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Switching to prepaid

U

USF813

macrumors regular
Original poster
Sep 11, 2014
126
42
Tampa
My two year contract on my iPhone 6 is getting ready to end soon. The plan is to keep my phone for one more year (maybe two). I'm currently paying $60/month for 3gb/200 texts with AT&T on my parents family plan. Normally I go over my data so I always pay them $70/month.

I think I can do better with a prepaid service. If you've made the switch who do you recommend going with? And can you port your existing number? I've had the same number since '97 and don't want to give that up.
 
Cricket - runs on AT&T, unlimited talk/text + 5 GB high speed data (unlimited slow data after that) for $45 after autopay credit. You don't even have to get your phone unlocked, but AT&T will easily do it once your contract is up. And yes, you can port your number.
 
gurase said:
Cricket - runs on AT&T, unlimited talk/text + 5 GB high speed data (unlimited slow data after that) for $45 after autopay credit. You don't even have to get your phone unlocked, but AT&T will easily do it once your contract is up. And yes, you can port your number.
Click to expand...

How are the taxes/fees calculated on the $45, or is this all inclusive? Does the data rollover?
 
USF813 said:
How are the taxes/fees calculated on the $45, or is this all inclusive? Does the data rollover?
Click to expand...
data does not rollover and if you pay $45 than its just $45.if you go to a cricket wireless store you will have to pay a $25 activation fee.if you go to target or best buy or a walmart and get byod sim kit you don't have to pay the $25 activation fee.
 
Last edited:
Att gophone also has a similar plan. $45 down to $40 with autopay. 3 gb data BUT they give you rollover.

There's also a 6gb plan for $55 ($60 without autopay)
 
I switched to cricket last year, have 3 lines at 5GB for $120 everything included. Service is same as ATT and the price is great. When you go over you simply get slow data until next cycle.
 
Cricket sounds very appealing! I think I might stick with AT&T. Unlocking my phone which is technically on my parents account sounds like a pain. I'm guessing it would be less of a hassle to move my device onto a GO account in an AT&T store. They have 6GB plus rollover for $55.
 
USF813 said:
Cricket sounds very appealing! I think I might stick with AT&T. Unlocking my phone which is technically on my parents account sounds like a pain. I'm guessing it would be less of a hassle to move my device onto a GO account in an AT&T store. They have 6GB plus rollover for $55.
Click to expand...
Not sure if you're saying you'll stick with AT&T for your MVNO choice or just AT&T directly, but a locked AT&T phone will work with any prepaid network that uses AT&T including Cricket and Straight Talk.
 
Channan said:
Not sure if you're saying you'll stick with AT&T for your MVNO choice or just AT&T directly, but a locked AT&T phone will work with any prepaid network that uses AT&T including Cricket and Straight Talk.
Click to expand...

Thank you I did not know this.
 
Some things to keep in mind with Cricket --

- No VoLTE
- No subsidized phones with contracts
- No financing phones through installments; You have to buy outright
- LTE speeds are limited to 8mbps, 4G (HSPA) speeds are limited to 4mbps. Also, the latency (ping) will be higher, around 90ms-200ms rather than 30ms-70ms for LTE. So if you use your phone for tethering/downloading or online gaming, performance may suffer. However since you're coming from 3GB of data, I highly doubt you do any of those or that the slightly reduce speeds would affect you at all. Just something to be aware of.

I was going to switch my family from Verizon to Cricket but realized it would be not good for us since we can't afford to spend $1200 on new phones (my mom and I have iPhones that would work perfectly, but my dad and brother both have Samsung galaxy's that barely supported AT&T) to work on the AT&T network, and we don't want to keep buying outright after that. It makes more sense financially, but it's a bit scary burning $700 on a phone all of a sudden. That's what was the deal breaker. Kinda why I hate android phones, they tend to be FAR more carrier incompatible. Except for the Moto X Pure and Nexus 6P/5X (my personal favorites)
 
Cricket. I switched over a year ago from ATT and have not noticed a difference. 30GB for $45/mo.
 
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