dvlucke

Besides getting a subsidized phone, are there any other advantages to going the 2-year contract route with T-Mobile?

I'm currently with Virgin Mobile. I live in Detroit, where it looks like T-Mobile is second only to Verizon (which I can't afford). I'd like as much phone as possible of course, so I'm thinking about going back to a contract.

However, it seems like with the monthly expenses of each option ($30 for prepaid, $80 for 4G contract), I might be better off to just put an unsubsidized phone on my credit card and use the extra $50 a month to pay down the credit card.

With T-Mobile, is there a difference between the actual phones for prepaid and contract, or just a difference in SIM card?

mogelijk

There is no difference between the phones, you can actually use any phone on Prepaid that works on T-Mobile's network. Contract users to get "priority", meaning faster speeds when towers are being hit by a lot of usage. Additionally, you don't get data roaming on prepaid, though T-Mobile prepaid does have voice and text roaming. Also, you can't get additional numbers on the plan discounted, you have to have an individual prepaid plan for each SIM card.

One other option, if you don't want to go prepaid, is to buy one of the value plans. It is a contract plan but does not subsidize the phone, though they do offer no-interest loans if you want to buy a phone. The prices typically for the value plans are between the subsidized contracts and prepaid, but it keeps contract roaming and allows for multiple SIMs on the same account.

dvlucke

Detroit is well covered, and I don't travel often so roaming isn't a big deal to me, nor is the multiple numbers.

Since I'm prepaid now with VM, I can make the switch anytime. From a phone selection point of view, what do you think the best timing is to make the switch? I'd like Jelly Bean if possible. I'd say if I go contract, I'd be more concerned with getting the most phone I can afford.

Petrah

Just out of curiosity, where does this information come from? I've seen this said a lot of times on different carrier forums, but I've never seen anything official by a carrier stating this to be so.

Just curious... you know me, I wanna learn.

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mogelijk

There is likely a better place you can find this, but at the bottom of the Prepaid Cell Phone Plans there is this, "Network Management: Data traffic of Premium and Ultra plans will be prioritized over other currently offered plans during periods of congestion."

As for Virgin Mobile, I've not seen any actual statements and there likely aren't any that are available to the public. Priority would be determined by the contract between Sprint and Virgin Mobile, and is not anything that Virgin is required to provide to end users. Of course, this is largely true for any MVNO, since it would be the network operator doing the prioritizing and not the Prepaid provider. However, there have been various speed tests done by independent groups, such as this one, that show there is often a great deal of speed difference between similar devices on Sprint and Virgin.

Last edited by mogelijk; December 30th, 2012 at 01:07 AM.

mogelijk

My recommendation is to buy the Nexus 4 from Google. This phone is getting great reviews from both the media and from users and, at $350 for the 16GB with a fast quad core processor, is a lot of phone for the money.

As for timing, I'd say whenever it gets back in stock, which should be sometime in the next month. You can buy the SIM Card Activation Kit at any time, it is just 99 cents, has free shipping, and you have two years to activate it.

chrlswltrs

I think the only advantage is data. I don't think prepaid offers an unlimited data plan. They have "unlimited" plans that throttle you after a small amount of data, but on a contract you get unlimited 4G.

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Fuzzy13

The plans on the Value side are a little better in terms of options. You have a lot more choices so that is a plus. But it comes with a contract.

If you have your own phone, I think the $30 5GB or the $60 2GB plan with no contract is just right.


In the end, no contract is still the best way to go. If T mobile's monthly 4G plans don't work for you then there is always straight talk and I've had no issues with ST when I was using them.

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scotty85

i use t mobile $30/month plan just to mess with gsm phones,and i like it. i does limit speeds after 5gb,but i never use anywhere near that. if i were going to switch to t mobile full time,id move up to the $50 unlimited everything plan.

my only advice is to use an actual t mobile phone. you also use unlocked international phones,just make sure they support the 1700 band that t mobile uses partially for 3G,and HSPA+(their 4G).

phones that do not support this band will only get edge data,wich kinda sucks this rules out any att devices,and quite a few international ones

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mogelijk

The problem with the $50 plan is that you only get 100 MB of 3G/4G data, after 100 MB it is slowed to Edge speeds. To get 5GB of 3G data you need the $70 plan ($60 gives 2GB unthrottled data).

