Life as a student is not easy. There are assignments aplenty, buses to take, exams to complete, and responsibilities to manage in addition to your own health and wellness. The best student cell phone plans are those that give you the best balance of value and convenience, making it easier to manage your needs and to-dos whenever you’re on the go. Keeping in touch with family and friends, checking in on project updates, and keeping up with school events should be easy and affordable.
With all of that in mind, today, here are some pointers on how to get the best student phone plans in Canada. We’re here to help you narrow options and make the ideal choice for you!
What Do You Use Your Phone For?
Do you tend to do all your resource-intensive tasks – editing videos, streaming, and attending video calls – on a laptop or tablet? If so, you may only need a phone plan that covers the essentials. These typically include unlimited nationwide texting and calling along with a decent amount of monthly data. If you’re a power user, of course, that will be a different story. Take a look at your screen time and find out which apps are being used the most to get an idea of what kind of device user you are.
“Read the Room”
Don’t be afraid to research the carriers out there. Reddit threads focused on student living are great places to go, as are Google reviews. You could wind up discovering an unbeatable deal on a plan, providing all the data and features you need for less, from a carrier that offers great reception in your school area. Gauging customer satisfaction and reading the room, so to speak, can go a long way towards ensuring that you’re happy with the carrier you decide on.
Why Buy a New Phone?
We know, it’s addictive to upgrade to the latest, sleekest new iPhone or Android with the most exciting features, but do you really need them as a student? How’s your current phone working, anyway? Have you had any trouble with it, and what sort of condition is it in?
If you don’t need to upgrade to a new device but would still like something different, why not sell your current phone for the best price possible and buy a refurbished one? This is something we do at Mobile Klinik, providing either a VISA gift card or store credit for unwanted devices. These funds can be put towards one of our Certified Pre-Owned phones, which are as close to like-new condition as possible, thanks to our comprehensive 64-point inspection process. They even come with a one-year warranty on all parts and services.
Make Use of Incentives
Of course, we may not be the only ones to provide an incentive to students. The carriers themselves may have special promotions going on, and usually there are great deals and extra goodies to be had during back-to-school season. The most popular deal is extra gigs of data being added to your monthly allotment at no extra charge when signing up for specific plans. Other times, you might get free wireless earbuds when purchasing a phone from a carrier or setting up a tab with them. The best student phone plans deliver exceptional value, so these added incentives make it even easier and feasible to sign up!
Take Advantage of School Wi-Fi to Preserve Data
Are you always sipping data by streaming YouTube on the bus, sharing TikToks, or Instagramming? You’re far from alone, which is why many Canadian carriers offer a wide range of data options with their student phone plans. If you’re able to stick to Wi-Fi for more data-intensive tasks such as streaming, downloading large files, and making video calls, then it’s possible to save quite a bit of money by getting a plan with a little less data.
This is something that you should seriously consider when searching for the best phone plans for Canadian students, regardless of whether you’re the one attending school or thinking of an option for your child. For post-secondary studies especially, such as college or university, these facilities will have their own Wi-Fi networks available for students to access. This means that the need for data will be considerably less when actually in the school so, aside from bus rides or when going out with friends, it won’t be used as much.
Budget for Your Phone Needs
Is your device a bit long in the tooth, possibly to the point where you’d prefer to get a new one before school starts? As discussed earlier, there are plenty of options, including our Certified Pre-Owned phones. Regardless of what you prefer to do, always budget in advance. You should factor in the monthly cost of your phone bill, any extra fees such as monthly tabs for phones not purchased outright upfront, and other costs, including add-on features that are important to you. The most important thing is to have a sufficiently fast and reliable phone that does what you need it to, along with a bill that is manageable for your finances.
What’s best avoided is going for the shiny, expensive flagship phone with features you want but don’t necessarily need, and the same goes with pricier plans offering way more data and features than what you require. Of course, that’s not to say that you shouldn’t treat yourself, but be sure to do so in a sensible manner that allows you to prioritize other expenses, including tuition fees (and extremely high international student fees if you’re not yet a Canadian citizen) along with books, rent and/or other dorm fees, and transit passes. Plan ahead to succeed and enjoy a stress-free experience – you’ll be glad that you did!
Your Plan Type is Important
Most folks tend to sign up for a two-year agreement with their carrier. These often include offers to bundle in a new phone, but what if you have a phone that works beautifully and isn’t that old? If this is the case, look at the many pay-as-you-go options available from Canadian carriers, as these are ideal for students. These plans don’t lock you into a contract, meaning you can usually change carriers at any time without penalty. You’ll also be able to change your plan itself without any hassle, which is super handy for situations like starting school and realizing that you need more data or specific features.
What About Calling Home?
We touched on high expenses for international students earlier, but those can also extend to long-distance fees. These can really rack up your bill if you’re not careful, and you shouldn’t need to limit your calls to friends and family in other countries! Thankfully, carriers understand this, which is why features like unlimited international calling are often available with select plans. There may be a small monthly additional fee for this feature, but it’s worth it. Why? Because selecting unlimited long distance for the country you normally call guarantees that your bill remains the same each month. This makes controlling your budget and planning out your expenses a whole lot easier!
Life as a student can be an incredible adventure, and you deserve to have the best plan for your specific needs, budget, and use case. The same goes for the phone that you use, and we’re happy to help with both here at Mobile Klinik. Whether you need quick and efficient phone repairs in less than an hour, want to take advantage of our sustainability credit through a plan from one of our carrier partners, or otherwise, we’re here for you. Visit your nearest Mobile Klinik store today to get started! We have dozens of stores across Canada ready to serve you.