**I have no business or employment connection with ANY phone company or carrier or with any company connected to one**
I used T-Mobile a few years back here in Atlanta and it was pretty good service here but then I discovered Simple Mobile. It uses T-Mobile network but is a prepaid service as opposed to T-Mobile which is a post paid service. My speed tests indicate that they are the same service. So I'm wondering why people stay with T- Mobile (or any of the big 4 post paid carriers)?
This is a real question as I have not been with any of the big 4 for several years now. Is there a reason to have a contract besides lower upfront cost on a phone (with a plan that for almost every customer makes the overall cost much much more)?
I switched from Simple Mobile to Straight Talk when I discovered that they offered an even cheaper plan at $45/month. And when I decided to switch it just ported my number and switched in a matter of hours. No termination fee no nothing. I'm really wondering why users are in these contracts.
Thoughts?
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T-Mobile you paying for great customers care and a real office and discounts on phones with pre paid its cheaper in the long run
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-T989 using xda app-developers app
I'm thinking contracts have benefits when in need of multiple lines
I'm on t mobile pre paid. 30 a month. 5gigs 100 anytime minutes. Unlimited text. I can't complain
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-T989 using Tapatalk 2
Because my 5 lines costs $140...
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SevenSe7enSeven said:
I'm thinking contracts have benefits when in need of multiple lines
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Click to collapse
But really only if those lines have small requirements. If you need an all you can eat plan multiple lines cost out the ass on all the big carriers (but I would love to be proved wrong with some numbers. I love a good deal!)
don728871 said:
T-Mobile you paying for great customers care and a real office and discounts on phones with pre paid its cheaper in the long run
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Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's the thing though. I'm constantly shocked by how many smart people seem to not be good at math. Prepaid is often not just cheaper but waaaayy cheaper over the life of a contract. Like over a thousand bucks cheaper. I don't buy that these folks are getting a thousand dollars worth of convenience and customer service calls.*
elesbb said:
I'm on t mobile pre paid. 30 a month. 5gigs 100 anytime minutes. Unlimited text. I can't complain
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-T989 using Tapatalk 2
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Click to collapse
Nice! That sounds like a veeeery good deal if one doesn't need many minutes.
Me thinks people just don't know about the deals available with prepaid carriers like Simple Mobile and Straight Talk and Red Pocket (and others). I understand that the elderly will go for convenience because they don't understand how to set it all up over the internet and that kinda jazz but anyone growing up in the last 15 years should know better.
T-Mobile is the cheapest of the big 4 carriers and their unlimited monthly plan for an individual costs $720 more than the same service with Simple Mobile over the life of the T-Mobile contract. That's a 64GB iPad. These aren't small differences in cost.
_atlien_ said:
That's the thing though. I'm constantly shocked by how many smart people seem to not be good at math. Prepaid is often not just cheaper but waaaayy cheaper over the life of a contract. Like over a thousand bucks cheaper. I don't buy that these folks are getting a thousand dollars worth of convenience and customer service calls.*
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Do not underestimate the price rich people will pay for convenience.
How about insurance shopping? You shop for car insurance lately? Studies show that most people would save $500 a year if they shopped for car insurance annually. Most don't shop but once every 10 years for insurance. That's about the same amount of savings ....
And POOR people? Think about the economics of contracts .... its sort of like buying a phone on extremely high interest rate financing .. but ... SOME people use rent-to-own and those check cashing places ..... is post paid really that much different than?
The bigger question is how much we should be spreading the word .... since all the MNVO's are really at the mercy of the big companies, if everyone switches to the st $45 a month plan who will be left to subsidize our cheap prepaid rates? .......
To the OP.
I think where people are located has a lot to do with it. Here in Canada, in Toronto to be more specific, pre-paid carriers suck if you're not in the city. I live just outside of Toronto, Mississauga, and the quality of service is very low compared to living in the major city.
I've been with my carrier, Telus, for 10 years now, I get huge discounts and slack from them! I've never been on a contract and have always paid for my phone upfront (minus loyalty discounts).
All in all, it's about reliability, what's reliable for one, isn't always reliable for the next.
I understand prepaid is great for single lines, but multiple lines... Plus loyalty bonuses is a great steal.
Unlimited 2 main lines. Remaining 3 has 500 mins plus nights and weekend. All unlimited text. 3 lines have 5gb plan and have i think $7 insurance. Without insurance it's $140. I opt for insurance for 2 lines so it ends up being ~$155 including tax.
Renew Bonuses: $250 credit plus $10 discount each month while on contract = $240. So $490 in bonuses which covers 3 months of pay... So yes there are benefits to staying on contract when you're on family plan.
You may not get the same deal as i do... Depends on the rep.. Pretty sure i was talking to a supervisor of some sort because he kept repeating "i can do things a normal rep doesn't have access to."
Sent from my SGH-T989 using xda app-developers app
Oh btw i can save another $30 if i choose to go 2gb, but we rather be comfortable with 5gbp
Sent from my SGH-T989 using xda app-developers app
Bluntified said:
To the OP.
I think where people are located has a lot to do with it. Here in Canada, in Toronto to be more specific, pre-paid carriers suck if you're not in the city. I live just outside of Toronto, Mississauga, and the quality of service is very low compared to living in the major city.
I've been with my carrier, Telus, for 10 years now, I get huge discounts and slack from them! I've never been on a contract and have always paid for my phone upfront (minus loyalty discounts).
All in all, it's about reliability, what's reliable for one, isn't always reliable for the next.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Good point. In the USA, most folks on prepaid are using MVNO carriers that literally use the same towers as the big guys. For example, Straight Talk you can get either an ATT sim or a T-mobile sim, and use the exact same towers as if you were with that carrier.
---------- Post added at 10:58 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:30 PM ----------
Teo032 said:
I understand prepaid is great for single lines, but multiple lines... Plus loyalty bonuses is a great steal.
Unlimited 2 main lines. Remaining 3 has 500 mins plus nights and weekend. All unlimited text. 3 lines have 5gb plan and have i think $7 insurance. Without insurance it's $140. I opt for insurance for 2 lines so it ends up being ~$155 including tax.
Renew Bonuses: $250 credit plus $10 discount each month while on contract = $240. So $490 in bonuses which covers 3 months of pay... So yes there are benefits to staying on contract when you're on family plan.
You may not get the same deal as i do... Depends on the rep.. Pretty sure i was talking to a supervisor of some sort because he kept repeating "i can do things a normal rep doesn't have access to."
Sent from my SGH-T989 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If they mark you up $500 higher, and then give you $500 in BONUS, you still are paying the bonus is worth much. The calculation needs to compare what the contract price all in amount is to the prepaid all in amount. I'm assuming your $140 number is ACTUAL bill, including taxes and surcharges and fees? If so, that is really good deal for 3 lines.
2 * $45 a month ST plans, unlimited everything, + $30 Tmo 100 voice 5gb fast data, = $120, that's $20 a month cheaper than what you are quoting, or $480 cheaper over 2 years, which feels pretty close to the $490 bonus you get on your contract. And that's straight off the shelf pricing, no need to talk to a supervisor.
SO, in your case, I'm not seeing a big savings either way, slight variations on the two scenarios, more minutes in one, more data in the other, unlimited txt all around.
BUT if a cheaper deal comes up in the next 2 years? Prepaid can go after it, contract is stuck on contract.
Yes, some folks can get a better deal than the norm contract or prepaid, but, on average, I'm pretty sure the OP is correct, prepaid saves much money over contracts, for most consumers, although Teo has a point that the gap is likely narrower for multi line customers ... IF they can get such a good deal.
Right now, att, 3 lines 550 minutes, unlimited mobile to mobiles, starts at $70, + $30 family unlimited txt, + $20 PER PHONE minimum for 300mb of data, is $160, $190 month with one line at 5GB of data, or $70 month more than the prepaid package I put together for a family of three, costing $1700 more over 2 years ... which is still $1200 even with a $500 "loyalty bonus".
