My monthly cell phone bill got a lot cheaper after I made the switch to Comcast’s Xfinity Mobile, a low-cost wireless provider that uses Verizon’s network.
Is Xfinity Mobile still worth? In this article, I’ll use my personal experience to expand on the pros and cons of the service.
Xfinity Mobile Pros and Cons Overview
| Pros |
| ✅ Affordable phone plans, particularly for 2+ lines of service ✅ Verizon’s top-rated wireless network and 5G access included ✅ Flexibility to switch data options ✅ Phone customer service |
| Cons |
| ❌ Single-line plans could be more competitive ❌ Must be an Xfinity internet customer to sign up ❌ Added fee if you ever cancel internet service |
Fast Facts:
My review is different from some of the other Xfinity Mobile reviews you may find online because I’m not just a writer — I’ve tested the service multiple times as a paying customer.
Read on to learn what you should know about Xfinity Mobile before you sign up!
Table of Contents:
- Eligibility Requirement
- Plans and Pricing
- Flexible Data Plans
- 5G Speed Test Results
- Mobile Hotspot
- Video Streaming
- Call and Text Performance
- Phone Selection and Deals
- Customer Service
1. Eligibility Requirement
Xfinity Mobile is unlike other mobile virtual network operators (MVNOs) because you must be an Xfinity Internet or NOW Internet customer to sign up for the service. That’s a hard requirement.
You can save up to $25 per month on your internet bill by bundling with Xfinity Mobile.
If you’ve had a lot of issues with Comcast cable or internet in the past, I can understand why you may not want to consider this service. I was willing to take the risk.
No Comcast in your area? Unfortunately, you’re not eligible for the mobile offer. Consider a service like Verizon-owned Visible instead.
If you sign up for Xfinity Mobile and later cancel Xfinity internet because you move or for any other reason, you can continue to use Xfinity Mobile.
However, there will be a $25/month standalone mobile fee added to your bill.
To be clear, that fee is not charged if you maintain Xfinity internet service. It’s only assessed if you later discontinue internet service.
Ask yourself these two questions:
- Is Xfinity the best or only high-speed internet option where I live?
- Am I planning to stay in my home or in an area where Xfinity offers service?
If you’re pretty satisfied with Xfinity’s internet service and plan to stay with them, you may be able to save money by adding wireless service with Xfinity Mobile.
2. Plans and Pricing
Depending on your plan, Xfinity Mobile gets you Verizon’s network for about half the price that Verizon charges.
Xfinity Mobile pricing for the By the Gig plan starts at $20 a month, while the Unlimited plan is $40 a month for a single line of service.
Xfinity Mobile now offers two Unlimited plans and the By the Gig plan.
Unlimited Plans
The Unlimited plan is Xfinity Mobile’s cheapest option for unlimited data. It costs $40 a month for a single line, but it becomes a better value for two or more lines of service.
This plan is Xfinity Mobile’s most popular unlimited data option.
Why pay more for Xfinity’s new Unlimited Plus? They include more high-speed data, more mobile hotspot data and better video streaming quality.
Here’s a look at the key differences between the Unlimited plans:
| Unlimited | Unlimited Plus |
| 1 line: $40/month 2 lines: $60/month 3 lines: $80/month 4 lines: $100/month 5-10 lines: $20/month extra per line | 1 line: $50/month 2 lines: $80/month 3 lines: $110/month 4 line: $140/month 5-10 lines: $30/month extra per line |
| 30GB of premium high-speed data per line | 50GB of premium high-speed data per line |
| 480p standard resolution video | 720p high resolution video |
| Unlimited mobile hotspot data at 3G speeds | 15GB of 5G/4G hotspot |
Multi-line pricing for the Unlimited plans is based on the total number of Xfinity Mobile lines on your account, including By the Gig.
That way, not everyone on your account needs to be on an Unlimited plan to enjoy the savings.
By the Gig Plan
For lighter data users, Xfinity Mobile’s By the Gig plan is the cheapest option starting at $20 per month for 1GB of high-speed data.
If you exceed 1GB of data, you can pay $20 per additional GB.
The By the Gig plan is available for single lines or the data can be shared across multiple lines on your account.
More Pricing Details
Taxes and fees are extra with all plans — Unlimited and By the Gig.
There are no phone line access fees on up to 10 lines of service, but you will pay a $25 line setup charge for all new lines.
Xfinity Mobile is a postpaid carrier, not prepaid. That means you pay at the end of your billing cycle.
A soft credit inquiry may be required, which won’t affect your credit scores. Based on the credit check, you can qualify for up to 10 lines.
You can manage your Xfinity Mobile account billing through the Xfinity app.
3. Flexible Data Plans: Unlimited vs. By the Gig
Here’s what I really like about Xfinity Mobile’s service: Many other cell phone plans will offer 2GB or 5GB of data for a set price per month, use it or lose it.
However, Xfinity Mobile gives you the option to pay for your data one gigabyte at a time.
For example, you can choose the 1GB plan and pay $20 per month. If you need a second GB of data, just pay another $20.
But if you need more data, just switch. You can make changes to your plan during the middle of your billing cycle.
That includes switching from By the Gig to Unlimited if a line on your account uses a lot of data.
4. Data Speeds
Xfinity Mobile added 5G coverage in May 2020 and it’s been expanding rapidly ever since. The service’s wireless plans include access to Verizon’s C-Band and 5G Ultra Wideband.
5G Ultra Wideband is Verizon’s fastest 5G. I tested it using Xfinity Mobile from Miami Beach, Florida.
Using the Speedtest app, I recorded download speeds of more than 3 Gbps (gigabits per second), which is equal to 3,000 Mbps (megabits per second).
But in areas where 5G Ultra Wideband was not available, 5G speeds were slower — like 80 Mbps.
Overall, the 5G speed test results from Xfinity Mobile were faster than the speeds I recorded with Xfinity Mobile on the 4G LTE network.
When connected to 4G LTE, download speeds from 40 to 70 Mbps were typical.
5. Mobile Hotspot
Mobile hotspot is included with Xfinity Mobile at no additional charge. This allows you to get online by using your mobile data to create an internet connection.
For example, I tested this feature when I needed to use my computer while traveling in a place without Wi-Fi.
Although the Unlimited Intro plan has a 600kbps speed cap for mobile hotspot, I could still read emails and browse the web. However, sometimes video would buffer.
The more expensive Unlimited Plus and Unlimited Premium plans offer faster hotspot data.
- Unlimited Intro plan: 600kbps mobile hotspot speeds
- Unlimited Plus plan: 15GB of 5G/4G mobile hotspot speeds, then 600kbps
- By the Gig plan: 4G LTE mobile hotspot speeds
The By the Gig plan offers high-speed hotspot data, but it will count toward your monthly data limit. If you use mobile hotspot frequently, I recommend an Unlimited plan.
6. Video Streaming
Streaming in high definition is important to many users. With the expansion of its Unlimited plans in December 2022, Xfinity Mobile is offering more HD streaming options.
- Unlimited Intro plan: Standard-definition 480p LTE streaming on all devices
- Unlimited Plus plan: High-definition 720p LTE streaming on all devices
In addition, Xfinity Mobile says 5G-capable devices will get the highest possible video resolution when connected to 5G service.
The By the Gig plan defaults to HD resolution (720p for phones, 1080p for tablets), but users can turn on LTE Data Saver to watch videos in standard definition.
Of course, you can always connect to Wi-Fi to stream video in HD. That won’t count against your cellular data!
7. Call and Text Performance
I had a great experience with Verizon’s network in the past, so I wasn’t really worried about Xfinity Mobile’s call and text performance where I live.
Since Xfinity Mobile runs on Verizon’s network, the coverage map looks a lot like the one for Verizon’s postpaid service. The difference is that Xfinity Mobile also has millions of Wi-Fi hotspots.
When you connect to Xfinity hotspots, the data you use doesn’t count against your monthly limit.
Another great feature is that Xfinity Mobile supports Voice over LTE (VoLTE), which let me talk and use data at the same time.
Wi-Fi calling has also been expanded to all but a few devices with Xfinity Mobile.
8. Phone Selection
The latest iPhones and Samsung devices make up most of the 20+ phones that Xfinity Mobile sells online and in its stores, but there are a couple of options for under $200.
Xfinity Mobile now allows you to bring select Androids to its network. They include most Samsung Galaxy and Google Pixel devices. Unlocked iPhones are also compatible.
In addition to BYOD, you can purchase phones, tablets and smartwatches from Xfinity Mobile.
Here’s a partial list of phones available for sale as of September 2024, including many 5G-capable devices:
- Apple iPhone 16
- Apple iPhone 16 Plus
- Apple iPhone 16 Pro
- Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max
- Apple iPhone 15
- Apple iPhone 15 Plus
- Apple iPhone 15 Pro
- Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max
- Apple iPhone 14
- Apple iPhone 14 Plus
- Apple iPhone 14 Pro
- Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max
- Apple iPhone 13
- Apple iPhone 12
- Apple iPhone SE
- Samsung Galaxy S24
- Samsung Galaxy S24+
- Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra
- Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5
- Samsung Galaxy Z Fold5
- Samsung Galaxy S23
- Samsung Galaxy S23+
- Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra
- Google Pixel 8
- Google Pixel 8 Pro
- Google Pixel 8a
- Google Pixel 7
- Google Pixel 7 Pro
- Google Pixel 7a
- Moto G Play
- Moto G 5G
Speaking of phone deals, there’s typically a sale going on for high-end devices like the latest Samsung Galaxy or Apple iPhone.
To get the phone discount, you must transfer your number and pay for the device over 24 months.
If there’s not a deal for the type of phone that you want, just wait a few weeks. The sales change frequently.
eSIM is available for select devices. Otherwise, Xfinity Mobile will mail you a physical SIM card.
9. Customer Service
I set up my Xfinity Mobile service without ever visiting a store and didn’t have any problems getting started.
There are a number of FAQ pages that you can find within the app to answer questions about setting up service, switching data plans, billing and more.
You can also contact customer support via text, Facebook Messenger and phone — with an estimated wait time given. Xfinity Mobile’s customer service number is (888) 936-4968.
The first time I needed to contact Xfinity Mobile customer service was when my Samsung Galaxy S8 suddenly malfunctioned.
I went to an Xfinity Store and couldn’t get an immediate replacement, but I was mailed a new phone the next day.
Since my phone was less than a year old and still under warranty, no additional money came out of my pocket.
The second time I called Xfinity Mobile was to ask whether my Samsung Galaxy S8 was locked or unlocked. Apparently, it was locked.
Xfinity Mobile unlocked the device without a problem because it was paid off.
Final Thoughts
I saved a lot of money during my time with Xfinity Mobile.
Although Visible and US Mobile offer cell phone service plans that run on Verizon’s network, Xfinity Mobile may be worth considering for people who have Xfinity internet service.
Xfinity Mobile’s single-line pricing is not bad, but it’s much better for two or more lines of service.
My biggest fear about switching to Xfinity Mobile was that Comcast would take advantage of my loyalty and find a way to increase my internet bill — but that didn’t happen.
When my internet promo rate expired, I called Comcast’s customer retention department and they worked with me on the price.
I have a separate post where I outline the best ways to lower your Xfinity bill.
I’ve done my best to provide you with a detailed review of my hands-on experience with Xfinity Mobile and what you can expect.
If you’re also a customer, add your review in the comments below!
I’m considering switching to Xfinity Mobile, but I have some concerns about coverage and pricing. This review has been really helpful in giving me a better understanding of the pros and cons of the service. I’m especially interested in learning more about the plans and data options, as I travel quite a bit for work. Can anyone comment on their personal experience with Xfinity Mobile’s coverage in different areas?
IF you choose to navigate using xfinity wireless, does it give you updated traffic info?
It’s great until you get rid of Xfinity cable, then it is $80.00. Month. When you try and go to another carrier it takes forever for them to unlock your phone. I’ve been trying for a week and getting nothing but a runaround.
CONS: Xfinity Mobile is terrible. Can not text outside of iMessage, or on group texts with android folks. It’s insanity and should be disclosed. I’ve spent 2 years dealing with them with no luck. Phone is almost paid off – can’t wait to bail !!!
I have service with Xfinity (for years) and bought a new phone (paid it in full) and then wanted to unlock it for international travel. The salesperson at the Xfinity store said it would be unlocked since I paid it in full. That is not the case. Xfinity is sticking to the 60 day policy even though I am a long time customer and paid the phone in full…..very frustrating and will end up costing me $450 dollars while traveling instead of $70 for 2 sim cards.
worst service and customer service and a cheating co
I love the cost of XM, still (I’ve been with them maybe a couple of years, now?), but I’m going to have to STOP recommending them to anyone. If you have a technical issue of ANY kind, they are useless. The reps lie, repeatedly, while clearly reading from a script – they don’t seem to have any actual technical knowledge at all.
