Need help choosing a cell phone/plan.

EyeMWing

Banned
Jun 13, 2003
15,670
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So, I've come to the realization that having a cell phone on my girlfriend's plan is not the best of ideas for several reasons. So, Verizon now has a used Samsung A850, and I now have no cell phone.

Around here, Verizon and Cingular are about equal in terms of network service, and the others have a few holes, but nothing I couldn't manage.

I've gone through all the available discounts, and come up with a few competitive setups from each carrier, to the following list of requirements:
Minutes: ~300 or better.
Texts: Need a few. Minimal amount, but not pay-per-use.
Phone: Cameraphone, speakerphone, car charger, insurance if available.

Cingular (w/ student discount):
Minutes: 450 (5000 Night + Weekend minutes, unlimited in-network calling)
Amount of in-network usage: Appx 50%
Texts: 200
Phone: LG CG225 w/ car charger, insurance (I have very good word on this phone, it's MP3 player feature is a bit.... crappy, but that's not what I picked it for)
$44.97/mo, $51 startup/phone costs.

Verizon (w/ employee and student discounts):
Minutes: 450 (unlimited night, weekend, in-network)
Amount of in-network usage: Appx 25%
Texts: 500 (unlimited incoming!)
Phone: Samsung A850 w/ car charger, insurance. (This is my previous phone. I liked the hell out of it)
$48.18/mo, $19 startup/phone costs.

T-Mobile:
Minutes: 300 (Unlimited nights, in-network)
Amount of in-network usage: Appx 5%
Texts: 400
Phone: Samsung T309 w/ car charger, insurance.
$47.96/mo, $35 startup/phone costs.

Sprint:
Amusingly, Sprint's website was unwilling to give me anything competitive to the others, so I had to come up with a unique set of requirements for them, specifically.
Minutes: 500 (unlimited incoming, nights, weekends)
Amount of in-network usage: NONE
Texts: NONE (their website does not offer them)
Phone: Motorola C290 (this is not a cameraphone, unlike the rest, no accessories, and no insurance)
$59.95/mo, $55.95 startup/phone costs.

Nextel:
Minutes: 400 *Unlimited nights, weekends, in-network)
Amount of in-network usage: NONE
Texts: 100
Phone: Motorola i850 w/ car charger, no additional insurance or warranty)
$49.99/mo, $114.99 startup/phone costs.

Based upon this, we can discount Sprint IMMEDIATELY. Nextel follows quickly. T-Mobile is interesting, as are Verizon and Cingular.

What do you guys think?
 

Daishiki

Golden Member
Nov 9, 2001
1,943
36
91
Originally posted by: surferdude
i have nextel and love it,but im on the unlimited minute plan 299.00
gps/web/2way international/long distance/ the whole shebang

$299 / mo. :Q
 

JEDI

Lifer
Sep 25, 2001
29,391
2,737
126
you pay 25% extra for taxes and surcharges.

so that $49.99 plan is actually $62.

if you dont use the cell much:
$0.10/min prepaid FTW. it includes all the taxes/surcharges. thus if u only use the phone 2hrs/month, it's only $12/month.

hell, 500 min/month is just $50 prepaid, which is cheaper than the 500 min $49.99 plan since you dont have the extra taxes/surcharges.
 

EyeMWing

Banned
Jun 13, 2003
15,670
1
0
Originally posted by: JEDI
you pay 25% extra for taxes and surcharges.

so that $49.99 plan is actually $62.

if you dont use the cell much:
$0.10/min prepaid FTW. it includes all the taxes/surcharges. thus if u only use the phone 2hrs/month, it's only $12/month.

hell, 500 min/month is just $50 prepaid, which is cheaper than the 500 min $49.99 plan since you dont have the extra taxes/surcharges.

Except that prepaid comes with all sorts of problems that simply aren't worth it. Let me say that I NEED a phone to keep up my lifestyle. It's a simple matter, because I'm almost never at home. This isn't an "emergencies" or "occasional usage" thing - business, personal life, etc. it all gets handled through this phone. I did the prepaid thing once, it's not something I care to repeat, it might be cheap, but you certainly get what you pay for.

And taxes/surcharges are universally crapassed, so they aren't even worth including in a comparison.