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View Full Version : More help on prepaid phones...



mudder17
08-09-2007, 10:05 PM
We currently have STI Mobile and for the most part, I've been happy with it, but it seems to have trouble with reception every time I'm in a store--Target, Michael's, Walmart, WF, grocery store, it doesn't seem to matter. It's frustrating because one of our primary uses (other than for coordinating pick-up) is when I'm out shopping and need to contact my DH.

So I'm possibly looking for a different carrier assuming

1) The price/minute is not significantly different (more) than STI-Mobile (currently 10 cents a minute).

2) Start-up is not going to be much. With STI-Mobile, the phones were free with rebate, so something like this would be great. Or if we could just use our current LG phones, that would work, too.

3) Good reception--basically, I want to be able to use the phone when I'm inside a building!

4) I would like to be able to use the phone in MD, CA, FL, MI, NM...basically I want to be able to make more than "local" calls.

Basically DH has said he's game for us switching if it's not going to cost us much to do so.

TIA!
Eileen

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annex
08-09-2007, 11:03 PM
My guess is you shouldn't make compatibility with your current LG phones a priority, as they could be the reason why you aren't getting good reception. LG from what I've read isn't the best manufacturer. Nokia and Motorola tend to be better in terms of getting better signals. Do you know anyone else on STI in your area who has non-LG phones who could check this possibility for you?

Alternately, it could be that the CDMA towers used by STI for their network aren't great in your area no matter what phone you have, so you'd be better off switching to a carrier using GSM technology (which would also mean getting new GSM phones.) T-Mobile and AT&T/Cingular are the major GSM players.

This is the comparison chart I use when researching prepaid:
http://www.cellguru.net/prepaid_compare.htm

I think the best bargain personally is T-Mobile To Go. For startup, you can get their basic Nokia 6030 phone (it looks like currently on their site its $40, but I've got my for $30 so you may want to keep an eye on it). It has great reception and battery life. To get the 10 cent/min rate you need to buy $100 in airtime and thus become a "Gold Rewards" member. Target often has sales on T-Mobile cards (I got $100 in airtime for only $80 a few months ago.) Adding $100 also gives you a one-year expiration date, so if you go awhile between refills you aren't in danger of losing your minutes. And unlike the AT&T/Cingular prepaid plan, you don't have to add $100 every year, you can do less and still get the 1-year expiration once you are Gold Rewards. And T-Mobile has been adding more and more roaming coverage, so you should have coverage just about anywhere in the US, unlike many other prepaids which don't offer roaming.

Good luck with this choice! It is quite a lot to choose from.