Comparing AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon's unlimited 5G wireless plans for iPhone 12

AppleInsider · October 23, 2020 12:38PM

The three major US carriers all offer "unlimited" 5G plans for the many iPhone 12 owners set to enjoy faster speeds. AppleInsider cuts through the noise to compare plans and help you find the best wireless network for your new iPhone.

iPhone 5G wireless service plans compared

Keep in mind that "unlimited" has caveats. Every carrier plan includes the possibility of throttling your data to slower speeds after you reach a certain level of usage. Additionally, some plans have limits like lower-quality video streaming or slower hotspots after hitting a separate tethering cap. Each plan also discounts its per-line pricing when you add additional numbers to your plan.

The three carriers each have subscription-based extras to lure you towards their service and entice you into opting for a pricier tier. For example, T-Mobile bundles Netflix with some family plans, AT&T uses HBO to lure you in, and Verizon adds Disney services and Apple Music to its most expensive package.

Let's take a look at each network's options and the extras that go along with them to help you pick the best plan for your new iPhone 12.

AT&T for iPhone 12

AT&T offers 5G in both standard (sub-6GHz) and mmWave, which it calls "5G+", in select cities. The network gives you the choice of three "Unlimited" plans that all include 5G access.

The highest-tier plan, at $85/month for one line, is called Unlimited Elite. It offers 100GB of data before possibly throttling down to much slower 2G speeds. That is the highest total of any of the carriers' plans, so this may be the best choice if you stream loads of content on the go.

AT&T takes advantage of its purchase of Warner Media, including an HBO Max subscription in this highest-tier bundle. Unlimited Elite is also AT&T's only plan with HD streaming. The other two plans are limited to standard-definition (SD) video streams.

AT&T	Throttle After	Hotspot Data	Video	1 Line	5+ Lines
Unlimited Elite	100GB	30GB	HD	$85	$45 each
Unlimited Extra	50GB	15GB	SD	$75	$35 each
Unlimited Starter	Anytime	N/A	SD	$65	$30 each

Unlimited Extra is AT&T's middle tier, offering 50GB of data before possible throttling. At $10 cheaper than Unlimited Elite, this middle-ground plan makes other concessions like a lower hotspot cap (15GB vs. 30GB), SD video, and no HBO.

Unlimited Starter is AT&T's cheapest 5G plan, and it has significant caveats. The carrier reserves the right to throttle your data to 2G speeds at any time based on network congestion. While this may not cause concern in more rural areas, that plan isn't wise for anyone living in or near cities.

Unlimited Starter also doesn't offer any hotspot data or the Advanced Mobile Security, which includes spam and fraud call blocking, safe browsing, and identity monitoring that the other two plans include. It's a little cheaper at $65/month for one line but is too great a compromise for urbanites who need reliably fast data speeds.

Verizon for iPhone 12

Verizon has four pricing tiers for its "Unlimited" 5G plans. It's the most expensive of the three carriers, though not by a wide margin.

Verizon calls its premium tier Get More Unlimited, costing $90/month for one line. The plan supports both sub-6GHz 5G ("5G Nationwide") and mmWave 5G ("5G UltraWideband") where supported. On this plan, Verizon may throttle your data to 3G speeds after 50GB of high-speed usage.

The carrier includes 30GB of 5G or LTE hotspot tethering in its most expensive plan. It adds a Disney Bundle, including subscriptions to Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+. Verizon also throws in an Apple Music subscription and 600GB of Verizon Cloud, its phone-backup service. However, iPhone owners may find it easier to stick with Apple's integrated iCloud backups.

Verizon	Throttle After	Hotspot Data	Video	1 Line	5+ Lines
Get More Unlimited	50GB	30GB	HD	$90	$50 each
Do More Unlimited	50GB	15GB	HD	$80	$40 each
Play More Unlimited	50GB	15GB	HD	$80	$40 each
Start Unlimited	anytime	N/A	SD	$70	$30 each

Verizon's next two tiers cost the same ($80 for one line) but accentuate different perks. Do More Unlimited and Play More Unlimited each offer 50GB of data use before possible tethering. Do More Unlimited prioritizes Verizon Cloud (600GB), and 50% off tablets, hotspot devices, and smartwatches. Meanwhile, Play More Unlimited replaces those perks with a Disney bundle subscription.

