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Ultra Mobile has claimed the number one spot in the latest quarterly multi-carrier prepaid dealer survey conducted in 4Q25 by Wave7 Research. This marks only the second time in the survey’s history that a brand other than Simple Mobile has won the top position, the first being Ultra Mobile’s win in 1Q24.
Verizon-owned Simple Mobile has historically dominated the survey, winning 42 out of the 44 editions conducted since 1Q15. In the 4Q25 poll, Ultra Mobile was found being activated by 21 of 30 dealers surveyed, a slight increase from 19 of 30 in the 3Q25 survey. Simple Mobile followed closely behind, with 20 of 30 dealers reporting activations for the brand, a number that remained flat compared to the previous quarter.
Despite Ultra Mobile’s lead in presence, Simple Mobile remains a powerhouse as a top seller. Eight reps cited Simple Mobile as their #1 brand, compared to five for Ultra Mobile. During the survey, a Missouri representative noted that Simple Mobile remains highly affordable, with its $25/month plan performing particularly well. Conversely, a California dealer highlighted the success of Ultra Mobile’s annual plans, specifically the 12GB plan (currently boosted to 25GB as part of a promotion) for $240, an average cost of $20/month.
4Q25 Prepaid Dealer Full Survey Results
The latest survey was conducted in November and December 2025. Representatives from 30 independent multi-carrier prepaid dealers in various markets across the U.S. were interviewed. The full results of the survey are detailed below.
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.
| Provider | Number of Dealers | 1st Place | 2nd Place | 3rd Place | Also-ran |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ultra Mobile | 21 | 5 | 8 | 4 | 4 |
| Simple Mobile | 20 | 8 | 8 | 1 | 3 |
| Verizon Prepaid | 18 | 6 | 5 | 1 | 6 |
| T-Mobile Prepaid | 15 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| AT&T Prepaid | 14 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 7 |
| Gen Mobile | 14 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 8 |
| H2O Wireless | 12 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 4 |
| Lyca Mobile | 10 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 7 |
| Boost Mobile | 8 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 5 |
| MobileX | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 |
| Cricket | 5 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 |
Wave7 Research Momentum Award Winner: MobileX
Wave7 Research gave its Momentum Award to MobileX for 4Q25. While its presence of 8 out of 30 dealers is a slight dip from 9 out of 30 in 3Q25, the brand's growth in 2025 remains significant compared to the first half of the year.
MobileX has been aggressive in its pursuit of the dealer channel, a journey that began at the All Wireless & Prepaid Expo in August 2024. By the August 2025 edition of the Expo, the brand announced it was working with six master dealers to further expand its distribution.
Survey Loser: Smaller Brands
The "Survey Loser" distinction this quarter goes to smaller brands that have seemingly disappeared from the multi-carrier channel. Only 11 brands were mentioned in total during 4Q25. Several names that appeared in previous 2025 surveys, including UScellular, Surf USA Mobile, and Selectel, were not mentioned at all this quarter.
While not officially in the survey results, some newcomers are attempting to break in. One California dealer mentioned purchasing five SIM cards for LinkUp Mobile, though the MVNO reported no activations during the survey period. LinkUp Mobile, a mobile brand from the publicly traded SurgePays Inc, did just announce that it passed 100k subscribers, up from 95k+ on 11/12/25.
Other Notable Observations
Verizon Prepaid secured third place in the survey, with 18 of 30 reps carrying the brand and six citing it as their top seller. Other major players like T-Mobile Prepaid, AT&T Prepaid, Gen Mobile, and H2O Wireless saw broad mentions ranging from 12 to 15 dealers.
Dealer feedback this quarter was mixed. One dealer expressed frustration with Boost Mobile, claiming the company has held back commissions. Meanwhile, a dealer in Southern California who focuses on H2O Wireless and Simple Mobile noted that overall activations have been down, leading him to avoid supporting additional MVNOs to focus on his core brands. Some dealers continue to be leery of brand fatigue, caused by the surge of new brands.
Spectrum Mobile continues to have a niche presence in the channel; while not a primary focus for most, some signage was observed, and at least one rep in the 3Q25 survey had listed it as a top seller.
“Ultra Mobile narrowly edged out Simple Mobile as the winner of the quarterly dealer survey. It’s only the second time we’ve seen Simple Mobile out of the top spot and Simple Mobile was mentioned most often as being the top seller. MobileX deserved the Wave7 Momentum Award because the brand went from minimal mentions in early 2025 to broad mentions in the back half of 2025.”
– Jeff Moore, Principal of Wave7 Research