01-12-2016, 08:01 PM
I have an iPhone 4S that is unlocked and which I've had on T-Mobile for a couple years now.
My daughter now has an iPhone 5S for which I'm contemplating activating cellular service (she's almost 13, and in more situations for which I think her having the ability to contact me would be good).
Both of our phones started out their lives with AT&T service, and are both now unlocked.
Currently (with T-Mobile), I have an unlimited talk and text plan which costs $50/month, and 1 GB of data per month which is free. After taxes and fees, I pay right around $60/month.
If I add my daughter's phone to my plan with T-Mobile, my bill (before taxes and fees) will be at $80, so probably $90 - $95 per month when it's all said and done. This plan, though, will up both of our data usage to 2 GB/month. I'm not sure if she can use my data if I don't, but I don't think so. I would also have to pay $15 to activate her phone. I also asked if T-Mobile had any kind of pre-paid plan option, but was told that it would end up being more expensive.
I checked with AT&T, and with a 17% discount through my employer, I can get plans for both of our phones for a total of $75/month before taxes and fees. This would be unlimited talk and texts, but only 2 GB of data which is shared between the phones. With AT&T, though, any of the 2 GB remaining at the end of the month will roll over, but only the previous month's data rolls, so you can't continually accumulate unused data. I would have to pay $15/phone ($30 total) in activation fees with AT&T.
I've seen some people here posting about some of the other carriers (MVNOs) with whom they've activated service. I'm not too familiar with all of that, though, and am hoping someone might bring me up to speed. Are there any that would support both an iPhone 4s and a 5S? Would my coverage be good in the Philadelphia area (city and suburbs)?
Most of my daughter's data usage will be watching YouTube videos, I imagine. I can't remember if T-Mobile doesn't count that against data--seems like someone made some offer like that once.
I actually think she will use *very* little "Talk" time (like less than 10 minutes per month!), and much of her texting would be on wi-fi networks, so it's primarily data that she'll use on a cellular service, but I *do* want her to have the ability to call me on the phone when she's not on wifi.
I'm not opposed to keeping my phone plan the way it is, and putting her on some other service, if that would be cheaper. Can the iPhone 5S go on Verizon/Sprint, or only T-Mobile/AT&T, if it was originally on AT&T?
Thanks, very much, for any help you can provide!
My daughter now has an iPhone 5S for which I'm contemplating activating cellular service (she's almost 13, and in more situations for which I think her having the ability to contact me would be good).
Both of our phones started out their lives with AT&T service, and are both now unlocked.
Currently (with T-Mobile), I have an unlimited talk and text plan which costs $50/month, and 1 GB of data per month which is free. After taxes and fees, I pay right around $60/month.
If I add my daughter's phone to my plan with T-Mobile, my bill (before taxes and fees) will be at $80, so probably $90 - $95 per month when it's all said and done. This plan, though, will up both of our data usage to 2 GB/month. I'm not sure if she can use my data if I don't, but I don't think so. I would also have to pay $15 to activate her phone. I also asked if T-Mobile had any kind of pre-paid plan option, but was told that it would end up being more expensive.
I checked with AT&T, and with a 17% discount through my employer, I can get plans for both of our phones for a total of $75/month before taxes and fees. This would be unlimited talk and texts, but only 2 GB of data which is shared between the phones. With AT&T, though, any of the 2 GB remaining at the end of the month will roll over, but only the previous month's data rolls, so you can't continually accumulate unused data. I would have to pay $15/phone ($30 total) in activation fees with AT&T.
I've seen some people here posting about some of the other carriers (MVNOs) with whom they've activated service. I'm not too familiar with all of that, though, and am hoping someone might bring me up to speed. Are there any that would support both an iPhone 4s and a 5S? Would my coverage be good in the Philadelphia area (city and suburbs)?
Most of my daughter's data usage will be watching YouTube videos, I imagine. I can't remember if T-Mobile doesn't count that against data--seems like someone made some offer like that once.
I actually think she will use *very* little "Talk" time (like less than 10 minutes per month!), and much of her texting would be on wi-fi networks, so it's primarily data that she'll use on a cellular service, but I *do* want her to have the ability to call me on the phone when she's not on wifi.
I'm not opposed to keeping my phone plan the way it is, and putting her on some other service, if that would be cheaper. Can the iPhone 5S go on Verizon/Sprint, or only T-Mobile/AT&T, if it was originally on AT&T?
Thanks, very much, for any help you can provide!