After being assured that I could swap phone numbers between my 2 phones simply by swapping sims, that blossomed into MANY MANY phone calls & chats and forum posts, over 3 weeks or so, still leaving me unable to receive any texts on one of my phones, and unable to use visual voicemail on both phones. The last thing I was told is that my phones (iPhone SE original and Moto e5 from XM) are incompatible with their 5G network. Though they worked fine before I swapped the sims.
Sorry, XM, but you’ve lost the recommendations of this customer.
Thank you for this great review. My Xfinity promotion for internet and cable is expiring, and the Xfinity phone rep suggested that one way to save $20 a month was to switch to Xfinity Mobile. After reading your blog, I went to the Xfinity store to get a price on switching my 2 iPhone 12’s (which were compatible), and 2 iPads to Xfinity from Verizon. I’m glad I went to the store, because I could not find any information about moving iPads to Xfinity Mobile on the Xfinity Mobile site. Buyer beware: if you have existing (even paid off) iPads, they cannot be added to an Xfinity Mobile account. Their suggestion: Just switch the two phones, and use my iPads only on WiFi, or buy NEW iPads from THEM with cellular, and then THEY could be added. That was a deal breaker. Our iPads are fairly new, and I bought cellular for the iPads BECAUSE we can’t always be on WiFi. Looks like we are stuck with Verizon until this changes. Visible does not allow iPads to be added, either. I just wanted to caution others with iPads who might be considering a switch to Xfinity that it only works if you’re willing to replace them with new ones sold by Xfinity.
I was also lured by the cheap phone plan options, however, the tradeoff is the horrible response time in getting any issues resolved using their customer service process. My issue is that the phone I initially ordered was not able to deliver to me as I was not home each time Fedex attempted, so they shipped it back. However Xfinity told me I had to order a new phone, and not to worry about the other one. Well, I ended up getting charged for a second line and somehow someone else ended up activating it. It took me forever to get this resolved. I had to call multiple times and wait on hold for hours while transferring to multiple individuals to get my issue resolved as every time I called, either they did not completely close it out or it was out of their jurisdiction. The wait time would be suffice if the customer service rep would take care of it, each time. OH, and how many times did my call drop and I then had to start over? It was such a nightmare to get this resolved.
I hear you. But I will say that I have a TON of trouble with FedEx. Even when I have been home for deliveries, they will claim they attempted to deliver them. That’s no excuse for everything that happened after the phone delivery though. Sorry you went through that.
voicemail transcription does not work on xfinity mobile. they have tried over several days and many hours on the phone and cannot get it to work. i also went into the xfinity store and they cannot get it to work.
30 days trying to port in my old number and they still don’t have my phone up and running yet!
What a joke!
Hi Michael,
Great review. What are your thoughts on prioritization of Verizon Wireless customers or Xfinity in dense areas? I’ve read that in crowded areas like Boston, Xfinity could have trouble connecting to service if a lot of Verizon customers are near?
thank you
Xfinity Mobile has priority data, so you should get similar speeds as Verizon postpaid customers. Prepaid carriers are the ones who would have slower speeds during network congestion.
XM is amazing, no matter what your data needs are, if its buy the gig, pay for buy the gig, you can share 1 gig between 15 people, however whatever plan you have 1gig 3gig 10gig if you go over you pay 15$ per gig forever. so make sure the first month or so until you learn how much data you typically use keep an eye on how much you are using. but a buddy of mine who has a landscaping company does a 10 gig 60$ plan for all 12 of his workers phones, if they use more data they pay for it because it shows per line what data is used. pus you can mix and match if one person needs unlimeted and one needs just a gig, that is possible too.
Worst phone service experience ever. Signed up at the xfinity store for both internet & mobile. Mobile never worked right from day one. Mobile account was screwed up since day one. I could sign in but anywhere I clicked (something went wrong, try again later. 2 months in could NEVER view bill or charges since first bill. I went to the xfinity store twice regarding this matter and everyone just shrugged there shoulder and told me that its a separate sub diversion and to call the number.. They would not take my payment at the store, They would not even give me an address to mail a check!!!!! I called xfinity mobile customer service and could never connect to a live person! no matter what option I pressed I kept getting text message support as only option (which was a bot by the way). Terrible service, terrible support, I even had to get upset at the store as they did not want to cancel the service.. NEVER AGAIN….It may be cheaper but not worth the headaches! RUN away as fast as you can!!!!!!!!
Does Visual Voicemail, WIFI Calling and 5G work on Android phones?
Yes
Listen to the others above! Don’t do it! Don’t even consider switching to Xfinity mobile!
I was sold on the lower price and access to Verizon network, so decided to switch from ATT when I signed on for Xfinity internet. It’s been 3 days now and it’s been nothing but a headache just trying to get simple phone service on my Iphone. After an initially successful connection which sadly lasted about an hour, my phone inexplicably lost cellular service. I have spent countless hours since then trying to get through to customer service. After hours of waiting for call backs (many of which never happen), the calls mysteriously get dropped (from our other cellphone, which managed to keep intermittent cellular connection). It was obvious that NO ONE had any idea what they were doing, regardless of how many levels of escalation.
Eventually gave up, went to an ATT store and thankfully they help us fix the whole mess.
Xfinity mobile changed policy and now charging $10/line fee for new line activation since Aug. 2022.
No such explanation on Xfinity Web site but in consent. – “It’s hidden fee”
Xfinity may update on their website later. Hope it will not take too long time.
Thank you. I see the change and will make the update.
Inexpensive, but you get what you pay for. Voicemail notification doesn’t work, voicemail app works on one phone, but not on another identical phone. Texts are intermittently delayed indefinitely until the phone is rebooted.
Call Customer Support, and they will give you the full run around; then hang up because they have no skills to actually help.
Hello Michael.
So as of this date…has XM fixed the issue with caller ID? Or does it still pop-up as “wireless caller?” And if so, does XM allow you to rebuild your phone book on their servers? Or will it always be just “wireless caller?”
Thank you!
Sorry I do not currently have the service to test this. I can reach out to the company for clarification.
I will be activating a phone with Xfinity Mobile in a few days. What I find lacking is a user manual as to the available features, such as the star (*) codes – ie. *82, *72, *67,…… When calling customer support, I might as well be speaking Martian, they have no idea. Do all the same codes that worked with Verizon work with Xfinity Mobile…? They have user manuals for internet, TV, Voice, nothing for Mobile. They have a table of the star codes that can be used with voice, but nothing for Mobile. Come on Xfinity, how long have you been offering Mobile, but still not support or documentation…?
