Tello Mobile review: The top carrier for low-data users

Tello Mobile is a worthwhile option for those seeking a budget phone carrier with unlimited data tiers, free hot spot tethering, and prices as low as $5/month. Like Mint Mobile and several other mobile virtual network operators (or MVNOs), Tello runs on T-Mobile's US network but features a distinct set of plans geared toward low-data users, students, or those looking to save a few extra dollars each month.

Tello's singular Build Your Own plan meets a niche that many big-budget carriers tend to avoid: an essentially pay-what-you-use system meant specifically for people who aren't on their phones much, like grandparents, kids, or anyone who is most often connected to WiFi and infrequently uses data. Tello's customizable plan provides the right amount of data at the lowest possible rate for these users, making it one of the best cell phone plans for seniors on a budget and one of the best cheap cell phone plans overall.

Ultimately, you get what you pay for with Tello, as the MVNO comes with barebones benefits relative to major carriers and some budget competitors. There aren't discounts for multiple lines like you might see on a traditional family plan, for example, and you have to pay extra for features like international roaming.

We've tested Tello's coverage, data reliability, and speeds to see how the service fared through routine use. We've also considered the pros and cons of Tello's various plans so you can judge whether the carrier will work for you.

Plan offerings and flexibility

Tello Mobile's strength lies in its wide variety of plan options, including a range of pre-designed plans and the opportunity to create your own custom plan.

Tello's month-to-month payment structure is also a key benefit for flexibility, as the MVNO allows you to switch between plans or data and minute allotments each month without penalty.

Tello's plans all include unlimited texts, and you can choose an unlimited minutes option for calls or add prepaid minutes or data to your account using Tello's Pay As You Go credit. The Pay As You Go minutes are the lone method for international roaming, and they're also a good option if you have a minutes-only plan and want the option of data usage if you need it. Your credits will last 90 days.

Below are the specifics of each Tello premade plan and its customizable "Build Your Own" option.

*In a Build Your Own plan, you can't combine the "No data" option with a "No minutes" option; you'll have to pair "No data" with at least 100 minutes.

Each Tello plan features a designated allotment of data each month before your data speeds are throttled to 2G from 4G LTE/5G. Any additional data you use that month will be free of charge (though at essentially unusable speeds). Even the nominally "unlimited" data plan has this threshold, with data speeds slowing to 2G after you use 35GB of high-speed data. You won't be able to stream video or perform standard functions easily at 2G. However, if you regularly watch videos over data, Tello probably isn't meant for you, regardless.

Tello's family plan page features a version of the Build Your Own Plan customization directed specifically at families looking to differentiate individual lines on one account. While there are no discounts for adding multiple lines to an existing plan (apart from a lack of additional setup cost), Tello's customizable offerings are among the best family cell phone plans for budget value, as each line can be given its own data and minutes allotment at very low monthly rates. It's also important to note that each line will have its own billing cycle by default, and each will be billed separately on the day the respective plans were activated unless you've synchronized the billing date for all lines (wherein Tello will "try to group your recurring charges into one invoice.")

The prices with Tello's plans, which cost as low as $5/month, are impressive, but the accompanying low data and low minutes can be difficult to navigate for some users, even with unlimited texts. If you want the lowest possible price with the Build Your Own plan, you'll have to choose between the minimum data (and zero minutes) and minimum minutes (with zero data) allotments.

If you're a frequent social media user, tend to browse off of WiFi, or use health apps that often require data to operate, you'll likely use the low data cap quickly and be stuck with 2G speeds for the rest of the month. However, you could save serious money if you don't use your phone much or are always connected to WiFi.

Coverage area

Since Tello Mobile uses T-Mobile's nationwide network, its coverage area is the same. If T-Mobile works well in your area, Tello likely will, too.

Some areas in the western United States have less consistent coverage with T-Mobile, so you might have spottier coverage if you live in a more rural area out west. Our testing area in New York City had consistently good coverage through the service, and in general, major urban centers are well-covered by T-Mobile (and, by extension, its various MVNOs, Tello included).

You can check your coverage area by entering your address or viewing Tello's coverage map onits website.We also recommend checking with local sources like neighbors, friends, and online forums to ensure that T-Mobile's network covers your area effectively.

The downside is that with more users comes more network traffic, and T-Mobile prioritizes their top-paying customers over the lower-budget carriers that use their network, like Tello andMint Mobile. Tello users will experience slower data speeds until congestion decreases in high-traffic instances. Thus, they may be more likely to encounter slow connections than 4G LTE or 5G, even if their high-speed data allotment is not yet met.

See our Mint Mobile review and Mint Mobile vs. Tello guide for discrepancies between the two T-Mobile-backed MVNOs.

Service reliability and speeds

While Tello's access to T-Mobile's expansive network means that customers will likely be covered throughout much of the US, your data speeds may vary depending on your location and network congestion.

In our testing experience, we've had no issues sending and receiving texts, making audio and video calls, and using social media apps while connected via 4G LTE or 5G through Tello, which is a good sign for an MVNO operating in a major metropolitan area like New York City. We noted that the audio quality of phone and video calls wasn't the best and would cut out occasionally, both on standard phone calls and WiFi calls. However, we had no undelivered texts or dropped calls, even when we only had a few bars of service to work with.

During our testing, we used Tello's "Data" plan, their unlimited data and minutes option. We only used about 2GB of data throughout the week, which is far less than the plan's 35GB data cap (after which speeds would have slowed to 2G rather than 4G LTE or 5G). Even projecting a month's usage would put us under the data cap. Granted, we were connected via WiFi the vast majority of the time. Our usage would have skyrocketed if we had relied solely on hot spot data.

