Got this off
Slickdeals. It is called
StraightTalk and uses the Verizon network so the connection is good. You can find it at
WalMart. Looks to be a pretty good deal if you do a lot of talking or texting. May be better for providers than for hobbyists. Remember, you gotta look at all the options out there and decide what works cheapest for you. Wal-Mart is great for this because they have a large chart to compare the plans. I opted for T-Mobile with a 1000 minutes over a year for $100 because I rarely use the phone and the monthly charges would be more expensive with this one. But for those of you who text and talk a lot, give this a gander and see if it saves you a few bucks.
Key facts about Straight Talk and how it differs from Tracfone and NET10:
- The fee is $30 per month which gives you 1000 minutes, 1000 texts, 30 megabytes of data for 30 days.
- The phones are modern and not refurbished.
- There's a real web browser charging per data. Tracfone and NET10 are charged by the minute on a walled garden even worse than T-Mobile's.
- The network is Verizon Wireless or the Verizon Wireless-affiliated carrier in your area. Tracfone/NET10 are GSM (AT&T and sometimes T-Mobile).
- *Minutes, texts, and megabytes do not roll over to the next month (this is the big trick).*
The big gotcha with Straight Talk is that there is NO ROLLOVER and *NO STACKING* of prepaid cards. Here's how it works. Each time you pay $30 the counters are reset: you get 1000 minutes, 1000 texts, and 30 megabytes of data for 30 days. If your phone has 800 minutes and 800 texts but only 2 days left, you pay $30 and the counters reset to 1000 minutes, 1000 texts, and 30 days. You forfeit those 800 minutes and 800 texts you had left.
To figure if it's right for you see how many minutes and texts you use per month.
Note that Tracfone texts are 0.3 units per message and calls are 1 unit per minute while NET10 texts are 5 cents per message and calls are 10 cents per minute.
Tracfone and NET10 both rollover and stack, while Straight Talk does neither.
The way "overages" work on all three services is the same. On a voice call the connection is terminated when your minutes are used up. On a text message you receive texts but cannot actually read them; you also can compose but not send them. The phone enforces these rules in its internal software.
Verizon, Sprint, Cricket, Altel, etc. CDMA phones can NOT be activated or flashed for Straight Talk.
Available Phones:
