Red Pocket Mobile Review: 7 Things to Know Before You Sign Up

Red Pocket Mobile is a unique MVNO that leverages the 5G networks from all the nationwide carriers to provide fast and affordable service wherever you are. They have a variety of low-data plans available on a month-to-month basis as well as a year-long contract. Red Pocket Mobile brings affordable phone plans to the table, letting users on major wireless networks without having to pay the premium for their service. 

Our Red Pocket Mobile review will cover everything you need to know about this affordable MVNO, from cell phone plans to customer reviews and how it fares against the competition. 

Table of Contents:

• Plans and Pricing
• Services and Features
• Red Pocket Mobile Versus Competition
• Phone Options
• Customer Service
• Customer Reviews
• Red Pocket Mobile Review Summary 

Red Pocket Mobile Review: An Affordable MVNO for Low-Data Users Running on all 5G Networks

Red Pocket Mobile is best known for using all the major wireless carrier’s networks. Users can choose which network to use so you will have high-speed data wherever you are in the country. This is great for users who move around a lot and find that no one network provides the best coverage throughout your travels. If you live in one place having the choice is nice, but once you know which network is best in that area you can tailor your search around that network. Let’s dive deeper into our Red Pocket Mobile review to see what they offer. 

Here’s a little information about Red Pocket Mobile! 

• What sets Red Pocket Mobile apart? With so many MVNOs, it is important to know what sets Red Pocket Mobile apart before deciding on one over the rest. 
• What’s the price of Red Pocket Mobile plans? Red Pocket Mobile has four plans. They have a 1 GB plan, a 5 GB plan, a 10 GB plan, and a 25 GB plan. In terms of value, the Red Pocket Mobile plans do not provide a ton of data for the price you pay, but purchasing a year-long contract leads to better deals. 
• What kinds of plans does Red Pocket Mobile offer? Red Pocket Mobile offers a variety of plans, ranging from 1 GB per month up to 25 GB per month. All of their plans have unlimited talk and text, and all of their plans receive slow “unlimited” data if you run over your high-speed allocation. Red Pocket Mobile also offers a family plan, where each line receives a pool of 10 GB of high-speed data. 
• What network does Red Pocket Mobile use? Red Pocket Mobile runs on T-Mobile, Verizon, and AT&T networks. Due to their contracts with each and every major wireless company, Red Pocket Mobile’s network covers almost all of the continental United States, meaning you’ll get great coverage no matter where you are. While the exact numbers differ between the major wireless providers, the big three networks all provide fantastic coverage in the continental United States. 
• Can you bring your own cell phone? Yes! If you have a phone that works for you, you can bring your own device to Red Pocket Mobile. To bring your device onto Red Pocket’s network, you have to check your device’s compatibility, make sure your device is “unlocked,” and order a Red Pocket Mobile SIM card. Red Pocket Mobile also offers eSIM plans, making the switch even easier. 
• Does Red Pocket Mobile have any stores? Yes! There are some pop-ups around the country, but most customers use online customer service to ask for assistance with any problems that arise. 

1. Red Pocket Mobile Plans and Pricing

Red Pocket Mobile has four mobile plans on its roster, available month-to-month with no contract and annually. These are their four no-contract plans: 

• 1 GB high-speed data for $10 a month
• 5 GB high-speed data for $20 a month
• 10 GB high-speed data for $30 a month
• 25 GB high-speed data for $45 a month

These plans are fairly priced but do not stand out from the competition among other MVNOs. Red Pocket Mobile’s plans all have “unlimited” data, but after using all the high-speed data for the month you are slowed down to 2G speeds. Do you remember what 2G speeds are like? You may never have used a mobile network while 2G was the latest and greatest. To put it in perspective, 2G speeds are around .03 to .05 Mbps, while 5G speeds are around 150-200 Mbps. 5G is, give or take, 3,000 times faster than 2G. The major problem with 2G speeds is that mobile applications are designed around 4G LTE and 5G download speeds, making everything take ages to load. 

