Q&A Prepaid Phone Plans – Reddit Asked and We Answered

Since the very beginning, US Mobile has offered prepaid phone plans. We believe that’s what gives our customer the most freedom and bang for their bucks. Still, there are a lot of questions lingering on what it is, if it’s better and how it works. That’s why we set out to do a Q&A on the topic.

In order to compile the most frequent questions, we did a thorough search on Reddit and here’s what Redditors want to know.

Is prepaid and Pay as You Go the same thing?

Not really, although they’re often used interchangeably. With prepaid plans, you pay in advance and once you’ve used up your plan you get disconnected from the service until you’ve bought another plan. If you Pay as You Go, you don’t buy a plan but rather minutes, texts, and data. Once you’ve used them, you can add more with physical or electronic refill cards.

Can I keep my number if I switch from postpaid to prepaid?

Yes, it doesn’t matter. You can port your number to the new provider.

My usage varies greatly – is postpaid or prepaid better?

This depends on whether you’re able to predict the variations or not. If you know when you that the next period will be lower, you can usually adjust prepaid plans in advance since you can regulate your plan month-to-month. If you have already paid for a larger plan in advance, and it turns out that your usage will be low, you can’t get that money back. Then it might be safer to buy a smaller plan, and top-up later in the month if needed. Postpaid, on the other hand, can be good if you don’t know how your usage will vary since you pay for what you have used. In order for this to work though, you shouldn’t be on an expensive base plan (like unlimited plans). Then it doesn’t matter how much you’ve used or not.

Postpaid, on the other hand, can be good if you don’t know how your usage will vary since you pay for what you have used. In order for this to work though, you shouldn’t be on an expensive base plan (like unlimited plans). Then it doesn’t matter how much you’ve used or not.

Do I need a Social Security number to get a prepaid phone plan?

No, no credit check or social security number is needed when signing up for a prepaid plan. Since you’re not in a contract, and you prepay for all your future usage, there is no reason for the carrier to get your background information. That’s also why prepaid plans are common for temporary or disposable phones.

Is it easy to cancel prepaid plans?

Having a prepaid phone plan means that you’re not under contract. That makes it easy to cancel at any time. What you need to keep in mind is how long you have prepaid for your plan before switching to another plan. Sometimes you prepay for 1 month, 3 months or even 12 months and once you’ve paid for a period, it tends to be hard to get out of. If you’re on a month-to-month plan, you have more flexibility. Just be mindful of the timing of the switch.

Can I get a discount on my device if I choose prepaid?

In rare occasions, you can get a discount on a device when joining a prepaid carrier. However, it’s a lot more common when you’re in a contract. The reason why postpaid carriers can give you discounted phones is that they know you’ll be a customer for at least 24 months, and they can earn the discounted amount back on the monthly service payments. That’s also one of the reasons why postpaid plans is usually more expensive than prepaid plans.

Can data rollover if you’re on a prepaid plan?

Rollover means that data, talk and/or text roll over from one billing cycle to the next if it hasn’t been used. And the answer is that it doesn’t matter if you’re paying for your plan in advance or at the end of the cycle. Every carrier chooses if they want to allow rollover or not. At US Mobile, all addons rollover for a separate cycle of 30 days, not following the base plan’s cycle.

Do I get the same downloading speeds as when I’m in a contract?

Throttling, which means intentionally slowing down data speeds, is a sensitive topic among carriers. Most carriers clearly state that they’ll start deprioritizing a user’s data speeds after they’ve used a certain amount of data in one billing cycle. The cap is usually between 20 Gb and 50 Gb. Now, some carriers do offer prepaid plans at a lower data speed than their postpaid plan. However, unless it’s clearly stated, the prepaid plans should have the same downloading speeds as postpaid plans. Head over to Rootmetrics if you want to learn more about individual carrier’s speeds.

How Do eSIMs work for prepaid carriers?

eSIM is a fairly new phenomenon and not implemented across the industry. eSIM is a standardized SIM chip open to multiple mobile carriers, instead of one specific carrier. To begin with, only selected carriers will support eSIM. It will also probably take a long time before all phone manufacturers will scrap the traditional SIM card slot. Prepaid or postpaid won’t matter in this sense, as it will be carrier-related if eSIM will be supported or not.

