Is the AT&T or Verizon iPhone Better for Students?

If you are a Verizon cell phone user, then you are probably celebrating a new piece of information the company recently released: iPhone is coming to Verizon! Currently, AT&T is the only cell phone provider who offers the Apple iPhone. However, on February 10, 2011, all of that will change.
Verizon will be offering the iPhone 4 to all users who are eligible for an upgrade for $199.99 for the 16GB model or $299.99 for the 32GB model with a new two-year agreement. Users can also purchase the phone at full price without a contract agreement for $649.99 for the 16GB model or $749.99 for the 32GB model.
The phones will require a data plan, which start at $15 for 150MB or $29.99 for unlimited data for current Verizon phones; however, Verizon has not yet announced their new data plans for iPhones.

If you are on a family plan with your parents, three lines start at $99.98 per month for 700 minutes. If you are an independent student who has your own cell phone plan, plans start at $39.99 for 450 minutes.
How does this compare to AT&T? AT&T offers individual plans for $39.99 for 450 minutes with rollover each month. Family plans with three lines start at $59.99 per month, plus $9.99 per month per additional line, or $89.96 for the total plan. AT&T offers two data plans: $15 for 200MB or $25 for 2GB.
For independent students, AT&T and Verizon are pretty equal on their phone plans, but AT&T offers a slightly better rate for their smaller data plans. If your parents are still paying your phone bill, the family plan through AT&T is about $10 cheaper per month.
So, should you switch from AT&T to Verizon? If one company has better service coverage in your area, then you should definitely consider switching. The Verizon iPhone will also have some new features, such as Mobile Hotspot capabilities, which could make it more appealing to some users.
If you are a current AT&T user, your AT&T iPhone will not be transferable and you will have to buy a new, Verizon-compatible phone. There are also fees for canceling your AT&T plan before your contract is up, so you should take that into consideration.
Personally, I pay for my own phone bill and currently have an iPhone with AT&T. As a student, I can’t justify canceling my contract and buying another new iPhone to use with Verizon. I will just wait until my contract expires to make a decision about switching to Verizon or staying with AT&T.
But what do you think? Will you sign up for a Verizon iPhone? Or does AT&T have your heart? Tell us your cell-phone opinions below in the comment section!
image via onlineusanews.com
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