cover story

Best phones & plans Here’s how to get the best cell-phone deal amid changing choices

Operating systems for phones Page 28 Prepaid phones Page 29 New smart phones look promising Page 29 Find the best fit Page 30 Cell-phone radiation Page 31

26

Smart-phone Ratings Page 32

M

Cell-phone Ratings Page 34 Cell-service Ratings Pages 32-37 911 calls on cell phones Page 38 How to conserve battery life Page 38

co n sum er r ep o rt s j a n ua ry 2 0 1 1

ore competition among phones, especially sophisticated smart phones. More varied service options, including more phones and plans that don’t require a contract. A change in regulatory approach from Washington that promises to end some problems with carriers, such as unexpectedly high bills. Could the cellphone market finally be turning in favor of consumers? This special report aims to bring you up to date on a fast-changing marketplace, outline the choices in phones and plans geared to your priorities, and suggest ways you can pay less and get more. We begin with more on the important new developments in wireless and what they might mean to you: AT&T is now the worst carrier. AT&T was the only carrier with scores that dropped significantly in our satisfaction

survey of Consumer Reports readers. AT&T is now positioned in last place overall and in almost every market we rate. Verizon Wireless is no longer the clear

AT&T scored lowest in almost every respect. top dog in overall satisfaction with our subscribers, a position it held in most years since 2003. This year, the carrier that respondents were most satisfied with, at least for service under a contract, was U.S. Cellular. It serves 26 states, half of them in the Midwest, and is new to our Ratings. Sprint has pulled even in overall satisfaction with Verizon, and T-Mobile is close behind. Two or even three of those top carriers are statistically tied in satisfaction in a majority of

i l l u s t r at i o n by e va tatc h e va

Inside

the 23 cities in which we rated service. Among no-contract carriers, Consumer Cellular scored highest for satisfaction. iPhone rivals come on strong. Though a fine phone in most respects, the newest version of the Apple/AT&T smart phone, the iPhone 4, can have reception problems if held in a certain way in an area with a weak signal. But that isn’t the only iPhone concern. Our survey data, reflecting all versions of the phone, found that iPhone owners were, by far, the least satisfied with their carrier. They rated their data service (Web and e-mail) lower than did owners of other carriers’ smart phones that, like the iPhone, have a host of apps that encourage heavy data use. The iPhones did well in our tests, but our Ratings also list other high-scoring phones from carriers with higher satisfaction scores than AT&T. Some of them, including the HTC Evo 4G and Samsung Galaxy S models (the Fascinate, Epic, Vibrant, and Captivate, all recommended) even beat the iPhones in some respects and have larger screens. And more possible standouts are in the wings. (See “These New Smart Phones Look Promising,” page 29.) Conventional phones get smarter. Last year, about a third of the conventional cell phones in our Ratings had a touch screen, which is almost standard on smart phones. This year closer to half the conventional phones have a touch screen to help you navigate to websites or open apps. So-called smart features track with changing use patterns. Almost all respondents to our survey still made at least some voice calls on their cell phone, but 75 percent used it to send or receive text messages, and half used it for access to the Internet or personal e-mail. At least one downside exists to the rising sophistication of conventional cell phones. Almost all smart phones require data service, and some also require a messaging plan. Some of the higher-rated conventional phones in our Ratings also require a messaging service (AT&T) or a data plan (Verizon) even if you don’t want it. The AT&T messaging plan costs $20 per month and up, and the Verizon data service runs $15 to $30 per month. Data plans are moving away from the all-you-can-eat flat rates that have been the norm. New smart-phone data services from AT&T are sold only in metered packages of 200 megabytes or 2 gigabytes per phone and expire at the end of each

Cut your cell-phone costs

1

Buy your phone at Costco. This warehouse store was the only retailer to receive top marks for price and service in a 2009 Consumer Reports survey of places to buy cell phones. As an example of Costco’s prices, we found the Verizon Motorola Droid X for $100 at Costco.com, compared with $300 with a $100 rebate at a Verizon store. (In high-tax California, you’d save about $19 on sales tax, too, because it’s calculated before rebates are applied.)

2

Monitor use and act as needed. To avoid being among the one in five readers who got higher-thanexpected bills, often for going over their plan limit, check your use midway through the billing cycle via Settings on your phone. Pageonce.com sells smart-phone apps that monitor usage and send you a text or e-mail warning about overages. If you’re going to exceed your allotment, temporarily switch to a higher-limit plan backdated to the start of the billing cycle. If you’ve already received a shocking bill, don’t emulate the 9 percent of survey respondents who simply paid an unexpectedly high bill without a peep. Call the carrier and ask to have the penalties reduced or removed. That worked for 36 percent of the bill-shocked group; only 10 percent of them were unsuccessful. Of the remaining respondents, 3 percent were waiting for the dispute to be resolved, and 7 percent had other outcomes.

3

Check employee discounts. AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, U.S. Cellular, and Verizon offer discounts to the employees of companies that use their service. To see whether you qualify, Google the carrier’s name and “employee discount,” and navigate to the Web page that asks for your work e-mail address. Discounts can be as high as 20 percent, though some deals exclude the Apple iPhone or certain service plans.

4

Weigh Walmart Family Mobile. Though we lacked sufficient data to rate it, consider this service, a partnership between T-Mobile and the retailer. It offers a few T-Mobile phones running on T-Mobile’s network. Some of the phones and service plans cost less than at T-Mobile. If Walmart doesn’t have the phone you want, conventional or smart, you can buy one at the nocontract price from T-Mobile and transfer it to a Walmart Family Mobile plan, the carrier’s spokesman said.

5

Don’t overbuy minutes. In our 2009 survey more than a third of respondents with allotments of minutes used half or less of what they paid for. That’s because the monthly fee also buys lots of “free” night, weekend, in-network wireless, and calling-list minutes. Review the voice minutes you have used and not used in the past six months. You might be able to switch to a plan with fewer billable daytime/ anytime minutes, provided it offers the same free talk-time benefits.

6

Avoid termination fees. Sixteen percent of our readers with a contract wanted to switch carriers but didn’t want to get hit with early-termination fees that can run as high as $350 per phone early in the contract term. (Penalties gradually decline the further along you get in the contract term.) Instead, consider transferring your contract to someone else for a $20 to $25 fee through Celltradeusa.com or Cellswapper.com. To avoid being stuck with a disappointing carrier, test the phone and service during the 15- to 30-day trial period, when you can quit and port your number to another carrier without penalty.

7

Weigh monthly costs, too. The purchase price of the phone, especially a smart phone, can be a surprisingly small contributor to the total cost of owning it over, say, a two-year period. That’s especially true for T-Mobile smart phones, which you can buy with or without a contract, at differing prices and fees. For example, with a T-Mobile contract, you get two new Motorola Cliq XT smart phones free. Two years of unlimited talk, text, and data service costs $4,320. Without a contract, you pay for the phones but equivalent monthly service costs less, so the two-year total is $4,020, a saving of $300. But if you buy those Cliq XTs from Walmart Family Mobile, a partner with T-Mobile, you pay less for the phones and comparable no-contract service. The total for two years is $2,420, far less than either T-Mobile option.

