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T-Mobile announces Unlimited Nationwide 4G Data Plan

by Joni Blecher Follow me on Twitter    |    Wednesday, August 22, 2012 (permalink)
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Following the MetroPCS announcement of offering an unlimited data plan for a limited time, T-Mobile added to the buzz and announced a 4G unlimited data plan. Although, the plan won’t be available until early next month we do have information on the details. The Unlimited Nationwide 4G data plan will cost $20 a month when added to a Value voice and text plan. If you have a Classic voice and text plan and want to add the Unlimited Nationwide 4G data option it will cost $30 a month. If you’re an existing T-Mobile customer and want access to this plan just upgrade your service and add it.

Verizon’s New Share Everything Plans: What you need to know

by Joni Blecher Follow me on Twitter    |    Thursday, June 28, 2012 (permalink)
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Update: Verizon's New Share Everything plans are now available. Interest in making the switch? Here are more plan details.

This month Verizon announced a new type of plan that’s all about sharing the data. The new plans are called “Share Everything Plans” and up to 10 Verizon Wireless devices can be on the plan. That includes tablets, smartphones, Jetpack mobile hotspots, basic phones, and netbooks/notebooks. The idea is simple: Pay a monthly fee for each device on a plan and then an additional fee for the amount of data (1GB, 2GB, etc.) those devices will share a month.

The plans also include unlimited voice minutes, unlimited text, video and picture messaging for all devices on the Share Everything Plan. Plus the Mobile HotSpot feature, which is an additional fee to activate on other plans, is included as well. Just be aware that the data used with the Mobile HotSpot feature will come out of the shared data pool. If this is a feature that will be used a lot, keep that in mind when selecting a data option. Here’s the breakdown of the cost of each device on the plan:

Smartphones - $40
Basic Phone - $30
Jetpacks/USBs/Notebooks/Netbooks - $20
Tablets - $10

Here’s what data will cost:

1GB - $50
2GB - $60
4GB - $70
6GB - $80
8GB - $90
10GB - $100

To get an idea of what the monthly fee looks like, here’s an example:

2 Smartphones ($80) + 1 Tablet ($10) + 2GB of data to be shared ($60) = $150

For $150 (before monthly fees) service includes unlimited text, calls, and picture messaging, with the ability to use the Mobile HotSpot feature, and 2GB of data to be shared among all devices. Is it a great deal? It really depends on how much data you use monthly and that can be found out by looking at the monthly bill. Plus, Verizon includes a data usage meter on its devices that’s worth checking out to see how much data is actually being used by each individual device on the plan. For even more help check out this tool from Verizon.

The plans will be available on June 28th; however, there’s no requirement to switch from a family plan to a Share Everything Plan. There are no additional fees to switch to the new plan and switching also won’t extend an existing contract.

Samsung Galaxy S III coming to all the major carriers

by Joni Blecher Follow me on Twitter    |    Monday, June 04, 2012 (permalink)
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Last month in London, Samsung unveiled the latest model in its Galaxy line of products. Today, word is out on when we can expect to see it in the states and which service providers will be offering it. All the major carriers will be offering the latest Android 4.0 smartphone. That includes T-Mobile, Verizon Wireless, Sprint, and AT&T. Not all carriers are mentioning an availability date, but Sprint and T-Mobile say it will be available later this month.

The Galaxy S III will sport a Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 1.5GHz dual-core processor, 2GB of internal RAM, and work on 4G networks so it should offer a speedy user experience. The phone will be a bit large with a 4.8-inch Super AMOLED touchscreen display covered with Gorilla Glass 2.0 that will help protect the phone from the elements and accidents that can happen in everyday use. As expected, the phone will sport a 1.9-megapixel front-facing camera and an 8-megapixel rear-facing camera that can record 1080p HD video. It will include quite a few photo features such as Burst Shot for capturing three images in a row with no shutter lag time. The phone will be available in White or Blue with either 16GB or 32GB of internal memory, and it can accept a microSD card for more storage space.

T-Mobile unveils new 4G data plans – no contract required

by Joni Blecher Follow me on Twitter    |    Thursday, May 17, 2012 (permalink)
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The latest 4G data plans from T-Mobile give users the opportunity to pick an option that fits their needs. The plans are can be purchased by the week or by data amount and none of them require a contract. Here’s an overview of the plans that will be available starting on May, 20th:

• 300MB 1-week pass for $15
• 1.5GB 1-month pass for $25
• 3.5GB 1-month pass for $35
• 5GB 1-month pass for $50

The plans are available for use with tablets, mobile hotspots, and laptop sticks from T-Mobile.

Verizon has new prepaid plans

by Joni Blecher Follow me on Twitter    |    Tuesday, May 01, 2012 (permalink)
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As more smartphones are becoming available with prepaid plans, we’re beginning to see more plan options. Case in point is Verizon’s latest prepaid plan offer that includes unlimited talk and text, plus 1GB of data for use with a smartphone. The plan costs $80 a month and will be available for with smartphones like the Samsung Illusion, which runs Android 2.3 and sports a 1GHz processor.

Also of note are the new prepaid data plans for MiFi devices, such as the Verizon Jetpack, a mobile 4G LTE hotspot. There are three prepaid options: $15 for 250 MB of data weekly, $60 for 3 GB of data monthly, or $90 for 10 GB of data monthly.

