Prepaid Reviews Blog » Text Messaging

The best prepaid phones for text messaging

Joe — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 21:30:03 +0000

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.

The criteria is fairly easy. We’ll look at the featured pay as you go cell phone providers and choose the best text messaging phone they offer. Some will be disqualified, since they don’t offer their own handsets, or they don’t offer QWERTY handsets. We’re not counting smartphones here. Heavy text messengers will do well with one of these handsets.

AT&T GoPhone: Pantech Link II

AT&T does have a few QWERTY options in its GoPhone lineup, but they tend to run into the high-end pricing range. At the top of the line you’ll see a number of Android smartphones, which don’t count for this list. But a rung below that features a few QWERTY handsets. We prefer the Pantech Link II. It’s a candybar phone, so your QWERTY keyboard is always exposed. There is a comparable slider device from Pantech, but more moving parts means a greater chance of breaking. At the same time, it has a decent-sized screen, so you can do a few more things than you could with, say, the Samsung QWERTY slider with a tiny screen.

Cost: $179.99

Get it: AT&T’s website

Boost Mobile: Motorola i475

Boost does have a number of QWERTY handsets, but unfortunately many of them are smartphones. They do have another Motorola handset, the Theory, that costs less than the i475 (a/k/a the Clutch). Yet the Clutch’s keyboard is of a higher quality. It’s also a bit more spaced out, so you’ll have an easier time tapping out all those messages. While the Theory does well in a value comparison, we’re looking for the best non-smartphone for texting. That award goes to the Clutch.

Cost: $99.99

Get it: Boost Mobile’s website

Consumer Cellular: Nokia C3

This was an easy choice, because it’s the only QWERTY model that Consumer Cellular offers. Even though it’s the only option, it’s still a relatively high quality one. The buttons are big enough that tapping out thumb messages is relatively comfortable. The menu system is a bit clunky, but that’s to be expected from a non-smartphone. This phone does just fine for text messaging.

Cost: $45.00

Get it: Consumer Cellular’s website

Cricket: Samsung Comment

As with many phones on this list, the COmment looks like your standard BlackBerry. While we’d love to recommend the BlackBerry Curve, also available through Cricket, as a great texting phone, it misses the mark since it’s a smartphone. In terms of regular feature phones, though, the Comment works just fine. Its keyboard is well-spaced and comfortable, leaving heavy texters with plenty of room. It’s an added perk that Cricket’s plans all include unlimited text messaging. There are enough other features on this phone that for many people, it’s just about as good as a smartphone.

Cost: $39.99

Get it: Cricket’s website

kajeet: LG Rumor 2

If there’s one thing that’s clear, it’s that kajeet understands its audience. They cater to the tween crowd, and there might be no bigger group that loves text messaging. Whether that’s traditional SMS or instant messaging, it doesn’t matter. It’s clear that kajeet users are heavy messengers, and their handset lineup reflects that. You’ll actually have a hard time finding a phone that doesn’t have a QWERTY keyboard or a touchscreen. We prefer the LG Rumor 2. It’s an oder model, but it has a great horizontal slide-out keyboard. The layout means plenty of room for the thumbs to maneuver, which means fewer mistakes while texting. All the while, it slides up and fits into anyone’s pocket or purse.

Cost: $99.99

Get it: kajeet’s website

MetroPCS: Huawei Pinnacle

It might be an ugly bugger, but the Huawei Pinnacle is a great phone for tapping out text messages. It doesn’t do much else beyond basic communications, but it does provide great value. It also connects to social networking services, which means more ways you can use the QWERTY keyboard.

Cost: $9.00

Get it: MetroPCS’s website

Net10: LG501C

Net10 does have many other QWERTY models, and many of them could be better than the LG501C. Why pick it, then? Because it’s quite different. This list would be pretty boring if we listed the LG Rumor 2 twice, right? Net10 offers this thin QWERTY device, and it works well for what it is. The keyboard can get a little compact at times, but it feels oddly comfortable. We also like the navigation, which makes using the phone a lot easier.

