T-Mobile and Walmart offer $30 no-contract plan with 5GB data and 100 minutes

By Jeffrey Van Camp October 3, 2011

walmart-t-mobile-logos — Image used with permission by copyright holder

One of the biggest problems with cell phone plans today is that carriers are charging more and more for data and messaging, but aren’t offering any flexibility when it comes to their talk plans, which start at $40 per month. T-Mobile and Walmart are changing this, at least, for a while. Today, the mega retailer and wireless carrier announced a “$30 unlimited web and text monthly 4G prepaid service plan,” which will be available in Walmart stores beginning Oct. 16.

The new plan offers the following for $30 per month:

No contract required
HSPA+ “4G” speeds up to the first 5GB of data (then you’ll be throttled)
Unlimited texting
100 minutes of talk (10 cents per minute after that)

Of course, there’s a catch. The phones available in the plan are not exactly stellar. Walmart will now offer six “affordable” T-Mobile phones and one 4G phone. We believe that smartphones are eligible for this plan and if you buy an unlocked phone, you should be able to activate it with this plan, but details are still sketchy. If so, there are a number of great T-Mobile phones, including the MyTouch 4G Slide, T-Mobile G2x, and the upcoming Samsung Galaxy S II. For these phones, you will have to pay a lot up front, but with a plan like this, you’ll end up saving a lot in the long run.

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Jeffrey Van Camp

Former Digital Trends Contributor

As DT's Deputy Editor, Jeff helps oversee editorial operations at Digital Trends. Previously, he ran the site's…

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