Experience with Walmart Straight Talk & Iphones?

[GaryDis]

It's an Android approach but Google is cross platform so there isn't much reason it can't be both. iCloud you have to pay for while Google services are free. When I got my iPhone I simply logged into Google and it asked if I wanted to sync contacts and there are apps straight from Google on ios that rival even their Android counterpart. Either way if he/she is that concerned with losing them then they should find a way to back that up somehow.

I get that there's a difference in pricing structure, but it would take an insane number of contacts to exhaust the free iCloud storage. The only time I ever ran out of free space was when I made the mistake of enabling the iCloud photo library. So I've never paid for iCloud. But I understand why you and many others would choose Google.

Though maybe I'm wrong; I keep my contact list trimmed down more than many people.

 

[neatokimmo]

I'm not sure! I thought it was all on my SIM. I don't pay extra for icloud storage and I have a lot on my phone. I guess mainly my notes apps that I have tons of lists on and phone numbers. most of my photos are backup to shutterfly.

Am I confused? LOL

The primary function of the sim is to connect your phone to the proper network/tower. It keeps track of your account details too. Phone numbers and notes take up a tiny piece of your cloud. Pictures and books take up tons (used mine up in a month oops).

 

[neatokimmo]

https://www.straighttalk.com/wps/portal/home/h/a/options/byop/?#KNOWCARRIER

This is the link to check if you are compatible. If you are, then google:

SIM card needed for "X" phone on "current" network.
Then
SIM card needed for "X" phone on straightalk network.

We had some phones where we had to buy a new sim for $10-15. Then we had a couple of old phones that worked as is. You might luck out.

 

[Jonny_Duck]

I get that there's a difference in pricing structure, but it would take an insane number of contacts to exhaust the free iCloud storage. The only time I ever ran out of free space was when I made the mistake of enabling the iCloud photo library. So I've never paid for iCloud. But I understand why you and many others would choose Google.

Though maybe I'm wrong; I keep my contact list trimmed down more than many people.

I have almost no contacts as well and have only had the iPhone for a month so don't know all the ins and outs yet. But I do know if I were concerned about keeping something then I would likely have them backed up multiple ways. It's probably a good policy to back it up anywhere you can in case something happens to one service.

 

[simonsayz]

i use google to sync my contacts. I am paying $49.77 (with tax) a month for unlimited everything. iCloud isn't that expensive. I am paying 99cents a month for 20GB of cloud storage.

 

[havaneselover]

I've had straight talk since January 2012. Service is great. I pay annually to save money. I brought my own iPhone (initially a 4 but upgraded to a 6 about a year ago). Can't imagine not using a prepaid plan although I would consider boost, ting, cricket, and virgin as well.

 

[Ngwira]

Please explain.... the $45 cards are what you load onto your card each month?? I am not a customer yet, but we are tired of paying $329 per month for 4 phones with AT&T and I am going to be the guinea pig and plan to try ST this month on my own to see how it works in our area. So the way you pay $22.50 per month because you get the cards a year at a time, right? So do you need one card per person, per month? I'm a little lost. LOL

What johnnyduck said, but they have done the promo for the past 2 years now...

 

[GaryDis]

For what it's worth, I've been very happy with my current Trac service, with an iPhone 5 bought unlocked. I'm usually within range of wifi, so I needed something that was very cheap, with carryover and no fixed monthly charges. Their BYOP smartphone plan about $90/year for me: $50 for a year of account time, $20 for 2GB data, and $20 for startup amount of phone and text. I blew an extra $20 before I understood both the data-only option and the account-time only option, and I forget what I paid for the sim, if anything.

DH is hard of hearing so I rarely need voice, iMessage uses wifi whenever possible, so my plan usage is Google maps for directions, occasional browsing outside of wifi range, and texting over data, also out of wifi range. I only give out my Google voice number, which forwards to both landline and cell. So when I'm home, I take voice calls on the landline and don't use any cell voice minutes.

Finally, http://howardforums.com is my go to place for everything cellular.

 

[Maddie2]

We have straight talk iPhones and have had no problems. We actually pay $22.50 a month for unlimited. Straight talk has run a promo for the past two years where you bogo the $45 cards. We buy a years worth to take advantage. It normally runs in December.

I did end up going with a Straight Talk iphone and love it! You mentioned that the sale you found has happened in December the past couple of years. Have you found it this year? Or, any other discounts? Would love to stock up on cards this way!

 

[Maddie2]

For what it's worth, I've been very happy with my current Trac service, with an iPhone 5 bought unlocked. I'm usually within range of wifi, so I needed something that was very cheap, with carryover and no fixed monthly charges. Their BYOP smartphone plan about $90/year for me: $50 for a year of account time, $20 for 2GB data, and $20 for startup amount of phone and text. I blew an extra $20 before I understood both the data-only option and the account-time only option, and I forget what I paid for the sim, if anything.

DH is hard of hearing so I rarely need voice, iMessage uses wifi whenever possible, so my plan usage is Google maps for directions, occasional browsing outside of wifi range, and texting over data, also out of wifi range. I only give out my Google voice number, which forwards to both landline and cell. So when I'm home, I take voice calls on the landline and don't use any cell voice minutes.

Finally, http://howardforums.com is my go to place for everything cellular.

