Recommend me a phone and/or plan

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Inspect Your Gadgets > Recommend me a phone and/or plan

ExcessBLarg!: Sep 1, 2001

Mercaptopropyl posted:

I feel like I'm missing something but I might as well just use my upgrade on a "free" Nexus S, right? At least in this scenario.

Here's the thing. You'll probably want to upgrade from the Nexus S sometime before your two year contract is up.

If you're cool with the idea of picking up a Nexus S for free with subsidy, then selling it a few months later when the Galaxy Nexus hits (or whatever device) and paying retail for that, it's certainly not an unreasonable option, although you might incur greater overall cost than if you pick up a used Nexus S now, and use the subsidy in a month or two on the phone you really want.

Flipping an iPhone 4S for a used Nexus S probably reduces your overall cost, but is a bigger hassle. Ultimately it depends on how comfortable you are spending money towards a phone you're likely to replace sooner-than-later, and how much you're willing to sink in that process.

ExcessBLarg! fucked around with this message at 16:53 on Feb 22, 2012

# ? Feb 22, 2012 16:50

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# ? May 9, 2024 22:54

Grifter: Jul 24, 2003; I do this technique called a suplex. You probably haven't heard of it, it's pretty obscure.

Country/Provider: Verizon/USA

Current contract status: Expires at the end of this year

Budget (phone/plan): Not much!

Features I know I want: Here's where it gets interesting.

Currently I carry around a phone (LG Octane) and an iPod. I use the iPod for music and movies and rarely other things (stopwatch, alarm, pictures). I'm interested in combining these things into one device, but I don't want a data plan. I don't want to pay for a data plan but more importantly I simply don't want to have the internet on my phone. I guess I'm looking for smartphone like functionality (apps for media player stuff and maybe other tools) with iPod like storage (room for lots of movies and music) but in terms of wireless capabilities I'm only looking for calling and maybe wi-fi. I will also say that I don't know a thing about phones, so maybe this is easy - I could just buy an android or iPhone or whatever and then not get a data plan. Is this possible?

# ? Feb 22, 2012 19:13

Duckman2008: Jan 6, 2010; TFW you see Flyers goaltending.; Grimey Drawer

Grifter posted:

Country/Provider: Verizon/USA

Current contract status: Expires at the end of this year

Budget (phone/plan): Not much!

Features I know I want: Here's where it gets interesting.

Currently I carry around a phone (LG Octane) and an iPod. I use the iPod for music and movies and rarely other things (stopwatch, alarm, pictures). I'm interested in combining these things into one device, but I don't want a data plan. I don't want to pay for a data plan but more importantly I simply don't want to have the internet on my phone. I guess I'm looking for smartphone like functionality (apps for media player stuff and maybe other tools) with iPod like storage (room for lots of movies and music) but in terms of wireless capabilities I'm only looking for calling and maybe wi-fi. I will also say that I don't know a thing about phones, so maybe this is easy - I could just buy an android or iPhone or whatever and then not get a data plan. Is this possible?

That is certainly not possible on Verizon. The only carrier remotely friendly about letting you have a smartphone sans data is tmobile, and you must buy the phone outright or used to do it. Honestly, stick with your current combo.

# ? Feb 23, 2012 00:49

Grifter: Jul 24, 2003; I do this technique called a suplex. You probably haven't heard of it, it's pretty obscure.

Duckman2008 posted:

That is certainly not possible on Verizon. The only carrier remotely friendly about letting you have a smartphone sans data is tmobile, and you must buy the phone outright or used to do it. Honestly, stick with your current combo.

drat, too bad. Thanks for the info. I was hoping for something like a phone that I could make calls from but I would put apps and media stuff on it by plugging it in, like I do with music for my iPod now.

# ? Feb 23, 2012 18:00

Ibsen: Jun 20, 2006; I am Not.

Okay so I got my G2 today. (Can't use it till I get home after work) I want to put mp3s on it and play them in my car. Is there a cheap fm transmitter, or what is the recommended path?

