The iPhone 12 is the best 5G phone to buy for the Verizon and AT&T network plans now
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Wе already told you that with the iPhone 12 5G models Apple did what it regularly does with the 4G LTE iPhones so far - equips them with a record number of cellular connectivity bands for the globetrotter in each iPhone fan.
You see, even though Verizon's 2020 plans carry the same names as before, if you subscribed before 5G was included in your plan at no extra cost, you'd have to upgrade to the real unlimited slim shady.
*All prices are after Auto Pay and w/ paperless billing, include unlimited talk&text in the US
Not only that, but, as you can see in the table above, AT&T's Elite unlimited 5G plan now comes with the most generous data cap of them all at 100GB, a free HBO Max subscription, as well as 1080p streaming for that new and beautiful iPhone 12 OLED display.
It has to - the iPhone is rather ubiquitous and exists in most every carrier's portfolio worldwide, so the demand for network compatibility from Apple's handsets is huge. The iPhone 12 and 12 Pro that Apple has now released make no exception, as they sport a record number of 5G bands for every carrier that offers the service around the globe - from Korea to Verizon's ultrafast mmWave 5G network.
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Is iPhone 12 the best 5G phone you can get right now?
That's not all there is to the iPhone 12, though, as it is also the most future-proof 5G phone, according to Sascha Segan's sources. The iPhone 12, it turns out, would be the first phone carrying the auctioned "C-bands" that will allow Verizon or AT&T to catch up to T-Mobile in 5G coverage next year.
Currently, T-Mobile's peak 5G speeds are slower than, say, Verizon's, but its low- to mid-band spectrum travels way further than Verizon's mmWave 5G, hence blankets the entire city of Philadelphia, for instance, with an area which until recently was larger than Verizon's 5G covered nationwide. Here's the scoop:
AT&T and Verizon are likely to introduce new, faster citywide 5G in late 2021. Current Android phones won't support it; you'll probably have to wait until March 2021 for Android phones that will. The new iPhones, on the other hand, will probably support the new network.
On the day of the iPhone 12 release, let's preview what plans would be the wisest to get at US carriers to take advantage of the record number of iPhone 12 5G bands for the foreseeable future.
Best iPhone 12 5G unlimited plan on T-Mobile
That one is easy, as T-Mobile is pairing up the new iPhone 12 or 12 Pro with its discounted Essentials plan for one unbeatable package:
- Get 2 iPhone 12 Pros AND 2 new lines of unlimited 5G data for just $100/month on Essentials and trading in two eligible devices.
- Get up to $850 off any new iPhone 12 series with bill credits when adding a line and trading or turning in an eligible device.
- Customers who have been with T-Mobile, including Sprint, for 5+ years can get $200 off any new iPhone when they trade or turn in any active iPhone on an eligible plan. This can be combined with the $500 off deal.
Best iPhone 12 unlimited 5G plan on Verizon
Verizon's option is a bit more convoluted, as, in order to take advantage of the iPhone 12 there you may need to switch to a real unlimited 5G plan, or you might encounter the following message:
Your device is 5G Ultra Wideband ready, but your plan isn’t. In order to take advantage of all that 5G UW has to offer, upgrade to a plan that includes this service. If you stay on your current plan, you’ll still have 4G LTE and 5G nationwide network access but you’ll miss out on this upgraded service.
You see, even though Verizon's 2020 plans carry the same names as before, if you subscribed before 5G was included in your plan at no extra cost, you'd have to upgrade to the real unlimited slim shady.
Here, Verizon's Get More plan is leading the pack when it comes to perks and coverage, as you get Apple Music to go with your new iPhone 12 for the duration, as well as Disney+, Hulu, and plenty of cloud storage to augment your lowly 64-gigger, all for $55 a person in a family of four.
| AT&T Elite | Verizon Get More | T-Mobile Magenta Plus | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 line | $85 | $90 | $85 |
| 2 lines | $150 | $160 | $140 |
| 3 lines | $180 | $195 | $140 (3rd line free) |
| 4 lines | $200 | $220 | $170 |
| 5 lines | $225 | $250 | $200 |
| 5G | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Throttling | >100GB | >50GB | >50 GB |
| Freebies | Free HBO Max 35+ channels of live TV | Apple Music, Disney+, Hulu, ESPN+ subscription included 600GB Verizon Cloud storage 50% off Unlimited connected device plans | Netflix (standard, 2 HD screens) T-Mobile Tuesdays In-flight Wi-fi |
| Video | HD (1080p) | HD (720p) | HD (1080p) |
| Hotspot per line | 30GB | 30GB | 20GB |
Best AT&T iPhone 12 unlimited 5G plan
Currently, AT&T has the best iPhone 12 and 12 Pro deal offer, as you are able to trade a $95 clunker (basically, any old phone you have forgotten you have in the drawer), for a shiny new $799 iPhone 12.
Not only that, but, as you can see in the table above, AT&T's Elite unlimited 5G plan now comes with the most generous data cap of them all at 100GB, a free HBO Max subscription, as well as 1080p streaming for that new and beautiful iPhone 12 OLED display.
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