Comparison of iPhone 4S Service Plans for AT&T, Sprint, and Verizon

PC Mag has put together a nice comparison of voice and data service plan options for the iPhone 4S on the three U.S. carriers that will be offering the device: AT&T, Sprint, and Verizon.

iphone 4s plan comparison
At the top, the chart shows pricing for the three standard voice tiers used by carriers (450 minutes, 900 minutes, and unlimited), all paired with unlimited texting. The second section compares pricing for various buckets of data usage, and while different carriers have different cutoff points, the chart allows users to compare pricing at any given usage level. Sprint of course is offering unlimited data for the iPhone, requiring only a $10 "premium data" surcharge on top of the basic "Simply Everything" charge of $99.99 per month.

Some users may also be interested in mobile hotspot offerings, which allow them to use their iPhones as access points to 3G data for Wi-Fi enabled devices. Mobile hotspot functionality is included in higher-level data packages (4 GB and above) from AT&T and Verizon, while it is a separate $29.99 per month add-on for Sprint's unlimited data service.

Users looking to get the best deal on service for the iPhone 4S will need to gauge their data needs ahead of time, as different carriers offer strengths in different areas. High data usage customers may find Sprint appealing, as it is the only carrier offering unlimited data. Sprint's pricing makes it the best deal all the way down to only 2 GB of usage, but low-use customers might be interested in AT&T's $15/month data package offering 200 MB of data as a cheaper option.

As PC Mag notes, users will also need to weigh the pros and cons of each carrier's network, and users should also be aware that Apple's new iCloud service may result in them using more data than they do currently, depending on how much data they move up and down through the service.

Pre-orders for the iPhone 4S will begin at 12:01 AM Pacific time tonight/tomorrow morning.

Related Forum: iPhone

Popular Stories

Apple Glasses Purple Feature

Apple Smart Glasses Launching in 2026

Thursday May 22, 2025 12:22 pm PDT by
Apple is planning to launch a set of smart glasses by the end of 2026, reports Bloomberg. The glasses will be comparable to the Meta Ray-Bans and the Android XR glasses that Google showed off earlier this week. Apple's smart glasses are expected to include cameras, microphones, and AI capabilities, much like the Meta Ray-Bans. The glasses will be able to take photos, record video, provide...
Apple Glass

Apple Smart Glasses: Everything We Know So Far

Wednesday May 21, 2025 8:21 am PDT by
Google recently made waves by showcasing a set of lightweight smart glasses featuring deep Gemini integration and an optional in-lens display. The demo has reignited interest in Apple's own smart glasses project, which has been the subject of rumors for nearly a decade. Here's a recap of where things stand. Current Development Status Apple is actively working on new chips specifically...
Apple CarPlay Ultra instrument cluster themes 01

Apple's CarPlay Ultra Is Here – Does Your iPhone Support It?

Thursday May 15, 2025 5:17 am PDT by
Apple's recently announced CarPlay Ultra promises a deeply integrated in-car experience, but not all iPhone users will be able to take advantage of the new feature. According to Apple's press release, CarPlay Ultra requires an iPhone 12 or later running iOS 18.5 or later. This means if you're using an iPhone 11, iPhone XR, or any older model, you'll need to upgrade your device to access...
2024 iPhone Boxes Feature

Apple Raises iPhone Trade-In Values For Limited Time — Here's the List

Friday May 23, 2025 6:48 am PDT by
Apple has temporarily increased its iPhone trade-in values in select countries, including the U.S., Canada, Australia, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, U.K., and China. Apple says the extra credit towards a new iPhone is available through June 18. In the U.S., the maximum estimated trade-in values increased by only $5 to $30, with the full changes in that country outlined below. ...
iPod shuffle generations

Kuo: Jony Ive's Futuristic OpenAI Device Like a Neck-Worn iPod Shuffle

Thursday May 22, 2025 8:05 am PDT by
The big news in the technology world this week is that ChatGPT maker OpenAI is working more closely with Apple's former design chief Jony Ive on a futuristic AI device. The company is remaining tight lipped about the device, but Apple supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has shared some alleged details about its design. In a social media post today, Kuo said the device will be "slightly larger" ...
AirPods Pro 3 Mock Feature

AirPods Pro 3 Just Months Away – Here's What We Know

Thursday May 22, 2025 4:06 am PDT by
Despite being more than two years old, Apple's AirPods Pro 2 still dominate the premium wireless‑earbud space, thanks to a potent mix of top‑tier audio, class‑leading noise cancellation, and Apple's habit of delivering major new features through software updates. With AirPods Pro 3 widely expected to arrive in 2025, prospective buyers now face a familiar dilemma: snap up the proven...
CarPlay Ultra Aston Martin

CarPlay Ultra Solves One of Regular CarPlay's Biggest Limitations

Thursday May 22, 2025 9:16 am PDT by
The next generation of CarPlay is finally starting to roll out, and it includes a new feature that solves one of regular CarPlay's longstanding limitations. Apple last week announced the launch of CarPlay Ultra, and it offers a Radio app, allowing you to control AM and FM radio stations within CarPlay. With regular CarPlay, you must switch between CarPlay and your vehicle's built-in software ...

Top Rated Comments

scott911 Avatar
178 months ago
Having the two year contract price slapping you in the face really highlights the silliness of get the "free" 3gs phone.

Get the 4g current generation phone with contract for $2618.76.

BUT if you can't afford to put down $99 for a phone,
Get the old "free" 3GS with drastically less capability for ONLY $2519.76

seriously - if you need to save that $99 bucks,
you should not be getting a data plan cell phone of any sort.
Score: 21 Votes (Like | Disagree)
radge Avatar
178 months ago
seeing that $2,500 at the bottom of the chart made me sick. I've spent so much money on cell phone service. lol :rolleyes:
Score: 19 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Sequin Avatar
178 months ago
Wow. Thank god I have like 92983489294 roll over minutes.
Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)
bushido Avatar
178 months ago
Holy jeeze i could never afford a smartphone in the us and lol at paying extra for hotspot
Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)
dlimes13 Avatar
178 months ago
Good thing I still have unlimited data on AT&T. I'll probably need it w/ iCloud.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
pbrooks Avatar
178 months ago
Wow. Thank god I have like 92983489294 roll over minutes.

Rollover minutes are a brilliant scam. AT&T figured out how to offer something that they never have to deliver. Those who need rollover minutes are not the ones accumulating them, and those that tend to accumulate rollover minutes will probably never use them.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)