[wplug] OT cell phone help -- other more on-topic cellphone question

Justin Smith justin at adminix.net
Sat May 17 08:45:54 EDT 2014


You won't find anything as cheap as $15/month from T-Mobile or an MVNO. 
MVNO = mobile virtual network operator. It's a fancy term for a company 
that pays a carrier for the privilege of selling service using the carrier's 
network.

One of the most popular T-Mo plans is the $30/month plan available for 
new customers through Wal-Mart. You get 100 minutes, unlimited texting, 
and 5GB of soft-capped data. T-Mobile did away with all overage fees a few 
months ago, so you don't have to worry about getting slammed if you go 
over 100 minutes.

The $40/month "Simple Starter" plan gives you unlimited minutes, unlimited 
texting, and 500MB of soft-capped data. From there, it's $50/1GB data, 
$60/3GB data, and I'm guessing you don't want to go any higher than that. 

If you just want good service and don't need T-Mobile's retail perks, such 
as paying early termination fees, there are other options. Straight Talk 
(MVNO) offers unlimited minutes, unlimited texting, and 3GB of data for 
$45, although its customer service can be iffy. MetroPCS, which was bought 
by T-Mobile, offers identical coverage to T-Mobile postpaid at a significant 
discount. You can get 2.5GB of data for $50 or unlimited for $60. However, 
MetroPCS is /only/ available to people with a phone number linked to a 
major city.

Getting an unlocked Nexus device onto T-Mobile (or T-Mobile MVNO) is as 
simple as inserting a SIM card. The Nexus 5 includes a special tool for this. 
You press an eject point on the side of the phone with the SIM card tool 
and the SIM card tray pops out. Then, you just put the SIM card on the tray 
and push the track back into the phone. That's it.

-- 
*Justin Smith*
GNU/Linux System Administrator

/"Any fool can use a computer. Many do."/


I am interested in a Nexus. Last time I checked T-Mobile plans they had a 
very cheap


($15/mo or something) plan with few talk minutes but decent data and 
text. The next jumpup from that was significant, something like $60/mo. is 
this still the case or have they improved the plans?


How do you get an unlocked Nexus onto Tmobile? Is there some chip or 
card youhave to install? is it hard to do it?


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