Unreal Mobile Pros and Cons: The Phone Company that’s…Unreal!

In the not too distant past of 2018 FreedomPop, a MVNO (Mobile Virtual Network Operator), launched UNREAL Mobile, a more “premium” brand offering better plans and packages to customers at prices you won’t look twice at. Now under the Red Pocket Mobile umbrella, Unreal Mobile is a no contract, no hidden fee MVNO that uses both AT&T and T-Mobile’s- (formerly Sprint) widespread network to provide you coverage at lower costs. 

Unreal Mobile has gone on quite the journey, with ups and downs and lots of changes configuring their platform, in the past couple years it seems they have started to officially find their footing as a relatively newer wireless service. And today we’re here to discuss what they have to offer, their coverage options, and of course give you all the Unreal Mobile pros and cons so you can decide if you think their plans are the right fit for you!

• How UNREAL Mobile Works
• UNREAL’s Coverage (GSMA & GSMT)
• UNREAL Mobile Phone Plans
• UNREAL Mobile Pros and Cons

How UNREAL Mobile Works

We mentioned before that Unreal Mobile is a MVNO, but what exactly does that mean and how does it affect your potential phone service if you sign up?

A majority of phone companies in the country are classified as MVNOs, while the bigger networks like Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile are not. Wireless companies like Unreal Mobile don’t own their own cell towers, instead they will piggyback signals off of the cell towers from those bigger networks. You’ll get low-cost plan options along with hopping on a major network’s signal. It can come with downsides like data deprioritization- (which we will cover later on), but for those who aren’t looking to spend the big bucks on their phone plan every month, MVNOs like Unreal Mobile are definitely worth the look.

Most MVNOs will only partner with one major network so you’ll only have that one choice on who is covering you. But Unreal works with two: AT&T and T-Mobile- (formally Sprint, but Sprint was acquired by T-Mobile in 2020).

How is that possible you ask? Well, it’s time to bring out some other terms…

UNREAL’s Coverage (GSMA & GSMT)

Unreal Mobile has phone plans under the GSMA and GSMT networks. These are slightly outdated terms and technologies used to describe the two of the three major networks.

• GSMA is a network that uses AT&T to provide coverage.
• GSMT is a network that uses T-Mobile to provide coverage.

Both networks are compatible with running 5G speeds, but it seems through Unreal Mobile alone, GSMA plans will cover more than GSMT plans. You’ll find that signal and coverage can vary company to company, and in this case it appears that you’ll find the most coverage “luck” if you look into their GSMA plans. 

Unreal Mobile GSMA plans match with AT&T compatible phones. While 5G and 4G LTE GSM compatible phones work on the GSMT network and their Unreal phone plans.

But what about the phone you already own? What network is it compatible with and how do I know which plans to look at?

Unreal unfortunately doesn’t have a “Check Compatibility” tab on their website like most phone company websites do which can be frustrating, especially when all of this is unfamiliar territory to the average phone user.

• Good to Note: According to their website, “This UNREAL Mobile starter-kit is compatible with nearly any AT&T, T-Mobile or GSM unlocked phone.”

We had to do some digging, but eventually we found this info on the Unreal Mobile Help Center:

“GSMA: This network works with most AT&T-compatible, GSM unlocked and CDMA LTE unlocked devices.

GSMT:  If you purchased a physical sim prior to 5/24/23 or from one of our supporting retailers, you may proceed to activate. This network works with most T-Mobile-compatible, GSM unlocked and CDMA LTE unlocked devices.”

• Tip: CDMA is the “network” that Verizon works on.

The general rule of thumb when checking your own mobile device is when you look at your settings and see a MEID or ESN number your phone is CDMA capable. If you see an IMEI number then your device is GSM capable, and if you see both then congrats you can use your phone on any network with zero problem.

Unreal Mobile has two options for potential users, you can either bring your own phone or buy a new one. (They have a number of iPhones for sale on their Shop Page, as of now they do not sell Android phones but don’t worry you can use Android and subsequent devices on the Unreal Mobile service).

Unreal Mobile does have a list of incompatible devices on their website which are:

• Locked Tracfone devices
• Boost/Virgin Mobile Branded devices
• Devices reported lost or stolen
• Devices reported for fraud
• Devices under an existing contract with another carrier or if funds are still owed to your old carrier so they block the use of your phone with us.

So if you are choosing to bring your own phone make sure to check a few things before moving onto looking at the unreal phone plans Unreal Mobile has to offer.

UNREAL Mobile Phone Plans

Unreal Mobile has a pretty wide array of phone plans to choose from which is nice to see from a MVNO, especially since others will have only a few limited options to choose from.

Unreal has three “branches” of plans to look at. They have:

• “1 Monthly” (offered on a monthly basis)
• “3 Quarterly” (three month recurring period)
• “12 Yearly” (twelve month recurring period)

Depending on how long and what kind of service you’re looking for, Unreal has flexibility in choice, so let’s take a look into each of their branches and discuss the different plans under each category.