Shelf price to shelf price, prepaid is way cheaper than most post paid equivalent plans, as the OP claimed, granted occasional sales / promo exceptions.
YMMV
I think everyone will benefit giving this thread a read:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1455014
It's basically what the OP is saying.
MegaMan X said:
I think everyone will benefit giving this thread a read:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1455014
It's basically what the OP is saying.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That is a great thread. That thread does make some good points about prepaid, and compares some postpaid to prepaid prices, AND, shows how to set things up in a nice convenient, prepaid way its a great thread ... BUT,
OP here is more "WHY are people paying so much more on contract plans, it doesn't make sense?" Other's have pointed out that FAMILY plans may make sense, in the "OWN YOUR CELL SERVICE", they mostly just compare single line plans, and do not address the possible LACK of savings for multiple lines.
Now, I have defended the PREPAID savings, and compared ONE possible prepaid package to both current members 3 line plan (no prepaid savings given Teo's current pricing) and that same prepaid plan to a current (as of 8/2012) ATT family plan and shown great savings.
SO, so far in this thread we're 1-1 for savings on family plans.
AND, I'll throw in that for folks with multiple lines with 1 or more TABLETS, that the jury is even more still out there if prepaid is better, the new verizon and ATT tablet contract plans might be really attractive.
Of course, our discussions on "which plans is prepaid much cheaper for" STILL doesn't answer the OP's question of "WHEN PREPAID PLANS ARE CHEAPER, WHY DO PEOPLE NOT BUY THEM? " although some of us have hypothesized some possibilities.
Great thread so far ....
_atlien_ said:
I'm really wondering why users are in these contracts.
Thoughts?
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Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'll hazard another guess. How long have the prepaid plans been around with "just as good service"? I think TMO JUST recently came out with a 4g high speed prepaid option, right?
Perhaps "all these users are in these contracts" because two years ago contracts WERE better than prepaid, and these folks haven't bothered to check , and might not until their contracts are up and they shop again. I guess that's as good a guess as any.
noneone said:
Good point. In the USA, most folks on prepaid are using MVNO carriers that literally use the same towers as the big guys. For example, Straight Talk you can get either an ATT sim or a T-mobile sim, and use the exact same towers as if you were with that carrier.
---------- Post added at 10:58 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:30 PM ----------
If they mark you up $500 higher, and then give you $500 in BONUS, you still are paying the bonus is worth much. The calculation needs to compare what the contract price all in amount is to the prepaid all in amount. I'm assuming your $140 number is ACTUAL bill, including taxes and surcharges and fees? If so, that is really good deal for 3 lines.
2 * $45 a month ST plans, unlimited everything, + $30 Tmo 100 voice 5gb fast data, = $120, that's $20 a month cheaper than what you are quoting, or $480 cheaper over 2 years, which feels pretty close to the $490 bonus you get on your contract. And that's straight off the shelf pricing, no need to talk to a supervisor.
SO, in your case, I'm not seeing a big savings either way, slight variations on the two scenarios, more minutes in one, more data in the other, unlimited txt all around.
BUT if a cheaper deal comes up in the next 2 years? Prepaid can go after it, contract is stuck on contract.
Yes, some folks can get a better deal than the norm contract or prepaid, but, on average, I'm pretty sure the OP is correct, prepaid saves much money over contracts, for most consumers, although Teo has a point that the gap is likely narrower for multi line customers ... IF they can get such a good deal.
Right now, att, 3 lines 550 minutes, unlimited mobile to mobiles, starts at $70, + $30 family unlimited txt, + $20 PER PHONE minimum for 300mb of data, is $160, $190 month with one line at 5GB of data, or $70 month more than the prepaid package I put together for a family of three, costing $1700 more over 2 years ... which is still $1200 even with a $500 "loyalty bonus".
Shelf price to shelf price, prepaid is way cheaper than most post paid equivalent plans, as the OP claimed, granted occasional sales / promo exceptions.
YMMV
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Mine is 5 lines.... And the $30 plan only has 100 mins, that is definitely not enough. I would have to opt for simplemobile or straight talk if i do prepaid so $40-45 x 5 if anything.
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Teo032 said:
Mine is 5 lines.... And the $30 plan only has 100 mins, that is definitely not enough. I would have to opt for simplemobile or straight talk if i do prepaid so $40-45 x 5 if anything.
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Click to expand...
Click to collapse
5 lines, that IS a great price. Right now, 3 lines, 5 gigs of data with T-mobile, is $210 per month, 24 month contract, so you're 5 lines for $140 is really good.
I'll ALSO point out .... ". $5 Add-A-Line Offer: $5 monthly recurring charges until 1/2/2014 for voice and messaging services on lines added to qualifying Classic family plan. As of 1/2/2014, regular monthly service pricing will apply to all added lines. New activation of an additional line to a qualifying Classic family plan required; maximum three added lines. "
So, if you were to sign up TODAY for a 24 month contract, that 3rd line will cost you only $5 a month for 18 months, but .. who knows WHAT you will HAVE to pay for the last 6 months of your contract?
/shrug, I guess if you get a super can't buy again guaranteed not to change contract plan, then, in those cases, prepaid isn't as good for families.
I still can't get to "contracts are in general better than prepaid for multi line families". Any one got any examples of currently advertised multi line plans being a better deal than a collection of prepaids?
It makes SENSE that a family plan, where you're sharing 5gb of data between 5 people should be cheaper than 5 seperate plans each with 2GB of data, but, does anyone have such an example?
noneone said:
5 lines, that IS a great price. Right now, 3 lines, 5 gigs of data with T-mobile, is $210 per month, 24 month contract, so you're 5 lines for $140 is really good.
I'll ALSO point out .... ". $5 Add-A-Line Offer: $5 monthly recurring charges until 1/2/2014 for voice and messaging services on lines added to qualifying Classic family plan. As of 1/2/2014, regular monthly service pricing will apply to all added lines. New activation of an additional line to a qualifying Classic family plan required; maximum three added lines. "
So, if you were to sign up TODAY for a 24 month contract, that 3rd line will cost you only $5 a month for 18 months, but .. who knows WHAT you will HAVE to pay for the last 6 months of your contract?
/shrug, I guess if you get a super can't buy again guaranteed not to change contract plan, then, in those cases, prepaid isn't as good for families.
I still can't get to "contracts are in general better than prepaid for multi line families". Any one got any examples of currently advertised multi line plans being a better deal than a collection of prepaids?
It makes SENSE that a family plan, where you're sharing 5gb of data between 5 people should be cheaper than 5 seperate plans each with 2GB of data, but, does anyone have such an example?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yeah off the shelf probably not, but since most ppl are already on contracts, they can get into the loyalty contracts.. meaning plans only available when renewing. Most ppl of course will go for the free phones and stuff, but they should really go for the other set of plans.. forget the name, but they're much better deals. i think my plan is based 79.99 with text and 2gb internet + $5 add on lines. so 80 + 15, opt for 5gb internet for 2 main lines so additional 2x $10 and another 5gb line thats another $20 total is like
80 + 15 + 40 = 135 then + taxes and crap < $145.
But the thing is.. my 2gb data only costs $10 if i choose that route so it can actually probably be $112 or so
I got a Free SGS2 from T Mobile. I have 500 min plan + unlimited data with 2GB high speed i.e. $39 + $20 - 12% corporate discount(not present in Prepaid) + Taxes = $62 approx.
I was prevoiusly using Unlimited all T Mobile prepaid $50 plan which $55 after taxes.
I have SipDroid, GrooveIP, WiFi Calling all enabled(i am 90% of the time connected to Wifi)
So its only $7/month extra i pay plus i get free SGS2 phone.
This tempted me to go for contract.
