Okay you guys, I need some help. I need a new phone but I can’t make a decision to save my life about what phone to get. So I’m turning to you because you never let me down {no pressure!}.
I currently have an iPhone4 and my phone contract is set to end in a few months. I would like to get a new phone WITHOUT a contract. I don’t use my phone constantly, but it is an important part of my day for a few reasons. I use my phone to text, talk occasionally, check email and post on Facebook and Instagram. Occasionally I’ll read an e-book on it, but that’s is really it. Those are the only features I use. Pretty easy peasy, right?
So here’s what I need help with. I need to know a few things:
What phone do you have? Would you buy it again if you could go back in time? Is it an ancient dinosaur of a phone you can’t live without? Do you have the latest and greatest with shiny bells and whistles? Does my life need that phone in it?
What do you love/hate about your phone? Do you love long phone conversations with Siri? Does your phone take the best pictures ever? Is your phone super duper easy to operate? {This one might be the most important aspect!}
Who is your carrier and what do you love/hate about them? How is their customer service? Are they kind and cheery? Can you actually reach a real person? Do you know anything about their plans? How is their coverage?
Okay so lay it on me, oh helpful readers! I’m counting on you to guide this phone dummy in the right direction. Whatcha got?
~Mavis
P.S. I must be able to buy a case for the phone that will hold my driver’s licence, debit/credit cards and a wee bit of cash because I don’t use a purse anymore. π
Alexandra says
Hi Mavis,
Q. What phone do you have?
A. I have an Iphone 5-something (S or C). It works well and I like it a lot. I’d definitely buy it again.
Q. What do you love/hate about your phone?
A. I love how easy it is to take pictures, video and surf the web. I don’t like that I sometimes don’t understand something it’s doing, but that’s me, not the phone.
Q. Who is your carrier and what do you love/hate about them?
A. I have T-Mobile. I love that they are pretty inexpensive compared to some of the other carriers for our family plan. They also have good customer service. I don’t like that there are some pretty bad areas for coverage when you get out of the city. On the other hand, it’s sometimes nice to stop using the phone on those occasions when you can’t get a signal.
Hope this helps!
Alexandra
Sarah says
I use Ting for my carrier. They use the sprint network and you don’t have to have a contract. The bill can be different every month depending on how much text/minutes/data you use. My bill is normally under $30. They also have a referral service where new customers can get $25 off their first bill and whoever referred them can get $25 off of their bill. (https://z3ecdfqfo.ting.com/) I’ve always been able to get a real person when I call their customer service and they’ve been very helpful any time I’ve had an issue (which hasn’t been often). The service can be a little spotty if you’re out in the boonies, but it’s always been fine in towns. (I live in a small town in Colorado, so I just don’t plan to use my phone if I go up in the mountains)
I bought a refurbished iPhone 4s from their site and I really like it. I mostly use it for texting and on Wi-Fi. I know it’s a little ‘behind-the-times’, but I find that it does everything I need it to π
Linda says
Hi Mavis,
I have a Tracfone android. I’m not a big cell phone user and mostly want it to have with me when I’m on the road, in case of an accident and for when I’m working in my yard. My home is located in a state forest with no neighbors (I can’t say no neighbors, but the closest one is 1/4 miles away and the other one is farther and they can’t see my home). In case of an accident when I’m outside, I keep my cell with me. It costs me $100. a year and I have more than enough minutes for talk, text and web on it. I would highly recommend a tracfone,
Deborah says
Linda where did you find the Tracphone Droid? I love my Tracphone, but rarely use it. I’m not a big cell phone user.
Linda says
Hi Deborah,
Go to the tracfone website: http://www.tracfone.com, where you’ll find lots of phones and androids choose from. I have the Samsung Galaxy Stardust, which is a nice android. Linda
Felicia says
I have an android Moto G, would definitely get again. We also have Boost Mobile, a no contract plan that uses the sprint towers. We have unlimited talk, text and data for $40 a month. You can pay online (but they charge you $2.50 to use a debit card) or you can buy the ReBoost cards. We but the cards at Target and sometimes they are kn sale, so we pay “less”each month!
Mavis says
Did you get the phone at Target too?
