Looking for a new cheap cell phone plan

MadScientist

Platinum Member
Jul 15, 2001
2,154
48
91
I agree with the author of this article. I don't like cell phones. But, most of all, I don’t like how much money they cost. http://simplefamilyfinance.com/cheapest-cell-phone-plans/
I'm a few years older than the author, as George Carlin once said, "I'm and old fuck, not an old fart".

All I need is a cell phone plan with about 200-300 minutes of voice, nothing else. Since we got an OBI100 adapter + Google Voice we rarely come close to 300 cell phone minutes/month.

I've been with Verizon for years because they gave me a 30% employee discount, but now that I'm retired they want proof again of my employment or they are going to take away my discount. A bit hard to do since I'm no longer employed.

So I looked at a bunch of plans and Airvoice's $10/month 250 minutes voice looks good. Opinions on their service?? Anything better out there besides Pay As You Go plans? https://www.airvoicewireless.com/PlansC.aspx
 
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Joe C

Member
Aug 27, 2007
52
1
66
If you are with Verizon now, switch to PagePlus. PP uses the Verizon network and you can bring your existing phone. They have a plan with 250 minutes of talk for $12 a month.
 

cronos

Diamond Member
Nov 7, 2001
9,380
26
101
Solely because you're currently on Verizon, I'll second Joe C's suggestion above to just port your number to PagePlus, bring your current phone, and be done with it. If you could cut down your usage to around 250 minutes/month, you can get by with the $12/month plan (250 minutes, 250 texts, 10 MB data). If your minutes go over, it's not too terrible at 5c/min.

Otherwise you're going the right direction by looking at AirVoice $10/month (H2O Wireless also has a pay-to-go plan which will end up pretty similar). However for these you're going to have to buy a new phone that's compatible. The Lumia 520 is a great option for this.
 

crashtestdummy

Platinum Member
Feb 18, 2010
2,893
0
0
You know the Obi+GV ride is coming to an end, right?

http://blog.obihai.com/2013/10/important-message-about-google-voice.html

Also, one of the Page Plus resellers has an offer: Kitty Wireless, free $12 plan for first month, limited time

There's always Ooma.

OP, Ting might be up your alley. It's probably slightly more expensive than a prepaid card, but has the advantage of not having to re-fill accounts. There's no fixed monthly amount--you simply pay for what you use. The voice roams on Verizon, so call quality should be decent.
 

Scarpozzi

Lifer
Jun 13, 2000
26,389
1,778
126
If you are with Verizon now, switch to PagePlus. PP uses the Verizon network and you can bring your existing phone. They have a plan with 250 minutes of talk for $12 a month.
A coworker of mine switched to them and has been happy with it. He said he can only get 3G data, but configured his phone to do wifi everywhere he goes.

I'm paying Verizon $71 a month for NFL mobile ($5/mont) and Unlimited data/texts (grandfathered in) and 450 minutes with free nights/weekends/mobile-to-mobile.

I'm tempted to switch to PagePlus or StraightTalk since they both use Verizon towers. I'm still sporting my Droid Razr, so I may shop for a new phone before switching.
 

MadScientist

Platinum Member
Jul 15, 2001
2,154
48
91
Thanks everyone for the suggestions. I will check out Page Plus since my Verizon phone is not compatible with Airvoice. They use AT&T's network. I can though purchase a cheapo Samsung cell phone from Airvoice with an Airvoice SIM card for $19.99. http://www.airvoicewirelessphones.com/Samsung-E1205-Airvoice.html It can't be any worse then my dinosaur Verizon LG VX8350 phone.

Yeah I knew my Obi+GV freebie phone service was coming to an end. Still got a few months left to decide what to do about that.
 

desura

Diamond Member
Mar 22, 2013
4,627
129
101
I personally use H2O right now. It gets...really bad reviews, but for my uses, it works fine. Basically, I use it to make phone calls from a smartphone, without having to pay for a data connection. I pay 5 cents per minute/text.

I rely mostly on email, and I use google voice for long conversations. The H2O phone is for when I'm away or in a car or something.

My initial $10 just ran out...about 2 months after first getting it. So that's like $5/month I've paid so far.

I'm seriously considering a jump to Republic Wireless right now. They have a Moto X for $300, which is a lot, but their service manages to offer unlimited calling for $10/mo, and unlimited data+calling for $25.

