Best Cell Phone Plans in Oakland, MI

Coverage is still king: a few things to keep in mind

Coverage has gotten dramatically better for all carriers in the last few years, especially for Sprint and T-Mobile. While the country's two smallest carriers often had their coverage compared to Swiss cheese in the early 2000s, their LTE networks today are fully modernized, dense, and ready to perform well even during times of peak demand. With that said, it's a good idea to take a look at independent test results that show the strengths of each network. These tests, performed by RootMetrics, will help clarify which carrier is best for clear calls, fast data, or consistent texting.

Best for Calls: For the third time in two years, RootMetrics testing found that all four major carriers are almost the same in Oakland, MI when it comes to 'call performance.' This indicates that all four carriers have crystal clear calls, and that all four carriers rarely drop a call that has been initiated. That's great news if your main area of usage each month is wireless minutes.

Best for Texting: During the second half of 2016, RootMetrics testing found that AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile were tied for first place in overall texting performance. All three carriers had a near-100-percent success rate in sending and delivering texts. Sprint's texting performance was just a bit shy of making this metric a four-way tie.

Best for Data-Heavy Usage: This category is a bit more nuanced than the others. Overall, Verizon's LTE network delivered both the fastest speeds and the most reliable connections to customers in Oakland, MI. T-Mobile's average data speed increased dramatically in 2016, however, and AT&T showed improvement in average speeds as well.

Breadth of Coverage: All four carriers have an extremely broad network in Oakland, MI, with coverage almost everywhere. Sprint, which is still expanding its LTE network, has slightly less high-speed coverage. Even so, it has the high-density city and suburban areas covered very well.

Kinds of cell phone plans

Most Oakland, MI residents desire cell phone service that gives them all the minutes they want, all the texting they care for, and lets them freely use data. Deciding on a wireless plan is determined by several aspects such as data limitations, available minutes, and texting restrictions.

When you rely on a cellular phone for the majority of your exchanges, it's very reassuring to have a mobile package that accommodates you fully. You can research various companies and plans on this site to determine the amount of money you can save if you already have a cellular plan. The three types of mobile plans are: individual plans, family plans, and prepaid plans.

With an individual plan, you have a single line with a single rate for talking, texting, and data sharing. It doesn't come with any other lines or hardware. If you are a single adult, then a personal cell phone plan could be your smartest option.

Family plans allow you to have a wireless line for every one of your family members. Although family plans cost more, they're still your best option if you require multiple lines. Their prices are cheaper compared to having multiple personal plans also. Family plans usually split texts, minutes, and data usage between members, so you'll want to find a plan that's large enough to accommodate your whole family's requirements.

Prepaid or pay-per-use plans are versatile with regard to their price structures. Pay-per-use service has improved considerably since prepaid mobile phone cards first arrived on the scene. It's easy to buy a no-contract phone at your favorite shopping center in Oakland, MI and begin using it immediately. You pay just for how much you use it, but there may be extra charges. Additionally, phone costs are often more expensive unless you choose a very basic or inexpensive phone. A lot of prepaid mobile phone plans provide the most recent and cutting-edge smartphones also. Best of all, you aren't obligated to adhere to a contract.

With most contract plans, you'll have to be enrolled for at least two years, although a few service providers have one-year packages available. There is a fee you must pay every month, but you're required to keep on paying until the contract expires. If you decide to terminate it, you will be assessed an early cancellation charge, which means that any time remaining on your term will be added to the charge as a ratio along with an additional penalty.

The elements of a cell phone plan

The biggest difference between cell phone plans, outside of price and coverage, is the amount of features available to you. Most plans come with some kind of talk, text and data availability, but the amount and price of those features varies.

The majority of contract plans offer unlimited talk and text, but if you don't need that many minutes or messages, you can save some money by choosing a limited plan. With no-contract plans, you can buy minutes and messages individually or in grouped packages to use as you need them.

You'll definitely want to consider the data packages available when choosing a cell phone plan in Oakland, MI. The more data you need, the bigger your price tag will be. Going over your data limits will typically cost you overage charges, so be sure to pick a plan that offers enough data for you. Most plans are priced by the megabyte of gigabyte, but a small amount of plans do offer unlimited data plans. The unlimited plans typically allow you to use a certain amount of data at high speeds and then limit you to using unlimited data at very low speeds.

Comparing carriers in Oakland, MI

There are a number of carriers found in Oakland, MI, and the following all have coverage in this area. Most smaller carriers, known as MVNOs, still operate under one or more of the main carrier networks, so chances are, your particular city will be covered.

The good news is that you can focus only on the amount of data that you need on a monthly basis. Two carriers make this decision easy, while two others will require a bit of careful consideration before selecting a plan. Here's what to know when selecting a cell phone plan in Oakland, MI:

AT&T

AT&T offers a multitude of plan types and is one of the most well-known. They offer individual, contract, family, and pay-as-you-go wireless cell phone plans.

Sprint

Sprint offers different cell phone plans including a new one called the Better Choice Plan. Sprint also offers completely unlimited 4G LTE data, one of the only major cell phone companies to do so.

Verizon Wireless

Verizon offers different plans, such as individual and family sharing plans, and no contract plans. When you choose Verizon, you can purchase a prepaid or shared data plan. A shared plan can be used either by an individual or for a family and includes unlimited text and talk, as well as a pre-determined amount of data.

T-Mobile

T-Mobile is known for being an “uncarrier”, because they offer plans that are all no contract. T-Mobile ONE and Simple Choice plans offer unlimited text, talk, and data for one monthly price. T-Mobile also sells individual and family plans.

MVNOs and Other Carriers

Using our cell phone plan comparison tool, you can learn more about the other quality cell phone carriers that operate in the Oakland, MI area to choose the one that is best for you or your family.