Check out our video to learn how to choose a mobile plan

Choosing a mobile plan seems simple. However, it is more difficult than it seems. With the large number of operators and the wide variety of offers, making the right choice has never been so difficult. To be sure to pay the right price, it is essential to clearly identify what your needs are. First of all, there is the crucial choice of operator. Then there is that of the 4G or 5G network. It is then a question of taking a blocked or unlimited mobile plan, with or without commitment. You must also define the amount of data you need, or the need to communicate with foreign countries. Ariase gives you 8 tips to make sure you choose the right mobile plan.

There are always more than a hundred offers available on the mobile plan market: with or without commitment, with or without telephone, unlimited or blocked, with or without 5G, with little or a lot of data. Can you find the one that's right for you?

Pay attention to the price

The price remains the first determining factor of motivation for the purchase for the consumers. And it is true for the subscription of a mobile plan as for the purchase of a car or a kilo of potatoes. When it comes to mobile phone subscriptions, the French are lucky. Because, France is positioned as one of the countries in Europe where mobile plans are the cheapest. Indeed, in France, the market for mobile plans is very competitive. This is why it is possible to find promotional offers throughout the year. Still need to find it.

First of all, there are promotions with exceptional prices for six months or a year, after which they increase noticeably. If you always want to have the best price, you will therefore have to change your mobile plan and operator regularly and pay for a new SIM card each time. Then there are promotional packages, with discounted rates with no time limit. The reductions are perhaps a little less interesting. But at least you don't have to switch plans every six months or a year. Also, when choosing a mobile plan, to know if you are getting a good deal, we advise you to calculate the cost of your subscription over two years and then compare it with other offers.

Also note that if you want to subscribe to a mobile plan, there are times in the year that are more conducive than others to do good business, such as sales periods, back to school or Christmas.

There are other tips for paying less for your mobile plan. It is good, in particular, to know that all operators grant a discount on the price of their mobile plan to their box customers. It is €10 to €15 at SFR, €6 to €15 at Orange, €6 at Bouygues Telecom and €5 to €10 at Free. An adjustment variable that can significantly lower the price of your mobile plan.

Mobile plan: the delicate choice of the network

Choosing a mobile plan means choosing a mobile network. Only, between Orange, SFR, Bouygues Telecom and Free Mobile, which mobile network to choose? This choice is far from trivial. Because these four mobile networks do not all have the same 4G and 5G coverage. In addition, they do not all offer the same quality of mobile services, in terms of call quality, SMS reception, internet speed, web browsing, or online video playback.

To find out which operator offers the best network for your address, simply do a mobile network test. From your address, it will determine your 5G, 4G and 3G coverage at Free, Orange, SFR and Bouygues Telecom.

Mobile plan: the delicate choice of the operator

In France, if the price of mobile plans is lower than in many other European countries, it is because there is a high density of operators and competition between them is fierce. This inevitably causes prices to fall, to the benefit of consumers. In addition, Only, still it is necessary to find the good operator.

In France, there are two kinds of operators. First of all, there are the four major operators, with, in order of importance, Orange, SFR, Free Mobile and Bouygues Telecom. Orange is the benchmark. It is the operator that offers the most expensive mobile plans. But it is also the one with the largest number of 4G antennas, the best quality of service in 4G, the best speeds in 5G. In short, it is he who has the best network. Between them, Orange, SFR, Free Mobile and Bouygues Telecom weigh more or less 90% of the market for mobile plans.

Then there are the virtual mobile operators, in other words the MVNOs, who buy communication units wholesale from Orange, SFR or Bouygues Telecom. The best known are RED or Sosh, the subsidiaries of SFR or Orange. But there is also Prixtel, NRJ Mobile, Auchan Telecom, Cdiscount Mobile and La Poste Mobile. Some are still unknown to the general public. And, it is wrong. Because, to gain market share and compete with the four behemoths, virtual operators rely on very attractive pricing policies, with very aggressive prices for six months or a year. Without denying the level of service. Obligation is made, in fact, to Orange, SFR and Bouygues Telecom to provide the same quality of service to its customers as to those of the MVNOs who rent their network.

