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Anandtech, help me decide: prepaid or verizon?

N

nonameo

Diamond Member
I've been thinking about getting a cell phone for some time now, and have decided to take the "plunge" soon. I have no idea how much I'll use it.

1. I work for HD and get a 25% discount on verizon service. The cheapest plan is 39.99/mo for 450 minutes, so 30$ for me. That would be less than 10 cents per minute.

2. There are a few interesting prepaid options out there. Tmobile can get you as cheap as 10 cents/min(or less if you hunt for deals, they have 30$ airtime w/purchase of a prepaid phone going right now)

Also there is Alltel. Alltel is more expensive than T-mobile, but a little more interesting. It is 75 cents per day, and 10 cents a minute. You get 2 calling features for "free". One of the options is unlimited calling to one number. Now, I have skype in/out, which includes a skype2go number. Usually the plan excludes 800 numbers and such, but skype2go is a local number. Still, I have no idea if it would show up in their radar or not.

Skype2go basically lets you call the skype# and then call any other # from there, much like a calling card, but no extra cost to me.

Also, I could get unlimited text messaging with the other "free" feature.

Another downside is that the activation fee is 35$, but you can basically get a "free"(99cents) phone with it.

3. No cell?

So help me ATOT. Does Alltel suck? T-mobile? I know verizon is OK. I have a lot of family that uses it.

Edit: also, is there any chance I might be able to talk verizon into an earlier nights and weekends time? Like 7 instead of 9?
 
I wouldn't touch Alltel with a 10 foot stick. As you may know they have been bought out by Verizon. There plans have become awesome lately, as they are trying to get as many customers on board before the buyout goes through completely. I suspect when Verizon actually takes over they are going to make you jump through hoops to keep their service etc... Its generally a bad idea to be with a cell phone company that has just been bought out, so I would avoid that if possible. Hope that helps.
 
Originally posted by: Cuda1447
I wouldn't touch Alltel with a 10 foot stick. As you may know they have been bought out by Verizon. There plans have become awesome lately, as they are trying to get as many customers on board before the buyout goes through completely. I suspect when Verizon actually takes over they are going to make you jump through hoops to keep their service etc... Its generally a bad idea to be with a cell phone company that has just been bought out, so I would avoid that if possible. Hope that helps.
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I totally disagree.

You sign a contract with your provider and its a 2 way contract. They cannot take away your plan or features without letting you opt out of your contract. I have been through 2 (3 now that ATT is buying Centennial) buyouts and customers always come out ahead. I remember when Alltel was buying out Centurytel. Centurytel put out a $9.99 plan with 100 minutes. This was back when 10 minutes usually cost $20. We packed on a ton of activations and I know customers that still have that plan 8 years later.
 
Well, with the alltel route there is no contract. Just 35$ to get started + whatever minutes you want to start with. I think you have to buy at least 20$ of airtime or something like that.
 
Originally posted by: nonameo
Well, with the alltel route there is no contract. Just 35$ to get started + whatever minutes you want to start with. I think you have to buy at least 20$ of airtime or something like that.
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Prepaid is for throwing in your glove compartment.
Postpaid is for use more than once a week.
 
Prepaid plans typically run about 50¢ per minute comared to a decent subscription which may run you 10-25¢ per minute.
 
Pre-paid is frequently the least expensive overall, because once you've paid, you're done ... all taxes & such are in the price.

For virtually any contract plan, there will be fed, state, and local taxes, recovery fees, 911 fees, line {blah blah blah} charges, and anything they can sneak in. As pointed out, your $30 plan will cost more than $30 ... sometimes, much more. You will also invariably want to get a new phone before the contract expires, and the "upgrade" charges can be painful, depending on the carrier, the phone, and the plans.

 
Originally posted by: Googer
Prepaid plans typically run about 50¢ per minute comared to a decent subscription which may run you 10-25¢ per minute.
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AT&T prepaid "GoPhone" is $0.25/min (or less) and I believe it is on the higher side. Check your facts.
 
I used to be on Verizon, and now I have AT&T. If you have no interest in the iPhone, I would hands-down recommend Verizon. I had perfect cell phone reception pretty much everywhere with them.
 
Alltel has a few prepaid plans, I have the bay by the minute $0.15/minute plan and I average about $10 a month. One thing to watch out for is that Alltel deducts minutes when someone leaves you a message and then deducts minutes again when you check your voice mail. I had my voice mail disabled because of this.
 
Sorry, I gotta ask this...you don't have a cell phone? I guess there are people that don't but that blows my mind at this point.

Get a real cell phone plan. Prepaid is for 1) glove box, 2) emergency phone on the nightstand, and 3) people with crap credit.
 
If you have the money and want good reception, go with a post-paid plan, I recommend verizon. Pre-paid plans, you will receive NO roaming, which means if you go with ATT, you will ONLY get service from ATT. What post-paid plans give you is roaming with other providers that have roaming agreements. I know with my verizon phone, I can and do roam on sprint, US Cellular up north & alltel in the southern US. Phone does it automatically. With ATT, roaming is with T-Mobile and whatever other regional GSM providers are out there. I have personally had both verizon & ATT and Verizon winds hands down as far as coverage and quality. When I did have coverage on ATT, I could tell I was on a cell phone and so could the people talking to me. With verizon, extremely clear call quality even with 1 bar of service.
 
Originally posted by: Googer
Prepaid plans typically run about 50¢ per minute comared to a decent subscription which may run you 10-25¢ per minute.
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Bullshit. I use TMobile prepaid and buy a 1000 minute card for $100 a couple times a year. My monthly usage runs a whopping $15 or so.
 
Originally posted by: dmw16
Sorry, I gotta ask this...you don't have a cell phone? I guess there are people that don't but that blows my mind at this point.

Get a real cell phone plan. Prepaid is for 1) glove box, 2) emergency phone on the nightstand, and 3) people with crap credit.
Click to expand...

Cell phone plans are for morons who jabber on their phone all goddamn day like idiots and are happy to get screwed by their phone provider with long term contracts on high priced plans.

Unless you're in sales and spend a lot of time on the road, the average person would probably come out ahead with a prepaid phone.
 
I'm coming out ahead EATING the ETF from AT&T and switching to prepaid. I actually have two prepaid phones, one T-mobile and one Verizon inpulse. It's nice to use the Verizon because for $2 day I get unlimited M2M to Verizon customers and nights only when I actually need to call somebody. I keep the Tmo as my main line.
 
Originally posted by: BoberFett
Originally posted by: dmw16
Sorry, I gotta ask this...you don't have a cell phone? I guess there are people that don't but that blows my mind at this point.

Get a real cell phone plan. Prepaid is for 1) glove box, 2) emergency phone on the nightstand, and 3) people with crap credit.
Click to expand...

Cell phone plans are for morons who jabber on their phone all goddamn day like idiots and are happy to get screwed by their phone provider with long term contracts on high priced plans.

Unless you're in sales and spend a lot of time on the road, the average person would probably come out ahead with a prepaid phone.
Click to expand...

Thank god for SERO because it makes that argument pretty null. 🙂
 
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