If you want to save on service then prepaid is your best bet and you're not likely to get a subsidy on new iPhones. I'd +1 the suggestion to see if you can use your existing iPhones with a Sprint MVNO.If the savings were significant, I'd be willing to ditch these phones and buy new iPhones to make other options available. Thanks!
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How Do I Lower My Monthly iPhone Bill?
- Thread starter Huntn
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$80+ tax is pretty normal here for the major carriers. And unfortunately, we don't get anywhere NEAR 20GB of data per month. Its usually 2-3GB of data per month for that price.
Seriously, you guys are all talking about $80 a month as if it were cheap. The OP wants to keep his bill as low as possible.
Basic flip phone is the best way to go! People forget that they do still work for texting.
Basic flip phone is the best way to go! People forget that they do still work for texting.
Google Voice (after I did a search) says it will use cell minutes even on Wifi. Maybe misinformed, but that's what google showed. Does TALKATONE do the same?
Not saying it's cheap, I'm saying that it is pretty normal for the major carriers.
There are cheaper options for pre-paid, but since the OP has a Sprint iPhone, there is a good chance that they'll have to buy a new phone.
Sell your Sprint phone and buy a used unlocked 4S or 5 and you can then use it on T-Mobile or some AT&T MVNO. Monthly prices range from around $40-50. No need to go all out flip phone unless you're dead broke.
I currently have an iPhone 4S and 5 with Sprint. With my wife, we are on a 1500 minute plan and it costs $140 per month. As compared to my pre-iPhone, pre-data days, this is twice as much as I used to pay.
Any helpful suggestions on how to get these costs down?
I'm considering going to 500 any time minutes as I don't think we exceed that. Is there any other service that would be compatible with these Sprint version iPhones that would be less expensive? If the savings were significant, I'd be willing to ditch these phones and buy new iPhones to make other options available. Thanks!
Unfortunately Sprint locks the iPhones and prevents them from operating on any other US carrier, no doubt because they fear people like you displeased with service wanting to jump ship.
All i can think of is for you guys to install the talkatone app which will cut your minutes; utilize facetime audio when possible.
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Right now Tmobile is offering the iPhone 5S for $0 down, at $27/month for 24 months.
So say you both get a 2.5GB data plan, unlimited talk/text->
$60/month + $30/month for second line + $54/month for two phones = $144ish/month
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Get an iPhone 5S at Bestbuy for $125
ATT Plan: 4GB Shared Data + 2 phones = $150
Verizon will be around the same.
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The only significant savings you'll see is if you buy the new iPhones outright, then you can pay $90/month on Tmobile and $110/month on AT&T. I'd advise against a MVNO because even with that, you have two lines for $45-$50/month each already $100; and the quality of service is far less than an actual postpaid plan.
How about selling your iPhones and get to T-mobile? Also it seems that the next Uncarrier 4.0 announcement will be about paying etf fees. If thats true you can get out of sprint without paying an etf and join T-mobile.
Google Voice works by forwarding all your calls to your phone. People call your google voice number and then google voice calls your phone, so yes it will use your cell minutes.
Talkatone uses data to make calls just in the same way you would use google voice dialer on a desktop. I use talkatone on my Ipad to make calls all the time.
Google Voice does not use cellular voice minutes unless the actual connection happens over cellular voice.
Note that Google Voice works on WiFi only devices such as iPod touches and Macs.
I am a longtime user of Google Voice and have continued to use the service, particularly for outgoing calls at home (where I have good WiFi and mediocre cellular reception). The calls over Google VoIP on my iPhone do not count against my cellular service provider's voice minutes, just as they did not when I did this on an iPod touch. As a matter of fact, I frequently make my outgoing calls on an iPad mini Retina, not because the device is better at anything, but only because it is the closest device.
I currently have an iPhone 4S and 5 with Sprint. With my wife, we are on a 1500 minute plan and it costs $140 per month. As compared to my pre-iPhone, pre-data days, this is twice as much as I used to pay.
Any helpful suggestions on how to get these costs down?
I'm considering going to 500 any time minutes as I don't think we exceed that. Is there any other service that would be compatible with these Sprint version iPhones that would be less expensive? If the savings were significant, I'd be willing to ditch these phones and buy new iPhones to make other options available. Thanks!
There is a list of companies that if you work for them, Sprint will give you a discount. Some are big discounts. Google the list. AT&T and others do the same.
Thanks guys for the info!
I do have a corporate discount from Sprint and it is still $140 a month. I just realized my contract is not up till Sept. My wife's is up in April... duh. I' ll be keeping track of options till then but plan on making a move.
Perhaps that is what people have said when I was asked and searched. I thought when people said it would use minutes that I was specific enough when I said if I make an outgoing call over GV then would it use my minutes if I am on wifi. Either way, thanks for the confirmation. I've had to increase my plan a few times when my work has been heavy on the calls. I'd like not to do that as I believe $100 for one phone on VZW is enough to pay already.
Thanks again for your help.
Here is Sprint's ETF guide:
http://support.sprint.com/support/a...termination_fee/case-sp061027-20110823-171256
If you have the money, get out NOW.
AT&T gives you free mobile to mobile, their 450 minutes would be decent for you two.
http://support.sprint.com/support/a...termination_fee/case-sp061027-20110823-171256
If you have the money, get out NOW.
AT&T gives you free mobile to mobile, their 450 minutes would be decent for you two.
My last Sprint bill was $139.66 for two iPhones on Family plan. Still looking for a viable alternative to get my phone bill down.
Before we had smart phones, the bill was $70 for 2 cell phones on family plan, and the basic house phone is $15 a month. I rarely use my iPhone for anything other than phone calls, only play apps on it when I have no other option, so use an exercise app when doing outdoor walks, but it seems like I'm paying for capabilities I'm not using.
Before we had smart phones, the bill was $70 for 2 cell phones on family plan, and the basic house phone is $15 a month. I rarely use my iPhone for anything other than phone calls, only play apps on it when I have no other option, so use an exercise app when doing outdoor walks, but it seems like I'm paying for capabilities I'm not using.
Have you considered prepaid? Also, how many minutes do you use per month?
H2OWireless has a $10 pay as you go option good for 3 months. If you have very low usage, that's just $40 per year and you get AT&T coverage. Of course, you do need to pay full price for your phone but given the possible savings...
1.Take the paper invoice in your right hand.
2. Without dropping it slowly let the invoice down to the ground.
3. Keep it on the ground if you want it to stay lowered.
4. Lift the invoice if you want to raise it again.
You're welcome.
I am sitting here chuckling at work. This is the funniest thing I've read all week.
I think at this point, you would need a new carrier. Have you considered Cricket wireless? Plans start at $40 a month (unlimited calls, texts, and 500 MB of data), $5 credit for auto pay enrollment, and additional discounts for multiple lines. A second phone would be another $10 in savings.
Downside is you would need to pay any ETFs and buy new phones; your Sprint phones won't work on Cricket's network (they're an AT&T MVNO)
Thanks for these suggestions. I'm seriously thinking about dumping my iPhone for something less expensive, not that I dislike the iPhone, I just want to lower my monthly expenses. Both the wife and I have iPads so we get all the IOS we want. I'll check both of these carriers out. Thanks!
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