I’ve got some exciting news for those of you that may be considering ditching your cell phone contracts for a cheaper alternative. Walmart and GoPhone have teamed up to offer a new exclusive monthly plan priced at just $45!

Serviced using AT&T’s 4G LTE network, this plan gives you unlimited talk, text and 1GB data, without locking you into an annual contract. That includes unlimited text to Mexico, Canada and over 100 other countries! What’s more, the $45 plan also allows you to use your smartphone as a Wi-Fi hotspot, a feature that I’ve had to pay extra for in the past.

In order to give this service a try for myself, GoPhone sent me an HTC Desire 610 to activate on the $45 monthly rate plan. Now before you get sticker shock (this phone retails for $199.98), let me just tell you that this is a very reasonable price for a full-featured smartphone with specs such as this:

• 4.7″ super LCD touchscreen
• Android 4.4.2 (KitKat) OS
• 1.2GHz quad-core processor
• Rear 8 megapixel camera with LED flash
• Front 1.3 megapixel camera

Now, it’s no secret that I love my iPhone dearly, but I have to say that I was super impressed with the size of the screen on the HTC Desire 610 — that is, once I got it out of the package. I understand that it’s a theft deterrent, but wow, that was a job!

Anyhow, I do love the weight and feel of the HTC Desire 610! Getting to know the Android platform has been a bit of a learning curve, but I’m picking up on it pretty quickly, and it has a ton of fun features. I’ve especially had fun playing with all of the different built-in editing tools for photos and the timer feature for taking selfies.

Of course, there are many cheaper alternative GoPhones listed on the Walmart site, so a quick search should should turn up one that fits your budget and needs!

Activating Your $45 Walmart Exclusive Rate Plan

When you first open your new GoPhone, you’ll need to insert the SIM card that’s in the package. It’s also recommended that you charge your phone before activating it. When you first power up your phone, you’ll probably be prompted with a “quick start guide,” which will give you a number of plans to choose from. Since the $45 plan is a Walmart exclusive, it will NOT be listed, so skip it and follow these steps to activate.

1. Using the phone keypad, type in *123*Zip Code*08# (replace Zip Code with your numerical zip code) and press the call or send key.
2. You’ll receive a message that your activation is processing. Power down your phone for a few minutes.)
3. While you’re waiting, scratch off the bar to reveal the Pin Number on the back of your $45 refill card.
4. Power your phone back on. Once again using the phone keypad, type in *888* followed by the Pin Number and then press the # key, i.e. *888*Pin Number#, and press send or call.
5. A confirmation message will be sent to your phone after activation.

I found activating my GoPhone to be very simple, and the whole process took less than 5 minutes! This is definitely a great service, especially for parents looking to test the waters with a smartphone for teens or anyone who just doesn’t like the idea of being locked into an expensive contract for a year or two.