Pay as you go cell phone plans with unlocked phone -- USA. - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: raptor1956
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 07, 2020, 12:20:01 am
content: I've never had an unlocked phone before but after 5.6 years with my current phone, the Samsung Note 4, I've decided to get a new phone -- the Samsung S20+. Presently I'm on Verizon but I'm thinking about going with T-Mobile as they already have 5G, well more like 4G LTE+, here in the Salt Lake City area and when the other carriers roll out true 5G with mmWave I can jump ship as I wish. Now here's the thing ... I've never owned an unlocked phone before and never had a pay-as-you-go plan so perhaps someone with experience here can help me avoid any mistakes and, significantly, any tricks by the carriers when signing up for a plan.My first thought was that I'd wind up with ATT when they roll out mmWave 5G in the next few months, but it may well be more like a year before they have there act together and the same goes for Verizon etc. So, starting with T-Mobile, even with the reduced performance 5G they now offer, would tide me over until real 5G comes out and with an unlocked phone like the S20+ I should be able to go anywhere I want.As I understand it and correct me if I'm wrong, I should be able to swap the SIM card from my 5.6 year old Note 4 into the S20+ and be good to go -- no need to inform Verizon.I should pick up the S20+ tomorrow.Brian

author: mark03
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 07, 2020, 01:06:13 am
content: The one thing I would say is that depending on your usage you should also consider MVNOs ("towerless" wireless companies which buy resources wholesale and then offer their own retail plans). These tend to be pay-as-you-go, although most of the big mobile companies have their own pay-as-you-go plans/divisions too.As a general rule of thumb, MVNO plans are probably better for light users, while the majors' plans are better for heavy users, but it still pays to comparison shop.Otherwise, yeah, you just put the SIM card in and go, pretty much, just like the rest of the world has operated for a long time. SIM cards do come in multiple sizes, though, so this depends on yours being the right size for your new phone.

author: cdev
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 07, 2020, 01:28:11 am
content: Make sure you get a phone thats compatible with the maximum number of carriers. A phone that works (or which came from) one of the big carriers, even if its unlocked, may not work with others.

author: NiHaoMike
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 07, 2020, 02:36:29 am
content: Except for essential workers who can't work from home, you don't even need a plan to use the phone on Wifi. Get the plan once you know you'll actually be using it.

author: themadhippy
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 07, 2020, 02:41:22 am
content: One thing to watch if your a light user is how long your credit lasts,some providers in the uk offer what appears to be a cheap price on the call cost or cheaper data charges,but the credit loaded on the phone only lasts for 30 days.

author: rdl
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 07, 2020, 02:52:56 am
content: I've used AT&T Gophone for many years. I usually buy the $25 (+tax and fees) which is good for 90 days. You can get $100 (+) that's good for 1 year. I only use the phone for voice/text because mobile internet is too expensive and not really necessary for me. It's a cheap $20 phone anyway.

author: raptor1956
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 07, 2020, 10:12:28 am
content: Quote from: cdev on May 07, 2020, 01:28:11 amThe phone I'm picking up tomorrow is the Samsung S20+ USA version which, as best I can tell, will work on pretty much any carrier anywhere in the world so both GSM and CDMA. This will be my first unlocked phone and my first upgrade in 5.6 years. Prior to that I was upgrading about every 1.5 to 2 years so this is definitely the longest I've gone with the same phone.I'll pop my Verizon SIM card in tomorrow when I get the S20+ and give it a whirl using my current carrier, but being able to switch at my pleasure is a nice option. I think I'll give T-Mobile a shot given they're the first in my area to have 5G, though, as I said, there 5G is more like 4G LTE+.Brian

author: cdev
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 07, 2020, 08:05:37 pm
content: A major pet peeve of mine is that many phone GPSs have made it so that in order for YOU to use the GPS in your own unlocked phone you need to buy a data plan. This makes the phone unable to work in areas outside of the area that is covered by cell phone data networks, unless it already has cached the epemeris, which only lasts a short amount of time. (All GPSs have the ability to get their ephemeris data from the GPS satellites, but its non functional in some).You got that right, no GPS manufacturer as far as I know sells a GPS chip that has its ephemeris disabled or absent, (forcing it to use AGPS) but carriers disable it in order so that people are forced to buy data plans they don't need.People should get this info, and if that is the case, consider how evil that is (also that various vendors still get access to that information if you install practiclly any sofware) and maybe get another phone that has a usable GPS. Imagine the difficulty somebody faces trying to use a GPS for finding their location on a camping trip or in an emergency only to find that the "GPS" they paid for in their phone does not work when they are out in the country, or at sea.

author: mathsquid
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 07, 2020, 09:06:03 pm
content: I've been using Cricket wireless for several years with a few different GSM iPhones. I pay $35/month total, taxes and all. I get no paperwork or emails from them,just two texts per month--one saying that they're drafting $35 tomorrow, and then one the next day saying they did it. They use the AT&T network, and the service is good (where I live anyway). I have no complaints.

author: NiHaoMike
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 08, 2020, 01:10:55 am
content: Quote from: cdev on May 07, 2020, 08:05:37 pmDon't buy from a carrier. Buy something that is easily rootable with a decent XDA community backing it.

author: raptor1956
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 08, 2020, 03:52:04 am
content: Well, I picked the S20 plus up today and tried installing my Verizon SIM in it but the new phone takes the much smaller nano SIM so no joy for now. I did sign up for the T-Mobile service at 50USD per month for unlimited, but I have to wait for the SIM to arrive by mail. Although the screen is a full inch larger than the Note 4 it's only a tad longer and no wider thanks to smaller bezels.Briam

author: ivaylo
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 08, 2020, 04:58:22 am
content: Happy customer of google fi here. Wife and myself pay around $50/month. Same price for data and sms anywhere in the world seamlessly too. When we could travel that is...