From Tracie: Is Family Mobile The Best Wireless Plan?

Sunday, June 30, 2013

Is Family Mobile The Best Wireless Plan?

#FamilyMobileSaves #cbias #shop disclosure
Last month, Thomas got a MyTouch phone for Father's Day. I promised you an update on the phone and the Walmart Family Mobile service he would be using. It was the lowest price rate plan, offering unlimited talk, text, and web at $40 a month. We were very happy with the price, but you never know how well a cell phone service will work until you try it.

Family Mobile Best Wireless Plan

Family Mobile has not disappointed us. We have been pleased with the call quality, and even when he is in a store, or away from the city, he hasn't experienced any dropped calls. The data and 3G speed feels just as fast as our wireless, which is really nice.

Thomas is texting every day, and the unlimited texting is good for his business. He found it makes his tree clients happy that they do not have to stop in the middle of what they are doing to call him, but can send off a quick text instead.

Texting poolside

At first, I was not sure if he would like using the touchscreen keyboard, but the MyTouch has a Swipe feature that he loves. You put your finger on the screen and move from letter to letter, as opposed to clicking each letter individually. He uses the Swipe for web browsing and facebook as well, and even has the audacity to brag he Swipes faster than I type.

May we talk about apps?
Rainy Day
Thomas using his weather app - because sticking your head out the door just isn't as much fun.

This is Thomas' first smart phone, so apps were a new thing for him. Now he has a weather app to track the rain, a music app, a radio app (it cracks me up, because it looks like an old fashioned radio dial), and an app from the library that enables him to borrow and download audiobooks straight to the phone.

MyTouch Cell Phone

I asked Thomas if he liked his phone, and his answer was:
"I love the fact that I can catch up on a book while cutting a tree, send a text to my customer, listen to the news on the way to the next job, call you to see what I need to pick up from the grocery store, check my Facebook messages, and top off the day with Miles Davis on the bus ride home... and it is all unlimited."


One unexpected use for the phone came a couple of weeks ago when Thomas was at work. He was cutting a tree, and a wasp stung him in the eyelid. He quickly pulled out the phone, and used the front facing camera to take a picture of his eye so he could make sure he got the stinger out, and check the swelling.
Wasp Sting On Eyelid

He has taken much more exciting pictures since then (Or less exciting? Maybe more pleasant and fun are the right words.), but that was certainly a use for the phone camera we did not anticipate.

I joked last month that giving Thomas a cell phone was almost like giving myself a gift, but it really does make both of our lives easier.

Thomas calling home from the store
What do we need from the store? Cream soda and ice cream, of course.
It has been great to have a wireless service that does not come with the stress of a huge bill at the end of the month. The online account management and information makes it easy to check your balance, and take care of any customer support needs you might have. Thomas received a text message for his first (prorated) bill last week. It will be super easy to pay online, over the phone, or even at a Walmart store.

Walmart Family Mobile Display
You can see my shopping trip to activate the phone in my #FamilyMobileSaves Google+ Album.
If you are looking to change your phone service, or start with a new service for a family member, I suggest checking out the Walmart Family Mobile unlimited plans. The price is amazing, and the service is great.

33 comments:

  1. I definitely think that having a hubby with a smartphone is a good plan...we use my hubby's everywhere we go! :) P.S. Love his "selfie" with the wasp sting! ;)-Ashley

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    1. We are all getting use out of Thomas' as well. It is pretty nice.

      Glad you enjoyed that picture. :) I spared y'all the one he took a few minutes later when his eye had swelled up to about three times that size. Ouch!

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  2. Just after this, I'm about to put together a mobile version of my site. Thanks for sharing, wish me luck!

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    1. Good luck! Now that I have seen Thomas looking at websites on the smartphone, I understand just how important it is to have your blog optimized for mobile. It definitely makes a difference.

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  3. I love my MY touch also. I have t mobile paid though through family plan, but yes it seems to be the best service out here.

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    1. The Family Mobile runs on the TMobile network. It is great to know they reach into more remote areas.

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  4. This is great! Most people take these things for granted, but having a smartphone really is convenient, especially for guys who need to contact clients, like Thomas! We recently had part of our floor ripped up and redone, and the contractor texted me with an arrival time (so much more convenient than a 7am phone call). Then, while picking out the tile at the store, he texted me three sample pictures and let me pick which one I wanted! So convenient!

    Also - self facing camera? Amazing substitute for a mirror. I use mine at work and while out to eat to make sure I don't have anything in my teeth/on my face. Haha :)

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    1. That is a great use for the self-facing camera.

