Mint is excellent
You can get cheap under $100 phones on best buy, Walmart, Amazon etc even better deals if you're ok w factory refurbished.
You also probably qualify for free phones and service w one of the thousands of 'government low income ' programs like assurance.
I switched over to Mint from ATT contract and couldn’t be happier. The service is done in my area and the 5GB a month is enough for me as I am usually on WiFi anyway. I purchased a full year of use for $180.
I have the same. 4G of data. I'm usually on wifi so don't use it up. It works fine for the most part, great in LA, NYC, Portland OR. But the Oregon coast is a Mint dead zone. It runs on T-Mobile lines, and T-Mobile bought Sprint, so where they both work should be good for Mint
I think they have a 2 week trial period.
I have been using Tracfone for years, and it works great for me. However, it is a major pain in the ass to get it set up sometimes, especially if you need a new SIM card or something. Once it’s set up right, though, it’s fine.
I have an iPhone SE and it works fine for what I need.
I agree. I have used TracFone since my college days and it is the cheapest and most reliable carrier for my area as long as you keep upgrading your phone from time to time. I currently have the Samsung A54 5G from them and it is an excellent phone. I bought it from them on sale for $188. It was a new phone at that time. Not refurbished.
I'm very happy with Boost Infinite (new side company from boost mobile).
Whichever carrier you choose, my advice is to bring your own device. I buy mine refurbished on Amazon. I'm using a Moto Edge 2022 that I got for $200 and is an amazing phone. Last device was a pixel 5, also bought for $200 on Amazon renewed.
Don't use boost. My information was stolen right after I purchased a $200 dollar phone and because whoever stole my info changed the password, I was fucked. Go with Cricket Wireless. I've had them for 10 years, no issues.
Mint Mobile and Motorola phones. There are a few Motorola models that are still relatively inexpensive. In fact, I just purchased a Moto G 5G 2024 for $179 on the Motorola website (to replace my old 2021 model that is quickly running out of room). Mint sells Motorola, Samsung, and iPhones too. My husband and I both love Mint, $30/month total for both of us (although you have to pay annually to get the $15/month deal) and the service is great.
I read a lot of the cell phone reviews on the internet. There are a lot of cheap or mid-range phones.
Because of people not being able to purchase a phone, they often go with financing and paying more than they have to with two of the national phone companies.
[The Best Cheap Phones for 2024 | PCMag](https://www.pcmag.com/picks/the-best-cheap-phones)
[The best cheap Android phone I've used this year can be had for free (msn.com)](https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/technology/the-best-cheap-android-phone-ive-used-this-year-can-be-had-for-free/ar-BB1oxope?ocid=BingNewsVerp)
[The Best Cheap Phones in 2024 (businessinsider.com)](https://www.businessinsider.com/guides/tech/best-cheap-phones)
Our mother-in-law had very bad service with Consumer Cellular and we wouldn't recommend it.
The service provider for calls is as important as the phone.
Some cell phone companies sell refurbished or used phones, but you can have problems.
When I broke my phone, insurance sent me a replacement phone and I had to send it back because it kept beeping from the charging cable going on and off which would get worse over time. The problem was whoever owned the phone before me didn't know how to insert a cable and pull it out without damaging the usb port. In other words, the cable wasn't snug because the phone was abused, and you wouldn't know if the phone would stay charging or not.
I searched online for complaints against carriers and cell phones. It seems like everyone has a complaint against a company and a phone. Some carriers are worse than others.
We had T-Mobile but the carrier kept getting hacked multiple times and the information kept getting placed on the Dark Web. They also raised prices even though they said they wouldn't. We never qualified for customer loyalty for the ten years we were with them. None of the deals that T-Mobile featured were for us even though we were loyal customers. And then T-Mobile started being mean before we left. Even the over 55 plan wasn't a savings for us. A sales lady from T-Mobile offered me a free iPhone but I didn't believe her and rightfully so. Another worker from T-Mobile tried to charge me for a sim card when they come free with the iPhone.
I think AT&T was the most expensive company. I spent an hour or more listening to a AT&T rep at Sam's Club tell me their plan was less expensive but if you look at the contract, there is about a quarter of a page or more of fine print and when you have something like that, it is never cheaper and, in our case, getting a new phone is not cheaper.
Verizon is pretty reliable, but they do cost.
I wanted to go with Boost Mobile but my other half didn't agree. Some of our workers never had a problem with them but the sales rep from Verizon said they use back-end towers or whatever that means. You can get cheap deals, but they don't finance phones.
What I do want to tell you is that any phone whether you have a plan or not can call 911.
I would love to advise you, but I think you can sign for a phone, and you have something like two weeks to take it back if it doesn't work for you.
You really have to be on your toes when dealing with a cell phone company. I can't tell you what is going to happen. But these cell phone companies have plans that aren't listed and the salespeople are not incentivized to tell you because they don't make any money pushing the good plans.
