Reply With QuoteNoticed on their FAQ's that MMS is basically counted as data and you can receive international calls, but you cannot make them.
|
|
|
|
|
My screen is bigger than yours
Just what the title says. This looked important enough to deserve its very own thread, at least for a little while.
Okay, this is a slightly different take on Straight Talk. If a Hofo mod wants to combine it all under one roof, change the title to Straight Talk in general because the original ST thread only covered the first ST plan at $30.
Thanks to Hofo member Star Trac for uncovering this gem. I revealed some bubbling under the news that an unlimited version of Straight Talk was in the works for July 6, but Star Trac got the REAL DEAL and CONFIRMED it.
http://www.straighttalk.com/ServicePlans Way to go Star Trac.
Unlimited talk and text on Verizon's network. It's still under investigation whether it is the Post or pre Alltel network for coverage, but at such a pricepoint /bargain wise...it's not going to matter to those who ARE covered.
Page Plus, Air Voice Express, Locus H20 and all the other Verizon Mvnos must not be very happy to see this. Okay, match their prices then!
I 'm hoping this shakes up Metro, Cricket, and especially those two Ne'er do wells of Prepaid wireless: Virgin Mobile USA and Boost Mobile iden/walkie talkie.
Despite their current limitations (three phones, etc) , this has gone fast and furious. Verizon is taking more chances then it ever has in its prepaid offerings, Mvno or not.
They are showing that they are absolutely willing to go head to head price wise with ANYONE in the industry, albeit with longtime prepaid mvno heavyweight Tracfone in their corner. Cheap unlimited on the Verizon network has been what I thought would be a never seen Holy Grail of prepaid wireless and BOOM, here it is.
This makes me wonder how Tracfone's stock will look in the next couple of days.
The more this kind of things happen, the more it confirms that Verizon realizes that prepaid is dead serious business. So much for their recent "disinterest" in that area.
Hopefully, Page Plus Cellular and Verizon Prepaid will make some kind of move to at least approach if not outright match this offer.
We'll see...
Exciting news for sure.
I can see Verizon/Tracfone yelling together at the top of their lungs:
"CAN YOU HEAR US NOW?!"
Loud and clear. LOUD and CLEAR.
I've got more phones than fingers
Noticed on their FAQ's that MMS is basically counted as data and you can receive international calls, but you cannot make them.
Banned
http://www.straighttalk.com/CoverageOriginally Posted by gestaltent
Pre-Alltel merger coverage
Phone Collector
Some people are reporting that they are getting alltel coverage even though the official map clearly shows pre-alltel coverage. As this launches and more people sign up, we'll have a better idea of coverage.
This is going to rock the wireless market. Once Wall Street gets wind of this, you can expect Verizon's stock to take a hit. Frankly, all of the wireless companies will get hit. This could truly be a destabilizing event.
I've climbed a cellphone tower
Not THAT earth shattering.
1. Price is $45 plus fees and taxes. That should push it well over the $50 mark, probably to $55. That does not compare favorably to Boost, IDen or CDMA, which is $50 including fees and taxes (and can be brought to $46 TOTAL by purchasing re-boost cards off ebay.)
2. Web (Data) is only 30 MB per month, which is a joke. Many people go through that in a couple of days. With Boost, Cricket and MetroPCS you get unlimited data with their "unlimited" plans.
3. There are only 3 mediocre phones available for this.
4. The web site is atrocious. The person who threw it together should be fired.
5. Tracfone is NOT a good name in the business, quite the opposite actually (rep for terrible customer service.) Verizon is not mentioned as a tie-in or in any way prominently factors into the offering. That hurts the Straight-Talk brand.
So far the unlimited plan is not very impressive, but if they drop the silly 30MB data restriction and make data unlimited (like everybody else) and if better phones are offered (or, better yet, existing CDMA phones can be incorporated) then people may give it another look. All in all, given the above factors, I don't think this will come near the 1st quarter performance of Boost and Metro for Q2, but we shall see. Not very impressed thus far with this "unlimited" plan.
My screen is bigger than yours
That doesn't sound to me like too much extra to pay for a Verizon MVNO over the competitors that you name. You do have some good points, though
If you lived in this signature, you'd be home by now.
