Focus On Solavei

There has been a ton of press about the new "startup" wireless provider Solavei, and more importantly, their flat rate $49 unlimited plan. So let's start on the basics of this one and work into how this applies to your Windows Phone experience.

The Solavei system is rather simple. They provide a $49 a month, non-contract service that includes unlimited minutes, texting, 4GB of 4G data and unlimited 2G data when that cap is exceeded. Solavei is running off the T-Mobile network, which recently started running out their update to their 1900mhz spectrum in many markets. This will allow many popular AT&T devices to be able to cross over to T-Mobile and in-turn, Solavei.

While Android devices will give users a bit more of the 'social experience', Windows Phones are still up and running on the network with flying colors. The best option for using a Windows Phone on Solavei (at the moment) is the T-Mobile Nokia Lumia 710. The nice part about the 710 is that you have access to the majority of Nokia's specialty software and the ability to change the MMS APN to Solavei's for full functionality. The HTC Radar is also a good choice, although the MMS APN doesn't always activate correctly and requires a bit of 'editing' at times.

As for those powerhouse devices from AT&T, a Lumia 900 is definitely the best choice if you are able to get those elusive unlock codes from Ma Bell. The next best option in my opinion is an unlocked Samsung Focus S. It will run the 1900mhz frequencies and allow the MMS APN to be properly adjusted. The rest of the Focus family will also work quite well as long as they are unlocked as well. The Focus family also has a quick one click debranding process that will allow Windows Phone updates to continue to flow for some time. The devices we have a tough time recommending are the Titan and the Titan II, which do not have an APN adjustment for the MMS settings and data settings simultaneously., You get one or the other, not both.

Overall, Solavei offers a great option for the sub-$50 bill phone plan. Add this with the opportunity to earn $20 every month for every 3 people you bring in to the network, it's a clear winner. If you'd like more information, visit Solavei online and check it out. Feel free to request more information on it by entering your name and email on the front page.

UPDATE 8/13/14 - Although this post is almost 2 years old, it is still getting a fair amount of traffic. I wanted to update it so it reflected some changes to the Solavei program and had the latest news about the company. First off, the payment structure has changed to be $5 for each member that you bring on board rather than almost $7 each. Also many of the bonus tiers have changed as well. Please visit Solavei.com for more information on these changes.

Finally, the bigger news is that Solavei filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in Washington state in June of 2014. A Chapter 11 filing is a reorganization of debt, not a walking away and folding up the company bankruptcy, but the numbers don't look good. It appears that Solavei has somewhere between $60-100 million in liabilities and $5 million in assets. This filing will put them in a horrible position to work with T-Mobile on a new deal next month and will more than likely signal the end of the social commerce revolution. More as it develops.

For now, feel free to check out the great deals from Simple Mobile and Red Pocket Mobile at www.4gfastdata.com. RPM has extended new T-Mobile compatible plans at some great prices that many users will find attractive.