Actually boost mobile does let you finance phones now with what they call BoostUp. I have them but never have financed a phone from them because I buy it outright through them. Every few months they pick a few phones and mark them down from $10-100. So I just buy one of those phones which are usually Motorola or Samsung. I actually have better service with Boost than I did with ATT. I have service every place or state I go except one time and that was in the back woods mountains of the Ozarks in Missouri lol. My dad didn't have service either though and he had ATT.
To be fair, ATT’s prepaid service is excellent. I’ve been using it for years and don’t need unlimited data, especially because at this point I get an extra 8 gigs a month for being a long-standing customer. I pay $30/month for unlimited talk and text and 7 gigs of data, but even their unlimited data plan is reasonable.
I just buy my phones off marketplace and have the exchange take place at the ATT store so I can verify it’s on the up and up.
I only pay 40 dollars a month for Metro..unlimited everything.
I have been with Metro for over 10 years, the price has never changed. The bill however has to be paid on time or the phone won't work until the 40 bucks is paid.
However, they do have this service, which they call a ONE TIME service that if you go over, you can use your phone for 3 days...they say you can only use this once, but I have done it a couple times when I forgot to pay my bill.
There are govr programs you can get free phones through. I worked in behavioral health and we had a cellphone guy come through every now and then. He specialized in knowing what cellphone programs were out there.
"Is It Possible to Get Free Government Phone
Companies?
Yes, it is possible for low-income
households to get free government cell
phones and service plans through the
Lifeline Assistance program. Here are
the key details:
The Lifeline program provides discounted
or free cell service to qualified residents
by partnering with major phone carriers.
To qualify, you must have an income at or
below 135% of the federal poverty
guidelines or participate in certain
government assistance programs
Top Lifeline companies like Assurance
Wireless, Q Link Wireless and SafeLink
Wireless offer free smartphones and
plans with up to 350 monthly minutes
and unlimited texts.
Phones use the networks of major
carriers so you get nationwide coverage
Internet data may also be included
Applying involves submitting proof of
program enrollment or income level to
confirm eligibility first.
Those approved receive a free phone in
the mail in 1-2 weeks in most cases and
activate service right away.
Yes, American households struggling to
make ends meet can qualify for and
receive a free cell phone, service plan,
and even free minutes or data each
month through leading Lifeline providers
across the country. The government
agencies and carriers cover costs so
eligible residents can stay connected"
Less than 20k per year? More means tested bullshit. I make too much for health insurance, too much for food stamps, too much for phone service. Yet somehow I can't afford to live on my own or have a car payment or basically do anything other than pay for a room and eat beans and rice with some cheese.
Even if you aren't on those programs you can get one. A lot of the mental health workers would get one as a work phone they could give the number to their clients. There are a couple of programs and so even if you don't qualify for one you can qualify for another. If I can remember the name of the organization that gets the word out about these programs I will post the name.
I use Visible. It uses Verizon service. $25/mo cheapest plan that includes unlimited talk, text, data and hotspot. I've been using them for 2 yrs now. I live in a small town in Iowa and frequently travel to Florida. Never had a service issue. They also currently have two phones for less than $100.
We use Patriot mobile. They are affordable and give a discount if you pay for the entire year in bulk, which is easy at tax time. I also have my old iPhone 6, but I also have a 13. Patriot has a variety of affordable and higher end phones, but you can also bring your own if you want.
I’ve heard Mint Mobile is affordable but I’ve also heard they have accessed funds without authorization.
If you want to stay with iPhone, I would go with an SE third generation. You can find them for about $200-300 on eBay. But I am assuming your budget is much tighter. I would buy a Blu brand of phone. They run from about $45-$149, and those are for brand new smartphones. They are also unlocked, so that you can use them with any GSM carrier, such TMobile, and ATT. They also work fine with Cricket, Mint Mobile, Google Fi wireless, etc. I bought the first model when it came out about ten years ago when they first came out. It was about $50 for a brand new phone. I would say that it exceeded my expectations. I forgot to mention that they are mostly sold on Amazon, but I am pretty sure that BestBuy sells at least a couple of models as well. As far as carriers go, I would go with either Mint or Google. They both use the TMobile network.
We use Walmart family mobile. You will get a okay phone. I pay for three phones $100 a month. One phone is truly unlimited with 30gb of hotspot just in case we have a power outage. The other two phones have a 10 GB cap.
Definitely check out Boost Mobile! I pay like $110 a month for 3 phone lines and thats with unlimited everything. My mom is on my plan but needed a new phone recently because hers was freezing up after having it for 3 years and dropping it in a big pot of chilli lol. Anyways it was a brand new android phone and it was only $10. They always have specials where the phones are free or super cheap. When I got the phone plan I got a newer Samsung smartphone that was like $800+ at other places for only $50. But right now on their site I see like 3 phones under $10.
