It Just Got Cheaper – New Pricing and Plans Announced
We’re happy to announce that our prices just got even better. A whole lot better!
So what has changed? First of all, we’ve increased our minutes and text messages but kept the same prices. The biggest part of a phone bill these days is, however, data and that’s where we have made the biggest improvements. 250 MB has become 300 MB, 2.5 GB is now 4 GB and we’ve introduced the killer data plan: 10 GB for $30 – that’s $3 per gigabyte!
This means that our existing customers can enjoy more for the same price or simply a better price for the same amount of talk, text or data. Let’s say you had a plan consisting of 250 text, 250 min, and 2.5 GB data. Now you get an extra 50 texts, 50 minutes and 500 MB for $28 month. 6 GB used to be $35 and is now only $25 and for five more bucks you get 10 GB, perfect for all of you who like to stream music, TV-series, and movies!
New Pricing And Plans
Customize your mobile plan by choosing the talk, text, and data you need. All plans come with a 30-day risk free trial.
As always, all our plans are prepaid and on a no-contract basis.
How Do I Get Started?
We would, of course, love to see new customers taking advantage of our new pricing and affordable plans. Porting your number, which means that you get to keep your current number, to US Mobile takes approx. 24 hours and it’s free! The first step is to order a new SIM card. Once you have a US Mobile SIM card, just follow these steps:
- Sign in to your account. Select “Activate SIM” on the top left of the page
- Choose “Keep My Number”
- Input your Account Number and Password or PIN (contact TPO if you don’t have your Account Number or PIN)
- Enter your SIM Card Number and Zip Code
Next, it’s time to choose a plan, accept the Terms & Conditions and select “Continue”. You’ll be redirected to a loading page, which will indicate the status of your port-in request. Read our Porting your Number post for more information.
How Much is 1 GB?
In case you don’t know how much data you need, we suggest you look at your current usage. You should be able to find on your most recent phone bill. Otherwise, to provide some guidance of what 1 GB will get you, we’ve summarized the following:
- 8 hours scrolling through Facebook and Instagram
- 60 minutes streaming YouTube videos
- Roughly 24 hours of jamming out t0 Spotify
- 70 hours of web surfing
If you want to know more about what you need, check out our older post about data usage. We hope you’ll enjoy our new pricing and plans!
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How Much Data is a Gigabyte?
One Gigabyte (GB) is approximately 1000 Megabytes (MB). There is a whole spiel about that one GB really is 1024 MB. If you want to go into that type of detail, we recommend you to take a moment and head over to an article by Whistleout.
Since the amount of data is usually the differentiating factor when selecting phone plan, it’s important to understand what it means in actual usage. As a rule of thumb, the smallest file you have stored on your phone is four kilobytes (4KB) in size.
The Bytes Table
Before we get into what 1 Gigabyte means in usage, we need to break it down into smaller bits (bytes, bits – get it?):
8 Bits = 1 Byte
1000 Bytes = 1 Kilobyte
1000 Kilobytes = 1 Megabyte
1000 Megabytes = 1 Gigabyte
1000 Gigabytes = 1 Terabyte
What 1 GB Will Get You
Depending on phone activity, you use different amounts of data and the amount of time 1 GB lasts will vary. US Mobile’s data plans range from 100 MB up to 6 GB. With the help of Confused.com, we’ve defined what our plans will get you in actual usage.
100 MB = 43 pages surfing; 1 hr Google Maps usage; 5 hrs of Facebook; 0 episodes on Netflix (streaming a 60-minute episode requires 720MB)
250 MB = 108 pages surfing; 4 hrs Google Maps usage; 12 hrs of Facebook; 0 episodes on Netflix
500 MB = 217 pages surfing; 8 hrs Google Maps usage; 25 hrs of Facebook; 0 episodes on Netflix
1 GB = 445 pages surfing; 17 hrs Google Maps usage; 51 hrs of Facebook; 1 episodes on Netflix
2.5 GB = 1114 pages surfing; 43 hrs Google Maps usage; 128 hrs of Facebook; 3 episodes on Netflix
6 GB = 2671 pages surfing; 102 hrs Google Maps usage; 307 hrs of Facebook; 8 episodes on Netflix
Please know that if you stream videos on Facebook, you should consider it as Netflix usage since streaming a moving picture requires a lot more data.
