Many of us have grown accustomed to the high prices of cell phone plans with the big three carriers. When you add as many lines as possible, the carriers will increase the value of their plans with things like security software, subscription services, and cloud storage with savings coming only when you add as many lines as possible. There is a lot of money to be saved if you strip away the features that are not essential. The most important thing in a mobile phone plan is unlimited calling and texting, with plenty of high-speed data for most people.
Mint Mobile is one of the few carriers that offers multi-month savings on all of its plans so if you have spare cash to pay for a year of service, you can save even more. It's worth checking out Mint if you're in the market for a new phone plan, as the minimum three-month plan will be a bit much for some people, but with the first three months following the 12-month rates, it's worth it.
Mint's plan structure may seem a bit confusing at first, but once you understand how its discounts work, it makes a lot of sense. Mint Mobile has four plans that start at 4GB of data and go up to 35GB of high-speed data. You can buy service for three, six, or 12 months with the price broken down per month being cheaper for the long term. The first three months of Mint service use the 12-month price so you can experience the carrier without committing to a full year.
| 4GB | 10GB | 15GB | Unlimited | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 months (introductory price) | $15/mo. ($45) | $20/mo. ($60) | $25/mo. ($75) | $30/mo. ($90) |
| 3 months | $25/mo. ($75) | $35/mo. ($105) | $45/mo. ($135) | $40/mo. ($120) |
| 6 months | $20/mo. ($120) | $25/mo. ($150) | $35/mo. ($210) | $35/mo. ($210) |
| 12 months | $15/mo. ($180) | $20/mo. ($240) | $25/mo. ($300) | $30/mo. ($360) |
Buying six or 12 months is the biggest savings with Mint, but you may be able to save by changing to a smaller plan. Most of us don't need that much data if we have frequent access to the internet. You can check your phone bill to see how much data you used, or you can check the data usage on your phone. If you use less than 15GB per month, you don't need Mint's unlimited plan. You might not need the 10GB plan.
I tested Mint Mobile's unlimited plan on two phones in an area with consistent 5G coverage and a mid-band band n41 coverage.
In Mint Mobile's case, T-Mobile is the network behind the cell phone plan. I used T-Mobile in my testing. T-Mobile isn't particularly fast in my area, but I did have 5G coverage most of the time. If you've been unimpressed by T-Mobile's network in the past few years, it may be worth another look.
I tested my Mint Mobile card in two phones, one unlocked and one with a new one, before moving on to the other. The band n41 didn't support the Zenfone 8 and it spent most of its time bouncing between 4G and 5G. The majority of T-Mobile's bands are supported by the S20+, and it provides a more consistent experience on the network. Band 41 was connected without issue indoors, giving it an advantage in network speed.
While Mint Mobile is compatible with a wide range of phones, a phone with a bigger focus on the unlocked U.S. market will lead to a better overall experience. The Zenfone was able to work with more than enough speed. It was slower in a speed test but I didn't feel hampered.
For just about anything you need with your phone plan, Mint Mobile lets you do it from the app.
T-Mobile's compatible network means that you can bring any of the best phones you can find to Mint Mobile and have a good experience. If the phone is unlocked, you will still be able to get connected even if it isn't supported by the relevant bands. To be sure you can use 5G on Mint Mobile, you need a phone that supports 5G band n 71 and band n41.
Mint Mobile's app experience is very good. The Mint Mobile app can show you how much data you have used in a short period of time. You can make payments and enable automatic renewal here. If you have started with three months, your plan will be renewed at higher rates, so it's important to decide ahead of time if you want to upgrade to the 12-month plan.
There is a chat system built into the app. If you prefer, you can call the support number. Mint Mobile allows you to do things with your phone plan from the app. The app is easy to use and responsive, making it easy to find what you are looking for.
Mint Mobile calls the plan unlimited but after 35GB, your data is slowed down quite a lot.
I tested Mint Mobile's unlimited plan and it gave me 35 gigabytes of data at full speed with 5 gigabytes of hotspot data. unlimited talk and text is included with this plan, as well as voice over lte and wi-fi calling and texting. The calls were clear and the data speeds were consistent. I understood the person on the other line and they heard me loud and clear.
