Bell Mobility buyer’s guide: Phones, plans, and so much more

If you’re hunting for a new phone provider, bigger can actually be better. Bell Mobility is Canada’s second-largest provider with a base of more than nine million subscribers. Although the carrier falls victim to some of the classic Canadian mobile service flaws, there’s something to be said for the network that bears Alexander Graham Bell’s name. We’ve got your low-down on the best Bell Mobility plans, perks, and more right here.

See also: These are the best Canadian phone plans

We’ll dig into everything that Bell Mobility has to offer throughout the course of this page. Bell made some pretty big changes to its post-paid service in May 2021, so that’s the perfect place to start. Whether you’re looking for a new phone, plan, or just curious, we have you covered. We’ll even dip into MVNOs and competitors to help you comparison shop. 

Bell Mobility at a glance

When Alexander Graham Bell is part of your name, there’s bound to be some history involved. After all, Bell Mobility is owned by Bell Canada, which has been around since 1880. Bell Mobility hasn’t been around nearly as long, though its creation as Bell Cellular in 1986 makes it an elder statesman among mobile providers. The first cell phone conversation in all of Canada took place on Bell’s network. It was the first network to register a cell phone customer — a subscription to the tune of CA$2,700 in 1985.

Nowadays, Bell Mobility boasts one of the largest and fastest networks in all of Canada. It claims that it can reach approximately 99% of all residents, and Bell’s 5G rollout kicked off in June 2020. The network is still limited to major cities in southern Canada, but you can check out the interactive map right here.

Post-paid Bell Mobility plans

Unlimited Share

Bell finally decided to take the perks of its Unlimited plan and blend them with its Connect Everything plan perks. As a result, you’re looking at the new Unlimited Share plan. It’s not cheap by any means, but you can share a pot of between 30GB and 100GB of top-speed data among all of your devices. Each line you add comes with a CA$15 discount per month, but your speeds plummet to 512Kbps after you reach your cap.

The 30GB plan starts at CA$80 for the first line, the 35GB version jumps to CA$85, and 50GB or 100GB cost CA$125 and CA$175, respectively.

Highlights:

• No limits on talk, text, or data
• Access to the 5G network is included

Best for:

• Users who want it all and have the money to afford it

Prepaid Bell Mobility plans

Prepaid Voice

If you don’t need much data, a Prepaid Voice plan from Bell Mobility is the best way to save money. For just CA$20 per month, you can spend 100 minutes on the phone and text to your heart’s desire. However, you can raise your rate to CA$30 per month, and you’ll get unlimited talk along with your text. You’ll notice that these plans don’t include data — thus the savings — but it doesn’t mean that you’re totally out of luck. If you add a Top Up allowance to your access, Bell will give you a tiny splash of 100MB per month.

Highlights:

• Talk and text for cheap
• Some data access with Top Up

Best for:

• Light phone users looking to save money

Prepaid Voice and Data

Let’s be honest — 100MB of data really isn’t enough for most people. If you still want a prepaid plan, you can choose from a few alternatives adding some data to the equation. Bell will give you between 1GB and 3GB, and it’ll run you up to CA$65 per month. The plan works well if you know that you can keep your usage in check. Bell is also offering an extra 3.5GB to 4GB of data just for signing up. That means your 1GB of data jumps to 4.5GB or 4GB moves up to 7GB at no extra cost.

Highlights:

• Up to 7GB of data for CA$65 per month

Best for:

• Data users who still want to save money

Tablet and connected device plans

If you’re hoping to bring a connected watch or tablet to your plan, then Bell is a solid way to go. Instead of a simple data-only plan, Bell Mobility offers a few connection options that are customized just for watches and tablets. On the tablet side, you can hop onto an Unlimited Share plan for CA$5 per month or try a Flex Plan that starts at $10 and adjusts for your data usage. If you’re worried about the scaling cost, you can grab 1GB of non-sharable data for CA$10.

On the smartwatch side, your options are just about the same. You have to decide whether you’re willing to share your data or if you want it all to remain on your watch. Either way, a watch plan will run you CA$15 per month, and you can be subject to overage fees if you exceed the 1GB of included data.

You can also set your watch up with NumberShare, which hacks your bill down to CA$10 per month whether you go for sharable or unsharable data.

Which of Bell Mobility’s plans is right for you?

