T-Mobile new plans. What do we think?

[Bill in Utah]

I'm not into anything contract so when T-Mobile announced their new no contract plans I'm interested.

Looks like I can lower my current outlay for 4 phones to around $80-$120 depending on what data plan we select. (right now I'm paying $120-$130 for unlimited using AT&T/T-Mobile service)

The only thing I don't like is it is not pre-pay so taxes and fees will be added which could bump it up another $20-$40 depending on what they post.

What do you guys think of their new plans? I'm bringing paid for phones so nothing needed there.

Thanks, Bill

 

[Donald]

I converted my Droid 2 to unlocked baseband so its GSM would work in the US. I then signed up with T-Mobile for their 100 talk min plus unlimited text/data for $30/month. Its prepay, but not a contract. This I did 3 or 4 months ago. No taxes that I see, just $30/month. Who talks on a cell phone anymore?

T-Mobile seems about as good to me as Verizon. Neither worked in the sticks where I live but both work fine where I work near Albany.

Even if you get a new phone from them and pay it off over 2 years, you only pay sales tax on that piece of the bill, not all the other absurd taxes.

This is basically the Eurpoean model. Buy a cell and choose your carrier.

And believe it or not the girl on the pink motorcycle does stop buy to activate your phone.

 

[SrDriver]

Straight Talk at Wal-Mart offers unlimited nation wide talk, text or Image minutes, & web access for a total of $45.00 a month.

For $30.00 a month you get.

1,000 Nationwide minutes.

Text or Images 1,000 Nationwide

Mobile Web Access 30 MB

Net10 prepaid could be another option.

 

[Bill in Utah]

I'm with Straight Talk for around $100 for 3 months right now per line.

 

[Donald]

Originally Posted By: SrDriver
Straight Talk at Wal-Mart offers unlimited nation wide talk, text or Image minutes, & web access for a total of $45.00 a month.

For $30.00 a month you get.

1,000 Nationwide minutes.

Text or Images 1,000 Nationwide

Mobile Web Access 30 MB

Net10 prepaid could be another option.


30 MB of mobile web access does not seem like much!

 

[SrDriver]

Originally Posted By: Donald
Originally Posted By: SrDriver
Straight Talk at Wal-Mart offers unlimited nation wide talk, text or Image minutes, & web access for a total of $45.00 a month.

For $30.00 a month you get.

1,000 Nationwide minutes.

Text or Images 1,000 Nationwide

Mobile Web Access 30 MB

Net10 prepaid could be another option.


30 MB of mobile web access does not seem like much!


For another $15.00 or a total of $45.00 a month you get unlimited everything including Web Access.

 

[Bill in Utah]

Originally Posted By: SrDriver
Originally Posted By: Donald
Originally Posted By: SrDriver
Straight Talk at Wal-Mart offers unlimited nation wide talk, text or Image minutes, & web access for a total of $45.00 a month.

For $30.00 a month you get.

1,000 Nationwide minutes.

Text or Images 1,000 Nationwide

Mobile Web Access 30 MB

Net10 prepaid could be another option.


30 MB of mobile web access does not seem like much!


For another $15.00 or a total of $45.00 a month you get unlimited everything including Web Access.



$45 x 4 is a far cry from T-Mobiles new plan which I'm asking about.

And most of the plans from ALL their "unlimited" do have some limits which as long as they put it up front I'm okay with.

Take care, Bill

 

[Donald]

Originally Posted By: Bill in Utah
Originally Posted By: SrDriver
Originally Posted By: Donald
Originally Posted By: SrDriver
Straight Talk at Wal-Mart offers unlimited nation wide talk, text or Image minutes, & web access for a total of $45.00 a month.

For $30.00 a month you get.

1,000 Nationwide minutes.

Text or Images 1,000 Nationwide

Mobile Web Access 30 MB

Net10 prepaid could be another option.


30 MB of mobile web access does not seem like much!


For another $15.00 or a total of $45.00 a month you get unlimited everything including Web Access.



$45 x 4 is a far cry from T-Mobiles new plan which I'm asking about.

And most of the plans from ALL their "unlimited" do have some limits which as long as they put it up front I'm okay with.

Take care, Bill


With T-Mobile when you reach a data limit I believe they just slow you down.

 

[JHZR2]

what im not getting is how straight talk doesn't have taxes/fees, because it is prepaid, while a monthly plan like Tmobile does. It seems to me more like they are just built in and hidden.

I looked at t mobile recently. Was looking at their phone setup - essentially a downpayment and then a 0% interest loan. Unlimited plans look like $120/month for two lines. We use unlimited web but none else. After taxes that doesnt seem cheaper than our ATT plan, and ours gives subsidy for the "free" iphone 4, or at cost for a better phone (e.g. 199 IIRC for a 5 or galaxy). Not seeing how it is really any different in outlay.

