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Note to readers: You can also read this article at The Philadelphia Inquirer website: The Wonder of Tech in The Philadelphia Inquirer.
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Do you have iPhone dreams but not an iPhone budget?
You want an iPhone. Your kids want an iPhone. But your budget is tight. As you debate whether you can afford the new iPhone 4S, you see that the iPhone 4 is only $99 and the iPhone 3GS is free. $99 for an iPhone sounds cheap and free is even better, but before you rush out to get one, consider the cost of the plans. The iPhone has serious competition from other smartphones with plans that will make your wallet smile.
The Beyond Talk plan from Virgin Mobile is: $35/month for unlimited texts, unlimited data (connecting to the Internet without Wi-Fi) and 300 voice minutes. Beyond Talk is even cheaper than a plan with only voice minutes on other carriers.
You can save about $1000 over 2 years by getting a smartphone with the Beyond Talk plan over what other carriers charge for iPhone plans. Compare:
What Else You Should Know
- No Commitment. You donβt have to commit to a 2 year contract with Virgin Mobile to get this deal.
- Phone Choices. Virgin Mobile has a very limited selection of phones that work with this plan, but they include smartphones such as Android and BlackBerry models. You canβt use the iPhone with this plan. A new Android phone, the LG Optimus Slider, will be available from Virgin Mobile on 10/16.
- Unlimited Data and Texts. Unlimited data and texts are included with the Beyond Talk plan. Unlimited data is no longer offered as an option for AT&T and Verizon plans.
- Coverage. Virgin Mobile uses Sprint Nationwide coverage, but check the coverage map for your area at the Virgin Mobile coverage map to make sure youβll have reception in your area.
- Additional Voice Minutes. If you want more than 300 minutes of talk time, check out the 1200 minute Beyond Talk plan for $45/month.
How You Can Get This Plan
To sign up for the Beyond Talk plan and get your new phone, you can either visit the Virgin Mobile website, www.virginmobileusa.com, or head to Radio Shack and sign up there. Compare phone prices between Radio Shack and the Virgin Mobile website as prices can vary.
T-Mobile/Walmart Plan
T-Mobile announced earlier this month a plan that will be available in Walmart stores beginning October 16. The plan is $30/month and offers unlimited 4G data (though speeds are slowed after 5 GB), unlimited texts and 100 voice minutes, and does not require a commitment. Further details will be available at launch, such as which phones will be offered with this plan. If you donβt talk a lot on your phone, this might be the best plan for you.
Bottom Line
If you can’t afford an iPhone plan, don’t despair. There are Android phones available with plans cheaper than non-smartphone plans. Just be sure to Mind Your Minutes! if you choose one of these plans.
Do you want the benefits of a smartphone but aren’t willing to pay high cell phone bills? Are you tempted by a smartphone knowing that the plans can be cheaper than having a non-smartphone? Let us know in the Comments section below!
Wow, those are some crazy savings with Virgin Mobile. Are the phones more expensive with them though? I guess with the savings over two years, it doesn’t really matter though. I’m confused though, does Virgin mobile just use Sprint’s network? I have Sprint right now and get great coverage so if they’re the same then I might just have to switch.
Hi Bobby, Welcome to The Wonder of Tech! Great questions. The phone pictured above, the LG Optimus V Android phone is $129 now at Radio Shack and on Virgin Mobile’s website. The most expensive Android phone on the plan is $299. the Optimus Slider, which is on the Virgin Mobile website beginning on Sunday, October 16 and at Radio Shack at the end of the month, is $199.
Yes, Virgin Mobile uses Sprint’s network. Check the website’s coverage map to be sure you have the coverage you need.
Hey Carolyn,
Congratulations on your second published article with the Philadelphia Inquirer. Great job and I’m so very happy for you.
Now this was right up my alley. I was actually looking into the Walmart plans recently. When I first saw their advertisement it said that calling was unlimited as well as texting which is why it peaked my interest. I was interested in getting a better service plan for my Mom and I. She is very hard of hearing but can hear much better on her cell then her home phone. If I switched her to a cell only, she would need unlimited calling. That would be my main concern, her not worrying about how many minutes she’s used.
At least you’ve given me a few other things to consider now so thank you for that. You are my savior when it comes to cell phones.
Thanks Carolyn, great job!
~Adrienne
Hi Adrienne,
I have a suggestion for your mom. She should try using earbuds with her cell phone. If she uses a pair of earbuds with a microphone, she should be able to hear much better than just putting her ear up to the phone.
The earbuds also work with cordless phones so they may help her if she wants to have a landline at home.
Let me know if you want more information on earbuds with microphones..
The Walmart plan I mentioned in this article doesn’t come out until Sunday and we don’t know which phones they will have on it.
Thanks so much, Adrienne, for your visit and warm congratulations! π
Wow, you are a tech reviewer, tech blogger, and a tech support(er) too. Awesome.
