More Data for All Unlimited Plans Plus Hotspot Access
Tracfone has made several changes and improvements to their unlimited talk and text plans including doubling the amount of data included with each plan, and adding hotspot capability with all unlimited plans. They also tripled the data on the data add on plan from 1GB to 3GB while keeping the price the same.
They continue to try to encourage customers towards their unlimited talk and text plans from their other offerings. But are they forgetting about their loyal customers who don't prefer the unlimited plans?
We will cover a breakdown of the new data amounts and what it means for customers as well as share other Tracfone updates.
Tracfone Doubles Down on Value with 2X More Data for the Same Price
Tracfone rolled out significant upgrades to its Unlimited Talk and Text plans, and the improvements are hard to ignore. This latest update means 2x more data on all $15-$40 plans at no extra cost, making them more competitive compared to other prepaid service providers. Whether you’re streaming your favorite shows or just staying connected with family and friends, these updates give customers more bang for their buck.
Unlimited Plan Data Increases at a Glance
Here’s a quick breakdown of the new data allotments:
- $15 plan: 1GB (up from 0GB!)
- $20 plan: 4GB (up from 2GB)
- $25 plan: 6GB (up from 3GB)
- $30 plan: 10GB (up from 5GB)
- $40 plan: 20GB (up from 10GB)
- $10 Data Add On: 3GB (up from 1GB)
This is a nice increase, particularly for the $15 plan, which previously didn’t include data at all. It now gives light data users an affordable option to browse, check emails, or use social media. For those purchasing 12 months at one time, the $15 unlimited talk and text plan now includes 12GB data for $144 ($12/mo).
The $40 unlimited talk and text plan now features 20GB/mo which still is not unlimited data (something Tracfone does not offer), but it is enough data for most users to never run out.
Tracfone also retains its unlimited carryover feature, ensuring unused data doesn’t go to waste. For customers already using the unlimited plans, these data increase are a nice update.
New Features for Unlimited Plans:
In addition to the increased data, Tracfone has also introduced:
- Hotspot Capabilities for All Unlimited Plans: Share your data with other devices via activating your device as a hotspot - a feature previously reserved only for the $40 plan.
- Extended Plan Durations: Customers can choose from 1-, 3-, 6-, or 12 month plans for even more flexibility. This feature was released earlier in the year, but now combined with the updated data it makes it even better. The 6 and 12 month plan options also include a nice discount.
This is great news for users looking for longer-term options and willing to pay for a year of service at one time.
By doubling data and introducing hotspot functionality across all unlimited plans, Tracfone is hoping to entice and direct customers to these plans.
No Changes to Tracfone's Other Plans
While the increased data and hotspot functionality are a nice improvement and help Tracfone catch up with the competition, they still offer several other airtime cards which have not changed in many years despite the drop in costs for calling, texting and data.
Plans such as their 1 Year/400 Minute option cost $99 but include just 400 texts, 400 talk minutes and 400 MB data. Another example is their popular 60 Minute card which includes 90 service days, but just 60 talk/text/data. These cards provide a lot of service days, but the amount of talk/text/data is rather low and should be increased.
It appears that, rather than improving these airtime plans, Tracfone is just focused on making their unlimited talk and text plans more competitive and valuable. But how do they stack up to some other options? Let's take a quick look:
Mint Mobile offers $180/year ($15/mo) for 5GB data per month. That's 5X what Tracfone is offering on their $15/mo plan.
Visible has a $25/mo plan that has unlimited talk, text and data. Plus it is currently on sale for $20/mo. Tracfone doesn't have any unlimited data options.
Tello features a $10/mo plan with unlimited talk and text, and 2GB data per month. That's $5 less and 2X more data than Tracfone's offer.
Now, most Tracfone users have significant built up minutes or service days making switching to a new provider impractical. But we hope that Tracfone will continue to more towards making their products more competitive as we can see several other companies are offering better deals.
Tracfone still offers some of the cheapest ways to have a cell phone, especially for those who don't use their phone very much or just want a backup device. Many users are able to have service for a full year for under $100 through the use of various cards or deals.
Let us know in the comments or on our Facebook page what you think of these updates and what changes you think Tracfone should be making.
For more on the basics of Tracfone, visit our Beginners Guide.
Also take a look at our List of the Best Tracfone Smartphones under $100!
Finally, learn how to Make your Airtime Last Longer and also check out our recent post on How Data works with Tracfone.
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