If you are thinking about switching from Verizon to Xfinity stop immediately. I was a 20-year+ Verizon customer. The hold times for Verizon customer service got quite long, but they always were helpful and resolved the issue. Thought I would try something different and save a little bit of money each month. I should have stopped after we figured out that the representative at the Xfinity store lied to us about the benefits of switching. They gave use a credit for the mistake which extremely painful to access each month. The answer from customer service with Xfinity is allows “no”. They are difficult to get a hold of and it is difficult for them to understand your problem. With Xfinity mobile you are literally on you own. Switching to Xfinity Mobile was a terrible decision and I cannot wait to get back to Verizon.
Long-time Verizon customer (great coverage and no complaints) and fairly long-time Xfinity Comcast customer (no complaints except rising costs), and have been on the fence for a long time. Own an older LG phone that allows battery replacement. The new ones do not; thus, I wanted to keep this one as long as possible. However, since they do not allow BYOD for LG phones I am willing to get one of their “free” phones ($299 credit is a current deal) with my current phone # transferred in order to eliminate my monthly Verizon bill (over $100/month). Just so I’m clear on the cost, per your review for the unlimited plan it would be $40 a month AND $15 a month and taxes/fees/etc.?
Thanks for your review and for your response. Much appreciated!
And HUGE thanks for the hot tip on how to stop paying the ridiculous equipment fees! That will be my next step!
Barbara
Xfinity Mobile’s unlimited data plan is $45/month for a single line. Price drops for multiple lines. Yes, taxes are extra — but they’re only a few bucks from my experience testing it.
Great! Thanks for the prompt reply!
If I use 70+ GB of data a month to stream classes for my business, is XM something I could use or should I just stay with Verizon?? I’m worried that I won’t be able to livestream my classes but sure would love to save $$.
I wouldn’t risk it since speeds can be reduced after 20GB
I’m surprise you haven’t corrected this… LOL
“I recorded download speeds of more than 3,000 Mbps (megabits per second), which is equal to 3 Gbps (gigabits per second)”
What part?
I have had Xfinity Mobile for several years.
I live in an area with weak cell service at my house which I think may be equally close to two different towers.
Calling in and out is problematic.
For a while if I had my phone on airport mode I could reliably use my phone.
It seems to change but has never been right. I had AT&T before and had no problems.
Phone calls on cell calls in the house seem to be timed — 20 minutes or so the call can simply drop.
If you want to put up with the weirdness and friends etc forgive the weirdness you can save a lot of money.
If you live in an area with good cell coverage I do not believe you will see a difference between this and the others.
Xfinity mobile uses others for the cell service and Xfinity mobil users are second class citizens in using.
Xfinity Mobile and Samaung are the WORST and will leave you stranded with NO RESPECT for you as a paying customer!!! I work for Comcast and today I am EXTREMELY EMBARRASED to admit that!!! Woke up this past Saturday to a brand new 4 month old $1300 Galaxy S21 Ultra PAPERWEIGHT that neither Xfinity or Samsung would do anything about!!! Samsung sent it an update that it didnt take well. The Xfinity Mobile Protection plan protects no one except Comcast from doing anything to help you!! After 20 hrs of being on the Xfinity HAMSTER WHEEL, i was told to mail it in and wait 7-10 days to get it back and meanwhile just crawl into a hole because you lost everything on your phone and in your life, through no fault of my own, all i did was go to sleep!!! For a 4 month old phone, that Samsung messed up, I feel that I should havee been sent a new one within 2 days!! And if Samsung is not going to back their product, than XFINITY should!! Thats who i bought it from!! I am thoroughly disgusted with the treatment I recieved!!
If you buy a smartphone from Xfinity at FULL price, the company’s policy is to Allow Unlocking AFTER 60 DAYS from date of purchase! You’ll need to contact customer service and have them send some signal to your smartphone to unlock it!
If you want a Truly UnLocked smartphone, esp. an iPhone, then buy it Directly from the manufacturer like Apple, which are Unlocked, by default, But you lose out any any credits that cellphone companies offer to customers.
Note to Watch your data usage. Make sure that you’re iPhone’s 5G setting is turned OFF unless you have a high or unlimited data plan as it does use up data Very quickly.
All good points
Hi – Great review! My key questions are:
1. Re everyone complaining that their current phone number shows up as “unknown caller” when they call with their new XM account – certainly their contacts can add their name to their own contacts again and know it’s them every time – once that very first call is made?
2. Do xfinity sell iPhones in their retail stores that are un-locked and can be used with any other mobile carriers like t-mobile or at&t – or are they locked to XM only?
If so can they be un-locked after a certain amount of months with XM?
Thanks!
I know that you can unlock the phones after you pay them off. It looks like you must be with them at least 60 days too: https://www.xfinity.com/mobile/support/article/eligible-to-unlock-phone
I have no explanation for #1. I’ve not seen this complaint very often.
On the whole we are satisfied with the service quality with the switch to Xfinity Mobile from Verizion here in SW Virginia. The only complaint it the data usage. For the past 5 years with Verizion I never once exceed even 1 gig of data per line. I listen to NPR while I walk the dog, otherwise I am almost never away from wifi. Somehow now I am using 5 to 10 gigs a month with 2 lines of service. Their billing department lied to me and told there would be no overage charged until 2022. Once I got my huge bills, I was told they had not told me there would be no overages. After a quick 2 hours of climbing the supervisor chain they finally agreed to credit me the change. It took 2 months of the this showing up, but not actually being credited for me to finally re-coup the false charge. They have the worst customer service going… but that ought to be no surprise to anyone who already uses them for their internet. But why has my data usage gone through the ceiling? I did upgrade from an older iPhone SE to the newer 12 mini, that means 5G. So i changed to LTE only and minimal data usage setting… still huge data usage. There is no way see how much data you actually use. So… I guess I just have to take comcast’s word for it that my morning dog walk NPR listen uses 4 gigs of data a month. I read the news now.
First, be sure which apps are using data. Check this on your iPhone by going to Settings > Cellular > scroll down to the CELLULAR DATA area and turn off all apps you don’t want to use data. In your case only the app you listen to NPR on should probably be turned on. You’ll notice the data usage by each app is shown – that’s data used since the last time usage was reset by tapping “Reset Statistics” if you scroll to the bottom of the list of apps.
Second, I use the “DataMan – Data Usage Widget” ($0.99 in the Apple App Store) to quickly check up on data usage throughout the month.
