Save Money: Your Next iPhone Should Be Prepaid

[jeffrey]

Earlier this week, we did the math and declared prepaid carrier Cricket Mobile to be the best iPhone deal around, but today’s announcement that Sprint’s Virgin Mobile will also be offering the iPhone 4S starting on June 24th changes the math substantially, and Cricket’s no longer looking like such a good deal.

Virgin Mobile’s iPhone deal requires you to purchase a completely unsubsidized iPhone from them up front at $649, $150 more expensive than Cricket. But that initial money spent up front can really pay off over time, depending on which plan you sign up for.

How much? You can save over $1000 over the course of two-years on Virgin Mobile compared to AT&T, Verizon or Sprint...

Why Your Next iPhone Should Be Prepaid | Cult of Mac

[JoeP]

LOL! Who are these people dropping $650 on a gosh-darned PHONE? It seems very odd to me spending that kind of money to save money. A far more effective way to save money is to avoid the hype and get something that fits your requirements, not buy something like this and redefine your usage based upon its capability.

[kork13]

I disagree... It's definitely a better way to go than the wild gouging that AT&T/Verizon do with their plans. If you want an iPhone or some other type of smartphone, going prepaid is a way better way to go. Sure the upfront cost is steep, but the monthly plan cost is a fraction of the expense, and over time will save you over half the cost of going with AT&T/Verizon.

While I agree that $650 is alot to pay for a phone, it's a matter of preference... An iPhone is more than just a phone--it's an mp3 player, camera, mini-computer, and so on. This is what makes it valuable to people. So they are currently paying less for the phone then getting hammered with monthly fees. How is that a better idea?

[josetann]

I think JoeP is against the iphone in general...and not just against paying for one upfront.

But yeah, if you just HAVE to have an iphone (or just about any other phone), prepaid is almost always going to be the best deal. Plus, you can just up and leave at any time (well, assuming the phone is unlocked) if a better deal comes along. Gone are the days when prepaid = bad credit. Now it can also mean financially savvy

[JoeP]

I think JoeP is against the iphone in general...and not just against paying for one upfront.

But yeah, if you just HAVE to have an iphone (or just about any other phone), prepaid is almost always going to be the best deal. Plus, you can just up and leave at any time (well, assuming the phone is unlocked) if a better deal comes along. Gone are the days when prepaid = bad credit. Now it can also mean financially savvy

I am not against the iPhone in general, but it is a market I doubt I will ever put my money into.

[kv968]

I agree that this could be a good savings over time however the big question is how good is Sprint's network and will it be able to handle the added traffic?

I've never had Sprint as a carrier so I don't know how they are but if data transmission is slow and they have a lot of drop-outs, the price might not be worth it.

[ShawnaC123]

ooh virgin mobile is getting iphones? I know what my next phone will be.

of course, I'm gonna wait at least another year or maybe longer, until my phone dies. And who knows what's gonna be going on in the phone world then.

I'm just tired of being a lame-o without a smart phone but none of the current virgin mobile phones were doing it for me.

[Eleanor]

Sorry, I'm guessing this info is already in a post somewhere else but, how does the data usage work on prepaid phones? I probably spend an hour a day using 3G during the week and way more on the weekend, will this cancel out the benefit of the minutes bargain?

[disneysteve]

Eleanor, the chart in the link shows the pricing.

What I wonder is how it works when you have multiple phones on your plan. Does each person pay the same amount or do they have a family plan like AT&T? That could make a big difference. We have 5 phones (3 are iPhones) on our plan. If we have to pay $40/month or more for each of us, it wouldn't be worth it.

[Eleanor]

Eleanor, the chart in the link shows the pricing.

Thanks, sorry for being such an idiot and not seeing that!

Those numbers are very attractive and as the only person on my plan I would definitely save a lot of money but I, too, am curious about the quality of reception and speed of connection. I currently have Verizon and I have service just about everywhere, but the 3G has been really slow since moving to Florida. If my 3G was significantly slower or I didn't have reception in crucial areas I'm not sure that would be worth it with having to pay so much upfront.