8

Consider a family plan. If you need four cell lines, for instance, a family plan can save through shared minutes and add-a-line prices that tend to be lower than fees for separate lines.

ja n ua ry 2011 w w w.C o n su m e r R e p o rt s. o rg

27

cover story best phones & plans

month. The new Walmart Family Mobile brand of T-Mobile services sells data in 200MB, 500MB, and 1GB bundles, which can be shared by all phones on the account and don’t expire until they’re used up. Plans with data limits are not necessarily bad. The average phone user with data access uses only 200MB a month and would now pay less with AT&T than with the old unlimited plans. An average iPhone user, eating up 344MB per month, would pay the same or slightly less. But cell-phone data consumption promises to rise, which could eventually drive up bills. No-contract options multiply. More than 90 percent of our survey respondents’ phones were serviced under a contract. Compared with those customers, respondents with no contracts made far fewer calls and rarely used data. Perhaps their simpler needs, and possibly lower expectations, account for the fact that no-­ contract respondents were more satisfied overall than those who had contracts. No-contract service is generally most suitable for light use, but no-contract options are expanding beyond bare-bones basics. There are now more conventional cell phones that provide data services without a contract, a change from the past. And carriers that specialize in no-contract service, including Virgin Mobile and Boost

Mobile, are offering more smart phones. Verizon and T-Mobile now offer most of their phones, smart and regular, with or without a contract. But some marquee smart phones, notably the iPhone from AT&T, are still sold only under contract. Phones usually cost more when they’re bought without a contract. That’s because there’s no subsidy from the carrier, as there usually is when you sign a contract. But with a contract, a portion of the fees you pay every month is used to “pay back” the company for that initial break. With a nocontract phone, there’s no payback, and monthly fees should therefore be lower. For example, T-Mobile gives you a break on the price of the monthly plan when you buy a

phone without a contract; Verizon doesn’t. The big-name carriers are offering more no-contract plans and phones­—sometimes under separate brands, such as Sprint’s Boost and Virgin—but smaller no-contract specialists have made their plans look more like contract plans. Carriers such as Metro PCS and Virgin Mobile offer unlimited monthly plans in addition to pay-asyou-go service. Consumer Cellular has “postpaid” billing at the end of the month, rather than the prepaid billing that’s been the norm for no-contract cell service. Because what counts most is whether you’re locked in by a contract, we’ve separated our Ratings on pages 36 and 37 into contract and no-­contract service. Faster 4G networks expand. So-called fourth-generation networks are expanding, promising data speeds that are up to 10 times faster than 3G networks. Sprint is the leader, and its WiMAX (Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access) 4G network is available in about 60 cities throughout the U.S. Sprint said New York, Los Angeles, and San Francisco should be fully on line by now. Verizon said it planned to roll out its LTE (Long Term Evolution) 4G network in 38 markets by late 2010 and to a total of 100 million people by the end of 2011. No-contract specialist Metro PCS offers 4G service in Dallas, Detroit, Las Vegas,

Consider your options in operating systems

Android. Google’s OS excels at search and mapping and includes GPS-based navigation, usually a free app. Android supports large touch displays; we’ve seen it on phones with 4.3-inch screens. Customized via widgets, it can gather and present in a single view contacts, calendar appointments, and other data from a variety of online sources. Apps folders conserve desktop space. Some Android phones support Flash video, which can enhance Web browsing, video chat, and real-time updates

28

co n s um er r ep o rt s j a n ua ry 2 0 1 1

from the Web and social networks. APPS There are more than 100,000 at Android Market, and you have the rare ability to buy apps outside the dedicated store. It can access the Amazon MP3 library. BlackBerry. It’s among the best at e-mail setup, account management, and messaging. The latest version, BlackBerry 6 (see photo at right), is more user-friendly. APPS There are more than 14,000 at BlackBerry App World, which leans to the business user; more paid than free apps; and no shopping or coupon apps. iOS. The iPhone’s operating system is still unrivaled for content. Its latest version uses folders to conserve desktop space. On newer devices, it also supports the highestresolution display; networked, player-toplayer gaming; and video chat. APPS There are more than 300,000 at the App Store for the iPhone, including many unavailable on other platforms. iTunes access is a big plus.

Easier The new BlackBerry 6 OS has a friendlier, more dynamic interface.

Windows Phone 7. The main screen has customizable Live Tiles with real-time updates from the Web and social networks. It drives large displays—we’ve seen it on phones with 4.3-inch screens­—and supports networked, player-to-player gaming. One omission: At press time, it lacked cut and paste. The older Windows Mobile OS remains on a few phones, none of which we now recommend. APPS There were about 1,000 at press time. The system can access movies and music in Zune marketplace.

i l l u s t r at i o n by e va tatc h e va

Smart phones all share the ability to browse the Web and run apps (Web applications), handle office and personal e-mail, multitask, and facilitate social networking. But how easily and how well you can do those tasks varies by operating system. The OS also affects apps selection, though the highly popular Facebook, Weather Channel, Google Maps, and Pandora are available on most platforms, except possibly the brand-new Windows 7. Here are summaries of the leading phone systems, listed alphabetically:

Los Angeles, and Philadelphia and expects to cover nine more cities soon. But 4G isn’t necessarily as fast as is sometimes claimed, and the speed advantage it does have will be more apparent to those who surf the Web a lot or who use such data-heavy functions as video chat. Also, the number of 4G phones is still limited. For example, Verizon won’t have one anytime soon because it’s focusing first on 4G computers, a spokesman says. “Bill shock” is common. One in five survey respondents reported receiving an unexpectedly high bill in the previous year, often for exceeding the plan’s voice, text, or data limits, an experience called “bill shock.” Half of them were hit for at least $50, and one in five for more than $100. In October, the Federal Communications Commission proposed that cell carriers be required to send customers alerts before they incur hefty overage fees, which for voice minutes are 25 to 45 cents per minute, five to nine times the regular 5 cents-per-minute average price. We support that customer-friendly idea, a no-brainer that should be a snap for today’s sophisticated smart phones. Some carriers, including Verizon and Sprint, claim to be doing that already, though one staffer did not receive such an alert before incurring an overage charge.

Good choices from no-contract carriers The phones available from smaller providers that sell no-contract plans exclusively are usually different from, and simpler than, those offered by the contract carriers. But there are a few models in our Ratings of smart phones and conventional phones, identified in footnotes, that were tested under contract and are also available from no-contract carriers. Below are three other decent choices, one from each of the three no-contract-only carriers we had sufficient data to include in our Ratings.

Nokia 2680 $20 (Consumer Cellular) When tested in its discontinued AT&T version, this sliding model had a decent 6.5 hours of talk time but only fair voice quality. It has Bluetooth support and a camera.

Samsung T301G $30 (TracFone) This lightweight sliding cell phone with Bluetooth support and a camera has good voice quality and 6 hours of talk time. The 2-inch display stands out for readability. It shows remaining minutes.

LG Flare $15 (Virgin Mobile) This lightweight, no-frills phone is fine for voice calls. Voice quality is good, but talk time is only 3 hours. It supports only one network frequency band, which might limit coverage.

1 first look

These new smart phones look promising Though not yet rated, these models have all fared well in preliminary evaluation.

Samsung Focus $200 (AT&T) This model, which uses the new Windows Phone 7 OS, has a 4-inch touch screen, 5-megapixel camera that can record HD (720p) video, and virtual keyboard.

LG Quantum $200 (AT&T) Running Windows Phone 7, this has a 3.5-inch touch screen, slide-out keyboard, and 5-megapixel camera that can record HD (720p). The Quantum can beam content to compatible TVs.

myTouch 4G $200 (T-Mobile) Other myTouch models have scored well, and this has a 3.8-inch display, a 5-megapixel camera with HD (720p) video and a front-facing camera for video chats. It beams content to compatible TVs.

BlackBerry Bold 9780 $130 (T-Mobile) This update of the high-scoring Bold 9700 has a 5-megapixel camera with flash and auto focus. Plus it runs the new BlackBerry 6 operating system.

HTC HD7 $200 (T-Mobile) This Windows Phone 7 model has a huge (4.3-inch) screen and a 5-megapixel camera that can record HD (720p) video. A hinged protective bezel can prop up the phone when it’s flipped open.

ja n ua ry 2011 w w w.C o n su m e r R e p o rt s. o rg

29

cover story best phones & plans

Find the best fit

We pick phones and plans to suit varying needs 1 Minimal phone user

only for the minutes or texts you use for less than $15 a month, possibly much less if you use the phone very little. If you’re buying a phone for a family member, you can add a line to your existing family plan for as little as $5 a month at T-Mobile. Be sure the plan has enough shared minutes to accommodate the additional users. Smart choices include: • Common Cents Pay As You Go Round Down ($8 per month). This is a prepaid nocontract brand of Sprint’s, but none of the Sprint phones from our tests were among the small number of phones the carrier offered at press time.