Cost: $39.99

Get it: Net10′s website

Page Plus: Kyocera G2GO M2000

Page Plus doesn’t offer many of its own phones, but it does offer a pair of QWERTY models from Kyocera. Of them, we prefer the G2GO, because it’s a slider. Yes, that can mean more chances of breakage, but it also feels a lot more comfortable than the boxy Torino. It also has a nicer screen, so everything pretty much lands in the G2GO’s favor. Even the price.

Cost: $39.95

Get it: Page Plus’s website

PlatinumTel: Sanyo 2700

Again, this is an easy choice, since PlatinumTel’s only other QWERTY handset is the LG Rumor. The Sanyo 2700 is nice enough, though. The keyboard is very BlackBerry-like, with the buttons all having markers of sorts to make typing a bit easier. The entire phone looks something like a boxier BlackBerry. Of course, it won’t cost you nearly as much.

Cost: $69.99

Get it: PlatinumTel’s website

Straight Talk: Nokia E5

Here’s a tough one. Straight Talk considers the Nokia E71 a smartphone. That’s a tough designation these days, since it seems that only a select few platforms get that title. But that’s what they’re saying, so we’re moving onto the Nokia E5. It’s a nifty looking handset that features a usable QWERTY keyboard. It actually provides many smartphone-like features as well, including plenty of organizational tools. The 5-megapixel camera doesn’t hurt, either.

Cost: $149.99

Get it: Straight Talk’s website

T-Mobile: Samsung t359

T-Mobile has a large selection of non-contract phones, and many have QWERTY keyboards. But since the company has taken a more smartphone-centric direction with its prepaid unit, most of these don’t fit our criteria. The Samsung t349, however, is a nice alternative. It’s a slider with a touchscreen, and a surprisingly usable operating system. The keyboard is quite nice, too, as long as you can get used to the curve of it.

Cost: $50

Get it: T-Mobile’s website

Tracfone: See Net10

Verizon: Pantech Caper

It’s pretty much the same as AT&T’s Pantech Link II, but it has some subtle differences. The keyboard is quite nice on the Caper, as the keys are well-separated. Other than that, it’s your standard candybar QWERTY handset. It’s easy enough to navigate, which is a plus.

Cost: $79.99

Get it: Verizon’s website

Virgin Mobile: LG Rumor Touch

We end our list with a full touchscreen phone, but don’t mistake. It’s still a fewature phone. At the same time, it does provide access to many typical smartphone features, such as Twitter and Facebook, so there are plenty of ways to make use of the QWERTY keyboard. It slides out, too, so you can take advantage of the full screen on the face of the device.

Cost: $99.99

Get it: Virgin Mobile’s website

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America is texting more. Are you?

Joe — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 13:30:02 +0000

Text messaging appears to be one of the fastest growing communications media in America. For years we’ve heard stories of teens exchanging thousands of messages per month, so it appeared as though it had come close to peaking. Not even close. In fact, from 2007 to 2008, the number of texts sent in America more than doubled, going from an average of 188 per user to 407. Since young people tend to use text communication more than older people, it stands to reason that the average number of text messages per user will only rise for years to come. With that in mind, what are the best prepaid carriers for text messaging?

In one of our recently updated We Help You Decide features, we broke down the best prepaid carriers for text messaging. Check that out for a longer reference. For a quick look, the following carriers have unlimited text messaging options:

Some of these come as part of plans — Straight Talk, Cricket, MetroPCS, and PlatinumTel most prominently — but most of them offer some kind of unlimited text messaging add-on. How long is it before all the other carriers catch on to the fastest-growing trend in wireless?

This post originated at PrepaidReviews.com - The number one resource for Tracfone Prepaid information on the web!

Using text for love and romance

Joe — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 15:00:33 +0000

Do you flirt via text message? Come on. I know you do. I’m guilty myself. A few carefully-crafted words can go a long way. It appears that the majority of cell phone users are doing it, according to a recent survey. Of 1,000 respondents age 18 to 55, 67 percent said they used text messaging to flirt. So don’t try to act like you don’t. Also, 68 percent said they used it to send a love note. If you’re in a relationship, this is standard practice. It’s an especially effective medium during work hours, when a phone call might be inappropriate.

