I asked him how important was this kid, so that he required a reliable cell phone?

That kid needs to go on wind mobile prepaid. For $5/month that kid can get unlimited texting and incoming calls. With voip.ms that would add 2c outgoing. And no need tor texting apps, which I find is a PITA

In my mind, no kid is that important to need a business reliable cell phone.

This is really ridiculous $15/month for unlimited text. Has anyone calculated the numbers? Previously it was $10/month for 2500 text. There are 24 hours in a day and 720 hours in 30 days. If you text every 15 minute day and night non stop its only 2880 texts. How many would do this?

This is another consumer pocket rip off in Canada.

Teens

This is another consumer pocket rip off in Canada.

My wife is on the Rogers $75/yr unlimited texting prepaid plan ($6.25 + $0.75/mth) but previously she was also paying $25/mth for 500MB data. We dropped the data because we're looking for something better. It would be unfortunate to lose a few months of that $75 that is unused but she needs a cheaper data solution. I was considering the $10 UMB because it's good value for what it is, but she does a lot of texting so the new $15 base cost brings the equation back to $26.25 ($15 + $10 +$1.25). That's not a big difference from her Rogers total.

As was mentioned recently the Koodo Prepaid option looks interesting for people who like to stretch out services. The base plan is $15 but that includes text and picture messaging and includes texts sent to international numbers. The data boosters don't expire at the end of each month. $35 gets you 1000MB which is obviously not unlimited but it also doesn't have some of the limitations inherent with UMB. I figure that SO's $11.25/mth times by 3 months is roughly the same as $35. So that means that with Koodo, the equivilant allotment of data is 333MB per month to match SO. If you use more than that, then SO might be the better choice, but if you less than that you're actually paying less than 7-Eleven (once again assuming you need unlimited texting as part of the equation).

I'm considering giving Koodo a shot for her, although unfortunately in Manitoba the coverage is not as good as SpeakOut.

It did not disable on 31st Mar/1st April.

Called customer service and they say the package will not be cancelled till this months renewal and if I have $17 it will be automatically switched over the to $15 text package.

In case it helps someone, again if you want to be sure check with them.

Customer Service
1-866-310-1023 or dial 611 on your SpeakOut phone (FREE Call) and press 0 to speak to a customer service representative.

For those of you with 3G phones that work on Koodo, you should definitely consider Koodo pre-paid.

I checked that out, the boosters are interesting.

I also checked out Wind, since they have $5/month unlimited text, and 20c/min outgoing calls with unlimited free incoming calls. Oh and free web access to "Windworld" Facebook Zero, News, Weather, Ringtone service whatever that is.

Since their $40.00 Top up is good for 6 months, that works out to $6.66 a month minimum. (and if I was to add the $5 unlimited text plan it would only mean $1.66 to "spend").

No UMB plan though -- just an expensive $5 for 50MB. But I guess for $10 (like the old 2500 text plan) you would get unlimited texts and 50MB data.

Definitely things to think about.

Koodo offers $15/month unlimited text as well BUT their minute boosters and data boosters "carry-over" with you to the next month!

Optional:
500 Talk Minutes for $25 ($0.05/min)
1GB for $35 ($0.035/MB)

http://koodomobile.com/en/on/p.....ters.shtml

Koodo prepaid also includes:
Voicemail5
Call Display
Call Waiting
Conference Calling

The in-laws will stay with speakout because they don't text. But it looks like speakout will lose atleast one customer with this recent increase.

And google voice has the added benefit that I can switch SIM and still use my whatsapp account when I am travelling.

What is the name of this company that gives you a free number to sms?

That Android app I use is called "textplus".

Seems to do the job, never had any missed messages. The only feature I wish it had are custom notification sounds (IE use the sounds from the phone rather than their built in choices), and if I miss a message recurring notifications on those messages.

However if/when Google Voice comes to Canada I have heard this is the best free SMS application.

In this case, the ones who get the short end of the stick are.... Everybody who texts like a normal person, which is about everybody.

If you send more than 100 text messages a month, SO has decided that they want to take an extra $5 out of you by upping the monthly cost from $10 to $15. (At 2500, we can consider texting to be unlimited.)

This is significant revenue since the 'cost of a text message is minimal'. I would think that most people send more than 100 text messages a month?

I blame UMB

Google voice lets you do this, but its us only for now.

For me, the $10 per month was just about right -- I would normally send a little over 100 messages a month (IE a few a day). So the plan gave me peace of mind that if I wanted to text I didn't feel like each one was costing me 10c.

Personally for me a perfect plan would be 500 for $5.

However I just upgraded my phone to a smartphone (and I was successful at trimming the SIM card), and installed a free texting app (I don't quite understand how these people can give you a phone number and free texting, but hey I am not complaining).

Since 99% of the time I am within WI-FI range I can always send out for free using the app, and still receive texts no matter where I am located (and I can always send out, and most of the time it is free).

My contacts just have to be used to me having two possible phone numbers.

So now I think I will just pay per text and use the free texting app while in WIFI range. I will no doubt save money.

Speakout may lose there but I am tempted to try out the UMB, and since I am saving on the texting package it might be worth it.

Of course with my luck next month SO will change it to full internet for $20/month and drop the $10/month UMB.