Tello Mobile is one of the cheapest cell phone service providers in America, but do you get what you pay for?
Tello Mobile Review From a Real Customer
- What is Tello Mobile?: Tello is a mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) that offers prepaid cell phone plans with no contracts or hidden fees.
- What towers does Tello use?: As an MVNO, Tello Mobile doesn’t own and operate any cell phone towers. It partners with T-Mobile to offer 5G and 4G LTE service.
- How much is unlimited data on Tello Mobile?: The regular price for Tello’s unlimited plan (35GB high-speed) is $25 a month for a single line.
- Can I bring my phone to Tello?: If your phone is unlocked and GSM-compatible, you can likely bring it to Tello. Check compatibility here.
- Does Tello Mobile have phone customer service?: Tello offers customer support by phone, chat, email and through its online help center. There are no retail locations.
So much has changed since I first tested Tello several years ago and wrote a review for Clark Howard’s website.
For example, Tello runs on an entirely different wireless network.
In this article, I’ll provide you with an updated review of Tello’s plans, performance, customer service and more.
Keep reading for the five things to know before you sign up for Tello Mobile!
Table of Contents:
- Plans and Pricing
- Network Coverage
- Additional Features
- Phone Options
- Customer Service
- Pros and Cons Summary
1. Plans and Pricing
Tello Mobile lets you choose from a ready-made plan or customize a plan to have more control over your monthly bill.
Tello updated its plans in December 2023. Here are its most popular plans:
| Plan | Pricing |
| 1GB of data, unlimited talk and text | $9/month |
| 2GB of data, unlimited talk and text | $10/month |
| 5GB of data, unlimited talk and text | $14/month |
| Unlimited plan: 35GB of data, plus unlimited talk and text | $25/month |
All of these plans include unlimited talk and texting. You can then choose how much high-speed data you want to pay for.
For example: The plan with 1GB of data is $9 a month, while unlimited data (35GB high-speed) is $25 a month.
Don’t like any of the ready-made plans? Customizable plans start at $5 a month.
If you run out of high-speed data, you can:
- Purchase a Data Add-On (1GB top-up)
- Purchase Pay As You Go credit starting at $20
Tello frequently has new customer deals available. When I last tested Tello, the company offered 25% off the first six months of service.
Tello says it doesn’t charge extra fees, but some taxes are added to the bill. From my experience, the taxes are minimal.
For example, I paid $14.30 for my monthly plan and only 37 cents in taxes.
Although Tello is a prepaid service with no contracts, your plan renews automatically every 30 days unless you cancel at least 24 hours in advance.
You can cancel at any time by logging in to your account from Tello’s website.
2. Network Coverage
Tello Mobile runs on T-Mobile’s network and includes 5G access for some customers.
This is a change for Tello. Prior to the merger of T-Mobile and Sprint, Tello provided service using Sprint’s network. Check Tello’s coverage map.
During my month-long test, I experienced zero dropped calls and zero missing text messages using Tello’s service.
The audio was slightly muffled on my end compared to my main provider, Verizon-owned Visible. However, everyone I spoke to rated Tello’s call quality as excellent.
(I have two Apple iPhone 12 devices: one for my main provider and one for testing.)
Tello’s data speeds have improved since I last tried out the service. Download speeds averaged 40 Mbps for the 20 tests that I conducted.
See the results of the speed tests below or click here to skip past the chart:
| Date | Download Mbps | Upload Mbps | Ping |
| 8/26/21 5:12 PM | 18.4 | 0.08 | 30 |
| 8/27/21 3:58 PM | 28.8 | 0.79 | 28 |
| 8/27/21 7:02 PM | 25.7 | 1.16 | 20 |
| 8/29/21 2:53 PM | 15.3 | 0.07 | 67 |
| 8/30/21 10:23 AM | 39.2 | 0.97 | 31 |
| 8/30/21 9:00 PM | 64.2 | 1.37 | 32 |
| 8/31/21 9:00 PM | 72.6 | 4.80 | 38 |
| 9/3/21 9:10 AM | 57.2 | 1.34 | 33 |
| 9/3/21 10:46 AM | 36.2 | 0.53 | 33 |
| 9/5/21 9:34 PM | 44.0 | 5.57 | 30 |
| 9/9/21 5:37 PM | 19.6 | 0.52 | 33 |
| 9/9/21 7:02 PM | 47.0 | 1.97 | 35 |
| 9/11/21 8:48 AM | 92.8 | 4.00 | 66 |
| 9/12/21 12:09 PM | 30.8 | 4.88 | 61 |
| 9/13/21 11:15 AM | 55.1 | 1.53 | 26 |
| 9/13/21 8:41 AM | 49.3 | 2.70 | 34 |
| 9/15/21 4:04 PM | 34.1 | 0.96 | 40 |
| 9/16/21 7:51 PM | 28.4 | 1.27 | 32 |
| 9/20/21 8:02 AM | 16.1 | 0.89 | 38 |
| 09/21/21 10:51 AM | 32.7 | 0.82 | 31 |
IMPORTANT: Although Tello Mobile includes 5G access, it was limited to Android users at the time of my review. I only had 4G LTE data on my iPhone.
