作者彙整: Samuel Contreras

Nationwide 5G is more important than gigabit speeds

To build a 5G cell tower, you need a fiber optic internet connection, some 5G cell equipment, and something tall to stick the equipment to. The electronic components can be built offsite and shipped where they need to go but when it comes to actually building a tower, it can take a long time. Sub-6 5G can do more with fewer cell sites and make use of the towers a carrier already has. Sub-6 helps carriers improve the speed and consistency of mobile broadband much more quickly than is possible with a mmWave deployment.

Fast phone with 5G

Galaxy Note+10 5G

From $37 per month at T-Mobile

With support for Sub-6 and mmWave

Samsung’s Galaxy Note10+ combines support for all of T-Mobile’s 5G bands with a great camera and screen. Use the S-Pen and huge battery to make the most of your mobile network away from home.

What does Sub-6 and mmWave mean?

Millimeter wave, or mmWave, 5G is named in reference to the relatively short dista… 閱讀全文 →

Best answer: Yes, but Visible Swap only allows you to trade in any working Android phone for one of two budget smartphones. If you want a flagship, this isn’t the best choice.

Unlimited data on your smartphone: Visible ($40 per month at Visible)
Inexpensive but powerful: Google Pixel 3a ($349 at Amazon)

Any working Android phone

Visible Swap is a program that allows you to trade in any Android phone to Visible in exchange for a free budget phone. The phone must be working, and it must not be compatible with Visible already.

However, there are two important things to note. One other thing to consider is that Visible Swap is only available to new Visible customers. Second, if you have an old, but working Android phone, you will be able to trade it for either the Visible ZTE Blade A7 Prime or the Motorola Moto E6. Even though these aren’t the fastest phones around, they will still work for a lot of people. The Moto E6 has been recognized as a good value for a phone under $100 as… 閱讀全文 →

Larger network, more phones

Mint Mobile

From $15/month at Mint Mobile

Pros

Larger T-Mobile network
Unlimited talk and text on all plans
Hotspot included
Works with most unlocked phones
Save in bulk

Cons

Must buy in bulk
Data maxes at 12GB

Mint Mobile uses the strength of the T-Mobile network to provide a reasonable amount of data with great coverage and speed. You can save more money by buying several months at once but you must buy at least three months. Unfortunately, there is no option for users that need more than 12GB of data per month.

Custom plans, more data

Tello

From $5/month at Tello

Pros

Low prices
Tons of data options
Wide range of phones
Hotspot included

Cons

Smaller Sprint network
Fewer compatible phones

Tello has some of the best data prices anywhere with an unlimited (25GB) plan at a competitive $40 including hotspot and international calling options. While the Sprint network is slowly growing, coverage is still a weak point and withou… 閱讀全文 →

If you’re thinking of leaving AT&T’s prices behind but still like its coverage, then check out these alternative carriers.

A mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) is an “alternative carrier” that leases network coverage from one of the “Big Four” carriers (AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, Verizon). Much of the time, these carriers can offer cheaper service by targeting smaller markets or removing features that many people won’t need.

Thanks to the size and quality of AT&T’s 3G and LTE network as well as its support for most unlocked phones, AT&T is an easy choice for an MVNO.

You need to make sure that your phone has the following GSM bands to work with an AT&T-based MVNO. Alternatively, you can check your IMEI on the website of most of these carriers.

3G: 850, 1900Mhz
LTE: AWS, 700, 850, 1900Mhz

Here are the MVNOs powered by AT&T.

Airvoice Wireless
Altice Mobile
Beast Mobile
Black Wireless
Boom! Mobile
Consumer Cellular
Cricket Wireless
EasyGO
FreedomPop
Fre… 閱讀全文 →

Plan ahead

Mint Mobile

From $15 per month at Mint Mobile

Pros

Lots of data
Unlimited calls and texts
Compatible with most phones
Discounts in bulk

Cons

Must buy in bulk
Only one network

Buy in bulk to save money for service on T-Mobile’s network with Mint Mobile. Buy service with data in 3GB, 8GB, or 12GB chunks per month and save more when you buy more months in advance. Calls and texts are unlimited, and calling to Mexico and Canada is included.

Pay for what you use

Ting Mobile

From $6 per month at Ting Mobile

Pros

Pay only for what you use
Two networks to choose from
Cheap entry price

Cons

Gets expensive
Data prices

For a light user or a backup phone, it’s hard to find a lower barrier to entry than Ting. With Ting, you only pay for what you use, but the price can grow quickly with heavier use, especially with data. If you are using more than a few megabytes in a month, you lose value.

