1. Attachments are working again! Check out this thread for more details and to report any other bugs.

Bluetooth pay as you go (prepaid) phone?

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Audio and Electronics' started by Thrak, Apr 25, 2005.

  1. Thrak

    Thrak New Member

    Joined:
    Jul 12, 2004
    12
    0
    0
    Location:
    Sterling, VA
    I don't put a lot of time on my cell phone, so I have a pay as you go plan that costs about $80/year. Does anybody know of a bluetooth capable phone available on one of these plans?

    I asked Virgin mobile, who I use now, but none of their models have bluetooth. I checked verizon, t-mobile and cingular too, same deal.

    I was hoping to use the kewl phone capability in my Prius, but I don't want to have to change to a fixed rate phone plan to get it.
     
  2. NuShrike

    NuShrike Active Member

    Joined:
    Feb 21, 2005
    1,378
    7
    0
    Vehicle:
    2005 Prius
    Model:
    Five
    Maybe there's a 3rd-party bluetooth plugin/attachment you can add.
     
  3. IsrAmeriPrius

    IsrAmeriPrius Progressive Member

    Joined:
    May 27, 2004
    4,333
    7
    0
    Location:
    Southern California
    Vehicle:
    2005 Prius
    You can buy an unlocked bluetooth enabled GSM phone and then use prepaid SIM chips from T-Mobile or Cingular.

    Such phones are available from Telestial, Inc and Costco.
     
  4. JimXugle

    JimXugle New Member

    Joined:
    Apr 25, 2005
    6
    0
    0
    I'd like to clarify IsrAmeriPrius' post, if you're not GSM savvy:

    a SIM card clips into the back of a GSM phone and tells the phone what it's number is, what network to connect to, roaming agreements, etc.

    you can slip your SIM card out of a phone and put it in any (Unlocked*) GSM phone that supports the right frequencies (In the USA it's 850MHz and 1900MHz, Europe it's 900MHz and 1800MHz, other continents sometimes use 800MHz, 2100MHz and 3600MHz.) from there it should be hiccup-free.

    The only national GSM Providers I know of are T-mobile and Cingular. Cingular having the "bigger" network and better reception.

    * Unlocked means that the place where you bought it (Cingular or T-Mobile) hasn't put some sort of programming that disallows off-network SIM cards to connect. Both T-Mobile and Cingular do this.


    GOOD LUCK!!!
     
  5. DaveinOlyWA

    DaveinOlyWA 3rd Time was Solariffic!!

    Joined:
    Apr 13, 2004
    15,140
    611
    0
    Location:
    South Puget Sound, WA
    Vehicle:
    2013 Nissan LEAF
    Model:
    Persona
    you can use pre pay on any phone... you can move to a prepay account from a regular account at verizon if you want to and are willing to pay any early termination fees that may apply
     
  6. Thrak

    Thrak New Member

    Joined:
    Jul 12, 2004
    12
    0
    0
    Location:
    Sterling, VA
    Thanks for that Jim, I have heard of SIM but I thought it was some kind of new memory module like a SIMM. This looks like the way to go.
     
  7. Thrak

    Thrak New Member

    Joined:
    Jul 12, 2004
    12
    0
    0
    Location:
    Sterling, VA
  8. Cyndrax

    Cyndrax New Member

    Joined:
    Mar 9, 2004
    56
    0
    0
    Location:
    Newark, DE
    It also may be worth checking for pre-pay bluetooth phones at a mobile phone forum like http://www.howardforums.com

    If nothing else, it may give you the cheapest way to get a phone that you can use with IsrAmeriPrius's post above.
     
  9. MarinJohn

    MarinJohn Senior Member

    Joined:
    Feb 6, 2004
    3,945
    304
    0
    Thrak please keep us updated as to your final choice. There is such spotty reception where I live and work (hills) that it is useless to have a 'regular' account, but would be nice to have a pay-as-you-go for trips.
     
  10. kartanoman

    kartanoman New Member

    Joined:
    Apr 29, 2005
    23
    0
    0
    Location:
    Northern Alabama
    How about the Motorola V330 on the T-Mobile To Go plan:

    http://www.t-mobile.com/prepaid/starterkits.asp

    My Prius won't be ready for a while (just put the order in over the weekend), and I HATE cell phones, but my wife has been nagging me to get one so she can nag me anytime/anyplace/anywhere :p . If the Motorola V330 is compatible with the Prius, then I can easily see myself signing up for this service as I'd have little need for anything apart from a pre-paid service.

