Smartphones Invade the Prepaid Market

jfruh writes "When tech geeks debate the state of the smartphone world, they usually focus on the iPhone and its high-end Android rivals from the major carriers. But Android is rapidly entering the lower-end world of contractless prepaid phones that you can buy at 7-11 or Wal-Mart. 63 percent of prepaid phones sold in 2011 were smartphones, and while they might not offer cutting-edge hardware or easy customization, they do provide a smartphone experience without an onerous contract."

Can't wait..

[aero2600-5]

As soon as my early termination fee is low enough, I'm shitcanning AT&T and getting a pre-paid android. Probably going to go with Virgin Mobile. I've had success with them in the past.

News?

[shift3]

How is this news? I have had a Samsung Precedent from Wallmart (Sprint network, CDMA) for 4 months now... Decent phone... But you have to root it and install custom mods to get full use of it. Stock only hase android 2.2.3 if i remember... I am running AreaRom's 2.3.7 now... So much smoother.

Cheap compared to

[tepples]

Decent phone, and very cheap plan.

True, Virgin Mobile USA's $35 per month smartphone plan is "very cheap" compared to what the premium carriers charge, but it's still a lot more than the same carrier's cheapest dumbphone plan at $7 per month. I'd think the carriers would offer some way to gradually transition from a dumbphone to a smartphone. But Virgin Mobile USA's cheapest smartphone plan still provides ten times more voice minutes per month than I foresee using, given that most of my calls that aren't related to arranging a ride can wait for a land line whose bill I split with another member of the household. For someone who wants a smartphone as an upgrade from the combination of a dumbphone and PDA but isn't yet ready to pay $336 more per year, what U.S. carrier do you recommend? T-Mobile?

I have an unlocked device.

[Anonymous Coward]

Here in India, you can only buy unlocked phone. Carrier subsidies aren't available. So the prices of phones are very high. Because of this you don't see many smartphones. Iphones are almost non existent, cheap android phones are seen more though. I have a prepaid connection, non sms pack, no data pack, only 0.6 USD a month. With everything activated I have to spend just 3.6 USD a month. :D

Re:Can't wait..

[Alex Zepeda]

*shrug*

In a previous life I dealt with Verizon Wireless and AT&T small business services. We had some questions about issues we were having with their respective data networks. VZW was straight forward and very willing to work with us. The AT&T account rep was clueless, and I had to wander over to broadbandreports.com to escalate an issue. The issue was escalated to some sort of "executive" support that consisted of "Why the fuck do you want me to call you?" and I just kinda gave up at that point.

AT&T's residential service was worse for me. The place I'm at now originally had about eight lines on it, so there was a DAML... which meant no DSL or 56k dialup. Thankfully I had nice, expensive long-distance service because they slammed me when I signed up for voice service. Unfortunately, AT&T flat refused to offer DSL on the line to the ISP I wanted to use. So, yeah, I had to quite literally beg AT&T through broadbandreports (then dslreports.com) to provide service. Eventually they relented. Best they could do was G.DMT (no ADSL2, no U-Verse in this neck of the woods). Now that ISP is a proper CLEC and offers unthrottled ADSL2 w/ proper POTS service I'm AT&T free... I couldn't be happier. But AT&T, well, I've gotten countless calls and letters from them pleading with me to return.

Look, I've had problems with VZW, and they were bad (some were illegal actions on VZW's part). But I've never once been forced to resort back channels to get the problems fixed. Likewise I've friends that use Sprint (back in the days when they'd charge you to call customer service) and T-Mobile. Nobody even comes close to being as consistently bad as PacBell/SBC/AT&T. With AT&T to get any level of decent support I've got to go to broadbandreports and whine until a sympathetic tech has the time to respond. AT&T can fucking rot for all I care.

As for Virgin Mobile, I've been with them for about ten months now. So far so good. The coverage has definitely taken a dip since Sprint started carrying the iPhone. I've got an Optimus V and it's a great little phone and I've been working with a few people to firm up a port of CyanogenMod to it (wanna talk frustrating, try getting this stuff integrated into the Cyanogen tree). Better cell and GPS radios than my friends' Motorola Triumphs.