RingPlus is yet again offering their 1,000 minute, 1,000 text, 1GB data plan for free… with the usual random strings attached.
The Sprint Freemium MVNO typically offers “truly” free data plans ranging from 100 to 300MB. Additional free plans, like this one, require a one-time deposit of $5, followed by mandatory overage reloads – so if you go over on talk/text/data, your credit card will be directly billed.
This “Future 8.0” plan, is the eighth time they’ve offered this very coveted free plan. As with each of the seven times in the past, there’s a catch…
The Future 8.0 edition is only open to people bringing in a Nexus or iPhone device, such as from another carrier. A user will sign up at https://store.ringplus.net beginning at 12 PM Pacific, later today. You will enter the IMEI/MEID of your Nexus 5, Nexus 6, or iPhone 5c, 5s, 6, 6 Plus, 6S, or 6S Plus. Sprint-branded/sold iPhone and Nexus devices are also included in the offering.
You will then be offered a RingPlus SIM (UCCID, in Sprint speak), for $25. Add in another $10 for the required minimum account balance, and for $35 you can convert your Nexus or iPhone device into a truly-free every-month Sprint phone.
Oh, and you’re required to tweet or post on Facebook with the #ringplus after signing up – based on the “honor system” in their words.
RingPlus, as we’ve mentioned in greater detail in the past, is valued because of their broad compatibility with most Sprint 3G and 4G phones, dating all the way back to the Sony Ericsson T608 and other 2003-era phones – all the way up to 4G LTE phones of today.
Roaming is also available, but you must link a checking account for direct billing to opt-in.
Normally, users can bring their own device, and you still can get a free plan. Even more-basic devices like the $39.99 Sprint Prepaid Moto E (available at Best Buy) can use 4G LTE data on RingPlus’s standard-trim plans.
And, likewise, if you don’t need that much talk, text, and data, you can purchase your own blank Sprint UCCID for around $20 at any Sprint corporate retail store, and then log on to RingPlus.net and activate it on a free plan.
For those that miss out, fear not. It appears RingPlus is racking up quite a large amount of cash from these $10 minimum account balances – it’s quite likely they will continue to offer the Future plan to current customers (as they have done in the past, already).
Got mine! This is perfect for Nexus 5… A Snapdragon 800 phone that supports Sprint, has Marshmallow… Isn’t gigantic, and only $150 on fleabay!
Same here, iPhone 5S inbound to RingPlus. With Wi-Fi, this is a viable plan to use as a daily driver. And, free.
Checkout was easy – I didn’t want to port my number so I put in all 5’s, site didn’t complain. I did have to give my iPhone’s MEID/IMEI before being allowed to check out. Not sure if you could sneak in a non-Nexus/iPhone that uses a UCCID, but worth a try.