Doesn't M. Bazzell's Mobile Device guide still reference him buying Mint Mobile Sim cards with 5 GB of data for $1 at Best Buy? Search the SKU number; it seems the item is discontinued. He hinted at the time of writing that they might be up to $5-$6. That's a big jump, but I think they are now $15, and you need to prepay $180 for 12 months for that. Really? Where can we reliably buy a sim card w 5GB of data for $5 or less?
I commented about a current intro deal here: Mint Mobile vs Visible: Two of the best prepaid carriers, compared in c/androidfoss@infosec.pub https://old.lemmy.world/post/21734159
That deal is a $45 sim card with 3 months of unlimited calls and texts and data throttling at 40 GB per month. So, why is 5 GB of data $15, and why wouldn't it be more like 10-to-15 GB for that price.
I didn't think to try activating that 3-month sim card without a phone number (dumb, because I didn't want the calling/texting), but I think they want to activate a number to track you, keep you engaged, and sell you more services. The rate balloons way up if you decide to subscribe for another terms. You get a progressively cheaper rate for six or twelve month terms, but but it is still doubled to pay for a year ($360). But again, $15/mo x 3 months for 40 GB/mo data sim in the intro term. I asked in that comment, and I'll ask here. Will it work to buy another sim card and pick a new number (maybe in a different city) to repeat this data service connection?
For those interested in the Mint intro, you can use your number or pick a number from Mint. If you pick one from Mint, you can continue using it by purchasing additional terms, but they ultimately reclaim the number when you leave their service; you can't ever port the number out.
So, am I completely missing the best data-sim deals, or did MB's suggested service/product have a recent 15-fold increase in price and 12-fold increase in prepay terms? Also, didn't the 5 GB cards from the Mobile Devices Guide not expire, and therefore, you would never have unused data expiring after a month? Where does one get a fair priced data sim now?