This Xfinity Mobile review has been updated for 2022. Long-time readers may be quite surprised to find this Xfinity Mobile Review on this site. But, I’ve tested their service and wanted to do a deep dive to share with readers.
Here are a few things to note about this review:
- I’ve previously and extensively reviewed the cheapest data plans, cheapest prepaid plans, and cheapest mobile WiFi hotspot plans on the market, and I’ve come to the conclusion that, at this moment, Xfinity Mobile is one of best value mobile plans on the market – and can potentially save you some serious money.
- If you are also an Xfinity Internet and/or Cable TV customer, you can save even more money by bundling services.
- Despite my prior grievances with Xfinity Mobile’s parent company, Comcast, I have been an actual Xfinity Mobile user – and have tested Xfinity Mobile on one of our mobile devices for many months.
So let’s jump right in. Here’s what you’ll find in this Xfinity Mobile review:
What is Xfinity Mobile?
Xfinity Mobile is a relatively newer mobile service from ISP/Cable TV conglomerate, Comcast Xfinity. It somewhat quietly launched to customers in May of 2017, and went live in all Xfinity residential markets in August of that year.
In addition to 5G and nation-wide 4G LTE coverage (on Verizon’s network – more on that ahead), Xfinity Mobile also boasts 19 million+ WiFi hotspots, and flexible low-cost plans.
Can I Get Xfinity Mobile? Xfinity Mobile Availability Map
In order to become an Xfinity Mobile customer, you must first be a residential Xfinity Internet service customer, residing within Xfinity’s market map. If you’re unsure about Xfinity availability, you can check if Xfinity internet service is available in your area here. If it is, and you’re an Internet service customer, you can get Xfinity Mobile.
What Network Does Xfinity Mobile Use?
Xfinity Mobile is a “mobile virtual network operator”, or MVNO. As an MVNO, Xfinity Mobile doesn’t own its own wireless spectrum, it buys wholesale priced access from one of the 3 big wireless spectrum owners in the United States. Specifically, Xfinity Mobile runs on Verizon’s Network. Making a call? You’re calling on Verizon’s network. Texting? Verizon’s network. Using mobile data? Verizon’s network. With Xfinity Mobile, you are getting all of the touted benefits of Verizon’s network (at a fraction of Verizon’s prices).
Xfinity Mobile Coverage Map
Xfinity Mobile, by virtue of running on Verizon’s Network, has access to 5G in available locations and the largest 4G LTE network in the US. Verizon touts that it covers 327 million people, 99% of the country’s population, and more square miles than any other network. Here is an interactive Verizon coverage map so you can visualize the Xfinity Mobile coverage map. If you’d like to specifically check your zip code for Xfinity Mobile coverage, you can do so here.
Xfinity WiFi Hotspot Map
In addition to offering up Verizon’s Network for prices that are much cheaper than Verizon (more on that in a bit), Xfinity Mobile sets itself apart from the competition in that you can tap in to over 19 million WiFi hotspots. Xfinity makes this possible through using modems it leases to customers as WiFi hotspots. Clever.
Tapping into hotspots while out to a coffee shop, restaurant, bar, hotel, etc. can allow you to keep your mobile data usage to a minimum (if you’re able to find a hotspot to connect to). Here is an Xfinity WiFi hotspot map or you can use the Xfinity WiFi hotspot app (iPhone, Android), which can be used offline.
Xfinity Mobile Plans & Prices
Xfinity Mobile plan costs are low and flexible. Certainly lower than any of the big 3 carriers, but lower than even most of the cheapest of bare-bones MVNOs (who often have close to zero customer service).
For starters, everyone gets:
- Unlimited nationwide talk and text, at no added charge
- 5G speeds (where available on Verizon’s network) and 4G LTE data elsewhere
- Free access to the 19 million+ WiFi hotspots
Additionally, Xfinity Mobile offers international roaming coverage (detailed below).