This is a really good and interesting thread. I am seeing that for some people in some situations contracts are less expensive than anything prepaid has to offer. Particularly some family plans where some users have very limited needs. It seems to make a lot of sense in those instances.
However, I would be willing to bet those situations are the vast minority and that the reality is that most people are paying tons of cash on contract mainly due to advertising and marketing. That and the emotional need to be associated with a big brand name, a force I've come to understand is REALLY powerful for US citizens who are bombarded by more advertisements than any other human population in the history of our species.
I came across a very interesting article a couple weeks ago discussing the cost of broadband Internet in my home country, the USA, versus the cost in other countries. The study was very detailed. It illustrated how US companies charge much more for less service than any other companies on the planet.
Now I know that is for broadband Internet, land based, but increasingly these services are merging. And what it suggests is that these carriers charge way more than what would otherwise be competitive in a system with real competition (not the case in the USA where industry monopoly or duopoly exists in just about every industrial sector). The name of the study for those interested was The Cost of Connectivity.
I think the clock is ticking on these contracts. People are getting smarter about how they spend their money. These big telcos are gonna be forced to accept slimmer profit margins.
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_atlien_ said:
This is a really good and interesting thread. I am seeing that for some people in some situations contracts are less expensive than anything prepaid has to offer. Particularly some family plans where some users have very limited needs. It seems to make a lot of sense in those instances.
However, I would be willing to bet those situations are the vast minority and that the reality is that most people are paying tons of cash on contract mainly due to advertising and marketing. That and the emotional need to be associated with a big brand name, a force I've come to understand is REALLY powerful for US citizens who are bombarded by more advertisements than any other human population in the history of our species.
I came across a very interesting article a couple weeks ago discussing the cost of broadband Internet in my home country, the USA, versus the cost in other countries. The study was very detailed. It illustrated how US companies charge much more for less service than any other companies on the planet.
Now I know that is for broadband Internet, land based, but increasingly these services are merging. And what it suggests is that these carriers charge way more than what would otherwise be competitive in a system with real competition (not the case in the USA where industry monopoly or duopoly exists in just about every industrial sector). The name of the study for those interested was The Cost of Connectivity.
I think the clock is ticking on these contracts. People are getting smarter about how they spend their money. These big telcos are gonna be forced to accept slimmer profit margins.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-T989 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
In the article, did they adjust for the "cost of living"? For example, a gallon of gas in Chicago I saw at $4.15, in central NJ I just paid $3.40. Similarly, the price of TYLENOL varies by where you are in the USA.
In some countries, EVERYTHING is cheaper, labor, land, houses, etc., so I might expect the price of broadband to be cheaper in those countries too, since the cost to lay the cables could be phenomenally cheaper than the USA (labor rates, right?). Now, as a % of INCOME, I would expect broadband to be cheaper in the USA.
Just wondering.
Thanks!
I think the article was the speed provided by isp how Korea and a few other countries are charging for less on faster lines. But I'm pretty sure they didn't consider that countries like korea is a hell lot smaller and the houses and businesses are a lot more compact compared to the vast wasted land of America. So it's like they have less distribution centers or whatever they're called which means less workers to pay so less money out of their pockets... basically the isp is putting less money out meaning they can charge less for lines.
But it's okay google is going yo have their gbit line soon.
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Related
I am extremely excited for friday to come around so I can get the EVO, that being said I have been on here alot today, and have watched alot of youtube videos.
But all of the people on here complaining about the $10 extra charge being a "deal breaker for them" is hands down the most stupid thing I have ever heard.
People the $10 extra charge is for 4G/Unlimited 3G.
This phone is like the iPhone and allows you to use ALOT of data. I don't understand how people see a phone with a 4.3 inch screen, 1ghz processor, 4G, and a list of other features and will willingly pay $200 for it, but then $10 extra month is unquestionable.
Look at what you are getting from Sprint. Sprint is IMO the best company, their prices are dirt cheap, and they truly give you everything you want.
Look at the pricing for the EVO
EVO
$79.99 per month
You get
unlimited mobile to mobile
unlimited texting
unlimited data
free calls after 7 P.M.
free turn by turn navigation from sprint
450 minutes
For $79.99
Now
the iPhone on AT&T is still $10 more expensive every month, and now Verizon and AT&T are making people get a data plan on certain phones that are not considered "smart phones"
I have a problem with paying an extra $10 per month. I already pay them $160 per month (about) for my family "unlimited" plan. 4G isn't even in my state! I planned on buying the phone out of contract... they are not subsidizing my phone in any way.
You can say "well you should be thankful it's not xxxx amount because that's what yyyyyy carrier charges you". Yeah well I'm not with yyyyyy carrier I'm with Sprint. If Sprint is going to nickel and dime me up to yyyyy's price I'll just switch because it pisses me off (been with sprint about 9 years).
If I keep my Touch Pro 2 I don't have to pay this surcharge.... if I buy this new phone that they want people to buy it will cost me an extra $120 per year for the same service i'm already getting. Most I've burned through is about 10 GB's per month under my current "unlimited" plan and never been charged extra.
Make sense to you? Not to me.
$10 more for AT&T??
Way more...
- First off, the iPhone 3GS is $299 with 2 year contract (you CANNOT get upgrade pricing after 12 months like we do on Sprint.)
- Secondly, when comparing nearly identical offerings on Sprint vs AT&T, I just got $185/mo, NOT including taxes.
That's more than double. Just select iPhone and basically all the highest options (other than highest voice,) and that's what you already get on Sprint.
tadda said:
If Sprint is going to nickel and dime me up to yyyyy's price I'll just switch because it pisses me off (been with sprint about 9 years).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
buh-bye. Good luck paying $180 on any other carrier, for what we get for $80.
I did not say one word about either the Iphone or AT&T.
My point is this.... I can keep my current phone (hd 2 nice but I'm sick of winmo) and not pay the $10/month surcharge. So when I buy a new phone out of contract I am paying Sprint an extra 120/year FOR NOTHING. THEY ARE DOING NOTHING MORE FOR ME NEXT MONTH THEN THEY ARE DOING FOR ME TODAY YET I AM PAYING THEM MORE.
Don't get me wrong... phone is awesome and I want it, but this 10/month thing pisses me off. It's the principal of it not the amount.
ScrapMaker said:
$10 more for AT&T??
Way more...
- First off, the iPhone 3GS is $299 with 2 year contract (you CANNOT get upgrade pricing after 12 months like we do on Sprint.)
- Secondly, when comparing nearly identical offerings on Sprint vs AT&T, I just got $185/mo, NOT including taxes.
That's more than double. Just select iPhone and basically all the highest options (other than highest voice,) and that's what you already get on Sprint.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
nah its not double more
you can't be biased when you compare is.
The 3GS 16gb model is $199, the Evo only comes with 8gb
450 minutes are $39.99
Unlimited texting is $20.00
Data is $30
that is a total of $90, what other charges were you adding on lol, I see your point tho sprint is cheaper
tadda said:
I have a problem with paying an extra $10 per month. I already pay them $160 per month (about) for my family "unlimited" plan. 4G isn't even in my state! I planned on buying the phone out of contract... they are not subsidizing my phone in any way.
You can say "well you should be thankful it's not xxxx amount because that's what yyyyyy carrier charges you". Yeah well I'm not with yyyyyy carrier I'm with Sprint. If Sprint is going to nickel and dime me up to yyyyy's price I'll just switch because it pisses me off (been with sprint about 9 years).
If I keep my Touch Pro 2 I don't have to pay this surcharge.... if I buy this new phone that they want people to buy it will cost me an extra $120 per year for the same service i'm already getting. Most I've burned through is about 10 GB's per month under my current "unlimited" plan and never been charged extra.
Make sense to you? Not to me.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thats the problem right here...
And you and many others don't see it.
You are wrong!!
