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After Red pocket, Twigby is the other carrier you can get a phone plan from as low as ten bucks. But when looking for good phone service, it’s not all about affordability. So, we’re going to compare Twigby vs Mint Mobile to see which carrier has better plan features on top of a great price deal.
Twigby vs Mint: An Overview on the Cell Phone Providers
| Fact | Twigby | Mint |
|---|---|---|
| Founded | 2016 | 2015 |
| Carrier Network | Verizon (previously Sprint) | T-Mobile |
| eSIM support | N/A | YES |
| Free 5G | YES | YES |
| 5G Download Speeds | N/A | 50-700+Mbps |
| LTE Download Speeds | Up to 40+Mbps | Up to 230+Mbps |
| Lowest Phone Plan | $9/ month | $15/ month |
| Unlimited Minutes | YES | YES |
| Unlimited data | YES | YES |
| Family Discount | NO | NO |
| Free Mexico/ Canada Call | YES (and other 80+ countries) | YES |
| Mobile Hotspot | YES | YES |
| WiFi Calling | N/A | YES |
| Video Streaming | YES [up to HD] | YES [Up to 4K UHD] |
| Extra Perks | Free international Talk & Text | 6-Month Free Service |
| Type of Service | Online Only | Online Only |
Reviews of Twigby
Twigby is no doubt a company to consider when looking for a way to cut own your monthly phone bill. It offers fixed cell phone plans from $20/ month and also you can build your own plan for as low as $9/ month.
Twigby includes all the cell phone plans with free international talk and texting to over 80+ destinations. Then, the new partnership with Verizon means you’ll get to enjoy a decent reception when in most parts of the country.
Other pros and cons of the prepaid phone include:
Pros:
- It supports both LTE & 5G
- Charges no device activation fees
- Has mobile hotspot on plans with data
- Supports up to HD video streaming quality
- Tends to offer promotional discounts on phones
- It also supports device financing through PayPal
Cons:
- It provides deprioritized data
- Doesn’t have eSIM support
- No domestic/ international roaming
- It also has no multi-line discounts
Reviews of Mint Mobile
Mint is another carrier with great phone plan deals. You can get the “basic” plan going for as low as $15/ month, with unlimited talk, texting, and 4GB high-speed data.
As we saw on the recent Tello vs Mint prepaid review, the T-Mobile MVNO now has all the rate plans with 5G access. Then, you can enjoy outstanding data speeds of over 200Mbps on the LTE network and 700+Mbps on 5G.
Other pros and cons of Mint include:
Pros:
- It supports the digital eSIM
- Charges no activation fees
- Has mobile hotspot on all plans
- Supports WiFi calling & texting
- Offers device financing program
- Has free phone service with device purchase
- It includes free calling to Canada & Mexico
Cons:
- It gives deprioritized data
- Lacks domestic roaming
- Doesn’t have multi-line discounts
Twigby vs Mint: The Main Differences & Similarities between the Cell Phone Providers
Network Coverage
Twigby is the winner in this part. After the end of Sprint Company, it has signed network agreements with Verizon, which until now has the widest coverage across the country.
So, you can always have a usable phone while traveling even in remote places like Madison, Toledo, Milwaukee, Oregon, and others.
On the hand, Mint Mobile usually runs on the T-Mobile GSM network, which on the US Mobile and Mint Mobile review we saw has mostly invested in metropolises. So, you’re likely to have fewer to no bars when traveling farther from the cities.
Winner: Twigby as it’s now on the Verizon network, which has the widest coverage across the nation
Phone Selections
Unfortunately, neither of the two MVNOs has free phone deals. However, Mint Mobile does have a wider catalog of devices to choose from, including the latest Samsung Galaxy S22 and Apple iPhone 13 series. It also offers device promo to new customers, whereby you can save up to $180 on free phone service.
Furthermore, Mint does include buy no pay later financing on the phones. So, you can own your desired luxury device from as low as $10/ month over two years.
Of course, Twigby also does have device financing, but through PayPal Credit, which has a payment period of only six months. Also, the Verizon’s MVNO doesn’t have many phone options in the retail shop, but you can save some big bucks during its frequent discounted deals.
Winner: Mint Mobile as it has more phone options to consider and longer financing periods.
Free 5G & Speed
Mint Mobile is also the clear winner here. It has all the rate plans with access to 4G LTE and 5G networks for ultra-fast downloads, seamless gaming, and Ultra-HD streaming.
In a recent speed test with iPhone 13 Pro, the Mint 4G LTE would peak at up to 239Mbps before dropping to 120Mbps. Then, the 5G phone has previously recorded up to 672Mbps, but some people have also claimed to record up to 700+mbps.
As for Twigby, they’re still incorporating their services into the new Verizon network. Hence, the reason you’ll notice a lot of features that were previously on Sprint are currently unavailable.
As for the question of data speeds, the only conclusive Twigby speed test has been on the LTE network. In the test, the device recorded 35Mbps, which, of course, isn’t the best, but enough for basic use.
Winner: Mint as it has faster data speeds than Twigby on both LTE & 5G network
Network Roaming
During the tenure with Sprint network, Twigby did have a roaming agreement with Verizon. After partnering with the CDMA carrier for full access to its network, that function has been dissolved. However, you can still have international calling and texting to over eighty countries at no charge.
Similarly, Mint includes all the plans with a free international calling to a few countries, namely Canada, Mexico, & UK. Then, in most of the other destinations, you can purchase the international credits from as low as $5.