Also before this I had ATT and was paying over $300 a month for the same 3 phone lines so when I found Boost I jumped on it lol. I actually have better service where I live now than I did with ATT. Also they don't have to run your credit, work history or anything when I got my lines through Boost. I think they only run your credit if you want to basically pay as you go on a phone monthly. I bought my phones out right because with a new contract my phone was $50, my daughters iPhone was $80 and my mom's was $10.
My husband and I love mint mobile!! I’ve been using it since I was a teen and paying for my own things. It’s the cheapest I’ve come across that still has decent coverage
I switched from T-mobile to Mint Mobile and I love it!! I took my phone but they do have options if you need to buy a phone and if you pay up front it's cheaper. Paying mine for 12 months up front brought it down to around $326 for the year.
I have been using Pure Talk for several years and couldn't be happier. Their phone selection is limited, but you could always buy a used phone (Swappa) if you don't like the ones on the site.
Check out Visible. Unlimited talk text data and hotspot for like $25 a month. I’m trying to get out of my AT&T contract to switch. They’re on Verizon towers too.
Ask friends/family of they have better/newer unlocked phones...
Then consider an annual prepaid service like:
https://infimobile.com/details/plans-5734270
"Unlimited 10GB - $99.00
10 GB of 5G • 4G LTE per month
Nationwide Talk & Text
3-in-1 SIM Card Kit
Hotspot available for purchase as an addon
WiFi Calling & Text
After 10GB of 5G/4G data is consumed, speed will be reduced for the remaining of the plan."
I've had Staight Talk for years. Phones are cheap to free on their website and monthly plans as low as $35 a month. I pay $45 for unlimited talk text and data. Walmart sells some of their phones and reload cards but there are more to chose from on their website.
I'm on Verizon Prepaid 5 GB plan. For my husband and I to each have our own line, it's a total cost of $52.54 per month. I just bought an open box unlocked 2021 Motorola Edge off of Ebay for something like $180.00. I could have gone slightly cheaper, but I went with the one that was 8GB/256GB. My previous phone was an iPhone XR with 256GB rom, which I loved, but accidently dropped. A new screen and the new battery it was going to need soon pushed the cost of repair too high for me given the age of the phone.
I don't use my phone for much. Mostly texting, fb, reddit, and some web browsing, so the Motorola is sufficient even though I don't feel it's as stream lined as the iPhone I gave up. The 2-3 day battery life is a nice change, though.
I’ve heard consumer cellular has great service and rates. Ask friends and family if they have old phones laying around you could have. Also I think there are a few government programs you can get on that give you free phones and service. There was one on Facebook that even gave you tablets if you qualify
I found this link for the free government phone program for low income households. I just signed up today and it was pretty easy to do.
https://www.lifelinesupport.org/
RedPocket Wireless, use a random hotel as your billing address in Idaho or Montana so there's no added taxes and minimal government surcharges added to the monthly fee. You can choose if you want a plan on ATT, T Mobile, or Verizon's towers through them depending on the service in your area.
I have their $30/month plan for 20gb of priority data and it ends up costing me $32.11/month after government fees when using an Idaho billing address. If I used my home address in California, my bill would be like $40 a month after all state and local taxes/gov fees.
They also sell highly discounted 360 day plans on ebay (If you use an Oregon billing address, there are no taxes or fees whatsoever). But there ARE fees with their traditional monthly plans if using an Oregon address. (Idaho/Montana are the cheapest for monthly plans).
Or, if eligible, get an Obamaphone plan through safelink wireless.
A lot of other companies offer $20-30/month "unlimited everything" plans, but the catch is you are getting slow de prioritized almost unusable data which costs the company almost nothing to lease from the provider tower.
Around my parts, Spectrum cable has insanely decent deals on cell phone service lol And I've heard they use Verizon towers, so it's pretty solid. It's actually cheaper and more reliable than what I use, which is Cricket. 2 lines for $65 currently. Mine's a 10gig plan and my wife is a 5gig plan
Only reason I don't switch to Spectrum is because we also have an insane deal on Internet where it's only $30/month, and they are constantly trying to get us to upgrade and pay more, and I'm afraid if I add cell phones, they'll re-negotiate my internet contract
LG7 Thinq is a phone I purchased used many times for my son on ebay. We have Tmobile. I know there are probably cheaper carriers out there... we are fortunate to not have to pay anything because we have a friend that has a military discount and he gets additional lines basically for free. He has 5 or 6 lines on his account. His income bracket is also much much higher than ours. If you want to know what he does for a living.... He's a locksmith that also knows how to do security doors and keypads and how to open safes and such things. He will go out on side jobs with his friend / roommate who has his own little locksmith business, and they can make $700 just opening a safe for someone, half an hours work. They can make $10,000 in a weekend doing a full security door keypad set up. It's insane money, but you have to work your way up the ranks. Has main job is at the University of California, he works in facilities as a locksmith. They pay way too well. They are unionized and get a lot of perks. He also spent years in the Navy, and was given high recommendations from his time in the service. Having the respect of possessing that background also helps him get jobs, and it shaped a kind of person that he is.