List me all of the features you have on your plan, (how many lines, what phones, and what plans you have)
And I guarentee it will be cheaper on Sprint. Than on AT&T and verizon or tmobile.
You will consider leaving sprint after 9 years and paying an ETF, but actually figuring out the costs and features you get on sprint v. the other carriers is unquestionable, correct?
Please list your features, untill you do that and show everyone how the other carriers are cheaper, you don't have a fair point.
mjz147 said:
nah its not double more
you can't be biased when you compare is.
The 3GS 16gb model is $199, the Evo only comes with 8gb
450 minutes are $39.99
Unlimited texting is $20.00
Data is $30
that is a total of $90, what other charges were you adding on lol, I see your point tho sprint is cheaper
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The only way to compare is to have unlimited ANY MOBILE calling... AT&T doesn't have this option, so you'd have to put on unlimited calling.
You also need to add corporate messaging/etc, because Sprint has all that included. Yes, not everyone needs that, but for those who do, it adds up.
Also, you must add unlimited route navigation.
I think you get the idea. It's hard to do a pure apples-to-apples comparison, but even when you get close, it's drastically more expensive on AT&T.
ScrapMaker said:
The only way to compare is to have unlimited ANY MOBILE calling... AT&T doesn't have this option, so you'd have to put on unlimited calling.
You also need to add corporate messaging/etc, because Sprint has all that included. Yes, not everyone needs that, but for those who do, it adds up.
Also, you must add unlimited route navigation.
I think you get the idea. It's hard to do a pure apples-to-apples comparison, but even when you get close, it's drastically more expensive on AT&T.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ya, i didn't put that in ur right tho about those other charges, good call
$10 a month. Putting that into perspective, that's one time out in a Thai restaurant. IMHO I can live without thai food for a day and just put those $10 toward Evo which I will use EVERY DAY of the month... can't complain here
Geez... again I don't think you see my point. Let me try to rephrase a little bit.
If this $10 surcharge was across every single data-plan regardless of phone I would not be complaining, I would take my lumps and deal with it.
This $10 is for owners of the HTC Evo 4g only. That is my problem.
Example:
So if you lived in my area where there's no 4g, and had an EVO 4g your bill would be $10 more than mine with a Touch Pro 2 even though we're both on the same Simply Everything Plan using the same EVDO/3g network. (pretend I only have one line)
tadda said:
Geez... again I don't think you see my point. Let me try to rephrase a little bit.
If this $10 surcharge was across every single data-plan regardless of phone I would not be complaining, I would take my lumps and deal with it.
This $10 is for owners of the HTC Evo 4g only. That is my problem.
Example:
So if you lived in my area where there's no 4g, and had an EVO 4g your bill would be $10 more than mine with a Touch Pro 2 even though we're both on the same Simply Everything Plan using the same EVDO/3g network. (pretend I only have one line)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Simple answer: Think of it as an "EVO 4G" fee.
ScrapMaker said:
Simple answer: Think of it as an "EVO 4G" fee.
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Click to collapse
I guess if that's the way you wanna see it that's the way you will see it. Unfortuantely I don't see it that way. Again... if it was across the board for everyone on the simply everything plan I wouldn't even be posting right now.
tadda said:
I guess if that's the way you wanna see it that's the way you will see it. Unfortuantely I don't see it that way. Again... if it was across the board for everyone on the simply everything plan I wouldn't even be posting right now.
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http://finance.yahoo.com/news/ATampT-caps-phone-data-usage-apf-499602515.html?x=0&.v=7
Again, not happy about the +$10, but it's hella better than that...
It all boils down to you're gonna pay for it because....you WILL pay for it. Sprint knows it's still a better deal. Is it fair? Maybe not -- but you're still buying the phone...
tadda said:
I guess if that's the way you wanna see it that's the way you will see it. Unfortuantely I don't see it that way. Again... if it was across the board for everyone on the simply everything plan I wouldn't even be posting right now.
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You can choose to whine about it, but I doubt very much you will pass on the EVO 4G because of $10.
tadda said:
I have a problem with paying an extra $10 per month. I already pay them $160 per month (about) for my family "unlimited" plan. 4G isn't even in my state! I planned on buying the phone out of contract... they are not subsidizing my phone in any way.
You can say "well you should be thankful it's not xxxx amount because that's what yyyyyy carrier charges you". Yeah well I'm not with yyyyyy carrier I'm with Sprint. If Sprint is going to nickel and dime me up to yyyyy's price I'll just switch because it pisses me off (been with sprint about 9 years).
If I keep my Touch Pro 2 I don't have to pay this surcharge.... if I buy this new phone that they want people to buy it will cost me an extra $120 per year for the same service i'm already getting. Most I've burned through is about 10 GB's per month under my current "unlimited" plan and never been charged extra.
Make sense to you? Not to me.
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Hey Tadda why don't you go to your facebook page and cry. Don't buy the F****N phone and stay the **LL off this board.
!
the 10$ extra isnt for 4G..
Sprint looks at it like this, You just bought a bad ass phone, and your gonna wanna see what it can do. so your gonna start using WAY MORE DATA now.. 10$ for unlimited data.. or 30 from AT&T .. your choice..
And if you wanna see the price difference go to att.com and look at the prices. Stop arguing like a bunch of girls.
Are we still on this $10.00 a month?
Let's see AT&T so far has removed for new users the unlimited plan. Charges $15 for 200MB or $25 for 2GB. It's like they are pushing for people to find their local Starbucks to do their surfing.
$69.99 - Unlimited everything mobile to mobile + 450 mins anywhere. No roaming.
$10.00 for 4G phone which in return gives 5GB(cap) that has not been really enforced when you go over a few GB's or 4GB Unlimited. Can't have a WiMax Hotspot and CAP the speeds.
Free Telenav Sprint NAV turn by turn usually a $10.00 a month feature on AT&T.
So for $79.99 you get all of that and then some.
AT&T for the most part charges:
$69.99 unlimited talk
$20.00 unlimited text
$30.00 Unlimited capped data at 5GB not $25.00 for 2GB
$10.00 for TeleNav
So for $129.99 a month you get AT&T.
If you want to get apples to apples then we can go to the Simply Everything plan which is $99.99 and it gives you unlimited everything + $10.00 4G and you have $109.00 with Unlimited Calls to Mobile and Landlines.
With Verizon you have:
$69.99 unlimited talk
$20.00 unlimited text
$29.99 unlimited data - not to include enterprise data such as blackberry
$44.99 unlimited Enterprise Data
As you can see the Sprint has no caps on data like the other two. So how can one really complain about the pricing. It's a BIG difference and to have all these people and mags complain about $10.00 is a JOKE!
I hope to be happy with my Sprint Service. I don't like change often but I am willing to make the leap.
What your not considering is what if you DON'T NEED unlimited voice minutes? It's great that Sprint is cheaper when comparing unlimited plans, but I for one, only use 200-400 mins a month total between 2 lines. So a 550 family plan with AT&T is just fine, I don't need unlimited with Sprint or even the 1500 minutes there giving us with the Evo's. I would rather pay Sprint less, since I will be using less. But they force you into a Everything plan for smartphones.
All carriers have their ups and downs.
AT&T has the fastest 3g network, but poor coverage/prices
Verizon has the largest 3g network, but poor prices
Tmobile has...umm..good prices
Sprint has good network, good prices, poor phone choices.
With Sprints Evo tax, we save ~10.00 dollars a month switching from AT&T with our current 2 x 3gs's. That is not a lot of money to save, especially since AT&T's data speeds are about twice as fast as Sprints in this area. So the Evo tax is a big deal. We have a pre-order in, I am extremely excited, we will test them out, and if we both like them, we will switch. But if they disappoint like the Pre's did, then they go back and we will keep our iphones.
Now if Sprint didn't charge the Evo tax, we would save 30.00 a month. With that kind of savings, we could accept a few snags here and there and would for sure dump AT&T.
notown775 said:
the 10$ extra isnt for 4G..