If you aren’t planning on getting a plan for your tablet or phone, head over to our piece about affordable plans for smart devices. It will guide you on what type and size of plan you need.
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Getting an Affordable Plan for Your Smart Device
As an owner of a smart device, you’re likely using a SIM card to get connected. A smart device is an electronic device that is connected to other devices or networks, like an alarm, GPS, smartwatch, car, thermostat etc. Currently, there are about 8 billion connected things in play globally. By the year 2020, Gartner forecasts that IoT (Internet of Things) will reach 20 billion! All devices won’t need a cellular connection. However, if your device has a slot for a SIM card you know that it needs a GSM connection. Since US Mobile is a GSM carrier, our service is compatible with these types of connected devices.
Different Devices Need Different Plans
Our a la carte approach to plans makes them well suited for IoT. The pricing matrix allows you to customize a cellular plan for your device.
Many of our customers are already using our plans for other devices than phones and tablets. Therefore, we are able to provide you with some guidance on what your device’s usage might be based on our current users.
Alarms
When it comes to alarms, two popular alarms at US Mobile are PiSector Alarms and Kerui. Alarm systems usually just need texts or/and minutes, which means that plans start at $4/month (for text only) including fees. To get more insight on home security, visit our Alarm Plans Page.
GPS Trackers
Similar to alarm systems, many GPS Trackers need GSM connectivity. Reachfar and ATian are two examples of trackers using our GSM SIM card. Trackers usually need data in order to support the tracking functionality. It’s also common for the GPS to send out notifications per text messages. Therefore, a combination of data and text for $6/month is a suitable base plan. Depending on how you use your GPS, you might need to add more data but you can change your plan with ease through your personal dashboard at US Mobile.
Cars
The most popular connected car among our users is Audi but rest assured – the SIM card works in all connected cars. A data-only plan is the best way to go with a connected car. According to our internal data, the usage differs widely from 250 MB and 6 GB per month so we advise you to start with 1 GB per month and check your personal usage before making any potential adjustments.
Smartwatches
A smartwatch differs from other smart devices we’ve mentioned, as they commonly need talk, text and data. The reason is that many of these wearables actually works like a simplified phone (or an advanced GPS tracker if you will). Two examples are MyFilip and Tinitell, which are smartwatches designed for kids. Our talk, text and data plans start at $9/month (again, including all fees) which is a good plan to start with if you have a GSM-connected smartwatch.
We hope this will provide some much-needed guidance in the jungle of IoT devices and plans out there. We welcome feedback and questions so leave a comment in the box below.
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The Phone Display Evolution – Big and Bendy is the Future
The average person spends about five hours per day on a smartphone. The phone is constantly developing and one of the big trends we’re seeing for future is focused on the display. In order to maximize user experience, the screens are getting larger and they’re more flexible than before.
As phones have evolved, they have changed size, shape, and capabilities. But one of the most prominent feature in the phone evolution might still be the display.
The beginning of mobile phones
If we start from the beginning, we got the Motorola MicroTac released in 1991. A tiny screen, looking more like a calculator than a modern time phone display. A few years later, the Nokia 3310 was released and Nokia announced, on the MWC 2017, that this model will be making a comeback. As it’s released again, it will come in multiple colors but will remain “dumb” as it was back in 2000.
Blackberry Quark was released three years later than the 3310 and had a somewhat larger screen but similar capabilities. It wasn’t until Motorola Razr entered the market, that the display got some color.
When phones got smart
The second phase for mobile phones started in 2007 with the very first iPhone (iPhone 2G). The phones officially got smart. The definition of a smartphone, according to Search Mobile Computing, is: “A smartphone is a cellular telephone with an integrated computer and other features not originally associated with telephones, such as an operating system, Web browsing and the ability to run software applications”.