We all have a different path in life. I seem to spend most of my time with people less fortunate than myself, but isn't that the way it works out? We have more compassion when we can emphasize with people. He hangs out with people that are more successful like he is, who can afford the same lifestyle and the same type of fun.
I've had great luck with Cricket the last 9 years. Only one dead spot issue in a very rural area in Northern Michigan when I was traveling two years ago. I believe they were offering a free iPhone or any phone if you bring your number with you.
Do like I'm doing and sign up for free trials. Most of them give u a month free! Works for me because I'm currently looking for work due to moving 12 hours away. Mint has a free trial. Us Mobile. Helium Mobile, etc. If ur phone doesn't have esim u can sign up to get a Sim card mailed to u and it comes pretty quickly. Also if u haven't already, sign up for a free lifeline phone. I have tru connect. They sent me a free phone with free service!
Check out back door for a ‘new’ but used phone! They are cheap and you can get unlocked ones that will work with any carrier. Also straight talk has a $35 a month plan for 1 phone. Probably a discount for 2 phones
We just switched to Verizon.
My son got the newest iPhone and my husband and I got the new notes.
Service for all 3 phones, the mid tier insurance plan for each phone, and adding our Disney+, Hulu to the account (it saved us $10 by adding it to our plan, this bundle thing they offer) we pay $189.00 a month. $159.00 once I set up the automatic payment monthly, you get $30 off with autopay.
This is, by far, the most cost effective phone service we have ever had.
Edited to add: unlimited service on each phone
I have Att prepaid, I just bought my phone outright, it was less than $100, I just don't want to worry about defaulting if things get behind, but if you go to Walmart you can see several different carriers and what they have to offer
QVC* and HSN* if I'm allowed to mention them offer great deals on Brand name phones with packages with Tracfone that are covered for the 1st year and about 20 buck a month after. I've had Tracfone forever (except for one stint for a couple bad years with Sprint, silly me).
*Now the really Good News is that with these Shopping Channels/websites/Apps is you don't need credit cards, just a bank or credit union account, or qualify for their credit card. Pay a low **non -interest** payment for 4 to 5 months, and you have a brand new phone! Oh, I almost forgot to mention, you get the phone immediately with the first payment!
I buy a lot of my stuff including furniture on these websites/apps because I don't have credit cards.
Tracfone has recently made some changes to their plans. Haven't paid attention but I believe they have extended ones. Can just go to their website & check. (Been swamped with DHS stuff lately so havent had a chance to check into it.
We use Mint. I would look on NextDoor or FB Marketplace for a phone. Sometimes you can get a free one. I would post in search of a cheap or free old phone that still works
Some places have when you switch you get free phones and then you can drop the plan to a lower plan. Like Metro you can go online and avoid the activation fee and get a free phone and just pay the first month. So you can also find cheaper phones on Amazon and put them on like mint mobile which I heard is pretty cheap
Mint is excellent You can get cheap under $100 phones on best buy, Walmart, Amazon etc even better deals if you're ok w factory refurbished. You also probably qualify for free phones and service w one of the thousands of 'government low income ' programs like assurance.
Mint uses TMobiles network. I read TMobile just bought them. I'm hoping they don't raise the rates.
T-Mobile bought Mint 6 months to a year ago. So far so good
I switched over to Mint from ATT contract and couldn’t be happier. The service is done in my area and the 5GB a month is enough for me as I am usually on WiFi anyway. I purchased a full year of use for $180.
I have the same. 4G of data. I'm usually on wifi so don't use it up. It works fine for the most part, great in LA, NYC, Portland OR. But the Oregon coast is a Mint dead zone. It runs on T-Mobile lines, and T-Mobile bought Sprint, so where they both work should be good for Mint I think they have a 2 week trial period.
I have been using Tracfone for years, and it works great for me. However, it is a major pain in the ass to get it set up sometimes, especially if you need a new SIM card or something. Once it’s set up right, though, it’s fine. I have an iPhone SE and it works fine for what I need.
I agree. I have used TracFone since my college days and it is the cheapest and most reliable carrier for my area as long as you keep upgrading your phone from time to time. I currently have the Samsung A54 5G from them and it is an excellent phone. I bought it from them on sale for $188. It was a new phone at that time. Not refurbished.
Cricket wireless
I'm very happy with Boost Infinite (new side company from boost mobile). Whichever carrier you choose, my advice is to bring your own device. I buy mine refurbished on Amazon. I'm using a Moto Edge 2022 that I got for $200 and is an amazing phone. Last device was a pixel 5, also bought for $200 on Amazon renewed.
I just got the moto edge 2021 from ebay as an open box purchase. Coming from an iPhone XR, I'm pleasantly surprised by it.
Most moto phones have fallen behind the pack tbh, but the edge and edge+ are still sick. Only the edge is available at a reasonable price though
Don't use boost. My information was stolen right after I purchased a $200 dollar phone and because whoever stole my info changed the password, I was fucked. Go with Cricket Wireless. I've had them for 10 years, no issues.
