Cell phone questions

[JoeP]

Hello. I'm looking for some advice on a new cell phone.

Currently, both my wife and I have t-mobile prepaid phones that run about $160 a year for 2 phones. Most of the time, we leave them off unless we are expecting to either make or receive a call. They currently meet most of our needs, but there are dead spots in our area. The phones are each about 7 years old.

Our kids each have an iPhone 4 with the AT&T prepaid plan that runs I believe $27/mo for each. There is no data, I think 600 minutes a month, and unlimited texting. They use wi-fi hot spots when available for any data needs.

Problem:
We're running into the situation where our kids are becoming more mobile and involved in school activities, and we're trying to be able to stay in touch. They're finding it easier to text, but our phones are very difficult to use for texting (they are flip phones) and have the dead spots I mentioned which make communication challenging.

I'm looking for something affordable, and am tempted to get us all the AT&T iPhone 4 since they are familiar to us and we currently don't need data besides what we can get from the occasional wi-fi. My wife's up-close vision is not too good, so the big buttons on a screen like this are better than the tiny ones on her current phone. So I guess I'm looking for input, keeping in mind my wife and I will be going from a combined cost of about $13/mo to $54/mo.

[disneysteve]

Hello. I'm looking for some advice on a new cell phone.

Currently, both my wife and I have t-mobile prepaid phones that run about $160 a year for 2 phones. Most of the time, we leave them off unless we are expecting to either make or receive a call. They currently meet most of our needs, but there are dead spots in our area. The phones are each about 7 years old.

Our kids each have an iPhone 4 with the AT&T prepaid plan that runs I believe $27/mo for each. There is no data, I think 600 minutes a month, and unlimited texting. They use wi-fi hot spots when available for any data needs.

Problem:
We're running into the situation where our kids are becoming more mobile and involved in school activities, and we're trying to be able to stay in touch. They're finding it easier to text, but our phones are very difficult to use for texting (they are flip phones) and have the dead spots I mentioned which make communication challenging.

I'm looking for something affordable, and am tempted to get us all the AT&T iPhone 4 since they are familiar to us and we currently don't need data besides what we can get from the occasional wi-fi. My wife's up-close vision is not too good, so the big buttons on a screen like this are better than the tiny ones on her current phone. So I guess I'm looking for input, keeping in mind my wife and I will be going from a combined cost of about $13/mo to $54/mo.

I didn't realize you could get an iPhone without a data plan. That didn't used to be the case. If that's an option, I think that's a great way to go. I had an iPhone 3 and now have a 5 and absolutely love it. I've said repeatedly that it is the best piece of technology I have ever owned. My wife and I both have a 5 and DD just got a 5s a few weeks ago.

[JoeP]

I didn't realize you could get an iPhone without a data plan. That didn't used to be the case. If that's an option, I think that's a great way to go. I had an iPhone 3 and now have a 5 and absolutely love it. I've said repeatedly that it is the best piece of technology I have ever owned. My wife and I both have a 5 and DD just got a 5s a few weeks ago.

Right, it used to be that AT&T didn't provide data-less non-contract plans with iPhone equipment, but after gentle convincing, I was able to get the guys at the stores to activate ones I bought off CL. They even gave me the new SIM chips for free, and the sellers were kind enough to stand by at the AT&T store before receiving payment while the sales guy ensured they were clean.

[greenskeeper]

old fashioned flip for the wife and I at $60/mo for both

[disneysteve]

old fashioned flip for the wife and I at $60/mo for both

That's fine if you don't do any texting but OP wants to be able to text more which is really tough on a flip phone when you need to hit each key 2 or 3 times to get the right letter or symbol. I never liked texting until I got my iPhone.

[snafu]

Terrific that you got iphones that met your needs. What criteria did you use to buy used iphone? Would you share how much? Was it from a private seller or from a shop?

[dawnwes]

I don't know how much an ATT plan would be for 4 without data and I am not entirely sure you can get the post paid plan without data on a smartphone. I know you can do the pre-paid ATT with a smartphone, but you have to purchase your smart phone outright.

I just switched to Republic Wireless. Unlimited everything for $25/mo on 3g speeds, $40/mo on 4g. I have found I don't need data all that much and 3g is sufficient for map features.

There are caveats to RW. It is Sprint based. You must buy their phone. They expect you to use wifi for about 50% of the time (phones are configured to call on wifi if you are in range), but overall I am impressed.

They also have a $10/mo plan that includes unlimited talk and text but no data (wifi only for data.) I am considering getting my teens on that plan.

