Getting a Cell Phone

Colleges & Universities University of California - Berkeley
1

<p>I’m thinking of getting [AmazonWireless:</a> Samsung Epic Touch 4G Android Phone (Sprint)](<a href=“http://wireless.amazon.com/Samsung-Epic-Touch-Android-Sprint/dp/B005LHN47S/ref=bs_dp_ph_6]AmazonWireless:”>http://wireless.amazon.com/Samsung-Epic-Touch-Android-Sprint/dp/B005LHN47S/ref=bs_dp_ph_6) which is:</p>

<p>Due Monthly: $ 87.99* / Phone Price: $ 99.99.</p>

<p>Can Cal students get a discount from Sprint? Does [Sprint</a> | Employer Discounts](<a href=“http://delivery.sprint.com/m/p/nxt/ais/discount.asp]Sprint”>http://delivery.sprint.com/m/p/nxt/ais/discount.asp) work for Cal students?</p>

<p>Do cell phones fit into a 0 EFC FA plan or do I have to sell lemonade every weekend? I was thinking of getting getting employed through work-study to cover the cost, but that would only convert subsidized loans to work-study…</p>

<p>I can pay for it now, but I don’t know what will happen once I get to Cal… I don’t think an $87.99/month cell phone bill fits into:</p>

<p>Spring Annual Totals<br>
Housing Type Residence Hall<br>
Tuition and Fees</p>

<p>$6,417.00 $6,417.00<br>
Personal Expenses
$694.00 $694.00
Transportation
$297.00 $297.00
Health Insurance</p>

<p>$813.00 $813.00
Housing
$7,030.00 $7,030.00<br>
Food
$465.00 $465.00
Books & Supplies
$601.00 $601.00
Subtotals $16,317.00 $16,317.00</p>

2

<p>$88/month seems like a very expensive cell phone plan.</p>

<p>What is your anticipated use?</p>

<p>If your anticipated use is very low, consider the following:</p>

<p>[T-Mobile</a> Pay As You Go](<a href=“T-Mobile® Official Site: Get Even More Without Paying More | T-Mobile & Sprint Merged to Give You More”>T-Mobile® Official Site: Get Even More Without Paying More | T-Mobile & Sprint Merged to Give You More) – $100 buys you 1000 minutes good for a year; any subsequent refill then extends the remaining minutes for another year due to being in Gold Rewards.
[Page</a> Plus](<a href=“http://www.pagepluscellular.com/]Page”>http://www.pagepluscellular.com/) – very low airtime costs on the Verizon network.</p>

<p>Or look at other low cost plans here:</p>

<p>[Prepaid</a> Compare](<a href=“http://www.cellguru.net/prepaid_compare.htm]Prepaid”>Prepaid Compare)</p>

<p>If you want a data plan, there are plans much cheaper than $88 per month:</p>

<p>[Virgin</a> Mobile](<a href=“http://www.virginmobileusa.com/cell-phone-plans/beyond-talk-plans.jsp?intcmp=p-hp-pt1-35plan-092811]Virgin”>http://www.virginmobileusa.com/cell-phone-plans/beyond-talk-plans.jsp?intcmp=p-hp-pt1-35plan-092811)
[url=&lt;a href=“http://mobile-broadband.t-mobile.com/plans]T-Mobile[/url”&gt;Our Best Unlimited Data Cell Phone Plans: Compare Go5G Plan Deals]T-Mobile[/url</a>]</p>

3

<p>Yeah, ucbalumnus took the words right out of my mouth. $88/mo is way too much to pay, especially when you have to sign a 2yr contract.</p>

<p>The best plan for you really depends on your usage. For example, for most people, the $35/mo Virgin Mobile plan is great because they don’t talk that often but do all their business through text and go online. For others, who prefer the cell phone as just a talk/text device, one of those PagePlus Cellular plans provide some really cheap and solid service.</p>

<p>I personally talk an unusually high amount (1100min/mo average) while doing a decent amount of texting (700txt/mo) and a small amount of data on my Android device, so I go with a $50/mo T-Mobile prepaid plan – it’s been working well so far, except that it’d be nice if I can have a little more data.</p>

<p>Before I had my smartphone, I used PagePlus Cellular and paid $30/mo for 1200min/2000txt. I got much better reception than most my friends.</p>

4

<p>I have an iPhone with AT&T. My bill is $60 a month.</p>

<p>I have the 450 minutes plan (with 2300+ rollover minutes because I never use my minutes) and the 200MB data plan (I have never come close to that download limit, I always connect to a router at home or AirBears) and 1000 txt messages.</p>

<p>The only problem is that AT&T’s phone service and coverage is complete dog****e. I may switch to verizon so I actually get my calls and texts.</p>

5

<p>^^^Agree. ATT&T reception in the S.F. Bay Area is really poor. Lots of dropped calls. Verizon isn’t the cheapest, but the reception is excellent most of the time. We have the friends and family plan with unlimited talk and text.</p>

6

<p>I really appreciate the responses! I’ve decided to go with Virgin Mobile since they’re on the Sprint Network and I never wanted the sparkle and glitter of 4G phones… I do want the Motorola Triumph over the LG Optimus V though… hahaha…</p>