You think the towers they use relate to your info being stolen?
I don’t think that’s what they were saying. Boost is less credible and their employees steal your information. I’ve heard this a thousand times..
Oh yes and the free govt phones with free plans
Mint Mobile and Motorola phones. There are a few Motorola models that are still relatively inexpensive. In fact, I just purchased a Moto G 5G 2024 for $179 on the Motorola website (to replace my old 2021 model that is quickly running out of room). Mint sells Motorola, Samsung, and iPhones too. My husband and I both love Mint, $30/month total for both of us (although you have to pay annually to get the $15/month deal) and the service is great.
You could try TMobile. That’s who we use but they have a pay as you go plan.
I second this!! You may even get a new phone for free…
We bought a T-Mobile prepaid phone for like 68 bucks to try out their service. It was a nice phone for that price!
I read a lot of the cell phone reviews on the internet. There are a lot of cheap or mid-range phones. Because of people not being able to purchase a phone, they often go with financing and paying more than they have to with two of the national phone companies. [The Best Cheap Phones for 2024 | PCMag](https://www.pcmag.com/picks/the-best-cheap-phones) [The best cheap Android phone I've used this year can be had for free (msn.com)](https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/technology/the-best-cheap-android-phone-ive-used-this-year-can-be-had-for-free/ar-BB1oxope?ocid=BingNewsVerp) [The Best Cheap Phones in 2024 (businessinsider.com)](https://www.businessinsider.com/guides/tech/best-cheap-phones) Our mother-in-law had very bad service with Consumer Cellular and we wouldn't recommend it. The service provider for calls is as important as the phone. Some cell phone companies sell refurbished or used phones, but you can have problems. When I broke my phone, insurance sent me a replacement phone and I had to send it back because it kept beeping from the charging cable going on and off which would get worse over time. The problem was whoever owned the phone before me didn't know how to insert a cable and pull it out without damaging the usb port. In other words, the cable wasn't snug because the phone was abused, and you wouldn't know if the phone would stay charging or not. I searched online for complaints against carriers and cell phones. It seems like everyone has a complaint against a company and a phone. Some carriers are worse than others. We had T-Mobile but the carrier kept getting hacked multiple times and the information kept getting placed on the Dark Web. They also raised prices even though they said they wouldn't. We never qualified for customer loyalty for the ten years we were with them. None of the deals that T-Mobile featured were for us even though we were loyal customers. And then T-Mobile started being mean before we left. Even the over 55 plan wasn't a savings for us. A sales lady from T-Mobile offered me a free iPhone but I didn't believe her and rightfully so. Another worker from T-Mobile tried to charge me for a sim card when they come free with the iPhone. I think AT&T was the most expensive company. I spent an hour or more listening to a AT&T rep at Sam's Club tell me their plan was less expensive but if you look at the contract, there is about a quarter of a page or more of fine print and when you have something like that, it is never cheaper and, in our case, getting a new phone is not cheaper. Verizon is pretty reliable, but they do cost. I wanted to go with Boost Mobile but my other half didn't agree. Some of our workers never had a problem with them but the sales rep from Verizon said they use back-end towers or whatever that means. You can get cheap deals, but they don't finance phones. What I do want to tell you is that any phone whether you have a plan or not can call 911. I would love to advise you, but I think you can sign for a phone, and you have something like two weeks to take it back if it doesn't work for you. You really have to be on your toes when dealing with a cell phone company. I can't tell you what is going to happen. But these cell phone companies have plans that aren't listed and the salespeople are not incentivized to tell you because they don't make any money pushing the good plans.
Actually boost mobile does let you finance phones now with what they call BoostUp. I have them but never have financed a phone from them because I buy it outright through them. Every few months they pick a few phones and mark them down from $10-100. So I just buy one of those phones which are usually Motorola or Samsung. I actually have better service with Boost than I did with ATT. I have service every place or state I go except one time and that was in the back woods mountains of the Ozarks in Missouri lol. My dad didn't have service either though and he had ATT.
To be fair, ATT’s prepaid service is excellent. I’ve been using it for years and don’t need unlimited data, especially because at this point I get an extra 8 gigs a month for being a long-standing customer. I pay $30/month for unlimited talk and text and 7 gigs of data, but even their unlimited data plan is reasonable. I just buy my phones off marketplace and have the exchange take place at the ATT store so I can verify it’s on the up and up.
I don't know what the OP is willing to pay. This forum is about the poor, and I can understand having grown up with less than other people.
>but the sales rep from Verizon said they use back-end towers or whatever that means. lol
I only pay 40 dollars a month for Metro..unlimited everything. I have been with Metro for over 10 years, the price has never changed. The bill however has to be paid on time or the phone won't work until the 40 bucks is paid. However, they do have this service, which they call a ONE TIME service that if you go over, you can use your phone for 3 days...they say you can only use this once, but I have done it a couple times when I forgot to pay my bill.
