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Head to head comparison of carrier price plans. Is T-Mobile still the best value? Surprising results

jkcheng122 said:
I don't think you can leave out t-mobile's even more plus plans as the monthly savings over contact plans is more than the difference between buying the Vibrant with and without contract. Also the phone can be bought on monthly payments where you don't have to cough up the $500 up front.
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True, but if you do the math for a family plan with several people, purchasing smartphones at full retail outweighs any savings you could get from the no contract plan. No contract plans are great for individuals, or two people.
 
SamsungVibrant said:
Hey do you remember the Mac vs Pc commercials, You know, that skinny mac guy, and then the fat PC guy.

Well remember, in those commercials, mac basically puts PC down, shows the PC guy fainting and crashing, etc etc etc.


So you would think Mac can take a joke right. So here is Ellen Degerees, a comedian, making a lively joke:


Boy oh boy, do you know what happend next? Apples Legal team went to town on Ellen. I mean went to town. Apple legal said Ellen was portraying the iPhone as difficult to use, and hurting their sales.

So Apple and Steve Jobs, let me get this right. You are allowed to make fun of PC, have an entire add campaign bashing microsoft and the PC. Yet, when a freaking comedian makes a comedic video, you unleash your legal department on her? Apples legal department basically threatened Ellen with a lawsuit, and demanded an apology. Poor Ellen was in a tuff situation:

STEVE JOBS, SCREW YOU, you act like you are this total hippy down to earth company. In my opinion you are worse 100 times worse than Bill Gates ever was.

This was a huge low for Apple. If you can dish it out Apple, learn to take it also.
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Apple has been acting really creepy lately. That whole episode with the guy leaving the alleged IPhone 4 prototype at the bar..I think Apple made all that crap up to build the pre launch hype over Iphone. And they have been acting really weird and creepy lately. Maybe Android will put them in their place. Problem with Apple though is their diehard fanboys who will buy anything Steve puts out. I like Apple's products and I've had my share of Apple products but I am definitely not a fanboy. I did like the IPhone as long as I've used it and its a neat product but that does not entitle you to act all creepy and weird. You know, you cannot get a IPhone replacement even at full price if you lose your IPhone? Evidently they are protecting the iEmpire by preventing people from buying them and selling it on ebay. WTF. I can probably ignore Apple's antics but AT&T? That monopoly has to end for AT&T. I dunno WTF DoJ is doing if they cannot see this monopoly.

I do want Android to gain marketshare and give Apple the jitters about iPhone. Do I like Apple products? Yes. Am I ready to put up with their nonsense in selling me their wares? No.

Yeah the Ellen thing looks like a real cheapshot from Apple.
 
SamsungVibrant said:
what does EMP stand for? Employee discount?

Well Robinelli, you are grandfathered in yes? I would keep what you have. The current t-mobile price for unlimited voice/text/web for 2 lines is 139.99 no contract, or 179.99 for 2 yr contract.
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I'm not grandfathered but I probably should be. I need to call about that. I've been with them a long time but am paying current pricing.
 
Unfortunately, I consider them the worst bang for your buck now. People say Verizon is the most expensive, but look at the facts. For $15 dollars more than T-Mobile, Verizon lets you pick 10 numbers on each line, even landlines, anyday, anytime, you can talk completely unlimited.
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If you don't talk more than 50 hours a month that advantage is worthless though...
 
woodyt74 said:
Minimum individual calling plans with max data package and a basic texting package, not unlimited. Very interested in the Galaxy S phones. ;)
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Verizon - 450 Mins for $39.99+$30 data+$5(250 msgs) = $74.99

Sprint - 450 mins, Unl data, Unl Text = $69.99(Includes Any Mobile Any Time)

Att - 450 Mins $39.99+15/$25+$5(200 msgs) = $59.99(Only 200megs of Data)$69.99 for 2 gigs of data (Also has rollover minutes)

T-Mobile - $59.99 Unl data. Unl Texting...No Phone Subsidy
$79.99 Same as above with Subsidy.
 
Tangent said:
If you don't talk more than 50 hours a month that advantage is worthless though...
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True...But he is also putting out the highest price Verizon...If you need less minutes then the price go down...$99.99 for talk and text plus $90 would be $189.99 for 700 minutes, Unl texting, and Unl data for three lines.

I'm currently with Sprint and trying to find out the best situation for myself. There are many grey areas when choosing carriers so each persons situation will differ by how many phones you need, coverage for your area, if you travel oversees, etc..

I do semi agree though it does seem like T-Mobile has somewhat priced themselves out of the market. They aren't overly expensive in comparison but they also imo are not the best "value" anymore.
 
Woosh said:
True...But he is also putting out the highest price Verizon...If you need less minutes then the price go down...$99.99 for talk and text plus $90 would be $189.99 for 700 minutes, Unl texting, and Unl data for three lines.

I'm currently with Sprint and trying to find out the best situation for myself. There are many grey areas when choosing carriers so each persons situation will differ by how many phones you need, coverage for your area, if you travel oversees, etc..

