AT&T
Hotspot and streaming subscriptions included
There’s no point in dropping $800 on a sleek new iPhone if you’re pairing it with spotty, unreliable service. But you also don’t have to spend a ton of cash each month to get dependable coverage. We’ve scoured the web to bring you the very best ways to get signed up with a network without breaking the bank. Some carriers offer free subscriptions or discounts when you add multiple lines, and there are even better offers available when you’re looking at smaller carriers that piggyback on larger networks. True, you probably won’t get the exact same level of coverage and customer service as you would by going with one of the big three carriers in the US — Verizon, AT&T and T-Mobile — but they’re still an excellent choice for those on the hunt for a budget-friendly alternative.
Whether you simply want to lower your current bill or switch to something new so you can add some more lines, there are various cheap phone plans available, as well as some great offers you should be aware of. Below, we’ll show you the best phone plan deals available right now.
Read more: Best Phone Deals
Best prepaid phone deals
One of the best deals in wireless service comes from Mint Mobile. You can sign up for service for as little as $15 a month (prepaid in three-, six- or 12-month blocks), which is just a fraction of what the big carriers are charging. Mint Mobile runs on the nationwide T-Mobile network, so you’ll have service all over the place and getting started is as easy as answering a few questions online. You can move your current number to Mint Mobile with your current phone or look to get new of both. It’s entirely up to you. Plus, Mint Mobile is offering six months of free service when you purchase a new phone and a six-month plan. And all three-month plans are currently discounted, so you can get unlimited data for just $15 a month. Mint Mobile just rolled out some new family plan options as well.
Visible is running several deals right now that are all worth considering, depending on your current needs. If you bring in an old phone that’s not compatible with Visible’s network (which is built on Verizon’s nationwide network), you can get a TCL 30 LE phone or Orbic Joy for free from Visible. If you finance your phone using Affirm through Visible, you can upgrade your phone once it’s at least 50% paid off. And if you refer a friend, both of you will save $20 on your first month’s bill.
Verizon is one of the largest carriers in the US. It offers both prepaid and contract plans, but on the prepaid side the company rewards people who keep using the service and paying for it. Verizon offers prepaid customers up to $10 off per month for loyalty discounts. You need to be a prepaid customer for 10 months to see the discount, but for months four to nine you can save $5. Or if you choose, you can save $10 a month by signing up for autopay. However, Verizon no longer allows you to stack these discounts.
Boost Mobile has been around for a long time and right now the carrier is offering a deal on a SIM card. New customers can try out Boost’s 5G network with 2GB of high-speed data and get the SIM Kit for free, making this deal a real no-brainer if you want to save some money. You can sign up for plans at Boost Mobile with prices as low as $8 a month, depending how much data you plan to use.
Metro by T-Mobile offers four different prepaid plans, with the top-tier option also including a one year subscription to Vix+, 25GB of hotspot data and a 100GB Google One membership. With this plan, you can also get four lines of service for $150 a month, which is cheaper than the price you’d normally pay to get only three.
Best contract plan deals
Verizon doesn’t offer any straightforward monetary discounts on its contract plans, but there are still some savings available. Those on an Unlimited Plus or Unlimited Welcome plan can add additional services and subscriptions like Hulu, Disney Plus, Apple Arcade, Apple Music, TravelPass and more for a flat rate of just $10 a month. That saves you as much as $35 a month on select subscriptions. You can also pick and choose which ones you want to add to your plan, and swap or cancel them at any time.
T-Mobile has a few different plan options that can save you money, but you have to meet certain requirements for some of them. For example, T-Mobile offers military, veterans and first responders a discount as well as those who are over 55 years old. If you don’t qualify for either of those, everyone is eligible to buy two lines, get a third free if you’re on an eligible Essentials, Go5G or Go5G Plus plan. Those on a Go5G Next plan will get a discounted third line for just $10 a month. With this offer, you can get three lines for as little as $90 a month. Like Verizon, T-Mobile also offers other bonuses like Netflix and Apple TV Plus subscriptions, and a free one-year AAA membership.
On its Unlimited Premium Plan, AT&T offers up 50GB of hotspot data and unlimited talk and text in 19 Latin American countries. These are in addition to the other normal offers, like unlimited talk and text, 5G access, AT&T Active Armor advanced mobile security and more, plus discounts for military, veterans and medical workers.