Second, I don't normally like to write reviews like this on here, but here we are.
Third, phones are (generally) more expensive from these providers, because you are buying the phone outright, instead of spreading the cost out over the course of your contract term. Don't worry, it's actually cheaper that way in the long run.
Phew, got that out of the way.
Now, let me start off by saying we use Ting. We really like it and have had zero issues with either our phones or the carrier itself (more on that later). Before I get into the details on why we like Ting so much, and why I think you should consider switching, I'd like to talk about two of its major competitors.
Republic Wireless
The Good
Cheap "Plans"
First, there's Republic Wireless. Their "plans" are no-nonsense, no contract, and very competitively priced. I say "plans," because all of their options are based upon the one $10/mo plan where you buy data as you need it. Yes, it's as good as it sounds; it really is $10/mo (per phone) plus cell data, which runs $7.50/GB. You have unlimited minutes and texts, provided you are connected to a WiFi network, because it treats your calls and texts like data (VoIP). It's pretty cool, and apps like Line have been doing that for a while, now, so it's nice to see a cell provider doing the same. In theory, if you had access to WiFi all the time, you could have a $10 bill each month and still be able to call, text, and watch your favorite YouTube videos.The Bad
Where's Your Data Going?
That being said, that's also possibly a caveat for some people: it treats all of your communications as data. That means if you don't have WiFi available, all of your calls and texts get sent through the cell network as data. Anyone living in a less-connected area or who travels a lot probably won't see much of a benefit in a plan like this. Furthermore, security-conscious people like myself probably also noted that if everything is (WiFi) data, and if you are connected to a public WiFi network, that means someone could potentially capture that data and see/hear your conversations. Now truth be told, I don't know how or if data sent from the devices is encrypted or not, so it may be potentially fine.Their Devices or Go Home
The third major issue I have with Republic Wireless is the fact that you cannot bring your own device to their service. You have to buy whatever phones they have available, and if you ever want to leave, you'll have to buy another device, because the Republic phone you bought doesn't work on other cell networks, either. This is because of the "everything as data" design of the phone. Their phone software has been modified so that it can do what it does, but it's very specific to the carrier. Also, their phone selection is very small, so if you don't like what they've got, you're out of luck.What's Account Control?
The fourth issue I have is that you don't have much control over your account. You can see your data usage and pay your bill, but a lot of the plan options are kept behind closed doors. I like being able to decide when to deactivate a phone. Or set a limit on a device's data. Or turn off a device's ability to text.Project Fi
It's from Google!
Next, we have Project Fi, an offering from none other than Google. This service is a fairly new one (unless you were lucky enough to previously get an invite), but it's a combination of the WiFi-centric ideology of Republic Wireless mixed with some of the things we like about Ting. It tries to use WiFi to for your calling, texting, and such, but if you are unable to find one, it defaults to the regular cell networks and treats your calls and texts like you would expect from any other provider. It's a dual-band setup, so that means it can connect to both Sprint towers and T-Mobile towers, depending on which one gives you a better signal, so it's unlikely that you will ever be anywhere without coverage. Unless, of course, you live in the sticks. And if you live in the sticks, you know there's no options for you anyway. You wanted to get away and disconnect from society, right?The Good
Pay For What You Use. Also no contract
The plans are comparable to Republic's plans, but instead of $10 per device per month, plus data, it's $20 per device per month (this, I assume, covers normal cell costs spread out over two cell networks). They call this piece Fi Basics, but it's the price everyone pays for service. You also pay $10 up front each month per GB, but they refund you the difference of what you don't use at a rate of about 1c per MB (eg. $10 for 1 GB; if I only use .5 GB, they will refund me $5). There is no contract, and they are also offering a $150 discount on the Nexus 5X if you sign up before Jun 9, 2016, so if this plan sounds good to you, you might want to consider jumping on it.The Bad
Now. there are two reasons why I didn't switch to Project Fi.Almost the Cheapest
First, the plan price wasn't cheaper than what we currently have. It's close, but just not close enough to justify the hassle of switching. Not really a bad thing, but the point is that there's still a cheaper option.Remember Google Buzz? No?