Do you need help on deciding which plan that suits your needs the best? Head over to Choosing the Best Prepaid Phone Plan for You. Let us know in the comments if you have other questions we should add to this Q&A.

How to Reset your Phone Before Selling it

If you’re thinking about upgrading your phone to the latest the market has to offer, you might want to sell your current phone. Depending on what model and brand you have, the resell value could be high so why not sell it instead of letting it collect dust in a drawer? Be careful though that you don’t sell your phone with a bunch of embarrassing selfies or videos still on the phone. Here’s how you reset your phone before putting it on the market.

Reset Your iPhone

If you’re the current phone is an iPhone, you need to deactivate a couple of things before resetting the phone. First, you should, however, back up all the data you have on the phone. Connect your device to a power source and connect your device to a Wi-Fi. Go to Settings – Your Name – iCloud – iCloud Backup.

Once the backup is done:

1. If you have an Apple Watch, you should unpair it to avoid confusion if you plan to pair it with a new iPhone.
2. Turn of iMessage, which is especially important if you’re switching to Android. Otherwise, you might miss some messages in the transfer.
3. Sign out of iCloud by going to Settings, tap your name and scroll down till you reach Sign Out.
4. Go to your Apple ID and password, tap Turn Off.

It’s time to clear up all data. Go to Settings – General – Reset and choose Erase All Content and Settings. Now it’s safe to sell your iPhone. Just don’t forget to take out your SIM card!

Wipe Your Android Clean

As per usual, you’ll notice that it’s a different procedure for Android. It’s still easy though! If you’re planning on switching your Android for another Android, you can sync all apps to your account. Go to Settings – Account Sync and tap Sync Now. If you continue in Settings, go to System – Backup and turn on Back Up to Google Drive. Now you’ve backed up all the data that was stored on your phone, which you then can move to your new phone.

Once the backup is done, it’s time to wipe your Android clean. Again, go to Settings – System – Reset and tap Factory Data Reset. This will erase everything you had on your phone and it’s good to go to market.

If you’re not planning on selling your old phone, we have collected Seven Things You Can Do With Your Old Phone. They all start with a reset of your phone but the suggestions are a bit more altruistic and/or creative than making some quick bucks.

How to Insert a SIM Card into a Mobile Phone

By now, most of you know what a SIM card is. If you need a refresher though, a SIM is a memory chip inside your phone that stores information and connects you to a wireless network. You also know that it makes it easy to switch carrier by moving your SIM. But do you know how to insert your SIM card in a new phone?

SIM Cards come in Three Sizes

Depending on what kind of phone you have, you might need a different sized SIM card:

• Mini SIM: The Mini, also called Standard SIM, is 15 x 25mm. You would use the Mini SIM in 2011 phones and older, like the iPhone 3.
• Micro SIM: A Micro SIM is 12 x 15mm, and is commonly used by phones manufactured between 2012-2013, like the iPhone4.
• Nano SIM: The smallest SIM is called Nano and is just 8.8 x 12.3mm. If you have a newer generation phone, like iPhone 5 and above, you would use the nano-sized SIM.

All US Mobile’s SIM cards are pre-cut so that you can choose the size you need. It’s formatted as the image above, enabling all three sizes. You simply press gently along the perforated line of the chosen size and voila – your SIM card is cut in the correct size!

Inserting a SIM Card

In order to insert a new SIM card into a phone, or a connected device, you need a tool that will open the SIM slot. The slot is usually located on the side of your phone. You’ll see a very small hole, which you’ll have to press to open the slot. You won’t be able to do with your thumb, you’ll need some kind of tool. Most phones come with this tool, looking something similar to this one in the image.

In case you don’t have that tool, you can always use a paperclip which you’ll unfold and use for the same purpose. Press lightly and the slot should pop out enabling you to insert the SIM card. The video below is an example of how you would insert it into a Xiaomi Mi Mix but the principle is the same, no matter what phone or other connected devices, you have.

