Red Pocket vs. Mint: A Competitive Analysis
Are you looking for a new phone plan? Or are you trying to purchase a new phone on a marketplace with competitive prices?
Red Pocket Mobile and Mint Mobile are competitive options, providing a wide range of plans, a diverse selection of phones, and other unique benefits. Still, it can be tough to determine which is better when it's Red Pocket vs. Mint Mobile.
Want to figure out which phone provider is best for you without doing hours of research? Read on. We'll break down both Red Pocket and Mint in a competitive analysis.
Red Pocket Pros and Cons
In a hurry? You can check out these Red Pocket and Mint Mobile pros and cons to learn the best aspects of these cell phone plans:
The Pros:
- Excellent nationwide coverage
- Doesn't lock you into long-term contracts
- A selection of the latest phones
- Now offers financing plans
- Many phones are cheaper than competitors with a Red Pocket plan.
The Cons:
- No roaming services are available.
Mint Mobile Pros & Cons
Likewise, here are the pros and cons of switching to Mint Mobile.
The Pros:
- Offers 0% financing plans for some of the latest phones
- Some phone plans are cheaper since you sign up for many months at once
- Works with most GSM phones
The Cons:
- Only one type of family plan
- Minimum three-month commitment
Now, let’s look in-depth at how Red Pocket and Mint compare.
Red Pocket vs. Mint: Coverage
One of the big differences between Red Pocket and Mint Mobile upfront is found in their coverage.
Red Pocket operates on all three of the major networks, including AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon. In contrast, Mint Mobile’s network coverage is only powered by the T-Mobile network.
This means you'll have a better phone coverage map with Red Pocket than Mint Mobile in many cases. However, if you live in a metropolitan area and are primarily concerned with getting good coverage in the city, either of these options will serve you well.
Red Pocket vs. Mint: Pricing and Commitment
Of course, you'll also want to know the pricing differences between these phone plan providers before signing on the dotted line for either.
Lower Commitment With Red Pocket
While both providers offer no contract deals, the big price difference comes from the fact that Red Pocket only requires you to sign up on a month-to-month basis (though you can also sign up for cheaper annual plans). In contrast, Mint Mobile requires you to sign up for three months minimum.
At first glance, this makes Red Pocket's plans seem more expensive. For example, you can get a $20 per month plan with 5GB of data at 5G download speeds, unlimited data plan options, unlimited talk, and unlimited text messages from Red Pocket. Plus, Red Pocket has broader phone compatibility and free international calling as the cherry on top. Mint Mobile's cheapest plan is for three months at $15 per month for 4GB of data at 5G download speeds. However, users have to pay $45 upfront, and their plan renews at $75 — not the initial $45 offering.
When you consider the fact that Mint Mobile also offers six-month plans, things get a little trickier. For instance, Mint Mobile's cheap
Low Prices and More Features With Red Pocket
If you sign up with Red Pocket, you can benefit from rock-bottom prices, like $15 per month, paid annually at $180 per year. With this plan, you get everything Red Pocket offers, including 5G download speeds and 5GB of high-speed data every 30 days.
Mint Mobile's annual plans have similar prices and 5G download speeds but slightly fewer features compared to Red Pocket. In this way, both Red Pocket and Mint Mobile have similar prices when all is said and done – you just have to decide whether you want to sign up for three months at a time or prefer a month-to-month contract.
What About the Family Plan?
There's also a slight difference in family plan costs and line allowances. Red Pocket's family plan is $30 per month for the first line, but it gives you 10GB of high-speed Internet access for each line in the plan. Furthermore, you just pay $20 more per month for up to four additional lines or $50 total for up to five lines on a family plan.
Mint Mobile's family plan is cheap or upfront at $15 per month with a minimum of two lines. However, prices increase as you reach the five-line limit or maximum.
Furthermore, all videos stream at 480p on the family plan, and coverage isn't available in all areas. So while Mint Mobile's family plan is a little cheaper, it's not as versatile and flexible as the counterpart from Red Pocket.
Red Pocket vs. Mint: Key Features
The next major thing to consider is the feature differences between Red Pocket vs. Mint Mobile. There's a lot to consider:
- Red Pocket operates on the AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon networks, whereas Mint Mobile is only on the T-Mobile network.
- Red Pocket works with GSM phones and most CDMA phones, while Mint Mobile only works with some GSM phones
- Red Pocket doesn't require prepaid plans, while Mint Mobile requires you to pay for three months upfront.
- Mint Mobile offers international calls to Mexico and Canada, but Red Pocket offers worldwide calling to over 80 countries.
What Do Red Pocket and Mint Mobile Have in Common?
There are some similarities between Mint Mobile and Red Pocket as well.
These phone plan providers offer 5G connectivity with capable phones, 24/7 customer service, and international calling capabilities. You'll also get multi-month discounts and mobile hotspot options, Wi-Fi calling, and a seven-day money-back guarantee. Plus, you can keep your number and bring your old phone to the plan you choose from either of these service providers.
Data Coverage Fees: Who To Choose?
Notably, Red Pocket doesn't include any data overage fees. If you like to use the Internet even when you aren't connected to Wi-Fi, you'll be better off picking up a plan from Red Pocket to save on fees you would otherwise be charged.
However, Mint Mobile comes with Wi-Fi calling and texting and a free 3-in-1 SIM card with each plan subscription. They also have the option for Mint SIM, a mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) through the T-Mobile network.
Red Pocket vs. Mint: Phone Deals and Selection
Last but not least, we need to compare the phone deals and selections from Red Pocket and Mint Mobile.
New Phones
Both providers offer extensive selections of quality new phones, like the iPhone 14 Pro Max, the Apple iPhone SE, and so on. They also offer a wide range of Android phones, like the Samsung Galaxy S20 Plus, the Samsung Galaxy S10, and more.
Because of this, depending on your budget preferences, you can feel confident in getting a new mobile device or an older generation phone at Red Pocket and Mint Mobile. Red Pocket also lets you use most unlocked phones on our service, so you can bring your current GSM device with you, too.
Unique Phone Deals
That said, there are some different deals you can take advantage of. Previously, Red Pocket had limited financing options, but that's no longer the case. You can finance your phone purchase quite easily with Red Pocket. For example, you can purchase a new Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max with a financing option of $33.29 per month for 24 months. Shipping is also totally free.
For the same phone at Mint Mobile, you'll have to pay $1099 total with a financing plan option of $46 per month. As you can see, financing through Red Pocket is a little cheaper for the newest, most in-demand phones.
On top of that, Red Pocket allows you to decrease the price of your new phone purchases if you purchase a Red Pocket plan.
The same iPhone 14 Pro Max is just $799 after you apply for plan credit. So, if you're in the market for both a new phone plan and a new phone, it's better to go with Red Pocket as you'll be able to apply a significant discount to your new phone purchase.
That discount, furthermore, is without accounting for any phone trade-in credit that might apply. You can trade in your old phone for a potential discount, depending on which phone you want to purchase.
Add to that free shipping, and it's clear that Red Pocket has a superior selection of phones and plans.
Red Pocket vs. Mint: Ownership Status and the Future
There’s one more major difference between Red Pocket and Mint Mobile, and that’s Mint’s ownership status and how the future will likely shape up for these two providers.
In a nutshell, Mint Mobile was recently purchased by T-Mobile through its parent company, Ka’ena Corporation, for $1.35 billion. Over the next few months, the merger between T-Mobile and Mint Mobile will proceed. Although Mint Mobile has reassured its customers that its low prices will remain, namely the $15 per month plan, it’s also true that T-Mobile is likely to attempt price hikes later down the road.
Furthermore, T-Mobile has been subject to major data breaches in the past. This could compromise the personal info and financial security of Mint Mobile customers in the future, something that they are less than happy about.
In contrast, Red Pocket has remained steadfast in its goals and ownership status. Our company began in 2006, intending to be different from other wireless companies from the get-go. We’ve built our business model with values of choice, flexibility, and sustainability, even going so far as to allow customers to choose service on any of the top three networks.
We haven’t been acquired by T-Mobile, Verizon, or AT&T, and that’s not going to change. Given that fact, you can rest assured that your data will never be subject to the same data risks and security problems as others.
More importantly, we remain committed to offering affordable, premium wireless service in perpetuity.
Mobile Review Summary: Red Pocket vs. Mint
Ultimately, the competition between Red Pocket vs. Mint is close — or at least it used to be.
However, Red Pocket is a superior choice to Mint Mobile thanks to its diverse features, excellent selection of smartphones, stellar phone service, and high-quality plans.
Best of all, starting today, you can take advantage of Red Pocket – whether you want a phone plan for yourself or a family plan. Check out our phone plans or shop for phones on Red Pocket!
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