Prepaid wireless carrier Mint SIM rebranded itself into Mint Mobile earlier this week, having described the move not as a strategical shift but simply an attempt to better communicate its mission to consumers. Mint offers “more than just a SIM card,” a company spokesperson said in a statement to AndroidHeadlines. The firm is selling full-fledged, contract-free plans spanning three, six, and nine months, starting at $15 per month. Its service is online-only, meaning you can become a customer by referring to the banner below, signing up, and waiting for your SIM card to arrive. No phone purchase is necessary and Mint supports a wide variety of Android handsets as part of its Bring Your Own Phone program; you can check whether your current mobile device is eligible for a Mint card from the company’s website.
A Mint Mobile Starter Kit is also available on Amazon for only $5 (linked below), with the main goal of the firm’s entire portfolio being to offer reliable and versatile wireless plans that don’t require any contractual obligations and are extremely affordable. The starter kit in question will allow users to test the firm’s service before spending anything more on an actual prepaid plan so that they can ensure they’re getting adequate coverage in their area. Mint still offers coverage throughout the majority of the United States as it rents 4G LTE infrastructure from T-Mobile, with its only major coverage holes being Nebraska, Iowa, Wyoming, and Oregon.
Some consumer advocates are arguing companies like Mint are endangered by T-Mobile and Sprint’s proposed merger as a combined entity would have more leverage over mobile virtual network operators when it comes to negotiating infrastructure rental prices given how there would be less competition on the market, i.e. fewer alternatives for MVNOs to choose from. As highly affordable prepaid services largely target the lowest-income individuals, that demographic would be the one that’s likely to be hit by the proposed consolidation the hardest if the tie-up is approved, opponents of the move claim. A Mint spokesperson declined to comment on the merger and its industry-wide implications.
Mint Mobile Starter KitMint Mobile