I was planning on going to Comcast and getting new phones/plan since we already have cc internet but these comments/problems have really made me reconsider. It’s not worth all the hassle. Thank you for some great information!!
Thanks for reading! There are problems with any service. I have tested 15 of them and get similar comments on other articles. Xfinity Mobile actually ranks pretty high for customer service by JD Power. If you sign up at the store, you could mitigate some of the problems people have during the switching process by dealing directly with a sales representative. Buying a new device from Xfinity also eliminates a potential problem with phone compatibility — because you’ll know for sure it works on their network if you buy the phone from them.
Thank you for publishing great info on xfinity’s mobile service. I’ve read several comments around “unknown callers” popping up. Can you dive into that a bit and explain more? Thank you!
I think that’s possible with any service, but it wasn’t a problem for me. There are also scam blocking tools. I imagine it’s more of an issue if you are getting a new number, not transferring an existing one.
I have a galaxy 3 LTE watch. Does XM work with LTE
I just got Comcast, Xfinity cell phone service, This required buying new phones at a great cost for service with a reasonable monthly charge. My issue is most but not all of our calls won’t go through. So my wife goes into Comcast to hear well do you have a good single? well it happens on WIFI, and on not on WIFI, it happens standing here in your lobby. Oh look we reset your phone and the next call went through. What a load of crap, you have had a issue for a while and continue to sell a crappy service. So as of today if you want a cell service that rarely will let your call go through then Xfinity is your provider. I live in Downtown Concord NH. If I can’t get a good connection with a new 5G phone, you aren’t going to either. Just to clarify this happens to all 3 different phones 1, Note 8, 2, Galaxy A71, 3, iPhone 12 Max and except for the cost our last service was Verizon and we never had an issue, Yes never once did we get a busy signal or the wireless customer you are calling is unavailable. Some calls were to a cell phone others to a home phone. Any idea’s ? I am still waiting for a callback on this issue.
I am not sure what’s going on, sorry. It seems very unusual.
I am a current Verizon customer with a compatible iPhone. Is this a seamless switch to XM, or will I need a SIM card?
You will need a SIM card from Xfinity Mobile
I have read so many content on the topic of the blogger lovers but this article is truly a nice piece of writing, keep it up.
Very good blog post. I definitely appreciate this website. Thanks!
Oh my goodness! Impressive article dude! Thank you, However I am going through problems with your RSS. I don’t know why I am unable to subscribe to it. Is there anyone else having similar RSS issues? Anyone that knows the solution can you kindly respond? Thanks!!
Thanks. Try https://michaelsaves.com/feed
So glad i found something helpful. I am with Sprint and they just raised my monthly bill another $20 making it almost impossible to pay with my other bills added in ($315 a month for 2 phones 😳) Definitely will be looking into making the switch now. How os xfinity mobile going for you to this day?
I just rejoined actually to test some more (I have Visible as my primary line) and it’s going well! 5G is good
Hi, I recently switched from TMo to Xfinity mobile due to cost difference. I bought 2 phones thru Xfinity on a deal where they’re free after 24 months of service. Sweet! My problem is trying to send MMS to an Iphone in Sweden I get “invalid destination address” but I send MMS to the person on the same sofa with a Samsung, it goes thru….. Here in Seattle, my sister has an Iphone yet I receive NONE of her texts. My Swedish relations say they have texted me as well yet I receive nothing from the Iphone holders. Xfinity seems clueless about this. The only way to text with the Iphone peeps is thru Facebook Messenger but not everyone uses FB. I realize your site is about saving money but this is something to consider if switching to Xfinity/Verizon. Any ideas from other folks? I have done resets and factory resets.
I’m not sure this is an Xfinity Mobile problem. What type of phone do you have? Have you contacted the manufacturer of the phone or Googled to see if other people who have your phone are experiencing this issue?
I have the Motorola Moto E that Xfinity provided. After spending over 5 hours with “customer service” over the phone along with 3 hours at an Xfinity store, they couldn’t figure it out. They sent me new phones. Same issue. I even purchased unlocked phones to try…..same issue. It’s definately a Verizon issue since Xfinity uses Verizon. Never had these issues with ANY other MVNOs that use TMo or ATT. Like you, I’ve tried and compared a few Cheap plans. I’ve researched what plans roam, international roam, cost per gig, etc. Xfinity’s price is good but their service sucks. Customer service is not US based. Consumer Cellular is a bit pricier but the best customer service AND US based.
Sorry about your experience. As you know, Consumer Cellular is not Verizon’s network. By the way, what was the issue? I recently used a Moto phone to test out a Verizon MVNO (Red Pocket) and I had issues setting it up. Basically, I put the SIM card in and got an auto recording. It wouldn’t activate. The solution was to put the SIM card into a *different* phone, make a phone call and then put it back into the Moto phone. Red Pocket told me it was a known issue with their Verizon SIM cards.
The issue is sending and receiving texts. When I send an MMS to my cousin’s Iphone I get an “invalid destination address”. I send same MMS to her daughter with a Samsung in the same room it goes through. I’ve been to the Xfinity store and their own people couldn’t figure it out. I asked them to check ALL my settings in case I did something silly. The phone itself is fine. I left work early to stop at Verizon store and of course they’re closed.
I’m a Comcast/Xfinity customer for both cable & internet for over 2 years and I have AT&T for cellular.
So… I thought why not switch?? From everything I’ve read I should save money. Everything in one place.
I paid off AT&T devices totaling $980. So I own my phones.
I contacted Xfinity to change and found out NOT a guarantee even with two year GREAT customer history that I would be approved – confused me cause I OWN MY DEVICES.
They wanted to do a HARD credit pulll!?!?! WTAF.
AT&T has an ongoing loyal customer.
Xfinity maybe needs to look at what they already know for payment histories.
Yes that seems very odd. Xfinity Mobile does bill separately from cable & internet. I’m assuming that’s why.
This was an incredibly helpful review. You did such a good job breaking things down. I am switching my devices to Xfinity, but was reluctantas we’ve been with Sprint for 18 years. In your final comments you spoke to the fear of losing loyalty status and that’s been the holding pin for us. So, thank you for taking ti=he time to share your experience in such a detailed way. Best – Rama G
I currently have Xfinity Mobile. In my discussions with them, I was told being an Xfinity/Comcast subscriber was no longer a requirement.
It says so right on their home page. “Xfinity Mobile is available to our Xfinity Internet customers. If you don’t have Xfinity Internet yet, you can sign up now and be on your way to start using our mobile services.” If you cancel the internet service and you already have cell phone service, you can keep Xfinity Mobile. But there’s a surcharge.
This service is garbage. I had 5dropped calls in the 4 days I had this service. So happy to be back with my old provider.
I don’t know where you all are located but in Washington, DC, Xfinity Mobile is awful. I had 5 dropped calls in the 4 days I had their service. So happy to be back with AT&T. Will never use Xfinity mobile again.
Generally, I recommend that if people are happy with one network, they stick with that *network*. So, Verizon powers Xfinity Mobile — not AT&T. If you want a cheaper provider, I would suggest one that uses AT&T’s towers — not Verizon’s towers. And always check the coverage maps!
Just made the switch from sprint too now xfinity and I must say the response time and coverage is phenomenal. I’ve been with the same carrier for tons of years and there service can’t even provide service to cover mountain and ravine areas for us hunters Xfinity provided all online and offline operations it was fantastic and yes I am also a Comcast customer and never a problem there either kudos for your great service and customer service. And one other thing I’m running on a Samsung 8 which is running fantastic but next month I will be switching over to the note 20 just for the 5G capability.
Let me know how things go with 5G. Thanks for the comment
This service has confused me from the start. I don’t keep up with cell trends. I switched my 2-person family to Consumer Cellular a couple of years ago, from Verizon, to save $$, but have regretted that a bit since because our home reception is not as good on CC’s AT&T network. But VZW is *so* expensive. I absolutely HATE Comcast, having been stuck in their tv/internet monopoly for decades. They just keep raising their rates. But this sounds intriguing.
If my husband and I, with CC, use less than 3GB a month, now (shared), whether home on wifi or driving — we’ll still be at or below that data threshhold if we switch to XM, right? Will the cell signal when we’re at home be coming from Verizon? Our calls-over-wifi doesn’t seem to work very well, right now, so I’m hoping we can use the VZW signal for calls.
XM confuses me because they don’t really talk about the calling services – just about the data part of your plan. Data is important to me, but cell reception is at least as important. Thanks
You will use Verizon’s network for cellular voice and data. The Wi-Fi hotspots are optional when you’re on the go, or you can always connect to your Wi-Fi at home. That’s for data, not voice. I do NOT recommend Xfinity Mobile if you *hate* Comcast, since it’s owned by Comcast. You could look at Visible, which is owned by Verizon and uses its towers. You can also get Verizon’s towers with Straight Talk, which is a Tracfone company. By the way, Verizon just announced it plans to buy Tracfone.
I currently use XM for my son and I. We brought phones over from Verizon last year. It is so much cheaper and we have had no issues with service. I am considering buying a new phone and I am wondering if the Iphone deals on the XM site are for new customers only or can I take advantage of the deals?
I would call and see if you can get the deal if you’re eligible for an upgrade!
I cannot find anywhere how much the taxes and fees are.
Taxes and fees vary depending on where you live. When my bill was $12, I would pay $3 in taxes and fees for a total of $15. That was in Atlanta, Georgia.
Rick,
I found your review to be very well done and in line with my experience thus far with XM. I switched to XM in April of 2019 and brought an iPhone 6 plus with me, good phone and supported by XM. I have loved the plan thus far. I have only paid for a full gig of data three times thus far! The other months I stayed below the 100mg that I get for free. I am very disappointed to hear that this perk is going away this month! That sort of sucks for me. But still, I’m getting cell phone service for less than $15 a month and no other plan beats that. I have had zero issues with dropped calls and no bars, except when driving through the UP of Michigan a couple of times. Much better coverage than T-Mobile or Metro PCS. I always seem to be near a hotspot for data except sometimes when driving in the country. But I broke the iphone screen and had to go with a Galaxy s8 for replacement. The new phone is either not working correctly or there is an issue with XM. I can’t be heard on calls most of the time. I can hear the person calling me, but they can’t hear me. I reset the WiFi settings and then it will work for a couple of calls, and then back to not working. XM doesn’t have a clue for the cause. Samsung has just given me reset instructions. I’m returning the phone. The good news is I still have the iphone and can just pop the SIM card in again.
I have been with xfinity mobile for over a year. one caveat i found is that i can not pass my older iphones down to my children. when i was with verizon, we could transfer phones around as needed. i could buy an unlocked phone and add it to my line. with xfinity, you either buy one of their phones or drop/transfer the line out of xfinity for 30 days and then come back in as a new line. I am in the process of moving my daughter’s line/number to Ting for 30 days and then transfer her back to xfinity on a newer iphone
Thank you. I was not aware of this!
Xfinity will be discontinuing their 100 mb plan in February as all customers will be moved over to the 2nd gen plans.
Thanks for the in-depth article Michael. I notice you keep speaking of your contract with XFINITY being in the past — can you explain why you are no longer with them?
I was a little bit close to making the decision to switch to XFINITY and save money … but that caller id issue is a deal breaker for me. My friends and family will not know that it’s me who’s calling? No way
Thanks for the comment. I switched to Visible because I moved out of an area where Comcast Xfinity Internet service is offered. Because of that, a $20 line access fee was added to my Xfinity Mobile bill. If you stay a Comcast Internet customer, you will not pay the $20 fee. It’s only for those who keep Xfinity Mobile but have no internet plan.
Hey Michael, Great site. Here’s an interesting development for you:
Turns out that Xfinity does not allow existing customers to BYOD. I have been a customer for the past three years but when I tried switching phones to a new iPhone (which their website said the IMEI was compatible) they admitted to me that they only allow outside phones to be brought to new lines. So as an existing customer, I have no choice but to purchase a new phone from them at an inflated price (since all of their sales only apply to new lines as well). They definitely have a steal of a deal with the by the gig prices but I am not pleased with the hassle getting another phone has been.
Best.
Thank you. I was not aware of that because I purchased a device from them and never upgraded it in two years. I don’t like that policy!
Is that still the case?
I just ordered the sim cards and plan to bring my 3 paid off phones that they said are compatible, from verizon.
The offloading of data to Xfinity’s wi-fi hotspots really isn’t a big deal. XM customers generally all have Xfinity for internet and can therefore connect to the same hotspots without XM. XM customers are surely de-prioritized for Verizon’s own customers, so if you’re coming from Verizon (which I am), your speeds will certainly be slower, especially during congestion. The real value is the lower bill. You trade slower data speeds for a lower bill, but the slower speed has been tested to be more than good enough for most of the typical stuff that people care about doing when out and about and off wi-fi.
