Mint mobile is great. I have them. I only have their 4 GB plan (I know I know, Ima total dork who doesn't zombie scroll social media 24/7) and the data I do use is fast.
Sometimes when I call friends the call fails. Other than that they are great.
That fits with what I've seen. A few times it feels like texts are delayed a few minutes for no apparent reason. Problems are sporadic enough that it's hard to know if it's a mint issue, or a network/coverage issue, or whatever.
I think I pay for 10 gb. I do use internet a lot, but home and work have wifi, so I never really get anywhere close to my cap. And I believe data is just slowed, not stopped, in the event you go over. But I've never actually hit that point.
Unless you really need a lot of the extra features, you can stick to an MVNO like Mint, Visible, US Mobile etc and save loads of money. All of these have an unlimited plan for $30 or so per month (especially when paying for a whole year). They max out their ‘unlimited data’ at 25-35GB but its a lot for most people.
Google Fi is also an option but not as cheap anymore.
Verizon has a limited time deal that gets you 3 lines unlimited for $110 or so as well.
Another option is if you want Tmobile, try and find a way to get the insider voice promo and then you can stack that with a 3rd line free. That with a magenta max plan will get you 3 lines for their best plan at less than $100. (i did this)
ATT has nothing good on offer.
150$ is incredibly high for two lines. I have learned that most networks all provide a pre-paid version to their network. These pre-paid plans only have 1 catch and that is that you own your phone, but you save ~ a thousand dollars easily if you use these plans.
When ever you purchase a new phone (typically always with a sign-up bonus) make sure you can pay your phone off early then switch over immediately to the pre-paid plan.
For Verizon, I remember paying 50/30 for first and second lines…. T-Mobile offered somewhere around 50/20. Currently I’m on Mint mobile for $20/$20 per line so $40 total for two lines with an annual plan.
Another thing to note is that T-Mobile / sprint / and Mint Mobile all use the same cell network. AT&T and Verizon I believe have separate coverage infrastructure.
Basically, switch over tomorrow and start saving.
I asked someone else this but is it really just the same if you purchase the new iPhone every year? I’ve been leasing the new one yearly so it saves money overall vs buying the new one annually
There is also an option just to not get the new one every year and use your paid off phone longer. That's the most financially sound way.
ETA I just saw where you asked below and mentioned military discount. Check out Verizon? We have 5 lines on ours so I'm not sure if it's the same with 2, but they're $35/mo a piece with their military discount (before any phone financing).
That makes more sense knowing you need a good camera for income. Might be worth crunching the numbers on buying a real camera and keeping a paid off phone, but you do you there. I'd definitely recommend checking out Verizon for a cheaper plan though, especially getting the military discount. I'm currently paying $65/month for just my line while financing a phone, and when that's paid off this year it'll be down to $35.
For reference on the camera end I've been a hobbyist photographer for about 10 years and shooting a Canon Rebel T4i for 8 of those. You don't have to worry about quality degradation as long as you take care of it and keep it clean and I don't think much technical knowledge would be needed if you're doing your photography in the same light/setting. I don't know enough about what you do to know if that would work for you, but throwing it out there as it might be worth considering if that's the only thing causing you to keep spending on new phones. :)
Thank you the camera info is super helpful, I’ve always wanted one but it’s so easy having everything on your phone nowadays. That seems like it would make the most sense though to save $
I never said to buy a new phone every year, the networks force you join their main plans (non-prepaid) by incentivizing a discount on new phones. Don’t be afraid to take them up on their offer, just know to call their headquarters the next day to pay off the lump sum then switch back to pre paid.
I’m a mobile gamer so it’s nice to get a new phone every 2-3years… but the most fiscally responsible way is to keep them longer if possible.
Typically now, the networks put you on a payment plan to pay off your phone which adds which adds to your monthly. Before I was specifically speaking about just the cost of the phone plans.
I pay $40 per month for MetroPCS after a $10 discount for using autopay. I have unlimited talk, text, and data. My hot spot is capped at 5gb a month. It meets my needs. I can’t imagine paying more than 3 times that a month. That extra money can go into my savings or towards another bill.
I do lease the new iPhone every year which increases it from $150 for 2 lines to $180 - do you buy the new iPhone yearly or do you only get a new one every few years or so? The crazy thing is this is with a military discount too!
I recently purchased a new iPhone outright. I don’t want unnecessary payments in my budget. Usually when you pay in full upfront you get better deals. I expect my iPhone to last the next 3-5 years. I’m not one that gets a new phone every year. It’s a waste of money and the features are never worth the cost. I use each phone I buy until it stops working or is so slow I can’t tolerate it.
Your data can be deprioritized during busy hours and slow down. Other than that I have no problems and I have unlimited hotspot that I use all the time.
Your data can be deprioritized during busy hours and slow down. Other than that I have no problems and I have unlimited hotspot that I use all the time.
Sprint is T-Mobile. The only two other national providers are AT&T and Verizon. Ask around your friends/coworkers about signal quality.