Even without 5G, Tello’s speeds were more than adequate for my needs. (5G has since expanded to iPhones.)
During my previous review of Tello in 2019, I remember using Google Maps while driving in an unfamiliar area and losing data completely.
Thankfully, my cellular data was always usable during my most recent test in late 2021.
3. Additional Features
Tello Mobile includes some international features that other low-cost providers don’t. With Tello, plans include calls and texts to more than 60 countries.
Wi-Fi calling and texting capabilities are also available with most compatible devices.
Another option is to make calls over Wi-Fi from the My Tello app, which is available to download for iOS and Android users.
I was able to make a test call from the My Tello app without a problem.
Wi-Fi calling comes in handy when you’re traveling overseas or when you’re in a remote area where cellular coverage is not available.
Finally, Tello plans include mobile hotspot at no additional charge.
I connected a computer to my Tello mobile hotspot and recorded a download speed of 13 Mbps, which was fast enough to view YouTube videos without buffering.
Mobile hotspot data comes out of your monthly balance, so monitor usage from the My Tello app.
4. Phone Options
Tello Mobile lets you bring your own phone or purchase a new one, but the selection of devices for sale is underwhelming.
At the time of this writing, Tello sold roughly 20 phone models.
When I reviewed Tello’s website, most of the new and refurbished phones available for sale were affordable — more than half under $200.
The list included Android devices, primarily from Samsung and Motorola.
For those reasons, most Tello customers will want to bring a device to the service. To do so, it must be unlocked and compatible.
You can check your phone’s compatibility on Tello’s website.
If you’re purchasing a new phone to bring to Tello or any other service, Amazon and eBay are two places where you can find deals.
Like all services, you can keep your existing phone number if you want to.
5. Customer Service
Tello Mobile has no retail locations. The three primary ways to get customer support are by phone, chat and email.
Tello is known for its solid customer service, including 24/7 support by phone.
When I previously tested Tello back in 2019, my call to the company’s customer service number went to voicemail.
During my latest 30-day test, someone always picked up.
I reached out to Tello three times to ask why I was unable to connect to 5G with my iPhone 12. Unfortunately, I got three different answers:
- The towers near my test location are under maintenance
- Tello uses non-standalone 5G, which still relies on the existing 4G LTE network
- 5G is not available on iPhones yet
All three answers could be true, but the third is the one that I would have liked to know about first so that I could have stopped troubleshooting.
Since my initial review, 5G service on Tello has expanded to iPhone users.
Getting started is probably the biggest mental roadblock for most people, but Tello’s online setup instructions are simple and easy to follow.
Activating service with Tello took me about 10 minutes from start to finish.
If you’re transferring your number to Tello, it could be longer. The company says the port-in process takes anywhere from two hours to two days.
Tello walks you through the steps to transfer your number in this article.
Pros and Cons Summary
Tello Mobile’s cheap phone plans are worth considering, particularly for light data users.
The service is a good alternative to Mint Mobile, which also uses T-Mobile’s network but doesn’t let you pay monthly. Tello is more flexible.
Here are the pros and cons from my latest review of Tello:
| Pros | Cons |
| Affordable basic plans with fixed data | Unlimited plan is limited: 35GB of high-speed data |
| International features | Not the fastest data speeds |
| Mobile hotspot usage included | Plans renew automatically |
| Phone customer service available | Few phones available for sale |
Learn more about Tello Mobile and compare its plans on its website. And if you’ve tried Tello, add to my real customer review in the comments below!
Texting is complicated for me. I am a Tello user with no data plan. On that plan, you can’t group text or send images. It has to do with SMS vs MMS protocol. I now have 1 GB data and google voice and I have to have data or Wi-Fi on, text with images or groups don’t work. Example: the kids send me a photo of a fish he caught on the Tello number. The image with text will not be seen until data is on. A text by itself will be seen. If they send to the google number, the Wi-Fi has to be on. Because I am around wifi 90% of the time so I leave wifi on. I am not sure if my phone manages the wifi to save data, so I leave data off for when I am away from wifi.
If I have an unlocked phone currently and use a Tracfone card and service, do I need to go out and buy another SIM card?
If you switch carriers, you need a SIM card from the new carrier.
