US Mobile provides cheap cell phone plans that rely on two of America’s major wireless networks, but is the service worth the savings?
I signed up for the service and tested its unlimited plan using Verizon’s network.
In this US Mobile review, I’ll share my experience with the low-cost carrier and compare it to my main provider, Verizon-owned Visible.
US Mobile Review: Cheap Phone Plans on Two Major Networks
- What is US Mobile?: US Mobile is a mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) that offers prepaid cell phone plans with no contracts.
- What towers does US Mobile use?: As an MVNO, US Mobile doesn’t own any cell phone towers. Instead, it partners with Verizon and T-Mobile to offer its customers plans that run on their 5G and 4G LTE networks.
- How much is unlimited data on US Mobile?: US Mobile now offers two unlimited plans: Unlimited Starter and Unlimited Premium. Unlimited Starter is $29 per month for a single line, but you’ll pay $50 a month for Premium. Taxes and fees are now included. The service introduced annual plans in December 2023.
- Can I bring my phone to US Mobile?: In most cases, you can bring your unlocked phone to US Mobile. If your device is not compatible, there are phones for sale through the company’s website.
- Does US Mobile have any stores?: US Mobile is an online-only company with no retail locations. It offers 24/7 customer support by phone, chat and email.
During my month-long test, I carefully reviewed the service’s overall value, call and text performance, data speeds, phone options and my interactions with customer service.
Read on to learn what you should know about US Mobile before you sign up!
Table of Contents:
- Plans and Pricing
- Network Coverage
- Additional Features
- Phone Options
- Customer Service
- Pros and Cons Summary
1. Plans and Pricing
US Mobile refreshed its data plans and added an annual payment option in December 2023. The service has streamlined its plan offerings. It has both unlimited and shareable data plans.
For this review, I’ll focus on the unlimited data plans: Unlimited Starter and Unlimited Premium.
The single-line price for unlimited talk, text and high-speed data starts at $29 per month. Taxes and fees are now included in the advertised price.
When you pay for a year in advance, you can save more. It’s $276 for 12 months.
US Mobile’s Warp 5G plans that use Verizon’s network include premium data, but GSM plans on T-Mobile’s network do not.US Mobile Unlimited Starter US Mobile Unlimited Premium Monthly Price $29 for one line
2 lines: $27/line
3+ lines: $25/line$50 for one line
2 lines: $45/line
3+ lines: $40/lineAnnual Plan $276 for 12 months $450 for 12 months Data Unlimited talk, text and data
35GB of premium data on Warp 5G (Verizon)
35GB of high-speed data on GSM 5G (T-Mobile)
Speeds reduced after premium or high-speed capUnlimited talk, text and data
100GB of premium data on Warp 5G (Verizon)
100GB of high-speed data on GSM 5G (T-Mobile)
Speeds reduced after premium or high-speed capHotspot Data 10GB included 50GB included
If you have three or more lines of Unlimited Premium, you’ll also be eligible to receive a free subscription to an audio, streaming or gaming service. Options include Audible, Max, Netflix and PlayStation Plus.
The service is offering a 30-day free trial of its unlimited plan.
In addition to the unlimited plans, US Mobile also offers shareable data plans. With these plans, multiple lines of service can use the same bucket of data.
I only recommend shareable data plans for people who don’t use a lot of high-speed data per month.
IMPORTANT: US Mobile charges $4 to mail a Starter Kit with a SIM card. I used promo code GOFREEKIT to waive the charge. You can also activate service instantly with eSIM.
2. Network Coverage
US Mobile customers get access to either Verizon or T-Mobile’s 5G and 4G LTE networks.
From its website, US Mobile has a tool where you can enter your current carrier, location or device to determine which network is best for you.
Warp 5G (formerly Super LTE Network) refers to Verizon, and GSM 5G Network is T-Mobile.
When your Starter Kit arrives, it will include SIM cards for both networks. Since my primary line is with Verizon-owned Visible, I wanted to test US Mobile on the Verizon network. That’s the black SIM card.
US Mobile also offers eSIM activation (no physical SIM card needed) with select devices.
Verizon’s network is strong from my Los Angeles test location, so the results didn’t surprise me.
I experienced no major issues with calls, texts and data speeds on US Mobile’s network.
For my testing, I spent about 120 minutes making calls using an Apple iPhone 12.
The audio was slightly fuzzy and muffled for the first few calls, but US Mobile’s customer support made a change on their end and resolved the issue.
I sent many text messages throughout the month-long test. All of them went through without a delay.
US Mobile’s data speeds exceeded my expectations. Download speeds surpassed 100 Mbps for 10 out of the 20 speed tests that I conducted using the Speedtest by Ookla app.
A download speed of 10 to 20 Mbps is typically fast enough for my needs, including video streaming.
