AT & T Review

Customer service ratings for this cell phone provider have improved steadily over the last couple of years but they’re still generally seen as lacking in this category behind industry leader Verizon Wireless as well as T-Mobile. When it comes to a phone network’s reliability, consumers simply expect it to work all the time. That issue has also made AT&T a target of criticism periodically. For side-by-side comparisons and objective reviews of other highly rated providers in this category, take a look at our cell phone provider review site.


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The days are long gone when the name AT&T was synonymous with the phone company, but the company remains a huge presence in the world of cell phone providers. Overall, they have the best selection of mobile phones available in today’s market. AT&T is our TopTenREVIEWS Silver Award because their wireless network is extensive, covering just about the entire United States, and its 3G data capability is recognized as the fastest available.

Plans:

Unlimited Plans

The cell phone market is nothing if not competitive so when other cell phone providers started offering unlimited pricing plans, AT&T had no choice but to offer them as well. If you feel a sense of déjà vu as you review these offerings, don’t be surprised because they're just about identical to the ones offered by Verizon Wireless.

For individual users, unlimited voice calls are available for $69.99 per month. While there isn’t a specific plan which states that it’s for unlimited voice and texting, unlimited texting can be added to the voice plan for $20.00 a month so it stays right in step with VZW’s Unlimited Voice & Text plan.

The same situation exists for family plans. Two lines with unlimited voice access cost $119.99 per month and each additional line, up to five total, runs $49.99 Unlimited text, picture, video and instant messaging can be added to family plans for $30.00 a month.

Traditional Plans

If there’s a single attribute that distinguishes this cell phone provider's limited calling plans from the competition, it’s the Rollover minutes. With it, plan minutes that aren’t used during the month can be carried over adding to the available usage time for the following month. Rollover minutes can remain available on an account for twelve months.

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AT&T’s base individual plan provides 450 anytime minutes a month for $39.99. Though it’s not likely to be an issue for most customers, free nights and weekend time is limited to 5000 minutes during the month. Usage beyond the plan limit is charged at $.45 per minute. For $59.99 monthly, you can get 900 anytime minutes and free nights and weekends are unlimited. Each minute of use beyond the allowed 900 minutes costs $.40. As with the unlimited voice plan, unlimited messaging for individual users is available for an additional $20.00 per month.

There are four available family plans in addition to the unlimited package. The entry level plan costs $59.99 monthly for the first two lines. It allows for 550 shared minutes. Rather unusually, only one more line can be added to this plan and the cost is $9.99 a month. The other three plans offer 700, 1400 and 2100 shared minutes a month and cost $69.99, $89.99 and $109.99, respectively, for the first two lines. Each minute of additional use beyond the 550 and 700 minute limits are charged at $.45. Excess usage on the 1400 minute plan costs $.40 while additional usage on the 2100 minute plan runs $.35 per minute. Additional lines, up to five total, cost $9.99 each. Unlimited messaging can be added to any of the family plans for $30.00 a month.

Phones & Features:

AT&T’s selection of cell phones is second to none. They offer a wide selection of very low priced and free phones so that no one’s budget needs are stretched to get a great device. They also have an extensive array of refurbished phones featuring affordable pricing for many of the most sought after devices on the market.

Despite the many budget friendly options, the company’s unmistakable strong suit is in offering the industry leading, most feature-packed phones. Most obvious among them is the celebrated Apple iPhone 4. As the exclusive U.S. distributor of the game-changing smartphone, this cell phone provider is the consumer’s only option if the phone is a must have. The carrier also has a full assortment of BlackBerry smartphones, most notably offering the flagship Bold 9800.

AT&T has been slower than other cell phone providers to jump on the Android phone bandwagon. To date, the only such phone available from the carrier is the social networking-centered Motorola Backflip. Windows Mobile-based smartphones are well represented. An extensive selection of messaging and feature phones is also available.

Additional Benefits:

For customers who travel internationally and would like to use their American cell phone while abroad, this cell phone provider is the obvious choice. The first reason for that is AT&T phones operate using the GSM mobile standard which is prevalent just about everywhere outside of North America. Both Verizon Wireless and Sprint operate using the CDMA system which, though superior in many technical ways, is rare overseas. Secondly, AT&T has roaming agreements in more than 220 countries. Without such agreements, per minute charges are prohibitive for most people. Even with the agreements, prices vary widely from country to country and AT&T’s Travel Guide is an invaluable reference before leaving the U.S.

AT&T offers a dizzying array of apps to make its mobile devices more than just great communications tools. GPS services like AT&T Navigator are among the most useful and we’re particularly fond of another GPS based program called the AT&T Family Map. It makes locating a family member’s phone, and presumably the family member, instantly on your phone or computer.

For entertainment, AT&T Music and TV are available as are bunches of games. Ringtones, ringback tones and wallpapers are popular ways to customize a phone to reflect its owner’s personality and interests.

For customers who don’t wish to be tied down by a wireless contract, this cell phone provider offers pre-paid options under the Go Phone brand.

Fees:

Starting a new line of service with AT&T will incur a $36.00 activation fee. Each additional line opened under a family plan is charged $26.00 for activation. If a phone is returned within three days, the activation fee will be refunded. There’s a $175.00 early termination fee for cancelling service before the contract end date is complete. This fee is, however, reduced by $5.00 for each month of the contract that is completed. If a phone is returned in like-new condition within 30 days of creating a new contract, the ETF can be waived.

Since essentially the entire U.S. is covered by AT&T’s network, there are no domestic roaming charges. There are several calling plans available which add Canada to the included calling area.

Help & Support:

Customer and technical support can be contacted in many ways. Toll-free telephone and email access are readily available. The company’s web site has just about any information that could be desired, though finding some obscure details can be pretty challenging. We particularly appreciate their very responsive and helpful live chat feature.

AT&T has consistently ranked behind both Verizon Wireless and T-Mobile in customer service. Indeed the J. D. Power 2010 Wireless Customer Care Performance Study ranked them third out of the four major U.S. cell phone providers, earning only three out of five dots. Our own experience with their customer service has been much better than the survey would suggest.

Summary:

As one of the nation’s largest cell phone providers, AT&T has a wide selection of phones, an extensive network and pretty much any service that any provider can offer. They feature a range of calling plans that will meet most consumers’ needs well. Like all the other carriers, there are details that will ultimately determine which company offers the best set of options for any individual customer.

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