Best answer: Yes, like all major U.S. carriers, Mint Mobile supports VoLTE. To use Mint’s network, your phone has to be VoLTE- and 4G LTE-friendly, but luckily most devices purchased within the past few years are.
- T-Mobile’s network for less: Mint Mobile from $15/mo. at Mint Mobile
- Best for Mint: Samsung Galaxy S20 FE $600 at Amazon
What is VoLTE?
VoLTE stands for Voice over LTE and refers to how voice is transmitted during a call. Previously, rings were placed over older, slower legacy voice networks, whereas Voice over LTE places these calls over a high-speed LTE connection. VoLTE (also known as HD Voice) will still use up your minutes but allows you to have more explicit, higher-quality calls.
All phones on T-Mobile’s network are required to support VoLTE. Because Mint Mobile uses T-Mobile’s vast 4G LTE and 5G network to offer affordable plans at a lower cost, it also supports VoLTE. For your phone to work with Mint Mobile’s network, you’ll need a VoLTE and 4G LTE-friendly device.
How do I check whether my phone supports VoLTE?
Mint supports VoLTE, but does your phone? Chances are, if you own an unlocked GSM-network smartphone you purchased in the past few years, it also supports VoLTE and will be fully compatible with Mint. You could go to your phone’s settings to check, or you can read about enabling VoLTE on a Samsung Galaxy phone if that’s what you own. But the easiest way to get a straight answer is to head to Mint’s BYOP (bring your phone) page and use its compatibility checker. You can select your phone’s brand and model or preferably type in your phone’s IMEI number, which you can also find in your phone’s settings. If your phone is compatible with Mint, it means that it supports VoLTE, and you’re in the clear.
You should also check Mint Mobile’s coverage map to ensure you have reliable Mint Mobile coverage in your area before signing up. But an even easier way to fit everything at once is by downloading the Mint Mobile app, which has a compatibility tool that will automatically check for coverage at the address you put in and device compatibility. For instance, my unlocked iPhone XR would get excellent Mint coverage at the Met in NYC.
Mint Mobile supports VoLTE, but my phone doesn’t
Who wouldn’t want to sign up with an excellent carrier like Mint Mobile that lets you save some money? Unfortunately, if your device doesn’t support VoLTE, you could consider upgrading and getting one of these best phones to use with Mint Mobile. You’ll eventually need a phone that supports VoLTE no matter which carrier you go with, especially considering both T-Mobile and AT&T are already transitioning to HD Voice.
