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

Mint Mobile is a popular MVNO that gained a lot of notoriety in the recent past when Ryan Reynolds purchased it. It is built upon the idea that it provides affordable coverage to all its customers on T-Mobile’s nationwide network. You’ve likely seen their advertisements on every platform, each one talking about their affordable plans and reliable service. Mint Mobile has deals at a similar price point to many other MVNOs, but they utilize their savings to incentivize contracts, not multi-line plans. We’ll dive into that later in the article. We’ve put together a comprehensive list of Mint Mobile’s pros and cons to help you decide whether or not this mobile provider is right for you. Let’s dive right in. 

Mint 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 Mint 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 — Phone Selection

Mint Mobile operates on T-Mobile’s network, and just about every phone that is compatible with that network is also compatible with Mint Mobile. The latest and greatest smartphones, like the iPhone 15 Pro Max and the Galaxy S24, both work on Mint’s network, as well as much older models. Purchasing an $800+ phone is a serious commitment. If you are interested in less expensive options, you can peruse Mint’s store and find items like the 3rd Generation Apple SE ($429), the Samsung Galaxy S10 ($300), or the Motorola G Power ($150). 

The operation of Mint Mobile’s store is a newer development. Before its creation, users had to bring their devices from a phone retailer or another carrier. Across the spectrum, many MVNOs have lackluster stores with few new phone models. Mint goes above and beyond with its offerings, satisfying those interested in new phones as well as those who wish for a more affordable option. 

PRO — Cell Phone Plans

Mint Mobile has four plans. All of them are viable, depending on how much data you want each month. The big caveat with Mint Mobile is their contracted savings. If you look at the three-month contract pricing, their lower-cost plans are not that competitive in the current market. Their 5 GB plan is $25 a month, and their 20 GB plan is $45 a month. Carriers like Tello Mobile and Visible Wireless are able to provide more affordable prices when compared to the maximum cost of Mint Mobile’s cell phone plans. To get the best deal from Mint Mobile, we recommend starting a multi-line plan or purchasing your cell phone plan on a 12-month contract. Both of these options lower the monthly price of Mint Mobile’s service immensely, bringing it to: 

• 5 GB for $15 a month
• 15 GB for $20 a month
• 20 GB for $25 a month
• 35 GB for $30 a month

Plans priced between $15 and $30 a month are extremely affordable, opening the door to low cell phone bills each month. The only problem, which we will discuss later, is that Mint Mobile lacks a data plan for high-data users. As long as you are content with using less than 35 GB of high-speed data each month, opening an account with Mint Mobile is a great choice. The variety in plan allows you to pick and choose the right amount of data for you, and opening a multi-line account lets each line choose their plan independently, maximizing flexibility among families. 

PRO — New Customer Deal

When you switch to Mint Mobile, you immediately receive three months at low prices. That’s pretty great, but then you transition into the main phase of their service, where their 3-month contract plans are significantly more expensive. To avoid this, you can either start a family plan or purchase a 12-month contract on your current plan. A yearlong contract is a serious commitment; you must pay it all upfront. In the long run, it is very cost-effective, but paying hundreds of dollars at once is a tall order. 

The other way to snag these great prices is with a family plan. Starting at two lines, accounts receive the lowest prices at 3-month contracts, making it much easier to pay for service as well as retain a bit more flexibility when it comes to switching to a new plan if you need to. 

PRO — Multi-Line Savings

Mint Mobile offers a simple family plan for all its customers. When you have multiple lines on an account, each line receives their lowest prices on Mint’s 3-month contract plans, which are the shortest contracts they offer. 

PRO — Customer Service
Mint Mobile has good customer service across the board and has a call line at this number: 1 (800) 683-7392, as well as a live chat you can access on their website. 

Customer service with cell phone providers can be, to put it lightly, a pain to deal with. Mint Mobile’s customer service is often a breath of fresh air in that regard, with reliable advice and assistance to help you through any problems with your cell phone plan, coverage, or device. 

PRO — Coverage

Mint Mobile utilizes T-Mobile’s 5G and 4G LTE networks nationwide, providing their customers with fantastic coverage in almost every state. T-Mobile is in the middle of unrolling an incredibly robust 5G network across the nation with hopes of reaching over 90% coverage in the next few years. Though they have not reached their goal yet, all the active towers mean T-Mobile’s coverage is exceptional just about everywhere in the country. Make sure to check your local coverage maps for information regarding the best cell phone coverage in your area! 

CON — Data Consumption

Mint Mobile is best for low-data users. With the data intensity of so many phone processes, regular mobile data usage will quickly eat up the 35 GB monthly allocation and leave you stranded with 3G. Trust us: You do not want to be using 3G data during the month. 

Mint Mobile is best for users who don’t need high-speed data and are able to open a multi-line account. Their family plan lets users take out 3-month contracts while enjoying the lowest price on all the plans. Mint Mobile’s family plan gives each line owner their own data pool and the ability to pick a favorite plan. That flexibility is amazing. 

CON — Prepaid Plans 

Regardless of contract length, all Mint Mobile plans are purchased in full, upfront. That’s a pretty high cost that is hard to fit into budgets. It’s easier with family plans as it’s only three months at a time, but anyone working with the 12-month contract faces a big bill at the start of the year.

CON — Data Deprioritization

As an MVNO, Mint Mobile’s data is subject to fluctuation based on the total bandwidth used in the area. This makes Mint Mobile, among other MVNOs, unreliable in terms of data speeds. Anytime there is a danger of congestion within T-Mobile’s network, the high-speed data given to Mint Mobile’s customers is slowed down to allocate more bandwidth to T-Mobile’s customers. 