Better yet, Mint does support international roaming services, but you’ll need to purchase $5, $10, or $20 credits. You can use the credits to call, text, or browse at the rate of the country in question.
Winner: Mint as it has free calling to various countries and international roaming at super-low rates.
Phone Plans & Pricing
When we now compare Mint vs Twigby on the phone plans, you’ll notice mixed convenience between the two. That’s the latter has super-low prices on the basic plans, whereas the T-Mobile MVNO has a great deal on higher-data bundles. See below.
Chart 2.1 Twigby Phone Plan Structure
| Features | No Data (custom) | Basic (custom) | 1GB Plan (custom) | 3GB Plan | 5GB Plan | 10GB Plan |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Regular Price | $9/ mo. | $14/ mo. | $19/ mo. | $20/ mo. | $25/ mo. | $35/ mo. |
| Plan Promo Discount | $4.50/ mo. | $7/ mo. | $9.50/ mo. | $10/ mo. | $12.5/ mo. | $4.5/ mo. |
| Free 5G Access | YES | YES | YES | YES | YES | YES |
| Talk Minutes | 300 Minutes | 500 Minutes | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Text Messages | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Data Allotment | N/A | 200MB (then 2G) | 1GB (then 2G) | 3GB (then 2G) | 5GB (then 2G) | 10GB (then 2G) |
| Mobile Hotspot | N/A | YES | YES | YES | YES | YES |
| Video Stream Quality | N/A | Up to HD | Up to HD | Up to HD | Up to HD | Up to HD |
| International Texting | YES | YES | YES | YES | YES | YES |
| Canada/ Mexico Calls | YES | YES | YES | YES | YES | YES |
Chart 2.2 Mint Mobile Phone Plan Structure
| Features | 4GB Plan | 10GB Plan | 15GB Plan | Unlimited Plan |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1-Month Subscription | Unavailable | Unavailable | Unavailable | Unavailable |
| 3-Month Introductory Subscription | $45 ($15/ mo.) | $60 ($20/ mo.) | $75 ($25/ mo.) | $75 ($30/ mo.) |
| 3-Month Regular Subscription | $75 ($25/ mo.) | $105 ($35/ mo.) | $135 ($45/ mo.) | $120 ($40/ mo.) |
| 6-Month Subscription | $120 ($20/ mo.) | $150 ($25/ mo.) | $210 ($35/ mo.) | $210 ($35/ mo.) |
| 12-Month Subscription | $180 ($15/ mo.) | $240 ($20/ mo.) | $300 ($25/ mo.) | $360 ($30/ mo.) |
| 4G LTE & 5G | YES | YES | YES | YES |
| Call Minutes | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Text Messages | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| High-Speed Data | 4GB | 10GB | 15GB | Unlimited |
| Priority Data | N/A | N/A | N/A | 35GB |
| 128kbps Data | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Mobile Hotspot | YES | YES | YES | YES (capped at 5GB) |
| Video Streaming | 4K Ultra-HD Quality | 4K Ultra-HD Quality | 4K Ultra-HD Quality | 4K Ultra-HD Quality |
The Twigby phone plans are more flexible and relatively cheaper than most carriers. You have the option to choose either the fixed 3GB/ 5GB/ 10GB package. Or else create your unique custom plan, depending on the amount of data and talk minutes you use per month.
As a new customer, Twigby also tends to offer promo plan deals for the new customer, giving you up to 50% discount. The carrier has also designed all the plans with an Overage Protection function, which you can toggle on/ off to continue using data and minutes even after reaching your monthly allowance.
Meanwhile, the Mint Mobile phones plans are also relatively affordable and a perfect choice when you want to cut down your bill. In fact, you’ll notice the 6-month and 12-month plan bundles are relatively cheaper than Twigby when calculated price/GB. But since not everyone may need a phone with data, the points will go to the Verizon MVNO.
Winner: Twigby as you can build a super-cheap plan with your desired minute and or data allowance
Deprioritization & Throttling
Unfortunately, neither Twigby nor Mint receives prioritized data deals from its carrier network. So, you can experience deprioritization (drop-in browsing data speed) when the host network’s very busy.
Moreover, all the rate plans from both providers have capped high-speed data. So, your LTE/ 5G browsing speed will get throttled to 2G after reaching the monthly limit.
Winner: A Tie as both carriers get deprioritized and throttled high-speed data.
Video Streaming Quality
Last but not least, neither Mint nor Twigby will also be great for streaming on the go from the capped high-speed data. However, Mint does give more data allowance, and also the browsing speeds are good enough to support high-bandwidth functions.
The said high-bandwidth functions include high-quality video streaming in up to 4K Ultra-HD resolution. But streaming videos in 4K quality usually consume like 97.5MB/ minute, in which case you can drain a whole 35GB within 6-7 hours.
Winner: Mint as it allows streaming video in up to 4K Ultra-HD and also usually gives more monthly data.
Final Thoughts:
When choosing a good cell phone provider, you shouldn’t just focus on the bill but also the plan features available. If it’s our Twigby and Mint brands, they both have friendly rate plans, but the experience you’ll get at the end of the day varies.
For instance, Mint Mobile includes most of the crucial talk and data features on all the cell phone plans. That includes fast browsing speeds for your online activity, WiFi calling, international roaming when outside the country, and eSIM support, which can also be handy while abroad.
As you choose the Mint phone, however, do remember it has no domestic roaming to extend your coverage inside the country. So, you might have reduced performance, especially when traveling in the countryside.