One big advantage of jumping to REpublic wireless is that I wouldn't have to mess around anymore with juggling two phone numbers and google voice. I also wouldn't have to worry about running out of money on the H2O account, because it would be unlimited.
 

thedarkwolf

Diamond Member
Oct 13, 1999
9,003
111
106
I'm going to sign up for Ting tonight. Just bought a HTC EVO 3D off ebay to use. I'm switching from a dumb tracphone that I've been using for years. I barely use my phone but it would be nice to have data on rare occasions. This is kind of a trial run on the Sprint network. Ultimately I'd like to go with Republic Wireless but shelling out $300 for a vastly overkill phone is a bit much to swallow for me and their cheap beta phone has issues I'd rather not deal with. Hopping they have a decent $150 phone or allow us to BYOD is a couple month.
 
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RossMAN

Grand Nagus
Feb 24, 2000
78,794
266
116
All I need is a cell phone plan with about 200-300 minutes of voice, nothing else. Since we got an OBI100 adapter + Google Voice we rarely come close to 300 cell phone minutes/month.

Another vote for PagePlus, I would take a look at their 2,000 minutes for $80 per year plan.

Simple and cheap.

$80 / 12 = $6.67 per month
2000 / 12 = 166 mins per month on average

If you need more minutes and maybe some text, the $12/mo plan is a great fit.

I recently activated an iPhone 4 on PP through http://www.exclusivecellular.com for free.
 

MadScientist

Platinum Member
Jul 15, 2001
2,154
48
91
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bamx2

Senior member
Oct 25, 2004
483
1
81
There may be additional taxes and fees for RW . I have read somewhere else to expect about 15% . You may want verify what amount you your total monthly bill would be with them before your sign up.

"I'm seriously considering a jump to Republic Wireless right now. They have a Moto X for $300, which is a lot, but their service manages to offer unlimited calling for $10/mo, and unlimited data+calling for $25. "
 

cronos

Diamond Member
Nov 7, 2001
9,380
26
101
I personally use H2O right now. It gets...really bad reviews, but for my uses, it works fine. Basically, I use it to make phone calls from a smartphone, without having to pay for a data connection. I pay 5 cents per minute/text.

H2O's bad reputation is 90% about their customer support, and I personally think it's extremely exaggerated, especially on HowardForums, where people are looking to find information about this kind of stuff. As an H2O user for 2+ years (total), I never had any problems with them, however I never had any need to call their support either, so take that info as it is.

I rely mostly on email, and I use google voice for long conversations. The H2O phone is for when I'm away or in a car or something.

My initial $10 just ran out...about 2 months after first getting it. So that's like $5/month I've paid so far.

My first $10 after they changed the expiration day to 90 days (before this it was 30 days) expires in a couple of days, and I still have some left. It really is heaven for people who use very low minutes.

I'm seriously considering a jump to Republic Wireless right now. They have a Moto X for $300, which is a lot, but their service manages to offer unlimited calling for $10/mo, and unlimited data+calling for $25.

One big advantage of jumping to REpublic wireless is that I wouldn't have to mess around anymore with juggling two phone numbers and google voice. I also wouldn't have to worry about running out of money on the H2O account, because it would be unlimited.

But your payment changes from less than $10 to $25 per month, you'll be getting Sprint coverage instead of AT&T with H2O (which could be a problem for some people), and you need to invest $300 for the phone up front. Not to mention this is a phone that you can only use with RW and not anywhere else. What if after a month you found out that Sprint coverage (or the phone) doesn't work for you? You're stuck with RW however long until you think the $300 phone investment breaks even. I know you have your reasons, but I honestly think this is a terrible idea.
 

desura

Diamond Member
Mar 22, 2013
4,627
129
101
No, it would go from under $10/mo to $10/mo for unlimited calls/text from one phone number so I never have to be frugal with my talk time. Also, if I need data, like on a car trip or something, republic wireless will serve me much better than h2o.
 

Yuriman

Diamond Member
Jun 25, 2004
5,530
141
106
I just ordered two Moto X's from Republic Wireless for myself and my wife. We're probably largely going to be using the $10 per month with unlimited talk and text plans unless we go on a trip, in which case one of us will switch to the data plan for the trip, and then switch back when we're done. Sprint coverage is good enough in my area and RW has wifi calling as an option too.