With that in mind, Tello customers can use their mobile device as a hot spot with no additional charge, a perk many carriers will charge extra for. That said, your hot spot data will come from your monthly data pool or a separate 5GB limit if you use an "Unlimited" plan.

While connected to a Tello hot spot, we could browse online and watch YouTube videos easily, but we found that it struggled to stream 4K videos on Netflix, for instance. This issue wasn't necessarily surprising, as we used a hot spot rather than a stable WiFi connection. If you rely on hot spots in your preferred places of work outside the home and office or stream video frequently over data, your data allowance will be spent quickly. However, this perk is not to be overlooked if you only use a hot spot occasionally.

Tello also supports WiFi calling through the My Tello app, which you might skim over as a prospective user but can be a key feature for areas where T-Mobile's coverage is spotty or congested. If T-Mobile doesn't adequately cover the areas you frequent, you might consider another budget carrier like Visible Wireless, which uses Verizon's network and may provide more coverage where you need it. See our Visible Wireless review and Tello vs. Visible guide for further comparison between the budget carriers.

US Mobile is another worthy budget alternative that uniquely allows you to periodically switch between the networks of T-Mobile, Verizon, and AT&T and includes options with prioritized premium data.Read our US Mobile review for more information.

Customer support

With Tello, your initial setup will be minimal. You'll either order an eSIM online or receive a SIM card in the mail and use an accompanying QR code to set up your account in the My Tello app, which provides a little bit more setup information and a basic walkthrough of the app's functions. Then, you're set to begin your wireless service.

Since Tello is an online-only company, there are customer support channels available through the app and by phone only (with no option to visit a brick-and-mortar store for assistance), but the 24/7 chat feature is responsive and can answer most of the basic questions you might have on setup.

You can also use the app to make calls over a WiFi connection, connect with the shop to purchase a new phone, or manage your plan preferences. The shop notably only provides phones that are mostly older or refurbished, which reflects Tello's baseline principle of affordability and accessibility for its customer base.

If you have a newer phone, it will most likely be compatible with Tello. Still, you should double-check its compatibility on Tello's website using your phone's IMEI number (which you can find by dialing *#06# or checking your phone settings).

Should you sign up for Tello Mobile?

Tello Mobile's low-cost, low-data plans could be a huge money saver in the right use case. While Verizon-backed carriers like Visible Wireless outperform its benefits, data, and overall coverage, Tello's plan customization, flexibility, and pricing make it one of the most cost-effective MVNOs on the market.

We've been surprised by how well Tello has served us during our testing, especially as we tend to use more data while out in New York City. We expected to hit data deprioritization quickly by using video calls and social media and figured a service that costs as little as Tello's couldn't be all that effective.

In reality, we were adequately served by Tello's coverage and speeds, which are deprioritized behind the higher-paying customers on T-Mobile's network. However, using the service gave us pause in moments when we might usually reach for a phone. Lower data allotments can be limiting, but there's undoubtedly some benefit to being able to disconnect from your device and be more present in the moment, even if it's simply so that you don't meet your data cap. And texts and calls work perfectly well, so the basics are covered in a pinch even if you hit your data max.

Tello's plans can be as cheap as $5/month; even the highest-cost plan for "unlimited" data is just $25/month. However, the latter isn't the best deal for an unlimited plan, as your high-speed allotment is capped at 35GB and subject to deprioritization at any time. In contrast, among the best unlimited data plans, Mint Mobile's 12-month unlimited plan offers better long-term budget value with truly unlimited data (subject to deprioritization) at the same monthly rate of $25/month through a current discount.

However, the cost and customization options make Tello's Build Your Own plan one of the best cell phone plans for its exceptional budget value. It's a potential steal for those who don't use much data each month and don't want to pay for anything more than they use.

Tello's Economy and Value plans are both less than $15/month, and while their data allowances are 2GB and 5GB, respectively, both include unlimited talk and text. For many users, that data will run out quickly. But if you're someone who's most often connected via WiFi, if you don't use your phone much at all, if you're traveling to the US and need a phone for the duration of your stay, or if you're a student who's paying for their own phone plan for the first time, these plans could be a perfect fit.

Ultimately, Tello is a carrier we'd primarily recommend to limited-data users. Data hogs, video streamers, and those frequently traveling internationally from the US need not apply.

FAQs

Who owns Tello Mobile?

Tello Mobile is owned by the international telecommunications company KeepCalling.

Which network does Tello Mobile use?

Tello operates using T-Mobile's cellular network in the US, meaningits coverage area is the same as that of T-Mobile. However, T-Mobile users will be prioritized for data speed over Tello users in congested locations.

Deprioritization occurs with any MVNO (unless the carrier explicitly offers prioritized data for a higher price), as it's typically part of the deal with using a larger carrier's cell towers while keeping prices low for customers.

Is Tello Mobile or Mint Mobile better?

Tello Mobile and Mint Mobile both run on T-Mobile's US network as prepaid, budget-friendly MVNOs, with data speeds subject to deprioritization.

Tello Mobile's monthly payment structure and customizable plan, with its low data allotments at strikingly low prices, make it the better option for those on a limited month-to-month budget or who use data minimally.

In contrast, Mint Mobile's payment installments of three, six, or 12 months are comparatively inflexible and, at lower data tiers, offer less value than Tello Mobile for effectively the same cell service. However, starting at the 15GB tier through its unlimited plan, Mint Mobile's annual plans provide better value than Tello Mobile for those who can make long-term payments.

Read our Mint Mobile review and Mint Mobile vs. Tello guide for further comparative assessment.

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