tube517
Android Expert
What is eb?
-
After 15+ years, we've made a big change: Android Forums is now Early Bird Club. Learn more here.
T-Mobile prepaid vs. contract??
- Thread starter dvlucke
- Start date
What is eb?
chong67
Android Expert
tube517
Android Expert
It should be quite a few. I don't use Navigator that often but, when I do, I can't ever recall seeing that it used a lot of data; a few megabytes at most. Your biggest problem, if you are traveling between cities a lot, may be hitting dead spots between cities where T-Mobile does not have coverage. In those cases, Navigator will continue working as the route is stored but, if you have Navigator off, it will not create a new route for you.
Crashdamage
Android Expert
Some of us need unlimited minutes. My wife and I both use our phones extensively for business - around 1500-2000 minutes a month each - and a lot of that in places where VOIP is not an option.
Linux user #266351. Android since v1.0
Linux user #266351. Android since v1.0
jhawkkw
Chinchillin'
And this is why it is great that there are options available that can fit everyone's needs.
eljefe0000
Android Enthusiast
keep in mind that 4g speeds are only upto 100mb and than you get throttled on the 50 plan
It is available for "new customers only", so you can't move your wife's current account to that plan. You can switch your wife to the $30 for 100 min and 5GB data but you have to get her a new SIM and phone number, though others have said they moved their old T-Mobile number to their new account after activating the SIM.
You can find the plan here, and buy a SIM to work on that plan here.
runtmms
Well-Known Member
I understand the value of the $30 plan if you can make the minutes work.
I don't understand why you would sign up with the $50 or $60 T-Mobile prepaid plans. Solavei is $49 for unlimited talk / text / data (unthrottled first 4GB). They use the T-Mobile prepaid network, and they offer some additional features. I get conditional call forwarding so I can use Google Voice for my sim voicemail. I also get 2g data in "service partner" areas.
The above made it an easy choice. In addition they are doing a referral sign up thing which can effectively lower this rate if you're interested in such things.
I'm curious - why go directly with T-Mobile's $50 or $60 prepaid. Am I missing something?
I don't understand why you would sign up with the $50 or $60 T-Mobile prepaid plans. Solavei is $49 for unlimited talk / text / data (unthrottled first 4GB). They use the T-Mobile prepaid network, and they offer some additional features. I get conditional call forwarding so I can use Google Voice for my sim voicemail. I also get 2g data in "service partner" areas.
The above made it an easy choice. In addition they are doing a referral sign up thing which can effectively lower this rate if you're interested in such things.
I'm curious - why go directly with T-Mobile's $50 or $60 prepaid. Am I missing something?
Crashdamage
Android Expert
For $50/mo (postpaid) I get:
GV - all features.
3G roaming.
Unlimited minutes (very important for us) + unlimited text + 2GB @4G (plenty).
Much better customer service.
Phone financing interest free if I want.
Free home signal booster if needed.
LTE data service (it's on already here in Kansas City).
My wife and I both run our businesses from our cellphones. We would never trust our businesses to a company like Solavei.
What extra features does Solavei offer T-Mobile lacks?
Linux user #266351. Android since v1.0
GV - all features.
3G roaming.
Unlimited minutes (very important for us) + unlimited text + 2GB @4G (plenty).
Much better customer service.
Phone financing interest free if I want.
Free home signal booster if needed.
LTE data service (it's on already here in Kansas City).
My wife and I both run our businesses from our cellphones. We would never trust our businesses to a company like Solavei.
What extra features does Solavei offer T-Mobile lacks?
Linux user #266351. Android since v1.0
Looks like he has a T-Mobile Value Plan. If you go and select the box for "2 lines", you'll find there is an option for Unlimited Talk and Text with 2GB of 4G data for $99.98. He could pay $20 more and have Unlimited 4G data (so $60 per line).
runtmms
Well-Known Member
So that $50 price is only good if you have two lines($100 total) , and it looks like the 2GB is shared between the two lines (I'm not sure of this.) Two year contract with termination fee.
I think competition is great. It lets us all choose the plan that best suits our needs. And hopefully, it ultimately drives prices down. I have no intention of letting a phone company lock me into a contract again. We all have different priorities.
My question still stands for people on/considering the $50 or $60 prepaid plans? What would drive you to them over Solavei? I'm curious because I was faced with the same decision. I'm interested in the best value. I thought that was Solavei to start with - and since I completed my first trio I don't see that being beat.
