You're thinking of relocating, but want to make sure that you'll still have decent cellular service in your new area. It's a good idea to narrow down your destination before committing to a cellular plan. Have you already decided on a new home? Is it in upstate New York? Then we can help! Here are all the best cell phone plans in Syracuse, NY.
Which Carrier Has The Best Coverage In Syracuse?
While many of the communities in North and West New York are small and isolated, Syracuse is the exception. With a population of over 140,000 people, more than 22,000 of whom are students at Syracuse University, Syracuse is one of the largest cities in upstate New York. As a result, the cellular service available to Syracuse is surprisingly good.
According to a recent RootMetrics test performed in Syracuse, Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile all offer fast and reliable coverage in the area. Regardless of which major carrier you prefer, you can find suitable coverage from them in Syracuse!
If you're moving to another town in the area and want to use Syracuse as a landmark for your cellular research, you may want to look a little deeper into which service is best locally. Try putting your zip code into our coverage map to see who has the best cellular service wherever you're going!
Best Cell Phone Plans In Syracuse
While cellular service in Syracuse might seem solid on paper, there are other factors you'll want to take into account. One major thing that we considered when making this list is the fact that Syracuse is, by and large, a college town. As a result, many of our recommendations are on the affordable side of the cell phone service spectrum.
Syracuse is renowned as one of the epicenters for major sporting events and concerts across upstate New York. Syracuse University Alumni, college sports fans, and students of neighboring schools come from all over to enjoy their party culture. It's for this reason that stadiums like The Carrier Dome and Destiny USA, which can seat upwards of 50,000 people, are major Syracuse landmarks.
Before committing to a cell phone plan, it might be helpful to note which carriers and plans throttle data when their local network becomes congested. In a city where tens of thousands of people regularly converge in one place, it's possible you'll experience cellular interference. This is less likely if you have a plan that protects against it.
If you're a student planning to live on campus, you may also want to look into Syracuse University's Wi-Fi policies. If your college has a free Wi-Fi service with a good reputation, you might not need as much cellular data.
Verizon Prepaid 5 GB
If you've had a good experience with Verizon, or are interested in receiving coverage from the widest reaching cellular carrier in the US, try the Verizon 5 GB Prepaid plan. Featuring 5 GB of monthly data — as well unlimited calling and texting — this no contract plan comes with a lot of perks at a student friendly price point.
Since it's a prepaid plan, customers don't need to make any contract commitments. It also features mobile hotspot capabilities and access to 5G data.
One huge benefit to the 5 GB Prepaid plan is Verizon's loyalty discount. After 3 months, this plan's monthly fee goes down to $30. After another 6 months, the price goes down to just $25 / month.
Verizon Do More Unlimited
If you're a fan of Verizon's coverage, but want something more premium than the 5 GB Prepaid plan, you might be interested in Verizon Do More Unlimited. For $80 per month for a single line, Do More Unlimited provides customers with 50 GB of 4G LTE and 5G data, unlimited calling and texting, and 15 GB of mobile hotspot.
If you're planning on moving your whole family, this plan comes with generous multi-line discounts. While the Do More Unlimited plan requires a higher budget, perks like a free Apple Music subscription and unlimited texting to more than 200 countries set Do More Unlimited apart from its competition.
If you're planning to stream a lot of videos on cellular data, you might want to consider some of the other plans and carriers we've listed below — Verizon customers can only stream video at 480p standard definition.
AT&T 8 GB Prepaid
If you're looking for a solid monthly allotment of data at an affordable rate, AT&T's 8 GB Prepaid plan is a viable option. At a competitive $25 / month, customers have access to unlimited calling and texting, as well as 8 GB of 4G LTE data. You can convert this data to mobile hotspot at any point.
A huge perk to signing up for this plan is AT&T's rollover data. With rollover, any leftover data from your monthly allotment gets added to the following month's coverage for free. Unlike Verizon's coverage, AT&T allows users to stream HD video on cellular data. If you'd rather not use your data on video streaming, Stream Saver will default to standard definition instead.
This no contract plan also comes with a diverse array of international features. These include unlimited calling and texting to Mexico and Canada, as well as free messaging to over 100 other countries.
AT&T Unlimited Elite
Like the sound of AT&T's coverage, but want something more top of the line? AT&T Unlimited Elite is the carrier's most premium cell phone plan with unlimited data. A single line Unlimited Elite plan runs $85 / month. It comes with 100 GB of high speed data and 30 GB of mobile hotspot.
With such an enormous monthly data allotment, you're almost guaranteed not to run out between pay cycles. This amount of cellular data leaves you plenty of room to stream HD video optimized by Stream Saver. This way, you can fully enjoy the free HBO subscription included with Unlimited Elite.
While this is the most expensive cell phone plan AT&T has to offer, you'd be hard pressed to find such a large amount of cellular data at such a low cost from anyone else. Unlimited Elite is also one of the only AT&T plans that comes with 5G data.
Mint Mobile 8 GB Prepaid Plan
A great way to save money on cellular service is to look into MVNO providers like Mint Mobile. While they might not be as well known, MVNO companies provide access to the exact same cellular networks as major carriers.
The Mint Mobile 10 GB Prepaid plan is a great value MVNO plan. They provide users with direct access to T-Mobile's 4G LTE network. If you're a student looking for reliable coverage with minimal hassle, you might be especially interested in their prepaid service model.
Mint Mobile requires customers to pay for 3, 6, or 12 months of service in advance. The longer you commit to their service, the more you will save per month.
Mint Mobile's plans are extremely flexible. If you go over your monthly allotment, you won't be charged overage fees. However, your data speeds will be throttled until the next month rolls around. If you'd like to avoid throttling in the middle of your pay cycle, you can also purchase extra data or upgrade to a more premium Mint Mobile plan at any time.
Unfortunately, this plan doesn't come with any notable international features included in its base price.
T-Mobile Magenta
For fans of T-Mobile's cellular network with a higher budget, we recommend T-Mobile Magenta. For $70 / month for a single line, Magenta is the most affordable unlimited data plan we recommend for the Syracuse area. If you register multiple lines for a Magenta plan, the monthly price decreases significantly as well.
One unique feature to the Magenta plan is that it comes with unlimited 3G mobile hotspot. If you're planning on traveling or regularly making calls out of the country, Magenta also boasts a number of international features built-in. Depending on how much international service you need, you can also pay extra for unlimited calling to 30 additional countries!
With access to a free Netflix subscription and the T-Mobile Tuesdays rewards program, anyone signed up for this plan will enjoy unique perks and discounts on a weekly basis.
Tello Mobile Value Plan
For students looking for a basic data plan with unlimited calling and texting, you won't find a more affordable choice than Tello Mobile's Value Plan. At $14 / month, Tello customers can access 2 GB of 4G LTE data. Need more data? Tello Mobile offers the option to adjust your monthly data allotment at any time.
If your cell phone is usually connected to Wi-Fi, Tello Mobile Value plans are a great way to minimize your monthly service fees. Don't worry, you can still make as many calls and texts as you'd like. If you do wind up going over your monthly data allotment, Tello Mobile won't charge you any overage fees. This means extra charges won't suddenly appear on your account.
Enjoy Syracuse!
Western New York is among the many under appreciated gems of the United States. With such an enormous cultural footprint, there's lots to enjoy in the thriving Syracuse community. By signing up for one of the best cell phone plans in Syracuse, you won't miss a thing! If you know someone looking for cell phone plans in Syracuse, please share this article with them. Thanks for reading.
