For mobile-service customers, your options just dwindled.
Consider that a good thing.
Verizon recently followed T-Mobile’s two-year lead to simplify plans and get rid of two-year contracts.
Unfortunately, this doesn’t mean the simplified plans are less confusing. Many companies charge activation fees, and some have an access fee. Those could be dropped if you opt for a certain plan.
There are roaming charges.
Some let users share data. Some let unused data roll to the next month — some add caveats.
Using information available from the carrier websites, here’s what we’ve learned is the cost of the basic, four-user smartphone family plan. Not everything is comparable, but we went with the bring-your-own phone and a 10-GB data plan.
Here’s what we found:
T-Mobile
Simple Choice, $140*
No. of lines: 4
Voice and text: Unlimited
Data: 10 GBs LTE data each, not total
Bonus:
• Unused data rolls to the next month for up to 12 months in T-Mobile’s .
• Streaming music from doesn’t count against the 4G data allotment unless you’re tethering via the phone’s Mobile HotSpot.
• This plan includes calls, texts and data use not just to Mexico and Canada .
• Allows tethering to turn your phone into a wireless hot spot.
Fine print:
• A $15, SIM starter kit might be required for new phones. If you use an unlocked GSM or T-Mobile phone, it’s $0.99.
• T-Mobile doesn’t charge overage fees. But go over your 10 GBs or other data plan, and speeds could slow to 2G.
• Roam up to 100 MB in the U.S. on this plan. Roam too much? T-Mobile could terminate your service.
*Current deal: Through Sept. 8, this same plan is on sale for $120, but you have to call or go to a store.
Verizon
The Verizon Plan, $160
Verizon simplified its plan by making it an equation:
Number of voice lines at $20 each + a data plan (S, M, L, XL) = your monthly bill.
It’s not so simple.
While the company did get rid of contracts, some customers are still on those older contracts. That’s OK! But switch to this plan and , or double the “monthly access” of everyone else.
Here’s why it’s difficult to compare “simple” plans. While T-Mobile offers 10 GB data per family user, you can’t share the total amount among family members.
Verizon sells its data in sharable chunks. But bump up Verizon’s data plan to 40 GB total, and the price jumps $300 a month. We picked the 12 GB extra-large plan for $80.
No. of lines: 4
Voice and text: Unlimited
Data: 12 GBs shared with up to 10 lines (other are available)
Bonus:
• Includes 5 GB of Verizon Cloud storage if you use Verizon’s app.
• Includes international texts sent from the U.S.
• Ability to use phone as a hot spot.
• Add a tablet, smart watch or other Internet device for $5 to $10 more per month.
Fine print:
• Hit your data limit and Verizon charges $15 per gigabyte — or a portion thereof.
• If you’re on an unlimited plan now, you lose that feature if you switch to this new one. (And to keep your existing unlimited plan, you’ll always have to buy a new phone at full price.)
• International calling plans are extra.
• Once you switch, you can’t switch back.
Official details:
Sprint
Family Share Pack, $100
To be clear, Sprint still offers two-year contracts and will continue to offer plans that best fit customers’ budgets or needs, said Dave Mellin, a Sprint spokesman.
While two-year contracts made phones seem more affordable, this mostly wasn’t the case for the industry. A customer’s monthly bill integrated the phone’s cost, making it higher than no-contract bills. Plus, trying to get out of a contract resulted in early termination fees — and yes, Sprint of up to $350 per line.
Like everyone else, Sprint expanded family plans to let you bring a phone or buy one over a two-year period. There’s no real early termination fee; you just have to pay for the phone.
Sprint continues to match offers out there. Its current matches T-Mobile’s price on 40 GBs for $120 a month. But Sprint lets family members share the entire 40 GBs. T-Mobile doesn’t allow sharing.
No. of lines: 4
Voice and text: Unlimited
Data: 10 GBs shared
Bonus:
• Allows use of your smartphone as a wireless hot spot and uses the data allotment.
• As long as you’re on the plan, Sprint waives its “access charge” of $15 per line per month.
• No throttling of speeds on “lawful Internet traffic.”
