Helio offering unlimited everything for $99 a month

by Chris Ziegler, posted Feb 4th 2008 at 12:26PM

Is it just us, or is this a pretty good deal? Helio has started offering its unlimited plan for $99, down from the $145 it was charging before. In Helio parlance, "unlimited" really does mean unlimited, too: voice minutes, texts, and on-device data usage are all fair game. Of course, tethering isn't offered, which is probably the only thing preventing a deluge of people signing their names on the dotted line to get in on the action, but it still seems to be a solid offering any way you slice it. The MVNO had offered the $99 unlimited plan previously before jacking up the price (and indeed, the triple asterisk beside the price leads to some fine print that says "limited time offer"), so if this piques your interest, you might want to get in sooner rather than later.

[Thanks, Chris R.]

Filed under: Helio, MVNOs

Tags: helio, plan, unlimited

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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

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john @ Feb 4th 2008 12:45PM

$99/mo without tethering is too much. I really think $75/mo WITH tethering is the maximum price. Any more than that is just unrealistic. Especially considering you can get MetroPCS for $50/mo with everything except tethering. I think paying $25 more for tethering + nationwide roaming is about right.

Sprint is about to start doing $120ish (not sure about tethering), and that's REALLY too much. Helio's normal price of $145 is just inane.

Highly Ranked

bojmir @ Feb 4th 2008 12:55PM

are you kidding me? You think $100 for unlimted EVERYTHING is too much?! You do realize MetroPCS's network is hardly a network compared to the network Helio is using. You get what you pay for.

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john @ Feb 4th 2008 1:03PM

No, I'm not kidding.

Metro's network coverage isn't the issue -- most people don't travel enough to care about roaming charges when they're off of Metro's network, and for me personally most of my travel is to other Metro cities (so no roaming charges even when I do travel). The supposed advantages aren't really advantages when you actually stop and think about it. The only people who are willing to pay for $99/mo or more for unlimited service are either doing a LOT of travel to rural areas, minor cities, or the few major cities Metro doesn't support ... or they've got their head buried in the status-symbol sand and aren't looking for actual deals.

Further, as Metro expands (and they are), Helio and Sprint will have to compete with Metro's prices, whether they like it or not. If Sprint, for example, wants to stop hemorrhaging customers, they have to make sure that their urban customers aren't seeing Metro as a more attractive service (because it unquestionably is).

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Kurtis @ Feb 6th 2008 4:32PM

"The only people who are willing to pay for $99/mo or more for unlimited service are either doing a LOT of travel to rural areas, minor cities, or the few major cities Metro doesn't support ... or they've got their head buried in the status-symbol sand and aren't looking for actual deals."

Or they actually LIVE in 'rural areas, minor cities, or the few major cities Metro doesn't support,' which is WAY more often than not the case.

Saying that this is expensive just because there is a local service available to you that is less is like Bill Gates saying, "You can't afford a Ferrari? WTF!? My dog's glass nut cost more that a Ferrari!" or Muhammed saying, "What?! People actually pay for oil? That black *&^* that all over the place here? That's like paying to breathe!"

I'm just saying that while this may not be news for you, it is news for the 90% of us who aren't in the same situation as you.

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john @ Feb 6th 2008 4:56PM

Given that Metro's focus is on population centers, and that the people in those rural areas (traveling or living there) are significantly less numerous, I'm willing to bet that the number is significantly less than 90%.

Esp. once Metro finishes deploying in NYC (currently in the works).

And, either way, they have to compete with Metro's prices when they are in those zones. And in the rural areas, they have to compete with Cricket.

Highly Ranked

Physical Original @ Feb 4th 2008 12:45PM

If you can see this then comments might be working :)

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ramona @ Feb 4th 2008 12:55PM

I love my helio ocean and the plan of 99 bucks works for me.

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JPN @ Feb 4th 2008 1:00PM

Triple asterisk, even.

What's tethering?

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john @ Feb 4th 2008 1:05PM

tethering == "phone as modem" == the ability to have another device (PDA, laptop, etc.) borrow your cell phone's data feed so that your PDA/laptop/etc. can be on the internet without having its own direct internet feed.

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Mills @ Feb 4th 2008 1:09PM

this does sound too good to be true. the thing that scares me is the asterisks at the bottom which says something along the lines of their ability to change the service at any time. thats what would worry me, ill stick to my smartchoice alltel plan

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slashdev @ Feb 4th 2008 1:20PM

bad deal. i had an ocean during their previous December offer. Bad service. Surfing the web was nice, until you realized you could not download ANYTHING. whats the use of 3G and EVDO, when you cant download ANYTHING! you have to only use HELIO branded services!!!! No tethering, no nothing. I went back to tmobile quickly...

On a side note, i do miss the ocean's keyboard. Best Keyboard ever.

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Bob Damon @ Feb 4th 2008 1:20PM

We would all like it to be just $75 a month, but it is not. The $99 price is much lower than anything on the major networks. Verizon doesn't offer any Unlimited minutes data plan, and you won't get anything close to the Hellio offer at $99:
450 Minutes $99.99
900 Minutes $119.99
1350 Minutes $129.99
2000 Minutes $149.99

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John @ Feb 4th 2008 1:28PM

Considering the way every other MVNO is going these days, I'd be a little concerned over this being an offer "too good to be true" which in effect = last grab for cash before going under.

Of course, I know nothing about Helio's financial status, so this is nothing more than speculation.

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Clifton Broumand @ Feb 4th 2008 1:38PM

I have had the $99 per month Ocean for about 6 months. Other than replacing my phone once I have been very happy with the service and the price. You cannot beat it anywhere. I use about 30 - 40 hours of voice per month and with data, it works great. All I wish is that more programs worked with it.

