No matter how great your iPhone is, it won’t work well if you don’t have the right data plan.
Getting an iPhone is only the first part; you also need to go to the right carrier to get the best bang for your buck. Unfortunately, a simple Google search will show you there are a lot of different carriers in the United States, and naturally, all of them will assure you they’re the best for you.
While most carriers offer some similar basic benefits, there are a lot of other special perks you get when you subscribe to one over the other. If you don’t know where to start, here we’ll compare some of the best carriers you can try in the United States.
Verizon
Verizon is one of the largest carriers in the United States, and it’s been a great option since even before the first iPhone came out.
One of the best advantages of using Verizon is its coverage. While carriers like T-Mobile offer great coverage for the most popular cities and towns in the US, Verizon is known for its better coverage in rural areas.
Verizon also offers some other great of benefits, including:
- Amazing Plans: Verizon features a great selection of prepaid and data plans. Some of their best plans offer unlimited internet and have numerous benefits, although they can also be pretty expensive.
- Verizon Up: Verizon has a cool program filled with a lot of perks and rewards. You can earn points by doing a lot of different things, like paying your bills. and then you can use those points to get different perks or products.
- Great 5G Coverage: As we mentioned, Verizon offers great coverage across the country. Its fastest 5G Ultra Wideband coverage is particularly amazing, now reaching over 200 million people in the nation as of March 2023, and it plans to continue expanding that to provide the best 5G coverage for rural areas.
Even though Verizon is on the pricier side, it’s a great option for people who live outside of urban centers and those who travel a lot and need to have a great internet connection they can rely on.
T-Mobile
T-Mobile is one of the most popular carriers in the US, and for a good reason. The company has been around for over two decades, and it’s still going strong.
Overall, T-Mobile is the best option if you’re looking for a solid internet connection, even when you’re traveling. T-Mobile’s unlimited plans can be as expensive as $70/month, but you’re guaranteed to get a lot of value and perks. Here are some of the benefits of using T-Mobile:
- Great Unlimited Plans: T-Mobile offers very affordable unlimited plans with unlimited data as well as unlimited talk time and text messages.
- Free Inflight Wi-Fi: One of T-Mobile’s best perks is that you get one hour of free Wi-Fi when you’re on a plane, which is perfect if you travel a lot.
- T-Mobile Tuesdays: T-Mobile offers a bunch of extra perks and special deals to its customers on what they call T-Mobile Tuesdays. For instance, you can get discounted movie tickets, coffee offers up to twice every month, and many more perks. All you need to do is download the app and check it every Tuesday.
- Expansive 5G Coverage: T-Mobile was the first to build a nationwide 5G network that covered all 50 states, including Alaska. It had a huge head start on its rivals in deploying faster mid-band 5G thanks to its merger with Sprint, and today its fastest 5G Ultra Capacity network already covers 260 million people, and the carrier plans to reach 300 million, or 90% of the U.S. population, by the end of 2023.
AT&T
AT&T is another one of the biggest carriers in the US. On top of having great coverage and even better plans, AT&T also offers great perks for cord-cutters. That’s right, by using AT&T, you also have the possibility of accessing streaming services and other perks.
- Many affordable unlimited plans: AT&T offers a wide variety of plans for people who want unlimited data or just a solid prepaid plan. What’s great about this carrier is that its plans are more affordable than other items on the list, especially if you only want to hook up a single phone.
- Great Coverage (Even Outside the US): What makes AT&T stand out is that some of its plans have extended international coverage. You can still use your minutes, data, and text messages in up to 19 countries in Latin America, which is great when you’re traveling or visiting relatives. On the flip side, it’s fastest 5G Plus (5G+) only has a fraction of the coverage of its rivals’ high-speed 5G networks.
- Free Access to Streaming Services: With AT&T, you also get access to streaming services like HBO Max, DirectTV, and AT&T TV. And, even after HBO Max changes to just Max, AT&T users will still have access for free, albeit with a few catches.