Dawn

[rennigade]

If you have the proper coverage, look into republic wireless. $10/month for unlimited talk/text, no data though. You have to be on wireless to use data. They have 2 phones to choose from, one being $99. They use the sprint network.

[kork13]

If you have the proper coverage, look into republic wireless. $10/month for unlimited talk/text, no data though. You have to be on wireless to use data. They have 2 phones to choose from, one being $99. They use the sprint network.

I'm actually very strongly considering getting Republic Wireless when I return to the U.S. in February (I cancelled my cell phone service when I deployed). Just to be clear, though... They do offer 2 separate phones (for now), but there are a few details to highlight for full-disclosure, because there are a few potential negatives (besides the sometimes-iffy Sprint network)

One phone is the "Defy XT", which was sort of a beta-testing phone for their service -- still has some kinks, but works mostly well. It costs $99 upfront, and there is only one pricing plan option: $19/mo for unlimited talk/text/3G data, though as Dawnwes stated, it's designed to be used predominantly on WiFi. This phone is no longer in production, so when supplies run out, this phone & service plan will be slowly phased out.

The second, brand new option (released Nov 2013) is the "Moto X", which can almost be called a flagship-level smartphone -- very capable, from my understanding. However, they (RW) are still working out a few kinks in the firmware & their phone service generally (having to do mostly with the interaction between WiFi & cellular). The phone costs $300 upfront (which can only be used through the RW service), with a few different service plan options ($5 WiFi-only, $10 unlimited cellular talk/text, $25 unlimited talk/text/3G data, $40 unlimited talk/text/4G data), all of which are also designed to rely heavily on WiFi calling, texts, & data.

Personally, it seems like an awesome option, and assuming their current offer continues (to include the 30-day money-back guarantee), I'm planning to try out the Moto X & a $10 or $25 plan once I get back stateside. Only question for me will be reliability of the Sprint network around my home/work, and reliability of the handoff between WiFi & cellular during phone calls. But for the fantastically low long-term total cost (~$700 over 3 years), I'm happy to give it a shot. Not a bad option for OP to consider, if the upfront cost isn't an issue.

[MonkeyMama]

Also Joe, check out Ting. They don't support iPhone at the moment, but they are moving in that direction (they might soon??). You can take many phones to Ting (with the caveat that you can't bring some models or from other cell providers). More reasonable standalone phones are starting to come out on the market.

Ting uses the Sprint network, which I agree is spotty, but I would also argue that anything is better than AT&T. Regardless, check cell coverage in your specific area when comparing providers. (Our only complaint about Sprint has only ever been data speeds, but I do know some regions get no cell coverage. In comparison, we had ATT for a time and was by far the worst cell service we ever had - was in a large city. Biggest complaint was dead spots and endlessly dropped calls).

Ting is a "pay for what you use" model so may be ideal in your shoes. Really the only catch is that the phones are not subsidized. Which is ideal for us because we aren't interested in replacing our phones excessively. If you want to buy a phone and keep it for 7 years, then Ting is an excellent cell provider. (They sell new and refurbished phones too and help you find compatibe new or used phones on the open market).

Ting is pretty simple. They charge $6 per line per month. Above that you just pay for your actual usage. We are only paying $60/month for 4 people - we use a fair amount of texting, data and minutes. It would be $38/month for "less minutes and no data", for four people. You can google them for their pricing structure.

Republic Wireless is another good one, as mentioned. It's just they are very limited on phone choices. These are the only two small cell providers I have heard good things about.

[kork13]

Also Joe, check out Ting.

Republic Wireless is another good one, as mentioned. It's just they are very limited on phone choices.

These are the only two small cell providers I have heard good things about.

One other small, no-contract service I've heard alot of good reviews about (and have considered myself) is Page Plus. It operates off of Verizon's network, so the overall coverage is excellent. You can get it as a pre-paid service where you just buy bulk minutes for however long they last you, or they have a variety of low-cost month-to-month service plans (ranging from a $12/mo bare-bones plan, midrange plans at $30/mo & $40/mo, and on up to a full-frills $70/mo plan). They can only use off-contract or unlocked Verizon 3G phones (Page Plus isn't enabled yet for 4G/LTE), so the newest phones either can't be used, or need to be rooted in order to use them. But over on the Bogleheads forums, Page Plus is very popular, particularly the $30/mo & lower options.

[MonkeyMama]

Correction: Ting supports iPhone 4 at the moment.