Beyond being data enabled, the display got a lot bigger and it was suddenly touch screen! Samsung also introduced the pen to the mobile screen. By clicking on the S Pen and double-tapping the screen, you could take notes while being on a call. Simply put, the phone was also a digital notepad.
Finally, in 2015 LG introduced the Flex 2 phone, which had the world’s first curved battery. This phone is dipping its toe into what is to come in the smartphone future.
The future of phone displays
Looking ahead, the trend in smartphone design is to have less prominent frames to give space for the screen itself. We call this phase Bigger is Better. When people started using their phones as entertainment systems, watching videos and playing games, the demand for a larger screen increased. With smaller frames (called bezels), the ratio screen-to-bezels increases. A good example of this is the iPhone 8 concept idea, where the screen essentially wraps around the edges of the phone. Currently, the highest screen-to-ratio-bezels is 91.3 percent.
Another approach to get a bigger screen is exemplified in Samsung’s Galaxy 8, which folds in and out like a book. When you carry it in your pockets it’s compact but as you’re about to watch a video, you can unfold it to enjoy a bigger display.
Finally, continuing on the LG Flex track, we have Samsungs “Project Valley”. This is the project name for Samsung’s foldable phones, marking a new trend in the smartphone industry. The bendable display concept is to have a foldable compact handset that can be unfurled if required. There are several iterations of the Samsung Project Valley, including one phone that folds up to become a wearable. The foldable smartphone would be the first one in the world, and it’s expected to hit the market in 2018.
No matter what the future holds, we’ll stay on top of it so make sure to follow us on Facebook. In case you’re looking for a new phone, we recommend that you head over to our shop to get a new or older model phone. They’re unlocked as per usual.
What is eSIM and How it’s a Game Changer for Consumers
eSIM was one of the hot topics at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelon 2017. But what is it? eSIM stands for “embedded SIM” (also called eUICC). It’s a standardized SIM chip open to multiple mobile operators globally. Meaning, if you have an eSIM you don’t have to replace one SIM card with another when switching carrier. Since the eSIM can be programmed remotely, it allows you to choose another carrier by just messaging the old and new provider.
One of the main promoters for it is the GSMA. GSMA is an association representing the interests of mobile operators worldwide. They are working on specifications for the eSIMs so that it will truly work globally, on any device, with any operator.
The future of eSIM
The future of eSIM is still unclear at might have significant implications. Deploying an eSIM-based device could be costly, complex and will probably include some initial growing pains. In the long run, however, it should optimize cost and also extend the life and usage of a device. Since you don’t have to worry about compatibility, there is no need to switch a device just because you want to change operator.
eSIMs are currently more common in IoT devices, tablets and cars but whether or not it will find acceptance in smartphones, is still unknown. In the automotive sector, manufacturers have started to equip cars with an eSIM to lower manufacturing costs and simplify logistics. It’s then up to the car owner which operator they want to use, in whichever region they’re in.
Apple and Samsung are leading the pack within the telecom industry and have been talking to network providers to adopt eSIMs for coming smartphones. Apple already equips some iPads with a single SIM, based on their own version of the embedded SIM technology. Although it’s preprogrammed to Apples’s choice of network, you are able to decide which operator you want. Samsung is bringing the GSMA enabled eSIM to its Gear S2 Classic 3G, which is a start.
Why eSIM?
The eSIM is positive for environmental reasons as it would minimize the discard of SIM cards.
It would also increase consumer freedom, and lower cost, when it comes to:
- Using a local operator when traveling or relocating to another country.
- Switching to a carrier with a better deal and/or coverage.
- Changing phone without the hassle of cutting a SIM card.
- Using the same SIM for different types of devices, not having to decide in advance if you want it for your smartphone, watch or alarm system.
Since US Mobile is all about freedom, we’re all for the adoption of eSIMs in the industry. We’ll be following the development closely!
Source Main Image: WaowTech