Sprint looks at it like this, You just bought a bad ass phone, and your gonna wanna see what it can do. so your gonna start using WAY MORE DATA now.. 10$ for unlimited data.. or 30 from AT&T .. your choice..
And if you wanna see the price difference go to att.com and look at the prices. Stop arguing like a bunch of girls.
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I think that's Sprint's point too.... This phone WILL use more data
So I have been thinking. What would I be willing to pay for a phone off contract? Well. Bought my Vibrant for off contract, and it took a nice piece out of my wallet.
So my question is for you guys, Would you be willing to pay for a phone off contract for the right price? What would that price be?
Please leave comments on what you think.
I realize this is a very general question but I'm turning to my fellow Vibrant owners first.
Question to you or anybody that bought it off contract...Do you guys have a data plan?
No data plan. The only reason I bought it off contract
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA App
emonero said:
Question to you or anybody that bought it off contract...Do you guys have a data plan?
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I bought 2 Vibrants off contract when T-Mo had some crazy Bing cash back - like 25% or something. I do have a data plan with both.
Now, we use Even More Plus, so between the two of us we're saving something like $40/month over the rates on an equivalent Even More plan. That quickly adds up to make buying off-contract a better option if you can get phones for even slightly below MSRP, and it's an absolute no brainer for a phone enthusiast who likes to switch often and trade on Ebay or Craigslist.
I'm very disappointed that EM+ seems to be going away. It's one of the reasons I switched to T-Mobile and IMO is about the best value in mobile.
Even more plus, bought off contract with payment plan (reimbursed through work though).
All of my phones eventually become my wife's phones when I choose to upgrade.
contract is a gimmick and you eventually pay full price for phone. What do you think that extra $20 or so month goes to
my no contract Even More 500TTW is $60 on contract its $80 no thanks
To quickly crunch some numbers...
On contact the phone cost roughly $200 and an additional $20 a month over the EM+ plan. Over the 24 month contract that equals a $680 phone.
From my perspective anything under that price is worth it. Not to mention out of contract allows for mobile flexibility should you need it.
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA App
Last fathers day I wanted to cash in on the 2 free phone deal, and being an existing tmobile member for the last 5 years I was not eligible, so I called them anyways and said I have been with tmobile for the last 5 years and want to cash in on this fathers day deal, long story short........got transfered to the loyalty department and they gave me 2 free phones of my choice with the signing off a 2 year contract when my current contract is up at my same no contract rate........here is the greatest part, I can choose any phone whenever I want. so haveing the G1 for so long I said screw it I'll take a Vibrant, now I still have 1 more free phone left to get, my girl likes my vibrant, so I was thinking of handing this one to her and grabbing the Nexus S, but we will see.
Anyways the moral of the story, call and talk to someone, be calm, and ask lots of questions, they are nice at tmobile and they will bend over backwards to keep you as a customer.
Edit: I should also say that I got my G1 for $20 + $50 mail in rebate, so I ended up getting paid $30 and signed a 1 year contract at my current grandfathered rate.......just call and talk to t-mobile
a400meter said:
To quickly crunch some numbers...
On contact the phone cost roughly $200 and an additional $20 a month over the EM+ plan. Over the 24 month contract that equals a $680 phone.
From my perspective anything under that price is worth it. Not to mention out of contract allows for mobile flexibility should you need it.
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA App
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Well US phones typically have their bands locked down (or are missing bands). Mobile flexibility probably would amtter to someone who has i.e. a Nokia N8 with a pentaband radio - but a Vibrant doesn't have that.
Going on Contract is cheaper. If you ever want to switch carriers you can just ETF the contract. It goes down every month you're on the contract.
That way you don't have to come up with so much up front for the phone.
Also, you get rebates on contract phones that sometimes aren't available if you buy the phone off-contract (i.e. Web Deals, etc.).
If you do the calculations, off contract is cheaper in the long term.
Not by much considerimg it's over a 2 yeat period. Mosy people don't care.
Thr upfront cost for an unlocked phone is simply too high for most.
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For me, going off-contract was good. It saved me $20 (plus tax) a month on phone charges, and, since I am planning on keeping this phone for a while, it's more than paid for. For me, having a contract and "subsidized" phones means being locked in to the carrier, and ending up paying full price (or more) for the phone on the installment plan.
On contract here. I don't think I could shell out $400+ for a phone just to be an early adopter.
I pay $120 a month for the 700 min family plan which includes my Vibrant with data, 400 texts, insurance, 2 extra lines with 400 texts each and [email protected] home. I also get a %15 discount through my work. There is no other carrier that would come close too that price. I will always buy on contract and keep my grandfathered plan.
Haha i got it free from t-mobile somehow i forgot it has something to do with trading in crappy phones.
Two year contract got me a vibrant for free not on an upgrade ;p
The day this phone came out!!
nero beta
badaphooko01 said:
On contract here. I don't think I could shell out $400+ for a phone just to be an early adopter.
I pay $120 a month for the 700 min family plan which includes my Vibrant with data, 400 texts, insurance, 2 extra lines with 400 texts each and [email protected] home. I also get a %15 discount through my work. There is no other carrier that would come close too that price. I will always buy on contract and keep my grandfathered plan.
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Sprint would be cheaper. They have just as good discounts as tmo, better for us, but unfortunately no service..
Oh, and unlimited texts, too.
Important on a droid... No push notifications for most (this) phone for fb/twitter.
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N8ter said:
Well US phones typically have their bands locked down (or are missing bands). Mobile flexibility probably would amtter to someone who has i.e. a Nokia N8 with a pentaband radio - but a Vibrant doesn't have that.
Going on Contract is cheaper. If you ever want to switch carriers you can just ETF the contract. It goes down every month you're on the contract.
That way you don't have to come up with so much up front for the phone.
Also, you get rebates on contract phones that sometimes aren't available if you buy the phone off-contract (i.e. Web Deals, etc.).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The vibrant actually does have 3g bands for at&t, even though what you say about missing bands is usually true.
Regarding price, if you have a data plan, em+ saves at least $20/month versus contract pricing, so for contract to be cheaper you'd need to either save $480 on a phone, (or less, if you convince tmo to give you phones more frequently).
Now I only paid $300 for our vibrants after rebates, so it was clearly cheaper in our case.
Sent from my Nexus One using XDA App
I realize many people sign 2 year contracts because they see "free phone" and think the carrier subsidizing the phone somehow works out in their interest over the course of 2 years of paying $80-100 per month. But, considering the attractive prepaid/pay as you go/no contract options available now, why don't people take the time to do some simple math and realize paying $300 for an unlocked phone and $30-50 a month thereafter is much cheaper than getting a free phone and an expensive contract plan?
Thoughts? Personally, the notion of signing away your life for 2 years just to get phone service is absurd.
Not necessarily, I'm on contract for three years but I got my skyrocket for 200 new. My plan is only 50 tax in and has everything I need, including unlimited texting, 6 Gibson of data, 500 daytime, evenings & weekends after 6, call I'd, voicemail and unlimited network calling. Mind u, some people are paying more for less, but that doesn't mean that EVERYONE is paying 100 per month. Most people can't afford the 600 upfront for a good smartphone, and carriers know this
icenight89 said:
Not necessarily, I'm on contract for three years but I got my skyrocket for 200 new. My plan is only 50 tax in and has everything I need, including unlimited texting, 6 Gibson of data, 500 daytime, evenings & weekends after 6, call I'd, voicemail and unlimited network calling. Mind u, some people are paying more for less, but that doesn't mean that EVERYONE is paying 100 per month. Most people can't afford the 600 upfront for a good smartphone, and carriers know this
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That's not bad, really, but contract plans in the U.S. tend to be more expensive. Like, T-Mobile's standard 5GB contract plan with however many minutes and unlimited messaging is $80 a month, and you're throttled after 5GB down to dial up speeds, as far as I know.
