# Smartphone for a Pay-as-You-Go plan? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 10, 2010, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smartphone-for-a-pay-as-you-go-plan/563678 "2010-12-10T17:03:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Rhythmdvl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@Rhythmdvl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhythmdvl)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2010, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smartphone-for-a-pay-as-you-go-plan/563678/1 "2010-12-10T17:03:13Z")
We’ve been thinking about getting new phones for a couple years. This morning, MrsDvl’s went kaput—prompting us to put “stop by T-Mobile” on our list of afternoon chores (need answer fast!). We’re on a Pay-as-You-Go plan with T-mobile. We rarely use our phones, and this keeps bills down to $200–$300 per year. Internet access on this plan will run $1.50 per day—expensive if we use it a lot, but overall cheaper for rare/intermittent access. We’re looking for phones that can download and use apps but that don’t maintain an always-on connection to the Internet. USB-synching with our Mac and PC—especially the calendars—is key. I’m also hoping for the smallest form-factor I can get that’s still usable. My current Razr is perfect shape-wise (small, flat, and completely unobtrusive in a pocket). Anyone have a humble or not-so-humble opinion to share? ---
**Author:** ![lindsaybluth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/90db22/32.png) [@lindsaybluth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lindsaybluth)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2010, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smartphone-for-a-pay-as-you-go-plan/563678/2 "2010-12-10T18:07:54Z")
Check out unlocked phones on ebay as well as tmobile locked phones. Search “unlocked Palm Pixi” or “tmobile Palm Pixi”, with Palm Pixi being whichever device you want. Much, _much_ cheaper than at the store. Especially if you get one used. You can get a warranty on it as well from SquareTrade that lasts much longer than a store warranty, which IIRC is only 90 days. I’ve had many friends actual claim their warranties thru Squre Trade and always had a pleasant experience with them. ---
**Author:** ![Rhythmdvl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@Rhythmdvl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhythmdvl)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2010, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smartphone-for-a-pay-as-you-go-plan/563678/3 "2010-12-10T18:17:52Z")
Thanks! That’s the first I’ve really heard of SquareTrade–sounds great. I typically scoff at extended warranties for most things, but there are a few key items that we can’t screw around with (e.g., work computers). Phones normally wouldn’t be one of them, but the cost difference of store/ebay+ST seems like it’s definitely worth looking closer at. We’re hoping there’s a holiday sale of some sort … but we’re in a funny you’ve-got-to-be-kidding-us situation. Our VOIP phone adapter shuffled off this electronic coil yesterday, now this. (Was there some sort of freak, localized EMP?) We are down to one phone between us and a lot of clients to talk to, so we may end up paying more for the phone than we’d like. ---
**Author:** ![lindsaybluth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/90db22/32.png) [@lindsaybluth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lindsaybluth)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2010, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smartphone-for-a-pay-as-you-go-plan/563678/4 "2010-12-10T18:33:34Z")
You can always look on ebay by location closest to you as well, and look for 2-3 day shipping options. Also, Craigslist is a possibility - you can always get a cheap, $10-20 phone on there while you weigh your options. Pop your SIM card (tmobile should provide you one for free) in there and consider Ebay or a possible Holiday deal from Tmobile as your future phone. Of course, Craigslist doesn’t have the SquareTrade bonus that makes buying electronics on ebay an almost 0 gamble.