Delores says
I have an Android Moto X (2nd Gen). This is the first smart phone I have ever had, just got it a few months ago and I would definitely get it again. So far, the only thing I don’t like about it is limited storage. I would like to have more of my music stored on the phone. I think the phone companies expect us to use the google play music app, which I do, but that uses my data. It is not that much to use it, and I don’t listen to a lot anyway (mainly just when walking on my morning walk), so I am fine with our data package, but I still wish I had more storage. If you have a google/gmail account, then going to android should be super easy if you opt for that route. I do use my phone for pics, it actually has more pixels than my very old camera, and now I only have to carry one thing around instead of two. You can also watch some youtube videos on the the ‘tricks’ for using this phone, and likely others. For instance, I can shake my phone to get the flashlight on, twist it to turn on the camera. There are other shortcuts as well, but I don’t remember those. π Oh, and I use the Map My Fitness app, which I really like. But I just use my phone, really, for basic things: reading a book, taking pics, checking email, texting, the alarm, and the fitness one. A few others here and there. Oh… and talking on the phone!
We are with US Cellular and I highly recommend them. They have great customer service, but definitely go into the store to have someone walk you through all the options. They have a bill reducer app as well, so my daughter and I use that to reduce our bill by $5 each per month. Plus, we live in the boonies, and we always have coverage with them, whereas other friends who come often can barely get a signal with their carriers.
Good luck!
Jenna says
Republic Wireless. Buy the phone outright. No contract, $25 or less a month all included. For an excellent write up take a look at BudgetsareSexy.
http://www.budgetsaresexy.com/2014/07/republic-wireless-review-cell-phone-savings/
Mavis says
Cool. I definitely check that out! Thanks.
Jenna says
Coming from my beloved ‘star-trek’ flip phone that I kept for 10+ years, I did a transition through Ting before leaping into the smartphones. We have three phones, mine, my teen and a ‘house’ phone. Mine is now RW, and the other two are still on Ting. All three run us less than $60/month total after the initial cost of the phones.
Julie says
We just switched to Republic wireless from iPhones. I am in love. Dropped our monthly rates by $80! Granted we chose to go without a data package (the smart phones still work in WiFi). You can pay a bit more to get different data packages. I am at home most all day & HH is in an office so we can totally make due without a data package. We’ve been Republic wireless evangelists since we switched.
Jill says
I second Republic Wireless. Just before my daughter graduated high school last year she wanted to upgrade to a smart phone. All of her friends had iphones so she of course wanted one also. We showed her the cost of that versus a Moto X phone with a no contract package through Republic Wireless. She researched it and decided to go that route. Now she says her Moto X phone is better than the iphone. They also have the Moto G and Moto E if you want a less expensive phone.
They’ve just switched their plans to include a refund back to you each month for the data you didn’t use. How cool is that!
If you find you want more storage you can buy an inexpensive SD card to add to the phone. Very simple to install, my husband just did it before our trip last week.
Heather says
Hi Mavis:
What phone do you have & what do you love/hate: I currently have an iPhone 6- I love my phone and it allows me to keep my families activities straight by sharing our calendar events. I will definitely upgrade to a newer iPhone in the future.
Who is your carrier and what do you love/hate about them: I have only ever had Verizon as my carrier (since I got my 1st cell phone) I love that they have always corrected immediately any mistakes on their end (like forgetting to notify me when my son was getting ready to put us over our data limit- ended up in $300 in extra charges. Not only did they remove it from my bill, they also gave me a free 1GB of data at no charge for a whole year) **They now are a 100% no contract company for new customers- pay for your phone (or choose to make payments) and you pick your plan. Pay as you go….
Mavis says
I’ll have to look into their no-contract options. Thanks.
Pam says
I have an iPhone 5C. I think once you have an iPhone, you’re spoiled for anything else. JMO. I use mine for a little bit of everything but Siri does NOT make appearances on my phone. Not my thing. I use Straight Talk. It’s actually available through WalMart. $45.00 per month for unlimited talk, text and up to 4GB of data. I had Verizon for years but when we moved WAY out of the city 2 years ago, I couldn’t get reception on my Verizon system. Straight Talk was the only system that gave me reliable service. Plus you can bring your own phone with you (I’m sure there’s fine print with that – but I brought my iPhone with me). The whole family uses Straight Talk now so there’s our endorsement…………..:)
Mavis says
I’ ve never even heard of Straight Talk…I knew you guys would be an awesome resource.