# ? Feb 23, 2012 18:51

Antagonism: Jul 28, 2010

Country/Network: UK/O2
Current Contract: PAYG, looking to switch to either an O2 contract or a GiffGaff sim
Budget: Contract: �15-�20 per month; GiffGaff sim: �10 per month + �150 towards phone
Features: Decent camera, some web browsing (mostly e-mail, news sites and forums)

I have been on O2 PAYG for many years and have typically only used a mobile phone for calls, texts and a few photos. However, my trusty old Nokia N73 has finally bitten the dust so I�ve decided it�s time to get something a bit more up to date. Additionally, I have found that my phone usage has increased (I can easily go through a �10-15 top-up in a month these days, and would probably use it even more with a contract), and some light web browsing would be useful, so I have therefore decided that a contract may be a better route.

As for phones, my family are prominent iPhone users, and I have tried them myself but have never been particularly wowed. I have recently tried a Lumia 710 and 800 in an O2 store and was very impressed, and have played with a Wildfire S owned by a friend which also left a positive impression. I�ll consider other phones though; just a good web browser and a decent camera are essential.

I have looked on the O2 website and the cheapest option is a 24 month �13.50 contract with 50 minutes, 250 texts and 100mb of data, with a free Wildfire S, although I think I will need more texts. Another option I am considering is a 24 month �18.50 contract with 200 minutes, unlimited texts and 100mb of data, and the free phones include the Wildfire S and the Lumia 710, with the Lumia 800 having an additional cost of �59.99. EDIT: Having looked on the website further I have noticed that the Xperia Arc S is also available on this contract for free, and the camera would make this my preferred choice so far.

Another possibility would be to get a GiffGaff sim (the �10 goody bag that includes 250 minutes, unlimited texts and unlimited data) and buy a phone outright, ideally spending no more than �150 on the phone. The Wildfire S is about �130, and I suspect buying this or a similar phone along with the GiffGaff sim would be better value overall and won�t tie me to a 24 month contract.

Currently I�m torn between getting the Xperia Arc S on a contract and the Wildfire S/GiffGaff sim combination. Any guidance or recommendations would be much appreciated.

Antagonism fucked around with this message at 00:15 on Feb 25, 2012

# ? Feb 24, 2012 00:25

Badly Jester: Apr 9, 2010; Bitches!

German goon here, and I'm going to be traveling to the US (Tucson area, if that makes a difference) shortly. I'm going to spend about three weeks there, and that's just the amount of time where I'm going to die without a cell phone, but can't commit to any fancy plans. Here in Germany, we have an abundance of cheaply available "pay as you go" plans, but I'm having trouble finding anything of the like in the US. I'll be doing a minimum of calling, some texting, and - if that's a cheap option at all - using the mobile etherwebs for e-mails.

TL; DR: I need a cheap as can be pay-as-you-go plan (sim card only) in the US that will maybe allow me to get a data package as well. Thanks in advance, kind goons.

Edit:
I should also mention that I'm using an LG Optimus 7 phone, and I'm loving confused by the frequencies your carriers use. With quad-band for GSM and five frequencies for 3G I should be fine, right?

Looks like you're right about it only being tri-band for UMTS. From the plans you linked, it seems the GoPhone without a monthly fee might be a good fit for me, and I'd have the option of slapping on a $15 data pack (which will also make texting unnecessary).
Thanks, your input is much appreciated!
vvvvv

Badly Jester fucked around with this message at 23:54 on Feb 25, 2012

# ? Feb 25, 2012 22:58

ExcessBLarg!: Sep 1, 2001

Badly Jester posted:

I should also mention that I'm using an LG Optimus 7 phone, and I'm loving confused by the frequencies your carriers use. With quad-band for GSM and five frequencies for 3G I should be fine, right?

Is it actually pentaband UMTS? I'm reading it as supporting three UMTS bands on the international model, and two on the North American one. Although both support the 1900 band that (some of) AT&T's 3G service is on.

Anyways, we have two nationwide GSM providers, AT&T and T-Mobile. Either will work for GSM service, but only AT&T's 3G service will work on your phone.

For AT&T, you want to look at their GoPhone prepaid options. I think the $50/mo unlimited everything option should work with smartphones, although it's relatively new so I don't know the specifics of it, might be worth asking in the AT&T thread. Also, I assume that "unlimited data" is throttled, but you should be able to get at least 500 MB unthrottled without much trouble.