I mean, you can find fairly new smartphones on the Internet (ebay, et al) for $200-400. Expensive, sure, but cheaper than a 2 year contract in most cases, even with a subsidized phone. Consider paying $200 or $250 for a subsidized phone, and you're still locked into a contract. Seems kind of out there, especially with the Draconian data usage policies all carriers here are implementing.
Pretty good deal, but I wouldn't commit to a carrier for 3 years (at least not in the states) because the landscape can change so much. I especially wouldn't commit to the same phone for 3 years now that they're releasing more powerful ones by the droves (sure, you can get an upgrade, but that leads to a contract extension anyway).
I just did it because the ''free'' HTC Desire HD when it was just released and I took an contract where I could change it after 3 months and that resulted that I right now pay € 22,79 before inflation correction this was € 22,50.
So for about € 600 I have unlimited mobile internet with a fup and € 20 credit each month which I can call 100 min with, but my contract is fishy, I take that € 20 to the next month if I not use it, but most time it will just get lost so my family often borrow my phone because I don't use much off those mins.
But when I took my contract the HTC Desire HD had still a new price between € 500 and € 550 so if we go calculate then I just pay about € 100 for the mobile internet and call mins.
So that would make € 4,16 for each month. That is really cheap as aslong i'm in my country i have internet, if i'm in another country I can use call and sms from within that € 20.
But in October 2012 my contract will end so I will not make it new but end it and then I will just use no sim card or a prepaid for being reachable. Because mobile contract are not cheap anymore in my country.
But this contract is my second where I have high end smartphone for free with and pay around € 600 after two years, my first was with iPhone 3G but that contract cost some more, but still in € 600 I guess something like € 650 maybe, but I forget it.
These contracts are so made that if you go over your bundle that you will pay much more, so that's why you get phone for free, but they will also charge you more if you send a text message to another country, for example, if I send a text message when I log on to a german network it cost me € 0,13 and goes off from my bundle, but if I send that same text message from my provider inside my country then it cost me € 0,39 and that is charged extra.
So i'm smart and whenever I send my gf a text message who is staying in another country, then I log my phone on the German network, it has saved me alot already.
This is almost like asking why do people go to mcdonalds?
I have both a postpaid contract account (standard 2yr in US) and a prepaid account with the same carrier. (TMOUS) (long story, don't ask)
I FEEL (note the caps phrase, please) that not only is customer service better on the postpaid account, but the data speeds are faster (comparing SIM to SIM not, device to device).....
Sent from my GT-N7000 using Tapatalk
radlink14 said:
This is almost like asking why do people go to mcdonalds?
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Yeah, it is, considering the abundance of other options.
Probably because most carriers try their damndest to prevent people from getting on postpaid no-contract plans. I'm currently fighting with T-Mobile over this and have since left for AT&T which had no issue giving me a postpaid plan without a contract (since I bought my device outright).
Contract worked out cheaper for me.
synaesthetic said:
Probably because most carriers try their damndest to prevent people from getting on postpaid no-contract plans. I'm currently fighting with T-Mobile over this and have since left for AT&T which had no issue giving me a postpaid plan without a contract (since I bought my device outright).
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Oh boy. I'm curious now--what'd T-Mobile do? I haven't heard many horror stories about their postpaid stuff, but to be honest I haven't heard much about T-Mobile lately at all.
pottedplant73 said:
Oh boy. I'm curious now--what'd T-Mobile do? I haven't heard many horror stories about their postpaid stuff, but to be honest I haven't heard much about T-Mobile lately at all.
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I left T-Mobile for a month to go to Sprint because coverage was terrible at my home (I've since moved). Sprint wasn't much better, so I canceled during my 30-day trial and went back to T-Mobile.
In the intervening month I was with Sprint, T-Mobile had canceled their Even More Plus (postpaid no-contract) plans and brought their current plans instead. I told them specifically I didn't want a contract, that I had my own devices and didn't need subsidized or financed phones. The rep agreed to all of this and signed me back up on what should have been the closest approximation of what I had before (500 minutes, unlimited SMS, 5GB internets).
Except it wasn't. It was a two-year contract on both lines, even though I never got a subsidized device out of the deal. So I called them and complained about this and tried to get them to fix it. The only thing they were willing to do was to give me a cheaper option by condensing my two lines into a family plan. I was not happy but I saw little choice outside of paying two lines' worth of ETF fees.
After that I didn't really have many complaints. The service was great, speeds were wonderful and the price was pretty damn low. So I didn't press the issue of being set up on a contract without my initial consent.
But then in November, T-Mobile began to heavily compress all JPEG images on the internet when using mobile data.
I don't just mean minor compression to save a few bits here and there. This was major, significant compression where JPEG filesizes would be reduced by 350%. The end result was, of course, incredibly poor image quality all across the web--and even in the Android Market. The transparent image-compression proxy caused apps like Google+ to force-close when viewing pictures.
This looked awful on my old Nexus S 800x480 display. It looked far, far worse on my Galaxy Nexus's 1280x720 display. Naturally I called and complained. Long and loud. Nothing ever changed. Nobody ever even attempted to solve the issue--indeed, if it was even an issue and not just an underhanded way to try and conserve bandwidth.
After over a dozen calls to customer service and tech support spanning nearly ten hours of phone conversations, a huge number of factory resets done on both devices to placate their reps, and two SIM card replacements, I was done, fed up with the lot of them. Went to AT&T and transferred both lines over. Now T-Mobile's trying to charge me ETFs.
Went in to a T-Mobile store yesterday to see if they had any S3's, and while looking at the display model, it said it was $279, or $229 if on the value plan. What is the value plan, and whats different between it and the standard family plan? Also, you MUST take the 5GB data plan? They had 2 employees working and about 5 people in line, so after ab out 10 minutes I left, questions unanswered.
The price is to make up the fact that you could save more with them. A value plan is when you start out a contract with a phone that you either have or bought full price. At the end, you end up saving even more than classic. You could find better deals at Wally world or Costco and they won't even make you upgrade your plan
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So if Im walking in as a new customer, I would have to pay the $279?
I just signed up for T-mobile this week coming from sprint. Got the S3 with the value plan. I paid about $270 in the store and walked out with the phone. With the value plan, you end up paying FULL price for the phone but they basically give it to you on credit and interest free. They add an extra 20 a month to your bill for 22 months, however you can pay off the phone early. Once the phone is paid off, I am looking at about 83 bucks a month with insurance for Unlimited with 5GB data with hotspot.
All of the numbers I just gave your are ballpark (except for the extra 20) becasue I don't remember the exact numbers.
In the long run, your monthly bill will be cheaper. The classic play with 5gb is about 94 bucks a month before taxes and fees.
At least this is how I understand things. If I am wrong, someone else please chime in.
I hope this helps a bit.
To add to durhamite's response, the extra $20 is per phone on the Value plan. This is easier to explain with examples. I'll assume two lines on an unlimited voice/text/2GB high-speed data plan.
Classic price for phones: $279 (after MIR)*2=$558
Classic MRC = $139.98
Value price for phones: $229*2= $458
Monthly EIP payments (for 20 months): $20*2=40
Value MRC: $99.98
I left out activation fees and any other fees that would be the same, regardless of plan. To summarize, with the Value plan, you pay $200 less today ($100 would come back via MIR if you chose Classic), the same amount for the next 20 months, and $40 less for the last four months of your contract. Keep in mind that both plans have an ETF and if you cancel a Value plan early, the remaining balance on the phones is due immediately.
The other advantage is that with the Value plan, you wouldn't have to have the data plan on your phones. However, I'm unsure if that is from the beginning, or only after you have finished your EIP installments.
So basically on the Value Plan, TMO is giving you an interest free (0% APR) loan on your phone (EIP payments = $20 x 20 months). Assuming that your credit is good enough to qualify for this plan.
