Optimum Mobile Review

Optimum Mobile offers four mobile phone plans, and the price is a steal compared to options from the big three mobile providers. Getting discounts for bundling with internet service can be difficult, but there’s a good chance you can find an option right for your needs and budget.

If you use your phone mostly on Wi-Fi, the 1GB and 3GB plans are a great deal, but they don’t qualify for internet discounts. If you plan to use your smartphone when you’re not at home or work, the Unlimited and Unlimited Max plans are reasonably priced and come with bundle discounts. All plans come with unlimited talk and text messaging, and you get a certain amount of high-speed data on each. After you reach those soft data caps, speeds slow to a crawl.

Let’s get into it.

How good is Optimum Mobile service?

We like Optimum’s low prices and simple options, and it uses the best 5G network in the nation. You get multi-line discounts, but you’re maxed out at five lines per account. On its face, Optimum Mobile is cheap mobile service served straight up.

But before you can finish placing your order, you’ll run into some confusion around Optimum’s deals and prices. You might be charged an extra $20 per month if you don’t have Optimum internet service, and it’s almost impossible to make sense of deals in the cart. Also, you have to opt into paperless billing and autopay to get advertised prices, and you’ll also see a pesky $20 activation fee on the final screen.

After you sign up, Optimum Internet and Optimum Mobile are billed and managed separately, but it’s up to you to link them so you can qualify for discounts.

So how good is Optimum Mobile service? The prices are good, and the network is solid, but the advertisements and billing policies may leave a sour taste in your mouth.

Pros

• Simple plans and low prices
• Free calling and browsing on Wi-Fi
• 5G access included on all plans

Cons

• Confusing bundle deals
• Lackluster online customer service
• Required autopay and paperless billing

Optimum Mobile plans

Optimum offers four mobile plans, and all have unlimited calling and texting. The premium plan, Unlimited Max, gives you 50GB of data before speeds slow. That’s more than enough for most folks, even if they use their phones on the go. You also get HD video quality with that plan. The other Unlimited plan costs less, but you get only 20GB of data before slowdowns, and you’re limited to SD quality for streaming video. Both plans earn you a discount on internet services from Optimum.

The other two plans are super cheap but have very little data and only SD video quality. They’re a nice option if you rarely use your phone without Wi-Fi, but they may be frustrating if you’re a regular user of map apps or streaming services away from home. You can get more data at $6 per gigabyte (which is a little pricey). These plans don’t provide discounts on internet service.

With any mobile plan, you can add a subscription to HBO’s MAX streaming service for $16.99 monthly. You can also save $15 per line when you add a second line or $20 per line when you add four lines. You max out at five lines per account.

Optimum Mobile tech

Optimum piggybacks on the T-Mobile network, which means great 5G coverage and decent 4G LTE coverage further out. Optimum also lets you use Wi-Fi data, so you can save on data and enhance call quality by logging into private networks at home or at work. You can also save on data by signing into more than one million free Optimum hotspots using your Optimum login credentials. Browse the Optimum hotspot map.

It’s worth noting that traffic from Optimum customers is theoretically deprioritized relative to T-Mobile customer traffic, but it’s nothing to worry about. Your smartphone model and your distance from the nearest tower are both more important influences on the quality of service.

Phones and devices

Optimum Mobile supports fewer phones than competing services. You can use iPhones (SE, 6 and above), Motorola, and some Samsung devices. Check compatibility before you sign up using your IMEI.

The latest devices allow you to use an e-SIM, so you don’t need a physical SIM card. You can get a physical SIM card if your device doesn’t have that feature.

Optimum has a $45 tablet plan but it is expensive, and there are no separate plans for smartwatches. We recommend connecting Bluetooth-enabled devices to your Optimum plan using your personal hotspot data.

Our verdict on Optimum mobile phone plans

You might be happy with Optimum Mobile if you can also get Optimum internet and don’t mind online customer service and strict rules around autopay and paperless billing. Just plan to jump through some hoops upfront, be aware of regular price hikes on companion internet plans, and remember to check your account regularly.

If that sounds like a drag but you still want to save money on your mobile bill every month, you might have a better experience with another budget provider such as Cricket or Boost Mobile.

Optimum home phone service

You can add Optimum home phone service to your Optimum internet plan for $25 per month. You get free local and long-distance calling in the U.S., Canada, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico. You also get free 411 calls, free voicemail, free caller ID on your TV (if you have an Optimum TV subscription), and enhanced 911 service.

You can add up to three lines for $14.95 each per month.

Optimum home phone plans

Our verdict on home phone plans

We don’t recommend Optimum’s home phone service for most people, but it might be right for you if you do a lot of international calling or want to take advantage of all the available extras like free 411 and enhanced 911.

Optimum home phone service is more expensive than most basic mobile phone plans, and you need Optimum internet to sign up for Optimum home phone. If you already have Optimum internet, you can solve most call quality issues by signing in to your Wi-Fi network with your smartphone.

That said, we know some people prefer plain old telephone service. If it’s a choice between home phone service from Optimum and a copper landline from a company like AT&T, go with Optimum. Your cable or fiber internet service will be more reliable than DSL, and it won’t be at risk of being ripped out as AT&T goes all in on 5G and fiber internet services.