If the new carrier doesn't work out and you do bolt, keep in mind that you usually get a day grace period for major problems, like if the phone hardware or network coverage don't pan out. This is the most important, so listen up. The fanciest phone on the market won't get you anywhere if you can't get data or voice service. Ask your friends, colleagues and neighbors how good their reception and signal strength are where you work and live.
Network strength is so incredibly variable, and can change by time of day, weather and even where you are inside or outside a building. It changes, too, since carriers upgrade their networks or adjust their towers all the time. Because of that, we can't recommend a single carrier that's guaranteed to work for you, but a lot of people turn to RootMetrics , which is an independent company that routinely tests network strength across the US. A few years ago, we joined RootMetrics for a ride-along to see exactly how data-testing worked.
Need more information? Read on to get to know four categories of US carriers and how much you'll pay for each GB of data. For the pricing breakdown in the chart below, we chose plans that were close to 10GB of data; this amount is pretty easy to chew through when you consider all that data navigating and music streaming.
If you want unlimited calls and texts, more attentive customer service, and phone financing through your carrier, you should stick with a traditional postpaid plan, where you get a bill for service after you use it. Many prepaid services are provided by smaller companies that simply resell service from one of the big carriers, so they offer coverage similar to that of the major carriers at a lower price.
Others prioritize their own customers over third-party prepaid traffic, as happens with the Metro by T-Mobile subsidiary. One T-Mobile and Verizon reseller told us that these policies had yet to yield any effects. The wireless services some cable operators offer, based on resold network capacity from one of the big three carriers, represent their own special case. Phone manufacturers have lagged in shipping phones that support all of those different flavors.
The first crop of 5G phones have also been much larger and more expensive than their 4G counterparts and have often suffered from reduced battery life. Back in the land of more common 4G data speeds, services keep trying to make themselves harder to leave in various ways beyond installment-payment and early-upgrade deals on phones.
For example, free-with-your-plan media bonuses like HBO Max subscriptions can save you money on services you were going to pay for anyway but also make it harder for you to leave the service.
As long as they do just that, you can expect to see more deals along those lines. The biggest unknown in the industry is what effect going from four big carriers to three will have on competition. All three higher-end plans include 5G broadband, although your odds of enjoying those faster speeds remain very low. Note that outside of Canada and Mexico , these prepaid plans offer no international roaming-data options.
Fi now offers limited support for some Samsung and OnePlus models and even some iPhones. If your passport has dozens of stamps and your current or desired phone is on its list, though, Google Fi is worth a look. But we want to see how this service fares under its new management. Assuming you make fewer calls than average, Ting offers flexible billing and a choice of T-Mobile and Verizon coverage. The biggest prepaid brand in America and the corporate parent of Straight Talk—and, if things go as Verizon hopes, a soon-to-be Verizon property—has historically required smartphone customers to patch together a service bundle by buying separate buckets of data, voice, and text.
Now it offers a few standard day plans. Updates for iPhones are available for all supported phones at the same time, regardless of the network you use or where you bought them. Power Finds , J. Power, February 6, Our pick. Buying Options Buy from Verizon.
Also great. T-Mobile Magenta More data for streaming and downloading If more data is more important to you than more coverage, the Magenta plan offers a great price for unlimited data on a strong network. Buying Options Buy from T-Mobile. Buying Options Buy from Consumer Cellular. Budget pick. Buy from Mint Mobile. All Prepaid plans get 5G service, too, though Ultra Wideband coverage is reserved for prepaid customers with unlimited plans.
Verizon has fared well when we've tested customer service for phone carriers, and it continues to offer an extensive selection of phones, including exclusives. If you don't mind paying a little more on your monthly bill, Verizon provides the performance and service that justifies the extra cost. Unlimited plans also include six months of Stadia Pro streaming gaming.
Variety is not the spice of life when it comes to Visible's service options, as the discount carrier and Verizon MVNO offers only one service plan. Visible used to place a cap on data speeds when the carrier debuted, but that restriction has since been lifted.
That means you can enjoy the full power of Verizon's network, with your speeds slowing only should the network get too congested.
That's standard operating procedure for networks like Visible that use another carrier's towers for their coverage, though. Compared to the best cheap cell phone plans , Visible has the best option for families thanks to the generous discounts as you add lines to your plan.