Michele says
I too use straight talk and have had it for 2 yrs now for my iPhone 4s. I have the same $45/mo unlimited plan. It’s been awesome paying 1/2 of what I paid with AT&T. Although Straight Talk’s customer service is about 1/2 as good too.
Not complaining tho… Did I mention I was paying twice as much with AT&T.
Pam says
I agree about their customer service – getting anyone based in this country is very difficult. Luckily though – with mine, hubby’s and both kids on Straight Talk, we’ve only had to call customer service once and got a very intelligent young man to help us solve our technical problem. We both agreed to speak slowly and got the problem corrected quickly.
Sandra says
i have an ancient (in phone years) Samsung Droid Charge. Hate it. I think they named it “Charge” because that is what I am constantly doing: charging it. It has consumed and destroyed a half-dozen expensive, hard to find batteries in the time I have had it. It refuses to connect calls and garbled text messages. My husband has the same phone and has only had to replace the battery once, so mine is likely defective. I am thinking of getting an iPhone 5S to replace it. My daughter has one and likes it.
I recommend that you pick your carrier, then your phone. We have a Verizon plan because it is the only one that has service in the four areas we absolutely need it, plus it has the best coverage over Snoqualmie Pass (we travel that way frequently). Check each carrier’s coverage maps down to the exact address; we were considering Sprint until we discovered that they covered all areas around my daughter’s apartment complex — but excluded her apartment complex entirely. She verified that with friends who were with Sprint.
sheila says
I love my Samsung note running Droid. The screen is huge and I get teased constantly. However I primarily use it for Web and app use. Phone use is secondary. It doesn’t take long to get used to and is much easier for non-call functionality than a smaller screen .
Joy says
Mavis! I have an IPhone 4 as well and I love it. If you really like yours and only want a new phone because your contract is ending then I would suggest what I did. I went with Verizon (WHO I LOVE). They have an online pre-paid deal where I ordered a refurbished IPhone 4 (which I have had for almost a year and have had NO problems with) for $99.99 and signed up for a monthly plan that gives me unlimited talk and text and 500 mb of data for $45 a month. I also signed up for auto pay (where they just take the $45 out of my account on a set day every month and renew my phone for a month) and they added 500 FREE mb of data bringing me to 1 GB a month! That is way more than I need and it sounds like we do the dame things on our phones. You can use free Wi-Fi at your house and wherever else offers it in order to not use so much data.
I have been so in love with this no contract deal and plan I have been telling anyone who will listen for almost a year. Even if you are unhappy with the IPhone 4, they sell several models that are available on this no contract plan for a FRACTION of what you would pay if you were just buying them retail. You just go to the Verizon Wireless website and look under pre-paid plans and then smart phones. They ship it to you for free!
If you are happy with the actual phone you have you can just choose to use it with the no contract service plan I believe. I hope this helps!
Jennifer says
Have an iphone 6 & love it – very easy to use & understand plus it syncs with my iPad. Carrier is US Cellular because they are the only ones who have service north of our small Midwest town. Would recommend you look at Ting who runs off Sprint’s network. You pay $6 per month for your phone then everything else is based on usage, so you can be charged a different amount each month. Just switched hubby to them as he just uses a flip phone for talking, so we will only be paying about $10 per month. Ting does offer calls, text & data and as I said pricing is based on usage.
Deborah says
We have Tracphone (prepaid). No contract. Time rolls over as long as you keep the phone up to date. You can buy minutes every month or once a year. I have loads of time. Just have to buy more minutes every so often. There are all kinds of phones you can get for it. From a flip phone, to a small one. You can go online on it, too. Love my phone! Phones cost from less than $20 – around $100 depending on what you want.
jeanne says
This is another frugal gal I follow on Facebook. She just took a leap into a new kind of cell phone without contracts & reasonable priced phones. I’m interested in this myself. http://dontwastethecrumbs.com/2015/07/why-we-switched-cell-phone-carriers-after-15-years-republic-wireless/
I wasn’t sure if it was “politically” correct to to put another blogger’s link. If you rather not post that is fine. I wanted you to see the information in your search for what is best for your needs moving forward.
Diana says
My new love is my Fire Phone purchased in July for $179 from Amazon. The purchase price includes a year extension of my Prime membership. It is like carrying around a petite 32gb Kindle Fire tablet that also takes great photos and makes phone calls and texts, and more. You will LOVE the Mayday feature. Biggest drawback is battery life, and being tied to the Amazon App Store, and no compatibility with Google Play. Huge mistake by Amazon, imo.
