Gettin’ Carried Away

Traveling with your phone: Cricket

Earlier this month, I started exploring the service of various cell phone carriers in an effort to bring my fellow travelers the most up-to-date information on the best plan. No matter how often you travel, for business or pleasure, there’s a plan for you. Next on the alphabetical list: Cricket Wireless.

THE LOGISTICS

Unlimited

Cricket Wireless’ claim to fame is that every plan boasts unlimited minutes, so you’re really paying for the extras.

$25: talk, caller ID & text
$30: talk, caller ID & premium coverage
$35: talk, caller ID, premium coverage, PLUS text & long distance
$40: talk, caller ID, premium coverage, text, long distance, PLUS pix, mexico text, call waiting, 3-way calling & voicemail
$45: talk, caller ID, premium coverage, talk, caller ID, premium coverage, text, long distance, pix, mexico text, call waiting, 3-way calling, voicemail, PLUS mobile web & 411 assistance
$50: talk, caller ID, premium coverage, talk, caller ID, premium coverage, text, long distance, pix, mexico text, call waiting, 3-way calling, voicemail, mobile web, 411 assistance, PLUS call forwarding, myBackup & mobile email
$55: talk, caller ID, premium coverage, talk, caller ID, premium coverage, text, long distance, pix, mexico text, call waiting, 3-way calling, voicemail, mobile web, 411 assistance, call forwarding, myBackup & mobile email

Nationwide Romaing

Nationwide Roaming $5.00/month: Make calls when you are outside of a Cricket service area, including Canada, for up to 30 minutes.
Nationwide Roaming $10.00/month: Make calls when you are outside of a Cricket service area, including Canada, for up to 70 minutes.
Nationwide Roaming $15.00/month: Make calls when you are outside of a Cricket service area, including Canada, for up to 120 minutes.

International Add-On

Would you believe there are EIGHT (8) different international add-ons?

$5 Basic International Long Distance: Call anyone in the U.S., Canada or any landline (not mobile phone) Mexico and talk for up to 100 minutes
$5 International Long Distance: Call anyone in the U.S., Canada or any landline (not mobile phone) Mexico and talk for up to 100 minutes. Additional voicemail, caller ID and call waiting included.
$10 International Long Distance: Call anyone in the U.S., Canada or mobile phones (not landline phones) in Mexico for up to 40 minutes per month, plus unlimited voicemail, caller ID call waiting and 3-way calling.
$15 International Long Distance: Call anyone in the U.S., Canada or landlines (not mobile phones) in Mexico for up to 300 minutes per month, plus unlimited voicemail, caller ID, call waiting and 3-way calling
$25 International Long Distance: Call anyone in the U.S., Canada or landlines (not mobile phones) in Mexico for up to 500 minutes per month, plus unlimited voicemail, caller ID, call waiting and 3-way calling
$30 International Long Distance: Call anyone in the U.S., Canada or mobile phones (not landlines) in Mexico for up to 135 minutes per month, plus unlimited voicemail, caller ID, call waiting and 3-way calling
$35 International Long Distance: Call anyone in the U.S., Canada or mobile phones (not landlines) in Mexico for up to 175 minutes per month, plus unlimited voicemail, caller ID, call waiting and 3-way calling
$10 Unlimited International LD: Make unlimited calls to landlines in more than 100 countries worldwide (including unlimited calls to landlines in Mexico) and send unlimited text messages to Mexico.

MY ANALYSIS

Unlimited

To Cricket Wireless, voicemail (like text messaging) is not a basic feature of a phone. So, if you purchase the cheapest plan, don’t expect to get any messages. And here’s something really interesting… the $45, $50 and $55 plans have recently been reduced by $5. So now, there are two $40 plans, but one of them gives you a few more extras. Happy Holidays, huh?

Nationwide Romaing

Cricket might be popular, but it is certainly not a household brand like AT&T or Verizon. Click on the Coverage Map at the top of the main web page, plug in your zip code, and you’ll see that the coverage is rather small and only convenient to big cities. Headed to Denver, Chicago or St. Louis? You’re covered. Sorry, Champaign, IL…Kalamazoo, MI…Hartford, CT you cost extra. If you only want to see the hot spots of the U.S., Cricket might be the carrier for you. But if you’re planning a road trip, or if you want to see the lesser known parts of the country, this might not be the service provider for you.

International Add-Ons:

Really, the only difference between add-on plans would be calling Mexican landlines versus Mexican mobile phones. You really have to know who you’re calling. For example, if you’re to Mexico and want to call home to let the fam know you’re alive, will you be calling a house phone or a cell phone? When you’re choosing an international add-on, it really makes sense to plan ahead.

As for the rates to other countries? Some of them look pretty steep… check them out for yourself here.

** All prices are projected for your average, run-of-the-mill mobile phone, and none of them include Blackberry phones, PDAs and other Smartphones, as well as text messaging.