Cell phone plans comparison

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Explore our affordable 1-line, 2-line, and family phone plans packed with more benefits, including plans with streaming entertainment on us, without paying extra. All with no annual contracts. Please refresh your browser and try again, and if you're still having trouble, give us a call at. Activate up to HD streaming on capable device, or video typically streams in SD. Not combinable with some offers. Some uses may require certain plan or feature; see plan for details.

Cell phone plans comparison

The quick list 2. The best plan overall 3. Best cheap unlimited plan 4. Best prepaid plan 5. Best unlimited data plan 6. Best bulk data plan 7. Best plan for travelers 8. Best family plan 9. Most flexible family plan Best low-cost plan Best alternative plan Best family prepaid plan

In recent years prices have come down and data allocations have gone up, especially among the dozens of smaller carriers reselling services from the big three.

In recent years prices have come down and data allocations have gone up, especially among the dozens of smaller carriers reselling services from the big three. But as always, most deals come with a catch. We also have picks for people with more specific needs. We limited this guide to the most widely used national options—starting with the three biggest nationwide carriers and their prepaid services and subsidiaries, and then adding services that have ranked high in surveys conducted by sites and organizations such as PCMag , the American Customer Satisfaction Index , and J. We excluded contenders available only in parts of the US, including the regional carrier U. Cellular and the resold services of cable firms such as Comcast and Spectrum, which require subscriptions to their residential broadband to get their advertised pricing or to sign up at all.

In recent years prices have come down and data allocations have gone up, especially among the dozens of smaller carriers reselling services from the big three. But as always, most deals come with a catch. We also have picks for people with more specific needs. We limited this guide to the most widely used national options—starting with the three biggest nationwide carriers and their prepaid services and subsidiaries, and then adding services that have ranked high in surveys conducted by sites and organizations such as PCMag , the American Customer Satisfaction Index , and J. We excluded contenders available only in parts of the US, including the regional carrier U.

Cell phone plans comparison

By Allison Johnson , a reviewer with 10 years of experience writing about consumer tech. She has a special interest in mobile photography and telecom. Previously, she worked at DPReview. If you buy something from a Verge link, Vox Media may earn a commission. See our ethics statement.

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Publicist Sarah Burns clarified that this slowdown happens automatically and drops connections to 1. Style Angle down icon An icon in the shape of an angle pointing down. Please refresh your browser and try again, and if you're still having trouble, give us a call at. Unlike T-Mobile, you can mix and match Verizon's various unlimited plans, so mom and dad can enjoy the more feature-rich Unlimited Plus option, while assigning cheaper Unlimited Welcome plans to the kids. Many or all of the products featured here are from our partners who compensate us. These are often the cheapest options and the lack of contracts is going to be a massive bonus, especially if you like to change up carriers frequently. You can also enjoy calling and texting to more countries. Since there are so many options, things can quickly get unwieldy, so as with some of CNET's other wireless carrier coverage, I'll focus on options for a single line and for folks looking for four lines. Truly unlimited premium data in the US Check mark icon A check mark. Best family plan. There also is free roaming in Canada and Mexico, although taxes and fees aren't included in the sticker price. So if you look at our best cell phone plan picks, you'll see that we've done the comparisons for you. How to determine which network has the best coverage for you. Prepaid plans are typically cheaper, while postpaid plans add perks and priority data. If you can swing that initial cost, Mint provides a great way to lock in a low rate.

The quick list 2. The best plan overall 3.

Zooming in is where things get a bit more complicated, which is why we can't offer blanket recommendations for one carrier over another. To get a several hundred dollar trade-in credit toward a new iPhone, Pixel or Galaxy, you often will need to commit to a postpaid plan from one of the big three carriers and be willing to stay with that provider for 24 to 36 months. Plans from these providers offer data at significantly lower monthly costs than major carrier offerings. At the moment, it's back online as a promotional offer, but if that disappears, you may need to buy the plan in-store and switch providers to get the deal. We certainly consider price when weighing different plans. If you know any friends or family in your area that already use the carrier you're considering, ask about their experience. If you can swing that initial cost, Mint provides a great way to lock in a low rate. If you're often working on your laptop away from a familiar or secure WiFi connection, and you use your phone as a mobile hotspot, you'll want a plan that offers as much mobile hotspot data as you need. Starting January 18, , customers activating or switching to an eligible rate plan get our Price Lock guarantee that only you can change what you pay—and we mean it! It indicates a way to close an interaction, or dismiss a notification. Pros Runs on T-Mobile's network Can add Samsung or Google cellular smartwatches at no extra charge Includes hotspot data and free international calls to Mexico and Canada. No, this promotion is only available with qualifying regular-rate voice plans. As with Straight Talk, its practice of reselling coverage of all three networks will end as it becomes a Verizon-only service. To add more high-speed data, international roaming or streaming perks, you'll need to step up to the carrier's pricier Unlimited Premium plans. When will my promotion be applied?