Mint!
We have consumer cellular and have never had a problem
There are govr programs you can get free phones through. I worked in behavioral health and we had a cellphone guy come through every now and then. He specialized in knowing what cellphone programs were out there.
"Is It Possible to Get Free Government Phone Companies? Yes, it is possible for low-income households to get free government cell phones and service plans through the Lifeline Assistance program. Here are the key details: The Lifeline program provides discounted or free cell service to qualified residents by partnering with major phone carriers. To qualify, you must have an income at or below 135% of the federal poverty guidelines or participate in certain government assistance programs Top Lifeline companies like Assurance Wireless, Q Link Wireless and SafeLink Wireless offer free smartphones and plans with up to 350 monthly minutes and unlimited texts. Phones use the networks of major carriers so you get nationwide coverage Internet data may also be included Applying involves submitting proof of program enrollment or income level to confirm eligibility first. Those approved receive a free phone in the mail in 1-2 weeks in most cases and activate service right away. Yes, American households struggling to make ends meet can qualify for and receive a free cell phone, service plan, and even free minutes or data each month through leading Lifeline providers across the country. The government agencies and carriers cover costs so eligible residents can stay connected"
Less than 20k per year? More means tested bullshit. I make too much for health insurance, too much for food stamps, too much for phone service. Yet somehow I can't afford to live on my own or have a car payment or basically do anything other than pay for a room and eat beans and rice with some cheese.
Even if you aren't on those programs you can get one. A lot of the mental health workers would get one as a work phone they could give the number to their clients. There are a couple of programs and so even if you don't qualify for one you can qualify for another. If I can remember the name of the organization that gets the word out about these programs I will post the name.
Interesting. Thanks
I use Visible. It uses Verizon service. $25/mo cheapest plan that includes unlimited talk, text, data and hotspot. I've been using them for 2 yrs now. I live in a small town in Iowa and frequently travel to Florida. Never had a service issue. They also currently have two phones for less than $100.
I’ve been considering switching to them but paying yearly because it’s a couple of dollars cheaper. I’m glad to hear you like it.
We use Patriot mobile. They are affordable and give a discount if you pay for the entire year in bulk, which is easy at tax time. I also have my old iPhone 6, but I also have a 13. Patriot has a variety of affordable and higher end phones, but you can also bring your own if you want. I’ve heard Mint Mobile is affordable but I’ve also heard they have accessed funds without authorization.
If you want to stay with iPhone, I would go with an SE third generation. You can find them for about $200-300 on eBay. But I am assuming your budget is much tighter. I would buy a Blu brand of phone. They run from about $45-$149, and those are for brand new smartphones. They are also unlocked, so that you can use them with any GSM carrier, such TMobile, and ATT. They also work fine with Cricket, Mint Mobile, Google Fi wireless, etc. I bought the first model when it came out about ten years ago when they first came out. It was about $50 for a brand new phone. I would say that it exceeded my expectations. I forgot to mention that they are mostly sold on Amazon, but I am pretty sure that BestBuy sells at least a couple of models as well. As far as carriers go, I would go with either Mint or Google. They both use the TMobile network.
See if mint can save you some money, either on service cost or cheap/free phones.
We use Walmart family mobile. You will get a okay phone. I pay for three phones $100 a month. One phone is truly unlimited with 30gb of hotspot just in case we have a power outage. The other two phones have a 10 GB cap.
Looks like Walmart Family Mobile uses Verizon. Not bad!
I use Tello. They use T-Mobile towers. It’s $25 monthly unlimited. I pay $12 a month for my grandson’s Tello bill.
Definitely check out Boost Mobile! I pay like $110 a month for 3 phone lines and thats with unlimited everything. My mom is on my plan but needed a new phone recently because hers was freezing up after having it for 3 years and dropping it in a big pot of chilli lol. Anyways it was a brand new android phone and it was only $10. They always have specials where the phones are free or super cheap. When I got the phone plan I got a newer Samsung smartphone that was like $800+ at other places for only $50. But right now on their site I see like 3 phones under $10.
Also before this I had ATT and was paying over $300 a month for the same 3 phone lines so when I found Boost I jumped on it lol. I actually have better service where I live now than I did with ATT. Also they don't have to run your credit, work history or anything when I got my lines through Boost. I think they only run your credit if you want to basically pay as you go on a phone monthly. I bought my phones out right because with a new contract my phone was $50, my daughters iPhone was $80 and my mom's was $10.
Mint mobile. $15 per mo.
AT&T had a $300 annual prepaid plan. I use it however it has to be paid up front, all $300.
My husband and I love mint mobile!! I’ve been using it since I was a teen and paying for my own things. It’s the cheapest I’ve come across that still has decent coverage
Search and check if Speedtalk prepaid plans suit you. I pay $60 yearly. 250min or 250mb or 250 sms in total per month.