Crashdamage

If you live in an area that T-Mobile has 'ref armed' to also use the 1900 band you can use any international or AT&T phone as well.


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chrlswltrs

Are you talking about pre paid? I'm on a family plan so I don't know the pricing for sure on individual plans, but post paid is unlimited. On a family value plan it is $20 a month for unlimited data ($25 a month for 5gb with tethering, throttled after that)





I've noticed a big difference in connection consistency the last couple weeks since 1900 got turned on here in Seattle.

mogelijk

Yes, I was talking prepaid. And like you are talking about, Prepaid is also technically "unlimited data", but throttled after you've used your data. On postpaid T-Mobile does have some true unlimited data plans (no throttling).

scotty85

where do you see anything about throttling 3g?

from t mobile $50:
i could deal with unlimited 3g,and 100 mb of 4g

if they really are slowing down to edge speed after 100mb,i could go up to the $60 if i had to...im in wifi at home,and i never use anywhere 2mb of actual data.

im lookin forward to that in ohio... i dont really want to give up my t mobile,but my current favorite phone is an international one x. ive had thots of switching to straight talk

aurora40

Where do you see that you'll get "3g" speeds after your 100MB?

The poster you are quoting got his info from people that have reached their data cap. T-Mobile throttles heavily after that, based on others experiences, to around dial-up speeds.

Here's an example: http://www.howardforums.com/showthread.php/1763109-I-ve-just-been-throttled!

Last edited by aurora40; January 2nd, 2013 at 07:46 AM.

scotty85

i dont see it anywhere,thats why i asked

ive got 5gb now and never even use over 1gb,so i have absolutely no personal experience with throttling after the cap is reached.

bob60626

I'm throttled right now (a bit over 5 gigs). I went from hitting over twenty mbps to .06.
Pandora works ok, not great, but I haven't bothered trying to get past the Netflix menu. I dislike that though the phone has shown 4g, 3g, G, and E depending on signal strength it is still showing 4g even though I'm throttled.

Citizen Coyote

The other big difference no one has mentioned between the contract plans (either the normal or the value plans) and the prepaid 4G plans is the latter do not have data roaming. The contract plans offer some data roaming depending on what plan you have, but the prepaid plans have no data when off T-Mobile's network (they do still have call roaming).

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mogelijk

On this page, in the fine print at the bottom: "Where indicated, full speeds available up to data allotment; then slowed up to 2G speeds."

So T-Mobile, if you read the fine print, tells you plus, as others have posted, it is also what people experience when they go over their data cap.

chong67

When my Sprint contract runs out, I plan to get T-mobile prepaid.

If I am on the $30 plan with 5 GB of data and 100 minutes, can I subscribe to Skype for $3 to make phone call? Does T-mobile blocks that app?

mogelijk

I haven't tried Skype on my phone, though it shouldn't have a problem. I use GrooveIP with Google Voice to make VoIP calls.

mogelijk

If you are thinking of the $60 play, I'd take a look at Straight Talk. You can get a SIM for either the AT&T or T-Mobile networks with unlimited talk for $45. From what I've read, they typically don't cut off data on the AT&T SIMs until after 2GB, and after 4GB on the T-Mobile SIMs.

chong67

Thanks for this TIP! So if I have all my contact saved, then I just click on a contact name and it will use GrooveIP with Google Voice. What a wonderful idea. I cant do anything now until my Sprint contract is over in July and no more contracts for me.

tube517

Yeah, GrooveIP w/Google Voice is what I use also. I haven't even touched my 100 minutes and I'm half way through the billing cycle.

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chong67

It looks like you can get the $30 and $50 monthly prepaid from other places like eb, etc. at a little lower prices and pay no tax.

This is a lot of savings man.

Why would I want to do contract again. I have been buying new phone from eb too. And if you are paranoid, get ST insurance.

tube517

What is eb?

chong67

Fleabay.

