Straight Talk Review - The Best Prepaid Plan in [year]? (2024)

Straight Talk is a brand in partnership between Tracfone and Walmart which is a prepaid, no-contract cell phone provider that many love for its affordable phone and wireless plans.

Straight Talk provides straightforward pricing, unlimited talk, texts, and unlimited data plans without complicated contracts and fluff.

It is an affordable mobile phone provider and customers can select plans from as low as $30 per month or even subscribe to the unlimited plan that goes for $45 per month.

Discounting is available and comes in 30-day no-contract obligation service packages.

Moreover, Straight Talk customers are accorded and earn some points to unlock certain prices.

For instance, every time a Straight Talk customer renews their plan, they earn some points and they are doubled if the customer is subscribed to an autofill plan.

By watching short videos, sharing them on social media platforms, or referring your friends will increase your points.

The points come with additional high-speed data card s or they can earn a free service plan when they have redeemed them.

StraightTalk Plans and pricing

Straight Talk services are aligned with its advertised perks that come with the tagline ‘Everything for Less.’

This implies that their plans provide basic services that have clear selling points while outlining the exact service that their customers will receive.

They have a handful of monthly plans available at Walmart and on StraightTalk.com.

These include unlimited and fixed plans that are available and everyone can connect.

With the $45 plan, it comes with 10GB of high-speed data, and with time it can for up to 25GB at the same price.

This is a good plan for tour pocket as compared to the $35 per month plan that will only include 5GB of high-speed data which is slowed to 2G speeds until the billing cycle ends.

For the unlimited data plans, exist and include a $55 per month plan that includes 10GB of data for mobile hotspots.

Straight Talk also includes 3-month, 6-month, and 12-month data plans that come at a discounted rate.

Their prices are also slightly lower when you subscribe to the auto-refill plan.

Partners

Straight Talk is a mobile virtual network operator (MVNO), that is a cell phone provider that does not have its towers but instead partners with other networks to enhance and ensure proper network coverage.

This has seen Straight Talk work and partner with all the Big 4 networks.

These include Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, and Sprint.

However, this does not mean that you can access all four networks at once.

You can only get to use one at a time.

This is determined by your location and the device that you are using.

How do you get started?

This network is available in over 3000 Walmart locations nationally.

You can as well order SIM cards, service plans, and phones through StraightTalk.com.

Ordering Process

You can order the sim card from their website, StraightTalk.com.

You are supposed to read the fine print that gives you the delivery time and the company and once delivered it will require you to append your signature.

Normally, the prepaid carriers send Sim cards through the US Postal services and they are left in your mailbox.

If you are not available, then the delivery company is obliged to return the sim card or the package to Straight Talk.

Therefore, one should have an elaborate plan on where you are situated or where the puck yup will be actualized.

Activation process

With the Walmart sim activation kit, the process is simple and easy.

You should open it up and insert the with the network that you are connected to.

For instance, with AT&T you can unlock the Moto G6 test phone.

You can follow the steps one by one or get a new phone number or use the existing one.

After the sim card is inserted into the phone and having followed the stated instructions, you will receive a message from Straight Talk that assures you that the phone and or the device is in the process of being activated.

They will require you to wait for some time before you can test your service.

In case of any delays and inconveniences, you have a phone number that you can contact the customer care services for assistance.

Activation on an existing phone

Upcoming customers can bring their phones.

Here a customer service specialist gives you a SIM card that will enable you to get the Straight Talk services.

This means if you have a phone from a prior carrier, you can keep it over or opt to transfer it depending on your choice.

Moreover, potential customers can purchase the SIM card and make the installation on their own without any assistance from a representative.

They should double-check if the device is compatible and the phones that Straight Talk allows since the compatibility keeps on changing depending on the type of the phone and location.

It is important to do a factory reset.

This will help adjust the APN setting so that it is aligned correctly with The Straight Talk network.

When you want to move your number over to the Straight Talk, it is made easier to have your previous number.

This is because sticking to the same number enables Straight Talk an excellent choice from the previous brads and best fit for the customers.

However, it is important to note that some phones cannot be fitted with Straight Talk SIM cars.

There are certain iPhone 4 models that are not compatible with the SIM card.

With Blackberry, there is no option for integration with Straight Talk currently.

Available Deals being offered

Straight talk operates deals on a variety of devices at a time.

These range from free shipping on the latest iPhone and Android phones to the extremely low-priced LG, Samsung, and also Alcatel models.

To pinpoint the most lucrative online deal based on your location, you are required to enter your zip code where you intend to use the device often.

Walmart Locations

Straight Talk is affiliated with Walmart.

However, it operates as a separate entity of the retail chain.

