iPhone Plans for Families from AT&T and Verizon

While the iPhone family plans for data and calling offered by AT&T, Sprint, and Verizon in the U.S. used to be fairly similar, AT&T and Verizon made major changes in 2012 that affect how family rates are calculated. Instead of using minutes as the foundation of their plans, those companies have changed to make the amount of data shared between devices on a family plan the major cost, with calling and texting included. Sprint has, as of this writing, maintained its minutes-based plans.

As a result of this change, AT&T and Verizon rates are calculated in this way: First, choose the data plan you want to share between all the phones on the account. This has one cost. Then choose the number of phones; each phone on the account will have a monthly charge attached to it. Multiply the number of phones by the monthly cost and add it to the data plan to get the family's full monthly cost.

All new iPhones have a one-time activation fee and a require two-year contract (unless you buy an unsubsidized phone for full retail price).

IMPORTANT: Data (and, for Sprint, minutes) is shared among all lines/phones.