It's a great time of the year to switch wireless carriers.

That's because Apple is about to release several new iPhones, and the major carriers are clamoring to lock in customers as they hype up their new 5G service plans. In some cases, you might be able to get a brand-new iPhone 12 for free. (More on those iPhones, and those discounts, later in the newsletter.)

But depending on what you're already paying for wireless service, those deals might not be worth taking. And even if you are ready to switch carriers, it's not easy deciphering all of their "unlimited" data plans, most of which in fact have limits.

Looking around the web, I couldn't find a comparison between Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile that pulled all the relevant details into one chart. So I decided to make one myself. Head to this link for a Google Sheet comparing all the current unlimited data plans from all the major carriers. (I'm not including Sprint, since it stopped taking new subscribers after getting acquired by T-Mobile earlier this year.)

A few notes on reading the chart:

• When your first click on the link, you'll see a comparison of plans for a single line of service. The tabs at the bottom of the page will let you switch to prices per line for two, three, four, or five lines instead.
• By default, plans are arranged by carrier. If you hover over the B column, click the arrow, and select "Sort A-Z," you can view plans in order of price. (On mobile devices, double-tap the B column, then tap More or scroll through the pop-up menu to find the "Sort A-Z" option.)

• I didn't include activation or upgrade fees in the chart, but they're $30 per line on AT&T and $20 per line on Verizon. T-Mobile charges $25 for a SIM card kit that you buy once when joining the network.

What's the deal with 5G?

You'll also notice a column in the chart for 5G, with each carrier offering some combination of low-band, mid-band, and high-band service:

• Low-band will generally offer the broadest coverage but with only modest (or, in some cases, negative) speed gains.
• High-band (also called millimeter wave) is an extremely fast version of 5G, but its short range and difficulty penetrating buildings means that it's hardly available anywhere. AT&T calls this service 5G Plus, while Verizon's using the term 5G Ultra Wideband.
• Mid-band, as you might expect, represents a middle ground between the two other extremes of 5G. Right now, only T-Mobile and Sprint offer it.
• 5G E is AT&T's fake name for a faster version of 4G service, which all the major carriers offer.

One other note on 5G: In all cases, you'll need a phone that supports 5G—and more specifically, the flavors of 5G that your carrier offers—to take advantage of the faster networks. Apple's new iPhones support all major 5G bands, but Android phones can vary.

AT&T is also using 5G as an incentive to push customers off older plans, as it's only offering the service on the new plans listed in the chart. Not that you should rush if you're happy with your current phone; studies continue to show that 5G isn't a major improvement over 4G.

What about other options?

Of course, my chart doesn't compare the myriad other options available for wireless service, including prepaid plans from the major carriers, carrier sub-brands like Verizon's Visible and T-Mobile's Metro, and providers that lease access to the major networks such as Google Fi or Ting. Those plans are often cheaper than what the big carriers offer and in many cases have comparable coverage, but they're not giving away iPhones as an incentive to switch. The website WhistleOut is a great way to sift through those options, letting you filter out plans based on data allotments and network coverage.

Got more questions about picking a wireless plan? Send me an email or visit the Advisorator chat room on Slack, and I'll be happy to help.
 

Apple's new iPhones: As expected, Apple's big event last week was largely about new iPhones. And this time, Apple has four of them.

The iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Mini are essentially the same phone in different screen sizes. Both have OLED displays—a richer-looking upgrade from the LCD screens in last year's iPhone 11—with a "Ceramic Shield" coating that's supposed to be much more drop-resistant, along with sharp edges that seem like a throwback to the iPhone 5. Their wide-angle camera lenses both have better low-light performance than last year's iPhones, and all their lenses—both front and back—now support Night Mode for capturing dark scenes. The difference is that the iPhone 12 Mini starts at $699 and has a 5.4-inch screen, while the iPhone 12 starts at $799 and has a 6.1-inch screen.

The iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max are a little different. While they both have stainless steel frames, and they both use lidar systems to speed up autofocus, the Pro Max has 5X optical zoom, versus 4X on the Pro, and it has a better image stabilization system that moves only the sensor when the device shakes. The Pro has a 6.1-inch screen and starts at $1,000, but the better camera is in the Pro Max, which starts at $1,100 and has a 6.7-inch screen.
 

There's also some news on the nickel-and-diming front. Apple's no longer including headphones or power adapters in the box—obvious cost-cutting measures that Apple's trying to claim as environmental victories—and out-of-warranty screen repairs for the iPhone 12 have jumped from $200 to $280. Apple's also charging an extra $30 if you buy the iPhone 12 unlocked this year. But on the upside, the iPhone 12 Pro now starts at 128 GB, which should be good enough for most people to avoid spending more on storage. (The regular iPhone 12 still comes with 64 GB instead.)

The most interesting new iPhone 12 feature has nothing to do with tech specs, though. Instead, it's the MagSafe charging system that snaps to the back of the phone to deliver power wirelessly. Apple is selling its own $39 charger along with a snap-on leather wallet, and it's hoping to build an ecosystem of third-party accessories such as charging stands and car dashboard mounts. Compared to things like 5G networking or slightly better cameras, I think MagSafe will make more day-to-day difference in how people use their phones, though as with a lot of Apple inventions, it'll also make leaving Apple's world that much harder.

Apple's smaller smart speaker: Before announcing the new iPhones, Apple also squeezed in a $99 smart speaker called the HomePod Mini. While it's still twice the sticker price of Amazon's Echo Dot and Google's Nest Mini, it's much cheaper than Apple's regular HomePod, which costs $299.
 

