Xfinity Senior Cell Phone Plans

Pros and Cons

The Buying Experience With Xfinity Mobile

The Basics

You may have noticed a number of cheap new cellular carriers sprouting up in the past few years. They’re called mobile virtual network operators, or MVNOs for short, and they’re inexpensive because they don’t operate their own cellular towers; they rent them out from other carriers, which means they can pass the savings onto us.

Xfinity Mobile piggybacks off Verizon’s towers, which happen to have the best 4G/LTE coverage in the U.S., according to the FCC’s mobile broadband map. And because Xfinity is owned by Comcast, users also enjoy access to Comcast’s 19 million Wi-Fi hotspots. When you’re in range of a hotspot, Xfinity will connect you to the Wi-Fi network automatically, saving you data and trimming your monthly bill.

Purchasing an Xfinity Mobile Plan In-Store

Do you like human assistants when you’re shopping? Sometimes we all do. Xfinity has them at 300 brick-and-mortar locations. A store visit will make sense if you’re skittish about online payments or prefer a little TLC when you’re transferring your phone number to another carrier.

On the other hand, many of us haven’t gone back to our pre-pandemic shopping routines and prefer online shopping.2 Xfinity has stepped up with plenty of online tools to help us make informed decisions about our new cellular service before we sign on the dotted line, such as their nifty savings calculator, which actually helped me find the best Xfinity plan for my family in seconds.

Signing up for Xfinity Mobile Online

Log in to Your Xfinity Account or Sign up for Xfinity Internet

It’s important to know that Xfinity Mobile plans are for Xfinity internet customers only. I happen to have an Xfinity internet plan, so my first step was to log in to my Xfinity account. So far, so good.

Xfinity's phone compatibility checker will tell you if you can bring your phone when you switch.

Check Your Current Phone (or Buy a New One)

Step two was making sure my lovable workhorse iPhone 7 was compatible with Xfinity Mobile. I was in luck, but you might not be. Xfinity’s bring your own phone list isn’t extensive. In fact, it’s limited to Apple, Samsung, Motorola, and Google Pixel phones at the moment. This isn’t the end of the world.

If your phone isn’t on that list, you’ll need to buy a new one. Check out our senior-friendly Xfinity Mobile phone suggestions below for some help with that. For a wide-angle view, don’t miss our top-rated senior cell phones for 2023.

Xfinity Mobile’s savings calculator will show you the best plan for your money in seconds.

Choose Your Xfinity Mobile Plan

Xfinity Mobile’s two main plans are pretty simple at first glance. I could either go with their Unlimited plan or I could “pay by the gig.” But there are mix-and-match options I wasn’t aware of, too, which is why I’m glad I used the savings calculator.

In my case, the Unlimited 3 Lines plan was the best fit. I liked that I was saving money per line by adding more lines and getting all the data I needed for my entire phone-carrying household for $100 per month. Your household may be different, so take the time to run the savings calculator before you purchase your Xfinity Mobile plan.

Ordering Your SIM

This is the easiest part of the Xfinity Mobile signup process. After I purchased my plan (all major credit cards accepted), my SIM arrived in the mail in a few days. Once I had it, online activation took just a few minutes. Don’t forget to have your old carrier details handy. And remember, if it all goes sideways, you can always get in-person help at an Xfinity retail store in your area.

Choosing a Cell Phone

So I had my SIM, and my phone was compatible. If yours isn’t, you can either buy a phone on your own (just make sure it’s not tied to another plan) or buy a phone from Xfinity Mobile. In either case, you’re going to have to go with a smartphone.

I know what you may be thinking: “If I switch to Xfinity Mobile, my flip phone goes with me!” But bear with me here. Android and Apple smartphones come with some pretty terrific accessibility features these days for smoother senior experiences. Plus, with a budget smartphone, you’ll enjoy all the latest phone, video, and display specs without breaking the bank.

