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Xfinity Mobile is a mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) or a small carrier without its own cell towers. It’s one of the few MVNOs with the BEST deal on the Verizon network. But is the service worth it? If YES, Should I switch from Verizon to Xfinity Mobile?
In a nutshell, an MVNO is hard to outbest its Carrier Network or another Major Carrier. However, part of the network deal Xfinity Mobile has made with Verizon includes some lovely perks most other MVNOs don’t have. A perfect example is access to the 5G mmWave (Ultrawideband), which offers the fastest data speed of 2000 to 4000+Mbps.
Verizon vs Xfinity Mobile: A Summary of the Cell Phone Providers
In this quick guide, the idea is to help you decide whether you should switch from Verizon to Xfinity Mobile. Before we come to that, below is an overview of the two wireless phone companies
| Xfinity Mobile | Verizon Wireless | |
| Founded | 2017 | 2000 |
| Parent Company | Comcast | Verizon Communications |
| Carrier Network | Verizon | Verizon |
| eSIM Support | YES | YES |
| 5G Data Speeds | 4000+Mbps | 4000+Mbps |
| 4G Data Speeds | 100+Mbps | 200+Mbps |
| Lowest Phone Plan | $15 | $30 |
| Unlimited Minutes | YES | YES |
| Unlimited data | YES (with cap) | YES (with No cap) |
| Family Discount | YES | YES |
| Free Mexico/ Canada Call | N/A | YES |
| WiFi Calling | YES | YES |
| Mobile Hotspot | YES | YES |
| Video Streaming | YES | YES |
| Phone Unlock Period | After 60 Days | After 60 Days |
| Free unlimited Xfinity WiFi Hotspots | Free Disney Bundle, Apple One, Walmart+, Apple Music Family, +Play Monthly Credit, TravelPass, etc | |
Xfinity Mobile is a cellular phone trademark of Comcast company. In the Xfinity Mobile reviews the other day, we actually saw you’ll need an active Comcast Internet (Xfinity Internet) to join the cell phone service.
Of course, you necessarily don’t have to keep the internet subscription after joining the phone service. But I still find it a dumb policy (don’t tell Xfinity), considering how competitive the cell phone business has become.
Verizon is one of the many competitors of Xfinity Mobile on the phone service. The two share quite a number of things, albeit not as many as we saw between Visible vs Verizon.
Well, the first and obvious thing Verizon and Xfinity Mobile share is network coverage, whereby they serve their individual customers via the same towers.
But now begs the question again, is Xfinity Mobile as good as Verizon on cell phone service? Will a move to the small carrier be worth it?
Should I switch from Verizon to Xfinity Mobile?
Below are answers to your question on whether you should move to Xfinity Mobile from Verizon:
- Are You Looking for a Cheap Phone Service?
If looking to cut down your monthly bills, a low-budget cell phone service might be a great place to start. And in this case, a switch to Xfinity Mobile from Verizon may help.
At the time of writing, the Xfinity phone has the cheapest By the Gig service plan at $15 per month. This is about half of the cheapest package Verizon has to offer.
The best part, the Xfinity Mobile By the Gig plan allows you to add as many lines as you want at the same price. If on the Unlimited plans, you’ll get a multi-line discount.
However, the regular pricing of Xfinity Mobile phone service is only available to those on cabled Comcast service. If you cancel your Xfinity Internet, TV, or Voice service, your cell phone service attracts a $25 surcharge on future bills.
Recommendation: If you have Comcast cable service, you can switch from Verizon to Xfinity Mobile to save on your bills.
- Do You Need a Phone to Use in Remote/ Rural Areas?
Verizon is the network Xfinity Mobile use for native coverage here in the US. It’s a big positive for the two, as Verizon has coverage including in the remote areas, where T-Mobile is still struggling. A perfect example is when driving through the rural areas of Hines, Frenchglen, Grassy Range Road, Military Road Plush, Oregon, and others.
Recommendation: You can switch from Verizon to Xfinity Mobile and still enjoy coverage in most parts of the country.
- Are You Looking for a Phone You Can Use Outside Home?
Both Verizon and Xfinity Mobile have domestic roaming free of charge. But Verizon also includes free roaming in 210+ countries and destinations, something Xfinity Mobile doesn’t offer currently.
Recommendation: don’t switch to Xfinity from Verizon if you travel outside the US a lot. Even for just Canada and Mexico, Xfinity Mobile charges an add-on roaming fee.
- Do You Need a Phone You Can Stream/ Download/ Upload Videos Fast?
As a person who streams movies, uses video chats, or uploads and downloads files a lot, the speed of your mobile data is very crucial.
Xfinity Mobile is one of the few MVNOs of Verizon with access to the higher priority data (on QCI 8). It does not deprioritize data like other MVNOs. And this means your data speeds will be better than the small carriers on the lower priority (QCI 9) during network congestion.
Basically, this is the reason Xfinity Mobile can record as fast data speeds as Verizon. 5G phones compatible with Xfinity Mobile can record up to 4000Mbps (4Gbps) when tapping into the Ultra-wideband spectrum. The 4G LTE peaks up to 100+Mbps, which can later drop to 30 – 50Mbps during network congestion.
