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Best MVNO deals: Unlimited plans starting at just $25 per month
Plus save up to $700 on a new smartphone
If you're not currently on an MVNO plan, you're probably paying way too much for wireless. MVNOs, or mobile virtual network operators, are smaller companies that piggyback on the networks of larger carriers. The idea is that without all the overhead of maintaining a cellular network, or thousands of retail stores, these virtual carriers can offer nationwide coverage at a significant savings—and they do. Unless you're on a heavily discounted family plan with 3, 4, 5+ lines, chances are you could cut your wireless bill in half by switching to an MVNO.
The big three wireless carriers — AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon — offer premium experiences with great deals on new phones, but for many people, the deals are not worth their high asking price and multi-year commitments. Instead, a prepaid plan provides all the speed and coverage most people need for a lot less. And since prepaid carriers use coverage from one or more big carriers, you won’t need to give up coverage to save money. Whether you’re a light user looking for a cheap plan or a heavy user needing an unlimited connection, there’s a prepaid plan for you on every major network.
Best Mint Mobile phone plans in 2024
Mint Mobile has a wide range of data plans starting as low as 5GB and going up to 40GB with savings for purchasing a longer term upfront
Mint Mobile’s combination of clever marketing and cheap prices have kept it relevant since it launched with its unusual multi-month plans. While many carriers now offer multi-month plans, Mint’s plans are still some of the best value on the T-Mobile network and their straightforward layout makes it easy to understand what you have to pay.
MobileX MVNO review: It's all in the app
MobileX is an MVNO on Verizon's network that predicts your usage to build the perfect plan for your needs.
If you’re shopping for phone service, it can feel like every carrier quietly pushes customers toward its pricier plans whether that’s through promotions on new phones or by tempting customers with features they can’t fully utilize. MobileX feels different from any other carrier I’ve used; there’s a trial period designed to help you understand how much data you actually need, and an app that’s both clean and useful. Once you’re up and running, MobileX works like any other Verizon-based MVNO, but the app makes the service feel unique with fine controls over how you use your data, and how much of it you’re actually using.
Are Visible phones unlocked?
If you buy a phone from Visible, you have to use it on Visible for at least 60 days
Visible by Verizon is a prepaid carrier that sells a wide range of Android and iOS devices. These phones are designed to work on the Verizon network that Visible uses for all its connectivity. If you know you'll be sticking with Verizon for a while, buying your phone from Visible could be the right choice. On top of that, Visible often has discounts or bonuses like prepaid gift cards for phone purchases.
Cricket Wireless ends 8Mbps speed cap, opens 5G access for all plans
Yes, you can burn through your 2GB this month with a speedy new phone
Plenty of Cricket Wireless subscribers are getting a speed boost starting today. Furthermore, more customers on the AT&T-owned prepaid carrier will be able to take advantage of even faster speeds... if they only just buy a new phone.
Heads up: Verizon's Visible MVNO accounts are getting hacked left and right
Users are reporting account hijacks, address changes, and unauthorized purchases
If you aren't interested in shelling out for a full carrier phone plan, maybe MVNOs like Visible are able to fit the bill instead. Visible is owned by Verizon and competes primarily against AT&T's Cricket Wireless and T-Mobile's Metro, and has found popularity offering unlimited data plans, eSIM support, and 5G connectivity for relatively affordable prices. But if you're a Visible customer, you might want to change your password now: Reports are piling up online of people complaining that their accounts have been hijacked.
Google Fi, Google's self-branded, low-cost MVNO, often has some pretty compelling deals on new phones. Though its selection is small, it typically includes all of the current Pixel phones (naturally) and a smattering of high-profile Android devices from other manufacturers, including Samsung and Motorola. A recent change in the promotion terms means that more people are eligible for the service's steep phone discounts: specifically, people who've tried Google Fi before and left for less Googley pastures.
Oh, Yahoo. How the mighty have fallen. It seems like only yesterday you ruled the internet, handling mail, search, and news for hundreds of millions of internet users across the globe. But things have changed, and while the Yahoo brand has continued to live on, it's currently being sold off by Verizon to Apollo Global Management. The future of Yahoo Mobile — a carrier you definitely remembered existed — wasn't disclosed when Verizon announced the sale last month, but unfortunately for its customers, the service is shutting down in August.
