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Virgin Mobile Beyond Talk

*Est. $35 per month and up
Reviewed
April 2012
Virgin Mobile

Prepaid cell phone plan with advanced phones

Pros
  • Advanced phone options
  • Wide variety of plan/minute options
  • Rated a better-than-average value overall
Cons
  • Some find plans and website confusing
  • Some customer service complaints
Where to Buy
 
 

Virgin Mobile is one prepaid carrier that goes beyond basics, reviewers say: You can get smartphones (like the LG Optimus Slider, running Android 2.2) and an unlimited calling plan that looks a lot like an expensive contract plan -- only there's no contract, and it's a lot cheaper -- all on the nationwide Sprint network. Virgin Mobile's Beyond Talk plans start at $35 per month for unlimited text, email, data and web, with 300 voice minutes; $45 raises the voice minutes to 1,200, and it's $55 for unlimited service. If you prefer a more basic phone, Virgin Mobile also offers PayLo pay-as-you-go plans starting at $20 for 400 minutes, with flip and candy-bar phones starting at $15.

Traditionally geared toward young customers, Virgin Mobile's website can be "hard to navigate and understand if you're over the age of 20," PrepaidReviews.com editors say, but syndicated SavvySenior.org columnist Jim Miller says Virgin Mobile's inexpensive pay-as-you-go plan is a great choice for seniors who just want a cell phone for emergency or occasional calls. Still, another national carrier gets the Best Reviewed nod as the best emergency phone: T-Mobile Prepaid's annual plan (*Est. $100 for 1,000 min.) allows you to set-it-and-forget-it with a full year of service (most other pay-as-you-go plans, including Virgin Mobile's, require refills every month or two). TopTenReviews.com awards Virgin Mobile its bronze medal award, especially liking its fee options.

ConsumerReports.org, J.D. Power and Associates and PCMag.com base their ratings of Virgin Mobile on polls of thousands of cell phone users. About.com's cell phone expert compares Virgin Mobile to six of its rivals, based on his analysis of their costs and features. PrepaidReviews.com offers an expert review and also gathers customers' opinions of Virgin Mobile. Virgin Mobile also earns praise as a no-hidden-fees service from MSNBC.com.

Our Sources

1. ConsumerReports.org

ConsumerReports.org ranks six prepaid wireless providers -- including Virgin Mobile -- from best to worst, based on feedback from more than 66,000 cell phone users. Editors discuss the pros and cons of each service.

Review: Prepaid Cell Phone Service Ratings, Editors of ConsumerReports.org, January 2011

2. J.D. Power & Associates

In this survey of about 6,400 prepaid wireless cell phone users, Virgin Mobile rates just above the industry average overall, but falls squarely in the middle of the pack of nine prepaid cell phone carriers reviewed.

Review: 2011 Wireless Non-Contract Customer Satisfaction Index Study, Editors of J.D. Power and Associates, March 31, 2011

3. PCMag.com

This article addresses overall satisfaction with cell phones and cell phone service as reported by PCMag.com readers in 2012. T-Mobile gets the Reader's Choice award for prepaid carriers. A chart shows how each service stacks up in a dozen categories, such as price and handset choices.

Review: Reader's Choice Awards 2012: Smartphones and Mobile Carriers, Ben Gottesman, March 28, 2012

4. TopTenReviews.com

Receiving the Bronze award from the editors of TopTenReviews.com, Virgin Mobile is praised particularly for its fees, as the company doesn't charge activation or roaming fees for its prepaid service. In addition, domestic long distance is included in its pay-as-you-go and monthly plans. Note that TopTenReviews.com's evaluation of prepaid cell phone providers is based only on features, and doesn't look at how each phone service performs.

Review: 2012 Prepaid Cell Phones Comparison, Editors of TopTenReviews.com

5. About.com

After analyzing the costs of seven competitors, About.com's former cell phones guide Adam Fendelman concludes that Virgin Mobile offers the best prepaid wireless plans overall. (Note: ConsumerSearch is owned by About.com, but the two don't share an editorial affiliation.)

Review: Is Prepaid Wireless or a Monthly Contract Cheaper?, Adam Fendelman, Oct. 12, 2009

6. PrepaidReviews.com

Although editors at PrepaidReviews.com give Virgin Mobile 4 out of 5 stars, users aren't as enthusiastic, especially about customer service. The editors say Virgin Mobile's prepaid wireless plans are confusing, and its website "can be hard to navigate and understand if you're over the age of 20."

Review: Virgin Mobile Prepaid Cellular, Editors of PrepaidReviews.com

7. MSNBC

If you want a prepaid phone with no hidden fees, Virgin Mobile is one of your best bets, according to this article. Herb Weisbaum quotes research by the Telecommunications Research and Action Center, ConsumerReports.org and others to back up his picks.

Review: Prepaid Cell Plans May Be Your Best Bet, Herb Weisbaum, March 19, 2009

8. Savvy Senior

For seniors who want a cell phone for emergency or occasional calls, Virgin Mobile's pay-as-you-go PayLo plan is a good option, according to this syndicated column.

Review: Best Cell Phone Options for Seldom Calling Seniors, Jim Miller, March 7, 2011

Prepaid Cell Phone Plans Runners Up:

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4 picks including: J.D. Power & Associates, MSNBC…

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3 picks by top review sites.

Straight Talk *Est. $30 for 30 days and up

2 picks including: The New York Times, Viewpoints.com…

AT&T GoPhone *Est. 10 cents per min. and up

1 pick including: J.D. Power & Associates…

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