Budgeting for a smartphone is an expensive undertaking. Do you fork out and grab one of the best phones around, or do you opt for something more affordable? There’s a lot to weigh up, but something that isn’t always considered alongside new hardware is the carrier plan. Whether you’re paying off your handset monthly or leaning on those voice minutes or high-speed 5G data, every modern user and handset needs a plan.

We’re spoiled for choice of phone plans in 2024, but one thing’s certain: no one wants to spend more than they really need. With that in mind, we want to know how much you spend monthly on your personal phone plan. We’re only interested in personal plans for a single user, not those covering multiple users or families. How much do you spend per month? Be sure to let us know by voting in our poll below.

We’re well aware that many of the feature-filled plans are priced above the $15 mark. Limited data and other cons often hamstring those paying less. After all, not all of us can afford unlimited plans. Moving to a postpaid plan is often a more attractive arrangement, especially if you don’t require a new handset. There are several plans at or below this price point worth your consideration, as detailed in our best prepaid deals for $15 or less guide.

When we last ran this poll in 2022, most users were paying $40 or more, with the $10 to $19.99 mark also proving quite popular. Importantly, we didn’t exclude family plans from that particular poll, but it’ll be interesting to see how inflation and other financial trends have changed users’ willingness or ability to spend.

Of course, our comments are always open. Be sure to include more details about your particular plan in the comments, including carrier, data, and other limits, and how it has treated you.

T-Mobile customers have recently been receiving unusual-looking links from its support channels, sparking concerns about potential phishing scams. However, these links are legitimate, though their appearance and origin have raised questions.

The Mobile Report has discovered that T-Mobile’s support teams, particularly T-Force, the social media support team, are now using a third-party service, Khoros, to host secure forms for customers. The links to these forms appear suspicious due to their unfamiliar domain name. One particular example highlighted involved a customer being directed to a “Handset Upgrade Form” shown below, but through a link that looked questionable at first glance.

T-Mobile employees have spoken to The Mobile Report, assuring that these links are indeed legitimate and part of a new process to handle sensitive information more securely. Previously, T-Mobile hosted similar forms on its own servers using a T-Mobile domain. The shift to an external platform, particularly one unfamiliar to most customers, has understandably caused confusion and concern.

Adding to the unease, Khoros, the company hosting the forms, describes itself as a company that uses AI and automation to analyze “a treasure trove of data.” While this may be standard practice for many data-driven companies, we can’t downplay the potential risks associated with sharing sensitive information with third-party platforms.

While these links are legitimate in this case, customers should always exercise caution when clicking on links, even if they appear to come from a trusted source. If in doubt, it’s always best to contact the company directly through official channels to verify the legitimacy of any communication.

It’s no secret that I’m a strong proponent of prepaid services and I believe that postpaid carriers could learn a few things by paying attention to what some of their prepaid competition is doing. Of course, I will also freely admit that not everyone will find the prepaid experience good enough to meet their needs. The truth is there are still advantages to postpaid services that users might not want to give up, including prioritized data, better roaming coverage, phone selection, and perks. Nonetheless, there are at least four major aspects that I feel many prepaid networks are doing things better than the big three.

Despite T-Mobile being rated as one of the best phone carriers in the US thanks to its blazing fast service and excellent coverage, news from the brand hasn't been all good, especially with some of its hiccups that have led some customers to sue the provider for its recent price hikes. Some might even say that the glory days are now gone, with the former Un-carrier now entering its villain phase as it tries to become the top carrier in the US.

T-Mobile rebranded its popular T-Mobile Tuesdays app earlier this year with the introduction of T Life. Initially, T Life worked just like the original T-Mobile Tuesdays app, but after the latest update you’ll find the T Life and T-Mobile apps have essentially the same UI and feature set. As first spotted by Android Police, both apps are now on version 10.0 and there’s even the same setup wizard and feature tour.

It might seem odd that T-Mobile would provide nearly identical app experiences in two different packages, but odds are the company felt two apps were redundant. According to a T-Mobile employee who goes by the name JMiKey on Reddit, the plan was always to consolidate everything under one roof with T Life being the one central app for all things, including home internet, discounts, plan settings, and much more. For now, the company is supposedly just unifying the two apps so customers don’t have to make an immediate change.