“People have discovered that there are moments when just the right text, sent at just the right time, can go a long way to keeping romance alive,” said Alecia Bridgwater, director of messaging for AT&T’s wireless unit, in a statement. “We wanted to understand more deeply how our customers were using text messaging in this way, and our study turned up some interesting insights.”

I have a few friends, as I’m sure you do, who despise text messaging. They complain that no one can take the time to pick up the phone any more. This reminds me of people who complained about cell phones and the Internet — and even landlines and the fax machines — saying that it takes away from face to face communications.

Personally, I think it’s an excellent medium. You can send off a short note when appropriate, just to stay in contact. You can converse when it’s inappropriate for one of the parties to be talking on the phone. And you can try to convince a lady friend to join you at a bar. You know, the bar where it’s way too loud to talk to someone on the phone.

Of course, the younger generations are far more likely to use text messaging in this way. As we grow older, though, and new generations grow up with text messaging, we’ll see its use spread even more.

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In case of emergency, don’t rely on SMS notification

Joe — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 12:30:36 +0000

Last year, when a bridge collapsed in Minnesota, officials advised citizens to use SMS in case of emergency, since it puts less strain on the network. It means more data can get through, which means more people stay in contact with friends and family in a time of crisis. However, according to a recent study, you should not rely on emergency communications from third parties. Not only are systems unable to deliver a large volume of messages quickly, but such a volume might become troublesome for other voice and SMS traffic on the network.

”SMS is touted as being able to deliver critical information during disaster events, and such services have been purchased by universities and municipalities hoping to protect the general public,” stated Patrick Traynor, Ph.D., Assistant Professor in the School of Computer Science at the Georgia Institute of Technology. ”Unfortunately, such systems typically will not work as advertised.”

Traynor even cites the Obama SMS campaign, in which he announced Joe Biden as his running mate.

”As reported by the media, we had a reasonably good demonstration of wide-scale text messaging efforts by the Obama campaign recently,” Traynor stated. ”However, even though the population participating in this campaign announcement was not necessarily as dense as a major disaster messaging effort, there were still significant message delivery issues reported similar to the ones described in my research paper.”

My question: What does this mean for the FCC? Earlier this year, they approved an emergency text message initiative.

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All sorts of text messaging records so far in 2008

Joe — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 12:30:18 +0000

It’s no wonder I’ve heard more than one marketer say that they covet SMS campaigns. Many disagree with them, I know, but it’s hard to deny how ubiquitous text messaging has become. In the first half of 2008, we set a few texting records, according to VeriSign Inc. (via RCR Wireless). The company delivered 95.4 billion text messages during the period, and broke records for single-day text messaging — 648 million — and the one-hour record of 42 million.

Colin Gibbs of RCR makes sure to remind us that we could be seeing a peak in SMS in the near future, as instant messaging via data plans seems to be the future of mobile messaging.

This post originated at PrepaidReviews.com - The number one resource for Tracfone Prepaid information on the web!

37 percent of Gen-Yers text while driving

Joe — Mon, 05 May 2008 12:30:50 +0000

I’m not sure if everyone else’s high school did this, but back when I was 16 they brought a drunk driving simulator to the parking lot. It was a car rigged so they could delay the reaction time between turning the wheel and them actually turning. We had fun trying to beat the system, and flattened a good share of cones in the process. I’m not sure if the students at Hermitage High School in Virginia did something like that when they simulated distracted driving situations. Among the distractions: Text messaging.

Turns out, 37 percent of Gen-Yers said that they send, and presumably read, text messages while driving. This is not good, especially as the National Highway Traffic Safety Admiinstration says that “distracted drivers account for nearly four out of five crashes in the U.S.”

