8 Best Wireless Phone Plans for Every Type of User

Because the wireless carriers are no longer subsidizing phone prices with most of their plans, buying a smartphone these days will cost you a pretty penny—especially if you want a top-of-the-line device.

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Because the wireless carriers are no longer subsidizing phone prices with most of their plans, buying a smartphone these days will cost you a pretty penny—especially if you want a top-of-the-line device. A full-price, 32GB iPhone 7 runs $649, for example, and a Samsung Galaxy S7 is at least $650, depending on the carrier. All of the major carriers let you split the cost into monthly payments over the course of two years or longer.

The good news? Forking over full price for a device means you’ll pay less for monthly service. And the carriers, both big and small, are competing for customers with enticing deals on their plans. We’ve highlighted wireless plans in several categories, based on the type you need. Prices do not include device payments, and data speed is the fastest 4G LTE, except where otherwise noted.

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Lisa Gerstner
Editor, Kiplinger Personal Finance magazine

Lisa has been the editor of Kiplinger Personal Finance since June 2023. Previously, she spent more than a decade reporting and writing for the magazine on a variety of topics, including credit, banking and retirement. She has shared her expertise as a guest on the Today Show, CNN, Fox, NPR, Cheddar and many other media outlets around the nation. Lisa graduated from Ball State University and received the school’s “Graduate of the Last Decade” award in 2014. A military spouse, she has moved around the U.S. and currently lives in the Philadelphia area with her husband and two sons.