We’ve reached out to T-Mobile for further clarification and confirmation and will update this post if we hear anything back, but this makes sense. For one, the T Life tagline is “one app to rule them all”, so T-Mobile is just making good on that promise. It’s also a move that’s pretty common. For example, Verizon has also consolidated all its services into one app, including internet access and cellular service. Not only does this save development resources for the company, but it’s easier for the customers too.

We should note that while the functionality of the two apps is the same, the T Life app is loaded with ads. Meanwhile, the T-Mobile app takes a lighter approach here. This isn’t too surprising, as we’ve seen companies get more aggressive with ad revenue over the last few years and so pushing more ads into the new app isn’t anything out of the ordinary.

What’s harder to figure out is why T-Mobile didn’t just phase out the T-Mobile Tuesdays app and migrate everything over to the T-Mobile app. Maybe they feel the name T Life is trendier? Regardless, you might wonder if you really need both apps. The answer is no. We’d recommend deleting the T-Mobile app, especially since it may eventually be phased out and you’d be forced to go back to the T Life app.

T-Mobile rebranded its popular T-Mobile Tuesdays app earlier this year with the introduction of T Life. Initially, T Life worked just like the original T-Mobile Tuesdays app, but after the latest update you’ll find the T Life and T-Mobile apps have essentially the same UI and feature set. As first spotted by Android Police, both apps are now on version 10.0 and there’s even the same setup wizard and feature tour.

It might seem odd that T-Mobile would provide nearly identical app experiences in two different packages, but odds are the company felt two apps were redundant. According to a T-Mobile employee who goes by the name JMiKey on Reddit, the plan was always to consolidate everything under one roof with T Life being the one central app for all things, including home internet, discounts, plan settings, and much more. For now, the company is supposedly just unifying the two apps so customers don’t have to make an immediate change.

We’ve reached out to T-Mobile for further clarification and confirmation and will update this post if we hear anything back, but this makes sense. For one, the T Life tagline is “one app to rule them all”, so T-Mobile is just making good on that promise. It’s also a move that’s pretty common. For example, Verizon has also consolidated all its services into one app, including internet access and cellular service. Not only does this save development resources for the company, but it’s easier for the customers too.

We should note that while the functionality of the two apps is the same, the T Life app is loaded with ads. Meanwhile, the T-Mobile app takes a lighter approach here. This isn’t too surprising, as we’ve seen companies get more aggressive with ad revenue over the last few years and so pushing more ads into the new app isn’t anything out of the ordinary.

What’s harder to figure out is why T-Mobile didn’t just phase out the T-Mobile Tuesdays app and migrate everything over to the T-Mobile app. Maybe they feel the name T Life is trendier? Regardless, you might wonder if you really need both apps. The answer is no. We’d recommend deleting the T-Mobile app, especially since it may eventually be phased out and you’d be forced to go back to the T Life app.

T-Mobile used to be the people's champ of carriers, with many happily overlooking its second-rate service for its user-first policies. But as the company continues building out its 5G service very successfully, to be fair it has gotten away from its "un-carrier" roots and made some questionable decisions. This week, it signaled that its clunky T-Mobile Tuesdays rebrand was a mistake by effectively killing off the brand-new T Life app, and now the carrier's beloved perks program has found a new home.

If you were formerly a Sprint customer and stayed to join T-Mobile after the merger, you may want to take a look at your bill. Some customers are realizing that for years they’ve been paying an unnecessary monthly fee.

On Reddit, a user who appears to be a T-Mobile representative, posted a PSA alerting customers to an extra fee they may not know they are paying. The user urges customers to check their bill and talk to a representative to have the fee removed. In the post, the Redditor states:

I see it every single day people coming in for upgrades and on sprint, and they were on a month to month lease program that they’re paying usually per line with no end day! It’s till the end of time! It can be removed with a press of a button. So go in store and get your account features looked at.

The fee in question is connected to Sprint’s infamous Flex Lease program. This program offered to let customers get a new phone at a low monthly cost with the ability to cancel the contract after a set period. Unlike other plans that apply lease payments toward the cost of the phone, however, this plan required customers to verbally opt into that option; otherwise, they would be charged a monthly fee indefinitely.

In the past, customers have reported that they never received a notification at the end of the contract that they could terminate the lease. Others have said that if they wanted to own their device, Sprint would require them to pay an extra fee on top of the monthly lease payments, despite already paying the carrier more than what the phone was worth.