Motorola Moto g 5G

Motorola Moto G 5G

The Motorola Moto g 5G is $9.99 per month, or you can pay the full price, which is $239.99. If you’re tired of constantly recharging your phone, you can actually go two days without having to charge this smartphone.

Equipped with 5G high-speed connectivity, a 50 MP triple camera system, and other features, like a water-repellent design, this phone is durable and great for older adults who are on the go.

Benefits for older adults:

• Bluetooth connectivity
• Face unlock and fingerprint reader features
• M3/T3 hearing aid compatibility
• 64 GB built-in storage

iPhone SE (2nd Generation)

Apple iPhone SE

Can’t live without your iPhone? Neither can I. The Apple iPhone SE (2nd Generation) is one of my favorite unlocked phones for seniors. More good news: If you have an SE (or any other compatible iPhone model), you can bring it with you when you switch to Xfinity Mobile. Even if you don’t, you can buy one from Xfinity Mobile for $14.58 per month over 24 months. Is it worth it? I’d say if you’re a power user or the family videographer, then yes, paying more for an iPhone with its retina display, hundreds of apps, and hi-res cameras might make sense.

Benefits for older adults:

• M3/T4 hearing aid compatible
• Built-in voice assistant
• FaceTime video calling
• High-quality cameras
• Retina HD display for eyes that tire easily
• Wireless charging

Nationwide Coverage

As mentioned previously, Xfinity Mobile uses Verizon’s towers, and Verizon is the king of the hill when it comes to 4G/LTE coverage. Verizon covers about 99 percent of the U.S. population, while AT&T and T-Mobile both fall shy of 60 percent. Sprint, meanwhile, pulls up the rear with under 30 percent of the pie.

Verizon’s 5G, on the other hand, lags a little behind the rest of the major carriers. But between you and me, you might not actually need 5G. In fact, you probably won’t even feel that much of a difference unless you’re in a city right next to a 5G tower.3

And the truth is, 5G can be an extra hassle. You need a 5G phone, and they don’t come cheap. 4G should do you just fine.

Contracts and Warranty

Contracts

Xfinity Mobile plans come with no contracts. It’s pay-as-you-go, with no commitments, which is a double-edged sword. The flexibility to come and go as you please means you pay less upfront with Xfinity. On the other hand, as I noted when I tested Mint Mobile, paying for up to a year of Mint Mobile’s service at once reduced my monthly bill significantly.

If you decide you don’t want to continue with Xfinity Mobile and you cancel within the first 30 days, you just need to return your phone (if you bought one). You’re entitled to a full refund. If you cancel your Xfinity service after 30 days, you need to pay for the current month, plus anything you still owe on your phone and a $35 restocking fee.

Warranty

Any device you purchase through Xfinity Mobile comes with a 12-month warranty. However, your warranty covers only manufacturer defects (problems with the hardware). If you have an accident, like you crack the screen or drop your phone in the toilet, you’re not covered.

For accidental damage and loss coverage, including a cheap $29 screen repair, Xfinity Mobile offers a Mobile Protection Plan starting at $7 per month.

Xfinity Mobile Senior Phone Plans at a Glance

Xfinity Mobile doesn’t have any just-for-seniors mobile plans like T-Mobile’s 55+ packages, where you can score an unlimited 4G plan (data, talk, and text) with two lines for $70 per month, no annual contract required. Likewise, you won’t find Lively’s Jitterbug Flip2, our top senior-friendly smartphone of the year, on their BYOP list.

Xfinity Mobile plans are more selective and can be a tad more expensive, but they do offer one perk that practically all the competition can’t: discounted bundles with blazing-fast internet, TV, and telephone service. So if you’re serious about switching to Xfinity, you’ll definitely want to check out Xfinity’s internet plans, too.

Unlimited Plans

You can add up to 10 lines with an Unlimited plan, and prices per line continue to decrease the more lines you add. Below is a snapshot of plans for up to five lines.

Note that for all Xfinity Mobile’s Unlimited plans:

• Maximum download speed on personal hotspots is 600 kbps.
• LTE streaming is standard definition (480p).
• High-resolution streaming requires a 5G connection.