Verizon's entry-level plan, Start Unlimited, rings up at $70 for one line. Like the other entry-level plans, it may revert to throttled speeds at any time, so avoid this option if you want reliable data speeds. It also doesn't include mmWave 5G, though Verizon will add that for an extra $10/month. Start Unlimited doesn't include any hotspot data, and its subscription add-ons (Apple Music and Disney+) are only six-month trials.

T-Mobile for iPhone 12

After completing its Sprint purchase this year, T-Mobile is the last of the three major US carriers. The company offers three pricing tiers for 5G service: Magenta Plus, Magenta, and Essentials. Unlike the other carriers, T-Mobile includes taxes and fees in its prices and may end up being a better deal than would appear at first glance.

Magenta Plus costs $85 for one line and will possibly throttle data after 50GB of use. In this plan, T-Mobile includes HD video streaming, 20GB of hotspot data (reverting to 3G after that), a Netflix subscription (standard, two HD screens) for family plans, 5GB of LTE in Canada and Mexico, and Gogo in-flight texting and Wi-Fi.

T-Mobile	Throttle After	Hotspot Data	Video	1 Line	5+ Lines
Magenta Plus	50GB	20GB	HD	$85	$40 each
Magenta	50GB	3GB	SD	$70	$32 each
Essentials	anytime	N/A	SD	$60	$27 each

The Magenta tier offers $70 for one line and has the same 50GB cap before throttling. It only offers SD video streaming, drops the hotspot cap to 3GB before throttling, and offers a lower-tier Netflix subscription (basic, one SD screen).

The Essentials plan costs $60 for one line and doesn't include any 5G or LTE hotspot data. Like AT&T's and Verizon's, T-Mobile's cheapest plan also may throttle data any time networks become congested, making it another poor choice for city dwellers.

Which do you choose?

None of this makes any difference if you can't get a 5G signal. Signal reception is the most critical factor in your decision, so be sure to check each carrier's coverage maps, including 5G rollouts, before making a decision. If you're able, asking friends in your area what their real-world coverage is like or borrowing their devices to do speed tests would give you an even better perspective.

Verizon has the best rural sub-mmWave coverage, so if you're far from a city, that alone may settle your decision. Carriers prioritize urban and suburban areas for 5G towers, and, regardless of carrier, the fastest speeds will reach less-populated areas much more slowly.

While indoors, you will almost never see the faster speeds that mmWave can deliver. But, the 5G network can have some routing improvements leading to faster real-world speeds, in good conditions.

Faster 5G speeds will mean eating through data more quickly. While 50GB is more than enough for most people, you may consider the 100GB in AT&T's most-expensive plan if you worry about passing that. As we saw in our individual-carrier breakdowns, none of the plans offer truly unlimited high-speed data.

Here's a look at the data caps before each plan is subject to throttled speeds. Blank lines mean they can lower your speeds at any time.

If you plan on using your iPhone 12 as a personal hotspot for other devices, those limits may weigh into your decision as well. Verizon and AT&T offer more hotspot data with their premium plans, though T-Mobile provides an extra 10GB for an additional $10/month. None of the providers include hotspot data on their cheapest tiers.

The media-subscription add-ons for each plan are also worth considering. For example, if you're a Verizon customer who already subscribes to Disney+ and Hulu, bundling them with your phone plan may end up being worth it. However, if you're considering these options, take a moment to add up what those subscriptions would cost separately and weigh that against a pricier phone bill.

Carriers will discount extra lines on your plan, with the cost of each dropping more with each additional line. Families will save money if they have all of their lines on the same carrier through a single account.

5G is a moving target, as carriers only started rolling out their next-gen networks within the last two years. All three providers regularly add more areas to their 5G maps, and their coverage may look quite different when we revisit this comparison for the iPhone 13.

goodbyeranch · October 23, 2020 1:28PM

I prepay mint $300 then never think about it again for another year. Cant justify another $900 for mobile service and a $1000 for a 5g phone on top of the $800 i pay per year for Wifi for my Mac, iPad and work PC. No thanks. It all adds up very very quickly.

