I wanted to share my first week’s experience with Xfinity Mobile. I have not seen many reviews so I wanted to give my two cents.
Background / Phone Use Scenario:
I am a young adult residing in the metro Detroit area. A year ago, I wanted to move off my parent’s phone plan (AT&T Family Plan). I discovered that it did not make sense to open my own account as it costs $60-$80 for an “unlimited” plan on any of the big four networks. Instead I opted to stay on my parent’s plan, and paid the minimal cost of keeping my line on the account ($15-$25 per month).
Like many people, most of my week is spent at a handful of places (Home, Work, Starbucks etc.). However, unlike most people, my digital life does not revolve around my phone. In fact, it is just the opposite as I have a slew of other Apple Devices (iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, Macbook Pro Setups for Home and Work).
When I do use my phone, I usually have WiFi. I end up using very little data (less than 2GB per month on average). This is because my phone is really just for me to check e-mail, twitter, texts, light browsing, and phone calls. I am not the type of person that uploads large quantities of photos and videos to social media or watch Netflix while I am outside my home.
When I am at home or work, I typically use my phone the least out of all my devices. It is much easier for me to type on my Macbook Pro setup or iPad Keyboard if I need to access anything. Thanks to Apple’s Mac/iOS integration it is very easy to use these devices interchangeably. My iPhone is typically sitting on my wireless charger unless I am out and about.
Why I chose Xfinity Mobile:
When I moved to my own place earlier this year, I revisited taking my phone off my parent’s plan. Since I have Xfinity Internet, which I am very happy with at the moment, I found out that I am eligible for Xfinity Mobile. This peaked my interest quickly.
I wanted to move to a phone plan that included Unlimited Calls & Texts, VoLTE, WiFi Calling, Visual Voicemail, No Throttling, No Contracts. Additionally, I have no need for gimmick bundles such as plans that include free Netflix, Hulu, Spotify, WiFi on Flights, Free Canada/Mexico Data Roaming, etc.
After research, I determined that from a price and feature perspective, Xfinity Mobile would be the best fit for my needs as described above. Many other plans, including MVNO or Prepaid, do not have all the features that I described above.
Based on previous data usage, my bill on Xfinity Mobile should only be around $24 a month plus any taxes using the “By the Gig” plan. I do not purchase my phones on installment and I do not purchase additional phone insurance. Thus, I project about a $50-$60 a month savings compared to if I would have chosen another main carrier.
Xfiniy Mobile Experience:
Over the past week I have had a mostly positive experience. The following is broken down in a list.
Pros:
1. Fast Download/Upload Speed as to be expected from the Verizon Network (Most MVNOs or Preapid Plans Throttle)
2. WiFi Calling (Recently Added to Xfinity Mobile)
3. Visual Voicemail (Many MVNOs do not have this feature)
4. Auto Connect to Xfinity Hotspots
5. BYOD iPhone + $150 Prepaid Card Promotion
6. Website/App Easy to Navigate (AT&T’s App is Horrible in Comparison)
7. Xfinity Store (First time I have ever been in one of their stores. They are actually quite nice. My phone transfer was quick and painless)
8. No Gimmick Bundles!
Cons:
1. Ping Speeds (On Speed Tests I am getting an average of 80-100ms which is slower than AT&T & Verizon postpaid customers). However, in practice I am not noticing a difference.
2. Weird dead zone in apartment complex resulting in low bars and unusable speeds at home (inside/outside). When I cross the street, I get 5 bars and fast speeds. I submitted a ticket to Xfinity Mobile. Hopefully, this can be resolved. I am not sure if this is a Verizon issue or not. Luckily my WiFi is fast. However, I am concerned if my power goes off I will need to travel to get good bars in an emergency.
3. Must have Xfinity Subscription to use Xfinity Mobile. However, if I were to move, I would only be charged $10 more a month. This is still cheaper than most other plans in my use case scenario.
Conclusion:
In many ways Xfinity Mobile runs like a normal carrier. They offer the latest phones with installment plans, insurance plans, and their own dedicated support. I think this service is going to be very appealing for people with a similar use case scenarios as me. I am sure that larger families are better off with a normal carrier.
