Comments on: Is Prepaid Right For You? Do The Math! http://phoneboy.com/2149/is-prepaid-right-for-you-do-the-math Simplifying Network Security, Telecom, Gadgets, and More! Thu, 24 Jun 2010 14:25:28 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: phonecard http://phoneboy.com/2149/is-prepaid-right-for-you-do-the-math/comment-page-1#comment-26248 phonecard Tue, 13 May 2008 07:02:29 +0000 http://www.phoneboy.com/2149/is-prepaid-right-for-you-do-the-math#comment-26248 What about mobile internet? What about mobile internet?

]]> By: janni http://phoneboy.com/2149/is-prepaid-right-for-you-do-the-math/comment-page-1#comment-26149 janni Wed, 30 Apr 2008 16:29:11 +0000 http://www.phoneboy.com/2149/is-prepaid-right-for-you-do-the-math#comment-26149 Picking out aprepaid cell phone plan is a lot like slicing your way through a tangled jungle with a machete. Many consumer advocates accuse the big wireless players (such as Verizon, Cingular, and T-Mobile) of intentionally obfuscating their plans to cash in on the ignorance of customers. That said, the reality is that all companies offer tiered deals, and it is therefore critical to analyze your calling behavior prior to signing up for a prepaid package. Picking out aprepaid cell phone plan is a lot like slicing your way through a tangled jungle with a machete. Many consumer advocates accuse the big wireless players (such as Verizon, Cingular, and T-Mobile) of intentionally obfuscating their plans to cash in on the ignorance of customers. That said, the reality is that all companies offer tiered deals, and it is therefore critical to analyze your calling behavior prior to signing up for a prepaid package.

]]> By: spg http://phoneboy.com/2149/is-prepaid-right-for-you-do-the-math/comment-page-1#comment-25867 spg Tue, 11 Mar 2008 22:42:28 +0000 http://www.phoneboy.com/2149/is-prepaid-right-for-you-do-the-math#comment-25867 @markus. having lived both in europe and usa i can say that the appetite for data services is very different. here in the US i see two main groups. there are bossiness oriented people who are interested in little more than email and other communications services. the other group is really only interested in entertainment oriented streaming data type stuff like music, videos(you tube), etc. this second group can really only be satisfied with unlimited data. any metering would result in a massive bill. actually the second group also has the dilemma that everything they want to use there data plan for violates there terms of there agreement with the carrier; but they still manage to do it. well there is also a third group and one that i believe will dominate data usage of cell network in the future. that tethering of laptops or use of separate dongle for laptop data. but this really has to become unlimited and without any fair use restriction before it will catch on really big. @markus. having lived both in europe and usa i can say that the appetite for data services is very different. here in the US i see two main groups. there are bossiness oriented people who are interested in little more than email and other communications services. the other group is really only interested in entertainment oriented streaming data type stuff like music, videos(you tube), etc. this second group can really only be satisfied with unlimited data. any metering would result in a massive bill. actually the second group also has the dilemma that everything they want to use there data plan for violates there terms of there agreement with the carrier; but they still manage to do it.

well there is also a third group and one that i believe will dominate data usage of cell network in the future. that tethering of laptops or use of separate dongle for laptop data. but this really has to become unlimited and without any fair use restriction before it will catch on really big.

]]> By: PhoneBoy http://phoneboy.com/2149/is-prepaid-right-for-you-do-the-math/comment-page-1#comment-25865 PhoneBoy Tue, 11 Mar 2008 08:03:43 +0000 http://www.phoneboy.com/2149/is-prepaid-right-for-you-do-the-math#comment-25865 @spg the page plus deal would be good for heavy talkers not wanting to go the contract route. I might recharge my wife's phone 3 times in a 2 year period, though. Even my own usage isn't that great, but someone else pays my bills. ;) @Marcus: WiFi is a good choice for sure, particularly when you're paying that much per megabyte. Using those other tools are also a good idea. @spg the page plus deal would be good for heavy talkers not wanting to go the contract route. I might recharge my wife’s phone 3 times in a 2 year period, though. Even my own usage isn’t that great, but someone else pays my bills. ;)

@Marcus: WiFi is a good choice for sure, particularly when you’re paying that much per megabyte. Using those other tools are also a good idea.

]]> By: Markus Goebel http://phoneboy.com/2149/is-prepaid-right-for-you-do-the-math/comment-page-1#comment-25864 Markus Goebel Tue, 11 Mar 2008 07:00:46 +0000 http://www.phoneboy.com/2149/is-prepaid-right-for-you-do-the-math#comment-25864 A secret of prepaid is to be a heavy data user without using much data. Downloading only the first 5 KB of emails is enough to read them. Websites should be accessed through Opera mini or Google Reader mobile. They strip out unnecessar HTML Code and advertising and sample down images. Also use Wifi wherever you can! With Fring you can send 200 chat messages for the price of one SMS. VoIP callthrough makes every international call local. That's how you save. A secret of prepaid is to be a heavy data user without using much data. Downloading only the first 5 KB of emails is enough to read them. Websites should be accessed through Opera mini or Google Reader mobile. They strip out unnecessar HTML Code and advertising and sample down images.

