The best mobile phone plan in 2022

What to look for in a mobile phone plan in 2022

Mobile phone plans have experienced tremendous growth in recent 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 source of entertainment for people around the world, and streaming movies or downloading games requires significant chunks of data. Unlimited plans ensure that you will never run out of content you love, even though they are usually a little more expensive than their counterparts with limited data.

Prepaid plans have also progressed over the past decade, rejecting their low-quality personality and thriving on services that are competitive with monthly subscriptions. These plans stipulate that you pay money in advance for the service and usually do not require credit checks or long-term contracts. They also tend to be more affordable than their monthly counterparts, which makes them a great way to save money on your accounts.

When it comes to operators, you have many choices. Verizon and AT&T continue to offer some of the best coverage maps in the country, although T-Mobile is a solid competitor that is usually a little cheaper than the competition.

Meanwhile, newcomers like Mint Mobile and Visible are offering slightly smaller coverage maps, but have radically reduced compensation prices. Be sure to check the coverage map of each operator before applying for their service, especially if you live in a rural area.

It’s hard to go wrong with most of the plans of today’s biggest carriers, but there are a few that stand above the rest. Here are the six best plans for mobile phones, ranging 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’ll get access to its 5G network, with no attenuation regardless of data usage and an amazing 50GB of premium hotspot data.

In addition to its basic features, a host of goodies are included in the 5G Get More plan — including Hulu, Disney + and ESPN + streaming services, Google Play Pass or Apple Arcade and Apple Music Plan.

There’s even a 50% discount on purchasing a new smartwatch, tablet or access point, along with free access to Verizon Cloud (which gives you 600GB of cloud storage). All in all, it’s worth over $ 60 each month, which recoups a large portion of your costs if you use them fully.

The price of the plan changes based on how many lines are activated, ranging from $ 90 for one line to $ 50 in a row for five or more. Clearly, this is a better offer for larger groups, but even solo advanced users will get more than their money is worth with Verizon’s 5G Get More plan.

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

You won’t benefit from bonus features, but you’ll get an unlimited amount of conversations, text and data — although speeds decrease after using more than 35GB each month. It is also limited to only 5 GB of data on the mobile access point, so you will not use it as a backup when you lose your internet at home or are on the road.

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

These are, however, fewer quarrels, and for only $ 30 a month, there is no better plan on the market. Coverage is great in almost every major city, and access to unlimited data at this price is impressive.

If you can live with a few small flaws, Mint Mobile is a great option for customers on a limited budget.

T-Mobile Connect was launched in 2020 and has been one of the most popular prepaid plans on the market ever since. Connect is via T-Mobile’s national network, which means you’ll get great coverage almost everywhere you travel.

The best part of T-Mobile Connect is the variety of plans. In fact, you can find a prepaid option for just $ 10 a month – offering just 1GB of home data and 1,000 minutes of talk time and 1,000 text messages. The most expensive option costs $ 35 per month, with unlimited chat and text and 12GB of data.

The worst part about T-Mobile Connect? When you reach the data limit, all services that require data will be turned off until the next billing cycle begins. You can connect to Wi-Fi to access selected features, or you can purchase additional information to continue using 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 among the best prepaid options on the market.

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

Another entry on our list, another Verizon plan. This time it’s the 5G Start plan that goes as a winner, as its great price and impressive bonuses make it the perfect choice for couples or two friends sharing a plan.

Priced at $ 60 a month per line, the 5G Start Plan is a bit expensive — but there’s no doubt you get what you pay for. Verizon’s network is undoubtedly the best in the country, with a spacious 5G map that should continue to grow larger and more reliable by the end of the year.

You will have unlimited access to data with this plan, although you may experience a limitation during peak hours.

Aside from that drawback, there’s little you don’t like about Verizon’s initial, unlimited offering. The bonus content for this package is not as robust as the 5G Get More plan, although you will still benefit from six-month subscriptions to Disney +, Apple Music and Apple Arcade.

Visible offers a different type of family plan that gives each line its own account. Named Party Pay, friends, family and even foreigners are free to join your “Party”. The more people in your group, the lower your costs, with the lowest prices of $ 25 per month when you are grouped with a party 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, as you’ll get unlimited access to the Visible network, along with unlimited chat and text. There are also no data restrictions on your access point, and you can even make calls to Canada and Mexico.

Party Pay is not a real family plan as seen on other operators, so if you’re looking for something that allows you to group a bunch of lines on one credit card without jumping through several hoops, you might be better off looking elsewhere.

But if you don’t mind or even prefer his individualistic nature, 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 sliding scale based on activated lines (ranging from $ 45 / month to $ 85 / month), but it would be difficult for you to find a more complete service.

Not only will you get an unlimited number of conversations, text and data, but you won’t be suffocated based on usage. You also get access to AT & T’s growing 5G network and UniArmor’s unique security system, which checks for and blocks fake calls before they reach your phone.

Insert 40GB of hotspot data per line, 4K video streaming and free access to HBO Max and you’ll have an unlimited plan worth talking about.

It’s a bit expensive (and Verizon’s coverage could be better based on your location), but the Unlimited Elite plan is undoubtedly worth a closer look if you’re looking for a well-rounded mobile plan.