ST is squaretr*

Can I give free publicity here?

tube517

I do it all the time

chong67

Tmobile plan for the $30 prepaid with the 30MB of data, how many hours can you use the Google Navigator with this plan if you are constainly moving?

jhawkkw

Maybe one, probably less. Gps can be quite the data.

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mogelijk

It should be quite a few. I don't use Navigator that often but, when I do, I can't ever recall seeing that it used a lot of data; a few megabytes at most. Your biggest problem, if you are traveling between cities a lot, may be hitting dead spots between cities where T-Mobile does not have coverage. In those cases, Navigator will continue working as the route is stored but, if you have Navigator off, it will not create a new route for you.

chong67

Maybe I will just get the $50 plan.

I could get the $30 plan with 100 mins and 5GB of data then have to use VOIP.

I dont have a home phone.

I am still planning.

NeXuS4

No reason to get anything other than the $30 plan in my opinion. Even on 2G I can still spotify and Vonage.

Crashdamage

Some of us need unlimited minutes. My wife and I both use our phones extensively for business - around 1500-2000 minutes a month each - and a lot of that in places where VOIP is not an option.

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jhawkkw

And this is why it is great that there are options available that can fit everyone's needs.

eljefe0000

keep in mind that 4g speeds are only upto 100mb and than you get throttled on the 50 plan

chong67

My wife have the prepaid plan at .10 per min and nothing else for the last few years. I log into her account and I only see the $30 for 1500 min/text. Where is the $30 for 100 min and 5GB of data?

mogelijk

It is available for "new customers only", so you can't move your wife's current account to that plan. You can switch your wife to the $30 for 100 min and 5GB data but you have to get her a new SIM and phone number, though others have said they moved their old T-Mobile number to their new account after activating the SIM.

You can find the plan here, and buy a SIM to work on that plan here.

runtmms

I understand the value of the $30 plan if you can make the minutes work.

I don't understand why you would sign up with the $50 or $60 T-Mobile prepaid plans. Solavei is $49 for unlimited talk / text / data (unthrottled first 4GB). They use the T-Mobile prepaid network, and they offer some additional features. I get conditional call forwarding so I can use Google Voice for my sim voicemail. I also get 2g data in "service partner" areas.

The above made it an easy choice. In addition they are doing a referral sign up thing which can effectively lower this rate if you're interested in such things.

I'm curious - why go directly with T-Mobile's $50 or $60 prepaid. Am I missing something?

Crashdamage

For $50/mo (postpaid) I get:

GV - all features.
3G roaming.
Unlimited minutes (very important for us) + unlimited text + 2GB @4G (plenty).
Much better customer service.
Phone financing interest free if I want.
Free home signal booster if needed.
LTE data service (it's on already here in Kansas City).

My wife and I both run our businesses from our cellphones. We would never trust our businesses to a company like Solavei.

What extra features does Solavei offer T-Mobile lacks?

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runtmms

1. I was specifically asking about (and comparing to) the $50 and $60 prepaid plans that were being discussed. Not post paid or contract plans.

2. Please provide a link to this $50 T-Mobile plan you describe. I can't find it on the T-Mobile site.

Last edited by runtmms; February 11th, 2013 at 05:27 PM.

mogelijk

Looks like he has a T-Mobile Value Plan. If you go and select the box for "2 lines", you'll find there is an option for Unlimited Talk and Text with 2GB of 4G data for $99.98. He could pay $20 more and have Unlimited 4G data (so $60 per line).

runtmms

So that $50 price is only good if you have two lines($100 total) , and it looks like the 2GB is shared between the two lines (I'm not sure of this.) Two year contract with termination fee.

I think competition is great. It lets us all choose the plan that best suits our needs. And hopefully, it ultimately drives prices down. I have no intention of letting a phone company lock me into a contract again. We all have different priorities.

My question still stands for people on/considering the $50 or $60 prepaid plans? What would drive you to them over Solavei? I'm curious because I was faced with the same decision. I'm interested in the best value. I thought that was Solavei to start with - and since I completed my first trio I don't see that being beat.

