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I can still remember my first cell phone…it was bulky and incredibly basic. But the ability to call someone outside of my home was revolutionary. These days, owning a smartphone is as common as owning a pair of shoes. In fact, my 7 year old son has been asking when he’ll be getting his very own phone (the short answer is not now!). With all of the models and plans available, each boasting sleeker designs and more intuitive functionality, how do you decide what type of smartphone to invest in?
With technology changing by the minute, I have to admit that signing a two year contract to achieve a heavily discounted price on my smartphone was something I weighed carefully. I knew in that 2-year span of time, at least one or more versions of my current phone would be released, and that I would not be able to upgrade without some type of penalty. In some instances, I think it would be ideal to invest a phone that offers prepaid, month-to-month service plans without a contract, like AT&T’s GoPhone.
With Walmart’s exclusive rate plan, you can get AT&T’s GoPhone service for just $45/month which includes unlimited talk, text, and 1 GB of data for smartphones. Plus, you can use your smartphone as a Wi-Fi hotspot to share data with additional devices such as tablets, laptops and other smart phones. Choose from a number of different smart phones based on your budget, including the HTC Desire 610, which I received to test out this new service. This is one of HTC’s mid-range priced phones and offers much in the way of functionality and sleek features, but if you’re looking for a very basic starter phone for a tween or college-aged student, Walmart offers pre-paid GoPhones starting at under $10.
Inside the GoPhone package, you’ll find a SIM card and the phone’s power cord. Additional accessories can be purchased including an external battery pack, stereo headphones, and more. Set-up is minimal as the phone comes ready to use out of the box, but you’ll want to charge it before your first use and then insert the SIM card. Because this is a pre-paid phone, you’ll need to purchase Walmart’s GoPhone Refill Card.
How to Activate your $45 Walmart Exclusive Rate Plan:
1. Power on the phone
2. Use your phone keypad (as if you were making a call) to key in the following code: *123*ZipCode*08# and press the “call” or “send” key. Remember to replace “zipcode” with your 5-digit zip code. Before purchasing your pre-paid cell phone, check to see if service is available in your area by visiting the product page on Walmart.com.
3. Once you receive a message that your activation is processing, power off the phone for a couple of minutes.
4. Power on the phone and add the $45 refill card by typing in the following code using your phone keypad: *888*PinNumber# and press the “call” or “send” key. Be sure to replace your own pin number with the one provided on the back of your refill card.
5. Once you receive a confirmation message that the plan has been added, power down the phone one last time. When you power it on, your phone will be ready to use.
6. You’ll receive a reminder when it’s time to add
Having had some experience using an Android-based platform, I found the gestures to be intuitive and the integration of all of my Google accounts to be a seamless way to access all of my content with a single log-in. The phone comes loaded with a few native apps including Chrome, Gmail, Google+, Drive, and YouTube. To download additional apps, visit the Google Play Store.
With 4G LTE connectivity, you’ll be able to access your favorite websites and upload content at lightning speeds. Additional features include a large 4.7″ display, front-facing stereo speakers, a rear (main) 8 megapixel camera with LED flash, and 8 GB of storage.
Unedited using the HTC Desire 610 Smart Phone
For comparison, earlier this year I reviewed the Samsung Galaxy S5 which boasts a 16 megapixel rear (main) camera and either 16 or 32 GB of storage. The photos I captured in daylight were decent, but because I heavily use my smart phone for visually documenting moments with my kids, I would prefer a phone with a higher resolution camera. Additional storage can be achieved by purchasing a microSD memory card which would provide up to 64 GB of additional storage.
For a mid-range priced phone, the HTC Desire 610 provides more than enough functionality at your fingertips while on-the-go. The flexibility of Walmart’s affordable pre-paid plans allows you to decide how much you want to spend based on how much data and talk time you’ll need. When you’re ready to switch, you won’t have to wait out a contract. This is a perfect phone for tweens, teens, and college-aged students who want to keep in touch with their friends but don’t need the high level functionality of more expensive smart phones.
For more information about AT&T’s Pre-Paid GoPhones, visit Walmart.com.
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