AT&T No-contract Phones and Plans

A large number of consumers are expected to choose prepaid services over mobile phones and plans with wireless contracts. So I thought that it would be interesting to look at some no-contract offers in the market.

AT&T is one of the major wireless carrier's in the US and it offers both no-contract offerings as well as mobile phones and plans that require a contract. his time let's take a quick look at AT&T no-contract phones and plans.

The carrier's prepaid program is called GoPhone. This prepaid mobile phone service is divided into Pick Your Plan and Pay As You Go.

The Pick Your Plan program is no longer available for new customers but existing Pick Your Plan service accounts are still being supported.

The Pay As You Go prepaid program provides no-contract phones and plans. Consumers can refill airtime at their leisure by purchasing prepaid cards. They can also purchase airtime packages available through the AT&T refill site.

These are the advantages of the Pay As You Go prepaid program:

• No long-term contract and no credit check
• No bills to pay and no age requirements
• Unlimited calling to anyone nationwide on select plans
• No long distance fees across our national service area
• Usage tracking
• 24/7 account refills

But what about the cellphones. Well, the AT&T GoPhone program offers a selection of new or refurbished cell phones and devices and choose from a wide variety of styles and manufacturers. Many of them can be purchased for less than fifty bucks.

That's it for this quick preview of AT&T no-contract phones and plans. Join as every week as we look at mobile phone contract or wireless contract news and updaes.

One in Five Wireless Contract Cosumer to Switch to Prepaid

It appears that the decline in consumers committing to wireless contracts is still continuing. A study conducted by Infogroup for the New Millennium Research Council indicates that 20 percent of wireless customers (estimated to be about 24.6 million adults in the U.S.) will move to "less expensive unlimited prepaid wireless service with no early-cancellation penalty" at some point within the next six months.

Last year's study estimated the number at almost twenty percent.

The reasons for abandoning mobile phone contract offers? Well, its about cost. Most prepaid plans are cheaper than contract offerings.

Interestingly, 10 percent of respondents said they would switch to a prepaid plan if they weren't "subject to an early-cancellation penalty." his indicates that the infamous early termination fee or ETF for mobile phone contracts are successful in encouraging consumers to be faithful to their agreements.

So what can carriers do to keep their customers from switching to prepaid deals? Well, the study shows that unlimited talk, text, and Web or e-mail access for $50 a month with no penalty will do the trick.

Will this trend continue next year? Stay tuned as we bring you the latest news and updates on wireless contracts and related topics.

StraightTalk: a No Wireless Contract Service from Wal-Mart

The current trend indicates that consumers are turning to pre-paid and other no-contract services in a n effort to find cost-effective solutions. They are favoring these services over the wireless contract services that offer more benefits but come with a heavier price tag. Wal-Mart was among the few to take advantage of this movement and offer its Straight Talk, a no-contract cell phone service.

The Straight Talk a no-contract wireless phone service is available from 3200 Wal-Mart stores nationwide. This prepaid option offers two options: $30 USD a month for 1000 minutes and 1000 texts or $45 USD for unlimited minutes and texts.

Some of the phones included in the Straight Talk line-up include :

• Samsung Finesse
• Samsung R355C
• Samsung R451C
• LG 290C
• LG 100C

This new provider hopes to compete with more established no-wireless contract cell phone services like Boost Mobile and MetroPCS.

Check out this service and other similar offers if you want an alternative to contract cell phones.

Tune in for more mobile phone contract news and updates.

AT&T Wireless Contract Customers Decreasing?

We've recently posted a report showing that prepaid services are starting to dominate the wireless phone industry. Well, here's another clue indicating that wireless contract customers are in decline. According to AT&T's 1st quarter report, the carrier only signed 513,000 new wireless contract--or postpaid--subscribers.

While half-a million subscribers may seem to be a huge number, this figure is down 43 percent from AT&T's new contract customers from the previous year. The carrier expected to add around 600,000 contract customers.

This trend indicates that new customers will likely sign up for prepaid service rather than contract services going forward. However, the impact of this trend may not be as alarming as it seems.

Consumers that sign wireless contracts are valuable to carriers because they pay more. A decrease in their number may seem to be bad for business. However, contract customers are expected to continue to spend more each month on service so the impact of the loss in growth will not be significant.

AT&T will also make adjustments to its prepaid offering in an attempt to take advantage of this new wireless phone service trend.

