Picking the best wireless plan

Plus: Apple's new iPhones, instant file transfers, and three reasons to try iOS 16.

  Jared Newman  |  September 13, 2022  | Read online

We've just entered new iPhone season, which means it's once again an ideal time to reevaluate your wireless carrier.

As in years past, Verizon, T-Mobile, and AT&T all want to lock in your business, offering free iPhones (or competing Android flagships) in exchange for multi-year service agreements. But with so many unlimited data plans on offer—and various interpretations of what "unlimited" means, exactly—choosing between them isn't easy.

So I've tried to do most of the work for you.

Over at the Advisorator website, I've just published a new guide, entitled "How to pick a data plan." There you'll find a detailed plan comparison chart for all the major carriers, along with a few things you need to know before casting your lot with them.

Longtime readers know that this chart isn't new, but a few things have changed since last year's revisions:

  • Verizon now offers six (!) unlimited data plans, up from four in 2021, including a new Apple-centric offering that debuted last week.
  • T-Mobile and Verizon are now pushing 5G home internet more aggressively, so I've added a section comparing home and wireless internet bundles.
  • All three carriers have been retooling their free perks for subscribers, so I've tried to make the chart clearer about what's available.

The data plan comparison is part of a growing collection of guides that I've published on the Advisorator website. Check out the full article—or jump straight to the comparison chart itself—and please let me know if it leaves any questions unanswered.

As for free iPhones, you'll find a rundown of all those deals in the "Spend Wisely" section below.

New iPhones and more

So what exactly did Apple announce last week? A quick summary:

iPhone 14 and 14 Plus:

  • The iPhone Mini is dead. But now you can get a 6.7-inch display without splurging on an iPhone Pro Max.
  • Improvements this year include better battery life, a larger rear camera sensor, an improved auto-focus mechanism on the front camera, and satellite connectivity for for emergency use only.
  • The starting price remains $799, while the Plus costs $100 more, and you can pre-order them both now.

iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max:

  • Instead of the front camera notch, there's a pill-shaped cutout whose surrounding display expands to show notifications—a feature Apple calls "Dynamic Island."
  • Other additions include an always-on display for glancing at your lock screen without having to tap on it, a 48-megapixel rear camera (up from 12 megapixels previously), and a faster A16 Bionic chip.
  • Pricing starts at $999 for the iPhone 14 Pro and $1,099 for the Pro Max. They're both shipping on September 16 and up for pre-order now.

New AirPods Pro:

  • Rumors of a stemless design didn't pan out, as Apple's second-gen noise cancelling earbuds look similar to the first.
  • They have better sound quality, more effective noise cancellation, an extra hour of battery life (six instead of five), a touch-sensitive strip for volume control, and the ability to reduce background noise in Transparency Mode.
  • They still cost $249, but I'd suggest holding out for deals given how often the previous AirPods went on sale.

Apple Watches:

  • The Apple Watch Ultra is Apple's long-rumored, ruggedized smartwatch, with a 48mm titanium enclosure, a scratch-resistant sapphire crystal display, a more accurate GPS, a 36-hour battery, water resistance up to 100m, and a larger digital crown. It costs $799 and starts shipping on September 23.
  • The Apple Watch Series 8 looks the same as the Series 7, but includes a faster processor and a temperature sensor, with Apple touting ovulation cycle tracking a a key feature. It still starts at $399, and I still suggest waiting for deals.
  • The Apple Watch SE has a faster processor and—more importantly—a $30 price cut to $249, as Apple is finally discontinuing the Series 3 after five years.

Anything else? Not yet, but the rumor mill still expects an iPad- and Mac-centric event next month.

Tip of the moment

Reasons to try iOS 16: Apple released iOS 16 on Monday, so unless you're feeling skittish about buggy software, you can download the update under Settings > General > Software update.

Why bother? The most notable feature is the ability to edit and undo iMessages, which you can do by long-pressing whatever you've just sent, then hitting the "Edit" or "Undo Send" buttons. Just note that the latter has a two-minute takeback window, and anyone who's not running iOS 16 can still see what you've undone. Also, your edit history is visible to the recipient no matter what.

Voice dictation also gets an overhaul, automatically inserting commas, periods, and even question marks based on your inflection. You can also tap anywhere in your text to make changes without leaving dictation mode, and if you're dictating a message with Siri, you can say things like "smile with sunglasses emoji" to enter it 😎 with just your voice.

Lastly, you can now set up widgets and background graphics on the lock screen. Long-press anywhere on the screen, then hit the Customize or + buttons to start setting things up. I previously wrote a guide on making the most of this feature over at FastCo.

I look forward to exploring more of iOS 16 in the weeks ahead, but you can check out Apple's full list of feature updates in the meantime.

Now try this

Fling your files around: Need to quickly move some files between two computers on the same Wi-Fi network? Install Payload on both devices, drag in the files you want to share from one, approve the transfer on the other, then marvel at how quickly everything moves. (I sent a 712 MB video file in about 11 seconds.) The app is free for Windows, Mac, and Linux.

Virtual studio lighting: ClipDrop Relight is a neat online tool that uses AI to add simulated studio lighting to your photos. Just upload a photo, then drag the virtual light sources around to change how they illuminate the subject. (Don't neglect the "Distance" slider, which can even move behind people and things.) The free version is limited to "Standard" size photos, which are still good enough for social media purposes.

Around the web

Spend wisely

Once again, the major U.S. carriers are offering deep discounts on the iPhone and high-end Android phones in exchange for a long-term commitment, both for new and existing customers.

With all three carriers, the deal is essentially the same: Trade in an eligible phone, and they'll loan you $800 to $1,000 towards a new phone. Instead of paying off the loan, you'll get monthly bill credits toward its full value, with the phone becoming fully paid off over two to three years.

This effectively means you're stuck with the carrier—and the new phone—unless you want to pay off the remaining balance. Here's what each carrier has to offer:

AT&T: Trade in an iPhone XS Max or newer to get an $800 credit, or trade an iPhone 11 Pro Max or newer for a $1,000 credit. (View the full trade-in list under "See additional terms > eligible devices.")

  • The fine print: Requires a three year commitment and an unlimited data plan. You can't upgrade early unless the phone is 50% paid off and you've subscribed to"Next Up" for a $6 per month.

T-Mobile: Trade an iPhone XS or newer for an $800 credit, or trade 11 Pro or newer for a $1,000 credit. (View the full trade-in list by clicking "Get one On Us" over any phone.)

  • The fine print: Requires a two-year commitment and a Magenta Max data plan. You can't upgrade early unless the phone is 50% paid off and you bought a "Protection 360" insurance plan.

Verizon: Trade in an iPhone XR or newer to get an $800 credit. New customers get $1,000 with an iPhone 11 Pro or newer. (Search trade-in values by clicking "Get it on us" over any phone.)

  • The fine print: Requires a three year commitment and a Play More, Do More, One, or Get More Unlimited plan. (Start Unlimited customers get a $400 credit instead.) Early upgrades are only for select iPhones after they're 50% paid off.

Other carriers:

More notable deals:

Thanks for your support!

Got questions about the new iPhones, iOS 16, or your upgrade options? Dislike all things Apple and want to vent? Send me an email, and I'd be happy to hash it out with you.

Until next week,
Jared

This has been Advisorator, written by Jared Newman and made possible by readers like you. Manage your subscription by clicking here, or reply to this email with "unsubscribe" in the subject to cancel your membership.