If you have any questions, feel free to reach out.
Background / Phone Use Scenario:
I am a young adult residing in the metro Detroit area. A year ago, I wanted to move off my parent’s phone plan (AT&T Family Plan). I discovered that it did not make sense to open my own account as it costs $60-$80 for an “unlimited” plan on any of the big four networks. Instead I opted to stay on my parent’s plan, and paid the minimal cost of keeping my line on the account ($15-$25 per month).
Like many people, most of my week is spent at a handful of places (Home, Work, Starbucks etc.). However, unlike most people, my digital life does not revolve around my phone. In fact, it is just the opposite as I have a slew of other Apple Devices (iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, Macbook Pro Setups for Home and Work).
When I do use my phone, I usually have WiFi. I end up using very little data (less than 2GB per month on average). This is because my phone is really just for me to check e-mail, twitter, texts, light browsing, and phone calls. I am not the type of person that uploads large quantities of photos and videos to social media or watch Netflix while I am outside my home.
When I am at home or work, I typically use my phone the least out of all my devices. It is much easier for me to type on my Macbook Pro setup or iPad Keyboard if I need to access anything. Thanks to Apple’s Mac/iOS integration it is very easy to use these devices interchangeably. My iPhone is typically sitting on my wireless charger unless I am out and about.
Why I chose Xfinity Mobile:
When I moved to my own place earlier this year, I revisited taking my phone off my parent’s plan. Since I have Xfinity Internet, which I am very happy with at the moment, I found out that I am eligible for Xfinity Mobile. This peaked my interest quickly.
I wanted to move to a phone plan that included Unlimited Calls & Texts, VoLTE, WiFi Calling, Visual Voicemail, No Throttling, No Contracts. Additionally, I have no need for gimmick bundles such as plans that include free Netflix, Hulu, Spotify, WiFi on Flights, Free Canada/Mexico Data Roaming, etc.
After research, I determined that from a price and feature perspective, Xfinity Mobile would be the best fit for my needs as described above. Many other plans, including MVNO or Prepaid, do not have all the features that I described above.
Based on previous data usage, my bill on Xfinity Mobile should only be around $24 a month plus any taxes using the “By the Gig” plan. I do not purchase my phones on installment and I do not purchase additional phone insurance. Thus, I project about a $50-$60 a month savings compared to if I would have chosen another main carrier.
Xfiniy Mobile Experience:
Over the past week I have had a mostly positive experience. The following is broken down in a list.
Pros:
1. Fast Download/Upload Speed as to be expected from the Verizon Network (Most MVNOs or Preapid Plans Throttle)
2. WiFi Calling (Recently Added to Xfinity Mobile)
3. Visual Voicemail (Many MVNOs do not have this feature)
4. Auto Connect to Xfinity Hotspots
5. BYOD iPhone + $150 Prepaid Card Promotion
6. Website/App Easy to Navigate (AT&T’s App is Horrible in Comparison)
7. Xfinity Store (First time I have ever been in one of their stores. They are actually quite nice. My phone transfer was quick and painless)
8. No Gimmick Bundles!
Cons:
1. Ping Speeds (On Speed Tests I am getting an average of 80-100ms which is slower than AT&T & Verizon postpaid customers). However, in practice I am not noticing a difference.
2. Weird dead zone in apartment complex resulting in low bars and unusable speeds at home (inside/outside). When I cross the street, I get 5 bars and fast speeds. I submitted a ticket to Xfinity Mobile. Hopefully, this can be resolved. I am not sure if this is a Verizon issue or not. Luckily my WiFi is fast. However, I am concerned if my power goes off I will need to travel to get good bars in an emergency.
3. Must have Xfinity Subscription to use Xfinity Mobile. However, if I were to move, I would only be charged $10 more a month. This is still cheaper than most other plans in my use case scenario.
Conclusion:
In many ways Xfinity Mobile runs like a normal carrier. They offer the latest phones with installment plans, insurance plans, and their own dedicated support. I think this service is going to be very appealing for people with a similar use case scenarios as me. I am sure that larger families are better off with a normal carrier.
If you have any questions, feel free to reach out.