Prior to that, I loved my Nokia Lumia 520/521 Windows 8 phone, purchased new and unlocked with warranty through Amazon. It has everything I need in a smart phone–for about $65 (new, unlocked with warranty from Amazon), and has great battery life. Extra batteries can also be purchased and swapped in and out of the phone as easily as a micro sd card or sim card. Consequently, I’ve never had my Lumia shut down for no battery life.
I highly recommend either the Fire Phone or the Lumia 520/521.
Carrier, hmmm. I use T-Mobile prepaid. In the past I would have given them a robust recommendation. But these days, they seem to be losing their customer-friendly edge, and have adopted up some of the creepy gotcha games that the other carriers are notorious. I haven’t found a carrier to switch to yet, so I’m still with T-Mobile. But I say shop carefully for top customer service, and no contract.
Mavis says
Fire phone?! By my beloved Amazon?! I’ll have to check it out…
Eva W says
There is a way to have Google Play on Fire phone! Check out this site: http://www.technobuffalo.com/2015/01/04/you-can-now-get-google-play-on-your-amazon-fire-phone-without-rooting/
Pam says
My first cellular carrier was Powertel which became Voicestream which became T-Mobile. Stayed with them for about 6 years (using the same old Nokia phone the entire time). Loved their service and customer service. When I decided to switch service – I wanted an iPhone and, at the time, Verizon was my only option – I went into the T-Mobile store to give them a disconnect date and pay my last bill. I was told at that time that there would be an $850.00 termination fee. Now, I signed a 2 year contract when I enrolled with them but had signed nothing in the years after that contract AND had never upgraded my phone. They really couldn’t explain it to me but “the computer says” I owed $850.00 plus my last bill. I paid my last bill but still – 10 years later – get random bills from a bill collection agent for that $850.00 (and it still shows up on my credit report). Like Diana, I also would’ve given then a glowing recommendation but not anymore. I tried for years (via phone, e-mail and snail mail) to get the $850.00 charge corrected with them and have gotten nowhere. I urge caution to anyone considering T-Mobile.
Hannah says
I have an iphone6 and love it. The camera is amazing and the operating system is user friendly.
I have had Verizon the past 12 years.
Verizon is doing away with contracts:
http://www.siliconbeat.com/2015/08/07/92835/
Rachel says
Mavis – I have an iPhone 6 PLUS, I would definitely buy it again. It’s larger screen makes it the perfect tool for someone that does tons of reading on the go. I personally believe that Apple has the most “user-friendly” devises/systems.
As far as carrier, I’m partial to Verizon. It’s possibly a bit more expensive BUT the service is much more reliable in my area of Eastern WA then any other contractor, especially where I work (HANFORD). I have had other carriers over the years, Sprint, T-Mobile, AT&T…but I’ve used Verizon the longest.
Hope that helps…Can’t wait to see what you end up with. π
Mrs. Chow says
I recently heard on the news that Verizon is moving to a plan with no contract, as are most other carriers.
Leanna says
I love my Fire phone. We have had A T & T forever.
Sue V says
I LOVE my iPhone 5C and would purchase it again. It’s the perfect size, takes great photos and allows some great editing options, syncs with my ipad and laptop. I switched this year from AT&T to Verizon and have been really happy. Verizon has much better reception in my area and their customer service has been outstanding (compared to AT&T). I am on a family plan but understand they are moving to no contracts. I looked at the iPhone 6 but it’s HUGE, I prefer the smaller size. I use the phone to check email, text, instagram, play words with friends, and for directions.
Karin Carson says
Hello Mavis from .
I have and IPhone 4 and will be upgrading to the IPhone 5 s, my whole family has iPhones and that is why I will continue to have Apple products, I LOVE I message, while my daughter was in New Zealand we facetimed every other day, while away in Vegas we kept in touch with my in laws and kids, as long as you have wifi you have IMessage at NO COST, who doesn’t like free? I love the camera and sharing my photos on ICloud . My friend is a new grandma and she reads a bedtime to her grandson every nite who lives in another province, she sees him all the time and he knows who his grandma is. There are so many cool things that you can do with an IPhone. Have a great day . Ps I also love all the apps, kindle = all the great books you post everyday .
Emily B. says
Hi Mavis (and Lucy!)
