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Questions to help you decide what cell service you need
Robots.tech tells how to cancel your Verizon Wireless and my advice: do it via chat and not a phone call.
Cell Phone Service Comparison
Cell phone service providers and their per-month costs after any first-few-months promo. Promo in 'other'. These prices gathered 8/30 to 9/21/2024.
FYI, MVNO=Mobile Virtual Network Operator, which refers companies that purchase minutes and data from AT&T, T-Mobile, or Verizon.
DISCLAIMER: I'm only collecting information I've found on the Internet for the companies I've listed. I have no relationship with any of them other than from a consumer's point of view.
REQUEST: Please let me know at steve+cellphoneinfopage@toku.us of any information that's incorrect or missing. Thank you.
- Cheapest unlimited voice 1GB data: $8(RedPocket) $9(Tello)
- Cheapest unlimited voice 2GB data: $8(USMobile)
- Cheapest unlimited voice 5GB data: $14(Tello) $15(USMobile, RedPocket, Mint)
Ratings come from Trustpilot.com. For example, 4.2* (62% 4&5* on 5,403)
means their trustpilot rating is 4.2, and 62% of the 5,403 people rating gave 4 or 5 star reviews.
I've sorted these by their TrustPilot rating as of 9/20/2024.
Provider | Rating | Network | cost for one line | other | 2 lines |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
USMobile https://usmobile.com/ Plans Summary | 4.6* (93% 4&5* on 3,796) | Verizon(warp) T-Mobile(lightspeed) AT&T(darkstar) you choose when sign up, you can switch (“teleport”) twice for free, then it's $2 per teleport | $17.50/unlimited premium data; sharable data $10/2Gb; $15/5Gb; $20/10Gb/ $35/20Gb. Add $8 per additional line sharing data; includes international calling and texting from US. $8/2Gb premium data without free teleport, hotspot, Int'l calling, etc Prices include taxes and fees. | prepay 12 months. 30 days free to try it out. When international, calls/data costs extra (on carriers supporting it), Int'l eSIMs cost extra Data cut-off (stops working) when you use up all shared data. | Unlimited data $35; 2Gb shared $18; 5Gb shared $23; 10Gb shared $28 includes taxes&fees |
Tello Mobile https://tello.com/ | 4.5* (90% 4&5* on 11,335) | T-Mobile | No-data plans: $5/100 mins ($6/1GB 100min), $8/unlimited mins Data plans w/unlimited mins; $9/1GB; $10/2GB; $14/5GB; many more plans | no advance payment; free calls to Canada, Mexico, India, Switzerland, and many more. Upgrade/downgrade anytime n/c | |
Red Pocket https://redpocket.com/ | 4.4* (85% 4&5* on 3,600) | all 3 networks | $8/1GB, $15/5GB, $25/20GB, $30/Unlimited per month paid annually includes international calling (1GB & 5GB plans 20 countries, others 80+ countries) | if go over data, service slows; no overage fee or cut-off. | |
Consumer Cellular https://consumercellular.com/ | 4.2* (62% 4&5* on 5,403) | AT&T or T-Mobile | $20/1Gb; $25/5Gb; $35/10Gb; $50/unlimited Plus taxes & fees | AARP member discount. Add $15 per additional line sharing data. Auto upgrade e.g. 1Gb to 5Gb if you use more. | $35/1Gb shared $40/5Gb shared ($50.97 with taxes&fees and AARP discount) $50/10Gb shared. plus taxes & fees. |
Hello https://hellomobile.com/ | 3.9* (74% 4&5 on 3,382) | T-Mobile | $17.50/mo unlimited (6 mo paid in advance) $5/500MB, $10/1GB, $15/4GB, $20/5GB | free unlimited int'l calling from US to Canada, Germany, India, Israel, Italy, Mexico, Switzerland, UK; total 60+ countries; land lines, some countries to cell phones. | |