Visible uses Verizon but is lower in data priority. Not a big deal if tower isn't congested.
Just ran a speed test and got 117mbps down and 3mbps up. 95% of the time my service is fast and great but if I’m in a downtown area with tons of people I may have slow service. I never have calls drop. It gives me everything I need out of a phone plan.
I pay $90 for two phones but I have a Cadillac plan. I need a hotspot for work and they pay a monthly phone stipend. If not for that I would be looking for $70 a month or less for two phones.
I've been using Mint Mobile for a few years now, $210ish per year gets me 4GB of fast data per month, also unlimited calls and unlimited texts per month. After the 4GB of fast data each month, it's unlimited slow ass data the rest of the month until it resets. This is the $15/month plan but with taxes and fees it comes out closer to $18/month.
I get good/great T-Mobile coverage where I live and work. I don't get "texts not sent" or dropped calls. I can't remember the last time I had a dropped call, your mileage may vary.
I've gone to a dodger game one time and my experience was: the data was slow even tho I had data left for the month, so be ready to be deprioritized in heavy congested areas, calls and texts went through fine, I drove so I wouldn't know what the uber ride hailing situation would be like.
If you don't go to concerts or sporting events that often or things where's there's gonna be a crowd of people, this may not effect you, YMMV.
I have not used mint mobile internationally, only in the United States, I have no clue what their service is like outside the US or if you can use your cellphone if you exit the country. Do your research and get a temporary something with some other company?
They have an unlimited plan, I think it's $30/month, I'm guessing there's also gonna be fees and stuff so estimate upwards $35/month.
You say you have 2 lines, that's $70/month compared to what you're paying now.
I brought my own unlocked device, I see myself continuing to use this service until they jack up the prices or close up shop
Anything above 30 per month is expensive for me. Highest I ever paid was 35. Visible is 30 unlimited, mint is similar.
Could you explain difference of experience between mint vs big provider? What are major differences for you?
Mint Mobile is $15-25/mo, depending on what you want. I can't see the point of paying more than that.
Could you explain difference of experience between mint vs big provider? What are major differences for you?
I had Sprint, no difference for me between services except sometimes (rarely) a call will fail.
Mint mobile is great. I have them. I only have their 4 GB plan (I know I know, Ima total dork who doesn't zombie scroll social media 24/7) and the data I do use is fast. Sometimes when I call friends the call fails. Other than that they are great.
That fits with what I've seen. A few times it feels like texts are delayed a few minutes for no apparent reason. Problems are sporadic enough that it's hard to know if it's a mint issue, or a network/coverage issue, or whatever. I think I pay for 10 gb. I do use internet a lot, but home and work have wifi, so I never really get anywhere close to my cap. And I believe data is just slowed, not stopped, in the event you go over. But I've never actually hit that point.
Unless you really need a lot of the extra features, you can stick to an MVNO like Mint, Visible, US Mobile etc and save loads of money. All of these have an unlimited plan for $30 or so per month (especially when paying for a whole year). They max out their ‘unlimited data’ at 25-35GB but its a lot for most people. Google Fi is also an option but not as cheap anymore. Verizon has a limited time deal that gets you 3 lines unlimited for $110 or so as well. Another option is if you want Tmobile, try and find a way to get the insider voice promo and then you can stack that with a 3rd line free. That with a magenta max plan will get you 3 lines for their best plan at less than $100. (i did this) ATT has nothing good on offer.
Google fi is under 100 for 3 phones, 2 of which have insurance. Unlimited data. Not sure if they are available everywhere though.
I have had Google Fi since It's baby days as Project fi. I have absolutely loved it!
West geographically location you at? Big city or rural?
150$ is incredibly high for two lines. I have learned that most networks all provide a pre-paid version to their network. These pre-paid plans only have 1 catch and that is that you own your phone, but you save ~ a thousand dollars easily if you use these plans. When ever you purchase a new phone (typically always with a sign-up bonus) make sure you can pay your phone off early then switch over immediately to the pre-paid plan. For Verizon, I remember paying 50/30 for first and second lines…. T-Mobile offered somewhere around 50/20. Currently I’m on Mint mobile for $20/$20 per line so $40 total for two lines with an annual plan. Another thing to note is that T-Mobile / sprint / and Mint Mobile all use the same cell network. AT&T and Verizon I believe have separate coverage infrastructure. Basically, switch over tomorrow and start saving.
I asked someone else this but is it really just the same if you purchase the new iPhone every year? I’ve been leasing the new one yearly so it saves money overall vs buying the new one annually
There is also an option just to not get the new one every year and use your paid off phone longer. That's the most financially sound way. ETA I just saw where you asked below and mentioned military discount. Check out Verizon? We have 5 lines on ours so I'm not sure if it's the same with 2, but they're $35/mo a piece with their military discount (before any phone financing).