GeorgeBMac · October 23, 2020 2:32PM

goodbyeranch said:

I prepay mint $300 then never think about it again for another year. Cant justify another $900 for mobile service and a $1000 for a 5g phone on top of the $800 i pay per year for Wifi for my Mac, iPad and work PC. No thanks. It all adds up very very quickly.

Yep!

It all comes down to cost benefit. Or it should.

My first career was a cost accountant and cost analyst and a big part of the job was doing cost analysis of new products and equipment -- was it worth it?

My second career was a systems analyst (mostly in the financial area) and while cost vs benefit was never a biggee, make vs buy always was.

My third career was a psych nurse working with mentally ill people living in the community and the benefit for those patients taking the drugs (i.e., some level of sanity) was constantly being compared to the 'cost' of the nasty side effects they generated.

But, when it comes to electronics people tend to just jump for the latest and greatest.

For myself, I refuse to pay a grand or two for a PC. The one I'm typing on now cost $200 (used) and works as well and in some ways better than those costing 5 or 10 times more.

Likewise, my car is now 21 years old. But it not only runs perfectly but no reasonably priced new car will provide me with anything that my old one doesn't already do. True, its not as shiny and doesn't have a modern look. But, functionally a new one simply wouldn't provide me with anything more than it already does.

.... So, I'll save that money for other things and for when I really need it.

neoncat · October 23, 2020 2:35PM

Whew, I had no idea the monthly costs had gone up so much. These prices are nutso. I knew VZW and ATT were stupid expensive (which is why I left ATT years ago, among many reasons), but TMob used to be really cheap—I have an older plan on TMob with all the same specs/limits as Magenta Plus (but no Netflix subscription—whooptido), two lines, $72 a month. All included. I already confirmed with their (very nice) customer service that I can keep that plan even if I upgrade to a 5G phone.

I feel for people who only need one line on any of these plans, they're getting screwed.

GeorgeBMac · October 23, 2020 2:52PM

goodbyeranch said:

I prepay mint $300 then never think about it again for another year. Cant justify another $900 for mobile service and a $1000 for a 5g phone on top of the $800 i pay per year for Wifi for my Mac, iPad and work PC. No thanks. It all adds up very very quickly.

Interesting that my T-Mobil plan for old farts (55 & over) does not include 5G. To get 5G I'd have to switch to a standard plan at a substantial increase: 2 lines on my old farts plan costs $55 a month but the regular "essential" plan that includes 5G would cost $90 - almost 2/3's more!

But, to be fair, the 55 plan was always cheaper so not all of that could be tied directly to 5G. But for me, it would still be a substantial increase.

scottjd · October 23, 2020 3:05PM

GeorgeBMac said:

goodbyeranch said:

I prepay mint $300 then never think about it again for another year. Cant justify another $900 for mobile service and a $1000 for a 5g phone on top of the $800 i pay per year for Wifi for my Mac, iPad and work PC. No thanks. It all adds up very very quickly.

Interesting that my T-Mobil plan for old farts (55 & over) does not include 5G. To get 5G I'd have to switch to a standard plan at a substantial increase: 2 lines on my old farts plan costs $55 a month but the regular "essential" plan that includes 5G would cost $90 - almost 2/3's more!

But, to be fair, the 55 plan was always cheaper so not all of that could be tied directly to 5G. But for me, it would still be a substantial increase.

I would think T-mobile would allow 5G on the 55 and over plan since they rolled it out first on the sub frequency that should improve coverage in rural areas. If not for the speed, at least make sure the 55+ plus plan has good service coverage with 5G for these people to have service and make calls when needed. After all they agreed to increase rural area coverage as part fo the sprint merger. I guess I will find out if the coverage with sub 5G is better sometime today since I am in that rural area.

GeorgeBMac · October 23, 2020 3:41PM

scottjd said:

GeorgeBMac said:

goodbyeranch said:

I prepay mint $300 then never think about it again for another year. Cant justify another $900 for mobile service and a $1000 for a 5g phone on top of the $800 i pay per year for Wifi for my Mac, iPad and work PC. No thanks. It all adds up very very quickly.

