In this article, we will be offering a Freedom Mobile review of this carrier’s plans and network coverage. Freedom Mobile was founded in 2008 as Wind Mobile and is one of the most visible discount mobile brands in Canada.
Having said that, it also has pretty limited coverage. Freedom Mobile is refreshingly candid about its shortcomings though. The company recognizes it’s not perfect, but offers an affordable alternative to the Canadians that can use it.
Their strategy focuses on low rates, flat monthly fees, protection from data overages, and cheap phones and payment plans.
Let’s have a look at what you get when you sign up with this carrier in our Freedom Mobile review.
Freedom Mobile review – Network
Freedom Mobile in Canada has been upgrading its LTE network for the last year across the country.
The company also boasts it’s the only Canadian provider to provide coverage in all TTC subway stations in Toronto, with some tunnel coverage as well — so that’s great if you’re in the biggest city in the country.
That said, a quick Google search will give you a sense of how people feel about Freedom Mobile’s coverage. It can be a bit spotty as you leave dense urban areas, though some report better indoor coverage in big cities like Toronto than with Rogers or Bell.
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Freedom Mobile review – plans
The regular Freedom Mobile plans can save you some major coin. It’s also got occasional special, limited-time offers, too, so it’s a good idea to check in from time to time.
A basic talk and text Freedom Mobile Canada plan gets you 250MB of data, 100 minutes of country-wide talk, unlimited incoming calls, and unlimited texts to anywhere in Canada and the U.S., all for $20 per month ($15 if you sign up for Auto-Pay billing). For an extra $10 per month, you can bump that up to unlimited Canada-wide calls and get 500MB of data. For $45 a month, you can make that unlimited global text and get up to 2GB of data, plus an extra 3GB of data if you sign up for its current, limited-time, offer before it expires.
There are less conventional Freedom Mobile plans too, like a bare-bones $55 a month version. Interestingly, it doesn’t come with any plain old calling included. Instead, you get 10GB of data, unlimited texting globally, with calls in Canada and the U.S. priced at $0.05 per minute. That seemed weird to me at first, but then I remembered how infrequently people make calls these days. I mostly only make voice calls for work-related interviews (which certainly isn’t a universal need), otherwise I text and email (or use any number of web-based apps like Skype, and Google Hangouts). Options like this might make Freedom pretty appealing to some.
If you want that extra data without losing out on calls, no worries. There’s another Freedom Mobile plan that offers 10GB plus unlimited talk and text in Canada for $60 per month. Bringing the data with your talk and text down to 5GB will run you $55 a month). All of these plans currently include an extra 3G of data, but again that offer expires soon.
Freedom Mobile review – MyTab phones
Need a new phone? Freedom Mobile plans include MyTab — basically payment plans for new devices. It saves you a few dollars on a phone by upping your monthly phone bill.
Freedom Mobile’s language is a little misleading, suggesting you can get a free phone with your plan. In reality, there’s clearly price tag on each device.
You can get a Samsung Galaxy S9 for “$0” with a MyTab. At least, that’s how it’s advertised. To get that deal, you actually have to add $20 to your monthly bill, which has to be on a plan that costs $50 or more, for 24 months.
So not only are you locked in for two years, you’re also paying an additional $480 for that “free” phone. It’s still a huge savings, but it’s a little misleading.
Freedom Mobile review – Final thoughts
Freedom is an obvious choice if you want to save money on your phone plan, and you’re likely to save big if what you’re after a lot of data — the bigger providers tend to gouge you on plans with 10GB or more.
In my Freedom Mobile review, I found that coverage is good by most accounts, but that’s still a sticking point for me. If you do a lot of travelling, or even live a little outside of a city center, you may find yourself with service that isn’t quite optimal, which could be a deal breaker, depending on your needs.
Freedom Mobile plans are probably good for most urban users in Canada. The combination of price and quality is tough to match. You’ll need to decide if it’s right for you.
What are your thoughts on this Freedom Mobile review? Any happy (or angry) Freedom Mobile Canada customers want to sound off in the comments?