I do semi agree though it does seem like T-Mobile has somewhat priced themselves out of the market. They aren't overly expensive in comparison but they also imo are not the best "value" anymore.
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Yes...I was comparing the verizon 2100 minute plan, I was trying to keep the price plans as close to each other as possible.
However, if you choose the verizon 119.99 plan, you save even more money, and you still get 10 numbers you can call unlimited!
 
woodyt74 said:
Minimum individual calling plans with max data package and a basic texting package, not unlimited. Very interested in the Galaxy S phones. ;)
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Verizon:
-Nationwide Single-Line Plan, 450 talk minutes 39.99
-Unlimited Data package 29.99
*3 options for Text messaging.
-1st..250 texts..5 bucks (you said you wanted basic, so I'll use this in total)
-2nd..unlimited text to other verizon numbers, plus 500 texts for other networks... 10 bucks
-3rd.. unlimited text to verizon numbers, plus 5000 texts to other networks...20 bucks
-Minutes beyond included 450 will cost you 0.45 cents each minute
-Unlimited calling to other Verizon customers
-Unlimited night/weekend
-Nights start at 9:01 p.m.-5:59 a.m.
-Samsung Galaxy S Fascinate with 2 yr contract is 199.99
-Samsung Galaxy S Fascinate with 1 yr contract is 269.99
-Fascinate includes a camera flash, no keyboard, no led indicator, 2GB internal memory, external expandable to 32gb. Total is 34GB.
Total: $74.98 not including taxes and activation fee
(activation fee waived if purchased fri-sun on verizon.com, or at costco, amazon etc... plus you can get a better price on the phone at costco, amazon, etc.)

T-Mobile: (2 options)
-Even More(2yr contract) 500 minutes + unlimited text 49.99
-Unlimited data $30
-Weekends unlimited
-Unlimited t-mobile to t-mobile
-Nights unlimited stating at 9pm
-Additional mins beyond 500 are 45 cents.
-Samsung Galaxy S Vibrant is 199.99
-Vibrant includes no flash, no led indicator, has 16GB internal memory, external exapandable to 32GB, for a total of 48GB. GSM Phone, I love sim cards personally!
Total:79.99 not including taxes and 35 dollar activation fee
(activation fee waived sometimes for students, AAA members, or if purchased at Costco, Amazon, etc.)

Next Option on T-Mobile (NO Contract)
-Even More Plus 500 min +unlimited text + unlimited data 59.99
-Weekends, nights, everything else same as above
Total: 59.99
*Phone is not subsized with no contract, meaning you pay full retail. BUT, you can pay the phone in monthly installments. If you choose this option, the full retail is 499.99.
1st option 80x24 months, plus 200 for phone=$2118.76
2nd option(no contract) 60x24, plus 500 for phone= 1940
Savings after 2 yrs with no contract=179.76


At&t... not worth it for you, you said you wanted unlimted data, they don't offer this plan


Sprint:
-Data plan 450 mins, includes unlimted text, unlimited data for 69.99
-Required $10 4G fee for the Epic
-Unlmited nights, weekends
-Unlimted Calling to ANY MOBILE, on ANY carrier, any time
-NIghts stat at 7pm
-additional mins beyond 450mins are 45 cents
-Samsung Galaxy S Epic, includes keyboard, includes flash on camera, includes FFC(front facing camera), includes LED indicators, only 1GB internal memory, external expandable to 32GB.
-Total 79.99 not including taxes not including activation fee
-(Activation fee waived if purchased online)

If you are a student or employee of a company, you may qualify for some awesome discounts on all 3 carriers.
Interesting discount link for Sprint
http://androidforums.com/samsung-epic-4g/163463-epic-sprint-employee-referral-deal.html
Sprint also offers huge discounts for students.

Additional information. Although the carriers say unlimited data, this doesn't mean unlimited 3G. For example, both T-mobile and Verizon have a data CAP on 3G speeds. So if you abuse unlimited data, meaning you tether, T-Mobile will knock you down to slower edge speeds.

The plans above are all similar, however the phones differ, although all 3 phones are Samsung Galaxy S phones. The vibrant offers the most internal memory, but Epic has most features.

I wrote this really fast, I hope I didn't make mistakes, I'll try to proof read it later when I get a chance, but hopefully everything is accurate for now.


More information on data speeds.
T-Mobile has HSPA+ in major metropolitan cities. HSPA+ is not 4G, but you actually get 3G speeds faster than what Verizon 3G is currently offering. It is probably even faster than sprints 4G. However, the Vibrant is NOT an HSPA+ phone, the upcoming G2 and MyTouch HD are. Even though the Vibrant is NOT an HSPA+ phone, it will still benefit from T-Mobiles HSPA+ network.

Coverage maps should be important for you, please visit each carrier, put in your zip code, and check the coverage for both data and voice.
Verizon has the best consistent data and voice map.
 
Thanks for doing the comparison.

One thing, Sprint now has call any cell phone and it doesn't take minutes no matter what carrier. That dropped our plan need with 5 people from 3000 to 1500 minutes and even at 1500 minutes we do not come close to using it. So you can knock off $40/mo off the Sprint cost which drops it below T-Mobile.
 
I'm sure verizon lets you pick 10 free phone to call for the account not each line,and we are looking at 3000 min not 2000 as verizon offers. How did you determine value? Also consider this tmobile will alert you prior to going over your min. does not charge for visual voice mail and other little goddies Verizon nickle and dimes you for everything
 
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