Prepaid Reviews blog

Rumor: MetroPCS to get LG Optimus 2

January 25th, 2012   |    MetroPCS   |    No Comments

Pictured above is a slightly grainy picture of the LG Optimus 2. It’s actually already available through Sprint, but as the apps on the homescreen of this picture indicate, this one is headed for MetroPCS. It will be a CDMA device, not an LTE one, just like the Sprint model. It also features a 3.2-megapixel camera, 800MHz processor, and a 3.2-inch screen. Chances are it will come in at a value price, especially since MetroPCS is introducing a pair of higher end Android devices later this month.

Via Howard Forums.

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Consumer Cellular adds web and messaging bundles

January 24th, 2012   |    Consumer Cellular   |    No Comments

Consumer Cellular recently announced a number of package deals that include web and messaging features. There are five in total. The Lite package contains 100 messages and 10MB of web for $2.50 per month. The Ready package has 500 minutes and 50MB for $5 per month. The Active plan contains 1,000 minutes and 100MB of data for $10 per month. The Complete package has 2,500 messages and 250MB of data for $20 per month, and the Max plan has 5,000 messages and 500MB of data for $30 per month. Consumer Cellular customers can upgrade to one of these plans at Consumer Cellular’s website.

Via Phone Scoop.

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Virgin Mobile will start throttling data speeds in March

January 19th, 2012   |    Virgin Mobile   |    1 Comment

We knew it was coming. It was just a matter of when. We learned last year that Virgin Mobile would throttle the speeds of its heaviest data users. It will begin this practice on March 23rd, with users who exceed 2.5GB per month getting their speeds throttled. To be clear, this applies to Virgin smartphone customers using Beyond Talk plans. Throttled speeds are 256Kbps, which is something of a relic for old dial-up users. If a user gets throttled, he has to either way for the beginning of the next billing cycle, or otherwise pay for a new monthly plan immediately. Neither seems like an attractive option, but those are the breaks.

Via Android Central.

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Tracfone getting Samsung SCH-R375

January 19th, 2012   |    Tracfone   |    No Comments

It might not be the fanciest looking phone, but the Samsung SCH-R375 is headed for Tracfone. Its biggest feature is a QWERTY keyboard. In most respects it’s a low-end phone, featuring a 1.3 megapixel camera and little else. It’s actually a great prepaid phone for texting. There is no word on pricing and release date, but we can assume it will be relatively soon and cheap.

Via Phone Scoop.

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The best prepaid phones for text messaging

January 18th, 2012   |    Text Messaging   |    1 Comment

When we started the Prepaid Reviews blog in 2007, there wasn’t much in the way of prepaid phone selection. They were mostly old, cheap models that postpaid carriers had ditched long ago. Then again, when we started the blog, there was no iPhone. Apple has since changed the cellular phone industry, and we can see the residual effects in prepaid phone offerings. Better phones than ever are available, and for affordable prices. While five years ago it was difficult to find a prepaid phone with a QWERTY keyboard, it’s fairly commonplace now. It makes it easier to build the following list: the best prepaid phones for texting.

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Walmart and T-Mobile upgrade Family Mobile plan

January 18th, 2012   |    T-Mobile   |    2 Comments

Yesterday Walmart and T-Mobile announced the addition of unlimited data to their Family Mobile plan. This is an infinite increase from the 100MB per line allotment they had in place previously. There is a limit, however, on how much 3G data customers will receive. The general limit is 250MB per line, after which time data gets slowed down to EDGE speeds. But from now through March 16th new customers can get 5GB of 3G data for their first month. The Walmart Family Mobile plan costs $45 per month for the first line, and $35 per month for each additional line. It is postpaid, though it does not require a contract or a credit check. The plan is available at Walmart or on T-Mobile’s website.

Via Phone Scoop.

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Straight Talk getting LG Optimus 2X

January 18th, 2012   |    Straight Talk   |    No Comments

It appears as though Straight Talk is gearing up for another Android handset release. This one will be the LG Optimus 2X, and it comes with a little twist. It will actually have an LTE radio, so it will be a rare prepaid Android smartphone running on a 4G network. According to PhoneNews.com, it will run on AT&T’s LTE network. The phone itself isn’t particularly high end in terms of new Android handsets, but it’s near the top of the prepaid food chain: 1GHz processor, 800×480 display, 8-megapixel camera with 1080 video capture, and a front-facing camera. The big thing, of course, will be the LTE data on Straight Talk’s $45 plan. There is no word on pricing or availability, but as usual you can sign up to reserve your copy. Just visit Straight Talk’s reserve page for more details.

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Boost gets slim LG Marquee Android smartphone

January 16th, 2012   |    Boost Mobile   |    No Comments

What you see above is the LG Marquee, the latest Android handset from Boost Mobile. It was previously available from Sprint, but as with many of their Android handsets, it has made its way to the prepaid arm. It’s key is its thinness, just 0.36 inches thick. It also has a quality 1GHz processor and 4GB of storage — plus microSD expansion. The 4-inch screen is another plus. With a 2MP front-facing camera it’s also ideal for video chatting. The Marquee is a bit more expensive on Boost, $279, but it doesn’t require a contract. You can get it on January 23rd at Boost Mobile stores and at other outlets a bit later than that.

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Sprint could bring 4G LTE to Boost and Virgin

January 12th, 2012   |    Sprint   |    2 Comments

MetroPCS might be the only prepaid carrier with an LTE network now, but that won’t last for long. Cricket has already started its LTE rollout, and will expand further in 2012. But that’s not the biggest move. This week at CES, Sprint discussed their LTE plans. President of network operations Steve Elfman said that Sprint planned to release LTE devices on its prepaid carriers, Boost Mobile and Virgin Mobile. This is a big step, since neither prepaid carrier has made use of Sprint’s 4G WiMax network. We’re still a ways off, since Sprint will be in only a few markets by June. But by the end of the year we could see considerable prepaid competition in 4G services.

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Cricket making voice calls more efficient

January 11th, 2012   |    Cricket   |    No Comments

Cricket appears to be searching for any possible way to further stretch its spectrum. This could be crucial, with LTE on the horizon. Its latest development: CDMA 1X Advanced for voice calls. That might not sound very advanced, since 1X compared to EVDO is like dial-up internet compared to DSL. But Cricket plans to use this for voice calls, since it can handle them much better than the current CDMA200 1X networks. There are a lot of acronyms in there, but the long and short is that this CDMA 1X Advanced development will lessen the strain on Cricket’s network. They currently have only one handset, the Huawei Mercury, but it plans to include it on “all of its new feature phones by the third quarter of 2012.”

Via FierceWireless.

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The unfair assessment of e911 fees

January 10th, 2012   |    Prepaid Services   |    2 Comments

As with all things in life, 911 services cost money. While our general tax dollars help fund 911 dispatch services, there’s also a specific tax on your phone bill that funds 911. This has extended to postpaid cell phones, wherein each phone line is charged an e911 fee. This helps fund not only the dispatch, but the technology necessary to locate users. Until recently, prepaid wireless users were exempt from this tax. There was just no easy way to assess it. A few years ago, however, some state legislatures decided to begin charge e911 fees. This comes at the point of sale of prepaid refill cards. It’s pretty easy to see, even with scant description, why this is unfair.

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