Most applications are unusable at 2G speeds, making it significantly more challenging to use your phone. While a lot of plans are marketed as “unlimited” with Red Pocket Mobile and many other MVNOs, we recommend using the amount of high-speed data when deciding which plan is best for you. Running out of high-speed data in the middle of the month is bad news. Something we don’t like about Red Pocket Mobile is that their most robust plan only provides 25 GB of high-speed data, making us only recommend this carrier to low-data users. Before we move on, let’s look at their yearly plan offerings. These offer the same amount of data at lower prices with the caveat that you purchase one year at a time. 

• 1 GB high-speed data for $5 a month
• 5 GB high-speed data for $15 a month
• 10 GB high-speed data for $20 a month
• 25 GB high-speed data for $30 a month

These prices are much better overall, but since it ties you down for a whole year, we don’t recommend switching to this carrier and purchasing one of these plans immediately. Year-long contracts are always risky. 

2. Red Pocket Mobile Services and Features

One of the best features added to Red Pocket Mobile plans is free international calling to over 70 countries. This is an unusual feature with MVNOs and one that we really like. This is best, of course, for those who have a close friend or relative in another country. The number of services and features included with MVNOs is generally pretty low, and Red Pocket Mobile is no exception. Outside of international calling, the main service from Red Pocket Mobile is that their phones are compatible with both physical SIMs and eSIMs. 

Embedded SIM cards are a popular alternative to the physical SIM cards we see in cell phones. It generally falls to your personal preference, as both options fulfill the same tasks within your phone. 

3. Red Pocket Mobile Versus Competition

Just about every wireless provider is competing for your attention. If you’ve been doing any research lately, you may notice targeted ads streaming your way from all the MVNOs out there. Choosing one carrier over all the others is hard, but it will save you a lot of money and hassle in the long run. Overpaying or underpaying for cell phone service causes grief in its own way. Overpaying means you have more data and features than you need, and underpaying means you must sacrifice mobile data usage to make it through the month. Red Pocket Mobile is good for low-data users who stay in WiFi zones most of the day and don’t use much data on mobile networks. Let’s examine how it holds up to the competition in MVNOs and major wireless providers. 

Red Pocket Mobile vs. Major Wireless Carriers

First, let’s talk about how Red Pocket Mobile compares to Major Wireless Carriers. Each major wireless carrier has its own pros and cons when compared to one another, but they all tell the same story when compared to an MVNO like Red Pocket Mobile. The major difference between major wireless carriers and MVNOs is the data provided in the plans. MVNOs are much cheaper than plans at major wireless networks because they provide less data per month. At Red Pocket Mobile, the most high-speed data with a plan is 25 GBs per month. 

Major wireless networks always provide unlimited high-speed data. The other reason that MVNO plans are cheaper is because there is no guarantee that your data speeds will remain consistent. Since MVNOs lease bandwidth from the major wireless networks, those networks, in times of high usage, will slow down all MVNO customers to free up data for their customers. 

The difference comes down to this: Major wireless networks are more expensive and provide consistent and unlimited high-speed data. They are better for medium and high-data users. MVNOs like Red Pocket Mobile are better for low-data users. 

Red Pocket Mobile vs. Mint Mobile

Mint Mobile has an incredible unlimited data plan. For just $30 a month, you get a plan with some of the bells and whistles we expect from major wireless companies. Mint Mobile, like Red Pocket Mobile, offer discounts for year long contracts. Overall, we like Mint Mobile better than Red Pocket Mobile. Their plans are better-priced, and although they operate exclusively on T-Mobile’s network, as long as you live in a location where T-Mobile has good service you should not run into any problems there!  

Red Pocket Mobile vs. Tello Mobile

Tello Mobile operates on T-Mobile’s network, while Red Pocket Mobile can operate on all major wireless networks. The big benefit of Tello Mobile is its flexibility. They don’t require contracts or family plans to get the great prices they have to offer, but their most robust plan only offers 25 GB of high-speed data. Neither of these companies work well with mid or high-data users. Between these two MVNOs, Tello Mobile is better overall. It has better-priced offerings without worrying about a contract, and they have more plans for greater flexibility. 

