US Mobile
- Best for: People who want a cheap plan on whichever national network covers them best
- What Sets It Apart: Lines can run on and move between all three national networks, and an add-on puts two of them on one phone
- Features: Warp (Verizon), Dark Star (AT&T), and Light Speed (T-Mobile) networks; Premium’s priority data and up to 20 GB abroad; free 30-day trial (30 GB) for numbers moved to Dark Star or Warp; works with most unlocked phones; 24/7 support
- Price: Light (2 GB) $96 a year or $10 a month; Flex (10 GB at full speed) $210 a year; Starter $270 a year or $25 a month; Premium $390 a year or $44 a month
- Cost: Multi-Network add-on $10 a month or $90 a year; network moves free twice, then $2 each (free on Premium); data abroad $15 a month where not included; no multi-line discount
- Pros: Taxes and fees included; network moves without a new carrier; four Starter lines cost less than the big carriers’ cheapest unlimited plans
- Cons: No stores; Starter may slow after 70 GB a month on Warp and Light Speed; lowest prices need a nonrefundable year paid ahead; BBB rating of F
Choose US Mobile if you want a cheap prepaid plan and the freedom to pick, and later switch, whichever of Verizon’s, AT&T’s, or T-Mobile’s networks works best where you live. Its main plans include taxes and fees in the price. Skip it if you want help in a store.
On annual plans, a light user pays $96 for 2 GB a month, a heavy user $390 for unlimited data with priority on busy networks, and a family $1,080 for four Unlimited Starter lines. Four lines on the three big carriers’ cheapest unlimited plans cost $1,200 to $1,440 a year even after discounts, before taxes and fees, $120 to $360 more than that family’s $1,080.
Key Features
- Warp on Verizon’s network, Dark Star on AT&T’s, and Light Speed on T-Mobile’s, with two free moves between them, then $2 each
- Unlimited Starter at $270 a year or $25 a month, its high-speed data unlimited on Dark Star and 70 GB a month elsewhere, plus 10 GB to 20 GB of hotspot
- Unlimited Premium at $390 a year or $44 a month, with priority data, 50 GB or more of hotspot, free network moves, and up to 20 GB of data abroad
- Multi-Network add-on for a second network on the same phone, $10 a month or $90 a year after two free months
- 30-day free trial with 30 GB of data when you bring your number to Dark Star or Warp
Pros
- Taxes and fees included in its main plans
- Moves between networks without a new carrier or number
- Support by phone, chat, and email around the clock
Cons
- No stores
- Starter’s data ranks below Premium’s on a busy Dark Star network, and on a busy Warp network with a 5G phone
- Lowest prices require paying a year in advance, with no refund if you leave
- Free trial that renews on monthly Unlimited Premium at $44 unless you change plans
- An F from the Better Business Bureau, which cites 27 unanswered complaints
US Mobile suits anyone who wants a cheap plan and the freedom to move to whichever network works best where they live or travel. Anyone who wants a store should go to a big carrier, and anyone who wants one simple plan can choose a prepaid carrier on one network, such as Visible on Verizon’s, at $275 a year.
Learn more about US Mobile or see how it compares to the best cheap cell phone plans.
US Mobile
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