For T-Mobile, you want to look at their Monthly4G prepaid, particularly the $30/mo 100 minutes (10� thereafter), unlimited texts, and unlimited (5 GB pre-throttle) data. Now, on your phone this will be GSM/EDGE service only, but if you're looking to cheap out it might be good enough for emails, particularly if you can supplement with WiFi. There's a lot of folks on the $30/mo option and it's definitely compatible with smartphones.

# ? Feb 25, 2012 23:31

Ceros_X: Aug 6, 2006; U.S. Marine

OK, here is what I got: Wife and I just signed up for Sprint's Family plan. Wife got an iPhone 4s, I am really wanting to wait until 4g LTE comes out in the summer to use my 2 year activation credit thing. I'm coming from a Tracfone POS $20 phone, so I'm a bit behind in the Andriod arms race but I am currently looking to get a Nexus S off eBay or something? What should I be looking to pay - is there anything else I should be looking at instead? Only thing I really care about is Android and getting mah tether on and decent battery life.. once the 4G LTE poo poo comes out I can get something nice.

Failing all that, is there a cheap rear end phone I can get from Walmart or Newegg to tide moe over until then?

# ? Feb 26, 2012 08:14

Godzilla07: Oct 4, 2008

Ceros_X posted:

OK, here is what I got: Wife and I just signed up for Sprint's Family plan. Wife got an iPhone 4s, I am really wanting to wait until 4g LTE comes out in the summer to use my 2 year activation credit thing. I'm coming from a Tracfone POS $20 phone, so I'm a bit behind in the Andriod arms race but I am currently looking to get a Nexus S off eBay or something? What should I be looking to pay - is there anything else I should be looking at instead? Only thing I really care about is Android and getting mah tether on and decent battery life.. once the 4G LTE poo poo comes out I can get something nice.

Failing all that, is there a cheap rear end phone I can get from Walmart or Newegg to tide moe over until then?

You're pretty spot on. Make sure to get a Nexus S 4G for Sprint off eBay. Then sell that later on, and get a Galaxy Nexus which will also be Sprint's first LTE phone.

# ? Feb 26, 2012 14:21

Exinos: Mar 1, 2009; OSHA approved squiq

Country/Provider: USA, Currently with AT&T but I hate them for crap reception at the house and want to change providers. Problem is I have a grandfathered in unlimited data plan and a discount so I'm only paying around $70.00 per month on an iphone and go through a good 7+ gb of data a month which makes other providers less attractive.

Current contract status: Newly out of contract, just paying monthly.

Budget (phone/plan): Under 300 for phone, would like to keep plan under $80.00 per month.

Features I know I want: Smart phone, android as the 4s has no appeal even coming off an iphone 3gs. Needs are fairly basic but I live off the phone for google maps, music, and keeping in touch.

Trying to decide if the phones AT&T offers are worth the upgrade and renewal cost while hoping they pick up a better signal than the current phone, if I should get a 4gs and dump it on ebay using the cash to pickup an unlocked phone such as a Droid Razr, or just bite the bullet and move to another provider.

# ? Feb 26, 2012 23:49

ExcessBLarg!: Sep 1, 2001

Exinos posted:

Problem is I have a grandfathered in unlimited data plan and a discount so I'm only paying around $70.00 per month on an iphone and go through a good 7+ gb of data a month which makes other providers less attractive.

Normally this would be my reply:

"AT&T has been rather unfriendly recently to unlimited data users of any volume. Folks have received warning that using ~2.5 GB/mo consistutes the top 5% of data users and have been coercing them to switch to the new 3 GB/mo tiered plan for the same price. So it's not clear exactly how much value is left in an AT&T grandfathered unlimited-data plan.

Verizon is presently running a promo where you can get 4 GB/mo of data for the same price ($30/mo) as their standard 2 GB/mo offering when you purchase an LTE phone. If you use Google Voice for SMS, you can get a Galaxy Nexus with 4 GB of data for $300 down (less elsewhere, like AmazonWirless) and $70/mo on an individual plan. That's probably your best bet."

Except, somehow despite signal issues you're still pulling 7 GB a month? And AT&T hasn't harassed you over that? Really?

If you need 7+ GB/mo of data, then the $50/mo for 10 GB data plan on Verizon suffices, but that pushes your monthly fee up to $90/mo. I'd consider first whether that much data is really necessary.