Additionally, there was a class-action lawsuit filed against Sprint, which alleged that the company was tricking customers into lease agreements and trapping them in recurring fees. The lawsuit also claims that Sprint prevented some customers from canceling the plan even after the end of lease period.

Another Reddit user, who also appears to be a T-Mobile representative, responded to the PSA putting the onus on the customer. The user says that customers should pay more attention to their bills, adding that they act as if they are doing the customer a favor when they remove the fee. That user states:

You don’t need a manager to remove it just remove it under features and let the customer know you did them a courtesy by removing it typically the customers are happy about that super easy. It’s amazing how customers do not pay attention to there bill get upset because they have been charged years for something. On you to check the bill buddy but I’m glad to reduce it by 45.00 if you want to help me out and buy something that be great

We have reached out to T-Mobile for comment on the situation. This article will be updated when more information is available.

Mint Mobile prides itself on offering cheap phone plans for as little as $15 a month, making it a great deal for someone looking to save money on their phone bill.  In 2023 the carrier widened its target to families as well. Is the Mint Mobile family plan worth it? Let’s dive right in and discuss.

What is included in the Mint Mobile family plan?

Like all of Mint’s plans, the Mint Mobile family plan runs on the T-Mobile network and is paid at least three months in advance.

T-Mobile previously announced that it would address a loophole that allowed customers to access its 5G Home Internet service while traveling. It looks like the company has finally closed this gap.

T-Mobile is marking the eighth anniversary of its T-Mobile Tuesdays program with a weeklong “Thankiversary” event, offering substantial prizes and new perks to its customers. This year’s celebration, starting on Tuesday, June 4, will see T-Mobile giving away eight grand prizes to eight lucky customers.

These prizes include $80,000 in cash, $8,000 in Shell gas cards, eight years of movies with Atom Tickets, a new Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport, a dream vacation for four valued at up to $117,000 (including flights, hotel, and $10,000 in spending money), a Samsung mega bundle featuring a Samsung Galaxy S24 Plus, Galaxy Watch 6, and $20,000 in Samsung e-Certificates, “a year of coffee”, and a “year of concerts.”

Yesterday, T-Mobile announced its plans to acquire most of US Cellular’s wireless operations and select spectrum assets for $4.4 billion. T-Mobile’s move is the latest business transaction that further consolidates the US market, leaving consumers with no option but to majorly bank on the big three carriers for their telephony needs. This consolidation may be good for the carrier and will also be marketed as good for the consumer. However, as consumers, we will get the short end of the stick sooner or later.

Consumers in the US have largely stuck to four carriers: AT&T, Verizon, Sprint, and T-Mobile. Some outliers have flocked to smaller carriers like Dish Wireless and US Cellular, and a few consumers also prefer MVNOs based on the top carriers.

However, with T-Mobile’s acquisition of Sprint in 2018, the top four carriers consolidated into the top three. With T-Mobile’s acquisition of US Cellular, the original top six carriers in the US are down to just the top four. The carriers are also on a spree to acquire MVNOs, like T-Mobile’s acquisition of Mint Mobile in 2023 and Verizon’s acquisition of TracFone Wireless in 2020, which have shrunk the available options to American consumers.

If you are in the market for a new phone line right now, chances are that your choices are limited to AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile only or on MVNOs based on them.

The carriers are aware of this oligopoly and have also begun resorting to price increases, even on legacy plans. We’re also seeing changes to price lock promises, watering them down from an actual price lock to a less effective walk-out clause with waivers. If you have a grandfathered plan, you should be mentally prepared to be no longer honored for it.

Needless to say, this is terrible news for consumers. A competitive telecom market is necessary for spurring innovation and keeping prices affordable and realistic. The recent wave of consolidation is moving the telecom market in the opposite direction.

An oligopoly, where only a couple of providers exist to serve millions of customers, is detrimental to consumer interest, especially if the carriers reach an unwritten understanding of keeping prices high for the perpetual benefit of their bottom line. When more consolidation goes through, the dominant carriers can make absurd promises and not follow through, and they wouldn’t have competitors left in the market that would react to such absurdity. Carriers in an oligopoly can raise prices of plans citing higher operational costs, and then two weeks later, announce another acquisition (yes, that does sound familiar).

