Currently T-Mobile plans (at link, scroll down to see details):
https://www.t-mobile.com/cell-phone-plans/unlimited-55-senior-discount-plans?INTNAV=tNav%3APlans%3AUnlimitedAge55
For 55+ two lines:
Note - Those prices are with autopay. Higher without.
Another TMobile customer. SR plan. 2 lines, $80 total /mo. We sometimes (although rarely) do not get service in remote areas, but not sure Verizon would service those areas either. Have ALWAYS had great customer service, when we visit a brick and mortar store. Service needs are usually for phone issues, not with connection issues. My phone is an ancient hand-me-down phone, and they’re still always helpful.
I have the go5g plan. I have 3 lines on it which is an extra cost.
Besides the streaming extras, it also brought the cost of our new iPhone pro maxes down. That why I picked that plan
It’s really hard to judge cell phone carriers. It’s completely dependent on where you live. We had T-Mobile for years until we moved. Then our bars dropped from 4 to 1 and we were barely getting a signal anywhere. Fortunately our phones were paid off. We decided to switch to AT&T. They’re not my favorite, but I get good reception.
TMobile expanded it’s network many fold 3 years ago and now over 90% of the population has 5G coverage. More if you count 4g
Unfortunately, the area we live falls into the 10% category. 
We had to choose something with more bars, so AT&T was the winner.
Tmobile has been our only carrier. We pay $140 for 5 lines unlimited. No streaming services.
Sounds like a great price, especially since T-Mobile plan costs usually include tax/fees.
Question about hotspot (which I think we need for road trip navigating with Carplay?) Info shows cheapest plan has “Unlimited 3G mobile hotspot data incl”…. is that enough for our needs?
T-Mobile 2 lines / 55+
(with taxes/fees, Essentials will be about $90; Go5G incl tax/fees)
We use carplay with our phone and it just uses up our unlimited data - no need for hotspot.
I have Android Auto – it primarily uses WiFi, not data. Data usage is quite minimal from the Android Auto connection process. However, the individual apps may use data in the same way they would without Android Auto, such as downloading a song. I agree that no need for hotspot. So far this billing period my Android Auto stats are:
WiFi Usage – 13.31 GB
Data Usage – <1MB (< 0.001 GB)
Android auto uses bluetooth to connect to your phone, which in the car is not connected to WiFi. Your phone, in the car, connects to the Internet or GPS using your data connection.
Wireless Android Auto primarily transmits data over peer-to-peer WiFi due to Bluetooth having insufficient bandwidth. A more detailed summary is quoted from Android Auto bluetooth: Why the system needs it . A quote is below. This fits with Android Auto showing a high WiFi Data usage on my phone, as I listed above.
Instead of using Bluetooth, the system uses Wi-Fi Direct for music and data. Phone calls are the only thing going over Bluetooth when the system is in use.
The main reason that Android Auto Wireless uses Bluetooth is to establish a connection each and every time you enter your vehicle.
I regularly have data turned off on my phone while using Android Auto. There is no issue playing podcasts (previously downloaded) or displaying maps, so long as stay within ~1 hour range from my house. When I do turn on data, usage from maps/GPS/Internet is quite low. Higher data usage relates to the same types of activities that have higher data usage without Android Auto, such as apps that download music.
There is no subscription fee for android auto, so where is the data coming from if you have the data on your phone turned off?
OP here. We’ve been happy with Verizon but can’t justify the costs (about $160 for 2 lines once we switch one to new iphone; unlimited data since Verizon will no longer grandfather us on the outdated 4GB plan once we switch). T-mobile 55+ plan would save approx $40/month, and we’re ready to jump ship. We’d like to do so soon, get things running smoothly before summer cross country road trip.
Questions:
Be careful if you get an iphone from one carrier as it may not work properly on another carrier—I’m not sure if they fixed that issue. We’ve only bought iphones unlocked from Apple.
If it’s an iPhone that as purchased recently, it should be compatible with all the major carriers. However, you need to have Verizon unlock it. Verizon’s website says they automatically unlock 60 days after purchase. Others have different policies about how/when they unlock. You can check whether your phone is locked in the Settings > General > About menu (according to Apple support, I don’t have an iPhone, so no personal experience).
Verizon has been known to negotiate prices, match other carriers, and give other perks to maintain customers. You can find scripts of who to talk to and what to say online, but I expect the general pattern is call and request promotions department, then say you cannot justify the high costs and are planning to switch carriers.
However, the best values are not going to be with Verizon or T-Mobile. They are going to be with MVNOs that use the Verizon or T-Mobile network. You can find a list at https://www.whistleout.com/CellPhones/Search?minutes=-1&sms=-1&data=-1 .
FYI - Yesterday T-Mobile got rid of the “no taxes of fees” price perk. This morning the website still showed old plans, but update today.
https://www.t-mobile.com/cell-phone-plans/unlimited-55-senior-discount-plans?INTNAV=tNav%3APlans%3AUnlimitedAge55
The $110 plan (2 lines, assuming checking acct autopay) went down to $100. But nobody at the T-mobile store knew for sure what the extra would be… guessed that it would be about $5-$10 per line for tax. I do think it opens the door for T-mobile to sneak in other non-tax fees in future too.
We went over to Verizon saying we were near ready to switch. Ended up with a deal that is not great, but the bill will lower than before including hubby’s new iphone pro 16 that he’s been wanting
We made the switch today from Verizon to T-Mobile with the deal from Costco. We got 3 lines on their top tier (now called Experience Beyond) plan for $136, which is 20% off the published rate of $170 for 3 lines. 2 of us got a free 16 Pro with our trade-ins; H got $450 for his old SE phone so his 16 Pro cost $550. Price lock for 5 years with no contract; all phones eligible for upgrade after 1 year. From Costco we get $400 in gift cards for each line, so $1200 total in gift cards. Plus the streaming extras. We are very happy with the deal and the interaction with the T-Mobile staff at Costco. We have had Verizon forever but have no affinity towards them.
