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Phone Plans

The Best Cell Phone Plans of 2023 to Bring in the New Year

By
Sara Nuss
March 29, 2023

There are a ton of cell phone plans out there to take advantage of. Whether you’re looking for something that is great for international use, a plan that best suits your family, or even if you just need a plan for yourself, there are many plans available.

Main image courtesy of State Farm

Trying to conjure up a list of necessities for your cell phone plan is important, because you’ve got to know what you need to have on your plan. Once you have your list of features you need, coming up with a price point is next, but what carrier should you choose from? Should you go with a large carrier plan, or a prepaid one?

There are many questions to consider when choosing a cell phone, but if you’re looking for the best plans, make sure to check out these notable ones that are great to start off your 2023 right!

If you want to switch cell phone carriers, then consider looking into Really to help you with all of your phone services needs! At Really, you can compare phone plans to get more bang for your buck, and you can see what carriers and plans are in your area, sort by price, best value and more, and even click on the plan you wish to learn more about in an instant. 

How to Pick the Right Cell Phone Plan For You

Picking a cell phone plan is something we all need to do, but knowing how to choose one with everything you need on it is crucial!

There are many cell phone plans to choose from and knowing what features you need and your budget can help make this decision. Image courtesy of Business Insider

Selecting a cell phone plan is a huge decision because you want to make sure that you like your plan enough and it’s  the price that you want to pay each month. There are many factors to consider when getting a new cell phone plan, but it’s important to know what these are to make sure you’re not skipping over something important. 

How Many Lines Do You Need?

One of the first and most important questions to consider before getting a cell phone plan is to know how many lines you need for your plan. 

When you choose how many lines that you need in your new cell phone plan, it’s important to see if you can customize each line. Maybe someone in your family needs more data than you, or if one person travels a ton, it’s important to make sure that they have access to data, calling, and texting on the go. It’s also important to note that the more lines that you have on your plan, the more money that you can save through most carriers. 

New Cell Phone or Bring Your Own

Another essential thing to consider with any cell phone plan is knowing whether or not you need to get a new cell phone, or if you should bring your current cell phone to your new carrier. While getting a new cell phone can be a great decision, it can ultimately cost you more on your plan, by adding a new monthly fee on top of what you already pay.

If your current cell phone still holds a significant battery life, hasn’t slowed down, and can still download  the latest software, your current phone is worth hanging onto for a little while longer. There are many cell phone plans that will allow you to bring your current phone onto your new plan, but it’s important to make sure that it’s fully paid off and unlocked with your previous carrier first. 

Understand What Each Plan Offers

There are many cell phone plans to sign up for, but it’s important to make sure that you’re reading what is offered on each, including the fine print. For example, there are many plans that include any taxes and fees in the price that you see online, but there are many other carriers that don’t show this until you’re signing a contract or completing your setup for a prepaid plan.

Knowing what comes with your plan is crucial to know before selecting your plan too. Most plans already include unlimited talk and text, but knowing if you get a set data allotment, or unlimited plan is important to check too. There are also many other features including free international talk and text to Canada and Mexico, entertainment perks, and even mobile hotspots that are included in some plans, but not others. 

Consider the Coverage in Your Area 

If you are living in the United States, it’s important to check out what cell phone network operates best in your area. The big three cell phone carriers are Verizon Wireless, AT&T, and T-Mobile, and there are many mobile virtual network operators, or MVNOs that use these networks too. Knowing the one that provides the best service and coverage in your area is crucial.

You may be wondering how you can check and see which network works best in your area, and yes, there’s an easy way to do this. By looking at a coverage map, you can type in your address, or the area you live in to get an idea of what carrier to choose. 

Figure Out How Much Data That You Need

Most cell phone plans include unlimited talk and text, but do you need unlimited data? While many people opt for unlimited data plans, you could actually be overpaying for this. For example, an average person uses 6GB of their unlimited data plan each month, so maybe you should only be paying for a plan that gives you 6GB per month.

