Beyond Talk by Virgin Mobile: My Review of the Beyond Talk Unlimited Plan

Virgin Mobile introduced their Beyond Talk Plans in the middle of 2010 and I signed up for it the first week it was introduced. What made me so excited was that there was finally a plan where I could get unlimited text, web, data, and a whole slew of minutes for $25 and $40 per month and then unlimited everything for only $60 with no contract involved. Leaving my old job I needed a cheap phone plan that could replace the only my company paid for and luckily for me Beyond Talk hit the market when it did. In this hub I wanted to give a brief review of my experiences with Virgin Mobile and some aspects of Beyond Talk.

How Does Beyond Talk Work?

As I mentioned in the introduction Beyond Talk gives you access to unlimited web, email, and text messaging through the Sprint Network for a flat fee each month. The price is determined by how many minutes of talk you use each month. The first few months I started off on the $25 a month plan which features only 300 minutes of talk. That is a damn good plan if you happen to do more texting with your phone than actual speaking which at the time I was. For the past two month I have upgraded to the $60 unlimited everything plan. There is also the intermediate level $45 a month plan which gives you 1200 minutes of talk which should be enough for most people. You can pay for your plan each month online or by using your phone and any extra you minute that you need over your plan will cost you ten cents per minute but it is good to be able to top up if you start to run low towards the end of the month.

What Phones are featured for Beyond Talk?

When it was first launched Virgin Mobile offered many basic models of cell phones and a few more advanced models. At the time there was a Blackberry and the LG Rumor Touch which is the one that I bought. Since you don't have a contract you are going to have to pay close to or full price for your cell phone. The Rumor Touch at the time cost me $160 which isn't too bad considering I usually hang on to the same cell phone for a few years. Anyways a quick visit to Virgin Mobile's website reveals that the phones being offered now include the Samsung Intercept, which is a 3G smart phone using Android. Also, the Blackberry Curve, the Rumor Touch, Kyocera Loft, and the Rumor 2. Obviously the most expensive phone to choose from is the Samsung Intercept which currently lists for $249.99.

How is the Service with Virgin Mobile?

Since Beyond Talk runs on the Sprint Network if you have used them before then you will know what kind of coverage to expect. Some people don't like Sprint but in my area I get very good reception and only an occasional dropped call. When I had to drive through parts of Virginia on a trip however I did lose my signal for two hours but that was in the mountains so I can't really complain about coverage in the middle of nowhere. Check to see if your area is covered well by Sprint you can usually find local reviews through Google's search about people in your area's experience with them. I've never had to deal with Virgin Mobile's customer service which only means for me that I can take care of everything that I need to online myself. My only complaint with them thus far is that when I wanted to upgrade my plan I had to wait a full month before it went into effect which cost me a lot of money in top up fees and those 10 cents per minute calls when I went over my allotted 300 minutes. Another draw back is any unused minutes expire at the end of each month so you cannot roll over anything so you might as well use them all up.

Overall, I am very pleased with my switch to Beyond Talk from Virgin Mobile. It has made dealing with a phone bill each month that much easier and affordable. It is a really good plan for people who love to text and use the web for social networking and other fun but if that isn't you then you may look elsewhere for more talk minutes. Although if you aren't a big talker you still do get 300 minutes for $25 and I'm not sure how that compares to other plans but with no contract it might work well for you.