Cell phone theft prevention plan in the works

by Joni Blecher Follow me on Twitter    |    Tuesday, April 10, 2012 (permalink)
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Cell phone theft is becoming more and more prevalent and to help combat the issue Verizon, AT&T, Sprint, and T-Mobile have teamed up with the FCC to create a database to help block a stolen phone from being used. Within the next six months the carriers will develop individual databases of phone IDs, which will be merged to form a national database within 18 months. The idea behind the database is that when a phone is stolen with a registered ID, if someone tries to use it or activate it on another carrier it won’t work. When a cell phone is reported stolen to the carrier they can then disable the phone so it can’t be used.

Verizon’s new tools help customers manage usage

by Joni Blecher Follow me on Twitter    |    Thursday, February 09, 2012 (permalink)
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Smartphones can do a lot these days. For example, searching Google for a nearby restaurant, streaming movies, sending/receiving e-mails, and even streaming music all require a data connection if you’re not using WiFi. Each of those tasks requires various amounts of data and going over the allotted amount of monthly data can be costly. In addition to that type of usage, there are also texting (it can be a costly endeavor without an unlimited data plan) and voice calls.

Verizon has come up with a way to help customers better manage usage. The company’s new controls, which are available to Verizon customers on the My Verizon portal includes features like receiving text message alerts when a monthly usage allotment is getting close to being met (this can be used for voice calls, text messaging, and content purchases), or parents can set time restrictions on when the phone can be used. The service costs a monthly fee of $4.99 per line.

Verizon cell phones that don't require a data plan

by Joni Blecher Follow me on Twitter    |    Thursday, December 22, 2011 (permalink)
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Looking for a new Verizon cell phone, but aren't really interested in getting one that requires a data plan? We can help. We've compiled a list of all Verizon cell phones currently available that don't require a data plan.

If you want a phone that can make calls, take pictures, play music, and send texts check out the models listed below. If you want to send texts, you'll need to include that option when you select a plan. Verizon offers messaging in many of the company's Talk and Text plans. You'll find many of these phones are good starter models for tweens and teens. In particular, the LG Cosmos Touch is a touchscreen phone that has lots of functionality and expandable memory. This makes it an ideal choice for people who want to do more with a cell phone, but aren't quite ready for a smartphone.

• Casio G'zOne Ravine
• Casio G'zOne Ravine 2
• LG Cosmos 2
• LG Cosmos Touch
• LG Octane
• LG Revere
• Pantech Hotshot
• Pantech Jest 2
• Samsung Convoy
• Samsung Gusto
• Samsung Intensity II

T-Mobile phones that don't require a data plan

by Joni Blecher Follow me on Twitter    |    Wednesday, December 21, 2011 (permalink)
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Interested in getting a new T-Mobile cell phone, but don't want the added cost of a monthly data plan fee? No worries, we've compiled a list of phones that don't require a data plan. There are still a few cell phones that are ideal for people who like to text, snap a few pictures, and have a conversation or two available at T-Mobile. In particular, the Samsung Gravity 3 even sports a slide-out tactile QWERTY keyboard, which makes texting on-the-go a breeze.

• Samsung Gravity 3
• Samsung Gravity TXT
• Samsung t139

Are you interested in a more basic cell phone? Let us know by leaving a comment below.

Sprint cell phones that don't need a monthly data plan

by Joni Blecher Follow me on Twitter    |    Monday, December 19, 2011 (permalink)
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Getting a data plan with a cell phone has become more of a requirement this past year. It makes sense since many of the feature-rich and smartphones are built around web-based connectivity including access to social media apps such as Facebook and viewing videos on YouTube. That said there are still plenty of people who just want a phone that can make calls, take pictures, and send texts. It's true that If you want to send texts, you'll need to include that option when you select a plan. Sprint offers messaging in many of the company's Sprint Talk plans. In light of that, here's a list of cell phones from Sprint that don't require a data plan. You'll find these phones tend to be more compact and some such as the Kyocera Brio and the eco-friendly Samsung Replenish even sport a tactile QWERTY keyboard.

• Kyocera Brio
• Kyocera DuraCore
• Kyocera DuraMax
• LG Rumor Touch
• Samsung Replenish
• Samsung Trender
• Sanyo Taho by Kyocera  

Are you interested in a more basic cell phone? Let us know by leaving a comment below.

Open enrollment for Sprint Total Equipment Protection plan

by Joni Blecher Follow me on Twitter    |    Monday, August 01, 2011 (permalink)
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Starting today through the end of August, customers who didn’t sign up for Sprint’s Total Equipment Protection program can do so now. Typically, if you want protection for your Sprint phone you need to sign up for the service at the time of purchase. The service costs $8 a month for each line of service. There’s a $50 or $100 (depending on the type of phone) non-refundable deductible for lost, stolen, or damage phones. The plan includes the following features:

• Service and Repair available at one of Sprint’s 1300 service and repair locations
• No additional repair costs for in-store services
• Next business day replacements for loss, stolen or damaged claims
• Ability to file claims online with email notification of claim and shipment status
• Extended customer service hours
• The Protection App which allows eligible devices the ability to remotely locate lost devices, erase, backup, manage and restore contacts

Should you sign up for the additional coverage? People have all sorts of opinion on this type of service. The best way to decide is to think about how you personally use your phone. For example, do you tend to drop it a lot or does it get tossed around in a bag? Maybe you have kids that you lend the phone to so they can play games. If you answer yes to those questions then you should probably get it. However, if you tend to be more careful with your phone and know where it is at all times, you’re probably fine without it.