Are you searching for cheap mobile network providers with no lock-in contracts? Think no more than Tello and enjoy excellent connection and wide coverage without paying a hefty amount.
Unlike other mobile network providers, Tello doesn’t charge any random taxes and unnecessary charges, including phone activation fees; hence serving as a better option for budget-savvy customers.
Before jumping into the decision, users must know that Tello is an MVNO, that operates on T-Mobile’s network and offers several prepaid plans featuring texting, data, and talk time at affordable prices.
So, are you ready to make a switch? Hold your horses and scroll down the page to learn the complete Tello Review. The guide covers everything related to Tello, including its plans, add-on prices, network and coverage, international calling facility, and customer service. So, without any further delay, let the tour begins.
Tello Features
| CARRIER FEATURES | TELLO | CARRIER FEATURES | TELLO |
|---|---|---|---|
| Networks | T-Mobile | 4G&5G | ✓ |
| Data Speed | 5G & 4G LTE | Taxes/fees included | X |
| 3G Network | X | VoLTE | ✓ |
| Mobile Hotspot | ✓ | WiFi Calling | ✓ |
| Bring Your Phone | ✓ | Visual Voicemail | X |
| Keep Your Number | ✓ | Multi-line Discounts | X |
| No Contract | ✓ | Multi-month Discounts | X |
| No Credit Check | ✓ | International Calls | ✓ |
| Customer Service | 24/7 | International Roaming | X |
Tello Pros and Cons
Let’s begin the detailed Tello review by checking out a quick overview of its up and downsides. Although Tello offers cheap services and plans to the users, it comes with plenty of shortcomings that a user must know before ditching his current provider. Keep on scrolling to find what pros and cons you should expect while using this MVNO.
Pros
- No credit check
- No extra charges
- No contracts, free to terminate any time
- Affordable plans
- Free international calling to over 60 countries
- Switch plans any time
- Unlimited 2G network data after use up your plan’s data amount
- Free tethering
- Free mobile hotspot
- Wi-Fi calling & text is allowed
Cons
- Maybe not be a good fit for a family plan
Tello Mobile Deals
Get 10% off any phone plan on your first order with Tello.com for any plan above $10/month. When check out, input the coupon code 10OFFAFF to get the discount. Click the link to get this discount.
Tello Phone Plans
Since now you have covered the overview of the Tello Mobile, it’s time to dig a bit deeper to understand its phone plans and whether they are worth the hype or not.
Tello offers four simple, ready-made deals to facilitate the customers so that they can easily pick one and stay connected with their near and dear ones. These plans are Economy, Value, Smart, and Data. All of them are designed to cater to users from different walks of life.
Check out more information about these plans here.
Tello Ready-made Deals
| Plan | Price | Data | Learn More |
| Economy | $9/ month | 1GB | View Plans » |
| Value | $10/ month | 2GB | View Plans » |
| Smart | $14/ month | 5GB | View Plans » |
| Data | $25/ month | Unlimited(35GB) | View Plans » |
All these plans offer unlimited talk time minutes and text. Moreover, they let you enjoy unlimited data usage by reducing the speed down to 2G once you use up your plan’s data amount.
Users can turn their smartphones into a hotspot with free tethering and share their data plan balance free of charge with others. Plans renew automatically after 30 days, but you are free to cancel them without explaining or giving any reason.
In addition to this, you can upgrade or downgrade the plan at any point in time without paying any extra fees. The change will be instant and your remaining balance will get rolled over for the next 30 days.
Tello Mobile does have a family plan, however there is no price reduction and you will need to make payment for each line separately.
Tello’s rate does not include taxes and fees. some taxes are added to the bill. However, the taxes are minimal. For example, you may need to pay only 37 cents in taxes for a $14 monthly plan.
Build Your Own Plan
But that’s not all for Tello phone plans and what makes this service provider different from others is its Tello custom-made plan feature. Unlike others, Tello lets users create your own plan, depending on their data and talk time needs. As the name suggests, Tello custom plans let you choose the data, ranging from No Data to Unlimited Data option. Similarly, you can choose from No Minutes to unlimited minutes, based on your requirements.
- Data: No Data、1GB、2GB、5GB、10GB、15GB、Unlimited Data
- Minutes: No minutes、100 minutes、300 minutes、500 minutes、Unlimited minutes
You can choose different data and minutes to create your own plans.
Tello Pay As You Go
Proceeding further, Tello Mobile doesn’t offer add-ons until now for the active plans, but it allows you to simply choose Pay As You Go Credit to stay in touch with your family and friends without worrying about the data and minutes. This credit can be used for US calls, texts, and data, as well as for international calls and texts. What’s best, the credit lasts for 90 days.
Pay As You Go Credit starts from $20 and goes up to $50.
Tello Network Coverage
No matter how affordable plans a mobile network provider offers, that doesn’t make any sense if they feature a patchy or spotty network. Hence, don’t get tempted with the cheap Tello phone plans, and make sure to know everything about its network and coverage before making a final switch.