If you think that an unlimited plan would be too much for you, especially if your cell phone plan only consists of you, then getting a set data allotment is the best alternative to check out. Depending on the carrier, you can get plans with as little as 1GB per month up to 50GB per month, but what you can do is gauge how much data you are currently using to learn what kind of plan to get. 

The Best Cell Phone Plans of 2023

Finding a cell phone plan shouldn’t be difficult with these top plans of 2023!

There are a ton of cell phone plans out there, from large carriers, to prepaid plans that can save you money. Image courtesy of Frommer’s.

It can be difficult to find the right cell phone plan that fits all of your needs and your budget. You may be wondering what some of the best cell phone plans are that have a good price, international benefits, or even extra features t.

Interested in checking out new cell phone plans like we are? Here are some of the best cell phone plans of 2023 that you need!

Mint Mobile

One of the best regarded cell phone carriers currently out there is Mint Mobile because of their affordable prices and remarkable service and coverage. This MVNO uses T-Mobile’s network and offers prepaid plans that you or your family can sign up for.

A cell phone plan is not complete unless it has some of the best benefits that you can take advantage of:

  • Unlimited talk and text
  • Set data allotment plans or unlimited plans offered
  • Three-month, six-month, or year-long plans available
  • T-Mobile’s nationwide 5G coverage
  • High-speed 5G data 
  • Free calling to Mexico and Canada
  • Free 3-in-1 SIM card included when you sign up
  • Free mobile hotspot included in all plans
  • Wi-Fi calling and texting
  • Keep your current phone or buy a new one
  • Keep your current phone number or get a new one
  • Keep your contacts, photos, and apps when you switch plans
  • Mint Mobile app available to make payments and more

Make sure to check out some of the set data allotment or unlimited plans that Mint Mobile offers:

  • $15 per line per month for unlimited talk, text, and 4GB of data
  • $20 per line per month for unlimited talk, text, and 10GB of data
  • $25 per line per month for unlimited talk, text, and 15GB of data
  • $30 per line per month for unlimited talk, text, and data

AT&T

If you want an affordable large carrier plan, then AT&T is one of the best ones to get. Offering some of the fastest 5G data speeds, especially in major cities, you’ll have no issues making phone calls, texting, and using your high-speed data no matter where you’re at. AT&T also offers some of the most affordable cell phone plans out of all three large carriers.

AT&T offer a ton of features on all of their plans:

  • Unlimited talk, text, and data
  • 50GB of premium 5G high-speed data and then slower unlimited data afterwards
  • AT&T’s incredible 5G nationwide service and coverage
  • AT&T ActiveArmor which protects you while using public Wi-Fi, Identity Monitoring, and more
  • 15GB of a mobile hotspot available per line 
  • Unlimited international talk, text, and data in Canada and Mexico
  • Unlimited texting from the United States to 200+ countries
  • Standard definition streaming included

AT&T has plans that are listed at great prices, and they also make the perfect family plan too:

  • AT&T Unlimited Starter Plan - $65 per line per month for unlimited talk, text, data, and 3GB of a mobile hotspot
  • AT&T Unlimited Extra Plan - $75 per line per month for unlimited talk, text, data, and 15G of a mobile hotspot
  • AT&T Unlimited Premium Plan - $85 per line per month for unlimited talk, text, data, and 50G of a mobile hotspot

Tello

If you are looking for an MVNO that has some of the most affordable prices out of any cell phone carrier, then Tello is the best for you. Tello is an MVNO that offers no contract plans, and they also use T-Mobile’s incredibly fast 5G nationwide coverage while charging as little as $10 per month for a plan. 