Last edited by runtmms; February 11th, 2013 at 07:38 PM.

Crashdamage

The 2GB of data is not shared, it's per line.

Besides the advantages I listed in a previous post, there's this:

Been with T-Mobile 16 years no problems and they always have good rates. They are building the best LTE network in the world. I was non-contract for years but I have no intention of switching to another provider, so why *not* go contract for a good deal?

We have no landlines at home or work. We have 2 businesses that depend on quality, dependable service and support immediately if needed. If that costs an extra $5-10/mo per line more than a 3rd-party reseller I have absolutely no problem with that.

Linux user #266351. Android since v1.0

Last edited by Crashdamage; February 12th, 2013 at 08:33 AM.

runtmms

It's great you're happy with your service. I'm also very happy with mine. You asked why not spend more money every month to be on contract. My reason is there's nothing your plan offers that has value to me. I get more data for less money on the same network with no contract. It's that simple. I don't need a financed phone; I don't need a signal booster; I get all GV functionality - T-Mobile prepaid doesn't. When LTE is launched (not beta) by T-Mobile we'll see if Solavei supports it. Besides, I have a Nexus 4 which doesn't even officially have LTE.

This is why we have different choices. There's nothing wrong with different options being better for different people. I'm not going to bash a plan or company because it isn't what's best for me.

It's not my plan vs your plan. I think it's about each of us finding the best fit for our individual situations. I have my answer. You have yours. They're different - I'm okay with that. I have no interest in being drawn into a fight.

My question to prepaid users still stands.

mogelijk

The two reasons I see for not wanting Solavei are 1) people who don't want to be part of an MLM (as well as being a new company) and 2) the high start up costs. From what I recall, the normal price to get started on Solavei (if you bring your own phone) is $130. I understand that have frequently had special deals that take $50 off that price, but even with that you still have an $80 payment for your first month.

Now, I'll agree that T-Mobile's $50 and $60 prepaid plans are overpriced and I'd really like to see T-Mobile make them more competitive. OTOH, there are other MVNO's, Straight Talk being one example, where you can still be on T-Mobile's network and pay $45/month, with only $15 extra to buy a SIM (which you can frequently get for $5).

As for the Value Plan, it is a great deal if you don't mind having a contract. As mentioned earlier, you get the advantages of a postpaid plan (data roaming, etc.) while paying similar prices to prepaid. If you have a family and multiple phones, it is actually cheaper than prepaid. Then, on top of this, you can get the "cheap" phones, in the form of a no-interest loan.

runtmms

I understand the being wary of the MLM concept. I was at first. The things that swayed me were that I'm happy with the plan price with no sign-ups, participating in the referral program is optional and it costs nothing.

As to start up costs - Solavei addressed this complaint. When you sign up it is $9 for the sim card and $49 for the first month ($58 total first month.) Nothing else.

Yes, they are new. You have to decide if you're comfortable with that or not. It doesn't concern me because my primary number is parked at Google Voice. If something goes bad with them it's easy enough to switch carriers. After reading all the Straight Talk reviews about seemingly random throttling, I thought Solavei was the better gamble.

As far as contract plans go, those value plans are the best I've seen. (BTW Solavei does data roaming.)

mogelijk

From what I've read from Straight Talk users, the random throttling is not nearly the problem on a T-Mobile SIM than those who have an AT&T SIM. From what I've read, for Straight Talk users on T-Mobile's network, they typically have no issues with data unless they use more than 4GB/month (which seems the same as other T-Mobile MVNOs).

It sounds like Solavei finally got smart -- they were asking too much for the first month.

runtmms

It comes back around to what you're happy with. I'm much happier with a clearly defined data plan. I also really want the conditional call forwarding I get with Solavei. (And I'll admit that I have a bias against Tracfone based on a family member's experience - so I'd go with T-Mobile directly over Straight Talk.)

chong67

On the prepaid plan, does the $30 or $50 you put in, does it expire after 90 days?

I know with pay as you go, for $100 it is good for up to 1 yr and you get gold status.

Does it apply in Prepaid plan like the monthly $30, $50, $60 or $70 plan?