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    Default Advice Needed: Seems I'm Getting A Smartphone

    My brother just called, seems he won a Virgin Mobile phone at golf outing yesterday. He wants me to have it and he'll pay for the phone service, it bothers him that I work late at night and don't have phone in car. He asked which plan I want, told him cheapest. He said, "I don't think so, I think you'll use the data for internet and perhaps texting. Look at the comprehensive plans and choose." So it seems for $35 a month one gets 300 minutes, $45 gives 1200 minutes. That makes sense, no? He thought so.

    Here's my question, is the data thing necessary to get apps and such? I like the idea that I can be at the grocery and add to my coupons or check on them.

    Anyhow, the phone is Kyocera Rise with the pull out keyboard, 'querty?'. Anyone know how that works? The reviews on Amazon look good.


    "The government is a child that has found their parents credit card, and spends knowing that they never have to reconcile the bill with their own money"-Shannon Churchill


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    Quote Originally Posted by Kathianne View Post
    My brother just called, seems he won a Virgin Mobile phone at golf outing yesterday. He wants me to have it and he'll pay for the phone service, it bothers him that I work late at night and don't have phone in car. He asked which plan I want, told him cheapest. He said, "I don't think so, I think you'll use the data for internet and perhaps texting. Look at the comprehensive plans and choose." So it seems for $35 a month one gets 300 minutes, $45 gives 1200 minutes. That makes sense, no? He thought so.

    Here's my question, is the data thing necessary to get apps and such? I like the idea that I can be at the grocery and add to my coupons or check on them.

    Anyhow, the phone is Kyocera Rise with the pull out keyboard, 'querty?'. Anyone know how that works? The reviews on Amazon look good.
    Most carriers require you to have even a minimal data plan if you get a Smart phone.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Kathianne View Post
    My brother just called, seems he won a Virgin Mobile phone at golf outing yesterday. He wants me to have it and he'll pay for the phone service, it bothers him that I work late at night and don't have phone in car. He asked which plan I want, told him cheapest. He said, "I don't think so, I think you'll use the data for internet and perhaps texting. Look at the comprehensive plans and choose." So it seems for $35 a month one gets 300 minutes, $45 gives 1200 minutes. That makes sense, no? He thought so.

    Here's my question, is the data thing necessary to get apps and such? I like the idea that I can be at the grocery and add to my coupons or check on them.

    Anyhow, the phone is Kyocera Rise with the pull out keyboard, 'querty?'. Anyone know how that works? The reviews on Amazon look good.
    Yes, 1200 minutes makes sense depending on how much you're on the phone. 'QWERTY' keyboard; just like your computer. You can save data by downloading on your home wifi and not use minutes by calling after 7? or whatever they call "after hours." But congratulations, your new phone is better than mine. You might even be able to drop your land line and port that number to your cell; we did that 5 years ago.
    "when socialism fails, blame capitalism and demand more socialism." - A friend
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    Quote Originally Posted by Marcus Aurelius View Post
    Most carriers require you to have even a minimal data plan if you get a Smart phone.
    That wasn't the issue. Will it be worth having 'unlimited' data and whatever? How are these used?


    "The government is a child that has found their parents credit card, and spends knowing that they never have to reconcile the bill with their own money"-Shannon Churchill


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    I use mine a lot more than I ever thought. Using it right now. And I also use wifi whenever I can. You definitely need data plan for apps etc

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    Quote Originally Posted by Kathianne View Post
    That wasn't the issue. Will it be worth having 'unlimited' data and whatever? How are these used?
    Depends on how much you'll use surfing and if text messages contain pictures and such. I get 10gig of data transfer and have never come close to the limits, but I don't use the mobile much. If affordable, unlimited will certainly give you peace of mind, and then go nuts on the phone without worries!
    “You know the world is going crazy when the best rapper is a white guy, the best golfer is a black guy, the tallest guy in the NBA is Chinese, the Swiss hold the America's Cup, France is accusing the U.S. of arrogance, Germany doesn't want to go to war, and the three most powerful men in America are named "Bush", "Dick", and "Colin." Need I say more?” - Chris Rock

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    In general, I don't like texting as a means of communication. All of the problems of the internet, with family and friends? No thanks. Too many ways to be misunderstood. I can see texting to say, I'm leaving now or stuck in traffic, that's about it.

    However, while I had one of the first 'smart phones' back when, I really only used it as phone and speaker phone and to check weather.

    Now it seems that apps are everywhere. Then I read news from internet. So, yes, it seems that $45 a month is reasonable and can't see using more than 1200 minutes a month on voice, since I still am keeping my home phone, unless by some miracle I can hear well on the mobile.


    "The government is a child that has found their parents credit card, and spends knowing that they never have to reconcile the bill with their own money"-Shannon Churchill


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    Quote Originally Posted by Kathianne View Post
    That wasn't the issue. Will it be worth having 'unlimited' data and whatever? How are these used?
    Depends on the cost. I have a family plan with Verizon, and a 4gig data plan. We generally used about 70% on average each month. We're constantly texting and online though.

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    Quote Originally Posted by WiccanLiberal View Post
    I use mine a lot more than I ever thought. Using it right now. And I also use wifi whenever I can. You definitely need data plan for apps etc
    Most smart phones can be set to use your homes WiFi automatically when it's in range, to save on the data plan usage.

