How to find the cheapest cellular phone and data service?

[JEBB]

I recently bought a used iPhone 5S. I have a iPad mini 2 that has $10/month T-Mobile data service. With the iPhone I won't be making many phone calls but would like to use some data for various purposes - maps, weather, email, maybe with Ooma for some calls. Where should I be looking for such services? Thanks.

[Ken Sp.]

http://www.clarkhoward.com/smartphone-guide

[nwyaker]

http://www.prepaidphonenews.com

[space-time]

Come to Romania. $5 a month gets you more than any U.S. plan.

Now seriously whatever plan you choose have a look at google hangout all. More awesome than OOMA.

[Felix]

Check puretalkUSA.com

[Filliam H. Muffman]

space-time wrote:
Come to Romania. $5 a month gets you more than any U.S. plan.

Now seriously whatever plan you choose have a look at google hangout all. More awesome than OOMA.

Can you buy a phone there and then roam in the US for a price less than it would cost for a US carrier?

[space-time]

Will look into that.

[gabester]

Seriously, $7 a month = $49 for 7 months. I'll write a check for $100 and call it even for the year. That's less than one month of service here for a line after taxes, fees, and "overage risk coverage" is taken into consideration. (I.e. needing to outside the plan for fear you might go over one month and owe hundreds more.)

Pagesplus was a popular one on here. I finally got that set up for an old iPhone 4; the minutes probable died in the last month and I need to add more; emergency calling only but they had a $13 plan for some calls and a little data, could do the job in a pinch.

[Bimwad]

If T-Mo coverage is ok in your area, the $30 "Walmart" plan provides unlimited data (5GB before throttling), unlimited texts, and 100 minutes of voice.

[Acer]

You can activate the 5S on tracfone now, with its BYOP program. I *think* you can use tracfone's minimal, $10 a month automatic refill for the cheapest plan, but I'm not sure....pagepluscellular makes you spend at least $30 a month to activate a 4G iPhone like the 5S, and tracfone and pageplus are owned by the same company now.