I’ve been a rebel without a contract for about 5 years. Service has been through Straight Talk ($45 for unlimited talk, text and data per month). Because you don’t get the “free” phone every 2 years, I decided to keep with the frugal mindset , and bought a secondhand unlocked Samsung Galaxy Note from Ebay. I’ve had it for 3 years and love it. At first friends would laugh at me because of the large size and big screen, but I’ve seen no less than 4 friends buy the same model after I showed them the awesomeness that is the Galaxy Note. I’ve kept a case on it since I got it in the mail, and it’s in perfect condition. I use the big honking otterbox defender with a rubber bumper over the hard case. I stash my cards between the two cases and ditch the purse. The ONLY thing I don’t LURVE about this phone is that with the case, the phone is a bit large for my back or front pocket. Happy hunting and post when you decide.
Emily B. says
PS- the iPhone 6+ is the same body size at the Galaxy Note, but the screen on the note is slightly larger.
Vy says
I have a Samsung Galaxy S5, which I love. It’s nice and fast when I do need to get on the internet, and it takes great pictures. You may want to consider an Android phone, the vast majority of the apps available are free, where they are $ on iPhone.
Jen Y says
Q1 – None
Q 2 – Nothing (see above)
Q3 – None again
Aren’t I helpful! No one at my house owns a cell phone so I guess no phone is an option.
Mavis says
No one? I haven’t met a cell phone free house in a long time. Refreshing!
Earlene says
I have Samsung 5 and love it. We have Verizon and I too am looking for a no contract, but you have buy a great phone. I never had a iphone, but I love my droid!
Kat says
I have a Samsung Galaxy Note 4 that I LOVE! The size is great and regardless of what anyone says, it fits in my back pocket. The camera is great and its easy to make folders to organize my apps so that I can find everything easily and quickly. With the Note 5 getting ready to come out now is a good time to purchase a Note 4.
T-Mobile is my carrier, I’ve been with them over 10 years and I’ve always received exceptional customer service. Yeah, I hit a pocket of no service when out in the boonies but it’s usually not a big deal since I’m probably busy taking pics with my Canon 60D.
Veronica says
I have a MotoG. My husband has a MotoX. Both are Android phones with Google operating system. We like them a lot.
We have our lines with Republic Wireless. Each line is $10 a month. No contracts. We have unlimited talk, text, and data over WiFi and unlimited talk and text over cell. The cell coverage is the same as T Mobile. There are other plans- $5/month for WiFi only, $30? for 3g cell data, and $40? For 4g data. You can change your plans twice a month for no fee. The handover between WiFi and cell is pretty seamless. We have been with them over a year. We transferred our old phone numbers. The plan savings paid for the phones in 6 months. Highly recommend!
sclindah says
I used Virgin Mobile for over a year and loved them but Ting is it!!! If you are not a heavy user, that is the company to go with! Both my husband and I can use it on one bill and it’s about $30 a month for both of us!
Eva W says
Hi Mavis, Okay, This one I can handle as far as cellular phones is concerned. I use to work for a little company called Consumer Cellular. While most of the advertising is aimed at senior citizens (AARP members get a 5% discount), many other people have found out about it. it’s top rated in Consumer Reports and the call centers are all here in the USA. Two in Oregon and one here in Phoenix. they have a variety of cell phones including iPhones. I personally like the android (Moto G 2nd gen for me, Doro fo DH) for the simple reason that one can add memory in the form of micro SD cards. As far as phones are concerned, all is needed is an unlocked GSM phone and they will help you with the configurations for data OR you might want to take a look at their line up; they have some pretty reasonable prices! They use ATT & Tmobile towers with free roaming within the US. The beauty of this plan is if you use more minutes during one month, a call or web visit can change the plan at no cost. Then the next month, it can be switched back to the original. They even provide a notification system to let you know if you might be going near your plans limit. I was planning on using them when my contract ran out even before I worked there I am still using them even after leaving the company (personal problems). There is no activation fees, and they are post paid with no contract. With both my husband & I on a shared plan, it’s only $35.00 with our taxes. For 300 minutes, 30mb data (rarely use data with out wi-fi and usually only to receive a MMS) and 300 text messages. All of that is pooled, and between us, there is hardly a time that we go over. At this time, If you are interested, check out the website. https://www.consumercellular.com/
Oh, and one more thing, If you do sign up, email me and I will give you my #, that way both you and I will get a $10 sign up bonus! (~snort)
Eva W says
Whoops! I meant 250 minutes!
