Switching to AT&T? We break down the carrier’s new unlimited and prepaid plans

AT&T finally did it. The wireless carrier recently announced that it joined Sprint and T-Mobile in offering unlimited talk, text, and data. But even with the switch, the carrier’s plans remain the most expensive, and some of its plan options are odd. If you live in an area where Verizon, T-Mobile, and Sprint don’t work, AT&T is likely your only option. That said, it offers some solid options for subscribers.

There’s no contract, and you have to pay the full, unsubsidized price for each smartphone on your plan. You’ll pay for each device in installments, which typically range between $20 and $30 a month per phone. You can also add your own phone to your plan instead of buying a new one.

More: Which Verizon plan is best for you? We check out the family, individual, and prepaid plans

In the table below, we break down the costs for you for the company’s Unlimited Choice and Unlimited Plus plans. Which one you pick is up to you, but choose wisely: All lines are either one or the other, and you can’t mix and match.

AT&T Unlimited Plans

People
Unlimited Choice
Total
Unlimited Plus
Total
1
$60
$60
$90
$90
2
$60 + $55
$115
$90 + $55
$145
3
$60 + $55 + $20
$135
$90 + $55 + $20
$165
4
$60 + $55 + $20 + $20
$155
$90 + $55 + $20 + $20
$185
5
$60 + $55 + $20 + $20 + $20
$175
$90 + $55 + $20 + $20 + $20
$205

AT&T’s Unlimited Choice single line plan is actually fairly competitive, but any of the other unlimited options are higher than every other carrier. Which one you choose depends on your mobile data usage. The Unlimited Choice plan offers standard definition video (480p), a 3mbps max speed — a first that we’ve seen among post-paid plans, and a questionable decision — and roaming in/calling to Mexico and Canada.

Stepping up to the Plus plan removes the speed cap, upgrades your SD streaming to HD, 10GB of tethering, and a $25 credit to DirecTV or DirecTV now. You also must use autopay to get the above listed rates, as well as paperless billing. Without it, you’re paying $5 more per month on single line plans and $10 on multi-line accounts.

Recommendations:

• If you’re single and have DirecTV, go with AT&T. The Unlimited Plus option will give you a much better network than Sprint’s, although it is more expensive.
• Families are better served looking at other carriers, unless AT&T runs promotions to lower the costs.

The perks of AT&T plans:

• Strong coverage in both rural and urban areas.
• Big phone selection.
• Unlimited data is back.

The downsides of AT&T plans:

• All but one of its plan combinations are pricey.
• International coverage costs extra.
• AT&T’s strange decision to cap data speeds on Unlimited Choice. These days, 3mbps is slow, even in most rural areas.