Smartphone through Walmarts StraightTalk ?

[eeyoresmom]

My contract with Verizon wireless is almost up and I want to go to a prepaid plan. I believe I can get the iPhone with ST, BUT.....does anyone know if there are additional charges for national calls? I travel within the US several times a year and want to know my options. TIA

 

[okeydokey]

I am curious too. Our Verizon is up this year and we are considering switching to Straight Talk. They use the same Verizon Network.

 

[wiigirl]

I beleive if you are in the US and within the Verizon network you should be good.

 

[cookingqueen]

I have used Straight Talk for over a year and have had no problems with it! I have traveled quite a bit and it has worked everywhere I have gone (East Coast). I purchase the $45 a month plan and that includes all talk, text and data for the month anywhere in the US. I have the Samsung phone, but a friend just got the iPhone and really likes it.

 

[eeyoresmom]

I am curious too. Our Verizon is up this year and we are considering switching to Straight Talk. They use the same Verizon Network.

From what I remember when we got my son's phone last fall, not all StraightTalk phones run on Verizon. That is another thing I have to find out, if I can get an iPhone with the Verizon network through StraightTalk.

 

[okeydokey]

I have used Straight Talk for over a year and have had no problems with it! I have traveled quite a bit and it has worked everywhere I have gone (East Coast). I purchase the $45 a month plan and that includes all talk, text and data for the month anywhere in the US. I have the Samsung phone, but a friend just got the iPhone and really likes it.

Is that 45 including taxes or fees?

 

[Brer Shay]

With an iPhone, you have to get the unlimited plan and you can make calls to/from anywhere within the US. StraightTalk actually uses a variety of networks depending on location. You can tell which network the phone will be on if you look on the box. I can't remember if it's part of the model number or serial number, but you'll find one of the following codes and it tells you which network will service the phone. AT&T (GSM-A), T-Mobile (GSM-T), VZW (CDMA-V), and Sprint (CDMA-S)

 

[eeyoresmom]

With an iPhone, you have to get the unlimited plan and you can make calls to/from anywhere within the US. StraightTalk actually uses a variety of networks depending on location. You can tell which network the phone will be on if you look on the box. I can't remember if it's part of the model number or serial number, but you'll find one of the following codes and it tells you which network will service the phone. AT&T (GSM-A), T-Mobile (GSM-T), VZW (CDMA-V), and Sprint (CDMA-S)

Great to know thank you!

 

[DawnM]

I have Straight Talk. I use it with an ATT compatible SIM card though so through ATT towers.

It is $45 plus whatever local taxes Walmart will charge (9% or so here.) But it won't have the kind of taxes and fees a post paid cell phone company will have.

I am currently using an unlocked ATT iphone 4 on it.

No extra charges for making calls from anywhere in the US.

Dawn

 

[JB2K]

The Straight Talk iPhones operate exclusively on Verizon's national network meaning you will get nationwide coverage anywhere there are Verizon towers (which is pretty much everywhere in the U.S. except for "large sections" of KY, OK, and WI) for only a LOW $45 a month.

Can't beat that kind of price anywhere...

 

[S. C.]

www.howardforums.com top of page click on forums to find out about all cell phones and providers.

 

[dansamy]

Is that 45 including taxes or fees?

The total I pay through Straight Talk website is about $49.

 

[jenflamingo1]

Mine is 49.xx ( and change - just can't recall exactly ) .Samsung Galaxy S2. Works fine for me . Unlimited talk and text and data .

 

[theparsons]

We've been thinking about this too.....but I'm a little worried about the bad reviews online that talk about "unlimited" data is not unlimited. Most of the reviews talk about 2GB being the threshold and after you reach that your data use is throttled to the point of being unusable.

I don't regularly use much more than 1gb a month, but when we travel I use my phone for internet on my laptop....and it can go closer to 3gb or more. I currently have a grandfathered Verizon so I have the old unlimited data so I worry about leaving Verizon, finding that Straight Talk throttles my vacation use and I can't even go back to Verizon because now they don't have unlimited.


Anyone out there have high data use with Straight Talk?

 

[DawnM]

I have an ATT phone and an ATT SIM with ST. They no longer sell the ATT SIMs but they do sell T-mobile SIMs that work in unlocked ATT phones.

The Straight Talk iPhones operate exclusively on Verizon's national network meaning you will get nationwide coverage anywhere there are Verizon towers (which is pretty much everywhere in the U.S. except for "large sections" of KY, OK, and WI) for only a LOW $45 a month.

Can't beat that kind of price anywhere...

 

[snarlingcoyote]

We've been thinking about this too.....but I'm a little worried about the bad reviews online that talk about "unlimited" data is not unlimited. Most of the reviews talk about 2GB being the threshold and after you reach that your data use is throttled to the point of being unusable.

I don't regularly use much more than 1gb a month, but when we travel I use my phone for internet on my laptop....and it can go closer to 3gb or more. I currently have a grandfathered Verizon so I have the old unlimited data so I worry about leaving Verizon, finding that Straight Talk throttles my vacation use and I can't even go back to Verizon because now they don't have unlimited.


Anyone out there have high data use with Straight Talk?

I feel your pain. This is what has me locked into my Verizon account.

I've been told that when you want to upgrade your phone, you will have to buy a phone outright and then insert your own SIM card, because Verizon will MAKE your change your contract to a limited data plan if you get a new phone at the discounted prices through their contract plan.

 

[BadgerGirl84]

DH and I both have StraightTalk SIM cards. We did not buy our phones through WalMart. Husband got some Samsung Google phone from I don't know where, and I got a used iPhone (unlocked AT&T compatible) on eBay.

$45/mo each...much cheaper than what we were paying for Sprint. No issues with our service and we love that we are not tied to a contract. I will probably switch to their non-SmartPhone SIM card and get a cheapie phone on eBay once I stop working at the end of next month...so again, love not being tied to a contract.

 

[cookingqueen]

I just pay $45 a month plus my state sales tax when I bought the card every month- I now switched over to automated payments every month, much better for me so that I don't have to go to walmart and get a card every month and they give me a $2.50 discount per month for doing this... great deal!
Another thing to think about is that you can purchase the phone and card and try the phone out - I think the return policy on opened phones was 15 days (but check!) and then you can see if it works for you! You will be out the $45 for the month of service, but its a great way to see if the phone/service/reception etc will fit your needs.

 

[Gina]

We've been thinking about this too.....but I'm a little worried about the bad reviews online that talk about "unlimited" data is not unlimited. Most of the reviews talk about 2GB being the threshold and after you reach that your data use is throttled to the point of being unusable.

I don't regularly use much more than 1gb a month, but when we travel I use my phone for internet on my laptop....and it can go closer to 3gb or more. I currently have a grandfathered Verizon so I have the old unlimited data so I worry about leaving Verizon, finding that Straight Talk throttles my vacation use and I can't even go back to Verizon because now they don't have unlimited.

That has been holding me back from StraightTalk as well. 2GB is not much nowadays! Just the Pandora streaming I do in the car would eat that up quickly. I'm on an old grandfathered T-Mobile plan that I'm paying close to $70 a month for with taxes and fees and whatnot, but my data is truly unlimited. It would make me nuts to be throttled.

 

[DawnM]

One more thought......

If you wait until June 15th, ATT is rumored to be coming out with a new pay as you go plan. It will be a little more $$ but will offer higher speeds and unlimited.

Right now ST only offered 3g speeds, so if you use data a lot or want faster speeds that might be an issue for you.

http://www.fiercewireless.com/story...d-service-under-aio-wireless-brand/2013-05-09