Tello has a lot of remarkable cell phone features that you will enjoy:

  • T-Mobile’s fast high-speed 5G nationwide service and coverage
  • 4G LTE and 5G speeds available depending on your cell phone
  • Unlimited texting available on all plans
  • Free mobile hotspot included on all data plans
  • Can use minutes in over 60+ international countries
  • Plans automatically renew every thirty days
  • No contract prepaid plans
  • Can cancel at any time with no early termination fees
  • Can upgrade or downgrade plan at any time with no extra fees
  • Wi-Fi calling available
  • Bring your own cell phone and number
  • Buy smartphone if needed through online store
  • Incredible customer service

There are many cell phone plans that Tello offers its customers, but let’s take a look at some of their more popular ones:

  • $10 per line per month for unlimited talk, text, and 1GB of data
  • $14 per line per month for unlimited talk, text, and 2GB of data
  • $19 per line per month for unlimited talk, text, and 5GB of data
  • $24 per line per month for unlimited talk, text, and 10GB of data
  • $29 per line per month for unlimited talk, text, and data

Visible

Another great cell phone carrier that you will love if you’re a fan of the service and coverage that Verizon Wireless has is through their MVNO, Visible. Visible is a popular MVNO that uses Verizon’s service and coverage and is known for being one of the best family plans you can get because of how affordable it is.

Visible offers a ton of features on their cell phone plans that can include the following:

  • Unlimited talk, text, and data
  • 4G LTE or 5G nationwide coverage
  • Unlimited mobile hotspot
  • Spam protection
  • Unlimited talk and text to Mexico and Canada
  • 5G ultra wideband on their most expensive plan
  • Unlimited roaming in Mexico and Canada on most expensive plan
  • International calling and texting to 30+ countries
  • International texting to 200+ countries
  • 24/7 access to customer service
  • Add a smartwatch for and extra $5 per month
  • No hidden fees 

Selecting a cell phone plan through Visible is super easy since they have two main plans to choose from:

  • Visible Plan - $30 per month for unlimited talk, text, data, mobile hotspot, and 4G LTE and 5G nationwide coverage
  • Visible+ Plan - $45 per month for unlimited talk, text, data, mobile hotspot, 4G LTE and 5G nationwide coverage, 5G ultra wideband, and premium network experience

T-Mobile Magenta 

T-Mobile is one of the best large carriers, and their Magenta plans are among the most popular to choose for 2023. T-Mobile’s Magenta plans are great for international use with all of the out-of-country features that you can get, and all of their plans have unlimited data too.

From benefits for people who travel, to 5G unlimited data, T-Mobile offers features that include:

  • Unlimited talk, text, and data
  • Truly unlimited 5G data on all plans
  • International calling to Canada and Mexico
  • Up to 40GB of a mobile hotspot
  • Nationwide 4G LTE and/or 5G high-speed data
  • Taxes and fees included in monthly price
  • Exceptional customer service
  • Bring your own cell phone and number
  • Entertainment perks
  • Scam shield to protect you against scammers
  • T-Mobile Tuesdays for exclusive perks
  • Travel benefits

T-Mobile offers a few different cell phone plans that are great for individuals or even families too:

  • Essentials Plan - $60 per month for four-lines for unlimited talk, text, data, and mobile hotspot
  • Essentials Four Line Plan - $100 per month for up to six-lines for unlimited talk, text, data, and mobile hotspot
  • Magenta Plan  - $70 per month for four-lines for unlimited talk, text, data, mobile hotspot and 100GB of premium data
  • Magenta MAX Plan - $85 per month for four-lines for unlimited talk, text, data, 40GB of premium high-speed mobile hotspot, 100GB of premium data, and Netflix

Choosing a cell phone plan shouldn’t be difficult, especially when you know the top plans of 2023. From plans that have affordable monthly prices, feature unlimited data, or even travel benefits, there is a plan out there that can fit anyone.

Consider getting one of the top cell phone plans of 2023 today!

compare phone plans and save up to 80%

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Sara Nuss
Sara Nuss is a journalist from Pittsburgh, PA that specializes in wireless, dewi, phone plan advice & blockchain.
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