Post Machine
It might not be earth shattering but it is a great deal, even if the phones are not so hot.
I just canceled my landline not too long ago, I received a lot of calls on it but only made 5-10 calls a month [local] and my bill was always $26-$30. I DID NOT even have any features attached to it like Caller ID or Long distance, or even Call waiting... it was the barebones landline service. *
Add $15 to that cost and you now have UNLIMITED calling you can take where you want with UNLIMITED texting and UNLIMITED 411 PLUS features like caller ID, Call waiting?
+ It's from one of the most expensive wireless carriers in the Nation.... and one of the best networks (Its hard to say if AT&T is better than VZW)
$45... great deal.
If you have good credit and sign up for 2 years you wont be paying less than $120 every month for the same thing. Unlimited plan = $100 + $20 texting + some data + some 411 + LOTS more taxes.. Easily $140.
Like I said before, the only reason now people have to be with AT&T or Verizon is if they want some fancy phone (Blackberry, iPhone, Android--- for the most part) -- I am using a Curve on Boost mobile and my last month cost me $45.
* I ported the landline # to a AT&T Tracfone, so I still know when someone calls, and I simply call them back on my cell, or answer it if I know it will be a short call. Total cost so far = $35 and I still have a year of service days left.
Im not here to argue, I am a boost customer now.1. Price is $45 plus fees and taxes. That should push it well over the $50 mark, probably to $55. That does not compare favorably to Boost, IDen or CDMA, which is $50 including fees and taxes (and can be brought to $46 TOTAL by purchasing re-boost cards off ebay.)
If the tax on the $30 ST plan was $2-$3 I dont think it will be $10 on a $45 plan. If you calculate the percentage that I posted here:
http://www.howardforums.com/showthread.php?t=1545463
$2.58 tax on $30 is less than 9%, so we will use 9%Originally Posted by Fone-Review Also, my first 30 days of service came out to $32.58 after they added taxes and fees. Keith
9% of $45 is not even $5, so it would be less than $50.
Based on Keith's area, the ST plan would be less than $50 with tax. Exact amount? It would be $48.87 if my math is correct.. using 8.6% tax.
The next question for Keith is: Is sales tax in or around your location ~ 8%? Or are there other "fees" added to the ST plan? Sales tax in my location is ~ 6%.
Nonetheless competition is ALWAYS a great thing to have. Competition is what brings you better service and better prices. Boost has already mentioned it on Facebook! Maybe this will drive Boost to do something else... better service? More coverage? More features? Cheaper international? Better phones? More phones? Who knows, but competition is great... and its what got us these rates in the first place!
Home ISP, RR-Ultimate WiFi, $90/mo | Verizon 4G, $30/mo Unlimited
School, $5,000/semester | Work
I've got more phones than fingers
I think it won't be long before someone reports that they are using a more advanced cdma fone on ST. Probably after doing an illegal esn change (hack).
I don't have an ST fone but from what I have heard there is no real proprietary ST software on it (like trac and net10 handsets have).
I recently tested the "don't mention a PP Dealer by name" rule here on PP Hofo......trust me, it is still in effect - got me a 7 day ban.
Post Machine
Yep, time will tell.
But seriously, AT&T has how many customers? 77,000,000+
Verizon has 80,000,000+
How many of those ~ 157,000,000+ customers are using a iPhone, G1, Storm, Curve, Pre, or other advanced phone you cant use on prepaid? I doubt even 25%.
I know some people may just be a addon to a family plan with a cheapie.... but people need to be more aware of what they are doing now. People shop for houses, cars, and where they buy everything else... its time to look at your cell phones.
I love the iPhone, and wouldnt mind having one on AT&T but I cant get myself to go back to the $100+ bill every month when I know I can get just as good of service for half the cost.
Im using a Blackberry Curve! 8350i, on Boost mobile and its UNLIMITED, although the service is not 100% perfect, its well worth the $43-$46/month with tax.
Was thinking Cricket, but now with this ST there is no reason I would go to Cricket unless they lowered prices. I think they will need to.
Mobile Pro
On the $30 plan, I was charged $2.05 for tax, and $0.52 for the Federal Universal Service Charge. By my math, that should be $32.57, but they charged me $32.58. There must be some rounding going on.