Beyond talk, text, & WiFi – if needed, you have a choice of data plan options:
- “By the Gig” data (3 data options & data can be shared on up to 10 lines):
- 1 GB: $15/month
- 3 GB: $30/month
- 10 GB: $60/month
- Unlimited data:
- 1 line: $45/month
- 2 lines: $60/month ($30/month per line)
- 3 lines: $90/month ($30/month per line)
- 4 lines: $120/month ($30/month per line)
- 5 lines: $140/month ($28/month per line)
- 6 lines: $160/month ($26.66/month per line)
- 7 lines: $180/month ($25.71/month per line)
- 8 lines: $200/month ($25/month per line)
- 9 lines: $220/month ($24.44/month per line)
- 10 lines: $240/month ($24/month per line)
On the unlimited plan, after 20 GB of monthly data use, speeds are reduced to a maximum of 1.5 Mbps download/750 kbps upload, determined and applied on a per line basis. Video streams up to 480p, standard-definition quality. Xfinity Mobile does not offer rollover data with their plans.
You can switch from “by the gig” to an “unlimited” plan within the same month or from “unlimited” to “by the gig” at the start of the next billing cycle. You can find lower price per GB data plans out there, but you typically have to pay for talk and text with those plans, which would wipe out the benefit.
The Xfinity Mobile app (Android here, iPhone here) shows you where your data usage is each month, in order to keep your data usage in check.
How Does Xfinity Mobile’s Prices Compare to Verizon?
Compared to Xfinity Mobile, Verizon offers the following prices for the same network:
Verizon Monthly Prepaid:
- 5 GB: $40/month
- 15 GB: $45/month
- Unlimited (regular 5G): $60/month
- Unlimited Plus (ultra 5G): $70/month
Bundling Xfinity Mobile with Other Xfinity Services for Better Prices
Xfinity also frequently has deals that allow you to bundle Xfinity Mobile with Xfinity TV and Internet, lowering the combined total prices of those services. If you live with an Xfinity Internet/TV supported area, bundling Xfinity Mobile with those services will almost always offer you the lowest total versus buying from separate providers. You can find current Xfinity bundle offers here if you’re interested in bundling services.
Does Xfinity Mobile Have International Roaming?
Xfinity Mobile has international rate plan options for those traveling abroad.
You can “Add Global Travel Pass” to any line and pay a flat rate for calls, texts, and data for $10/day per line in 175+ covered countries, or $5/day per line in Mexico and Canada only. GTP includes 512 MB of LTE data per pass per day, then data is available at 2G speeds. “Pay as you go” is also available.
Data used counts towards both By the Gig or Unlimited data options.
Does Xfinity Mobile Have Contracts?
No. There are no contracts with Xfinity Mobile. You can leave at any time, if you’re not happy, without penalty or early termination fee. However, you may have to pay off the remaining balance on your phone and plans (which seems fair).
Can you Use Xfinity Mobile as a Personal Hotspot?
Yes – you can use Xfinity Mobile data to create a personal WiFi hotspot. According to Xfinity Mobile:
Your Xfinity Mobile phone is more than just a phone. It’s also a personal hotspot, which can be super convenient when you need to connect a computer to the internet and you don’t have WiFi. Your phone enables you to get online via WiFi, Bluetooth, or USB cable — on your laptop, tablet, or any other device — by using your cellular data to create an internet connection.
How your data option affects personal hotspots
If you have the Unlimited data option, speeds on any connected device will not exceed 600 Kbps. At that speed, you’ll be able to perform common tasks such as email, instant messaging, and basic web browsing. However, you’ll likely experience buffering when streaming audio and/or video on your connected devices.
If you prefer 4G LTE for your hotspot-powered devices, go for By the Gig. Personal hotspot speeds are not automatically limited with this data option, but you can still use Data Saver to dial down your data speed and help manage your costs.
There are no additional fees for using your phone as a hotspot, and you can do it whether you have By the Gig or Unlimited. Data used as a mobile hotspot will count toward your data charges for the billing cycle. Remember, your laptop may consume more data than your phone would for similar activities.
If you Cancel Xfinity Internet Service, Can you Keep Using Xfinity Mobile?
Yes, you can keep using Xfinity Mobile if you cancel Xfinity Internet. A $25 per line monthly charge applies if at least one of the following post-pay subscriptions are not maintained on the account: Xfinity TV, Internet, or Voice service.
Xfinity Mobile Phones
Xfinity Mobile has a solid offering of mobile devices (mostly on the higher end and a few budget offerings), including both both iOS and Android OS devices. You can either buy the phone outright or spread out the cost of the phone over 24 months (at 0% APR).