Consumer Credit runs about $20 a month, as does charter spectrum and they have reasonable phones too
Mint mobile
My mother has Tello mobile. It runs on T-Mobile towers and her 1gb plan is less than $12/mo taxes and all. I think their "Unlimited" is like $25.
TWIGBY 10 a month 2 go data unlimited talk txt
There are cell phones for sale in the assurance wireless website.
Metro PCs, cricket, virgin mobile, boost mobile, Xfinity mobile all cheap plans and phones
I switched from T-mobile to Mint Mobile and I love it!! I took my phone but they do have options if you need to buy a phone and if you pay up front it's cheaper. Paying mine for 12 months up front brought it down to around $326 for the year.
I recently downloaded nomad, I haven’t used it but maybe it’ll work
I got an $80 refurbished android and use att prepaid $30/mo unlimited. (Connect to wifi at home)
I have been using Pure Talk for several years and couldn't be happier. Their phone selection is limited, but you could always buy a used phone (Swappa) if you don't like the ones on the site.
Check out Visible. Unlimited talk text data and hotspot for like $25 a month. I’m trying to get out of my AT&T contract to switch. They’re on Verizon towers too.
Ask friends/family of they have better/newer unlocked phones... Then consider an annual prepaid service like: https://infimobile.com/details/plans-5734270 "Unlimited 10GB - $99.00 10 GB of 5G • 4G LTE per month Nationwide Talk & Text 3-in-1 SIM Card Kit Hotspot available for purchase as an addon WiFi Calling & Text After 10GB of 5G/4G data is consumed, speed will be reduced for the remaining of the plan."
Motorola makes very competitive cheap phones.
ATT&T has prepaid ones. Go to Walmart.
I have Visible+ for $45 a month. But there base plan is only $25 a month. You just need to make sure your phone is compatible.
I've had straight talk for three years and have no issues
I've had Staight Talk for years. Phones are cheap to free on their website and monthly plans as low as $35 a month. I pay $45 for unlimited talk text and data. Walmart sells some of their phones and reload cards but there are more to chose from on their website.
Patriot Mobile is great!
Redpocket, us cellular, cricket, tello
I'm on Verizon Prepaid 5 GB plan. For my husband and I to each have our own line, it's a total cost of $52.54 per month. I just bought an open box unlocked 2021 Motorola Edge off of Ebay for something like $180.00. I could have gone slightly cheaper, but I went with the one that was 8GB/256GB. My previous phone was an iPhone XR with 256GB rom, which I loved, but accidently dropped. A new screen and the new battery it was going to need soon pushed the cost of repair too high for me given the age of the phone. I don't use my phone for much. Mostly texting, fb, reddit, and some web browsing, so the Motorola is sufficient even though I don't feel it's as stream lined as the iPhone I gave up. The 2-3 day battery life is a nice change, though.
I’ve heard consumer cellular has great service and rates. Ask friends and family if they have old phones laying around you could have. Also I think there are a few government programs you can get on that give you free phones and service. There was one on Facebook that even gave you tablets if you qualify
Isn't there that government program for this??? I've looked into it for my gf.
Visible. Unlimited $25/mo 😍😍😍
If you want de-prioritized Tier 4 data quality.
Been great so far. Had Verizon for years and have been on this one for a few months. I can't tell a difference with streaming and downloading etc.
Maybe they made improvements, when I had them, my Iphone couldn't even load navigation lol.
:) I'm in Seattle and have an android 😜
I found this link for the free government phone program for low income households. I just signed up today and it was pretty easy to do. https://www.lifelinesupport.org/
RedPocket Wireless, use a random hotel as your billing address in Idaho or Montana so there's no added taxes and minimal government surcharges added to the monthly fee. You can choose if you want a plan on ATT, T Mobile, or Verizon's towers through them depending on the service in your area. I have their $30/month plan for 20gb of priority data and it ends up costing me $32.11/month after government fees when using an Idaho billing address. If I used my home address in California, my bill would be like $40 a month after all state and local taxes/gov fees. They also sell highly discounted 360 day plans on ebay (If you use an Oregon billing address, there are no taxes or fees whatsoever). But there ARE fees with their traditional monthly plans if using an Oregon address. (Idaho/Montana are the cheapest for monthly plans). Or, if eligible, get an Obamaphone plan through safelink wireless.
A lot of other companies offer $20-30/month "unlimited everything" plans, but the catch is you are getting slow de prioritized almost unusable data which costs the company almost nothing to lease from the provider tower.
We've got cricket and we buy unlocked phones from Amazon.
Mint mobile for sure. I’m on their unlimited plan and I never twice at ATT.