But we dont use/need unlimited talk, just web. Im sure ATT is pricier with unlimited talk. But with our rollover minutes, which we have actually dipped into maybe once, its not an issue.

So Im not seeing this as a great deal, personally. Though the calculation really needs to be done with a phone, vs straight talk with a regular msrp outlay for the same phone. My reading indicates that t-mobile discounts phones compared to msrp... FWIW. Not sure if it is really the case vs true new warrantied street price...

 

[Bill in Utah]

Straight talk is $45 period. If you buy 3 months from them then its $42 period. If you get the refills from other sources then it can get as low as $31 period.

No universal this or sales tax or state wireless fee. With T-mobile and ATT you ARE paying it after the plan price. Yes they may be hidden with Straight talk but the end result is a much lower price since ATT / T-Mobile (and pretty well any other post paid) tacks on those fees/taxes AFTER the plans (and those can be as little as 8% and up to 26%!)

I already have excellent current phones. Not an issue but even if I did I'd NEVER go to a "free" phone due to the contract.

ATT is over $160 for the same plan that the new T-Mobile has for $100. The difference is ATT is on a contract and T-Mobile is not so they will have to do better since they don't have the early out fee like ATT does.

I used to be with ATT and customer service is something they really do not have. T-Mobile was very impressive when I spoke to them yesterday and answered all my questions. I'll prob go with them with the only thing being that I'll upgrade my Daughters and Wife's phone to 2 gig and since its not on a contract I can drop them up or down if needed without any problem.

I called ATT and they told me to go to the web and "everything I have is there" and hung up. Enough said about that...

So right now I'll be paying $120 plus fees (about 9%) for 4 phones. Unlimited talk (while we don't talk that much I don't want a surprise @ 10 cents a minute later) unlimited text (needed) and unlimited data (high speed for 2 phones to 2 gig and the other 2 high speed to 500 mb)

If I don't like it then back to straight talk. I do have extra ATT and T-Mobile simms so other than the day to port back over no big issue.

T-Mobile also is sending out the simms for free just in case I want to go to them. No activation charges with either them or Straight talk so nothing to loose.

Take care, Bill

 

[Bill in Utah]

Originally Posted By: Donald


And believe it or not the girl on the pink motorcycle does stop buy to activate your phone.


I'm waiting for this!

 

[JHZR2]

Originally Posted By: Bill in Utah
Straight talk is $45 period. If you buy 3 months from them then its $42 period. If you get the refills from other sources then it can get as low as $31 period.

I already have excellent current phones. Not an issue but even if I did I'd NEVER go to a "free" phone due to the contract.

ATT is over $160 for the same plan that the new T-Mobile has for $100. The difference is ATT is on a contract and T-Mobile is not so they will have to do better since they don't have the early out fee like ATT does.


What plan are you seeing for $100? If straight talk is unlimited everything, the same plan from t-mobile for two lines is $120 when I went on there. Given that two lines on Straight Talk for unlimited everything would be $90-ish, no way Id consider going t-mobile anyway, Straight Talk is far cheaper for what youre getting... Unless there is an issue with straight talk (do tell).

I wouldn necessarily get a free phone either. But the cost of the phone, whether subsidized, financed (like T-mobile offers) or just outright bought, must be considered in terms of pricing and warranty. My understanding is that T-mobile is discounting phone purchase prices for the phones they are then financing free to the users. For the iphone, for example, this makes it cheaper to buy from T than from Apple direct. The same thing may be the case for samsung, Google, etc. phones.

One thing to be careful about with T (And I was a long time user, back to the voicestream days) is that in certain areas, calling isnt free. For example to US territories, where I use ATT voice and data all I want, but for which T charges. The T-mobile coverage map just doesnt compare well to the ATT service we get in some areas, including over our house in a suburb very close to a city, and at a mountain home where ATT is full strength. Bummer.

If T gets more towers, Id consider going back.

 

[Bill in Utah]

Originally Posted By: JHZR2

What plan are you seeing for $100? If straight talk is unlimited everything, the same plan from t-mobile for two lines is $120 when I went on there. Given that two lines on Straight Talk for unlimited everything would be $90-ish, no way Id consider going t-mobile anyway, Straight Talk is far cheaper for what youre getting... Unless there is an issue with straight talk (do tell).

I wouldn necessarily get a free phone either. But the cost of the phone, whether subsidized, financed (like T-mobile offers) or just outright bought, must be considered in terms of pricing and warranty. My understanding is that T-mobile is discounting phone purchase prices for the phones they are then financing free to the users. For the iphone, for example, this makes it cheaper to buy from T than from Apple direct. The same thing may be the case for samsung, Google, etc. phones.