Your Visible Party Plan isn't limited to people living at the same address — it can cover friends, distant relatives or roommates. Visible got its start as an iPhone-only carrier, though it subsequently added Android phones to the mix, from flagships like the Galaxy S21 and Pixel 5 to budget offerings like the Galaxy A You can also bring your own device to Visible. Mint Mobile offers some of the lowest rates around, provided you're willing to pay for coverage up front. But that price is only available through the first three months of your service.
To maintain that low rate, you've got to sign up for a year of coverage, limiting your flexibility to change carriers if you're not satisfied. Mint uses T-Mobile's network to provide coverage, so you should expect fast performance, particularly if you live in an urban area.
Mint says you'll get 5G or 4G coverage depending on which signal is stronger — assuming you've got a 5G-compatible phone, of course. Speaking of devices, Mint sells both iPhones and Android handsets, at a wide range of prices.
You can also bring your current phone to Mint if you prefer. Our Mint Mobile vs. Mint Mobile comparisons offer a closer look at how this discount service compares to bigger phone carriers. Metro By T-Mobile — formerly MetroPCS — remains one of the best phone carriers if you don't want to spend a lot of money on your cell phone service. That said, Metro is facing stepped-up competition from big-name rivals and obscure discount carriers alike. Still, there's plenty to like about Metro, which benefits from using T-Mobile's cellular network for its coverage.
Even though Metro traffic can slow down when T-Mobile's towers get congested, in our testing, that's been a rare occurrence. More importantly, Metro customers with 5G-capable phones can enjoy T-Mobile's 5G coverage, which now stretches coast to coast. You can find additional savings if you port over a phone number when signing up for service with Metro. No longer restricted to just Google's own phones, the Google Fi wireless service now supports just about any kind of handset including iPhones.
Those phones seamlessly switch between the carriers that provide Google Fi's coverage — Sprint, T-Mobile and US Cellular — so you'll always have the best connection available.
You give that up if you bring your own device to Google Fi. Both the Pixel 5a and Pixel 6 are out, and those phones are optimized for Google Fi. In fact, Google Fi is the only carrier to offer the Pixel 5a. Google Fi's pricing is pretty compelling if you don't use a lot of data. But that's adjusted to the precise amount of data you consume — if you use 2. That feature lets you use your data and text when you're abroad in plus countries. Data is also available at decent speeds overseas.
Consumer Cellular is a good option for your cell phone service if you don't need a lot of data each month or you don't need unlimited talk minutes. Or both! Starlink Internet Update. Best Satellite Internet Providers. Get Faster Satellite Internet. How Does Fiber Internet Work? There are four major wireless networks in the United States battling it out for coverage superiority.
As it stands in , here's how the rankings look for best 4G coverage and best 5G coverage. To determine which network provides the most reliable coverage across the country, we looked at coverage data compiled by WhistleOut. Find these and other offers in our monthly roundup of the best cell phone deals. As it stands right now, T-Mobile leads the way in 5G coverage, but we expect all major wireless providers to significantly ramp up 5G coverage as continues. For now, this article will focus on 4G coverage, and we'll continue to provide updates as 5G coverage continues to expand.
Verizon offers by far the most coverage in the country. If you constantly find yourself without a signal, Verizon will be your best friend. The only pockets of America you need to worry about are more rural areas in the Southwest, Midwest, and Northwest. If you live close to any big cities in those areas, you should expect super reliable coverage.
Verizon users were asked to rate their coverage experience on the network, and the average summed out to a whopping 9. Unsurprisingly, Verizon boasts some of the best data speeds in the country, clocking in around Verizon plans are some of the most expensive phone plans out there. Since Verizon serves up the most reliable coverage in the country, getting on its network feels pricey. MVNO stands for mobile virtual network operator. Translation: alternative carriers that piggyback on other wireless networks to provide service.
MVNO carriers can charge lower rates for cell phone plans, but the tradeoff is your data and coverage can slow down in congested areas. In other words, your data speeds and coverage could drop in more congested areas because the Verizon network gives priority to Verizon customers. The difference between the two providers basically comes down to rural coverage. It's a few notches below what T-Mobile For reference, here's the average download speeds across the three major wireless networks.
With an average download speed of You should also be able to download apps without a problem. For example, if you live in Nebraska, you should really double check the coverage map.
Sorry, that was a low blow, Nebraska. If it were a foot race between Verizon and T-Mobile, you would need a photograph to tell who finished first for the best cellular service, according to users. Source: Opensignal. Verizon is only 0. Verizon covers more of the remote spaces of the country, while T-Mobile specializes in coverage in more urban areas. This is a big deal for any of you who happen to post Instagram stories, Twitter videos, or YouTube videos.
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