Many, including me, assume that this means the device is coming soon. There’s no guarantee of that, but it’s a pretty safe assumption. But why the delay? That’s an interesting question on which we can only speculate. Reading through that thread on HoFo, some people have heard that Straight Talk will offer up a third plan once they release the R810. That would help account for heavier data usages, since the R810 is more capable than any other phone in the ST lineup.

Adding a $50 unlimited everything plan could benefit Straight Talk. They recently upgraded the $45 plan to include unlimited data, but that’s for the WAP data used by most of their current handsets. The R810 would be much heavier on data. Adding what amounts to a $5 option for smartphone data would be a good move, though I wonder if it will be that cheap, or if they’ll have to go to $55 or $60. Remember, they’re running on the Verizon network, and the last thing Verizon wants is for Straight Talk to poach its customers.

We’ll probably find out more about the R810 and any new data plans during the month.

This post originated at PrepaidReviews.com - The number one resource for NET 10 Prepaid information on the web!

Samsung R810 nearing a release on Straight Talk?

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Samsung R810 nearing a release on Straight Talk?

Earlier this year, Tracfone introduced its first Samsung handsets. Among them was the T301g, pictured to the left. The lightly featured phone originally went for $50, but it appears that Sears will discount it for Black Friday to $24.99, so half off. If you were thinking about this phone, or any Tracfone, it might be best to wait until the day after Thanksgiving.

The other handset is the Samsung T401g, which is now available from Net10. It is a GSM handset, so it is only available in some locations. To find out if you are in a Net10 GSM market, go to Net10’s website and enter your ZIP code. If the T401g shows up, you’re in a GSM market. If you’re like me, in a CDMA market, you will not see the handset.

The handset costs $79.99, but a Howard Forums member was kind enough to point out two promo codes which can save you $8. You can use the promo codes 34567 for a $3 discount, and 44477 for another $5 off.

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Net10 adds handset, Tracfone discounts one

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Net10 adds handset, Tracfone discounts one

In our Straight Talk user reviews, I’ve seen a number of people mention purchasing the device at Wal-Mart. But if the deal was announced today, how can that be? Apparently those users are from Dallas or Atlanta, where Wal-Mart stores featured a trial run of Straight Talk. The experiment has gone well enough for Wal-Mart to expand it nationwide. This was inevitable; cost-conscious consumers are naturally attracted to Straight Talk’s low-cost, high-capacity service plans. Look for Straight Talk at Wal-Mart locations nationwide starting October 18.

Perhaps the most affected carrier in this is Cricket wireless, which recently announced a big box retail strategy. Cricket currently has distribution deals with Target and Best Buy, and they have said that more announcements will come. After yesterday’s Straight Talk announcement, Lund commented that the company planned to announce a distribution deal with Wal-Mart within a week. It sounds odd to hear an official spokesperson — Lund is the Director of Corporate Communications — announce a deal unofficially, but it seemed of necessity in this situation.

Still, Cricket could find trouble. Straight Talk operates on the Verizon Wireless network, which provides nationwide coverage. Cricket, while it does have roaming deals, only provides regional coverage. The advantage the hold is that their $40 plan is about as comprehensive as Straight Talk’s $45 plan. Cricket also has a $45 PAYGo plan that includes unlimited Web.

If you plan to buy either a Cricket or a Straight Talk phone from Wal-Mart, remember that Wal-Mart will only sell you two prepaid phones. Sad, but true in most instances.

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Wal-Mart to sell Straight Talk, not that big a deal

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Wal-Mart to sell Straight Talk, not that big a deal

Straight Talk customers no longer have to worry about their data consumption. When the service launched earlier this year, it offered unlimited minutes, messages, and 411 calls, plus 30 MB of data for $45 per month. Starting now, they’ve lifted the limit on data, making everything in the plan unlimited. The data limit upgrade gives Straight Talk two competitive advantages against Page Plus, which offers similarly styled service plans. Straight Talk not only has the unlimited 411, but now unlimited data, while Page Plus limits data to 20MB for its unlimited plan, and does not have unlimited 411. The plan is available now on Straight Talk’s website.

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Straight Talk expands unlimited plan to include data

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Straight Talk expands unlimited plan to include data

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Tracfone suing another handset reseller

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Tracfone suing another handset reseller

FierceWireless references a report by Pali Research saying that Straight Talk is doing quite well in Atlanta. This is no surprise. Yet, has Tracfone implemented a marketing plan in the ATL that they haven’t in the rest of the nation? From the FierceWirless summary:

He also noted in a blog post that Wal-Mart employees seemed knowledgeable about the plan, and that they were pointing out to customers that the plan runs on Verizon’s network. Several Wal-Mart employees said the majority of their prepaid wireless sales had already shifted to Straight Talk. Piecyk said that TracFone commercials promoting the plan appeared to be playing in heavy rotation on local television stations.

