Amethyst Posted October 25, 2014 Share Posted October 25, 2014 Ugh. I have such mixed feelings about technology. But I'm starting to weaken. There are 6 of us, all living at home. Dh and ds22 have iPhones. Dd17 has an iTouch. I think she got that before I realized that she would have access to the internet. I thought it was just a fancy iPod. Anyway, it has started to cause quite a bit of resentment between her and dd14. Add to that the fact that I"m starting to want a smart phone myself. But good grief. I can't imagine the monthly bill! We're paying for 2 data packages right now due to dh and ds22 phones, and it's close to $300 for the 2 smartphones and 4 dumb phones. So, I"m starting to consider smartphones that do not have 3G or 4G and can only use internet if they are somewhere there is Wifi. Can we do that? Ds22 could do without 3G because he's always either home or at med school and both places have wifi. I'd leave dh's phone 3G cuz map application in car is useful. Anybody have any words of advice on how to get smartphones without going broke? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mandylubug Posted October 25, 2014 Share Posted October 25, 2014 My galaxy s3 allows me to turn mobile data off and only utilize wifi. It still accepts text messages and phone calls if I leave home without turning mobile back on but apps such as fb, messsenger etc doesn't work if I have it turned off. Eta: do your teenagers have jobs and if so, have you considered having them pay for their phone usage? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK_Mom4 Posted October 25, 2014 Share Posted October 25, 2014 Sprint has a $100 a month plan now for up to 10 phones and shared data (unlimited talk/text). Just turn off the data manually (in the settings) on the handsets that you don't want it. I would start shopping around the carriers. If you have lots of patience, call their customer service lines and ask them to price out their best plan for your set up. I say lots of patience because it takes a while on the phone for them to figure it out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
QueenCat Posted October 25, 2014 Share Posted October 25, 2014 Shop carriers or look at some of the newer plans. We're with Verizon. For 4 smartphones and the house phone, our total is $265ish (including all the taxes/fees). I was surprised that when we added the 4th phone, our costs went down by $20 a month due to changing to one of the newer shared plans. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
QueenCat Posted October 25, 2014 Share Posted October 25, 2014 Sprint has a $100 a month plan now for up to 10 phones and shared data (unlimited talk/text). Just turn off the data manually (in the settings) on the handsets that you don't want it. Is that for everything, all of the fees, etc? If so, WOW! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heartosunshine Posted October 25, 2014 Share Posted October 25, 2014 We just got smartphones. We had to switch from very pricey Verizon to T-Mobile in order to do it, though. T-Mobile is buying out one of the contracts and our plan includes unlimited talk, text, and data, although the data goes to a slower speed after a certain amount. So far so good with coverage and I love my Samsung Galaxy. We got a deal on the phones at Costco when they were having a promotion a few weeks ago. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mandylubug Posted October 25, 2014 Share Posted October 25, 2014 Is that for everything, all of the fees, etc? If so, WOW! I read the fine print. Sprint charges a per phone service fee in addition. I think 10 per phone per month and then there is another fee that is 5 per month if i am remembering correctly. The 100 per month does not include those fees. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chocolatechip Posted October 25, 2014 Share Posted October 25, 2014 I would suggest you check out Ting. You would need an unlocked Sprint phone. But if you can get that, it's super reasonable. Our bill for 2 phones is less than $30/month. We do try to stick to wifi and keep to 100mb or less of data though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crazyforlatin Posted October 25, 2014 Share Posted October 25, 2014 I was looking into this last month and decided to go with Republic Wireless. For DH I pay $10 for unlimited phone/text/unlimited wifi data. For me, I sort of need data, so $25 per month, which includes everything that DH has but has data. And you can switch plans twice a month. I did have to buy the phones. For DH I got him the Moto E, which is an economy smartphone. We just upgraded from our dumpy, dumb, hot-pink-duct-taped phones, and I believe we were the last ones in the U.S. to hold out this long. It was a toss up between Ting and Republic. ETA: I meant Moto E as the economy phone for &99' not Moto X which is $200+. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nemom Posted October 25, 2014 Share Posted October 25, 2014 We switched to Republic Wireless a few months ago. It is less than $40 a month (with taxes) for three smart phones with unlimited talk and text with unlimited data over wifi. We did have to buy the phones from them but I believe they have a new phone for $99 now. We have been really happy so far. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amanda's Mommy Posted October 25, 2014 Share Posted October 25, 2014 We switched to Republic Wireless a few months ago. It is less than $40 a month (with taxes) for three smart phones with unlimited talk and text with unlimited data over wifi. We did have to buy the phones from them but I believe they have a new phone for $99 now. We have been really happy so far. Another Republic family here. I just got the Moto e and I love it. I have the $10 data over wifi plan. DH has an older phone with them and a $20 unlimited plan. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bambam Posted October 25, 2014 Share Posted October 25, 2014 I'll third the Republic Wireless. I really like the fact I can change the plan twice a month, so if I *need* 3G, I can change the plan for the time I need it and then change back. Or, at least, that was the plan. Once I turned it on, I found it so useful I decided it was worth the $25/month to have 3G data when I'm not by a Wifi hotspot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chocolatechip Posted October 25, 2014 Share Posted October 25, 2014 Can you use an iPhone on Republic Wireless? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
linguistmama Posted October 26, 2014 Share Posted October 26, 2014 Depending on which carrier you are with there is probably a cheaper company where you could use the phones you already have as well as buying new ones. We have Sprint iphones and transferred to Ting when our contract with Sprint was up. Our bill is less than half what it used to be! Other carriers that I looked into were Boost Mobile, StraightTalk, Republic Wireless and Virgin Mobile. Ting was the only one that could use a Sprint iphone. You can get unlocked phones or phones for a specific carrier on many websites. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Mungo Posted October 26, 2014 Share Posted October 26, 2014 We pay less than $300 for 4 smart phones with data plans. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarinesWife Posted October 26, 2014 Share Posted October 26, 2014 We have 6 devices on t-mobile for about $120. We all have unlimited everything. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JennyD Posted October 26, 2014 Share Posted October 26, 2014 Can you use an iPhone on Republic Wireless? No, you have to use one of their phones -- they offer three different Motorola ones, ranging from $99 to $299. I also just switched from a flip phone to Republic Wireless last month. I got a Moto G ($149) and pay $25/month for talk/text/data. As others have said, you can get talk/text/wifi only for $10/month. So far I am delighted with both the service and my phone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cera Posted October 26, 2014 Share Posted October 26, 2014 Definitely look around and compare plans (and don't be afraid to tell the companies you are doing so as there is often room for negotiation). I just stopped at Verizon to look at options and they offered me 4 lines (all smart phones/iphones) with unlimited talk and text plus 10g of shared data for $160 per month. Adding a non smart phone line was only $20 per month additional (each). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThisIsTheDay Posted October 26, 2014 Share Posted October 26, 2014 We pieced together plans. Four smart phones, including one iPhone, $160 total. Two phones are on Virgin, one phone on T-Mobile, and one on StraightTalk. All have unlimited everything, except one phone has just 100 minutes (because the kids don't talk on the phone). We're looking at that $100 / 4 lines T-Mobile plan though. I like the idea of having more than one carrier, in case anything happened with one (whether major equipment malfunction or natural disaster), the likelihood of another carrier working appeals to me. For that reason, I would never use the same carrier for my home internet as my phone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LibraryLover Posted October 26, 2014 Share Posted October 26, 2014 Stay away from AT & T is my #1 recommendation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pawz4me Posted October 26, 2014 Share Posted October 26, 2014 Definitely look around and compare plans (and don't be afraid to tell the companies you are doing so as there is often room for negotiation). I just stopped at Verizon to look at options and they offered me 4 lines (all smart phones/iphones) with unlimited talk and text plus 10g of shared data for $160 per month. Adding a non smart phone line was only $20 per month additional (each). That's the plan we have. We travel a lot in our RV, so having reliable coverage is a very high priority. Thus we stick with Verizon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fraidycat Posted October 26, 2014 Share Posted October 26, 2014 Stay away from AT & T is my #1 recommendation. And mine would be stay away from Sprint. :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wheres Toto Posted October 26, 2014 Share Posted October 26, 2014 You seem to be paying a lot for what you are getting. We pay $230 a month for three smart phones, each with a 3GB data plan, and two "dumb" phones, unlimited texting, unlimited calling. We're with AT&T. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amethyst Posted October 28, 2014 Author Share Posted October 28, 2014 Wow thank you all so much. These are great recommendations. Now I just have to find the time to call around and see who will give me the best deal. I've never even heard of some of these companies! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amethyst Posted October 28, 2014 Author Share Posted October 28, 2014 We have 6 devices on t-mobile for about $120. We all have unlimited everything. Are these 6 devices all smart phones? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amethyst Posted October 28, 2014 Author Share Posted October 28, 2014 Republic Wireless folks, do your phones drop calls when going from wifi to cellular (or vice versa)? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
homebody2k Posted October 28, 2014 Share Posted October 28, 2014 Republic Wireless folks, do your phones drop calls when going from wifi to cellular (or vice versa)? I've never had a call drop - I have never noticed when it switches back and forth We have 3 phones 1. Moto X (Mine) 2. Moto G (twins) $87.72 total monthly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
busymama7 Posted October 28, 2014 Share Posted October 28, 2014 A bit confused here but what if we have two older iPhones 4 and 4s that still work fine and are out of contract at Verizon. I'm sick of the high fees and almost want to give up even having a smart phone but I love having it :/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vonfirmath Posted October 28, 2014 Share Posted October 28, 2014 I was looking into this last month and decided to go with Republic Wireless. For DH I pay $10 for unlimited phone/text/unlimited wifi data. For me, I sort of need data, so $25 per month, which includes everything that DH has but has data. And you can switch plans twice a month. I did have to buy the phones. For DH I got him the Moto X, which is an economy smartphone. We just upgraded from our dumpy, dumb, hot-pink-duct-taped phones, and I believe we were the last ones in the U.S. to hold out this long. It was a toss up between Ting and Republic. What lines does Republic use? Ting uses SPrint, which does not have good coverage where I live (my sister already tried it and ended up switching away from Ting) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SparklyUnicorn Posted October 28, 2014 Share Posted October 28, 2014 Well not exactly the advice you were asking for, but "I" cannot justify the cost of such a thing. For me it would be a fancy toy. And there is nothing wrong with that, but I had to ask myself if I really want to pay that kind of money for a toy. I've already got lots of toys. I have a prepaid cell and that works out just fine as a phone. No, it's not a toy I can play with when I'm out and about, but I'm fine with my Kindle and books. I do find that I need some sort of phone sometimes when I'm out. I don't ever find I need a smartphone as a toy when I'm out and about. KWIM? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
busymama7 Posted October 28, 2014 Share Posted October 28, 2014 Well not exactly the advice you were asking for, but "I" cannot justify the cost of such a thing. For me it would be a fancy toy. And there is nothing wrong with that, but I had to ask myself if I really want to pay that kind of money for a toy. I've already got lots of toys. I have a prepaid cell and that works out just fine as a phone. No, it's not a toy I can play with when I'm out and about, but I'm fine with my Kindle and books. I do find that I need some sort of phone sometimes when I'm out. I don't ever find I need a smartphone as a toy when I'm out and about. KWIM? Maps/navigation is a huge bonus. I don't always know I will need to go somewhere before I leave home and on a trip it is amazingly helpful. I also use it for googling info and stuff while out. I don't actually "play" much on my phone but it does make my life easier. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abacus2 Posted October 28, 2014 Share Posted October 28, 2014 I recommend Page Plus cellular. You can use any phone made for Verizon contract plans. We pay only $34 including tax per smartphone for 3000 texts, 1200 minutes, and 500mgs data each month. For 4g phones you have to order a sim card, but simpler phones can be activated immediately. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JennyD Posted October 28, 2014 Share Posted October 28, 2014 Republic Wireless folks, do your phones drop calls when going from wifi to cellular (or vice versa)? I haven't had this problem, but then again I've only had the thing for about a month. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goldberry Posted October 28, 2014 Share Posted October 28, 2014 We just got smartphones. We had to switch from very pricey Verizon to T-Mobile in order to do it, though. T-Mobile is buying out one of the contracts and our plan includes unlimited talk, text, and data, although the data goes to a slower speed after a certain amount. So far so good with coverage and I love my Samsung Galaxy. We got a deal on the phones at Costco when they were having a promotion a few weeks ago. This is exactly what we did! We switched from a Verizon plan with 1 smart phone and 2 dumb phones for $160 per month, to a TMobile plan with 3 smart phones for less than $100 and no contract. We are SO HAPPY. Shop around, OP. Deals are out there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goldberry Posted October 28, 2014 Share Posted October 28, 2014 A bit confused here but what if we have two older iPhones 4 and 4s that still work fine and are out of contract at Verizon. I'm sick of the high fees and almost want to give up even having a smart phone but I love having it :/ Did you buy your phones through Verizon? I ask because most Iphones can switch carriers, but my husband's that we bought through Verizon would not. Yet another reason for me to hate Verizon besides paying an outrageously high cost because we were under contract. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SparklyUnicorn Posted October 28, 2014 Share Posted October 28, 2014 Maps/navigation is a huge bonus. I don't always know I will need to go somewhere before I leave home and on a trip it is amazingly helpful. I also use it for googling info and stuff while out. I don't actually "play" much on my phone but it does make my life easier. I have a GPS. Gift from my dad. But yes that might be useful to some people. Last weekend we brought the GPS and I thought it was cool we could find a coffee shop when we had to wait for a show to start. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
busymama7 Posted October 28, 2014 Share Posted October 28, 2014 Did you buy your phones through Verizon? I ask because most Iphones can switch carriers, but my husband's that we bought through Verizon would not. Yet another reason for me to hate Verizon besides paying an outrageously high cost because we were under contract. Yes we did. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crazyforlatin Posted October 28, 2014 Share Posted October 28, 2014 What lines does Republic use? Ting uses SPrint, which does not have good coverage where I live (my sister already tried it and ended up switching away from Ting) I corrected my initial post to say we got the cheap smartphone, Moto E, for $99. Got my letters mixed up but I definitely did NOT purchase a phone for $200+. Yes, Republic Wireless does run on Sprint's networks. It's actually a hybrid so it switches between wifi and 3G, whichever is available. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crazyforlatin Posted October 28, 2014 Share Posted October 28, 2014 I think a stand-alone GPS is better than my free Ways app on my Moto G but I'm pleased enough. Rather than using the woman robot, Samantha, I'm going to switch voices to Boy Band to lead me in the right direction :D. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StephanieF Posted October 28, 2014 Share Posted October 28, 2014 Not sure whether this happens in the US but in the UK I have 3 children and me with the same provider and so we can call each other without using up our minutes. Since my children usually only call me they only need a low number of minutes to cover their other calls. Stephanie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Okra Posted October 29, 2014 Share Posted October 29, 2014 I just bought a GoPhone at AT & T. It was a Nokia Lumina 625 (maybe?). It is a smart phone, has Cortana, and is very nice. They have many different packages, but they really push the data package. I did not buy the data package. I just went with the 10 cents a minute plan, and put $100 dollars on it that will last a year, or until you use it all up. To do this, I had to have the AT&T guy set it up at the store and put only the 10 cents a minute plan on the phone. I was not able to do it at home. I love this phone! It has great Wifi! The Wifi works great. There are so many Wifi places around these days, they are becoming more and more common. I am not at all worried about the times when I cannot connect. I am not a person that has to have internet at all time. If I need Google Maps, I can pull into a Starbucks parking lot and use it. For the price of $100 a year, this is a really great deal for us. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarinesWife Posted October 30, 2014 Share Posted October 30, 2014 Are these 6 devices all smart phones? Yes. I don't have a bill in front of me but it something like $50 for the first two then $10 for each device plus taxes. This was the plan a little over a year ago but I thought I saw an ad recently that was the same. We've been with t mobile for 12 years and they have consistently given us great plans over the other providers. Plus longevity has given us many free phones/discounts Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarinesWife Posted October 30, 2014 Share Posted October 30, 2014 Right from their website. $100 for 4 phones plus $10 for each additional Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amethyst Posted October 31, 2014 Author Share Posted October 31, 2014 Republic Wireless question again. I just checked their map again of what kind of coverage is where. I had previously checked and there is cell 4G coverage where I live, but today I thought to check where I work (which is out in rural America) and that area has "cell 3G coverage including roaming partner" but is uncomfortably close to "voice roaming area". Will this be a problem do you think? I would only buy a 3G phone. And I suppose right now with Verizon there are certain areas that when I'm driving through, I get dropped calls. I guess it would probably be no different. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arcadia Posted October 31, 2014 Share Posted October 31, 2014 I just bought a GoPhone at AT & T. It was a Nokia Lumina 625 (maybe?). ... If I need Google Maps, I can pull into a Starbucks parking lot and use it. Hubby has a Nokia Lumia on an ancient AT&T prepaid plan. The Lumia has a GPS map thing that does not need wifi if you just want to know where you are. If you want to use the Lumia for driving instructions, you would need to stop somewhere with wifi to get the route. McDonalds, Peets Coffee, Burger King, REI all have free wifi here. If you have home internet, there may be free hotspots too. I have comcast for home and xfinitywifi is included so I could Skype my hubby while at a park using xfinitywifi hotspot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arcadia Posted October 31, 2014 Share Posted October 31, 2014 A bit confused here but what if we have two older iPhones 4 and 4s that still work fine and are out of contract at Verizon. Once your phones are out of contract, the carrier would have to unlock your phones if requested. Our phones are with AT&T and we have them unlocked so we can put other carrier SIMs in when overseas. It took 3 days for AT&T to unlock our phones. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wendy not in HI Posted October 31, 2014 Share Posted October 31, 2014 A bit confused here but what if we have two older iPhones 4 and 4s that still work fine and are out of contract at Verizon. I'm sick of the high fees and almost want to give up even having a smart phone but I love having it :/ I have an older verizon iphone - I think it is a 4. I've had it for more than 3 years, and it is still working great. About a year ago, I got away from Verizon and started using Kitty wireless/Page Plus Cellular for my phone. I am using a $29 monthly contract that ends up being about $35 a month for more data than I need and plenty of phone/text. Before this, we were spending over $200 a month for 1 smart phone and 2 dumb phones. I have no idea why it was so high. Now we have 3 smart phone for less than $100 a month - total. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amethyst Posted November 1, 2014 Author Share Posted November 1, 2014 We switched to Republic Wireless a few months ago. It is less than $40 a month (with taxes) for three smart phones with unlimited talk and text with unlimited data over wifi. We did have to buy the phones from them but I believe they have a new phone for $99 now. We have been really happy so far. About this bolded part...I've been leaning towards 3G, but maybe that's overkill. How often do you find that you need data and can't get it? I have wifi at home and work. If I"m driving I won't be using data obviously,but I suppose if I"m in the car and someone else is driving that could be a problem, but I can't imagine it would happpen often. How often do find yourself wishing you had 3G instead? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chocolatechip Posted November 1, 2014 Share Posted November 1, 2014 Honestly, the only thing I use data for that I couldn't necessarily do on wifi is navigation and iMessage when I'm out of wifi. So that part is valuable if you think you might want/need it. I am on Ting with an iPhone. We have 2 phones on the plan and try to use less than 100MB/month collectively to hold the cost down. Since the data is there I often find myself using it for other stuff, but it's not really anything I NEED, kwim? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crazyforlatin Posted November 1, 2014 Share Posted November 1, 2014 I definitely like having GPS, but this decision took years to make. I'm a weirdo that way - couldn't and wouldn't cut ties to my dumb phone. I do have an iPad which I usually use when there is wifi. But I need to check email for work, and there have been times when I would be stuck at a place with no wifi and feeling anxious. I have driven to various places like McDonald's and sit in the parking lot. Money for a data plan is still money you could use somewhere else (which is why I took so long), so I would just suggest observing when you really need data when there is no wifi around. For DH, there hasn't been a good enough reason to upgrade to the data plan since he's usually at the office. The good thing with RW is that you do get to switch back to the $10 plan, but of course you are stuck with a Moto phone, android, which I find less intuitive than an i-Pad. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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