newjerseynewsroom.com

BY BOB HOLT

NEWJERSEYNEWSROOM.COM

The pre-orders have begun for Apple’s iPhone 4S, but the question remains: Which mobile carrier should you choose for your new phone?

The Huffington Post suggests the most expensive voice plan comes with Sprint, which offers 450 minutes for $69.99, 900 minutes for $89.99, and $99.99 for unlimited. AT&T and Verizon both will give you 450 minutes for $39.99, 900 minutes for $59.99, and unlimited for $69.99.

A two-year contract with each carrier ranges from $199 to $399 depending on the memory. But Information Week reports that Sprint offers unlimited data for $20 per month. A mid-line data plan at AT&T costs $25 and gives 2 GB per month. Verizon is the highest at $30 per month, and only offers 2 GB per month.

ALSO

Reviews: New iPhone 4s is no iPhone 5

5 great iPhone, iPad, Android holiday stocking stuffer apps

Great iPhone and iPad apps for kids

Mystery of lost iPhone 5 prototype widens

Sprint iPhone 5 to finally get release date this fall

Apple iPhone 5 to go on sale with iPhone 6 already in wings

AT&T offers a $20 unlimited texting plan, or $0.20 per message. Sprint has unlimited messaging for $10. Verizon has four messaging plans, or $20 per month unlimited.

They claim Sprint is the least expensive overall. For two years you'll pay $1,679.76 for talk time, data, and texting plus the cost of the phone. AT&T comes in at $84.99 monthly with everything, for a two-year total of $2,075.76, including activation. Verizon is the most expensive, costing $89.99 per month, or $2,159.76 overall.

According to CNET, AT&T is your choice if you’re looking for speed, but they get a lot of dropped calls. They say Verizon is a safe choice because it has reliable national coverage, but it lacks data speed. Sprint is affordable and has the unlimited data, but is unproven as a carrier.