Who Owns Unreal Mobile & What Network Do They Use?

There are a lot of deal makers and deal breakers to phone companies, each have their own quirks which can affect your monthly service. Some of those quirks might be beneficial to some while others prefer something different. It’s good to read up about a provider first before you take the plunge so you can know what you might get. Today we’re taking a look at Unreal Mobile, a “no bs” wireless carrier that keeps things simple.

In fact, Unreal Mobile advertised directly on their website that you can sign up in just three “simple steps”:

1. Purchase your plan. 
2. Activate your free eSIM within minutes.
3. …there is no step 3. You did it. Now you get to enjoy it!

Well, they lied that it’s three steps, but hey it all sounds pretty easy, just like they said, but who owns Unreal Mobile and what network do they use for your coverage? Let’s talk about it!

In this article, we plan to discuss the ins and outs of Unreal Mobile while also diving into:

• A Quick Summary on Unreal Mobile
• Who Owns the Carrier
• What Network Does Unreal Mobile Use? Is it a MVNO or MNO?
• Plans, Prices, and Features
• A Few FAQs

A Quick Summary on Unreal Mobile

Unreal Mobile has had quite the, unreal, journey. With ups and downs and lots of changes configuring their platform, in the past couple years it seems they have started to officially find their footing as a relatively newer wireless service. Unreal Mobile is a no contract, no hidden fee, easy to understand carrier that provides plans at budget-friendly costs.

Who owns Unreal Mobile?

Well you might be surprised to learn the owner of Unreal Mobile as it’s none other than Iggy Azalea! Yes Iggy Azalea, the Australian rapper and songwriter is co-founder of Unreal Mobile and is the Chief Brand Officer for the company. We’ve seen in recent years that celebrities like Ryan Renyolds (co-owner of Mint Mobile) are venturing out of their own “niches” so this news might be less shocking than one might think.

What Network does Unreal Mobile use?

Unreal Mobile uses AT&T to provide coverage for customers but there have been some reports that it also uses T-Mobile (or has in the past).

When you’re shopping for a new cell phone plan one of the first things you do is look to see what type of network connection you’ll have. Traditionally there are two major options in the US: MNOs (Mobile Network Operators) like Verizon, T-Mobile, and AT&T, and MVNOs (Mobile Virtual Network Operators). MVNOs purchase service access wholesale from one of the MNOs that own infrastructure across the country, which gives customers service at a much lower price. 

MVNO - What Should You Know:

A common aspect of MVNOs you should know about is they are more likely to subject users to data deprioritization and throttled speeds. Data deprioritization is “the temporary slowing of data speeds for certain customers in order to give priority to other customers.” Which means that those who are direct customers of the “parent” company will get network priority when you’re in a high traffic area like a concert hall or sports stadium, or when there’s network congestion.

Throttling is also more likely to occur with MVNOs and “the dramatic slowing of your data speeds to the point that it becomes almost unusable.” This will happen when you go over a certain number of gigabytes of data for the month, which is referred to as a “data cap.” You’ll see this number displayed somewhere on your carrier’s website. Your normal speeds will slow down until the start of your next billing cycle.

AT&T is very much considered to be the “middle of the pack” when comparing it directly to Verizon and T-Mobile. Their 4G LTE sits comfortably between the two, behind Verizon but ahead of T-Mobile, and their 5G network is above Verizon but below T-Mobile, so you know at least that you’ll be nestled in between the other two providers on the AT&T network.

T-Mobile is the leader in 5G coverage which is a huge feat considering more and more people are upgrading to 5G capable phones, and 5G is our current best system for wireless communication. T-Mobile offers consistent speeds and widespread coverage which is nice to see as we look into further 5G technologies like  5G+, 5G Advanced, Ultra Wide-Band, and more.

Their 4G LTE isn’t as widespread as their two major competitors, Verizon and AT&T, but it’s by no means a dealbreaker. 

One feature you’ll find on most provider’s websites is a “Coverage” or “Coverage Map” tab, this shows off the network’s coverage all throughout the country and subsequent regions. Here is a look Unreal Mobile’s Coverage Map via AT&T:

To get the most accurate account of what coverage is like in your area you will need to enter your location when you go onto their coverage map page.

You can also get a different view via Ookla’s coverage map which allows you to see where cellular towers are located and which company owns them. This coverage map provides information about coverage from 2G to 5G for several providers.

Unreal Mobile’s Plans, Prices, and Features

Now that we have some background, let’s take a look at the plan(s), prices, and features of the carrier:

Unreal Mobile Plans

Unreal Mobile offers three phone plans, “The Mini, The Midi, and The Maxi” at 3 months or 12 month cycles. Each plan comes with unlimited data but has limited high speed data which we will take a look at when we break down each plan. Their plans are also deprioritized, which you know means that you’ll experience slower speeds during high traffic. Phones are locked to Unreal Mobile for 12 months.

