Best pay as you go smartphone plans

[JB2K]

Looking for a plan for occasional use for data while traveling. Talking and texting are not an issue, I will have my old non-smartphone for that.

What I hope to get is a plan that only charges for actual use, not a monthly fee or GBs that expire in a short period of time since I will be using it a week at a time every few months or so, or have it in the glove box of the car for occasional use. I don't mind buying a block of data in advance. I realize I can get data and a free smart phone with my current carrier, but I don't want to spend $30 a month and have a 2 year contract.
I realize I will have to buy a basic smartphone, those seem to start at $50 and go to $600 plus if you want a top of the line iphone.
Any suggestions?

Tracfone is now in the "pay as you go" smartphone game with Android smartphones from Samsung, LG, etc.

And depending on how much you use the phone, you could pay as little as 7 bucks a month -- plus, Tracfone uses the always-reliable Verizon national network for their new Android phones, which makes this a no-brainer for pay-as-you-go.

Since their Androids are powered by Verizon, you won't experience any SIM card problems as the previous poster did...

 

[crazelion]

Please be aware of Tracfone. I got mine all hooked back up for a Vegas trip and when we got there I could not use it. The rep said I had to get a new sim card and phone number. I will not be using them again.

I well aware that Verizon is CMDA. They do not use a sim card at all. Only two companies in the USA that use GSM sim cards is T-Mobile and A&TT .

Also good board to check is about phones is howardforums has a lot good information too.

 

[crazelion]

Also check out new Tracfone new value plans too on there website.

 

[Lewisc]

Tracfone haS Smartphones now and get data, voice, data triples minutes for life. Example 60 minute card gets 120 talk, 120 texts and 120 mb data . i think for 19.95 and expires in three months. My kids is on that plan. You get phones for under 100 bucks and runs off Verizon towers.

Please be aware of Tracfone. I got mine all hooked back up for a Vegas trip and when we got there I could not use it. The rep said I had to get a new sim card and phone number. I will not be using them again.

I well aware that Verizon is CMDA. They do not use a sim card at all. Only two companies in the USA that use GSM sim cards is T-Mobile and A&TT .

Also good board to check is about phones is howardforums has a lot good information too.

Tracfone offers phones/plans which use all 4 networks. Your zip code determines which carrier(s) offer reasonable service in your area. You are then offered phones which work with that carrier.

Verizon uses SIM cards in the current iPhones. Customers with (real) Verizon service have roaming (GSM) coverage in other countries without needing an additional SIM card.

While it's true only two companies in the US use GSM it is also true only two companies in the US use CDMA (Verizon and Sprint)