Best Cell Phone Service in Hampton, VA

How To Choose The Best Cell Provider in Hampton, VA

When they look for cell phone service, people in Hampton, VA have a number of plans and providers to consider. It's not difficult to find a company that delivers all of the desired cellular services. Nevertheless, people need to consider what features they truly need and determine realistic spending limits. Although many plans seem desirable at first glance, cell phone users who perform research often find more affordable alternatives that provide similar services. It's wise to compare an appealing plan with alternatives from a variety of reputable providers. Be sure to carefully examine the features, limits and prices of each service. Many people find that this becomes a time-consuming research project. The good news is that MyRatePlan can simplify and expedite the comparison process. Users can view numerous carriers' prices on a single website.

Types of Cell Phone Plans in Hampton, VA

If your cell phone plan needs are like most people's needs in Hampton, VA, then you're likely searching for a plan with more than enough minutes and text messages, along with a sufficient data limit.

Having a cell phone plan that meets all your needs is crucial, even more so if you're one of the many people relying on your cell phone for the majority of your communications. Our service allows you to check out the different carriers and their plans, so you can either see what's out there or find out how much you can save over your current wireless plan. Wireless plans can be divided into three categories: individual, family, and no contract plans.

If you're just looking for your own plan, then you'll be looking at individual plans. You get one phone line with a set amount of minutes, texts, and data for your device.

If you need at least two phone lines, then you should look at family plans. You can have a phone line for every family member when you're on a family plan. The cost of a family plan is higher than that of an individual plan because you have more phone lines, but on a per-line basis, it's cheaper than multiple individual plans would be. Depending on the family plan, each line could have its own minute, text, and data limits, or everyone on the plan could share those.

No contract plans go by many names, including prepaid, pay-as-you-go, and month-to-month plans, but they all work the same way. You pay for what you want up-front, including your minutes, text messages, and data, with carriers offering packages for each. There are usually extra fees, and the prices are a bit higher than you would pay with a contract-plan. For your phone, you can buy an inexpensive phone with basic features or a new smartphone, just remember that most phones cost far more when they're not tied to a contract. Prepaid phones are available at most department stores in Hampton, VA, along with almost every cell phone retailer. You can also order a prepaid SIM from a carrier on MyRatePlan.

Not being bound to a contract is nice, because most cell phone contracts require a two-year commitment. One-year contracts are sometimes available through certain carriers. You have to pay your phone bill every month for the entire contract, and canceling early results in an early termination fee. These fees are expensive, as the carrier uses the amount left on your contract as part of its fee calculation, and also tacks on a penalty.

Which Cell Phone Plan Is Best For You in Hampton, VA

When you have to choose a new cell phone plan in Hampton, VA, it is a good idea to think about how many lines you will need and the type of additional services you want to include. Most service providers will factor three things into the plans that they offer: talk, text and data.

If you choose to go with a cheaper plan, you may end up having a limit on your talk and text messages. That is good for people who don't use their phones often. But those who talk on a daily basis and need access to their phone at all times should go with an unlimited plan. For those who choose a prepaid plan, you can either buy a refill card that offers minutes or go with an unlimited talk and text refill card that is offered by most (but not all) no-contract carriers.

Data is a major factor when it comes to choosing a plan these days. Most cell phone carriers in Hampton, VA will charge more for high amounts of data use. And while there are some unlimited data plans available, they tend to either have restrictions and limits, or they are extremely expensive. Most plans are priced per MB or GB used, in some cases, when you go over your data limit, you will be charged for overages. Therefore, it is important to choose a data plan that will meet your personal data usage needs.

Compare Cell Phone Carriers in Hampton, VA

All the major national carriers (AT&T, Verizon Wireless, T-Mobile, and Sprint) cover Hampton, VA. The city also has alternate, smaller carriers, referred to as MVNOs, available. The MVNOs use the larger carriers' networks, so coverage is still strong when you go with a smaller carrier.

AT&T has been one of the nation's largest wireless providers for decades. The carrier has all the plan options listed above, including individual, family, contract, and no contract plans.

Verizon Wireless has the same types of plans, with a slightly different selection process. The first thing you do with Verizon Wireless is choose your prepaid plan (if you're going no-contract) or your shared data plan, with each plan offering a different data limit. An individual or a family can make use of a shared data plan through Verizon Wireless, and each of those plans include unlimited minutes and text messages.

Sprint has the usual individual, family, and prepaid plans, but it separates itself from the pack with its unlimited data option. Unlike other carriers that throttle your data, Sprint has a real unlimited 4G LTE plan called Unlimited Freedom. It also has a unique type of family plan for friends and family, called the Better Choice Plan.

T-Mobile has nothing but no-contract plans, and chose to call itself the 'uncarrier' because of that. Offering both individual and family plans under its T-Mobile ONE and Simple Choice plans, the carrier offers customers unlimited minutes and text messages, with data throttled at different limits depending on the plan you choose.

Use the MyRatePlan cell phone plan comparison tool above to compare different carriers and plans with service in Hampton, VA. We also include other smaller carriers (those aforementioned MVNOs) so you can see what every carrier offers.