So, are you happy with the state of the US telecom market right now? Are you pleased with the current choices of AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon? What do you like, or what do you dislike the most? Are you satisfied with your carrier’s coverage, speed, and plans? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!

For decades now, U.S. wireless carriers have sold consumers “unlimited data” plans that actually have all manner of sometimes hidden throttling, caps, and restrictions. And every few years a regulator comes out with a wrist slap against wireless carriers for misleading consumers, for whatever good it does.

Back in 2007, for example, then NY AG Andrew Cuomo fined Verizon a tiny $150,000 for selling “unlimited” plans that were very limited (Verizon kept doing it anyway). In 2019, the FTC fined AT&T $60 million for selling “unlimited” plans that were very limited, then repeatedly lying to consumers about it (impacted consumers saw refunds of around $22 each).

Similar state and federal fines and lawsuits have also been levied against these companies prepaid wireless brands over the years. This never-ending game of patty cake over the term “unlimited” also happens in Canada fairly routinely.

Last week, NY AG Leticia James that T-Mobile, Verizon, and AT&T will pay a combined $10.2 million settlement for — you guessed it — selling “unlimited” plans that were very limited:

“A multistate investigation found that the companies made false claims in advertisements in New York and across the nation, including misrepresentations about “unlimited” data plans that were in fact limited and had reduced quality and speed after a certain limit was reached by the user. The companies will pay $520,000 to New York and are required to change their advertising to ensure that wireless service plans are accurately and fairly explained.”

Will wireless carriers actually change their marketing tactics? Probably not! Will consumers see refunds? Probably not! Do the carriers have to admit any legal wrongdoing? Nope! Are the penalties stiff enough to deter future abuses? No way.

In this case, the settlement — which involved every U.S. state but DeSantistan Florida — was built on an investigation that started nine years ago but was effectively slow walked by industry lawyers. The investigation found that not only do wireless carriers (and their prepaid subsidiaries) routinely sell “unlimited” data plans with limits, but they also promote “free” phones that aren’t free.

If telecom industry history is any indication, the $10.2 million in fines will likely be watered down after another year or two of legal wrangling. And you’ll probably be right back here a few years from now reading about another wrist slap levied against an industry seemingly obsessed with abusing consumer trust — and the dictionary definition of very basic terminology.

Satellite connectivity in smartphones has been a hot topic ever since Apple introduced it in the iPhone 14 series. There’s a lot of work that goes into enabling satellite connectivity on a mobile device, which is why progress has been slow on the Android side of things. Fortunately, it’s looking more and more likely that we’ll see phones running Android 15 ship with satellite connectivity support.

In a previous Android beta release, we spotted a hidden satellite messaging page that we believed would tie into T-Mobile and SpaceX’s satellite messaging service. With the release of the second Android 15 beta this week, though, several T-Mobile users have found that this page has gone live for them.

AT&T and AST SpaceMobile have announced a formal commercial agreement to develop a space-based cellular broadband network. This ambitious venture aims to provide direct-to-cell phone service, bypassing traditional cell towers and potentially ensuring seamless communication across the continental United States, even in remote or challenging locations.

The companies have been working together since 2018 and have now formally entered an agreement till 2030. AST SpaceMobile is preparing to send its first five commercial satellites to Cape Canaveral for launch into low Earth orbit. Notably, in 2023, the companies achieved industry firsts by facilitating a voice call, text message, and even a video call between regular smartphones using their space-based connectivity technology.

Industry giants T-Mobile and Verizon are in discussions to purchase separate portions of regional carrier US Cellular, according to a recent Wall Street Journal report.

Sources close to the negotiations state that T-Mobile is already nearing the finalization of a $2 billion deal for a significant part of US Cellular. Simultaneously, Verizon is considering a purchase of the remaining assets, although discussions remain less advanced.

After discovering that its customers were taking advantage of a loophole to access its Home Internet service while traveling, T-Mobile announced a fix would be coming. The fix was scheduled to roll out on May 8, but the company has now postponed it.

On May 8, it was expected that T-Mobile would send out notifications to Home Internet subscribers announcing a crackdown on using the service while on the go. Specifically, the crackdown would enforce address verification on gateways, so customers would no longer be able to take their 5G gateway with them on travel to access free internet without penalty. As an alternative, the company was planning to offer a new Away plan for those who are frequently on the road.

