Why I’m Using Mint Mobile Cell Phone Service

Full Disclosure: The Mint Mobile affiliate links contained in this article may result in a commission awarded to TROYPOINT at not extra cost to you.

I’ve been operating the TROYPOINT Website since 2009 and during that time I’ve never promoted a mobile service because in my opinion, they were all bad.  Please note the word “were” in the previous sentence.

Over the years, I’ve received numerous affiliate offers from the big players in the mobile space but couldn’t promote something that I didn’t personally like.  It’s hard to like any mobile service in my opinion as they all have their weaknesses.

My biggest pain points have been high prices, slow download speed, and bad coverage.  Let’s face it, what else is important when searching for a mobile service provider?

I’ve been using Mint Mobile for the past two years and I’ve finally found a service that I really like and can recommend to friends, family, and TROYPOINT fans.  Yeah, it took me 16 years to find a service that I’m excited to promote and I’m happy that I waited!

My Cell Phone Service Timeline

During the past 16 years, I’ve had the opportunity to test over a dozen cell phone services due to partnership offers.  Some of them I personally used for a long period of time because I somewhat liked them and wanted to test further.  But, with all of them, as time went on, I quickly became disgruntled.

US Cellular

My first phone carrier was US Cellular but this was back in the day when roaming charges still existed.

US Cellular served my needs but the roaming charges ultimately made me cancel the service.

The coverage wasn’t ideal either and I encountered a lot of dead spots.

Verizon Wireless

I then moved onto Verizon Wireless because they offered unlimited calling and text with no roaming charges.

The problem with Verizon were the high prices.  I didn’t like how Verizon nickled and dimed me for every feature that I needed such as mobile tethering.  I saw lots of advertisements for the smaller carriers and the huge price savings that came along with them and was interested in trying them.

Cricket Wireless

I switched to Cricket Wireless after being presented with an affiliate partnership and I was extremely happy with their low prices.  I never promoted Cricket Wireless due to one big issue.

The problem with Cricket is that I could never get download speeds higher than 2-5 Mbps!  Yeah, it was cheap but there was no way I could promote a service that offered such slow speeds, especially due to the fact that many TROYPOINT fans want to stream movies and TV shows on their mobile devices.

Services such as Cricket Wireless purchase cell access from bigger providers and in this case, they use the AT&T network.  They can sell these services for less money because they are de-prioritized.  This means that speed will usually suffer, and when in an area of congestion, you will be on the lowest rung of the ladder to get service.

Verizon Wireless Again

I had to leave Cricket Wireless because I couldn’t live with the slow download speeds any longer so I went back to Verizon as they were the fastest service that I had used in the past.

My biggest complaint with Verizon was that I had a lot of “no-service” areas when traveling to my frequent visited locations.

I thought to myself, “Why am I paying this premium price when I can’t even use the service in areas where I need it most?”

After leaving Cricket Wireless I vowed to never use a discounted service again but that changed after leaving Verizon Wireless for the second time.

Mint Mobile

Two years ago Mint Mobile reached out and offered an affiliate partnership with TROYPOINT.

At this time I was extremely dissatisfied with Verizon Wireless so I tested Mint Mobile on an extra phone that I had laying around.

Two years later, I’m still using Mint Mobile and I’m extremely happy with the service and the price that I’m paying for it.

Below, I will provide a review on the features, and pricing, along with a TROYPOINT Tip for choosing the right plan for you.

Mint Mobile Service Features at a Glance

• Low Price
• 5G & 4G LTE Coverage
• Blazing Fast Download Speeds
• Excellent Coverage
• Individual and Family Plans
• Bring Your Own Phone or Buy from Mint Mobile
• International Calling
• International Roaming
• WiFi Calling & Text
• Mobile Hotspot
• eSIM & SIM Support
• Refer a Friend Program

Mint Mobile Download Speed

This was my biggest gripe with Cricket Wireless and I highly anticipated the same with Mint Mobile because it was a discounted service using the T-Mobile Network.  I would be happy if I got 10 Mbps download speed.

I was blown away by looking at my download speed after putting this new service on my spare phone!

In my home city, I was averaging 60 Mbps download speed which is more than enough to stream 4K content.  Wow, I was shocked!  I had tested many other discounted services in the past and they all offered lousy download speed.

My next question was download speed while traveling.  Again, this is why I ultimately left Verizon Wireless.

I went on a personal trip to Wisconsin and during that time I tested my download speeds in multiple locations spread among a 4-hour trip which you will find below.

Note: Mint Mobile is capable of 5G and 4G LTE.  The following tests were done on my phone that doesn’t support 5G so download speed may actually be higher on those types of devices.

Speed Test #1

Speed Test #2

Speed Test #3

I’m absolutely thrilled with the download speed that Mint Mobile has to offer when I’m at home or on the road.

Get Mint Mobile Unlimited Plan for $15/Mo

Mint Mobile Coverage

What works for me and my location might not work for you.

It’s extremely important to look at the Mint Mobile coverage map on their Website prior to registering.

I can’t stress how important this is.  You must live in an area of coverage that you can find on their map which is available on the Mint Mobile Website.  Please don’t complain that you have slow speeds when you don’t do the proper research prior to purchasing. 

Obviously, you want to ensure that there is coverage where you live but you also want coverage where you frequently travel as well.  As I mentioned earlier, Mint Mobile uses the T-Mobile network so you’re getting the same coverage that they offer which is very strong.