Mint Mobile https://mintmobile.com/ | 3.3* (74% 4&5* on 1,293) | T-Mobile | $15/5Gb $20/15Gb $25/20Gb $30/unlimited Plus taxes & fees ($2.82/line for 5GB, $3.02/line for 15GB) | $15/month for unlimited first 3 months; then rates are per month prepay 12 months; data and plan is per-line. Mobile Hotspot n/c pulls from monthly data, limited to 10GB on unlimited plans free calls to Canada & Mexico. If go over data, service slows: no overage fee or cut-off; data add-on available if you need more. | |
Ting https://ting.com/ | 2.7* (74% 4&5* on 303) | T-Mobile | $25/5GB(all can be hotspot), $35/12GB(max 8GB hotspot) | After monthly data allotment, speed is reduced to 128kbps; get more fast data for $5/GB. unused fast data you add carries to next month. | |
Freedompop https://freedompop.com/ | 2.4* (52% 4&5* on 1,721) | AT&T | $10/1GB(int' calling to 20 countries), $30/10GB(int'l calling to80+ countries) | implies that if go over data allotment, service slows | |
Metro by T-Mobile https://www.metrobyt-mobile.com/ | 1.8 (13% 4&5* on 70) | T-Mobile | $40/10GB ($45 first month) | ||
Cricket Wireless https://www.cricketwireless.com/ | 1.7 (15% 4&5* on 376) | AT&T | $30/5GB, $40/10GB | $70/10GB | |
Visible by Verizon https://visible.com/ | 1.5* (8% 4&5* on 1,117) | Verizon | $22.92/unlimited data (paid $275 annual, Visible); $32.92/unlimited premium data (paid $395 annual, Visible+) prices include taxes & fees | if switch f/T-Mobile price $15/mo for 5 years. Unlimited talk&text to Mexico and Canada. Visible: save $5/mo on Verizon home internet, smartwatch $10/mo Visible+ faster data, save $10/mo on Verizon home internet, hotspot twice as fast as Visible, available to use in Mexico and Canada, calls to 30+ countries and text to 200+, smartwatch service included | Visible: 45.83/mo (pay 550/yr) Visible+ 65.83/mo (pay 790/yr) taxes and fees included |
Boost Mobile https://boostmobile.com/ | 1.4 (7% 4&5* on 466) | Boost, AT&T, T-Mobile | $25/mo unlimited data ($5 autopay discount. Add $10 ea for: hotspot, high-speed data; and many more add-ons available for a cost. | DISH Wireless d/b/a Boost Mobile | |
Credo Mobile https://credomobile.com/ | 1.4 (6% 4&5* on 144) | Verizon | $35/1GB per line | they donate to nonprofits every month | |
T-Mobile https://t-mobile.com/ | 1.3* (9% 4&5* on 5,690) | T-Mobile | $30/line for 2 lines age 55+ | other more $ plans offer better streaming, more hotspot, services abroad. | |
AT&T https://att.com/ | 1.3* (6% 4&5* on 7,659) | AT&T | $30/5GB or $25/10GB prepay 12 months | Prices start at $25/line but you must have 4 lines. | |
Verizon Wireless https://verizonwireless.com/ | 1.2* (5% 4&5* on 5,358) | Verizon | $35/line/15GB, first month $45, autopay (prepay?), $5 or $10 discount after 3 or 9 months of service Other plans start at $65/month for 1 line, $55/month/line for 2 lines | ||
Google Fi https://fi.google.com/ | 1.2 (2% 4&5* on 390) | T-Mobile | $20/10GB plus taxes&fees | see comments, below | $35/10GB shared plus taxes&fees. |
Comments
[from Glenn, regarding Google Fi, 12/31/2024]
I was somewhat surprised by the abysmal TrustPilot rating for Google Fi, but all the 1-star ratings point to bad experience with their customer service, and few complaints about the actual cellular communication. I tend to agree that their customer service is poor (scripted and unhelpful), but I haven’t needed to use it for anything lately since it all seems to work just fine for us.
Resources
Here are some resources to consider.
An Example: Switching from Consumer Cellular to Mint or US Mobile
(Thanks ChatGPT) Assuming that phone1 accepts eSIM and phone2 doesn't and would need a physical SIM card.
Step 1: Check Compatibility
- Both Mint Mobile and US Mobile support most unlocked phones.