Without the same emphasis on music as the full-sized HomePod, Apple seems to have realized that Siri will have to do more heavy lifting. It's adding new features like Intercom, which lets users broadcast messages to other Apple devices around the house (Amazon and Google speakers have similar features already), and a neat-sounding handoff feature that transfers music from the speaker to a nearby iPhone.

More importantly, though, the Mini will just give folks a cheaper way to control HomeKit devices with voice commands. That alone could make Apple's smart home platform more compelling than it used to be.

No more Nest Secure: Speaking of smart homes, Google has ended its foray into home alarm systems for now, discontinuing its Nest Secure system that used room sensors and a keypad alarm to monitor for intruders. Android Police reports that the product will still work, but Google's not selling them anymore.

Nest Secure came out in 2017, after a period of internal turmoil at Nest but before Google absorbed the company into its own hardware group. It's safe to say Google's heart was never in the alarm product, and Nest has since focused more on security cameras and smart speakers instead.

Google could reenter the home alarm business someday, having invested $450 million in ADT with plans to collaborate on future products. Still, that's of little consolation to whoever sunk $400 to $500 into Nest's system and can no longer expand or replace its various components. It also only only feeds the idea that Google can't be trusted with long-term product support. Those customers should get their money back.
 

Fight fake Amazon reviews: When you're shopping on Amazon and see a product with close to a 5-star rating, that doesn't mean the product is universally beloved. It's just as likely that seller has used a number of tactics to puff up its score, such as inserting itself into the listing of an entirely different product or engaging in fake review programs (which persist despite being banned by Amazon).

The website Fakespot has long offered an antidote, analyzing reviews for signs of foul play, and now it has a Chrome extension Fakespot Guard that rates review quality directly on Amazon itself. (It also works with some other sites, including Best Buy and eBay.) Once installed, Fakespot will display a grade for any product you come across, and it can optionally weed out suspicious reviews to deliver an adjusted product score.

Of course, Fakespot Guard's analysis isn't gospel either—a savvy shopper will still scrutinize individual reviews for common problems and apply some skepticism to any glowing product praise—but as the extension's name suggests, it's a good way to keep your guard up.
 

A search engine for hums: Google's added a neat new trick to its mobile app that lets you look up songs by humming the melody. Just open the Google app and tap on the microphone icon in the search bar, and you should see new "Search a song" button at the bottom. (If not make sure you're running the latest version of the app.) Press the button and start humming, and Google will bring back a few guesses on what tune was. It's like Shazam, but without needing the actual song on hand.

iPad productivity tips: Over at Fast Company, I put together a big guide to being more productive on an iPad. The piece covers keyboard commands, mouse and trackpad gestures, Apple Pencil tricks, file management tips and more.

My favorite trick of all, though, involves creating your own keyboard shortcuts. Head to Settings > Accessibility > Keyboard > Full Keyboard Access and turn the feature on, then head to the Commands menu for a list of every action you can customize. You can then use the keyboard launch Siri, head to the home screen, open the app switcher, and more. You can even map keyboard commands to Apple's Shortcuts app, which lets you do things like open a new browser tab or launch Google Assistant from anywhere. Check out the full list of tips here.
 

• Ray Wong puts the iPhone 12 cameras through their paces.
• Here's JR Raphael with some neat ways to tweak Android 11's power menu.
• Nimble turns old CDs into iPhone cases.
• Zoom adds third-party apps (called "Zapps") and a place for paid events.
• Google is replacing Hangouts with a free version of Google Chat next year.
• Google-powered smart displays are getting a big update.

As I mentioned earlier, wireless carriers are really hoping you'll switch to them in time for the arrival of new iPhones, so they're rolling out pre-order deals that are some of the best we've seen. The catch is that they're all requiring long-term commitments as part of their deals; if you want to leave early, you'll have to pay off the phones at full price.

Verizon: New customers get $800 off any new phone (iPhone or otherwise) with an eligible trade-in. Existing customers can get $550 when adding a new line, or $440 by switching an existing line to one of Verizon's newer unlimited plans. You can check trade-in credit by heading to this link and selecting "See the details." Commitment required: 24 months.

AT&T: Customers can get up to $800 off any new phone (and not just iPhones) while trading in an eligible phone, including the iPhone 8 and newer. This deal is also available to existing customers, but only if your current phone is fully paid off already. The full list of eligible trade-in phones is here. Commitment required: 30 months.

T-Mobile/Sprint: Get $680 off the iPhone 12 with a new line or $415 off with an existing line while trading in an eligible iPhone, including the iPhone 8 or newer. (The iPhone XS and 11 Pro get $850 for a new line or $415 with an existing line, while older phones get less.) T-Mobile and Sprint are also offering $200 loyalty credits for customers who've been around since December 2015 when they pre-order a new iPhone 12. The full list of trade-in values for the various iPhones is here. Commitment required: 30 months.

Also, Visible is offering a $100 prepaid Mastercard when you switch and buy an eligible phone. The deal doesn't extend to the new iPhones—or any other 5G phone—but it does cover the iPhone SE and Google's Pixel 4a, and unlike with the above offers, you only have to stick around for two months to get the prepaid card.
 

With last week's iPhone event, we have successfully navigated the bulk of big fall gadget announcements. There's been a lot to take in, so please don't hesitate to reach out if you need any advice.

Have a restful week,
Jared