Cell Phones and Services Buying Guide
If you thought choosing your last cell phone was hard, just wait until next time. Not only are the plans confusing, but phones
are more complex. Digital cameras, MP3 players and GPS receivers are now common and each new feature seems to bring new costs.
This guide can help.
- Cell phone services
- Shopping tips
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Guide to cell phone carriers
Which cell-phone service provider is the best? It depends on where you live. We rate cell-phone service based on the tens of thousands of responses to our annual survey conducted by the Consumer Reports National Research Center. The results from our most recent survey can be found in our February 2009 report, The Best Cell Phone Service.
For more information on which wireless service provider performed best in your area, check out our Ratings of and Recommendations for cell-phone services (both available to subscribers).
In general, here's what you should know about each wireless service provider:
AT&T
The only choice for iPhone fans.
This second-largest premium-priced carrier might be an option if it's competitive in the Ratings for your city or if its exclusive phones or plan features appeal to you. It's home to the iPhone. AT&T's unique rollover minutes allow you to carry over unused minutes for almost a year. Its "A List" feature on certain national plans allows unlimited free calling to any 5 or 10 designated phone numbers on any landline or cellular network. AT&T uses GSM technology. It also has a 3G voice and data network, though coverage is spotty compared with Verizon's and Sprint's 3G data-only network. Most phones can be used outside the U.S. It also offers AT&T Video Share, a service that allows you to stream live one-way video during a call. Some of its phones support AT&T Mobile TV, a live-TV service with cable and broadcast channels. AT&T's prepaid Go Phone service rated better than its contract monthly plan service, but was last behind prepaid service offered by T-Mobile, TracFone, Verizon, and Virgin Mobile.
Sprint
May be an option for heavy data users.
Though inferior in overall customer satisfaction, Sprint has strength in its generally lower pricing and its high-speed network. Its "Any Mobile, Anytime" feature on certain plans, which allow unlimited free mobile-to-mobile calling on any cell network, is a better deal than other carriers' free unlimited calling to designated phone numbers and unlimited free mobile-to-mobile in-network calls. The plans also come with 450 to 3,000 anytime minutes to cover calls to landline phone numbers. Sprint offers unlimited free night calling option (for free or an additional fee, depending on plan) starting at 7 p.m. and 6 p.m. earlier than the 9 p.m. industry standard. In the data area, Sprint customers buy more high-speed data services than any other carrier's subscribers. Sprint might be an option if it's competitive in the Ratings for your city or if its exclusive phones, such as the Samsung Instinct or Palm Pre, or plan features appeal to you. The company, which uses CDMA technology, merged with Nextel in 2005. It maintains the Nextel network separately to offer walkie-talkie ("push to talk") capability between compatible Sprint Nextel phones and those from Boost Mobile, a prepaid service that Sprint owns. Our survey results exclude customers who receive Nextel service from Sprint because their phones operate on the different iDEN technology. In July 2009, Sprint entered into an agreement to acquire Virgin Mobile, another prepaid carrier that uses Sprint's CDMA network to deliver its service.
T-Mobile
A low-price leader worth considering, especially if you frequently travel overseas.
T-Mobile's typically lower prices, combined with overall satisfaction similar to that of Verizon in most cities, makes this carrier a bargain, though it doesn't match Verizon in connectivity or customer service. Home to the T-Mobile myTouch 3G and G1 (the "Google phones"). T-Mobile is among the least expensive carriers for Web access and for text and multimedia messages. Its "myFaves" plans allow unlimited free calls to five designated phone numbers on any network. T-Mobile uses GSM technology. It also has a 3G voice and data network, though coverage is spotty compared with Verizon's and Sprint's 3G data-only network. Most phones can be used outside the U.S. T-Mobile offers a service called HotSpot@Home, which allows certain Wi-Fi equipped phones to switch to Internet calling (see T-Mobile Wi-Fi phones). T-Mobile's prepaid service rates better than its contract monthly service and a close second to TracFone's top-rated service.
Verizon
A standout choice for most people.
With the 2009 acquisition of Alltel, Verizon is now the nation's largest carrier. Widely available, it's among the leaders in satisfaction and connectivity in every rated city, and the standout in customer support. Its prepaid service is as highly rated as its traditional plans. It also offers VCast Mobile TV, a live-TV service offering cable and broadcast channels. The first to prorate termination fees, Verizon uses CDMA technology and offers high-speed wireless data network for faster Web browsing and downloading. It offers unlimited free "Friends & Family" calling to 5 or 10 designated phone numbers on certain plans.