Interesting that my T-Mobil plan for old farts (55 & over) does not include 5G. To get 5G I'd have to switch to a standard plan at a substantial increase: 2 lines on my old farts plan costs $55 a month but the regular "essential" plan that includes 5G would cost $90 - almost 2/3's more!

But, to be fair, the 55 plan was always cheaper so not all of that could be tied directly to 5G. But for me, it would still be a substantial increase.

I would think T-mobile would allow 5G on the 55 and over plan since they rolled it out first on the sub frequency that should improve coverage in rural areas. If not for the speed, at least make sure the 55+ plus plan has good service coverage with 5G for these people to have service and make calls when needed. After all they agreed to increase rural area coverage as part fo the sprint merger. I guess I will find out if the coverage with sub 5G is better sometime today since I am in that rural area.

I had thought so too. And maybe it is. But it is not listed for the plan on their website like it is for their regular plans

red oak · October 23, 2020 3:50PM

What a hot mess. 5G coverage is a promise, not a reality. The built-out that has to happen to provide 80%+ geo coverage is unreal. It is going to take 10+ years

All these plans need to come down 25% in price. There is going to be a huge chicken and egg issue here and it could potentially stall the whole market

I watched the Verizon CEO interview on CNBC. He would not even answer the repeat question of when 5G would have wide coverage. Literally danced around that direct question for 5 mins. WTF

libertyforall · October 23, 2020 4:16PM

This article is myopic because it doesn’t integrate cost options from MVNOs like Comcast‘s Xfinity mobile! Their unlimited is sub $48/mo waxes/fees out the door...

seouleagle · October 23, 2020 4:30PM

When changing plans to the 5G plans, check to see if you get any benefits/savings. I upgraded to the AT&T Unlimited Elite plan, instead of $85 per phone, I pay $56.50 per phone because I get the military veteran discount with AutoPay on my service. Something to look into while you are researching the possibilities of change.

Mike Wuerthele · October 23, 2020 4:44PM

libertyforall said:

This article is myopic because it doesn’t integrate cost options from MVNOs like Comcast‘s Xfinity mobile! Their unlimited is sub $48/mo waxes/fees out the door...

This article sets out to do exactly what it has done. While we keep an eye on them, we don't generally include MVNO options in pieces like this, because they change by the minute, can change geographically, and often have different carrier prioritizations for traffic than the parent network. We also (intentionally) didn't integrate bundles from the carrier, like Verizon FiOS and Verizon wireless.

For instance, while we did find your $47.75 offer in one geographic region, the same Comcast Xfinity mobile unlimited is $64 a month and $71 a month in two other regions that we spot-checked earlier today.

JMStearnsX2 · October 23, 2020 4:56PM

Mike Wuerthele said:

libertyforall said:

This article is myopic because it doesn’t integrate cost options from MVNOs like Comcast‘s Xfinity mobile! Their unlimited is sub $48/mo waxes/fees out the door...

This article sets out to do exactly what it has done. While we keep an eye on them, we don't generally include MVNO options in pieces like this, because they change by the minute, can change geographically, and often have different carrier prioritizations for traffic than the parent network. We also (intentionally) didn't integrate bundles from the carrier, like Verizon FiOS and Verizon wireless.

For instance, while we did find your $47.75 offer in one geographic region, the same Comcast Xfinity mobile unlimited is $64 a month and $71 a month in two other regions that we spot-checked earlier today.

*Mic drop*

curtis hannah · October 23, 2020 5:39PM

All T-Mobile plans that customers have will have 5G automatically included and many of them are much cheaper(about $40-50 a line in most cases). Switching to T-Mobile years ago was a blessing.

tshapi · October 23, 2020 5:43PM

neon-cat said:

Whew, I had no idea the monthly costs had gone up so much. These prices are nutso. I knew VZW and ATT were stupid expensive (which is why I left ATT years ago, among many reasons), but TMob used to be really cheap—I have an older plan on TMob with all the same specs/limits as Magenta Plus (but no Netflix subscription—whooptido), two lines, $72 a month. All included. I already confirmed with their (very nice) customer service that I can keep that plan even if I upgrade to a 5G phone.

I feel for people who only need one line on any of these plans, they're getting screwed.

Until you’ve actually upgraded. I would assume they may try to make you upgrade to a 5G plan for a 5G phone.

I am on a promo plan, I pay about $100 for two lines with most of these same perks. I’ve been on this plan for years. I am currently using an 2017 iPhone X, no reason to change yet. Iphone 12 isn’t as tempting if my phone bill will increase by 50%

Mike Wuerthele · October 23, 2020 6:54PM

JMStearnsX2 said:

Mike Wuerthele said:

libertyforall said:

This article is myopic because it doesn’t integrate cost options from MVNOs like Comcast‘s Xfinity mobile! Their unlimited is sub $48/mo waxes/fees out the door...

This article sets out to do exactly what it has done. While we keep an eye on them, we don't generally include MVNO options in pieces like this, because they change by the minute, can change geographically, and often have different carrier prioritizations for traffic than the parent network. We also (intentionally) didn't integrate bundles from the carrier, like Verizon FiOS and Verizon wireless.

For instance, while we did find your $47.75 offer in one geographic region, the same Comcast Xfinity mobile unlimited is $64 a month and $71 a month in two other regions that we spot-checked earlier today.

*Mic drop*

It's not so much that, as it is just an assessment of the reality of the situation. There are so many MVNOs and so many special offers that come and go, based on subscriber status and so forth, the only thing we can really discuss is "retail" pricing of plans.

B-Mc-C · October 23, 2020 7:09PM

As someone else mentioned, you really have to be on a family plan for these to make sense. I recently merged my single line onto my family’s plan and switched them to AT&T Unlimited Elite, which is advertised at $45 per line if you have 5 lines, and drops by $10 per line with a corporate discount. Additionally the loyalty department gave us a $5 per line per month discount in perpetuity, making it just $30 per line per month, for their best plan, with 100GB of 5G per line and 30GB of mobile hotspot, insane! Each of us also just got a free iPhone 12 trading in old iPhone 8’s that were only worth $100 otherwise, though I opted for the Pro for just under $10 bucks a month extra. Nobody is talking about what a lucrative trade-in promo AT&T is offering right now!

jdb8167 · October 23, 2020 7:26PM

Since I have an iPhone 12 Pro coming this afternoon, I decided to check on T-Mobile's 5G in my town (I don't really care if it is available but it's interesting.)

Wow, is the coverage weird. There are many tiny areas that claim 5G with either a weak or strong signal. There seems to be no particular reason why one of these small areas gets 5G and the surrounding areas don't. Some relatively small towns seem to get good 5G coverage while other much larger areas are missing. This could be because the location is on a major highway but not all larger towns on the same highway get 5G.

Obviously this will get better through 2021-2022 but it seems almost completely random at the moment.

6502 · October 23, 2020 7:43PM

I'll stick with Cricket and $100/mo. for 4 lines.

flyingdp · October 23, 2020 7:53PM

curtis hannah said:

All T-Mobile plans that customers have will have 5G automatically included and many of them are much cheaper(about $40-50 a line in most cases). Switching to T-Mobile years ago was a blessing.

I went to our local T-Mobile store and asked about 5G access on the 55+ plan. The sales rep told me it would have 5G. When I pointed out that none of their information specifically mentions 5G on that plan, but does state it on their other plans, she said she was "pretty sure" it is on all plans.

This is all so new I think even the employees are unsure of access/coverage.

GeorgeBMac · October 23, 2020 8:26PM

curtis hannah said:

All T-Mobile plans that customers have will have 5G automatically included and many of them are much cheaper(about $40-50 a line in most cases). Switching to T-Mobile years ago was a blessing.

Perhaps, but as I mentioned above, their website does not list 5G as part of their 55+ plan for old farts. They probably figure that we're still just trying to get email working.

GeorgeBMac · October 23, 2020 8:31PM

I wonder, if you have, say, a T-Mobile plan, can it roam onto a Verizon or AT&T 5G network?

If so, and assuming that there is no charge, then why not just go with the cheapest carrier?

Comparing AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon's unlimited 5G wireless plans for iPhone 12

AT&T for iPhone 12

Verizon for iPhone 12

T-Mobile for iPhone 12

Which do you choose?

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