Postpaid Wireless Pricing Indices
Navi publishes two quarterly benchmarks for major U.S. postpaid wireless providers:
- Device Subsidy Index measures how much carriers discount new phones on average
- Total Bill Cost Index measures what a customer pays on average each month, factoring in any phone discounts, the plan price, credits, taxes, and fees
Last published: September 30, 2026 · Updated quarterly
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Applies to both indices below.
Postpaid Device Subsidy Index
Average phone subsidy value across major U.S. postpaid providers, published quarterly.
All carriers: Q2 2026 — Postpaid Device Subsidy Index
Ranked by device subsidy, highest first, all tiers blended
How this is calculated| Rank | Carrier | Relative | Subsidy | QoQ | YoY |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | T-Mobile | $695 | 0.6%unchanged, within one percent | 3.4%up 3.4 percent, favourable | |
| 2 | Verizon | $644 | 3.4%down 3.4 percent, unfavourable | 17.9%down 17.9 percent, unfavourable | |
| 3 | AT&T | $616 | 8.7%down 8.7 percent, unfavourable | 6.4%down 6.4 percent, unfavourable | |
| 4 | Spectrum Mobile | $475 | 16.2%up 16.2 percent, favourable | 129.3%up 129.3 percent, favourable | |
| 5 | Xfinity Mobile | $467 | 1.3%down 1.3 percent, unfavourable | 5.0%down 5.0 percent, unfavourable |
Postpaid Device Subsidy Methodology
Carrier smartphone subsidies vary widely based on strict eligibility criteria, including the specific mobile service plan selected, customer status (new lines vs. existing lines), the desired purchase device, and the device a customer will trade in. The “iPhone On Us” and other similar promotional banners on carrier websites are not available to all customers.
Navi’s Postpaid Device Subsidy Index uses aggregated consumer propensity data from users of yournavi.com, including how often different devices are bought and traded in, to produce a weighted average value of carrier device subsidy that tracks what a typical buyer receives rather than the best advertised deal. Where multiple offers are available for a given purchase device and trade-in device pair, we include the highest available offer. Quarterly figures are an equal-weighted average of the daily values.
The default view blends OEM (Apple/Samsung), purchase device generation (current and prior generation devices), and customer type (new and existing lines, weighted 40% new and 60% existing). The all-tiers view weights Entry, Mid-Tier and Premium plans equally. Cut by plan tier, specific plan, and customer type using the filters above, or get in touch for additional cuts.
This index measures phone subsidies only. Switcher credits, bring-your-own-device credits, contract buyouts, and multi-line discounts and promotions are not included in this index; they are counted in the Total Bill Cost Index instead. Note that carrier device subsidies are typically available only for consumers who finance a device for 36 months through the carrier, and the promotional value is distributed as 36 monthly bill credits of equal value; promotions are not typically available as a discount against a one-time purchase of a device.
Postpaid Total Bill Cost Index
Weighted-average total per-line bill cost for customers making a purchase across major U.S. postpaid providers, published quarterly.
All carriers: Q2 2026 — Postpaid Total Bill Cost Index
Ranked by total bill cost, lowest first, all tiers blended
How this is calculated| Rank | Carrier | Relative | Bill | QoQ | YoY |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Spectrum Mobile | $50 | 0.3%unchanged, within one percent | 0.9%unchanged, within one percent | |
| 2 | Xfinity Mobile | $54 | 5.9%up 5.9 percent, unfavourable | 8.9%up 8.9 percent, unfavourable | |
| 3 | AT&T | $74 | 1.3%up 1.3 percent, unfavourable | 0.8%unchanged, within one percent | |
| 4 | Verizon | $75 | 3.6%up 3.6 percent, unfavourable | 6.3%up 6.3 percent, unfavourable | |
| 5 | T-Mobile | $75 | 0.7%unchanged, within one percent | 3.3%up 3.3 percent, unfavourable |
Postpaid Total Bill Cost Methodology
Postpaid Total Bill Cost is the typical amount a customer pays per line, per month. The metric is built to account for the mix of shoppers that exist in the market: a mix of entry-level plan customers and premium plan customers, single-line customers and multi-line customers, and customers that buy a new smartphone when they sign up for service and those that don’t.
For each of these buyer types Navi calculates their price. For all customers this starts with the monthly plan cost (net of any introductory pricing, free lines, and multi-line discounts). Then for phone shoppers we add the monthly cost of a new smartphone net of carrier subsidies. For bring-your-own-device shoppers, we subtract any applicable monthly credits carriers offer for bringing your own device. For all shoppers we subtract any other applicable promotions or credits, such as contract buyouts or general gift cards for new purchases, then add taxes and fees unless already included in the plan price.
We weight these buyer segments according to the mix of aggregated shopper preferences we see on yournavi.com to create the default Postpaid Total Bill Cost figure, blending customer type (new and existing lines, weighted 40% new and 60% existing). The all-tiers view is weighted by line count across Entry, Mid-Tier and Premium plans.
Customer type separates customers switching to a carrier (new) from customers already with it (existing). For an existing customer, the figure is the cost of changing plans while remaining a customer of that carrier, not a measure of the average revenue per user (ARPU) across the carrier’s whole customer base.
Cut by plan tier, specific plan, and customer type using the filters above. Please get in touch for different cuts or component-level detail such as standalone service plan pricing, monthly device costs, other promotional credits, or taxes and fees.
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Want a deeper cut or further insight? Additional data and analysis are available on request.