1 Talker and texter

You use your phone fairly frequently but rarely to surf the Web or for e-mail. A so-called feature phone. It has a QWERTY keyboard for easy typing, a Web browser, and multimedia capability but not the integrated multiple e-mail accounts and countless apps of a smart phone. Many feature phones scored high in our cell-phone Ratings. With some, you’re required to add a monthly data plan or a messaging plan if you sign a contract. With others, you’re not obliged to add anything. Choose a phone that won’t require you to pay for add-ons that you won’t use. A talk and texting plan. The average consumer uses about 700 voice minutes per month per line and sends 700 texts. Good options include T-Mobile and some smaller, no-contract carriers. The best stack up well against the big names for voice and text service and cost less. But

30

you might have to buy more minutes than with a contract plan, which usually includes “free” nights and weekends, innetwork mobile-to-­mobile, and calling-list minutes. Most no-contract plans charge for every minute. Want mostly texting? There are slim pickings. Forget Verizon’s Nationwide Messaging Plan with No Voice Minutes, which costs $35 to $55 a month, plus 25 to 40 cents a minute. Instead, try T-Mobile’s $15 Prepaid Monthly Unlimited Text plan with 10-cent-a-minute voice or Virgin Mobile’s $25 Beyond Talk 300, with unlimited texting, e-mail, data, and Web. Smart choices include: • These T-Mobile contract plans: Even More Talk + Text 500 for an individual ($50 a month) or couple ($80 a month). For a family, Even More Family Talk + Text 1500 for four lines ($110 per month). For the phone, one of several Samsung models that fared well in our Ratings, including the Gravity T ($75 with a two-year contract) and the Comeback (free). • Straight Talk All You Need ($30 per month per line). (We don’t have a tested phone to recommend for this plan.) • Cricket Wireless Basic $35 ($35 per month for the first line, $30 for each additional line). (We don’t have a tested phone to recommend for this plan.) • Consumer Cellular Anywhere 1500 plan for a two-line couple ($76 per month with AARP discount) plus the Nokia 2680 ($20).

co n sum er r ep o rt s j a n ua ry 2 0 1 1

1 You want it all

You want to do everything with your phone, including using a host of applications. A fine multimedia smart phone. The iOS and Android operating system lead the way in apps and multimedia navigation, so a phone using one of those systems is your best bet—but buying an iPhone locks you into low-rated AT&T, at least for now. A contract everything plan. Figure on 700 talk minutes, 700 text messages, and 400MB of data per month per line. For that plus a signature handset, your best bet is to go with a major carrier. Smart choices include: • Sprint Everything Data with Any Mobile Anytime 450 plan ($70 per month) or Everything Data Family with Any Mobile Anytime 1500 ($170 per month), plus the Samsung Epic 4G ($250). • Verizon Nationwide Talk and Text 450 ($90) plus Motorola Droid X ($200).

i l l u s t r at i o n s by e va tatc h e va

You want a phone mostly for emergencies or occasional calls on maybe 10 days per month, with fewer than 100 voice minutes, 20 texts, and no Web surfing or e-mailing. Or you want a simple first cell phone for your tween or teen. A basic no-contract phone. It has a minimum of features, but you don’t need many bells and whistles. You’ll pay for the phone, but most of the “free” phones that require contracts have higher monthly fees. A pay-as-you-go no-contract plan. You can get a plan in which you pay

1 close up

How risky is cell-phone radiation?

1 Ardent e-mailer

E-mail is your top priority. Talking and texting are important, too; Web surfing, less so. A (fairly) smart phone. In addition to allowing you to manage multiple accounts, smart phones have the ability to link with corporate e-mail services such as BlackBerry Enterprise or Microsoft Exchange servers, which allow you to open e-mail attachments. Some phones even allow you to edit those documents. But you don’t need a brainy, top-rated smart phone for e-mail. A less expensive model further down in the Ratings should suffice, including a number of BlackBerrys, the phones that pioneered mobile e-mail. Since you’ll be typing lots of e-mail, consider a phone with a physical keyboard and not just a virtual one on its touch screen; some models have both. A plan with moderate data limits. Unless you’re downloading a lot of attachments, such as hefty documents, you won’t eat up a lot of data megabytes with e-mail. So a plan that offers low-to-­middling bandwidth should be fine. One survey found that owners of BlackBerrys used just 80MB of data a month on average. Some no-contract carriers, including Consumer Cellular, Net10, and Tracfone, don’t offer smart-phone service at all. Others offer relatively few smart phones, and those they do offer might not be served fully. For example, the BlackBerry plans at Virgin Mobile, which cost as little as $35 all-inclusive, don’t include support for corporate e-mail—a big reason that many people buy a BlackBerry in the first place. Smart choices include: Straight Talk Unlimited ($45 per month, • no-contract plan). (We don’t have a tested phone to recommend for this plan.) • Walmart Family Mobile ($50 per month, no-contract plan) plus the Motorola Cliq XT ($250).

The Food and Drug Administration says the “weight of scientific evidence has not linked cell phones with any health problems,” including brain tumors from the low-level radiation that phones emit in normal use. Yet in the past year San Francisco lawmakers have enacted an ordinance requiring that cell phones disclose the amount of radiation emitted, and Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio) announced plans to push for radiation warnings on all cell phones.

values only to ensure that maximum radiation exposure falls below the level at which experts agree there could be adverse health effects.

Phone manufacturers are required by federal law to package every cell phone with information about its specific absorption rate (SAR) values. The higher the SAR value, the more radiation the body absorbs. But there’s usually no explanation provided with those numbers, not even the fact that all phones sold have levels lower than what the FDA considers a concern.

Consumers Union believes a number of measures would benefit consumers: • The U.S. needs a national research program on cell phones and health. Rep. Kucinich has called for such an effort as part of his cell-phone safety proposals. • The FDA and the FCC should step up their efforts to provide better and more visible guidance to consumers on the risks, if any, of cell-phone radiation. • The FCC should mandate that the SAR information included with phones be more consistent. The information that’s currently provided varies greatly in its format and detail, as the photographs below illustrate.

In September 2010, the Federal Communications Commission revised its Web page to address some of the confusion about SAR values. The updated FCC fact sheet (www.fcc.gov/cgb/ consumerfacts/sar.html) states that SAR values indicate the maximum possible exposure from a given phone, not the varying levels of exposure in normal use. So a phone with a lower reported SAR value isn’t necessarily safer than one with a higher value, and SAR values can’t be used to reliably compare cell-phone models. The FCC says it requires SAR

Still, consumers are caught in the middle, trying to resolve conflicting messages from regulators and legislators. (The latter include those in the European Parliament who have called for stricter limits on exposure to cell-phone radiation, which have been criticized by many scientists.)

Bottom line. We will continue to track the research. In the meantime, if you are concerned about radiation, minimize exposure by using a speaker phone or hands-free headset, holding the phone away from the head and body (especially when a call is connecting), and reducing use, especially by children.

INconsistent A phone might include a simple measure of radiation absorption (left), a statement that the phone meets the safety standard for radiation (center), or ­comprehensive test data and background information (right).

ja n ua ry 2011 w w w.C o n su m e r R e p o rt s. o rg

31

cover story best phones & plans

A1 Motorola Droid X

A2 Samsung Fascinate

Overview Smart phones

Phones are grouped by the carriers that sell them. Carriers are listed in order of their overall scores in our September 2010 survey of satisfaction with cellular service among ConsumerReports.org subscribers. In addition to overall scores, consider a carrier’s record in our service Ratings, data-service costs, operating system capabilities, and apps.

d Recommended

These are high-scoring models overall; some offer specific strengths, described below.

