Independent since 2019 · No paid placement, ever Every review on this site is written by one person
Author

Jean Gilles

Founder & Lead Analyst, ShopCellPlans. Writes reviews on this site. Pretty awesome human-being.

Jean Gilles has researched personal finance, consumer technology, and wireless pricing for over a decade. ShopCellPlans is his independent project to bring transparent, no-spin guidance to a category most people overpay in.

He has run the site since 2019. Every plan review, carrier guide, and ranking published here is written and scored by him — there is no freelance pool and no syndicated content.

125
plans scored against the same four pillars
25
carriers covered, from the Big 3 to regional MVNOs
2019
independent since — no paid placement, ever

How he works

  • Plans are tested on real devices in real cities, not read off a carrier's spec sheet.
  • Scores come from four pillars only — Value for Money, Network Reliability & Speed, Hotspot & Features, and Customer Experience. See the full methodology.
  • Promotional pricing is noted but never counts toward a score. Renewal rates and hidden fees do.
  • No carrier — including ones the site earns commissions from — sees a review before it publishes.

Articles by Jean Gilles

BYOD Deals: What Bringing Your Own Phone Is Actually Worth Guides · July 31, 2026 T-Mobile Plan Perks: What's Actually Included Carrier Guides · July 31, 2026 T-Mobile Legacy Plans: Simple Choice, One & Migrated Sprint Guides · July 31, 2026 Should I Keep My Grandfathered Plan? Guides · July 31, 2026 Verizon Grandfathered Unlimited Data: Keep It or Not? Guides · July 31, 2026 AT&T Grandfathered Unlimited Data: Still Worth It? Guides · July 31, 2026 PureTalk Review: AT&T Coverage at Half the Price? Reviews · July 31, 2026 Ting Mobile Review: Two Good Plans, Four to Avoid Reviews · July 31, 2026 Patriot Mobile Review: What You're Actually Paying For Reviews · July 31, 2026 Appalachian Wireless Review: Plans, Coverage + Verdict Reviews · July 31, 2026 How to Set Up Voicemail on Android (2026) Guides · July 31, 2026 How to Set Up Voicemail on iPhone (2026) Guides · July 31, 2026
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AT&T Phones: Online vs In-Store — Which Is Cheaper? MiFi 101: How Portable Wi-Fi Hotspots Actually Work How to Check Your Data Usage on Verizon How to Turn Your Phone Into a Hotspot Mint Mobile APN Settings for Android Xfinity Mobile Deals: What's Actually Worth Taking Total Wireless vs Straight Talk: Same Owner, Different Value Google Fi vs Mint Mobile: Travel Coverage or Half the Price? Mint Mobile vs Cricket Wireless: Price or Priority? Can I Use a Verizon Phone With Straight Talk? Does Straight Talk Use Verizon Towers? How to Improve Mobile Signal Strength How to Stop Robocalls The Best Flip Phones of 2026 T-Mobile Sidekick: A Collector's Guide AT&T Switch and Save: What the Offer Is Actually Worth Xfinity Mobile Switch Offers: What They're Really Worth Verizon's Military Discount: Who Qualifies and How to Claim It T-Mobile Travel eSIM Plans: When to Buy One iPhone 17 Cellular Problems: A Fix-It Order That Works Black Friday iPhone Deals: How to Tell a Good One From a Trap Can You Still Use a T-Mobile Sidekick in 2026? Ultra Mobile Review (2026): Plans, Coverage & Verdict How To Connect to T-Mobile's Free In-Flight Wi-Fi Hotspot Data by Plan: All 51 Compared Verizon Free Trial: 30 Days on the Best Rural Network AT&T Free Trial: 30 Days, 100GB, iPhone Only What Happens When a Carrier Free Trial Ends? Which Carrier Trial Should Rural Users Test First? T-Mobile Free Trial: 30 Days, 250GB Hotspot, No Card AT&T Moves an Exabyte a Day. Here's Why It Matters Can You Return a Verizon Phone to Any Store? AT&T's $177M Data Breach Settlement: What Happened How to Set Up Verizon Home Internet (Fios & 5G) Best T-Mobile Phone + 5G Home Internet Bundles Best Verizon Phone + Home Internet Bundles Best AT&T Phone + Home Internet Bundles Tello Mobile Review: The Build-Your-Own Budget Carrier How to Switch Carriers & Keep Your Number (2026) Mint Mobile vs Tello: Which Cheap T-Mobile MVNO Wins? The Hidden Cost of Switching Carriers (2026) Will My Phone Work With a New Carrier? Mobile Network Performance, Explained Seven Real Reasons People Change Providers Phone Troubleshooting: The Checks That Actually Fix Things Carrier Free Trials: Test the Network Before You Commit Carrier Trials and Travel: What Works Abroad Travel Privacy: When a Second Phone Is Worth It When You Mark a Message as Junk, What Happens? How to Find a Genuinely Small Phone How to Actually Lower Your Verizon Bill US Mobile + Starlink: The Only Bundle That Works Off the Grid US Mobile Home Phone Review: A $9.99 Landline Replacement Do You Actually Need a Data Plan? Boost Mobile vs Cricket Wireless: Price Lock or No Data Cap? Cricket vs Metro by T-Mobile: Which Is Better? Best Phone Plans with Unlimited Data & Hotspot (2026) Best Home Internet Deals: 5G Home Internet & Bundle Offers Verizon TravelPass Cost: $12/Day and What You Get Can BlackBerry Phones Still Be Used in 2026? 