35 gigabytes would be enough for me, as I use between 15 and 25 gigabytes per month. Mint Mobile calls the plan unlimited but after 35GB, the data is slowed down a lot. My download speeds were cut to 500Kbps after I blew through the 35GB limit. It was enough to send and receive messages. It was enough speed to stream music. I wouldn't have to live with this limitation.
Mint Mobile gives you two options for more high-speed data once you have used your data up. You can get 10 or 15 gigabytes for less. If you need the extra data in a pinch, this is a decent deal and can help.
There are a few compromises that come with the financial benefits. Data will be a lower priority than a T-Mobile account. Mint Mobile users could see slower speeds in areas with a lot of network congestion. There isn't a lot of congestion to worry about, even though the speeds felt consistent on 5G. If you find your Mint Mobile speeds aren't keeping up with expectations, this point is less of a con and more of a warning.
If you watch a lot of gaming streams, you might be disappointed by the 480p video streaming limit.
The video streaming limit is something I don't like. Video streams are limited to 480p on the unlimited plan. 1.5Mbps is the speed when using a video app. 480p looks fine on a small phone screen, but it is softer than a 720p video. 60 frames per second will only be available in 30 frames per second on YouTube. It feels too low if you watch a lot of gaming streams.
Limiting video quality can prevent excessive waste by those who stream hours upon hours of video on mobile data. Mint Mobile calls this plan unlimited and it has a 35 gigabyte high-speed data limit and a video quality limit in place at all times. It doesn't feel right to call a plan unlimited before limiting my high-speed data and video quality. Mint Mobile calls this plan Unliminted.
There is a lot of competition when it comes to carriers. Ultra Mobile was the parent company of Mint Mobile before actor Ryan Reynolds acquired an ownership stake. Ultra offers a wide range of data plans on the T-Mobile network starting at just 250MB with up to 60GB of data available. Ultra Mobile has multi-month savings for up to a year. Ultra Mobile may be quicker if you need a lot of data.
The carrier that is owned by the company is called Visible and it uses the 5G network. While it has deprioritized compared to other plans, it still has plenty of speed for most people. The Party Pay discount is available to all customers and the plan is just $25 per month. There is unlimited mobile data at 5Mbps.
Is Mint Mobile compatible with international service?
On all plans, calls and texts to Mexico and Canada are free. Adding money to your Mint Mobile account will allow you to call other countries.
Mint Mobile has a flat rate of $0.05 per text, $0.25 per minute, and $0.20 per MB for most countries. In Mexico and Canada, service is reduced to $0.06 per MB, $0.06 per text, and $0.06 per minute.
Which Mint Mobile plan is best for you?
It makes sense to start with three, six, and 12 months. You can have the first three months of service for the same price as the 12 months. This will help you figure out how much data you need before committing.
You can lock in the introductory rate for 12 months when you start with three months. If you find that Mint Mobile works for you, this will be the best course of action. You can let it run out without renewing if it isn't working for you.
Are you looking for a family plan? Mint Family allows one person to manage up to five plans under one account. It isn't a traditional family plan so don't expect any savings by joining one. One person can manage and pay for all of the plans. Each line has a plan so you can make sure each member has what they need.
Is Mint Mobile compatible with 5G?
If your phone supports it, you should see the 5G signal on the top-right of your phone. Mint Mobile has supported wireless bands.
What phones does Mint Mobile support? Is it possible to bring your own device?
Mint Mobile has a great selection of phones that you can buy directly from it. You have the option of paying the full price of the phone in full with no financing required.
Some of the best phones for Mint Mobile are also some of the best phones on the market today. Mint sells the iPhone 13 series and the iPhone SE in 2020.
If you already own a phone that you want to use with Mint Mobile, you can do that as well.
Mint Mobile works with any unlocked phone, and if you don't know what that means, you can use a compatibility checker on the website to confirm your device will work. You can get going with your service with one of the above plans, but you need to purchase the free sim card.
You can bring your current phone number to Mint Mobile as well.
Mint Mobile makes sense for a lot of people because of its wide range of data plans. Mint Mobile's plans are priced competitively, whether you need a small plan or a large one. The monthly price of Mint Mobile is one of the best in the business if you can afford it. The T-Mobile network makes Mint Mobile a better choice for many people. If you've been thinking about trying out T-Mobile's network, Mint Mobile is a great choice.
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