Those looking for true unlimited data plans . . .

[buckshot24]

this is what im saying. and because their highest plans hit 10GB before they go unlimited, i would bet their tolerance is below 50GB a month.

it could be just the way it says too. say youre the only one that pulls hundreds of gigs off a tower and it doesnt effect anyone else, then they wont care. but i doubt that will ever be the case.

Yeah, I don't think it is "unlimited" like I would use an unlimited plan. If I could go 50 gigs without worrying about it then it would be well worth it. In practice I would probably never go that high.

 

[dagamer34]

The $20 difference between a subsidized and unsubsidized plan over 2 years basically ends up buying a phone for you anyway ($480). You can easily get brand new phones for $200 under the MSRP from craigslist (putting them in the 300-400 range), which is far cheaper than buying them from the carrier or Amazon (taxes get in the way!). That way you can upgrade to a new phone whenever you find a cheap one on craigslist, and sell your current one. And if you play your cards right, you basically get the hottest phone each year buy just spending $100.

 

[wirednuts]

And if you play your cards right, you basically get the hottest phone each year buy just spending $100.

youre sitll paying for the phone though. and youll only get the newest gear every year if you dont damage the ones you have so you can sell them for a good price....

 

[Viper GTS]

youre sitll paying for the phone though. and youll only get the newest gear every year if you dont damage the ones you have so you can sell them for a good price....

Some of us have no interest in the phones the carrier offers. Some of us take care of our stuff and don't break our phones. I would even venture a guess that for most people posting here the cost of an off-contract smartphone ($350-600) once a year is fairly trivial, & the flexibility afforded by not having a contract is well worth the marginal extra cost and risk.

The traditional plans are still there for those who want them. I paid to break my Sprint contract and have no plans of returning to a contract. After four months on StraightTalk I just ordered my T-Mobile SIM and assuming I'm pleased with it in the week or so of overlap I won't renew StraightTalk.

Viper GTS

 

[wirednuts]

good luck on tmobile! its definitely working out ok for me.... its so nice to be back with these guys. i remember when sprint sero500 came out i didnt want to leave tmobile, but i knew i had to. over the next 6 years or so i saved what, $1200 or so? its crazy...

and if i can get those discounts to make it $27 a month, thats almost 10 dollars cheaper then my sprint sero plan... which is $120 a year... that stuff adds up

 

[soulcougher73]

I think T-Mobile's $30 prepaid plan is a better deal. It only comes with 100 minutes talk time, but you can just pay the per minute overage on that and still come out ahead (unless you talk an insane amount).

Do you know how to set the 10c/min up once you reach 100 mins talk? Ive done that and it just ends the call and warns others when they call that you are out of minutes. Id glady pay the 10c/min when i use over 100 as ive done this month.

 

[Aikouka]

I'm on ATT, and if I wanted to get a cheaper or subsidized phone I just have to promise to stick with ATT for the next 2 years. I don't pay any extra than I would otherwise. So, my total cost has been "subsidized" by ATT in exchange for my loyalty.

The way this t-mobile thing works isn't subsidized at all. You just spread the extra cost through your monthly plan. You're still paying the same, or maybe even more, so that's NOT a subsidized price.

So wait... because AT&T actively screws you over by never offering a cheaper plan, they are truly subsidizing your phone? That makes no sense. A subsidy on a phone is simply when the carrier offers to pay for a portion of your phone. Technically, it doesn't even require you to pay any extra! However, that would be a poor business decision, and the companies essentially bake in the costs (hence why our mobile costs are higher over here). Verizon and T-Mobile both offer ways to pay for a phone without the subsidy; however, T-Mobile's rate is a bit better given it's $20 less versus Verizon's $10 difference (between contract vs. prepaid).

 

[wirednuts]

Do you know how to set the 10c/min up once you reach 100 mins talk? Ive done that and it just ends the call and warns others when they call that you are out of minutes. Id glady pay the 10c/min when i use over 100 as ive done this month.

that is something to be concerned about if you dont have google voice.

i would try going to t-mobile.com and using the live chat to talk to them about it. im sure they can answer that for you.

 

[wirednuts]

So wait... because AT&T actively screws you over by never offering a cheaper plan, they are truly subsidizing your phone? That makes no sense. A subsidy on a phone is simply when the carrier offers to pay for a portion of your phone. Technically, it doesn't even require you to pay any extra! However, that would be a poor business decision, and the companies essentially bake in the costs (hence why our mobile costs are higher over here). Verizon and T-Mobile both offer ways to pay for a phone without the subsidy; however, T-Mobile's rate is a bit better given it's $20 less versus Verizon's $10 difference (between contract vs. prepaid).

i agree with this