I am a low tech sort of guy, and rarely text or use any data, so the ATT, no contract, 10 cents/min plan suited me just fine. I have even recommended
it here on this forum for others with very basic phone needs, but it turns out that I was passing on bad info!
I lost my Go phone a couple of months ago, and just got around to replacing it (it was mainly for Mexico and back up use anyway). Since my number was
still active, I am able to continue with the 10 cent/min plan (25 cents in Mexico). Anyone setting up a new account will be paying 25 cents/min north
and south of the border. I no longer recommend this plan!
On the good news side (I hope) I decided to go with a smart phone this time and see if I have enough undamaged brain cells left that can be trained
to use it. Microsoft is trying to gain share of the phone market, so I was able to buy a Nokia Lumina 640 for $29.99!
It uses a windows operating system, and since I don't know the first thing about Apple or Android systems, I am hoping that this will be enough like
using my laptop to ease into social media.
Under the pay by the minute plan, I am only able to use data with a WIFI connection, but If I find that I want to be more connected, I can change over
to a different plan.....which I think is their plan all along! Hook - 3-1-2016 at 02:06 PM
I'm a fairly low-tech guy myself. But when it comes to smart phones and tablets, I find the OS (operating systems) become rather transparent or
in-the-background, compared to the OS on laptops and desktops. There are much fewer interface options on a 5-7 inch screen to complicate things.
What does change from OS to OS on phones and tablets are the apps available. Apple products are still king on this front but the Android side has made
tremendous strides in the last few years.
With a Windows OS, where do you go to download apps for your phone? A Microsoft site? Are they in the Google Play store? I'm probably showing my
low-tech side here.
You just cant ignore the apps available if you make the transition to a smart phone. Otherwise, it's just a fancier (and more delicate) phone with a
color interface and better audio capabilities, if you have no plans on using data.
There are a few gringos down here who have recently switched to T-Mobile for a phone that works on both sides of the border. They seem to prefer the
6gb/month plan with unlimited text and calls in MX, CAN and the US for 65.00/month. But there is a 2gb/month plan for only 50.00/month. NO ANNUAL
CONTRACT. You go month-to-month.
Of course, where these people live in the States and Canada has good T-mobile coverage. T-mobile seems to have the worst coverage maps of the big
three, right now. But they have cut a deal to use the Telcel towers down here so the coverage is good in Mexico. In the last week, I have talked to
several Verizon users who have suddenly stopped getting good service down here. Dont know if Verizon switched their affiliations in MX or what's going
on.
Something in the range of 50-65 month for unlimited voice, text and some data in THREE COUNTRIES, has me considering this option over my ATT Go
Phone. I would spend more with one of these plans, but with significantly increased capabilities.
I still do spend 3-4 months on the road in the States and Canada and it's nice to call ahead to places or research stuff in remote areas via a cell
tower internet connection. It gets old, searching for free wifi with the tablet, to get information. Often, we are so remote than the nearest wifi is
many miles away.CortezBlue - 3-1-2016 at 04:15 PM
I have been on TMobile now for quite a while. At first, I hated it. When in Mexico I could only use Movistar and the service was awful up by Pete's
Camp
Now we are 100% Telcel, which is what we got when we used ATT. .20 per minute, but when we are at our house we have VOIP.
U P D A T E
I almost forgot, I just updated my plan with TMobile. 10GB High Speed Data, that also rolls over everymonth, and FREE calling into and from Canada,
Mexico and USA. $100 per month for 2 phones, plus my 15% discount for being a Real Estate Agent.
But, all of that being said, you need to make sure you can get TMobile in your area in the USA. Tmobile has improved their network, but it is still
dicey in spots.
stiladam - 3-1-2016 at 05:55 PM
I am switching my AT&T iPhone service to Cricket later this week. I just can't pay $150 a month an longer for 2 lines
Cricket runs on AT&T/Telcel and includes unlimited talk/text in the US/Canada/Mexico. Total for 10GB plan for 2 lines is only $90 when you setup
auto pay. Even less is you add more lines.
Wondering if anyone else is using this service and how you like it?!
