Is anyone here using US Mobile with your iPhone or iPad? If so, are you satisfied?
Extremely satisfied. Have been with them over a year. Cut my cell bill down to $96 PER YEAR. Good customer service, no contract. You can get a plan that allows you to switch easily, instantly between carriers if you travel through an area that doesn’t handle your regular carrier. I was on Verizon. Now on US Mobile “Warp” which is Verizon repackaged. In fact my phone even says “Verizon” is my carrier. I use very little data, hence the low rate, but still unlimited talk and text. I can bump up any time if I need to, or switch plans any time. No complaints. I first heard about US Mobile right here. Happy camper!
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Yes. My wife and I both have our iPhones on their Unlimited Premium plan. Our two lines cost us a grand total of $61/month (discount for 1 annual payment, otherwise it would be $88 monthly). That includes 5G hotspot, unlimited international calls/texts, and all our calls, texts, and data abroad (up to 20 GB/month intl) to the US or a third country. Since we both travel a lot, 5G roaming essentially anywhere in the world the moment we get off the plane with zero hassle is the key value proposition to us. No special eSIM, no 2nd number, no apps, nothing to configure.
My wife has her US Mobile line on Light Speed (uses the T-Mobile 5G network) and mine is on Warp (Verizon 5G). That way when we’re on road trips out in the middle of nowhere usually always one of us retains at least some reception.
I like that the US Mobile website makes managing your account quick and super simple, and that they document their service and options well. I love their customer service — very responsive and professional. They even do support over email, with a properly published email address, no shenanigans, and with the same quick turn-around as their online chat or if you call them up over a regular old voice line.
I also like the fact that I get exactly what I want and how much of that I want, and not one extra thing gets thrown in that I didn’t ask for (but still end up paying for). I know I’m not paying for other subscribers’ streaming service or some overpriced sports channel access.
I love US Mobile. I would happily recommend them to anybody who wants high-end service at the best rates out there.
Like @TGarf, I also first heard about US Mobile right here. I’m still grateful a fellow TidBITS posters initially put them on my radar.
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I don’t get it. One person is paying $96 per YEAR, and another is paying $61 per MONTH for two lines. Sounds like a major discrepancy. Are these both US Mobile? Different plans?
That’s right. Our two lines are on their top tier “Unlimited Premium” plan. And @TGarf’s plan for $96/y is likely the “Light Plan” without intl calls or roaming and with just 2GB data.
One of the great things about US Mobile is that you can choose exactly what you want and don’t get forced into buying a whole bunch of stuff you don’t need. So if all you need is a little data and calls and texts, they have you covered with the “By the Gig” plan for as little as $10/month (that actually already includes intl calls/texts and 2 GB data with hotspot) or, if you don’t care about intl, the “Light Plan” at $96/y.
https://www.usmobile.com/plans
(scroll all the way down for the least expensive plans)
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Thanks for sharing this information.
I’ve been considering one of the offers from a major carrier that bundles a “free” iPhone 17 if I switch to it from my current carrier, but when I see the rates from some of the mobile virtual network operators (MVNOs), like US Mobile, it gives me pause.
Since I tend to keep my cell phones for at least three years, I definitely can save some money with an MVNO. On the other hand, I worry a little bit about being throttled at peak usage times.
I recently switched to USMobile and am very satisfied. They have multiple plans and completely meet my needs. If I want to upgrade to more, I can easily do that.
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When I looked at US Mobile’s plans, I did not find a data-only plan for an iPad. Is there such a thing and I missed it? FWIW, I am a US Mobile customer with a 2 GB date per month plan. If I could just add the iPad, that would be great. Thanks.
I know they offer Apple Watch companion plans, but I’m not sure about iPads. I believe it depends on what type of line you already have with them. From their FAQ:
With our Shareable Data plan, you can get data to share between as many devices as you like. Our Unlimited plans and legacy plans (such as our custom plans) are for single lines, and every device needs its own line. For Unlimited lines, plans and service are also individual and will have the same upper limits. You can read about more details in our Terms > Reasonable Use Policy.
With their usual multi-line plans, they charge $8/month for an additional line. You can then share the data you already have with that extra line.
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Their website does not mention iPads because they charge the same for a line regardless of whether it is an iPad or iPhone. Your best bet probably is $8/mo to add the iPad to your shared data pool as described by @Simon
It often isn’t easy to find answers or a desired plan option on their website, so anytime you cannot quickly find what you’re looking for, I recommend talking to a support rep via telephone or chat. Their reps generally are knowledgable.