Unfortunately, Tello doesn’t offer the network as good as its plans and deals. This MVNO runs on T-Mobile’s nationwide network to offer you better coverage. While Tello offers a great connection in major towns and cities, the network becomes a bit patchy or weak when it comes to rural areas. You can go to Tell’s coverage map checker to check signal in your area.
Although Tello is available in most states, it’s more favored on the East Side of the US and not available for all rural dwellers. So, make sure to check out the coverage map to confirm that your area receives solid network coverage.
In addition to 4G LTE, it’s a matter of great concern whether the Tello sim card offers 5G services or not. So, the answer is yes but with terms and conditions. 5G network is only available for a global system for mobile (GSM)-compatible subscribers.
A SIM card is used to identify the total number of subscribers on a network and then offers the service. Customers can check if their area has 5G access or not on Tello’s coverage map before getting started.
Tello Speed Test
Like many MVNOs, Tello provides fast 4G LTE and 5G network for data. Tello`s data speeds have improved since I last tried out the service a year ago. My Tello download speed was about 30Mbps after running 15 different tests that I conducted across multiple days.
Also, please note that your average speed rate may be slower if you live in an area with some congestion.
Tello Mobile Phone’s Compatibility
Tello is compatible with all GSM phones. You can bring either Android phones or Apple phones to Tello. In order to check if your phone is Tello GSM compatible, you can enter the IMEI (Dial *#06# and you’ll receive your phone’s IMEI code) of the phone into Tello’s device checker.
If you bring your phone, the phone need to be unlocked device, which means it does not have any contract with other mobile carriers.
Tello also privde phones on its website, you can also browse and buy there.
Tello International Calls
Want to connect your family and friends overseas and are thinking about whether this cheap service provider can do a job for you or not? Well, in that case, you are in luck.
Even you are glad to know that Tello mobile offers free international calling to more than 60 countries, claiming the fact that being cheap doesn’t mean depriving you of essential services. What’s best, this facility is available with all Tello phone plans, be it Economy or Data.
Furthermore, with Tello, you can say goodbye to calling cards, add-ons, or other extra purchases as it includes this feature on every plan to ease the users.
A list of the free destinations where you can easily call includes Andorra, Argentina, Austria, Bangladesh, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Croatia, Columbia, Estonia, Faroe Islands, Greece, Guadeloupe, Guam, Hungary, Iceland, India, Italy, Japan, Martinique, Lithuania, Morocco, Netherlands, Panama, Paraguay, Russia, Singapore, and a lot more to count.
However, like other providers, Tello Mobile also has certain limitations regarding the free countries. If the destination where you want to call is not included in the list of 60+ countries, then you need to purchase Pay As You Go Credit plan to place a call. You will be charged the rate accordingly.
Tello International Roaming
Here’s come the disadvantage!! Like plenty of other MVNOs, Tello doesn’t offer international roaming just yet, and it might be a great shortcoming for those who usually travel across the globe.
However, do not lose heart as they still get you covered with two effective alternatives for calling and texting when traveling overseas. These are – Wi-Fi calling & Text and the My Tello app. Scroll down the page to learn more about the options in the Tello mobile reviews.
WiFi Calling & Text
This simple yet practical feature can be accessed on the majority of Tello GSM-compatible phones. All you have to do is check your phone settings to confirm and proceed next.
The feature enables you to call or text using the nearby Wi-Fi network available, which could at anywhere, including at home, your office, at a hotel, or even a WiFi spot.
If you get succeeded in setting up the calling feature appropriately, it doesn’t use your data from the current phone plan; however, it uses the calling and text plan as normal. So, activate the WiFi calling feature as soon as you land at another destination and stay in touch.
My Tello App
The next best method to keep connected with your near and dear ones when traveling abroad is to use the My Tello app. It offers you the option of using the free My Tello app to make calls through WiFi. However, keep in mind that you won’t receive calls through the app. Moreover, it is also not available for texting.
Download the My Tello app on your Android or iOS device before leaving your network zone and easily use the app over a Wi-Fi connection.
If you need international roaming service, you may consider another MVNO Ultra Mobile, Ultra mobile users can buy INTL Roaming credit by using UpRoam in $5, $10 and $20 denominations. The rate is 0.25¢/min to make & receive calls while roaming internationally and 0.05¢/SMS text message from outside the US, receiving SMS messages are free while International Roaming. The data usage is $0.20/MB while roaming.
Tello vs Mint Mobile
Still, wondering is Tello good or if you should switch to its other competitors? While Tello offers amazing plans to the users, there are certain spots where it might lag from its leading competitor Mint Mobile.
