OK Boomer needs a new smart phone thingie

January 27, 2020 8:39 AM

Help a smart phone Luddite in finding the right smart phone and plan.

I’ve been largely resistant to using cell phones; but now that my iPhone 5 is coming apart, I need a new one. I’m the last of my friends who doesn’t text much or use the phone on a constant basis. A smart phone is handy for the maps, keeping in touch with folks (does anyone use email anymore?) and other tasks. So I need to update.

I’m not interested in a brand new expensive phone with a huge data plan. I’m comfy with the iPhone and would like to keep my old number. I’m ignorant concerning hot spots, unlocking phones, phone security or what models are best. I’m open to using non-Apple provided it will sync for pics, music, etc. to my Mac.

I’ve had a cheap Virgin Mobile plan with no complaint but they’ve apparently sold out to Boost. Checking Boost’s web site, they offer older iPhones that are more affordable but I haven’t found out what the restrictions or commitments are. I’m also looking at Consumer Cellular. One feature I want is the ability to add the use of the phone outside of the US, for both calling and the web when we travel.

Googling brings up a swamp of advertising or phony “10 best” offerings. My eyes glaze over when slogging through a site’s pricing page. So what are the best resources for informing myself about all this and what are the key features to look out for?

posted by jabo to Technology (12 answers total)

I say stick with the plan you've got, but get a new iPhone. I've been on Virgin Mobile for years with no problems. Did you get the text/e-mail from them explaining the transition to Boost? Of course, things could change for the worse at any time, but it appears that everything will continue along as-is. Your rate and phone number won't change. You'll just need to go to the Boost website instead of the VM website for any business.

It appears that Boost sells the same phones that VM did, including refurbished models. I got a refurbished iPhone 7 plus for $200 last year, and when I looked on the boost site a couple weeks ago, they were offering the same phone at the same price.

I never needed to use it, but i believe that VM offered the option of adding on a temporary package to get coverage out of the US. If they did, i imagine that Boost would, as well, since they both use Sprint as their network.
posted by jonathanhughes at 8:54 AM on January 27, 2020

Hi!

I think you would be really happy with an iPhone 8. It is $449.

Carriers used to have plans where you could sign up for 2 years, and they would give you a phone, but that's changed into a "lease" service. I just pay full price.

You should be able to transfer your service to your new phone.

Personally, when I travel, I've found the most cost-effective thing is usually to buy a SIM card in the country you are visiting. It is usually less than $50 for a month or so of unlimited data.
posted by bbqturtle at 8:57 AM on January 27, 2020

Best answer: I think you should stick with iPhones since you know them. Syncing to Macs with Android phones will work, but it's more of a hassle. My guy uses his iPhone with Cricket Wireless and it's a great inexpensive monthly plan.If you're looking for Pay As You Go (slightly cheaper if you really never use the thing) I've heard good things about Ultra/Mint. And depending on your money situation, you might be ok buying a used iPhone because they are cheeeaaapppp. I use an iPhone SE (same form factor as the 5) and you can get used ones in a place like Swappa for a few hundred bucks.

Consumer Cellular is kind of nice because they really aim for the older cell phone set and have better support than most plans. Might be worth calling them and asking what their bring-your-own-phone deals are like.
posted by jessamyn at 9:09 AM on January 27, 2020

I have Consumer Cellular and I've been really happy with them. They have a nice data plan that automatically upgrades to the next level if you go over, rather than charging you a bunch of fees. And they increase the amount of data in each plan every year or so for free, kind of like a cost of living upgrade, which is really nice.

I agree that staying with an iphone is the best option. I recently upgraded from a 6S to an 11, and I don't love the facial recognition aspect of it, so if you can get an older model without it I'd do that.

For outside the US, swapping the SIM card is super easy and works well.
posted by exceptinsects at 9:37 AM on January 27, 2020

You can get older phones, but if you stay with iPhones, I would recommend getting one no older than the 6s. A newer one will have more useful life ahead. If you're getting a used phone, also bear in mind that battery life declines rapidly once they get past a certain age.

Like exceptinsects, I recently upgraded from a 6s to an 11, but I really like the faceID. FWIW. YMMV.
posted by adamrice at 9:50 AM on January 27, 2020

I recently upgraded from a SE (same size as the 5S) to an 8. It's slightly bigger, but still manageable. I'd recommend the 8 and look at something like Swappa.com to buy it.
posted by kathrynm at 10:34 AM on January 27, 2020

Best answer: I can't believe I'm the first to recommend Ting here, since I'd never heard of it until it came up in several askme answers. They charge you $6/month for having the phone active, and then you pay for whatever you use in minutes, text, and data for the month. Never take or place a call that month? $0. Talk for less than 100 minutes this month? $3. And so forth. And they have real people who answer the phones, and those real people know what they're doing and are actually helpful. (Oh, and they were especially helpful in explaining how to minimize the cost when my husband took his phone to Spain.)
posted by DrGail at 10:46 AM on January 27, 2020 [1 favorite]

Note that Apple is rumored to be launching a sub-$500 phone (possibly named iPhone9 or iPhone SE2) in March. It will likely be approximately the size of the current iPhone8, but have much newer hardware and thus longer software support. If you can wait a couple months, I would wait to see what price and features that phone has.
posted by stobor at 10:56 AM on January 27, 2020

First, no matter who you choose for your carrier, you can keep your number. It is called, porting. Second, if you are a phone luddite, stick to the iPhone family of phones. There will be virtually no learning curve. Third, it has been my observation with my usage and my children that every time we upgrade a phone, data usage goes up. It seems obvious for my kids who use social media, but it is true for me too. I do not use social media. I do stream the occasional video while sitting on the Metro North train, etc. I am using data right now with this response.

Fourth, while I only know about the "big 4", Verizon, AT&T, T-mobile and Sprint, the resellers offer very good deals using the big 4s networks. The resellers will be the cheapest. My mother used consumer cellular and any data she used was accidental. If you are military or retired military, t-mobile will give you a material discount. Ask all of the providers what professional discounts they can offer. I had an education discount at my previous provider. I use t-mobile now and am really happy with the customer service. I was misquoted the price for 4 lines when I switched and they decided to charge me for 3 lines but have 4 as the adjustment.
posted by AugustWest at 11:34 AM on January 27, 2020

Something to consider is that some prepaid networks (including Virgin Mobile IIRC) require you to have a phone that’s in some way specific to them, while some let you use used phones from other networks without much trouble. I’ve liked Mint and Page Plus and Ting because with them I’ve been able to buy compatible used phones made for major carriers (Verizon/ATT) to use, and there’s a broader selection available. I’ve had a good experience with my iphone SE & Mint Mobile recently. I used to like Page Plus but they disable the ability to make your iPhone into a mobile hotspot, which is annoying.
posted by needs more cowbell at 12:03 PM on January 27, 2020

Red Pocket is another prepaid reseller that gives you a choice of networks. The cheapest plan is $5 per month.
posted by TWinbrook8 at 5:05 PM on January 27, 2020

Can't help you with the phone (my iphone 5s is still chugging along), but you might check out Tracfone. I buy a 1 year card, with a promo code usually around $100, any unused voice/data/text rolls over.
posted by Bron at 7:34 AM on January 28, 2020