Also use Wifi wherever you can! With Fring you can send 200 chat messages for the price of one SMS. VoIP callthrough makes every international call local. That’s how you save.

]]> By: spg http://phoneboy.com/2149/is-prepaid-right-for-you-do-the-math/comment-page-1#comment-25863 spg Tue, 11 Mar 2008 03:21:29 +0000 http://www.phoneboy.com/2149/is-prepaid-right-for-you-do-the-math#comment-25863 but for a heavy user that still wants prepaid it is an option than can compete against some of the heavy usage contract options. a lot of people(the majority) do not use a cell phone for anything other than voice. for me its the best option since my usage pattern is something like 100 to 1000 minutes a month. i never pay for minutes that i do not use and never pay overages. like most prepaid option everything rolls over each payment. i would agree that if you spend less than $240 per year than t-mobile the best option. but if your spend is closer to $500 per year(like mine) you could cut your outlay substantially by switching to page plus. for $320/year you get 5600 minutes with page plus versus 3200 with t-mobile. but for a heavy user that still wants prepaid it is an option than can compete against some of the heavy usage contract options. a lot of people(the majority) do not use a cell phone for anything other than voice. for me its the best option since my usage pattern is something like 100 to 1000 minutes a month. i never pay for minutes that i do not use and never pay overages. like most prepaid option everything rolls over each payment. i would agree that if you spend less than $240 per year than t-mobile the best option. but if your spend is closer to $500 per year(like mine) you could cut your outlay substantially by switching to page plus. for $320/year you get 5600 minutes with page plus versus 3200 with t-mobile.

]]> By: PhoneBoy http://phoneboy.com/2149/is-prepaid-right-for-you-do-the-math/comment-page-1#comment-25862 PhoneBoy Tue, 11 Mar 2008 01:28:22 +0000 http://www.phoneboy.com/2149/is-prepaid-right-for-you-do-the-math#comment-25862 @spg $80 every 4 months is what that works out to, or $20 a month. Still too rich for my blood, unless it includes data service. ;) @spg $80 every 4 months is what that works out to, or $20 a month. Still too rich for my blood, unless it includes data service. ;)

]]> By: spg http://phoneboy.com/2149/is-prepaid-right-for-you-do-the-math/comment-page-1#comment-25861 spg Tue, 11 Mar 2008 00:13:58 +0000 http://www.phoneboy.com/2149/is-prepaid-right-for-you-do-the-math#comment-25861 i would like to recommended that for voice only prepaid in USA page plus only costs 5.5 cents per minute if you buy at least $80 every 120 days in airtime; and they will activate any unlocked CDMA phone. also the customer service is outstanding; they usually answer the phone on the first ring and they actually no what they are talking about. i would like to recommended that for voice only prepaid in USA page plus only costs 5.5 cents per minute if you buy at least $80 every 120 days in airtime; and they will activate any unlocked CDMA phone. also the customer service is outstanding; they usually answer the phone on the first ring and they actually no what they are talking about.

]]> By: PhoneBoy http://phoneboy.com/2149/is-prepaid-right-for-you-do-the-math/comment-page-1#comment-25860 PhoneBoy Mon, 10 Mar 2008 21:15:43 +0000 http://www.phoneboy.com/2149/is-prepaid-right-for-you-do-the-math#comment-25860 That's still kind of pricey, especially considering we can get unlimited data plans for our cell phones for $20 on a contract. That’s still kind of pricey, especially considering we can get unlimited data plans for our cell phones for $20 on a contract.

]]> By: Markus Göbel http://phoneboy.com/2149/is-prepaid-right-for-you-do-the-math/comment-page-1#comment-25858 Markus Göbel Mon, 10 Mar 2008 18:27:14 +0000 http://www.phoneboy.com/2149/is-prepaid-right-for-you-do-the-math#comment-25858 €0.24 per MB + €0.09 per minute. €0.24 per MB + €0.09 per minute.

]]> By: PhoneBoy http://phoneboy.com/2149/is-prepaid-right-for-you-do-the-math/comment-page-1#comment-25857 PhoneBoy Mon, 10 Mar 2008 17:04:54 +0000 http://www.phoneboy.com/2149/is-prepaid-right-for-you-do-the-math#comment-25857 I wish we could get prepaid data here that cheap. ;) I wish we could get prepaid data here that cheap. ;)

]]> By: Markus Goebel http://phoneboy.com/2149/is-prepaid-right-for-you-do-the-math/comment-page-1#comment-25856 Markus Goebel Mon, 10 Mar 2008 09:25:11 +0000 http://www.phoneboy.com/2149/is-prepaid-right-for-you-do-the-math#comment-25856 I did the same math and use prepaid for voice and data for more tha 1 year now. My monthly costs are about 8 dollars in Germany, although I am a heavy data user from cell phone. I did the same math and use prepaid for voice and data for more tha 1 year now. My monthly costs are about 8 dollars in Germany, although I am a heavy data user from cell phone.

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