I have Spectrum with a LG Stylo 4 phone. After relocating to a different state, I have to use Xfinity for Internet and Voice (never TV). I hope to consolidate my bills to one but Xfinity refuses to BYOD even they sell the exact phone and both carriers use Verizon. Predatory marketing!
Can you sell the phone online to get some of your investment back? Sites like Gazelle.com make this very easy.
I’ve been on Xfinity mobile for about two months and really like the service and especially the money saved. I highly recommend it. However if you need customer service call them or try the online chat. I’ve sent them texts and tried Facebook messenger and never received a reply with either.
Thanks again Michael for your reply. I would do that by calling or visiting store to find out. Meanwhile take care.
Thanks Michael for such wonderful insights! I still have question about few things. Can you and others please provide more information and experiences with these.
1) WiFi calling is not listed on Xfinity’s website under “cellular and wireless” on comparison table for IPhones 8+ vs IPhone XR (or even for iPhone Pro Max for that matter) but WiFi calling appears on Apple.com website.
2) I frequently travel to Singapore, Dubai, Hong Kong and Mumbai, so how great or unlocked is the dual sim feature on Xfinity’s iPhone XR and up models. Does xfinity utilize the eSim and leave/spare the nano sim slot for customers will full usage. In my experience or knowledge the nano sim slot IF left unlocked or completely available at customer’s disposal to flexibly use for other carriers within USA or overseas would make most sense and the phone device purchase worthwhile. Only then will the customer be able to use the dual SIM technology to full potential and features.
3) Does Xfinity allow getting 2 lines in “By the gig” plan on the same iPhone devices having dual SIM capability and feature?
I hope these Questions are not too mind boggling but genuinely these are what I have in mind and wish could know some definite replies and responses please. Thank you.
1) WiFi calling depends on your device. According to this FAQ page, all iPhones available on Xfinity’s network have it.https://www.xfinity.com/hub/mobile/wifi-calling-101#targetText=Carrier%20WiFi%20calling%20is%20enabled,Xfinity's%20network%20have%20this%20feature.
2) When I had Xfinity Mobile, I had one SIM card. I would assume they’d keep the second slot empty, but you should call customer service and check. The online chat feature may also be helpful.
3) I am pretty sure you can only choose one plan per phone number, not two. Again, I would double check with them.
I just went through a week of hell after getting an iPhone 12 Pro from them, having been an Xfinity cable TV customer for many years. After several hours spent with tech support in their store, by phone and online, I can say that Xfinity does NOT support wifi calling in my area. One of their in store agents told me to go to Best Buy or an Apple Store hours away since Xfinity is not an authorized iPhone outlet. After wasting days of my time I gave up and got the same phone from another carrier at a lower price with a better plan. The default settings on the other carrier’s phones had wifi calling enabled by default and it works fine, as do other phones in my home.
I have not seen this topic addressed, but can you connect your phone to the Xfinity internet at home? Seems you can, but want to be sure. We are over 65 and trying to get out from AT&T and their high rates. Only service we have every had (SW Bell before they acquired).
Looks like we will have to buy 2 new phones, but there is the rebate card at the moment and bill would be half that of AT&T. Thanks for help!
Yes, you can connect your cell phone to your home’s Wi-Fi connection.
It needs to be noted that when you bring your old phone to Xfinity, you permanently lose any Caller ID that was associated with your phone. That has the affect that your calls will be blocked or unanswered as the call recipients only see “Wireless Caller” and therefore can’t tell if the call is legit. Xfinity does not seem to have any interest in resolving this HUGE problem.
Agreed. I purchased two phones from XM, had my old numbers ported from Tmobile, and now people I call only see “wireless caller” as the callerID. Many individuals don’t answer calls from unknown callers which is a problem. I’ve chatted/talked to two XM reps about this and they indicate this can’t be fixed. Other than that, I’ve been very satisfied with both the performance and price of XM.
HI David the same thing happened to me. I left T-Mobile and I get the wireless number also.
People see the wireless and think it is a scam call.
Is this still a problem?
Normal day to day in USA by the gig service is great.
Better yet is that while traveling overseas including transatlantic crossings you can use your phone for very reasonable rates depending on where you are. Most of crossing and UK was .15 / min calls and .10 each texts.
I am changing from ATT to Xfinity mobile. The thing that put me over the top was ATT’s international plan at $10 per day! I’m a US customer and travel internationally a few times a year. Xfinity mobile rates differ by country, but for example Italy is 10 cents per minute for talk, 10 cents per text, and 10 cents per MB of data. When I travel, I turn off data and never talk, so it’s just 10 cents per text instead of $10 per day even for just one text with ATT. However, I’m confused by GSM (Europe and ATT) vs. CDMA (Verizon) but Xfinity assures me not to worry with my iphone 6s and traveling in Europe. I hope they’re right.
Hi, Michael–just wanted to thank you for your review. Was looking into possibly switching from my Sprint service and this was extremely helpful. I need to check with Sprint as to the buy out status of my current iphones, i.e., how much it would cost and where we are in our current contracts. Congrats, also, on paying off your mortgage. I’m happy to have found your site and will be learning a lot from your saving tips!
Our journey from Sprint to Xfinity and from Xfinity to Xfinity.
We recently moved 4 cell phones from Sprint to Xfinity and one Cell phone from another Xfinity account to our account. BEWARE Xfinity has a MAJOR cell phone black hole. If you have a Xfinity phone, then it is assigned to a specific Xfinity internet account. If you close or move from that account your phone still works and you still pay your bill, but you cannot ever upgrade, or switch to another Xfinity account. Seems to me that a lot of people will experience this issue as they breakup, divorce, simply move to another household etc. That Xfinity cannot even move the phone from their own Xfinity account to another Xfinity account is unbelievable. There “solution” is go buy a cheap trac phone ($20) and activate your number ($12) and then bring that trac phone to their service center and they will port it to the target Xfinity account. Xfinity stated that the issue is because of Verizon who provides billing services to Xfinity mobile. Clearly, they never tested their process end to end which would have highlighted this gaping hole.
On the 4 Sprint phones, we went to sprint and bought out leases on three I phones. We then discovered at Xfinity that we had to notify Sprint to unlock them. We were advised by Xfinity rep. that it should be unlocked in a couple hours. Contacted Sprint and made request. On a Sunday. We were not able to port over to Xfinity until Friday.
