What if I told you that you could get an affordable cell phone with no contracts AND donate your time to a great cause all at once? Is your child begging for a cell phone but you’re just not sure where to start? Perhaps you might be looking for an affordable alternative to high cell phone costs yourself. I know my family is.
From September 22 to October 13, Straight Talk Wireless will donate $1 to Make-A-Wish for every demo of a Straight Talk Wireless Android Smart Phone completed at over 3,000 Walmart locations under the “One Minute, One Million” banner. Do you have literally one minute? Stop by a participating Walmart and see how Straight Talk can help you save money on wireless service and help out a great cause.
WHAT IS STRAIGHT-TALK WIRELESS?
Straight Talk Wireless is the cell phone company that provides unlimited everything you need in a cell phone for only $45/month.
I’ve always been pretty skeptical about pre-paid phones. We are under contract with a major carrier right now and I use a very nice Samsung. Right out of the box, this Straight Talk Wireless ZTE Merit impressed me because it is an Android phone. It really isn’t too different from the phone I regularly use.
ZTE Merit Key Features:
· 3.5″ touchscreen
· Android 2.3 OS
· 5MP camera/video recorder
· Bluetooth wireless technology
· Instant messaging
· Advanced GPS capabilities
· 3G/WiFi connectivity
· 600MHz processor
· Access to over 450,000 apps on Google Play
· MP3 player
· Gravity sensor
· Tilt and shake
I certainly wasn’t expecting a phone that had the capability to send texts, read email, download apps, etc. I suppose I thought these would be your basic, no frill phones.
How Does Straight Talk work?
First, you must purchase a Straight Talk phone. Straight Talk phones can be purchased exclusively at participating Walmart stores or online. To purchase online, you simply go to this link and enter your zip code in which you will be using your phone. Then, a list of phones for you to choose from will appear. (These are a few offered in my area)
After purchasing your phone, you will also need to purchase a plan which will come on a card that looks like this:
Some phones will only work with specific plans. The particular plan I have with this phone is the $45, 30-day plan and includes unlimited talk, unlimited texting, unlimited data, and unlimited calls to 411.
Next, you will be required to call a toll-free number or go to StraightTalk.com to activate your phone. The activation card is included in the box the phone comes in, so be sure and save that. It was super easy to activate online. There are options to enroll in Auto-Refill or Refill On Demand for when your plan expires, but since I am trying this out, I chose to keep using the plan cards that I can buy in the store to “refill” the phone. You can also have your existing cell phone number transferred to your Straight Talk phone if you don’t want to change phone numbers. Bonus!
One thing to remember is that minutes do not “roll over” on these phones, so you use them or lose them each month.
DO STRAIGHT TALK PHONES WORK?
So far, I have no complaints. I’m having so much fun using apps that I can’t get on my regular cell phone. I can make and receive calls with no reception problems and send and receive texts with zero issues. Basically, I’m doing everything I already do on my regular phone, minus a service contract.
I will continue to use this phone over the next couple of months to see if it can convince us to drop our regular carrier and stay with Straight Talk. If my husband and I both used a Straight Talk phone, we would save $110 a month on our cell phone service. That’s too tempting to not give it a try!
These phones would be a great option for your teen’s first phone. It has everything they want in a phone at an affordable price. I can’t think of anyone, actually, who wouldn’t love a Straight Talk phone. With the holidays fast approaching, this is one gift that would be appreciated for sure.
Fore more information on Straight Talk Wireless and the One Minute One Million campaign, visit these links:
Main Web site: OneMinuteOneMillion.com
Straight Talk Facebook: facebook.com/StraightTalkWireless
Straight Talk Twitter: twitter.com/MyStraightTalk– Use #StraightTalkWish
Make-A-Wish Facebook: facebook.com/makeawish
Make-A-Wish Twitter: twitter.com/MakeAWish
I was provided with a phone and service plan to facilitate this post. No other compensation was received. All opinions are my own.
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