Official Tello Mobile thread

[Tello Mobile]

Welcome to the Tello thread!

We're happy to join HowardForums and we look forward to everyone's questions/curiosities/feedback.

If you're not familiar with Tello, we are a US MVNO and we offer prepaid phone plans at highly competitive prices. Our monthly plans are customisable: you use our Build Your Own Plan tool to choose the number of minutes and the amount of data you need in your plan. Nothing else gets added to the price of the plan (except the inevitable taxes), there is no activation fee or any other type of fee. So what you see is what you get. There's also no contract and you can change your plan any time you want, even mid-month. When you change it, your new plan gets charged immediately, the billing date resets and your initial balance rolls over for another 30 days.

We recently cut our plan prices, here's what our pricing looks like now:

[b1geast]

I really like Tello's plans, but I'm curious when they'll offer more competitive carrier features? Its hard to recommend next to services like Wing Alpha that have features like:

WiFi calling, international data, group plans, visual voice mail, and unlimited data options.

[bobdevnul]

I really like Tello's plans, but I'm curious when they'll offer more competitive carrier features? Its hard to recommend next to services like Wing Alpha that have features like:

WiFi calling, international data, group plans, visual voice mail, and unlimited data options.

Tello has Wifi calling.

[comintel]

Tello has Wifi calling.

Yeah but it is their own variant (really just a VOIP app) isn't it?

[bobdevnul]

Yeah nut it is their own variant (really just a VOIP app) isn't it?

Yeah, it is in the Tello app. The dialer is the first thing that comes up when you start the app. I have had no reason to try it since I have Google Voice/Hangouts.

It appears to be a VOIP app, probably a SIP client. If you use it it deducts from you plan just as if you had used cell service. It is voice only. I do not see a way to send SMS/MMS over data.

I tried it with Wifi and mobile data off. It did not work - as expected.

It worked with Wifi and mobile data.

Tello plans cost less than Wing Alpha, but don't have voice roaming, international service, visual voicemail, unused data rebate. Either is good if it has what one needs.

In the $20 a month price range I would consider paying the extra for Cricket or see what Red Pocket has. Sprint coverage is patchy between towns here. AT&T & Verizon is not. Don't even get me started on T-Mo around here.

[comintel]

Yeah, it is in the Tello app. The dialer is the first thing that comes up when you start the app. I have had no reason to try it since I have Google Voice/Hangouts.

It appears to be a VOIP app, probably a SIP client. If you use it it deducts from you plan just as if you had used cell service. It is voice only. I do not see a way to send SMS/MMS over data.

I tried it with Wifi and mobile data off. It did not work - as expected.

It worked with Wifi and mobile data.

Tello plans cost less than Wing Alpha, but don't have voice roaming, international service, visual voicemail, unused data rebate. Either is good if it has what one needs.

In the $20 a month price range I would consider paying the extra for Cricket or see what Red Pocket has. Sprint coverage is patchy between towns here. AT&T & Verizon is not. Don't even get me started on T-Mo around here.

I have used the Tello app. several times, mainly to get their extremely low rates to Canada, and while I got adequate results most times, it had bad latency one or two times. I think Google Hangouts is a better bet overall (and of course it is free to Canada).

I was hoping for true Sprint wifi calling and I got the impression that Tello's app does NOT use true Sprint wifi calling. I do have true wifi calling on my Sprint one-year free byod plan, BUT on the Sprint free plan calling Canada is extremely expensive unless you get a paid add-on.

[cellular-dude]

Can you switch to the PAYGO from the app or do you need to call customer service?

[below20]

I recently bought Boost Moto E4 and tried to register with Tello. I can make and receive phone calls but the data just will not work. Done multiple PRL and Profile Updates to no avail. I tried contacting Tello CS but there isn't much useful suggestions. They tell me to change APN but the phone does not let me change APN. (It has about 5 APNs to choose from, all Sprint). Can anyone help?

[Relztrah]

I recently bought Boost Moto E4 and tried to register with Tello. I can make and receive phone calls but the data just will not work. Done multiple PRL and Profile Updates to no avail. I tried contacting Tello CS but there isn't much useful suggestions. They tell me to change APN but the phone does not let me change APN. (It has about 5 APNs to choose from, all Sprint). Can anyone help?

I am also using a Moto E4 but not purchased through Boost so that may be the difference. When I put my Tello SIM card in and powered up my phone I thought I would have to create a new APN profile like I always do, but that option is not even available.

Attachment 159867

So there is no way to change the APN settings--as far as I can see--and data is working anyway. Here's what I found on the Tello website:

What are the APN settings?
Here are the APN settings you'll need to:
activate your mobile Data
user ID: [email protected]
APN: n.mi.ispsn OR r.mi.ispsn

But like I say, I can't see how to access the APN settings like I could with a GSM carrier. I think maybe your issue is the Boost phone, but somebody more knowledgeable than I am needs to weigh in here.

[below20]

Relztrah, when you say you put your Tello SIM card in. Did you put in a SIM you bought from Tello?

If the phone can make phone calls using the Tello assigned phone number, does it eliminate the SIM being a problem?

[Relztrah]

Relztrah, when you say you put your Tello SIM card in. Did you put in a SIM you bought from Tello?

If the phone can make phone calls using the Tello assigned phone number, does it eliminate the SIM being a problem?

I purchased my SIM card on eBay from a seller who advertised it as: SPRINT, BOOST VIRGIN Nano 4G LTE sim card SIMGLW446C FOR ALL MODELS USING NANO. Tello customer service had previously emailed me saying, "Your phone will require a CDMA SPRINT SIM Nano model: GLW446C." So that is why I purchased that one on eBay but it wouldn't activate. The problem was not my SIM card, but the fact that it was not compatible with my Moto E4. I contacted the eBay seller who replied, "I checked my records and for Motorola unlike other manufacturers you need OLW416Q." He graciously send a replacement SIM card which indeed was compatible and when I put it in my phone it worked. I had already purchased $10 of paygo credit from Tello, so I only had to find the correct Sprint SIM card for my Moto E4. Maybe you need to make sure your SIM card is a OLW416Q. I'm only guessing based on my experience. Good luck.

[below20]

Thanks for the reply. I wonder why you have to buy a SIM card? Is it because your Moto E4 come unlocked and does not come with a SIM card? Also, is the model number printed on the SIM?

[Relztrah]

Thanks for the reply. I wonder why you have to buy a SIM card? Is it because your Moto E4 come unlocked and does not come with a SIM card? Also, is the model number printed on the SIM?

Correct. I purchased my phone from BestBuy.com unlocked. I didn't want a plan, just the phone. My SIM card--the second one from eBay that is compatible with my Moto E4--doesn't have a model number but it does have a part number on the bottom.

Attachment 159898

So I think it would be a good idea to get a SIM card with part number OLW416Q regardless of where you purchase it. But I wonder if you're phone isn't somehow locked to Boost. I don't know how that works because I've never purchased a phone from the carrier.

[sharp99]

Yes

Sent from my K88 using HoFo mobile app

[offthegrid]

Question for the Tello rep.

I have a Tello account that I use with a Moto G4. I have another phone an LG G7 factory unlocked that I wanted to try on Tello. The IMEI shows as being okay with Tello but when it asks for the sim card number I put the sim # in from the card I use in the G4 it says that sim card is no good.

Is that Tello sim card tied now to the G4 somehow? I called customer service and they said I need a new sim card. It's a nano sim card so why do I need a new one? I would think the card could be swapped over to the G7 if it was tied to the G4 by customer service.

Thanks