I've ran the numbers between Classic vs Value plans. Value is always cheaper, you'll save between $100-$200, after 24 months contract, depending on which plans you choose.
Should of went to Walmart, only 198 for the phone.
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cashyftw said:
Should of went to Walmart, only 198 for the phone.
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While it's true that you're saving upfront cost of the phone $198 vs $229 from Walmart vs TMOBile, once you add up all the 24 months contract the Value plan is still cheaper. AFAIK, you can only get Value Plan from Retail TMO stores.
durhamite said:
I just signed up for T-mobile this week coming from sprint. Got the S3 with the value plan. I paid about $270 in the store and walked out with the phone. With the value plan, you end up paying FULL price for the phone but they basically give it to you on credit and interest free. They add an extra 20 a month to your bill for 22 months, however you can pay off the phone early. Once the phone is paid off, I am looking at about 83 bucks a month with insurance for Unlimited with 5GB data with hotspot.
All of the numbers I just gave your are ballpark (except for the extra 20) becasue I don't remember the exact numbers.
In the long run, your monthly bill will be cheaper. The classic play with 5gb is about 94 bucks a month before taxes and fees.
At least this is how I understand things. If I am wrong, someone else please chime in.
I hope this helps a bit.
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WELCOME TO TMO BRO! Ive been with them for a decade, and in that time Ive also had second lines with Sprint, and verizon. Tmo is AMAZING!! They will take good care uf you whenever theres a problem, they have gone SOOO far above and beyond anything any other carrier will do for me.
Also, make sure you bookmark tmonews.com, , its ran by blogger David Beren and its a branch of phonedog. Youll find all the latest leaks of phones, and sales. If you watch the sales, you can call and make changes to your plan that cxan really save you big money and lock you into great prices and features. Sorry, Im a huge TMO Fan, and Im always trying to bring ppl over, lol. Theres a guy at my local Tmo store who tells me I make him About $500 a year in commisions, just telling ppl about the service and handing them his card, lmao. But in return he called me the day before launch and had a GS3 tucked off to the side to sell me a day early!
androholic said:
WELCOME TO TMO BRO! Ive been with them for a decade, and in that time Ive also had second lines with Sprint, and verizon. Tmo is AMAZING!! They will take good care uf you whenever theres a problem, they have gone SOOO far above and beyond anything any other carrier will do for me.
Also, make sure you bookmark tmonews.com, , its ran by blogger David Beren and its a branch of phonedog. Youll find all the latest leaks of phones, and sales. If you watch the sales, you can call and make changes to your plan that cxan really save you big money and lock you into great prices and features. Sorry, Im a huge TMO Fan, and Im always trying to bring ppl over, lol. Theres a guy at my local Tmo store who tells me I make him About $500 a year, just telling ppl about the service and handing them his card, lmao.
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This must be a joke. Their CS is terrible now. They have no interest in getting me a phone and keeping my business. Tell them you're cancelling and they don't care!
jdpdata said:
While it's true that you're saving upfront cost of the phone $198 vs $229 from Walmart vs TMOBile, once you add up all the 24 months contract the Value plan is still cheaper. AFAIK, you can only get Value Plan from Retail TMO stores.
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wrong you can get the value plan w/ the s3 at costco for 390 without monthly installments. now that is a deal.
My plan:
unlimited minutes for two lines: 69.99
unlimited text for all lines: 9.99
two additional lines: 4.99 x 2 = 9.98
two lines w/ 200mb data: 4.99 x2 = 9.98
Total bill: 99.94$ - 15% employee discount = 84.95$ monthly pre taxes for four lines.
This same plan on classic would run you.... 99.99 for unlimited talk/text plus 19.99 for two add a line plus 40$ (minimum) for required data. After the discount it would be 137$ monthly.
This itself is a 52$ savings per month over 2 years. Which is 1248$ total in savings.
Provided you have to buy your phones separately it is still a good deal. My family all has smart phones of our individual choice, some that are not available on T-mobile.
I'm thinking about going to Tmobile also as sprint still doesnt have LTE. So if I get the value plan of $64.99 (500talk+text+5gb data) then I can go to costco and get the s3 for $350 correct?
aznmode said:
I'm thinking about going to Tmobile also as sprint still doesnt have LTE. So if I get the value plan of $64.99 (500talk+text+5gb data) then I can go to costco and get the s3 for $350 correct?
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390* but this is only an in store promotion so IDK if you can get in on the deal depending on where your at.
Also 5gb data is kind of a waste, I would sign up for the 2gb data unlimited for 10$ and edit the apn to keep getting unlimited data without throttling. But that's just me....
Good luck
tspx23 said:
390* but this is only an in store promotion so IDK if you can get in on the deal depending on where your at.
Also 5gb data is kind of a waste, I would sign up for the 2gb data unlimited for 10$ and edit the apn to keep getting unlimited data without throttling. But that's just me....
Good luck
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Does it work really?
Sent from my SGH-T999 using Tapatalk 2
Great, now my head hurts!
TMobile executive meeting; "How can we make cell phones as confusing as buying a car?" Just think, leasing a phone is just around the corner.
tspx23 said:
390* but this is only an in store promotion so IDK if you can get in on the deal depending on where your at.
Also 5gb data is kind of a waste, I would sign up for the 2gb data unlimited for 10$ and edit the apn to keep getting unlimited data without throttling. But that's just me....
Good luck
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Didn't know you can do that. Sometimes I use my phone to tether my tablet when my home internet is down and have used 6gb. That's why I figure I'd sign up for the 5 gb plan.
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gedster314 said:
Great, now my head hurts!
TMobile executive meeting; "How can we make cell phones as confusing as buying a car?" Just think, leasing a phone is just around the corner.
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I'm pretty sure they will specially with the phones coming out now days and as fast as they come out
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Just as a note for those thinking about it... if you live in the area east of dallas, tx, tmobile service is the worst out of the four carriers. Bar none. Sprint beats them, Verizon and AT&T beat them without any effort at all.
Diviance said:
Just as a note for those thinking about it... if you live in the area east of dallas, tx, tmobile service is the worst out of the four carriers. Bar none. Sprint beats them, Verizon and AT&T beat them without any effort at all.
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Cool info man, I definitely like sprint services since they have free roaming and good coverage but my area on 3G completely sucks, but when I go on road trips I'm pretty sure I'll find some bad spots for tmobile as well
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tony yayo said:
This must be a joke. Their CS is terrible now. They have no interest in getting me a phone and keeping my business. Tell them you're cancelling and they don't care!
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Not a joke at all bud, if your making threats like "I'm leaving" when you call in, that may be the reason why? I've been a small business owner, and if someone has an issue, being polite could take them a long way with me. Not to say you haven't been, but I know a lot of ppl expect to just get what they want out of a business by yelling, especially when it's an over the phone situation, and not in person.
Tmo has done things that have just blown me away to keep my services. I'm positive that not everyone has had all great experiences with them, but honestly, in 10yrs they've always gone out of their way for me, while other carriers have barely ever ever been personable!
Good News - ATT is offering a new mobile data share plan w/unlimited Talk & Text. More data for less, new data share plan included 10GB of data
http://www.att.com/shop/wireless/data-plans.html?gnLinkId=t2015#fbid=QH4FNKQoqUv
Just signed up for the 10gb plan. Was on 6gb now I get an additional 4gb for only 10.00 Att is headed in the right direction. Maybe unlimited like t-crap mobile one day ?
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chadrick.7 said:
Just signed up for the 10gb plan. Was on 6gb now I get an additional 4gb for only 10.00 Att is headed in the right direction. Maybe unlimited like t-crap mobile one day ?