More than the device, my main complain is about the Android OS itself. There are many more cheaper alternatives on Android, yet rarely a device that comes 1/10th of the experience provided by iPhone. This is my personal opinion (not driven by business, as our app is available on both platforms). Yday, my wife’s iPhone (3G) went blank (yea, there is a Black Screen of Death, and theres no app for that), and I imm’ly switched her sim card to one of the WP7 (yea, Microsoft is in me-too business) phones. After using it for few hours, she declared, its unusable. She wants an iPhone 4S π
Hi iRewardChart,
I can understand your preference for the iPhone, but there are some who can’t afford the price of the plans, or want to spend money on things other than cell phones. So if someone wants to save money, they can get the Beyond Talk plan, save money and still have a smartphone.
I have this plan for two of my three girls and am going to get a third one this month. My girls are thrilled because they have Android phones (definitely raises their “cool” factor at school) and I’m thrilled because they get unlimited texts and unlimited data in their plan for less than I would be paying for just the minutes on another plan.
iPhones are great, but the plans are expensive. Beyond Talk offers a very inexpensive alternative to the iPhone.
Your wife is absolutely brilliant. She got her iPhone 3G to die just as the iPhone 4S is launched. Oh yeah, she has good taste too! π
Thank you very much, iRewardChart, for your visit, helpful tweet and very kind comment!
Sadly, in Canada these plans don’t apply π I’m sticking with my iPhone 4 for now (just downloaded the new software yesterday) and I gave my old 3G to my daughter, whose going to use it until her existing plan expires and she can get a new phone (hopefully when the 5 is released). The best plan up North here is with Wind – unlimited EVERYTHING (data, talk, text) for only $45/month. No iPhones though. But no contracts, which is beautiful!
Hi Ruth, yes, you’re right, these deals are for the US only. But if you have your iPhones already, you couldnt use this deal anyway, unless you want to switch to Android. Are you thinking of switching to Android, Ruth?
It’s important, no matter which country you live in, to explore the different plan to find the one that’s best for you!
Thanks for stopping by and leaving your comment, Ruth!
Hi Carolyn,
Nice Analysis! Your matrix table is very attractive and will help shoppers to find information handy. ο
Yes. In this crunching economy situation we need to figure out best possible options to contain money Since crucial. For 2 years $1000 is a real saving.
My ATT IPhone 2 year contract has done by Nov2010 and I was waiting these days for IPhone5 release. Haha ο. Hopefully I will land 4s though Android dragging my mind quite long. Still in technical analysis mode.
Since I have not used Sprint and Virgin networks before, not sure about their national level coverage. Otherwise Sprint looks good.
Thanks for the post Carolyn.
Hi Manickam,
I am very curious to see which phone you get. Carriers have gaps in coverage, but you may not care about the gaps because you never travel there. It’s great now that there is competition between iPhone carriers. I think quite a few people will take advantage of Sprint’s unlimited data plan.
Yes, Virgin Mobile offers real savings over iPhone plans over two years. But you have to be sure they have a phone you want and that they have good coverage in your area. I also like that you don’t need to commit to a contract with Virgin Mobile. No two year agreement necessary.
Good luck with your decision!
Great! Thank you for putting those figures into perspective. It makes it a lot more tolerable.
Hi Ana, Welcome to The Wonder of Tech! Yes, when I drafted the chart, I was really amazed at how much the savings were over a two year period. I have three girls with two of these plans. Surprisingly, two phones for three girls didn’t work out too well (who knew?), so I am getting a third plan.
Over the course of 2 years, I will be saving around $6000 over what I would have spent on three iPhone plans.
Best of luck with your decision, Ana!
I do believe is an expensive phone for a regular customer.
Hi Radu, You’re right, the iPhone is expensive. Some people see it as cheap because the phone is free or $99, but the plans are very expensive. People should realize this before they get one.
I have an iPhone and I love it. To me the extra price is well worth the money. But I like saving money on my daughters’ phone plans with Virgin Mobile. When they pay for their own plans, they can get an iPhone. π
Carolyn, aloha. Congratulations on your 2nd published article.
As usual, what a wealth of information. Many people will be ever so much happier to learn about these options. Absolutely love what Virgin Mobile is doing in letting people have these great rates without a commitment.
Carolyn, I saw your comment up above to Adrienne re earbuds. Please do let me know which ones you recommend as a friend of mine was talking about the fact that it is getting harder and harder for her to hear.
Thanks so much for this analysis. Until next time, aloha. Janet
Hi Janet, Here is a sample pair that got good reviews from Amazon users: http://www.amazon.com/Skullcandy-Microphone-Control-Switch-S2FFCM-075/dp/B003C30Y7Q/ref=sr_1_47?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1318559648&sr=1-47
You don’t have to get these, but make sure that you get earbuds with a microphone if you are going to use them with a cell phone or cordless phone.