Best choices for Verizon: A1 Motorola Droid X $200 A2 Samsung Fascinate $200 A3 Motorola Droid 2 $200 A4 HTC Droid Incredible $200 A5 LG Ally $50 A10 Palm Pre Plus $50 A1 has an extra-large display and an HDMI jack, but it’s larger and heavier than most. A2 is relatively thin and its display is among the easiest to see in bright light. Its six-axis motion sensing enhances gaming. A3 has a very good slide-out keyboard but is heavier than most. A4 is relatively thin and complements its touch screen with an optical joystick for easier phone navigation. A5 is a fairly low-priced Android phone with a very good slide-out keyboard, but it’s heavier than most. A10, a compact model, lets you shuffle multiple applications on its touch screen like a deck of cards without losing your place. You flick an app off the page to close it. A1, A2, and A3 can share content via Wi-Fi with a compatible TV,

B1 Samsung Epic 4G

printer, or computer. A1, A2, A3, and A4 support a version of flash video that will enhance most  Web browsing. A1 and A2 can record 720p (or HD) video.

Best choices for Sprint: B1 Samsung Epic 4G $250 B2 HTC Evo 4G $200 B3 Samsung Intercept $100 B5 BlackBerry Bold 9650 $200 B6 Palm Pre $50 B1 and B2 support Sprint’s ultrafast 4G WiMax network. They can record 720p (or HD) video and support a version of flash video that will enhance most Web browsing. B1 has a top-notch, five-row, physical keyboard; a display that’s among the easiest to see in bright light; and six-axis motion sensing that enhances gaming. It can share content via Wi-Fi with other compatible certified devices such as a TV, printer, and computer. But it’s heavier than most. B2 has an extra-large display; a second, front-facing camera; and an HDMI jack. But it’s larger and heavier than most. B3 is a fairly low-priced Android phone with a very good slide-out keyboard. B5 is a very good choice for Sprint traditional BlackBerry users but is not a touch-screen model. B6, a compact model, lets you shuffle multiple applications on its touch screen like a deck of cards without losing your place. You flick an app off the page to close it.

Best choices for T-Mobile: C1 Samsung Vibrant $200 C2 T-Mobile G2 $200 C3 HTC myTouch 3G Slide $180 C8 BlackBerry Bold 9700 $130

C1 Samsung Vibrant

D3 Apple iPhone 3G S

C1’s display is among the easiest to see in bright light. Its six-axis motion sensing enhances gaming, and it can share content via Wi-Fi with compatible devices such as a TV, printer, or computer. C1 and C2 can record 720p (or HD) video and support a version of flash video that will enhance most  Web browsing. C2 and C3 are very good Android phones with a handy slide-out keyboard, but they’re heavier than most. C8 is a very good choice for T-Mobile traditional BlackBerry users, but it’s not a touch-screen model. It’s being replaced by the Bold 9780.

Best choices for AT&T: D2 Samsung Captivate $200 D3 Apple iPhone 3G S (8GB) $100 D4 HTC Aria $130 D5 BlackBerry Torch 9800 $200 D9 Palm Pre Plus $50 D2’s display is among the easiest to see in bright light. It can record 720p (or HD) video and supports a version of flash video that will enhance most  Web browsing. It can share content via Wi-Fi with compatible devices such as a TV, printer, or computer. D3 has the best MP3 player, access to the most phone apps, and the largest single collection of music we’ve seen. Its display is among the easiest to see in bright light. (The newer D1 shares those attributes, but we don’t recommend it because of its reception problems.) D4 is a compact model with an interface similar to A4’s. D5 is a very good choice for traditional BlackBerry users interested in adding a touch-screen interface and integrated social networking, but it’s heavier than most. D9 is a compact model that lets you shuffle multiple applications on its touch screen like a deck of cards without losing your place. You flick an app off the page to close it.

Guide to the Ratings See the cell-phone Guide to the Ratings (page 34) for information on entries that are shared by cell and smart phones. Overall score is based mainly on display, navigation, voice quality, phoning, messaging, Web browsing, multimedia, and battery life, as well as document editing out of the box, size, and weight. Under size, S is for small, M for midsized, and L for large. Under operating system, A is for Android; B, BlackBerry; i, iOS; P, Palm webOS; S, Symbian; and W, Windows Mobile. Display score considers display size and resolution and evaluates legibility in different lighting. Phone navigation indicates how easy it is to access features and modes, such as phoning, messaging, camera, etc. We also consider programmable shortcuts, touch screens, and user guides. Phoning considers the number of step-saving functions for making and receiving calls, including hands-free capabilities such as voice command and Bluetooth, speed dialing, DTMF and ringer controls, security options, and more. We also evaluated keypad readability in different lighting. Messaging mainly assesses keyboard ergonomics,

32

con sum er r ep o rt s j a n ua ry 2 0 1 1

e-mail readability, attachment capabilities, and text-messaging features. We also weigh how easy it is to synchronize the phone with a computer and to access applications while on a call. Web browsing mainly assesses browsing capabilities, including the ability to handle more than one browser, flash video, and Java, as well as data connections such as 3G and Wi-Fi. Multimedia mainly considers the camera and music player, plus GPS navigation, voice memo, and streaming or live audio and/or video. Bluetooth data is the ability to exchange files with other Bluetooth devices out of the box. All smart phones can record video and have a music player and Bluetooth stereo headset capability. All smart phones feature Web browsing via Wi-Fi (except B8 Palm and C11 Nokia) and support GPS navigation for maps with spoken turn-by-turn directions (except C9 BlackBerry). Price is based on a two-year contract in October 2010 from the indicated carriers, including rebates. Verizon and T-Mobile phones are also available as no-contract models.

In performance order, by carrier. (Carriers listed in order of user satisfaction.)

A

n d

2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

B

n d n d n d

1 2 3 4

n d n d

5 6 7 8

C

n d n d n d

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

n d

8

1

n n n n

Palm Pre BlackBerry Curve 8530 € Verizon, $30, U.S. Cellular, $0.

50

•

•

S

P 66

&X &Z &V &C &X &Z &Z &C 3.1

50

•

•

M

B 64

2.4 & C & X & V & X & Z & Z & Z & C

M

• • • • • • • • •

• • • •

T-Mobile myTouch 3G 3.5mm Jack BlackBerry Bold 9700 › AT&T, $200.

•

•

M

A 70

&X &Z &V &C &X &Z &Z &X 3.2

130

•

•

M

B 69

&C &X &C &X &Z &Z &Z &X 2.4

0 50 0

• •

• •

M M S

B 65 A 64 S 61

200

•

M

i 76

Camera (MP)

EV-DO EV-DO EV-DO EV-DO EV-DO EV-DO EV-DO EV-DO EV-DO EV-DO EV-DO

4.9f 5.0f 8.0f 3.1f 4.9f 5.0 3.1 3.1f 3.1f 1.9 1.9f

WiMAX WiMAX EV-DO EV-DO

4.9f 8.0f 3.1 4.9

•

EV-DO 3.1f

•

EV-DO

0

50

EV-DO 8.0f •

EV-DO 3.1f

• • S P 60 &C &X &V &C &X &X &X &C 2.6 M • • T-MOBILE This carrier was among the more satisfying in more than half of the cities in which it was rated in our survey. Samsung Vibrant 200 • • M A 76 • &Z &Z &V &X &Z &Z &Z &Z 4.0 M T-Mobile G2 200 • • M A 75 &Z &Z &V &X &Z &Z &Z &Z 3.7 M • • HTC myTouch 3G Slide 180 • • M A 72 &X &Z &V &X &X &Z &Z &Z 3.4 M • • HTC HD2 100 • • L W 71 • &Z &C &V &X &Z &Z &Z &X 4.3 M 90 • • M A 71 • Motorola Cliq XT ‹ &X &Z &V &C &X &Z &Z &Z 3.1 M Samsung Behold II 100 • • M A 71 • &X &Z &V &X &X &Z &Z &X 3.2 S Palm Pixi

1.9

•

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

EV-DO 1.9f HSDPA HSDPA HSDPA HSDPA HSDPA HSDPA

4.9 5.0f 5.1f 5.0f 4.9f 4.9f

• HSDPA 3.1

S

Memory-card slot Editing included Voice command Bluetooth data World phone

Virtual

Keyboard Physical

Touch screen

Battery life

Multimedia

Messaging

Web browsing

Phoning

Features Broadband data

100 P | F | G | VG | E

Voice quality

Display 0

Phone navigation

Size

Test results

VERIZON This carrier was among the more satisfying in almost all cities in our survey. Motorola Droid X $200 • L A 75 &Z &Z &V &X &Z &Z &Z &X 4.3 M 75 Samsung Fascinate 200 • M A • &Z &Z &V &X &X &Z &Z &X 4.0 M Motorola Droid 2 200 • • M A 75 &Z &Z &V &X &X &Z &Z &X 3.7 M • HTC Droid Incredible 200 • M A 73 &Z &Z &V &X &X &Z &Z &C 3.7 M LG Ally 50 • M A 72 &Z &Z &V &X &X &Z &Z &X 3.2 M • Samsung Omnia II 50 • M W 71 &Z &X &V &X &X &Z &Z &X 3.7 S HTC Imagio 50 • M W 70 &Z &X &V &X &Z &Z &Z &C 3.6 S Motorola Devour 80 • L A 70 &X &Z &V &X &X &Z &Z &X 3.1 S • BlackBerry Storm2 9550 150 • M B 70 &X &X &V &C &Z &Z &Z &C 3.3 S Palm Pre Plus 50 • S P 66 &X &Z &V &C &X &Z &Z &C 3.1 M • HTC Ozone 0 • M W 64 • &C &C &V &X &Z &Z &X &X 2.4 Palm Pixi Plus 0 • S P 63 &C &X &V &C &X &Z &X &C 2.6 M • SPRINT This carrier was among the more satisfying in a large majority of cities in which it was rated in our survey. Samsung Epic 4G 250 • • M A 76 &Z &Z &C &X &Z &Z &Z &X 4.0 M • HTC Evo 4G 200 • • L A 74 &Z &Z &V &X &X &Z &Z &C 4.3 M 100 • • M A 70 Samsung Intercept ⁄ &X &Z &V &X &X &Z &Z &C 3.2 M • HTC Hero 150 • • M A 69 &X &Z &V &X &X &Z &Z &C 3.2 M BlackBerry Bold 9650 68 200 M B • • • &X &X &C &X &Z &Z &Z &C 2.4 Verizon, $150, U.S. Cellular, $160.

HSDPA 3.1f

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

•

•

• • • • •

EDGE 1.9 • • • • • • &C &X &V &X &Z &X &X &X 2.4 • HSDPA 3.1 • • &Z &C &V &V &X &Z &Z &X 3.5 M • HSDPA 1.9 • • • • &X &C &V &X &X &X &Z &X 3.2 S AT&T This carrier scored lowest in satisfaction in almost all cities in our survey and was the worst-rated in almost all other respects.

9 BlackBerry Curve 8520 10 Garmin-Asus Garminfone 11 Nokia 5230 Nuron

D

Overall score Operating system

Rank

n d n d n d n d n d

1

Price

Similar models and other carriers offering comparable models are listed in small type with the phone's price. Performance and features might vary somewhat from the tested model's.

Requires data service Requires messaging service

Recommendation

Brand & model

d Recommended

5 Excellent 4 Very good 3 Good 2 Fair 1 Poor Display size (in.)

Ratings Smart phones

Where are Windows Phone 7 models? These arrived too late to include in our Ratings. See pages 28 and 29.

Apple iPhone 4 (16GB) Apple iPhone 4 (32GB), $300.

&Z &Z &C &X &X &Z &Z &Z 3.5 M

• HSDPA 5.0f

•

•

200 • M A 76 • HSDPA 4.9 • • • • &Z &Z &V &X &Z &Z &Z &Z 4.0 M d 2 Samsung Captivate 74 Apple iPhone 3G S (8GB) 100 M i 3.5 M HSDPA 3.1 3 • • • • Z & Z & V & X & X & Z & Z & Z & d 130 • S A 74 • HSDPA 5.1 • • • • &X &Z &V &X &X &Z &Z &X 3.2 M d 4 HTC Aria 200 • M B 74 &X &Z &V &X &Z &Z &Z &X 3.2 M • • HSDPA 5.0f • • • • • d 5 BlackBerry Torch 9800 50 • M A 69 6 Motorola Backflip • • &X &X &C &C &X &Z &Z &X 3.1 S • • HSDPA 4.9f • 200 • M B 69 HSDPA 1.9f • • • • • 7 BlackBerry Bold • &X &X &C &X &Z &Z &Z &C 2.6 M A 68 8 Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 150 • • HSDPA 8.0 • • • • &Z &Z &V &C &X &Z &Z &X 4.0 S 50 • S P 67 HSDPA 3.1f • &X &Z &V &C &X &Z &Z &X 3.1 M • d 9 Palm Pre Plus 0 • S P 64 HSDPA 1.9f 10 Palm Pixi Plus • &C &X &V &C &X &Z &X &X 2.6 M • ⁄Also available from no-contract carrier Virgin Mobile for $250. €Also available from no-contract carriers: $250 from Boost, $280 from MetroPCS, $250 from Virgin Mobile, and $180 from Cricket. ‹Available from Walmart Family Mobile without a contract for $250. ›To be replaced by Bold 9780.

n

ja n ua ry 2011 w w w.C o n su m e r R e p o rt s. o rg

33

cover story best phones & plans

Overview Cell phones

The tested phones were all competent, so any low-priced model in the Ratings offers fine value. But also consider the carrier’s track record in our service Ratings. Prices from carriers are based on a two-year contract, including any rebates. Phones with $0 for price are provided at no extra charge when you sign a new two-year contract.

d Recommended

If simplicity is paramount: A10 Samsung Jitterbug J $100 A10 has big buttons, a comfortable earpiece, and even a dial tone. The provider, Great Call, offers free directory assistance and will update your contacts if you phone, fax, or mail them. You don’t need a contract, but service is pricey. The phone is thick and lacks common features.

Best choices for Sprint: B1 Samsung Instinct HD $50 B2 LG Rumor Touch $30 B3 LG Lotus Elite $0 B1 has a large, 3.2-inch touch-screen display

34

B2 LG Rumor Touch

A

n d n d n d n d n d n d

1 2

Voice command World phone

Video recording

100 P | F | G | VG | E

Keyboard

Camera (MP)

Features Memory-card slot

0

Test results

Broadband data

Overall score

Physical Virtual

Price

Touch screen

Brand & model

Display size (in.)

In performance order, by carrier. (Carriers listed in order of user satisfaction.)

Ease of use Voice quality Messaging Battery life

A1 has a fairly large, external touch screen; inside, there’s a regular screen (which shows a landscape view of whatever was on the exterior screen) and keyboard. A1, A2, A3, and A5 have generously sized physical keyboards, and A1 also has a virtual one. A1 and A3 can view Office documents, such as Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. But A1 and A3 are heavier than most. A2 has a 2.6-inch screen with a dual-hinged design that integrates a keyboard with phone controls. Its backlit keys change from numbers to letters, depending on how you use the phone. Open the phone vertically and the buttons become a numbered keypad with controls for making calls; open the phone from the sides and the buttons become a keyboard. A5 has a smallish external display and a roomy keypad, and it opens up to reveal a 2.6-inch screen, stereo speakers, and keyboard. But some phone functions are accessible only when the phone is open. A3 and A9 are made to be ruggedized, weather-resistant phones.

B1 Samsung Instinct HD

Ratings Cell phones Requires data service Requires messaging service

A1 LG enV Touch $40 A2 Samsung Alias 2 $25 A3 Casio G’zOne Brigade $200 A5 LG enV3 $80 A9 Samsung Convoy $70

Rank

Best choices for Verizon:

A1 LG enV Touch

Recommendation

These are high-scoring models overall; some offer specific strengths, which are described below.

VERIZON This carrier was among the more satisfying in almost all cities in our survey. 74 LG enV Touch $ 40 • &Z &C &Z &C 3.0 S • • EV-DO 3.1f • • • 72 Samsung Alias 2 25 • EV-DO 1.9 • • • • &X &C &Z &X 2.6

11

Casio G'zOne Brigade Samsung Reality LG enV3 LG Chocolate Touch Nokia 7705 Twist LG Cosmos Samsung Convoy Samsung Jitterbug J Verizon Wireless Escapade

B

SPRINT This carrier was among the more satisfying in a large majority of cities in which it was rated in our survey.

3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

200 •

71

&X &V &Z &X 2.9

• • • •

69

60

&X &X &X &X &X &X &C

58

&X &C &C &C 2.0

50 80 40 25 0 70 100 30

69 69 66 63 62

&V &C &C &V &V &C &C

&Z &Z &X &Z &Z &C &C

&C &C &C &C &X &C &C

3.0 S 2.6 3.0 S 2.4 2.0 2.2 2.1

• • • • •

EV-DO 3.1f •

• •

• • • •

• • • • • • •

EV-DO EV-DO • EV-DO EV-DO 1xRTT EV-DO

3.1 3.1f 3.1 3.1f 1.2 1.9

EV-DO 1.9

• • • • • • •

• •

n d n d n d

1 Samsung Instinct HD 50 • • 66 • EV-DO 5.0f • • • &X &C &X &C 3.2 S 65 EV-DO 1.9 • • • 2 LG Rumor Touch ⁄ 30 &X &C &Z &X 3.0 S • 62 EV-DO 1.9 • • • 0 3 LG Lotus Elite € &X &C &Z &C 2.4 S • 62 0 1xRTT 1.2 4 LG Remarq • • • &X &C &Z &C 2.4 61 EV-DO 1.9 • • • 5 Sanyo Incognito ‹ 50 &C &C &Z &C 2.6 S • 60 1xRTT 1.2 20 6 Samsung Seek ‹ • • &C &V &Z &C 2.6 S • ⁄Also available from no-contract carrier Virgin Mobile for $150. €Also available from U.S. Cellular as LG Mystique, $100. ‹Also available from no-contract carrier Boost; B5 is $100, B6 is $150.

Guide to the Ratings

Overall score is based mainly on ease of use, voice quality, messaging, and battery life. Scores are rounded; models are listed in order of precise overall score, within categories. Ease of use mainly considers step-saving functions for making and receiving calls, as well as display and keypad readability and multimedia versatility. Voice quality considers listening (what we heard) and talking (what was heard at the other end) in noisy and quiet settings using live phone calls; we show the lower of the two scores. Messaging assesses keypad ergonomics, text-messaging features, support for Microsoft Outlook, and whether the phone can open e-mail attachments. Battery life is an average of talk time with strong and weak network signals, and considers standby and display times. Display size is diagonal, in inches. Under touch screen, S indicates single touch and M indicates multi-touch that lets you pinch to zoom in or out of  Web pages or photos. Keyboard indicates a physical or  virtual QWERTY layout. Broadband data is fastest U.S. broadband network supported. WiMax is speediest. EV-DO and HSDPA are faster than 1xRTT and EDGE. Camera (MP) is resolution in megapixels; f indicates a flash. Video recording is via camera. Memory-card

con s um er r ep o rt s j a n ua ry 2 0 1 1

C1 Samsung Gravity T

D1 Samsung Impression

D2 LG Vu Plus

C

n d n d n d

1 2 3 4 5

D

n d n d n d

1

Voice command World phone

Camera (MP)

Physical Virtual

Touch screen

Memory-card slot

100 P | F | G | VG | E

Video recording

0

Features Keyboard Display size (in.)

Test results Ease of use Voice quality Messaging Battery life

Requires data service Requires messaging service

Overall score

T-MOBILE This carrier was among the more satisfying in more than half of the cities in which it was rated in our survey. 69 Samsung Gravity T $ 75 HSDPA 1.9 • • • • &X &V &Z &Z 2.8 S • 66 LG Sentio 0 • HSDPA 3.1 • • • • &X &V &X &Z 3.0 S 64 Samsung Comeback 0 HSDPA 1.9 • • • • • &X &V &Z &X 2.6 63 Samsung Gravity 3 50 HSDPA 1.9 • • • • • &C &V &Z &X 2.4 Sony Ericsson Equinox

0

61

&X &V &C &X 2.2

HSDPA 3.1

• •

•

AT&T This carrier scored lowest in satisfaction in almost all cities in our survey and was the worst-rated in almost all other respects. Samsung Impression LG Vu Plus

2 3 Samsung Solstice › 4 Samsung Sunburst 5 Samsung Strive Samsung Rugby II 6 d 7 Pantech Link fi 8 Pantech Breeze II 9 Pantech Impact ›To be replaced by Solstice II.

n

Price

Rank

Recommendation

Brand & model

Broadband data

5 Excellent 4 Very good 3 Good 2 Fair d Recommended 1 Poor

130

•

68

150 30 20 20 100 0 20 0

• • • •

68 68 68 65 64

•

63 62

•

62

• &X &V &Z &X 3.2 S • • HSDPA 3.1 • • HSDPA 3.1f • • • • &X &V &Z &X 3.0 S • • HSDPA 1.9 • • • • &X &V &X &X 3.0 S • EDGE 1.9 • • • • &X &C &X &Z 3.0 S 2.6 HSDPA 1.9 • • • • • &X &V &X &C HSDPA 1.9 • • • • &X &V &C &Z 2.2 HSDPA 1.3 • • • • &X &V &X &Z 2.4 HSDPA 1.3 • • • • &X &V &C &X 2.2 HSDPA 1.9 • • • • &X &V &Z &X 2.6

fi Also available from no-contract carrier AT&T GoPhone for $60.

slot accepts flash-memory cards. Cell phones A10 Samsung and A11 Verizon Wireless lack a memory-card slot. Voice command allows dialing from the phone contacts by speaking the name or dialing numbers by saying the digits, without training the phone. All models can be used with Bluetooth mono headsets. All conventional cell phones support Bluetooth data and can exchange files with other Bluetooth devices out of the box, except A10 Samsung. The following models lack Bluetooth stereo headset capability: A8 LG, A10 Samsung, and A11 Verizon Wireless. All cell phones support GPS navigation for maps with spoken turn-by-turn directions, except A10 Samsung, B4 LG, and B6 Samsung. The B1 Samsung supports Web browsing via Wi-Fi. World phones support GSM bands mostly found in Europe. Some phones require a data plan for browsing the Web or accessing e-mail and other media services and/or require a messaging plan to send and receive any texts or picture and video messages. Price is based on a two-year contract in October 2010 from the indicated carriers, including rebates, except  A10 Samsung, which requires no contract. Verizon and T-Mobile phones are also available as no-contract models.

with a virtual keyboard. Its full-featured, 5-megapixel camera can record HD video, which you can output to a TV. Video quality was on a par with that of the better pocket camcorders we’ve tested. And its Wi-Fi connection, rare in a conventional cell phone, allows the fastest Web surfing. But it’s a bit slow when opening multimedia applications. B2 has a fairly large touch-screen display and a generously proportioned keyboard that slides out for easier texting. But it’s heavier than most. B3 has a dual display. When the Lotus is folded shut, its wide, square shape looks more like a cosmetics compact than a phone. The outer touch-screen display lets you easily access the phone’s main functions by swiping to the left or right of the home screen. Flipping the phone open reveals a keyboard for typing text messages and dialing phone numbers. B2 and B3 can view Office documents, such as Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.

Best choices for T-Mobile: C1 Samsung Gravity T $75 C2 LG Sentio $0 C3 Samsung Comeback $0 C1 has a 2.8-inch, touch-screen display and a very good keyboard that slides out for easier texting. The relatively thin, pocket-friendly C2 has a 3.0-inch touchscreen display that supports a virtual keyboard. C3 has a 1.5-inch outer display and a keypad that facilitates phoning. It opens up like an eyeglass case to reveal a 2.6-inch screen and keyboard that should satisfy most texters. But it’s bulkier than most. C1 and C3 can view Office documents, such as Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.

Best choices for AT&T: D1 Samsung Impression $130 D2 LG Vu Plus $150 D3 Samsung Solstice $30 D6 Samsung Rugby II $100 D1, D2, and D3 have relatively large touch-screen displays. D1 and D2 have generous slide-out, physical keyboards. D1 also has a virtual keyboard, as does the slimmer D3. D2, D3, and D6 can view Office documents, such as Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. Touching the top side of D2’s standby screen provides a handy dropdown menu that lets you access the music player, Bluetooth, messaging, and more. D3 has a handwriting recognition feature that lets you jot down numbers, letters, symbols, and punctuation, which are then converted to typed text. D1 lacks standard voice-activated dialing. D6 is made to be a ruggedized, weather-resistant phone. D1 and D6 are heavier than most. All support AT&T’s Video Share, which lets you stream live, one-way video to a compatible phone.

ja n ua ry 2011 w w w.C o n su m e r R e p o rt s. o rg

35

cover story best phones & plans

Overview Cell-phone service

Best regional carrier overall:

We’ve divided our overall Ratings into separate charts that reflect experiences with cell-phone carriers under a contract and without a contract, drawn from all survey respondents. In addition, where we have sufficient data, we’ve drawn on the experiences of contract and no-contract customers to create city-by-city Ratings.

U.S. Cellular

Best choice overall for most people:

Consumer Cellular TracFone

Verizon Wireless Sprint

Also consider:

This carrier offers service in 26 states. It stands out for value, voice service, and customer service. (We lacked sufficient data to rate it on some aspects. It’s included in the Milwaukee Ratings.)

Best choices if your phone and service needs are fairly basic:

These are the standout carriers for service without a contract. Like most no-contract carriers, they offer fewer phones (and no smart phones) than the major carriers. They use AT&T’s network, though their relatively basic phones aren’t likely to place heavy demands on its data component, which AT&T contract customers found to be a weak point.

These are the highest-scoring nationally available carriers for contract service. Verizon Wireless has an edge in voice service overall. Sprint scored better in some aspects of customer service, which is a remarkable turnaround from past years when that was a weak point for the company.

Three prepaid no-contract carriers (not rated due to insufficient data) might be worth a try for their attractive pricing. Straight Talk, sold through Walmart, offers unlimited voice, text messages, and Web access for $45 a month, and 1,000 voice minutes and messages and 30MB of Web access for $30 a month. It uses the  Verizon prepaid network, which is almost as comprehensive as the regular Verizon network. If you live in a city it serves, consider MetroPCS. Its unlimited local plans start at $30 a month. Walmart Family Mobile is too new to rate but is worth checking out. It offers no-contract plans. We like the low price and the fact that you buy data service for the account, not each line, so the data bundle is shared among all handsets and doesn’t expire until it’s used up. WFM is a private-label brand of T-Mobile, which handles everything. You can buy any T-Mobile smart phone with no contract and move it to your WFM plan.

Ratings Cell service by city In order of reader score, within 23 metropolitan areas. Differences in reader score of less than six points are not meaningful.

76 73 70 60

&X & C & V & V

&X & C & C & B

&C & X & V & V

&Z & C & V & B

71 70 68 62

&C & C & B & B

&C C & & C — — & C — — & C & V &C &B

&X & X & V & B

&C C & & X — — & C & C &B — & B &B &B

CHICAGO Verizon Sprint T-Mobile AT&T

74 71 68 58

DALLAS-FORT WORTH Verizon T-Mobile Sprint AT&T

36

100

75 73 73 63

&Z & C & C & C

&X X & & X — — & C & C &C &C & V &C &V

con sum er r ep o rt s j a n ua ry 2 0 1 1

Verizon T-Mobile AT&T

73 67 55

Verizon Sprint T-Mobile AT&T

&X & B & C & C

MIAMI

75 74 73 63

&X C & & X — — & C & C &C &C & V &C &B

77 72 70 61

&Z & C & V & C

&X X & & Z — — & C — — & C & V &C &B

INDIANAPOLIS Verizon Sprint AT&T

75 72 64

80 76 71 67

Sprint Verizon T-Mobile AT&T

&C C & & X &C — — &C — — &B &B &B

&X & Z &V &C

— &C X & & C & C & X &C — — &V &C &V

Data

Texting

&X &C &C &B

100

75 72 70 55

77 75 74 63

Milwaukee U.S. Cellular Verizon AT&T

84 73 59

— — &Z Z & & X & C & X & Z &B V & & B & B

MINNEAPOLIS-ST.PAUL &X X & & X & X — & C & C & X & C & V & C &B

Verizon T-Mobile Sprint AT&T

&X & X & V & C

NEW YORK

KANSAS CITY Sprint Verizon T-Mobile AT&T

0

&X X & & X & X — — & V & C & B & B &V &B

HOUSTON Verizon Sprint T-Mobile AT&T

Service

LOS ANGELES

DETROIT Verizon T-Mobile Sprint AT&T

Reader score

Data

Texting

Provider

DENVER

BOSTON Verizon Sprint T-Mobile AT&T

No service

Data

Texting

0

ATLANTA Verizon Sprint T-Mobile AT&T

Service

Dropped calls

100

Reader score

No service

0

Provider

Dropped calls

Service Dropped calls

Reader score

No service

Provider

&C C & & X & X & X & X — — & C & C &C &C

Verizon Sprint T-Mobile AT&T

74 72 67 58

72 69 69 57

&X & C &C &V

&X & C &C &B

&C X & — & C &C — &V &B

&X &C &B &B

&C &C &C &B

&C X & &C C & &C — &B &B

Verizon Wireless

74

Sprint

73

T-Mobile

69

AT&T

60

&Z & C & C & V & B

&Z & X & C & V & B

E-mail

Website

Phone

Data

Texting

&C & C & C & V & V

&C & C & C & V & B

—

—

—

&C & C & X & B

&C & C & C & B

&C & X & C & B

&Z &C &C &C &B

&Z &C &C &C &B

Provider

100

73 70 63

77 74 71 59

&X X & & C & X — — & B & C & C & V &V &B &Z & X & C & V

&X X & & Z — — & X & C &C — & V &V &B

SALT LAKE CITY Verizon T-Mobile AT&T

76 74 62

&Z X & & X & Z — — & C & C & C & V &V &B

SAN DIEGO Sprint Verizon T-Mobile AT&T

76 75 73 60

&X & X & C & V

— &X X & & C & C & X — — & C & V &V &B

SAN FRANCISCO Verizon T-Mobile Sprint AT&T

74 73 68 51

0

&X C & & C — — & C & C &V &V & B &B &B

&X & C & X & C

&X C & & X — — & C & C &C &C & C &C &V

&C & Z & C & C

&C & X & C & C

&C & X & V & V

&C C & & X & C & C & X — — & C & V &V &B

Data

Texting

&X & C & C & V

100

SEATTLE

PHOENIX Verizon Sprint T-Mobile AT&T

Service

Data

Texting

PHILADELPHIA Verizon T-Mobile AT&T

Reader score

Dropped calls

0

Provider

No service

Service Dropped calls

Reader score

No service

Provider

&X & C & C & B

&X C & & X — — & C & C &C — & B &B &B

Verizon Sprint T-Mobile AT&T

73 72 71 59

ST. LOUIS Verizon T-Mobile Sprint AT&T

76 72 71 67

TAMPA, FLA. T-Mobile Verizon Sprint AT&T

73 72 72 67

&C — & X & X — & C & C &C

WASHINGTON, D.C. Sprint Verizon T-Mobile AT&T

73 72 72 62

Reader score 0

5 Better 4 3 2 1 Worse

5 Better 4 3 2 1 Worse

Consumer Cellular

87

TracFone

82

T-Mobile

79

Verizon Wireless

76

Virgin Mobile

75

AT&T GoPhone

68

100

Voice

82

100

Issue resolved

U.S. Cellular

Customer support Staff knowledge

0

Voice

Service Value

Reader score

Summary Ratings, reflecting all cities surveyed, in order of overall score. Differences in score of less than three points are not meaningful.

Value

Summary Ratings, reflecting all cities surveyed, in order of overall score. Differences in score of less than four points are not meaningful.

Provider

Ratings No-contract service

5 Better 4 3 2 1 Worse

Ratings Cell-phone service with a contract

&Z & X & C & V & C & B

&C & C & V & C & C & V

Guide to the Ratings Ratings are based on 58,189 responses from ConsumerReports.org subscribers surveyed in September 2010. Ratings by city include responses from customers with conventional (contract) and no-contract service. Separate analyses were conducted of overall ratings for contract and no-contract carriers. Only providers with sufficient data for ratings are included in each chart. Reader score reflects respondents’ overall satisfaction with their cell-phone service and is not limited to factors listed in the Ratings charts. A score of 100 would mean all respondents were completely satisfied; 80 would mean very satisfied, on average; 60, fairly well satisfied. Reader scores are not directly comparable among the three Ratings charts. Value reflects the percentage of respondents that rated the carrier as very good or excellent in value for money. Voice service reflects the percentage of respondents who said they experienced various problems when making calls. In the city chart, two specific voice problems are rated: no service and dropped calls. Texting reflects difficulties, including texts not being sent or received or being much delayed. Voice and texting scores are based on the percentage who reported no problems in the previous seven days, statistically adjusted for cell-phone usage rates. Scores for  Data reflect the percentage of respondents who gave very good to excellent scores for the overall experience with Web access and e-mail from their phones. Customer support is based on the quality of the carrier’s website, ease and speed of reaching support staff by phone, e-mail helpfulness, and knowledge and competence of support staff. Issue resolved reflects the percentage who said their issue was satisfactorily resolved in a timely manner. Ratings are relative, reflecting differences from the average of all providers in all areas. “—” indicates insufficient data. Respondents might not reflect the general U.S. population.

ja n ua ry 2011 w w w.C o n su m e r R e p o rt s. org

37

cover story best phones & plans

For 911 calls, is a cell phone as safe as a landline? As Americans increasingly communicate wirelessly, some 60 percent of the nation’s 240 million 911 calls are placed through cell phones. A 2010 Consumer Reports National Research Center survey of more than 2,000 subscribers who made at least one 911 call in the past year reveals that for 71 percent of emergency calls from a cell phone, no other type of phone was available. That’s largely because emergencies often occur away from home—say, after a car accident—but 12 percent of ConsumerReports.org subscribers and about 25 percent of Americans now have no landline in their home and use only cell phones. That raises concern about the relative reliability of emergency calls placed through cell phones vs. landline phones. Dropping a landline can be penny-wise, but could it be pound-foolish if you need to call 911 from home? Not necessarily. Overall, we think that dropping your home landline and making all calls—including 911 calls—on a cell phone is generally a safe bet, based on our analysis and data from our survey. These considerations can help you decide whether it’s worth the risk to cut the cord: E-911 is up and running. Just over 97 percent of the population and 90 percent of the nation’s 3,135 counties are covered by wireless E-911. That means call centers can identify your cell-phone number for callback as well as your phone’s latitude and longitude within about 55 to 330 yards—a city block or two—using your call signal and either GPS or ground-based triangulation, according to the National Emergency Number Association. That stacks up very well against landline 911, which covers 99 percent of the population and 96 percent of counties. Rural areas have less E-911 coverage. If you live in a rural area or enjoy a vacation

home in a remote location, E-911 might not be available, or worse still, there might not even be a cell signal. Check the status of E-911 in your county at nena.ddti.net. Examine your carrier’s coverage map. If you find any holes in coverage in your area, check whether other carriers have better coverage. Cell callers at home reached E-911. But they sometimes had more difficulty. Virtually all (98 to 99 percent) of the 841 respondents who called 911 from home got through to a 911 operator, whether they used a cell phone, traditional landline, or VoIP landline. But 9 percent of the cell callers had some difficulty getting through, and 1 percent had a lot of trouble, including repeated dropped calls, no signal, and poor connections. (Cellular service comes with the inherent risk of interference from weather, terrain, and objects.) By comparison, 3 percent of landline callers and 1 percent of VoIP callers had minor difficulty getting through to a 911 operator. Rescuers found almost all cell callers. Almost every survey respondent (96 to 98 percent) who called 911 from home said

police and other emergency responders found them, regardless of how they called. There was no statistically significant difference whether they used a cell phone, traditional landline, or  VoIP phone. But with landline and VoIP 911, operators were significantly more likely to find callers by determining the location of the phone. More than one-third of landline and VoIP users were located in that manner compared with only 7 percent of cell callers. Landline and VoIP 911 give the operator your home address, including an apartment number if it appears on your phone bill. With cellular, operators see only geographic coordinates. With all phone technologies, the operator asked respondents for their location at the start of the call in at least three of every four calls, perhaps if only to verify the address on the screen on landline and VoIP calls. But if you can’t speak—if you’re incapacitated or distraught, for example­—it’s clearly a huge advantage if your address automatically shows up on the operator’s screen. Cell service is better in a natural disaster. Telephone landlines and cell-phone towers are equally vulnerable to the ravages of severe weather, earthquake, and other natural disasters—which is when you may most need to call 911. But cellular carriers can more easily restore service. They have fleets of mobile cell towers on trailer trucks throughout the country that can be deployed to restore service quickly to an area that has suffered a catastrophe. Your cell phone might not work at home. About 11 percent of Consumer Reports subscribers reported that problem in our 2009 survey. If you have spotty cell service, don’t rely on it. Either keep your landline or switch to a wireless carrier that provides a stronger signal to your home.

1 Close up

Our tests found that this year’s smart phones last longer on a charge than their predecessors, but they can still easily run out of juice before the day is up. Here are ways to maximize battery life, either by modifying your habits or tweaking your phone’s settings, which are easily accessed via a desktop icon (usually a gear or tool). Seek strong signals. Phones use more power when they’re trying to access a weak network signal. Avoid stashing the phone in a crowded purse or briefcase or inside a lower desk drawer. It can be harder for a phone to get a signal in those places.

38

co n s um er r ep o rt s j a n ua ry 2 0 1 1

Shut off access. When you’re in an area where you know there’s no signal or you won’t be using your phone for a while, turn it off or set it to airplane mode. Otherwise it will keep making futile, power-eating attempts to connect to the carrier’s network. Also turn off  Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and 3G (if possible) when you’re out of range or won’t be using those features. And turn on GPS only when you need it.

Reduce screen brightness. Set brightness to Auto, which makes the screen only as bright as needed for the light conditions. (If the phone has no Auto setting, lower screen brightness yourself.) Setting the screen to shut off after the shortest period of inactivity might help. Update less often. If possible, reduce how often the phone updates e-mail, news, socialnetwork feeds, and other apps to, say, once every half-hour.

i l l u s t r at i o n by e va tatc h e va

How to conserve battery life