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Best AT&T Plans: How to Choose and Which Ones to Pick in April 2024 – CNET [CNET]
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Eli Blumenthal Senior Editor
Eli Blumenthal is a senior editor at CNET with a particular focus on covering the latest in the ever-changing worlds of telecom, streaming and sports. He previously worked as a technology reporter at USA Today.
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$51 a month for one line, $124 a month for four lines
Best AT&T plan for most people: Value Plus VL
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The upgrade pick for those who want faster data or hotspot
AT&T Unlimited Extra EL
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When it comes to wireless plans, AT&T is among the simplest. Like its rival US carriers, AT&T offers a variety of different options all under the promise of “unlimited” talk, text and data. Unlike T-Mobile, which has at least seven options listed on its website, AT&T has a much simpler offering (albeit with worse names):
- Unlimited Starter SL
- Unlimited Extra EL
- Unlimited Premium PL
- Value Plus VL
All offer unlimited talk, text and data but all also have different prices, features and perks. Which ones should you consider? Let’s break it down.
Read more: Our Guide to the Best Cell Phone Plans
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Picking a wireless plan and carrier is an individualized process. What works for you and your family’s needs may be vastly different from your friends or neighbors. Even geographically, some areas have better AT&T coverage while others work best on Verizon or T-Mobile (and vice versa). The picks we make are based on over a decade of covering and evaluating wireless carriers, their offerings and their performance.
Since choosing a provider is unique, we focus on larger plans and the value they provide; as well as calling out ways you can test the different networks in your area for yourself so you can make the best pick.
As we covered in our other wireless guides, to get the best deal you need to make sure you have the coverage that you need. This makes it hard to give a blanket recommendation of any one carrier. T-Mobile’s service in New York may be excellent, but if you’re in rural Iowa, Verizon is more reliable.
While your mileage may vary, the good news is that these networks are growing and improving all the time, particularly as the three major players race to blanket the US with 5G. It’s quite possible that you left a network complaining about its sparse service a decade ago, but now it’s beefed itself up because of that race to acquire customers.
If you know any friends or family in your area that already use the carrier you’re considering, ask about their experience. You could also go to a carrier’s store and see if they offer any free ways to try out the service before switching over, such as T-Mobile’s Network Pass. Verizon offers a similar 30-day “Test Drive” program, while the Cricket prepaid service has its own trial program that lets you sample parent AT&T’s network.
What about Unlimited Premium PL?
As mentioned above, for most people the Unlimited Premium PL plan doesn’t make much sense. It is $10 a month, per line pricier than the Extra EL option and doesn’t give a whole lot for it. Yes, you get unlimited high-speed data on your phone (up from 75GB on Extra EL), 60GB of hotspot data (up from 30GB), 4K streaming and unlimited talk, text and high-speed data in 20 Latin American countries but no international roaming in other parts of the world unlike Verizon’s Unlimited Ultimate or T-Mobile’s Go5G and Magenta plans.
If you are someone who benefits from those features, great, but I think most people will be better off saving the money and going to a lower-tier plan like Extra and then upgrading to the top plan for the times when they may be using more hotspot data or traveling.
Do I need to change my AT&T plan when I upgrade my phone?
You don’t necessarily need to change plans when you upgrade your phone, and unlike AT&T’s rivals, you notably don’t need to change your plan to the carrier’s priciest options to get its latest and best device deals.
One exception is with Value Plus VL. In addition to lacking the option to have people on different plans, those on this option may not be eligible for device trade-in deals.
Are there discounts to lower my AT&T bill?
Yes, like its rivals AT&T offers a variety of discounts depending on your age, employer or profession. Teachers, nurses, physicians, military, first responders, veterans and more can take advantage of various programs that could save you significant money on your bill. It also offers special pricing for those age 55 or above (though this is limited just to those in Florida with a max of two lines).
It’s worth noting that these discounts are often for the whole account. If you have three lines and one of those users is a first responder or a teacher, your entire family can benefit from the savings.
Your employer might also take part in AT&T’s Signature program that can knock $10 per line, per month off the Premium PL plan.
We cover a variety of these discounts here.
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