The unfortunate answer to the million-dollar question is that it depends. Whichever plan works for you may not work for the next subscriber, but the good news is that there are plenty of plans to choose from. On the post-paid side, you’re going to have to go with Unlimited Share, but it’s up to you to figure out your data cap. If you spend most of your time on Wi-Fi, your family is probably fine with 30GB. However, if you travel often, it may be worth spending a little extra.

On the prepaid side of Bell Mobility, your options are a little tougher to choose from. You’re either looking at the talk and text plans, or you’re adding data to the mix. The added data is worth the cost, in our opinion. Bell makes it even more valuable with bonus Gigs just for signing up.

Bell Mobility vs the competition

If you’re serious about switching, you might want to look at a few of Bell’s rivals too. Rogers and Telus take their places among the top carriers in all of Canada as part of the Big Three. They offer large, nationwide networks as well as competitive prices in most cases.

Rogers Wireless

Up first for the big guns is Rogers Wireless. You’ll get the same level of nationwide service as you would on MVNOs like Fido, but Rogers adds a few extra goodies to the mix. You can take advantage of Canada’s largest 5G network, and you can even get a free tablet over the course of a two-year agreement. Even better, Rogers Infinite offers a large pool of sharable data at reasonable prices. You can save an extra CA$15 per line every time you add a device.

Telus Mobility

The other Big Three competitor to consider is Telus Mobility. Telus is somewhat like a half-sibling to Bell because it shares the same nationwide LTE network, so you at least know that you’re getting great service. All plans include unlimited talk and text, so it really comes down to how much you want to share your data. If you go for either Peace of Mind or Peace of Mind Connect, you’re pretty much able to keep your data to yourself and your own devices. However, if you head for the Simple Share plan, you can split a pool between your family and friends.

Want Bell’s service on a budget?

Unfortunately, Bell Mobility can sometimes feel like Canada’s very own Verizon. The coverage is great, and 5G access is nice, but your bill will reflect that. No matter what you do, it’s downright expensive to tap into the Bell network. Here are a few subsidiaries and MVNOs that you might want to consider instead:

Virgin Mobile

The true millennial carrier, Virgin Mobile, has been around since 2005, and it’s been learning every step of the way. It features some ideas from rivals like Fido, yet it manages a suite of perks that beats most other options. MyPeeps and MyBenefits are both great ways to save and stay connected. With MyPeeps, you can tap into unlimited calling with other lines on your account. MyBenefits, on the other hand, grants you discounts on food, clothing, and more. Plans start at CA$28 and reach CA$80 per month with 15GB of data.

Highlights:

• MyPeeps and MyBenefits perks
• Large nationwide network, reasonable prices

Lucky Mobile

Lucky Mobile is the youngest member of the Bell Mobility family, and it’s only been around since 2017. It’s more of an entry-level carrier, positioning itself against Rogers’ Chatr and Telus’ Public Mobile. If you’re alright with slightly throttled service, Lucky is a good bet. It shouldn’t hurt your talk or text connection, but you’re not going to find the fastest data on the market. However, it’s one of your better bets if you want to contact the US, as calls and texts are included in select plans.

Highlights:

• Extremely low costs
• US talk and text included in some plans

PC mobile

The last MVNO to consider on Bell’s network, and the only one not owned by Bell itself, is PC Mobile. Short for President’s Choice, PC Mobile formerly operated a post-paid network with Telus and a prepaid network with Bell, all while being owned by Loblaws. The post-paid service has gone the way of the Dodo, but you can still tap into extremely affordable prepaid coverage for as little as CA$10 per month. Prices top out at CA$50 per month, and you can make the deal even sweeter with talk and data add-ons.

Highlights:

• Low rates
• Plenty of add-on options

What phones can you use with Bell Mobility?

Bell Mobility really is just like some of the largest US carriers. Great plans, speedy 5G access, and an impressive list of available devices. You can, of course, go for all of the latest flagships from Google, Samsung, and Apple, but that’s just the start. The carrier supplies an impressive five LG devices, three TCL options, and even six phones from Motorola. Unless you’re looking for a niche device, there’s a good chance that you’ll find it at Bell.

Even if you have some particular tastes, Bell Mobility is still a viable carrier. All you have to do is set up a plan, and Bell will ship an activated SIM card right to your front door. Of course, you’ll have to make sure that your current device works on Bell’s selection of networks. Check out the table below to learn more about the requirements: