Pros
- Great value at an affordable price
Cons
- Runs on Sprint network that ranks third out of four big competitors (Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile)
- It restricts the kinds of phones allowed on its network as its hardware is not compatible with all handsets
Overview
With prepaid mobile plans starting at rates as low as $35, Boost makes an excellent buy for most homeowners. Sprint network confirms that Boost gets the same service and data priority as its customers, thus users don't have to worry about being deprioritized.
Price, Fees, and Plan Options
It is perhaps the most outstanding feature of Boost Mobile. It offers incredibly affordable rates for prepaid mobile options and unlimited data. To begin with, it has a tiered 3 GB high-speed monthly data plan for $ 35 only that comes with 411 directory experience, unlimited talk, and texts. Users who enroll for the auto pay option can enjoy a discount as they pay $ 30 a month. Additionally, those who exceed the standard allowed limit are relegated to 2G speeds, but they can improve them by buying an additional 2GB for $10 or $ 5. The $30 monthly plan also offers an extra 1GB during weekends, which means users enjoy 7GB of data a month.
It also has a $50 unlimited plan that slows down after using 2.3 GB and restricts video streaming to 480p resolution. Users who want to stream high-definition videos have to pay an additional $ 20 charge. This plan provides people with 5GB unlimited data, which adds to the 4GB weekend bonus, making it the best plan for its value. Boost mobile also boasts a low-priced unlimited family plan for four users at $140. Users who don't want unlimited data included in the package can pay $ 125 for the same plan, which also provides unlimited talk and text, as well as 2GB of data per person.
Boost Mobile also features a $60-month plan that also offers an extra 2GB for unlimited data, text, and talks. The weekend data bonus feature brings the total to 11GB. However, instead of the 2.3 GB data cap, the limit is increased to 5 GB of the 3G and 4G speeds. Users can use their phones as Wi-Fi hotspots on both plans, though they are restricted to 8GB on the unlimited plan. They may also add up to five lines on every plan with each additional line after the first costing $30 per month.
Note that Sprint has a nationwide network for 3G and 4G speeds, but users should verify the coverage in their respective areas.
Boost Mobile also features daily and weekly plans:
- $2/Day Plan for people with ordinary phones (not a smartphone) and wish to pay for the particular days they use the service. The package features unlimited data, text, talk, as well as call waiting and forwarding and voicemail.
- $3/Day Plan, which is similar to the two-dollar day plan but is reserved for smartphone users; the plan also provides unlimited text, data, and talk for only $ 3.
- $10/Week Plan is the cheapest package, though it comes at irregular seven days billing periods. It allows users to enjoy 1GB of data, unlimited texts, and calls. People who don't like the 30-day plan or are looking for a short-term solution can sign up for this plan.
Coverage and Quality
Since Boost operates on Sprint network, its coverage is limited, trailing behind other prepaid carriers like MetroPCS and Virgin Mobile. It has download and upload speeds of 16.8 Mbps and 6.7 Mbps, as well as a sluggish app-download average that lasts two minutes and seventeen seconds. Video streams are restricted to 480p resolution, featuring most DVD-grade resolution that is rather blurry. Audio downloads are optimized for 500kbps, which is extremely high-quality compared to most MP3s that stream at 128 kbps.
Selection of Mobile Handsets
Boost Mobile prepaid plans are limited to iOS and Android devices, though there are a few basic phones included; Blackberry and Windows users may not enjoy this service. The carrier provides most of these iOS and Android supported handsets at a pretty affordable price and users don't have to pay for the activation fee. However, those who bring their handsets pay a ten-dollar fee for activation. Once the user picks a phone and a suitable plan, he goes through the checkout process, and the phone is shipped to his premises for free.
Boost restricts users to the type of prepaid phones they can activate as only Sprint-capable devices are allowed. As such, most people are compelled to purchase a new phone from Boost if they want to enjoy its services and are not allowed to transfer to a new provider.
Additional Features
- Boost's auto-pay feature gives it an edge over its competitors as it offers a five-dollar discount on the user's monthly bill. Additionally, users on the auto pay plan enjoy a free gigabyte of data since Boost charges $ 5 for every additional gigabyte of 4G LTE high-speed data.
- Boost joined the growing list of cell phone companies that provide music streaming for free without being charged on the data cap. The 3GB plan also allows unlimited streaming music from Pandora and Spotify. Google Play Music and Apple Music do not feature in this package.
- Boost Mobile also provides a mobile hotspot for all prepaid phone plans for free, a feature that makes it stand out from rivals like Cricket that charges $ 10.
- The provider does not provide for international calls and messaging in all its prepaid plans, hence users have to pay an additional $5 or $ 10 per month, depending on the countries they need to call.
