I’ve had a fun relationship with phones in my life. When I went to college, I decided to get off my parent’s phone plane with MetroPCS and embark on my own. That included getting a new phone (the Samsung Galaxy S5) and jumping feet-first into a two-year contract with Verizon. At that time, I was paying $115 a month, and I thought that was pretty average.
Fast forward to my first year out of college, I recently purchased ANOTHER new phone with Verizon (Samsung Galaxy S9, notice a pattern?), but was feeling annoyed because I was STILL paying $115. When my first phone was paid off, my bill didn’t lower, and when I got my new phone, it didn’t go up. I realized there was no logic to setting that price. That’s when I ran into the perfect solution.
I saw an offer through my teacher’s union for T-Mobile. They were offering to cover the costs of switching (including paying off my new phone!) as well as a $100 Gift card rebate. On top of that, I got an extra gift card perk through the teacher’s union. After comparing the monthly cost, $70 with T-Mobile vs. $115 with Verizon, it really felt like a no brainer.
At this point, I’ve been with T-Mobile for around three years, and I’ve enjoyed the service. I also like all the extra perks they offer. Still, I’ve started getting that itch again that said “you’re paying TOO much for this phone.” I’ve heard of lots of “discount” phone services, and I was intrigued by the set up. If I could save money and get the same coverage, well that just makes sense. Still, I didn’t want to leave T-Mobile until I left Alabama because I wanted to make sure I’d still be covered, and I couldn’t fully trust the claims about it being the SAME service. Now, I’m in a new city, and I’m ready to save some more money.
Discount phone companies offer lower prices by using the same cell phone towers as the major providers like ATT and Verizon. These companies have more capacity than they have customers, so theY sell what they don’t use to other companies. The discount companies then sell to us. They often don’t have brick and mortar stores, and that helps keep their prices low.
As with any significant decision I make, I have to try to be as thorough as possible. I’ve lined up the top five discount phone plans that I’ve heard of or am considering (and one that I learned about through my internet provider). All offer unlimited talk and text and mobile hotspot capabilities. I consider that a minimum, so I didn’t include that as a significant differentiating factor.
| Phone Plan | Cost | Coverage | Phones Available | UX | To Note |
Google FI | Flex: $20/mo + $10/GB Unlimited: $70 | 5G in my area, and areas (GA, OR, some parts rural AL) I’ve been in the past months | Samsung, Moto, Pixel | Website is pretty crisp; Chat and email customer service | It’s owned by Google. Comes with its own pros and cons |
Mint | Based on data 3 GB for $15/month 8 GB for $20/month, to start renewal price depends on amount of time renewed | 5G/4G LTE in my area, and areas (GA, OR, some parts rural AL) I’ve been in the past months | iPhone, Samsung, Moto, Pixel + more | Pretty adorable with the mascot; Robo chat 24/7 and call customer service | Owned by Ryan Reynolds; cash back options on Swagbucks Southwest |
Visible | Unlimited: $40/month | 4G LTE in my area, and areas (GA, OR, some parts rural AL) I’ve been in the past months (5G on the way) | iPhone, Samsung, Moto, Pixel + more | Chat, Tweet/FB Messenger | Owned by Verizon; Party option for discounts; cash back options on Swagbucks/ Southwest |
Reach Mobile | $30 for 3 GB $45 for 8 GB $55 for 12 GB $65 for 20 GB/unlimited | No info on site | Does not sell phones directly to customers | Website works like a mobile site to an extent Chat, phone, email | Best Fit: If another cheaper plan would’ve served you better they’ll charge you for that instead; Get a plan give a plan |
Republic Wireless | Starting at $20 for 1 GB, $5 for each additional GB | 4G LTE in my area, and areas (GA, OR, some parts rural AL) I’ve been in the past months | Samsung, Moto, Pixel + more | Standard website; Lots of customer service options: chat, email, they call you | Fun community aspect |
Spectrum | Starting at $14 for 1 GB, $14 for each additional; $45 unlimited | No info on the site | iPhone, Samsung, and LG | You can call for help | To get Spectrum Mobile, you must have Spectrum internet. If you cancel your internet, the price increases. |
Another factor I’m considering is international use. While I’m not going abroad anytime soon, I want phone coverage that allows me reasonable prices while abroad. That being said, Visible and Republic Wireless do not offer international calling or usage (without WIFI) abroad.
These phone plans offer a lot of value, and depending on what you need, any of them could be a perfect fit! Would you consider using one of these? Or, do you already? Let me know!