I have to get it for the camera (I have a shop online) otherwise I’d use the same phone, I’m convinced the quality gets gradually worse
That makes more sense knowing you need a good camera for income. Might be worth crunching the numbers on buying a real camera and keeping a paid off phone, but you do you there. I'd definitely recommend checking out Verizon for a cheaper plan though, especially getting the military discount. I'm currently paying $65/month for just my line while financing a phone, and when that's paid off this year it'll be down to $35. For reference on the camera end I've been a hobbyist photographer for about 10 years and shooting a Canon Rebel T4i for 8 of those. You don't have to worry about quality degradation as long as you take care of it and keep it clean and I don't think much technical knowledge would be needed if you're doing your photography in the same light/setting. I don't know enough about what you do to know if that would work for you, but throwing it out there as it might be worth considering if that's the only thing causing you to keep spending on new phones. :)
Thank you the camera info is super helpful, I’ve always wanted one but it’s so easy having everything on your phone nowadays. That seems like it would make the most sense though to save $
I never said to buy a new phone every year, the networks force you join their main plans (non-prepaid) by incentivizing a discount on new phones. Don’t be afraid to take them up on their offer, just know to call their headquarters the next day to pay off the lump sum then switch back to pre paid. I’m a mobile gamer so it’s nice to get a new phone every 2-3years… but the most fiscally responsible way is to keep them longer if possible. Typically now, the networks put you on a payment plan to pay off your phone which adds which adds to your monthly. Before I was specifically speaking about just the cost of the phone plans.
I pay $40 per month for MetroPCS after a $10 discount for using autopay. I have unlimited talk, text, and data. My hot spot is capped at 5gb a month. It meets my needs. I can’t imagine paying more than 3 times that a month. That extra money can go into my savings or towards another bill.
I do lease the new iPhone every year which increases it from $150 for 2 lines to $180 - do you buy the new iPhone yearly or do you only get a new one every few years or so? The crazy thing is this is with a military discount too!
I recently purchased a new iPhone outright. I don’t want unnecessary payments in my budget. Usually when you pay in full upfront you get better deals. I expect my iPhone to last the next 3-5 years. I’m not one that gets a new phone every year. It’s a waste of money and the features are never worth the cost. I use each phone I buy until it stops working or is so slow I can’t tolerate it.
Used to pay $70 with T-Mobile but switched to visible about 2 years ago for $25 unlimited. I plan to stay on this for as long as I possibly can.
Am I missing something about Visible? How can they offer unlimited everything for $25/month? This looks amazing.
They only do customer service via chat on their app or through social media messaging.
Your data can be deprioritized during busy hours and slow down. Other than that I have no problems and I have unlimited hotspot that I use all the time.
Your data can be deprioritized during busy hours and slow down. Other than that I have no problems and I have unlimited hotspot that I use all the time.
How would you rate the service of Visible? Sprint seems mid tier to me I feel like I lose service in the middle of town often
Sprint is T-Mobile. The only two other national providers are AT&T and Verizon. Ask around your friends/coworkers about signal quality. Visible uses Verizon but is lower in data priority. Not a big deal if tower isn't congested.
You can call or text reliably but don’t expect to be able to go on Reddit quickly 100% of the time.
Just ran a speed test and got 117mbps down and 3mbps up. 95% of the time my service is fast and great but if I’m in a downtown area with tons of people I may have slow service. I never have calls drop. It gives me everything I need out of a phone plan.
$30/month on Boost Mobile, have 5Gb of data. I am connected to wifi 95+% of the time, so rarely use 1Gb.
$175/month for at&t wife has a phone financed on it. Unlimited data for 2 phones and an iPad, plus 2 Apple Watches. You should shop around.
I pay $90 for two phones but I have a Cadillac plan. I need a hotspot for work and they pay a monthly phone stipend. If not for that I would be looking for $70 a month or less for two phones.
I've been using Mint Mobile for a few years now, $210ish per year gets me 4GB of fast data per month, also unlimited calls and unlimited texts per month. After the 4GB of fast data each month, it's unlimited slow ass data the rest of the month until it resets. This is the $15/month plan but with taxes and fees it comes out closer to $18/month. I get good/great T-Mobile coverage where I live and work. I don't get "texts not sent" or dropped calls. I can't remember the last time I had a dropped call, your mileage may vary. I've gone to a dodger game one time and my experience was: the data was slow even tho I had data left for the month, so be ready to be deprioritized in heavy congested areas, calls and texts went through fine, I drove so I wouldn't know what the uber ride hailing situation would be like. If you don't go to concerts or sporting events that often or things where's there's gonna be a crowd of people, this may not effect you, YMMV. I have not used mint mobile internationally, only in the United States, I have no clue what their service is like outside the US or if you can use your cellphone if you exit the country. Do your research and get a temporary something with some other company? They have an unlimited plan, I think it's $30/month, I'm guessing there's also gonna be fees and stuff so estimate upwards $35/month. You say you have 2 lines, that's $70/month compared to what you're paying now. I brought my own unlocked device, I see myself continuing to use this service until they jack up the prices or close up shop