Fine print:
• You have to pay to use Sprint. An activation fee of $36 per line equals a one-time $144 charge to the first bill for four lines.
• There are overage fees, but it’s not much. It’s 1.5 cents per MB.
• Watch your roaming. In this family plan, roaming data use is limited to 100 MB. After that, it’s $0.25 per MB. Sprint requires users to opt in though, so you won’t unknowingly start racking up excess data roaming charges.
• Service abuser? Sprint will terminate service if you are out of network and use 800-plus minutes or more than 100 MB.
Details:
AT&T
Mobile Share Value, $160
So far, AT&T is quiet regarding any end to two-year contracts, but it has offered no-contract plans for several years.
Customers definitely save money with AT&T’s no-contract plan called Next. Activation fees are one-third of two-year contracts — $15 vs. $45. On this particular , users will save $15 to $25 per line per month, compared to two-year planners.
When asked about two-year contracts, AT&T spokeswoman Suzanne Trantow said, “Very few customers still choose the two-year contract option.”
No. of lines: 4
Voice and text: Unlimited
Data: 10 GBs shared (current deal offers 15 GB for same price)
Bonus:
• The current 15 GB promo includes unlimited text and calls to Canada and Mexico; otherwise, fees are posted at
• Also offers unlimited texting to 190 countries.
• Qualifies for 50 GB of cloud storage with AT&T Locker.
Fine print:
• This isn’t free to join. AT&T charges no-contract customers $15 per line to activate service and $45 for those who want a two-year contract.
• If you do bring your own device, it must have been originally purchased from AT&T or be unlocked.
• Unused data , which is a nice perk until you read the details. It expires after the second month if you don’t use it up — and you must use your existing month’s data first. If you switch to this plan, you lose any past rollover balances.
• Watch your data limit. Notifications are sent out before you reach it, but one bit over and you are automatically charged $15, good for another gigabyte.
• Besides the $15 per GB overage fee, AT&T mentions “possible activation fee or upgrade fee of up to $45 per line.” Also if you don’t opt for at least a 1 GB data plan, the overage fee is $20.
Details:
If you’re on a tight budget, a new breed of alternative mobile-service providers need to get on your radar. The services start at free but there are trade-offs.
Ting: A line is $6. So if you don’t use any minutes, texts or megabytes, your monthly bill is $6. You pay for what you use, so monthly bills might vary. Usage prices start at $3 each for 100 minutes, 100 texts or 100 MBs. Ting has a your bill. Details at
RingPlus: Its “Truly Free” plan offers 125 minutes, 40 texts and 10 MB, but you’ll need an old Sprint phone or you can buy one from RingPlus. The most expensive plan is “Bliss,” which at $49.99 a month offers unlimited talk, text and 5 GB of 4G data. Details at
Republic Wireless: For $10 a month, customers get unlimited in-network talk and text. If you’re connected to Wi-Fi service, data are unlimited. Data plans start at $7.50 for 500 MBs. If you don’t use it all, you get a credit on your next bill. There is also a Wi-Fi-only plan for $5 a month — as long as you’re connected to Wi-Fi, you get unlimited talk, text and data. Details at .
FreedomPop: The Los Angeles-based carrier offers a free mobile-service plan of up to 200 minutes, 500 texts and 500 MB of data a month. There are no contracts and you can either bring your own phone or buy one from the company. The company charges for extra minutes, texts and data. Details at .
Scratch Wireless: Free calls, text and data as long as you’re connected to Wi-Fi. When there’s no Wi-Fi, users can buy voice and data passes. Voice passes start at $1.99 for 24 hours or $14.99 for unlimited use for 30 days. Data passes start at $1.99 for 50 MBs within 24 hours. You must buy the phone from Scratch. Details at .
TracFone: Pay-as-you-go plans from TracFone start at $9.99 a month for 50 minutes, while family plans allow the addition of more lines for $5.99 each. Extra minutes and data can be purchased as needed. Details at .
Tamara Chuang: 303-954-1209, tchuang@denverpost.com or twitter.com/Gadgetress
