We’re diving into the detailed Xfinity Mobile plans comparison and much more.
Xfinity Mobile service plans are reserved for subscribers to Xfinity home internet service. Xfinity Mobile service is thus unavailable in any area that Xfinity does not provide its internet services. For customers who live in an area serviced by Xfinity and already subscribe to Xfinity internet services or are considering doing so, its wireless plans are an attractively-priced alternative to some of the more expensive and feature-packed plans in the market.
Xfinity customers can choose how they want to pay for their data, either low cost “By the Gig” options, or three unlimited options. For family plans, you can mix and match these three options based on unique needs.
In general, Xfinity Mobile has among the best value mobile plans on the market.
Check out our Xfinity plan widget to find yours in seconds, or learn more in our plan breakdowns below!
Before we take a deeper look at the different Xfinity Mobile unlimited data plans and the options available to you, it’s important to note a couple of the key ingredients that differentiate one plan from another. At a high level, there are five things to think about when you’re evaluating plans (before you get to the sticker price of the plan you want):
Unfortunately, just because a plan says “unlimited” doesn’t always mean the data you use is truly unlimited. You should be aware of three different types of data: premium data, deprioritized data, and 3G data. Here’s how they’re different:
Premium data: also called priority data or high–speed data, it will always give you the best 5G or 4G LTE network speeds Xfinity Mobile can deliver. You won’t have to worry about speeds reducing or coverage dropping for any reason other than poor signal. There’s no plan that can compensate for that.
Deprioritized data: also called basic data, it means you’ll have access to the best 5G and 4G LTE network speeds unless the network gets too congested, with too many users on the same network at the same time. During these peak times, you will experience temporarily slower data speeds, sometimes as much as 30%, until the network you are on frees up, or you leave the physical location causing the congestion. You may or may not recognize your data has been deprioritized. For all but heavy data use cases like video streaming, it is unlikely to make much difference.
3G data: very slow (600Kbps). Most people will recognize the slower performance immediately.
There are thresholds of unlimited data usage, depending on what plan you buy. If your usage exceeds the plan threshold, that line will experience reduced speeds. Browsing speeds get reduced to a maximum of 1.5 Mbps download, and 750 Kbps upload. That’s enough to make a difference: you’ll likely experience a difference when doing things that require a lot of data. Once the billing cycle is over, the data counter resets and the line will be back to full speed.
When network traffic is congested, you may also experience slower data speeds. This is most often based on where you are physically located. For example, a sports stadium or concert venue. There are ways to avoid Xfinity Mobile slowing down your service. For example, HD Pass can be purchased for $20 per month. and added on a line-by-line basis. HD pass includes higher quality cellular service in times of network congestion.
Finally, all unlimited data is not created equal, depending on what plan you buy. More on that when we discuss the plans below.
Plans can have a mixture of premium, deprioritized, or 3G data. It is important to read the fine print.
Just because your data has been deprioritized, it does not mean you can tell the difference. In some cases it may be noticeable, but in many cases, it will not.
Understand your usage. Most users (95%) consume less than 10GB of data per month on a cellular network.
Different kinds of unlimited plans will support different video resolutions. For example, Xfinity Mobile’s Unlimited Intro plan supports a standard resolution of 480p, while their Unlimited Plus and Unlimited Premium plans support a resolution of 720p. Top-of-the-line plans from some other carriers support even higher resolutions, up to 2160p.
If you use your phone to watch movies (or if you are a gamer), a higher video resolution will really matter.
For most other uses, a lower video resolution will often be sufficient.
Hotspot data allows consumers to connect a computer or other WiFi-capable device to the internet through their smartphone. Not all hotspot data is created equal. For example, Xfinity Mobile’s Unlimited Intro offers unlimited hotspot data but at a very low (600kbps) speed, really not a very practical option. Xfinity’s high end plan offers 15GB at high speeds, allowing a user to surf the web from their laptop for over 30 hours a month.
All 5G and 4G hotspot data is capped – so you should know how much you’re likely to use a hotspot.
Hotspot at 3G speed is vastly inferior.
While most wireless users do not have a need for a hotspot, it is becoming more popular as people see the benefit of having it as a part of their unlimited data plan.
Depending on the type of unlimited plan you choose, you’ll likely get access to added features and perks that are bundled into your unlimited data plan. These might include subscriptions to streaming services like Netflix, international connectivity like being able to make calls and text and have access to the internet while you’re traveling abroad, and, in some cases, odd additions like meal delivery services and data protection services. The most common add-on services are streaming services.
Given the popularity of streaming services, including them with wireless service plan subscriptions is a good way for consumers to offset the cost of subscribing to these services a la carte.
For some wireless users, international calling features can also be a very important determinant of finding the right unlimited data plan as a la carte international calling charges can be very expensive.
