Best Cell Phone Carriers in San Francisco, CA

Cell Phone Coverage in San Francisco, CA

You’ll first want to consider the actual coverage that you get from a cell phone plan in San Francisco, CA. This is one of the main reasons you are looking for a plan, is it not? You may easily find a great cell phone plan with a low rate that you would love to sign up for, but what good will that rate be if you aren’t getting the best coverage for your area. That is why we offer our comparison tool at PhoneDog. On a brighter note, most carriers are aware that consumers need good coverage, so they do their best to provide it in as many areas as possible. Before choosing a plan, simply check out their coverage map to see if your city is covered reliably.

Choose From Different Types of Cell Plans in San Francisco, CA

Most customers in San Francisco, CA are trying to find a cell phone plan that gives them enough minutes to talk, enough text messages to send, and plenty of data to use. A wireless service bases their plans on these three factors.

Many people nowadays greatly depend on their cell phone for all of their communication needs. So isn’t it prudent to find a plan that gives you everything you want? If you currently have a wireless plan but are thinking of switching, feel free to use our comparison tool to see how much you could be saving. You may also want to check out the three categories that wireless plans offer: individual, family, and no contract plans.

Individual, or single line plans, only offer one line for one cell phone. This is the best plan if you are not adding children onto a contract or planning to go in on a plan with a significant other. This plan will only have one rate for talk, text and data usage.

A family plan will allow you to have a phone for each member of your family, whether they live in San Francisco, CA or not. This plan does come with a higher price tag, but it may be better in the long run, as you would pay more for single lines for every person. Each family member will have to be aware of how many minutes they use each month, as well as texting and data usage, as these three factors are shared. Because of this, overages are possible, so make sure to always choose a plan that will allow everyone the minutes and data that they need.

A prepaid, no contract, month-to-month or pay-as-you-go plan is a flexible option when you want to curb your spending. These plans have come a long way from the old “prepaid card” plans you would find in stores. With this plan, customers only pay for the time that you want per month, instead of an overall flat rate fee for unlimited talk and text. You will not be bound to a contract and you only need to purchase what you will use. One downfall is that you will typically have to purchase the cell phone you want upfront, as there are no contracts that spread the payment over a certain amount of months. The upside is that most no contract plans offer the newest and greatest cell phones.

Contract plans require that customers sign up for a minimum of two years for their plan in most cases. There may be some carriers with service in San Francisco, CA that still offer one-year plans, but these are harder to find. With a contract you are obligated to pay every month for the length of time the arrangement is for. In order to cancel you will be charged a fee along with whatever amount is left on the contract. One perk of a contract plan is that most carriers allow you to purchase a new phone and spread out the payments throughout the time the contract is for.

Best Wireless Plans in San Francisco, CA

How do you know what plan will work best for you in San Francisco, CA? First of all, ask yourself how many people will need to be on your plan. Is it just you, or are you looking to get a family plan? Next, you should calculate exactly what kinds of services you will need. The three basic things to consider when forging your plan are your minutes, your text messages, and your data usage.

Cheaper plans let you limit your minutes and text messages. Usually, you will have about 400 minutes to talk and 400 text messages to send every month. However, if you're always on the phone or constantly texting your friends, it's often best to get an unlimited plan, that way you will never run over your talk, text, or data limits. Data plans in San Francisco, CA usually are sold per gigabyte, and you should be aware that in many cases, if you go over your data limit, you will be hit by significant overcharges. Make sure that you choose a data plan that will sufficiently cover your communication needs, otherwise you might run into this problem.

Compare Cell Phone Carriers in San Francisco, CA

There are many major carriers that provide cell phone service in San Francisco, CA. Smaller carriers such as Ting, Tello, Boost Mobile, and Cricket Wireless use the service of major carriers, so there are high chances that you will have coverage in your city.

AT&T is the second largest major cell phone carrier. They offer all types of plans and even have unlimited options. Verizon Wireless is another very large major cell phone carrier and provides plans similar to AT&T. Sprint is the smallest of the “big 4” carriers, but arguably offers the most affordable plans. T-Mobile is the third largest carrier, and they offer no-contract plans for individuals or families with unlimited talk, text and data. All four major carriers offer unlimited data plans.

You may be able to find better deals with less popular cell phone provider, also known as MVNOs, although you should carefully compare these providers to make sure your needs will be met. You may find that a smaller cell phone carrier can give you everything you need at a lower price, but you may also find that your needs would be better provided for by a major carrier. Luckily, you can compare all of these companies with PhoneDog's great comparison tool. Before long, you'll have found the perfect carrier and plan for you based on your own specific needs!