      A text message would definitely be preferable to a 7am phone call! I also love that he saved you a trip to the store by sending pictures of the samples. The convenience can not be overstated.

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  5. It feels like forever since I've been on your blog... talk about life taking over, yikes!

    Any who, I may be crazy, but this post cracked me up, mostly because my mom has had a smart phone for years and still asks what an app is... your husband got it down quick!

    We're looking into getting cell phones for the kids (now that they're older, they're everywhere and we want to make sure we have a way to contact them) and since we're not prepaid fans, this plan looks perfect! We'll definitely have to check into it!

    Happy #SITSSummer! :)

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    1. We need to catch up! :)

      Your story about your mom made me laugh. That is the kind of thing my mom says about apps on her phone. Thomas is loving apps, and he is getting good at navigating the Google Play store.

      One thing that is great about this plan is that you aren't stuck in a contract, so if for any reason you decide that one of the kids is not going to have a phone anymore, you aren't stuck paying a bill for a phone you aren't using.

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  6. I totally understand the importance of cost and quality. I want his phone mine doesn't do all that lol. But we have straight talk. The wasp sting I am with ya Thomas I swell up like a puffer fish..

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    1. Cost and quality are the biggest things when you are searching for a cell phone and service.

      The MyTouch is about $150, so it is not bad if you are thinking of switching. http://www.walmart.com/ip/Walmart-Family-Mobile-610214632791-myTouch-4G-Cell-Phone/23956113

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  7. I'm glad he's enjoying it! I hope you get one soon!

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    1. I know! I really need one...he is way too attached to his to share it for very long. lol.

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  8. I don't have a smart phone, although if I can get my daughters old iphone 4s unlocked from Telstra I might you is I am with Optus......

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    1. Awesome! I don't know much about getting phones unlocked, but I do know that Family Mobile will work with unlocked iPhones. Hope it works out for you.

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  9. Wow, sounds like a great phone plan and like he is getting the most out of his phone. My Hubby was like yours and was unsure he would like an upgraded phone, but now he is addicted to all the apps, LOL...

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    1. It is a really great plan!

      My husband never wants to go back to an app-free world again. LOL.

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  10. That sounds like a great deal! It's so hard to live without a cell phone nowadays. Awesome your husband uses it for business!! We do the same.

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    1. It makes a huge difference in business. I know y'all are self-employed, like us, so that is an expense that has to come out of your pocket. It is nice when those business expenses don't break the bank.

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  11. I just love this post! My hubby got his first smart phone last year and boy he could have been your husbands twin. I think it's adorable. Now we can't live without them. Thanks for sharing. :)

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    1. Husbands and their new electronics are always adorable. It is crazy how many things in life are helped by smartphones - even after having one for a month, we are relying on it for a lot.

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  12. I will have to check this plan out! Sounds really nice. We are pay as you go customers.

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    1. Awesome. I think you will like it better than pay as you go. This won't have the contract, but you also won't have to worry about buying refill cards.

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  13. Oh my gosh, that wasp sting! So clever to take the picture to check - I, too, have used my phone as a mirror, but fortunately just to check things like makeup and not painful stings! I need to look into this plan and find out if they offer data roaming, because I am so in. (It's been on my list to look into it but I've been on the road all month so thanks for the reminder, LOL!)

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    1. This is a nationwide plan, so your data is good everywhere! It is nice to not have to worry about getting hit with crazy roaming charges at the end of the month.

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  14. I have really been wondering about this phone, and am so happy I stopped by to read your post. It is soon time for my son to have a phone and I didn’t want to go with my plan because it will be way too expensive. I think this is the way for us to go, and reading your post really assuaged some of the main worries I was having. Great post!

    Elizabeth T, Early Rise

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    1. Awesome! I am so happy this helped you, and answered some of the questions you had. I think y'all will be really happy with this plan. It is great for kids, and you will have the option to set parent controls in your account online.

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  15. The pictures amused me. :) Seems like a great plan to go on and your hubby really needed that smart phone, huh??

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    1. He really did!! It is his new favorite thing in the whole world.

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  16. Thanks for sharing - it seems like a really great option!

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  17. It certainly sounds like Thomas is taking to his new smart phone! What a brilliant idea - the photo to check for the bee stinger! I know I love being able to connect with my husband, especially when he's at the grocery or on the way home from work :) Thanks so much for sharing this great find - my family is definitely ready to make a switch and save!

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