Please note, this article was first published on March 22nd, 2022, and it is now outdated. Xfinity Mobile has launched new plans and prices, and I need to update this review. I apologize it is outdated.
Xfinity Mobile is a cell phone service offered by Xfinity.
It’s available for current Xfinity Internet, TV, or phone customers, and it may actually be a surprisingly better option than you might think.
I’ve been using Xfinity Mobile for the past two months now, and in this review I’m covering everything you need to know about it.
Xfinity Mobile has two types of plans to choose from: by the gig and unlimited.
Let’s start with the by-the-gig plans. There are three options here:
On the surface these plans may seem expensive, especially the $60 plan with only 10GB of data.
The secret to how these are actually super affordable? You can share the data with up to 10 lines on your account at no extra cost.
For example, a family of four could opt for the $60 10GB plan and share the data between all the lines.
Each person could use the same amount of data, about 2.5GB each, or they could use different amounts that add up to 10GB.
Either way, the cost per line comes out to just $15/month, which is a great deal for a family of four.
The by-the-gig plans support HD video streaming, mobile hotspot, and all the standard features you’d expect like visual voicemail, Wi-Fi calling, VoLTE, and 5G access.
The by-the-gig plans are great options for lighter data users and families looking for something affordable.
But, there is one downside: data overage charges.
If you go over your included data amount, Xfinity Mobile charges you $15 for each additional GB rounding up.
So if you’re on the 1GB plan and use 1.2GB of data, then you’ll be billed $30 total instead of the usual $15.
Thankfully you change plans to the Unlimited Plan at any time during your billing cycle, even on the very last day, and you will NOT receive any data overage charges. So while data overages are something to know about, they can easily be avoided by switching to the Unlimited Plan with just a couple of taps in the Xfinity Mobile application.
There are also five easy ways to manage and reduce your data usage:
Xfinity Mobile sends you text and email alerts when you’re getting close to your limit. These are helpful for monitoring your usage.
You can always turn your cellular data off at any time on your device itself.
This will prevent any additional usage if you’re getting close to your limit.
Android users also have the additional luxury to set data usage alerts to get notified when you reach a certain threshold.
Xfinity includes free access to their over 19 million Xfinity WiFi hotspots nationwide.
Your phone will automatically connect to an Xfinity WiFi hotspot when it’s nearby, and you get unlimited usage on hotspots that doesn’t count against your data allotment.
More on these hotspots later.
Data Saver is a feature that limits your video streaming speeds to 1.5Mbps. This can stream up to 480p standard definition videos and it helps reduce your data usage.
You can always upgrade your by-the-gig plan to the unlimited plan at any time.
The unlimited plan is $45/month and has no overages so you know your max bill will be $45.
Plus, you can actually manage each line individually.
If there is one person who is using a lot of data, then you can switch them to unlimited while keeping the rest of your lines on the shared by-the-gig plan.
Just make sure you upgrade to the unlimited plan before you incur any overage charges.
The Xfinity Mobile rep I spoke with said once you incur an overage charge, you’ll have to pay it even if you end up switching.
That brings us to Xfinity Mobile’s unlimited plan.
Xfinity Mobile’s unlimited plan is $45 per month. It includes unlimited handset data and unlimited hotspot data.
But, this plan isn’t actually unlimited.
There are three key caveats:
Except, you actually can get 4K video streaming at certain locations.
(What? Location-based video streaming quality? Yes, more on that when I talk about coverage & data speeds).
Still, 20GB of high-speed data is PLENTY for a majority of consumers.
According to Ericsson’s Mobility Report, average data use in North America is just 14.6GB.
That means something like 80-90% of you reading this right now would be perfectly fine on Xfinity Mobile’s unlimited plan with 20GB of high-speed data.
You would never notice any slowdowns or drops in performance.
And at $45 per month, it’s WAY cheaper than the $70+ unlimited plans Verizon is offering directly.
Plus, let’s not forget Xfinity’s family discounts.
A family of four can get unlimited data for $30 per line, which is less than the $35-$45 per line unlimited plans from Verizon, AT&T, or T-Mobile.
You’d save an estimated $720 per year by going with Xfinity Mobile.
Another perk is you get access to Xfinity’s WiFi hotspots.
This means when you’re at places like your gym, your favorite coffee shop, or your favorite restaurant, or any of the other 19 million places with hotspots (that you can easily find with the Xfinity Hotspot app), you get unlimited free Wi-Fi that doesn’t count against your high speed data usage.
Wi-Fi speeds are at 25Mbps down and 5Mbps up, which is fast enough to stream 4K TV shows and movies.
You can even connect to the hotspots on your other devices like your laptop and tablet, making them great for staying connected while traveling and working from your favorite coffee shops.
Okay, now let’s talk coverage, data speeds, and why you can only stream 4K video in certain locations.
Xfinity Mobile uses Verizon's LTE and 5G networks for coverage. Anywhere you have Verizon coverage, you’ll have Xfinity Mobile coverage.