1 Month Plans

3 Month Plans

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12 Month Plans

It looks like each of their 3 Month Plans has the chance for savings which is nice to see. There aren't any family plans or family bundles as of right now, so if you are a “bundle and save” or “multi-line discount” person then you may want to look elsewhere for your family’s wireless service. 

• Tip: When shopping for a plan be sure to look at what phones are 5G capable when you’re checking out what GSM network to choose. 

There’s also a few additions that come with all Unreal Mobile plans like no data overages, so instead of using your data allotment of the month and getting cut off completely, you’ll still get access to data just at 2G speeds. There’s also free international calling, unlimited calling to over 80 countries, and free global texting with all plans. Two definite pluses into Unreal Mobile’s roster.

UNREAL Mobile Pros and Cons

As always, it’s good to know both the pros and the cons before switching over to a different wireless carrier, and Unreal Mobile, just like any other phone company, has both pros and cons going for them.

Pros:

• Flexible Plans
• High Data Option
• International Calling & Texting
• No Data Overages

Flexible Plans

We mentioned very briefly about our joy to see the wide array of phone plans Unreal Mobile has to offer and we have to talk about it again. MVNOs can be hit or miss with versatile phone plan types and Unreal definitely has options for the low data user, average data user, and the high data user which is nice to see. You’ll have some flexibility when choosing your plans and if you ever need more high speed data you can go onto your Unreal Mobile account and add some, or upgrade to a higher tier plan.

High Data Option

With their highest data plan reaching a whopping 50GB a month, Unreal Mobile has got great picks for the data user who is always on the go. With 50GB of data you can get a lot of streaming and data usage per month. 

International Calling & Texting

Every single Unreal Mobile phone plan comes with free international calling and texting which is a HUGE plus. Sometimes you’ll see free international calling and texting only come with higher tier plans or a MVNO won’t have it at all. Unreal has it available and free for all plan tiers including the lowest for monthly, quarterly, and yearly plans.

No Data Overages

Getting your data cut off completely is…not fun. Especially when you haven’t realized you’ve gone over your monthly allotment and still would like/need some for the remainder of your billing cycle. At Unreal Mobile there are no data overages meaning you can still use data after you’ve used your allotment for the month, the data speeds are just throttled to 2G speeds.

Cons:

• No Family Plans
• Data Deprioritization
• “Lock-In” Savings
• Confusing Navigation

No Family Plans

One big con for Unreal Mobile is their lack of family plans. There are no “multi-line” discounts and no family bundles to speak of currently. Whatever price you pay for is for one line only. With the major networks and other MVNOs offering pretty great family plans, along with multi-line discount deals, those looking for family plans might be disappointed by the lack of options and will want to set their sights somewhere else.

Data Deprioritization

Data deprioritization is when your data will slow- (not completely stop), in particularly high traffic areas and in times of network congestion. That’s the one major downside when it comes to signing up with a MVNO. In times of high traffic and congestion, the major wireless network(s) will prioritize direct customers and subscribers over those signed up through a MVNO. Your data speeds may not always be as fast as they are when you’re in a less crowded environment or during a time when the network is jammed.

“Lock-In” Savings

So what do we mean by “lock-in” savings? Well, if you’ve taken a look at Unreal Mobile’s phone plans you’ll notice that if you go from monthly to quarterly to yearly the more you’ll save which is nice in some respects but not so nice in others. You are essentially “locked in” to a quarterly or yearly payment if you want to make use of their savings. For those looking for shorter term phone plans but still want to experience those same savings, Unreal doesn’t have it. 

Confusing Navigation

As of writing this, (February 2024), we think Unreal Mobile has some website navigation problems they could fix and some additional information stated throughout the website in order to make the average phone user’s experience be less confusing.

Not everyone knows about GSMA and GSMT networks, and explaining what phones work under those GSM plans would help customers immensely. Right now you have to go hunting for the small bit of information we gathered through their Help Center, but even that led to some more questions. 

As for their website navigation, it seems that the website is still in “beta” mode which could mean they are slowly adding to it, but we’d recommend making it easier for the “average Joe” user.

(As of right now, there are seemingly two Unreal Mobile websites out there that are all under the same “Unreal Mobile” brand which is very confusing at a first glance).

So, is Unreal Mobile as “unreal” as they market it? We think their versatile data plans definitely make it a MVNO to look out for, but for families you’ll probably be better off looking towards another wireless carrier if you want those “multi-line” savings. Getting to pick between the GSMA and GSMT networks is nice, but there are potential 5G limits depending on your phone model. There are definitely some pros and cons, but we think it’s worth the look at least.

If you want to compare and contrast UNREAL Mobile to over 1,200 other phone plans so you know you’re getting the service that’s right for you, then make sure to check out the REALLY compare page which allows you to look at pricing, coverage, what phone plans are available, current deals and steals, and how you can make the most of your potential phone bill.