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I was on the 6gb before also, now i got 10gb i am a happy att customer now...TMobile is keeping all the other carriers on their toes...I love it. Plus i get 22% off my bill through my employer att discount #winning
iamolu said:
I was on the 6gb before also, now i got 10gb i am a happy att customer now...TMobile is keeping all the other carriers on their toes...I love it
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I agree. Things are getting better now. Hopefully it will even get better in the future.
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iamolu said:
Good News - ATT is offering a new mobile data share plan w/unlimited Talk & Text. More data for less, new data share plan included 10GB of data
http://www.att.com/shop/wireless/data-plans.html?gnLinkId=t2015#fbid=QH4FNKQoqUv
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This change cut $80 off of my bill overnight!! I was on the original 10gb share plan with 4 smartphones. Now my data plan has dropped $20 from $120 to $100 and I'm saving $15 on each device fee. :thumbup::thumbup::sly:
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I think I got duped. I called up and she claimed that I can convert my 4 contract phones over to this plan however that there is only the 40 dollar rate for each line, and I'll actually see 15 bucks per line on the bill. The change is effective on 2/4/2014 which is when my billing cycle changes... I guess I'll check back at the end of the month and have a long discussion with AT&T about it.
That is great news, any saving is good savings
msm903 said:
I think I got duped. I called up and she claimed that I can convert my 4 contract phones over to this plan however that there is only the 40 dollar rate for each line, and I'll actually see 15 bucks per line on the bill. The change is effective on 2/4/2014 which is when my billing cycle changes... I guess I'll check back at the end of the month and have a long discussion with AT&T about it.
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You can change it yourself. Just login to you att.com acct
what's the catch? there is always a catch, I don't trust att no more
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Saved me $77 a month!
lyrad12 said:
what's the catch? there is always a catch, I don't trust att no more
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It's pretty much a modification of the Family Share Value plan introduced not that long ago. The biggest pricing discrepancy between T-Mobile and AT&T was that AT&T charged the same monthly fee per device whether you bought it outright, got it with Next, or brought your own. With the introduction of the recent Family Share Value plan people who got their phones as described above were given a $15 a month discount on the monthly service fee per non-subsidized device. My two went from $40 to $25 per month. With the new plan announced today, if you're not using a subsidized phone, the $25 per month drops to $15. It starts at 10GB so it's really targeted at families/groups and large data users. My 6GB plan with two non-subsidized devices ($25 a month each) was $116. With the new 10GB plan it's $109 because while the data component went up a bit each device dropped $10 ( $15 a month).
So it's a great deal if you aren't using a subsidized device, have a lot of (non-subsidized) lines on your account, or are a big data user. It's pretty meaningless to those with subsidized phones. But it's meant to be a T-Mobile deterrant and you can't get subsidized phones from them directly anymore anyway. You can but only through resellers along with 2-year contracts and different rate plans that are pretty comparable to AT&T subsidized rates.
I was also on the 6GB plan (2 lines). Upgraded to this and now have 10GB for $15 less. Winning!
Can anyone who had a contract tell me exactly what is listed for the specific phone charge? I have attached how it shows up on mine and am a bit worried even though I am told that the 15 dollars will apply to each of my 4 lines
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msm903 said:
Can anyone who had a contract tell me exactly what is listed for the specific phone charge? I have attached how it shows up on mine and am a bit worried even though I am told that the 15 dollars will apply to each of my 4 lines
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You're not on a Mobile Share plan and I can't tell if the devices on your account are subsidized or not. The per device monthly discount only applies to non-subsidized devices (finished 2-year contract, purchased outright, Next, or bring your own). To get any of the discounts we're talking about you'd need to move to a Mobile Share plan and if you have devices on your account that are subsidized the monthly charge you pay for them won't decrease. With the new 10GB plan non-subsidized devices drop from as high as $40 to $15 per month.
BarryH_GEG said:
You're not on a Mobile Share plan and I can't tell if the devices on your account are subsidized or not. The per device monthly discount only applies to non-subsidized devices (finished 2-year contract, purchased outright, Next, or bring your own). To get any of the discounts we're talking about you'd need to move to a Mobile Share plan and if you have devices on your account that are subsidized the monthly charge you pay for them won't decrease. With the new 10GB plan non-subsidized devices drop from as high as $40 to $15 per month.
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See that's the problem there. I was told by the REP that even though I am on contracts the 15 dollar will apply. Its like I am getting an exemption. I will call them back
Also "The most surprising part of today's announcement is that current customers with on-contract phones can switch to the new pricing structure. Starting tomorrow, you can simply call up AT&T and ask to switch to a Mobile Share Value plan with 10GB or more of data, and you'll drop from paying $40 per smartphone down to just $15" the following was reported via the verge at http://www.theverge.com/2014/2/1/5368768/att-discounts-large-mobile-share-value-plans paragraph 6.
She actually set the plan up to take effect on 2/4/2014 which coincides with the start of my billing cycle.
I will call them back and cancel the changes. I would be going from paying 199 minus discounts to 235 minus discounts and that makes no sense for me.
msm903 said:
See that's the problem there. I was told by the REP that even though I am on contracts the 15 dollar will apply. Its like I am getting an exemption. I will call them back
Also "The most surprising part of today's announcement is that current customers with on-contract phones can switch to the new pricing structure. Starting tomorrow, you can simply call up AT&T and ask to switch to a Mobile Share Value plan with 10GB or more of data, and you'll drop from paying $40 per smartphone down to just $15" the following was reported via the verge at http://www.theverge.com/2014/2/1/5368768/att-discounts-large-mobile-share-value-plans paragraph 6.
She actually set the plan up to take effect on 2/4/2014 which coincides with the start of my billing cycle.
I will call them back and cancel the changes. I would be going from paying 199 minus discounts to 235 minus discounts and that makes no sense for me.
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This is from the new program's conditions. Anyone with subsidized phones can't also be on a "no annual service contract" agreement. Installment agreement refers to Next. Who knows, maybe the CSR you talked to is giving you some additional discounts or exceptions. It's pretty much the Wild Wild West over at AT&T lately in their effort to keep customers from T-Mobile.
Pricing for Value plan w/ 10 GB data ($100/mo.) plus per smartphone pricing ($15/mo.) on no annual service contract or on an installment agmt.
BarryH_GEG said:
This is from the new program's conditions. Anyone with subsidized phones can't also be on a "no annual service contract" agreement. Installment agreement refers to Next. Who knows, maybe the CSR you talked to is giving you some additional discounts or exceptions. It's pretty much the Wild Wild West over at AT&T lately in their effort to keep customers from T-Mobile.
Pricing for Value plan w/ 10 GB data ($100/mo.) plus per smartphone pricing ($15/mo.) on no annual service contract or on an installment agmt.
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Anyway thanks for the information. I just got back off the phone with ATT rep along with a online chat and I was informed that I will get charged the 40 dollar a month for the 3 lines and will receive a 25 dollar credit for each line. OF course I would only see that credit on my Next Bill and following bills. I will have to hope the reps I spoke to are correct, if not I'll be calling them back when my next bill shows up.
Here's to crossing my fingers.
While this is great and all but I would rather keep unlimited data on 3 lines family plan with unlimited text messaging and 500 mins with roll over for $160 a month. Until they take away the unlimited that is. Hopefully not anytime soon.
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With the monthly device fee down to $15, Next finally makes sense. It's now cheaper (as long as you want/need 10GB of data) than buying the phone subsidized. And that's not even taking in to account the "new device after 12 months" benefit of Next. Here's how the numbers work out based on current AT&T prices.
BarryH_GEG said:
With the monthly device fee down to $15, Next finally makes sense. It's now cheaper (as long as you want/need 10GB of data) than buying the phone subsidized. And that's not even taking in to account the "new device after 12 months" benefit of Next. Here's how the numbers work out based on current AT&T prices.
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Maybe I'm missing something, but I'm on the 10GB Mobile Share Plan and while all my devices are subsidized, the cost per smartphone is just $30.
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