Let’s start with Xfinity Mobile
Let’s be real here we’re all looking for ways to save on our cell phone bills. The cost of owning a smartphone continues to rise. Wireless providers know that we rely on rock solid and reliable data and voice services to get through our everyday lives and you pay a premium for it.
While there are low-cost services available out there most come of them come with too many caveats to justify the cost savings. That is until I had the time to use Xfinity Mobile and found what an MVNO can do to offer premium services on a budget
Comcast Xfinity has been gracious enough to provide me with a device and service experience Xfinity Mobile first hand. In my testing, I’m using the Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus, and we’re using the Unlimited plan.
The way plans work is you have two options. You can pay by the gig at $12 per GB or get Unlimited data for $45/Month. Both plans stream video at 480p when on 4G LTE. Speeds will reduce you when you go past 20 GB of data, however, if you are using your phone as a personal hotspot with 4G LTE service. “By The Gig ” will give you full 4G LTE speeds while Unlimited is limited to 600 kbps speeds. Good enough hotspot speeds for basic tasks, but I’d like to see that open up to full speed service even if a minor additional cost.
The service is an add-on to your existing Xfinity services, and you will need an Xfinity Internet Plan to be able to sign up for the service. Xfinity Mobile is also using flagship devices for the network. You’ll be able to get the latest iPhones and Samsung Galaxy smartphones. They also just announced more compatible devices as part of the BYOD program. If your current phone is an iPhone or an Android smartphone or non-smartphone device, you’ll most likely be able to bring it over to Xfinity Mobile.
Xfinity Mobile Combines Wi-FI + LTE for Optimal Service
As for how the service works, Xfinity Mobile runs as mobile network virtual operation or MVNO for short. The easiest way to explain what this means is that instead of owning and building up their wireless network infrastructure, they instead lease from current providers to power the network. Xfinity Mobile uses a combination of 4G LTE networks but also takes advantage of Xfinity Wi-Fi hotspots across the country that Xfinity Mobile devices will automatically connect to when near. When connecting to hotspots, data is free and not counted towards your monthly quota.
I’ve been using Xfinity Mobile for the last two months. At first, considering the price your paying, I had concerns about lower-quality cell phone service and reception. The service felt like any other big brand carrier service for smartphone use. My usage has been in the city of Boston and the surrounding more suburban Greater Boston area.
Calls, text, and data works as expected and compared to the standard big carrier service, and I had a reception in the same places. Conveniently when I’m at the barbershop which has poor LTE service, there is an Xfinity Hotspot right in the area that the phone automatically connects. Service also worked as expected on my regular subway commute with more reliable service the actual subway trains itself.
Data speeds were reliable for streaming music at high quality from Spotify and Google Play Music. Video content stream well at 480p which it’s locked to when on LTE. Speed testing between Boston and the Greater Boston area average between 40 – 60 Mbps for downloads and 10 – 30 Mbps for uploads. A few of the test even went past 100 Mbps for downloading.
At the end, Who is Xfinity Mobile For?
As I’m wrapping up my experience here with Xfinity Mobile, I’m finishing feeling with good vibes about it. It’s a compelling offer for those who already have Xfinity services or who can at least get Xfinity Internet. You can sign up at any time, and there is no contract to sign up for you can try it before fully committing. International services are available as well, and you will need to call in to activate the service on your plan. Rates are based on the country your calling in.
The prime scenario would be someone who already full owns their smartphone or pays for phones in full. They are not concerned about 480p video streaming or the minimal 600 kbps hotspot speed if on the Unlimited plan.
Another optimal scenario that would work very well for the user who needs simple basic service and can maintain below 3 GB on the By The Gig Plan. They own their phone paid in full and aren’t looking to upgrade until they need to.
I think Xfinity Mobile where available would fit a large amount of the smartphone consumer base out there. Many are probably overbuying their service for the amount they use if the shoe fits here to give it a look and see if its worth to wear it.
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