Need help finding a cellphone plan? Post here! US edition (Master thread)

[doublejay]

Contract/Prepaid: Whatever is Cheaper
Amount of lines needed: 2
Total minutes needed: About 2500 give or take or unlimited
Need free nights and weekends? N
Need unlimited mobile minutes? N
Need unlimited mobile minutes within a specific carrier? N
Total texts needed per line: 1200/ Unlimited.
Total data needed per line: Unlimited (or enough to not be able to use comfortably without fear of exceeding).
Smartphones? N
Carrier: main stream network - need good service
Monthly budget: "Cheapest"
NY area

[Salty]

Contract/Prepaid: Prepaid
Lines needed: 1
Total minutes needed: Unlimited

Total texts per line:unlimited
Total data per line: Would like unlimited, but at least 500 mb 3g
Smartphones? We already have a iphone 4s that is finishing a 2 year contract
Would you like a specific carrier? already on Sprint, would like to keep the current phone, or at least be able to trade it in when switching to a new carrier
Do you have phones already? yes

Yes or No
Free nights and weekends? no
Unlimited mobile minutes? yes
Unlimited mobile minutes within a specific carrier?  no

Monthly budget: willing to drop unlimited minutes for ~2000 minutes. 50$ or less. Otherwise cheapest. Thank you.

[ayman]

Contract/Prepaid:Neither, would prefer pay as you go.
Lines needed:2
Total minutes needed:Prefer Unlimited: min 2000

Total texts per line: Unlimited
Total data per line: Unlimited (4G?)
Smartphones? Yes for both
Would you like a specific carrier? Must have good coverage in NYC.
Do you have phones already?Yes, one is completely broken so need to be replaced, second is broken but functional.

Yes or No
Free nights and weekends? Yes if not unlimited min.
Unlimited mobile minutes? Yes if not unlimited
Unlimited mobile minutes within a specific carrier? No

Monthly Budget: Would like to spend between $50 to $100 a month for both.

[cozmohoot]

Imo you first have to decide which service is best for you and where you are most. After at you can see all the prepaid carriers and Mvno of the carrier etc..

This is a good resource for prepaid.
http://www.prepaidphonenews.com/2011/02/best-prepaid-data-carriers-and-plans.html?m=1

[EliH]

Prepaid
Amount of lines needed: 2
Total minutes needed: 1000 +
Need free nights and weekends? Y/N:
Need unlimited mobile minutes? Y/N: no
Need unlimited mobile minutes within a specific carrier? Y/N: no
Total texts needed per line: 200
Total data needed per line: med/high
Smartphones? Y/N: Yes.
Carrier: GSM any
Monthly budget: Cheapest
Need for 1 month while traveling, would like to be able to tether my pc

[Jkhein]

any reviews/experience with ultra mobile?

[cozmohoot]

any reviews/experience with ultra mobile?

seems more geared towards foreigners. Why ultra over simple mobile?

[meshugener]

Anyone know of a cheap plan that have the following details:

-I would be able to use the same device when I travel international,
-unlimited call is a must,
-3k or unlimited text,
-at least 1gb of data,
-primary use in Brooklyn.

I'd be very appreciative for helpful leads.

[PlatinumGuy]

T Mobile

[meshugener]

T Mobile

Thank you.
A specific plan?

[DovtheBear]

Thank you.
A specific plan?

They don't really have more than one- its called Simple Choice.

[meshugener]

They don't really have more than one- its called Simple Choice.

I see they actually have 3 plans here: http://www.t-mobile.com/cell-phone-plans/individual.html
It says international roaming, does that mean free service worldwide?

But then I found this one: http://www.t-mobile.com/simple-choice-international-plans.html

Is the first one without international? If yes it would be pretty funny because the second link has cheaper plans than the first one.

[Joe4007]

Just get a phone that's unlocked - like most Verizon smartphones - and then get a SIM locally.

[DovtheBear]

I see they actually have 3 plans here: http://www.t-mobile.com/cell-phone-plans/individual.html
It says international roaming, does that mean free service worldwide?

But then I found this one: http://www.t-mobile.com/simple-choice-international-plans.html

Is the first one without international? If yes it would be pretty funny because the second link has cheaper plans than the first one.

They're both the same, just the second link shows prices for additional lines.
The (postpaid) Simple Choice plan includes roaming in many countries (Israel included), which would cost $.20 a minute when not on WiFi, unlimited texting and unlimited 2g data.
1st line is $50, 2nd is $30 and the rest are $10.

[meshugener]

Just get a phone that's unlocked - like most Verizon smartphones - and then get a SIM locally.

You can put a SIM into a VZW phone? That's news for me.

[meshugener]

They're both the same, just the second link shows prices for additional lines.
The (postpaid) Simple Choice plan includes roaming in many countries (Israel included), which would cost $.20 a minute when not on WiFi, unlimited texting and unlimited 2g data.
1st line is $50, 2nd is $30 and the rest are $10.

Gotchya.
Is the 500MB on the $50 plan 4G or 3G?

[DovtheBear]

You can put a SIM into a VZW phone? That's news for me.

In many smart phones.

Gotchya.
Is the 500MB on the $50 plan 4G or 3G?

4G

[meshugener]

4g

Cool, cool.

And how does the international thing work? Do I have to change SIM or I just walk out of the country and dial?

[DovtheBear]

Cool, cool.

And how does the international thing work? Do I have to change SIM or I just walk out of the country and dial?

Its basically "walk out of the country and dial". Depending on the phone, you might have to change the roaming settings. You also might have to change/set an APN to get data working.

[meshugener]

Its basically "walk out of the country and dial". Depending on the phone, you might have to change the roaming settings. You also might have to change/set an APN to get data working.

Thank you so much Dovi, you are a great help.
It works automatically in all countries or I have to call them to activate it in the specific countries I'm going to visit?