Some representatives are located at Walmart locations and are always ready to assist with questions either physically or online.

Currently, customers are satisfied with the 4G LTE coverage that is offered by Straight Talk.

Using the best networks such as AT&T, T-Mobile and others you will be assured of quality service in the long run.

Data speeds

Slow data speeds have been a concern for most people especially those that love to stream videos and music, surf over the web as well as using social media apps.

Overall according to various tests conducted by customers, some of the data speeds are not very impressive.

This is because they are less than 10Mbps.

Though this is efficient for streaming, sometimes while on the site it y end up buffering along the way bringing up some inconveniences.

According to other customers, they started that when using the low-cost cell phone providers, Verizon MVNOs had faster speeds.

These include Total wireless that is still owned by the same company as straight talk.

What ‘Unlimited’ Means?

Straight Talk company is very careful in the wording of the meaning of unlimited.

This is because of a lawsuit that was brought forth in 2013 for adjusting their data speeds.

They are therefore careful and include footnotes on their website that explain the $45 30-day Unlimited plan.

The plan includes 10GB of high-speed data per 30-day cycle.

After the 10GB, your data speed reduces to 2GB for the remainder of the 30-day cycle.

Thus this can affect the quality of your streaming, audio, or video.

They also offer a $55 plan for 30 days with 60 GB of high-speed data.

On the website, they have said that ‘Straight Talk reserves the right to terminate your service for unauthorized or abnormal usage.

They do not allow tethering on their service through your phone.

Their limit of up to 60 GB of high-speed data seems very high.

Therefore, getting to that limit becomes suspicious since most capping is at 22 GB of high speed.

Limitations associated with Straight Talk

Every provider has some ups and downs.

Well, Straight Talk is not an exception.

There are some limitations that customers should not keenly.

Some of the consumers have found out that some AT&T phones are not compatible with straight Talk due to usability issues.

Therefore, even though some of the carriers are compatible, when you are purchasing or making a switch, you should double-check first.

When you make the confirmation, you will find out that the majority of devices can be integrated into the straight Talk phone service.

Based on customer reviews, they have described some issues concerning dropped calls or lack of data service.

This can be frustrating especially when a customer is utilizing the internet connection or when making a phone call.

Network redundancy

There have been reports stating some cases of network issues.

This has been from the other several companies that were used.

These issues include dropped calls that come as a result of network sharing.

This can be resolved and it should not be a worry since it does not happen at all times.

However, when there is an occurrence, then the problem is very disturbing.

No unlimited data

Some customers have complained that there are some issues with data labeled unlimited when it is not.

Customers get 3GB of metered data for every 30-day service package they opt to purchase.

When you exceed the limit, you access the data network, with, however, drastically reduced speeds.

Most customers state that on average a customer needs 2GB of data per month.

This is because, with 100 MB of data on the lower-end plan, you will end up spending all your data quickly.

Pros

• They offer their customers excellent value propositions in various ways. Every month is equivalent to 30 days of service. These include:
• Unlimited voice, text, and data plan (2GB high speed) at $35 per month equivalent to 30 days of service.
• Unlimited voice, text, and data plan (10 GB high speed) at $45 per month.
• Unlimited voice, text, and data plan (60 GB high speed) at $55 per month. This is for users who need a lot of video streaming.
• They have high volume options for feature phones or non-smartphones at$30 per month. They come with 1500minutes, unlimited texts, and 100 MB of data.
• The connections are reliable and clear phone connections if you are using AT &T, Verizon, Sprint, and T-Mobile.
• There are discounted plans for prepayments that go for 3 months and more.
• They have a good selection and pricing for smartphones that include iPhones and android, and feature phones that include non-smartphones.
• When using the pan to call internationally their calling rates are wonderful.
• Customers can opt to bring their phones.

Cons

• Straight talk does not offer international text messaging except on several selected phones.
• Their customer service can be challenging sometimes. This is because they may not assist you accordingly.
• Straight talk is geared towards heavy cell phone voice or data users. If your phone mostly relies on Wi-Fi, you should go for Tracfone. If you require smaller amounts of data, you can opt for Total Wireless and Simple Mobile that come with more choices.

Straight talk cell phones

They offer services through a wide range of smartphones and feature phones as well to their customers.

This means the variety of phones you can use to access the services are many and not limited to a few.

Smartphones

You can have a wide range of phones to pick from.

There is a mix of phones from the entry-level, the mid-tier, and the high-end smartphones as well.

You will find the latest models of iPhones and the Samsung Galaxy S series are also available.

Mid-tier smartphones include those by Apple, LG, ZTE, Samsung, and Huawei.

