Boost Mobile $10 Deal

Boost Mobile has introduced a really cheap plan, $10/month for 2GB Data and Unlimited Talk & Text. I've looked for gotchas on this plan but can't find any. They'll send you a SIM for FREE and it appears that once you get this plan it doesn't expire. My kid is in Wi-Fi coverage all day so doesn't mind the 2GB limit and at this price he can pay for it by himself.

Boost Mobile needs to be aggressive right now as they introduce their own 5G network, but for the foreseeable future it looks like you'll be roaming more on AT&T or T-Mobile until you switch to one of Boost's new 5G phones that automatically switch on and off their own 5G network.  This is a limited-time offer so decide soon.

If you need a little more Data, Boost has a $15 plan for 5GB, and also an Unlimited Data plan for $25/month. 

(We did not get paid for this post)

 

Prepaids to Avoid, and Why

With the demise of Net10 earlier this month, we're investigating the viability of the other Prepaids formerly owned by America Movil and now controlled by Verizon. 

Is your current Prepaid on this list? We'll help you switch to a better carrier.

Net10

By now you know that Verizon has discontinued Net10 as a prepaid carrier. We're not sure what will happen to existing Net10 customers, but they are being directed to move to Simple Mobile instead. You may need a new phone or a different choice if your phone is not compatible with Verizon. Simple Mobile is a good choice and has better features than Net10. You can also choose Tello which has lower prices, and also uses the Verizon network. 

GoSmart

GoSmart has been a carrier to avoid from day one. Their downloads are limited to 3G speeds (with the exception of Facebook access). Their roaming and price advantages just don't make up for that speed limitation. Even their web site is difficult to access. You're advised to switch to a Prepaid that has 4G LTE and 5G coverage which would be Simple Mobile which has the same Latin America roaming capabilities, or Tello which has lower prices. If you 

Page Plus

We always liked Page Plus because they had rock-bottom prices and used the Verizon network. But Verizon hasn't promoted anything about Page Plus, so we will guess it too is headed for the chopping block. We don't see a need to escape from Page Plus just yet, but you'd be more confident about the future if you moved to prepaid like Visible which has the lowest price that includes Unlimited Data, on the Verizon network, or Tello which has lower prices and lets you escape the Verizon family of prepaids.

Walmart Family Mobile

Walmart's Family Mobile web site says it is still "powered by T-Mobile", although coverage for new Family Mobile customers use the Verizon network. Does Verizon still want to handle these customers  for Walmart or do something else with them? Straight Talk was to be the 'official' Walmart carrier so what is the need for Family Mobile? This one is less obvious. Verizon could sell it to somebody else or just bring new Family Mobile customers onto the Verizon network and let Walmart do all the rest of the work. Since Walmart sells phones and service from all the other carriers, what's the advantage?

Verizon Prepaid

Verizon's own Prepaid is a high quality choice and they offer all of the advantages of the Verizon network but with none of the savings. If you truly are credit-challenged, you might benefit from Verizon 's own prepaid, but there are better alternatives. Besides, Verizon is already prepaid-heavy so why not get one that saves you the most money? Which one? Check out Visible who just recently lowered their price for Unlimited Talk, Text & Data.

What to Do?

Are you using one of these Prepaid carriers and want to switch? If you have a Verizon-compatible phone you have easy choices. In addition to the alternatives listed above, Visible is one of the best Verizon prepaids. For those of us who have a phone that is limited to a different network, like T-Mobile or AT&T, or if you want to get a new Prepaid phone, we highly recommend Boost Mobile. Boost gives you the best of AT&T and T-Mobile coverage at lower prices than the above carriers, and may eventually access Boost's own all-5G network. Another top choice is US Mobile. It's good for T-Mobile compatible phones, with great prices and international roaming capabilities. 

Simple Mobile Changes Coverage

 

Like all the prepaids now owned by Verizon, Simple Mobile's coverage reflects coverage that resembles Verizon's network. New Simple Mobile phones will have the new Simple Mobile coverage and older Simple Mobile phones should continue roaming on the T-Mobile network. This means if you change from one Simple Mobile phone to another, you may have a big change in your service.

T-Moble's network has more 5G coverage for Prepaid phones, but Verizon has more coverage overall. In most cases you won't notice a difference. For now, Simple Mobile's big advantage is their included roaming areas across Latin America in countries from Mexico and south. Let's hope Verizon continues to support it.

Updated Simple Mobile maps are shown at CellularMaps.com

Visible Makes a Big Price Drop

 

Visible has officially dropped the rate on their regular plan. Originally priced at $30/month, it's now $25 a month, taxes & fees included, for Unlimited Data, Talk, Text and Hotspot. It appears Visible has finally realized they were a bit overpriced and yet wants to ensure they offer a simple, fundamentally accessible and audaciously inclusive product. That means no more requiring port-in, using a code, or acting within a promotional window to get the rate.