So, which operator to choose? Quite simply the one (or those) who offers the best quality of service, the best coverage at your address, and of course the best price.

4G or 5G, that is the question

5G, the ^5th generation mobile network was launched in November 2020. Today, therefore, when choosing a mobile plan, the question inevitably arises: should you take a 4G plan or skip the not, and switch to 5G? The question is not without importance and it should not be brushed aside.

The deployment of the new mobile network will last until 2030. And, initially, it concerns in priority the big cities and the big agglomerations. Before choosing a 5G plan, it is therefore important to know if you live in an area covered by 5G. If it's not (yet), there's no point in rushing. Wait until you are eligible for the new mobile network to take out a 5G plan.

On the other hand, if you live in an area where 5G has been enabled, it may be worth it. Indeed, if 5G uses are still limited, the new 5G mobile network will bring you obvious user comfort, because there is no saturation of the 5G network, and better speeds. However, to really benefit from faster Internet connection speeds in 5G, you must be in an area covered by 5G in the 3.5 GHz band. This is the only frequency band that allows a significant increase in throughput. To find out, it's very simple, just look at a map of mobile antennas.

So, in view of these elements, should you choose a 5G mobile plan? If the conditions are met, why not. But, if you do not have a network saturation problem and you are satisfied with your internet speed in 4G, the added value of 5G will remain limited. By staying on the 4G/4G+ network, you won't have to buy a new 5G-compatible smartphone.

Thanks to our 5G coverage map, locate the cities where Orange, SFR, Bouygues Telecom and Free Mobile have activated 5G.

Unlimited plan or blocked plan?

Today, the overwhelming majority of mobile phone subscriptions are unlimited packages, ie they include unlimited calls and SMS/MMS. And again, this is an abuse of language because the number of recipients (between 99 and 250) and the duration of calls is limited (between two hours and three hours), even if this limit is very often difficult to reach . This information appears on the standardized information sheet for each mobile plan, available on the operator's website.

In unlimited plans, the main restriction concerns the use of the internet. Indeed, the data package is almost never unlimited. The amount of data is also, in particular, which explains the price difference between the packages.

Still, if the unlimited plans are not really unlimited plans, they still appeal to the greatest number. Because it is the formula that offers the most flexibility: it allows users to communicate as much as they wish and to use the mobile Internet according to their needs.

But there are also people who first need to be reachable, who only make phone calls or send text messages when necessary and who use the mobile Internet very little. This is the case for many older people. There are also people who wish to limit their communications or their mobile Internet consumption. This is particularly the case of parents who wish to equip their children with a mobile phone but also to have control over the use they make of it. For all these people, there are what are called blocked packages, with a volume of calls, even SMS/MMS, which is limited. In general, on this type of package, the data envelopes are less than 1 GB. Another advantage of these blocked packages: avoid paying extra.

Need advice on choosing your mobile plan? Do not hesitate to call one of our advisors. It's totally free.

Should I take a package with or without commitment?

When choosing a mobile plan, this question is crucial. Indeed, packages with or without commitment meet very different needs and both have advantages.

Subscribing to a non-binding offer means choosing freedom. You can cancel your subscription and change plans at any time, free of charge. The other advantage of non-binding subscriptions is that they often lead to good deals. Because, they are very often at a more advantageous price than the offers with commitment. Indeed, to prevent subscribers from changing plans and to try to retain them, operators are forced to offer offers with a very high level of service at very competitive prices. It's up to you to sniff out the right promotions to make sure you always get the best price.

