Virgin Mobile Phone Plans and Exclusive Features
With Virgin Mobile, there are no monthly payment options for phones. Also, their offers are inexpensive, no-contract plans with fewer extras than larger carriers. Their phone selection is also very limited.
Virgin Mobile is an MVNO (mobile virtual network operator) that operates on the Sprint 4G LTE network. It’s been around since 2001 when it was founded as a joint venture between Sprint and Virgin Group.
In 2017, Virgin Mobile announced that it would be the first MVNO to offer iPhones ONLY. However, since the beginning of 2018, they’ve started offering Android devices again.
About Virgin Mobile
Virgin Mobile is an MVNO that operates on Sprint’s network. All of Virgin Mobile’s plans include unlimited talk and text. Virgin only offers single-line plans (no family plans), our favorite of which are:
- Virgin Mobile $60 un-limited Plan for people who use a lot of data
- And Virgin Mobile $35 un-limited Plan for low-cost
However, Virgin Mobile is a long-running prepaid carrier that is owned by Sprint and runs on its network. Below, we’ll tell you what we like about Virgin Mobile’s $60 Unlimited and $35 Unlimited plans.
Pros and Cons of Virgin Mobile
Pros
- Unlimited data plan option
- Unlimited talk, text, and 2G data with all plans
- Also, unlimited music streaming and
- Discounts on brands like Papa John’s and J. Crew
Cons
- Limited streaming and gaming speeds
- No flexible smaller plans for light users
- No multi-line discounts
Virgin Mobile Plans
Virgin Mobile has some very basic options for prepaid cell phone plans prices are only $10 apart. While Virgin Mobile calls these “unlimited plans,” only their top-tier plan is truly unlimited in 4G data.
Virgin Prepaid Plans Include:
- Virgin Mobile Plan Features
- Unlimited talk and text on Sprint’s 4G LTE network
- Data allotment on 4G LTE (unlimited 2G data after cap)
- DVD-quality streaming (480p)
- No contract
- 50 domestic roaming minutes
With so few options, choosing a Virgin Mobile plan is all about price. And while their lowest-cost plans are decent (including 5-10GB of data), their highest tier may have the best value as it has an actual unlimited data package.
This is somewhat comparable to lower un-limited plans on Sprint and other carriers. However, it’s important to note that your data speeds may be slowed and deprioritized during network congestion, after 35GB of data use.
This means Sprint customers get 4G data priority over Virgin Mobile.
Also, Sprint’s 4G LTE network ranks below most of the bigger carriers, making coverage a hit or miss for customers based on geography. Be sure to check the coverage map before making a commitment to any carrier.
Virgin Mobile Plans Compared
| Plan Cost/Month | Lowest $ | Middle $ | Highest $ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Talk and Text | un-limited | unlimited | un-limited |
| Data | 5GB 4G LTE | 10GB 4G LTE | 4G LTE up to 35GB un-limited |
| Full Details | Virgin Mobile Low | Virgin Mobile Middle | Virgin Mobile High |
Also, Virgin Mobile offers some extras if you want to connect your devices to a mobile hotspot, buy phone insurance, or make international calls. Unfortunately, you have to pay for them.
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Virgin Mobile Plan: $60 Plan
Virgin Mobile’s $60 unlimited plan is relatively bare-bones; really its most noteworthy feature is a high 35GB/month data deprioritization threshold.
Paying an extra $5/month will give you usage over both borders as well as unlimited international texting, while $10 more a month will give you unlimited mobile and landline calls to 70+ countries.
If you’re looking for a solid all-around unlimited plan that you don’t have to subject yourself to a credit check to get, Virgin Mobile’s plan is worth considering.
Virgin Mobile Plan: $35 Plan
If saving money is your highest priority and Virgin is the carrier you’re dead set on, you’ll want to take a look at their $35 Unlimited plan. It gives you unlimited talk and text along with 5GB/month of 4G data for, well, $35/month.
As with Virgin’s other plans, this one allows you to stream music without it counting against your monthly data allowance.
Virgin Mobile Phones
Virgin Mobile sells a variety of devices, including all of the latest iPhones—the iPhone XR, iPhone XS, and iPhone XS Max.
If you’re thinking of picking up a Virgin Mobile phone, be prepared to pony up some cash: you can only buy Virgin phones outright, as they don’t offer any installment plans.
Exclusive Features on Virgin Mobile
Member Benefits
Log into the Virgin Mobile site (or download the My Benefits app) to gain access to exclusive contests and discounts on restaurants, entertainment, and travel.
MyPeeps
Couples, families, or small businesses can add multiple plans to one bill. Each person can have their own plan and phone to suit their needs, but minutes are never counted when you call each other.
Voicemail 3 and Call Display
All plans include a call display and basic voicemail with room to store three messages.
How Good is Virgin Mobile Performance?
Virgin Mobile runs on Sprint’s network, so don’t be surprised if you run into some of the same coverage and speed issues as Sprint users.
What can we say? Third-party tests ranked Sprint’s coverage as third or fourth out of the top four cell providers (that top four includes Verizon, AT&T, Sprint, and T-Mobile).
Of course, coverage depends on the area you’re in, so you may get lucky and never see “No service” pop up on your screen. Because of this, we recommend checking Virgin’s coverage map to get an idea of whether your location is covered—or not.
Speed on the Sprint network is a similar story. Three different independent companies pretty much came to a consensus that Sprint is dead last for speed.
But low ratings aside, we’ve used Sprint for a while and experienced few speed or coverage issues in both Washington state and Utah. So take those ratings as you will.
Dealing with Virgin Mobile Customer Service
The customer service ratings don’t look so great for Virgin Mobile8—but we’ll caution you that most cell phone companies are in the same boat. That’s right, wireless providers are pretty notorious for poor customer service.
We agree that’s no excuse, but it does mean you’ll want to take a deep breath and focus on remaining patient when you do need to reach out to a representative.
If you hate phone trees and waiting on hold, you could send a few hashtags Virgin’s way on social media. (We even saw a couple shoutouts praising Virgin’s customer service team on Twitter, so it must be doing something right.)
- Twitter: @VMUCare
- Facebook: @VirginMobileUSA
Frequently Asked Questions
1. How do I switch to Virgin Mobile?
Switching to Virgin Mobile is smart, quick and simple. You don’t have to buy a new phone, since you can bring your device to Virgin Mobile. You can keep your old number. All you need to do is order a Virgin Mobile SIM card and once you have that, you can switch your phone service in as little as 2-3 minutes.
2. Does Virgin Mobile have network coverage in my area?
Virgin Mobile is powered by Sprint, meaning you get the same nationwide 4G LTE coverage as you would if you signed up to Sprint directly.
3. How does Virgin Mobile billing work?
Virgin Mobile plans are prepaid with no contract. This means that you pay for 30 days when your plan starts, not afterwards. Virgin Mobile allows AutoPay to ensure you automatically renew your plan every 30 days.
4. Does Virgin Mobile offer unlimited data plans?
Most people don’t need unlimited data, the average person only used 2-5GB per month. Typically, it’s better to choose a customized Virgin Mobile plan and only pay for the data you actually use.
Virgin Mobile plans let you keep Sprint coverage but for about half the price! That’s insane. Be sure to compare their prices with cheap cell phone plans from other providers before you sign up.
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