It’s really no surprise that sales people know about the plan. It was probably promoted as a big winner by Wal-Mart store managers. Plus, there’s really not much to remember. Unlimited voice and text, plus 30 MB of data, for $45 per month, and it runs on the Verizon network. That’s it. I wonder if there’s as much promotion for Straight Talk’s $30 plan, which provides 1,000 minutes, 1,000 texts, and 30 MB of data. That’s the one I like.

Of course, Straight Talk catching on it’s objectively great. Remember, it’s on a six-month trial with Verizon, so if they see too much volume, the offering could get nixed. We’ll have a better idea early next year.

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Is Straight Talk catching on?

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Is Straight Talk catching on?

John Hodulik of UBS noted that only 12 million of 50 million total U.S. prepaid subscribers are on an unlimited plan. “As unlimited prepaid service becomes more widely available, we expect many traditional prepaid customers will switch, since the economics of traditional prepaid are inferior to those of unlimited prepaid,” he said. That could mean growth all around. It also helps explain why we’ve seen so many carriers debut unlimited plans in recent months.

Chandan Sarkar of Auriga USA noted that the fears were overblown because Straight Talk went with a $45 price point for their unlimited plan, rather than $30 — a plan which still provides 1,000 minutes and 1,000 texts per month. “While some view the new plan as adding more pricing pressure to the U.S. wireless market, we view it as less severe than the worst-case scenario that would have unfolded if the $30 plan had been adopted widely,” he said.

Matters, it appears, have returned to normal…for now. Soon enough someone’s going to come in and change the landscape, whether that’s through price or service. However, that won’t be something to panic over — that is, unless you’re an investor in one of the companies that doesn’t keep up.

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New prepaid unlimited plans causing market volatility

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New prepaid unlimited plans causing market volatility

It appears Tracfone is serious about their new Straight Talk service. A few weeks ago we first heard of the service and its $30 plan, which provides 1,000 minutes and 1,000 text messages, plus unlimited 411 and 30 MB of data. They have a new promotion, and it’s got the industry abuzz. For $45 per month, you can get unlimited minutes and text messages, plus 30 MB of data and unlimited 411 for $45. Like the 1,000 minute plan, the unlimited service option lasts 30 days. You can check out the offering at Straight Talk’s website.

Update: Commenter Peter points out that the unlimited plan is on a six-month trial. Understandably, Verizon doesn’t want Straight Talk stealing all its customers. So if Verizon doesn’t see a mass exodus, and doesn’t see a severe uptick in network traffic, we could see this stick around. For now, though, figure this has a six-month sunset clause.

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Straight Talk adds $45 unlimited plan

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Straight Talk adds $45 unlimited plan

In article in The Republican, a newspaper in Massachusetts, notes that just 39 percent of eligible people have taken advantage of SafeLink. That doesn’t mean that people don’t want it. Rather, it more likely means they are not aware.

The Repubican article, while seemingly critical, follows the story of Edward Collins, a 48-year-old Massachusetts resident who has taken advantage of the program. He sees this as a temporary boon, something he can use to get on his feet while he trains for an information technology job. This is a perfect example of SafeLink’s aim.

Detractors, however, note that the subsidy for these free phones come from taxpayers. State Rep. Donald F. HUmanson Jr. said, “We are having everybody else pay a fee to provide cell phones to other people.” Worse, Massachusetts residents paid in roughly $115 million more into the program, in the form of the Universal Service Fund, than they received back. That, however, misunderstands the USF.

The USF is more than providing service to those in need. It also helps build out rural networks, which larger, profit-minded carriers won’t touch because of the cost of operation vs. expected revenue. While cell phone users might resent paying a tax for the purpose of serving others, it is still necessary to serve the whole country, not just select parts.

While the gripes are noted, and they are certainly legitimate, the benefits are real. Rural areas need cellular coverage, too. If profit-minded companies will not build out networks there, who will? The American tax payer. Alternate solutions are welcome.

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Tracfone offers SafeLink in New Hampshire

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Tracfone offers SafeLink in New Hampshire

The plan is quite attractive, actually, It includes 1,000 minutes, 1,000 text and multimedia messages, 30 megabytes of data, and unlimited 411 calls for $30 per month. That’s quite the haul. USA Today reports that this will run on Verizon’s CDMA network. As we learned from Page Plus, the Verizon-Alltel merger providers a larger service area to these MVNOs.

It’s not quite unlimited, but the deal is undeniably attractive. It’s less than the Boost Unlimited plan, has nationwide CDMA coverage, and provides more than enough minutes and messages for even heavy users. The small chunk of data is a bonus, as users can browse headlines and sports scores from their handsets.

As with Tracfone and Net10, Straight Talk will not provide the best of handsets. There are two Motorola mainstays, the W385 and the RAZR V3A, plus the bland LG200. Still, it’s a great deal if you’re not a data-intensive user. Then again, it means dealing with the reputedly horrible Tracfone customer service if something goes wrong. It’s a game of balance, though, and on the plan end of that, this one is unbeatable.

You can sign up for Straight Talk at their website. We’ll have a review up shortly.

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Tracfone introduces discount service provider Straight Talk

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Tracfone introduces discount service provider Straight Talk