In 2013, just about every single person has a cell phone. These days, smart phones can do things on the fly that people only imagined 10+ years ago. Touchscreens, cameras, social media, etc. are all now possible with just about every mobile phone on the market. Problem is, most cell phone service providers charge a ton of money for even the cheapest plans that people need. AT&T, Verizon Wireless, T-Mobile, and Sprint are the United States 3 biggest mobile phone service providers, each having their own strengths and weaknesses when it comes to the best cell phone plans.
Coming across cheap plans is a difficult task these days, especially in 2013 with even 4 major service providers to choose from. They are give basically the same minute/data plans for roughly the same price, so it basically comes down to coverage of service in your area. Verizon is known for having the most coverage in the US, but their plans are probably the best cell phone plans highest out of the 4. AT&T is second with coverage, with their network allowing calls and data transfer simultaneously and with prices slightly lower than Verizon. Sprint and T-Mobile are the underdogs, they both have lower prices but also with the least amount of coverage in the US. Be sure to look at coverage maps and ask around about specific providers in your area to get the best and most inexpensive plan available to you.
No Contract Cell Phone Plans A Thing Of The Past?
Years ago people could just buy minutes as they go and reload their phone as they used it, this was most convenient because you were never tied to one phone or service for any length of time. Today, 3 of the 4 major service providers lock you in a two-year contract when you buy a phone and have it subsidized by them. Most people think that they are getting a great deal by having a $800 iPhone cost them only $200 with getting a cell phone plan contract, but if you do the math you are actually paying more over the course of two years then you would if you just payed for your phone right out of your pocket. Providers take advantage of this little known fact and push "discounts" towards people looking for new phones or upgrades to lock them into two-year long contract. Getting no contract cell phone plans are still possible, however. T-Mobile has recently introduced it's "no contract" plans that are slightly higher than what you'd pay if you had signed one, but gives you the freedom to go anytime and anywhere as you please. Check during August or September for the latest on plans for your smart phone.Cheapest iPhone Plans Available To Me
Just about every carrier is going to make you pay a premium for the hottest smart phones on the market, and that include the popular iPhone. Even the cheap iPhone plans are usually $30 extra on top of what you'd normally pay, this covers the extra amount of data that is being passes through the networks, simply because the iPhone does a lot of features over the internet that most phones do not. Inexpensive iPhone plans are hard to come by, mostly because every carrier has to charge extra for the strain that the smart phones put on their network.Best Coverage?
All four offer similar pricing and plans, with AT&T and Verizon having the "better coverage" while T-Mobile and Sprint offer slightly cheaper plans. Lately, each provider has came up with their own "upgrade plan" that allows you to purchase a new phone at an upgrade price without having to wait until your current contract runs out.Where you live is going to be the deciding factor on which provider to obviously go with, but if you're lucky enough to live in an LTE area that is covered by Sprint or T-Mobile, then that is usually your best bet as far as pricing. The popular iPhone is also made to work with all four networks (depending on model) so that shouldn't be a deal breaker for those wanting the latest smart phone.
