Gen Mobile Pros and Cons: All You Need to Know Before You Sign Up

Gen Mobile is a small MVNO that operates on AT&T’s network, delivering affordable cell phone plans to all its customers. They are an MVNO with a wide variety of data allocations with something for everyone. Customers have awesome flexibility to pick out the perfect plan. Gen lets customers enjoy AT&T’s great 5G and 4G LTE networks while evading the premium prices associated with getting service from a major wireless network. 

Gen Mobile Pros and Cons

There are a lot of cell phone providers on the market, making it difficult to decide which one is the best for you. In this section, we will cover the pros and cons of Gen Mobile to help you decide whether or not this carrier is right for you. There are many factors to this decision, including data consumption, coverage, price, phone selection, cell phone plans, customer service, and more.

PRO — Cell Phone Plans

Gen Mobile has five cell phone plans. These cell phone plans have different quantities of high-speed data ranging from 1 to 35 GBs of high-speed data and 0 to 20 GBs of mobile hotspot data. We will showcase Gen Mobile’s phone plans in this section to help you figure out which is best for you. Gen Mobile’s cell phone plans are as follows: 

• 1 GB for $10 a month
• 4 GB for $20 a month
• 7 GB for $30 a month
• 16 GB for $40 a month
• 35 GB for $50-$60 a month

Gen Mobile has five cell phone plans and lets you prepay for one or three months. The three-month contract reduces prices between 10% and 25%, making their affordable plans even more affordable! Gen Mobile’s low-data cell phone plans offer between one and seven GBs of data. This is not that much, so it’s for people who only need data on rare occasions. With low data, you can use your phones in emergencies, but if you regularly stream audio and video or browse the internet, you will quickly notice your data allocation disappear. 

Gen Mobile’s 16 GB cell phone plan gives you more flexibility to use your phone when out and about, but heavy phone usage will quickly diminish your supply. Their two unlimited cell phone plans come with 35 GB of high-speed data, which really opens up your options. While serious cell phone usage will burn through 35 GB of high-speed data, you have a lot of flexibility when it comes to your cell phone usage during the month. 

PRO — Coverage

Gen Mobile utilizes AT&T’s 5G and 4G LTE nationwide networks, providing their customers with fantastic coverage in almost every state. AT&T is working hard on its 5G network, constantly deploying more towers to increase its lightning-fast coverage around the country. Make sure to check your local coverage maps for information regarding the best cell phone coverage in your area! 

PRO — Customer Service

Customer service is extremely important when it comes to getting a new cell phone plan, and it’s essential to ensure that Gen Mobile is there to help you out whenever you’re facing an issue with your cell phone or plan.  

CON — Data Consumption

Gen Mobile is best for users who only need a bit of high-speed data each month. With their most expensive plan only offering 35 GB of high-speed data, you should be comfortable working with less than that each month to ensure you aren’t stuck with slow data at the end of any month.

CON — Multi-Line Savings

Gen Mobile, unfortunately, does not offer any multi-line savings. Their plans are well-priced as is, but there is no incentive to grab some friends and go in on a multi-line plan together. Looking at the competition, their multi-line prices are often less expensive than what Gen brings to the table.  

PRO — Contract Savings

Gen Mobile does, however, offer savings when you purchase three months at a time. This is most visible in their Unlimited plans, where the price drops from $50 to $38 and $60 to $45, respectively. 

CON — Data Deprioritization

As an MVNO, Gen Mobile’s data fluctuates based on the total bandwidth used in the area. This makes Gen Mobile, among other MVNOs, unreliable regarding data speeds. Anytime there is a danger of congestion within their parent network, the high-speed data given to Gen Mobile’s customers is slowed down to allocate more bandwidth to major wireless customers. 

This congestion is seen most in big cities around the United States. In those cities, networks are powerful but not strong enough to handle the city's residents and the commuters coming in for work. Places like New York City, Washington, D.C., Chicago, and Miami, to name a few, are all areas where MVNOs experience a lot of congestion. 

It is harder to predict the congestion in less populated cities and rural areas. Festivals, concerts, and sporting events are common times when a lot of congestion hits the area. If you’ve ever been to a football game and tried to access your phone for just about anything, we are certain you’ve seen what it feels like to use data with congestion. 

No one can load anything on their device at maximum congestion, but MVNO customers are slowed down far before major provider users are slowed down. Gen Mobile’s service operates without contracts, letting you decide whether or not this service is right for you after a couple of months.  

Gen Mobile Summary

Gen Mobile brings a lot to the table. They offer many plans so you can choose which one works best for you, international calling, coverage on AT&T’s network, and great customer service. They are by no means perfect, but they offer a lot. Changing phone carriers, no matter how good the companies are at getting your paperwork in order, will always be a pain. Before you choose, you want to do your due diligence and make sure that you are picking the right company for your situation. This section will cover the basics of Gen Mobile. What sets them apart is the price of their plans and the plans they offer, among other things. 

What Sets Gen Mobile Apart? 

Gen Mobile's flexible plans set them apart. Having options between 1 and 35 GB of high-speed data means lots of different data consumers can enjoy the perfect plan and ensure you are not overpaying for your cell phone service. Gen Mobile’s most expensive plan costs as low as $45 a month, and their least expensive starts at $9.  

Price of Gen Mobile Plans

Gen Mobile’s plans range from $9 to $45 when contracting out three months at a time. Their nine-dollar plan comes with 1 GB of high-speed data. This is good for low-data users who use their cell phones almost exclusively on WiFi. On the other end of the spectrum is Gen Mobile’s Unlimited plan (35 GB high-speed data) with 20 GB of hotspot data. This is great for people who use their laptop or tablet routinely when outside of WiFi networks. Hotspot data is great for checking email and word processing.  