A Tello 3 in 1 GSM SIM card kit is 2 bucks
We’ve had Tello for about 5 months coming over from T-Mobile. We’re not big data users so using LTE is fine on our iPhone 13 Pro models. Coverage has been good, same as before. Several calls to their customer service connected quickly to knowledgeable staff. About 5G, know that it is Apple that has chosen not to support 5G on iPhones over the Tello network (T-Mobile towers). Apple apparently requires carriers to sell a lot of phones, a threshold which Tello doesn’t seem to meet. So iPhones only get LTE not 5G, but that has worked for me. Free international texts and calling landlines included. Calling international mobile phones are not free but maybe only cost around 3 cents a minute. We travel to Japan and voice calling will need to be over a WiFi connection while we are there, whether calling locally or back to USA. Even though I don’t use much data, I’m irked by Apple not supporting 5G so I may try Mint. But, the excellent customer service and same T Mobile coverage experiences along with savings of about $40 month compared to T Mobile make Tello hard to leave.
If considering using Tello for internet activities be aware of this. During the times of 1000-1800 hours the average time to place a bid on ebay using Tello is 18 minutes compared to about 10 seconds using local internet provider.
Why am I being charged $1.56 surcharges on my first bill? 911 charge alone is $1.50. Is it common with Tello? I am just testing out the $6.00 plan.
Yes, you’ll find this with all plans. But some services include the taxes and fees in the list price.
The review was spot-on. HOWEVER, I ported two numbers to Tello, and both took less than 7 minutes to port; not hours or days.
Excellent. Thank you for adding your experience. Hope you enjoy the savings
PS – Regarding my comment on tello, I should have noted that I am talking about tello’s pay-as-you-go (customizable) plans, not their more “traditional” monthly plans. Tello’s customizable pay-as-you-go plans can be had for as little as $5/month + a minimal tax. That’s SUPER if you’re not a heavy cell user (which I’m not) AND if you manually renew every month so you can roll over remaining minutes/talk and data (texting is always free on pay-as-you-go plans). My monthly plan is $6.00 + $.91 tax for a total of $6.91/month. You only get 500 MB of data & 300 minutes of talk for that amount, BUT, as long as I remember to manually renew every month, I can roll over, keep and use all my remaining talk and data from month to month. For my low usage, that service is plenty good enough for me, and at a price that none of tello’s competitors match, much less beat, at least not that I’m aware.
An important thing to know if considering using Tello is this very really weird and inconvenient Tello “rule”: If you allow your monthly plan to AUTOMATICALLY renew (which it does every 30 days unless cancelled or changed 24 hrs prior), whatever minutes and data you have remaining from the previous month will be lost, they will NOT roll over (texting is always free). However, if you go online, log onto your account, and MANUALLY renew (or change) your plan 24 hrs before the current plan expires, your remaining minutes and data WILL carry over to the next month, whether you renew your current plan or choose a new plan. As long as the new plan has the same features as your current plan, they will roll over to the next month. (EXAMPLE: If your current plan has minutes and data (and free texting), the new plan must also have minutes and data (texting is always free). If you choose a new plan that only has minutes but no data, the leftover minutes will carry over, but any leftover data will be lost, and vice versa. The renewal takes affect immediately, not on the date of current plan’s expiration. So, when you renew 24 hrs before current expiration date, your new expiration date will be 30 days from the date you manually renewed. Basically, you lose a day every month, but, when you compare that to losing all your leftover data and minutes, one lost day doesn’t seem like such a big deal.
SO, you must manually renew 24 hrs before your current plan expires in order to have unused minutes and data roll over, BUT you must not renew TOO early, meaning not too much earlier than 24 hrs prior to your plan’s expiration date! You can’t just do it any time you think of it, like a week ahead, for example. If you renew too early, too many times, you’ll lose all built up data and minutes, and other perks you’ve received will be forfeited. How early is too early?—- 48 hrs, 36 hrs, 72 hrs? I have no idea since it’s not specifically stated in any Tello documentation (only states not “too early”), and I’ve always been within an hr or two of the 24 hrs prior to my plan’s expiration date. I also don’t know what perks will be lost since I don’t know what, if any, perks I have, nor do I have a clue as to why such a whacked-out rule is in place!! It makes no sense and is a HUGE inconvenience! Only thing I can say is it’s a good thing Tello is so cheap and, in my case, is one of the very few MVNO carriers who provide reliable service in my rural area AND accepts my particular phone, which I do not want to give up. Otherwise, I’d have left Tello after the first month for this one reason alone. It’s a weird “rule”, it’s dumb, it’s inconvenient, bothersome and beyond logic and understanding. Nevertheless, as of this date (4/13/22), it’s still in place. I know that for a fact since I just renewed my $6/month plan today; tomorrow is the expiration date. PHEW!
Yes, I’ve heard about this “rule” before. Very interesting to hear your experience working through it and the time restraints. Glad you are saving money though!
Hi Kate,
How rural are you? We are looking at Tello but we are outside of Boise ID and would like to know how reliable their coverage is please.
Margi