Mint gives its customers more high-speed data and some unbeatable promotional prices. But it’s more expensive once those promos end. Meanwhile, Tello offers a wider variety of plans and has consistently low prices that will be perfect for many low-data users. For those who want a more detailed comparison, we’ve got you covered. Read on for an in-depth analysis of Tello and Mint’s plans, prices, coverage, customer service, and more. The biggest issue for most people will be the data cap: after you use the allotted 25 GB of data, your speeds will drop significantly to 2G levels. What does 2G data speed look like? It looks like laggy video streams (if you can stream video at all), poor audio quality on Spotify, and a web page that just never loads. While the promotional price on this plan makes it look like the best deal since your local 7-Eleven was selling two-for-one slurpees, be aware that the prices will go up after three months. Still, at its normal price of $40 a month, this plan is still one of the best on the market in terms of overall value. Here’s a look at all of the options. Overall, Mint’s prices are pretty darn good for what you get, even after the promos end. But they aren’t as good as they used to be (we don’t know whether to blame inflation generally or Ryan Reynolds specifically for that). You can add additional lines to your Mint or Tello account to simplify your bill pay. But what we really want from a family plan is discounts for additional lines, free subscriptions, and other neat perks. Companies like Visible Wireless and Verizon really incentivize adding additional lines with these sorts of deals. So, if you want to know how much it will cost you to get, let’s say, a Tello family plan with four lines and unlimited data, all you need to do is add up the price of four separate unlimited data plans ($116/month). All you wanted was a discounted family plan, and now you’re doing math. What has this world come to? Tello and Mint use T-Mobile’s nationwide cellular network, which is pretty good news for potential customers. While T-Mobile used to be considered the worst of the three major networks (AT&T and Verizon are the other two), it has made major strides in recent years to up its data speeds, expand its 4G coverage, and install tons of 5G infrastructure. T-Mobile now has the largest 5G network in the country. You can see how the carrier’s coverage looks more closely using the map below. While Mint and Tello don’t singlehandedly make up for the industry’s customer service problems, both companies do have a relatively good reputation. Mint Mobile retains a 4.2/5-star rating on Trustpilot1 and Tello has a 4.5/5-star rating.2 You can learn more about Tello and Mint’s customer service in our in-depth reviews of both carriers (which you can read here: Mint Mobile Review and Tello Mobile Review).
