What's the best Lumia to buy for under $120 in 2015?

[RumoredNow]

LOL... It really was a group effort.

I hope you and your phone have nothing but happy times together.

 

[lilnickiwonder]

Thanks! And thank you to everyone who helped!

 

[lilnickiwonder]

Now I'm questioning carriers. I'm between the Cricket $40 plan, the Straight Talk $45 plan (really 50 with tax), or the Pure Talk USA $44.95 plan. All have unlimited talk and text, cricket gives me 2.5 GB high speed (throttled to 8 mbps) and then slows down (I never reach it), straight talk would give me 5 GB then slow down (way more than I need but nice cushion) but their customer service is what makes me leary of them, and pure talk will give me 2 GB of unthrottled att lte. I'm not sure which would be best

 

[pankaj981]

Well I have been with Cricket on their $40 plan and I really do not have any complains outside of no VVM support on non-Cricket WPs and no support for internet tethering.

 

[RumoredNow]

Straight Talk just doesn't have VVM either.

I use YouMail on the web coupled with ISeeVM App on the phone. Works a treat for VVM.

YouMail Automated Secretary | Replace Voicemail with an Automated Secretary to Manage Your Calls
Sorry the new store on web has a broken link. Check for ISeeVM on your phone's Store.

 

[Eustis99]

I'm on Verizon so I'm quite limited. I found the 928 to be pretty awesome which I got brand new on eBay for 120.

 

[Ten Four]

If you're interested in PureTalk you can try it out for a lot less than the $44.95 per month. They send you a free SIM and you can sign up for one of the limited minutes plans. I'm on the 500 minutes one and I purchase 1gb of data for a total of $32.85 per month, no additional taxes or fees. Where I live I get around 25mbps download speeds on LTE, with uploads around 3-5. Customer service is great on the phone and the service is low hassle. You may also want to check out H2O with full LTE speeds. Their cs is not great, but it is much better than Straight Talk.

 

[lilnickiwonder]

Is there a way I can find out how many minutes I use now so I could know what plan to choose?

 

[libra89]

It depends on your current plan. There might be something on the carrier's website that allows you to see that information, after logging in.

 

[RumoredNow]

Is there a way I can find out how many minutes I use now so I could know what plan to choose?

It depends on your current plan. There might be something on the carrier's website that allows you to see that information, after logging in.

Call 611 and chat with the folks at your carrier. They should be able to help.

 

[lilnickiwonder]

I just had the thought, I can't pay the price of an unlocked version of the 640 but if t mobiles or metro pcs' unlock policy is as loose as ATTs, then I could get a metro pcs maybe for the lowest price and unlock it and pop in my cricket SIM, is t mo and metro pcs better about updates than ATT? It would be cool to have native wifi calling support. Is that only offered on the t mo version or on the t mo and metro pcs versions? Do the att and t mo version have the same bands?

 

[Ten Four]

I'm pretty sure MetroPCS requires at least 6 months of activation on the service to get your phone unlocked, and I don't think you can even buy the phone without a service plan. If you want to be on AT&T or an AT&T MVNO I think it would be cheaper and a lot less hassle to just purchase the GoPhone version and away you go. I wouldn't even bother to get the GoPhone unlocked--you can use it on any AT&T MVNO as is. Until TMo offers better coverage it is not a viable option for me.

 

[RumoredNow]

I agree with all the above, except...

I wouldn't even bother to get the GoPhone unlocked--you can use it on any AT&T MVNO as is.

If you can get an unlock, it never hurts and always helps. What if lilnicki goes traveling abroad? Needs to switch carrier? It also helps with resale value. It's value added all around. If it is free and easy - do it.

 

[lilnickiwonder]

I'm wondering now, I really wanted the 830. I'm fine with the 640 gophone I have, and I did unlock it, I wonder if I could trade it for an 830 or sell it for enough to get an 830 from eBay? I've never sold before, I don't know what kind of sale value it has or anything like that, would that even be a good idea? Is the 830 worth it?

 

[RumoredNow]

I think you are overthinking things now.

640 is solid value for the money. Enjoy it. Phones are like cars, they lose value as soon as you buy one.

Live in the now for a little while. 2016 should bring some new marvel...

 

[lilnickiwonder]

Lol thanks, I'll enjoy my 640!

 

[Ten Four]

Let's put it this way, if unlocks are free or cost almost nothing they will add no value to a used phone. Sure, if you think you might need it for travel get it unlocked, but to me there are only two choices in phone networks--AT&T or Verizon because they are the only two with true nationwide coverage. I travel too much to buy a phone that might not work where I am going even if it works at home. Verizon is pretty hopeless for Windows phones, so that leaves the AT&T network, and I can use any AT&T or GoPhone on full AT&T postpaid, GoPhone, PureTalk, H2O, Cricket, Straight Talk, etc. etc. without any unlocking. So, sure, unlock if you need it unlocked, but don't obsess over it.

 

[HoosierDaddy]

Let's put it this way, if unlocks are free or cost almost nothing they will add no value to a used phone.

Absolutely false. A locked phone is like selling a car that doesn't run. You tell buyers it just needs spark plugs but for some reason some don't want to buy it and nobody wants to pay as much as if it ran before the sale.

Some people don't know if the phone can be unlocked. Some people don't want to waste time getting it unlocked. Some people are smart enough to know that it might not bet unlocked. A locked phone will make possible buyers walk or reduce what they will pay.

 

[RumoredNow]

Free and easy Unlock does not mean that everyone knows how.

I peruse the Marketplace here all the time. I read Swappa, eBay, Amazon for phone prices. I check e-retailers a lot.

People want unlocked, people ask, "can you unlock it," or, "is it unlocked," all the time. Unlocked phones do fetch a higher price and seem to sell faster. I buy and sell phones quite regularly. This is my experience.

I agree, don't obsess. But you can also assess.

 

[Ten Four]

Anyone who pays more for an "unlocked" 640 is wasting their money. Buy the GoPhone version for I think $80, get it unlocked for free by following these directions, and you're done.