That's for this wireless contract update. Stay Tuned for more news and updates on this topic.

Wireless Contract Services Losing to Prepaid Offers?

It appears that services requiring a wireless contract are becoming unpopular due to cheaper options such as prepaid plans and devices.

The New Millennium Research Council, a Washington, D.C.-based think tank, conducted a study revealing that new prepaid wireless customers exceeded the number of new wireless contract subscribers that signed up for service in the fourth quarter of 2009.

Apparently, this is the first time that prepaid services have outsold post-paid or contract services.

This trend may be due to the crippling recession as more people are seeking more affordable wireless services.

Jose Guzman, the NMRC project's coordinator stated,

"Thanks to the recession, the U.S. cell phone marketplace continues to undergo fundamental changes that will just get bigger as the economic downturn deepens. What is different from a year ago is the explosion in new 'all-you-can-eat' and unlimited prepaid deals as low as $30 and $45 that will remain attractive to consumers long after the current recession is over."

The prepaid wireless customers have grown steadily in recent years. Estimates indicate that one out of every five of the 285 million cell phone subscribers in the U.S. now use prepaid phone service. On the other hand, wireless contract-based cell phone subscribership grew only 3 percent over the last year.

Is this trend a lasting one or simply an abnormality brought by the poor economic conditions? Well, more study is needed to draw a conclusion. However, this trend may benefit consumers. The rising popularity of prepaid phone services may force big cell phone providers to slash prices on wireless contract service plans to keep consumers from defecting.

That's it for this wireless contract news. Stay tuned for the latest updates and developments from the wireless industry.

Options for Consumers who Hate Wireless Contracts

After working on this blog, I have come to the realization that a lot of consumers dislike wireless contracts. Many of them have no love for contracts that bind them to a carrier or plan for a long period. Well, it doesn't take a MENSA member to figure that out.

I have read a lot of complaints against wireless contracts. This year, mobile phone carriers have been assaulted by numerous class action suits because of wireless contract disputes. I have also read the waivers and other statements that protect carriers from consumer complaints. All of these pointed to the fact that wireless contracts are not the most lovable aspect of owing a mobile phone.

After coming upon this brilliant realization, I decided to discuss a couple of the best options available to consumers who do not feel inclined to sign a long term mobile phone contract. Hopefully, these options will be able to guide contract-hating consumers to solutions that will givce them satisfaction.

One of the best ways to get mobile phone services without being caught in the clutches of wireless contracts is by purchasing a mobile phone on its full price. Mobile phone carriers encourage a lot of people to sign wireless contracts by giving a significant discount on the handsets. Customers are obliged to sign the contract so that they can take advantage of the discounts and perks. Never mind that contracts also come with numerous disadvantages.

A few weeks ago, Massachusetts Representative Edward J. Markey authored the Wireless Consumer Protection Bill. This bill aims to nullify the need for consumers to sign a mobile phone contract when they pay the full price for handsets. This bill is still being debated upon in Congress but some carriers allow customers to be free of contracts if they pay for the whole price but they do not advertise this option.

If you are a rich hombre, then you can probably march to a mobile phone retail store and purchase the hottest phone without signing a wireless contract. However, we can't all afford to purchase cool mobile phones at full price. Some customers have to turn to the Internet to get away from wireless contracts and get mobile phones at the same time.

You can get mobile phones at online auction sites like eBay at affordable prices. These phones
are free of contracts so customers can simply go to a cell phone service provider and activate the phone. However, purchasing gadgets and other items from online auctions can be risky do customers should consider this option carefully.

If you hate wireless contracts and can't afford to purchase a phone at full price or discount phones on the web, then you have another option. You can turn to prepaid plans if you don't want to be restricted by a wireless contract.

Consumers who get prepaid plan will be able to pay for minutes upfront. They can then simply get a new one once those minutes have been used up. You can say good riddance to wireless contracts if you choose this option. There will be no more complaints over unfair bills, contract extensions, fees and credit checks.

Unfortunately, getting a prepaid plan to escape a wireless contracts is not a perfect solution. You will be missing out on perks and promotions if you go prepaid. Contracts can be restrictive but they do offer discounts and promotions that make up for it. Customers have to weigh the options care fully before they choose this option. Some lifestyles may be compatible with prepaid plans but some people may be better off with wireless contracts.