Diana says
I hate cell phones, so I’m using a Tracfone that I use primarily for texting. I have about 3 years and 3000 minutes on it that will probably never be used. I only have it to communicate with my brothers and a couple of friends. If anyone calls the number, I know it’s a wrong number or spam, lol, since I haven’t given it out. The phone is an Android and while it works fine, I’m not really impressed.
I hate the thought of having to spend something every month. I like that I bought the time/minutes and probably spent a couple of hundred dollars and now I don’t have to think about another payment for years…
This is all REALLY funny when you think about the fact that I work for Microsoft… π
Danalee says
I love my Ting service with my iPhone 4-yep it’s 4 years old but it does everything I need. When I upgrade it will be to get a better camera.
Ting uses the Sprint network (or Verizon when out of a Sprint area) so it was super easy to move our phones there because we already had Sprint phones. I like that I pay for what I use and not a lot of fees. We have 6 smartphones on our plan and the highest we’ve paid is $155 (usually $95-130). And some tend to be heavy users. Previously it was $230 and that was for 5 phones (3 smart and 2 almost smart) with a Sprint contract.
Ting customer service is amazing! I’ve not really had any issues, but had questions and a credit situation answered by a real person-no difficult accent-and no hold time. Sweet.
We’ve also had good luck buying used phones off eBay.
Edwin says
No matter what kind of phone you, buy a tempered glass screen protector and a Shock proof, waterproof case.I like Lifeproof cases .I use T-Mobile. Driving on I-80 in western Wyoming, I still had signal while everyone else didn’t.
Diane says
I have a Samsung Galaxy S5 Sport, which you may like because it has fitness apps on it. It also has a good camera.
What I have done in the past, is to buy a gently used or refurbished phone compatible with my carrier. I’ve purchased via ebay and private party. You may have someone you know that is on the same carrier who has recently upgraded their phone (that’s the best way to score a deal). You do need to be careful that the phone you get has a clean “ESN”. You take this phone to your carrier and have it put on your account to replace your current phone. Once your contract expires, you will be month to month. It’s a pretty good way to go, if your plan meets your needs and your service is good.
The game changer now, is many “contract free” options exist than in the past. In terms of the 2nd tier companies that lease tower time from 1st tier companies, people seem to really love them or hate them. I’ve read that when the towers are busy, priority goes to 1st tier customers first. As I have a family member who is medically fragile, I was concerned about this potential service interruption so I haven’t gone that route yet. I’m tempted from time to time to try it due to price.
As someone said above a) check carefully the coverage in your area and how that meets your needs and then pick the phone that’s compatible with it. Too many options to say much more than this, whatever you get needs to meet your needs.
I got tired of supporting two lines so I stopped the land line and only use cell.
There are some downsides to this, so I don’t know if I’d do that again. All said, I’m making it work.
I currently have Sprint which has unlimited data. I have a love/hate relationship with them. They are a step up for me. I used to have AT&T who drove me nuts with their customer service which was horrific in my opinion.
Happy hunting, and hope you let us know what you end up choosing.
Christy says
My husband and I both have pre-paid phones and all they do is make calls and send texts, that’s it. However, I also have an iTouch which allows me to get online when there is wifi, which many stores and restaurants are now offering for free. Each year we calculate how much we spend together on cell phones and so far the pre-paid phones are significantly cheaper for us and meet our needs compared to a contract plan. He is on ATT and I am on Virgin Mobile.
Give pre-paid a thought. You could continue to use your existing phone as an internet device when you have wifi access- still have email, social media, and all those Apps that we only use once in a while π
mdoe37 says
I got my first smart phone a couple of years ago…a android something or other. I then went to a Iphone 4 something as everyone said that were the best. And I
Hated It. The colors, the styling, and it just seemed everything was too available for everyone to pick my phone and read. And I absolutely hated the voicemail system … visual voicemail. Um no. Just no.
So I settled on a Motorola Droid Mini. Something that will still reasonably go in my pocket. I don’t prefer to carry a purse (a tiny one cross shoulder when I do–hands free!!) and don’t when I have adequate pockets (women’s pants are terrible that way.) I’m looking at hip purses…not fanny packs…now.
Verizon only. For my area it has hands down the best signal. I spend time in the backwoods occasionally and, even if a phone call won’t go through, a text message always does. Bears and wolves.