We hope this tutorial was helpful and if you’re looking for an affordable service, head over to our Prepaid Phone Plans.

Apple Watch Series 3’s New Features Powered by eSIM

Today Apple announced the launch of the Apple Watch Series 3 with LTE data, along with the new iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, and iPhone X. The most interesting feature with this new watch is that you won’t need to pair the watch with an iPhone. Instead, it will have a standalone LTE modem for wireless data. That means no more tethering of the phone or the cell phone plan.

The Apple Watch Series 3 will be available on Sept 22nd but you can start ordering it already on the 15th of September.

Apple Watch Series 3 is Connected via eSIM

In order to get standalone data, the Apple Watch Series 3 uses an emerging technology called eSIM. eSIM is the new kid in town when it comes to connectivity. eSIM stands for “embedded SIM”. It’s a standardized SIM chip open to multiple mobile operators, which can be programmed and activated remotely. One of the perks of having an eSIM is that you won’t have to swap it out when you switch carrier. Other advantages are described in What is eSIM and How it’s a Game Changer for Consumers.

So, the Apple’s smartwatch will dial up the internet wirelessly even when it’s not connected to an iPhone. The SIM chip is built into the device, at the time of production, so you won’t need to insert a traditional SIM card. And, as mentioned, an eSIM can be set up remotely, over the internet, without a visit to a store.

Samsung’s Gear S3 Frontier was the first eSIM device on the market. The adoption has had a slow start since it requires a different device setup. The eSIM is in less 1% of all mobile phones and automotive devices.

Top New Features

The Apple Watch Series 3 will come in several new colors, as visible in the main image on top. It will sport new bands and new finishes to fit every type of customer. The watch itself has the same general design as the current Apple Watch. However, it has a bright red Digital Crown as a distinct new feature. Series 3 is 70% faster thanks to a new processor and it will support GPS, like its predecessors.

Another new cool feature is that you’ll be able to listen to 40 million songs from your wrist. You’ll basically be able to access to all your favorite music from your watch. You can even ask Siri to find your favorite track. Siri also talks, so you don’t even have to look at the watch.

Not surprisingly, the new Apple watch still doesn’t support Android. Another feature missing in the new watch is support for phone calls. Apple will turn off calling features inside its Apple Watch and will only allow the cellular connection to be used to connect to the Internet. A theory, why they’re doing this is to not cannibalize on the smartphones they launched simultaneously today.

The new Apple Watch will cost $399 with cellular connection and $329 without cellular connection. The cellular option will only be available in nine countries to start with.

However, if you’re still not convinced about buying Apple’s new watch and is opting for another brand, check out SIM cards for watches.

Transfer Contacts From Android to Iphone

Are you thinking about switching from Android to iPhone but does it sound daunting to transfer all the data? Data like photos, music, texts, calendar, and all the contacts from your address book. We feel you, and that’s why we’ve made an easy how-to-guide to accomplish this in the easiest way possible.

Moving Data from Android to iPhone

Option 1 – Utilizing Your SIM Card

The easiest way to move contacts is by using your Universal SIM Card. You want to make sure that the SIM card you have is the same size, or can be cut into the appropriate size, to fit the new phone. Before you switch phone, simply store the address book on your SIMaddress by doing the following:

1. Make a backup of your address book on your Android to your SIM card.
2. Move the SIM from your Android to your iPhone.
3. On the iPhone, tap the Settings – Mail, Contacts, Calendars – Import SIM Contacts
4. Choose the account you want to transfer them into.
5. Once the transfer is down, your new iPhone will have all your old Android contacts.

Option 2 – Use Apple’s App

Since it’s in Apple’s interest to make a switch from Android to iPhone, they’ve created an app specifically for moving data from one to the other. The app is called Move, and according to Apple it will “migrate your content automatically and securely”. The app basically consolidates all of your Android data including contacts, texts photos, calendar, email accounts etc and imports them to your new iPhone. The only two steps you need to take are:

1. Download Move.
2. Connect to WiFi and get started with the app.

Make sure that your Android phone or tablet is running on Android 4.0 or higher in order to use this option.

