DailyTech - T-Mobile Set to Launch GoSmart Mobile Prepaid Service in February

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Gadgets T-Mobile Set to Launch GoSmart Mobile Prepaid Service in February
Shane McGlaun (Blog) - January 31, 2013 9:59 AM

25 comment(s) - last by KateHiggs22.. on Feb 1 at 3:05 PM

Service has been testing since December in select markets

Things have been relatively quiet over at T-Mobile over the last several months. However, the mobile carrier is planning on launching a new prepaid service offering in February called GoSmart. T-Mobile has been trialing the service since December and has said that in its test markets it has seen strong demand.

The prepaid wireless service will be offered in three different plans. A plan at $30 per month will offer unlimited voice minutes and texting. At $35, users will get unlimited voice minutes, unlimited texting, and 2G internet service. Users who pay $45 per month will get unlimited voice/text, and capped high-speed internet service.

The $45 high-speed plan has a 5 GB data cap before users are switched to slower 2G speeds. It seems that the $35 plan that includes 2G internet service doesn't have a cap. One thing to keep in mind, however, is that standard T-Mobile customers will be given priority over GoSmart customers when the network is experiencing heavy traffic.

GoSmart has two different hardware offerings on its website including a $49 Alcatel OT 838 and a mobile SIM kit priced at eight dollars. That SIM kit is intended to allow users to use their own unlocked GSM phone.

Source: Fiercewireless

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Cool!

By Wererat on 1/31/2013 10:44:33 AM , Rating: 3

I currently am out of the smartphone game ('cause I'm nearly always in wifi coverage and use my tablet instead, and I'm not signing into indentured servitude/contract again) so I'm paying T-mobile $30 for 1500 minutes/texts and almost no data.

Next month I can pay the same and talk all day; or $35 and have unlimited (slow) data. $45 for more data than I can eat is a blast right across Verizon's and AT&T's really poor no-contract offerings.

RE: Cool!

By RufusM on 1/31/2013 11:06:05 AM , Rating: 2

You bet. I think this is to compete with Straight Talk's MVNO offerings. $45/month for talk, text and 5GB of HSPA+ data is a GREAT deal.

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RE: Cool!

By StealthX32 on 1/31/2013 11:50:45 AM , Rating: 2

T-Mobile has figured a way out to detect that I'm tethering (rooted phone using stock Android tethering), I wonder how much extra it will be.

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RE: Cool!

By mbungle87 on 1/31/2013 4:42:37 PM , Rating: 2

This has worked for me to fool T-Mobile into thinking I'm not tethering: https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/user-age...

Change your user agent string to Android and you can tether all you want. The downside is sites like Youtube revert to their mobile format.

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RE: Cool!

By menting on 1/31/2013 12:05:26 PM , Rating: 2

I don't think it's a great deal, but I'm just a cheap bastard.
I'm waiting for the day when we can get prepaid data plan only, and pay only as much as was used (like the prepaid minutes), with the equiv price of $10 per 2GB.

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RE: Cool!

By Denigrate on 1/31/2013 12:17:02 PM , Rating: 2

This what you are looking for then.

http://www.platinumtel.com/plans

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RE: Cool!

By menting on 1/31/2013 12:32:05 PM , Rating: 2

that looked like exactly I want, except for the 10c per MB portion. at that price 1GB = $100, which is a no go to me.

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RE: Cool!

By DanNeely on 1/31/2013 1:59:13 PM , Rating: 2

Have you looked at Ting? While their data prices are a bit on the high side; but because they're offering voice/text at much lower rates than most of the competition their overall prices are competitive as long as you don't use massive amounts of data.

https://ting.com/plans

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RE: Cool!

By Samus on 2/1/2013 3:10:29 AM , Rating: 2

I second to check out Ting.

My wife and I spend <$50 a month with two phones on our plan. 1000 shared minutes, 1000 messages, and 500MB data.

I have a Galaxy S3/LTE, she has a Galaxy SII/WiMax and we both get great 4G service in Chicago.

Our average usage over the last 6 months according to the Ting control panel (which is the best plan management console in the business) is 946 Minutes, 489 Messages, 339 Megabytes.

We've gone over 1000 minutes once, and over 500MB twice, but it just bumps you up to the next bucket which isn't a huge dent in the plan. It still comes out to be less than any competitor for our usage.

If your DATA HEAVY, Ting isn't for you, but that's why our phones hop on our home or work WIFI as soon as we walk in the doors.

Since you can bring just about any Sprint Android phone to Ting now, including the Nexus S 4G ($150 new on eBay) it's worth trying. No contract or anything...and they're paying off ETF's for the month of February for some people.

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RE: Cool!

By menting on 2/1/2013 10:23:31 AM , Rating: 2

thanks for the heads up. I'll take a look at it.
But basically I want to move to a pure data plan only, as I can do all my voice calls over VOIP, so data prices being on the high side might not work out too well for me.

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RE: Cool!

By menting on 2/1/2013 10:26:26 AM , Rating: 2

took a quick look at it. Too bad it's on Sprint. I use a GSM phone since I use it as well when I'm out of the country.

The idea of choosing what you want to use more or less of is really nice though. I wish more companies would do that

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RE: Cool!

By Jeffk464 on 1/31/2013 11:40:35 AM , Rating: 2

Hmm, with T-mobile rolling out LTE I might have to switch eventually.

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RE: Cool!

By Jeffk464 on 1/31/2013 11:41:52 AM , Rating: 1

Of course you have to add in the cost of a retail priced phone.

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RE: Cool!

By menting on 1/31/2013 12:03:25 PM , Rating: 4

which everyone on a contract is paying for anyway.

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RE: Cool!

By djdjohnson on 1/31/2013 12:31:56 PM , Rating: 2

With 0% financing for 20 months, paying full price on a phone isn't a big deal. Especially knowing that after those 20 months your monthly payment is much lower than it would be with another carrier.

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