Mint Mobile’s bring-your-own-device (BYOD) program allows subscribers to bring their own phones to the carrier. In fact, most of Mint’s subscribers opt to bring their own phones to Mint instead of buying a phone from Mint’s online store.
Mint is not very restrictive about the devices it allows. Most unlocked devices that are compatible with T-Mobile, the network Mint runs over, will be allowed on Mint. Running a device through Mint’s eligibility tool is the best way to verify compatibility.
iPhone BYOD compatibility
All U.S. iPhone models starting with the iPhone 6 are compatible with Mint Mobile if they’re unlocked. Older iPhone models (the iPhone 5S and earlier models) are not compatible with Mint.
Older phones (pre-LTE)
While Mint Mobile’s bring-your-own-device program isn’t especially restrictive, the carrier only allows phones compatible with modern cellular technologies. Phones brought to Mint Mobile need to support 4G LTE connectivity and VoLTE.
T-Mobile locked phones
While Mint usually requires that phones brought to the carrier through the BYOD program are unlocked, phones locked to T-Mobile’s network may still be eligible. I’ve seen several reports from Reddit users suggesting that they’ve successfully used phones locked to T-Mobile on Mint. I want to stop short of saying I’m confident these devices will work with Mint, but if you happen to own one, consider running its IMEI number through Mint’s eligibility tool.
Frequency Bands
Tech-savvy users may be interested in checking how well their phones support the frequency bands used by Mint.
4G LTE Bands
- Band 2 (essential)
- Band 4 (essential)
- Band 12 (helpful)
- Band 66 (limited value)
- Band 71 (helpful)
To find the LTE bands in use at a specific location, visit Mint’s interactive coverage map. Once you’ve selected a specific spot on the map, you can view information about the specific frequencies used for service at that location.
5G bands
While Mint Mobile offers its 5G service at no extra charge, Mint does not require subscribers use 5G-capable phones. In fact, the overwhelming majority of Mint’s subscribers are not using 5G-capable phones. Still, subscribers interested in being on the bleeding-edge of cellular technologies may be interested in using a phone that supports the bands Mint uses for 5G service.
- n71 (widely available 5G service)
- n41 (somewhat available 5G service)
- n260 (barely available millimeter wave 5G)
- n260 (barely available millimeter wave 5G)
