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

Tello Mobile is a small MVNO that operates on T-Mobile’s network and has rave customer reviews across the board. They are an MVNO that offers plans at very cheap price points, giving customers tremendous flexibility to pick out the plan that’s best for them. Tello gives customers the option to enjoy T-Mobile’s great 5G and 4G LTE networks while evading the premium prices associated with getting service from T-Mobile itself or any other major wireless network. 

Tello lets users customize the minutes and data that go into their plans to ensure that everyone gets the plan that fits right for them. In our Tello Mobile review, we will go over their plans, what sets them apart, what we like and what we don’t like, and much more! 

Tello 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 Tello 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

Tello Mobile allows users to choose the number of minutes they want and the amount of data they want to pick out their perfect plan. The minutes max out at, well, unlimited and only add $4 a month to your phone bill, so we will showcase Tello Mobile’s phone plans in our Tello Mobile review as if they all had unlimited minutes. With that in place, Tello Mobile has seven plans available to new users. 

• No data for $8 a month
• 1 MB for $9 a month
• 2 GB for $10 a month
• 5 GB for $14 a month
• 10 GB for $19 a month
• 20 GB for $20 a month
• Unlimited (35 GB) for $25 a month

With Tello Mobile, we recommend new customers start with their unlimited plan or take a few months to take stock of the amount of data they use. If you know how much data you use each month, you can pick out a Tello Mobile plan that represents that data usage while saving you the maximum amount of money. Until then, their unlimited plan comes in with tremendous value and allows users to enjoy 35 GB of high-speed data before they get throttled down to low data speeds. 

PRO — Coverage

Tello Mobile utilizes T-Mobile’s 5G and 4G LTE nationwide networks, providing their customers with fantastic coverage in almost every state. T-Mobile 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 Tello Mobile is there to help you out whenever you’re facing an issue with your cell phone or plan.  

CON — Data Consumption

Tello 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

Tello 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 Tello brings to the table.  

CON — Data Deprioritization

As an MVNO, Tello Mobile’s data is subject to fluctuation based on the total bandwidth used in the area. This makes Tello Mobile, among other MVNOs, unreliable in terms of data speeds. Anytime there is a danger of congestion within their parent network, the high-speed data given to Tello 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 very strong, 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 sportingF 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. Tello Mobile’s service operates without contracts, letting you decide whether or not this service is right for you after a couple of months.  

Tello Mobile Summary

Tello Mobile brings a lot to the table. They offer custom plans that you can build to your liking, international calling, coverage on T-Mobile’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 Tello Mobile. What sets them apart is the price of their plans and the plans they offer, among other things. 

What Sets Tello Mobile Apart? 

Tello Mobile’s flexible build-your-own plan sets them apart. While we were researching for our Tello Mobile review, the ease with which you could build your plan and see what the different price points were for different combinations of data and minutes was a huge boon. Tello mobile is cheap. Their most expensive plan comes in at $29 dollars, and you can get 1 GB of data and unlimited talk and text for the low price of $10 a month. 

Price of Tello Mobile Plans

Tello Mobile has some crazy affordable plans. Users can choose the number of minutes they want and the amount of data they want. 

• Starting at no data, users can choose up to 10 GB per month before jumping to unlimited
• Starting at no minutes, users can choose up to 500 minutes before jumping to unlimited

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 Tello Mobile, and it allows you to change from plan to plan based on what you need at the time. Unlimited minutes are nice, but if one month you need unlimited data and the next you know 10 GBs will suffice, a quick move is all you need. 

What Kinds of Plans does Tello Mobile offer?

Tello Mobile offers one kind of plan and it’s a customizable one. Sure, their customization ends with unlimited talk, text, and data, but users have the option to choose between data up to unlimited and minutes up to unlimited. We recommend unlimited minutes because it only costs $4 and prevents you from worrying about any amount of phone conversations you have in the month. 

Their data plans are where the real cost savings come in. With an unlimited plan at $29 we recommend starting with that and if you see, over the course of a few months, that you are not using all of your data then at that point you can switch to one of their limited data plans. Understanding how much data you use each month is an important step in figuring out what plan to take when you are switching providers. Once you’ve found the right provider, however, it is much easier to switch plans than it is to switch providers. 

What Network does Tello Mobile Use?

Tello Mobile operates on T-Mobile’s network. T-Mobile’s 5G and 4G LTE networks are available for Tello Mobile users, and that allows them to enjoy a pretty significant coverage, available for you on Tello’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! Tello allows new customers to bring their own phone as long as it is unlocked. To bring your device to Tello Mobile you must check to ensure that your device is compatible with the new network, but once you double-check it is a go! 

Tello 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. Tello 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. 

Tello 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 Tello Mobile. If you are okay with data deprioritization, we think that Tello 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. 

Tello Mobile vs. Mint Mobile

Mint Mobile also operates on T-Mobile’s network, and they are big competition for Tello 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 Tello’s no-contract plans, then they are the winner. 

Tello 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 Tello is the way to go. 

Tello Mobile: Review Summary

The Good

• Competitive prices among MVNOs. Tello Mobile’s prices are fantastic. The reason you would switch to a carrier like Tello Mobile is to save money. Their plans cost as little as $5 a month and will only cost you $29 a month for unlimited talk, text, and data. 
• T-Mobile's network. If you switch to Tello, you get to enjoy savings while on T-Mobile’s nationwide network. T-Mobile has fantastic coverage all over the country, and as a Tello Mobile customer you have access to that without paying the premium to be a T-Mobile customer. 
• Excellent customer service. Online reviews rave about Tello Mobile, a feat in and of itself. Tello Mobile has one of the highest rated customer service branches in the country, and we are confident that whenever issues arise, their customer service will do all in their power to fix it.  
• International calling and texting. Tello Mobile has services in place that allow users to call China, Mexico, and India for free and access a wide variety of other countries for low rates. 
• New customer deals. No matter the time of the year, Tello Mobile offers deals on their plans or their phones for new customers. 

The Bad

• No multi-line savings. Tello 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 Tello 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 T-Mobile creates a stronger network, but it is always possible. 
• 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 Tello 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 Tello Mobile. Excellent network, affordable plans, and a well-stocked store. It’s not all good, of course, but Tello Mobile is high on our list of excellent mobile providers. If you are willing to rock a cell phone plan with limited data, Tello 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 Tello 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.