Total Wireless vs. Simple Mobile – A Detailed Comparison
With multiple plans and affordable rates, Total Wireless and Simple Mobile offer several budget choices for users, but they have notably different features. So, which of the two would suit you best?
Over the last several decades, dependence on phones, especially cell phones, and internet has grown in what would be called exponential trajectory. For this reason, the need to find a plan that provides talk, text and data services at an affordable rate has become intense. Total Wireless and Simple Mobile are among the most prominent and widely preferred budget mobile carriers, and for good reason. Below is a detailed comparison of the two.
Table of Contents
When to use Total Wireless
As one of the most affordable and reliable mobile carriers in the country, Total Wireless provides mobile services for users who have high talk, text and data needs, but who also happen to be on a budget. It comes with a total of 6 plans that bear different features, and that are suited for both individual and family use. Seeing as it is pretty affordable, it makes an ideal match for people looking for commendable services at affordable rates.
When to use Simple Mobile
Just like Total Wireless, Simple Mobile comes as a budget mobile carrier that offers call, text and data solutions to people who are constantly on the phone, but on a budget. Its plans are conveniently affordable, making it easy to choose a plan that works well. Notable, however, is the fact that Simple Mobile only comes with individual plans, making it an unsuitable option for families and for individuals looking to run multiple lines.
Total Wireless vs. Simple Mobile Features Comparison
Feature |
Total Wireless |
Simple Mobile |
Network Type |
MVNO |
MVNO |
Number of Plans |
6 |
5 |
Monthly Subscriptions |
$23 – $95 |
$25 – $60 |
Mobile Hotspot |
Available |
Available |
Action |
Total Wireless vs. Simple Mobile – What Criteria did we use to evaluate them?
To determine the better mobile carrier of the two, we based our research on the number of plans that clients get access to, and the amount of money they need to part with to enjoy the services. In addition, we narrowed our research down to the quality and speed of internet offered, as well as dependability of the same. In addition, we sought to find out which mobile carrier of the two boasts better nationwide coverage.
Total Wireless vs. Simple Mobile – A Detailed Review
Total Wireless Review
As earlier mentioned, Total Wireless is easily one of the most common budget mobile carriers in the country, and has made a name for itself as a reliable and affordable option for both individuals and families. It operates as an MVNO (Mobile Virtual Network Operator), meaning that it depends on larger mobile carrier towers to transmit their network.
Since their tower maintenance fee is eliminated, it makes the MVNOs pretty cheap, a characteristic that propels their popularity. To make sure that everyone is included in the bracket, Total Wireless comes with a list of 6 plans. They are split into two; individual and family plans. With individual plans, you can only register and run one line at a time, while family plans work as a group of 2 to 4 lines. They are broken down below.
Total Wireless Individual Plans
Number of Lines |
Data Provided |
Monthly Subscription Fee |
1 |
Unlimited text and call only |
$23.70 |
1 |
Unlimited call and text with 5 GB data |
$33.20 |
1 |
Unlimited text and call with 25 GB data |
$47.50 |
Total Wireless Family Plans
Number of lines |
Data Provided |
Monthly Subscription Fee |
2 |
Unlimited full speed data up to 30 GB and unlimited call and text |
$57.00 |
3 |
Unlimited full speed data up to 60 GB and unlimited call and text |
$80.70 |
4 |
Unlimited full speed data up to 100 GB and unlimited call and text |
$95.00 |
One of the main downsides to using Total Wireless is that mobile hotspot is not available on every plan. In addition, users experience a significant drop in data speeds from 4G to 2G when the provided data limit in each plan is exceeded. In addition, data deprioritization happens when you are in a crowded area and during peak hours.
Feature |
|
Number of available plans |
6 |
Network Type |
MVNO |
Mobile Hotspot |
Available |
Pros
- The plans are affordable
- Family and individual plans
- Great national coverage
Cons
- Data deprioritization
Simple Mobile Review
Pretty much like Total Wireless, Simple Mobile comes as a conveniently priced mobile carrier that also provides an impressive number of plans to choose from for regular use. It also operates as an MVNO, meaning that its network is transmitted through other mobile carriers’ towers, making it pretty affordable.
Unlike Total Wireless that comes with plans which cover both individual and family users, Simple Mobile only comes with plans that are tailored for individuals. With this kind of arrangement, you will find that it is hard to operate multiple lines within the same plan. Below is a list of available individual plans.
Simple Mobile Individual Plans
Number of Lines |
Plan Name |
Features |
1 |
$20 Plan |
Unlimited calls and SMS + 3GB |
1 |
$30 Plan |
Unlimited calls and SMS + 2GB |
1 |
$40 Plan |
Unlimited calls and SMS + 12GB |
1 |
$50 Plan (Truly Unlimited) |
480p streaming, 10GB hotspot |
1 |
$60 Plan (Truly Unlimited) |
720p streaming, 4G speeds |
One point worth noting is that Simple Mobile works as a prepaid service, and users are required to pay for services beforehand. The shortest subscription period lasts 30 days, but there are those that stretch even longer.
As expected, Simple Mobile comes with data capping, meaning that internet speeds drop from 4G to 2G when the provided limit is exceeded. If, however, you subscribe to one of the Truly Unlimited plans, you get to enjoy unlimited speeds throughout the duration of your subscription.
Feature |
|
Number of available plans |
3 |
Network Type |
MVNO |
Mobile Hotspot |
Available |
Pros
- Comes with multiple plans from which to choose
- Pretty affordable
- Ideal for individuals
Cons
- No family plans
- Data capping
Total Wireless vs. Simple Mobile – How do they compare?
Number of available plans
With Simple Mobile, users only gain access to 5 plans, and even though this is a commendable number, they are only ideal for individual use. Total Wireless, on the other hand, presents a total of 6 affordable plans, and they are made for both individual and family use.
Aside from having more plans to choose from, Total Wireless also comes with plans that cover both family and individual users, making it a better mobile carrier than Simple Mobile.
Data Prices
With Total Wireless, $100 gets you 100GB for use within one month, but Simple Mobile take the game a notch higher, providing unlimited data for a maximum of $60 per month.
Simple Mobile gives its users better data rates, allowing them more data for less, and this makes it better than Total Wireless.
Mobile Hotspot
When it comes to Hotspot, Total Wireless provides its users with up to 10GB LTE data which can be used to catch up on a movie or desired program. Simple Mobile users also have access to the same amount of data as Total Wireless, allowing for use when desired.
Since Total Wireless and Simple Mobile offer the same amount of mobile hotspot data, they are placed on equal footing in this regard.
Conclusion
Both Total Wireless and Simple Mobile offer plans that are ideally meant to offer a good deal of talk, SMS and data for users at prices that are considered affordable. However, Total Wireless ranks higher than Simple Mobile for the fact that it comes with plans that are ideal for both individual and family use, and they are also pretty affordable. The combination of these features makes it a better mobile carrier than Simple Mobile.
FAQs
-
Which major mobile carrier supports Simple Mobile?
It is supported by T-Mobile.
-
Can I get subsidized cell phones at Total Wireless?
Yes, you can.