The Visible+ plan will remain $45 a month and still includes 5G Ultra Wideband access, 50 GB of premium network experience, roaming coverage in Canada & Mexico, and global calling to 30+ countries. When users bring their own phone to the Visible+ plan in August they are also eligible for a Wireless Noise exclusive discount of $10 off/month with code VISIBLE35!

Visible uses the Verizon network and is one of the few Prepaids that now includes taxes and fees, and have now qualified for placement into our Prepaid Price Chart.

Boost Infinite Discount at Amazon

 

The new national carrier, Boost Infinite, has partnered up with Amazon. Boost Infinite is the postpaid version of Boost Mobile. Both now use Boost's own 5G network and then is backed up by their roaming partners AT&T and T-Mobile. How well Boost Infinite operates is yet to be seen, but Boost Mobile has already achieved our Mountain Prepaid "Reviewers Choice".

Boost Infinite is bringing its Infinite Unlimited wireless postpaid plan to Amazon with an exclusive offer for Prime members. Amazon Prime members who purchase the Boost Infinite Unlimited SIM kit at Amazon will get 20% off the list price of $25, on top of a $25 bill credit toward their first month of service from Boost Infinite.

The SIM kit, sold and shipped Free by Amazon, enables Prime members to activate Infinite Unlimited wireless service that includes Unlimited Talk, Text, and Data for only $25 a month, a price that’s locked forever. Boost Infinite’s plan is compatible with most unlocked iPhones and Android smartphones. You can add up to five lines per account.

Boost's relationship with Amazon does not seem to be related to the rumors of a possible 'Amazon Wireless.'

AT&T Adds a New Wireless Home Internet

 

AT&T has entered the Wireless Home Internet competition with "AT&T Internet Air". AT&T has finally joined T-Mobile and Verizon with a new 5G Wireless unit (we can't call it a box!) but it's coming with a slow rollout. AT&T is first offering the service to their wired internet customers. The idea is that current users will get a better and faster internet experience, and AT&T gets to stop supporting all those wires. 

For $55 per month, which may be more or less than what you're paying now, it should improve service for those AT&T customers who are limited to those slow DSL internet connections. Downloads speeds are expected to be 100 Gb+. In those areas of the country where AT&T provides wired internet access, there may also be room for new Wireless Internet customers.  So, if you or your neighbors get AT&T Internet at home, you may be able to switch today. Hopefully, they will offer it to the rest of the country when they can finally make enough 'boxes'.

We have 2 pages with details and comparisons of the various Wireless Home Internet options:

Mountain Wireless Home Internet

Wireless Web Access

Straight Talk Adds Multi-Line Discounts

 

Straight Talk, one of our most popular Prepaids, is now offering discounts for 2, 3 and 4-line plans. The problem? For now, this is just a promotion and expires on October 22, 2023. This is offered by so many other Prepaid carriers, I can't help think Straight Talk would keep it. These plans include all the same benefits as the $45 Silver Unlimited plan, but at a bigger discount and this offer is available to new and existing customers. If you've been considering adding or starting multiple Straight Talk lines, go ahead and do it now.

Here are the new plan discounts, available today:

2/$45 for $75

3/$45 for $90 (Buy 2 lines, get 1 free!)

4/$45 for $100

Prepaids that Are Giving Us More Data

A few months ago we created a Prepaid Price Chart. It looks like we missed the mark by keeping track of the cheapest Prepaid plans instead of plans that most of us can use. So we increased the Data threshold to 5Gb, and the price to less than $30. We found that the average wireless customer uses from 5 to 8Gb of monthly Data, and there is no problem finding Prepaid plans with that much Data at a reasonable price. It was surprising to find 2 plans with 25Gb of Data and 1 with 30Gb of data for under $30!

We looked at dozens of Prepaid wireless offers to settle on about 10 plans that will satisfy the needs of most users who are moving from expensive 'regular' plans to budget plans. Our price review eliminated several carriers that claim to be "low-cost", but aren't really. A few high points are from Boost Mobile who offers a great combination of Data and features starting at $15, and US Mobile who offers price points at $15, $20, $25 and $30. Remember, each of the plans shown have 'Unlimited' Talk, Text and Data, with the difference being the amount of High-Speed Data included.

We still show a few low-priced plans ($10!) for those of us who may be within range of free Wi-Fi most of the time and only need 1 Gb of Data. Visit our new Prepaid Price Chart and keep it real.