The best unlimited smartphone data plans

Verizon's Get More Unlimited plan is our pick for the overall best unlimited smartphone data plans, because it offers the strongest balance of coverage, unrestricted data, and perks.AT&T and T-Mobile's unlimited plans are also quality, and offer different perks that might be a better fit for you. For example, T-Mobile has the best international perks, and AT&T offers an incredible amount of unrestricted data.Regardless, the ultimate, all-important factor when deciding the best unlimited plan is coverage. 

When deciding which unlimited phone plan is the best, there is one undeniable and objective factor that must be considered, even beyond how much unrestricted data you get in the plan.

That factor is coverage.

Quite simply, coverage is the most important thing in a mobile phone network. It doesn't matter how much unlimited data you have if you can't use it where you live, where you work, or where you're going. And, if we're talking about unlimited data plans, we're specifically looking for 4G LTE coverage — the most widely available mobile network with speeds suited for data-heavy things like streaming videos and music, shopping online, or browsing the web and social media.

With that in mind, I can already spoil the secret: Verizon's Get More unlimited data plan is the best overall, as Verizon has the most coverage compared to its competitors.

That doesn't necessarily mean you should gravitate straight towards Verizon. Its plans tend to be more expensive than its competitors, and it might not offer as much as the others, depending on the plan. For example, Verizon has lower data caps before it slows down your data's speeds than some of its competitors, and another carrier has better international perks.

Original author: Antonio Villas-Boas