Unfortunately the downside to the "wait and see" approach is that Verizon's double-data promo might end soon. I don't know when, but "March" is logically a potential deadline.

ExcessBLarg! fucked around with this message at 21:25 on Feb 27, 2012

# ? Feb 27, 2012 21:18

kbar: Aug 9, 2002

ExcessBLarg! posted:

Except, somehow despite signal issues you're still pulling 7 GB a month? And AT&T hasn't harassed you over that? Really?

I've heard that their harassment is highly contingent on area. Like, if you push a couple fatty e-mail attachments in midtown Manhattan, expect to hear from them, but you could torrent Linux ISOs for days in Bumfuck, Nowheresville and not get messed with.

# ? Feb 27, 2012 22:27

Exinos: Mar 1, 2009; OSHA approved squiq

7gb is on the high end but have hit it several times and never get crap from AT&T. Might help that it's on an enterprise line with that discount. The phone basically streams pandora between the time I leave the house in the morning until I get home while also doing text, email, web browsing, and so on throughout the day as well.

The problem with verizon is that 4gb is likely going to be too little, 10gb is too much but what I would have to choose to be safe. Adding in text messages I'm looking around a 33% price increase for provider change. At that cost I could get an unlocked phone and no commintment or get a 4s or something on contact renewal, flip it for cash, and then use that towards the unlocked phone.

Anyone know if the samsung devices that AT&T offers are worth a drat? Was also looking at an unlocked razr GSM but not sure if it's something I can use on my network. That phone seems to get high ratings for grabbing signal where other devices have trouble combined with a high build quality (Gorilla Glass, less plastic) and was hoping someone might have information on them as my search skills are failing miserably.

Both the Galaxy S2 skyrocket and Note seem to be getting decent ratings but the all plastic just made them feel cheap while they're using snapdragon and every review site seems to despise that chip. Looking for real world experience through goons.

Also open to other options but have no experience with the other providers such as t-mobile or sprint.

Exinos fucked around with this message at 03:52 on Feb 28, 2012

# ? Feb 28, 2012 02:00

ExcessBLarg!: Sep 1, 2001

Exinos posted:

7gb is on the high end but have hit it several times and never get crap from AT&T. Might help that it's on an enterprise line with that discount.

Sounds pretty cushy then. I'd be hesitant to give it up.

Exinos posted:

Anyone know if the samsung devices that AT&T offers are worth a drat?

Right now, pretty much any Android device that's not the Galaxy Nexus, or possibly Nexus S isn't "worth a drat." It's a harsh but true statement. Just check the number of folks in the Devices who purchased nice 2011 devices who "downgraded" to a Nexus S in the past week or so just so they could get reasonable updates.

That said, I expect Google will sell the GSM/UMTS Galaxy Nexus domestically at some point, just a matter of when.

Exinos posted:

Also open to other options but have no experience with the other providers such as t-mobile or sprint.

Now isn't the right time with Sprint. Their 3G network is overtaxed, WiMAX service is dying, and their LTE network isn't online yet. They may be a reasonable option once they ship the LTE Galaxy Nexus and their LTE network has some presence, but they're just not compelling right now.

T-Mo is liked for their cheap plans, but they don't have quite the same network coverage as AT&T.

# ? Feb 28, 2012 08:12

Raimondo: Apr 29, 2010

I'm going to be looking for a new plan. Our current one feels too expensive for how much we use. My fianc�e and I are saving for a wedding, so we're trying to trim the fat out of our budget.

Country/Provider: USA. We currently have Sprint, but we're willing to switch to whomever to get a good deal when our 2-year contract is up.

Current contract status: 2-year contract ending on 6/4/12. Everything Data Share 1500 Plan with two phones (Both HTC Evo 4G). Sprint is letting us use their $150 discount on a phone on 4/1 with another 2-year agreement.