I’m pretty sure we all know that texting and driving isn’t the safest practice. What will it take for people to stop? Search me. I’m a notorious red light texter. Is that bad?

via Switched via textually

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Texting to put criminals behind bars

Joe — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 15:00:05 +0000

When I was a lad, I’d always see and hear notices for Crime Stoppers, an anonymous law enforcement tip line. “Call 1-800-CRIMESTOPPERS. No one will ask your name,” was the slogan. So it appears that people are far more willing to tip off police anonymously. But with caller ID (not to mention call recording) being what it is, a good number of people might be paranoid about leaving such tips. But what if you could text message the tip? And what if your number was encrypted, so that the text was truly anonymous? That’s what TipSoft is aiming to find out.

TipSoft is making its way to 32 cities in the U.S., and sixteen in Canada. The idea is to provide law enforcement with leads to non-urgent matters. Clearly, if the situation needs immediate attention, dial 9-1-1. But for simple leads, TipSoft should do the trick.

The service also allows law enforcement to respond to these anonymous text messages. I suppose this uses some kind of shortcode routing. Officers can send messages back, even without knowing the information of the tipster. That seems to be the overarching theme of TipSoft: Complete anonymity.

“Due to the massive popularity of text messaging, we felt it was necessary to develop a secure and anonymous means of easy communication between mobile phone users and law enforcement,” said Kevin Anderson, CEO of Anderson Software. “With TipSoft SMS, everyday citizens will have the opportunity to offer an anonymous tip when they are mobile to a variety of law enforcement agencies via a simple text message.”

You can check out TipSoft for yourself at Crimestop.com.

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Voting by text message

Joe — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 15:03:57 +0000

It seems Samsung is in the survey business nowadays. Their latest one regards the upcoming presidential race. The idea of voting via text message has been brought up more than once. Clearly, this would increase the voter turnout. However, given the nature of the best, there’s plenty of room for abuse. This country can ill afford a situation where an election is called into question because of someone or someones tampering with the results. But according to Samsung’s survey, the abuse issue isn’t at the forefront of most people’s minds.

Sixty-one percent of respondents said they’d be open to voting by text message. Yeah, I’m open to it, too. I just have some big issues with how it will be implemented.

Samsung also polled 300 teenagers. And guess what? Eighty percent of them said that they’d rather text message their presidential vote — if they were allowed to vote in the first place — than go to the polls. Not exactly an optimistic voicing from the future of our country.

It’s not that text message voting is bad. It’s that we shouldn’t care about the ease of voting. And really, it’s not that hard. Or it shouldn’t be. You walk into the polling place, you go to your district, you show your ID, you go into the booth, and you pick your candidates. I understand that the process might be convoluted in some places. But simplifying it with text messaging just isn’t the answer.

This post originated at PrepaidReviews.com - The number one resource for Tracfone Prepaid information on the web!

How to block incoming text messages

Joe — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 17:13:06 +0000

In the cellular world, spam isn’t free. On your computer, it’s a mere annoyance. But when you receive unsolicited messages on your cell phone, it costs money. So if you’re not one of the many who have text messaging bundles, you’re going to need a way to filter out these messages. But how?

The problem is that this varies by carrier. Surprising as it may be, many carriers don’t offer you the option of blocking text messages from a certain number. Logic dictates that this should be a service offered by carriers, if for no other reason than to curb harassing communication.

Some carriers don’t even allow you the option to block text messages at all. This seems a bit odd as well. Some people genuinely do not want to use text messaging. Since they clearly would not be subscribing to a messaging bundle, they’d be charged for each text sent to them.

Take my mother for instance. She hasn’t a clue how to text message. But when I went to help her with her phone, I found a number of them in her inbox. They were from friends and family, and with good intentions. However, my mother was not aware of their presence. She was obviously charged for these text messages. If she had the ability to turn text messaging off — which makes sense, because she doesn’t use the feature — she wouldn’t have been charged.

Blocking texts from a specific phone number

Did you know that of the carriers I talked to from our pay-as-you-go phone providers, only one has the ability to block text messages from an individual number? That would be Alltel. They have a feature called Message Register, which allows you to block communications from specific people. Why other carriers don’t implement this kind of feature, I’ll never know.

So if you’re getting harassing text messages, you’d better hope you’re on Alltel. If not, your options are precious few. Actually, there’s only one option: Turn off text messaging completely. And even then, there’s no guarantee that your provider can do that.

