Find the Best Cell Phone Plan With the Ultimate Comparison Guide
There’s a war going on if you haven’t noticed. The U.S. carriers are starting to lob salvos of new cellular plans and it’s not just here in the tech trenches. I was out for dinner last night and a couple at the table next to me was chatting about the recent price drops from both AT&T and Verizon. Last week is when the latest push came — Verizon cut prices and AT&T quickly followed suit. And over the few months prior, even Sprint and T-Mobile made sneak attacks. Sprint added any mobile to any mobile last September while T-Mo introduced new contract and contract-free plans in October.
In these parts, we often choose the carrier first and then pick our phones — you can thank the long term contracts and Early Termination Fees for that approach. There are many ways to do that phone plan research, but I like the simplistic approach found at BillShrink. Om pointed out their latest endeavor, which is called the Ultimate Cell Phone Plan Comparison. This easy-to-read chart highlights differences — and similarities — between the most common plans for all four major carriers. There’s a breakdown by voice minutes allowed, plus all of the extra fees for texting, data and smartphone data additions.
Personally, I’m getting a little tired of carriers discerning “data” and “smartphone data” plans. At the end of the day, data on a 3G pipe is data no matter what device it’s used with. I’d love to see the FCC put an end to this semantic silliness. It’s like a television content provider charging $20 more if you’re going to watch on a larger TV over a smaller one.
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-”Personally, I’m getting a little tired of carriers discerning “data” and “smartphone data” plans. At the end of the day, data on a 3G pipe is data no matter what device it’s used with. I’d love to see the FCC put an end to this semantic silliness. It’s like a television content provider charging $20 more if you’re going to watch on a larger TV over a smaller one.”
THAT is honestly one of the best metaphors about wireless carriers that I have ever heard. Data is data and it comes at the same speed through the same channels, its ridiculous. OR how about how they charge ridiculous amounts for tethering and mobile wifi. The prices are far out of reach for the average consumer. Can’t somebody get a brain and understand how much more money they would make if it was affordable? I hate the FCC and I hate the oligopoly that is the wireless market.
Im just curious as to where the price war is? Yes the big carriers have dropped some prices and raised others to make more money. But seriously.. $70-$100 a month is expensive. I have a Straight Talk Unlimited Prepaid phone and its only $45 monthly.. that looks like competition to me. Whats great is that I get Unlimited data, messages & minutes and there is no extra charges.
I also have Straight Talk and just love it. Something that Carter didn’t mention is that it’s carried on the Verizon network so there is great service anywhere you go.
I have Straight Talk on the Verizon network. Bought it at Walmart and it’s an amazing deal. The Samsung Finesse is a very cool smartphone and paying only $45 a month for unlimited everything is the best deal going!
Who needs an iPhone? LOL!!