By the Gig (Shared Data) Plans

Note that for all Xfinity Mobile’s By the Gig plans:

• Account holders can share data with other users on the same account.
• LTE streaming is high definition (720p for phones, 1080p for tablets).
• LTE Data Saver mode saves data by limiting streaming quality and slowing speeds when connected to personal hotspots.

General features

Talk and text is unlimited with all plans, a plus with Xfinity Mobile. 5G is also available with both plans, where coverage is available. Also note that the more lines (Unlimited plan) or data (By the Gig plan) you pay for, the more you save monthly.

Xfinity Mobile Plan Details

Xfinity Mobile Unlimited Plans for Power Users

Cost

The more lines you add with Xfinity Mobile, the cheaper your cost per line will be. To limit the variables and make this useful, I’m going to calculate monthly fees based on a family of two. Xfinity Mobile’s Unlimited Plus 2 Lines plan would come out to $80 per month. (If you’re on your own, you’d pay $45 per month for the Unlimited Intro plan.)

This is about $40 more per month than a senior-friendly T-Mobile 55+ plan for one line with unlimited data. (Xfinity will start to throttle, or slow, your speeds at 20 GB.) But if you’re a heavy user, Xfinity Mobile will probably be the handier traveling companion due to its 19 million Wi-Fi hotspots. This means that even if you hit your monthly data cap, you can keep using your phone on the go. T-Mobile plans are unlimited, but they do not offer public hotspots like Xfinity.

Plan Features

If you’re shopping for an unlimited prepaid plan, you probably do a lot of uploading (photo and video), streaming, and emailing on the go. Generally speaking, if you use your phone to pass the time at the park or download the occasional grandkid pic, you wouldn’t need Xfinity Mobile’s unlimited plan.

Xfinity Mobile’s Unlimited plans come with unlimited talk and text, but so do a lot of the plans from the competition. Where Xfinity Mobile stands out is with its 19 million Wi-Fi hotspots across the country, which stretch their plans further. Xfinity Mobile Unlimited plans also allow Wi-Fi calling, so you won’t rack up roaming charges if you’re calling abroad.

Xfinity Mobile By The Gig Plans for Lighter Users

Cost

If you’re a family of two without a huge data habit, I’d recommend focusing on Xfinity Mobile’s By the Gig plans. The savings here could be substantial. Here’s what I mean.

If you can get by on 10 GB of data per month split over two lines — and you probably can — you’d be looking at a monthly bill of $60. Not only are you saving $20 per month over an Xfinity Unlimited plan, you’re paying even less than you would with T-Mobile’s seniors-only 55+ Magenta plan! And, don’t forget, you can save another $10 per month if you bundle in your internet and TV. Pretty sweet.

How does that stack up to other pay-by-the-gig plans? You can find cheaper options. Tello, a budget, no-contract carrier, advertises 4 GB packages with unlimited talk and text for $19 per month per line. Doing the math, two Tello lines would come out to just under $40 per month. Bump the data up to 6 GB and you’d be looking at $48 per month. However, neither of those plans comes with Xfinity’s free Wi-Fi hotspots or massive nationwide coverage.

Google Fi’s à la carte plans cost $18 per line for two lines for unlimited talk and text. For every gigabyte of data you add, you pay $10 more. So unless you’re really light users, you’d start paying more with Google Fi than you would with an Xfinity Mobile package by your second gigabyte.

Plan Features

Xfinity Mobile’s By the Gig plans offer pretty much the same service as their Unlimited counterparts. The only substantial differences are that personal hotspot speeds aren’t throttled (unless you want them to be, to save data) and you get high-definition streaming (up to 720p on phones).

Also keep in mind that if you have two or more users, you can divvy up your data between users however you want with Xfinity Mobile. That flexibility extends to upgrading or downgrading your plan. If you find that you’re not using all of your data consistently, you can downgrade to a package with less data and save even more.