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Xfinity Mobile Review 2021

    Xfinity Mobile

    Xfinity Mobile offers affordable 5G cell phone plans, millions of hotspots, and best-in-class customer service. The only catch is you must already have Xfinity home internet.

    Pros

    • Cheap, flexible data plans with free 5G
    • Runs on Verizon’s powerful network
    • Extends network with 18 million Wi-Fi hotspots
    • Best-in-class customer service

    Cons

    • Only for current Xfinity internet customers
    • 4G LTE data caps, throttling, and slowdowns

    You might know Xfinity from Comcast for its internet, television, and home security services. Now, meet Xfinity Mobile.

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    Xfinity Mobile offers solid and cheap cell phone plans for those already in the Xfinity ecosystem. The downside to Xfinity Mobile is that you have to endure data throttling, slowdowns, and poor video streaming quality (unless you have a 5G device).

    The first thing you should know about Xfinity Mobile is that its mobile services are available only to people who’ve already signed up for Comcast-Xfinity residential internet. (If that’s a deal-breaker for you, check out these other individual and family plans that compare in quality and affordability.)

    Here’s what else you need to know about Xfinity Mobile right up front:

    • Plans: Xfinity Mobile offers two types of plans: Unlimited and By the Gig. Unlimited is cheap but does come with data restrictions. By the Gig is perfect for those who don’t need much data.
    • 5G: Xfinity Mobile offers 5G on all data plans at no extra cost—you just need a 5G device.
    • Data speeds: Expect 4G LTE download speeds of 5–12 Mbps and upload speeds of 2–5 Mbps. With a 5G device and access to a 5G network, expect download speeds around 450 Mbps and upload speeds around 50 Mbps.
    • Hotspots: Xfinity Mobile has millions of hotspots operating at 3G speeds.
    • Network: Xfinity Mobile uses Verizon’s network, which offers the best coverage in the country.
    • Customer service: Xfinity Mobile has the best customer service rating among full-service MVNOs.
    • Phones and devices: Xfinity Mobile offers deals on the latest flagship smartphones and rewards for bringing your own device.

    Xfinity Mobile cell phone plans

    Xfinity Mobile offers 5G on all unlimited and By the Gig plans

    All Xfinity Mobile plans come with free unlimited talk and text. You just pay for the data in one of two ways: either By the Gig or Unlimited. Within the By the Gig plan category, there are 1 GB, 3 GB, and 10 GB plans.

    All data options now include 5G data at no extra cost, just as long as you have a 5G device and live in an area with a 5G network.

    Figuring out which of these two plan types—unlimited or By the Gig—is right for you may take a bit of math. But don’t worry, we’ve got the cheat sheet. It boils down to this:

    If you think you will use more than 3 GB of data per month, then the unlimited plan becomes cheaper than paying by the gig.

    Xfinity Mobile is the only wireless network that lets you design your own data, so you only pay for what you need.

    At $45 a month for one line, Xfinity’s unlimited data plan costs less than most of the top-rated unlimited plans out there. It’s a full $15 cheaper than T-Mobile’s cheapest unlimited plans and $20 cheaper than AT&T’s. That sounds pretty good.

    Cost Per Line Plans

    Use as much data as you want. The more Unlimited lines on your account, the lower your monthly cost per line. Others in your group can still use By the Gig, and you can switch it up any time.

    Unlimited PER LINE DATA


    1 LINE2 LINES3 LINES4 LINES
    $45/mo
    for one line
    $40/mo
    per line
    $33.33/mo
    per line
    $30/mo
    per line

    $45/MO TOTAL$80/MO TOTAL$100/MO TOTAL$120/MO TOTAL

    What do you have to give up to get a price that good? In some cases, speed.

    Data speeds

    Here’s what you need to know about Xfinity Mobile’s unlimited plan and data speeds.

    4G LTE data speeds are throttled, capped, and deprioritized. For LTE data, you’ll get download speeds of 5–12 Mbps and upload speeds of 2–5 Mbps. However, just like with Xfinity internet, once you hit their soft data cap (in this case, 20 GB), you’ll get deprioritized, meaning your speeds will get slashed to almost nothing (1.5 Mbps download and 750 Kbps upload).

    5G is much faster. For 5G data (where available), Xfinity Mobile says you can expect download speeds around 450 Mbps and upload speeds around 50 Mbps. The only limitations are your device (must be 5G-capable) and your location (must have 5G infrastructure in place).

    Mobile hotspots use 3G speeds. Xfinity’s throttling also extends to mobile hotspots, which are capped at 600 Kbps. That’s 3G-level slow, which is fine for basic websites and email, but don’t expect to stream much of anything at that speed.

    Video streaming resolution starts at 480p for non-5G devices

    Video streaming on the unlimited plan depends on the network (4G LTE vs. 5G) and whether your device is 5G. As this table shows, the default streaming resolution is 480p, which is just standard definition (SD), for non-5G devices on either network.

    Recap: Is Xfinity Mobile good?

    There’s just one adjective to describe Xfinity Mobile service: unique. Because of its bundle-only model, plan structure, and rock-bottom prices, it really is like no other mobile carrier. Here’s a quick rundown of what we found in our review of Xfinity Mobile.

    • Plans: There are only two types of plans: Unlimited and By the Gig. Unlimited is cheap compared to other carriers, but comes with more restrictions than we’d like. By the Gig, though, is great for people who don’t need much data.
    • Performance: Verizon’s network ensures that Xfinity Mobile’s coverage is on par with the best of the best. Keep in mind Xfinity throttles its 4G LTE data and video streams.
    • Customer service: Xfinity Mobile offers the best customer service and a best-in-class app for full-service MVNOs.
    • Overall: A solid, cheap plan for those already in the Xfinity universe, though you have to deal with data throttling, slowdowns, and poor video streaming quality (unless you have a 5G device).

    Sources: Excerpts taken from Reviews.org and Xfinity.com.