It seems like OP doesn't need a smartphone, but RW still has their older Defy XT as an option for $100. As I understand it, the Wifi handover is much better on the Moto X but it might not be $200 better.
 

cronos

Diamond Member
Nov 7, 2001
9,380
26
101
No, it would go from under $10/mo to $10/mo for unlimited calls/text from one phone number so I never have to be frugal with my talk time.

Gotcha. It's the trade-off that some people are willing to make. I'd rather stick with pay-to-go and pay only what I use, rather than pay a bunch of money for 'unlimited' or even '500 minutes' that I will never use. Obviously you have your own priorities.

Also, if I need data, like on a car trip or something, republic wireless will serve me much better than h2o.

How so? Sprint coverage is better than AT&T in your area?
 

MadScientist

Platinum Member
Jul 15, 2001
2,154
48
91
Just an FYI for PagePlus's $12/month plan:
There is no fee to port over from Verizon to Page Plus. There is no activation fee. There are no additional fees on top of your $12.00 UNLESS you live in Maine, where we are located, then we have to bill you a 98 cent E911 fee inside Maine.
Your phone will still be E911 capable, and a 911 operator can still triangulate your location, so long as you have E911 services turned on, on your hand set. Neither Page Plus nor Kitty Wireless have the capability to transmit a physical address location via 911.

Edit 11/23: Today was the last day of my billing cycle with Verizon so I ported my number over to PagePlus. It worked flawlessly and I can still use my Verizon phone. Thanks to Notposting for the link to Kitty Wireless. I got the first month of the $12. 250 min/month plan free.

Here's a few tips from Kitty Wireless if you are thinking about switching to PagePlus:
DO NOT CANCEL YOUR SERVICE WITH YOUR OLD PROVIDER! Our porting process cancels your service for you automatically. Your line must be ACTIVE with your old provider to be portable.

Please see this page for a GENERAL OVERVIEW: http://www.kittywireless.com/pageplus/howdoibegin.html

MUST KNOW #1: You MUST have a genuine Page Plus device, or an Allowed Verizon CDMA device, before beginning the port process.

MUST KNOW #2: You can safely port ONE line, or a few lines, off a family plan without impacting the other lines on the account. Just submit one port request for each number that you wish to port over, and we'll do them one by one.

MUST KNOW #3: AFTER your port is done, if you are porting ALL lines off your old carrier, it SHOULD close/cancel your account with them, HOWEVER, we DO recommend that you CONTACT your old carrier to be sure they have stopped billing for those lines you ported over

MUST KNOW #4: The number you are porting into Page Plus must currently be active with your old provider. It cannot be cancelled or inactive in anyway. Also, You, as the customer, are absolutely, 100% responsible for any early termination fee that your old provider may charge to you for porting your number out of their service, or ending your contract with them early.

MUST KNOW #5: We cannot provide technical support for any devices that we did not sell to you. Meaning, if you have us port your number onto a device, and that device does not work, your options will be limited to either porting your number back to your old provider, or doing an ESN Change to move your newly ported-in number onto a different device. If the device you port your number onto does not work, we will gladly move your number to another device within one week, for free, up to two times.

MUST KNOW #6: When your number is ported into Page Plus, your old plan on your provider will be canceled and disconnected. You will receive a $2.00 credit on your number, on Page Plus, which will give you up to 15 minutes of domestic calling minutes to "test your phone out." From here, you will need to purchase a plan or minutes to continue to use your phone on Page Plus.

MUST KNOW #7: When porting a number into Page Plus, the information on the port form must match what the old carrier has on file. So if the number is currently in another person's name, with the old carrier, you must provide 100% of their information on our port request form. Once the port is complete, and the number is here, you can then proceed with ordering PINS in your name.

1. You should always wait until the end of your contract date to avoid an Early Termination Fee, or, if you intend on paying the ETF, you can port out anytime!

ALSO, you should ask your old provider what your BILLING CYCLE DATE is - ask them this question "What is the first day of my next billing cycle?" If they tell you the first day of your next cycle is, for example, July 17th, 2011, then you definitely want to do your port by the end of the day on the 15th to be safe, to give yourself a full one day window. The reason for this is that if you wait until your new cycle starts, and then do your port request, most providers will bill you for the entire upcoming month - and you definitely don't want that!
With Verizon you pay ahead. That means I am paid up to the 23rd so I owe nothing.