Also, in regards to point 5 in the post by georgepa, although Verizon does not seem to be mentioned on the Straighttalk.com, there is a logo on the packaging for my phone that says "Network powered by Verizon Wireless". I have a picture of the packaging in my straight talk initial review on my blog, and you can see the logo on the top left part of the box. It shows the logo again on the reverse side of the front flap of the box.
In regards to the pre-Alltel coverage, my Straight Talk phone worked just fine in rural areas in southwest Missouri that are only covered by Alltel towers.
Keith
www.fone-review.com
Mobile Pro
You are correct. I can't find anything that looks proprietary on my my Straight Talk phone. It doesn't even have the Straight Talk logo on it anywhere, only the Motorola logo.
Keith
www.fone-review.com
My screen is bigger than yours
Originally quoted: Georgepa
Not THAT earth shattering.
1. Price is $45 plus fees and taxes. That should push it well over the $50 mark, probably to $55. That does not compare favorably to Boost, IDen or CDMA, which is $50 including fees and taxes (and can be brought to $46 TOTAL by purchasing re-boost cards off ebay.)
2. Web (Data) is only 30 MB per month, which is a joke. Many people go through that in a couple of days. With Boost, Cricket and MetroPCS you get unlimited data with their "unlimited" plans.
3. There are only 3 mediocre phones available for this.
4. The web site is atrocious. The person who threw it together should be fired.
5. Tracfone is NOT a good name in the business, quite the opposite actually (rep for terrible customer service.) Verizon is not mentioned as a tie-in or in any way prominently factors into the offering. That hurts the Straight-Talk brand.
So far the unlimited plan is not very impressive, but if they drop the silly 30MB data restriction and make data unlimited (like everybody else) and if better phones are offered (or, better yet, existing CDMA phones can be incorporated) then people may give it another look. All in all, given the above factors, I don't think this will come near the 1st quarter performance of Boost and Metro for Q2, but we shall see. Not very impressed thus far with this "unlimited" plan.
Responses to above :
George Pa
1) Price varies from state to state on taxes. In some states, what you say might be true. In others maybe not. Depends on WHO you compare it to. Boost mobile cdma? Nah, they're gonna be more because they require taxes. Boost iden?
They don't charge taxes and the discount cards on ebay help, but if ST comes out with discount cards too, then it'll be a lost price advantage. ST is so new, we don't know if this will happen yet.
You are doing a direct price/feature comparison which has logic, but when you consider the underlying network which ST runs on, a version of Verizon: vs what the Boost sisters run on, Sprint and Nextel. Generally, Verizon (whatever version) will thrash it's equivalent Sprint or Nextel version (pre or post paid) Considering that this version of Verizon/ST supposedly has no roaming but the Sprint and Nextel networks running under the Boost twins don't either, for general national coverage ST/VZ will take the Boost siblings apart with no trouble.
2)Web is 30 megs. That is an objective fact. And you say many people go through that in a couple of days. But many people also do not. IF you look at the setup, you will see that this is NOT a plan for heavy data users by any stretch. It is a talk/text plan with data thrown in as a little extra. Proof? Heck, ST's cheapest phone doesn't have data enabled at all.
ST's probably figuring that some people just don't care if they have data or not as long as they get the talk/text basics.
Plus they have unlimited 411 thrown in. Not an exact equivalent but at over a $1 a call, it can save heavy 411 users major money. Also, the phones that do have data enabled only allow 1xrtt, a slower older cdma standard. That adds even more weight to the viewpoint that Straight Talk is NOT for heavy data users and never was meant to be. Frankly, I'm surprised Verizon offered data AT ALL knowing how draconianly Scrooge Like they are about it on their postpaid side and how chintzy their partner Tracfone has been in the past with their own web capabilities on their Tracfone/Net10 lines.
And a JOKE is a relative term. Boost iden may be unlimited but it is dead slow at 14.4k iden wap, a fraction of the speed of cdma, even 1rxtt. Boost cdma has evdo on their Motorola Krzr but how much do they push that line anymore? Boost treats its cdma dept. like the Richie Cunningham's older brother from Happy Days, that old tv show. They are acting like it never existed.