Wow! This is a spectacular deal! I do use the phone quite a bit, so need this. One of my kids has a non-smartphone Tracfone that he uses infrequently for calls and then he also has an ipod and he uses this to iMessage or Facetime with me for free. He lives on a campus with wifi everywhere, so no expense to him at all (or should we just say it is "included" in tuition, which is definitely *not* free!).

 

[Ngwira]

I did end up going with a Straight Talk iphone and love it! You mentioned that the sale you found has happened in December the past couple of years. Have you found it this year? Or, any other discounts? Would love to stock up on cards this way!

They ran two deals last month..one on Black Friday and one on cyber Monday. We got 7 $45 plans for $233. Not as good as last years plan, but better than paying full price. It came out to $33 a plan.

 

[Maddie2]

They ran two deals last month..one on Black Friday and one on cyber Monday. We got 7 $45 plans for $233. Not as good as last years plan, but better than paying full price. It came out to $33 a plan.

Oh, no, I missed it! Where did you see this sale? Just in case they run it again, I don't want to miss it. TIA.

 

[Ngwira]

It was on their website. I would sign up for slckdeals.net alerts for straight talk.

 

[disneychrista]

I had Straight Talk for about a year before, I was put on my works company plan, I had no issues with it. I do NOT use a lot of data so no experience in throttling etc.

Question- does anyone know when ST will have the iPhone 7's? My daughter is anxiously awaiting them, as her (well my old) iPhone 5 battery doesn't hold a charge more than 30 minutes anymore.

 

[sweetpeama]

I started out with an older style LG phone that ran on CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access) and loved the coverage I got did not love that the phone had no storage space due to how old it was. Had that phone for close to 2.5 years.
Switched about a year ago to a phone with more storage for apps, photos, ect which ended up being a GSM (Global Systems for Mobiles) style phone.
The Straight talk website is not easy enough to tell but from what I am seeing if it has see coverage area for this phone it is a GSM phone which uses AT&T towers though in some area this will be T Mobile. If it does not it is CDMA which are Sprint, Verizon, U.S. Cellular. CDMA phones are harder to port due to their locked style as the sim card is not to store the phone number but to run the LTE network for data if I am understanding the research correctly. I did not try to port my old AT&T phone over as due to it's age I could not plus the cost of the kit it was a savings to get the phone and the plan especially with going with a cheap phone that did not have all the features I wanted and saving part of the money I was saving on my phone bill towards a new phone which thanks the leftovers the week after Thanksgiving I got on a Black Friday Special. I wanted the Verizon coverage phone that was exactly the same but it was sold out.
While both CDMA and GSM phones work in my area ( due to having only 2 major networks here except in areas where they can not get any coverage due to the layout of the land they are both adding a ton of towers especially in the more populated areas where they are going to have more customers). I know that if I am driving I-90 coming into Montana from the Wyoming boarder that I am going to have spotty and very limited ( if you are on top of the hill and it is a clear day with the planets lined up just right) coverage between there and Grass Range. Surprisingly I had good coverage through the Black Hills even though it is a mountainous area and most of the towns are sparsely populated. I am thinking the SD Government has provided some initiatives for companies to put up towers in the area so tourists from other parts of the country can use their phones.
My local Walmart used to have maps for each phone but due to people wanting mainly CDMA phones in my area they have been pulled so you have to know what employees have been there a while and will let their favorite customers know which phones are on which systems. Yes I have my people.

 

[havaneselover]

I had Straight Talk for about a year before, I was put on my works company plan, I had no issues with it. I do NOT use a lot of data so no experience in throttling etc.

Question- does anyone know when ST will have the iPhone 7's? My daughter is anxiously awaiting them, as her (well my old) iPhone 5 battery doesn't hold a charge more than 30 minutes anymore.

Not sure but is there a reason to get it from ST instead of just buying an unlocked one from Apple?

 

[robinb]

I just moved from Boost Mobile (Sprint) on my DD's phone and Cricket (AT&T) on my phone to Total Wireless. TW is a Verizon NVNO under the Straight Talk umbrella. I hate Wal*Mart, but plugged my nose and signed up for ST. I'm paying $60 per month (plus about $5 in taxes) for two iPhones with unlimited talk and text and 8GB shared data. I can but 3 GB of roll over data for $10 more when my DD blows through the data. Boost was not great in our area while Cricket was. Unfortunately, I saw Cricket's throttling first hand when I was at any kind of busy event/place. My phone was completely unusable at Cubs games in Chicago while the AT&T use next to me had no problems. We'll see how TW does but so far so good!

ETA: We both bought new Verizon phones on a payment plan right before Black Friday from Best Buy and got a $200 BB gift card per phone. It cost me about $150 to active the phones and pay for 1 month worth of service. I then paid off the phones in full and transferred them to TW. My AT&T phone would not have worked on TW.

 

[Alicefan]

Here is the problem I had. I'm a hairstylist and I rely on my texts coming in on time. I was finding that I would be standing in the middle of a store and text messages from the day before with clients wanting their hair done, would come in all at once because I apparently hit a tower. I was told that my service was piggy backed onto the "real" service therefore I didn't get first priority....it was like I got the leftover service. That didn't work for me because by the time I would get my messages, they appointment they needed would be long gone.