Second, when it comes to unusual products/projects, Google has a history of deciding to discontinue/change things at a moment's notice. They do give time to switch or migrate to something else, but how would you like it if Verizon suddenly said they were no longer going to offer cell plans, but you could buy one of their new houses as they venture into the Tiny Home market?Ting
The Good
Okay, now to get to our current cell provider, Ting!It's Cheap
Ting is much like the other two I mentioned, except that it uses cell networks like normal -- you pay for minutes, texts, and data. You might say, "That sounds terrible! You have to pay for every little thing!" to which I say, "That's true." But the amount you pay for each piece is pretty low. And when I say low, I mean the two of us combined pay just under $44 per month. $22 per person. That's $6 per line plus data/text/minutes. I'd recommend looking at how the pricing breaks down, but if you are willing to be conscious about how you use your phone, this might be a good plan for you.The price is great (and it's one of the main considering factors), but there are two other reasons I love Ting.
Awesome Customer Service
Their customer service is fantastic. They even offer support for rooting/jailbreaking your device (some of them). What cell phone provider offers tech support for rooting/jailbreaking your phone?! They are also good about responding to your questions like a normal, smart human would, instead of always going off of a script. None of the, "Have you tried turning it off and on again? Did you try entering your mother's maiden credit card number? Okay, I can help you with that -- please hold while I transfer you to someone who can help you with that," nonsense.Granular Account Control
Anyone wish they could turn off their kid's phone's calling/texting ability -- maybe because they covered the cat in Nutella -- but still leave them with a device that can make emergency calls? Here's what I'm talking about:
Cool, right? I can change any of that ANY TIME I WANT TO. And I have. We once thought a phone was lost, so I went online and turned off all of it's capabilities until we found it. So I basically bricked it, then un-bricked it. There are also settings to turn off minutes/texts/data if you hit a certain limit -- for each device on the plan or for the entire plan! You can even set up warnings so you know if you have reached a certain usage amount. No more worrying about accidentally going over your limit ever again. Peace of mind is a valuable thing.
No Contract
Best of all, there's no contract. If I ever want to leave and try out Project Fi, I can do that. No hassle from them for leaving.
The (sort of) Bad
CDMA or GSM?
There are only three things to consider before switching to Ting:
One, check your coverage. Ting uses two networks, but they use different cell technology (CDMA and GSM -- think Verizon and AT&T), so you have to be aware of the coverage of each. One may be worse in your area.
(Side note: They use the Sprint network for CDMA and the T-Mobile network for GSM)
Second, check the cell technology the phone uses. Ting openly publishes which network each of their cell phones use, but if it uses a tech that you get bad coverage with, you might need to look at a different phone.
What's Your Normal Usage?
Third, and probably most importantly, look at your current cell phone bill with whatever company you use. Total up the number of minutes, texts and GB's. If that's an average month for you, compare the usage with Ting's price breakdown. For us, we were grossly overpaying for everything, but it's probably not a good plan for anyone who uses a lot of data. However, if you do use a lot of data, ask yourself why you use so much. I've found that by being conscious of my usage and limiting my web searches, YouTube, and streaming to when I'm connected to WiFi, I don't use nearly as much data as I would have otherwise. And if you can do that, you could save yourself a lot of money with Ting.
Conclusion
All three of these providers offer competitive plans, and if you are smart about your phone usage, you could easily end up with bills each month around $20 - $30 per device per month. Ting is my favorite, and I'll gladly recommend it to just about anyone. If Ting sounds like a good deal to you and you are seriously considering signing up, click this link. You'll get a credit towards your account when you sign up, and so will we! Win, win.
Alright, that's the end of my review. I hope you learned something new and at the very least learned that you are probably paying way too much for your cell phone. Nobody likes that.
~M