Industry giants T-Mobile and Verizon are in discussions to purchase separate portions of regional carrier US Cellular, according to a recent Wall Street Journal report.

Sources close to the negotiations state that T-Mobile is already nearing the finalization of a $2 billion deal for a significant part of US Cellular. Simultaneously, Verizon is considering a purchase of the remaining assets, although discussions remain less advanced.

After discovering that its customers were taking advantage of a loophole to access its Home Internet service while traveling, T-Mobile announced a fix would be coming. The fix was scheduled to roll out on May 8, but the company has now postponed it.

On May 8, it was expected that T-Mobile would send out notifications to Home Internet subscribers announcing a crackdown on using the service while on the go. Specifically, the crackdown would enforce address verification on gateways, so customers would no longer be able to take their 5G gateway with them on travel to access free internet without penalty. As an alternative, the company was planning to offer a new Away plan for those who are frequently on the road.

The Big Three US mobile carriers AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon are constantly at odds with each other, trying to outmaneuver and undercut their rivals with attractive pricing and promos. Although these brands spend big on marketing dollars, sometimes they can go a little overboard with their promises. A multistate investigation between 50 state attorneys general has now found that all three carriers practiced deceptive advertising to lure customers.

Industry giants T-Mobile and Verizon are in discussions to purchase separate portions of regional carrier US Cellular, according to a recent Wall Street Journal report.

Sources close to the negotiations state that T-Mobile is already nearing the finalization of a $2 billion deal for a significant part of US Cellular. Simultaneously, Verizon is considering a purchase of the remaining assets, although discussions remain less advanced.

After discovering that its customers were taking advantage of a loophole to access its Home Internet service while traveling, T-Mobile announced a fix would be coming. The fix was scheduled to roll out on May 8, but the company has now postponed it.

On May 8, it was expected that T-Mobile would send out notifications to Home Internet subscribers announcing a crackdown on using the service while on the go. Specifically, the crackdown would enforce address verification on gateways, so customers would no longer be able to take their 5G gateway with them on travel to access free internet without penalty. As an alternative, the company was planning to offer a new Away plan for those who are frequently on the road.

Enlarge (credit: Verizon)

T-Mobile, Verizon, and AT&T will pay a combined $10.2 million in a settlement with US states that alleged the carriers falsely advertised wireless plans as "unlimited" and phones as "free." The deal was announced yesterday by New York Attorney General Letitia James.

"A multistate investigation found that the companies made false claims in advertisements in New York and across the nation, including misrepresentations about 'unlimited' data plans that were in fact limited and had reduced quality and speed after a certain limit was reached by the user," the announcement said.

T-Mobile and Verizon agreed to pay $4.1 million each while AT&T agreed to pay a little over $2 million. The settlement includes AT&T subsidiary Cricket Wireless and Verizon subsidiary TracFone.

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Enlarge (credit: Getty Images | SOPA Images )

T-Mobile is reportedly close to buying a portion of the regional carrier US Cellular, while Verizon has also held talks about buying some of US Cellular's assets. "T-Mobile is closing in on a deal to buy a chunk of the regional carrier for more than $2 billion, taking over some operations and wireless spectrum licenses, according to people familiar with the matter," The Wall Street Journal reported yesterday.

When contacted by Ars today, T-Mobile said it doesn't "comment on rumors and speculation." US Cellular also said it doesn't "comment on rumors or speculation."

T-Mobile is one of just three major nationwide carriers. There were four until T-Mobile bought Sprint in 2020. T-Mobile also completed an acquisition of prepaid carrier Mint Mobile less than two weeks ago.

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On April 26, 2024, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) approved T-Mobile’s acquisition of Ka’ena Corporation, the parent company of Mint Mobile. The carrier has now completed the deal and it will bring a couple of new benefits to Mint Mobile customers.

Today, T-Mobile published a press release announcing that Ka’ena Corporation is now officially part of its business. Along with the acquisition, the Un-carrier brings Mint Mobile, Ultra Mobile, and Plum under its wing.

