Cell Phones | Cell Phone Service Ratings

Combinations to suit a range of needs

Consumer Reports Magazine: January 2012

Find Ratings blob logo

In our new report on cell phones and services, you'll find our phone and plan recommendations for a number of different scenarios:

You require only the basics
Like 34 percent of readers in our survey, you never or rarely access websites or e-mail from your phone, which you use almost exclusively for voice calls and, probably, texting.

You want to 'smarten up'
You’re like the 18 percent of our readers who said they don’t yet own a smart phone but want one. You’re not stuck on getting a big-name model with the latest features, you’re not yet sure how much you’ll use a phone for e-mail and other data services, and you’d happily sacrifice some pizzazz for a lower monthly bill—no more than $80 per month, including voice, texting, and data service.

You want it all
You’re similar to the 41 percent of Consumer Reports readers in our survey who accessed the Web or e-mail at least five times a day, or the half or so that used apps in the past month, including Facebook and other social-networking tools. Although you don’t want to overpay for service, you’re willing to spend $100 or more per month for fast, widespread coverage for your phone.

You’re buying for a crowd
You’re a family, or a couple, that makes lots of voice calls and texts, often to one another. Different family members have varying priorities—say, texting for the teens, streaming sports video for Dad, and mobile banking for Mom.