Budget (phone/plan): For the new phones, I want to spend around $200 for each one. Buying used to keep costs down is an option worth considering. I would like the plan to be as cheap possible keeping in mind my usage. Current charges:

Shared Plan
Everything Data -1500 Shared Anytime Minutes $110.00
Business Discount Sprint 18% -$19.80
Primary Phone
Premium Data add-on charge $10.00
Secondary Phone
Everything Data - 1500 Shared Anytime Minutes $19.99
Premium Data add-on charge $10.00
Total $130.19

Features I know I want: Email. Text. Data. GPS. We really like our HTC Evo's, but they're breaking down (her's is cracked from dropping it, and mine likes to reset whenever I run an app for more than a minutes.)
For the type of plan that would best fit us, here's a breakdown of my trends combining both phones per month based on the past year:

Average/Max
Anytime minutes: 81/159
Nights/Weekends: 27/66
Mobile to Mobile: 419/509
Texts: 541/564
Data (GB): 1.4/2.1

My company offers discounts to Sprint (18%), AT&T (21%), and Verizon (20%) off of base prices for plans. Are there different discounts that are easily obtainable that would beat these?

Raimondo fucked around with this message at 23:31 on Feb 28, 2012

# ? Feb 28, 2012 22:54

Duckman2008: Jan 6, 2010; TFW you see Flyers goaltending.; Grimey Drawer

Raimondi posted:

I'm going to be looking for a new plan. Our current one feels too expensive for how much we use. My fianc�e and I are saving for a wedding, so we're trying to trim the fat out of our budget.

Country/Provider: USA. We currently have Sprint, but we're willing to switch to whomever to get a good deal when our 2-year contract is up.

Current contract status: 2-year contract ending on 6/4/12. Everything Data Share 1500 Plan with two phones (Both HTC Evo 4G). Sprint is letting us use their $150 discount on a phone on 4/1 with another 2-year agreement.

Budget (phone/plan): For the new phones, I want to spend under $200 for each one. Buying used isn't that big of a deal for me. I would like the plan to be as cheap possible keeping in mind my usage. Current charges:

Shared Plan
Everything Data -1500 Shared Anytime Minutes $110.00
Business Discount Sprint 18% -$19.80
Primary Phone
Premium Data add-on charge $10.00
Secondary Phone
Everything Data - 1500 Shared Anytime Minutes $19.99
Premium Data add-on charge $10.00
Total $130.19

Features I know I want: Email. Text. Data. GPS. Here's a breakdown of my trends combining both phones per month based on the past year:

Average/Max
Anytime minutes: 81/159
Nights/Weekends: 27/66
Mobile to Mobile: 419/509
Texts: 541/564
Data (GB): 1.4/2.1

My company offers discounts to Sprint (18%), AT&T (21%), and Verizon (20%) off of base prices for plans. Are there different discounts that are easily obtainable that would beat these?

Between Sprint, Verizon and AT&T I don't know if you will find much lower than that.

Verizon: Verizon doesn't offer anymobile anytime, so you would likely look at 1400 mins.
1400 mins: $89.99
Data: $30 a line for 2GB, 4GB if you get a 4G LTE phone.
Discount goes off of $89.99 = $17 off
Total: $89 + $60 - $17 = $132

Fyi: This is with no texting through Verizon. You can get free text messaging via Google Voice, just keep in mind Google Voice doesn't always play nice with Verizon mobile to mobile. Texting other wise is an extra $30 a month (for both).

AT&T: Pretty much the same thing, but the discount goes off of the data (I think). AT&T only offers anymobile anytime if you get text messaging unfortunately.

Total: $89.99 + $60 (3GB of data each) - $31 = $118.

That's still factoring in the same Google Voice factors, and assuming I am correct on the discount.

So you could save a few $$ with AT&T, overall they are about the same. After that it comes down coverage really and who you want to go with.

Check TMobile coverage in your area, if you get TMo coverage they are a good option, but i do not know their current plans well enough.

Fyi on Sprint if your eligibility is April 1st your contract is up sometime in June. Phone wise you should either get the Galaxy Nexus (tba on sprint, out on Verizon) or the iPhone 4S. Optional windows phone 7 devices on AT&T. Any other choices right now are not a good idea (or not the best idea). Your Evo has a trade in at Sprint for $90, probably close to the same elsewhere, and you could sell the Evo on craigslist for at least $150.

Duckman2008 fucked around with this message at 23:36 on Feb 28, 2012

# ? Feb 28, 2012 23:30

Raimondo: Apr 29, 2010