On 8/29/2012 10:16 PM, Metspitzer wrote:
On Wed, 29 Aug 2012 17:57:33 -0400,
wrote:

After looking at countless phones, the only thing I have managed to do
is eliminate Page Plus. I am told that, although it does do Georgia,
the service is poor. It is a shame too. I was sold on the 12
package that does 250 min and 10M data.

I was going to go with an expensive phone so I would be able to use
all the features of a smart phone, but since I don't use them often, I
was hoping to get a cheap package.

Do any of the prepaid packages offer limited smart phone features? One
of the Page Plus phones I looked at said GPS. Would GPS be considered
part of a data plan?

Ok............I was ready to go with this:
http://www.att.com/shop/wireless/dev...id=pk8R8DDCHt1

I did a chat with ATT (Amber). Amber said this phone does GPS
navigation. It is something that I probably won't use, but I would
rather have it and not need it than need it and not have it.

She said that to use the GPS I had to get a 5$ per month data package,
but I only had to do that on the months I use the GPS. She also said
that I could get a 15 dollar card and use it in a month. I don't
think that is true. The ATT says the package that comes with this
phone is 25 bucks. This may be a deal breaker. I was ready to go
with 15 a month. At a dime a min, 150 min would have been plenty.

Still 30 buck per month for a smart phone is as low as I have found.

While anything's possible, I wouldn't take Amber's word for it.
If it's not on her script, she don't know jack.
Vendors play fast and loose with the term GPS.

If the mapping program is on the server, even if you do have a real
GPS receiver, what happens on a 1 hour trip?
How much data gets transferred back and forth? And what does that
cost on your data plan?

That's the primary reason I don't have cell service. It's far too
easy for something you didn't want, didn't know was running,
ended up roaming or wasn't
explained to you to rack up an astronomical phone bill.

Don't remember the carrier, but they advertise unlimited data.
If you go to the store, that's what they tell you.
But if you read the fine print that's buried in the fine print,
you get a very limited amount of 4G data, then it drops back to
2G speeds. At 2G, you can drive over and ask your buddy faster than you
can send and receive a text. ;-)

My $5 garage sale smart phone has GPS and the navigation program runs
on the phone. Only thing I can't do is make a call ;-)