For some consumers, Add-On Features (especially streaming services) could offer a way to save $10 per month or more.
For business travelers, international calling features could also save significant amounts of money.
Some carriers include taxes and fees in their advertised “top line” price and others do not, so it is important to understand that as you are comparing deals across providers. Xfinity Mobile does not include taxes and fees. They are applied on a per line basis, not a usage basis. An important consideration if you are purchasing the service “By the Gig.”
“Top line” advertised price can include or not include taxes and fees. Be aware of this if you are trying to compare plans on an equal basis.
The most important consideration of an unlimited data plan is having the right amount and the right type of data. Everyone wants to feel confident that they will not run out of 5G or 4G data or face unexpected charges from their carrier.
For the vast majority of users, deprioritized data is more than sufficient to provide a high-quality wireless experience. If you’re a gamer or you stream movies on cell phone all the time, then you might opt for an unlimited data plan with an allotment of premium data and one with 720p or higher video resolution.
All the other elements of an unlimited data plan, such as streaming services or hotspot data, are very specific to an individual’s unique needs. So, while they’re important in their own right, they are best thought of as tie breakers.
Unlimited data plans are available on any Xfinity Mobile line, whether you have a phone or a tablet. Multi-line pricing for Unlimited data is based on the total number of phone and tablet lines, including lines using “By the Gig” data. Their nationwide network includes 5G and 4G LTE coverage, based on location. The type of data, applicable congestion or throttling, video quality, and hotspot data vary by unlimited plan type.
Xfinity Mobile currently offers three unlimited plans:
Xfinity Mobile also offers “By the Gig” data plans. This data is shared across all “By the Gig” lines on your account whether you have a phone or a tablet. “By the Gig” data includes high-definition streaming (720p) and 4G LTE hot spots. It also includes higher-quality cellular service in times of high network congestion.
If you go over your chosen amount of data, you continue using data at an additional $15/GB or adjust your minimum shared data. Xfinity Mobile allows you to mix and match Unlimited lines and “By the Gig” lines for multi-line accounts.
These plans include:
Unlimited Plus is Xfinity Mobile’s mid-tier plan. The primary differences between this plan and Unlimited Premium are that it only includes 5GB of hotspot usage and that speeds are further reduced after 30GB of monthly data usage, as compared to 50GB for Unlimited Premium. And while the video resolution capabilities are the same on the Unlimited Plus plan as they are on the Unlimited Premium plan, subscribers to both plans are subject to slowdowns while the network is busy.
Unlimited Intro is the entry level Unlimited plan for Xfinity Mobile. It comes with a great price, but with some meaningful limitations that you should understand. It comes with standard 480p video streaming, as opposed to the 720p resolution for Premium and Plus. It includes unlimited mobile hotspot data but at 600kbps, which is essentially worthless. If you need mobile hotspot connectivity, this is not the plan for you. And speeds are further reduced after 20GB of monthly data usage, compared to 30GB of usage for Unlimited Plus and 50GB for Unlimited Premium.
This is Xfinity’s top of the line “By the Gig” plan. By spending $60 a month, you can consume up to 10GB of data per month. If you have more than one and up to 10 “By the Gig” lines, you can share this 10GB across all lines, without having to pay an additional per line change. If you go over 10GB of data usage you pay an additional $15 per GB. For multi-line accounts, you can also mix and match “By the Gig” lines with Unlimited Lines, giving you lots of flexibility to design the best multi-line plan for yourself.
Xfinity Mobile’s mid-tier “By the Gig” plan is the 3GB Plan. By spending $30 a month, you can consume up to 3GB of data per month. If you have more than one and up to 10 “By the Gig” lines, you can share this 3GB across all lines, without having to pay an additional per line change. If you go over 3GB of data usage, you will be billed an additional $15 per GB. For multi-line accounts, customers can also mix and match “By the Gig” lines with Unlimited Lines, giving the customer lots of flexibility to design the best multi-line plan for them.
Xfinity Mobile’s entry-level “By the Gig” plan is aptly named the 1GB Plan. By spending just $15 a month, you can consume up to 1GB of data per month. If you have more than one and up to 10 “By the Gig” lines, you can share this 1GB across all lines, without having to pay an additional per line change. If you go over 1GB of data usage you pay an additional $15 per GB. For multi-line accounts, customers can also mix and match “By the Gig” lines with Unlimited Lines, giving the customer lots of flexibility to design the best multi-line plan for them.
There is a reason Xfinity Mobile has added 5 million customers in just 5 years and is one of the fastest growing providers in the country. They have some good options, both for Unlimited Plans and for “By the Gig” plans, and their flexibility to allow their customers to mix and match is a real benefit.
But there are lots of details to pay attention to, and they matter both in terms of your final “all-in” costs and your network experience.