Salud
[Edited on 3-2-2016 by stiladam]weebray - 3-1-2016 at 06:06 PM
What am I missing here. I bought a cheeeep cellphone (20bucks) in the states and put a 100 peso/mo. telcel chip in it. That buys me free calling, in
Mexico, to Mexico, Canada and the US. Hook - 3-1-2016 at 06:20 PM
What am I missing here. I bought a cheeeep cellphone (20bucks) in the states and put a 100 peso/mo. telcel chip in it. That buys me free calling, in
Mexico, to Mexico, Canada and the US.
You're missing data, if you need it.
And if you can get by on 100 pesos/month in a Go Phone for calls, you probably have no friends, no kids or grandkids, maybe no life.
OK, that last statement was partially a joke.Udo - 3-1-2016 at 06:23 PM
I gotta throw in my two centavos here:
1- I am not living in Ensenada full time yet, but will in a few weeks.
2- I have way too many friends who have my USA cell number (I use Consumer Cellular...$10.00/mo with some limits.)
3- I also have a Mexican phone number (many Mexican friends have that number).
4- I HAD a pay for air time phone plan where one recharged the phone when minute ran low. Here was the problem with that system: The Telcel
pay-as-you-go plan worked for about three years, then changes happened. At first it was pay for more minutes when your paid-for minutes ran low. Then
they changed it to the card HAD to be recharged every 90 days, with a minimum of $20 Pesos, then very 60 days, and more recently every 30
days...regardless how many minutes one had left to use. When I quit this plan, I still had over 1200 minutes left and Telcel wanted me to buy more air
time every month with a minimum of 50 Pesos.
The phone plan that I now switched to (until things change further) is $199.00 Pesos per month. Unlimited minutes, 10 gigs of data,
unlimited Facebook (US or Mexico), free call to the US from Mexico, free calls to Mexico from the US, no no data roaming from the US side.
So here is the bottom line: My US friends can still call me and I pay only $10.00 per month though Consumer Cellular. There are no hassles for talking
with my Mexican phone numbers. My Mexican phone plan costs me about $12.00 USD per month.
I now have a Galaxy phone (instead of my dearest iPhone), which has a dual sim...one from each phone number, so I can make and receive phone calls on
ONE phone.
Note: I COULD just get rid of my US number, but I don't want to be one of those people who get called by a friend and they get the message: "THE
NUMBER YOU CALLED IS NO LONGER IN SERVICE."
I've had the same number for 30 years.
[Edited on 3-2-2016 by Udo]
My head hurts!
AKgringo - 3-1-2016 at 07:40 PM
Too many options for me, I just don't need to be that connected. I got the Go phone for occasional calls, and emergency contacts. Friends and family
could call me at no extra cost or steps in placing their call, and only once did I have to add another $25 before my 90 days was up.
My main communication was with my laptop using internet access when available. For less than thirty dollars I thought the lumina 640 was a good way
to back up my laptop internet access in case it got broken or lost. Getting a camera and phone along with it seemed like a no brainer for a hundred
dollars a year or so.
I got a U2U from another Nomad telling me that the 25 cents/min rate in Mexico is no longer valid, although the ATT website still calls it that way.
Can anyone in Baja with a Go phone confirm their cost per call right now? Hook - 3-1-2016 at 09:04 PM
My wife has an ATT go phone with a US sim card in it and I believe she is paying .25/minute US, when we are down here. She has an AZ number.
I have an ATT Go Phone I bought in the States, unlocked with a Telmex sim card in it. Only use it down here.
Yes, the expiration of Telcel minutes can be a pain. Just set a reminder in your phone, a day or two before your short term minutes expire and then
head to an OXXO for a recharge.
Thanks Hook!
AKgringo - 3-1-2016 at 09:35 PM
I am hoping for no surprises the next trip SOB, maybe next month.
The next thing I want to check is if this Lumina 640 will accept a Telcel sim, or if there is a procedure to 'unlock' it.
It is an amazing piece of hardware for thirty dollars, and no contract!Justbozo - 3-1-2016 at 10:01 PM
You could use the AT&T $2/day Gophone plan.
Charges .25/min or /text in MX, but no $2 charge.
You can put this plan on a GSM smart phone and use wifi for data or a flip phone for talk/text only.
$100US keeps you activated for a full year if you don't use it up first.
Google Hangouts gives you a US number for free that can be voice called/texted over wifi on your smartphone with no phone plan required. All free and
people calling from US don't need to use access code or have international calling on their phone.