Plan One: The Mini

The Mini is Unreal Mobile’s smallest plan which gets you 5GB of high-speed data, once you use your 5GB for the month you will still have unlimited data but your speeds will be reduced. You also get unlimited talk and text with this plan and 1GB of hotspot data.

The Mini plan costs $45.00 for the first three months and $60.00 every three months after. Or you can sign up annually at $180/per year. At full price ($20 per month) you get 5GB of data at $4.00 per GB a month.

Plan Two: The Midi

The Midi is Unreal Mobile’s second “middle” plan which gets you 20GB of high-speed data, once you use your 20GB for the month you will still have unlimited data but your speeds will be reduced. You also get unlimited talk and text with this plan and 5GB of hotspot data.

The Mini plan costs $75.00 for the first three months and $90.00 every three months after. Or you can sign up annually at $300/per year. At full price ($30 per month) you get 20GB of data at $0.66 per GB a month.

Plan Three: The Maxi

The Midi is Unreal Mobile’s biggest plan which gets you 30GB of high-speed data, once you use your 30GB for the month you will still have unlimited data but your speeds will be reduced. You also get unlimited talk and text with this plan and 10GB of hotspot data.

The Mini plan costs $90.00 for the first three months and $120.00 every three months after. Or you can sign up annually at $360/per year. At full price ($40 per month) you get 30GB of data at $1.33 per GB a month.

The Features:

While Unreal Mobile offers good prices and easy-to-follow plans, it’s good to take a look at their features. If you’re someone who considers themselves to be a traveler, talk to your international friends and family a lot, or are looking for a bit more “perk” with your plan then this section will break down all of that juicy info so you can know what you’re potentially gonna get: 

• Domestic Roaming Data

• According to their Help Center, “UNREAL Mobile doesn't offer out of network roaming services with a standard monthly plan.” But on the network they do.

• Mexico & Canada Connection

• On their website they state that they offer “Free Calls and Texts when roaming in Canada and Mexico, plus 100MB of data.”

• International Connection

• Also according to their Help Center, “customers with plans of 10GB/mo and more can call free to 80+ countries, and also get a $10 monthly credit to call to other countries. Customers with less than 10GB/mo can place calls to 20 countries for no additional charge.”

• Video Streaming Quality

• All Unreal Mobile plans stream at 480p Standard Definition. 

• Streaming Services and Cloud Storage

• Unreal Mobile does not offer these features.

• Device Financing

• Unreal Mobile does not offer this feature.

• WiFi Calling

• Unreal Mobile offers WiFi calling, which allows you to send and receive phone calls over a WiFi connection rather than cellular reception.

• Spam Protection and Free Trial

• Unreal Mobile does not offer these features.

A Few FAQs - What You Need to Know about Unreal Mobile

You’ve read a lot about the carrier, but you still might have a few questions regarding specific things and this section is all about answering them.

• Does the carrier support dual SIM, allowing you to use more than one plan on the device?

According to the Unreal Mobile Help Center: “you can use eSIM as your only cellular plan or you may use a physical SIM card for your first cellular plan and eSIM as the second.” There is a full list of phones that are eSIm compatible through the link above. You are able to activate as many lines as you want with one device thanks to dualSIM capabilities on your Unreal Mobile account.

• Is the network GSM or CDMA?

Unreal Mobile uses GSMT and GSMA networks.

“GSM” and “CDMA” are two slightly outdated terms and technologies describing wireless networks. GSM means Global System for Mobile Communications and that’s a phone that uses a SIM to connect, while CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access) does not require a SIM card to connect. A “locked phone” can’t necessarily be used on certain networks because it is CDMA only. Check your device’s compatibility with the carrier’s website to make sure your phone works.

• What are some MVNOs that leverage the same towers?

Since Unreal Mobile uses AT&T to provide network coverage to its customers you will be on the same network as these other popular MVNOs:

-Consumer Cellular

-Cricket Wireless

-Straight Talk Wireless

-Red Pocket Mobile

-FreedomPop

• What if I have a question and need help? What is the best way to reach them?

Unreal Mobile does not have any physical store locations, leaving all of their customers to online support. For online support or support over the phone you can contact them at  1-310-807-6388 Monday through Friday 8AM to 5PM PST where English, Spanish, and Filipino speakers can help you. There is also a Live Chat Bot on the website with support Monday through Sunday 8AM to 5PM PST. Their email is [email protected].  

Wrapping Up

Since their rebrand, Unreal Mobile has had quite the re-introduction with their three plans. We won’t lie and say their prices are pretty nice, but if you are someone looking for more benefits or larger high-speed data usage then we think you might want to look elsewhere. Lower data users may find more luck here. We recommend checking your data usage before committing to a plan or carrier.

Want to compare other carriers?

Really.com helps users compare between features, coverage, price, reviews, and more!

And if you want to compare and contrast Unreal Mobile to over 1,200 other phone plans so you know you’re getting the service that’s right for you, then make sure to check out the REALLY compare page which allows you to look at pricing, coverage, what phone plans are available, current deals and steals, and how you can make the most of your potential phone bill.