For their part, packages with commitment are often more expensive than offers without commitment. In addition, if you want to be able to change your subscription without having to pay cancellation fees, you are obliged to wait until the end of your commitment period, which is 12 or 24 months. Rather restrictive and not really financially interesting. Except that the packages with commitment have a serious advantage: they allow you to buy a new phone at a reduced price on purchase, through its operator. The rest of the amount will be spread over 12 or 24 months, in the form of monthly payments. The package formula with a new phone is not so financially advantageous, although it mainly allows you to spread out the payment for a new smartphone. It is therefore very interesting if you cannot pay for the device you are interested in at once. However, when you see the price for the purchase of certain smartphones, it can be worth it. In addition, this allows you to change telephones regularly and to have more advantageous rates, through a loyalty program.

The non-binding plan is the bargain plan, with the best prices and the possibility of changing the offer at any time.

How much data do you need for your mobile plan?

Most mobile plans have a common basis, namely unlimited calls and SMS/MMS, as well as communications from Europe, the overseas departments, plus a few additional destinations. What changes, however, is the amount of data included. This is also what determines the price of a mobile plan: the more data there is, the higher the price of the subscription will be.

When choosing a package, it is therefore essential to determine what your mobile internet needs are. In the mobile telephony market, data envelopes vary from 10 MB to unlimited internet. So, how much data to choose? The answer is: it depends on your uses. Do you watch a lot of streaming videos? Do you play online video games from your smartphone? Do you spend a lot of time surfing the web or social media? Do you communicate a lot using instant messaging? It is rather easy to answer this question. But it's more complicated to determine how much data you need for ten hours of cloud gaming, 10 episodes of the series in HD or even 15 videos posted on Instagram...

To get a precise idea of ​​your data consumption, the easiest way is to consult your latest mobile phone bills on which the information appears. The applications of certain mobile operators also allow you to monitor your data consumption. You will be able to choose a mobile plan with a mobile internet envelope adapted to your needs and therefore at the right price.

For information, a package with 10 or 20 GB will be sufficient for the majority of mobile users. Indeed, according to figures from Arcep (as of June 30, 2021), mobile subscribers consume on average around 11.6 GB of data in 4G per month.

On the mobile phone market, packages with more than 60 GB of data are by far the most numerous. And, therefore, inevitably, with the most attractive prices. Sometimes even at less than 10€/month.

Communications from/to abroad: what are your needs?

If you are used to traveling abroad or if you have family or friends abroad with whom you communicate regularly, this is an issue that should not be overlooked under penalty of seeing your bill. explode.

Let's start first with communications from abroad. Since 2017, communicating from abroad is free within the European Union and the overseas departments. You can therefore call, send SMS/MMS and connect to the internet under the same conditions as in France. On the other hand, if unlimited calls and SMS/MMS are included in your package, your mobile internet envelope is limited and depends on your offer. So, if you are a globetrotter, be sure to check how much data is available from abroad.

Outside the French overseas departments and countries of the European Union, roaming charges are not regulated. This means that each operator can practice the prices they want, or even include certain destinations for free in your package, such as the United States, Canada and China.

Regarding communications abroad, it is different. Each operator does a little what he wants. Some offers do not include any communication abroad, others only calls to landlines, sometimes mobiles. From one offer to another, the destinations to which it is possible to communicate are also not the same.

To avoid unpleasant surprises and having to pay extra, which is often very expensive, take the time to read the offer sheets carefully. And, don't forget one thing: In general, the more possibilities to communicate from/to abroad, the higher the price of the package.

The main thing to remember

Which operator has the best 4G and 5G network?

In 2020, and for the tenth consecutive year, the Orange network was, according to Arcep, the one that offered the best quality of services. Regarding 5G, Free has the network with the best coverage rate. Regarding 5G speeds, Orange and SFR are the most efficient.

Should I take a package with or without commitment?

With a no-commitment plan, you have the freedom to cancel at any time and cheaper rates, while with a more expensive plan with commitment, you can buy a smartphone at a preferential rate from your operator.

How do you determine how much data you really need?

The easiest way to get a clear idea of ​​your data usage is to check your mobile phone bills. You can also track your data consumption from your customer area.