You will come across Samsung Galaxy Sky S320VL, iPhone 5, Samsung Galaxy Grand Prime, ZTE Savvy, and Huawei Inspira.

Their prices range from $80 To $200.

It is wise to note that some versions of the android and IOS phones are come with very steep discounts as compared to their original prices.

They, therefore, make a good starting point as the prices drop fast as they get older.

It is a good plan to save a lot of money by going for the slightly older phone versions.

It is suitable for the no-contract phone users since they have to pay for the phone upfront.

Featured phones

They are also referred to as non-smartphones.

Well, Straight Talk offers some of the best non-smartphones in the current market.

It is important to understand we have various needs and not everyone requires a smartphone.

Therefore, consumers can go for non-smartphones with qwerty keyboards, touch screens, Wi-Fi connectivity, MP3 players, cameras, speakerphones, Bluetooth, and other amazing features.

These phones are inexpensive and their prices range from $10 to $50. Moreover, they come up with great Free phone offers periodically.

The phones are money-saving and they do not require $45 per month unlimited cell plans for them to run.

They are suitable for the All You Need $30 plan and the unlimited $45 plan.

Warranty plans

Straight Talk has a 1-year limited warranty for the sold phones.

You have the choice to go for the Easy Exchange ended warranty within 40 days after activating the phone.

Easy Exchange program covers electrical and mechanical failures.

International calling and Text Messaging

Straight Talk offers a $60 per 30 days unlimited international call plan.

This allows customers to call over 1000 destinations that include Mexico, Canada, India, and China.

If you do not require unlimited international calling, you can opt for $10 Global Calling that you can add to the phones and make the international calls at a lower rate.

Straight Talk phones do not allow for international texting.

However, they are few limited models that can make the texting when they are specified in their listing descriptions.

Although users cannot send international text messages, they will still be in a position to receive messages sent to them from outside the country though not at all times.

If you want to send International messages, you can use other options such as WhatsApp or TextFree that run over the internet.

FAQS

Will I save money with Straight Talk?

Using some of the other wireless providers, getting a new phone can be very difficult due to too many fees and unwanted contracts.

However, Straight Talk solves these all.

They have come up with a new Straight Talk Plus plan that helps you get the latest devices at a cheaper price without even signing a contract or even paying an activation or cancellation fee.

It sounds so simple to be true but you can access the services cheaply and at ease comparing to the other providers.

This is a plan suited to save money and improve your streaming.

Most of the devices in Straight talk are within reach and you can purchase the phone starting even under$10 with no contract.

How do I transfer my Straight Talk service to a new phone?

This is very easy to make an upgrade to a new phone.

This is by visiting their website www.starighttalk.com/Activate.You select the Activate or reactivate on using the phone number that has been transferred from another Straight Talk phone.

Click on continue and sign in to your account to complete the process.

The transfer may take about 24 hours but it is worth the wait.

How do I solve the slow internet problem on Straight Talk?

Some customers complain of reduced speeds after some time.

This is because your data speed is brought down from fast 4G data speed to slow 2G data speed.

Reduced speed happens when you have exhausted 5GB of your data monthly plan.

You can however go for the unlimited data that will ensure that the customers always have data throughout the month.

Thus you should check your data usage so that you do not run out of Mbps to use before your 30-day plan ends.

To solve slow data, you can as well upgrade your internet package.

Various data packages come with different prices and services.

Customers are allowed to choose the plan that best suits their needs.

When you have to access the internet for several hours with high speed, or for gaming purposes, then you should consider upgrading your internet package that will come with extra Mbps.

This will deal with slowed internet and improve the performance.

You can limit the number of users that are using the internet at a particular time.

This means that the lesser the number of devices connected, the stronger the speed.

Depending on your location, it is important to note that Wireless internet speed varies.

The closer you are to the source of the signal, the faster the internet will be.

If you move further away, then the signal weakens thus slowing the internet access.

You should also ensure that you have checked the VPN setting.

You should make sure that the APN setting is updated.

Thus if you have been using a mobile network different than Straight Talk, you should ensure you have updated the APN setting.

Bottom-line

Straight Talk can be an inexpensive carrier suited for basic cell phone services and prepaid cell phones.

They offer quality coverage and have better offers in the contract as compared to their competitors.

They let customers use their old phones of other providers and only require simple SIM card replacement that you can do by yourself or even contact the technical team.

It is important to check the compatibility of the device before it is fitted with a Straight Talk SIM card.

You can expect the following services: Prepaid pricing, quality coverage data, and speed restrictions as well as a wide variety of compatible cell phones, maintaining phone and the previous number and long-lasting relationship with their services.

It is worth the time and money since you can enjoy it over various platforms.