The Rabbit R1 is the second major gadget to launch this year as basically a portable device for interacting with cloud-based AI features. Unlike the Humane Ai Pin, the Rabbit R1 has a display that provides visual information. And with a $200 price tag, it’s a lot easier for forgive its shortcomings than the $699 […]

The post Lilbits: Rabbit R1 handheld AI device runs Android (but its head is in the cloud), LastPass is an independent company again, and other tech news appeared first on Liliputing.

Existing or potential T-Mobile customers frustrated by the Device Connection Charge (DCC) fee may be in for some relief. A leaked internal document obtained by The Mobile Report reveals a surprise move by T-Mobile to significantly reduce the DCC for a limited time.

The DCC is a one-time unified fee charged for both phone upgrades and new line activations. It’s something that has long been a point of contention for customers. This flat fee, typically $35, could add a significant upfront cost, especially for families adding multiple lines.

T-Mobile has announced a significant expansion of its 5G network by activating its brand-new spectrum. With this move, the company aims to supercharge its network performance for millions of customers across the United States, particularly in underserved rural areas.

Major League Soccer fans waving the T-Mobile magenta flag may feel like they’ve been dealt a yellow card today. The carrier, which generously gifted its customers with a free year of MLS Season Pass in 2023, has confirmed it won’t be repeating the offer for the 2024 season.

Last year, T-Mobile made waves by offering its customers a one-year subscription to Apple’s MLS Season Pass, which debuted in February 2023 within the Apple TV app. The promotion was part of T-Mobile’s efforts to enhance its customer experience, providing unparalleled access to MLS games for its subscribers. However, as the 2024 MLS season kicks off today, T-Mobile has confirmed to CNET that free access to the MLS Season Pass will not be offered this year.

Prepaid carriers are having a moment. Not only are there more MVNOs available than before, but they are also gaining in popularity. More consumers are learning you don’t need to stick with AT&T, T-Mobile, or Verizon to get quality phone service. If you’re looking to say money, Tello and Mint Mobile are both great T-Mobile MVNOs. In this guide, we compare Mint Mobile vs Tello to help you decide which carrier is right for you. 

Mint Mobile vs Visible: Pricing and value

• Winner: Tie

We’ve all been there: You found a phone plan that you’re reasonably happy with, and then suddenly your carrier changes it all up with new offerings. The good news is that carriers typically don’t force consumers to change phone plans every time they update their options. There are a few reasons for this. The most obvious reason is customer retention. A carrier would rather you stay with an older plan than jump ship entirely. There are also legal reasons why your older plan may be protected.

Unfortunately, in the current economy, carriers are doing whatever they can to encourage users to move to another 5G plan. In this guide, we explain what a grandfathered phone plan is and how each carrier currently handles its legacy plans. Beyond this, we’ll also take a look at which carrier does the best job here and if there are any worthwhile alternatives to explore.

What is a grandfathered cell phone plan?

The concept of grandfathering traces its roots back to post-Civil War America, where many lawmakers enacted voting restrictions on former Confederates. However, exceptions were made for those whose grandfathers had full voting rights before the war. Upon further investigation, I found that while there are legal arguments for the concept of grandfathering in the United States, it’s not necessarily endorsed by the FTC or any other government body.

There are provisions in place to prevent a company from abruptly altering any agreed-upon promises made to a consumer. This is precisely why carriers require you to sign their terms of agreement. This legal document not only details what the plan offers but typically includes a clause stating that the carrier can modify terms on legacy plans no longer offered by the company. The exact wording, of course, may vary.

The bottom line is carriers aren’t legally obligated to keep legacy plans the same as they were when you signed up, as long as the terms and conditions clearly state the carrier has the right to make changes over time. That said, making frequent changes to plans could potentially anger consumers and might even lead to class-action lawsuits for bad business practices.

Ultimately, grandfathered plans allow carriers to provide you with time to adjust, but you shouldn’t assume that you will always have access to these legacy plans without modifications, such as price increases or changes to the network, including the phasing out of older technologies like 3G. This is precisely what we’re observing from carriers now, as they increase prices or attempt to move consumers to newer plans without their express consent. Let’s take a closer look at how each carrier is currently managing its legacy unlimited phone plans.