Other ways include copying everything over to Google’s cloud, which means that it will always be synced, no matter which device you’re on. You could also syndicate your contacts via iTunes but it’s a bit tricky and we promised you to keep it simple!

Transfer Contacts from iPhone to Android

Of course, we don’t want to leave you hanging if you want to do the reverse, going from iPhone to Android. Before you do anything else though, make a fresh backup of your iPhone in iCloud.

Use vCard to Move Contacts

1. Open Firefox or Safari (not Chrome as it won’t work) and go to iCloud.com.
2. Sign in with your Apple ID.
3. Click Contacts – All Contacts.
4. Press the Ctrl key and A key on your keyboard simultaneously if you have a PC. If you have a Mac, press the Command key and the A key on your keyboard simultaneously. Then, click the Settings button on the bottom left corner of your screen.
5. Click Export vCard and y. Your contacts will be saved as a .vcf file.

Import Contacts via Google

1. Sign into your Google account and click the Google apps button in the top right corner.
2. Tap Contacts – Import Contacts on the bottom of the left menu.
3. Tap Choose File – Import Contacts – Choose File
4. Click your vCard and open it, then click Import and all of your contacts should appear.

Unfortunately, you’ll have to move all other data, like photos and calendars separately. For more information on how to do that, check AndroidCentral.

No matter which route you take, please allow yourself some time to get used to your new phone. It’s a learning curve going from one system to another. Enjoy your new phone!

Image Source: Whistleout

Is Faster and Better Quality Network Eating More Data?

Most people don’t know how much data they use in a regular month. This might make it hard to assess how much you really need to have on your cell phone plan. The easiest way to figure out how much you use is to check with your current carrier or directly on your phone.

On iPhone, go to Settings – Cellular and it will show your cumulative usage from the time you activated your phone. If you want to track usage from a specific date, you need to Reset Statistics. On Android, it’s a bit more straightforward; go to Settings – Data usage to see total usage for a given date range.

If you’re a US Mobile customer, you can just sign into your account to get an instant overview.

Once you know how much you use, you should know that your decisions on how you’re using your phone will impact the data usage.

Does a Faster Internet Use More Data?

The big question is, will faster internet speeds use more data? Technically no but logically, and in reality, yes. First of all, doing the identical thing on a slow vs a fast network will use the exact same amount of data. Downloading a 200MB photo will always require 200 MB. However, the faster the speed, the quicker you can complete a task such as downloading or uploading a file. That means that you’re able to do more, and consume more data, in the same amount of time if you have fast speeds. You naturally do more and probably use higher quality streaming.

When you increase internet speed it will also increase the speed of consumption of background data. For example, while browsing videos on You Tube you might not watch the full video. If the data download speed is fast, the entire video will be buffered despite the fact that you only watched parts of it. Had the Internet speed been slower, it would not have downloaded that extra unwatched part of the video. This also means that when you click on a web page, and the speed is fast, the whole page will be instantly loaded including graphics and widgets. You will, therefore, download a larger page than what you would have if your internet was slow. If you had a slower internet, you might also give up on a page sooner and automatically the total download would have been smaller.

So even if the faster network, per se, don’t use more data, the change in your consumption and larger page loads will lead to you using more.

Adjust Quality on Your Streaming Apps

If data were cookies, apps providing some kind of streaming service, are the cookie monsters. Usage, of course, varies by app and streaming quality. The rule of thumb is that the better quality (higher resolution), the more data you’ll use.

But you have the power to limit quality to use less of your plan. On Netflix, for instance, you have the option to only stream when you’re on WiFi, which means that you never use your mobile plan. Other usage settings are as follows:

• Auto – stream to the highest quality depending on your internet speed (~3 hours per GB).
• Low – stream 4 hours per GB.
• Medium – stream 2 hours per GB.
• High – stream 1 hour per GB.
• Unlimited – if you don’t have an unlimited plan, you should forget about this option as it’s about 20 min of watching per GB.

