Prepaid IPhone Plans

Many people find the rigid structure and bloated fee structure of typical cell phone contract plans to be less than ideal for their budgets and phone usage habits. Prepaid phone plans are generally more affordable, and it is easy to tailor them to specific usage needs. Prepaid plans have long been easy to use with basic cell phones, but luckily there are now great prepaid options available for iPhone users as well. Several major phone providers now offer prepaid plans for the iPhone, including T-Mobile, AT&T, Straight Talk, Virgin Mobile, Cricket, H2O, Net 10, Verizon, and Boost Mobile.

There are two basic types of prepaid iPhone plans: plans that have a set monthly rate that includes unlimited usage and plans with set rates for different levels of usage. Those who use their iPhones constantly for calls, text, and data (use of applications, email, internet, etc.) will likely want to choose the plans that include unlimited usage of everything. These plans have higher fees, typically starting at around $50 per month. It is also important to note that all of these plans include what is known as data throttling, wherein after reaching a set amount of data usage in a month, your data speeds will be slowed down. Those without a need for unlimited usage can select plans based on how much they need each of the three elements of iPhone usage – talk, text, and data. For example, there are plans available with unlimited talk and text but only a small amount of data. There are also plans with set amounts of talk but unlimited texts and data. These plans can be as cheap as $25 a month and most plans are somewhere in the $25-50 range.

In addition to usage needs, those seeking prepaid iPhone plans absolutely must consider the coverage differences available for their area and their travel needs. Each of the providers has a different coverage area and each provider has different areas with very limited coverage. If iPhone usage will be very localized, it makes sense to go with a provider with strong coverage in that area; if the iPhone user travels frequently or plans to use the iPhone in a variety of locales, it is important to choose a provider who has at least adequate coverage in all areas.