Switching Cell Phone Plans
- Thread starter ISUCyclones2015
- Start date
I was able to keep my old number, but I had to put in a request and it took about a day to process. They have an option where you take a snapshot of a QR code on your old phone to migrate contacts, but it didn't do it for all of them for some reason so I had to manually enter some of them. Connectivity has been awesome; at home it automatically connects to your WIFI if you have it, and if you don't then it uses a Sprint tower as a secondary source
Step 1) ditch your inlaw, adults can do their own cell plans
Step 2) straight talk, bring your own ATT phone and be on ATT network with 4G and unlimited data
Done.
Step 2) straight talk, bring your own ATT phone and be on ATT network with 4G and unlimited data
Done.
This is the answer: it'll be at most $45 per month per person and you'll still be on ATT's network without needing to get new phones.
Even if you both have ETFs to pay off, at $90 per month you're saving $80 per month, so it won't take long to recoup it
Assuming your phone works on T-mobile as well (which it should), i-wireless might be an option @ $35/month as well:
https://www.iwireless.com/store/PlansNoContract.aspx
https://www.iwireless.com/store/PlansNoContract.aspx
Have been thinking of doing this too, but am unsure if it makes sense with a family of 5. By the time you buy the phone it doesn't appear you gain that much. With 5 of us the out of pocket with US Cellular isn't going to be much more and probably a better network overall when you consider the rural areas. Now if I was a single person would be some total different dynamics.
Bumping this because my phone is about to blow up. US Cellular is forcing us to switch plans so we are shopping around. Does anyone know the differences between the normal Verizon plan and Verizon edge? I figured out it's about $75 a month for unlimited call and text and 4GB/phone for the edge plan. I don't know the difference between the two plans. Looking for reliable service in small towns in the far corners of the state so not sure Tmobile or Sprint would be able to do much for us. Going to see what US Cellular has here shortly. Need at least 3GB per line for 6-8 lines.
I am very sad we had to switch off US Cellular to Verizon to get smart phones. Son going to college out of state basically couldn't get data coverage from US Cellular. However, our Verizon coverage is crap in our small town, it always says "extended" which I assume means they are using US Cellular towers, and we never have more than three bars. Plus it is really expensive. My husband decided the edge thing was cheaper, not exactly sure how or why, but we have a ton of kids and a ton of phones.
I'm mostly worried about having data when riding in a car, I feel like not having Verizon or US Cellular means that won't be very successful.
Just got a new phone a few weeks ago and finally upgraded to a smart one. We were trying to figure out which carrier or plan was best since I was out of contact and we ended believing Verizon was because of our plans.
We didn't spend too much time on the Edge plan consideration because I believe we figured it ended up costing more and you would be paying more on the phone to upgrade vs just waiting the standard amount of time plus we would have been spending more on the monthly bill paying on the phone rather than just paying up front and paying for monthly service.
Wish I could give you more info but like I said we didn't spend much time on it since it didn't fit us.
I've used a few and here are my observations.
Tmobile(currently with them)-In rural Iowa it sucks, plain and simple. In Des Moines it works fine for both data and voice. Great coverage in most large cities. Surprisingly good the couple times I used it in europe and mexico (free). Unlimited everything for the price is tough to beat. I can live with the lack of rural coverage since I spend less than 1% of my time there.
Sprint-It's been a while since I've used them but they had similar issues as Tmobile.
Verizon-I always had great coverage both data and voice wherever I went. Their prices are terrible.
AT&T-I don't know enough about them but they look very similar to Verizon
US. Cellular-I've heard from multiple "experts" that US. Cellular has the best voice coverage in Iowa.
Tmobile(currently with them)-In rural Iowa it sucks, plain and simple. In Des Moines it works fine for both data and voice. Great coverage in most large cities. Surprisingly good the couple times I used it in europe and mexico (free). Unlimited everything for the price is tough to beat. I can live with the lack of rural coverage since I spend less than 1% of my time there.
Sprint-It's been a while since I've used them but they had similar issues as Tmobile.
Verizon-I always had great coverage both data and voice wherever I went. Their prices are terrible.
AT&T-I don't know enough about them but they look very similar to Verizon
US. Cellular-I've heard from multiple "experts" that US. Cellular has the best voice coverage in Iowa.
How about the data connection for travelling in central Iowa with Tmobile? I'm talking going from Des Moines to Ames to Marshalltown to Cedar Falls to Cedar Rapids for the most part.
I switched to a tracfone last year (got a smart phone as well) and its been great I'll have went from spending 600 a year to 100 a year. I mostly make calls using free calling apps (I use groove IP lite) that go straight off of my wifi. That being said I dont use data at all but for someone like me that doesnt really want to use it in the first place, tracfone is perfect, I believe they use the verizon towers.
Des Moines to Ames is fine. Everywhere else you mentioned sucks. As soon as you leave bonderant, it's gone.