2-Minute Expert: What are No-Contract Smartphones?

What Will I Pay for Service?

Plans start as cheap as $25 per month, but that’s for as little as 300 call minutes. According to Best Buy, which carries many no-contract providers, most customers opt for plans that provide unlimited calling, texting and (in some cases) data, for $40 to $60 per month. By comparison, an unlimited plan from Sprint costs $100 per month. Lately, however, some no-contract companies have been cutting back. Virgin Wireless, for example, reduces data speeds to a crawl after you’ve used 2.5 gigabytes in a month, about enough for email, Web basic apps, plus 30 minutes of streaming music and 10 minutes of streaming video per day.

What Do the Phones Cost?

Smartphones range from about $100 to $300 — comparable to what you pay when you sign up for or renew a traditional contract plan. But you own the phone and could even sell it. If you lose or break the phone, you pay the same price again. With a contract plan, you would pay much more for a replacement if you were in the middle of a contract. Expect to pay $200 or more for a good Android phone. Saving a few bucks on a cheaper model isn’t worth the frustration of an underpowered phone with a tiny touch screen.

Can I Get an iPhone Without a Contract?

Nope, and possibly never. The iPhone is a very pricey device. Without a carrier subsidy, it starts at $650. That doesn’t jibe with bargain ethic.

What Companies Offer No-contract Plans?

Following are the major providers, along with monthly fees for the best plan, the data limits and special features:

Boost Mobile - $55 Android/$60 BlackBerry, unlimited data, fees drop the longer you have serviceCricket - $55 (with only 1,000 call minutes), unlimited data and music downloadsMetroPCS - $40 Android/$60 BlackBerry, unlimited data, high-speed 4G service on some modelsStraight Talk - $45, unlimited dataT-Mobile - $60, 2GB limit, 4G phonesVirgin Mobile - $55, 2.5GB limit

 Article provided by TechNewsDaily, a sister site to Latopmag.com.

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