If you only use your phone for a few calls and texts per mo… 閱讀全文 →

A lot of people think of an MVNO as a carrier you get to just save money, but in the last few years these carriers have become a stronger choice even for heavy users. A data hungry user wants to have fast and reliable internet everywhere they go. There are more options than ever for unlimited MVNO data plans and the prices keep coming down as well. Our current favorite is Visible because of its simplicity compared to other carriers.

Best Overall: Visible

Visible keeps things simple like no other carrier. Besides being easy to understand, its service is rated highly, prices are competitive, and there are no service contracts. Utilizing Verizon’s LTE network, Visible has great coverage out of the gate. You should still check the coverage map to be sure.

Unlimited talk, text, and data are all included in the $40 per month price. Unlike some other unlimited plans, all of Visible’s data is LTE with download speeds around 5-12Mbps in most areas, which is more than enough for most HD s… 閱讀全文 →

There’s nothing quite like Google Fi when it comes to service and coverage. Not everyone needs all of the features Fi offers, and if you aren’t traveling internationally, the data can be quite pricey. If you’ve been looking to Google Fi for your phone service but don’t think it’s quite the right fit, here are some of the best alternatives you can get.

Best overall: Visible

Visible debuted in May 2018 as a new carrier powered by Verizon’s network, and at the time, we couldn’t thoroughly recommend it as it only supported iPhones. However, as of January 2019, Visible now works with Android!

For $40/month, Visible gives you unlimited talk, text, and LTE data on Verizon’s vast LTE network. Video streaming is limited to 480p, but you can use as much data as you’d like throughout the month.

That’s a good enough deal on its own, but Visible goes the extra mile by being about as customer-friendly as cell providers come. After ordering a SIM through its website, wait for it to be deliver… 閱讀全文 →

Everything you need to know about the next big thing when it comes to mobile broadband.

If you follow phones or technology, you’ve seen 5G popping up everywhere. New phones are listing 5G as a feature and carriers love to tell you that they have the best 5G, but what does 5G actually mean to a normal customer? For now, 5G means that if you live in just the right area and have just the right phone or hotspot, you can get a faster and more reliable phone connection that won’t bog down when the network is congested. Beyond that, it gets a bit more complicated.

The next step for mobile broadband

5G is spreading fast and for many people, it’s not quite what they expected. 5G refers to many different technologies with different implementations currently in the works. What a 5G connection actually means varies greatly between carriers but one thing it has in common across the board is the promise for better speed and capacity.

Technically speaking, 5G is the next generation of mobile br… 閱讀全文 →

Verizon’s network

Visible

$40/month at Visible

Pros

Unlimited talk, text, and data
Verizon’s LTE network
Free hotspot access
Taxes and fees included

Cons

Only works with select Android phones
No international support

Want access to Verizon’s incredible LTE network for a fraction of the cost? That’s what Visible brings to the table. For just $40/month all-in, you get unlimited talk, text, and LTE data. We love that hotspot usage is included at 5Mbps, but we aren’t fans of the limited support for Android phones. With a current promotion, you can try Visible for $25 for the first month.

Buy in bulk

Mint Mobile

From $15/month at Mint

Pros

Cheaper monthly rates
Lots of plans to choose from
Unlimited talk and text
Free hotspot access
Works with most unlocked phones

Cons

Coverage isn’t quite as good as Visible’s
No unlimited option

Mint Mobile uses T-Mobile to power its network, and while that means coverage isn’t quite as expansive, you get a lot of bang fo… 閱讀全文 →

Wi-Fi 6 was designed with the future of routers in mind. A router spends most of its time directing and managing network traffic to keep speeds high even with a ton of connections. As our homes get smarter, we have more connections than ever that need to check in consistently and reliably. Wi-Fi 6 then allows for more connections than ever and still manages to kick the speed up a notch. Wi-Fi 6 isn’t just for enthusiasts anymore and even in mesh, there is an option for nearly anyone, although the Arris SURFboard mAX Plus Mesh is our top pick for people who want top speeds.

Best Overall: Arris SURFboard mAX Plus Mesh AX7800

Despite having a silly way of capitalizing letters, the Arris SURFboard mAX Plus Mesh is a serious set of Wi-Fi 6 routers with a fast backhaul for top speeds. Arris has some experience in networking and you may recognize the Arris name from many modems and routers provided by ISPs.

Boasting support for AX7800 speeds, the Arris SURFboard series dedicates four d… 閱讀全文 →