    Peace!
     
  11. DanMan32

    DanMan32 Senior Member

    Joined:
    Aug 27, 2004
    3,799
    27
    0
    Location:
    Tampa Bay, FL
    Hmm, might go that route once my pager contract expires.

    $100 for 1000 minutes good for a year, that'll probably last me a good long while. At least until I get addicted to it anyway.
     
  12. chanterelle

    chanterelle Member

    Joined:
    Jul 17, 2004
    115
    2
    0
    Location:
    San Dimas, CA
    Vehicle:
    2020 Prius Prime
    Model:
    Prime Premium
    You want to make sure whether the pay as you go plan is using the bandwith that allows you to use the GSM phones.

    I am also on a pay as you go plan (the AT&T Free2Go) plan, which allows you to pay in as little as $10 per quarter.

    However, that plan uses the older bandwith, so I was not able to move my plan to any phone that uses the SIM card. They offered to switch me over to the other pay as you go plan, but that plan is minimally $29.99 per month. This other pre-pay plan does use the new bandwith, which will support the bluetooth phones.
     
  13. Thrak

    Thrak New Member

    Joined:
    Jul 12, 2004
    12
    0
    0
    Location:
    Sterling, VA
    > How about the Motorola V330 on the T-Mobile To Go plan

    That looks pretty good, but T-Mobile's coverage looks to be pretty poor: http://www.t-mobile.com/prepaid/coverage.asp

    It seems verizon wireless has the best coverage, if they would just offer a bluetooth pay as you go phone.
     
  14. DaveinOlyWA

    DaveinOlyWA 3rd Time was Solariffic!!

    Joined:
    Apr 13, 2004
    15,140
    611
    0
    Location:
    South Puget Sound, WA
    Vehicle:
    2013 Nissan LEAF
    Model:
    Persona
    actually according to company published stats, Sprint would have the largest coverage area (i had Sprint and that is definitely not true in my area) with 291 million (Verizon 289) (Cingular 279). but as we all know coverage isnt as important as the quality of that coverage.
     
  15. Thrak

    Thrak New Member

    Joined:
    Jul 12, 2004
    12
    0
    0
    Location:
    Sterling, VA
    So I have researched this some more and decided to drop the pay as you go plan since Virgin Mobile's Sprint network is just too spotty where I live, and has no plans for a bluetooth phone to work in the Prius. I decided to go with either a Verizon family plan with the new Motorola 815 phones, or Cingular with the very slick and slim new Motorola Razr V3 phones.

    Verizon has the advantage of having the best coverage without question after I read up some more and checked with several friends, but they cost $10 more per month that cingular and won't offer the Razr for many months yet. I also understand that Cingular is closing in fast on Verizon for network coverage. So, looks like it's Cingular and a Razr for me once I can verify good coverage at my house with them.
     
  16. DaveinOlyWA

    DaveinOlyWA 3rd Time was Solariffic!!

    Joined:
    Apr 13, 2004
    15,140
    611
    0
    Location:
    South Puget Sound, WA
    Vehicle:
    2013 Nissan LEAF
    Model:
    Persona
    verizon revamped their family share plans on americas choice last weekend, you might want to recheck their prices
     
  17. curse

    curse New Member

    Joined:
    Jun 25, 2006
    36
    0
    0
    T-Mobile now has a 'Web Special Offer' on a Bluetooth Motorola V195 for $39.99 - including a $25 (130 min) refill card.

    I just bought one and have the following comments....
    • The phone pairs easily with my 2006 Prius and my wife's 2005 Lexus.
    • It it will only transfer one phonebook entry to the car at a time and the names become reversed in the car's phonebook. (John Doe becomes Doe John) It is much, much easier to just manually enter the names into the car's phonebook.
    • Minute 'refills', even the @$10 one, are good for 90 days. So conceivably, with this deal ($39.99) + three, $10 renewals ($30 total) you can get prepaid cell phone service for a year.
    • Mine arrived two days after I ordered it.
    Here are the links to the offer and refill details.

    http://www.t-mobile.com/shop/phones/prepaid.aspx

    http://www.t-mobile.com/shop/phones...d&device=16e03278-c4ec-4193-a7f8-ac59788a12de

    Cheers

    Mark
     
  18. tstet

    tstet tstet

    Joined:
    Nov 11, 2007
    2
    0
    0
    Location:
    Rochester, Mn
    Vehicle:
    2008 Prius
    I use a prepaid from Alltel. Motorola Razor, works great. Check website.