When Att on Gophone charges FIVE DOLLARS for ONE MEG of data and Virgin Mobile charges $5-20 for 5, 25 and 50 meg web data packages (price varies depending if it is monthly or paygo), 30 megs of data being a joke becomes very relative.
Neither Att or VM offer ANY unlimited prepaid data option. Period. Saying ST is chintzy , might as well say a LOT of prepaid wireless companies are tight on the data.
Again, when you factor in that both the Gophone Att network AND Virgin Mobile have vastly less overall nationwide coverage then even Verizon's pre Alltel merger network, it makes ST stand out as a value as price is useless if your damn phone doesn't talk/text or have web coverage where you need it.
3)"3 meiocre phones."
Oh well, thiis a brand new company. Barely a month old. Even Boost cdma had 3 phones in its lineup in its heyday about two years ago (I still use my old c290). And Boost iden had only 3 or 4 models for a very long time until their new unlimited plan started in January. Sure they have more models now, but it didn't happen overnight and it will be the same as ST. They will get more models as time goes. That's how it works.
4)"The web site is atrocious. The person who threw it together should be fired." Most of the people who go online probably could care less about the aesthetics of the website and care more about if the website will give them the plan they paid their hard earned money for. Aesthetics is a very subjective thing. If the design bugs you so much, get in touch with ST and tell them so. The bottomline is that they have a functioning website giving customers what they want and making Tracfone money despite what it looks like. And somebody got paid to make that atrocious website.
5) Tracfone may or may not be a good name. Depends on who you ask. The facts are that it is the largest independent mvno cellular company in the USA with over 11 million users (more then Boost mobile iden and cdma combined).
They are the fifth largest company , dwarfed only by the big 4 (Sprint, Verizon, Tmobile, Att).
Frankly, I think their customer service has a terrible rep, but you know what? So does Virgin Mobile and other prepaid wireless companies. Heck, Sprint is a postpaid company and they have a bad rep in CS despite their improvements.j
And as another Hofo member pointed out his ST phone packaging says , "Powered by Verizon" And as for Verizon not factoring in any way. Wrong. THAT is the SELLING point. If this were another Sprint based mvno unlimited plan, so what? But Verizon has never given away this much for this little. EVER. Under Tracfone's subbrand or whatever, it doesn't matter. The name in no way shape or form degrades Straight Talk's brand name considering that they are featuring Verizon to ENHANCE their marketability. Heck, without that, ST would have a harder time getting market recognition. If anything, Tracfone's rep is more detrimental then Verizon to Straight Talk'
Too bad you're not impressed with this "unlimited" plan.
Well, there are a lot more companies that offer a lot less on their "unlimited" plans then ST.
Att again. Their unlimited talk plan for prepaid is $3 a day. No text, no data, not even 30 megs. That's $90 a month before taxes . Virgin Mobile is 49.99, TALK only , no text, no data. They consider those unlimited plans. And Verizon prepaid iteself at 3.99 a day for unlimited talk only. That is nearly $120 a month just for unlimited talk! Compare that to $45 for talk/text/411 and web. It's a relatvie no brainer. Tmobile doesn't even have an unlimited prepaid option, not even talk.
There are all kinds of unlimited plans. ST just doesn't fit your scope of what an unlimited plan is.
We'd all love it if everything were Unlimited talk/text/web/everything but that just ain't the case. Each company offers something different but there is something for everyone or ONLY ONE company would have ALL the business. That's just business reality.
One company would have all the best phones, complete unlimited everything plans, no contracts, great customer service at the lowest price. Its called the IYDCC. In your dreams cellular company. Does not exist.
Again on the theme of something for everyone but not everything for everyone. ST has weakpoints, an obvious one is international calling. Boost blows that away, but there are other companies that blow Boost away in that area too (Tracfone for one, Net10, another Tracfone company for another). No roaming? Well, neither version of Boost allows it either, neither does Att or Virgin Mobile (also Sprint network , just like Boost cdma).
Maybe ST will come near Boost or Metro's performance last quarter, maybe it won't. But ST is shaking its big stick at them, the Verizon network. Metro has only a fraction of that kind of coverage and Boost iden is still beset with image problems. ST is a brand new dark horse, no one knows how well it will do against Boost or Metro. It will be what it will be.
