The best plan for mobile phones in 2022

What to look for in the plan for mobile phones in 2022

Mobile phone plans have grown tremendously in the last few years. In fact, now that the market is teeming with new operators and plans, it’s easier than ever to find a service that fits your budget and usage needs – if you know what to look for.

Unlimited data plans are still one of the most popular options – and it’s easy to see why. Smartphones have quickly become a popular source of entertainment for people around the world, and streaming movies or downloading games requires a significant amount of data. Unlimited plans ensure that you never get blocked from the content you love, even though it’s a bit more expensive than their limited data counterparts.

Prepaid plans have also come a long way in the last decade, getting rid of their low-quality personalities and flourishing into services that compete with monthly subscriptions. These plans allow you to pay money in advance for the service and usually do not require credit checks or long contracts. They also tend to be more affordable than their monthly counterparts, which makes them a great way to save money on accounts.

As for the carrier, you have a lot of options. Verizon and AT&T continue to offer some of the best coverage maps in the country, although T-Mobile is a solid bidder that is usually slightly cheaper than the competition.

Meanwhile, newcomers like Mint Mobile and Visible are offering slightly smaller coverage maps, but they are compensated by radically reduced prices. Before you sign up for their service, be sure to review each carrier’s coverage map, especially if you live in a rural area.

It’s hard to make a mistake with most plans from today’s biggest carriers, but there are a few that stand out from the rest. Here are the top six cell phone plans around, from unlimited prepaid plans to cheap family options.

Not only does Verizon offer one of the best coverage maps in the country, but its 5G Get More plan brings more features and access than anything else on the market. You get access to its 5G network, without restrictions regardless of data usage and a staggering 50 GB of premium data in the hotspot.

In addition to basic features, the 5G Get More plan is associated with a number of tweaks – including Hulu, Disney + and ESPN + streaming services, Google Play Pass or Apple Arcade, and the Apple Music plan.

When buying a new smart watch, tablet or hotspot, there is even a 50% discount along with free access to the Verizon cloud (you get 600 GB of cloud storage). Bottom line, it’s worth over $ 60 each month, which will pay back a large portion of your costs if you take full advantage of them.

The price of the plan varies depending on the number of activated lines, from $ 90 per line to $ 50 per line for five or more. It’s clearly a better offer for larger groups, but even solo advanced users will get more than their value with the Verizon 5G Get More plan.

Mobile phone budget plans have come a long way in the last decade. Nowhere is this more evident than with Mint Mobile, which offers a surprisingly robust 12-month unlimited plan for just $ 30 a month.

You won’t benefit from any bonus features, but you get unlimited calls, text messages and data – although after using more than 35 GB each month, speeds are limited. It’s also limited to just 5 GB of mobile hotspot data, so you won’t use it as a backup when your home internet crashes or when you’re on the go.

Coverage is also slightly more limited than the competition, with a remarkable blind spot over most of central Nebraska, as well as in other parts of the central and western parts of the country.

However, these are small quarrels and for only $ 30 / month there is no better plan on the market. The coverage is excellent in almost every major city and access to unlimited data at this price is impressive.

If you can live with a few small downsides, Mint Mobile is a great choice for budget shoppers.

T-Mobile Connect was launched in 2020 and has since become one of the most popular prepaid tariffs on the market. Connect is operated through T-Mobile’s nationwide network, which means you get excellent coverage almost everywhere you travel.

The best thing about T-Mobile Connect is the variety of tariffs. In fact, you can find a prepaid option for just $ 10 a month – it offers only 1 GB of home data and 1,000 minutes of talk time and 1,000 text messages. The most expensive option has a price of 35 USD / month with unlimited calls and text and 12 GB of data.

The worst part about T-Mobile Connect? Once you reach the data limit, all services that require data will be turned off until the beginning of your next billing cycle. You can connect to a Wi-Fi network or purchase additional data to access selected features so you can use your services without interruption.

But if you’re a frugal data user (or spend most of your day connected to Wi-Fi), T-Mobile Connect is one of the best prepaid options on the market.

The best mobile phone plan for two lines: Verizon 5G Start

Another entry on our list, another plan from Verison. This time it’s a 5G Start plan that goes away victorious because its great prizes and impressive bonuses make it the perfect choice for couples or two friends who share the plan.

The 5G Start plan, which costs $ 60 a month per line, is a bit expensive – but there is no doubt that you are getting what you pay for. Verizon’s network is probably the best in the country, with a large 5G map that should continue to grow and be more reliable for the rest of the year.

With this tariff, you will have unlimited access to data, although you may notice some restrictions during peak hours.

Apart from this disadvantage, there is little to dislike about Verizon’s basic and unlimited offerings. The bonus content for this package is not as robust as the 5G Get More plan, although you will still benefit from a six-month subscription to Disney +, Apple Music and Apple Arcade.

Visible offers a different type of family tariff, which gives each line its own account. Dubbing Party Pay, friends, family or even strangers can join your “Party” for free. The more people in your group, the lower your costs, with prices reaching $ 25 per month when grouped in a group of at least four people.

The great thing about Visible Party Pay is that each line is linked to its own account, which means it’s easy to split accounts or track your own data usage. Of course, you won’t have to monitor your data often, because you get unlimited access to the Visible network along with unlimited call and text. There is also no data limit on your hotspot and you can even call Canada and Mexico.

Party Pay is not a real family fare, as can be seen with other operators, so if you’re looking for something that allows you to pack a lot of lines on one credit card without having to skip a few hoops, you may find it useful to look elsewhere. .

But if you don’t mind or even prefer its individualistic character, Visible Party Pay offers great value for families and large groups of friends.

While most of the plans on this list are unlimited data plans, few can compete with AT&T Unlimited Elite. As usual, prices work on a floating scale based on activated lines (ranging from $ 45 / month to $ 85 / month), but you would hardly look for a more complete service.

Not only will you get an unlimited number of calls, text messages and data, but you won’t be limited by usage. You also gain access to AT & T’s growing 5G network and ActiveArmor’s unique security system, which monitors and blocks fraudulent calls before they reach your phone.

Throw in 40 GB of hotspot data per line, 4K video streaming and free access to HBO Max and you have an unlimited tariff worth talking about.

It’s a bit expensive (and Verison coverage may be better based on your location), but the Unlimited Elite plan is definitely worth exploring if you’re looking for a comprehensive cell plan.