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

If you’re hunting for a new phone provider, bigger can 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 offers throughout this page. Bell made some pretty significant 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 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

Essential

Bell has decided to reimagine its post-paid plans once again, but it’s not such a bad thing. The power to choose is back in your hands, and it starts with what Bell calls its Essential plan. It’s meant to cover the needs of most people, and it offers unlimited talk and text with plenty of data. Essential always offers 25GB at top speeds, but now you can get an extra 15GB of shareable service to top things off.

You also get standard definition streaming and the ability to use your entire data cap as a hotspot. If you do hit 25GB, however, you’ll drop to 512Kbps speeds thereafter.

Highlights:

• 25GB of max-speed data
• Unlimited talk and text

Best for:

• Users who want a solid amount of data without the peak costs

Ultimate

If you plan on using your phone abroad or just keeping in touch with friends outside of Canada, Ultimate is your best bet. It offers the same base structure as Essential, but you get more data to work with. You can choose either 45 or 50GB and Bell will give you access to plenty of hotspot sharing. If you opt for the 50GB Ultimate plan, you also get unlimited talk, text, and data in the United States.

Ultimate is also the only Bell plan that seems to offer a streaming perk, with two years of Crave Mobile at no cost. You can watch everything from HBO, HBO Max, and Showtime to Crave originals like Letterkenny.

Highlights:

• No limits on talk or text with plenty of 5G data
• Two years of Crave Mobile for free

Best for:

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

Lite

The last of Bell’s post-paid plans offers something a little different. It’s called the Lite plan, and it seems best for kids or those who don’t need all that much access. You still get unlimited talk and text, but the plan only offers 10GB of data at up to 4G speeds. It drops back to standard definition streaming, and parents can control their kids’ data usage with special tools.

On the bright side, Lite is the most affordable of the Bell plans at a fixed CA$55 per month.

Highlights:

• Parental controls for data usage
• One flat cost per line

Best for:

• Kids who are getting their first phones

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$15 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$25 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

100MB of data 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 500MB and 8GB, and it’ll run you up to CA$55 per month. The plan works well if you know that you can keep your usage in check. Bell is also offering an extra 500MB of data just for signing up. That means your 500MB of data jumps to 1GB or 8GB moves up to 8.5GB at no extra cost.

Highlights:

• Up to 8GB of data for CA$55 per month

Best for:

• Data users who still want to save money

Tablet and connected device plans

Bell is a solid way to go if you’re hoping to bring a connected watch or tablet to your plan. Instead of a simple data-only plan, Bell Mobility offers a few connection options customized 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-shareable 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?

On the prepaid side of Bell Mobility, your options are a little trickier to choose from. You’re either looking at the talk and text plans or 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 Canada as part of the Big Three. They offer large, nationwide networks and 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 for 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 excellent service. All plans include unlimited talk and text, so it 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
• Extensive 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 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 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: