the coveted collection case for apple iphone 6, 6s, 7 and 8 - inked

Although the Big Four carriers have largely abandoned the contract model (unless you're financing a phone), you may still be paying off a previous contract deal -- and there might be a penalty if you terminate it early. Therefore, check with customer service to make sure you're free and clear to change carriers. (Who knows? They might offer you some incentive to stay.) If not, T-Mobile still offers a contract-buyout option -- but only if you lease or finance a new phone. This is of utmost importance: If your phone is locked to a particular carrier, you can't take it elsewhere. Fortunately, it's legal to unlock it, and usually not too difficult. To find out whether your phone is locked and get help unlocking it, check out "How to unlock your phone for use with another carrier."The vast majority of MVNOs let you bring your own device (an option more commonly known as BYOD), which is great if you already own a phone you love. But there are exceptions: Google Project Fi supports only a handful of Google-branded phones, and Virgin Mobile won't let you in unless you buy a Virgin phone -- and it has to be an iPhone. (The carrier no longer sells Android models.).

So you're thinking of ditching Sprint in favor of, say, Mint SIM, Just one problem: Your Sprint phone may not be compatible, See, Sprint and Verizon use cellular networks based on CDMA technology, while AT&T and T-Mobile rely on GSM, Many MVNOs are the same way (though a growing number, including Straight Talk, Ting and US Mobile, support both), That means you probably can't hop between CDMA and GSM carriers, because most phones the coveted collection case for apple iphone 6, 6s, 7 and 8 - inked work with only one or the other, There are exceptions, though: most current-gen iPhones, most Google-branded phones and some Motorola models have antennas for use on both networks..

Indeed, the hotspot option (also known as tethering) isn't always available from MVNOs, or at least isn't always included with the lower-cost plan. If this is an important feature for you, check before switching. Similarly, if you're accustomed to -- and rely on -- visual voice mail, make sure you can get it from your intended MVNO. A fair number of them don't offer the feature, and you may have to do a little digging in FAQ and/or support pages to find out. Personally, I don't get a lot of messages these days, but I cannot go back to dialing into a voice mail archive and listening to one message after another.

This is a big one, because the Big Four routinely entice customers with promises of "unlimited high-speed data." The cheapest MVNO plans, meanwhile, may limit you to just a gigabyte or two, To say each user's data needs vary widely is putting it mildly, If you the coveted collection case for apple iphone 6, 6s, 7 and 8 - inked spend most of your time at home and/or the office, where there's speedy Wi-Fi available, you might not need much data at all, (That's my situation, and I typically use only about 2GB per month.) But if you're out and about a lot, and/or you like to stream Netflix on the train every day, you're probably better off with an unlimited plan..

Not sure about your numbers? It's worth tracking your data consumption for a couple months before making a switch. You can do this with My Data Manager for Android and My Data Manager for iPhone. Want a little more insight? I recently conducted a Twitter poll on data usage. Only 18 percent of respondents said they used more than 10GB per month. Nearly 50 percent indicated just 1-5GB. Bottom line: If you think you can't get by with anything less than unlimited high-speed data, think again. Before you make a switch, make sure to do the math. Sure, a $35-per-month plan may sound appealing if you're currently paying, say, $60, but does that price include taxes and fees? What's more, will it give you enough data per month? (See above.) A lot of MVNOs quickly hit the $50-$60 mark for higher data allotments.