FreedomPop is a venture captial funded US Startup. They sell a range of Value products in the USA. They are an MVNO a phone / ISP that bulk purchases airtime and services from bigger telecoms companies. They are running a "beta" service in the UK. They have a range of pay monthly options - nothing remarkable given the UK has a competitive telecoms market unlike the US market.
So why is this important, well they are also offer a low cost mobile serivce that offers inclusive SMS, Calls and Data, how low? Well that's the point it could cost you nothing each month.
Pros
- -Cheap SIM purchase prices is under £7 delivered
- -Inclusive monthly allowance
- 200 Minutes
- 200 Texts - There are sent from the phone but you MUST use the Freedom Pop messenger app. Three has not included SMS sent in there deal with FP.
- 200 Megs of data (4G)
- Can make and recive calls on the phone the normal way: Stock Dialer
- App called "Freedom Pop Messenger includes VOIP calling and SMS capabilities
- Make calls over VOIP (standard rates apply) 4g, 3g or Wifi
- Send and receive SMS using any active data connection:4g, 3g or Wifi
- You cannot send SMSs using the phone directly. You have to load a messaging app and use that to send SMSs and receive them.
- Cheap SIM purchase prices is under £7 delivered but its not free like a new PAYG SIM from three (order online - most stores try to charge a pound)
- The web site is not great, lots of bug and the text / layout is all American. This release and the web site were rushed ouit
- VC funded to may close if funding dries up
- Unclear what the profit model is here: I think its a freemium model with overage and upselling using extras.
- Forums heavy monitored / censored
- Customer service patchy
- No Windows Phone client only iOS and Android
- No free SMS based balance check
- You need a live data connection to recived SMS
- Purchase a SIM on line - only micro and nano sizes are available select when ordering
- Insert SIM into an unlock smart phone or dumb phone or a Windows phone
- If you are using a dumb phone or a Windows phone you are done, make calls 200 minutes allowance each month and that is all, toy will also have 2G, 3G or 4G 200mb per month NOTE only iOS and Android phones and tablets can make use of the software based SMS and the Freedom Pop
- On iOS and Android install the Freedom POP Messenger - Not the My FreedomPop App that just allows remaining monthly totals and other things that are all in the My FreedomPop
- Use the app to send and recive SMM messages
- Repeat each month / until you leave or they go bust"
- A lot of former Ovivo customers and others are cross that Freedom pop charge for all the extras.
- This is not a simple offering it is complex to understand (Ovivo was much simpler to understand.
- If you want to preserve your mobile data turn it off or limit apps from using mobile data. Remember if you are not connected to the internet you will not be able to receive or make calls.
- Keep an eye on your remaining free balances - use the FP messenger app and stop at 80% used up as there systme may not be accurate
- The APN is not always set up for some users / phones try this
- Power off Phone
- Insert SIM Card
- Power on the phone
- After 10 minutes, power off the phone
- Restart. You should see a 4G connection
- Mobile/Cellular Data:
- APN - three.co.uk
- Visual Voicemail:
- MMS:
- APN - three.co.uk
- MMSC - http://mms.um.three.co.uk:10021/mmsc
- MMS Proxy - 217.171.129.2:8799
- MMS Max Message Size - 2079152
The next cheapest low use deal in the UK is the excellent 321 PAYG SIM from Three. Which costs 3p per minute for a call, 2p per text and 1p per meg of data. Also top up £5 and get 150megs of data free (lasts for 30 days)
BT also do a monthly low use SIM deal for £5 per month (BT Customers only)
If you want Cheap VOIP calls use VOIPSTUNT from Finarea. They also run VOIPBUSTER and about 50 odd brands. Excellent service
If you want a free incoming number for VOIP say a UK number from Luton. Pop over to SIPGATE and get a free number (looks like a normal UK Phone number