I post this here out of curiosity only - as I do not expect that it will get any attention a'tall.
(Most recently I posted a poll about GPS apps & nobody even looked at it...too funny !!)
Over & over there are releases of TextNow, TextPlus and other so-called 'free calling & SMS' apps here.
Trouble is:
Those things are either full of distracting ads, or they are NOT really 100% free - or both.
In seeking out REAL Free SMS & calling I have found only 3 ways to get it - but it does cost to get into - so you could say it is still not 100% free after all.
The cheapest solution in the long term is google voice - which is 100% free.
To make it work totally free you'll need GrooveIP version 1.4.8 - or you can buy GrooveIP in the newest version, but they are moving away from google voice lately.
Another solution is FreedomPOP GSM on their 100% free plan.
It is very limited, difficult to make work, and requires you to buy their SIM card (.99 - 9.99 usually) to use with an unlocked or AT&T phone.
It does work for texting as long as you don't need lots of 'em.
The very best solution I've found is RingPlus - and it also costs the most to start into - but it is great once you are in and there is no monthly cost.
The RP folks put on promos with thousands of minutes, SMS, MMS & data which they list at their site.
To use RP one must have a compatible CDMA phone, the correct SIM card, sign up there & then pay a one-time fee to get into whatever offer looks good.
They also offer to sell phones - but their 'store' & 'classifieds' really suck and often fail to deliver anything.
So it went like this for me:
I got a really nice (used) phone for ~$20, the needed SIM card for $10, and a promo from RP which gives me around 4000 minutes, SMS, MMS & 4GB of data - with ZERO monthly bills - all I had to pay was a one-time $40 to get it started.
I've been using this for months already & ditched my paid cellular's monthly bills this way.
So, for anyone wanting to get as much as possible for as little cost as possible - this may be a good choice.
I use everything written about here and also have an Obi box for GV - and no monthly phone bills anymore.
(Most recently I posted a poll about GPS apps & nobody even looked at it...too funny !!)
Over & over there are releases of TextNow, TextPlus and other so-called 'free calling & SMS' apps here.
Trouble is:
Those things are either full of distracting ads, or they are NOT really 100% free - or both.
In seeking out REAL Free SMS & calling I have found only 3 ways to get it - but it does cost to get into - so you could say it is still not 100% free after all.
The cheapest solution in the long term is google voice - which is 100% free.
To make it work totally free you'll need GrooveIP version 1.4.8 - or you can buy GrooveIP in the newest version, but they are moving away from google voice lately.
Another solution is FreedomPOP GSM on their 100% free plan.
It is very limited, difficult to make work, and requires you to buy their SIM card (.99 - 9.99 usually) to use with an unlocked or AT&T phone.
It does work for texting as long as you don't need lots of 'em.
The very best solution I've found is RingPlus - and it also costs the most to start into - but it is great once you are in and there is no monthly cost.
The RP folks put on promos with thousands of minutes, SMS, MMS & data which they list at their site.
To use RP one must have a compatible CDMA phone, the correct SIM card, sign up there & then pay a one-time fee to get into whatever offer looks good.
They also offer to sell phones - but their 'store' & 'classifieds' really suck and often fail to deliver anything.
So it went like this for me:
I got a really nice (used) phone for ~$20, the needed SIM card for $10, and a promo from RP which gives me around 4000 minutes, SMS, MMS & 4GB of data - with ZERO monthly bills - all I had to pay was a one-time $40 to get it started.
I've been using this for months already & ditched my paid cellular's monthly bills this way.
So, for anyone wanting to get as much as possible for as little cost as possible - this may be a good choice.
I use everything written about here and also have an Obi box for GV - and no monthly phone bills anymore.