On the final Sprint line, it was an Android phone. There we had to buy out the lease, but Xfinity will not move a non I Phone to Xfinity. We had to buy a new Android phone from Xfinity.
After we got up and running, one phone was deactivated after 24hrs. Xfinity said it was a system action and they had no idea why. Reactivated.
Also, one phone was set up to bill $767 a month for lease instead of $33 a month with a total of $767. Took over 2 hrs. to get corrected.
I do expect to experience lower costs at Xfinity and so far no technical issues but the business administration is very poor.
Thanks for sharing your experience. I’m sorry that you had to deal with those headaches. Can you update me on how things work out?
Hello, Michael Thank you very much for loving if people like you, then we get to learn a lot and we are able to do something good in life, thank you once again for giving such good reviews.
It would be a good deal, if it worked as advertised! I’ve had XM for over 18 months, but will probably be leaving as soon as the phones are paid off. I live in an area with fairly weak cellular signals from most carriers, and I went with XM based on their assertion that my problem would be solved with their Voice over Wi-Fi service. Problem is, it doesn’t work and they can’t, or won’t, fix it. Attempting to use vowf results in a call drop rate of nearly 100% as soon as you answer the call. What good is a phone if you can’t answer your calls? It keeps trying to use the cellular signal, even if a much stronger wi-fi is available.
Much worse is that they deny that there is a problem with the system. They will send out replacement sim cards until hell freezes over, and as a last resort, tell you to switch to airplane mode if any time you want to use the wi-fi. Go to their “forums” and search for “dropped calls” in the mobile section. Lots of users have the same problems, but nothing has changed in over a year. XM uses the forums as a way of derailing user complaints with platitudes from a guy named Ken, who never follows up, and the problem never gets solved. I give them an “F” for customer service.
Thank you for that response! It’s crazy to me that the Xfinity Mobile rep told me that she’s never heard of them rounding up and that they prorate the cost…even when I questioned her a few times about it, she had the same answer. I am about to switch over to XM….I hope I am not going to be disappointed since XM does not have good reviews at all on Consumer Affairs website. But you (Michael) seem to be a positive reviewer of XM which makes me want to try it out. I will only have one line on my account, just for myself.
This is me too. It is just me now and am truly hoping the XM is a good choice!
You may have answered this somewhere already…but I went to an Xfinity store and the Rep there told me XM prorates their data. However, I have read on some articles that they round up to the next gig for cost (So 2.2GB used would be charged as 3GB or $36) Can you let me know if this is true? Or do they in fact prorate cost for data used? Thanks!
Yes, that is true. They’ll round up. From Xfinity Mobile’s website: “You’ll be charged by rounding up your data usage to the next GB at the end of each billing cycle. This means that if you use 2.2 GB of data, you’ll be charged for 3 GB, or $36. Each month, you start fresh.”
Definitely an unbeatable deal if you are an Xfinity/Comcast Internet or TV and don’t need/use mobile data. I’ve been an XM customer since May 2018 and very please with the unlimited talk/text service. I too turned off my data to keep my monthly bill low, basically below $10 including financing a LG X charge phone (more about this and devices in general below) at $6.25 for 24 months. If you need some data, as Michael suggest, it is a matter of will and training to live with WiFi-only data. OK, there have been an occasion that I wish or really needed mobile data–simply turn that data on temporarily which I did a couple of times. If you know or think you will go above $45 worth of mobile data temporarily, then temporarily change the plan from “By The Gig” to “Unlimited”.
As a sidebar, I’m also a T-Mobile customer presently with two other phones on their “Unlimited 55+” plan at $60 flat per month (place the name and billing on the account to someone who’s 55 or older–well, that’s now me). That’s a hard deal to beat, especially with how strong T-Mo has been coming on with service expansion and customer extras. (If you or a loved-one is in the military, then their “Military” deal, especially the more lines on the plan, is the best deal I’ve seen.) I’ve been a T-Mo customer for many years simply due to cost, an excellent customer service experience and every improving service. None the less, I gave XM a try and, like Michael, have been very please with their service, especially including their customer service. Like Michael and everyone else, I’ve hated Comcast non-mobile phone customer service, but I admit it is getting better. Net result is I’m ready to switch one or two of my T-Mo lines to XM. What’s holding me back?
Device restrictions are what’s holding me back. Specifically BYOP being limited to iPhones. XM really needs to get serious about BYO Android phone. One of my phones is a unlocked Android phone bought about a year ago with plenty of mileage left and the user is extremely happy with it. The other phone is not compatible with XM and is out-of-date anyways, but dropping one line means dropping the T-Mo “Unlimited 55+” plan. A bit of a dilemma.
I will say I am very please with the LG X charge phone I got through XM–it has been one of the best lower cost phones I’ve owned, but is no longer offered by XM. If you are lucky and willing to wait, then XM may be running a rebate deal on the phone of your choice that they offer. (Right now you can get $250 back on Samsung phones. I may bite the bullet and get a Galaxy S8, but I’d prefer one of the LG phone and the user of the unlocked phone wants nothing to do with Samsung due to a bad experience. Not long ago XM offered $150 off on the LG’s and lone Moto phone.)
Thanks for YOUR review. This adds a lot of value and will help readers of my website! Great points.
How about a simple phone call? (that was the original mobile phone use). Hands free, of course.
Major gotcha for family plan type users: shared mobile data is not really true.
Xfinity mobile data plans are per phone, not per family or account. To share a data plan with another phone requires connecting via the phone’s local wifi hotspot feature. In other words, useless unless the phones are co-located.
XM pushes wifi connectivity. They do have a lot of hotspots. BUT, they are useless if you are mobile (in a car) and are not available everywhere.
The part about hotspots in the car is true. I don’t use my cell phone while driving, except for maps. I’ve trained myself to download them before leaving the house.
My wife and I each have XM phones. At home and almost everywhere we go, we have wifi so we use very little data. Most of the data use is for maps. Last month (September 2019), we used a combined .89 gig of data which XM rounded up 1 gig for billing purposes.
Nice! Same with me — used mostly for maps. You can also download offline maps to save even more data.
You have given a good option to save more data. Thank you very much for giving good choices, Michael. You like talking too much, I Like It.Tik Tok Ban in India
We’ve had XM for many years with 5 lines. With Wifi everywhere, we rarely go over 1 GB of data (combined). Our data is shared by all the phones on the account . Average bill is $12 (1 GB data) plus around $1 per phone line every month. Not sure what RICKR is referring to as the 5 phones are rarely in the same state during the month. Coverage is incredible wherever Verizon has cell towers.