Is Virgin Mobile Right For You?
For most people, a cell phone is a must. If you're like most people, you also want to get the most for your money. As carriers have almost zero operating fees associated with running cell towers for talking, they've found ways to bleed your wallet with data and Internet fees. When you're fed up with being stuck in an unfair contract, pay-as-you-go companies like Virgin Mobile start to look pretty good. It's not right for everyone, but V Mo might just be perfect for you.
Phone Options
For a contractless carrier, Virgin Mobile offers quite a few phones. Many are re-branded from Sprint's handsets because V Mo uses the company's towers. You'll find the Samsung Galaxy S II, which was a fan favorite for about a year, the Evo 4G and even the iPhone 4 and 4S. Both iPhones start at under $500 without needing to pay for a contract. All of these smartphones use either iOS or the Android operating system. You can browse the Internet, message via Facebook or add apps to your phone to completely customize the experience.
When saving money is of utmost concern, Virgin Mobile offers texting and camera phones with limited Internet capabilities. “PayLo” phones have a much lower price tag – the Samsung Entro costs only $15 – and you still have the ability to send and receive calls and messages.
Network
Virgin Mobile relies on Sprint's network, which means you shouldn't use it if you've had trouble with the company in the past. The majority of phones on the network, including the HTC One V and the Samsung Galaxy S II operate on Sprint's 3G network. While the company works hard to release 4G service to flooded markets, 3G service remains fairly slow. Because of this, you should check out Sprint's coverage maps to make sure that it will be a good match for you.
An additional consideration is 4G. Phones like the Evo 4G use Sprint's older WiMax network, which isn't true 4G. It's still significantly slower than the 4G LTE that the company is now rolling out, which has previously been available to customers of AT&T and Verizon. If you absolutely require blazing fast speeds on your phone, Virgin Mobile isn't the voice for you. However, if your area won't soon see true 4G, you might not notice a difference.
Pricing and Plans
The main draw of Virgin Mobile is the ability to have a powerful phone on a plan that is much less expensive. The company has two lines of plans: one for smartphone users and one for talk users.
PayLo plans are perfect for your camera phone and start at just $20 per month for 400 minutes without texting or Web privileges. You can pay 15 cents per text, but it's probably better to upgrade to the $30 monthly plan, which includes 1500 minutes and texts. Unless you're a heavy texter. If you do more messaging than calling, the $40 plan is still a steal when compared to most contract cell phone carriers. You'll have no limits on messages or texts, and V Mo throws in 50 megabytes of data each month.
Smartphone users have just as many options at their fingertips, with plans starting at just $35 per month for 300 minutes, unlimited texts and unlimited data. After. 2.5 gigabytes of data use, Virgin Mobile will begin to throttle your data, however. Upgrade to $45 per month for 1200 minutes or get unlimited talk, text and data for $55 per month.
You can purchase top-up cards or manually top up your card every month if you don't consistently have the funds. Virgin Mobile will also automatically charge a credit card that you add to your account to be charged monthly. Unlike contract carriers, Virgin Mobile lets you cancel at any time.
Virgin Mobile can't compete with the big four cell networks, but the company doesn't want to. Conscientious consumers are the target demographic, and if you're one of them, Virgin Mobile might be right for you.
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