Now that said, Page Plus runs off the Verizon towers here and I switched the folks to pay as you go through them. Little usage and a much smaller bill than Verizon.
I am paying month to month on mine, no contract. The first android and the Iphone I purchased used through Swappa with very good results. I lucked out on the Mini and got one brand new from someone who changed their mind locally on Craigslist.
mdoe37 says
(whoops sorry for the typos!)
CathyB says
Well, I am in Alaska, so my carrier options are more limited than yours, but I have really like using AT&T Go phone service. It has no contract and for a reasonable fee you get unlimited text, unlimited talk, unlimited data. I pay $40/mo. and my first 1.5 G of data are high speed, after that it supposedly is unlimited but no high speed. I have never used more than that, so I am not sure how annoying it would be. You can pay more per month for larger chunks of high speed data. The only downside is that without a contract you have to buy the phone up front, which was fine with me. I got an HTC android smart phone that was one of their specials. I like it fine, but it is my first smartphone, so I don’t have much to compare it to.
We also got a separate Go Phone plan for my son that just has unlimited talk and text but no data. It is $30 / mo. We got him a smart phone so that he can use the phone whenever he is in an area with a wi-fi connection (like our house, starbucks, etc.)
Kathy says
I have had a Samsung phone with Strait Talk for so long I can’t remember. Thirty dollars a month for unlimited minutes and text. I have had no issues and am quite content.
Melanie says
I have a IPhone 6 and I LOVE it I use my apps constantly while out like ibotta and savings catcher, i pay bills, I read books , I order items online for in store pick up if I’m running late I had the 4 previously and I upgraded free last fall. I have been with Verizon for 19 years same phone number for the same amount of time too I get a 20 percent discount thru work. I moved to a state that does not offer Verizon as a provider locally so I kept a Florida number even though I live in Kentucky . I do drive an hour away to Tennessee when I upgrade.however it’s worth it in my opinion I get service everywhere. Even when Att who is the local provider here gets no service I also live in the boonies 45 minutes to town.
Lynne says
I would really suggest Ting for your mobile phone service, I think you’ll love it. I bought a used iPhone through glyde.com, and hooked up with Ting. My phonemail is about $32 a month, yes, for an iPhone.
Jumbe says
I have an Android Nexus LG thing, About 3 months ago I woke up crazy dizzy, couldn’t even stand up, could barely crawl. Went to phone the hubby for a rescue, but the phone was downstairs. Crawled down and got it, but it didn’t have enough charge to call. Crawled back upstairs and plugged it in, gave it a minute to charge and it started booting (for a very long time) finally booted and I thought Eureka I am saved but the phone said “Optimizing app 1 of 147 Billion-trillion)” And I lay there for like 10 minutes watching the stupid thing updating (no way to stop it) thinking how many people have been faced with this screen in an emergency. Now when it updates (which is about weekly) we joke about Zombies, Alien Invasions and so on. My advice…make sure your phone is a phone first.
Mavis says
Yikes! I get that the thing has to update from time to time, but that sounds a bit excessive. I will try to avoid that one entirely, thanks for the heads up.
Nancy D says
I listen to a radio program with Clark Howard. He has all kinds of financial and budget and good deals. Cell phone plans are a frequent topic. If you go to his website at http://www.clarkhoward.com you can get all kinds of info. Also which cell phones get high ratings. Good luck!
Lynn Mc. says
Love Clark Howard!
Lauren D says
Republic wirelesΕ‘ for us!
After dealing with Tracphone, metroPCS(their payment system was terrible), and Verizon(added things to our bill without informing us and we eventually had a lawsuit with them and won! Ugh.), these guys are great.
I think it’s about 30-35/month for everywhere Internet access and regular phone use, less for just talk and text- but here’s the kicker- anywhere you have wifi, you have internet too! So, the mall, your friends house, your house; makes your talk text only phone into one with Internet too.
It’s wonderful, their payment system is easy and you don’t forget, they don’t charge extra fees, phone prices are reasonable. Great company!
mary says
I have the Amazon fire phone & really like it! It is an unlocked phone & I use it with t mobile no contract. I got it about a month ago & it is still on sale I think for $159 & that includes a free year of Amazon prime. I couldn’t find a less expensive phone & it is just as fast if not faster then my LG! Read the reviews on Amazon for it!