Last edited by gestaltent; 07-01-2009 at 11:59 PM.
I've climbed a cellphone tower
Well, I absolutely welcome any new entrant into the low-priced unlimited market, it is great competition and keeps everybody else honest. I was referring to the characterization of this as an earth shattering event, which at this point it is not quite (yet.) If they get off the ground running and come out with a bunch of nice looking phones, if they offer a good price point that beats the competition hands down, then the lack of data might not matter to many people. As it is, it is simply not a strong enough offer by itself.
It is probably a function of Verizon not wanting to hurt their own customer base currently on $99 (plus $25) unlimited plans too severely that this is not heavily promoted (no ads, nothing really aside from blog posts and mentions in articles) and is missing some vital components. If you are right and there is still some refinement to come (sleek stable of phones, ad power driving sales, perhaps even modification of the plan to include unlimited data to combat Boost/Metro/Cricket) then this could catapult to market leader status in a hurry, but I suspect Verizon is not very eager to cut themselves in the flesh to prompt an in-network mass migration to "the same network performance anyway."
As for the website, I was not really referring to aesthetics but functionality. Lack of pizazz aside, the site is confusing, a path to a quick account setup (within minutes from entering the site) simply does not exist.
I agree with you here:
<blockquote>Att again. Their unlimited talk plan for prepaid is $3 a day. No text, no data, not even 30 megs. That's $90 a month before taxes . Virgin Mobile is 49.99, TALK only , no text, no data. They consider those unlimited plans. And Verizon prepaid iteself at 3.99 a day for unlimited talk only. That is nearly $120 a month just for unlimited talk! Compare that to $45 for talk/text/411 and web. It's a relatvie no brainer. Tmobile doesn't even have an unlimited prepaid option, not even talk. </blockquote>
No doubt the recent price moves by Sprint/Nextel and now Verizon with their prepaids (although I would argue that Boost is heavily promoted as an offshoot of Sprint while Tracfone/Straight Talk does not have obvious or well-known tie-ins to Verizon up to this point) as well as the ongoing nationalization of the MetroPCS network will sooner or later force the hands of those who have not made such drastic moves as of yet - Virgin for one. Don't be surprised to see them offer unlimited talk/text/data for $50 next. Prices are coming down across the board for "all you can eat," which is great for us all.
BTW, I did not yet mention GPS service, which is becoming more and more important as a functionality issue. We are not just talking about finding one's way on the highway or finding your car in the parking lot, but also tie-ins to popular social networks like Loopt. With Boost and also MetroPCS the unlimited plans include unlimited use of GPS, a component missing from Straight Talk.
Bottom line is that while it is true that Straight Talk has access to the vast Verizon network going for it, the fact that Verizon is not (as of yet) involved in the branding of this product negates that big plus from a market and marketing point of view. Why not plaster "Full access to the huge Verizon/Alltel network!!" front and center on the website? It is the ONE thing this offer has going for it, above everything else, after all. Most people, when making their choice of phone service, will go for the biggest bang for their buck, typically choosing - at same price - the service that gives you MORE (even if you rarely or never use the features,) not less. That is, unless other factors come into play such as stellar customer service, excellent phone selection, network access issues, none of which Straight Talk has at this juncture or does not make a point to turn into a strength (marketing-wise.)
I think between Boost offering their flat price of $50 (incl. tax) for unlimited everything - talk, text, data, GPS, Walkie-Talkie - MetroPCS expanding their network daily and adding additional content to their unlimited packages (i.e. added free GPS, added Walkie-Talkie) AND this latest salvo with Straight Talk you have the earth-shattering trifecta that may force the entire industry to change the way they are conducting business, at least on the pre-paid level but probably also across the board. Many consumers are increasingly asking themselves why they should subject themselves to become slaves to long-term contracts when one can get a MUCH lower price with unlimited minutes and other services WITHOUT a contract on a vast national network. It is a no-brainer that is only negated by the consumers desire to pay little for expensive phones, therefore still showing willingness to agree to long-term contracts in exchange for cheap or "free" smartphones. As the prices for Iphones, Blackberries and other Smartphones fall it will make the long contractual obligations increasingly less desireable.
My screen is bigger than yours
Will Straight Talk's new unlimited talk/text plan affect Boost mobile and others of its type ?
It already has.
Sprint (ownsers of Boost Mobile), Leap, Metro PCS shares took a hit after the announcement of Straight Talk Unlimited talk/text . http://www.reuters.com/article/hotSt...5605XF20090701
It said nothing about Tracfone's parent company : America Movil's stock.
It is being view as a threat to the entire wireless industry with Verizon stating that it did not intend to allow its mainstream network to be affected by ST traffic in the event of a consumer rush/surge (Like Boost's network was).
Interesting.
Georgepa, I'm certain there are a lot of Verizon users who would definitely think that it is "earthshattering" news (or great, terrific, whatever positive adjective they choose to use). A term that you used upfront, one I never did. I said exciting, which is true for anyone to offer something they never have (Net10 unlimited at $80 a month is not exciting even though Tracfone offers it. IT is TOO expensive in this day and age though it does qualify as a unlimited offering).
As for the obvious consumer desire of getting the coolest phones onto the cheapest network , (Usually it starts with a complaint like, Boost Mobile's phones suck...or Virgin Mobile's phones suck... but their network is so cheap, is there a way to get XXX supercoolexpensivehot smartphone onto that network?) That's a consumer desire that will never go away. And people are pickier then ever. With this competitive wireless climate, they can afford to be. Hence all the HTCs on Boost cdma and all the "Boostberries" on Boost iden.
A lot of people simply want to have a cool handset without paying the price both ways (the network). But that's life.
ST has that limitation, but hey, it's been around for what? Four weeks?
Tracfone is not going to allow the phones we want on that network probably ever. That's just how they do business. But they will have to increase their offerings, that's for sure. They might have the water, but if they don't have cooler cups to drink it out of, it's gonna have some users shy away.
(Look at Metro and Cricket who were telling people before, "Bring your own phone! We'll flash it!" I'm sure that had a lot to do with their business increase as well as their own low prices to begin with. It gave them an edge other carriers did not have.
ST will slowly get more phone models, the whole example of Boost itself having started with respectively 3 and 4 models each in their lineups (cdma and iden) has already been covered. The fact that Boost iden has slowly expanded their line has also been addressed.
Boost iden though has taken a lot of hits for poor texting, call relability and customer service. For a lot of people, these are key issues, $50 unlimited everything or not. That's why I use Boost cdma. If Boost iden works for you, GOOD. Keep it, use it, love it. But for a lot of people , it has not worked. For them, another company might be the answer.
As for not saying Full Alltel/Verizon network access. That has not been clearly established yet and would have no point in being advertised considering the only confirmed bottomline network they offer is the older pre Alltel Merger network (but there are reports from Hofo users of ST which contradict it).
"Powered by Verizon" alone is a selling point. No idea they are doing a soft sell, but they do have radio ads out (for their original $30 plan). And it wouldn't surprise me if a lot of ST users start off on the earlier $30 plan and upgrade to the $45 one as they find out.
I'm sure Tracfone, Verizon and Walmart don't mind using a soft sale approach at the beginning as it costs them little to do so. Boost mobile didn't kick their unlimited plan into high gear till it was out for several weeks. They got 3/4 of a million subs but they also paid for it with both big ad campaigns and overloaded networks issues. Back and front end problems.
It's still early to tell for sure, but it wouldn't be surprised at all if ST gets more then just a toehold in this ferocious prepaid market.
Last edited by gestaltent; 07-02-2009 at 11:38 AM.
I've got more phones than fingers
Tracfone/net10 has never been one to use "the network" as a major selling tool. How often have you heard people ask if trac or net10 have their own towers? Most NON trac or net10 users haven't a clue that the fones trac/net10 offers may work on the same networks that THEIR current contract fones are using. Many assume that the trac/net10 system has their own set of towers and that the coverage will suck. If they would use Verizon, ATT or T-mo networks in their advertising I would dare say their sales would be much higher. Why don't they do this? My guess is it's all part of what gets negotiated with the big carriers before the deals are made. So will we see a big push in advertising that ST is on the Verizon and possible Alltel network????? I highly doubt it. "Ok, we'll let you in the backdoor (of our network) but you can't tell anybody".
Bookmarks