Boost Mobile is making an aggressive move to position itself as America's high-quality, low-cost carrier. The company's latest play: its $95 Summit 5G Android phone, which has superior build quality for its price, paired with 5G plans starting at just $25 monthly.
Having handled the Summit 5G, I found its fit and finish surprisingly premium for its price point. Usually, phones under $100 look plasticky and only come in black. The Summit 5G feels like it's solidly built, and the housing comes in an upscale and attractive "Vista Blue," giving it a welcome pop of color.
The specs are standard entry-level fare: a 6.6-inch HD+ display, dual rear cameras (13MP main, 2MP depth), a 5MP front camera, and a 5000mAh battery, which Boost claims will deliver all-day use. Inside, there's a 2.2 GHz MediaTek 6835 processor, 4GB RAM, and 64GB storage that is expandable via microSD up to 128GB.
More importantly, though, Boost is backing this phone with better software support than typical in the entry-level segment. While many budget phones receive no OS upgrades and just one year of security patches, the Summit 5G is guaranteed one Android upgrade – from Android 14 to Android 15 – and two years of security updates.
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The device launches as Boost Mobile completes its transformation from a mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) to a full-fledged carrier with its own network. Boost now operates its own cloud-native 5G network, covering over 70% of the U.S. population, with plans to reach 80% by year's end. Recent Ookla speed tests show this network outpacing both AT&T and Verizon in many areas. Combined with plan pricing up to 40% lower than other national carriers, Boost is clearly targeting value-conscious customers who don't want to compromise on network quality.
The Summit 5G itself is free for customers who switch to Boost and $19.99 for existing customers upgrading their devices. The addition of Boost to Apple's official carrier lineup – alongside AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon – signals the company's growing status as a major carrier, though it currently lacks support for cellular smartwatches (planned for early 2025) and Google Pixel devices.
You can purchase the Summit 5G now on BoostMobile.com and at Boost Mobile retail stores nationwide.
[Image credit: Suzanne Kantra/Techlicious]
Suzanne Kantra founded Techlicious 15+ years ago and has been covering consumer technology for more than 20 years. She was the Technology Editor for Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, where she hosted the radio show “Living with Technology," and served as Senior Technology Editor for Popular Science Magazine. She has been featured on CNN, CBS, and NBC.