Crashdamage
Android Expert
The 2GB of data is not shared, it's per line.
Besides the advantages I listed in a previous post, there's this:
Been with T-Mobile 16 years no problems and they always have good rates. They are building the best LTE network in the world. I was non-contract for years but I have no intention of switching to another provider, so why *not* go contract for a good deal?
We have no landlines at home or work. We have 2 businesses that depend on quality, dependable service and support immediately if needed. If that costs an extra $5-10/mo per line more than a 3rd-party reseller I have absolutely no problem with that.
Linux user #266351. Android since v1.0
Besides the advantages I listed in a previous post, there's this:
Been with T-Mobile 16 years no problems and they always have good rates. They are building the best LTE network in the world. I was non-contract for years but I have no intention of switching to another provider, so why *not* go contract for a good deal?
We have no landlines at home or work. We have 2 businesses that depend on quality, dependable service and support immediately if needed. If that costs an extra $5-10/mo per line more than a 3rd-party reseller I have absolutely no problem with that.
Linux user #266351. Android since v1.0
runtmms
Well-Known Member
It's great you're happy with your service. I'm also very happy with mine. You asked why not spend more money every month to be on contract. My reason is there's nothing your plan offers that has value to me. I get more data for less money on the same network with no contract. It's that simple. I don't need a financed phone; I don't need a signal booster; I get all GV functionality - T-Mobile prepaid doesn't. When LTE is launched (not beta) by T-Mobile we'll see if Solavei supports it. Besides, I have a Nexus 4 which doesn't even officially have LTE.
This is why we have different choices. There's nothing wrong with different options being better for different people. I'm not going to bash a plan or company because it isn't what's best for me.
It's not my plan vs your plan. I think it's about each of us finding the best fit for our individual situations. I have my answer. You have yours. They're different - I'm okay with that. I have no interest in being drawn into a fight.
My question to prepaid users still stands.
The two reasons I see for not wanting Solavei are 1) people who don't want to be part of an MLM (as well as being a new company) and 2) the high start up costs. From what I recall, the normal price to get started on Solavei (if you bring your own phone) is $130. I understand that have frequently had special deals that take $50 off that price, but even with that you still have an $80 payment for your first month.
Now, I'll agree that T-Mobile's $50 and $60 prepaid plans are overpriced and I'd really like to see T-Mobile make them more competitive. OTOH, there are other MVNO's, Straight Talk being one example, where you can still be on T-Mobile's network and pay $45/month, with only $15 extra to buy a SIM (which you can frequently get for $5).
As for the Value Plan, it is a great deal if you don't mind having a contract. As mentioned earlier, you get the advantages of a postpaid plan (data roaming, etc.) while paying similar prices to prepaid. If you have a family and multiple phones, it is actually cheaper than prepaid. Then, on top of this, you can get the "cheap" phones, in the form of a no-interest loan.
runtmms
Well-Known Member
I understand the being wary of the MLM concept. I was at first. The things that swayed me were that I'm happy with the plan price with no sign-ups, participating in the referral program is optional and it costs nothing.
As to start up costs - Solavei addressed this complaint. When you sign up it is $9 for the sim card and $49 for the first month ($58 total first month.) Nothing else.
Yes, they are new. You have to decide if you're comfortable with that or not. It doesn't concern me because my primary number is parked at Google Voice. If something goes bad with them it's easy enough to switch carriers. After reading all the Straight Talk reviews about seemingly random throttling, I thought Solavei was the better gamble.
As far as contract plans go, those value plans are the best I've seen. (BTW Solavei does data roaming.)
From what I've read from Straight Talk users, the random throttling is not nearly the problem on a T-Mobile SIM than those who have an AT&T SIM. From what I've read, for Straight Talk users on T-Mobile's network, they typically have no issues with data unless they use more than 4GB/month (which seems the same as other T-Mobile MVNOs).
It sounds like Solavei finally got smart -- they were asking too much for the first month.
runtmms
Well-Known Member
It comes back around to what you're happy with. I'm much happier with a clearly defined data plan. I also really want the conditional call forwarding I get with Solavei. (And I'll admit that I have a bias against Tracfone based on a family member's experience - so I'd go with T-Mobile directly over Straight Talk.)