US Mobile Speed Test Results
| Date | Download Speed (Mbps) | Upload Speed (Mbps) | Ping (ms) |
| 6/24/2021 10:16 PM | 30.9 | 2.95 | 31 |
| 6/25/2021 6:34 AM | 60.9 | 2.30 | 30 |
| 6/26/2021 8:06 AM | 48.5 | 1.04 | 31 |
| 6/26/2021 5:31 PM | 12.7 | 3.36 | 47 |
| 6/27/2021 6:48 PM | 9.54 | 0.36 | 51 |
| 6/28/2021 5:22 PM | 15.3 | 1.00 | 24 |
| 6/30/2021 6:44 AM | 147 | 23.5 | 35 |
| 6/30/2021 8:14 PM | 116 | 18.2 | 37 |
| 7/1/2021 10:39 AM | 123 | 16.1 | 31 |
| 7/2/2021 5:50 PM | 90.7 | 16.9 | 30 |
| 7/3/2021 8:11 PM | 159 | 23.1 | 28 |
| 7/3/2021 10:07 AM | 74.9 | 15.5 | 37 |
| 7/3/2021 10:04 PM | 126 | 27.3 | 35 |
| 7/4/2021 6:39 AM | 148 | 28.9 | 39 |
| 7/4/2021 11:00 AM | 96.2 | 36.4 | 27 |
| 7/5/2021 8:13 PM | 146 | 37.5 | 25 |
| 7/6/2021 6:24 AM | 149 | 38.5 | 25 |
| 7/12/21 9:43 AM | 120 | 19.2 | 28 |
| 7/13/2021 6:53 AM | 145 | 23.8 | 27 |
| 7/13/2021 1:16 PM | 76.8 | 20.1 | 34 |
With US Mobile’s new unlimited plans, data speeds may be slowed to 1 Mbps after your premium or high-speed threshold of either 30GB, 50GB or 100GB.
In the past, US Mobile marketed unlimited plans as “uncapped and unthrottled.” They’re no longer offered.
3. Additional Features
My test of US Mobile focused on the ways people most frequently use their phones: calls, texts and data. However, there are several additional features with US Mobile that are worth mentioning.
- Mobile hotspot: 10GB mobile hotspot with Unlimited Starter and 50GB with Unlimited Premium; mobile hotspot included with shareable plans
- International data: Unlimited Starter and Unlimited Premium subscribers get some international data; international data packs are available for other users to purchase
- WiFi calling: WiFi calling is now included at no extra cost
In addition, US Mobile provides Usage Analytics from its mobile app and website. Reviewing your talk, text and data history can help you determine if you’re on the best plan for your needs.
4. Phone Options
Like most cell phone service providers, US Mobile gives you the option of buying a new phone or keeping your current device.
I used an Apple iPhone 12 for my testing. To confirm that my device was compatible, I followed the instructions on US Mobile’s website and entered the phone’s IMEI number.
Since the service has two network partners (Verizon and T-Mobile), it says nearly all unlocked phones with a SIM card slot will work.
If you prefer to purchase a new unlocked phone, you can also shop through US Mobile’s website. However, there isn’t a huge selection of phones and the discounts are not great.
I purchased my test device from Apple, but I’ve bought phones from Visible and Xfinity Mobile in the past. Both companies offer frequent phone deals for new customers.
5. Customer Service
US Mobile has no retail locations where you can get help troubleshooting your phone or service, but 24/7 customer support is available by phone, live chat and email.
To evaluate the company’s customer service, I called them twice and initiated three live chat sessions.
US Mobile’s live chat is available from the app and website. Although it was faster to chat than call, I found that it required more work to explain myself over chat.
Both test calls to customer service were efficient, including one that resolved the audio issue that I mentioned earlier.
The availability of 24/7 phone support is a real plus compared to my main provider, Visible. With that service, most issues are handled over chat and there’s no 800 number to call.
MORE DETAILS: US Mobile’s Starter Kit and the included activation instructions were very easy to follow. I also liked the design of the account dashboard from the mobile app.
US Mobile: Pros and Cons Summary
If you’re thinking about switching away from Verizon or T-Mobile, US Mobile is worth considering since it offers affordable plans on both networks.
US Mobile has repeatedly improved its plan offerings in 2023 and provide an excellent value to consumers.Pros Cons Affordable unlimited and shareable data plans Limited phones for sale Choice of networks: Verizon or T-Mobile Perks limited to family plans Most phones are compatible Availability of 24/7 phone customer support
My favorite alternatives to US Mobile include Visible (Verizon’s network) and Mint Mobile (T-Mobile’s network). Read my reviews of those services to compare the features that matter to you most.
- Visible Review
- Mint Mobile Review
If you’re a current US Mobile customer or had the service in the past, leave a comment below to add to my review!