4. Red Pocket Mobile Phone Options

With access to each of the major wireless networks, just about every phone is compatible with Red Pocket Mobile’s network. We are really impressed with the phone options at their store. They have a lot of Apple devices like their 13 and 14 series, but only have a few Android devices. Fortunately, you can bring unlocked phones on their network that are older, cheaper models, and new and shiny models from Apple or Android. 

5. Red Pocket Mobile Customer Service

Red Pocket Mobile has a customer service number — 1 (888) 993-3888, and you can submit a ticket here for general assistance as well. While calling on the phone is a little more time-consuming, getting to talk to an agent is best for more complicated problems. 

Red Pocket Mobile also has a help page where you can search the database for an answer to your particular question.  

6. Red Pocket Mobile Customer Reviews

Trustpilot Score — 4.5 out of 5 stars

“Hello, everyone. While I wish I could say the process of switching to Red Pocket Mobile for the ACP free cell service program available in the US was simple, it was far from so. However, from my experiences past with switching from other cell providers, this wasn't out-of-the-ordinary. Do your due diligence and stay on top of your emails, which department you are speaking with, and have ALL your account info, including porting information from your current carrier, and you will ultimately triumph. Now that I have their service established, after almost ten days of going back and forth with their customer service, it is both fast and reliable. Special shout out to CS agent Ronald. He was on the phone with me for almost an hour, troubleshooting with the tech department, and did not give up until he finally found the solution to my ESIM activation problem with my iPhone 14. Thank you, Ronald!” — From Marcos

“I renewed my annual account, and after 7 different people and 4 hang-ups when I politely asked for clarification, my phone does not have service I am still out $109.29. Not very helpful or confidence instilling. After recommending their service to over a dozen people. I will not be recommending it and will tell people to be careful!” — From Ken

Moneysavingpro Score — 2.8 out of 5 stars

“I tried Red Pocket, and I had such a pleasant experience I bought the yearly plan. The only problem I had (the reason I removed a star) was the wait to get a customer support specialist: a little over an hour. Despite that they were able to walk me through the problem.” — From Lloyd

“Their service is the worst. Every other day my phone service is down, I can't get text messages and phone calls, and their customer service cannot resolve this at any time. They are definitely losing one customer here, and I recommend not getting into their plan. It is not worth anyone's time and money.” — From Ann

The reviews from Trustpilot are amazing, and from Money Saving Pro, well, not so much. It seems that a lot of the complaints come from spotty service, which is dependent on your location. Due to these concerns, we recommend starting with their no-contract plans for a few months to explore their service in your area before moving to an annual plan for the extra savings. 

7. Red Pocket Mobile: Review Summary

The Good

• Affordable Plans. Since the data caps are so low, all the cell phone plans on Red Pocket Mobile are affordable compared to major wireless networks.
• Excellent Coverage. Since Red Pocket Mobile allows access to all the nation’s 5G networks, you receive great coverage no matter where you are. 
• Free International Calling. This is one strength uncommon amongst MVNOs. Free international calling is a unique pro of this MVNO and can save you a lot of money if you have friends and family overseas. 

The Bad

• Long Contracts. Users must purchase a year of service at once to receive lower prices. 
• Data Throttling. This is a common problem with MVNOs, but there is always the chance that your data will get slowed way down in times of high usage. 
• Low Data Caps. Red Pocket Mobile only offers up to 25 GB of high-speed data, which is problematic for mid and high-data users. 

Red Pocket Mobile is not our favorite MVNO, but it is a solid option for low-data users. They run on excellent networks, have inexpensive plans, and offer free international calling. If you are a low-data user and aren’t worried about low data caps, then Red Pocket Mobile can provide all you need in your cell phone service.