limited by Sprint's 3G coverage, and if its available you use the 4G instead. They even have a nice $70 a year unlimited minutes and messages plan (same 500mb of data - I don't think their data rates are competitive at all imo, but then again no phone companies data rates are competitive unless you had exactly 7 people on a tmobile plan). This is after trying out Tracfone, Republic Wireless, and Ting. It is really hard to argue paying monthly if you don't have to.
- aembleton 12y ago
  Just be warned that you might lose service if they fail to pay their bills to their network provider. I was with a similar sounding MVNO in the UK called Ovivo. Fortunately I switched away but just one month later all subscribers were cut off: http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/news/utilities/2014/03/sim-only-provider-ovivo-shuts-down-know-your-rights http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/news/utilities/2014/03/sim-... Free is brilliant if there is a viable business model to make it pay.
  - zanny 12y ago
    I heard about them a year ago, but they started out in like 2010 and had to switch from Clear WiMax to Sprint at the time, and yeah, I had no confidence in their long term viability. A year later, they were still going, so I gave it a shot. I don't regret it. If the floor falls out, every sane MVNO in the US is Sprint based anyway and I can move my phone to any of them.
- bradfa 12y ago
  I'm a Ting customer. The huge advantage for me with Ting over Freedompop and other MVNOs riding on Sprint is that I can roam onto Verizon at no cost for calling and texting, which is key for me in the places I normally go as Verizon has much better service than Ting in more rural areas. EDIT: Added that roaming onto Verizon is no cost for Ting.

Is it not game changing just being a $33 smart phone? Heck, I pay more than $33 per month for my smart phone service!

by bradfa 12y ago

Is it not game changing just being a $33 smart phone? Heck, I pay more than $33 per month for my smart phone service!

zanny 12y ago

I recently started using Freedompop, which gives 200 minutes and 500 messages and megabytes for free each month. Tried their higher tier services - they work great. But I don't need them. So I've been paying $0 in phone service for a few months now. It is only limited by Sprint's 3G coverage, and if its available you use the 4G instead. They even have a nice $70 a year unlimited minutes and messages plan (same 500mb of data - I don't think their data rates are competitive at all imo, but then again no phone companies data rates are competitive unless you had exactly 7 people on a tmobile plan). This is after trying out Tracfone, Republic Wireless, and Ting. It is really hard to argue paying monthly if you don't have to.

aembleton 12y ago
Just be warned that you might lose service if they fail to pay their bills to their network provider. I was with a similar sounding MVNO in the UK called Ovivo. Fortunately I switched away but just one month later all subscribers were cut off: http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/news/utilities/2014/03/sim-only-provider-ovivo-shuts-down-know-your-rights http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/news/utilities/2014/03/sim-... Free is brilliant if there is a viable business model to make it pay.
- zanny 12y ago
  I heard about them a year ago, but they started out in like 2010 and had to switch from Clear WiMax to Sprint at the time, and yeah, I had no confidence in their long term viability. A year later, they were still going, so I gave it a shot. I don't regret it. If the floor falls out, every sane MVNO in the US is Sprint based anyway and I can move my phone to any of them.
bradfa 12y ago
I'm a Ting customer. The huge advantage for me with Ting over Freedompop and other MVNOs riding on Sprint is that I can roam onto Verizon at no cost for calling and texting, which is key for me in the places I normally go as Verizon has much better service than Ting in more rural areas. EDIT: Added that roaming onto Verizon is no cost for Ting.