What Kinds of Plans does Gen Mobile offer?

Gen Mobile has some awesome plans. Users can choose the exact amount of data they need. These plans allow consumers to figure out exactly what their preferred plan is and pay for exactly what they need. This customization is a fantastic aspect of Gen Mobile, and it allows you to change from plan to plan based on what you need at the time. Even if you purchase a three-month contract, you can use those months to decide whether you want more data, less data, or if your plan is perfect. 

What Network does Gen Mobile Use?

Gen Mobile operates on T-Mobile’s network. T-Mobile’s 5G and 4G LTE networks are available for Gen Mobile users, and that allows them to enjoy a pretty significant coverage, available for you on Gen’s coverage map. You will receive great coverage no matter where you are in the United States. 

Can You Bring Your Own Cell Phone?

Yes! Gen allows new customers to bring their own phone as long as it is unlocked. To bring your device to Gen Mobile, you must check to ensure that your device is compatible with the new network, but once you double-check it is a go! 

Gen Mobile Versus Competition

There are loads of wireless providers competing for your attention. Finding the right provider is challenging, but it pays dividends in the long run. Many Americans pay way too much for their cell phone plan because they pay far more than they need. Gen Mobile is fantastic for users who don’t need unlimited high-speed data each month and want to save. Let’s look at how it holds up to the competition in MVNOs and major wireless providers. 

Gen Mobile vs. T-Mobile

T-Mobile has more add-ons, faster speeds, and more data in their unlimited plan. The major downside is that their plans are much, much more expensive than the plans from Gen Mobile. If you are okay with data deprioritization, we think that Gen Mobile is the perfect place to land, but if you want the surety that you will have T-Mobile’s fastest available data speeds, then it makes sense to stick with the major wireless company. 

Gen Mobile vs. Mint Mobile

Mint Mobile operates on T-Mobile’s network, and they are big competition for Gen Mobile. Mint Mobile’s unlimited plan is at the same price point and offers more data and more add-ons, but in order to receive $30 a month for Mint’s unlimited plan, you need to sign up for a yearlong contract. If you prefer the flexibility of Gen’s no-contract plans, then they are the winner. 

Mint Mobile does offer family plan savings, which lets multi-line plans receive the lowest prices while only taking out three-month contracts, similar to Gen Mobile. One of Gen Mobile’s strengths is that you don’t need multi-line savings to get Gen Mobile’s best cell phone prices. 

Gen Mobile vs. Visible

Visible is an MVNO that operates on Verizon’s network, and it is one of our favorite MVNOs in the competition at this time. Their major downside, however, is that they only offer unlimited plans. They have two plans, and both are unlimited. If you are looking to save a lot of money on your phone bill each month and aren’t looking for unlimited data, then Gen is the way to go. 

Gen Mobile: Review Summary

The Good

• Competitive prices among MVNOs. Gen Mobile’s prices are fantastic. The reason you would switch to a carrier like Gen Mobile is to save money. Their plans cost as little as $9 a month and will only cost you $45 a month for their most expensive cell phone plan. 
• AT&T's network. If you switch to Gen, you get to enjoy savings while on AT&T’s nationwide network. AT&T has fantastic coverage all over the country, and as a Gen Mobile customer you have access to that without paying the premium to be an AT&T customer. 
• One Free Month. Right now, Gen Mobile offers a free month of service to new customers. This is a great way to save a bit of money when you switch and is a nice incentive. In the long run, it is nothing too crazy, but it is still good! 
• International calling and texting. Gen Mobile has services in place that allow users to call internationally with a handful of credits on their account each month. 

The Bad

• No multi-line savings. Gen Mobile’s plans are priced amazingly, but they do not offer any savings for multi-line plans. 
• No bells or whistles. The major networks and even a lot of MVNOs provide a pleasant selection of perks along with their unlimited plans. The low cost is fantastic, but the lack of bells or whistles on Gen Mobile plans leaves us a little wanting.   
• Data deprioritization. It is not a surprise, but your data will slow whenever there is a high strain on the bandwidth in your area. There is no guarantee that it will happen, especially as AT&T creates a stronger network, but it is always possible. The frequency of this is highly dependent on your location. If you feel a lot of deprioritization during your day-to-day, you can always switch carriers! 
• No physical stores. This is not a big deal for most, but there is no place where you can bring your phone if you run into issues. There is always 24/7 online customer support if you need assistance! 
• Low phone selection. While Gen Mobile has a selection of phones in its store, they do not have the greatest phone selection. If you are a new customer, we recommend bringing your own phone along as part of the plan. You can purchase phones directly from the retailer or stores like Best Buy that are not attached to any provider, allowing you to make an easy switch.

There’s a lot to like about Gen Mobile. Excellent network, affordable plans, and a well-stocked store. It’s not all good, of course, but Gen Mobile is high on our list of excellent mobile providers. If you are willing to rock a cell phone plan with limited data, Gen Mobile is the way to go! If you want more information regarding cell phone plans in your area, you can check out Really’s comparison tool for all the information you need! 

We hope that this article has helped you decide whether Gen Mobile is right for you. They are a great plan for mid-data users so they can enjoy high-speed data while out and about without using a major wireless provider and eating the immense single-line costs from their service. If you have friends and family and want to get a cell phone plan together, we recommend looking for an MVNO that offers multi-line savings, like Cricket, Hello Mobile, or Mint Mobile. With the power of all three major wireless networks in the United States (T-Mobile, AT&T, and Verizon) you can use whichever network’s MVNO has the best plan for you.