FreedomPop Messaging Phone/SIM APK

Pros

• Offers free data plans, and their paid options are some of the cheapest on offer
• Text and call interface is familiar and easy to use

Cons

• Even the most expensive plan won't be enough data for most users

FreedomPop boasts that they can replace your traditional data plan phone service contract with a flexible and more affordable option. There's a lot to like here, and this software platform serves as a meaningful proof of concept that could undermine the monopoly that the big mobile plan providers hold over the industry. And while the plans here are significantly cheaper than those you'd find from a more traditional provider, their value is going to come down to your unique needs and preferences.

If you decide to use FreedomPop as your provider for text and voice phone services, everything is handled directly through their mobile app. Fortunately, it's well designed, albeit a bit basic. Anyone who's made use of a cell phone in the past decade or so will recognize the interface, which largely looks indistinguishable from the traditional text and call interface of standard phones. A phone dialer and a text messaging feed serve as the core components of the experience, and you can easily sync your existing contacts up with their interface. It's not a bold new reinvention of messaging and calling interfaces, but it gets the job done, and its familiarity means that users can generally jump in and understand the options available to them with no fuss.

The basic nature of the app's interface is reflected in FreedomPop's stripped down services, and it's impossible to talk about one without talking about the other. That's because the app accomplishes exactly what you'd expect it to about as well as you'd expect, and whether or not it's worth downloading comes down to whether the services are worth your time. Starting contracts are completely free, and while that's a generous promotion, the caps on data are far lower than most of the standard cell phone plans around. Users can get up to half a gigabyte of data for free. You'll have to pay more for anything above that, but the plans here are far cheaper than practically anything else you'd find. The main problem here is that the highest plan caps out at 10 gigabytes a month. While it's fairly priced, it's also bound to be well below the usage of most people. That said, texting and calling is available through these plans, and FreedomPop offers both data and WiFi options. Call quality tends to be clear, and users never have to sign a contract to get access to their services. There's also no spam and no hidden charges in this service.

Ultimately, FreedomPop is a great app and a great service that simply can't do enough. While it may be a decent choice for individuals who barely use their phones, the data available won't meet the needs of the majority of customers. But if you're looking for a backup number, it could meet your needs.

Pros

• Offers free data plans, and their paid options are some of the cheapest on offer
• Text and call interface is familiar and easy to use

Cons

• Even the most expensive plan won't be enough data for most users