In response to the discussion concerning the validity of cheap plans I'll quote the review that made me aware of them. I had never heard of Airvoice before reading this excellent review at Amazon for the Nokia Lumia 520 (the phone I later bought):
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5.0 out of 5 stars This phone is a steal, September 20, 2013
By MDMac
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Nokia Lumia 520 GoPhone (AT&T) (Wireless Phone Accessory)
I’ve been waiting for a phone like this for a long time – that is, a reasonably-priced, no-contract device that does not have to apologize on quality, performance, or style. I’m no technophobe (I work in an IT related field) but I’ll admit it, I’m a cheapskate. I’m not interested in putting a large amount of my paycheck towards a fancy phone or unlimited-everything contract. By managing my phone use and relying on wi-fi as much as possible, I can get all the calls, texts and cellular data I need for 10 bucks a month. The problem is, there hasn’t been a good selection of phones that give me the performance I want, at the price I’m willing to pay. That’s where the Nokia 520 comes in! I give it 5 stars not because it’s necessarily a perfect phone or OS, but because the value here is incredible. I can see why this is being snapped up all over the world. A lot of reviewers have commented that it’s a good “starter” smartphone, which it may be, but the only thing “starter” about it is the price. Sure, it doesn’t have the specs of a flagship phone and won’t appeal to everyone, but in my estimation it’s a very good phone that should be fine for most average users.
After using the phone for a month, here’s a few specific thoughts:
- I haven’t experienced any lagging, freezing, or need for restart – something that cannot be said for my previous phone which cost over twice as much.
- I like the feel and responsiveness of the phone hardware. I have used other Nokias in the past and they have all been solid as a rock hardware-wise. I hope this does as well.
- About the battery, with wi-fi discovery turned off and screen brightness set to auto, I typically have about one-half of the battery left at the end of the day. There was one day that some app or another (I’m guessing) drained the battery way down so I’m being more careful about what I leave open.
- Camera so far is working well for me when the lighting conditions are decent. I use a real camera anyway for stuff I really care about. Plenty of options available for editing and uploading photos.
- So far I like using the Windows Phone 8 OS. It was really easy to set up personal and work email accounts, etc. Navigating around is easy and kind of fun. I like all the info you can see right on the lock screen, let alone the home screen “live tiles.” The web browser has worked fine for what I need. I’ve adapted well to the onscreen keyboard and I’m becoming a big fan of the predictive text. I’m also using the voice commands more as I learn about the phone’s capabilities. Recently at a day at an amusement park, I used the voice command to speak and send texts back and forth with my wife, and it translated what I said great despite all the ambient noise. I understand some of the criticism of WP8 regarding some nuances and settings it would be nice to have. But here again, nothing for me has been a big deal and they seem to be listening to customers and adding improvements with each release.
- Nice to have the free downloadable maps and turn-by-turn navigation. Works great with no data costs.
- Availability of apps for Windows Phone has been a deal-breaker for some. Statistics show that most people REALLY only use a handful of apps and this is true for me. So far, I’ve found what I needed. (I’m a busy dad and mostly use my phone as a tool, not something I spend hours entertaining myself with.) A warning though, I’ve run into a couple apps and games that require a higher-powered phone, but nothing I really cared about.
- It’s nice to have the Office apps on here so I can open docs I get from work, etc. I’m also getting into using OneNote.
- The latest thing I’m loving is the Xbox Music Pass. Unlimited music downloads and/or online listening for a REALLY reasonable subscription price. I’m on a trial now but I think I’m gonna keep this one. Music is my one big weakness for spending money!
To sum up, all I can say is, I think a lot of consumers (in the U.S., particularly) are hoodwinked into thinking they HAVE to have such and such phone on an expensive monthly contract. But if you’re like me and you have better things to do with your hard-earned money, then get this phone with a prepaid service and join me in laughing all the way to the bank!
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Comment: What carrier/plan are you using to get data, talk and text for $10/month?
Reviewer reply: on Sep 21, 2013 9:20:57 AM PDT
MDMac says:
Airvoice Wireless - works on the AT&T network.