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For the 41st time, Simple Mobile is the winner of the latest Wave7 Research quarterly prepaid survey which was conducted in 2Q25. Ultra Mobile climbed back up to the number two spot. There have been a total of 42 surveys dating back to 2015.
A total of 21 dealers out of 30 surveyed named Simple Mobile as a brand they carried. Ultra Mobile tied for 2nd with Verizon Prepaid. Each was found at 20 dealers. However, Ultra Mobile was the top seller at five dealers compared to Verizon Prepaid at two. Simple Mobile was the number one brand at 12 dealers.
2Q25 Prepaid Dealer Full Survey Results
The latest survey was conducted in April and May 2025. Representatives from 30 independent multi-carrier prepaid dealers in a variety of markets around the USA were interviewed.
Note: The "number of dealers" column indicates the number of dealers out of 30 selling the brand. The "1st place" column denotes the number of dealers reporting the brand as their top seller, while "2nd place" etc., means the number of dealers reporting that as their second best-selling brand.
Top Selling Prepaid Brands In 2Q25 Wave7 Research Survey Of 30 Independent Dealers
| Provider | Number of Dealers | 1st Place | 2nd Place | 3rd Place | Also-Ran |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Simple Mobile | 21 | 12 | 5 | 2 | 2 |
| Ultra Mobile | 20 | 5 | 7 | 4 | 4 |
| Verizon Prepaid | 20 | 2 | 6 | 3 | 9 |
| T-Mobile Prepaid | 16 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 6 |
| H2O Wireless | 13 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 5 |
| AT&T Prepaid | 12 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 4 |
| Lyca Mobile | 11 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 9 |
| Gen Mobile | 10 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 9 |
| Boost Mobile | 8 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| Cricket Wireless | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 |
| MobileX | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| UScellular | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Surf USA Mobile | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Wave7 Research Momentum Award Winner
Not only is Simple Mobile the survey winner, but Wave7 Research also gave the brand its Momentum Award. Simple Mobile was found at 20 of 32 dealers in the last survey but jumped to 21 of 30 in the most recent survey. It was a top seller in 12 dealers up from 10 in the prior survey. Wave7 Research writes "Simple Mobile seems to have consistent execution. The brand has won nearly every edition of the survey, so it is impressive that Simple Mobile can make progress amid challenges from many brands."
Survey Losers
AT&T Prepaid and Cricket Wireless both earned the dubious distinction of being named survey losers. AT&T Prepaid was mentioned by 12 out of 30 reps in 2Q25, down from 17 of 32 in 1Q25. Cricket Wireless continues to have a limited presence in the survey and has not experienced the same growth as other prepaid brands owned by the major carriers. Cricket received just four mentions this quarter, compared to six in the previous survey, and none of the reps named Cricket as a top two dealer. According to Wave7 Research, AT&T appears to be investing less effort into the multi-carrier channel than its competitors. There is also noticeably less social media engagement from AT&T’s master dealers compared to those affiliated with Verizon and T-Mobile.
Is Brand Fatigue A Thing?
One dealer commented to Wave7 Research that they believed there may be some brand fatigue among dealers when asked about carrying newer wireless brands such as MobileX, Surf USA Mobile, and Latino Mobile. Other dealers echoed similar comments in prior surveys. One dealer formerly in the survey even converted their store to Total Wireless stating it was much simpler to sell just one brand rather than keeping up with all the offers and differences between brands.
“’Brand fatigue’ was cited by a Missouri dealer as a factor for dealers who stay with top prepaid brands, rather than trying new brands. Multiple other dealers have made similar comments. Simple Mobile and Ultra Mobile continue to succeed with dealers, while AT&T Prepaid and Cricket both softened in the survey.” – Jeff Moore, Principal of Wave7 Research