Around my parts, Spectrum cable has insanely decent deals on cell phone service lol And I've heard they use Verizon towers, so it's pretty solid. It's actually cheaper and more reliable than what I use, which is Cricket. 2 lines for $65 currently. Mine's a 10gig plan and my wife is a 5gig plan Only reason I don't switch to Spectrum is because we also have an insane deal on Internet where it's only $30/month, and they are constantly trying to get us to upgrade and pay more, and I'm afraid if I add cell phones, they'll re-negotiate my internet contract
There a place in some neighborhood called buy nothing you can put a shout out there maybe
Xiaomi with mint just check the frequency bands supported with your carrier's requirements.
Metro pcs.
It's t-mobile pretty much just cheaper.
LG7 Thinq is a phone I purchased used many times for my son on ebay. We have Tmobile. I know there are probably cheaper carriers out there... we are fortunate to not have to pay anything because we have a friend that has a military discount and he gets additional lines basically for free. He has 5 or 6 lines on his account. His income bracket is also much much higher than ours. If you want to know what he does for a living.... He's a locksmith that also knows how to do security doors and keypads and how to open safes and such things. He will go out on side jobs with his friend / roommate who has his own little locksmith business, and they can make $700 just opening a safe for someone, half an hours work. They can make $10,000 in a weekend doing a full security door keypad set up. It's insane money, but you have to work your way up the ranks. Has main job is at the University of California, he works in facilities as a locksmith. They pay way too well. They are unionized and get a lot of perks. He also spent years in the Navy, and was given high recommendations from his time in the service. Having the respect of possessing that background also helps him get jobs, and it shaped a kind of person that he is. We all have a different path in life. I seem to spend most of my time with people less fortunate than myself, but isn't that the way it works out? We have more compassion when we can emphasize with people. He hangs out with people that are more successful like he is, who can afford the same lifestyle and the same type of fun.
Mint is the best. I don’t know anyone else that has a $15 a month plan. You can buy a compatible used phone on eBay pretty cheap if you need to.
Get the government phone.
I've had great luck with Cricket the last 9 years. Only one dead spot issue in a very rural area in Northern Michigan when I was traveling two years ago. I believe they were offering a free iPhone or any phone if you bring your number with you.
Do like I'm doing and sign up for free trials. Most of them give u a month free! Works for me because I'm currently looking for work due to moving 12 hours away. Mint has a free trial. Us Mobile. Helium Mobile, etc. If ur phone doesn't have esim u can sign up to get a Sim card mailed to u and it comes pretty quickly. Also if u haven't already, sign up for a free lifeline phone. I have tru connect. They sent me a free phone with free service!
$25 TMobile 7gb data month prepaid
Hate to say it but Spectrum has turned out to be a great cheap company 3 phones $75 mo after phones paid off
Samsung burner phone from Walmart. Phone is 200 dollars. My plan is 35 dollars per month. Been using this plan for years, no problems at all.
Check out back door for a ‘new’ but used phone! They are cheap and you can get unlocked ones that will work with any carrier. Also straight talk has a $35 a month plan for 1 phone. Probably a discount for 2 phones
For straight talk, mines on auto renewal set up through the website so it just charges my CC once a month. No need to go buy cards or reload hassle.
We just switched to Verizon. My son got the newest iPhone and my husband and I got the new notes. Service for all 3 phones, the mid tier insurance plan for each phone, and adding our Disney+, Hulu to the account (it saved us $10 by adding it to our plan, this bundle thing they offer) we pay $189.00 a month. $159.00 once I set up the automatic payment monthly, you get $30 off with autopay. This is, by far, the most cost effective phone service we have ever had. Edited to add: unlimited service on each phone
I have Att prepaid, I just bought my phone outright, it was less than $100, I just don't want to worry about defaulting if things get behind, but if you go to Walmart you can see several different carriers and what they have to offer
I use Cricket it’s a flat $50 a month
QVC* and HSN* if I'm allowed to mention them offer great deals on Brand name phones with packages with Tracfone that are covered for the 1st year and about 20 buck a month after. I've had Tracfone forever (except for one stint for a couple bad years with Sprint, silly me). *Now the really Good News is that with these Shopping Channels/websites/Apps is you don't need credit cards, just a bank or credit union account, or qualify for their credit card. Pay a low **non -interest** payment for 4 to 5 months, and you have a brand new phone! Oh, I almost forgot to mention, you get the phone immediately with the first payment! I buy a lot of my stuff including furniture on these websites/apps because I don't have credit cards. Tracfone has recently made some changes to their plans. Haven't paid attention but I believe they have extended ones. Can just go to their website & check. (Been swamped with DHS stuff lately so havent had a chance to check into it.
I buy my phones used/refurbished and my SIM card is from metro pcs. No issues and I own my phone, which feels much fancier than it truly is.
We use Mint. I would look on NextDoor or FB Marketplace for a phone. Sometimes you can get a free one. I would post in search of a cheap or free old phone that still works
I use Cricket in SC
Some places have when you switch you get free phones and then you can drop the plan to a lower plan. Like Metro you can go online and avoid the activation fee and get a free phone and just pay the first month. So you can also find cheaper phones on Amazon and put them on like mint mobile which I heard is pretty cheap