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    My wife uses less than 1 gb data per month and she's not that good about using wifi when available, so I'd say you don't need unlimited data. I do have unlimited data, and probably don't need it; however, Verizon no longer offers it so I'm hesitant to drop it. But you can usually change your plan, (and I've even done so after getting stuck with international roaming charges and received it retroactively)-- so I'd say start low and monitor your usage.
    He who learns must suffer. And even in our sleep pain that cannot forget falls drop by drop upon the heart, and in our own despair, against our will, comes wisdom to us by the awful grace of God.AeschylusRead more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/qu...zeMUwcpY1Io.99

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    Quote Originally Posted by Kathianne View Post
    My brother just called, seems he won a Virgin Mobile phone at golf outing yesterday. He wants me to have it and he'll pay for the phone service, it bothers him that I work late at night and don't have phone in car. He asked which plan I want, told him cheapest. He said, "I don't think so, I think you'll use the data for internet and perhaps texting. Look at the comprehensive plans and choose." So it seems for $35 a month one gets 300 minutes, $45 gives 1200 minutes. That makes sense, no? He thought so.

    Here's my question, is the data thing necessary to get apps and such? I like the idea that I can be at the grocery and add to my coupons or check on them.

    Anyhow, the phone is Kyocera Rise with the pull out keyboard, 'querty?'. Anyone know how that works? The reviews on Amazon look good.
    I asked my carrier about a smartphone. Apparently it will triple my bill. The closest I will get to a smartphone is a Nexus 7 and wheel into a McDonald's or Starbucks parking lot if I need internet.
    Experienced Social Distancer ... waaaay before COVID.

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    Quote Originally Posted by logroller View Post
    My wife uses less than 1 gb data per month and she's not that good about using wifi when available, so I'd say you don't need unlimited data. I do have unlimited data, and probably don't need it; however, Verizon no longer offers it so I'm hesitant to drop it. But you can usually change your plan, (and I've even done so after getting stuck with international roaming charges and received it retroactively)-- so I'd say start low and monitor your usage.
    Have to echo LRs comments there. It's good advice. You'll probably find your data usage going up over time as you use the phone for other things at which point you can always upgrade to another plan. My wife and I currently have 6GB/month. At first we averaged a little over 1GB between the both of us. Now we are usually over 3GB every month.
    It's all the "smart" stuff that the phone can do that starts to reel you in.

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    Quote Originally Posted by tailfins View Post
    I asked my carrier about a smartphone. Apparently it will triple my bill. The closest I will get to a smartphone is a Nexus 7 and wheel into a McDonald's or Starbucks parking lot if I need internet.
    Virgin Mobile is 'no contract,' that's important to me as it would lock my brother in, not me. They have some 'pay as you go plans,' but he wants me to be able to use it for reading news and stuff like that. He also wants to know what he'll be paying monthly.

    He asked me before but I turned him down, I figured I didn't need to have one. However since he won the phone, he's insistent. He already has one from work and another from home, his wife has 3. Why? Only she knows! LOL! Then again, she's the one with 3 chihuahuas. As I said in OP, lowest monthly plan has unlimited data and messaging, but only 300 minutes. $45 gives unlimited data and messaging and 1200 minutes. I'm unlikely to go over that, I'd use my home phone for such.

    http://www.virginmobileusa.com/why-choose-us/


    "The government is a child that has found their parents credit card, and spends knowing that they never have to reconcile the bill with their own money"-Shannon Churchill


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    Quote Originally Posted by logroller View Post
    My wife uses less than 1 gb data per month and she's not that good about using wifi when available, so I'd say you don't need unlimited data. I do have unlimited data, and probably don't need it; however, Verizon no longer offers it so I'm hesitant to drop it. But you can usually change your plan, (and I've even done so after getting stuck with international roaming charges and received it retroactively)-- so I'd say start low and monitor your usage.
    I'm unsure what you are saying here, that your wife's usage and mine are somehow connected? Sort of a vagina duologue or something?

    Quote Originally Posted by Thunderknuckles View Post
    Have to echo LRs comments there. It's good advice. You'll probably find your data usage going up over time as you use the phone for other things at which point you can always upgrade to another plan. My wife and I currently have 6GB/month. At first we averaged a little over 1GB between the both of us. Now we are usually over 3GB every month.
    It's all the "smart" stuff that the phone can do that starts to reel you in.
    All the plans include unlimited data and messaging. The difference between the plans was minutes of voice. $10 difference gave 4X the minutes, from 300 to 1200.

    My question was how is data used? Apps? Viewing online? Etc.


    "The government is a child that has found their parents credit card, and spends knowing that they never have to reconcile the bill with their own money"-Shannon Churchill


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    four of us on a family plan.....I use my smart phone for phone calls, GPS, reading books, email.....I hardly use any data, my wife even less.......my son listens to Pandora for music a lot......we have a 5gig plan and generally don't even come close to using 3.......

    but, if you were on a 4G network and watched a HD movie on your cell phone you could burn off 6Gig in one movie.....\\(oh, and I recently gave up my office landline and ported my office number to my cellphone.....now the bill for all four on the family plan is less than the old bill for my office).......
    Last edited by PostmodernProphet; 06-14-2013 at 09:54 PM.
    ...full immersion.....

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