Earbuds block out other noise. I like the ones with the soft caps that go in the ears. The ones that come with the iPhone don’t work for me.
I hope this helps!
Carolyn, aloha. When I went over to The Philadephia Inquirer to see your article, it was missing the nice chart which makes it so easy to understand. Instead, everything was squished together & then there was a big blank space. Below is what I saw:
Virgin Mobile
AT&TVerizonSprintVoice minutes$35/300$39.99/450$39.99/450$79.99/450Unlimited textsIncluded$20$20IncludedDataUnlimited included$25/2GB$30/2GBUnlimited IncludedTwo-year cost$840.00$1799.76$2159.76$1919.76
Savings with
Virgin Mobile
N/A$959.76$1319.76$1079.76
Not very inspiring, is it?
Loved the article, Carolyn. Aloha. Janet
P.S. Also, Stumbled & G+ from TPI site. When i tweeted it from there, I added your twitter ID.
Hi Janet, Thank you very much for spreading the word about The Philadelphia Inquirer article! I really appreciate it.
Yes, the chart wasn’t showing up for a good part of the day. I was away from home and I just thought that was how it looked on my iPad, but that wasn’t the case. I got home this evening and the chart is back looking good.
The information just seems much clearer in a chart.
Thanks so much for all of your support, Janet!
I got tired of paying Verizon Wireless their usurious fees, so I switched to Virgin Mobile about a year ago. I have 4 kids with cell phones, so I was able to save quite a lot of money by switching to Virgin Mobile. I was paying significantly less for an Android phone with them than I was paying for a “dumb” phone with Verizon Wireless.
Unfortunately, earlier this year Virgin Mobile started having communications issues – about half my texts and calls weren’t getting through. Multiple calls to customer service over the next several months didn’t resolve anything. I was told there was no network problem, so I should just reset my phones. That didn’t work. Then they had me reprogram the phones.That didn’t work either. I should note that Virgin Mobile uses the Sprint network in the U.S. – they don’t have their own network.
Since I have the phones so I can reach my kids, a cheap phone that doesn’t connect isn’t worth anything. So now I’m back with Verizon Wireless, and all my texts and calls go through. But I’m absolutely paying through the nose, and that sucks.
The promise and price point of Virgin Mobile is great, but the execution leaves a lot to be desired. Their customer service absolutely sucks (there’s a better number you can call though – Google it). And Sprint’s network still sucks. Too bad, really.
Hi Tan Man, Welcome to The Wonder of Tech! I’m sorry you had problems with Virgin Mobile. I have had two plans with them, the first I got in February and the second I got in June. We are very satisfied with them. In fact, we are about to get a third one with them.
I have only called Customer Service once. I had a question about moving my daughter’s phone number over from T-Mobile. Customer Service was fast and responsive.
Again, I’m sorry you had such problems with them. I’m sure you would rather be saving a lot of money by using Virgin Mobile.
I compared plans when I was changing from a corporate Blackberry to my own. My selection was Virgin Mobile due to the benefits you described above. Service is good and I recently changed to the $45 plan.
Hi John, Welcome to The Wonder of Tech! I’m glad you’re enjoying the Virgin Mobile plan. You’re right, if people use their phones for talking quite a bit, they should spend the extra $10 and get the 1200 voice minute plan instead of the 300 voice minute plan.
I wish VM had had some decent android phones earlier this year.
Hey Matt, I am glad Virgin Mobile is expanding their line of phones that work with the Beyond Talk plan. If they ever got the iPhone, they would probably command the cell phone market in the US with these rates! π
I’ve had Virgin Mobile for many years. You need to set your expectations a little lower (in terms of customer service and power of phone hardware), but it’s really unbeatable otherwise. I rarely have to deal with customer service, and have sometimes had a positive, trouble-free experience when I have had to deal with them. But, it is true, I have sometimes had difficulty getting a correct answer to a question or carrying out a transaction or change that I wanted to carry out. And only recently with the addition of the Motorola Triumph have they even offered a phone with a 1Ghz processor. But because I have had Beyond Talk since it became available, my monthly fee, with tax, is a little over $26, which includes unlimited text, data & 300 minutes. This makes me a huge fan of VM USA. I have a Samsung Intercept which is unstable and lo-res. But it has an excellent keyboard and I can text all I want and have never had an issue with that feature. It also has all the other smartphone stuff like Wifi, Bluetooth, GPS, etc. My phone can pair with the stereo in my car and I can receive calls in my car hands free, so it really handles all the basics very affordably. My recommendation would be to lower your expectations and your costs and you’ll be happier in the end. Virgin Mobile USA Rocks.