Most streaming apps let you make choices about quality which will impact your data usage. So make sure you check what options you have for your favorite apps.

Watch Out for Data Throttling

Finally, you should make sure that you’re aware of any data throttling going on. Throttling is when a carrier intentionally slows down your upload and download speed. Cell phone carriers often slow your cell phone data to dial-up speeds once you go over your monthly plan. For instance, you have 3GB and you’re streaming an Amazon Prime video. It’s working fine until you hit your max usage of 3GB and then you’ll just see an endless loading wheel. You might still be able to access some sites, but it will take a long time to load. You might also be hit with overage charges for using more than the plan you’ve subscribed to. Basically, make sure you get what you (think) you’re paying for.

Best SIM Card for Your GPS Tracker

So you have a GPS Tracker but no SIM card? Or do you think you’re paying too much for the service? Then, it’s time to pay attention.

How Does a GPS Tracker Work?

First of all, GPS stands for Global Positioning System. A GPS is a tracking method to work out exactly where something is. It could track the exact location of a vehicle, a cell phone, or some other handheld device. It can also track the movement. As an example, a GPS tracker can be used by a company to monitor the route and progress of a delivery truck, or by a parent to check on the location of their child or the family dog.

A tracking system uses the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) network, consisting of 24 satellites and many more ground stations. In order to communicate, microwave signals are sent between the satellite and the device to give information on location, speed, time and direction. All cell phones, for instance, constantly broadcast a radio signal, even when you’re not on a call.

GPS technology has become common in smartphones and knowing a smartphone’s location can be used for several different purposes. One area that has grown the last couple of years, is hyper-local mobile advertising. Say for instance that you’re the Marketing Manager at McDonald’s. By using location based marketing, you can send promo codes to a person’s phone who’s walking past a McDonald’s. You could also send out notifications to people driving, saying “you’re only X miles away from the nearest McDonalds”.

GPS Trackers Needing SIM Card

Any GPS Tracker has a receiver to triangulate its own position from the satellite signals. Most trackers need a SIM card in order to achieve connectivity. SIM cards are what allow location transmission, sending audio data, and receiving commands to turn on audio and other advanced features. Example of trackers powered by a GSM SIM card are:

• ATian TK103B
• Reachfar
• Vision One
• Panadoo DZ09
• Samsung Gear S3
• Trax Family
• Garmin
• Covrt Gear

Most of the trackers mentioned above are currently getting prepaid affordable plans from US Mobile. A text and data plan for a GPS Tracker is just $6/month.

GPS Watch

If you’re using a so called GPS Watch, or Phone tracker to track your kid or maybe for someone to keep track of you, you will also need a cellular plan. These watches or trackers tend to use very limited data since it’s just giving location instead of downloading big files or streaming videos. Some watches you can text with, and some you can call with. Overall your plan can be kept very small though.

Let’s say you have a smartwatch that uses talk, text, and data, it should be enough with US Mobile’s smallest plans. In fact, the 100 min, 100 test, and 100 MB for $9/monhth is the most common plan among our customers using our prepaid SIM card for their watches.

Choosing the Best Prepaid Phone Plan for You

Feeling trapped? Then you’re not on a prepaid phone plan!

Having a prepaid phone plan usually means that you didn’t need to go through a credit check when you bought it, you don’t have a contract and you are currently saving money. In short, there are many reasons to consider a prepaid phone plan and there are many options to consider.

A Prepaid Phone Plan for the Budget-Conscious

Prepaid phone plans are in particular suitable for the frugal customer. Usually they come with no frills, but instead, the actual plans are generally lower. You pay up front for talk, text, and data, with no risk of overage charges or other surprises at the end of the month.

At US Mobile, you can go into our prepaid plans‘ page and explore what your monthly bill would be based on your current usage. If you don’t know how much you’re using on average, check your last phone bill. Another thing you can to clearly see what you would potentially be saving if you switch carriers is to look at our Savings Calculator. It will plot out what your current cost is, what the average US cell phone bill is, and compare them with your own-crafted plan with US Mobile.