One thing to be careful about with T (And I was a long time user, back to the voicestream days) is that in certain areas, calling isnt free. For example to US territories, where I use ATT voice and data all I want, but for which T charges. The T-mobile coverage map just doesnt compare well to the ATT service we get in some areas, including over our house in a suburb very close to a city, and at a mountain home where ATT is full strength. Bummer.

If T gets more towers, Id consider going back.


Here is the page that has 4 lines for $100 unlimited with 500 mb per line of high speed data.

The person I spoke to said roaming is only an issue *IF* you are on roaming more than in your home area. They would notify you of the concern and allow you to either move your home area (and all 4 lines would go to that area) or end service. Reason why they do that is different areas cost more and people are saying that they are in area x but really are in area y to avoid the taxes and fees.

ALL lines must be in the same zone to prevent someone from getting 2 lines then you getting 2 more off of my service for $20 instead of the $60.

NO issues with Straight Talk other than I can save more $$ possibly with going to T-Mobile. I have 2 phones on T-mobile already and the other 2 on ATT. All work great around here and whenever we go someplace. I have noticed that we loose data in some places of MT with the T-mobile where the ATT works just fine. Other than that so far both seem to be the same. I do know that some contract areas with ATT and T-Mobile treat roaming on each others network differently.

Still looking around. I've got till May since I'm paid up with 3 of the 4 phones till late Apr / early May.

Bill

 

[JHZR2]

OK - youre downgrading from unlimited data, thus the cost difference.

I know fromn experience that the roaming thing has not worked that way, unfortunately...

Hopefully T-mobile will prove to be a viable competitor to keep costs down overall!

 

[Bill in Utah]

Originally Posted By: JHZR2
OK - youre downgrading from unlimited data, thus the cost difference.

I know fromn experience that the roaming thing has not worked that way, unfortunately...

Hopefully T-mobile will prove to be a viable competitor to keep costs down overall!


No the data is still unlimited but only x (x being which plan I pay for from 500 mb (free) to $20 (unlimited)) of HIGH SPEED access. Then the rest is at 2G which works for most of the stuff we do (nav, look ups and such) We don't stream anything but radio/music and most of it works just fine with a 2g speed. A ton of WI-FIs here so that helps.

Looking at my phone right now I've used 111.84mb since 4th of March. Used 921.87 of Wi-Fi data for the same period.

Nice thing is IF they do charge for the roaming (I have the number of the Customer Service person I talked to and will call again just to make sure) they will credit me anything over and then I'd be right back to where I'm at now with the only thing being porting over hassle. No costs to me going either way.

Like I said still thinking..

 

[JHZR2]

Yeah its lots to think about... The data bit is the concern to me... We use around 2GB of actual streaming data each month, sometimes a good bit more. My read was that you have to select a plan. It would be nice if you got 500MB "free" and then if you went over, they just took you to the next tier for the month only... Rather than throttling the speed.

Of course our plans throttle somewhere north of 3GB despite being unlimited

 

[RTexasF]

We have done the T-Mobile unlimited plan (Non contract) for the last two years. No worries other than their auto pay program. It would pay and they would cut my phone off for not paying even though it was indeed paid in full and I got the message on my phone. I went to a different pay program which I must do monthly called comfi and no problems since. Hers works great with auto pay through T-Mobile,mine will not. It's still the best deal in town.

 

[JHZR2]

So I just did a bit of analysis on this. Looks like with three lines (taking our home number over as #3), it would be $110, and that includes unlimited data on my line and for the time being no data upgrade on my wife's (she has more opportunity to use wifi than I do).

Of course if I bought any half decent phone, new, I'd be paying $20/month for two years. So lets say we both want new phones and go this route... THat's another $40... Making the monthly bill $150.

Now if I got the free or nearly free phone with ATT, kept our service as it is, unlimited web but limited talk and text, our monthly cost for the three lines, taxes included (I didnt include taxes and fees for TM, since I dont know what they would be), would be $136.

If TM gives me a discount similar to what ATT does, TM will be more competitive.

Sure, I get unlimited talk and text with TM. But Im not seeing it as that competitive really, unfortunately. The monthly outlay is lower, but when you consider the cost of the phone again, it is the same or higher.

So the savings really occurs when you keep the same phone past the two year mark... But given tech progression, what fun is that?

UGH! Difficult to decide how to go...

 

[daves87rs]

Both T mobile and straight talk look good...

 

[Vikas]

Of all the people here, I thought you would be the last person to moan about "needing a new phone every two years"! I get the feeling that somebody else had uttered those words (aka Nick) you would be on his case in no time, right???

Sure, I understand that you can afford it given you send E-Class (have you reached the E500 or still at E350? money to federal government every single year but still ...