Data speeds are exactly the same between Xfinity and Verizon, too.
This is because Xfinity Mobile gets priority data.
Priority data is typically only reserved for postpaid subscribers on Verizon (those paying $80+ on their cell phone plan), but Xfinity Mobile customers get access to it, too.
Priority data basically gives you slightly faster speeds when the network is busy, such as at sports games, stadiums, and airports.
People who are on prepaid plans, which are deprioritized, will notice slower speeds in crowded areas.
Xfinity Mobile includes priority data in the by-the-gig plans for all devices and on their unlimited plan for 5G devices.
The only exception is LTE devices on the unlimited plan, which are deprioritized.
Customers with LTE devices on unlimited can choose to get the $20 HD Pass, which enables “higher quality cellular service during times with high network traffic,” aka priority data, and HD video streaming.
The HD Pass is NOT available if you’re using a 5G device.
And that then begs the question: how do you stream HD video on the unlimited plan with a 5G phone, and why is it only at specific locations?
Well, I’ll tell you how: by connecting to Verizon’s Ultra Wideband 5G network.
Xfinity Mobile gets full access to the Ultra Wideband 5G network, and all devices connected to Ultra Wideband get truly unlimited data, unlimited hotspot data, and 4K video streaming.
I got over 3.5Gbps down on my Xfinity Mobile line at Sloan’s Lake Park here in Denver, Colorado.
Hotspot speeds reached over 400Mbps.
And when I tested with Fast.com, a test that connects to Netflix’s video servers to measure video streaming speeds, I got over 1Gbps, which is fast enough to stream 40 4K movies at the same time.
Data use on Ultra Wideband also doesn’t appear to count against your high-speed allotment, either. I used over 28GB and am still getting fast speeds.
Two problems here though:
Now let’s quickly talk about the mobile application. Xfinity does provide an app for managing your account.
You can use the app to:
The Xfinity Mobile application has a clean design and gives you the information and tools you need at your fingertips.
I especially liked how you could easily switch plans right from the app, and how you got a detailed breakdown of your data usage each month.
How is customer support on Xfinity Mobile?
Xfinity Mobile actually ranked #1 in the 2019-2020 American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI®)*
But, what is support actually like?
Customer support is available via chat on the app or online, or via phone.
The chat presents a bunch of automated options, and I disliked how it sent me in circles trying to answer specific topics instead of connecting me directly to a rep.
Thankfully, if you ask for a rep you are typically able to request a callback or message someone directly in chat.
I found the callback feature worked best for me.
I was typically called within a couple of minutes and connected to a rep in about 5 minutes or less. The reps were able to answer my questions about the service.
For me, I thought customer service was generally good.
I think Comcast knew their internet was notorious for providing poor customer service, so they wanted to do something different with Xfinity Mobile.
So at the end of the day, is Xfinity Mobile worth it? How does it compare to the competition, and is it worth signing up for?
Compared to US Mobile, which also uses the Verizon network for coverage, Xfinity Mobile’s plans are more expensive and include less data.
$15 gets you 5GB of data on US Mobile compared to just 1GB on Xfinity Mobile.
BUT, you have to keep in mind that Xfinity Mobile includes priority data, which will offer a better experience during times when the network is busy, and they have more features like Wi-Fi calling.
In terms of unlimited plans, I think Xfinity Mobile compares well.
It costs less than Verizon’s cheapest unlimited plan and includes basically the same features.
Compared to US Mobile and Visible though, it’s a tougher choice.
US Mobile includes more high-speed handset data at 75GB, and Visible’s hotspot data is truly unlimited and over 8x faster at 5Mbps.
Still, I think Xfinity Mobile’s 20GB of priority data will provide a better experience for most people than being deprioritized on either US Mobile or Visible.
You have to remember you’re also getting access to Xfinity’s Wi-Fi hotspots on Xfinity Mobile, and the multi-line discount makes Xfinity Mobile even more competitively priced.
Xfinity will also throw in up to a $30/month discount on your internet plan when you sign up for Xfinity Mobile. That makes the net cost of ownership for Xfinity Mobile drops down by a LOT.
Finally, Xfinity Mobile is also offering great discounts on devices for new customers.
You can currently get:
At the end of the day, I think Xfinity Mobile can be a great, affordable option for a LOT of people.
The multi-line discount makes Xfinity Mobile competitively priced, it comes packed with full-featured service, and it offers a premium network experience with priority data.
And, unlike Comcast, Xfinity Mobile is actually known for having decent customer service.
You can check out their current deals and sign up for service here.
Three quick things I wanted to mention that didn’t make their way into the review:
Xfinity provided me with Xfinity Internet and mobile service to complete this review. I was not compensated for producing this review. BestPhonePlans participates in Xfinity’s partner program, and we receive commission on qualifying purchases if you choose to sign up. This in no way influences our rankings or recommendations. We strive to provide the best and most accurate information possible. Have feedback? Email us at hello@bestphoneplans.net.