Another thing you can see is what you would be saving if you switched carrier. Have a look at our Savings Calculator. It will plot your current cost is along with the average US cell phone bill, and compare them with your own-crafted plan with US Mobile.

Best Plans for Your Kid

Getting your kid a phone can be both costly and scary. However, a prepaid plan will help with both those concerns. If you go for prepaid, instead of postpaid, you’ll make sure that your kid isn’t using more than what you’ve paid for. You won’t have to face the horror that you might remember from back in the days when you dialed up to the internet with a modem, costing you $$$ for every hour you were online. The kid can use the phone until all the talk, text, and data is used up.

Speaking of data, you might even consider going with a talk- and text only plans for your child. That way you can ensure that they don’t go online without an adult supervising. The smallest talk/text plan you can buy for your kid is $7 including the monthly service fee. It will work both on a cell phone but also on any kind of GPS/Phone watch. If you have children in their teens, we would recommend adding more texts than minutes to the plan. In our experience, teens seem to prefer to communicate with text. For an unlimited text plan. you only pay $7/month (excluding service fee) at US Mobile.

Pay-As-You-Go Phones

When it comes to phone selection you should start by deciding if you need a basic phone, just for calling and texting or a smartphone. Smartphones have operating systems enabling apps, streaming movies and music, accessing the internet and taking photos or even recording videos.

Secondly, you should decide on a prepaid phone, where you pay month-to-month based on usage, or a postpaid phone. A postpaid phone is usually offered at a discount and you pay every month instead of upfront for it. The caveat here is that you’ll have to stay with that carrier until your contract is over (generally after 24 months). If/When you want to switch carriers, you need to make sure that the phone is unlocked. Check out Can I Unlock My Phone for more details on that.

To conclude, choose a prepaid phone plan if you want:

• Freedom to change phones and carriers without penalty.
• Pay for calling, texting and data services in advance, which usually lowers your phone bill.
• Flexibility to upgrade and downgrade your plan and come and go as you want.

SIM Card for Smartwatches

Does your smartwatch need a GSM SIM Card? Preferably one that is prepaid and low cost? Then we suggest that you continue reading.

Nearly 16% of US consumers now own wearables and many smartwatches have become light versions of mobile phones. And in a sense they are; you can use them for making phone calls, texting and browsing the internet.

A popular consumer category for this type of wearables is kids. Kids smartwatches are gaining popularity as it says to give parents peace of mind. They’re able to locate a kid’s whereabouts at any given point and communicate without phones, which are both expensive and gives access to unsupervised internet browsing. CCS Insight forecasts that the wearables industry will grow from just over $10 billion in 2017 to almost $17 billion by 2021. That includes fitness bands, smart clothing, wearables and wearable cameras.

Why do Smartwatches Need a SIM Card?

Even though smartwatches usually are an extension of the phone which they’re syncing with, some models are stand-alone devices. They work independently and are connected through a GSM SIM card. The other watches instead use Bluetooth to pull down content from a nearby paired phone, using the phone’s cellular connection.

The SIM card, in any device, connects to a carrier’s network using unique identification data and an authentication key. It’s a small bit of information stored in a chip, that enables connectivity. It’s also what prevents it from connecting to other carriers’ networks. Nano is the most common sized SIM card for smartwatches, although some are also using the Micro size.

So is it better to have a watch with a SIM card slot or not? The answer is: it depends. The downside of having a smartwatch that needs a SIM card is that you’ll have ongoing costs for the service plan. On the other hand, it’s practical to not have to carry around your phone whenever you want to use your watch.

Customizing a Smartwatch Plan

At US Mobile, it’s very simple to design an affordable smartwatch plan that is customized to your watch’s needs. Let’s say your watch needs talk, text, and data – just pick the size of each component in our matrix. The most affordable plan, including talk, text, and data, is $9 which is including our monthly fee. In the case you don’t need all three components, you can just choose the ones your watch requires.

Start by going to our plans page and follow the steps visible below.