Turn it off totally

A few carriers do allow you to completely turn off your text messaging functions. With it turned off, you’re effectively blocking text messages, and thereby will not be charged for them.

So if you’re a customer of Verizon, AT&T, or Virgin Mobile, you can call customer service and have them shut off your text messaging feature. And that will be the end of that.

The prepaid unlimited carriers are similar. You can turn off text messaging in total, but not block from certain numbers. Not that turning off text messaging will save you money. It’s all unlimited with Cricket and MetroPCS, so turning off text messaging only serves to hinder annoyances.

You’ll get text messages whether you like it or not

Are you a customer of T-Mobile or Boost? Well, then you’re just going to have to deal with annoying text messages. Neither company will shut off your text messaging, no matter how many harassing text messages you receive.

I don’t understand how this is good company policy. Yes, there is money to be made in SMS. But there’s further money to be made in customer satisfaction. This goes doubly for prepaid. If a customer does not like a service, he or she can walk away.

So if you don’t plan to use SMS, it might not be a good idea to go with Boost or T-Mo. Even if you don’t give out your number — which could help ensure that you don’t get charged for text messages — there’s always the possibility that you’re inheriting the number of a big texter.

What about Tracfone

What would an article about prepaid providers be without the nation’s No. 1 carrier? They’re left off to a section of their own because I found it difficult to get a straight answer out of them. Yes, they said, you can block SMS messages. “There are ways to do it,” said the representative. But when I pressed for specifics, I was stonewalled.

The solution with Tracfone: Buy one of their old phones which don’t support SMS. Yeah, they’re archaic, but they ensure that you won’t incur charges for unwanted messages — because you won’t be able to receive them in the first place.

A note about shortcodes

I’ve seen forum posts which claim that you can text message “B [phone number you wish to block]” to shortcode 8888. I have not heard any confirmation of this, nor have I tried it myself. Has anyone else? It seems to me that if this does work, it doesn’t block the text message at the carrier’s switch. Which means that you’ll still be charged, even if you don’t ever receive the message.

Blocking text message spam

If it’s not an individual you’re after, but rather it’s text message spam you want to stop, there is a way. Carriers do offer an option where you can block emails coming to you via an Internet protocol. Since spam is mostly sent en masse through teh Internet, blocking Internet-based messages will curb your daily dose of SMS spam.

You can also block text messages coming to your phone number @ your carrier.com (e.g., 1234567890@t-mobile.com). This is another frequent source of spam.

Report spam

In any event, should you receive text message spam, you should immediately report it to your service provider. Many of them, like Verizon, will give you a credit for the spam message. Not all carriers do this, but even if they don’t, still make sure to inform them of spam. Hey, maybe it will help them wake up one day and do more about it.

We all hate spam. So let’s do all we can to eradicate ourselves of it.

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Can text messaging bring together parents and teens?

Joe — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 14:44:26 +0000

When you’re not a teenager, communicating with one is a hassle, to say the least. If you’re younger, you’re considered a lesser being and accordingly scorned. If you’re older, you’re out of touch — and that’s a nice way of putting it. Really, teenagers think that their elders are a bunch of idiots who have clearly never gone through what they’re going through. (It feels good when they finally come around, right?) Apparently, though, if you communicate via their medium of choice — that is, text messaging — they might actually be receptive. Go figure.

This comes from the results of a survey by Samsung. They find that 68 percent of parents communicate with their kids via text message. And over half of teenagers say that they communicate with their parents more often through text messaging. This is about the same percentage that think that their relationship with parents has been improved since they started texting. Slightly fewer parents agree, but it’s still very close.

I can see how this makes sense. Text messaging is a passive communications medium. You can tap out a quick text message to your parents letting them know you’re okay, and no one is the wiser. Whereas if you have to call to update your parents, you have to leave the group for a moment.

Teens don’t want their peers to know that they’re attached to their parents. They want to seem independent. So by communicating via text, teens can keep in touch with their parents, and at the same time retain their veil of independence among friends.

This post originated at PrepaidReviews.com - The number one resource for Tracfone Prepaid information on the web!