Nokia has a bunch of new phones you'll probably forget exist next week
X20, X10, G20, G10, C20, C10, BH-105, HMD 5G MVNO, DYKWIM?
Nokia is preparing a fresh batch of entry-level phones — including those with 5G — for 2021. But in the E.U. and U.K., where the six devices and some wireless earbuds will arrive first, there's more to this announcement than just hardware and new names.
Dish buys Republic Wireless, continuing its carrier shopping spree
It's the third MVNO the company has purchased in the last year
Dish, the parent company of Dish Network, Sling TV, and both Boost Mobile and Ting as of last year, is still very much in the M&A mood. It's just purchased Republic Wireless, yet another Mobile Virtual Network Operator. News of the acquisition was posted to Republic's forums by CEO Chris Chuang.
Rick Moranis brings joy to our hearts in rare appearance hawking Mint Mobile of all things
Does that make Ryan Reynolds the gatekeeper?
Old hat: Ryan Reynolds is a wunderkind actor/investor who sold his stake in Aviation Gin for more than $600 million and currently has an ownership stake in MVNO Mint Mobile. New hat: he has apparently recruited '80s movie icon and fellow Canadian Rick Moranis to promote the carrier's new unlimited data plan.
Dish acquires Ting Mobile to help create its new wireless network
Dish will work with Ting's parent company to manage its network empire
Ting has been a popular MVNO carrier for years for folks who doesn't use their phones very much. Much like Google Fi, the network's pricing is oriented towards people who are close to Wi-Fi most of the time, but Ting does stand out with its choice of multiple networks to choose from (it added Verizon just this year). Dish today announced that it has acquired Ting's customer base, and will use Ting's parent company to kickstart its new carrier operation.
Virgin Mobile is one of the smallest network carriers in the United States. A wholly-owned subsidiary of Sprint, the MVNO has been on the decline for years, and now the brand is set to cease operation as early as next month.
Google announced a new "unlimited" plan for its Fi cellular service this morning, and on paper, it's an improvement in most ways over the company's current pricing model for heavy duty users. Data caps have been increased to 22GB before throttling, while pricing for individuals has been lowered to $70 per month (previously, Fi maxed out at $80/mo for individual users). The catch is that it's $70 per month, full stop — Fi's dynamic data pricing doesn't apply to unlimited subscribers. For those who want to stick with Fi's old dynamic model, they'll still be limited to 15GB per month before throttling may occur, and enjoy the same per-gigabyte pricing they always have. The new unlimited plan is something you'll have to opt into... and it really just feels like every other carrier plan in America.
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Dish has been toying with the idea of becoming a proper carrier amid the merger of the century between T-Mobile and Sprint for quite a while. There were even some rumors that Google was on board with the satellite TV-provider, but they have since been denied by the search company. Bloomberg reports that Dish has agreed to buy wireless spectrum and prepaid businesses such as Boost Mobile from T-Mobile and Sprint as the Department of Justice closes in on approving the carrier merger.
If you happen to be in the somewhat curious position where bundling all your TV, internet, and phone services with one company aligns with your best interests, you may have considered joining Xfinity Mobile at some point to complement your other Comcast services. But up until now, if you wanted to bring an Android phone over to use, there was no way to do so except to trade in and buy one from the carrier. Today, the MVNO has finally expanded its BYOD program to include several major Galaxy phones though there are three massively disappointing omissions to the list.
Ting Mobile has been a popular MVNO carrier for years. Much like Google Fi, it's oriented towards people who don't use a lot of cellular data, with the option to mix-and-match tiers for minutes, texts, and data usage. A major strength for Ting has been the ability to use either a GSM or CDMA network, but that will soon go away.
ZTE had a pretty rough 2018 thanks to the US Commerce Department's decision to enforce a suspended export ban against the company. That cut ZTE off from its US-based suppliers, resulting in an almost total shutdown. ZTE agreed to additional corporate changes and paid a new fine to get back in business, but it hasn't launched any new phones on carriers in the US until now. It's first post-shutdown carrier phone isn't exactly a showstopper, but you can get a new ZTE device right now on the Visible.
From time to time, Spotify will ask its users about various things relating to the service. I had personally been putting off a survey asking for my thoughts on the home screen for a couple of days. However, a reader recently received a much more interesting survey question: whether a data-only mobile plan by Spotify would be something he/she would be interested in.