Hi T.W.R. , Welcome to The Wonder of Tech! I think one of the many great things about the Virgin Mobile plan is that there isn’t a contract. So you don’t have to wait the better part of two years to get a new phone at a reasonable price. I’m so glad they got the Motorola Triumph and the price is very reasonable, considering you don’t have to sign a contract to get that price. The price of the iPhone 4S off contract starts at $649.
Thanks for your visit and awesome comment!
I got the LG Optimus V a few months ago when the plan was still $25 a month, and Virgin Mobile let me keep that price when the rates went up. It’s a nice, simple android phone that comes stock with Froyo, but with a custom rom like IHO, you can get cyanogen mod7 with gingerbread. No, it’s not an iphone, but it doesn’t carry the price tag of one either. If you’re looking for an entry level Android phone with a low price and no contract, this is the perfect choice.
Hi Mike, Welcome to The Wonder of Tech! We have two of the $25 dollar plans with the LG Optimus phones. I’m so glad Virgin Mobile grandfathered those plans. It is a great entry level Android phone, but I’m pleased Virgin Mobile is expanding its phone offerings.
Thanks so much for your visit and wonderful comment, Mike!
I’m often amazed how much people spend on cell phones and smart phones in particular. I hardly use mine, I was tempted the other day when I lost contact with my friend in a superstore! I’m doing panoramic photographs now, I got a free program from Microsoft research! My young friend isn’t happy, I keep doing new things and he has trouble keeping up! I had to show him how to set his camera to keep the shutter open for 5 seconds for night shots this week. Now he has to learn panoramic photography!
Hi Mike, I’m thinking the reason you’re amazed at how much people spend on smartphones is because you’re regarding them as phones instead of computing devices. I use my iPhone and Android phones to make phone calls about 1% of the time probably.
Some day you most likely will get a smartphone, the prices are bound to come down. It will be interesting to see whether your opinion of them changes then. π
Thank you so so much for this Carolyn. I have a blackberry and with all the problems, I would really love an iphone. I originally wanted an iphone before I got my blackberry and just couldn’t afford it. Been hoping they drop the price. This was very helpful. Enjoy your day. π Rochelle.
Hi Rochelle, I’m glad you found this post to be helpful. The main cost of most smartphones is the plan, not the phone. The BlackBerry outage was frustrating though if it isn’t repeated, it will soon be forgotten. But the timing could not have been worse for them!
Please keep us posted as to what you decide, Rochelle. π
Too cool for school and we can say we know you……
This is great info; saving money is always good and especially when there are similar choices available. I guess deregulation in the phone industry did help the consumer, huh?
Sorry for the delay; I was trying to spring my Guardian kid from jail yesterday. The good news is, he does get out this morning and we do have a place for him to stay.
Hey Bill, you’re right, choice is great, especially when choice saves you money. All good.
Thanks for the reminder that real life still goes on beyond the blog world and the world of tech. <3
Hi Carolyn,
I wanted to chime in and share my experience. I do a lot of driving as part of my regular job. As a result, getting the best coverage is the most important thing to me. Unfortunately that means I am stuck with Verizon Wireless even though their customer service is about as bad as a company could possibly be. (And I mean that with all sincerity!) I long for the day when coverage from anyone of the other competitors extends farther into rural New York State. Then I will be changing plans from them to any competitor.
I never really understood the Iphone Envy thing. I just got a new Droid 3. I compared it thoroughly with the Iphone prior to purchasing it and thought it was an easy decision to go with the Droid.
Hi Ted, Welcome to The Wonder of Tech! You’re absolutely correct, nothing matters as much as coverage. What good is a cell phone plan if you can’t get reception? I hope network coverage expands to Upstate New York for other carriers as well. π
Carolyn – I also read about Sprint providing an unlocked iPhone4S at the same price as other providers. This would be huge for people from other countries like me wherein i can use the phone back in India as well with any other provider.
Hi Praveen, you’re right, Sprint and Verizon are unlocking their iPhones for international travel, but you have to sign a two year contract to get the unlocked phone at those prices. Apple will be selling the iPhone 4S unlocked beginning in November without a contract, but the price of the phone is much higher.
I’m really looking forward to seeing the prices for the iPhone 4S in Norway. The prices vary a lot, depending on a lot variables right now (with the old iPhone 4). But, I’m probably going to buy one no matter how much it costs π
By the way, congratulations with another published article. Awesome!!
Hi Jens, The price of the iPhone 4S in the US is the same as the price of the iPhone 4 was. So perhaps the price of the iPhone 4S in Norway will be the same as the price of the iPhone was when it was launched. That’s my best guess. π
Luckily I don’t need to pay that much in India. cheers.
Hi ponvendham, Welcome to The Wonder of Tech! I’m glad you don’t have to pay this much in India. Unfortunately in the US there is not much competition between cell phone carriers, so our mobile phone plans are quite expensive.