This congestion is seen most in big cities around the United States. In those cities, the network is stronger 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 around the country. 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 that you’ve seen what it feels like to try to use data with congestion. 

At maximum congestion, no one can load anything on their device, but MVNO customers are slowed down far before major provider users are slowed down. Mint Mobile’s three-month new customer deal is an excellent trial period for Mint Mobile to discover how much, if any, congestion you see on a normal day. 

Mint Mobile Summary

Here’s a little information about Mint Mobile! 

• What sets Mint Mobile apart? With so many MVNOs, it is important to know what sets Mint Mobile apart when considering switching wireless providers. Their $50 internet bundle sets them apart from the competition. 
• What’s the price of Mint Mobile plans? Spectrum Mobile has four plans. They have a 5 GB plan, a 15 GB plan, a 20 GB plan, and an “unlimited” plan. In terms of value, all of Mint Mobile’s plans are priced at a good value based on the data you receive. 
• What kinds of plans does Mint Mobile offer? Mint Mobile offers a variety of plans, ranging from 5 GB per month up to 40 GB per month. All of their plans have unlimited talk and text, and all of their plans receive slow “unlimited” data if you run over your high-speed allocation. 
• What network does Mint Mobile use? Mint Mobile runs on T-Mobile’s network. T-Mobile’s 4G and 5G networks, and, by extension, Mint Mobile’s network, cover almost all of the continental United States, meaning you’ll get great coverage no matter where you are. While the exact numbers differ between the major wireless providers, the big three networks all provide fantastic coverage in the continental United States. 
• Can you bring your own cell phone? Yes! If you have a phone that works for you, you can bring your own device to Mint Mobile. To bring your device onto Mint’s network, you have to check your device’s compatibility, make sure your device is “unlocked,” and order a Mint Mobile SIM card. Mint also offers eSIM plans, making the switch even easier. 
• Does Mint Mobile have any stores? Mint Mobile does not have any retail locations. As a digital-only company, customers have to contact their customer support in order to solve problems or ask for assistance. However, Mint is lauded for its customer service, so you should not run into too many problems in that department! 

Mint 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. Mint 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. 

Mint Mobile vs. T-Mobile

First, let’s look at Mint Mobile compared to the major wireless network T-Mobile. They share the same network, so the quality of the service is the same throughout, but Mint Mobile suffers from the same data deprioritization that all MVNOs do. There are two ways your data may slow down when you use Mint Mobile. One is if you go over your data allocation and, for the rest of the month, operate with slow data. The other is if you are in an area where T-Mobile’s network is congested. If they run out of bandwidth, all of their MVNO customers have their data speeds reduced so their main customers can still enjoy high-speed mobile data. 

T-Mobile is also much more expensive than Mint Mobile. That is the main trade-off between these two companies. If you are a high-data user, T-Mobile is the way to go. They have plans with unlimited high-speed data and a guarantee that your data will always be at maximum speeds, but you pay a premium for that service. If you are a low or mid-data user and don’t utilize your phone as much when outside of Wi-Fi — Mint Mobile is the place to be. 

Mint Mobile vs. Hello Mobile

Mint Mobile has an incredible unlimited data plan. For just $30 a month, you get a plan with some of the bells and whistles that we expect from major wireless companies. That is if you can work around the 12-month contract or start a family plan. Mint Mobile has better value plans, but Hello Mobile offers no-contract service with way more flexibility than Mint. If you are in flux and want a no-contract plan, Hello Mobile has Mint Mobile beat. 

Mint Mobile vs. Tello Mobile

Both providers operate on T-Mobile’s network and have similarly priced plans. The big benefit of Tello Mobile is its flexibility. They don’t require contracts or family plans to get the great prices they have to offer, but their most robust plan only offers 25 GB of high-speed data. This is not a company for even mid-data users. If you don’t use your phone much outside of WiFi zones, then Tello Mobile has better-priced offerings, but the 40 GB cap at Mint is amazing for mid-data users. 

Mint Mobile: Review Summary

The Good

• Affordable Plans. As long as you are on their lowest price point, the cell phone plans from Mint Mobile are very well priced compared to the competition. 
• T-Mobile’s Nationwide Network. Operating on T-Mobile’s nationwide network lets Mint Mobile customers enjoy high-speed coverage nationwide. 
• Impressive Phone Selection. This is one strength uncommon amongst MVNOs. There are a lot of great phones in Mint Mobile’s store, making it easier to grab a new phone when yours kicks it without having to go through the trouble of getting an unlocked phone from a third party. 

The Bad

• Long Contracts. The shortest contracts at Mint Mobile are still three months, which takes away a lot of flexibility from the wide list of no-contract plans that are out there. 
• Data Throttling. This is a common problem with MVNOs, but there is always the chance that your data will get slowed way down in times of high usage. 
• Upfront Costs. Especially for those on a 12-month contract, dishing out a year’s worth of phone bills upfront is a tough pill to swallow. We recommend starting a family plan whenever possible with Mint Mobile. 

There’s a lot to like about Mint Mobile. Excellent network, affordable plans, and a well-stocked store. It’s not all good, of course, but Mint Mobile is high on our list of excellent mobile providers. If you are willing to rock a cell phone plan with limited data and pay for your whole contract upfront, then Mint 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!