Watches with SIM Card

Although the majority of smartwatches have Bluetooth connectivity, there are a couple of great ones using a cellular connection. A few models to mention are:

• DZ09 – very attractive watch with both Bluetooth and cellular connectivity and also have integrated sleep monitoring.
• Samsung Gear S & S2 3G/4G & S3 Frontier LTE – three different designs from the curved display on the S, to a sports watch look on the S3. Both the S2 and S3 connects with e-sim.
• Scinex SW20 & SW30 – nice looking watches with a touchscreen that can either be connected to a phone or be used as a stand-alone.
• LEMFO LF07 & KW88 – the LF07 is supposedly a replica of Apple Smartwatch Series 2, supporting both Android and iOS. The KW88 has a sportier look and just supports Android.
• NEPTUNE Pine – has a large display which makes it possible to even watch movies on the watch.
• LG Urbane 2nd Edition LTE – classy look of a regular watch with the features of a premium smartwatch.

DZ09 Smartwatch Phone

As mentioned in the beginning, the kids’ smartwatch industry is growing. The following are powered by a SIM Card:

• LEMFO Q50 – a smartwatch with an anti-lost SOS call children tracker that is unlocked for worldwide use.
• TickTalk – kids wearable phone and tracker, where parents can even listen to the surroundings of their kid’s location.
• Tinitell – simple design with just one big button, with volume buttons on the side. A watch phone that comes in four colors.
• Trax Play – tiny GPS tracker in a square box form, for small children and pets.

LEMFO Q50 GPS Smartwatch

Prepaid Internet for Various Devices On the Rise

Prepaid internet means that you pay before using it, similar to prepaid cell phone plans. You can either pay for the amount of data you want to use, or you pay for an unlimited service that is limited in time. Some of the advantages of prepaid internet are the lack of:

• Hidden fees
• Contracts
• Surprise bills

A prepaid data plan provides you the freedom to switch carrier and usage as often as you want!

Wireless Prepaid Internet

As the mobile data consumption continues to increase, the wireless prepaid internet is on the rise. The average data consumption in the US is likely to reach 6GB/month by the end of 2017. In terms of GB per user consumption, the US is third behind Finland and Korea.

At US Mobile you can choose between seven wireless prepaid internet plans, ranging from 100 MB for $2 to 8 GB for $35. We have noticed that our prepaid SIM and data plans are used in much more than cell phones, like alarms, GPS trackers, and even smartwatches. Since our plans start off small, they are a great fit for IoT devices which usually need less data. In fact, in a broader perspective, IoT and cars accounted for 71% of the net-adds for carriers in Q2 2017, according to Chetan Sharma.  Our wireless plans can just as well be used on an iPad as our customer, Wayne describes:

Internet Speed Test

Measuring mobile internet speeds is increasingly important as people has started using phones as their main internet source. Surprisingly, the US just ranks 28th when it comes to mobile internet speeds in the world.

A slow internet can undoubtedly be frustrating. And obviously, you don’t want to pay the same for a slow vs a fast internet. Therefore it might be a good idea to check how fast your data connection is. There are several apps that can test your speed, no matter if you’re using a cellular connection or WiFi. We like the Ookla Speedtest app, which uses an algorithm to check cellular or WiFi data speed.

The different generations of networks will have a range of upload and download speeds. 7.2 Mbps would be considered 3G (52 Mbps on 3G HSPA+), whereas the 4G standard is to reach minimum data rates of 100 Mbps. The goal for 5G is to achieve significantly faster speeds, with a minimum of 1 Gbps and hopefully up to 10 Gbps.

Mobile Hotspot Plans

Mobile WiFi hotspots let you hook up multiple PCs, iPads, iPhones, and other mobile devices to the Internet via WiFi. Using WiFi means that you don’t use your regular, cellular, data plan when you’re online.

There are millions of free hotspots around the country. In order to locate them, you can simply type in “WiFi Hotspots” in the search window in Google Maps to see hotspots in reach. However, if you’re looking for a more certain hotspot access, we recommend our $10 WiFi plan. The plan operates on the biggest hotspot network in the world. It even works on the ground and in the air on all major airlines.