Verizon

Verizon won’t force you to change your grandfathered phone plan anytime soon, but it clearly wants to encourage you to switch voluntarily by driving up the prices. Historically, Verizon has raised grandfathered pricing before, though it is usually a rare move. Not so much anymore. In 2023 alone, Verizon increased the pricing of legacy plans twice: first, by adding a $2 per month ‘Plan Rate Adjustment’ fee to older plans in June, and then again with a $3 to $5 increase, depending on the plan, in August.

Unsurprisingly, legacy Verizon subscribers did not take well to the price hikes. To make matters worse, Verizon revealed in early 2024 that it wasn’t done raising prices yet. Starting March 1, 2024, customers on select older unlimited mobile plans will see an increase of $4 per line.

Are Verizon legacy plans still worth it over the current tier?

Are these grandfathered plans still worth keeping in 2024? It depends on the specific legacy plan in question.

Currently, when signing up for a new Verizon plan, you can choose from three different MyPlan options, with prices ranging from $65 to $90 per line. Discounts are available for multi-user accounts. These plans offer similar access to LTE and 5G networks as the legacy More plans, but they include virtually no perks. However, you have the option to purchase perks, often bundled, for $10 each. The bundles include Disney Plus, Hulu, ESPN+, Netflix/Max, an Apple One perk, and many more. You can learn more about the perks and plans in our Verizon plans guide.

Considering the vast array of legacy plans, and given that most Verizon legacy subscribers are on an older More plan, let’s compare the most basic and most expensive MyPlan options to their similar legacy counterparts. Please note that the pricing for the legacy plans reflects the upcoming March increase:

The Start Unlimited plan had few perks, making its increased price of $79 per line difficult to justify, especially when the Unlimited Welcome plan is only $65 per line. However, opting for the newer plan would mean losing out on hotspot access, though you can add 100GB for just $10. Therefore, if you’re on an entry-level plan, the price hike might mean you’d be better off switching to something newer. The situation is quite different for Verizon’s higher-end plans.

MyPlan Unlimited Welcome starts at $90 per line, compared to $111 for the Get More Unlimited plan, but the latter includes numerous extras, such as the Hulu/Disney Bundle, Google Play Pass, Apple Music, one Travel Pass each month, and 600GB of Verizon Cloud data. The My Plan option doesn’t include any perks by default, but you can pile up the equivalent perks for an additional $50 a month, increasing the price to between $140 and $102 per line. Despite these increases, the older legacy plan remains considerably cheaper overall and is the better option, even though the newer plan may offer better promotional deals when it’s time to upgrade your device.

AT&T

Just like Verizon, AT&T won’t force you to change your plan but it isn’t above raising the price. AT&T increased its legacy plans back in August of 2023. The exact increase varied significantly depending on the legacy plan. Despite a lot of digging around, it was hard to get exact numbers for every legacy plan but it looks like most of them increased by at least $5-10 in 2023.

Specifically, hotspot/laptop users on the Unlimited Plus, Choice, and Choice II plans were targeted with a $10 per month increase. The original Unlimited Elite plan also experienced an increase of $2.50 per month per line. Beyond these, many other plans saw increases, although it’s more difficult to determine the exact amounts.

Unfortunately, AT&T isn’t stopping there with its price hikes. It recently announced plans to raise the cost of grandfathered phone plans by as much as $12 for family plans and $6 for single-line users. This latest increase will apply to all legacy plans, including those that already saw increases last year.

Are AT&T legacy plans still worth it over the current tier?

For those with a mobile hotspot or laptop connected to an older Unlimited Choice plan, this plan remains hard to beat even with increases of $10 or more per month. However, justifying it might become more challenging with the next round of price increases. Still, you benefit from truly unlimited data on the go, which is perfect for full-time RVers and those living in rural areas reliant on 4G for internet access. It’s important to note, though, that the original Choice plan was limited to 3Mbps speeds, making it a significantly better deal primarily for Choice II subscribers.

As for the rest of AT&T’s legacy plans, their value will depend on your specific needs and plan details. Since 2018, AT&T has offered three main plans, although their structure, pricing, and naming conventions have evolved. Currently, the cost ranges from $66 to $86 per line, with prices decreasing for family plans. Frankly, the original Starter plan offered a no-frills experience, and the new Starter SL isn’t much different—just a few dollars more expensive with a few minor changes. For most, there’s nothing particularly special about the older Starter plan, so it might not be worth keeping as price increases will lead to a similar overall experience.

