Spectrum Mobile Review: I Just Discovered This Verizon Prepaid Carrier and I’m Impressed

For all our mobile reviews, we give a rating based on four main criteria:

• Dollar value ↓
• Network coverage ↓
• Data performance ↓
• Customer service ↓

Then, we average the scores to make an overall score.

We can all agree that you don’t choose a cell phone plan because it offers you free Hulu. You choose it because it gives you enough data to do whatever you want on your phone whenever you want. And the lower the price, the better, right? For that reason, Spectrum Mobile is a top choice.

Its biggest selling point is its very low prices for the amount of high-speed data you get. Each plan runs on Verizon’s network without Verizon’s massive prices, which means you pay as low as $40 for Spectrum Mobile’s most premium plan (vs. Verizon’s $90 premium plan).

Here’s a quick overview of what you can expect from a Spectrum Mobile cell phone plan:

Pros:

• Verizon 4G/5G network access
• Save $35/month vs. Verizon’s basic Unlimited Plan
• 500,000+ Spectrum Wi-Fi access points
• Significant phone deals, with payments as low as $2.22/mo.
• Upgrade your phone anytime with a premium plan

Cons:

• Exclusive to Spectrum Internet customers
• Possible deprioritization
• No international perks with the By the Gig plan

Along with significant savings, Florida customer Delgado reports that “general coverage has been fine” for the year he’s had Spectrum Mobile. He told me that sometimes it can be “spotty” inside his house, but nothing too noticeable. One anonymous Spectrum Mobile customer even shared with me that he’s had the $30 Unlimited plan for two years. During a hurricane with power outages, he and his Verizon friend had the same bars and speeds.

Other Spectrum customers who left reviews on our site left positive comments, such as “It’s all good” and “It always works no matter where I travel.” Ashley S. left a Spectrum Mobile review on our site and followed up with me, saying, “It’s been good service all in all.” One customer shared a review on our site stating that they experienced “outages at random times,” which is something that can occasionally happen with all mobile carriers, even the big ones.

Spectrum Mobile offers two data options: You can either pay for data as you use it with the  By the Gig plan, or you can choose one of the Unlimited plans, which include 30GB to 50GB of high-speed data. For reference, we’ve found that most people don’t use more than 10GB of data per month if they’re mostly connected to Wi-Fi. So unless you need more than 30GB or 50GB of high speeds, you can save money with a By the Gig plan.

Because Spectrum Mobile uses Verizon towers, all of  its plans are subject to deprioritization behind Verizon’s own customers during network congestion. But keep in mind that Spectrum Mobile data stays fast until you hit that 30GB or 50GB high-speed data cap. Until then, your speeds will not be throttled or slowed down.

Here’s the thing: Unless you use a ton of mobile data and can’t afford to have any slow downs, then you probably don’t need a lot of premium data. But if you don’t mind having slower speeds every now and then at a concert or a busy grocery line, then deprioritization is no big deal.

Pro tip: Connect to one of the thousands of Spectrum Mobile data access points and use as much data as you want. It doesn’t pull from your plan’s data amount, so you won’t have to suffer through painfully slow data if you go past your data cap. These access points are a great way to make your data last throughout the month.

You can’t speak to an online agent without a Spectrum account, which makes it difficult for new customers. However, current customers report the online chat to be pretty helpful. According to Delgado, it was “painless” to activate his service over the chat online. However, when I called in with questions, the customer service agent I spoke to knew very little about the Spectrum Mobile services.

The good news is that you have multiple options if you want to contact customer service: online chat (if you already have an account), calling the phone number (you’ll need a zip code), using the Spectrum app, or even visiting a physical store.

If you love Verizon, Spectrum Mobile lets you use its network for less than a third of Verizon’s prices, with plans as low as $20 per month. On top of that, Spectrum Mobile is not the only prepaid carrier that uses Verizon’s network. So even if you’re already a Spectrum Internet customer, you have more options than just Spectrum Mobile.

For example, Visible is a popular Verizon prepaid carrier that offers plans that are almost equally priced to Spectrum Mobile. But with Visible, you get truly unlimited high-speed or premium data and an unlimited hotspot. If you prioritize using mobile data when you’re out and about, Visible is probably the better choice.

Tello Mobile uses T-Mobile’s network, which is known for its widespread and speedy 5G coverage. If you’re a light data user and want to pay as little as possible for basic service, you can find plans starting as low as $5 per month.

US Mobile is gaining popularity as a prepaid carrier that offers access to all three networks—AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon. You can choose which network you want to use, and you can switch between networks whenever you want. You’ll pay less than $50 on its most expensive plan and get access to unlimited premium data. Basically, you’ll never have to worry about running out of data. Ever.

See these cell phone carriers at a quick glance below.