Overall, AT&T is the best option for people who constantly travel to Latin America, those who only want a single line rather than a family plan, and folks who are looking for more affordable ways to stream their favorite content.
Visible
When you think of the most popular carriers for your iPhone, Visible might not be in the top three. Rather it’s a newer competitor disrupting the space. Visible makes a very interesting option, especially if you’re looking for a more affordable wireless carrier.
Visible is actually part of Verizon’s network, which means you’ll get amazing coverage across the country, even in places that other carriers have a hard time reaching.
What makes Visible stand out, though, is that it’s a completely online carrier. This basically means that you can’t go and visit its stores because it doesn’t have any. The entire process of signing up happens online or over the phone.
Here are some other benefits that make Visible a strong option to consider.
- Very Affordable Plans: Most of Visible’s plans are pretty affordable, and you can get an unlimited plan for as low as $20 per month when you use code 5OFF3MO.
- Great Discounts on Smartphones: Whether you’re looking for an iPhone, a Samsung Galaxy, or a Google Pixel, Visible has all of the most popular smartphones at a great price.
- Amazing 24/7 Customer Support: Since Visible doesn’t have any physical stores, it needs to make its tech support stand out. You can contact them over the phone or just send them a message on social media, and they’ll do their best to help you out.
Mint Mobile
Mint Mobile is another carrier that works under another one — it was recently acquired by T-Mobile — but that doesn’t mean it isn’t better than its parent company.
Just like other smaller carriers on this list, Mint Mobile stands out for its lower prices and budget-friendly options when it comes to devices and plans.
Besides its already low prices, you also get discounts if you subscribe to a family plan or you decide to go for a multi-month plan, so you can find ways to save even more money.
Besides saving money, here are other perks of being part of Mint Mobile’s network:
- Low Prices on Plans and Smartphones: Mint Mobile offers great deals on different brands of smartphones, and it even offers unlimited plans where you can talk, text, or browse the web as much as you like.
- Great Guarantees: Mint Mobile stands out because it offers a seven-day money-back guarantee, which means you can see if this is the perfect carrier for you and get rid of it without committing to a year-long plan.
- Fast and Reliable Connection: Being part of the T-Mobile network means you’ll get solid coverage and connection no matter where you are. Moreover, you also get access to 5G on pretty much anywhere in the US.
When it comes to budget-friendly plans, Mint Mobile stands out from the competition. If you’re looking for a great budget carrier, and don’t care a lot about perks, then Mint Mobile is perfect for you.
Metro by T-Mobile
T-Mobile is so big it even has smaller carriers it works with. A great example is Metro by T-Mobile. If you love the T-Mobile connectivity, you’ll love Metro.
So, if Metro is owned by T-Mobile, then why shouldn’t you go for T-Mobile instead? Well, there are a few reasons:
- More Affordable Plans: Remember when we said T-Mobile offers a plan for $70? Well, Metro offers a lot of more budget-friendly alternatives. Many of these plans offer unlimited data, too.
- Cheaper Smartphones: Alongside cheaper plans, you also get a lot of less expensive smartphones.
- Same Great Coverage: T-Mobile offers some of the best coverage in the US, and Metro has access to the same coverage in all of its plans. You’ll get great coverage across the US and even access to 5G if your device supports it. The only downside is that T-Mobile prioritizes traffic for customers of its primary brand. This means you may not always get blazing-fast speeds, but they should be more than adequate for basic streaming and social media.
As you can see, Metro might be a better option for people on a budget. Whether you’re a student or you’re just looking for a better deal without spending too much money, Metro might be a better choice for you.
Which One Will You Choose?
Carriers are a dime a dozen, and choosing the right one for your iPhone can be tricky. Fortunately, by going with any of the carriers on this list, you’re guaranteed to have great coverage and connection for a reasonable price and a lot of other perks that will help you save some money.