Mint Mobile On-boarding

As mentioned earlier, when I first started using Mint Mobile, I wasn’t using it on my primary phone.  I first tested it on my older phone that didn’t have an eSIM option so when I registered, they sent me a physical 3-in-1 SIM kit.  I followed the instructions for activating and it took less than 10 minutes.  I didn’t need to chat with their customer support which made it that much better.

Even though Mint Mobile is a 100% Internet-based business, you can still contact a human being at 800-683-7392 if you need any hep along the way.

It’s important to note that Mint Mobile is an online business and there are no physical locations.  This is why they can offer their cell service at such a discounted price…less overhead.  Due to the on-boarding technology that Mint has implemented, you can activate your phone quickly with their easy-to-understand instructions.

Once I decided to use the service on my main phone, it was simple to transfer.  My current phone is a Google Pixel 7 Pro and it is equipped with an eSIM so I didn’t need a physical card to setup that device.

Mint Mobile Pricing

There’s no funny business when it comes to Mint Mobile pricing and this is something that I really like.

So many people think that they need unlimited mobile plans but that’s just not the case.  If you use your phone for calls, texting, and browsing you can opt for the 5GB/mo plan that costs only $15/mo if you pay for their annual plan.  Now, if you stream a lot of video on your mobile device you will probably want the Unlimited plan which is still only $30/mo!

Get Mint Mobile Unlimited Plan for $15/Mo

Data Speeds Reduce After Meeting Quota But Data Is Unlimited

You will notice that all three plans include unlimited data.  Example: the 5GB plan advertises that data speeds are reduced after 5GB but data is unlimited.  Although it is unlimited, the speed is diminished so much that the service will basically become unusable.

I chatted with Mint Mobile support and asked what typical download/upload speeds would be once quotas are reached and here is the reply.

Download speeds: Typically between 9 – 47 Mbps, with minimum expected speeds of less than 0.1 Mbps.
Upload speeds: Typically between 4 – 20 Mbps, with minimum expected speeds of less than 0.1 Mbps.
Latency: Typically between 30 – 50 ms.

As you can see they indicate download speeds of less than 0.1 Mbps after meeting the quota which is basically nothing.

It’s important to note that you aren’t charged any overage fees when going over your quota, it just slows down.

You also have the option of immediately upgrading your account which will add additional data allowance.

Bring Your Own Phone

Some wireless phone companies require you to buy a phone from them but that’s not the case with Mint Mobile!

The Mint Mobile Website offers a phone compatibility tool to ensure that your current phone will work on their network.

It’s simple to use.  You can either input your phone and model or type in your phone’s IMEI number and you will quickly see if your phone is compatible.

Refer a Friend Program

I’ve already mentioned the low prices that Mint Mobile has to offer but it can get even cheaper with the Refer a Friend Program.

Once you become a Mint Mobile subscriber you can bring your family and friends on board and earn service credit by doing so!

Here’s how it works.

1. Get the word out

Send your referral link to a friend (so you’ll get your credit and they get their $15 in credit)

2. Wait for your friend to activate their plan

3. Receive Mint Mobile Credit

• 5GB plan, you get $45 in credit
• 15GB plan, you get $60 in credit
• 20GB plan, you get $75 in credit
• Unlimited plan, you get $90 in credit

Credit can only be applied to plan renewal

Get Mint Mobile Unlimited Plan for $15/Mo

How Can Mint Mobile Can Charge So Much Less?

Here’s a video where popular actor, Ryan Reynolds explains this.

Note: Ryan has sold his portion of Mint Mobile but continues as spokesperson for the company.

What I Don’t Like About Mint Mobile

As I explained earlier, these discounted cell providers purchase service from the big players at a discount.  In Mint Mobile’s case, they purchase their service from T-Mobile.  In return, those on the discounted Mint Mobile service are de-prioritized.

De-prioritization is the temporary slowing of your data speeds during times of network congestion.  This means that if there is an overwhelming amount of traffic in an area where you’re located, those on T-Mobile will get the better service before Mint Mobile customers.

I can personally live with this because if I’m in an area such as a football game, concert, etc. I should be enjoying the event instead of wasting time on my phone.  We all need to put the phones down and enjoy life a little more in my opinion.  Any time away from my phone is good!

During the two years of service with Mint Mobile, I haven’t seen any big problems regarding de-prioritization but again, this could be different based on the locations where you use the service.

I’m Glad I Switched to Mint Mobile

In closing, I’m extremely happy with Mint Mobile.

Yes, they are a discounted cell service but I don’t get the slow download speeds and “no service available” problems like I did with the others.

In my experience, when compared to Verizon, I get better speeds and better reception in places that I travel on a frequent basis.  This might not be the case for everyone and that’s why I recommend looking at the coverage map on the Mint Mobile Website prior to placing an order.

Many cell services rope their customers into long-term contracts but as you can see in this article, that’s not the case with Mint Mobile.  You can easily change your plan at anytime.  They also provide a snapshot of data consumed so you can downgrade your account and save money if data isn’t needed.  Millions of people pay outrageous prices for unlimited mobile phone services when it’s not needed.  Mint Mobile allows its customers to pick a data plan that’s tailored to them and save money while doing so.

I hope that my experience with Mint Mobile is similar to yours where you save money and enjoy faster speeds with better coverage as well.

Get Mint Mobile Unlimited Plan for $15/Mo