Anyone using that Wal-mart T-Mobile prepaid plan?

[Robo]

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Tmobile-30-Wireless-Airtime-Card/15443357

Wal-mart and T-mobile bumped their mutually macabre uglies and squirted this off last year: an inexpensive, no-contract prepaid plan with unlimited data and text, but with a small, limited number of minutes.  The only catch appears to be that it only works on T-mobile phones purchased from Wal-mart, but a friend is insisting up and down that I could just buy any phone and take it to Wal-mart and have it "activated" or whatever it is that makes them special.  I'm hesitant to take his word for it—this detail is accordin' to some phone nerd forums, I'm assuming, because I know he hasn't personally used it.  Also, plans with more talk minutes throttle data after an absurdly small amount (like 100 megs).

Anyone have any experience using this thing?  Seems too good to be true, frankly.

[G The Resurrected]

Any unlocked GSM from AT&T/Tmobile should work. You do have to purchase their SIM card for $10 which is only available online currently if you wish to go this route. Note you will only get edge speeds and its not throttled so its actually not bad compared to other pay as you go services.

this is the one that is for all AT&T/Tmobile phones.
http://www.walmart.com/ip/Email-Delivery-Straight-Talk-Unlimited-Text-Talk-and-Web-Access-30-Day-Service-Card/15443344?findingMethod=rr

[Robo]

I'm a smartphone holdout, primarily because I'm really against paying a premium for mobile internet when I pay for it at home and sit in front of it all day at work.  This is the same price as the plan I'm using now, so unless there's a trap I'm not yet aware of, like T-mobile pulling the rug out a year down the road and I'm left without a plan, I see absolutely no reason not to go for it.

The real reason I want to switch, though, is because I'm so tired of getting phone numbers from chicks and having to preempt them with, "never mind my flip-phone, I do actually have a job in spite of how this may look".

[CajoleJuice]

The real reason I want to switch, though, is because I'm so tired of getting phone numbers from chicks and having to preempt them with, "never mind my flip-phone, I do actually have a job in spite of how this may look".

i feel your pain

[Robo]

It's so embarrassing—there isn't even a lie you can tell that makes it seem OK to have a flip-phone in 2012.  I've considered leaving it at home so I can just give out my number, but I'm a bit afraid of getting stuck somewhere without it, and I wouldn't dare try that line and actually have it on me in the event they text it while I'm standing there and it starts buzzing in my pocket.

[CajoleJuice]

gotta own that flip phone. one of my buddies has one and has no issues, but he's a cocky asshole.

[Robo]

That's good advice.  Gotta put it to the test this weekend.