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How does US Mobile compare to Consumer Cellular, both in usability and plans for those of us over 50?
I’ve also heard that MVNOs don’t support all iPhone features that are supported on the 3 main carriers; is that true?
I’ve been with AT&T in all its forms: Cellular One, AT&T Wireless, Cingular Wireless, and AT&T Mobility for about 30 years.
I used Consumer Cellular with a secondary phone line for six years until late last year. They explicitly focus on senior citizen customers, and I think it shows in the unusually high quality of their customer support.
Consumer Cellular offers the choice of using AT&T’s network or T-Mobile’s network. I used the AT&T network with an old iPhone. The iPhone’s features were fully supported, and I never had a problem with service. Indeed, I often noticed better network performance with my Consumer Cellular service than with the Verizon network on my primary iPhone.
Live customer support is entirely US-based. I called for support a few times, and they were excellent: well-trained, knowledgable, patient, and professional. I never encountered the muffled sound quality common with many other call centers, and I always was able to understand what was being said. Of course, they would ask me if I might be interested in upgrading to a higher-tier plan, but they were never pushy about it. When I said that I wasn’t interested in upgrading my plan, they simply thanked me for being a customer and moved on. The contrast with the pushy sales tactics I’ve experienced with Verizon, Xfinity, and others was stunning.
The only criticism I had of Consumer Cellular was that their live customer support was not available 24 hours a day. I don’t know if that is still the case, but they do have good online support available.
It’s a minor point, but I did like that mobile tethering was included in every plan, so there was no extra fee for using your phone as a hotspot. They also offer attractive discounts to AARP and USAA members.
The only reason I canceled my Consumer Cellular service was that as time went on, I used that line less and less. Eventually, I moved that phone number to a minimalist pay-as-you-go VOIP line that costs me an average of $2-$5 a month.
By the way, I used Perplexity’s AI recently to compare a few cell phone carriers. I admit I was surprised at how useful and accurate its answers were. It might be worth a trying.
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I think Consumer Cellular only uses ATT now but maybe some older plans are locked into T-Mobile. I agree with most of what you said as customer service is great overall. I still have one line there and another with Mint which does have cheaper prices but you pay upfront for either 3 months, 6 months or a full year which gives you the best deal.
One thing to keep in mind regarding the hotspot feature on Consumer Cellular: if you go over your data limit, the hotspot is then turned off for the remainder of the monthly cycle and you have to call them after the new cycle begins to get it turned back on.
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Yes, you’re right. I hadn’t realized that they stopped activating new lines on the T-Mobile network. As you said, they do allow existing lines using the T-Mobile network to continue service. If I recall correctly, the would allow users to switch networks upon request. I imagine they’d be happy to move a current user to AT&T from the T-Mobile network.
As for pricing, it’s one of the reasons I asked an AI to assist. I did appreciate the month-to-month, no contract pricing through Consumer Cellular, though my needs were met by their most basic monthly plan. People with more extensive needs indeed may find better deals elsewhere.
Thanks for the info.
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Not sure what features you believe are not supported,. My 17pro seems fully functional.
There was a time when not all MVNOs supported Visual Voicemail on iPhones and Android devices. As recently as a few years ago, when you would bring an existing smart phone to an MVNO, you would need to contact the MVNO’s support line and ask them to enable the feature.
If Visual Voicemail wasn’t enabled, you’d have to call the provider’s voicemail number and enter your mailbox password, just like you would on an old flip phone.
Visual voicemail works without needing to contact carrier (in my case, Verizon/USMobile)
I was and am an extremely light-duty user. It’s been so long I don’t recall the issue, but there was an issue and I asked Consumer Cellular for a credit. CC offered me about a quarter of what I requested and I moved to US Mobile, with a monthly payment less than half what I had been paying. (Later, CC offered me the credit I had requested if I’d return. I didn’t.) I’ve had no issues with US Mobile.
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Even with SmartFlex on?
SmartFlex automatically bumps up your data tier if you run out, so your data usage continues unabated.
SmartFlex might help for regular phone use but hotspot use is different as I found out as it happened to me. I was on the 2 for $55.00 plan through AARP and it happened to me twice. With that plan, you do get 50GB of data but depending on what you’re doing, it’s not that hard to use more than that. When I first started with them a few years ago, the hotspot was not turned off when going over the limit but there was a change at some point and you had to call in to get it reactivated.