Phone carriers are always reshuffling their offerings, so if you’re looking to switch, a better plan may already be available from the company providing service to your smartphone. So, how do you choose the best cell phone plans?
Consider the phones supported by each wireless carrier and what the coverage and data speeds are like in the area you’ll be using your phone the most. Here are our top picks.
T-Mobile Family Plan
Pros:
– Great perks
– Affordable price
– Included 5G coverage
Cons:
– Unable to mix-and-match unlimited plans
– HD video streaming costing extra
Among carriers offering multiple tiers of unlimited data plans, this is still the best choice for families, since it gives a family of four unlimited data for just $160 a month, with occasional discounts for additional lines sometimes lowering that cost.
T-Mobile Unlimited Plan
Pros:
– Attractive perks
– Affordable price
– 5G coverage included
Cons:
– HD video streaming costs extra
T-Mobile’s plan features a great price on a strong network, and if you’re looking to upgrade to higher resolution video streaming, it just costs $15 more per month with T-Mobile’s Magenta Max option.
Verizon 5GB Plan
Pros:
– Safety mode prevents data overages
– Affordable plan if you don’t need unlimited data
– Unused data carries over
Cons:
– No 5G coverage
Verizon is one of the very few wireless carriers that still offers tiered data, and its plan called the Verizon 5GB plan offers the most amount of data at a discount from one of its more expensive unlimited plans.
Metro by T-Mobile Unlimited Prepaid Plan
Pros:
– Includes hotspot data and cloud storage
– Works on T-Mobile’s network
– Includes 5G coverage
Cons:
– More expensive than other unlimited data plans
– Video resolution caps at 480p
Metro by T-Mobile gives you the best choice for prepaid customers wanting the most data possible, with its plan costing $50. In addition to this unlimited data, you also get 5GB of hotspot data as well as 100GB of cloud storage via Google.
Visible Plan
Pros:
– Uses Verizon’s network
– No cap on speed
Cons:
– Speeds can be slowed when the network is congested
Visible, which is a Verizon-owned prepaid service, just has one option, which is an unlimited data plan for just $40 a month, and adding a second line will reduce the per-line cost to just $35 each.