2. If you are purchasing a phone from eBay or Craigslist, or another unknown source, we recommend that you do an ESN CHECK on our website on the device you wish to port ONTO to make sure it's valid for use on PagePlus before doing the port. ESN Checks can be done on our website for FREE at http://www.kittywireless.com/pageplus/validateesn.html - We also sell Page Plus APPROVED phones on our website, here: http://www.kittywireless.com/pageplus/pageplusphones.html

You cannot start a port request until you have a device in your hands to port the number onto.

If you are porting in from Verizon, it is quite possible that you may be able to use your same Verizon devices. They must be 3G devices (not 4G devices that take SIM cards), they must have a clear/clean ESN (meaning they are not blacklisted or blocked for non-payment), but the majority of people who port in from Verizon ARE able to keep their same devices. Please read below to see more important information about programs such as BACKUP ASSISTANT that need to be removed/unsubscribed to prior to porting over.

3. Do not purchase minutes or a plan until your port is done! This gives you the chance to PROGRAM and place an outgoing test call on your line to make sure it is working before purchasing a plan or minutes. We always advise this since Plans & PINS are non-refundable once purchased, so it's smart to make sure your port went through fine and your phone works fine before purchasing a plan or minutes.

We give each ported in number (as long as that number has never been on Page Plus before) $2.00 in free cash on your account so you can test each line to make sure it works.

You can start a port by ordering your port here: http://www.kittywireless.com/pageplus/portprocess.html -- we used to charge a $24.99 fee for this service, but we now do it for free, to help you make a smooth transition into Page Plus!

4. It is very important that you provide the accurate ACCOUNT NUMBER and PASSCODE on the port request form. If you are not 100% sure of your ACCOUNT NUMBER and PASSCODE, please contact your old carrier to get those two pieces of information before completing the form. If they tell you that there is on passcode, it's ok to write "none" in that field. But you should always check!

5. Also, if you are porting out lines from a FAMILY PLAN, it is very important that you save your PRIMARY LINE for porting LAST. This means you should call your old provider, find out which number is your PRIMARY LINE and you should port that number last. On our port form there is a COMMENTS BOX. Please write any comments you think we should know in this box - including telling us if that line is a primary line or not.

SPECIAL NOTE FOR VERIZON WIRELESS CUSTOMERS PORTING OVER TO PAGE PLUS:

Before you port over to Page Plus, be sure to unsubscribe/cancel your subscriptions to all of your VERIZON APPLICATIONS that are on your phone. The most common one that people forget to unsubscribe to is BACKUP ASSISTANT. This application does NOT work on Page Plus, and if you do not unsubscribe from it, it will cause your phone to give you "GET IT NOW ERROR MESSAGES" quite frequently and it will become annoying once you are on the Page Plus network. Please, please, please, for your own sanity, unsubscribe from all Applications on your device before porting over to Page Plus!

Once your port is submitted, we will send you the following emails:

A) We will send you an email telling you that we have submitted your port.

Once you get the email from us saying that your port has been submitted, wait about 1 hour and then give your old provider a call and ask them to release the number. You do not HAVE to call them, we contact them anyway, however, doing so will speed up your port process. This is especially true with Tracfone, Net10, and StraightTalk accounts.

Here is a brief overview of how long ports from certain carriers generally take:

Ports from Verizon Wireless, AT&T and T-Mobile generally take less than 3 hours. Mine took about 1 hour.
Ports from Sprint, Nextel or US Cellular generally take less than 6 hours.
Ports from Cricket, Liberty Wireless, MetroPCS, Boost or another carrier, generally take AT LEAST 24 hours.

LANDLINE PORTS can take anywhere from 7-30 business days. There is no way for us to speed up the processing of landline ports.

B) If nothing else is needed during the process, our next email will be to tell you that your port is done. This email will contain instructions on how to program your phone and place your first test call.

C) After this is done, you are then ready to purchase a plan or minutes for your phone! Our email that you receive in the previous step will give you a link where you can purchase a plan or minutes from for your phone!
 
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