5G Home Internet in 2026: Is It Right for Your Home? 7 Hidden Small MVNOs Worth Your Attention in 2026 AT&T vs Verizon (2026): Which Should You Pick? Best AT&T Alternatives: Same Coverage, Lower Bill Android Phone Deals at the Major Carriers (2026) Best T-Mobile Alternatives: Better Coverage, Less Cost Best Alternatives to Verizon: Same Coverage, Lower Bill Best Visible Alternatives (2026): Stay on Verizon T-Mobile vs Verizon: Which Should You Pick? (2026) Phone Bill Savings Calculator (Free Tool) Straight Talk vs TracFone: Which Prepaid Wins? (2026) Spectrum vs Xfinity vs Optimum Mobile (2026) Best Senior Phone Plans of 2026 Visible vs Visible+ vs Visible+ Pro: Which Plan? (2026) What Network Does Each Carrier Use? (2026 Map) Is My Phone Unlocked? How to Check (2026) How to Unlock Your Phone (2026) How to Get a Transfer PIN (All Major Carriers, 2026) How to Cancel Verizon Service (2026 Guide) How to Cancel T-Mobile Service (2026 Guide) How to Cancel Xfinity Mobile (2026 Guide) How to Cancel AT&T Service (2026 Guide) How Fast Is Starlink? Max Speeds and Performance Explained Verizon Now Powers Every New BMW: What It Means for You AT&T Build-A-Plan Adds Home Internet: What It Really Costs Google Voice Adds Two Paid Plans, No Workspace Needed What Carriers Are Compatible With TracFone? What Phones Are Compatible With Boost Mobile? What Phones Are Compatible With Visible? Mint Mobile Review: Plans, Verdict + Honest Take Is Cricket GSM? What Network Cricket Uses What Network Does Mint Mobile Use? What Phones Are Compatible With Cricket? What Phones Are Compatible With Total Wireless? Google Fi vs US Mobile: Which Is Better? Metro by T-Mobile vs Boost Mobile: Which Is Better? Verizon 5G Home Internet Review: Fast but Limited? AT&T Internet Air Review: Pricing, Speeds + Verdict Best 5G Home Internet: Cheapest & Fastest Plans Visible vs Cricket (2026): Which Is Better? T-Mobile Home Internet Review: Is It Worth It? Mint Mobile 5G Home Internet Review (MINTernet) iPhone Deals: Verizon, T-Mobile & AT&T (2026) Verizon Drops Fees & Debuts “Simplicity” Plan US Mobile vs Visible: Which Is Better? US Mobile vs Mint Mobile: Which Is Better? Verizon Home Internet Lite: $35/mo Plan, Speeds & Data Cap AT&T Is Dropping Its Cheapest Fiber Internet Plan T-Mobile Launches Member Month With Free Perks Verizon’s $1 Billion Spectrum Deal Faces a Reality Check Visible by Verizon Review: Is It Actually Worth Switching? Visible vs. Prepaid Verizon: Which Option is Best for You? US Mobile Warp vs Light Speed vs Dark Star: Which? Consumer Cellular vs Cricket Wireless: Which AT&T MVNO Wins? Hidden Fees in Free Cell Phone Trials: Is There a Catch? Consumer Cellular Free Trial: The Limits Explained Verizon Prepaid Plans (2026): Pricing, Review + Verdict Carrier Trial Stress Test: How to Test Signal at Home T-Mobile vs Verizon Free Trial: Which Network Test Wins? Free Phone Trials With No Credit Card: 11 Carriers Google Fi Review: Plans, Pricing, Network & Verdict Consumer Cellular Review: Plans, Network + Verdict Visible vs US Mobile Free Trial: Which Should You Test? Straight Talk Review: Plans, Coverage + Verdict Spectrum Mobile Plans & Pricing: Complete Buyer’s Guide The Best Motorola Razr Fold Deals at T-Mobile and Verizon How to Reach a Live Person at Verizon Cricket Wireless Review: AT&T's Generic Brand Worth It? Metro by T-Mobile Review: Plans, Coverage + Verdict US Mobile Review: Verizon, AT&T, & T-Mobile in One Plan? AirVoice Wireless Review: Plans, Coverage + Verdict Visible Free Trial: How It Works + What to Expect Longest Free Phone Trials 2026: 30 Days, Ranked Mint Mobile 7-Day Trial Kit: What You Get Best Mobile Hotspots for Travel, Work + Camping Boost Mobile Review: The "Smart Lease" of Wireless? Prepaid Phone Deals (2026) Best AT&T Prepaid Plans 2026: Pricing & Features TextNow Review 2026: Is Free Wireless Actually Good? When to Buy a Phone Plan: The 4 Cheapest Windows How to Use Dual SIM to Compare Two Carriers at Once Red Pocket Mobile: What You Need to Know Before Switching Throttling vs Deprioritization: Why Unlimited Slows AT&T's New Unlimited Plan: A Great Deal for 55+ Customers Ultra Mobile vs. Mint Mobile: Which Carrier is Better? Metro Starter Plus Review: $40 Unlimited, One Catch Astound Mobile: What You Need to Know Before Switching Cricket Unlock Requirements: The 6-Month Rule Reach a Real Person at Mint Mobile: 1-800-683-7392