Cell phone

[rshorser]

I'm looking for a cheap cell phone plan for the next 3 years. I'm a Canadian coming to study at YU for, minimally, the next 3 years, and from what I could see online, the cheapest plan being offered is around 40 +taxes. Does anyone know of any discounts or a way I can get a phone cheaper?

TIA

[Yitzter]

Get the sero plan, it's the best.

[Mordy]

^ agree, that was the easiest question this forum may ever have.
Say what you want about Sprint, but SERO is hands down THE BEST deal going in wireless, and I doubt anyone can argue that.

[Scrable]

Guys tell him the price.

It's $30 for 500 mins free internet and text, $0 activation fee, it's a 2 year contract and after 2 years you can keep it for a month-2-month basis.

To get one simply go to Sprint.com/sero and you need to use the e-mail address savings@sprintemi.com, once there you can explore the other great plans thy offer. If you are looking for better service Verizon is the way 2 go, though it will cost at least $39.99 a month.

All prices are b4 tax.

[shemaya770]

Whats the best family plan that I can get?

[Dan]

Whats the best family plan that I can get?

How many lines are you looking for?

[shemaya770]

For now I am looking for two. Thanks

[Dan]

For just 2 phones you're best bet is still 2 individual SERO plans @ $30 a pop.

[shemaya770]

Thanks a lot Dan! What if I don't really need the internet is it still worth it? I heard there are ways of getting thousands of minutes with a regular family plan and the main phone gets free internet as well. Also is there a way to open up a sprint account and use the new iphone?

[Scrable]

Thanks a lot Dan! What if I don't really need the internet is it still worth it? I heard there are ways of getting thousands of minutes with a regular family plan and the main phone gets free internet as well. Also is there a way to open up a sprint account and use the new iphone?

There is no way to use the new or old iPhone on Sprint, the old one can be used on other GSM carriers only if you unlock it, but the new one no-1 knows yet, and if you can unlock it it still wont work with Sprint.

[Mordy]

To get one simply go to Sprint.com/sero and you need to use the e-mail address savings@sprintemi.com, once there you can explore the other great plans thy offer. If you are looking for better service Verizon is the way 2 go, though it will cost at least $39.99 a month.

Since sprint has roaming agreements with VZ, the only reason I hear to stick with VZ is because of the family plans or corporate deals. Or, if you just like paying more. The service should be indentical, and has been for me (and all the people I switched out of Verizon).

Also, savings@sprintemi.com hasn't worked for almost 6 months. You can get into the website with it, but you can't actually activate the line with that address. There's threads discussing SERO on other forums with all the info you'd need, since it is constantly changing. Or, as Dan has said I believe, go into a store and get a business card of a sprint employee.

Thanks a lot Dan! What if I don't really need the internet is it still worth it? I heard there are ways of getting thousands of minutes with a regular family plan and the main phone gets free internet as well. Also is there a way to open up a sprint account and use the new iphone?

You could do that, but I doubt it will save you money for just 2 lines. Family plan deals like that are good with 4+ lines on the account. I have 2 SERO accounts between my wife and I, and together our bill is less than $70 a month, with unlimited data, texts, nights @ 7, mobile 2 mobile, etc...

Also, no, the iphone uses a different technology, called GSM. GSM networks are AT&T, T-mobile, etc... Sprint uses another technology, called CDMA (which is also what Verizon uses). Technically, you can swap phones between CDMA carriers (like Sprint, Verizon, Alltel, etc), however this requires some ESN number hacking which is questionably illegal (It is actually pretty easy if you know what you're doing tho). Not sure what the forum rules are regarding questionable legality, so I won't go into detail.

[Dan]

Thanks a lot Dan! What if I don't really need the internet is it still worth it? I heard there are ways of getting thousands of minutes with a regular family plan and the main phone gets free internet as well. Also is there a way to open up a sprint account and use the new iphone?

Do you need thousands of minutes? Most people between the 7pm nights/weekends, free SMS, and cell to cell don't come close to the 500 minutes that SERO gives for $30.
Plus SERO comes with free roaming, so with the right phone you'll be able to switch between Sprint and Verizon whenever you want.

[shemaya770]

Thanks, I was just wondering for the long run. If I would want to add a third line than with Sero it would go up to $90. However, if I get a family plan even starting at $40 and I add 2 lines it would only go up to $60. I don't need thousands of minutes, but you never know.

I also heard that there is a unlimited family plan. Does anyone know if it's actually possible?

[Dan]

Thanks, I was just wondering for the long run. If I would want to add a third line than with Sero it would go up to $90. However, if I get a family plan even starting at $40 and I add 2 lines it would only go up to $60. I don't need thousands of minutes, but you never know.

I also heard that there is a unlimited family plan. Does anyone know if it's actually possible?

In the long-run there will always be good family plans to sign up for.  If for the next 2 years you'll just need 2 phones, SERO is really an exceptional value for the amount of services that come included.  Also, nobody knows when SERO will disappear, but it's unlikely to be around forever.

[rshorser]

Plus SERO comes with free roaming, so with the right phone you'll be able to switch between Sprint and Verizon whenever you want.

can u please explain? SERO comes with free roaming on verizon? what different would the phone make if their both CDMA?

[Dan]

can u please explain? SERO comes with free roaming on verizon? what different would the phone make if their both CDMA?

Verizon runs on the 850 MHz band of CDMA, Sprint runs on 1,900MHz band of CDMA.
Having access to both is a huge (and little publicized) advantage of Sprint over Verizon.

[Scrable]

Since sprint has roaming agreements with VZ, the only reason I hear to stick with VZ is because of the family plans or corporate deals. Or, if you just like paying more. The service should be indentical, and has been for me (and all the people I switched out of Verizon).

Also, savings@sprintemi.com hasn't worked for almost 6 months. You can get into the website with it, but you can't actually activate the line with that address. There's threads discussing SERO on other forums with all the info you'd need, since it is constantly changing. Or, as Dan has said I believe, go into a store and get a business card of a sprint employee.
You could do that, but I doubt it will save you money for just 2 lines. Family plan deals like that are good with 4+ lines on the account. I have 2 SERO accounts between my wife and I, and together our bill is less than $70 a month, with unlimited data, texts, nights @ 7, mobile 2 mobile, etc...

Also, no, the iphone uses a different technology, called GSM. GSM networks are AT&T, T-mobile, etc... Sprint uses another technology, called CDMA (which is also what Verizon uses). Technically, you can swap phones between CDMA carriers (like Sprint, Verizon, Alltel, etc), however this requires some ESN number hacking which is questionably illegal (It is actually pretty easy if you know what you're doing tho). Not sure what the forum rules are regarding questionable legality, so I won't go into detail.

Mordy i dont know about you, but i gave that email to a friend of mine 3 weeks ago and it worked great, he has the phone working already

[Mordy]

hmmm... perhaps now its working again, but YMMV...

[Scrable]

hmmm... perhaps now its working again, but YMMV...

YMMV?

[Dan]

YMMV?

GIYF