Recommendation: You can switch from Verizon to Xfinity Mobile and still enjoy fast data speeds on 5G and 4G LTE.
- Will You Need a Phone You Can Use Data with No Limit?
Unfortunately, Xfinity Mobile doesn’t include unlimited high-speed data (with no cap). Be it the By the Gig or Unlimited phone plans, the MVNO will throttle your data (reduce data speed based on usage).
The recently-added Xfinity Mobile Unlimited Premium tier has the overall best data bucket- 50GB on full speed, then unlimited 1.5Mbps.
Unlimited data speed at 1.5Mbps is still way better than the 128kbps most other MVNOs have after the monthly limit. But it’s still insufficient for tasks like streaming, playing high-graphic games, or uploading/ downloading huge files.
Recommendation: You should not switch from Verizon to Xfinity Mobile if you’re a heavy data user. Xfinity throttles all Unlimited plans.
- Do You Require a Phone You Can Use a Personal Hotspot?
Do you like to tether/ hotspot your other laptop and other internet-enabled devices on the go? Xfinity Mobile support personal hotspot on all phone plans.
However, the Xfinity Mobile By the Gig usually uses all the data available on your account. If by chance your normal data usage and mobile hotspot deplete your monthly bucket, the carrier automatically adds a fresh bucket, leading to overage charges.
If on an Unlimited phone plan, reaching the monthly hotspot limit will throttle your data speeds to 3G speed (600Kbps). 600Kbps data speed is usually not enough for most internet-based functions.
Recommendation: A switch from Verizon to Xfinity Mobile is also not the best idea if you use the personal hotspot a lot. Verizon Unlimited plans offer twice as much hotspot allowance as Xfinity.
- Are You Looking for a Phone with Great Promotional Deals?
Xfinity Mobile is one of the companies that give free phones when you switch. It also has some decent phone deals for both new and existing customers, whereby you can save hundreds of dollars.
Furthermore, Xfinity Mobile also allows you to upgrade your phone early while you still owe money on the previous device.
Recommendation: when you switch from Verizon to Xfinity Mobile, you’ll be able to get free phone deals and upgrade offers.
Frequently Asked Questions:
how to switch from Verizon to Xfinity mobile?
Once ready, the steps to switch from Verizon to Xfinity Mobile are pretty easy. You’ll just need to:
- Check out the Xfinity Mobile phone plans and select that suits you best.
- Gather everything you need to join the new service (Xfinity Mobile). The things you’ll need are a compatible phone, plus your current Verizon account information.
- Visit https://www.xfinity.com/mobile or the nearest Physical dealer and order your desired phone plan.
- Wait for your Xfinity Mobile order to arrive. While waiting, confirm your previous phone on Verizon is fully unlocked
- After your order has arrived, back up the digital content of your phone. Then factory reset the device
- Next, power up your phone with the Xfinity Mobile SIM. Then activate the service with either a new number or an old number. If you plan to activate with your old phone number, contact the Xfinity Mobile support team to have them initiate the transfer/ porting.
- Once your Xfinity Mobile service is running, the old Verizon subscription should cancel automatically. If not, contact Verizon customer care and have them deactivate it.
What is the advantage of Xfinity Mobile?
When deciding to join any carrier, you should consider both the advantages and disadvantages. For instance, the advantage of Xfinity Mobile include:
- A decent price tag
- Doesn’t deprioritize mobile data
- Include decent multi-line discounts
- Has free unlimited public WiFi hotspots
- You can upgrade your phone while still owing money
- Has free phone deals for new & existing customers
- 5G mmWave data doesn’t count toward your allowance
Pros and cons of Xfinity Mobile
If looking to switch with either your new or existing number, the pros and cons of Xfinity Mobile you should know include:
Pros:
- A budget-friendly phone plan
- Has access to high-priority data
- You can save with multiple lines
- Includes decent cell phone offers
- Now supports smartwatch activation
- Offers free access to millions of WiFi hotspots
- 5G mmWave data doesn’t count toward your allowance
Cons:
- It throttles all phone plans
- The company performs a credit check
- The basic plan has a risk of overage fees
Why is Xfinity Mobile slower than Verizon?
When browsing, Xfinity Mobile may be slowers than Verizon on the Unlimited Intro plan. The Unlimited Intro is on the QCI 9, which offers lower priority than Verizon Unlimited plan during network congestion. However, Xfinity Mobile By the Gig, Unlimited Plus, and Unlimited Premium plans are as fast as Verizon.
Save Your Data with the Unlimited WiFi Hotspots
If looking to cut down your monthly bill, I’m hoping the guide has helped you decide if you should switch from Verizon to Xfinity Mobile. The positives are relatively many compared to the other MVNOs on the Verizon network.
$15 for Unlimited talk & text, plus 3GB of high-priority data is a good deal. The rest of the By the Gig plans are also great if you have multiple lines to add to your shared pool.
However, I’ll recommend you keep your device on the lookout for the Xfinity WiFi hotspots. It helps reduce your mobile data consumption, minimizing the risk of overage fees. The public WiFi hotspots can also help save on the premium data of the Unlimited plans.
That said, I’d still recommend you not to switch from Verizon if you’re a heavy data user or travels outside the country a lot. Verizon also includes various plans with amazing free entertainment perks to use alongside your Unlimited data.
