Cell phone service in the United States no longer has to be directly through a post-paid plan with one of the four major wireless carriers of AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile or Verizon Wireless. These days, there are many options available for consumers who want the best value and want to save money. This is most likely because it is well known that cell phone service is no longer a luxury but is considered a necessity in today’s world.
One of the many MVNO or prepaid options available is US Mobile, which piggybacks off of the T-Mobile network. Unlike many of the other prepaid networks, US Mobile, not to be confused with U.S. Cellular, does not offer unlimited talk minutes. As a result, if this is a negative aspect for any user, they might want to look elsewhere. However, if you are the type of mobile phone user who doesn't need unlimited calling options, there is excellent value in one of the buckets you can get from US Mobile. The carrier also provides the user with rewards when they closely monitor their usage. If one is a light user, it’s possible to end up paying much less for monthly service. Users who require more talk and particularly data may be better off looking at a different carrier.
US Mobile is still fairly new and has only been around a few years. It operates differently than other prepaid carriers at this point and time and is reminiscent of the early days of such networks. All of the options you can get in your plan are separate so that the user can build their own service bundle. Bundles are prepaid at the beginning of each month. Users have a choice of talk minutes at a minimum of 100 minutes for $3 up to a maximum of 5,000 minutes for $15 per month. Text bundles begin at only $2 per month for 100 text messages and $7 for unlimited texting. For cellular data, 100MB is only $2 per month, but the maximum data amount, 8GB, costs users $35 per month.
Depending on the individual’s usage, it’s possible to pay very little for US Mobile service. For instance, if you were to build a bundle with 500 talk minutes, unlimited text messaging and 1GB of data, you would pay $27 per month. Although the talk minutes are obviously less than the standard unlimited that is offered by most wireless carriers nowadays, $27 per month is extremely cheap compared with prices from other carriers. You can compare US Mobile plans below, or check out the US Mobile plan comparison page. Read on for the rest of the review.
| Phone | Plan | Minutes | Data | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 Phones Available |  US Mobile Kosher No Contract Featured
| Unlimited Minutes + Unlimited Texts | 0 MB 5G LTE Data | $ 7 .50 /mo Get Plan |
| 15 Phones Available | US Mobile Kosher No Contract
| Unlimited Minutes + Unlimited Texts | 0 MB 5G LTE Data | $ 7 .50 /mo Get Plan |
| 15 Phones Available | 500 Minutes + 500 Texts | 2 GB 5G LTE Data | $ 8 /mo Get Plan | |
| 15 Phones Available | US Mobile 2GB Shared Data No Contract
| Unlimited Minutes + Unlimited Texts | 2 GB 5G LTE Data | $ 10 /mo Get Plan |
| 13 Phones Available | US Mobile Unlimited Flex No Contract
| Unlimited Minutes + Unlimited Texts | 10 GB | $ 17 .50 /mo Get Plan |
| 15 Phones Available | US Mobile 10GB Shared Data No Contract
| Unlimited Minutes + Unlimited Texts | 10 GB 5G LTE Data | $ 20 /mo Get Plan |
| 13 Phones Available | US Mobile Unlimited Starter No Contract
| Unlimited Minutes + Unlimited Texts | Unlimited | $ 22 .50 /mo Get Plan |
| 21 Phones Available | US Mobile Unlimited Premium No Contract
| Unlimited Minutes + Unlimited Texts | Unlimited | $ 32 .50 /mo Get Plan |
Although US Mobile largely caters to users who bring their own compatible GSM phone, the company offers a decent selection of smartphones as well. There are cheaper Android phones available, such as the Alcatel Ideal and LG Phoenix 3, which retail for $69 and $95, respectively. Flagship smartphones like the Samsung Galaxy S6 edge and Apple’s iPhone 6s are available for $609 and $599. US Mobile even sells the iPad Air with cellular data connection for $439.
Of course, if a user prefers to simply bring their unlocked, compatible smartphone to use, buying a US Mobile SIM card for $3.99 is also an option.
An added perk that US Mobile offers is free VPN access. A VPN, also known as a virtual private network, masks the user’s IP address while they are online. This is especially useful when you are using an open Wi-Fi connection in which anyone can see what you’re doing online. The VPN is available courtesy of US Mobile partnering with a company called Windscribe that is based in Toronto. US Mobile customers get 100GB per month of the VPN service, which normally costs $9 per month, for free.
Because US Mobile runs on the T-Mobile network, it delivers excellent service in large to medium cities. However, if you are located in a small town, especially one that is rural, you will not benefit due to the lack of coverage.
At the end of the day, US Mobile is great for light cell phone users. Those who rely on heavier use should probably look into a different wireless carrier.
