If you’re considering a new phone plan, you might want a new mobile phone as well. Have your eye on that top-of-the-line Iphone or Samsung samrtphones? In the past, getting a new phone meant locking yourself in to a two-year contract that had multiple financial disadvantages for consumers. Now you can lease a new phone like a car, pay it off in interest-free installments, or buy it outright and enjoy a lower monthly bill. Sometimes you can even get a brand new free phone with a good cell phone plans. We shall introduce four main cell phone service plans for both individual, family and business:
- unlimited data plan cell phone
Unlimited data plans disappeared for a couple of years but then started being offered again by the major carriers. You may not need that much data—and many people sign up for more expensive plans than they need. But if you stream a lot of music or movies over your cellular network, an unlimited plan may be a smart move.
- no contract cell phone plans
The no-contract plans tend to be more popular these years. They separate the purchase of mobile phone from the service charges. Consumers who want to pay off their phone over time can effectively get an interest-free loan that usually runs about two years. When you’ve paid off the phone, your monthly bill goes down accordingly. And there are no termination fees; if you want to leave the carrier, you just pay any remaining balance on the phone.
More good news, at least for heavy data users, is the rise of unlimited data plans. These plans, which carriers started to pull a few years ago when smartphones like the iPhone actually started using substantial amounts of data, can be a respite for a new wave of consumers hooked on streaming services. All of the major carriers now offer unlimited plans, but they all come with catches. Your can find your own best no-contract phone plans now.
- prepaid cell phone plans
Indeed, we would recommend prepaid mobile phone plans if you meet most of these criteria:
- You don’t use more than 5 GB of data per month—many of these prepaid plans start costing more than their postpaid equivalents above that level.
- You can do away with unlimited calls and texts in favor of saving some money.
- You’re okay with potentially being on your own if you have to work through service hiccups. Retail support may not be an option.
- You’re comfortable relying on prepaid SIM cards while traveling abroad.
- You’re willing to read the fine print. As analyst Jeffrey Moore advised us, data and sometimes even voice roaming may not be included in some prepaid plans; Sprint’s prepaid, for example, allows no data roaming and only 50 voice minutes of roaming a month. They also omit Wi-Fi calling, one common way to get around holes in coverage.
Note that many of those requirements favor an advanced user who doesn’t mind buying a phone and then picking a carrier, instead of buying their phone from their carrier. And you are likely to get the best prepaid cell phone plans.
- business phone plans
Now that two-year contracts are a thing of the past, you have a lot more freedom to get the cell phone plan that works best for your needs. Cell phones are also everyday business tools, regardless of yacht access.
You may determine whether your small business needs a mobile phone plan—if you have more than a couple of employees working outside of the office on a regular basis; if it offers dedicated business plans; if not, don’t be tempted to save a few bucks with a “friends and family” type of package (unless you’re a very small operation). A true business cell phone plan offers the same options as an office desk phone, as well as unique mobile features—yes, including the connectivity to close a deal on a yacht.