Tello is one of the most unique carriers on the market, as they allow you to mix and match between how many minutes and GB you get in your plan. They provide their network services through T-Mobile, which offers the widest 5G coverage in the country. Tello offers several different plans, but which plan is best for you?
In this article, we’ll cover:
Unsure of what you need out of a phone plan? Read our guide on how to choose the best one to suit your needs.
Tello allows you to customize your plan with the amount of data and minutes you need.
What makes Tello unique from their competitors is that they offer customizable plans with their services. You can mix and match the amount of data with the number of minutes you get, but you get hotspot access and unlimited texting no matter what amounts you choose. Each version of the plan offers a different price. Tello is also deprioritized, which means your data will slow down in times of high traffic congestion. This could be in a sports stadium or a busy store.
Their plans offer up to 4k Ultra HD resolution when streaming. Tello plans offer international talking services if you purchase minutes.
As Tello is an MVNO, they buy coverage from one of the main network providers with their own infrastructure – specifically T-Mobile, while others buy from AT&T and Verizon.
T-Mobile is widely considered some of the best 5G coverage nationally, but the best coverage for you comes down to your location. It’s important to compare between providers on a coverage map of your specific city. Ookla’s coverage map allows you to see where cellular towers are located and which company owns them. Comparing tower locations can help you determine which of the big 3 network providers meet your needs.
Tello offers several different data and minute options with their plans.
With each data option Tello offers, you can choose a different amount of minutes at a unique price. All plans come with hotspot access and unlimited texts, no matter what you choose. The average phone user uses about 20GB of data per month, so their unlimited plans are the best option for most people.
Let’s talk about each Tello plan individually, and what they offer for their customers.
As the biggest plan Tello offers, this plan offers 25GB of full speed data before slowing to 64 kilobits per second (kbps). At 64 kbps, the data is practically unusable and WiFi is necessary. You also get hotspot access that stops once you hit the full speed cap.
The plan costs $29 per month, no matter if you choose unlimited minutes or a specific amount. At this rate, you get 25GB at $1.16 per GB.
Pros: price
Cons: data slows down after cap
The 10GB plan is the biggest limited data allotment that Tello offers. Like the other plans, you get hotspot access until the cap and data speeds slow to 64 kbps when you run out of full speed data.
The plan costs $24 per month with unlimited minutes. At the unlimited minutes rate, you get 10GB at $2.40 per GB.
Here is the price breakdown for the varying minute allotments:
No minutes: $20, $2 per GB
100 minutes: $21, $2.10 per GB
300 minutes: $22, $2.20 per GB
500 minutes: $23, $2.30 per GB
Pros: hotspot access, several minutes options
Cons: limited hotspot access
Conclusion: best for light data users
This Tello plan offers 5GB of full speed data, then 64kbps speeds. You also get hotspot access until you run out of data for the month.
The plan costs $19 per month with unlimited minutes. At this rate, you get 5GB at $3.80 per GB.
Here is the price breakdown for the varying minute allotments:
No minutes: $15, $3 per GB
100 minutes: $16, $3.20 per GB
300 minutes: $17, $3.40 per GB
500 minutes: $18, $3.60 per GB
Pros: hotspot access, several minutes options
Cons: price
Conclusion: best for lighter data users
Tello offers 2GB with this plan, and speeds slows to 64 kbps once you run out of that amount. You also get hotspot access until you hit the cap.
The plan costs $14 per month with unlimited minutes. At this rate, you get 2GB at $7 per GB.
Here is the price breakdown for the varying minute allotments:
No minutes: $10, $5 per GB.
100 minutes: $11, $5.50 per GB
300 minutes: $12, $6 per GB
500 minutes: $13, $6.50
Pros: hotspot access, several minutes options
Cons: more expensive than other plans
Conclusion: best for lighter data users
You get 1GB with this plan, which slows to 64 kbps once you hit the cap. You also get hotspot access with this data until you run out.
The plan costs $10 per month with unlimited minutes.
Here is the price breakdown for the varying minute allotments:
No minutes: $6
100 minutes: $7
300 minutes: $8
500 minutes: $9
Pros: hotspot access, several minutes options
Cons: more expensive than other plans
Conclusion: best for lightest data users
This plan offers 0.5GB per month, or 500MB. Data slows to 64 kbps, like their other plans. You can use your data as hotspot access, and access stops at the cap.
The plan costs $9 per month with unlimited minutes. At this rate, you get 500MB at $18 per GB.
Here is the price breakdown for the varying minute allotments:
No minutes: $5, $10 per GB
100 minutes: $6, $12 per GB
300 minutes: $7, $14 per GB
500 minutes: $8, $16 per GB
Pros: hotspot access, several minutes options
Cons: more expensive than other plans
Conclusion: best for lightest data users
Obviously, this is the smallest plan Tello offers. You don’t get any data, but still get unlimited texting. You can choose how many minutes you get each month, and you don’t get hotspot access.
The plan costs $8 per month with unlimited minutes, $7 with 500 minutes, $6 with 300 minutes, and $5 with 100 minutes.
Pros: price
Cons: no hotspot access
Conclusion: best for light phone users and those with consistent WiFi
Tello allows an unlimited number of lines on one account, and users can mix and match the amount of minutes and GB they get with each line. All plans come with unlimited text.
Tello offers several features their users can take advantage of, which include:
There are several ways to contact their customer support lines:
If you’re looking for a limited data plan with Tello, the unlimited minutes versions of their plans offer the best deal. The limited minutes don’t offer a huge difference in terms of price. Their Unlimited plan with unlimited minutes is the best option over all, as they offer all included features as well as the best price per GB.
To have a comprehensive picture of how much data you use month to month and what plan you need, we’d recommend checking your data usage before committing to a plan.
Are you still unsure if you want to go with a Tello plan? Use really.com to compare your top choices and find the best deal to fit your needs. Really allows you to compare and sort between most phone plans on the market without the hassle!