It's Mobile Madness Time!

Should You Switch Mobile Carriers?

T-mobile is targeting specific rivals one at a time, with short-term deals throughout December. They're offering up to $650 per line to everyone who switches from any other carrier to defray early-termination fees, or buy out the balance of service plans. You'll also get free overnight shipping on phones purchased from now through December 22nd.

Through December 13, T-mobile is also offering $200 off the price of a 128 GB iPhone 6S to AT&T customers who switch to T-mobile. The $200 comes in the form of a bill credit, and brings the price of the phone down to $649.99; that’s what T-mobile charges other customers for a 16 GB iPhone 6S. AT&T switchers can also get up to $125 off on accessories such as the Apple Watch, Beats headphones, and Bluetooth speakers from JBL and UE Boom.

Current T-mobile Simple Choice subscribers got a holiday gift on December 1: three months of unlimited LTE data. That’s an expansion of T-mobile’s Binge On streaming service that does not count video traffic from services like Netflix, Hulu, HBO NOW, Watch ESPN, or Sling against a subscriber’s data allowance. Unfortunately, this 3-month LTE gift is not available to new subscribers.

Sprint, like T-mobile, is offering up to $650 to switchers. Unlike T-mobile, Sprint requires a phone trade-in. With a trade-in, you can get a 16 GB iPhone 6S for $15/month, and a new iPhone every year “forever,” or until your 22-month contract expires. This offer is good only in Sprint stores, because you have to hand over your trade-in phone. If you don’t want to trade in a phone or deal with Sprint face to face, you can get the LG G Flex2 for free with a 24-month contract, and order online or by phone.

For five days, December 7 to 11, Sprint is giving away daily gifts to its customers. The December 7 batch included give bucks off your next Uber ride, 10% discounts on iTunes music, or a free Alcatel ONETOUCH PIXI™ 7 tablet with a free year of service. It’s first come, first served, while supplies last. Gifts change daily at noon CST.

What About Verizon and AT&T?

Verizon will be next to feel T-mobile’s sting, probably around December 11. But the leading carrier has already thrown its holiday punch, offering new and existing customers 2 GB of bonus data every month for every phone they add or upgrade through Jan. 6. The additional 2 GB of monthly data can be shared, and the deal can be combined with other offers. The catch is that you must buy a lot of data to qualify for the extra 2 GB. The minimum qualifying plan is Verizon’s XL plan which offers 12 GB of data for $80 per month. If you use your phone primarily away from your home Wi-Fi, or you have teens who gobble data, this may be a tempting offer.

AT&T continues to astonish me with its profoundly inept marketing. It offers just $300 credit to help with early termination fees, and a laundry list of conditions apply. I have never seen a Web page that made it harder to shop or buy than AT&T’s “holiday specials” page. It’s like digging through the jumbled clearance bin at Goodwill. You can get a free Samsung Gear S smartwatch with a 2-year service agreement, but “Your item will ship between Jan 20, 2016 - Jan 27, 2016. (Shipping date subject to change.)” That’s the only offer that caught my eye, and for the wrong reason.

Maybe Verizon and AT&T, with their dominant market positions, don't feel the need to offer the same type of deals to lure switchers from other carriers. But as a consumer, it's worth looking at Sprint or T-mobile if you can switch with no hassle or early termination penalty.

Of course, before switching, you should make sure that a mobile carrier has a good strong signal wherever you plan to use it the most. It's not enough to look at coverage maps or ask the sales rep in the store if your zip code is covered. There are places in my neighborhood where the Verizon mobile signal completely drops out. Ask a friend or neighbor if they get a good signal from their carrier before you shop.

Do you know of any other "switch and save" deals being offered by mobile phone companies? Post your comment or question below...