Both Tello and Mint offer affordable, flexible cell phone plans to ease budget-savvy customers. However, with a starting price of just $5 per month, Tello has gained a slight edge over the rest of its competitors including Mint Mobile.
| Carrier | Tello | Mint Mobile |
|---|---|---|
| Network | T-Mobile | T-Mobile |
| Minimum term | 1 month | 3 months |
| Maximum term | 1 month | 12 months |
| Hotspot | Included | Included |
| International Calling | 60+ countries | To Canada and Mexico |
| Minimum data | None | 4GB |
| Maximum data | Unlimited (25GB) | Unlimited (35GB) |
| Mininum cost | $5/month | $15/month |
Also, Tello also surpasses Mint Mobile when it comes to flexibility. It has no lock-in contracts and offers an upgrade or downgrade facility. On the other hand, Mint Mobile offers 3, 6, and 12-month plans, which might be a disadvantage for the new users who don’t want to enter any contractual terms.
But, as already said, there are certain places where Tello lacks and needs improvement. One such is its unlimited data plan and network coverage. Mint customers can access 5G or 4G for their first 35GB but the limit drops to 25GB in the case of Tello Mobile.
Overall, both providers are good choices for customers looking for low-cost phone plans. If you want to learn more about these two carriers, please check our Tello vs Mint Mobile comparison.
Tello Customer Service
One cannot assume Tello Review without discussing the customer service. Unarguably, customer support is a vital concept to discuss before making any decision about the switch.
No matter how good the network is and how affordable are the plans, you cannot get the best experience if the telecom provider doesn’t listen to your complaints.
So, if customer service is your base for making the final choice, then there’s no need to worry about it as Tello gets positive reviews from its customers and with good reason, Tello obtains 4.4 out of 5 on review site Trustpilot for more tha 8,500 customer reviews, so it is a trustworthy mobile service. You can connect with them round the clock on the phone via text or call, depending on your preference. Customers can also send them an email stating their query; however, this might take a bit longer than other methods.
Alternatively, you can chat with their agents online to fix the query instantly. You can connect with them at
What are the alternatives to Tello?
Frequently Asked Questions
Many people want to know if Tello is good. Yes, absolutely. Tello has a strong reputation in the market for offering cheap plans and deals, without compromising the quality of service. Every Tello plan includes unlimited text and minutes, along with free international calling to more than 60 countries. On the service review site Trustpilot, Tello gets 4.5 out of 5 with most of are 5 star reviews.
Tello is an MVNO that used to run on Sprint’s 4G LTE network, but since T-Mobile has now acquired the Sprint, Tello is currently operating on T-Mobile’s nationwide network to ease the users.
Yes. Tello supports 5G services and offers 5G speeds on all its plans. However, your speed will be reduced to 2G once you have finished using all your plan’s data. To resume high-speed, you need to add the pay As You Go credit or upgrade the plan.
Getting a Tello Sim Card isn’t much of a hassle and you can easily visit the Phone page, enter your IMEI, and follow up on the prompts. When you buy a Tello SIM, you will get a Sim card in all sizes, including mini, micro, and nano sizes to fit your device.
Yes, if you have Tello SIM Card and Wi-Fi calling is enabled on your Tello App, you can make and receive calls on a local Wi-Fi connection. Wi-Fi Calling is offered for free and the calls come out of your monthly allowance. You can use Wifi-calling in the US and while abroad. You will be charged the same as if you were in the US with your regular plan minutes.
Any GSM device free of contract phone is compatible with Tello. You can check if your phone works on Tello’s network by input your IMEI number on its website (Dial *#06# on your phone and you’ll receive the IMEI code). And besides, you need to make sure your device is unlocked and free of contract. Actually, most unlocked T-Mobile, AT&T, Cricket Wireless, Simple Mobile, and Straight Talk phones work with Tello; and many unlocked 4G LTE phones on Verizon network may also work with Tello. As Tello’s official website says , most models sold on the US market will activate on Tello’s network.
Yes, you can keep your present number and port in to Tello. First you’ will need to order a Tello sim card and plan, Once you receive your sim card and successfully activate your Tello SIM, then you can port in your own phone number.
Tello works with GSM devices. Any unlocked GSM-compatible phones work with Tello. You can enter your IMEI number (Dial *#06# on your phone and you’ll receive the IMEI code) on its website to check if your phone is compatible with Tello.
Tello does not have a shop, you need to buy its SIM card online from Tello website. You need to verify device compatibility via its device checker and then buy SIM online. You will receive a 3-in-1 SIM card to fit any type of compatible phone.
Final Verdict
So, that’s all about Tello Wireless reviews. We hope this detailed Tello phone service review will help you learn about the MVNO and let you make an informed choice. It’s no denying Tello is one of the most suitable options for those looking for simple and budget-friendly phone plans at no extra charges. If you are looking for best Tello Mobile deal, you can check our Tello coupons page to find the best discount.
However, there are certain things that you have to sacrifice after switching to this network, including roaming. The network is a bit patchy in rural areas, which might be an added disadvantage.
Overall, Tello is a great choice for budget-savvy customers and helps you stay connected with your relatives abroad. Switch to the network and create your plans catering to your needs and budget.