- Use their compatibility checkers:
- [Mint Mobile](https://www.mintmobile.com/byop/)
- [US Mobile](https://www.usmobile.com/check-compatibility)
- Since your phone1 supports eSIM and your phone2 requires a physical SIM, confirm that both carriers provide the right type of SIMs.
Step 2: Order SIM Cards or Activate eSIM
- Mint Mobile:
- Order a physical SIM for your phone2 and an eSIM for phone1.
- Activation kits are available online or in stores.
- US Mobile:
- Offers both physical SIM and eSIM activation.
- Order from their website or check for instant eSIM activation.
Step 3: Port Your Numbers (If Keeping Them)
- Do not cancel Consumer Cellular yet! Instead:
- Find your account number and PIN from Consumer Cellular (you may need to call them).
- Provide this information when activating with Mint or US Mobile to transfer your number.
- The transfer usually takes minutes to a few hours, but it can take up to 24 hours.
Step 4: Activate the New Service
- For Your eSIM Phone1:
- Follow Mint/US Mobile's instructions to scan the QR code and install the eSIM.
- For Your Physical SIM Phone2:
- Insert the new SIM card and follow the activation steps.
Step 5: Confirm Activation & Test Service
- Make test calls, send texts, and check data.
- If everything works, cancel Consumer Cellular.
Mint Mobile vs. US Mobile – Which Should You Choose?
Again thanks to ChatGPT for initial information that I've edited.
Feature | Mint Mobile | US Mobile |
---|---|---|
Network | T-Mobile | Choice of Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile |
Pricing | Cheaper but requires prepaying for 3–12 months | Flexible monthly plans, slightly higher cost |
eSIM Support | Yes | Yes |
Physical SIM Support | Yes | Yes |
Data Plans | 5GB, 15GB, 20GB, or Unlimited | Customizable plans with pooled/shared data |
Premium Data | No priority data | Priority data available (on Verizon) |
Hotspot | Included (limited speed) | Full-speed hotspot available |
International Roaming | Limited (pay-per-use) | Available with add-ons |
Trial Option | 7-day money-back guarantee | 100-day free trial (for some plans) |
When to Choose Mint Mobile
- ✅ If you want cheaper pricing (especially for multiple months at once).
- ✅ If you are fine with T-Mobile’s network in your area.
- ✅ If you don’t need priority data (like during network congestion).
When to Choose US Mobile
- ✅ If you want monthly flexibility (no prepaying for months in advance).
- ✅ If you want Verizon’s network (better coverage in some areas).
- ✅ If you need priority data (for faster speeds during congestion).
- ✅ If you want better international roaming options.
Which One Should You Pick?
- If you want the best price and don’t mind prepaying, go with Mint Mobile.
- If you prefer a flexible monthly plan, better coverage options, or premium data, go with US Mobile.
Summary of USMobile and Mint Plans 2/26-27/2025
Prices monthly for annual plan. Taxes and fees included.
HS=High Speed
Plan | Cost/mo | Data | Talk&Text | Hotspot | Int'l Data | Int'l call&text f/US |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
USMobile Plans 2/26/2025 taxes & fees included | ||||||
Unlimited Flex | 17.50 | Unlimited (HS to 10GB) | Unlimited | 5GB | add-on | Yes |
Unlimited Starter | 22.50 | Unlimited (HS to 35GB) | Unlimited | 10GB | 90+ countries | Yes |
Unlimited Premium | 32.50 | Unlimited Priority. | Unlimited | Unlimited | 90+ countries | Yes |
By the Gig | 10 +8/add'l line | 2GB shared | Unlimited | Yes | not yet | Yes |
By the Gig | 15 +8/add'l line | 5GB shared | Unlimited | Yes | not yet | Yes |
By the Gig | 20 +8/add'l line | 10GB shared | Unlimited | Yes | not yet | Yes |
Light plan | 8 | 2GB | Unlimited | ? | ? | add-on |
Mint Mobile Plans 2/27/2025 cost per plan; +est taxes/fees | ||||||
5GB | 15+2 | 5GB | Unlimited | yes | ? | Mexico & Canada |
15GB | 20+2.3 | 15GB | Unlimited | yes | ? | Mexico & Canada |
20GB | 25+2.5 | 20GB | Unlimited | yes | ? | Mexico & Canada |