For Elite users, the situation differs. Let’s take a closer look:

As you can see in the chart, although Premium is technically cheaper even with price increases, the difference is not that substantial. The two plans are quite similar, but a significant distinction is that Premium offers much more hotspot data and eliminates Max. Let’s be honest, most of us don’t use nearly as much hotspot access, so we’re losing more than we’re gaining. If you’re currently using Max and wish to retain it, single-line subscribers will find themselves paying close to $106 per month in total if they switch to Premium. If Max isn’t a priority, then a newer plan might be a more suitable option.

T-Mobile

T-Mobile spent many years building up its image as the cool kid who breaks all the rules and cares for its customers, making its recent approach towards legacy customers all the more disappointing. Late last year, many T-Mobile customers voiced their outrage upon discovering that T-Mobile was preparing a limited test to automatically transition customers from older plans to newer ones. This affected not only older tiers like Select Choice and T-Mobile One but also relatively newer retired plans like Magenta. While T-Mobile made it clear that consumers could opt out, this assurance did little to mitigate the backlash. Eventually, T-Mobile retracted this plan.

Will T-Mobile raise its prices for legacy customers now that it knows its migration plan isn’t going to work? It’s a bit complicated, truth be told. During his tenure with T-Mobile, John Legere’s numerous promises complicate any rapid policy reversals. T-Mobile was likely aware of this and attempted to be sneaky here, but that clearly didn’t work either. Since then T-Mobile has announced that its Price Lock promise will no longer apply to new customers but legacy customers shouldn’t see any change.

Are T-Mobile legacy plans still worth it over the current tier?

Given that T-Mobile’s grandfathered plans have not seen any price increases, these plans are still the best option for most legacy customers. They are not only more affordable but also offer better perks than newer T-Mobile plans. It’s also worth noting these legacy T-Mobile plans are both cheaper and better than current and grandfathered plans on Verizon and AT&T.

Which of the big three carriers handles legacy plans the best?

None of the US carriers have done a great job with handling their legacy customers recently. T-Mobile’s initial plans to change customer plans without direct intervention came as an unwelcome surprise. Although it’s commendable that T-Mobile listened and reversed course, the situation still cast the carrier in a negative light. Meanwhile, Verizon and AT&T may not be overtly forcing their users onto more expensive plans, but the effect is essentially the same due to price increases.

Currently, T-Mobile manages its legacy plans the best, having not introduced steep increases like its competitors. However, this approach seems less about genuinely wanting to assist consumers and more about managing perception and optics.

If you’re contemplating switching carriers due to price hikes and are looking for a carrier that won’t unexpectedly raise rates or migrate you without consent, the decision is challenging. Of course, T-Mobile will likely continue its current course of avoiding price increases just so it doesn’t end up with a class-action lawsuit on its hands. Still, the same won’t apply to new customers going forward. Similarly, we can’t trust AT&T and Verizon won’t continue to push consumers to switch by progressively devaluing their old plans. For those seeking greater flexibility from their carrier, a prepaid option might be worth considering.

Why prepaid might be a better option for many US consumers

In America, we’re accustomed to obtaining service directly from network providers, but this isn’t necessarily the case elsewhere. In much of Europe, smaller MVNOs, typically offering prepaid services, are favored. Postpaid carrier plans are more commonly used for enterprise and business purposes in many European countries. MVNOs not only promote deeper competition and price reductions but also operate on the same networks as the larger carriers. If you’re tired of price hikes and are looking for an option that’s easier to switch when necessary, prepaid services are hard to beat.

While some MVNOs might offer a less-than-optimal experience due to congestion and throttling, other prepaid carriers, such as the Verizon-owned Visible and Google Fi Wireless, provide exceptional service that rivals that of the major carriers. For instance, Google Fi offers extremely competitive pricing, starting at just $20 per line for 6 lines, including data usage in Canada and Mexico, and 5GB of hotspot access. The Unlimited Plus Fi plan, at $40 per line for 6 lines, offers even more impressive perks than those currently available from US carriers, including calls from the US to over 50+ destinations, unlimited data in over 200 countries, 100GB of Google One storage, and even a full year of YouTube Premium for new subscribers. While throttling is a possibility, my years of experience with Google Fi have been largely trouble-free.

For more insights, check out our guide to the best prepaid phone plans to discover even more options.