T-Mobile just announced 7/30 that their Family Plan will offer 4 lines for $100 a month with unlimited talk, unlimited text, and 2.5 GB of 4G LTE data per line. (10 GB total across 4 lines. Unlimited 2.5G data after your LTE data allotment is used up.) That is an increase of 6 GB (1.5 GB per line) from their previous offer. Offer expires 9/30/14. I’m not sure why, but the bump up lasts only until 2016, after which it will revert back to 1GB of high speed data per line. That is 17 months from now, so hopefully 4G data will have become cheaper by then anyway. Add a 5th line for only $10 more a month.
These plans include T-Mobile’s free international 2G data and texting in 120+ countries. Came in handy for my brother-in-law when he was at the World Cup in Brazil.
These plans do not include any subsidy for a new phone. You can bring your AT&T or Verizon iPhone 5 straight over to T-Mobile just by swapping out the SIM card inside, no special unlocking procedure required. Usually the Prepaid SIM card is $10 but from 8/1 to 8/6 use the promo code SIMDEAL to get it for only a penny ($0.01). Get a nano SIM card if you have a compatible iPhone 5 or iPad Mini. Get a micro SIM card if you have a compatible iPhone 4, 4S or iPad. You can also check compatibility here.
I really hope T-Mobile stays independent because their aggressive pricing will help keep everyone’s plan costs in line.
Alternatively, you can get unlimited talk, text, and WiFi/3G data for $25 a month with Republic Wireless (per line, no minimum number of lines). You’ll have to buy one of their phones (Moto G starting at $149).
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We were thinking of going with the Cricket prepaid plan but this sounds pretty good too. Any thoughts on their coverage in general? I’m sure it varies by location, but we haven’t heard that it’s as good as AT&T nationwide.
I switched my phone from AT&T to Cricket Wireless a few months ago. Then, as plans expired within the family, I switched everyone’s phone to my account, saving us about $220 per month.
Never had any problem with calls, txt or data so far. I live in the major metro area where the AT&T network is adequate. Cricket Wireless is owned by AT&T and uses their network. It’s a bit ironic that we left AT&T yet they’re still getting our money, albeit less of it.
The Cricket Wireless txt reminders to pay bills or confirm payments are annoying (even though it’s paid automatically through my credit card.) If anyone figures out a way to stop them completely, or at least only to me who’s responsible for payment, I would greatly appreciate it.
Another great option for folks who don’t use phone much (or have WiFi around) is Ting. They utilize Sprint network with Verizon backup. I’ve been with them for several months now and my typical monthly bill is $12 + tax. You can estimate your bill on their website. Their approach is “pay for what you used at the end of the month”. If you use my referral link below you’ll get $25 credit to start. I use my Nexus 5 that I got from Google. Love it! BTW, customer service is absolutely amazing and fast. If you have any questions about Ting or using Nexus 5 on it, let me know.
https://zei5n62l5h5.ting.com/
Switched t-mo from VZW 10 months ago.
Our bill is about the same (100 a month after taxes) but we now get 7 GB, unlimited talk and text on three smartphones. And our coverage in San Diego is way, way better. Go figure.
We used to have 750 minutes, 200 text messages and 1 unlimited plan for about 110 a month on VZW. Big improvement.
The offer sounds great to me. I’ll give it a try in August. Thanks for the valuable information.
We switched from Sprint to Republic Wireless last December and went with their $10/month plan which includes unlimited Long distance and text. We love it! Still the great Sprint coverage at a fraction of the cost. Would recommend their plans to anyone that wants to save some $$.
Just be careful what your coverage is like. I have a buddy with T-mobile and all he does is complain about no coverage… I’ve had big problems in Florida and Nebraska with T-mobile when I had it.