MetroPCS

Bottom Line

MetroPCS is a solid choice if you're looking for unlimited monthly plans. MetroPCS ranks in second place among prepaid wireless providers in the 2011 J.D. Power and Associates national survey, where it is rated against Virgin Mobile, Verizon Wireless, T-Mobile and other carriers. The carrier's biggest setback is its limited coverage.

Breaking It Down

Plans and Flexibility

You don't have to track your usage. Editors at TopTenReviews.com say that MetroPCS's monthly plans are among the best they've evaluated. Other reviewers agree that MetroPCS's flat-rate, unlimited-minutes system is simple to use and means that you don't have to worry about going over your allotment of minutes.

A monthly plan with unlimited local and long-distance calls, text and picture messages and MetroWeb (with access to most websites) costs $40. For $5 more, you can add unlimited international text messaging and more; another $5 adds unlimited email access, instant messaging and MetroNavigator GPS navigation. BlackBerry service costs $10 more.

Performance

Some complaints about limited coverage. Customers at PrepaidReviews.com complain about MetroPCS's customer service and limited regional coverage. MetroPCS receives a 4-star rating (out of 5) at PrepaidReviews.com, although editors say the carrier's biggest setback is its limited coverage, as its best coverage is in the Eastern United States.

Customer service

Experts and users have different views. Editors at TopTenReviews.com praise Metro PCS's customer service after trying it themselves. In contrast, customers at PrepaidReviews.com have mixed views: Some say that they've always had excellent customer service, while others report that it's difficult to contact customer support without having the call dropped several times.

Phone Selection

Basic and advanced phones. Like Virgin Mobile, MetroPCS offers some advanced handsets, such as the Samsung Galaxy S III (*Est. $500) with an 8-megapixel camera and HD Video. In addition, there is a large selection of basic phones (*Est. $60 and up) if you use the 3G network.