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Crane Walker @ Feb 4th 2008 2:05PM

I'm a Helio dealer from early on and I find the 99 to be a great deal, and a reason that people break contracts with other carriers. As far as I know, there isn't another national plan that can beat it. They have been offering it off and on since summer of last year. They're customer service leaves a lot to be desired, but the 99 is a great value if you travel and need more rural coverage. Most of my customers on it use 4-5k worth of minutes a month and love the price. Regional MVNO's are a great value, if you only live, work and travel in those areas only, (I sell Boost by the ton) but most of my customers need more than that.

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Nick125 @ Feb 4th 2008 2:38PM

Remember that according to Helio's ToS, their "unlimited" data is limited to 160MB a month (Section 10). Do I smell another "unlimited but limited" lawsuit?

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slamEVIL @ Feb 4th 2008 2:39PM

not a good deal if you ask me. i get roll-over, unlimited nights & weekends, and unlimited mobile to mobile with at&t for $40 and data connect unlimited which includes a crap-load of messaging for $40. and i can do google maps with gps on my tilt as well. (can't believe they listed that!) 80 bucks total!

Highly Ranked

Tim @ Feb 4th 2008 2:57PM

I can think of plenty of families w/ teenage daughers that would save money with this plan. The parents are happy and have peace of mind (people will pay for peace of mind) and the kids are happy because they get a cool phone and myspace mobile.

the price point is right for what is offered, and they will do well selling this plan.

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zenodaddy @ Feb 4th 2008 4:03PM

I just called Helio to request the $99 per month since I just purchased my phone. The first tier person was unhelpful as usual, but as soon as I asked to speak with a supervisor I was automatically transferred to 'Ashley' in Customer Service who promptly gave me the discounted plan. Whoever she is... she is a doll. I have spoken with her twice now in the past week (first it was $145, then $119, and finally $99)... just be sure to ask for the supervisor to get your $99 rate.

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Frank @ Feb 4th 2008 4:12PM

i would love to try helio. too bad they only have two-year contracts.

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Angelo @ Feb 4th 2008 4:20PM

How is Helio's coverage in the Chicagoland area compared to US Cellular?

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frank @ Feb 4th 2008 6:01PM

I had them for just under a month and overage was great. In fact, you'll be pleasantly surprised to find that they're one of the only carriers that get service in the L/subway. I guess they use US Cellular's network for that since they're the only ones who currently have infrastructure their. Otherwise, I think you're pretty much using Sprint's network.

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LissaLissa @ Feb 4th 2008 5:39PM

I've had the MetroPSC unlimited deal for about 4 years now. I couldn't imagine being willing to pay twice that for a national carrier. Sure, its a pain when I travel to Massachusetts. Once or twice I've traded phones with my husband (Virgin Mobile pre-paid minutes) because Metro's "roaming" rate of $.75 a minute is completely insane. But I ditched the house phone about 3 years ago. That meant I had to get a different Replay tv than the one I had been using but other than that this works for me. $50 a month plus junk fees and I can talk until I'm blue in the face. Metro PSC doesn't offer as many choices in new phone styles as other carriers but my little Nokia can make calls, play music, check my email or other stuff on the web...fancier phones are just that...fancier...BTW, in 4 years this is only my second cell phone.....and I was not happy that after 3.5 years my first phone stopped working. Keep it in its case when you aren't using it, don't drop it or lose it.....basically act like its worth the $200 or $300 you spend on it and be careful with it and it makes all this new phone lust just that....pointless lust.

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mingkee @ Feb 4th 2008 11:11PM

no tethering, no truly unlimited, no deal
---end of story---

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Nick @ Feb 5th 2008 1:49AM

I don't think it's unlimited everything - It says unlimited Mobile to Mobile, so that means Helio-to-Helio.

In which case, I have the exact same plan from Sprint for $30/month

Highly Ranked

Nick @ Feb 5th 2008 1:50AM

Somehow missed the "Daytime Minutes" part. Helio wins.

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skyjet15 @ Feb 5th 2008 3:17AM

hear ye hear ye: the "unlimited" data plan only offers a max of 160 mb/month. any more than that and helio drops you like sprint did a while back to thier customers who "cost too much" to keep around.

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Justin @ Feb 6th 2008 2:46PM

Actually, not a single person has ever been dropped because of excessive data usage on Helio. That 160MB clause in the T&Cs is there to prevent abuse - like tethering your Helio and downloading 50 gigs of data in a month. If you don't plan on abusing it, don't sweat it.

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Eludium-Q36 @ Feb 5th 2008 11:01PM

Helio Unlimited vs Family Plans

Doesn't compare to benefits of a Family Plan at Sprint for instance. $120/mon for 3 lines sharing 2000 mins, no charge for n/wknds and S-2-S, with 500 txtmsgs/mon and PowerVision (EVDO) on two of the phones and we don't come close to the 2000 shared min limit each month.

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Justin @ Feb 6th 2008 2:49PM

Apples and Oranges. Helio is for heavy texters and data users (I do more than 500 text messages per month on my own). If your family only needs a limited number of texts and limited data use (2/3 handsets), Sprint might be a better option. For the rest of us, there's Helio.

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i.Fido @ Feb 6th 2008 9:08PM

That's a great deal. The closest price here is $100 per month for 1000 daytime local minutes and UL local eves/weekends. No nationwide calling, no data, no extras whatsoever.

Good job Helio!

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James Carville @ Feb 8th 2008 11:19AM

Well for $99 you can't go wrong with unlimited. The closet competition is Sprint and they are around $200 so a savings of 50% is good any way you see it. Also if you go to www.heliopromo.com, you can get most of the devices for free as long as you have decent credit. I picked up the Ocean for $99 for $99 a month.

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