Currently, Xfinity Mobile offers devices from the following manufacturers:
- Apple
- Motorola
- Samsung
Xfinity Mobile BYOD (Bring Your Own Device)
You can now bring your own device (BYOD) when you switch to Xfinity Mobile (iPhone 6 and later for iPhones, Google Pixel, and Samsung Galaxy S8 or later for Android). You can check Xfinity Mobile device compatibility here.
If you bring your own device, there are no added fees, and you can get a free SIM card. And yes, you can still access the WiFi hotspots. Xfinity even offers promotions for BYOD occasionally.
Are There Any Cons with Xfinity?
I alluded to this earlier, but any Xfinity Mobile review on my behalf would not be complete without addressing the elephant in the room: my previous beefs with Xfinity TV and Internet pricing. I’ve written many articles over the years on topics such as how to get rid of your Xfinity modem rental fee, how to replace an Xfinity modem with your own, how to negotiate with Xfinity, how to cut your Xfinity bill, and so on, to help readers save money.
I do see the broader company making serious efforts to improve its customer service and experience with Xfinity Mobile and elsewhere. For example:
- With Cable/Internet pricing, they have started offering existing customers extended contracts at prices previously only accessible to new customers (having to quibble over pricing and continual increases has long been a complaint of mine and others).
- Their customer service reps do seem much more accommodating in recent years, which is a reflection of company policy.
- Their revamped Xfinity stores are much closer to an Apple store than the DMV these days (I recently visited one and was shocked).
Xfinity Mobile was recently rated #1 in customer satisfaction compared to all measured full service providers in the 2021 American Customer Satisfaction Index® (ACSI) survey of customers rating their own wireless service provider’s performance.
I looked long and hard for gotchas with Xfinity Mobile. I wouldn’t say these are “gotchas”, but on the “unlimited plan”, the following applies, which is fairly common practice for unlimited plans these days:
- after 20 GB of monthly data use, speeds are reduced to a maximum of 1.5 Mbps download/750 kbps upload, determined and applied on a per line basis
- Video streams up to 480p, standard-definition quality. HD streaming is available on Xfinity Wifi.
- On any connected device, mobile hotspot speeds will not exceed 600 kbps.
- When they added 5G service, they increased their lowest price from $12 to $15, but this was likely the result of a new contract with Verizon.
Aside from that, the pricing is fair, honest, and cheap. There is flexibility to switch plans. You can get 0% APR financing on phones if you can’t afford to buy outright (at the same total price). And you can BYOD without added fees.
I’ll be the first to let you know if any of this changes, but they’ve had a sound track record for over 5 years now.
Xfinity Mobile Promos and Discounts
Xfinity Mobile frequently runs promos and discounts. You can find a list of Xfinity Mobile promotions and discounts here.
They have been offering rotation promotions such as the following:
- $400 off some of the new iPhones
- $200 when you switch to Xfinity Mobile
- $100 if you bring your own device
- $450 off Samsung devices
Additionally, I’d recommend checking for Xfinity bundle offers here for bundled plan discounts with Xfinity Mobile included. Xfinity wants to grow their mobile user base, so they often offer nice discounts when you add Xfinity Mobile to other Xfinity services.
Final Thoughts on My Review of Xfinity Mobile
If you live within an Xfinity covered area, Xfinity Mobile is a high value prepaid mobile offering, and it’s an even better deal for those who can bundle with Xfinity TV and/or Internet. I really appreciate:
- the free unlimited nationwide talk & text on Verizon’s network
- 5G access and strong internet performance
- no line fees (unless you are no longer an Xfinity internet customer)
- the ability to share data, with up to 10 lines on “by the gig” plans
- the option of multiple data plans, and flexibility to switch
- the ability to bring your own device (BYOD)
- the extensive WiFi hotspot network to help keep data costs low
- clear, fair, and transparent pricing
- no contracts
If interested, you can get a discount on an Xfinity Mobile phone or bring over your own device here and existing Xfinity customers can check for Xfinity bundle offers.
The post Xfinity Mobile Review: From a Customer (Updated for 2022) appeared first on 20somethingfinance.com.