Xfinity Mobile Review

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

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.¹
• Hotspots: Xfinity Mobile has millions of mobile 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.

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.

But let's talk about each plan type in detail.

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 $5 cheaper than AT&T’s. That sounds pretty good.

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

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 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.

5G devices on the 5G network get the most love, but if you don't have a 5G-capable device, you can still buy HD streaming for any line. That'll get you 720p resolution for smartphones and 1080p for tablets.

This plan is like the bulk section of the grocery store: instead of buying pre-packaged data, you buy it raw, by the gig.

This plan is ideal if you use data only once in a while to send a picture to your kids or reply to an email. You could pay as little as $15 a month and still get unlimited calls and texts.

By the Gig plans really pay off if you’re strategic about your data usage. With free access to Xfinity’s 18 million hotspots, you’ll often be able to use the internet through Wi-Fi rather than 4G, especially if you’re in an urban area.

One advantage the By the Gig plans have over the unlimited option is the default video streaming quality.

As this table shows, the lowest quality stream on the By the Gig option is 720p, even if you're only on the 3G network. That's HD, and it looks a lot better than the 480p you'll get with the unlimited option.

Of course, if you want to save on data usage (because you are, after all, paying for it by the gig), you can elect to stream at 480p.

As we've said, Xfinity Mobile's plans are cheap but not the cheapest.

Here's a quick look at how the company's plans compare to similar offerings from other carriers.

As you can see, Xfinity Mobile is right in the middle of the pack—there are a few other MVNOs offering cheaper unlimited plans, but Xfinity is still cheaper than the Big Three.

As we've mentioned, Xfinity Mobile's cheap cell phone service is available only to those who have Xfinity internet already.

The downside is that Xfinity doesn't appear to have bundling deals to entice new customers. In other words, you can't get a discount for signing up for both Comcast Xfinity cable TV and Xfinity Mobile.

Even so, existing Xfinity home internet customers who want to cut their cell phone bills should definitely look into switching to Xfinity Mobile.

Xfinity Mobile offers an awesome family plan discount, which is a pretty rare find in the world of smaller carriers. You can get your unlimited plan down to $30/month with four lines (as opposed to $45/month). 

You can even get that price even cheaper if you go beyond four lines on your family. Every additional plan you add (past four lines) knocks a few bucks off your bill. For example, if you have six lines in your Xfinity plan, the price per unlimited costs $26.66/month. In theory, we add enough people to this family plan, and we're paying a couple cents a month. Just kidding, Xfinity wouldn't let us do that....right?

As always with cell phone plans, you should always get on a family plan. 

Need a better camera to up your Insta game? Xfinity Mobile has deals and payment plans for the newest Apple, Samsung Galaxy, and Google devices.

Here's a look a some of Xfinity's most popular phones.

Xfinity Mobile has some great deals on new smartphones, so check out Xfinity Mobile's current deals here.

Xfinity Mobile is a mobile virtual network operator (or MVNO). That means Xfinity uses one of the Big Three networks—in this case, Xfinity uses Verizon’s cell towers. That’s good news for Xfinity customers because Verizon's wireless network tops our list for best mobile coverage. Check out this coverage map to see for yourself.

Xfinity Mobile customers may actually be marginally more satisfied with their coverage than Verizon customers. Xfinity has a large number of Wi-Fi hotspots—millions, in fact—that bolster its network.

Our own research shows that Verizon is the second fastest network in the country. Just remember that Xfinity Mobile's unlimited plan caps your 4G LTE download speed at 5–12 Mbps and upload speed at 2–5 Mbps. To get the most out of the Verizon network, you may want to consider a 5G device.

If you've ever wondered why a cell plan with an MVNO is cheaper than going with one of the Big Three, it has a lot to do with the data speeds you see here. To get access to the max download speeds a network has to offer usually means ponying up for an unlimited plan from Verizon, AT&T, or T-Mobile.

Mobile is a relatively new service from Xfinity, so there wasn't much data out there regarding their customer service until recently. But according to the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) Wireless Service and Cellular Telephone Report for 2019–2020, Xfinity Mobile debuted at the top of the list for full-service MVNOs.

Here's what the ACSI report has to say about Xfinity Mobile:

That's a pretty glowing review for Xfinity Mobile's customer service and its app.

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 Xfinity Mobile review.

• 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. Make sure to get on an Xfinity family plan to reduce your monthly cost even more.
• 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).

If you're reading to plunge deeper into the Comcast universe with Xfinity Mobile, you can sign up easily online.

Still have questions about Xfinity Mobile that we didn't cover above? We've got you covered.

If you’re having a hard time parting with that trusty iPhone X, then you can bring it along with you. Luckily, the company’s website has a handy tool that can tell you whether or not an Xfinity Mobile SIM card will work on any given device.

After you’ve got your device sorted out, you just need to choose an Xfinity cell phone plan. We’ve outlined the best Xfinity cell phone plans above, but if you need a reminder, the unlimited data plan is a great deal for those who use a ton of data. Those who use less data, or who need higher data speeds, will probably do better on the by-the-gig plan.

Finally, you need to order your SIM card and activate your device to start your Xfinity cell service. A few days after you place your online order you'll get your SIM card in the mail. Then you can use the Xfinity Mobile My Account site to choose which devices you’d like to activate. It should take just a few minutes to follow the online steps for activating your phone.

Once your device is activated, you can insert your SIM card and get to texting, calling, browsing, gaming, TikToking, and all that other good stuff!

When we looked at Xfinity Mobile's cell plans, we compared them to similar plans from the Big Three networks and other MVNOs. We use the WhistleOut online comparison tool and combine it with our own independent research and information provided by the carriers themselves. Sources are listed below.

For network coverage information, we use WhistleOut coverage maps, which are sourced from the carriers and other third-party sources.

For data speed comparisons, we rely on our proprietary information and research into the subject, which is based on hundreds of thousands of unique wireless internet speed tests submitted to Reviews.org and related sites.

Customer satisfaction ratings are based primarily on reports from the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI). We use the latest reports available but also consider historical performance in past reports. We also include information from forums and other online rating sources when appropriate.

If you want to know more about how we work, check out our complete methodology.

Sources