Skip to main content

Comcast now lets you use your own Android device on Xfinity Mobile

Comcast now lets you use your own Android device on Xfinity Mobile

/

Only available for select Samsung devices

Share this story

Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge

Comcast now lets you use your own Android device with its Xfinity Mobile wireless carrier. Previously, if you wanted to use your own device then it had to be a recent iPhone. Xfinity Mobile is Comcast’s MVNO that’s available exclusively to the company’s home internet customers and runs on the Verizon network.

For now, the range of Android phones that Comcast will accept is limited to unlocked Samsung devices, including the Galaxy S9, S9 Plus, S8, S8 Plus, Note 9 and Note 8. That means no devices from other manufacturers like OnePlus or Google, and it also means that Samsung’s latest flagship phones from the S10 series also aren’t compatible. Comcast says it hopes to add more Android handsets later in 2019.

Previously, only iPhones were compatible

It’s worth noting that even if you have one of the Samsung phones listed, then availability could also be restricted based on which network you bought it through. Xfinity Mobile piggybacks off of Verizon’s network, meaning many phones from T-Mobile and AT&T won’t work. If your device isn’t compatible, then Comcast says it could be eligible to be traded in for a gift card. It is also offering a $100 gift card to anyone who signs up an Android phone and ports their existing number before August 4th.

First launched in May 2017, Xfinity Mobile is Comcast’s mobile service for Xfinity Internet customers. You can add as many as five lines to your existing Comcast contract, and then either pay-per-gigabyte of data, or else pay for unlimited data use for a reasonably affordable $45 a month. However, its data usage comes with some caveats. Last July CNET reported that Comcast started imposing data saving measures, including defaulting video playback to 480p and limiting hotspots to 3G connections. Speeds will also be throttled after you use 20GB in a single month. These limitations don’t apply when devices are connected to one of the company’s Wi-Fi hotspots.

Disclosure: Comcast is an investor in Vox Media, The Verge’s parent company.